Tips for Mastering the Phone Interview

By Barbara Safani

Phone interviews are becoming more and more common as companies gain greater access to candidates and as more recruiters and hiring managers work from virtual office locations. On the positive side, with a phone interview you don’t have to worry about having your suit pressed, and you can have your notes right in front of you. On the flip side, it’s much more difficult to establish rapport and get a read on the hiring manager during a phone conversation.

Below are 10 tips to get the most out of your phone interviews.

1. Schedule the meeting during a time when you won’t be distracted.
   A phone interview should be scheduled like any other interview. At the designated appointment time, be sure the dog is in the backyard and someone else is watching the kids. Don’t add additional hassle to an already stressful situation. If a recruiter or hiring manager calls you without advance notice and wants to interview you on the spot, use caution. If the interview "conditions" are not optimal at the time of the call, it’s best to tell the interviewer that you are very interested in the position, but need to schedule another time to have a conversation. That time can be as soon as ten minutes later if that works for you -- just make sure that you can take the call without being distracted.

2. Conduct interviews from a landline.
   Cell phones are a boon to modern communication, but the quality is still not the same as that from a land line. The last thing you want to do is frustrate the recruiter or hiring manager with a bad connection. Using a cell phone means you have a greater chance of getting distracted by multi-tasking when your attention should be completely focused on the interview. A landline forces you to stay in a relatively stationary locale. Plan your interview from a reliable phone line.

3. Create an office space.
   Dedicate an area as your office. This area could be as simple as a card table with a phone and your documents. Conduct your interviews from your "office". Being seated at a desk or table allows you to create an environment similar to an in-person interview.

4. Put a mirror in front of you.
   This helps you focus, and it anchors your conversation to the visual representation of a person. Monitoring your facial expressions helps you see if you are communicating your enthusiasm to the recruiter.

5. Have a glass of water nearby.
   If your throat is dry or you get a tickle you can take care of it before it turns into a cough and disrupts the flow of the interview.

6. Have your notes in front of you.
   A phone interview is like an open book test. You can have your research about the company and answers to potential interview questions right in front of you. Try organizing your key information on colored index cards by category so you’re not fumbling through papers in the middle of the interview.

7. Vary your voice.
   Since the other person can't see you, it’s critical that you vary the tone and cadence of your voice to communicate interest and develop rapport.

8. Use pauses effectively.
   Pauses in an interview situation are always difficult, and they can be especially awkward during a phone interview since you can’t judge what the interviewer is thinking by their body language. Rather than wondering what the person on the other end of the line is doing (or even if they’re still there!) use the silence to ask a question. For example, if the interviewer has just asked you about your strengths and your response is met with silence, make that an opportunity to ask a question like "What are the key strengths of your ideal candidate?" This tactic both takes care of the silence and allows you to learn more about the position.

9. Don't multi-task.
   We have grown so accustomed to multi-tasking; however, as mentioned in tip #2, it can be counterproductive during a phone interview. Don’t check your email or stick a casserole in the oven while you are engaged in a phone interview. Act the same way you would for an in-office interview, and maintain your focus.

10. Practice.
    Record some of your answers to prospective interview questions. Play them back and critique yourself. Are you easy to understand? Are you talking too fast? Is your presentation riddled with long pauses and "ums?" Do you communicate interest and enthusiasm? If necessary, rework your answers and your overall presentation.

Barbara Safani, owner of Career Solvers, has over ten years of experience in career management, recruiting, executive coaching, and organizational development. She is a triple certified resume writer and frequent contributor to numerous career-related publications.

6 SEO Blogging Tips

Blogging can help you acquire traffic and elevated search positions. Blogs are a great first step. WordPress is a popular option that has an open source development community and several cool and powerful plugins. You get an RSS feed infrastructure and a place for embedding not only text content, but also video streaming and audio podcasts.

To take full advantage of social media optimization, here are six things you should do:

1. Set up your WordPress blog.
If you're running a business and want to start building your own authoritative blog, I recommend using a trusted hosting partner like GoDaddy.com. It takes about 10 minutes to set up. Apply for a Linux-hosted account, since WordPress isn't compatible with Windows. Unless you have a unique domain set up for this, I suggest adding the blog as a directory of your domain: your-site.com/name-of-blog-with-keywords. TypePad and the Movable Type blog system are other free services. Blogger.com--Google's platform--is free, and Yahoo! Small Business has a variety of options to select from as well.

2. Add content.
Add a blog post once every week or more to start. Frequency is important to search engines, and users will come to expect regular updates. When you add content, make sure you add the tags and category. Tags and directory structures help show the search engines what your post is about. To get ideas for content, look up article directories EzineArticles.com and GoArticles.com. If you copy the entire text, include the author's bio box and be aware that Google may catch you for duplication of content. A better way is to start with the article ideas, change the content and make comments about the article, while still referencing the original author.

If you have more money than time, have someone from RentACoder.com, Elance.com or Guru.com write it for you. You can also look into private label rights articles, but watch for duplicate content there, too. eBay has a lot of these types of articles available, but try to make them your own. If you're in the B2B arena, you hopefully have good marketing and information-based materials you can reinvigorate for your blog.

3. Manage RSS feeds.
RSS is an easily tracked and managed XML-based file structure that allows compatible web systems to read the data. Get an account with Technorati.com and update them with your site feeds--also known as pinging. You can also use FeedBurner.com and OnlyWire.com to help distribute content and PingOMatic.com and Pingoat.com to alert systems that you've made a new post.

4. Promote your blog.
Always leverage the search engines when you can. Conduct solid keyword research to find out what people are searching for within your niche. Use the Overture search tool and look for longer keyword phrases rather than starting with the most competitive keywords. Include these keywords in the titles of your posts.

If you're active in the online community, visit related forums and other blogs to exchange dialogue and links. Make sure to tag everywhere and try to get a listing on Digg.com, as well as del.icio.us, reddit.com and MySpace.com. Educational content, such as "how to" articles, tend to be very popular.

5. Leverage podcasts and videos.
Podcasts are a simple way to provide more detail and personalization around your company or service. The MP3 format can easily be streamed for listening on the web and from your blog. You can podcast your files and even manage them via iTunes. You also can stream video into your visitors' homes and let them watch it on their Apple TV, a recently announced product.

6. Optimize your WordPress blog.
A blog should be optimized for users, search engines and income, in that order. A professional-looking blog is important. Look for clean sites--a white background works well--at the WordPress Theme Viewer site. Some of the themes are less SEO-friendly than others. Add a form to capture names and e-mails to build your e-mail list. For SEO, change your permalinks to this custom option: /%year%/%monthnum%/%day%/%postname%/ and enable the customizable permalinks. This is a search-engine friendly URL that's commonly used.

As I mentioned earlier, WordPress has a number of powerful plugins to consider. Here are some to start with:

• Google Analytics--tracks everything on all pages
• Chicklets--an array of social media tags for your users, including RSS reader icons
• AdSense Deluxe--for publishing ads on your site
• Google Sitemap Generator for WordPress--creates a sitemap for your site
• Akismet spam filtering--filters link spam from blog comments; requires WordPress API key
• SEO Title Tag--easy optimization of title tags across your WordPress blog
• Ultimate Tag Warrior--incorporates the tag name into title pages on tagged pages
• Podpress--everything you need for podcasting

More plugins are available at the WordPress plugin directory.

After you're set up, follow the basic rules for long-term success:

• Do not use Black Hat SEO--unethical techniques--to stuff keywords and duplicate content in your blogs.
• Provide value through quality content. If you're selling something, don't be pushy. Try to provide educational and constructive comments on products, services and competitors.
• Use the chicklets you see on many blogs, including a big button for your RSS feed, so visitors and search engines can easily get to your data.
• Place strategic AdSense components to generate money for yourself, while still providing value. Don't feel bad; big companies do it, including news outlets like CNN. Match the text and color with the layout of your site. Over time, you may get a check from Google.

source: http://www.entrepreneur.com
By Jon Rognerud

How to Lose Customers

by John Mehrmann

Have you found that you have just too many customers? Are you looking for a way to get rid of some of those pesky customers who seem to keep coming back and taking up all of your time? Would you like to have time to do more important things, like spend your time trying to get new customers, rather than spend so much time taking care of existing customers? Have no fear, we have gathered some of the top ten tips for weeding out the heard and getting rid of customers.

1. Play games with their finances, avoid paying rebates or ignore discounts
2. Lie to your customers or intentionally mislead them
3. Forget previous promises and refuse to live up to your commitments
4. Make false claims or advertising about your products or services, practice "puffery"
5. Make it virtually impossible to get in touch with a human being, add more menu options to answering services do not return messages
6. Disrespect your customer, pretend they are not there, ignore them, be rude or condescending
7. Blame problems on company policy or coworkers, take whatever tact is necessary to avoid personal responsibility
8. Remind your customer that you are the only option
9. Assign numbers to your customers and avoid using their names, make them look for their number
10. Tell them to quit whining because there are other customers who have the same problem or have it much worse

Have you tried any of these tactics with your customers already?

If you are not trying to give away your customers to your competition, what are you proactively doing to insure that the opposite approach is being taken? It is not just a matter of trying to avoid these top ten tips for thinning the customer herd, it is about proactively doing the opposite. The odds are that several people in your organization are already practicing one or more of these top ten tips. What can you do to instill a culture that embraces a well defined alternative approach?

The odds are even greater that many members of your competition are practicing several of these top ten tips for getting rid of customers. As your competition becomes more prolific at practicing the art of losing customers, what can you do to create an environment that rewards associates for embracing and evangelizing customers?

There is a very simple barometer for measuring which side of the customer-centric fence your organization inhabits. Just ask this one simple question, "What gives you a greater sense of satisfaction, getting rid of an annoying customer or keeping one?"

• Act responsibly to protect the finances, assets and investments of your customer, they are investing in you
• Be honest and trustworthy, especially when it seems uncomfortable to do so
• Only make promises that you can keep and then keep them
• Exercise Truth in Advertising
• Design automation for customer ease and convenience, not for avoidance
• Treat customers with courtesy and respect, they are your shareholders
• Take ownership and command to find solutions and then coordinate internally if other resources are necessary
• To keep the competition away you need to 'win' your customer with every contact
• Numbers and Accounts are for identification, but authentic relationships are for people
• Listen

Words of Wisdom

"Sow good services; sweet remembrances will grow them."
- Madame de Stael

"Always render more and better service than is expected of you, no matter what your task may be."
- Og Mandino

"Quality in a product or service is not what the supplier puts in. It is what the customer gets out and is willing to pay for. A product is not quality because it is hard to make and costs a lot of money, as manufacturers typically believe. This is incompetence. Customers pay only for what is of use to them and gives them value. Nothing else constitutes quality."
- Peter Drucker

Source: http://www.businessknowhow.com
by John Mehrmann

Top 10 Popular Inventors

The top ten most popular inventors. The following popular inventors were determined by reader usage and research demand.

1. Thomas Edison 1847-1931

The first great invention developed by Thomas Edison was the tin foil phonograph. A prolific producer, Edison is also know for his work with lightbulbs, electricity, film and audio devices, and much more.

2. Alexander Graham Bell 1847-1869

In 1876, at the age of 29, Alexander Graham Bell invented his telephone. Among one of his first innovations after the telephone was the "photophone," a device that enabled sound to be transmitted on a beam of light.

3. George Washington Carver 1864-1943

George Washington Carver was an agricultural chemist who invented three hundred uses for peanuts and hundreds more uses for soybeans, pecans and sweet potatoes; and changed the history of agriculture in the south.

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4. Eli Whitney 1765-1825

Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin in 1794. The cotton gin is a machine that separates seeds, hulls and other unwanted materials from cotton after it has been picked.

5. Johannes Gutenberg 1394-1468

Johannes Gutenberg was a German goldsmith and inventor best known for the Gutenberg press, an innovative printing machine that used movable type.

6. John Logie Baird 1888-1946

John Logie Baird is remembered as the inventor of mechanical television (an earlier version of television). Baird also patented inventions related to radar and fiber optics.

7. Benjamin Franklin 1706-1790

Benjamin Franklin invented the lightning rod, the iron furnace stove or 'Franklin Stove', bifocal glasses, and the odometer.

8. Henry Ford 1863-1947

Henry Ford improved the "assembly line" for automobile manufacturing, received a patent for a transmission mechanism, and popularized the gas-powered car with the Model-T.

9. James Naismith 1861-1939

James Naismith was a Canadian physical education instructor who invented basketball in 1891.

10. Herman Hollerith 1860-1929

Herman Hollerith invented a punch-card tabulation machine system for statistical computation. Herman Hollerith's great breakthrough was his use of electricity to read, count, and sort punched cards whose holes represented data gathered by the census-takers. His machines were used for the 1890 census and accomplished in one year what would have taken nearly ten years of hand tabulating.

Source: http://inventors.about.com
From Mary Bellis

The Power of Your Business Card

Here are proven ways to supercharge your business card into a powerful business tool.

Use the back of the card to include sales info.
Good marketers know that customers need to be reminded at every opportunity how your product or service will help them. Even though business cards are small, you can still include some information on the back of the card that will remind customers how you are unique, better, and valuable. You could include a short bullet list of features and benefits. You could display some stats and figures, mention awards your product has won, or list a brief testimonial or two. Just a little bit of extra sales information can make a big difference in building relationships and encouraging sales.
Use the back of the card as an appointment card
Dr.'s and dentists do this frequently. But other businesses can use the same concept. Sales people of all kinds, realtors, consultants, professionals and more can use the back of their business cards as an appointment card. This is a good idea for several reasons. First of all, it increases the likelihood that a prospect will keep your card close by - at least until you have the appointment. Second, it gives you a reason to give customers more than one business card. The more cards they have the more likely they are to always have one handy when they need it. This is especially important if they are referring you to a friend or relative. They may have an extra card of yours laying around that they can give to someone.

Use the back of the card as a map to your store
Maps are important for people who are new to the area, or people who aren't familiar with your part of town. Also, with just a mailing address listed on the front of the card many people don't know exactly where you are. A map will clear that up and again help increase the chances of them hanging on to your card

Place a 12-month calendar on the back of your card
This is a very clever technique that is sure to have people keeping your card handy at all times. Believe it or not a 12-month calendar fits nicely on the back of a standard size business card.


source: http://www.associatedcontent.com/
pic: http://www.monash.edu.au/

Simple Financial Steps to Prepare for the Unexpected

When it comes to money, many of us are just happy to pay the monthly bills and have a little left-over to play with. Though it's not fun to think about, life comes at us and without a little foresight on the financial front, a financial disaster may be looming in your future.

On the bright side, there are several steps you can take to lighten the potential load and protect your financial future right now in the case of an unforeseen event such as a divorce, widowhood, or disability.

Following any of the four steps listed below will immediately put you in a better economic position and in many cases, those who may have to pick up some of the financial pieces will be grateful you took the time to prepare for the unexpected.

Make a record of your obligations

If you pay the bills, take time this month to record each one in a spreadsheet. Make note of payee addresses, phone numbers, account numbers, outstanding balances, and minimum monthly payments. Be sure to include electronic debits (such as car payments, health insurance, and so on) that may be deducted automatically from bank accounts or paychecks. Also include seasonal payments such as home owner's insurance or property taxes.

When you are finished recording, store the information in a safe place such as a safety deposit box or fire-proof safe. Let your significant other, and one other person of your choice, know where this information is stored.

If you do not pay the bills, ask your partner to make the list or actively involve yourself in the bill paying process for one month.

This simple step can save a lot of time, financial hazards (such as late payments/foreclosures/etc.) in the event something happens to prevent you or your significant other from carrying through with monthly obligations. This step will also give you a clear picture of your expenses and as a side result, you may find areas where you can cut expenses too.

Pay off as many obligations as possible

Not only will this help your pocket book and possibly your credit score immediately, but it will make matters that may arise in the future less complicated. Forego the daily latte or visit to the donut shop and use the money you save to pay down your credit obligations. Even $20 a month extra will make a dent over time, bringing you closer to financial freedom and leaving less obligations for you or your family to deal with in the event of a crisis.

Obtain credit.

Perhaps a funny suggestion to make after just suggesting that you pay off your obligations, but, if you do not have any credit in your name alone, you could have problems accessing funds in the case of an emergency or unforeseen events. It's also a good idea to have a checking account with your name as the primary holder and to be sure that all your bank accounts are joint ones.

Make a record of important family information

Up to date records are crucial to have for many reasons, but are particularly helpful when dealing with unexpected events. Make a list of the following items today, if you do not have one already:

1) Bank account numbers (including investment accounts,) bank address & phone, and any passwords on the account

2) Bond numbers, amount, and maturity date

3) Stock certificate numbers, amount, and company information

4) 401K plan numbers, company address & phone, and any other pertinent information

5) Insurance policy numbers, company address & phone, and designees

6) Automobile and recreational vehicle VIN numbers and location of titles7) Add additional information as it pertains to you, such as business holdings, tax id numbers, and so forth.

When you are finished recording, store the information in a safe place such as a safety deposit box or fire-proof safe. Let your significant other, and one other person of your choice, know where this information is stored.

You may also wish to store wills, tax records, automobile titles, marriage certificates, and other items of significance in the same location.

A little foresight will go a long way towards helping to deal with unexpected events as they arise, for you, or for your loved ones.

Source: http://www.associatedcontent.com/

How to Start A House Cleaning Business

Simple Steps

One of the main reasons people start businesses is to make money. For some it’s a blessing to make money doing something they love. I’m not saying that you have to love house cleaning in order to have a successful house cleaning business; however it would be a good idea if you didn’t hate it.

How much money you make depends on how big you want your business to be. It could be a one person operation where you set up at home and service areas close to home, or you could set up a commercial office and hire people to work for you.

Here are 7 simple steps to get you started on your own house cleaning business.

1. Decide exactly what kind of house cleaning services you will offer.

Here you decided what cleaning you will do, like making beds, vacuuming, mopping and waxing floors, dusting and so on. Also note what you won’t do, e.g. laundry. You can also decide to specialize, e.g. by cleaning carpets only, or cleaning suspended ceilings only.

2. Pricing your housecleaning service.

To have an idea of how to charge for your housecleaning service, use your competition. Check your telephone directory and the classified ads section in your local newspapers for cleaning businesses, call them up (pretend to be a prospective client) and find out exactly what cleaning services they offer and how much they charge. With this information gathered decide the best price to charge for your cleaning service.

3. Workout startup costs.

For this you need to consider, tools, material, transport, advertising, insurance etc. Write down a list all the tools and material you need, like cleaners, sponges, mops, carpet cleaning equipment etc. Next find out the cost of each item on the list and write it down next to the item.

Transport: you will have to estimate your costs here. You see it depends on where your client is located and your means of transportation to get to your client. (Having your own vehicle would be to your advantage).

Advertising: You can use free advertising (word of mouth) and paid advertising (classifieds, telephone directory ads etc). Phone calls to your local newspaper and the telephone company who publish your telephone directory will tell you the cost of placing ads.

Once you’ve gathered all this information, calculate your total startup costs.

4. Name your business.

Choosing an appropriate name for your house cleaning business is important. Here are a few examples I got of the internet, ‘Maid Brigade’, ‘All Shine Cleaning’, ‘White Glove Cleaning Service’. Please avoid using ‘Your Name Cleaning Services’. Using your own name as part of your business name is over done by many house cleaning businesses. Brainstorm and come up with a name that helps you stand out of the crowd.

5. Learn the zoning regulations of your community.

Check the city clerk’s Office or your local library for a copy for a copy of the zoning laws governing your community. Your reason for doing this is that some zoning regulations prohibit home businesses in a community.

6. Do a few free cleaning jobs.

Well you’re not actually doing them for free. You’re doing them in exchange for references (these add to your credibility for future paying clients and are invaluable). You can offer these free cleaning jobs to friends, non profit organizations in your communities etc.

7. Get your first paying client then get another and another and another and so on.

Tell everyone you know that you’ve started a cleaning business and place ads in the local newspapers. In the beginning you need to spend most of your time and money getting paying clients. However, the more clients you get the less time and money you spend on marketing and more time you spend on cleaning and making your clients happy.

This is just the beginning. Once you start making money take a house cleaning business course to help you better manage your business in terms of growth, accounting, taxes, insurance better marketing strategies and more.

source: http://www.housecleaning-tips.com/

Idea -- Low-Cost Marketing

Growing companies trying to figure out how to make a splash in the marketplace sometimes pay consultants thousands of dollars for advice on the subject. And they get suggestions that will cost them even more.

But if you're clever and ambitious, there are plenty of ways to get noticed without spending a bundle. If you haven't tried these seven "guerrilla marketing" ideas, you're not really trying:

1. Press Releases. Write and distribute press releases that are newsworthy, and send them to newspapers, magazines, and television and radio stations. If only one media outlet airs the story, you'll have free access to thousands of people. Design the headline to grab readers' attention in as few words as possible. Use active verbs. Get to the point quickly, with a lead sentence that will draw the reader into a convincing piece.

2. Trade Shows. Renting space at a trade show can be expensive, but the best shows are a great way to build your business. Have plenty of promotional materials ready to hand out to interested people. When the show's over, follow up. Call your leads in order of importance, but get in touch with all of them within seven days. Above all, keep every promise made at the booth.

3. The Internet. Establishing a home page for your business is relatively inexpensive and can reach many people. Use newsgroups that focus on areas similar to your line of business to draw attention to the site. Always include a phone number or email address so that interested visitors can contact you. If you are a retailer, consider putting photographs of your products online, even if you're not ready to let people to order your wares over the Internet.

Advertising on Google and other search engines can be an easy and surprisingly inexpensive way to drive a lot of potential buyers to your ecommerce Web site. Read the AllBusiness.com Buyer's Guide "The Scoop on Search Engine Marketing" to learn how it works and follow a step-by-step guide to getting started.

4. Direct Mail. Direct mail results depend largely upon how much you're willing to spend on finding your target market and delivering quality materials to them. The per-customer cost is much higher than you'll pay for print ads, but if you create a finely tuned list of recipients, you will reach more highly qualified prospects. Few small firms are qualified to do their own direct mailings, so find a reliable specialist to do the work for you. Interview at least three or four mailing list vendors before you commit your money to a direct mail campaign.

5. Yellow Pages. Most ads get turned into fishwrap within days, but consumers hang onto the yellow pages all year. Remember to cross-reference your listing. If you do yard work, for instance, list your business under landscaping, maintenance and home improvements. You want your ad to stand out, so consider springing for a larger ad or perhaps even hiring someone to design it.

6. Public Service. This is a great chance to do well by doing good. Sponsor the Special Olympics or participate in the annual Rotary Club Christmas Tree sale in your area. Donate your product to local charities or speak to students at area schools about your business. All of these are terrific ways to position your company in a positive light in your community.

7. Games and Premiums. Periodic prize drawings can help create interest in a retail store or other business. Promotional materials like T-shirts, coffee mugs or pens emblazoned with your logo also help spread the word.

source: AllBusiness.com

How to Start a Catering Service

Starting a catering business from home can be a great career for people that enjoy planning, cooking and working with customers. The job of a catering business from home is to ensure the meal, appetizers, desserts and drinks are perfect for the client’s event. Catering services are used for conferences, birthdays, anniversaries, and, of course, weddings.

In fact, you can specialize by doing only wedding catering and keep yourself busy and your catering service growing. You need to be creative and have a great deal of knowledge about food. However, this is just the tip of the iceberg. Catering can be hard work.

The first step in starting catering company is to create a catering business plan. This plan will be needed if you try to get a loan to help your catering business get off the ground. It will also help you organize yourself and your business, by answering questions, and ensuring your services are professional and dependable.

When you start a catering company you will be required to have many licenses and certifications, and must adhere to Health Department regulations. You will need to contact your local Health Department for the specific regulations, certifications, licenses, and insurance information for your area. The Health Department also usually requires an inspection of the area to be used for your catering business.

With your catering business start up, you have to decide what types of food you are going to offer. Once you have decided on the food, you need the equipment to prepare the food and a way to transport it. Some places you will be working will have a kitchen that you can use for final preparation, but the majority of work will be done at your location.

If you don’t have a background in cooking or if you want to be able to get more creative and exotic, you may want to look into cooking classes at a local community college or even a culinary college. You may be able to find a culinary college that offers classes in catering business management. Being able to attend those types of classes, as well as cooking classes would be beneficial and relieve a lot of stress.

Once you have your training, certifications, insurance, and you have complied with the local Health Department and any other government regulations, you are ready to finalize what catering services you will provide and the associated fees. The best way to get this information is to contact some local caters. Find out what they offer and their fees. Do the same with any restaurants that offer catering services.

Marketing of any business can seem almost impossible. However, you have many options. You can write a press release for local newspapers and radio stations. You can offer your catering services to fund-raising events. You can invite wedding and event planners to a tasting of some of your food. If they know your work, they are more likely to hire you. Once you get your catering business name into the community, your best advertisement will be word of mouth.

Now you know just a few things about how to start catering. If you’re still interested then your next step is to get more information about the industry and the training required. There are plenty of books, such as the Complete Idiot’s Guide and other similar series that can help you get started. You should also subscribe to industry magazines to stay ahead of the trends and your competition. The internet is another great place to find information, recipes, trends and other issues of catering services.

The last step is to do it. Whether it is just part time or full immersion, remember that through all the hard work that in the long run it will be worth all the effort. People will always need catering services. The potential for growth in this industry is unlimited. There is always room for one more catering business to share the wealth.

source: http://EzineArticles.com/

Idea -- Best Business Ideas 2007

Get fired up! Ignite your business dreams and your profits with our inside look at the hottest trends and the 28 best business ideas for 2007.

Food Businesses

• Coffeehouses
• Chocolate
• Burger restaurants
• Healthy food
• Wine
• Dessert-only restaurants

Environmentally Friendly

• Green products
• Alternative energy

Science and Technology

• Bluetooth gear
• Home automation and media storage
• Virtual economies
• Nanotechnology

Senior Services

• Nonmedical health care
• Transition services

Healthy Ideas

• Niche gyms
• Inclusive design

Kid Businesses

• Education and tutoring
• Sports education
• Kids' cooking
• Teen party planning

Human Resources

• Employee screening
• Staffing services

More Hot Ideas

• Specialty apparel
• Plus-sized productsPublish
• Baby Boomer career counseling
• Expanded living spaces
• Home party sales

resource: http://www.entrepreneur.com/