Climate Business Network

With many companies laying off massive numbers of people and many more cutting back people’s salaries and hours, the sluggish economy is taking its toll on people’s financial lives. Many people are looking for a way to make an independent income that involves something more than trading hours for dollars. Network marketing provides people with a structure to build their own business with a proven marketing plan and a commission structure that can lead to financial independence.

With so many people unemployed, many of them are looking for ways to make money. Network marketing provides an opportunity for people to go into business for themselves. Good network marketing companies have a proven track record and products and services that people want and use. They also have a marketing plan that is already in place and methods for building up a business that have proven successful for other people who have found themselves on the wrong end of a layoff or just want to be more financially independent in uncertain times. Network marketing already provides a built in structure for people to start their own business, and it usually takes only a minimal financial investment to get started. For self-motivated people who are not afraid to roll up their sleeves and get to work, network marketing can be the perfect way for them to start their own business and gain a level of financial independence that they have dreamed of.

While the economy is bad, and people are cutting back on spending, there are still opportunities to make money by selling products or services that people still need. A network marketing company that has compelling products and services that people will desire no matter what the economic climate is will propel people to success. If you are willing to take certain steps towards owning your own business, and working hard to sell products and recruit people for your downline, you can enjoy the financial freedom that network marketing provides.

Many well known success authors laud network marketing as a way for individuals to achieve financial success. They point to companies that are well managed and have a lot of distributor support as being good companies to affiliate with, no matter what the economic climate is. A good network marketing company will support you as you build your business and provide you with all of the information and materials and training that you need to become successful. So if you are looking for a way out of the rat race in these troubled economic times and want to avoid becoming an unemployment statistic, network marketing may just be your ticket to financial independence.

Given the current economic climate, businesses need to maximize returns from all their assets and investments. It’s common for business managers to focus much of their attention on staffing levels, inventory, energy costs and other means of improving cash flow. In this article, I will give an overview of a simple but effective means of conducting an IT position audit.

An audit of your I.T. resources can be informal and conducted in-house depending on the skills available within your organisation. A more formal audit can be outsourced to specialist consultancy firms. This option is preferable in the following situations.

• Recurring IT expenditure represents a significant portion of the business budget.
• Significant project is due to be undertaken in the short to medium term.
• The business does not have a formal IT strategy or does not employ senior IT professionals.
• Suspected deficiencies in the Company’s internal control systems.

The objectives of the IT resource audit need to be clearly identified when the audit is being planned. The efficiency of the audit will be improved if stakeholders are consulted from the outset e.g. senior management, any existing internal audit team and external auditors. The agreed objectives will determine the work required in the following six areas.

1. Strategy

Is there evidence of a comprehensive documented company-wide IT strategy? Is IT represented at board and senior management level?

Have major IT expenditure items and recruitment decisions been in accordance with the IT strategy? Do the minutes of meetings record a consistent approach to IT in the decisions reached Board and other members of senior management?

2. Policies and Procedures

Are there documents that set out the fundamental policies and procedures in relation to IT? Are these being followed by and enforced by the IT department? Does sufficient induction and education take place within the business? Are there regular tests to ensure compliance with access rights, appropriate usage and security. Is there evidence of corrective action where breaches occur?

3. People

Are there appropriate job and people specifications for IT staff at all levels? Is there evidence that these were adopted in the recruitment and selection process? Do regular performance reviews occur? Do IT staff possess adequate skills to support the business into the future? Do IT staff undertake continuing professional development relevant to the needs of the business? Does the business have quality outsource partners to provide ad hoc, specific project or urgent cover? Continue Reading