Employee Appreciation Ideas & Gifts

In the busy corporate world, where deadlines are tight, resources are less each day, and the bottom line appears to take priority over people, we forget that those very same individuals are the ones who make things happen. Oftentimes, I have observed executives brag about their people and how much they value them and yet treat those same valued employees like third world refugees. They do have one thing right even if they themselves do not practice it; without “their people” there is no organization.

Most employees get jazzed by the simple things that their employers do for them. I know that not all of us are “people people,” and I have seen my share of both managers who were outstanding in their technical field but should have never been promoted into supervisory positions. However, if you do take on the responsibility of supervising, remember that you are dealing with individuals who need or want a source of motivation, inspiration, and possibly even a role model. Make sure you recognize employee accomplishments, group team work and company fulfilled goals.

Here are some examples and or ideas on how to recognize employees.

Employee Survival Kit

NOTE: Depending on how many employees there are, you can either makes these or have a company assemble kits for you.

• Sample packs of Tylenol

• Coupon / gift card to Starbucks

• Discount / free trial to kick boxing / gym membership

• Candy

• Hand flexing ball

• Cute saying / inspirational quotes

• Lottery tickets

Exxon Mobil Cash Card

Pre-Paid Gas Cards

Personalized bottled water

A beautiful and inspiring company quote that tells your employees they are appreciated

Things to do at the office:

Have a massage therapist come in and give all of he employees a free massage

Have a nail / pedicurist come give all of he employees a manicures / pedicures

Host a employee party at the $2 movie theater during the week day at night

Host a week night or weekend one day out doors adventure (catered with hot dogs) such as golf, kickball, pic nic, video games / Game Works

Have a local coffee roaster come in to do a coffee & tea sample lunch party at your office

Have cute but functional give-a-way gifts made for employees that say your appreciated i.e. Coffee cups, coffee mugs, ect....

From: Center for Media Research

White Papers Most Important to Technology Buyers

According to a study in February, 2007 by KnowledgeStorm and MarketingSherpa to examine how content development, formatting and targeting affect technology buyers' perceptions of value, 71% of technology buyers say that white papers are the most frequently read form of content, and 57% say they are passed along more than half the time. 75% of marketers include them in their marketing mix.

Other key findings show that:

• 85% of technology buyers say they need to see at least three pieces of content about a new technology before they acquire significant knowledge of it. Of the marketers surveyed, 43% had between 5 and 20 pieces of content in their marketing library.
• Technology buyers conduct nearly 75% of their research and information gathering online. Marketers split their online and offline marketing efforts up disproportionately (60% and 40% respectively).
• 60% percent of technology buyers look for different types of content depending on where they are in the buying cycle. 38% of marketers currently customize their content to meet the needs of prospects at different points in the buying cycle, but another 27% plan to do so in the future.

Nearly 78% of marketer respondents "oversee" or have "significant involvement" in content marketing programs. 41% of the respondents hold the titles Director of Marketing, CMO or VP, and 32% are Marketing or Product Managers.

53% of the technology buyers in the study are business professionals, 47% are IT professionals, 46% are involved at a strategic level, and 32% authorize, or have a major influence on, IT purchases.

Key findings in the report include information such as:

• 92% of technology buyers say they are either "somewhat satisfied" or "very satisfied" with the quality of content available to them.
• The Web is the preferred delivery channel as nearly three-fourths of all technology information searches are made online.
• 79% percent of technology buyers stated that they received 25% or more of their information from vendor-sponsored content, including white papers, case studies, corporate Websites and technology solution information.
• 49% percent of respondents considered the information they found online to be of greater value to the content they received through other means such as events, mailings and publications. However, marketers still put 40% of their efforts into offline campaigns.
• 61% of technology buyers want content that directly addresses the issues they face at each point in the decision process.
• Only 38% of marketers surveyed currently create content that meets the needs of potential buyers from research to purchase., but 27% have recognized the need to develop content that supports customers throughout the buying cycle.
• Technology buyers conduct nearly three-quarters of their technology research and information gathering online, while marketers conduct a disproportionate percentage of their content marketing offline (40%).
• Though respondents value well-written, high quality content, even more valued was the educational quality of the material, which 85% of technology buyers rated as "very" or "extremely" important to them.
• Less than one-third of technology buyers claimed to access Webcasts "most frequently." Conversely, almost two-thirds of marketers sponsor or use Webcasts in their marketing programs.

The report concludes that "developing a balanced content program requires that marketers abandon the tendency to focus internally on their products, features, corporate structures and strategies and instead look at the need for content more from the technology buyer's perspective..."

What is Animation Marketing?

Interesting Firefox Extensions

Mouse Gestures

Mouse Gestures are a fast way to execute commands without using the keyboard, menus or toolbars. Instead, the user holds down a mouse button (usually the right one), moves the mouse in a certain way to form a gesture, then releases the mouse button.


Search Status

Two useful indicators for the current page's popularity, the Google and the Alexa PageRank. Adds a small menu with some useful options for finding information about a site.

Up & Coming Careers

1. Physician Assistant

Physician assistant is one of the nation's fastest growing professions,

A two-year physician assistant degree is the first step toward a career in this growing field. Since this is a graduate level course, you'll also need a bachelor's degree with course work in science.

Physician assistants can expect a bright career future, thanks to their role in streamlining an over-burdened medical system. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 49.6 percent job growth through 2014.

2. Marketing

Today's marketers are developing business strategies in a rapidly changing media environment. Marketing will appeal to anyone who enjoys charting business tactics in a rapidly evolving high-tech environment.

Demand for Internet and technology-savvy marketers should be strong in 2007. Sean Bisceglia, president of Aquent Marketing Staffing, comments: "There's a lot of pressure to find experience in Internet marketing," as companies recruit the next generation of marketers.

3. Video Game Design

Video game development has evolved into a $9.9 billion industry and rivals Hollywood for blockbuster budgets and long production schedules. The video game industry expects to double employment over the next few years. The industry reported 144,000 jobs in 2004; that number should reach 265,000 by 2009.

4. Network Systems Analyst

This rapidly-evolving career tops the Department of Labor's list of fastest-growing careers, with 54.6 percent job growth predicted through 2014.

5. Data Analyst

Systems analysts are big-picture consultants; if you're more apt to focus on the details, you may be better suited to a career as a data analyst.

Data analysts may design methods of collecting and analyzing data, or they may develop strategies for keeping data secure.

6. Higher Education Administration

Higher education administration offers a unique mix of policy-making, financial and business strategy, and program development. Higher education administration is a promising career for those who enjoy collaborative problem-solving and community service.

Education requirements are high, but so are the returns in this promising field, ranked among U.S. News & World Report's 'Best Careers 2007.

7. Occupational Therapist

Occupational therapy has received a great deal of publicity since the Bureau of Labor Statistics included occupational therapist on its list of 'fastest growing occupations. Occupational therapists help people with physical or mental challenges achieve independence in their daily lives.

An associate's degree is all it takes to launch a career as an occupational therapy assistant or aide. Aspiring occupational therapists prepare for greater responsibility by continuing on to a master's degree.

From Online to Offline - How Things Spread

A survey released by the Retail Advertising and Marketing Association (RAMA) of more than 15,200 shoppers looked at the most common ways that people spread the word about interesting products. It also looked at what types of offline channels were most likely to send people online for further research.

Here's a summary of the findings.

After some online research, consumers are mostly likely to share the information with others in the following ways:

Face to face communications - 68.9%

Sending e-mails - 53.1%

By telephone - 50.9%

By cell phone - 30%

Young adults (18-24)

Instant Message - 37.5%

Text messages - 23.7%

Online communities - 20.6%

The survey does shows that traditional forms of media often send people online in order to find more information about a product or service. 92.5% of adults go online "regularly or occasionally" in order to do more research before making a purchase.

Magazine ads - 47.2%

Reading articles - 43.7%

Newspapers - 42.3%

Television - 42.8%

Traditional advertising isn’t dead, it shows that this product is available. Companies need to interlock their offline marketing with online advertising along with product / service information in order to capture people's attention and loyalty.

Popular Company Searches

1. AAPL - Apple Inc
2. HSBC - Investment bank
3. GOOG - Google
4. SIRI - Sirius Satellite Radio Inc
5. MSFT - MicroSoft
6. Nikkei - Japan's leading financial newspaper
7. GE - General Electric
8. CSCO - Cisco Systems Inc
9. INTC - Intel Corp
10. GS - Goldman Sachs Group Inc

Ten Reasons Making a Career Change

Is The Right Choice

Culinary Arts Career Opportunities

Choosing a culinary arts career isn't something you do because it seems easy or because you don't know what you want to do for a job.

Charismatic and creative chefs have created culinary culture since before the 1880s, when France's Antoine Careme rose to stardom as chef for Napoleon and European royalty. Antoine Careme was the beginning of culinary stars such as Julia Child who created a cuisine world of understanding through cookbooks and television appearances.

Don't go to culinary school because you think it "might" be fun. Do it because you truly love the science & craft of food.

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