Canada has a growing, concerning issue. We have more than a generation of people groomed on the “Freedom 55” concept. Build your retirement up and don’t wait until you are 65. Choose a better path and retire ten years earlier and enjoy life. But, we also have an attitude, sub-conscious or not, that the government will take care of us. January 1st 1966 was a momentous date for Canadians. On that date, the CPP (Canada Pension Plan) Act came into existence. It was “An Act to establish a comprehensive program of old age pensions and supplementary benefits in Canada payable to and in respect of contributors.” By the...

Many highly successful companies with strong cultures have unorthodox HR practices not traditionally found in management textbooks. These practices are calculated not only on business needs, but also on the deeply held values of the company. The following article will give employers an idea of what some organizations are doing differently to promote a high commitment workplace where employees work towards a common goal. https://www.managementsite.nl/ Submitted by Linh Giang

Despite the failure of RIM and their Blackberry outage or the growing complexity of technology that seems to slow businesses down every time you read the headlines, and despite general labour shortages, strikes, and international turmoil, everywhere I go, when I ask sales driven organizations what their biggest issue is, it comes down to finding “good” sales people. Like finding the magic beans, the golden goose, or the pot at the end of the rainbow, finding those special sales people who will drive your business forward is a bit of good luck and magic. We put people through all kinds of personality testing and profiling and still we...

The other day, our sales management group was discussing a key factor in a sales person’s growth. For that matter, it is a key factor in any person’s growth. The question was posed, “When do let your people fail?” Around the room, different people took different views of that question. One person took it to mean when you stop trying to help someone. Another thought it meant when you realize that it isn’t working and let the person go. Although the question could be taken accurately from either of those two perspectives, what I meant from the question was: Is this the moment when you stop “holding that...

Original Article by Kaitlin Madden from theworkbuzz.com If you want to get ahead in your career, never let ‘em see you sweat. Or yell. Or argue. And whatever you do, don’t cry. As it turns out, a level head and a pleasant disposition will get you further in your career than even book smarts will. According to a new CareerBuilder survey, 71 percent of human resources managers say they place more emphasis on emotional intelligence — a person’s ability to control his or her emotions, sense the emotions of others and build relationships — than they do on IQ. Fifty-nine percent of employers even said they wouldn’t hire...

Before you give a gift there are some things you should consider… Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has very specific rules regarding how gifts to employees should be treated. CRA uses terminology such as “cash”, “near-cash”, “non-cash”, “gift”, “award” and “reward”. Each of these categories or types can have different tax and reporting implications. CRA has explained these in simple terms on their website as well as providing a handy questionnaire which helps determine the taxability for various scenarios. We recommend working through the questionnaire prior to determining the gift you will provide; so you are able to maximize the benefit and minimize tax implications to the employee.  ...

The choice to be in sales is a weird and wonderful career elective. You jump into a profession that is often criticized, beat down by people who don’t want to meet you, and faced with more rejection than the high school outcasts. Yet you still jump in with both feet. Most that get into the profession do so with the express intent to better their lifestyle. That may be in terms of earning more money, more free time, more personal connections. Whatever your intent, typically, you want to improve. So, with that in mind, you go forth into the wide world of sales with the best of intentions...

As per my last blog, I believe sales are a lot like sports. Sales leadership is a lot like sports leadership. To the outsiders who aren’t in the game it is a mystery. Successful sales leadership and leading a sports team are similar. That is why you see so many former athletes get in the sales game. They like the competitiveness, the hunt, the thrill of the win. Like a coach, you will have a variety of players on your team. The newest hot shot rookie, the grizzled veteran hanging on, superstars and third stringers will all be part of your team. And how you deal with each...

You are about to do the three month evaluation on the newest sales person you have on your team and wondering, “Is she or he a keeper”?Sales and sales teams are a lot like sports. They are competitive, few have what it takes to do it and succeed, and picking a winner is a crap shoot. At the end of each season you find pre-season favorites not make the playoffs and teams who are dark horses that only the die-hards believed in make a run at the championship.Each pre-season, there are players who have all of the tools to make it to the big time that disappear when...

Do you want to maximize your revenue and minimize your expenses? Do you want to get access to specialized skills and services? Do you want to concentrate more on your core business? Do you want to save on money, time and infrastructure? If your answer is yes to any or all of the above questions, you might be interested in outsourcing. Outsourcing — the practice of using outside firms to handle work normally performed within a company — is a familiar concept to many entrepreneurs. Small companies routinely outsource their payroll processing, accounting, distribution, and many other important functions — often because they have no other choice. Many...