Professional antique and art appraiser Scott Zema, of Ark Limited and author of Three Steps To Investment Success: Buying the Right Art, Antiques, and Collectibles, describes how to select high quality art, antiques, and collectibles as profitable investments for your financial portfolio success. Scott Zema is my internet radio show guest on Blog Business Success; hosted live on Blog Talk Radio.



The show airs live on Thursday, September 27, at 8:00 pm Eastern Time; 5:00 pm Pacific Time.

Scott Zema discusses how to select quality antiques, art, and collectibles and how they can become part of a powerful investment strategy. You will learn:

* Myths and misconceptions about art and antiques that rob your profits

* How to choose the right high quality art objects to buy

* How to avoid the many pitfalls that await the unsuspecting art buyer

* How to turn your art investments into real cash profits



Scott Zema (photo left) is a full-time professional appraiser certified by the International Society of Appraisers and has been in practice for twenty years based in the Pacific Northwest with a national clientele. He has actively promoted the appraisal profession and includes among his clients the University of Washington, museums, local municipalities, corporations, and numerous other institutional clients, as well as numerous private clients of high net worth.

My book review of Three Steps To Investment Success: Buying the Right Art, Antiques, and Collectibles by Scott Zema.



If you miss this very informative show, it will be available for free download as a podcast for iPod, iTunes, and MP3 players; or play it right on your computer. To download this, or any other of my guest interviews, go to the Blog Business Success host page and click on Archived Segments. Once there, click on the podcast icon at the end of the episode description, to download the show free of charge for your listening enjoyment. You can also subscribe to the show feed.



To call in questions for my guest, the number is: (347) 996-5832

Let's talk with Scott Zema, of Ark Limited and author of Three Steps To Investment Success: Buying the Right Art, Antiques, and Collectibles, describes how to select high quality art, antiques, and collectibles as profitable investments for your financial portfolio success on Blog Business Success Radio.

Tags: Scott Zema, Buying the Right Art, Antiques, and Collectibles, art appraisal & investment, Blog Business Success, Blog Talk Radio.

READ MORE - Scott Zema: Successful Art, Collectibles & Antique Investment - Blog Business Success Radio

This week sees a social networking approach to the traveling business show, recognized by one and all as Carnival of the Capitalists and arrives at the social media and business blog known as The Virtual Handshake Blog.

This week's edition of Carnival of the Capitalists highlights some of the best bloggers writing on the internet today, as well as some of the best and most popular entries ever to the Carnival.

Blogging topics presented include entrepreneurship, management, market trading, internet commerce, marketing, the national economy and personal finance.

As you would expect from Carnival of the Capitalists, there are many discussions of economics, marketing, business, and small business.

It's always great to read and discover the many high quality blogs out there in the blogosphere.

We don't always get to them all, and this edition of Carnival of the Capitalists has introduced many of us to some brand new ones; as well as some long time contributors.



I have an entry in this week's Carnival of the Capitalists as well.

My post is titled "Customer service: Putting clients first" where I discuss how customer service is one of the most important aspects of any business. Without customers to purchase the business's products and services, the company cash flow dries up faster than a rain shower in the desert. While most business people instinctively understand the importance of customer service, they all too often forget that customer service is part of every employee's job.

If you wish to submit an entry to next week's, or any Carnival of the Capitalists edition, e-mail your entries to the new address:

thecotc -at- gmail -dot- com

You can always use the handy entry form at Gongol.com where all you have to do is fill in the blanks. Talk about making it easy to be included!



If you are searching for new and exciting ways to expand your blog's readership, you should seriously consider sending an entry to Carnival of the Capitalists.

Merely being included in the company, of the first rate regular Carnival of the Capitalists contributors, will enhance the reputation of your blog.

The extra visitors sent to your blog won't hurt either!

The growth and staying power, of Carnival of the Capitalists, is beginning to catch the attention of people outside the blogging community. Each hosting, brings a fresh assortment of new readers, to the various blogs involved.

The visitors aren't only bloggers anymore.

Readership is expanding to include the mainstream media, various government and private organizations, many businesses, and other interested people from beyond the blogging community.

Many people are introduced to some tremendous blogs that they might otherwise have missed.

Next week's Carnival of the Capitalists will be at the political and business blog known as The City Unslicker.

In the meantime, click your mouse over to the The Virtual Handshake Blog hosting of Carnival of the Capitalists.

If the great posted entries don't convince you to click, or the possibility of finding some brand new blogs to read doesn't do it, then visit Carnival of the Capitalists and get into business for yourself.

Tags: carnivals, capitalism, business, marketing.

READ MORE - Carnival of the Capitalists at The Virtual Handshake Blog

Customer service is one of the most important aspects of any business. Without customers to purchase the business's products and services, the company cash flow dries up faster than a rain shower in the desert. While most business people instinctively understand the importance of customer service, they all too often forget that customer service is part of every employee's job. Without customers and clients, there is no company.

Customer service a concept that should be undertaken by everyone within the organization. Many business people neglect the less obvious aspects of customer relations, and focus only on the front line personnel. In the retail industry, the importance of customer service is well known. The sales staff are trained in helping meet the customer's needs, and a customer service desk is placed in many stores. Most organizations rarely think beyond that basic contact level.

The direct customer contact people are only part of the customer service aspect of a business however. When people buy your products and services, they are purchasing more than is shown on the cash register tape. A bad experience with a billing notice or a delivery truck driver very often creates a dissatisfied customer. These unknown problems cause many a buyer to vote with her feet right across the street to your competitor. Customer service extends far beyond the store walls.



Management has a responsibility to instil good customer relationships throughout the entire company culture. Everyone from the President and CEO to the maintenance staff are part of the customer relationship team. Everything your business does, or doesn't do in any transaction, is considered by the general public in assessing your organization and its brands. A low quality product production line, an unclean place of business, or a terrible accounts receivable technique can destroy the trust given to your company brand. Think in terms of quality and excellence in everything that the company does when discussing customer service with your staff.

If your business is not acting in the interests of good customer service, you won't have customers for long. Let the customers lodge complaints about your products and services. A business blog is a great way to facilitate this interaction between the business and the target market. A business blog develops a conversation between reader and blogger, who is now a real person and not some faceless corporation, that nurtures a trust based relationship.



Completely open and transparent two way conversation has many powerful benefits. One that is obvious is the company listens to its customers, whether the news is good or bad. A benefit that might not be so obvious at first glance is the building of trust that the company and its brands are seen as doing business the right way. Openess builds trust, and people buy from those whom they trust to deliver on their brand promises.

Make customer service a way of life for your business.

Your bottom line will look much brighter as a result.

Tags: customer service, business blogs, management, company culture.

READ MORE - Customer service: Putting clients first

Three Steps To Investment Success:

Buying the Right Art, Antiques, and Collectibles

By Scott Zema

Published: 2007
Publisher: Ark Limited






Anyone can profit from buying art, antiques, and collectibles if you think of them as investments, writes Scott Zema in his new book Three Steps To Investment Success: Buying the Right Art, Antiques, and Collectibles. Instead of losing money on foolish purchases, your collections can increase dramatically in value if you follow some important rules. The author provides those rules, and helps the collection investor to avoid the mistakes and misconceptions that haunt the art and antique markets.

Professional art and antique appraiser Scott Zema brings his many years of experience to the book. Scott pulls no punches about how people need to change the way they view their collections, and how they consider their additional acquisitions of art and antiques. The traditional advice, dispensed by art dealers and friends alike, that art and antiques are not to be treated as investments is turned on its head. The author shows the reader, step by step, how to make a profit from collecting items of lasting beauty and value.



Scott Zema (photo left) sets out the book into three distinct parts. Taken together, the three sections provide an entire course for buying the right art, antiques, and collectibles. The first part of the book dispels the myths and misconceptions that cause art buyers to make costly mistakes. The second section of the book places emphasis on educating yourself on the value of buying the right antiques and art objects. The third portion of the book discusses in detail how to profit from art and antiques as solid money making investments.

For me, the power of the book is in the no nonsense primer in collecting as an investment. Instead of dispensing platitudes about buying for enjoyment, Scott Zema takes a business approach to buying and selling quality art, antiques, and collectibles for a profit. The author blows the usual misconceptions about art out of the water, with real world examples, demonstrating where people have gone wrong with their collections. He then proceeds to show the reader how to seek quality art items as an investment portfolio.

I highly recommend Three Steps To Investment Success: Buying the Right Art, Antiques, and Collectibles by Scott Zema for anyone who is serious about purchasing quality art, antiques, and collectibles as an investment. With art prices rising constantly, a solid and well chosen collection can increase in value substantially, providing a powerful and diversified portfolio option.

Read Three Steps To Investment Success: Buying the Right Art, Antiques, and Collectibles by Scott Zema and you will never look at art and antiques in the same way again. You will seek to acquire quality investment opportunities, instead of over paying for expensive junk. That knowledge alone makes the book a worthwhile investment for anyone.

Tags: Scott Zema, Buying the Right Art, Antiques, and Collectibles, investment, art appraisal.

READ MORE - Buying the Right Art, Antiques, and Collectibles by Scott Zema - Book review

Entrepreneur and internet publisher Eric Olsen, CEO of Blogcritics, describes how to manage large staff organization, including huge numbers of volunteers, to boost your business or non-profit organization success. Eric Olsen is my internet radio show guest on Blog Business Success; hosted live on Blog Talk Radio.

The show airs live on Thursday, September 20, at 8:00 pm Eastern Time; 5:00 pm Pacific Time.

Eric Olsen discusses low cost techniques for staff management in large organizations, including virtual companies and non-profits. You will learn:

* Proven low cost methods of rewarding and providing incentives

* How to communicate effectively with long distance employees

* How to avoid spending large amounts of money to maintain staff and volunteers

* Ways of building a growing company on a shoestring budget



Eric Olsen is the founder, editor-in-chief and publisher of broad-based online critical magazine Blogcriticsand author of local Cleveland blog Cleve-blog. He is a widely read and influential blogger.

His primary site, Blogcritics has gathered together over 1500 authors on a wide variety of topics and is a widely read news/information site with over 64,000 unique visits per day, and 50 new articles and reviews posted daily on a variety of topics. Based on the same model of editor-influenced citizen journalism, Desicritics was started by Aaman Lamba, under the guidance of Eric Olsen.

Olsen was named a Trendsetter on the AlwaysOn/Technorati Open Media 100—a "power list of bloggers, social networkers, tool smiths, and investors leading the Open Media Revolution," in 2005.

Originally from San Pedro, California, he currently resides in Aurora, Ohio, with his wife and four children. He is a graduate of Wittenberg University with degrees in Political Science and Philosophy.



If you miss this very informative show, it will be available for free download as a podcast for iPod, iTunes, and MP3 players; or play it right on your computer. To download this, or any other of my guest interviews, go to the Blog Business Success host page and click on Archived Segments. Once there, click on the podcast icon at the end of the episode description, to download the show free of charge for your listening enjoyment. You can also subscribe to the show feed.



To call in questions for my guest, the number is: (347) 996-5832

Let's talk with Eric Olsen, CEO of Blogcritics, describes how to manage large staff organization, including huge numbers of volunteers, to boost your business or non-profit organization success. on Blog Business Success Radio.

Tags: Eric Olsen, Blogcritics, staff management, Blog Business Success, Blog Talk Radio.

READ MORE - Eric Olsen: Building a People Focussed Organization Cheaply - Blog Business Success Radio

This week sees a scientific approach to the traveling business show, recognized by one and all as Carnival of the Capitalists and arrives at the science, health, wellness, education, and leadership blog known as SharpBrains.


This week's edition of Carnival of the Capitalists highlights some of the best bloggers writing on the internet today, as well as some of the best and most popular entries ever to the Carnival.

Blogging topics presented include entrepreneurship, management, market trading, internet commerce, marketing, the national economy and personal finance.

As you would expect from Carnival of the Capitalists, there are many discussions of economics, marketing, business, and small business.

It's always great to read and discover the many high quality blogs out there in the blogosphere.

We don't always get to them all, and this edition of Carnival of the Capitalists has introduced many of us to some brand new ones; as well as some long time contributors.



I have an entry in this week's Carnival of the Capitalists as well.

My post is titled "Sales commissions: Expense or investment" where I discuss how paying out sales commissions is a situation that causes many internal company disputes. One side considers salespeople receiving commission compensation is the same as any other salary and wage expense. The other side considers those commissions well worth the money spent as they produce customers and revenue that would otherwise be left on the table.

If you wish to submit an entry to next week's, or any Carnival of the Capitalists edition, e-mail your entries to the new address:

thecotc -at- gmail -dot- com

You can always use the handy entry form at Gongol.com where all you have to do is fill in the blanks. Talk about making it easy to be included!




If you are searching for new and exciting ways to expand your blog's readership, you should seriously consider sending an entry to Carnival of the Capitalists.

Merely being included in the company, of the first rate regular Carnival of the Capitalists contributors, will enhance the reputation of your blog.

The extra visitors sent to your blog won't hurt either!

The growth and staying power, of Carnival of the Capitalists, is beginning to catch the attention of people outside the blogging community. Each hosting, brings a fresh assortment of new readers, to the various blogs involved.

The visitors aren't only bloggers anymore.

Readership is expanding to include the mainstream media, various government and private organizations, many businesses, and other interested people from beyond the blogging community.

Many people are introduced to some tremendous blogs that they might otherwise have missed.

Next week's Carnival of the Capitalists will be at the social media and business blog known as The Virtual Handshake Blog.

In the meantime, click your mouse over to the SharpBrains hosting of Carnival of the Capitalists.

If the great posted entries don't convince you to click, or the possibility of finding some brand new blogs to read doesn't do it, then visit Carnival of the Capitalists and get into business for yourself.

Tags: carnivals, capitalism, business, marketing.

READ MORE - Carnival of the Capitalists at SharpBrains

Paying out sales commissions is a situation that causes many internal company disputes. One side considers salespeople receiving commission compensation is the same as any other salary and wage expense. The other side considers those commissions well worth the money spent as they produce customers and revenue that would otherwise be left on the table.

The question arises as to which side is correct, or if there is some merit to both cases. In theory both arguments contain valid points. In reality, the issue is not that cut and dried. Commissions are vital to the production of revenue, and for the addition and maintenance of the customer base. At the same time, commissions must be paid out of the company cash flow, the same as other salaries and wages. The end point should be considered in terms of value added to the organization, and to return on investment.



One of the factors that makes commission payments controversial, from the viewpoint of staff personnel, is how high the dollar amounts can rise. Accustomed to consistent pay packets, the staff person or the business owner may feel the sales representative is getting overpaid. As sales numbers rise, even if they are meeting and exceeding agreed upon targets, so too do the payments. Along with the rising commissions, percentage rates may escalate, and bonus money may be triggered as well.

The raw commission numbers, taken in isolation, can often appear very large when removed from their revenue component. That revenue side of the equation is very frequently ignored by the business owner or manager. Without that additional revenue, the commission cheques will be much smaller. Is that really beneficial for the company?

In effect, the sales rep has created and enhanced the business cash flow, and is being paid what she is worth to the organization. Not many other jobs can make that bold claim in an objective way. Low level sales producers receive low amount pay days. Bottom producers are not worth what they are paid as they don't add much revenue or new customers for the company. Star performers earn their commissions and bonuses.



The star producers are the revenue producers of the company. Instead of falling prey to the urge to curtail or cap raw commission payouts, embrace the additional income for the business. Keep in mind that the commission is paid for production. New customers and added revenue are valuable, and the marginal sales on the extreme edges are doubly important. Without the star performers creating those extra transactions, that money would be left on the table.

Instead of counting the payments, consider what money would not be in the company account at all. Without those additional sales, the company cash flow would be much tighter and less plentiful. Extra sales mean more money for growth and reinvestment.

Think of those commissions as an investment in the company and its future growth. That wonderful thought will change your perception of commission sales once and for all.

Tags: sales management, company revenue, personnel, business growth.

READ MORE - Sales commissions: Expense or investment?

Professional blogger and technology expert Tris Hussey (photo left), Chief Technology Partner at One By One Media, and who blogs at A View From The Isle, b5 media, and many other blogs, describes the rising force of Canadian technology and its importance to the global business and technology communities to boost your business success. Tris Hussey is my internet radio show guest on Blog Business Success; hosted live on Blog Talk Radio.

The show airs live on Thursday, September 13, at 8:00 pm Eastern Time; 5:00 pm Pacific Time.

Tris Hussey discusses the emerging innovation and importance of the rapidly growing Canadian technology sector. You will learn:

* Why technology based companies are succeeding in Canada

* About some of the Canadian technological applications being used

* How global companies can use Canadian technology to enhance their businesses

* How Canadian companies are rapidly employing available technology as leaders



Blogging consultant Tris Hussey (photo left) is the Chief Technology Partner at One By One Media, and formerly Director of Strategic Partner Relations and unofficial Chief Blogging Officer for Qumana Software. He also blogs for b5 media.

Tris started A View From The Isle in April 2004. He started blogging as an outlet for my passion for all manner of Internet technologies and gadgets. Blogging has become an outlet for his passion to communicate with others.

Tris Hussey started building websites ten years ago when the web was young. He went onto launch the eBusiness capabilities of both Glaxo Wellcome U.S. and Canada. It was during this time that he developed his interest and background in collaboration, KM, IM, and related Internet technologies. This interest and passion for helping people work better together online is what keeps A View From The Isle churning day after day.

Tris was the first professional blogger for Inside Blogging and a founding member of the Professional Bloggers Association and was elected Secretary in January 2000.

He holds an A.B. (artis baccalorum/bachelor of arts) in Anthropology, Minor in Geology (Magna Cum Laude) from Colby College and a M.S. in Quaternary Studies from the University of Maine.

The list of current and past blogs, bearing the writings of Tris Hussey is long and very impressive.

Tris is also the co-host of The Mediasphere also heard here on Blog Talk Radio.

Listen live on Thursday at 8:00 pm Eastern, 5:00 pm Pacific time.



If you miss this very informative show, it will be available for free download as a podcast for iPod, iTunes, and MP3 players; or play it right on your computer. To download this, or any other of my guest interviews, go to the Blog Business Success host page and click on Archived Segments. Once there, click on the podcast icon at the end of the episode description, to download the show free of charge for your listening enjoyment. You can also subscribe to the show feed.



To call in questions for my guest, the number is: (347) 996-5832

Let's talk with Tris Hussey, Chief Technology Partner at One By One Media, and who blogs at A View From The Isle, b5 media, as he describes the rising force of Canadian technology and its importance to the global business and technology communities to boost your business success on Blog Business Success Radio.

Tags: Tris Hussey, A View From The Isle, Canadian technology, Blog Business Success, Blog Talk Radio.

READ MORE - Tris Hussey: The Red Hot Canadian Technology Scene - Blog Business Success Radio

This week sees an entrepreneurial approach to the traveling business show, recognized by one and all as Carnival of the Capitalists and arrives at Scott Allen's guide for entrepreneurship and small business at About.com: Entrepreneurs.

This week's edition of Carnival of the Capitalists highlights some of the best bloggers writing on the internet today, as well as some of the best and most popular entries ever to the Carnival.

Blogging topics presented include entrepreneurship, management, market trading, internet commerce, marketing, the national economy and personal finance.

As you would expect from Carnival of the Capitalists, there are many discussions of economics, marketing, business, and small business.

It's always great to read and discover the many high quality blogs out there in the blogosphere.

We don't always get to them all, and this edition of Carnival of the Capitalists has introduced many of us to some brand new ones; as well as some long time contributors.



I have an entry in this week's Carnival of the Capitalists as well.

My post is titled "Business ideas: Don't chase mirages" where I discuss how some very tempting money losing ideas must be avoided to prevent disastrous losses. Business people must avoid chasing shimmering mirages. These are those elusive, yet seductive projects that promise riches, but yield only bottom line wrecking nightmares. These are the ideas that lead otherwise astute business people like demonic pied pipers to their company's demise.

If you wish to submit an entry to next week's, or any Carnival of the Capitalists edition, e-mail your entries to the new address:

thecotc -at- gmail -dot- com

You can always use the handy entry form at Gongol.com where all you have to do is fill in the blanks. Talk about making it easy to be included!




If you are searching for new and exciting ways to expand your blog's readership, you should seriously consider sending an entry to Carnival of the Capitalists.

Merely being included in the company, of the first rate regular Carnival of the Capitalists contributors, will enhance the reputation of your blog.

The extra visitors sent to your blog won't hurt either!

The growth and staying power, of Carnival of the Capitalists, is beginning to catch the attention of people outside the blogging community. Each hosting, brings a fresh assortment of new readers, to the various blogs involved.

The visitors aren't only bloggers anymore.

Readership is expanding to include the mainstream media, various government and private organizations, many businesses, and other interested people from beyond the blogging community.

Many people are introduced to some tremendous blogs that they might otherwise have missed.

Next week's Carnival of the Capitalists will be at the science, health, wellness, education, and leadership blog known as SharpBrains.

In the meantime, click your mouse over to the About.com: Entrepreneurs hosting of Carnival of the Capitalists.

If the great posted entries don't convince you to click, or the possibility of finding some brand new blogs to read doesn't do it, then visit Carnival of the Capitalists and get into business for yourself.

Tags: carnivals, capitalism, business, marketing.

READ MORE - Carnival of the Capitalists at About.com: Entrepreneurs

It is the very nature of business people to seek new and exciting business ideas. That relentless search for profit is the lifeblood of the economy. Making money through constant innovation, and from novel business concept creation, is a matter of survival for entrepreneurs and small business people.

At the same time, some very tempting money losing ideas must be avoided to prevent disastrous losses. Business people must avoid chasing shimmering mirages. These are those elusive, yet seductive projects that promise riches, but yield only bottom line wrecking nightmares. These are the ideas that lead otherwise astute business people like demonic pied pipers to their company's demise.



Recognizing mirages from ideas real business potential is not easy. There are usually some warnings that the mirage is lurking, however. The key for owners and managers is to recognize the red flags the mirage will often give forth. All too often these minute tremors are ignored to the organization's peril. Instead of wasting time, personnel, equipment, and financial resources on a money losing phantom, it's essential that business people recognize some of its usual characteristics.

First and foremost the mirage is seductive through its promise of easy money. This too good to be true aspect is easy to sweep under the rug. Money for nothing usual yields nothing of value in the end. The old saying about something being too good to be true has proven correct on far too many occasions. If a proposal appears to offer that proverbial free lunch, be sure to look hard at the numbers and hidden costs attached to the phantom project. There may be some glaring oversights that are being all too conveniently ignored.

A second aspect of the mirage is often very weak financial evidence of its profitability. All too often, very obvious costs may be missing from the business plan. Less obvious costs are certain to be absent as well. Glowing sales reports, based more on wishful thinking than hard evidence, are usually symptoms of a mirage as well. Check, recheck, and then check the numbers again. Have more than one person examine the cost and revenue estimates. All too often, the harsh light of day will remove the mirage from consideration.



A third possibility of a mirage slipping into the operations is it being championed by someone highly ranked in the organization. Whether the owner of an entrepreneurial venture or the CEO of a major corporation, their suggestions are often left unchallenged. In every case, the same due diligence and financial scrutiny must be applied to the project.

Don't let the high powered sponsorship of the idea prevent you from examining the dollars and sense of the plan. Being intimidated by the person in the big chair will not help the company. Everyone is capable of making mistakes and chasing mirages. It is your responsibility to prevent them from happening in your organization. Don't just go along to get along. Sometimes developing some unexpected courage is necessary for your company's very survival.

Your discovery of a potential money loser will serve your career, as well as your company, in good stead. While the bearer of bad tidings may experience some misplaced disdain in the short term, time will prove the wisdom of someone who prevents a disaster. Company saviours may take some time to be rewarded, but the longer term works in support of those who help the company survive and prosper.



Don't let the siren call of a mirage lure your company onto the financial rocks. Always examine every business idea for practicality, timing, and required resources. It is especially important to recognize the mirage that may be your own pet projects. Instead of presenting a money losing idea, replace it with a solidly profitable one. Your attention to due diligence will mark you as a responsible and dependable leader.

Keep away from the mirage. Shine the light on them, and watch their false phantom profits disappear as if by magic. Don't fall for their shimmer. They promise only the dryness of the desert. There is no free lunch at this illusion of an oasis.

Tags: business ideas, seeking profits, preventing losses, entrepreneurship.

READ MORE - Business ideas: Don't chase mirages

Journyx Inc. CEO and time management expert Curt Finch, author of All Your Money Won't Another Minute Buy: Valuing Time as a Business Resource discusses the importance and value of time management. He shows you practical techniques to improve how your company uses time for your business success, as my internet radio show guest on Blog Business Success; hosted live on Blog Talk Radio.

The show airs live on Thursday, September 6, at 8:00 pm Eastern Time; 5:00 pm Pacific Time.

Curt Finch describes the value of time management as a powerful tool in your business. You will learn:

* Why keeping track of time is vital to calculating true costs

* How to get time on your side instead of working against you

* How to select time management software to make the job easier

* How good records can help in bidding for jobs and for audit purposes



Curt Finch (photo left) is the CEO of Journyx Inc., a provider of web-based software located in Austin, Texas, that tracks time and project accounting solutions to guide customers to per-person, per-project profitability.

Journyx has thousands of customers worldwide and is the first and only company to establish Per Person/Per Project Profitability (P5), a proprietary process that enables customers to gather and analyze information to discover profit opportunities.

Curt has 19 years of software development and distributed workforce management experience. In 1997, Curt created the world's first web-based timesheet application and the foundation for the current Journyx product offerings. Curt has managed development teams creating enterprise-level software solutions since 1985. His involvement with distributed workforce management began in 1988 when he served as a consultant for Pencom, a large staffing company.



In 1992, Curt Finch led the team porting Tivoli's product line to the AIX operating system, which led to the company's acquisition by IBM. As a member of the executive team, Curt helped launch TKG, a venture-backed firm that grew to 50 employees and $7.5 million in sales by the time he left. Curt has a B.S. in Computer Science from Virginia Tech.

Blog: Journyx Product Management Blog

My book review of All Your Money Won't Another Minute Buy: Valuing Time as a Business Resource by Curt Finch.

Listen live on Thursday at 8:00 pm Eastern, 5:00 pm Pacific time.



If you miss this very informative show, it will be available for free download as a podcast for iPod, iTunes, and MP3 players; or play it right on your computer. To download this, or any other of my guest interviews, go to the Blog Business Success host page and click on Archived Segments. Once there, click on the podcast icon at the end of the episode description, to download the show free of charge for your listening enjoyment. You can also subscribe to the show feed.



To call in questions for my guest, the number is: (347) 996-5832

Let's talk with Curt Finch, CEO of Journyx, Inc., as he discusses the importance and value of time management. Curt shows you practical techniques to improve how your company uses time for your busimess success on Blog Business Success Radio.

Tags: Curt Finch, Your Money Won't Another Minute Buy, time management, Blog Business Success, Blog Talk Radio.

READ MORE - Curt Finch: Valuing Time as a Business Resource - Blog Business Success Radio

This week sees a technological approach to the traveling business show, recognized by one and all as Carnival of the Capitalists and arrives at Jay Solo's new technology blog known as Welcome To Help.

This week's edition of Carnival of the Capitalists highlights some of the best bloggers writing on the internet today, as well as some of the best and most popular entries ever to the Carnival.

Blogging topics presented include entrepreneurship, management, market trading, internet commerce, marketing, the national economy and personal finance.

As you would expect from Carnival of the Capitalists, there are many discussions of economics, marketing, business, and small business.

It's always great to read and discover the many high quality blogs out there in the blogosphere.

We don't always get to them all, and this edition of Carnival of the Capitalists has introduced many of us to some brand new ones; as well as some long time contributors.



I have an entry in this week's Carnival of the Capitalists as well.

My post is titled "Virtual companies: Long distance employees" where I discuss how virtual companies are now part of the mainstream business landscape. While the vast majority of organizations take a bricks and mortar approach, businesses with no real estate beyond bits and bytes are finding their niche as well. Internet only companies also face some unique staffing and personnel problems.

If you wish to submit an entry to next week's, or any Carnival of the Capitalists edition, e-mail your entries to the new address:

thecotc -at- gmail -dot- com

You can always use the handy entry form at Gongol.com where all you have to do is fill in the blanks. Talk about making it easy to be included!




If you are searching for new and exciting ways to expand your blog's readership, you should seriously consider sending an entry to Carnival of the Capitalists.

Merely being included in the company, of the first rate regular Carnival of the Capitalists contributors, will enhance the reputation of your blog.

The extra visitors sent to your blog won't hurt either!

The growth and staying power, of Carnival of the Capitalists, is beginning to catch the attention of people outside the blogging community. Each hosting, brings a fresh assortment of new readers, to the various blogs involved.

The visitors aren't only bloggers anymore.

Readership is expanding to include the mainstream media, various government and private organizations, many businesses, and other interested people from beyond the blogging community.

Many people are introduced to some tremendous blogs that they might otherwise have missed.

Next week's Carnival of the Capitalists will be at Scott Allen's guide to entrepreneurship and small business at About.com: Entrepreneurs.

In the meantime, click your mouse over to the Welcome To Help hosting of Carnival of the Capitalists.

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Tags: carnivals, capitalism, business, marketing.

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Virtual companies are now part of the mainstream business landscape. While the vast majority of organizations take a bricks and mortar approach, businesses with no real estate beyond bits and bytes are finding their niche as well. Internet only companies also face some unique staffing and personnel problems.

Since staff members are often far from the virtual head office, cell phones and pagers become part of their working life. Along with e-mail, company wikis, and instant messengers, the employee may feel they are always on call. Respecting the employee's time, and not calling them multiple times per day, builds trust and a happier relationship. When a worker feels trusted, they are more likely to complete the assignment than if they feel micromanaged to an extreme. That sense of a staffer never having any time off the clock is a growing issue in all organizations. In virtual companies, it can be fatal to the business.



With virtual companies, partners and staff members may be located across the country, or even around the world. Simply organizing discussion times and workload schedules requires a knowledge and a feel for different time zones. The three hour difference between Eastern Time and Pacific Time can be enormous in practice. When it's 8:00 am in New York, it is still only 5:00 am in Los Angeles. Calling a west coast based staff person at that hour can cause hard feelings and resentment. Calls to more distant time zones may create even worse issues. Knowing and respecting different time zones is vital to good staff relationships.

Setting specific meeting times keeps everyone in touch and on the same page. Conference calls via telephone or virtual meeting software facilitate two way conversation as well as providing vital feedback to management. Simply sending orders by emails or terse phone calls is not enough for maintaining good long distance staff relations. Without that sense of being heard and that feedback is invited, the employee will feel isolated. The result will be lower productivity at best, and complete failure to finish assignments at worst. The staff person may even leave the company entirely. Maintaining two way conversation is vital to a good relationship.



Sometimes, there is no substitute to live meetings and personal interaction. Be sure to arrange some in person meetings with staff members. Even once a year at the head office, with everyone in attendance, can build stronger staff bonds. A policy retreat at a neutral location can also work wonders for team building.

While successful virtual companies exist, where no staff members or management have ever seen one another, those business bonds are much more powerful meeting face to face. Not everyone can function equally online. Old fashioned personal contact is essential for a successful company in the longer term.



When organizing a virtual company, it is important to realize that not everyone shares the same online personality. Some people are as happy and productive without any contact as they are in a traditional workplace environment. Other staffers require a more hands on and personal approach. All people need their personal time respected and boundaries drawn between work time and their home life.

By taking a people first approach, a virtual entrepreneur will maintain great staff relationships. The employees will be happier and more productive when treated with respect. In that way, some things never really change. People are all different, and require a personal touch.

Online or offline, good staff relations are essential to your success. Treat people with respect, and they will help you build a profitable and growing virtual company.

Tags: virtual companies, personnel management, entrepreneurship, relationship building.

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