The theory of entropy says that everything falls into chaos unless constant energy is put into preserving the order. It was originally meant for natural sciences, but I see it all over the place in business and in personal relationships. We always have to keep trying. I believe that there are infinite ways for people to keep on improving their selves and the world for the rest of their lives. Development is life long. Any greatness humanity has achieved has happened through adaptation.

I have an idea of what we humans can do next for the sake of our civilization through the work we do for it: Remove our emotional human pride from the equation for a better end product. Get over yourself, control your impulses, and be rational. Efficiently producing something beneficial for the people is most important. Not your ego. This is what really makes the greater businesses thrive and compete well. Think about it.

Everyone makes mistakes. Forgive yourself, fix it, try not to do it again, and move on. This is the way to grow. Let the appropriate people know when you’ve made a mistake so it can be fixed if you can’t fix it on your own. Any person who uses their brain would respect you for such efficient action. Wise people ask for constructive criticism. It is better for some collaboration of ideas to be in anything you do. A person never needing any help isn’t something that happens in real life. It suggests that you have integrity if you’re open to the possibility that you could be wrong. When nobody asks for help or will admit that they were wrong or made a mistake, the project is going to come out terribly. No consumer will want what your group has done no matter how much you pay to advertise.

Sometimes your coworkers will in fact have better ideas than you in some situations. That’s reality, and more power to you if you can recognize good work from people around you. If the best you can do is not better than someone else’s idea in a cooperative situation at work, it is more respectable and sensible to let them take the prize for setting up the better solution for the greater objective. Let them inspire you to improve your skills and hone your creativity. It doesn’t help to put down others in your mind and refuse to acknowledge that maybe you just aren’t doing a good enough job. Don’t point fingers. You aren’t a petty high school kid. You’ll never get better if you don’t take responsibility for how you’ve been doing what you choose to do. You don’t become something really special without thousands of hours of progressive experience. Keep thinking hard about the ultimate goals, and the little goals and upgrades you can make to get there.

Discovery Conference Centre is here to serve you and the people you serve. Beautiful, well-equipped meeting rooms with teleconferencing technology offer all you need for successful business meetings, job interviews, arbitrations, depositions, and other operations that help you make this planet a great place to live.

Posted by Laura Gros

My work background in between school years has mostly been in offices, doing things like administration, projects, and production. But this summer, I acquired a job at a small business in the service industry. I’m finally dealing directly with what it’s all about: the people! From the start, I believed that the customer should come first. And in my first few weeks of working, I learned some ways to make customers a lot happier.

Perhaps most important is to smile! Just the other day, a man came in to buy himself something nice, and informed me that my smile is great for sales. I think anyone trading their good services for money should be happy to see the people who enter their business place. Stand up politely when they enter. Say, “Your total is $19.99, please.” These people keep your business alive and are the source of your paycheck. Don’t avoid eye contact, ignore them, or stare at them with a blank or tired look on your face. That’s no fun. It is your job to give each customer the friendly attention he or she needs. Why not be entertaining, make conversation, and ask them about themselves? One positive interaction can make you glow all day.

Even when big crowds come in, you’ve got to acknowledge each one and let them know that they’ll be served soon. It would be great if you could even offer them something to do or think about as they wait for other customers to be served. These people are giving you their time, and they’ll logically lose interest if you aren’t making the best of it all.

It is also your duty to inform people all about what you offer them. Know your products. Ask the customers what they prefer so you can make better recommendations for the benefit of each individual.

When a customer is rude, you will feel better if you just laugh and let it go. It may not always work, but showing interest in a person could awaken the happy person in them that had been forgotten in the midst of a rough day. It is so worth it.

Give a nice memorable experience to people even if they don’t buy something. They may remember you and tell their friends about what you offer. Every customer deserves your best wishes that they have a wonderful day as they leave. We’re all humans here.

I propose a goal for anybody who deals with people as part of their business: Let’s all make life a little more fun for each other. Discovery Conference Centre and Kramm Court Reporting exemplify this goal.

Posted by Laura Gros

We hear about sudden unemployment all the time, happening to a huge percentage of Americans now. But less heard of are the unexpected side effects for the family members of the unemployed head of the household. From my experience, it’s a challenging time, and it’ll only make you stronger if you’re smart about it and really want to be happy. This has been my reality…

As part of the family, you don’t have money to spend any more. Everything needs to be saved up for the bills you still have to pay, and will have to pay in the future. No more movies or air conditioning.

Unemployment makes the house crowded. There’s an emotionally compromised family member at home nonstop. Bad moods are contagious. Your refrigerator looks dramatically different. You no longer throw away leftover food because if you weren’t an opportunist before, you are now.
Your hobbies are suddenly limited. Supplies will run out. If something breaks, it doesn’t get replaced. Just looking at things becomes entertainment, when seeing is something that doesn’t drain your bank account.
You feel like a drag on your friends who still have money. You might not see them much because everything they want to do for fun requires each person to pay, and you wouldn’t want your friends paying your way all the time.
You make more friends if you can. Networking can bring you bits of joy when your situation goes downhill. You figure out how to barter your services. You try to make equal trades with people. You give whatever you do best to benefit people, and maybe they’ll invite you for dinner some time, which is a real treat.

You might be in college like me, developing your talents and building your future success so you can have the fulfilling life you wanted. Now you have fears of your dreams being sabotaged or postponed. You worry about finding ways to pay for your education as prices continue to rise, while not letting your grades suffer at the same time.

You may decide you want to become someone in charge wherever you end up working so you at least have more control over your own financial/occupational fate. It’s too risky now to be a worker bee even if you would’ve preferred that. The higher you are on the hierarchy, the less people there will be above you to decide that your time as their employee is up. This is one logical thought process that may result, and it is kind of scary. But your situation can indeed get better if you keep working hard, follow through when presented with opportunities, educate yourself so you know you’re headed in the right direction, and connect with people who can give you a helping hand. Be nice, but stand up for yourself.

Unemployment of one of my family members reminded me how to live with just the basics and appreciate everything. I wish the best of luck to those who are unemployed, and to the people in management who must let go of good employees as their business suffers in this economy.

Discovery Conference Centre offers services that help your business stay healthy, and opportunities to connect job searchers with prospective employers. The meeting rooms with teleconferencing technology are perfect for job interviews, conference meetings, depositions, and more.

Posted by Laura Gros

San Diego is known for its beaches, zoo, and weather – a perfect city to calendar a board of directors meeting, specialized computer training, or a deposition of an expert witness.  The Discovery Conference Centre was built for such meetings.  If you are a headhunter and need to interview a potential candidate for a new position, and the candidate lives in a remote location, use videoconferencing to save time and money – no need for a flight until the candidate has been initially vetted via a videoconference.

Expert witnesses and doctors like to testify after-hours so their practice is not interrupted.  Our court reporters and videographers are available 24/7 to record the testimony.  Using teleconferencing and videoconferencing equipment once again allows for the saving of time and money by parties.

Here are some key questions to ask when setting up a meeting room so you are not surprised by unexpected costs, and you have a facility that meets your needs:

1. Does the meeting room and/or conference center supply water and coffee/tea service?  If so, is there a cost?

2. Does the meeting room and/or conference center supply wireless internet connectivity?  If so, is there a cost?

3.  For a videoconference, do you have a dedicated T1 line to ensure excellent quality of the video and audio?

4. For a teleconference, do you have a dedicated number for our meeting or deposition?  If so, what is the cost per minute for all of the participants?

5. For my presentation, do you have the technology to amplify my laptop’s speaker phones so everyone in the room can hear?

6. For my deposition, can you provide a court reporter and/or legal videographer that will stay past normal business hours if necessary to get the deposition completed?

7. What is the cost for the videoconferencing facilities after normal business hours?

Coffee service, wireless internet access, and the logistics of a meeting room are key elements to a successful meeting that is within your budget.  Know the questions to ask before you set up your meeting.  We wish for you a successful meeting every time.

@rosaliekramm (Twitter)

As one of the principals of Discovery Conference Centre, Inc., I have had the pleasure of meeting dynamic, smart businesspeople who need a place to conduct business and/or trainings in a professional setting with all of the technology bells and whistles available to them.  Many of our DCC clients are using our conference rooms to “network.”

I believe “networking” has become one of the buzzwords of 2011.  It has always been considered to be an important part of business, getting out and about, shaking hands, but since the Great Recession, when businesses need to step up to get work (little to no low hanging fruit is available), meeting potential clients, finding referral sources, and getting your name out there, networking has become essential for survival. 

Many of our clients are in the 2B2 world, service businesses.  It can be uncomfortable for accountants, transactional attorneys, and stock brokers to have to go out and find business, meet strangers, learn the art of “cocktail party” selling, and create opportunity. 

I have learned a trick or two in the art of networking, and I would like to share them.  Remember, the goal of the Discovery Conference Centre is for anyone who walks through the doors to know SUCCESS.

Tip 1:  Always come prepared with business cards that are easy to access.  This might sound too simple, but I have stood there when someone asks  for my court reporter business card and dug into my purse, opening my wallet, hunting in little compartments, and feeling generally foolish.  Put business cards in a shirt or pants pocket or in a professional cardholder placed at the top of your purse ready to go before you get to the event.
 
Tip 2:  Be conscious.  Before you get to the networking event, sit still for a second and think about what you want to accomplish.  Is there someone in particular you want to meet?  Is there a type of businessperson or vendor you need to create a relationship with?   Have a strategy in place.

Tip 3:  Be kind.  If someone looks a little out of place, shy or scared, go to that person, shake their hand, ask them who they are and what they do.  Know that 95% of the people in the room are  uncomfortable and a little shy.  The person you meet might be a goldmine for your future.

Tip 4:  Helping others needs to be part of your strategy.  Once you meet someone, ask who they are, what they do, think if you can or want to help them with a tip or referral to someone else.  I have found it is easier to help others rather than to think I have to sell myself in that moment.  The person you are meeting is going to be grateful and probably will want to help you back.  Human nature.

Tip 5:  Know your business niche.  Meeting someone new and saying, “I am a transactional attorney and do a lot of estates and wills,” is kind of boring and generic.  If you say, “I am a transactional attorney that helps people with their estates and tax planning and do a lot of work with people who own vintage cars” or “apartment complexes,” that opens up the door for conversation.   Add a little flavor and fun to your “elevator speech.”

Tip 6:  Elevator speeches are boring and usually obviously rehearsed and  memorized and don’t sound authentic.  That is my opinion.

Tip 7:  Move along.  Know that everyone in the room wants to meet as many people as possible.  If you meet someone that needs to know someone else in the room, make the introduction and move along.  If someone gloms onto you, say, “I’m going to go get something to eat” or “Oh, there is Ted Smith.  I need to talk to him.  Excuse me.”   And then move on.  No one should get their feelings hurt.  Networking events are to conduct business.

If you have a tip or two you would like to share with people who are in the networking arena, please leave them here.  Let’s all get business and be more successful than ever!

@rosaliekramm  (Twitter)

Our San Diego conference rooms are used by national and international companies to interview job applicants on a weekly basis.  We have had applicants interview for jobs in locales such as Taiwan, Copenhagen, and Washington DC.  Discovery Conference Centre provides the technology to allow for the interview through our high-speed dedicated T1 IP videoconferencing equipment.

We have noticed a pattern of the applicants interviewing for a job.  There are the obvious nerves, and 99% of the interviewees have never been “on TV” before and don’t know what to expect or “how to act.”  We get questions about where to focus their eyes, how to sit…

We cannot speak to how you should answer questions or sell your qualifications, but we can give some tips for “looking good” on video.

1. Don’t wear white or yellow around your face – it will make you look washed out.  The best colors for video are grey,  blue, and pastels.  Wear your power tie, but don’t wear a white shirt under it. 

2.  Arrive at least 15 minutes early.  Coming in the last minute adds to the stress.  This might sound like common sense, but a lot of people don’t map out the location or get caught in traffic…

3. Before the videoconference starts, sit in the seat that you will be sitting in for the interview and expect the technician to frame the shot so you are in the perfect position for the camera.  You will be able to see the shot that the interviewers will see.

4. Don’t refuse water or a cup of tea.  Being nervous can cause thirst.  (If you notice in late night talk shows, the guest always has a glass of water nearby.)  Having a cup of tea nearby or glass of water also can act as a prop or excuse to slow down, take a sip, and organize your thoughts.

5. Do some deep breathing – quickly breathe in 10 times deeply and then breathe out 10 times with force.  It is not silly.  The breathing will have the effect of deepening your voice (nerves can cause a higher voice) and help get you centered.  Actors use this trick before every take.

6. Organize your notes, reading materials, paperwork around you on the table so it is easy to access and you know where things are.  Take your papers and a pen out of your briefcase.  You will be more confident if you are not fumbling around looking for documents.

7. Turn off your phone.  Because of our highly sensitive microphone, we will pick up the sound of your phone even if it is in the vibrating mode; and if you have set it with no sound, but it is receiving emails, the phone still can send out a frequency when an email comes in that causes a crackling noise at the remote location.

8. Finally, know you are getting this opportunity because your resume’ and/or your phone interview really impressed the company you are applying for a job with.  They want to meet you and see your demeanor before the next step in the job interview process. 

Good luck! 
@rosaliekramm  (Twitter)

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) is defined as a private corporation that acts as a self-regulatory organization (SRO).  FINRA is the successor to the National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD) and is the largest independent regulator for all securities firms doing business in the USA.  FINRA oversees nearly 47,000 brokerage firms, about 167,000 branch offices, and 637,000 registered securities representatives. 

FINRA is a non-profit organization and a non-government organization. 

FINRA maintains the qualification, employment and disclosure histories of more than a half of a million securities employees.

What does this mean for business people, attorneys, and investors?  Anyone can go on the FINRA website, insert the name of a securities broker and/or brokerage firm and have access to information whether or not they are currently FINRA-registered, have been registered with FINRA within the last two years, or have ever been the subject of a final regulatory event that has been reported to CRD.  You might be very surprised what you find out about your stock broker.

The FINRA website also has fantastic information on how to protect yourself, smart investing, and market data.

As the economy shifts, stock market opportunities come along and you feel inspired to invest, we advise our clients/friends to arm yourselves with information.  Don’t trust a stranger with your money.  Take responsibility and investigate your broker and/or brokerage house.

And if you ever need a virtual conference center to meet with clients, do formal presentations, or connect via videoconference, contact us at Discovery Conference Centre.  Your success is our goal.

One of the reasons Discovery Conference Centre is located one block from the courthouse is so that it can serve as a war room for attorneys who are in trial.  We know attorneys need space, technology, and incredible service when they are working hard in the courthouse advocating for their clients.

Our goal is to make the attorneys’ and paralegals’ lives easier.  We have recently partnered with the Bristol Hotel (two blocks from the San Diego Courthouses) and have come up with an amazing package.  Sleeping rooms are available to our clients at $100/night, and there is no penalty if your trial date changes, and you have to at the last minute cancel your reservations.  We understand that trial dates change, cases settle, and everyone needs to be very flexible.

Our building has Knox Attorney Service on the bottom floor where heavy copying can be done, notebooks can be created, and files can be scanned and uploaded.

Of course we have full court reporting services and legal video in-house at Kramm Court Reporting and Legal Video.

You can consider the Discovery Conference Centre to be your war room in San Diego.

Creating a high-tech meeting/conference room space for businesspeople to connect, make money, and survive the Great Recession is part of my 2010 business plan.   I was reading a great article in the San Diego Daily Transcript, “Young business leaders see opportunity in recession,” by Elizabeth Malloy.  The article reports on a Roundtable discussion sponsored by The Daily Transcript.  Fourteen Young Influential award winners participated in a discussion on surviving in the economic downturn.  As Malloy writes, “For San Diego’s young business leaders, the current recession is the first economic downtown they’ve experienced while in charge.  So perhaps it’s youthful optimism or just a case of not knowing enough to be afraid that’s making so many of them positive.” 

While reading the article, I found the Young Influentials to be very candid and honest.  They admit that they are being forced to become lean, watch their spending, and most importantly evaluate their businesses. 

Malloy says, “Accepting change was a theme that ran through the roundtable conversation.  Most of the Young Influential winners accepted that an economic recovery this time around might not mean that everything simply returns to normal.  A combination of the recession and new technology may permanently alter the way companies get financing, manage employees and generally do business with each other.” 

As a principal of Discovery Conference Centre, I believe that technology is currently and will become an even more important strategy for small businesses and consultants to run their businesses.  As businesses down-size, the principals don’t want to write monthly checks to pay for a lease on space they might use once a week or three times a month to present a new product or concept to a client.  Business owners will want high-definition, high-quality, high-speed video conferencing/teleconferencing capabilities at competitive rates. 

How will the Great Recession play out?  When will it end?  I wish I knew.  In the meantime, I plan to create a new future to deal with the new norm with virtual conference rooms, meetings rooms and first-in-class technology.

Now that we are almost halfway done with the new year, I have seen business trends emerging due to the economy shifting back and forth.  Are we pulling out of the deep recession?  Everyone is speculating and hoping, looking for any signs that the world is pulling out of the mess it is in.

As a layperson who owns two small businesses, Kramm Court Reporting and Discovery Conference Centre, I have been paying attention, reading the WSJ and blogs, articles on Law.com, any information out there particularly dealing with the legal industry. 

I am not an economist by trade or education.  Reading what is happening with the European Union, and the fallout of Greece, Ireland, Spain and Portugal, alongside the United States, Europe, and Australia, I think about the last decade and what people thought was the “norm.”  Many of my friends and acquaintances were buying things that I couldn’t figure out how they could afford.  I knew people who were buying million dollar homes, Gucci bags, and motor homes.  In my mind, I was calculating how much income these people were making and couldn’t figure out how they could afford their lifestyle.  I assumed they were tremendous investors and really knew how to grow their money.

Then it became obvious the “norm” was all pretend.  I am saddened to read about all of the foreclosures, the personal bankruptcies, and the fear that keeps Dads and Moms awake at night trying to figure out how they are going to get their children through college. 

I believe now, mid-2010, the “norm” is shifting in a positive way.  For the first time I hear people say they can’t afford certain things without embarrassment or apologizing.  I believe in 2000-2007, no one wanted to admit they didn’t have the money to go on a shopping spree buying designer labels and would make excuses for why they were staying in their small home, not buying a mansion.  In the summer of 2006 I recall a conversation with a friend who had gone out to a fancy home in Del Mar with her husband.  When they got home, they shut the kitchen door and started planning on moving from their 4000sf home with a pool, guesthouse, and beautiful gardens, believing they needed to be in a gated community with a multimillion dollar home.  

Because people no longer feel they have to apologize because they can’t afford to live a lifestyle that is not based on reality, I believe it is going to take a lot of pressure off of families.  Keeping up with the Joneses is exhausting and takes energy as well as money.  The public parks, mountains, deserts, beaches, and nature are where families can go and live the new “norm,” enjoying simple pleasures. 

Countries are made up of people who decide how they are going to live and what they value.  I don’t know how the countries of the European Union are going to solve their crises.  I do know the people in the streets are feeling fear that their “norm” is shifting and worry for their families.   I believe tremendous change is going to spill out of the great recession.  As the working class, it is going to be up to us to decide how we want to live our lives and what our new “norm” is going to evolve into.  Politicians and large corporations have power, but remember:   We are the consumers.  We are the voters. 

When the world shifts back, let’s remember the lessons we’ve learned.  The simple life is great.