The business world can be very cut throat, and there are times in any company’s history when profits slump and the going gets rough.  This is why it is important for entrepreneurs to set up a good, supportive team around them.

You will need to have a wide skill base to dip into if you are to run a successful business and there are some core skills you will need to cover in your close knit team:
·    PA – a personal assistant or secretary is invaluable, as they will be able to take care of all of the paperwork and day-to-day running of the office, freeing up other staff to get on with other work.
·    Marketing Manager – marketing is a key area of promoting your business and increasing growth and so you will need an experienced marketing manager in place.
·    Accountant – it is very important that you have a good accountant on your books, as they will be able to deal with all of the your tax issues and ensure that you don’t get any nasty surprises in the future from the tax office.

Workplaces can often be stressful environments, and so etiquette is very important as it can help to prevent conflict from occurring, which can make working relationships very difficult into the future.  You should have a good understanding of workplace etiquette before you even apply for your first job, and this could mean all the difference between getting on in your new career or changing jobs before you even have a chance to settle in.

Learn when to stay silent

When tensions are running high it can be easy to speak out of turn or say something in anger that you later regret.  It is very important that you learn quickly to bite your tongue against provocative and unhelpful remarks, which could offend your colleagues and escalate a situation into a verbal sparring match.

Grievances

If you have a grievance against a colleague or management then it is important that you follow the proper reporting procedures, and don’t just complain to others.  If you don’t report the grievance in an official manner then nothing with ever be done about it, and you will end up feeling victimised.

The application form process is used in the majority of job advertisements, and it is important that you fill these out neatly and accurately in order to be considered for the next step of the recruitment process.  The recruitment team may received tens, even hundreds of applications for the same job, and so it is likely they would start the ‘weeding out’ process by ditching those applications that look badly worded, scruffy or poorly filled in.

Here are some more tips to help you fill out job application forms successfully:

• Have all of the information you need about your educational and employment history ready to go, as most forms will ask you to detail this at some point.
• Take note of any word counts – some applications will have word count stipulations, so make sure you check this and don’t go over the recommended limits.
• Recruitment packs – many application forms come with other documents listing the job description and important information.  Read this first as it will help you to understand what the recruitment team are looking for, which can help you focus your answers more successfully.

Some positions advertised will have a negotiable wage, and this will depend on the qualifications and experience the candidate is bringing to the job with them.  If you are applying for this sort of position it is important that you do some research about the job before you turn up for the interview in order to negotiate successfully for the best wage you can.

Bargaining Position

You will need a solid bargaining position when negotiating your wages, so compile a list of your individual strengths, achievements and qualifications, and also your weakness as this will give you a more realistic idea of what to expect.  Read the rest of this entry »

If you need to put in quotes and prices for work then you will at times come across some jobs that you know are going to be very difficult, and you may be concerned that they will be more trouble than they are worth.

The chances are that all of the competing businesses bidding for this work will be having similar reservations, and so you will need to think very carefully about how your approach pricing this job so that you make a profit if any problems come up during the work that could lead to delays.  Here are just a few tips for pricing difficult jobs:
·    Price High – if you are not sure whether or not you do actually want to take on this work it is a much better idea to price your quote high and take a chance on not getting it, rather than not putting in a quote at all, as this could discourage the contractor from sending you jobs for pricing in the future.
·    Buffer Zone – if you are concerned the job may have serious technical difficulties that could lead to delays then make sure you have added a buffer zone in the price, which can be used to cover any extra work that needs doing that wasn’t originally quoted for, and this will save you from being out of pocket.