4 Ways Corporate Refugees Can Become Their Own Bosses

4 Ways Corporate Refugees Can Become Their Own Bosses4 Ways Corporate Refugees Can Become Their Own BossesInterested in a progressive career change? Create success on your own terms with these methods.The U.S. Labor Department revealed that the unemployment rate fell in every state in 2015 for the first time in 30 years. The improving economy is making life for the job seeker a bit easier, but returning to the daily grind of a corporate 9 to 5 isnt necessarily the right career move for every professional.For many highly-qualified individuals who have been downsized from their previous place of employment, the recovering economy may be the perfect opportunity to begin again as a small geschftlicher umgang owner.If you are a corporate refugee and want to explore the option of being your own boss, here are four viable ways to start your career as a small geschftsleben owner.1. Become a ConsultantConsultants serve as hired guns that bring a fresh tischset of eyes to a business and help t hem solve problems. This profession offers specialists, technical experts and executives ways to leverage their professional networks and utilize their industry experience for practical and lucrative purposes.As the economy is in the process of recovery, businesses are currently seeking restructuring advice from consultants. The U.S. market for management consulting grew $39.3 billion last year according to a report from Source Information Services. The industry is expected to further grow at an annual rate of 5.2 percent.Some great perks consultants have include the power to choose who they want to work with and freedom to set their own rates for their services. However, the greatest feature of this profession is the low barrier for entry perfect for anyone who doesnt want to be confined to a standard 40-hour business week.If you enjoy traveling and do not mind a competitive work environment, consultancy may be your next career step. One downside to remember is that consultants oft en have to spend more time finding clients than they do helping them.2. Launch your own business For people who want the freedom to make their own decisions, design their own business model, and enjoy a flexible schedule, starting a small business may be your best bet.However, there are a lot of risks responsibilities to bear on your own. Starting a business involves a lot of research and analysis to get your business plan and marketing strategy right. Plus, you have SH3 a team to establish, technologies to learn and apply, and customers to win over. Some people may be inspired by that challenge, but many professionals who are used to being an employee may find the complete accountability a bit daunting.3. Buy an existing businessWhen purchasing an established business, everything is already in place. You have a proven idea, established methods of conducting business and existing employees and customers. This route has considerably less startup headaches, and if the business already has positive overhead, you can forgo the period of not making profit for the first few years that small business owners typically encounter.If youre thinking about buying a business, be prepared for the purchase costs to be much higher than launching the same kind of business on your own. There also may be hidden problems associated with the business, such as debts to service or uncollectible receivables, unaccounted for equipment or facility renovation costs and the risk of losing key employees, vendors or customers with a change in management.4. Open a Franchise Think of franchising as a cross between starting your own business and buying an existing one. With a franchise, you get to be your own boss and have a proven business model to work with, but youll still have to abide by the principles and guidelines of the corporation. Franchises benefit from brand awareness, operational support, marketing, established clientele and so on. As McDonalds founder Ray Kroc described franchis ing, its being in business for yourself, but not by yourself.While franchises have a higher cost of entry than starting a business from scratch, they have a significantly higher success rate compared to independent businesses. You will have to pay a franchise fee and ongoing royalties in exchange for the corporations proven model of success. If reducing your financial risk or scaling a business are important considerations in owning a business, then heading a franchise might be the perfect role for you.***No matter which path you take to small business ownership, be sure to select an entrepreneurial venture that allows you to leverage your strengths and spend the majority of your time on activities you enjoy. Before going into business, confirm that you have enough capital and financing capability to both launch the business and keep your household going before the venture generates a positive cash flow. And of course, be sure that the investment of your time, skills and money pays off not only financially, but also when it comes to your work/life balance.

Why it Matters to be the Cool Kid at Work

Why it Matters to be the Cool Kid at Work Why it Matters to be the Cool Kid at Work The definition of popularity used within the study was a person who is accepted by ones peers and has been conceptualized as a function of the personality of an employee and the position of that employee within his or her group. Studies of co-workers have also found that they feel popularity is associated with favorable treatment thanks to the rewarding nature of interacting with popular employees. Popular employees are also thought to impact the status of co-workers through association and facilitate cooperation.Many tips for becoming mora popular are relatively painless to implement and can equate in immediate social benefits within the office Take some time to learn about the priorities of co-workers, both personal and professional, and show genuine interest in learning about those things. Most people love to talk, especially about themselves, and the more they share with you the happier he or sh e will be to be in your company. Keep your conversations focused on the other person. By shifting the attention away from yourself and your experiences, you make the other person feel important and interesting. Seek to admire, not to be admired. One of the primary traits that is related to popularity is self-confidence. Displaying confidence fosters trust from others and allows other to feel less nervous when talking to you. Though you may be nervous internally, try to portray a natural and relaxed demeanor by avoiding thoughts of how you are being perceived by others. While you dont always have to be the cheerleader or activities organizer, it is helpful to occasionally work to organize fun activities with co-workers outside of work. Most people want to be social and friendly with their co-workers and whoever takes the initiative to create social outings typically gains popularity points from everyone involved. Dont keep your skills and knowledge to yourself. The more you share you r expertise, and the more willing you are to help out without expectation of a reward, the more you will be liked and seen as an invaluable resource in the office. People like dependable people who can be turned to during stressful times to help out without making a big to-do.

5 Ways to Prepare for a Job Interview Using Google LinkedIn

5 Ways to Prepare for a Job Interview Using Google LinkedIn5 Ways to Prepare for a Job Interview Using Google LinkedInCongratulations on making it this far in your job search. You have managed to clear the initial round of resume-scanning and are now ready to go in for an interview. In order to prepare for the next step, research is important. It is always good to know about the company and the people in that company. This guide will help you answer the questions Why do you want to work for this company? What do you know about our companys products? And so on.Here are some pointers to help you with this.1. HistoryResearch these questions to understand mora about the company in general. This will help you be more knowledgable.Find out when the company was founded.Is it a public or a private company?How is the companys stock doing? Use Google.If it is a private company use Crunchbase or Google search to find out more about the company. Or look at the company website for more informat ion.2. Culture, products and industryThis will help you answer questions about why you would like to work at this company.Use news.google.com to find updates about the company. Then look at the Press section on the company website to understand more about the company and its dealings.Social media also provides a wealth of information. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter are good sources to find company pages and the marketing information that companies provide.If the company makes consumer goods, read Amazon reviews about its products. A quick Google search for a specific product review should also turn up results.Read company reviews on the web to understand more about the culture of the company.3. CompetitionLook at competitors to understand the trends in that industry.Find information on competitors and their products. Use Google search for this.4. ContactsIts always good to understand the background and function of the employees in the organization (marketing, sales, engineering, etc .).Look at your LinkedIn contacts for first or second level connections at this company. Connect with these contacts to get some inside scoop about the company.Perform a Google search on the individual employees that you are going to interview with.5. Your RoleRead the job requirements and think about what your role at this company would be.Read about the skills required for this role and whether you would be a good fit for most of the skills listed.All this information should kickstart you into asking the right questions about the company and preparing for the big day. Good luck with your interview.