Other Added - Business

Not Getting Hired because of Haircolor, Height or Weight
As a nation we have come to accept the idea that good looking people are more likely to get hired than less attractive people. However, there are some physical characteristics we are born with that can cause our hiring likelihood to drop in stock. With the fierce competition to beat out equally qualified candidates for a job, now another hiring trend may put some of us at a disadvantage.In 2004, Yale psychologist, Dr. Marianne La France, conducted a study to compare hair (color, style and cut) to getting hired. Results of this study noted that hair color should be believable, flatter your skin tone, and have a professional appearance (www.casualpower.com). It was also noted within the same article from Casualpower.com that long, bleached blonde hair is the least hired look by employers. According to NACE (National Association of Colleges and Employers), having an unusual hair color is one of the top three influencing factors in not hiring a candidate, weighing in at 73%. That’s only 1% lower than the importance of a strong handshake.Aside from hair color, there are other physical characteristics you have no control over that can prevent you climbing up the career ladder. According to a 2005 article from USAToday.com, most male CEOs tend to be

ts. Then have your customers make their final selection. At that point, be sure a technical specifications document is written that matches up against the business requirements. The purpose of the technical specification document is to demonstrate within the product, how business requirements will be met, what business requirements cannot be met or can only be met partially, and the IT requirements for the product. Be sure that, before beginning a major development phase, that you have gone back to your sponsors, customers and CIO or other representative IT parties for agreement on the specifications and agreement for moving forward. This phase will also require an updated project schedule outlining the full development schedule, resource requirements, and commitment from involved parties.

Be sure to do a "pulse check" with your customers and sponsors at many points throughout the development cycle. This will ensure your customers are not surprised by the end result or that you haven't gone completely down a path that they did not want or that you developed something incorrectly. It is much better to catch these things while development is still going on - your time-line will probably be impacted much less this way AND the perception of project success by customers and sponsors will be much higher this way. Ultimately, it is best not to have any such "hang-ups" during the development process. But, it is probably not realistic to expect that you won't have any. That's the job of the project manager - to work through such issues and still complete the project on time.

When the development phase is complete, it is important that you have documented not only how to use the product, but how it impacts that

Eliminating Profit Robbing Telemarketing Calls to Your Business
Most of us small business owners don’t have the luxury of having a secretary or office manager to screen our calls for us. It can become overwhelming when answering sales call after sales call from telemarketers prevent us from doing what makes us money. To top it off, we can sometimes be talked into spending our hard earned money on products or services that are often overpriced and/or not needed in the first place.Each time we add a new business telephone number or change the business location of the ones we currently have, our telephone numbers are placed on a telemarketing list as a “new business.” Our business phone lines are then overrun by harassing telemarketers that want to be the first to sell a new business what they don’t need. You see a “new business owner” generally hasn’t fine tuned their decision making skills to the point that they can just say no and hang up. These skills come with time and experience. Telemarketers know this and target these new business owners because seasoned owners won’t fall for their tactics.I am always adding or changing toll free and regular phone numbers. To prevent this constant barrage of calls (I call it “the first wave”) or to at least limit them, I have developed a strategy that is working righ

Have you ever wanted a short list of of items to keep "in check" as you are managing projects? This short list would contain key measures which, if always kept in check and balance, would lead you to project success? Sure it is important to follow industry project guidelines from the Project Management Institute and within the Project Management Professional (PMP) Certification, but it is important to always keep these key measures at the forefront of my mind ALL THE WAY through the project - from beginning to completion. Sometimes these factors can be overlooked or forgotten, or thought of as "not needed" in the rush to get a project underway. Stand Up and stop the madness, make sure you have a clear path before trying to get to your destination.... Or you will get lost along the way.

Key Measures:

Before even looking at business requirements or spending much time on a project, make sure you know who the executive sponsor is and obtain the following information directly from that sponsor:

i. Project intentions and scope
ii. What the project is NOT or what is out of scope
iii. Who the "Customers" are for the project. (many times, customers are internal to the organization)
iv. If a Return on Investment document has been created and what is expected of a ROI document. What areas of the business are returns expected?
v. Project Budget and how expenditures are approved
vi. Expected Project Success Factors
vii. That they want this project moving forward at the present time, if not, when is it to start
viii. Timeline expected for project completion
ix. Agreement to put companies resources on the project to get it done
x. Required project status and reporting
xi. Agreement on a communication plan to sponsors, customers and other impacted parties
xii. Agreement as to the assigned project manager and support from the sponsor that if there are problems with the project that require the executive sponsors attention, that the sponsor will extend support for obtaining the resolution

Then put all of that information in writing, generally in some sort of project initiation document and then all project leaders, sponsors and customers and CIO SIGN the document. I cannot stress how important this part is. I cannot stress how many times we have come the end of a project and at least one of these parties (sponsors, customers or CIO) state they never agreed to some portion of the documented information in the project initiation document. This is especially important for System Implementation projects as a lot of time can pass between the time the project got underway and the time the final product is delivered.
Business Requirements

It is vitally important, before talking with any IT personnel (if the project involves internal IT - which, if it is system implementation, it most likely will) or product vendors, that you take the time needed to adequately document all business requirements from all customers. Documenting business requirements should, at a minimum, involve going through the following steps:
Identifying the subject matter experts and project representatives from each part of the business that serve as your customers for the end result of the project.

Identify the current problem or need
Document current processes
Discuss what is not working about the process
Review results they would like to see to support the business and analysis they need to perform to manage the business

In business requirements documentation, DO NOT spend time discussing what systems or technology will allow them do. Discuss what is needed for the business. Do not let your customers try to define a process around systems or technology. Technology is there to support the business, not to dictate how a business should be run. Don't worry, All the technical pieces will come together later.
Document all the business requirements as discussed with all customer groups and subject matter experts. Be sure you specify the problems and needs, how it is hurting the business, what is needed, and how that will help the business. Be specific. This information will help you put together the ROI document to be sure the cost and expected benefits are in line with what the project sponsor(s) is expecting. Some project managers might disagree here and state that the ROI should be done before getting to the business requirements stage. However, I have always found new areas of investment (cost) and return on that investment present themselves when going through the business requirements discovery process.
Always be sure to think about how a product will be used and how reporting will be required. This can really get you in the end if you don't pay close attention up-front during the requirements phase.
You will then match the business requirements to the scope that you created in the project initiation document, or change the scope, which would require an amendment to the project initiation document requiring new signatures.
Once the right set of requirements is documented and it lines up with project scope, then be sure to again have project sponsors, customers (remember, customers can be internal or external), and CIO acknowledging these are the business requirements, that the project is active and sponsored, and that they are in agreement with moving forward to the next project phases. This piece is especially important, as people tend to forget or say things like "I never said that" as you get further along in the project. You can always bring them back to the initial documentation and signatures. If you do not get signatures, you are a sitting duck.

Now it's time to figure out how you are going to deliver on these business requirements. This usually leads to a buy or build decision. That is, buy software from a vendor that specializes in the type of product needed, or build with internal IT personnel. The business requirements document is your basis for evaluating the buy or build decision. Do not stray; do not extend scope or budget, without going back through the sign-off process. If you are "buying" a product from a vendor, do the initial "paring down" process of determining top software products which match the business requirements.
Now that you have your top list of software contenders, have demonstrations performed by the vendors for your customer group(s). They can help cast the vote for the selected product. It is critical to get buy-in from your customers every step of the way.
If possible, it is a good idea to perform a trial phase with 2 top vendors to see how the business requirements match up to the product.
After the trial phase, get back with your customers to demonstrate the products against the business requirements. Then have your customers make their final selection. At that point, be sure a technical specifications document is written that matches up against the business requirements. The purpose of the technical specification document is to demonstrate within the product, how business requirements will be met, what business requirements cannot be met or can only be met partially, and the IT requirements for the product. Be sure that, before beginning a major development phase, that you have gone back to your sponsors, customers and CIO or other representative IT parties for agreement on the specifications and agreement for moving forward. This phase will also require an updated project schedule outlining the full development schedule, resource requirements, and commitment from involved parties.
Be sure to do a "pulse check" with your customers and sponsors at many points throughout the development cycle. This will ensure your customers are not surprised by the end result or that you haven't gone completely down a path that they did not want or that you developed something incorrectly. It is much better to catch these things while development is still going on - your time-line will probably be impacted much less this way AND the perception of project success by customers and sponsors will be much higher this way. Ultimately, it is best not to have any such "hang-ups" during the development process. But, it is probably not realistic to expect that you won't have any. That's the job of the project manager - to work through such issues and still complete the project on time.
When the development phase is complete, it is important that you have documented not only how to use the product, but how it impacts that b
Tips On Changing Careers
A career is not only your livelihood but must also satisfy a person’s emotional and intellectual wants and needs. Very often, people cannot take up a career of their choice due to financial problems or other constraints. However, after a point of time, it becomes difficult to continue working on a job that you do not enjoy. A job change in the same career stream might not be the right solution. Hence, a change in career may be your only alternative.People tend to change their career when they are bored, fed up, or unhappy with their current one. They prefer looking for a more rewarding profession, one that aligns better with their skills, interests and values.As changing careers is a major decision, one has to seriously look at the possibilities and opportunities ahead before making a change. A smooth transition between careers is essential or else it can become traumatic. Keeping in mind a few tips will make the transition simpler and lead you in the right direction.Make A Self-AssessmentThis is the most important step to establish a workable career plan. Evaluate your experience, skills and interests in reference to work history, hobbies and volunteer experiences. Examine your likes and dislikes, strengths and weaknesses, and
. Required project status and reporting
xi. Agreement on a communication plan to sponsors, customers and other impacted parties
xii. Agreement as to the assigned project manager and support from the sponsor that if there are problems with the project that require the executive sponsors attention, that the sponsor will extend support for obtaining the resolution
Then put all of that information in writing, generally in some sort of project initiation document and then all project leaders, sponsors and customers and CIO SIGN the document. I cannot stress how important this part is. I cannot stress how many times we have come the end of a project and at least one of these parties (sponsors, customers or CIO) state they never agreed to some portion of the documented information in the project initiation document. This is especially important for System Implementation projects as a lot of time can pass between the time the project got underway and the time the final product is delivered.
Business Requirements

It is vitally important, before talking with any IT personnel (if the project involves internal IT - which, if it is system implementation, it most likely will) or product vendors, that you take the time needed to adequately document all business requirements from all customers. Documenting business requirements should, at a minimum, involve going through the following steps:
Identifying the subject matter experts and project representatives from each part of the business that serve as your customers for the end result of the project.

Identify the current problem or need
Document current processes
Discuss what is not working about the process
Review results they would like to see to support the business and analysis they need to perform to manage the business

In business requirements documentation, DO NOT spend time discussing what systems or technology will allow them do. Discuss what is needed for the business. Do not let your customers try to define a process around systems or technology. Technology is there to support the business, not to dictate how a business should be run. Don't worry, All the technical pieces will come together later.
Document all the business requirements as discussed with all customer groups and subject matter experts. Be sure you specify the problems and needs, how it is hurting the business, what is needed, and how that will help the business. Be specific. This information will help you put together the ROI document to be sure the cost and expected benefits are in line with what the project sponsor(s) is expecting. Some project managers might disagree here and state that the ROI should be done before getting to the business requirements stage. However, I have always found new areas of investment (cost) and return on that investment present themselves when going through the business requirements discovery process.
Always be sure to think about how a product will be used and how reporting will be required. This can really get you in the end if you don't pay close attention up-front during the requirements phase.
You will then match the business requirements to the scope that you created in the project initiation document, or change the scope, which would require an amendment to the project initiation document requiring new signatures.
Once the right set of requirements is documented and it lines up with project scope, then be sure to again have project sponsors, customers (remember, customers can be internal or external), and CIO acknowledging these are the business requirements, that the project is active and sponsored, and that they are in agreement with moving forward to the next project phases. This piece is especially important, as people tend to forget or say things like "I never said that" as you get further along in the project. You can always bring them back to the initial documentation and signatures. If you do not get signatures, you are a sitting duck.

Now it's time to figure out how you are going to deliver on these business requirements. This usually leads to a buy or build decision. That is, buy software from a vendor that specializes in the type of product needed, or build with internal IT personnel. The business requirements document is your basis for evaluating the buy or build decision. Do not stray; do not extend scope or budget, without going back through the sign-off process. If you are "buying" a product from a vendor, do the initial "paring down" process of determining top software products which match the business requirements.
Now that you have your top list of software contenders, have demonstrations performed by the vendors for your customer group(s). They can help cast the vote for the selected product. It is critical to get buy-in from your customers every step of the way.
If possible, it is a good idea to perform a trial phase with 2 top vendors to see how the business requirements match up to the product.
After the trial phase, get back with your customers to demonstrate the products against the business requirements. Then have your customers make their final selection. At that point, be sure a technical specifications document is written that matches up against the business requirements. The purpose of the technical specification document is to demonstrate within the product, how business requirements will be met, what business requirements cannot be met or can only be met partially, and the IT requirements for the product. Be sure that, before beginning a major development phase, that you have gone back to your sponsors, customers and CIO or other representative IT parties for agreement on the specifications and agreement for moving forward. This phase will also require an updated project schedule outlining the full development schedule, resource requirements, and commitment from involved parties.
Be sure to do a "pulse check" with your customers and sponsors at many points throughout the development cycle. This will ensure your customers are not surprised by the end result or that you haven't gone completely down a path that they did not want or that you developed something incorrectly. It is much better to catch these things while development is still going on - your time-line will probably be impacted much less this way AND the perception of project success by customers and sponsors will be much higher this way. Ultimately, it is best not to have any such "hang-ups" during the development process. But, it is probably not realistic to expect that you won't have any. That's the job of the project manager - to work through such issues and still complete the project on time.
When the development phase is complete, it is important that you have documented not only how to use the product, but how it impacts that
Display Fabrics FAQs
Can I replace my existing trade show graphics with printed fabric graphics?Maybe. It depends on the type of display and how it assembles. Your display provider should be able to consult with you to see what different configurations and graphic mediums are possible with your display.Are graphics easy to change on fabric displays?Yes. One of the most attractive features of fabric displays is their versatility. Fabric panels can be changed frequently at a much lower cost that than older heavy plastic graphic panels. This allows companies to keep their display looking fresh each year or even each season. It also allows a company to share a display frame among different departments, greatly reducing the cost of display production.Are there 10- and 20-foot fabric displays that can be carried and assembled by one person?Amazingly – yes! Many of today's pop-up fabric displays have lightweight frames that assemble in seconds. The fabric is either already affixed to the frame and stretches out when the frame is popped up, or can be put onto the frame with Velcro after the frame is assembled. The frames fold down to a size that can fit into a carrying case that can literally be thro
e process
Review results they would like to see to support the business and analysis they need to perform to manage the business

In business requirements documentation, DO NOT spend time discussing what systems or technology will allow them do. Discuss what is needed for the business. Do not let your customers try to define a process around systems or technology. Technology is there to support the business, not to dictate how a business should be run. Don't worry, All the technical pieces will come together later.

Document all the business requirements as discussed with all customer groups and subject matter experts. Be sure you specify the problems and needs, how it is hurting the business, what is needed, and how that will help the business. Be specific. This information will help you put together the ROI document to be sure the cost and expected benefits are in line with what the project sponsor(s) is expecting. Some project managers might disagree here and state that the ROI should be done before getting to the business requirements stage. However, I have always found new areas of investment (cost) and return on that investment present themselves when going through the business requirements discovery process.

Always be sure to think about how a product will be used and how reporting will be required. This can really get you in the end if you don't pay close attention up-front during the requirements phase.

You will then match the business requirements to the scope that you created in the project initiation document, or change the scope, which would require an amendment to the project initiation document requiring new signatures.

Once the right set of requirements is documented and it lines up with project scope, then be sure to again have project sponsors, customers (remember, customers can be internal or external), and CIO acknowledging these are the business requirements, that the project is active and sponsored, and that they are in agreement with moving forward to the next project phases. This piece is especially important, as people tend to forget or say things like "I never said that" as you get further along in the project. You can always bring them back to the initial documentation and signatures. If you do not get signatures, you are a sitting duck.

Now it's time to figure out how you are going to deliver on these business requirements. This usually leads to a buy or build decision. That is, buy software from a vendor that specializes in the type of product needed, or build with internal IT personnel. The business requirements document is your basis for evaluating the buy or build decision. Do not stray; do not extend scope or budget, without going back through the sign-off process. If you are "buying" a product from a vendor, do the initial "paring down" process of determining top software products which match the business requirements.

Now that you have your top list of software contenders, have demonstrations performed by the vendors for your customer group(s). They can help cast the vote for the selected product. It is critical to get buy-in from your customers every step of the way.

If possible, it is a good idea to perform a trial phase with 2 top vendors to see how the business requirements match up to the product.

After the trial phase, get back with your customers to demonstrate the products against the business requirements. Then have your customers make their final selection. At that point, be sure a technical specifications document is written that matches up against the business requirements. The purpose of the technical specification document is to demonstrate within the product, how business requirements will be met, what business requirements cannot be met or can only be met partially, and the IT requirements for the product. Be sure that, before beginning a major development phase, that you have gone back to your sponsors, customers and CIO or other representative IT parties for agreement on the specifications and agreement for moving forward. This phase will also require an updated project schedule outlining the full development schedule, resource requirements, and commitment from involved parties.

When the development phase is complete, it is important that you have documented not only how to use the product, but how it impacts that

What if Being and Entrepreneur Were Easy?
What if government did not put so many onerous regulations in front of potential market winners? What if business really was fair and the government did not allow itself to be manipulated by competitors to attack new entrepreneurs? What if every company had to compete and deliver the best they could to the market place? What if the regulators were honest people and actually smart enough to follow their stated mission in their agencies? What if government was not so damn corrupt and what if markets were really free? What would happen then? Who would benefit and should we even bother to try to untangle this mess and make it so or are we all better off with this liberty butchering status quo?What if we as a society encouraged entrepreneurs and insisted that our government make rules to promote that activity rather than trying to demonize it? What if entrepreneurs with the flow of fresh new ideas and innovations continually flooded our markets? What if we did not condemn those who have made it to the top, instead thanked them? What if the rules and regulations were set up to try to find was to streamline the mind field that the entrepreneurs face rather than slow them down and find ways to control them? What if government regulators and lawyers who had

is documented and it lines up with project scope, then be sure to again have project sponsors, customers (remember, customers can be internal or external), and CIO acknowledging these are the business requirements, that the project is active and sponsored, and that they are in agreement with moving forward to the next project phases. This piece is especially important, as people tend to forget or say things like "I never said that" as you get further along in the project. You can always bring them back to the initial documentation and signatures. If you do not get signatures, you are a sitting duck.

If possible, it is a good idea to perform a trial phase with 2 top vendors to see how the business requirements match up to the product.

When the development phase is complete, it is important that you have documented not only how to use the product, but how it impacts that

The Rules of Business Success
What is it that makes successful people successful? is it luck? chance? being in the right place at the right time? or is it responsibility and having the balls to go where angels fear to tread.Entrepreneurs have a go for it mindset, they are risk takers happy to step outside their comfort zone.Below are the key strategies to ensure business success, your success, read them , live them, breathe them.Then go out and GET IT1/There are No Friends in Business, everyone is your potential competitor2/ NEVER trust anyone but yourself to get the job done4/ What’s In it For Me- NEVER assume your supplier/competitor/buyer is doing you aFavour5/Name your price- NEVER accept what is being put on the table6/Knowledge is POWER7/ALLWAYS have exit strategies8/NEVER Accept defeat- Get back up, dust yourself down and go again9/Channel you anger into desire & motivation10/Nice Guys Come last- its survival of the fittest dog eat dog11/Failure is not an excuse its an option for success/path on the way to success12/NEVER, NEVER, NEVER give up.13/Get Fit-mentally & physically14/Have Total belief in yourself and your vision of what you want to achieve, Everything else

When the development phase is complete, it is important that you have documented not only how to use the product, but how it impacts that business processes. It will require discussion with customer group representatives about what the system will now do, and what the new process should look like. It is important to have this document and be in agreement with customer group representatives BEFORE any product rollout occurs. If you do this, you can expect a much smoother training and rollout phase of the product than if you just try to throw the product out there. If you do not have a carefully planned training and rollout phase, all your work will go down the drain, and the project will most likely not be perceived as a great success.

During the rollout and training phase, it is extremely important to communicate what the users need to do if they need help with the product. What support for the product is available? A good project manager will already have this in place and be ready to put the support process into motion during the rollout and training phase. It is also important that you obtain agreement from the customer groups on the support process and that they think it will work for their group.

Lastly, be sure to follow-up with customer groups ensuring things are running smoothly and to see what problems or issues need to be corrected. Keep doing so until your customers are happy with the product.

Remember, there are no levels of success. Either it was a great success, or it wasn't. Article Date: Dated: 30-Jun-2006

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This article gives 6 key points to great customer service, and allows you to rate yourself and your staff.

Packaging materials are used to keep products identified, protected and undamaged during delivery. There are different types of packaging, depending upon the types of products being packaged. The most important and popular one is encapsulated air plastic sheeting, which is commonly known as bubble wrap and uses encased air bubbles in the midst of plastic sheeting to protect goods from shock during transportation. This is an ideal packaging material for lightweight goods and can be shaped to wrap around any size of product. If the product is heavy then these products may deflate the sheeting, making it ineffective.

Franchising companies must have a growth strategy and a franchise development plan and it is best if they stick to this and try not to deviate too much. Of course there will be opportunities in the marketplace, which must be considered as they come along but a smart franchising company will be careful with their growth strategy so they do not spread themselves out too thin and face cash flow issues or the inability to manage franchisees, which are too far away.

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Other Added - Key Measures of Success for System Implementation Project Management

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