So your boss insists that you take a free trip to Phoenix to get caught up on the latest marketing trends. And you hate hobnobbing. With a passion. This is your foolproof guide to getting out of that convention center or hotel ballroom with your sanity intact. Engage on a limited basis Sharing ideas with other people in your industry is very smart. And even in this interconnected digital world, you need face time to really get to know people. Even if you think this whole thing is a boondoggle designed to line the pockets of hoteliers and event organizers, there has to be real actionable intelligence somewhere. Know what you want to find out before you go. Google attendees. Make a plan for engaging with those people and stick to that plan. WiFi If you don’t have it, get it. If the hotel is too cheap to provide you with free network access, get Googling on your phone and figure out how to tether (use your phone as a mobile hotspot). And put your laptop to work. Check your work email. … [Read more...] about How To Survive a Work Conference (like an Introvert)
Career Advice
Mind All Over the Map? Here Is How I Focus
Focus is an elusive attainment. When you notice that you are concentrating, that very thought will take you away from task you are supposed to be concentrating on. “Wow, I haven’t wanted to check my RSS feed in a long time. Almost 15 minutes!” you think as your mind wanders away from the Excel sheet on your monitor. Bringing your attention back to your work is essential, whether you want to get ahead or just get everything done so work thoughts don’t creep into your head after-hours. But there are ways to control your mind, at least to some extent. Breathe deep and dive in with me: No, really. Breathe deep! Think that yoga is just for suburban housewives? Think again. Learning to control your breath can bring you a certain amount of control over all your systems. It can clear your mind and allow you to focus on the task at hand. Don’t trust me? Then listen to the yogis: proper breathing is key. … [Read more...] about Mind All Over the Map? Here Is How I Focus
Using Technology to Create a Fun Business Meeting
Business and staff meetings are not something that many members of the workforce look forward too. While these meetings are important in order to keep a company running smoothly, they are not always fun for those who have to participate in them. However, business owners and managers can now integrate technology based solutions into these traditional gatherings. Blue Jeans allows clients to purchase the technology to create a fun meeting through video conferencing and cloud based solutions. Owners can also invest in mobile technology that allows the meetings to take place no matter where the owner or staff members are located. Benefits of a Fun Meeting The benefits of a fun meeting are numerous both for those involved in the meeting and the person or group of people running it. Fun meetings can result in happier workers. Happier workers are known to be more productive then workers who may not be pleased. The meeting will seem to go faster. Remember the class in school that always … [Read more...] about Using Technology to Create a Fun Business Meeting
6 Signs You Are in the Wrong Career
You wake up dreading each day at the office (or in the classroom, or behind the wheel of the bus, or behind the bar). That dread can be a clue that you are doing exactly what you shouldn’t be doing. No matter how you obtain that much-needed paycheck, being in the wrong job can have deleterious effects on your psyche, relationships and physical health. Here are 6 signals you might be in the wrong profession. The alarm clock induces a miserable feeling. If you can’t open your eyes at 6 am without being bombarded with anxiety about website performance and your sysadmin duties, it is probably time to explore your passion for pottery. On that note… Midnight musings are centered on your professional purgatory. Waking up in the middle of the night sucks, but it’s worse if that time is filled with visions of interdepartmental monthly meetings filled with droning speakerphones and sanctimonious colleagues, it should send you right home to sell all of your used goods and start that rainy day … [Read more...] about 6 Signs You Are in the Wrong Career
No Website? No Problem! Why You Should Start One Today
Does the thought of creating a website make you break out into a sweat? Maybe you have operated a successful business for years, but your foot traffic has slowed down considerably lately. You have not raised your prices and you are still providing the same great service, so why is your business sinking? Could it be that your competition has a website, but you don't? Maybe you already know that you desperately need one, but do not even know where to begin. Well, believe it or not, building an attractive, professional, and user-friendly site that will benefit your business is not as difficult as you think. … [Read more...] about No Website? No Problem! Why You Should Start One Today
The Pitfalls of Hiring Friends
Hiring a friend. Sometimes it’s a match made in heaven. Then, there are times when it was not worth the ultimate cost. Hiring friends can be tricky. This is because we all have a “work” persona and a “home” persona. How we act and interact at home is often very different than how we are at the office. Back when I worked in the motion picture industry, a good friend of mine was hired as an extra. She later commented how she was surprised to see me so focused and serious on the set. She said I was so completely different from the person she knew that it seemed like I was a stranger. I am much more serious at work than at home. Fortunately, I was able to explain this to her and avoid any “hurt” feelings. Have you or are you considering hiring a friend? If so, below are a few pitfalls to look out for and/or try to avoid to help strengthen both your work relationship and friendship. … [Read more...] about The Pitfalls of Hiring Friends
What Every Business Plan Should Contain
For anyone looking to start a new business venture, a business plan is an essential tool in creating success. Whether or not you are seeking financing, it is still an important step that any hopeful entrepreneur should take. Taking the time to write a business plan will help you create the framework for your business, and will be the document you use to measure you success against the goals you laid out at the beginning of your venture. You want to write a plan that fits your exact business needs, according to Tim Berry, author of "3 Weeks to Startup." When you are creating your business plan, there are some common elements that should be included. Executive Summary Your executive summary is one of the most important parts of your business plan. This is where you include all of your company contact information, and where you highlight the information that is contained in the rest of your business plan template. You need to make this part stand out. If you can grab your readers' … [Read more...] about What Every Business Plan Should Contain
Getting Back Into Work
In these times of global recession, lots of us find ourselves out of work through no fault of our own. It can be a distressing and depressing time and it can often seem like there is no light at the end of the tunnel. But, whatever your reasons for finding yourself out of work, there is always hope, and the first step is thinking positive. It might sound easier said than done, but if you are feeling low and down on yourself then this could well be coming across in job interviews, and could be jeopardising your chances of getting that all-important job offer. Begin to believe in yourself and you may well find that your luck begins to change. One easy way to begin to feel more positive straight away is to begin every morning by writing down one thing that you are grateful for or happy about. You could create a noticeboard and pin your daily positive thoughts to it on sticky notes; it doesn’t matter if you repeat some. … [Read more...] about Getting Back Into Work
6 Questions to Ask When Developing a Strategic Communications Plan
The corporate landscape is littered with plans such as business plans, risk management plans, disaster recovery plans and strategic plans. Therefore, when someone tells you it's time to develop a strategic communications plan for your company, it's easy to dismiss the idea as more corporate busywork. What you may not realize, though, is that your strategic communications plan could be the most important plan your business will ever create. Sure, when your network goes down during a power outage, your customers may not be able to access your website for a while. They may grumble, but if you have a good relationship with them, then they'll be back once power is restored. When your company makes major public communication errors, however, those errors have the potential to shatter relationships. … [Read more...] about 6 Questions to Ask When Developing a Strategic Communications Plan
Getting Your Degree While Keeping Your Job
Consider this scenario: you've got one day left to complete a final project that's worth 30% of your grade. Then, that afternoon, your boss tells you he needs you to stay late and help him with a work emergency. What do you do? Which priority takes place: your full-time job or your online degree? If you're an online student who also works full-time, you know the challenges associated with earning a living while furthering your education. Indeed, working and taking classes, while also maintaining your grades and meeting outside obligations, can be difficult, to say the least. It's the rare online degree student who hasn't had at least one of these conflicting priority scenarios come up, whether it's the boss who asks you to stay late or the online group project that can only meet during working hours. … [Read more...] about Getting Your Degree While Keeping Your Job