Career Professionals of Canada News Feed
By Stephanie Clark. The internet is my friend. I watch commercial videos (the good and the funny, as well as a few clunkers!), and I enjoy inspirational photo-rich PowerPoints that friends share. And, because I work alone in a home office far from major cities, I take web-based teleclasses, webinars, teleconferences, you name it. These help me feel connected to my professional community, and relieve the isolation of a home-based business. A recent webinar, promoting a new book by the energetic name of Mojo, exhorted those of us who work…
By Stephanie Clark. At one time, the words above were a business-owner’s mantra, even though at times the words tasted bitter, given that they issue from a place of inauthentic eagerness to please. But today, with our customers expanded beyond a limited geographic area, perhaps we are not obliged to swallow bitter words; perhaps, just perhaps, we are free to challenge that mantra? The truth is, we simply cannot please everyone, so why bother trying? By watering down our service and products to try to appease the common denominator, we…
By Stephanie Clark. It happens to the best and most successful, and it seems that nothing can adequately prepare us for it. All of a sudden the phone ceases to ring, emails dwindle, income plunges and we are left wondering what the heck happened!? It happened to me last fall. Some weeks I had but one client, other weeks not one new client and perhaps a letter or two to write for an existing client. I began to scour the want ads for possible part time employment. This scenario tends…
Small businesses don’t have time to wrestle with difficult options. I found an easy and impressive toll free telephone option.
By Stephanie Clark. An earlier blog, on accepting client rejection, generated a question about how to dismiss a potential toxic client, with finesse. (Thank you to Janet Barclay for asking a question that truly begs to be answered!) After all, as service providers we must conduct our business with professionalism and with a commitment to building, rather than burning, bridges. This is an excellent question, and one that is not easily answered. There are as many potential scenarios as people; each situation will require a slightly different approach, and thus…
By Sharon Graham. When I tell six-figure professionals that LinkedIn has more than 875 million members (edited November 2022) and continues to grow, and that members are found in 200+ countries around the world, I am often asked, “Then, why should I bother? How is anyone going to find me in a membership field of that size?” The best reply is usually another question: “Executives from all Fortune 500 companies are LinkedIn. Shouldn’t you be, too?” Having said that, there are ways to optimize your presence and harness the power of…