Category: Professional & Personal

Preparing for a business meeting is crucial to ensure that you are ready to deliver your best performance. Preparing means that you have practiced, brainstormed, planned and are ready to be the best you can be. So, here are some things that you should keep in mind before your next business meeting.

Prepare for the meeting

Before you go to the meeting, have a good understanding of what is expected from you. Know the agenda and ensure that you are ready for it. In addition, ask questions so that your team can also know their role in the meeting. Have all necessary documents ready including any presentation materials as well as the questions you want to ask. Have a pen and paper ready so that you can take notes during the meeting.

Prepare for the post-meeting

After your meeting, prepare your presentation or any other materials that you need to share with your team. This will help ensure that you are not repeating yourself and ensure that your team members know what you want them to do. Ensure that the information is organized and clear, with no confusion. In addition to preparing materials for a meeting, prepare some materials for follow up meetings as well. This will help ensure that you are not repeating yourself and also help to avoid confusion.

Rest well and prepare well before the meeting

Before you go to the meeting, ensure that you are well rested. This will help you perform at your best and be more productive during the meeting. In addition, prepare for a good night’s sleep before going to bed so that your brain is fresh when it comes time for the meeting. Ensure that you are well hydrated before the meeting as well.

Be confident in your skills and capabilities

Remember that people will notice when you are nervous or unsure of yourself. This can lead to them judging you negatively, which is not what you want at all. So, ensure that you are confident in your skills and capabilities. This will help you perform at your best during the meeting.

List questions to be asked during the meeting

During the meeting, ensure that you have prepared a list of questions in advance so that you do not feel lost or confused when it comes time to ask your questions. This will help to prevent any confusion or negative feelings that can arise.

Get all questions answered before the meeting

Before the meeting, ensure that you have all of your questions answered so that you do not feel lost or confused. This will help to prevent any confusion or any negative feelings that can arise.

Ignore distractions and stay focused

If you are feeling overwhelmed by all of the information being presented, ensure that you stay focused on what is going on in front of you during the meeting. This will help you to stay in the present moment and avoid getting distracted by things that are not related to the meeting.

Summary

At last ensure that you are prepared for the meeting by doing all of the above steps. This will help to ensure that you do not experience any negative feelings or confusion during the meeting. Also, remember that you are a professional and this is not the time to lose your cool.

Customer service is typically a company’s first line of defense when it comes to dealing with customer inquiries. This includes answering basic questions and solving smaller problems for customers who have already made a purchase. On the other hand, support is more in-depth and typically reserved for those customers that need help after they have made purchases or are experiencing difficulties using their products.

It is important to know the difference between customer service and support in order to provide the best experience possible for customers.

What is Customer Service?

Customer service is there to help new or returning customers with questions they may have about a product, and can also include resolving minor issues that may arise when using it. This type of interaction usually happens over the phone or through email messages.

Responsibilities of Customer Service

Customer service agents are there to conduct and delight customers at every step of the customer’s lifestyle. Their main responsibility is to solve customer problems and answer questions they have related to the company’s products or services. Customer service agents are usually responsible for building trust with customers by providing friendly, fast, responsive, and efficient service because this will make them loyal customers in the future when they need more help from your business. Here are some customer activities are given below:

Providing the customer with assistance, information, or advice in order to answer questions

Responding and assisting customers in taking the appropriate steps for making a purchase

Interacting with customers across various channels such as email, phone calls, chat logs, etc.

Handling complaints and queries related to their product or service

What is Customer Support?

Customer support helps existing customers resolve major problems by acting as an “expert” on your products. These interactions happen most often via online chat sessions where you are connected live with someone who will walk them through their issue step-by-step until everything is resolved.

Activities of Customer Support

Support agents are there to provide quick and accurate answers to customer questions, troubleshoot technical problems, and provide a level of support that is unmatched by other channels.

Customer support agents can be generalists with an understanding of the variety of products in their company’s portfolio or product specialists who are experts on particular products or types of customers. Some common customer activities are:

Troubleshooting technical problems

Providing a level of support that is unmatched by other channels

Advising customers on the most appropriate product for their needs

Helping improve customer experience with company products and services

Conclusion It can be said that customer support and service are closely related but even distinct. Customer service deals with the entire customer experience and engages customers to help them have a wonderful experience and solve their problems. Customer support deals with solving technical or service-related issues for customers when they are accessing products or services from an organization.

Where you meet your friend, the manner, circumstances and processes that lead to it is very important. I strongly believe that, friends that are met in a quest to achieve a genuine desire, objective or purpose are people of substance. For instance- you went to college or the university and in pursuing a particular program, you happen to meet a course mate.

You realized later your friend has multiple strengths in the subject you’re pursuing so you got closer, sought help, assistance and guidance from him and not long you began to improve in your chosen field of study. You again realized along the line that he had some good values so you got together around him the more and he imparted your life greatly. Fortunately the friendship progressed steadily and continued even after school and you kept on going in life. This is a good friend and all efforts must be geared towards maintaining the companionship.

Making Friends

People also meet at social gatherings such as parties, weddings, and funerals and at the clubhouse. I would emphasize here that; one must be wary in making friends on such occasions and at such places because of the mood and atmosphere that prevails at the time. Those are programs of merrymaking and fun except for funerals that attract the mood of sadness and sorrowfulness. During parties and weddings, the mood of fun, happiness and love clouds the real attitudes of people you meet.

People look for marriage partners at such functions and the ecstatic and hilarious atmosphere, smiles and joy on the faces of people, may deceive you of the true characters of the friends they make. Don’t get me wrong, you may meet corporate and career people who often have good values and may engage you briefly in such conversation but my point is, the discussions that dominate such occasions are mostly love and affection and you may scarcely finish your talk before you’re interrupted with one item or another. So I advise from experience that, you take time off the program and really aim at knowing the person very well. Such friendships may last or not. That you must bear in mind, see details.

Death Spirit

Death spirit hovers during funerals and all manner of spirits. I therefore advise that, if you don’t already know the person before you met at the wake keeping or burial service, you keep mute, observe the ceremony and go back home peacefully. You may not get anybody to engage in fruitful chat at such moments because people are mourning, disturbed and heart ached of the death situation especially if it was one of tragic. Beware of the people you even shake hands with because your enemy may get you that day.

Dealing with people on a regular basis. Most are easy to deal with. But some times you get those that really get to you. I have been working in a deli for about 2 1/2 years. It is a very fast paced job. I haven’t worked for years then landed a temp job for a department store. That was just seasonal. When that job was over, I applied for other work. Got a call for interview a week later. At first i was a lost sole. There was so many things to learn and do. But most of it was taking care of the customers. People have a preference to what they like, and sometimes they can be very choosy. If any one knows what a deli is like on weekends, how busy it is, then they know where I’m coming from. I had training for 1 week to learn how to slice meats and cheeses. My probation was 30 days. 2 weeks into the job i cut my right middle finger. I didn’t know I did until I felt the pain a few seconds later. Then the blood!! It wouldn’t stop bleeding for nearly an hour. I had to go see the Store Director to tell him what happened. I said it was an accident. He said ‘THERE ARE NO ACCIDENTS’. What happened was I was slicing some Vienna corned beef when it started to slide off the slicer, out of natural instinct, I grabbed for it. BAD MOVE! well, I had gotten 3 days off to heal, added on to my 2 days off already. I had cut myself a few times since but just from cleaning the slicer. It’s a pain you don’t forget.

I was living with my mother for a brief period looking for work, so I started working by her house. I had transfered to where I live now and work. Been at this store going on 2 years this July. I work with some nice people (most of the time). We have 3 men working with us at the moment. Sometimes you lose workers due to attendance or quitting. If you can’t handle the heat get out of the Kitchen! Once and a while you get someone new that makes you laugh. We have fun at times working. Some of the conversations are out of this world. If you cant relax in your work environment, you cant make the job easy. There is a lot of stress associated with the work. People think you just slice all day.Let me tell you, thats nonsense. I been working mainly the evening hours, closing. We have 2 fryers, 2 ovens, chicken warmer, Rotisserie warmer, 3 slicers, not counting the meats, cheeses, salads, phone orders, dishes, floors and so forth. We try to get things done in a timely matter, but sometimes you get behind the eight ball. When your shorthanded, it can be a bit much. I would come home exhausted from there. In the first year and a half, I would go home and nap. Now I go home weary and hurting. A lot of walking is involved so the legs don’t always hold up. Not counting the bruises, burns, cuts, tripping over things, wet floor.

I have some stories to tell, but will have to save that for another time.

If you are interested in industrial technology then consider reading this article. In this article we will discuss about the opportunities in CNC machining and how you can be a CNC machine operator. With the increase in use of CNC machines and the advancements in technology, this career field is rapidly expanding. Training and certification courses are widely available so you can learn the trade and have job security. Below you’ll learn about training, the skills you need and how you can become certified as a CNC operator.

Training

There are many online courses available to get you started with the basics of operating a CNC machine. If possible, attend a trade school where you will have hands on experience in learning how to use CNC tools and equipment.

To operate a CNC machine, you’ll need to learn the basic processes and procedures. During training, you’ll learn the functions of the machine components, how to set up the machine and how to use code groups to program the machine. You’ll study specific features of different machines and you’ll also learn how to figure the calculations.

Industries

There are many available industries you can choose from with CNC training and certification. These include tool and die shops, metal fabricating businesses, machine shops and manufacturing plants. Job titles may include:

• Tool Setter
• Operator
• Machinist
• Programmer
• Applications Engineer
• Instructor
• Service Technician

Skills and Prerequisites

The skills needed for a career in CNC machining include a good understanding of mathematics, mechanical skills and the ability to read blueprints. Computer knowledge, including basic computer programming skills, is necessary. You should also be able to solve problems with analytical thinking.

Before starting a CNC training course, you must have a high school diploma or a GED.

You may have to have transcripts from your high school or from college if you’ve previously taken any classes.

Certification

Obtaining a CNC certificate will prepare you for employment in this growing field. To receive CNC programming certification, you’ll need to attend an accredited school to receive your certificate. Many schools also offer the test online. Test questions cover what you learned in training. These include G code programming, metal cutting, mathematical equations, inspections, safety and coordinate systems.

Many machine shops offer entry level CNC machine operator training to those with a certificate. Extending your education to obtain a two-year associate degree in CNC technology will improve your chances at a better paying career.

Are you thinking of selling your home? If so, you have most likely chosen a realtor, gone over a listing price, and thought of where you want to move to once you’ve sold. But, have you considered the competition? Today, there are tons of homes on the market to choose from. Buyers can view many homes in one day, virtually seeing blocks worth of houses. Will yours get lost in the crowd or stand out amongst the rest? If possible, check out similar homes that are also on the market. Compare what they have to what you have, including listing price, square footage, bedrooms, etc. Most importantly, see how their house is displayed. Meaning, was it clean or a mess? Were you initially impressed at the set up or let down once you walked in? Now think of how you want your house to look and what you can do to get it ready to make that great first impression.

Home staging is a technique that many realtors and decorating professionals suggest when you put your house on the market. It is more than simply cleaning up or doing small repairs. Use these tips to not only save you money, but to maximize your profits by making your home be the one that gets sold. Start on the outside. Look over the front of your house and weed the garden, add inexpensive flowers or potted plants near the front door, and mow the lawn. Remember that while the realtor is getting your house key out and unlocking the front door, your potential buyers will be looking around. On the inside of your house pack away personal items, like family photos, children’s artwork off of the front of the refrigerator, and knick knacks. You aren’t trying to display your personality or show off your belongings. You want to showcase the house and its potential, not impress buyers on who you are. Replace family photos with simple cut outs from magazines of flowers or art in the same frames. Clean out your closets by packing up clothing and items you won’t need in the next few weeks to come. Box up toys and children’s items, too. Not only will this help you when it comes time to moving, since you will already have these things packed up, but it helps not limit their rooms to just “kids rooms”. Let your buyers see the full potential each area has. Wash all linens and if needed, purchase new ones- especially for the Master bedroom. Inexpensive “bed-in-a-bag” linens can transform this space.

Consider getting new curtains or drapes, and hang the curtain rod higher than the window and wider as well. This makes the window space appear larger, and by opening the blinds, it allows natural light to come through. Turn on lights and ceiling fans, eliminate any odors, and stow away any dirty laundry. Don’t forget your garage! Potential buyers look everywhere. Keeping this in mind, don’t overlook your cabinets, drawers, and pantry. Simply organize these areas by cleaning them out, turning cans and other items to face front, and align them neatly. Fold towels in the linen closet. Bathrooms can’t be clean enough! Only hang your prettiest towels on the rods, and don’t leave the damp ones hanging over the shower door. And put the toilet seat covers down! Nothing turns buyers off more than seeing bad habits.

Empty all the trash completely, even if it’s only one or two small things in there. Slip covers for your couches and furniture are not only inexpensive, but make some furniture look brand new and inviting. Maximize space by rearranging furniture if needed, or removing some pieces. Large China cabinets take up a lot of space and can be moved into storage for now. Finally, if you are having an Open House, play relaxing classical music softly throughout the home. This is an old, yet still quite popular trick that many new home builders use for their model homes. Let your realtor take over during this time, and leave the property while the Open House is going on. By the end of the day when you return, you may get the good news of receiving an offer!

Are you bi-lingual? Thinking about a career as a translator? As a seasoned translator, there are a few software programs that should be recognized and used before starting any translation job. With the increasing technology, many companies are demanding that a translator provide multiple resources in multiple formats before getting the translation job. Purchasing translation software at first can be very expensive, especially as a freelancer; however it is very important to succeed in the business. A company would not hire a landscape gardener without a rake; therefore one would not hire a translator without translation software.

One of the important key features is translation memory for any translation software. Translation memory basically takes all translated words and places them into a database for future usage. Therefore, if you translate from Japanese ‘koen ni ikemasen’ to the English equivalent ‘I can’t go to the park’ the software will save both sentences in a database. Later, if this sentence comes up again, either in the current project or later projects, the computer system will automatically translate the sentence for you. In addition, a dictionary will be created to assist in future work. By using translation memory, a translator can complete the work in about a third of the time. In addition, for ongoing projects, consistency can be kept for each project. Since translators are paid per word, the earning potential is the same while spending less time on the project.

The most important software a translator can purchase in SDL Trados. Trados is the world’s leading translation memory software. The new ‘SDL Trados 2006’ includes ‘TRADOS 7.5’, ‘SDLX 2006’ and ‘MultiTerm 7.1’. At first, this software appears to be very technical however after jumping into learning the software, it is very user friendly and can be learned within just a few days. For those of you whom are not very technical, there are online and in-person training classes that can be purchased at a low price. ‘Trados” is a wonderful tool for any translator which provides Translation Memory, Phrase Finder, Term Extraction and a Multi-term desktop. In addition, it is distinguished from other software because it can operate using any file format including: Microsoft Office 2000, Office XP and Office 2003(Word, PowerPoint and Excel), Clipboard Content, QuarkXPress 6.x, Adobe FrameMaker 7, Adobe InDesign CS (InDesign 3.x), Adobe PageMaker 6.5, Adobe Interleaf, HTML, SGML, and XML. It is also compliant with Translation Memory exchange (TMX) level 2.

Secondly, a translator can purchase “Déjà Vu” which is a translation memory software tool developed by a company called ‘Atril’. This software option also provides Translation Memory, Automatic Translation, Example-Based Machine Translation, memory database, terminology database, fuzzy match and exact match options while translating. Working through the program is much easier than ‘Trados’ however does not have an easy to use desktop. But you also need its proper attachment for good results. If you need more info related to consumer experiences, visit here: www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2021/02/01/2167607/0/en/muama-enence-reviews-best-instant-translator-device-product-review-by-rick-finn.html.

The finally most cost efficient software that is many times compared to ‘Trados” is “Wordfast”. Wordfast is another Translation Memory engine available for Microsoft Word on PC and Mac. It maintains compatibility with Trados and Ms-Word, Ms-Excel, Ms-PowerPoint files but also a few others. This software is much easier to use than Trados and Déjà Vu however does not provide as much assistance. For beginner translation freelancers, I would suggest this software since it can be used for free up to 110Kbytes, if purchased the license is much cheaper than the other two options.

These three translation memory software options are all great in their own specific way and can meet the needs of any translator. The list above is ordered in ascending order according to the license cost and technical difficultly. Therefore, if trying to pick among the three choices, order software according to the level of translation needs. If planning on taking a stab at the translation industry, try using Wordfast. If you are a seasoned translator, Trados is a good choice. All three choices give a free trial period to try out all three software options, therefore I would suggest downloading the manual and the software, try it out and then choose which one is right for your needs.

Migration to different states has caused a new curiosity in the differences in state laws, ordinances and tax regulations. Flat taxes, tax credits, personal taxes, caps and gaps and other terms, all add to the confusion. This article attempts to explain some ways on how states can be different and offer links to resources.

Market-based Property Tax System

The state of Indiana is an example of a state government that uses the most popular property tax revenue collection method. A variation of the Market-based Property Tax System is implemented in 48 other states.

Property taxes in Indiana are assessed yearly calculated on the prior year’s taxes and the current sales of properties in the area. Certified appraisers consider the economy and other marketing factors to arrive at a fair market value for property in the township, neighborhood or city. In Indiana, the property taxes are normally paid for the previous year in two installments. Popular State Property are available in this website and you can find additional Property there, too.

According to In.gov, Department of Local Government Finance: “Property Tax Terms,” the tax rate is determined in terms of “dollars per $100.00 of assessed value.”

Personal Property Taxes

An example of a Personal Property tax is the assessments of movable items not permanently attached to the property, appliances, furniture, equipment, vehicles, the owners motor homes, etc.

Homestead Tax Credit

Many states offer the Homestead Tax Credit. The method of credit would be in the form of an income tax reduction or reduced tax assessment on the property.

A tax credit may be available for residential property owners for a primary resident. In Indiana, the Homestead Tax Credit allows for taxes to be levied on one half of the assessed value of the property. In some states, such as Michigan, the relief may come to the property owner in the form of a deduction on state income taxes. Some states may limit this credit to certain groups, such as senior or low income property owners.

Proposal A – State Equalization Value and Taxable Value

The State of Michigan levees property taxes on one half of the evaluation of the state assessed value or State Equalization Value, (SEV). The half of the (SEV) or Taxable Amount is then multiplied by the mileage levied in the township or city and the result is the amount of property tax owed.

Property owners are often confused in bad economic times because the SEV and Taxable Value has stayed the same even though the real estate assessments for homes have dropped drastically with inflation. There are several reasons why this is happening.

With Proposal A in the state of Michigan, the State Equalization stays the same on a home unless there are improvements, such as construction, that add value to the home. Therefore the one half of the SEV or Taxable Value stays the same, or fluctuates with new area or improvement value. Also, if the home is sold, the Taxable Value is adjusted to the SEV, and the new owners must pay property taxes based on the full assessed state value.

Consider the Property Tax Structure

Check the target state’s average property tax structure as a major consideration for buying property. According to Low Property Tax.net, the average annual tax assessment for the U.S. is $1132 with the highest average being in New Jersey at $2206 and the lowest in Alabama at $394.

The largest privately owned car rental company in Istanbul has a large amount of cars to choose from, whether you want something standard, something more luxurious, or something that is eco and gas-consumption friendly like a hybrid or a Smart car.

The prices range depending on the type of car you’re getting, but there is definitely something for everyone’s budget. The customer service is great and accommodating, as well as very responsive if you have any concerns.
Specials: Has some nice extra deals for ordering online, such as 10% off internet booking or 15% off internet booking for those in the military.

Not as expensive as the luxury rental companies, but a bit more pricey than popular competition, you definitely get what you pay for with National Car Rental. With a wide selection of cars to choose from (standard and lovely imported cars galore) and great service that is very quick and accommodating, it’s hard to go wrong here.

Their website also has some nice online specials, such as $30 off weekly rentals; $15 off 3-day weekend rentals; $25 off one-way rentals and more.

This popular rental car company holds some of the best deals you’ll find, although the service and car selection probably isn’t as great as the others. However, if you just need a car for a cheap price and don’t care about spending time hassling over which one you get, this is the perfect choice. The rental counter is located right at the terminal (with a shuttle to the parking lot) and open 24 hours, which makes this a most convenient choice.

A plethora of different coupons and specials are available on their website.

A low-cost rental car service that also offers really fast, accomodating service, which is a major plus for any car rental company, nevertheless an airport one. There may not be a huge selection of cars you can choose from here (you generally need to take what you can get), but if you want bargains and quick service, then this is for you.

For those with a more luxurious taste, Beverly Hills Rental Car is an awesome choice – the premier place to have a rental car experience that’s as pleasurable as possible. This company offers everything from motorcycles to exotic sports cars, SUVs to huge trucks, and of course even standard vehicles. Hybrids are also available.

The service is as prestige as the types of vehicles and selection; you’re paying for luxury, and luxury service is exactly what you’re going to get.