Work from Home

With many small business franchises conducting business through the internet and through house calls, you’ll be able to work from home in a variety of businesses that would have previously required commercial office space. Being able to work at home not only frees you up to work when and however long you want to, but also saves plenty of money on commuting costs, office space leasing and commercial storefronts. You can take the money you would have spent on setting up a retail space and pour it back into your business every month, giving your business some extra momentum and ensuring much more profit for you and your partners. Unlike many home business opportunities that rely on supplying you with products that you direct-market to consumers, a small business franchise is a real business in fields ranging from computer services to education to travel and everything in between.

Be your own boss

Most people have had that recurring daydream of being the boss and with a small business franchise you’ll not only be the boss but you’ll also control the direction and momentum of the entire business. franchise opportunities provide you the potential franchisee with a pre-made business that’s ready to go, give you any essential training to prepare you to run the franchise and then set you loose to get your business going and make plenty of money. While there are certain guidelines setup by the franchisor, you’ll experience a lot of freedom in your franchise as you outline your marketing strategy, hire your staff and begin making the important decisions that will help your business succeed. Even if you’ve never run a company before and are a little apprehensive about taking the reigns, the franchisor will give expert training in the specific field and in many cases will offer management training to new franchisees, giving you the training you need to lead your business effectively and efficiently.

Do what you love

For many people, a job is just a job, but with a small business, you have the opportunity to choose the precise business you want to own and run with it. In the corporate world, it’s easy to get stuck in a job where you have no passion for your work and to find yourself simply coming to work every day for the paycheck. While the pay is an important aspect of a job, doing what you love and having passion for your work is often what takes someone from viewing their work as a job to seeing it as a career. There are hundreds of small business opportunities in nearly every field and niche-market, so if you’re ready to dive in and start your own business, there’s bound to be a small business franchise that fits you to a tee.

Set your own schedule

Whether you’re a stay at home mom, someone looking for a second job or simply someone who doesn’t want to conform to the 9-5, Mon-Fri work week, you’ll benefit greatly from the flexibility that comes along with owning your own small business. Most small business franchise opportunities are either run from the home or appointment based so you’ll be able to set your schedule week-to-week and also decide which days to work and how may hours in a week you want to put into your new business. The more time you put into your business, the better chance you have to succeed financially, but many small business franchises can also be done on a part time basis as a second job or as a job for a student or primary caregiver, allowing you to work as little or as much as your schedule allows.

Meet your financial goals

The main reason most for-profit businesses exist is to make money, and with a small business franchise you’ll be in a great position to generate sizeable profits even within the first year. Because all of the hard work of market analysis and testing has been done by the franchisor, when you purchase a franchise business you’ll know that plenty of people have already tried and tested the proposed business model and have had success. Unlike many other business opportunities, a small business franchise can be a stand alone business and many times can be run by just one or two people but with the majority of small business franchises you can expand as your business grows by adding more units or locations and instantly increase your profit potential. Franchise businesses also have been shown to recoup the initial investment and begin to make profit much faster than a small business startup, which will put you in a position to make more money faster and grow your business at an exponentially higher rate.

Find more small business information, work from home franchises and small businesses for sale at Small Business Sale.

If you have ever started a small business before, you undoubtedly know how hard it can be to get a business off the ground. In fact, the vast majority of new small businesses rarely make it past the 5 year mark, let alone go on to become successful corporations. This is one of the main advantages of a franchise. With a small business franchise, you will get all of the benefits that come with every small business (being your own boss, setting your own schedule and business philosophy, even being able to work from home) but you will also get some of the benefits of a large, successful corporation (centralized support, large scale advertising, continual product development and advancement, etc.).

Franchises like Jani-King and The Cleaning Company have built hugely successful franchise businesses in the home cleaning industry. Both of these companies have made their franchisees very successful by offering a complete package to setup the franchisee with everything they need to get going, even if the franchisee has no prior experience in the business world or in the service industry. This intensive training coupled with the time-proven systems developed by Jani-King and The Cleaning Company make your franchise very likely to succeed.

Very few entrepreneurs start a business solely with money out of their own pockets and, for the first time business owner, investors and loans are almost a given. What many people don’t know about franchises is that since they have proven to be more likely to succeed than the average small business, most banks are more willing to give out small business loans to franchisees that to entrepreneurs with traditional small business start-ups, so if you have been having trouble getting approved for a small business loan, you may find the bank singing a different tune if you choose to start a franchise.

Imagine you decide to start a landscaping company that will focus mainly on giving your customers a beautifully manicured lawn and garden. If you are a first time entrepreneur, you may have trouble getting investors to sign on and help you purchase all of the necessary equipment, but if you chose a franchise like GreenThumb Limited (a well-known and successful lawn and garden franchise) you will undoubtedly find it easier to get a loan or a few investors.

Furthermore, banks and investors often require a detailed business plan describing your business model down to the very last detail. If you have never written a business plan before, you may find this a daunting task and when you know that your business depends on how you articulate the business plan, it only adds to the pressure. With a franchise business, the business plan will most often already be written for you. The franchisor will put together a detailed business plan for you and your investors explaining the overarching themes as well as the minute details for your particular franchise. The franchisor will not do all of the work for you, but having a strong name and a well-proven business plan behind you will definitely work in your favour when it comes time to seek investors and loans.

Finally, consider that with a franchise business, your success rate will be higher than any small business that you could start on your own. Almost every major franchise started out as a small business, then expanded more and more each year and finally chose to take their strong business plans and recognizable names to the realm of franchising. Succeeding as a business start-up is a great feat in and of itself, so the prospect of taking a business model that has been proven to work and being able to own your own franchise will nearly guarantee that your business will find success.

Do not assume that the franchisor will do all of the work for you. Every business will be a lot of work, but with a franchise you will get plenty of training up front and ongoing support from the franchisor. Their support staffs will help you out with any questions you have related to the franchise, how to properly manage people and anything to do with the business in general. Whether you choose one of the many home business opportunities such as Cardgroup Greetings or The PC Support Group which allow you to work at home or something with a physical location providing much needed services like The Little Gym, you will most likely find that the businesses that succeed most often, and make the most sense fiscally, are franchises.

Find more franchise opportunities and information about small business and home based businesses at Franchise Gator.

The following symptoms are common:

Tendency to give up at the first sign of difficulty.

Lack of initiative.

Lack of will power.

Habit of putting off things till tomorrow without any valid reasons.

Searching for an easy route to success.

Habit of blaming others for one’s failure.

Unwillingness to pay the price for achievement.

Majority of people go through life without even being aware of this great quality, of perseverance. Even if one knows, due to the adverse influence of environment and education, one thinks it is beyond one’s power of acquisition.

Let us have a close look at you and see if you are a victim of lack of persistence.

Write out ‘yes’ or ‘no’.

1. I believe that my fate is predetermined.

2. I am indifferent to my economic status.

3. I don’t know what I actually want.

4. I don’t like taking initiative for grasping an opportunity.

5. I am very much afraid of failure.

6. I know exactly the persons and circumstances responsible for my failure.

7. I lack will power.

8. I am in search of some short-cut to success.

9. I don’t have any organized plan of action.

10. I think I should wait for better time to come.

11. I wish there should be no difficulty on my way to success.

12. I think there is no use of trying any more.

13. I think this course is impracticable.

14. I think luck does not favors me.

15. I think it is impossible for me due to my old age/lack of experience/education.

16. I think entrepreneurship is very difficult for me.

For each ‘yes’ above add minus one and plus one for each ‘no’. Now add up the score. If the score is ten plus one your success is guaranteed. I less, you need to take corrective steps.

You can get corrective steps at MY website for free and it will develop your will power to survive in business. You can get some tips in my other articles on how to survive in business.

Results of a new study find that yoga is beneficial to survive in business .The study released, found that 8 weeks of a yoga routine proved very helpful for patients in depressed in business, as well as reducing inflammation often linked with death.

Approximately 5 million people living in America have the condition and rely on medication to aid their depression in performing properly.

“Many people believe the addition of yoga may be beneficial in breath rehabilitation,” said the researchers, whose findings were presented at the annual meeting of the American mental Association. “Furthermore, it may be that yoga has an impact on the mechanisms of action involved in the progression of brain failure.”

Facing the business troubles are not in the field, but it is in the mind.Yoy will be success in your business when you get good steps.You can get all the steps for free at my blog.

David is a yoga guru for several institutions,and has written articles on how to improve health and will power and is the author of the revealing new teachniques at his blog on Will power.You can get more will power tips at his blog.

Sponsored By: Building Cash flow Many businesses don’t have the needed three month cash flow to survive.

This report is created to help you to access the free systems that are already online, to generate extra cash flow within the next 30 days. Allow me to walk you through a simple step-by-step method that will get results. This is not a bunch of out-dated hype, but actual proven steps that I have taken to earn extra cash online for myself. It will work for you no matter where in the world you are right now. To qualify, you must have access to the Internet, and be able to get US dollar cheques in the mail and deposit them to your bank account.

Step 1. Apply For Free Accounts at Clickbank, Amazon, and Commission Junction

These are all free affiliate programs that you can join right now that will pay you commissions to sell their products. ClickBank is very popular, and has over 11,000 downloadable products you can sell. ClickBank will pay you commission between 25% and 75% per sale. Amazon.com sells digital as well as physical products and will pay you between 4% - 8.5% commission for each sale. CJ.com is also free to join and pays commissions for sales you make.

All three will help you to sell their products that people actually want to buy. I will show you to sell them in a short while. Once you have confirmed your memberships with these companies you will be ready to create extra cash from these market places. You will profit from your knowledge and efforts without having to spend any money at all.

2. Open a free squidoo.com account, research your topic, and build lenses

Go over to squidoo.com and starting building lens. There are many advantages to building lens (web pages) at squidoo.com. First of all they are free. Then,search engines really love these pages. This means that more people will find your lens quickly and you can get a lot of free help from their forum. Before you start though, you should know what topic you want to build your lens around. Make sure that there are products from at least one of the merchants above, that relate to your lens topic. It makes little sense to build a lens without the ability to create extra cash from it, unless you just want to do this for fun.

Now you need to research your topic. You should get familiar with keywords. This is how people will find your lens on the Internet. As an example, I use the term “web hosting secrets” in one of my lens. At last search on Google, with the quotes included, this phrase had over 3,340 competing sites. This is perfect for me. Make sure your keywords do not have over 15,000 competing websites.

Try to use keywords that relate to your lens site. For some quick help on this, go to https://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal and put in your main keywords. When you have about 40 keywords on your topic, go to squidoo and build your free lens on your topic. Try to include short paragraphs, and lots of pictures. Write like you are talking to your friend. Check for accuracy, and get rid of all grammatical errors.

3. You Can Now Promote Your Lens Using Free Articles

Once you have your first lens, you will need to promote it. You can find some good examples at squidoo. Take a close look at how people are building lens by browsing the top 100 lens for example, and then try to emulate them. Also, provide useful information for your readers. They will love you for your attention to detail.

Now, let us move onto the matter of promoting your lens. You should write several articles around your main keywords and then submit them to the top article directories online. A few that come to mind are ezinearticles.com, articlealley.com, articledashboard.com, buzzle.com, and so on. Ensure that your articles are good but do not give away all your secrets here. You will want your readers to hunger for more information. That is why they will go to your lens. Remember that you are trying to create extra cash online through your lens, so do not try to solve all your readers problems for free in an article.

4. Repeat the Process by building More Lens.

This simple method is working for many people from all over the globe. Did you notice that you do not need domain names, websites, or anything that cost money? Later on, when you become more successful, you can add to these as you see fit. Hopefully you will remember me, and look me up. You are supposed to laugh at this point. But, I hope you are getting the picture here. What you really want to do now is to get your lens ranking high in the search engines so more people will find them.

As you promote your lens, you will start making sales. Got over to squidutils.com to spruce up your lens, and always check on the top 100 lens to see what they are doing. In your articles biography section, do point your readers to your lens. That is the whole purpose behind the articles. This will only work though, if your article is related to what you are trying to sell then in your lens. So there you have it. You can create extra cash without spending any cash. The more lens you build, the more money you will make. Just use this article as a guide and build on it when you become more experienced.

Anthony Chambers has built and publish several excellent lens on squidoo.com that will help you earn extra cash online without breaking your bank account. Discover how to profit from them today by visiting one of his more famous lens at:Create Extra Cash Online

Sponsored By: Build a Home Business Five highly successful income stream plus residual earnings

Branded online games (or Advergames as they are commonly known) can be one of the most effective viral marketing agents, if used correctly. Unlike traditional advertising and marketing methods, Advergames can engage your audience and encourage repeat interactions with your brand, making the campaign far more memorable and greatly increasing your chance of making sales. You can also guide your audience (and make it easier for them) to take the desired action. Web links can be directed to an online store selling your product or service and a ’send to a friend’ function can be incorporated to not only encourage passing on, but make it much easier to do so.

An Advergame can be successful on it’s own merits. If the game is good, people will want to play it and pass it on. If that game happens to incorporate your marketing message then you’re looking at massive brand exposure. A good viral Advergame can expose your brand to millions worldwide, for around the cost of a couple of glossy magazine adverts. Plus they don’t expire like most forms of traditional advertising. After the initial cost they will continue to work and provide a return indefinately. Despite the advantages over more traditional marketing, Advergames do have their pitfalls.

It’s always important to focus on creating something of value to the user. Many Advergame developers focus on the advertising part and make the actual game a means to an end, just a way to get the advert circulated. The resulting poor game provides not only little incentive to play and interact with your brand, but a poor brand experience for the user. This is why it’s always important to hire an Advergame designer who has the specialist knowledge of video game design and development needed to create a great game for your brand.

Another crucial part of any successful viral marketing campaign is the distribution process, or ’seeding’ as it is known. Without this process your Advergame will probably just end up sitting on your website, getting very little exposure, regardless of how good it is. Any experienced viral Advergame developer should be able to launch your campaign with a bang, get it out in front of an initial audience of hundreds of thousands and guarantee it’s success.

Many businesses are still sticking with the safe option by allocating the bulk of marketing budgets to traditional advertising and marketing channels, despite the fact that a large proportion of these costly methods are known to provide limited exposure and minimal return. Companies taking this route are missing out on the massive worldwide exposure that viral Advergames can provide. As long as you use a developer who is experienced in both the development of Advergames and the viral seeding needed to make them a success, they can put your brand in front of millions worldwide and provide a great longer term advertising opportunity for small and big business alike.

Simon Walklate is co-owner of Bristol UK based Flash Animation and Motion Graphic Designers The Motion Monkey who specialise in Viral Marketing and Advertising with Advergames.

Believe the clich?s: first impressions count

The practical issues of a good first impression include making sure you arrive early (do a dry run to make sure you can get there easily) and look well groomed, with clean teeth, fresh breath and a business-like appearance. Even if the company has a relaxed dress code, you’ll never be out of place in a smart suit and clean shoes. Keep a handkerchief in your pocket or bag to blot any pre-interview nervous sweat from your palm so you can give a firm handshake to each interviewer with a confident announcement of your name. Maintain this good body language by not fiddling, smiling and keeping good eye contact. Take along a copy of your application and any information you could need in a smart folder and make sure you switch your mobile phone off.

Arm yourself with relevant information

Most invitation letters will tell you who your interview will be with and should also give you an idea of whether it will just be an interview, or whether there will be assessment elements to the day. If it doesn’t tell you then feel free to make a polite phone call to the HR department to find out. Armed with this knowledge you can begin to research. You should prepare by researching the company, its products, the people (especially anyone who might be interviewing you) and the role. If relevant, practice psychometric tests many are freely available - and reacquaint yourself with specific software that might be needed for the job.

Research yourself

Before your interview look over the information that got you through the door - your CV, your covering letter and any application forms. Go back to the original advert and refresh yourself on the competencies that they are looking for. There is every chance that you will be asked to prove you have these qualities, so get some strong evidence to demonstrate it. Research how you can link each point of your CV to the job. Finally, reconnect with the motivation that inspired you to make the application in the first place. A candidate who can convey genuine enthusiasm for the role and company is very difficult to reject.

Prepare your answers, but not too much!

At least one practice session where you walk through the interview and practice your responses is essential. There are two questions in particular to which you must have an answer before you walk into the interview: “why do you want the job?” and “why do you think you are the perfect candidate?” Other common questions include, “What are your strengths and weaknesses?” “What has been your biggest challenge?” and “What do you know about the company?” It’s better to have a fluid list of points which you can tailor for any given question, rather than an exact answer to a question that might not come up in the manner you expect.

How to give a good answer

There are some general rules to constructing a good answer. The first point is to listen carefully to the wording of the question. Rather than just hearing the word “teamwork” and listing your teamworking experience, listen if the interviewer is asking whether you like working in a team or whether you can work in a team. If you are in doubt about the meaning then politely ask for clarification. The second step is to think of your answer, don’t just blurt out anything that comes to mind. If you need to buy thinking time, take a sip of water (ask for a glass at the beginning of the interview). Finally, give your answer - never a straight yes or no or a soft statement (”I’m a great team player”) - but a statement of your opinion which you can then back up with reasoned and measurable evidence and strong facts.

The dreaded trick question

Trick questions, such as “who would your ideal dinner guests be?” are actually quite rare in interviews but they can crop up, so it’s important to be prepared. The thing to remember is that what these questions really test is your ability to cope with the unexpected. So stay cool. If you need to time to think about you answer, ask if you can come back to that question later. You can use it as a chance to refer back to your skills, picking business leaders or people whose skills you admire as your guests, but ultimately there’s no harm in answering a relatively trivial question with your honest opinion.

Classic interview mistakes

As tempting as it may be, never criticise your previous employers, colleagues or work. If you had to leave a job under a cloud then, as with all interview disclosures (periods of sickness, disabilities, criminal convictions), the best way to address the situation is in an honest and positive light. Never lie at an interview. Although massaging sales figures, or your previous salaries might seem harmless enough, HR departments often work co-operatively and any lie you tell could result in disaster.

Interviews are a two-way process

At some stage of the interview you will get a chance to ask questions. Make sure you take this opportunity. After all, your interview is the best chance you’ve got of making sure that you will enjoy doing the job and that you will fit well with the company. It also shows recruiters that your interest is genuine and that you’ve actively considered working for the company.

Coping with nerves

The best way to get over nerves is to prepare well. The fewer surprises that come your way, the less likely you are to get nervous. Ultimately, if you do find yourself put off by nerves then it’s perfectly acceptable to mention it - everyone gets nervous and if you just ask for a moment to collect your thoughts, take a deep breath and drink some water - then you can get back on track. Don’t try and avoid nerves with caffeine or alcohol as they can both make nerves worse.

Following it up

Ultimately, if you’re not successful at an interview then getting feedback on your performance can help you improve your success rate for the future. Make a polite phone call to the HR department, asking for the person who conducted the interview. Explain that you accept their decision but would like any feedback that they can give you. Although you might feel quite emotional, try and focus on getting useful information rather than demanding an explanation. Getting feedback not only shows you where to improve but can also pinpoint other problems such as bad references which can be corrected for future interviews.

Peter Whitehead is commissioned to write articles on behalf of iProfile the preferred CV template. iProfile brings the Online CV into the 21st Century.

If you haven’t looked for a new position in years, you’re in for a surprise because technology and the Internet have changed the art of job hunting dramatically. And, in most ways, for the better.

Job Searching, Then and Now

The last time most of us made a job or career change, we did it by scanning newspaper ads and bulletin boards or making cold calls on companies in the hopes they might have an opening.

Now, the Internet is where most career advice is sought and most job searching takes place.

Then, you might have interviewed multiple times with dozens of employers until the magical match happened. Or not.

Now, hirers and recruiters know a great deal about you and your qualifications before you even approach them, so you only interview for jobs that actually suit you. Less time wasted with better outcomes for all.

Then, companies did their own hiring and it was up to you to make each one of them aware of your availability.

Now, many companies use recruitment consultants, which means just one agency can open doors to hundreds of potential employers. Plus they often have access to jobs that haven’t even been advertised yet.

So, how do you enter this new world of job searching and take advantage of all it has to offer you and your career? Let’s move around to the other side of the recruitment desk for a moment.

Advice For Job Searching Today

Recruitment agencies are a good place to start job searching because they have access to so many openings at so many companies. Some agencies even specialize in particular industries, like IT or finance, so the odds of them having a good position for you are even better.

But imagine the challenges those recruiters face: multiple jobs to be filled; thousands of potential candidates and CVs to sort out; the pressure of deciding who gets an interview and who doesn’t. It’s easy to imagine your paper CV slipping behind the filing cabinet, never to be seen again. Just as easy to imagine your emailed resume getting lost in the shuffle.

That’s why it’s more important than ever to have a clear, concise and up-to-date CV with all your relevant information and not too much fluff. To stand out from the crowd you need to create a CV gives real reasons why you are highly employable and worth taking a chance on. Then it’s just a matter of perfecting your interview technique.

The pluses are, with online job searching, you’ve really got the world at your fingertips, and once recruiters have discovered your wonderful CV you shouldn’t have too much trouble getting interviews. The challenge is to get that CV right in the first place, so be sure to make use of the best resources and tailor a CV which will work for you in the 21st century. Good luck!

Peter Whitehead is commissioned to write articles on behalf of iProfile, the preferred CV template iProfile brings the Online CV into the 21st Century.

The Interview Blueprint For Disaster:

Bella left university with a graduate degree and an elaborate resume she created using a CV template. Before starting her job search, she stumbled upon the chance for her dream job through an alumna who edited a top design magazine. With all the assurance of a newly-minted graduate, she felt that if she showed up for the interview with a CV in hand and a name to drop she would be offered the job.

Unfortunately her over-confidence at the interview came across as arrogance made worse by poor preparation. She blew it and a few months later settled for a less exciting job at a lower salary.

How Bella Got Her Groove Back

A little older but much wiser, our graduate learned what she should have done in the first place. Bella polished her interview skills, and prepared to launch a more successful graduate job search.

Luckily, her university career advisers were able to help revamp her job search by providing CV writing tips and conducting a mock interview to improve her performance.

Graduate Job Search Resources

You’ve created your new CV and brushed up on interview skills; now it’s time to look at potential channels for job leads.

Begin early. Most universities offer career services to help their graduates job search for one or two years after graduation. Often universities maintain profiles of alumni willing to give graduates career advice, which can turn into valuable job leads.

Be Internet savvy. Online graduate career sites like Milkround or Uknetguide list jobs and employers.

Keep reading. The major newspapers - The Times, The Telegraph, and The Guardian - plus local and regional papers report on the job market and salary levels. Each industry has trade journals covering industry trends and opportunities for graduates.

Reach out. Jobs can be found even before they’re advertised through networking with business and/or personal contacts. However, remember that a networking interview or an informational interview is just that - an exploration for information, not an overt job application or interview.

A networking interview can allow more open discussion than a regular job interview - use this to gain expert industry knowledge. Remember to ask for further contacts, and always send a thank-you after the interview.

Tips For A Great Interview:

Do your research, be organized, well-dressed and on time for your interview.

Good first impressions at an interview are established with a pleasant smile, direct eye contact and a firm handshake.

Be clear and confident, not superior or overbearing.

Be positive and avoid negative remarks, especially about previous employers.

Ask a few questions of your own during the interview, and make sure you mention any aspects of your experience that are relevant to the job.

Be likable, but remember: You’re an applicant, not a supplicant!

Ask when you might expect to hear from them. And thank them at the end of the interview.

Peter Whitehead is commissioned to write articles on behalf of iProfile, the preferred CV template iProfile brings the Online CV into the 21st Century.

How NOT to create a CV:

When Jonathan graduated, he knew exactly what he wanted his new CV to do: get him a job designing web sites in London. So he studied all those free CV examples and templates on the web and then went to work creating an eye-popping CV he was sure would snag the job of his dreams. He sent it off to recruitment agencies, job boards and a few targeted companies. Then he waited. And waited.

Once upon a time, this might have been a good strategy. Job seekers were encouraged to select a CV template from dozens of examples. Then, they’d spend hours if not days fitting their data into the template to create a CV with equal parts impact and information. Even today, the web is full of free samples and examples that illustrate the old way of doing things… a way that pretty much ensures your CV will not produce the results you want.

CV Templates: The Dinosaurs of Job Search

It is not common knowledge yet that spending time on beautifully designed CVs is not the best use of a your time! These days, when a CV is sent to major recruitment agencies, the initial eye appeal no longer matters because the document is processed before anyone in a decision-making role even sees it.

The key information contained in the CV is extracted, reformatted and placed in a database where it can more easily be searched and accessed by recruiters and hirers. So everything but the raw information is discarded: the CV template you so carefully selected, the headings, subheadings and formatting, the design layout… everything but text is removed during extraction and reformatting.

Jonathon, being a recent grad, had never done a CV before so he didn’t realize his CV would end up this way. He contacted a friend in the recruitment industry who told him most of the UK job market is converting to online CV templates.

What you SHOULD do instead:

Here are a few tips to help you get ready to build your online CV:

If you don’t have a CV yet, concentrate your efforts on compiling key information about your skills, experience and training. You’ll need specifics like:

1. dates of jobs and schooling,

2. names of companies,

3. your job titles and responsibilities for each job,

4. achievements and accomplishments at each job,

5. transferable skills you have acquired,

6. professional associations you belong to,

7. published works,

8. any security clearances you’ve obtained,

9. complete, current contact information.

If you concentrate of having great content like this in your CV and don’t waste too much energy on fancy design, you’ll get far better results in the new market of online CVs. Good luck!

Peter Whitehead is commissioned to write articles on behalf of iProfile, the preferred CV template iProfile brings the Online CV into the 21st Century.

Sponsored By: Building Cash flow Many businesses don’t have the needed three month cash flow to survive.

Stick to your company’s policies

Most companies address the issue of pay negotiations as part of their appraisal procedures, with any pay rises linked to an annual performance review. Mastering your company’s assessment process is vital to your chances of getting a pay rise. If you are set various objectives throughout the year, then make sure you not only meet and exceed these but that you get all the evidence required to prove it as well. If your company does have a set process for addressing pay then asking for a pay rise at another time can often be met with the response that you should wait until the dedicated time.

Benchmark your position

It is essential if you are going to negotiate a pay rise that you have evidence. One of the best ways of getting this information is by benchmarking your salary against others. This means that you should get information from a range of sources about what level of salary is paid for your type of job in other companies and other industries - general sites such as Paywizard can be useful for this but you can also talk to trade associations and recruitment agencies, or even just look for adverts for similar jobs. The other aspect of benchmarking is to compare your salary to others within your company. If you’re paid less then you might have a case.

Reasons for a raise

One of the main reasons that people ask for a raise is that they feel that they are currently underpaid - perhaps your benchmarking exercise found that you get a lot less than other people in your company for no perceivable reason. Another reason is being able to prove that you are working to a very high standard - in this instance, start with your job description or objectives and show how you are going above and beyond these. It might be that you feel that your role has changed and that you are now doing the job of colleagues who have left, or that you now need and have a different set of skills to do your job. Don’t approach the meeting simply with a list of the things you do - the key is to show how you go beyond that which is expected of you.

An issue of equality

Although there has been much done in recent years to combat inequality with legislation such as the Equal Pay Act, there is no doubt that wage inequality still exists based on factors such as ethnicity, disability and gender. As an example, women currently earn 17% less than male counterparts (42% less based on part-time work). If you feel that you are being discriminated against then you need to collect evidence through benchmarking and then in the first instance informally approach HR - take a colleague or union representative if it makes you feel better. Don’t forget that although the law forbids inequality, employers are still allowed to pay different rates based on a range of criteria, so establish the facts before contacting your lawyer.

A question of timing

Timing your negotiation is a political hot potato. If you pick the wrong time (when a company is experiencing financial difficulties, when you are in the middle of a big project, when your line manager is in a bad mood) then you can ruin your chances of a successful negotiation. Good times to broach the subject are when there are significant changes in your work - perhaps a colleague has just left (meaning you will have to take on a greater responsibility for their workload), you are embarking on a big new project, or if your job is changing in any way.

Making your pitch

Your negotiation should be undertaken as a formal process. Arrange a meeting with your line manager or someone from HR and give them an idea of what you want to talk about. If you knock on your boss’ door on a Friday afternoon then your request might be received with less enthusiasm. Your negotiation should proceed with you presenting your case and backing it up with as much evidence as you have gained during your research. Although this is an important subject, don’t let it become emotional or it may seem as if you’re trying to use guilt to make your case. Equally, don’t get angry: you might just have to go through with any threats you make.

Basic strategy for negotiating

Don’t forget that in all negotiations you should start with a figure higher than you would actually be happy to settle for - with the expectation that a company might meet you halfway. You should also give yourself time to consider any offers that are made regarding your salary. Taking a night to consider your response shows you are thinking things through and acting professionally.

Tie your negotiation to future actions

A strong method of negotiating your pay rise is to explain that you would like to earn more and that you want to take on a greater range, or amount, of work. You might be able to offer to take on another project or the responsibility for looking after other staff members. If you are saving your manager a headache then this technique is even more effective. Explain how if the extra role goes well then it would be reasonable to increase your salary.

Dealing with a ‘no’

Not all negotiations are successful and it could be that you end up faced with a no, rather than the few extra noughts on the pay check you were hoping for. If you find yourself in this situation all is not lost. Providing you have made your negotiation in a formal and professional manner then the company should give you reasons as to why they’re saying no. If they don’t, ask for them. This gives you the reasons that you can work to overcome when you negotiate again in the future. You might also have found that with your benchmarking information, you know that there are better companies to work for. It’s important that in all of your negotiations you keep careful notes and copies of emails and letters sent because if you are still unsatisfied with the answers, you can turn your negotiation into a grievance which you would raise formally with HR.

Don’t forget other benefits

Even if a company refuses you a pay rise you might still be able to improve your overall employment package without increasing your actual salary. Employers are often less protective about benefits and if they refuse to increase your salary then you still have company cars, travel loans, sabbaticals, pensions, health benefits and club memberships that you could negotiate for. These can be a useful loophole if an employer is worried about setting a precedent and having to increase other employees’ salaries.

Peter Whitehead is commissioned to write articles on behalf of iProfile, the preferred CV template iProfile brings the Online CV into the 21st Century.

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