Work On The Right Things

Work On The Right Things Many of you know I have tried to blog every work day since I started this blog, almost nine years ago.  That makes for a lot of blog posts over the years! I got to the point where I couldnt really focus on anything until I had my blog post written.  Many of them are from the heart.  Many of them share what others might consider secrets of a successful job hunt. In the last couple of years Ive missed a day here, and even a week there.  I started to miss consistently. I would usually miss if (a) I was on the road, or (b) I was working on a heavy deadline. The way I dealt with travel or deadlines before was to write a blog post before the big event, and then schedule it to post on the right day.  Not too hard. I finally realized, though, that writing blog posts was not my primary business. Of course, I always knew that, but I was letting that become Priority Numero Uno. and neglecting other things I needed to take care of. I wonder if you are doing the same thing. There are some things that we gravitate towards things that are comfortable, or fun, or easy.  But those things might not be the right things to spend our time on. I invite you to make a list of the important things to work on, and the things you are working on, and see if they are the same things.  Otherwise, adjust your time and priorities. Dont spend time on things that will get you no return. One of the things I love about Mark LeBlancs stuff is he says to work on three High Value Activities each day.  Consistently doing that is a super high priority.  Are you working on any high value activities each day? Work On The Right Things Many of you know I have tried to blog every work day since I started this blog, almost nine years ago.  That makes for a lot of blog posts over the years! I got to the point where I couldnt really focus on anything until I had my blog post written.  Many of them are from the heart.  Many of them share what others might consider secrets of a successful job hunt. In the last couple of years Ive missed a day here, and even a week there.  I started to miss consistently. I would usually miss if (a) I was on the road, or (b) I was working on a heavy deadline. The way I dealt with travel or deadlines before was to write a blog post before the big event, and then schedule it to post on the right day.  Not too hard. I finally realized, though, that writing blog posts was not my primary business. Of course, I always knew that, but I was letting that become Priority Numero Uno. and neglecting other things I needed to take care of. I wonder if you are doing the same thing. There are some things that we gravitate towards things that are comfortable, or fun, or easy.  But those things might not be the right things to spend our time on. I invite you to make a list of the important things to work on, and the things you are working on, and see if they are the same things.  Otherwise, adjust your time and priorities. Dont spend time on things that will get you no return. One of the things I love about Mark LeBlancs stuff is he says to work on three High Value Activities each day.  Consistently doing that is a super high priority.  Are you working on any high value activities each day? Work On The Right Things Many of you know I have tried to blog every work day since I started this blog, almost nine years ago.  That makes for a lot of blog posts over the years! I got to the point where I couldnt really focus on anything until I had my blog post written.  Many of them are from the heart.  Many of them share what others might consider secrets of a successful job hunt. In the last couple of years Ive missed a day here, and even a week there.  I started to miss consistently. I would usually miss if (a) I was on the road, or (b) I was working on a heavy deadline. The way I dealt with travel or deadlines before was to write a blog post before the big event, and then schedule it to post on the right day.  Not too hard. I finally realized, though, that writing blog posts was not my primary business. Of course, I always knew that, but I was letting that become Priority Numero Uno. and neglecting other things I needed to take care of. I wonder if you are doing the same thing. There are some things that we gravitate towards things that are comfortable, or fun, or easy.  But those things might not be the right things to spend our time on. I invite you to make a list of the important things to work on, and the things you are working on, and see if they are the same things.  Otherwise, adjust your time and priorities. Dont spend time on things that will get you no return. One of the things I love about Mark LeBlancs stuff is he says to work on three High Value Activities each day.  Consistently doing that is a super high priority.  Are you working on any high value activities each day?

How to set up a US bank account as a UK limited company

How to set up a US bank account as a UK limited company If you’re looking to venture across the pond and take your UK ltd company into the United States, then you’ll want to look into getting a US bank account. With almost 400 million potential customers, I can understand why this seems appealing to you. Opening a US bank account could mean you reap the benefits of this huge market with easier organisation of US transactions and bringing in countless business to your company. How to open a US bank account To open your new account, you first need to sign up for a US tax identification number. This is referred to as an EIN (employment identification number). Fill in a Form SS-4 to get this. You are now within the Internal Revenue Services (IRS) system. This sounds daunting, but don’t worry, at this point you do not have a US tax liability. Your next set of forms will be W8/W9 forms. These are used by US banks to help in their reporting and documenting your US tax classification as either a foreign or domestic entity. This is also not a tax obligation, but the W8 forms (W-8BEN-E, W-8IMY, and W-8ECI) have had a recent revamp and so will include changes relating to the new FATCA regulations. You will only be obligated to pay tax if, along with income from US sources, there is also evidence of permanent establishment (PE). This is because the UK is a treaty country.   Determining PE is difficult but is likely to occur if your company has a fixed location within the USA. This can be a tricky area within tax so if you’re at all concerned you should address the issue with a US international corporate tax specialist. These are specialists when it comes to US tax and can help you make the most of your business in America and ensure you’re following the correct procedures. The most important thing is to ensure your company isn’t left vulnerable in case of an IRS audit. If there is a concern over a possible PE issue then you can provide yourself some protection in the form of a 1120-F form. This protective return form may reduce your risk of losing deductions after an audit by indicating and raising the issue of PE concerns. Don’t let complex procedures and confusing forms stop you from following your dreams and moving your limited company to the next level. The USA presents an excellent opportunity to expand your customer base and really spread the word about your product or service. When it comes to tax, the finer details and strange jargon can really put people off the idea, but that’s where you can call upon the professionals for help. Don’t struggle to go through it on your own, companies such as US Tax and financial services are experts in this area and therefor used to dealing with these issues. So, all that’s left to say is good luck on your next business venture.  Image Source; Image Source; Image Source

Evaluating Your Personal Brand-Building Success During 2010 - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Evaluating Your Personal Brand-Building Success During 2010 - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career As a prelude to the fast-approaching New Year, here are some questions to ask yourself as you evaluate your progress building your personal brand-building efforts during 2010: Writing publishing a brand-building book Did you publish a book during 2011, or make significant progress towards publishing a brand-building book? Or, do you still feel writing and publishing a book is an impossible dream best-reserved for others? If you feel you made significant progress, was it in one of the following areas? During 2010, did you come closer to choosing a topic for your book? Did you make any progress identifying your target market, and their information needs? Have you identified the experts in your field, as a prelude towards getting to know them better? Did you spend time analyzing their books and how they are leveraging their books into new opportunities and profits? Have you been tracking the continuing changes and developing publishing opportunities? Most important, have you identified the missing book the book that hasnt been written yet that your market is waiting for you to write? Did you improve your author platform during 2010? Your author platform is the sum total of your online and offline brand, or presence. It refers to the number of people who consider you an expert in your field. Your platform is a leading indicator of your ability to sell books; publishers will judge the attractiveness of your book by the size of your following along with relevance, uniqueness, and consistency of your message. Publishers, today, are as interested in your author platform as they are your ideas and your qualifications to write a book! Here are some questions to ask about your 2010 platform-building efforts: How accurately does your blog or website tell your story and represent your capabilities and the benefits you offer? How many blog posts did you write this year? How does that number compare to last year? How many guest posts did you prepare for other blogs in your field? How many speeches, presentations, teleseminars, or webinars did you make this year. Did you reach a greater number of prospects this year? How many conferences, workshops, or networking events did you attend this year, compared to the previous year? When preparing fresh content for articles, blog posts, newsletters, podcasts, and videocasts, do you consider how these projects could be included in a future book? How many social media followers did you gain on Twitter, FaceBook, or LinkedIn this year? Can you create a list of significant relationships that you either began this year, or renewed and strengthened? Do you have an organized system you consistently use for saving, backing-up, and accessing previously-created content so it can be reused, re-formatted, or re-purposed? Habits, ideas, technology Personal branding success involves an on-going program of learning and self-development. Here are some ways to measure your 2010 progress, as a prelude to creating a self-development program for 2011: How many writing, Internet marketing, or time management/productivity   books did you read during 2010? What are some of the new techniques and tools youre using on a daily basis? What new software, social media, or web marketing skills did you learn this year, or learn to use more efficiently? Are you engaging with coaches or mastermind groups to learn new habits and gain fresh perspectives from others? Do you feel more capable and confident than you did a year ago? Are you more in control of your destiny than you were a year ago? Take notes as you address the above questions. As you review your responses, look for areas where you can add or update your responses. Your answers to the above questions will provide the basis of the commitments you need to make if you want 2011 to be a year of successregardless of the challenges your competition or the economy may place in your way. Please feel free to suggest other questions or indicators of personal branding success as comments, below. Author: Roger C. Parker wants to help you make right choices writing a brand-building book. He blogs every weekday. His latest book is #BOOK TITLE Tweet: 140 Bite-Sized Ideas for Compelling Article, Book, Event Titles.

Can the Corporate Brain Drain Be Reversed - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Can the Corporate Brain Drain Be Reversed - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career A few weeks ago, a close relative of mine (a Gen Xer)  resigned his $130,000 a year job. He is a software architect, a profession in short supply. Why did he resign his job? Here are a few reasons: He felt the company management was dysfunctional; the company was milking an antiquated technology; the product that was supposed to be the next generation and would save the company was going nowhere; there was not future; he wanted to work on a product of his own that was more interesting and potentially more rewarding. Then, last week, I was in a meeting with another Gen Xer I had never met before. At lunch she told me that, even though things are going extremely well and there are great opportunities for her,  she plans to quit her job soon. Why does she plan to resign her job? Here are a few reasons: She realizes that she has no passion for what she is doing; she took the job because a friend needed help and now she feels stuck; she wants to find something that will better align with her interests, even though she is not sure what they are. I saw this in my corporate career many years before. The most talented and motivated get frustrated in corporate organizations. They end up leaving because, other than a paycheck, their employers are failing to fulfill a reasonable percentage of their needs. And thats OK with most corporations. They dont even follow HR best practices and conduct exit interviews. If they did, they would learn from their management mistakes. But, they dont. Instead, they increasingly are moving to reconfigure their work into packages that will allow them to engage 1099 short-term or part-time workers. So, as my might surmise, my answer to the question posed in the title to this post is no. And what does this have to do with you? The concept of a 40 hour work week with X weeks of vacation, a comfortable retirement, good benefits, a great savings plan, and job security is  (for most of the population) ancient history.  The average employment tenure with a single company is now  two to three years. Loyalty to an employer is more of a liability than an asset. Wake up and smell the coffee. As I mention in Chapter 17 of Fast Track Your Job Search (and Career!), there has not been a more logical time in many peoples lifetimes to weigh the merits of all their career options If you are unhappy in your current employer but want to continue to work in a corporation, then  start looking for a new job as early as possible. When you find what you want, then quit. If you are unhappy in your current employer and want to do something independently (such as contract work or starting your own company or buying a franchise), then start now to develop a plan for doing that. In the 21st century, employers tend to punish loyalty rather than reward it. Dont be misled by rhetoric. Action speaks louder than words. Watch what your corporate management does, not what they say. You can have the career you want. But, you need to take control, make reasonable plans, and take action. You can do it. Make it happen. Youll be glad you did.

How to Have Grant Writing on Resume

How to Have Grant Writing on ResumeThe question of how to have grant writing on resume is one that is asked by numerous individuals who are facing the problem of not being able to land a job due to their poor work history. Grant writing is a skill that is required to be effective in this field. The ability to write a well-written proposal and your ability to present the proposal as an expert can give you a huge edge over the competition.If you are new to the area of grant writing, it is important to understand that the purpose of resumes is not to fool the reader into thinking that you are an expert. The purpose of resumes is to help the person hiring you to know about you. The person reading your resume needs to be convinced of your expertise before he gives you his or her approval to proceed further. This is where the skills that you must hone in grant writing come in.The first skill you must master in order to have the best possible resume is the ability to have patience. In order to write a good grant proposal, it is important to wait for a few days before writing the proposal. The reason for this is that the proposal will most likely be rejected. This is due to the fact that no one wants to waste his or her time on something that will not get him or her a desirable result.You should know that the purpose of how to have grant writing on resume is to convince the employer that you are able to provide value for the money you are paying. It is also essential to keep in mind that the resume should not be something that is appealing. It should be professional in its approach and presentation.In order to know how to have a good introduction for your proposal, it is important to know what an introduction is. An introduction is simply a summary of the work that you did for the person that hired you. It must be informative and it must show the reasons why the employer would hire you as well as the skills that you possess. Without the necessary skills, the resume wil l have no chance of being read.Your resume will need to contain the necessary skills needed to make the person hiring you comfortable with the proposal that you have provided them. Some of the skills that are very important to include the ability to communicate with people. While some of the skills may seem basic, they will need to be added in the resume if you want the employer to see your skills as being capable of taking on the project at hand. Remember that every job is different, so you should be able to tailor the skills to fit your specific situation.The skills that you must learn in grant writing are not just about the basics of presentation. They are about the ability to analyze the situation. With the proper analysis, you will be able to understand the situation that you are presented with and then use the skills you learned in grant writing to make an appropriate plan. This will help you come up with the best possible proposal for the job and you will be able to create a good impression on the person who is hiring you.How to have a resume is easy to understand if you take the time to understand the importance of presentation and analysis. When you take the time to understand these skills, it will give you the ability to develop a resume that is well written and exhibits the skills that are needed for your career to succeed. If you take the time to train yourself in these skills, you will be able to have the skills needed to help you succeed in your career.

Negotiating Salary To Win - Pathfinder Careers

Negotiating Salary To Win - Pathfinder Careers Negotiating Salary To Win There are only a few things that we do on occasion that can have deepest impacts on every facet of our lives. All involve  negotiation. Are you buying a car? Are you buying a house? Are you wooing a potential partner or spouse? Chances are you’ve spent more time preparing for those big moments than you have getting ready to duke it out on the salary  negotiation mat with a prospective employer. Coming to an agreement on salary is nerve-wracking, yet so much is at stake. Why is that we spend more time investigating  and preparing for the other decisions in our life and hardly any time on how we are going to negotiate our way into a salary  level that will provide better financial security and job satisfaction that we are getting compensated for the value of our work? Take the time to do your research and be knowledgeable of what an industry-competitive offer contains. This information can  be tremendously empowering when negotiations turn serious.

Professional Relationship Management with Cloze - CareerEnlightenment.com

A conversation with the founders showed that Foody, the CEO of Cloze, sympathizes with the average working person. “Everyone has too much to do these days,” he said, and with many social networking tools, “you have to do a lot of work to get a lot of value out of it.” In giving each relationship a score, Foody and Coté build on a network that you already have, rather than asking you to join and maintain another one.Cloze, which released in Beta last week, distills a flood of emails down to messages from people who are most important to you based on six factors: dormancy, frequency of contact, responsiveness, one-on-one versus group interaction, freshness of topic, and balance in reaching out and responding. The founders feel that this measurement is more reflective of reality than networks where all connections are on equal standing.If you want to share your network, you can invite someone into your “Inner Circle.” Here they can see your connections and where they work, how close you are to them, and request an introduction. By looking through your inner circle, a member will know if you have a working relationship with someone or have only met them once at a conference, which saves them time in trying to find the right contact and introduction the first time around.Foody and Coté have reexamined the professional network in light of their own professional experience and have concluded that, “what people most want is something that figures it out for you.”   Cloze will elevate those who use the site to manage their networks with those who have a natural talent for it. In other words, this product will level the networking playing field, helping you to bring back connections that might have slipped, and pull your network even “clozer.”