Do you start your morning by visiting numerous websites to find the latest information and updates? Do you find it annoying trying to remember lots of different log in names, user names and passwords? RSS feeds can help you eliminate this time consuming process.
So what is RSS anyway? RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication or Rich Site Summary. In its simplest form RSS can be described as a list of a web site’s new or updated content. It is a format for delivering regularly changing web content straight to your email inbox. Read the rest…
Contributed by
Catriona Pollard.
Catriona Pollard is founder and director of CP Communications, which provides specialist media, traditional and online PR strategies that achieve positive media coverage, increased brand awareness and improved sales results.
Phone: (02) 9922 1063
Email: cp@cpcommunications.com.au
Website: www.cpcommunications.com.au
Blog: www.PublicRelationsSydney.com.au
Twitter: http://twitter.com/catrionapollard
Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/catrionapollard
For the 60 percent of business owners who don’t currently have a business plan, the line ‘if you leave something in your tray long enough it will disappear’ could be the truth. When it comes to developing a business plan these days the old SWOT analysis as we once knew it seems irrelevant. Read the rest…
Some days you just can’t help but think customer service is all but dead. This morning I encountered what could only be described as a comatose operator at a Woolies express checkout. I was doing my bit, on hearing the words “Next in line” I fronted up to the counter. On arrival I smiled and said “How are you today?” – there was absolute silence. So in an effort to see if the person serving me was actually alive, I repeated the question, this time in a tone that required her to display some form of basic manners and the ability of speech. She was obviously annoyed that I had engaged with her and appalled that I had an expectation of customer service. Read the rest…
It seems these days that if you are not micro blogging on Twitter you’re just not with it. But with only so many hours in the day, getting your head around the functionality of the likes of Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn etc can be an awesome task. Read the rest…
With the search now on by most businesses for ways and means to reduce costs, it’s no surprise that the tried and true art of networking is once again back in fashion. One only needs to compare the results networking achieves up against other forms of acquiring business, such as advertising or cold calling, to soon realise that the grape vine is an absolute gold mine. Read the rest…
It’s satisfying to know that although governments and corporates across Australia are clueless in accepting women in business as a serious market segment globally, there are growing indications of respect for female entrepreneurs along with a commercial pursuit for the money women control.
Following the opening last year of In Good Company’s unique office space for businesswomen in downtown New York, the trend continues with Dubai’s Eve Tower a 20 story office building under construction and due for completion in 2010 which will be dedicated specifically to women entrepreneurs. Whilst men will be allowed to work there, only women will be able to own office space, and women will enjoy special entrances, elevators and car parks. Wouldn’t it be great to see an Aussie based corporate office provider stepping up to the challenge?
Lynette Palmen AM the Founder and Managing Director of Women’s Network Australia speaks to, for and about women in business. Subscribe free to WNA’s weekly eNoticeBoard Service.
Like it or not if you own a business and intend to be successful you’ll have to get your head around social media and exactly how you are going to implement it into your business.
It’s not rocket science predicting the future and how consumers will be communicating and gathering information on which they will make all purchasing decisions, just take a look at any 10-21 year old. They can barely go 3 hours without logging onto their favourite SocNet site to catch up on the latest gossip and who is saying what about whom.
Now you might not think this is doing them any good (that’s the mother in you talking) but the fact is to succeed in a commercial enterprise your focus needs to be on meeting market demands, not making value judgements about how people choose to live their lives. (Unless of course you’re running a counselling service for online addicts) So if you don’t want to end up on the quaint bygone era business junk pile, you’d best get with the program. Read the rest…
The business community is currently a-buzz with the virtues of social networking and how it can return results for business success. Just to get a feel for what all the hype is about, this past week-end I decided to bite the bullet and spend some time familiarising myself with the Top 5 social networking sites.
It was a bit like doing 5 networking events in the one day. I was totally exhausted and over it by the end. My conclusion after the exercise was that exactly the same mistakes being made by those networking real time have now transferred to social networking sites.
Here are my thoughts:
Be Selective: As is the case with networking organisations, joining multiple social sites won’t help you achieve better business results. You’re much better off selecting two favourite social sites and spending time working them to their fullest extent. Throwing enough mud hoping some of it sticks doesn’t work real time and it’s not going to work online either. Read the rest…
Mention the word networking to most people and they cringe in horror. But for many, when economic times are tough and budgets are slashed, networking comes back on the radar as a low cost and effective means of making connections.
Be ready because due to the current down-turn in the world economy there’s going to be a flood of novice networkers hitting the market. Many who in more buoyant markets have dismissed networking as a brash business card dispensing in your face exercise are now being forced to seek ways of attracting new business.
Switched on veteran networkers know that you don’t just turn your networking button on or off with market fluctuations. There is a level of respect between networkers. Regardless of the state of the economy, they know for sure that networking is a vital and invaluable skill that saves them time, effort and money in building business and personal relationships. Read the rest…
This week I was invited to be the guest editor of ConnectedWomen’s ezine. It was great to be able to share with other women how I am personally using technology to expand and enhance both my personal and business life. What tech gadgets do you use to make your life easier – tell me.
