BUSINESS BOOK OF THE MONTH

‘Free Prize Inside’ By Seth Godin

All marketing students will know the prolific author Seth Godin, and probably have read his books ‘Purple Cow’ or ‘Permission Marketing’ (if you haven’t you should do so quickly before anyone realizes you haven’t!) His next read, ‘Free Prize Inside’ endeavors to offer ‘the next big marketing idea’.

Published in 2004 this bite size book is packaged in a cereal box with the book acting as the ‘free prize’. It can be read in a day or two and will get you itching to put its’ ideas into practice. Although pitched as a marketing man, Godin’s books, blogs, web presentations are interesting for anyone in business, which is everyone! He is a modern thinker and understands the modern consumer intimately, essential for us young movers and shakers in any industry.

‘Free Prize Inside’ is short and snappy in writing style, making it an easy read. It offers great practical advice in ‘cut out and carry with you’ form such as, ‘You can’t buy attention’ and ‘The harder you try to play it safe the more likely you are to fail’. He uses examples ranging from Redbull to David Letterman’s teeth to Yahoo! And demonstrates ideas in really simple graphs for visual people like myself!

In true marketing form he spends the first few chapters pumping up the book and how great it is that you’re reading it, someone bought it for you, you should buy it for other people etc. He includes a bit of business jargon some of which he has coined himself over the years such as, ‘champion’, ‘purple cow’, ‘edges’ but all in all very easy to understand.

My advice to best enjoy the Godin theology is to grab a copy of ‘Free Prize Inside’, skim over the headings, read the bits that sound interesting and sign up to his blog or watch some YouTube clips. However you do it, I hope you enjoy!

A Good Home Life with Housemates

After two years working in Real Estate I have heard a lot of bad housemate stories. Many tenants have had to leave houses due to messiness, inconsiderate noise, not paying rent on time and privacy issues. Apart from the odd unreasonable freak many of these household issues can be sorted out with a bit of ‘living’ preparation. Sit down and think about what is really important to you at home. Do you enjoy things being clean or would you rather live life and worry about the mess later? Discuss these things with your housemates at the beginning of the lease so everyone is very clear on everyone else’s expectations. Pin up these expectations somewhere communal so all housemates and their guests are reminded regularly. I have outlined some of the things I think are important to include.

Consider Other People and Their Belongings

§ Keep other housemate current with major life changes such as change of jobs, university courses, selling a car etc. as this may impact the whole house

§ When making decisions on or changing shared spaces such as where couches and TV’s are, or financial things such as internet you must consult with others and agree

§ Always ask to borrow clothes and personal items in person or via txt message

Guests are to be Respectful of Everyone

§ Guests are to be attended to by their host who is responsible for the guests behaviour

§ When returning home check if housemates are sleeping. If so, act quietly & SMS if anyone is staying over

§ Only people known/introduced to all housemates are allowed to stay over night

§ Guests may eat shared household and hosts personal food in moderation

§ If more then 5-6 people including host come over for a long period of time, a days notice to all housemates is required

§ If guests stay more then 3 - 4 nights a fortnight proportional contribution to household expenses is payable as agreed by housemates

Keep House and Housemates Safe at All Times

§ Locked and deadlocked front door when leaving the house empty

§ Front door is to be snipped locked so you can leave easy in case of emergency while people are sleeping

§ No spare keys are to be handed out to guests or hidden outside unless agreed to by all housemates

§ Do not discuss with others if the house is vacant or when a housemate is home alone for periods of time

All Bills to be Paid on Time

§ Rent paid weekly to main tenant

§ Water and Electricity and Gas to be paid quarterly by main tenant and reimbursed by each tenant pro-rata, according to period since commencement of lease

§ Use of utilities are to be used in reasonable amounts i.e. heaters, water, lights turned off when not in use

§ Gardening, shopping, shared household expenses to be recorded on household calendar and reimbursed monthly so each housemate has paid their share.

Household cleaning tasks to be shared among housemates

To be done fortnightly

Bathroom - Shower, Toilet, Sink, Floors

Vacuuming - All shared areas, and quickly in each bedroom

Outside – Watering, Mow lawns, Recycle bin out/in

Dusting - Surfaces, spider webs, books shelves

Moping – Tiled areas

To be done weekly

Outside – Garbage bin out/in

Lounge - Tidy and put personal items away when finished

Office - Tidy and put personal items away regularly

To be done daily

Kitchen

- Clean all dishes left in and around sink

- Stack dishwasher as you go and turn on when full

- Keep bench and table clear and clean each night

Top Ten Things Oprah Taught Me

Years of Oprah viewing has taught me many life lessons. From how to live my best life to improving relationships to staying fit, I am never short of an Oprah-ism for any occasion. So to save all you valuable time I have plucked out the top ten things Oprah has taught me from the hundreds of hours of Oprah gold. Enjoy.

1) Live your best life

The overriding message of the Oprah philosophy is based on the idea, ‘If you want the best the world has to offer, offer the world your best.’

Based on the Reverend Jesse Jackson quote and Sidney Poitier philosophy, ‘Excellence is the best deterrent to racism. Therefore, be excellent.’ I agree with Oprah when she says that, ‘this is the most fulfilling path to personal freedom.’

2) Believe Peoples’ Character Ideas

If someone tells you who they believe them! They know themselves better then you do.

When people make comments such as 'I'm selfish' or 'I'm mean', you can save yourself time and effort by believing them as they already know their own history and relationships.

3) Have Aha! Moments

The greatest enlightenment you can have as we learn about life is when you hear something and think, 'I never thought of it that way'.

If you can think of things in a different way it means you are growing and challenging your own ideas and removing prejudices.

4) Love Doesn't Hurt

Relationships should not physically hurt. Any guy who says he loves you but displays threatening or abusing behavior, is lying about the love.

Over 10% of females are said to have been abused by a male in a relationship. Many girls depend emotionally on men and stay in these relationships. Stand up for yourself, complete yourself and end the abuse.

5) You Teach Others How to Treat You

Eleanor Roosevelt famously said, ‘Nobody can make you feel inferior without your consent.’ Dr. Phil regularly asks his guests, ‘Where did they get the idea they could treat you so badly? From you! You let them do it.’

6) Be Grateful Everyday

Oprah believes the, ‘magic of gratitude’ is the more grateful you are, the more you have to be grateful for.

Hard core’s like myself keep daily gratitude journals and look for five things a day to be grateful for. Getting up in the morning is different when you are looking for grateful acts.

7) Eat Breakfast!

Eating breakfast is like starting the car engine in the morning, it gets the metabolism working.

Oprah’s buddies Dr. Oz and personal trainer Bob Greene insist we eat breakfast and exercise everyday to get the heart pumping and body running well.

8) Make Wildest Dreams Come True
A simple act of kindness or time can go a long way, making others and yourself feel like a million bucks!
The 20^th season of Oprah was all about Wildest Dreams and my favorite guest was Bernadette, an amazing Starbucks employee whom was supporting a family of twelve. Oprah swung in and helped her and her children, nieces and nephew and mother. I tear up remembering how overwhelmed with joy Bernadette was.

9) Surround Yourself with Beauty
Take time and care to make your home nice no matter what your budget is. Showing pride in your external world then allows you to look after your inner being.

Oprah talks about when she was younger and living in hardship she would find flowers to display or pin pictures up on the walls, anyway to show beauty around her.

10) Pay Debts Fast
Structure your repayments so you are repaying the loan with the highest interest rate off first.

Finance expert Suze Orman reminds us that many people make the mistake of repaying the loan with the largest amount owing first, forgetting the extra interest could be saved and help you pay off your debts faster!

Read the further articles and questions at www.nzgirl.co.nz! And while you're there sign up and check out their great fashion, travel and useful girl power advice!

MAY NZ GIRL Sneak Peak!

Q: Dear Frankie,

I have a rather strange and random ex boyfriend. We broke up at the start of the year and even though he lives overseas (which is why we broke up) we still keep in touch. After not hearing from him in two weeks, he randomly emailed me asking if I wanted to go on a ‘free no-strings attached, fun holiday’ with him! He said he’d fly me overseas and pay for everything! I still really care about him, but I have moved on, and I know it would never work between us (we tried long distance and it didn’t work). By the way he kept repeating the words ‘no-strings attached’ and ‘just fun’, I don’t think he wants to get back either (but it does sound like he wants some easy sex!).

It would be cool to hang out with him again and I would love a free holiday (who wouldn’t?!) but I’m worried that it might open up a whole can of worms… I’m scared I might fall back in love or want to try again… I really, really want to say yes (even though I realise it’s an international booty call!) but I’m not sure.

How would I explain it to my friends and family? And if I did go, how should we act? Like friends or ‘lovers’? Should I even go at all?! And what the heck is he even thinking offering?! Help a confused girl out!

A: Dear Confused,

An international booty call, how exotic?! WRONG! You didn’t say how long you were with him but to have moved on in five months is a fantastic feat! I wouldn’t jeopardize that for anything. I understand that lots of girls want to remain friends with their ex’s, but I have no idea why! But even if a regular friend invited you on a holiday you wouldn’t go if you knew there was a chance they would treat you badly, or heaven forbid use you for sex!

Why did he ask? Boys will always ask for two reasons; one, they want to make sure all possible options and doors are open as they are indecisive buggers and two, they don’t understand ‘getting over people’. It’s all very grey for them, they don’t label relationships like we do - ‘boyfriend’ ‘friend’ ‘ex boyfriend’, and conduct our behavior in accordance to the rules associated with that label.

But back to you! Yes, it might be cool to hang out with him again but it would probably be cool to have your mum make you a colorful birthday cake again, but we don’t do these things anymore, we’ve moved on! Follow your instincts; Oprah reminds us that a ‘maybe’ is as good as a ‘no’. Don’t fill your life with half experiences! If you think your family and friends would disapprove ask yourself why. Maybe they recognize he’s a bad influence on you? Or realise it will probably end in tears rather then a nice suntan?

I worry that for a holiday it would be more games then relaxing. If you did go the only way to act would be distant and detached so he knows you’re not interested in getting back together and shield yourself from getting hurt again. But where’s the fun in that holiday? Sounds like work to me! I’d rather wait until I could go on a holiday I paid for that fitted all my wants. Allow me to quote Destiny’s Child when I say, ‘The shoes on my feet, I’ve bought it, the clothes I’m wearing, I’ve bought it, ‘Cause I depend on me.’

Life is short and you are young. Don’t waste another second working on a jigsaw puzzle that you know is missing half the pieces!

Read the further articles and questions at www.nzgirl.co.nz! And while you're there sign up and check out their great fashion, travel and useful girl power advice!

Asking for a Pay Rise

Asking for a pay rise can often be daunting yet VERY IMPORTNANT. I often throw my hands up after the third parking ticket of the month and exclaim, ‘I wish I was rich…that would solve all my life problems!’ Usually a nearby slightly scared friend or family member will point out that parking in the right places might also help. Annoyingly I do agree with them, sometimes you must DECREASE your spending to save money, and sometimes you must also INCREASE your earning capacity.

As a student it is often hard to do either. Living on the ‘student knife edge’ where opulence and poverty can mean the difference between walking to uni and catching a tram. Demanding a higher wage can also be hard as you may be inflexible to your employers needs due to university commitments.

Student jobs can range from flipping burgers and making coffees to part time assistant roles and office jobs but no matter what industry or position you are in all jobs work on a basic supply and demand structure. It has been said that dirty, dangerous and demeaning jobs often pay best. Cleaning windows downtown pays well, but cleaning very dirty windows on the 80th floor pays better.

So, when thinking about approaching your manager or boss one good way to prepare yourself is to do your research. Ask yourself the following questions, have I demonstrated that I am competent in my role? Have I signed any sort of agreement that would limit my earning capacity? Is my direct manager the correct person to discuss this with? Or is the human resources department or store manager more appropriate? Be very careful with this questions as going above a mangers head can often damage your relationship with them and hard your chances of getting what you want.

The next thing to do is arm yourself with industry standards of pay, speak to the institution or association in the field you work in and ask them how the pay scale works. Find out where the industry skill shortages are, how you can fulfil them? Maybe you need to get another qualification, move interstate, change your pay structure from part time to casual or maybe you already have the skills and are working in the right place! Use this information to give yourself confidence when you approach your boss or maybe to realise that its time to find a new job!

When asking for a pay rise it is always good use inclusive word such as ‘we’, ‘us’ and ‘I’ a lot, ‘I feel I contribute a lot and we have achieved great results’ rather then, ‘Don’t you think I contribute a lot?’ Keep in mind THEY the employer must benefit from this rise as well. NEVER justify a pay rise by telling them how your personal expenses have gone up, ‘I’m paying back my HECS’ or ‘I’ve bought a car and need more money for petrol’. You must show them how they will benefit from you remaining with them or taking on additional responsibilities and tasks, ‘I have shown through my six months of work here that I am reliable and trustworthy and can therefore close the shop or help train the new workers.’

In terms of when to ask for a pay rise, timing is everything. When approaching your manager make it clear what you want, how to get it and a time frame. Ask your manager, ‘I wanted to map out my key performance indicators required to receive a $3 an hour pay rise at my next review.’ Then stay quiet. Let them talk themselves into helping you. My father always says, ‘the first one to speak in a negotiation looses.’ As an employee it can be tempting to settle for less then you want to avoid confrontation or discomfort.

To Feature in April RMIT Catalyst Magazine

BUSINESS BOOK OF THE MONTH

“BASIC BLACK: The Essential Guide for Getting Ahead at Work (and in Life)” By Cathie Black President Hearst Magazines

A friend recently passed on the book, ‘Basic Black’ to me touting it was a great and easy read and rare to find a female business women at the top of her game actually stand up and tell people about herself. I agree, most business books are written by men and many business autobiographies are about these men. It seems that once one achieves success of any sort they rush out and print a million hardbacks. Richard Branson has done it, Donald Trump seems to do it every year. But where are the women?

Cathie Black has released her business book with female style and is not ashamed to show it. She tackles female issues head on with a matter of fact manner that is liberating. These issues include how to compete in a male dominated field, how to use your female advantage, feelings of being intimidated, and managing personal pressures at home etc.

This considered it is certainly not for a female only audience. Black draws on her astounding four decades in the media business and has been described by the Financial Times as “one of the leading figures in American publishing over the past two decades” as the head of Hearst Magazines, one of the worlds largest publishers of monthly magazines.

The book itself has been translated into twelve languages and has seen great success in book charts around the world. Black breaks the chapters into practical case studies, tips and personal anecdotes with cameos of people such as Rupert Murdoch, Oprah Winfrey, Gloria Steinem, Francis Ford Coppola, Harvey Weinstein, and Al Neuharth.

A testament to her credentials, Black is one of very few who has appeared on Fortune magazine’s “50 Most Powerful Women in American Business" list every year since its 1998 début. What more do you need? Get out and read it!

Useful Relevent Links

Industry Based Learning
http://www.swinburne.edu.au/ict/ibl
http://www.anzgraduates.com.au
http://www.youthcentral.vic.gov.au
http://careers.deloitte.com/studentgrad.aspx

Industry Pay Levels
http://www.linkrecruitment.com.au (Salary Survey Snapshots)
http://au.hudson.com (Salary Guides)

Pay Rise Advice
http://www.seek.com.au (Winning salary negotiations)
http://www.careerone.com.au/jobs (Payrise, Video)

Industry Associations
http://www.graduateopportunities.com/industry_info
http://www.skillsinfo.gov.au

Reader Questions & Answers

Question

Hi Linda-Margaret,
My understanding of the Reserve Bank hiking interest rates up is that they are trying to curb inflation, which due to our booming economy (thanks to full employment among other things), is growing at too fast a rate. Therefore, the Reserve Bank uses interest rates to clamp on spending, to slow inflation down. Is this what is really happening? Do you think that people will turn to credit to make up the difference in spending, or curb their spending, as the RB want?
Also, it annoys me that the government doesn't do anything to support the RB like making an announcement to explain to the people about why interest rates are going up. Most people don't understand, and they think it’s just the RB trying to get more money. What do you think?
Juliet from Surrey Hills

Answer

Hi Juliet,
Great questions! Your right, the RB puts up interest rates to curb inflation and growth in consumer spending, by increasing mortgage repayments. The problem is the effect isn’t instant. This is the lesson learnt from the 1980's 'recession we had to have.' They jacked interest rates up then, when nobody changed they did it again, and again, and again. Interest rate rises can take 6-12 months to take effect. People struggle for a while, use their credit cards to get by then, as a last resort stop spending. We will probably see it get worse before it gets better I think.
It is true lots of people think the government controls interest rates. The government does very little to dispel this rumour while the rates are low and the economy is good. Reasons for interest rate changes are released by the RB after their monthly meetings on the first Tuesday of the month http://www.rba.gov.au/MediaReleases/2008/mr_08_03.html.
Cheers, Linda-Margaret