Business Improvement

Archive for October, 2009

Credit Crunch: Whatchugonna Do When It Comes For You?

Funny how one man says a thing and it becomes a common saying; another and its never heard of again.

Remember the Bad boys bad boys? My son thinks it started with Will Smith and Martin Lawrence. You and I know the song came a generation before the movie

You often hear bear with me down the phone when the operator or customer service advisor really means give me a moment please who started that? In the good old days bear with me meant I am kinda struggling and would appreciate your help and understanding. Like if your house was flooded and your insurance agent wanted a copy of your policy bear with me it will take a day or two

And this is precisely what we need to do in these troubled times. We need to hear and understand each others problems with deeper empathy. I am disturbed by those who find exploitative opportunity; we should rather be sharing the little we have left between us than grabbing from those who are stunned down and helpless.

And here is where we can all help.

Utilities. We all use them they are fundamental gas electricity landline broadband mobile phone. Find a company which will give you a return for your investment and put your money in it. And use it!

The corner shops pay more money and support your locals. The big supermarkets will still be filled by those without a deeper sense of community pinching their pockets and sticking with the cheapest so you wont be doing anyone out of a job.

Your employer work harder longer better! You know a lot of businesses will flop in the next 4 years so make the difference which will keep your company alive!

Think of you own options and make up your own ways to help other individuals at little cost to yourself.

I work at a call centre sometimes and when I want a person to hold for a moment I say stand by. Next time YOU hear this on the line know that my philosophy Ubuntu has come of age.

About the writer:  Roberta Lazi B.Sc.Eng M.Sc. Eng MBA left the corporate world to focus on the demands of lone parent domesticity. Roberta is now a self taught expert home business entrepreneur. See Robertas current projects at http://asikhatali.bravehost.com/index.html

Counterpoint: Laughter Really Is The Best Medicine

Counterpoint: Laughter really is the bestmedicine

Every issue every event global national and local has a point and a counterpoint. You are given the point all the time in news and analyses. Now get the counterpoint.

I am doing some serious research on laughter. I type the word laugh in google and it throws up 4550000 results at me in 0.11 seconds. I dig some more and I unearth the worlds funniest joke courtesy LaughLab a huge scientific experiment dedicated to discovering just that.

The joke goes like this:

A couple of New Jersey hunters are out in the woods when one of them falls to the ground. He doesnt seem to be breathing his eyes are rolled back in his head. The other guy whips out his cell phone and calls the emergency services. He gasps to the operator: My friend is dead! What can I do? The operator in a calm soothing voice says: Just take it easy. I can help. First lets make sure hes dead. There is a silence then a shot is heard. The guys voice comes back on the line. He says: OK now what?

After pausing to laugh and shake my head and show the joke to friends I decide Ill try and get some really good quotes on laughter from the famous and the humourous. After much searching among real words and ewords I come up with six of the very best:

The most wasted of all days is one without laughter e e cummings

Man is distinguished from all other creatures by the faculty of laughter Joseph Addison

Always laugh when you can. It is cheap medicine Lord Byron

Laughter is the shortest distance between two people Victor Borge

Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human face Victor Hugo

The human race has one really effective weapon and that is laughter Mark Twain

Wise words true words. Words that are particularly relevant now with death and destruction looming large in our conversation and consciousness. Words that nudge us gently in the right direction the direction of laughter.

My current interest in laughter comes from a workshop. A laughter workshop to be precise. We met some friends mostly strangers last week to laugh. Led by laugh doctor Madan Kataria we flung our arms refined our breathing patterns and smiled. Giggled. Chuckled. Guffawed. Bellowed. Held our aching sides. Wiped tears from the corners of our eyes. Let go of our inhibitions. Behaved foolishly. And loved it.

Your body releases feelgood chemicals even when you pretend to laugh the good doctor told us at the very beginning. The trick lies in stimulating laughter for at least 15 minutes a day. That done you prepare your body and mind to face the day with energy and enthusiasm.

All of us sober grownups with a hundred responsibilities followed Katarias lead. We said hoho and haha. We raised our hands. We spoke gibberish loudly and with many gestures.

We laughed in many different ways and went around greeting complete strangers looking them straight in the eye laughing. We sat together and spent 10 minutes without talking only laughing.
In the beginning we forced ourselves to laugh. We pushed the giggle up up up from our stomachs and hearts and forced it out. But within minutes inspired by the real gigglers of our large group we were laughing naturally ourselves.

At the end of the session we were happy relaxed full of energy.

Id had a niggling headache earlier in the evening. Later it had gone. Thats when I realised laughter really IS the best medicine.

Thats why Im doing research on laughter. And smiling as Im working.

About the writer:nbsp;nbsp;Right Selection Event Management invites professional speakers trainers and consultants to share their expertise in various fields of learning with the corporate community. The Events division organises: * Success Seminars inviting participation from the corporate community. * Customised Workshops for individual companies

Corporate Fundraising Tips

Raising funds within a corporate setting takes creativity and good time management skills. With a little bit of planning and teamwork however your office can raise a large amount of money for purposes such as charitable donations or community resources. Regardless of the purpose behind the fundraising there are a number of common principles that can be employed in order to maximize results and get the most out of the fundraising experience.

Decide What You Need

One of the first and most basic principles associated with corporate fundraising is to realize how much money or resources you intend to raise and work with that goal in mind. A solidified concrete goal with which to work impacts the process of fundraising by allowing for accurate goalsetting. This will also assist in organizing the fundraising event and compiling the various resources needed to begin the fundraising.

By discovering and deciding on the fundraising goals you can also begin to plan the basics. Watch out for any hidden costs associated with the fundraising process as these can take away from your goal and can impact the amount of funds it may take to set up the fundraising venture in the first place. Hidden costs such as shopping for prizes or setup materials can impact the overall experience of fundraising.

Take Time to Prepare

Taking adequate time to prepare the fundraising event is critical. Select your fundraising program as early as possible to give a lot of time between the start date of the event and the present date. You will need ample time to collect materials assemble a team of assistants and advertise your fundraiser. Promote the fundraiser with posters and advertisements in schools church groups community centers and other public places for the best turnout.

Stay Motivated

As the fundraising event continues on it is important to keep your team motivated and excited. A lack of motivation can hamper the fundraising results and negatively impact your companys image. Instead offer incentives along the way and organize your event properly so as to give sufficient time for breaks and time off. If the fundraiser is stretched out over several days and involves order taking substitute workers frequently to avoid fatigue. Set a limit of ten to twelve days on order taking for the best results.

Communicate Clearly

Communication is of significant importance. It is vital that communication is accurate and timely especially between fundraisers and potential clients. If people do not have a clear idea as to where their money or donation is going they are not as likely to give a generous donation. Having clear and concise information to communicate with the client can make the fundraising process easy and exciting. Its also a great way to provide a good reputation for your company.

Have a Variety of Options

If you are selling items or auctioning off various goods in your fundraiser make sure you have a wide variety of items. Dollhouses rocking horses and toys make great fundraisers for family friendly events while other fundraisers may feature the auctioning of timesaving products or even vehicles.

About the writer:  Learn more about the fascinating world of miniatures. Visit TheMagicalDollhouse.com today for a great selection of doll houses and dollhouse accessories from top miniature companies.