Archive for August 2011
What Is HACCP Food Safety?
Do you know what an HACCP food safety guideline is all about? The letters stand for Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points and it is used in locations such as hospitals, schools, restaurants, and the food industry in general to keep the food being served as safe as possible.
While there are many standards, and often it differs depending on your location, when it comes to HACCP, your required food safety management system is increased or reaches a new level. It is enforced the world over but more primarily by the United States of America through its Food and Drug Administration (FDA), its Department of Agriculture, and also by the space agency NASA. The latter makes use of HACCP to make sure that their astronauts are given only highly nutritious and safe foods to help in maintaining their good physical condition. So if it is good for the astronauts then it must also be good for the rest of the population.
There are seven main principles being followed with an HACCP food safety standard. The main idea behind these principles is to avoid any chances of food contamination as much as possible. It is therefore stressed that prevention is more important than post detection because with the latter the problem has already happened.
The analysis for potential hazards. Any potential hazards are identified including the steps needed to control them. There are many types of hazards, it can be physical like a speck of dust or a piece of broken glass or it can be chemical such as a toxin.
Determine the critical points during the food production and service. This includes from the shipping of the raw materials to the whole cooking process and up to the point where the food is being served to the consumer. Again any potential hazard is identified during these steps.
Identify the standards to ensure that the food is handled ideally. A good example for this is in setting the perfect cooking temperature for red meats to make sure bacteria and other microorganisms are killed during the cooking process.
Establish the steps necessary to ensure the critical limits of food preparation are being met. This may include the advisable length of time to cook any food, again to make sure that it is safe to be eaten.
Determine what actions should be taken should the critical limits are not maintained or followed. A good example for this is the disposal of the food item instead of trying to save it from being ruined.
It is also important to establish a system that will determine that the whole inspection process is working perfectly. This can be as simple as determining that the cooking unit is working fine.
Come up with an effective record keeping system to properly monitor the whole HACCP standard. Everything should be documented there from all the hazards that are identified to the recommendations necessary for the proper working of the kitchen or of the food processing system.
So there you go. These are the essential principles behind an HACCP food safety guideline which anyone who is responsible for food preparation in any business setting should follow. Get the best consultants in your area to help you in creating the monitoring system that you need.
Find Out How To Comply With The BRC Food Safety Standards.
Visit http://www.iconsultingsolutions.com.au For More Info.
How to Answer Tough Interview Questions – Why Should We Hire You?
When you cut to the chase on every interview, there is really only one question that every employer needs to ask: “Why should we hire you?” Every job seeker needs to be able to answer this question in one form or another, without hesitation and with conviction. Here are some tips to help you prepare your answer:
Right Skills: Every job requires some core skills. Hopefully you have some or all of the skills required for the job. It is unusual for any candidate to have a complete match for every aspect of the job requirements. Nevertheless, before you are prepared to answer the key question, you must understand what the employer is looking for in a candidate. If you have experience in the industry, you are likely familiar with the specific job requirements. If you don’t have experience or if you are a recent graduate, then find out what skills are required for the job by asking around. If you don’t have the skills or are making a career change, then you either need to go back to school or look for an entry-level job where you can acquire the skills. In today’s competitive environment, having the right skills is a minimum job requirement.
Right Experience: If you are looking for something more than an entry-level job, then you must have experience. Employers will pay a premium for people who have been through the “school of hard knocks” and can bring their experience with them to a new job. If you have relevant experience, then you will quickly become productive without a long training period. Furthermore, you are less likely to make “rookie” mistakes that could cost the employer money, production time, and possibly customers.
Right Attitude: More than skills and experience is the right attitude. When people are fired, more often than not, the reason is poor attitude and not their technical ability to do the job. Employers look for people who can work together well with others. Business is a team sport. While individual positions are important, every enterprise succeeds based on the ability of everyone in the organization to work together and succeed as a team. Thus, bringing the “right attitude” to the game is a key to a successful job search.
These are three critical elements to answer the basic question for all employers: “Why should we hire you?” If you can craft a concise response that includes the right skills, the right experience and the right attitude, you will be on your way to respond with confidence. This will be your “elevator pitch” that you can practice until you can say it without thinking about it. Whatever else you might be asked, nothing is more important than conveying this core message. Even if the question is never asked, you can conclude your interview by summarizing the essence of why they should hire you, and leave them with a positive lasting message to remember you. While this will not guarantee you will get hired, it will be the best way to maximize your chances of success.
Leonard Kloeber is an author and leadership consultant. He has extensive leadership experience as business executive and as a military officer. He has been a hands-on leader in a variety of organizations large and small. Most recently he was a human resources executive for a Fortune 100 company. His book – Victory Principles, Leadership Lessons from D-Day – illustrates seven bedrock leadership principles that all successful leaders use. Download a free summary of the Victory Principles at: http://www.victoryprinciples.com and find other bonus materials for leaders. Contact him at staffride@gmail.com or find his book Victory Principles at http://www.leadershipthebook.com
Gold, A Source Of Quick Money
Gold is one of the most solid investments anyone can make. It is portable, easy to carry, tangible and easy to buy/sell. It comes in variety of forms and figures. Gold is a very important asset of anybody’s wealth. Many people would be confused whether or not to sell there gold because the popular notion of “the prices might go up!’. It’s important to know that we are able to evaluate, authenticate and sell in a fast and safe way.
Before you proceed with selling your gold you must be careful regarding a few things. The moment you know how pure your gold is it becomes a lot easier to sell. Knowing the exact weight of the gold and keeping aware of the current market price can help you fetch a fair amount of money.
Gold can take various forms like rings, coins or even scrap gold. There are different ways of selling each one of them depending on their demand in market and the purity of the gold that you can offer.
Changing fashion, make it important to sell off old jewelry in exchange for a better newer one. Gold rings are particularly easy to sell as they can be worn by anyone regardless of age. The purest form of gold that exists is 24 karat. Apart from the purity, the weight of the ring is essential. Heavier rings fetch more money.
Gold Coins are often the most important part of inherited property. Many of our forefathers believed in buying gold coins as a gift. Little did they know about their current selling pitch? Gold coins are the most frequently sold items today. Depending on their size and weight they can be easily pitched in to any organization that deals with gold. Do your research about the market value and the trusted buyers and you are sure to get a good deal!
A lot of gold companies that master in making personalized gold ornaments are often in a need of scrap gold and hence it’s easily sold. Broken jewelry, tangled bracelets, damaged earrings, all come under the category of scrap gold. But throwing them, considering a waste could make you regret! Why throw when you can earn good money for it? Find out the quality and the type of gold used and you are ready to sell it. Selling scrap gold depends a lot on the condition of the gold and its weight. So go ahead and make the best out of waste!
Jon R Warren, director of Icollectgold has been providing best resource to sell gold online to the customers from more than 15 years. He is providing best value of your scrap gold, gold rings, gold coins and other gold jewelry.
The Entrepreneurial Process
The process of starting a new venture can be daunting, especially if you do not know where to start or what the order of procedures are to follow. The following steps are a guideline of the order in which to do things before starting up.
Step 1: Prepare a business plan
The business plan forces the entrepreneur to think about and plan the marketing, production, operations, management and finances of the new business venture. The importance of meticulous planning cannot be stressed enough, many small business owners will say that they rely on a “gut feel”, but lack of planning or strategy is the number one reason why businesses fail.
Step 2: Decide on a legal form of business
Review the different tax benefits and other factors that will play the deciding factor on which legal form of business to choose. The options to choose from are Sole Proprietorship, Partnership, Close Corporation (CC), Private Company or Public Company. It is advisable to seek the help of an auditor in order to make an informed choice.
Step 3: Register you business
Apply for registration. If you are working from home, contact the municipality with regard to by-laws that may affect the business. Once you have a business registration number, you can apply for a business bank account and obtain an income tax number from SARS. If it is applicable for your business, you can also apply for a VAT number.
Step 4: Find premises
Formal businesses that rent office, trading or manufacturing space are required to pay closer attention to location factors than informal businesses, because of the permanency of their decisions. Find a premesis that is most suitable for your type of business, to ensure that your business receive optimal exposure. This is the time to determine fixtures, fittings and equipment costs.
Step 5: Apply for financing
This is only applicable if your business is going to need external financing in terms of a long term loan or bank overdraft facility.
Step 6: Consider the legal needs of the business
Apply for any licences, certificates, etc. that will be required for your business to legally trade. If your business needs protection such as copyrights, trademarks or patents, apply for these as well. Appoint an accountant or bookkeeper and an attorney.
Step 7: Locate suppliers
Locate key suppliers and negotiate for prices and discounts, credit terms and delivery options. Establish inventory requirements and create systems that will ensure the timely replacement of inventory. Decide on product/service prices and discounts.
Compiled by C. Stroebel, founder of topentrepreneur.co.za
Reproduction of this article is encouraged, but must include a link pointing to http://www.topentrepreneur.co.za
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Concha_Stroebel
10 Things You Need to Remember for a Business Trip
If you’re heading off on a business trip, there will be a number of items that will be crucial to its success. Therefore, it’s a good idea to create a checklist of items that you’ll need to pack or secure before you depart.
Here’s a list of 10 things that you may want to add to your list:
1. When travelling for business, efficiency is all important. Making sure you have secured fast check in for the airport will help reduce your waiting time, allowing you to spend more time working.
2. In the time between check-in and boarding, you may want a quiet place to work or relax. If so, booking into an executive lounge may be a sensible option. You can read the paper, work on your laptop or even enjoy a drink away from the crowds.
3. Which is why remembering your laptop charger is an absolute must. There’s nothing worse than getting to your meeting overseas and finding your laptop’s power has drained and you have no way of charging it up. If you want to be doubly prepared, storing any presentations or documents on a USB device could be a sensible decision.
4. Another thing you won’t want to forget is your phone charger. Your phone will no doubt be an important asset during your trip, whether it’s for contacting the people you’re meeting or going online, so being able to keep the battery charged will be vital.
5. If you are likely to be using any electrical devices overseas, you may also want to add ‘adapter plugs’ to your check-list. If you don’t manage to get them before you go, your departure and destination airports should have them to buy.
6. Even if you’re not going far during your trip, having some currency will be handy. Spend some time looking for the best exchange rates before you go and make sure you get enough for the duration of your stay.
7. If it’s been a whole year (or more) since you last took your suitcase or holdall bag out the loft, now’s the time to do so. If it’s seen better days, looking for replacements should be top of your list of priorities.
8. Before you travel, you also need to make sure you are fully covered with travel insurance. Whichever service you use to book the trip should also be able to provide you with adequate cover.
9. Something else you may want to consider when booking the trip is whether you require a hire car when you land. Depending on where you’re travelling to, it may be the best way for you to get around. Plus, it could work out to be more time and cost-effective than using public transport or taxis.
10. Finally, you may want to book airport parking, so that you can conveniently arrive at the airport at your leisure. You can even get great deals for cheap airport parking, which may work out to be a better option than booking a taxi.
If you are considering airport parking, make sure you find a good deal. Many of the airport’s own websites will offer cheap airport parking deals, so could be the best place to look.
Private Methods of Financing Your Small Business
There are a number of resources available to you beyond individual investors or private funding sources. Sometimes, it is better to seek a SBA loaned it is to find an angel investor. However, a private funding source will not have you put up personal assets as a guarantee. This is an essential part of the capital raising process as well as determining whether or not you need capital from an outside source. Often, you can syndicate your deal as it pertains to raising a large amount of capital although this is uncommon for a small business. A business plan is imperative if you’re seeking outside financing from a bank, angel investor, private funding source, or venture capital firm.
If you are applying for a bank loan then you’re going to need to showcase exactly the tangible assets that are going to be purchased with a capital that you need as they are going to want to place a lien on the assets that you intend to purchase. If you’re already in operation, you should look to take out a conventional loan or a SBA loan prior to looking for a private funding source. The smaller boutique investment firms are willing to work with companies that are seeking $1 million or less provided that you are already in operation. Always make sure that arbitration is available if you have a problem with your investor.
In some instances, you may be able to sell preferred shares of your company is going to give up a controlling interest in your business and this is important to note if you are evaluating all of your financing operations. Hard money is a less expensive alternative to working with angel investors due to the fact that you do not need to give up equity in your business. If you’re going to have a private placement memorandum created, then you’re most likely going to need to have a business plan included within this document if you are seeking to standardize the deal that you are making with private funding sources..
Most angel investors have an investment time frame approximately three years to seven years as it relates to their small business investments. As we have discussed before, if you are seeking to acquire real estate may be in your best interest to work with the small business administration instead of seeking private investment capital. It is important to consider whether the product or service you are offering will be in demand as the current economy has prompted a number of private investment sources to before more risk adverse than usual.
On a side note, almost all private individual investors are considered to be accredited by the Securities and Exchange Commission and you should be sure to work only with accredited investors when you are seeking capital for your business.
Angel Investor List Download. No registration required! Includes Free Business Plan Template.
Looking For Angel Investors is a website dedicated to people finding private investment.
Matthew Deutsch is a prominent business plan writer. His work has been included in nine books pertaining to this subject. Additionally, Mr. Deutsch has written extensively on subjects regarding entrepreneurship, small business lending, angel investing, and other related topics.
Ten Important Things That Every Server Should Do
Being a server involves a whole lot more than just delivering food and drinks to a table.
Servers are the face of the entire company. They are the ultimate point of contact between a guest and the business, and the person most responsible for guest experience.
As such, servers should ensure that they represent both themselves and the company well because the ultimate goal is to get every person that walks through the door to come back, and to tell others what a great time they had.
There are several crucial things that servers can do to make the guest’s experience a positive one. Following is a list of ten things that every server should do for every single table that they serve.
1. First and foremost, smile! It is a proven fact that smiling releases endorphins that cause happiness. If you smile at a guest, they will most likely smile and they will feel welcome, which starts the experience off on the right foot. Also, it is difficult for a guest to be rude to somebody that is smiling; the instinctive response is to smile back.
2. Learn your menu! You should be able to describe every item in detail. If you are knowledgeable, it conveys confidence in the food and makes the customer feel comfortable asking questions about new foods that they may otherwise be unwilling to try.
3. Greet each table within thirty seconds. It does not matter if you are in a hurry to get a fork for another table, or have a hand full of dirty dishes; take the time to at least say hello, tell them your name and let them know that you will be right back. Then make sure that you get back within two minutes to get a drink order.
4. When you get the drink order, offer appetizers and cocktails. It makes a guest feel welcome. Don’t just ask generally. Pick two items that you really like and describe them. Suggestively selling an item in this manner creates the urge to try it. Use every opportunity to up-sell without being pushy. It increases the check average, gives the guest an opportunity to try different things in the same visit, and creates a feeling of welcome.
5. Be courteous and professional enough to your guests to remember what they ordered. Never auction the food off! While you are writing the order down, use pivot points, starting with the person on your left and working your way around the table. If it seems appropriate, take the ladies’ orders first. By writing the orders down in this order every time, you will never forget who ordered what. Then repeat the order back.
6. Serve from the left and work your way around the table, unless you are serving the ladies at the table first. Clear the table from right to left. Always make sure that the guest is finished before taking a plate, and be sure to keep the table cleared. Dirty dishes sitting on a table make the guest feel cramped.
7. Follow the two minute rule. After your table has gotten their food, check back after two minutes to make sure that they are happy. Take this opportunity to bring any refills that are needed as well; work smarter, not harder.
8. Always offer desert, coffee and after dinner cocktails. This is an excellent opportunity to suggestively up-sell sell again and also makes the guest feel welcome because they aren’t being rushed.
9. Never make a guest wait on a check; once they have finished (or declined) desert and appear finished, present the check without being asked. Be aware of the table at this point and pick the check up promptly so that you can run the credit card or make change. Never ask if the guest wants change; this is one of the rudest questions that a server can ask.
10. Thank the guest and invite them back. People want to feel appreciated and this is a wonderful way to make them feel welcome. Repeat business is the goal; a steady, regular guest base is the bread and butter of nearly all businesses, restaurants included.
These are the ten important things that every server should do.
Following these simple suggestions will improve the quality of the guest experience and will in turn increase the profits for both the server and the restaurant.
Guests will leave happy and will want to return. Also, they will tell others about what a wonderful time they had and word-of-mouth is absolutely the best form of advertisement.
Be warned, this works in reverse even more effectively; if a guest has a bad experience, they will tell everybody about it.
The bottom line is that people want to go to places that make them feel welcome.
By being attentive and professional, you will build a client base that will be profitable for everyone.
©The International Caterer’s Guild – http://www.caterersguild.org/
COLIN LAWSON is the Founder & CEO of the International Caterer’s Guild, he has decades of catering and business related experience. The International Caterer’s Guild (also known as tICG) is the number one online resource for anyone involved in the catering industry no matter what his or her position in the business and no matter what his or her location in the world.
It is a place to find the answers to questions to help you in your business or career, to network and meet others who can help you. It is a superb place to meet new professional associates that can even become personal friends. No matter how long you have worked in this profession tICG is a great place to learn more about your chosen career.
It is completely free to join the International Caterer’s Guild at Associate level.
How to Write a Job Interview Thank You Letter
If you are reading this article, it means you have just had an interview and now you want to send a thank note to your interviewer.
Why should you write a thank you note?
Thank you letters have a powerful impact on the interviewers. An interview can take weeks or even months to set up and conduct. Interviewers are human and they appreciate the fact that their hard work and effort is noticed. A simple thank you note makes interviewers take a second look at your CV with a smile on their face. This a powerful tool when you are being short listed. Thanks to the thank you note, your name will be fresh in the interviews head.
How to write a thank you letter
A thank you letter must be done in a letter format and can be emailed or sent to the interviewer. A thank you letter normally consists of three paragraphs. A thank you letter should be sent within 24 hours of the interview so that recruits can see it before they start to short list.
First paragraph
The first paragraph should consist of you thanking the interview for the interview you had. Make sure to include the position you applied for and the date it was held.
Second paragraph
The second paragraph should be a little about why you are the best candidate for the job and what can you bring to the position. Also state how interested you in the company and why would the companies best suit for you.
Third paragraph
The last paragraph should be about re-thanking the interview for his hard work and also that you available to come down again for a second interview if needed. End the paragraph by letting them know that you are expecting to hear from them soon.
Here is an example of thank you letter
Dear James
I would like to thank you for the time you have taken to meet with me about the retail Assistant manager position yesterday. The job seems to be an idea match for my skills and interested. I was very impressed about your companies’ success rate and how it become the retail market leader in a few years.
As well as bring 10 years of retail management experience to your company, I will also bring strong leaderships skill and people management skill, excellent selling with a track record and also brilliant project management skill.
Once again thank for the time you have taken to see me and conduct the interview. I am very interested in working for you from the begin of June. I hope to hear from you soon.
Kind regards.
To see more samples click the links below:
http://www.squidoo.com/interview-thank-you-note