Page Personnel: 七月 2011

2011年7月31日星期日

Agents for Sale! - Jobs

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Real estate companies have been offering potential recruits hefty packages to come on board. Reliable sources are saying that sign on bonuses range from $5000 to $250,000. Yes, that is ? of one million dollars, to entice agents to consider their company. They are also offering high, fixed (and unearned splits) for 2-3 years. The same package can also include 30,000 pieces of direct mail, up to $1500/month for assistant payment, building out space, and logo development incorrectly referred to as “branding”. In return for these hefty packages, they are requiring agents to place liens against their personal property and signing 2-3 year contracts stating that the agent will return all of the money should they decide to leave prior to the expiration of their contract. We are also hearing that they are trying to movecontracts to 3-5 years to ensure you stay there and they can get past their break even point for revenue. Signing a contract to stay, turns your wonderful “independent contractor” status to “indentured servitude”. This flies in the face of why you probably entered this business. They are not offering these packages because they like you or they think they can grow your business. They are offering these to build instant market share. They just want you to keep doing what you have been doing for yearswithout them.

Companies that lure agents with these incredible packages either don’t have a lot to offer or they don’t believe they have a lot to offer. From a broader perspective, I wouldn’t affiliate with a company that is giving away their equity (and financial stability), through inflated splits, high sign on bonuses, and other big perks. The average agent commission split for financially-healthy real estate company is 65%. The remaining 35% is a gross, not net, number for profit. From the 35% “profit” comes mortgages on the office buildings, technology, insurance, staff, supplies, advertising, marketing, telephones, light, heat, power, maps, yard signs…you get my point. The margins on profit are slim and getting slimmer as the cost of doing business continues to increase. In a "normal market", if a company is left with a few percentage points of profit, how can they offer these over-inflated packages? This is how: They find other small, yet significant ways to charge their current agent base. Adding these small fees helps them offset the huge losses they are taking on the recruiting front. Once you agree to the package, you then become one of the people that gets thrown into the bucket and gets charged these fees.

Promising that you will make a lot of money and not have to do any hard work is impossible. They lull you into a false sense of security which is serious business for you. It ultimately affects your business and livelihood. Here some things to consider when being courted by a company:

Why would any real estate company feel compelled to offer such packages to get agents to make a transition? Why would the owner of the company give away the equity in the company to you…equity that hastaken years to build? What’s in it for them? What value, other than the package, do they have for you on a day-to-day basis? What support do theyhave in place for you to service your clients? (Remember them?) What business development coaching do they offer you to help you grow your business? If they made you promises, are they ALL in writing? What happens if you get there the first week and don’t like the environment? What happens if you want to leave? Do you owe them the bonus? Do you owe them anything else? Are you now bound for many years? How do they help you reach your goals? Is the Manager someone who is going to help you grow your business? What systems do they already have in place? Have you been allowed to "bond" with the Manager of the office or are you being courted by their corporate people who you will never see again and haven't sold real estate for decades, if ever. What other fees have they not disclosed to you that would help them balance out your package? How fair is it to offer a package to you coming in when the agents that have been there for many years are held to the split schedule, roll backs and agent expenses? The shoe will be on the other foot soon with agents coming in behind you. What is the office environment like with the unfair system? Do you think it is happy? Do you think it's a trusting environment? Not likely if unfair and hefty packages are being offered to those coming in. Don’t expect any team support from your fellow agents. They all will know why and how you came on board. What happens when your contract expires? Do they allow you to renegotiate? Not likely to the extent that you could when you were just a glimmer in their eye. You have now priced yourself out of the market, because no logical-thinking company would continue to give away their company equity. Companies need to balance profit so they can reinvest in their company and stay financially sound. They are counting on your fear of making another transition and hoping you stay well beyond your heavily-bonused contract time, when they can actually make money from you.

Think through any outlandish offer you may get. It may be the latest “gimmick” or "slight of hand" from that company. Recruiting is getting more aggressive and outrageous, but it’s the time to take a step back and make sound, long-term business decisions for your growth. Don’t get “taken” by promise to make a lot of money and build your ego. Your long-term vision should include a solid business plan with the tools, guidance and support of a fair company that values your clients.

Melissa Riley is a VP of Operations at Prudential CT Realty, CT's largest and most successful real estate company. She can be reached at http://www.melissariley.com or http://www.thefairfieldvine.com

Advertising Abroad and Now at Home - Jobs

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Did you see Natalie Portman in that one advertisement for Lux shampoo? The one where she wielded a sword and her hair flew in the wind so fast it could slice an opponent as well? Or the one with Brad Pitt in a mobile phone commercial? Yeah, I bet not.

The biggest A-list movie stars, particularly the Americans, often appear in foreign advertisements -- and they'll go to all lengths to ensure their domestic fans aren't clued in. However, with YouTube, that's all but impossible now. The availability of high-speed, high-quality streaming video anywhere could potentially be a reason behind why many Hollywood stars aren't afraid of endorsing products here in the States. L'Oreal has even become a launching pad for rising faces (Jennifer Lopez, Jessica Alba and Eva Longoria had all been spokesmodels for the hair care line before reaching the pinnacle of fame). The same can be said of younger stars and Neutrogena, whose previous faces included Mandy Moore and Hayden Panettiere. (Is current Neutrogena spokesmodel Vanessa Hudgens the next it-girl?)

Celebrities are retaining long-term endorsement deals, considering that anything will help when it comes to boosting star power. Sarah Jessica Parker has long been the spokesmodel for Garnier's Nutrisse hair-dye line. But it's not just beauty products that stars are endorsing. Grey's Anatomy stars Patrick Dempsey and Kate Walsh can be seen and heard in Mazda and Cadillac ads, respectively. Gap ads feature a rolling roster of celebrities, often the most popular at the moment. The Holiday 2007 campaign featured John Krasinski, James Marsden and Amy Adams, just to name a few.

But the popularity of domestic endorsements isn't holding stars back from appearing in ads abroad. On Wednesday, Kristin Davis made her first voyage to Jerusalem, Israel as the fresh face of the skincare line, Ahava. The Sex and the City star (whom quite a few bloggers suspect that life is imitating art in the case of her Jewish-convert character, Charlotte) toured the Holy Land and posed for a photo-shoot as part of her new endorsement deal.

Nowadays, it might not be a question of whether or not a celebrity wants an endorsement in the United States, but whether they can get one at all.

Advancement, job security tops for Class of ‘08 - Jobs

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According to the 2008 NACE (National Association of Colleges and Employers) Graduating Student Survey, the job/employer attributes students valued most were opportunities for advancement and job security. Equally surprising to me--insurance packages came in third…THIRD! I don’t know about you, but when I graduated from college oh-so-many-years ago, insurance was probably the furthest thing from my mind. In fact, at 35 and single, I wouldn’t put insurance coverage in my top 10. Friendly co-workers and location round out the top 5.

So what’s this mean to you when you’re trying to attract freshly-minted graduates? Your ability to highlight clearly defined paths for career advancement is critical. If job promotions are usually filled from within, let candidates know that during the interview process. Give them an idea of typical timelines for promotions (if they’re faster than competitors, better yet). Highlight the variety of career path options available (if they ARE available), which is particularly attractive to the many job candidates who aren’t clear about their career focus at graduation.

Job security is a tougher sell…especially given the current state of the economy. Today’s graduates realize there are no guarantees when it comes to job security, but they’d still like to know they’re joining a business that isn’t going to dissolve before they finish new employee orientation. If your firm has a history of protecting their employees in tough economic times, let them know.

With an understanding of the priorities of today’s graduates, you can (and should) develop recruiting strategies to address them. Tapping into the results of the annual NACE survey annually would also be a good idea, because priorities will likely change in the future. Who knows? Maybe in a few years students may actually care about job content.

Shawn Graham is an Associate Director with the MBA Career Management Center at UNC's Kenan-Flagler Business School and author of Courting Your Career: Match Yourself with the Perfect Job (www.courtingyourcareer.com).

Ad It Up: Television to Live Another Day - Jobs

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Not long ago we noted how advertising pages in certain magazines--Time, Newsweek, New York--had suddenly surged. We took this as a bit of good news for the immediate future of print publications. Today we see more good news out there in ad land, and this time it's being driven by that big screen over in the corner that you may have forgotten about, due to all the recent excitement over a certain new product.

But, yes, television. In the nascent iPad era (called it!), the medium still exists. Not only that, some analysts are recalibrating their estimates for the 2010 ad market for the old telly, and calling for an overall increase in spending by 5.5% this year over last. That's a big reason why total ad spending by U.S. companies is now supposed to leap onto the plus side of the ledger, gaining about 3.8% compared to 2009. What accounts for the new optimism?

Ice skating, mostly. And skiing. And the luge. Oh, and Scott Brown. The Winter Olympic coverage and the mid-term elections, that is, national and local hot tickets, respectively. The less awesome news comes for magazines and newspapers--those poor, poor papery things--though they are now expected to be hit not quite as hard: only a 3% fall-off for mags and 5.8% for newspapers (original estimates had them losing 10% of last year's ad revenue.)

If those battered print operations were hoping that the new Jobs creation could help offset the loss in advertising income, well, they may not be much happier today. Hey, at least there will apparently still be books for a while!

[Via All Things D]

Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/phrenzee/ / CC BY 2.0

Ad Execs On a Burning Bridge - Jobs

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Just the other day, new marketing materials for Mullen, the ad shop for brands like Orbitz, Lending Tree, and TJ Maxx, landed soberly on my desk: "Marketing in the new era of fiscal responsbility; Have we been on an adolescent binge for the past 40+ years?" The New York Times' Stuart Elliott revealed Denny's newest TV spots: "Promoting the Weekday Express Slam — a $4 version of its signature menu item, the $5.99 Grand Slam breakfast — start off this way: "It’s one thing to bail out Wall Street. But who’s gonna bail you out?'" Crate & Barrel's latest ad sings like a bad Wall Street hangover: “Oven-proof. Dishwasher-proof. 401(k)-proof.”

In advertising, there's a fine line between piggyback on the grim--and clammoring for relevance. But the reality is, everyone from ad agencies to CMO's are feeling vulnerable right now, as the prospects for slashing budgets into recession-size numbers is becoming ever the more immanent. As Elliott reports from this week's gathering of 400 marketers and ad agencies (representing 8,000 brands) at the annual Association of National Advertisers conference, billions of dollars in ad spending is at stake (along with many of their jobs). BBDO's CEO Andrew Robertson described the feeling as “standing on the burning bridge”--and the buzz was that car, building, and clearly financial companies were going to serve the biggest blows (I heard that Kleenex is actually increasing it's budget, no joke. What other brands do better in times of economic turmoil? ). Reports Elliott, "A recent survey of association members found that “more than half expected spending to decline over the next six months.” Even that seems naively starry-eyed. Industry execs may want to start relocating their lunchtime accounts from Balthazar to Denny's for that greasy $4 culinary bailout.

Absentee leadership -- a cause for concern? - Jobs

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I had a breakfast discussion last week with a friend of mine, a SVP of Sales for a major medical device company, and we discussed the growing practice of CEOs/Presidents and other execs who live in a city other than where their company's headquartersis located and whocommute to work.His boss falls into this category and while my friend admires him and hisstamina, what is typically a Tuesday - Thursday marathon work week when his CEO is in the office, the situation causes issues. As an executive coach to CEOs and Business Unit heads across the US, I see more examples of "commuting executives" each year. Andasthe practice gainsacceptance at the top of the house, it seems to be more and more common at the VP level, too.We discussed a number of issues with this situation, whichhe referred to as "absentee leadership". Some ofthe concerns addressedwere:

The impact of the commute on the commuting executive and his/her effectiveness;The impact of the commuting executive on the other members of the top team and their families, e.g., inordinately long work days,a 24 x 7 work ethic whilethe boss is atthe office and in town, etc.The impact of the absence of the leader when he/she is not in town and the absence of the MBWA and informal interactions that occur when all time together is "on agenda". The impact on the climate of the workplace -- the 24 x 7 workday, pacesetting climate issues;The issue of "absentee leadership" when the top exec is not around;The growing trend of commuting executives;And last but not least, the impact on the commuting executive's family.

These are just a few of the issues we surfaced. What are your thoughts about this "commuting executive" phenomenon?

A Social Entrepreneur's Tale: A Newbie Navigates the Skoll World Forum - Jobs

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On Monday evening, in a hotel room in London, Kjerstin Erickson made her hit list. Laid out in Excel, it is meticulous: name, organization, responsibility--65 names in all. The next day, Erickson boarded a train and made her way to Oxford, where she knew her targets would be gathered, and then she began picking them off one by one.

Erickson is a social entrepreneur--just 25, she founded and heads a group called FORGE, which encourages entrepreneurship among African refugees--and she has spent this week at the Skoll World Forum in Oxford. It's her first major conference, packed with the titans of her industry, and she's here to court donors, make connections, and seek out journalists. (Full disclosure: I met her when she glanced at my nametag and said triumphantly: "You're on my list!") Her week has been at turns exhilarating and frustrating, not unlike her career. And her story illustrates the importance--and the challenges--of industry gatherings, especially for someone trying to build not just a career but also a young company.

A few months ago, it looked as if FORGE wouldn't survive. The money was not coming in, and in this environment, who, really, was handing out more? Erickson blogged about her predicament on Social Edge, a Skoll-backed site for social entrepreneurs, and soon she had the pro-bono services of a consultant who helped her stabilize the organization. He also had some frank advice: "He said, 'You need to be out there. It's amazing that you've been doing this as long as you have and you're not at all plugged in!'" she recalls. "But I didn't want to be egocentric. I didn't want the focus to be on the founder, but on the cause."

But sometimes the focus on the founder actually helps the cause. And so in recent months, she has shifted the balance of her work from 85% programming to 75% marketing, networking, and outreach. She certainly has the personality for it: open, curious, charming, and just edgy enough to be cool yet nonthreatening--like the tattoos just hidden under the sleeves of her black power suit. (The one on the inside of her right wrist reads: "One life." On her left, it says: "Be love.")

On Wednesday, she went to a tea party and knocked one journalist and one foundation executive off her list. At dinner, she met more of her targets, including Wendy Kopp, founder of Teach for America. She gave them each a brief rundown of FORGE's work in Zambia--"I've been practicing my pitch for five-and-a-half years," she said, ever since she started the organization as a Stanford student. It's often nerve-wracking: "There's an element of, 'I really don't want to bother you right now,' but I care so much that I am willing to risk that personal rejection."

She hasn't spent much time attending panel discussions--"I do a ton of reading and I'm up on things," she says. Instead, she's networking and trying to identify, by the lanyards and nametags that awkwardly hang about crotch-high, yet another of her targets. There have been moments when Erickson wonders whether she should even be here, striding around in her suit and heels, shaking hands and doling out business cards. "I'm thinking, 'Holy shit, how do I belong here?'" she says. "My organization is half a million dollars a year, and I'm very young. And I'm in the company of giants!"

She has no expectation that any of those giants--or, really, the non--will write her a check to take back with her to California, but she does hope that those she has met will remember her and her work, and continue the conversation after they've all gone home. Maybe the money and the advice will come later.

The person she most wants to meet before flying home is former Irish President Mary Robinson. "I'm fascinated by female leadership," says Erickson. "I'm always looking for models, and my pie-in-the-sky dream is that she would meet me and mentor me."

But as of late Thursday, Erickson hadn't yet tracked her down amid the din of 800 delegates. "I'm realistic," she says, as she scrolls through her spreadsheet, glancing over the names of those she has not yet met and counting up those she has. "One, two, three, four, five, six, seven … Eight."

A Model for Your Career - George Washington - Jobs

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This is a guest post by Mark McNeilly.

If you’re looking for a model of a successful career one could do worse than to look at that of George Washington. Washington’s accomplishments put him in a class that few others can match. He started as a surveyor in the Virginia wilderness at age sixteen, became a militia officer in his early twenties, and at age forty-three was unanimously elected to be the American army’s C-in-C. He then created that army essentially from scratch, developed it into a force capable of fighting the leading power of Europe and won independence for his country. He went on to become the first President of the United States by unanimous vote of the Electoral College. Yet he also had his failures (he was defeated many times). However, he learned from those mistakes and that, combined with his persistence, enabled him to be successful.What were some of the traits that Washington developed to enable his success?

Integrity: At a very young age Washington focused on his character and integrity. This continued throughout his life. One example is that Washington refused to take a salary when he was Commander-in-Chief of the Army, instead only asking that his expenses be paid. He wanted to make sure that, no matter what challenges he faced, he always came out with his honor and integrity intact.

Courage: Washington not only had physical courage (in one battle during the French-Indian war Washington had several bullet holes in his jacket and two horses shot out from under him) but moral courage as well. For instance, near the the end of the Revolutionary War, Washington put down a near mutiny by disgruntled officers who were dissatisfied by their treatment by Congress.

Leadership: Washington had a unique leadership style. It was ahead of its time in that is was not hierarchical (though Washington did demand respect from his subordinates). Instead, whenever faced with a critical decision, Washington convened his officers in a council-of-war. He would then ask each for their assessment of the situation and recommendations. After discussion, Washington would make his decision and his team, having been involved in the debate, would have bought into Washington’s direction.

Networking: As Commander-in-Chief, Washington ensured support for the army by Congress and the States through networking. He would send the government officials progress reports, ask for their advice and compliment them on the troops from their state. And if they were nearby he would bring them out to visit the army and brief them on the situation.

Strategy: After suffering several defeats early in the Revolutionary War, Washington developed a new strategy. He would ensure that he would only take on the British army when he could deal them a blow without jeopardizing the existence of his army. He knew that, as long as the American army survived, so would the Revolution. This strategy enabled him to continue the war until help from France eventually arrived, which ultimately led to victory at Yorktown.

Perseverance: Despite numerous defeats, an army that was under-supplied and under-fed, and the strain of dealing with a contentious Congress, Washington persisted to eventual success. Faced with these difficulties, most men would likely give up, yet Washington kept working towards victory, achieving it after eight long years.

Vision: As a young surveyor in western Virginia, Washington saw the promise of the American frontier. This led him to envision a great country stretching across the continent. As America’s first President, Washington strove to strengthen the central government, balance regional interests and increase citizen’s loyalty to not just their state but the new nation as well.

While there was only one George Washington we can all learn from the example he set, using the traits above to advance our careers.

Mark McNeilly is the author of George Washington and the Art of Business: Leadership Principles of America’s First Commander-in-Chief (Oxford University Press) as well as Sun Tzu and the Art of Business: Six Strategic Principles for Managers. His website is http://www.suntzu1.com/. The views he expresses are his alone and are not meant to represent those of any company or institution with which he is affiliated.

A Kick In The Career: What Do You Do When You're Branded? - Jobs

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How the future of your career depends on thinking of yourself as a product. Enlarge Tom Stern Related ContentslideshowHow to Build a Brand Like Obama

The only sensible thing to do when one is about to kick off a career column is to Google the word "career." Let's face it, we live in a world where if you don't do a little Googling before you put pen to paper (or keyboard to cyberspace) then you're entering the game without a competitive edge. And speaking of the aforementioned edge, one of the notions that recurred during all that Googlizing was the idea that products and corporations are not the only entities that are well-served by building a brand; in fact, it seems that each and every one of us should be building, reinforcing and otherwise enhancing our very own personal brands, too. In other words, if nobody in the boardroom has your custom-designed logo tattooed onto his or her forehead, you need to reevaluate your marketing strategy.

Now, I'm not entirely comfortable with the idea of branding, since my mind goes to the name of a ranch being seared into the haunches of a group of livestock that has not necessarily signed off on the idea. Of course, I grew up watching Westerns on television, which was sort of my generation's version of Grand Theft Auto IV. Yet, that mark on cowhide represents something valuable to the consumer: it lets them know at a glance that they can trust what they are getting. Though the non-conformist in me balks at a person being reduced to that kind of shorthand, it may well be that in today's short-attention span marketplace we could all use a good branding. As long as it doesn't involve being milked by a machine and having to take nourishment from a feedbag.

So, what is our own personal brand? Are we an old reliable one like Coca-Cola? Or do we bring more than just dependability to the table? Maybe we're Diet Coke. Same great taste but always looking for a way to keep the cellulite out of our bottom line? Are we caffeine-free? That would be a courageous choice, since most of us can't even wiggle our mouse in the morning without getting jump started by a Frappucino. Being a green tea guy might really set you apart. Or get you beat up, depending on whether or not your job involves a loading dock.

Of course, if we're all products, the only way to stay competitive is to make sure consumers know we're constantly new and improved. "Hi, I'm Jim -- now with the patented efficiency agent DoMore?!" "You've always trusted Barbara when it comes to your outsourcing needs…but now she has fifty percent more infrastructure-building capacity and a powerful fast-acting bleach that can turn even the most drab spreadsheet into a sparkling whitepaper!"

Oh, and you better get a catch phrase, or you'll be buried in the brand-recognition sweepstakes. Pick one that sums you up in just few words. "There are some things money can't buy…for everything else, there's Jennifer." Or, walk to different spots in the office and say, "Can you hire me now, can you hire me now? Good!" And it's never too early to start. Make your four-year old understand that if they want to get ahead, they better learn to think outside the sandbox.

All right, so you've got your brand down. Now it's time to get it out there. Get creative. Bring a Sharpie into the restroom. You never know what might come of a bathroom stall scrawl. "For a good scenario planning, call Dave. Extraordinary back office skills." A lot of the branding advice-givers say we should all have a presence on the Internet, and a blog is a good place to start. Just be sure to make it specific to your career goals, and not like the majority of the blogs on the Web. For example, veer toward an up-to-date resume and a few testimonials from previous employers, and not an eight-page rant on the inferiority of the later-period Steven Segal films. Similarly, it is probably unwise to include a link to your Facebook profile; you know the one where you're throwing back shooters in Cabo with a biker gang whose t-shirt's say, " DEATH TO CORPORATE AMERICA".

Now, you've established a brand, the moment has come for that all-important face time. Be sure to bring plenty of your branded swag to the interview. Key chains, t-shirts, foam fingers, all with your phone number and an image of you shaking hands with Warren Buffet's niece. Why, that prospective employer will probably be thinking, "Wow, I haven't had a bag full of this much crap since our last team building adventure camp when we all got to keep our glow-in-the dark lanyards and a stress ball that says "be my buddy" when you squeeze it.

All In A Days Work - Jobs

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Illustrations by Andre Metzger The answer to greening business might just be working less. Related ContentslideshowThe Top 8 Jobs of 2008

The United States leads the world in two categories: work and waste. American employees put in more hours and take fewer vacations than just about anyone else in the industrialized world, and our individual ecological "footprints" are much larger.

Coincidence? I think not. The way we work drives our habits of consumption and waste. The more we work, the more we drive, the more energy we burn, the more styrofoam to-go containers we use. At the end of the day, we're so tired, we devour more takeout and TV, often falling asleep in front of the latter. If we want to accelerate the recent trend of reducing waste, it may be time to consider the radical step of, well, relaxing more, consuming less, and living fuller lives. May the Wall Street Journal editorial board strike me down.

Working less is a radical notion today, but it hasn't always been. Between the mid-19th and mid-20th centuries, work hours declined steadily in the industrialized world. In 1956, then-vice president Richard Nixon said that a four-day workweek was "not too far distant." But men today report working 100 more hours a year than in 1976. For women, it's 200-plus hours. All these extra hours have helped more than double the productivity of the American worker in the past half-century -- but they have also increased our energy consumption and greenhouse-gas emissions.

Naturally, most businesses blanch at the notion of giving up any competitive edge in a globalized economy. But it's not as if moving to a four-day (or 32-hour) workweek would simply lop 20% off the economy. Cutting hours may actually raise per-hour productivity. France, home of the 35-hour week, creates more GDP per work hour than the United States ($37 versus $34, as of 2003). Norway spanks us too ($39), and Norwegians work 26% fewer hours a year than Americans. It's a myth of modern hypercapitalism that an overworked, sleep-deprived, stressed-out workforce is a necessity. Studies have consistently shown that longer workweeks increase productivity only in the very short term. In a recent survey by Salary.com, workers copped to wasting about 20% of the average day Web surfing and gossiping. Sound familiar?

For many years, some lonely crusaders have argued that working less improves the health and well-being of workers, reducing sick days and social alienation. Alas, seemingly none of the newly minted "green" businesses have experimented with fewer hours yet. Some companies are fiddling around the margins with telecommuting and flextime. After many hours searching, the only outfit I could find that is trying a shorter workweek is a nonprofit called the Center for a New American Dream, which advocates for conscious consumerism and work-life balance. "We don't consider our work part time," says executive director Lisa Wise. "We pay a full-time wage and do full-time work within a 32-hour week."

Admittedly, exchanging some of our wealth for downtime is an idea that tacks hard against our Protestant work ethic. But the alternative is bleak: If everyone adopted the U.S. work- and-waste model, global temperatures could go up 4.5 degrees Celsius by 2050. The resulting floods, droughts, and diseases would generate an economic hit far worse than any extra vacation time.

Companies can take the first step by reinventing the workweek. Then it's up to us to devote our increased leisure hours to activities with low environmental impact -- and not to driving around gas-guzzling cars or booting up power-hungry electronics. Then we could enjoy both continued wealth and improved planetary health.

2011年7月29日星期五

38 Minutes Matches Truckers and Shippers--Finally - Jobs

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In about 1999 or 2000, I met a neat Canadian guy, former Citibanker, who was starting a company during the dotcom boom. At the time, the company was called VR Solutions, a software solution in the model of the exchanges that were popular at the time (Anybody remember Verticalnet?) It was for truckers and shippers with loads to ship. He knew that these weren't Internet savvy people, but he thought Dan could attract them with a cost-effective piece of technoogy.

He was in Arizona visiting his wife's folks, and someone recommended him to Stealthmode, so we had a meeting.I liked the idea, and I liked the man. A while later, we moved the company to Phoenix and re-incorporated it as Loadbook.He thought he had a better chance of succeeding in the states, because we were flying high with Web 1.0. The press release is still on PR web here.

Time passed. Dan (the founder) tried to grow the company.He acquired a small contract from a large client. He worked with several "sales" experts and "consultants."The bottom fell out of the Internet. 9.11 disrupted the entire American economy. Dan's wife, perhaps tired of struggling, divorced him. He still had the single client. Not enough to live on. No money to hire sales people.

Struggling on alone, Dan was approached in 2003 by one of the small public companies that are constantly trying to roll up other companies so they can get some momentum and make their stock truly liquid. It was called OrderPro Logistics, and you can find it on the Internet WayBack Machine's archives here. Demoralized and tired, Dan decided to sell. OrderPro would get the technology, Dan would get a CTO job, and Dan and his new wife would move to Tucson.

I was very happy for him. I went with him to Tucson to celebrate the closing of the deal. I received a small fee for participating.

My check bounced. Dan's check bounced. And within weeks, OrderPro's payroll checks started bouncing.

On the advice of an attorney, Dan began again. He took the technology and re-incorporated as 38 Minutes.That's the target time for matching a truck to a shipment.

Disgusted, Dan bought 40 acres of cheap farmland in Missouri and he and his wife moved there to run the virtual business and raise animals.

Five years of broken promises from would-be helpers and investors later, the site has finally caught on. Even truckers are on the Internet now. One of the consultants actually sold a deal, and now Dan's off and running. If he plays it right, 38Minutes will be viral.

The servers are still up, his wife is still with him, he's got enough money to take his kids to a NASCAR race this year, and things are looking good. Dan has literally done all this himself, with the help of a single loyal developer, who by now is his partner in the company.

Another overnight success.

24/7/365 - Jobs

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Today is a carbon copy of everyday. The day starts too early, and the day ends too late. Married and father of 3, this 28 year old is in constant motion. Constantly. Always.

I'm sure there are hundreds if not thousands of articles penned on the Holy Grail of work/life balance. I feel this mecca of contentment, peace, security, and fulfillment happen in moments. If it was put on a chart it would read like a volatile stock listed on the NYSE. How well do we appreciate those precious moments of balance? Does a type A personality even notice when they happen, or are we already looking for the next mountain to climb or that problem around the bend?

Not a day goes by where I am not anxiety ridden about howI amperforming for our clients.My track record and client satisfaction scores are terrific, but part of me feels the anxiety and the constant concern thatI am not doing enough is what makes that happen. This is one example of why the balance each day is tough to grasp.

At what point can I say, "I'm finished." It is a term of absoluteness in the creative industry that never can be recited with confidence. It's never finished, it always could have been better. Why can't I be at peace with this reality? I can't imagine that I'm alone in this internal tug-o-war to always be my best.

Everyday is filled with excitement, and no time to appreciate it. Every success is overshadowed by pending goals and overdue tasks. How do we emerge from this spiral? It would be a shame to have to wait until retirement to really soak in the success and development occuring at this stage in life.

Stop, rest, relax, contemplate, are allgoals that are outside my capacity to achieve. I am confident that I am powerless to do these things well at all. With my leg ticking constantly as a write, and my mind straining to focus on the topic at hand, I do not feel like I am built to be still. Ever.

This is a reality that not only infects me, but my family as well. I'll move into that dynamic next time. I have to get back to moving, calling, texting, emailing. Constantly. Always.

21 Considerations Before Your Business Starts A Social Network - Jobs

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Social networks are all the rage and many of my posts at OnlineMarketerBlog recommend social tools for businesses. However, there are potential pitfalls to consider before you facilitate interaction between customers and your business.

Here are 21 things your business should consider before starting a social network:

Internal (Your Business Capabilities)

1. Can you invest the necessary resources to run a social networkproperly? Can you afford the tens or hundreds of thousands of dollarsit takes to properly create and staff this resource?

2. What is the role of marketing, sales, IT, customer service,advertising, HR, etc.? Social networks often delve into all of thesedepartments and more. Make sure all of your teams are engaged,enthused, and prepared.

3. While the potential ROI of a social network is proven, is thisthe best investment of your time? If you don’t have a unique product oryour customers aren’t enthused (or your product isn’t any good), don’tlook to a social network to solve your problems.

4. What are your expectations - number of members, amount ofcontent, etc - on a weekly, monthly, and yearly basis? Create littlebenchmarks to ensure you do not go far off course.

5. Will your employees have their own voice on the network? Willthey use their full names? This transparency can be daunting, but itcan also provide high emotional buy-in from employees.

6. Is the correct employee in charge of the social network? This is often not the highest paid or the most experienced.

7. Which came first: customer need, company strategy, or cooltechnology? If it’s anything besides customer need, reconsidereverything.

Continue reading 21 Considerations Before Your Business Starts A Social Network

15 Tips for Creating Positive Personal Impact - Jobs

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Today is Tuesday, so this post is on creating positive personal impact.

When I discuss positive personal impact, people often equate it with charisma. I agree and don’t agree with this assessment, mainly because I find that charisma is a rather ambiguous term. I define positive personal impact by saying that people who create positive personal impact have at least three things in common:

They develop and constantly promote their personal brand.They are impeccable in their presentation of self.They know and practice the basic rules of etiquette.

However, even though “charisma” is somewhat of an ambiguous term, it is one that can be applied to most people who create positive personal impact. According to Wikipedia..

“The word charisma is derived from the Greek word meaning ‘gift or divine favor.’ It is often used to describe an elusive personality trait that includes an uncanny ability to lead, charm, persuade, inspire, and influence people. Charismatic people seem to be able to easily draw the attention and admiration of others. Related terms and phrases include: grace, exuberance, equanimity, mystique, positive energy, joie de vivre, extreme charm, personal magnetism, personal appeal, electricity, and allure. Usually many of these specific qualities must be present within a single individual for the person to be considered highly charismatic by the public and their peers.”

So, charisma and positive personal impact are similar. The bottom line is that other people are drawn to those who are either charismatic or who create positive personal impact.

Richard Wiseman, a British psychologist, suggests 15 ways to improve your personal charisma and create positive personal impact.

Assume every person you meet is important, and treat him or her as such.Shake hands strongly and firmly and, even better, say something positive while doing so.Keep an open body posture, with your hands away from your face while speaking.Stand up straight and tall, but not rigidly.When speaking to a group, speak conversationally. Do not read from a script.Take the time to remember people's names, and use them in conversation.Look at the color of people's eyes. They will notice the extra attention you're giving them.Sincerely compliment people freely.Notice and acknowledge other people's strengths and accomplishments.Use pauses while you speak to create emphasis.Take care of your outside appearance; look your best.Smile, ideally a little bit longer than the person you're looking at.Hear the emotions in people's words, and respond to them.Use positive body language. Maintain eye contact, briefly touch people on their upper arm, and moving around while you speak.Be genuinely interested in those around you. Ask them their opinions, inquire about their life and interests, listen and don't interrupt.

The common sense point here is simple. Whether it’s called charisma or positive personal impact, it’s a characteristic of all successful people. Here are some tips on how to develop it in yourself. Display an open body posture, hands away from face when talking. Stand up straight, relax; keep your hands apart with palms forwards or upwards. Let people know they matter and you enjoy being around them. Develop a genuine smile, nod when others talk, briefly touch them on the upper arm. Maintain eye contact. Be comfortable in a leadership role. When you are presenting move around, and appear enthusiastic. Lean slightly forward and look at all members of the audience. Be controversial, new, simple to understand and counter-intuitive. Be clear, fluent, forceful and articulate, evoke imagery, use an upbeat tempo, occasionally slow down to emphasize your point.

That’s it for today. Thanks for reading. Log on to my website www.BudBilanich.com for more common sense and to subscribe to my weekly newsletter “Common Sense.” I’ll see you around the web and at Alex’s Lemonade Stand.

Bud

PS: Speaking of Alex’s Lemonade Stand, my fundraising page is still open. Please go to www.FirstGiving.com/TheCommonSenseGuy to read Alex’s inspiring story and to donate if you can.

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