tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4115841992074517522024-03-14T00:43:49.619-07:00BusinessAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14087441173870769813noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-411584199207451752.post-82577327449130347492012-11-10T09:01:00.000-08:002012-11-11T09:02:30.494-08:00Workplace Violence Prevention and Awareness<div id="article-content" style="text-align: justify;">
The Threat of Violence is On the Rise...<br />
A safe and productive workplace is in everyone's interest, but
<br />
the number of violent acts, including threats of violence, has
<br />
increased over 400% over the last decade. Workplace Violence
<br />
Prevention and Education initiatives are paramount before an
<br />
incident happens, saving businesses considerable time, resources
<br />
in addition, legal fees, but most importantly, the implementation of
mandatory changes to the workplace to protect employees from any future
threat of a violent act. It is important to note that when experts
refer to violent acts, they are referring to acts of violence by
employees and criminal predators that commit armed robberies or assault
employees while on the job.<br />
Reality Hitting Home...<br />
OSHA & NIOSH Statistics show that the risk of being attacked
<br />
while working is seven times greater in the U.S. than in Europe. Did
you know that the number of managers killed has doubled over the past
10 years. Moreover, that only 40-50% of workforce victims report crime
to the police. The threat of Workplace Violence has proven to be a
challenge, it can occur internally (co-workers, self-inflicted) and
externally (customer/employee, domestic violence, robbery/assault/rape)
and can be physical or non-physical. Recent trends suggest that places
of work are now the victims of domestic and international terrorist
demands.<br />
The Hidden Cost of Workplace Violence...<br />
Organizational effectiveness, productivity, the culture and image are adversely impacted by a violent act at work including:<br />
Lost work time (average of 3.5 days per incident for those
<br />
directly impacted); Increased security and facilities repair
<br />
costs; High probability of litigation; increased workers
<br />
compensation claims & costs; Increased medical claims; Personnel
<br />
turnover; increased incidents of stress between labor
<br />
organizations and management, significantly reduced performance
& productivity & Negative internal and external publicity &
press are but a few symptoms of the hostile workplace.<br />
Personnel
turnover is deeply rooted in an employee's unwillingness to be perceived
as a troublemaker and resigns or asks for a reassignment rather than
complaining. Such personnel turnovers are a company's worst nightmare,
as they will undoubtedly volunteer to testify against the employer in
the aftermath.<br />
No one knows the exact dollar figure associated to
workplace violence related exposure. Such costs are absorbed in
increased medical and injury compensation claims under other unrelated
ailments related to a workplace violence exposure. In this category
might be the victims of harassment, verbal abuse and other forms of
non-physical assaultive behavior but victims of psychological assault.</div>
<div style="overflow: hidden; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14087441173870769813noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-411584199207451752.post-37014816966777980012012-10-31T09:00:00.000-07:002012-11-11T09:00:39.393-08:00Economic Studying Digging for Reality<div style="text-align: justify;">
Working in a market such as Dayton, OH requires business savvy and
complete understanding of demographics. For instants the difference
between Ohio on the whole and the Greater Dayton Area MSA, which
includes such county areas as: Butler, Clark, Darke, Greene, Miami,
Montgomery, Preble and Warren. The demographics of Montgomery and Miami
are excellent for an expanding company to put in a service type outlet.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The
population backdrop is somewhat similar to the entire state of OH.
Ethnically speaking it is mostly white with Asian populations and Black
Americans at about 10% to 11%. In Montgomery County it is 19% Black
American and only 10% in Clark County, but the middle class Black
Americans are moving in and fixing the diversity issues. There are quite
a few people who commute to work in Marysville at the Honda Plant and
Proving Grounds. Also a huge distribution center there with many large
carriers located and Rail Service by CSX and also huge numbers of Auto
Haulers. About 13,000 at Honda work there. One of the reasons that the
Japanese wanted to have competing rail service with their plant in San
Antonio as part of the negotiations. So they could squeeze the price
point out of the rail companies similar to Rockefeller’s exploits. One
thing that is unbelievably nice about the area is the many colleges and
Universities in the area, 29 in all the biggest being University of
Dayton with 10,000 enrolled, Wright University with 14,000 and Sinclair
Community College with 22,000. This makes for a very good young and
energetic group of people. The clientele is equally as inviting with
202,000 inhabitants between the ages of 25-34 not including the
part-time college students. 35-44 representing nearly 250K pop and 45-54
at 215K.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The population South of Town is expanding and we see
Scarsborogh to Centerville with great markets and everything in between
is golden. The USAF also has Wright Patterson AFB with excellent inflow
to the economy even though much of that is deployed presently, still it
impacts the city in an extremely positive way. About 25,000 people work
there and that is after the lay offs and discharges previously. They
expect with BRAC that they will be on the receiving end of additional
attachments and squadrons serving in Dayton as well as R and D since the
colleges offer that level of researching. Also with the huge museum of
flight and being the history of the inventing flight makes it good also
for tourism and positive PR for the Military. Other large employers
included Delphi but they have had significant labor lay offs and GM is a
biggy there. In health Care about 9000 workers. Airborne Express and
Emery Air freight also claim fame to the area. 7500 people work there
and you may recall the merger with DHL? The good weather of the region
provides Airborne a much better chance at this hub facility than in
other parts of Michigan, IN, IL, NY, KY. The Seattle based company has
brought many jobs to the region. Emery has laid off people but at one
time employed over 3000 in the area. Emery has really worked hard to
work with the Manufacturing industry and helped OH The just in time
world of manufacturing has to take into account rush situations for
total capacity scheduling, leading that charge was it’s bay area parent
company and they manufacturing sector did rely on Emery for that;</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Also
of significant value is it’s ability to deploy new wave technologies at
it’s hub and custom clearing houses. Much of this technology was in
response to FedEx’s market advances and UPS shear size making it
difficult to compete. The University of Dayton employs 4500 folks all
fairly high wage earners like their blue collar UAW counter parts at the
GM SUV and Delphi centers. Here is some recent news as of today’s
watch: Dayton Recent News contains some Blues; For instance we all know
the state of the Union when it relates to the steel industries.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
At
one time employing 4200 people. But Dayton is not primarily a steel
town, it is a manufacturing town and the birth place of aviation. Today
the market sectors which are up in the greater Dayton area include:
Construction in residential, Retail is up, Real estate, Healthcare and
services is big. Commercial construction is being primarily boosted with
school projects recently. Square foot costs on the robust side of town
south side is anywhere from $2.30 to $12.00 per square foot. Retail
space is $2.30 to 3.00; Office is $7-12.00; Industrial runs the the
entire spectrum. Office Parks include; Franklin, Heritage and South Tech
Center all good for professional service businesses and small
businesses. Industrial Parks are also plentiful with Emery Logistics
Park 265 acres in all. Lebanon Commerce Center for 200 acres, Moraine
Industrial Center and Park center Industrial. Although Manufacturing has
declined drastically over the last decade the Industrial Parks have
life. Downtown Office buildings include Kettering, Mead, First national,
Reibold, 5/3 Bank and the Key Bank Buildings. Over 3 million square
feet with a convention center right in the middle. There is significant
space underutilized and unoccupied. Close by Cincinnati has done what
academics think is unthinkable;</div>
<div style="overflow: hidden; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14087441173870769813noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-411584199207451752.post-81693213064023887102012-10-24T08:59:00.000-07:002012-11-11T08:59:27.934-08:008 Tips For Spotting Early Warning Signs<div style="text-align: justify;">
One of the greatest threats facing both employees and the companies
they work for, is workplace violence. It has become the leading cause
of death for women and the second leading for men, following closely
behind motor vehicle accidents. In fact, the best estimates now being
reported show that 1-in-4 employees will be the victim of workplace
violence this year alone.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
While
the media is quick to highlight the most deadly attacks that occur, the
fact is that most employees will be lucky enough to only suffer from
simple assaults. However, this is not to downplay the almost 400,000
aggravated assaults, 51,000 rapes and sexual assaults, 84,000 robberies,
and nearly 1,000 homicides reported each year. I simply want to
acknowledge that the average employee will not have to worry about death
so much as being intimidated, struck, or threatened to comply with the
assailant either through force or the threat of violence.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Spotting Early Earning Signs</b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
As
with all self-defense situations, correct action requires proper
understanding so that we can know where to direct our awareness.
Knowing what to look for will allow us to notice when something may be
brewing and thereby allow us to take preemptive measures to prevent the
danger from ever manifesting at all. After all, the ultimate goal of
any reality-based protection program should be to set things up so that
danger never touches you at all.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Workplace violence situations can
be seen to have three aspects or characteristics that work together to
produce the damage that inevitably results. Assaults always stem from a
causal-based conditioning and never "come out of nowhere." These three
parts or aspects are:</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
1. The assailant or perpetrator of the assault,</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
2.
The preexisting or conditioning factors that cause the assailant to see
violence as a justifiable means for attaining their goals, and...</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
3. An environment that allows for or permits the violent act to be committed without intervention, deterrence, or resistance.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Assaults
never happen in a vacuum. They, like everything else, are the products
of cause and effect. And, once set into motion - once these three
factors are present - the force or conditions will play themselves out
sooner or later.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
In her book, "Risky Business: Managing Employee
Violence in the Workplace", Dr. Lynne McClure describes eight
categories of high-risk behaviors that may indicate the need for
management intervention. She says these high-risk behaviors are everyday
behaviors that occur in certain patterns. While the following clues
are just that, <i>possible</i> warning signs, they will give management
and employees enough of a basic understanding to cue in on the
possibility of danger brewing on the horizon. The warning signs that
may signal an impending workplace violence issue include:
</div>
<ul style="text-align: justify;">
<li>
<b>Actor behaviors:</b> The employee acts out his or her anger with such actions as yelling, shouting, slamming doors, and so on.</li>
<li>
<b>Fragmentor behaviors:</b> The employee takes no responsibility for
his actions and sees no connection between what he does and the
consequences or results of his actions. As an example, he blames others
for his mistakes.</li>
<li>
<b>Me-First behaviors:</b> The employee does what she wants, regardless
of the negative effects on others. As an example, the employee takes a
break during a last minute rush to get product to a customer, while all
other employees are working hard.</li>
<li>
<b>Mixed-Messenger behaviors:</b> The employee talks positively but
behaves negatively. As an example, the employee acts in a
passive-aggressive manner saying he is a team player, but refuses to
share information.</li>
<li>
<b>Wooden-Stick behaviors:</b> The employee is rigid, inflexible, and
controlling. She won't try new technology, wants to be in charge, or
purposefully withholds information.</li>
<li>
<b>Escape-Artist behaviors:</b> The employee deals with stress by lying and/or taking part in addictive behaviors such as drugs or gambling.</li>
<li>
<b>Shocker behaviors:</b> The employee suddenly acts in ways that are
out of character and/or inherently extreme. For instance, a usually
reliable individual fails to show up or call in sick for work. A person
exhibits a new attendance pattern.</li>
<li>
<b>Stranger behaviors:</b> The employee is remote, has poor social skills, becomes fixated on an idea and/or an individual.</li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
It can no longer be seen as a luxury or add-on to include
procedures and training for dealing with workplace violence in your
company's health and safety system. The costs, financially as-well-as
to productivity, employee stress, and more, are far too great.
Understanding and awareness are always the first step in to developing
an effective plan. But, a solid, intelligently throughout and
administered plan includes procedures, strategies, and techniques for,
not only prevention and intervention, but deterrence and defensive
action as well. The safer employees feel at all levels of an
organization, the more relaxed the atmosphere and the greater the
productivity.</div>
<div style="overflow: hidden; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14087441173870769813noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-411584199207451752.post-50123436067845822802012-10-10T08:58:00.000-07:002012-11-11T08:58:44.882-08:00Monopolies, Reality, OPEC and the FTC<div style="text-align: justify;">
It is interesting the OPEC Nations and the cartel, which affects the
quality of our daily lives, personal success, the number of people who
can enter our middle class, and all of our businesses and industries
including your job. In our country we have rules about monopolies that
we enforce on every large super heavy weight business in every industry.
A recommended read would be the book on Rockefeller. If you have
already read that book then you understand the remaining points and why
we bring up the importance of flow and we are discussing it and
comparing it to OPEC. Rockefeller was beholden to the market place and
the supply and demand issues of the day. If his price got too far out of
line, then others would jump into the game. OPEC constantly screws with
our supply, much worse than the anti-trust issues of yester year.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
If
it is okay today for OPEC to play these games then certainly
Rockefeller did nothing wrong, as a matter of fact, I have never heard
of such an important concept such as Anti-Trust, which has so little
reality based thinking and has undergone so few changes in the past 200
years. With all the ridiculous patch work within is regulations it
throws out the entire idea of capitalism and competition. The laws are
vague, utterly preposterous and reward the weak. The notion that bigness
is automatically evil, dangerous to the welfare of free men or bad for
the society as a whole makes no sense in a free market economy. The
attack on Gate's Microsoft, by the FTC, after the people choose them and
bought their products and continually wait until the next windows
upgrade is beyond me. People vote with their dollar, they chose a
company that fulfills their desires, purchase products and services from
that company and this is bad? It appears that the FTC only attacks the
visionaries and market winners. Well it must be something like that.
Competitors who lose in the market place (Sand Box) go crying to momma
or the liberal teacher of academia and liberal media?</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Then
at the same time when companies want to merge to share costs and use
the efficiencies to get maximum use of the economies of scale they are
forced into a box of questionable divestitures, all of which end up
making the merger less of a good deal as it would have been and all
these costs are past onto the consumer who would have had the greatest
benefits in the long run. Yes that is right the very consumer that the
FTC is sworn to protect. I give this example due to all the Tiger Marts,
which closed after the Chevron Texaco merger. All the jobs lost and the
hardship of customers to find a place to fuel up causing longer lines
and therefore more demand and therefore higher prices, check the
statistics if you disagree. Great so now you have high fuel prices, long
lines and you are to thank the FTC for protecting you? From what, they
caused it.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The theory that Monopolies, which started small and
grew big due to the consumer choosing them over the competition is a
testament of a strong free market system with tough competition forcing
the best athlete forward for the gold metal and is merely survival of
the fittest. It is about the most natural thing mankind has created. If
growing big is evil then and anti-trust laws are to be enforced upon
bigness then the entire government, by the people and for the people
should be immediately shut down, because it was voted for by us, we
chose it over other forms of government and it is friggin huge, talk
about out of control with regulations. This alone would make it ready
for anti-trust lawsuits, with it's finger on the flow of everything and
in the colon fudge cake of everyone, every company and obviously up
there own. You are looking for a retraction, doubtful if you would get
one from someone who studies the flow and the cogs in the wheels of
commerce, no apologies here, I am absolutely serious because a complete
overhaul is needed. It is a complete joke, only it is NOT funny, because
we are talking about the future of the greatest nation in the world and
the rest of the planet's future depends on our example to follow in the
next time one following this present period. Let's look at this from a
distance.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
When our Oil Companies here in the US wish to merge to
create the economies of scale to compete, they go through 18 months of
regulatory review and every congressman wants to go up to the podium to
tell us what they think (actually why we should keep voting for them).
Then these same oil companies are told they must divest themselves of
certain pipelines, retail outlets, subsidiaries, trading rooms, etc. The
consumer gets a better price when these larger companies can compete
with the Cartels and can deliver for less. We force them to go offshore
and own interests in the cartels to stay competitive.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Our stock
market, your mother's 401K and father's pension do better when
subsequent market sectors are more efficient and profitable. Especially
those involving large industry and when the flow of fuel has profitable
years and decades, steady growth in the market helps the strength of our
nation. It is interesting that we allow foreign competitors more
latitude than our own companies and then we create a hostile environment
in the regulatory bureaucracy and cause our companies to move jobs,
factories, refineries, etc to those same foreign lands. One might have
to ask exactly whose team are we on? Let's face it, the growth of a
business from small to large is a testament of commitment and hard work
by the team running that company and their value to the consumer and my
friends that is merely survival of the fittest and best prepared to take
advantage of opportunities to serve the desires of the customers. Just
like the republic or Democracy government voted into power by the people
is a sign of the strength, trust and will of the people.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
John D
Rockefeller was a great man and delivered fuel to the people and enabled
us to move the ball forward as we modernized our civilization.</div>
<div style="overflow: hidden; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14087441173870769813noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-411584199207451752.post-28018786608825946252012-10-03T08:57:00.000-07:002012-11-11T08:57:40.377-08:00Typical Questions and Answers<div style="text-align: justify;">
Technical support offered by MBS depends on the region. For North
America (NA), support is available to both partners and customers who
availed of the support plan. In Asia Pacific (AP), Europe, Middle East,
and Africa (EMEA) though, support is only available to partners.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Unfortunately,
not every customer in North America can avail of support from their
vendor. Some who opted not to renew their annual enhancement plans are
orphaned from their vendors and do not receive free upgrades. If they
need immediate support, they can contact the MBS Support Team directly
but they are charged a higher premium. In this case, it is best to get
support from partners such as Alba Spectrum Technologies or the like
instead of directly from MBS.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Below are some questions and answers that the MBS Support Team (Asia and EMEA) receive:</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Q1. Will Microsoft Great Plains run on operating systems other than Microsoft Windows?</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
A1.
Microsoft Great Plains was first developed to support both Microsoft
and Mac operating systems. However, later versions of Great Plains do
not support Mac specially when Microsoft acquired the company (Great
Plains Software).</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Q2. What database platforms are supported by Microsoft Great Plains?</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
A2.
Version 8 and above of Microsoft Great Plains supports only SQL Server
and MSDE. Versions lower than 8 support SQL Server, MSDE (version 7.5),
Ctree (for Great Plains Standard), and Pervasive SQL (formerly Btrieve).</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Q3. We are currently using a different ERP system but we're interested in migrating to Great Plains (GP). Is this possible?</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
A3.
This is very much possible depending on the ERP system being used.
Migrations have been done from Peoplesoft to GP as well as JD Edwards to
GP. If interested, we will conduct studies for possible migration
between your ERP system to GP.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Q4. Is integration possible between Microsoft CRM and Microsoft Great Plains?
<br />A4. This is definitely possible but it will either rely heavily on
MS Biztalk Server (if you follow the MS CRM to GP Integration document)
or on Dexterity customizations.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Q5. Can Microsoft Great Plains be accessed via the internet using an internet browser?</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
A5.
There are some eProducts for Great Plains which will allow the company
to create an online store. However, this only pertains to the Sales
Order Processing side of Great Plains. To access Great Plains remotely,
you would need to have Citrix
installed. If you want to access Great Plains on the browser itself,
you need to configure the web server component of Citrix into the web
server that you're going to use GP from.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Q6. What if I am having
some problems with Great Plains or if I want to satisfy my curiosity on
certain aspects of the ERP system without bothering my vendor?</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
A6.
All Microsoft Great Plains customers have access to CustomerSource.
This is an area in the MBS website specifically catered to MBS
Customers. Here, you can search the extensive KnowledgeBase relating to
any MBS products as well as download service packs and patches for your
GP install.</div>
<div style="overflow: hidden; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14087441173870769813noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-411584199207451752.post-9471236729534937682012-09-26T08:56:00.000-07:002012-11-11T08:56:47.597-08:00Consolidated Freight<div style="text-align: justify;">
There was a lot news on the Bankruptcy of Consolidated Freight, which
rocked the transportation industry, but what most failed to realize is
that CF was founded in 1929 and this nation lost a great company.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
One
of their largest customers was The Boeing Company. With Consolidated
Freights help we were able to move logistics around the country so we
could out produce and deliver our industrial might to the Germans in
WWII. Despite the immense volume of logistics CF provided for America
they had an incredible safety record un paralleled in the industry and
could even hold a candle to the Wal-Mart logistics teams. One of the
best safety records in the nation;</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="http://www.cfwy.com/about/news/2002/02July22.html" rel="nofollow" target="_new"></a><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Anyone
in the Transportation Industry or who reads Commercial Carrier Journal
or Transport topics understands that they too were leading edge on many
issues, like B2B, Same day, expedited services and routing plans
including trains, planes, ships and trucking and god only knows what
else in the future had they still been in business? Leading the industry
in high technology for logistics as well.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
In business since 1929,
15,500 laid off effective immediately after their bankruptcy, a
Delaware Corp. with HQ in Vancouver WA, which as of this year is the
highest unemployment in the country. Think about it a company formed in
1929 after the depression made it through the war only to be caught up
in this latest cycle of terror, high fuel prices and sluggish recession,
this was a bad day for all of America. It is the heart of this country.
But such a large company like CF has its tentacles in all sorts of
other vendor operations, for instance they were the Third largest buyer
of Freightliner Trucks in the World. JB Hunt recently passed them with a
1 billion dollar purchase in 1999.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The
two companies have a long history. Consolidated Freightways
Manufacturing Division eventually became Freightliner. This folks is the
backbone of America. Freightliner eventually sold out to Daimler
Chrysler. This is very serious as the region got hammered by steel, to
make trucks, lumber and timber industries buying trucks, then the
trucking lay offs in manufacturing sector, along with buy back leases
all killing the prospects of getting out of dodge under German short
term gain lookers pledged against America heart and sole and fiber. The
massive consolidation of trucking manufacturers, dealers and the like
were hurt. Also Pac Car Leasing was hurt with holdings connected to CF,
more used trucks for sale again just a used truck prices were starting
to rebound. Pac Car bought into Rush Peterbuilt who was also
consolidating sales offices and now a new glut of 18,000 used trucks on
the market. This is not all, which plagued the CF Companies. High Fuel
Costs in summer of 2001 hurt Consolidated Freight and in August 1, 2001
they had to raise prices, meanwhile competitors such as Fed Ex Ground
waited until way after 9-11. UPS followed and so did JB HUNT, Swift,
Covenant and Schneider. Many independents went out of business. In 2000
CF Consolidated Freightways with $2.2 billion in annual revenues,
consolidated was going strong. The Company’s 18,000 skilled
professionals specialize in freight transportation. Raised prices again
in May 2002.</div>
<div style="overflow: hidden; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14087441173870769813noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-411584199207451752.post-40931684021662618012012-09-19T08:55:00.000-07:002012-11-11T08:55:30.940-08:00The Truth About Grants<div style="text-align: justify;">
I don't know about you, but hardly a day goes by I don't receive spam
emails about grants. Spam that absolutely promises me I can buy a book
and get a $30,000 grant, just for being alive on the planet. Spam that
assures me there are grants available to pay my credit card bills, start
any kind of business, or buy a shiny new car.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
To
some degree, those spam emails are why I established a website devoted
to grants. Because I have been a grants consultant for thirty years, I
know the truth about grants, and I want to share that truth with you.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The truth about grants is a good news/bad news proposition. Let's get the bad news out of the way first:</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Nobody
is going to award you a grant of $20,000 or $30,000 to spend at Saks,
or pay your bills. Nobody is going to give you cash to start a network
marketing business. Nobody is going to buy you a new Mercedes to drive
around the neighborhood.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
But really, in your heart of hearts, you already knew that - right?</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Now for the good news about grants...and there is some very, very good news indeed:</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Every
year in the United States alone, $360 billion is available in grant
funding for individuals, businesses, and non-profit organizations. This
is the real thing, money that is genuinely available from solid,
dependable funding organizations.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
There are grants for college,
grants to pay for medical care and drugs, and grants to support research
and study projects. There are some government grants available to
certain established businesses, and a very limited number of grants to
start new businesses.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
There are grants for women and for
minorities, grants to buy homes, grants to acquire and repair rental
properties, and grants to develop new products that will help the
environment. There are grants to fund a virtually unlimited number of
community projects. If you have a project that offers some social value,
there is probably a funder who has a grant for which you can apply.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Government
agencies, foundations, and corporations all make grants. Almost
universally, grants do not need to be repaid, and grants are tax-free.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Are you beginning to see the scope of this?</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
To
help people understand just how much potential there is in grants, I
often describe grants funding as a "parallel economy". There is the
standard economy, where goods and services are bought and sold, and
taxes paid. Then there is the parallel economy of grants, where gifts
are requested and received.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Not just a few gifts. Three hundred sixty billion dollars in gifts.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
So
is there a trick involved in getting grants? No. But, as is true in any
situation in life, there is a framework within which the successful
grantseeker must operate. If you want to profit from grants, you must
put forth the time and effort to learn how this parallel economy
operates, and how to play by its rules.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
First, grants are all
about purpose. Every grant is offered and awarded in order to accomplish
a specific purpose. Every funding agency has a mission it wants to
carry out, and grants are given to further that mission. So if you want
to start a children's orchestra in your town, you must find the funder
who considers musical programs for children part of its mission. If you
have invented a better trash compactor, then you are looking for a
funder with an environmental mission.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Second, there are a host of
resources for finding and identifying grants. You must learn about the
types of grants, who is making them, and how to locate them. You must
learn how to tailor your project to potential funders.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Third,
there is a specific format for requesting grants, called a grant
proposal. Although there are many different types of grants, the basic
grant proposal format can be adapted to all of them. You must learn how
to write a good proposal, and assemble all the information a funder will
want to see.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
This all sounds a bit more complicated than just buying a book, right? So the question becomes, is it worth the effort?</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Well,
I've raised millions of dollars in grant funds for my clients, and for
myself. I bought an apartment complex free and clear, without a penny of
my own money, with a grant. I absolutely believe it's worth the time
and effort involved. Where else but in the parallel economy of grants,
can you ask for what you need, and receive it as a gift?</div>
<div style="overflow: hidden; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14087441173870769813noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-411584199207451752.post-47886051337889894782012-09-12T08:54:00.000-07:002012-11-11T08:54:45.562-08:00Recognizing The Talents in Our Own Midst<div style="text-align: justify;">
According to experts in the field of hiring and training development,
there is a great potential within our own companies for talented
individuals.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Why
are we not recognizing those already in our midst? An explanation is:
when people are working at lower levels than their management abilities,
we can't see what they can really do.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
And in this day and age, we
have a lot of people laid off from downsized companies who have to take
lower level positions for survival.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
We just don't recognize who's
working for us or with us. We limit our people by their current
titles, functions and departments.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Yet getting to know our people is not hard to do - we just need to talk to them! It's up to management to initiate such talks.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Some
companies have implemented "Talent Development Programs". What we
really need are "Talent Recognition Programs". Management needs to take
the time to recognize whom we have amongst those employees currently
working as "latent talent".</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
There are scores of qualified, skilled
individuals who have had to take on jobs many levels below their
business capabilities and experiences because of economic downturn or
simply because nobody has recognized their abilities and given them a
chance to prove themselves.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Dig up your employees' resumes again,
from the interviewer's forgotten files, and get familiar with them.
Let's not leave these highly personal information papers to die in the
aftermath of the initial interview. Then let's talk to our people and
ask the right questions.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Test with projects that the individual
can work on for short periods of time - say a week, a month or three
months and find out what they can do. All this should happen with
proper delegating, empowerment and regular meetings.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Finally, let's assess ourselves and REGOGNIZE the assets that we have in our people.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
/end of article.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
You
may print this article in your ezine or web site or pass it on to
others providing nothing is changed and the bio is fully included at the
end of the article.</div>
<div style="overflow: hidden; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14087441173870769813noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-411584199207451752.post-70650759150584336282012-09-05T08:53:00.000-07:002012-11-11T08:54:05.750-08:00Merchandise Delivery Time & Federal Law<div id="article-content" style="text-align: justify;">
I. BACKGOUND<br />
The
federal Mail or Telephone Order Rule spells out the ground rules for
making promises about shipments, notifying consumers about unexpected
delays, and refunding consumers' money.<br />
Enforced by the U.S.
Federal Trade Commission, the Rule applies to orders placed by phone,
fax or the Internet. Compliance with the Rule can have bottom line
benefits for your company, because satisfied customers are repeat
customers.<br />
II. REQUIREMENTS<br />
You must have a reasonable basis for stating that a product can be shipped within a certain time.<br />
If
your advertising doesn't clearly and prominently state the shipment
period, you must have a reasonable basis for believing that you can ship
within 30 days.<br />
If you can't ship within the promised time (or
within 30 days if you made no promise), you must notify the customer of
the delay, provide a revised shipment date and explain his right to
cancel and get a full and prompt refund.<br />
For definite delays of up
to 30 days, you may treat the customer's silence as agreeing to the
delay, but for longer or indefinite delays - and second and subsequent
delays - you must get the customer's written, electronic or verbal
consent to the delay.<br />
If the customer doesn't give you his okay,
you must promptly refund all the money the customer paid you without
being asked by the customer.<br />
Finally, you have the right to cancel
orders that you can't fill in a timely manner, but you must promptly
notify the customer of your decision and make a prompt refund.<br />
III. UNEXPECTED DEMAND<br />
You
can change your shipment promises up to the point the consumer places
the order, if you reasonably believe that you can ship by the new date.<br />
The updated information overrides previous promises and reduces your need to send delay notices.<br />
Be sure to tell your customer the new shipment date before you take the order.<br />
You must provide a delay option notice if you can't ship within the originally promised time.<br />
The Rule lets you use a variety of ways to provide the notice, including e-mail, fax or phone.<br />
It's a good idea to keep a record of what your notice states, when you provide it, and the customer's response.<br />
</div>
<div style="overflow: hidden; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14087441173870769813noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-411584199207451752.post-76227598436392339212012-08-29T08:53:00.000-07:002012-11-11T08:53:19.941-08:00I Can't Afford A PR or Publicity Campaign<div id="article-content" style="text-align: justify;">
It's a phrase I hear over and over again from many entrepreneurs,
small businesses owners and inventors: "I'd love to hire someone to
launch our publicity campaign professionally, but we can't afford it, so
I'm just going to have to do it on my own."<br />
Over
the past several months, I have been conducting an informal survey
among entrepreneurs and business owners who have contacted me about my
services. I have found that due to their lack of information or
knowledge on the topic, many businesses typically over-estimate or
over-budget the cost of a prospective public relations/publicity
campaign. During my PR consultation with them, I asked: "How much do you
think it will cost to launch a solid, effective PR/publicity campaign
for your product/business?" Of the 102 people I've queried:<br />
<ul>
<li>11% - Thought a professional PR campaign would cost $10,000+ per month</li>
<li>32% - Thought a professional PR campaign would cost $5,000-$10,000 per month</li>
<li>39% - Thought a professional PR campaign would cost $3,000-$5,000 per month</li>
<li>12% - Thought a professional PR campaign would cost $1,000-$3,000 per month</li>
<li>6% - Thought a professional PR campaign would cost less than $1,000 per month</li>
</ul>
The truth is -- you can get a publicity/PR campaign in
all of those price ranges. What you get for your money and how effective
the campaign will be is the real question. It is true that the more you
pay the more you get. But getting the most publicity/PR exposure
doesn't mean you have to get most expensive PR agency or specialist.<br />
A
good rule of thumb is to align yourself with a PR business that best
reflects your business size. Most times their rates will be in line with
your prospective PR budget. If you are a small business owner with two
employees, you need not hire a high-dollar PR agency with dozens of
employees. Find a PR business whose office size and capabilities closely
resemble your business.<br />
Case in point -- there is a large PR
agency in a fancy building downtown a few miles from my office. Frankly,
we are not even competition to each other - in fact we have even
referred clients to each other. Why? They typically work with large
corporations and implement campaigns of around $10,000 per month. My
business works with smaller businesses/individuals -- a PR/publicity
campaign with my company would be about $10,000 for an entire year - not
just a month. Mechanically, the downtown firm and my business do the
same thing when it comes to PR campaigns: professional media release
composition; extensive media market research; articulate personalized
distribution to the media; months of media relations (article
placements/interview scheduling/media request fulfillment,
clipping/tracking of media placements, etc.).<br />
Signing up with the
big firm doesn't mean you'll necessarily get an experienced associate
working on your campaign. So are you getting what you are paying for? A
friend of mine who works at a major PR firm gave me the following
breakdown of billing fees in his office:<br />
<ul>
<li>Interns/Junior Executives - bill at $75 / hour (Very little, if any professional experience)</li>
<li>Account Executives - bill at $100 - $125 / hour (1-3 years of professional experience)</li>
<li>Senior Account Executives - bill at $125 - $200 / hour (Multiple years of professional experience. Agency decision makers.)</li>
</ul>
Compare those prices to many small PR shops or individual
PR specialists. Many have started their own PR businesses after years
of experience in the industry and typically charge $50 - $100 per hour
to professionally launch and maintain your campaign. Many times, you can
get a seasoned PR veteran who will work directly with you and your
staff for cheaper than the "Intern/Junior" executive rate at a downtown
firm.<br />
However, one word of advice -- when choosing a smaller firm
or individual to do your PR, make sure they have the same tools that the
bigger agencies do: updated media lists/contacts; personalized media
distribution capabilities; professional clipping/tracking services to
get copies of each of your media placements (articles, tapes from
TV/radio shows) as well as the intangibles of expert communication/media
relations skills and professional pitching prowess. If they are
cheaper, but don't have all the tools to help you in the best manner
possible, you are probably better off spending a little extra money to
make sure your campaign is launched and maintained correctly.<br />
The major benefits of hiring a professional (individual PR specialist or PR firm) to launch your campaign are:<br />
<ul>
<li>Proper Campaign Implementation - Improperly composed or poorly
pitched campaigns are the major downfall of many PR efforts. Poorly
written, over-commercialized media releases; uncalculated, misdirected
mass e-mailing of the release pitch; no follow-up media relations/media
request fulfillment; etc.. Your first impression to the media is a
lasting one - make sure it's a good one.</li>
<li>Media Contacts - Most PR agencies have established multiple media
contacts over several years that can lead to much better and more
numerous media placements for your campaign. Let their foot in the door
benefit you.</li>
<li>Efficiency and Effectiveness - PR specialists/agencies generate
publicity full time, 8-12 hours per day and know the ins and outs,
shortcuts and secrets to getting the job done better and quicker. Sure
you could hang your own drywall or do your own plumbing, but do you have
the tools, the time and the expertise to make it cost effective. I
always tell my clients, "You do what you do well, I'll do what I do well
and we'll collectively move this business further up the ladder."</li>
</ul>
One caveat when it comes to choosing a professional PR
agency or individual to work with - signing up for a higher priced
campaign doesn't necessarily mean you will get better results than a
cheaper campaign. And the inverse is true as well. Over the past year or
so, many "low-cost PR/publicity services" have begun to pop up all over
the Internet. Ones that promise to write and launch a press release for
as low as $99. They are low in cost - because frankly many are low in
quality. Bigger is not necessarily better, and cheap does not always
mean a good bargain.<br />
If you have the time, tools and talent to
launch and maintain your own campaign, you should definitely do so. If
not - there are a number of public relations/publicity firms,
specialists and services out there. Research to find the one whose
services and fees match your business plan. Once business owners,
entrepreneurs, and inventors learn more about their options when it
comes to launching a PR campaign -- many find that they can't afford NOT
to have one.<br />
</div>
<div style="overflow: hidden; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14087441173870769813noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-411584199207451752.post-87476538336851503612012-08-22T08:51:00.000-07:002012-11-11T08:51:51.950-08:00When the Media Calls<div id="article-content" style="text-align: justify;">
If the media were to call you today for an interview, would you
know what to do or say? That question was posed during a recent
conference on small-business ownership and micro enterprise creation,
which was held here in Paris. I watched the reactions around the room,
and it occurred to me that for most small-business owners, the only
thing more frightening than conducting a follow-up phone call with a
reporter is having that same reporter actually interview them.<br />
There
is only one way to overcome the fear. You have to simply adopt and
apply an old U.S. Army recruitment slogan, "Be Prepared." Don't get
caught without an answer the next time the media calls. Follow these
quick tips for success:<br />
Ask the reporter to describe the subject and story angle for the interview.<br />
Establish the medium for the interview (i.e. live or taped television, print, radio, etc.)<br />
Discover
when (date and time) and where (by phone, e-mail or in person) the
interview will take place. Also try to determine if the reporter will
need additional information from you, as well as the story's deadline.<br />
Research the reporter's past articles so that you'll be comfortable with the story's tone.<br />
Create
talking points. These are brief positive statements about you and your
company that you will want to be included in the story.<br />
Anticipate the types of questions that that reporter might ask, and prepare truthful answers for them.<br />
Assume
that everything you say to a reporter - jokingly or otherwise, will be
used in the story. Always be aware of what is being stated, and if an
awkward silence develops, don't feel obligated to keep talking if you
have no more to say on the subject matter.<br />
Avoid speculation or hypothetical situations. It could lead to being misquoted. You are the expert so stick to what you know.<br />
Admit
when you don't know the answer to a question. However, make it your top
priority to find the answers and deliver them to the reporter
immediately. It is also fine to take a moment to think before answering a
question.<br />
Avoid using technical terms or jargon. You must be able to explain your ideas simply and concisely.<br />
Take notes and don't be afraid to ask the reporters questions as well.<br />
Make
yourself available by phone or e-mail in case the reporter has
additional questions or wants to do a final fact check before completing
the story. This will help give clarification to something you've said
or give an opportunity to fix something if you've misspoken.<br />
Thank the reporter for selecting you for the interview.<br />
</div>
<div style="overflow: hidden; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14087441173870769813noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-411584199207451752.post-77193612994267742402012-08-15T08:50:00.000-07:002012-11-11T08:51:01.135-08:00Little Known Pitfalls of Traditional Publishing Industry<div style="text-align: justify;">
As many small-time authors and self-publishers have discovered the
hard way, the traditional book publishing model is fraught with problems
that conspire against an individual author/publisher making a decent
living from their work.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The traditional model normally involves two basic choices: 1) use a commercial publisher, or 2) self-publish.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<strong>THE COMMERCIAL PUBLISHER ROUTE</strong></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
This
option involves the author submitting book proposals or full
manuscripts to commercial publishing houses in hope of acceptance.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Once
a manuscript is accepted by a publishing house (the vast majority are
not accepted) a contract is signed between the author and the publishing
house. This kicks-off a time- consuming and often complex process
involving printers, shippers, wholesalers, distributors, marketers, and
finally, booksellers, all managed on the author's behalf by the
publishing house.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Typically, it takes anywhere from 18 to 24
months from the time the author finishes a book manuscript, until the
actual book gets onto the bookshelves.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<strong>THE SELF-PUBLISHING ROUTE</strong></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The
self-publishing option is one in which the author eliminates some of
the middlemen and manages the overall publishing, distribution and
marketing processes him/herself.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
This option gives the author much
more personal control of the whole process and allows him/her to earn
more money per copy than through a commercial publisher. It also
involves a lot of work by the self-publisher who is responsible for
performing all of the functions and services that a commercial publisher
would normally look after.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
This model is normally less
time-consuming in terms of elapsed time, since there is no manuscript
submission and approval process involved. On average, the
self-publishing process can save 6 to 12 months over the commercial
publisher model.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<strong>THE SHOCKING DOWNSIDES OF TRADITIONAL PUBLISHING</strong></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Based
on my first-hand experience with the North American book publishing and
distribution industry, I have to say that it is one of the most archaic
and poorly run business models that I have ever encountered. The entire
industry seems to be decades behind current-day business practices of
other industries.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Very few people know from the outset what
they're getting into when they choose to publish their book via the
traditional publishing route. They have no idea at the beginning just
how backward, outdated and dysfunctional the entire conventional book
publishing industry business model really is.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Here's what the conventional book publishing industry WILL NOT spell out to you before you sign-up...</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<strong>Give Away Half Your Book's Value Up-Front</strong></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
If
your book's cover price is, say $30, you will be forced to discount at
least 40% to 60% right off the top when selling your book to wholesalers
and retailers. So, you'll really be working from an actual price of
somewhere between $12 and $18 -- not the $30 you first thought.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<strong>Don't Count On Making Big Bucks</strong></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
If
you choose the commercial publisher option, the best you can hope to
receive for your book is a royalty somewhere between 6% and 10% of the
"net". The "net" is the amount the publisher receives AFTER discounting
to retailers.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Example; cover price = $30; discount to large retail
chain = $15 (i.e. 50%). Your cut would be somewhere between $0.90 and
$1.50 per sale. So, for selling 3,000 copies (a very good sales figure)
you would receive a grand total of somewhere between $2,700 and $4,500!</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<strong>You'll Have To Write Lots Of Books</strong></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
If
you choose the self-publishing option your main distributor will pay
you somewhere around 45% of the cover price of your book. Using our $30
cover price example; that works out to $13.50 per sale that goes to you
under this scenario. Then you have to deduct your costs which include:
printing the book, overheads, and marketing, publicity and advertising
expenses.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<em>Example: </em>cover price = $30; distributor payment
to you at 45% of cover = $13.50, before expenses. Deduct: printing
costs - $3.50; overheads - $1.00; marketing, advertising, publicity -
$1.00 = ($13.50-$5.50) = $8.00 per book sale. So, for selling 3,000
copies you would make only $24,000.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
And don't forget, this option involves your ongoing direct personal time and effort involvement.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<strong>Wait Forever To Get Paid</strong></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Typically,
you will have to wait between 90 days and 120 days after an actual book
sale before you will receive your payment for that sale. I still shake
my head at this one. How does the publishing industry get away with such
an archaic practice in the 21st Century?</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
In normal business the
standard wait for payment is usually 30 days, sometimes as much as 60
days; but 90 to 120 days to pay a poor struggling author? It's a crying
shame that they still manage to get away with it. This kind of payment
delay is the norm, whether you go through a commercial publisher or if
you're a self-publisher.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<strong>Issue 100% Refunds On Unsold Books</strong></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
A
trademark feature of the conventional book publishing industry is the
way in which it deals with "returns". In almost all cases -- publishers,
distributors, wholesalers and retailers - they maintain the right to
return unsold books to you, the author, for a 100% refund, even many
months later!</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Example: Say you sell 200 copies of your book to a
particular retail chain through your publisher (commercial publisher
model) or through your distributor (self-publisher model). Then, let's
say that after five months, various stores in that retail chain find
that 45 unsold copies of your book are still on their shelves. The
retailer would simply send those books back to your publisher or
distributor for a 100% refund. That company would would then routinely
pay that retail chain a 100% refund for each book returned and in-turn
would deduct that total amount from your account!</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<strong>I'm not kidding folks, this is how it really works!</strong></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
There
is absolutely NO incentive for bookstores or publishers/distributors to
make any extra effort whatsoever to move your book off their shelves
since they know you will provide a 100% rebate for all "returns" in any
case. Go figure?</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<strong>Pay Them Extra Money... Just In Case</strong></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
And
just to add insult to injury, many publishers and distributors will
also withhold funds from your regular royalty payments (20% or more) as
insurance to cover the costs of possible future returns.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
So, not
only do you get paid 90 to 120 days late, you will NOT receive the full
amount to which you are entitled, as your publisher/distributor hedges
against the possibility of eventual returns of unsold and/or damaged
books months down the line.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<strong>Get Stuck In Someone Else's Time Cycle</strong></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Most
commercial publishers operate on a time-frame of 18 to 24 months from
approved/accepted manuscript until the book is released for sale. If you
are a self-publisher you can whittle this down to maybe 3 to 6 months
depending on when your book is ready vis a vis your distributor's
catalog publication schedule.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
If you time it perfectly, or just
get lucky, there might only be 6 to 8 weeks between your book being
ready to ship and it getting it onto store shelves.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<strong>BOTTOM LINE</strong></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
In
addition to the foregoing, there are other problems with the
traditional book publishing model which I won't go into here. So, as you
can see, from an author's point of view it is a highly dysfunctional,
badly flawed business model that wouldn't survive in most industries.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
In
fact, the system is so stacked against the average author I'm amazed
that some people actually try to eke out an ongoing living in that
thankless industry. I guess they feel they have no other choice, or they
are hoping against the odds that they will one day get lucky and pen a
mega best-seller.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
So, if you are an aspiring author, and you're
hoping to make a modest living writing and publishing your own books or
ebooks -- the traditional book publishing and distribution model is
definitely NOT the way to go.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The good news is that over the past
couple of years a new publishing model has evolved that eliminates all
of the negative aspects of the traditional publishing model and adds a
number of additional benefits.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
It's called the "Online Publishing Model".</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
It's
a combination of online digital download delivery and print-on-demand
(POD) publishing that sidesteps most of the pitfalls of the traditional
book publishing model.</div>
<div style="overflow: hidden; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14087441173870769813noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-411584199207451752.post-27594266125701457072012-08-08T08:49:00.000-07:002012-11-11T08:50:05.666-08:00Six Sigma Tools for Process Control<div id="article-content" style="text-align: justify;">
Aim for perfection.<br />
That's
a pretty lofty concept. It's definitely not easy - especially when
speaking of core business processes. Moving toward perfection requires
measurement, analysis and documentation. And if you really want
perfection, then you need more sophisticated tools. But is driving
toward that ideal of perfection worth the effort?<br />
If you want to
increase quality and dramatically save costs in production, then, yes,
the road to perfection is definitely worth the driving time.<br />
<b>Forward Steps, Quality and Processes</b><br />
Last
time, we discussed process mapping to increase communication and
understanding within an organization and to effectively develop a system
of procedures. Now, let's take a forward step, and look at how Six
Sigma tools can decrease variability and increase quality in your
processes.<br />
<b>Six Sigma, Pyramids and Systems</b><br />
The Six
Sigma methodology is an advanced set of tools designed for
problem-solving and quality improvement. A 'sigma' refers to the
standard deviation from the mean of a population. Standard deviation
indicates the likelihood that your next data point will deviate from the
mean of the data set.<br />
At the bottom of the Six Sigma pyramid
begins a system's current process capability. Usually at 1 or 2 Sigma
levels is "tribal" knowledge based on first-time experiences. An
organization moves up the pyramid to 3 Sigma as systems are put in
place. To hit 4 Sigma, statistics and modeling tools are used for
significant process improvement. And, finally, to aim for that near
perfection, organizations apply DFSS, or Design for Six Sigma.<br />
Why?<br />
<b>Measurement, Analysis and Documentation</b><br />
Why
do (and should) organizations use these concepts to move up the pyramid
and toward quality improvement? Why is it necessary to measure, analyze
and document processes - and, if needed, make those desired changes?
Why drive toward perfection, and what does it mean in real terms?<br />
If
your current process capability runs at 1 Sigma, then that effectively
means you have two defects (unusable products) out of every 3 parts.
That means 67% of your costs simply become waste, with no return on your
investment. At 2 Sigma, quality improves with 1 out of 3 parts as
defects. But that still has an error rate of 33%. Not until 3 and then 4
Sigma levels will you see dramatic improvements. Put in these terms,
you quickly see how such errors keep you from realizing a greater
potential.<br />
<b>Transactions, Multiple Steps and Tolerance</b><br />
Organizations
most effectively utilize Six Sigma methodology in two situations. One,
if a business works with a very high volume of transactions per year,
then they can not tolerate low sigma levels. For example, a 99%
effective rate for 1 billion transactions per year still yields 10
million defects. In any industry, that is not acceptable.<br />
Another
situation that calls for Six Sigma methodology is when an organization
(i.e. manufacturing) has processes with multiple steps. Here total error
rate is critical. For example, the effective rate is 99% for each step;
however, that does NOT give the total error rate as 1%. You must take
the 99% for the first step and multiply it by 99% for the second step,
the third step, and so on. With a great number of steps, your total
effective rate could significantly decrease. So, to avoid high
volatility, this organization can not tolerate low sigma levels.<br />
Organizations
can also determine error rate by effectively reversing the typical
process of Six Sigma. You can calculate the mean and variance in your
process to define the error rate. This tells you where you are currently
on the Six Sigma curve. For example, if your calculation tells you that
you're on a 1 or 2 sigma level, then this is an area in need of
improvement. This gives you an opportunity to look at the data more
carefully, take the mean and variance of each step of the process, and
determine in which step the process is having problems. Or it could tell
if you there are many steps causing the problems and, thus, the
cumulative increase in error rate.<br />
<b>Processes, Procedures and Control</b><br />
Organizations
use the Six Sigma methodology, because you can't get any higher than 2
Sigma ("tribal" or basic knowledge) without putting strong processes and
procedures in place. And without strong processes and procedures, you
can not move toward higher quality and system optimization - toward
perfection. Are you really satisfied with 67% of your product lost as
waste? Are you satisfied with such high variability in your system?<br />
<b>Problems, Resources and Results</b><br />
If
needed, you can change your process to reduce or eliminate this
variability or error. Six Sigma methodology tells you when to take
action to solve a problem. It moves an organization to consistently meet
the requirements and minimize the resources used in its management
system. And it creates the desired results for which the system was
designed.<br />
<b>Systems, Control and Perfection</b><br />
Remember,
though, you can only get to 3 or 4 sigma by developing a system of
policies and procedures of measurement, analysis and documentation. And
with this you will easily see that reducing your error rate and moving
toward perfection with Six Sigma tools is well worth the driving time -
and, more, crucial to your system's control.<br />
</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14087441173870769813noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-411584199207451752.post-34930410111163720952012-08-01T08:48:00.000-07:002012-11-11T08:49:16.595-08:00The Worth of Health Insurance<div style="text-align: justify;">
This article relates to the Compensation and Benefits Competency,
commonly evaluated in employee satisfaction surveys. The questions
included in this competency will help your organization determine
whether your employees feel they are fairly paid for the work they
perform when compared to a similar job at a different company. This
competency also queries their feelings regarding the adequacy and
quality of their benefits package. A fair and attractive compensation
package is critical for hiring and retaining quality employees. A high
satisfaction level in this competency requires that your compensation
structure and benefits package be fair, balanced, and understood by your
present employees.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
This
article, The Worth of Health Insurance, is part of AlphaMeasure's
compilation, Tales from the Corporate Frontlines. It focuses
specifically on the value of employer provided health insurance to
employees in today's workplace and economic climate.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Anonymous Submission:</b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Large
salary increases are rare these days, especially for mid level, mid
career employees. Having worked at the same small, family owned business
for about ten years now, my fellow employees and I were accustomed to
getting about the same raise every year. It never varied very much, and
we considered it fair, especially since the business was quite solid and
successful with a steady profit stream for the past several years.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
That's
why we were all so shocked this year when our expected increase amount
was cut in half. After the shock faded, the office was abuzz with
speculation "the company is going under, that sales rep, Mr. Brown, lost
that lucrative account, I knew this would happen, the owners are just
getting greedy, they're thinking of selling to a large multinational" -
were some of the stories considered.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Finally, our general manager
caught wind of the discussions and settled us down for a meeting. He
told us that the reason the increases had been cut was that the health
insurance program premiums had risen very sharply. The owners decided
that rather than require the employees to pay more for the insurance, it
would be better to pay the extra premium and give smaller salary
increases. He told us that many companies are handling rising premiums
in much the same way.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Many employees, myself included, were
skeptical. Sure, we told each other. That's a good story. And we picked
up where we'd left off with our previous speculations.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
That night,
I received a phone call. It was my sister, and she was crying. She's a
stay- at- home mom, her husband has been downsized, and the family is at
the point where it has to pay for health insurance. As my sister
tearfully recited the rates she'd been quoted, I was beyond shock. It
amounted to a small fortune. After she hung up, I went online to my
health insurance provider website. I checked the rate I would pay
without my employer contribution. The price difference was far higher
than my raise reduction, and the coverage wasn't as good.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Humbled,
I went to work the next day and told my coworkers what I'd discovered.
We'd all underestimated the worth of a solid benefit plan with good
health insurance in today's workplace and economy. Suddenly our salary
increase seemed a lot larger.</div>
<div style="overflow: hidden; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14087441173870769813noreply@blogger.com