Monthly Archives: November 2010

Travel Can Hurt Your Business

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Many people dream of the time when they will be able to travel for business purposes, thinking that this will be an exotic and enjoyable perk to being in business. There are several things to consider, however, about how travel can actually hurt your business and not offer you the advantages that you might have expected.

1. Cost investment – Travel can be an expensive proposition, especially if you are paying the full bill with the hope that your revenue will increase as a result. Whether it is air flights or travel by vehicle, there are a number of fixed costs. Add hotel rooms, meals and incidental expenses and you will soon realize that a business trip is a costly undertaking.

2. Time investment – When I travel I always add one extra day without clients for my return as frequently the flights delay me. Weather or mechanical difficulties can change your travel schedule. Sometimes you might need to leave home the day before an appointment because of the distance. Airport time can seem long and unless you are very organized, might not be very productive.

3. Loss of Income – When I go to a conference or workshop I have to calculate not just the expenses for attending but also the loss of income for the days that I will not be able to see clients.

4. Distance from Family – Business trips can take away from what you might otherwise be doing with loved ones. perhaps you will miss a concert or sporting event or birthday celebration.

If there is any opportunity for you to be able to replace an out of town trip with a telephone conference you will save both time and money. If you really must go, however, take your laptop computer and some projects that you can work on during the travel and evening hours. I usually stay in the hotel until the day after a conference so that I can review my notes and organize the materials that I was given. That reinforces my learning and allows me to just put the binder on the shelf when I come home knowing that I have done what needed to be done.

If you can add a couple of days to a business trip rather than booking holidays in a block, you will be able to not feel as rushed and also have an opportunity to enjoy the culture and geographic area.

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Giant Power Shovels of the Mid 1900s

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The dimensions of a power shovel far exceed those of any front shovel. The machine with a large shovel would always need a base heavy enough for balance.

Bucyrus International, Incorporated built one of the giant machines of the 1960s. Its Bucyrus Erie 3850B was specifically built for the Peabody Coal Company. The dimensions of a shovel for the Peabody Coal – River King Surface Mine can be assumed to fall under the super class. Its overall height of more than 200 feet alone makes the machine a towering workforce. The most productive shovel ever built by Bucyrus Erie has a boom length of 200 feet and an overall weight of 9,350 tons. Its 140 cubic yard (107 cubic meters) bucket is capable of removing 44 million cubic yards of overburden a year. The “River King” began operations in 1964. It was scrapped in 1992.

The Marion Power Shovel Company also built a behemoth about a decade earlier. The dimensions of a power shovel like the Marion 5760 supported a 150 feet long boom and a 65 cubic yard (50 cubic meter) bucket. It had a crawler measuring 23 feet long and seven feet high. The 2,750 ton machine, known as the “Mountaineer,” pioneered the center pintle passenger elevator. The elevators could carry as many as three passengers. The 4,650 horsepowered vehicle began work in 1955. It was able to remove 100 ton bites of earth and rock before it ended work for the Hanna Coal Company in 1979. The first stripper to feature the knee-action-crowd system was scrapped in 1989.

The dimensions of a power shovel remained in the super large class during the middle 1900s. Bucyrus brought forth giants such as the 15,000 ton Marion 6360 or “The Captain” of 1965 and the 9,338 ton Marion 5960 or “Big Digger” of 1969. Bucyrus competed with its 6,850 ton Bucyrus Erie 1950B, known as the “Gem of Egypt,” and its 7,200 ton twin, Bucyrus Erie 1950B or the “Silver Spade.”

In 1998, Bucyrus International bought its rival, the Marion Power Shovel Company. One of the union’s largest electric rope shovel is the 495HR2. The dimensions of a power shovel weighing 3,040,670 pounds (1,379,225 kilograms) makes it possible for a payload of 120 tons (109 tonnes). The machine has a dipper capacity payload of 40 to 80 cubic yards (30.6 to 61.2 cubic meters), a dumping height of 33 feet (10.05 meters), and cutting height of 60 feet 3 inches (18.4 meters). The machine moves on track shoes sizes up to 140 inches(356 centimeters).

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An Overview of the Union Budget Speech

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In February, people would stay glued to their Television sets for listening to Budget Speech of the Finance Minister, presented in the Lok Sabha Session. Budget 2011 is expected to bring in great relief for the international trading Communities. Foreign traders of the country and even those based in foreign countries who are trading with us, are waiting impatiently for the amendments in the Excise Tariff and Customs Tariff-2011.

While all of us impatiently wait for the latest budget 2011 session, let us review the Union Budget of the country in General:

Overview
Every year on the last working day of February, the Union Budget of India is presented by the Finance Minister of the Country in the Parliament. This announcement holds great promises as well as disappointments for the citizens of the country. Budget Speech is not only awaited by the business tycoons, importers and exporters, but the common people also wait for it. Lives of each and every individual are affected with the country’s budget announcements.

Origin and History
Finance Minister Sir R.K. Shanmugham Chetty was the first to present the country’s first Budget Speech right after the independence of the country on 26th November 1947. During the initial phases of the country’s economical development greater stress was laid on the agricultural sector but as later on, the focus shifted to other sectors such as industrialization, textile Industry, financial sector, import export sector and other sectors.

Passing of Budget
First of all it is prepared by the Finance Minister and his associates. Then it is presented in the Parliament for approval. Only after the approval of the majority members of the Parliament, it is finally brought into effect from 1st April, beginning of new financial year. The parliament members have an entire month to review and approve new amendments in the Financial Planning proposed by the Minister. In case the discussions are not over until the commencement of the New Financial Year, the budget as proposed by the minister of finance goes into effect. Though, it is subject to modifications after the parliamentary review.

State Level Budget
Besides the Union Budget that is prepared by the Central Government Ministers, every state of the country prepares their individual financial planning by the State’s Finance Minister under the guidance of appropriate Central Government Officials. Similar to the Central Union Procedure, the State Level Budget has to be reviewed and approved at the State Legislature.

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Sample Restaurant Employee Handbook: Where To Get It Free Online

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As you may already know, a restaurant employee handbook is important in running any food service business from a full service restaurant to a simple family diner. Some restaurant owners prefer to pay others to create their policy manuals. However, small business owners may not have the luxury of money to spend for a custom employee handbook.

A good solution is to write the handbook yourself with the help of a secretary or executive assistant who has excellent research and writing skills. Find a sample restaurant employee handbook that you can use as basis for your own. Although many websites sell a sample of an employee handbook applicable for any business in any industry, many still provide a free sample restaurant employee handbook, which you can download from the following kinds of websites.

1. Company Websites
Some company websites, such as HossPeople.com and SunnyPointCafe.com, have published samples of their handbooks online in PDF form. Although you cannot copy these documents, you can glean some ideas on how to format your restaurant’s policies in various areas of your operations. For example, Hoss’ Steak and Sea House have different policies on employing workers for different states.

2. Government Websites
Government websites, such as the Department of Labor of a certain state, provides a sample of an employee handbook, which businesses can use. Blank fields for the name of the company and other unique information are marked. Designed to follow the state’s labor laws for a specific industry, these sample handbooks serve as a starting point for creating a policy manual for your restaurant business.

3. Professional Organizations and Resource Groups
Downloading a sample restaurant employee handbook is free from websites of restaurant associations in your state or county. You may also request a copy of a generic handbook from some members of the association. However, since they are professional organizations, they require restaurant owners to register and pay an annual membership fee.

Aside from professional organizations, you may also download a sample restaurant employee handbook from a resource group, such as SCORE, which is a mentoring community for small business owners and entrepreneurs.

4. For those who have the time and energy to search through piles of junk online, then you should check out websites that provide links to freeware. Some free software out there can help you create a restaurant employee handbook.

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Qualities of a Sales Manager

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In Part 1of this article, we discussed the overall importance of Emotional Intelligence to the Sales Manager and learned that Emotional Intelligence (EI) is not just acquired at birth; EI skills can be enhanced or learned. Self-assessment is a key component of becoming a successful leader. Effective leadership that creates an innovative and results-driven environment springs from the inside of the leader, not from external rules and controls. So, do you discover your own Emotional Intelligence?

Assessing Leadership Skills

Learning to maximize strengths and minimize weaknesses first requires an honest, objective assessment of a leader’s EI. Assessments provide a clear picture of current strengths to improve performance and opportunities for both personal and professional growth.

There are many assessment tools available for leaders. Most of them evaluate the intersection of leadership and three basic dimensions: competencies, behavioral styles, or motivators.

· Leadership Competencies

A leadership and competency personal skills assessment evaluates the talent and skills of the test taker as well as emotional intelligence indicators like accountability, emotional control, and the ability to inspire. The goal is to gauge leadership effectiveness.

This type of assessment worked well for Luke, an easy-going manager of an employment agency who was very disappointed in his administrative staff members. An assessment showed that Luke had trouble clearly communicating when his employees failed to meet expectations, leading them to think that they were performing satisfactorily. Once Luke created a communication plan, his employees strove to meet his expectations.

· Leadership Behavioral Styles

A leadership and behavioral style assessment considers communication styles and how an individual interacts with people, approaches problems, and interacts within his environment. The DISC (Dominance, Influence, Steadiness and Compliance) model analyzes actions regardless of intelligence, belief systems, education, or skill level. The goal is to learn flexibility in relationships.

Janice has become a more confident leader since her team completed DISC assessments. Janice is an Influencer and is now aware of her tendency to show more emotion than other team members. By understanding behavioral styles, Janice knows that when speaking to Bill, her team’s engineer, she is most effective by keeping to the point. She also knows that Bill’s quick responses do not indicate that he does not appreciate Janice or her ability.

· Leadership Motivators

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