Whatever Happened To Business Ethics

Live one day at a time emphasizing ethics rather than rules.”
Wayne Dwyer

Whatever Happened to Business Ethics?

Ethics: The discipline dealing with what is good and bad and with moral duty and obligation; a set of moral principles; a theory or system of moral values; the principles of conduct governing an individual or a group; a guiding philosophy; a consciousness of moral importance.

Corruption: Impairment of integrity, virtue, or moral principle; depravity, decay, decomposition; inducement to wrong by improper or unlawful means (as bribery); a departure from the original or from what is pure or correct.

Whatever Happened to Business Ethics?

After the Enron and WorldCom incidents, there seemed to be some progress in the business culture toward operating with some type of ethical guidelines but, after recent experiences, I wonder if we have made any progress.

What I find disturbing is that many individuals and organizations think it is completely okay to be unethical, if it gets them what they want. Even though I am a huge supporter of free markets and capitalism, there can be a dark side if the operation is void of ethics.

I agree with info-commercial guru Kevin Trudeau that the mandate of all publicly traded companies is to make money for the shareholders — end of story. The result is a conspiracy theorist’s dream come true where, at all costs, a profit must be made. Ethics are not part of the picture.

Here are examples that most of us have heard.

-HMOs withholding acceptance because their numbers are off this quarter
-Insurance companies intent on delaying or refusing payment so executives can get performance bonuses
-Information about the harmful effects of drugs withheld from the authorities
-Misleading advertising to induce sales
-Protection of reputations with cover-ups
-Used car dealers turning back the odometer
-Building contractors taking deposits and not completing their work

And on it goes!

What is most disconcerting is the group of individuals who actually don’t see anything wrong with that type of conduct. In fact, in some university ethics classes, students did not see anything wrong with lying to get what they wanted.

But the point here is that it is not okay to compromise your ethics to get ahead.

Here’s a quote that outlines my general sentiments.

“The truth is that good ethics sometimes is good business, but sometimes it’s not. It depends on one’s goals and how one defines good business. Sometimes, good ethics can end in bankruptcy. Of course, so can bad ethics.

A fairer statement is that good ethics can be a very powerful business asset and that good things tend to happen to companies and individuals that consistently do the right thing and bad things tend to happen to those that even occasionally do the wrong thing.

But the crucial point is that the moral obligation to live according to ethical principles is not dependent on whether it’s advantageous. People of character do the right thing in the pursuit of virtue, not self-interest.”
Michael Josephson
Author and Business Professor

So the question is:

Are you a person or business of character that is committed to doing the right thing?

I recall, from my automotive-consulting days, that a sales manager asked the sales rep to lie about previous history and damage to a used car they were selling. The sales rep did it to keep his job but he had sold his soul.

The reality is there are no excuses for unethical conduct.

Thankfully now some individuals are being held accountable for their actions. In addition, individuals who did not take part in the unethical conduct but had knowledge of such events or actions are also being held accountable for their sin of omission.

You are not immune from prosecution if you have knowledge of unethical conduct.

I agree with Michael Josephson. In the long term, ethical conduct is a very powerful and positive asset to you and your organization.

I know that most of us at some time or another have either pushed the ethical limits or at least thought about it.

The key is: Don’t cross the line.

Be courageous and do the right thing.

Lives have been destroyed because of unethical and corrupt conduct. It is time we all took a stand.

Yes, each of us can make a difference and reap rewards from our good conduct.

Not that long ago, I was asked to be part of a mastermind group. Two of our primary objectives were:
-to set a good example; and
-to expect ethical conduct in the personal and professional development industry.

That’s an example of how we can each do our part to make a difference.

Lawmakers now understand there has been little consequence or accountability for unethical behavior in business but recent jail terms for guilty executives provide new hope.

I have found that individuals who are clear and strong in their identity, values, purpose, and passion are far less likely to succumb to the peer pressure of unethical or corrupt conduct.

Organic Coffee Best Antioxidant Benefits

Organic products are increasingly popular with coffee and food products at a time. Many customers are eating organic on a daily basis, it would make sense that coffee is one of the best choices. One of the main reasons why people have the privilege of organic products because they are safe for the environment and does not use chemical pesticides. This is precisely why it is important to know what you need to know about drinking a cup of joe course!

One of the main benefits of drinking organic coffee is due to the environment. The working methods of organic agriculture to maintain soil fertility and crops are grown without toxic pesticides or fertilizers serious. Another great advantage that should not be overlooked is that the organic coffee is full of nutrients and vitamins. When you drink coffee that is certified 100% organic, offering a variety of antioxidants. One of the main benefits of drinking coffee that is full of antioxidants that may protect cells against damage to prevent disease and premature aging. The conclusion is that if you want to be healthy and look younger, organic coffee and not be in your cup!

One of the main reasons why organic coffee is full of antioxidants is because it is grown in the fertile soil, rich in nutrients. Organic coffee contains caffeine as regular coffee does, but in its purest form, because there are no chemicals used during treatment. If you want to drink decaffeinated coffee, it is imperative that you drink organic. One key reason is that many methods of treatment of decaffeinated coffee may involve chemicals that can be dangerous for you as a customer. decaffeination process of coffee use organic Swiss water method decaffeinates coffee in a natural way, without toxic chemicals. If you’re a decaf coffee drinker, it would be much more beneficial for your health to drink decaffeinated coffee that is certified organic. The Swiss Water Process uses only water to extract caffeine from coffee beans.

Finally, it is important to ensure that your coffee is certified organic by the USDA Organic seal on every bag of coffee beans. This seal shows that ingredients in the product with quality coffee is at least 95% organic matter and are certified by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Many times you will also see a label organic or 100% organic.

In view of the health benefits of organic coffee itself, it would be crazy not to drink. Organic coffee is collected in the soil where it is fertile, because of crop rotation, so it has more nutrients per day to offer you a cup of joy. If you want the best anti-oxidant benefits, without the use of pesticides, choose organic java every time!

Search Engine Marketing Services for Business Owners

Search Engine Marketing Services for Local Business Owners

If you are a business owner and have never heard of a website, internet marketing, search engine marketing, SEO, or mobile marketing and advertising-then it is time to inform yourself for the sake and possible survival of your business.

Online marketing and online advertising, local internet marketing, SEO, social media marketing, PPC marketing and PPC advertising, search engine marketing , mobile advertising and mobile marketing,online reputation and brand awareness;are all very broad topics when it comes to marketing and advertising of any business. One of the most important marketing and advertising medium for any business owner is internet marketing and search engine marketing. Moreover, internet marketing, internet advertising , search engine marketing , and search engine advertising allow business owners and website owners to integrate with existing direct marketing and direct advertising campaigns.

What is Search Engine Marketing ?
Search engine marketing can best be described as the act of marketing and advertising a website specifically focusing on prominent placement of said website for relevant keywords with search engines- paid inclusion and PPC and/or Organically (naturally)
Search engine marketing is one of the most powerful ,effective, and efficient methodologies any business owner can implement in their internet marketing services campaigns. Search engine marketing is also a very broad marketing channel all in itself, of which, every business owner should have some general knowledge of. Depending on which internet marketing company you speak with, search engine marketing can be broken down into two main sub categories – paid search engine marketing services,strategies & tactics, networks and channels & organic search engine marketing services , search engine marketing strategies and tactics, search engine marketing networks, mediums and channels.

Paid Search Engine Marketing Versus Organic Search Engine Marketing
To put the common misconceptions to rest, there are significant differences between paid search engine marketing and organic search engine marketing. Paid search engine marketing, pay per click marketing, pay per click advertising, paid inclusion are all forms of paid search engine marketing services. Organic search engine marketing services would include any activity, action , or strategy used to place naturally for keywords within search engines or SERPS. Each of these types of search engine marketing can be viewed as an investment for a business, as they both will cost money, but organic search engine marketing and the many channels of, can be seen more as an investment as most types of organic search engine marketing services and strategies will almost always remain online and active.
Organic Search engine marketing typically takes more time and more effort to achieve results than paid search engine marketing, but the rewards can be extremely beneficial for your business. Organic search engine marketing services provides traffic that typically converts at a higher percentile than any form of paid search engine marketing service or network, market and industry pending. It has also been proven that most websites online today receive upwards of 80% from organic search engine listings, not pay per click search engine ads.

Search Engine Marketing Services
Is your business in need of an effective and SEO optimized website which could also use organic search engine marketing services from professional internet marketing companies providing internet marketing services.? How about your business receiving a mobile SEO optimized website used for attracting mobile search engines ?
Search Engine Marketing Companies

Search engine marketing companies and search engine optimization companies are a dime a dozen. Finding professional and effective search engine marketing companies these days is very trying to say the least. In retrospect, keeping search engine marketing clients is hard as well sometimes as organic search engine marketing for some markets, areas, and keywords takes time. This is where paid search engine marketing services and pay per click marketing and advertising services come into play to fill the void if necessary.

If your business is in need of search engine marketing services from full service internet marketing companies, that can provide you with an effective web and mobile presence,
Please visit- www.LocalInternetMarketing.mobi
Written By-
JC
www.LocalInternetMarketing.mobi
1-888-800-7894

fUSB Serial Channel Buffer A Professional Device for Data Management

Toronto, Canada – GAO Comm (www.GAOComm.com) has announced the availability of its serial USB channel buffer, which is designed for the accumulation and delivery of data. It accumulates data from devices via RS-232 interface and downloads data to a computer via a USB port. The compact buffer supports transfer rates of 1200bps, 2400bps, 4800bps, 9600bps, 14400bps, 19200bps, 38400bps and 57600bps in data acquisition mode. This serial channel buffer is shipped with data control software that allows for flexible setting and adjustment of all data parameters. It supports a built-in flash memory capacity of 16MB. An LED indicates its status and free memory of the buffer. The USB serial channel buffer has low power consumption and does not require an external power source as it is powered through a COM or USB port. GAO Comm’s optimized buffer runs under Windows 98/ME/NT/2000 operating systems. Please visit http://www.GAOComm.com for more information or to purchase this product online. For any sales inquires please contact: 1-877 585-9555 ext. 601 – Toll Free (USA & Canada) 1-416 292-0038 ext. 601 – All Other Areas About GAO Comm GAO Comm (www.GAOComm.com) is an international leading provider of communication test instruments, equipment for the installation, testing and maintenance of communications infrastructures.

Good Reasons Your Business Start Up Will Benefit From Www.1stopstartup.com

You should already know the risks of being a startup company, as a small business. A lot of people have misplaced every thing that they had as a consequence of getting too much religious beliefs and not ample concrete ground work into their business. Cash is a deciding factor of running a successful business, so without it, one must improvise.

Putting on Too Many Caps Can Position You in the Bind

You are a little start-up organization. Your main concentrate must be on growing your product and brand or support acknowledgement. You are jogging the group but not each individual division. What you require are organization providers to assist you to on the way. If you did, youll realize you are saving more by outsourcing, you dont have the funding now to hire full time employees, and even.

Business People Have not enough Time on Their Palms

1stopstartup.com enterprise directory site web site truly is your one stop go shopping to connecting you to definitely the support you have to get your business heading. Instead of wasting time looking by means of many number of advertising and blind Google searches, attempting to find local service providers, they can be right here for you personally. Beneath are a number of providers that could fulfill your startup business needs:

Bookkeeping solutions

Business experts

Personal computer professional services

Charge card unit professional services

Visual design and style

Insurance policy

Business office items

Payroll professional services

Web page design

You can find no boundaries with Enterprise to Enterprise Advertising Group. Its simple and time powerful to select the support you want, your local area, and begin evaluating this business marketers good for you. Then, you get in touch with who you are interested in, not vice versa. This way, you can keep your time is commonly used correctly.

ADT To Put It’s Retail Security Suite On Show

ADT Security will showcase a new interactive display unit and demonstrate the futuristic capabilities of facial detection and tracking technology at the Retail World conference to be held in Sydney from June 27 to 29. While offering security benefits, both solutions promise to help retailers maximise profits through enhanced store intelligence and improved customer experience.

Ideal for department stores and consumer electronics retailers, ADT Security’s new Duonell Interactive Display Unit encourages customers to get hands-on with gadgets while they are switched on and fully functional. Where many stores hide expensive items such as cameras, mobile phones, GPS systems and other electronic devices in locked cabinets due to security concerns, this self-guided kiosk style unit enables retailers to openly display merchandise thanks to an in-built anti-theft device which emits a sound if a product is forcibly removed.ed.

In order to reduce customer waiting times and further encourage interaction, Duonell’s interactive touch-screen can be used to provide customers with important product information and video tutorials. Further sales growth opportunities can be achieved by using the touch-screen to display up-selling, advertising or promotional messages.

The Duonell Interactive Display Unit offers further benefit to retailers through valuable customer insights data. The unit’s computer system can produce downloadable reports that enable retailers to understand customer preferences and store activity, such as statistics about which products are more popular, and the average time a customer spends looking at each item.

Also on display at Retail World will be ADT’s facial detection and tracking technology which when used in conjunction with store performance analytics assist retailers in understanding more about customer behaviour than ever before imagined.

Capable of capturing visitor trend data such as traffic numbers, shopper direction, average time of stay and even demographics, these innovative new tools allows retailers to quickly spot trends, patterns and abnormalities so they can identify security issues and allocate resources accordingly.

Improved in-store marketing is another benefit, as retailers can then use the information generated to better structure messages, and place product and promotional items in areas receptive to their target market. Using discretely-positioned video sensors it is possible to analyse and count customer faces automatically, classifying them by age and sex. These advanced tools even have the ability to identify the number of viewers specific products attract and how many of these viewers then proceed with a purchase. Reports can then be generated which help retailers learn how best to engage and convert customers.

Retail World will be held at the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre from June 27 to 29, with ADT Security present at stands 2 and 3. As the exclusive worldwide distributor of Sensormatic Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS) systems, ADT Security will also have a range of the latest anti-theft tags, labels, pedestals and deactivators on display.

For more information call 131 238 or visit www.adtsecurity.com.au

Media – for further information please contact:
Corrina Anderson or Danielle Reckless, Write Away Communication + Events
Phone: 02 9978 1400 Email: ;
Tamora Wells, ADT Security
Phone: 02 9947 7239 Email:

Roadbase

Roadbase refers to the sub-layer material, and it is placed directly on top of the undisturbed soil so as to provide a foundation to support the top layer of the road.This is the main structural layer which actually has the load distributing properties and a good roadbase should resist the permanent deformation and also the fatigue cracking from repeated loadings. Building roads starts right from planning and here carefully choosing the materials for a good roadbase is very important. Now roadbase can be of different kinds. It consists of granular materials which are properly placed and compacted to form a stiff layer used in road construction. To ensure the adequate stiffness binding agents are usually added. A modified roadbase basically incorporate a small amount of a binding agent such as lime; a stabilized roadbase consist of a larger amount of binding agents such as cement, fly ash or slag, one at a time or in a combination.

When the roadbase materials are stabilized, they are always fed through a dedicated stabilization mixing plant or a pug mill. Within these plants, the material is fed into a mixing chamber and this is where water and binders are added in a set sequence. This is to allow uniform dispersion of moisture and the binding additives. The uniform mixing and distribution of the stabilizing binders is critical to the roadbase performance. The amounts of stabilizing binders added are based on either the percentage by weight or volume. Also, the road surface has two kinds of layers, a based course and the wearing course. Sometimes in very light traffic conditions only a single layer is present. Basiclly the purpose of it is not only to resist the abrasion by traffic, but to rapidly shed surface water also.
For the construction of the roadbase, the material usually consists of well graded stone and dust mix which is held together by bitumen. The base course macadam is also important as this provides ultimate endurance against wearing. We must have noticed fragmented roads here and there; this is largely due to the incorrect roadbase course being laid there. For the smooth and strong road surface it is imperative to lay the correct roadbase. In America, the most popular material used in construction of roads is fiber.
Talking of road surface there are various aspects. Sometimes, Aggregate Base (AB) is made by mixing different sizes of crushed rock together, for building a road. An aggregate is normally made from quarried rock or it is sometimes made from recycled asphalt concrete or Portland cement concrete. Also the broken stone or cinders used in the construction or repair of roads material used in construction of roads is often called as road metal. Apart from this there are various types of road surfaces being built depending upon the requirements but the roadbases are usually more or less the same.The different types of road surfaces are asphalt, concrete and composite etc.
While making the roadbases various compliances have to be followed. Its strength and quality is not measured by the percentage of binder is added to the material but by testing the unconfined compressive strength (UGS). It includes the compaction of stabilised roadbase at the proper moisture content, curing and crushing under the controlled conditions, to test the compressive strength of the material.
It is also important for the roadbase material to be properly supplied by the supplier. Hence one should explain the requirements to him clearly. If there is a slight discrepancy, in the percentage of materials added in the mix meant for building the roadbase, the quality and thus the end product may get affected. So for building the best quality roads it is important to build the best roadbase because it determines the overall quality of road and its sustainability in long run.

Seven Ways to Promote Innovation

Creating
a culture of innovation is perhaps one of the most important goals that
any business in Australia is looking for. Why not? Innovative people
are the key to the success of a company. The ideas they come up with,
the unique solutions to their problems, as well as the creativity used
to do it, can make all the difference to your business. And it can have a
huge impact on your lead generation campaign, since each business
prospect will present your telemarketing team various issues that will
need solutions. You want to get better sales leads? Then get innovative.
But how do you foster a culture of innovation in your attempts to more
sales leads?

Below are just a few steps:

1.Fan
the flames of passion – passionate employees feel that they must do
something great for the company. The passion to change the world, or
maybe the company they work with, is one of the most powerful drivers
for them to seek great solutions.

2.Reward creativity – we have
seen it in a lot of companies, how they want to innovate, but actually
punish those who do things differently. It is good to remember that
being innovative will require changes in what one usually does. Reward
creativity, either through public or private praise, perks, or maybe
that occasional bonus check and you will get better results for your
firm.

3.Encourage autonomy – just imagine what we will get if
Michaelangelo bowed down and followed the Pope’s idea on what to paint
on the Sistine Chapel, and you might get something too bland for your
taste. It is the same thing with your company. If you want to get good
B2B leads, then you have to give your team free reign on how to
effectively generate them.

4.Approve courage – one reason
creative ideas land up in the dumpster is because the people who thought
them up were discouraged by setbacks. Let your employees feel that you
will not judge them harshly. Instead, encourage them to take smart
risks, and whatever happens, be there to support them.

5.Fail
positively – sometimes, failing can put a damper in the creative and
innovative spirit of your employees. Once that happens, let them know
that you can do better, and whatever bad results you get could be
chalked up as a lesson to be learned. The point here is to keep going
until you succeed in reaching your goals.

6.Go to the basics –
why did you go into business? it is to succeed, right? Keep that mindset
and you will keep things going well. If a part of your business is
generating a lot of business leads, then try splitting them into two.
You can keep your people thinking of various ways to keep improving and
reaching the numbers again.

7.Promote diversity – you might be
surprised at the ideas that you might pick up in a diversified work
environment. People of different mindsets, cultures, color, gender, and
even sports teams can work together to come up with great solutions for
you business problems.

The only thing that remains is for you to put these steps into a reality.

Disadvantages Of Franchising Your Business

A franchise is a business arrangement in which the owner of a business (franchisor) grants certain rights of that business to another party (franchisee) in exchange for financial consideration. It is a common method of expanding a proven business, although it also has specific disadvantages. These primarily include the amount of preparation required to create a franchise, the reduction of income in the short term and the loss of control over the franchisees.

Preparation

Franchising requires considerable preparation in order to have the best chance of success. You will need to run a pilot operation separately from your main business for a sufficient period to ensure you are using a sound business model. This model must be simple to learn, yet not so simple that competitors can easily copy it. The following problems are common when preparing a franchise:

The business produces a widely available product.
The franchisors are not capable of running the business according to your model.
You incur a moral obligation to ensure the franchisee is successful.
Insufficient support staff during the franchise’s startup period.
Profit

The business must generate sufficient profits for franchising to be worthwhile for both the franchisee and franchisor. A business with low gross profits is usually a poor choice for franchising, unless you are able to generate turnover quickly. The franchisees must earn sufficient income to pay the franchise fee to the franchisor, while still making a profit commensurate with their investment of time and money. The challenges in making a sufficient profit with a franchise include the following:

Franchisees must remain competitive while still making the franchise fee
A high franchise fee reduces the pool of possible franchisees.
The branches of a franchise generally produce a lower income than company-owned chain.
The growth of the franchise depends on the franchisor’s ability to attract the qualified franchisees.
A franchise requires startup capital until it begins making a profit.
Control

The franchisor must give up a certain degree of control over the operation of the outlets. This creates the following requirements for the franchisor:

Conduct regular audits to ensure the franchisees do not underreport the receipts. This is essential, since the turnover determines the franchise fees.
Develop instruction manuals that describe your business model.
Engage in regular communcation with the franchisees to ensure they are following those instructions.
Allow franchisees to use the trademarks and business system of the parent company.
Conclusion

Franchising is most suitable for businesses with a high startup cost, such as Domino’s Pizza, Kentucky Fried Chicken and McDonalds. Small businesses typically have greater difficulty with duplicating their business models when they create franchises. This often means the franchisee spends too much time and money supporting the franchisors.

Internet And Network Marketing Education Max Steingart Vs. Tim Sales Review

We were recently introduced to Max Steingarts Endless Leads 4.0 Training Course by a leading internet and network marketing expert. While many are buying mlm leads or using expensive paid ads campaigns, Facebook and other social media make it easy to generate cheap mlm leads. Max’s method is refreshing, in that many online marketers and network marketers show few online “manners” and seem to have no clue about “relationship” selling. This article provides a review of what Max has to offer and its effectiveness vs. Tim Sales popular Professional Inviter training.

Max, as many know, bills himself as the Father of Social Media, due to the fact that he began using his current technique in the days of America Online. Max teaches basic skills he learned and perfected from such timeless classics as “How to Make Friends and Influence People,” first in the AOL environment and recently in social media such as Facebook and MySpace. Simply put, Maxs advice is to never expose or offer your network marketing business before a relationship exists. The focus is not on making a sale; rather if there is a sale that could be made. This is exactly parallel to what is taught in Tim Sales’ Professional Inviter to first find a prospect’s “need, want or desire” before making a “sales approach.”

So what about Maxs content? An understandable contrast is to primary mlm sales trainer Tim Sales, which makes the assessment fascinating. Though both are in network marketing, Tim has a much larger following and name recognition. After all, hes the creator of the very popular Brilliant Compensation video which makes the case for the viability of the network marketing industry. Robert Kiyosaki’s recent endorsement of the network marketing model is one of the only comparable works.

What is special about Max? On the surface, his training seems much more simplistic than the more academic approach used by Tim Sales. Perhaps this is more what is needed for true duplication of effort. In either case, specific methods, scripts, and approaches must be tailored on a case by case basis. We do think that the Max Method does truly reduce the amount of rejection encountered in the process. In Tims approach, the network marketing, or pyramid objection is addressed up front, which may actually raise it in cases where in may not have been present.

Another difference is that Maxs course is online vs. a CD set and has more extensive videos, which seem almost to be limitless. The sheer quantity of material has its advantages, although its easy to get bogged down, too!

Our favorite feature is the daily Ask Max sessions, which provide both a high repetition factor and an affordable “group” mentoring in real time. We dont know how long Max will be able to keep up this incredible pace, but we highly endorse his training for anyone that wants to learn from the innovative Father of Social Media, todays best strategies for generating cheap mlm leads. We also recommend Tim Sales training, but short of moving to Tampa and joining his team, he is much less accessible as a mentor.