Business Network

The lifeline of any business is an established healthy flow of finances in and out of the cash box, or so to speak. Any event that alters this natural cascade of events leads to a troubled season. As blood is to the body, money is to the business.

According to a study, one of the reasons why a business can fail is poor management. There are many business starters who failed to look into managing properly their business no matter how strong it started. According to Small Business Administration (SBA), “two-thirds of new employer establishments survive at least two years, and 44 percent survive at least four years.” In other words, the 5-year window is very crucial to the success or failure of any business. Just because business started strong doesn’t necessarily guarantee that it will stay through strongly. The major decider will be how business is managed from the opening until the time investors can finally say, “business is smooth sailing, and we’re out of the danger zone.” Unless otherwise, managing the business is the saving grace that may save you enormous heartaches and disappointment.

With today’s fast life and the information highway, life has become much easier and doing business has become relatively easier also. With the internet’s capacity to do the talking and the walking for you and the many support group and other services that you can avail of in a click of a mouse, more and more businesses are sprawling the information highway. All that is required of you is to open up your eyes to a maze of possibilities, indulge and adapt to the changes that have happened which are inherent to the 21st century.

Some guy about half a world away for example is efficiently carrying out business processes through the internet. The United States is the world’s largest economy but look how it does business with some countries like the Philippines for instance. Their processes are taken care of in a remote country some thousands of miles away. In Manila and other Philippine cities, call center and business processing organizations and companies are sprouting like wildfire. Small towns that used to be seeing only hazy days have transformed into busy towns with over 5 call center companies. While this is good for the local economy, it works the same way for the mother company based in the US. Labor fees are much lower in these places than in the US.

So all in all, the world has truly become an interconnection of cultures and people. And with this comes my conclusion that, indeed, the world we are living in is a borderless world. What you are is in one way or the other, innately connected to someone else, to something else, and that your gift might be somebody else’s life in this world—in this borderless world.

Applying for a Job

There are four general methods of applying for a job including:

(1) mailing your resume,

(2) emailing your resume,

(3) faxing your resume, and

(4) hand delivering your resume.

Mailing Your Resume

Some companies prefer that you mail your resume. For this type of approach, it is best to include a cover letter with your resume. The cover letter is a basic letter that describes the position that you are interested in and a few details of your qualifications and skills. It is basically your lead in to it. Before writing your cover letter, you should know whom the letter is to be addressed to. You never want to begin a cover letter with “Dear Sir or Madame” or “To whom it may Concern.” It shows that you have not prepared, and that you are not looking for a specific position with their company, but any job that you can get your hands on. Basically, it is disrespectful to your prospective employer.

Emailing Your Resume

Emailing resumes is becoming a commonplace way for recruiters to get them. Attach it as a word document or a PDF file. These are the most common formats and what most companies will accept. The subject line should read like this: Smith, John (Accounting Position). This makes it easy for the recruiter to know who the email is from, and what it pertains to. It also assures that your email will be read. Sometimes there are specific methods for addressing an emailed resume. Some companies have certain subject line requirements (so follow them!). If the company wants you to paste it, don’t send attachments because your email will be deleted right away.

Faxing Your Resume

You will need to include a cover letter when faxing your resume. If you are not using your own fax machine, be sure to include your proper contact information. The rules for your cover letter are the same as for mailing it.

Hand Delivering Your Resume

You will want to dress appropriately, as you would for an interview. Generally, companies ask you to do this if you are going to be working directly with customers. They ask for a walk-in because they want to get a look at your grooming habits right away. Sometimes, the employer will give you a brief interview on the spot to see if they will require a formal interview later. So be on your best and most appropriate behavior. Also, walk-ins do not require you to bring a cover letter with your resume. Your appearance is sort of the cover letter. Sometimes, you will be requested to fill out an application form as well. Smile and be polite, no matter who you are speaking with.

We’ve all heard the jokes about car salesmen, especially used car salesmen. We have a picture in our minds of these shady characters we wouldn’t trust with our pencils let alone with selling us an automobile. The truth is, car salesmen have a tough job. Think you want to sell cars for a living? You might want to read what follows first.

In spite of what most people think, selling cars is not as simple as just showing somebody an automobile and getting them to sign on the bottom line. The car selling process for a salesman is actually quite involved with many steps along the way.

For starters, most of the large car dealers have a sales force. This sales force is broken up into teams and shifts. Because most dealerships are open late, one shift takes the morning and afternoon while another shift takes the afternoon and evening. A dealership may have as many as 25 salesmen working for them, not counting finance people.

When a customer comes in, the salesmen take turns approaching them for help. This way each salesman has the chance to close a sale. If it’s slow, this puts everyone on equal footing. If it’s busy, then the salesman who closes his sales the fastest will make out the best. This is because if he is done and everyone else is with a customer, then he gets the next customer that comes in regardless of who’s “turn” it is. Customers are never supposed to wait more than 30 seconds to be waited on.

The first thing the salesman does is ask the customer what they’re looking for. After getting this info, he’ll show the customer several models in the price range or class that he wants. This is probably the lengthiest part of the process as the customer may have a number of questions and even ask for a demo drive. If a demo drive is asked for the salesman has to check in with the manager to get the keys. This is to make sure that a salesman doesn’t just hop into a car and drive off with it.

If after the demo ride and all the questions are answered the customer decides he wants to get the car, the salesman’s job isn’t done. Not by a long shot. The next thing he has to do is bring the customer to the finance office to work out the financing of the vehicle. While this is going on the salesman has to go to the prep department with the car. Here he tells the prep guys what needs to be done to the car, such as if any extra equipment needs to be added. It’s the salesperson who coordinates this whole process, making sure that the prep department gets the car ready for delivery and also making sure that the finance office takes care of financing.

After the car is prepped and the finance papers are all filled out, the salesman then gets the car from the prep department and drives it to the pickup area. After the customer is all done with the paperwork, the salesman escorts the customer out to the new car, hands him the keys and gives him his business card. He tells the customer to call if he has any questions.

The salesman then has to go back inside and fill out a report on the sale and submit it to his manager.

Yes, selling a car is not just selling a car.