See If Commission Pay Is Right for You

See If Commission Pay Is Right for YouSee If Commission Pay Is Right for YouSome types of jobs, particularly those in sales and marketing, offer commission pay, either as the employees sole earnings orin addition to a base salary. What is commission and how is it paid? A commission is a sum of money that is paid to an employee upon completion of a task, usually the task of selling a certain amount of goods or tafelgeschirrs. It can be paid as a percentage of the sale or as a flat dollar amount based on sales volume. Employers often use sales commissions as an incentive to increase worker productivity. When a commission is paid in addition to a salary, it may be included in the employees paycheck or, paid on a separate schedule, usually bi-monthly or monthly. Types of Commission The basic kinds of commissionpaid to employees include the following Base salary plus commission. Preferred by many employees, this guarantees the employee a guaranteed base salary, plus a percentage of th e sales that they make during a given period. The advantage for the employee is that they can rely on their base salary during leaner sales periods. There is always fluctuation in sales during the course of the year, regardless of the product or tafelgeschirr. The employer has the advantage of being able to set the base salary somewhat lower, given that the employee has the ability to earn mora based on their performance and ability to sell. In this type of structure, the percentage of the sales earned by commission will tend to be somewhat lower than that earned by employees working strictly on commission. Straight commission. This means that the employee earns their entire salary based on a percentage of the sales they complete. This can be a very lucrative arrangement for highly talented and motivated salespeople. The percentage they earn on each sale tends to be higher than if they are receiving a base salary, and in some cases will increase after they achieve a pre-determined g oal. Draw against commission. Some employees working on straight commission are able to draw against their commission, which means that at the beginning of a pay period, they are allotted a certain amount of money, called a pre-determined draw. Of course, they need to pay back the employer at the end of the pay period. In this situation, anything earned above the draw is the salary. This carries some risk to the employee because if they dont have a successful period, they can end up owing the employer money. Residual commission. Sometimes commissioned salespeople can earn a residual commission on their clients goods and services for as long as the client continues to purchase from the company. This is common in insurance companies, where the salesperson would continue to receive a percentage of their clients payments for as long as the client stays with the company. In the best case scenario, the salesperson might continue to receive a residual commission even after they move to ano ther company. How Much Commission Can You Earn? The commission earned is often variable, regardless of whether the employee is paid a base salary or purely commission. The rate or percentage of compensation may depend on the type of product or service sold. It may increase incrementally after reaching certain sales goals, either by a dollar or unit amount. When you are offered a job with commission pay, make sure that you understand fully all the variables that will affect your take-home income. Benefits of Commission-Based Compensation Working for commission pay has many advantages for highly motivated and talented salespeople. However, remember that developing a clientele takes time. When you begin a new position, you will likely need a few months to really start earning your true potential. Make sure you have enough savings to be comfortable while making new contacts. Even though many positions pay a base salary, the value of working for commission is that you are in cont rol of what you earn. Highly motivated salespeople will earn generous commissions, while their less ambitious counterparts will not. There are also some jobs that are more lucrative than others. Tips for Working in a Commission-Based Job Successfully working in a commission position takes a unique set of abilities. If you are driven to succeed, continually push to achieve more, enjoy helping people, and have a thirst for knowledge and excellent communication skills, you have a good foundation to build the sales skills necessary for success as a commission employee.You need to be willing to put in whatever time it takes to learn about your product, and your customers, todeliver the level of service required to excel in commission sales. The financial rewards can be great, but the most successful people working on commission are those who truly love their product or service, and are committed to sharing it with everyone they meet.

How to Organize a Successful Media Event

How to Organize a Successful Media EventHow to Organize a Successful Media EventOne of the easiest ways for your company to receive free media exposure (often known as earned media) is through media darbietungs. Whether youre teaming up with several sponsors to help the less fortunate, or holding a press conference to announce a product release, there are certain steps you should follow to organize a successful media event. Start With aPress Release Sending out your press release will help the media decide if your story is worthy enough of coverage. Thats why it helps to keep your press release simple and never use any hype. Stations and newspapers are looking for news theyre not looking for a sales spiel. Youve got a window for sending out your press release. You dont want to send it out too early and then it gets forgotten or buried, and you dont want to send it out too late when other stories may have already been assigned, and they simply cant fit your event in. Generally, 2 to 3 days before your event is enough advance notice. You also want to be sure you include directions and any special instructions within your press release. If your companys headquarters are at one location, but your event is at your plant 30 miles away, you need to make this clear in your release. Watch the Phone Calls After youve sent your press release, you can call the editors at the newspapers or the producers at the TV stations to verify they receive it. Thats all you have to ask. It will often open up the conversation for them to tell you if they think theyll be able to come or not. But even if it doesnt, you dont want to ask if theyre coming. Theyll be there if they can but wont make any promises. Do keep in mind, breaking news or heavy news days might prevent them from coming at the last minute. You dont want to pester them to see if theyre coming, even on the day of the event when youre standing there waiting for reporters to show up. You also want to watch the time y ou make your phone call. Calling at 10 minutes before 5 p.m. might seem like the end of the day for you, but for a producer thats 10 minutes until a nightly newscast. The best times to call are generally around 10 a.m., and between 1 and 230 p.m. Plan Your Events Time Carefully Everyones working on deadlines. Newspapers have set times they put the next days issue to bed. It means if they come to your event at 5 p.m. on Thursday, coverage may not show up until Saturday. TV stations generally have a morning, noon, 5, 6, 10 and/or 11 p.m. newscasts during the week, depending on your TV market. Getting coverage if your media event starts at 4 p.m. might be very tricky. They wont just hop into their news car and drive like crazy to get your tape on the air by 5. Theres a script that has to be written and a tape that has to be edited. Plan your event time so that its not only convenient to the reporters but also increases your chances of getting more immediate exposure. Dont Try an d Do Everything As tempting as it may be to become a director, dont tell the reporter, photographers or videographers what shots you want them to get. You want to establish a certain rapport with them and start a relationship with the newspaper or TV station. You wont win any friends by telling them how to do their job. Make It Easy to Get in (And Out) If youre holding the event at your 50,000 square foot plant and the area youre allowing media is in the back of the building, give them as easy access as possible. Dont have them park at the front of the building and then lug their equipment all the way to the back if you can help it. If theres a way to drive to the back, let the media know the driving directions in your press release and clearly mark the way when they arrive. You also want to consider what area of your facility is strictly off-limits. For example, if you cant avoid a long walk, do you really want the media to walk through your entire building with cameras? That doesnt mean theyre going to start shooting whatever they want. But many companies have strict policies about where cameras and non-employees can go for proprietary reasons. Consider the Visuals Think about your visuals carefully. Give the media as much of a hands-on experience as possible. Talking about a product for half an hour and then referring to the picture in the brochure is something the media doesnt even have to show up for. Remember, theyre passing the visuals on to your potential customers (their viewers or readers), so its important to keep your audience in mind so you can get the coverage you need. Dont Forget a Press Kit Include the information about your event and hand it out to the media. This info will help them write the story but also helps you have more control over the news since youre supplying them with the crucial info. Ensure Your Media Contact Is Available Dont forget to make your media contact available for questions. If a reporter has addition al questions, they need to be able to get a hold of your media contact quickly. Be sure to include the media contacts phone number and any other contact info within your press kit. Use Employees With Experience You dont have to limit your events spokespeople to your own media contact. If an employee can give a better soundbite because hes had more experience developing and working with a certain product, by all means, make him available for questions. Prepare Your Statement Beforehand If you do plan on talking on-camera or to a newspaper reporter, think about what you want to say ahead of time. It can help to have a friend whos not familiar with your business to read over your press kit and ask questions they have. From these questions as well as some brainstorming of your own, come up with a list of answers. You dont want to sound rehearsed, but you dont want to sound unprepared or saying Umm... a lot either. You also want to consider the different schriftarts of mediums.Th e newspaperhas different needs than television and vice versa. A newspaper reporter might ask you questions that are much different thana TV reporter. Each medium has different ways of presenting your news so theyll need the type of that suits their audience the best. What If the Reporter Doesnt Show? The station or newspaper may very well send a photographer or videographer instead of a reporter. That doesnt mean your story isnt important to them. They wouldnt be there if they didnt plan on giving your story coverage so treat whoever shows up very well. If a videographer is lugging his gear, dont hand him a press kit right then. Offer to carry it for him until hes been able to get the shots he needs. Treating him or her like asecond-classcitizen will make it back to the station and could hurt your chances of future coverage.

History and Impact of the YWCA

History and Impact of the YWCAHistory and Impact of the YWCAThe YWCA advocates women on many levels internationally and in the U.S. YWCA offers safe havens for women that suffer domestic violence, rape crisis counseling, and even job training and career counseling.The YWCA also helps women with childcare, and, of course, health and fitness programs, too. Organization Basic Information Name YWCA USA (Formerly called YWCA of the U.S.) Website Address www.ywca.org Contact Information YWCA USA, 1020 19th Street NW, Suite 750, Washington, DC 20036 Email infoywca.org Phone 202-467-0801 Fax 202-467-0802 Size of Organization (as of 2008)The YWCA is a in aller herren lnder womens organization with more than 25 million members in 122 countries. In the United States, the YWCA has approximately 2.6 million members in 300 local YWCA associations. Origins and Date FoundedThe Young Womens Christian Association (YWCA) was founded in 1855 in London by Emma Robarts and Mrs. Arthur Kinnaird. In 185 8 the YWCA movement made its first appearance in the U.S. when New York City and Boston opened womens residences. Only two years later, in 1860, the YWCA opened the first boarding house for female students, teachers, and factory workers in New York City, as women moved from farms to cities. Mission StatementYWCA is dedicated to eliminating racism, empowering women and promoting peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all. Purpose and Services If you think fitness and social club when you hear YWCA, youd be conjuring the wrong image. The YWCA is the oldest and largest multicultural womens organization in the world. The YWCA advocates for women and minorities on many levels both internationally and in the U.S. The YWCA offers safe havens for women that suffer domestic violence, rape crisis counseling, and even job training and career counseling. The YWCA also helps women with childcare, and, of course, health and fitness programs, too. History of the YWCA During its long histo ry, the YWCA has contributed to women in a variety of ways. The YWCA has played a key role in many of the major movements in the U.S. in race relations, labor union representation, and through developing and implementing empowerment programs for women. YWCAs Global Outreach Begins 1894 In 1894 the YWCA established Travelers Aid and offered chaperons to liners crews to protect women traveling in steerage from violent crimes. YWCA Firsts 1915 The YWCA held the first interracial conference in the south, which was conducted in Louisville, Kentucky.1919 The YWCA was the first organization to hold a meeting for women doctors. This meeting, the International Conference of Women Physicians, had attendees from 32 countries for six weeks and focused on womens health issues. Womens Empowerment Programs 1975 Expanding on their existing health and fitness programs for women, the YWCA started the ENCORE program and exercise and support for women who have undergone breast cancer surger y.1995 The YWCA began its Week Without Violence initiative. This public awareness program is observed the third week annually in October in a national effort to unite men and women against violence in our communities. Labor and Womens Employment Relations 1920 As women began to take on more jobs in labor industries, the YWCA responded. To improve the work environment for women in industrial plants, the YWCA Convention voted for an eight-hour-per-day law, prohibition of night work, and the right of labor to organize.1930s and 1940s YWCA trained women for mens jobs including New York City bus drivers, Rosie the Riveters, and as lathe operators.1966 Participated in Project Equality and began refusing business dealings with companies that have discriminatory employment practices including withdrawing funds from banks that overtly participated in the South African Consortium. Race Relations and Equality for Women 1890s A visionary promoter of equality, the YMCA opened the first African American YWCA branch in Dayton, Ohio, and the first YWCA for Native American women in Oklahoma. Years later, in 1909, the YWCA began offering bilingual instruction to help immigrant women.1930s YWCA worked toward desegregation and to protect African American civil rights in the U.S. It actively encouraged YWCA members to openly speak out against lynching and mob violence against black Americans.1940s In 1942 the YWCA opened its services to Japanese American women and girls incarcerated in World War II Relocation Centers. And, in 1946, the YWCA adopted its Interracial Charter- eight years before the United States Supreme Court decision against segregation. 1950s During the 1950s, the U.S. YWCA sent leaders to address local villages of African countries that were becoming independent. The YWCA inspired and helped women establish their own leadership and pooled resources to create YWCAs in Kenya, Uganda, Rhodesia, South Africa, and other regions.1960s The YWCA refused to abide by segregation practices and integrated its own black YWCA branches into the organization. It opened the Atlanta YWCA cafeteria, the first desegregated public dining facility in Atlanta. 1992 The acquittal of four white Los Angeles police officers in the beating of Rodney King, a black man accused of a crime, resulted in riots and racial tensions throughout the nation. In response to the incident, the YWCA adopted The National Day of Commitment to Eliminate Racism held each year on April 30th.