Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Social Networking Sites

Social networking sites like Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter have become a mainstream part of the American and world pop culture. "Social networking" is the term used to describe websites where people set up their own personal web page, use this to meet new friends and reunite with old friends, and otherwise create a network of friends and contacts on the Internet.

Online social networks have become a way to keep in touch with your oldest friends in the world, share your love of games, network for love, reignite old romantic flames, or even further your career through business networking. Because tweeting and Facebooking provides such a variety of advantages and options to such a wide range of people, social network sites have become a mainstream online phenomenon.

Facebook

Social Networking Sites

Facebook is the site people wanting to contact old classmates and childhood friends use. When you establish a page, you'll get friend suggestions according to your current address, your childhood addresses, and the schools you attended. Once you start to add friend, you might receive suggestions from their list of friends, so that you have an ever-expanding network of people you might have known throughout your life. Eventually, you tend to reunite with dozens, if not hundreds, of old friends and acquaintances.

Another aspect to Facebook is the tendency people have to meet their old boyfriends and girlfriends online and catch up on old times. Often, the nostalgia for a lost love turns into a reunion of another sorts, or people who had mutual crushes in their teen years or college days end up hooking up for romantic relationships, to see what might have been or fulfill a long-standing fantasy. This has led one preacher to deride Facebook as a "portal to infidelity", though it should go without saying that the vast majority of people on Facebook are more interested in telling you about their kids, their spouse, and their latest trip to the grocery store. (Also, that particular preacher turned out to have a past far seedier than your average Facebook fancy.)

Twitter

Twitter gives people the ability to send short, pithy "tweets" to all the people in their online network. Each tweet only contains 140 characters or less, so brevity is key on Twitter. Submitting links to favorite online stories or re-tweeting other people's tweets is a way to show people what it is you care about, as well as show what you're following on the computer.

Since a few athletes and politicians began tweeting, and since a few of these celebrities got into trouble for posting on Twitter something they didn't entirely think through, Twitter has become a place to follow mini-scandals. A number of celebrities have become big Twitter phenoms--Ashton Kutcher most famously.

MySpace

MySpace was the first huge, mainstream social networking site. MySpace began as a portal for bands, musicians, and musical artists to find jobs, bandmates, and other career opportunities. At a point, My-Space morphed into a portal for a mainstream audience, including millions of teens and tweens. While Facebook and Twitter have surpassed MySpace in the social consciousness these days, this is still a massive web presence still impacting the culture.

Linked In

LinkedIn specifically caters to business professionals wanting to find job, meet business contacts, and otherwise advance and network in the career field and business world. With 85,000,000 people linked into the site, this is a place anyone with a commercial venture, business skills, or need for a job should have a page on.

There are a huge number and variety of social network websites out there, and you should view LinkedIn as the type of niche sites available out there. If you have a particular hobby, interest, or venture in mind, you can probably find a web address that lets you network socially online in this field of interest.

Social Networking Sites
Check For The New Release in Health, Fitness & Dieting Category of Books NOW!
Check What Are The Top Cooking Books in Last 90 Days Best Cheap Deal!
Check For Cookbooks Best Sellers 2012 Discount OFFER!
Check for Top 100 Most Popular Books People Are Buying Daily Price Update!
Check For 100 New Release & BestSeller Books For Your Collection

Read more about social networking websites at Social Networking Sites. If you have questions about the Internet or social networking, go to Ask Deb.

How to Find Jobs Online - Job Finding Tips

Internet has become a great resource for job seekers to find a job. Finding a job online can either be a devastating task or it can be an exceptionally easy one. The level of difficulty of online job search depends upon the internet resource and the way it is being utilized. The online world is as complex as the actual world is. The availability of fraudulent activities and scams online has made it difficult to choose the resource that is worth your time. However by learning the right techniques you can get the best job and that too with the least effort.

Here are some useful ways that can help you to find a job online:

Recruitment Agencies: These are the agencies that match employers with the job applicants who fit their criteria. You are just required to register with these job agencies and leave your succinct profile and contact details. Employers subscribe to these sites to find appropriate candidates to fill their vacancies. And if you are appropriate for a particular vacancy then you will be contacted by the job agency. But before registering with any of the job agency check the security of the site and confirm that their primary client is the employer, not you.

How to Find Jobs Online - Job Finding Tips

Online Forums: Participate in online forums where the topic is all about job hunt. There are online forums available for every plausible profession. What you need to do is to become a member of the different online forums and take part enthusiastically in the activities. In order to generate a plenty of references to job openings it is essential to mention and describe your skills, knowledge, achievements, experience and expertise in the forums.

Corporate Websites: Corporate websites appear like a good place to find a job. Search the websites of the companies that you would like to work for. Locate the "careers" page of the website and see if there is any opening that matches your skills and expertise. In case if you don't find any opening matching your profile then send an email to the HR and make a case for why they should employ you or even think about you.

Check Job Sites: By searching job sites you can also find a job with no experience. Browse the jobs that are listed and apply according to your profession and desire. But before applying it is essential to know the site and the team behind it. Confirm that the information provided on the "about us" or "contact us" pages of the website is real. It is advisable to check the authenticity of job sites which only have fill-in-the-blank forms on their pages or which are introduced through e-mail.

How to Find Jobs Online - Job Finding Tips
Check For The New Release in Health, Fitness & Dieting Category of Books NOW!
Check What Are The Top Cooking Books in Last 90 Days Best Cheap Deal!
Check For Cookbooks Best Sellers 2012 Discount OFFER!
Check for Top 100 Most Popular Books People Are Buying Daily Price Update!
Check For 100 New Release & BestSeller Books For Your Collection

Mike Kelley is an expert CV writer with unrivaled experience in writing a wide variety of CVs and job searching for all types of jobs. For more information you can visit http://www.cv-service.org to learn more about how to find a job with no experience.

cell phone watches Discount Crl Brushed Stainless 2 X 3 1 Low Low Price Oakley Jupiter Lx Sunglasses

Social Media - The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly - Part 1

The term social media is tossed around like a football during the Super Bowl now. At its core, we know what it is, but many people are afraid to use it, engage in it, or access it for fear that it will control them rather than the other way around. If we look at it carefully though, we will see that there are good elements, bad elements, and then "ugly" elements - those things that form the reason for the negative image. However, social media can be a highly effective tool in our day-to-day lives when we understand its purpose.

In this first part of our series, we will address the fundamental nature of social media. Whether you call them "friends," "connections," "fans," "followers," or something else, the fundamental purpose of these services is to connect, or reconnect, with others. It's much like having the telephone directory left on your front door step. When the phone book is dropped off on your door step, there is no fear, but you also don't call everyone in the book at once to tell them that you now have their number. The phone book is there to give you the possibility of people with whom you might wish to make contact, and likewise, social media serves the same purpose.

The immediate "good" quality of this, readily seen, is that when you need to connect to someone, or when you want to reconnect with someone from your past, there are now a myriad of ways, most of which are free, to do so. If you participate in some of the big ones, such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc., then you know that there are ways to search out possible friends through these services. Facebook, the largest of the social media moguls, is quite adept at finding people with only a few pieces of information. The good that has come from this, and the friendships that have been formed, have been endlessly told of in the media. Suffice it to say that connecting with friends can be a good thing, and when used appropriately, it is no more threatening than making or receiving a phone call.

Social Media - The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly - Part 1

The "bad" side of this connecting aspect of social media is that sometimes people lose sight of the boundaries of normal communication. Sometimes too much is shared through public postings, and things that might be best left unspoken publicly are posted online and quickly spread. Boundaries and respectful dialog are always beneficial in any method of communication, and this holds true for social media as well. Some of the negative image of social media has to do with connections that are formed between people who lose sight of these boundaries.

Connections between friends, handled appropriately as stated, are always uplifting bonds. However, on the "ugly" side of these connections is a connection or online friendship that usurps the existing bonds that have previously existed outside of the social media. They are rare, but there have been cases where marriages have failed due to the renewed friendship of an old flame, people give in to unhealthy interests that are far too readily encouraged online, or some other form of abuse use of social media takes place.

Does that mean that social media is evil? No, but like the phone book, it should be used as a tool only. It should not become the only method of communication, but for those whom you might wish to connect with, or those who live in other geographic areas, it is becoming one of the quickest ways to maintain and encourage friendships when directly connecting isn't possible. Soldiers can connect back home, loved ones who are temporarily apart can communicate, and friendships can be sustained over time and space when these connections are handled responsibly and appropriately. Keep your connections respectful and appropriate, and the fundamental purpose of social media can be a wondrously good tool to have available.

Social Media - The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly - Part 1
Check For The New Release in Health, Fitness & Dieting Category of Books NOW!
Check What Are The Top Cooking Books in Last 90 Days Best Cheap Deal!
Check For Cookbooks Best Sellers 2012 Discount OFFER!
Check for Top 100 Most Popular Books People Are Buying Daily Price Update!
Check For 100 New Release & BestSeller Books For Your Collection

Camille Rodriquez is the owner of Polka Dot Impressions, a social media consulting company. She is also the Women's Pastor at her church, Living Stones Church - Sugar Land, and has authored a Christian devotional titled, "When I Die - On Being, Living, and Having the Last Word."

She believes passionately in integrity and intentionality - integrity in living, integrity in business, and personal responsibility to others. Because all that we do leaves an impression, she encourages others to make it a good one!

If you'd like a free copy of her "10 Commandments of Social Media," visit her website and fill out the "Contact Us" form - http://polkadotimpressions.com/contact. Or, you can follow along on her blog site - http://camillerodriquez.com.

watch mobile phone Best Price 36 Sampson Grate For 121 44 Best Offer Genuine Brake Band Best Buy Roc N Soc Nitro Throne Black

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Networking - It's Not What You Know - It's Who You Know

These days, networking is synonymous with a successful business. Networking is also the key to a good social life. No matter how big our office, how colourful our flyers, how powerful our computers or how many degrees we have, it is the quality of relationships we establish with ourselves, our family, our friends, our customers, our suppliers and, more than anything else, with people we don't know, that will determine our success in our personal life or in business.

At school, we got the idea that the more knowledge we gain, the more successful we'd be in life. This intellectual focus on life is still practiced in many places around the world. The emotional approach that has been around for many years and got a boost with Daniel Goleman's book, "Emotional intelligence," proved that success has a better correlation to emotional abilities, rather then academic ones. Relationships with others and with ourselves are major parts of this concept.

Many people have asked us what we were doing that brought us to those wonderful places around the world. Every time we answer, we realise that it wasn't our profession, our education or our knowledge, but our attitude and the people we knew personally that were the key to this wonderful journey.

Networking - It's Not What You Know - It's Who You Know

Working around the world in many projects and jobs, we realised that the only people that ever asked for our degrees were immigration officers, and they never appreciated the high achievement on our certificates. I got my first job after university through one of my professors. My second job was a referral by the manager who had just laid me off. I was taken to my third job, half way around the world, by my plant manager, who was moving there himself and needed people he could rely on in his own new job. My forth job was an opportunity that a friend from California picked up on the company's internal notice board. My fifth job, in Thailand, was a call from my manager from the third job, who had moved to Thailand himself and, again, needed people he could trust. My Sixth job was with the Singaporean consultancy I had hired to do the job in Thailand. I got it after becoming friends with the company's owner, who needed, well, someone he could talk to. Our moves to Australia, and then from Melbourne to Brisbane, were both possible as a result of personal relationships I had established with two guys from a recruitment company in Melbourne.

I think the most surprising part in this was that getting each job did not depend on my expertise, my computer skills or my ability to search well on the Net, but on the people I knew, the network I had developed, my "safety net."

Some time ago, I found out that over 70% of the jobs are not even advertised and are filled by "word of mouth," so your chances of knowing about a new job depends on the people you know.

In life, our network is our safety net - the people we can contact to ask for a doctor, an accountant or where to find swimming lessons for the kids. Having moved so many times, I know that our ability to network saved us months of trial and error. Your network is your "Buddy", the person you can call and ask questions and who refers you to the right person if he or she doesn't know the answers. Have you experienced this? New places, new jobs and new schools make this sort of people invaluable.

In Business, networking is the vehicle to spread "word of mouth". Networking is the primary source of referrals. In the business world, referrals are warm leads, almost ready to buy, as opposed to what you can get from cold-calling or direct mail.

Networking is inexpensive, sometimes even free, and it works because of two major psychological truths:

People are afraid to do business with strangers.People prefer to do business with people they know or with people who were recommended by someone they know.Therefore, the MORE people you know (i.e. the BIGGER your network), the more business you'll do.

It gets even better. Of everybody they know, people prefer to do business with the people they like and/or trust. Therefore, the more GOOD relationships you have (i.e. the STRONGER your network), the more business you'll do.

Granted, not every person is a social butterfly and not all of us have a big network. It may be encouraging to know that networking is a learned skill and persistence is the key. As Thomas Edison once said, "Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration." Just take it one person at a time and one conversation at a time.

Some people don't want to mix business with social networking. They fear that trying to sell to their personal acquaintances will drive them away, because they're not interested in the product or service. Funny, isn't it? People get over 70% of their jobs through the people they know personally, but still want to separate. The trick here is NOT to sell directly while networking. While exchanging opinions, advice and stories, it may come up in conversation that you're keen to sell a product. In this situation, the partners to the conversation aren't put on the spot, and their desire to be helpful will get them thinking about potential buyers for your product. All you have to do is talk to them, then let them help and show your appreciation.

SELLING IS A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TWO ENTITIES EXCHANGING THINGS THEY VALUE. I give you something and you give me something in return. I give you my money and you give me a Pizza. I give you some of my time and you give me some of your money. Think about it - even volunteering is an exchange of service in return for a good feeling. Networking is about building long-lasting relationships of give-and-take. Good networking is ensuring that EVERYBODY WINS in the exchange.

National Sales Executive Association research shows that over 80% of sales are closed after a minimum of 5 contacts. This means that, in order to build a relationship with someone that's strong enough for them to buy from you, you need to spend time with them and socialise with them 5 or more times. so don't thought away your dish so fast.

But networking isn't only for business. Community events, going out to the park with some friends and their kids, having a car rally or getting together for coffee with friends are all good networking opportunities. By participating, you gain common experiences with other people, making everybody feel closer to one another. As a result, it becomes easier for everybody to support one another, because you can see a bit of yourself in the others and they can see a bit of themselves in you. Then it's almost like helping yourself, isn't it?

With our coaching clients, we put a lot of emphasis on relationships. Once the clients discover the power of relationships, they move forward with their personal life and their business much quicker. For all our clients, it is the safety network they establish around them, which determines their success in the coaching process. They become people magnets - friendly, helpful and caring. In the business environment, instead of working their guts out, there is a group of people working with them. Life starts to look like fun.

To walk the talk, my wife Ronit and I have sampled the networking events and groups in Brisbane. Some of the networking events happen occasionally, some groups meet once a month, some every other week and the most successful ones meet every week. All of them can show serious value to their members.

Unfortunately, the cost associated with these groups is not trivial. There's food, drinks, up-front and ongoing membership fees and parking. For a small business, especially a new small business, this can be a big consideration.

So, we established our own free networking club, which meets weekly. We've had wonderful meetings and plenty of ideas to help one another. For more information, please contact us.

Remember: whether you're at home, working for someone else or running you own business, you are a sales person. Make sure you know what you're selling, give to other people because "what goes around, comes around" and you never know if the next person you meet through someone in your network won't be you next big client or your partner in business or in life.

Be happy in life!

Networking - It's Not What You Know - It's Who You Know
Check For The New Release in Health, Fitness & Dieting Category of Books NOW!
Check What Are The Top Cooking Books in Last 90 Days Best Cheap Deal!
Check For Cookbooks Best Sellers 2012 Discount OFFER!
Check for Top 100 Most Popular Books People Are Buying Daily Price Update!
Check For 100 New Release & BestSeller Books For Your Collection

To view the original article and/or subscribe to the Be Happy in LIFE newsletter, visit www.behappyinlife.com/inspiration.

Gal Baras is a Life Coach and Internet Marketer living in Brisbane, Australia. Gal has a long background as an IT manager and consultant, working in various countries around the world.
Gal's purpose in life is to help the people of Africa benefit from the enormous potential in their land and hard work by establishing trade links with them and coaching African leaders.

9 Best Online Jobs That Aren't Scams

We all have to work. There's no getting around that. However, is it absolutely necessary to work  outside the home? Perhaps not. Considering the rising cost of gas, daycare, dry cleaning, even lunch you may be better off working from home . Additionally, you can be there for your children when they get home from school, catch a cold or even have a field trip. Right now , when your children are young is the best time to work from home.  

There are hundreds of thousands of online job opportunities online. Just do a Google search and see how many results appear.  Now in a perfect world all of the links would lead to legitimate positions.  Sadly, that is not the case. The overwhelming majority of the results will take you down the path to Scamville. Most  want money for a list, a job registry, materials, a packet of information etc.  Then there are others that will actually hire and train you , allow you to do the work and then never remit payment. I know because I fell for one of these myself.  

So what a mom to do? Well you could go Googling each company to see what others have written, but  some saavy companies have found a way around that.  Now they hire marketers to write phoney positive reviews and post them in forums of the net.  So you could easily be deceived into thinking that a  wonderful experience is legitimate when its all a rouse.

9 Best Online Jobs That Aren't Scams

Stop wasting your time!  The scam companies understand your  need to be home with your children. They are successful in business because they have learned to capitalize on it. So whats a mom to do?

Below you'll find a list of 9 legitimate work at home customer service  opportunities.  These companies will allow you to takes calls from the privacy of your own home. Some are in the field of customer service, others are infomercial order takers. A few companies even hire at home workers to conduct surveys .  All of the companies a are looking for motivated individuals who will represent them in a professional manner. You must be articulate with a pleasant manner . It does help to have previous customer service experience, although several companies will start you at an entry level position and let you work your way up to representing the more challenging clients.  At the very minimum though, computer experience is a must across the board.   If you meet these requirements, please consider applying to the following companies.

Accolade Support

www.AlpineAccess.com (Arizona, Colorado, Texas & Utah)

Baby to Bee

Beyond Marketing Online

BRG Research Services

Connect2Agent

Connect Plus, LLC

eCallogy

Grindstone

As with any opportunity, you must do your research before accepting a job offer.  As a rule, legitimate companies will have contact information other than just email, and will not ask you for money upfront. I do know that a few companies will ask you to pay for your own background check . In my experience, even these companies have proven to be above board.

The above list is only 9 of  102  legitimate work at home job listings. All with active links that can be found at getrichmom.com.

9 Best Online Jobs That Aren't Scams
Check For The New Release in Health, Fitness & Dieting Category of Books NOW!
Check What Are The Top Cooking Books in Last 90 Days Best Cheap Deal!
Check For Cookbooks Best Sellers 2012 Discount OFFER!
Check for Top 100 Most Popular Books People Are Buying Daily Price Update!
Check For 100 New Release & BestSeller Books For Your Collection

Ann Brown is a 32 year old freelance writer and MOM from Phoenix, AZ . She also owns [http://www.getrichmom.com], a website devoted to helping work at home moms find legitimate work from home opportunities. Getrichmom.com

mobile phone watches Cheap Rugged Ridge 53703 52 Soft Top With

Societal Norms

PSYC8762 - Teaching Psychology

The following is a discussion of societal norms by the author, who chose to violate a societal norm at his place of employment and present his discussion here.

Today I went to work wearing blue jeans, sweat shirt, and sneakers, as part of this assignment. Since we now have a dress policy for faculty in my school, I received a few comments from others, such as, "Uh-huh, you're going to be in trouble," or some folks reacted with a few non-verbal glances. Others just smiled. I have to admit that I did feel more self-conscious than normal. I suppose this was in anticipation of retaliatory comments. However, most people didn't say anything. Incidentally, our school board just this year enforced a dress policy which essentially states that we should dress more professionally. It seemed the director of the school board felt that most of our faculty came to work "looking like they were ready to work on their cars instead of teach kids." Perhaps I will get a letter of reprimand next week. I am excited to see!

Societal Norms

Social Norms, Women, Race, and Culture

Crush not the petals of the lotus
Lest you bruise my state of being
Gaze, instead, my friend
Upon the mirror of words
And share my store of memories

To shift gears a little, we can see that the poem above captures the damaging effect from judgmental attitudes and closed minds. Long-standing social norms have imprisoned many cultures and kept them in the dark ages, as a figure of speech. As I grew up in the Civil Rights Era, I watched on TV, and read in the newspapers as Blacks in the South were persecuted in an attempt to keep them within the confines of the White social norms, a strong and distasteful residue left over from the Civil War. I also experienced, with biased spectacles, the women's movement in this country, and can easily recall high school days when it was inappropriate for girls to wear blue jeans. Now, this is ALL they wear to school. Speaking of women's rights, I have another embarrassing testimonial to share. In my very first English Literature class in college, I was given the assignment to write a persuasive essay on whether women should be admitted into the military and allowed to fight in Viet Nam. Well, all you women would certainly scorn me for my dwarfed response. I wrote nonsense about women not being able to withstand the harshness of Viet Nam, or not being able to endure the pain of warfare. I received an "F" on the essay. It seems most of my logic was wrong. Women actually have been proven to be able to endure more pain than most men.

An example of another social norm can be seen in the Demi Moore movie, "G.I. Jane," when a female decides that having a shaved head like the other (male) people in SEALs training is necessary in order to avoid looking different and not fitting in. This is exactly what was done by some of the young women who recently entered previously all-male military academies. If the social norm for a particular group is a shaved head, anyone who wishes to conform to the social norms of that group must shave their head. But those who don't want females to be able to fit into certain previously all-male groups insist that females must conform, not to the social norms of the given group, but to the social norms for females in the patriarchal society at large, even if by doing so they are prevented from conforming to the social norms of the group in which they wish to participate as an equal. Confusing? Yes, but so are societal norms.

On behalf of men, too, I can speak from experience from the days when dear ole dad made me wear a crew cut. I didn't like it, but he insisted since it was the 50s and all real men wore crew cuts, a spin-off from the military. I later rebelled, as I mentioned in my first posting. As fate would have it, too, the Beatles helped to change that social norm about ten years later!

Social and Cross Cultural Norms Demonstrated Through of NVC

As most of us know, social norms, such as handshakes, nodding, winking the eye, opening doors, pulling out chairs for ladies, standing when a woman enters the room, looking someone in the eye, not looking someone in the eye, dressing up to go to church, or walking on the street side when accompanying a woman, are all examples of social norms formed from societal and cultural traditions.

Just to stir the pot a little, (one of my social norm-busting habits), let's imagine we are attending a USA-Iran Soccer Game. Since we are all teachers and counselors, we naturally are proponents of good will. So, as a friendly gesture to promote international relations, we give some Iranian fans a "thumbs up" sign. They immediately respond back by skimming their right fist with the left palm in a short horizontal motion away from their bodies. Several Greek fans notice what we've just done, and in return, make a motion with flat hand pushed towards us. Other US fans notice what's going on, and give us the "OK" sign. Some fans from Southern France also notice what we have done and give us their own "OK" sign.

Meanwhile the Iranians score a quick goal and some Arabs gesture by holding tips of thumb and finger of one hand pointing upwards in a pyramid and shaking the hand up and down from the wrist. Some black US fans sitting next to us immediately stand up and begin sucking their teeth while assuming a limp stance. Several Chinese fans see this and look with "narrowed eyes". Some fans from Kenya look at the Arabs following the Iranian goal and lowered their brow. Thai fans of look our way and raise their brows. You stand up and shout, "That's OK, we will win, I am sure." A fan from France looks at you after overhearing your comment, and runs his index finger down his cheek. An Italian fan looks at us all and pinches his lips with index finger and thumb.

So, what cultural norms have we violated here through our gestures and shouting? I will let you all know later...maybe!

References
Argyle, M. (1988). Bodily Communication. New York, NY: Methuen and Company, Ltd.
Bull, P. (1987). Posture and Gesture. New York, NY: Pergamon Press
Broadbent, M. (1976). Group Rapport: posture sharing as a non-verbal indicator. Group and Organization Studies, 1(16) 328-333

Societal Norms
Check For The New Release in Health, Fitness & Dieting Category of Books NOW!
Check What Are The Top Cooking Books in Last 90 Days Best Cheap Deal!
Check For Cookbooks Best Sellers 2012 Discount OFFER!
Check for Top 100 Most Popular Books People Are Buying Daily Price Update!
Check For 100 New Release & BestSeller Books For Your Collection

Glenn Schuyler

Walden University Student

2004

[http://microjumps.com/articles]

cell phone watches Best Offer Lufkin Cn1295Sme590 13 Milimeter 1 2

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Proven Ways to Increase Restaurant Sales

The continuous mission for every restaurant owner, even successful ones, is to increase restaurant sales. With so many dining establishments vying for a customers business, effective marketing measures are key ingredients for attracting customer attention, establishing your restaurants identity and enhancing customer loyalty.

Word of mouth is the most cost efficient way to increase restaurant sales. If you present a wonderful dining experience, patrons will naturally refer your restaurant to others. But word of mouth works both ways. Bad reviews often travel faster than positive ones. Thats why its essential to be consistent in providing excellent customer service, quality food and an inviting atmosphere.

While chain restaurants rely on a corporate formula to increase restaurant sales, independent restaurateurs can be more flexible, giving them a greater advantage. One important strategy is getting to know your customers. Theres a reason why clubs, theater groups, business people, or friends who get together weekly only dine at one particular restaurant. Its because the owner greeets them by name, knows their dining preferences and is aware of things going on in their lives. These restaurants have created a trusting, family environment that builds customer retention.

Proven Ways to Increase Restaurant Sales

Without a doubt, rewarding repeat customers can lead to increased profits. If you know a customer has referred others to your restaurant or consistently brings in a group of business associates, consider giving a gift certificate for a complimentary dinner or providing a free appetizer or bottle of wine for the table. This is a great sales tactic to motivate your good customers to bring in business to your restaurant.

Your staff is an integral part of building sales. Besides providing impeccable customer service, your staff can increase restaurant sales by up-selling to increase the table check. Rather than ask if anyone would like a drink, appetizer or dessert, they should note which ones are house specialties or offer their personal recommendations. They should also promote higher priced dishes with reasons showcasing their value.

A comprehensive advertising and marketing plan is essential in growing and maintaining a profitable restaurant business. Your advertising needs to set your restaurant apart from others and pique a persons interest to try it. Your marketing efforts should be both in-house with promotions and in the community. Have a presence at community events within your service area, network with business and trade groups, or get involved with a charity that is of interest to you. The more visibility you can give your restaurant, the greater your market reach.

Using the Internet to increase profitability is a must. Your restaurants website should be as interactive as possible, allowing people to make reservations, see current specials and easily get directions. Have a presence on social media sites, like Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

Incentives take on many forms, but all have shown to increase restaurant sales. Some examples of common incentives are discounts, coupons, punch cards, customer loyalty programs, business card drawings, promotions and special events. You might want to try a combination of incentives to enhance business.

Proven Ways to Increase Restaurant Sales
Check For The New Release in Health, Fitness & Dieting Category of Books NOW!
Check What Are The Top Cooking Books in Last 90 Days Best Cheap Deal!
Check For Cookbooks Best Sellers 2012 Discount OFFER!
Check for Top 100 Most Popular Books People Are Buying Daily Price Update!
Check For 100 New Release & BestSeller Books For Your Collection

Jose L Riesco worked in the IT for 18 years and co-owned an Italian restaurant in Bellevue, WA.

By applying his many years of experience working for corporations and his marketing skills to the restaurant business, he has created a unique and groundbreaking marketing system.

Jose has brought top proven marketing practices from other industries to the Restaurant industry, making a unique contribution to this business that he knows and cherishes so much.

Restaurants have traditionally used advertising and coupons as the main marketing vehicle. The Restaurant Marketing Strategies Seminar changes all of that.

By creating a unique Strategy client centric (instead of food or Chef-centric), restaurant owners will be able to dramatically increase their sales while creating happy and recurrent clients.

You can find more about his Restaurant Marketing Strategies and get 20 free videos with Questions and Answers about restaurant marketing by visiting his web site at http://www.myrestaurantmarketing.com

Jobs That Require No High School Diploma - Do Not Settle For Minimum Wage

A lot of people that come to my, be rich online website ask me "What are Some Jobs That Require No High School Diploma?" Most people that come to my website know that there these types of jobs out there they want to know what the best ones are.

I always tell people that come to by Be Rich Online website that Affiliate Marketing and Paid Surveys are the two best online jobs that require no high school diploma.

#1 Affiliate Marketing

Jobs That Require No High School Diploma - Do Not Settle For Minimum Wage

Affiliate Marketing is the best online job period. Affiliate Marketing in the broadest term is getting a commission for referring potential customers to products. When a person that you referred buys a product you get commission. On the internet the commissions are very high, most products pay their affiliates (that's you) 75% of every sale. Other than the very high commission rates affiliate marketing has many benefits. As an affiliate marketer you choose when to work and when not to work, there is no limit on how much you can earn, there are millions of different products you can choose from to promote and many different methods of promoting these products. The best part is anyone can make money this way.

Pros

>> No limit to how much you can earn

>> You choose when you want to work

>> Many different products to promote

>> Many different ways to promote those products

>> Don't have to deal with customer service or shipping

>> Once you get started you can setup an automated business

>> No high school diploma needed

Cons

>> There aren't really any cons expect that it does require some hard work don't expect money to just drop in to your hands from thin air.

#2 Paid Online Surveys

By taking online surveys you are getting paid to give your opinion. Big companies like Microsoft, Nike, RBK, Wal-Mart, etc pay survey companies large sums of money to find out about their customers. In turn survey companies pay you to take surveys.

Pros

>> You can start making money in 10 minutes

>> Once you sign up its relatively easy to make money

>> You choose which surveys to fill and which surveys to skip, so its never boring

>> You earn money for giving your opinion

>> Does Not Require a High School Diploma

Cons

>> Can be hard to find legitimate survey companies

>> There is a limit to how much you can earn

>> Can consume a lot of time

Jobs That Require No High School Diploma - Do Not Settle For Minimum Wage
Check For The New Release in Health, Fitness & Dieting Category of Books NOW!
Check What Are The Top Cooking Books in Last 90 Days Best Cheap Deal!
Check For Cookbooks Best Sellers 2012 Discount OFFER!
Check for Top 100 Most Popular Books People Are Buying Daily Price Update!
Check For 100 New Release & BestSeller Books For Your Collection

Affiliate Marketing and taking Surveys are the two online jobs that require no high school diploma, however they both do require some work. To get help getting started with affiliate marketing visit my Be Rich Online [http://berichonline.info] website. While your there you can sign up for the step-by-step Free Start-Up Guide to affiliate marketing.

It can be hard to stay away from scams and find the legitimate online survey companies to make the right decision check out the: Review of top Online Survey Companies [http://berichonline.info/survey-jobs.html]

watch cell phone Cheap Tiffany Office Furniture Tif1010Pcantflk Presentation Stand

The Importance of Social Networking in Our Society

Time flies quickly, a few years ago people tend to communicate using wired gadgets such as telephones or ham radios. Today, the internet has reshaped our world beyond our imagination. People now uses desktop or laptop computers not just for work but also for entertainment and communication as well.

Part of the ever growing popularity of the world wide web as a new means of communication is the advent of social networking sites. These are proprietary websites that can be used by common people to post personal profiles, pictures, videos, music and messages. Users of social networking sites can invite other "friends" to join their network to be able to view and share personal information on one another.

There are several social networking sites today, among the popular ones are Facebook, MySpace and Twitter. Most members of these sites are teenagers who just love the company of friends and other people. However, did you know how important social networking sites are?

The Importance of Social Networking in Our Society

1. Keeping in touch

By maintaining a profile on these sites, your loved ones, friends and distant relatives don't have to call you every time just to stay in touch with one another. One can take advantage of posting messages, images and personal videos of themselves for their loved ones to see over and over again. It's cheap, fast and real time technology available to everyone.

2. Job hunting

Several companies in the US and Europe are taking advantage of social networking sites to get competent employees. On the other hand, job applicants take advantage of these sites to post their resume and credentials. It's a great tool one can use in order to make a good impression to a company. If you're applying for a computer related job, it would be great to maintain a personal profile.

3. Emergency

Have you heard of several thousands of individuals saved using social networking sites? Twitter has been a great tool for many to relay messages to thousands of concerned citizens in a snap in times of tragedy and natural calamities. People who seek fund raising and donation can use Facebook or MySpace sites to call unto generous individuals.

Many people consider these sites as a work of the devil. It could be. However, one must realize that anything can become good or bad depending on the person's intentions. Social networking sites has shaped our world whether we like it or not and it will become an indispensable tool if it's used for good purposes.

The Importance of Social Networking in Our Society
Check For The New Release in Health, Fitness & Dieting Category of Books NOW!
Check What Are The Top Cooking Books in Last 90 Days Best Cheap Deal!
Check For Cookbooks Best Sellers 2012 Discount OFFER!
Check for Top 100 Most Popular Books People Are Buying Daily Price Update!
Check For 100 New Release & BestSeller Books For Your Collection

Anthony is an avid fan of various subject areas such as relationship, parenting, health, tech and others. You can see some of his works at rolling tool bags and his other content writings on canvas tool bags review.

watch cell phone Best Price 36 Sampson Grate For 121 44

Wednesday, February 6, 2013

What is Networking and Why is it Important in Business?

When I began my networking journey, I attended any and all networking events as time permitted. Every event was fair game! Today I am much more strategic in my networking endeavors. I discovered which events and organizations gave me the best return on my investment of time as well as how to be an effective, caring networker.

In order to know where to begin you must first understand what networking is and why it is important to grow your business. Networking in its purest form is simply talking to people, making connections and developing rapport to grow our circle of influence. Business networking is essentially the same except that our primary objective in business networking is to help us grow our businesses. For most of us, building a network means meeting people we can do business with or who will do business with us, or refer people who will do business with us, are our ultimate goals.

In fact, some of the best networks are those created by people who own and run their own businesses. When you create valuable networking relationships, you build them on a foundation of mutual trust, sharing knowledge, experiences and resources to help one another grow your businesses by either referring one another or doing business directly with one another.

What is Networking and Why is it Important in Business?

It works like this: If you do a good job, one customer might tell three to five of her colleagues, family and friends about you. Whereas, when you build a network of say 10 to 20 strong advocates, they may each tell only one person about your, however your "exposure" is now more than doubled - With the right network, the ultimate in "word of mouth" marketing takes place. You promote your network, and your network promotes you.

Have you ever attended a BNI or Le Tip or other form of structured networking groups? Perhaps you are already a member of a similar group. If not, you might consider becoming involved in one to the fastest growing business networking concepts around. These groups invite business professionals to join on an exclusive basis. That means, that if you are a chiropractor and become a member of one of these groups, no other chiropractor will be invited or allowed to join.

These groups have regularly scheduled meetings (anywhere from monthly to weekly) with a list of rules and objectives to which you must abide. In some cases, a minimum number of referrals is required to participate. In others, simply doing business with one or more in the network is all that is asked of he members. However, keep in mind that for this type of networking to be worthwhile for all parties, each must make every effort to do business with other members of the group.

If this form of structured networking isn't for you, there are other options for finding potential networking venues and partners. Here are some ideas to help you on your way to networking success.

a. Develop a joiners mentality. By that I mean, don't just sign up to get our name on a roster. REALLY JOIN. Get involved. Participate in discussions, events and BE VISIBLE. The saying "out of sight, is out of mind," holds true when it comes to networking. I have been involved in groups and decided to take a hiatus from attending for 2 to 3 months (and sometimes more) only to have people come up to me and tell me they forgot the name of my business so they had to find someone else either through a friend or through the local phone book. BUMMER!

b. Attend networking functions. These can include Chambers of Commerce meetings, after hours socials, ad hoc committees and special events task forces.

c. Get involved in a community service group such as Kiwanis, Lions, Jaycees, etc.

d. Volunteer with a non-profit organization, whose mission you are passionate about and believe in. People who have similar passions will want to do business with you.

e. Host events - I started an event called Goddess Gatherings more than 2 years ago in my home. It is an intimate gathering of women (8 max.) who share a common interest and/or wish to expand their own circles. I invite women who do not yet know one another although they may be familiar with their names. These women are women in my circle of influence either directly or indirectly (they are either members of the 22 groups I belong to and attend regularly or they are part of a circle within these groups). I might invite a "surprise" guest who can entertain the women - such as a masseuse or tarot card reader- or feature a business such as a jeweler or make-up artist. This helps make for a memorable evening and the women either start their own Gathering or look forward to being invited to another gathering hosted by either myself of one of the women in attendance.

f. Look for ways to cross-promote with businesses that complement yours. For instance, a spa might join with a health food store or restaurant and promote their products and services for staying healthy. A salon might join a florist to promote weddings or proms and a realtor might join with a mortgage broker to promote a "one-stop" experience for home buyers.

g. Interview others. A great way for me to network is to interview women for projects I am working on. Since most people are flattered when you ask their opinion about something or experiences in life, this has been a great means of increasing my own circle for various reasons. I might interview a woman (or even a man) about an article or book I am writing, or a seminar I am developing. People love to share their stories. I tape the interview (with their permission, of course) and give them a copy afterwards. It helps to have a list of questions ready prior to the interview, however, unless they insist, I don't give them the questions ahead of time. I have done these interviews via phone, email as well as in person. Many of the women have since.

h. Join an online business or social networking community such as MeetUp, Ryze, Max-in-Common, Linkd In, Open BC, to name a few,. These groups have subgroups made up of people with a specific focus and similar interests. Or you can join a non-specific group to gain more knowledge, exposure and contacts.

Make a point of attending one new networking event a month just to "check it out." Make a list of the people you know, the organizations you have heard and read about and the companies who currently do business with you. These are all great resources to tap into to find new venues to network. Get the local newspaper and look at the organizations and businesses hosting events to which the public is invited. Attend them.

The best networking begins with planning and taking action. Being strategic in your planning is important to your ultimate success as an effective, caring networker.

If you are interested in sharing your networking success stories, drop me a note to heidi@speakingwithspirit.com. It would be an honor to interview you. Who knows, your story could be the subject of one of my articles, or you could even write your own.. Looking forward to hearing from you. Here's to your success in building your network.

What is Networking and Why is it Important in Business?
Check For The New Release in Health, Fitness & Dieting Category of Books NOW!
Check What Are The Top Cooking Books in Last 90 Days Best Cheap Deal!
Check For Cookbooks Best Sellers 2012 Discount OFFER!
Check for Top 100 Most Popular Books People Are Buying Daily Price Update!
Check For 100 New Release & BestSeller Books For Your Collection

©Heidi Richards is the author of The PMS Principles, Powerful Marketing Strategies to Grow Your Business and 7 other books. She is also the Founder & CEO of the Women's ECommerce Association, International http://www.WECAI.org (pronounced wee-kÄ«) - an Internet organization that "Helps Women Do Business on the WEB." Basic Membership is FREE. Ms. Richards can be reached at Heidi@speakingwithspirit.com or heidi@wecai.org.