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Your business online

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!

Lisa
July 11, 2009
Business
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Singapore’s Flesh Imp

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.

Lisa
June 22, 2009
Business, Travel
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Will Miss California be stripped of her title?

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.

Lisa
May 18, 2009
Business, Entertainment
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Nurses in the Midlands

Birmingham, England has had the reputation of being a city as a powerhouse of trade and industry. It has the second highest population in all of Britain and it has been ranked third on the list of the best cities to find a business and to find work, not so much in the industrial occupations any longer, but in in other industries such as tourism and any business related to travel such as a Birmingham hotel or a cafe. And while tourism is still thriving during the international crunch on the economy , at least one section of the population is finding these economic times a bit of a challenge, and that section of the population is one of the most important, the nurses. In all of the Midland cities, not just Birmingham but cities such as Wolverhampton and Solihull as well, nurses were questioned and almost half are having trouble surviving these times and have found it necessary to take second jobs. Working these jobs just to be able to afford the daily necessities and to pay their bills. And it isn’t just the nurses that are in trouble but the assistant health workers as well. Salaries have been cut, and while they continue to work full time many have found that not only are they having trouble paying their monthly mortgages on the homes, but that more than one quarter have filed for bankruptcy

And while the salaries decreasing, the prices of gas and food are increasing. Many are concerned with the well-being of the nurses themselves, stating that with half of them working the second job, that means many nurses may be tired and overworked when taking care of patients, or distracted due to anxiety and the constant pressure of worrying about their finances. In such an important field of work, errors can mean the difference in someones life. This is affecting the present, and the future as well, as many of those in training right now to become nurses just simply can not afford to study any longer. This may mean trouble in the future if not enough are able to train today. Some of the students are able to do what the nurses are doing, taking second jobs while still spending so much time in training, but for many this is just becoming too difficult. And at the moment, more and more people are becoming affected by this economy, not just thehealth-care workers of the midlands, but all families throughout the Midlands are struggling and doing all they can to make ends meet.

Lisa
April 12, 2009
Business, Travel
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Handling Customer Complaints

In the past customer complaints were viewed as a negative intrusion on business. Now, by incorporating a customer complaints strategy you can truly listen to and understand your customer’s feedback.

The way your business handles customer complaints can play an important role in customer satisfaction and improving customer loyalty. Within a customer complaints strategy an important aspect related to handling customer complaints.

Within your business you should attempt to increase the volume of customer feedback by providing many ways to contact you. These include staff interaction, phone, mail, E-mail and Internet.

Once you have communicated with the customer you should record the details within a complaint handling system. This should include categories that can be used for further analysis and continuous improvement. For corrective actions, using corrective action software, you should investigate and resolve issues and analyze similar problems. This information should be passed on to appropriate departments so that actions can be carried out.

The resolution of the problem should be communicated with the customer and inform them of actions that have taken place to prevent similar problems. Internal staff should use trend analysis to develop corrective and preventative action plans for future issues.
By using a system such as this for handling customer complaints your organization can improve its competitiveness in these challenging times.

Lisa
March 20, 2009
Business
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World CEO Forum Wraps Up

Today marked the end of the 4th edition of the Connect World CEO Forum in Dubai, UAE. The three day event started on March 17th at the Jumeriah Beach Conference Centre.

Although the event faced possible cancellation due to the global economic crisis as well as lack of corporate sponsorship, the organizers felt it was important to proceed with the event. They wanted to reinforce their belief that the Middle East remains a “great place to do business.” And last minute sponsorship was provided by the Bahrain Economic Development Board as well as earlier sponsors the US Export Council and Tejari.

The stated mission of the event is to bring “together executives from all over the world to meet key principals in the GCC region in order to explore and expand business opportunities and access Gulf capital.” More than fifteen countries sent representatives to this year’s event.

Dubai has recently begun to feel the effects of the global slowdown. Tourist numbers are declining and construction of many large developments has been postponed or even stopped. The business hotels Dubai welcome events such as this Forum which not only bring immediate business to the area, but encourage future partnerships and ongoing relationships between foreign corporations and local companies.

Some of the topics covered during the forum included “How to Save Your Way Out of the Financial Crisis” and “Doing Business with the Obama Adminstration.” Networking and sharing information and insight are top priorities for attendees.

Lisa
March 19, 2009
Business
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