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	<title>Business Success</title>
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	<link>http://www.shawnee-ok.org</link>
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		<title>Virtual Training and Meetings</title>
		<link>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/virtual-training-and-meetings.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/virtual-training-and-meetings.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 10 Aug 2011 06:55:12 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Training]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Virtual training]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://shawnee-ok.org/?p=163</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[In an effort to curb expenses where training and meetings are concerned, more companies are turning to virtual/hosted/remote environments in order to connect with partners, customers and employees. Solutions offered by WebEx and GoToMeeting, for example, offer virtual environment sharing that is often better and more intimate than an on-site classroom environment or meeting room. [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div>In an effort to curb expenses where training and meetings are concerned, more companies are turning to virtual/hosted/remote environments in order to connect with partners, customers and employees. Solutions offered by WebEx and GoToMeeting, for example, offer virtual environment sharing that is often better and more intimate than an on-site classroom environment or meeting room.</div>
<div>The most important part of these virtual environments is that they can be accessed by the participants through a regular web browser! No special software is needed! There is a link that is usually provided by the meeting host that the members navigate to, and after a minute or two of setup by the system, the meeting organizer or trainer and the participants are virtually in the same room.</div>
<div>The meeting leader usually has their choice of several methods for conducting the meeting: they can share a particular application, such as PowerPoint if they have a slide deck that needs to be reviewed; they can create a virtual whiteboard in order to diagram concepts and designs; or they can share their whole desktop into this virtual space so that the participants see everything that the leader is doing on their computer.</div>
<div>(This last option is very helpful in technical support when the engineer can’t reproduce the issue. By invoking a virtual meeting, they can be shown exactly what the problem is!)</div>
<div>Virtual training and meetings drastically reduce the need to travel for a half-day training or a three hour meeting that can not be missed. You won&#8217;t have to get <a href="http://4forefront.com/higher-education-abroad.htm">short term loans</a> for travel expenses and such. The technology itself has matured dramatically over the last decade and it can now offer advanced services such as being able to record the session for future playback if some of the participants could not join the meeting. Most meeting software now offers video capabilities as well so the human interaction is not lost even though no-one is in the same room.</div>
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		<title>Program to Find the Losing Data</title>
		<link>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/program-to-find-the-losing-data.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/program-to-find-the-losing-data.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 17 Jul 2011 17:53:28 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.shawnee-ok.org/?p=292</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[People often work until late to grasp the data. They do the statistical procedure or the other procedure which take long process. They will be happy if they find the final data or the function of existing data. But, if their work hard just disappear without clear reasonable, it is really annoying. They work in [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>People often work until late to grasp the data. They do the statistical procedure or the other procedure which take long process. They will be happy if they find the final data or the function of existing data. But, if their work hard just disappear without clear reasonable, it is really annoying. They work in weeks, months, and even years and then their data that be got in pains taking obtained loss in a quick time. Every people who is in that condition actually want their data back. They do not want what they have done lately are meaningless. They need program that can <a href="http://recover.remosoftware.com/">recover data</a> for them.</p>
<p>There are some programs that can be used as the tool to find the hidden data or loss data. The hidden of the data can be cause that there is unwanted things affect the computer and it is usually disturbing the work of it. The unwanted things can be virus or just worm. Even though it is worm, the data in the computer susceptible too. Therefore, it needs to <a href="http://www.remosoftware.com/recover-data-from-accidentally-formatted-drive">recover formatted drive</a>.</p>
<p>They can search the program of it in the internet and then they will find several of <a href="http://www.remosoftware.com/recover-data-from-a-formatted-partition">formation partition recovery</a> for them. Find the appropriate of it which can be solution for the problem that is faced by them.</p>
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		<title></title>
		<link>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/252.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/252.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 15 Jul 2011 08:18:41 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Management]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Actuarial science]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Actuary]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Insurance]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://shawnee-ok.org/?p=252</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[There are many great paying finance careers for those who qualify. Very few of these jobs are available to those who do not graduate college with a degree in business, and many finance jobs require advanced secondary schooling to achieve an MBA. A career as an actuary is a great way to go for those [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>There are many great paying finance careers for those who qualify.  Very few of these jobs are available to those who do not graduate  college with a degree in business, and many finance jobs require  advanced secondary schooling to achieve an MBA. A career as an actuary  is a great way to go for those with the requisite experience and who are  into statistics. So just what is it that an actuary does for work?</p>
<p>The primary responsibility of an <a href="http://www.beanactuary.org/about/whatis.cfm">actuary</a> is to estimate the chances of calamities taking place. These experts in  statistics will take raw data and calculate the chances of death  occurring in a certain situation or estimate the likely cost of damage  should a storm strike a certain area. An actuary may also be called upon  to estimate monetary damages for things like prescriptions recalls or  the estimated impact of faulty materials in cars.</p>
<p>An actuary could estimate the impact to a <a title="payday loan" href="http://www.acecashexpress.com/" target="_blank">payday loan</a> service for a major rate change or the illnesses that could arise from  polluted drinking water. Actuaries make some great money as far as  finance careers are concerned. Starting pay is routinely over $55,000  and veteran actuaries can make in the neighborhood of $200,000 a year.</p>
<p>In order to become an actuary, you need to be certified as such.  There is a certification exam that you can apply to take after you’ve  completed your schooling an achieved your degree in actuarial science.  If you aren’t particularly impressed with the starting salary, it’s fair  to assume you will make more money in just a short period of time once  you exhibit your skills as an actuary.</p>
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		<title>Create a Never-to-be-forgotten Fashion Designer Bio</title>
		<link>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/create-a-never-to-be-forgotten-fashion-designer-bio.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/create-a-never-to-be-forgotten-fashion-designer-bio.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 15 Jun 2011 19:15:23 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.shawnee-ok.org/?p=274</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[What is it about you that makes you stand out from the proverbial fashion designer crowd? What are your talents, your interests, and your future direction in fashion? Get the attention you need by answering the following questions. Get the answers all down on paper. What experiences have you had? What creative genius can you [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>What is it about you that makes you stand out from the proverbial  fashion designer crowd? What are your talents, your interests, and your  future direction in fashion?</p>
<p>Get the attention you need by answering the following questions. Get the answers all down on paper.</p>
<ul>
<li>What experiences have you had? What creative genius can you offer?</li>
<li>Who have you worked for? What previous work with brands created a  desire in you to go out on your own with your own unique idea? <a href="http://www.sojones.com/hiphop-clothing/lrg-clothing/" target="_blank">LRG clothing</a>,  for example, is even worn by celebrities. LRG is a popular urban brand  that offers pants, jeans, shirts, outerwear and accessories for  trendsetters.</li>
<li>Who do you know that knows you enough to speak about your fashion  accomplishments and what they feel has led to your current success?</li>
<li>What inspires you?</li>
<li>What makes fashion design a priority for you?</li>
<li>What do you consider to be your greatest success in your work; in your personal life?</li>
</ul>
<p>As you use these questions to compose your <a href="http://www.mahalo.com/how-to-write-a-professional-biography" target="_blank">fashion designer bio</a>, keep in mind the following considerations:</p>
<ul>
<li>One page. You want your bio to be read.</li>
<li>To the point. Don&#8217;t get off on any tangents.</li>
<li>Professional. Use white paper; no colored text. Make sure it&#8217;s clean and free of typos.</li>
<li>Tailored to the reader. Consider your audience.</li>
<li>Third person. Use your name instead of &#8220;I&#8221;</li>
</ul>
<p>Creating a never-to-be-forgotten fashion designer bio has as much to  do with the time you spend on it as what remains to be seen on paper.  Make yours stand out by following the above helps.<a class="init" href="post-new.php#"></a></p>
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		<title>Obtaining Effective Patent Law Protection</title>
		<link>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/obtaining-effective-patent-law-protection.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/obtaining-effective-patent-law-protection.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 06 Jun 2011 15:43:04 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.shawnee-ok.org/?p=270</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[&#160; Image via Wikipedia The notion of patents is baffling &#8212; with you stumbling through the process, bombarded by terms you can’t understand and strategies you can’t memorize. Protecting your idea, and your business, is essential. You simply think it’s also impossible. It’s not. There are ways to obtain effective care for your company. You [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="zemanta-img" style="float: right; display: block; width: 310px; margin: 1em;"><a href="http://commons.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:US_Patent_6274X_color_page1.jpg"><img style="border: none; display: block;" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/64/US_Patent_6274X_color_page1.jpg/300px-US_Patent_6274X_color_page1.jpg" alt="US Patent" width="300" height="411" /></a>&nbsp;</p>
<p class="zemanta-img-attribution" style="font-size: 0.8em;">Image via <a href="http://commons.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:US_Patent_6274X_color_page1.jpg">Wikipedia</a></p>
</div>
<p>The notion of patents is baffling &#8212; with you stumbling through the process, bombarded by terms you can’t understand and strategies you can’t memorize. Protecting your idea, and your business, is essential. You simply think it’s also impossible.</p>
<p>It’s not.</p>
<p>There are ways to obtain effective care for your company. You merely must:</p>
<p><strong>Seek Counsel </strong></p>
<p>The effectiveness of patents relies often on understanding subtleties &#8212; which can prove to be challenging for those with limited knowledge of claims and legalese. Help is therefore needed; and <a href="http://www.whglawfirm.com/" target="_blank">patent law Los Angeles</a> attorneys are recommended to explain all rules and requirements. Issues can be shaped to layman’s terms and made simple. This allows them to become tangible rather than confusing.</p>
<p><strong>Choose Applications</strong></p>
<p>A patent isn’t universal. It’s defined instead to specificities &#8212; with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patent_application#Types_of_applications" target="_blank">different types of applications</a> used to distinguish ideas. Choosing the right kind of application is therefore essential to securing protection for your business. You must learn the differences of Standard, Provisional, Continuation and Divisional, and see which best reflects your needs.</p>
<p><strong>Create Claims</strong></p>
<p>An idea isn’t meant to be all-consuming. Its focus must be narrowed; its scope must be shaped to limitations. Patents are meant to reflect precise notions, and all <a href="http://inventors.about.com/od/patentsbasics/a/PatentClaims.htm" target="_blank">claims</a> must therefore be relevant <em>only</em> to individuals and their inventions. Your attempts to file an application should be careful then &#8212; with words chosen deliberately and boundaries clearly defined. This is to offer security to you (as well as to others who may have similar proposals).</p>
<p>Protection isn’t a privilege for your corporation: it’s a <em>right</em>. You must simply gain it through diligence, patience and professional aid.</p>
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		<title>Management Strategies</title>
		<link>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/management-strategies.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/management-strategies.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 02 Jun 2011 18:21:40 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Management]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Employment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Senior management]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.shawnee-ok.org/?p=278</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[&#160; Image by Getty Images via @daylife The job of management has never been more important. Finding ways to keep the company flourishing, while at the same time keeping the employees and customers happy, is not only management&#8217;s job, it is the key to the success of the business. In this troubled economy, keeping spending [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="zemanta-img" style="margin: 1em; float: right; width: 160px;"><a href="http://www.daylife.com/image/0d8n9Iscyvc2E?utm_source=zemanta&amp;utm_medium=p&amp;utm_content=0d8n9Iscyvc2E&amp;utm_campaign=z1"><img style="border: medium none;" src="http://cache.daylife.com/imageserve/0d8n9Iscyvc2E/150x93.jpg" alt="NEW YORK - JUNE 24:  Job seekers look for empl..." width="150" height="93" /></a>&nbsp;</p>
<p class="zemanta-img-attribution" style="font-size: 0.8em;">Image by <a href="http://www.daylife.com/source/Getty_Images">Getty Images</a> via <a href="http://www.daylife.com">@daylife</a></p>
</div>
<p>The job of management has never been more important. Finding ways to keep the company flourishing, while at the same time keeping the employees and customers happy, is not only management&#8217;s job, it is the key to the success of the business.</p>
<p>In this troubled economy, keeping spending to a minimum is very important. Making every company dollar work to the fullest will taking planning and strategy, with all employees from the lowest paid to the highest level of management participating completely.</p>
<p>Start by keeping everyone informed. Employees who are constantly worried about their jobs are not performing at their best. Have frequent meetings, let everyone know where they are doing great, as well as where improvement is needed. <a href="http://thinkup.waldenu.edu/management/leadership-and-decision-making/item/11844-leadership-as-critical-component-of-implementation-business-strategies&amp;sa=U&amp;ei=_2J4TdaNDMuB0QHZsdjmAw&amp;ved=0CP4CEBYwPTjIAQ&amp;usg=AFQjCNHN-bkhBJOP5ZwBIscvJSXTubqLyQ" target="_blank">Good strong leadership</a> will be able to spot the potential problems, settle them quickly, and keep everyone on the right track.</p>
<p>The management team should be hiring the people who are good for the job, as well as training them well, making sure they are well versed in all aspects of the job they have signed on to do. A good team is able to communicate well with one another, being able to ask questions and knowing that someone knowledgeable will be able to answer their questions. Marketing your business in tough times will take some pretty clever planning. Make sure you have a marketing team that is up to the challenge.</p>
<p>Businesses can survive a recession. No one knows how long it will last, but a smart management team can help their employees weather the storm, and be a better team because of it.</p>
<div class="zemanta-pixie" style="margin-top: 10px; height: 15px;"><img class="zemanta-pixie-img" style="border: medium none; float: right;" src="http://img.zemanta.com/pixy.gif?x-id=1d1b4b48-b65d-471d-9d47-41e5672725b2" alt="" /></div>
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		<title>Automated Forex Trading Worth the Risk?</title>
		<link>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/automated-forex-trading-worth-the-risk.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/automated-forex-trading-worth-the-risk.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 24 May 2011 09:43:15 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Foreign exchange market]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Investing]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.shawnee-ok.org/?p=263</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Trading on the foreign exchange market is quickly becoming a popular way for many people to make money with little effort. One of the major draw cards for people to get involved with Forex trading is that it can earn you money without you having to do anything. You can continue to work on other [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Trading on the foreign exchange market is quickly becoming a popular way for many people to make money with little effort. One of the major draw cards for people to get involved with Forex trading is that it can earn you money without you having to do anything. You can continue to work on other projects or spend time with your family whilst automated trading does the work for you.</p>
<p>Many people love to <a href="http://www.ufxmarkets.com/" target="_blank">trade forex online</a> and the freedom it allows, however, many are not as enthusiastic about it. For many, forex automated trading is seen as a risky endeavor.</p>
<h3>What Are the Risks?</h3>
<p>Before you take the plunge into automated trading, it would be wise to consider the risks.</p>
<ul>
<li>To go fully automatic means relinquishing control. The      market is a guessing game at the best of times, and automated trading      simply adds to that. You never know what might happen.</li>
<li>A computer does not <a href="http://www.prweb.com/releases/2011/5/prweb8446026.htm" target="_blank">know</a> everything &#8211; nor should it. Computers      are there to assist you in tasks, not to do them completely for you. This      is especially relevant with online trading, when an automated system might      not be able to be updated with trends as quickly as what a human could be.</li>
<li>The automated software itself can encounter problems.      Make sure you use a reliable one.</li>
</ul>
<p>Automated forex trading has many benefits. Although, as with most things, there are certain risks involved, if you know what those risks are then you are able to make an educated decision as to whether or not automated trading is for you. For many, the rewards are certainly worth the risk.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
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		<title>4 Tools Every Business Should Use</title>
		<link>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/4-tools-every-business-should-use.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/4-tools-every-business-should-use.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 23 May 2011 16:31:19 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Management]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Cash register]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Small business]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.shawnee-ok.org/?p=261</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[A successful business has to have the right tools in its toolbox. Although the toolbox should be full of many things, there are four that every business should use. These don&#8217;t include computers, cash registers, or fleet cars. They&#8217;re much more broad and philosophical, but if you use them, you&#8217;ll be successful as your business [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>A successful business has to have the right tools in its toolbox. Although the toolbox should be full of many things, there are four that every business should use. These don&#8217;t include computers, cash registers, or fleet cars. They&#8217;re much more broad and philosophical, but if you use them, you&#8217;ll be successful as your business grows. Therefore, make these things part of your success strategy.</p>
<p><strong>1. Education. </strong>An educated staff is an effective staff. People on your team need to be knowledgeable about your industry, but they need to have good business knowledge in general, too. If you find the right person without the right degree, you may want to offer a sign-on bonus that covers the cost of online classes. Whatever you do, invest in a well-trained staff.</p>
<p><strong>2. Excellent Customer Service. </strong>Even if your small business never interacts with the general public, there are people that you call customers. Make sure your well-educated staff is prompt, responsive, and excellent with their work. Good manners and business etiquette will give your team just the right polish to put you ahead of your competition.</p>
<p><strong>3. A Solid Marketing Plan. </strong>If you don&#8217;t have a <a href="http://articles.bplans.com/writing-a-business-plan/what-is-a-business-plan/33">strategy</a>, how do you plan to succeed? So many small businesses fail because there was never a plan. A dream is great, but it won&#8217;t keep the doors open. If you&#8217;re weak where business planning is concerned, consider enrolling yourself into some online classes.</p>
<p><strong>4. Budget.</strong> Make sure you make an <a href="http://www.ehow.com/how_5020904_make-business-budget.html" target="_blank">annual budget</a>, and then follow it! No money, no business.</p>
<p>If you keep these four tools in your kit, you&#8217;ll be successful.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
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		<title>Is Now the Time to Spend and Hire?</title>
		<link>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/is-now-the-time-to-spend-and-hire.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/is-now-the-time-to-spend-and-hire.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 21 May 2011 16:23:29 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Hiring]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Recession]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Shawnee]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.shawnee-ok.org/?p=272</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[A small or large business needs to make decisions based on predictions. You need to determine what factors affect your business, including what the next season will offer in terms of growth and potential sales. However, it is not easy to do this when it seems that the markets are everywhere. Making Predictions Choosing the [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>A small or large business needs to make decisions based on predictions. You need to determine what factors affect your business, including what the next season will offer in terms of growth and potential sales. However, it is not easy to do this when it seems that the markets are everywhere.</p>
<p>Making Predictions</p>
<p>Choosing the right ways to invest, or not to, is critical within a business. At Shawnee-Ok.org, you will get some additional information to consider. However, before you spend to grow your business, consider the following tips.</p>
<ul>
<li>Look at sales from pre-recession years and factor in a <a href="http://www.entrepreneur.com/money/financing/startupfinancingcolumnistasheeshadvani/article76418.html">reduced growth pattern</a>. It is necessary to focus on improved sales, as most experts believe that the country&#8217;s economy is improving.</li>
<li>Consider hiring at a slower pace. Instead of hiring 20 people for the start of the busy season, gradually hire five at a time, staggering your pace to match predictions for sales growth.</li>
<li>Consider the market carefully. It is incredibly important to monitor factors such as jobless data, manufacturing data and job creation figures. All of this helps to demonstrate the current demand within the marketplace overall.</li>
</ul>
<p>As a business, making predictions for the summer and fall will be difficult. However, many experts believe the economy is strengthening, which may mean more opportunities for businesses to see improved numbers for 2011 over figures from 2010 or 2009. However, businesses also should be ready for a slower start and a lower growth rate than previous, pre-recession years, expert say.</p>
<p>As your business grows, hire to match need. It may be difficult this year to determine if the recession is over or not, but careful planning helps.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
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		<title>Becoming an Actuary</title>
		<link>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/becoming-an-actuary.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/becoming-an-actuary.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 21 Apr 2011 16:44:08 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Actuarial science]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Actuary]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Finance]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://shawnee-ok.org/?p=253</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[&#160; There are many great paying finance careers for those who qualify. Very few of these jobs are available to those who do not graduate college with a degree in business, and many finance jobs require advanced secondary schooling to achieve an MBA. A career as an actuary is a great way to go for [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p>
<div id="attachment_254" class="wp-caption alignleft" style="width: 250px"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/48043300@N04/4597079038"><img class="size-full wp-image-254" title="buss" src="http://shawnee-ok.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/buss.jpg" alt="" width="240" height="160" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Image by bpsusf via Flickr</p></div>
<p>There are many great paying finance careers for those who qualify.  Very few of these jobs are available to those who do not graduate  college with a degree in business, and many finance jobs require  advanced secondary schooling to achieve an MBA. A career as an actuary  is a great way to go for those with the requisite experience and who are  into statistics. So just what is it that an actuary does for work?</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">The primary responsibility of an <a href="http://www.beanactuary.org/about/whatis.cfm">actuary</a> is to estimate the chances of calamities taking place. These experts in  statistics will take raw data and calculate the chances of death  occurring in a certain situation or estimate the likely cost of damage  should a storm strike a certain area. An actuary may also be called upon  to estimate monetary damages for things like prescriptions recalls or  the estimated impact of faulty materials in cars.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">An actuary could estimate the impact to a <a title="payday loan" href="http://www.acecashexpress.com/" target="_blank">payday loan</a> service for a major rate change or the illnesses that could arise from  polluted drinking water. Actuaries make some great money as far as  finance careers are concerned. Starting pay is routinely over $55,000  and veteran actuaries can make in the neighborhood of $200,000 a year.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">In order to become an actuary, you need to be certified as such.  There is a certification exam that you can apply to take after you’ve  completed your schooling an achieved your degree in actuarial science.  If you aren’t particularly impressed with the starting salary, it’s fair  to assume you will make more money in just a short period of time once  you exhibit your skills as an actuary.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p>
<div class="zemanta-pixie" style="margin-top: 10px; height: 15px;"><img class="zemanta-pixie-img" style="border: none; float: right;" src="http://img.zemanta.com/pixy.gif?x-id=20c1162e-b3ef-48fb-955d-176ed447c4d2" alt="" /></div>
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		<title>Locating Your Next Great Employee</title>
		<link>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/locating-your-next-great-employee.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/locating-your-next-great-employee.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 28 Mar 2011 16:44:01 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Spending]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Company]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Employment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Employment website]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://shawnee-ok.org/?p=240</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Generating applicants to your open positions may or may not be a problem for you. But for many employers generating applicants that will become your next great employee that is going to stick around can be difficult. For many employers this requires a wide search, that includes a number of ways that you contact possible [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Generating applicants to your open positions may or may not be a problem for you. But for many employers generating applicants that will become your next great employee that is going to stick around can be difficult. For many employers this requires a wide search, that includes a number of ways that you contact possible employees.</p>
<p>for many employers the best employees move up the ladder and fill a position a little bit longer than it takes to train them into that position. Of course as an employer you want to keep successful people moving through your company but with a job market that is having fewer jobs for a large population it would seem the statistics are in favor of the employer. That may be true but how do you find those employees.</p>
<p>It is important today to look for employees through electronic means. Yes, that means the internet. There are plenty of companies that will charge you to help you find employees but that isn&#8217;t the only option. There are many job boards that do not charge you a large sum to search for employees. Put your advertisement out there on these job boards but include a link to your website.</p>
<p>It is important to keep most of the information for employment on your website, so that you the possible applicant gets more information about your business. Getting the right employee to apply for the job starts with this information. If an applicant knows a bit about your company, they can more easily explain to you how they can help you. the employees are out there, you just need to communicate with them.</p>
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		<title>Marketing to Young People</title>
		<link>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/marketing-to-young-people.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/marketing-to-young-people.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 24 Mar 2011 16:43:59 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Management]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Market]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Youth]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://shawnee-ok.org/?p=239</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[If your business is being built on serving customers for years to come and you are not just hoping to make a bunch of money in an instant, then marketing to youth is important. For most people their business is intended to grow over a period of time. They project the growth and plan for [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>If your business is being built on serving customers for years to come and you are not just hoping to make a bunch of money in an instant, then marketing to youth is important. For most people their business is intended to grow over a period of time. They project the growth and plan for the future and how the business will develop. Well, if you business is meant to grow, one of the best markets to maintain some focus is on the future customers, some of whom might not purchase your product or service today. The youth are your market of tomorrow.</p>
<p>If you are a business that provides services to adults, all your effort will not be lost by offering information about your business to teenagers or college students. In the future they will probably be looking for the services you are providing and at that time, you want them to be thinking about your business.</p>
<p>There are many ways to market to the youth of your community but it is important that you contact them in a way that they are interested in listening. Today the youth interact more in the electronic world than on paper. Advertising to teenagers in the newspaper would probably be lost. Not only the location that you market to youth is important but also how you communicate is important. One opportunity is to hold contest, such as an art contest directed toward youth. The winner may have created the design for your next marketing campaign for youth.</p>
<p>The main point is that people get older and they fall out of your customer base. It is important to regenerate that base using as many methods as are available.</p>
<div class="zemanta-pixie" style="margin-top: 10px; height: 15px;"><img class="zemanta-pixie-img" style="border: none; float: right;" src="http://img.zemanta.com/pixy.gif?x-id=046d4e3b-4b5b-4d21-8ad2-167fb267caba" alt="" /></div>
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		<item>
		<title>Point of Sale Marketing</title>
		<link>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/point-of-sale-marketing.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/point-of-sale-marketing.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 20 Mar 2011 16:43:58 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Spending]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Point of sale]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[United States]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://shawnee-ok.org/?p=238</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Do you offer more than one product or service? Is your storefront physical or on the internet? Are you interested in selling more than one product or service to each of your customers. If you answer yes to these questions then it is important to offer your customers information about all your products and services. [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Do you offer more than one product or service? Is your storefront physical or on the internet? Are you interested in selling more than one product or service to each of your customers. If you answer yes to these questions then it is important to offer your customers information about all your products and services.</p>
<p>Making sure your customers are aware of all that you offer is called point of sale marketing. point of sale refers to the location where the transaction occurs. This could be on a website or inside your store, and sometimes it is at somebodies front door. Point of sale marketing can include banners that hang over your counter and many other displays in your retail location. Also included in point of sale is printed literature such as pamphlets that explain your products and services more completely than a banner or display can offer.</p>
<p>If people are coming into your store they may find that the reason they came in is not the reason that they actually end up doing business with you. The concept is to make sure the customer is aware and educated. It is your responsibility to your business to make sure that the customer leaves knowing as much about you as possible.</p>
<p>Of course there are companies that go to far in trying to make sure the customer knows everything. The American consumer is often just turned away by this activity as well. Be helpful, courteous and just make sure to get to know your client and make sure they know as much as they want to about you.</p>
<div class="zemanta-pixie" style="margin-top: 10px; height: 15px;"><img class="zemanta-pixie-img" style="border: none; float: right;" src="http://img.zemanta.com/pixy.gif?x-id=8caba059-d13f-4394-8dbd-96a4b0826d7c" alt="" /></div>
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		<title>Website Marketing is Important to Your Business</title>
		<link>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/website-marketing-is-important-to-your-business.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/website-marketing-is-important-to-your-business.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 16 Mar 2011 16:43:56 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Small business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Website]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://shawnee-ok.org/?p=237</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Does your business have a website? If your answer is no, than the question is Why not? For those businesses that do have a website the question is: When is the last time it was updated? If you answered anything but yesterday, then you may ask yourself: Am I missing an opportunity for sales? A [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Does your business have a website? If your answer is no, than the question is Why not? For those businesses that do have a website the question is: When is the last time it was updated? If you answered anything but yesterday, then you may ask yourself: Am I missing an opportunity for sales? A hint here is yes you are. One of the most important marketing tools today is the internet or world wide web. If these terms are foreign to you or you don&#8217;t see the point, then chances are you are missing out on business.</p>
<p>Today there are businesses that are maintained solely by customers that contact them through the internet. The method that people digest information today is changing and changing rapidly. People connect through the internet. It isn&#8217;t going to change and it isn&#8217;t a fad. Sharing information seems to have gotten so fast that some people say that an email isn&#8217;t fast enough anymore.</p>
<p>It is important that you have easily accessible information about your business and your products. With so many businesses on the internet, you may be loosing customers to a business that is on the other side of the United States or in another country. It is up to you, especially if you are a small business to make sure that people don&#8217;t forget that you are there.</p>
<p>One important way of maintaining your presence is an easily searched website. If you can&#8217;t create one on your own, find someone to do it for you. Many businesses are available to create and maintain a website for you.</p>
<div class="zemanta-pixie" style="margin-top: 10px; height: 15px;"><img class="zemanta-pixie-img" style="border: none; float: right;" src="http://img.zemanta.com/pixy.gif?x-id=e28d5fa9-a220-4863-a94a-b505bab1c825" alt="" /></div>
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		<title>Community Public Relations, Marketing Your Business</title>
		<link>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/community-public-relations-marketing-your-business.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/community-public-relations-marketing-your-business.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 09 Mar 2011 16:43:55 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Company]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Public relations]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://shawnee-ok.org/?p=236</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[One of the most important parts of creating a successful business is having customers that purchase your products and services. That seems intuitive, but where many businesses fail is in actually getting the public to be aware that their business exists. Creating traffic to your physical or website store front is an important part of [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>One of the most important parts of creating a successful business is having customers that purchase your products and services. That seems intuitive, but where many businesses fail is in actually getting the public to be aware that their business exists. Creating traffic to your physical or website store front is an important part of the success of a business. There are many ways to increase your traffic, and there is at least one method that increases traffic and usually has people thinking good things about your company when they visit.</p>
<p>Community PR (public relations) campaigns or single events often include some kind of public service and your company sponsors the event or series of events. This can sometimes cost the same or little more than other forms of advertising and often includes a number of way to get your business logo, name and product recognized.</p>
<p>Imagine the city little league or other sports events. If you main customer is families with children, sponsoring an event like this will put your business right in the middle of your target audience. There are many different types of community events and campaigns that can do your business good to be attached to them. A wide variety of fund raisers are happening right now in your community. Becoming a sponsor at a certain level can get your companies name on every piece of literature that the event creates.</p>
<p>More than likely there is some type of community organization or event that already targets your most likely customer. It requires little research and you can see by yearly information the numbers of people that attend and are contacted in that campaign. Community PR is really something every business should get involved in and support the community where you are interested in having the people support you.</p>
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		<title>Social Media and Marketing</title>
		<link>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/social-media-and-marketing.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/social-media-and-marketing.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 07 Mar 2011 16:43:53 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Facebook]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Social media]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Twitter]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://shawnee-ok.org/?p=235</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The use of social media in marketing is increasing at a fast rate today. Everywhere one turns you realize that the use of these opportunities to contact people is increasing. What seemed to start out as a way for people to connect with each other has spread into the business world. Marketing, or connecting consumers [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The use of social media in marketing is increasing at a fast rate today. Everywhere one turns you realize that the use of these opportunities to contact people is increasing. What seemed to start out as a way for people to connect with each other has spread into the business world.</p>
<p>Marketing, or connecting consumers with your product, has been around since the beginning of sales. Social media is something new that has only popped up in the  last decade or so. Social media is any number of methods of websites and interfaces that use electronics and networks to connect individuals and entities. Examples of social media are Facebook and Twitter. There are many other forms of social media but these are possibly the most well known today.</p>
<p>In order to market through these services an organization has to create an electronic face or personality. Many businesses have moved into the electronic world and have a website or some form of online presence. Social media takes this a step further and no longer requires the consumer to search you out. Using social media, businesses can actively find customers through this form of communication that has spread rapidly.</p>
<p>Today less and less people are reading the newspaper, and many that do, are reading the articles on the internet. As the way that people consume information changes the business needs to advertise in a way that will reach it&#8217;s potential customers. Social media marketing is one of the newest ways of making that contact. Today, Superbowl commercials are still an incredibly well known way to market but most business can not afford such advertisement. Social media marketing can cost very little out of pocket to the marketing team that is already maintaining other electronic marketing tools. Facebook and Twitter are now creating easy ways for businesses to use these services for marketing.</p>
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		<title>How Good is Your Business Strategy?</title>
		<link>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/how-good-is-your-business-strategy.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/how-good-is-your-business-strategy.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 23 Feb 2011 13:00:37 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Management]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gucci]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Strategic management]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://shawnee-ok.org/?p=212</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[How’s the business strategy? Can it hold up in 2011, no matter what happens? Because, let’s face it, the state of the economy is best guessed because nobody know what’s going to happen. Here’s some additional questions that might be helpful in answering those questions. Do you see a lot of businesses that do exactly [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div>How’s the business strategy? Can it hold up in 2011, no matter what happens? Because, let’s face it, the state of the economy is best guessed because nobody know what’s going to happen. Here’s some additional questions that might be helpful in answering those questions.</div>
<div>Do you see a lot of businesses that do exactly the same thing? If so, how is this business different, what makes it stand out from the rest? Originality is extremely valuable and rare.</div>
<div>The economy is unstable and which way it’s going in 2011 is anyone’s guess. What if unseen factors render the economy even slower than it is now? Can the business stand as the strategy is now? Is there a plan B in place? If there isn’t, get one.</div>
<div><strong>Have a Star on Staff? What if They Quit?</strong></div>
<div><strong><br />
</strong></div>
<div>Does the business rely heavily on one of it’s leaders? If so, does the strategy cover retaining that person?  Many people are expected to modify careers, if not jobs, in 2011. Can this business survive if people want raises and bonuses? If the economy continues to pick up, these questions will have to be considered and added to the business strategy.</div>
<div>In the last ten years, look how much technology has grown. What if an expensive technological gadget comes out and not getting it meant losing business? Does the business strategy cover that? Blockbuster is bankrupt now because it didn’t prepare for the effects of new technology.</div>
<div>What if the times require the business to conform, or change? What if the business was paperback books but everyone wanted tea with their reading? Does the business strategy allow for changes, even drastic ones? Nokia began as a wood pulp company and Gucci started out as a saddle maker. Can the business strategy embrace new market transitions without tossing out strategies? Don’t be afraid of change, keep open to new ideas.</div>
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		<title>Managing Invested Properties</title>
		<link>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/managing-invested-properties.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/managing-invested-properties.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 17 Feb 2011 18:48:42 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Management]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Properties]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Property]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Property management]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://shawnee-ok.org/?p=94</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[As an investor, it can become difficult overseeing properties that are owned. Indeed, as part of any company’s focus strategy, a line needs to be drawn in respect to the group’s area of expertise. For an investor, it should not have to extend to other aspects of owning a property. This is seen when the [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>As an investor, it can become difficult overseeing properties that are owned. Indeed, as part of any company’s <a href="http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/focus-strategy.html">focus strategy</a>, a line needs to be drawn in respect to the group’s area of expertise. For an investor, it should not have to extend to other aspects of owning a property.</p>
<p>This is seen when the managing and day-to-day activities of a property are considered. From the perspective of an investor, many types of properties that have been obtained by investing money must be managed. If you, for instance, are running a condo, hotel, or other type of business that must be operated, there is a better way than overextending your reach.</p>
<p>Of course there are other dangers besides becoming a manger when you are an <a href="http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/investor.html">investor</a>, though this is troubling enough. Once you cross the line between these two labels, you may be doing too much work in the next regard. You have also probably missed opportunities to extend your investments and earn higher returns.</p>
<p>One strong method of curing this problem is utilizing a property management company. If you allowed a <a href="http://www.allpropertymanagement.com/search/arizona/scottsdale-property-management-companies.html">Scottsdale property management</a> firm to handle operations at a rental at that location, for instance, it would handle all of this work. Running the day-to-day events, firms like this in many of your rentals’ locations could save you a lot of time and money.</p>
<p>A property management company can save investors time and money. By keeping these roles separate, investors can do what they do best, allowing companies in this industry to bring their expertise as well. Consider what a property management firm can do for your properties. As many have found, it can be a great way to cover operations of the property that an investor doesn’t need to be concerned with. Take the opportunity to address what is best for your investments in regards to how they are managed.</p>
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		<title>Use Heartaches to Make a Million Bucks</title>
		<link>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/use-heartaches-to-make-a-million-bucks.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/use-heartaches-to-make-a-million-bucks.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 16 Feb 2011 13:00:34 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Spending]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Engagement ring]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Holidays]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Valentine Day]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://shawnee-ok.org/?p=211</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Many people consider going into some sort of business for themselves, but they can’t think of a product or service they could offer and make a profit. Look for needs that aren’t being met. Joshua Opperman came home from work one day and his fiancé (of three months) had moved out, leaving her $10,000 engagement [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="zemanta-img" style="margin: 1em; display: block;">
<div class="wp-caption alignright" style="width: 310px"><a href="http://commons.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Engagement_ring_photo_by_jessicadiamond.jpg"><img title="This is the new engagement ring Bryan surprise..." src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7a/Engagement_ring_photo_by_jessicadiamond.jpg/300px-Engagement_ring_photo_by_jessicadiamond.jpg" alt="This is the new engagement ring Bryan surprise..." width="300" height="225" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Image via Wikipedia</p></div>
</div>
<div>Many people consider going into some sort of business for themselves, but they can’t think of a product or service they could offer and make a profit. Look for needs that aren’t being met.</div>
<div>Joshua Opperman came home from work one day and his fiancé (of three months) had moved out, leaving her $10,000 engagement ring behind. He was sorely disappointed when the jeweler that sold it to him would only give a third of the price for it. He took it home and sold it online.</div>
<div>He figured out there was a need and set out to fulfill that need by creating the website IDoNowIDont.com where people can offer their rings and others can shop for the rings. Sellers get more money and the buyers get quality jewelry for less than retail. He rang up over a million bucks last year.</div>
<div><strong>Use Experiences to Profit From</strong></div>
<div><strong><br />
</strong></div>
<div>Ellie Scarborough was dumped on Valentine’s Day, and that sent her reeling. But, she came out of it and thought how nice it would be to get flowers or candy to cheer her up. Then she thought to send herself flowers and then came up with a way to help console other dumpees. One of her packages gives a cheery email per day for 30 days, or 2 weeks of pick-me-up text messages like, “Girl, you’re way too good for a guy who won’t even send you these himself.” PinkKisses.com</div>
<div>And, there’s David Mamane, owner of MyJewelryBox.com. His girlfriend demanded a $40,000 engagement ring, but he didn’t want to. Eventually the material girl and modest man broke up and he had time to spare. He decided to go into business making his hobby a living and he dove into his work; he designs jewelry, and makes copies of the jewelry that celebrities wear. It turned out to be very popular and he raked in $15 million last year.</div>
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		<title>Are you ready to expand your small business?</title>
		<link>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/are-you-ready-to-expand-your-small-business.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/are-you-ready-to-expand-your-small-business.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 11 Feb 2011 16:39:33 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Spending]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Training]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Market research]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Super Bowl]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://shawnee-ok.org/?p=91</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[You have surpassed the stage of ground breaking and starting up a company. You are now a stable business, and you are deliberating whether it is time to expand. This is not a small task. There are many things to consider before making the big move into expansion. So, here are some tips that will [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>You have surpassed the stage of ground breaking and starting  up a  company. You are now a stable business, and you are deliberating   whether it is time to expand. This is not a small task. There are many   things to consider before making the big move into expansion. So, here   are some tips that will help you in this decision.</p>
<p>The first step is to make sure that you have done your research and know your competition&#8217;s next move as well as your own. Competing in a business market is like making it to the Super Bowl or at least the play-offs. It&#8217;s best to know how everyone else plans on playing the game. There are several software options that allow you access to this kind of research. <a title="ecommerce software" href="http://www.netsuite.com/portal/industries/ecommerce.shtml">Ecommerce software</a> is essential on any business computer. This software can help design websites, keep track of your conversion rates, and in turn make a profit. If all of these things begin to work for you, then you know it&#8217;s time to expand into other markets or audiences.</p>
<p>Market research plays an important role in the decision to expand   your business. If your competitors are expanding, it might be a good   time to look at their reasons for expanding. They might have expanded   because they saw a new niche or untapped market. When this is the case,   do not jump and enter their new-found niche immediately. Wait awhile to   see what will happen to their expansion move. Once you have proven, by   market research and careful observation, that their move was  beneficial,  then it might be time for you to take the plunge as well.  This does not  mean that you will do exactly as your competitor did. It  is time for  you to develop your own new ideas knowing that there is a  proven demand  out there. By constantly doing market research, you gain a  lead from  your competitors by knowing what is out there based on their  efforts.</p>
<p>If your competitor failed in their effort to expand in the new niche,   you now know that there is not enough demand for their expansion. You   might want to give more thought and research to the move before doing  so  yourself. This can save your company the tragedy of making costly   mistakes.</p>
<p>Assess your cash flow before making the big expansion move. If you do   not have the funds to support the supply of more equipment, manpower,   inventory and facilities, do not expand. You need to be stable in the   present economy in order to thrive in the next. Do not be hasty to grow   when you do not have the ability.</p>
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		<title>Employers Give up the Goods to Keep the Good Ones</title>
		<link>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/employers-give-up-the-goods-to-keep-the-good-ones.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/employers-give-up-the-goods-to-keep-the-good-ones.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 10 Feb 2011 13:00:32 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Hiring]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Employment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Google]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://shawnee-ok.org/?p=210</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Retention is a big word to some companies. It means to keep something, and what the businesses want to keep is good employees. Employee retention is something many business owners are considering these days, and they’re coming up with good answers. Even though the recession is looking up &#8211; or that’s what they say &#8211; [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div>Retention is a big word to some companies. It means to keep something, and what the businesses want to keep is good employees. Employee retention is something many business owners are considering these days, and they’re coming up with good answers.</div>
<div>Even though the recession is looking up &#8211; or that’s what they say &#8211; only trickles of hiring have been seen. More people are getting jobs, but that’s like five more (exaggerated to make a point), not enough to say that hiring is up.</div>
<div>Google plans to hire 6,000 more people and Facebook just started construction on a new plant in arid Prineville, Oregon. These companies have a lot of money and they spend a lot on their employees, with scooters to go from meeting to meeting, foosball and ping pong tables scattered around the workspace and in-house health clinics, they do not have a hard time  keeping good workers.</div>
<div><strong>Raises are on the Low, Retention is on the Rise</strong></div>
<div><strong><br />
</strong></div>
<div>Nobody else is Google or Facebook, though. Small businesses are the ones most at risk these days, and they not only can’t afford to hire, they can’t even afford deserving raises and bonuses. They have to find a way to keep their employees happier there than they could be elsewhere. That’s where retention comes in. Retention can be spendy, but works best in the long run.</div>
<div>There isn’t a business owner alive who doesn’t care if their employee turnover is high. It takes money to train each person that’s brought in, and it takes work away from others so they can help train the person, slowing production. If turnover is too high they’ll lose money and service will be bad because people are in training all the time.</div>
<div>They’re giving away memberships to spas, gyms and wholesale retail stores like Costco, and employees are getting musical instrument lessons, discounts on products, movie tickets, gift certificates to restaurants, Ski lift tickets, passes to children’s activities like the zoo, museums, community farms, and all kinds of great things. Does it work? It must; everyone with a staff is doing it.</div>
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		<title>Job Hunting Isn&#8217;t the Same Anymore</title>
		<link>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/job-hunting-isnt-the-same-anymore.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/job-hunting-isnt-the-same-anymore.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 08 Feb 2011 13:00:31 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Hiring]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Employment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Job Hunt]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Résumé]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://shawnee-ok.org/?p=209</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Job hunting has completely changed from what it was 20 years ago. People used to make looking for a job a 40-hours-a-week, pounding the pavement until their legs and feet ached. Rain, snow or sunshine, people had to go. Now, it comes as a shock for the over 50 crowd that’s job hunting. A person [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div>Job hunting has completely changed from what it was 20 years ago. People used to make looking for a job a 40-hours-a-week, pounding the pavement until their legs and feet ached. Rain, snow or sunshine, people had to go.</div>
<div>Now, it comes as a shock for the over 50 crowd that’s job hunting. A person can go out and attempt to apply at every place they walk into, but they’ll be told over and over, “Go to our website to apply.”</div>
<div>No longer are the days when someone has to get up at the crack of dawn to make sure they’re out there on time to be the first applicant. Now, the routine is more like this; wake up when rested, get coffee, sit at computer, fill out applications and post the resume. Do this all day, making sure to take breaks and for lunch, and stop at 5pm.</div>
<div><strong>Ready, Set, Stay Home to Job Hunt</strong></div>
<div><strong><br />
</strong></div>
<div>People can post their resume at a number of sites that are regularly trawled by employers and talent scouts. These sites are well-known and millions of resumes are stored, making it the jackpot find for employers looking for potential new hires. People can highlight a specialty and change the resume to appeal to different professions, which can help a great deal.</div>
<div>Hiring over the Internet helps everyone involved. It helps the applicant, because not only can he sleep until 10 and apply in his pajamas, but he can get his resume out to more companies online than he ever could on foot. As for employers, it helps them because they can sit to look at the potential hires when there’s time to, and not because one happened to come into the business. They aren’t interrupted and can take care of business as they can.</div>
<div>It also benefits the employer because now the boss can search through the resumes for the people with the best experience and skills, without having to interview every one that comes in the door. Again, they can take their time.</div>
<div>So, take it easy, look for work online.</div>
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		<title>Australia&#8217;s Bank Needs New Attitude</title>
		<link>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/australias-bank-needs-new-attitude.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/australias-bank-needs-new-attitude.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 03 Feb 2011 13:00:30 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Hiring]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Australia]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Commonwealth Bank]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Facebook]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://shawnee-ok.org/?p=208</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The Commonwealth Bank in Australia (CBA) has recently had to revise its policies on employees using social media while employed with them. This even includes their social media activities when they are not at work and the social networking of employee’s friends. The bank announced a system that pits employees against each other, and it [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div>The Commonwealth Bank in Australia (CBA) has recently had to revise its policies on employees using social media while employed with them. This even includes their social media activities when they are not at work and the social networking of employee’s friends. The bank announced a system that pits employees against each other, and it even puts other people in the position of getting their bank-employed friends fired unintentionally.</div>
<div>The announcement about the new policy came as a slap in the face to people across the nation. The policy says that employees cannot ever mention the bank or anything about the bank, it’s employees or the goings on there. This means if someone’s friend wants to know the color of tea cups the bank uses, or someone wants to know what someone plans to wear on casual Fridays, they can be fired for the discussion.</div>
<div><strong>Unfair Rules Show What’s Important to BCA</strong></div>
<div><strong><br />
</strong></div>
<div>The CBA has said it’s the responsibility of all its staff to turn in other employees that have said something on their social networking pages like Facebook. It’s also the employee’s responsibility to investigate and remove such findings. Anyone found letting it slide could be fired for that, as well, calling it a serious disciplinary matter.</div>
<div>This is a huge infringement on their right to freedom of expression and has breached Australia’s Fair Work Act. A letter was written to the bank by the Finance Sector Union saying the policy is unfair and unreasonable, and it demanded the withdrawal of the policy.</div>
<div>At first the bank defended its position, saying that they were serving customers’ concerns in the matter. However, now that the Finance Sector Union has gotten involved, the bank has made an announcement that it will revise the policy, changing it where necessary to ensure fair treatment of all employees and better serve the needs of their customers.</div>
<div>The BCA also said that complaints about social media from customers were resolved by staff tip-offs and the ‘tattle-tale’ has a welcome place in the bank. They want staff to keep telling on other staff members, as always.</div>
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		<title>Not as Much Hiring Going on Except for Google</title>
		<link>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/not-as-much-hiring-going-on-except-for-google.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/not-as-much-hiring-going-on-except-for-google.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 01 Feb 2011 13:00:29 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Hiring]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Management]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Google]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Wall Street]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://shawnee-ok.org/?p=207</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Creative things are happening in this global recession; people are either going out of business or they’re making it big, and there isn’t much left in between. People are trying things from cross-trained employees that are shared to collaborating on storefronts and workspaces, where businesses share everything but the profits. In a survey done by [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div>Creative things are happening in this global recession; people are either going out of business or they’re making it big, and there isn’t much left in between. People are trying things from cross-trained employees that are shared to collaborating on storefronts and workspaces, where businesses share everything but the profits.</div>
<div>In a survey done by the Wells Fargo/Gallup Small Business Index it was found that the number of businesses hiring were about the same as the number of businesses that didn’t hire in 2010.  It reported that 48% of businesses that did some hiring stayed with the number of employees needed to meet the demands of their customers, while only 9% hired more than was needed in anticipation of needing them down the line.</div>
<div>Of the remaining businesses that hired, 42% hired less than they needed, giving reasons such as worries about finances and a glut of resumes from less than adequately skilled people. Even when the money is coming in, people find it hard to trust and predict what moves to make next. However, it’s also a situation that could quickly turn around with the right circumstances.</div>
<div>At the opposite end of the spectrum, Internet giant Google announced that it would be hiring 6,000 new people this year across the globe, and it received a record 75,000 resumes in one week. That’s more than the population of the town Google’s headquarters is in (Mountain View). This record beat the previous high record in May ‘07 by 15%, making it the biggest hiring spree in the company‘s history.</div>
<div>In 2010 Google added 4,500 positions, mostly in engineering and sales, and the new 6,000 will be across the board and around the clock in an array of positions, according to Google executive Alan Eustice, senior vice president of engineering and research. Market Watch says Wall Street has always disagreed with Google’s mass hiring practices, but Google responded that hiring huge numbers is required for their intense move into multiple new markets.</div>
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		<title>Quality Assurance</title>
		<link>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/quality-assurance.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/quality-assurance.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 30 Jan 2011 06:55:42 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Quality assurance]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://shawnee-ok.org/?p=169</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Quality Assurance is the process of determining if a product or service meets customer expectations for quality. Quality can be further defined as the standard of perceived distinction for that product or service as it relates to similar ones. One of the most important concepts around quality assurance is that quality itself is a subjective [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div>Quality Assurance is the process of determining if a product or service meets customer expectations for quality. Quality can be further defined as the standard of perceived distinction for that product or service as it relates to similar ones.</div>
<div>One of the most important concepts around quality assurance is that quality itself is a subjective idea, not an objective one. While there are measurements to which a product or service is compared against, the standards are somewhat arbitrary in nature and not meant to be absolute.</div>
<div>A popular tool to measure quality was developed by Dr. W. Edwards Deming and is called the Shewhart Cycle. The acronym for this cycle is PDCA: Plan, Do, Check Act. Each of the steps can be further defined as follows:</div>
<div>Plan &#8211; Establish goals and methods to reach those goals<br />
Do &#8211; Put the plan in place<br />
Check &#8211; Measure performance of the plan against the pre-determined goals<br />
Act &#8211; Examine gaps between the defined objectives and the actual results</div>
<div>PCDA is an effective method for gauging current processes. It’s scope can be broadened to include products and services that are on the periphery of the one being examined in order to further reduce the potential for gaps in quality. For example, in a manufacturing process, it could be used to account for the robustness of raw materials as they flow into the plant.</div>
<div>Another important facet of the overall Quality Assurance (QA) process is the failure testing component. A proper test of a product or service must include a series of tests where it is deliberately ‘failed’ in order to record negative measurements. These negative measurements are held to the same standard as the positive ones in that gaps between current failure thresholds and expected ones are evaluated and marked.</div>
<div>Quality Assurance should be a necessary component of every product or service life-cycle as companies strive to continually improve what their customers are buying.</div>
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		<title>Beginning Management</title>
		<link>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/beginning-management.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/beginning-management.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 29 Jan 2011 06:55:38 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Management]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Organizing]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://shawnee-ok.org/?p=168</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[So, you’ve been working very hard at your position and demonstrated your abilities on several different projects &#8211; BRAVO! You receive a meeting notice from your boss and you are told that she appreciates your efforts and that you’re being considered for the Management track. Once again &#8211; BRAVO! Going back to your desk, a [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div>So, you’ve been working very hard at your position and demonstrated your abilities on several different projects &#8211; BRAVO! You receive a meeting notice from your boss and you are told that she appreciates your efforts and that you’re being considered for the Management track. Once again &#8211; BRAVO!</div>
<div>Going back to your desk, a question starts to lumber around in your head: What does a manager DO? You’ve had them, but have never been one. What do they do?</div>
<div>Well, the easy part of the answer is that management is a skill that can be learned. The first step in the lesson plan of how to do so is to learn the basics: Plan, Organize, Direct and Control.</div>
<div>For the Planning skill, you need to train yourself to look at the big picture and try to anticipate positive and negative impacts to the team, department, project, etc&#8230;. Sometimes, this type of planning will be strategic, while other times it may be preventing disaster.</div>
<div>Hand-in-hand with the Planning skill is the ability to Organize. Whether you are setting up a new department or leading a team on a small project, decisions need to be made on resourcing (both people and infrastructure), effective communication, tasks to be accomplished and the roles needed to accomplish them.</div>
<div>After Planning and Organizing, Directing is important in order to keep the team or your staff headed in a like-minded direction. Making sure that everyone is clear on goals and how to accomplish them, along with ensuring that everyone has all of the tools needed in order to reach them, can go a long way to instilling confidence in your skills as a manager.</div>
<div>Finally, any manager needs to be able to exert Control over their people. This does not mean barking out orders from behind your desk. It does mean providing guidance and leadership by DOING, not TELLING how to do.</div>
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		<title>Improving Product Development</title>
		<link>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/improving-product-development.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/improving-product-development.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 27 Jan 2011 06:55:32 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Product lining]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://shawnee-ok.org/?p=167</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Companies that aim to implement any sort of sustainable model for growth need to incorporate, as part of this business model, internal and external processes for continually improving their product line. Without these improvements, customers may move to a competitor&#8217;s product that can be made better, stronger and faster. Internally, one method of providing measurable [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div>Companies that aim to implement any sort of sustainable model for growth need to incorporate, as part of this business model, internal and external processes for continually improving their product line. Without these improvements, customers may move to a competitor&#8217;s product that can be made better, stronger and faster.</div>
<div>Internally, one method of providing measurable quantitative statistics is to benchmark the best practices used during the production process. During a production cycle, are there certain steps that can be repeated for the next iteration of the product? Can any of these steps be studied now and specific components drawn out to provide a measure of some kind? For example, if the product took three months to go through a complete design process that ended up being flawed, what was the nature of the flaws? Can they be eliminated next time? If they can be eliminated, are the steps to eliminate them able to be standardized in some way to be implemented for more products? These will become the best practices for the product line, and maybe many other product lines as well.</div>
<div>It is also important to continually vette what actual customers are saying about your product and how it compares to the competition. Focus groups are an invaluable tool in providing direct interaction with people who may use the product every day and therefore, have a strong opinion in that regard. External to what the company might be trying to convey as it’s message, market studies reveal what that product’s message is interpreted as to the general public. If there is a gap between the two, the group might even be able to tell you why the gap exists and what can be done to bridge it.</div>
<div>When used together, these two methodologies can provide dimensions and measures to gauge the effectiveness of a company’s product line, and how to improve it.</div>
<div class="zemanta-pixie" style="margin-top: 10px; height: 15px;"><img class="zemanta-pixie-img" style="border: none; float: right;" src="http://img.zemanta.com/pixy.gif?x-id=686b1e31-eeae-49e7-bdb4-68ba04eccb68" alt="" /></div>
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		<title>4G Cellular Network Trend</title>
		<link>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/4g-cellular-network-trend.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/4g-cellular-network-trend.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 26 Jan 2011 06:55:26 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Cellular network]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Wi-Fi]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://shawnee-ok.org/?p=166</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[As more and more subscribers choose one cell phone network or another based on smartphone and tablet computing, a trend has arisen where companies are promoting their network capacities as ‘4G’. There are a number of clarifications that need to be made where this trend is concerned. To begin, the iPhone’s operating system, iOS Version [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div>As more and more subscribers choose one cell phone network or another based on smartphone and tablet computing, a trend has arisen where companies are promoting their network capacities as ‘4G’. There are a number of clarifications that need to be made where this trend is concerned.</div>
<div>To begin, the iPhone’s operating system, iOS Version 4 is not 4G cellular. It is 3G cellular network technology sitting on top of a smartphone operating system with the major version number of ‘4’, that’s all.</div>
<div>Moreover, 4G cellular is the successor to 2G and 3G network standard. It is meant to provide secure and high-speed communication based on the Internet Protocol (IP) standard. The speeds that it is aspiring to meet rival current WiFi standards. The goal is to replace the core of current cellular networks with the IP standard to allow for the transmission of video, Voice over IP applications and multimedia streaming.</div>
<div>The current promotion of cell networks as 4G is slightly mis-leading because the standards for this version of cellular communication have not been set and decisions about the actual deployable technology have not been finalized. There are high-level recommendations regarding the migration of 3G cellular to 4G cellular, but once again, nothing is in a finalized state due to the fact that the actual technology decisions have not been made.</div>
<div>Companies that are currently promoting their networks as 4G are taking advantage of the next generation’s promise of high speed transmission rates that can be met to a certain extent today. What is being used as the bridge between the two standards are late 3G mobile WiMax and Long Term Evolution (LTE) technologies. These technologies offers speeds approaching the 4G standard but they do not reach the 1Gbit/second that is the proposed specification.</div>
<div>As the standard is fully developed in the future, it will be interesting to see how networks will fully evolve from 3G to 4G.</div>
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		<title>Successful Projects</title>
		<link>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/successful-projects.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/successful-projects.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 25 Jan 2011 06:55:22 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Project]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Project manager]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://shawnee-ok.org/?p=165</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Part of how business is done in the twenty-first century is the creation of projects that may be assigned to small or large teams in order to accomplish them. Unfortunately, whereas projects might be commonplace, successful results when they are complete are not. So the question arises: what are some of the key considerations in [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div>Part of how business is done in the twenty-first century is the creation of projects that may be assigned to small or large teams in order to accomplish them. Unfortunately, whereas projects might be commonplace, successful results when they are complete are not.</div>
<div>So the question arises: what are some of the key considerations in being successful?</div>
<div>First, as crazy as it sounds, oftentimes, projects that are created to reach a specific goal are not properly defined. If a team is assembled to ‘update a company’s travel brochures’ (if they are involved in travel, for example), what exactly does that mean? Should new pictures be taken of new locations? One of the most important things to do is involve the project team in defining exactly what it is that they are tasked with accomplishing. It creates a goal, or series of them, that can be measured against as the project progresses.</div>
<div>Second, ensure that all members of the team buy-in to the model that the project will be using. More than likely, there will be different members from different departments participating on the team. Develop certain methods of communication, standards of documentation and schedules for deliverables that everyone agrees to. Not following the model put in place can lead to confusion and dissension amongst the team members.</div>
<div>Lastly, staff the project appropriately. This does not mean meeting with Human Resources to go out and hire dozens of new people, but it does mean that estimates of man-hours per task should be developed and then discussed with the project manager and project champion to ensure that there are no gaps. If, for example, there is a need for a technical writer to complete forty hours worth of documentation efforts, should the task be assigned full time to one writer, or part time to two or more writers?</div>
<div>These simple considerations can sometimes mean the difference between success and failure.</div>
<div class="zemanta-pixie" style="margin-top: 10px; height: 15px;"><img class="zemanta-pixie-img" style="border: none; float: right;" src="http://img.zemanta.com/pixy.gif?x-id=de42d56c-e3ea-4a8f-aeba-36171458a028" alt="" /></div>
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		<title>Business Trend: Quick Capital</title>
		<link>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/business-trend-quick-capital.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/business-trend-quick-capital.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 23 Jan 2011 14:36:33 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Spending]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Loan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Payday loan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Small business]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://shawnee-ok.org/?p=70</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[It is not unusual for businesses, especially small businesses, to have a need for quick cash or capital. After all, businesses need to cover short-term and long-term business expenses—even ones that allow the business to expand and grow. Expansion and growth is what allows businesses to generate more income. Short-term lenders such as Payday One [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>It is not unusual for businesses, especially small businesses, to have a need for quick cash or <a href="http://www.investopedia.com/terms/v/venturecapital.asp">capital</a>. After all, businesses need to cover short-term and long-term business expenses—even ones that allow the business to expand and grow. Expansion and growth is what allows businesses to generate more income. Short-term lenders such as Payday One are seeing a growing number of business utilizing their services to obtain the funds the business needs.</p>
<h2><strong>Advantages of Short-term Loans</strong></h2>
<p>When you need quick cash as an individual, payday loans and personal loans are short-term financing options. The same concept holds true for medium and <a href="http://www.sba.gov/">small businesses</a>. In fact, what attracts businesses to short-term loans is that they do not establish a long-term debt for the business. In addition, the loans are quick and easy to get.</p>
<h2><strong>Use of the Funds</strong></h2>
<p>Businesses are using short-term loans for a variety of reasons. Some businesses are turning to lenders such as <a href="http://www.paydayone.com/">Payday One</a> when a piece of equipment breaks downunexpectedlyor supplies must be reordered immediately. Other businesses require a short-term infusion of cash to open a new business location or meet another long-term growth goal. In these cases, the business only needs the money to cover the up-front costs. Once the business makes back the money it had to borrow, the business simply pays off the loan and continues with business as usual.</p>
<p>Things happen and things can go wrong. If you do not have an emergency stash of cash—be it for a personal or business need—then you are going to have to find a way to find the cash you need. Payday loans are just one source for the cash you need when you need it immediately. It is an alternative you should have in the back of your mind, just in case.</p>
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		<title>Job Search 2011</title>
		<link>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/job-search-2011.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/job-search-2011.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 23 Jan 2011 06:55:16 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Job hunting]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://shawnee-ok.org/?p=164</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[At the beginning of 2010,  the overall economy and therefore the job market showed some initial signs of improvement. By the end of the year, largely due to economic volatility, the unemployment rate remained at the same as the beginning, if not a little higher. For those job seekers who have been searching for a [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>At the beginning of 2010,  the overall economy and therefore the job market showed some initial signs of improvement. By the end of the year, largely due to economic volatility, the unemployment rate remained at the same as the beginning, if not a little higher.<br />
For those job seekers who have been searching for a position for between six to twelve months, this means that it might be time to re-assess your own job search strategies and tools to see what is working for you and what isn’t.</p>
<ol>
<li>How does your resume stack against the other resumes out there? How many calls have you received about it? When speaking with Human Resources, have they ever been surprised by something on your resume that “wasn’t clear”. A change in formatting and/or wording could re-energize the number of times your profile is called up by staffing companies. And make sure that keywords are well researched!</li>
<li>How significantly have your networks been utilized? Have personal connections been exhausted? What about employment agencies? How many new people, even if not directly involved in hiring, have you met this week? Tweeting three times per day and updating statuses on Facebook do not count as effectively networking.</li>
<li>If you’ve been searching for some time, go back through your resources and touch base with those companies who you sent your information to months earlier. If uncovering that list of companies and contacts is difficult, that could signal a breakdown in the system you’re using to organize the search. Above all else, employment hunts must be a controlled and organized activity. If the tools you’re using aren’t working, get new ones.</li>
</ol>
<p>One of the most important things to remember is that you need to treat the search for a job like a job itself. If part of the system is not working, it should be corrected.</p>
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		<title>Venture Capital</title>
		<link>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/venture-capital.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/venture-capital.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 20 Jan 2011 06:55:08 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Venture capital]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://shawnee-ok.org/?p=162</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Venture Capital is funding provided by private investors to young, start-up businesses that have the potential to offer a significant return on investment. The type of companies that pursue venture capital money are often emerging technology and information technology firms that do not yet have the longevity to access public markets and can not issue [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div>Venture Capital is funding provided by private investors to young, start-up businesses that have the potential to offer a significant return on investment. The type of companies that pursue venture capital money are often emerging technology and information technology firms that do not yet have the longevity to access public markets and can not issue debt.<br />
Significant research is required by venture capital firms in making the decision on whom to fund because they need to mitigate the risk in providing financial resources to, oftentimes, an unproven business model. It is estimated that one opportunity per few hundred actually receives funding due to the scrutiny that the company is placed under.<br />
In doing their research, VC firms are looking for a combination of a number of factors: innovative technology, the possibility of rapid growth, a well developed (if as yet unproven) business model, and a competent management team. Once chosen to receive funds, the start-up company usually commits to have several members of the venture capital firm on their board in order to provide further guidance.<br />
There are typically six stages of financing offered by venture capital firms:</p>
<ol>
<li>Seed Money &#8211; to prove out the new idea or concept.</li>
<li>Start-up &#8211; to provide for initial production and marketing.</li>
<li>First Round &#8211; to enable sales &amp; manufacturing of product or service.</li>
<li>Second Round &#8211; to provide working capital.</li>
<li>Third Round &#8211; to expand the business as growth sets in, but previous to public offering or issuing debt.</li>
<li>Fourth Round &#8211; to bridge the public offering for the company.</li>
</ol>
</div>
<div>The incubation period for venture capital firms to see a return on investment is approximately between three to seven years. This is not carved in stone, however, in that each firm that receives funding is slightly different and their own growth may be accelerated or decelerated.</div>
<div>Venture Capital is associated with a significant percentage of job creation within the innovation sector.</div>
<div class="zemanta-pixie" style="margin-top: 10px; height: 15px;"><img class="zemanta-pixie-img" style="border: none; float: right;" src="http://img.zemanta.com/pixy.gif?x-id=4ab0c41b-dfb4-4acc-bf2d-ae511561a7fc" alt="" /></div>
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		<title>Telecommuting</title>
		<link>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/telecommuting.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/telecommuting.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 19 Jan 2011 06:55:04 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Telecommuting]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://shawnee-ok.org/?p=161</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[What is telecommuting? Basically, the concept is for companies to offer flexibility in terms of work hours and/or location to their staff. Participation in meetings can be accomplished through conference calls and video conferencing. Access to network resources is done through high-speed Internet access and Virtual Private Networks. Everything that can be done at the [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div>What is telecommuting? Basically, the concept is for companies to offer flexibility in terms of work hours and/or location to their staff. Participation in meetings can be accomplished through conference calls and video conferencing. Access to network resources is done through high-speed Internet access and Virtual Private Networks. Everything that can be done at the office can also be done at home.</div>
<div>Exactly what benefits does a company enjoy by allowing part of their employee-base to telecommute?</div>
<div>Though it seems counter-intuitive, studies have shown that productivity for telecommuters actually increases when compared with office bound employees who are working to a set schedule. One of the more important reasons for this is the lack of distractions by the work environment in the office. Copious cigarette breaks, long lunches, conversations with cube mates are all thieves when it comes to being productive in the office. When an employee telecommutes, those distractions are removed and a greater focus on the task at hand is possible.</div>
<div>As productivity increases, job satisfaction also increases. And due to the flexibility in location, a real work/life balance can be established as household duties can be done with greater ease while tasks are getting accomplished in real time.<br />
From the facilities point-of-view, energy and resources spent on providing utilities to cubes and offices can be nullified altogether if the employee is not there. That is a direct financial benefit to the company who might be experiencing overhead where real estate is concerned.</div>
<div>Having staff members directly report virtually instead of physically does require a shift in management style, however. Instead of managing by supervision, the methodology needs to change to management by objective. Goals and projects are assigned regularly and statuses for these objectives are checked.</div>
<div>Though telecommuting could be supported by many companies, the actual number of telecommuters is still relatively small. This is a trend that will continue to grow as technology improves and management styles change.</div>
<div class="zemanta-pixie" style="margin-top: 10px; height: 15px;"><img class="zemanta-pixie-img" style="border: none; float: right;" src="http://img.zemanta.com/pixy.gif?x-id=f8cbd41b-9697-4623-a152-fd0be053c246" alt="" /></div>
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		<title>Corporate University</title>
		<link>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/corporate-university.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/corporate-university.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 18 Jan 2011 06:55:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Corporate governance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Employment]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://shawnee-ok.org/?p=160</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[There are a multitude of reasons for a medium to large sized company to invest in in-house training in what could be referred to as ‘corporate university’. It is a great means to ensure that employees have met certain guidelines or restrictions. For example, if the members of the Healthcare division are required to review [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div>There are a multitude of reasons for a medium to large sized company to invest in in-house training in what could be referred to as ‘corporate university’.</p>
<ol>
<li>It is a great means to ensure that employees have met certain guidelines or restrictions. For example, if the members of the Healthcare division are required to review and sign-off on HIPAA guidelines, special curriculum can be developed to communicate those guidelines and have them electronically signed by the employee.</li>
<li>It can offer a means for employees to familiarize themselves with other products and services offered by the company in local and remote offices. Familiarity with these products and services can enable staff members to cross-train and truly be in a position to solve seemingly un-related problems as they arise.</li>
<li>It can offer new strategies and differing points-of-view from one department/division to the next. Areas of expertise can be paid forward as new means of achieving goals that might have previously been unheard of. What if financial know-how was brought to bear on a software design problem, for example. What might the result be?</li>
<li>It can offer new skills and practical knowledge that might otherwise only be offered through separate courses offered at college or university. Principles of accounting, systems analysis and project management are some of the fundamentals that can be learned during down-time that will benefit the company and the individual.</li>
</ol>
</div>
<div>The key to providing a corporate university is empowering employees to be self-motivated and have the ability to solve their own problems. This can lead to a staff that is more efficient, has increased job satisfaction, experiences lower turnover and is altogether better at mitigating risk on the projects that they are faced with.</div>
<div>When the majority of a company’s employees are trusted and enabled to perform in this manner, the end result is a team that not only meets goals but exceeds expectations.</div>
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		<title>Improving Customer Service</title>
		<link>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/improving-customer-service.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/improving-customer-service.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 16 Jan 2011 06:54:53 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Customer service]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://shawnee-ok.org/?p=159</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[One of the most important measurements of the health of small to medium sized businesses is customer satisfaction. For enterprises that can not afford a multi-million dollar national advertising campaign, the grass roots method of satisfying the customer can, and often does, shine a light on how well the business is run. To that end, [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div>One of the most important measurements of the health of small to medium sized businesses is customer satisfaction. For enterprises that can not afford a multi-million dollar national advertising campaign, the grass roots method of satisfying the customer can, and often does, shine a light on how well the business is run.</div>
<div>To that end, there are two main facets of customer service that can continually be improved on to directly impact how satisfied customers are with your business.</div>
<div>#1 &#8211; Listen to the customer<br />
#2 &#8211; Follow-up with the customer</div>
<div>They sound incredibly simple, and indeed, the ideas behind them are far from rocket science. It is the execution of them, however, that can influence how many consumers will be repeat customers.</div>
<div>#1 &#8211; Listen to the customer. No, really &#8211; LISTEN to them.  Don’t just hear them. Listen to them. Listen actively to what they are saying to you. Are they asking for assistance in solving a particular problem where your special expertise might be able to save them both time and trouble? How are they standing or sitting when they are speaking? What is their body language? Can you offer a shortcut or piece of advice that had was previously unthought of?</div>
<div>#2 &#8211; Follow-up with the customer. Commit who they are to memory and why they visited your business in the first place. If your business model allows for it and they have provided means of communication, send an email checking that your product or service met their requirements. Remember who they are for when they visit your business in the future. Ask them if their problem from the last visit got solved; if it did, ask how it did.</div>
<div>What is being done by following these steps is that a connection is being made between vendor and consumer on a personal level. That connection is invaluable in making the customer a ‘repeat’ customer.</div>
<div class="zemanta-pixie" style="margin-top: 10px; height: 15px;"><img class="zemanta-pixie-img" style="border: none; float: right;" src="http://img.zemanta.com/pixy.gif?x-id=b2007b05-ddcb-4849-8be3-b0da1e2f75d7" alt="" /></div>
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		<title>Next In Line &#8211; Stagflation?</title>
		<link>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/next-in-line-stagflation.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/next-in-line-stagflation.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 15 Jan 2011 06:54:49 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Stagflation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[United States]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://shawnee-ok.org/?p=158</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Stagflation can be roughly defined as a period of economic turmoil when both the inflation rate and the unemployment rate are consistently high for a prolonged period of time. What makes this particularly tumultuous is that the methods for fighting high inflation and high unemployment are mutually exclusive. Those readers who are old enough to [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div>Stagflation can be roughly defined as a period of economic turmoil when both the inflation rate and the unemployment rate are consistently high for a prolonged period of time. What makes this particularly tumultuous is that the methods for fighting high inflation and high unemployment are mutually exclusive.</div>
<div>Those readers who are old enough to remember the 1970’s will remember a prolonged period of stagflation that lasted nearly the whole decade. Remembering then, the question might be brewing in their minds:  could it be starting to happen again, NOW?</div>
<div>The first part of that equation is a high unemployment rate. For the last two years, that rate in the United States has been hovering just under ten percent. Though there has been some hopeful months due to seasonal hiring and the like, the majority of businesses are not spending to hire more staff. The least common denominator for business is to push the current employees to generate a little more productivity. And since high unemployment is hanging like a black cloud on the horizon, many employees are only too happy to do so for fear of losing their livelihood.</div>
<div>The second part of that equation is a high inflation rate. The current rate is slightly under two percent, which is not high. Looking back at the decade, calendar 2005 saw inflation rates that were almost 3 times as much. However, fuel costs have been increasing for the last six months and do not show any signs yet of reaching a ceiling. Once extraneous costs for oil are factored into consumer goods, those prices could start to increase, which in turn increases the inflation rate.</div>
<div>There are numerous factors that play a role in giving birth to the stagflation monster. The most intelligent thing that the average consumer/investor can do is keep their eyes open &#8211; and read some back issues of The Economist, circa 1970, just in case.</div>
<div class="zemanta-pixie" style="margin-top: 10px; height: 15px;"><img class="zemanta-pixie-img" style="border: none; float: right;" src="http://img.zemanta.com/pixy.gif?x-id=fb65f451-5c08-40dd-986d-0c8d03b75364" alt="" /></div>
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		<title>Franchise Ownership &#8211; Initial Thoughts</title>
		<link>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/franchise-ownership-initial-thoughts.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/franchise-ownership-initial-thoughts.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 13 Jan 2011 06:54:45 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Franchising]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://shawnee-ok.org/?p=157</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[For those entrepreneurs who are interested in starting their own business, but a little reluctant to do so without some sort of support, the option of franchising could be the answer they are looking for. Franchising is one method of starting a business where there is a tried &#38; tested business model already in place. [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div>For those entrepreneurs who are interested in starting their own business, but a little reluctant to do so without some sort of support, the option of franchising could be the answer they are looking for.</div>
<div>Franchising is one method of starting a business where there is a tried &amp; tested business model already in place. Much of the trial and error has been removed thanks to what comes included with the franchise opportunity: a support structure with other franchise owners who can offer advice; an operations manual that gives step-by-step instructions in how to run the business; a national advertising and marketing team that works to keep your company’s brand in the media spotlight.</div>
<div>There are dozens of types of franchise businesses, each one tailored slightly differently to meet the needs of the owner. Some require the entrepreneur to own real estate, while others offer opportunities to run the business out of the home. There are different models for payment on a monthly basis, requirements for staffing and development of business, along with territory considerations because, as is the basis of a franchise, there is more than likely another franchisee just around the corner.</div>
<div>Indeed, it can be overwhelming. If there isn’t one particular market that is truly appealing, perhaps due to the anticipation of owning A business, help can be provided by way of a Franchise Broker.</div>
<div>A Franchise Broker is enlisted to provide guidance in choosing the right opportunity based on interests and aptitudes. They represent a network of franchise companies and do not charge or take a fee from the individual franchisees. The brokers are reimbursed from the parent companies themselves when a new deal is made with a client.</div>
<div>There are numerous considerations to take into account when choosing this business model, only some of which have been touched here. Research, diligence and asking the right questions will go far in helping to make the right choice.</div>
<div class="zemanta-pixie" style="margin-top: 10px; height: 15px;"><img class="zemanta-pixie-img" style="border: none; float: right;" src="http://img.zemanta.com/pixy.gif?x-id=4bd978dd-beed-451b-b636-09e2cc478051" alt="" /></div>
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		<title>Globalization</title>
		<link>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/globalization.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/globalization.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 12 Jan 2011 06:54:40 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Globalization]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Market economy]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://shawnee-ok.org/?p=156</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The term ‘globalization’ describes the process whereby local economies and cultures become enmeshed with the local economies and cultures of other nations through the exchange of ideas, technology, and financial trade. At it’s very simplest level, it could be seen as the de-privatization of regional business on, well, a global scale. Initially, the term ‘globalization’ [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div>The term ‘globalization’ describes the process whereby local economies and cultures become enmeshed with the local economies and cultures of other nations through the exchange of ideas, technology, and financial trade. At it’s very simplest level, it could be seen as the de-privatization of regional business on, well, a global scale.</div>
<div>Initially, the term ‘globalization’ usually connotes ideas of purely economic trade, with countries exchanging their goods and services across the globe. With the technological advances, however, particularly of the last twenty years, there is a much more evolved give &amp; take that is occurring. Political, cultural and societal ideas are being bandied back and forth. The Internet has given rise to previously unheard of volumes of information that can be shared.</div>
<div>As multinational companies create offices in the far corners of the globe and cultural ideas are shared with other nations, the question arises about the influence of these corporations on other nation’s governmental bodies. While more and more of the world is adopting the free-market economy, not all countries are the same regarding their cultural and societal ideologies. It is a difficult position for a corporation to be in when one of the foreign offices does not share the same views as ‘HQ’ regarding political and cultural freedoms.</div>
<div>What sort of decisions have to be made regarding freedom and availability of information? When governmental policy clashes with corporate beliefs, who concedes? And exactly what are they conceding?</div>
<div>Also to be considered is that with globalization comes accessibility to human resources and raw materials that may have been previously unknown and therefore unavailable. Could this lead to further depletion of natural resources on a planetary scale? Or do these multinationals promote the empowerment of the indigenous peoples and the equalization of human rights and freedoms?</div>
<div>These are all important questions and considerations that will continue to change as the process itself continues to change.</div>
<div class="zemanta-pixie" style="margin-top: 10px; height: 15px;"><img class="zemanta-pixie-img" style="border: none; float: right;" src="http://img.zemanta.com/pixy.gif?x-id=64bd7a9e-391e-4676-bdc6-8366a8aff8a0" alt="" /></div>
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		<title>Cloud Computing</title>
		<link>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/cloud-computing.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/cloud-computing.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 11 Jan 2011 06:54:35 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Cloud computing]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://shawnee-ok.org/?p=155</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Cloud computing is a location independent, resource adaptive form of product and service delivery that has become popular in recent months. It gets its name because the delivery of these products and/or services occurs via the Internet, which usually appears as a ‘cloud’ in diagrams covering information technology. The model for this type of delivery [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div>Cloud computing is a location independent, resource adaptive form of product and service delivery that has become popular in recent months. It gets its name because the delivery of these products and/or services occurs via the Internet, which usually appears as a ‘cloud’ in diagrams covering information technology.</div>
<div>The model for this type of delivery closely resembles that of utilities such as electricity or water treatment in that the subscriber utilizes only what they need and pays for that amount. Consumers are not concerned with the infrastructure delivering the utilities; their only concern is that they ‘are there’. In that respect, ‘cloud’ computing is also referred to as ‘utility’ computing.</div>
<div>Currently, this model of computing comes in three flavors: Software-as-a-Service, Infrastructure-as-a-Service and Platform-as-a-Service. It is particularly appealing to small to medium sized businesses because there is no initial deployment of hardware or software resources, and a much lesser need for resource planning and capacity planning. The infrastructure is managed by the hosting company and therefore, can grow (or shrink) as demand increases or decreases. For example, a company providing a retail point-of-sale solution could be busier before Christmas compared to after. Or a provider of accountancy services could be swamped at the beginning of April, but probably less busy in June.</div>
<div>It is typically served to the desktop workstation via an Internet browser allowing for a much smaller footprint to be managed and updated by IT. In fact, with the client infrastructure embedded in the browser, there is virtually no management needed!</div>
<div>What has contributed to the growth of cloud computing is a combination of robust access to high-speed Internet connections and the advent of businesses needing access to tools, such as CRM software and the like, to survive and thrive in a challenging economy.</div>
<div>It will be very interesting to see what this platform matures into as time goes on and consumer demand continues to develop.</div>
<div class="zemanta-pixie" style="margin-top: 10px; height: 15px;"><img class="zemanta-pixie-img" style="border: none; float: right;" src="http://img.zemanta.com/pixy.gif?x-id=5c419271-b7c5-4b24-80e3-051519759f21" alt="" /></div>
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		<title>Success Profile</title>
		<link>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/success-profile.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/success-profile.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 09 Jan 2011 06:54:37 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Employment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Human resources]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://shawnee-ok.org/?p=154</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The job market is tougher than ever, for both employer, employee and unemployed. With high unemployment rates remaining as the status quo, at least for the foreseeable future, the question arises: How does a company match the job that needs to be done with the staff to do it? The answer is the creation of [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div>The job market is tougher than ever, for both employer, employee and unemployed. With high unemployment rates remaining as the status quo, at least for the foreseeable future, the question arises: How does a company match the job that needs to be done with the staff to do it?</div>
<div>The answer is the creation of a Success Profile.</div>
<div>Success Profiles are tools that can be used by Human Resources Personnel and Department Managers to take a snapshot of the skills, traits and behaviors that they believe are necessary in order to fill a certain role within the company. The profiles are meant to be used as a model to measure the current staff against in order to provide guidance for future development AND also as a checklist when the demand increases and more people are required to fill the gaps in employment.</div>
<div>What should be included in the Success Profile?</div>
<div>1. What skills does the person have? What knowledge do they bring to the table? How do their knowledge and skills compliment each other?<br />
2. What has the person done in the past? What problems have they solved that are similar to what they’ll be working on currently? What previous experience can be leveraged?<br />
3. What can this person do in the future? Are there any particular areas or direction that they have indicated they would like to focus on? Do they see the position as only temporary and therefore, only worth a half-hearted work effort?<br />
4. What is their personality like? What are some of the more important facets of their behavior? Can a negative personality trait be turned into a positive while on the job?</div>
<div>When questions and answers such as these have been documented, managing the human resources will be a less daunting task because the manager will have a score-card on hand to assist him.</div>
<div class="zemanta-pixie" style="margin-top: 10px; height: 15px;"><img class="zemanta-pixie-img" style="border: none; float: right;" src="http://img.zemanta.com/pixy.gif?x-id=e25b751e-4628-4e17-a348-537c29e6d971" alt="" /></div>
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		<title>Green Business</title>
		<link>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/green-business.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/green-business.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 08 Jan 2011 06:54:29 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://shawnee-ok.org/?p=153</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Over the last two to three years, the concept of having a ‘Green Business’ or ‘Going Green’ has come more and more into the forefront of the news, politics and society in general. But like so many other concepts that are bandied about, what exactly does ‘Green’ mean? The idea behind ‘Green’ has to do, [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><span id="internal-source-marker_0.3112762030214071">Over the last two to three years, the concept of having a ‘Green Business’ or ‘Going Green’ has come more and more into the forefront of the news, politics and society in general. But like so many other concepts that are bandied about, what exactly does ‘Green’ mean?</span></p>
<p><span>The idea behind ‘Green’ has to do, as could probably be expected, with nature and the environment. There have been similar movements in the past that have all become part of our cultural psyche: ‘Environmentally Friendly’ and ‘Eco-Positive’ come to mind from recent decades.</span></p>
<p><span>The ‘Green’ movement, however, takes the environmental concept further than it’s predecessors in that it is much more than NOT doing harm to the environment by the dumping of toxic chemicals or the ruination of a natural habitat. ‘Green’ focuses its energy on the idea of sustainability; that is, how can certain facets of business be run without making a negative impact on the local or global environment. That environment includes rural communities, society and the economy as a whole. Basically, it seeks to counteract the general trend in business that has been prevalent for centuries: operate for profit now at the expense of future generations.</span></p>
<p><span>By focusing on changing the business model so that it becomes sustainable, ‘Green’ seeks to hold businesses accountable for the decisions that they make now as they impact the future. The model is changed in that it is not only the end product that is under the microscope, but the services and processes that surround that product as well. For example, is the supply chain system using a sustainable model as well in acquiring the raw materials to manufacture the product? How is the model for delivery product doing more to reduce emissions in getting this product to market?</span></p>
<p><span>‘Green Business’ seeks to close the loop on these business practices today instead of tomorrow.</span></p>
<div class="zemanta-pixie" style="margin-top: 10px; height: 15px;"><img class="zemanta-pixie-img" style="border: none; float: right;" src="http://img.zemanta.com/pixy.gif?x-id=4d964ea6-e50f-48a6-9c7a-fe453f4d624c" alt="" /></div>
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		<title>New Year &#8211; New Thoughts on Foreclosures</title>
		<link>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/new-year-new-thoughts-on-foreclosures.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/new-year-new-thoughts-on-foreclosures.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 06 Jan 2011 06:55:49 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Foreclosure]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Real Estate]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://shawnee-ok.org/?p=152</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The Real Estate bubble that burst a few years ago left the economy in shambles and collapsed the housing market to unimaginable levels. Unfortunately, even as far as things have fallen, 2011 may set new low points in the foreclosure market. Last year, 2010, saw a record number of foreclosures with well over a million [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div>The Real Estate bubble that burst a few years ago left the economy in shambles and collapsed the housing market to unimaginable levels. Unfortunately, even as far as things have fallen, 2011 may set new low points in the foreclosure market.</div>
<div>Last year, 2010, saw a record number of foreclosures with well over a million homes becoming REO (real estate owned) bank properties. Towards the end of 2010, the number of foreclosures dipped as yet another problem &#8211; The RoboSigning Scandal &#8211; hit the real estate market. As the investigation ramped up, foreclosures slowed down. The result is that an estimated 250 000 new foreclosures left over from last year could hit the banks this year, outside of the issues that will fail “normally” in 2011.</div>
<div>Recently, foreclosures have sat on the market for a much shorter period of time than homes sold via a ‘regular’ sales process. However, unlike dealing with a real estate agent and current owners of a home for sale, an REO may not, and probably did not, have any sort of care or maintenance for several months at a time. So, these homes may be in some serious need of fixing by the time that a potential owner is looking at them.</div>
<div>Aside from the physical condition of the home, there could also be legal baggage such as liens and other claims from various creditors (or even the original homeowner that let it fall into foreclosure) that comes with the property. If a potential buyer is interested in an REO property, it is a good idea to purchase Title Insurance on it. An Owner’s Policy can protect the new homeowner from those liens and various other claims, ensuring that the real estate can not be taken away from them.</div>
<div>Out of all this uncertainty, one thing is for certain &#8211; banks better get used to being in the real estate business. They could be doing it for a while.</div>
<div class="zemanta-pixie" style="margin-top: 10px; height: 15px;"><img class="zemanta-pixie-img" style="border: none; float: right;" src="http://img.zemanta.com/pixy.gif?x-id=1de26448-b848-4e5b-8808-4c5c48172ca8" alt="" /></div>
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		<title>Claiming Expenses on Your Income Taxes</title>
		<link>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/claiming-expenses-on-your-income-taxes.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/claiming-expenses-on-your-income-taxes.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 05 Jan 2011 13:55:55 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://shawnee-ok.org/?p=63</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[When you file your income taxes, there is more to the process than simply claiming however much income you generated during the year. The second largest part of the income tax filing process is the deductions and credits section of filing, which involves listing expenses that you have paid throughout the year. As an example, [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>When you file your income taxes, there is more to the process than simply claiming however much income you generated during the <img class="alignright" style="margin: 10px;" src="http://www.sxc.hu/pic/m/l/le/leosynapse/452697_big_money.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="200" />year. The second largest part of the income tax filing process is the deductions and credits section of filing, which involves listing expenses that you have paid throughout the year. As an example, if you have paid property taxes on a home that you own, if you have made any contributions to clergy or to charities, or if you have paid expenses for your business like to set up a home office or for business lunches and meetings, then these contributions and expenses should be noted on your taxes because they will impact your refund amount.</p>
<p>These <a href="http://blog.turbotax.intuit.com/">tax tips</a> are designed to help you have the best possible tax filing experience. Make sure that you keep your receipts handy throughout the year so that you can list all of these items individually in your taxes. While tax compliant software programs are designed to set you up with the standard deduction, you can also opt to itemize your deductions individually, which means that you can list your expenses that are deductible, and you may be able to get a better refund during tax season. It is important for you to get help with filing your taxes so that you know how to file and so that you avoid any potential for complications.</p>
<p>A tax tips resource, for example, is essentially going to be able to provide you with a wealth of guidelines and suggestions that will allow you to file your taxes more easily and more effectively. Year-end tax planning can help you make the most out of your taxes. The size of the average <a href="http://www.prnewschannel.com/absolutenm/templates/?z=4&amp;a=3451">tax refund</a> is increasing as more people benefit from these types of tax strategies.</p>
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		<title>Top 10 Countries in Import and Export Business Worldwide</title>
		<link>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/top-10-countries-in-import-and-export-business-worldwide-2.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/top-10-countries-in-import-and-export-business-worldwide-2.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 05 Jan 2011 06:55:46 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[United States]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://shawnee-ok.org/?p=151</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Top 10 Countries in Import and Export Business Worldwide According to information that was gathered by the United States census bureau, the top ten countries that America trades with the most make up a very large portion of international trade across the globe. There are two countries that we trade with more than others. From [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Top 10 Countries in Import and Export Business Worldwide</p>
<p>According to information that was gathered by the United States census bureau, the top ten countries that America trades with the most make up a very large portion of international trade across the globe. There are two countries that we trade with more than others.<br />
From smallest to largest in terms of amount of import and export dollars:</p>
<p>* Singapore<br />
* Taiwan<br />
* The Republic of Korea or South Korea<br />
* France<br />
* United Kingdom<br />
* Germany<br />
* China<br />
* Japan<br />
* Mexico<br />
* Canada</p>
<p>If you are thinking about beginning an import and export business for any reason, then you might consider beginning trade conversations with these countries, especially Canada and Mexico for example since they offer very popular trade routes. You should not only limit yourself to these countries, however, because there are a myriad of other really intriguing possibilities available out there as well, including some fun and enjoyable trade countries like the Caribbean Basin, the former Soviet Union and the Andean pacts for example.</p>
<p>When you are new to the international scene, however, becoming familiar with common trade routes is a good way to go. Becoming familiar with and acquainted with the biggest trading partners that the United States knows is a good way to get a feel for the industry when you are just starting out. Once you feel more comfortable with Canada, Mexico and similar &#8220;big traders&#8221; in the import and export business, the next course of action is for you to get to know smaller markets and smaller countries so that you can really get a feel for everything that the import and export industry has to offer to you and your business.</p>
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		<title>Online Surveying of your Target Audience</title>
		<link>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/online-surveying-of-your-target-audience.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/online-surveying-of-your-target-audience.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 30 Dec 2010 16:11:04 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Survey]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Target audience]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://shawnee-ok.org/?p=60</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Online Surveying of your Target Audience The first step to creating a profitable business plan is to understand how your product is going to be taken in by the public. Understanding the supply and the demand in your market is going to allow you to keep your product at the top of its game. There [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Online Surveying of your Target Audience</p>
<p>The first step to creating a profitable business plan is to understand  how your product is going to be taken in by the public. Understanding  the supply and the demand in your market is going to allow you to keep  your product at the top of its game. There are a wide variety of ways  that you can look to the public to find out which of your products are  working and which of your products are not working. You should consider  as many different marketing tools as you can, including online surveys  which you can send to your customers by way of e-mail. The information  that you obtain from such a survey is going to allow you to tailor your  products exactly to what your customers are looking for.</p>
<p>If you want to want to see what the public really thinks of your  products you should consider online marketing surveys that are sent as  email. One of the reasons for this is that it&#8217;s very important that you  have the ability to tailor your products for their specific needs. This  is a very important part of developing a great business plan that will  target the supply and demand in your market. All these various bits of  information well help ensure your profits and your growth stay positive  and at the top of the game.</p>
<p>Another thing you can do to figure out what the consumers want for  products is to ensure they have the ability to provide suggestions. It&#8217;s  important that you ensure they have a way to provide you with feedback  about your products. Having this data can be critical to making changes  that increase your marketing success. Once you understand the demands of  your market you are in a better position to give them what they need so  you can keep inventory that sells.</p>
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		<title>Momentum in Your Business</title>
		<link>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/momentum-in-your-business.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/momentum-in-your-business.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 28 Dec 2010 16:09:29 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Momentum]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Small business]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://shawnee-ok.org/?p=57</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Image by Getty Images via @daylife Momentum in Your Business Don&#8217;t let your business lose momentum, keep things fresh and pay very close attention to what smaller businesses in your area are doing. What are these places selling the most of, what items are they unable to keep on their shelves? Ensure that your consumers [...]]]></description>
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<dt class="wp-caption-dt"><a href="http://www.daylife.com/image/09ZSd71dOR8p3?utm_source=zemanta&amp;utm_medium=p&amp;utm_content=09ZSd71dOR8p3&amp;utm_campaign=z1"><img title="WASHINGTON - NOVEMBER 18:  Treasury Secretary ..." src="http://cache.daylife.com/imageserve/09ZSd71dOR8p3/150x100.jpg" alt="WASHINGTON - NOVEMBER 18:  Treasury Secretary ..." width="150" height="100" /></a></dt>
<dd class="wp-caption-dd zemanta-img-attribution" style="font-size: 0.8em;">Image by <a href="http://www.daylife.com/source/Getty_Images">Getty Images</a> via <a href="http://www.daylife.com">@daylife</a></dd>
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<p>Momentum in Your Business</p>
<p>Don&#8217;t let your business lose momentum, keep things fresh and pay very  close attention to what smaller businesses in your area are doing. What  are these places selling the most of, what items are they unable to keep  on their shelves? Ensure that your consumers are getting just what they  want, keep the money flowing into your business and don&#8217;t let your  inventory get stale. Don&#8217;t let the market pass you by, ensure that you  have exactly what is needed in constant supply so profits do not stop  and you continue to grow your business.</p>
<p>Do not slack, business can be hard work and doing what you can now will  make sure you can get your feet off the ground and will be critical when  trying to get up and running. It might seem like you are unable to find  the time, but it is key in ensuring that when the trends change, you  have the ability to change with them. Providing the goods and services  that suite your target demographic want is the best was to take  advantage of all the opportunities there are to offer when starting a  small business.</p>
<p>There are a variety of tools that you can use as a business owner or as a  person who is looking to start his or her own business. Just observing  the market trends can be a great cornerstone when it comes to taking  advantage of these tools. All this is critical when it comes to  developing a business plan that you can adjust as the trends you are  watching change so that your profit stays in the positive. Make sure  that you are using all of the tools that are at your disposal when you  are building your business in order to create a business that is going  to thrive rather than one that is going to struggle to create and  maintain any semblance of momentum.</p>
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		<title>Consumer Trends: How are Consumers Spending?</title>
		<link>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/consumer-trends-how-are-consumers-spending.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/consumer-trends-how-are-consumers-spending.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 26 Dec 2010 16:08:28 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Spending]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Consumer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Small business]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://shawnee-ok.org/?p=55</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Consumer Trends: How are Consumers Spending? Times have changed so it is critical that you pay attention and watch the way that consumers spend their funds. The harsh economy makes people very wary about their spending and makes sure they aren’t wasting money and are getting the best bang for their dollar and the highest [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Consumer Trends: How are Consumers Spending?</p>
<p>Times have changed  so it is critical that you pay attention and watch the way that  consumers spend their funds. The harsh economy makes people very wary  about their spending and makes sure they aren’t wasting money and are  getting the best bang for their dollar and the highest quality of  service that can be afforded to the. As such it is very important for  businesses to supply high quality items and services to meet the steep  needs of consumers today. A consumer may not continue buying goods and  services from a merchant if they aren’t getting the highest qualities.</p>
<p>When creating a business plan or working to further improve a business  that you already run or manage you should ensure that all the research  you need to do is conducted when it comes to your customers buying high  quality goods and services. It is not uncommon for a consumer to want to  pay as little as possible and yet still purchase decent quality  products that will last them. This is also because many people are  unable to buy the hottest products on the market whenever a product is  new, redesigned or improved upon, they will want to stretch their dollar  very far and ensure these goods last a long time to come.</p>
<p>Establish a target market and pinpoint their needs. You want your  customers to stay around so they continue to purchase the quality goods  and services you have to offer them. In the long run this will make it  easier to keep your business sustainable during the harsher economic  times, as well as making additional money when it is out there waiting  to be taken. This is one of the best possible things that you can do for  your business, ensuring that you run a successful business rather than  one that is consistently or constantly struggling just to stay afloat.</p>
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		<title>Are You Offering Benefits in your Business?</title>
		<link>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/are-you-offering-benefits-in-your-business.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/are-you-offering-benefits-in-your-business.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 24 Dec 2010 16:05:37 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Employee benefit]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Employment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Salary]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://shawnee-ok.org/?p=49</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Are You Offering Benefits in your Business? One of the biggest debates that exists when it comes to running or operating a business is what types of salaries and other benefits you should offer your employees. What side of the fence are you on? Here is an interesting trade off that you should consider when [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Are You Offering Benefits in your Business?</p>
<p>One of the biggest debates that exists when it comes to running or  operating a business is what types of salaries and other benefits you  should offer your employees. What side of the fence are you on? Here is  an interesting trade off that you should consider when it comes to  hiring staff for your company. The better the benefits that you offer,  the higher quality the staff will be that you hire. So while you may be  spending more money on a monthly or annual basis to offer your staff the  best possible benefits, the trade off is that there will be more  competition when you are hiring someone new, and you will be given a  chance to hire a higher quality staff. Because you are offering higher  caliber benefits, you can afford to be picky with who you hire.</p>
<p>The truth is that you are going to need to find a happy medium between  what your employees want and deserve, and what you feel comfortable  offering. You should offer paid vacation time, health and dental  benefits and other benefits or incentives that will draw in higher  caliber workers. You are much more likely going to attract workers with  extensive experience and degrees when you are offering benefits and  salaries that are commiserate with their experience and education. This  is the best way to make sure you are being given the &#8220;pick of the  litter&#8221; when it comes to your potential workforce.</p>
<p>If the salaries that you offer are less than competitive, or if you are  not offering good benefits, then you will struggle to bring in good  talent for your company. The trade offs are well worthwhile when you  consider the benefits on both sides of the coin on this particular issue  and determine which is best going to benefit your business.</p>
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		<title>On the Subject of Business Communication</title>
		<link>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/on-the-subject-of-business-communication.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/on-the-subject-of-business-communication.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 22 Dec 2010 16:06:47 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mobile phone]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Unified communications]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://shawnee-ok.org/?p=51</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[On the Subject of Business Communication Communication is vital in business today, it is important to have the ability to speak with staff or check for emails or faxes when out of the office. Your business needs to be able to take advantage of different channels of communication in order for it to run smoothly [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>On the Subject of Business Communication</p>
<p>Communication is vital in business today, it is important to have the  ability to speak with staff or check for emails or faxes when out of the  office. Your business needs to be able to take advantage of different  channels of communication in order for it to run smoothly and  effectively from day to day. One of the best ways for business to ensure  they have all mediums of communication available to them is through  unified communications. This ensures not a single employee misses a  single point of contact.</p>
<p>In business, being without the ability to contact customers or other  employees can be costly, time consuming and damaging to the company in a  matter of mere moments. So what really is unified communications? Well  the idea is, that the electronic mediums they communicate should merge  ensuring that they don t ever miss a message or call. A simple example  of unified communications might be that if you are away from your  office, your calls will be automatically routed to your cell phone. Or  if you aren&#8217;t in the office to receive a fax, it will be converted  electronically into a document that will be emailed right to you or your  cell phone or PDA.</p>
<p>In business some people find that checking voicemail may take too much  time. In this case, you may need to find an alternative that is going to  work for you or help your business to thrive the way you would want it  to. These days it doesn&#8217;t- voice mail can often be forwarded to your  email as an audio file you can listen to at your leisure or sometimes  even transcribed into actual text. You shouldn&#8217;t think of unified  communications a single entitiy but rather a variety of technical  mediums working together to serve you and your business in a way that is  conducive to your company.</p>
<div class="zemanta-pixie" style="margin-top: 10px; height: 15px;"><img class="zemanta-pixie-img" style="border: none; float: right;" src="http://img.zemanta.com/pixy.gif?x-id=66585638-a401-4b68-b6f9-01671bdc33fd" alt="" /></div>
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		<title>Paid Time Off (PTO) Guidelines for Human Resources</title>
		<link>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/paid-time-off-pto-guidelines-for-human-resources.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/paid-time-off-pto-guidelines-for-human-resources.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 20 Dec 2010 16:04:18 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Employment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Human resources]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Paid time off]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://shawnee-ok.org/?p=47</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Paid Time Off (PTO) Guidelines for Human Resources The purpose behind PTO or Paid Time Off is to provide your company&#8217;s employees with a flexible amount of paid time away from work that they can use to meet a variety of different needs including family illness, personal illness, vacation, school, doctor&#8217;s appointments, volunteerism and any [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Paid Time Off (PTO) Guidelines for Human Resources</p>
<p>The purpose behind PTO or Paid Time Off is to provide your company&#8217;s  employees with a flexible amount of paid time away from work that they  can use to meet a variety of different needs including family illness,  personal illness, vacation, school, doctor&#8217;s appointments, volunteerism  and any other activities at the choice of the employees. The goal of the  company should be to use PTO in order to reduce any unscheduled  absences and to reduce supervisory oversight as well.</p>
<p>The PTO days may be accrued in different ways depending on your company,  such as bi-weekly or monthly in hourly increments depending on the  employee&#8217;s length of service with the company. Each employee could have a  bank of PTO hours that they can keep track of, and then tap into when  they need to do so. When PTO is taken, the number of hours arranged will  be subtracted from the accrued bank of PTO time in the form of one-hour  increments. Typically a business will not give PTO to temporary,  contract or intern employees unless under special circumstances.</p>
<p>Ultimately it is up to you as a business owner to decide who can accrue  PTO, how much they can accrue and how they can accrue their PTO hours.  You may decide only to give PTO hours to your full time employees, or  may decide to let full time and part time employees accrue paid time off  hours at different rates. You are not obligated to offer PTO hours at  all, but this is a benefit that, when offered, will help you attract a  more attractive work force, because offering good benefits allows you to  bring in better talent. If you want a higher quality work force,  offering vacation or PTO benefits is a great way to make your company  more attractive.</p>
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		<title>Business Tips: Increasing Productivity Through Incentives</title>
		<link>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/business-tips-increasing-productivity-through-incentives.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/business-tips-increasing-productivity-through-incentives.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 17 Dec 2010 16:00:25 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Management]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Employment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Incentive]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Incentive program]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://shawnee-ok.org/?p=42</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[It might sound a bit silly to have to reward employees for doing their job but many companies are finding out that incentive programs are actually very beneficial when it comes to increasing the productivity of their employees. The idea of work based incentives goes back hundreds of years ago. However, due to the increase [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>It might sound a bit silly to have to reward employees for doing their  job but many companies are finding out that incentive programs are  actually very beneficial when it comes to increasing the productivity of  their employees.</p>
<p>The idea of work based incentives goes back hundreds of years ago.  However, due to the increase competition within the market companies are  working more than every to entice their employees to work faster,  better and harder than ever.</p>
<p>If you are looking to start a work based incentive program in your  company there are a number of ways that you can offer incentives. Here  is a look at some work based incentive programs that companies have  developed.</p>
<p>General Contests. General contests are work based incentives that allow  any employee who reaches a specific level within the company to be  entered into the contest. This general line is usually the company&#8217;s  &#8220;bottom line&#8221; that they expect workers to work at. It encourages  everyone to work at a level that will keep the business in operation.</p>
<p>Achievement Incentives. Companies have started to develop achievement  incentives. These are usually contests or rewards that are given to  special employees that have gone above and beyond what the company asks  for in regards to work. These type of incentives encourage employees to  work beyond the norm in order to get that extra special incentive.</p>
<p>End of the Year Bonuses. Employees need to have incentives to keep  working hard all throughout the year and that is where the yearend bonus  comes in. Companies will look at an employee&#8217;s overall work history  for the year and reward incentives, usually cash for a job well done.  The bonus will be based off of a number of factors and will keep the  employees wanting to do a good job all year long.</p>
<div class="zemanta-pixie" style="margin-top: 10px; height: 15px;"><img class="zemanta-pixie-img" style="border: none; float: right;" src="http://img.zemanta.com/pixy.gif?x-id=deaf73ca-5083-4c13-9649-b381b81e4532" alt="" /></div>
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		<title>A Guide to Creating an Effective Employee Training Program</title>
		<link>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/a-guide-to-creating-an-effective-employee-training-program.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/a-guide-to-creating-an-effective-employee-training-program.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 14 Dec 2010 15:59:01 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Hiring]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Computer program]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Employment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Learning]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Training]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://shawnee-ok.org/?p=39</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Image by Getty Images via @daylife A Guide to Creating an Effective Employee Training Program Have you ever experienced an employee training seminar where you completed the session and felt as if you knew even less walking out of the program then when you walked in there? This is a major sign that the employee [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="zemanta-img" style="margin: 1em; display: block;">
<div>
<dl class="wp-caption alignright" style="width: 160px;">
<dt class="wp-caption-dt"><a href="http://www.daylife.com/image/04ct8vtfZ0fs6?utm_source=zemanta&amp;utm_medium=p&amp;utm_content=04ct8vtfZ0fs6&amp;utm_campaign=z1"><img title="CHENGDU, CHINA - JANUARY 12:  Job seekers line..." src="http://cache.daylife.com/imageserve/04ct8vtfZ0fs6/150x100.jpg" alt="CHENGDU, CHINA - JANUARY 12:  Job seekers line..." width="150" height="100" /></a></dt>
<dd class="wp-caption-dd zemanta-img-attribution" style="font-size: 0.8em;">Image by <a href="http://www.daylife.com/source/Getty_Images">Getty Images</a> via <a href="http://www.daylife.com">@daylife</a></dd>
</dl>
</div>
</div>
<p>A Guide to Creating an Effective Employee Training Program</p>
<p>Have you ever experienced an employee training seminar where you  completed the session and felt as if you knew even less walking out of  the program then when you walked in there? This is a major sign that the  employee training program that was developed for that particular  program was either ineffective or not planned out. What many businesses  do not realize is that employee training programs take a bit of planning  in order to create an effective and useful training employee program.</p>
<p>If you are looking to develop an effective employee training program it is a good idea to keep some of these factors in mind.</p>
<p>Focus on the Important Facts. A lot of employee training programs try to  teach a lifetime of learning into a matter of a few hours or a few  days. The fact of the matter is that most employees will not remember or  retain all this information. As a business it is a good idea to sit  down and figure out exactly what is important information that any  employee should know and focus on that. The rest of the training can  come later.</p>
<p>Make it Fun. Just because you are training the employees does not mean  that you have to make them fell as if they are back in school. Try to  make the employee training program fun and exciting. This will encourage  employees to learn and it will give a good impression of your company  to future employees.</p>
<p>Remember Rome Wasnâ€™t Built in a Day. Remember that all employees are  going to learn at a different pace. Do not expect every employee to  learn all the information in one training session. Some will fly through  the training courses and be star employees in no time, others will take  time to develop. A little patience goes a long way during training  sessions.</p>
<div class="zemanta-pixie" style="margin-top: 10px; height: 15px;"><img class="zemanta-pixie-img" style="border: none; float: right;" src="http://img.zemanta.com/pixy.gif?x-id=8a3fe462-6844-46f3-b2d0-b357c9dfe5e8" alt="" /></div>
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		<title>Business Hiring Tip: Where To Find Great Employees</title>
		<link>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/business-hiring-tip-where-to-find-great-employees.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/business-hiring-tip-where-to-find-great-employees.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 12 Dec 2010 15:57:57 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Hiring]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Company]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Employment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Facebook]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://shawnee-ok.org/?p=37</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Business Hiring Tip: Where To Find Great Employees Every business wants to be able to hire the best employees. However, in order to be able to be find those great employees you need to make sure that they know that your company is looking for new employees. A major part of finding the best employees [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Business Hiring Tip: Where To Find Great Employees</p>
<p>Every business wants to be able to hire the best employees. However, in  order to be able to be find those great employees you need to make sure  that they know that your company is looking for new employees. A major  part of finding the best employees is where you advertise your help  wanted ad.</p>
<p>It used to be that the only place that a company could advertise that  they needed help was through the local newspaper. With the invention of  technology that has really changed how help wanted ads are being placed.  Here is a look at some of the places companies are placing their help  wanted ads.</p>
<p>Local Newspaper. The local newspaper is still one of the most popular  sources for help wanted ads. While many people are doing away with  physical papers, local newspapers are still offering help wanted ads  online or through their printed version.</p>
<p>Craigslist. Craigslist is an example of how the Internet has changed  help wanted ads. Many companies place their ads on Craigslist because it  allows employees from all over the world to be able to search their  ads. Craigslist offers a traditional help wanted section that is  sectioned off into different fields and markets for jobs, which is  helpful for both employee and company.</p>
<p>Company Website. Company websites have started placing help wanted ads  on their website. This allows future employees who really want to work  at a specific company to see what type of job openings are available and  career fields that are open to them.</p>
<p>Facebook. Facebook is one of the most popular social media platforms on  the Internet. Companies have started to use it as a way to advertise  their job openings. The ads can be targeted to specific groups of people  so it is being seen by those that would really have an interest in  applying.</p>
<div class="zemanta-pixie" style="margin-top: 10px; height: 15px;"><img class="zemanta-pixie-img" style="border: none; float: right;" src="http://img.zemanta.com/pixy.gif?x-id=9505ca05-62cf-45db-a8e0-b5b3b0694bdd" alt="" /></div>
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		<title>Business Hiring Tip: Things Business Owners Need to Keep in Mind When Hiring</title>
		<link>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/business-hiring-tip-things-business-owners-need-to-keep-in-mind-when-hiring.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/business-hiring-tip-things-business-owners-need-to-keep-in-mind-when-hiring.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 11 Dec 2010 15:56:23 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Hiring]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Company]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Employment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Human resources]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://shawnee-ok.org/?p=35</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Business Hiring Tip: Things Business Owners Need to Keep in Mind When Hiring Whether you are a start up business that is looking for their first batch of employees or a long standing business that is looking to hire more man power, there are certain things that need to be kept in mind when looking [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Business Hiring Tip: Things Business Owners Need to Keep in Mind When Hiring</p>
<p>Whether you are a start up business that is looking for their first  batch of employees or a long standing business that is looking to hire  more man power, there are certain things that need to be kept in mind  when looking for new employees.</p>
<p>Here is a look at some of the things that business owners or human  resources need to keep in mind when looking to hire new employees.</p>
<p>Everyone is Different. One of the most important elements that need to  be kept in mind is that every employee is different. These employees  will not be exact clones of the business owner and so you will have to  look at everyone as an individual. If you are looking for an exact  replacement for a previous person the only thing hiring someone will do  is end in disappointment.</p>
<p>Play to Your Weaknesses. Try to hire someone that has strengths where  your weaknesses are. If you are a poor planner try to hire someone that  is super planned out. This will take some soul searching on the part of  the company so that they know what the companyâ€™s weakness is. The  ability to know how to hire to your weaknesses will only help build up  your company.</p>
<p>Be Honest. No one likes to be lead along for a ride. When you are  interviewing future employees try to be honest about the work  environment and what type of management there will be. This will lead to  happy employees and happy employees stay with companies longer.</p>
<p>Hiring employees can be a very stressful time. There are so many  applicants and it can be hard to know if you are making the right  decision. However, if you keep some of these hiring tips in mind you  will be able to pick some great employees that will be able to help your  company grow and flourish.</p>
<div class="zemanta-pixie" style="margin-top: 10px; height: 15px;"><img class="zemanta-pixie-img" style="border: none; float: right;" src="http://img.zemanta.com/pixy.gif?x-id=0e0f7203-31b0-408c-b6ae-3c4dc4957bb5" alt="" /></div>
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		<title>Employee Retention Tip: Ways to Make Your Company More Employee Friendly</title>
		<link>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/employee-retention-tip-ways-to-make-your-company-more-employee-friendly.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/employee-retention-tip-ways-to-make-your-company-more-employee-friendly.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 10 Dec 2010 15:53:27 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Management]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Company]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Employment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Human resources]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://shawnee-ok.org/?p=33</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Employee Retention Tip: Ways to Make Your Company More Employee Friendly People want to work for companies that make it feel as if they care about their employees. When an employee feels as if they are cared by the company they are more likely to stay with the company, which will result in less turn [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Employee Retention Tip: Ways to Make Your Company More Employee Friendly</p>
<p>People want to work for companies that make it feel as if they care  about their employees. When an employee feels as if they are cared by  the company they are more likely to stay with the company, which will  result in less turn over and more productive employees. However, not  every company knows how to take an employee friendly route.</p>
<p>Here are some aspects that every company can start to implement to make  their company employee friendly and encourage employees to stay employed  with them.</p>
<p>Develop Time Off Policies. Try to develop a time off policy for  employees.  These can be detailed arrangements of what is expected of  employees when they need to ask off of work, how often they get vacation  time, what they do for breaks and meals and other time off factors. The  more detailed the arrangement the less likely there will be to be any  type of surprises for employees. It will also make employees feel as if  they are cared about because the company takes the time to develop these  time off policies.</p>
<p>Develop Employee Programs. Companies love to make business  relationships. Many companies combine that business relationship with  employee retention. A lot of businesses are starting to develop employee  programs that encourage employees to stay fit, offer discount at stores  and other types of incentives. These incentives for being an employee  with the company will show that the company really does have a care for  their employees and likes to keep them as part of the team.</p>
<p>Free Products and Services. Many companies can afford to offer their  employees free services or products for the company that they work for.  It not only helps your employees feel better about being a part of a  team but it can really look good to customers that the company offers  its services to employees free of charge.</p>
<div class="zemanta-pixie" style="margin-top: 10px; height: 15px;"><img class="zemanta-pixie-img" style="border: none; float: right;" src="http://img.zemanta.com/pixy.gif?x-id=138d0a30-3c75-446e-bcd5-e8d30f55667f" alt="" /></div>
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		<title>A Look Inside the Hiring Process of a Company</title>
		<link>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/a-look-inside-the-hiring-process-of-a-company.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/a-look-inside-the-hiring-process-of-a-company.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 08 Dec 2010 15:50:54 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Hiring]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Background check]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Employment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Job interview]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://shawnee-ok.org/?p=29</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Image by Getty Images via @daylife Applying for a job can be a very nerve wrecking experience. You do not know what the company is looking for, what they might ask or what exactly going to happen on a job interview. While many future employees are feeling nervous the company is also feeling nervous about [...]]]></description>
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<dt class="wp-caption-dt"><a href="http://www.daylife.com/image/04Uyd9MakMfDH?utm_source=zemanta&amp;utm_medium=p&amp;utm_content=04Uyd9MakMfDH&amp;utm_campaign=z1"><img title="MIAMI - MARCH 27:  Gregory Tai, who lost his j..." src="http://cache.daylife.com/imageserve/04Uyd9MakMfDH/150x100.jpg" alt="MIAMI - MARCH 27:  Gregory Tai, who lost his j..." width="150" height="100" /></a></dt>
<dd class="wp-caption-dd zemanta-img-attribution" style="font-size: 0.8em;">Image by <a href="http://www.daylife.com/source/Getty_Images">Getty Images</a> via <a href="http://www.daylife.com">@daylife</a></dd>
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<p>Applying for a job can be a very nerve wrecking experience. You do not  know what the company is looking for, what they might ask or what  exactly going to happen on a job interview. While many future employees  are feeling nervous the company is also feeling nervous about hiring a  new employee. They want to make sure that they are getting a qualified  individual who is capable of handling the job. One of the best ways to  avoid any nerve wrecking experiences is to go through a simple hiring  process.</p>
<p>Here is a look at the traditional hiring process that many companies like to use in order to hire employees.</p>
<p>The Application. Every job interview and employee hiring process starts  with the application. While it is given that the application will ask  basic information such as name, birthday and previous work experience.  The application is a great place for companies to get to know their  future employee. A lot of companies have started to include a skills  worksheet on the back of the applications that allows future employees  to give a more in depth look at what they can offer the company.</p>
<p>The Interview. The interview is a is a time for employee and company to  meet. It allows customers to be able to show off their skills and really  give a company a good idea of what they can hire if they choose you.  Many companies will use the interview as a time to assess skills and  other important parts of the job.</p>
<p>Background Checks. Background checks are now a necessary part of any  business. After the interview and application, businesses will take a  look at background checks for their employees. They will go and look at  professional references, past job experiences, personal references and  even run a criminal and/or credit background check.</p>
<div class="zemanta-pixie" style="margin-top: 10px; height: 15px;"><img class="zemanta-pixie-img" style="border: none; float: right;" src="http://img.zemanta.com/pixy.gif?x-id=fe3398d7-6225-43a0-9818-417658a58870" alt="" /></div>
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		<title>Changing Your Business to Meet the Customer Needs</title>
		<link>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/changing-your-business-to-meet-the-customer-needs.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/changing-your-business-to-meet-the-customer-needs.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 07 Dec 2010 15:49:59 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Customer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Small business]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://shawnee-ok.org/?p=27</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Changing Your Business to Meet the Customer Needs Small business owners are faced with having to adjust their business dynamic to the current economy and the new spending trends of the consumer. This may sound like a simple idea but it can mean dramatic change for many businesses. It may entail reworking the business direction [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Changing Your Business to Meet the Customer Needs</p>
<p>Small business owners are faced with having to adjust their business  dynamic to the current economy and the new spending trends of the  consumer. This may sound like a simple idea but it can mean dramatic  change for many businesses. It may entail reworking the business  direction completely to give the customers what they are looking for.  Understanding what your target market needs will put you in a position  of power and enable you to mold your business around the needs of your  customers.</p>
<p>This requires some research into what your customers are spending their  money on. You can find out where the money is being spent by hiring  someone to do some research and market analysis and even prepare for you  information about the market trends and a forecast of what to expect  from your target market in the future.</p>
<p>Understanding your market will be putting your business in a better  position for success. You will give your business the chance to step in  and take the lead in providing your customers with what they need before  they even get to that point. By understanding what your customers want  and where they are going to next you can put your business first in line  for those customers. It is important that your customer trusts that you  understand their needs and you are giving them quality for their money.</p>
<p>You will be known for customer service and being able to predict what  your customer is in need of before they even know. Taking the time to  learn how your market is thinking and how they are willing to spend  their money in the tough times is the key to making it work. You will  find that there a number of ways to implement this information into the  way you do business every day and how you approach your customers.</p>
<div class="zemanta-pixie" style="margin-top: 10px; height: 15px;"><img class="zemanta-pixie-img" style="border: none; float: right;" src="http://img.zemanta.com/pixy.gif?x-id=25d9a98f-fd19-48b9-bd26-c299cc562ad2" alt="" /></div>
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		<title>How Tough Times and Top Affiliates Programs Help Your Business</title>
		<link>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/how-tough-times-and-top-affiliates-programs-help-your-business.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/how-tough-times-and-top-affiliates-programs-help-your-business.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 06 Dec 2010 20:19:03 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Management]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Affiliate marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Affiliate Program]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marketing]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[Image via Wikipedia As anyone can attest, the world economy has been hit harder in the last few years than it has been in decades. Almost everything and everyone has been affected. With banks, businesses, and individuals struggling and downsizing, growth in almost all economic sectors has been either stagnant or non-existent. But what if [...]]]></description>
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<dl class="wp-caption alignright" style="width: 310px;">
<dt class="wp-caption-dt"><a href="http://commons.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Domain_name_registrar_market_share.jpg"><img title="Market share of domain name registrars" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/39/Domain_name_registrar_market_share.jpg/300px-Domain_name_registrar_market_share.jpg" alt="Market share of domain name registrars" width="300" height="180" /></a></dt>
<dd class="wp-caption-dd zemanta-img-attribution" style="font-size: 0.8em;">Image via <a href="http://commons.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Domain_name_registrar_market_share.jpg">Wikipedia</a></dd>
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<p>As anyone can attest, the world economy has been hit harder in the last  few years than it has been in decades. Almost everything and everyone  has been affected. With banks, businesses, and individuals struggling  and downsizing, growth in almost all economic sectors has been either  stagnant or non-existent. But what if you have a business that you are  trying to grow in this type of economy?  Or a product you wish to  market? How do you grow a business is such a harsh and stagnant economy?</p>
<p>While trying your hand in the business world can seem foolish  at this time, many are trying to see the light at the end of the  tunnel. With foreclosures and bankruptcies becoming a normal occurrence,  the thought of launching a new product or attempting to gain market  share with an existing company is extremely daunting to say the least,  but there are  companies who are managing to do just that and are making  money in this economy. The main thing these companies all have in  common is the fact that they have learned to adapt in these tough  economic times.</p>
<p>Without a doubt the most important aspect of  surviving in this sort of economy is to have a great product. This is  not the time people buy things they do not use, do not want, or does not  work. To many economists, times like these are essential. They weed out  the companies and products that are weak and do not have a sound  foundation. Those companies who survive difficult times will more than  likely come out of difficult times smarter, more efficient, and more  profitable. Another very important aspect is innovation and  resourcefulness. They have to be able to see what is strategically  important to their growth. They have to align themselves with <a href="http://www.aceaffiliates.com/">top affiliate programs</a> and other companies who have the same vision for their companies.</p>
<div class="zemanta-pixie" style="margin-top: 10px; height: 15px;"><a class="zemanta-pixie-a" title="Enhanced by Zemanta" href="http://www.zemanta.com/"><img class="zemanta-pixie-img" style="border: none; float: right;" src="http://img.zemanta.com/zemified_e.png?x-id=4f78fced-6a78-4f61-9830-87c270ff0486" alt="Enhanced by Zemanta" /></a></div>
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		<title>Top 10 Countries in Import and Export Business Worldwide</title>
		<link>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/top-10-countries-in-import-and-export-business-worldwide.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/top-10-countries-in-import-and-export-business-worldwide.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 06 Dec 2010 15:48:51 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Management]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Canada]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Export]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Import and Export]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[United States]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[Image via Wikipedia Top 10 Countries in Import and Export Business Worldwide According to information that was gathered by the United States census bureau, the top ten countries that America trades with the most make up a very large portion of international trade across the globe. There are two countries that we trade with more [...]]]></description>
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<dt class="wp-caption-dt"><a href="http://commons.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Export-Import_Bank_of_the_United_States-Logo.gif"><img title="Export-Import Bank of the United States Logo" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5c/Export-Import_Bank_of_the_United_States-Logo.gif/300px-Export-Import_Bank_of_the_United_States-Logo.gif" alt="Export-Import Bank of the United States Logo" width="300" height="82" /></a></dt>
<dd class="wp-caption-dd zemanta-img-attribution" style="font-size: 0.8em;">Image via <a href="http://commons.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Export-Import_Bank_of_the_United_States-Logo.gif">Wikipedia</a></dd>
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<p>Top 10 Countries in Import and Export Business Worldwide</p>
<p>According to information that was gathered by the United States census  bureau, the top ten countries that America trades with the most make up a  very large portion of international trade across the globe. There are  two countries that we trade with more than others.<br />
From smallest to largest in terms of amount of import and export dollars:</p>
<p>* Singapore<br />
* Taiwan<br />
* The Republic of Korea or South Korea<br />
* France<br />
* United Kingdom<br />
* Germany<br />
* China<br />
* Japan<br />
* Mexico<br />
* Canada</p>
<p>If you are thinking about beginning an import and export business for  any reason, then you might consider beginning trade conversations with  these countries, especially Canada and Mexico for example since they  offer very popular trade routes. You should not only limit yourself to  these countries, however, because there are a myriad of other really  intriguing possibilities available out there as well, including some fun  and enjoyable trade countries like the Caribbean Basin, the former  Soviet Union and the Andean pacts for example.</p>
<p>When you are new  to the international scene, however, becoming familiar with common  trade routes is a good way to go. Becoming familiar with and acquainted  with the biggest trading partners that the United States knows is a good  way to get a feel for the industry when you are just starting out. Once  you feel more comfortable with Canada, Mexico and similar &#8220;big traders&#8221;  in the import and export business, the next course of action is for you  to get to know smaller markets and smaller countries so that you can  really get a feel for everything that the import and export industry has  to offer to you and your business.</p>
<div class="zemanta-pixie" style="margin-top: 10px; height: 15px;"><img class="zemanta-pixie-img" style="border: none; float: right;" src="http://img.zemanta.com/pixy.gif?x-id=5e22400a-d3a6-4543-a396-2afb45888cde" alt="" /></div>
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		<title>Provide Your Customer with their Needs</title>
		<link>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/provide-your-customer-with-their-needs.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/provide-your-customer-with-their-needs.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 04 Dec 2010 15:47:57 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Customer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Customer Management]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Customer service]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://shawnee-ok.org/?p=21</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Provide Your Customer with their Needs Business is no less affected by the turning economic times than individuals. The job of business owners has become difficult at best. Having to deal with a tight economy can be a challenge for a business owner who needs customers and clients to stay in business, particularly when the [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Provide Your Customer with their Needs</p>
<p>Business is no less affected by the turning economic times than  individuals. The job of business owners has become difficult at best.  Having to deal with a tight economy can be a challenge for a business  owner who needs customers and clients to stay in business, particularly  when the challenges of a customer base that is not spending money.  People are simply not putting out the money they once did unless they  are purchasing a product or service that they need to have.</p>
<p>They are staying clear of frivolous spending. Small business owners need  to be able to roll with the punches and be able to change their  business direction to meet the needs of the target market they are  trying to reach. This could mean having to do the work and research to  learn what the consumers are spending their money on and if there is a  void or a need for anything not in place that your business could fill.</p>
<p>When you are considering making changes in your business to stick with  the economic times you will want to consider your customers needs and  their requirements for customer service that works. You will want to pay  close attention to the customer service needs of the customers because  in a tight market that may be the deciding factor for many of them.  There may be a number of things that they look at when deciding where  they want to spend their money.</p>
<p>Some of the things that are important to your customers are a high  quality product and service for a price well worth the money. Taking the  time to find out what your customer wants and finding a way to provide  it at a price that they can fit into their budget is an important part  of staying through the hard times.</p>
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		<title>Stay Ahead of Your Target Market</title>
		<link>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/stay-ahead-of-your-target-market.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/stay-ahead-of-your-target-market.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 03 Dec 2010 15:43:05 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Management]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Customer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Target market]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://shawnee-ok.org/?p=18</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Stay Ahead of Your Target Market Business owners need to be sure and adjust their business to the needs of their customers during the difficult economical situation many of them are going through. The consumers of today are having trouble spending money and require a good amount of prodding to get them to spend their [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Stay Ahead of Your Target Market</p>
<p>Business owners need to be sure and adjust their business to the needs  of their customers during the difficult economical situation many of  them are going through. The consumers of today are having trouble  spending money and require a good amount of prodding to get them to  spend their money on products and services. The products and services  need to be of top quality to keep the customers happy and to beat out  the competition. It is a good idea to understand what the customers are  looking for and what they are spending their money on. You will find  that they may need for you to adjust your business to fit what they  need.</p>
<p>It is a good idea for business owners to take stock of their customers  and once they learn where they are spending their money they will want  to use this information to create a business plan that targets this  spending. By using this information they should be able to forecast what  the needs of the customers will be in the future and find if there is a  need not filled in that arena. By filling that need they can put  themselves into a position to be the first in line for the customers to  be able to trust in.</p>
<p>You will have the products and services they need before they realize  they need them. This is going to go a long way to keeping your customers  happy and keeping them thinking of your business first when they are in  need. This will easily keep you on track for success through the  difficult economy. Understanding your target market spending habits will  help you to keep on top of the game and ahead of the needs of your  customers and clients. This will help you to keep old customers and gain  new ones.</p>
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		<title>Customer Service is Vital</title>
		<link>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/customer-service-is-vital.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/customer-service-is-vital.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 02 Dec 2010 15:42:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Customer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Customer service]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Education and Training]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://shawnee-ok.org/?p=15</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Image via Wikipedia Customer Service is Vital The current economy requires small business owners to take a step back and make some significant changes to the way they do business. This means that they may have to change any number of things to stay afloat. They may have to make some serious cutbacks in their [...]]]></description>
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<div>
<dl class="wp-caption alignright" style="width: 310px;">
<dt class="wp-caption-dt"><a href="http://commons.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:AMG_DaimlerChrysler_customer_service.JPG"><img title="AMG Affalterbach DaimlerChrysler customer serv..." src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7b/AMG_DaimlerChrysler_customer_service.JPG/300px-AMG_DaimlerChrysler_customer_service.JPG" alt="AMG Affalterbach DaimlerChrysler customer serv..." width="300" height="225" /></a></dt>
<dd class="wp-caption-dd zemanta-img-attribution" style="font-size: 0.8em;">Image via <a href="http://commons.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:AMG_DaimlerChrysler_customer_service.JPG">Wikipedia</a></dd>
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<p>Customer Service is Vital</p>
<p>The current economy requires small business owners to take a step back  and make some significant changes to the way they do business. This  means that they may have to change any number of things to stay afloat.  They may have to make some serious cutbacks in their business from  supplies to employees to make it through the difficult times. This is  only one of the ways business has to change to stay afloat during the  tight economy. Consumers are not spending money like the once did and  this means that you have to have something they really want or need and  you have to present it to them at a price that is affordable and can  work into their budget.</p>
<p>Customer service may be the key to keeping your current customers in  these times and to gaining new ones as well. It is vital that you put  your business out there as a business that cares about their customers.  This could be the winning point in the game of surviving the economy.  Making it a point to understand what your customers want is likely to be  the best way to keep them happy. Understanding where they are spending  their money is vital to keeping ahead of the trends and providing them  with just what they are looking for at a price that is bearable.</p>
<p>Consumers are not as quick to spend money as they once were and it is  therefore vital that you make a big enough impression that they will  want to come back again. This could be the difference between being the  company of choice and just another bid in the pot. Taking the time to  understand the needs of your customers should be the first change your  business makes in the strides to survive economic strife.</p>
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		<title>Trending and Forecasting are Essential Tools</title>
		<link>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/trending-and-forecasting-are-essential-tools.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.shawnee-ok.org/trending-and-forecasting-are-essential-tools.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 01 Dec 2010 15:40:12 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Forecast]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://shawnee-ok.org/?p=13</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Trending and Forecasting are Essential Tools Trending and forecasting are both great tools to use for any business, no matter the size, to be able to assess the current target market and determine what they will be spending money on in the future. This is the only way to put your business first in line [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Trending and Forecasting are Essential Tools</p>
<p>Trending and forecasting are both great tools to use for any business,  no matter the size, to be able to assess the current target market and  determine what they will be spending money on in the future. This is the  only way to put your business first in line for those things that your  customer base will be looking for in the years to come. Without these  tools you may not be able to determine the needs of your customers and  miss the opportunity to fill those needs. You will be giving your  competition the pass to go ahead and take your customers over because  you are not ready to meet their needs yet. In a competitive world where  customers are only spending money on high quality services and goods  that they need you can&#8217;t afford to miss opportunities to provide them  with those services. These needs have to be met and at a price that is  reasonable to the customers.</p>
<p>Business owners can hire companies to do some research for them and  present them with the current trends and the forecast for the market in  the future. The cost is far outweighed by the advanced warning your  business will have about what your customers will be looking for. If you  are unable to pay for such services you might wish to contact local  business networks for your market and inquire about the availability of  market trend information. They often have this information available for  you at low or no charge. In addition, many of the local city offices  provide information and demographics along the same lines that cane give  you some insight as to where your customers have been spending their  money and where they anticipate they will be spending in the future,  thus allowing you to predict how your business can fit into this  prediction.</p>
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