Kingston Accountants

You Can’t Run with the Big Dogs if You Stay on the Porch: An Account of a Trainer Getting a Seat at the Executive Table (Part 1)

Posted on 11. Mar, 2010 by admin in general

Like many of us, Theresa Hummel-Krallinger wanted to be a member of the executive team at her company.  Theresa accepted a training position in a newly created department headed by Jim Yoakum, a company vice-president.  Having managed a corporate training area for the last several years, a recent restructuring left Theresa in need of a job – and Jim’s new department had an opening for a trainer.  Through the grapevine she heard Jim had a negative view of training.  Though reluctant, she accepted the role at the urging of a colleague.  Thus began Theresa’s journey to be viewed as a leader and to get a seat at the executive management table!

In the end, Theresa succeeded and Jim did an about face about his view of training. He ultimately became a strong advocate for training and its place at his executive table.  Theresa and Jim wanted to share this very personal and rewarding experience with you of how a trainer can become a corporate leader by getting a seat at the executive table.  (Note: while this experience belongs to a trainer, the principles or lessons learned can be applied to all professions.)  Here’s how:

Early Expectations of this New Assignment

Theresa knew it was going to be a challenge, if not impossible, to get her arms around the needs for this new department.  She was the only training professional (often referred to by other training departments as a “rogue trainer”) in a department with nine locations throughout the country.  New people were being recruited who had varied backgrounds and experience in either audit or insurance operations.  Those with audit background needed to learn about the business – and those with business knowledge needed to learn audit fundamentals.  Theresa was expected to have everyone up and running almost immediately.  For several months, folks were just treading water.

Theresa’s other challenge was building credibility with Jim.  Jim was an “up-in-comer” — quickly moving up the ranks as a respected leader, known for his quick decisions and ability to get results.  His philosophy was much like the Nike slogan “Just Do It!”  He didn’t like to spend a lot of time discussing, plotting, planning, analyzing.  Often he felt he knew exactly what was needed, and would be the one giving the orders.  There was a lot to accomplish and things had to get done . . . NOW.

In their first real one-on-one meeting, Jim didn’t beat around the bush.  He made it quite clear that he had little respect for training or the human resource function in general.  He had hired Theresa to train … people were asking for training, so it was her job to do just that.  Do nothing more, nothing less – just train. Theresa, though, wanted to conduct a thorough needs assessment, build a competency model, and work with individuals to create customized professional development plans.  But Jim said, “NO!   Plan a 5-day training conference and get everyone trained – and do it within the next 2 months.”

Theresa had to resort to begging, like the lead character in Oliver Twist, “Please, sir, may I have some more?”  She was adamant that in order for Jim to accomplish his objectives, he really needed to lay a foundation before showering people with one-size-fits-all training.  Theresa wore him down; Jim finally lamented, “Oh, I don’t care what you do – just deliver that 5-day training conference!”

So now, as a one-person training machine, Theresa set about doing a full-blown needs assessment, building a competency model, conducting 60 one-on-one interviews for development plans — and, oh yes, planning a 5-day conference!

Jim’s Views of Training

It is probably fair to say that Jim’s views of training were very negative.  While he had some limited positive experience with technical training, his very bad experiences with soft skills training caused him to have an overall very unfavorable view of training.  Jim was only willing to conduct a training program because his department was “new” and most of the staff was clamoring for training.  But he wanted it done with the expenditure of minimum resources and done quickly, so he could get on to the real job of the business.

Why such a negative view?

Having worked in a very technical field (corporate tax law and accounting) for the first 15 years of Jim’s career, most of his exposure was to technical training.  While he understood the need for it, the actual training itself to him was basically boring.  It was generally taught by technicians or experts in the field.  They tended to have no formal training in speaking or presenting, so most likely participants were asleep five minutes into the presentations.  He would take the written materials and study them on his own time.  He didn’t place much importance on the face-to-face interaction of a training program.  As Jim went into management, he was introduced to soft skills training and had even more negative experiences.  While these were generally taught by training experts (and therefore, were not so boring), they were “an event.”  Jim went to training programs and then never heard about it again—there was no follow-up, consequences to or results from the training.  It always seemed that training was just done so someone could check off a box that training was completed.  Eventually, computer based training came into existence and it most often seemed like it was only a means to get the check in the box.   Bottom line was that Jim viewed training, at best–a necessary evil, at worst–a big waste of time.

Theresa Plans to Overcome Jim’s Negative Views

Theresa found that Jim’s actual views on training, no doubt, lived up to his reputation.  She knew she had a big obstacle facing her.   The thing that saved her was that she did not have a huge ego.  Had she been ego-driven, she would have certainly posted for another job!   Instead, her focus was on making Jim look good and getting his new department on track.  She was not thinking at that point about getting a seat at the table.

Though it seems rather simple, by focusing on making Jim look good and getting the members of the department what they needed — it forced her to do the right things.  The individual meetings, though time-consuming and exhausting, enabled her to:

Theresa used the information from the individual meetings to create a preliminary competency model for the department – and built the conference topics around those competencies.  Because she had made a connection with each person before the conference, she had a good sense for what was on their mind and what their expectations were.  They were also more willing to help her, since through their discussions they believed she had their best interests at heart.

Theresa needed a short term win in order to achieve long term results.  The 5-day training conference was the key to her gaining credibility.  Like mountain climbing — the resulting success would be exhilarating . . . but one slip, and it would all be over.  Fortunately the conference was a big success!

Getting the Big Win!

As it turned out the conference was a success, for Theresa, for Jim, and for the team.  It had the perfect blend of training, business topics, group discussion, and motivation.  With that short term win, Theresa finally had Jim’s attention – and she could now focus on “Getting a Seat at the Table.”  To do that, it involved really getting involved in the business of the department.  She had to win over not only Jim, but all of his direct reports as well.  It was a tough crowd!

Given Theresa’s perseverance and the requirement to “check the box” for management, Jim had agreed to another training program.  He found that the program was different than those he had experienced in the past.  First, each training session was designed as part of an overall continuous process.  Second, each session had objectives which they measured and used to determine success and impact.  Third, there was follow-up to all programs.  The program was measured to see that it was having the desired impact on daily work and discussion about that happened at all management meetings.  Bottom line: it worked and the evidence to that was there.

What Happened Next?

The IDPs were a feather in Theresa’s cap.  The company’s human resources function decided to push for IDPs throughout the organization that year.  Jim’s new department was luckily, ahead of the curve.  Also by pushing accountability for development down to the individual level, it took the burden off senior management – who had previously been seen as the ones who decided who got what training.

Theresa’s work with senior leaders, human resources, communications, and the staff to develop and implement comprehensive “people strategies” to insure the successful achievement of the organization’s business objectives was key.  She was no longer viewed as “training” – but rather as a problem solver.  That’s what got her a seat at the table.

Jim tells the story like this:  “I went to a senior human resource meeting and was instructed to obtain IDPs for our entire staff.  I could proudly report that we already had them and have been using them for quite some time.  I came away from that meeting looking like a real leader”.  This clearly raised Theresa’s credibility with Jim and with all the positive results from all her efforts, she was earning herself a seat at the table. Ultimately, training results were built into the overall objectives of the business, and where appropriate into employees’ individual objectives.  Eventually, the impact of the training conference was seen in the business and the day-to-day attitudes of the staff.  Reaction was positive, very positive and business results improved.  As a result, Jim was more willing to listen to her as a business partner and not just a trainer.   She had made it to the table!

Why Theresa Got a Seat at the Table

There’s a huge factor that separates someone who’s “just a trainer” from that of a problem solver, a business partner.  It all boils down to results.  Theresa had to be a deliverer of results; not a deliverer of activity.  When working with Jim and his senior leaders, she had to ensure that any effort expended would have a return on investment.  Sometimes it was measurable — improved results on the employee opinion survey, improved productivity, better selection and retention.  Other times it was intangible – less whining, improved morale, better cross-site team work.  But nothing could be done just for the sake of doing it – or to just “check off a box” to say they’d done it.  In order to be credible, whatever we did had to have an impact.  Everything Theresa did had to address a business objective, solve a business problem and move the organization forward.

None of this could have been accomplished without Jim being onboard.  His leadership was essential.  Ultimately, the top guy/gal has to be an advocate.  Jim was training’s biggest sponsor – many times kicking off workshops with an “executive greeting” or sending notes before/after sessions to express his support for the training.  Nothing gives people initiatives more teeth than having senior executives truly support the effort.

Theresa remembers Jim kicking off a workshop on the importance of IDPs and professional development.  (That was ironic, since a year or so before he was dead set against them!)  Not only did Jim state how important they were, he also shared his personal IDP with the class.  He kept a copy in his planner, and referred to it often to be sure he was on track. Participants were engaged – the IDP was more than just a form to complete.  It was a key to success!

A big part of what Jim and Theresa did was to provide the staff with food for thought.  They would get the staff off the merry-go-round of day-to-day meetings and just pull them into a conference room or to an offsite meeting place to think.  Sometimes it was a facilitated team discussion around a particular topic.  Other times they went to hear a thought leader speak – like Ken Blanchard or Tom Peters.  Theresa made sure that everyone had a break to recharge and reflect.  Even the function’s administrative assistants could count on a two-day retreat each fall.

The Turning Points

There were several turning points.  The first was the 5-day conference – that was fondly referred to as “Bootcamp.”  Throughout the week people were amazed that it was not a “total waste of time” as many had thought.  In fact, many were enjoying the information and training.  Jim and his direct reports looked good.  Mission accomplished.

Clearly, Jim’s meeting on IDPs was another significant turning point. And a final turning point was really an over-riding acceptance by senior leaders that they needed to have an effective “people strategy” in order to succeed.  Fortunately, with Jim’s support, Theresa had built the credibility necessary to lead that effort.

Measurements of Success

A first success, at least for Theresa, was just being listened to.  Having a feeling that her experience and knowledge were being used to help the organization move forward – that was success for her.

In the five years that Theresa worked in Jim’s department, so much was accomplished through training and other interventions:

None of this would have been possible if Jim and his direct reports weren’t onboard – supporting these efforts and enforcing strong people management directives.

How Theresa Garnered Success

Two attributes can be attributed to her success:  First and foremost, patience; secondly, perseverance.  Jim, no doubt, was a tough nut to crack.  His initial direction to Theresa was for her to just get it done and don’t bother him otherwise — the “necessary evil” view.  But she kept forging ahead by identifying objectives and problems and then designing solutions.  She did this with a lot of hard work and by listening and learning from others–both staff and management.  Her solutions were not limited to training but included other activities.  She did not train for the sake of training.  But instead she created solutions (which training might be part of) to address real business objectives and issues.  Ultimately, the impact was seen—business results and the business environment improved.  The improvement could be tied directly to Theresa’s initiatives.

Is Theresa at Jim’s Table Today?

“Most certainly,” says Jim. “Her presence is always required at the table.  Theresa is an invaluable resource.  She is more than a trainer.  She is valued and highly respected member of the team—the management team.  The solutions she designs significantly contribute to our ability to succeed and to succeed up-front; that is, prevent issues before they become problems.”   Training today is part of the overall objectives of Jim’s business and his own individual development process.

Gaining credibility with senior business leaders is no walk in the park.  And, you quickly learn, that you’re never done earning respect.  Every day is another test of your ability to make things happen – to create results.  It’s certainly not for the faint of heart!

Jim was such a tough nut to crack.  By having to win him over, it pushed Theresa to be a true performance professional.  Jim made her think like a business person.  She learned to use an entire spectrum of performance solutions … not just training.  She learned to take risks and how to navigate the difficult, if not impossible, waters of senior level office politics.

A quote comes to Theresa’s mind that summarizes how she got a seat at the table.  “You can’t run with the big dogs if you stay on the porch.”

Theresa and Jim’s Six Tips for Getting a Seat at the Table

Quick Personal Loans for Canadians now some clicks Away from a trouble-free result

Posted on 11. Mar, 2010 by admin in general

At this time is the high instance to provide a leave-taking to all your financial troubles. You may spirit feel that with no pledging your housing property as safety how can you benefit the loan gift to assemble your monetary commitment. But you are of eighteen years age and a stable resident of the Canada; you can benefit the loan gift with no pledging your house as safety next to the loan total. The accessible loan total ranges involving five hundred pounds and twenty   thousand pound. You can make use of the amount as for every your monetary condition and history credit score. It is a information that all needs can not be pressed to the angle simply because you are organization from side to side the point of monetary irregularity on the way to benefit these risk free and borrower responsive loan services you perform not cover to position your housing property as safety. as well as the loan total can be used intended for all for the most part all purposes similar to holidaying, balance consolidation, deportment the medical costs, purchasing a latest car, financing children’s top education or intended for your house development. You are agreed the full suppleness by the lenders and can make use of your borrowed total as for each your needs and necessities. Quick Personal loans are accessible still if your credit record is not positive to mark. You can decide one of the hundred extensive extended loan devices offered in the Canada loan market for bad credit borrowers. The importance price may be relatively high when you are receiving a loan with no a safety. Other than the refund example is easier and suit your financial plan if possible. You have the options to refund the borrowed amount by way of the equally decided interest in trouble-free monthly installments by means of in a fixed time period of six months to eight years. You can receive the compensation of quick personal loans. Immediately fill up the requirement free use form online and make available the necessary papers next to with it. at the same time as present is a smaller amount search and paper work in casing of these loans, you can find your preferred amount directly in your examination account by means of in small period of time. Quick personal loans capability is as well accessible for those homeowners who are inside no feel of risking their valuable housing property. Conditions you are a undergraduate or a tenant, these quick personal loans help a group to assemble your monetary commitments. The interesting feature of these loans is the stronghold of the loan dealing out

Hiring A Contractor For Your Kitchen Remodeling Project

Posted on 11. Mar, 2010 by admin in general

Whether you want a roof replacement, an additional room, or simply some kitchen remodeling, when you are considering hiring a contractor to take on an improvement project on your home you need to consider your choice carefully. Some contractors may cost a little more than others but a competent and highly experienced contractor will be worth every dime, whereas some of the cheaper less knowledgeable ones can be a total waste of money.
A decent contractor will probably have started as a skilled workman of some kind, a carpenter, plumber or electrician, so they will have hands on experience. They will have worked hard over a number of years to acquire a set of useful skills including business acumen. They will have basic accounting and finance skills and will be able to bid accurately. They will be able to manage subcontractors and workmen firmly but fairly and should have good judgment in hiring their workforce.
You’ve probably already asked friends and family for recommendations with no success, so the following common sense guidelines will help you to choose your own contractor.
1. Don’t be afraid to ask for references. A good contractor will be happy to provide the details of former clients, whilst one that is defensive when you ask for references can be ruled out from the start.
2. Ask questions about their previous projects. Be specific about the budget, and whether it was met, as well as the size and complexity of the task. There is a big difference between overseeing the building of a completely new room, and fitting a few new kitchen cabinets. Again, a good contractor will be happy to provide this information. Interview them as you would any employee but remember to treat them as the skilled professional they are.
3. Ask for the contractor’s license number and use it to check the Better Business Bureau and similar local business groups. Check with state agencies that there are no complaints or actions pending, but do bear in mind that some clients are dishonest and it is not always the contractor at fault. You are not required to employ a licensed contractor but you will have more chance of getting compensation should things go wrong.
4. The hardest factor to judge is character. Look for straightforward, open answers to your questions. Be wary of a contractor that give excuses for why previous projects have been less than successful and blames his workers. An honest, competent contractor will take responsibility for the overall success of the project and the outcome.

Effective Management

Posted on 11. Mar, 2010 by admin in general

Business training Business training is the practice of providing positive support and positive feedback while offering occasional recommendation to an individual or group to help them recognize ways in which they can improve the efficacy of their business. Training is an excellent way to a ttain a certain work behaviour that will improve leadership, employee accountability, teamwork, sales, communication, goal setting, strategic planning and more. It can be supplied in a number of ways, including one to one, group training sessions and massive scale [seminars]. Many firms are instilling the practice of 360 degree training, which authorizes employees to exploit their own life or pro experiences in a positive way to make team collusion attitudes even with highers. Professional Business Coaches are usually called in when a business is understood to be performing badly, however many companies recognize the benefits of business training even when the organization is successful. Business coaches often specialise in different practice areas like executive training, company training and leadership training. At least two organizations, the global training Council ( ICC ) and the worldwide organisation of Business Coaches ( WABC ) supply a membership-based organisation for professionals involved in business coaching. The ICC and WABC also supply an commissioning system for business coach training programs. The ICC currently has over 1,500 members from over 50 countries. WABC has made the only global accreditation programs for business coach training suppliers and global ratification programs for business coaches that are designed totally for business coach trainers and coaches, built around business coaching competencies and conferred by a business coach organisation.Business training is not the same as mentoring. Mentoring involves a developmental relationship between a more experienced’mentor’ and a less experienced partner, and typically involves sharing of advice. A business coach can act as a mentor given that she or he has satisfactory experience and experience. However, mentoring is not a sort of business training. A good business coach need not have explicit business experience and experience in the same field as the person receiving the coaching to provide quality business training services. Business training needs to be more structured and formal than mentoring. Business coaches regularly help businesses grow by creating and following a structured, strategic plan to gain agreed on goals. Multiple associations train execs to offer business training to business owners who won’t be ready to afford enormous coaching firm prices. training is not a practice prohibited to external professionals. Many affiliations expect their senior leaders and middle bosses to train their team members toward higher degrees of performance, increased job satisfaction, personal expansion, and career development. Those that do back up their expectancies with training in training talents, access to feedback tools, and/or explicit training behaviors described in their leadership competency models. Few link training activities to compensation , however , leading to less coaching by bosses. What do His Holiness The Dalai Lama and Billionnaire Extraordinaire Sir Richard Branson have in common? For once in a lifetime an event is on us which will change the world by changing community leaders as well as creating new community leaders. By joining this eatraordinary event, the answer to the above que ry will be revealed to you, and you will be quite surprised to listen to it. So, let us explore this event in more detail. Calgary, Canada will see some of the most brilliant minds in business, life training, and community evolution come together from Sep 30th to October third. This 4-day convention has been dubbed ‘The Event of the Decade’, and it’ll certainly blow the mind of each single person who has got the chance to attend it. Engage Today brings together top business leaders to explore how they can use business and commerce to form the catalyst for positive economic, social and environmental change. This international meeting will bring the world together under one simple theme – by engaging business, organizations and individuals in our community, we create the catalyst for positive change from a business, social and environmental perspective.Using their setups to create positive change in the world is the most difficult challenge for business owners, entrepreneurs and financiers. We’re impatient to make a difference and create change, but we’re not sure the simplest way to utilize our resources effectively to ignite the passion and enthusiasm to bring forth that change in the world. By joining and participating in the Engage Today seminars, the global business, investment and non-profit communities will be provided with the opportunity to see first-hand how many of the planet’s leaders are creating significant change thru their associations. You’ll learn the way to bring about change and ignite your passion , whether you are the boss of a major international co., the owner of a home business, a sole owner or anywhere in between.Engage Today will draw attendees together from across the world to be impressed, empowered and educated on how they can use business and commerce for the good of the local and global community. Keynote speakers include, but is not limited to resident and founder of Virgin Group, Sir Richard Branson. Virgin Group is composed of two hundred companies and employs 50,000 people in 29 nations. It’s business spectrum include aviation, entertainment, hospitality and leisure, money services, health and wellness as well as clean energy industries.Richard in 2004 launched Virgin combine to tug together the Group’s international resources and staff. Virgin unite has fostered new entrepreneurs through the Branson college of Entrepreneurship in South Africa and has additionally helped in creating sustainable health clinics all over Africa. His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Meeting attendees, from leaders of global firms to home business owners and sole owners, will have the special chance to hear the Tibetan religious leader speak in an intimate presentation at the school of Calgary. Dr. Stephen R. Covey. Recognized as one of Time mag’s twenty- five most influential northern Americans, Dr. Stephen R. Covey has dedicated his life to demonstrating how each person can control their destiny. An internationally respected leadership authority, family expert, teacher, organizational expert and writer, Dr. Covey has sold over 20,000,000 books in 38 languages, including the 1 Most Influential Business Book of the twentieth Century, The seven Habits of Highly Effective people. Janet Bray Attwood, visionary leader and world humanitarian. Janet is the co-author of the New York Times bestseller The passion Test – The easy trail to Discovering Your Life’s Purpose. Together with her co-author Chris Attwood, they have trained more than 450 eagerness Test Facilitators globally. She earned the President’s Volunteer Service Award for her work with kids and teenagers in detention centers and homeless men and women in transition. The meeting also has exclusive concerts by prize-winning musicians, Bryan Adams and K.D. Lang. Engage Today is the brainchild of Greg Habstritt, founder and president of SimpleWealth and the real Equity Group of firms. With more than 20 years of entrepreneurial and investment experience, Greg has founded, built and sold more than a dozen firms ; become a millionaire with 4 businesses in 4 industries ; and received countless awards, including Young Entrepreneur of the Year. To discover more, visit www.engagetodayevent.com. You can still take part in the FREE training calls, so you’ll be able to tap into the wisdom of world famous super-achievers, expand your thinking, potentially transform your life and even make an importance difference to the world, even if you may not be in a position to attend the live event in Canada. And at the moment the world is in need of individuals, like you, who want to make a major difference!

Philippines Background Checks Overview

Posted on 10. Mar, 2010 by admin in general

Choosing a Philippine Private InvestigatorThere is no shortage of demand for competent and experienced professional investigators in the Philippines. Unfortunately, the supply is very limited. At first glance, there appears to be a wide selection of private investigators to choose from. It doesn’t take long to find out that few of the so-called investigators have any real experience, and the number of professional investigation firms operating in the Philippines is actually quite limited.Philippines private detectives and private investigators are often locals trying to earn a living in a poor and developing country. In some cases, the investigator may not even attempt to do the work, and simply steal the client’s money. Consumers in need of a background check, surveillance or investigation are advised to be aware of any investigator based in the Philippines, especially those that require payment by Western Union or PayPal.A reputable Philippines private detective should offer multiple forms of payment, including secure payment with a credit card via the company’s website. Choosing a firm based in the U.S., Canada or the U.K. ensures a higher level of client service and accountability. Choosing a local may be cheaper in the short run, but clients often get what they pay for. Professional investigations and real Philippines background checks require the labor of professional investigators, and services can be expensive.The largest private investigation firm with operations in the Philippines is currently Philippine PI™, which is based in the U.S. but has a sizeable team of field investigators and agents in the Philippines. Philippine PI™ is verified by Truste, McAfee and the U.S. Better Business Bureau. There also investigators in the U.K. and Canada that operate in the Philippines, and they are preferred over any local. Consumers are advised to should shop around and remember that any reputable firm should have references.Due to the high risk of fraud, infidelity and romance scams in the Philippines, private investigators are a wise insurance policy. But remember… choosing a private investigator based on price alone could be a costly mistake. Go with a reputable international firm, and be safe with a trusted professional investigator.All the Best,S. Birch© 2006-2009 S. Birch

Hire a Professional Mover, Sit Back and Relax!

Posted on 10. Mar, 2010 by admin in general

Why You Should Get a Professional Moving Company

Moving to a new location is tedious if not scary. There are lots of things of all sizes to be catered to. Not only the items in your house but also the documents which need utmost care and attention to be handled properly. It’s very important for you to take care of the documents first to avoid any regret later. A lot of time can be wasted trying to move things on your own rather than handing it over to the experts in the moving industry. You keep the homework from your side done and complete. Make a complete list of all the items that will need your attention, and all of which will need to be moved. Also if you want to move all of it yourself, you will have to take care of the entire process from scratch, which includes transportation and that’s time consuming. When the experts take care of the same, they sometimes transport your items in less than a day, now what would you say is the ideal way to move?

Once you have decided which moving company is going to cater you, all you have to do is give them the details and specifications of the day they need to move your stuff. The catch here is, try seeking a local company which is closer to your old house than the new one. This way you save time trying to load stuff than transport them already. Depending on the services each moving company provides, some actually do all the packing well in advance for you. So eventually they pack, load, transport, unload and unpack all of your stuff, isn’t that a relief?

When Choosing a Moving Company

Keep in mind to have a history check of the company you will be hiring. Reputation and reference are the keywords here. Try checking it online, meet people in your neighborhood, read the customer testimonials and feedback forms and when you talk to them you will know it by the way the conversation flows if they are the ones for you. Talk to real estate agents locally, they have a pretty fair idea of the companies, their reputation and the services they offer. Some of these agents may also fix up an appointment with the movers for you.

Do confirm and check the legal licenses, permits and insurance of the company you hire, you deserve to know every bit of it. You should also consider a company with fair accountability for insurance. You never know what’s going to happen in between those moving trips so having its better to have your items insured to protect your assets if anything unseen should happen.

Mostly these moving companies provide you with a clear estimate of all the charges in the first phone conversation. All factors such as location, items are taken into consideration when quoting the estimate. Try and be as clear as possible with the price they are offering. Make sure there are no hidden charges and that the estimate provided is final. Some companies have a conditions apply price change mentioned in the estimate itself; beware of such words in the quotation. Keep your eyes wide open and have a safe move!

How To Get Large Commercial Carpet Cleaning Accounts

Posted on 10. Mar, 2010 by admin in general

Look carefully at the potential income to be attained from medium-to-large commercial carpet cleaning accounts – you may be surprised at the revenue you can generate.Companies that aren’t as big typically look for the least expensivecarpet cleaning company they can find, or they may do the cleaning themselves, or perhaps they just don’t care about cleaning the carpet in their facility.You will find that medium-to-large commercial carpet cleaning accounts are quite unique. Quarterly we got $5,450.00 and our operating cost was only $550.00 including our labor. That is a lot better than doing 500 square feet of dirty carpet for a company who doesn’t appreciate it.How did we land this account? Here are the steps we followed, and ones you can also use in your company.Contact the specific commercial carpet cleaning account that you want as your client. Tell the receptionist or the person who greets you upon entering the facility that you would like to send information to the appropriate person.Request the name or business card of that appropriate person.Simply ask for an appointment with the person you wish to speak with. When you meet the person, be sure to say “Thank you for taking the time to come out and see me.”Inform that person that you recognize he is busy, and that’s why you would like to make an appointment to talk at his convenience in regards to the carpet and tile cleaning (or indoor air quality, if you want to get fancy). He will most likely give you an appointment since you showed him that you respect his time and don’t want to intrude at this moment. Getting the appointment is the most important part of this sales matrix.If you were not able to get the appointment at this meeting or if you did not get the meeting face to face, then call this person once a month or stop in to see him once a month to try to get the appointment.Persistence works. When he needs a carpet cleaner in the future, you will come to mind.Step 4* In your job duty, what is most challenging for you?* Is indoor air quality a concern? If so, on a scale from one to 10, 10 being the most, how would you rank it?* Is your current system meeting those goals?* What do you think can be done to improve the image?* Are their any budget concerns related to achieving that image?* What was the date of your last carpet cleaning? And Tile Cleaning??* What method of cleaning is currently being used?* What challenges does the cleaning crew currently have issues with (e.g., coffee stains, oil, grease, heavy soiling, etc.)?* What is most important to you when you hire an outside party to help you with your challenges (e.g., punctuality, equipment, quality, years in business, price, etc.)?* If someone could take away all your challenges in this area, would that be something you would like?* How many square feet of each do you have?* How much foot traffic do you have daily? He , such as the square feet in the facility. Ask if you can take some measurements after the interview.This is when you as for another meeting, preferably the following business day so that you can review the information you have received and give him your information. Be sure to emphasize that you will only need a few minutes of his time on your follow-up visit.Step 5Come back with a great portfolio of customer satisfaction letters and “before and after” pictures.All of the questions you asked and the answers you received should be addressed, or should have a solution in your presentation.Provide a price for a single extraction and/or tile cleaning, as well as a three-month regular interim maintenance program (interim maintenance can be performed by a variety of tools and equipment).This obviously will be priced less than full extraction or tile cleaning, since the carpet or tile will be relatively clean and easier for you to maintain and the cost of labor, equipment, etc., that you use for interim maintenance will be less than that used for a complete restorative cleaning.This subconsciously shows that you are both on the same side of the deal.If you hand over your presentation, he will go straight to the back page to look at the price.This is your moment to tell him all about yourself and your business.Be silent, until you get an answer.Of course, if you did not get the sale and still notice an interest, stop back regularly to keep your name in front when a cleaning decision is going to be made. Remember that the relationship is from strangers to friends and from friends to customers.The is get a contract signed, but it doesn’t have to be fancy or drafted by a lawyer. If someone else as smooth as you walks in, he will tell him that his company already has a contract with you. Always remember to use quality carpet cleaning chemicals and machines.

CANCER AND THE DIRTY ELECTRICITY PLAGUE

Posted on 10. Mar, 2010 by admin in general

“… the 20th century epidemic of the so called diseases of civilization including cardiovascular disease, cancer and diabetes and suicide was caused by electrification not by lifestyle.  A large proportion of these diseases may therefore be preventable.”(i)
Released in the year 2000 a study of 44,788 sets of twins from Sweden, Denmark and Finland concluded that environmental factors were the initiating event in the majority of cancers.(ii)  The strongest contender and most likely culprit is artificial (man-made) electromagnetic radiation.
The pieces of the puzzle were finally pieced together by a ground-breaking study in 2008. Two highly qualified men aided by a school teacher were given unauthorised access into a school where there was a cancer cluster.  Threats of unlawful trespass to the distinguished doctor and a letter of reprimand to the teacher were issued.  When the teachers from the school filed a complaint, the progressive California Department of Health intervened. Finally, a study was conducted with the highest integrity, and able to break through the red tape and politics that usually accompanies dirty electrical environments.  The study showed that dirty electricity – a potent universal carcinogen – caused the cancers in the school and that the high levels of dirty electricity measured at the electrical outlets in the classrooms accurately predicted a teacher’s cancer risk.  
Of no surprise, breast cancer was amongst the 18 cancers in the 137 teachers at this school as breast tissue is the most sensitive tissue in the body and the most sensitive to artificial (man-made) radiation.  Being a very high risk disease today one would assume that a possible cause of this disease, let alone a probable cause – would be widely disseminated and acted on promptly.  Sadly this is not the case.
Why is it that an associate professor can submit testimonies for women for court cases in Canada reporting how a dirty electrical environment can cause breast cancer yet women continue to remain uninformed on the involvement of dirty electricity with this potentially deadly health issue?  Dirty Electricity (DE) is taking away women’s breasts with working at computers a high risk factor.  
Are our experts really so uninformed or is it because breast cancer affects so many women that the information is so widely resisted with suggestions of ‘random change’ and ‘coincidence’?   Breast cancer today affects 1 in 7 women yet when individual cases of breast cancer or breast cancer clusters in women occur, various reproductive factors are also taken into account which makes it easier to discount role that EMFs play in causing breast cancer.
When Professor Bruce Armstrong who led the breast cancer cluster investigation at the ABC TV studios in Brisbane Queensland was questioned on national television in August 2007 on the frustration of some of the women who felt that the proper investigations were not carried out before all the equipment was taken out, he admitted: “It is very important to do the investigations properly, and indeed we did have a problem with the ABC with the fairly quick decision to remove people from the site. It did mean that some of the measurements we wanted to do were not complete, and I do understand how the women feel in that respect; they don’t feel that it’s been done satisfactorily…”(iii)
When, in 2001, three men in one small office developed breast cancer, Dr Sam Milham testified for the men in their 2003 court case, arguing that their cancers were caused, in part at least, by EMFs emanating from an electrical vault next to a basement office where the men worked.(iv) In 1997, Dr Thomas Erren, MPH, had noted that an association between ELF EMFs and breast cancer is supported in men.(v)   Breast cancer in men is rare, usually 1:100,000.  
In 2008, it was reported that there were 108 breast cancer clusters in the USA with another currently in San Diego.  In Australia, currently I am aware of breast cancer cluster occurrences at the ABC TV studios Brisbane, Concord Hospital Sydney, Adelaide Women’s and Children’s Hospital Adelaide, in Gin Gin Western Australia, and possible breast cancer clusters at Sydney Airport and many other locations where I have been informed by women who are worried but are too scared to bring attention to it for fear of losing their employment.
It was virtually impossible for a woman in the South of the United States of America in the 1940s to develop breast cancer but when she moved to a city that had electricity, her risk increased.  These cancer clusters serve to show us what is happening silently on a daily basis in everyone’s lives. The adults and children of today have already been affected by EMFs.  It is not only the fields from power lines and substations that are of concern; dirty electricity is running through virtually every building on the planet. This potent carcinogen is invisible and silent, secretive and subtle.
Many different types of artificially created radiation have been woven into our daily lives.  Dirty electricity explains why professional and office workers have high cancer incidence rates.(vi)  People in their own homes must also protect themselves.
There have been thousands of studies of EMFs, more so than with any other health issue. In 1997, Dr Erren commented that there are more epidemiological studies that link cancer to these fields than to environmental tobacco smoke.(vii)

History has shown that the western world with its vested interests is slow to inform citizens about toxic agents and help protect them. The ‘dirty electricity’ pandemic is no stranger to inaction, as were the asbestos, lead, acid rain, DDT, PCB and tobacco-smoking public health issues before it. Illness from asbestos was first seen around 1900, recognised as an occupational hazard in 1936 yet it was not until 1995 that its production, use, and import was banned in Australia.

Prevalent even more so in our personal environments since the oil embargo of 1973 – which changed the way our electrical equipment operated – and the rise of the computer age, the latest research indicates that dirty electricity is the underlying cancer menace and has been since the beginning of the electrical distribution system.

The contention that the fields from electricity can harm has a history replete particularly in the area of breast cancer with destroyed careers and tarnished reputations involving scientists who have sought to help the people, and with so-called experts who have colluded with the forces going against the precautionary principle of public health: first, do no harm.

In his assessment for the journal of the Royal Institute of Public Health in the UK, Dr Stephen J. Genuis reported that vested interests have been effective in delaying restrictive EMF legislation. He also noted that claims of environmental harm have been challenged by researchers who fail to disclose covert ties to industry, that economic interests exert undue influence on medical journals, and that some editors and journal staff have suppressed publication of scientific results that are adverse to the interests of industry.(viii)

Today it is quite widely accepted that the electromagnetic fields (EMFs) from electricity(ix)  can cause childhood leukaemia.  (The reason why childhood leukaemia has been studied is because the strongest evidence for a cancer is that the same cancer is significantly elevated in children).   The WHO conservatively classified these EMFs as a Class 2b carcinogen in 2001 based on 6 epidemiological studies for childhood leukaemia.

Why is it though, that authorities continue to resist so heavily the contention that EMFs can cause breast cancer? There are 18 epidemiological studies (not 6 as in the case of leukaemia), showing an increased risk of breast cancer with occupational EMF exposure and unlike for childhood leukaemia where experimental studies neither support nor refute the association the magnetic fields, for breast cancer experimental studies (both in vivo and in vitro) show a cause and effect relationship and point to possible mechanisations of action which leukaemia does not.(x)  Any study into breast cancer has significant ramifications for all of us.

Louis Slesin comments that the important papers documenting the effect these EMFs have on the hormone melatonin and the drug Tamoxifen were left out in the WHO EMF Project – a 365-page document with over 1000 references.(xi)

The outcome of the report on the current breast cancer cluster at the University of California, San Diego will be of interest as Louis Slesin, editor of ‘Microwave News’ comments that Leeka Kheifets – professor-in-residence, Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, who has a position at the University of California, Los Angeles – has spent most of her professional career either directly or indirectly working for the Electric Power Research Institute, an arm of the electric utility industry.

There is no doubt dirty electricity is taking away our breasts.

All females should be informed about the different types of radiation.

All females should be informed about why we should not voluntarily irradiate our breast and how not to remain an unsuspecting recipient.

All females should be informed how to protect themselves in their workplace and in their homes.

All females taking the drug Tamoxifen should be informed on the EMF research.

All females should be informed as to the importance of moving to a lower voltage area in their workplace to prevent breast cancer, if they already have breast cancer or are recovering from breast cancer.  Two of the three women who developed breast cancer in the Bell Canada workplace court case died on returning to the workplace.  The one who refused to return to work survived.

All females should be informed as to why working at computers puts them more at risk of breast cancer.  Little did women realise that burning their underwire bras in the 1970s women’s movement could have saved many breasts from being removed.   Was this an instinctive move as the rise of the computer age has coincided with the dramatic increase in breast cancer?

~ Donna Fisher

Editor’s Note: This article comprises edited extracts from Donna Fisher’s two books, “Silent Fields: The Growing Cancer Cluster Story When Electricity Kills…” and “More Silent Fields: Cancer and the Dirty Electricity Plague The Missing Link…” available from the publisher Joshua Books http://www.joshuabooks.com

Footnotes:(i) Milham S, Historical evidence that electrification caused the 20th century epidemic of “diseases of civilization” Med Hypotheses (2009), doi: 10.1016/j.mehy.2009.08.032

(ii) Lichtenstein P, Holm NV, Verkasalo PK, Iliadou A, Kaprio J, Koskenvuo M et al., “Environmental and heritable factors in the causation of cancer: Analyses of cohorts of twins from Sweden, Denmark, and Finland”, N Engl J Med 2000; 343:78-85

(iii) Professor Bruce Armstrong, interviewed on 9am with David & Kim, Channel 10, Australia, August 7, 2007

(iv) Slesin L, News & Comment, Microwave News, July 22, 2004, http://www.microwavenews.com/nc_ja2004.html; also see Milham S, MD, MPH, “A cluster of male breast cancer in office workers”, Am J Indust Med 2004 Jun10; 46(1):86-87

(v) Erren T, MD, MPH, “Epidemiological Studies of EMF and Breast Cancer Risk: A Biologically Based Overview”, in: Stevens, Wilson and Anderson, The Melatonin Hypothesis, op. cit., p. 731

(vi) Milham S, Historical evidence that electrification caused the 20th century epidemic of “diseases of civilization” Med Hypotheses (2009), doi: 10.1016/j.mehy.2009.08.032

(vii) Erren, in: Stevens, Wilson and Anderson, The Melatonin Hypothesis, op. cit., p. 729

(viii) Genuis SJ, “Fielding a current idea: exploring the public health impact of electromagnetic radiation”, Public Health 2007, doi:10.1016/j.puhe.2007.04.008

(ix) Extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields – ELF EMF

(x) Havas M, Report to the Workplace Safety and Insurance Appeals Tribunal, Breast Cancer and Occupational Exposure to Electromagnetic Fields, Expert Testimony: Breast Cancer and EMF November 18, 2008 Pages 4-7

(xi) www.microwavenews.com “When Enough is Never Enough: A Reproducible Effect at 2mG-12mG

5 Questions you Should Ask a Real Estate Agent Before Hiring

Posted on 10. Mar, 2010 by admin in general

Buying any piece of real estate property is not as easy as it sounds. Although almost any first-timer buyers or sellers can do it, not a lot of them has been able to do it successfully, or has been able to get the best deal out of the whole house-buying or house-selling process. There are a lot of things that people, especially first-time buyers or sellers need to consider in order for them to be able to find the best house that they really want within a price range that they can afford, or to be able to sell a house that is reasonably priced.

Keep in mind that purchasing real estate properties is one of the biggest investment that any person can make, which is why you need the best quality help that you can get in order to make sure that your whole real estate house-buying experience ends in success. One of the key things that people can do in order to make sure that they stay on the right track through the whole house-buying or house-selling process is by hiring a real estate agent who is very diligent and competent. Here are a few things that you can ask your prospective real estate agent before you start to do business with each other.

How long have you been a licensed real estate agent?

It is important to check if your prospective real estate agent is a licensed real estate agent to ensure that he or she is qualified to represent you when you do start the entire house-buying or house-selling process. You wouldn’t want to be represented by a person who is only acting to be like a real estate agent, but rather, you would want to get the best quality help that you can get when you do decide to purchase or sell a house.

It is also important to ask about his or her professional experience. You can choose to use inexperienced agents, just as long as it is with uncomplicated transactions, such as condos and townhouses. However, for other types of transactions, you should try to use agents who have at least 5 years experience under their belt, to make sure that they know a lot about the business already.

How available are you?

Agents who are only working part-time is not always accessible and readily available to their clients since they may have other commitments that may get in the way of their responsibilities with you. It is important to choose agents who are working full-time. This will ensure that you will be able to constantly keep in contact with him or her, especially when you have a lot of queries and ideas that you want to share with your agent regarding the entire house-buying or house-selling process.

How do you intend to help me?

People should expect that their real estate agents have a plan on how to purchase or sell a house. The agents must be prepared to offer you information about the prospective houses that you may have an interest in buying. Also, the agent must be knowledgeable about the financing process and mortgage loan options that may be available to you to help you purchase a house.

How many clients have you handled/are you handling?

There are agents who can handle a number of clients at a time, while others have a difficult time just juggling two. It is important to make sure that your agent, whether he or she is able to handle a lot of clients at a time or not, is only handling a few clients at the time that you are hiring him or her. This will put you in a better position since this will give your agent the chance to focus on your account, instead of dividing his or her attention to ten others.

What is your fee?

Of course, you shouldn’t hire any real estate agent without first asking him or her about the agent’s fees or commissions. Usually, agents work for commissions, wherein they get a certain percentage of commission from the sale price of the house that they have sold. However, it is important to keep in mind that cheaper or discounted real estate agents are not always better since they may not work as hard.

Vanessa Arellano Doctorhttp://realestatepress.org

Microsoft Dynamics GP Customization Support and Recovery Service

Posted on 10. Mar, 2010 by admin in general

If you have current or old version of Great Plains Dexterity custom add-on module, or another modification type, such as Modifier with VBA scripts or eConnect application (including the case when it is Microsoft Visual Studio .Net C# or VB ecommerce integration project), GP Integration Manager advanced customization with VBA events handling scripts, simple or Advanced ODBC data sources, Great Plains Macros (including such cases, when you are moving ongoing transactions and master records into such modules as Fixed Assets), complex reporting (FRx, SSRS, Crystal Reports, Report Writer), this small publication should give you initial highlights on what to do next and how to get further help:

1. Dexterity customization recovery.  Great Plains Dexterity custom programming was very popular in earlier 2000th and we see large number of Microsoft Dynamics GP customers with Dexterity custom add-ons.  If this is your case, please review your Dynamics.set file to locate custom module there (usually it has you company name listed in the name of the module), then find your Dexterity customization source code somewhere on your file server (or request it from your initial Dexterity programmer) – usually Dynamics.dic or Extract.dic with Dexterity Sanscript codes not stripped out (when you integrate Dexterity chunk – source codes are automatically stripped out and there is no way to recover them).  If you are not comfortable and need help in reviewing your Microsoft Dexterity customization, please feel free to call our office, see phone and email below

2. Modifier with VBA modification recovery.  In order to analyze your GP system and find out if it has Modifier modifications, please review your Dynamics.set file and see if you have modified forms dictionary (Forms.dic for main product) and if you have files with VBA extension in GP directory (these files would contain VBA scripts).  In our statistical observations, VBA and Modifier are less popular, comparing to Dexterity customizations, however Modifier customizations could be extremely complex, especially when your former VBA developers used elements of Continuum (including Dexterity Sanscript codes into VBA scripts and switching GP modules contexts, from Dynamics to Intellisol for example).  if you got one of these complex Modifier scripting examples, we recommend you to re-haul your Great Plains user workstation to port custom logic to newer tools: eConnect, Dexterity, Extender

3. Integration Manager historical integration recovery and upgrade.  IM for earlier versions of GP was based on Great Plains workstation as OLE Server (before introduction of eConnect).  You may expect light or heavy VBA event handling scripts in Integration Manager integrations, which could be dependent on unique UNC Path parameters and hardcoded User ID and Password.  If you have eConnect connector based integration, attempt to port it to new computer should be combined with eConnect installation on that new hardware (please read eConnect documentation, especially related to Control Panel Component Services).  Integration Manager could be perfect tool for Quasi Real time ecommerce integration to Dynamics GP, where you base your Source on Advanced ODBC Query (SQL Server View, including heterogeneous, where data is pulled from MS SQL Server and Oracle)

4. Dynamics GP Reporting.  For older versions of Great Plains Dynamics (8.0, 7.5, 7.0, 6.0, 5.5, 4.0, 3.2, including Great Plains on Pervasive SQL / Btrieve or Ctree/Faircom) reports were traditionally designed on Great Plains Report Writer (GP module programmed in Dexterity).  Newer versions of Dynamics GP (9.0, 10.0 and 11.0 – expected release in May 2010) has more options for Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) and more traditional reporting tools, such as Crystal Reports, Microsoft Access Reporting and MS Excel.  All the versions of Great Plains and Microsoft Dynamics GP deploy FRx Financial Reporting for such reports as Balance Sheet, Profit and Loss , Statement of Cash Flow and plus consolidated versions of these reports.  FRx also allows you to base report on so called Reporting Tree (consolidation by company or by account segment or account wild card or segment mask).  If you have to consolidate foreign subsidiary, which is on different Corporate ERP platform, such as SAP Business One or 1S bukhgalteria, you can export foreign branch financial statements or GL trial balance to Excel and consolidate Excel worksheet with Headquarters P&L or BS in FRx

5. eConnect SDK for Microsoft Dynamics GP.  Initially this tool was introduced for Great Plains eCommerce programmers to open up back office Dynamics GP accounting for ecommerce shopping cart integration.  Since then (2003) eConnect went through the gradual evolution and in our opinion it came to its maturity in Dynamics GP version 9.0 (better to deploy eConnect for Microsoft Dynamics GP 10.0 as this is current version as we write these lines in December 2009, new version of GP 11.0 will or should be released in May 2010)

6. Great Plains Customizations in International Environment.  Before being purchased by Microsoft, Great Plains Software made substantial efforts to expand in Europe: France, Germany, UK, Ireland, Spain, Poland, Austria, Russia.  However, since the time when Microsoft Business Solutions acquired Great Plains Software and its satellites: Navision and Axapta, MBS strategy changed.  And this change is not a surprise – Navision was one of the leaders in Europe in late 1990th and as you could guess there is no sense to compete with Navision on European ground.  Axapta, being initially developed and introduced by Damgaard Software in Denmark (perfect cluster of Corporate ERP and accounting application firms: Navision, Mac Hansa, Maconomy, Axapta).  Currently Axapta is sort of rising star for Microsoft Business Solutions Worldwide and Navision has good positions in Europe and Dynamics GP is trenched in USA, Canada and English speaking World

7. SAP Business One Rising Star.  This small and mid size business Corporate ERP application with elements of CRM, Service Management, Manufacturing and Discrete Production, eCommerce.  SB1 is localized and certified with Russian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Brazilian tax agencies, plus you can switch languages from English to Russian or Chinese or Brazilian Portuguese