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Is Your Customer Service Clobbering the Competition; It Should Be
There are many ways to be number one in the market place and kill the competition, but the best way is to give great customer service and allow your customers to decide who becomes number one. Is Your Customer Service Clobbering the Competition; it should be. And if it is not then you need to find out why. You need to find out how you can improve customer service and you need to insure that you never stop trying to improve.Easier said than done? Yes, but is you truly want to win market share and beat the competition you must bring in great customer service. How can you insure that your customer service tops that of the competition? Well, in today’s world it is not so hard to beat out the competition with customer service, in fact it is very easy. Most companies hardly give the customer the time of day anymore.Nevertheless, it is important to find out where the bar is being set and therefore I recommend patronizing your competition and then perhaps interviewing a few customers exiting the store and asking them if that is a good company to do business with. If they say yes, ask them why and if they say no, make sure you find out why and

their qualifications before setting a rate)

Type of college major desired (business administration, accountancy, finance, computer science, etc.)

How best to contact you (phone or email) and what to send (resume, letters of recommendation, transcripts, etc.)

7. Contact career services. Once you’ve gathered all the necessary information, contact the career services center of several local colleges and universities. They will either give you online access to a system where you can input your job description information, or you can simply provide them with the information and they will do it for you. Once your posting is approved, it will be made available for students to access.

8. Gather resumes and start interviewing. Allow your advertisement to be posted for at least two weeks. Start sorting through resumes right away to see who might be the best fit. Begin setting up interviews immediately to find the best candidate for the position.

9. Interviewing. Ask both closed and open-ended questions. Closed-ended questions require a yes or no answer, whereas open-ended questions request explanation and elaboration. Find out about their prior work experience; ask for examples of how they’ve handled particular situations, all while carefully evaluating their communication skills. You might even ask for a copy of one their class papers to assess their writing skills. Make sure that you are comfortable with them in every aspect. After all, you will be entrusting them with your top priority – your business.

10. Status reports. You might consider asking your intern to fill out a weekly stat

Temporary Employment Agencies
Why is it that two people who go to register at the same agency one is more successful than the other at getting work? Let's start with the very first thing. Appearance. A lot of people these days really overlook this basic step in getting work at employment agencies. I, myself have seen people go to agencies in flip-flops which is ridiculous! When employment agencies get new accounts they want to give a good impression of their company from the start to continue to send temporary workers because if a company is not satisfied with the temporary workers that are sent to them they will just seek out another temporary agency because their are many.If you came dressed appropriately at an employment agency and they needed to send someone out to a new account you can believe that you would be considered over the person who came in with flip-flops. I myself have been given countless assignments for new accounts because of the impression that I gave when I first interviewed. My counselors always remember how I dress and have even told me that because of my appearance that they want me to be among the first to start a new account for their age

Starting up a new venture or business can be one of the most exciting times of your life. It can also be one of the most stressful. In the early months, or even early years of your business, cash flow is often not what you would like it to be. If you’re a solo entrepreneur, you’re wearing many hats – in fact, you’re probably wearing all of them.

Not only are you selling your product or service, you’re marketing it, doing the accounting, paying the bills, answering the phones, designing and updating your website and preparing and sending out mail. And, certainly for your own business, you can easily think of ten or fifteen additional tasks to be done in addition to these. In the early days of your start-up, many if not most of these tasks seem doable. But, once you’ve started making sales or the public interest in your business begins to grow, wearing all the hats becomes impossible, frustrating, and highly stressful.

One quick and easy solution is to hire an intern – a college intern. During my corporate career in finance, I made use of many college interns over the years. Not only were they diligent, responsible, and some of the best employees, they were eager to learn and to contribute ideas. My interns were reliable and many of them hired on as regular employees after graduating from college.

With more and more college students choosing to start their own businesses rather than working for others, having a first-hand opportunity to work in a business start-up, like yours, might be just what they’re looking for. So how can you find an intern that will be just right for you and your business?

Simples Steps to Hiring an Intern

1. What do I need to do? What can the intern do? One of the first things to do is to take a clean sheet of paper and begin writing down all the tasks that you perform in your business – and I mean everything. Next, decide what tasks you absolutely need to do yourself and which ones might be assigned to an intern. Typical tasks that you do might include:

inputting business card data into your database
contacting local chambers of commerce and ordering mailing lists
marketing mailings – printing letters, stuffing envelopes, putting stamps on letters
writing and updating your marketing plan
keeping your marketing calendar current
calling on prospects – phone and in person
writing marketing collateral
updating website information
confirming appointments with clients
writing and updating your business plan
appearing at tradeshows (perfect for an intern to work as your assistant)
buying office supplies
going to the post office to mail packages, letters, etc.
miscellaneous errands
meetings with clients
reviewing local newspapers, business periodicals and trade journals for possible business prospects or other opportunities
article clipping
attending chamber functions and other networking events
filing
answering phones
bookkeeping

Certainly there are a lot of things to do in your business! And, obviously, not all of these can be done by anyone other than you. Once you’ve drafted a comprehensive list of tasks, using different colored high-lighters, or something as simple as a check-mark, determine which of these tasks can be assigned to someone else. This will become the basis for writing up a job description for your intern.

2. Drafting a job description. Write up a simple job description that includes a list of tasks you need completed on a weekly basis. Also, estimate how much time these tasks will take and, if possible, what days of the week might be best for someone to work for you.

3. What type of intern? My suggestion is to hire a college intern who has background in the areas that you most need help with. For example, if your start-up is heavily focused on using computer technology to either produce your product or service, or if it is a significant part of the interface with your clients, hire an intern who is studying computer science. On the other hand, if you have a business focusing on delivering corporate sales training programs, hire a marketing major. If you have general office work that needs to be done, consider a business administration student.

4. To pay or not to pay? That is the question. Nowadays, interns are readily available for pay or no pay. The hiring market for new college graduates is rather strained so they know that any and all work experience they gain prior to graduation will serve them well in the future.

5. Offer benefits other than money. Money is not the “be all, end all” of a relationship with your intern. Many interns are looking to learn new skills which can best be learned in a real-life scenario. They also know the importance of networking and the possibilities that might accrue by meeting the right person at the right time. In addition, if they really enjoy the experience (and you do, too), they’ll want you to write them a letter of recommendation or serve as a reference in the future.

There are other ways you can “compensate” your intern. Consider developing a coaching program for them which entails teaching them your business in an organized manner. Teach them the steps of creating a business from scratch. By having them assist with all aspects of the business, you may be opening up the door for them to start their own.

Consider offering them commissioned-based compensation based upon product or service sales they close on their own. Or, you might design an internship where they can earn college credit. Contact the appropriate faculty member in charge of credit-based internship programs to see if you might be able to create a development program which will fulfill some of their elective credit hour requirements.

6. Minimum requirements. Before you’re ready to contact your local college or university to place the advertisement for an intern, make sure you have the following information ready:

Company Name
Company Address
Your Name
Telephone Number (you may not wish to give out your telephone number so that applicants are forced to submit resumes through fax or via email)
Fax Number
Email Address
Job Description (including complete list of expected tasks, expected number of hours to be worked, days to be worked (if necessary), hourly rate of pay (if applicable), negotiable rate (if you wish to evaluate their qualifications before setting a rate)
Type of college major desired (business administration, accountancy, finance, computer science, etc.)
How best to contact you (phone or email) and what to send (resume, letters of recommendation, transcripts, etc.)

10. Status reports. You might consider asking your intern to fill out a weekly statu

Logos and Branding-Maximize their Power
Most of us know effective marketing is the result of consistent marketing efforts to target audiences, but it’s easy to forget about incorporating your logos (or branding) effectively. A few questions you want to ask before you start a massive marketing effort are: 1. Does my logo represent the services or products I’m trying to sell? 2. Is it appealing? 3. Is it easy to read? 4. Does it correlate to my website?If you answered all these questions with a yes, it’s time to look at the many ways you can use marketing tools such as a logo to improve customer loyalty and increase your visibility. Everything you use should have some consistence. Is your logo the same on all business cards, letterheads, outdoor advertising, website, cars banners, etc? I realize this may seem obvious, but it’s surprising how often businesses and individuals may use a certain type of look for paper marketing tools, another look for web marketing tools, and still another look for outdoor advertisements.There is a very successful landscape firm in my area. They use a large single (oak shaped) green leaf. Underneath their leaf they have

an Intern

inputting business card data into your database
contacting local chambers of commerce and ordering mailing lists
marketing mailings – printing letters, stuffing envelopes, putting stamps on letters
writing and updating your marketing plan
keeping your marketing calendar current
calling on prospects – phone and in person
writing marketing collateral
updating website information
confirming appointments with clients
writing and updating your business plan
appearing at tradeshows (perfect for an intern to work as your assistant)
buying office supplies
going to the post office to mail packages, letters, etc.
miscellaneous errands
meetings with clients
reviewing local newspapers, business periodicals and trade journals for possible business prospects or other opportunities
article clipping
attending chamber functions and other networking events
filing
answering phones
bookkeeping

6. Minimum requirements. Before you’re ready to contact your local college or university to place the advertisement for an intern, make sure you have the following information ready:

Company Name
Company Address
Your Name
Telephone Number (you may not wish to give out your telephone number so that applicants are forced to submit resumes through fax or via email)
Fax Number
Email Address
Job Description (including complete list of expected tasks, expected number of hours to be worked, days to be worked (if necessary), hourly rate of pay (if applicable), negotiable rate (if you wish to evaluate their qualifications before setting a rate)
Type of college major desired (business administration, accountancy, finance, computer science, etc.)
How best to contact you (phone or email) and what to send (resume, letters of recommendation, transcripts, etc.)

10. Status reports. You might consider asking your intern to fill out a weekly stat

Trade Finance Alternatives for Export Companies
Are you selling goods or services to companies in other countries? Although expanding your company beyond your national borders is very exciting and profitable, it will also subject you to the payment habits of your foreign customers. Many times, customers can take as long as 60 days to pay for their goods. Although large export companies can wait that long to get paid, most small and medium sized businesses can't. This creates a cash flow problem.Of course, you can always ask your customers to pay you immediately by bank wire as soon as the invoice is presented. However, few customers will abide by that request and you risk loosing business to the competition.Going to the bank to get a business loan or bridge financing may help, if your business is established, can provide three years of financial statements and if your personal credit is stellar. But, what if you don't meet banking criteria? Or are a startup? Then you should consider trade finance. Trade financing enables you to finance your local and foreign sales and can provide the working capital that your company needs.Accounts receivable factoring, a popular trade finan

of tasks, using different colored high-lighters, or something as simple as a check-mark, determine which of these tasks can be assigned to someone else. This will become the basis for writing up a job description for your intern.

6. Minimum requirements. Before you’re ready to contact your local college or university to place the advertisement for an intern, make sure you have the following information ready:

Company Name
Company Address
Your Name
Telephone Number (you may not wish to give out your telephone number so that applicants are forced to submit resumes through fax or via email)
Fax Number
Email Address
Job Description (including complete list of expected tasks, expected number of hours to be worked, days to be worked (if necessary), hourly rate of pay (if applicable), negotiable rate (if you wish to evaluate their qualifications before setting a rate)
Type of college major desired (business administration, accountancy, finance, computer science, etc.)
How best to contact you (phone or email) and what to send (resume, letters of recommendation, transcripts, etc.)

10. Status reports. You might consider asking your intern to fill out a weekly stat

How To Outwit Overwhelm As An Entrepreneur
Being an entrepreneur is one of the world's best opportunities, but it can also be stressful at times. Like when you've got an important client meeting scheduled that you have to cancel because of an emergency trip to the dentist. Or you come down with the flu right before a big conference that you've rented a booth for. Or your return home from vacation gets delayed and you find that you're a day behind in your work ;).It's times like these that overwhelm can zap your energy, making it even harder to get over the hurdle. So what's a busy entrepreneur to do?Before you reach the tearing-your-hair-out, ready-to-collapse-with-despair stage, sit down, take several deep breaths, and gather your wits about you. The first step in getting from Point A to Point B is knowing which direction to go, so you need to be rational when plotting your course. You'll be much more effective in accomplishing tasks when you can approach them with a sense of calm.Prioritize. First, think about all the things that need to get done, and make a list of them in order of importance. Include everything you can think of: What's causing you str

at might accrue by meeting the right person at the right time. In addition, if they really enjoy the experience (and you do, too), they’ll want you to write them a letter of recommendation or serve as a reference in the future.

6. Minimum requirements. Before you’re ready to contact your local college or university to place the advertisement for an intern, make sure you have the following information ready:

Company Name
Company Address
Your Name
Telephone Number (you may not wish to give out your telephone number so that applicants are forced to submit resumes through fax or via email)
Fax Number
Email Address
Job Description (including complete list of expected tasks, expected number of hours to be worked, days to be worked (if necessary), hourly rate of pay (if applicable), negotiable rate (if you wish to evaluate their qualifications before setting a rate)
Type of college major desired (business administration, accountancy, finance, computer science, etc.)
How best to contact you (phone or email) and what to send (resume, letters of recommendation, transcripts, etc.)

10. Status reports. You might consider asking your intern to fill out a weekly stat

Lease Or Buy - Which Way For Office Equipment Procurement?
On the subject of how best to acquire office equipment and supplies, for the small to medium sized business enterprise the first step must always be to contact a financial adviser to discuss how best to make the acquisition. In this summary, however, I offer some pointers to outline possible routes to a cost-effective acquisition. Outright purchase or leasing are broadly speaking, the usual choices, with hire-purchase schemes making a third route to explore.Purchasing an asset is nearly always the most convenient method of acquisition. However, in some cases, especially for high-end multifunctional office equipment purchases, purchasing may be seen as impossible because of lack of funds in the current financial year, or in any case a high cost which discourages those all-important upgrades toward a more efficient, productive business.However, many companies have found that Leasing becomes a favourable option, if necessary by funding from an agreed budget deficit against under spending in future years. Several options now exist where leasing can provide the best overall value for money.To expand on this, some different ways of o

their qualifications before setting a rate)

Type of college major desired (business administration, accountancy, finance, computer science, etc.)

How best to contact you (phone or email) and what to send (resume, letters of recommendation, transcripts, etc.)

10. Status reports. You might consider asking your intern to fill out a weekly status report which tracks the assignments completed, including how much time each task required. It will give the intern a sense of accomplishment with respect to their contributions, while providing you with useful information about what has been completed.

11. Enjoy the benefits. There’s so much to gain from building relationships with others. While the intern is learning from you, you’ll be surprised at how much you will learn from him or her. Encourage them to take ownership and pride in what they are doing, praise and acknowledge them frequently for jobs well done, and welcome their comments, criticisms, and contributions.

Using college interns to help you with your business is not only a cost-effective way to get things done, but it’s a wonderful way to contribute to the knowledge and experience of someone who might very well follow in your footsteps. In any case, it can be a win-win situation for everyone.

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Soft skills are rapidly evolving as a key tool to enhance an individual's acceptability in an organisation.Research indicates that apart from academic background, qualification ratings, technical strength and suitable body language, soft skills are fast becoming strong contenders for gaining employer approval.

If you're seeking a career in biotechnology, one thing is for certain ... the more education you have, the higher up you can go.

Extensive use of contingent labor might reveal problems in your operations. Do you maintain contingent employee arrangements for extended periods? If so, you might be diluting your branding position or ignoring other important issues.

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