Listen Carefully To Your Boss

Business.

Office conversation tips: let's talk tips for talking to your boss - do you have trouble communicating with people at work - especially your boss? Specifics may vary from person to person.

This article is designed to provide you with some useful office conversation tips that will help you talk to your boss about anything and any situation. - however, the following information includes helpful and important guidelines from which everyone can benefit. Make the most of the conversation by giving our simple guidelines a try. About to walk into your supervisor' s office for a chat? Can we talk? Depending on the relationship you share with her or him, communicating with your boss can be easy, or difficult. You may have asked this question of your boss on one occasion or another.

Just as importantly, it can be potentially harmful to your career if things are mis - communicated. - here are 7 office conversation tips: office conversation tip# 1: be prepared. Not to worry though, there are some easy guidelines you might want to use to help ensure that conversing with your boss is most effective. Be organized. It will be easier to keep your thoughts clear. Have all of your documentation in clearly labeled folders.

You will also look professional which increases your credibility in your meeting. - it' s a cliche, but it can seriously get in the way of good communication. Office Conversation Tip# 2: Don' t beat around the bush. If you want to know why the boss doesn' t like your proposal, request specific feedback from her. Office Conversation Tip# 3: Be a good listener. There' s no reason to guess, open communication should be priority one. Talking is a multi - directional endeavor.

Listen carefully to your boss. - you also need to clearly hear, understand and process what the other person is saying. Do not tune him out, even if you disagree. Office Conversation Tip# 4: Skip an email now and then. And keep good eye contact so that the boss knows you' re listening. Relying on electronic communication all the time may be very time - efficient, but it' s not always the best substitute for a face - to - face meeting.

Office Conversation Tip# 5: Keep your cool, always. - once in a while, poke your head into your boss' s office to see if it' s a good time for her to chat, rather than always opting for the less - personal email option. Similar to speaking or negotiating with anyone in any aspect of your life whether it' s your boss or the annoying clerk at the car rental counter you' ll likely have a better chance of getting what you want if you remain calm, civil and nice. Everyone likes to be patted on the back, even your boss. Office Conversation Tip# 6: Offer a compliment now and then. Avoid gushing, or being complimentary too often, because the effect of your gesture will be compromised. Office Conversation Tip# 7: Depart your conversation with a sure conclusion.

But throw in a little praise once in a while and you might be surprised to find that the boss could be more receptive to your ideas. - before ending your chat with your boss, make certain that each of you understands the next steps, etc, strategies. that you have agreed upon. You want be sure that both of you are on the same page going forward.

Brian Is Currently Looking For Programmers To Do A Redesign And' Take Caretotrade. Com To The Next Level'

Business.

Buy sell trade swap online for free - do you care to trade? - in contrast to the giants of online trading such as ebay and amazon, whose members incur a diversity of fees with each transaction, caretotrade. com and other new entrants to the online trading business are offering their members the ability to buy, sell and swap items absolutely free of charge with other traders from anywhere in the world. After four years of college and another three of law school, Brian Karpf figures he spent a small fortune in textbooks.

Caretotrade. com was started a year ago by a South Florida native - Brian Karpf, who was a law student at the time. - knowing there had to be hundreds of college students who felt the same way the weston man launched an idea last summer to solve the problem. In a few short months, the book exchange blog underwent three major upgrades and transformed into the full - fledging online trading community that it is today. He created a blog where students could trade textbooks and save hundreds of dollars in the process. Thousands of members logon on a daily basis and thousands of items from autographed guitars to black Chinese shar pei puppies can be found on the website. 'Books and electronics remain the most popular categories, ' says Brian, 'although other categories are growing very quickly. Among the more unusual items that have passed through the site: a UFO/ missile tracking device, goat milk and soap, hybrid cars, exotic farm animals, Alaskan wilderness sites and homes. Over the last few months I have seen huge increase in traffic and activities in my real estate categories! ' People trade everything from the ordinary - electronics, collectibles, antiques - to the bizarre.

Brian is currently looking for programmers to do a redesign and' take caretotrade. com to the next level' . - more and more people are becoming professional traders opening up stores online selling second hand items as well as brand new merchandise. Online trading allows people to make money from selling unwanted items in the comfort of their own homes. Caretotrade. com is one such website that enables aspiring businessmen and businesswomen to build their own online business without having to pay any listing fees, monthly charges or, commissions any other costs applied by the big players such as eBay and Amazon. Currently, Caretotrade. com generates most of its revenue from advertising and the rest from featured listings. No wonder it has seen explosive growth in its membership!

When you can buy, trade, sell, exchange, swap and barter absolutely free and make money from the comfort of your own home - wouldn' t you care - to - trade?

Decrease And Eliminate Energy Drains

Business.

Recharging your batteries - staying on top of your game - in the past century our lives have become more complicated. Well, times have certainly changed.

By comparison, our ancestors led a simpler life, with priorities focused on family and community life. - we are accessible by beeper, text message, cell phone, voicemail, email and instant message, and fax, telephone - all day or night. Add job responsibilities. Whew! Including two family incomes or single parenting, family and community, living single relationships, and other time commitments. Is it any wonder we often feel like we have no time to really enjoy our lives because we always have someone or some responsibility to attend to? "I can' t seem to get motivated or focused.

We' re so busy operating in hyper - drive( especially in the USA! ) that we can forget how to relax and unwind. - i feel stuck, distracted, i feel tired... like i should be doing more and i just don' t feel like doing very much. " sound familiar? Symptoms of burnout include: Feeling emotionally over reactive especially with anger. Depression. Diminished performance/ functioning. Weight loss/ weight gain. Exhaustion - even if you have rested. Self - neglect. Irritability. Numbing behaviors including addiction. Poor concentration. Sleep disturbances. Mood swings. Shift in eating patterns. Decreased self - confidence and self - esteem. 1 or 2 symptoms do not indicate burnout. You might be feeling burned out and in need of recharging. Prolonged periods of physical, mental intensity can, emotional normalize the" appearance" of burnout. In that way, we forget what peace, regeneration feel like, calm.

In other words, we can adapt to being in a state of burnout for extended periods of time, which put people at greater risk for medical conditions and/ or psychological problems to develop. - getting back on track: practice extreme self - care. When needs are not being met, negative thoughts and reactions intensify. I use extreme because taking the best care of YOU is serious! Does your life flow when you are neglecting yourself? When you take good care of YOU, the people and situations in your life will get the" best" of you instead of what' s left of you! Being positively self - ish and putting yourself first gives you the vitality and desire to be fully there for those you love - by choice, not obligation.

Give yourself permission to make self - care a priority. - refer to page 2 set strong boundaries and keep them. Practicing self - care will show others how to love and respect you by valuing and appreciating who you are. Practice saying no more often, especially when saying yes would be dishonest to your self. Superheroes aren' t real! Refer to page 2 Delegate things that need to be handled.

If you" have to do it all your self" , it is time to consider help. - recognize when you have a need and ask for help( when help is available) . Be willing to give up some of your control to decrease all the things on your" to do" list. Remember, the most successful people work with teams - they don' t succeed alone. That' s a win - win for everyone. One additional plus is that delegating empowers others to raise their competency and confidence level.

Decrease and eliminate energy drains. - energy drains include: everything unresolved, incomplete or avoided, undone is an energy drain. Clutter, situation, people, and things that sap your energy. Examples: clutter, unanswered correspondence/ phone calls, repairs, unfinished business, unpaid bills, avoided conflicts/ confrontations, negative thinking. Clearing out the clutter and energy drains will free up your energy dramatically and open more flow to your life. Get the picture?

Have you felt stuck or blocked? - schedule fun! Watch what happens when you eliminate clutter and energy drains from your life! I mean it. Lorraine Cohen, Business Consultant and Life Strategist brings more than 25 years experience in personal coaching, psychological counseling, business development, and sales to over 2000 business owners, and executives from, entrepreneurs a wide range of industries. Copyright(C) Lorraine Cohen 2004, All Rights Reserved. Focusing on the whole person, Lorraine coaches people from the inside out.

An expert in breaking through fear and roadblocks to success, she empowers people to take linear leaps that reshape their world. - to implement innovative strategies that integrate their heart, and spirituality, integrity.

I Love Adapting As A Consultant

Business.

What's the point? why hire consultants? and how can you get the best out of them? - moving from organizational life to consulting life didn' t seem like a big deal to me. I' d been bringing consultants into my organisation as an" extra pair of hands" or as experts to present programs or coach executives.

I' d been doing internal consulting for more than a decade. - what i found as an internal customer was that hiring a consultant can be tricky. Although a company is" borrowing" talent, not" buying" it the way they do when they hire someone, it' s still a major financial and time commitment. Through a trial and error process of discovery I found that the nature of the consulting relationship is the key to whether the company is going to get what it needs or throw money down a consulting black hole. I spent a lot of time managing consultants. And. for the consultant, the consulting assignment has both a financial and reputational impact.

I figured" What' s the point? " if I didn' t get the best out of them. - why not make this arrangement a win - win? The approach to low trust by the organization is often a" taxi driver" approach. To do that I found we had to learn to trust each other. The consultant is paid by the hour or day. The consultant does what he or she is told. This is a contractual relationship versus a relational contract.

The good news is that this is a good way to use" one - trick ponies. " When you have a speaker who can do a great presentation about what they know best this is the best way to use them. - as one client said" we are depending on you to get our bench - strength ready for their next jobs. If you want any in - depth work from a consultant it' s best to try the partnering approach. His approach was to put me into a relational contract where I was committed to his company' s expected outcomes. "Taxi driver" approach or partnering approach. When clients want to hire me by the hour, I find it, or minutes very strange. One of the nicest compliments I ever got was" You don' t think like a consultant. " I realised that I see myself as partnering with my clients, almost as if I become part of their organisation for a period of time. At one point, I was contracting with a prospective client who came out of a supply chain background.

For me, he was concentrating on the wrong aspects. - he spent the contracting period penny pinching me in all the aspects of the contract. When I tried to concentrate on the outcomes rather than the specifics of the process, he just didn' t" get it. " He was so used to taking farthings off widgets that he just couldn' t focus on the end results. I pulled myself out of the process. The" taxi driver" approach didn' t engender enough trust for me to continue the contracting. I try not to work like a" taxi driver. " I have found that thinking of consulting as day labour gets me, and other consultants too, to act that way.

It' s vital for a company to think this way too. - i prefer thinking like a partner in the project' s success. Partnering is a trust builder. Consultant partnering trust occurs when there is both personal and professional trust. There is a mutual commitment to success. Personal trust is each party doing what they say they' ll do, when they say they' ll do it.

Create a contractual relationship or a relational contract? "Relationships of trust depend on our willingness to look not only to our own interests, but also the interests of other. " Peter Farquharson, Early 20th century English cricketer. - professional trust is demonstrating the talent, expertise and an understanding of the consultant' s craft and of human behaviour that enables a consulting relationship to work. Even if you' re hiring day labourers, a company wants its money' s worth or more. One of the best ways to ensure fit is by knowing the company and its needs as well as the needs of the project or intervention that the company needs. Although many consultants are hired on a short time scale, their organisational" fit" is essential. When a company insists on a detailed contract they often get just what they negotiated and nothing more. Contracting is where you ensure that the commitment and professional expertise are there.

My belief is that it' s vital to keep your" eyes on the prize. " What is it that the company and the specific client( s) want to get out of the relationship? - there' s an old american saying that could apply to contracting, "good fences make good neighbours. " by setting up the parameters in contracting the participants are then free to do more but not less. If the person who initiates the engagement is the" finder" but doesn' t do the work it may not be a good idea. It is vital that those who are doing the consulting be part of the contracting phase. That also goes for having a" minder" and a bunch of" grinders" whom you don' t know well. It' s vital that you get to know the consultant( s) you' re using before, during and after the consulting engagement.

If you contract with the experienced folks there is not enough pay - off from the rookies. - though the consultant( s) may not be employees they should be treated as if they are personally responsible. There have been at least a dozen situations when I' ve been called in after someone from a consulting firm hasn' t delivered what was expected. As an independent consultant, and previously as a corporate buyer of consulting services, I have found that independents are often the best choices. Don' t forget that you are hiring the person and not the company. Are they happy to spend as much time as it takes in this phase? The way that a consultant( firm) approaches contracting is revealing.

The time that it takes to contract and work with the company representative who is doing the contract is part of the big" bucks" that consultants charge. - part of the package price is that the consultant should not be charging for every small cost like taxi fares for local work. Part of the contracting should be a negotiated" package" , or programme price. The package should include written information that is necessary for the process to work. A report at the end of the consulting process is not one of the worthwhile things to pay for. That might mean something in writing that can serve as a roadmap for clients to follow as they work with consultant. When the consultant has left, the report is rarely of use.

Most of all, I believe in generosity of spirit on the part of the consultant and the company. - it may feel good to get one but often goes on a shelf after the consulting engagement is finished. That means giving more than the contract stipulates when it' s needed. In other words, the parties involved should be responsive to the other' s needs. That means consultants occasionally giving more consulting time, for those who, without extra fees need it and the company staying supportive and flexible with the needs of the consultant. Over time, this kind of attitude breeds trust. Just the way employees" hold" the needs of their job and the needs of their company in their consciousness, an excellent consultant" holds" clients and their needs and the work in their thinking time outside of the actual assignment time.

Being a consultant is a bit like being an employee for a period of time. - i am constantly surprised when a client says that a workshop i gave was only six hours so they that they should not have to pay for the entire day of eight hours. It may have taken days to prepare the work which may, or may not have been remunerated. How amazing is that? Moreover, when a consultant is at one company for six hours there is no way that two more hours can be squeezed into that day. The other is the thinking time that involves" holding" the client in your thoughts and plans. That is one of the reasons why daily fees don' t make sense for excellent work.

Be careful with one - trick ponies and" consultant creep" "The people I distrust most are those who want to improve our lives but have only one course of action. " Frank Herbert, 20th century science fiction author. - in their area of expertise they need to be role models. A company usually hires consultants for their expertise. I once hired a consultant who was superb at educating and empowering personal assistants to maximise their potential. It' s not uncommon for this kind of thing to happen since expertise is often specialised. When she was asked by an executive to work out a conflict among a group of personal assistants she overstepped her expertise and failed miserably. It' s also the responsibility of the consultant to keep the company representative informed of every potential consulting request that the consultant gets to do additional consulting.

I find that someone to vet each request, and the appropriateness of the consultant( s) for the request, is the only way to ensure the trust that you have the right person in place. - someone in the company needs to keep track to avoid" consultant creep, " or consultants running amok around the organisation. Trust comes from bringing in consultants who don' t come in with a prepared idea of the issue and the solution. Consultants need guts rather than glory. Consulting companies that have" models" that they use can be guilty of this approach. It' s too easy for consultants to be sycophants rather than speak what they believe needs to be said to individuals of power and authority.

It is important that a consultant, beyond an" extra pair of hands, " be responsible for moving individuals, to take action, or the culture. - this is not the place where executives should be told what they want to hear rather than what they need to hear and learn. The trick is that the" push" needs to be strong enough to show action and gentle enough not to cause reactive" push back, " or organisational resistance. On the whole, mature consultants who are beyond wanting their own days of personal glory make some of the best choices. This is a major area of trust! If the consulting work isn' t satisfactory it' s time to give the consultant( s) feedback. I love adapting as a consultant.

The way that they accept and respond to feedback without defending tells you a lot about their professional trust. - it' s wonderful to get feedback and have a chance to adapt to the needs of the company and the individual( s) involved. A consultant can be a bit like a catalyst. Consultants who need a lot of kudos and strokes can be trouble. They can have enormous impact for positive change yet not be part of the end result. See more about Dr. If they need the glory they are not mature enough for this kind or work.

Karen Otazo at the following. http: //www. globalleadershipnetwork. com. http: //www. otazo. com - Executive Coaching

You Should Know As Much As Possible About Your Business

Business.

Internet business info that you need when starting a business - everyone is drawn to the attraction that an internet home based business offers. However, family can be one of the biggest attractions as well as distractions from a home based business.

You can be your own boss and you don' t have to commute to work everyday. - a home based business allows you to be home more often, but at the same time, your work time can be taken up with family responsibilities. You will change from a people filled environment to a solitude work environment in your home. Another factor that you should consider is you will be transitioning to a completely different working environment. There are many factors you should think about when deciding to start a home based business. The first thing you should factor in is your personality.

These factors will help you to decide if a home based business is right or wrong for you. - are you the type of person who prefers to work alone or gets more work done when alone? You should consider these very important questions before starting a home based business. Or do you prefer to work with people and become more motivated when you work with others? After this, if you still want to start your business then you should be sure to set your goals. An estimate on how much money you are going to spend and what your potential for profit is will help you in designing your goals.

You should know as much as possible about your business. - by being prepared, you can know what you can achieve and have your eyes set on a future goal. Do thorough research on the business you are trying to start. For the best preparation, you should try talking to experts who have a business type similar to yours. This way you will be fully prepared for anything that may happen once you start your business. You should be sure your business is going to provide a steady, stable income that will meet all your needs. One of the biggest and most important factors to consider is whether your home business is going to meet your financial needs.

It is also very important to make sure you are starting a business you are going to enjoy. - if you are not interested in your job after a few weeks or months, you won' t be progressing much with your business. Enjoying your job is the key factor that will help your business in the end. Once you have started your home business there are still several things you should consider to help keep your business running smoothly. You should be very organized with every aspect of your working environment. The most important of these is your working environment organization. Everyone should be within arms reach and the area void of distractions.

In addition, you want to keep a well - organized work schedule. - it should clearly be an office, but yet comfortable. Make sure you daily schedule is well thought out as far in advance as possible. In your schedule, make sure you provide for breaks and meal scheduling. If you stray from your schedule and let daily distraction get to you then you will soon have a backlog of work, which will cause you to become stressed. You don' t want to be in front of your computer alone in a room for more than two hours. There are many benefits to a home based Internet business.

Missing breaks or meals will cause a strain on your body and can lead to many illnesses. - while you may not have the same job security as other businesses and you can have lonely times, it is a rewarding career. Just follow the suggestions here and you come to enjoy your home based business.

What' S In A Business Plan

Business.

How to write a business plan - if you are at the stage where you are confident in your decision to start a home business, you will want to take the next logical step and that is to write out a professional business plan. So, What' s A Business Plan?

A business plan will incorporate data such as what your target market is, how your business differentiates its products or services from the competition, and how your business will be financed. - a business plan is like a big list of questions and answers that people might have about your business. A business plan speaks volumes on how you have considered your idea from every angle. You can' t get funding from a bank without one, so writing a business plan is very important. What' s In A Business Plan? What is your service, exactly? The most important aspect of a business plan is to define what you offer potential clients or customers.

If you can' t write this out in plain english in one or two sentences you are in big trouble. - What industry are you going to be in? - Why did you choose that industry? - Who are Your Customers? - What areas does your business operate in? - What makes you different from other people doing the same thing? - How will your company be financed? - What are your startup and day - to - day expenses? - most businesses do not turn a profit in their first two years. Profits Or Losses. But you should have graphs and charts showing your projected profits and losses per month for at least the first two years of business. Look At Other People' s Plans. In particular, your plan should demonstrate that you make enough of a profit each month to live - if you doesnt, then it will be considered unfeasible.

The average bank investor will look at a thousand business plans before he actually awards a loan to a company. - at the very least, the bank wants to know that it will get its money back from its investment. He' s seen it all before and, is looking for, in truth a sound investment. For this reason, you might want to look over a few sample business plans before you write yours to get a feel for what the basics are. For your own use, business plans are, also invaluable as they assist you to plan out your business so it is profitable. A business plan isn' t just a bunch of facts and figures, it' s also a compelling argument that will hopefully sell someone on the idea of your business being feasible.

According To Yahoo! , The Yahoo

Business.

Which is the next adsense - yahoo announced that their publisher network, formerly available in the us for large websites, will be extended to small and medium - sized websites. Yahoo announced that their Publisher Network, formerly available in the US for large websites, will be extended to small and medium - sized websites. As stated by Yahoo representatives, this will allow the whole publishing community to take advantage of Yahoo' s products and services through what they have described as an" easy - to - use self - serve platform" .

As stated by Yahoo representatives, this will allow the whole publishing community to take advantage of Yahoo' s products and services through what they have described as an" easy - to - use self - serve platform" . - this includes web search, shopping, rss ads, travel, and in the longer run, music and video. In the longer term, they plan to differentiate by providing integration with other great Yahoo! content and services. As stated by Yahoo representatives, this will allow the whole publishing community to take advantage of Yahoo' s products and services through what they have described as an" easy - to - use self - serve platform" . What Yahoo will offer is very similar to Google' s AdSense to start with: Content Match( tm) . Although it will initially be available only in the US, expansion is expected through use and projected increase in popularity.

This will allow publishers to place content - relevant listings on their sites and receive a part of the revenues that they generate. - what yahoo will offer is very similar to google' s adsense to start with: content match( tm) . Although it will initially be available only in the US, expansion is expected through use and projected increase in popularity. This will allow publishers to place content - relevant listings on their sites and receive a part of the revenues that they generate. In the near future, additional features will be added" to enhance the visitor' s experience" . However, that' s not all Yahoo has to offer. In an interview with Will Johnson, general manager of the Yahoo!

Publisher Network different from Google AdSense is: - Additional controls for publishers, - Providing superior customer service. - Focusing on the development of a high quality network. - publisher network self - serve offering, what makes the yahoo! In the longer term, they plan to differentiate by providing integration with other great Yahoo! content and services. As stated by Yahoo representatives, this will allow the whole publishing community to take advantage of Yahoo' s products and services through what they have described as an" easy - to - use self - serve platform" . This includes web search, shopping, RSS ads, travel, and in the longer run, music and video. Although it will initially be available only in the US, expansion is expected through use and projected increase in popularity. This will allow publishers to place content - relevant listings on their sites and receive a part of the revenues that they generate.

What Yahoo will offer is very similar to Google' s AdSense to start with: Content Match( tm) . - the main idea, is to offer, as with adsense publisher' s with a means of generating additional revenue, as well as engaging their users. Publisher Network platform enables you to" generate additional revenue from your site, take advantage of Yahoo! According to Yahoo! , the Yahoo! Publisher tools, services and programs and help shape what Yahoo! offers the publishing community. "

The Rehab Contractor On The Other Hand Will Give You A Free Estimate Because They' Ll Want To Get The Job And Actually Make The Repairs

Business.

Fast and easy accurate property inspections - when investing in real estate you have to do some due diligence. Remember, due diligence is just separating fact from opinion.

Part of your due diligence will include getting a property inspection to see what kinds of repairs are needed and how much they will cost. - when talking to a seller or realtor about a property before you get it under contract, they will give you an idea of the amount of repairs. When you get a property under contract you' ll want to have it inspected by a rehab contractor to see what it' ll cost to make any necessary repairs, if any are needed. That may even give you a range say$ 5000 - $1000You will be basing your offer on the higher number but the inspection will tell exactly how much repairs are needed. You' ll want to have the contractor use your form so if you get more than one estimate then everyone will submit their repair estimates on the same form. If the property needs a lot of work you may want to have a licensed home inspector look at it as well. This makes it easy to compare apples to apples.

The reason we don' t do this is because the home inspector will charge to give you a report and it won' t include an estimate on the amount of money it' ll take to make the repairs. - if we' re going to get a licensed home inspector to inspect the property we' ll do that after our estimate from the contractor. The rehab contractor on the other hand will give you a free estimate because they' ll want to get the job and actually make the repairs. We want to make sure that the rehab estimate is within budget before paying for an inspection. If you have a contractor go to over five properties to write up estimates and you don' t end up buying any of them, you need to start paying them to do the next few estimates until you actually buy one and they get the job. When building relationships with rehab contractors and having them give you free estimates on your properties I want you to think about something. Remember to create win, win situations and don' t wait until the contractor has to bring it up that they can' t give you anymore free estimates because they haven' t gotten any jobs out of it yet.

If you feel like you need to get a licensed home inspector to perform an inspection then you can still get one but remember that they' ll charge you for the report. - you don' t have to pay them much, maybe$ 100 - $200, but once they get a job going with you then you can stop paying for the estimates again. Remember to treat people the way that you want to be treated and you will always have plenty of people on your dream team to help you with your due diligence.