Helping Hearts – How Small Business Helps Haiti
Millions of people around the world tuned in over the weekend for the Hope for Haiti Telethon organized by George Clooney. The show was an amazing spectacle that featured musical performances by Bono, Jay-Z, Rihanna, Alicia Keys, Madonna, Justin Timberlake, Coldplay, Beyonce, Stevie Wonders and many, many more! Hollywood celebs were out in full force to man the phones for the telethon. Julie Roberts, Robert Deniro and Steven Spielberg chatting with donors and giving heartfelt thanks demonstrated a perfect example of everyone pitching in for the cause.
HopeforHaitinow.org achieved record-breaking results, collecting over 58 million in the 24 hours following the broadcast. It was well organized with multiple ways to complete the transaction, including internationals, which is not always easy! Particularly ingenious was the the Donate Now button on the website becoming a Donate Again button after you give (each time). The money will continue to pour in through the sales of the recorded performance, which has reached number 1 in 18 countries. Wow and bravo all around!
So this morning when I glanced at Facebook and noticed the blog post, “Let’s do Something to Help Haiti” by Natalie Carstens of Tigs Creations Photography, I was not convinced that this link would lead me to a new and inspiring initiative to raise money for Haiti, but I was wrong to underestimate Small Business. Continue reading »
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5 Reasons Not to Friend Your Babysitter or Nanny on Facebook
Friend your Nanny on Facebook at your own risk! You might quickly discover that she is no Mary Poppins and then your blissful ignorance will vanish forever.
Obviously the Nannies and Babysitters have the most to lose! Please, save yourselves and your jobs! Even if you think you boss is cool, or a friend, or whatever, think about it before you send that friend request! The photo below is what got me thinking on this subject. What might people read into your status updates, especially your boss?
1. This is your new profile picture? Are you kidding me? No wonder my 2 year old daughter has been begging to watch Miami Ink instead of Dora the Explorer!
Filed under In the news, Just Life, Unsolicited Advice | Comments (3)
Cyber Monday Mania
Today is the big day, Cyber Monday, the day no one even knew existed until Thanksgiving rolled around this year. Unlike most fabricated holidays, this one was invented not by Hallmark, but instead by National Retail Federation. The (American) media has been hyping Cyber Monday like crazy.
Network news thrives on speculation and they have filled hours of airtime with the “Cyber Monday Theory” to predict and explain potentially sluggish sales on Black Friday, the traditional kick-off of the Holiday Shopping Season on the Friday After Thanksgiving.
Today, many Americans go back to work after a 4 day weekend ( the only one on the calendar all year), and according to the media, millions will spend their day shopping for bargains online. With over 8 billion minutes logged on Facebook alone every day, the staggering amount of time people spend online at work is a plausible indication that many people will, in fact, be sitting behind their desk shopping. According to the NFR, 88.2 million Americans will shop from home on Cyber Monday while 13.5 percent, or 13 million people, will shop from work. Cyber Monday was “Invented in 2005″ and while online shopping increases significantly every year, Cyber Monday has yet to break any sales records.
The media could be applauded in their efforts to stimulate the economy, but with the American Tradition of financing holiday spending with Credit Card debt, the applause might be misplaced. According to the National Retail Federation, unemployment above 10% means that price trumps selection and convenience this holiday season, so people will go out of their way for a bargain.
In the current economy there is less hype about “must have products in limited supply” and without scarcity, people may take their time to see if prices come down closer to Christmas. One big benefit of online shopping for consumers is the ability to research products as well as prices and not be limited to the offers in their own vicinity. Better educated consumers are less likely to be running around town chasing “advertised specials” if they can find the same deal on line. The convenience of shopping online and the abundance of free shipping offers, make online shopping a no brainer.
Over 80% of retailers are offering special Cyber Monday deals, so even if you are like me and normally prefer to wait until the last minute to select that perfect Christmas Gift, you might be tempted to check out the sales? Warning, searching for Cyber Deals can be hazardous! My orders have already been placed to Illy and Lego too. I even happened to stumble upon the perfect gift (for myself) while researching this post, my husband was sitting next to me at the time, so he considers himself lucky to click “add to cart” on Amazon instead of searching through the shops for a gift. Don’t forget, they sell more than books, Amazon also sells Jewelry! What crazy deals have you found online today?
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Tripit or Skip it? Less is more on Linkedin
If I see one more Tripit update on LinkedIn alerting me about someone in my network taking a trip from Amsterdam to Rotterdam, or from The Hague to Delft, I might puke! Why would you want to know when anyone is taking a 45 minute or even 12 minute train ride? They may as well add “trips” to the dentist and hairdresser while they are at it!
Is sharing every detail of your travel plans with “everyone” in your professional network a good idea? In addition to looking foolish when you alert your network every time you cross the street, there are plenty of other reasons not to use the Tripit application on Linkedin.
Work in Mergers and Acquisitions? Being more discreet about destinations might be effective in negotiations. This sounds obvious, but you’d be surprised. In sales? Unless you are an Account Manager with only one account, your clients probably won’t appreciate knowing you spend all of your time in Dusseldorf, home of their biggest competitor’s HQ! Do you take a lot of leisure trips? You may be sending the signal that doing business with you is the equivalent of receiving a long string of “out of office” auto responses. Continue reading »
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