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Choose To Be Happy

How to Differentiate Your Business From the Competition

1. Learn From Your Competitors

You might have to resist the urge to fight your competition. While in some instances you might find waging war against a competitor is a necessary evil, there is often much that can be learned from our enemies. Using your competitors as resources (especially if they are doing more business than you), can help you figure out what they are doing right, and in some instances, what they are doing wrong. This can help you to come up with ways to differentiate yourself from them.

2. Research

It may be that you don’t have that many competitors in your business’s vicinity from which you can glean information. It might therefore be a good idea to do some research on the Internet, trade shows, seminars and yes, maybe even the local library, to help you obtain facts and market information about your particular market vertical. This could help you come up with ideas as to how you can establish a particular niche that’s different from the competition.

3. A Distinct Advantage

Sometimes differentiating your business is as easy as offering one distinct advantage over the competition. Whether this advantage is discounted pricing, faster delivery time, higher quality products or services, or some other unique offering, it may mean the difference between standing out from the crowd and being lost in it.

4. Above and Beyond

Going above and beyond when it comes to customer service could provide you with a distinct advantage over the competition. Great service, whether it’s during a transaction or when correcting an issue, may mean that your customers are more likely to remember your business. There is also typically a customer base out there that would rather pay a little extra for a product or service in order to get the best of whatever is being offered, and this can be a great way not only to make more money for your business but to build and retain a strong customer base.

5. Experience

You and your business’s experience or expertise could be what sets you apart from your competition. Having extensive experience within a field can provide customers with a sense of relief and well-being. It’s like an advertisement saying, “We’ve been around for a long time, and it’s not just because of our good looks. We know what we’re doing here and aren’t some fly-by-night operation.”

6. Ask Questions

Asking customers what you and your business can do better, whether simply by conversing with them or by using comment cards or surveys, can help you find out what you are or aren’t doing to set yourself apart from the competition. This can also be a great way to make your customers feel involved in your operation and let them know that you are open to their input and willing to improve your service to them.

7. Listen and Take Action

Asking questions can be a great way to get a leg up on the competition, but you won’t necessarily get the competitive edge that you’re seeking simply by asking customers what they want. You must also listen to what they are saying and take action.

Many businesses will say that they are listening to your input or tell you what you want to hear, only to continue to do things the way they always have. A good business will listen to what their customers want and center their operations around those needs.

8. Know What You Do Best

Knowing what you and your operation do best can be critical to differentiating yourself from the competition. Some businesses try to incorporate many different aspects into their operations, only to discover that they can do them all but not do any of them exceedingly well. A good business owner however, often realizes what it is that his business does particularly well and focuses upon doing that better than anyone else.

Ratan Tata finally breaks his silence on 2G scam

Ratan Tata finally breaks his silence on 2G scam

2G spectrum scam: Nira Radia questioned

Latest Apple iOS a Winner for Most Users

After releasing two golden masters in preceding weeks that turned out to be false starts, Apple made iOS 4.2.1 available on Nov. 22, and the update to the company's mobile operating system is showing itself to be a must-have upgrade for the iPhone and iPod Touch, and that goes double for the iPad. It brings the capabilities and the user experience of the iPad up to a level of functionality that iPhone users have had in their hands for five months, and on both platforms, it showcases Apple's latest advancement of the art of mobile computing.

The new release of iOS includes the AirPrint wireless printing feature that initially will be available to few users as well as media streaming features under the name of AirPlay, which will be useful for a broader range of iOS device users. Apple also gave users an early Christmas present in the form of free use of the Find My iPhone application for the iPad, iPhone 4 and fourth-generation iPod Touch. The Find My iPhone app, which is available for purchase by users of older iOS devices, will locate a device on a map and allow the user to remotely display a message on it, play a sound, lock the device or wipe it if the device is beyond physical recovery.

Installing iOS requires that the device—which can be an iPad, an iPhone 3G or later, or recent models of iPod Touch—be synced with a computer running iTunes 10.1; the download and installation time will vary for users, but one can plan on it taking a half-hour to an hour, or perhaps longer on slower links.

This release marks the first time that iPad users have had access to the core iOS 4 features. Those include multitasking—the application's state is saved, but alerts and notifications can be passed to the user—a wider range of enterprise-grade device management and security technologies such as Cisco's AnyConnect VPN client, and much broader language support, adding 25 additional languages, including Korean, Portuguese and Traditional Chinese.

So many of these features fit the category of "at last," but the quasi-multitasking will dwarf the others in importance for all but the most controlled corporate deployments. Other features—such as folder-based application organization, the Game Center, TV episode rental, text search on Web pages displayed in Safari and the unified inbox with threaded message view—will be valuable to a shifting range of users, depending on their interests and the way they use their devices.

Perhaps the only disappointment I have with iOS 4.2.1 is that Apple chose to pull some of AirPrint's functions at the last minute, by removing the ability to print to a shared printer on a Mac running the very latest update to Mac OS X, release 10.6.5, or to a Windows PC running iTunes. Currently, a handful of newer models of HP inkjet and laser printers work with AirPrint, but device manufacturers are catching up in a hurry. For example, the day after iOS 4.2.1 became available, Electronics For Imaging announced the release of PrintMe Connect, allowing iOS devices to print directly to EFI's Fiery printers and multifunction peripherals, although as of Nov. 24, the page for the printer software download featured a form requesting notification upon the software's public release. More adventurous users will find details at Websites of varying trustworthiness on how to activate the parts of AirPrint that are embedded in Mac OS X 10.6.5, if they wish.

This release of iOS is a must-have-now for iPad users, who will finally be able to take advantage of Apple's latest mobile OS; users of the iPhone 4 and 3GS can expect a positive user experience as well from the 4.2.1 update. Although the last-minute restriction on AirPrint's usefulness is disappointing, there might be a silver lining to that cloud: Printer manufacturers would love to have an excuse to sell a few more printers between now and the end of the year.

30 Fascinating Facebook Facts To Tell Your Friends

here is your chance.

1. Al Pacino’s face was on the original Facebook homepage
2. One early Facebook function was a file sharing service
3. The first “Work Networks” as well as the original educational networks  included Apple and Microsoft
4. The meaning of the term poke has never been defined
5. The average Facebook user has 130 friends
6. There is an ‘App’ to see what’s on the Facebook cafe menu
7. Mark Zuckerburg (CEO of Facebook) calls himself a “Harvard Graduate” when in fact he didn’t graduate (apparently his reply is that “there isn’t a setting for dropout”)
8. California is huge on Facebook with over 15 million users (41% of the population)
9. Australian’s spend more time per month on Facebook than any other country at over 7 hours on average
10. A Facebook employee hoodie sold for $4,000 on eBay
11. Facebook has over 500 million users
12. Facebook has added over 400 million users in less than 2 years
13. If  Facebook were a country it would be the 3rd largest
14. Facebook was initially bank-rolled by Peter Thiel the co-founder of PayPal for $500,000
15. Facebook was almost shut down by a lawsuit by ConnectU who claimed that Zuckerburg stole the idea and Technology for Facebook (the issue was settled out of court)
16. 50% of users are on the site every day
17. 70% of users live outside the USA
18. Facebook is available in 70 different languages
19. It is the second biggest website by traffic behind Google
20. Yahoo offered Facebook $1 billion which Mark Zuckerburg refused
21. Facebook is now valued between $7.9 – $11 billion
22. Most Popular Facebook page is Michael Jackson (Simpsons is second)
23. Monthly time spent on Facebook is 8.3 billion hours
24. Total number of  of active applications: 550,000 plus and growing daily
25. Women aged 55 and up are the fastest growing Facebook demographic in the USA
26. Facebook makes money through advertising  and virtual products
27. This year Facebook is  on track to generate sales of over $1 billion
28. In Australia court notices can be served through Facebook
29. A Facebook court summons in Australia is considered legally binding
30. Facebook has become so popular psychologists identified a new mental health disorder “Facebook Addiction Disorder”

Awesome Quote for awesome ppl...

• Sir James Barrie
  If you cannot teach me to fly, teach me to sing.
  
• Jerry Seinfeld.
  It's amazing that the amount of news that happens in the world everyday always just exactly fits the newspaper.
  
• Ruth E. Renkel
  Never fear shadows. They simply mean there's a light shining somewhere nearby.
  
• Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.
  Man's mind, once stretched by a new idea, never regains its original dimensions.
  
• Will Rogers
  Everything is funny as long as it is happening to somebody else.
  
• George Burns
  No snowflake in an avalanche ever feels responsible.
  
• Benjamin Franklin
  A man wrapped up in himself makes a very small bundle.

Essential Practices for Leaders

Management's Little Black Dress: Essential Practices for Leaders

Top GD Tips : GROUP--DISCUSSION General Interview Tips And Tricks

DO's For a GD :-

1. SPEAK - very important

2. Be a good listener

3. Address the whole group,not a single person

4. Initiate & Begin - BUT only if u have a good point

5. Utilize the lull - speak when others r quite

6. Be Involved

7. BE Coherent

DON'Ts For a GD :

1. Don't be INERT

2. Don't be too AGGRESSIVE either

3. Avoid one to one discussions

4. Don't Rush

5. Avoid Hindi

6. Don't Interrupt Abruptly - to calm down say

    " you are right..............but I Think ..........."

 GD - Points Marked on :

1. Audibility : Communication skills , Sell urself

2. Analysis : supported by facts & examples

3. Content : Obtain by good reading

4. Team Work

5.Demeanor : Body Language counts,

                          don't  sit  cross-legged

6. Leadership : People should listen and agree to u

 Necessity of a GD:-

1. Clarity of thoughts.

2. Team spirit.

3. Listening skill.

Points to be remembered for a good GD.

1. Body language.

2. Thinking a few minutes before starting of a GD.

3. Don't feel anyone is better than you.

4. Don't mix your personal emotions in GD.

5. continues with your ideas. Don't let it down when any body try to stop in chaos period.

6. Select a different point of view; stronger one that attracts other eyes and idea.

7. Never blame anyone there. Don't talk to one person talk to all of them so that there is a pleasing atmosphere.

8. Lend your ears to every one's point of view and timely attack them considering all.

9. Don't look at conductors.

10.  Speak slowly and confidently.

11. Tell a lie confidently but some relevant data so that you could not be caught.

12. Never contradict yourself.

13. Always support the IIMA guy; may be that is you.

14. What ever is the topic don't leave fighting; something about that you always know.

15. Never conclude the topic, until it is asked to do so.

16. Fight for speaking, snatch chances.

17. Be precise and have a strong point to speak.

Resume writing tips

Having a solid and effective resume can greatly improve your chances of landing that dream job. That is beyond discussion. How does one make sure that his resume is top notch and bullet proof, however? There are several websites with tips around the web, but most bring just a handful of them. We wanted to put them all together in a single place, and that is what you will find below: 44 resume writing tips.

1. Know the purpose of your resume

Some people write a resume as if the purpose of the document was to land a job. As a result they end up with a really long and boring piece that makes them look like desperate job hunters. The objective of your resume is to land an interview, and the interview will land you the job (hopefully!).

2. Back up your qualities and strengths

Instead of creating a long (and boring) list with all your qualities (e.g., disciplined, creative, problem solver) try to connect them with real life and work experiences. In other words, you need to back these qualities and strengths up, else it will appear that you are just trying to inflate things.

3. Make sure to use the right keywords

Most companies (even smaller ones) are already using digital databases to search for candidates. This means that the HR department will run search queries based on specific keywords. Guess what, if your resume doesn’t have the keywords related to the job you are applying for, you will be out even before the game starts.

These keywords will usually be nouns. Check the job description and related job ads for a clue on what the employer might be looking for. You can read more about resume keywords on the article Tapping the Power of Keywords to Enhance Your Resume’s Effectiveness.

4. Use effective titles

Like it or not, employers will usually make a judgment about your resume in 5 seconds. Under this time frame the most important aspect will be the titles that you listed on the resume, so make sure they grab the attention. Try to be as descriptive as possible, giving the employer a good idea about the nature of your past work experiences. For example:

Bad title: Accounting
Good title: Management of A/R and A/P and Recordkeeping

5. Proofread it twice

It would be difficult to emphasize the importance of proofreading your resume. One small typo and your chances of getting hired could slip. Proofreading it once is not enough, so do it twice, three times or as many as necessary. If you don’t know how to proofread effectively, here are 8 tips that you can use.

6. Use bullet points

No employer will have the time (or patience) to read long paragraphs of text. Make sure, therefore, to use bullet points and short sentences to describe your experiences, educational background and professional objectives.

7. Where are you going?

Including professional goals can help you by giving employers an idea of where you are going, and how you want to arrive there. You don’t need to have a special section devoted to your professional objectives, but overall the resume must communicate it. The question of whether or not to highlight your career objectives on the resume is a polemic one among HR managers, so go with your feeling. If you decide to list them, make sure they are not generic.

8. Put the most important information first

This point is valid both to the overall order of your resume, as well as to the individual sections. Most of the times your previous work experience will be the most important part of the resume, so put it at the top. When describing your experiences or skills, list the most important ones first.

9. Attention to the typography

First of all make sure that your fonts are big enough. The smaller you should go is 11 points, but 12 is probably safer. Do not use capital letters all over the place, remember that your goal is to communicate a message as fast and as clearly as possible. Arial and Times are good choices.

10. Do not include “no kidding” information

There are many people that like to include statements like “Available for interview” or “References available upon request.” If you are sending a resume to a company, it should be a given that you are available for an interview and that you will provide references if requested. Just avoid items that will make the employer think “no kidding!”

11. Explain the benefits of your skills

Merely stating that you can do something will not catch the attention of the employer. If you manage to explain how it will benefit his company, and to connect it to tangible results, then you will greatly improve your chances.

12. Avoid negativity

Do not include information that might sound negative in the eyes of the employer. This is valid both to your resume and to interviews. You don’t need to include, for instance, things that you hated about your last company.

13. Achievements instead of responsibilities

Resumes that include a long list of “responsibilities included…” are plain boring, and not efficient in selling yourself. Instead of listing responsibilities, therefore, describe your professional achievements.

14. No pictures

Sure, we know that you are good looking, but unless you are applying for a job where the physical traits are very important (e.g., modeling, acting and so on), and unless the employer specifically requested it, you should avoid attaching your picture to the resume.

15. Use numbers

This tip is a complement to the 13th one. If you are going to describe your past professional achievements, it would be a good idea to make them as solid as possible. Numbers are your friends here. Don’t merely mention that you increased the annual revenues of your division, say that you increased them by $100,000, by 78%, and so on.

16. One resume for each employer

One of the most common mistakes that people make is to create a standard resume and send it to all the job openings that they can find. Sure it will save you time, but it will also greatly decrease the chances of landing an interview (so in reality it could even represent a waste of time). Tailor your resume for each employer. The same point applies to your cover letters.

17. Identify the problems of the employer

A good starting point to tailor your resume for a specific employer is to identify what possible problems he might have at hand. Try to understand the market of the company you are applying for a job, and identify what kind of difficulties they might be going through. After that illustrate on your resume how you and your skills would help to solve those problems.

18. Avoid age discrimination

It is illegal to discriminate people because of their age, but some employers do these considerations nonetheless. Why risk the trouble? Unless specifically requested, do not include your age on your resume.

19. You don’t need to list all your work experiences

If you have job experiences that you are not proud of, or that are not relevant to the current opportunity, you should just omit them. Mentioning that you used to sell hamburgers when you were 17 is probably not going to help you land that executive position.

20. Go with what you got

If you never had any real working experience, just include your summer jobs or volunteer work. If you don’t have a degree yet, mention the title and the estimated date for completion. As long as those points are relevant to the job in question, it does not matter if they are official or not.

21. Sell your fish

Remember that you are trying to sell yourself. As long as you don’t go over the edge, all the marketing efforts that you can put in your resume (in its content, design, delivery method and so on) will give you an advantage over the other candidates.

22. Don’t include irrelevant information

Irrelevant information such as political affiliation, religion and sexual preference will not help you. In fact it might even hurt your chances of landing an interview. Just skip it.

23. Use Mr. and Ms. if appropriate

If you have a gender neutral name like Alex or Ryan make sure to include the Mr. or Ms. prefix, so that employers will not get confused about your gender.

24. No lies, please

Seems like a no brainer, but you would be amused to discover the amount of people that lie in their resumes. Even small lies should be avoided. Apart from being wrong, most HR departments do background checks these days, and if you are buster it might ruin your credibility for good.

25. Keep the salary in mind

The image you will create with your resume must match the salary and responsibility level that you are aiming for.

26. Analyze job ads

You will find plenty of useful information on job ads. Analyze no only the ad that you will be applying for, but also those from companies on the same segment or offering related positions. You should be able to identify what profile they are looking for and how the information should be presented.

27. Get someone else to review your resume

Even if you think you resume is looking kinky, it would be a good idea to get a second and third opinion about it. We usually become blind to our own mistakes or way of reasoning, so another people will be in a good position to evaluate the overall quality of your resume and make appropriate suggestions.

28. One or two pages

The ideal length for a resume is a polemic subject. Most employers and recruiting specialists, however, say that it should contain one or two pages at maximum. Just keep in mind that, provided all the necessary information is there, the shorter your resume, the better.

29. Use action verbs

A very common advice to job seekers is to use action verbs. But what are they? Action verbs are basically verbs that will get noticed more easily, and that will clearly communicate what your experience or achievement were. Examples include managed, coached, enforced and planned. Here you can find a complete list ofaction verbs divided by skill category.

30. Use a good printer

If you are going to use a paper version of your resume, make sure to use a decent printer. Laser printers usually get the job done. Plain white paper is the preferred one as well.

31. No hobbies

Unless you are 100% sure that some of your hobbies will support you candidacy, avoid mentioning them. I know you are proud of your swimming team, but share it with your friends and not with potential employers.

32. Update your resume regularly

It is a good idea to update your resume on a regular basis. Add all the new information that you think is relevant, as well as courses, training programs and other academic qualifications that you might receive along the way. This is the best way to keep track of everything and to make sure that you will not end up sending an obsolete document to the employer.

33. Mention who you worked with

If you have reported or worked with someone that is well known in your industry, it could be a good idea to mention it on the resume. The same thing applies to presidents and CEOs. If you reported to or worked directly with highly ranked executives, add it to the resume.

34. No scattered information

Your resume must have a clear focus. If would cause a negative impression if you mentioned that one year you were studying drama, and the next you were working as an accountant. Make sure that all the information you will include will work towards a unified image. Employers like decided people.

35. Make the design flow with white space

Do not jam your resume with text. Sure we said that you should make your resume as short and concise as possible, but that refers to the overall amount of information and not to how much text you can pack in a single sheet of paper. White space between the words, lines and paragraphs can improve the legibility of your resume.

36. Lists all your positions

If you have worked a long time for the same company (over 10 years) it could be a good idea to list all the different positions and roles that you had during this time separately. You probably had different responsibilities and developed different skills on each role, so the employer will like to know it.

37. No jargon or slang

It should be common sense, but believe me, it is not. Slang should never be present in a resume. As for technical jargon, do not assume that the employer will know what you are talking about. Even if you are sending your resume to a company in the same segment, the person who will read it for the first time might not have any technical expertise.

38. Careful with sample resume templates

There are many websites that offer free resume templates. While they can help you to get an idea of what you are looking for, do not just copy and paste one of the most used ones. You certainly don’t want to look just like any other candidate, do you?

39. Create an email proof formatting

It is very likely that you will end up sending your resume via email to most companies. Apart from having a Word document ready to go as an attachment, you should also have a text version of your resume that does not look disfigured in the body of the email or in online forms. Attachments might get blocked by spam filters, and many people just prefer having the resume on the body of the email itself.

40. Remove your older work experiences

If you have been working for 20 years or more, there is no need to have 2 pages of your resume listing all your work experiences, starting with the job at the local coffee shop at the age of 17! Most experts agree that the last 15 years of your career are enough.

41. No fancy design details

Do not use a colored background, fancy fonts or images on your resume. Sure, you might think that the little flowers will cheer up the document, but other people might just throw it away at the sight.

42. No pronouns

You resume should not contain the pronouns “I” or “me.” That is how we normally structure sentences, but since your resume is a document about your person, using these pronouns is actually redundant.

43. Don’t forget the basics

The first thing on your resume should be your name. It should be bold and with a larger font than the rest of the text. Make sure that your contact details are clearly listed. Secondly, both the name and contact details should be included on all the pages of the resume (if you have more than one).

44. Consider getting professional help

If you are having a hard time to create your resume, or if you are receiving no response whatsoever from companies, you could consider hiring a professional resume writing service. There are both local and online options are available, and usually the investment will be worth the money.