December Newsletter

Prepare to Give a GreatPresentation

• Practice – Know what you are going to say, and howyou are going to say it. Practice your speech until you arecomfortable with it.

• Check your equipment – Inspect any equipment youwill be using for your presentation ahead of time.

• Get to it – Warmly introduce yourself and get into yoursubject matter as quickly as you can.

• Speak to them – Don’t just speak aloud, look youraudience in their eyes and talk to them.

• Talk slowly – A relaxed pace, taking pauses, andthinking before you speak will help eliminate the dreaded“ums” and “uhs.”

December 2012

Manage Your Team Effectively

The best leaders recognize their weaknesses and take action to improve theirmanagement skills and style. Here are some of the most commonly mademanagement mistakes that can and should be avoided.

Breaking promises – Don’t make promises to your employees that you can’t keep.Instead of offering them rewards you know you can’t deliver, such as compensationthat’s not in your budget, be up front and honest with them.

Not giving credit when credit is due – Recognize and reward your employeesfor their hard work and achievements. Letting them know that their efforts areappreciated costs you nothing and can go a long way in boosting morale.

Resisting change – Change and evolution are essential for success in business. Beflexible and open to new ideas and different solutions.

Failing to walk the walk – Make sure the rules that apply to your staff apply toyou, as well. And never ask someone to do something you wouldn’t do yourself. Ifyou expect your employees to work late but you aren’t willing do the same, expectthem to lose respect for you.

Qualities to Look for In QualityEmployees

Here are some other key qualities to look for when

interviewing job candidates to help ensure you hire quality

people.

Likeable – Enthusiasm and a great attitude are welcomeadditions to any business, not to mention contagious.

Creative – Thinking outside the box and challenging thestatus quo are great ways to improve your existing

processes and methods.

Motivated – A dedicated, hard­working employee willlikely be a successful one.

Passionate – For people who love what they do, it’s notjust a job for them.

Flexible – Someone who is willing to do whatever it takesto get the job done is an invaluable member of any staff.

Qualified, rather than experienced – Hire someonewho excels in the traits you can’t teach, and teach them theones you can.

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December 2012

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December 2012

Keep Your Projects on Track in the New Year

When managing a business project, it is common for unexpected problems to arisethat result in periodic setbacks. Some delays are inevitable, but if you take theproper steps, you can limit these holdups and prevent yourself from getting too farbehind schedule or over budget. Here are some tips to help you effectively manageyour projects and keep them on track:

Plan, Plan, Plan: A well-designed scope is critical to a successful project. You mustbegin with extensive planning up front and establish a clear, detailed plan of whatexactly needs to be accomplished, how it will be done, how long it will take, and whowill be responsible for doing it.

Assess and Mitigate Risks: Before beginning any project you must prepare forpotential problems by proactively identifying and mitigating risks. Eliminateconceivable snags by reducing the likelihood of these risks occurring and limitingtheir impact in the event they do occur.

Document Your Plan: Be sure to clearly and thoroughly document the plan and allessential information for your project. Everyone involved needs to know their role.

Common IT Mistakes SmallBusinesses Should Avoid

Here are some of the most frequently made IT mistakes toavoid:

• Failing to Protect Your Data – Is your confidential datasafeguarded against potential security breaches? Are youprepared for an emergency, such as theft, fire, flood, orserver failure? Are your files and records backed up fordisaster recovery purposes?

• Not Changing with the Times – Keeping current withthe latest technologies can help prevent your companyfrom ending up with outdated, inefficient equipment andsoftware.

• Choosing the Wrong IT Provider – The right ITprovider doesn’t just sell you equipment; they manage thatequipment, as well.

• Leaving Everything in One Employee’s Hands – If asingle person in your office knows all of your passwordsand how everything works you could be setting yourself upfor an enormous problem. Don’t put all of your eggs in onebasket.

Say Goodbye to Stress at theOffice

It’s extremely easy to get fed up and stressed out at work.Approaching deadlines, difficult customers, heavy

workloads, unexpected problems, and technical glitches can

all lead to frustration and push you past your breaking

point. However, it's easy to release that steam and restore

calm and order to your life — simply unplug and unwind fora little while. In short, get up, get out, and get over it.

Take a short break. When you feel overwhelmed, stop

what you’re doing, get out of your chair, walk away fromyour desk, and temporarily leave your troubles behind.

Go for a stroll. Even if for just a few minutes, walking

away from a stressful situation can help you relax and clear

your head, so take a hike. Literally!

Get out. If possible go outside and walk around the

building or through the parking lot. The fresh air and

sunshine will pay dividends and do wonders for your

psyche.

Stretch and relax. A simple stretch can ease your

physical and mental stress in a few short minutes.

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December 2012

Printing Money: Cutting Costs in Your PrintEnvironment

Here are some ways your company can spend less money on ink, toner, and paper.

Get the most out of your paper – Besides reducing the amount of printing in youroffice, another smart way to use less paper is by utilizing both sides of the paper youdo use. Duplex printing enables you to print on half the amount paper!

Print only what you need – Printing from a website can produce an awful lot ofwaste, such as graphics, banner ads, footers, etc. Freeware such asPrintWhatYouLike enables to you to print only what you need from a URL.

Utilize your settings – Using ‘economy’ or ‘draft’ as the default setting for yourprinter will reduce the amount of ink used, and can be overridden whenever youneed to print something in high-quality. Color ink is more expensive than black ink,so print in black and white or grayscale whenever possible.

Choose the right font - Use lighter, ink-saving fonts that require less ink, such asCentury Gothic instead of Arial or Times New Roman, or even invest in an “ecofont.”

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