(This story first appeared in Workplace Miracles - a book filled with a collection of stories from around the globe) I have a secret that I'm going to share with you. I am a fifty year-old woman and I love teddy bears. Big ones, small ones, fat ones, skinny ones, long hair, short hair, mohair, bears with hats, bears with jackets, or just plain furry ones, I love them all. Many years ago when I was a young woman going through a rough time in my...more
1. Differentiate yourself using a Personal Value Proposition. A PVP a description of how your unique mixture of five key elements creates and/or adds value for an organization and the people in it. A personal examination of these elements reminds you of all the strong, positive things you bring to the table and it points out the gaps you need to close before you can position yourself more effectively. Examine each element separately, combine all...more
As a business owner, wouldn't it be great if you could take time off whenever you needed to? Unfortunately, most small business owners worry that the business will fall apart if they're not there to mind the store. Too often, they simply lack the appropriate resources for their business to keep going in their absence. "Taking time off is as important as food," says Charles Tuttle, leader of a group of entrepreneurs in North Carolina. Don't worry if this statement raises a red flag for you. Although taking time off can be especially challenging and downright impossible sometimes, it's important to know that you can do something to make it happen. It takes deliberate work on your part and here are a few simple ideas to get you started.Find a way to make work fun. If your work is stressful, build in laughter to ease the stress and tension. Take frequent breaks to stretch or breathe if you're sitting all day. Fun makes the passing of the day more enjoyable. Try it and watch your fabulous day unfold!Take leisure time in smaller chunks. Look at opportunities to journal, meditate or read between appointments and activities. It may seem pointless but it goes a long way in...more
Is really not as important as to how you invest in the stock market. And how you invest in the stock market should take into consideration what goals you are setting for that stock market investment. For example, are you investing for capital appreciation or for income through dividend paying stocks? Or is the investment in the stock market for the...more
"Know your Ruling Star. One man is better received by one nation than another, or is one welcome by one city than another. He finds more luck in one office or position than in another, and all though his qualifications are equal or even identical. Let each man know his luck as well as his talents. Follow your guiding star and help it without...more
Q. My company publishes a monthly employee newsletter. My boss asked me to write a funny quiz. I'm not exactly a stand-up comic. Help!A. Ah, the funny quiz. Lucky you! It's not often that a company has an official sense of humor that they are willing to display for all to read. This is going to be a great assignment for you!A funny quiz is typically one where the questions and answers have no real purpose other than to make the quiz taker laugh. Although almost anything goes, there are some taboo subjects. Off hand I'd say that anything that pokes fun at a specific person, or groups of people, as well as anything that's anti-semitic, racial, sexual, political, or religious should be off limits. Remember, what one person thinks is funny can offend someone else. Even seemingly innocuous subjects like "hillbilly" or "redneck" jokes might not be funny to someone who lives in the mountains or the deep South (like I do).You can think of a funny quiz as a series of one-liners with multiple-choice punch lines. Because you are writing for a company publication you have a built-in "affinity group" as there is bound to be some common subjects that are company related and could be made into...more
Understanding where you can spend time most effectively requires concentration in three areas: Doing what you enjoy Concentrating on your strengths Understanding Job ExcellenceLet's start with doing what you enjoy. Your quality of life is in many...more
Why wait weeks or months to get paid by your clients when you can access your money in a matter of days by factoring your invoices. When a business factors their invoices, they are allowing a third party to purchase their invoices at a discount...more
Globalisation, the expansion of intercontinental trade, technological advances and the increase in the number of companies dealing on the international stage have brought about a dramatic change in the frequency, context and means by which people...more
One secret to a site that sells: Look at your site from your customer's perspective. Another secret: Watch out for these common web copy pitfalls. Welcome to nothingLook at your site's web copy. Does it begin with "Welcome to ?" If so, get rid of...more
Identity theft statistics are shocking, to say the least. And it's not going to get better any time soon. But there is no need for you to become a statistic. Here is what you can do to avoid identity theft.1. If your mail box doesn't have a lock yet,...more
Managers in the non-profit, association and business worlds need to persuade outside audiences with the greatest impact on their operations to their way of thinking. And then move those external stakeholders to take actions that help their...more