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Defining YOUR Personal Brand Image

Branding, creating, and maintaining your personal image can be a powerful tool in helping you become the type of professional that you want to be. But, why would someone want to brand themselves? Think about this in the way that you would think about how to market any product. If you were to market a new car you may talk about the cars features, such as gas mileage or how safe it is. You would also figure out who you are trying to market this car to. For instance, you would not want to market a two-door sports car to large family of six. Finally, when marketing a car, you will want to tell clients about the promises and guarantees that will separate this car from others like it. The style of marketing your personal brand is very similar.

You must market yourself by highlighting your individual features and emphasizing them to your potential managers and employers. You must know who in particular you are trying to target with your brand. And finally, what your individual brand message is and what you promise to accomplish in your occupation. By marketing yourself as a unique individual, knowing your target audience, and creating and maintaining your personal brand message and promise, you can develop a strong professional brand image. It is important to know who you are and what your existing personal brand is in order to further develop your image. Particularly, what makes you, you. By staying true to yourself first, you can begin to move your brand forward. Think about your personal beliefs and what type of person you are. These are the things that make you, you. Do not try to change who you are in order to develop an image. If you change and adapt who you are to create an image, you are not creating a personal brand image, but rather a generic brand image that will not allow you to emphasize what you offer specifically and on an individual level. Rather, you must grow your brand image from what you already possess. Focus on what makes you who you are and develop a professional brand image based on these existing attributes.

Once you have defined this personal existing brand, you can begin to address how you can make your brand different, set yourself apart, and grow your own unique brand image. For instance, what do you offer as a professional, and what can you bring to others? What are the skills that you possess that set you apart from the competition? These are the things that will make you stand out from others around you and positively grow your personal brand image. A positive attitude and confidence in your abilities and what you know you are capable of achieving are the first steps to developing your own unique and specific personal brand. Along with your individual attributes, it is important to develop skills that will help to set you apart from others around you. Focus on what you will do to go above and beyond the competition. This will help you to create that unique brand image that will take potential clients from possibly needing your services, to them wanting the services and skills that they know you offer. It is also important to focus on strong communication skills with your potential clients. This can be a positive step to boosting your personal brand by creating a strong relationship between yourself and your clientele, and will also help you to maintain this positive relationship.

Your unique personal brand image will set you apart from the competition for resources and help you to grow relationship that will last a lifetime. Finally, when developing your individual brand image, it is key to know what your message will be and what promises you can offer. You must put into place your personal brand values. These values are what services you can bring to your work situation and what you can achieve. Your message must focus on what you specialize in, what attributes in your unique brand image distinguish you from the rest, and your leadership abilities. This brand message will allow your potential clients to see who you are and know what they will receive from you and your work. Clients must also be able to see what your brands’ promise is to them. Your brand promise should focus on your commitment to service, what you can achieve for the potential customer, and finally, your individual reputation. It is also important to communicate to clients that you may not be perfect. Be honest with them. If mistakes have been made in the past, use these as a promise to clients that the mistake has been addressed, learned from, and will not happen in the future.

By creating your individual brand image, you are taking the most important step to success. Look at who you are as an individual, focus on what your unique abilities are, separate yourself from the competition around you, and maintain your brand through a commitment to service. Through these steps you can create and maintain a strong brand image that can lead to future benefits and success in your career.

New Orleans Education Post-Katrina

Education in the city of New Orleans has changed a great deal since hurricane Katrina took place in August of 2005. New Orleans education now revolves around the concept of charter schools. These schools were established out a need that arose in the wake of the natural tragedy. To date they have been shown to be of benefit to the children and adolescents being educating in them.

There is currently a move in the New Orleans Public Schools system to decentralize power that was previously held by the school board’s central bureaucracy before Katrina and give it to certain school boards and individual school principals. These reforms will make it possible for the charter schools to make many of their own decisions and to allow the parents of children attending public schools to enroll them in any school they wish to in the district. It is worth mentioning that at the present time the majority of public school students in the city of New Orleans attend these charters schools. New Orleans education has undergone a tremendous change in the post-Katrina days out of necessity. New Orleans is the only city in the United States where public charters dominate the educational system.

In attempting to understand the New Orleans education system in the wake of the hurricane that changed the way the citizens live their lives, it is important to understand what these schools are all about. Let us take a look at that now.

Charter schools have been garnering a great deal of attention in the past few years however they are not a brand new concept. These types of schools which are privately governed have been around for the past two decades. According to a survey published in 2009 there are more than 4,900 charter schools throughout the nation and as many as 1.5 million students are in attendance at these schools.

Charter schools resemble a type of educational reform that has not only affected New Orleans education but the education in other areas of the country as well. The state of California has chosen to embrace this new form of schooling as well. Charter schools offer a viable alternative to educating students and making sure that they obtain the best education that they possibly can.

Public charters are funded in much the same ways that public schools are funded. The difference is that charter schools are not governed by the state but in a private manner. While conventional public schools do not have to worry about being closed down if they do not yield successful results in their academics and teaching process, charter schools do have this worry placed on their shoulders from the start. Every charter school that opens its doors must be able to prove that it is successful and that its students are learning properly and learning well in order to be able to maintain their charter.

These schools are for all grades from kindergarten up to grade 12. While they are publicly funded they are open to accept private donations in the same way that public schools are. Every school charter that is established in the New Orleans educational system and elsewhere is free from some of the constraints placed on public schools. However there is a level of accountability inherent in every charter that specific results must be obtained in order for the charter to remain in place. A charter school is open to anyone who wishes to attend and these schools are not permitted to charge students fees to obtain their schooling. Be aware that these new types of schools are a component of the public education system.

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Search For Office Space in Dallas

Dallas has long been one of the premier locations for office space and running any type of company. The downtown skyline is one of the most easily recognized among American cities, and the city has a history of erecting architecturally interesting skyscrapers. At the moment, it is also one of the most best and secure times to lease office space in Dallas due to the bad economy. Rates in the Central Business District are down, hovering around $21 per square foot. A major factor in the low rents is the high vacancy rate of approximately 25% in the CBD. As a result, and coupled with the scarcity of available financing, there is almost no current construction activity, with the little progress happening in the outlying areas, such as the Park Lane Project, a 33.5 acre, $750 million mixed use development that will include 750,000 square feet of office space and approximately 700,000 square feet of retail commercial property. The project is opening in phases, beginning in late 2009 and continuing until 2011.

Dallas Commercial Downtown Real Estate News:

One project in the CBD is the new Convention Center Hotel, a one-thousand room hotel scheduled to open in 2011. Part of the city’s plan to revitalize downtown, it is hoped that the hotel will initiate additional construction in the areas of dining and entertainment. There are, however, many projects that are still either in the planning stages or on hold until financing improves. These include a 57-story residential tower (1900 Pacific), a 30 story office building on McKinnon, and a 20 story office building on McKinney. Park Seventeen, a 19 story office building, is scheduled for completion in late 2009 or early 2010. In addition, there are several residential and mixed use towers proposed for the area. Overall the local economy has been decent compared to the rest of America, and by the way executive suites are another option to save some $. To find some pricing on office spaces in Dallas check our listings. We also have commercial properties for rent or lease in the following areas: Arlington, Beltline, Benbrook, Carrolton, Duncanville, Decatur, District, Ellum, Grand Prairie, Irving, Frisco, Garland, Keller, Mckinney, Mesquite, Metro, Northwest, Preston, and Richardson.

Dallas Population, Stats, and Office Space:

Dallas has a population of 1.28 million, and has seen a 7.7% increase since 2000. Residents enjoy a cost of living rate of 91.8, slightly below the national average and other Texas cities like Houston, Austin, and San Antonio. Current unemployment rates are at the 7.3% level, while job growth is a negative 3.7%. The crime rate has decreased steadily from 857 in 2000 to its current level of 696. Attractions in downtown Dallas include the West End Historic District, a renovated area that is home to numerous clubs, shops, and restaurants and is a great area to rent an office space or suite in Dallas. These nearby locations will include amenities and even furnished options, along with great monthly or 12 month lease options. Many special events are scheduled annually in the West End, such as the Taste of Dallas festival each July. Deep Ellum (along Elm Street) is yet another historical district that is home to several restaurants and clubs. The State Fairgrounds are on the fringes of downtown, and feature several museums and exhibits that are open year-round, such as the Aquarium and the Hall of State. The buildings represent some of the finest examples of Art Deco still in existence. If you are looking for news on other major cities then check out our commercial real estate articles.

Other Dallas Economic News and Society:

Professional sports are represented in the area by the NFC’s Dallas Cowboys, the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks, Major League Baseball’s Texas Rangers, and the National Hockey League’s Dallas Stars. Six Flags over Texas is located in nearby Arlington, about halfway between Dallas and Fort Worth, with Hurricane Harbor (a water park) situated just across the street. For more details and history on office space and Dallas in general go here.

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