Archives for June 2015

careerdirectionsllc.com

There is something about the new season that brings about a lot of transition. For me, the feeling and motivation that I get during New Years starts all over again when the sun comes back out and the flowers begin to bloom. Getting rid of the winter blues and packing away the bulky clothing are fun and easy acts of transitioning. But what about the changes that require some intense thought? The decisions that can potentially alter your finances, lifestyle and career are the ones that require some advice and personal reflection.

There are two types of individuals that face career transitions:

1. People who are sure about the career/industry they want to transition in to
2. People who are not sure of the type of work they want to transition in to

Each individual still needs to go through a process to ensure that the decision they make is both correct and timely. Let’s be honest, the state of the job market here in the US is not great. Even if the career you wish to transition in to is seeking employees, the process to secure your dream job can be exhausting and may require a lot of time. But considering the decision to transition out of one industry to another adds on additional effort on your part and may require you to evaluate some key questions such as:

• What skills are transferrable to this new position and company?
• Do I need to re-write my resume?
• Is the salary in my desired field the same, more or less than what I’m making now?
• What is the promotion culture at this new position/company?
• Do I need additional education in order to apply for this job?
• Does my dream job or position require me to stay in my location or to move?

Here is some advice that will help you shape your career transition process:

1. Know thy Self – The Importance of Self-Assessment

If you are in your late 20s/early 30s, there is no time to waste. Understanding what you are best at (based on passion, education or work history) and how to transition those skills in to a new job should be the main priority. Jotting down a list of key skills and list of your hobbies and passions are great ways to evaluate you as a person and how you will fit into the workforce. It’s important to also keep in mind that this evaluation process may lean you towards creating your own career with you as a boss.

provides good resources for you to gain some insight on the various occupational groups. Here you will be able to generally track salary, job summaries and education needed to apply across many industries.

In addition to knowing yourself, it is also important to understand who you are as an employee. Birkman International is an organization that helps the workforce narrow down their behavior and the perception one has of themselves versus how others may perceive them. They provide a free online assessment and custom report that will help narrow down your work personality: .

2. Industry and Company Selection

The assessment will help you decide if your career aspirations match your skillsets and interests. There are situation where many people have to pick a career based on its immediate availability and that’s ok! But if you do have the opportunity to work towards obtaining the career of your dreams, narrowing down that industry and company is beneficial during your process. Start by figuring what companies you admire and research if they match your interests.

3. Position Selection

The position you aim to fill needs to be careful selected. Be honest with yourself. Based on the job description understand if you can fulfill those requirements. Requirements may come in the form of daily duties, managerial oversight, communication between multiple departments or people, submitting various assignment, etc. Choosing a position may also come with the requirement of additional education. Ask yourself if you have the needed background to set you a part from other candidates.

Most work requirements may come from on the job training (understanding company culture or internal technology) while others are required to get the job.

4. Re-Build Your Career History

At this point you have evaluated your skillset and passions, chosen the industry and position you identify with and the next logical step is to take those components to update your documentation: the resume and the cover letter.  Creating and updating a resume and cover letter is probably one of the most tedious parts of this process. There are so many nuances needed for it to be considered great. Outdated and irrelevant career documents can create setbacks when it comes to the job-hunting process. In order to avoid that, lets look at some ways to gain some help.

Career centers at your location university (if you are tackling the crazy life of school and work) will provide a level of face-to-face assistance that cannot be obtained online. If your main resource is your handy laptop and smart phone here are some amazing websites that can provide writing tips to enhance your documents before submission

5. The Submission Process

The submission process is often referred to as “The Black Hole; you submit your resume and it mysterious gets lost in the World Wide Web. Every company now requires you to submit your job application online. Our generation was born and raised on the Internet and the number of job submissions is growing by the second.

Understanding the way in which each company accepts application is so important. For example, small startups and large corporation may have a different process. Some may require digital resumes with a personal portfolio others may be more traditional and require to complete a profile and simply upload your documents.

We are in this together! When thinking about careers, you should always strive to get better at your craft. These pieces of advice should set the stage for you to finally make the decision to take control of your work life. Even though it may take a little extra hard work and time, we encourage you to continue to make 2015 an awesome a year![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

mackeyadvisors.com

One of the most difficult things for me as an entrepreneur has been deciding what my time and services are worth. It took me about a year of discomfort, poor decisions and many underpaid hours of work to realize the error of my ways. When you hear the common entrepreneurial advice of “fail fast and fail often”, this is one of those areas where I recommend you take heed.

As you start to bring on clients, they will want to know what you do and understand what it will cost them. Some will even try to deter you from charging the prices that you do for a variety of reasons. Having the following considerations in mind is my attempt to save you (if even slightly) from making some of the mistakes I did:

1. Do your research and set a price for your services.
When I say do your research, don’t just run a Google search, crowd source information from other business owners about how they valuate their services. Will you lag the market, lead the market or be on par with the market? These are just some of the questions you will have to ask yourself and answer to have a clear understanding of the value of your business. Service alone is like dollar bills without gold to back it. The only time your services mean anything is when you back it with a pre-determined attribution of time and effort. Of course, this may vary from client to client because of their individual needs. However, if you have a solid baseline price for your services you will rarely feel like you are underpaid for your work.

2. Minimize the costs you incur for delivered services.
If the project or service you are working on requires additional costs; don’t be a martyr and incur those costs. The danger in doing this is you can exhaust your own profits trying to fund a project or campaign; when in reality the cost needs to be absorbed by the customer. Part of owning your worth is being able to communicate these additions, changes or increases in cost without feeling guilty about it.

3. Be confident in the pricing framework you have set.
You will get the occasional client that wants to nickel and dime you for your services. As a business owner, I encourage flexibility at times-but by and large you need to be confident and steadfast about your prices. Only you can determine what your time and effort is worth. If they can’t afford you, you have to be comfortable with walking away from work in an effort to defend your worth and prices. Early on, this can be a difficult thing to swallow-as you are trying to establish yourself; but it is a necessary skill.

4. Keep accurate records of the time you spend on delivering services.
The only way to monitor the relationship between what you are charging and the actual labor is to keep timely and accurate records. Reviewing time and labor for each project and looking for trends over time can provide important data that should inform any price increases or adjustments needed.

5. Don’t be afraid to fire clients.
Yes, owning your own business is about helping people and passion and all of those virtuous things. However, you are also in business to make money. If you operate your business from a place of fear where you are unable to have frank conversations with clients about your rates and/or their inability to afford you- you will be broke and unhappy. Be transparent and upfront about what it costs to do business with you. If you get the hint that the client has quirks around paying on time or paying you at all- politely thank them for their interest and part ways quickly.

Having a pricing framework and realizing that you will be learning about the worth of your business throughout your time as a business owner is paramount. If you provide a value, the right client will pay you what you ask with no questions ask. The key is to put your ducks in a row and then go out and acquire the right clients for your business.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

rayhigdon.com

As a small business attorney, I have helped many people start, structure and develop their businesses.  From idea inception to the sale of their business, I’ve seen (and experienced) it all.  Since the recession of 2009, entrepreneurship is at an all-time high, as people are realizing that “job security” is something that only you can provide for yourself.  While it’s not for the faint of heart, entrepreneurship is a wonderful thing, and if done correctly, can be extremely lucrative.  But before you sell your first product or provide your first service, here are 5 crucial things that you need to know:

1. Have a Business Plan
A business plan – a written one – is absolutely necessary.  Point, blank, period.  Conducting business without a plan is like driving from New York to California without a map or GPS.  More than just a document for potential investors, it’s the blueprint to your business.  The thought of creating one makes people a bit anxious, as they believe that it has to be a 20-page document full of stuff that they don’t know how to articulate.  It definitely doesn’t have to be. However, it does have to be written, must detail how your business will function and what your business goals are.

2. Implement a Legal Business Structure
The most important aspect of implementing a legal business structure is the shield of liability.  What this basically means is that when you incorporate – by becoming a corporation, limited liability company or partnership – you add a layer of protection to your business.  If something were to happen during and in the course of conducting your business, and you were to get sued, your personal assets would be protected.  You wouldn’t want to lose your house, car or other assets over an aggrieved and disgruntled customer.

3. Hire a Team of Professionals
Teamwork makes the dream work.  Your starting lineup should always include: an ACCOUNTANT, a LAWYER, and a FINANCIAL ADVISOR.  Early on in my career a mentor told me that you should always outsource anything that someone else can do better and faster.  That way, you have the time to focus on what you do best.  Additionally, you definitely want to start out on the right foot.  Hiring these people can be costly, especially in the beginning when funding may be scarce.  Resources, such as NYC Business Solutions offers free services to small business owners and is a great place to start.

4. Network
Your network determines your net worth.  No man is an island, and if you are, you probably won’t get much business.  Networking is a fun and effective way of getting your name out there and letting the world know what you do.  Use networking to build meaningful relationships with people that you may do business with now or in the future.  Remember my golden rule of networking – the best way to achieve your dreams is to help others achieve theirs.

5. Have A Positive Mindset
Above all else, entrepreneurship starts in the mind before it starts in reality.  Entrepreneurs spend several years living like most people won’t so that they can spend the rest of their lives living how most people dream.  I’ve found that the most successful entrepreneurs are those people who have a burning desire to be sucessful, don’t take “no” for an answer, and are relentless at achieving their goals.  Enjoy the ride, and most importantly, believe in yourself and your business.

Bridging the gap between a million dollar idea and a million dollar business requires strategy, creative thinking, planning and a burning desire to manifest your dreams.  The risks may be many, but the rewards are far greater than you can ever imagine.  As long as you plan, structure and align yourself and your business with the right people, the sky’s the limit.

Wishing you and your business a lifetime of success![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

There’s a tiny inkling of joy that tugged at every women’s heart when The Treasury Department announced that there will be a woman on the next $10 bill. By the year 2020, on the century anniversary of the 19th Amendment – giving women the right to vote – a woman is set to grace the face of the new bill.

“Our paper bills — and the images of great American leaders and symbols they depict—have long been a way for us to honor our past and express our values,” Treasury Secretary Jack Lew said in a statement.

It is not yet certain who the woman will be but there unofficial polls reveal suggestions: Harriet Tubman, Eleanor Roosevelt and Rosa Parks. Lew urges the public to take a part in suggesting new candidates through social media under the hashtag #TheNew10.

A non-profit campaign, Women on 20s, created earlier this year has been pushing for this defining  stand to claim a place on U.S. currency. Geared on booting Andrew Jackson off the $20 bill, there is a bittersweet feeling to settle for the $10 – currently occupied by Alexander Hamilton, but the road has only begun.

What does this mean for equality for women?

On the backs of our grandmothers we learned to build a family. We learned to cook, clean and rub a man’s back into the workplace. We grew the desire for more and evolved into a the entrepreneur for our children. We succeeded the likes of macho egos and testosterone fueled industries.

Department of Labor reports show that currently 9.1 million businesses contributing $1.4 billion to annual revenues are women-owned. Since 1997, the number of women owned companies have increased by 67.8%.There is tremendous support for these businesses as the numbers are on a steady rise.

It’s a delight to know a woman will represent a piece of U.S. Currency and leaves to the imagination the leaps more women will make in the future. From CEO’s and business owners, women everywhere are taking charge of their super woman powers and making things happen. It’s time to take yours.

How do you feel to know a woman will represent U.S. Currency? What does this mean for you?

checkaction.com

As a business consultant, I have worked in the capacity of efficiency expert for various businesses, developing brand new infrastructure that best spoke to the office culture and budgetary constraints, and completing the job upon initial implementation.

However, with my own projects, “doing” wasn’t as much fun as “planning.” The fatigue of execution would set in and I searched for new problems for which to create effective workarounds.

When I finally recognized that over-planning was a form of procrastination– not productivity— I started to become less efficient and more effective. Just because you do a meaningless task well (efficiently) doesn’t make it important (effective).

Here are some tips:

1. Only check your email twice a day.
Everything in your box is someone else’s agenda. You don’t need to keep checking your inbox for TravelZoo specials, eVites and Kickstarter pleas. Take an hour–even a half hour–to run thru your inbox. Start unsubscribing to those emails which are distracting. I use unroll.me for gmail.

If you have a team project where email interaction is pressing, label emails from those people and favorite them. Those will be the only ones you get notification for. Otherwise, stay OUTSIDE the box!

2. Turn your phone off.
Your smartphone is making you dumber. From Instagram to Twitter and your best friend, these distractions hurt your productivity. Anything that matters can wait for those two half hours a day when you check your voicemail. I use Google Voice for business so that I get an email transcription of messages left.

3. Block distracting websites.
If your soul cries for Facebook, set aside 20 minutes during the work day with “Block Site” for Chrome (I don’t know why you’d be using a different browser) and you won’t be able to log on to the offending sites. It will also redirect you to the site of your choice, like womeneur.com

4. Make a to-do and a to-don’t list.
Your to-do list doesn’t need to be a mile long to frustrate and overwhelm you. You only need two items on it–big ticket items–that must be completed by you today. The second set of items are ones that would be “nice” for you to finish, but not a necessity, just productivity rewards for finishing your two important tasks.

Now, create your “to-don’t” list by jotting down tasks that must get done but not necessarily by you.

The faux-productive will want to do the things on this list INSTEAD of the big two. This habit, called pre-crastination, is when we do busy-work thinking we’re moving forward. Don’t get caught in this trap. Spend that time outsourcing or delegating these tasks.  When you know how much your efforts are worth on an hourly basis, you’ll be glad to pay someone to take the minutiae off your hands.

5. Book an anti-procrastination appointment.
When you have one particular task that you just can’t seem to get done, block off the time to do it. You can’t do anything else at this time. Just this task. Boredom and restlessness will kick in and kick your rear into high gear.

What are your fall-back methods of procrastination?[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]