Business Advice

Americans have always taken pride in having the best-educated workforce in the world, but now that is no longer true. In Tough Choices, Tough Times, the New Commission on the Skills of the American Workforce reports that over the past 30 years one country after another has surpassed the United States in the percentage of its population entering the workforce with the equivalent of a high school diploma, and many more countries are on the verge of doing so. Thirty years ago, the U.S. could lay claim to having 30 percent of the world’s population of college students. Today that proportion has fallen substantially, to 14 percent, and continues to decline. American students place anywhere from the middle of the pack to the bottom in all three continuing comparative studies of achievement in mathematics, science, and general literacy among advanced industrial nations. Students from low-income families are six times more likely not to finish high school than those from high-income families. Dropouts face severe obstacles to employment, livable wages, and civic participation; instead, many drift into crime. This situation means a loss of opportunities for the individuals, substantial cost to the govern¬ment and taxpayers, and a decline in productivity for businesses. Even those students who do graduate may not be well prepared. According to the National Reading Panel, American companies lose nearly $40 billion annually due to il¬literacy. A survey by the National Occupational Information Coordinating Com¬mittee and the National Career Development Association found that a majority of students report feeling unprepared in skills, knowledge, and attitudes upon entering the...

TWEETCHAT – The best of the TWEETS Gina Schreck Social Media Maven Make sure you use the right mix of promotional info & helpful and interesting content. Keep ROCKIN’ biz growth in Pittsburgh! See the business advice and strategies from a Tweetchat. In small biz we have to have more discipline to monitor our time. Log in w a purpose don’t sit w chips all day chatting! I don’t spend time on MySpace but in music industry you’d better still be there.  There are many other ways to improve your business – go seek good business advice from the experts. I don’t belong to some assoc I used to because my needs changed–same with social platforms You do have to know what is out there but spend time where the biz opportunity is Staying w/in our comfy social world w our “friends” is like keeping that ad in the YellowPages cause you know the rep The new social consumer has an insatiable appetite for new tools and biz MUST keep up to satisfy If you stay on the social sites where YOU are comfortable, you are missing HUGE opportunities-get out and EXPLORE Pinterest PINS should point to your site–but there are over 7Mill social consumers crawling & sharing there Always ask “Who is my audience or community?” “What do they want or need from me to stay engaged...

What is the Benefit of Utilizing Virtual Employees? With today’s market taking advantage of technology, more employees are working from home. The benefits for an employee working remotely can include the following: • Minimizing gas expense to get to and from work as well as parking expenses. • Minimizing the dress expense. • Potentially the ability to flex around family and appointments. • A more balanced lifestyle. • Generally a higher morale. The benefits to an employer: • Doesn’t have to rent office space for employees. • Has the ability to recruit for a position nationwide rather than geographically which gives the employer a bigger talent pool. Here are a few tips to ensure success with virtual employees: 1) Performance-based goals: Micromanagement with virtual employees does not need to occur. Getting a better understanding of how an employee will structure their day working from their remote offices as well as setting up performance-based goals can eliminate micromanagement and set up an employee for success. 2) Frequent and regular communication: The employee needs to know they are part of the organization. Include the employee in conference calls as well as set up a weekly time to touch base will help an employee feel they are part of the organization. 3) Adequate tools: A broadband connection is a requirement these days. Is a video camera needed for conference calls? Not all cell phones provide solid connections, so make sure the communication path is a good one! Does the employee have a company platform that needs to be used? Is a webinar platform required for the...