Why a Personal "Employee Brand" Will Save Your Career and Your Workplace

Why a Personal "Employee Brand" Will Save Your Career and Your Workplace: "The traditional promise of long-term corporate employment has vanished. We’re moving from a top-down, hierarchical workplace to a more transparent, flat and collaborative environment. Only those who develop strong personal employee brands will survive – and enable their organizations to survive."

4 smart ways to be a better communicator

4 smart ways to be a better communicator: "Good communication is an essential skill for business leaders. That’s because when you take on the role of CEO, you implicitly agree to be chief communicator as well, according to venture capitalist and leadership guru John Hamm."

The Hour of Power: How to Succeed with a Last-Minute Presentation

The Hour of Power: How to Succeed with a Last-Minute Presentation: "On Friday afternoons here at ProPoint, we’ve got what I call the Hour of Power. Because one hour simply isn’t big enough to contain all the excitement, it actually runs from 3-5pm. While the staff focuses on completing their deadlines so they can hit the weekend, any incoming sales call is eyed with suspicion. At that hour anything can happen. Tight turn due Sunday? No problem! Need somebody to stay late? Sure thing! It can be an uncertain time for anyone looking to make a clean getaway."

3 Practical ways to develop content your readers will actually read

3 Practical ways to develop content your readers will actually read: "The key to success with B2B newsletters is not simply to do them, it’s to do them well."

Four ways to improve SEO

Four ways to improve SEO: "Is your website Google-friendly?"

How To Start A Mentorship Relationship

How To Start A Mentorship Relationship: "In my work as a career coach, I find there are several helpful resources that very few people take advantage of. Mentorship definitely falls on this list. It’s really a shame. Having a mentor can elevate your professional capabilities exponentially.
And—added bonus—mentors are amazing people. When you take the time to develop a strong mentorship relationship, you get access to a wealth of knowledge and experience, but you also end up with a lifelong friend and potential future business partner. In short, there’s no downside.
Of course, if you aren’t familiar with the concept, you may have questions about how it all works. Well, that’s what I’m here for!! Please allow me to offer some insights."

Great Ideas: The 5 rules of effective employee feedback

Great Ideas: The 5 rules of effective employee feedback: "Providing feedback to employees is essential to improving their performance on the job. But how do you ensure that you’re delivering feedback your people will actually hear and heed?"

How to Negotiate Discounts for Paying Early

How to Negotiate Discounts for Paying Early: "Wrangling with big customers over payment terms can be difficult for a small business"

Why it pays to communicate with your employees

Why it pays to communicate with your employees: "Stephanie Vogler was nervous. It’s not that she didn’t talk to her 10 employees every day, but this time, she was doing a formal, companywide speech. “I’m terrified of speaking in public,” said Vogler, managing partner of The Cross Decor and Design, a Vancouver interior-design store."

Six Steps To Fighting Internet Rumors

Six Steps To Fighting Internet Rumors: "Last weekend, McDonald’s was the victim of an internet hoax that reverberated through social networks, especially Twitter. An old, false photo recirculated that suggested a McDonald’s corporate policy discriminatory to African-American customers. The photo spread like wildfire. People took to Twitter, outraged; “Seriously McDonalds” was a trending topic on Twitter on Sunday and into Monday, and McDonalds’ social media team was pressed into emergency service trying to put out the fire."

How to Activate Your Entrepreneurial Leadership

How to Activate Your Entrepreneurial Leadership: "I’ve often said that creating and building a business is not a one-man show, even though it usually springs from the mind and determination of one person – committees don’t start successful businesses. But taking an idea to a business success requires many people to work together effectively, and that requires entrepreneurial leadership."

Do You Want To Simplify Your Life? An Interview With Sam Davidson

Do You Want To Simplify Your Life? An Interview With Sam Davidson: "In 2004, over 50% of Americans were concerned about the amount of stress in their everyday lives."

5 Easy Ways To Fight The Urge To Splurge

5 Easy Ways To Fight The Urge To Splurge: "You've finally done it - a detailed, realistic budget. It's a crucial step toward financial freedom, and you should be proud. Nearly half of Americans don't even bother to create, let alone stick to, a budget. (From lawn care to summer fairs, expenses can skyrocket if you're not paying attention. Check out Save Money On Summer Bills.)"

The Top 6 Benefits Of Starting A Home-Based Business

The Top 6 Benefits Of Starting A Home-Based Business: " Home-based businesses are quickly becoming the fastest growing form of business start-ups. Growing your company out of your home allows for flexibility that is difficult when renting or buying office and warehouse space. Although working at home requires self-discipline, the benefits can be substantial - especially in the start-up years. (We provide six tips for creating a winning business in a losing economy. Check out Starting A Small Business In Tough Economic Times.)"

Dress for Success on Wall Street

Dress for Success on Wall Street: "Over at the Wall Street Journal's FINS career site, Julie Steinberg has written a helpful piece for the incoming first-year investment bank kids who want to dress for success."

Dad's Foolproof Car-Buying Tips (and Other Secrets of Life)

Dad's Foolproof Car-Buying Tips (and Other Secrets of Life): "Some Dads teach you how to tie your shoe, ride your bike, even how to parallel park. My Dad gave me the crash course on how to get anything I want in life, starting the day I bought my first car."

8 Careers Built On Relationships

8 Careers Built On Relationships: "If you've got outstanding relationship-building skills, or if you've mastered the art of networking, there are some careers that you might be particularly suited to. Careers that are built upon relationships require that employees are able to build and maintain a client base. Being personable, able to remember the fine details, and having the confidence to market yourself are all important aspects of these careers. If you're considering a career move that makes use of your keen interpersonal skills, be sure to consider the following jobs. (To help you with networking, read 4 Career Networking Tips That Work.)"

12 Ways To Beat Gas Prices Without Changing Your Car

12 Ways To Beat Gas Prices Without Changing Your Car: "With fuel costs soaring, try these tips to ease pain at the pump."

How To Make People Choose Right Over Wrong

How To Make People Choose Right Over Wrong: "It turns out it isn't very hard at all."

Cubicle Etiquette: Sights, Sounds and Smells

Cubicle Etiquette: Sights, Sounds and Smells: "What is covered in fabric, measures 6 feet by 6 feet, and allows complete access to sights, sounds, and smells of your co-workers?"

Successful Investing: Five Pearls of Wisdom

Successful Investing: Five Pearls of Wisdom: "Anyone that invests wants to do so successfully. Many books have been written on the subject. The newsstands are filled with magazines with hot tips on how to get rich. But the process of successful investing really isn’t that hard if you keep in mind five simple concepts."

Make Better Connections in Less Time

Make Better Connections in Less Time: "You know the classic business mantra: Networking is the key to your personal and professional success."

Five 'Thinking Traps' Entrepreneurs Should Avoid

Five 'Thinking Traps' Entrepreneurs Should Avoid: "The brains behind Idealab say logical inconsistencies such as "recency bias" can cloud the judgment of startup founders"

16 Things I Wish I Knew About Money When I Graduated College

16 Things I Wish I Knew About Money When I Graduated College: "If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them.
- Henry David Thoreau"

How to Build Awareness of Your Online Service

How to Build Awareness of Your Online Service: "To attract users to a new social network, prepare to show them why it beats the competition. Then determine where your consumers hang out online and reach out to them there"

Enchant and Engage More Customers With Social Media

Enchant and Engage More Customers With Social Media: "Marketing strategist Guy Kawasaki offers social media tips for small-business owners."

Five Rules for Bootstrapping Success

Five Rules for Bootstrapping Success: "Follow these tips to get your dream business off the ground without seeking outside investors."

From Paycheck to Pay Dirt: Blazing Your Own Trail As a Business Owner

From Paycheck to Pay Dirt: Blazing Your Own Trail As a Business Owner: "First-time business owners starting a venture in unfamiliar waters face a special set of challenges. Here are three who tackled them with success."

Fix a Strained Business Partnership Now

Fix a Strained Business Partnership Now: "First, understand the legal and tax implications of teaming up. Then discuss problems and goals and get an attorney to help put a partnership agreement in writing, experts say"

The $32,000 Startup

The $32,000 Startup: "In an age of outsourcing, starting an online business or improving an existing one means founders don't need technical skills or outside funding"

Five Critical Questions Your Business Plan Should Answer

Five Critical Questions Your Business Plan Should Answer: "Answering these questions periodically can help keep long-term goals in mind while you adjust your immediate steps and actions."

Why Traditional Employment Is Better Than Entrepreneurship

Why Traditional Employment Is Better Than Entrepreneurship: "I left a corporate job to launch my own business so you might believe that I’m a fierce advocate of entrepreneurship over traditional employment. Obviously I thought it was the right choice for me. However, I don’t think it’s the right choice for everyone. Yes, running your own business might lead to more money, more flexibility, and a chance to fulfill a passion. But an office environment offers camaraderie and resources that shouldn’t be overlooked. So it’s not a given that a business is “better” than a traditional job or that a business rather than a job is a better choice for you. So before you quit your job at Macy’s, Pfizer, or wherever you are, here are 5 reasons having a job trumps running a business:"

Diversity Management Is the Key to Growth: Make It Authentic

Diversity Management Is the Key to Growth: Make It Authentic: "Diversity management is the key to growth in today’s fiercely competitive global marketplace. No longer can America’s corporations hide behind their lack of cultural intelligence. Organizations that seek global market relevancy must embrace diversity – in how they think, act and innovate. Diversity can no longer just be about making the numbers, but rather how an organization treats its people authentically down to the roots of its business model. In today’s new workplace, diversity management is a time-sensitive business imperative."

Leadership: More On Saying No While Still Inspiring People

Leadership: More On Saying No While Still Inspiring People: "Saying “no” is one of the most important parts of any leader’s job. My recent article, “How to say no while also inspiring people”, suggested that there were only three right answers, none of which was using the word “no”."

Five Keys To Landing A Strategy Superstar

Five Keys To Landing A Strategy Superstar: "If you're a corporate leader eager to hire young, talented strategy analysts from the world's top strategy consulting firms, I have some bad news for you. Luring them will be harder now than it has been in at least a decade. Supply and demand are seriously misaligned, and, as with so many other things, the recession is to blame."

You Took A Risk And Failed. How To Bounce Back

You Took A Risk And Failed. How To Bounce Back: "Is there a risk that you’ve been talking yourself out of? That’s a question I often ask in my leadership workshops and one that creates quite a buzz in the room."

The Best Way To Innovation? - An Important Lesson from India

The Best Way To Innovation? - An Important Lesson from India: "VideoInnovation seems to be a prime directive at almost any firm I run into, regardless of industry.  How do you get more of it?  In these tough times the answer is no longer to throw money at it.  What we increasingly need is frugal innovation, what the Indians call Jugaad. It [...]"

Building a Business vs. Making a Living

Building a Business vs. Making a Living: "You need to comprehend financial basics to make your venture more than just a revenue stream, says Bill Hettinger. Learn how to read cash-flow statements and gauge your competitive position"

5 Ways to Make Your Time More Valuable

5 Ways to Make Your Time More Valuable: "It's obvious that different stretches of our time can be more or less valuable to us. For example, an hour in which our mind is sparkling and sharp, and coming up with brilliant ideas and insights, is usually more valuable to us than an hour in which we feel lethargic, dull-minded, or barely moping through life."

Organize and Streamline Your Home-Based Business

Organize and Streamline Your Home-Based Business: "To make self-employment work, experts suggest designating a workspace at home, sticking to a daily schedule, and using a time-management system"

Lean LaunchPad: A Crash Course in Startup Success

Lean LaunchPad: A Crash Course in Startup Success: "A new class created by serial entrepreneur Steve Blank puts a focus on testing ideas before jumping in."

Your Secret Public Speaking Weapon - Involving Your Audience

Your Secret Public Speaking Weapon - Involving Your Audience: "Every communication, and so every presentation, ultimately has to be 2-way to have integrity and to feel authentic. That means that you should involve your audiences in your presentations -- and not just at the end in Q and A. That's so 20th century! In this podcast, based on my book Give Your Speech, Change the World, I talk about 4 ways to involve your audience with real client examples for each. It lasts about 8 minutes. Enjoy!"

How to Get a Raise

How to Get a Raise: "One of my contracts is up, and I want a raise, but I feel like I'm not a good negotiator. Regardless, the contract is up, and it's now or never. I've read numerous articles detailing how women don't ask for raises, and I don't want to be one of those women. TIP #1: [...]"

10 Questions To See If You Need To Make A Career Move

10 Questions To See If You Need To Make A Career Move: "In a previous column, I wrote about how you can manage your career in just 5 minutes a day. Here are some questions that can be added to your 5-minute daily career habit. Take one question a day and reflect on your answer for no more than a few minutes. You might need to do some longer research based on the initial result you get. But hopefully, most of the time, your gut reaction to these questions will reaffirm that you are exactly where you need to be."

3 Words to Small Business Success: Easy, Fun and Popular

3 Words to Small Business Success: Easy, Fun and Popular: "What’s the attitude you show up to in your business each day?"

How To Say No At Work

How To Say No At Work: "When Beth Cronin started out as an associate at the law firm Trenam Kemker, she never once told a partner that she was too busy to do a project. Instead, she learned the right way to say no. "First, I developed a reputation as being earnest and hardworking," says Cronin. "Then I made sure to understand what the project entailed, when my manager needed it and whether I could realistically deliver high-quality work in the allotted amount of time. The way to handle a request is never just to say 'I'm too busy.'" Today she's co-chair of the litigation practice group at the firm, which has offices in St. Petersburg and Tampa, Fla."

Lose the Schmooze: Seven Ways to Make Networking Genuine

Lose the Schmooze: Seven Ways to Make Networking Genuine: "Every evening before bed, you glance at your iPhone’s calendar to see what tomorrow brings. Hoping for a calm, relaxing evening watching your favorite reality shows and sipping wine on the couch, you’re dismayed when you see in bright red text: “Networking Mixer, 7:30.” With a groan, you wonder what could’ve possibly possessed you to be so ambitious. You begin frantically running through excuses in your mind because, at the moment, nothing sounds more unappealing than to spend your limited free time having superficial conversations with total strangers and noshing on mediocre hors d’oeuvres."

How to Not Waste Your Life: Summary of The Startup Lessons Learned Conference

How to Not Waste Your Life: Summary of The Startup Lessons Learned Conference: "Stop wasting time. Every year hundreds of thousands of managers, entrepreneurs, engineers, and students waste countless hours and resources dreaming up big ideas about how to change the world. Big ideas are wonderful but then they waste oceans of energy building solutions and products no one wants. Yesterday morning, at the Startup Lessons Learned Conference in San Francisco, Eric Ries and a host of presenters talked about one approach to avoid all this waste: the Lean Startup."