How a Good Grant Writer Can Help You Realise Your Dreams

Instead of applying for the next available grant, or not applying because you don't think you'll be successful, what if you could work with a grant writer that not only knows what you do, but also works with you to be more strategic about what you apply for, with an eye on your dream goal?

Grant writing isn't just about putting together a funding submission for your business or community project. Grant writing can be a creative way to help bring about sustainable change.

This is how I work with the clients I write grants for. I prefer not to write one-off grant applications. Instead, I work with the client to develop a 2-3 year strategy, with a plan of projects and activities that we can map to funding opportunities. By using this approach, we are proposing a group of planned projects, linked to an overarching strategy for sustained change. This can apply to business as well as community change.

Not all grant applications are successful, but other grant opportunities open up if you think bigger picture both in scope and in timeframe. It is also possible to apply for multiple grants to contribute to projects, a strategy that some funding bodies favour. In these instances, it takes time and synchronicity to get multi-source funded projects off the ground.

Being strategic about funding allows you to identify a mix of grants: project specific, organisational capacity building, purchase of equipment and long-term programs. You can plan the resources that can be leveraged from one project to another. You can also plan to gather evidence of need, delivery and success that will help with the larger grants.

Here are five ways a grant writer can help you to use grants strategically to get what you want:

1 Work on the Vision. You coud have an idea which may in truth be part of a bigger picture - you just haven't thought about it or don't think you can achieve the dream. A clear vision builds on single ideas by reaching out into bigger projects. A grant writer will work with you to build the grants portfolio with your Vision in mind.

2 Foster organisational thinking as you grow. It may take two to three years to build up a portfolio of grants to have enough experience and evidence to apply successfully for a large grant. Each successful grant will increase your organisation's experience. The higher the grant, the greater the need for policies, procedures and systems for managing resources and staff. Without proper control, a large project could take over the resources and activities of your organisation. An experienced grant writer will be aware of the implications and be able to advise you of the implications and strategies to grow safely.

3 Reset the mindset. This is particularly true if you don't have the resources or the confidence to apply for grants. Have you been knocked back with a previous grant application? A good grant writer will develop trust and work with you to build your case and confidence to take a chance on applying for those elusive grants. This will involve taking you out of your comfort zone but could yield successful results sooner than you think.

4 Stimulate creative thinking. A grant submission that stands out has a unique proposition backed up by evidence and confidence to deliver. Getting clients to think creatively means getting them out of their comfort zones. The role of the grant writer is to assist you in brainstorming: what could be; how it might happen; who will be involved; how to reach the target audience; what risks might be and how to overcome them; and what success feels like. It does not stop with the one project. Where will the project lead and what opportunities are out there to take it to the next stage? A well thought out project idea makes it easier for the grant writer to put things in writing with passion that become infectious to the reader. These are the ideas that will catch the eye of the funder.

5 Mix it up. Whether you are a business, club or community organisation, there is a diverse range of grant options available. There are grants that focus on business planning and capacity building. Some pay for equipment and capital works. What about travel grants? A grant writer will help you combine these with grants that focus on innovation or change to get a well balanced portfolio.

A good grant writer will get to know you, your strengths, needs and goals. They will work with you to seek out opportunities and work with you to be in a position to apply for and manage projects without risking the integrity of your client's business. They will help you realise your dreams.

We offer a range of grant writing services including:

- done with you applications

- workshops

- a self-paced grant writing training program

- a coaching program for aspiring grant writers

Find out more by contacting us at support@thecommunityentrepreneur.com or giving us a call on +61390055889 (Skype - thecommunityentrepreneur). Alternatively go to http://www.getthatgrant.com.


 By Pat Grosse


Article Source: How a Good Grant Writer Can Help You Realise Your Dreams

Computers Through The Ages

Steve Jobs and Bill Gates are both names that are synonymous with computers. Well, at least they are with modern computers but they were just building on an idea that came along in the 1800's and continued to grow throughout time. What used to be huge machines that took up all sorts of room and did only rudimentary (to our standards) work, we now hold in our hands and of course technology is only advancing further all the time.

So, we go back in time, to an Englishman named Charles Babbage who, most say was born just too early for his ideas. He originated the concept of a programmable computer and because of this is known as the father of the technology. He invented the first mechanical computer back in 1833 which was an analytical engine. The input of data and programs was to be provided to the machine through punched cards. The output had a printer, a curve plotter and a bell and it could punch numbers on cards that could be read at a later date. His idea even had an arithmetic logic unit, control flow and integrated memory, which would have been, had it been made, the first ever design for general use.

All of the parts for Babbage's machine had to be made by hand and unfortunately his idea never reached fruition as the government cut his grants and he ran out of money. His son, Henry Babbage did make a simplified version of his dad's idea though, in 1888 and he successfully demonstrated that it worked in 1906.

All of these ideas made way for the analog computers which used direct mechanical or electrical models of a problem as the basis for the computation. But, they were not programmable, they weren't accurate and they weren't very versatile. Something had to change.

The first programmable electronic computer was ENIAC which was fast and flexible and was completed in 1946. The program was designed by the states of its patch cables and switches. Someone would write a program and then mechanically set it into the machine with a manual reset of the patch cables and wires. It was a far cry from what we have today in the way of computers as it took up 1,800 square feet and weighed a hefty 50 tons. Imagine hauling that around in your pocket!

Technology kept progressing and today we can do almost anything from a tiny device we carry around with us. Incredible. What is next? Stay tuned!

Having computer problems? We can help! Infotech Computers specializes in computer and laptop repair and is a full service shop serving the communities of the GTA. No matter the brand or model, we can fix it! Visit http://www.infotechcomputers.ca to find out more.



 By Amanda J Hales


Article Source: Computers Through The Ages

Can I Fix That?

We all know that sinking feeling when our computer just won't cooperate. It is running slow, it won't load videos or pages in a timely manner or it's picked up some type of malware, virus or bug that is making it impossible to use properly. Perhaps it just crashed all together. While we all use computers we aren't all adept at fixing them as that takes a different kind of mindset that a lot of us just don't have. However, never fear as there are some things even the most computer un-friendly person can try before hauling the machine over to the professionals.

With most things that plug in (and yes, even laptops have to be plugged in at one time or another) the thing most people do when it's not running properly is simply unplug it and try to fire it up again. This total turn off, total unplugging of the machine and total shut down of anything running on it can sometimes help the problem. The machine takes a little break and then everything is great when you turn it back on. Thankfully, sometimes this actually works and you can go back to doing whatever you were doing.

If a hard shut down doesn't fix the problem, don't worry there are other things you can try. Look to see if your computer is up to date, if you haven't installed any of those pesky updates, this is the time to do that. A computer that has been updated works better than one that is running on old programming. Still not right?

It may be the computer that's the problem, but it may also be your broadband connection. If that is all right, you'll want to find out if you have enough free space on your hard drive. Windows needs room which means free space all the time in order to make files while the system is running. Not enough room and you'll encounter problems. Here you can try a system configuration which you can access quite easily. Check the startup item and manufacturer columns first and see what programs you can disable to give you more room. Remember not to remove anything that says Microsoft corp. next to it as that is something you will actually need.

Still not working properly? If you don't have a tech savvy friend, this will be the time when you take your baby in to the professionals for help. Good luck!

Having computer problems? We can help! Infotech Computers specializes in computer and laptop repair and is a full service shop serving the communities of the GTA. No matter the brand or model, we can fix it! Visit http://www.infotechcomputers.ca to find out more.



By Amanda J Hales


Article Source: Can I Fix That?

4 Compelling Reasons to Customize Your Outdoor Furniture for Your Hotel

Want to renew your outdoors by changing your furniture? Many businesses in the hospitality industry like hotels, restaurants and resorts spend a lot of effort when furnishing their gardens and patios. And they are not wrong. Getting new outdoor furniture should be well thought of as they represent the business in many ways. Therefore, when you decide to remodel your outdoors, the first decision to make is whether to go for custom garden furniture or stick with ready-made.

Here are 4 interesting reasons that will make you customize your outdoor furniture:
Having unique and exclusive designs

Usually, hotels, restaurants and resorts constantly work on beating the competition by providing new and unique services. When you buy ready-made furniture from your outdoor furniture supplier, most probably, other businesses have also seen and purchased the same collections. But when customizing your own sets, you will be deviating from what is available in the market and creating patio furniture that can only be found in your hospitality business. For example, with customization you will have the opportunity to create a pattern by engraving your business logo on every piece produced and by choosing your brand's colors.

Setting furniture that perfectly fits in the outdoor space

Whether you have enough space or not, your outdoor living area will probably be limited.

Sometimes, this surface is automatically set due to other factors like swimming pool, greenery, decorations or others. So finding ready-made collections that fit in your dedicated space and that match your need can be a hassle. So, customizing your outdoor furniture will be less painful as you will have the liberty to choose the sizes of the pieces, their orientation, and even combinations.

Adding your personal touch:
The greatest things in life are our own personal achievements. Customizing your outdoor furniture feels almost the same, as you will be the "creator". The most important advantage is the fact that the collections will completely be a mirror of your taste and needs. You will have to choose the structure's materials, the covering, size, colors... well every little detail.

However, if you have limited knowledge, make sure to take your supplier's advice regarding the technicalities to maintain your outdoor furniture during different weather.

Controlling the quality & setting the standards:
When ordering custom garden furniture, you will have control over every aspect. Usually, you will want high quality furniture, and will never settle for less. Therefore, when designing and creating the furniture, you will be able to monitor the production and set the standards you want your furniture to meet. And the manufacturer will have to follow your requests and recommendations

In conclusion, customizing your outdoor furniture can be a fun process, as you will be working closely with designers, and giving your own input in every detail.

In order to customize your outdoor furniture, get in touch with an experienced partner, like Simexa's team, that will be able to advise on the latest trends and best practices.

Simexa is an outdoor furniture manufacturer & supplier for restaurants and hotels in the Middle East & North Africa. We supply restaurants, beaches & hotels' garden furniture in Dubai, Abu Dhabi (UAE), Qatar, Bahrain http://www.simexa.com


 By Manuel S


Article Source: 4 Compelling Reasons to Customize Your Outdoor Furniture for Your Hotel

Brand Recognition Through Brand Awareness Programs

Some of the most profitable results from my small home-based business came when I incorporated brand recognition and brand development into the fundamental process of building my business. As it grew to a full-time Brand Awareness Program with administrative design and brand development programs my clients relied on, I skipped out of the home-based operations and into an office. I needed a place for people to come. That's when my business began to BOOM.

Corporate and Personal Branding
Whether it's a logo or a style that simply becomes you over time, the brand you inject into your business at the beginning will most likely stick with you. People still call my corporate office and ask for me by name.

No matter how big this business gets, I hope my clients, my customers, and my buyers see themselves in the work that's completed and how it suits them.

How to Build Your Brand


Be visible. Put your picture on it.

Be personable. Don't hesitate to stamp your personality on the solutions you offer clients.

Be authentic. Don't try to put on airs or be something you're not. Always be yourself.

Be present. One thing I did in the beginning that hasn't changed... My phone number is still the most active number when you call the company. Anyone can call me. (And more often than not, I still answer my own phone. This is important as you build your brand.)

Be there. I can't tell you how many times I've shown up for a funeral, or sent a gift, or just been there when my friends and clients NEED me to be there for them. It's important. Be there. Don't miss an opportunity to be there when you're needed.

Measuring Your Brand
How big is your team? Whenever you put out a new project do people naturally share your project, or do you have to ask them to share it? Do you get referrals from people on your list? Do people tell others about your business? Do your clients come to you from random 'finds' on Google Search? Or are they sent to you by individuals who have used your business?

Branding Mistakes to Avoid
The biggest, most unforgivable branding mistake is to be so much the visible part of your brand that nobody else can see themselves in your business. Or worse, they can't see themselves doing business with you.

You want to be the icon for your business but not the end all target of your business. Open the doors and let your people share your wealth of information with others. The key to being big enough to identify, but not too big to be relevant is in the personal connections you build both within the company, and on the outside of the business. Open your doors and let people into your world.

Creating or Leveraging Brand Loyalty
Team building or creating a loyal tribe who will work your brand can be a huge boost to the marketing effort. Using your message to build that tribe, leverages brand loyalty indefinitely. Often the significance of your message is the power behind your brand, and the more creative useful messages are the most effective. Call it simplistic, but the most broad-based messages can be the most significantly powerful brands. Quantifiable messages won't necessarily bring profit, but they will motivate and drive your market, and the marketing efforts of your tribe as well.

Finding significance within your market to develop your brand is a viable project for your attention, whether you're a home-based, stand-alone, business, or a corporate endeavor. At http://brandyourmarket.com we help small businesses and big businesses find their basis, build their brand, and leverage brand loyalty to improve their overall marketing endeavors.

For help building your business, visit Jan Verhoeff and find your significant branding message.



 By Jan Verhoeff


Article Source: Brand Recognition Through Brand Awareness Programs

Common Mistakes Business Owners Make When Opting For Capital Growth Funds

A lot of business owners are looking for ways to improve their businesses. Sadly, some business owners make mistakes when opting for services such as capital growth funds. Luckily, there are still options to avoid this. And, the ideal choice is to know these mistakes. To help you, below are some of the mistakes you need to be aware of

Not considering their needs
One of the main mistakes some business owners make when opting for capital growth funds is not considering their needs. As of now, capital growth funds can offer individuals with numerous benefits. These include improving profits as well as boosting business reputation. Sadly, some business owners do not consider their needs which can affect such services. Because of this, they may end up opting for the wrong services which can affect their goals.

Neglecting investment options
The mistake that some company owners make when opting for growth funds is neglecting investment options. When opting for capital growth funds, business owners need to invest their finances in different types of investment options. However, some individuals neglect these options. As a result, there are cases when they experience huge risks that can easily affect their finances. So, before opting for growth solutions, you need to make sure that you look for the right investment.

Forgetting to be patient
When planning to opt for capital solutions funds, it is also imperative for company owners not to forget to be patient. Surely, most business owners look for investments that can offer them with profits immediately. But, these types of options are quite risky. Plus, there are also instances when these types of investments do not give you the right benefits. Therefore, you need to be patient since most growth funds options yield better results in the long run.

Not opting for the right partners
Finally, some company owners experience mistakes with regard to choosing capital growth solutions due to the wrong partners. Due to the increasing demand of growth funds solutions, there are now numerous service providers business owners can choose from. Unfortunately, not all service providers offer the same quality of services. Other than that, some service providers offer inexperienced professionals. Because of this, plans and decisions cannot be made properly. To avoid this, it is best to look for reliable services providers who can match your needs easily.

Knowing all these can allow business owners make better decisions in getting the right capital growth funds services. Click here for more.

HSBC is a reliable financial institution that can offer services to improve business finances. The company also offer other services to allow businesses become financially stable. To know more, go to this site.



 By Marcus L Jimenez


Article Source: Common Mistakes Business Owners Make When Opting For Capital Growth Funds

Secrets of Bonding 137: Identify 5 Mystery Bonds Contractors Need

Think you are pretty familiar with the various surety bonds contractors may need? See if you can identify these five that we are commonly asked to provide by contractors and our agency partners.



Mystery #1: In this instrument, the bonding company guarantees that a contractor / "principal" will correct defective materials and / or workmanship in a completed project. These bonds are often written for one or two years.

Mystery #2: This bond is issued with a municipality as beneficiary. It guarantees that the construction company, if allowed to disrupt public property, will restore the area after performing a contract and prevent the municipality from having to pay for such reconstruction.

Mystery #3: Number three is a form of financial guarantee that promises a money penalty will be paid if the construction company does not enter into a contract when expected to do so.

Mystery #4: This one is a guarantee that the construction company will comply with all the terms in a written contract and faithfully pay suppliers of labor and material used in connection with the project.

Mystery #5: Also written with a municipality are beneficiary, this bond promises that the principal will build certain "public improvements" stipulated by the municipal engineering firm. The municipality does not have a contract with the principal, nor will it pay for the work.

OK, got your answers?

#1: This is a Maintenance Bond. They normally are issued after the completion / acceptance of a contract. The dollar amount is often for less than the contract.

#2: A Street Opening Bond is an example of a Permit Bond. This enables a contractor to cut the street open for access to water and sewer connections. If the municipality grants permission for the work, they expect it to be reconstructed in accordance with local building standards, and not at public expense.

#3: Is a Bid Bond. Bid bond amounts are often expressed as a percentage of the proposal they accompany (such as a "10% bid bond"). This is because the actual bid amount is confidential to the bidder at the time of bond issuance. If the bidder fails to accept an award of the contract, the bid bond penalty may be claimed by the obligee to reimburse them for going to the second (higher) proposal.

#4: A Performance and Payment Bond (aka Labor and Materialmen's Payment Bond) is issued usually for 100% of the contract amount. These are commonly required to protect the public interest on government contracts. Private owners and lenders may also stipulate them.

#5: A Site Bond. Contractors sometimes ask us for these, but the correct applicant is the property OWNER, not the construction company being hired to do the work.

If the contractor furnishes this bond (we do NOT recommend this), they become obligated directly to the municipality, and must build the required public improvements even if they are not paid by the property owner. Bad! The site bond obligation more correctly lies with the property owner / developer.

Steve Golia is an experienced provider of bid and performance bonds for contractors. For more than 30 years he has specialized in solving bond problems for contractors, and helping them when others failed.

The experts at Bonding Pros have the underwriting talent and market access you need. This is coupled with spectacular service and great accessibility.

Contact us today and discuss how you start a new bonding relationship for your company, or increase your current bonding capacity. Call 856-304-7348.

Visit us Click!

Not available in all states including Idaho.



 By Steven Golia



Article Source: Secrets of Bonding 137: Identify 5 Mystery Bonds Contractors Need

Get the Size, Shape, and Design You Need to Successfully Promote

Custom exhibition stands give you an amazing opportunity to think outside of the box. You won't be restricted by the size, shape, or design of a given concept you have in mind. You have the freedom to go in new directions and come up with something new and creative that your target audience hasn't seen again and again.

Size
There are standard sizes of such materials but you will feel limited by them Perhaps you want something taller or wider than the norm. With custom exhibition stands, you can get those images how you want them and be able to present them without them looking distorted or out of place. In fact, since they are unique, they will be able to capture the attention of people.

Shape
You don't have to go with a standard square shape either. With custom exhibition stands, you may decide you would like the materials to be round, triangle, or rectangle. You will be able to decide that based on the overall concept and the size of the design. It can be fun to experiment with the ideas and see what looks the best.

Design
Your overall design is what is going to get attention, and you need it to be completely fantastic in every single way possible. Knowing you won't be restricted by various factors can allow you creative side to really branch out. It means ideas don't get thrown out because they would be deemed too complex or complicated.

Instead, custom exhibition stands gives you the opportunity to really think hard about a new direction. You don't have to rehash what you have already done or what you have already seen. You are going to feel rejuvenated and very proud of the new elements. You will be very thankful for all custom exhibition stands deliver.

Dimensions
You don't have to keep it one dimensional either. You can go with 2D and 3D coordinates. You can go with pieces that tell a story. You can add all of these in a sequence that allow you to share more than you realise from the view of the potential customer taking it all in. They are going to pick up on the details and appreciate them and custom exhibition stands are part of that.

Assistance
You can't do this all on your own, but you can gain assistance and detailed feedback from experts who offer such services. They take on such challenges day after day so they know the right tools and equipment to use. They have techniques they can introduce for you and create custom exhibition stands that are going to be beyond what you had hoped for.

They offer them with quality in mind, with safety being a factor, and the offer something that is very easy to set up and take down. These are all winning outcomes from custom exhibition stands you will appreciate.

Put your energy into finding a provider of such services that is also affordable. You want the result to be a working relationship you both enjoy. Communicate with them regarding deadlines, flexibility you need, certain elements you can't bend on, and what you have in mind for the message to deliver.

You may be pleasantly surprised at what they can create for you that is both affordable and an asset to your business. It certainly doesn't hurt to get the wheels in motion and see what they can do. Consult with them free of charge to see what they recommend. Then you can move forward when you feel the time is right.

Offering a booth or presentation at a trade show or exhibition is a great way to get your products or services known. The way in which you offer the information can influence the impact it will have with your potential customer base. We are a leader in offering amazing options for you to have a successful outcome with your set up and presentation. We offer products that are durable, easy to set up and take down, and customised you're your needs. Check out our website to see what we can offer you at http://ceiexhibitions.co.uk/build.html. We are ready to help you get your business noticed!



 By Darryl Neal


Article Source: Get the Size, Shape, and Design You Need to Successfully Promote

Your Trade Show Display Taken to the Next Level

You can rely on the best trade show stand builders to help you take your displays to the next level. Keep in mind, those that come to any place you are set up already have a sincere interest in what is being offered. However, they have plenty of choices in that area to decide what they want and who they will get it from. With that in mind, you have to get their attention and keep it.

One way to do that is with the visual attraction you offer. With trade show stand builders that are creative and detailed, you can feel very comfortable and proud of what you have on display. It is going to help people to stop in their tracks and come over there to check it out up close and personal. That is your chance to give them information, a business card, flyers, and more.

Easy to Put up and Take Down
It isn't enough though for the trade show stand builders to be impressive with what is on them. They also need to be easy to put up and take back down. They need to be simple to commute to the next location. Most involved with trade shows complete the circuit as they want to appeal to as many customers out there as they can.

It doesn't make sense to get something that is going to be difficult to move or time consuming to put up and take down. You also need to think about overall safety. You need to have something in place that will stay up until you are ready to take it down. If it will rip, tear, or sag easily then it isn't a well-made product.

Who can you Turn to?
Don't make the mistake of thinking you can just turn up at a trade show and do well there. Sure, your niche market is going to be there so it is a prime opportunity to reach out to them. However, there will also be plenty of others there. This can include direct competitors and those that sell related products or services.

You need a professional offering trade show stand builders that you can count on every step of the way. You should be able to consult with them and share a vision of what you are looking for. Perhaps you don't have any ideas and you are hopeful they will come up with them for you. Share the outcome you want, your business model, and other details so they can create it.

You will be consulted before anything goes into production. They can show you some rough ideas for you to pick from. Based on your feedback, they can start to customise a particular design for you. Don't be hesitant to speak up so that the final project is something you really love.

They can demonstrate for you how to set it up, take it down, and store the materials too. You may be new to trade show stand builders, but you will quickly find they are a wonderful tool you can count on. They are also affordable so find a provider with excellent results and who takes the time to dedicate their services to fit your particular needs.

The cost for trade show stand builders is far more affordable than you may think too. It is a wise investment as the return on such an investment is going to be very good. You want to have plenty of sales and additional leads from every single trade show you attend.

Offering a booth or presentation at a trade show or exhibition is a great way to get your products or services known. The way in which you offer the information can influence the impact it will have with your potential customer base. We are a leader in offering amazing options for you to have a successful outcome with your set up and presentation. We offer products that are durable, easy to set up and take down, and customised you're your needs. Check out our website to see what we can offer you at http://www.ceiexhibitions.co.uk. We are ready to help you get your business noticed!


 By Darryl Neal


Article Source: Your Trade Show Display Taken to the Next Level

Go the Distance With Your Displays

Why settle for the basics and something so similar to what too many of your competitors are using? When you go the distance with your displays, they stand out and they give the impression your business is better. They convey a message of both pride and professionalism that can win over customers who haven't decided who they will purchase from it.

One way to do this is with award winning exhibition stands. They are durable but also very creative and stylish. They can help you to share the message you want in a manner your target audience is going to be receptive to. Keep in mind, with so much else to see at the same time, you need something that will be a key focal point for them.

When you can do so, they will tune out everything else that is surrounding them. They will take the initiative to look closer at what you have. While award winning exhibition stands don't have anything to do with the products or services you are promoting, they can be a driving force behind getting those items noticed by those who will purchase them.

Durability
Once you have amazing materials printed to use, it is important to make sure they are going to last. They should be made from durable materials that aren't going to wrinkle, tear, or easily get damaged when they are moved around. You want to handle them with care but they shouldn't be fragile to the point where you are afraid to touch them.

Before you hire anyone to create these materials for you, have a lengthy discussion about award winning exhibition stands. Ask them to show you examples of others they have created for various campaigns and trade shows. This can show you the diversity and creativity they are able to offer. You don't want to hire them if you feel their items are all too similar for each customer.

You want the award winning exhibition stands to last beyond just the campaign you are currently working on too. Hopefully, you have a place where you can store such items when you are done with them. You never know when you may need to bring them out to revive something that worked well for you in the past.

Some of the trade show events can span several months with you moving from one location to the next. You want these products to look just as crisp and professional at the last stop on the tour as they did when you put them up at the first one!

Free Up your Time
When you outsource the concepts for award winning exhibition stands to the experts, you can free up your time. You can take care of other pressing business matters, make arrangements, and get ready for the increase in customers. Leave the promotions to those that deal with them on a daily basis. They can develop something that evokes strong emotions from your audience.

Without them realising it, this creates a connection for them with your business. It helps them to feel familiar with it and to trust you. That is part of the foundation for them o move forward with getting more information and then making a purchase. Your business name has to stand out in front of the competition.

Most of these individuals are going to make a purchase, but they haven't decided who it will be from. Your efforts with award winning exhibition stands and the right company to obtain them from can help you to walk away with more of those customers than you ever imagined.

Offering a booth or presentation at a trade show or exhibition is a great way to get your products or services known. The way in which you offer the information can influence the impact it will have with your potential customer base. We are a leader in offering amazing options for you to have a successful outcome with your set up and presentation. We offer products that are durable, easy to set up and take down, and customised you're your needs. Check out our website to see what we can offer you at http://www.ceiexhibitions.co.uk. We are ready to help you get your business noticed!



 By Darryl Neal


Article Source: Go the Distance With Your Displays

Ways To Maintain High Standards Of Quality Control

Employee health and fitness should be at the top in all employers' checklist. To ensure this, quality control has been set up which ensures that workplace of the employee and the products they handle are safe and are of reasonable quality and standard.

Having a foolproof quality control program at hand is very beneficial for any company's growth. Not only does it ensure the safety and well-being of the employees but it also helps to enhance the reputation of the company. One must implement a comprehensive program at the company so that it becomes part of the daily chores for the company.

In order to have a reasonably good quality control system in your company, it is important to follow certain points which help to establish a good one.

Get to know what all is required: This the primary and the most important step to implement any form of control in the company. One must have a checklist of all the legal laws and the documents required. Proper knowledge about the laws pertaining to the place is also very important. A quality analyst or an officer can be consulted to make a proper plan of the management and other legal proceedings.

Appoint a quality control staff: Having a proper quality control staff at work is very important to ensure that all the responsibilities are carried out perfectly. One can also decide to appoint the current employees as quality control staffs, however, make sure that they are not too overburdened with work pressure. This job requires full-time support starting from undergoing training programs and seminars and finally execution of quality checks.

Develop an effective training program for the staff: Though this is not a mandate for ensuring high-quality control standards, however, developing a quality training program for the new employees would prove to be very beneficial in the long run. It has been observed that employees who are trained in proper work environments often tend to catch the error more quickly as compared to others and they also try to rectify the error instead of running away or hiding them.

Treat your QC staff well: At times, it is very important for the employer to reward their employees. This reward can be in the form of cash or any other form which adds value to the service provided by them.

Thus, in order to maintain high standards of quality control in your company these guidelines are a must which should be followed.

Meet your iso9001 requirements. Visit our website!



 By Rajesh B Sanghvi



Article Source: Ways To Maintain High Standards Of Quality Control

Metamorphosis - A Humane Transformation Of Vile

Writers never get short of subjects just like the musicians who never miss a note. They have a weird internal quality of separating the truth from fiction through the depths of depravity. This is why all the novels, biographies, and short stories are interconnected. They seize the readers from the start and if the subject is catchy, the audience will go through a vocal journey inside the pages. The scribblers do have that kind of influence over their readers.

You must be familiar with Kafka's 'METAMORPHOSIS'. It is an amazing story with a hair-raising beginning and a dangerous end. What if one fine day you get up from your bed and find yourself transformed into a tiny insect? A roach for instance? Isn't that a precarious and bizarre thought? This is what Kafka does to his readers here. He takes a subject that does not fit in to the ordinary universe and makes it psychologically appealing and very intense to believe.

The protagonist Gregor Samsa rules the book through his vile form. The writer has not shown a great deal of difference between the first and the third person. The focus is on the world that Gregor experiences through his roach form and how miserable is his life. His family does not think him as important and treats him below his dignity in spite of everything. The setting is between the four walls of the house excluding the last episode. Kafka portrays the ordinariness of his family connected with the worldly-wise. A combination of the real and illusory facts makes this piece exceptionally interesting. Entire story is termed as 'Absurd' and its themes are used in plays.

We all have that little animal instinct in us. This impulse is symbolised by the lowest form of humiliation felt by a human. The man thinks that he is so unworthy of living that he should be thrown into the spider webs or should hide under the bed or sofa for forever. Why is he so disgusted with his presence? What is so unbearable about him that makes him feel contemptible of love Let us go through his journey and understand his condition.

Kafka's portrayal of his pitiful protagonist becomes eye-catching when even in the form of an insect he tries to get ready for office or tries to sit with his mother. It is a teary situation for the readers as they think he has not lost hopes of becoming normal again. He believes that this situation is a mere hallucination and it will pass but it does not and he falls deep into the depths of nothingness until all is lost and he dies.

Gregor is a subjugated person. His family does not accept his break of punctuality even at this condition. His father constantly scrutinizes his actions and it feels like he is a puppet dancing to their tunes. They are not bothered about his existence but only care about his salary.

As we move on in the story, we witness his desperate attempts to make him look important in his folks. Gregor feels happy when his sister comes to clean his room and looks at him with a strange face. He munches on the leftovers and it is a gory description. That is how insects feed themselves and no matter how hard Gregor tries, he never gets past his ordinariness.

A small but significant part is shown when the office clerk comes at his house because Gregor missed the train. He is polite at first but loses his nerves when Gregor does not answer his questions. This is really a humane-inhumane situation where Gregor tries to stay civil by lowering his voice and being modest while communicating. He wants to speak aloud but is afraid that it might sound too harsh to his senior. It is heart breaking and mocks at the fake codes of civility Even as a transformed insect, the protagonist does not lose his trail of politeness. Kafka appears as a brilliant writer here. He mingles the vile into the humane, and succeeds.

His family does not understand Gregor's miserable condition but he senses everything. He can hear the folding of the fabric when his sister Greta changes her dress. This insect-man can feel and sense the tiniest of change around him and suffering through this condition he desperately tries to fight for his family's plight. We can see the sheer pitiable condition of our protagonist when he shouts and pleads to his head-clerk. The saddest part is his father without even trying to understand his motive, throws him back in the room and he is defeated.

Gregor loves the accessories in his room. He wants to stay in the same condition but his dearest sister appears, takes away everything, and leaves him and his room vacant and lifeless. This hurts him like hell, as he loved his sister more than he loved anyone else

Greta kept him connected with his family when he was living a normal life. However, circumstances changed and so did his sister. He loves her and she vehemently despises him. It is clearly symbolised through her actions. The last episode shows an abyss in their relationship.

Gregor is unable to take this vehemence and decides to die at the end. In a soothing and serene atmosphere when the clock stroke three and symbolised the time of dawn, our dear protagonist entered the light into his soul. He fell on the floor, busted his head, and departed for heaven.

It was over.
I am not sure that I was able to give justice to this summary of this great novel but if you read it by yourself, you will pass through that phase of "Gregory's gory condition".

Metamorphosis is truly a legendary book in terms of portraying a living human's humility, pain and his miserable condition. So painful that he wishes to be transformed into an insect to save himself and desperately crave for some attention. Directly or indirectly, the novelist has reflected the psychological condition of people who suffer from inferiority complex and instead of loving them their family deprave and disgusts them to a level where they have no choice but to leave for the final exit.

We all have that fear of being rejected, being unseen or unloved but Gregor tress-passes all this conditions and gives us a portrayal of sheer unhappiness and his intense dislike for his self by transforming into a cockroach. Kafka's novel gives us a horrendous yet pitiful life of a middle-class individual desperately craving for some love and identity.



 By Janaki Mehta


Article Source: Metamorphosis - A Humane Transformation Of Vile

Minimize Risks Through The Use Of An Export Documentary Credit

If you want to get into exportation, you must know that the opportunities come with a significant amount of risks. An export documentary credit is among the efficient risks management tools used by season exporters.

Advantages Of Export Documentary Credit
First, it can help minimize the risk of non-payment by your customers. If you issue a documentary credit, the bank of your customer must pay you upon presentation of the export documents.

Second, using this will provide you access to funds without the need to draw from the credit facilities of your company. You just need to present the required documents to your banks. When these documents won't comply, your bank will provide you with an advance once your documents are accepted.

It is very important for you to choose the right bank to partner with as this can help make sure that you avoid problems related to document compliance.

Who Needs A Documentary Credit?
Companies wanting to minimize the risk of non-payment - This can actually be achieved by utilizing bank channels in order to control commercial documents.

Exporter with customers who are unable or unwilling to provide documentary credit

Companies that need to quickly process documents and resolve payment problems

Companies wanting to provide a very flexible credit term to buyers without the need to compromise their position in cases of non-payment.

How It Works?
You and your buyer must first agree on using this solution as the form of payment. Both of you must sign a contract. After that, your buyer must apply for a documentary credit. The bank, on the other hand, needs to determine if your buyer is credible and qualified. When the requirement of such bank is satisfied, it will then provide the documentary credit. And this document will be forwarded to your bank.

When your bank received these documents, it needs to authenticate the documents and make sure that these adhere to the terms and conditions. Your bank will also notify you that it already received the documentary credit. You, on the other hand, must check if the documents will match the stipulations in your contract with your buyer. When there are discrepancies, you must ask your buyer to resolve such.

You can then ship the orders of your buyer after that as well as present the required documents to your bank. Your bank needs to verify these documents and forward it to the bank of your buyer to request for payment.

Lastly, the bank of the buyer must examine these documents. After which, it will forward the payment to your bank. More information mentioned here.

Businesses in the trade industry must know that there are ways or solutions to make their operations easy and safe. For more info, check out this site.



 By William Drew


Article Source: Minimize Risks Through The Use Of An Export Documentary Credit

Bad Service Can Ruin Your Restaurant's Reputation

During the holidays I enjoyed the time off with some surf, sea and sand. As like most people on holiday, I love spending time with special people at wonderful restaurants. Most of the restaurants I went to knew what they were doing and their waitrons were on the ball. I commend such good customer service. However, there was this one restaurant that I went to that did not offer such a good customer experience. Bad service can give a restaurant a bad name.

Let me share my experience with you.
My companions and I decided to have breakfast at the beach. This particular restaurant is ideally situated on the beach, just a few metres from the sea so you can imagine the beautiful view we were looking forward to. While waiting in the queue to be seated, we were promptly informed that we needed to wait a bit. Once we were seated it took quite some time for our waitron to welcome us and provide us with the menus. When she did show up she advised that the restaurant is very busy and breakfast will take very long to serve. I thought it was good that she informed us of the wait but it felt like she was telling us not to bother with ordering at all. We didn't feel welcome at this point but we decided to continue with our order. At this point I want to mention that the restaurant had many open tables and it was not full to the point where every seat was taken. It was at a manageable capacity. When our breakfast arrived, the order was interpreted incorrectly and the eggs were under done so we returned it to be cooked properly. The waitron gave us a look that made us feel ungrateful and, quite frankly, uncomfortable. For two eggs to be cooked, it took another 20 minutes. In the meantime we asked for tomato sauce from our waitron but she had forgotten about it. So we asked another waitron to assist with the tomato sauce. During this time I ordered a coffee and my companions ordered refills for their coffee. We continued to ask our waitron for sugar and milk for our coffee but, again, she had forgotten about it so we asked another waitron to assist us.

Furthermore, the milk jug was dirty. Restaurants need to take pride in their catering equipment and ensure that it is always clean. My coffee only arrived with the breakfast and my companions' refills arrived after they had eaten their breakfast. In total we spent 3 hours at the restaurant for two breakfasts and three cups of coffee.

I am a person that is quite patient in a restaurant but when the waitron doesn't welcome you politely and makes you feel like it's a burden to have you at their restaurant that gives the restaurant a very bad image. Restaurant management needs to be aware of how their waitrons treat their customers, as it could mean the difference between returning customers or a bad reputation.

CaterWeb stocks a full range of commercial kitchen products and we even offer free demonstrations as well as hands on training if necessary. Visit our website to access our online store or alternatively we welcome you to visit our new showroom.

Please call us at 0861 CATERWEB or e-mail your inquiry to sales@caterweb.co.za so we may assist with your catering equipment requirements!



 By Stana Peete


Article Source: Bad Service Can Ruin Your Restaurant's Reputation

2016 - The Achievements of Ministry of Labour

Achievements and initiatives of the Ministry Of Labour & Employment

The Government of India is following the approach of 'Reform to Transform' through far-reaching structural reforms. Employment Generation is the first priority for the Government. After going through a decade of jobless growth, the Centre is working on a comprehensive strategy to bring employment to the core of development strategy, promoting industrial activity through Make in India, enhancing employability through Skill India and encouraging innovation and entrepreneurship through Start up India.

The Ministry of Labour and Employment is committed towards job security, wage security and social security for each and every worker. Along with bringing transparency and accountability in enforcement of Labour Laws,the Ministry has taken important initiatives to realize and establish the dignity of every worker through provision of social security, enhancing the avenues and quality of employment.

Legislative Reforms:
The Payment of Bonus (Amendment) Bill, 2015 passed by the Parliament in the Winter Session has been published in the Gazette of India, Extraordinary on 1st January, 2016 as Act No. 6 of 2016 to come into force on the 1st day of April, 2014. The Payment of Bonus (Amendment) Act, 2015 envisages enhancement of eligibility limit under section 2(13) from Rs.10,000/- per month to Rs.21,000/- per month and Calculation Ceiling under section 12 from Rs. 3500 to Rs.7000 or the minimum wage for the scheduled employment, as fixed by the appropriate Government, whichever is higher. The Payment of Bonus (Amendment) Act, 2015 also mandates previous publication of draft subordinate legislations, framed under the enabling provisions under the said Act, in the Official Gazette for inviting objections and suggestions before their final notification.

The Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Bill, 2016 passed by Rajya Sabha on 11th August,2016 which inter-alia include increasing maternity benefit to woman covered under the Maternity Benefit Act, 1961 from 12 weeks to 26 weeks up to two surviving children allowing the mother to take care of the child during his/her most formative stage, providing maternity benefit of 12 weeks to Commissioning mother (in case of surrogate child) and Adopting mother (in case of adoption), facilitate "work from home" to a mother with mutual consent of the employee and the employer, making mandatory in respect of establishment having fifty or more employees, to have the facility of cr�che either individually or as a shared common facility within such distance as may be prescribed by rules & also to allow four visits to the cr�che by the woman daily, including the interval for rest allowed to her and every establishment to intimate in writing and electronically to every woman at the time of her initial appointment about the benefits available under the Act.

The Employees' Compensation (Amendment) Bill, 2016 was passed in Lok Sabha on 9th August, 2016 to modify the provisions of Employees' Compensation Act, 1923 to rationalize the penalties and strengthen the rights of the worker under the Act.

The Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2016, passed by the Parliament on 26th July,2016. This Amendment Bill clearly stipulates total and complete prohibition on employment of children below 14 years and proposed more stringent punishments for violations. Amendment bill seeks to ensure the Right of Children to schooling and learning. However, children are allowed to help in their family enterprises only in non-hazardous occupations and that too only after school hours or during vacations. Amendment also prohibits Adolescents in the age group of 14-18 years of their employment in hazardous occupations and permits their engagement in only certain occupations to be specified in due course.

Cabinet in its meeting held on 29th June,2016 considered the Model Shops and Establishment (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Bill, 2016. The Model Bill is a suggestive piece of legislation and has been finalized keeping in view the spirit of cooperative federalism. This gives liberty to States for fine tuning the Model bill to suit their requirement. This Model Bill applies to shops and establishments employing ten or more workers except manufacturing units. This Model bill gives freedom to operate 365 days in a year and opening/closing time of establishment, women to be permitted during night shift, if the provision of shelter, rest room, ladies toilets, adequate protection of their dignity and transportation etc., exists.

Labour Codes:
The 2ndNational Commission on Labour had recommended codification of Labour Laws in to 4-5 Groups on functional basis. At present, Ministry of Labour & Employment is working to rationalize the provisions of the 43 Labour Laws in 4 Labour Codes viz.

Labour Code on Wages -.
Labour Code on Industrial Relations -
Labour Code on Social Security & Welfare -.
Labour Code on Safety &Working Conditions -
Administrative Initiatives / Decisions:

The government has announced more than 42% increase in the minimum wages for all sectors in the central sphere. For the first time minimum wages for all sectors; agricultural, non-Agricultural, Construction etc. have been increased simultaneously. Minimum wage (per day) for non-agricultural worker in the 'C' area category increased form Rs. 246/- to Rs 350/-,Rs 437/- in 'B' area category and Rs. 523/- in 'A' area category.
ESI coverage on Wage ceiling has been increased from Rs.15000/- to Rs.21,000/-.
Minimum pension under EPS has been revised to Rs.1000/- in perpetuity per month in April 2015.
Bonus ceiling has been enhanced from Rs.3500/- to Rs.7000/- and the eligibility limit has been raised from Rs.10000/- to Rs.21000/-
EDLI Benefit increased from 3.6 Lakh (max) to 6.0 Lakh(max)
Time limit reduced to 20 days from 30 days for EPF claim settlements.
Optional Deferment of age for drawing Pension from 58 year to 60 year with 4% per year incentive.

Revised scheme for the rehabilitation of Bonded Labour with the quantum of financial assistance increased from the symbolic level of Rs 20 thousand to an amount of Rs 3 lakhs. While the most deprived and marginalized like the disabled, female and children rescued from trafficking, sexual exploitation and transgender will get Rs 3 lakhs, the next in order is the special category comprising of females and the minors who will now get Rs 2 lakhs. A normal adult male bonded labour will get Rs. 1 lakh.

Extending coverage of ESI Scheme for extending its social security net to the whole country.
The Government has issued coverage Notifications covering 165 districts in whole where the ESI Scheme was earlier implemented in part.
Decision taken to enhance the maternity benefits under ESIC from existing 12 weeks to 26 weeks. Adopting and commissioning mothers also to get maternity benefits. Intention notification sent for legal vetting.
It is decided to reduce the employees' and employers contribution under ESI Act from existing 1.75 and 4.75% to 1% and 3%, respectively for two years in new implemented areas of districts where ESI scheme is partly implemented. Intention notification published on 25.7.2016

ESI Coverage has been extended to Construction workers in the implemented area. Construction site Workers have been covered to avail benefits under the ESI Scheme w.e.f. 1st August, 2015.

III. Extending the social security benefits of ESI Scheme in the remaining North-East States Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Manipur and Andaman & Nicobar Island. It has been implemented in Mizoram w.e.f. 1.12.2015 and in Port Blair w.e.f. 01.01.2016.

Governance Reforms through Technology
Ease of compliance & better enforcement of Labour Laws
Shram Suvidha Portal in the Central Sphere

A unified Web Portal 'Shram Suvidha Portal' launched on 16.10.2014 to bring transparency and accountability in enforcement of labour laws and ease complexity of compliance. Main features of this portal included

Unique Labour Identification Number (LIN) is allotted to Units. 13.19 Lakh LIN allotted as on 09.09.2016.
Filing of self-certified and simplified Single Online Common Annual Return by the establishments. Units will only file a single consolidated Return online instead of filing separate Returns under 9 Labour Acts.
Transparent Labour Inspection Scheme through computerized system Total 2,37,579 inspections have been assigned and out of that 2,20,945 inspections have been uploaded as on 09.09.2016.
Establishment can now submit monthly contribution return for ESIC and EPFO using this portal
Multilingual Shram Suvidha Portal-with options in 11 languages.

Recent initiatives on Shram Suvidha Portal.
Common Electronic Challan Cum Return (ECR) facility for EPFO and ESIC.
Common Registration under 5 Central Labour Acts, by integration with DIPP's E-Biz Portal.
Facility of return submission under Mines Act for DGMS, on Shram Suvidha Portal.

Better Delivery of Service:
Employees Provident Fund Organisation

Universal Account Number (UAN):
Universal Account Number(UAN) programme launched on 16th October 2014 is designed to act as an umbrella for the multiple Member IDs allotted to same individual.
As on 31.08.2016, EPFO has allotted around 8.11 crore UAN to its members and around 2.82 crore of these members have activated using their Mobile number and enjoying various related services.

Online Registration of Establishments (OLRE):
As part of the commitment of Government to ease of doing business, on 30th June 2014, EPFO launched the facility for the establishments to apply online for allotment of PF Code Number.
Employers now apply online PF code number and upload the digitally signed documents at the time of application itself (from December 2015) and obtain on the spot code number immediately.
As on 31.08.2016, around 1.36 Lakhs establishments have already obtained online registration on OLRE portal till date.

Online Facilities to Members:
In September 2015, EPFO moved from e-governance to m-governance and launched a mobile application. So far over 11.08 lakhs members have downloaded the Mobile App.
Through Missed Call service at 01122901406, at no cost to the member, member is provided with all the envisaged details.

As on 09.09.2016, around 3.12 crores missed calls have been received since 16th September 2015.
The members who have activated their UAN receives regular SMS regarding their deposit of monthly PF contribution in their account. A SMS message is also being sent to employers that they have not deposited the monthly contribution or non-deposit of returns.

Exempted Establishments Brought on E-Portal
The exempted establishments are a big part of the EPFO compliance system and managing huge funds to the tune of approximately 3 lacs crores.

EPFO launched the facility of online submission of monthly return of contributions, investments and other activities.

Inoperative Accounts Helpdesk:
An online help desk created to assist the members in tracing their inoperative accounts and withdrawing or merging them with the present account (UAN) has helped in 65 thousand cases so far.

Updation of Accounts:
A new mechanism to credit the interest in members' accounts has been developed for auto-updation of members' accounts at the end of the financial year, updating with interest, more than 15 crore accounts.

Facilities to International Workers:
To ensure social security not only to persons working within India but also to those coming to India and going abroad, a facility was launched for the international workers for online fillable form seeking certificate of coverage (COC).

Global Network Operations Centre (g-NOC):
EPFO has started its Network Operation Centre at National Data Centre monitoring the IT functioning of the EPFO. It shall be nodal point for handling troubleshooting as well as detecting and preventing all external threats.

Compliance Analysis & Monitoring System of EPFO:
This software was launched o 16.02.2016
Principal employers, registered with EPFO & Government Department which are not registered with EPFO will upload details of contract awarded with due details - which will be available to EPFO for checking.

Employees State Insurance Corporation:
ESI Scheme - The Employees' State Insurance Corporation- ESIC (Ministry of Labour & Employment) is a social security organisation that provides comprehensive medical care and cash benefits in the contingencies of Sickness, Maternity, Disablement, death due to employment injury and Unemployment to beneficiaries I.e the organized sector working class in the lower wage bracket of the society. The total number of Insured Persons covered (as on 31.03.2015) are 2.03 crore and number of beneficiaries (as on 31.03.2015) 7.89 crore.

ESIC Medical College, Coimbatore has been handed over to the State Government of Tamil Nadu on 02.02.2016.
ESIC has now resolved to adopt two Model Hospitals, in each State.
Providing appropriate cancer detection/treatment facilities, cardiology treatment facilities, dialysis facilities on PPP Model at different levels of hospitals.
For facilitating the practice of telemedicine, the RFP for pilot run has already been floated and the project is expected to go live in the next three months.
Special focus has been paid for upgradation of Dispensaries, 24 Dispensaries in ESIC buildings have been identified for up- gradation to 30 bedded set up to provide 24�7 services.
Pathological & X-ray facilities will be provided on PPP model in all the dispensaries in phases. Pathological services in all dispensaries of Delhi has been started from 30th November, 2015. Laboratory and ECG Services has been started in ESI Dispensary of Delhi/Noida area.
Mother and Child Care Hospital in every State: ESIC has constituted a committee to prepare the norms for setting up a Mother and Child Care Hospital in every State.

CompliCheck is running some exciting promotions that includes providing free advisory, audit and consulting with various types of packages. To know more about our bundle of services and the offers, send us an email at  contactus@complicheck.in


 By Sanjay Soni


Article Source: 2016 - The Achievements of Ministry of Labour

The Pros and Cons of Accepting or Rejecting Counter Offers

A DILEMMA: Having taken a decision to leave your company for greener pastures, and then receive a counter-offer, puts you in a dilemma. The stakes are very high and whatever decision you arrive at has its own implications. Your current employer is in an advantageous position, because you are still in their employment. They are basically motivating you to consider withdrawing your acceptance of the offer from your prospective employer. In a subtle way they are rejecting your resignation. They are dangling a carrot to you.

MESSAGES: This counter offer is sending various career management messages to the three parties.

• TO CURRENT EMPLOYER: They have overlooked and underestimated your importance until other industry partners identified it first and tried to snatch you away from them. This is often happening to staff that the company has developed internally.

• TO PROSPECTIVE EMPLOYER: Well done, you were spot on in the search, and the current employer is now a spoiler and does not want to let go of this hot talent you have just discovered. They never saw you coming. They have been ignorant of your capabilities and career growth.

• TO YOU, THE EMPLOYEE: You have value to add to either your current or prospective employer. You are a hot talent, and wanted by both companies. There must be something about you that makes you a unique talent. The question you must answer is: do you know what is your unique value proposition that makes the two companies fight over you? If you do not know your value proposition, you are going to undersell yourself or take a wrong career decision.

DECISIVENESS: this is the time for you to be decisive about your career direction post this dilemma. If you take emotional decisions, you are likely to be hurt. You have to stay at your rational mind in taking career decisions at all times. This is the moment at which you need to reach out to your career coach and mentor. If you do not have a career coach and/or mentor, you better find one. You cannot be alone in the management of your career.

CRITICAL POINT: The counter offer is not a counter offer if it is not an official commitment to you in writing, from appropriate decision maker at your current employer. It should be more than money but include other employment benefits that will make you to want to reconsider. Do not put yourself under unnecessary pressure, even though your current employer would prefer that you move swiftly to abandon your decision to join your prospective employer.

LONG HAUL: Once you have decided to change your mind and accept the counter offer, this becomes a second time around at your current employer. You are re-contracting with your current employer and it cannot be business as usual. Your priority must be about preserving and/or re-positioning your personal brand:

• You are going to stay, and it will have to be a long-haul to avoid being labelled as someone who does not know what to do with self.

• If you, next time, decide to accept another offer from outside, you cannot allow another counter offer situation to happen. That would be damaging to your personal brand.

ORIGINAL REASON: It is important that you keep your original reason for resigning in mind. In most cases the situation that made you consider leaving would have not changed.

PUSH FACTORS: if you took a decision to leave your current employer as a result of push factors, you most certainly know what you wanted to move away from and those factors are not likely to change just because you have decided to stay.

PULL FACTORS: on the other hand if you have been attracted by pull factors, you may not be absolutely sure that indeed the grass is green on the other side. This can be a gamble, unless you have made intensive research and you have valid facts that support your decision.

CAREER MANAGEMENT PLAN: if you find yourself confused by the offer and counter offer dynamics, refer to your career management plan. If you do not have one, then you are in big trouble, because you have actually put your career management on auto pilot. You are gambling with your career. The advice is to urgently put together your career management plan.

LIFE PURPOSE: If you do not have a career management plan, you should at least have clear purpose in life. This is what you were born to become. Not everybody is able to discover and reconnect with their life purpose. Some spend their whole life and die without having discovered what their life purpose was. So, without knowing what your life purpose is, it is impossible to draft good career management plan. If you do not know what your life purpose is, you are as good as being in an intensive care unit. You should find yourself a life coach to partner with you in your life project until you have discovered your life purpose.

RIGHT REASONS: You must always change companies for the right reasons. Keep your relationship with your previous employers healthy. Do not focus too much on the material benefits of career move. Your happiness and life purpose are the main determining factors in the management of your career. Once you have announced your decision to leave, and this is based on solid reasons, please do not hesitate, leave. And avoid being the run away, come back talent. That is not good for your personal brand.

I am an Executive & Life Coach, and will be able to assist you with Coaching, Mentoring, advice on how to formulate your Career Management Plan, and in discovering your Life Purpose. If you are based in South Africa, especially in Gauteng Province, join us at our monthly COMETSA PMS The LEKGOTLA Way Networks & Forums. We are offering the opportunity for the participants to dialogue with one other at the round tables over breakfast, late afternoon sessions or dinner, in small groups. The facilitator introduces the topic, a few insights and trends. Each round table appoints its chairperson who oversees the proceedings, the scribe who captures the deliberations, and the reporter who shortly reports back to the plenary. The facilitator then opens the floor for Q&A and open discussions. The tables then reconvene and formulate what they view as the resolutions for the plenary to consider posting on social media platforms for further discussions with our global audience. In this way we tap onto the global knowledge creation community and receive global feedback.

For further information check http://www.SamTsima.com and http://www.Cometsa-GoC.com; or contact COMETSA office at tel +27 (0) 11 974 9308; email:  comcallcentre@Cometsa-GoC.com



 By Sam Patjane Tsima


Article Source: The Pros and Cons of Accepting or Rejecting Counter Offers

Get Them To Solve Problems, Not Just Raise Concerns

Some time back one of my managers sent out an email announcing that we had just won an account. This was a very big deal for us as our product was new to the marketplace and we were working hard to gain acceptance with customers. Several of us responded to the email expressing our excitement over the new account. One of my managers responded with "I've got concerns" and listed off a series of issues with servicing the account. All of the issues that the manager brought up were valid issues; the problem is that I didn't know who was expected to do what regarding the issues.

I asked the manager that raised the issues to get in a room with a couple of other managers and put some resolution to the issues. Fortunately, there was no friction in the request and the managers got to work to outline each issue and put forth a suggested approach for how to deal with the issue. About an hour later the team of managers responded with a solid approach that would be taken which worked for everyone and addressed all of the concerns raised.

We've all experienced the person who had no problem at all saying "I've got concerns" to just about anything but offered nothing constructive in terms of suggested resolutions. The culprit wants to be the one to raise the issue and wants someone else to take ownership to resolve the problem. That dog don't hunt with me.

When situations like this happen with me, I like to have the one that raises the issue get with a small subset of interested parties to come up with a resolution to the issue, and hold the person who raised the issue accountable for reporting back to the rest of the team as to the resolution. What I've found in doing this is that the quality of the solution is much better than a solution that any one person could have come up with because the interested stakeholders have all put their thumb-print on the resolution.

Next time one of your team members raises an issue, consider putting the issue back to a few of your team members, asking the person who raised the issue to drive resolution to the issue, and reporting back to the team the proposed resolution. You'll get a better quality resolution and you'll reduce churn with the team.

Lonnie Pacelli is an accomplished author and autism advocate with over 30 years experience in leadership and project management at Accenture, Microsoft, and Consetta Group. See books, articles, keynotes, and self-study seminars at http://www.lonniepacelli.com


 By Lonnie Pacelli


Article Source: Get Them To Solve Problems, Not Just Raise Concerns

Importance of Proper Irrigation Services

When it comes to ensuring that the ground, grass and plants or crops in an area are in the best possible condition, the only way to get the job done is through proper irrigation services. It is the reason why so many industrial operations, commercial properties, homeowners and institutions are seeking assistance from irrigation service providers to ensure their land is in the best possible condition. And if you are looking to get similar work done, you may want to find a top quality irrigation services provider in your area. The difference they can make to your land is huge.

With the right irrigation pumps and equipment, it is possible to get the soil and the resulting plant growth to a very high level. Not only do proper irrigation systems ensure that plants will grow better in the short-term, but they play a huge role in maintaining the soil quality over the long-term. For instance, you only need to take a look at the difference in the processes of watering a space through an irrigation system, in contrast to manually watering the land. With manual watering, you are never going to get optimal results.

The issue with manual watering, in contrast to installing the necessary irrigation pumps and equipment to use sprinklers, is that you are going to get an inconsistent level of water to various parts of the land. No matter how much attention you pay to the effort, you are going to miss spots, or overwater other areas. But with an irrigation system and the attached sprinklers, each part of the land is getting precisely the amount of water it needs for the grass and plants to thrive.

It is understandable that individuals may baulk at the price associated with getting a proper irrigation system installed. However, you have to look at it as an investment in your land. If the land, and the resulting grass and plants, matters to you on a personal or professional level, you are going to want to go with an irrigation system. There is an upfront cost, but these systems do not require much maintenance and they last for many years to come. It really does make sense to go with one of these systems if you have a large residential, commercial or industrial land space that requires constant watering and attention.

And if the cost is close to being a deal breaker for you, then you may want to look at the expenses in a different way. It is not necessarily the money you are spending now that should be of concern, but the money that you will save in the long-run. It may take one or two years, but you will eventually break even on your sprinkler system due to the lower water bills you will enjoy. And if you have a really large space of land, you will probably break even in under a year, given how much less water is used by these systems in comparison to manual watering.

Get in touch with the proper irrigation pumps and equipment around you.



 By Edmund Brunetti


Article Source: Importance of Proper Irrigation Services

Components To Look For With CAD

While there can be plenty of differences with CAD systems, there are some basic components that they all should have in place. These components create the foundation for all the features and benefits you will gain from it. Don't get involved with a program that falls short, make sure it has all you need to build from.

Efficiency
The reason you are using any of the CAD systems is to improve efficiency. You want to get more done in less time. You want to have better results without working around the clock. When changes need to be made, you don't want to have to go back to the drawing board and start from scratch again. Instead, you can just make some changes to what you have already created.

Easy to use Tools
Most CAD systems offer a variety of drafting tools for you to use. What you will use depends on what you would like to create. It can also depend on your preferences. Yet it can be frustrating if a specific tool you would like to use isn't available with the program. If there are certain ones you need, make sure they are offered with that program.

If the tools are hard to use, it will make the program one that is frustrating to learn from or to count on. You need to be confident in your skills and with what you can do with this type of program.

Reliable
You may take it for granted that any of the CAD systems should be reliable. That is until it isn't working like it should. You are going to lose time and be under stress if the program is locking up or operating slowly. Look for one that is reliable and has a very high uptime report. You need to know it is ready to use any time you are ready to access it.

Applications
For your convenience, most CAD systems have a variety of built-in applications you can use. If those are lacking, it is going to be harder to complete what you want to and to share it. This can become a complication when you are faced with some tough deadlines on challenging projects. Do yourself a favor and make sure these are in place for you to help from.

You may be interested in learning the various applications too. Sometimes, it is easy to get comfortable with just using one that we know. When you have some free time, explore the others so you can check the pros and cons of what they deliver. By doing so, you will be able to expand your tools and techniques.

Compatibility
No matter how great the CAD systems are you work with, you need to make sure they will be compatible. You may have customers and other professionals you need to be able to share your work with from your computer system. While most of them are compatible, it is always a good idea to find out. Otherwise, you could be in for an unpleasant surprise.

This type of exchange can save you hours of being on the phone, attending meetings, and other time zappers. It allows everyone involved to get the information and to review it at a time that works for their schedule. Then they can give feedback for all to help from.

Customer Support
Hopefully the program has some tutorials and information to share with you. Such tools are very useful when you are learning a new program. Make sure it offers you access to customer support services. If you get hung up on something or don't understand how to use a feature, they can walk you through it.

You will love the various software programs and tools available at� http://www.cadlogic.com/. The best technology available and the right solutions result in materials you will enjoy using. We listen to what is needed and continually improve those items so you have them to use at your convenience. We make them simple to navigate and implement, but packed full of resources you can use to create professional looking drawings. We are always here to help you if you need customised software or you need help with something we offer. We welcome your feedback so we can continue to make it the best experience possible.



 By Phil R


Article Source: Components To Look For With CAD

Get Your Hands On A Simple And Effective Drawing Tool

The days of drafting being done by hand are long gone, replaced with computerized tools. With the use of 2D CAD, you can get your hands on a simple and very effective tool for completing your drawings. They can be done in less time, modified, and look professional. This can help you to get more jobs and to find a career path you are passionate about.

Finding the Right Program
What you can gain from 2D CAD though depends on the program you use. It is important to find the right program. Don't settle for one before you check several so you know what is out there. Don't be in a rush to pay for such a program either. It may surprise you learn some of the best options are actually offered for free.

These tend to have basic features but that doesn't matter. There is plenty you can do with a 2D CAD program that only offers the basics. If you need something more advanced down the road, you can look for it then. This is a good way to get yourself started with such a program though and to learn how it works. Find one that is easy to navigate so you get the most from it.

Features and Navigation
As you explore the various features of 2D CAD programs, you can decide how you would like to use them. The navigation system and your creative nature are going to aid you with implementing the right features at the right time. By doing so, you will be able to come up with new concepts that you are very proud to stand behind.

They will look very nice and professional. That is important because you want your drawings to be taken seriously. You aren't going to be able to secure jobs or to consult on jobs if people aren't able to embrace what you share with them. Knowing you have something remarkable to visually show them is going to enhance your confidence and excitement.

Creating and Changing
There are plenty of ways you can use 2D CAD to create your images. Then you can make changes too without doing it all over again. You can go through variations to offer several options to someone. They will appreciate the effort you went to so they can see how it will look with these features or those features in place.

You don't have to share with them that it was only a few clicks of the mouse and a little bit of time for you to get those changes done. The 2D CAD system did the rest for you! Once they have narrowed it down, you can move forward with the one they have selected and work from it.

Sharing your Designs
Such a software program can also help you with sharing the drawings and designs you have created. We live in a society where not everyone lives in the same physical location that you may work for. However, you can easily send them an email that has your work as an attachment for them to review. This saves time for discussions and it also breaks down barriers.

There are plenty of benefits to be gained from using this type of software. It all comes down to what you select and how you use it. Have fun experimenting with the various features it offers. Don't stick with just those you are familiar with. When you play around with the others, it could give you some creative ideas for future concepts.

You will love the various software programs and tools available at� http://www.cadlogic.com/. The best technology available and the right solutions result in materials you will enjoy using. We listen to what is needed and continually improve those items so you have them to use at your convenience. We make them simple to navigate and implement, but packed full of resources you can use to create professional looking drawings. We are always here to help you if you need customised software or you need help with something we offer. We welcome your feedback so we can continue to make it the best experience possible.



 By Phil R



Article Source: Get Your Hands On A Simple And Effective Drawing Tool

Adding Depth To Your Drawings

You can take any 2D drawing and add depth to certain elements. By doing so, you make it far more realistic. You make it appealing, professional, and to show the creative elements you wish for it to include. In order to get approval to move forward with such images, you need to get the approval of the person or the business they are for. The more realistic they are, the easier it is.

Programs to Use
Not all the programs you can use for 2D drawing though allow you to add depth easily. Don't choose one that makes it a hard process for you to complete. Instead, look for one that allows you to join all of the line segments. When you do so, you can create polylines. Using the tools, manipulate the outer one so you can create a solid with it to work from.

You will be able to create the desired thickness of that solid with the 2D drawing program also. This is important as the thickness can completely change the overall look. For example, if you would like a certain part of the design to stand out more than the rest, you need to make those lines thicker than the rest of them.

Once you have the first, solid, you can continue to manipulate the rest of the lines at the top and the bottom. It is going to take some practice but you will get the hang of it after a few tries. You can also change the thickness of the lines to try different outcome for the enhancement they will offer before you settle on the look you are content with.

Shadows
Another technique you can use to add depth with 2D drawing objects is the use of shadowing. Some refer to this as shading within a given software program but they are the same concept. This has been used for a very long time in the world of drawing and architecture. It is well received and simple enough at the same time.

You do have to be careful with the use of shadows in 2D drawing materials though. If they aren't done correctly, they can look messy and they can cause important details of the image to be overlooked. You should use this method sparingly and not in large areas of the drawing. Save them for smaller areas so they don't blend into a larger concept.

Experiment
Depth can be beneficial when you feel like you just can't get the right look you want with a 2D drawing. Take some time to experiment with the various options so you are familiar with them. Knowing how they work, how they affect your drawing, and how to use the tools for your program to access them all comes in handy.

This can help you to get the end results you want without feeling stressed about it. You don't want to give up on a drawing and send it as done when you feel it isn't your best work and there needs to be something more. You may feel something is lacking and that doesn't convert well. Depth may be all you need to bring it to life and to be very happy with it.

The program you use can make a huge difference in the tools you have access to for depth and how you use them. Think about that when you are selecting the program to use. It doesn't make sense to limit the tools and techniques you will have access to because your program doesn't offer them.

You will love the various software programs and tools available at� http://www.cadlogic.com/. The best technology available and the right solutions result in materials you will enjoy using. We listen to what is needed and continually improve those items so you have them to use at your convenience. We make them simple to navigate and implement, but packed full of resources you can use to create professional looking drawings. We are always here to help you if you need customised software or you need help with something we offer. We welcome your feedback so we can continue to make it the best experience possible.



 By Phil R


Article Source: Adding Depth To Your Drawings

Human Capital Development Imperatives for a Progressive South Africa

VIP MANAGEMENT SERVICES: South Africa is very unique in the world in the sense that most of its successful entrepreneurs, community leaders, and political elite are those who transitioned from non-profit organizations into self-employment. However, the challenge that most of them encounter is how to effect this transition. Some are forced to initially operate part-time, i.e. while they are employed or volunteering in other organizations in the country. In most cases they end up being ethically conflicted. Their careers are destroyed before they could achieve their objective of becoming fully self-employed. It is for this reason that I am advocating the introduction of VIP Management Services Development Programmes to these needy members of our society. This works like an incubator of professionals.

EXECUTIVE COACHING: Coaching is about a shift from the Current State of Being (CSoB) into the Future State of Being (FSoB). So, it is about transformation. Both the Current State of Being (CSoB) and the Future State of Being (FSoB) for the client must be clearly defined. There must be discomfort with the CSoB that propels the client to embark on the coaching journey. The FSoB in most cases cannot be fully attained but the client can close to it as close as it possible. One thing certain is that there will be shift away from the CSoB. The FSoB is like the shining star at the distance. The coaching sessions form part of the journey toward the Future State of Being (FSoB). This ideal future state is not necessarily achieved upon the completion of the coaching programme. This becomes the journey f life time. The coaching programme places the client on the path toward the Destiny which once achieved it becomes the client's Legacy. This Legacy becomes the Heritage that the client will leave for the Generations that come after him/her. Coaching is therefore a way of life and it is unimaginable to live a fulfilling life without it.

Coaching evolved over the past years, having started in the US in the seventies from college sport:

• Coaching as Motivation and Personality Development intervention
• Coaching as Mentoring and Development of Potential
• Coaching as Advisory to Top Management
• Personal Coaching for private People
• Coaching for all situations

Coaching is today clearly distinct from the above previous evolutionary stages. It follows clearly defined Models and Philosophy. The Perspective, Purpose, and Processes are clearly visible in coaching. Every coach is expected to have a particular methodology they follow in their Coaching Programme.

STRATEGY DEVELOPMENT: Depending on the size of the organization, strategy development is either done in-house or an external strategy development consultant is engaged. There are a number of books written about strategy facilitation. However, there is no one universal strategy development template. Every organization has its own template, approach and strategy. Whoever facilitates the development of such strategy has to first invest time in understanding the business or receiving a thorough briefing from the management and leadership before embarking on the process of developing and formulating the strategy of such an organization. The risks associated with the strategy that does not speak to the context of the business are very high since strategies tend to be medium to long-term. So, strategy development facilitators have huge responsibility on their shoulders. They are also expected to be highly ethical in their work. They are expected to keep confidentiality and not to abuse the privilege they have in accessing strategic information.

CONSULTING: Consultants are the most innovative, creative and pragmatic practitioners, and yet individualistic in approach. It is important for the consultants to network with each other and share their expertise, methodologies, challenges and frustrations, especially if they hope to contribute to the national transformation imperatives, like supporting South Africa's National Development Plan (NDP). They are encouraged to contribute to the good course of sharing and growing the economy and the society. Their network is there to attract the new entrants into the field to do the business of consulting, encourage mentoring of the beginners and to make themselves accessible to the industries in a relaxed and less pressurizing environment.

There are very few institutions of learning that teach Consulting in Economic Empowerment & Transformation as a standalone qualification, and yet this is one of the key components of the South African economic & political environment. Any business strategy that does not start by unpacking these two phenomena is ignorant of the realities of the South Africa of today, and it is likely to miss the opportunities that are associated with this country. The only constant in today's society is transformation and change. The economic empowerment of the neglected sectors of the South African society is imperative for all the organizations that are committed to the growth of the country.

Since the introduction of the Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (BBBEE) legislation, the growth of the consultancy sector in Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) has been phenomenal. Black Economic Empowerment is a national Economic Transformation Imperative and somehow we need to encourage and foster alignment in the thinking. Economic empowerment and transformation in South African means participation by previously disadvantaged individual in the main economic sectors of the country. However, the current economic players seem not to see the benefit in allowing new players in. The country requires the current and aspiring entrepreneurs to come together and debate on what needs to happen to change the status quo. South Africa cannot be globally competitive as long as the bigger part of the population is excluded from the economic activity. This is self-defeating and must be addressed. Business, especially, the private sector must want to address this situation. It is to their benefit. Let us drive entrepreneurship development until we have reached the critical mass that guarantees the country a meaningful position in global entrepreneurship competitiveness. This is about global entrepreneurship competitiveness.

YOUTH AND WOMEN EMPOWERMENT: South Africa is one of the countries in the world that has taken a decisive step in promoting Youth Entrepreneurship, and yet we are one of the poor performers in Youth Enterprise Development. The country must connect the youth with the other youth of the world, and build exchange platforms and programmes, like conceptualizing a successful and sustainable Youth Enterprise Development Model (Products & Services, Business Development & Market Access, Systems & Knowledge Support, Exports Markets Development, Financial & Technical Support, etc.)

Women empowerment does not mean that men are excluded from actively advancing the development of women. As long as they support the objectives of emancipating female citizens, they should be welcome in the Women Empowerment Programmes. However, women are encouraged to take the leadership in their own empowerment and challenge men to be supportive of their programmes and initiatives. There is a need to consolidate Women Empowerment Programmes and Initiatives in South Africa to achieve maximum impact. Women are in the majority, and therefore their participation in the economic activities of the country will increase our economic production, management and leadership capacity. This will make us economically competitive in the continent and globally.

MENTORSHIP: The application of internal and external Mentorship Programmes is fundamental to the continuous development and life-long learning. The extent to which Mentorship Programme in companies is formalized varies from one company to another. Irrespective of that, there is either an internal or external mentorship approach. The talent development circumstances of a company influence the approach that each company follows. Some companies have a combination of both internal and external mentorship programme. External Mentorship is mostly appropriate for the executives and senior managers. An Internal Mentorship programme would be more appropriate for the large portion of the staff. For any internal Mentorship programme to be successful, the company must develop a standard programme, and develop internal mentors to participate in the programme.

ADVISORS AND SPOKESPERSONS DEVELOPMENT: Advisors and Spokespersons are the professionals that find themselves in the firing lines more than any other professionals. They are often called in very late, when the leaders have already implicated themselves. Yet there are very few forums at which these important professionals get together to share their frustrations and experiences. As a country we should strive to establish forums and networks at which this unique talent is further developed and supported. It is also for those who aspire to be developed as advisors and spokespersons. We need to regularly assemble these professionals to take stock of their profession, interact with the other professionals and the public they serve. There are no questions as to why business executives, senior managers, leaders, and politicians need advisors and spokespersons. They are indispensable.

TALENT MOBILITY: The African continent is one of the highest recipients of global talent. Business practitioners in the global talent mobility space are experiencing complex client demands and therefore are encouraged to work together in developing a talent pool that will be able to service the needs of the growing number of highly specialized expatriates that are deployed in Africa by the global multinationals. Secondly, the African governments are becoming sophisticated in the regulation of the movement of foreign talent into the continent. Most countries are pushing for compliance with localization policies to make sure that their countries are not only benefiting the foreign countries but also the local citizens. The cross-border platforms across the continent must be created. The goal of such platforms should be to provide the opportunity for the global talent mobility practitioners to interact and connect. This is to make sure that the local and global trends and practices are aligned. This is one of the young sectors in Africa with the highest relevance to the African and global economies.

MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT: Many books have been written about Management and Leadership. Every country has a specific global context of management and leadership to deal with. More and more South African companies are venturing into foreign markets (countries) and they are sending their best managers and leaders there. Companies like MTN, SABMiller, and Sasol, are some of the successful South African companies that have sent their best managers and leaders to foreign markets to lead their operations. The Management and Leadership Programmes in South Africa should have as their main goal to bring both South African and global managers & leaders together to discuss and share insights. This is necessary for the South African companies to thrive in home, new and foreign markets.

PROFESSIONAL WRITERS DEVELOPMENT: Professional writers, like artists, can be very isolated, and yet the rest of the population wants their writing. It is amazing that these inspirational professionals do not get together to share their professional experiences often enough. South Africa can do better in enabling the professional writers to get together and support each other. We also want them to hear from their clients, the readers. If you are a professional and aspiring writer you require coaching and mentorship by seasoned writers. You will appreciate the value you will obtain from meeting fellow writers. You may also meet authors that are open to co-authoring of books and articles.

PROFESSIONAL SPEAKERS DEVELOPMENT: The United States of America has successfully created a lucrative sector out of the professional speaking sector. We believe that South Africans have natural talent in speaking that will even challenge the Americans, and overtake them. Their success was not by chance but their education system instils confidence in their children early in their education life. We want teachers, educationists, politicians and practitioners to consider growing the speakers sector in the country. It sounds less important but it is indeed one of the sectors that inspire a lot of confidence and pride in the nation's people. Once one becomes a subject matter expert in a particular field, one can develop as a speaker. You can specialize in professional speaking about the subject you master very well.

PROFESSIONAL TRANSLATORS DEVELOPMENT: It is a known fact that South Africans are quick at learning foreign languages. However, when it comes to international business relations and communication, please do not take chances. Employ the services of the professional translator. How would you know if the translator is not genuine? Let's put together networks and forums to create the opportunity for those qualified professional translators to grow their profession. We also need to grow interest in this profession. This could be one of the highest paying professions, especially now that South Africa is a full member of community of nations like AU, UN, BRICS, etc. Our country is one of the countries with the highest number of diplomatic relationships in the world. We must take regular stock of this sector, connect with similar networks globally and collaborate in our service offerings. A lot is unknown about this profession, especially among the previously disadvantaged individuals (i.e. black South Africans). How does one become a professional translator? What are career opportunities? Where does one study to become a professional translator?

DEVELOPMENT AGENCIES: South Africa is known to have benefited from the active society of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) who volunteered to resolve community development problems associated with the neglect of the previous Apartheid Government. However, post-1994 a number of NGOs disappeared as more and more people opted for business opportunities that came with our young democracy. We are now where we were before. There is a need for more social entrepreneurs and NGOs to tackle the problems of poverty, crime, unemployment and inequality. Some private companies have established Foundations and Corporate Social Investments (CSI) Programmes to respond to these challenges. Some institutions of learning have introduced Social Entrepreneurship Programmes to equip practitioners with knowledge to grow and professionalize the non-profit sector. This is a welcomed development and is encouraged.

SOCIAL MEDIA PRACTITIONERS DEVELOPMENT: Social media has taken the knowledge and information age to the highest level. It is not only about the knowledge and information, but the technology that enables us to play an active role in this era. As much as social media has its own risks, we cannot afford the risk of isolation. We are appealing to many professionals, especially the golden talent, i.e. those who consider themselves too old to be involved in social media, to welcome the challenge and embrace social media. If there is one form of exclusion people are likely to subject themselves to, it is opting not to be active in social media. Rather learn to manage the terrain than staying out of it. The risk of isolation is too high and must be avoided.

SPORT ENTREPRENEURS & ADMINISTRATORS DEVELOPMENT: Sport is a sector that fits in both the entertainment and business sector as a result of the role it plays in social and business life. It is the most complex sector to make a career in. The barriers of entry are very few, and as a result you find professionals from other sectors becoming entrepreneurs and administrators in sport. The country should open the debate around the professionalization of the sector. As much as there are low barriers of entry, people should take studies in sport management and then enter the sector to grow it. Should the sport sector insist on sport graduates to become entrepreneurs and administrators? What are the investors and sport club owners' views on the future of the sector with regard to professionalization?

MUSIC ENTREPRENEURS AND AGENTS DEVELOPMENT: Art, culture, and music have a potential to become the highest foreign currency earner for the South African economy. The belief that our natural talents are sufficient to make us world-beaters is seriously challenged. The country needs academic and practical programmes to grow the sector. Natural talent is appreciated, but it must be enhanced by formal programmes in music and art. Researchers and academics must invest their energies, efforts and resources in developing the South Africans' natural talent. Is Mzanzi's golden sector truly happening or is it up to now only a concept? What will it take to make our music sector big export player?

COLLABORATION IN LEARNING & CATCHING UP WITH TRENDS: South Africa is perceived to be a consumer country rather than a production country. This is in both goods and service sectors. The same applies in the knowledge sector. Yet we have many cutting edge innovations started in this country, only to be perfected in other countries. We want this country to be the origin, manufacturing and testing of new ideas, before these ideas are converted into products, solutions and service offerings that can be commercialised in other countries.

RELEVANCE IN KNOWLEDGE & INFORMATION AGE: It is now a number of years since we entered the Knowledge and Information Age. We are still in it and we would like to make maximum benefit of it. We also want to contribute to this age. It is not necessarily as stressful as many believe. It requires us to have positive attitude toward it. Further, we must appreciate the role that technology plays in this age. Technology is an enabler rather than a nuisance. And we have choices as to the type of technology we want to engage with rather than stressing about it. The worst mistake is to have negative attitude to this age and reject technology. We will be further isolated as a result of our own resistance. What will follow this era is going to be more disempowering than we think. For example, technology will drive our vehicles, service us, diagnose diseases, and information will be stored in the cloud as it is always the case. This could become scary. It will increase our fears and stress levels. Let us embrace the changes and technology trends in our lives.

To engage me in dialogue with your leadership team, staff, clients and stakeholders: http://www.SamTsima.com


 By Sam Patjane Tsima


Article Source: Human Capital Development Imperatives for a Progressive South Africa

Itu semua terjadi karena Carson menabrak pohon

Itu semua terjadi karena Carson menabrak pohon (Ini adalah kisah kolaboratif dengan teman saya NabilaTheGreat InTheCorner, ini adalah kisah...