Teacher Resume Writing Services - How to Compare the Services That You Are Considering

Teacher Resume Writing Services - How to Compare the Services That You Are ConsideringUsing a talented teacher resume writing services provider can make it possible for you to get your job without having to go through the grueling process of posting a resume in each and every job posting agency that you may be contacted with. With these services, you can be sure that you will have a list of interviews you can attend with ease. In addition, you will have the ability to provide information to any hiring managers or recruitment agencies that you may be contacted with.As a result, you do not have to spend weeks, months, or even years submitting your own paper in each and every application that you may receive from an employer. These teaching resumes are typically prepared by professionals who have specific skills and qualifications. Additionally, you can have a resume that is unique, as each resume writing service is designed to provide quality work.To ensure that you will be receiving t he best services, it is important that you do some research. By finding out the credentials of the services that you are considering, you will be able to find out whether they have demonstrated quality and value for the money that they charge. Additionally, you can then make a selection that offers you the best return on your investment.By reviewing the testimonials of previous employees that can be found in the internet, you will be able to determine the experience level of the staff that is working on your resume. While some of these services are generally considered the 'cheap' options, others are able to offer quality services at a low price. Thus, the same resume services that are available at the higher end of the spectrum may not be offered in their cheaper offerings.Also, you can use this research to discover whether the various teacher resume writing services that you are considering offer anything that is unique or specific. Often, you can learn which of the teachers are t he most likely candidates for employment and which ones are likely to have a difficult time getting their resumes approved. In addition, you can gain some insights into how the clients get better results from the writing services that they are using.One of the features that you may be interested in looking for when you are looking for a teacher resume writing services is whether the writing services that are currently using that can be regularly accessed. In order to determine this, you will need to look at the availability of the writing services that you are considering. By looking at the type of technology that they are using, you will be able to determine how they are able to provide you with an efficient resume.You can also discover more about the services that have been used in the past by checking the references that the writing services have provided on previous projects. It is important that you compare the writing services that you are considering with the reference materi als that they have provided in the past. Doing so will ensure that you will be able to make the best choice based on your needs.By comparing the services that you have available, you will be able to get an idea of what you want to expect with your teacher resume. It will also help you determine which of the services that you are considering is actually a good fit for your career goals. Therefore, taking some time to review each and every one of the teacher resume writing services that you are considering will ensure that you will be able to receive the best professional services at the best price.

Dawn Graham on Switching Careers [Podcast] - Career Pivot

Dawn Graham on Switching Careers [Podcast] - Career Pivot Episode #92-Marc Miller interviews Dawn Graham, author of Switchers: How Smart Professionals Change Careers â€" and Seize Success. Description: Dr. Dawn Marie Graham, Ph.D. is one of the nation’s leading career coaches. She is the career director for the MBA program for executives at the Wharton School, where she counsels business leaders on making strategic career choices. A licensed psychologist and former corporate recruiter, Dr. Dawn Graham hosts the SiriusXM Radio’s popular weekly call-in show, Career Talk and is a regular contributor to Forbes. Key Takeaways: [1:33] Marc welcomes you to Episode 92 of the Repurpose Your Career podcast. [1:45] If you’re enjoying this podcast, Marc invites you to share this podcast with like-minded souls. [1:50] Please subscribe on CareerPivot.com, iTunes, Google Play, Podbean, Overcast, TuneIn, Spotify, or Stitcher. Share it on social media, write an honest iTunes review, or tell your neighbors and colleagues so Marc can help more people. [2:09] Next week, Marc will start the next career pivot evaluation series with “Can Sarah Repurpose Her Career?” Sarah (not her real name) is employed, a closet creative, and a structured anarchist. Her personality is quite interesting. Marc has seen all aspects of her personality in other clients, but not in this combination. [2:34] This week, Marc will interview Dawn Graham, author of Switchers: How Smart Professionals Change Careers â€" and Seize Success. Marc reads Dr. Graham’s bio. Now on to the podcast… Download Link |iTunes|Stitcher Radio|Google Podcast|Podbean|TuneIn|Overcast [3:20] Marc welcomes Dr. Dawn Graham to the podcast. Members of Marc’s online community had recommended her book to Marc and he invited her to the podcast. A lot of what Marc read in the book is pretty closely aligned to his own thoughts. [3:40] Dawn wrote the book because the traditional career ladder has gone away. No longer do people start out in a career and retire from that career. It’s an exciting time. Dawn covers some of the reasons people find themselves ready to switch. [4:19] No one has a background in the new hybrid jobs, so transferable skills are critical, such as strategic thinking, working with customers, building relationships, and being innovative. [4:46] The timing has never been so ripe to move into these different opportunities. The challenge is that the hiring process has not caught up with the new jobs. AI Algorithms to match skill sets to jobs are biased toward traditional candidates. They look for the right titles or years of experience in a very specific area. [5:24] Job seekers are more excited than ever to do different things, but the market is not in a position to see the career switchers because they’re not getting through the applicant tracking systems or other online technology. [5:40] The book, Switchers, helps people bypass the technology and get in front of the decision makers. Marc always tells people their next job is going to come from a relationship, not a tracking system. [6:05] In a tracking system, you are an unknown, competing with people who are known, either through a referral or as an internal candidate or a boomerang employee. Most people (70% or 80%) get their job through networking. The conversations of daily life, or knowing someone, can introduce you to information about your perfect opening. [6:59] Marc recently posted about the five things you will never know about the hiring process at your target company. [7:30] There are lots of obstacles between the online job searcher and the decision maker at the target company that the applicant does not even realize. When a job posting comes out, you don’t even know if the company has a pre-identified internal candidate but are just following procedures or if it’s an obsolete posting or a scam. [8:22] Provided the job posting is real, an applicant system will kick you out if your resume is not formatted in the way it’s used to reading. You may be thinking you’re a perfect match but your application has not gone to the hiring manager. [8:47] Between the time you applied and the application got to the hiring manager, someone internal may have referred another candidate who has leapfrogged the system and already in the second interview with the hiring manager. [9:03] Applying online is really a risk. Marc gives a case study. [9:44] The hiring manager is often not skilled in the hiring process. They have a full-time job in another department and are only called on to manage hiring a couple of times a year. Oftentimes, job descriptions are not written in a way that aligns with performance measures. The whole process has a lot of places where it can fall apart before you even get in the door. [10:13] If you get a referral from someone inside the company who knows the culture, knows what’s going on in the company, puts your resume in front of somebody, and actually connects you to that person, you will likely get a phone call so you can prove yourself. [10:38] Dawn includes psychological principles in the book important for understanding the process. A lot of the hiring process is about psychology. It’s important to know what’s happening in the mind of the hirer. They will make the decision emotionally and then justify it with data. You want to understand that so you can build a strategy. [11:49] Hiring managers are concerned about losses. Loss aversion is common to all humans. You are angrier about a loss than happy about a gain. As a switcher, the hiring manager sees you as a risk. You haven’t done this job before. So you have to come up with a strategy to put their mind at ease. [12:34] The job search process is a game of elimination, not of selection. There are hundreds of applicants. Hiring managers look for red flags, including being a switcher, a job hopper, or going to an unfavored school. It can be silly things. They want easy outs to narrow down the pile. You can put together a strategy to end up in the final round. [13:36] For applicants over 50, one of the key things is getting over the fact that they’re older. Hiring managers are looking for easy outs, even if they don’t know they’re being biased. No job descriptions ask for 30+ years of experience. Do not give that number away early. Don’t show the year of your degree. List experience back only 20 years. [14:51] With your age-free materials, work on getting a referral. A lot of bias can be overcome with a strong referral. A referral is somebody trusted by the hiring manager to put applicants before them that fit with the culture and fits the approach the team takes and gives them an endorsement. Now the hiring manager has to prove them wrong. [15:43] The safest candidate you can hire is an internal hire. The second safest candidate is an external candidate with an employee referral. Marc thinks that the safe candidates make up 80% to 90% of all hiring, so, go get the referral. [16:00] Dawn talks about how to build a network. As an introvert, Dawn has constantly worked on expanding her network. One easy step is to make sure your spouse, children, neighbor, and people where you attend services all know, in a sentence or two, very clearly the value you add in the professional world. [17:05] If the people who care about you most and support you are able to do this, they can be your ambassadors to share your information with others and bring opportunities to your attention. They can’t do this if they can’t explain to others what you do. Make sure the people closest to you know clearly what you do. [17:36] Marc and Dawn discuss strong ties and weak ties. One overlooked weak tie is your children’s friends’ parents. They may have a completely different network. When Marc went to teach high school, his most powerful connector was his chiropractor. [18:05] Your chiropractor, dentist, hairdresser, etc., see a lot of people from a lot of areas. They could tell you of opportunities or even introduce you to somebody who could open the door to new opportunities. Don’t discount any connection. [18:52] Don’t overlook dormant contacts you may have lost touch with. Old neighbors, old co-workers, old roommates â€" there are so many places where we’ve crossed paths with people that we can reconnect with, even on social media. Rebuilding a trusted relationship tends to be pretty quick. [19:44] Marc gives a case study of an introverted sales guy in the packaged food industry. Marc told him to reach out to everyone he had worked with in the last 20 years. He got a job as an account manager from somebody he had worked with 15 years earlier. [20:55] Dawn comments on why people are hesitant to reach out. They know it makes sense, and they don’t have challenges speaking to people, but when they look for employment, they feel vulnerable asking for help. They can ask for a restaurant referral but are nervous to ask about a job referral. [21:46] Be curious. Don’t start talking about a job. Ask how they are doing and what they are up to after these years. Talk about mutual friends. Re-establish your connection. When you meet, then you can talk about your situation and they will want to do what they can to help you. Ask for advice, insights, and recommendations (AIR). [22:37] Whether are not you are promoting your brand, people brand you by how they observe you and your behaviors. Be conscious of the perceptions people have of you. Understand your audience in a job search and how your accomplishments and strengths can start to solve their problems. Make that your brand. [24:14] Your brand needs to be in light of what your audience is looking for. There are also intangibles, such as likability. It is critical to your brand. [24:30] If you’re a likable person, you can get away with a lot more inside your organization than if you’re not. Venture capitalists are going to be more likely to invest in your new business if you’re likable than if you’re not. People are looking for likability as part of your brand. Put your phone away in a conversation. Take time to ask questions. [25:08] Following through on your commitments is critical as well. [25:24] There is a chapter in the book about fairness. Dawn talks about it. A lot of people who are unsuccessful in switching careers have been chasing fairness instead of reality. Don’t take unfairness personally. Learn the rules and play within them. Create a strategy to get around bias. Don’t get stuck in the applicant tracking system. [27:06] When you get hired as a switcher, somebody with the traditional background is going to say that’s not fair. It’s not a level playing field so you have to learn to get around the situations that can bog you down to get the advantage. [27:41] Marc notes that older workers are scared of rejection, or they don’t want to brag so they don’t put themselves out there as they must. He refers to Alexander Buschek’s journey to rebrand himself into a digital transformation thought leader in Episode 72. Marc told Alexander over and over again to be bold. [28:22] Each time Alexander took a little step forward, he got positive feedback. Marc kept pushing him. Now he speaks all over Europe at conferences. He is the digital transformation guy. [28:50] Chances are, if you’re worried that you’re bragging, you’re probably not. If you are going to be humble, remember that the guy behind you will not, so you will lose out. There are ways to advocate for yourself that don’t feel as though you’re bragging. Dawn recommends talking about how you were rewarded or recruited, in terms of others. [29:45] It may be tempting to speak in terms of “we” and “our team.” That tends to masks your contribution. People know you were on a team but talk about the things you did. Use “glide” questions by stating an accomplishment and asking how that might work relevant to what the company is doing. [30:57] Dawn gives her connection info. Marc thanks Dawn for being on the podcast. [31:49] Dawn has a very similar view on changing careers as Marc has. Marc suggests you pick up her book and give it a read. [33:07] Check back next week, when Marc will start the next career pivot evaluation series with “Can Sarah Repurpose Her Career?” Mentioned in This Episode: Careerpivot.com Switchers: How Smart Professionals Change Careers â€" and Seize Success, by Dawn Graham “5 Things You Will Never Know About the Hiring Process,” by Mark Miller CareerPivot.com/Episode-72 Alexander Buschek Dr. Dawn Graham on LinkedIn DrDawnOnCareers.com SiriusXM Channel 132 “Career Talk” Dr. Dawn on Careers on iTunes Please pick up a copy of Repurpose Your Career: A Practical Guide for the 2nd Half of Life, by Marc Miller and Susan Lahey. The paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats are available. When you have completed reading the book, Marc would very much appreciate your leaving an honest review on Amazon.com. The audio version of the book is available on the iTunes app, Audible, and Amazon. Marc has the paid membership community running on the CareerPivot.com website. The website is in production. Marc is contacting people on the waitlist. Get more information and sign up for the waitlist at CareerPivot.com/Community. Marc has five initial cohorts of 10 members in the second half of life. Those in the initial cohorts are guiding him in this endeavor. Shortly, Marc will start recruiting members for the sixth cohort who are motivated to take action and give Marc input on what he should produce next. Ask to be put on the waiting list to join a cohort. This is a unique paid membership community where Marc will offer group coaching, special content, mastermind groups, branding sessions and, more importantly, a community where you can seek help. CareerPivot.com/Episode-92 Show Notes for this episode. Please subscribe at CareerPivot.com to get updates on all the other happenings at Career Pivot. Marc publishes a blog with Show Notes every Tuesday morning. If you subscribe to the Career Pivots blog, every Sunday you will receive the Career Pivot Insights email, which includes a link to this podcast. Please take a moment â€" go to iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, Podbean, TuneIn, Overcast through the Overcast app, or Spotify through the Spotify app. Give this podcast an honest review and subscribe! If you’re not sure how to leave a review, please go to CareerPivot.com/review, and read the detailed instructions there. Email Marc at Podcast@CareerPivot.com. Contact Marc, and ask questions at Careerpivot.com/contact-me You can find Show Notes at Careerpivot.com/repurpose-career-podcast. To subscribe from an iPhone: CareerPivot.com/iTunes To subscribe from an Android: CareerPivot.com/Android Careerpivot.com Like what you just read? Share it with your friends using the buttons above. Like What You Read? Get Career Pivot Insights Check out the Repurpose Your Career Podcast Do You Need Help With ...

How to Receive Feedback and Mistakes to Avoid

How to Receive Feedback and Mistakes to Avoid What would you do if you saw a way that your colleague could improve? Would you say something? For most of us, the answer is “it depends”. On the one hand, you think, “I’d want to know if it was me.” On the other hand, it feels awkward to give this kind of feedback. Maybe you don’t know each other well enough, or you’ve got a favor to ask later and don’t want to upset them. Most of all, you can’t be sure how they’ll take it. In fact, they might take it the wrong way. The Key to Success But it’s exactly this kind of crucial input that can make or break our careers, and put us on a very different trajectory than the one we desire. After all, we all have our blind spots and we rely on others to point them out so we can improve. When it comes to getting the feedback you need, you might think that all it takes is asking. But in my experience, asking is not the key success factor. Instead, the key to success is receiving that feedback well. When you show you’re a pro at receiving feedback, three great things start happening: You’ll get a lot more feedback and input to help you improve The feedback you get will be more honest and useful â€" the kind you can do something with and see results You won’t need to ask for it all the time â€" people will share it with you willingly When you get lots of useful feedback, you can accelerate your progress toward that successful career and life you’ve always wanted. Without it, you’ll languish. The key to success when getting feedback is knowing how to receive it well How to Receive Feedback Like a Pro Receiving feedback well is a crucial skill when it comes to advancing your career, and it involves the following three steps. 1. Be “Safe” The first step is to make yourself “safe” to give feedback to. That is, make it a positive experience for others when they take the time to give you their thoughts on how you can improve. Feedback is priceless stuff that can propel your career onward and upward. And the giver probably had to think long and hard before bringing this to your attention, including worrying about how you’re going to take it. I’ve found that the best way to make it “safe” for others to give you feedback is to simply say, “thank you.” Yep, that’s it. And whatever you do, don’t argue with them or debate what they’ve said, even if you disagree. All that said, it’s okay to ask a clarifying question to make sure you’ve understood what they’re telling you. Your part of the conversation might sound like this: “Thank you. I appreciate your taking the time to share that with me. Just to make sure I understand what you mean, can you give me an example?” Once they answer, you say, “thank you” again. And that’s it. When someone gives you feedback, it’s not an invitation to debate. Simply say, “thank you”. 2. Do something with it The second step is to decide what you want to do about this new information, and then do it. Of course you’ll want to start by examining the feedback. After all, feedback is in the eyes of the beholder and it’s just as much about their perspective as it is about what you’ve done or said. Here, I find it can be useful to triangulate and get views from others that you trust. But then, it’s key to act on portions that make sense. Since not all advice is good advice, do some experiments where you’re not sure. When you take action, it shows people that it’s worthwhile giving you the feedback. In fact, I get really excited when I see someone take input from me or others and apply it and, best of all, get results. That makes me want to help them again and it lets me know I’m not wasting my time. 3. Let the giver know Sometimes, it will be obvious that you’ve taken someone’s feedback on board and improved your performance. But that won’t always be the case. You may operate in different circles or geographies, and your paths might not cross regularly. That’s when this third step of “closing the loop” with the person who gave you the feedback is an important touch point. I know I always appreciate knowing what happened after sticking my neck out to give someone constructive feedback. And even if it’s obvious that you’ve taken their ideas on board, it’s still a great move to tell them what you’ve done and to thank them. It encourages them to give you feedback again, gives you a chance to further build that relationship in a positive way, and creates a virtuous cycle where they’ll feel good about helping not only you but others as well. Common Mistakes When Receiving Feedback While it’s crucial to your success to receive feedback well, it’s a skill that doesn’t come naturally to most of us. In fact, here are four common mistakes people make when it comes to receiving feedback. Arguing When you disagree, or there are other circumstances that you feel compelled to explain, it puts up a barrier to further feedback. When someone gives you feedback, it’s not an invitation to debate. They’re trying to do you a favor by letting you know how they think you could improve. Remember that it can be a stressful time for the giver too, and your attempts to set them straight will likely leave a negative impression and even backfire. Instead, you’re probably better off thinking it over and coming back to it at another time. Getting emotional This is a tough one as it’s hard to control our emotions in the moment. But whether it’s crying or lashing out in anger, those emotions can work against us if we want to improve our career prospects. If this is the situation you find yourself in, then one way to address it is to figure out why feedback puts your emotions on high alert, and what kinds of feedback situations trigger that emotional response. Then you’ll have a better chance of reframing the situation and replacing your reactions with something more matter-of-fact. I find that it also helps to make getting feedback a regular and frequent event. That way, it’s no longer a big deal â€" like brushing your teeth or commuting to work. It becomes just “normal”. Feedback can propel your career onward and upward. Make getting feedback a regular and frequent event. Taking it personally It’s human nature to perceive feedback as criticism. Worse yet, to feel like it’s criticism directed at you as a less-than-adequate human being. You must resist that urge. To help you do this, it’s useful to remember the parenting adage that you’re not a bad person, it’s just “bad” behavior. The other point to remember is that at least 50% of feedback is about the giver. They’re simply conveying their point of view, which is drawn from their experience base and context. And maybe they had a bad day themselves which has colored their viewpoint. In the end, your job is to receive the feedback and see how you can use it to your advantage. If you can’t, then don’t worry about it. If you can, then make it an asset that helps you win. Either way, it pays to strive never to take feedback personally, even when it’s directed personally at you. Holding a grudge While it can be hard to put some distance between your ongoing relationship with the person who gave you feedback and how the feedback made you feel, it’s worth working on this. In fact, they’ll be looking to you for cues on how to behave after giving you the feedback. When you behave as though everything is okay, it gives the other person permission to behave that way too. And that’s the surest way to get back to a normalized relationship that will serve you both better. What It Means for Your Career When you’re not “safe” to give feedback to, your career can really suffer. No one tells you the simple changes that would really move the needle. So you languish in your career, then wake up 3-5 years from now and wonder what happened and why you’re still stuck in the same place while others around you have moved ahead. My most successful colleagues were the ones who got loads of feedback from seniors, peers, juniors and clients. Having the luxury of that input helped them improve their performance. That, in turn, helped them advance in the organization. And the second-order benefit of being great at receiving feedback is immense. When you handle constructive criticism well, you demonstrate that you: Are a good listener Care about improving and advancing Are resilient (and not “brittle”) Can self-manage and handle a tough message, rather than crumble or become combative. These are all indications that you can be a great leader who will be ready to take on the toughest client situations, and handle internal pressures with grace. They’re also important skills that will help you succeed in your career and life. Being great at receiving feedback shows that you can be a great leader So when it comes to feedback, what kind of receiver are you? And how can you make yourself “safer” to give feedback to? Leave a comment and let me know what you think.

Make Your Financial Plan To Quit Your Day Job Launch Your Business - When I Grow Up

Make Your Financial Plan To Quit Your Day Job Launch Your Business - When I Grow Up What holds most people back from quitting their day job and becoming an entrepreneur? I can think of a few (hundred) things… The lack of a plan. An intense fear of winding up living in their parents basement eating Ramen noodles. Not setting goals or creating realistic timelines. Ya know, the usual dream sucking nonsense. But thankfully, I got something for you that’ll let you work past all that. I’m so jazzed to partner with Financial Gym on my Make Your Financial Plan To Quit Your Day Job Launch Your Business workshop, coming at ya in NYC on Wednesday, Oct. 24th at 6 p.m. EST. In this workshop youll find out how I created a sturdy safety net so I could leave my corporate job in March of 2010 and make the leap to full-time coach in the middle of the recession and what Id do differently if I had to do it again. You’ll also leave with: the framework of your own sturdy safety net potential Plan Bs that won’t leave you beaten down without a soul your Breathe Easy number that’ll give you enough of a financial cushion to make your escape before 2028 the month and year you can give your notice if you stick to your plan! Also: ukulele playing, free wine and plenty of QA time. Who can resist? Sign up right here, and use the code GROWUP for a free ticket! If you’re not based in NYC and youd want me to lead this workshop live and virtually,  sign up here. If I get enough interest, I just might make it happen in early 2019. Time to cut the nonsense and start the game plan. You’ll feel so, SO good once you get out there!

Use Bullet Points To Build A Resume

Use Bullet Points To Build A ResumeIf you are one of the many individuals applying for a job at a new company, writing a resume should be a major priority. While you may have had other positions to which you have applied in the past, it is important that your resume is as fresh and concise as possible so that it stands out from the rest.While it is possible to write a resume and include all of the necessary details to describe your qualifications, there are some job applicants who like to go one step further by putting down what they feel your most valuable skills are and how they can help them with their career. By doing this, they have a greater chance of appearing more qualified and highly motivated.By adding specific details about your skills or accomplishments in writing bullet points, you are creating a professional image for yourself. While this may seem like something only those with many years of experience should be doing, there are numerous ways to boost your own morale an d convince a potential employer that you are someone who is not only an expert in your field, but someone who has taken on the job just to provide a good living for themselves. Simply adding the information will accomplish this and turn your resume into a selling point to your future employer.If you are applying for a job position where a salary has been set, list out all of the areas in which you are good at and be sure to highlight those that would have helped you land the job in the first place. A resume is more than just listing your current position and previous employment; it should speak to the potential employer about how you could positively impact their company.Your work history should also be included in your resume, giving a complete look at your experience and accomplishments. Depending on the specific job opening, there could be two main categories for this type of information: professional experience and education.Professional experience is usually listed with your na me and a professional category; however, if you are the president of your local chapter of your union, the union could even put you in the education category. The categories are often used to highlight specific types of accomplishments that can be used to raise your chances of getting hired. In addition to this, it is common to see individuals use their education to attract attention to their skills and abilities.Many individuals choose to use bullet points to build a resume instead of writing it out. They do this because it is a faster and more efficient way to show that they have specific qualities. While this does not guarantee that you will receive the job or the company you apply to, it is the simplest method available for adding your strengths to your resume and getting a job you are interested in.

6 Secrets to Surviving Year One of Your New Business  MONEY

6 Secrets to Surviving Year One of Your New Business â€"  MONEY This story is part five of a five-part series on the best way to launch your own business. Reaching the one-year mark in a business often means mastering something that you won’t learn as a member of the steady-paycheck crowd: cash flow. “Running out of cash is one of the leading causes of small-business failure,” says Steve King, partner in Emergent Research, a firm in Lafayette, Calif., that studies the freelance economy. That can happen even if you’re at breakeven or profitable. Staying afloat for a full year will let you make an educated decision about whether to soldier on or move on. Give yourself the best chance by taking these six steps: Master the ebb and flow Before you launch, ask others in the industry when you’ll typically be paid, and use that info to do a cash-flow projection, says CPA Lou Grassi, who advises many entrepreneurs as CEO and managing partner of Grassi Co. If you have to wait 90 days, for instance, you’ll need to have other funds for overhead. Grassi, who started out serving construction businesses, quickly realized that his income would be concentrated in five months of the year. To even out cash flow, he came up with subscription pricing, breaking annual bills into monthly retainers. “A lot of customers liked it,” he says. Surround yourself with smarts On a tight beginner’s budget, you might be best off working from home. If you can free up the funds, though, you may find it helpful to rent an office that puts you in contact with an advisory team experienced in guiding startups. Co-working spaces are hubs for free agents where you can rent a desk or a small office. At an incubator or accelerator, which often provides office space as well as advisory services, you may be asked to pay rent or provide equity. All give you access to mentors and learning from your peers, says Jack D. Beasley, managing director of the USC/Columbia Technology Incubator and senior program manager at the Office of Economic Engagement at the University of South Carolina. “They have gone through the same things you have gone through and can help you avoid mistakes.” Fire money-losing clients When you first launch, you’re eager for any business. But after six months or so, you’ll figure out that some clients aren’t worth it. If they don’t pay you enough to cover your time and costsâ€"or don’t have a marquee name you can use as a calling card to win other businessâ€"replace them. Tap credit cards sparingly Fund as much of your growth as you can out of revenue so that you don’t build up debt that you can’t handle if the business shuts down. The safest route is to pay overhead out of savings or cash flow and defer big purchases until you have the money in hand, even if that means turning down an order. With a small-business credit card, you will most likely have to offer a personal guarantee, so you could be stuck with the bill even if the business files for bankruptcy protection. Making small purchases on your card and paying them off monthly, on the other hand, builds up business credit with less risk. Keep spreading the word Perhaps you are getting the bulk of your work through word of mouth. Still, you need a website so that your operation looks legitimate. A site doesn’t have to be fancy, but if it is going to be an important route to new business, invest in advertising on search engines. Google Adwords has the highest conversion rate. The average cost per click in the U.S. is $1 to $2, according to Wordstream, a provider of online advertising tools. Raise your profile on major social media, such as LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter, by posting regularly. Be willing to cut your losses The history of entrepreneurship is filled with inspiring stories of people who ignored the evidence that their business was failing and achieved great success. But for mere mortals, there often comes a point when it makes sense to pivot. Set benchmarks you plan to meet when you start, says Beasley, and review them with a team of advisers or mentors regularly. Take the tax man into account too. The IRS lets you deduct expenses from a business that is not turning a profit for only a few yearsâ€"typically three, notes enrolled agent Crystal Stranger, president of 1st Tax in Honolulu and author of The Small Business Tax Guide. “After about two years in business is usually when I tell clients it might be time to throw in the towel,” she says. If your business is in the red past the typical point when startups in your field become profitableâ€"and you don’t take significant action to change your business model by, say, hiring a consultantâ€"the IRS could deem it a hobby, which can trigger a higher tax bill. Remember: Even if this business doesn’t work out, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s your last. Read the previous stories in this series.

Networking Lessons From The Grand Budapest Hotel - Work It Daily

Networking Lessons From The Grand Budapest Hotel - Work It Daily I finally got around to seeing the movie, The Grand Budapest Hotel this weekend… twice. I suspect I could watch it a third time and see something I missed the first two times. The film is visually interesting, and the humor is droll. It suited my tastes perfectly. Related: Why Your Network Isn’t Going To Help You The reason I wanted to comment on it, however, has nothing to do with my general entertainment. Instead, it has to do with the fact that I was going to be talking about networking this week. One part of the movie demonstrated perfectly, I believe, why networking is so important. The scenes to which I refer are midway through the story. The main character, M. Gustave H. and his sidekick, Zero, find themselves in the middle of nowhere and in need of help in order to escape the authorities given that M. Gustave H. has just escaped prison with the help of Zero. In the middle of a desolate field, a telephone booth stands. M. Gustave H. places a collect call to a fellow concierge at another hotel and sets into motion a series of calls, each to colleagues of his who drop whatever they are doing at the moment in order to rush to the aid of their friend. After a series of calls, a car appears, and M. Gustave H. and Zero are whisked away to the train so that they can set off on the next leg of their adventure. That segment of the film which includes at least five different characters dropping whatever they were doing in order to help their friend exemplifies, I believe, networking at its best. The individuals who dropped their immediate activity in order to come to the aid of their friend were returning a favor done for them perhaps long, long ago but never forgotten. Now, when their friend is in need, they stand at the ready to assist him because they know he would do the same for them. In the end, that is exactly what networking is. It is all about relationships. It is about giving as well as receiving. It isn’t about going to an event where you don’t know anyone with you looking to see what other people have to offer you. It is about going to an event with the attitude that you have something to offer the people you will be meeting. You are there to help them. You are important, and you have contacts, and you can use those contacts to help others. It just so happens that other people may have contacts that can also help you. But at the end of the day, it is about give and take… not just taking without giving. I have always dreaded “networking events.” I enjoy talking with people one-on-one, however. I enjoy meeting over coffee. I enjoy listening to people talk about their dogs and their kids and what they are doing with their lives. THAT is the stuff of relationship building. So, I suggest that if you also hate networking events, you consider changing your thoughts about what networking is and what it isn’t, and perhaps the next time you need to go to an event, instead of preparing for it with a sense of dread, you can prepare with a sense of anticipation and excitement. Think of all the good you can do for the other people who will be there! That is something about which you can get excited! This post was originally published at an earlier date. Photo Credit: Flikr Have you joined our career growth club?Join Us Today!