Monthly Archives: May 2011

Who is Looking at Your Online Personal Brand?

Vanessa Fox

Image via Wikipedia

The internet is commonly being used to monitor personal brands, and both companies and individuals may be looking for information about you online. Sometimes people will use search engines like Google to verify your background and identity.

Personal Brand Problems

The problem occurs when someone is not managing their online reputation, and negative information is spread online. It is common for this negative information to be false, but other people may not know what to believe when they are searching for your personal brand.

On the other hand, an active approach the reputation management can result in a very positive image when someone is looking for your name or brand online. In order to create the right profile, you should get rid of the negative information and also create a lot of positive information about yourself online.

How to Monitor Your Personal Brand

There are a few steps that can be followed in order to monitor your personal brand, and many reputation management services use these services to deliver their premium services.

  • Use Google Alerts to stay updated about the information posted online. Google Alerts will send you information whenever a new search result pops up.
  • Build your personal brand with social media sites. Register on Facebook and LinkedIn (if you aren’t already), and begin building relationships with others on these sites. These positive interactions will pull up in the search results, creating a positive image associated with your name.
  • Google yourself to see what comes up in the search results. Staying aware of the websites that are ranking for your name or brand will help you to be more proactive about your image management.

Don’t fret if you find something negative about you online, because it is possible to get rid of this negative information and replace it with a better image.

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Can You Make Money With Legitimate Paid Surveys?

One interesting way for people to earn cash from home is to participate in legitimate paid surveys online. These surveys for cash are paid for by product manufacturing companies who need to get feedback about their services and products. In some cases the government or non-profit groups are also interested in learning public opinion from real people on various matters.

These survey programs can become a source of income for people who want to work from home doing some fairly easy tasks. It is especially useful for anyone who is confined at home for various reasons who wants to do something useful with their time. By filling out the questionnaire surveys for cash, they can earn some extra money or in some cases receive samples of various products for free. Doing legitimate paid surveys may not generate enough cash to be a full time job, but it can be a good source of extra income for people who can spend the time filling out surveys.

The unfortunate aspect of doing paid surveys online is that if you are not careful you might get involved with one of the companies that is not a legitimate research business but is simply a scam. When you want to find out whether a company offers legitimate paid surveys or if it is a scam, you will have to do a bit of investigating. The companies that are scam artists in this field often will ask for money from the person who wants to sign up with them. Others will ask you to buy their products. A legitimate company will make an effort to choose their participants for each survey very carefully.

Legitimate paid surveys can be a good source of extra cash, but you will not be able to live entirely on the sum of money you make at these companies. However you may find that doing surveys for cash is a good opportunity if you are housebound for any reason.

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The Advantages of Silk Shirts

Silk shirts are one of the most versatile items a woman can wear. Easily dressed up, they are equally at home with a pair of jeans for a casual night out, or with smart trousers for everyday wear to work. However versatility is not the only benefit of choosing to buy silk shirts; they’re incredibly robust and comfortable too.

Of all the materials we choose to wear, silk is probably the most durable. It’s very strong, and will hold its shape for many, many years (provided it is cared for properly). The fact that silk is a relatively expensive material therefore is offset by the knowledge that silk shirts, and other silk goods, will last for many wears and washes, and many years to come.

Silk is in addition, very comfortable. The material itself is very similar in structure to human skin, which is why it feels so fantastic against it. This similarity also means that silk is a naturally hypoallergenic material; perfect for those who suffer with asthma, eczema or any other allergies often aggravated by cheaper fabrics.

Those who suffer with allergies will benefit not just from wearing silk clothing such as silk shirts; they will also benefit should they choose to invest in silk bedding. Many allergies are aggravated by the enzymes located in the droppings of dust mites, however dust mites hate silk and so by choosing silk as a bedding material, the amount of dust mites located within the bedding will fall substantially. Allergy sufferers should notice a significant improvement in their standard of sleep following a switch to silk bedding.

In fact, choosing to wear silk shirts, silk gloves or even purchasing silk bedding will not only benefit allergy sufferers, but it will also benefit those who suffer with an incredibly common condition – dry skin. Silk contains natural amino acids which are able to help our skin reabsorb lost moisture. Wearing silk shirts during the day can assist in areas where dry skin is common such as the chest and arms. Silk gloves can also be purchased for those who suffer with dry skin on their hands. However, the benefits of silk to dry skin are most noticeable at night time, through the introduction of silk bedding.

Another reason that silk shirts and silk bedding are so comfortable is that they are naturally thermal. This means that silk will cool us down when we are hot, and warm us up when we are cold. This makes silk shirts a fantastic choice for all-day wear, wherein the temperature may change substantially a number of times. Silk shirts are also fantastic to wear in stressful situations, where sudden bouts of stress may cause our core temperature to rise rapidly.

Silk bedding again, is very beneficial for the same reason. Conventional duvets trap heat and keep raising our body’s temperature throughout the night. This can lead to interrupted sleep and in some cases, could even be dangerous. However, silk duvets are manufactured in such a way as to allow heat to escape through the duvet, ensuring that we are kept warm but never get too hot.

 

This post was written by Crispin Jones on behalf of Patra International. Crispin is a writer who covers many subjects including clothes and fashion.

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Comparing Offline Versus Online Business Management Degree Courses

All managers would benefit from completing an off-line or online business management degree course. The skills provided by these programs can help you manage staff and strategize future business goals much more effectively. The question however is whether online courses can really be as good as attending university full-time.

All of these courses do start out by providing you with basic management techniques. This often relates to writing up project plans, creating a sample marketing research proposal, supervising teams, establishing business ethics, basic company policies, etc.

The real benefit that online courses usually have is the amount of specialization they can provide. They build upon the foundation elements of the course and delve deeper into specific industries. Many University courses also do this (e.g. for hotel management degrees). What you have to decide for yourself is what your objectives are for your own career. This will inform which type of specialization you should actually pursue and then give you a short list of different courses and programs (both online and off-line) out most suited to you.

Off-line business management degrees do have a lot of benefits. You get to interact with students and generally have a more involved tutoring and study environment. In many cases, the actual certification you receive would be better recognized, especially in your local community or region, thanks to the quality and respect of your University name.

Attending an online business management degree can tend to suit individuals looking to work full-time at the same time as studying. Most online courses allow you to study at your own pace and view webinars a time of your choosing. You also have to consider that the cost of these courses can be a lot cheaper than attending university directly. The one proviso when looking into online business management degrees is that you should always go for universities that are going to be well recognized and appreciated within your industry.

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How To Connect Your Website With New Readers

Gaining new readers, subscribers and members is often the number one goal for most websites. It’s not a bad thing, however it can often lead to cheesy catch phrases and overdone web sites. To keep your web site looking classy, yet still meeting new folks on the web, follow these easy steps:

  1. Get Connected Through Social Media: Some people really groan when you mention the word Social Media. It is definitely not an end all for promoting your web site. However in our generation being connected social media gives a sign of trusted confidence and user friendliness. Sounds crazy, right? Check your favorite web sites and see if they are connected. Chances are, the are listed on just about every social media network out there.
  2. Get Your Contact Information Out There: Want to know the single most important and easiest way to let your readers know you care? Let them contact you. You can create a simple form for your home based business web site or post your e-mail visibly on your blog. Either way is an awesome, yet simple reminder to your fans that you really do care about them. Just chalk it up as customer service at its best for online networks.
  3. Get Creative With Your Site: Another way to gain your readers attention and new readers as well, is to get creative. Find a way to host monthly giveaway. Or maybe you can feature your readers on a regular basis: show off their own work and talent. Find ways to interact whether its through free newsletters or simply an e-mail from time to time. It shows that you are serious about your work.

These are three simple, yet very effective tips. Try to put them into action within the week and track the difference that it makes. You’ll be surprised.

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Finding Project Management Certification That Suits You

A trying to find a project management certification course that can fit around your own life/work needs? You have three main options to choose from, each of which have their advantages and disadvantages.

Probably the best option is to attend university. College courses can be highly personalized and some even focus on specific industries. A college program in project management actually lead on to business management degrees too. You have the benefit of choosing local universities also as many courses are wrong by even general universities. These programs provide you with a more rounded education as you have the opportunity to network more closely with students and tutors on a regular basis.

By contrast, you might consider attending the Project Management Institute (PMI). Their programs provide you with a more industry neutral project management certification which can be applied to IT, construction, pharmaceutical, etc. PMI centers are located in many of the larger cities throughout the country and the costs of attending often prove to be a lot cheaper than attending university. Some training centers also provide part-time courses where you can attend lectures in the evenings or weekends. The great thing about PMI certification is the fact that it is world-renowned so your certification with actually travel quite well if you’re interested in working and traveling abroad.

Your final section would be to go for an online project management certification. Many people are put off by the prospect of courses being provided by scam universities. For this reason it is essential to research the training center/university thoroughly before signing up. The cost of the program actually works out cheaper than attending university in person. Project management programs are actually quite well suited to being studied online we do however lose out on being able to communicate and interact with fellow students (which can provide great networking opportunities).

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