How Do American Workers Waste Time and Money

How Do American Workers Waste Time and Money American workers waste approximately 2.09 hours each day â€" and thats not including scheduled lunch breaks. So wheres that time going, and how much is it costing? Theres nothing wrong with taking a break or two from the work each day, but it turns out were all wasting much more time that was previously thought. According to a survey by America Online and Survey.com, American workers are wasting 2.09 hours per 8 hour workday, and that doesnt include lunch or scheduled break time. Whos wasting the most time, and what are they doing? A new infographic by OnlineCollegeCourses reveals a few interesting stats: 44.7% of workers waste time by surfing the Internet for personal use 23.4% socialize with co-workers 6.8% even conduct their own business in office hours 3.9% are spaced out 3.1% waste time by running errands off-site 2.3% make personal phone calls 1.3% apply for other jobs 1% arrive late in the mornings 1% plan their personal events. Related: How Much Time Employees Waste on Social Media (Infographic).

Starting an Online Business - Everything You Need to Know

Starting an Online Business - Everything You Need to Know In todays day and age, more and more people are giving up their 9-5 jobs and chasing their passions by starting their own online businesses. Whilst their ideas may be ingenious, a lot of people get caught up along the way and make critical mistakes when setting up their online business. It is extremely important to have a clearly laid out plan from the get go, and stick to it every step of the way. Weve taken all the guess work out of it, and came up with the ultimate list you will need for starting your own online business. Research If youre reading this article, its assumed that youve already come up with the idea for your online business. The key to the next stage is research, research, and more research. You will need to research your competitors and take note of exactly what theyre doing. Then you can use that information, find your competitors flaws and make your site even better than theirs. Write Quality Copy The content you share/write on your site needs to draw your customers in. Come up with catchy headlines and product descriptions to stand out from the competition and grab the customers attention. Hire a content writer if your writing skills are not up to par, as this is a very important selling point on your site. Build and Design Your Website This is obviously another hugely important aspect of setting up your online business. Your site needs to grab your customers attention straight off the bat, otherwise theres no guarantee they will stay on your page. Make sure to do your research in regards to which website building platform to use. The Top 10 Compared Website Builder Review would be a great place to start. The most important points to take into account are making the site visually appealing, and at the same time, user friendly. Be the Best in the Business Your products or services may be the best in the business, but if people dont know about it then its no help. Put a lot of effort into getting the word out there. Share valuable information in forums relating to your industry, offer great content on relevant websites, and become active in social media groups that are interested in your field. Establishing yourself and building your reputation as being extremely knowledgeable in your field will build a lot of trust in potential customers. Run Giveaways and Competitions Another great way to get people to know about your products/services is to run giveaways and competitions. This will build excitement around your brand, and have people talking about it and linking to your site. The money youll invest in this will be well worth it at the end and will most likely result in sales Have Great Customer Service Any great business knows the importance of having the best customer service. Being available 24/7 for your customers, and always being polite and kind will not only leave a good taste in your customers mouths, but they will also be more likely to recommend your site to friends and family. Just remember the customer is always right!

GetGlue and GoodReads Dont Promote Your Brand - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

GetGlue and GoodReads Dont Promote Your Brand - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career I hate GetGlue, even though I have an account. And I dont use my GoodReads account except to keep track of books I want to read when I dont have my little notebook handy. Why? Why do I dislike these two wildly popular social networks? Because they promote doing nothing so you can tell people about it. GoodReads lets you tell your friends I read a book today. You at least accomplished something. You expanded your mind, added to your knowledge, and helped yourself to achieve more, or at least become a better person (assuming you werent reading 50 Shades of Grey). Get Glue is all about watching TV, and telling your friends what youre watching. Youre sending the message, Hey everyone, I sat around and did nothing constructive for the last 60 to 90 minutes! And dont even get me started on the Candy Crush updates on Facebook. None of these things help your brand While I appreciate hearing about some of the books people are reading â€" mind-expanding literature, escapist sci-fi, skill building nonfiction â€"  Im not that excited by it either. Some people arent interested in watching other people play sports, Im not interested in hearing about people reading. But it beats TV, because TV is passive. You dont engage, you dont create, you dont do anything. While I love watching TV, Im embarrassed to admit when I just spent two hours camped out in front of the tube. I feel like I should be working on something important, not wondering whether Castle and Becketts relationship will survive. (And yes, I know there are educational and emotionally-fulfilling programs, usually on PBS. But back-to-back episodes of Real Housewives, Say Yes to the Dress, or Project Runway make me despair for humanity and only seek to strengthen my argument.) But what about the things you do? The things you accomplish? The stuff that takes some real effort and work on your part? Thats the really interesting stuff people want to hear about. These are the things that promote your brand, because they show that you have interesting hobbies, and do cool stuff. These are the things that promote your brand, because people will like, retweet, and share the things youve done. Heres a good example: last week, I built a small table out of scrap lumber in my garage (woodworking is one of my hobbies, so I always have scrap lumber around). It wasnt anything great, but it was a nice little table to use as a writing desk on pleasant nights. I uploaded a photo of it to Facebook and within 24 hours, it had more than 80 likes on Facebook. That may not seem like a lot, but since Im not a big Facebook user, thats been one of the most liked things Ive done all year. Meanwhile, photos of places Ive been get 20 likes if it was somewhere cool. Photos of my kids playing guitar get 30 and more. My GoodReads updates may get one or two. But a picture of something I built with my own hands? Eighty likes in 24 hours. Its not because Im a master craftsman, or because it was a good photo (it wasnt; it was a little grainy). Its because I did something real, something that shows tangible results, something that was actually worthwhile and useful. It promoted my brand by showing I had a different side to my personality, and because more people shared and liked it than have ever before. Watching TV isnt useful. Reading books is only useful to the reader. But to actually do something useful is a good way to remind people they can do useful things, and it shows that youre able to do interesting and useful things too. So stop telling everyone what youre watching on TV or reading in bed. Focus on doing the cool stuff and promoting that. Keep your Scandal viewing habits your dirty little secret. Author: Erik Deckers  is the owner of  Professional Blog Service, and the co-author of  Branding Yourself: How to Use Social Media to Invent or Reinvent Yourself  and  No Bullshit Social Media: The All-Business, No-Hype Guide to Social Media Marketing. His third book, The Owned Media Doctrine, will be available this summer.

The Hottest Trends in Beauty Care

The Hottest Trends in Beauty Care Your body needs the best care you can give it. In this day and age, it has become increasingly easy to get regular (and sometimes permanent) beauty treatment without having to do much yourself. Not only are professionals in the industry easily accessible, thanks to the internet, but the current trends in beauty care are also even more innovative. Technology has advanced in every arena, and now the world of health and beauty has the stuff of science fiction at its disposal. You probably haven’t even heard of “photo modulation” or “microcurrent treatment”. Let me enlighten you about some of the beauty treatment you can go out and get yourself today. LED Therapy This is the treatment that uses “photo modulation”, basically light pulses, to rejuvenate your skin. It was actually created by NASA for healing wounds on space. Now, however, you can make your own appointment for this beauty care in Brooklyn or at that new spa uptown! If you have skin issues like acne or you’re concerned about the new lines creasing your face, this treatment is just what you need. It is also non-invasive and pain-free. Non-Surgical Facelifts This is where “microcurrent treatment” comes in. If you don’t like the idea of getting surgery, but you’re tired of the wrinkles and sagging skin, this is exactly what you’ve been looking for. Anti-aging technology has never been more advanced and yet so simple. Here is how it works: a mild current is passed through the skin, and it is essentially used to make your skin firm and smooth. It rids your face of those little wrinkles and lines in no time. Hair Removal You’ve probably tried just about every hair removal device and treatment, but did you know you can tackle the unwanted hair problem once and for all? If you want to, you can go for laser hair removal treatment, which is safe and painless. You can permanently reduce or altogether remove unwanted hair. This method is convenient, quick, and simple.  And the technology has advance far beyond what it was a few years ago, so its much more effective.  You will never again have to worry about shaving cuts or missing a spot when you’re getting ready for that big date!   Cellulite Treatment Now, I’m sure you’ve heard of cellulite treatment, but you may not know about the kind of high-tech methods that have been developed to achieve it. You can target specific areas of your body where you want a more slender appearance, and essentially sculpt your body. One way this is done is by a combination of massage and ultrasound therapies, which are non-invasive and painless ways of losing inches. Another method is using body wraps that are specially designed to shrink cellulite tissue just beneath the skin. This detoxes, tightens, and smooths the skin, leaving you free of cellulite and impurities, and reinvigorating your body. These are some of the most innovative new technological advancements in beauty care and health, and they are also the most effective. Treat yourself to some of these therapies, or any of a wide range of the latest techniques and come out looking and feeling fresh, happy, and gorgeous. You’ll feel like a brand new woman! Images: Facial:  Zenspa1 Laser:  @ccfoodtravel

How to Use Signature Resume Writing

How to Use Signature Resume WritingSignature resume writing is a technique used to help generate a professionally written resume. With this technique, the job seeker will be able to outline their expertise and experience in a manner that helps to make them look more competent and knowledgeable. The best part about this method is that it is easy to implement and get the results you are looking for.One of the biggest advantages of using this technique is that it can allow the job seeker to be more specific in their requirements and objectives. With this technique, they will be able to customize the section of the resume by filling in any blanks that the employer asks for. This is done by using the initials of the name that they use in their resume. The initials then become the company name for the section in the resume.When it comes to signing up with an employer for the first time, it is important that the job seeker to learn how to use signature resume writing to get the results they want. When it comes to creating this kind of resume, there are several steps that the job seeker must do. The first step, the job seeker should take is to take notes so as to keep track of the information that they would like to include. A proper outline of the information that they need to include in the resume will help the job seeker to keep things organized.The next step, the job seeker must take is to format the resume in a manner that will aid them in making it stand out from other resumes. In order to get this job done, the job seeker must make sure that they have a formatted resume template that can help them create a professional looking resume. There are many template available on the internet that the job seeker can use to create their own resume.The next step when it comes to signature resume writing is to create a cover letter that will highlight the knowledge that the applicant has acquired. A cover letter is one of the most important parts of the resume. It is the fi rst impression that will be made about the applicant. The cover letter will be included as an attachment to the resume, which will act as a good guide for the employer.The next step in the process of signature resume writing is to complete the cover letter and create a list of references that the applicant has used in the past. The reference section will help the employer to see what the applicant has done and what they expect from the applicant in the future. This section will also tell the employer about the applicant's success. This is the major reason why it is essential that the reference section is included in the cover letter.The last section of the resume that is included is the extra information that the applicant can add to it. This information is used as an overview of the job that the applicant is applying for. The extra information should focus on the different job responsibilities that will be required from the applicant.This is the simplest way of creating a professio nally written resume. Using this technique, the job seeker will be able to add content to the resume by creating the required outline and formatting it in a manner that will make it more appealing to the employer. Using this technique, the job seeker will be able to create a resume that will showcase their expertise and experience in a manner that will help to land the interview that they are after.

The Most On-demand Employee Skills in 2019 - Margaret Buj - Interview Coach

The Most On-demand Employee Skills in 2019 Are you hunting for a job right now? If you are, then you have come to the right place where we will give you 8 important tips on the skills that you need to be more employable. Please be our guest. Cloud computing Let’s face it: Cloud computing is so far the most significant innovation in the world of technology and business. It is the new normal in the world of business, offering tremendous benefits to businesses particularly in regards to efficiency and flexibility. With this technology becoming such an integral part of business, you will be better placed to get employment in any industry with at least some basic cloud computing skills. Every company is now desperately recruiting people with your skills in order to position themselves strategically for the imminent technological takeoff that cloud computing is promising to bring into the business world in the near future. Persuasiveness Businesses have realized that persuasiveness is the key to creating new business leads, yet it is the hardest skill to train and develop within a sales/customer relations team. For that, many are opting to recruit people with proven persuasion ability instead of training their existing staff. If you are talented in understanding audiences and communicating to them in the language they understand and love, if you can share one message with different people using different approaches, then you have a valuable skill right there. And, of course, persuasiveness has a unique relationship with confidence. Furthermore, if you are really talented at what you do, you can choose a career as a life coach and help others in their difficulties. Mobile app development Mobile devices are the trendiest browsing tools right now and, as you’d expect, businesses have taken note of this. Companies across industries are now moving from traditional forms of advertising- newspapers, TV, leaflets, and such- and are now relying on mobile applications to reach out to potential clients. Mobile apps help businesses connect better with customers, build a loyal clientele base, and strengthen their brands. In the end, the apps bring in more business and increase revenue generation. If you can develop mobile apps that can achieve all the above for a given business or industry, then your chances of getting employment are high. UX and UI design User experience and user interface development skills rank among the most important skills in the world of web development. Established businesses and start-ups alike have realized that UI and UX designs are important in pleasing online web visitors, retaining them, and prompting them to engage with whichever services or products that the website offers. If you have the skills to make user-friendly websites and inject some dose of creativity into a given web content so that it captures the attention of its intended audience, then you don’t need a degree to get your dream job. Video production With the rise of social media as an advertising platform, everyone is desperately searching for talented young people who can take and edit videos professionally. And it doesn’t really matter much if you are a qualified video editor: Provided you can prove to employers that you have the skills to produce quality videos for their social accounts, you will be hired at the drop of a hat. Time management This is a vital soft skill that every employer wants to see in their employees, but it is very elusive to many. If you can manage your time well and convince employers that you can work smart and be highly efficient, then you will undoubtedly get hired. The energy, freedom, and satisfaction that comes after accomplishing key tasks fast will definitely propel your career to a height that you cannot even imagine at the moment. Adaptability The world of business is ever revolving. It never stops. And with technology getting so deeply ingrained into it, the speed of evolution has only increased. To cope with this trend, businesses have no option but to hire people with the right mindset and ability to adapt to new changes as they come. Artificial intelligence AI is here with us and companies have no option but to employ people with the right skills to handle this technology. Customer service departments, in particular, are now relying heavily on AI to respond to customers online. That is why every employer will want to hire you if you can help them leverage the power of AI. Conclusion There are many skills that will make you employable in the highly competitive job market of today. But we cannot conclude this post without giving you one very important tip: You will get even more business if you become a life coach and be helping job seekers to find their way in life. That is an employment opportunity by itself.

My 3 Favorite Productivity Strategies

My 3 Favorite Productivity Strategies In the spirit of full transparency, some of the links in this post are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. I only recommend people and things that I believe in and think are a great resource. In my personal quest for productivity, I’ve tried many tips, tools, strategies and apps. Some have stuck but most have not. For example, anything that requires me to be online 100% of the time just doesn’t work since I travel so much. If I can’t use it on the plane, it’s not much use. The good news is that I’ve found a few that have stood the test of time. In the spirit of sharing what I know to help you be your best, here are three strategies that are helping me most. Maybe they’re worth exploring for you, too. Productivity Strategy 1: Planning Ahead One of my issues, or shall I say “opportunities”, is that I like being busy. I just like doing things. Crossing off items from my “to do” list, whether or not they’re relevant. I’ve even written down completed tasks on my “to do” list just so that I could cross them off. Getting tasks done feels hugely satisfying in the moment â€" sort of like being a short-order cook who’s able to keep up with the breakfast rush. But I often ended the day disappointed that I hadn’t done some of things that I really wanted (or needed) to do. That’s why I’ve adopted the strategy of planning ahead. And I’m doing it in two ways. Macro planning: On a macro or overarching basis, I’ve been planning out my longer-term goals and then working back to what that means in terms of medium-term milestones and near-term actions. This means I’m able to focus on doing the right things instead of whatever popped up in my inbox most recently or whoever shouts loudest. The tool I’ve chosen to use is the Self Journal from Best Self Co. This paper journal has become part of my daily routine. It’s forced me to write down my priorities for the day as well as what I want to accomplish during the quarter and create linkages between the two. The Self Journal also encourages me to start and end each day by writing down what I’m grateful for. Since it’s impossible to be grateful and stressed at the same time, writing down my gratitude automatically starts my day off right. Micro planning: While the macro planning is about what I do, micro planning is about how I do it. This means setting an intention for each activity before taking action so I can execute more efficiently. Here’s how it works. I take out a 3 x 5 index card and write the name of the project at the top. Then I write down my intention for that task, which for me is usually “get to done”. As a perfectionist, the most important thing for me is simply to finish the task at hand without getting caught up in endlessly revising and doing extra research. Depending on your tendencies and tasks, you might set a completely different intention, like “focus on the strategic aspects” or “create a win-win outcome”. And if you’re using this on an activity that relates to spending time with family, an intention might be something like, “create a joyful birthday experience for Jane”. After setting my intention for the activity, I write down the action steps to take. This part is essential to the planning process. It’s where you do the pre-thinking, which saves time later because you can then simply execute. Here’s an example of one of my index cards: Activity: Strategy session debrief Intention: Get to done, not perfection Actions: Pull out 5-year goals document Pull out writeup from session Review both documents Identify key actions for me Block out times to work on each element The key is to write down every single action step no matter how small. That way, there’s no room for debate or hesitation later on. And if you get interrupted, no big deal. You just pick up at the action step where you left off. All the thinking has been done already. Productivity Strategy 2: Batching Tasks One of my other tendencies is to do things right away. My sense of urgency is on overdrive, and I seem to apply it whether or not it’s needed. Even a small suggestion like “I’m going to need to bring that towel with me tomorrow” during a dinner conversation will send me rushing off to the laundry room. Yes, even when there’s plenty of time to do the wash after the meal. While my immediate action means I won’t forget later, it ruins the mood of dinner â€" a much more important consideration. What my team members have taught me is that it’s much more efficient to batch your tasks. This means grouping similar activities together. Like doing all your errands at the same time rather than making separate trips to the pharmacy, the supermarket and the dry cleaners. Or doing all your admin tasks together and your creative activities at a different time. Batching works well because there’s set up time for just about everything. And set up time is both physical and mental. It’s the time it takes to set yourself up to complete a task physically, as well as switching gears mentally. Take email for example. I used to constantly be checking email at all times of the day (and night!). I didn’t even get to a clean inbox, but it sure sucked a lot of time out of my day. Now that I batch email activity into 3 or 4 bursts each day, I find that there’s much less distraction and less time wasted on switching tasks. And I can keep my email turned off for most of the day until I’m ready to incur the time to set myself up to be online. That leaves me with a much clearer mind and more time to think and do what’s important. Productivity Strategy 3: Going Paperless I love taking notes. Writing things down helps me process ideas and clarify my thinking in a way that typing something into a computer simply does not. (By the way, I was relieved to learn that different parts of your brain light up when you’re writing things down by hand versus typing. I wasn’t just imagining things!) But the problem with taking notes is that it’s hard to find the relevant piece of paper when you need it, and it means carrying heavy files which is a nightmare for travel. Plus, walking around the office with stacks of paper makes you look more junior and less leaderlike. This is where Evernote has really saved me. I still get to write notes by hand. Then I just scan them into Evernote where I tag and file so I can find them later within seconds. I can even search for and find text that’s embedded in a picture or PDF. Plus, everything is in one place so I only have to carry my smartphone, iPad or laptop. And I can access the Evernote App whether or not I have Wi-Fi and then sync across all my devices when I’m back online. Thanks to Evernote, gone are the days of having to check my luggage so I could use my carry-on allowance for the rolling suitcase that held my paper files (they weighed a ton!). And I’ve got any note or file at my fingertips when a client calls or I need to recall an idea. When I first downloaded the Evernote app years ago, l couldn’t figure out why people loved it. But that’s because I didn't understand how to use it and didn’t bother to “read the manual”. That all changed last year when I met Evernote Guru, Charles Byrd. As a 15-year veteran of Silicon Valley and a seasoned project management professional, Charles has worked with thousands of people to save time, simplify their systems, and increase their productivity. Charles showed me how to harness this powerful tool and use it to substantially improve my productivity and bring greater calm into my life. If you’d like to experience how Evernote can change your life for the better, too, then Charles is holding a free webinar on how to take advantage of the power of Evernote. Register for the free webinar on the day that works for you: Tuesday, April 17th at 11am PST / 2pm EST / 7pm BST or Wednesday, April 18th at 11am PST / 2pm EST / 7pm BST I’m grateful for what I learned from Charles and hope he can help you too. More time for more important activities With these three productivity strategies, I’ve carved out (or more accurately, clawed back) hours of time each week that I can use for more important activities. Like spending time with family, thinking strategically about my business, and reading. So go ahead and try them out: planning ahead (both macro and micro), batching your tasks, and going paperless. I hope you find them as liberating as I do. Now, I'd love to hear from you. What’s your favorite productivity strategy or tool and how do you stay productive? Leave a comment and let me know â€" I can always use the gift of time!