“My Two Cents” by Cindy Pickens – Cynergy
Balance in Life (BIL) Series

“tis the Season - for a Balance in Life”
Business is more stressful today than it was five years ago. That’s what 71% of owner-managers told consulting firm Grant Thornton in a 2004 survey of businesses with $1 million to $10 million in sales. And while that result is probably not a surprise, it’s about to get worse, at least for a few months. The holiday season is approaching, and with it, an annual increase in stress as we try to balance our already hectic career responsibilities with additional financial and personal demands. (Read on)

How Do You Set Consulting Fees?
By: Stephen Pope
One of the most frequent questions I receive from those who are trying to start or grow their own consulting business is: "How and what do you charge clients for your consulting services?"

The ways of billing clients are numerous. There are hourly rates, by-the-job fixed rates, contingency or performance arrangements, flat fee plus expenses, daily fee plus expenses, and many other methods of charging for your consulting services. Which one is best? (Read on…)

How To Protect Your Website Content
By: Stanley Spencer
Most of the webmasters put in a great deal of energy and time in developing quality content for their web site. But they are not aware of thousands of other webmasters who are using content from their web sites without permission.

The problem of online copyright infringement is a growing phenomenon. The ease and extent of infringement is greatly facilitated by the nature of web. (Read on)

Sexual Harassment Prevention California Government Code 12950.1 (AB 1825)
12950.1. (a) By January 1, 2006, an employer having 50 or more employees shall provide at least two hours of classroom or other effective interactive training and education regarding sexual harassment to all supervisory employees who are employed as of July 1, 2005, and to all new supervisory employees within six months of their assumption of a supervisory position. (Read on)

How To Give Criticism Without Bruising Egos
By: Tristan Loo
As responsible employers, parents, and friends, we have an obligation to correct the mistakes of other people in order to enhance their personal success. The task before us is how to correct a deficiency without damaging the delicate ego that can sometimes get in the way. Too often people criticize someone’s behavior without providing a solution and this is detrimental because it then becomes a personal attack on the person that only aims to demerit them. Constructive criticism involves pointing out their weakness and offering a solution to correct it. In order to give constructive criticism, we must seek the solution to the problem before we point it out to the person. By doing this, we effectively separate the behavior from the ego and preserve the relationship in the process. (Read on)