talentedge

It's definitely a funny old market out there (I refer largely to Melbourne) with pockets of consultancies having more work than ever, but more experiencing a significant downturn in sales pipeline and turnover.  That said, there remains an air of optimism that an uplift in contracts and opportunities is imminent.  This is certainly our experience in light of activity over the past month.  Project opportunities include: instructional design; IT trainers; talent management; OD/Change and general HR and management consultancy. Whilst it is early days for opportunities to convert, the signs are definitely encouraging. So our message to consultants on the hunt for their next project is to hang in there, keep your online aCE talentNET profiles updated and keep up the networking!

I also noted with interest an article in Human Capital Magazine regarding the introduction of the National Employment Standards (NES) legislation in January 2010. aCE talentNET has always been a strong advocate for flexible work practices and it is promising to see the NES will formalise employer responsibilities to requests for flexible work arrangements by employees. The NES will create awareness amongst employees of the workplace flexibility options available to them. In the UK, following the introduction of similar flexibility provisions, employees were found to be more aware of their right to request flexible working conditions than they were prior to the introduction of the laws.  We expect Organisations will be reviewing current practices and working towards streamlining internal policies to meet the requirements of the new NES....and that can only be a good thing!  To read more visit our BLOG.  

Speaking of visiting our blog, one article that has been recently added is definitely worth a look, especially if you've recently come into cash! Picture this, you've just received that redundancy money you've been dreaming about, and you're looking to start the next phase in your working life. The thought of going into business sounds very appealing and is probably where you want to go. But now you're wondering whether to buy an established business or start a business from scratch... this article will help you and you'll find it on the BLOG.

Have a great month!

Deirdre

Deirdre Gruiters is the Executive Director - Consulting for aCE talent NET, or in other words,
aCE talentNET's Corporate Talent Agent. She is also an internationally published author as a result being featured in the July 2008 edition of "Consulting Ahead" India (.pdf 5mb) . So if looking for Organisational Development resources is what you're needing to do, then Deirdre and the team of aCE talent NET know how to find them. Ask anyone of our mutually satisfied clients

develop youredge The following 3 articles are our favourites for this month; and a snapshot of the fabulous content on the aCE talentNET blog  ... feel free to visit and make comments Is buying an existing business a viable option rather then starting from scratch?   We are often asked this question by consultants looking to get into the consulting industry, and/or looking to build their one-person business into something much larger...It is a question that every person thinking of starting their own business should consider before committing their efforts to starting a brand new business from scratch. Before looking at the pros and cons of starting from scratch verses buying an existing business, Hurst Brokers have tabulated the statistics compiled by the Australian Bureau of Statistics on the total number of Australian businesses, including new entries and exits for the financial year 2007 ... read on    Making Flexibility Work If you are not already aware, new legislation is due to be introduced to formalise employer repsonibilities to requests for flexible work arrangements by employees. Human Capital Magazine reports that the National Employment Standards (NES), to be implemented on 1 January 2010, formalises this system and will create awareness amongst employees of the workplace flexibility options available to them. In the UK, following the introduction of similar flexibility provisions, employees were found to be more aware of their right to request flexible working conditions then they were prior to the introduction of the laws. For more information of the NES and employers obligations read on. Sound of Sales Music… ‘When the dog bites, when the bee stings, when I'm feeling sad….I simply remember my favourite things and then I don't feel so bad' OK…that's enough Sound of Music for a business article. When we're under pressure for sales figures, how many of us revert to selling what we like and have sold before, rather than being open to the client's real needs.   Pre-sales and consulting people love discussing so called ‘proven solutions' because they know it works, there is less fear and apprehension and it makes their lives easier.   Sales people often have their favourites too – favourite products, that all in one package thingy that people tend to like, the left handed Collectimizer 2000 that slots in seamlessly or that   favoured hourly rate based service that is an easy sell.   All well and good when it works, except there is a downside. They may not want one… read on

Consultants

To be eligible for up-coming opportunities, please use this time to complete your online Consultant profile on the website. 

• We are delighted to welcome a number of new Consultants to aCE talentNET.
  
• If you do wish to see what your details are on file, now would be a great time to visit and update as required. However, don't despair if you have lost your password, simply request a new one be sent to you!  We look forward to seeing many of you update your details soon!!!
  
• And don't forget to add your CV directly into the database for ease of updating and information data access.
  
• Have you taken this months action to improve your marketability and increase your cashflow? refer your Talent Tuesday emails for details...