This is the 21st century. Why are we burning little black rocks to charge our laptops and cell phones?
Because after years of mine shutdowns and declining prices, the coal industry is making a prosperous return.
In the early 1900s, coal was the nation's major fuel source, supplying almost 90 percent of its energy needs, according to the Department of Energy.
When the cleaner, more efficient petroleum and natural gas came into play, the demand for coal declined. Today, nearly 55 percent of the nation's electricity is generated using coal, and the numbers are growing, according to the World Coal Institute.
Even though perceptions of the coal industry have changed dramatically over the years, coal maintains its vital role in the world's energy mix for many reasons. It is easy and safe to transport, it remains far cheaper than natural gas, and it is abundantly available.
But it wasn't until natural gas prices shot up and California was held back by blackouts that the coal industry took center stage. For decades, it seemed to be dying. But with easing of pollution controls, the Bush Administration began to establish the groundwork for a resurgence of coal-fired power across the nation.
In 1999, natural gas was the most expensive fossil fuel, petroleum was second and coal was the least expensive, according to the Department of Energy. Although the cost of generating electricity from coal has increased through the years, it is still lower than the cost of generating electricity from either natural gas or petroleum.
As for cleaner air, coal has long been unpopular with environmentalists who argue the fossil fuel produces the greatest amount of mercury and carbon dioxide emission, associated with global warming. Current energy bills, however, propose clean coal power initiatives, which would implement high-tech ways to reduce pollution when electricity is generated from coal.
Today, mines that were closed in the 1990s after a downturn in coal prices are being reopened in Southeastern United States. Quest Minerals and Mining (OTC BB: QMMG.OB) is acquiring and reopening properties that produce coal in compliance with Clean Air Act requirements. According to Quest, coal emitting less than 1.2 pounds of sulfur dioxide per million BTU, commonly referred to as "low-sulfur coal" is currently trading at more than $50 per ton.
A New Beginning for Coal
Bartending School Is Just The Beginning
While you may be thinking about attending bartending school, keep in mind that a bartending career is not all fun and games.
Bartenders work hard, and are often paid minimum wage. Working at a top club will, of course, up your take-home pay in the form of tips (sometimes as much as thousands per night), but you'll have to do your time and gain experience at smaller clubs and bars first. Initially, you’ll also work the less crowded shifts.
Some bars and clubs even require new bartenders to work as barbacks first – this means you’ll be schlepping beer and liquor from the storage room to the bar, washing glasses and cleaning up. Not nearly as glamorous as you might have dreamed. As a barback, you’ll earn a portion of the bartender’s tips for the night.
The hours are often long, you're on your feet the whole time and might have to deal with a lot of rude customers. Aside from that, once you’ve moved up in the ranks and have the popular, crowded shifts – those that you make the most money with – you’ll never have Friday or Saturday nights free. You’ll be working.
If you still are thinking about attending bartending school, make sure you pick a reputable organization. You can also attend bartending school online. Many bartending schools offer job placement assistance one you finish your courses – if you don’t have a job lined up already, you’ll want help finding one.
The best bartenders have an outgoing personality, are patient and tolerant of customers who may have had one too many and are able to multitask and work under pressure. Remember, you’ll be on a virtual stage once behind the bar, with a lot of eyes watching you!
Once you’ve completed bartending school and started your first job, know that you will make mistakes. It’s your ability to recover from them with grace and humor that will keep you going.
Begin at the Beginning: Secrets for Success
You never get a second chance to make a first impression. It's a saying so true that it has become cliché -- a phrase used by suit salesmen and purveyors of shampoo -- but it's a saying that should serve as a motto for your booth staff.
A trade show is a non-stop series of beginnings. Every moment -- from the second the doors open until they blink the lights signalling the end of the day -- is a moment where you could be meeting customers for the very first time.
If all goes well, these crucial first moments will launch a mutually profitable relationship that will last for years. On the other hand, if the impression you create is not so positive, you've kissed a lifetime's worth of business goodbye.
Beginning well's means you're half done. Once you've established a rapport with the client, once that positive foundation has been laid, the hard work of negotiating a deal and closing a sale becomes so much easier. Here's what you need to know to create a favorable first impression time and time again, over the long hours and days that you'll be at the trade show.
What's for sale here?
Your company might make computers or luxury automobiles. You might sell scrub brushes. You could retail the finest gems found on the Indian sub-continent. It doesn't really matter. When you're at a trade show, what you're selling is YOU.
Today's buyers are nervous. They've been through the dot-com bubble. They've seen Enron blow up and corporate scandal follow corporate scandal. Yet they still have to do business. How do they know who they can trust?
There will always be a due-diligence component to business, but a surprising amount of decisions are made by people 'trusting their gut.' During those crucial first minutes where you're checking out the attendee, they're checking you out. They are, perhaps unconciously, assessing what they perceive as your intentions and motivations. Few people believe that they can get a good deal from someone they do not believe to be a good person.
Key Secret: People have to 'buy' you before they can buy your products.
Can you hear what I'm saying?
Non-verbal communication plays a huge role in creating first impressions. Attendees are constantly watching. If your body language conveys the fact that you don't want to be at the show, would prefer not to engage with attendees, or are just going through the motions, they'll pick up on that and go elsewhere.
Standing at the corner of your exhibit with your arms folded tells attendees "Stay away! I'm on guard." Sitting down, flipping through a magazine, or chatting with colleagues says "I've got better things to do." All togther, it means "You're not important to me," even if you ask the attendees what you can do for them today.
Secret: People won't come in if your body language says "Go away!"
The Wall of Noise
You have to approach attendees, engage them, welcome them into your booths. Unfortunately, many staffers take this to mean that they must offer up a constant stream of conversation, from the welcoming hello to the assurances that "We'll be in touch!" as the attendee hurries to a calmer, quieter exhibit.
Talking is important, but listening is more so. Shift the focus from your own sales spiel to actually listening to the customer and you'll find your results immediately improve. Ask attendees questions, and listen to their answers. Give them your full attention. Hear what they're saying and offer appropriate responses.
The fact that you're focused on the attendee, wholly engaged with them, and committed, however briefly, to solving their problems, is one of the easiest, most effective ways to create a positive first impression. It sets a good precedent, establishing how you will do business with this client further down the road. You're laying the foundation for that positive, profitable relationship.
Secret: Focus on the attendee for maximum results.
These three secrets will stand you well in the trade show environment. Remember that to begin new relationships, you must first create a positive impression. Being mindful of the fact that people need to trust you before they do business with you, avoiding off-putting body language, and listening more than you talk will help you do exactly that. And then you'll be well begun -- more than half done, well on the road to starting a new profitable relationship.