Howd You Score That Gig

Howd You Score That Gig My friend Alexandra Levit has done it again her new book just hit Amazon and its what I would call a must-buy. I got a copy of it a few weeks back and loved it. In this book she explores a number of different jobs and how real people got them. Tons of awesome information no matter where you are at in your career. And right now Howd You Score That Gig is only $10.20 on Amazon! In eight chapters, and over three hundred pages, Alexandra shares how to score gigs whether you are an aspiring adventurer, creator, data head, entrepreneur, investigator, networker, or nurturer. Dont know what you want to be when you grow up, or wondering how to get there? This is the book for you! This isnt Alexandras first book she also wrote They Dont Teach Corporate In College, which has some fantastic reviews on Amazon! If you are concerned about the special pricing on Amazon, since it will force you to pay shipping, make sure you buy another book. I think my Facebook or LinkedIn book might just complete your package and qualify you for free shipping Howd You Score That Gig My friend Alexandra Levit has done it again her new book just hit Amazon and its what I would call a must-buy. I got a copy of it a few weeks back and loved it. In this book she explores a number of different jobs and how real people got them. Tons of awesome information no matter where you are at in your career. And right now Howd You Score That Gig is only $10.20 on Amazon! In eight chapters, and over three hundred pages, Alexandra shares how to score gigs whether you are an aspiring adventurer, creator, data head, entrepreneur, investigator, networker, or nurturer. Dont know what you want to be when you grow up, or wondering how to get there? This is the book for you! This isnt Alexandras first book she also wrote They Dont Teach Corporate In College, which has some fantastic reviews on Amazon! If you are concerned about the special pricing on Amazon, since it will force you to pay shipping, make sure you buy another book. I think my Facebook or LinkedIn book might just complete your package and qualify you for free shipping

Encouraging Employees to Buy Into Business Security

Encouraging Employees to Buy Into Business Security Despite not being a priority for many businesses, security needs to be a part of every small business’s identity. With crimes against small businesses costing an estimated £12 billion a year and fraud claims on the rise, it’s the smaller firms that suffer the biggest hits if they don’t protect themselves. Companies have always been at threat from business break-ins and white-collar crime. But despite 88% of UK businesses facing a security breach within the last 12 months, many business owners still don’t look for solutions until it’s too late. With small businesses, there is more of a responsibility on individuals to help prevent company breaches. Director at Keys 4 U, Izzy Schulman, looks at how employers can take a proactive approach before the worst happens and nurture a culture of security. Promoting security protocol The first step for any business looking to tighten up its security is to begin changing the mindset of its employees from that of security as an afterthought, to a top priority. Put security at the forefront of your company ethos by handing responsibility to employees. Responsibility is generally positive for employees, building mutual trust and allowing them to meet and exceed challenges. Like with all new company policies, delivery is key. Instead of sending an email to employees, try organizing an informal meeting in which you let the team know security is a team effort and giving examples of how simple daily changes can have a much wider positive impact on the business. This behavior must be seen coming from the top down to achieve the level of buy-in needed for effective security. It’s the responsibility of directors, managers, and supervisors to be seen to be actively putting company safety protocol in place to instill a culture, as opposed to simply barking orders. Keep it simple One of the most common challenges with updating security protocols for employees is how it’s seen as a distraction or an extra responsibility on top of their existing workload. You should make it as easy as possible for employees to add security best practices into their daily routine, without disrupting them. Start by identifying the key risks in your industry and which employees are most likely to face them, for example, those working online will likely face cybersecurity threats. Set up short, regular training sessions with employees to cover key risks and best practices for avoiding them. Simple tips like how to identify and avoid the latest phishing scam emails and avoiding malware can all be learned in a quick training session. Depending on how your employees prefer to learn, you can choose from a variety of seminars, online courses or private companies to train your team. Give employees extra peace of mind by installing the latest antivirus/malware software and firewalls to keep them protected against cyber threats. With a growing trend of ransomware attacks, it’s also good practice to keep reminders around the office about regularly backing up your data. Recognize and reward Employees need to feel appreciated in their jobs. It’s an indicator of job satisfaction. However, a recent study found fewer than 64 percent of employees are satisfied with their job. Show you value employees who buy into office security by offering rewards. One way is using gamification methods. They help to create a competitive atmosphere among employees to take on security training and offer the opportunity to incentivize participants with rewards. These can range from individual tokens to whole team outings for completing security courses. Risk assessments Risk assessments are vital for identifying potential weaknesses in the business â€" both physically and online. Separate assessments should be regularly carried out in all company departments. Keep a log of all assessments to help you track security progress and see costs. A thorough strong risk assessment includes: You should begin by assessing the office or building, before moving on to inspecting employees and how they carry out daily tasks. Make sure all feedback and any company-wide changes are communicated clearly to relevant employees in a way they find engaging, for example by email or in a face-to-face meeting. Taking responsibility A thorough office security plan also includes going back to basics and improving physical office security. This can often be overlooked in today’s tech-focused workforce. It’s important to assign roles to the team, for example, those in charge of locking up the office, fire marshals and first aiders. The latter may be offered to volunteers who may see it as a positive responsibility to add to their CV, however locking up and manning alarms should typically be trusted to more senior employees. About the author: Izzy Schulman, Director at Keys4U and Plumbers4U, has a passion for delivering affordable locksmith and plumbing solutions to those in need. Being an experienced contractor himself and a business director for just under 10 years, he is always keen to share his experience with businesses and help those in the industry.

Tips for Telling Your Companys Story - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Tips for Telling Your Companys Story - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career In a consumer world full of websites and apps that direct customers to the cheapest gas, best deals and lower-priced everything, it can be increasingly difficult to earn customer loyalty. Sometimes your business can’t or won’t compete on price for products and services, so you must gain customer attention through other means. Making that human connection with a customer through telling your company’s story is one such way to get that attention. There is a collection of consumers out there that want their purchasing power to have meaning and to make a difference in the world. These are the people who bestow loyalty to companies that have a compelling story. There are many ways to tell your company’s story, but here are a few tips to get you started. Be Relatable Consumers want to know that you understand them. By understanding them, you are better equipped to serve them. If your company was founded because you had a personal problem and you created something for yourself to solve that problem, that’s relatable. Everyone has problems but not everyone is equipped to solve them. The fact that you have an MBA from Harvard may be the thing that equipped you to solve your own problem, but the masses won’t relate to that. They will relate, however, to someone identifying a need and taking matters into their own hands to meet that need. It is something they wish they could do for themselves, but will accept your help now because you’ve already paved the way. Promote Your Ethics Back to that group of consumers that want their buying power to make a difference the world â€" they chose companies that align with their personal ethical views. They are looking for companies that treat their vendors and employees fairly, that have robust corporate social responsibility programs in place and that give back to their communities through charitable actions. Look at the response REI got when it launched its #optoutside campaign and announced it was closing stores on Black Friday. Consumers that had never shopped at REI flooded social media to commit to shopping at REI because the company took a stand against the consumerism of the holiday season. Instead, it took significant steps to support its values of getting people active in the outdoors. Create a Timeline If part of your company’s draw is the long history it has in its area of expertise, use a timeline to show that history. Timelines are impactful because they give a visual representation of how far your company has come and garners trust in your products and services because you’ve kept your business open for a long period of time. Take Arrow Cattlequip’s historic timeline, for example. Its timeline shows that not only has it been in business for 27 years, but it has also grown from a single family ranch into a global operation. That tells customers that Arrow Cattlequip understands their needs because they were once a small operation too. Also, its products are of good quality because it was able to build a corporation based on them. Use Data You can tell your story by using data pertinent to your business and presenting it in a quickly and easily digestible manner â€" also known as an infographic. Infographics can be used to show customers how to get the most of your products and services, how well you know them by providing demographical information or to share your company’s success story. Made a Video Telling your business story face to face, virtually of course, can be incredibly powerful. Again, it all harkens back to the consumer’s need to feel a human connection. Reading words on a computer screen can be a cold and lonely experience, but watching a video complete with emotive background music and the faces of the storytellers is inclusive and inviting. Social media makes sharing videos easy and very cost-effective. YouTube, Snapchat, Twitter, Facebook and Periscope all allow businesses to connect with consumers of all ages across the globe for little to no cost. The weight behind online shared content can make any business an overnight global success. Make It Personal Does your company have a mission, service or product that draws in employees and customers alike? Get your employees out in front of your customers and allow them to share their personal experiences working for the company. Letting customers see the real people behind the scenes that are providing their products or services allows for a trustworthy connection. Let your satisfied customers draw in new customers by allowing them to share their experiences. Using customer testimonials to tout the quality of your products and services builds trust with would-be customers. Customers are going to talk about their experiences with your company whether you are listening or not, so tuning in will allow you to show gratitude for the positive feedback and manage the negative feedback. Telling your company’s story in a compelling and relatable manner can be one of the best marketing tools available to you. Better than deep discounts that drive fickle business, building a loyal customer base that chose your company because you have shared values is the key to long-lasting success.