Where will you be when the Gold bubble bursts?

Smart Holiday Advice from our Resident Expert

This expert article was contributed by:
By Brandale Randolph, Stock Broker
brandale2221@gmail.com

While, no one can predict the highest or lowest points on any roller coaster, while we are on it, pretty much everyone should realize when the ride is about to come to an end. But please, don't wait until it comes to a screeching halt before you get out. Jump while there is still a beaming smile on your face because the next big gold loop may dislodge all of the valuable contents from your pockets.

People who are not already in gold please look for the next big thing. Bananas, the Brazilian Real, coffee, sugar, algae, bees wax...whatever, just stay away from Gold. For the fortunate few who are already in gold stocks, ETFs, funds, etc, it's time to take your chips off the table for the following 3 reasons...

1) History repeats itself...

Just last year the was this amazing commodity that everyone wanted to buy. Investors scrambled to buy any and every kind of stock, option, business or toy related to it. Business channels dedicated hour long programs discussing the global impact once this particular commodity reached it's peak. Governments all over the world leveraged larged portions of their total GDP to buy large stakes in it. Then the hype really hit home when scammers and bucketshop commodity brokers started calling people like bill collectors every night begging them to invest in this next big thing that would make them millionaires.

Yes, I'm talking about oil. That didn't turn out so well did it? Don't think Russia, Dubai and Middle America made the billions. Now we have Gold. History is repeating itself.

Sound familiar? The bubble is beginning to burst and people still think that its not too late to jump in on the bandwagon. Sorry it is!

The bubble is beginning to burst and people still think that its not too late to jump in on the bandwagon. Sorry it is.

2) Gold Prices will go down when the dollar rebounds..

The value of gold and the value of the dollar are inversely related. When one goes up, one will go down and vice versa. Therefore as the Federal Reserve raises interest rates in order to curb inflation the dollar will go back up. In order words, if this continues the dollar to besotted cheaply borrowed will be worthless. The reason for the dollar drop was to stimulate the economy. In much that same way that too much water will kill your grass, too many cheap dollars floating around the globe will kill our economy.

3) Wall Street doesn't play fair...

"The purpose of Wall Street is to make fools of as many men as possible."
- Bernard Baruch

Conventional thinking leads most people to believe that sellers can't keep up with demand for gold. For coins maybe, but an overwhelming majority of global investments in Gold are in Gold options, futures, hedgefunds, ETFs, and stocks. these things TRADE actively on an open market called Wall Street. Truth is Wall Street affects the price more than John Q public and its desire for the rare coins it sees advertised on TV.

The markets are designed to take from the poor, misinformed 90% and give to the Wealthy 10%. The price dropped from a record high of $1226 to where it is today. Wall street as taken it's chips off the table. It's time for you to take yours.

People don't let what happened during the bursting of the tech bubble, the real estate bubble, the stock market bubble and the oil bubble happen to you and your family again. Take your gold chips off the table and run!

When the gold bubble bursts, remember you heard it here first... Tell your friends....

Gotta make that money, honey!

As we all know, the economy is still rebuilding and you may be looking for a job as we speak. Maybe you were laid off, fired or your company has indicated that you should probably start looking. Well...you're not the only one in this boat. Our resident HR expert has shared some insight on some things you may know and some things you may not already know about the hunt! The most important thing is to keep your head up, stay confident and try not to get too frustrated. Good Luck!

Contributed by: Joanne Coghill

www.ncogeto.com

Most people look for jobs the traditional way by searching the want-ads and using online job websites like Careerbuilder, Monster, and Craigslist. You'll email or send out loads of resumes which is not a bad strategy, however the employer can be overwhelmed by the amount of responses and may never see your resume since everyone else is doing this using this same method. Then you sit wondering what happened and getting frustrated with the lack of response.

The competition for jobs is extremely high due to the high unemployment rate. The employer is receiving an excess of responses that they can not review all resumes that coming in. It is important for the job seeker to think out of the box and stretch themselves on how they are networking and looking for a job.

Here are some suggestions to help you with your job search and build your network.

1. Mix it up! Check your local community newspaper or google to find local mixers, networking events, job fairs or workshops to meet people who can assist you in your job search as you build your network. Your church may also consider sponsoring a networking event or workshops to find those looking for a job, looking to change jobs or just to inquire and meet new people. You never know when you met someone and reach out who may know someone who is looking for employees. Bring your own business card (you can get free online business cards, you may have to pay for shipping) and exchange business cards so that you can follow up with everyone you meet at any of these events. Email or send them a note to follow up meeting them at the event. This is the start to building your network.

2. Using your networks - Another way to connect with your personal and business networks is to use online social and business networking sites. Some great sites to create accounts on are MySpace, Facebook, Plaxo, Twitter, Linked-in, Talkbiznow and Bebo. Create user accounts on these sites and let people know in each community what types of jobs you’re interested in finding. Again, you never know who can connect you to someone that has the perfect job for you.

*TheCircleLA TIP - You don't have to be a part of EVERY social network, just be sure that you use the ones you do use wisely and to their full potential. Pick 2-3 that you will focus on. Otherwise it gets confusing.

3. The Ol' fashioned way - To find new businesses listings that have or are about to open check in your local newspapers. You can find this under “fictitious business name” in the classified section. New businesses often need to hire new employees. Review these daily to you if there are new businesses opening that might be a good fit. Send them a note and a resume and follow it up with a phone call a few days later. Even if they’re not ready to hire, you’ll be first on their mind when they are ready.

4. What do YOU want to do? You may have a business that you want to work for. Call them up and ask if they are hiring. If they are not hiring ask them if they ever hire temps. During recession times many companies have have laid off their full time staff and they may be hiring temps to fill in where needed. You may get your foot in the door if they are open to hire you as a temp. Otherwise another options is to ask if they would be open o consider having a volunteer or an intern work for them for free. This would be another way to get your foot in the door on a trial basis. What do you have to lose? You have the time and they might be intrigued enough to take you up on your offer.

5. Tap Into the Community - There are many churches that are offering support for those who are unemployed. Talk to your church to see if they offer or willing to offer any type of support group and any help. Also check with your local community, check on line or in the neighborhood newspaper to see if there are support groups to assist those who are unemployed or looking for a job change.

6. Be proactive, assertive and friendly but not pushy or aggressive, when contacting a potential employer. People generally will find that when you are friendly, flexible, creative they are willing to talk to you and willing to go the extra mile.

7. Stay POSITIVE which will help reduce stress and keep you focused.

8. Start your mornings with daily prayer and meditation. This will help you focus throughout the day.

*TheCircleLA TIP - Revise your resume. No matter how good you think it is, look and look again. Make sure your experience stands out and highlight achievements in other positions. If you have gaps in your resume, be sure to continue to do any type of work, whether its networking, small projects, planning your own business. This shows that you're proactive and have been keeping your mind busy. Be smart with the time you have at hand.

*If you are interested in contributing to Netropolis, please contact us at TheCircleLA@Gmail.com

How do you ‘deal’ with today’s economy?

This expert article was contributed by:
By Brandale Randolph, Stock Broker
brandale2221@gmail.com

Giving the 300 lb. gorilla in the back of the room a banana....Despite the news our politicians and other economists have told you, we are not out of the woods yet. As a matter of a fact we have a long way to go before you can start spending money like it’s 2006. Why can’t we relax? The answer is right under our noses…Unemployment and underemployment.

For the purposes of data collecting, unemployment only counts the number of Americans who have actually filed for their unemployment benefits; there are still massive numbers that are not collecting unemployment as well. Therefore, the number of people actively seeking employment is far greater than what has been documented. We all have friends and family that we know who haven't given up just yet and may have started their own business or something of the sort but unless they have filed for unemployment, they are not included in the unemployment figures.

From recent CNN story,

“Unemployment Hits 10.2%”

There are also a hidden group of Americans known as the underemployed. It is extremely difficult to collect data on the vast number people who have found alternate employment but are earning as much as they were in previous years. According to several reports this number is close to 15% of all working aged Americans. So when we combine the unemployed with the underemployed, roughly 30% are being directly affected by this economic downtrend and sadly that percentage may continue to grow.

These two groups are very important because they are the ‘300 lb gorillas’ that are becoming more volatile as Wall Street cheers it's 10,000 point mark. Let’s ask three important questions to get to the heart of the problem?

1) Who is really left to buy brand new cars, TVs, retail apparel or disposable goods?

A majority of the Americans are worried that on any given day they may lose their primary source of income. Therefore, compared to last year and the year before, the American household spends less money on everything. Downsizing and saving has become a way of life. Companies are charging just a bit more for everything because people are buying much less. Therefore, the next free spending environment won't occur until we go back to being secure with our jobs.

2) Where can growth come from without creating new jobs to replace the 5 million jobs lost within the real estate sector?
A majority of the most recent boom in our economy is from real estate. With unemployment so high, a majority of potential buyers have been wiped out and are afraid to upgrade. Many people worked as real estate brokers, agents, loan processors, construction workers and the like and they are now un or underemployed. With the state of the economy, banks are also refusing to approve as many home loans as they did before. Real estate will return but the old notion of a home significantly appreciating each year has been destroyed.

3) Will starting my own business guarantee my success or prosperity?
The creation of small businesses by the un and underemployed has not driven a boom in our economy. In this environment the small business failure rate has quadrupled. This is not because of lack of planning or experience but plain and simply, there is not a lot of money circulating in our economy.

Despite these bleak times, there is great news and a solution for those reading this article, there are three critical things you can do to protect yourself from the dangers of this economy and unstable economic environment.

1) Network like you mean it!
Begin or continue to network with other people, whether you have job or not. Networking is important, so that if the prospect of unemployment lurks, you have created a network of possibilities to finding gainful employment again. People love to work with people they know outside of work. So go be networky!

2) Do what you love to do and brag about it.
Simple gestures such as baking for others, fixing a neighbors busted water heater or writing a blog article for a friend may spawn a new source of income down the line. Keep your options open and share your interests and expertise with others around you. Build your brand as an individual, you never know what opportunities will be available down the line.

3) Improve yourself!
Just looking at yourself and smiling and doing few good deeds for other will feed your soul food that it needs to carry you through the bad times. Keep your head up and do positive things with your time. There is never any time to lose. Use any time you have to improve your professional and social skills. Stay in tune with your industry so you don’t miss a beat when employment picks up again.

4) Save Money
Yes, you have to live and tomorrow is not promised but wouldn’t it be better to have a little something extra just in case. Not in case of a sale but in case of emergencies. Having a little cushion gives you a little peace of mind. For those that have a saving of some kind ask them and they will tell you, just knowing that the bills will be covered if things go wrong makes a world of difference. Save what you can, whether it be $10 or $100/week. You'll be happily surprised to see small dollar amounts adding up and available when you need them!

Even though unemployment is has become a 300 lb. gorilla looming over everyone’s backs, scaring our economy and many of us, don’t be shy, don’t be afraid to give it a banana (and face it head on).

Great places to work in LA...remotely!

Is your home the most productive environment for your work?

There are many of us that work remotely these days. If not all the time, at least part of the time. The question is where do you go when you don't want to physically work at home? It is often a too loud at coffee shops to conduct calls and if you don't have an in-home office setup then it may be distracting at home. Well we've done some research in ideal work solutions for you remote workers. Below is a top 10 list of great places to work in LA, when you're out of the office but need to be 'in the office'.


1.Blankspaces, Wilshire5405
Wilshire Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90036
www.blankspaces.com

Blankspaces is a paid shared workspace for freelancers and professionals that work from home. They provide various options for workspace. You can rent a station, office, desk, etc. They have a pretty nice work environment. If you can't afford having your own office and need a place to be productive try Blankspaces. They have anything you need that would be in a regular office. Rates vary depending on what kind of space you reserve. Go to the website to check it out.


2.Cafe Corsa, Downtown, LA
2238 S Figueroa St
Los Angeles, CA 90007-2049
(213) 746-2604

Tucked away in downtown Cafe Corsa is a great place if you need a little caffeine lift and a quiet and sane place to work. With free wi-fi and eclectic music and the owner is friendly. It's a small place, but it's perfect if you don't want to be distracted and have a lot of writing to do. The Latte's are exceptionally fantastic.


3.The Central LA Public Library, Downtown LA
630 W 5th St
Los Angeles, CA 90071-2002
(213) 228-7000

If you don't have calls to make, this library is a beautiful place to work. With free wi-fi and a world of resources at your fingertips, I would work here all day if I didn't have calls to make. If you really need to get your head in the books, the massive Central Library is a great place to get work done.


4.Urth Cafe, Downtown LA
451 South Hewitt Street
Los Angeles, CA 90013

Urth cafe in downtown is exceptionally great. Free wi-fi and plenty of tabletops to work off of. I had a little bit of trouble connecting but they will provide you a wi-fi code with purchase, and how can you go to Urth without buying that Spanish Latte? Phone calls, go ahead, there are both an outside and inside seating area making it a perfect getaway to get your work done.


5.Lyric Hyperion Theatre Cafe, LA
2106 Hyperion Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90027
(323) 540-0935

In Silverlake, Hyperion is a pretty popular cafe where people come to work, play, eat and drink (coffee that is). If you're working through lunch, stop by here. This great cafe has free wifi and a large patio, allowing you to enjoy the freedoms of working from home and tan while you work.


6.Starbuck's Culver City
9718 Washington Blvd
Culver City, CA 90232
(310) 204-1075

This is a great place to work and network. However, no free wi-fi here! If I was going to work at Starbucks however, this is the only one that I would go to.


7.Coffee Bean, Studio City
12930 Ventura Blvd
Studio City
818) 783-8068

The great thing about Coffee Bean is the free wi-fi, usually it's pretty loud and small in many coffee beans, this one has a great outdoor seating area where you can still access the free wi-fi. The baristas are pretty friendly as well.


8.Grounded Cafe, Sherman Oaks
14241 Ventura Blvd
Sherman Oaks, CA 91423
(818) 501-0600

This is a true Internet cafe. It lacks the luxuries of plush furniture but it gets the trick done. If you're a regular remote worker, working here is a good idea. Be careful parking on the street though, there are regular street sweepers here. Wi-fi code is available with a $3 dollar purchase and they have a frequent buyer card that comes in pretty handy. If you live in the S.O. try Grounded Cafe.



9. Americana's patio, Glendale
233 S Brand Blvd
Glendale, CA 91204-1309
(818) 637-8982

This patio is lovely especially during the weekday when no one is around. If you're staying past closing time, I may re-think it since there is quite a crowd around Americana in the afternoon, but if you have some time in the morning to get work done, the patio here is great and you can pick up wi-fi from various locations.


10. Starbuck's South Park, Downtown LA
1111 S Grand Ave
Los Angeles
(213) 749-1751

- AT&T customers come here. This quaint neighborhood in Downtown LA boasts this lovely Starbucks with some of the nicest patio furniture that we have seen at a Starbuck's. No free wi-fi again, but the crowd here is interesting and being steps away from Staples you can run into just about anyone.

Happy Working!

10 Critical Tips when Seeking a Job in Today’s Tough Job Market

Contributed by HR Professional Joanne Coghill

*If you'd like to contact Joanne Coghill, please contact TheCircleLA@Gmail.com

Let's get your week started off right. Whether you are looking for a new job or just looking for a job, you need to know the right way to approach it. Our very own TheCircleLA member 'HR professional', has put together a few tips on how to make your hunting experience a little easier in today's job jungle. Good Luck!

1) Most of the best jobs are not listed on the Internet or classified job postings sites. In today’s changing job market, job seekers must network and pursue those hidden opportunities. Market yourself and NETWORK. Expand your skills, broaden your areas of expertise, take additional courses, seminars, workshops and join a professional association.

2) Make every day count. Keep a positive attitude and make daily affirmations. Don’t get frustrated or disappointed but look at this as a building a new opportunity for your future. Don’t take anything personally. Make an effort to call at least three (3) people a day and build your network.

3) Plan! Define your goals and schedule steps in getting there to help you achieve success.

4) Your resume must clearly articulate your strengths and show your competitive advantages. Take time to review your skills and accomplishments. Ask someone to review your resume.

5) You can have a great advantage over other candidates by targeting and building relationships with hiring managers and decision-makers (CEO, COO, senior executives, department heads) instead of submitting directly to Human Resources or conventional job-posting boards.

6) Engage the assistance with a mentor or career coach who can help you with your job search and review your resume, possibly giving your other career options that you may not have considered.

7) Do your due diligence. Research the company so you understand their business needs, culture, company’s outstanding debts, financials, longevity and loyalty. Also, research target companies and industries.

8) Prepare for the interview:

a) Practice interview questions with someone, like your mentor or Career Coach. Give attention to questions that can be the most challenging.

b) Stay Positive!

c) Arrive 15 minutes early so you are calm and professionally ready to go.

d) Avoid discussing money until an offer is made.

e) Keep the interview focused on the job position and what you can offer the company (cost savings, cost effectiveness, unique new business ventures, additional revenues).

9) Close the interview with enthusiasm and discussion of the next steps. Immediately follow up with a thank you note.

10) References. Make sure you trust your references. Critical that you give references who will don’t say the wrong thing or too much information that could derail your candidacy.

Have a great week TheCircleLA! We are looking forward to seeing you on November 11th.

The 1-minute Pitch!

So you get to the networking event, you grab a drink and begin to mingle with folks. Most conversations at networking cocktails give very few minutes for you to make your official networking information. Do you have a 1-minute pitch?

Well if you don't have it down, then you should. Here are six simple steps to developing your 1-minute pitch, so that you're ready for any event in the future.

1) Give your name and your company's name (or your profession/industry if you're 'freelance').

2) "Set the stage", give a brief overview of all that your business has to offer. (We're talking a one sentenct " I do XX.")

3) Give the location of your business and the area that you cover. (Many times this is a region, I travel from East to West coast a lot, I work in the LA-area, I do business in California/So.Cal...whatever)

4) Highlight one part of your business (What part of your professional background do you want to focus on, picking one is more memorable than saying "I do everything")

5) "Call to action", talk about what type of business you are looking for by focusing your efforts. (If you're an actor its "I'm looking for more comedic roles" if you're a businessman "I'm picking up some technology work", yadda yadda.)

6) "Close" use your company's motto or tag line before you move forward. ("I'm lovin' it!")

This pitch really applies to any and every industry with slight adjustments here and there to really fit what you're trying to accomplish out of the event. Go with a goal and use that goal to pitch yourself more effectively.

To be most effective you'll want to revise your pitch every week or two to be sure that your messages are in line with what you are looking for as a professional. This may be a very small part of your networking experience, but your pitch is something that can leave a lasting impression. Be sure when you follow up you mention something memorable from your conversation.

While every conversation can't be a winner, you can use your one minute to make the most of it. First impressions are all it takes!

Taking a time-out to manage stress at work!

A time-out is not just for the kids...We all need a time-out to recollect ourselves and put our best foot forward. Often time when we get extremely busy we don't have time to gather our thoughts and really focus. LA Nidra has contributed a few tips on how to get in a time-out even on your worst days at work.

This article was contributed by Aurora de Blas of LANidra
http://www.lanidra.com

Whether you are working for yourself or working for someone else there is always something out there weighing on your mind. We have mental 'to do' lists; the people we have to check-in with because of their expectations of us or the people we have to check-in on because we're waiting for them to give us something....It all creates this buzz in our head that can make it hard to sit still and just breathe. The funny thing is, that's exactly what we must do in order to keep up and feel on top of everything that we are juggling, sit still and just breathe.


For a five minute 'screw your head back on straight at the work place' mini vacation; that will have you re-focused and energized try this:

1. sit (with your hands resting on your thighs, palms facing up) or lie down ( with your hands lying next to your body, palms facing up)
2. close your eyes
3. inhale to the count of six
4. hold your breath there for the count of six
5. exhale to the count of six
6. repeat steps 3.- 5. as needed

Keep this cycle going for five minutes and you'll feel your body start to recognize all of the tension that it has built up. Many times I find a tingly sensation happen in my head and muscles that feels like little stars are exploding inside of my body. It's quite pleasurable. If you can, add a minute of simply shaking your whole whole body from head to toe after this. Yes, I am giving you permission to act like a four year old again.

In addition, make room for a weekly physical and/or meditation practice. The incredible thing about incorporating this into your life is that it allows your body to realign itself. Tension and anxiety have us walking around ready to jump at any second ( this reflex called "fight or flight" is something that is built into living creatures so that we can escape danger as promptly as possible). As humans are mental creatures, our triggers for this reflex are oftentimes not so literal. Instead of a bear coming to eat us, we've got the danger of losing a job, an account, etc. However, the tension from those things still gets tucked away into our bodies. If we don't find a way to release it, the tensions pile up and can become debilitating resulting in illness, chronic pain and sleeplessness.

When animals have this trigger they instinctively release it by flapping, shaking or running. We must take the time to do the same for ourselves. I hope this insight into managing stress at work helps to make your day a little easier. "Yoga Nidra" is a fantastically ancient method you can use to manage stress. If you feel that five minutes is just not enough, you can take community, private, and workplace classes are available at www.LAnidra.com

-Aurora de Blas (LaNidra@Gmail.com)

Social Media who? Getting with the times for your business!

Does anyone remember when we used to call people to get in touch with them for business? To invite them over for dinner? Get directions? The fact that there is a couple of generations out there that will never know that feeling is crazy to me. I didn't actually have a cell phone until I was 18, which was late in my neighborhood. Now, I can't imagine living without one, mainly for the fact that I don't even know my parent's new phone number. The only number(s) I know for sure are the ones I had to dial before I got a cell phone (and of course my own cell #). Crazy isn't it?

I have spoken with several small business owners that know about social media platforms, but haven't quite adapted to the new wave of communication. Since social media has become an important business tool to reach target audiences and elevate business goals, it is important to know what it can do and how it can work for you.

Things to know:
Facebook has 300 million users
YouTube has 13 billion videos/month
LinkedIn has 36 million business represented
There are 112 million blogs on the Internet
Twitter has 10 million users and is growing at 40%/month

What are the social media 'must haves'?

Facebook - Facebook can be used as a critical branding tool to reach your target customers and act as a public forum. It will be important to be active on your Facebook page, engage your fans/friends and update your page regularly. Virgin America does an excellent job of this.

Twitter - This is the perfect venue to post news, expert thoughts, industry trends and follow/be followed by customers and partners. This is also a great way to follow industry thought leaders and engage in casual conversation on a professional level. This is also a chance to position yourself as a thought leader and/or expert. The Ellen Show has a great example, plus a celebrity name to it, but you'll get the idea.

Blog(s)- If you are trying to position yourself as an expert in any industry you must have a blog. The key to blogs is content. Content should be refreshed on a regular basis. When you are creating your blog there are some key things to keep in mind:
- Focus - determine your blog's focus. You don't want your blog postings to be willy nilly. Decide ahead of time if your blog is going to be a personal blog about your life, about transformers, about antenna technology or about men's fashion trends. This way your blog becomes a reliable source for some kind of specific information.
- Frequency - make sure you have a consistency in your posting, whether its everyday, twice a week, once a week, etc. You also need to be careful of posting TOO much on your site, you want to leave the reader wanting more, not wanting to mark you as SPAM.
- Flavor - be sure to keep your voice when you're blogging. If you're not sure that your writing skills are up to snuff, then take a first draft at it and have the same person edit your writing to maintain a consistency in the writing style.
- Following - the only way to develop a real following is to follow others. Stay in touch with your audience and respond to them regularly. Keeping your followers engaged is the key to getting more fans. It is important communicate and stay 'reachable'.

4 ways social media helps your business

1)Enhancing business productivity by providing business collaboration tools.
Social bookmarking (delicious) organizes your web, Facebook is a rolodex on steroids, and wikis and blogs are virtual journals that can be utilized in an infinite number of ways.

2)Cheap and efficient virtual marketing research

Companies can get very comparatively precise data about what your potential customers are thinking and searching for. You can also find out what their customers are doing on their websites. Why are so many customers clicking away here? Why are we losing customers on our e-commerce site? How can we make our site sticky so? How are our competition beating us?

3) Low cost and risk

It is easy to get started in social media from anywhere from $0- $5000 (blogs, websites, maintenance and design costs, etc.) Social media is a affordable, low cost communications solution for business.

4) SEO and marketing

Social media leverages the network effect of the web. How do you get information? Most people these days get their information two ways on the web: searching and recommendations from friends or trusted associates.

Proceed With Caution!

Whenever entering a new realm of communication you should factor in both the benefits and risks. Although few, there are definitely risks to social media if you are not careful.

1) Transparency - Social media forces your company to be more transparent, you have to be ready to be clear with your online communications. Online'rs can see holes through anything. Don't be defensive, engage conversation it creates more discussion points and openness.

2) Be careful with the company information that you are sharing. If you are unsure, DO NOT SHARE!

3) The rash affect - Social media spreads like wildfire. Something that happened in a remote area of Japan, may be communicated throughout the world in minutes with the use of social media.
4) Monitoring - Make sure that you are steadily monitoring your social media presence.

5) Get your company involved - It doesn't bode well if there's only one person in the office on the party train. Get your employees, families and friends involved in your online communities to promoted interest, discussion and contributed content.


In this day and age, business without the presence of social media is very difficult, unless you have already been in business for decades. Even then, to keep up with the times is very important to keeping your business edge. Start building your social media strategy, if you're not sure ask someone. In the past few years there have been an abundance of social media experts that have surfaced to help businesses with just this critical area of business.

Client Acquisition and Networking (and Head Kicking)

Contributed by Dean Karasinski of Seven Leaf Clover
http://www.7evenleafclover.com/


People always use the cliche phrase “No one ever said it would be easy”. I, for the most part, completely disagree with that as most things come easy to me but there is one thing it is holding true for and that Client Acquisition and Networking. I have been talking to people and reading books trying to figure out the “best way to do it” but the only thing I have figured out is that there is no best way. Sure there are strategies and great tips but you have to practice them and you have to make sure they work for you. The only way to actually do that is to go out and use them on real people.

Trial and error my friend

It’s the most nerve racking part of the whole process. You feel you have read and absorbed most of the information you have been seeking, it’s starting to repeat itself. So you figure, OK time to go to work and make this happen, you psych yourself up and say “OK I am ready” you get to your networking event or client meeting and you start talking. You can literally hear yourself breaking down and spewing out verbal diarrhea and it’s dripping down your face.

Terrible right? Well don’t feel bad because it happens to everyone. You feel like an idiot, yes, but it is not the be all end all. Just look at it as a learning experience you can now say that you have done it and move on to trying it again. The key here is repetition, you are going to hear NO alot and at first your are going to mess up a lot it takes time to craft your story and your pitch and your persona and so on. Eventually it will all come together.

A Numbers Game

Absolutely. The more people you go through the more clients you are going to get. There are some who argue that yes it is a numbers game but you can increase the number of sales you make. And I say to them how… It takes courage to just get on the phone unsolicited and call up a company and try to get them to switch to your services, it’s not for everyone but you should try it. The point is you have to go after a form of client acquisition that is for you and plays to your strengths.

Keep Your Head Up.

Think about it this way. Who else do you know that is trying to craft and carve a life for themselves? Probably not too many people. You are already ten steps a head of them because they have settled into a job. They are most likely not willing to step outside of their comfort zone and try to give it a go on their own. Simply by talking to people and making business calls you are improving yourself, a little social skydiving if you will.

Keep at it

The main thing is to keep at it. Sure it sucks being told no, or being hung up on, or not even getting a chance to talk to anyone, but that is just the nature of the game. By doing this over and over again you will get better at it and you will eventually get your first yes. Think of how great that will feel? I will leave you with this little tidbit that always inspires me. Colonel Sanders (yes the chicken guy) received 1,000 consecutive no’s before he made his first sale. 1000 in a row! How many of you would have even gone to 1000? What would have happened if he didn’t get the sale on the 1000th? He would have gone on until he got a yes. How awesome is that? It keeps me moving when I am feeling frustrated.

Please share any stories you have with us and maybe we can share tips and get a cool discussion going.

Making the (networking) magic happen!

The networking rulebook is not like Charlton Heston climbing the mountain to retrieve the ten commandments, there ARE no set rules. The bulk of creating connections depends on your conversation and relationship building skills. People who network a lot have a knack into reading a person's presence before they even talk about business. If you don't click with one person, it's okay. Talk it out and move on to the next person. The real goal of networking is to meet as many people as possible, if you take even one positive connection out of five potential ones; it may generate more results that you could have imagined.

When you make the decision to proactively network, just remember it takes time to develop a relationship. While some people may be an easy connection and fit, others may take weeks, months and even years to develop in ways that you never thought of when you first met them. Think of the other relationships you have in your life; friends, significant others, business partners...although the spark can happen quickly, it takes time to really contribute. Sifting through the LA networking jungle is not easy, so there are definitely some key points that you should keep in mind when you enter the world of networking.

To make it a little easier, we've put together 8 rough guidelines to never leave home without:

1) Be picky - just because you're getting out there to meet new people, does not mean that every event is right for you. Make sure you know what the event is about and that it leans towards your networking goals. If you're not interested in the event, you're not going to make your best effort to get involved.

2) Head n' Shoulders - no mess, no fuss! Don't be flakey, make a commitment to yourself and to an event. There is no pressure when signing up for events, it is best to commit only to the things that you can actually make it to. In the end you'll find you're more productive and have better time management.

3) Your mantra - Before going to your event be sure to set your goals and focus. What do you want to achieve? How many connections do you want to make? What type of connections do you want to make? Having this mindset beforehand will also play into your attitude and conversation while you're there.

4) Don't forget your business cards - I don't know how many events I've been to where people tell me they have forgotten their cards. WHY ARE YOU THERE? You may as well have forgotten to show up. Remembering your business cards should be as automatic as remembering your cell phone and car keys.

5) Introduce yourself to the event coordinator - Who do you think got all those people there? This is a step that many people miss. Introduce yourself and create a rapport with the event coordinator, if your conversation skills fail at the event; at least you know the person with ALL the connections.

6) The 1 minute pitch - This is something that you should have down cold. It may take a few tries to get it right, but you have very little time to make an impact and gain interest. Make sure you convey what you do, where you do it and who you do it for. Try to be sure to leave some kind of mental bookmark in their mind, with a tagline of the services you provide. Think Mickey D's "I'm lovin' it!"

7) Think 'relationship' - Each conversation is a delicate budding flower. OK, not exactly, but it does take time and effort to develop solid relationships. You never know when a contact will think of you and decide they have a referral or need your services themselves. It doesn't need to be ALL business, just be yourself and you'll see the rapport building naturally. ...and the most important of all of these things

8) Follow-up! - If you remember nothing else this is the one thing to remember. Follow up is the key to maintaining contact. I generally suggest following up as soon as possible so that your conversation or meeting with the person is still fresh in both of your minds. The more you remember about each other, the more likely you are to develop your relationship further.

Hey, networking isn't a science and as long as you keep your mind open to meeting new people and sharing information, the more you will get out of it. No one ever accomplished anything by doing it alone! Follow these guidelines and you'll be on the road to eternal happiness....maybe not, but you'll have a huge contact list to tap into and probably make some very useful friends.

Welcome to Netropolis!

We are finally here The beginning of Netropolis. "What is Netropolis?" you may ask. Netropolis is the juncture at which form meets fashion and where need meets purpose. Let's face it, we are all trying to gain something from this universe and leave some kind of stain to prove that we were here. Whether it be family,legacy, wealth or all of the above. So what will your mark on this life be?

Don't know yet? Perhaps we can figure it out together. TheCircleLA is a networking group formed to attract a unique group of intelligent, fresh, creative thinkers to share knowledge, ideas, services, contacts and more. Netropolis has been created as a message board for these blossoming minds and as platform to post, think out loud, comment, argue and resolve many of questions/issues that people have today in becoming successful in both their professional and social lives.

It doesn't matter what industry you are in because it's likely we share one common goal that may be abosolutely different in every way...success! Networking is an integral part of business and social life when you are passionate about what you do. Netropolis is here as a guide and tool to learn, teach and share.

Keep your mind busy, bring your thoughts to the table and WELCOME TO NETROPOLIS!