Should You Mix Business With Politics?

It is typically recognized that business and politics don’t mix. But it is almost unreasonable to hold that as an unequivocal truth, given that politics can have everything to do with the life of your business.

I, personally, am a very neutral person when it comes to politics. I believe that the whole thing is crooked and corrupt. Despite this, I still try to pay close attention to what's going on in the political realm so that I can be prepared for whatever changes may influence my company.

The current economy in the United States is proof positive that politics can affect the way people spend or don't spend money. Even the simplest social issue can have far reaching effects on small and large businesses, including Fortune 500 companies.

For example, the decision to change the type of medical care in our nation inevitably trickles down the small private practice doctor. It equally affects pharmaceutical companies, companies that provide equipment for the medical industry, those who provide paper goods for the medical industry, and businesses we may not imagine are affected by decisions that on the surface, seem to have nothing to do with a small business owner.

Tax decisions, cuts, increases, etc., are a direct factor for businesses across the board. How the education system is handled is yet another of dozens of political discussions that affect businesses.

Likewise, politics can affect employees - those that depend on a corporation for their livelihood. Without workers, most companies cannot function. So it is incumbent on the corporation to pay attention to the world of politics - so they can plan accordingly.

The point is this: Whether you are a political person or not, you should at least pay attention to what's going on - because it can have an adverse effect on your business. Being aware and knowledgeable of potential political changes before they occur can keep you ahead of the competition.

How To Deal With Difficult People In The Workplace

It's inevitable. You are going to encounter difficult people in your business dealings - whether its your colleagues or customers. Elinor Robin, a WomenEntrepreneur.com columnist, offers some great tips on how you can deal with them effectively:

1) First, assess the situation. Is this really a difficult person or is he or she just having a bad day?

2) Set boundaries and limitations regarding what you will and will not tolerate from others.

3)Seek understanding regarding the difficult person's true motivation.

4)Know when to let go and move on. Your best option may be to withdraw from the relationship--even though that might mean quitting your job, divorcing your spouse, eating lunch alone or moving far away from your parents or grown children. We all get to choose whom we allow to take up space in our lives. Choose wisely.

5) Don't fight back or try to beat them at their own game. They have been practicing their skills for a lifetime, and you're an amateur.


In addition, she suggests that you do the opposite of what he or she expects. Change your response and avoid getting caught up in the cycle. Also, don't try to change them. You can only change your responses to their behavior.

To view the full article, visit:
http://www.womenentrepreneur.com/article/2360.html

How To Be A Freelancer

Freelancers (or freelance workers) are self-employed individuals who pursue various professions without a long-term commitment to any one employer. Basically, they are independent workers that get paid on a project-by-project basis.

Freelancers can be photographers, graphic designers, journalists, publicists, web developers, and even business coaches. Really anyone with a skill in demand can be a freelancer.

If you are interested in freelancing, here are some great web site tools:

1) Elance.com - the #1 online workplace where businesses find and hire people "on demand" to get work done quickly and cost effectively. This is a great place for freelancers to list themselves as available.

2) GetAFreeLancer.com - the #2 online marketplace for freelancers and companies looking to hire freelancers. This is also a great place to list your profile.

3) iFreelance.com - the #3 online destination for freelancers and employers to interact. It would definitely be worth listing your profile here as well.

Being a freelancer can be a very financially rewarding career. One great benefit is that you are your own boss. You can work at home, at your own flexibility.

However, a major downfall is that you are responsible for keeping your work steady. You have to make sure that business is consistent, so that your cash flow is constantly flowing. In addition, you have to file taxes as a business - which is very different from personal taxes.

For information on how to be successful as a freelancer, it may be wise to join the Freelancers Union. They are a non-profit organization that represents the needs and concerns of America’s growing independent workforce through advocacy, information and service.

The Law of Productivity

The law of productivity is simply this: Get things done. If you've been working all day (or all week), and you have nothing to show for it - then you lack productivity. You are not a productive worker.

Every single day, you should have something tangible to prove to yourself (and to others) that you are productive. Being productive doesn't mean that you have to have the most pivotal role in the company; It simply means you need to be contributing to the company's advancement to the next level.

Many Black-owned businesses lack productivity. People show up for work, and they're doing something from 9 to 5. They're just not "producing".

If what you're doing at work is not "producing" for the company, then you're wasting time and company money. Everything you do should be producing more revenue for for the company - whether it's directly or indirectly.

Black CEOs must learn to keep their teams focused on this. Do not allow employees to work on meaningless tasks that aren't productive. Find something for them to do that will contribute to the company's bottom line.

For instance, I noticed that many restaurants make waiters and hostesses wrap silverware in napkins in between dealing with customers. For what? This is a meaningless task. Do the people who eat at restaurants care whether or not their silverware was wrapped up? I'm willing to bet they don't.

From what I understand, a waiter can waste up to 2 hours a day doing this. These restaurants need to find something more meaningful and valuable for their employees to do.

I think you get my drift: Get stuff done, and get it done with a purpose.

How To Know When They Are Lying

Entrepreneur Magazine recently published an article by Ken Osborn, founder and executive director of The CIA Institute. The article reveals seven subtle cues that often mean a person is lying.

Looking for these cues can help you detect a dishonest employee, contractor, business partner or client. Here they are:

1) The Nose Touch - Humans have erectile tissues in our noses that engorge with blood when we lie. This causes a tingling or itching sensation that requires a nose touch to satisfy. The absence of a nose touch doesn't guarantee truth, but the presence of a nose touch often means deception.

2) Speech Disturbances - When people lie, they force their brains to pretend that the lie is true. This confuses the brain, and taxes their cognitive ability to think efficiently. So when people lie, they pause longer and speak slower than normal and often experience speech disturbances that serve as gap fillers, such as "um," "er" and "uh."

3) Incongruent Behavior - When someone's words don't agree with their body language, their communication is incongruent. Watch to see if the words being spoken match up with the person's facial expressions and hand gestures.

4) The Neck Rub - People rub their necks because of the stress they experience when they feel that an obstacle may be insurmountable. If you're interviewing a potential employee who is constantly rubbing his neck, he probably doesn't feel confident about the position.

5) The Eye Rub - An eye rub is an indicator of disbelief. Let's say you are training a new employee. The employee begins to rub her eyes even while verbally affirming your statements. This probably means that he/she doesn't believe you or disagrees with your instruction. Many subordinates feel uneasy about disagreeing with the boss, but their bodies don't hesitate.

6) Upward Inflections - People upwardly inflect their words when asking a question. You may have noticed that some salespeople will upwardly inflect certain statements of fact. This is a red flag that should alert you to potential deception. The salesman might say, "Your competitors have seen their profit margins increase by 30 percent by using our product." If you notice that he upwardly inflected the words, "30 percent," you should disregard this statistic and be suspicious of him altogether.

7) Stabbed Hollows - In the study of graphology (or handwriting analysis) hollow letters represent honesty. Anything that disrupts a hollow letter could indicate deception. Let's pretend you enter your office to find a note from your top salesman on your desk. His note indicates that he had to go out of town to visit his sick mother and won't be able to go to the annual trade show. You notice that every "o" in his note has some sort of mark interjected into the hollow space of each letter. You would be right to be suspicious of the facts in the note.

Need To Hire? Try Craigslist

Here's a great HR tip: If you're looking to fill a new job or internship position, consider using Craigslist.org. For most people, its a 100% free service. You only have to pay to use the service, if you live in New York or San Francisco.

Their web site looks very simple and plain. However, Craigslist is actually a very popular online marketplace used by millions of people worldwide looking for jobs, cars, housing, and much more.

Posting a job or internship position will almost guarantee you to get some qualified applicants from your local area. Resumes submitted will go straight to your email, and your email address won't be spammed.

While Craiglist is a great tool, I would still recommend that you use it in combination with another recruiting service - such as Monster.com or CareerBuilder.com. These sites definitely have a bigger volume of applicants because of their extraordinary promotional power.

Also, consider using your local newspapers to post jobs. This can be a great way to filter out applicants who don't live in the area.

Make Sure You're Getting The Best Price

When searching to buy a new computer or office furniture, make sure that you're getting the best price. You can check your local Office Depot and Best Buy, but also check popular online retailers such as www.Overstock.com and www.DealCatcher.com

Overstock.com is a very popular online destination that sells overstocked brand name items at clearance prices. They can literally save you 40% - 80%.

DealCatcher.com is basically a blog of the latest deals that various retailers are offering. For instance, they will give you all the weekly sales and specials running at stores like Office Depot, Wal-Mart, and more.

Another great site is www.Liquidation.com - an online marketplace of items that have been recently liquidated. This site, though, is for bulk buyers.

It's definitely worth your while to look at these sites before you make a small or large purchase of office furniture. You could easily save yourself a couple hundred dollars.

Learn To Have "Thick Skin"

Any successful person will tell you that you need "thick skin" (like that of an elephant) to survive in business. Having thick skin means you have the ability to withstand criticism, handle confrontation, and put your foot down when you have to.

This means that as an employer, you have to be able to fire people when necessary, and turn down unwarranted requests for raises. There is no room for emotional attachments or relationships in the workplace. This is exactly why many people don't recommend hiring family members.

Business is very cut throat. Your clients will come down on you in a heartbeat if they aren't happy with your services. Your creditors will come down on you if they aren't paid on time. So you have to come down on your staff when their performance is unsatisfactory.

You don't have to be mean or rude, just tough.

Lower Your Tone

No, I'm not talking about the pitch of your voice. I'm talking about your printer ink. Did you know that most small businesses spend anywhere from $2,000 - $10,000 a year on printer ink? Some pay more than that!

Well, here are some tips to save you some money:

1) Don't print in color unless you absolutely have to. Tell your employees this too.

2) When printing in black and white, change the printer settings to "FastDraft" or "FastNormal". This will lower the printing quality slightly, but it will still look professional.

3) Shop online for printer ink at web sites like 123inkjets.com or all-ink.com. Their prices are much cheaper than Staples or Office Depot.

4) I haven't tried this myself yet, but I heard that Walgreens allows you to come in and refill your ink cartridges for only $10 - $15. Try it and see what happens!

Is Your Office A Source of Unhealthy Habits?

A recent report by Nationwide Insurance found that "many employees may not eat as healthy or remain as active as they could while at work and employers could certainly be doing more to encourage healthy habits."

Don't allow your business to become an open door to bad health. While working in your office, develop good habits. Drink a lot of water, and munch on healthy snacks. Encourage your staff to do the same.

Remember that you can't run your business if you're in the hospital or dead.

Full Article: www.blacknews.com/pr/nationwideinsurance101.html