Social media, social networking, social web sites – we hear of these things practically all the time now. Employees from all sorts of industries have various social networking accounts that they use, even at work! Many employers are quite concerned, especially since these sites may eat up bandwidth that could be used for more “productive” purposes.

The question remains, however, of whether these social media platforms can be made useful for business purposes. The truth of the matter is that IF you want your business to stay competitive, you NEED to engage in social media activities. What are the reasons for this? There are several, but the main thing that I can think of is the fact that social media platforms serve as an alternative means of communicating to the outside world; a means which is practically free; a means which reaches out to a much wider audience.

Let’s look the reaching out part. I don’t have hard numbers, but I can say without doubt that a huge majority of people in the WHOLE WORLD are engaged in social media activities. Facebook and Twitter are only a couple of the most popular platforms today, and a lot of businesses have already set up their own accounts. Why? Because they know that they can communicate with existing and potential customers through these sites; customers which they may not reach otherwise.

Of course, there is the FREE part. No need to pay consultant fees. No need to pay for the account – unless you want to upgrade. You can have someone in your staff to maintain the account, or you can even do it yourself!

So yes, social media should be an important part of marketing your business.

Telecommuting has fast become a popular practice in business. This is especially true for companies that have been trying to cut down on operation costs. Also considering the help of all the advanced technology available to businesses today, it is no wonder that there are millions of telecommuters today. If you’re wondering about the figures, WorldatWork, an organization based in Arizona, estimated about 33.7 million telecommuters in the United States last year. If that isn’t impressive, then I don’t know what is!

For what it’s worth, though, telecommuting is not a solution for all businesses. Before you jump into the telecommuting bandwagon, make sure that you know what you are getting into and that it is right for you.

One thing that you should make sure of is that you have clear cut policies and guidelines governing telecommuting. These policies will ensure that everyone knows exactly what is expected of him and how to get things done. Without these policies, your telecommuting program might prove to be more disadvantageous.

In line with this, it is a very good idea to come up with a standard agreement which a telecommuter will have to sign. This will be a reminder for the employee and something which you can refer to in case complications arise. This agreement can also cover other aspects such as compensation, use of office equipment, and the like.

Of course, just because you have a telecommuting program does not mean that your employees do not have to come to the office, if only every now and then. You might also want to add this stipulation.

At the end of the day, analyze – if telecommuting is going to benefit your business and your employees then go for it.

Changes here, changes there; the only thing constant in this world is change. There are so many sayings about change, and people have been experiencing change since time immemorial. But you and I know very well that we cannot simply initiate change without planning for it and making sure that it goes smoothly – especially in the business sense. I read a very good article by David Javitch at Entrepreneur.com, and he proposes some questions that you need to answer before you go ahead and shake things up. Let’s take a look at some of them.

Ask yourself if others agree with you. The bottom line is that no change will be effective if other people in the company do not see the problem as you do. Even if the problem is very real, people just might resist the change and defeat the purpose.

Ask yourself if you have the key people on your side to implement the change. You can send out directives about the change that you want to make, but again, the trick is in the implementation. You need to have key people in your staff to help you with the implementation and with handling problems and glitches that may occur. Make sure that you identify these key persons first.

Ask yourself about the specifics – time frame, budget, and the like. Just like any other plan, you need to be particular about the details. You cannot implement change effectively unless you have a goal and a route to get there. Make use of your key persons. Brainstorm with them, and come up with a detailed plan to help you achieve your goals.

For more of the questions and in-depth information, read the whole article here.

Making and giving presentations are part of any business. You may have to present proposals to clients and customers. You may have to present rules or give training to your employees. No matter what the purpose for your presentation, you will need to know how to use PowerPoint efficiently. Otherwise, you just might not achieve what you are aiming for. Here are some things which you can bear in mind when creating your PowerPoint presentation AND when delivering it as well.

The fewer slides you have, the better. This is a simple rule that has been encouraged for a while now. PowerPoint presentations are supposed to be visual aids. They are not supposed to contain all the information that you want to get across. Single out the main points and put them in the slides.

Naturally, you should also look at the content of the slides. You probably have heard of the idea that the fewer words that you use, the better. Well it is true! Again, choose the most striking words that will help you deliver the key points, and leave the rest to your ORAL delivery.

This brings us to the next important point – pay particular attention to your delivery. Make sure you know what you want to get across ON TOP of what is on the presentation. Find ways to liven up the presentation and engage your audience. LOOK at them, TALK to them. Remember that you are presenting to people, and people need interaction.