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There comes points in our lives when many of us realize that the best job we can have is to work for ourselves. While this doesn't mean you have to give up the job search, having your own business allows you the flexibility to work for others but on your terms.

Join us at the Business Lab in Latham on Monday Tuesday or Wednesday from 3-7pm at the Manfred Learning Center at 920 Albany Shaker Road.

http://businesslab.eventbrite.com

We feel spending 30-45 minutes with us discussing your business and ideas could lead to the next big idea for you. Look forward to seeing you!

I'm currently on a "Coffee Tour" meeting with people individually in the Capital District. It's been so enjoyable meeting with people one to one to get to know each other and to make the connections stronger. Many of the people I have met I only knew previously on Facebook or LinkedIn.

Spending 30 minutes to an hour with someone new has opened up new opportunities, strengthened old ones, and made my time each day even more valuable; by just spending 30 minutes to an hour each day meeting with someone new, it has been a great exercise in diplomacy, time management and networking.

Join me on my Coffee Tour today. Email me at coffee@saratogacollege.com to schedule a meeting.

I had the unfortunate experience of seeing a Groupon go wrong at a local business. I went to purchase something with a Groupon that was good through tomorrow, and the person at the counter told me that they were no longer accepting Groupons, and that I should contact them for a refund.

Luckily for the person behind the counter, I am pretty mild-mannered in these type of situations and I made a purchase anyway. However, I could tell by the look on her face that she was expecting nothing short of a temper tantrum.

When you do a promotion for your business, be sure to make sure your business can handle the additional traffic, as well as the stress it may place it may put on your employees. From the Groupon website, there was nothing to indicate this promotion was no longer valid, nor was there any type of indication that it was going to be easy to get a refund. I've contacted customer service to see what happens from here.

I haven't had an experience like this with Groupon before, but I have heard stories like this where businesses haven't really realized the impact a promotion can have on their business, whether it is a Groupon or other special offer. Too often, the businesses look at promotions as a quick way to bring in new traffic without thinking of the effects on the people that work there. Be sure if you consider any type of promotional offer that you look at the human factor as the well.

I have given up using Facebook until June 1st because I have grown tired of the whiny, condescending tone of many people who either choose to kiss each others butt, speak in vague ways, or make comments that stir up controversy.

I call the type of comments I see lately on Facebook FDR - Facebook Displays of Regression.

If you or are your staff do any of the following, you probably are committing FDR's

- Making comments about how you are mad at "someone", but not mentioning the person by name, therefore arising suspicion in everyone.

- Making claims that you were wronged by "someone" you have done business with, but not being clear on who exactly of the many people you do business with has done you wrong, therefore arising suspicion in everyone you have done business with.

- Complaining about some government official, business, or other entity in a public forum without any basis or claim, just to participate in the complaint.

- Giving credit where credit isn't do to pander and panhandle as a sycophant to get the supposed support of someone who you think has good connections

If you want to do serious business on the internet, I suggest you avoid FDR's entirely, or risk being looked at as someone who is just a perennial malcontent.

Check out this video on YouTube:

"Apple CEO Steve Jobs is well known for his electrifying presentations. Communications coach Carmine Gallo discusses the various techniques Jobs uses to captivate and inspire his audience -- techniques that can easily be applied to your next presentation."

With all of the ways to communicate, the type of person you are as a communicator and can impact how successful you are at growing your network.

What grade would you give yourself? Let's look at the different type of networkers according to this scale...

FF - Frightened Freeloader - the FF networker meets as many people as can as much as they can, collects business cards, makes promises, yet fails to make any or many strong relationships. They often are afraid of any competitor coming in to take what limited business they have and have a scarcity mentality

DD - Doutbful Dominator - the DD networker doubts their own abilities, but finds it necessary to dominate every conversation they are involved in. They don't find time for others but always seem to dominate the circles they are in

CC - Consistent Connector - the CC understands the value of connecting, but doesn't follow up quite enough to make network effective. However, they do spend a great deal of time out in public and on the scene so people know who they are.

BB - The Brave Businessperson - the BB uses tools like LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook to find others who have unique complementary skills and abilities, and seeks contact in between network events. They reach out to competitors to establish rapport and referrals. They realize not every contact they meet is worth following up on.

AA - The Alliance Athlete - the AA does everything the BB does, but does it better. They form strategic alliances with competitors, follow through on every person they meet, subtracts contacts with those that aren't a good fit, and strengthens contacts with the core people they already have a relationship with.

Where do you fit on this spectrum? What would you add to these descriptors?

Pinterest is the newest social media site that allows you to pin pictures of items, people, and products to create links to them in a visual way.

From an HR perspective, Pinterest could be used to

1. Promote classes you are offering
2. Promote the names of the people who work for you
3. Share photos of the products or services you offer, making it easier for your people to share them with others

There are many other uses of Pinterest, but from my initial studies, it seems like a platform that would be of value to most people to explore.

For more information, visit http://www.pinterest.com

How do people know whether or not they should frequent your business? Do you have a good website? Do you advertise?

From an HR perspective, some people need to hear you in action or see you live in order to get a better feel for whether or not they will want to work with you or for you.

Tune in to an episode of Capital District Business Profiles, which debuts this coming Monday at 7:30pm (and in February will also air Wednesday mornings at 10am) to check out some of the local businesses that may be offering opportunities for doing business or potential job opportunities in the future.

On Capital District Business Profiles, we will be interviewing local business owners to find out more about their business and how they go about doing what they do.

I've spoken for years with friends about wanting to invent a concept called You're Welcome Notes. My friends have said although it sounds like a great idea, they wonder where the endless cycle of Thank You and You're Welcome will end.

"Do you have to send a Thank You card for receiving a You're Welcome note?" is one of their questions. My response is always no, that is a little tacky, but writing to your friends and customers is always a good idea if you want to keep a continuing conversation going.

I did a Google search on You're Welcome Notes this morning and all that came up was a Facebook page that someone came up with stating that "You're Welcome Notes are the greatest demonstration of the welcomeness of the other person's previous thankfulness"

I look at You're Welcome Notes as a great opportunity to keep in touch with people after the holidays have ended, or after you've received a Thank You Note.

Here's a situation where you can see how valuable a You're Welcome Note could be in a business situation...

You sell a product or service to someone and offer them a great experience. They send you a Thank You note thanking you for the great service rendered, and expressing gratitude for all that you did for them. A few days or a short time after, follow up that note with a short letter (or You're Welcome note) checking in with them on their experience, and thanking them for their appreciation of your work.

I have spent the last 4 months participating in an internship with Braathe Enterprises and Saratogacollege.com. I happened upon it while searching internship opportunities online. I don't think I could have found a better company to learn and develop my professional skills and all by accident. On a whim, I contacted Robert Braathe and so began my journey from student to intern began.

During my very first conversation with Robert, I knew that I would gain so much from his expertise and professional experience. His knowledge from running his own company and working for large corporations is invaluable and span from social media to traditional marketing techniques and far beyond. As a mentor Robert is support and pushing you to pursue and find as much information as you can. He frequently forward information, stories or websites of interest. I felt like my development was always top of mind.

The benefits of an internship with Braathe Enterprises include unlimited knowledge, weekly conference calls, real professional assignments, and access to a free online course through saratogacollege.com. Besides all the benefits listed above, I was impressed with my first assignment. I was asked to compile a list of 6 or 7 objectives I would like to explore during my internship. It's unusual to be able to almost dictate the content and direction. I was almost curious in a way to see what and how my list would play into my 4-months. And sure enough we went through each and every item on my list and I had the chance to explore, ask questions, and complete an assign with real-world application. I wasn't forced to fit into a mold and go through the motions....I learned about things I was interested in knowing. That for me made all the difference.

Saratogacollege.com added a unique element to my internship. I was able to have access to an online course at no charge to me. I also had access to a free online textbook. I was able to locate in formation at anytime and to challenge myself with the course work. We all know how expensive college course can be, what a fantastic benefit to have provided to me. I am grateful for the opportunity to take an additional class.

This on my very last day as an intern find myself elated to have completed an internship in a professional arena and be successful, and even more grateful for the opportunity. I very much look forward to taking the skills and knowledge I attained while interning with Braathe Enterprises and Saratogacollege.com and applying it to my next journey.