Harry's Consulting Commentary

Career Plan Redesign – CPR

hcorbett — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 17:06:21 +0000

Career Plan Redesign – CPR

Career Plan Redesign (CPR) FREE Seminar Series for Job Seekers and College Seniors Saturday, Jan 21, 2012 through Saturday, Feb. 18, 2012 Class begins promptly at 9:00 AM and ends at 1PM Bring your lunch!

Are you currently looking for work and your search seems to have stalled? You need “CPR!”

Do you expect your employer to downsize in 2012? You need “CPR!”

Are you a college senior who is challenged by today’s difficult market? You need “CPR!”

Are you wondering if job fairs and career expo’s are worth attending? You need “CPR!”

Are you uncertain how to use social media to find a job? You need “CPR!”

Would a few words of encouragement and job search training HELP? You need “CPR!”

Come to the CPR Seminar Series being held at Mandarin Presbyterian Church West Campus – Sanctuary Complex – Follow signs for “CPR”(West Campus) – 12001 Mandarin Road, Jacksonville, FL 32223

CAREER PLAN REDESIGN – CPR

hcorbett — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 14:51:41 +0000

Career Plan Redesign – CPR

Are you currently looking for work and your search seems to have stalled? You need “CPR!”

Do you expect your employer to downsize in 2012? You need “CPR!”

Are you a college senior who is challenged by today’s difficult market? You need “CPR!”

Are you wondering if job fairs and career expo’s are worth attending? You need “CPR!”

Are you uncertain how to use social media to find a job? You need “CPR!”

Would a few words of encouragement and job search training HELP? You need “CPR!”

Come to the CPR Seminar Series being held at Mandarin Presbyterian Church West Campus – Sanctuary Complex – Follow signs for “CPR”(West Campus) – 12001 Mandarin Road, Jacksonville, FL 32223

Over 50 and out of work? Reinvent yourself!

hcorbett — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 23:25:14 +0000

It has become increasingly difficult for older workers to find meaningful employment. You would think that an older worker willing to accept a lower wage than in the past would beat out a younger and less experienced worker for the job. But it doesn’t seem to be true. Why?

Are the hiring managers also young and they would be uncomfortable managing an older worker? Is it simply age discrimination? Do companies want young workers because they are cheaper and present less risk of changing jobs for a higher salary should an opportunity come along?

It is generally a combination of reasons. So how does a senior worker create an income for him/herself? The older worker can reinvent themselves! By this I mean they can take all the knowledge and experience they have, evaluate what companies would be interested in this combination of skills, and package themselves as a consultant or contractor who will perform project work.

One area often overlooked is “mentoring” younger workers. This is they way the unwritten policies and protocols of the business or industry are passed onto the next generation. The senior workers were the employees who did the informal training and grooming of talent. But now that companies have reduced these ranks of experienced workers, the job of mentoring goes undone.

If you have significant years experience with a company, you need to build relationships with key executives and the HR personnel. That is how you can find out about the “friction” in the ranks. Knowing there is “sand in the company gears” in an area, you can create a proposal to work with the opposing groups and help them build a solid working relationship.

For more insight on this subject, send a comment.

Who needs a business generalist these days?

hcorbett — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 14:52:43 +0000

The answer is, “Smaller businesses.” Let’s review the facts …

1. the government is counting on “small business” to create the new jobs that will initiate an economic recovery

2. in a typical small business the key managers must oversee several functional areas

3. this means that professionals with broad backgrounds (“generalists”) usually make the best candidates for the key manager positions

4. or else the small business must dedicate more of its cash flow to staffing multiple positions in order to bring the necessary experience inhouse

Doesn’t it make more sense to hire one person who can effectively manage three areas, rather than hiring three “specialists?” Of course it does! And now is the time to get generalists at a discount in the market. The high unemployment rate, and the likelihood that conditions will remain the same for an extended period, has driven the cost of ALL labor down. Now is the time for generalists to start their dream company or join up with another entrepreneur / generalist!

Consultants Help Manage Profits

hcorbett — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 14:47:56 +0000

Consultants Help Manage Profits

The tax laws and rates are changing at the end of this year! Are you prepared for this event? Or are you willing to overpay your 2011 business and personal taxes?

Most small businesses are not ready for this event! It takes expertise in several areas to develop a plan that will minimize your tax burden. Remember, as an American you should pay the minimum tax due under the tax law; not the maximum tax! Did you ever think of it that way? The tax laws are written in such a way as to confuse people into paying the maximum. Yes, your company’s CPA, tax lawyer or accountant can help guide you, but they are not the only expertise you need.

Once you have a tax strategy it must be operationally implemented. This includes modifying what you do in business, and how you do it, to make sure you stick to the strategy. Only with the help of someone with operational experience will your business end up at year end where you intended. That operational expertise will be found only with consultants who have made such changes for their previous clients. It is not something taught in an MBA program or as part of CPA training. It comes from actually being directly responsible for designing such changes, and being accountable to the CEO for the results.

At H.J. Corbett & Associates, Inc. we have the expertise you need to participate with you and your tax advisors in developing a tax strategy. You don’t have tax advisors? We can supply that expertise as well. We then design and implement the necessary changes to policies, procedures, and systems to insure you end up the tax year where you intended. Managing profits is an important part of tax planning. Don’t leave your tax planning to your staff. They don’t have the expertise to develop the tax strategy for 2011.

Contact Harry Corbett at hcorbett@hjcorbett.com for more information.

Mentoring and Hard Work in Business

hcorbett — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 13:34:28 +0000

Today I see a new problem developing that could delay our nation’s recovery and even our future leadership role in the world marketplace. It is the discarding of our most seasoned and experienced workers in an effort to maximize operating cost reductions. The void left by the departure of these workers is creating a serious corporate problem that astute CEOs are already beginning to detect and address. The lack of seasoned workers has left a void in two areas. The first is in passing on the corporate culture to the younger team members (new hires). These older workers have been the source of instruction and mentoring in the past. This mentoring helps the new workers become more productive members of the company team, thereby increasing their individual productivity and that of the team overall. The second area is in showing the younger team members the important role that hard work must play in the careers of successful workers. We joke about the younger generation having a sense of entitlement in their thinking. In business it is not a laughing matter. It is the cause of a very serious drop in productivity and it costs our companies a lot of money each year.

So where do we start to solve these problems? First, let’s take the displaced senior workers who have proven their abilities at mentoring people and put them to work helping employers teach their younger team members “the ropes.” Second, let’s find those displaced workers of any age who have a good idea for a new business and help them start that business. Both of these initiatives would be a better use of federal incentive money than many of the programs we are planning to subsidize. And the impact would have a far greater reaching, and longer lasting, impact than “cash for clunkers” and similar subsidies.

Harry J. Corbett

Company Creation Must Precede Job Creation

hcorbett — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 20:35:01 +0000

We all know that upwards of 80% of all new jobs created in the USA are created by small/new businesses! However, we cannot expect job creation to increase while we are exporting our companies and jobs to the international workplace. Before we can expect to see new jobs, we must inject into the economy the catalyst to foster new company creation. Yet, new business loans have dried up. So how do we “re-prime the pump” to get things moving again? I suggest that federal funds be used to award grants to entrepreneurs with promising ideas for new businesses. These grants will accomplish a lot more than $4,500 to buy sales of new (foreign) cars!

Radio Talk Show to help the unemployed

hcorbett — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 20:18:51 +0000

My firm and the Friends of Barnabas Ministry in Jacksonville, FL are considering a radio talk show to help people with their job/career searches. The first issue to resolve is “what is the best time for such a show?” Possible time slots include (1) Sunday afternoon between 1pm and 6pm, (2) weekday evenings between 7pm and 9pm, and (3) Saturday mornings between 8am and 12 noon. What time do you think would accomodate the typical job seeker?

Consultants and Contractors – here to stay!

hcorbett — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 20:11:32 +0000

The pressure on our economy has again made “consultants” or “contractors” an attractive alternative to full time employees. The small premium that is paid is easily justifiable by the flexibility the company has to discontinue the expense with virtually no notice. This allows companies to better expand or contract their labor costs to match the condition of the marketplace. While there are other benefits, and certainly some drawbacks, this flexible workforce model is here to stay.

The consultant or contractor also has the option of maintaining more than one engagement at a time. This reduces the risk inherent in “putting all your eggs in one basket.” If you are looking at consulting or contract work, and would like to learn more about how it can work for you, contact hcorbett@hjcorbett.com.