I will admit I was getting a little worried about the recently nixed Fox interview with O.J. Simpson as well as Judith Regan’s decision to publish his book.
The short lived media frenzy regarding the O.J. Simpson book, If I Did It, as well as Judith Regan’s ridiculous defense for why she decided to publish it intrigued me very much. Judith, if you were looking for a voice to heal then why not anonymously volunteer somewhere?
I applaud Rupert Murdoch and the Harper Collins Publishing House for the courage to make a decision that obviously cost them a great deal of money.
Personally, I had thought this publishing company had gone mad, but thank God they came to their senses and actually pulled the project — or, perhaps more to the truth, they listened to the American people’s response and realized this was not what the average citizen craved for at all. So the average person does have a voice after all…
I left the corporate world twenty years ago basically because I wanted to travel the road less traveled and, as old blue eyes sang, ‘do it my way’. All the myths about advertising and publishing are true but there still needs to be standards and accountability. On a small scale, I receive at least thirty manuscripts a day and from those I usually choose to work on only one or two books a month. Unfortunately, although everyone wants to write books today there is not a great deal of quality.
Associates have often questioned me about my selection criteria since I primarily work with self-publishing authors. Usually the thing that matters most within the self-publishing arena is getting paid and moving on. Well, gone is the stigma of ‘vanity press’ and that is not why I work with self-publishing authors. I work with them because I know they would never get the attention or respect they deserve had they gone through a traditional publishing house and they are usually not experienced enough to realize that.
At my last corporate gig, I was an Art Director within the music industry and I loved my job enormously. I traveled, had freedom, respect and was making good money. My personal choice of music is show-tunes, swing and 70s rock but, ironically, I was placed within the heavy metal genre.
I knew my days were numbered one evening when I had to make a moral choice that was not good for the company but was, in my opinion, the right thing to do. In the eleventh hour I boldly decided to pull a very expensive, full page, 4 color ad from a then famous rock band and replace it with a filler ad. The band was notorious for simulating graphic abortions on stage and I could not support that as art for vulnerable teenagers. Of course, twenty years later, I realize it would have been best if I just quit that job but, in my youth, I was a bit of a rebel.
My duration within that company lasted one more month and then I was laid off — interestingly, not fired. I went from making a six-figure income to nothing and many people thought I was crazy ‘for not going with the flow’ but I knew better. Whether I believe in something or not, as long as my name is associated with it and I am getting paid I basically am endorsing it. There is no way around that and the solution, for me, was quite simple: only accept work that I can back up morally and responsibly.
Over the years, I have been offered tremendous opportunities that could have been incredibly rewarding financially but morally inept. I consciously do not work on projects that can influence people in an unhealthy way because within my field there is too many smoke and mirrors. Because I am brought in on projects to pull it all together and make it happen, I discern each project to its true meaning.
Forty years ago movies still showed values, prayer and reverence and today, unfortunately, it is unfashionable. The other day as I was driving, I heard an advertisement on the radio that ended with: ‘Jesus is still the Reason for the season.’ Well, I darn well almost ran off the road with that one but inwardly felt joyful and hopeful. Although probably not politically correct, New Line Cinema has gone back to the fundamental truth to which this great country has turned it’s back on. Jesus Is the Reason for Christmas and He should be invited back in America.
Perhaps if we combined the morals of yesteryear with the technology and knowledge of today we would have the world each of us dream about. Personally, I have seen enough guts, gore, sex and destruction and I would bet that a great many more are as bored and disgusted by it as me. People do indeed have a voice and the time is now to use it if only for our children who are our leaders for tomorrow.
Judi Lynn Lake successfully runs her own advertising agency which handles everything from logos, branding, videos and websites while continues to work closely with self-published authors from design to promotion. To learn more visit http://www.judilake.com
The 21st century has revolutionized the way business in conducted worldwide. The world wide web connects nearly every home to companies in foreign nations as well as the teenager with a blog. The internet is the most powerful form of communication in the world and is the best tool for building a business. Unfortunately, scams, liars, and cheats also recognize the power of the web and use it to attack honest folks. How can your business separate itself from the cheats?
There is a saying that Zig Ziglar has made very popular in recent years. If you haven’t heard it yet you can expect to hear it frequently in the future, especially if your future includes business dealings. The idea is really the essence behind building trust with any clientele. It goes like this:
“You can have anything in the world that you want, if you will just help enough other people get what they want.” -Zig Ziglar
The point is that any successful business deal must give the client just what he wants and thereby establish the integrity of the company. Many people believe that win-win business deals are ideals of young fools who have no sense of reality. This attitude couldn’t be further from the truth. All successful deals must be win-win or else the customer would never buy. If a customer perceives that he or she is being ripped off, there is absolutely no incentive to buy from you because they know that you cannot be trusted.
A successful salesman, therefore, is one who is confident in his product or service and can successfully communicate the unique benefits that the customer can obtain only by buying from you. The presenter must be very conscious of all communication, verbal and nonverbal, so that there is nothing to alert the customer that anything dishonest is afoot. The best way for a salesperson to be at ease is to offer an honest product or service. When the prospects start asking the difficult questions, the salesperson won’t have to stammer and make excuses because he or she is totally sold on the product themselves. If your product doesn’t do such-and-such that your prospect is asking about, answer honestly and admit the fault. By admitting a fault, the prospect will see that you’re honest and you actually win a point by conceding a negative. Make sure, however, that if your prospect does not choose to buy your product, refer to someone who offers what they are looking for (in exchange for a finder’s fee, of course).
Honest business will ultimately generate increasing trust in you as a salesperson and it won’t be long before your clients will be marketing your business for you because you delivered such high quality and honest service. Save the marketing money for your much-deserved pay raise for learning to gain the trust of your clients and assist everybody in getting what they wanted.
Tyler Ellison is an experienced internet marketer and helps others to make money fast online marketing legally using different techniques to attract prospects.
Many believe that ethical behavior is some abstract term that sounds nice and looks good on paper, but are confused as to what being ethical really means in the workplace. What if someone told you that everything you need to know about ethical behavior, you learned in kindergarten?
That’s right, ethics - or the guidelines of conduct followed in the workplace - were taught to you at a very young age. Practicing ethical behavior is important to you because it can grow a business, promote teamwork among coworkers, and build confidence and trust in each other. Now let’s refresh our memories on what being ethical means.
One of the first things your kindergarten teacher probably taught you was to be honest. Behaviors such as, cheating or lying, were considered wrong and could land you in the time-out corner. Practicing honesty by following through on your promises and remaining loyal to your beliefs, can build a solid and respectable reputation in the workplace.
An equally important behavior that was repeatedly emphasized was treating others with respect - i.e. - the “Golden Rule” - regardless of sex, age, or other differences. Being respectful towards supervisors, coworkers, and customers promotes an environment of tolerance and openness that is the perfect breeding ground for establishing employee and customer satisfaction and loyalty.
But where would honesty and respect get you without responsibility? Responsibility means taking your duties seriously enough to always perform and give at your highest level of performance. If a task seems difficult, don’t give up - find the answer or help you need to complete the work. You are the person who is ultimately responsible for the quality of work you do; take and accept responsibility for your decisions.
How many times did you hear, “Wait your turn!” or “Share!” in kindergarten? Probably too many times to count. Working as part of team in the workplace can be challenging because you have to be open-minded and listen to the opinions of others. But by being fair and reasonable to the positions and views of others is a great way to build a reputation of balanced equity in the workplace.
Lastly, these ethical behaviors would mean very little without developing the caring attitude to match them. Infusing your coworker and customer interactions with compassion, forgiveness, and gratitude, is essential to creating mutually respectable relationships that will prosper.
Ethical behavior in the workplace isn’t a myth; the capacity to practice honesty, respect, responsibility, fairness, and compassion has existed in each of us since we were taught these values in kindergarten. If you haven’t already, tap into those memories to be on your way to becoming the best person you can be in your career.
Cathy Warschaw, Director of the Warschaw Learning Institute provides an online multicultural dental front office course, HIPAA, telephone training and eBooks on team building, managerial, customer service, and marketing at www.WarschawLearningInstitute.com
The last few years have been a period of heightened scrutiny and scandal for the financial services industry. Most recently, the SEC issued a report on pension consultants regarding conflicts of interest and the objectivity of advice given to retirement plan sponsors. It’s become vital to the success of insurance and financial advisors that they differentiate themselves with their exemplary ethics, that they operate by a higher moral code and that they communicate that higher standard to their clients. Why? Because research proves that ethics builds trust, and trust sells - in the long-term and - in the short-term, as well.
Taken from the SEC report and the information provided by the Dept of Labor, below are Affirmations of Ethical Behavior for Financial and Insurance Industry Representatives.
The Ten Affirmations of Ethical Behavior
1. If registered with the SEC or a state securities regulator as an investment adviser I will provide my clients with all the disclosures required under those laws (including Part II of Form ADY).
2. I will describe any relationship I have with money managers that I recommend, consider for recommendation, or otherwise mention to the plan.
3. I will describe any payments I receive from money managers I recommend, consider for recommendation, or otherwise mention to the plan for consideration.
4. I have prepared policies and procedures to address conflicts of interest or to prevent conflicting payments or relationships from being a factor when providing advice to my clients.
5. I will monitor and reconcile the amount of commissions paid when using brokerage commissions to pay consulting fees and alert plan sponsors when consulting fees have been paid in full.
6. I have established procedural steps to ensure that the plan receives the best execution for its securities trades when the consulting fees are paid with the plan’s brokerage commissions.
7. I will describe any arrangements with broker-dealers under which I will benefit if money managers place trades for their clients with such broker-dealers.
8. If hired, I will acknowledge in writing whether or not I have a fiduciary obligation as an investment adviser to the plan while providing consulting services.
9. I will acknowledge whether or not I consider myself a fiduciary under ERISA with respect to the recommendations I provide the plan?
10. I will describe the percentage of my plan clients that utilize money managers, investment funds, brokerage services or other service providers from whom I receive fees?
Post these affirmations on your website and include them in your marketing materials. If you complete the affirmations for prospective clients, you will have distanced yourself from the scandal ridden and differentiated yourself in an industry where the value added to products and services is quickly commoditized
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When it comes to dealing with contractors one of the most important things that you will do is getting a quote. This quote may be hard to wrangle out of some contractors, but it is absolutely essential. This is the only guarantee that you have concerning the budget of the work that you need done. Without a quote in writing the contractor can spend as much as he or she sees fit and then charge you for it in the end. The quote is what can help you to cap the spending on your contractor and sub contractors.
The contractor’s quote is also a tool that you can use when trying to decide between contractors. You will probably meet several in your hunt for the contractor for you and it can be pretty tough to narrow it down to just one. The quotes that you receive can make it a lot easier to choose. You will see how thorough the person is by the quote as well as get a feel for the amount of money that is gong to be needed to pull of this project.
Whatever you do, don’t choose the cheapest quote simply because it is so cheap. When it comes to construction cheap is not better. This does not mean that you want to choose the highest either because price alone does not make it good. What you need to do is some research. Visit some sites online and find out some price ranges for what it is that you need done. This will help you to determine which contractors are trying to take you for a ride and which are honest.
When you are comparing the quotes from different contractors you need to keep it simple. Keep in mind that there are different qualities of just about everything. For example, perhaps you need new windows, one quote may quote you a low price because you are going to get cheap and crappy windows from them while another might be way higher because they plan on installing great energy efficient windows. What you need to do is make sure that all of the contractors are quoting for the same things. Choose a kind of widow and have them quote for the project using those particular windows. The same thing applies to the doors and the railings or whatever it is that you need. This is the only way to compare applies to apples and oranges to oranges.
As with any contractor you need to careful when hiring your landscaping contractor. You can’t just close your eyes and point while tracking down a contractor because who knows what you would end up with. Your contractor has to have the right education and the right licenses and other credentials not to mention tons of experience.
Talk to at least 5 different landscapers before you make any binding promises. Ask the contractor if he or she would be willing to take you on a little tour of other yards they did in the area. This is a wonderful way for you to get a feel for their abilities. If they have nothing to show you then choose a different contractor. You want to see things for yourself that is the best way to go about it.
Many landscapers will want to show you pictures instead. This can do in a pinch. If they have a portfolio then by all means take a look at it. This is a good way to see what they can do too. No matter what you choose to do, don’t forget to get plenty of references. These are the most important tools that you have at your disposal when it comes to choosing the landscaping contractor that is right for you.
In most cases when a landscaper is hired he or she will be the one to come up with the plan for the yard. They will of course have to run it by you before they start work. Be sure to get this put into your contract. You do not want to go to work one day and come home to something right out of your worst nightmare. Be sure that everything gets put past you before work starts.
Look for a creative and imaginative landscaper, one that has all kinds of great idea to bring your home to life in a big and colorful way. It is a great idea to have the landscaping contractor pay a visit to your home in order to see what he thinks. Ask what he is envisioning and see what he says. If he has some great ideas right off the top of his head that is a good sign. See if he or she is into using both color and texture in their designs. This is the ideal landscaper.
If you follow these tips when looking for a landscaping contractor you are sure to fid the one that will turn your home into dreamland.
Employee termination is almost always a high stress situation. When an employee is disrupting the workplace to the point that termination is necessary, having predefined termination strategies is critical not only for workplace safety but for protecting your company from discrimination suits as well. Academy Group Inc, the company started by the FBI’s famed Chief of Behavioral Science, has developed standards for corporate employee termination strategies. Here you’ll find a few key considerations for implementing solid termination strategies.
Termination strategies create a barrier against discrimination suits
Discrimination lawsuits are big business in the United States. In 2004 alone there were 79,432 discrimination lawsuits filed by employees against employers. Well prepared termination strategies establish checks and balances in the termination process that stand up in court. Employers must set solid goals for employees and have a foolproof way of documenting progress compared to goals. There must also be established and well documented standards of acceptable and unacceptable behavior and processes in place to consistently document inappropriate behavior.
Establish a consistent warning system
For an employee, termination is often an unexpected experience that threatens the well-being of his or her lifestyle and family. Events seen as sudden attack on a person’s well-being can often cause people to react irrationally and often violently. To reduce violence and possible discrimination issues, workplace termination strategies must include a precise and consistent warning system for issues of poor performance. Additionally, a clearly defined set of inappropriate behaviors puts the responsibility on the employee to decide to act in a way that clearly leads to removal from the company.
Deliver the message in a way that eases fear
Advanced termination strategies also involve proven ways to deliver the termination messages in a strategic way, presenting options that ease the employee’s fears early on in the conversation. A terminated employee who leaves the premises feeling as if they are about to lose everything can be a ticking time bomb and a threat to themselves, their families, or former coworkers. Effective termination strategies should include a plan for the termination conversation that leverage any benefits packages offered by your company such as job placement plans, severance packages, options to cash out 401K plans, etc.
Well prepared warning and termination language
Managers and HR employees that interact directly with the employee being terminated should be extensively counseled on the use of appropriate language to be used throughout the warning and termination process. Effective termination strategies include well prepared language that is impartial, factual, and free of interpretative words and phrases such as “I think,” “I believe,” etc.
Effective corporate termination strategies are essential in today’s society where workplace violence and discrimination lawsuits are on the rise. When it comes to termination strategies, it’s important to seek out professional strategists rather than learning by costly trial and error.
Author is a writer for Academy Group which specializes in behavioral sciences and threat assessment. For more information you can visit www.Academy-Group.com.
Each week, roughly 17 people are murdered while on the job and 33,000 more are assaulted. This adds up to big liability for companies, not to mention tremendous heartache and pain. This high level of violence stems from on-the-job stress and increasing economic pressure. Your due diligence as an employer will not only protect the employees you value so much, but pay off in court should you ever find yourself in the unfortunate situation of having to defend your business practices in a case of negligence. Here you’ll find some brief guidelines for identifying risk factors and preventing workplace violence.
Risk Factor: High stress work environments
Stressful environments alone are a risk factor for workplace violence. According to a survey by Northwestern National Life, 25% of employees view their jobs as the primary source of stress in their lives. When people feel trapped under pressure, they are more likely to react violently.
Prevention: Stress related violence tends to have quite a few warning signs. It’s critical to incorporate administrative processes and policies that allow employees to comfortably and anonymously report threats or aggressive behavior by other associates. Specific processes should be in place to track threats and assess their level of risk based on statistically proven guidelines.
Risk Factor: Jobs that involve the exchange of money
Any employee who exchanges money with the public is at a higher risk for workplace violence. Desperate and criminally-minded individuals learn how to target establishments that do not impose standard crime prevention techniques.
Prevention: In addition to well enforced cash handling policies and emergency procedures, it’s important to make your efforts to prevent workplace violence evidence to the public. Highly visible security cameras, security cash safes, and signs that alert customers of the employee’s limited access to cash, all help to protect employees from violent robberies. The height of the counter also works as a subconscious and physical barrier between employee and customer.
Risk Factor: Mobile Workplaces
Delivery drivers, cab drivers, and other employees who work primarily alone from their vehicle are often targets of violence. Without an unpredictable environment and lack of a protective building structure, those who work from their vehicles can find themselves in any number of violent and threatening situations.
Prevention:
Having an accessible alert or panic button that employees can use to call attention to themselves is a good start for preventing mobile workplace violence. Installing GPS locators and implementing processes to identify and react to unusual driving behavior can be another useful crime prevention method. For some types of businesses or for coverage in high-risk areas, it can be beneficial to staff multiple employees on one shift with policies to ensure that these staffing procedures are consistently followed. Criminally minded opportunists often learn to spot inconsistencies and exploit weak points such as a single driver when there are normally two.
The key to preventing workplace violence is a well thought out plan created from the point of view of the criminal. To reduce disasters from trial by error, it’s important to train with or consult with criminal behavior and forensics specialists. There are various tools and training programs for employers to aid in preventing workplace violence created by experts who have studied the minds and routines of violent criminals for years are able to pick out patterns of behavior and reasoning.
Taking steps to protect the safety of your employees and your business can make an incredible difference in moral, in the ability to attract high quality associates, and can save you from serious liability in the future.
Author is a writer for Academy Group which specializes in behavioral sciences and threat assessment. For more information you can visit www.Academy-Group.com.
Should You Take The Bait?
Unfortunately, unscrupulous home business schemes are everywhere these days. If you surf the internet, it seems as though everywhere you turn, you are flooded with ads that tell you how to earn more money than you are now, often for doing something that is easy and almost skill free work. Give us a break. These ads usually look like this:
Be part of one of America’s Fastest Growing Industries!
Hype, right?
Earn thousands of dollars a month, from your home, at only fifteen minutes a day!
It will take more than this much time just to get started and organized each day.
Want to Learn The Big Secret of the Internet Millionaires! Click Here!
The biggest secret is to start something and build it yourself, slowly, with the help of quality associates. Also, if something is great, the content in the copy will be honest hype and spell it out for you. Be afraid of people who freely toss exclamation points at you.
We have all seen these types of ads both on and off the internet. They are appealing, sure. Who does not want to earn ten thousand dollars a month for fifteen minutes of work a day? But you have to be careful.
Almost all get rich quick schemes are designed to part you from your hard earned money. If you feel your greed emotions kicking in on anything like this, it is time to click the delete button or hang up the phone.
Many of these scheme artists are great at getting lots of testimonials for you to read. What they do not tell you is that they babysat and hand fed these leads to get where they are to make their money. They will not, I repeat, they will not have time to do this with you because they are growing so fast.
When you see big name internet marketers giving testimonials keep in mind these people are extremely talented and can make almost anything work. Ninety percent of us are just not this talented. Sorry, but it is true. Ask them to put in writing how much help they are going to give you after you sign up, if no written commitment, forget about it. I have gone through this routine many times myself.
Not all work at home opportunities deliver on their promises. What many promoters of home business schemes will not tell you is that you often have to work for many hours before you earn a single cent. This is dishonesty at its worst, for by now you should know that there is no such thing as something for nothing.
Even if you are operating from a solid home business, you will have to work hard and smart if you want to be successful. If anybody else tells you otherwise, watch out. Some thing is most likely not right.
Ask Questions! Please forgive this hype exclamation point.
Avoiding dishonest home business schemes is strictly a matter of common sense. Since you will be putting your time and money into this venture, you should definitely do some research. You do this by asking intelligent questions. If they hedge on them they are a rip off and delete their message and do not communicate with them anymore.
Some questions you must ask your work at home sponsors include the below.
What is the total cost of the program being offered? Dishonest programs always carry hidden costs with them. Be sure to check the fine print before proceeding.
Ask for all the costs involved in the program, and ask them to clarify exactly what you get in return for your money. Once again, if they hedge or they promise they will tell you after you sign up, what do you do? Good, hit the delete button and put them on your permanent no list.
What exactly will I have to do? Your tasks must be clearly outlined, with every step clearly defined. Confusion on this point is often the source of future contention.
Again, do not be carried away with promises that you will not have to do much to earn your money. If it sounds too good to be true, it most probably is. However, if it seems like hype but they give you all the details with extremely low costs to start, you might be on to something good.
Will I be paid a salary or will my pay be based on commission? This is another point that can cause trouble. Obviously, the compensation package you receive should be well thought out and commensurate to the service that you will be rendering.
When will I get my first paycheck? Beware of programs that will pay for your services much later after you have done the work. This might cause you short term financial difficulties and loss of valuable time that can make you discouraged about being an entrepreneur when they do not work.
By exercising a whole lot of common sense and asking intelligent questions, you should be able to avoid dishonest home business schemes.
James M. Lowe writes original articles about home business opportunities.
This article is aimed at owners, who want that their tenants to move out of a property. For removing the tenants from the property, landlords must utilize the help of eviction process. With the help of this process, also known as Summary Proceedings, the lawful owner of the property takes possession very quickly.
Many Steps Involved in Eviction Process
There are several steps described in the overall landlords guide to the eviction process. It begins with the landlord issuing an eviction notice. After the notice, a series of court appearances and a trial takes place. The chances of your success depend much on how better you present your arguments to prove your case. You may get an order of eviction if you succeed in satisfying the magistrate. After the issuance of this order, it is the responsibility of a court officer to vacate the rental property by removing the tenants and their belongings. However, in most of the cases, long before the stage of physically evacuating arrives, landlords and tenants agree on a settlement. Landlords should never try to physically evacuate the person.
When You Can Start The Eviction process
According to the landlords guide to the eviction process there are seven reasons to start the eviction process. Here is a list of the reasons.
1. Not paying the amount of rent.
2. Continuously damaging the property
3. Any severe health hazard.
4. Involvement in any kind of illegal drug activities.
5. Violating any of the terms of the lease.
6. Unauthorized entry such as forceful entry.
7. Not moving out even after expiry of lease term.
How To Evict More Than One Tenant
Is it possible to remove tenants, who are paying partial rent, just because their roommate has left? The landlords guide to the eviction process says yes, you can, because getting the full amount of rent is your right. You must include a joint and several liability clause in the agreement that gives you the right of collecting the full amount of rent from any of the tenants. In addition, in the case of non-payment of rent or violation of any other term, this clause also gives you the right to force any or all of the tenants to move out.
How Much Time To Wait Before Issuing Notice
The landlord must wait for a definite time period for each reason. Depending upon the reason, this period may be one day, one week, or even one month.
David Gass is President of Business Credit Services, Inc. His company publishes a free weekly e-newsletter on Small Business Consulting at their web site http://www.smallbusinessconsulting.com