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Asperger’s Syndrome at Work: Why Small Talk Matters

If you are like many people with Asperger’s Syndrome, you categorize small talk as a nonsensical NT (neurotypical) ritual where people waste time talking about stupid subjects that no one really cares about.

However, small talk is actually a critical workplace skill. It is the first step in establishing those all-important relationships with your colleagues. Most neurotypicals (who make up the majority of the workforce) place a high value on relationships. So much so that a good relationship with one’s supervisor and liking one’s co-workers are consistently rated as major factors for job satisfaction.

Sharing a few friendly comments with fellow employees you see in the lunch room or in the elevator sends the message that you consider yourself to be part of the group. Small talk with your work mates is the starting point for building camaraderie and trust.

You do not need to actually like someone in order act friendly with them at work. Sometimes small actions go a long way toward establishing yourself as likeable. For example:

-Greet co-workers you see or interact with in the morning by saying “Good morning” or asking “Hi, how are you?”

-Smile when you greet people or pass them in the hallway. If necessary, practice so that it becomes natural. A person who doesn’t smile is often perceived as angry or aloof.

-Join your colleagues for lunch on a regular basis.

How to Make Small Talk

Small talk is the discussion of general, neutral topics for short periods of time (usually no more than 5 minutes). Neutral topics are things like the weather, traffic, sports, a national news item, plans for the weekend, etc. Topics to avoid are those that polarize people (politics, religion, race), make them feel uncomfortable (sexual topics), or personal observations (weight, clothing, hair style, mannerisms). Negative comments about other employees or the company should also be avoided.

If you do not follow sports teams or popular programs on television, you can still find subjects for small talk. Many local news stations have Web sites that provide brief summaries of top stories. This is a quick way to stay informed about what is happening in your community.

The point of small talk is making connections with others. To do this, you must keep a discussion going for at least two or three turns. If you reply to a question or comment with a one-word answer or by saying “I don’t know,” it won’t go any farther.

Let’s say you are in the break room and someone asks whether you saw a particular program or sports event. You answer, “No.” Ooops! The conversation is over. Instead ask a question to express your interest in the other person, such as, “I haven’t seen that program, what is it about?” or “I don’t follow baseball. Do you play?”

Here is another example that illustrates how small talk can be the bridge for establishing good relationships with your co-workers. Someone asks, “Did you get caught in that traffic jam on Route 66?” Instead of saying “no,” you say, “No, I live in Smithtown so I don’t take the highway to get here.” The other person responds, “I used to drive through Smithtown when I worked at ACME Widgetworks.” You reply, “I worked at ACME six years ago in the R&D group.” Your new acquaintance says, “I was in R&D, too. We should get together for lunch this week.”

This kind of scenario is not uncommon and can be the start of productive, long-term business relationships. Even though it may feel uncomfortable for you at first, look at small talk as an important business skill to practice.

New Web-Based Business Ideas For People Who Work From Home

If you’re operating your own web-based business from home, you’ve probably already learned how difficult it can be. Whatever your area of expertise, there’s a good chance that the competition is stiff. The internet puts the whole world on a level playing field, and you have to offer something truly special if you want to get ahead of your global competition.

That’s why new ideas are always in high demand. Do you have a new and innovative idea to bring to the web-based business world? If so, act as soon as possible, before your competition beats you to it.

What Do People Need?

The most successful business ideas are combinations of two things: recognition, and innovation. First, you have to recognize a hole that needs to be filled. When it comes to the internet, you have to get out there, look around, try things, and experience things; basically, you have to be an everyday web user.

This will give you the opportunity to see the internet from the consumer’s perspective. What isn’t working? What’s not on the internet that should be there? Are there any types of websites that you would love to have in your bookmarks folder, but which simply don’t exist?

Second, brainstorm ideas for how to meet those unfulfilled needs. If you’re a web-savvy businessperson with design and web copy skills, you may even be able to fulfill several needs at once to create multiple streams of income. If not, find collaborators to help you make each of your ideas a reality.

Then, once your websites are up, you need to harness all of the latest online marketing strategies to bring in repeat customers. This is the difficult part, but if your idea is truly useful and not just a gimmick, people will come back.

Don’t Waste Time

The most important thing to keep in mind is that there is no shortage of new ideas in the web-based business world. There are millions of people just like you who are at this very moment sitting in their home offices contemplating new ideas. That’s why you need to create your websites as soon as possible.

Think about all the biggest internet success stories-Amazon, Google, eBay, etc. Would these services have been so successful if their makers had waited around and let others beat them to the punch? No. So get started as soon as possible.

Work From Home Opportunities – Choosing Your Home Based Business

So, you want to start a business that you can work at home at your convenience? Then you should have an idea on how to choose the type of business that you want to start and how you are going to go about it.

Any kind of business requires investment, not only of time and effort, but also of money. Therefore, one should take the time to decide on the best work from home opportunities that he/she wants to pursue. Many factors have to be considered in selecting a work from home opportunity, especially if he/she wants to become an entrepreneur someday.

One of the questions you have to ask yourself is the availability of the potential market for the product or service that you are planning to venture on. One way to answer this is to conduct market research. Another way is to try working on the business on a part-time basis and see how it goes.

Consider the necessary skill to pursue this business. Do you have what it takes to become successful in a home business? What does the business need in terms of qualification, experiences, skills, training, etc.? If you really want this type of business, and you don’t have the necessary training, then you can consider enrolling in classes or get the experience needed. You can also partner with others who are knowledgeable and more experienced in this type of business venture.

The third question is about this important thing called money. How much is needed, and will you be able to produce the needed amount to start and grow the business? Start creating a business plan which outlines the operating expenses so that you can have an estimate of the cash outlay needed in developing the business.

There will be a rapid increase in work from home opportunities and home based businesses. This means that you might have a hard time attracting the potential market. It is time to think of ways to make your business different from the rest. Your products or services must be differentiated from those of the same or related products or services in the industry.

Once you have considered the possible expenses, it is time to estimate the price of your product or service. Do you think you can set a price that will make your business profitable? Considering the expenses that you have calculated, how much is the price that you can offer? Do you think it is competitive compared with the others? If it is higher than the rest, then it is time to rethink because for sure, the product or service won’t sell unless it is has a unique added value that makes it different from the competitors’ products.

The last and most important thing that you have to bear in mind is the marketing of your products. Do you have the interest to learn about how to market your products online? Can you produce a good website that can show the details of the products and services so that there are many chances for sales revenues? You might have the best products and services with affordable prices, but if nobody knows that your products exist, then all will be useless. Internet marketing is not easy, and you need to learn it and do it. You must invest time and effort in learning. Watch videos, research the Web and learn from the successful internet marketers, join forums to be able to interact and get suggestions from people with the same interests – these are some of the things that you can do to learn about internet marketing.

Starting your own home based business is not easy, but if you have the skills, money, time, knowledge and determination, success will follow. There is always a learning curve in everything that we do, and unless we venture and actually experience it, only then can we learn from our mistakes that will make us become the successful entrepreneur that we aspire to be. Experience is the best teacher, but it doesn’t mean that we learn only from them. We also have to gain knowledge so that the mistakes that teach us the lessons that we need will be at a minimum. One last reminder, don’t forget that in any business venture, marketing is very essential in order to reach the gate to success with the work from home opportunities we choose.

Candy Wrapper Software – Work at Home Business Ideas With Low Start Up Costs

The most appealing home based business ideas are those that do not require a lot of money and equipment up front. The candy wrapper business is a prime candidate for work at home moms and dads wanting to start a new business for just a few dollars.

All you need to get started is candy wrapper software, which costs around $38. You also need a printer, printer paper, scissors, adhesive, and your creativity.

A great way to get started is to start marketing to organizations and businesses in your local area. These include schools, churches, non-profit organizations, gift basket companies, florists, and any other business that will benefit from personalized promotional items.

Having a website is a good idea so you can sell your candy wrappers, promotional items, and party favors online. Make sure all your friends know you are in the business, especially those with young children and those that have their own businesses and can benefit from customized promotional products.

Those with young kids are prime potential candidates for birthday party favors. Candy wrappers are also great for company picnics, retirement parties, anniversary parties, graduations, bridal and baby showers, weddings, fundraising activities, hospitals, gift shops, business marketing, and the list goes on.

This business does not require any formal training. You do not need to attend any special courses to succeed in this business. The candy wrapper software you purchase should include plenty of templates and graphics.

The package you use should also allow you the flexibility to use your own graphics and images. Part of what makes this business so easy to promote is you have the ability to make wrappers that contain personalized images.

Imagine a child’s delight at his birthday party when he discovers the candy wrappers are decorated with his own picture.

Wrappers are not just for candy, either. You can make wrappers for just about anything you can imagine, including gallon or quart sized paint cans, candles, DVD’s and CD’s, wine bottles, water bottles, bubble containers, and more.

When you first get started, make some samples you can show potential customers. You can also photograph the samples and post the images on your website. Start out with some sample handouts, making sure you have your contact information on the wrappers.

Print up some business cards, brochures, and flyers you can hand out as well. Pretty soon, your business will promote itself by word of mouth once the news gets out about your new candy wrapper business.

For a very low investment, you can get your candy wrapper software and start your business right away. This is a great home business opportunity that allows you the flexibility to work easily during your chosen hours and have time for your family as well.