Career Workshop!

Sutherland Shire Council is running a free workshop for people aged 15-19 yrs who are looking to find their first job.
This is the perfect opportunity to hear from industry professionals and get the inside scoop about how to apply for the job you want.

This free workshop will be held from 10am – 2pm on Saturday 20 March at the University of Wollongong Loftus Campus and includes lunch.

Bookings are essential and can be made by emailing workshops@ssc.nsw.gov.au or phoning 9710 0155 by 17 March.

Making it in 2010 with WoMM

Sonia Williams, Author of "Start Me Up!", wrote an article for us all about one of the most powerful marketing strategies today - Word of Mouth Marketing (WoMM). Although the article looks at how you can grow your business with the power of WoMM, we reckon it's useful for anyone promoting a business, product, project, or event, or even just in promoting yourself (that's right, why not talk yourself up a little this year?!)... So, read on for the low-down on WoMM.

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How can you make 2010 the year for your business? Well listen close, I am about to provide you with the best business advice you are ever going to hear… Word of Mouth Marketing (WoMM) is what it’s all about!

If you want a sensational and successful year in your biz, it’s as easy as focusing on word of mouth to promote your business. WoMM is the key to your business success because it is the only guaranteed way to get through to customers who are bombarded with an endless stream of ads and media noise on a daily basis. When buying products or services, customers look for recommendations from their friends and family. And this, my friend, is the most powerful tool of all. RIP advertising!

Biz success in 2010 and beyond will be driven by real conversations between customers who are motivated to talk about your business, product or service. Of course it’s easier said than done - so how do you motivate complete strangers to tell their friends and family about your business, products or services?

Well here is where the hard work really begins… you need to start a conversation. Smart companies get people talking about their products and service by focusing on what makes their product or service truly remarkable. The good news is, it doesn’t cost a fortune to get a prospective or actual customer talking about your business!
So, how do you show how remarkable your business really is?

Take a fresh look at your products and services

Let’s start with your product or service: does it truly satisfy the needs of your target market? You will be surprised to learn many business owners think their product or service serves a real need… but, ask the paying customer and you get an entirely different story! Have you looked at the features and benefits of your product through the eyes of your customer? Does it really satisfy their need?

Not sure…. ask them!

Hey, why not ask your customers directly “How are we doing?” “How could we improve?” - genuine attempts to improve your product or service will not only get people talking about your biz, it will help you make improvements and create an even better product or service! And, better products have more people talking about them!

Trust me, it’s not beneath you to ask! Just look at Coco Cola. Even the big boys occasionally get it wrong and have to go back to the drawing board! Coke were so desperate to crack the growing energy drink market they made a spectacular flop with the launch of their version, Mother. But, within no time they announced a re-launch of the very same energy drink, with an open apology ‘We got it wrong!’. Even the tops of the new cans were emblazoned with: “Tastes nothing like the old one”! Coca Cola listened to their customer feedback, and saved face with their loyal customer base (and maybe if they had done so earlier, they would have saved lots of time and money!).

Customers start conversations and recommend the products and services they use when the product or service truly satisfies their own needs. How does your product or service rate?

Ding, ding - service anyone?

Another thing that is very easy to improve is your customer service. Sadly I could write pages on the bad customer service I see on a daily basis – I’m sure you could too! Why is it so hard to provide quality customer service? The short answer is, it isn’t. When you focus on giving your customer a great experience, you give them something to talk (even gloat!) about to the people around them!

This is such an easy area to improve on - customer service is cheap (often free!) so why not start right now! It can be as simple as making sure customers can access your product information quickly and easily. Also, make sure everyone in your biz (yes, that’s you!) is up to date with the latest product and industry info and where your product fits in. Jump on and have a fresh read of your website… does it provide detailed product/service descriptions, testimonials and other relevant info? How easy is it for your customer to actually purchase your product? Small changes can make a huge difference!

To be a remarkable business you need to focus on the small stuff because these are the things customers notice and these are the things your competitors aren’t doing.

Open your eyes to a new way of doing business – it’s all about WoMM. Being remarkable makes more money and sense, because customers will talk about you, your business and your products and services. That’s advertising for nix.

This year the key to your success is to learn how to be the remarkable company that people want to share with their friends.

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Written by Sonia Williams
Sonia Williams is a high-energy entrepreneur and author of Start Me Up! a compilation of more than 100 business ideas that any budding entrepreneur can run with, as well as great tips for those wanting to start a business. http://www.start-me-up.com.au/

Top 10 Job Hunting Blunders

Careerone.com.au has recently revealed its list of top 10 blunders made during job interviews!

Here’s what made it into the top 10:

1. Spelling mistakes on a CV/cover letter.
2. Using “crazy” email addresses – e.g. sexylovegod@hotmail.com.
3. Inventing careers and skills.
4. Interrupting an interviewer to look at a text message or take a call.
5. Reeking of that last minute cigarette as you walk into the job interview. Yuk. Overpowering colognes/perfumes are also bad form.
6. Dressing inappropriately – the way you look should match the image of the company you are interviewing with. Also jewellery that jangles irritates the interviewers.
7. Not setting up a quiet space for a phone interview. Pet noises, house mates/family asking questions or loud music in the background are interview killers.
8. Sharing too much personal information.
9. Bagging your former employer or boss.
10. Not doing your homework about the employer – and worse – calling the employer by the name of their competitor.

“How well you conduct yourself at each step of the recruitment process speaks volumes about how you will act in the job – if you get it”, says Kate Southam, Editor, Careerone.com.au.

Kate’s top 10 tips on how to ace a job interview:

1. Research, research, research – on both yourself and the employer.
2. Tailor your resume and your interview prep for each role.
3. Rehearse for the interview – at least three times.
4. Prepare to use real examples from your work history to answer interview questions.
5. Pick your job interview outfit days ahead to make sure it fits and is stain free.
6. Be positive about your past work experiences.
7. Prepare questions to ask the employer.
8. Always be 10 minutes early for an interview.
9. Follow up with a thank you after the job interview.
10. Be on your best behaviour but be genuine. If you have to pretend to get the job then it is not the job for you.
11. Careerone.com.au spoke to employers and recruiters who offered up some of their worst interview experiences.
    

Angela Vithoulkas who runs the VIVO Cafe franchise in Sydney said that one candidate came in for an interview dressed in a clown costume.

“I felt like sticking a sign on my forehead saying ‘are you serious?”. It’s hard to take someone seriously when they’re dressed as a clown.”

Helen Olivier, of the Olivier Group said that there was a degree of desperation in the market so people overstate their skills and salary.

“Often people assume they are going to earn a lot more than market reality just because they are moving jobs. If you are head-hunted it doesn’t necessarily mean you are worth higher than market value.”

Andrew Brushfield of Robert Half in Australia says spelling mistakes on resumes is a pet hate for consultants.

“If you make errors on your application, employers assume you’ll make mistakes on the job.”

For more tips & info on the job-hunting process: http://www.careerone.com.au/news-advice

Five Ways to Promote Yourself Powerfully

Promote Yourself Powerfully

Our First Five Methods you can use to Promote Yourself Powerfully and Create Opportunities for Your Career

Jessica Kiely-Schebesta

The modern marketplace is very competitive and we are required to sell ourselves every day, whether it is to ensure you are chosen for a new project at work, to win a new client or get a new job.

As the CEO of your Me Incorporated (Me INC) you need to be promoting yourself in that marketplace. Here are our first five strategies that you can use to promote yourself powerfully and create opportunities for your career. Stay tuned for our next 5 coming out soon!

• First Impressions

It is vital that you get the basics right first when it comes to first impressions. You have 5 to 15 seconds to impress someone and create a powerful impression, and you are the one that has a large say in what they think of you, so use that power.

Make sure the way you are dressed is right for the environment and occasion. Do your research before hand to find out what this is, especially if you are in a different country and culture. Always look smart and well presented, as this proves that you care and have taken the time to present yourself well, which says a lot about how you approach work as well.

Make sure there is a smile on your face. This makes you approachable and can give you confidence. Keep your energy levels high, without bouncing off the walls! Someone who is energetic, interested and enthusiastic always stands out.

If you need to wear a name tag make sure it is easy to read and see, so wearing it on your waist is not appropriate.

Starting with a firm handshake can also work wonders. No one likes to shake hands and get a wet fish on the other end. Practice your handshake with someone and ask for feedback. Again you want it to show your confidence.

Have open and positive body language in the way you hold yourself and walk into a room. The ‘ole shoulders back, head high and eyes up is very true, and will make you feel more confident. Sitting up in your chair and forward as you speak also shows interest and creates a great impression.

And of course, choose your words wisely. Positive language, well thought out responses and a confident introduction of yourself are a great starter. Don’t worry if you don’t get it right straight away, learn from each experience and do it better next time.

• Follow Up

Basically, in my experience 90% of people are lazy and never follow up and just sit and wait for people to get back to them. Be a part of the 10% and really stand out and be remembered by following up. It seems basic, but most people just can’t be bothered, and so miss out on the true opportunities.

You can follow up with a speaker you heard at an event and were really impressed with, after a job interview, after sending your resume, after a meeting with a manager or supervisor, after a seminar you attended, after a networking event with the people that you met, after the first meeting with a new project team, after a teleconference......it just goes on.

Your follow up obviously needs to suit the occasion and situation, so choose wisely, but ALWAYS follow up.

You can:

1. Send an email
2. Make a quick phone call
3. Send a letter, card or postcard
4. Write up a testimonial or recommendation for them
5. Ask for a testimonial or feedback from them
6. Post them a small gift
7. Link with them on LinkedIn or Facebook etc

• Professional Online Profiles

You probably already have a Facebook or MySpace set up that keeps you in contact with your social circle, and perhaps even some in your professional network on there as well. However, there are lots of places where you can now have your professional online profile set up and link with others, and it can all just be about your professional side of life.

The one that we use and highly recommend is LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com). You set up your profile and outline all of your past jobs, achievements, education and interests; almost like an online resume. Then you get to search for people you know and have worked with professionally and link with them. Once they have accepted you, you are able to see their network and who they know. It is very powerful.

To make the most of it make sure you have a fully updated profile, a picture of yourself that is professional, get people in your network to write recommendations for you (and of course you will need to do it for them first), and keep your status updated with what you are currently working on or achievements that you want others to know about.

LinkedIn is becoming a market place. Jobs are advertised and people ask for referrals, you can join professional groups and associations and get updates about opportunities, people ask questions and seek feedback and tips are provided by the network.

The most powerful thing I have found with LinkedIn is the ability to search for someone you really want to talk with or have a chance to meet, and you can then see how many degrees of separation between you and them, and then just work your way through getting introductions to others to then eventually get a personal introduction to the person you wanted to chat with. Very powerful stuff! So get cracking and get your LinkedIn profile up and search for me Jessica Kiely-Schebesta!

• Online Reputation Management (ORM)

To ensure that you and your brand are protected and working for you positively you need to be monitoring what is online about you. 80% of employers and others will Google you before meeting you or even considering you for a position professionally, and sometimes those Google results (word and image) are the difference between whether you get an opportunity or not.

Regularly check through Google, MSN and Yahoo what comes up with your name. Ensure that anything unprofessional is removed, if possible – like those Facebook pics from last weeks party! Facebook and other sites all have ways to keep certain parts of your profile private and only viewable by those who you want seeing it, so utilise those locking tools.

You can even set up a Google Alert with your name and any other identifiers, so that on a weekly basis you get sent anything that has come up online and being indexed by Google with your name. That way you can monitor it yourself and then manage it regularly.

Also start looking for as many ways to be known online for good stuff eg; articles being published, awards being won etc. We will look at these in more detail in our next edition of Ways to Powerfully Promote Yourself, so stay tuned.

• Face to Face Networking

Yes, it is an oldie but a goodie. Actually meeting new people in person in a professional environment is very important to build your network but also to promote yourself. You are never too young to start networking, so “being a student” is no excuse and you can get out there and start meeting new people right now.

Making sure you get out to 1 or 2 networking events a month is a good goal to aim for. There are heaps of different opportunities and events out there to choose from, and not all of them cost money; get searching! The Frank Team run regular networking events for young entrepreneurs so ask us about the next one coming up near you.

Network not only within your industry but also venture out to other industries and extend your network and professional development.

There are a heap of great articles you can find online that give you tips and strategies on how to network effectively, so do some prep before and read up. But keep in mind:

1. Always have business cards with you. Even if you are a student or between jobs, you can get a set of business cards done up pretty easily for not much cost with your basic contact details.
2. Arrive early and find other people who are alone and looking to chat.
3. Research the speaker before and then introduce yourself to them at the event.
4. When you meet new people ask lots of interesting questions that help you learn more about them, then customise your 30 sec pitch about “what do you do” to them and their needs.
5. Add the new people that you meet to your contacts database afterwards, or find them on LinkedIn and connect.
6. Always follow up with new people and old acquaintances that you met.
7. Note down each time what you learnt; tips, strategies etc and then post that on your blog or someone else’s to help other people learn.

Stay tuned for our next 5 WAYS TO PROMOTE YOURSELF POWERFULLY; Mentors, Work Experience, Volunteering, Speaking Opportunities & Twitter

The Frank Team have a 1 hour, 3 hour and Full Day workshop on POWERFUL SELF PROMOTION – The Why and How. To learn more and get a session outline contact jessica@frankteam.com.au or (02) 95186244. We present these all over Australia and travel to you.

The Frank Team specialise in career, entrepreneurship & youth development programs across Australia. Our experienced and professional youth presenters, coupled with our selection of set or customised programs deliver high impact presentations, workshops and ongoing programs for young people, young professionals & young entrepreneurs. Through our 8 years we have worked with schools, local councils, universities, government departments of all levels, corporate, community groups and training organisations across Australia and internationally.

We truly care about assisting and empowering young Australians to take their ideas and make them a reality in their careers, their communities and in their own business. And always doing this in a fun, innovative and authentic way.

Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you motivate, inspire & empower the young people that you work with.

www.frankteam.com.au and www.youngentrepreneurs.net.au
Ph: (02) 95186244 E: jessica@frankteam.com.au

Media Promo Opportunity - Contact Us NOW

Calling all Under 20 Young Entreprenuers

We have been contacted by a mainstream media outlet and they are interested in doing a story on some young (under 20) entrepreneurs out there right now running their businesses. Yey for young entrepreneurs!

If you (or anyone you know of) meet these criteria please contact me ASAP – I will get your direct contact details and then pass them onto the journalist.

Criteria:
- Under 20
- Currently running your own business (part time or full time) of any type (business, social, environmental etc)
- From any state in Australia
- Teenage entrepreneurs in particular are encouraged to put their hand up!

Please get in contact with us ASAP with your direct phone number (mobile, land line), your age and your business name. You can also call me with any questions: (02) 95186244

Forward this on to any other young entrepreneurs you know and get them to contact us too.

Look forward to hearing from you very soon
Jessica
Director - The Frank Team

The Steps to Starting up a Business – Young Entrepreneur Style

Do you want to help your young people to start up their own business over summer? Do you know some young people who want to Be The Boss and want to provide them with some advice?

Don’t let all of the recession talk being pumped out by the media get you down. We believe that these “new economic conditions” bring with them a heap of opportunity as consumers look for better deals and alternatives to the big corporate guys, and your young people may have just the business that can do that.

You can help your young people to get started on planning and starting their own business.

To help you out we have put together a Ten Step Summer Business Start Up Plan for you and your young people.

Plus we are very excited to announce that our Business Break it Down cards that many of you have used in our workshops are now available for you to purchase and use with your classes. They outline the steps to starting up a business in a really fun and interactive format, a set of cards. Get your copy here http://www.frankteam.com.au/entrepreneur/start-up-business-cards.html These cards are REALLY popular with young people, as they make business planning easy to understand and do! Get your copy to use in BUSINESS STUDIES classes.

Here are the basic 10 STEPS to Business Start-Up:

Ten Step Summer Start Up Plan

1. Grab a piece of paper or open up a word doc and describe your idea (so far!). Describe what makes it unique, who will most benefit from your idea, how your idea will help people & what you will do for them, and where your idea came from. For some summer biz ideas see our list below.

2. Create a list of 10 questions to ask your potential customers so you can learn more about their needs, wants, budgets & interest in a business like yours. Then get out there and find at least 20 people who fit your target market and ask them your 10 questions.

If you are super worried about people “ripping” of your idea then check out www.ipaustralia.gov.au to see how you can protect your idea. But in the initial research phases you can usually still ask people questions that will help you learn more without telling em exactly what your business idea is.

3. Now you know more about your idea and target customers, re-define your business idea to match up with customer wants & budget. You should now be able to capture your business idea on one page.

4. It’s time now to think about how you will tell your target customers about your business, so work out your start up marketing. This is where you get to be creative and think of easy and cheap but fun ways of getting the attention of your target market so they wanna use you! Outline in a word doc what strategies you will use in the first 2 weeks of start up, then what you will do every 2 weeks after then to tell people about your business.

5. You now need to think about your start up & ongoing costs. What equipment will you need & what costs are involved in running those (eg: petrol for the car, tools), will you need to pay anyone else for their time, what will your start up and ongoing marketing cost you (paper, printing, letter box dropping etc), and of course the cost of registering your business name. Open up an excel spreadsheet and create a budget. Note down what expenses there are (OUTs), how much and when you will need to pay them, and then when you would expect to start earning income (INs). You now have a budget and cashflow tracking all in one. Keep it updated! Work out where you will get the dollars to start up; savings, parents, other jobs or even credit card (if you are sure you can pay it back).

6. Now you know how much it will cost you to start up and run & you know roughly your target customers budget, you need to now set your price for your product or service.

7. For some fun stuff now, come up with a business name. Make sure your business name is easy to remember. Have a few options. Then go to your state governments Fair Trading Department and check to see if anyone else is using that name – cos then you can’t! When you find one that is unique to you, register it (this may cost you anything from $0 to $150 depending on which state you are in). You are now very very close to really starting your business – get excited?!

8. Next is to choose the best business structure for you; sole trader, partnership, company, or not for profit. We have a really easy to read and use guide for you on this one, so go to http://www.frankteam.com.au/bizarticles/choose-a-business-structure.aspx to learn more.

9. Head over to the ATO (Australian Taxation Office) website and register for an ABN if you don’t already have one. This costs nothing, and you can register it under your own name if you are a sole trader. It can take a few weeks to get your ABN so make sure you leave enough time for it. For any other tax questions you may have, we have done the research for you so go to http://www.frankteam.com.au/bizarticles/getting-started-tax-basics.aspx

10. Guess what, now it is time to LAUNCH! Get that marketing happening and go out and get your first customers.

From here just learn, learn & learn more about your business idea from your customers to improve it even further. And enjoy the ride. Believe me when I say it is ok to be unsure & a little scared, but just go for it.

These TEN STEPS are the really basics of start up. If you want help that is a little more in depth plus being practical and fun, then please check out our Frank Team Business Break It Down Cards. They make start-up easy & fun and summer is the perfect time for business planning. Plus these cards are super affordable at only $49.50 inc GST (plus postage & handling). Get them in time for Xmas for yourself or someone you know!!! More info in IGNITE and here http://www.frankteam.com.au/entrepreneur/start-up-business-cards.html

These cards are a perfect complement to your Business Studies course.

Some great summer businesses to start

- Collecting mail while people are on holidays

- Dog walking

- Party planner

- House sitting

- Painted t-shirts

- Sport lessons

- Mowing & gardening while people are on holidays

- PC repair

Happy start-up

How To Effectively Use Those End of Year Quiet Times To Get Ahead

Jessica Kiely – The FRANK Team

When all of the Christmas parties are almost over for the year all most people can think about is going to the beach, Christmas Shopping and what they’re doing for New Years. But you are still “open for business”. How can you and your team effectively use that quieter end of year and early New Year time to get ahead and set yourself up for stellar results in 2009?

Here are some FRANK ideas for you and your team:

v The quiet time is the perfect time to reflect on the performance of your team and see how 2009 can be even better. Creating an open and fun environment to cover areas like highlighting successes & challenges experienced in the year, identifying areas for improvement and brainstorming solutions. And then most important, creating an action plan for implementing solutions to create an even better 2009. All of this needs to be done in a fun and open environment where everyone contributes.

In the “festive spirit” we have a great bonus for you today. We have a created a Day Outline for your End Of Year Team Performance Reflection, or what we call Re-Fresh that follows The Frank Team’s SCITSA formula. You can use this template to run your own Re-Fresh Day.

To get your FREE Re-Fresh Workshop Template email us at jessica@frankteam.com.au

v Schedule some team building activities. These don’t need to break the budget either. You can organise and run some simple and fun activities yourself. Or even better - get each person on your team to come up with their team building activity that they run with everyone, so you get all different flavours of activities. A quick web search gives you a huge list of Do-It-Yourself activities http://wilderdom.com/games/InitiativeGames.html and http://www.teampedia.net/wiki/index.php?title=Main_Page You could try a Mini Olympics, Cooking or Art. It can be team building just coming up with the team building activities!

v Have a spring clean in your office environment. Identify as a team what needs some “work” and then schedule in blocks of time to get it done, doing it in blocks of time. Your work environment will feel lighter, more organised and ready for a brand spanking New Year. And if effective spring cleaning is what you are after then check out http://directory.homestead.com/article/spring-clean-up-of-your-office ! And to make it fun, turn it into a competition. As a team create the Spring-Clean-O-Meter that is a rating system. Give everyone a time period and then go around and rate each area using your Spring-Clean-O-Meter. Give away a cool prize to the best spring cleaner!

v Identify skills gaps in your team and find opportunities to fill those through some skills training. Perhaps your team needs better sales, technology or finance skills to produce even better results in 2009. As a team, identify those areas and see who would like or benefit from training in what. Give each person a budget and then they need to research and find the best option for their needs and budget. Then to ensure the learning is widespread, once the training has been undertaken each of those people gives a short presentation to everyone else, helping them to learn the skills they have just learnt. See below for the skills training that The FRANK Team can help you with.

v Spend time on Career Progression Planning for individuals in your team. We often don’t take the time, because we don’t have the time, to do a check in on how we are progressing in our career and where we would like to go. Similar to how businesses do their end of year review, giving staff the same time to review their careers is really beneficial to help staff re-focus and feel valued for your investment in them. It can really be as simple as where are you now, where would you like to be, what do you need to do to get there to then create a Career Profession Plan from.

If running this yourself totally freaks you out then see below how The FRANK Team can come in and run a fun, interactive and cost effective session for you, cos we love doing this stuff!

Even if you do this regularly with your staff, and have a structured program for it, the end of year is still a great time to do this, as a period of time is coming to an end and this is a natural time to reflect and reassess goals and priorities for the coming year.

The Frank Team can help you with:

v Career Progression Plan workshops

v Team Building activities that are run in-house

v Facilitating your Re-Fresh End of Year Team Performance Reflection Day

Ask us how: Jessica@frankteam.com.au Ph: (02) 99664333

All of our sessions are fun, engaging & cost effective. For session information you can visit us at http://www.frankteam.com.au/corporates/ .