May 19, 2012

That Beast – Google Search

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In today’s competitive employment market our online reputation is just as important as our offline one. Potential employers are no longer settling for the pristine resume, stellar references and sharp business suits (although these do play an integral role in the hiring process). In a recent report conducted by Microsoft, in 2010, they found that 79 per cent of hiring managers vigilantly screened the online reputations of potential employees looking for a job; and of those 79 per cent , 70 per cent rejected job applicants based on the results populated mainly through Google search. What is even more illuminating about this new type of “reference check” is the fact that employer’s final hiring decisions were determined through (personal photos posted, video clips, and inappropriate comments left on social media profiles, such as personal blogs, Twitter, and YouTube). Moreover, in 2011, the Consumers Council of Canada researched and surveyed the negative effects of a job seekers online reputation in contributing to the final stages of the hiring process. They concluded that an individual’s online reputation does matter, and plays a significant role influencing whether you are successfully hired for the position, due to hiring manager’s prejudgment of you before you even have a chance to clarify or explain the content or material in question. Yes, this is a reality of job hunting in the 21st century and how we present ourselves offline is just as important … [Read more...]

Moving on…

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Have you decided that its time for a change? Are you that person that feels a sense of dread every morning as you approach your place of employment? Do you conjure up a million reasons to call in sick or arrive late? Or, have you come to the realization that the potential for growth has dried up and you've progressed as far as you possibly can where you currently work? Whatever the reason is that you've decided to move on to new opportunities, the thought of leaving can be very unnerving. Even the misery that you feel in a job that you've performed for many years can become your comfort. Like a child's old blanket that is tattered and torn, a familiar routine can be hard to say goodbye to. How do you begin? Deciding what it is that you would like to do, is a good place to start. You need to determine whether or not your current career path is still where you should be headed or if you want to try something new. Perhaps you have been in the retail industry for the past 5 years and have finally realized that your passion is to work with children. How do you make that transition? By looking at the educational and work experience required to work with children. Be aware that you may need to go back to school to gain the knowledge that you need and that your evenings and weekends may be temporarily consumed by homework and assignments. But don't let that deter you, if it's something you really want to do. It will take time, but will be worth it to be in a … [Read more...]

The Effective Use of Public Relations

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The recent PR fumble between Facebook, Google and top-five PR firm, Burson-Marstellar (BM), has caused quite a bit of uproar in tech and PR communities, but it has also caused a stir and raised concern with internet users over the matter of privacy. To recap, BM blew the whistle on Google via a whisper campaign to some top media outlets including USA Today, regarding their violation to federal fair trade and invasion of privacy in the development of Google Gmail’s Social Circle feature. USA Today however, found the claim to be untrue after some research and decided not to run the story. It’s possible that if BM’s PR strategy were tweaked in some places, all of this could have been avoided. Here are a few points to consider before engaging in a similar PR campaign: Confront your opponent and get the facts: Have your PR people talk directly to their PR people. Let them know what you’ve discovered and give them an opportunity to prove their case, before getting a third party like the media involved. The last thing you want to do as a company is start spreading false information, especially when it comes to pitching the media. Reporters really do not appreciate their time being wasted chasing false stories and people in general do not enjoy being misled. Also, in the case that your claim should backfire (like with BM) everyone’s reputation would still be protected. Take the high road: If you do happen to come across mal practices of your competitor, it … [Read more...]

7 Books that Every Entrepreneur Should Read

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1. Art of the Start (Guy Kawasaki) Regardless of Guy Kawasaki being a venture capitalist, he adapts a casual tone to the advice he gives in this book. It is very engaging and practical.  His message is simple: to discover what is required to build a startup.  He goes down from the basics and takes an approach that even a low funds business can use.  He explores everything from bootstrapping, networking, and creating buzz for your business. It's refreshing to be able to read a no-nonsense book that has not romanticized business. He also gives great resources at the end of the book. 2. Never get a Real Job (Scott Gerber) Scott Gerber empowers young people to dump the conventional job for a more gratifying experience.  He takes a no-nonsense approach and says that the journey will not be easy but it will be worth it for those who commit.  He uses his own background, and "real job" experience to show that it is all possible.  He encourages young people not to rely on the notion of job security but rather, create something that they can control. There is a lot of advice in this book from a young author who refused to accept the dead-end 9-5 and went ahead to create his own empire.  A great book full of resources: online tools, websites and more.  This book takes you through every phase of starting a business and tells you what works and what doesn't and what is important and what isn't. Why not learn from the mistakes and the triumphs of others! 3. Smarter, Faster, … [Read more...]

Financial Guides

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Need help managing your money or paying off debt? Here are reviews on some books that might help.   A Happy Pocket Full of Money David Gikandi Xlibris Corporation, 2008 If you are ready to take a quantum leap into the attainment and enjoyment of great wealth, if you are willing to set your mind aside for awhile—and only if you are—then begin the journey David Gikandi has laid out in A Happy Pocket Full of Money. You’ll learn the true nature of yourself, of your world, and its objects—money included. You’ll learn how the universe operates and how best to interact with it. “Anything is possible” becomes more believable than before, as Gikandi unravels science to explain it all. Debt-Free Forever: Taking Control of Your Money and Your Life Gail Vaz-Oxlade Harper Collins, 2009 If absolving yourself of debt seems like an uphill marathon without a finish line, this personal finance book may be one investment with infinite personal and financial returns. Penned by Gail Vaz-Oxlade of the hit reality TV show Til Debt Do Us Part, this manual is for anyone seriously interested in conquering consumer debt. Vaz-Oxlade teaches how anyone can be free from consumer debt within three years by creating a plan of action and change. The Wealthy Barber: The Common Sense Guide to Successful Financial Planning David Chilton Financial Awareness Corp., 1989 This book motivates readers to take control of their personal … [Read more...]

The Art of Negotiation

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Most will agree that in these tough economic times—and even during more secure periods—we want to ensure that we get the most value for every dollar spent. For a business, that means generating maximum revenue while continuing to offer great value to clients or customers. As easy as it may be to forget this in the rush of trying to achieve your own objectives, the true art of negotiation lies in meeting the other person’s needs while achieving your goals. As a professional, entrepreneur and business owner, I have had to negotiate my way through a number of sponsorship deals as well as client and supplier contracts. Overall, the three keys to negotiating are listening, being very aware of the other party’s needs and demonstrating value every step of the way. Here is a ten-step approach that I have developed. Maintain your big-picture perspective - Start by thinking about what you want to accomplish overall. What are the overarching goals of your company? Keep your eyes on the prize - focus on specific objectives. What exactly do you want out of this negotiation? What single outcome do you need for this to be a successful negotiation? Do your research - What options are out there? Perhaps what you’re looking for is right under your nose and you might not need to sacrifice much to get it. Who would be open to this type of negotiation? Research similar negotiations and see how they were resolved. Identify each party’s needs - What do you need that … [Read more...]

False Starts, Real Lessons

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Despite your most conscientious work and your best intentions, your business idea might flop. Of course, most entrepreneurs would rather anticipate success—but planning for the possibility of the 'F' word can help you turn a perceived failure into a temporary setback. What percentage of new businesses is unsuccessful? According to the 2009 nationwide statistics from Industry Canada, 96 per cent of new businesses with less than 100 employees survive for at least one full year. Eighty-five per cent last for three years or longer, and 70 per cent are still around at the five-year mark. Nevertheless, until there is a way to guarantee success for your new business, every entrepreneur should keep this in mind: your attempt to start a business may not work. The reasons may be out of your control; but what you do if faced with a “failure” is up to you. If your idea bombs, begin by examining what went wrong. Was it a combination of factors, or one serious mistake? Should you have allowed yourself more preparation time before entering the market? Did you hire an untrustworthy right-hand employee? Did a similar business have better advertising? It may be difficult or even painful to appraise your mistakes (come on, at least a few of them were probably yours), but the sooner you do, the better you will be able to recall details which help you pinpoint what went wrong. Do another “examination” when a few months have passed and your perspective may have refined. The … [Read more...]

An Interview with Room 322

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There is an urban myth about an exclusive room in the White House that only the president of the United States has access to. This room is called Room 322 and it's the basis behind the concept of Alberta clothing store, Room 322, an exclusive boutique of urban wear for the customer. In February 2010, we  had the pleasure to interview Room 322 Owner, and Creative Designer, Robert Tyndale who is, without a doubt, a very impressive Young Entrepreneur!  It was inspiring to get a fresh, "get focused" approach to business ownership, targeted at those who, like many of us, have never fit the mold of what is essentially conventional.  So when we heard about his start-up story, selling street-wear from his car and working hard to meet buyers and sales reps, it resonated  a similar beginning to FUBU mogul Daymond John. BIM: First off - can we have a little background information - Where you live? How old you are? What motivates you? Inspires you? RT: I was born and raised in Edmonton, Alberta location of the biggest mall in the world. My city is small, where the degree of separation is two people at most and was rated the second coldest places on the planet on December 12, 2009. Edmonton has been coined “City of Champions” from the glory days when Edmonton Oilers won the Stanley cup in 84, 85, 87, 88 and 90s, which has sort of stuck around even though we have not won any major sporting event in a while. I am 24 years old and I get most of my inspiration from different … [Read more...]

If You Build It, Will they Buy It?

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New business owners do a lot of work behind the scenes before they first open their doors to the public. If you are in charge of the operation, you must design the product or service so that it will appeal to your customers, set up the business and invest quite heavily, then reach out to potential customers and begin making sales. This can be an extended process and all of the upfront work is a lost cause if the last task—making sales—is unsuccessful. Securing your first few sales is one of the most crucial steps in the process of launching your business, but it can also be one of the most difficult. How can you find out if a consumer will buy—preferably, before putting a lot of your money into a business idea? Whether you are still in the testing stage or ready to begin courting customers, here are a few suggestions. 1.     Ask your friends Simply ask friends and acquaintances whether they would buy your product or service. These people who you already know are easy to reach and usually willing to test out whatever it is you are selling. Knowing whether your friends are being straightforward with you can be a challenge. They may want to avoid hurting your feelings, but this is a time where you need them to be brutally frank. Only use friends whom you can trust to be 100 per cent honest with you as testers. Try to get the opinions, as well, of some friends who are known to play the role of “devil’s advocate” in order to gain new insight on your … [Read more...]

The “Investable” Entrepreneur: How to make you and your business attractive to investors

If you are an entrepreneur looking for sources of funding for your business, you have surely heard about obtaining small business loans through your bank, applying for lines of credit, and possibly, asking for funding from family and friends. There is, however, another popular source of financial support: funding through investors. According to the Angel Investment Network, a Canadian web-based service that matches investors seeking investments with entrepreneurs seeking capital, Angel investors are currently investing over $3 billion in Canadian businesses each year. “This number would be substantially higher if these Angels were better able to find and review new types of investment opportunities.” So how can one become better prepared to approach investors? What does it take to be perceived as an “investable” entrepreneur? Black Ink spoke with Joanna Track—the president of Sweetspot.ca, Canada’s first online, trend-spotting lifestyle guide of its kind. Starting with a newsletter in 2004, Sweetspot.ca has tripled its revenue since an investment from Rogers Communications Inc. made Joanna’s “sweet” dreams come true! BIM: What motivated you to create Sweetspot.ca? Joanna Track: The concept was inspired by a similar business in New York called DailyCandy. I worked in advertising and transferred to New York where I was introduced to DailyCandy . . . I found that there was nothing like it in Toronto when moved back about six or seven years … [Read more...]