Recently, I was able to attend an orientation for new hires and noticed something all to familiar, the trainers had a hard time training the new hires. The crucial factor that aided to this problem was the ambiguity of the training. This is not the only company that has a problem in this field, in fact I have been employed by numerous corporations that also had the same problem. Since this seems to be a common problem every time I have been trained I put together a list of some things for employers to think about.

First, try to provide a brief summary of all the topics we will be discussing on the first two pages of the 500 page booklet you just passed me. Yes, the table of contents provides you with a lot of the place you need to find, but sometimes the employee just needs a little refreshment on a topic not 10 pages of hunting for a definition. This leads into my second point.

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This week gas has hit an average of $4.00 a gallon for gas in the USA. As many people are surprised by this astonishing price tag many others have been preparing for this day years ago. I so happen to be one of these annoying people stating that gas would go up and people with an SUV would cry about it. Let me go over a few steps I took to analyze why this time would come and how you as an individual can approach rising energy prices.

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As a procrastinator I have always had a hard time organizing my thoughts in a fashion that I can understand. After hearing Chris Garrett speak I was shown the light through mind mapping.  You can see a nice little example of what a mind map looks like from the picture above. A mind map is  similar to brainstorming, but with more special features that help you organize your thoughts on a whole new level. There are many advantages to using mind maps whether it be for personal use or business use. This little application is free provides a way for me to clearly write out all my thoughts, prioritize them, save time, and even schedule them on my calendar.

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Here is the presentation that was given at the Oatman House in Collinsville, IL this past Tuesday. Here is the downloadable power point handout:
socialmediastadium.pdf. The video is broken up into three parts thanks to Frank Spohr of Spohr Group. Please feel free to email me or call me at the contact information if you have any other questions about Social Media. Please feel free to leave comments as well. Please Digg the video if you can.

Email: questions@businessonthemound.com

Office Phone: 847.380.1448

Mobile Office: 847.971.1001

Generally, we have Jared Fischer write this column but for the past three weeks he has been under the gun finishing up his Masters in Accountancy. So, this week I decided to fill the dead air  and talk about how you could save some money and gain some good employee. However, some small businesses may have a hard time with this since not everyone is near a university.

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An easy way for you to update all of your social networks and blogs is a new tool called Ping.fm. Have you had a hard time keeping tabs on all your social sites like Facebook or MySpace? Well Ping.fm  is the place for you to update all of your sites in one clean swoop. The site is currently in its beta stage, which means there are some kinks to be worked out. You must also ask for an invite from the web-master to gain access.

Why is this helpful?  If your business is online and you are partaking in social networking sites then this will save you loads of time. This help you manage your time a little better without having to go to every site to update your status bar. This will update your contacts who will then look at your profile, which will hopefully drive more business to your site.

Who should use this? If you’re a business owner then you must be online and using sites like Facebook. If you are not using these sites you are falling behind your competition. Ping.fm helps you relieve the stresses of having to go to every site all the time.

How can you get it? Just go to Ping.fm to access the site and do a quick read up to see of this site will help your business. If it does ask for an invite  or ask for the invite through @Pingfm on twitter. The gentleman that responded to me was Sean and he was most helpful.

Just like you use Ping golf clubs to help you hit a golf ball in one clean stroke, Ping.fm helps you update your status bar for all your sites in one stroke. Check out this little handy tool that will help you save time, so you can spend more time swinging a Ping on the Golf Course. 

If you have more questions on how to do this or want help in social marketing please let me know. Or if you have anything else to add please comment or email me. Thanks for your help! 

Email: questions@businessonthemound.com.

I have just found something new for your business to look into at yellowpages.com. They are now letting businesses to add video to their listing on the website. What a great way to set an impression about your business on potential customers. 

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If any of you listened on Thursday we discussed the meaning of relationships in business. Most of us have gone out on dates and when we go out on dates we try to find out what we see in the other person that is a compliment to us. The same should apply for a business relationship. 

Before you run off to start your business there are a few things to consider. 

1. Can you trust this person and do you respect what they have to say?
2. Do you feel respected when they discuss topics with this person?
3. Have you seen the resume of this person, if not you should.
4. How long have you know each other and what troubles have you overcome together in the past? This will tell us what kind of character this person has.
5. Do you share the same goals and visions with this company?
6. What do your friends have to say about this person. Most likely your friends will tell you exactly what they think without any hesitation. 
7. What will the breakdown of the partnership 50/50, 60/40, etc.?
8. Have you clearly defined your roles for this new venture with your future partner? How often do people in a relationship get upset because they expect their spouse to do something that was never clearly agreed upon.
9. Create a contract before doing business. This documentation will allow you to both have an understanding of what is to be accepted.
10. Have a clause for leaving the business. If one of you were wanting to move on who would get what. This is called an exit clause. One day someone will have to finish their term with the company. We all can’t go on forever.

Remember business is business and you shouldn’t let emotions get in the way of your business. Times may get tough, but you need to be able to get through tough times with a good partner. If you can’t rely on each other then doing business together is obviously not going to work out. 

I wish you all the best of luck when starting a business. Please make sure that if you are going into business with a partner to define all responsibilities, objectives, share, and clauses throughout your contract. Make sure you sign a contract! Good luck and please keep us informed on how your business is doing or if you have any suggestions on how to build a strong relationship with your business partner.

If you have any questions, ideas, or suggestions please email us at questions@businessonthemound.com.

As a small business owner or a person trying to get a business off the ground should always remember that the customer always comes first. Keeping this in mind why not take suggestions from your customers? Every idea for your business doesn’t need to come from you and you alone. A lot of customers also have experience in business and be able to share many words of wisdom. Not only may they have some words of wisdom they maybe able to broaden the scope of your market. 

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While you have been planning for your business it’s no surprise that must figure out where the operations will take place. There are many options for all businesses, but which one is right for you and will help you save the most time and money?

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