Edinburgh a City of Culture or Financial Hub

Edinburgh a City of Culture or Financial Hub With so many cultural attractions around the city, you’d be forgiven for thinking that Edinburgh’s main industry was tourism. But it is also the second largest centre for financial services after London, and can now boast the world’s first Green Investment Bank. Established in 2012, the bank was the result of a government-funded initiative aimed at encouraging investment in low-carbon projects around the UK. Friends of the Earth originally helped to get the campaign for a ‘green’ bank off the ground, with planned investments including offshore wind, biomass heating systems, and other alternative sources of energy. Green deals totalling £2.1 billion Glasgow benefited from one such loan, reportedly for £6.3 million, to replace street lighting in the city with low-energy bulbs. An investment of £50 million was also made for an energy-related project that used heat from waste water and turned it into power for Scottish buildings. Of course, projects from around the whole of the UK have been funded by the bank, but the fact that its headquarters are located in Edinburgh demonstrates the city’s status as a leading global financial centre. A prominent financial services sector The financial services sector in Edinburgh employs thousands of people in the area, who enjoy lower costs of living when compared with London. On the other side of the coin, asset management and insurance organisations, as well as banks, have developed in the city, taking advantage of cheaper rents and costs of employment. Newer banks setting up their offices or headquarters in the city have an enviable choice of traditional and modern buildings to reflect their brand. Virgin Money, Sainsbury’s Bank and Tesco Bank all now have a presence, further boosting jobs and the city’s economy. Unsurprisingly though, tourism remains one of the largest industries here. Second most visited city in the UK In 2013, Edinburgh was the second most popular city in the UK for tourism. Its reputation for being a clean, unspoilt city in addition to its UNESCO World Heritage Site status, brings around 3.5 million visitors each year. As a gateway to Scotland, the city attracts thousands of Americans and other international tourists keen to take advantage of Edinburgh’s numerous cultural, shopping, eating and music destinations. In fact, in recent years the overseas tourist market rose in comparison with domestic visits from within the UK. The Scotsman reports that visitors to Edinburgh Castle increased by 26% during the summer of 2013, with November bringing the highest ever hotel occupancy levels. Combining business and tourism Edinburgh’s strong reputation as an event destination results in a meeting of the two industries. The many international delegates attending corporate events in the city can enjoy all that Edinburgh has to offer, and take advantage of Edinburgh as a major transport hub. For the people of Edinburgh, a rich economy and the vast number of cultural attractions on the doorstep, provides a high quality of life both in terms of work and leisure. Author: John Baird is a personal finance and insolvency expert from www.scotlanddebt.co.uk. He specialises in advising people on how to manage their money and deal with their personal debt problems.  

How to Start a Beauty Business

How to Start a Beauty Business Beauty is big business. With the media pressure on women to look perfect, it’s no wonder companies like Ulta are seeing double digit growth year over year. If you’re looking to get a piece of the beauty business pie, now is a great time to start. Small business startup is easier now than it has ever been due to crowdfunding sites like Kickstarter, DIY marketing sites like Vistaprint and free advertising on social media sites like Twitter and Pinterest.   Follow these steps to start your own successful beauty business: Pick Your Approach Are you a licensed cosmetologist looking to open your own salon or a sales professional looking to become a product consultant? The beauty industry is wide open, and you can apply just about any skill you have to starting a business in it. If you don’t have your heart set on a specific approach, do some research on beauty businesses in your target locale. Interview salons, spas, friends and acquaintances about what’s missing in the local area and consider filling that void with your business. For example, if you notice the salons you visit don’t have a skincare line in their retail shop, starting a product consultant and distribution business might be your ticket. Have you heard your friends complain about not being able to get a decent manicure without traveling to the next town over? Open a nail salon. Find Your Niche Once you’ve decided on your approach, you need to find your niche. Finding your niche involves targeting your audience and determining your product and service profile â€" then crafting your business persona. Consider the age and median income of your target audience. These factors will guide your product and service profile. Will your products and services be high-end or low-cost? Do you need to source products that are new and edgy or classic and well-known? Once you’ve determined your audience and product and service profile, you can craft your business persona. For example, the spa in town already caters to well-to-do, middle-age women who are looking for high-end products and services. You can open a spa that caters to a younger crowd looking for lower-cost, cutting-edge products and services. Perhaps instead of offering a hot stone massage, which is very classic, you offer a chakra-aligning massage that incorporates healing crystals. Lock Down a Location The type of business you chose to start will dictate what kind of location is suitable. Brick and mortar? Mobile and online? A combination of both? Opening a physical location can be as easy as setting up a single-chair salon in your home, but if you need a larger or more visible space, be sure to choose your location carefully. Consider your niche when looking for a location. Should you be in a vibrant downtown setting or nestled in a suburban strip mall? Mobile and online hubs will work for businesses like consulting or product distribution. You may not need a storefront, but will you need a storage unit or warehouse space? If you are combining any of the three location options, aim for presentation consistency. When a customer finds you online, they should be able to recognize your shop when they walk in or your vehicle when you drive by because your design scheme online is similar to in-person. Lawyer Up Rules and regulations abound in the beauty business. Keep yourself legal by finding out what kinds of licensing and insurance you need to operate your business. Local, state and federal documentation will need to be filed in order for you to obtain a DBA, LLC or corporate status. Hiring employees will require you to have an EIN, or employer identification number. You may not actually need to hire a lawyer to accomplish these tasks if your business is small and basic. Websites like LegalZoom can walk you step-by-step through obtaining an EIN and other business requirements. Once your business is up and running, though, be sure to keep up with license renewals. Figure out Finances A solid business plan will help you get the startup funds you need and help keep your spending on track those first few months of business. The business plan should include projected income as well as projected expenditures â€" don’t forget to include your own salary in the calculations! Use the business plan to negotiate with banks for loans and to gain investors. Crowdfunding is a viable option to raise startup funds if you aren’t on a tight timeline. If finance is not your forte, hiring an accountant can save you a lot of headaches down the road. An accountant can help you with taxes â€" both paying and filing them. Record keeping is of utmost importance. If you manage your record keeping well, you might be able to keep your own books and file your own taxes. There are several DIY bookkeeping options available â€" like QuickBooks â€" and recent versions of TurboTax make it easy for small business owners to file their taxes, too. Source Your Products and Services In order to turn a profit but still offer reasonable pricing to your customers, you will have to purchase wholesale. Your relationships with wholesale product providers and service specialists will be very important to your business. Being a good partner to the manufacturers and distributors will garner favor for times when you need it most. An online business will also require a fulfillment services partner that can help you get your products to your clients in a reliable and timely manner. There are ecommerce giants out there that can offer your customers fast and free shipping, so you must be able to compete. Campaign for Customers All of the hard work you put into building your beauty business will be for naught if you don’t get customers! A good marketing campaign can drive business through your doors and to your website. You can choose to invest in professional marketing design or you can do it yourself online. Remember, consistency is key when it comes to branding. Having a recognizable logo in your store, on your website and on all of your marketing materials lends immediate professional credence to your business. Marketing isn’t just about t-shirts and signs, however. It’s also about making offers that catch customers’ attention. Offers can be delivered via TV, print, radio and email. Choose the most cost-effective medium for your target audience. Starting a business can seem daunting at first, but when it’s taken one step at a time, you can be successful. Let your passion and creativity inspire you and these tips guide you to opening your own beauty business.

7 Vacation Tips for Women Who Travel a Lot on Business

7 Vacation Tips for Women Who Travel a Lot on Business When you travel a lot for work, you already know the travel tips and tricks for getting the best flight, booking a cheap hotel and so on. However, all of that business travel can get old. This summer, treat yourself to a vacation that’s totally different from your work trips. Whether that means staying at home for a long weekend or embarking on a camping trip, read on to discover seven great vacation  tips for making the most of your time off. Technology Is Not Your Friend When you travel for work, you’re expected to stay connected to the office from your smartphone and laptop. Vacation, however, is your time to relax with family, friends or savor alone time. So leave your devices at home or at least keep them off while you’re away. Take a camera instead and make memories you can share when you get home. Even fun digital activities like social media will take you out of the moment. Once you’re on your phone to check Facebook, it’s all too easy for an email to pop up and pull you back into office business. Rethink the Vacation Week Just because beach rentals run from Saturday to Saturday doesn’t mean your vacation has to follow the same tried-and-true schedule. If a week is hard to find in your packed schedule, try a long weekend instead. Three or four days, if you spend them unplugged from work, can be just as refreshing as a whole week away. Staycations can make for a great long weekend. When you travel a lot for work, just being home could be the thing you crave most. To distinguish a staycation from your normal weekend routine, arrange to have your home deep cleaned or treat yourself to a few days’ worth of catered meals. Enjoy all the comforts of home without stressing over the chores. Don’t Overplan One of the biggest bummers of business travel is there’s often no time for sightseeing. Whether your destination is Paris or Pittsburgh, when you travel for work your days are usually filled with conferences, meetings and other obligations. Your vacation shouldn’t be as overscheduled as your work trips. Instead of taking a highlighter to a guidebook, choose just three or four things you might really enjoy doing; or wait to see how you feel when you wake up. There’s nothing wrong with missing the activities most tourists flock to. You’ll have more fun if you’re not stressing over logistics. Take Your Time Leaving and Returning Bookend your trip with full-or-half-days off for packing and prepping as well as unpacking and readjusting to routines. Avoid the impulse many people have to leave as soon as possible and get home after dark the night before returning to work. Set a leisurely pace throughout your time off and you’ll feel a lot more relaxed. After all, nothing kills that vacation buzz faster than returning to a messy house and a pile of emails you have to stay up to sort through. On my first day back from a trip, I only schedule catch-up work and don’t let clients know I’m in the office until the following day. Trying to balance client demands along with everything else is almost enough to ruin the relaxation from a trip. Just Checking in Is a Slippery Slope True, one way to avoid an overflowing inbox is to process email while you’re away, but thinking you’re just going to sort and delete can be dangerous. Before you know it, a problem arises and now that you’ve read about it you can’t ignore it. Soon enough you’re working on vacation. Set boundaries ahead of time. If the idea of being completely disconnected makes you anxious, then do check in, but decide the terms of engagement before you leave. Assign a point-of-contact at the office to handle emergencies in your absence, and tell co-workers how much you will or will not be available. For example, you could limit your email/online time to 15 minutes every morning at 9 a.m. Try Something New Chances are you already spend a great deal of your life flying from one city to another and staying in nice hotels. So why not try something different for your personal time? Find a new destination you can reach by car and throw your tent in the trunk. Getting away to an area where cell phones and Internet get no signal is one of the best ways to unplug and enjoy the trip. If camping’s not your thing, you can still choose a drivable destination and mix things up by staying in a funky local motel instead of the usual Marriott.  (And then turning your phone off to avoid being found.) Give Yourself Permission to Take the Vacation You Want to Take Above all else, your vacation is about you. Unlike your regular business trips, no one else is dictating where you go and what you do there. If all you want to do is lie on the beach, grab your sunscreen and go. If staying home and spending quality time with your kids or your dog is what you crave, stock up on movies and snacks and get comfortable. Vacation isn’t a competition so plan the one you want, not the one you think you should want.

Why We Hate Interns - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Why We Hate Interns - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career With 16 years of teaching at the executive level of business at several major universities, I have had my fill of students asking me to arrange internships for them. It’s one of the oddest parts of teaching, in fact. The reason it’s so strange for students to ask me to place them in an internship? It’s not my job. Not in my job description. Not in my time management schedule. Not something easy or simple to do. In fact, during the one semester when I was hired by a university to lead its internship program, I learned enough to dispel me of any desire to arrange or manage placements. Why? The students are rarely prepared to work. And, they don’t care to get into the disciplined, helpful, and deferential mindset that would be appropriate for their desired position as an intern. From time to time, someone who has actually worked hard in class, not killed off anyone in their family to get an extension on homework, and earned an A asks for help. I have always done my best to place them. Called my contacts, picked up the phone and called executives at the companies they want to work for, and on occasion hired them for one of my companies. It is almost always a terrible mistake. The two visas I paid for gave those interns the freedom to work at other US companies, or in one instance: stop working altogether but stay in the US. The second returned home to their country. The last two interns I hired this year sapped the remaining fragments of sympathy or optimism out of me. The first one slept for hours in the lounge, ran up my tab at a bar, ate everything in sight at our company’s snack and drinks area, and showed up at 4 PM for a 10 AM meeting. The other intern stole my laptop computer, and simply never stopped talking in meetings â€" about things like whale mating, which has never been nor will ever be a topic of interest at any meeting I attend for business. He was also “addicted to snacks” and had an equally voracious appetite for alcoholic drinks on the company tab. This caused him to miss work because he “was so hung over.” Note: I pay all our interns â€" no one works for me for free. It’s my rule. So, that’s why employers hate interns. It costs a tremendous amount of time to get you up to speed. We have to deal with your school-age personal habits, school-age personality and lack of experience working with grown-ups. This seems to be true whether you are 22 or 33. Interns also bring crying, unlimited attention to their social media and excessive, petty personal complaints to the workplace. This is the terrain you are on, if you are seeking an internship. It’s not you whom we loathe or reject. It’s our experience with nearly every other intern that you have to overcome. The hard part of seeking an internship is not finding a company that would like to find, hire and groom quality interns for long-term work placement. The hard part is getting yourself into shape to actually work. And then somehow making it clear that you aren’t the same slacker intern we just survived.

How Virtual Career Fairs Can Land You The Dream Job CareerMetis.com

How Virtual Career Fairs Can Land You The Dream Job Wake up. Get dressed. Commute to the venue. Make your way through the crowd. Pray to get a chance to have a one-on-one conversation with a recruiter. I hope your resume does not get lost in the pile of resumes gathered by your shortlisted employers.Rings a bell?evalYes, that’s the story of every job seeker when it comes to traditional physical career fairs. They are nerve-wracking, arduous, and painfully time-consuming events. For people who want to land the job of their dreams, physical career fairs can be a disaster. Wondering why?Here’s the answer. Physical career fairs require a lot of time and energy. A job seeker has to first reach the venue which can be on the other corner of the city or in a completely different town. Once he/she gets there, the hassle of entering the venue and navigating through the booths begins. Not to forget the distractions along the way in the form of food stalls et Cetra.Also, it becomes difficult to walk to each and every booth and make way throug h the crowd to talk to the recruiter. The paper resumes dropped at the booths also have a high chance of being misplaced. Hence, physical events appear to be a shot in the dark when it comes to their effectiveness for landing the right job. It’s a chance-based game with a high probability of failure.Fear not! There is an alternative in the form of a Virtual Career Fair that can resolve all these issues and help you get your dream job.How Virtual Career Fairs are Different?Virtual Career Fairs, just like traditional physical ones, are aimed at connecting job seekers with employers. They serve the purpose of being a platform where job seekers can find the right organization and employers can find the right talent for their organizations.However, virtual career fairs enhance the efficiency of career fairs by a thousand times. They have a far greater reach than physical events. All that is required from the attendees is to have a good internet connection to join the event. Virtual car eer fairs are scalable and ensure inclusivity. They are very beneficial for people with special needs due to the convenience they offer. Furthermore, online career fairs are a great way for job seekers to connect with employers and stay on top of their mind. Instead of fighting their way through the crowd, they merely have to visit the booths ‘virtually’, interact with the employers, and share their resumes. They can also leverage the chat rooms to talk to employers and get to know more about their businesses. Additional information can also be requested to make sound decisions.evalVirtual career fairs also eliminate the hassle of traveling to and from the venue, saving a lot of money and time for the job seekers. They also enable job seekers to submit their resumes online in an eco-friendly and safe manner. Job seekers also get to learn about different organizations from the documents uploaded by employers on the platform. Job seekers can save important information and get back to it at a later time as well.Additionally, virtual career fairs allow the organizers to view results after the event. Based on the stats, organizers can improve future events to make them more useful for the attendees-a win-win situation for all parties involved.All in all, the convenience offered by virtual career fairs is unmatched.How to Land Your Dream Job?Having shed some light on the benefits of a virtual career fair compared to a traditional one, its time to uncover the secret to landing a great job through them.evalThis process can be divided into three stages: before the event, at the event, and after the event.Let’s see what you need to do in these three stages to make the most of a virtual career fair.Before the EventJust like you get ready for a physical event, you must get ready for a virtual event as well. You don’t have to worry about getting dressed up, commuting, and finding your way to the booths of your choice. Just do the following and you will be good to g o.a) Get RegisteredevalSave a slot for yourself and get registered. It’s true that virtual career fairs can host a lot many attendees as compared to physical events. However, why take the risk and miss out on something that can help you build your future? This will save you time, enable you to stay calm and avoid last-minute hiccups on the day of the event.b) Familiarize Yourself with the PlatformUse this opportunity to explore the platform before the event. Find out how you can navigate through the event and what resources can you access. Also, get to know about the event agenda and the companies expected to exhibit. You will be able to make the most of your time on the event day this way.c) Learn About EmployersEmployers develop their profiles on the platform prior to the fair. They upload documents related to the organization Want the recruiters to remember you and reach out after the event? Focus on your pitch then. Think about how you would introduce yourself to the recruiter s and what will set you apart from the other candidates.f) Check Device CompatibilityevalMake sure your device is technologically compatible with the virtual event platform/software. Most of the events have cross-device compatibility so check them out on different devices It is also advised to ask the recruiters about the next steps in the hiring process.c) Attend Presentations and WebinarsDo not miss out on presentations given by your preferred recruiters. They will help you in finding out more about their culture, values, and vision. Also, attend webinars and ask questions for further clarity.d) Download DocumentsDuring the event, you will come across a lot of useful documents relevant to employers and job openings. Make sure you download them to access them at a later time. If you get an interview call after the event from one of the exhibiting organizations, you can use the material shared by them during the event for interview preparation.e) Share ResumeThis is the most importa nt part of the event. If you find a job that meets your requirements, share your resume with the recruiter. If resume sharing is not allowed during the event, collect email addresses of the recruiters to reach out to them after the event.After the EventYou must be wondering what can you possibly do after the event other than hoping to hear from the employers. Well, you can do the following to speed up the process.a) Send Thank You NotesWe all know staying on top of mind is really important in today’s age. When it comes to virtual career fairs, this becomes extremely important. Recruiters come across hundreds of candidates during the event and find it hard to recall who was the best one. Make it easier for them by sending thank you notes.To make your notes more effective, give a brief outline of the discussion you had with the recruiter during the event to help them connect the dots. It will also make your thank you notes more personalized.ConclusionVirtual career fairs are making it easier for job seekers to find their dream job. Without being a burden on the pocket, they are connecting job seekers with employers in an interactive environment. If you follow the tips shared in this article, you have a high chance of getting your dream job.So what are you waiting for? Attend a virtual career fair now!

Clean Up Your Social Media for Future Employers

Clean Up Your Social Media for Future Employers Clean  Up  Your  Social Media for  Future  Employers   While  conducting your job search, it is imperative to set yourself up for success. Just as you want to know all that you can about your potential new employers, they are also  eager to learn about who you are.  One way for them to find out more about you is  your public social media accounts.     A 2018 survey done by  CareerBuilder, showed that 70%  of employers screen job candidates through their social media, while 43%  of employers use social media to check out current employees.  I collaborated with Norton LifeLock  to compile  some tips and tricks on where to look, what to change, and how to improve your professional social media presence.     Start  with Google       Googling yourself is important as it will most likely be the first thing employers do once they know your full name, gender  and age. If you think you have a  private identity  online, think again. As you scroll through page one of Google, see what social media accounts appear under your name and what other information is listed underneath.     For example, if your Twitter name is @jerrylovesbeer  that will show up next to Twitter. If your Facebook  page  is public  your  profile will also show up on page one as well as Instagram and so on. We recommend changing  your usernames if they are anything  other than your name. While being fun and funny is  okay,  it is important to ensure that  you are being painted in a good light.     Scrub Your Social Media     While scanning through your social media, be on the hunt for content that might be related to drugs, alcohol, politics, religion,  or anything  disrespectful  or degrading. Employers will be looking for how you interact with others, how you portray yourself, and what kinds of things are a main focus in your life. If your Instagram is public, go through your pictures and captions to make sure nothing is offensive,  risqué, or inappropriate. Delete anything you wouldn’t want them,  or your grandmother,  to see.     Be sure to review your LinkedIn posts, Facebook posts, Twitter tweets,  and Instagram photos.     If you want to keep your pictures but make them hidden from the public, Instagram has an  archive feature  that allows you to do just that. Make sure to screen comments as well. If your friends are writing swear words or telling stories about you in the comments, it may be  important to shut those down, since they can be seen by other people.     Update Yourself Online     When you start the job  search, it is  essential that your  online  personal information matches what your future employer knows about you.  Of course, not everything has to be disclosed, but the basic information should always be the same.     Update your  LinkedIn profile  accordingly to make sure your page mirrors your  résumé  without any alarming questions. Keep your primary email public and always have an appropriate profile photo. If you use other social media accounts as job hunting tools, take the time to curate your profile to accurately represent you and what you are looking for in the professional world.     In summary, the same CareerBuilder survey referenced above also found that  54% of employers found content on social media that caused them not to hire a candidate. With the number of employers and  recruiters actively using social media as a tool to screen candidates increasing, its important to educate  everyone conducting job searches todayâ€"from  college students  just entering the job force  to  executives  changing jobs or careersâ€"about  the importance of protecting and cleaning up their digital presence.?   Join Dana Manciagli’s  Job Search Master Class ®  now  and get the most comprehensive  online  job search system available!

Humanize your pitch - use your ears! -

Humanize your pitch - use your ears! - The current issue of Entrepreneur Magazine (September 2009, page 30) makes a great point about pitching. The piece, by Michael Port reminds us to focus less on making your pitch and more on listening to what your customers need. While this article is geared toward sales people and entrepreneurs, I think this message is equally important for job seekers! Port points to Daniel Golemans work that indicates your ability to sell depends, in large part, on your self-awareness and social savvy. So, too, with job seekers. Even a degree from a prestigious university wont matter if you dont make a point to connect with your target audience (in this case, potential employers) on an emotional/social level. Ports advice? Throw out the pitch and focus on being a good listener. He suggests, study your self-presentation so you can foster credibility, trust and customer confidence. Translate customer confidence to hiring manager confidence, and this advice is timely and crucial for job seekers. Yes it is a competitive market. Yesterday, I wrote about how to stand out in a sea of sameness. Todays tip offers yet another way to stand out. Instead of focusing on YOU what you want, what you offer start listening. Ask questions. Be the candidate who connects on an emotional level with your audience. Theres nothing that people like better than someone who seems interested in THEM its human nature. Be the one who listens first and answers based on what you learn. You may be surprised by how well this technique works! Learn how I can help you propel your search forward. photo by cindy47452