All Things Business and Tech

Business letters are an important part of communication in the professional environment.  Using jargon in a business letter, in most circumstances, is not the best approach to take. The reason for this is the letter may be too difficult for the recipient to understand what is being said if the correspondence is ladled in acronyms and other jargon not commonly known. Image credit: Pixabay The exception to this is if the letter is going to a person who works in the same industry or company. Either way, it is wise to carefully consider your content before you send your letter, be it email or snail mail. Be sure to always focus on your recipient or audience before you hit send or stamp the correspondence. Reasons not to use jargon in correspondence Business or industry jargon, in general, is an efficient way to communicate internally because abbreviated terminology, lingo, and acronyms are often efficient shortcuts, but is often not the best way to se...

The headlines scream "CEO Steals millions from employee pension plan", "Company dumps tons of gallons of waste into illegal dump" or "High ranking executive accepting bribes". Over the last several years seems there is often a story in the news or social media that relates to corporate ethics, or in these cases, lack thereof. Corporate ethics can get complicated, but when you come down to the nuts and bolts of the matter, it's not very different from personal ethics. So exactly what is corporate ethics? What is an ethical dilemma? We are presented with ethical dilemmas when faced with a decision where available choices conflict. Sometimes the choices are obvious and we know the right thing to do, but other times we're presented with choices where either or both options contain "gray" areas. It could be in the sense where one of the actions is questionable, or it could be that no matter which we choose, there will be unfortunat...

Working from home has become increasingly popular for employers, employees, and self-starters. While there are many great reasons why people choose this option, before making this decision it is also a good idea to evaluate the reasons why it might be better not to work from home. Image credit: Pixabay What works for one person may not work for another and this is why it is important to examine all angles before making a commitment to work out of your own home. Sometimes, the idea initially sounds fantastic but then turns out not to be such a good plan at all. It all depends on your individual situation. Reasons not to work from home could include: Get easily distracted Working from home can lead to many distractions ranging from kids running around, telephones ringing, checking personal email, or peeking in on social media. It also could simply be getting tempted by other alternatives to work such as projects, cleaning, lunch dates, or other invitations. Another issue peop...

People look forward to getting feedback after a lot of effort has been put into a project or job. While the hope is to receive positive feedback from a boss or customer, this isn't always the way things go. It can be pretty disappointing when it happens. For many people, the initial gut reaction to negative feedback is not usually good. It's human nature to sometimes get defensive and, when negative feedback occurs, it is sometimes instinctual to have an adverse reaction to this kind of critique. However, it doesn't have to be that way. Image credit: Pixabay Turn a negative into a positive The very heart of the word "negativity" sounds pessimistic and its connotation isn't a feeling people anticipate or usually want to experience. It is often hard to accept negative feedback, even when offered as constructive criticism. If this happens to you, you can either take the negative feedback as a put-down or you can accept it at face value and use it to you...

Image credit: Pixabay Some startups start small and rapidly expand, eventually going public. Other business owners prefer to keep things small. While both large and small organizations each have their own distinct benefits and drawbacks, small businesses, because of their size, often have unique opportunities large companies do not necessarily have the luxury of enjoying.