Atricle Dump - Business

Tips for Your Investor Presentations and Due Diligence Visits
When you create your power points or walk over to the nearby diner or coffee shop for a quick informal chat with an investor, remember the following:1. Focus and niches are still very much in. Broad brush and shot gun approaches are out.2. Your strategy needs to relate to your competition. If you differ dramatically you must have a defensible reason for doing things differently and it must be supported by customer validation.3. Depth in all areas - technology, domain, implementation, business development and recruitment - is required. Miss one and you will have some tough questions to answer.4. Your sales pipeline needs to be well defined and well presented. Other than strategy and focus, investors need to understand how your cash flow projections tie back to actual

the interview process:

• Strategic thinking - is this candidate able to think in terms of strategic direction?
• Analytical rigour - does this candidate think in a logical, methodical way?
• Mathematical ability – does the candidate have the mathematical aptitude to cope with financial modelling, understanding of statistical analysis, corporate financial reporting etc
• Commercial awareness - is this candidate able to think in terms of pricing, competitive environment etc?
• Intellectual curiosity - is this candidate sufficiently curious to go beyond the surface and seek out the detail and underlying reasons?

In addition to identifying these specific

Federal Trade Commission Screws Over Small Business Again!
Recently the Federal Trade Commission put forth a franchise report for possible rule making. In the report is offers possible law changes, which will screw over small business. Isn’t this so typical of the Washington DC bureaucracy with their fingers up everyone’s you know what? The Federal Trade Commission appears to want to revamp the franchise rule and effectively crush small business franchised outlets.The biggest issue now in American Commerce is how can small businesses compete with the larger Box Stores? Well, through economies of scale, small business co-ops and franchising. But if franchising is inhibited in the market place you have in fact eliminated the competition of the giant corporate box stores. Yet small business employs over 70% of our economy. So further regulatio

The following article arose from discussions between Mindbench and its clients about where candidates go wrong in interviews. This prompted us to carry out a qualitative survey with clients, candidates, HR personnel and recruitment consultants involved in the management consultancy sector to establish some of the key skills and major pitfalls of ...

Recruitment is buoyant - so is the number of candidates

The current market for recruitment at management consultancies is highly bouyant – indeed it appears set to reach record levels this year. However the competition for these positions is still intense, with record numbers of MBAs looking for work in the sector! There are over two hundred applicants for every role in strategy consulting - the vast majority of these will be screened out at the C.V. stage and go no further – but if you do get through to the interview stage the following advice may prove highly valuable.

Understand whom you are applying to

A significant skill-set in consultancies of all types is research – and the less published information available the more important consultants become to their clients – and the more these skills are tested. It is very important that you don’t waste time in the interview room – also that you display a genuine interest in the company and it’s work – good research is the key! Research the company on the internet – not only on their own website, but follow any links they may give, search press articles, industry associations and look at their clients’ sites. Try to fully understand what type of work they do and what is it like to work for them. Know which industries and sectors they operate in and who their major clients are. Never be afraid to pick up the telephone and ask other people’s opinions. Talk to anyone who has worked in the sector or ideally at that firm! Again, a good recruitment consultant should be able to put you in touch with such people.

As in life – it is all about selling! In this case you are there to sell yourself into the consultancy – make it easy for them to hire you! Show them how your qualifications, qualities and experience will match and enhance their own – but you can only do this successfully if you understand what they do and who for. Corporate culture has become more important in recent years and consultancies in particular have embraced this idea. Again their website should furnish you with a good overview of how they see themselves as a work-environment – but remember, this is how the like to see themselves. Speaking with a current or former employee will give you a better insight.

The ideal candidate

First of all we discussed the key characteristics that a candidate should possess and - crucially - be able to demonstrate during the interview process:

In addition to identifying these specific

Working in Dubai
Dubai in the United Arab Emirates is one of the world’s fastest growing employment hotspots in the world. Up to 20 new companies establish themselves in the emirate’s free trade zones every week and since 2002 some 650 companies have registered in the Dubai Media City free trade zone alone.Particularly in the fields of tourism, IT, media and finance there are significant job opportunities for qualified personnel and if you’re interested in working in Dubai here’s a guide to employment in the most exciting, tax free, fastest growing multi cultural location in the world.Yes, you heard me right, Dubai is tax free – if you live and work in the emirate your income will be paid to you gross and furthermore, if you buy a house to live in you will not be subject to property taxes becaus

hundred applicants for every role in strategy consulting - the vast majority of these will be screened out at the C.V. stage and go no further – but if you do get through to the interview stage the following advice may prove highly valuable.

Understand whom you are applying to

The ideal candidate

First of all we discussed the key characteristics that a candidate should possess and - crucially - be able to demonstrate during the interview process:

In addition to identifying these specific

14 Tips to Make Performance Feedback A Critical Part of Employee Growth
It’s an event employees don’t look forward to experiencing and many supervisors cringe having to do. What is this common feared experience? It’s a performance review. There really is no reason for either party to feel bad about doing a performance review. If certain guidelines are followed, the process can be turned from a fearful event to a positive experience.If you are the employee, keep copious notes of major projects that you are assigned and the results achieved. These project assignments are important in that the results you achieve impact your overall rating. Supervisors should also monitor projects assigned to employees. They have an obligation to be truthful to employees. Knowing exactly how well a job was done is critical to providing an honest assessment of performan

et – not only on their own website, but follow any links they may give, search press articles, industry associations and look at their clients’ sites. Try to fully understand what type of work they do and what is it like to work for them. Know which industries and sectors they operate in and who their major clients are. Never be afraid to pick up the telephone and ask other people’s opinions. Talk to anyone who has worked in the sector or ideally at that firm! Again, a good recruitment consultant should be able to put you in touch with such people.

The ideal candidate

First of all we discussed the key characteristics that a candidate should possess and - crucially - be able to demonstrate during the interview process:

In addition to identifying these specific

Napoleon and Alexander the Great Are Innovative Role Models Even Today
During the 18th century the royal courts of Europe were starved for exciting and fresh entertainment formats. The staid choral recital, piano concerto, plays and opera had been standard fare in all of the great palaces for centuries. Each court strove to offer something more modern, more cutting edge and contemporary.In 1769 the Empress of Austria, Maria Therese invited a member of her entourage named Baron Wolfgang Von Kempelen to attend a conjuring show. Conjuring was a form of the emerging art of magic presentations. After the show was completed, Baron Von Kempelen announced loudly that the show was boring and he could do better.The Empress took the Baron up on his declaration. She issued a challenge, which the Baron accepted, to return in six months with a completely new show

ou! Show them how your qualifications, qualities and experience will match and enhance their own – but you can only do this successfully if you understand what they do and who for. Corporate culture has become more important in recent years and consultancies in particular have embraced this idea. Again their website should furnish you with a good overview of how they see themselves as a work-environment – but remember, this is how the like to see themselves. Speaking with a current or former employee will give you a better insight.

The ideal candidate

First of all we discussed the key characteristics that a candidate should possess and - crucially - be able to demonstrate during the interview process:

In addition to identifying these specific

Smart Women - Is Your Current Management Style a Weakness or a Strength?
Professional women often come to executive coaches to work on their perceived “weaknesses” in the workplace, with an express wish to change an undesirable behavior or pattern. While we can effectively work from this point to create change - with some clients focusing on what they are doing right offers the best prognosis. I recently worked with a client who felt overwhelmed by all her “bad” habits in the office. She became easily distracted and would often take on the work of colleagues. By turning the topic around and asking her what she was already doing right at work, a shift occurred. We agreed she should focus only on spending more time engaging in the right behaviors; concentrating most of her energy on building relationships with her own clients and keeping her accounts up to date.<

the interview process:

In addition to identifying these specific qualities a number of less tangible facets were mooted. These are traits that a consultancy would ideally like all it’s consultants to have, but are rather more difficult to identify or display:

• Drive – has the candidate demonstrated the necessary levels of drive and ambition so far in their career?
• Focus – can the candidate demonstrate the ability to ignore distractions and follow the main thrust of a project?
• Ability to manage people – has the candidate shown a willingness/ability to manage others, in any environment? This can be managing down (staff, subordinates), managing colleagues or managing upwards
• Commitment – is there a willingness to work long hours and under pressure
• And finally, “Depth of character” – this last trait proved the most difficult to define.

The following quotes from Consultancy Recruitment Heads were inciteful in summarising their views:
“As long as the candidate is reasonably intelligent and willing to work hard we have in place training plans and mentoring systems that will enable us to pass on all the skills our consultants need to fulfil their roles – the one thing that you cannot teach is character... and it’s probably the most valuable trait of all!” “How do you recognise it in interviews? We look at the prepared responses that candidates give to the more predictable questions, and we also try to ask them some questions they won’t be prepared for! But ultimately - you know it when you see it!

Successful interviewing

It is in the consultancies’ interests to allow you an opportunity to sell yourself to them. They want you to be able to demonstrate your qualifications, your abilities, your enthusiasm and – to some extent – your personality! You need to be able to do this effectively and efficiently – so BE PREPARED! Preparation will allow you to speak fluently about whichever facet you are called upon to discuss – as well as talking about yourself and your achievements in a structured and logical manner. These are all highly attractive abilities in a consultant! The best way to prepare for this is PRACTICE!

• Think about the questions you are likely to be asked
• Search on the internet and in libraries for further examples
• Talk to the recruitment consultant or the interview co-ordinator

Work out some answers to these questions that allow you to show your best qualities and highlight your achievements. We would also highly recommend that you practice answering these questions out loud. Find some friends or colleagues and arrange to spend some time asking each other interview-style questions and listening to responses. Discuss your own and others performance – there is no substitute for ‘performing’ in front of

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If you own a business, sooner or later you are going to run into a situation where you screw something up. This situation can be an opportunity or disaster all depending on how you handle it.

There is nothing wrong with being unique, especially when you are striving to achieve excellence. Be unique and make a world of difference.

Your low cost competitors will not just nibble at your low price segment, they want to eat your lunch

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