Surviving Corporate Politics Part 2: Keeping Up AppearancesWritten by Gary Whittaker
Never a 2nd chance to make a 1st impression, or so saying goes. We all know that when someone is introduced into your work environment for first time, their peers size them up immediately. How they are dressed, how they talk, and how they set up their workspace. Especially in large companies, where there is constant personnel movement, keeping up your appearance is a full time task. In smaller companies, how you compose yourself from Day 1 is of utmost importance. We will start with basics: Work Clothes: Dress up. Not in terms of church going attire, but as your immediate superiors. In cases where there is a big gap between your level, and that of your manager, than take all but 1 approach. If your boss wears ties with his suit, then leave that out. If he wears a jacket, but no tie, then wear a nice shirt and pants. In all cases, you have to stand out and be noticed against grain. When companies look to cut staff, they want to keep those that they feel are flexible, and like-minded. Fitting into their image gives your boss impression that you will follow his lead, and make yourself an asset for his goals. The bible has a verse about respecting Sabbath, and keeping it holy. For our corporate survivor, that day is Casual Friday. On Fridays, you should never wear a suit jacket, or a tie. You should also never, under any circumstance, wear JEANS! Talk to your local clothing retailer for some upscale casual wear. For advanced: Keep a spare, neutral colored blazer in office, either at your desk or in a closet. If you find that you do not have enough matches clothes for it, then buy an extra pair to keep at office as wear. Spend money to get your pants and jackets tailored to fit properly. Keep a pair of work shoes for office use only. Work shoes can be fairly expensive, so you will want to make them last. Most importantly, unless you have a sizable budget for clothes, avoid "in" trends. Usually, 1 "in" suit a year is enough. Of course, sitting down with your colleagues, and showing your white, or unmatching socks spoils effect, no matter how expensive attire, so always keep a pair of black socks handy. Grooming: Keep yourself shaved. Mustaches and beards are okay, as long as you keep it trimmed at ALL times. Get your hair cut by a stylist, and not a barber. You are not 12 anymore. If you are going bald, deal with it. You are not fooling anyone by placing pieces of hair over your bald spots. Make sure to take care of any "special" issues you may have, like, for instance, famous Unibrow. You do not want to be thought of as Burt from Sesame Street. Facial piercings are an obvious no, and even earrings should be removed. Your teeth should be in good condition. There are plenty of whitening products on market, so make sure you buy them. Your pockets should always have a breath mint, and NEVER gum. If you drink coffee, or eat, you should be popping those mints right afterwards. It is too late if you run into someone unexpectedly.
| | Online Business Broker: Take The Stress Out Of Selling Your BusinessWritten by Jeff Smith
Online Business Broker - Take The Stress Out of Selling Your BusinessYou've spent several months, perhaps years, putting everything you have into building a thriving, high-demand online business and now you have decided to sell your baby. Thousands of businesses change hands everyday, oddly enough channels you can use to get maximum price and exposure for your online business are extremely limited. You have a few options: 1. Ebay. It's perhaps biggest venue for listing and finding new businesses forsale, but you have to be concerned over quality of sites listed on eBay. For every quality site listed there are at least 100 crappy, low-priced, cookie-cutter sites that can put wrong impression in minds of your prospects. 2. Classified pay-per-listing sites. The leading online business listing site is http://www.buysellwebsites.com run by experienced professional Nelson Bates. This is a super service for sites under $50,000 with proven results and proven demand. A great technique for lower-priced sites, but perhaps not right option for site you want to get maximum exposure and price for. 3. Experienced and Focused Business Broker. You've invested heavily in your online business. A professional can help you through sometimes complex tasks of placing a price on your business, getting it in front of "right" buyers, helping to separate tire kickers from serious buyers and take your deal to an optimal close. Online business brokers can... 1. Get more money for your site 2. Get your site exposed to buyers with money 3. Reduce your stress by only putting you in touch with serious buyers 4. Handling paperwork and forms associated with securely selling your high-value online business 5. Handling uncomfortable "selling" role for you - you just decide which deal to accept 6. Let you move on to other things, confident that your online business is being represented by best 7. Help you through an emotional process - they will be your rock through entire process 8. Give you benefit of experience closing many deals, something most sellers do not have 9. Open up new markets and opportunities you may not have even thought of yet 10 Help you wade through legal, tax and regulatory issues that can be quite intimidating.
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