Will You Add? - Business

The 3 Most Common Mistakes Freelancers Make (& How to Remedy Them)
Recently, I attended a conference given at my local Chamber of Commerce. It was entitled, How to Bring Your Business to the Next Level. The reason I mention it is that the speaker covered several points that tie in with the 3 most common mistakes freelancers make, outlined below.1. Not Targeting a Market: I call this lack of freelancer focus. Do you drive without a destination? Probably not. Most of us know where we're going when we get in our cars, on the train, on the bus. We have a specific destination in mind.Because editorial and creative freelancing encompass such broad categories, it can be difficult to focus. Eg, writing. Huh? For what - magazines, e-zines, newspapers, websites, newsletters, brochures, direct mail, etc., etc., etc.What type of writing for what sector? Legal, medical, technical, scientific, real estate, financial, general (what does that mean?), etc., etc., etc.What type of client? B2B, B2C.As you can see, your choices are endless. And, you may be talented enough to write in many sectors. However, you will have a hard time selling this to potential clients, and you will almost always be beaten out for assignments by those who specialize and have the body of work to prove it.I know this first-hand. I owned Inkwell Editorial, an editorial staffing agency in New York City, from 1996-2004. When I was recruiting for clients, I ALWAYS chose freelancers who had a background in the discipline for the assignment. Why? Because clients dem

policy violates existing regulations and to ensure that there are appropriate steps in place to discipline violators; of legal counsel, to ensure that policies and procedures drafted by the team are thoroughly reviewed and consecrated; and representatives from large departments, administration, security, training, IT, etc. If more than one physical location exists, be sure to include a member from each site to ensure that their specific needs and limitations are considered as well.

Following is a list of the areas that should be covered. (Note: this list may not be comprehensive for every environment and some areas may not apply to every organization):

Begin with an overall opening statement by the CEO (or equivalent) of the organization to not only add valuable corporate weight to the policies but also to show that these policies come from the very top and are being embraced by everyone in the organization, including the Board.

Then create policies for the following essential areas:

The Ethical Freelancer -- Are You A Professional Who Can Be Trusted?
In every profession, business and career, attention to ethics, integrity, honesty and trust are paramount to ultimate success. I am going to highlight and explain the freelance lifer's ethics and principles in which I believe. I will warn you that in this article I am more opinionated than ever.The trustworthy professional doesn't agree to take on a job or project outside of his or her expertise or interests. Just because you would like to receive the fee, don't agree to tackle work that you are unprepared to do properly and easily or a project that won't be to your liking. I know that when times are tough, it is hard to turn down work. But working on a task that we are not prepared to do well or with at least a modicum of passion is the surest way to "turn off" a client and word does travel.A much better approach that will pay off in the long run is to recommend a colleague well-versed and well-prepared in that area. Both the client and your colleague will always remember you for your honesty and help. I also believe that "what goes around, comes around" so your good deed will eventually multiply in your favor.The ethical professional treats all clients and other freelancers with respect and fairness. In my opinion this means never divulging confidentialities, charging different clients different fees according to what the "traffic will bear" or speaking badly of or spreading rumors about another freelancer or client. If, for example, someone asks what you thi

“What do you mean I can’t download … fill-in-the-blank?” As IT managers we are constantly berated by users because they want to do something on their company computer that we know they shouldn’t. But getting users to conform to reasonable standards is a real challenge for most IT departments. We live in the information age and with the benefits of technology come the associated risks and liabilities. The same tools that allow productivity gains have the potential to diminish worker productivity and to expose the company to harmful content as well as regulatory and legal liabilities.

Many business executives do not yet grasp the importance of protecting Information Technology assets from liabilities and need to focus on the legalities surrounding IT as well as the use of IT systems by employees. If you take a moment to read any newspaper you will likely find several instances in which either by ignorance or design, employees have used company IT assets in a way that puts the company at risk, or worse: gets them in serious hot water.

So why aren’t companies focusing on these risks? In my experience a large part of the problem lies in staff not knowing how to begin writing acceptable use policies for IT systems. Then add to that hurdle the facts of constrained budgets, limited staff and that a typical IT manager will likely assume the company legal department will advise of any need to change policies or the management of IT assets. And at the same time, management is occupied with running the business and assumes that IT and legal will manage any issues related to these assets. Unfortunately, the legal department typically understands the broader laws but does not necessarily focus on day-to-day IT operational issues.

Liabilities will be reduced if the focus of IT, legal and the business side of the house are pulled together, to put into place reasonable and effective policies, procedures, disciplinary standards and company-wide educational programs. In addition, in doing so will give IT managers a defendable position against those users who berate them! Policies and procedures are a critical first step in protecting the organization’s vital enterprise IT assets. These same policies, while protecting assets and assisting IT staff in managing user “problems,” are also used as a defense against potential legal liabilities.

A legally compliant IT department must address several areas of concern, such as software license compliance, the appropriate use of the Internet and e-mail, data protection, privacy and more.

Though proper software licensing is the most frequently considered topic of IT compliance, companies face other equally important IT asset liability issues. Inappropriate use of e-mail and the Internet is as widespread a problem as copyright violations (software piracy). Bandwidth abuse and lost employee productivity are two additional areas of concern for most employers. Not only should a policy cover appropriate use but inappropriate use as well.

E-mail content filtering has become a popular solution for blocking documents containing obscene, racist, offensive or explicit words and phrases as well as for virus prevention. Another benefit of e-mail content filtering is the reduction of leaks of confidential company data. Statistics reveal that most security breaches originate from within the organization, therefore an organization must also monitor what files are leaving the network.

Significant case law supports the verity that e-mail and Internet monitoring is legal when a company provides the systems on which the employee uses these products. An employee does not have a “reasonable expectation of privacy” when using these tools. However, it is essential that the employee be advised of the company policies on these issues and that the policies are clear, well disseminated and supported company-wide.

Privacy and other forms of data protection are another big area of concern for businesses. Fines from regulatory bodies and loss of competitive data have continued to push organizations to increase control over these assets, to reduce associated liabilities and risks.

The way to efficiently educate users is to adopt, implement and enforce policies and procedures detailing the “Dos and Don’ts” of computer conduct and explaining how the organization deals with the complete lifecycle of its IT assets.

Regardless of the size of your organization, start by creating a project team to administer the implementation of an IT compliance program. The size of the team will vary from one company to the next, but regardless of the size, the organization will need to commit appropriate resources, both human and financial, for the project to be a success.

The project team should consist of a senior member of the IT department, to provide top-level exposure; of human resources, to ensure no policy violates existing regulations and to ensure that there are appropriate steps in place to discipline violators; of legal counsel, to ensure that policies and procedures drafted by the team are thoroughly reviewed and consecrated; and representatives from large departments, administration, security, training, IT, etc. If more than one physical location exists, be sure to include a member from each site to ensure that their specific needs and limitations are considered as well.

Following is a list of the areas that should be covered. (Note: this list may not be comprehensive for every environment and some areas may not apply to every organization):

Then create policies for the following essential areas:

CV Writing - Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
Creating a CV is central to the search for a job, but is something most of us hate doing. For some reason, this crucial skill is not an obligatory part of the UK school or college curriculum and very few young people are adept at presenting themselves in the best possible light.One of the biggest mistakes most people make is sending out the same CV for every application. It’s a big temptation – you’ve spent hours getting the details and layout just right, or perhaps you’ve paid a considerable amount of money to have someone write it professionally. The trouble is, each CV needs to be tailored to the job in question, and it’s vital that you do this if you want to stand out from the crowd.What does tailoring a CV mean? It simply means writing it specifically for the post you are targeting. To do this you must recognise the keywords the employer will be looking for and relate them to your own experience. Keywords will be found in the job description and person specification, or in the job advertisement and on the company website. They describe the skills, qualifications and experience needed for the post. Keywords should stand out on your CV – don’t forget that in the first round of the selection process, CVs are usually only given a 20 second glance. So if the interviewer doesn’t see what he’s looking for, your CV is destined for the shredder.Here’s an example: let’s say you are a secretary who speaks several languages and can take shorthand in all of them, but are applying for a job in an

ystems. Then add to that hurdle the facts of constrained budgets, limited staff and that a typical IT manager will likely assume the company legal department will advise of any need to change policies or the management of IT assets. And at the same time, management is occupied with running the business and assumes that IT and legal will manage any issues related to these assets. Unfortunately, the legal department typically understands the broader laws but does not necessarily focus on day-to-day IT operational issues.

A legally compliant IT department must address several areas of concern, such as software license compliance, the appropriate use of the Internet and e-mail, data protection, privacy and more.

Following is a list of the areas that should be covered. (Note: this list may not be comprehensive for every environment and some areas may not apply to every organization):

Then create policies for the following essential areas:

Developing Plans
If you've researched your market, thought over the pros and cons of a home-based business, and decided to go ahead, it's time to put together a business plan. Developing a business plan forces you to take an objective and critical look at your business idea. Even more, the finished product is a tool that will help move your business toward success. A business plan should be neat, written clearly, and should include several things. The cover page should list the business name, address, mailing address, telephone number and the name(s) of the owner(s). Identify your primary goals and objectives. Next, give an accurate and concise description of the business: -What is the principal activity? Be specific. Give product or service descriptions.-How will the business be started?-Why will it succeed? Promote your idea. Use your market research.-What skills and experience do you bring to the business? Marketing is the core of your business. Carefully think about the following questions, then include your marketing strategy in the business plan: -Can you market your business from home?-Who and what is your market?-What pricing/sales terms are you planning?-How will you be competitive? Money fuels all businesses. With a little planning, you'll find that you can avoid most financial difficulties. When drawing up a financial plan, don't worry about using estimates. The process of thin

software license compliance, the appropriate use of the Internet and e-mail, data protection, privacy and more.

Following is a list of the areas that should be covered. (Note: this list may not be comprehensive for every environment and some areas may not apply to every organization):

Then create policies for the following essential areas:

Types of Construction Equipment and Their Uses
Construction equipment range from the very heavy equipment to the portable and mobile lighter equipment, some of them with a precise description of their functions are detailed below.Engineering equipment with a front bucket/shovel and a small backhoe in the rear combined with a tractor is known as backhoe loader. It is mostly used in small construction sites and in urban engineering such as fixing city roads.A crawler, which is very powerful and attached with a blade, is called a bulldozer. Even though any heavy engineering vehicle is known as bulldozer, it is actually a tractor with a dozer blade.Combat engineering vehicles are used for engineering work in the battlefield and for transporting sappers. They are mostly armoured vehicles.A compact excavator is a wheeled or tracked vehicle with a backfill blade and swing boom. It is also known as mini excavator. The functions and movements of the machines are carried out by transferring hydraulic fluid. This makes a compact hydraulic excavator different from other construction equipment. Find more info at www.construction-equipment4u.infoTo compact gravel, dirt, asphalt and concrete in construction work and road laying a road roller which is also known as roller-compactor would be used.A motorized cultivator with a rotating blade to work in the soil is known as rotary tiller. They are either drawn behind a tractor or self-propelled.A crane is a derrick or tower equipped with pulleys and cables for lowering and li

expectation of privacy” when using these tools. However, it is essential that the employee be advised of the company policies on these issues and that the policies are clear, well disseminated and supported company-wide.

Following is a list of the areas that should be covered. (Note: this list may not be comprehensive for every environment and some areas may not apply to every organization):

Then create policies for the following essential areas:

Fulfillment And Distribution
The process of delivering the product to the customer is termed as distribution. Distribution management consists of two major tasks: physical distribution and management of distribution channels. Physical distribution can be defined as the process of reaching the product to the consumers. It encompasses all the activities involved in the physical flow of products from producers to consumers.It is physical distribution that provides place-utility and time-utility to a product. In other words, it is physical distribution that makes the product available at the right place and at the right time, thereby maximizing the company’s chance to sell the product and strengthen its competitive position. If a product could be consumed at the place and time of production, there would be no need for distribution. Such products are rare.Almost every product gets consumed far away - both in time and space - from its point of manufacture. They have to be carried, stored and distributed. In the case of some products, the location of the production points is totally dictated by production considerations, like proximity to a port or to the source of raw material. In such cases, the production point may be far away from the market.Distribution aids the process of demand generation. It is distribution that largely determines the customer service level. Through this, distribution serves as an effective tool for building up of clientele/ market. And conversely, inefficient distribution leads to loss of customers

Following is a list of the areas that should be covered. (Note: this list may not be comprehensive for every environment and some areas may not apply to every organization):

Then create policies for the following essential areas:

Software requisition, acquisition, delivery, installation and license compliance – Explain that software acquisition is restricted in order to ensure that the company has a complete record of all software that has been purchased for company computers and can register, support and upgrade said software.

Software and Hardware Disposal – Often forgotten, this policy makes sure that software/hardware is disposed of in a controlled manner. An organization may have additional disposal requirements and/or options.

Shareware, Freeware, Public Domain, Games, Fonts, Screensavers and Wallpaper – This policy is important, since users often think that because software is “free” or on evaluation, it falls outside the boundaries of the organization’s software policies, and they are unaware of the licensing issues surrounding these types of software. In many cases, these are copyrighted materials and may be used only in accordance with the license agreement of the publisher.

Passwords, Security, Viruses – This policy must detail the importance of passwords, how they are administered, how often they are changed and of what characters they should consist. Stress the importance of user’s keeping their passwords safe. Detail how the organization protects itself against virus attack. The omnipresence of the Internet and web-based applications can open backdoors to the corporate IT infrastructure. Employees can either willfully or by neglect expose the organization to rapidly spreading viruses or other malicious and harmful code by accessing or downloading files of unknown origin.

Data Protection – Detail the importance of your organization’s data. Also, cover how employees must treat specific types of data, such as customer information, research material, legal documents and records, etc. Because each organization will guard particular information based upon the type of business, explore each topic in detail within the organization.

Internet, Instant Messaging, P2P Software – Most organizations in today’s business climate will have some type of Internet policy likely covering areas such as pornography, picture and media files (GIF, BMP, PCX, JPEG, MP3, etc.), personal use and more. Companies must also be concerned with the ease of obtaining software of all types from the Internet.

E-mail – As with the Internet, there are many liabilities surrounding e-mail use. Companies should be aware of the pitfalls of improper data protection, defamatory comments, inappropriate bandwidth usage, viruses, etc. Increasingly, subject matter considered inappropriate for consumption or distribution within an organization is received, forwarded, mishandled, etc. The type of website content that is inappropriate within an organization is also unsuitable content for an e-mail.

Auditing and Monitoring – This policy alerts users to the fact that regular monitoring of and audits on company IT assets are conducted. The policy must contain a statement that indicates that the user should have “no reasonable expectation of privacy” for any file, message, or content on all company systems.

Mobile, Laptop and PDA Users – Mobile devices are a difficult group of assets to control because of the device portability and the fact that they may rarely connect to the corporate network. Because of this, laptop users often believe that they fall outside the boundaries of the software policies. It is essential that appropriate policies as well as unique procedures are created to address this elusive group of users.

Backup and Maintenance of IT Systems – Be sure to define who is responsible for system backup and how these tasks are completed. This policy is important, because organizations rarely look at licensing, retention and destruction, e-discovery and privacy issues when creating backup procedures. It is essential to address these issues before having to retrieve from backup because of an unforeseen problem or because of litigation.

Disciplinary Procedures – Policy statements can be a waste of time if they are not reinforced with disciplinary procedures for those that breach them. Your organization may already have procedures in place and these must be included in any set of technology policies.

Policy Review – It is important to review and update policies and procedures when needed. The team or a subset of the initial compliance team will need to review the policies and procedures on an annual basis (or more frequently, if needed) to respond to changes in the business environment and the larger legal environment. Users must be told how new policies will be communicated.

Furthermore, additional policies not included in this list will likely be required in some organizations. For example, financial institutions and hospitals are regulated by outside bodies that require specific situations be handled in the manner specified. Ensure that the company’s legal representatives ascertain the requirements made by other regulatory agencies and incorporate those demands into the policies and procedures.

Policy statements should be short

HTTP = HTML link (for blogs, profiles,phorums):
<a href="http://www.atriclecheck.com/article/23729/atriclecheck-IT-Policies-Help-IT-Staff-and-Reduce-Liabilities.html">IT Policies Help IT Staff and Reduce Liabilities</a>

BB link (for phorums):
[url=http://www.atriclecheck.com/article/23729/atriclecheck-IT-Policies-Help-IT-Staff-and-Reduce-Liabilities.html]IT Policies Help IT Staff and Reduce Liabilities[/url]

In today's highly competitive marketplace, image plays a very important role in the way people receive your product. When you decide to search for a print service provider, it will more than likely be for material that will be seen by the public and more importantly by potential clients. It is therefore very important that the way in which people receive the printed material be of the highest possible quality, not only regarding the corporate design and imagery, but also the physical elements, such as paper and print quality, layout and the physical form in which it is received, e.g. flyer, business card or pamphlet. In order to fully understand what it is that you should look for when outsourcing your print requirements, it is necessary to understand what products are best suited to which projects, and ways in which savings can be made without compromising the quality of the print. Printers will incorporate different methods for different tasks. Some of the most popular methods used today are offset lithography, rotogravure printing and flexography or screen printing.

How can you make sure that your customers stay customers for life? What strategies can you put into practice to keep bringing them back for more? A planned customer retention programme is something every established small business should have in place. That sounds great, but what is a retention plan and what should it include?

Are you a freelancer or small business looking to build a well of quality clients? Read this article to learn how to build a better client-base in five easy steps.

Tags

Links

Will You Add? - IT Policies Help IT Staff and Reduce Liabilities

Related Articles: