Post college work opportunities

Graduating from college counts as being not only one of the most exciting experiences of one’s life, but also one of the most anxiety-producing. With such a difficult economic climate to navigate, it can be difficult for practically any college gr

aduate to know which route to take after they finally get their diploma and enter into the real world. Diving straight into the workforce may be a necessity, although there are a variety of things that one should think about before simply jumping right in. Indeed, putting effort into gaining the right experience is of the utmost importance. Consider the following tips, all of which can help you to ensure that you’re getting the experience you need after graduation.

Get an

Internship

While many people strive to get internships while in college, this isn’t always an option for everyone. Those who simply did not have the time while in school to take on an internship should

consider taking this route as soon as they graduate from college. Often, the first few months after college act as somewhat of a grace period; many people choose to travel, for example. You can get a huge jump on building experience by getting an internship, however. This is not to say that you should take on an opportunity that doesn’t pay, however. Many internships offer a fair amount of pay, which goes right along with the knowledge that one can often coax out of the experience. For best results, look for an internship that is in line with what you’d like to do for a living.

Consider A Certification Program

Just because you’ve graduated from college doesn’t mean you should never consider going back to school. Indeed, there are a variety of reasons why one might wish to go back to school after their graduated from college. Attending a certification program is a great way to expand your knowledge and skill set, and will also make you a better candidate for taking on a variety of different types of jobs. An associates in accounting degree, for example, can be extremely helpful for those who are looking to build a career in finance; even if you don’t plan on being an accountant. While it can be difficult to manage the financial side of going back to school, taking the time to ensure that all your ducks are in a row is more than worth your while.

Network

Networking is perhaps the most important thing you can do post-college. Regardless of where you plan to work and live, you’ll find it quite difficult to break into the community if you don’t put an adequate amount of effort into networking. Note that it doesn’t need to be difficult to network, although getting started can be easier said than done. You’ve got to have the right amount of confidence to ensure that you’re worth your salt, so to speak, which is an essential aspect of marketing yourself to others. The more work you can put into networking, the more likely it is that you’ll succeed in business.

Things to Know Before Opening Your Business

Many people start a new business without knowing the costly pitfalls. The form of business organization, lack of business insur

ance, and the need to file for bankruptcy are some pitfalls that trap entrepreneurs who rush into business. Planning is key for successful businesses.

Business Organization

Entrepreneurs should know what form of business organization is best for them. Although sole proprietorships let owners receive all

profits, the owners are responsible for all losses. Owners could lose their life savings in bankruptcy. A partnership divides profits, but in the event of bankruptcy, you could be responsible for your partner’s share of the debts.

Corporations limit your losses to your investment, but your share of profits and control may also be limited. Corporations must register with states and pay corporate taxes. S Corporations register with the state and have shareholders. Profits pass through to individual stockholders who file individual tax returns. The owners’ liabilities are limited to their investments.

Limited Liability Companies (LLC) must register with the state.

Liabilities are limited to investments, and they may elect to be taxes as partnerships or S Corporation. LLCs offer management flexibility. The wise entrepreneur carefully chooses his business organization.

Business Organization Determines Taxes, Licenses and Fees

All businesses may be subject to local taxes, fees and licenses. Corporations must also incorporate in states in which they do business. Some states require online business to collect and pay sales taxes. Since laws and regulations vary with each business area, entrepreneurs should consult with attorneys or the local city management so that they may be in compliance with all laws and regulations.

Insurance and Bonding

Business insurance is a necessity. Entrepreneurs should consider every conceivable disaster to evaluate needed coverage. Customers who slip on wet floors, fire or flood damage, equipment failures, and many other disasters may halt your business transactions. Personal items used in business are not covered by homeowners insurance. Using your pickup truck as a business delivery truck can result in a major loss if it is not covered buy business insurance.

Your reason for buying insurance is to protect your business against loss. Bonding employees is also essential protection. Although your employees are trustworthy, you should protect yourself from the unexpected. Entrepreneurs should consult with many professionals about laws, regulations, insurance and other business people to learn details about starting a business. You should protect yourself from costly mistakes.

What are the easiest ways to get money quickly?

From time to time, all of us need a quick cash injection. After all, no-one can avoid the odd unexpected expense, like car repairs or higher-than-expected bills, so it’s always good to know what your options are just in case something crops up. With

that in mind, I’ve put together a quick guide to some of the best options for getting cash quickly.

Borrowing from friends and family

If you’re in a fix, one option is to turn to your friends and family to help you out. This is a choice that often divides people, since it has some quite significant pros and cons:
• Pro: You can sidestep any official application process (which you’d go through when applying for a bank loan, for example). This means it doesn’t matter if you have a poor credit history, and it can also give you the chance to get your money that little bit faster.
• Pro: You might be able to borrow exactly the amount you need, rather than less or more.
• Pro: There won’t be a fixed deadline you have to pay the sum back by, which makes it a more flexible option.
• Con: Owing money to friends and family can fast become complicated. For example, if you can’t pay the money back as quickly as you thought, you need to borrow more or your lender deems you to be spending your money unwisely, it can easily lead to friction. So, sometimes it is simpler

to avoid this altogether.
• Con: You might not want your friends and family to know about your financial difficulties or the purchase you are making (for example, the money you borrow could be to fund a surprise).

Bank loans

One of the most obvious ways to boost your finances short-term, bank loans are quite an obvious route to go down. There are a couple of things to consider beforehand, including:
• You will need to successfully pass a credit check.
• You may not be able to secure the full amount you have applied for.
• You will have to repay the loan within the required period.

Bear in mind these payments will typically need to be made regularly, rather than in a lump sum on the deadline date, so you should make sure you can stick to the plan outlined and pay the interest.

Another thing to be mindful of here is that bank loans can take a little while to be approved and the money sent through to you, which means you might receive your cash a little slower than when using other means.

Taking out loans against your possessions

If you own any valuables, such as expensive paintings, precious gems/jewellery or luxury cars, it is also worth considering taking loans out against them. Borrowing services like this will typically assess the items in question (using an expert in valuation) before letting you know whether they will offer you a loan or not. Some advantages of doing this are:
• You

will not need a credit check.
• If your loan is approved you will usually receive your cash within 24 hours.
• Provided you repay the loan, you will keep your items (this is particularly good if your valuables hold sentimental value, giving this kind of a service an edge over selling your possessions outright).

Taking Your Small Business To The Next Level

Running a small business can be a particularly rewarding endeavor, but at some point, you’re going to have to grow. If you’re not growing and getting better, you will eventually go out of business. The market moves fast in every industry, and you have to be willing to adapt. If you are interested in taking your small business to the next level, here are a few tips for you to keep in mind:

Hire a Consultant

Depending on what industry you are in, hiring a consultant may be in your best interest. A consultant is an individual who has a great deal of experience and expertise in your industry. When you hire a consultant, they will be able to look at your operation and tell you where the problems are. They can usually spot any bottlenecks or any other flaws in your system that need to be addressed.

When you hire a consultant, you’ll have to pay for an in-house meeting, but the cost is usually well worth it if they can make your business operate more efficiently. Hiring a

company like Soliant Consulting, for instance,can make a big difference for you in the long-term, as it’s important that you learn to perform diagnostic tests on your own management style and business model. That’s what a consulting team will do for you.

Use Customer Relationship Management Software

If you want your business to be able to grow, you need to use some kind of system to manage all of the interactions with your customers. With advancements in customer relationship management software, this is now easier than ever. With this type of system in place, you’ll be able to track every call and every type of communication that is made

between you and a customer. This way, any member of your company can see the status of each job and see notes that were left by other employees. This helps reduce the possibilities of a customer dropping through the cracks, or having any other communication issues.

Many CRM software programs offer a mobile application so that you can use the software while on the go. This makes it easy for you to access customer information from a smartphone, tablet, or from some other device.

Allocate Advertising Resources Appropriately

When you are trying to grow your business, you will have to spend some money on advertising. Advertising is typically the most effective way to get new customers. If you put your money into the wrong types of advertising channels, you are probably going to end up wasting a lot of money. In some cases, you may want to get away from more traditional methods of advertising like TV and radio, and go with online advertising methods.

With online marketing, you can zero in on the people who are looking for what you have to offer. Instead of just casting your net widely and hoping that it catches the right people, you can .

Considerations

Regardless of which options you choose to pursue, make sure that you weigh them against the cost of implementation. Some ideas simply cost too much for small businesses to try. Make sure that the potential benefits outweigh the costs for your business.

Creating the Perfect Office Environment

As the demand for increased productivity increases in offices worldwide, smart business managers have begun to take a serious look at how their office design contributes to employee satisfaction. Making sure that employees are happy does

not have to require a large amount of time or financial investment.

In fact, incorporating only a few simple changes is usually all that is necessary to make an office space more enjoyable for the people that work in the office environment. For this reason, the following ideas are offered to help you to create a work space that will foster employee satisfaction and increased productivity:

Create a Shared Vision

When people work together towards a common goal, they are more likely to enjoy participating in collaborations and meetings. Therefore, it is important for an office manager to establish a common mission that everyone can support. This can be achieved through a company meeting in which everyone shares their ideas about how they would like to see the business move forward.

Then, a mission statement can be created that encompasses all of these ideas. This can help to improve the relationships between employees and management staff as they will become unified in their sense of purpose.

Ergonomic Design Strategies

Employee comfort is a strong indicator of the quality of work that they will accomplish. Anyone who has ever had to sit in an uncomfortable chair while hunched over a desk that is too small can attest to the fact that it is hard to work in an improperly set-up environment. For this reason, every workspace should be set up with ergonomics in mind.

This can be accomplished by making sure that supportive chairs are available in each office space as well as desks and keyboards that are adjusted specifically for the height of each employee. This simple step can help to reduce employee sick days that are caused by aches and pains while also providing a way for everyone to accomplish their daily tasks in comfort.

Create Flexible Floor Plans

Over time, the needs of office staff may change. Attempting to work within the confines of an office that no longer fits a company’s vision can create setbacks for employees. Therefore, it is important to ensure that an office’s floor plan and furniture is flexible enough to be able to adapt as the need presents for change.

A flexible floor plan can be designed by using quality cubicles and furniture. Don’t let your floor plan get in the way of workplace ambiance simply because of poor foresight. No matter what the demands of the geography and layout of the building, you can find the right cubicles to match your office. The cubicles office environments in San Diego, CA, for instance, often have to account for a great deal of sunshine coming through the windows. Proper design can ensure that half your work staff doesn’t have to wear sunglasses while they work. By using a cubicle layout, an office manager can simply move furniture around in order to create collaborative spaces or areas for privacy.

When an office environment is set up with the needs of the employees in mind, then their enjoyment will lead to a better quality of work and increased production. Office managers can do their part to create an enjoyable environment for employees by helping to create a shared vision that everyone can work towards while working in an ergonomically designed office space that is flexible enough to ensure their success while working on important projects.

LSF Interactive and Geary Interactive Merge and Acquire Local Search Leader 15miles

LSF Interactive and Geary Group, two successful search marketing agencies, recently merged to create a new entity called Geary LSF Group, and they are busy growing their enterprise. The partnership was only announced at the end of the spring, and

Geary LSF Group has already announced that they are acquiring another firm to help grow their service offerings. The group has acquired 15miles, a local

search marketing leader, in order to expand their expertise and capabilities in local, social and mobile engagement for the digital market.

What This Means for Geary LSF Group

The teams at LSF Interactive and Geary Group both brought a great deal of search marketing knowledge and experience to the table, and are able to offer a wide range of digital services to clients across the globe. The team at 15miles had something unique to offer Geary LSF Group clients, though, and the newly merged firm saw an opportunity to better serve their current clients and attract a broader range of new clientele in the future. The local, mobile and social marketing experts at 15miles will bring not only a new level of knowledge and expertise to the Geary LSF Group; they will also bring about 30 new brands to the client roster and greatly augment the firm’s digital marketing network.

Response from the 15miles, Geary and LSF Teams

There was plenty of excitement from the teams at LSF Interactive,

Geary Group and 15miles, which are now part of the same family. The so-called SoLoMo revolution, which has been propelled forward by consumers’ rapidly increasing use of tablet devices and smartphones, is now dominant in the search landscape, according to Daniel Laury, president and CEO of Geary LSF Group, who added that the partnership will considerably increase their capabilities for enabling both local retailers and international brands to optimize their digital customer engagement practices.

Since 15miles has been recognized nationally for its innovations and expert abilities in the social, local and mobile search marketing landscape, it’s clear why LSF Interactive and Geary Group would want to acquire the firm. But what’s in it for 15miles? Apparently, a lot, according to Gregg Stewart, President of 15miles. According to Stewart, Geary LSF’s deep and broad knowledge and expertise when it comes to digital marketing will let the 15miles team put together integrated digital marketing campaigns for clients. The team at 15miles is “delighted” to be joining forces with Geary LSF, because the firm has been recognized as a global leader in Internet marketing.