Daily you are leading others. You guide them and hope that they will continue to improve, produce, stick around, and crate the results that you have asked for. Are you providing the same sort of TLC to your own leadership skills, behaviors and attributes? Likely, the answer is no, but perhaps you do. That would mean you work on it, practice new techniques, always put the needs of those you work with as a priority, and spend dedicated time being...more
When someone is running a small local business, they can make the absolute most of their marketing budget by making sure they leverage their internet marketing tools. The internet is the one place where a small company can actually have a legitimate chance to compete with their larger competition. The most traffic online comes from search engines. People go to a website like Google and enter a phrase relating to a subject that they are interested...more
Are you feeling a little toasty this holiday season? Would you love to be one of those people who can stand up at the drop of a hat and offer a clever toast? Do you hold back because you aren't sure what to say or do you resist the urge because you aren't sure of the correct protocol?Few people seem to hold back for fear of committing a faux pas. Nevertheless there are rules regarding toasting and if you want to be the polished professional at the office party or the business dinner, here are a few pointers on the correct way to perform a toast: The host should always be the one to start the process. Before beginning it is that person's responsibility to make sure that everyone's glass is full. After the host has offered a toast, others may follow suit.Toasts should be short, simple and sincere. The five-page poem that covers the honoree's entire life up to that point is more appreciated by the one who wrote it rather than those who have to listen to it.If the group is large, it is not necessary to clink glasses when a toast is made. Instead, just raise your glass and take a sip. If the group is small and you wish to touch glasses, look the other person in the eye when you do.Use...more
As the end of the year rapidly approaches, the Tax Working Group is hard at work reviewing the current tax system of New Zealand. The Tax Working Group is a consortium of professionals in academics, government, and industry whose expertise shapes the proposals presented to the government.The current proposals are expected to produce greater equity...more
Normally, gold is priced relative to the global value which is based on global demand and global supply. A gold mine shuts down at the same time as the people in the area start wanting to buy more gold... and the price just about stays the same. Why? Because the global demand and supply has hardly changed... it's only changed in that...more
Around this time the previous year, plenty of businesses need to freeze spending. All indications are that the recession is almost gone, so small businesses can get back to normal. Therefore, today is a great time to consider what the recession has done to your business. Think about how the economic changes have affected your industry in general. Has your customer base changed? Have your competitors started cutting prices? How about their service offerings? Are you keeping up? Recessions cause changes, and it is important to assess all aspects of your business. If you and your small business have been experiencing retrenchments, salary reductions or worse in order to survive the recession, there are some key points to keep in mind as things begin to get better. Firstly, consider the fact that several organizations are getting people again - this means that you can get new people from businesses that have went down the drain. But bear in mind that the same people may get a better offer elsewhere too. It is essential to satisfy them, or else, risk losing them to your competitors. Most people are are going for jobs that allows them to make more money to pay off their bills after the...more
While doing business in Europe it is extremely important to be aware of the cross-culture differences. Bearing in mind the cultural influences of a country are crucial for the success of your business. Are you planning to start out a new venture in...more
Waiting 30, 60 and 90 days for customers to pay invoices is one of the most difficult challenges small and mid-size businesses face. It can be particularly hard to manage your business when you're waiting for clients to pay.Invoice factoring is a...more
As its name implies, a business plan is a summary of how the owner of the business, a manager or an entrepreneur wishes to organize his business as well as lay down the procedures and processes needed in implementing the plans to a logical and...more
Owning a business means a lot of decisions to be made and employees to keep happy. Perhaps your business is located in a less than state-of-the-art facility, which could mean your employees are uncomfortable if the air conditioning isn't up to...more
Reputation management businesses are growing rapidly as more and more companies have gone online. These companies have realized a direct correlation between customer comments online and their production levels. Most shoppers these days prefer to go...more
Internet activity at this time of year increases substantially and many customers all looking for different things are accessing the various websites trying to find exactly what they are looking for. As a company we need to have the right tools at...more