Biz Talk - Project :: Technology :: Business

More and more small business owners are turning to online Internet web video to boost their Internet marketing. However, most are not expert at video cameras and how to use it properly is a key concern. A key component to professional looking video are sites and backgrounds. Here are some background and site location tips for how to use your video camera to best promote your business.

1. Think of Different Locations From Which You Can Film.

Avoid staying cooped up in your office taking videos of you just talking to a camera. Shake things up a bit by finding an interesting site that relates to the subject of your video. In front of a brick wall to discuss getting out of a rut, or a busy street corner to discuss making the right choices might be good ideas. Any location that conveys the message of your video in an inventive way will capture your audience’s attention.

Anticipate different weather conditions when you go on location. Keep a strong cover for your camera and other equipment handy in case of rain or snow. And be prepared to re-record the vocal portion if wind conditions result in poor sound quality.

2. Vary the Backgrounds In Your Videos.

Not only can your locations help to emphasize points, but your background can as well. One really powerful feature of video is that you can appeal to a viewer’s visual as well as audible senses, which can add tremendous impact if you choose your backgrounds carefully.

A noisy subway would serve as a much different background with all its sounds than a quiet cornfield, or being outside during a hail storm. Your neighborhood will have all different kinds of background options right nearby, so keep your eyes open for possible settings you can use.

3. Arrange Your Setting.

Because the visual aspect can make such an impact, it is important to take extra time to position your setting so that there is a sense of balance in the shot.

If you have a large background, for example, you probably would want to balance yourself between the camera lens and the background. Too close, and the background will be lost. If you are too far, the audience won’t see you closely enough to make a connection. You will want to stand back further than you think you should. Since most video recording happens with wide screen settings set to automatic, shoot your video from about 10 feet to allow your audience to see the whole picture.

Video is the future of Internet web video, and knowing how to use your video camera effectively will make it easier for a small business owner to shoot effective, interesting videos quickly and easily. Having the right setting and backgrounds will go a long way to creating Internet web videos that work.

Marty Dickinson is an writer, trainer and owner of a small business just like you. He has had failures and successes using online web video to market his business, and would like to share the lessons he learned with you. Visit Internet Web Video Presentation Tips to find more ideas and techniques on how to market your business through Internet web video.

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I wrote before about the "First Five Percent.” That’s my approach to strategic change management that says the quality of the first five percent determines what happens in the rest of the process.

I was in Los Angeles last week, working with a large association, on a strategic plan for their organization. It was the beginning of a year-long process to create a high-performing organization. One of the rules of the First Five Percent is to engage as many people as possible early on. You never know who has the good ideas. The more people you engage early on, the quicker you can identify the best thinking and the hidden resources.

In the room were 300 people, including chapter leaders, local officers, and board members. The agenda was flexible. Depending on how the first exercise went, I was prepared to go in different directions to assure high levels of participation. The first question I posed was this: “Think about where you want the association to be in two years. Tell me the specific changes you want to see and your measures of success.”

They worked on this question for 60 minutes and wrote down their responses on flip chart paper. Each group then reported out. I then asked them: “What did you hear yourselves say? What did you agree on?”

Everyone called out what they heard. “Increase membership.” “Fill our vacancies.” “Create a new business line.” Their juices were flowing.

”How would you measure success?” I asked. They shouted out what they’d heard. I lised 4 exact measures of success. I asked if they all agreed. Everyone raised their hands.

They took a quick break for lunch. While the room was quiet, I thought about my next move. I looked over all of their reports, and decided I should simply tap into their energy. I listed 12 goals on flip chart paper. Each goal came from them, like “Double our membership” or “Increase our political clout.” I posted these goals on the walls of the room. When they came back from lunch, I said: “Take a look around the room. These are your goals. Find the goal you feel most passionate for. Go stand by that goal. If you feel passionate about another goal not listed, there are blank pieces of paper.”

The group divided itself into teams around each goal. I asked them to develop an action plan for each goal and then report out. During the report-outs, I identified key issues that needed to be resolved and facilitated a discussion around each issue. If someone drifted off topic, I employed the two-minute rule ("Anything important can be said in two minutes") and they got back on course. We wrapped it up at 4 p.m.

I asked people to share what they liked about the meeting. “It was energizing,” someone said. “Great ideas!” several people said. “Your guidance,” someone said. “The two minute rule!” several shouted. “We’re excited to be building our organization,” a woman said.

”And what would you like to change?” I asked.

“That we have to leave!" one man shouted. Everyone laughed.

Next blog article: “Our Change Management Model“

About the Author: Eric Douglas is LRI’s senior business consultant with expertise in executive leadership, change management, and strategic planning.

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Analysis:
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Contact The Hosting Company:
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If you’ve ever thought of being the manager of a company, you’ve probably considered the amount of training that needs to go into company management.

The reward of becoming a an effective manager is not only a healthy paycheck but also in using leadership and competent managing skills to directly improve employee efficiency and inspire quality work.

Producing quality management requires time, energy, and commitment through extensive training and is well worth the investment.

The Requirements of Effective Management Training

Management training can be taught either in the classroom on a seminar basis or (increasingly so) online through learning management systems, also known as LMS (more on this later).

Motivation, delegation, team building, goal setting, mentoring, time management, and complaint handling are all management skills to be mastered by aspiring members of a management team.

Whether you are applying for a management job, or you have been promoted, you will need to have all of these skills as a successful manager.

Even though you may already posses a few management skills, further training is required to become the best manager you can become.

Management Training: The Importance and Benefits

Good management, it stands to reason, goes hand in hand with efficient employee performance. The responsibility for a team’s performance, for better or for worse, falls squarely on the manager in charge of that team.

A good manager will, first and foremost, be a motivational figure for a team of employees. That is, s/he will be able to communicate clearly and efficiently a team goal, providing both the “why” and “how” a task should be performed.

An employee’s purpose within a company comes primarily from the manager who oversees that employee’s team. More authoritative than authoritarian, the manager’s job is to guide positively, not to discipline negatively; to inspire productivity, but not scare employees into working.

An increase in company productivity and sales is accomplished by an effective management training program that motivates, guides, and inspires its team leaders to increase employee satisfaction and efficiency.

Taking Advantage of Learning Management System Software to Increase the Effectiveness of Management Training Programs

Learning Management System software will help your company take full advantage of an online training environments that are quickly replacing in-house training, requiring the use of space at a company’s physical location, and external classrooms provided by a company’s resources.

The benefits to seminar-style or workshop training, which happens in-house or at external classroom location, are these: it happens face-to-face and usually within a short timeframe, with the possibility of live demonstrations.

  Through online video demonstrations and instruction material available in an interactive online virtual classroom, Learning Management System software offers the same benefits as traditional training methods while allowing managers and instructors the ability to monitor every employee’s progress.

Management training though LMS can prove to be more economical as well. Learning Management System software offers standardized learning material and resources to all employees while eliminating the requirement of securing a venue for training, thus greatly reducing overhead.

Online training through Learning Management Systems is the most efficient way to provide members of management with the training they need to lead their teams n producing the most profitable results.

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The current state of the economy makes it very difficult to inspire employees to perform at their peak levels. They worry about losing their jobs, and this fear diverts their attention from producing at the levels needed to succeed.

In order to promote productivity, you need to help your employees figure out what to focus on and what actions to take. My experiences have taught me that there are four areas of emotion that help people move from disabling fear to empowering action. These feelings include a sense of:

*  Control

*  Optimism

*  Purpose

*  Engagement

Here are tips for helping employees move from anxiety to COPE feelings.

1. Control

One of the reasons that the current situation is so frightening to so many people is because it feels as if our economic well-being is out of our control. People don’t like to be out of control. As a manager, a critical job is to help your staff cope with the uncertainty they face by helping them see where they can regain some control over their futures.

Although the economic problems are worrying, there is no real point in worrying about something we cannot control. By getting your employees to focus on customer

service and productivity, you can allow them to regain a sense of control.

You, as a leader, may have to give up some of your control so that your employees can feel properly engaged with the decisions that affect their lives. A manager that tries to force their opinions on a staff will create nothing but suspicion and antipathy from their staff. It is very important that you encourage them to involve themselves in the areas of the company where they can have a positive impact.

2. Optimism

Leadership examples from throughout history demonstrate the power of optimism in rallying troops, reinventing and reinvigorating failing companies, and transforming entire nations.

To get the best out of your employees, you need them to be in a positive mindset, and it’s your job as a leader to inspire them. Research has shown that positive emotions like hope and optimism encourage creativity and innovation among your workforce, and these are exactly the qualities you need to build to cope with the downturn as best you can. If your employees approach problems with a “can-do” attitude, they are much more likely to find the solutions that your business needs.

3. Purpose

When people are working on the tactical details of day-to-day operations it’s easy to become myopic and stressed about the short-term. Find ways to keep your staff reminded of the reasons and purpose for their work and the organization they work for. Even hearing a simple reminder that their work matters will invigorate them to up their performance level and take action.

Jim Owens, Senior Vice President for North America operations of H.B. Fuller, stresses that the leader’s job is to put a positive path forward and to be clear about what targets people, and the organization as a whole, need to hit. He says, “Don’t leave it up to people to translate and fill in the gaps on their own.”

4. Engagement

The final element of the COPE model is engagement. An employee who is engaged will pay attention to what is happening to the company as a whole and will want to be involved in seeing it succeed in the future. In addition, they firmly believe their role is key to helping the company to succeed over the long haul.

Engagement means actively involving your employees in looking for solutions. When there is a problem in the company, give your staff the chance to participate in the brain-storming and problem solving sessions. This will give them a greater sense of control, but will also bring all team members together and provide a larger pool of possible solutions for your organization! 

Denver–based Sashco Sealants recently invited employees to submit cost-savings suggestions. The dozens of suggestions they received were shared in weekly “huddles” with representatives from each function and unit. Each team was encouraged to implement the ideas and then report back on results. Significant savings within the company have already been achieved.

In summary, by following the COPE model, you can use positive, proactive leadership to get the best out of your employees, and to create a great workplace environment that breeds innovation, focus and productivity.

Wendy”>http://www.WendyMack.com”>Wendy Mack is a professional advisor, trainer, and author with a focus in leading

and communicating change. Contact Wendy at, or Download her free e-book, Transforming Anxiety into Energy at

href=”http://www.WendyMack.com”>www.WendyMack.com>.

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Asset tracking is a vital aspect of any asset management function. Assets must be managed both financially and physically. To do that requires knowledge of exactly where all your assets are, even if they are fixed. Many companies rely on a conventional spreadsheet approach to try to keep track of all their various assets, but that can prove problematic without the use of fixed asset software applicable and compliant with international regulations.

That’s especially important with IT asset tracking. IT equipment can often change during its operational lifetime. Components may be switched, replaced or upgraded. Software is always being installed, uninstalled or upgraded. Many of these changes are internal and therefore invisible and cannot be tracked even with the use of an asset tracking system to control bar code-tagged assets. The fact that many IT systems are so desirable and useful can also contribute to their tendency to “disappear”.

Central to any asset tracking software system should be a powerful, centralised database which provides controlled access for all parties that require it, thus preventing discrepancies that may otherwise arise between departments. This system should also have the capacity to include information about those invisible software assets sitting on your IT network – how many programs and whether they are licenced or not? A single audit should have the capacity to cover multiple locations and thousands of assets. It should also be fully compatible with inventory management systems, so that hand-held scanning devices typically employed to read barcode labels can integrate with both accounting and tracking modules to provide an accurate, validated, and consistently current database. This will enable users to comply fully and confidently with auditor requirements relating to accurately accounting for and tracking their asset base.

The features of the best fixed asset accounting software should include the use of portable scanners or more durable PDAs to input information and update the status of items on-site and in real time, including data such as make, model or serial number. Assets and inventory items can then be flagged as transferred, disposed of or missing.

Once the audit data has been uploaded into the asset or inventory register, users are able to run a report displaying not only the details of, but also the suggested actions (disposable, relocation, upgrade etc) for each of the assets located in the audit. In doing so, users are alerted to any discrepancies in the asset’s status or location prior to updating them on the fixed asset/inventory register.

If any further analysis is required, the asset tracking software can be used to produce a range of additional reports to provide a comprehensive account of all the changes that have been made to the registers. Reports can be sorted and sequenced to suit the individual organisation and can be viewed in a range of different mediums, including spreadsheets and MS Word documents.

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Setting up your own website may be simple if you’ve made inquiries and already know what steps to take. The design of your website, which is essentially important, can also, simply be created using tools such as SiteGrinder. SiteGrinder 2 can aid you in maintaining and updating your website. You may be questioning the need to set up your own website and how it would benefit you and your business. Here are a few answers to that question:
• You can use technology to your business’ improvement – More people these days are using additional hours online than in front of the TV. While considering using an item , they turn to the search engines first for reviews and other helpful information. It would increase sale if information about the product and services you offer would be made readily available on the internet for existing and potential customers to see.
• It is a reasonable way to market your business – The Internet is a great way to spread the word about the products and services that your business offers. Advertising about your site on several websites would be a lot cheaper than other traditional forms of advertising such as print, TV, and radio. Investing on promoting your website is a sound business decision if you do the marketing desirable.
• It makes customer merge easier – More than a few companies pay large amount of cash on customer correspondence through mail and toll-free numbers but websites can also offer ways for your customers to contact you. There are quite a lot of technique of going concerning this. Some business bloggers include guestbooks in their websites, some have a blog-style comment section where comments can be made known, some integrate a contact form on a page, and some invest in installing a web-based chat system for direct customer support. You’ll be surprised to find out that most of the interaction methods above can be put up on your website for free.
• Share updates, changes, and promotions immediately in no time – Posting updates on the internet such as sales, in-store promotions, games, and other changes make it easier for your existing and potential customers to hold on among adjustments. More people will know about it and will be able to respond to it better because they don’t have to pay a visit your store to see your poster or announcement. Finding updates on the website will urge customers to visit your store when you have something new to offer them.
• It’s a great way show potential customers what your company is made of – You only get to make a first impression once, and largely time-honored businesses already know that your website can be a great way to make a good first impression. Most trustworthy businesses put up their identifiable websites. A suitably planned design says a lot about the morals of your company. It’s always a good idea to make sure that your company has a good, clean design and content that is both enlightening plus advanced.
These are certain factors that a business website can add to your company. If you invest some time and the right quality of effort, you’ll see how this could positively influence your business.

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A professional acquaintance shared the expression “CAVE Dwellers” with me. CAVE means “Colleagues Against Virtually Everything.” Of course, CAVE Dwellers do not include those who rationally and respectfully oppose a particular change.

Viewing Compliance as Opportunity

The smart response to government regulations is to go beyond the norms everyone else follows.

Of course, it’s helpful if an organization can anticipate and shape the rules. This is why consumer participation is necessary, so leaders may stay abreast of customers’ issues and environmental impact.

Leaders, managers and their staffs must have the requisite skills to work with customers, activist groups, lobbyists and other companies (including rivals) to explore and develop creative solutions.

Making Value Chains Sustainable

Pay attention to, and foresee, the redesign of operations so you can use less energy and water, produce fewer emissions and generate less waste.

Your value-chain oversight should ensure that suppliers and retailers also make their operations eco-friendly. There are groundbreaking opportunities to develop sustainable sources of raw materials and components, increasing the use of clean energy sources (wind, solar) and finding new uses for returned products.

Niccolo Machiavelli, the Italian politician and writer, forcefully characterized the intensity of negative reactions to possible change and the challenge of effecting substantive change when he said: “There is nothing more difficult to plan, more doubtful of success, nor more dangerous to manage than the creation of a new system. For the initiators have the enmity of all who would profit by the preservation of the old institutions and merely lukewarm defenders in those who would gain by the new one.”

Green Thinking

Green is not merely a cost center, but a profitable path to growth. People at all corporate levels must focus on the following keys:

• Understand what climate change means for business (which is very different from everyone agreeing on the science).
• See the long-term constraints in natural resources and nonrenewable energy.
• View the business in the context of the full value chain, from suppliers to customers and beyond.

Some of these areas touch on people’s belief systems, so leaders must send a strong message. Throwing some basic information about the environment into internal training modules isn’t enough. Top executives must make strong statements about the harsh realities, current and future constraints and challenges, and the organization’s commitment to action.

(4) Fails to see the macro level of programme management

Steps three to five of the AKBAR model are about knowledge of how to change, ability to implement change and reinforcement - making change stick, and these all relate to one of the biggest issues re implementing change - which boils down to: translating vision and strategy into actionable steps.

The traditional project approach referred to by the AKBAR model - sees it as a set of tasks which if executed successfully get a result. In other words the typical process led approach which has failed so consistently and so spectacularly over the last 20 years.

There is an important distinction between the micro level and the macro level perspectives of change management - and which the AKBAR fails to recognise.

At the macro level the root cause of this is lack of clarity and lack of communication about the people aspects of how to manage change - and even more fundamentally - the lack of a language and contextual framework to articulate and manage the necessary processes of change that will work for people. At this level, a major part of the solution to this lies in employing a programme management approach to change, and this is because it is holistic and takes far more account of the many dimensions overlooked by the narrow scope of a project management led approach

Resource Author Francisco R. Higueras
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Encontrar un Trabajo – Empleo es fácil si sabe dónde buscar

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Cheap web hosting( website hosting ) is now the most effective way of promoting and influencing people all around the globe. There is evidence showing that an online ad is clicked about hundreds of thousands of times every day. Cause we all know that in nowadays, the internet is so widely used that people all around the world can use it conveniently given that they have time. As a consequence,you need not anxious about having your advertisements shown on a specific time slot or place to appeal more attention as web hosting will make sure the attention you command.

Right now, you may be thinking of promoting your business by various means, such as fliers, billboards, radio and maybe even via television. All these methods are good but they are costly and are unable to grasp attention as much as web hosting can. In addition to being the most influential method,web hosting is cheaper than others as well. Above all that, web hosting( website hosting ) is one of the only methods that allow you to make drastic changes instantly. For instance,you cannot select a commercial advertisement any time you like. Nor can you change a painted billboard as and when you fancy.

Before you go rushing off to start your very own web hosting( website hosting ) page, you should know the basics on web hosting. The first question that everyone asks is “How do I find a web hosting page?Simple and convenient search engines ,for example ,Google or Yahoo search can help you find your very own web page in just less than a second like any other things you seek for on the internet. However,what is it that you should watch out for when you are selecting your web hosting page? Let me share with you the major things you should inspect when seeking for your web hosting page.

First and foremost ,you are supposed to make sure that your site make you have accesss to upload your own customized web pages. Several sites only permit you to use their preset pages that are limited in several aspects. Do not let this fool you into thinking that it is a benefit as things seems easier because in time to come you will only realize that your web page is not in your control. There is another thing that need to be take into consideration,that is to make sure that the web page make you have the right to have a look at your overall statistics. It means that you can know for sure the amount of people who have visited your web page etc. Finally, make sure that your site allows you to get your very own domain name. If it does not and only authorizes sub domain names, your web hosting page will not be recognized by the Search Engine Optimizer (SEO).

So now, you are all set to begin your very own web hosting page. I can make sure that by just inventing your own web hosting page,you will see your business improve in a remarkable way which you have never imagined before. Many say nothing good comes cheap but this is not so for cheap web hosting. There is evidence show that cheap web hosting will not only help to take your busines to a higher level but also far more high level.

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Senior level support of an initiative is always a key goal of any group manager or project director, in order to ensure success of a project.However, in over 10 years of work with change managers, convincing senior management to approve a proposal continues to be a main source of frustration among group managers. 

To try to better understand what senior management needs to support a project, I asked a number of vice presidents and executive vice presidents from both the private and public sector for their advice.I learned there are two things often ignored by team leaders in their presentations.Using these techniques, the chances of gaining the support of senior management will increase substantially. 

Expecting Immediate Support

According to several executives I interviewed, team leaders and function heads often mistakenly conclude that one brilliant pitch is enough to gain agreement and buy-in.Unfortunately it is more often the case that executive support is created gradually over time. 

One government agency executive I spoke with mentioned that it has taken three to four years to build enough support to gain an increase in congressional funding.  He used the example to illustrate the fact that managers need to take a more strategic and long-term perspective.  He suggested that managers looking for support should:

1.State clearly the ways that the entire organization will benefit from your plan.

2.   Explore your case with peers from other groups/units.  Look for ways to align priorities across multiple teams.

3.   Preview your case with executives and stakeholders.Listen to their ideas and advice.  Make changes. 

4.Wait to present your proposal until after you have built a strong case and obtained initial support for your ideas.

 Failing to Be Strategic

This is a crucial point when it comes to gaining support.In most companies, senior management have developed a vision for the years to come and have developed strategic goals to get there.Support for your proposal will be more likely if you can show how it fits in with those strategic goals. Doing this successfully means being able to read between the lines and understand what is important without waiting to be told what to do. 

What does it mean to be strategic?  In my experience, executives want their directors to:

1.   Understand the organization’s overall priorities.

2.   Proactively suggest how their team can help the organization achieve its goals.

As Scott Eblin writes in “The Next Level”, you need to spend time with your senior executives up front to ensure that you understand what success means to them.However, at this point it is unlikely that they will provide you with specific goals and constraints that you can input into your project.The goal will be to listen for key objectives, as well as company wide restraints, barriers and obstacles.  Absorb what you hear.  Discuss it with your managers.  Then come back to your executive with specific plans about what your group or function will do and how you will do it.Always be flexible and willing to make adjustments based on feedback you hear from the executive team. 

Executive support for a project you feel strongly about may seem as though it is out of your reach, but if you are patient you will be able to build a case that senior management will understand.The objective is to always keep in mind the overall goals of the organization and communicate clearly how your project will help to achieve those goals.  Before you know it, your project could become a key factor in the success of the entire company!    

Wendy Mack is a professional advisor, trainer, and author with a focus in leading and communicating change. Contact Wendy at, or Download her free e-book, Transforming Anxiety into Energy at www.WendyMack.com

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