Going Global With Your Business

Going Global With Your Business It’s always necessary to keep on trying to grow your company, but there might come a time when you have nowhere else to expand into in your national market or industry sector. Don’t worry if you hit this point; it’s actually a very good sign. It means that your business is now ready to go global. Going global and reaching out to international markets is a big deal for companies. After all, it gives you a lot more customers to target and the chance to make even bigger profits. However, before you do start to move into some foreign markets, it’s important to remember these following pointers. Carry Out Plenty Of Local Market Research It’s really important that you think carefully about which international market you are going to expand into. You will find that your company will be a bigger success in some than in others. The best way to figure out which markets to aim for is to carry out some research. Ideally, you should get a local market research firm who are based in your target country to carry this out as they will come up with some better results than a firm in your home country. Find A Local Mentor It’s a good idea to team up with a local mentor who has plenty of experience in the industry and market that you are planning on expanding into. They will have all the best advice for you and can even help you deal with some of the cultural differences that you will face in this new territory. They will even be a great help when it comes to increasing your professional network in the foreign country as they will be able to introduce you to all of their contacts. Get Ready For Language Differences If you are expanding into a country that speaks a different language to your own, then you will need to be prepared to overcome the various hurdles that a language barrier could bring. Thankfully, English is still very much the language of business, but you might still find that there are times when you need to arrange translations and book interpreters. It’s also a good idea to start hiring multilingual employees now so that you are all ready once you do start operating in your target country. Consider Extra Financial Support Are you sure that your business will be able to cope with international expansion? Firstly, you need to consider whether you can hire more employees to handle all the extra work that you will get once you do expand. You might also need to start renting a new office in your target country. All of these things cost money, so you need to know for sure that you can afford it. If you aren’t too sure, it’s worth looking for some new investment or seeking a business loan. Once you have considered all of the above, you should be in a good position to expand into a new global market. Good luck!

The Recession is Bullhonkey Paulas Story - When I Grow Up

The Recession is Bullhonkey Paulas Story - When I Grow Up This is part of  The Recession is Bullhonkey series, where I share stories of those who have gotten hired and/or started their own businesses (or sometimes both!) since 2008. This is former client upcoming  CreativeLive interviewee,  Paula Jenkins.  She titled this post The Dream is Free, The Hustle is Sold Separately and youll soon read  how she landed 4 jobs in the past 4 years! It was October of 2010 and wed just had our son the month before. I was out to dinner with some friends after going to a retreat with them. My friend Kevin was talking about his job, at a credit union, and how hed just gotten promoted to a VP spot. Do you need any project managers? I blurted out, knowing I had no desire to return to the job Id left. The commute, the hot and cold nature of the three owners, the long hours of advertising. All of it left me feeling empty or angry, depending on the day. I could not face going back there. Actually, Kevin said, We do have a PM thats going out on maternity leave in January and we need someone to cover her projects for three or four months. It would be freelance. My heart skipped a beat. Yes!   And a new adventure! I was totally in. I loved that job. It was a challenge; so different than my previous experience in advertising, with lots of technical details. And, day after day, I felt good knowing that the products I was working on (their website, and later their business banking products) was directly impacting the members. (our word for customers). Then, oh that recession. It hit us, and my significant other lost his job in the following February. We were stretched thin, financially. After a few months, Sean decided that instead of going back to being a store manager, he wanted to go to school for training as a chef. I was excited for him, and we agreed it was a really great direction for him, and for us. That June we bought a house (getting a great rate from my employer!), and by December finances were stretched so thin that I knew I had to go find a job that paid more. Once again, I reached out to friends and former clients and everyone I knew, and found another job. It was a digital marketing position with a major corporation. When the job turned out to be very different than what had been explained to me, I picked up looking for work again. Six months later I landed yet another position, this time at an ad agency, working for a former boss. Since 2010, Ive had four jobs, all of my own choosing, and I left each on my own terms. Ive heard that there is a growing need for project managers, but to be honest, not all of my roles have been traditional PM positions. I chalk my success in being able to find new jobs in part to my laser-like focus on the job hunt itself, and to having some serious motivation to keep looking for something that was a better fit. My desire to have more time with my son, and to be home for dinner with my son and my fiance the chef proved to be a serious motivator. My advice and reflections on finding a job in this so-called recession: 1. Network, network, network. Each time, with getting a new job, the network of people I know helped me find a new position. I tried to keep conversations light and casual, and got over being sheepish about asking if friends and acquaintances knew of open jobs. Even when a person didnt know of an opening, they sometimes offered to be a reference to introduce me to someone else they knew! Perfect! 2. Make it easy for your network to promote you. Be specific with them about what you are asking them to do for you. I sent emails or set up calls with people I know to tell people what I was looking for, and I was specific with them about the kind of help I was hoping to get from them. I researched companies on LinkedIn to see who in my own network knew people there, and then Id make a specific request to be introduced to the recruiters or hiring managers by my contact. Knowing my friends and network contacts are busy, I tried to make promoting me easy for them. I always attached a new resume, gave them a cover letter to cut and paste. And I always, always sent a thank you to my own network, and to anyone Id been introduced to by someone in my network. 3. Treat everyone you meet at a potential employer as if they alone have the ability to make the decision to hire you.  When looking for a new job, I follow up. I send thank you notes to every person I meet. I go out of my way to keep selling myself, in every interaction and with each piece of correspondence. The goal in the interviewing phase is land the job, and so each time I interacted with someone at that potential employer, I was in sell mode. Having hired quite a few people, I know that teams talk about candidates, they often rank candidates. My goal was to give each person a reason to say I liked her, I connected with her, and I think we should hire her. 4. Accept the help the individuals in your network are willing to give. Some people are natural connectors. Some people are the types that naturally offer to help. I learned to accept those offers, even when they came from people that I was only acquaintances with. I figured if they were willing to help sell me in to an employer, it was worth giving it a shot. 5. Be yourself in the interviews. As much as I was aware to be hyper-polite, warm, and engaging, in this last round of job hunting, I also made a point to be 100% authentic about who I am. It turns out my current employer loved me for my personality (along with my work history and skills), but having had a rather inflexible project manager in my spot previously, they wanted someone who could laugh, who could cheer a team on, who was fun to work with, and who could back that up with skill. They picked me over someone with a PhD because they liked me. 6. Dont give up, and KNOW that a good job is waiting for you out there! Paula  Jenkins is a mother to a 4 year old son, a retreat leader on weekends, and by day a project manager at a credit union. She has big plans to begin studying to be a life coach starting in January. You can follow her adventures on her blog at  www.welcomingspirit.net. Wanna hear more from Paula? Then tune in to my CreativeLive class at the 10am Pacific hour on Sept 12th,  where Ill be interviewing her during the Feel The Career Fear And Do It Anyway  segment.

How Charlotte Resume Writing Services Can Help You Find Your Perfect Job

How Charlotte Resume Writing Services Can Help You Find Your Perfect JobCharlotte resume writing services are the perfect answer to make your job search a lot easier. You have probably done your job searching for several years already, but as a new recruit, you still need some help. A Charlotte resume writing service will take all of the information about you and turn it into a powerful piece of paper that can easily land you a great job opportunity. If you have ever wondered why so many recruiters are willing to pay top dollar for candidates who have impressive resumes, you need to hire a Charlotte resume writing service.After looking through hundreds of Charlotte resume writing services, we found two very good ones that cost less than a hundred dollars per month. The first company is known for giving really good results, but it is also one of the most expensive. The second company is pretty much in the middle of the pack. It is a nice company that don't charge that much, but it doe sn't have the best resume writing service either.A lot of people like to work in Charlotte because it is a small town, so it is easy to find something that suits you. The city is located in North Carolina, which means there are a lot of interesting jobs and a lot of places to live. There are also plenty of things to do, making Charlotte a perfect place to raise a family and get out into the real world. All of these factors are very important when you are looking for work, and there are just too many possibilities to ignore.One of the most exciting parts of Charlotte is that it has some of the best colleges and universities in the nation. Some of the best colleges in the country include UNC, the University of North Carolina, and UNC-Chapel Hill. These colleges are part of a nationwide network of schools, which makes them the easiest places to get accepted to if you are applying to schools across the nation. When you go through Charlotte resume writing services, you will find a great deal of local companies that are also interested in getting students who are interested in this type of work. They can help you find jobs that suit your interests.Charlotte resume writing services can help you write an amazing resume that will be the talk of the interview. Some of the top-ranked Charlotte resume writing services use an automated template that makes it easier for you to find exactly what you are looking for. They can help you craft a high-quality resume that shows your passion for the work you are looking for. This should be a strong factor in your favor when the employer sees your resume, so you want to make sure you find a Charlotte resume writing service that can help you produce a quality document. Don't go into the interview unprepared and appear to be pushy or desperate, you want to impress them with the facts and make them believe that you are the right person for the job.Looking for Charlotte resume writing services can also help you find great career opportu nities. The Charlotte area is home to hundreds of medical and dental careers, including pediatric dentistry, as well as many others. You will find that the industry is in high demand, so if you are interested in it, look no further than Charlotte resume writing services. The hospital and clinic sector is growing quickly, which means there is a job for everyone who wants to come and work in the Charlotte area. Finding the right Charlotte resume writing service is the key to finding a job that is just right for you.No matter where you are looking for the perfect job, there is always help to be found. Charlotte resume writing services can help you find a Charlotte job that is just right for you, and they are fast and easy to use. You can use them on your own or they can use them for your benefit, making it easy to find the perfect Charlotte job.

CEO pay Ratio Disclosure Could Reign in CEO Pay

CEO pay Ratio Disclosure Could Reign in CEO Pay Last year, the average SP 500 CEO’s pay was $13.5 million in total compensation, or 373 times the annual pay of the average American worker. That ratio provided by the AFL-CIO is thought-provoking, if not infuriating, to many typical Americans. However, investors should tune in, too, and soon, they will have a more specific metric to gain perspective about the companies they own themselves. Last week, the Securities and Exchange Commission finally issued a long-delayed rule requiring individual companies to disclose the pay ratio of their chief executives versus their own workers’ pay. This rule was part of the Dodd-Frank Act, but business interests railed against the mandate for years. Soon, we investors will have a new, customized ratio representing an extra factor to consider when we conduct our analyses and choose stocks for our own portfolios. Why should shareholders care? Many investors shrug about CEO pay, citing arguments like “market rates” for top talent and some vague idea of “merit,” but at the end of the day, CEOs are paid with shareholder money so it deserves more than just a cursory shrug. Some chief executives receive astronomical pay even when their companies’ financials are dragging and their stock prices have suffered. CEOs are also employees, and too often “meritocracy” isn’t measured by their actual performance. Anyone who’s suffered through protracted losses from a company whose CEO makes astronomical sums probably understands the idea that pay doesn’t always segue well with actual performance. Some studies back up the fact. Last October, a study conducted by the University of Utah, Purdue University, and University of Cambridge found a negative correlation between highly paid CEOs and three years’ worth of stock returns. According to the authors, “Our results appear to be driven by high-pay related CEO overconfidence that leads to shareholder wealth losses from activities such as overinvestment and value-destroying mergers and acquisitions.” On the other hand, a study by Towers Perrin last year took a look at the 50 highest-performing companies in the SP 1500 over 15 years, and found those companies’ CEOs were actually paid less than the market median. (Note that their realizable pay over time was higher due to bonuses like options and other incentives.) Meritocracy for whom? Given such signs that CEOs may be less subject to “meritocracy” in their pay schemes than regular Americans whose pay hasn’t been increasing at an astronomical rate, the ratio will help us weigh the issue on a lot of different levels. The information will offer an angle through which we can gauge potential positives or negatives in workforce morale and internal business strength. Whether companies have healthy or toxic cultures can make a real difference in employees’ performance â€" and therefore, that of businesses as a whole. Most human beings don’t flourish in the face of unfairness. Pushing for productivity and company profits while getting the sense those efforts pad someone else’s massive paychecks isn’t very inspiring, much less the key to loyalty, for many employees. The late Peter Drucker, long considered one of the foremost management experts, famously contended that employee morale starts to deteriorate when a company’s CEO-to-worker pay ratio exceeds 20-to-1. Once public companies start disclosing their ratios en masse in 2018, we’ll be able to look at each and separate the “reasonable” from the potentially morale-bustingly “outrageous.” The race to the ratio Some companies won’t have to fret about anything publicly “embarrassing” about the new disclosure mandate. Their CEOs already have low compensation. To wit, Whole Foods Market WFM 0% is actually a voluntary vanguard, as it caps its executives’ compensation at just 19 times that of its average workers’ salaries and has had caps in place for nearly 30 years. NorthWestern NORTHWESTERN CORPORATION NWE -0.04% (more commonly known as NorthWestern Energy) has disclosed its ratio since 2010: a Drucker-esque 24-to-1. Noble Energy NOBLE ENERGY NBL -0.57% has gone ahead and disclosed the data before the SEC’s recent move. Charles Davidson, who was chairman and CEO until October 2014, made 82 times that of the company’s median annual employee compensation in its proxy statement released in March. Compensation for now-CEO David Stover, who took over the CEO position in October, was 47-to-1 for that year. We can expect that more companies to get ahead of the curve; one might anticipate that the ones with the most reasonable ratios might be more likely to go ahead and disclose. And, of course, some companies may have a little bit more to feel nervous about, according to numbers crunched by some outside firms. For example, Bloomberg revealed that according to its calculations, last year McDonald’s MCDONALD'S CORP. MCD -0.89% former CEO Don Thompson made 644 times that of the average McDonald’s employee, who brought home about $11,000 compared to Thompson’s total $7. 3 million in annual compensation. That glaring discrepancy is interesting to contemplate given controversy about the fast-food giant’s employee treatment and general concern about living wages. Meanwhile, shareholders can worry about low employee morale as well as ponder the fact that McDonald’s business struggled during Thompson’s tenure. Analyzing a crucial stakeholder Some proponents argue this ratio will work to bring CEO pay back down to earth. Personally, I’d like to see an end to outsized pay and a dedication to pay for performance. I’d also like to see more investors wonder if high pay â€" and pay discrepancies â€" indicate companies that are too dangerously management-centric; after all, is the chief executive officer the most important stakeholder in any business? Are they more important than you as a shareholder, for example? Last but not least, the ratio can help us start to consider the health of one of the most important stakeholders in any business, because without them, nothing runs: employees. When they’re not happy, a company’s risks begin to ratchet up, so investors, take note, and set your calendar for the CEO-to-worker pay ratio. Close Modal DialogThis is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button. More From Motley Fool: Social Security: 5 Facts You Must Know Warren Buffett Tells You How to Turn $40 Into $10 Million Social Security: 3 Things to Know Before Taking Early Benefits

4 Clues Your LinkedIn Strategy Is Working - Work It Daily

4 Clues Your LinkedIn Strategy Is Working - Work It Daily Tips To Improve Your LinkedIn Strategy It is easy to invest a lot of time and effort into social media. Figuring out your return on investment (or ROI) can be a difficult task. So, how can you tell if your hard work is starting to pay off? Here are four clues that your LinkedIn strategy is working: 1. Your Search Appearances And Profile Views Have Increased This means your profile is circulating well in LinkedIn. You have enough connections, groups, and activity on LinkedIn that your profile is starting to reach (and interest!) others. Also, your keywords are doing their job well. 2. The People Viewing Your Profile Are In Your Target Industry When your LinkedIn strategy is coming together well, you will notice that the people viewing your profile are the people most relevant to youâ€"legal recruiters, employers, business and strategic allies, clients, and others. In other words, your LinkedIn presence is not just reaching people, it is reaching people who matter to your job and career success. 3. People Are Reaching Out To Youâ€"Both On And Off LinkedIn At some point, you will see the table start to turn on LinkedIn. Rather than you initiating all connections and interactions, you will become a desirable contact. Users will want you in their network and begin seeking you out. 4. Opportunities Start To Come In Opportunities come in many shapes and sizes. They all show that you have become well regarded. Your opportunity might show itself in mentor-like relationships, requests to guest blog or work on article or other project, offers to exchange links, client referrals, notification of career opportunities... and, of course, eventually job offers! Related Posts: 5 Mistakes That Are Killing Your LinkedIn Profile 4 Ways To Be Memorable On LinkedIn 4 Mistakes Job Seekers Make With Their LinkedIn Headline Photo Credit: Shutterstock   Have you joined our career growth club?Join Us Today!

Stressed Out at Work These 5 Tips Can Help

Stressed Out at Work These 5 Tips Can Help You have a project looming, and people on your team just arent doing their parte. Your manager is grumpy and taking it out on you. You feel like youre in a dead-end job.Weve all felt the effect of work stress at some pointprobably many pointsno matter where we are in our careers. Its an issue facing many people. In the American Psychological Associations (APA) 2012 Stress in America Survey, 65 percent of participants cited work as the top source of their stress.Americans work a lot. Acording to Pew, Americans worked an average of 38.7 hours a week and 46.8 weeks per year in 2015. Many, particularly full-time employees, work even more.So, whats a worker to do? If the sheer number of hours a person works stresses her out, and cutting back isnt an option, how do you take care of your mental well-being and prevent yourself from getting overly stressed out?Here are five stress management tips to help you and your mental health.1. Set limits.You k now how much you can take. If you have too much on your plate, its time to learn how to say no.When your boss or a coworker hands off a new task, politely explain that youre busy with other projects. Suggest an alternative or someone else who has a lighter workload.Your boss wont accept that answer? The youre elend in a healthy working environment. A manager who cant accept her employees limits is not a good manager. Perhaps its time to have a discussion about expectationsor look for a new job.2. Delegate.You cant do it all yourself. Many perfectionists have trouble passing off projects or tasks to other people, because they want to have absolute control over them. But thats not good for your own mental health or your employees growth in their careers.If youre worried about others taking on challenging work, start small, asking them to oversee one or two more minor projects. Once theyve proven they can handle the work, increase their responsibilities. Chances are, your employees wil l relish the new role. Not only will it help them grow, but it will ease your own stress levels.3. Sleep.Most adults need between 7-9 hours of sleep per night, and many of us arent getting it. Make sure getting a good nights sleep is part of your to-do list. It will have a strong impact on your stress response and overall mental health.4. Take a break.If you make a mistake or are triggered by another stressful situation, its normal to feel anxious and upset. But before you completely unravel, pause. Take a deep breath. Practice soothing self-talk. Then return to the situation.Its also important to take longer periods of time for yourself. Use your vacation days and take a trip somewhere. Or have a staycation at home. Just dont think about work. Dont even check your work email. Instead, relax and unwind.5. Keep it in perspective.Often, our stress responses to issues that are bothering us at work are heightened because of the environment. Were around other people who are working on th e same project or toward the same goals, so we dont have perspective on how it matters in the larger scheme of things.Take a step back. Talk to your partner, a family member, or a friend who doesnt work with you. They can help talk you down and realize that in the bigger picture, the issue thats bothering you wont matter as much in the long run. Plus, they can be great sources of comfort in times of difficulty.

The Little-Known Secrets to Volunteer Coordinator Resume

The Little-Known Secrets to Volunteer Coordinator Resume The Basics of Volunteer Coordinator Resume As a result, if youre a competent professional who is searching for a Volunteer Coordinator job, you wont face any difficulty in job hunting practice. Volunteer Coordinators are an essential component of the Interdisciplinary Team by helping to earn a positive effect during the conclusion of life experience for a family. To learn more on what it requires to be a Volunteer Manager, have a look at our complete Volunteer Manager Job Description. Volunteer managers also take part in program planning in a bid to satisfy their objectives. The Secret to Volunteer Coordinator Resume The sound level in the job environment is usually low. The appearance of a resume matters, a lot, but a lot of people are inclined to overlook this notion. While all resumes should offer advice in your work and education experience, as well as your abilities and accomplishments, there are various ways to p resent this info. A coordinator must know what type of work will be finished, then find appropriate and interested individuals to do the job. The Hidden Gem of Volunteer Coordinator Resume Overview Volunteer Coordinators with proper abilities and abilities are hard to discover. A volunteer resume is all you want to start. The Awful Side of Volunteer Coordinator Resume It takes a competent leader to be successful within this profession. Volunteering for the society may be the fruchtwein satisfying job an individual might have. Possessing a postgraduate might not be required but it can be helpful while work progress. Being a coordinator may be a lifelong rewarding career, but sometimes it is wise to start as a volunteer before its possible to get to a level in which you receive a salary for the job. The probability of obtaining a job for a volunteer is often large. This volunteer coordinator sample job description can be employed to help you produce a work advert that will entice candidates that are qualified for the job. Their job involves government activities like outreach programs. In addition, coordinators ought to be open minded when it has to do with unique lifestyles, spiritual beliefs and cultures because the job entails interacting with patients and household members with various backgrounds. What Everybody Dislikes About Volunteer Coordinator Resume and Why Volunteers can come from a variety of backgrounds, and having the capability to construct relationships quickly is a handy skill. Attend at minimum, one animal care department meeting per month to stay informed about animal care topics, challenges, and needs in which they may need to be aware of or are able to assist with. A volunteer is a person who has made a decision they will do the job for a business or an organization without expecting a payment. Always be searching for new areas to publicize your organization and its volunteer opportunities. Make certain that you are int erviewing the very best volunteer managers. Prepared agendas for various meetings.