1. Craft All Your Goals and Objectives

As a student or graduate, you need to self-reflect and think about what career goals you want to meet. Thinking of your life on a timetable, such as a five-year or ten-year plan, can help you micro-manage some of your thoughts. Investigating what you want to accomplish or what ways you want to provide skills to a company or community need to be seriously considered. Organizing these thoughts logically are important so you do not become overwhelmed by how many activities you may need to do. Without a blueprint to be the foundation to how you break into your industry, you may become disorganized with everything you want to do.

2. Enrich Yourself Professionally With Internships and Volunteering

Your course may not require you to complete an internship in order to graduate- this is all the more reason to get one. Being hungry for the positions and truly wanting the career is what will get you to where you want to go. An internship or a volunteer opportunity helps you gain some immense pre-professional skills and a chance to test all of your leadership and critical thinking skills in a workplace environment. Internships are indispensable tools at colleges. Colleges network students across the world with private and public sector internship opportunities. Not taking advantage of these opportunities during college could be detrimental toward your ability to stand out against competitors. Volunteer opportunities are also helpful. Volunteering shows your initiative to provide your free time to a company or non-profit and your willingness to help your community.

3. Develop Your Resume or CV

Developing your resume can consume some time, but it is obviously necessary to complete this task with appropriate details. A general resume should be developed that lists your skills, qualifications, work history, and education. After that, though, you should develop a tailored resume for each job you apply to. Each resume you send to a different company or for a job opening should be unique to meet demands. Building the resume based upon the job description is important to show you are a true contender for the position.

4. Networking

Networking is an incredible tool to get your name out there with other professionals. Professional networks include regional professional organizations and social media websites such as LinkedIn and Twitter. Appearing on a site like LinkedIn or joining local organizations or professional groups allows you to communicate and meet other professionals. Even if it is online, making initial contact is key. Even to follow an industry professional or a company you are interested in on Twitter can turn heads in your direction. Making insightful or genuinely humorous comments garner attention. These interactions can be fruitful for a number of reasons. It may lead to a follow back, therefore opening doors to the real world. It’s all about “who you know” right? Those people you know, may know of job openings in the industry, or others may become impressed by your credentials and want to reach out with an employment opportunity.

5. Invest In Professional Advice on Campus

There are opportunities to gain some advice and information on specific industries that would be impossible to find if you were not enrolled in a college program. Students who have access to unique resources must pursue opportunities in order to find the right one. Some of these resources include faculty or staff in your academic department, the career counseling department at your college, contacting your college’s alumni network, or attending the frequent career fairs that occur at your school. In order to calm your nerves a little bit, when you are meeting with a professional in the industry for the first time, look at it as YOU interviewing THEM. This is good because: 1) Takes the pressure of yourself. 2) You will be prepared to ask the right questions. Recent graduates can capitalize on the alumni network of their school, but after graduating, there are different options available. You can always invest time seeking advice from friends, acquaintances of friends, or family members as well. These talks can not only provide informal advice, but also unique techniques like practice interview sessions or job shadowing.

Tony Bradley is a career counselor specializing in helping students find entry level jobs.

Infographic by http://www.jobstoday.co.uk/

The distinction between web and market analytics is like comparing a piece of a puzzle to an entire picture as a whole. Most people utilize web analytics through tools such as Google to track page views per visit and site performance—only partial information. Market analytics on the other hand, have a more holistic approach: measuring not only your website traffic, but all of your data—monitoring your sales, social media, to offline events and more.

How the rise of the internet and digital advertising has changed the nature of marketing – more data more analytics 

The bigger the data set, the more analytics involved. By only evaluating a portion of your market information, it would be fair to assume you could be only receiving a scrap of your ROI, and not maximizing your full potential.

Just as mobile apps are adapting to the new surge of data, businesses should use market analytics to shelter the rise of digital advertising. In order to scale this vast data, businesses must invest in upgrading their strategy to get ahead of their competitors. The use of market analytics has never been so vital to your marketing business.

Why should MA  be your top priority to ensure highest return on investment for marketing budgets

82% of marketers say they expect measurable campaigns, less than a third of them can actually deliver the results the return of their investment.

This statistic confirms the difficulty marketers face in tracking their ROI. For example, imagine you are selling a new product online. At first, you are measuring how many people visit your website and when people purchase your products. You may get a couple of hundred or thousand views and learn that people tend to purchase things during late afternoons after they’ve finished their work for the day. Now, imagine that you can combine your web site performance, offline sales, social media accounts, and other customer activity.

You may unearth information. For example, people on Facebook are recommending the older product because it is cheaper and in most cases, delivers the same results. In addition, you’ll find that offline sales in general are more appealing to customers because they can sample and try your product in person. See how market decisions could drive your business? It allows you to broaden your visions in order to make decisions from a larger marketing platform.

Profile of key strategies and tools marketers can use to track what is working and what isn’t 

So what are some strategies and tools marketers can use to track what is working and what isn’t?

1. Integration

Integrate all of your media channels so that you can monitor them on a comprehensive program. Compare your results with each of your channels. Use what works and build your decisions around which marketing outlets are worth your time. Comparing this data as a whole, you can maybe see that your blog is not performing while your Facebook takes the center stage.

1. Change your concept

In order to maximize your results, you have to switch the way in which you think. In a 2012 CMO Survey, the results found that most managers do not make their decisions based on market analytics even though it could help them get ahead of their competitors. Marketing managers should adapt a new strategy amid the new technological era. Technology and the market is changing and your concept of marketing should, too.

1. Test your strategies

Maybe you are not sure if your email service is making any difference in your ROI? A great tool to use would be to track what is working and what isn’t. Testing your marketing channels can do this. If the data isn’t enough, then create your own. See what works. Maybe sending less frequent emails during lunch break will result in more subscribers rather than blasting their email server during the wrong times of the day.

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About the Author

Logan Harper is a digital strategist for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s MPA@UNC: online masters degree in public administration and MBA@UNC: online masters degree in business administration programs. In addition to higher education, he is also passionate about travel, cooking, and international politics. Follow him on Twitter @harperlogan.

The question is – where do you get these testimonials from? Well, in the main, your current customer pool will be where you should turn to. Get in touch with your existing database and ask them to provide you with a testimonial for your service or product. In return, offer them a freebie, like a discount on their next purchase, or a product for free. To help them, be as specific as possible with what you need. Ask them about certain aspects of your service, or product, and they’ll be more likely to respond.

There are four major types of testimonials – customer, celebrities, experts, and expert organisations. In the main, customer testimonials will prove to be your most valuable, and easiest to obtain, and will generally be the most credible for new potential customers.

But what if you are launching a new product? What if you have no database of customers to get testimonials from? Well, in these situations, running a test is always a great option. Offer your product for free, or at least part of it, in return for a testimonial. People will be more than happy to get something for free, if they only need to offer some good feedback on it as a result.

Once you have gathered testimonials, the next step is spreading the word, including how to use them for marketing purposes in the best way. Well, utilising them throughout your website, and throughout your marketing is important. Not only should you have a custom testimonials page, but you should tailor specific testimonials to certain parts of your service. For example, if you have a page or section on customer service, include a testimonial within it that relates directly to this in a positive way.

People need to know what they are getting themselves into, before they take the plunge. The more social proof you can provide about your products and services, the easier the buying decision will become for your potential customers.

Thomas Jones is a business consultant that enjoys helping various companies to grow. The current economic situation is particularly difficult to navigate and we all need as much help as possible including best practice recruitment guides. For more information and advice, visit BestPracticeHub.com.

Taking on a litigation case is a massive risk for any business, regardless of its size, because it requires a large sum of money to go to court.

Fundamentally, there is no guarantee that you will win, so there is the chance of losing all that hard-earned money; and you could end up paying the opponents legal fees too.

Essentially money is the deal-breaker but being sued also causes a lot of strain that is otherwise not needed. It is extremely time-consuming and expensive.

Ask any business owner and they will tell you the same thing; all they want is to get on with running a successful brand; not being dragged through the courts.

So how can you minimise the risk of being sued? Here are 6 key steps that will help you avoid the court of law.

• Get insurance

Elsewhere, Public Liability Insurance covers you for any liability or death to third parties, and damage to third parties property as a result of negligence by you or your employees.

Legal Expenses Insurance is vital to cover your legal costs, but check what your policy covers because often or not they can be limited in the amount covered, as well as the type of claims. A standard cover usually includes court costs, employing solicitors and accountancy fees.

• Treat your staff and customers right

If you fail to support your customers properly, you open yourself up to allegations. Be prompt with your responses and take a grievance seriously.

It is also important to retain your employee’s happiness. Employment disputes are a major cause of litigation and wrongful/ unfair dismissal are the most common types of claim. Treat everyone how you would like to be dealt with, and look after your workforce.

• Stay above board

Know the law and your rights, as well as your employee’s rights and stick to them. Put policies in place and make sure they are adhered to.

For example; if the floor is wet, make sure your employee’s know the correct procedure to clean it up and put out a warning sign, before anyone slips. This minimises the risk of an accident occurring, and should a fall happen, you have backed yourself up legally.

Communicate to all employees what your policies are; make sure they know the basic do’s and don’ts; and comply with legislation.

• Document everything

Even if something is said verbally and is agreed, follow it up with an email to document the important conversation. By doing so, neither party can deny the exchange at a later date. Any type of agreement, whether it is a contract, transaction or chat; get it in written form.

• Run background checks when recruiting

Have they previously taken anyone to court? Obviously if it wasn’t their fault this shouldn’t be penalised against, but you should take all court proceedings into account.

• Pay your taxes on-time

Whether it is HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC), or the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), they will come after you if you are untrue.

Change the face of your business and follow the steps above to reduce the chances of being taken to court. Remember- being sued is costly but there are options available that can help by offering a funding solution to the costs of running a case.

This article was provided by Vannin Capital, specialists in litigation funding. The experts provide a risk-free solution to pursuing litigation for every business.

However, this is where postgraduate study can come in handy: not only does a postgraduate qualification make your CV stand out, but it demonstrates to potential employers that you are motivated and dedicated to your subject.

The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills’ report on postgraduate education found that the number of people undertaking postgraduate education grew by over a third between 1998 and 2010, with nearly a quarter of students in the UK studying at postgraduate level. “The advanced knowledge and capability of postgraduates are highly prized by business and the public sector,” said the report.

“The skills of postgraduates, especially researchers, are critical for tackling major business challenges and driving innovation and growth.

The UK’s ability to provide people skilled to this level is an important factor in attracting global businesses to locate high-value operations here.”

Postgraduate degrees can be taken in almost any subject, and institutions like Middlesex University offer a wide variety of courses, from accounting and business administration to nursing and social work, these courses provide a valuable next step for those who want to specialise in a subject, or even take your career in a new direction. Not only do people with postgraduate degrees earn more, but they find their skills in demand from a wider variety of institutions: everyone from blue-chip companies to leading think tanks and public sector departments seek the expertise of people who have dedicated years of extra study to their chosen subject.

Remember that these courses are typically much more intensive than an undergraduate degree: they’re demanding, fast-paced and require a lot of time and attention, but the rewards can be literally life-changing.

If you’re interested in seeing what a postgrad qualification could do for your career, go to your chosen university’s next postgraduate fair to find out more information and see what your options are. It could well be the route to finally landing that job of your dreams – and if nothing else, the experience you gain and people you meet along the way will be invaluable.

For the information of such business owners, the Data Protection Act and Secure Document Disposal states that personal data must be:

• processed fairly and lawfully,
• for one or more legally sanctioned purpose,
• specific to the purpose, adequate and not excessive,
• accurate and timely,
• kept no longer than the life of the purpose,
• processed according to the rights of the individual; for the individual to be informed of the information being processed, to prevent such information from being marketed, and to be compensated if damaged by such marketing, and
• not passed to countries outside the European Economic Area.

• the client’s racial or ethnic origin,
• the client’s political opinions,
• the client’s religious beliefs or similar practices,
• the client’s affiliation with a trade union,
• the client’s mental or physical health,
• the client’s sexual preferences,
• the act or the accusation of an act of an unlawful nature by the client, and
• an action in court of an act or accusation of an act of an unlawful nature by the client.

Other security measures would include training staff not to relay personal information via email that is not encrypted, nor relay it to groups of individuals. Staff should be trained not to open spam. It sometimes contains viruses or spyware. Staff should know what to look for in persons seeking such personal information for fraudulent purposes.

Robert Dean has been involved in the shredding services for several years and believes in the importance of business security and managing paperwork. He currently works for TheShreddingAlliance.co.uk.

However, although internet business banking, typically, is widely offered by Egypt’s vibrant financial sector, even there, many small and medium-sized enterprises have yet to exploit the online services available to any great degree. This is particularly so in Egypt’s tourism sector, a major contributor of GDP. Yet, if the figures are to believed, only 1 in 20 of tourism businesses make use of the Internet in any meaningful way. Now that’s a really surprising statistic given the importance of the industry.

Egypt is currently experiencing dramatic political and economic upheaval at the moment, a situation which has generated thousands of column-inches and interminable news reports in newspapers, radio and television stations around the world. So there’s little need to add to the coverage here. But, in passing, it is interesting to note how self-obsessed Egyptians have now become with the Internet since the 2011 revolution and the downfall of the oppressive Mubarak regime.

The point has been well made by a number of commentators over recent weeks and months. The pity is it took a revolution in order to bring this natural state of affairs about. How we in the West tend to take the freedoms which the Internet brings very much for granted.

It’s the young who’ve very much led the growth of internet usage in Egypt, just as they’ve done in the rest of the world. But when considering the most popular activities – email, searching for and downloading information – it’s a bit like looking at how the Internet was used in the United States some 10 or 15 years ago. But everything is now changing, catching up with the rest of the world.

Nowhere is this more apparent than in Egypt’s love affair with social media. The use of the likes of Facebook has soared in recent years, from a mere 4 million accounts in 2010 to something near the 12 million mark in 2012. More than 3 out of every 4 users are aged under 30. Indeed, there are more Facebook users in Egypt than anywhere else in the Arab world. Much of the upsurge has been driven by the growing popularity of smartphones and other such devices, used by almost half of internet users to go online.

But if social media is making major in-roads into everyday life in Egypt, the same can’t be said of online shopping. The typical Egypt bank may offer online banking and other bank account services, including as standard a debit or credit card, but in a country where cash is still king, it’s proving hard to change old habits. The statistics make that abundantly clear with a disappointing 2% of internet users shopping online in 2011. There are other reasons, too, including a lack of trust in online security.

However, even here, the landscape is slowly changing for the better, providing entrepreneurs both in Egypt and across the world with lucrative investment opportunities.

Go here for more about Egypt and the Internet.

1. Find The Keys To Unlock The Door To Your Selling Enthusiasm (And Never Lose Them)

If you aren’t as excited as you used to be about selling, the first thing to do is examine the reasons why. Have you not been making enough sales lately? Is the work environment not conducive to selling? Are there problems outside the workplace that are affecting your performance? There could be many reasons, and while some of them may be difficult to manage or diffuse, a great deal more of them can be easily remedied.

Once you determine the factors that are keeping you from staying energetic, create a list of what can be done to counteract them. If you aren’t sure, don’t be afraid to ask someone else for advice. Quite often an answer might lie just out of reach of our own mind, but can easily be given by another. Sometimes even just talking with another more spirited coworker can be enough to instill you with a renewed sense of motivation.

2. Infect the Customer

Now that you’ve discovered some ways to keep your motivation high and stay energetic, the next step is to infect the customer with the same excitement you feel. If the customer sees that you are excited about the product, it is highly likely that they will also grow more excited about it as well. Subsequently, when you see their excitement grow, yours rises even higher. It’s like a continually rising cycle, each of you feeding off of each other’s emotions. And each exciting sale will catapult you on to the next.

3. Set Realistic Goals For Yourself

Being motivated typically involves having some goal in mind. If you have nothing to work towards, it can be quite difficult to maintain a sense of enthusiasm. Having goals is one of the keys to staying energetic, because we don’t really want to disappoint ourselves. With a goal in mind, you’ll keep working towards it, and as you get closer to it, your excitement will grow.

4. Surround Yourself With Excitement

As mentioned previously, sometimes simply talking to another coworker who is highly energetic is enough to keep you staying energetic as well. The feeling can be spread amongst coworkers as well as to customers. If your business allows it, play some upbeat, energetic music. Help foster a fun environment in which employees enjoy their job and love selling.

5. Find Inspiration

Whatever the reasons you had for initially becoming a salesperson, the facts now show that you are good at it. If that isn’t enough to inspire you, then get inspired by someone or something else. Read books about successful entrepreneurs, and or ask the best salesperson in the place (if it isn’t you) how they do it. You might be quite surprised by what you read or hear, and chances are you’ll learn a few new things about staying energetic as well.

6. Challenge Yourself

Have you been able to meet all your goals? If not, them keep at it. If yes, then maybe its time you tried setting goals that were a little more challenging.

7. Take a Break

If you work on a sales floor, you at least have the ability to walk around at times. If you’re stuck in a call center on the phone all day, it’s no wonder that your motivation is dropping. Staring at a computer and sitting a chair may seem like easy work, but it is actually very draining throughout the course of the day. Use your break time to do something a little energetic, like taking a short walk. And be sure to have snacks that provide you with healthy energy, not a quick sugar rush that fades and leaves you feeling worse than before.

8. Learn About the Product

How can you be excited about a product if you don’t even know much about it? Take the time to know about the product, and also learn about the benefits to the consumer. A customer will be more excited about a purchase if they know how a product can help them, and by provided them with that information, you are in turn helping the customer.

9. Avoid Becoming a Robot

Do you consistently use the same sales pitch or read from a script? Try getting a little creative and change things up a little. So long as you don’t forget the main points of the original sales pitch, you can probably easily come up with a few different ways to present them. This will cut down on the monotony, helping you to stay energetic and not fall victim to salesmanship boredom.

About the Author: Valerie Cecil is a research coordinator, marketing specialist and writer for Outbounding.com. Her work allows her to investigate many topics, ranging from online consumer relations to effective communication in the workplace. Her hobbies include kayaking, watercolor, and doing marketing work for Retail Packaging.

After a six-month beta trial involving 500 businesses, the free-to-use tool was launched in early November. Or, as one online technology publication heralded the arrival of SITW, “Skype Grows Up, Goes to Work”. It is expected to allow millions of small businesses, entrepreneurs and startups to promote their products and services by providing a central hub for connecting with experts, coaches and consultants who can help them develop their businesses. Users can improve their existing connections and establish new ones by instant messaging, talking to or meeting face-to-face with peers and business prospects over Skype.

According to the Skype website, SITW helps businesses in three specific ways:

1. To find the services they need from a global community of experts.
2. To promote their services to make new connections, share inspiration and help grow business.
3. To organize businesses to get the most from their Skype connections.

“With more than 280 million connected users each month, Skype offers a huge range of contacts for the small-business community,” notes Ural Cebeci, head of SMB marketing at Skype, in a prepared statement. “We aim to connect millions of small businesses with Skype in the workspace and believe that, by taking advantage of this shared network, businesses can develop the range of tools they need to grow, regardless of location or industry.”

Two early adapters of SITW agree that the service really delivers. “There’s a big difference between a professional network and a social network, and Skype In The Workspace seems to understand this distinction,” says Jorge Parra, a Florida-based professional photographer and avid Skype user. “It is the perfect companion to my existing online presence and generates connections that will actually bring me business.”

Cindy Bidar, owner of a U.S. startup providing expert advice on how to design, build and maintain an online presence, says that “Skype In The Workspace has offered something other online platforms couldn’t — a community of business-focused individuals who can explore my services and interact with me in real time.”

“Small businesses are the backbone of the U.S. economy. For these businesses to survive and grow in what is still a tough economic climate, we understand that good communication and connections are key to their success,” says Cebeci. “We feel we’re helping connect businesses face-to-face with their customers and prospects, no matter where they are located. It opens up a world of opportunity for them.”

About the Author: Beth Longware Duff is a professional editor and award-winning writer whose work on a wide variety of topics has been published in print and electronic media. She currently writes on a wide range of topics dealing with electronic payment processing and credit card processing services for Merchant Express.