All Interviewers Watch Out For These Traits

Are you stuck in a rut on the job market? If you are it’s possible that you’re simply not giving the right impression to potential employers. If you apply for a popular position or job, you could be up against at least a few hundred other candidates. They are all going to be eager to impress and make sure they’re the one that walks away with the prize. To make sure you come out on top, you need to understand who you’re pitching yourself to, the employer. Whenever the employer interviews a new candidate they will always be looking out for certain traits.

If you can make sure you fit the bill, you can get the dream position that you’ve been searching for:

Going The Extra Mile.

You must make sure that you show employers that you will be willing to go the extra mile for their business. They shouldn’t see you as someone who is going to leave early or arrive late at the end of the day. Instead, you need to demonstrate that you will be both loyal and a vital part of the team. There are a few ways that you can do this. First, you should think about your references. There will be other jobs before this one, and you should be making sure that you are giving the maximum effort. Ideally, you need your other employers to give you solid recommendations, ensuring that you can move up the ladder.

You shouldn’t be afraid of making the point that you are willing to go the extra mile in the interview as well. Talk about how you love challenges and are eager for a change of pace, ensuring they know you are focused on your job and your career.

Managerial Skills.

Next, think about what it means to be a manager. Remember, that when an employer hires you, they aren’t just thinking about your future in that role. They are thinking about what you can bring to the company as a whole and where you will be five years down the line. They are going to hire someone who has great potential in their business and an individual who clearly has a solid future. Believe it or not, this is all about the qualifications that you hold and your prior experience. To show that you have a solid background here, you may want to think about taking a graduate diploma in project management. On a course like this, you can learn all the skills and knowledge that business owners look for in managers.

Leader Of The Gang.

Finally, all employers are looking for leaders, trendsetters, and innovators. Where will they look for evidence of this? Interestingly, their first point of call will be your social profiles. One of the first things that employers do when searching for candidates is exploring the social profiles online. They are looking for someone who has a distinct presence and knows how to network. So, if you’re social profile is lacking, you should definitely consider ways to improve it.

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How To Make The Most Of Your Small Startup Office

When you first launched your business, you were full of ideas about the office you were going to open, complete with nap pods, gourmet staff cafes and hi-tech break areas to make Google’s headquarters look naff.

And then you started looking at rent and square footage and locations, and very quickly you realised why most dream offices never actually become a reality – and it’s all to do with money.

Yup, commercial premises don’t come cheap.

After lowering your expectations and reining in your imagination, you’ve managed to find a new pad that ticks the most important boxes (basically, it’s within budget and doesn’t involve too long a commute).

Practical it may be, but sizable it certainly is not – and you haven’t even moved in all your equipment and staff yet.

Before you do, here are a few top tips for effective and clever space management that’ll help you make the most of whatever room you’ve got to work with. Check them out.

#1: Get the interior right.

A small office may not offer tons of room for big team meetings or gigantic desks, but it doesn’t have to feel cramped and claustrophobic, not if you follow a few basic space-enhancing interior design rules.

Go for neutral colours on the walls, keep curtains or blinds white (to let more natural light in) and dot a few plants around. Allowing some greenery into the workplace has a great mood-boosting effect, so even if everyone’s on top of each other, they’ll be too relaxed to care (hopefully).

#2: Add more space.

Are you already worried about where you’re going to store stock, paperwork and packaging? We’ve found a solution for increasing the square footage of your commercial premises (giving you a whole new storage area to fill) that doesn’t involve a costly and time-intensive extension.

A much simpler but equally as effective option is installing a mezzanine warehouse. Get in touch with a specialist company, like Invicta Mezzanine Floor, to learn how you can better utilise high ceilings and create a whole new level of floor space in your building.

#3: Keep desks organised.

Once your office is filled with all your hard-working employees, overflowing desks and piles of random paperwork can quickly get out of control.

Encourage good housekeeping habits from the start to keep unsightly mess at bay. Supply desktop storage solutions, buy a load of cable organisers (look online for the cheapest deal) and provide coat and bag hooks near the door to stop personal belongings cluttering up floor space.

#4: Don’t sacrifice on comfort.

You want your staff to enjoy being at work (well, as far as possible anyway), so although you’re trying to save space, don’t totally throw comfort and style out the window.

No matter how small your office is, create a break area to encourage everyone into healthier working habits and focus on ergonomics rather than size when setting up workstations. Sacrificing storage space for a comfortable and supportive desk is definitely a wise move in the long run.

Have you got any other top tips for startups trying to make the most of a small office? Leave a comment and let us know.

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Tips For Opening A Successful Coffee Shop

If you are like most people, your day cannot start well until you have coffee. When you consider the number of people who drink coffee on a daily basis, you will see that it is good for business.

Here are some tips that you should follow if you want to open up your own coffee shop:

Create a Plan.

One of the most serious steps that you can take toward opening your own coffee shop is creating a solid plan. A business plan spells out what business you have, how you plan to make profit, explores competitors, and provides strategies for troubleshooting in case you need help to achieve your goals.

Before you start drafting a traditional business plan, you should create a pitch that will allow you to validate your business idea.

Find the Right Location.

To be successful, you need to locate your shop in a busy place. It should be centrally located and conducive to your vision. You should know that finding your dream spot will not happen overnight, so you should be prepared to shop around.

Before you settle for a certain location, Google successful coffee shops to see what they are doing right. For instance, once you find the best tasting k cups online, you should look at customer reviews to see what they like about the product. Knowing might help you to choose the best coffee for your shop.

Create a Floor Plan.

A solid floor plan is essential for any coffee shop. You need to have space for a customer line and a comfortable seating area. Coming up with a good floor plan takes time, this means that you need to be patient.

Walk yourself through each possible scenario. If you are making coffee, what needs to be near you? Make sure that the employees have enough space to move around and serve the customers.

Hire an Accountant.

The best thing that you can do as a coffee shop owner is to hire an accountant to handle your books. If you decide to do your own accounting, you might err when you make the wrong assumptions. Make sure that you hire a person who believes in your vision and can help you to accomplish your goals.

Get Funding from Locals.

Finding the money to start your coffee shop might be difficult. Therefore, you should talk to your family and friends about investing in your startup. If borrowing from your family is not an option, you should consider local loan options such as banks and credit unions.

Save Money for Personal Expenses.

Aside from the costs of starting a business, you also have needs that you should consider. Your new business might not be profitable during the first six months, which means that you should set aside funds for personal use. Make sure that you have savings to use on personal needs as you allow your business to grow and find new customers.

Start Networking.

Having a good location and selling good coffee will only take you so far. You need to let people know about your business to attract more customers. You could join the local charity and give out free coffee so that people can know about your business.

Market Before You Open.

If you start marketing when your coffee shop opens its doors, you will already be behind. To have a line of people waiting when you open, you should start advertising early. Affordable marketing options include:

• Calling everyone and tell them your plans to open a coffee shop
• Printing flyers and give them out
• Using social media marketing

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Top Six Emerging Trends For Group Health Insurance In India

Health insurance has seen quite a few events in India. With growth in economy, prosperity, and awareness, individuals are more inclined to negotiate, avail and use services like group insurance benefits.

For employers, as well, group insurance schemes like health, critical illness, life and superannuation have offered an inexpensive way to attract talent and differentiate themselves as a mor e attractive employer.

Many changes have started to take place in healthcare around the world due to changing economic scenarios. This has certainly paved the way for the changes in the insurance industry as well. Also, many studies conducted by various interest groups mapped the growth of Indian businesses and employee benefit options moving closer to the western economies. That too points to the changes this industry will be poised for in short term.

So, what are these expected trends in Group Health Plans?

1. Unprecedented Increase in Awareness of Health Insurance.

According to a study conducted by Neilson India jointly with a leading insurer concluded that more than 70% of the population feels health insurance to be a more important subject than life insurance. Additionally, the industry itself has seen the growth in premium collected for health insurance at 27% year on year.

This can be attributed to the proliferation of the internet and lower cost of information sharing for insurers. With health insurance gaining importance for individuals, organisations and associations with group health insurance will enjoy an edge in attracting talent.

2. More Daycare Expenses Covered by Employer’s Health Plan.

A number of complicated treatments have become a day care treatment with the improvement in technology and medical knowledge enhancement. This has forced health insurance plans to evolve, and include more day care procedures under the umbrella.

Nowadays it is common for group health insurance plans to cover over a hundred day care procedures. It may take some more time for the individual health plans to offer similar benefits, but the health plans bought by the employers may already offer such benefit.

3. More transparent Billing in Case of Cashless Treatments.

Health insurers have been facing a higher average claim for cashless treatments (almost double of the reimbursement claims). Among other reasons considered by insurers, overcharging of insurance plans may also be one of the reasons for the same.

Since, group health plans offer maximum cashless coverage, the group health insurers are emphasizing more transparent billing for covered treatments.

4. Rising Group Health Premiums.

The increase in the cost of insurance comes naturally, given the rising claim amount. Group health premiums may rise up to 50%. Although, not everything can be blamed on rising claims as the overall membership is also on the rise.

Insurers especially PSU insurance companies are targeting stock exchange listing in the near future. This brings focus on their profitability, and for that, it is necessary for them to have stronger balance sheets.

5. New Innovative Group Health Products.

Latest health insurance regulations allow insurers to run pilot projects for innovative new insurance products. Insurers can offer these pilot products for few years in the market, and if the product is not successful, it can be pulled out. However, members will have a chance of shifting to another health plan offered by the same insurer.

6. Smaller Groups can avail Group Health Insurance.

Earlier insurers freely decided the minimum group size they wanted to insure under a group health policy. The minimum number of members ranged from 10 to 50 from one insurer to other, and almost none offered to cover a group smaller than 10 members.

However, the new regulations have reduced the group size to seven, to be eligible for group health insurance. The only condition for the group is that it should have a homogeneous risk profile.

Meaning, even small shops, entrepreneurs, and proprietorships will also be able to buy group health policies for their staff. So being small no longer means any fewer benefits to your employees.

How to Buy?

Gone are the days when you had to call multiple insurers and collect information manually about different group health plans. Then spend time on finalizing the scheme you deemed fit. Nowadays, online corporate insurance advisors like SecureNow, offer all information about group insurance products on your fingertips.

Simply visit their website, fill in the information and apply. You also have access to 24×7 customer support, in case you are stuck somewhere.

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3 Ways Your Start-Up Can Project A Professional Image

A term that you may have heard before – image is everything. Although this isn’t entirely true when it comes to business, image does play an important role in the success of your business. It takes 0.1 seconds to form a lasting impression of a stranger, so you want to project a professional image, whether it’s your personal image or your business’s.

Here are three ways to project a professional image to benefit your business:

1. Your Setting.

If your business is growing and you’re having more and more client meetings, it may be a good idea to invest in a small office to work from. This will give your start-up a more professional image to potential partners or investors and show them that you mean business. Face-to-face communication is often more successful in a business environment so having a physical office space will allow you to take advantage of this for the benefit of your business.

What’s more, you may feel more productive in an office environment than at home and you’ll be able maintain a healthier work-life balance.

2. Your Image.

When you’re meeting clients or investors, it’s important to remember that it’s not just your business that they’re investing in– it’s also you. So, it’s important that you think about what image you project in terms of how you dress, what perfume/aftershave you wear and how you come across.

This is not to say that you should adopt a completely corporate image – an injection of personality is always good. But be aware that a polished appearance and polite demeanour may make clients be more inclined to put their trust in you.

Your Services.

The services you offer can be a huge reflection on whether a consumer decides to buy from you or not. For example, if the content on your website is riddled with spelling mistakes, customers will be put off from doing business with you as you’ll look unprofessional.

Here are some ways you could improve your services:

– Revamp your website. It’s often the first place people look when they find your business and services, so you should ensure the details are fully up-to-date, informative and it’s easy to use, with high-quality pictures.

– Invest in a professional courier service like TNT. By using an established delivery service, you’ll be showing your customers that your business is dedicated to being reliable and professional.

– Order professional business cards for you and any of your key employees. They’re useful to have handy when you’re networking and it will help people to remember you, whilst increasing your number of potential business contacts.

Whether you’re self-employed or part of a small start-up, follow our steps to help you and your business project a more professional image. By doing this, you could enjoy increased interest from customers, clients and investors, giving you a better chance of growing your business.

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Organizational Tips For Small Businesses Entrepreneurs

It’s easy for a business to become busy and forget about the organization of your files, forms and equipment. You may not even notice that you’re working in chaos, that is, until it’s unavoidable to face the facts, or that the clutter has caused a costly mistake.

It’s difficult to continue making money if your business is disorderly. In fact, your employees may become unhappy in their environment, or important information is lost and not relayed to the person in need of it; ultimately, losing money or even a client. Therefore, see these organizational tips for small businesses:

Declutter the Workspace.

Get rid of what of excess, and start throwing out or recycling old items you aren’t using in the office. Retrieve supply bins and organize your belongings in containers. Label bins so you can easily find what you’re looking for later. You’ll complete more tasks when working in a clean and tidy office. A messy workplace adds unnecessary stress to your day. Declutter, get your supplies in order, and have a more prosperous work environment.

Have Weekly Meetings.

Even if you only work with a few people, touch base and get on the same page at least once a week. You need open communication if you’re going to work together. If some people work remote, have a phone call or talk to them over video. You’ll hash out issues, solve problems and maybe even come up with your next big idea. Don’t let busyness be a reason you lose touch with each other. Miscommunication only leads to more problems.

Assign Tasks.

Don’t try and do it all. Even though you’re the boss and want to have control, remember to delegate tasks. Have leadership and staff members help out. Spread out the work, so no single person is stuck with an unreasonable amount of work. Make sure it’s clear who’s in charge of what, so there’s no confusion. Keep it flexible as roles and positions change.

Document Everything.

It’s important you document and keep records of everything. Trying to remember details in your head or trust someone to remember what you did months ago will leave you frustrated and disappointed. Use carbonless forms to document your orders or notes, and retain the other copy for safe keeping. Always keep notes and copies of transactions and customer requests. This will save you hassle in the long run. Take notes when you’re engaged with a customer and impress them later by knowing what they said they exactly wanted with your service.

Set Policies & Procedures in Place.

Don’t run a business on a whim. Create policies, procedures and processes for all to follow. Have a way you want business done and make sure others are aware of your requirements. Hold staff to the guidelines and know you’ll be much happier that you did when the workload increases and people get busy. This will help you stay organized and not get off track when you’re truly frantic.

Conclusion.

It’s tricky to stay organized as a small business because there are fewer people to help put procedures in place. That said, every company needs an order before they can truly serve their customers. These organizational tips for small businesses will have you up and running smoothly in no time.

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Go Global, Stay Local

by Gail Martin, author of “The Essential Social Media Marketing Handbook: A New Roadmap for Maximizing Your Brand, Influence, and Credibility“

Whether your company is purely local or has a global footprint, you need to be active and visible on social media. Why? Because your prospects and customers expect you to be findable online, and will consider your absence to be suspicious, perhaps even unprofessional.

When a potential new customer meets you, he or she is likely to look for your website to verify the first impression and gather new information. Depending on your type of business, someone might turn next to LinkedIn for a look at your profile. Or, they might look at Angie’s List, Yelp, Google or Amazon to see how your product or service ranks and what customers say. Odds are good they’ll look for your Facebook page and Twitter feed to see what kind of recent news, specials, coupons or details you’ve shared, or to get a better sense of your personality.

Any time you leave a void in that cycle of discovery by your absence, there’s a piece missing in the puzzle. Your prospect is trying to put the pieces together to get a complete picture of who you are, how well you serve our customers, how you see your role in the world, and how much you interact and engage with others. If you’re not findable on social media with recently and consistently updated content, you risk looking unapproachable at best and behind the times at worst.

Stay Local.

I’ve heard owners of mom-and-pop local businesses ask why they need to be on social media that is seen around the world when their customers come from down the street. There’s a curious perspective there, assuming that only people in far-away places use the internet. The short answer is: Because your local customers also use Facebook.

Social media has become the source for news and information for a large (and growing) chunk of the population, across all age and economic brackets. Consumers make purchase decisions based on the information they find online. It’s a definite disadvantage when your customers can learn more about a competitor with a few web clicks than they can about you. Highly motivated prospects may make the effort, but most won’t bother. Now that people are used to being able to do some ‘stealth’ intelligence gathering by going online, it seems intrusive and bothersome to make a phone call or request information by mail.

Remember that social media is supposed to be social. Use it to get into conversations with your most enthusiastic customers. Find out what else they like aside from your products to flesh out a psychographic profile of your core tribe. You might get great ideas for collaborations, joint ventures or cross-promotions. Ask their opinion, even if it’s about who might win the Super Bowl or the what’s the best green bean casserole recipe for Thanksgiving. People love to be asked, and they love to share. Give them glimpses of your life outside of work: pets, hobbies, vacation snippets, favorite foods, etc. In a world where people feel increasingly disconnected from others, sharing personal touches builds community and also strengthens the like-know-trust factor.

As a local business, your local-ness is one of your greatest strengths. Play up your participation in local festivals, parades, sporting events, school programs, street fairs, business organizations, charities and recreation. Snap pictures of you and your employees out and about in local places or nearby parks or attractions. If you are the most recent proprietor in a long-running family business, share old photos and reminiscences. Give shout-outs to customers who get recognized for being active in local community-building, charity, business and education programs. Your Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest can become the online equivalent of the neighborhood’s favorite front porch, where everyone gathers because that’s the place to find your friends.

Go Global.

Even if your clientele spans the globe, you can use many of these engagement strategies, just tweaked for your broader market. Instead of focusing intensely on one location, emphasize the world-wide nature of your work with travel photos, pictures posted by your customers from various countries, or quizzes and contests with a globe-trotting focus.

Use case studies and stories to illustrate how your services or products make your customers’ lives better and emonstrate your adaptability to differing cultures. Play up your community and volunteer involvement regardless of where in the world your staff is located.

Give customers the sense of your personal presence with video. If there’s a language difference, use subtitles if you’re recording in English, or provide a translated text. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube serve a global audience. Use them to build an online community of your raving fans.

 

*Adapted from “The Essential Social Media Marketing Handbook: A New Roadmap for Maximizing Your Brand, Influence, and Credibility“

 

Gail Z. Martin owns DreamSpinner Communications and consults with professionals and businesses in the U.S. and Canada on strategic social media. Her newest book is”The Essential Social Media Marketing Handbook: A New Roadmap for Maximizing Your Brand, Influence, and Credibility“. She is also the author of three other bestselling books on new media marketing: “30 Days to Social Media Success“, “30 Days to Online PR and Marketing Success” and “30 Days to Virtual Productivity Success” as well as “Fresh Start Success: Reinvent Your Work, Reimagine Your LIfe and Reignite Your Passion“.

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