March 15th, 2009
With the internet revolution ushering in new modes of communication everyday, building contacts is no longer an arduous, time consuming job. In fact, if you are looking for effective and easy ways to search for business partners, the internet provides a ready answer. Today we have a number of successful and friendly ebusiness platforms which allow us to build networks of contacts, search for business partners and establish business communications effortlessly.
As vibrant, ever-growing networking platforms and connection builders, social networking websites serve as your most effective medium for e-business. They make it easier for you to find and establish new business partners , boost communications with existing business partners and close online business deals and forge partnerships.
Building up a networking channel with a new contact the traditional way takes its own time. Social networking sites make it easier for you. If as your business contact, you give out your networking site contact page to someone whom you want to provide your contact details, it will make introductions much quicker for you. Plus, it will help you track the people in your network hassle free.
Social networking sites have several different search parameters to find new contacts and business partners. For instance, on BizGround, a highly effective Social Connection Builder, you can try various combinations of these parameters and specify particular values to search and find your preferable match.
Once you find your potential match, all you need to do is click on his/her photo or name, sign his/her guestbook, send a private message and explore avenues of working together.
You can invite and add your contacts in this wonderful networking platform hassle free! You can begin as a Free Premium Member and take advantage of all its exclusive features. Check BizGround FAQs. Most probably your questions will be answered here. For an overview of the functionalities of BizGround, take a tour.
Ben Stewart
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March 10th, 2009
- Make new connections, meet new people. The more people you meet, the more referrals you are likely to get and most successful businesses are built on referrals. It’s not what you know but who you know that counts …or to be more precise, it’s not even who you know, but who knows you that really counts!
- Experience the networking phenomenon and get into the swing of things. It’s the cool thing to do! Networking is the “in” way to do business, whether locally or online.
- Identify potential new clients & customers, and those who can refer you to them. By getting out there and talking to people you can come up with totally new ideas for potential clients, targets markets you hadn’t thought of and people who are willing to let you use their name to get you through the door.
- Discover how people in other businesses are getting business, and adapt it to your own. By hearing how other people operate, you can get great ideas for changes, expansions even new directions for your own business. They don’t have to be competitors to be a source of inspiration - often they can be in completely different businesses.
- Get ideas for potential joint ventures and joint venture partners. Strategic Alliances and Joint Ventures can be very successful for your business. By meeting lots of people you hear and come up with new ideas for how you can work with others, how your business can be complementary to another in a way you had not thought of before. Open you mind to alliances and you’ll be surprised how many opportunities you can find.
- Find new products and services your have been looking for. Need an accountant, marketer, web designer? Need insurance, a new vehicle, a warehouse? Whatever you are looking for, if you network enough the chances are you will find someone who can provide what you’re looking for, or give you a referral to someone else who can.
- Practice your 30 second introduction. Most entrepreneurs know about being able to present their business effectively in 30 seconds, but most make a miserable job of actually doing it! Develop your “Elevator Speech”, practice it, then get out there and deliver it to a few new contacts. If they immediately understand what you do and ask questions, you’ve got a winner. If not .. back to the drawing board.
- Find others who’ve been in business longer and are willing to share how they did it, giving you valuable tips. Successful business people are usually secure enough to be willing to share tips as to how they got where they are. Listen and learn. There’s no point in reinventing the wheel!
- Make great new friends who have the entrepreneurial spirit you love. Entrepreneurs have a very different energy. If you are truly an entrepreneur in spirit yourself, you will enjoy mixing with others who are similar.
- Perfect your “mingling” skills till it become second nature. So many people say they dislike networking, but once you become a master at the art, it becomes fun. It’s just like anything else… riding a bike wasn’t much fun when you kept falling off, but once you perfected it and could go racing down hills at top speed it became a joy. Networking can be a joy too once you’re good at it (and ANYONE can become good with enough practice.)
Fiona MacKay Young is Business Startup & Career Coach.
She specializes in working with individuals who are reentering the workforce either starting their own business or job hunting. She also runs a Business Networking Organization to help both groups meet the contacts they need. She also offers workshops and presentations on all aspects of Business Networking. Visit
http://www.fiona-online.com for other free information. © Fiona MacKay Young 2005
You may copy, publish or distribute this document freely, on condition this tag line and information are included intact.
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October 18th, 2008
Spanish translators specialize in all sorts of industries where they can find Spanish translation work. One of the major industries that is very attractive to Spanish translators is the medical Spanish translation industry.
Medical translations can take many different forms and there are a lot of areas within the medical Spanish translation industry where translators work. Some of these areas include pharmaceuticals, infant care, medical education, medical programs, etc. In the United States, there are many Spanish-speaking patients seeking medical care, and medical care providers are in need of translators.
U.S. government websites demonstrate this fact because on virtually all of their medical websites, there are both English and Spanish. Hospitals and other medical facilities are sure to follow, if they haven’t already.
So how can you as a translator take advantage of all the available opportunity in the medical Spanish translation industry? Well, the single best way is to make local contact with people who you think might sometime in the future be in need of medical Spanish translation. Notice that I did not say people who need work done now, because nobody needs work done now. However, if you let them know you are their solution when they do need work done, they are more likely to contact you for the job when it’s there.
So what are some of these places you can contact? Well, check out all your local community health organizations, such as hospitals, health clinics, health department, or even homeless shelters and food banks. All these places at one time or another are going to need something translated into Spanish and your name will be right there in front of them.
In contacting these places, be sure to try and talk to the right people. A hospital, for example, is a big place and there are lots of departments within the hospital that might need your service. Instead of going to the hospital administration, for example, it might make better sense to approach the heads of the various organizations within the hospital and let them know about your service.
Another thing to keep in mind is that these various health organizations are often short-staffed when it comes to people who are able to speak both Spanish and English. As such, they are often in need of interpreters and people willing to talk on the phone to patients. Some organizations rely on volunteers; however, more and more hospitals and health clinics are realizing that they need to pay interpreters to come to the hospital and provide this service. If you are comfortable with interpreting, this can be another way to break into the medical Spanish translation and interpretation field.
Clint Tustison is a Spanish <--> English translator interested in helping businesses and translators better understand the translation industry. If you’re interested in how to improve your translation business or your relationship with translation companies, check out his website at http://www.spanish-translation-help.com.
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October 1st, 2008
What is the problem when people try to describe what they do and they stumble over their words
and never consistently repeat the same message?
Have you ever gone to a networking event and the person next to you is trying to describe what they do and they keep miscuing the words? This happens so often at these events. The major problem, besides focus, is the fact that they have not practiced their spiel. Why is it that they do not practice? Quite often you feel self-conscious when trying to practice in front of a mirror and others are around to hear you try over and over again. The solution is to make sure you have a door closed where you cannot be disturbed. Or you may decide that taping yourself (audio only) or videotaping yourself to hear and see how you look while making the presentation. This is how the professionals do it. They practice and practice until their presentation is smooth. Did you know that Robin Williams takes at least 37 tries on any movie set before he feels that his performance is up to par? He is a seasoned pro, yet he still practices all the time. Could you also imagine Michael Jordan not practicing throwing balls into the hoop?
Even having reached the professional level, practice becomes even more imperative. Without practice, there is no moving forward; without it, you will be surprised that the words do not flow the way they should. You must become the expert if you are to work a room effectively. Do not think of this in terms of a smooth talking salesman (the connotation is often negative), but as the way you present yourself, with confidence and poise. People will more likely enjoy listening to you when your message is practiced.
Practice is like acting, you need to keep working on it until you think the pitch is perfect. Practicing the words is not the only thing you need to work on. How you move your body, your eye contact, hand gestures, arm positions, how you stand, and how your face looks, all play a part in your practice sessions. You need to treat your practice session like you are playing a part in a movie. Soft skills such as body language and intonation all contribute to the pitch.
 Bette Daoust, Ph.D. has been networking with others since leaving high school years ago. Realizing that no one really cared about what she did in life unless she had someone to tell and excite. She decided to find the best ways to get people’s attention, be creative in how she presented herself and products, getting people to know who she was, and being visible all the time. Her friends and colleagues have often dubbed her the “Networking Queen”. Blueprint for Networking Success: 150 ways to promote yourself is the first in this series. Blueprint for Branding Yourself: Another 150 ways to promote yourself is planned for release in 2005. For more information visit http://BlueprintBooks.com
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September 3rd, 2008
As a Young Professional (YP) in the up-and-coming city of Milwaukee, WI, I can tell you that it’s very important to find a way to get connected in your city. It’s important because in order to make a difference, you need to know who those difference makers are. To influence, you must know who holds the influence. Remember, there is influence in numbers, so you’ll need to get connected with others that are like you. YP groups are sprouting up all over the country, none better than Milwaukee’s own Young Professionals of Milwaukee (YPM).
I am an active member of YPM, and I can tell you that the biggest reason for our success is we offer something for everyone, and we are inclusive rather than exclusive. This is especially vital if you’re looking to build a diverse group of like-minded individuals. We offer social events, cultural events at the art museum, independent film screenings, cafe style discussions about important issues facing YPs, opportunities to get involved with non-profits and behind-the-scenes looks at things nobody else has access to. So no matter what your interest, if you want to make a difference, YPM is a group that can help you get connected to the right people, not only people your own age but politicians and other high-ranking city officials who want to attract and retain top talent.
So now you know why a YP would want to connect with a group of like-minded individuals, but what happens if you don’t have an organization like this in your town? Well for starters, talk to others at your place of business your age and mentality and see if they’re interested in getting together after work. Touch bases with a few others you know at church, at the library, or elsewhere in your inner circle, and you’ll quickly be able to grow to 30-50 individuals. Spend some time with the senior members of your company and show them the value in these groups, as evidenced by the Hot Jobs - Cool Communities reports Next Generation Consulting puts out every year, or buy an influential leader a copy of Richard Florida’s great book The Rise of the Creative Class, after reading it yourself, of course. Partner with your local chamber of commerce if at all possible, or see if a few companies are willing to offer some funding for at least a few years until you can become self-sustaining. If you can demonstrate an ROI, chances are you can sell the idea to upper management.
Associates are less likely to leave where they feel connected and engaged, and connecting and engaging your associates with other like-minded individuals is the easiest way to keep them around. Additionally, these associates are more likely to get involved in the community they live and will make your company look good by doing good around town.
In conclusion, connections are good for the associate, good for the company, and good for the community, which is ultimately good for the dollars and cents on the bottom line. With a little luck, you might start something great and turn your city into the next Milwaukee, a great city by a great lake!
Phil Gerbyshak leads a team of people as manager of an IT Help Desk in Milwaukee, WI, and finds that sharing his knowledge is a crucial component for success as a leader and as a person. Phil’s personal philosophy is paraphrased from Tim Sanders’ fantastic book Love is the Killer App: “Share your knowledge, your network, and your love. The rest will follow.” Feel free to contact Phil at http://makeitgreat.org or call 414.640.7445 anytime.
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September 1st, 2008
A forum signature is one of the most underestimated and unused forms of online marketing to date. But many people misuse this valuable real estate. Below are a few tips to making the most from your forum signature using TEXT only.
For this example I will pretend the forum you wish to create or are currently active in has a 4 line signature limit.
- Don’t try to sell the whole store - Focus on only a few products or ideas, trying to keep focus.
- Resist the rainbow - Just because there are so many pretty colors to choose from doesn’t mean they should be chosen. Try to keep unnecessary text (such as a description) in plain, standard text. Save eye drawing colors for your main headline such as “Free Shampoo Samples”. If your prospective customer is not interested in Free Shampoo Samples then they won’t care that they are available in 30 fruity flavours…
- Don’t spam… It’s not just said for kicks. Spam is a quick way to discredit your products or services.
- Earn respect. There are a few ways to do this. Either create your own forum and be a good admin or submit to another and be a good member. Being either requires thoughtful responses and a willingness to help others. Doing so will increase the chances of people taking your signature seriously.
- Like the first tip, don’t try to advertise all of your sites as once. Most signature views are a result of something catching their eye. If you have a miniature link directory in your signature than the odds of one of those sticking out is slim. An exception being if you leave a majority of the links in regular text formatting and a few key terms listed in bold.
That about does it. I hope the above was useful to you!
Chris Davis is a proud supporter of “Building Online Communities” and enjoys creating short guides to help people succeed with their own online communities.
If your looking to start your own free message board I suggest www.FreePowerBoards.com , they have a good service going and I recommend them to anyone looking to start their own forums.
Good luck with your signatures!
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