Technology companies leveraging outsourced product development to reduce product development costs are leveraging outsourced R&D to generate additional revenues with higher innovation yields at faster time-to-marketOutsourcing Product Development offers a plethora of benefits. While this is an established fact and is well known; a better understanding of its benefits Vis-à-vis the benefits of Outsourcing R&D is now clearly emerging.Faster...more
Have you ever tried to get a loan, buy a car, get a job or rent an apartment? If the answer to that is yes you're probably already familiar with your FICO score. It's the three digit number that credit reporting agencies use to rate your credit and, by default, tell lenders, employers and landlords how reliable a risk you really are.No, it's not fair, but there you have it. Your worth as a person has been reduced to a number. (You knew the day...more
Some people's lives begin to sound like a Soap Opera because there have been so many extenuating circumstances. Nobody's perfect. But nobody wants to hear about your problems and baggage either. Especially in the job interview. The following is some advice to handle those tricky situations when interviewing that may be difficult to talk about let alone explain.Returning To The Workforce After An Extended Absence.1. Be able to tell the interviewer why you have decided that now is the time for you to return to the work force - why now?Have a prepared convincing statement about your goals or intentions of remaining in the work force after being away for a period of time - this is best done by scripting and practicing your answer so that you feel confident saying it in the interview.2. Make sure that you are up-to-date on changes that have occurred in your field in your absence.You might consider taking a brush up class or course. It is important that you be able to show that you can "hit the ground running," particularly with so many candidates to choose from in this economy.3. Do some research, using the internet to discover what is required in the type of position you are...more
The transitional period of returning to work after a prolonged period of sickness absence can be daunting for the employee AND their line manager - especially where the ill health revolved around a 'stress at work' issue. Coming to terms with changes that have taken place during the employee's absence and re-establishing team working practices will...more
In Part One of this article series, I described the current situation with how customers are feeling vulnerable: Now more than ever, your customers are being bombarded by competitive offers and even some of your most loyal customers are actually listening to your competitors.Your customers are vulnerable. What can you do about it?First, you have to...more
Businesses arise when entrepreneurs identify wants or needs and create products or services to fill them. This means doing ongoing market research. Here are some of the free research tools that are easily accessible on the internet, and which are certain to make your market research easy, fast and fruitful.Search Engines: Search engines index billions of web pages, enabling users to find information through keyword searches. My favourites are google.com and clusty.com.About: Visit about.com to explore this amazing website, which offers articles by more than 750 experts on a range of subjects. It's useful for finding information on different topics and has a handy "See What's Hot Now" link where you can learn which questions and topics are getting the most hits.Blogs: These are personal journals published on the Web. Blogs include personal reflections, opinions on a variety of issues, and usually include links to the owner's favorite sites.BoardReader: This remarkable service reads forums and message boards from more than 750,000 websites. Just click on boardreader.com and enter your search words to find information, images or videos from many sources.Ebay Keywords: Click on...more
As a lender, I wish we could approve every loan application that hit our table; unfortunately it's not possible. We deal with mostly very small businesses seeking small loans, usually less than $250,000. Lending to inexperienced, new business owners...more
A leveraged buyout (LBO) occurs when a financial sponsor gains a controlling interest in a firm's equity and where a major % (percentage) of the buying value is financed through borrowing. The possessions of the obtained firm are often used as...more
With each day's headlines announcing new corporate layoffs, rising unemployment rates, and an increasingly volatile stock market, it may seem counterintuitive for businesses to place much, if any, importance on hiring new employees. However, for...more
Early in my career, I was fortunate enough to cross paths with a company that understood the value of smart, effective women. While their counterparts in the natural gas industry were still relegating us to waitress positions at Hooters, this outfit...more
Superannuation is a method of financially preparing yourself for your retirement. Both yourself and your employer can contribute to it over time and this money is then invested into a variety of appropriate investments such as shares, property,...more
There are a variety of low cost international long distance calling products on the market today but each has been designed to fit the needs of a specific group of consumers. Marketers and product developers have tried to broaden the appeal of their...more