It is official now. Women are more vulnerable than men and are more likely to be retrenched in times of recession.
"The latest figures for Asia by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) project a 5.7 percent rise in unemployed women in 2009, compared to 4.9 percent for men."
- Reuters
Gender bias exists!!
Monday, August 3, 2009
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Can Yahoo and Microsoft change the search landscape?
Microsoft has been attempting to gain a foothold in the search engine arena for quite some time. It launched its own official search engine technology in 2005. Prior to that the MSN Search engine utilized search listings from others – Inktomi, Looksmart, AltaVista, etc. Since then, while Google grew from 36% to 60%, Microsoft de-grew from 15% to 9%. Yahoo too showed a similar trend of slipping from somewhat steady ground at 30% in 2005 to 21% in 2008.
In a landmark deal with Yahoo, Microsoft has put all their resources (including engineers, finance, partnerships etc) to give the Search engine giant a run for its money. Will they be able to to pull this off? Only time will tell.
One look at the Yahoo, Microsoft and google graph from comScore reveals that Google continues to gain market share while the other two giants continue to loose it!
Read the official press release that gives the partnership details here.
In a landmark deal with Yahoo, Microsoft has put all their resources (including engineers, finance, partnerships etc) to give the Search engine giant a run for its money. Will they be able to to pull this off? Only time will tell.
One look at the Yahoo, Microsoft and google graph from comScore reveals that Google continues to gain market share while the other two giants continue to loose it!
Read the official press release that gives the partnership details here.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Women in Business! Work from home basics
How many times have you wondered ‘How I wish I did not have to spend 2 hours traveling to and from work place!’ or ‘… I am getting drenched here waiting for the buss trip back home… I could have easily have sent all those critical emails from the comfort of my home instead’. Today more and more people are actually giving up full time at office working to a more radical but practical way of working – Telecommuting or even working from home.
Working from home or places other than office (say a coffee shop!) offer flexibility in terms of schedules, attire, comfortable environment and ease of multitasking (eg - finishing off the chores in the leaner part of the day). And it is not surprising to note that more women than men are opting for this method of working primarily because of the humongous multi-tasking that they have to do day in and day out – packing lunch boxes, dressing children, seeing them off at school / bus stop, cleaning the house and dishes, attend office, pay utility bills, pick up children from school or the bus stop, get them to do their homework, orchestrate they gym, drawing and tennis classes, preparing dinner, cleaning up, planning the next day and then falling asleep making a mental list of jobs that were not done today but have to be tackled tomorrow. Too many things to squeeze into the 24 hour day!
Working women who are also home makers can spend the time that they use for commuting for attending to some jobs that clutter up their lives. Working from home is therefore a great option to earn while taking care of all other responsibilities. But there are a few general preparations and attitudinal changes that will have to happen before the plunge is taken. Here are a few:
What to do: Do you have a skill or hobby that you plan to market – baking cakes, making pickles, making handicraft items, designing websites, content writing!! Or you have a special experience in consulting areas of say model coordination, event management, medical transcription etc. Decide what you want to do, how feasible it is as a money generator and is it something that you would like to do for long – before you give your full time occupation a toss.
Place of working: If you are not working out of office, where are you planning to work from – home, coffee shop, cyber café, your garage? Where ever this place is, make sure that it offers you the peace or calmness that you require to produce quality work. You wouldn’t want your kids screaming in the background when you are trying to close a deal with a future client!
Infrastructure: A lot of home based jobs today do not require much – a computer with a printer, internet connection and a dedicated phone preferably with a fax connection. And, for specialized home business like baking cakes your infrastructure would be different. Have the basics in order first. You could continue adding to the infrastructure as and when your business grows.
Organise: The most important step is to organize your day. Compartmentalize your day – allocate the hours that you will work and the hours that you will address household and other chores and most importantly STICK to it. The worst thing that you can do is mixing the two and landing in the same mess that you were in earlier… not having enough time for any thing.
Network: When you start something on your own, it is critical for you to advertise the same. Start with the friends, colleagues and ex-colleagues, clients and ex-clients. Go on to reaching out to friends of friends and others in their network. Make use of the social media to promote your home based work or business! Get referrals and endorsement wherever possible. Update all in the chain when you do something new. And last but not the least, stay connected – aspire to be on the top of minds of the people who could one day be potential clients or users of your service.
This list is definitely not a comprehensive one but one that has helped some of my friends to set up and run some very successful home based businesses giving them a lot of freedom while keeping the cash ringing!!
Working from home or places other than office (say a coffee shop!) offer flexibility in terms of schedules, attire, comfortable environment and ease of multitasking (eg - finishing off the chores in the leaner part of the day). And it is not surprising to note that more women than men are opting for this method of working primarily because of the humongous multi-tasking that they have to do day in and day out – packing lunch boxes, dressing children, seeing them off at school / bus stop, cleaning the house and dishes, attend office, pay utility bills, pick up children from school or the bus stop, get them to do their homework, orchestrate they gym, drawing and tennis classes, preparing dinner, cleaning up, planning the next day and then falling asleep making a mental list of jobs that were not done today but have to be tackled tomorrow. Too many things to squeeze into the 24 hour day!
Working women who are also home makers can spend the time that they use for commuting for attending to some jobs that clutter up their lives. Working from home is therefore a great option to earn while taking care of all other responsibilities. But there are a few general preparations and attitudinal changes that will have to happen before the plunge is taken. Here are a few:
What to do: Do you have a skill or hobby that you plan to market – baking cakes, making pickles, making handicraft items, designing websites, content writing!! Or you have a special experience in consulting areas of say model coordination, event management, medical transcription etc. Decide what you want to do, how feasible it is as a money generator and is it something that you would like to do for long – before you give your full time occupation a toss.
Place of working: If you are not working out of office, where are you planning to work from – home, coffee shop, cyber café, your garage? Where ever this place is, make sure that it offers you the peace or calmness that you require to produce quality work. You wouldn’t want your kids screaming in the background when you are trying to close a deal with a future client!
Infrastructure: A lot of home based jobs today do not require much – a computer with a printer, internet connection and a dedicated phone preferably with a fax connection. And, for specialized home business like baking cakes your infrastructure would be different. Have the basics in order first. You could continue adding to the infrastructure as and when your business grows.
Organise: The most important step is to organize your day. Compartmentalize your day – allocate the hours that you will work and the hours that you will address household and other chores and most importantly STICK to it. The worst thing that you can do is mixing the two and landing in the same mess that you were in earlier… not having enough time for any thing.
Network: When you start something on your own, it is critical for you to advertise the same. Start with the friends, colleagues and ex-colleagues, clients and ex-clients. Go on to reaching out to friends of friends and others in their network. Make use of the social media to promote your home based work or business! Get referrals and endorsement wherever possible. Update all in the chain when you do something new. And last but not the least, stay connected – aspire to be on the top of minds of the people who could one day be potential clients or users of your service.
This list is definitely not a comprehensive one but one that has helped some of my friends to set up and run some very successful home based businesses giving them a lot of freedom while keeping the cash ringing!!
Woman in Business - Get that money you deserve!
I have yet to meet a person who is satisfied with the salary that he or she is drawing. The phrase often used (and abused) is ‘I deserve more’. While men stop at this, most women immediately add a suffix ‘… but given the situation…. This is fine because…'. Why are women so apologetic while demanding what they truly deserve? Most women excel in the art of self-depreciation and hence so many times have to settle for less than what they really deserve. A lot, I feel has to do with the somewhat snubbed self confidence that leads them to believe that they are worth much less than they actually are.
Though not exhaustive, here are some things that can be internalized over a period of time to help you gauge you true worth and help you demand your rightful share!
Make it larger than life: Think big! Women tend to get into the psyche ‘Who is going to pay me a salary like this?’ And they are ready to negotiate the already beaten down figure that they have in mind. Even the best minds in the industry coming from the most impressive B-Schools and those who have theoretically mastered the skill of negotiation also sometimes fail to negotiate their own salary well. Value yourself right and demand it!
Create challenges: All jobs on this planet do not come with adequate number of challenges rolled in. Even your own job may not be something to write home about. Create excitement in your life – look at how you can spice up your work life by taking on an additional challenging task and accomplishing. No employer in his right senses would turn down an offer from an employee who wants to take on additional tasks. Do it well and when appraisal time comes – showcase your achievement and demand more. That fact that you have done something that goes beyond the call of your outlined jobs can get you those brownie points.
Daily Affirmations: Changes happen when you want them to happen and mountains move when you believe that you can move them. By constantly telling yourself - ‘I am good at my work and I will prove it’ or ‘I have the confidence to stand up and ask for what is rightfully mine’. Thoughts like these repeated daily can turn into beliefs over a period of time. And they work as your infallible support when you are negotiating your salary or demanding a raise.
Challenge yourself: And this goes beyond the boundaries of your work. The more you challenge yourself in your daily life the more polished you become as a human being. And the more polished you become the more respect you have for yourself. This leads enhanced self-esteem and confidence that comes with knowing that ‘now I have surpassed tougher trials or scaled higher mountains… what is this?’ Every employer likes to have a confident employee… so where are u headed …. Bungee jumping?
Fake it!: Women can fake a lot of emotions and feelings… why not confidence? Everyone likes to see a superwoman around themselves… (except perhaps the subordinates …. Sometimes!) Show them that there is more to you that meets the eye. You may be shuddering at the thought of the presentation to a difficult client. However that fact that you cracked jokes, touched your makeup and barked some instructions to your junior and then walked into that boardroom with an air of the queen will definitely add plenty of feathers in your cap in one go. Do make a point of bragging about this though!
And if you think that you can not imbibe all of this at one go…. Don’t worry, I am still in the process of mastering it. I am told that it will happen over a period of time. But remember to drop me a line when you successfully negotiate that six figure salary!!
Though not exhaustive, here are some things that can be internalized over a period of time to help you gauge you true worth and help you demand your rightful share!
Make it larger than life: Think big! Women tend to get into the psyche ‘Who is going to pay me a salary like this?’ And they are ready to negotiate the already beaten down figure that they have in mind. Even the best minds in the industry coming from the most impressive B-Schools and those who have theoretically mastered the skill of negotiation also sometimes fail to negotiate their own salary well. Value yourself right and demand it!
Create challenges: All jobs on this planet do not come with adequate number of challenges rolled in. Even your own job may not be something to write home about. Create excitement in your life – look at how you can spice up your work life by taking on an additional challenging task and accomplishing. No employer in his right senses would turn down an offer from an employee who wants to take on additional tasks. Do it well and when appraisal time comes – showcase your achievement and demand more. That fact that you have done something that goes beyond the call of your outlined jobs can get you those brownie points.
Daily Affirmations: Changes happen when you want them to happen and mountains move when you believe that you can move them. By constantly telling yourself - ‘I am good at my work and I will prove it’ or ‘I have the confidence to stand up and ask for what is rightfully mine’. Thoughts like these repeated daily can turn into beliefs over a period of time. And they work as your infallible support when you are negotiating your salary or demanding a raise.
Challenge yourself: And this goes beyond the boundaries of your work. The more you challenge yourself in your daily life the more polished you become as a human being. And the more polished you become the more respect you have for yourself. This leads enhanced self-esteem and confidence that comes with knowing that ‘now I have surpassed tougher trials or scaled higher mountains… what is this?’ Every employer likes to have a confident employee… so where are u headed …. Bungee jumping?
Fake it!: Women can fake a lot of emotions and feelings… why not confidence? Everyone likes to see a superwoman around themselves… (except perhaps the subordinates …. Sometimes!) Show them that there is more to you that meets the eye. You may be shuddering at the thought of the presentation to a difficult client. However that fact that you cracked jokes, touched your makeup and barked some instructions to your junior and then walked into that boardroom with an air of the queen will definitely add plenty of feathers in your cap in one go. Do make a point of bragging about this though!
And if you think that you can not imbibe all of this at one go…. Don’t worry, I am still in the process of mastering it. I am told that it will happen over a period of time. But remember to drop me a line when you successfully negotiate that six figure salary!!
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Women in business!
I am a die hard feminist. And a professional. And a full time mommy to my two bratty but adorable kids. Needless to say my interests are varied. And I know that there are several like me out there juggling work with home and kids. And all this while keeping our sanity and interests alive.
Starting today you can follow a series of topics that are relevant to us women in business. While some topics will touch upon the professional part of our profile, you may find some intreguing ones that explore our wild side - yes we do have one! not to mention our secret aspirations and experiences....
So ladies (and curious gentlemen) watch this space for more!
Starting today you can follow a series of topics that are relevant to us women in business. While some topics will touch upon the professional part of our profile, you may find some intreguing ones that explore our wild side - yes we do have one! not to mention our secret aspirations and experiences....
So ladies (and curious gentlemen) watch this space for more!
China India - Food Food Ban Ban!!
It almost appears like a Quid-Pro-Quo. India banned milk products (including milk and milk products and chocolates and chocolate products) from China citing safety and quality issues. China has now threatened to ban import of food products including sea food from India citing similar reasons. the good news is... they are still talking! Read more
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Idea Cellular - Ending the quarter on a high!
Idea Cellular, the 5th largest telecom company in the country closed the recent quarter (April to June' 09) with 42.8 million subscribers in it's kitty. 4.1 million new subscribers were added in this quarter. Though the company suffered due to the decline in the Average Revenue per user (ARPU) just like what was reported by Bharti Airtel, it did comparatively better when it came to the number of minutes used per user.
The revenue rose by 1.4% to Rs 2,975.9 crore and is much lower that what the analysts had expected (5.7%). The street expectation of PAT was Rs 280 crore however the company reported a PAT of Rs 297. Read More
The revenue rose by 1.4% to Rs 2,975.9 crore and is much lower that what the analysts had expected (5.7%). The street expectation of PAT was Rs 280 crore however the company reported a PAT of Rs 297. Read More
ITC - Paper and hospitality is the way to go!
At the ITC's 98th Annual General Meeting on Friday (24th July 2009) the company's Chairman Mr Y C Deveshwar announced that the company is looking at two key businesses for future expansion. These two are paper and hotels. He mentioned that they are already on the lookout for land for setting up of greenfield paper manufacturing plant. He added that while the funding was not an issue, the process was on for looking for 1,500 to 2,000 acres of land for the plant. The shortlisted states for the project are - Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat.
The Hotel business - the other area of interest - is being keenly pursued. The industry had been hit by the recent downturn and is on its way to revival.
FMCGs is the third area of interest while the cigarette business is expected to be downplayed. Though the company has no plans to exit the cigarette business for now, it is no secret that the contribution of the same to the overall turnover has been on the decline for the past few years. Read more
The Hotel business - the other area of interest - is being keenly pursued. The industry had been hit by the recent downturn and is on its way to revival.
FMCGs is the third area of interest while the cigarette business is expected to be downplayed. Though the company has no plans to exit the cigarette business for now, it is no secret that the contribution of the same to the overall turnover has been on the decline for the past few years. Read more
Friday, July 24, 2009
Bharti Airtel - up and down movement!
If the recent reports are anything to go by, the last quarter (April to June 09) has been quite profitable for the company. The company reported a 24% increase in net profit to Rs2,517 crore for the April-June quarter. Part of this increase is being attributed to fall in finance costs. The company reported interest income of Rs260 crore on account of changes in currency rate.
Bharti Airtel continues to add newer customers at a steady pace to boast of the highest acquiring quarter of the year - 8.6 million to bring the entire subscriber base to above 105 million. However it may be noted that the Average Revenue per User (ARPU) has dropped and so has the number of minutes that an average users spent on talking on the phone. Read the complete report here!
Bharti Airtel continues to add newer customers at a steady pace to boast of the highest acquiring quarter of the year - 8.6 million to bring the entire subscriber base to above 105 million. However it may be noted that the Average Revenue per User (ARPU) has dropped and so has the number of minutes that an average users spent on talking on the phone. Read the complete report here!
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