Put a Winning Business Strategy in Place for 2013

Put a Winning geschftlicher umgang Strategy in Place for 2013Put a Winning Business Strategy in Place for 2013Put a Winning Business Strategy in Place for 2013 MatusonAre you ready to start the year with a strong geschftliches miteinander strategyright out of the gate?Heres what successful small business owners are doing to create business successin 2013 and beyond.AccessTalent viaRecruitingCEO Andrew Schrage of Denver-based Money Crasherswill be sharpening his recruiting skillsthis year, given the availability of talent.With unemployment rates currently at a high rate, Ive found an overabundance of candidates whenever I need to hire additional staff.More importantly, says Schrage, Employee turnover costshave a significant effect on my business, so its important for me to prevent this whenever possible.Building Business SuccessTom Kulzer, CEO Founder of AWeber Communications,Inc., is preparing for business success by increasing collaboration and planning for additional growth.Kulzer is changing the bro layout to encourage easier team cooperation, networking and speed of development. Visitors to his office are advised to look both ways before crossing, as workstations will be on wheels, allowing teams to form more organically.We are growing our CO-OP program to have a more formal employee training process for students that join our team, notes Kulzer. We are also increasing the number of CO-OP students we accept annually.Similarly, Chris Seman, President of Cincinnati-based Caring Transitions, believes that continued business success will require staying current with his industry by encouraging the staff to get their professional certifications.Investing in our current staff is seen as having the highest ROI of all the activities we can engage in for 2013, as we can more effectively continue our focus on our franchisees profit and revenue goals, says Seman.Create Measurable ResultsCall him crazy, but Robert Hennessy CEO of NYC-based Dashlocker, plans on doing l ots more laundry this year.Dashlocker provides lockergistics to busy New Yorkers so they can live a cleaner and more stress-free life. His company offers fully automated dry cleaning and laundromat services by using secure storage lockers for delivery.Hennesseys business strategy for the coming year includes less micro-management and encouraging focus at every opportunity.Ive hired employees to fill specific roles, and now that the team is fully assembled, it makes sense to ensure that everyone is working hard on their role, not someone elses. Ive slowly transitioned people out of all non-essential cross training so that my operations team doesnt have any impact on the sales team, and vice versa, states Hennessey.He adds, On a few occasions, Ive had an employee ask why theyre being asked to do less and my response is, Youre not being asked to do less, youre being asked to just do as much in fewer areas.Hennessey has noted that this approach will continue to improve his ability to me asure results, since employees are more focused on their own roles.By laying out a clear set of expectations and focusing on results instead of process, hes able to back away from the day-to-day responsibilities of his employees and work on bigger picture items and longer-term business strategies.Recruit Top Sales PeopleThe Duggan Sisters, producers of Lifestinks deodorant,and other natural products, are working frantically to make a personenname for themselves. This year they are vowing to do things differently by investing in the help they need to take their rightful place in the retail aisles.We resolve this year to hire sales people,an office manager,one additional artisan/technician, and God willing, a publicist, so we dont miss important deadlines, says co-founder Mary Duggan.The sisters will start by hiring sales representatives nationwide to carry their pioneering products forward.Increased sales performance will result in a more valuable company and will help them garner th e small business financingrequired to achieve the business success they envision.Compete with the Big Guys for TalentMike Oeth is CEO and Cofounder of OnSIP,a NYC-based company that provides Internet-based communication services to over 15,000 small and medium-size businesses.For 2013, Oeth is working diligently to recruit and hire IT skills among such Goliaths as Google and Facebook.We know we have to grow and foster a team of exceptional software engineering talent.Oeth goes on to say, In a recent executive call, we discussed our success in college recruiting, wherein we fortunately garnered four of our five tops prospects, all who will begin work in 2013. However, recruitment is not where human resources planning ends.He adds that, In the New Year, we also pledge to do more employee development. We understand that not fostering employee developmentcan lead to attrition. We need to do a better job in that department come the New Year.CEO and small-business owner of Rochester, NY a dvertising agency, Dixon Schwabl, Lauren Dixon, is committed to continuing to value Dixon Schwabl employees and fostering a creative and fun work culture.Dixons New Years beschluss listening and valuing those who work for you, and fostering a company culturethat enables employees to excel.Dixon believes that, All businesses, small and large, should make this a resolution in the New Year. Employees will be happier, be more productive at work and ultimately make the business more profitable.Heres to your business success and a great year 2013 Matuson Consulting LLC. All rights reserved.Author BioRoberta Chinsky Matuson, who is known globally as The Talent Maximizer, is the President of Matuson Consultingand author of the forthcoming, The Magnetic Workplace (Nicholas Brealey, 2013), as well asSelecting for Success The Complete Guide to Hiring Top Talent, and Suddenly in Charge Managing Up, Managing Down, Succeeding All Around, a Washington Post Top-5 Leadership pick. Sign up to receive a complimentary subscription to Robertas monthly newsletter, Talent Maximizer.

5 Tax Deduction Tips for Job Seekers

5 Tax Deduction Tips for Job Seekers5 Tax Deduction Tips for Job Seekers5 Tax Deduction Tips for Job SeekersShow of hands Whos looking forward to doing their income taxes?For those of you who didnt run away screaming, here are five rules to follow when youre deducting job search expenses on your 2010 federal tax return(1)You must itemize your deductions, using Schedule A and filing Form 1040.That means your expenses must be lumped in with the other deductions that are itemized, such as interest on the mortgage of your primary home, property taxes, state and local income or sales taxes, and charitable deductions. Also, the total of your Schedule A deductions must exceed a certain amount depending on your filing status. For instance, if your filing status is single or married filing separately, that amount is $5,700. If youre married filing jointly or a qualified widower, its $11,400. Head of household? $8,400.(2)You can only deduct expenses that exceed 2% of your adjusted gross income .But if you were employed at any time during 2010 and had on-the-job expenses that were not reimbursed by your employer, they can be added to your job search expenses.Example Your adjusted gross income for 2010 was $60,000. Two percent of that is $1,200. If your job search expenses amounted to $1,000 and your unreimbursed work expenses were $500, you have $1,500 in expenses. Subtract the $1,200 from that, and you can deduct $300. Use Form 2106 and report that amount on Line 21 of Schedule A.(3)You can only deduct expenses if youre looking for a job similar to the one you have.In other words, if youre a firefighter but want a job as a bartender, youre out of luck.(4)You cant take a deduction if youre looking for a job for the first time.That would apply, for example, to a new graduate seeking his or her first entry-level job. You also cant take a deduction if there was a substantial break between the ending of your last job and the time you start to look for a new one. Theres no clea r definition of substantial break, but roughly translated If youre unemployed, dont travel the world for three months before you start looking for a new job. Start looking right away(5)You cant deduct everything.You can deduct expenses for the followingMembership fees for your account. (You can contacts Customer Support team via chat, phone or email for a detailed statement of what you spent with us last year.)Resume preparation (e.g., printing, copying, having it rewritten by a professional)Mailing expensesParking fees, tolls, public transit fares, and mileage (50 cents a mile) to and from bewerbungsinterviews and networking meetingsLodging if, for example, you had to stay overnight before a scheduled job interview out of your local areaPhone and fax charges (document how many minutes you spent talking with prospective employers and other contacts who led you to job possibilities).But you cannot deduct meals and entertainment expenses. Bummer, I know, but look at it this way Youd b e eating no matter what youd be doing, so this isnt an out of the ordinary expense. And entertainment fees are optional, no matter how you look at it.Disclaimer Im not a tax specialist, but this information comes from the IRS web site and personal experience. If you want more information, read the IRS publication Six Tax Benefits for Job Seekers, and the more comprehensive IRS Publication 529.Here are links to other IRS forms and publications that can help youForm 2106 Form 2106 instructions Schedule A What other tax tips do you have for job seekers? Tell us below in a comment.

How to Land Your First Executive Job

How to Land Your First Executive Job How to Land Your First Executive Job Theyre common scenarios Michelle has served in a management or director role and wants to move up in her company. John maintains several career goals, one of which is to be an executive by age 40.So they start a job search, reach out to an executive resume writer, or start applying for jobs with the goal of taking that next step and landing that executive role.But just because Michelle or John feels they are ready to make that leap doesnt mean employers are going to feel the same way. In fact, moving to an executive role through the standard job search process is one of the most difficult transitions todays job seekers face. I tell people to take a long, honest look at your track record, says Kurt Rakos, founder and partner at SkyWater Search Partners, an executive recruiting firm. Do you have any professional management or senior leadership experience? If you dont, Im sorry but youre unlikely to convince a hir ing manager to take a chance on you. In any job search, remember to put yourself in the hiring managers shoes. ExecutivespromotedfromwithinRakos continued The hiring manager is juggling a whole lot more than one open position and a stack of resumes. If theyre great managers, theyre equally focused on nurturing and retaining their current high performers, building bench strength, and rewarding internal superstars with the big promotions. Want to know one of the quickest ways to undermine all of that effort? Pass over your proven, internal talent in favor of an unknown, outside hire.Dave Arnold is President of Arnold Partners, an independent CFO search firm for technology companies. Arnold focuses on CFO and Board searches. It is notlage the resume that is going to make the big difference for an executive job search, says Arnold. It is having the right mentor who will champion you into the executive suite coupled with demonstrated skills to perform at the executive level. This is a co mbination of technical know-how and executive presence. Arnold asks every CFO he meets how they got their first CFO role. About 80% are battlefield promotions, he said, meaning they were not previously in the executive chair.Their CFO leaves the company and either championed the person to the CEO/Board or the CEO/Board saw this person in action and trusted them enough to put them in the seat, said Arnold. Usually they had to earn it after a temporary stint. Getting your first C-suite role through a recruiter or applying on your own is almost fruitless it generally needs to be done through your network of trusted people of influence.So, where does that leave you if youre a high potential candidate who really wants that next big promotion? How to createexecutiveopportunitiesConsider these seven tips and strategies Find a way to gain that experience Look for opportunities with your current employer. If actual executive positions are few and far between, ask for opportunities to take on formal leadership roles on significant projects, says Rakos. Seek management training Ask your employer for management training and leadership mentoring. If none of those are realistic options where you are, start looking for employers who might hire you into a paid management training program that offers opportunities for promotions into leadership or executive positions, suggests Rakos.Serve on a non-profit motherboard One of my best pieces of advice is to seek a significant role in a volunteer organization, said John Crossman, CEO of Crossman Company, a commercial real estate company serving the southeast United States. It will teach you important skills and cause you to be seen as a leader. It could be a charity or a trade association. Organizations always need help and you can leverage success there to be seen as an executive. Find a mentor Mentors arent just for recent college grads or entry-level job seekers. Many C-level executives still have strong mentoring relationships with colleagues who can motivate and challenge, and be a voice for one throughout their career. They can provide direction and connections. Develop relationships with recruiting firms Executive recruiters are in the business of finding the right candidate for the employer that hired them, not finding a job for an executive. That doesnt mean you shouldnt reach out to an executive recruiting firm and submit a resume or seek out a meeting. If you do get contacted, share your goals with the executive recruiter. They will be up front with what you need to do to get noticed. You might not be a fit now, but by taking the necessary steps now, you can continue down the right path of landing your first executive job once the right skill sets or experiences are developed. Become a consultant Prove your expertise and ability to influence by becoming a consultant. Use those measurable results to show how you can impact a department, team, or product launch, or how, as a consultant, you were abl e to drive change, save money, or solve a problem for an organization as you strive to obtain your executive role. Network, network, network It sounds trite but its true, says Rakos. Rev up your network, he says. Keep talking to employers your own and others. Ask what theyll need to see from you in order to put you in that role youre pursuing. Focus, honest self-evaluation, and hard work always pay off.The Jobscan article How Executives Find Jobs suggested Schedule phone calls, lunches, and outings with past associates to catch up and learn whats happening with the leadership at various companies. Attend industry conferences, conventions, and meetups. Get facetime with as many people as possible.Optimize your LinkedIn profile and cultivate your network to expand your reach and opportunities. ExecutiveresumewritingtipsDespite these challenges, job seekers will always pursue career advancement opportunities, including executive roles. That often starts with writing and/or updating a resume.When writing an executive resume, be sure the resume highlights these areas, says Crossman Numbers and results Emphasize initiatives you have taken that have saved time, increased revenue or improved processes clearly state the outcomes of those efforts in dollars, numbers, and time.Strategic decision-making Stress your involvement in strategic decision-making and give examples of the ideas you contributed to that had positive results, even if you were just part of a team.Leadership successes Demonstrate your leadership abilities by pointing to direct reports that have been promoted or the lack of turnover on your team.Ability to influence Clearly communicate your ability to influence groups who do not report to you with sound business acumen and advice.Communication/speaking skills Highlight strong verbal and written communication skills, focusing on any areas where you reported results to C-level executives, a board, or key decision makers. This relates to the ability to i nfluence, but seeking out opportunities to be a guest speaker or keynote speaker at industry events or conferences is a great way to influence, while showcasing (and improving) communication skills. It is also can boost your status within an industry and others will take note. Want to know if your executive resume is a match for your next executive role? Use Jobscan to optimize your resume and boost your executive interview chances.Executive resume and job search mistakes to avoidThese factors can derail ones desire to move into an executive role, says Arnold Career stagnation, lack of promotion, not having clear accomplishments outlined.Not having a clear and accurate sense of self by either overstating your accomplishments or underplaying them.Lack of the right education. That master of business administration you did online is not the same as a full-time Wharton MBA, says Arnold. Resume typos or errors. Additional executivejobsearcharticles byMattKrumrieThe best executive resumes according to executive recruitersHow to find a headhunter and other executive recruiting mythsMatt Krumrieis a professional resume writer, and owner ofResumesbymatt.com. He has 15 years of executive resume writing experience and specializes in helping talented professionals take the next step in their career.