Archive for January, 2009
Who Said That?
Here is the lineup of noteworthy blogs for this week:
- Well-Read Life- Written by Steve Leveen, this blog is all about reading. Leveen reviews books, talks about ways to improve and encourage reading among others as well as how to improve interaction with other book lovers. A great site worth checking out.
- Roo Reynolds- Written by Roo Reynolds, this site deals with how to use social media and other web-based applications. According to his bio, Reynolds was recently made the Portfolio Executive for Social Media at BBC Vision, which means he spends a lot of time thinking about the intersection between television and social media. Definitely check out his site sometime. Roo is also on Twitter. You can find him here.
- Virtual Economics-Written by Seamus McCauley, Virtual Economics is all about promoting conversations about digital media and strategy. It’s really well-written and worth checking out.
- Unexpected Media-Founded by Frank Boyd and Judith Glynne in 2000, Unexpected Media deals mostly in the digital media sector supporting innovation and facilitating creative research.
- Steal This Brand Too- Written by Tim Kitchin, a co-founder of Glasshouse Partnership, Steal This Brand Too is a blog aimed at keeping track of a chain of thinking about constructing and managing modern institutional relationships.
For more information about Internet marketing, visit Create Business Growth today!
So What You’ve Got a Job; Now It’s Time to Make Yourself More Valuable to Your Company!
In this day and age, landing the job of your dreams may have to take a backseat to landing a job at all. However, if you are among the lucky few who have landed yourself in a career path you enjoy, be wise not to waste this opportunity! Your employer hired you for a reason. Now, it’s time to make yourself a financial asset to your company rather than a drain.
Keeping Focused
Too often, too many of us fall into the ill-fated trap of complacency. You’ve landed a pretty sweet job; you’re making decent money; your bills are getting paid, and you’re no longer subsisting off of Ramen Noodles while you wait for your next paycheck to clear. Life is good. While you should enjoy what you’re doing and like who you are working for; the danger of becoming too comfortable is that you can sometimes start to lose some of that “edge” which made you marketable to begin with. So, what to do?
Value Your Self-Worth & Learn to Project
Most people break down how and why they are paid their incomes based on hour increments or an annual salary range when in fact, what they fail to realize is that they are being paid for the value that they bring to that hour. According to Dan Clark, a certified speaking professional and member of the National Speakers Association Hall of Fame in Salt Lake City:
When the value you bring to an hour at work exceeds your pay for that hour, you become a more valuable employee. As a result, your job may be more secure, you may have more potential to advance in your career, and you’ll have happier, more fulfilling workdays.
It doesn’t take long before complacency turns into boredom turns into laziness. Rather than letting that happen, take it upon yourself to further your career. Not only will it make you a more well-rounded, knowledgeable person, it will also help you to advance your career status. That being said, here are some tips for making yourself more valuable to your employer:
Making Yourself a More Valuable Employee
- Keep Up With the New- Some of us don’t like change, but it’s a part of life. Keeping up with the latest happenings in your niche will help you to stay one cut above the rest.
- Think Outside of the Box- What are some new and innovative things that you can think of that would help the success of your company?
- Be Punctual- No one likes to wait around- especially employers. Always make sure that you are at work a little earlier than you need to be. Even if it’s only by a few seconds, remember that every second counts!
- Be Positive- This is crucial for success, especially if you are working in a small office environment. Having the right attitude speaks volumes about the kind of person you are and can help lift up the morale of others around you. Remember, happier employees perform better!
- Learn From Others- Wondering what Jan over in Accounting does? Ask her! It never hurts to know a little about what others around you do. You might pick up a few skills that you didn’t have before, thus making you more of an asset.
- Be Proactive- In this job climate, you don’t want to be reactionary. Why wait for something negative to happen. Instead, try to procure ideas that will benefit your company. Remember, prevention is better than cure!
- Be Noticed- Make it a point to be friendly to everyone you come into contact with. If and when you get the chance, try to have at least one face-to-face interaction with your supervisor. It let’s them know you are there and that you’re a dedicated employee.
- Dress For Success- Even if you work in a casual office environment, it doesn’t hurt to choose casually appropriate clothing. Sure, you may love that pair of jeans with the holes in the knees and that graphic t-shirt you wore to the concert when you were 17, but try to think more like an adult when you dress yourself.
For more information about Internet marketing, visit Create Business Growth today!
Getting it Right: What Do Customers Want?
Have you ever had a vision in your head of something that you want, told it to someone else who was going to help you make it a reality and then been disappointed with the final result because it wasn’t what you had originally envisioned?
Whether you’re designing a website for a new client or doing something like interior decorating for a prospect, shouldn’t you want to get it right the first time? What seems to be the disconnect between the project manager and the client? Why are we always miscommunicating?
Understanding Your Customers
Despite what anyone may tell you, the best way to understand your customers is by spending some personal time with them. If you can meet them face-to-face, that’s ideal; but if you can’t meet them in person, you can certainly get a feel for what it is they’re looking for based on what they are spending the most time and money on. If you’re selling a product online, leave yourself open to criticism from clients/customers. Provide users with a feedback section. Start a blog and encourage people to comment on it. The more feedback you get (both positive and negative), the easier it will be for you to determine what you’re doing right versus what you need to improve upon.
Other Items to Keep in Mind
Check out Your Competition: It never hurts to find out what other people in your market are doing. Feel free to search the most successful companies and try to determine on your own what it is that they are doing right. Can you determine strengths in their campaign? Weaknesses?
Reach Out to Your Clients: It never hurts to contact those who have worked with you and used your services. Don’t be afraid to ask direct questions such as, “What is one thing you really liked about working with us? What are some things that you didn’t like?”
For more information about Internet marketing, visit Create Business Growth today!
Some Other Useful Sites
