Business Improvement

Archive for December, 2010

Singapore Virtual Offices – Which Is The Best Choice

Singapore is a small nation and the one thing that we don’t have a lot of is land resources. But it hasn’t stopped this tiny island nation from growing beyond belief turning the initial capital of 20 million dollars that the colonials left for us and transforming the country into a hundred billion dollar a year profit generating economic machine. We then have a country that is built on sound foundation and with some of the best minds in politics and economics. We have taken this philosophy far and the vertical has been outlet of many of our building strategies. We have mined the knowledge economies of a generation of geniuses and with that intangible investment comes another.

What we cannot offer in spreading landscapes and giant multiplexes of offices we can offer in virtuality. The virtual office fever has reached Singapore and because of its size we have taken it and ridden with it to almost extreme levels. This is because more and more internet based businesses and freelance expatriates are making this safe and economically sound country a base for their operations and most of them have a philosophy of saving money.

Rent in Singapore is high and but trend following and trend setting is what we are known for. Virtual office services all over the CBD and business districts and town of Singapore have been popping up and the players include a whole host of international progenitors of this business as well as local companies who ever the same service. Setting up a virtual office in Singapore is very easy and you have a wide variety of companies to choose from with different price plans and different features that they offer to you.

Choosing one is really dependent on what your needs are and the good thing is you can tailor make the experience for yourself. You need to look for the good and the bad Also give a pass to those offices who do not provide a receptionist as the voice behind the company especially when your business keeps you mobile and busy at all times.

Clients and consumers do not like the cold machine like auto reply system and one aspect of a successful business is one that maintains that human touch within its structure. Also especially if your business requires the use of a physical meeting room ensure that the company you are signing up with can provide such facilities at the turn of a coin. What I am trying to sell here is that when looking for a virtual office is it should be customisable and provide you with a integrated communications solutions to cater to all your needs. Singapore has a whole host of virtual offices and I guess the question is not which is the best choice but which is the best choice for you.

Take a stroll around the central business districts and survey the lay of the land carefully before you decide to commit anything. But you will be assured that the virtual offices in Singapore are just as safe and a secure as the country that they are sitting in.

About the writer:  Kruse PEO is a professional employer organization with its HR and payroll consultants help small medium and large businesses. We cater costefficient and comprehensive HR and payroll services to all areas of HR management.

Should Employers Use MySpace Facebook Or LinkedIn To Screen Candidates And Make Hiring Decisions? Background Screening Expert Explains The Dangers To

Social and professional networking sites have become enormously popular ways to connect with friends and colleagues. MySpace has 73 million American users Facebook has 36 million U.S. members and LinkedIn has 17 million members.

As a result social networking sites present a tempting source of information for employers. 60 to 70 percent of hiring managers are currently doing online background checks of prospective candidates often before they contact them for an initial interview.

But screening candidates by reading their online profiles presents numerous legal and ethical challenges for businesses recruiters and hiring managers.

Employers who choose to use these and other social networking sites such as Twitter must use care to avoid attaining and using information in a discriminatory way. They need to ensure that they are in compliance and do not break privacy laws as well as be sure that the information obtained is accurate.

The leading social networking sites

* MySpace is a popular international social networking website offering an interactive usersubmitted network of friends personal profiles blogs groups photos music and videos for teens and adults. It’s owned by Fox Interactive Media which is owned by News Corporation.

* Facebook was founded by Mark Zuckerberg while he was still a student at Harvard Univerity. Users can join networks organized by city school workplace and region to connect and interact with others. Website membership was initially only available to Harvard students but now has more than 80 million active users worldwide.

* LinkedIn is a site mainly used for professional networking. The purpose of the site is to allow registered users to maintain a list of contact details of people they know and trust in business. The people in the list are called Connections. Users can invite anyone to become a connection.

Pitfalls of using social and professional networking sites to screen job candidates

Some employers may feel that they should take advantage of the “free” information that is available on these sites. Before employers use information obtained from these sites they need to consider:

The use of personal information
Accessibility issues
Accuracy of information
Privacy compliance

It is important that hiring managers not discriminate against a candidate because they included something strange on a social network website. Many candidates post indiscreet photos or share too much information about their religious and political beliefs sexual preferences age marital status or unusual hobbies in their profiles. However it’s illegal for employers to consider these factors when making their hiring decisions.

“Pretexting” is another risk to avoid. Employers should never set up a fake identity in order to join a candidate’s friends’ network and gain access to their information. In addition it’s often difficult to determine if you’re reading the profile of the job applicant or someone else with a similar name.

The best practice is to perform an Internet search on a candidate only after a conditional job offer is made and only if you disclose that you will be doing an online background check.

Consequences of misusing the information on social and professional networking websites include discrimination lawsuits and claims of invasion of privacy from job applicants.

A safer alternative

For an affordable safer way to vet potential employees it’s best to rely on a professional preemployment screening firm. These firms offer unbiased and accurate employee information screens for:

Employment
Criminal Records
Driving Records
Drug Testing
Social Security Number
Worker’s Compensation
Licenses amp; Credentials
Education
Credit Profile

Any information on an applicant’s background needs to be handled in a legal and confidential manner. The reality is that Human Resources or a business owner will not have the time to weed out the good from the bad information obtained through social and professional networking websites. Even if they had the time they may not know what information is allowed under the law.

Social and professional networking websites may be useful to gain a better understanding of who the applicant is but should not be relied upon to make a sound hiring decision.

In order to avoid privacy violation and discrimination claims experts recommend getting the assistance of a professional and experienced employment screening firm.

About the writer:  For information on online recruitment or pharmacy jobs and other medical jobs including; radiography nursing and biomedical science jobs in the UK visit Sterlingcross.com a pharmacy recruitment company.

Seven Dandy Uses For Video Surveillance Cameras

Who says video surveillance cameras are only for crime prevention? Used the right way and stationed properly they can be a very fearsome tool for marketing and advertising. Experts the whole world over are now utilizing video surveillance cameras to make better informed decisions about safety check compliance to standards rake in more sales and improve customer service.

The following are some of the uses for video surveillance cameras in the business world.

1. Compliance monitoring

Compliance monitoring is useful in industries where standard operating procedures have to be strictly followed. Through video surveillance cameras managers of restaurants or hotels can determine whether or not their staffs are following proper sanitation measures. They can also check if their chefs are observing proper food handling and preparation procedures. Video surveillance cameras are also very useful in cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries. They can monitor vital parts of the production process such as processing and packing.

2. Construction progress monitoring

Video surveillance cameras mounted in construction areas allow project managers to show construction progress to clients investors and stakeholders. Because a construction site is hardly an environment conducive for surveillance the cameras being used should be weatherproof. Additionally it is recommended that you use video surveillance cameras that have infrared and lowlight capabilities so that nighttime images can be captured clearly.

3. Performance monitoring

This is the most popular use for video surveillance cameras in the workplace. With the use of video surveillance cameras companies can keep an eye on employee’s onthejob performance and their use of company time. In addition video surveillance helps management identify customer patterns. This is particularly useful in restaurants where managers have to identify peak hours during the day so as to maximize scheduling arrangements.

4. Traffic regulation and systems monitoring

Video surveillance technology in the form of photo enforcement for example helps officials recognize traffic flow and congestion areas. In some cities camera images of streets and important routes are displayed on websites to help drivers anticipate traffic problems.

5. Remote telepresence

This use of video surveillance cameras requires that the cameras be positioned in locations not accessible to humans. Examples of these locations include the ocean the bottom of the sea desert landscapes or the insides of a human body. Data from this highly specialized use of video surveillance cameras are used in various practical applications such as solving medical problems investigating disputes over natural resources saving endangered species and studying the behavior of life forms thriving in their natural environments.

6. Improved customer relations

Video surveillance cameras clue management in on the type of attitude staff members are projecting towards customers. In department stores for example. video surveillance cameras show how customers are greeted and how their questions are answered.

7. Marketing

Nothing beats the performance and dependability of video surveillance cameras at compiling demographic data of malls resorts amusement parks and tourist attractions. Another usage for these cameras is identification of traffic pattern. For example a department store could use video surveillance cameras to track foot traffic so that they can position their merchandise in key zones. These key zones are places at a clothing store for instance that receive the most human traffic.

It has been said that a weapon is only as deadly as its user. The same is true of video surveillance cameras. It exists as a modern marketing and advertising tool but it will only be effective to the extent you allow it to be.

About the writer:  What is the Secret? Business Coaching can help you and your business double triple and even quadruple your profits in less time with less effort. For more information on how to Find A Coach visit our website at http://www.businesscoach.com.