Today Is Not Over Yet » Business

Presentation and the Art of Improvisation

Lisa — Fri, 28 May 2010 02:10:00 +0000

Anyone who’s been in the work force for the past five years has very likely had to do a presentation of some kind. Even the most creative and the most mundane jobs have some components where presentation is a skill that’s necessary for communicating something important or essential. Of course, some jobs are more prone to needing solid presentation skills training than others. Chances are good that the more the job involves working with other people, the more these skills will come in handy.

For many people, the art of presentation isn’t so much an art as it is an exercise in anxiety. Public speaking is still the number one fear , and it’s a necessary part of working in the world. There are plenty of tricks that can be learned in training programs, but it’s important to understand that the anxiety isn’t something that people overcome necessarily. The really successful speakers and performers never lose their anxiety, but learn how to turn it into energy that can be harnessed and made useful.

Interestingly, perhaps one of the most misunderstood qualities of a good presentation is organization. The presenter must be prepared, have a thorough knowledge of what they’re talking about, and also have a solid delivery, with visual aids to help things move along. The key here is really in the visual aids, because they add something very potent. They give the listeners a break, so that they can focus on an image rather than concentrate on deciphering and reading language. Perhaps even more important, the presentation suddenly becomes entertaining.

This is the point where a good presentation can become great, and it’s based not on organization, but on the speaker’s ability to improvise . To take in the present and respond with grace is a skill that anyone can learn. It’s immediately rewarding, because it has the power to make something mundane fun. Being able to respond to a moment is also one of the key elements to customer service training , and in time, the skills begin to overlap, and finally to feed each other. They also have many applications in everyday life.

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Presentation and the Art of Improvisation

The Art of Inspiration

Lisa — Mon, 03 May 2010 02:10:00 +0000

There are many different roles a manager can play on any given day. Some of these can be very unpleasant, especially when it’s dealing with difficult situations and hurt egos, but these can also be the most challenging. But management has changed over the years, and there are many techniques for working with people that can be amazingly effective in all types of situations. The generation before this one seems to have been guided by a more isolated philosophy, but the trend now is more toward doing things as a team, and working for common goals.

The Dale Carnegie teachings apply to management just as they do to all aspects of life, and one of the most challenging traits to acquire is to be inspiring . This is also one of the most rewarding traits to accumulate, because it tends to help the person dong the inspirational talk and action just as much as it does the target audience. Getting people to feel positive about what they do is one of those rare tricks of manipulation that does not feel like manipulation at all. That’s probably because it’s such an effective, and contagious sense, and no one complains when they’re doing something that they love.

Based on the ideas found in the influential book on winning friends , techniques for inspiring your team are based on very elementary principles of attraction. Instead of trying to force others into a kind of behavior or thinking, it’s much easier, and more rewarding, to model these behaviors. The same notion is at work with inspiration. Inspiration comes from the notion of drawing breath , and letting the breath become a force that keeps spirits high, and moves the energy forward. On a very metaphorical level, this means that a very subtle change in attitude can make a world of difference. It transfers to the team, and they in turn transfer this sense to the clients, and that’s something that everyone can feel inspired about.

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The Art of Inspiration

Presentation and the Art of Improvisation

What is the Job of a Property Manager?

Lisa — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 02:10:00 +0000

A property manager is hired by a property owner for the rather obvious reason of managing their property, but what does that mean? A property manager’s duties usually include marketing empty properties to potential buyers, filling vacancies with the best tenants, maintaining the property to keep it in the best possible condition, tracking income, expenses, and determining profitability of the property locations, negotiate rental agreements, collect rent and deposits, keeps all things up to date and legal, responds to resident complaints and deals with difficult residents. All of this is a big job, but you might still be wondering why you would want to hire someone else to take care of it for you.

There can be a number of reasons you might hire a property manager to take care of your properties for you. One reason is someone who owns multiple places, or even multiple apartment complexes. It is hard to run all of them on your own, and a property manager will have other staff that can take care of all of these places. If you live out of town, or out of state from the place(s) you rent out, it is a good idea to have a property manager. They will have better connections to get good tenants into the house, as well as it being easier on you to not have to travel to your rentals to fix things. If you live in town and you only have one place you are renting out it can still be a good idea to get a property manager because they have connections and knowledge you don’t.

A property manager has usually been doing this a number of years, or knows other property managers who can help him. This means that they know what a fair asking price for rent is on the market right now. There are some tenants that will only rent through a reputable property management team . This is because they know that if they rent from a good property manager they will be taken care of if anything goes wrong. Which is the other nice part about hiring someone else to take care of your renters, you don’t have to take any time out of your life to help them out when something goes wrong, and if history has anything to say about it, there will be a problem at some point.

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What is the Job of a Property Manager?

Business Relocation

Business Relocation

Lisa — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 22:09:34 +0000

Often when you have an established business you try to stay in the spot so that your customers know where to find you. But as time and business changes, sometimes that move is necessary. If the area becomes less than ideal or if the clientele no longer uses your services, it is a good sign that it is time to move on. There are several things to consider once you have decided to make the big move and a lot of that depends on the type of business.
Retail shops and other open to the public type businesses typically do not own the property; although there are exceptions. Before you terminate your lease or sell your property, it is usually a good idea to have a new place in mind. Transglobe property management can help you find a new location to move to. With the help of Transglobe property management you will be all set with your new property in no time.
With a new location in sight it is time to start packing up. If you have an office, the transition should be relatively easy with the help of a Uhaul and some movers. For shop owners, it is necessary to decide what you are going to do with all your product. If you have the ability to take it all with you, by all means go for it. Just make sure you get a really big moving truck. If you want to start fresh in your new location, this is the perfect time to have a sale and advertise for your new location. That is key if you want clients to follow you and not just assume you went out of business. You could also have a big grand opening sale with special deals once your new shop is up and running.
Moving your business is a long process but a well worth one when if it puts you in a better place to succeed.

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Business Relocation

Safety and Customer Service at the Fair Grounds

Lisa — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 19:28:21 +0000

The county or state fair is one of the last places people consider when giving examples of when customer service is a high priority. One of the things that is interesting about this is that customer service is actually an important aspect of all businesses and fields. However, applying to the circumstances of something such as a fair or carnival actually serves to exemplify the universal nature and importance of excellent customer service skills. Steve Barbarich is more than aware of this need and has incorporated it into his business philosophy.

A state fair can be an extremely busy event and many aspects of customer care will come into play. This actually begins with the planning and layout of the event, and ensuring that there are adequate restrooms and first aid services, as well as information booths and easy access to needs such as ticket sales. A well planned fair also makes finding specific attractions easy and convenient, and places rides and associated features in a similar location. Many people consider the food at a fair to be one of its greatest attractions, and having many venues with standard items is important to prevent frustrating lines and waits. It is also logical to not place ice cream or cotton candy stands next to a large roller coaster.

While the fair is taking place the atmosphere can be hectic and sometimes chaotic. Instead of letting customer service skills take a back seat, it is important to realize that they are needed at that time as much as ever. This covers everything from a friendly and helpful voice at an information booth, to a constant eye on ride safety and the well being of the fair patron. Staff members who are tending the specific rides should always be watching for potential malfunctions or precarious patron behaviors or seating placement circumstances.

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Safety and Customer Service at the Fair Grounds

Social and Environmental Due Diligence

Lisa — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 13:59:54 +0000

Social and Environmental due diligence, in recent years, has evolved internationally and is recognized as a critical aspect in connection with asset and property transactions. They are now significant liabilities that will be imposed on to the new owner. Many companies are facing the need for growth or refinancing in order to sustain a continuous environment of developmental gain of the business. The private equity industry has an important role to play to meet these needs. A majority of financial investors have positioned themselves as important players in the consolidation and development of many sectors within commerce and industry.

There are companies that can document the potential social and environmental liabilities and all the obligations that will relate to the transaction. They can create tailor-made assessments to meet the needs of individual transactions and will be compliant to relative situations to not only the regional, but the national regulations. Providing due diligence advice and assist with assessing ethical and social obligations associated with all transactions.

This allows potential new businesses to know the risk in advance. It should be a businesses paramount goal to reduce the financial risk and this can be achieved by consulting with services that provide documentation that will match exactly the risk a business is willing to take. Risks dealing with acquisitions, mergers or divestitures transactions, companies should first be familiar with the specific requirements of the transaction parties, such as industrial, institutional or property investors and hiring a consulting firm with the experience in due diligence is the best investment any company can make before they invest. The consulting firm should also have access to a global network of partners. Thereby offering a thorough local knowledge and presence regardless of the countries and this also should include cross-border transactions.

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Social and Environmental Due Diligence

How to be an entrepreneur

Lisa — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 19:00:35 +0000

The definition of an entrepreneur is a person who organizes and manages any enterprise, esp. a business, usually with considerable initiative and risk. Sounds easy enough right? Well being an entrepreneur is no easy feat. You have to have a backbone and a bevy of fresh ideas to keep your business or hopefully businesses running smoothly. Being an entrepreneur is all about making sense of the business world and what it is lacking. The next step from there is trying to figure out how you can make it better and offer a service, product or combination of the two that cannot be found in any other area of the market.

The first step to being an entrepreneur is to understand your business. If you don’t understand how other businesses operate within your sector, how can you ever expect to be good at what you do?

Entrepreneurs look for gaps in the market and then create business ventures to help fill in those gaps. And by filling in those gaps, being successful. For example, take Steven Barbarich. He started one of his businesses after an unsatisfactory experience while remodeling his home. He saw that there was a gap for a reputable online seller of Jacuzzi and hot tubs with stellar customer service. So he started a website and the rest is really history.

Being an entrepreneur takes back bone and passion for your work. If you are not able to defend your business or your business plan, you simply will not be successful or become reputable. Learn how to compete early on and soon you might find yourself at the top of your game, the go to person in your field.

An entrepreneur must always be thinking on their toes and looking for the next big thing. So what do you think? Do you have what it takes?

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How to be an entrepreneur

Your business online

Lisa — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 21:40:04 +0000

In this economy having an online business seems like a great idea. You can work from home and be your own boss. It would allow you to have more time with your family and kids and allow you to make some money again. And really who wouldn’t like getting off that hamster wheel called job interviewing.

It’s frustrating to be a job seeker right now and the internet is a viable place to make money, you just have to be careful of scams and make sure that you are an informed internet entrepreneur.

The first thing you need to think about is what type of online business you are looking to run. The internet is actually a very competitive place and it is easy to get sucked into scams or have people tarnish your online reputation. That’s why online reputation management is so important to an internet business. And you may not be able to perform this service yourself. You may need to hire a firm to do this for you, which can eat into your budget or profit margin. For example, if a Chicago web design site is getting bad, but untrue reviews, an outside company may need to step in to remedy the problem.

Another thing to take into consideration is how people are going to find your website or business. You can’t just expect people to know that your website exists. You need to make sure your site has keywords and can be easily found in a search engine. This might require you to seek outside search engine optimization services as well. You can try to do search engine optimization on your own, but it’s hard to compete with the pros when it comes to this service.

Whatever you do, don’t get discouraged, there is enough room in cyberspace for everyone!

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Your business online

Singapore’s Flesh Imp

Lisa — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 15:37:08 +0000

On the lookout for the perfect five-star hotel? Singapore has an awful lot to offer. Rich in history and in urban cool, Singapore’s reputation as one of the world’s most livable cities is certainly well earned. There is something for everyone here, and it’s easy to find. Excellent shopping in a globally-connected village, fantastic restaurants in one of the world’s most multicultural cities, and beautiful views of city scape and water, all combine to make a very heady and pleasant experience.

One of the coolest places for fresh urban fashion gear is Singapore’s Flesh Imp. The name is two interesting ideas: Flesh refers to the depth beneath the layer of clothes, that it is more than skin deep. Imp is the devilish spirit that they want to invoke as being a sensibility that runs counter to the conservative traditional culture. This store, with a few locations in Singapore, caters to the young and the hip. They sell women’s and men’s clothing, and very stylishly too. They’re not an outlet, they are also their own independent clothing label, so you can be sure that the clothes you’re buying are original and well-constructed. The designs are often collaborations between their own designers and other internationally-known designers. It’s a very sophisticated strategy that insures them a place on the global stage. Not that they need the insurance. The quality of the design speaks for itself, and will certainly strike the window-shopper here.

One of their goals is to really speak to street culture in Singapore, as well as connect with the fashion world at large. This also shouldn’t be a problem. With collaborations with Bigfoot, DevilRobots, and Sam Flores, the designers at Flesh Imp have already made an impact on culture. But speaking to the locals in Singapore really is the focus. It’s a small country, but its technological savvy puts it in an interesting space. If so much of global culture is influenced by the internet, it might not be the size of the city, but its capacities for connectivity, that will determine its place in cultural change. Singapore has already made itself known as a place for interesting and cutting edge design, so this might be just another step toward taking its rightful place in the world. Style-wise, the future looks bright.

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Singapore’s Flesh Imp

Will Miss California be stripped of her title?

Lisa — Mon, 18 May 2009 18:07:03 +0000

Really what is it with the Miss Universe franchise? It seems like every year there is a scandal. And it also seems to depend on how the Donald is feeling that day whether or not the girl gets the boot. In 2006, Tara Conner was allowed to retain her title after a scandal over drugs. Tara Conner was allowed to retain her title because Trump said that everyone deserves a second chance. How touching.

The next year, Miss Nevada, Katie Rees was not allowed to keep her title after nude photos of her surfaced. Rees got the boot for being topless, but Conner gets a pass for drug use? Something does not add up.

This year’s Miss USA pageant was already marred with scandal after the beauty queen in question Carrie Prejean, the map of California’s go-to-girl on marriage rights was found to also have topless photos on the internet. There were also rumors that she had breast implants.

After the ensuing debacle over the question judge Perez Hilton posed to Miss California and her subsequent answer about being opposed to gay marriage, now this.

It will be interesting to see if Trump gives her the boot or not? Since most on the United States map believe she only received runner-up for her conservative views, it will be interesting to see if she keeps her crown.

And by the way, the Miss California USA co-executive producer, previous winner of the crown and Playboy model, says Prejean has been unavailable for comment.

It’s just hard to understand why it’s okay to pose nude after you win a title and not before? Really what is the difference? Where is the line drawn for Miss USA pageant? It all sounds pretty hypocritical. None of these women seem to exemplify what it means to represent the USA map,this pageant needs an overhaul.

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Will Miss California be stripped of her title?

Introducing the Modern Singapore Wedding to Traditionalist