firstPRO Named a “Top Ten Best Staffing Firm to Work For” in the U.S.

I am very honored to announce that firstPRO has been named a “Top Ten Best Staffing Firm to Work For” in the U.S. by Staffing Industry Analysts Magazine. This great achievement demonstrates our devotion to our employees. Our company is a great place to work because our management recognizes employees who work hard and meet goals.

We like to promote the sharing of ideas, advancement opportunities, mentorship programs, and diversity. Our employees credited our commitment to advancing our employees from within and listening to their suggestions. Almost everyone on our executive team has been a recruiter at one point, and 95 percent of promotions come from within.

Staffing Industry Analysts ranked companies based on benefits, training, and retention. Representatives and employees from national staffing firms were surveyed and gave their opinions of their workplace. I feel privileged to have firstPRO included in this list as we continue this year to develop excellent employee relations.

New Year’s Resolutions to Boost Your Business

I love beginning a new year and always have. It’s so invigorating to feel as though you have a fresh start. I’m always energized, both professionally and personally. Sometimes you have things on your to do list and you never quit get around to doing them. Starting the new year allows you to re-evaluate your to do list, making a real point to prioritize and work hard to make sure the important things get accomplished.

Professionally and personally it’s a good time to “clean house” and organize desks, closets, files, etc. I always spend January performing audits on monthly bills and expenses, making sure that charges are accurate and that I’m actually utilizing what we are being billed for. This year especially, I’ve spent some time determining those costs that might be considered unnecessary and can be eliminated or items that can be renegotiated in a more advantageous way.

I believe that cash will be king for the next several years and we’ve made resolutions to contribute more towards savings, for both the company and personally. I want to work harder this year to teach my children the value of a dollar and reinforce how important developing a strong work ethic is for a lifetime of success. I am also committed to spend less time electronically communicating and more time face to face. We want that attitude to carry over to our client relationships and we want to spend more time working on relationship building and networking.

At the office, each manager presents a 2010 plan including revenue goals, marketing goals, staff growth, etc. It’s documented and we refer to the plan throughout the year, again to ensure we don’t get sidetracked from our original goals and all remain on the same page.

In 2009 many lessons were learned. Nothing is forever or a sure thing. We absolutely can adjust to things we might not have believed possible. We need to go back to the basics, develop an attitude of gratitude and work harder than ever before. The business community is recovering, we see growing signs of it every day but it will be at a slow pace and the change in our lifestyle and attitude may be a long term necessity.

Business Etiquette for Holiday Gift Giving

Workplace gift giving is a tricky area, especially in a year when people
don't have a lot of extra money to spend. It should not be considered
mandatory, but it is wise to find out what the company's policy is on
exchanging gifts at the holidays. If you are unsure about what to do, find out how the company has handled holiday gift giving in years past.

When firstPRO was a much smaller company, we would do a Secret Santa gift exchange. Now that we are have over 100 employees, that is not as feasible, so each department is free to arrange what they would like. Many of them have adopted traditions among themselves, like a holiday grab bag.

If you exchange gifts with your co-workers, use common sense. Do not give anything with an adult, discriminatory, political, gag, religious or intimate theme. No gift is better than giving the wrong gift in a business setting. The more formal the business relationship, the formal the gift should be.

Some other things to keep in mind:

1. If there is an established budget, stay within it.
2. If you are unsure of what to get for a colleague, a gift certificate
is an acceptable choice, just make sure it's from a store that he or she enjoys.
3. If you are giving a handmade item, no matter how talented you are,
make sure he or she does not feel obligated to display, consume or use whatever it is you made.
4. If you give holiday cards to co-workers, stick to secular sayings such as "Happy Holidays" or "Season's Greetings."
5. Unexpected gifts do not have to be reciprocated. All that is required is a warm "Thank you!"

Proper etiquette says that you are not required to give your boss a gift,even if they give one to you. Responding with well written thank you note is enough. One of the best gifts I have been given by my employees is a charitable contribution or charitable act they did on my behalf.

Giving gifts in the workplace is a thoughtful way of letting colleagues and clients know that the business relationship you share is important to you. Just remember, the best gift you can give to your fellow workers and management is to be a positive, productive and mannerly employee all year long.

April Fawcett Nagel of Named 2009 Woman of the Year by Choices Atlanta

I was so honored to be named 2009 Woman of the Year by Choices Atlanta: Women Balancing Life. The luncheon was held last Saturday, November 7th at the Marriott Alpharetta.

Choices Atlanta is a non-profit organization that celebrates the gift of being a woman. The group hosts a series of luncheons and workshops to promote womanhood in all dimensions: corporate, community and charity. Every other year they honor a woman of the year at an awards luncheon.

This year’s program was emceed by 2007 Woman of the Year Brenda Sharman, National Director for Pure Fashion, and Denise Elsbree, Principal of TRIO Media Group introduced me. Guests enjoyed lunch and a presentation by keynote speaker Rebecca Hagelin, author of 30 Ways in 30 Days to Save Your Family.

While this recognition was wonderful, I truly believe that I am being honored for things that women need be recognized for each and every day. Women are the essential caregivers in our families, communities and society as a whole, and I hope I can promote these ideals and let all women know that they can have it all, but maybe not all at the same time.

The Business Divorce

A business partnership is every bit like a marriage, and needs to be approached with the same thoughtfulness and consideration. When all is going well, everyone is happy and everything falls into place, but when problems arise, relationships can go downhill fast. Before you know it, the lines of communication dissolve, and people get nasty.

There are a number of factors that can cause business partnerships to fail, but more often than not, the reason is a lack of due diligence in choosing the right individual or company culture to begin with. In order to weather the ups and downs of long-term business cycles, the chemistry and balance of the business partnership must be right.

Remember these key points when choosing a business partner:

1. Have a similar work ethic.
2. Spell out the balance of power.
3. Have clear guidelines how decisions will be made.
4. Have a five year plan.
5. EVERYTHING to do with finances needs to be addressed, discussed and legally ironed out.
6. Address legal exit strategies for buying each other out if one or the other chooses to dissolve the relationship.
7. Keep communication lines open and don’t allow resentment or frustration to build.

Building a business is never easy because there are so many stresses involved. Pick your battles and learn to overlook the little things that don’t affect the true success of the business.

Most importantly, make a promise to follow your mother’s advice. If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all. More than likely, you will both move on to other business ventures, and in the end, you will find that the business world can be a very small place.

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