From Hedge Funds to Ethical Food

From Hedge Funds to Ethical Food Success Story > From: Job To: Startup From Hedge Funds to Ethical Food “I had no passion for what I was doing.” * From Hedge Funds to Ethical Food Jenny Costa enjoyed her work, but there was something missing. Here, she shares how she overcame impatience, lack of funds and a slow growth curve to turn her fascination into a fulfilling career. What work were you doing previously? I worked at Odey Asset management, a hedge fund. What are you doing now? I run a condiment company â€" Rubies in the Rubble. We make our condiment ranges from fruit and veg that would otherwise be discarded. How did you feel about your work before you decided to make a change? I enjoyed my work â€" the people were nice and the pay was good, but I had no passion for what I was doing. Why did you change? I started researching food waste and became obsessed with trying to make a difference / reducing food waste. And that was the start of Rubies â€" a brand that is a practical solution and raises awareness. When was the moment you decided to make the change? About a month after I started researching food waste and making condiments. Are you happy with the change? Yes. I sometimes miss having someone to tell me what to do. But, on the flip side, I love the independence and diversity of my work. How did you go about making the shift? And how specifically did you choose your new career? I booked a market stall in London, to try out selling my products. I realised I loved it and handed in my notice. Then I just built the business up on a shoestring. What didn't go well? What 'wrong turns' did you take? The business was slow to grow, we didn't have any money and I wanted to do everything immediately. I started working with disadvantaged women for the first two years to supplement my income, which I loved, but it definitely slowed growth in building our brand in food waste. How did you handle your finances to make your change possible? I had a part-time job to start with, then got a grant and slowly started selling enough to get a wage. Four years later, we did an investment raise which was small but a real help to growing our team and the brand. What was the most difficult thing about changing? The change in lifestyle. What help did you get? UnLtd, the support organisation for UK social entrepreneurs, were a great support at the beginning, as well as family and friends. What resources would you recommend to others? Sleep. Good friends and family around you. UnLtd. What have you learnt in the process? I've learnedto keep myeyes firmly on mypurpose and make sure that everything is in line with achieving that outcome. What do you wish you'd done differently? There’s nothing I would do differently, even some of the disasters and failures. I learnt so much and I think the brand has the strength that it does today because of that journey. What would you advise others to do in the same situation? Test your idea on a small scale first, make sure there is demand for what you are doing and you know how you are going to reach your customer. Then put your all into making it happen. To find out more about Jenny's business, visit www.rubiesintherubble.com. What lessons could you take from Jenny's story to use in your own career change? Let us know in the comments below.

Your Friend Wants Help Writing a Resume

Your Friend Wants Help Writing a ResumeYour friend wants help writing a resume. She may be in her late teens or early twenties and has spent the last several years working, saving money and saving for college. In her mind, she has made the most of what she has been given in life, and now she wants to make sure that her achievements are acknowledged.To help your friend, here are some tips on how to tell when your friend is trying to get a job done. She has done a good job preparing her resume, but the hiring manager needs to see something other than this one page document. While it is OK for your friend to highlight the accomplishments she feels are most important, it is even better if she highlights the things that you think are most important.When writing your friend's interview question, be clear about what she is trying to accomplish. Do not leave any room for interpretation. It will also help if you know her chronological career path. If she went to medical school and did researc h, be sure to ask about her area of interest and her skills and training.Make sure that the resume includes all of the information that is listed on the employee form that was filled out. Your friend has spent hours preparing her resume, and now it is time to see if it is ready to be submitted. Remember that she has done her best to be as detailed as possible, but there is always room for improvement. Ask questions about things like the color of the paper, font size, format, and the general layout of the document.When your friend wants help writing a resume, do not let her work interfere with the rest of your day. Find a quiet place and sit quietly. You may even want to write the questions out yourself, especially if your friend has asked for help writing a resume because she has information that she wants to include on her resume that she is not able to verbalize.Be open and honest about your intent to be supportive and gracious when your friend does write her interview question. B y being supportive, you show your friend that you are interested in the person she is interviewing for, and you are all for the fact that she is taking the time to talk to someone who is qualified for the position. By being gracious, you show that you respect the person who is asking for help writing a resume, and you do not take the opportunity to demean them.When you start by praising your friend for doing a good job, you are showing your genuine interest in her success. You are saying that your goal is for her to be successful, and that you have confidence in her abilities.By using these techniques, you can help your friend to overcome the feelings of being embarrassed, dismissed, or inattentive when trying to write an interview question. You are also helping her recognize that she is making the best decision for herself and her career. When she writes her answer, you will be ready to read it.

Tips for Keeping Your Property Warm

Tips for Keeping Your Property Warm Having a warm home is a luxury for some, especially if you don’t live in a hot climate. Though many resort to cranking up their heating, this can be costly, so the purpose of this article is to bring attention to ways you can keep your property warm. Though we do recommend using heating, it’s important to take a sparing approach that doesn’t negatively impact the environment. If you feel as if your radiator isn’t working properly, you might want to contact a  professional heating service. They attend to heating repairs and will readily help you restore your heating to full functioning. If your heating is working at full capacity, that’s great for those extra cold nights, but to reduce the time you’ll need to have your heating on, here are some top tips for keeping your home warm. Reflect the Heat Radiator panels are a great heat deflector, which ensures heat reaches your room and doesn’t just heat up your walls. They are reasonably cheap and easy to install and will ultimately help your rooms stay warmer for longer by reflecting heat back into rooms. Turn Down Your Dial If you turn your thermostat down minimally, this can have a huge impact on your heating bills in the long run. Though you won’t notice a dramatic temperature drop, you will notice a drastic drop in costs. You might slash your heating bill by 10% or more, while maintaining room temperature. Block Drafts Drafts are a nuisance because they can unfavorably cool your room. Heat can escape through cracks and gaps too, so it’s important to fill these with adhesive seals or pipe cladding. This can be achieved on a DIY level and provide a surprisingly effective solution. There are likely to be drafts entering from the roof, where if you’re interested in enhancing insulation, you might seek agricultural metal roofing. Because metal reflects heat, your rooms will be warmer during cold periods. When the weather warms up, the roofing will usefully reflect heat that tries to enter the house, meaning the roof will positively help regulate your home’s temperature. Use Thermostatic Radiator Valves Heating controls are responsible for energy savings of up to 40%! They allow you to program your heating to come on at certain times, meaning you only use energy when you need too. There are now smart thermostats that can be controlled remotely, which aligns with the modern concept of handheld devices. Being able to regulate temperature via your phone is highly convenient and will ensure your house is warm when you want it to be. Upgrade Your Boiler If your boiler is more than ten years old, consider getting a new one. By obtaining a replacement that functions more efficiently, you will save money, protect the environment, and, most importantly, heat your home more effectively. A-rated boilers produce the same amount of heat for less money, and are more likely to prevent issues when you go into winter months.

Ditch the Pitch An Interview with Steve Yastrow - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Ditch the Pitch An Interview with Steve Yastrow - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Recently, I had the privilege to connect with Steve Yastrow, a former marketing executive and the founder of Yastrow Company, a consulting organization that helps businesses improve results through breakthrough marketing, customer relationship, and sales ideas. Steves new book, Ditch the Pitch:  The Art of Improvised Persuasion, makes the case against a standard sales or elevator pitch, in favor of a more natural and conversational type of communication. Of course, his application of improv in business strikes close to my heart, and we discussed how improvisational lessons can make you a better salesperson, teammate, and leader. Why is the standard “pitch” an ineffective form of persuasion? There are two key reasons: If you create a pitch ahead of time, the odds that you will say the right thing at this moment are about one in a million. Second, when you deliver a prepared pitch, it won’t feel personalized; it will feel generic. What are some improvisational techniques that are useful to gain support for a new idea? The most fundamental improvisational tool is paying attention so you can notice the overt and implied cues you are given. If you are alert and completely in the moment, listening and observing, you can be sure that you will discover exactly what you should do or say next. Another important improvisational technique is to explore and heighten a conversation by finding out what your boss or colleague cares about and then building a fresh, spontaneous conversation around these things that are important to them. Without a defined pitch, how can you maintain confidence that you will communicate your ideas properly? Improv teacher Mick Napier says improvisation is “the art of not knowing what you are going to do or say next, but being completely ok with that.”   The confidence to be “completely ok with that” comes from paying attention, listening and observing. As I mentioned earlier, this alertness to your surroundings will inevitably reveal cues about what to do or say next. Although our natural conversation style is improvised, why do people tend to be so nervous about improvising moreprofessional situations like interviews and negotiations? They are nervous, but they shouldn’t be! People who are fluid and spontaneous with their friends tend to put that natural ability to improvise away when they get into business situations. The fact is that improvisation is more natural for human beings than reciting a prepared script. In much of my work, I am trying to get people to retain their authentic self in their business communications. How can you ditch the pitch when negotiating a new salary? Focus the conversation on your boss and on the company, not on you. You won’t earn a big raise by delivering a prepared pitch about yourself, and you certainly won’t earn it by talking about how much you need the money. Instead, center the conversation on the company’s needs. Further, every time you become a topic in the conversation, ensure that the subject matter is about how you can contribute to the company and make it more successful. These are things your boss cares about, so this kind of conversation will keep her engaged. More importantly, it connects you directly to what she cares about, and she’ll be more likely to give you the big increase if she sees how it can benefit her. Steve Yastrow is the author of Ditch the Pitch: The Art of Improvised Persuasion (SelectBooks; January 2014) and the founder of Yastrow and Company. Find him at @steveyastrow.  

Resume Writing Services For Software Developer

Resume Writing Services For Software DeveloperMany companies are outsourcing their job requirements to resume writing services for software developer and resume writers. This is not a new concept in the IT sector and the trend has always been increasing over the years.Most of the people consider resumes as something that helps them in the designing layout of the resume, but it is mostly not true. The resume is merely one part of the entire process of hiring a good person for the position and that is why you need to keep in mind the skills that the candidate has in his or her resume. By knowing how to edit your resume in order to get the right cover letter, your chances of being hired are much higher.It is hard to know if the resume is needed or not. Thus, a resume is not an answer to an application form. Resume writing services for software developer usually help companies make a better choice about whom to hire. You can also opt for these services and get your resume written for you by professional freelance writers.Resume writing services are a service provided by these professionals that allows you to send out a resume through email or any other mediums. The writers usually look at your resume as a draft and take care of the formatting and other related details that are in your resume. Most of the companies who provide these services consider it as an easy option rather than making up a resume personally.However, when you are on the lookout for a resume writer, you can also find these services on the web. Some of these services are free while others charge a small fee for the service. In order to be more cost-effective, you can go for a freelance service that has a reduced price for the basic services.A basic resume usually includes cover letter and few writing samples. However, if you want to get a customized resume for the software developer, the writer would have to do a lot of work for you. The company may provide various services like creating a resume letter, writing a custom cover letter for the software developer, researching the possible job roles for the developer, and helping to pick the right kind of software.Once the writer has finished the draft of the resume for the software developer, he or she will send it to the hiring company. Thus, even if you have an amazing resume, it will not be enough for a good candidate. The hiring company will also use the resume to research for more information about the software developer.In order to get the best services from the resume writing service provider, you should make sure that you make a good judgment of the writer's capability. Find a professional that has a good reputation in the industry.

10 Tips for Small Businesses to Avoid Costly HR Errors - CareerMetis.com

10 Tips for Small Businesses to Avoid Costly HR Errors We all know that starting a business is risky. You are sailing on unknown waters, and any storm can destroy you. With these tips, the waters are less unknown.These tips will guide you in avoiding costly HR errors. It will help you save money, lessen the risks, and speed up the growth of your small business.1. Evaluate EmployeesevalEvaluate your employees regularly. Monitor and keep track of the quality of work that your employees deliver. As a small business, people still don’t see you as a big name in the industry that has been trusted by many generations from way back.People will only see the performance of your business. Evaluating your employees will help in establishing a good reputation for your business. HR evaluation will help you know how well you are doing.It will also help you spot errors and know when you must implement changes for the overall growth and progress of your business.2. Develop and Reward EmployeesDevelop your employees. Remember, you are the boss, and they are working for you. You must guide them and improve them the best way you can. You’re in this together.You must reward them also. Rewards motivate employees. Rewards give employees clearer goals to work toward, inspiring them and causing them to produce better work. You can give rewards through certificates, gifts, or a Best Employees of the Week chart.3. Employee Handbook is Outdated Despite what everybody says that everyone should have a second chance and people can improve when it comes to talent, you have to admit one thing: some people have no talent, and some people have talent.As a small business, be prepared to receive applications from untalented candidates. This does not mean the talented candidates will not find you, though. Always be on the lookout for good talented interns.Prioritize Good talents over the ordinary ones. Get them into your workforce before your rival company gets hold of them.5. Performance Issues Aren’t DocumentedAlways document performance issues . By documenting performance issues of employees, you can easily correct them. The documentation of performance issues is also important for termination.evalYou have to admit it, sometimes, there is no solution other than the termination of a certain employee. A documentation of performance issues of the terminated employee can prevent further problems.6. Mind the CompensationWork on the compensation benefits for your employees. Do thorough research on the laws that govern workers ‘compensation benefits. Do not assume that research about compensation and what you already know are enough, though.Consult with a workers’ compensation attorney to be well-informed in this tricky area of running a business.7. The Hiring Process is Overly HastyImprove your hiring process. Take time to provide detailed job descriptions and requirements in your job postings. Answer new employees’ questions clearly. State clearly what you expect of your employees.8. Not Providing Proper TrainingProvide proper training for your employees. This prepares them for being more of a good and valuable addition to your business than they already are.9. Get a Good AttorneySometimes, you will have no choice other than to fire an employee. It’s part of running a good business. Sometimes, though, the employee fires back. A simple and correct termination can result in the business catastrophe that is a lawsuit. A lawsuit can easily get rid of your business because you are just a small business.Instead of lessening the terminations in your business out of fear of this event, invest in a good lawyer. Be prepared for the worst by hiring a good lawyer who can save your business.We learn different tricks on our own. What are the ways to avoiding costly HR errors that you learned in your business journey?

7 Handy Branding Tips For Entrepreneurs

7 Handy Branding Tips For Entrepreneurs Photo credit: StockMonkeys.com via Foter.com / CC BY 7 Handy Branding Tips For Entrepreneurs Establishing a new brand to the point where it becomes even relatively well-known is hard work. It takes time, effort, consistency and planning. If youre just starting out, dont make the mistake of putting all your concentration into stuff like sales targets, market research and logistics, thinking youll figure out how to build your brand later on. You should be thinking about your branding story and strategy, as well as ways to boost brand awareness, right from the start. Here are 7 essential and handy branding tips every entrepreneur can benefit from: Choose a memorable name A name can make or break a new business, no matter how great the concept. Your brand begins with, and should be summed up by, its name. Choose something memorable, catchy and totally in tune with your brands core values. (Ensure you know what those values are before you begin.) Be unique. Research name ideas to avoid potential legal trouble. Make sure matching URLs are available. If youre a little stuck, dont be afraid to reach out to others for their ideas and opinions. Consider getting hundreds of name suggestions submitted by professionals for as little as $200 by running a Squadhelp naming contest. Come up with an effective slogan Just like a name, a slogan (or tagline) should never be an afterthought when kick-starting your brand. A slogan should be emotive and short â€" aim for five words or less. Your slogan could convey your brands attitude â€" think Nike, and “Just do it”, or it could describe what you do, e.g. Nokias “Connecting people”. Remember, the shorter your slogan, the easier it is for consumers to recall and retain. Aim for precision and punch when coming up with a slogan. Squadhelp helps small business owners to choose great slogans. Run a contest, and get hundreds of professionals submissions within 24 hours. Dont forget an effective logo Not only should your logo be an appropriate visual reflection of your brand, it must be truly original in design, and, just like your brand name and slogan, it should be as memorable and uncomplicated as possible. Squadhelp can help with logo design, too.   Build an effective online presence We live in a “social” world and you must engage with it. Right from the start, devote some time and attention to building profiles on the social networks most appropriate to your brand. These could include LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Dont wait until your business reaches a certain stage before starting to build an online platform from which you can engage with current and potential customers. Post regularly, and be relevant. Let the personality of your brand shine through. Remember to build an email list. Ideally, aid brand awareness by providing information and insights consumers in your sector will find useful, either on your own blog, or by utilizing guest blogging posts. Dont try to be everything to everyone We all know you cant please everyone, all of the time. Keep this in mind as you work to develop your brand. If you try to appeal to everyone on the planet, youre bound to end up with a watered-down, boring brand personality. Dont be afraid to be yourself. Look to be the best brand you can be to a specific audience of target consumers. Get leverage via other brands Connecting with other brands is a great way to help build brand awareness. Leveraging yourself off of other, stronger brands gives you credibility via your association with that brand, helping to build your brand equity. Think event sponsorship, brand ambassadors, or endorsements from clients who are themselves more well-known and trusted as brands than you are. Get creative You may think building your brand will end up costing a ton of money in advertising or agency fees. And it can. But you can also get creative and come up with less costly, and often more effective ways to spread the good news of your brand all by yourself. You could set up a referral program for instance, that gives existing customers a perk in exchange for referring a friend. You could host an informative podcast. You might want to wrap your vehicle with ads. Or consider running a competition on social media.   Dan Taylor is responsible for content marketing and branding at Squadhelp.com, a crowdsourcing platform that lets companies host competitions to find a name and logo.  He writes about topics related to startup naming, branding and entrepreneurship.

Senator Edward Kennedys lesson to job seekers -

Senator Edward Kennedys lesson to job seekers - It is inevitable that, after the death of an influential political figure, there will be a lot of commentary and talk. TV viewers can watch hours and hours of analysis about everything from his life and work to how many family members might have been around his bedside upon his death. Even Sarah Palin came out with a friendly, sympathetic statement. A few lessons for careerists come to mind Soft Skills/Emotional Intelligence What strikes me is the emphasis on Senator Kennedys ability to reach across the political aisle. Several commentators indicated that they believed the debate over healthcare reform might be much different had Senator Kennedy been able to be more intimately involved. There is no doubt that the ability to communicate with all types of people from different ideologies and beliefs is a key soft skill that job seekers need to consider. Work environments are about relationships as much (if not more) than they are about getting the job done. Quint Careers notes that the first and most important skill employers seek is the ability to communicate well. They say, By far, the one skill mentioned most often by employers is the ability to listen, write, and speak effectively. No doubt, this skill helped lead to Ted Kennedys long career and will impact his legacy. Whether or not you are looking for a job, think about your role in your organization. Are you the person who can bring people together? Can you interpret and communicate despite differences? These are key skills to emphasize on your resume when you do look to move on. Dont underestimate their importance. Overcoming Setbacks Most students of modern American history can not help but associate Ted Kennedys name with the scandal of Chappaquiddick. The tragic incident in 1969 may have prevented Kennedy from being elected president, but his long career in the Senate since demonstrates that it is possible to overcome even the most horrible of circumstances. While most people will not have a scandal of these proportions nor the privilege Kennedy commanded that helped him overcome it, I think it is worth noting that even the most difficult circumstances may not necessarily fully define a career. Some commentators mentioned that, while he was haunted by the tragedy, he re-focused his efforts on working in the Senate and determined that he would have an impact there. Some said he became one of the most influential and productive legislators of his time. So, maybe it is a stretch to suggest that job seekers take heart that no negative circumstances need to totally define their future paths, but it is something to reflect on. What steps can you take to redefine your career road? How can you drive your career bus in a different direction? Where can you take control of your situation to alter where you will land? A lot is in your hands probably more than you know. Do you need help defining your job hunt? I can help! photo by: huffstutterrobertl