Should I Hire an American Graphic Design Agency or Outsource Overseas?

Considering all the technology we have nowadays, outsourcing overseas seems to be a common choice. More and more American customers decide to look for freelance graphic designers or foreign agencies, mostly to save some money. But is outsourcing a good, cost effective idea or does it come with unforeseen issues?Regarding the prices in our industry, it is indeed possible to find it cheaper to work foreigners. However, keep in mind your money will contribute to a different country's economy instead of your own. And since we're talking about the costs, you should keep in mind that people who work in American agencies are well trained professionals that are committed to their work, therefore giving you your money's worth. Nowadays the American market is very flexible and offers quality work for competitive prices.Secondly, the language barrier is a common issue when it comes to outsourcing. Although there are many people that can speak and understand English, many of them will not fully understand the nuances. This often leads to longer conversations and explanations so that the people doing the job for you completely understand what you need. Working with an American graphic design agency, on the other hand, means having your project done in time by a team of professionals that understand exactly what you want, thus avoiding the stress of constant misunderstanding and additional explanations.Moreover, hiring an American graphic design agency means you're hiring someone who shares the same background and quickly understands your vision. It has been proven that it's harder for individuals to fully comprehend other cultures than their own; this means no one will be able to provide effective additional as well as someone who knows exactly what your culture is all about. Graphic design is one of the biggest tools you can use to enhance your business and the customer's perception of it, so make sure to choose the right people to take care of that for you.


Another thing to consider is the educational background of the people you hire. You want to make sure the people working for you know their business, have a strong portfolio and know graphic design subtleties like the back of their hand. It's true there are talented graphic design professionals all around the globe, but there are also thousands of beginners that can claim differently, and it's harder to check which one is right and which one isn't when you're outsourcing. Finding an affordable yet high quality service abroad can be stressful and time consuming.Last, but not least to consider is the availability of the ones working for you. American agencies are reliable from this point of view, since they share the same legal terms and probably the same time zone. When outsourcing, it's harder to keep control over your project, due to time zone differences and legal conditions. If there's an issue with your project along the way, there's no customer service department to complain to, you simply have to deal with the situation.All in all, hiring an American graphic design agency for your projects means less stress and more creativity from a team of well trained professionals that are efficient and always available for their customers, whereas outsourcing may be cheaper but can bring additional issues.

How to Lead and Avoid Being a Boss

Many people aspire to be a leader. They are not happy and will not stop until they have reached the top of their game. For some people, leadership comes naturally, while for others further measures must be taken to achieve their goals, such as going on project management courses. However you get there, once in a position of leadership there are many advantages to acting as a leader, rather than the boss.
Here are some strategies to use so that you can become a leader without being the boss:Listen
The most underrated communication skill is listening. People usually think that to get noticed in the workplace, they need to make constant verbal contributions. Leaders also often make the mistake of thinking it is only what they say or do that makes them a good leader. However, listening plays an important role in being a leader. It is this skill that is likely to gain you the most respect from colleagues. Also, by listening to what others say, you will be on the receiving end of innovative ideas and creative thinking that may improve the overall function of the team.Adapt Your Approach
Different situations require different approaches. A good leader is capable of being flexible and adapting their approach, rather than being rigid in their actions. Inflexibility and an unwillingness to adapt can put you very much in the position of being a bad boss rather than a great leader.Share Your Knowledge and Skills
A good leader will help others and make the most of a team by transferring their skills and knowledge to their employees and colleagues. Help your employees to reach their full potential by recognising their strengths and weaknesses and using your own strengths to improve their skills. If appropriate, set up some project management training to support your employees in learning new skills that may help them progress in your workplace.


Let Other Leaders Lead
If you are in a position where there are other team leaders or project managers below you, then it is important to let them do their jobs. You may be in a higher position, but they have been promoted to leadership positions for a reason. This is usually because they have the knowledge, experience and skills to do the job. Remember this and let them get on with it; they do not need you undermining their decisions or taking over their roles.Accept Responsibility
As a leader, it is important to know when you are at fault. Everyone makes mistakes so accept this. Do not try to apportion blame to other members of the team if an action was your decision. Your colleagues will have much more respect for you as their leader if you accept responsibility, rather than seeing you as the boss who finds a scapegoat.Even though you are a leader, you do not have to be seen as the boss, a label that sometimes has negative connotations. By following these tips and using your soft skills and your project management skills appropriately, you can get the respect of your team so that you can achieve greater success in your projects.

CRICOS Approved Hospitality Management Courses In Australia

The hospitality industry is full of opportunities. Those choosing to enter into the field have lots of options as far as the courses are concerned. Management courses in the industry are some of the most lucrative and popular for that matter. When thinking of getting training, it is not only important to make sure that you settle for a good school or college, but also ensure that you choose a hospitality management course that is approved by CRICOS.CRICOS stands for Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students. From the official Australian government site, you will find a listing of all approved education providers offering the approved courses in the country. Students on student visas must make sure that they get to enter into courses that are approved to have certificates and diplomas that are valuable in taking them higher in their careers. The hospitality courses that are approved by body include:SIT50313 Diploma of Hospitality: The qualification provides the knowledge and skills for individuals to be competent as managers in any functional area of the hospitality industry. The individuals' posses sound theoretical knowledge and be in a position to use specialized managerial and technical competencies to carry out, plan and also evaluate their own work and the work of their teams. Under this qualification, work can be in settings such as catering operations, hotels, cafes and pubs among others.SIT30813 Certificate III in hospitality (commercial cookery): The course is among the hospitality management courses that are approved. It offers knowledge and skills for the students to be competent qualified cooks. After the course, work can be in hospitality settings where foods are prepared and served. They include cafes, pubs, clubs, coffee shops, cafeterias and hotels and restaurants. The qualifiers could also be responsible for a team and required to provide technical advice and team support.


SIT30913 Certificate III in hospitality (Asian Cookery): It offers knowledge and skills for the students to be competent qualified cooks in Asian kitchens. After the course, work can be in hospitality settings where Asian foods are prepared and served. They include cafes, pubs, clubs, coffee shops, cafeterias and hotels and restaurants. The qualifiers could also be responsible for a team and required to provide technical advice and team support.BSB50207 Diploma of Business: This covers a wide range of business functions and settings. The individuals gain more business insight to make it higher in their careers. It is a course that is most suitable for those seeking to develop their skills in their respective business roles.BSB51107 Diploma of Management: This course is suited for individuals who have the ability to manage their own work as well as that of other people. It also revolves around adding value to practices of management with the qualifiers playing their roles in an industrial or organizational setting. Managerial positions require experience in the individual respective vocational areas of industries and this is what the diploma helps in.SIT60313 Advanced Diploma of Hospitality: It offers knowledge and skills to be competent senior manager in different functional hospitality areas. With the qualification, you can analyze, design and also execute judgment using technical, conceptual, creative and managerial competencies.

4 Tips To Increasing Your Output

In recent months I've been speaking a great deal to my client's about where they are focusing time and investment. The most commonly used acronym is PROTI. Potential Return On Time Invested. This is an important concept to understand when developing your business because it will help you to focus your energy into areas that will lead you and your business to a vision verses down a path that misaligns with your business focus. Traditionally, when we think of currency we all envision money. In more recent years this thinking has been changing to include time as a viable currency. We the pace of economy and the world speeding up one thing that we have less of is time. Time to spend working on our business verses in our business, time to spend with family and friends, and time to just create.This is why the concept of PROTI is so important for business owners. There are many things that can take your precious time away and keep you from moving quickly down the path of real business success. To help you focus these three tips will increase your skills of maximizing your PROTI:

Refer to your business Vision statement when making decisions on where to apply your time. Ask yourself if this endeavour is leading you towards your goals or not. If you do not have a vision statement creates one.

Plan out your time and stick to it. Make commitments with yourself by becoming organized and focused. We all like "free time" to just create and think but the reality is that without a plan you will not be as effective as you want to be. Use a calendar and schedule and block out your time. I find that even scheduling in creative time helps me to focus in the present knowing I will get my development time in the future.

Respect your client's time. Become an expert at facilitating a schedule. Your client's will appreciate the level of importance you place on their time and come back to you more often because you are prepared to get them what they require. In my work I focus on providing my client's great information in a creative setting. I offer a structure that is focused on their business but allows them flexibility to sway the momentum where it is needed.

Measure your success. When planning out your time it is invaluable to set yourself an expectation of what you hope to achieve. This is the toughest part of time management because it is about holding yourself accountable to a result when no one else is looking. I use a simple subjective scoring out of 10. If I achieve what I set out to I get a 10 if I fall short I record why and score accordingly. The point of the exercise is not to get the score perfect by rather to reflect on improving your thinking around PROTI.



By using these simple steps you can begin to focus in on the important things to getting your business and yourself to a state of desire results. It is not easy to begin this routine and also difficult to stick to it 100% of the time. One thing I always tell my client's, I guarantee that if you begin this process you will see an increase in results. I also guarantee that if you don't you can expect the same level of results you have been experiencing. It is up to you.

You're Way Too Nice to Be a Leader!

"You're Too Nice For Your Own Good!"A recent coaching client explained a concern as he moved into a high-level leadership role. He has frequently been told that he's just too nice to be a global leader at his organization. In fact, he's been warned that "people will eat you up!".Myth or Truth? I've thought about this a great deal over the past few weeks. Is it true that "nice guys finish last?" Where is that fine line between caring too much about people and allowing them to walk all over you?Working with this client has been fascinating as he completed a number of leader assessments, revealing a great deal about his personality, tendencies and preferences.Just like with this client, self-awareness is key to being a better leader. He learned a great about his:• Conflict style and preferences• Personality traits (strengths, challenges and core values)• Perception of himself versus others' perceptions of him (360 report)• Emotional intelligencePutting all this information together allowed him to see how being "a nice guy" is actually his greatest asset.Where's That Fine Line?Just like with my coaching client, it's important to know yourself and your tendencies. This is best accomplished by working through some high quality leadership assessments.Next, be clear about some essential elements in your role:• What are the expectations of your role?• What critical objectives must you achieve?• Who are your key stakeholders?• What relationships are essential to success in your role?• What else is absolutely critical to your success?• What's the "health" of your team?How do you know if you're being too nice... in fact what others might call a pushover?Signs That You're Being A Pushover


There are some clear indicators that you may be teetering too close to the extreme of being a pushover. Have you received feedback or questioned yourself on any of the following? Do you typically:• Easily accept excuses when others don't follow through on commitments?• Fall for any sob story that you're told?• Spend too much time involved in the personal lives of direct reports?• Make excuses for employees who aren't performing up to par?• Give in to almost every conflict (or at best compromise)?Signs That You're Nice AND A Skilled LeaderBeing a great leader involves caring about people--genuinely caring. It's nearly impossible to achieve the hard, quantitative results without caring about people. In the short term, some leaders (or shall I say managers) pull this off. In the long run, however, creating a high-performing and loyal team requires letting people know that they are valued and appreciated. Here are some clear indicators that you're a respected, "nice" leader:• Empathic--You sincerely care about the well-being of others (peers, direct reports, customers, etc.)• Great listener--You take time to listen to others' wants, needs, opinions• Make sacrifices --You go that extra mile to help others• Reasonable--When true emergencies arise, you're understanding and flexible• More concerned with finding a win-win solution than giving in when the stakes are highBottom LineAs with my coaching client, spend some time in self-discovery... that's the first step. Decide if you're too nice or if you're nice AND it's your greatest asset as a leader.The simple golden rule for leaders: Treat others with respect, really listen to understand and show your appreciation... always!

How to Tell Your Employees That They Are Being Immature

Every employee is bound to behave immature at some point when on the job. The question is, "How will management confront him or her to make it stop?" One will discuss this in more detail on handling it appropriately, so that there is a mutual understanding.Everyone has their moments. They could act irrational when under duress or for no reason at all. Through this, management can eventually find out what took place in the workplace without belittling the employee in the process.These are the steps on telling employees about their immature behavior. One, management needs to tell the individual in love. If they come across as heartless, then the employee may become apathetic. This can cause an enabling of the behavior; consequently, both would have to figure out the triggers in order to put an end to it. The absolute last resort is to terminate him or her, but one should do this only if a pattern remains, which could mean recommending counseling to break the cycle.Two, one should say the words bluntly without speaking intuitively. When a person goes around the subject, then the employee may not understand it; therefore, he or she should always speak slow and clear. This will prevent any confusion, so that the issue is solved immediately.


Three, those in management should warn the individual of the consequences of their behavior. By doing so, he or she is aware of what will happen in the future if it continues. They need to know those boundaries and expectations, so that it does not happen again. If anyone fails in this area, then management should get replaced with someone else.Four, management should always follow-up on the person by observing him or her over a period of a week or more to see if the behavior stopped. If it did not, then one should consider another method of discipline before considering termination.These are the necessary steps for management to put an end to immature behavior in the workplace. None of this will appear easy at the time; however, if the employee is committed to stopping it, then success will occur. Management should behave in love throughout the process, yet simultaneously not expect too much from the individual. Ultimately, this comes down to the individual who was behaving inappropriately, and whether or not they do choose to change in order to keep their position with the company.

Just Twenty Working Days Until Christmas! Make the Most of Them

With mid-November passing, it is dawning on many managers and their teams that there are now just 20 truly productive working days left before much of the world starts to shut down for the end-of-year holidays December 19. The question on these managers' minds:"How are we going to make the most of these few remaining productive days?"Each job has a different end-of-year challenge:

Sales usually has a quarter ending December 31, and perhaps a fiscal year, so the pressure to land a bunch of business will ramp up over the next four weeks. What can you do to move up the decision points before December 15 to make the holidays a bit more enjoyable?

Oil rig workers, production line managers and other operational employees may have fixed schedules, with December operating as a standard production month. But nailing down holiday needs for staff should be done together to productively mesh them to make December a smoother running month.

Collaborative teams in less structured environments need to figure out what can realistically be accomplished before the middle of December. And: What the holiday schedules are for their collaborators, suppliers and other partners? What does your team need from these people or companies before "shut down" on Friday, December 19?
Time to sit down with your team and run an honest triage on your remaining 2014 goals and objectives:

Which need the most attention? Which need a lot of focus to hit the year's final milestones?

Which are in good shape with continued attention?

Which can truly be left to pick up again on January 5?

Which are slipping into 2015 not by design, in part or in whole, and what are the hurdles or obstacles that are causing this drag on the schedule?

What can we do to make progress to make the entry into 2015 easier?

How will this be viewed by others? What do we need to communicate to stakeholders about our progress against goals and objectives?

Whom do we need to enlist to help us meet our goals? How shall we involve them?



Work with your team to create an action plan that is realistic, assign tasks to the people best positioned to work hardest on them (keeping work load even!) and game plan how to attract the support you need from other people before those important people get one holiday shopping foot out the door, and cannot give you their full attention.You are in this together. Your very selfish goal is to make the holidays a less stressful time for everyone by making the next 20 working days highly productive.Imaging how you would feel if your 2014 to-do list is largely cleared by December 19? What would the following two weeks be like with that much stress removed from your mind?Let's get cracking!