Thomas – Page 4

Make a Good Impression When Networking

We’ve often heard that the first impression is everything. This is certainly true in networking. It can take months or years of contact to reverse someone’s perceptions of you from that first meeting. You certainly won’t have that much time in an interview. So how can you use that first impression to your advantage?

The small things that pack a big punch

Entire articles are dedicated to these tips alone. Remember the names of the people you’re talking with, keep good eye contact, give a firm (but not too firm) handshake, smile, remain positive and look professional. If you only have a minute to chat with someone, these are the types of things they’ll notice and remember about you. Why do we still fill advice articles with these tips? Because people continue to show up to networking events dressed unprofessionally without smiles on their faces. When everyone gets the memo – we’ll move on.

Don’t brag

No one likes a braggart. But it’s OK to be open about who you are and what you’ve done. Don’t shy away from your accomplishments. You’ve probably done some really awesome things that those you’re networking with are interested in. Sprinkle your accomplishments into the conversation, if you can. If your job title is confusing (think “marketing ninja” or “design guru”), you’ll definitely want to have an “elevator pitch” ready. This is good advice for any professional, because titles mean different responsibilities in different companies. Your “pitch” should be short (30 seconds), sweet and simple – bonus points if you can mention one of those accomplishments.

Do some research

Take a couple hours and figure out who is coming to the event. Many events show you a list of attendees and even link to their social media. Figure out who is going to be there and take a couple notes. Knowing a bit about the folks you’re chatting with will flatter them. This may not work as effectively at large conferences, but it’s a must for smaller networking events.

Follow up

When you’ve chatted with someone at a networking event, it’s always a good idea to follow up, even if you don’t feel like they can help you with your career goals. You never know who they might have in their circles. A handwritten note is best, but if you didn’t talk to the person much, an e-mail might be best.

A big part of following up involves the business card. Some argue that business cards are outdated because you can find everyone online. But whipping out your phone to follow someone on Twitter during your conversation with them is not flattering and you won’t remember everyone you talked to at the conference when you get back to work. Ask contacts for business cards. They’ll probably expect you to have one also. Having a creative design will make you memorable. Browse Pinterest and other websites for business card ideas. Even if you decide to be more traditional with your design, make sure you use a professional printing service. A durable, quality paper is important so your card doesn’t get smashed or fade.

When networking, make sure you’re covering the basics. Show up in professional clothing, unless you know for a fact that the attire is more casual. Even if it is casual, show up well groomed. Keep a smile on your face and be open to conversation. Make sure you can explain what you do quickly and feel free to discuss your accomplishments. Do some research on attendees so you can talk about their accomplishments, too. As always, don’t forget to follow up your conversations. Using these networking tips will help you make long-lasting professional connections that will benefit you long into the future.

Originally posted on July 17, 2013 @ 3:50 pm

Think Big: How Your Business Can Efficiently Store Big Data

We often send off emails and store documents in the cloud without a second thought, but our information isn’t just whisked off into the wind as the term seems to imply. Actually, storage facilities housing cloud data don’t resemble anything close to the light, fluffy symbols that represent them. In reality, warehouse-sized computer networks form the cloud. In fact, there is no single cloud; instead, there are many cloud vendors with their own huge networks of virtualized, utility-like computing resources. Due to its ability to expand quickly and pool the storage and computing resources of vast amounts of discrete computers, the cloud is the logical choice for storing and analyzing big data.

If terms like the cloud and big data only sound vaguely familiar to you, rest assured that you’re not alone. According to Google Trends, people hardly mentioned the term big data in 2011 and then suddenly the phrase jumped to its peak search interest this summer.

What is big data?

You might have read esoteric articles throwing the term around haphazardly, but it’s hard to find a concise explanation of just what exactly big data is. As complicated as it might seem, big data is exactly what it seems: big. data. By “big,” we mean a collection of stored data that exceeds the capacity of on-site data management tools and the average processing application.

According to IBM, we collectively generate 2.5 quintillion bytes of data every day — and no, they didn’t just make that number up. It’s easy to imagine how a number can reach such unrecognizable -illions when you consider the sources: digital pictures and videos, social media posts, sensors gathering climate information, and mobile phone GPS signals; those are just at the top of the list. All of that information swirling around in the digital world comes together to form what we know by the vague, yet somehow appropriate term big data.

Answering the who, what, when, where and how

Since the demand for data storage is weighing heavily on several industries, many marketers and business professionals are frantic with questions about what to do with all of the excess digital information. According to Mike Troester, Global Product Marketing Manager at SAS, “The bottom line for organizations of all sizes [is] you should not be doing less sophisticated analysis just because you have more data.”

It’s perhaps appropriate that big data is a relative term because it depends on the capacity of your own data storage system and the applications used to process and analyze the data to determine what you consider big. Tools like Quantcast, Google Analytics, Facebook Insights, and Alexa make it easier to collect and analyze data without using too much of your own storage and software systems.

Big and small: data storage for every business

Selecting the right data storage company for your small business will depend on your needs in terms of analytics, business intelligence, security and accessibility. Focus on your business value as opposed to business size. For example, if your company would benefit more from analyzing blog and social media data to develop a better idea of customer satisfaction, focus on these areas of your data storage and analysis plan. Make analytics your top priority with whatever company you choose, since this can help limit your data storage all together by filtering through important data and discarding those that don’t benefit your company in a positive way.

Image credit: watcharakun on Freedigitalphotos.net

Originally posted on July 10, 2013 @ 5:15 pm

Factory Workspace Ergonomics & Safety: An Essential Component of Your Productivity

Ergonomics, the science of designing workplaces and work stations to meet the physical needs of workers, is often dismissed as too expensive or requiring too great a degree of modification of the existing assembly line design to be cost-effective to employers. Redesign of the workspace alone is not sufficient to prevent the majority of repetition-related injuries. Other factors include a fast work pace, employees’ lack of control over aspects of their job, workload, peer support and the overall environment of the larger factory or work area.

Originally posted on June 3, 2013 @ 6:35 pm

Safe Crane Operation Is All About Preparation

Although overall rates of workplace injuries and fatalities have been declining steadily, the number of workplace deaths during crane-related activity has remained fairly steady. Recent crane failures in New York City have many people — including the Occupational Safety and Health Administration — looking more closely at how well cranes are being maintained and operated.

Originally posted on July 10, 2013 @ 5:33 pm

Will Dot Com Always Be King?

Americans almost always type in .com to find the website of their choice. Many times, they’re right. However, for most, even .gov, .net and .edu take some getting used to. With an increase in websites, more domains are needed. New York City demonstrated this need by obtaining a top level domain (TLD) to be released at the end of 2013. As more TLDs become available, will .com always remain the most popular?

The Dot Com Kingdom

When you’re looking to complete domain registration, .com websites can make your business seem more legitimate and trustworthy to consumers. The average Internet user will feel most comfortable with websites that end in .com because that’s what they’re used to. For consistency’s sake, choosing .com might be most beneficial. However, as TLDs continue to increase, you can be more creative with your web address.

Even if you’d prefer to have your official website with another TLD, it might be beneficial to register the .com version of your website address as well. This will also allow you to keep your branding consistent. You wouldn’t want customers typing .com instead of .biz and ending up on the wrong page. That will become less of a problem as users get more accustomed to different TLDs.

The Land of Other TLDs

The number one benefit of other TLDs is that small businesses will no longer have to settle for available domains. When some businesses go to register for a domain name, they discover that it has already been taken. This means that the owner either has to name the website something unrelated to the business or even change the name of the business based on the domains that are still available.

Some of the new suggested TLDs would allow website owners to be more creative. Trendy businesses might prefer .biz while a new digital encyclopedia might go with .info. The addition of these TLDs also allows websites to sort themselves into more categories than have been provided in the past.

Some suggested TLDs, like .pro, might even be able to give you more credibility than a .com site. Those wishing to register a site with .pro might prove that they are a professional in that topic. The .pro sites may become highly trusted sources of information.

What’s my Domain, Again?

In this debate about the future of domains, some are pointing out that domains may not even matter. Unless your visitors frequent your site and can type it in from memory, they’re probably visiting by clicking links through e-mails, search engines or shortened links on social media.

As the number of available domain names increases, it will be interesting to see if .com remains the preference or if domain names become even less important than they are now. Businesses that have previously had to rely on whatever name was available will have an easier time registering a relevant domain name because of the increase.

Image credit: jscreationzs on Freedigitalphotos.net

Originally posted on July 15, 2013 @ 1:10 pm

Open New doors with a Business Management Degree

Image courtesy of Omdur

It’s not uncommon for people to change careers – by some estimates, as many as six or seven times. People simply grow tired of their jobs, or they look for ways to reinvent themselves, and sometimes, they decide that pursuing additional education is the key to moving into a new role.

If your goal is to move upward in the business world, you need to develop a plan. The first step should be making a list of the skills you have now and the skills you’ll need in order to take on greater responsibility. If you’ve got your sights set on becoming a manager, make sure you’ve got the right personality for job. To be successful, you’ll need the kinds of qualities that can’t necessarily be taught, such as:

Good communication skills
Adaptability
Strong work ethic
Good problem-solving ability
High energy
Self-confidence
Decisiveness
Leadership skills
Good judgment
Strong technical skills

If you’ve decided you’ve got what it takes to become a member of management, then the next step is to find out how additional education can help you achieve your goal.

Training and education

Most management opportunities require either a bachelor’s or associate degree in business management. An associate degree may be adequate if you already have an undergraduate degree in business, accounting, marketing, or a related field.

Keep in mind that you’ll likely be working full-time while you pursue a degree, so it may take you a few years to complete degree requirements. If you intend to stay with your current employer, make sure management knows you’re going back to school in order to increase your maneuverability within the company.

Employment options

What can you do with a degree in business management? Virtually every industry relies on business management professionals in some way. You could become a project manager and work with vendors to complete a project from start to finish. You might choose to work in human resources, to manage a restaurant or hotel, to oversee the daily operations of a factory or office, or to work as a consultant helping executives improve their businesses.

What does it pay?

Many factors affect your potential salary in the field of business management – your specialization, where you work and your on-the-job experience being the most significant. The Bureau of Labor Statistics provides an overall picture of what you can expect to earn, according to occupation. Here are just a few of the mean annual salaries for management professionals provided by the BLS:

Chief executive – $176,840
Marketing and sales manager – $123,260
Purchasing manager – $106,200
Human resources manager – $109,590
Construction manager – $90,960
Food service manager – $52,580
Health services manager – $98,460

As with any career field, opportunities in business management can ebb and flow, but as long as there are businesses, there will be jobs in business management. So if you feel like you’ve gone as far as you can go professionally with your current credentials, look for opportunities to develop new skills that will make it easy for you to move up the career ladder.

Originally posted on July 1, 2013 @ 3:30 am

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