If you're one of the many executives struggling with finding and keeping the right people to propel your business forward, you'll find these insights helpful.If you're frustrated by trying to motivate people, work instead to develop a company where people are self-motivated - where they do things because they want to. When we're inspired, we enjoy our work, we're productive, and we're proud of our efforts. We...more
Public companies have 90 days from the end of their fiscal year to comply. For those with market capitalization of $75 million or more, this clock starts on Nov. 15, 2004; while all others with less than $75 million market capitalization begin July 15, 2005.Fast Relief for Sarbanes Oxley Section 404 ComplianceSection 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act requires management to confirm the effectiveness of their IT and financial controls in an "internal...more
About four years ago a friend told me one night that she had an interview the next week and was looking for some comfort as she was extremely nervous, as most people are about interviews. I thought back on my my carreer and realized that in the nine year of my career I had been to thirteen interviews and, more importantly, that I had received a job offer from every one of those interviews. I did not accept all the offers, but the point is that I had not once been to an interview without getting a job offer from it. In the past four years, I have been to another 6 interviews, of which I did not get job offers for 2 of them. The one was an interview at Volkswagen which a friend had setup because he "wanted" me to work there and by the time we started the interview, I realized that the position was not in my field at all. The second one was a telephonic interview, which I hate, and I simply did not see eye to eye with the person who interviewed me. I did go for an interview with another manager at the same company a couple of weeks later and started working there 2 days later.Job offers from 17 out of 19 interviews is not a bad track record and no, I am not some kind of a technical...more
One of the best projects to undertake as an online marketer is to master the art of generating sales from your warm market contacts. A warm market is simply people who have already been exposed to your business and marketing plan. It can be described as "breaking the ice" with your potential customers. The best way to generate a warm market is with...more
Never a 2nd chance to make a 1st impression, or so the saying goes. We all know that when someone is introduced into your work environment for the first time, their peers size them up immediately. How they are dressed, how they talk, and how they set up their workspace. Especially in large companies, where there is constant personnel movement,...more
Every year, thousands of business owners and financial managers are faced with the task of obtaining attractive financing for equipment their firms want to acquire. Snaring the best leasing arrangement requires only a bit of planning and a smidgeon of finesse. You can save time, land a better lease deal and make the leasing experience less of a conundrum by considering several important factors. Plan AheadBefore seeking lease proposals, invest a little time in planning and preparing. Establish priorities by considering the relative importance of such factors as lease pricing, balance sheet considerations, ongoing leasing needs and the necessity of the prospective lessor to have specialized equipment/industry knowledge. If the transaction is relatively insignificant in the overall scheme of things, a truncated planning process might be in order. If not, allow enough time to: 1) identify and pre-qualify lessors, 2) review and select a lease proposal, 3) allow selected lessor to conduct due diligence and get credit approval, and 4) to complete lease documentation.Assemble an information package for prospective lessors that anticipates what they will want to know before submitting a...more
In 2003, venture capitalists and investors dispense over $18 billion to promising young US companies, according to VentureOne and Ernst & Young Quarterly Venture Capital Report. Less documented and reported is venture leasing's activity and...more
You've spent several months, perhaps years, putting everything you have into building a thriving, high-demand online business and now you have decided to sell your baby. Thousands of businesses change hands everyday, oddly enough the channels...more
Talk about a controversial topic!The recent debates were something else.The interesting thing is this, if you're like me, you'd probably already decided who you were gonna vote for, long before election day ever came.And then, as you...more
How many times have you heard: "You've got to drop your price by 10% or we will have no choice but to go with your competition." "You will have to make an exception to your policy if you want our business." "I know that you have good quality...more
Have you ever noticed how the same people's names always seem to appear in magazines and newspapers articles which quote them as a source of info and advice on their own particular subject, whether it is web functionality and design, cosmetic...more
If I were coaching you as a business, non-profit or association manager on how to get the biggest bang for your public relations dollar, I would sum it up for you this way. Use the fundamental premise of public relations to produce external...more