Virtually anyone can start a business. You can start a business because you have a new idea, you have an idea for expanding on an existing idea or technology, or you just want to take a stab at running your own business. There is more to just wanting to start a business, however. You need to be educated in the business realm. It is important not only for the survival of your business, but also to keep your business dealings safe and protect yourself. You don't necessarily need to have a background in law, but having taken at least a business law course can be helpful. It may also be good to have an attorney look over your business documents and contracts to make sure everything is accounted for.
Once you have all of this taken care of, you are most likely ready to start your business. Unfortunately, even the most well-versed person in business can fail at their attempt to run their own business. In order for a business to be successful, it must have a method of attracting and retaining customers. But even this isn't enough for achieving success.
Customer service can make or break a company. You can have a truly innovative or superior product/service. Customers may try it out, but if you do not have exceptional customer service, chances are your customers will be lost to competitors. Even if your product is much better, if customers are able to have their needs met in a better way through a competitor, they may ignore the slightly poorer quality of product or service for that extra customer support.
Customer service is more than just being friendly. You need to be able to express empathy and fully understand the customer. Not just their attitude, but their expectations as well as their concerns.
If you are a consultant, or in the position to have an ongoing relationship with your customer, it is important to build a feeling of trust. That will help customers feel comfortable with you. They will know you will take care of them. They may or may not get that anywhere else. Take time to get to know them. Their family if it's appropriate. "Hey, how are the kids?" for example.
Listen. Remember stories they tell. Take notes if you need to. This will help when building a relationship with them. If you are not building a long-term relationship, it is still important to listen and take care of your customer's needs. This is important for all levels of employee.
If a customer is happy, chances are they are going to spread the good word to friends, family, co-workers about their fantastic experience. If they have a bad experience, they are more likely to share that with their friends, family, co-workers to warn them about their experience. This is why customer service is extremely important in business.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Friday, January 14, 2011
Ant vs. Grasshopper
There are many different versions of this fable, but all have the same outcome. In the world today, it is saddening but true that there are many more grasshoppers than ants.
The general principle of the story is that while the grasshopper played and lazed around, the ant spent all of his working hours gathering food and materials to last through the winter. When the winter came, the grasshopper had nothing and the ant had everything needed to stay warm, fed and safe during the winter. The grasshopper tried to get food from the ant, but the ant refused, stating that the grasshopper shouldn't have messed around instead of gathering for the winter. Because of this, the grasshopper suffered severely and in many versions of the storied, died.
Many people in the world are "moochers". They hop from place to place, overstaying their welcome and never taking on responsibilities. When one situation doesn't work out to their liking, they move on to the next. Innocent people sometimes get intertwined in their stories and make bad choices themselves because of it. Sometimes these grasshoppers don't hold a job for very long, if at all, borrow money that is rarely paid back and hurt those who try to get close to them. They often have a sense of entitlement for things that they truly haven't earned, but think they deserve. They try to find get-rich quick schemes or other forms of income that require much less effort for higher payouts. They often lie, steal and cheat their way through life, generally from those who work hard.
The ant, on the other hand, is few and far between. They believe in working hard for what they earn and hope their efforts will eventually be rewarded. They don't expect much, but hope for a better life. They feel directly responsible and in charge of their future. They believe in the saying "hard work pays off" and do not sit around with their hands open for hand-outs. They have the resume padding to support their interview sells-pitches. They are dependable, reliable and generally honest. They are ok with starting at the bottom in order to eventually work their way to the top.
Are you a grasshopper or an ant? If you or someone you know is a grasshopper, would you want to change? If you have children, do you plan on teaching them to be an ant or a grasshopper? How?
The general principle of the story is that while the grasshopper played and lazed around, the ant spent all of his working hours gathering food and materials to last through the winter. When the winter came, the grasshopper had nothing and the ant had everything needed to stay warm, fed and safe during the winter. The grasshopper tried to get food from the ant, but the ant refused, stating that the grasshopper shouldn't have messed around instead of gathering for the winter. Because of this, the grasshopper suffered severely and in many versions of the storied, died.
Many people in the world are "moochers". They hop from place to place, overstaying their welcome and never taking on responsibilities. When one situation doesn't work out to their liking, they move on to the next. Innocent people sometimes get intertwined in their stories and make bad choices themselves because of it. Sometimes these grasshoppers don't hold a job for very long, if at all, borrow money that is rarely paid back and hurt those who try to get close to them. They often have a sense of entitlement for things that they truly haven't earned, but think they deserve. They try to find get-rich quick schemes or other forms of income that require much less effort for higher payouts. They often lie, steal and cheat their way through life, generally from those who work hard.
The ant, on the other hand, is few and far between. They believe in working hard for what they earn and hope their efforts will eventually be rewarded. They don't expect much, but hope for a better life. They feel directly responsible and in charge of their future. They believe in the saying "hard work pays off" and do not sit around with their hands open for hand-outs. They have the resume padding to support their interview sells-pitches. They are dependable, reliable and generally honest. They are ok with starting at the bottom in order to eventually work their way to the top.
Are you a grasshopper or an ant? If you or someone you know is a grasshopper, would you want to change? If you have children, do you plan on teaching them to be an ant or a grasshopper? How?
Thursday, January 13, 2011
New Managerial Training Instrument in Business-WoW
While most can argue that there are no online games that can provide adequate training for managerial positions, World of Warcraft could be changing this.
Using as a reference Jack Parr Associates’ Effective Management Program, which states it helps managers “improve their leadership skills and behaviors” (Jack Parr Associates, 2003), the areas evaluated by the program include:
1. Leadership in Transition
o Participative Style
o Assertiveness
o Trust Building
o Persuasiveness
o Motivational Skills
o Team Building
o Empowerment
2. Initiative
3. Planning
4. Controlling
5. Decision Making
6. Communication
7. Time Organization
8. Motivational Level
9. Managing Change
10. Development of Direct Reports
(Jack Parr Associates, 2003).
Let’s go over the importance of each evaluation component.
1. Leadership in Transition includes a potential manager’s ability to participate in groups, assert his/her power, build trusting relationships with each individual and as a group, persuade his/her group of subordinates on a new idea or concept, motivate his/her team, build and empower teams. Evaluating someone’s KSAOs (knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics) under this category is important in determining their fit as a potential manager. It can also serve as a means to help someone better their skills as a manager by letting them know what areas they need to work on. Being able to participate actively and effectively within a group is an important characteristic for a leader to have. Being able to believe in yourself and go with your gut-feeling (and to know when not to) is also important when you are in a leadership position. This assertiveness can also lead to trust building and your persuasive abilities. The more times you are able to make a decision in the time of need and have it turn out successful, showing it was the best choice for the team and the company, helps build your credibility. Being able to build teams and keep them motivated, even when attempting to achieve a long-term goal, is very important for many managers. Successfully carrying out all of these characteristics can lead to empowerment of the team as a whole.
2. Initiative is the proposal of a new idea, or an expansion on an existing idea. This helps a company expand and teams grow. This can take boldness and persuasion in order to get others to really accept your new idea, especially if it is really unique.
3. Planning is the stage after the proposal is made and accepted. This is the part where managers and perhaps a team they have put together of individuals to help brainstorm and consider impacts of their new idea, or expansion. You take your plans and figure out how to turn it into actions that have the company’s best interest.
4. Controlling is essential when in a leadership position. You need to be able to have a good grasp on what is going on in the team you supervise/manage. You also need to be able to control spending so you stay within your allotted budget. This is where the ability to plan, organize and stick to plans is essential.
5. Decision making is also a very crucial aspect of being a manager. As mentioned before, being able to listen to your gut instincts, and know when not to go with your gut, are also important. You need to be able to make accurate and effective decisions, sometimes with no time to spare.
6. Communication is key in any relationship. Being able to communicate effectively what you are wanting accomplished and how you expect it to be accomplished are important as a manager. Communication is only 20% verbal and 80% body language. In this day and age, with technology and the ability to hold meetings over the phone or via web conferences or even chat, the body language can be missing. This is why it is important to plan out what you are going to say and make sure any misunderstandings are cleared up before you execute your mission.
7. Organizing and mapping out time frames for things to be accomplished is also important of a good, effective leader. Letting your team know when deadlines are due before hand, and reminding them of upcoming deadlines help them stay on task. There can be times where deadlines are not going to be met, but there are also deadlines that should be kept and pushed. It is important for managers to know the difference.
8. Motivation is the degree to which people put effort in order to complete a task or reach a goal. Being able to keep the level high on important tasks, and keep motivation at all on tasks that are daunting or boring, or will be achieved over a long period of time is important for a manager. The level of motivation the manager has can play a key role in how motivated his/her team is.
9. Change is inevitable. Sometimes you may have to change a plan, sometimes you may have to deal with a change that makes it so you have to re-work your entire plan of action. Handling ambiguity well is important for managers. There are no guarantees that a plan will be able to be carried out to the extent it was originally thought, due to changes in factors such as technology and economy. Managers need to be able to handle any change that may come up effectively and gracefully. This will help keep their team on target and be able to ensure success.
10. One of the many important roles of a manager is being able to delegate as well as be the entrusted from higher ups.
Forming a guild on World of Warcraft is like starting your own business. You need to come up with a unique name that is not being used by anyone else and then pay to have that name. This is similar to filing a master business license application with the state you are choosing to do business in. Once the guild name is purchased, you need to solicit your guild before you can open your doors for business, so to speak. You have to have at least 10 people sign the guild charter before it can be an officially formed guild. With so many guilds being formed all the time, a lot of new guild leader resort to offering incentives for those who don't already belong to a guild to join. An example of an incentive can include offering as much as 50 gold to sign the charter and stay on at least until it is formed. While it is true that many guild leaders are just leaders because they wanted to branch out on their own, or they thought of a funny guild name (the ineffective leaders), there are some who take it more seriously. They go with their initiative to start a new guild and plan out how they want it to be run. They actually spend time planning out and ensuring missions are effectively executed. They schedule and delegate to other guild members. While sometimes it is not very fun, they are able to handle change and carry on despite it when necessary. Communicating and motivating their other guild members helps them in successfully completing their missions. Make no mistake; this is actually a pretty complex task. An effective guild can be compared to a small corporation. You have your founder/CEO, and then you have officers who can be assigned specific tasks. You can even have one individual who acts as a vice president and can act on the guild’s behalf in the absence of the leader (except very specific tasks that can only be accomplished by the guild leader and no one else.) Then you have the rest of the guild members who may or may not have assigned titles. Sometimes a guild is made up of 50 or more players. Each player has his/her own personality and brings his/her own knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics. This needs to be taken into account and efficiently accommodated so that there is very little to no fighting within the guild members. Guild leaders must also be able to manage resources within the guild bank and between each member’s professions, as well as allocate resources within the guild bank.
Up until now I have only discussed guild leaders’ duties on day to day tasks and playing. This does not take into account raid coordinating, which is a whole new set of responsibilities and organization. Coordinating raids involves many skills in which business managers use in order to plan and implement major events/assignments within their team. At the end game level, coordination for fighting dungeon bosses gets pretty complex. Each fight involves multiple phases, which require completely different actions and organization structures in order to progress to the next phase. Specific groups must complete specific tasks in order for the raid to be successful. If they do not, then the entire group fails.
Being able to accept and plan with the new changes that happen weekly and the new expansions that come out every two years is also important for successful guild leaders. They realize that leadership comes with the duty to believe in oneself, but also be able to be fluid when it comes to necessary changes in leadership goals and duties. Ensuring fair distribution of “loot” items and scheduling of raids so that the majority of those who want to participate can is important. Major raids are once a week and offer only sets of 10 player and 25 player groups. It is the guild leader’s duty to make sure everyone gets a fair chance at money and items that are dropped within the raids, as well as a fair chance at playing time. Just like when managers set up meeting time schedules in places that have several shifts, raids need to be set up during a time when most (if not all) players have the ability to attend.
From the interview by ONRPG.com of one of the world’s most successful WoW Guilds, it is shown that experience also helps when leading a guild to the top (Game Empire Enterprises, 2011). According to the interview, the guild, Incorporated, has been in operation for four years, at the time of the interview (before WotLK). As mentioned in the interview, a motivational technique and reward for being such a great and successful guild includes many benefits such as monetary, lotteries, bonuses for achieving special accomplishments and other exciting benefits (Game Empire Enterprises, 2011).
In my own interview experience of WoW guild leaders and members, there are other benefits in addition to increasing managerial experience and skills: self-confidence. One guild leader in particular that I have met and spoken to was a very non-assertive person before becoming a guild leader. It is actually very impressive how much he has gained from being a leader of a guild.
In a nutshell, when leading a top guild, or a serious/successful guild, leaders need to be able to delegate, plan, organize, take initiative, communicate effectively, motivate, control, make decisions, accept change, and constantly improve their leadership skills. So basically, each aspect that is analyzed and evaluated by the Jack Parr Associates’ Effective Management Program are essential when leading a successful guild. It is no wonder why some people put “World of Warcraft Guild Leader” on their resumes. While not everyone takes it as seriously, some do and because of this, they are one of the world’s top guilds, and some even develop what it takes to be effective leaders for a company.
References:
Effective Management Progra (2003). Jack Parr Associates, Inc. Salina, 2003.
Retreived on January 10, 2011 from: http://www.jackparr.com/EMP.html
WoW World’s Leading Guild Interview. (2011). Game Empire Enterprises. 2011.
Retreived on January 12, 2011 from http://www.onrpg.com/MMO/World-of-Warcraft/interview/WoW-Worlds-Leading-Guild-Interview
Using as a reference Jack Parr Associates’ Effective Management Program, which states it helps managers “improve their leadership skills and behaviors” (Jack Parr Associates, 2003), the areas evaluated by the program include:
1. Leadership in Transition
o Participative Style
o Assertiveness
o Trust Building
o Persuasiveness
o Motivational Skills
o Team Building
o Empowerment
2. Initiative
3. Planning
4. Controlling
5. Decision Making
6. Communication
7. Time Organization
8. Motivational Level
9. Managing Change
10. Development of Direct Reports
(Jack Parr Associates, 2003).
Let’s go over the importance of each evaluation component.
1. Leadership in Transition includes a potential manager’s ability to participate in groups, assert his/her power, build trusting relationships with each individual and as a group, persuade his/her group of subordinates on a new idea or concept, motivate his/her team, build and empower teams. Evaluating someone’s KSAOs (knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics) under this category is important in determining their fit as a potential manager. It can also serve as a means to help someone better their skills as a manager by letting them know what areas they need to work on. Being able to participate actively and effectively within a group is an important characteristic for a leader to have. Being able to believe in yourself and go with your gut-feeling (and to know when not to) is also important when you are in a leadership position. This assertiveness can also lead to trust building and your persuasive abilities. The more times you are able to make a decision in the time of need and have it turn out successful, showing it was the best choice for the team and the company, helps build your credibility. Being able to build teams and keep them motivated, even when attempting to achieve a long-term goal, is very important for many managers. Successfully carrying out all of these characteristics can lead to empowerment of the team as a whole.
2. Initiative is the proposal of a new idea, or an expansion on an existing idea. This helps a company expand and teams grow. This can take boldness and persuasion in order to get others to really accept your new idea, especially if it is really unique.
3. Planning is the stage after the proposal is made and accepted. This is the part where managers and perhaps a team they have put together of individuals to help brainstorm and consider impacts of their new idea, or expansion. You take your plans and figure out how to turn it into actions that have the company’s best interest.
4. Controlling is essential when in a leadership position. You need to be able to have a good grasp on what is going on in the team you supervise/manage. You also need to be able to control spending so you stay within your allotted budget. This is where the ability to plan, organize and stick to plans is essential.
5. Decision making is also a very crucial aspect of being a manager. As mentioned before, being able to listen to your gut instincts, and know when not to go with your gut, are also important. You need to be able to make accurate and effective decisions, sometimes with no time to spare.
6. Communication is key in any relationship. Being able to communicate effectively what you are wanting accomplished and how you expect it to be accomplished are important as a manager. Communication is only 20% verbal and 80% body language. In this day and age, with technology and the ability to hold meetings over the phone or via web conferences or even chat, the body language can be missing. This is why it is important to plan out what you are going to say and make sure any misunderstandings are cleared up before you execute your mission.
7. Organizing and mapping out time frames for things to be accomplished is also important of a good, effective leader. Letting your team know when deadlines are due before hand, and reminding them of upcoming deadlines help them stay on task. There can be times where deadlines are not going to be met, but there are also deadlines that should be kept and pushed. It is important for managers to know the difference.
8. Motivation is the degree to which people put effort in order to complete a task or reach a goal. Being able to keep the level high on important tasks, and keep motivation at all on tasks that are daunting or boring, or will be achieved over a long period of time is important for a manager. The level of motivation the manager has can play a key role in how motivated his/her team is.
9. Change is inevitable. Sometimes you may have to change a plan, sometimes you may have to deal with a change that makes it so you have to re-work your entire plan of action. Handling ambiguity well is important for managers. There are no guarantees that a plan will be able to be carried out to the extent it was originally thought, due to changes in factors such as technology and economy. Managers need to be able to handle any change that may come up effectively and gracefully. This will help keep their team on target and be able to ensure success.
10. One of the many important roles of a manager is being able to delegate as well as be the entrusted from higher ups.
Forming a guild on World of Warcraft is like starting your own business. You need to come up with a unique name that is not being used by anyone else and then pay to have that name. This is similar to filing a master business license application with the state you are choosing to do business in. Once the guild name is purchased, you need to solicit your guild before you can open your doors for business, so to speak. You have to have at least 10 people sign the guild charter before it can be an officially formed guild. With so many guilds being formed all the time, a lot of new guild leader resort to offering incentives for those who don't already belong to a guild to join. An example of an incentive can include offering as much as 50 gold to sign the charter and stay on at least until it is formed. While it is true that many guild leaders are just leaders because they wanted to branch out on their own, or they thought of a funny guild name (the ineffective leaders), there are some who take it more seriously. They go with their initiative to start a new guild and plan out how they want it to be run. They actually spend time planning out and ensuring missions are effectively executed. They schedule and delegate to other guild members. While sometimes it is not very fun, they are able to handle change and carry on despite it when necessary. Communicating and motivating their other guild members helps them in successfully completing their missions. Make no mistake; this is actually a pretty complex task. An effective guild can be compared to a small corporation. You have your founder/CEO, and then you have officers who can be assigned specific tasks. You can even have one individual who acts as a vice president and can act on the guild’s behalf in the absence of the leader (except very specific tasks that can only be accomplished by the guild leader and no one else.) Then you have the rest of the guild members who may or may not have assigned titles. Sometimes a guild is made up of 50 or more players. Each player has his/her own personality and brings his/her own knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics. This needs to be taken into account and efficiently accommodated so that there is very little to no fighting within the guild members. Guild leaders must also be able to manage resources within the guild bank and between each member’s professions, as well as allocate resources within the guild bank.
Up until now I have only discussed guild leaders’ duties on day to day tasks and playing. This does not take into account raid coordinating, which is a whole new set of responsibilities and organization. Coordinating raids involves many skills in which business managers use in order to plan and implement major events/assignments within their team. At the end game level, coordination for fighting dungeon bosses gets pretty complex. Each fight involves multiple phases, which require completely different actions and organization structures in order to progress to the next phase. Specific groups must complete specific tasks in order for the raid to be successful. If they do not, then the entire group fails.
Being able to accept and plan with the new changes that happen weekly and the new expansions that come out every two years is also important for successful guild leaders. They realize that leadership comes with the duty to believe in oneself, but also be able to be fluid when it comes to necessary changes in leadership goals and duties. Ensuring fair distribution of “loot” items and scheduling of raids so that the majority of those who want to participate can is important. Major raids are once a week and offer only sets of 10 player and 25 player groups. It is the guild leader’s duty to make sure everyone gets a fair chance at money and items that are dropped within the raids, as well as a fair chance at playing time. Just like when managers set up meeting time schedules in places that have several shifts, raids need to be set up during a time when most (if not all) players have the ability to attend.
From the interview by ONRPG.com of one of the world’s most successful WoW Guilds, it is shown that experience also helps when leading a guild to the top (Game Empire Enterprises, 2011). According to the interview, the guild, Incorporated, has been in operation for four years, at the time of the interview (before WotLK). As mentioned in the interview, a motivational technique and reward for being such a great and successful guild includes many benefits such as monetary, lotteries, bonuses for achieving special accomplishments and other exciting benefits (Game Empire Enterprises, 2011).
In my own interview experience of WoW guild leaders and members, there are other benefits in addition to increasing managerial experience and skills: self-confidence. One guild leader in particular that I have met and spoken to was a very non-assertive person before becoming a guild leader. It is actually very impressive how much he has gained from being a leader of a guild.
In a nutshell, when leading a top guild, or a serious/successful guild, leaders need to be able to delegate, plan, organize, take initiative, communicate effectively, motivate, control, make decisions, accept change, and constantly improve their leadership skills. So basically, each aspect that is analyzed and evaluated by the Jack Parr Associates’ Effective Management Program are essential when leading a successful guild. It is no wonder why some people put “World of Warcraft Guild Leader” on their resumes. While not everyone takes it as seriously, some do and because of this, they are one of the world’s top guilds, and some even develop what it takes to be effective leaders for a company.
References:
Effective Management Progra (2003). Jack Parr Associates, Inc. Salina, 2003.
Retreived on January 10, 2011 from: http://www.jackparr.com/EMP.html
WoW World’s Leading Guild Interview. (2011). Game Empire Enterprises. 2011.
Retreived on January 12, 2011 from http://www.onrpg.com/MMO/World-of-Warcraft/interview/WoW-Worlds-Leading-Guild-Interview
Working with Toddlers
The Calm and Quiet chapter of The Playskool Toddler's Busy Play Book by Robin McClure (pg 204-217) is a fantastic book for parents of toddlers and young children. The following are ideas from this chapter that can also be used in order to get some work done:
Blindfold Draw
Have your toddler try to draw something while blindfolded. Choose something simple, such as a star, a car, or even a person, and tell your child step-by-step what parts to draw (wheels, legs, etc.). Between items, have your child put her pencil or crayon down and then pick it back up and try to resume drawing in the same spot while blindfolded for a more interesting outcome (McClure, 2007).
Chalkboard Fun
If you merely need your child to remain quiet and don't mind a little mess, have your toddler entertain herself with a mini chalkboard and some chalk. Don't forget the eraser, and be sure to have a damp washcloth handy for a quick wipe-down afterward (McClure, 2007).
Cheerios Fun
Give your toddler a pipe cleaner bent on the end and let him string Cheerios, Froot Loops, any O-shaped cereal. (Of course, it's okay if he snacks on a little at the same time.) When the pipe cleaner is full, shape it into a bracelet. Encourage your child to get creative and make different jewelry items (McClure, 2007).
Felt Cutouts
Felt cutouts make a quiet and fun activity for toddlers. And, with felt pieces typically costing 20 cents or less at stores, it's easy to make several cutouts to entertain your child. Decide what interests your child and cut shapes reflecting that. Ideas include making a child's body and then having your toddler "dress" the boy or girl with clothing, hair, accessories, etc. You can also make rocket ships, animals, etc. Then felt pieces can easily be stacked and then removed and reused. Store the cutouts in a plastic bag or small tote for easy carrying (McClure, 2007).
McClure, Robin. (2007). The Playskool Toddlers Busy Play Book. Sourcebooks, Inc. Naperville
can be purchased: http://www.amazon.com/Playskool-Toddlers-Busy-Play-Book/dp/1402209339
Blindfold Draw
Have your toddler try to draw something while blindfolded. Choose something simple, such as a star, a car, or even a person, and tell your child step-by-step what parts to draw (wheels, legs, etc.). Between items, have your child put her pencil or crayon down and then pick it back up and try to resume drawing in the same spot while blindfolded for a more interesting outcome (McClure, 2007).
Chalkboard Fun
If you merely need your child to remain quiet and don't mind a little mess, have your toddler entertain herself with a mini chalkboard and some chalk. Don't forget the eraser, and be sure to have a damp washcloth handy for a quick wipe-down afterward (McClure, 2007).
Cheerios Fun
Give your toddler a pipe cleaner bent on the end and let him string Cheerios, Froot Loops, any O-shaped cereal. (Of course, it's okay if he snacks on a little at the same time.) When the pipe cleaner is full, shape it into a bracelet. Encourage your child to get creative and make different jewelry items (McClure, 2007).
Felt Cutouts
Felt cutouts make a quiet and fun activity for toddlers. And, with felt pieces typically costing 20 cents or less at stores, it's easy to make several cutouts to entertain your child. Decide what interests your child and cut shapes reflecting that. Ideas include making a child's body and then having your toddler "dress" the boy or girl with clothing, hair, accessories, etc. You can also make rocket ships, animals, etc. Then felt pieces can easily be stacked and then removed and reused. Store the cutouts in a plastic bag or small tote for easy carrying (McClure, 2007).
McClure, Robin. (2007). The Playskool Toddlers Busy Play Book. Sourcebooks, Inc. Naperville
can be purchased: http://www.amazon.com/Playskool-Toddlers-Busy-Play-Book/dp/1402209339
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Work Out Wednesday
Every Wednesday, a new idea or advice for exercising, staying fit and tips on how to do so while working in the office, working at home, and/or being a parent.
I know how hard it can be to find time to work out. Not only find the time, but the energy and the motivation to keep it up.
Calf-raises:
Stand with your legs comfortably apart, about shoulder-width.
Slowly rise to you toes. Hold for a few seconds.
Slowly lower back down to having your feet flat on the ground again.
Start off with about 25-30 reps. As you progress, you can work up to four sets of 25.
Standing leg raises:
Stand with your legs comfortably apart, about shoulder-width.
Raise one leg behind you as far as it will go without pain. Hold for a second.
Return to floor. Repeat about 10-15 times, then do the other leg.
You can even do pulses where you don’t return your leg to the floor but instead bring it almost all the way forward, then bring it back again until all reps are completed. Then do the other leg.
These may sound super easy, but doing these every day M-F will definitely tone your legs!
I know how hard it can be to find time to work out. Not only find the time, but the energy and the motivation to keep it up.
Calf-raises:
Stand with your legs comfortably apart, about shoulder-width.
Slowly rise to you toes. Hold for a few seconds.
Slowly lower back down to having your feet flat on the ground again.
Start off with about 25-30 reps. As you progress, you can work up to four sets of 25.
Standing leg raises:
Stand with your legs comfortably apart, about shoulder-width.
Raise one leg behind you as far as it will go without pain. Hold for a second.
Return to floor. Repeat about 10-15 times, then do the other leg.
You can even do pulses where you don’t return your leg to the floor but instead bring it almost all the way forward, then bring it back again until all reps are completed. Then do the other leg.
These may sound super easy, but doing these every day M-F will definitely tone your legs!
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Human Resource Appreciation
This is a general run-down of human resource functions and why they are important to businesses. Can also be viewed here: http://expertscolumn.com/content/appreciation-human-resources
In order to truly appreciate how beneficial and crucial a human resource manager or department is to a business, you need to fully understand what human resources is. Typically, 'human resources' is a term used to describe the workforce that makes up an organization. However, there are many more aspects to human resources that extend beyond this general definition. Human resource managers are in charge of determining the amount of workforce needed to carry out the duties of the organization, sometimes are also in charge of compensation and benefits packages for attracting and retaining key employees, writing up job descriptions for new positions, and implementing strategic compensation policies in order to earn profits for the business.
Coming up with policies, procedures and extrinsic/intrinsic stimuli, that keep employees motivated and satisfied is also part of human resource management. So is administrative duties and personnel file recording. Human resource managers also conduct employee evaluations or evaluate the effects of newly implemented organizational development. Training new employees is another part of business that human resource managers usually oversee. It is also important to have someone
As you can see, the role of human resource manager (or really any position dealing with the human resource department) is very well-rounded and one that is not to be taken lightly. Some people, especially those who are in unionized positions, tend to view human resource personnel as “the enemy”. This is absolutely not the case. Human resource personnel usually work as a middle person between the union organization and the business to find a happy medium when compromising is necessary.
In order to truly appreciate how beneficial and crucial a human resource manager or department is to a business, you need to fully understand what human resources is. Typically, 'human resources' is a term used to describe the workforce that makes up an organization. However, there are many more aspects to human resources that extend beyond this general definition. Human resource managers are in charge of determining the amount of workforce needed to carry out the duties of the organization, sometimes are also in charge of compensation and benefits packages for attracting and retaining key employees, writing up job descriptions for new positions, and implementing strategic compensation policies in order to earn profits for the business.
Coming up with policies, procedures and extrinsic/intrinsic stimuli, that keep employees motivated and satisfied is also part of human resource management. So is administrative duties and personnel file recording. Human resource managers also conduct employee evaluations or evaluate the effects of newly implemented organizational development. Training new employees is another part of business that human resource managers usually oversee. It is also important to have someone
As you can see, the role of human resource manager (or really any position dealing with the human resource department) is very well-rounded and one that is not to be taken lightly. Some people, especially those who are in unionized positions, tend to view human resource personnel as “the enemy”. This is absolutely not the case. Human resource personnel usually work as a middle person between the union organization and the business to find a happy medium when compromising is necessary.
Monday, January 10, 2011
Back to Business Monday: Importance of Non-compete
It sounds like common sense, but even 'common sense' isn't really all that common in society. If you have a truly innovative idea, or even a successful business, it is a very good idea to have anyone you trust your client list/intellectual property with to sign a non-compete form. In a society in which a sense of entitlement is the 'norm' (think grasshopper vs. ant.. there are MANY MORE grasshoppers than ants nowadays) a disgruntled employee can quickly capture your client list, or take your innovative ideas and run with it. They can either sell your client information or idea to another person, or try to form their own business using your ideas. There is nothing to stop them from doing this, unless a non-compete is signed at the time of hire.
A non-compete is a document, or a clause in your employee/employer agreement which states something along the lines of "in the event that you leave (company name/employer/etc) or are separated from employment at (company name, etc), you agree to not share, solicit, sell privileged information received during your employment at (company name), or work for a competing company. This agreement is formed on (this date) and lasts for a period of 2 years (or another time frame) after separation of employment."
There are many resources you can find online for free which will give you a sample contract, or a sample non-compete clause, that you can reword to suit your needs. No matter where you get your documentation or forms from, it is a good idea to have an attorney look them over to ensure all details are worked out.
Creating a non-compete:
It can be helpful if you draft what provisions you want included in your agreement.
Explain so that no details are left out what you want your agreement to bind the agreeing parties to.
Have an attorney look over your document.
Have the contractor sign and date the agreement, along with yourself and at least one witness. It could be a good idea to also have this document notarized. Make a copy to give to the contractor, keep one for yourself, and possibly one for the witness to hold on to.
A non-compete is a document, or a clause in your employee/employer agreement which states something along the lines of "in the event that you leave (company name/employer/etc) or are separated from employment at (company name, etc), you agree to not share, solicit, sell privileged information received during your employment at (company name), or work for a competing company. This agreement is formed on (this date) and lasts for a period of 2 years (or another time frame) after separation of employment."
There are many resources you can find online for free which will give you a sample contract, or a sample non-compete clause, that you can reword to suit your needs. No matter where you get your documentation or forms from, it is a good idea to have an attorney look them over to ensure all details are worked out.
Creating a non-compete:
It can be helpful if you draft what provisions you want included in your agreement.
Explain so that no details are left out what you want your agreement to bind the agreeing parties to.
Have an attorney look over your document.
Have the contractor sign and date the agreement, along with yourself and at least one witness. It could be a good idea to also have this document notarized. Make a copy to give to the contractor, keep one for yourself, and possibly one for the witness to hold on to.
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Keeping Kids Entertained While Working at Home
Toddler –homeschooled under 8 or so
This is probably another topic I will add to as things come up. As a work at home parent of a toddler myself, I am constantly coming up with activities that I can do with my son and also allow myself to get work done.
My son is at the age where he likes to do things that Mommy and Daddy do. He tells us all the time he’s a big boy and getting bigger every day in hopes to be able to do the exact same things we do. I do a lot of reading, writing, emailing, typing and not a lot of talking on the phone. This makes it a little easier to do work with a little guy at home since as long as the noise-level isn’t ear-piercing or way too loud, it’s acceptable.
~Arts and Crafts~
Many articles for work at home parents give ideas and advice for arts and craft projects to keep their little ones busy while they work. The great thing about arts and crafts is that children are really only limited by their imagination, which at this age is pretty unlimited.
Keeping a supply of paper, construction paper, kid-friendly scissors (if your child is coordinated to handle them with your supervision), crayons, colored pencils, stencils, and other crafty items on hand in your office can help keep toddlers entertained. Also, mazes are a fantastic way for your child to develop hand-eye coordination, problem solving and small motor skills including helping with penmanship. What a great way to encourage education and learning, and keep them entertained while you work!
Here are some links where you can print free mazes and other craft idea pages: http://www.printactivities.com/Mazes.html
http://www.allkidsnetwork.com/
~Assistant Helper~
No matter what I am doing: cooking, reading, writing/typing, crafting or working, I have a toddler who likes to help. Obviously there are things that he cannot help with in each category, but luckily there are many alternatives out there for him to do while I am completing those tasks. During crafting time, I need to have something similar to what I am doing that he can do. I want to encourage him to do and learn. Obviously there are some things he just cannot do yet. That’s where the compromise comes in.
Setting up a desk (you can get a cheap desk from IKEA or someplace similar that can be used for your assistant helper) can make them feel important and like they are really helping you. Having a age-appropriate computer can also be fun (I recommend Vtech Tote and Go Laptop –helped my son recognizing letters and numbers and even letter sounds by 18 months! Or another laptop computer for kids.) Also perhaps a play phone and papers they can write on/draw on.
You can even have them help with small tasks such as stapling papers, sorting papers or mail, or even cleaning and/or organizing.
Preschool, kindergartner
Having children that do go to school for a few hours a day can be both helpful and hectic. It does give you that few hours to get things done without having your little one there, but it also means you have to get your little one up and ready to go on someone else’s schedule (the school’s) and also pick them up.
This is where -scheduling your day can come in handy. Try to make all your important calls or duties that require uninterrupted time to be completed during the time the kids will be at school. All other tasks and assignments that can be completed, such as typing/writing, reading, planning, can be completed while the kids are home. While the kids are home, the art or helper activities/suggestions can come in handy.
School aged
This is to some the excellent time for work. You have most of 8 hours or so, depending on the school district system, in order to do your work. This can be even more convenient if your child/ren ride the bus. You can plan your work and set your hours when the kids will be at school.
Friday, January 7, 2011
Being a Work At Home Parent (WAHP)
It can be challenging to find the time to balance work, school (if you're in school) and being a parent. This is the case if you work outside or even inside the home. A lot of people, who have never tried being a stay at home parent, or a work at home parent, think that those who are have it easy. Wrong. As much as it would be nice, and I'm sure there are some of us who do get to sleep in, laze around all day and 'eat bon bons, watching soaps', for most of us it's a 24-7, never-ending job. You don't get to leave it. Except for, of course, the short trips you get to take to the grocery store on the blessed days your spouse offers to watch the kids at home while you go.
This will be something I add to frequently. I am a student, work at home, house-wife-parent. :)
Some things that help me:
-Supportive and helpful spouse
-Organizing my day (to-do lists, weekly and monthly chores list for house duties)
-Organizing my son's day activities (for the most part.. as much as a toddler will allow that is!) :)
-Napping daily (hahahah.. ok maybe not daily.. but sometimes when my son naps, I try to as well!)
-Prioritizing
This will be something I add to frequently. I am a student, work at home, house-wife-parent. :)
Some things that help me:
-Supportive and helpful spouse
-Organizing my day (to-do lists, weekly and monthly chores list for house duties)
-Organizing my son's day activities (for the most part.. as much as a toddler will allow that is!) :)
-Napping daily (hahahah.. ok maybe not daily.. but sometimes when my son naps, I try to as well!)
-Prioritizing
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Business Plan -why is it important
When you set a personal goal for yourself, be it a short-term goal or something you plan on accomplishing over your lifetime, it can be helpful to create a plan of action on how you might achieve that goal.
This is absolutely true with business. It can be much easier to rate your success, or loss, if you have a measurable plan of action.
Business plans can also help you obtain financing or investors for your business venture. When financial institutions, or investors, have a tangible document that they can view your business goals and how they are to be carried out, it can convince them you have what it takes to succeed with your business. When they are convinced of this, they are much more likely to lend money.
There are an abundance of resources that can help you write your business plan online. Generally, a business plan includes the following sections and subsections:
Executive Summary
-Objectives
-Mission
-Keys to success
Company Summary
-Start up summary
-Company ownership
-Company location
Services
Marketing Analysis
Financial Plan
Management Summary
As you can see, this is a very thorough look into your business plan of action, and how it plans on carrying out the objectives usually within a 5-10 year forecast. If you are able to answer these questions about your intended business, it can show that you have put a lot of thought and effort into the business idea.
Not to mention, if you have a solid business plan, it can also show potential clients/customers that you are worth doing business with.
This is absolutely true with business. It can be much easier to rate your success, or loss, if you have a measurable plan of action.
Business plans can also help you obtain financing or investors for your business venture. When financial institutions, or investors, have a tangible document that they can view your business goals and how they are to be carried out, it can convince them you have what it takes to succeed with your business. When they are convinced of this, they are much more likely to lend money.
There are an abundance of resources that can help you write your business plan online. Generally, a business plan includes the following sections and subsections:
Executive Summary
-Objectives
-Mission
-Keys to success
Company Summary
-Start up summary
-Company ownership
-Company location
Services
Marketing Analysis
Financial Plan
Management Summary
As you can see, this is a very thorough look into your business plan of action, and how it plans on carrying out the objectives usually within a 5-10 year forecast. If you are able to answer these questions about your intended business, it can show that you have put a lot of thought and effort into the business idea.
Not to mention, if you have a solid business plan, it can also show potential clients/customers that you are worth doing business with.
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