Articles with Business Skills

Personal Historian Courses

The National Institute for Genealogical Studies offers over 230 online courses, but did you know that many of our courses are not country specific. The genealogy world has certainly grown over the past few years. We have seen many changes that have led to the emergence of new opportunities for genealogists and family historians. One of those areas is for a Personal Historian. You can take all four of our Personal Historian courses individually, or bundle them together as a 4 Course Package. Check the Course Calendar for the next time these courses will be offered. Personal Historian: Beginning Genealogy This is the first of the four courses is a Basic level course and is offered every month. It explores how you can add genealogical research as an income stream to your Personal Historian business, whether you conduct the research yourself, or you hire a specific researcher. Family history information enhances any personal history project by providing more in-depth family details. This introductory course will address the process involved, some tips on what to look for when hiring a researcher, and how to do the basic genealogical research yourself. Personal Historian: Oral History & Interviewing Techniques The second of the four courses is offered every second month. This Intermediate course examines how a personal historian uses oral history interview techniques to interview individuals about their lives or those of their family. Combining the interview, research, and additional items like photographs and documents, a personal historian can create a beautiful story for a client. The course material will discuss the things you need to know before specializing in oral histories, how to prepare for and conduct an interview, and what can be done with all of the materials collected. The goal is to learn how to put everything together and preserve the priceless histories that are uncovered. Personal Historian: Video Techniques The third course is also offered every second month. This Intermediate course is designed to introduce the basics of audio-video production for personal historians and genealogists. This will appeal to people who want to use current digital audio and video tools to record, edit and share life stories. Audio-video productions encompass four phases of work: pre-production, production, post-production and delivery. This practical course is structured along these four phases. Students with any level of audio-video experience, including those who are beginners, will benefit from this course material. There is great depth and…

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A Message from Legacy Tree Genealogists

THIS MESSAGE MAY BE OF INTEREST TO OUR SENIOR STUDENTS OR OUR GRADUATES Are you wanting to put your research skills to work? Have you started your genealogical research business? This may be the opportunity you have been hoping for! The team at Legacy Tree Genealogists currently has remote (work-from-home) positions available for several positions, with experience at three levels of genealogical expertise. These positions are part-time or full-time, depending on your needs, and will include paid time off, holiday pay, 401k, and full medical benefits (full-time only). Learn more about these opportunities and how you can join their team at https://www.legacytree.com/apply. FROM THE LEGACY TREE GENEALOGISTS WEBSITE: ‘As a company, we cultivate an atmosphere of support centred around our company values of CARE—Cooperation, Accuracy, Respect and Efficiency. It’s this commitment to providing exceptional quality and care to each client that has earned us the prestige of being the world’s highest-rated genealogy research firm. Since 2004, we’ve had the privilege of helping thousands of clients around the globe discover their story.’ At the bottom of the page, you will find which positions are currently hiring. You also have the option to subscribe to notifications for future open genealogy positions by completing the digital submission form. LegacyTree Genealogists Blog: https://www.legacytree.com/blog

A Message from Legacy Tree Genealogists

THIS MESSAGE MAY BE OF INTEREST TO OUR SENIOR STUDENTS OR OUR GRADUATES  Are you wanting to put your research skills to work? Have you started your genealogical research business? The team at Legacy Tree Genealogists has remote (work-from-home) positions available for Eastern European Researcher and Historical DNA Researcher. These positions are part-time or full-time, depending on your needs, and will include paid time off, holiday pay, 401k, and full medical benefits (full-time only). Learn more, or subscribe to notifications of future open positions at https://www.legacytree.com/apply. FROM THE LEGACY TREE GENEALOGISTS WEBSITE:  ‘As a company, we cultivate an atmosphere of support centred around our company values of CARE—Cooperation, Accuracy, Respect and Efficiency. It’s this commitment to providing exceptional quality and care to each client that has earned us the prestige of being the world’s highest-rated genealogy research firm. Since 2004 we’ve had the privilege of helping thousands of clients around the globe discover their story.’ LegacyTree Genealogists Blog: https://www.legacytree.com/blog

Business Skills Courses

Are you interested in developing Business Skills to take your genealogical research to the next level? The International Institute of Genealogical Studies offers a Business Skills Package that includes 18 courses to give students a good understanding of how to start and manage a genealogical business. Business Skills Courses – The Foundation – 4 courses Business Skills: Creating a Business Business Skills: Business Administration Business Skills: Establishing & Promoting Your Website Business Skills: Marketing Your Services & Products These four courses form the basic foundation to increase the skills needed for a successful business. The step-by-step process ensures you have covered all the requirements. From set up, to day-to-day management, to finding your online distinction, to letting the world know of your existence, your mandatory business practices will be covered. Business Skills Courses – Finding Your Niche – 2 courses Business Skills: Career Development: Choosing a Niche – Part 1 Business Skills: Career Development: Choosing a Niche – Part 2 An integral part of your Career Development involves Choosing a Niche. These two courses feature excellent suggestions for possible business opportunities available to genealogists. Course materials and assignments allow you to examine the requirements relating to a variety of research themes. After analyzing these results, you will easily see how you can draw from your own unique skill set to enhance your genealogical research strategies for your clients. Business Skills Package – Researcher Essentials – 12 additional courses Creating Genealogy Programs for Adults & the Younger Generation Demystifying Culture & Folklore Forensic Genealogy Genealogy Ethical Guidelines & Standards Genealogy Society Creation & Management Lecturing Skills Including Preparation Organising a One-Name Study Organising a One-Place Study Personal Historian: Telling the Stories Photography: Clues Pictures Hold, Editing, Digitizing and Various Projects Research: House & Farm Histories Writing for Genealogy: Articles, Blogs, Research Reports and so much more The remaining twelve courses in the Business Skills Package each focuses on a specific aspect of research or expertise applicable to many genealogists. Some of these subjects will expand on topics that were suggested in the two Niche courses. Whether taken individually or as part of this package, these in-depth courses instruct students in the prerequisites required to enter each area of a particular field with a genealogical emphasis. Genealogists currently have countless career options beyond simply completing client research projects. Explore your options as you investigate to see which program will suit your needs as…

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Clients

Client Relationships  It is often said that people tend to hire service professionals that they know, like, and trust. Clients entrust us with their life stories, their precious photographs, and personal data on their entire family tree. Developing and maintaining a respectful, professional relationship – that is warm and friendly but not too close – is a key skill that should be considered of utmost importance.      Difficult Discussions  You may find yourself in difficult situations where you will have to deliver some sort of bad news to a client. If you find these situations difficult, stop and think about what it would feel like if you were in the client’s shoes. You will go a long way toward helping the client accept the situation if you approach them with possible solutions to the problem.  Another situation might arise when you feel you must refuse a client’s request, perhaps because you believe it is unethical. Here are some suggestions for having a conversation with the client about this difficult subject:  Try to keep from expressing judgment of the client.  Time the conversation for as soon as you learn of the situation as possible.   Steer the conversation away from blame or accusation.   You may find, however, that a satisfactory resolution cannot be reached, and you may have to withdraw from the project.  Client Feedback  Another prime opportunity to communicate with clients is when all the work is done (i.e., after you have completed the book, presented them with a family tree, or pulled the records they requested). Soliciting feedback and evaluation is something that many entrepreneurs neglect to do. When you have received evaluations or feedback, be sure to review them in detail. Make note of any positive comments for your Compliments File. Look for suggestions for improvement and follow through on them.   In the course Business Skills: Business Administration  you will discover more about keeping your clients happy and growing your business.