LinkedIn can be a very effective tool for a number of professional and business goals, whether you’re looking for job opportunities, doing basic networking, or uncovering prospects for your business.

If you’re going to use this approach, make sure to think things through before sending out connection requests, and this checklist of tips can help you avoid making some common mistakes.

The old saying ‘it’s not what you know, but who you know’ is certainly a little simplistic, but that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t ring true in the world of business, where forging relationships with the right people is hugely important indeed. Whether with customers, business partners or even local authorities, being successful means maintaining those good relationships – let’s take a look at three reasons how doing this will help you grow your business.

Ensuring Customer Loyalty

It’s very simple really, if you maintain a strong positive relationship with your customers, then they’ll be loyal to you and your business, which is a major asset to have. Reliable income or profit each and every month is a lot more valuable than peaks and troughs of success, and will really help your business grow. You can’t take that next step and expand without knowing that you’ve got a good base to build on, but having a strong and loyal following will give you this. Never lose those valuable brand loyalists as they’re often what keeps the best companies going strong.

Read the rest of this entry »

Today, young professionals can advance their careers better than ever before thanks to the Web. Professionals with HughesNet Internet plans, cable Internet, or any other type of Web connection have access to an online landscape that’s ripe with opportunities for improvement and advancement. The digital age has ushered in a new era where business opportunities aren’t just conducted on the phone or at the office.

If you’re aspiring to get better in your career or in your role as an entrepreneur, take advantage of these 3 major affordances of today’s Internet:

Professional Development
Getting better at your job or learning more about your industry doesn’t have to end with workplace training sessions, tutorials or guides and manuals. With the Internet, you can become an expert in your field without having to leave your couch, and without having to spend a dime. Numerous online resources offer courses in business strategy, technology, design, coding, finance and countless other subject areas related to what your professional specialty.

Check out sites like Udemy.com, Coursera.org, w3schools.com and Udacity.com for free resources that can help you become better in your role. Not only will you be able to apply your knowledge to your job and improve your work, but your team leader will probably notice, too.

Personal Branding
In today’s professional landscape, it’s important that you differentiate yourself from the thousands of other people who do what you do. It could mean the difference in you getting that next big promotion or position at a prominent firm. Social media and blogging offer opportunities to engage in personal branding and to establish your presence online and become recognized as a leading authority and expert in your field. It takes time and considerable effort, but you’ll find that your own brand equity makes you a more valuable part of the workforce.

Networking
Last but not least, the Web 2.0 landscape offers more networking opportunities than were available 15 years ago. Not only do personal branding, social media and blogging play a prominent role in how professionals reach and interact with one another, but large-scale professional networking sites like LinkedIn offer legitimate opportunities to connect with others in your field. If you’re not using the Internet for networking purposes, start today so you can take advantage of all possible opportunities.
How will you go about online professional development, personal branding and network in the future?

LinkedIn is a critical resource for networking in today’s world. Whether you’re an entrepreneur or freelancer looking for more exposure or someone looking for a new job, it’s important to have a complete LinkedIn profile and to put your best face forward. This is a critical part of your personal branding, and it’s also a great way for prospective employers or prospective customers to find you.

This article has 10 common mistakes and very helpful tips for managing your LinkedIn account.

1. Not Displaying Your Personal Photo
It all really comes down to having social media credibility or not. There are too many fake profiles on LinkedIn, so you want to show that you are real. If you have taken the time to complete your LinkedIn profile, why wouldn’t you display your photo? It just raises too many potential questions. And company logos or photos of pets obviously have no value here

2. LinkedIn Profile Headline is Not Branded Enough
See that space underneath your name? That is your “Professional” or Profile Headline. It will appear in search results next to your name, as well as next to any questions you ask or answer. It is, in essence, your elevator speech in a few words. Are you just putting your title and company name here? Don’t! This is the place where you need to appeal to anyone who finds you in a search result to reach out and look at your profile. Your Profile Headline is the single most important piece of real estate on your LinkedIn Profile, and you need to brand it as such. This really ties into personal branding as a job applicant.

Read the entire article and update your LinkedIn page today. Also, check out more LinkedIn tips from this blog.

There are many reasons to sign up with a temp agency. You might need supplemental income, you might work while you look for job, or maybe you want to get your foot in the door at a top company. Whatever your reason for signing with a temp agency, you can count on plenty of assignments to choose from once you become a member of the temp talent pool.

According to a recent Los Angeles Times article, many temp agencies report that business has been on the rise since around September of 2010 and according to the American Staffing Association, the number of temporary workers jumped 25%, to an average of 2.6 million a day, in the third quarter of 2010 compared with the same period a year earlier. One Torrance, CA staffing agency owner even stated that sales on the temporary-employment side of her business, which accounts for about 70% of her revenue, were up 8% in 2010 compared with the year before. So why all the interest in temporary workers?

Agencies that provide temporary staffing are benefiting from the fact that companies are feeling more optimistic about their short-term prospects but not confident enough to add permanent workers.

“The new reality is people have been much more resistant to bringing on permanent employees than they have been in the past because of the uncertainty of where the economy is going,” said Michael Neidle, president of Optimal Management, a San Mateo, Calif., consulting firm for small- and medium-size staffing companies.

Neidle estimated that temporary workers would make up 4% of the workforce within three years, from a low of 1.65% before the recession.

If you’re looking for an agency, visit Net-Temps.com to locate temporary staffing agencies in your area. Many staffing agencies can also help you find permanent employment.