Successful Blog

Is Your Past Keeping You from Your Future?

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binoculars-1209011_640When you are looking for a new job or even trying to hold on to the one you have, should you have worries about your past?

For some, skeletons in their closet can end up being much more damaging than they first may think. As a result, they end up not getting the job they want. In fact, their career goals may disappear because of their past.

Given today’s digital age, it is easier than ever for people to run into trouble due to the Internet. If someone digging on you finds some information they don’t like, will they use it against you?

To do your best to avoid any major roadblocks in your career, try and see what people are saying about you.

Knowing What is in Your Record?

When you are thinking about pursuing a new job or even maintaining the one you have, don’t let your past stand in the way.

To know what others may have discovered about you, the time may be now for performing a background check.

By doing such a check, you can see if one or more things are hindering you from getting where you want to be in your career.

Have you ever considered doing a license plate search? If not, doing one may surprise you.

A few unpaid tickets in your past could come back to haunt you in more ways than one. Not only may authorities be seeking you, but what if you apply for a job that involves driving a company vehicle? If you have one or more unpaid traffic tickets, they could keep you from getting that position.

Even if a background check or license plate search doesn’t show any gaffes, take stock moving forward. You may have been setting yourself up for trouble and not even realizing it.

So, what are some things that could be preventing you from moving forth with your career? Among them:

  • Attitude – Do you have a negative attitude towards work and co-workers? Although you may not admit to this, it may very well be the one thing holding you back. If it is, better to change it now and not regret it later. Although you do not have to be a cheerleader at work, you should take each day as a chance to improve you and the company.
  • Effort – While no one expects you to work 80 hours a week, do you have trouble making it even through 40 hours? If so, it can end up reflecting in a bad way on your performance. In some cases, employees must go that extra mile because a project needs to get done for a client or clients. As such, it is important that you are willing to roll up your sleeves and work whatever is necessary. In doing so, you will oftentimes catch the eye of your employer too.
  • Goals – Although employees should not use any job as a stepping stone to the next one, many do. That said having career goals is critical to your ability to succeed. As an example, don’t come across as someone who thinks they know it all. Face it; even employees in the workforce for decades are still learning on a daily basis. This is especially the case given the ever-changing role of technology at many jobs. Always make it your goal to improve your skills year after year.

In looking to secure your future, make sure your past doesn’t end up holding you back.

Photo credit: Pixabay

About the Author: Dave Thomas covers business topics on the web

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Changing channels – should you switch media platforms?

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Now is a good time to shake up your content strategy and your mix of platforms. Audiences are everywhere, from Facebook Live to print magazines to in-person events. People are moving from one screen to another, from one format to another, and no longer tied down to one mode of consumption.

When is the last time you re-evaluated your media platforms? Are you stuck inside your WordPress blog like a mime in an invisible box?

I’ve seen the following platform jumps in the last year:

  • The blogger Pioneer Woman has a TV show and a print magazine
  • Gary Vaynerchuk is on the new Apple show, “Planet of the Apps”
  • Tim Ferris is on a cable network with his own tv show, “Fear{less}”
  • Lots of Vine stars had already moved to Instagram when Vine shut down
  • TV and movie stars are doing podcasts (have you heard “Anna Faris is Unqualified” or Alec Baldwin’s “Here’s the Thing” yet?)

Why do you think these stars are shifting gears and finding new outlets? It’s because they want to reach new audiences and keep up with the shifting media landscape.

Here are some tips to help you decide if you need to change the channel:

  1. Maintain flexibility, don’t get locked into one format forever. If you’ve been on the same platform since you started writing, it is time to check out other options. Talk to your peers and get some inspiration, or test drive some other spaces. If you’ve always blogged on WordPress, venture over to Medium and see how it feels.
  2. Keep an eye on where your key audience lives. It may not be the same answer as when you started. People who wouldn’t have considered Instagram a couple of years ago may now be super-users.
  3. Never forget about “old media.” Print articles, TV or radio guest spots, or even mailed newsletters might feel fresh and new now. Don’t shut off a channel just because it isn’t a shiny new object.
  4. Has your viewership/readership stagnated? Perhaps adding a new punch of content from another source would bring in fresh visitors.
  5. Use your five senses as a jump-off for your creative thinking. Every channel targets different senses…visual, auditory, touch…what senses are you currently employing, and which ones could you explore?

Hopefully this sparked some ideas for you; what do you think about changing channels?

 

Featured Image:
Anton Ponomarev

Learning Chinese Pays Benefits

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the-chinese-wall-2174275_640With the business growth China has seen, it only makes sense that many businesses have an eye on the Orient.

If a business is setting up shop there, they want to make sure employees they bring in know language and culture. With China the second largest economy, there are opportunities for foreign investment.

With that in mind, how are you best-served as someone traveling to China to do business or study?

Going Online to Begin Your Journey

Like with much everything else in life these days, using the Internet to help guide you is a great place to start.

The worldwide web has an infinite amount of information, some of which can be beneficial to employers, employees, students and more. By tracking down the right info, you can put yourself in a better position to succeed at home and even abroad.

If you’re an employee or student who will be traveling to China, don’t wait until the last-minute to learn. Being prepared ahead of time can give you an advantage over others.

Among the areas of most importance:

  • Language
  • Culture
  • Laws
  • Finding medical help if necessary

By using the Internet, you will be better prepared to take on any challenges you will face in your new home. Whether going to China on a temporary or long-term basis, educate yourself on this part of the world.

With Chinese lessons online, you can educate yourself before arriving there.

When you team up with the right learning tool to learn Chinese, look for one that offers the following:

  • Teachers instructing students in Chinese as a second language and Chinese literature.
  • Instruct you in Chinese online as they would if you were in attendance in a classroom.
  • Online hours that meet your schedule needs.
  • Affordable pricing.

Keep in mind that you need a laptop or desktop computer, a headset, and the ability to connect to the web. Once those needs are all met, you’re on your way.

Making Your Life Work in China

When relocating to China or any other country for that matter, be sure to assimilate to the local culture.

Not only is it important to learn the language, but also the cultural differences.

From greeting locals to words that could be offensive, do your best to educate yourself.

It is a good idea to try and reach out to people you may know in the U.S. from China or the country you plan to live in. By talking to them, you can pick up some tips on your upcoming travels.

Among them:

  • How to greet locals.
  • What parts of the country you will be staying in are the safest to travel to?
  • What foods and entertainment will most likely meet your tastes?
  • Where to go if you are in need of medical or legal help.

If the time comes for you to relocate to China or elsewhere in the world, educate yourself as much as possible.

In doing so, your experiences are much more likely to be positive ones.

Photo credit: Pixabay

About the Author: Dave Thomas covers business topics on the web.

 

 

Five reasons you should still blog on your own site

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Let’s face it, you have a lot of options if you are interested in blogging.

Your pearls of wisdom can be shared on Medium, LinkedIn Pulse, Facebook Articles, or dozens of other places around the web.

It’s good to get exposure for your writing, to speak to new audiences, and to become a thought leader in your subject area. However, there are certain advantages to blogging on your own home site or domain rather than an external social network. Your website is your castle.

1. SEO

It should be obvious, but building up a deep resource of well-written articles on your own domain will help you get found by the search engines. No trickery or keyword stuffing needed, just quality content that is valuable to your readers over a long period of time.

2. Collect Email Addresses

Social networks can be a fickle bunch. In January of this year, Medium fired a third of its staff amid a strategy shift. It appears they aren’t going away for now, but there are no guarantees when you’re not paying for use of the platform. Collecting subscriber emails gives you insurance against the vagaries of social media pivoting.

3. Control the Experience

On Facebook and LinkedIn, all published articles march out like little soldiers, exactly the same format and presentation. You can inject images and text formatting, but you certainly can’t differentiate the structure or branding. On your own site, you can make your blog stand out from the crowd with great design as well as great content.

4. Cross Promote

Did you just write an e-book? Are you speaking at an upcoming conference? On your own site, you can pop in an ad or image to promote whatever you want, in context. On a social network, you might instead have an ad for one of your competitors pop up beside your article.

5. It’s Not Either/Or, It’s And

I’m not proposing that everyone withdraw into their website cocoons. The strategy I endorse is website-first, then promote and share out to the social networks that make sense. You can even republish your entire article on LinkedIn or elsewhere, as long as you include a link back to your original post (to make sure Google knows where it originated). Be sure you tailor your posts a bit for each social network, so it fits in. Don’t forget to promote your blog posts on Twitter, Instagram, and other social networks that don’t support long-form content, as long as your potential audience is there too.

Where are you blogging right now? Do you have a castle that will endure?

 

Author’s Bio: Rosemary O’Neill is an insightful spirit who works for Social Strata — makers of the Hoop.la community platform. Check out the Social Strata blog. You can find Rosemary on Google+ and on Twitter as @rhogroupee

Featured image: Johannes Plenio

Is Your Small Business on Shaky Financial Ground?

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calculator-428294_640 (1)As you sit back for a moment and assess where your small business is, are you happy with what you see?

For countless small business owners, there is much to be happy about. Hard work and smart financial decisions have left them with healthy businesses.

On the flip side of the coin, you have some small business owners who are far from running healthy brands.

For whatever the reason may be, they are struggling to make ends meet. As a result, times are tough to say the least.

That said how can you position your small business to be as healthy as possible when it comes to finances?

Lower Your Debts and Boost Your Income

So that you are in the best possible financial position you can be now, keep in mind these pointers:

  1. Income

You want to be making as much income as possible as you run your company.

With that in mind, how do you get by when times are tough?

You have to figure on there being some down times throughout your business run. As a result, having the all-important rainy day fund to get you by is crucial.

Your income is also of course affected by how much outreach you do. This is especially the case in trying to get new customers to come aboard. If you are doing very little in marketing and advertising, how can you expect consumers to know about you? Even if you have to trim your promotional budget from time to time, do not drop it altogether.

Also make it a point to encourage your current customer base to help you recruit new customers.

By providing the former with loyalty rewards, they are more likely to spread the word.

  1. Debts

Although you would love to be clear of all debts, you more than likely can’t say that is the case. As such, it is important that you manage your debts.

One of the ways to go about this is by making sure all your business and personal taxes are up to date. There’s nothing worse than owing a lot of money to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

One means in discovering such unpleasant news is to do a free federal tax lien search online.

Such a search allows you to discover if you do in fact owe the government money. If that is the case, paying it off as soon as possible is your best move. Otherwise, you could end up in a worst-case scenario of losing everything.

Once that online search does in fact show you owe money, do your best to set up a payment plan. By doing so, you show the IRS that you are not walking away from your financial responsibilities.

  1. Growth

Knowing when the right time may be to grow your small business can of course prove a challenge.

With that in mind, always have a focus on what your industry trends are. This includes if there is current growth, decline, and some mergers and acquisitions. By being adept to what is going on, you are better suited to make decisions about your own company.

If you do decide now in fact is the time to grow your brand, be sure to have the financial assets necessary.

In the event you are tight on money, you may consider asking a family member or friend to invest in your business. If so, be sure to do it in a professional manner as you would with a stranger. By keeping everything professional, there’s less chance of a breakdown in the relationship.

For you to do as much as possible to keep your business from being on shaky financial ground, be smart.

The better you are in making financial decisions, the better odds your business has in sticking around.

Photo credit: Pixabay

About the Author: Dave Thomas covers business topics on the web.

 

Know Those Who Come into Your Life

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women-1209678_640With all the people who will likely come into your life over the years, can you say all them are good for you?

Often, those people will contribute to your life in one form or another. Those positives experiences are things you can look back on in life one day with a smile.

Meantime, there will be some individuals who will not be as positive an influence in your life.

In those situations, could you have avoided such negative encounters to begin with?

Well, no is the answer in some cases. This is especially the case when you bump into people for no clear reason.

In other cases, yes, you may very well have been able to avoid such unpleasant situations.

One of the ways to have steered clear of these situations would have been by doing a background check.

Are Background Checks Worth Your Time?

When it comes to background checks, you may very well discover they are in fact worth your time.

For instance, are you looking at entering the world of online dating?

While the same holds true for both sexes, women need to be especially careful in today’s online dating world.

Stories of dates gone tragically bad are on televisions, newspapers, and even online.

If you are talking to someone and considering meeting, doing a background check on them is fine.

Another example is to know more about that neighbor.

Sure, many people don’t have time to know their own family and friends, let alone who lives across the street.

That said a background check of a neighbor you have some questions about can’t hurt.

By entering a name into one of the background check services, you should turn up information.

Among the items of curiosity would be if they have a criminal record.

If so, are any of the crimes noteworthy for you and your family?

Crimes such as domestic violence, sexual assaults and the like would be of interest.

By knowing more about who comes into your life, you are better off to make decisions about who to associate with.

Should You Check Yourself?

If curiosity has you going, you might even go online for a background search of yourself.

This can be even more important when you are applying for a job, a loan or any number of other major steps in your life.

In knowing what is out there about you, you can be better prepared should someone question you. This tends to be much better than being off guard during a job interview or when applying for a home or car loan.

Such background searches are easy to do. Even someone who is not Internet savvy can handle such efforts.

As employers may use background checks in hiring employees, you should consider them.

Given the information you may very well come across, you might find it to be an eye-opening experience.

Photo credit: Pixabay

About the Author: Dave Thomas covers business topics on the web.