If you have the extra funds on hand and would like your name included in the program of the event, please donate something. Even if it’s $5, it still makes a difference to the organization and the Central Florida homeless community as a whole.

Click here to Chip In.

Today’s guest blog post is from DownEast Home & Clothing. They talk about how to dress to impress at your next job interview.

Job interviews can be incredibly stressful as they can mean the difference between getting hired and not getting hired. Obviously, you will want to give yourself every possible advantage for landing the job. The way you dress can affect you more than you know. After all, an employer can only go off of one sheet of paper with your resume on it and 30 minutes of an in-person interview in order to make the decision. That’s why it’s essential to make an excellent first impression as that’s something you can never do over again.

The first rule of thumb is to dress in modest clothing. Low cut tops and tight-fitted clothing is inappropriate for any work situation. After all, if one cannot dress in a professional manner, it is incredibly hard to believe one can act in a professional manner.  Keep the clothing modest and let your work experience and charisma get the job for you.

A great guideline to think about regarding the level of formal wear would be to dress one step above that which would be required for the job. For instance, if the job is manual labor in which a jump suit or old, battered clothing would be worn, it’s appropriate to show up in a polo t-shirt and jeans. If the job is in a casual, laid back office environment in which polo t-shirts are everyday wear, the interview clothing should be a button up shirt and tie or skirt and blouse and so forth. Always try to dress one level higher than what the job would regularly call for.

Above all, be sure that your clothing is low-key, neat and clean. No wild colors or lavish jewelry is necessary. Dark, conservative clothes are considered more professional looking than brightly colored, loud clothing. Avoid having wrinkles or stains, too. It’s also best to cover tattoos if you have them. Something else to consider would be the many accessories people tend to carry. IPods, cell phones and a soda are fine for the waiting room, but keep them out of the interview.

It’s always good to remember the following: time is money. If your potential employer is willing to take the time to interview you, this means that he or she is seriously considering you already. According to your resume and references, you have all the tools available at your disposal in order to do the job well. The entire purpose of the interview is to get a feel for your personality and your sense of professionalism. So dress modestly, act professionally and have confidence that you have all the qualifications necessary in order to land the job.

The lineup of speakers is a very impressive one. A few of my friends, including the incredible Greg Rollett, will be there to tell you how to leverage social media to your ultimate advantage and subsequent financial success.

Co-Founder of the event, Murray Newlands, has given me a few tickets and a discount code. I’m obviously not going to simply put the discount code out in public just yet. Instead, I would like for whomever is interested in attending this event to email me or tweet me. From there, I will narrow it down and figure out the best way to distribute all of these goodies.

The event is only a month away so if you are interested, you better get a hold of me immediately.

Trust me when I tell you that you don’t want to miss this event. It’s going to be a good one.

All of the information on the event can be found here.

On it, you won’t see personal writings like those that I publish on here. Instead, you’ll see news that I’m reading, videos that I’m watching, and things that I’m doing in general.

You can find my new Stalk Blog at: http://stalk.loganlenz.com

Please subscribe.

He is looking for a replacement that is adept at technology, new media, and business management in general.

The position is a full-time gig with well-paying salary and full benefits.

The office is in Coral Gables, Florida.

Speaking both English and Spanish is a must. Knowing Portugese is an added bonus.

Please send your resumes to amagnani@hbo-la.com and/or pconway@hbo-la.com for consideration.

When you send it, please tell them that Logan sent you.

So You’re Passed the Start-up Phase! Now What!?

Starting a new business requires time and attention to details to get things set up to operate. You have to pretty much promise your life, soul and unborn child to your newly budding business. The initial phase of getting administrative operations in order can vary widely for each business, but once things are in place, the business is officially ready to open and begin making a profit.

You can (almost) breathe a sigh of relief at this point, but in order to ensure the business runs without incident, it’s good to have a few safeguard systems in place to keep things organized.

Sales and Marketing

A solid plan for sales and marketing is necessary because it can make or break any business- no matter how new or established you are. Implementing a good marketing system or CRM for the business helps ensure you make contacts and follow leads. You also need to make sure you’re adapting and changing as new technologies come out. Some companies have been denying themselves the social media boat and have been suffering miserably trying to get back on track because they don’t know how to utilize it or understand why they should monitor social metrics.

A sales and marketing team can consist of one person or twenty people. If there is a solid marketing and sales plan installed during or right after the startup phase, the business has a guideline to go by to ensure the staff follow the plan for success and not failure.

Guard Confidential Materials

During the start-up phase of a business, there are contracts and agreements to review and sign. These may contain confidential information about the company’s operations. Contracts and other sensitive information outline payment agreements, financial arrangements between parties, and other things that are relative to the business’ setup. Since initial business setups can change multiple times, you need to properly remove irrelevant material from the business’ files.

This information in the wrong hands can be detrimental; therefore, it’s important to safely discard anything you won’t use again. To do this, the business can use encrypted documents and file shredders to ensure confidentiality in the unlikely event that some shady person dips their hands in your security pot.

Secure Email Systems

Most companies use the Internet for at least a small portion of their businesses. If the right systems aren’t in place, it leaves room for hackers and other shady people to infiltrate and steal files and emails. Having a good email hosting system can help avoid this and ensure the software and updates are current. Email services vary in the benefits and features offered to customers. To ensure the business is getting exactly what it needs to operate, it needs to review what works best for the company and have the email hosting service implement the procedures that will directly benefit the company.

Efficient Human Resources

Having a knowledgeable and skilled staff is… well…. you can’t really have a business with them. You need to have each department of the business adequately staffed with people who can efficiently and effectively run each phase of business- from administration to sales.

Whether the staff is on-site or virtual, it’s important to have the right employees to make sure things operate smoothly. There will likely be employee carry-overs from the start-up phase, so adding to this core group of people will help to ensure a solid pool of qualified individuals that can handle whatever is thrown their way.

After you pass the start-up phase in a business, it’s time to implement the things that will help your company operate productively so you can (hopefully) focus on making it profitable. The above things will help to make sure success happens by helping you manage all areas of the business without wanting to throw yourself off a cliff.

Selena Narayanasamy loves everything technology, productivity, blogging, social media, caffeine and being sarcastic. You can find her blogging on her social/tech site, Esvienne, or listen to her musings on Twitter – @SelenaVidya.

Are you planning on graduating with a degree in Business or Finance but are worried about finding a job after you graduate? Times are tough, but once you find a job in this field, you will have a career that is stable with a good income. If you are looking for a specialization for your Business degree, Finance should be the way to go. It is clear to see that these are the Finance related jobs are the most promising and popular among Business Degree holders at this time. Below you will find three different Business Finance careers that are still running at full speed ahead in 2010.

1. Accountants and Auditors:
Accounts and Auditors examine, analyze, and interpret accounting records for the purpose of giving advice or preparing statements. Mean annual wage for this occupation in 2009 was $67,430. According to the U.S. BLS, Accounting/Tax Preparation/Bookkeeping/Payroll Services have the highest level of employment in this occupation, which the Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation) is the top paying industry within this occupation with an annual mean wage of $88,190. The District of Columbia has the highest concentration of workers in this occupation, while New Year is the top paying state, coming in with a mean wage of $84,280. Choose from one of the following Accounting degree types to start on the road to your career today; certificate diploma, associates degree, bachelors degree, masters degree and doctorate degree.

2. Financial Analysts:

As a Financial Analyst, your job is to help people decide how to invest their money. In this profession, you can work for a variety of places, such as banks, insurance companies, mutual funds, and securities firms. They often meet with company officials to learn more about the firms in which they want to invest. According to the U.S. BLS, the median annual salary for a Financial Analyst was $73,150 in May 2008, double the national median wage. While the salary is high, don’t think that the schooling to be in this profession is easy. Most financial analysts have a bachelors or masters degree in business, accounting, statistics, or finance. Once a degree is earned, a lot of Financial Analysts also obtain professional licenses and certifications needed.

3. Personal Financial Advisors:

As defined by the U.S. BLS, Personal financial advisors evaluate the financial needs of individuals and assist them with investments, tax laws, and insurance decisions. Advisors help their clients identify and plan for short-term and long-term goals. About 29% of these advisors are self- employed and need to find their own customers while the other 71% work at a firm of some sort. To be a Personal Financial Advisor, you should have a bachelors degree and have strong math, analytical and interpersonal skills. In May 2008, the median annual salary for this position was $69,050.

Kathy St. George is an education specialist for 866MyMajor, a free college guide for students looking for the best program and school to fit their needs.

1. Don’t have your own personal office. You’re a member of the company, right? It has become common practice for business leaders and CEOs of today to work in a cubicle alongside everyone else. This elevates productivity and heightens confidence levels around the office.
2. If you do need your own office, take off the door. Nothing is too private and confidential to not be shared with the entire company. If te opposite is the case, you might be running a sketchy and questionable business (That’s another issue altogether). Not having a door to interfere with direct communication from the rest of your employees not only holds you more accountable to what’s going on out on the floor, but allows you to be more readily available to the people that work for you.
3. If you can’t remove the door, just always leave it open. Employees get anxious and worrisome when a boss calls an employee into their personal office. “Are they in trouble? What are they going to know that I don’t know?” This isn’t very good for morale.
4. If you can’t do any of the above, make sure others are present during private meetings. This is overlooked too often. As a boss, it’s inappropriate and dangerous to hold a meeting with a female employee privately in your office. No matter the gender and no matter the topic of discussion, it’s always best to invite fellow Executives and employees into the meeting. That way, there’s never any question as to what took place behind closed doors.