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Cases for Executives
Experienced business travelers know that the kind of case you carry can make or break your trip. So, many of them have a basic set of cases including:
- A molded suitcase, preferably with wheels. A hard case can take the punishments at airports, where it gets rough handling. Wheels should be large enough so they don’t get snagged on uneven surfaces, and the handle for pulling or pushing the suitcase on wheels must be easy to maneuver. Usually checked in.
- A soft-side carry-on bag that fits right under one’s airplane seat. It shouldn’t be too large: some airlines have a limit on the size or carry-ons. Ideal for short trips, it can also hold items that one may need en route.
- A soft-side garment bag with shoulder strap. Usually a carry-on and hung in airplane closet. Convenient for short trips and quick get always while other passengers are still checking out their luggage.
An attache case to hold business, on-board reading matters, pens, calculators, etc. One made of quality leather and simply styled is to be preferred to molded types.
Ultimate Packing Checklist for Business Travel
For all trips:
- Luggage tags (then put your name, address and destination inside your suitcase)
- Remove old baggage claim checks from suitcase.
- Toiletries (razor, toothbrush, cologne, etc)
- Hairdryer (with adaptor for oversea travel)
- Medicines
- Spare eyeglasses or prescription (or contact lens equipment and solution)
- Sunglass
- Travel alarm clock
- Tickets and itinerary
- Documents (hotel and car rental information)
- Business cards
- Credit cards and emergency phone numbers in case of loss
- Camera, extra memory cards and battery
- Mobile/cellular phone
For foreign travel:
- Passport (keep number of photocopy of it in another place)
- Valid visas
- Traveler checks (if you use one)
- International driver’s license
- Miscellaneous travel information (maps, dictionaries, pharase book)
Ads Tips for Small Businesses
If yours is a small business, chance are you’re writing your own ads. If so, bear in mind :
- The purpose of every ad is to sell. So don’t be clever for the sake of cleverness; don’t be arty. What the ad is selling is your primary goal, and every word and picture must aid the goal.
- As a small business, you must establish and maintain a credible image; don’t claim what you can’t substantiate, don’t exaggerate, and don’t make promises you can’t keep.
- Tell your customer why he or she should visit your store, buy your product or use your service. Don’t be general (“We offer a great service”), be specific (“We park your car, carry your package, etc”). Your customer don’t care why you think your product or service is great, only how it will benefit them.
- Your headline should quickly and simply tell your customer how he or she will benefit. Will it save time? Money? Work? make their spouses love them more?
- Body copy must elaborate on benefit in simple, direct and concise language.
- Tell them clearly what you want then to do-where and how to do it, when to do it, etc.
Tribal Differences in the Office
In each company, different departments with different functions tend to develop their own “tribal” cultures. In order to get these “tribes” working together effectively, you must know what each tribe thinks of itself and what it thinks of other tribes. Thus:
- What Finance may think of themselves: “…. custodians of the company’s money… costs and protect the profits…. stop the company from making costly mistake..”
- What Finance may think of others: If Production had their way… ever more expensive machinery eating up profits… “Sales… would pour far too much into unprofitable advertising.”
- What others may think of Finance: “… routine-minded plodders who lack vision …. too cautious and obsessed with.. measurement.. good at controlling cost s, but they don’t make the profit.”
- What Production may think of themselves: “… getting our hands dirty, making it happen… constantly being dictated to by Sales and Finance, who don’t appreciate the problems we have… We work hard uncomplainingly but without recognition… we actually come up with the goods; without us there would be no business.
- What others may think of Production: “… obstructive and obstreperous… in their own self-centred world… ignorant of the real needs of our customers… myopic… obsessed with deadlines, schedules, raw materials, quality control and goodness knows what else!”
- What Marketing may think of themselves: “We are the business… look at the direction it’s taking and make the decisions to steer it on course for prosperity… have the necessary vision to cope with the ever changing environment and plan for future success.”
- What Marketing may think of others: “We have to fight against the entrenched, obstructive attitudes of Finances, Sales and Production who can’t see beyond today.”
- What others may think of Marketing: “… so busy looking at the stars that they don’t see the pot holes ahead… out of touch with the day-to-day reality of the business… could do with rolling their shirtsleeves up and getting down to some honest work.”
So there – now try to make them work together!
Is Your Product Market-Ready?
You’ve got a great new product, but is it ready for marketing? Not necessarily, according to studies. Sometimes, complementary products are needed before yours can take off.
For example, color television was developed in the early 1950s, but was not fully marketed until ten years later, because color transmission and programming had yet to be invented. If your new product is in this category, prepare for a prolonged product introduction and make sure you can cover development and production costs during the gestation period.
Quick Tips to Increase Productivity
Researchers have found that younger workers work much more efficiently when allowed to choose their own pace. Older, more experienced workers, on the other hand, work at about the same efficiency whether or not they set their own pace.
They recommends that’s job be matched to workers’ temperaments. And, if teamwork is required, make up team consisting only of people who set their own pace and another for those who like the pace set for them. Never a mixed group, because everyone gets slowed down.
6 Stages of Office Shock
When someone, who has committed a serious mistake in the office, is confronted with it, he or she goes through several stages of shock;
- Shock - Silence, as initial impact is felt. The brain needs time to assimilate information.
- Disbelief - (“I don’t believe it…”) Some people never get beyond this stage and continue to pretend nothing has happened.
- Guilt - (“It’s all my fault…”) Taking all the blame, regardless of responsibility. Some stay at this stage.
- Blame - (“It wouldn’t not has happened if he hadn’t been in such a rush..”) Still buying time: Responsibility is pushed onto other people or events. Antidote to reality of the shock.
- Rationalization - (“I was too tired to check it..”) Logical part of brain takes over and works out a reason for acting that way. Analysis often in inaccurate, but brain is closer to accepting the experience for what it is.
- Integration - (“There’s nothing we can do about it now..”) Finally, the situation is accepted- in minutes or years. mistake becomes one more piece of experience on which to base future judgments.
Make New Staffers Feel at Home
Give departing staffers a fond farewell by all means, but put your real effort into “coming aboard” celebrations. Welcoming new employees fosters teamwork and encourages staffers to look ahead. Here’s some tips, host a welcome party within two weeks of a new employee’s arrival. During the festivities, best to be held late in the afternoon, hand out a short profile of the new hire to everyone. That information can serve as an ice breaker with co-workers.
5 Tips on What to Do After Being Promoted
Don’t rest on your laurels! After being promoted, start showing that you deserve the move up.
- Change your daily routine to focus on your new responsibilities.
- Avoid dramatic moves at first. If given a big assignment, create alternative approaches and ask your boss to comment on them. Or request a team and have your boss help put it together.
- The key to success is to find out what your boss and other senior executives expect you to achieve in your new position. Then aim higher. For example, if they expect a 10% improvement in departmental productivity, set your sights on 15%.
5 More Tips Towards Productive Meetings
- Give each meeting a title – such as Fact-Finding, Brainstorming, Information Exchange- that explains its purpose.
- Lock out latecomers to spread the message that promptness is mandatory.
- Vary seating arrangements, both to get people from different departments to mix, and to keep buddies from distracting each other.
- Distribute written materials, before or after the meeting- not during it, or people will spend their time reading rather than participating.
- Rotate meeting leadership to encourage responsibility and preparation.
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