Work online
Package Yourself Professionally As A Home Business Owner by Laurie HayesWe all have our own tastes, styles and preferences when it comes to how we dress, style our hair, even what we drive, and one of the great things about running a business from the comfort of home is that we can be exactly who we are with no need to impress anyone.
Like you, I have personal preferences. I love the fact that I can work in my PJ's during the early hours of the day while I coach overseas clients, and comfortable gym clothes or shorts and a T-shirt during the day.
It's great that working from home gives us this freedom to dress as we choose, but it's also important to recognize that this is where it stays - at home.
When you're out in the community or meeting with clients or prospects, put your personal preferences aside and shift your thinking to image management.
Whether it's fair or not, image is critical. How someone perceives you is going to determine whether or not they will do business with you.
Psychologists have learned that most people will form an impression of you in the first four minutes and that 80 percent of that impression is based on nonverbal data.
What you say has very little impact compared to your visual appearance.
Just like changing packaging for a product can mean the difference between boom or bust, the same can be applied to your physical packaging.
When I met my accountant for the first time, I was stunned. He came out of his office in his socks, his shirt was hanging out of his pants and he had no tie. His hair was disheveled and he looked like he had just wrestled a bear.
The first thing that may come to mind is he was having an afternoon cavort with his assistant, but he had a glass window on one side of his office and several support staff surrounding his workspace, so I gathered this was his customary work attire.
Most of what he said to me traveled in one ear and out the other because I was too busy trying to tame the battle going on in my head ...
"If he cares that little about his appearance and is that sloppy in his own business, why would he be any different with my finances?"
"Laurie, your colleague recommended him and said he did good work, that's got to count for something."
This internal battle dominated our meeting and I left with a pit in my stomach.
In the months that followed, I stayed on top of him like a wild dog on a slab of meat. I didn't trust his judgment or quality of work. I watched every entry he made like a hawk and double-checked everything he did.
I eventually brought the relationship to an end and transferred my business to another accountant.
Maybe it was shallow and terribly unfair, but the fact remains - appearance does have a major impact on business relationships.
I couldn't get past my first impression or the subsequent impressions as I continued to visit his office, and if I didn't call and ask for something, or put a deadline on it, I don't know if it would have been done.
His poor professional image translated to substandard performance and unfortunately, the two are often connected, and that's where our perceptions and judgments come into play.
An eternal truth in business is, you will succeed based on what is, not on what it should be.
Physical appearance and its impact on business success has been tested and measured and you can try it out for yourself to demonstrate.
One day, dress casual for meeting prospects and arrive in your aging pick-up truck. The next day, wear a business suit and complement it with accessories like a good quality pen, briefcase and your newer model car.
You'll notice a remarkable difference in the results you produce.
You'll also notice that you're treated with more respect, courtesy and receive much better service and response than you are when dressed in your "at home" business clothes.
The importance of personal packaging is a fact of business life. It may seem unfair or superficial, but the fact remains - to resist, deny or ignore it would be disastrous to your success.
Take a few moments to reflect on how you're presenting yourself to the world. Is there room for improvement? If so, make a change and test it. I'm certain you'll be impressed by the results.
2006 � Laurie Hayes - The HBB Source
About the Author
Laurie Hayes, founder and Director of The HBB Source� helps government and corporate employees break free of their jobs to live their dream of running a home-based business. Subscribe to her FREE e-zine for valuable tips and resources designed to create business success, at http://www.thehbbsource.com -
XM Radio�s latest receiver can be moved between vehicles without bringing a professional installer into the picture.
This Player Doesn�t Mind a Child�s Persistent Request
The Kid-Tough FP3 Player from Fisher-Price puts music and stories at children�s fingertips.
Small Business: Playing Matchmaker for Technology, With a Twist
The Utek Corporation is a technology transfer company that will take its payment only in shares of stock.
Google Profit Surges on Strong Search Advertising
Google said it continued to develop technology that increases the revenue it earns from each search, while Yahoo reported lower-than-expected revenue.
New Products Enliven Nokia; Profit Up 43%
The biggest increase in more than three years was attributed to growth in China and India, and sales of more expensive handsets in Europe.
Data Entry Job Resources Type at home Review! by Brian James What they offer: - A Bullitproof Step By Step Guide on how to start making money today. - How to make thousands of dollars from Clickbank and Google Adsense. - How to earn a dollar or more from every person that comes to your web site. - Free Updates for Life. - Unlimited email support If you join before 15th, 2006 you will get Unlimited VIP Package and get these things also all for FREE: * Data Entry Job Listings (Normally $49) * Make Money on Autopilot Every Day (Normally $59) * Profitable eBay Business that Runs Itself (Normally $69) Our Opinion: This website has been online for few years and is just great, the owner Billy Briggs has been for last eight years mastering the art of making money online. This program clearly shows his experience, he has stablicced to pack all is knowledge into an easy-to-follow system that is open to everyone. His system includes everything you need to know, and everything you need to do, to be come very successful in this field. If you buy this system I recommend you to get the VIP Packed but when this review is written the VIP packed was on a linited time offer $49. With the VIP packed you get three very good programs that are worth having a look at: Data Entry Jobs Listings were you can chose between doing Data Entry, Transcription, Answer Calls, or whatever else you like all from the comfort of your home. Over 200 Paid for Your Opinion Surveys, you get access to continually updated lists of only the best Paid Surveys. Advanced Money Making Secrets, a great info on how the Internet can make you an obscene amount of money. In the Advanced Secrets section you will learn how to make money using affiliate programs like CJ, Linkshare & Clickbank, Pay Per Click search engines like Google, Yahoo, Miva etc. You learn how to make your own website and how to send TON of free traffic to your website. The info users get when joining is very good, and getting this all for only $49 is a joke. You could spend over $200 on books and not get close to this Info. In my Opinion Type At Home is more then worth the try, it's worth quitting your job because you have a better one now! About the Author Brian James is one off the reviewers at MoneyOnlineReviews.com. Work From Home Reviews - http://www.moneyonlinereviews.com More Resources
SPB Jobs & Employment Information The Jobs Page GETTING STARTED EXAMS / EMAIL / eNOTIFY WORKING FOR CALIFORNIA EMPLOYMENT APP / FORMS SPECIAL RECRUITMENT SPECIAL PROGRAMS OTHER DEPARTMENTS OTHER JOBS PAGES ... SPB Home Page Employment Home Page Non State Employees ... Passed a State Exam Other Employment Information Current and Former State Employees ...
Tampa Bay Jobs Careerseeker on TBO.com, Tampa Bay Online.
Tampa Bay's source for employment help and jobs. Find a job, post a resume, find help or a dream career in Tampa Bay: Hillsborough, Polk, Pinellas county.
Occupational Employment Statistics Home Page
U.S. Department of Labor. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Occupational Employment Statistics. The Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) program produces employment and wage estimates for over 800 occupations.
Employment Services at Oregon State University
Office of Human Resources, Oregon State University ... OSU Home "Human Resources " Employment Services. Employment Services. Phone: 541-737-0549 ...
Employment - About AnchorBank
Learn about employment positions available at AnchorBank offices ... Equal Employment Opportunity Policy It is the policy of AnchorBank, and its affiliates, to provide equal employment opportunities to all applicants and employees ... In The News
If Miami Ink has taught America anything, it's that tattoos are works of art etched upon a living, breathing canvas. Local tattoo artist Jon Lew has taken the concept of flash in a slightly different direction with Outfit & Opinion , his solo show that opens tonight at custom screen-printing shop IndyInk, 84 South Broadway.
A lesson in finance: Teachers sell their work online
WASHINGTON An award-winning teacher in New Mexico says a new online market for his lessons may mean he'll "get to go out to eat" an extra night a month. A New York...
Alarm over 'fake' sales on TradeMe
Professional photographers concerned about copyright breaches want internet auction site TradeMe to get tough on people selling illegal copies of their work online.
Teachers Are Selling Study Guides Online
A Lesson in Finance: Teachers Sell Their Work Online to Other Teachers
Destined 2 Be Fit Launches Fitness DVD and Unique Weight Loss Program
Destined 2 Be Fit, co-founded by certified personal trainers Diana Chaloux and Jonathan Uphoff, has recently released "Fitness Deadlines,” a closed-captioned strength training fitness DVD. Along with the DVD, D2BFit is offering the unique opportunity for exercisers to develop an online client/trainer relationship with Chaloux and Uphoff. Clients will have the option to sign up for
Virtual School Provides Alternative To Home School
Starting this fall, some Chicago kids will be able to go to school without leaving home. CBS 2s Joanie Lum reports on the citys new virtual school, one that will meet online most of the time.
<< Home