Liz Fuller over at Business and Blogging has created a blogging reader survey. No contest, but your response is needed. Here’s the link: http://www.businessandblogging.com/quick-business-blogging-reader-survey/
Tags: Business and Blogging, survey
Archive for August 2nd, 2008The SSuite Office prides itself with the Fifth Element, a free premium office suite which can run on all Windows OS and hardware platforms. The suite offers 30 applications for web browsing, e-mail, image manipulation, network programs, multimedia applications, all designed to run on computers even with minimal specs. Download and installation is a breeze. A menu will be created that groups the applications based on what they focus on. Though the browser was simple to use, it certainly lacked features when compared to other free browsers out there. It also had several problems opening some web pages. Strangely, the suite offers 2 word processing programs which roughly do the same thing. The included imaging software is bare bones offering no more than the basic image functions. For an office suite, one major flaw is the lack of a presentation software. There were also programs that just don’t fit in an office suite. If you are in need of an office suite and computer specs is a serious consideration, you might benefit from the Fifth Element. Otherwise, you may want to check out other free office suites, or download your needed applications a la carte, since individual programs might perform better. I am a sucker for surveys and evaluations. You know the kind, where you answer the silly questions to get some insight into yourself, your marriage. I found a survey that purports to tell you your REAL AGE by asking you questions about your lifestyle, eating habits, relationships, and other stuff. It’s RealAge.com. Of course, they are going to try to sell you stuff. And the whole thing is the opinion of their “Scientific Advisory Board.” The guys who run this site are the authors of the “YOU” books (YOU: The Owner’s Manual, YOU: Staying Young, etc.) I took the survey, of course (it’s free). Yes, they are trying to sell stuff, but I’m good at ignoring that. I received the results in an email and then had to click back onto the site. I am guessing they get more “hits” that way. I learned some interesting stuff:
Before we move on to August, I’d like to recap some PimpYourWork entries from July:
Other articles I’ve written in the blogosphere this month:
Now, let’s move on to more of Pimp Your Work this August! He just retired and managed to find a great part-time job. The old pickup he’s been driving for five years is just not trustworthy anymore. So he decided to purchase a large truck, a 2005 F150, V8, with extended cab. Gas prices have been over $4 a gallon for several months, so at first blush it sounds like a really bad idea. I figured there was a good reason auto dealers are trying to get rid of trucks; after all, this is the same thing that happened in the late 1970s, in the “gas crisis” of that time. But… The guy who sold it to him is a carpenter who was out of work all winter (this is the Midwest, where we had a record-breaking winter, and now are dealing with the aftermath of floods), so he sold the truck at less than blue book. I should tell you that my husband drives less than 5 miles to work every day, that most of our family is within a few miles of us, and that we have another car to drive on trips. Surprisingly, the truck gets 21 mpg on the highway! We also intend to keep the truck as long as possible, until it falls apart (or we do). I’ve a feeling this kind of sale is happening a lot these days, as people deal with high gas prices and inflation, and the problems of economic dislocation. We’re in an economic shift right now. We have to re-learn some things: 1. Gas prices will shoot up periodically, and people driving huge cars are going to be stuck What do you think? Are you looking at downsizing your automobile? Or are you grabbing a good deal on something? Tags: baby boomers, credit crisis, gas crisis, housing crisis, retirement planning
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4-day workweeks increase job satisfaction and productivityPosted by: in General work pimpsI found this interesting article from The Times of India, discussing Utah’s transition to a 4-day workweek from a 5-day workweek. Researchers from the Romney Institute of Public Management found that 60% of employees who have transitionedto the 4-day workweek reported higher productivity.
It’s funny what a seemingly slight difference in scheduling makes. They work the same number of hours as 5-day workweek employees, and yet they report superior performance and job satisfaction. If the performance is indeed better, businesses should take a serious look into applying similar changes in their schedule. One of my favorite old SciFi movies is “The Day the Earth Stood Still” with Michael Rennie, Patricia Neal, and Sam Jaffe. And Billy Gray (from Father Knows Best). Klaatu (Rennie) comes to earth with Gort, his robot friend, to warn the people of the world that they must live in peace or face obliteration (I was never sure why, if the aliens were against war, why they would destroy people). Anyway, it seems Barak Obama has picked up Klaatu’s refrain.
During his current speech in Berlin, he referred to his audience several times as “People of the World” and he designated himself as a “fellow citizen of the world.” Sounding very presidential, Obama spoke where Kennedy and Reagon gave resounding speeches to the people of Berlin. Kennedy’s “Ich Bein Ein Berliner” speech and Reagan’s “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall” speech both were pivotal events in European and American history. Will Obama’s speech prove to be as powerful or influential? Only time will tell. And I hope we have the ability to understand the words of Klaatu:
Tags: baby boomers, barak obama, Berlin, The Day the Earth Stood Still Found this short presentation on Slideshare, and I thought it’d be an interesting topic to discuss. Do you make an effort in establishing your own personal brand - whether in your industry at massive or within your own company? What steps have you taken? I counsel people going into professional practices, and I tell them this often: If you are buying property, buy the property as a separate entity. Having a separate entity (an LLC or a Subchapter S Corporation) for the property keeps the property out of any issues with the debt of the business itself. You can also move the business and keep the property, renting out the space to some other business. The separate entity for property idea might also be good if you’re asked to invest in a business by a relative, child, or friend. You could offer to purchase (or join in buying) the property, and keep out of any potential problems with running the business. A recent on the internet newspaper article from Fort Myers, Florida, has more details and additional examples. Remember, I am not an attorney or accountant and I’m not giving you advice. Check with your attorney and CPA before entering into any business transactions. Superior yet, don’t invest at all. And try to avoid borrowing from family and friends to start your business. David Gass of Business Credit Services, Inc., says:
Tags: baby boomers, Business Credit Services, business legal forms, family business, LLC, Subchapter S Corporation
We all make promises at work We make promises to our supervisors, colleagues, or clients. We don’t necessarily keep them, but we make them anyway. When we break promises we look like jerks (or incompetent, or both). When we keep them, people expect it and they just think you’re doing your job. How do you keep promises and still get that wow factor?
To under-promise is to make a public commitment to do something, but this something is actually much less than what you’ve planned.
Of course, when you eventually deliver the promise, you would’ve either met their expectations or exceeded them - since you set their expectations lower than what you could achieve. In either case, you get a positive reaction. Which is infinitely superior than the embarrassment you’ll face if you don’t deliver what you promised. Most business people make the mistake of promising big, and the delivery rarely lives up to the promise. If it does, you’re lucky - but this is rare. Another important thing to remember is to quantify. From the steps you need to take to fulfill your promise, to listing the measurable, concrete data that will qualify whether you’ve fulfilled your promise or not.Why is this important?
How good are you at keeping your promises? I currently rate myself 6.5 out of 10. How would you evaluate yourself? What was the last professional promise you made? How did you fare in keeping it? |
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