Business

Wholesale Distributor For Computer Parts - Get Into the Distribution of Computer Parts Business

2008-08-20T08:32:00.003-07:00

Becoming a wholesale distributor for computer parts is a good idea now because people are realizing that customizing their PCs is cheaper than getting those big brand computers. Hence, there is a growing demand for computer parts.

The Advantages of the Business

Wholesalers and retailers are in business to provide a growing number of computer users who want different computer parts. This has led to the rise of e-commerce wholesale business and home business dabbling in the sales of computer parts.

The advantages of an online wholesale business are many:

• First, you do not need a million dollars to start the business.
• You don't need a large warehouse to stock your stuff
• You can offer different computer parts from different manufacturers
• You can attract customers with discount offers
• You offer convenience in your online one-stop computer shop
• You can target a global market without extra cost

Customers prefer to buy from a wholesale distributor for computer parts because they can get things cheaper and they can compare brands. You can get this edge if you are also one of the dropship wholesalers.

What You Need to Start the Wholesale Business

Business is business. Anybody who goes into a business must have a working knowledge of the items being sold and have a market for the product. With computers, you are going to get a big share of the market as the Internet and computers won't go out of style. The following tips can boost your plans to start a wholesale distributor for computer parts business:

• Make a survey of the computer parts market before you carve a niche from this competitive field.
• Get the suppliers in the locality if available so you can view their stocks first hand and determine if these people are credible.
• Get a good website designer for your online business
• Get a truck for dropshipping orders. You don't have to rent trucks for bulk deliveries, which can be expensive.
• Stay updated on computer technology to keep abreast with the latest computer products and computer parts.
• Common sense to make the right decisions.

When business is already running, develop a base of satisfied customers who will always be willing to do business with you. Once you have netted a devoted following, your business is sure to stay around.

If you want to be a wholesale distributor for computer parts, start networking with suppliers and check the Internet for credible suppliers and validate the company's credentials in the Better Business Bureau.

Discover where you can get deep wholesale discounts from the best and most reliable dropship wholesalers.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dennis_William

Can the Removal Business Survive the Housing Crash?

2008-08-20T08:32:00.002-07:00

The removal business is still a relatively small market with only a select few removal companies operating around the country. But the business has had a long and relatively successful history with removal companies operating as early as the 1800's, helping move anything from goods to equipment and even helping people move houses.

In modern day, the removal businesses are normally privately owned and have their own fleet of lorries and vans to be able to move the belongings and furniture from one house to the next. All removal companies will help you move house to anywhere in the UK but there are some that will not help you move abroad, for example France or Germany. This is down to individual businesses as some will and some wont help you move abroad.

Due to rising house prices and the credit crunch fewer people are wanting to move. This is causing a problem for the removal companies as they may not be receiving enough business to stay afloat and may have to improvise to stay in the black. An example of this would be taking a second job while it is quiet with the removal business.

When moving house there are many different types of insurance that you need to take into consideration if you want to cover any damages that may occur during the move. This will allow the move to go a lot smoother as you know that any breakages that do occur will be covered by the insurance so you do not have to pay any money.

The different types of insurance that you can receive include premises insurance. This is where, if the property is damaged in anyway when moving your belongings out of the house by accident, then this insurance will cover you to make sure you do not have to pay for it and the removal company does.

Another one is storage insurance. This is very important if you are moving overseas or moving prematurely out of your house but not in to your new home. This is where the removal company place all of your furniture and belongings in a giant warehouse that will enable the family to leave them in one secure place so they will not have to take them to wherever they are staying before they move into their new home. This allows their furniture and other items to be safe and dry. But in a situation where there is a break in or a fire and the family's items are destroyed or stolen then this insurance will cover it.

Certain removal companies will also allow you to purchase their own packaging material so you won't have to travel anywhere to get boxes and other packaging items to move your belongings. This will also allow a much quicker and easier move as all the equipment you will need will be in one place.

Overall, the removal company market is dipping due to rising house prices and it will continue to dip if the house prices do not drop. This means that it is very hard to make a profit and they have to turn to other things to make money, maybe things like insurance for all purposes during a move and packaging materials to be sold. Without the removal companies many families would find it very difficult to move house and they have helped ease many family's difficult situations.

Business expert Catherine Harvey looks at the way removal companies are struggling while not so may people are moving house.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Catherine_Harvey

Does Your Business Represent Who You Are Now?

2008-08-20T08:32:00.001-07:00

What was once a 'perfect fit' has changed, several times in fact. I was reminded of that when I joined 250 colleagues at our annual get together this week. That's 250 of over 1,000 members of the ProVisors organization of expert business advisors in Los Angeles. As I chatted with people I haven't seen in months, or even a year, we caught up on all the ways we've each grown and changed our own businesses.

Time and again in those conversations we described the business model we're now using, and who we are as professionals and business owners. And for many of us, those models have changed.

Here is some of my own learning. You might find it thought provoking as you consider your own.

When I moved into independent consulting in 1994, it thrilled me. Coming from many years of consulting with corporate giants like Avon, Disney, and clients of mega advisory firm Ernst & Young, I had a treasure chest of planning, management and problem solving tools to use with mid-sized business's challenges.

I trimmed and simplified the systems and processes of those complex large-scale companies down so they'd be perfect for professional services firms, fast growing start-ups, and second-generation family owned businesses.

Having my corporate background has been a tremendous door opener for speaking engagements as well as with clients. (Quite honestly, I loved that professional identity!) It's also been a quick credential with colleagues who provide different services to the same clients. It's enabled me to build a Rolodex of experts to solve my clients' challenges in financing, insurance and legal matters.

That 'credential' has enabled me to build the independent consulting business that brings in a healthy six figures with no additional staff or infrastructure for nearly fourteen years.

However, just as my clients' businesses have changed over the past few years, my business has changed. I've changed.

With each passing year, as my personal expertise grew, my interests and focus shifted - sometimes very naturally and incrementally. And sometimes I could see that I wanted to make huge shifts that required deliberate redesign.

For instance, during the first four years of my independent consulting work, clients asked me to develop business plans for them. I did many plans, and then realized that I was the most expert person about their strategy... and that was not the vision I hold for my clients.

I'm passionate about people being more expert and more capable at their business. So I shifted from 'doing' their plans, to guiding them through the thinking and decision making and planning so that they are continually more expert in their business.

Did that change whom I work with? You bet! Today I work with people who want to become more skilled than they are now, and not those who want to outsource key decision-making to others.

Those big business credentials? They're an interesting talking point, but nowadays prospective clients want to know other things: Can I help them get clear on their business vision and goals? How quickly can I help them build more effective teams? And what should they do about work-arounds they've used to avoid fixing obstacles?

The result? I have clients who realized they had by-passed a profitable niche by doing scattershot marketing. Others saw an unprofitable product could be a powerhouse door opener that always leads to up-sells that are 30-50% profitable. And some clients realize they're devoting resources to a product line that isn't part of their core offering, and holds a higher value if they sell it off.

Each time I think I've got my own business model set, the external world changes my own opportunities dramatically - new technology, changing business models across industries, new customer expectations for response time and so on.

Just as my clients have to stay 'fresh and relevant' for their customers, so do I. So, just as I challenge my clients' thinking about their business, I repeatedly challenge my own.

Here are some questions I ponder: - How long have I been delivering my products or services 'this' way? - What circumstances brought me to this business model? - Have those circumstances changed significantly? - Does my model reflect what the market is seeking now? - Does my message reflect who my clients are now?

What about you? When did you last check whether your own business model is a fit today for your opportunities and the way YOU want to work?

If you are in a growing stage of your business (or want to be), the strongest advice I can give you is: Go for Something That Reflects Your Future, Not Your Past.

Management expert, consultant, and coach Linda Feinholz is "Your High payoff Catalyst." Linda publishes the free weekly newsletter The Spark to subscribers world-wide and delivers targeted solutions, practical skills and simple ways to build your business. If you're ready to focus on your High Payoff activities, accelerate your results and have more fun at it, get your FREE tips like these visit her site at http://www.YourHighPayoffCatalyst.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Linda_Feinholz

What is Your Most Valuable Asset?

2008-08-13T02:15:00.005-07:00

Many business owners would say their inventory, buildings, and physical assets. Some would say their sales staff or their intellectual property, like patents.

Would you look at your balance sheet to decide? Your balance sheet lists all of your assets for your business right? Land, building, bank accounts, furniture, fixtures, inventory, vehicles, and all other real and personal property. Your balance sheet may also list your intellectual property like trademarks and patents.

So which one is it? Here is a clue . . .

Your Most Valuable Asset is probably not even on your balance sheet.

Another clue.

How does your business make income? Perhaps by sales to, drum roll please, Customers?

Your Most Valuable Asset: Your Customer List

Dan Kennedy calls the customer list your "herd". One of the techniques to keep it your asset is to build a fence around your herd.

Every business owner is concerned about the constant flow of new customers plus new business from old customers. Referral sources can grow older. There is a need to get referrals from customers who do business with you. After all, who knows how you do business better than someone who has done business with you?

Two of the three ways to increase your business involve your existing customers, not getting new customers. After all, those customers have already bought from you. The two ways are: 1. Buy more frequently and 2. Increase the purchase size.

There is also that issue of staying in touch with your existing customers, not only to buy more frequently, but just to buy from you again. I have been just as guilty as the next owner at staying in touch with people that have done business with me. Until we reorganized how our law firm does business two years ago, I assumed, just like many business owners do, that if I had done a good job, customers would think of me again when they might need legal services. Sometimes though, I would find out that in the speed of getting something done, the customer did not think of calling me because we had not talked, emailed, or written each other in more than six months (or longer).

For every month you do not contact a customer, the chance of their repeating as a customer goes down by 10%. After ten months, they are gone! So you must have a contact program that touches them and reminds them at least four times a year, and better twelve times a year. Because no matter how good a job you did, they will not remember you at the crucial decision time unless their memory has been refreshed.

This week, I am going to discuss a "How To". In order to maintain your email data base and stay in touch, it is necessary to have the proper tools. Most email programs like Microsoft Outlook or Mac' email have good ways to stay in touch but do not really deal well with large groups or provide a way that contacts can automatically update their contact information. There are others online like Plaxo that serve as an online address book but do not really fit the bill as an email tool.

Look at an autoresponder like aweber.com. Here is the link for the tour and basic information. http://www.aweber.com/. This type of a tool allows you to have webforms to trap data off squeeze or landing pages on the internet as well as the capability of subscribing by sending an email to the list_name@aweber.com. For example, you can subscribe to my blog and Thursday emails by sending an email to lawlist@aweber.com.

Using tools like this one makes it easy to publish a weekly, monthly or bi-monthly publication to stay in touch with your customers.

How else can you put a fence around your herd? Legally, you can use non-disclosure agreements and/or non-competition agreements. After all, you do not want your best salesman to go to your best competitor and take your customer list with her!

The customer list is your most valuable, yet sometimes invisible, asset. Protect it by contact and building fences around it.

Jim Montgomery is a business owner and law firm owner in San Antonio, Texas. He helps people develop exit strategies through their own business to get what they want from life. For detailed free information, visit http://yourexitstrategy.blogspot.com or email him at jemlaw@mac.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=James_Montgomery

Storage Container Rentals

2008-08-13T02:15:00.004-07:00

Occasionally, a business may have a need for temporary storage; whatever the case may be, a storage container rental company can help. These companies provide a range of services but specialize in providing above-ground, on-site storage containers that allow businesses to store items for an extended amount of time. The containers are available in a number of sizes and are usually loaned out on a weekly or monthly basis.

For those investing in these containers, there are many types on the market. Most are rentals, though there are also options to purchase these types of containers. Renting is the most popular solution, as it provides you with a low-cost way of accommodating your storage needs while still fitting your organization's budget. Often, companies just need storage at certain times of the year or even just for a few days in order to maintain an inventory or keep items on-hand.

Many companies can benefit from the investment in these containers for storage. For example, during the holiday season, retailers will order or create extra merchandise to pad their inventory and would need a safe place to store it all. Rather than tacking additional storage facilities onto their retail location or using expensive off-site storage, a single storage container (or several containers) can be brought on-site. Storage container rental is not limited to just companies; they are available for public use as well. One example would be using a storage container to temporarily house your furniture while your house is being remodeled.

For those who need to use a storage container, finding the right company that offers the best products and service is a high priority. When you need help with extra merchandise and storage needs, you may want to consider the professionals at ABRichards.com-they can meet all your storage needs easily and effectively.

AB Richards Inc. offers durable storage containers for rent. Visit ABRichards.com for more details.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=James_M_Peterson

Is Your Local Chamber of Commerce Obsolete?

2008-08-13T02:15:00.003-07:00

Wandering into the San Jose, California Chamber of Commerce one wonders what sorts of local businesses are members. After all, San Jose is Silicon Valley Central and the home to many of the world's best known companies.

As one glances at the list of members what is conspicuous is the absence of the heavy hitters. What is also conspicuous is that of the tens of thousands of businesses in San Jose only a very small percentage bothers to join the San Jose Chamber of Commerce.

In the old days local C of Cs were places to advertise and promote your local business. Somehow being a member and paying your $150 yearly fee would put you among the local elite and raise the credibility of your company.

But as in the San Jose Chamber of Commerce most local businesses are not members as well as the "bigger and more important" local businesses.

But it's not just San Jose. Go to any local C of C and more than likely you will find the same thing. Why?

A big picture analysis shows that the concept of "local" has changed. Technology and specifically search technology has opened the world to the local consumer with more than just local options.

In the old days one did business with those that one knew or knew of locally; now the local consumer can do business with any company they find searching the Internet.

The "Buy Local" programs have simply become obsolete as the concept of local has lost its meaning.

The inference once was that local consumers were looking for businesses and a good way to find reliable businesses was through the local Chamber of Commerce member list. Actually this idea died in the 1970's and 1980's and was in reality not a member benefit by 2000.

In the past a new business would join hoping to gain local exposure and maybe get some extra business. The badly maligned Mixers would help serve this function.

New members were told to bring their "pitches" and stack of business cards and hand them out at the mixers. So in effect the mixer became a big "let's sell to ourselves" exercise, as rarely do non-Chamber members attend the mixers.

Local collective ads were once another way the local Chamber could promote its members; through brochures, local newspaper and magazine ads, an occasional TV or radio spot. As mass media has gotten more expensive, the collective ads have gone by the wayside.

And like many organizations, the local C of Cs have been hit hard financially in the recent economic downturn. As their cash flows have diminished, the Chambers' ability to hire and retain good staff had diminished as well.

Hence, all the ubiquitous job postings for Chamber Executive Directors. Part of the "executive package" is that the executive director must raise money to pay for herself.

This means that the primary function of the executive director is not promoting local business but raising enough money to keep the Chamber above water.

But in all fairness, it's not just the executive director's fault; what can a group do locally to promote themselves?

The biggest complaint today is that the Chamber does little or nothing for its members so it has become harder and harder to justify the time and $150 fee. The first question a new prospect asks is 'what is in it for my business?'

If the expectation is increased business, as many new members hope, then the expectation turns to disappointment over time. That's too bad.

Communities need a strong business community to thrive and communities with a weak business community have problems.

The simple fact is that the local C of Cs are delivering less and less value to their members. Unless the local Chambers are able to redefine their mission and find ways to bring greater value, the Chambers will simply go the obsolete route of newspaper advertising.

Jack Deal owns JD Deal Local Search Marketing and Deal Business Consulting, Santa Cruz and Salinas, California 95076 831-457-8806. Related articles, ideas, strategies, tactics and tips can be found at http://www.jddeal.com/blog/economic_development and http://www.freeandinquiringmind.typepad.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jack_Deal

If You Start a Business Ensure You Create an Employee Manual

2008-08-13T02:15:00.002-07:00

These days with the technology of the internet - there is so much information around to help you make decisions and money easily. Just get online and research the opportunities available to you. You are sure to find a wealth of information around.

If you really want to make good money you need to work for yourself. Get away from working for someone else. This is the first step. But you need to be sure you are up to the challenge. If you think it may last a week or a month then don't do it. If you think you are in for the long hard yards then go for it.

You need to be able to persist when times get tough. This may mean working extra hours and sacrificing time with others to make sure you succeed. If you plan carefully and build on your experience then you should succeed.

One thing you should do is create a procedures manual or employee manual. This will help you a lot when you employ team members. There is nothing harder that explaining the same thing over and over again to employees when they should be able to read it for themselves.

An Employee manual is easy to create. Start with a word document and include all the rules and regulations of your company. Then progress to the steps that are required to create your products or provide your services. You will be surprised how much it really helps your company and enables you to have a hands free control over your company.

You should make sure that your employees are the ones that build your employee manual and you oversee the process. It will take you a long time to do it yourself otherwise. An employee manual will make a big difference to your company so don't neglect it and start today.

http://www.weekendeasycash.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=David_Taylortown

David Taylortown - EzineArticles Expert Author

Top Ten Ways to Improve Any Money Making Idea

2008-08-13T02:15:00.001-07:00

I've been kicking around some radical ideas in my brain about how to make money. The way I have it figured you can use these ideas for virtually any wealth enhancing idea and they can be applied to virtually every circumstance.

Top ten ways to improve money making ideas.

1. If you're making a product make it better than it has to be. Quality means a lot in any economy, but always when money is tight and quality is needed.

2. If you provide a service provide better service than your customer has come to expect from other suppliers. This idea simply works because of its ability to shock and awe your customers. They may not know how to respond.

3. Always take the high road - there's less traffic. While others work at cutting corners you should go out of your way to make sure your customer is satisfied with what you were able to provide.

4. Make a promise - and keep it. Customers are used to broken promises make sure you defy their expectations. It will likely start a conversation (generally between your customers and people they know).

5. When customers talk - really listen. They are used to being blown off by almost everyone. Surprise them by effectively communicating with them in a way that shows you were listening and that you care.

6. Give customers something extra. Provide a thank you gift for your customer that shows you appreciate their business and welcome their return visit. This doesn't have to be expensive, but it should be something memorable and useful.

7. Respond to customer requests. If a customer comes up with a great idea give them credit for it and use the idea (with their permission). They never see that one coming.

8. Give your customer a better sales experience than they expect. If it is online make sure you provide ample content to help them learn how to use your product. If the sale is face to face provide brochures that can help them appreciate their purchase even more.

9. Never settle for a quick buck. Make sure you make a quality presentation and then trust your potential customer enough to make an informed decision regarding a purchase.

10. Develop your product or service in a way that will have customers talking about you in the future. Make your business an heirloom quality enterprise. Provide such profound quality and service that you will be remembered long after the sale.

The reason these ideas will work is that they are totally unexpected. Quality is something people think of in reference to a time before planned obsolescence. Each family has an heirloom from their past, but none expect that quality today. This is why making things better than they have to be can be is such a powerful component for success in the 21st century.

We exist in a throw away society, but you can abolish the notion that there is no such thing as good service or quality products in the modern age. You have ten ways to make it happen. Is it worth it to you?

Learn to Make Money Online and Make Money From Home at MakeMoneyFacts.com. Build A Website in minutes at BuildAGreatSite.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Scott_L._Phelps

Embroidery Lab Coats - Helping People Remember Your Name

2008-08-13T02:15:00.000-07:00

You can have the plain white long lab coats embroidered with your employee's names across the chest along with your company's logo. This often makes clients and patients feel more comfortable knowing the person's name because it's often easy to forget their names when they are nervous having a procedure done such as dentistry or something at the doctors office. And having the company logo will remind them of your company for the next time they need something done.

If you are a dentist you might have embroidery a stock character such as a large tooth, a toothbrush and toothpaste on the breast pocket of your employee's lab coats. Not only is this a cute idea, but embroidery lab coats will often be a distraction to patients who are uneasy about their visit to your office. And it is especially nice for the children. If you can't come up with your own design, there are several stock characters for a dentist to choose from to embroidery on lab coats.

A veterinarian also has a large variety of stock characters, such as puppies and kittens, to embroidery on lab coats. You can always embroidery lab coats with your own logo and your employee's names if you have a cute design or one that is doable with the embroidery machine. However the more complicated the design, the more difficult it is to embroidery lab coats with your design.

Doctors are the most common people who wear white embroidery lab coats. They usually have their name embroidered across the chest on one side above the pocket. It is easier to see the embroidery on a white lab coat than it is on a color such as dark blue unless you use white thread when embroidering the name of the doctor or employee. If you are embroidering on some of the color lab coats, the darker ones you would want to use the white thread and a lighter lab coats you would use the darker threads.

The short consultation lab coats can also be embroidery with doctor's names or the hospitals name which make them look more professional. Often times the outer office staff such as the receptionist's or clerical workers will wear the short consultation lab coats to differentiate them from the doctors and nurses. And these too, can be embroidery with their names and the office name.

Wearing an embroidery lab coat gives you that personal touch and tells your patients you care enough to want them to know who you are. Because when you're introduced to someone, even under the best of circumstances, it's hard to remember someone's name. And when you're in a doctor's office and not feeling well it's easy to forget a person's name so having it embroidery on your lab coat is a wonderful idea.

Rick is working as a business consultant for an online nursing uniforms store medical uniforms if you need to see the latest trends, colors and prints please go to our embroidered lab coats section.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rick_G

A Beginner's Guide to Finding Quality and Secure Filing Cabinets

2008-07-15T08:49:00.001-07:00

Just as the name suggests, filing cabinets are special furniture units designed for filing important papers, storing files and documents in a methodical manner and keeping them secure under lock and key. A neatly organised filing system creates a positive feeling about any organisation.

Unlike other office furniture, filing cabinets come in very few styles. The two main types of filing cabinets offered by most office supplies companies in the UK are:

1. Vertical Filing Cabinets:

This is the traditional filing cabinet designed with two to ten drawers for storing letter or legal sized files. Here, the files are stored facing the front of the drawers. The drawers have depths ranging from 12 to 30 inches, while the width is usually 18 inches. For offices with little space, vertical filing cabinets are a better choice as they take less floor and wall space.

2. Lateral Filing Cabinets:

These filing cabinets come with much wider drawers as compared to the vertical ones, up to 42 inches. Here, files can be stored from front to back or side-to-side depending upon the filing structure. In a lateral filing cabinet, one can store files of both legal and letter size in the same drawer.

One more advantage of lateral cabinets is that one can easily access and view the stored files. Moreover, the storage capacity is about one third more as compared to the vertical filing cabinets. This filing cabinet is a better option for offices where limited wall space is not an issue.

Apart from the two types of filing cabinet mentioned above, there are two more popular furniture units that are used in offices for storing files and important documents. These are rolling cabinets and open shelving units.

A rolling cabinet has sturdy castors providing you with the option to move your files to wherever they are required. This is very useful if yours files are required in more than one location, or you wish to easily change your workspace.

On the other hand, open shelving systems have open shelves placed side by side and on top of one another. These open front shelves are simple in design and less expensive.

Things to consider before buying a filing cabinet

Before buying an appropriate filing cabinet for your office, it is essential to know a few essential things like:

-The number of drawers of the cabinet, and their width and depth.
-The floor space where you want to place the filing cabinet.
-The overall size of the cabinet, you don't want to buy something that might look lot out of place.
-Enquire about the maximum weight capacity per drawer before selecting the cabinet.
-Check the internal drawer width to ensure that it meets your storage requirements.
-If buying for security reasons, look for a fire or impact-resistant filing cabinet.
-Buy a filing system with a quality suspension mechanism so that you can open and close the drawers without any hassle.
-Look for filing cabinets with counter weighted drawers to ensure that the cabinet never tips over while accessing the top drawers.
-While buying a filing cabinet, it is essential to give importance to the material used in manufacturing it, as that will give a good indication as to its durability.
-Last but not the least, buy a cabinet that blends well with the rest of your office furniture.

Keep this checklist in mind while placing your order for a high quality filing cabinet from an Office Supplies Company in the UK, the USA or any other country in the world. For top quality filing cabinets you can rely on, choose Bisley Filing Cabinets or Triumph Filing Cabinets, they are amongst the best on the market.

Document Storage - All Your Business Needs Taken Care Of

2008-07-15T08:48:00.002-07:00

Documents act as one aspect that helps to make up your business; without documentation your business probably wouldn't be in existence. Also it becomes very hard for a business to be able to throw documentation out as most of it will be needed as records and future reference. This means that over the years you will more that likely accumulate a large amount of documents that will start to overtake your office, causing a lack of space but it also means that your documents will become highly unorganised, which can ultimately lead to you losing things. To stop this from happening have you thought about the idea of using a document storage company?

There are numerous storage companies across the UK who can offer you both document and domestic storage solutions depending on your needs. Document storage speaks for itself; it is a way of storing documents that you need to keep but that aren't of immediate importance to you or you may use it as a way of storing documents that are of high importance that you need to ensure are in the safest place. Domestic storage however refers to the storing of personal effects and household items.

With most storage companies who offer you document storage solutions you will be able to store your documents in boxes that are sealed and stored in humidity controlled warehouses, which are protected by intruder alarms and smoke detectors. All of these boxes are logged with online management, which allows customers to track and trace all of their files.

When you come to storing documents there are a range of different storage containers. Most storage companies who offer you document storage have at least three different container sizes. Some examples of the different sizes in containers that storage companies can offer you are as follows:

• A Mini Unit; these storage units can hold up to 18 document boxes

• A Standard Unit; these storage units can hold up to 70 document boxes

• A Large Unit; these storage units can hold up to 148 document boxes

Whichever storage container you choose it will be checked on a regular basis to ensure that it is kept:

• Clean

• Secure

• Dry

• Safe

Many people are often worried about leaving their important documents in the hands of a self storage company due to safety concerns. Safety however is one of aspect that is high up within a list of concerns held by a storage company, which is why they are monitored by staff around the clock and every container unit is protected by its own alarm. Also you get access to your document storage container seven days a week. Normally these storage companies have certain hours when you are allowed access but often you can get into your storage container outside of normal hours if you need to.

One aspect to remember when it comes to your document storage is you need to ensure that you pack your storage box/container in the best way as to not cause damage to your documents and to minimise the space within your storage unit.

Corporate Suites Turn Sour

2008-07-15T08:48:00.001-07:00

The second quarter was a tumultuous one forLehman Brothers and Wachovia Corp., two of the country's leading financial institutions.

Continuing a recent pattern of financial services firms bidding farewell to their chief executive officers, Wachovia's board asked longtime CEO, G. Kennedy Thompson, to retire. At press time, Lehman Brothers' CEO, Richard S. Fuld, Jr., had avoided the same fate. But president and chief operating officer, Joseph Gregory, and chief financial officer Erin Callan were suddenly reassigned after disappointing second-quarter results and writedowns that totaled $11 billion.

Ian Lowitt succeeded Callan as CFO, while Herbert McDade III, took over Gregory's slot. Callan was reassigned to a senior executive role within Lehman's investment banking division. Gregory's new role was unclear.

The reassignments came on the heels of news that Lehman expected to see a $2.8 billion loss in the second-quarter and that it planned to raise $6 billion through common and mandatory convertible preferred stock issuances.

Just days before she was reassigned, Callan said during Lehman's conference call about its earnings, that the capital the firm expects to raise is not being held against particular asset exposures on the company's balance sheet. The efforts to raise capital are "so we can get back to running our business on a day-to-day basis and stop the distractions and discussions we have related to our balance sheet," Callan said during the call.

Meanwhile, Wachovia's board asked Thompson to retire after the bank endured a string of disappointing results. One analyst from Robert W. Baird & Co. said he expects more bad news from Wachovia. "While not completely surprised by the announcement, Thompson's departure was sudden in our opinion," wrote David A. George, an equity analyst at Baird. "We wouldn't be surprised to see more bad news (credit, capital markets, dividend) out of [Wachovia] over the coming weeks." George maintains a neutral stance on Wachovia, saying that although the company's share price had underperformed in the first few days of June, he believed the risk/reward ratio was not attractive enough to warrant a stock purchase.

Unlike Wachovia's Thompson, Lehman's chairman, Fuld, didn't appear to have come under any pressure to resign or retire as of press time. In fact, Fuld and Lehman still enjoyed the confidence of at least two high-profile banking analysts. "We are buyers of the stock on the assumption that CEO Dick Fuld will steady the Lehman ship, and with greater stability, the stock will appreciate," wrote Mike Mayo, an analyst at Deutsche Bank in early June.

Merrill Lynch analyst Guy Moszkowski said the early June price correction in Lehman's stock had been overdone, and that concerns about the bank's share price suffering further from a Bear Stearns-style funding challenge were unfounded. Lehman's shares "have meaningfully undershot fair value in the last few days, on speculation and concerns that are not justified, in our opinion, given access to the [Federal Reserve's] primary dealer facility and ample liquidity," wrote Moszkowski.

Those persistent rumblings about liquidity put Lehman in need of some analyst praise. Rumors of a possible sale were rampant, along with accounts that the company had approached several South Korean investors, including the Korean Development Bank and Woori Financial Group.

Those concerns were not totally unsubstantiated. Credit-default swaps had widened from 140 basis points in early May to about 260 basis points a month later. In addition, Standard & Poor's had downgraded Lehman's long-term rating to A, from A+, in keeping with a review of the global securities industry.

Before Lehman's early announcement, Deutsche Bank's Mayo predicted that Lehman would take action by raising about $4 billion in capital, citing a desire on the part of the company's management to stay in control of its destiny and focus more of its efforts on offensive, rather than defensive, tactics. Still, Deutsche Bank lowered its share-price target estimate to $49, from $52, saying that it expects hedging losses at Lehman, as well as dilution should the firm issue additional equity.

"Impostor" Service Dogs - Is Your Business Prepared?

2008-07-15T08:47:00.002-07:00

I am an international access consultant and disability advocate. For the past ten years, since first becoming partnered with my own service dog, I have fought for the rights of service dog handlers who experienced illegal access denial (the illegal refusal of an establishment to grant entry to a partnered team).

The common denominator in all access denials is lack of education. Unfortunately, many businesses do not make it a priority to educate their employees in disability rights and sensitivity training; and as a result, suffer very costly lessons for their oversight. An employee's ignorance of access rights does not excuse the denial of those rights, and will not prevent incurring the stiff penalty that violating them carries.

Access denial is a huge, widespread problem throughout the service dog community, and not surprisingly, handlers with invisible disabilities have the most issues with access denial. However, just because you can't see someone's disability, doesn't mean that they don't suffer from it; and all the challenges that it presents. Persons with invisible disabilities cannot be denied the same rights as someone with visible disabilities; education and sensitivity training are key to the prevention of this type of disability discrimination.

For ten years I've been advocating for handlers' rights, mediating in pre-court cases, and educating businesses about disabilities and their rights and responsibilities towards their disabled clientele. I've worked tirelessly to preserve the rights of service dog handlers everywhere, and to promote the wonderful benefits that service dogs provide for their partners with disabilities in order to help foster a more compassionate and accepting attitude towards these incredible canines. My work has opened many doors previously closed to service dog teams, and I am fully committed to opening many more.

Recently, I've gained a new and unexpected clientele-business owners who believe that their establishment had been visited by (and in many cases, damaged by) "impostor" service dogs.

"Impostor" or "fake" service dogs are a growing problem throughout America. This is the canine version of illegally parking in a handicapped parking space. Many people have forgone any type of morality and have obtained vests and attached patches to illegally gain entry to public places with their pet dogs.

As unbelievable as it sounds, some offenders believe that their dog should be allowed to go with them everywhere and can't see the harm in passing off just one dog, others know it is illegal, but do it anyway because they lack any sense of wrongdoing; and still others believe that they are truly justified because they have an emotional disorder and having their pet dog with them eases their symptoms. Many of the latter have notes written by their doctors testifying to the fact that their dog helps to ease symptoms of emotional disorders; and so, they feel fully justified in having their dog in a public place, claiming it to be a service dog.

No matter what the reason, the simple fact of the matter is this: passing off any dog that is not specifically trained as per the Americans with Disability Act, state, and local laws is illegal (a federal offense) and carries federal penalties.

In the case of the emotional support dog, these dogs (while serving a great and positive purpose); are not service dogs. Many people have taken the ADA's version of the law and twisted it to fit their own situation---but they've missed a very important fact: In order to meet the legal requirements needed to earn the title of service dog, the dog must be individually trained as a service dog, and the dog must be specifically trained to do tasks. If a dog does nothing more than accompany a person into an establishment to "keep them focused" or "ease anxiety", they are not in compliance with federal law that specifically requires task training.

It costs $15,000-$20,000.00 to train a service dog. The high cost reflects intensive and high level training that takes hundreds of hours that ensure the dog to be obedient and able to perform its job in a variety of situations. Pet dogs are simply not equipped to deal with many unforeseen public distractions that service dogs have been carefully and meticulously prepared for. Owner-trained service dogs who have not met the same training standards are ill-equipped to deal with such stressors, and oftentimes, their handlers have not been educated in all of the laws and responsibilities that they are required to adhere to. This combination is an accident waiting to happen.

It is infuriating that while most service dog handlers invest the large cost and countless hours to properly train their service dogs, a growing number of impostors are simply mail ordering vests, slapping on patches and claiming their pet dog to be a service dog-then having the audacity to dare anyone to confront them on it; claiming protection under the Americans with Disabilities Act, the very law that they themselves are in violation of.

In the past week, several "faux" handlers, claiming to have had their "rights" violated by a business or establishment, have contacted me for access representation. Upon closer inspection in each of these cases, the dog in question damaged property (one bit several people), created a disturbance, or defecated and was asked by management to leave. None of these dogs had task training, and none had any formal training of any kind on record. These were pet dogs whose owners decided one day that now they were going to be service dogs, got a little note from their doctor (who is not versed in service dog law), and illegally sited the ADA as protection from eviction from a public place-and then contacted me to advocate for them! Guess what? Doesn't work that way.

Congress is fully aware and outraged at such behavior and is currently working on a bill that tightens the ADA's definition of a service dog and increases the severity of penalties in response to this growing, and potentially dangerous problem.

Pet dogs that have not received the proper socialization, high-level obedience, distraction and task training are apt to misbehave or even bite in high stress environments. Their ill behavior gives real service dogs a bad rap, and service dog handlers are having even more difficulties with access. In addition, business owners who have had experiences with "impostor" service dogs are less than jubilant to see a real service dog come into their establishment, and the business-client relationship is strained.

This is not an article that I could ever have imagined myself writing. I am a staunch advocate for service dog handlers; and have a reputation for my successful access award cases. To imagine myself on the "other side" representing Corporate America against a handler simply boggles my mind---but then, I could never have imagined that people could be so untruthful and so morally corrupt as to take advantage of a law that protects the rights of people with disabilities.

To think that many people are "cheating," by passing off untrained (or barely trained) pets as service dogs when so many handlers are spending incredible amounts of money and taking the time to properly train their service dog to the level of a highly-obedient and task-trained canine, is infuriating. The immorality of this issue propels me to set out on a new mission to right a tremendous wrong that is being played out against real service dog handlers throughout this country; ones who have taken the time and expense to abide by the law and painstakingly trained their dogs (and themselves) to the letter of the law.

For business owners who feel you may have been invaded by an "impostor" service dog, feel free to contact me for consultation and rectification in this matter. You are not expected or required to sit idly by while an untrained and illegal impostor causes your business damage or threatens the smooth running of your establishment.

There are legal steps that can be taken to stop these impostors in their tracks, and assistance in helping you to recoup damages. Current law provides for stiff federal penalties-even for first time offenders; and I'll be more than happy to assist bringing each one to justice on behalf of service dog teams everywhere.

If you are in doubt as to whether a dog is a real service dog, you may legally ask the following:

1. Do you have a documented disability? (Note: you may not ask what the disability is)
2. Is that a trained service dog? If the answer is yes, and you still doubt the validity of the team; you may ask what the dog specifically does for the person with disabilities.

Any properly trained team has been fully versed in the law, knows their rights and responsibilities and will have no issue answering such questions. Alternatively, if a person balks at answering these questions, or becomes unreasonably defensive; you may be dealing with an impostor. You may want to consider phoning the police to intervene.

Control Cluttered Offices With an Office Cleaning Service

2008-07-15T08:47:00.001-07:00

When a gathering of professionals work and interact in one office on a daily basis, a slew of things are bound to happen - productivity, miscommunication, pranks, non-productivity, stress and so on. But, would you ever think of mess-making being predominantly troublesome for the majority of professional office environments? It's absolutely and untidily true. For when any group of people work diligently and under a busy schedule following clutter and messes are bound to follow. And it's not as if these working folk necessarily have the time during work to clean up as they go through their diligent days.

Truth is that the tasks required out of these working individuals are significantly more important to them than the cleaning of their office spaces. The last thing on their minds or, better yet, to-do-lists, are tasks such as dusting, window washing, vacuuming and general tidying up.

Keeping Personal Office Space Clean Is One Thing...

But when it comes to maintaining the cleanliness of an entire office atmosphere, most businesses, corporations and agencies alike typically fall short and end up appearing a bit unkempt, at least on the surface. And looking a bit cluttered and messy is the last thing any well-established or respected business wants to portray as a first impression to individuals, both upstanding and casual, who waltz into their office environment.

So, to give your polished business the tidy image it so fully deserves, it's apparent you need to maintain it's cleanliness. And one way to go about this with some certain and clean results is through the assistance of a professional office cleaning service.

Hiring A Professional Office Cleaning Service Is...

Not only a wise move, but it's also an investment, specifically in driving home your business's marketability and professional, immaculate prestige. Think of a clean office environment as an advertisement to prospective peoples of interest: business partners, clients and employees. Imagine the looks on these aforementioned individuals' faces when they walk in and see a spotless workspace along with well-behaved and professionally-driven employees working like buzzing, bustling bees. Not only will you instill a respected image into these onlooking persons, but you will make this image stick both as one worth remembering and talking about to other professionals in the networking sphere.

Multifaceted Offers From An Office Cleaning Service...

Are major perks, as not every office is the same in terms of cleaning and servicing needs. Know that all professional and commonly used office cleaning services are prepared for any type of cleaning tasks, no matter a businesses size or requirement. Services usually offered for both small and large businesses in need of office cleanup include general cleaning, floor and carpet care (polishing and shampooing), window cleaning and even both matron and porter services.

So, whether your office is a cluttered semi-mess or an absolute pigsty corporate disaster, know that you can utilize the various services in which office cleaning services have to offer in a moment's notice. Just conduct some research as to which services are located in your area and then, upon choosing a specific few, get some cleaning estimates for the cleaning tasks you and your business require.

Nine Trade Secrets You Should Keep to Your Self

2008-07-15T08:46:00.000-07:00

Business competitors are not meant to be relied upon. Of course, there are instances of healthy competition and you may even be friends with your competitors. Nonetheless, all competitors want to know the trade secrets of their opponents. As a result, be careful, no matter how cordial your relations are with your competitors; never ever reveal your business secrets to them.

Let's look at some of the most common trade secrets that you should keep from your competitor:

1. New products - Any changes that you make in your product or service line should be kept under wraps till you are ready to reveal it to the public at large. Otherwise, you never know, maybe your competitor would beat you to it. These new changes, could take the form of new products that you may be launching or closing off some earlier ones etc.

2. Pricing strategy - Everyone uses a customized strategy to decide the price of their goods and services. It would be fatal to reveal this to competition, which of course would be ready to give an arm and a leg for it. This is also illegal and thus the Federal Fair Pricing law prohibits competitors from doing so.

3. Target market - Your key customer base and strategy to attract them is quite crucial and should be guarded well. All intelligent businesses keep this in mind and never ever reveal their actual customers and the means of engaging them, to their competitors.

4. Customer count - The numbers of customers that you have or the amount of sales that you have made is also one of the most well kept secrets. Otherwise, your competitor would be able to judge your exact position and standing in the market.

5. Guard yourself - Be always on your guard and take care of what you say or write. This is particularly important in case of your own and competitor's product. Make sure that you avoid commenting on competitor products and services. Try playing safe and say that you have not tried their products or services to comment about them. Otherwise, anything that you say or write against your competitors can be used against you in any adverse way, be it in legal matters or in marketing ones.

6. Marketing strategy - All products and services need to be marketed or promoted to the people. Otherwise, they would not get around to buying your product or service. You can do so by various means such as advertisements in media, banners, letters etc. This is all a part of your marketing strategy and should be kept secret from your competitor.

You may wonder that this would be quite easily apparent to the competitor but the idea is that they should not come to know of your plans before you launch your scheme. Otherwise, there are strong chances that they will try to beat you to it.

7. Product sources - One should never reveal to their competitor their sources and contacts through which they work such as names of suppliers, distributors, wholesalers etc.

8. Technical and other aids in business - At times you may be using some particular technical or computer tool that has made your business processes much easier and better. This is an advantage that you have over your competitor. Therefore, it would be advisable that in order to maintain this advantage you keep it a secret from them.

9. Don't trust your competitor - No matter how cordial your relations are with your competitor don't ever trust them. Never tell them about any episode that you have had with your customers, either good or bad. This also holds true for your staff, products and services. This is so because you don't know how they may use this information and at times, it may have bad repercussions.

Practice Caution

Everyone wants to follow the leader. If you are able to make your business a success then you can be sure that there would be many who would want to follow in your path and use the same business model as yours. This is part and parcel of success. However, no matter how much you are prodded, it is never safe to talk about your business and its workings with any outsiders. You would come across many a situation, when you would be asked about various aspects of your business but be cautious and don't reveal the details.

Discover Solutions With Your Subconscious

2007-07-10T02:30:00.002-07:00

Whether you are looking for the best way to make your sales presentation unique, or you need an innovative idea for a new product, you know that problems like these never have a ready and evident solution.

You may try to sit down with a legal pad to brainstorm, working your way down the page and scribbling out every possible solution you can think of until you find the right one. Or maybe you simply talk things out with those closest to you, in order to bounce around ideas and clear your mind.

The problem with these old-fashioned problem-solving methods is that they are too restrictive and shallow. They leave you nothing but a thought-tangled mess and the same regurgitated answers you've always had. This is because these methods make you rely on the weak part of your mind to find a solution for a problem too big for it to handle.

You see, there are two parts of your mind: conscious and subconscious. Your conscious, or active, thoughts are the thoughts that you hear most. These thoughts keep you worrying at night, and, if left unchecked, will drift and develop into strong negativity. Yet, these pesky active thoughts are only the rudder of your mind. They are important enough that you must control them if you want to steer in the right direction, but when faced with a large problem, they can't handle the job. They add nothing more than confusion and frustration, and often lead your ship off course.

Instead of relying on these active thoughts to create solutions, use these thoughts to simply pose a question or idea to the larger, and more competent, part of your mind: the subconscious.

While this concept may seem to new to you, it really isn't. How many times have you been faced with a difficult decision and felt the need to "sleep on it"? You probably never considered where this desire came from or why it can actually help you effectively solve a problem. You may have even experienced a time when you didn't want to waste time "sleeping on it," but you didn't feel right making the decision without doing it.

The reason you didn't feel right making the decision without that extra time is because you had not given your subconscious mind a chance to deal with the problem. By "sleeping on it," you finally gave your subconscious thoughts the opportunity to find the solution your conscious thoughts couldn't come up with.

Earl Nightingale referred to this process as the "rotisserie of your mind." He instructed his listeners to simply let the problem turn on this "rotisserie," and let your subconscious examine it from every angle as it turns. Eventually, the idea, the thought, the solution will be ready and show itself.

Your subconscious mind can solve any problem set before it, but it works on its own time and terms. Instead of anxiously searching for a solution with your active thoughts, relax and let your subconscious to the job it is meant to do.

You need not do anything more than pose a simple question or idea and then wait for the answer to come. The question can be, "How can I make my sales presentation unique?" or "What will motivate my customer to get in touch with me?" Then, walk away. You don't stand by a rotisserie and watch the food cook, do you? No. You walk away and trust it will do its work, only checking in from time to time.

As your subconscious finds solutions, it will bring them to your awareness. You will find yourself in your car or in the shower and suddenly the perfect idea will pop into you head. By letting your subconscious mind do the work, you will discover the unlimited creative power you have to find the solutions to any problem.

"New Safe Eye Treatment" The Key Ingredient To Fight Pain

2007-07-10T02:30:00.001-07:00

Looking for vitamins and natural pain relief products but your local drugstore doesn't carry the product anymore? Or it is much easier to deal with the pain then spend the money for a pain relief product because the price is out of control. Look no further because the online pharmacy industry has expanded so much that it is better to shop from your home for the products your need.

These online drugstores have much more selection and better pricing than the regular town drugstore. You can also search for supplements that have been taken off the shelves or discontinued. You can even search for the best price possible before you buy the product you need. If you have an internet connection you can get the best deals on all the items your are interested in.

For instance, there in a new product on the market today that is called maxivision.

Maxivision is created to prevent age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Amd disease that targets the macular area of the retina of the eye. Our central vision is mostly effected by the macular and without it we would not be able to focus straight. Amd will damage the sensitive macular pigment in the retina which in turn will cause spots in the retina. This may cause decrease in vision and possible blindness if one does not take the proper precautions. This disease is more common as we get older with age. This is where maxi vision vitamins comes in to help.

Maxivision was created to help repair and and treat the ocular areas with concentrated antioxidents to provide better health to the retina area. Maxivision can also lower the chance of amd causing permanent damage to the retina in the future as you get older.

There are also different selections of Maxi Vision Vitamins one can purchase that range from natural arthritis treatment to eye moisturizures. Some vitamins help the bones and joints by repairing the cartilage that has been worn down by the everyday stresses we apply on our bodies. Maxi flex can help any one who is experiencing any kind of pain in the joints or joint stiffness. Maxi flex targets the joint pain and relieves the stiffness.

It also promotes healing of cartilage that is the padding between the bone and joints so that they can move smoothly without friction to relieve pain. Other types of treatment of arthritis symptoms and anxiety that you can purchase online. If you take your time to search the proper places then you will find the best prices. By shopping at an online drugstore you can find anything you need. no matter if you are looking for natural arthritis treatments or looking for the common cold medicine, you will find it.

There are so many different stores you can search for online. don't give up if you can't find what you need at the first store and keep checking other stores because 1200 more stores may have what you are looking. As soon as you find the item you need you can then price check the other stores to try and get the better price of the item you want to buy. If you find the best price you will feel much happier about your purchase. Patience is the key when it comes to searching the net and finding the best price there is to offer.

Cut Business Costs With Cheap Till Rolls

2007-07-07T02:49:00.001-07:00

Till rolls are a necessary commodity when it comes to running a retail business, but many available options for till rolls are fairly expensive, and because till rolls are a consumable item, the cost can add up over time. If you are looking for ways to cut the costs that your business accrues on a monthly basis, one of the things that you may consider is looking into options for cheap till rolls.

There are several different types of till rolls, each possessing a different set of features or uses.

Single-Ply Paper Till Rolls --
Single ply till rolls are available in several different grades, but the most popular grade is 'A', with economy TMP single play paper till rolls coming in a close second. 'A' grade paper is much brighter than the off-white color of the economy paper, which makes it a better choice for businesses to use. Just because 'A' grade paper is the most popular and best preferred type, that does not necessarily mean that it is more expensive than other variations so if you can find 'A' grade single ply paper for a decent price you should purchase it in bulk.

Two-Ply and Three-Ply Paper Till Rolls --
These rolls are carbon less and are similar to self contained rolls, because the paper type is similar, and the paper is used mainly for two and three ply paper till rolls. These rolls typically have micro-capsule coating which is on either the front or the back of the paper or on both sides in the case of three-ply paper till rolls. A ribbon is required in the printer in order to produce an image on the top copy of the paper.

Thermal Till Rolls --
These paper rolls are most commonly used for "chip and pin" purposes as well as industrial purposes. These till rolls are single-ply, and have shiny smooth surfacing. This paper is typically available in white, but is also available in other colors as well. The coating on this type of paper is heat sensitive, and produces an image by reacting to a heated print head.

Impact Action Paper Till Rolls --
These types of paper rolls are typically used with two or free ply paper, such as the carbonless paper which was mentioned previously. This type of paper has recently been adapted for one-ply use with chip and pin systems. Just like carbonless paper, this type of paper has a micro-capsule coating which uses impact printing to print on the paper which means that ribbons are not required.

Selecting low-cost options for till rolls can significantly reduce overhead in your business. Reducing costs for consumables each month can save your business a significant amount of money

Employee Motivation Through Employee Tracking How?

2007-07-07T02:48:00.001-07:00

Generally what happens in most organizations, each and every employee has got few projects to work on but no body knows what exactly is going on with that employee. Whether he is performing his role well, applying his best or net, whether he is satisfied with his profile or need growth as per his extra skills and capabilities.

Log your time offers an online web based employee tracking software, employee performance tracking software which plays a very important role in keeping track of your employees.

Why the Employee is not performing well?

May be the employee is not satisfied with his job, he is not getting what exactly he deserves, not getting good work environment, it may be the main reason, why he is not performing well and not properly managing the projects assigned to him.

Looking after employees performances the HR managers can make direct contacts to their employees and can better evaluate what exactly going on in his mind, only then they can make further decisions regarding their employee satisfaction, employee motivation giving them proper work environment, better compensations, further growth as per their performances and skills.

How to motivate employees through attendance tracking

This software keeps track of employee’s attendance, whether they are regular/ punctual or not. It may be due job dissatisfaction. May be your next door office offers more benefits that your company does? Employees are getting better growth, better packages as per their performances because they are properly tracking their employee’s performances, their roles, their working skills etc.

How to motivate your employees?

Motivating employees to work their best is necessary in any kind of job. Workers are your machinery in the workplace and it is necessary that they function well to get the job done well and perfect. To perfectly have the results that you want from them, you have to take care of them properly and give them the necessary energy they need in doing their job well. If you need to give them the incentives and benefits, do so, in order for you to get the results you want from them. Thus Due to proper employee performance tracking an organization can boost up their employees morale and can get high quality performances in return from their employees.

How to Use Factoring To Finance Your Business

2007-07-03T03:18:00.001-07:00

Financing a new and growing business can be very challenging. As most business owners know, going to the bank for business financing can be challenging. Unfortunately, banks will seldom give business loans to companies that don’t have a long track record, audited financials and substantial real assets. And banks usually don’t finance startups or very small businesses. This leaves the business owner in a bind. How can they finance their growing small business?

Recently, factoring financing has emerged as a financing solution for companies that need to working capital. Factoring is suited for companies that sell to other businesses or to the government. As you know, one of the biggest challenges of selling to other businesses is that they usually pay their invoices in 30 - 60 days. Unless your company has enough cash to wait for payment, you find yourself in a bind. Soon, you’ll have to decide between paying suppliers or employees. It won’t take long before the company enters into a downward cash flow spiral.

The solution to this problem is accounts receivable factoring. Factoring provides you with an advance on your slow paying invoices, giving you the capital you need to pay employees and suppliers. This ensures that your business operates smoothly and positions you to accept new or larger orders, without having to worry about waiting 60 days to get paid.

Factoring receivables is easy to implement and can be set up in days. It works like this:

1. Your company invoices the client
2. The factoring company advances you 80% (some times more) of the invoice immediately
3. After 30 to 60 days, your client pays
4. The factoring company rebates you the remaining 20%, less their fee

The factoring fee varies based on a number of criteria including, the quality of your customers and the amount of financing you need. Generally, rates go between 3.5% and 1.5% per month depending on these criteria. However exceptions apply.

There are a number of advantages to working with factoring companies. For starters, factoring is easier to obtain than bank financing. The biggest requirement is that you do business with credit worthy companies. And, an invoice factoring program can be set up fairly quickly, usually in days.

If you own a business that invoices large customers and need working capital to finance operations, you should consider using factoring financing.

But I Don't WANT to Target Market!

2007-07-03T03:17:00.000-07:00

"Target Marketing, Schmarget Schmarketing – who needs it? I want a variety of clients, and I don't want to eliminate anyone. The more kinds of people I market to, the more clients I'll get, right??"

Does this sound like you? Believe me, I understand! I used to feel the same way, and just about all of my clients say the same thing to me in the beginning.

Target marketing is the cornerstone of all your marketing – the most essential element. Here are some examples…

*Target marketing in networking:
When you do formal networking in a group, the other people in the group want to be able to refer business to you. If you have not made it crystal clear exactly who you want them to refer to you, they won't make the effort to try to figure it out and they won't refer anyone to you. All of those people in the group are there to build their own businesses and work very hard to do that – they are not interested in working hard to build your business. You have to make it easy for them.

If you are stating in your 30 second intro that your best referral is "anyone who…" I can almost guarantee you will receive no referrals. The listeners are not going to send everyone they meet to you! Narrow it down for them and be very specific, then they'll know who you want and will send them your way when they meet them. Here are some examples: Spanish-speaking homeowners in North Hollywood, professional women who complain of hot flashes, teachers who want additional income. See how you start thinking about whom you know who fits that description?

*Target marketing on your website:
You have about 7 seconds to catch the attention of your visitor – or they will click off. You have to make an emotional connection with them in that time. One of the components of making that emotional connection is writing your website copy to one person – your target. If you try to appeal to the general marketplace, your copy will sound generic and watered down. It will appeal to nobody.

By writing to a specific person, they will recognize themselves – "Hey, that's me! Those are my problems she's talking about!" Also, you have the opportunity for a visitor to recognize someone they know in your copy – "Hey! That's my aunt!"

*Target marketing in your advertising:
When your ad, in print or online, is written with broad appeal in mind, it falls flat. Advertising is difficult enough to make successful, don't further cripple your chances by making it generic. If you can substitute your competition's name for yours and the ad is still true, it's ineffective.

I know there is a LOT of fear around picking a target and marketing only to that target. The biggest fear is that you are turning your back on all the other business out there. Those people are still out there, and if they hear your message and want to do business with you, of course you can take the business.

Target marketing is for marketing purposes only. In order to make an emotional connection, your marketing message must be aimed at a specific group of people with specific needs and problems that you understand. Only then will referrals flow, and will customers be compelled to do business with you.

Why the LLC Could Be The Best Tax Option For Your Start-Up Business

2007-06-29T02:55:00.002-07:00

Why the LLC could be the Best Tax Option for Your Start-up Business.

Your start-up business is taking off. In fact, you just got your first check.

Now, you need to get that money in the bank.

You don't have a business bank account? How are you going to cash that check?

In order to open a business bank account, you need to have your business license showing your trade name, your Federal Employer Identification Number, and your Certificate of Incorporation for a corporation, or Certificate of Formation for your LLC, or your partnership agreement for a partnership.

If you don't have these already, it's probably because you are still trying to figure out what type of entity you should form for your new business.

Unfortunately, it's not always easy to figure out which entity type is best. Should you be a sole proprietorship, partnership, LLC, S-Corporation or C- Corporation?

What's worse, you may be best off starting as one entity type, then changing when your business grows or gets more profitable.

If you've never gone through an entity change, I'm warning you now that the process can be a bit painful. You have to open new bank accounts, get a new Federal EIN, make sure your payroll tax deposits are made to the right account, change your 1099 information with all your customers, etc. If you change mid-year, you could end up filing multiple payroll and income tax returns, too.

Forming an LLC is one way to keep this process as simple as possible.

You see, an LLC is not a recognized tax entity. It is a legal business type, but the type of tax return your LLC files varies by the number of members and can even change with a simple election or two with the IRS. Since an LLC can choose which type of tax return to file, you can choose or change your tax type, without having to change your legal setup or Federal EIN. This can be a major time saver for your business.

Let's go through your options.

If you form a single member LLC (only one owner), the IRS default is that this is a disregarded entity. Essentially, the IRS ignores the fact that you formed a separate legal entity for tax purposes, and you report your business activity on Schedule C of your individual income tax return. You file and pay taxes just like a sole-proprietorship.

If you form a multi-member LLC (more than one owner), then the IRS tax default is a partnership. Your LLC would file a partnership tax return, and the income or loss would flow through to the individual owners' tax returns. The partnership return allows you to distribute income or losses to partners (members) based on criteria other than ownership percentages. This can be useful if you have members in different tax brackets, or if you would like to be able to distribute start-up losses to the member who invested the most money in the business.

Profit From Garage Sales, Over And Over?

2007-06-29T02:55:00.001-07:00

People who run regular garage sales know they can be a great way to make money. Some people even go around to second hand shops and buy things to then resell at their own garage sales and actually make a profit. Others, while acknowledging that garage sales can certainly be profitable, can't bring themselves to have a stream of strangers coming to their home. This reticence can be used to your advantage and it indicates an additional source of income for those who are prepared to hold garage sales.

If you are happy to run garage sales, you can increase your earnings simply by selling other people's items for them for a commission. Some people who do this charge a whopping thirty to fifty percent of the sale price and people are willing to pay it.

Of course, if you decide to sell items for other people at your garage sale, you will have to be very organised in order to avoid conflict and mistakes. Every item will have to be meticulously labelled so that you can easily track it and pay correct money to the owner or return it to the right owner. You will also need to have a good idea of a reasonable asking price for items. Many owners will tell you the price they want, however, there is no point taking up space with items with too high an asking price because they are unlikely to sell. After all, people who frequent garage sales are looking for bargains.

To get your business going, you can start small and invite people in your street or local area if they would like to participate. If you include friends, you will need to be very clear from the outset that it is a business arrangement and you will be charging commission. Make sure they are okay with this because friendships have been lost over much less. Once you hold a few garage sales, word of mouth will kick in and you will begin to have people approaching you.

You can advertise your garage sale in local newspapers and on flyers that can be delivered to local letterboxes. You can also put a sign out the front of your house and make identification easier by tying red balloons or similar to your letter box or front fence. Some local councils will even let you put up temporary signs on telegraph poles and some shops will be happy to put a notice in their window.

Once you have made the decision to use garage sales to make money, you will find that you will notice opportunities to make money and advertise your sale that you otherwise would have ignored. You will develop a sixth sense for success. For some people, running a garage sale is a way of getting rid of clutter and making a bit of money on the side. For you, running a garage sale can be a way of earning income while at the same time providing a valuable service to people in your community.

Are Merchant Account Fees Too High?

2007-06-22T03:05:00.001-07:00

My grandmother has always taken an interest in my personal and professional undertakings but I was still surprised when she expressed the desire to learn more about my job as a merchant account manager (not exactly a titillating position). During the course of our discussion, I explained that we generally charge between 1.5% and 1.75% for retail transactions (depending on the type of card) and over 2% for Internet and MOTO (mail order telephone order) transactions. My grandmother shook her head in disbelief and immediately determined that these fees “were too high.” “Andy, she exclaimed, “You’re making 2% profit on each transaction! How much is enough?”

It was time to give Grandma the abbreviated course, Merchant Accounts 101. I explained that our company, indeed all processing banks, are governed by interchange rates – uniform rates that Visa and Mastercard charge their member banks. These, in essence, are our buy rates and if we charge lower than the interchange rates, we will be losing money. “So, you see Grandma,” I added, “We don’t make 2% on every transaction, but only several basis points.” I expounded, “A basis point is only 1/100th of a percentage point.” She quickly reversed course and then said with a smile, “Maybe you’re not charging enough.”

Certainly, business owners, particularly those that are large and process an incredibly large monthly volume of credit card transactions, don’t want to hear that the fees should be raised! Some are even calling for government regulation to ensure a reduction in credit card processing fees. Large retailers, including Kroger and Safeway grocery chains, behemoth drug stores, such as Walgreen and Maxi Drug, and others are even engaged in a lawsuit with Visa and MasterCard, declaring that Visa and MasterCard, for all intents and purposes, are monopolistic entities that violate antitrust laws. The retailers believe that Visa and MasterCard’s standard, uniform fee structure need not change, simply that the associated fees should be reduced.

But how, in practical terms, is this going to be accomplished? Visa and MasterCard are unlikely to determine that their profits are too high and implement interchange price reductions. Consequently, retailers are urging for state and federal / legal intervention requiring Visa and MasterCard to adopt “cost-based pricing.”

Cost-based pricing may be summarized by the following simplistic formula:

Cost of product or service + Percentage of fixed profit = Cost-based pricing.

But determining the total cost, including Visa and MasterCard’s variable and fixed costs, are extremely difficult to calculate. But even if the cost side of the equation (on the far left of the equation) cannot be determined with complete accuracy, retailers are demanding that Visa and MasterCard reduce the fixed profit percentage.

My initial reaction to the retailer’s position was one of approval. Corporate greed (are you listening Exxon Mobil?) hurts the average American consumer whose wallet continues to shrink. It is disconcerting to know that corporate CEOs, CFOs and those on the board get enormous raises, bonuses, benefit packages and huge retirement stipends when so many in the work force can barely make ends meet.

Perhaps if credit card rates would be lowered, then these large retailers would offer customers lower prices. Consumers would benefit and everyone will be happy – well, save for the folks high up on the corporate Visa and MasterCard ladder.

But then I started reading more about this issue and learned that large retailers may very well decide not to pass on their credit card processing-related cost savings. As one author wrote, “the hypocritical retailers do not sell their own goods for 'cost-based' prices.” Indeed, profit is the name of the game and these big boys may have trouble sharing their newfound good fortune.

Moreover, if government regulation were enacted, Visa and MasterCard are unlikely to just sit on the fence, bemoaning the fact that they have to reduce their interchange fees. Somehow money will be recouped and it probably will be through the good, old American consumer / credit card card holder who will be assessed additional fees to use credit cards. Think about the domino effect that higher gasoline prices have caused, leader to higher costs in so many industries.

There remains a silver lining even if the federal and/or state government does not intercede with Visa and MasterCard’s policies. There are merchant account providers that are willing to price their service using “cost-based pricing.” As long as such companies remain in the black with their merchant accounts, they may be willing to make the slimmest margin of profit. Less individual profit may only maximize total profits in the long run as these companies will get their share of referrals.

Free Grant Money

2007-06-22T03:04:00.000-07:00

Every year, Congress allocates billions of dollars in the form of free grant money to aid major projects that would ultimately benefit communities. Allotment for education grants alone reached an estimated $67 billion annually.

Free grant money can be availed of from various government agencies. But this free grant money does not come without a price tag. This may sound ironic but free grant money is not exactly for free in the truest sense of the word. With free grant money come obligations, responsibilities and consequences. These are legally binding too because the use of free grant money entails use of public funds which must be properly accounted for. Free grant money is actually your compensation for accomplishing certain obligations. Free grant money is something you have to work for to attain. Free grant money does not just fall on your lap with a minimum effort. In short, free grant money does NOT come for free.

There are various resources to be able to acquire free grant money from the government. President George Bush recently launched GovBenefits.com website which contains information on where can avail of free grant money. GovBenefits.com can give you valuable info the free grant money to avail.

If you are an entrepreneur and would like to open a new business or improve an existing one, the government has free grant money program for you too. Economic development agencies that extend free grant money exist in the different states. Free grant money information can be found in Kansas, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico and Utah websites. The rest of the states do not have free small business grants but do offer financing and technical training services to individuals who want to go into small business through the U.S. government’s Small Business Administration (SBA) program.

The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) also offers info on how to avail of free grant money. Their website http://www.cfda.gov/ gives valuable info on how to avail of free grant money from the Congress’ approved funds. But CFDA is useful only to people who have insight into the grant application processes. Otherwise, it would be hard for you to understand the CFDA entries on each program. And you’re grant application might be rejected because of that.

For students, free grant money information could also be found on Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) website http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/. The FAFSA is a seven-step guide that inquires about your personal details, financial status, school plans and many others. In 2002 alone, 6 million students have availed of free grant money through the FAFSA.

Free grant money under the discretionary programs by the government such as those listed in CFDA requires going through a lengthy often grueling process. A formal application must be prepared and submitted. After that the concerned agency will consider and approve or disapprove the application. Then the implementation will be subjected to a lot of further requirements like accounting, disclosure and auditing of expenses to the last cent.

Some organizations would even hire full-time staffs just to take care of the application and implementation processes. “Grantsmanship” is the term used to refer to the art and science of applying for grants. The government can be pretty meticulous on how it spends its money. The Grantsmanship to apply for free grant money takes a lot skills indeed!

Would you like to learn how you can get your hands on up to $50,000 or more in cash that you won't have to pay back ever?

Motivational Humorous Speakers Can Help Motivate Meeting Attendees!

2007-06-18T23:01:00.001-07:00

Motivational humorous speakers can help to motivate meeting attendees at your next event. Motivation has been defined as the deployment of physical, mental and emotional energy toward a specific task or goal. In pure psychological terms motivation is often referred to initiation, intensity and persistence of a specific behavior and by employing a motivational humorous speaker you can tap into true motivation. Motivation can be a temporal and dynamic state that should not be confused with emotion or personality. A motivational humorous speaker can help point out that motivation is having the desire and willingness to do something. A motivated person can be reaching for a long-term goal such as becoming a professional athlete or a more short-term goal like learning how to speak conversational Spanish and often times a motivational humorous speaker helps.

Intrinsic Motivation

Motivational humorous speakers can help stress that there are two types of motivational influences or forces at work when trying to accomplish a specific task or goal. Motivational humorous speakers show that intrinsic motivation is present when people engage in an activity for its own sake, without some obvious external incentive present. Learning a new skill or hobby is a typical example, like our example above of learning conversational Spanish. Intrinsic motivation has been studied intensely by psychologists and humorous motivational speakers since the early 1970s, and numerous studies have found it to be associated with high goal achievement and enjoyment by participants. Motivational humorous speakers also help participants to enjoy the meeting experience and learn about motivation at the same time.

Extrinsic motivation

Traditionally, motivational humorous speakers articulate how extrinsic motivation has been used to motivate employees with tangible rewards such as pay raises, promotion and punishments. Intangible rewards such as praise or public commendation can work as well and a competent motivational humorous speaker will demonstrate this in his/her presentation. However with the United States economy transitioning from manufacturing to service industries, the importance of intrinsic motivation rises:

* The further we move jobs move from pure manufacturing, the harder it becomes to measure individual productivity and this makes the case to employ a motivational humorous speaker. This effect is more evident for knowledge workers and truly apparent in teamwork. A lack of objective or universally accepted criteria for measuring individual productivity may make individual rewards arbitrary.
* Since by definition intrinsic motivation does not rely on financial incentives, it is cheap in terms of dollars but expensive in the fact that the inherent rewards of the activity and the motivational humorous speaker can help you attendees internalized a motivational mantra.

However, intrinsic motivation is no cure-all for employee motivation and the motivational humorous speaker can point out problems such as:

* For many business activities it may not be possible to find any or enough intrinsically motivated people, thus the need for a motivational humorous speaker.
* Intrinsically motivated employees, even after the motivational humorous speaker finishes will need to focus on their goals for the future.
* Intrinsic motivation is easily made a negative that can cause it to be extinguished or stomped out in the organization, e.g., additional extrinsic motivation is known to have a negative impact on intrinsic motivation in many cases, the perceived value that a motivational humorous speaker brings to the equation.

Motivational humorous speakers are your best bet when trying to motivate your employees and can be an integral part of a successful meeting or event.

Free Business Cards

2007-06-18T23:00:00.001-07:00

Free business cards make an excellent statement as an advertising medium for your small business. Almost all business owners, whether the business is large or small, makes use of business cards constantly. If your business has a client base, or would like to have a client base, you can use business cards to distribute to anyone you meet who might be a potential client. You can use business cards to remind your existing clients of your name, business and contact information. You can also use business cards to post in places where people gather or typically look for information. For example, if you are a farrier, posting your business card at the local veterinarian's office would provide good advertising for your business.

Most people are familiar with business cards and welcome the opportunity to have a reminder of where they can find a product or service which they need locally. Even in a social situation, people often hand a business card to a new acquaintance. This is a friendly way to meet people as well. Face to face communication coupled with an mini-ad for your business and also provides contact information about your business

When you are looking for business cards of a very basic type, you can actually find business cards that you nothing but postage and handling fees. Ordinarily, business cards are expensive. If you are short of funds and do not mind using a bare bones business card which just happens to cost you nothing, check on the internet for one of the free business card offers.

If, as a new business owner, you have been concerned about the cost of advertising your business or your product, why not kick start your advertising business with a free business card order? Obviously, the free business cards which you receive won't be as heavy when it comes to card stock, the selection of fonts and designs will be limited and you won't get multicolor print jobs. Still, having these handy little cards to distribute to customers and potential customers can be a way of getting a lot of advertising for a very minimal outlay of capital.

In fact, shipping and handling fees are a very small outlay of capital for dozens of free business cards. You will be able to spread the word regarding the business which you have just begun, even though you do not have unlimited resources to spend in order to purchase advertising. Using business cards is a very inexpensive way to receive a tremendous amount of advertising for your new business. You do not need to think that just because the cards are free, that they appear cheap or poorly printed. Printing businesses online that offer free business cards are relying on your satisfaction. If you are satisfied with the quality and design, the company knows you will be back when it's time to purchase business cards using the advertising money from your business.

Free business cards will often have a quite substantial number of options regarding fonts, number of lines of print on the card, where names and titles appear on the card. You can usually always have good charges in colors, both background and type font color. The background design is very often a matter of many possible choices.

Most free business card offers on the internet guarantee that your order will be shipped within two to three days. Your order is guaranteed not to be held up by delays in shipping. Another thing that clients are often concerned about is the issue of security for sensitive personal information. Even though the order does not cost you anything, you still want sensitive personal information to be kept confidential

The Law of Attraction In Business

2007-06-12T05:05:00.001-07:00

Entrepreneurs work harder than most Americans. They spend countless hours and enormous amounts of energy trying to reach business and financial goals that are often elusive. They seem to be doing all the right things: attending seminars, scouring the latest business books, networking, guerilla marketing, hoping, and praying.

We all know of business owners who go through the same motions yet they are far more successful and don't work nearly as hard. And, they seem to have more fun. Surely you've seen situations where two people are in the same business, sometimes within a block from each other. The owner of the first business can be successful beyond measure. The other business can be close to bankruptcy.

What is the difference? The difference is that the first business owner is allowing their natural brilliance to run the business. That natural brilliance is the Law of Attraction. We are all far greater than we think and we have truly amazing potential that most people are not even aware of. The real key to success in life and in business is accessing your "miracle mind" and unleashing your capacity for abundance.

The best way to do this is to learn how to make the Law of Attraction work for you. The Law of Attraction is the most powerful law in the universe. It works just like a magnet. Our thoughts are energy and we attract and are attracted to the people, opportunities, and situations that are in harmony with what we focus our attention on.

If business is bad and you spend your time and energy thinking about how bad it is, then guess what? You get more bad business. If, however, you focus entirely on how great your business is and how grateful you are for the customers you do have, you will get more great customers and even better business. It works every time. It's the Law. The Law of Attraction is not just a matter of thinking positively. Using the Law of Attraction successfully does requires positive thinking but it so much more than that.

Multi-millionaires and other highly successful people think and behave in a certain way that get the results they want. Here are just a few of the "secrets" that make them successful:

"¢ It is crucial that you identify and eliminate the hidden beliefs that prevent you from becoming successful

"¢ Believe you can manifest whatever you want

"¢ Always focus on what you want, not on what you don't want

"¢ You must maximize your untapped abilities and powers if you want to be truly successful

"¢ You can turn your confusion into clarity which is essential for getting what you want

"¢ Become aware of your self-talk. You'll be amazed at what you're really telling yourself

"¢ Believe that what you want is possible for you and that you deserve it.

Negative mental programming is the most overlooked reason for business failure. Being successful in life and in business requires a certain mindset. It requires thinking, feeling, and behaving in a certain way to get specific outcomes. When you change your mental programming, you will begin to attract and be attracted to the people, situations, and opportunities that are in harmony with your new mindset.

You will become aware of new ideas and ways to make money that had been around you all along, you just didn't see them. The perfect seminar to help you will find its way to your inbox, the person you most want to meet will be available, the book you need will jump off the bookshelf. The Universe will provide everything you need-if you believe it and take the necessary steps to incorporate right thinking into your life.

You can take your business to the next level, and beyond whenever you make up your mind to do so. The Law of Attraction, like the Law of Gravity, is no respecter of persons. It works exactly the same way for every person who uses it. All you have to do is say "yes" to it and watch your business grow.

Aim High!

Interim Management - Increasingly Part Of The Plan

2007-06-12T05:04:00.001-07:00

Interim management has traditionally been seen as a reactive response to organisational failure. Increasingly, a new breed of interims are emerging – people who regard interim management as a career and have transferable leadership skills to work across sectors. Building in organisational capacity to accommodate career interims ‘as part of the solution’ is discussed.

Interim management saw rapid growth in the private sector in the 1990s. It experienced a decline as the downturn bit in 2000 but has shown signs of picking up in the last eighteen months. In the public sector interim management has been slower to take off but has seen rapid growth in the last two to three years, first in London and then throughout the country. As with the private sector, interim management was associated with organisational failure but is now slowly being seen as part of the solution.

In both sectors – private and public – many corporate HR specialists, as well as group managers, are only just beginning to see the potential in recruiting interim managers as part of their change programmes. As such, interim management is still very much an untapped resource.

Below, we explore these issues in greater depth with Linda Booth, Group HR Director for United Utilities, a FTSE100 company. The interview is interspersed with real life examples where Veredus interim managers have been brought in to help organisations.

Has there been a growth in interim management used by your company?

"Yes, but very gradual. At United Utilities group level we have used no more than possibly five to seven interims in the past two years. This, out of a total of 120 staff. We have three recruitment streams: from headhunters and executive recruitment brokers, from single independent contractors and from larger consultants who can offer specialist services. Within the larger group of 17,000 employees business managers have the capacity to recruit their own interim staff. In the main we don’t use headhunters but rely more on independent contractors. My personal view is that interim management is still largely an untapped resource which, if used properly by organisations, could support forward thinking programmes."

Part of the solution – Veredus case study

Increasingly interim managers are being used by central government in a more strategic way. In one part of central government an interim manager has been placed to oversee the establishment of a new agency with a high political profile. The interim has been responsible for setting up the corporate governance of the agency, establishing the structure of the new organisation and working with civil servants on recruiting the senior permanent staff team. In this case, interim management is being used as a resource to set up executive structures in a newly formed national organisation.

What are the qualities/skills you look for in an interim manager?

"In the main we are talking about senior managers. So, someone who comes with good technical skills and can ease into the role smoothly, someone who can quickly understand the organisational culture and work with the grain, someone who can offer a challenge to the company and identify where improvements can be made, someone who is focused, has delivered before and can form easy – but not collusive – rapport with colleagues. Also, someone who can see the bigger picture. Equally important is the ability to not get ‘pushed back’ – someone who can stand their ground in the face of opposition once having agreed ‘the brief’ and has a clear definition of the role. Good interim managers come with a degree of maturity – they tend not to be phased by the ‘ups and downs’ of an organisation and have the ability to get on with the job. They know they are only going to be around for a limited period and can ride the stormy bits. Good interims get on with the job, can be set free quickly and want to make things happen."

Has interim management changed in the last 2-3 years in terms of skills, talent and age?

"Most definitely. My sense is there has been a big change. Alongside those who have retired or taken early retirement is a new group of interim managers. Not just people with good technical skills but people with transferable management and leadership skills who can effectively move between sectors. Also people who appear to have more flexible lifestyles, who see interim management as a career – either as a medium or long term opportunity – and who are prepared to travel. My other feeling is that they are getting younger. Good project management skills are essential but increasingly so are good leadership and management qualities. Only now are we becoming aware of the pool of talent available."

Part of the solution – Veredus case study

A national rail infrastructure company was awarded a £3bn contract as part of a private/public sector package. Part of the business plan was to look at different elements of the contract and consider options for more rational and cost-effective models of service delivery. For example, whether to outsource or keep in-house some aspects of the service as well as how to turn round failing parts of the organisation. In this case, interim management being brought in at an early stage to consider future strategic options for the company.

Is there a place for interim managers to be seen as part of your longer term business strategy?

"Generally we don’t plan for interims as a part of our business cycle. As I mentioned before we still use interims as a reactive response. Using interim managers or technical experts as part of a planned development is still relatively new and undeveloped. I can see how built in capacity can be valuable to an organisation given the need to stay ahead of the game and give us a competitive edge. Not only technically but also managerially. Particularly in scoping either a new role or a new development where some uncertainty exists about long term viability. Less personal upheaval may result as well as less business instability. Certainly an idea that needs to be developed."

Part of the solution – Veredus case study

A medium size unitary county council had recently appointed a highly able Director of Children’s Services. The new director had previously turned round a failing social services and was now expected to do the same for the education (schools) in the newly combined service. The authority agreed to bring in an interim manager – on a project basis – to work on poorly performing service blocks. The interim manager was previously a successful director of education. From the beginning role boundaries were made clear. The newly appointed chief officer would have complete responsibility for the management of the service but would use the interim as a mentor in getting to grips with the schools agenda, and as a resource in quickly drawing up action plans for ‘fragile’ parts of the education function. An example of interim management as a coaching resource and providing capacity to move forward quickly in getting the whole service up to speed.

In a nutshell, how would you summarise the qualities of a good interim manager?

In a nutshell, people who provide you with immediate access to high quality talent, who come with good track records, represent low risk and maintenance and can offer you more instantly by seeing things through a fresh pair of eyes. It’s interesting to speculate - coming back to the question of using interims as part of the solution - what came first. Did organisations identify a need or were they reacting opportunistically to a more talented and flexible pool of talent. My feeling is that it was a bit of both. Either way, we need to use interims in a more creative way and develop a clearer understanding of what interim management is.

How to Find the Best Merchant Account Provider for Your Business

2007-06-07T04:53:00.002-07:00

You know - the decision you make when selecting a Merchant Account provider may be much more important than you think. Why? Because you will rely on their service many times a day, as you take in credit card payments for your business.

The fees your merchant account provider charges, as a percentage of sales, will add up to tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands of dollars, over the course of a few years!

Bad or mediocre customer service can cost you many hours of nail-biting anxiety as you struggle to straighten out problems that may not even be your fault.

Hidden fees can cut into your profits while early termination penalties force you to remain stranded without the freedom to get out and retake control of your future.

If, for any reason, your credit card processing falters, your business will feel the pain. That is why it's very important that your merchant account provider pass some qualifications including these:

Qualifier #1. Integrity of the Provider.

Unfortunately the merchant account industry is full of deceptive claims and ruthless businesses that feast on the lack of knowledge that merchants have about our industry. Therefore, be on the lookout for these potentially “problematic” indicators:

(a) When you call during business hours, do you get an answering machine instead of a live representative or a professional answering service?

(b) When you ask about your processing costs, do you get straight-forward answers or just confusing blabber?

(c) Do they post teaser rates all across their website with “free” terminal giveaways and ridiculously low rates?

(d) Does their website have a valid domain name or are they just representing another merchant account provider?

(e) Are they a member of the Better Business Bureau (BBBOnline)?

(f) Do you see any security seals like Authorize.net, VeriSign or Komodo displayed on their website? This lets you know that their website is secured.

Qualifier #2: Price Structure of Provider.

Rates and fees you will be charged are critical! Ask the merchant account providers to provide a list of all of the COSTS associated with processing credit cards including things like:

Monthly minimums, annual fees, supplies, early cancellation fees, minimum contract term, access fees, PCI compliance fees and rewards card surcharges. These are often the hidden costs that catch you after a contract is signed and dated.

Here are some questions to ask a potential merchant account provider.

> Are your rates fixed or introductory?

Make sure rates are fixed. Do not accept any introductory rates. Some merchant account providers will try to attract you with super low rates up front ... and then as the months go by raise your rates and fees to shocking high levels.

> Will you put ALL your rates and fees in writing?

If a provider will not agree to put 100% of all rates and fees in writing, eliminate them from consideration.

> What are your hidden fees?

Ask the representative about hidden fees! Go over your written agreement's fine print, searching for the slightest hint of a hidden fee. Hidden fees could include monthly minimums, annual fees, supplies, early cancellation fees, minimum contract term, access fees, PCI compliance fees and rewards card surcharges. Hidden fees are not deceptive tactics. But all costs should be explained to you before entering into a contract. If fees are not clearly explained then they are "hidden" until they later emerge on your billing statement. Get all of the merchant acocunt provider's fees upfront.

> Do you charge a cancellation fee if I decide to move to another provider?

This question will help you determine if the provider is interested in helping your business grow ... or maximizing their own profit. A good merchant account provider that delivers exceptional service doesn't need to charge an early cancellation fee in order to keep merchants from leaving.

Qualifier #3. Customer Service of the Provider.

Exceptional customer service should be expected. It is one of the most important value-added services offered by a merchant account provider. Here are some main points to verify:

> 24/7 availability

> Real person answers the phone; not a answering machine

> On-hold times under 1 minute at all times

> Friendly, courteous, responsive and knowledgeable representatives

> A toll-free 1-800 phone number

> Other forms of contact via website, live chat, or fax

Before you sign up with any company, call up their customer service number. Ask some questions (to gauge knowledge) and get a sense for their attitude. Do the groundwork now versus when you have a problem and really need to speak with customer service.

If you use these qualifiers BEFORE selecting your merchant service provider, you may be avoid a nightmare in the future and instead be able to focus on growing your business.

Finding the Right Office Space for Your Business

2007-06-07T04:53:00.001-07:00

Every successful office manager knows that the office, furniture or equipment is not necessarily the key to prosperity in the workplace, but the people working with them are more important. That is why many office suppliers are now aiming to provide much more than a nicely furnished office space, they also aim to provide the necessary services to accommodate and maintain office space.

Many companies now offer full service and affordable solutions for different businesses. In addition, they may provide space for executive offices with stunning views that are suitable for board meetings and client updates. Having an office located in a modern contemporary building with many hotels, restaurants and car rentals agencies in vicinity can turn out to be very convenient for clients, employees and co-workers.

Indisputably, the internet has an increasingly greater effect on the way people around the world live, think, and most important work in different businesses. More people are doing business with the help of the internet; therefore virtual office software is frequently the best tool to help them satisfy their desires and requests.

In the San Francisco area, those who work in a virtual office environment have a unique office space opportunity. There is a business package that usually provides individuals with many advantages such as: mailing address and a mailbox, kitchen facilities, access to a conference room or private office for different periods of time (for example 8 hours) per mouth, a phone number and your company’s name on the Directory Board.

Taking all this in consideration, this innovative office space opportunity in San Francisco can be the ideal solution for anyone who works from home, a person that spends most of his/hers time on the road, or simply someone who needs a part-time office. This is a great way to cut costs and maintain a business identity at the same time.

In San Francisco, you can find these executive office space opportunities at a great number of executive suite centers both in the city and the surrounding areas. The fastest and easiest way to find executive office space in San Francisco is to surf the internet. There is a considerably large number of websites that offer exact information about each executive suite center together with detailed location maps, indicators, pricing, and photos along with information on the different services that are provided. With such a large number of executive centers all you have to do is chose the one that best fits your needs.

These new office space innovations in San Francisco may just be the best solution for your business. You can benefit from appropriately staffed office space on full time as well as part time, or you can take advantage of distinct services including telephone, administrative and secretarial services, T1 internet access, consulting, conference rooms and many others.

If a professional appearance is important for your business, but the synchronization is not right to rent an office you can look for business identity packages. With prices varying between different amounts of money depending on the services provided; you can have that professional office you’ve always dreamed about, without the costs that usually go along with it.

Trade Show Tips and Tricks

2007-05-25T04:55:00.001-07:00

Not all trade shows are alike, but with a few basic tips, you can improve your ROI (Return on Investment) without adding much (or any) cost. With just a few tricks, your trade show experience can be transformed from a nightmare into a success story.

-Follow up on the leads you generate. You would be shocked to know how many exhibitors fail to follow up with potential clients. Your work does not end when the trade show ends.
-Train your booth staff on your products and services. Unknowledgeable staff is unprofessional.
-Plan in advance. The cost of expedited shipping can be tremendous, so make sure you are planning your purchases months in advance.
-Pick a show that is right for you. All your efforts will be wasted if none of your target audience attend the trade show at which you are exhibiting.
-Please, do not try to do your own graphic design work. The work of a professional designer with an aesthetic eye is substantially better than the work of a person who simply understands the programs.
-Practice setting up your display before the show. This can save you valuable time at the show to mingle with other exhibitors.
-Send pre-show mailers.
-You only have a certain amount of time at your trade show, so evaluate potential leads quickly.
-Spending too much time with a dead-end attendee can cause you to squander other valuable opportunities.
-If you must exhibit internationally, plan well in advance.
-Less is more in display design. You are not creating a museum exhibit, you are creating a trade show display. There is only a few seconds to grab the attention of potential leads, so make your graphics simple and powerful.
-Make sure to read the guidelines for booths for the specific show you will be attending.

Choose Ideal Construction Cost Estimating Software For Your Company

2007-05-25T04:54:00.001-07:00

So many contractors go out of business because their construction cost estimating is too low or too high. When the amount estimated in not high enough the company can lose a lot of money; when the estimate is too high you lose the job to a competitor and gain a bad reputation. If either occurs enough times it can result in total failure for the company. Human error is something that will always happen to some degree, and if you want to cut mistakes out completely, you need construction cost estimating software. It can seem overwhelming knowing which is the best construction cost estimating software for your particular company, with such a huge variety available now days. Prior to beginning your search you should read the following guide to ensure you have a clear idea of what you need.

Commercial or Residential
The first decision to make is whether your company is primarily in the business of commercial or residential building, as there is different construction cost estimating software for each. If you feel your business falls pretty much equally into both categories,

there are programs for you as well, however you may find they are more costly.

Work With Your Existing Software
Contractors will usually have several existing programs in use for bookkeeping, ordering and planning, and a program that will be compatible with most of these will make life a lot easier. This will mean you can get the most out of your construction cost estimating software and ultimately use it as a front end system for accessing all your files and records. An example is if you already use Microsoft Office; try to find a program that will be compatible with that program rather than one that is compatible with QuickBooks.

Would You Possibly Like to Customize the Software?
When you become familiar with your construction cost estimating software, you will be likely to start to notice a few things here and there you would like changed or added. This is called customizing a program, and some construction cost estimating software will allow you to do it yourself to a certain degree. It is also an option to have a computer expert spend a few hours making the changes you require, but you need to be sure it is possible with the particular software you choose. It is a exceptional feeling to have a customized program designed to do exactly what you imagined, and even if you think you won't want it upfront, try to keep it in mind as a possibility for making your construction cost estimating software a perfect fit for your company.

How Simple is the Software to Use?
Contractors are busy people, and although you will want to dedicate some time initially to learning the ins and outs of your new construction cost estimating software, you don’t want it to go on endlessly! Choose a program that is designed to be simple to learn and use and you wont have to spend forever teaching others either. Undoubtedly, any construction cost estimating software is going to be complex, but the ones that have been tested by others in the industry can be learnt more easily.

How Much to Spend?
Almost everyone in the construction industry is continuously on a tight budget, and cutting costs doesn’t often include lashing out on new toys. Paying between one and five hundred for good construction cost estimating software will make its money back in the long run. You will save time, have better records for improvement assessments and appear more professional and organized to clients. Eliminating features could bring the price down, and free trials are available for many programs so you will know what it is you are paying for upfront.

If you cover all your bases and buy the right construction cost estimating software for your company you can save thousands of dollars a year at least! These programs mean more accurate estimates and continuous live update analysis of data, which enables managers to regularly keep the budgets in check. Whether you are a residential or commercial construction company, investing in the right software will mean more profits and more free time in the future.

Invoice Factoring Company - Contact One When You're Creating A Business Plan

2007-05-25T04:53:00.001-07:00

Starting a new business is an exciting adventure: include invoice factoring business funding to create a rock solid plan.

Be sure to investigate factoring loans before you even open your doors for business. The Small Business Administration has created a cash flow budget worksheet. Use this helpful tool and partner with a quality invoice factoring company to boost your success through cash flow management.

Effective cash flow management through factoring loans can boost your business funding options.

As a new business owner, you will use cash flow analysis to determine how to run daily operations. What bills should be paid at what time? How much time can you give your clients to pay their invoices? No matter how many assets you own, you need a steady flow of cash -- so it is never too early to talk to an expert factoring firm to create a top notch cash flow management strategy.

Reach for the stars -- and create a thriving business -- by choosing an expert factoring company for your cash flow management.

With a quality factoring firm, you can:

* expand your new business geographically,
* hire more staff,
* become involved in more R & D or
* start a new product or service line.

The options -- and freedom -- are all yours.

Reap the benefits of invoice factoring for risk-free financing -- no matter how long you have been in business.

A quality factoring company can provide the factoring loans that will grow your business to new heights. Read on to discover how you can tackle the cash flow management challenges of your service-oriented business by working with receivables factoring companies.

Invoice factoring companies expertly address a problem unique to service industries.

Service industries face tough cash flow management challenges, because:

* Their main asset -- their highly qualified professional staff -- cannot be used as bank collateral
* With service industries such as temporary staffing agencies, owners must pay their employees every two weeks, but businesses where they place these employees often pay their invoices every thirty to forty-five days With receivables factoring, though, temporary staffing agencies, janitorial service firms and other service businesses can factor their receivables and pay their staff and other bills on time.

Expand your service business through collaborations with invoice factoring companies.

Now you do not have to hesitate to take on new clients. Because you can factor your invoices:

* your improved cash flow management will allow you to pay the staff needed to serve these new clients and
* to expand geographically to gain even more lucrative clients.

Increasing numbers of highly qualified Americans are deliberately choosing temp work as a way to balance work and family life. So opportunities for temporary staffing agencies to recruit professionals are also increasing, given solid cash flow management.

Invoice factoring provides quality and timely business funding solutions for all types of business, including service industries.

Whether you own temporary staffing agencies, a janitorial services firm or another type of service industry, take advantage of new opportunities by reviewing cashflow information by the SBA and contacting a quality factoring company today.

Flowers Have Magic of Countenance

2007-05-25T04:52:00.002-07:00

Perhaps the most popular way to present a gift is to present flowers because flowers appeal to all our senses and brighten up our lives and our hearts. Perhaps you can find difficult to express your exact feelings and sentiments in words but you can express your exact sentiments by presenting flowers. Flowers bring good cheer and convey the right message in their own language – truest language of love. That’s why the popularity of flowers is.

But there is a question which arise in our mind is when to send flowers and when not to. Flowers are a classic gift for any occasion and are always welcomed. There are many occasions when flowers are sent to loved ones. Wedding ceremony, birthday, Valentines Day, Mother's Day, Easter, Thanksgiving Day are some such occasions when you send flowers to your friends and relatives.

If you present beautiful flowers together with a carefully selected gift enhances the beauty of the gift. If you present flowers to the newly wed couples, you express your wish for their wedding life to be filled with the same sweet fragrance as that of flowers. A red rose gifted by you to your beloved on the occasion of Valentine’s Day fills the heart of your beloved with fragrance and those sentiments which you can’t say in words.

If you present flowers from Israel, to your loved one or beloved, it will be too much fascinating, because it is said that a rose is just a rose, except when it is from Israel.

In present days, online flowers sending and purchasing are in vogue. With the increase of flowers uses in various occasions, many flowers delivery shop has been opened. They also provide online ordering system. Israel is an important centre for flowers and gifts delivery shops.Israel flower delivery centers have flowers and gifts for every occasion.

When you send Israel flowers you send two gifts at a time to your loved one. First one is flowers and second one is flowers delivery that puts a smile upon your loved one.

Sending Israel flowers online is very easy. When ordering flowers online you can look through online catalogues and find the ideal gift for any occasion. This is tremendous help for anyone who forgot a special occasion. Flowers gift Israel delivered to your loved ones home or office as a last minute gift will bring joy to their hearts and you will be overflowing with a special sense of pleasure.

If you are looking for online flower shop you may go with online Israel flower delivery centres and choose your flowers & gifts from a wide spectrum of flowers & gifts. So don’t be late and send Israel flower, and put a smile upon the face of those you love and respect.

Business Directory & Guide

2007-05-25T04:52:00.001-07:00

Business Directory or Guide normally come out with printed version (Book) which containing an alphabetical or classified listing of product and services, company name, company address, telephone number, and company advertising.

Using Directory, people can find company name and address by searching through product and service name which listed alphabetically. For instance if technician working in an oil refinery plant need to replace some blunt Non-Sparking tools, how would he go about looking for the Non-Sparking Tools?

Firstly, he need to open a directory, search for "Tools" classification under 'T' alphabet index. Then under "Tools" Classification, search for "Sparking Tools" Subcategories. And finally from there he could contact the company that selling the product for more details information. It's very easy and fast and take less than a minute to find supplier.

Nowadays, Business Directory or Guide come out with 3 main products to help and ease their users to find their supplier. The main 3 products are:

1. Printed Edition - All information about products and services, company name, telephone no, address is printed as a book and then distribute free of charge to all companies in their countries.

2. CD-ROM Edition - All information about product and service, company name, telephone no, address is stored inside CD-ROM and Users can installed it on their PC and search information directly through their PC. The program inside the CD-ROM allow users to type in the products they wanted and then search it. It's more convenient and portable compare to the printed edition.

3. Website Edition - All information about products and services, company name, telephone no, address is stored in database server which connected directly to Internet. Users could connect directly Internet, visit their homepage and search it directly. Mostly the webpage provide a search bar like others search engine to allow users to type in their keywords (product, brand name, company name, and telephone no that they want to search) and they click on "Search" Button and all the information will be displayed on users screen. Using Website Edition, Users can find information anytime and anywhere as long as have Internet connection.

Drop Shipping - An Entrepreneur's Dream or a Fool's Nightmare?

2007-05-17T04:36:00.002-07:00

For many people, the possibility of selling goods online appears fraught with difficulties. Firstly, you need to locate a product, store inventory, organise a good shipment or carrier company and so forth. But what if you could become a successful online retailer without having to worry about those problems?

The answer is that you can…a simple type of retail called drop shipping. Let us take a look at the pros and cons of this method of retailing.

Drop shipping is the name given to the retail method where you sell a product at a price of your choice but do not keep the products in stock. You collect the payment from the buyer and pass the order onto the supplier who despatches the goods on your behalf. You pay the wholesale price to the supplier and the difference between that and what you have been paid by the buyer is your profit.

With this method of retailing, you are able to send low quantity orders gathered through your website to wholesalers without the worry of packaging and despatch. You manage the promotion of the product and collect payment and the drop shipper looks after the rest.

However, there are some rules you need to be aware of in order for drop shipping to be a profitable venture for you.

Firstly, you need to find a product that people want to buy and that you can make enough profit on to make it worthwhile. Do some market research to try to gauge the demand of any particular item. Look at how much competition there is and what they are charging. Remember, you want to be competitive but you still want to make a profit.

Don’t try to sell too many related products at once. Be choosy about what you are going to sell and concentrate your efforts on particular types of items.

Now of course, you need a reputable drop shipper, not some middleman posing as one. Once again, you need to do some research. Find out how long the company has been operating. You also need to know what costs are involved in order to calculate your profit margins. Also, there are some who will want to charge you a regular fee to use their service. These are to be avoided.

It is not too difficult to find a drop shipper. Contacting wholesalers directly to see if they operate a drop shipping service is a good way of finding suppliers. Also finding them through the internet is another way but be careful. The easiest and probably the safest way to find drop shippers is through a drop shipping directory like the Drop ship Source Directory which you can search for on the internet.

Also, find out about their shipping policies. Some companies will only ship to particular destinations. You also need to determine that they are using a reputable firm for delivery.

An important factor to take into consideration is their refund policy. Do they have one and what does it entail? Do their products come with a guarantee? Make certain you get all of this information in writing before choosing to deal with the company.

So, let’s summarise this practice of drop shipping so that you may make an informed decision regarding your online business:

You sell the item online at a price determined by you You collect payment from the buyer You place the order with the drop shipping wholesaler You pay the drop shipper using a credit card or other pre-approved means The drop shipper despatches the order to your customer

Drop shipping can be a fantastic way for the entrepreneur to get into the retail market. However, if you fail to research all of the above factors, you could be just another failed marketer on the roadside of the information superhighway.

English Only in the Workplace: Don't be Sued!

2007-05-17T04:36:00.001-07:00

There are approximately 35 million Americans that were born in foreign countries. When we compare this with the approximate 285 million Americans across the country we find that approximately 10% of all people living in this country are immigrants. That means foreign languages are a major part of our lives.

After each war new legislation is passed in order to either stem or control immigration. In 1891 the Immigration Service was established to deal with the large influx of immigrants after the Civil War. After WWI the federal government again instituted immigration quotas around 1921 to limit impoverished new comers. The 1990’s have seen the larges amount of immigration since the early 1800’s. If the statistics included illegal immigrants the number would be huge making the 1990’s an immigration free-for-all.

Many companies have begun instituting English only in the workplace. The policy change is because there are is a high level of new immigrants and nearly 11 million Americans that are not fluent in English. This creates problems for employers who must maintain productive work environments where the languages spoken on the floor are not always understood by everyone else.

The issue of an “English Only” workplace requires some type of business necessity whereupon the connection between business needs and the English language is clear. For example, when conducting their duties companies may require English to be spoken for customer service, operational and safety reasons. However, it isn’t likely that a company could show much business justification for people speaking another language on their breaks.

The amount of EEOC charges related to potential ethnic discrimination and language in the workplace is rising. In April Flushing Manor Geriatric Center was forced to pay $900,000 in a settlement after the company allowed other languages but not Creole to be spoken. They enforced a rule that Creole could not be spoken on breaks which showed discrimination towards one set of people.

The best advice someone can give a company concerning how to set up your “English Only” workplace is to draw direct lines between language and business needs. Safety, customer service, operational efficiency, and transparency are some important business reasons for having such a policy. However, a company should avoid enforcing these language restrictions on breaks, off-time, and activities that are not part of business transactions. Do not restrict one language while accepting other foreign languages or the issue becomes one of ethnicity versus consistency in the policy.

What Type of Employee Benefits Should Your Business Offer?

2007-05-17T04:33:00.001-07:00

Once an entrepreneur has grown from working in his basement or garage to having employees the question about benefits will ultimately rise. That leaves small business owners in cross roads between spending money on benefits and spending money on growth. Offering benefits may be a necessity if qualified talent is going to be retained.

An informal study conducted among doctoral students at University of Phoenix found that there is an inverse relationship between perceptions of benefits and likelihood of leaving an organization. For example, when benefits are perceived to be high there is less likelihood that the doctoral candidates will leave their organization. When the benefits coverage is low there is a higher chance employees will leave.

Doctoral students were asked to rank their benefits such as life insurance, medical, dental and compensation and then rank the likelihood that they will leave the organization within the next six months. Doctoral students were used because most of them were in management positions and had years of business experience making their informed decisions more valid.

Benefits appear to be a main source of retaining employees and represent a cost of around 38% of payroll. This represents somewhere between $300 per individual plan to $850 family plan per employee. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ 2006 it was found that 60% of workers with less than 100 workers offered health benefits, 47% set up retirement plans, 38% offered life insurance 27% offered short-term disability benefits and 19% provided long-term insurance.

We know that there are many types of benefits a small business could offer if only it had the money to do so. Thus, with financial restrictions it is often more important to offer the right kind of benefits versus the whole array of possibilities. The two most important benefit choices are medical and retirement.

The reason why medical and retirement is so important is because most employees consider these items with great care when deciding to stay at a company or move to a new one. Life insurance, disability, dental and vision will often be overlooked if the medical benefits coverage and retirement plan is correct.

HMO’s are one of the most cost effective benefit plans a company can offer. They restrict cost by encouraging employees to visit in-network providers that have been prescreened by the health insurance company. The medical professional is paid each time a person visits their office regardless of whether they are seeking treatment. Even though this may limit coverage to a certain extent it does make it a viable program that allows companies to control cost.

The other important benefit is retirement. We know that pensions are now the minority in the business world. People are living longer than ever expected and this is causing companies to go bankrupt. Offering a 401 with or without contribution is one of the most effective methods for keeping employees around. Around 40% of all Americans put money into this type of retirement fund. Those companies that do not offer it are likely to attract people of less than standard quality.

Before calling your local health insurance company and taking whatever they give you make sure you do your shopping. Plans can change vary and there is lots of options available for just about any business of any size. Compare the cost against your recruitment strategy and employee turnover to determine if implementing employee benefits will help your business grow.

Use Links for a Better Event Experience

2007-05-17T04:32:00.000-07:00

Links are one of the most convenient features of the internet. The ability to go from website to website and land exactly at the information you are looking for is like opening a book and getting the page you need every time.

If you can anticipate the information that your event participants need and point them directly to it, when they need it, you will get more registrations and make registering and attending your event more enjoyable and beneficial.

Before we get to a list of links that you may want to use, keep in mind that you can over do it. Try to keep your registration form uncluttered by only adding links that will help during the actual registration process. The rest of the links should go in the confirmation email or on the event website where they can be accessed after the registration has been submitted.

To get you started with some ideas, here is a list of fourteen links that you may want to consider using on websites, online forms and in confirmation emails.

Maps Not everyone will know how to get to the venue, Google maps are easy and very convenient to use.

Transportation If you anticipate that event participants will be using public transit, provide a link with transit options, schedules, fares, etc. Also considering providing links to taxis, limousine companies, etc.

Airport If you expect people form out of town a link to the airport can be handy.

Accommodations Maybe you have arranged a special rate for event participants at a local hotel or just know of one that is convenient to the event location.

Sponsors Give your sponsors some additional exposure and have links on your website and in your confirmation email.

Venue Provide a link to the venue's website if it is a museum, gallery or other place of interest. Venue websites often have directions on how to get there, where to park etc.

Schedule of events If there is too much information to include as text in a confirmation email, post a schedule of events on your website and provide a link in the confirmation email so people can easily check back and make their plans.

Session details This is a good one to have on your registration form. List the times, date, speakers and other details on your website with a link from the registration form. This way you can provide a lot of detail without adding clutter to the form.

Restaurants At some events people will need to get their own lunch, dinner, etc. Suggesting a couple of local restaurants in the area can be helpful.

Local Attractions If you have out of town event participants provide a few links to local attractions so they have something to do after the event.

Related Events If you or another organization that you work with have other events coming up try to cross promote each other.

Speakers If there are speakers at your events provide links to their websites so event participants can get some background information.

Related Products If you know of a product your event participants may be interested in you could promote it on behalf of a local store or online retailer. Maybe you can negotiate a special price for your event participants.

Newsletter If you or the organization hosting the event have a newsletter now is a good time to get people interested in it. You should already have a link to the newsletter sign up form on your website, but you could add one in the confirmation email too.

Playing the Product Name Game

2007-05-17T04:31:00.000-07:00

If you've ever held a brainstorming session to come up with new product names, you know that it is usually not hard to get people to attend. In fact, such meetings generally start off with a lot of enthusiasm and elation. This quickly fades though as the cold reality sets in. Naming a new product is really difficult.

Naming a product is about as close as you can get to having a root canal without going to the dentist. Even done well with an expert team, it's an exercise in pain, frustration, and disappointment.

Nevertheless, there are some things you should know about the process.

First of all, get a reality check on how important a product name really is. Some people tend to think that it's a life and death matter, others rate it as inconsequential, and the truth is probably somewhere in between. Having a great name is a definite asset. Having a poor name is a major liability. But in the area between, there is probably not much difference as to whether a product has a good name or a mediocre name.

Second, it is vital that you enlist the support of some legal experts, perhaps an on-staff paralegal or an attorney with expertise in trademark registration. They will tell you that you cannot trademark descriptive names. For instance, if you ran a chain of motels, you could not trademark the name Motel. By the same token, you can't call your new drug Cholesterol Pill or your new heart monitor Heart Monitor.

Fanciful names are best. Fanciful is a legal word for "made up." Pharmaceutical companies do this all of the time as they invent not only drugs but totally new words as product names. Viagra® is a made-up name; so is Aleve® and Tylenol® and Lipitor®. Some of these words sound so normal to our ears it's hard to believe that they were literally crafted, made up by somebody in marketing.

Legal eagles will tell you that fanciful names work best, mainly because fanciful names are easy to protect. After all, there is not likely to be a rush of people fighting to trademark some word you just concocted.

The drawback for fanciful names is that they sound dreadful at first and if you have some knee-jerk bosses or executives in your company, fanciful names almost always die the first time the boss hears them. Few bosses are good at naming products but most of them are pretty good at throwing out serviceable fanciful names. Keep in mind, all made-up names sound clumsy at first.

The second drawback to the fanciful name is that it takes a lot of marketing muscle to get the name into the customer's awareness. That means a lot of ads, a lot of promotional materials, a lot of literature. You are literally teaching your customers a new word and most adults resist efforts at educating them.

Sometimes marketing people will try to invent a word that has associations with other words. For instance, words like gem, jewel, ace, expert, accurate, precise, rapid, quick are all words that carry connotations that you might want to appropriate. Some product names use intriguing but seemingly distant real words to make a powerful name (the Mustang from Ford was that kind of name) or you can dissect various positive words and paste together something that sounds familiar but is, in fact, made up (Microsoft's name is a combination of terms to form a new word that was instantly familiar-sounding). SlimFast® is not a real word, but it's recognizable to us in terms of its parts.

When reaching for names with associations, don't reach too far. Many marketing people are bright individuals and they may ponder a name for hours and come up with an association that they expect a busy customer to make instantly. For instance, if you name your product ChessPlayer because buying your product would be a strategic move for smart "masters" of your industry, don't count on your customer making the leap. Customers live in the same lightning-fast world you do and don't have times to ponder the hidden meanings of product names. The truth is that sound marketing principles would turn that around!

Make lists of lots of viable names. Some brainstorming sessions start off with rules that say no name will be rejected and no suggestion is to be hooted at. While you don't want to discourage people, there are some names that deserve to be hooted off the list right at the beginning. On the other hand, let any name with any shred of potential stand on the list. From that major list, cull the duds, and arrive at what you and your legal advisor determine is a workable number of names.

The next step in the game is a legal process. Next, the lawyers have to search the databases for possible previous uses of the name in question. The chances are almost assured that your name is taken, the question is, is it taken in an industry related closely enough to yours to bump you out of the running. For instance, Mustang® is already taken as a car name but I suspect it could be the name of a catheter if anyone cared to register it. The way the Trademark Office looks at it, a person looking to buy a car is not likely to get mixed up and accidentally buy a catheter because it has the same name.

Many wonderful names will get bumped out of the running in the initial trademark searches. It is a good idea to treat new names like puppies; don't get too attached to them at first because you may not be able to keep your favorites.

Even if some names survive the first searches, the legal team will keep tightening things up. It generally takes a few searches of increasing depth before the name is pronounced clear. When you reach this goal, the appropriate papers are submitted.

One thing many legal people do not tell you too loudly is that just because you apply for a name and start using it does not mean you own it. Companies who have claims to that name or similar names can come after you. Sometimes two companies will file for names around the same time and then have to duke it out in court. And sometimes the Trademark Office will not let you have the name you applied for even though your lawyers thought you had a solid case. Trademark judges are apparently human and subject to making unpredictable decisions.

What happens if your name becomes part of a tug of war? At that point, the lawyers get involved and will be your best source of advice. But just like any legal dispute, things like this can often be settled amicably out of court.

What about global issues? Trademark protection is a national thing so just getting a name trademarked in the U.S. does not necessarily mean you'll enjoy trademark protection in other markets. Beyond making sure your legal team registers in the appropriate geographies for your market, you should also consider linguistic and cultural nuances that your new product name carries.

It is always wise to talk to your teams in other geographies to get their input on a new product name. Sadly, it is just about impossible to find any name that everybody will adore. Instead, consider yourself successful if you find a name that no one really hates.

Would You Like To Start AND Grow Your Own Business Passed Your Own Expectations?

2007-05-09T04:15:00.001-07:00

Part 2 of Having Your Successful Business

How do they do it? Some people just have a knack for achieving whatever they set their mind to. In this section, I’m going to tell you why successful people begin to surpass their own expectations…and how you can to!

One of the first things you won’t pick up on when speaking with these people is how they start conversation. “Hey, how are you doing?” Simple enough. We all do that. But stop and listen further.

“How’s the family”, “How are things at work”, etcetera. They have mastered the art of conversation. Secret number one exposed: They are more concerned with YOU than themselves.

Makes sense doesn’t it? What do people know more about than themselves? It’s everyone’s favorite subject plus it shows you are interested in THEM.

Start thinking about what you can for others. The main goal in business isn’t how much money you make. Contrary to the main theories behind business, money shouldn’t be in the top three reasons.

Customers keep your dream alive. It’s the fuel needed to make this machine run. And good conversation skills are needed to start this. In fact, this is paramount in any business.

But what good are your products or services if they don’t see the benefit? Actually, what good is it to even present your products if they don’t feel worthy enough to look into it?

This is the focal point of growing your business: Help others get what they want.

Here is the perhaps the second most important skill they’ve mastered. If you are going to develop a good customer-base, you need to convert these into as many REPEAT customers as possible.

Is what you’re giving worth enough to keep them buying from you? What can I do better to make your experience worthwhile? This is excellent knowledge to have!

These are fundamental functions of growing your successful business. It’s all about doing the basics every time you work.

So, you have great products, good customer service and your potential prospect is impressed. Surprisingly, you hear this: “No thanks.”

What happened?

Nothing. It’s not that big of deal. There are two sources of this objection:

1) It’s just bad timing or
2) They’re haven’t got into a position to where your products will help them.

Just because their not interested now doesn’t mean they won’t be interested in a few months. Most likely timing isn’t right. Ninety percent of sales are made after the seventh contact. This is where most businesses fall short…way short!

Now don’t go out and hassle them until they say “yes”, but rather follow-up a little while later. They will appreciate this commitment without feeling hassled.

In our next part, we will discuss an industry that might give you the best chance of having a successful business!

Why Newsletters Work to Market a Coaching or Therapy Practice

2007-05-09T04:14:00.004-07:00

To attract clients who pay in full and out of pocket for your services, it's imperative to position yourself as a helpful expert. This is true whether you are a business consultant, a beautician, a psychotherapist, a gardener, a car mechanic, a coach or a massage therapist.

It's a simple fact of human behavior: People are more likely to believe that you can help them if they perceive you as an expert, which, in turn, increases the likelihood that they will hire you. For example, you wouldn't choose a car enthusiast to overhaul your engine; you'd choose an experienced mechanic.

Newsletters are one of the simplest and most effective ways to establish this expertise. Whereas advertisements, fancy "me-oriented" websites and glossy "ego" brochures are all about selling-tooting your own horn-newsletters are about educating, guiding and advising, which is what experts do. Put more simply, newsletters are about helping. They become an extension of your services, a place where people get a taste of what you offer. And all the while, they keep your name before your public. They are a regular reminder that you are able and available to help with life's difficulties.

Establishing an expertise through newsletters requires consistent and intentional efforts. Below are some guidelines to follow when using a newsletter to market your private practice.

Fill your newsletter with helpful information that readers can use in their lives. Give suggestions, new ideas, "how to's," warnings, resources, tools or advice. You may include brief information about your services, but avoid self-promotion; keep it focused on the benefits of your services.

Make the newsletter relevant. Whether it is about school bullying, managing conflict at work, healthy ways to age or reduce weight, Internet addiction, changing careers, or finding one's purpose, make the newsletter current, relevant and helpful to your audience.

Send out your newsletter consistently and regularly. This builds trust and confidence that people can rely on you. It also keeps you in front of your public enough that they grow to associate you with newsletter and with the services you offer.

Make sure your newsletter looks professional and includes well-written articles. A badly designed or written newsletter can actually do more harm than good, reflecting poorly on you. If writing isn't your cup of tea, or you don't have the skills to design and layout a newsletter and don't want to take the time to learn them, outsource. You don't have to do everything yourself.

Send your newsletter to past clients, referral sources and anyone who inquires about your services. Also leave free copies of your hardcopy newsletter in the offices of your referral sources and other locations, such as your local library, community center or coffee shop-or wherever the people who can use your particular services gather.

Use your hardcopy newsletter in lieu of a business card. Your newsletter will have everything on it that a business card does: name, contact info, logo, etc. But it gives the recipient far more of a feel for you and your services than a tiny card. Plus, when you hand out your newsletter in person, recipients feel your presence, your confidence, your sincere desire to help. They connect the expert material in your newsletter to you, the person, not just a name.

Add a newsletter to your press kit or the bio packet material you provide when giving speeches or participating on panels. To further establish your status as an expert, send regular newsletters to relevant press contacts. When reporters need some analysis or a quote for an article, they will call on someone whose name and face cross their desk regularly. Being quoted in the newspaper establishes your expertise and, therefore, is a very effective (and free) advertisement.

Post your newsletter online. Your website will be richer and more effective if it provides helpful information other than simply your bio, your photo and directions to your office. Plus, posting your newsletter online can help you attract potential clients who find you through an Internet search. On a personal level, newsletters can help with concerns about appearing too self-promotional. Rather than have the effect of "Here's some information about me, hire me," a newsletter says: "Here's some wonderful and helpful information that I'd like to share with you." And that is exactly what you'll be doing.

Mexico Is The Greatest Consumer Of Beverages, Learn How To Sell To This Market

2007-05-09T04:14:00.003-07:00

Mexico is the #1 consumer of soda in the world per capita. Mexicans thirst for new beverages is great but supply is small. Learn how to be the first to market to penetrate this growing market

Mexico has always been at the top of the list when it comes to Beverage Consumption. Mexico leads most categories in beverage or is in the top 10 per capita and as a country.

Superstores, supermarkets and convenience stores give beverages number 1 priority in shelve space. When you go into some of these stores you see how different the beverage shelves look.

I often travel Monterrey, Mexico City, Tijuana and Guadalajara checking retail accounts like supermarkets. Their first comment was "Wow, look at all this soda"! I'm talking about pallet after pallet on the retail floor filled with soda, water, tea, new age beverages, water and every type of beverage you can imagine. Not just in Pallets, shelve after shelve filled with beverages not just 6 feet tall, in some hallways up to 12 feet tall.

Beverage exports to Mexico are underrepresented with a mere $147,000,000 per year being exported from the USA to Mexico. This shows a Trade Deficit of $2 Billion Dollars in Beverage worth of good. Now, this is the "declared value" and not wholesale or retail value of goods, that's much higher.

Selling beverages to Mexico is easier than ever, especially exporting from the USA. Mexico is the #1 importer of US products in the world. There is a need for all types of products including energy drinks, beer, water, flavored water, wine, soda and spirits.

Yes, Coca Cola (FEMSA) is in Mexico as is Pepsi Cola, Nestle and other very large companies, the largest, that is. But that's it. Nobody of the other US or European beverage players are there. We're talking a growing, emerging economy of $1.3 Trillion US dollars. We're talking the gate to the rest of Latin America, the third largest economy in the world!

The Beverage Industry and all Beverage Companies have to make Mexico their number 1 priority. It has all the ingredients of a great customer. It has a great infrastructure including roads and ports to ship truckloads of products, many beverage distributors selling to supermarkets and convenience stores and more than 500,000 stores willing and able to buy new products throughout Mexico.

Mexicans are so eager to buy that they come to the USA looking for products instead of waiting around for someone to call them and sell them something. They visit US trade shows, organizations and many companies. I constantly have someone in San Diego visiting from Mexico to speak with me on how they can find products of all kinds to export.

Who's looking for new beverages? All convenience stores and supermarkets chains hroughout Mexico. They are looking for beverages to sell in retail stores or to other distributors in Mexico, most of the time they will buy truckloads and export them to Mexico themselves, handling the shipping, imports and tariffs.

If you travel through the large supermarkets in Mexico you will see how many US products could be selling in Mexico and are not. Products available in the USA in every single city.

Why do they do this? Why are they so eager to buy US drinks? Simple, they don't have Mexican made products they can sell and they want to be the first to carry a new American beverage. Beverage Distributors know the potential for new products in Mexico. When that is done distributors or importers just sell the same products to the same retailers.

Mexico should be number 1 on the "To do list" of every small, medium and large Beverage Company in the world. If it's not in your list, quickly, write it in with pen, bring it to your next board meeting along with some of the facts listed in the article, sit back and look good!

The Process of Preparation

2007-05-09T04:14:00.001-07:00

In life, a process that begins properly will increase the chance of accuracy all the way through and a successful conclusion. The world of commercial finance can be complicated as every project is unique. There are many programs and products available but every application is as different as the applicant. The part of this process that is universal is the preparation. Some may tell you that luck is the residue of preparation but in reality, preparation is the prerequisite for sustained success. Whether you are starting a business or seeking to expand one, the fundamentals of preparation cannot be forsaken and discipline must be applied. This article intends to address the commercial loan process and how one begins a business and sustains growth and prosperity.

Starting a business for the first time can seem like one of the most difficult things you do but if you view it as a process and not a destination, the journey will be far more pleasurable and the rewards, more sweet. Some people like to dive right in and start plotting and planning how much money they’ll make and how they’re going to make all this money. Such a dive may often be a flop, as it lacks meaning. Aristotle once said: Life without purpose has no meaning. The purpose of diving right in appears correct, as one eagerly rushes to make money but what’s the meaning of starting your own business and have you defined the parameters? So to begin, let’s explore some procedures of the process.

1. Define who you are? – Yes, that means exactly what it states. This part is scientific but you don’t need to be a scientist or a psychologist or even a psychiatrist, as none of those professionals will ever know you as well as you know yourself. For instance, if a man is seven feet tall then he probably shouldn’t be entering into the field of becoming a horse jockey. It’s not a question of “can” he succeed but it’s a matter of what the reasons are that no horse jockeys are seven feet tall. Unless that is a burning desire that won’t fade, he’s better off seeking more reasonable measures. Once defining the science of who you are, you must then explore the art of who you are. The art of who you are is your characteristics, your imagination and thoughts and how you express those traits in your respective society. Understanding your art will assist you in how you locate your market and how your skills are best exhibited. If for instance you lack patience, then you probably shouldn’t be working with children, as patience is an essential component to working with the youth along with multiple other characteristics. Defining who you are is paramount to choosing what type of business you start because your business will lack an identity and you will struggle to understand why. The most important part of this stage is to be honest with yourself and make your determinations in private.

2. Define who you want to be. – Again, this means exactly what it states. The science of who you want to be can only begin once you’ve discovered who you already are; otherwise you will remain confused and frustrated. If you are over the age of 25 and six feet tall, chances are that you will never be seven feet tall, therefore this idea would be nothing more than an illusion and your desires must be redirected. If you are right-handed and aspire to be ambidextrous then it only follows that you must commit yourself to using your left hand when other options are available. If you do not speak Spanish and would like to engage the Spanish market, then of course you must learn to speak the language. Thereto, you must again explore the art of who you are. If you aspire to work with children and know you lack patience, then you must place yourself in situations that command patience until you’ve mastered the art. Deciding who you want to be is again a process and one that requires these decisions to be made in private, as no one can fully understand your dreams.

Now you feel good that you’ve properly identified yourself and your dreams. You’ve chosen a business that is suitable to your needs and supplies your visions. These conversations with yourself have been ongoing for quite sometime but I assure you that you’re not crazy and don’t need to be admitted to a mental institution. This is all just part of the process. Before you rush out to apply for all the necessary paperwork, let’s take some other proper measures.

1. Meet with an Accountant – Preferably, you want to meet with a CPA but a Tax professional will do. You don’t need to meet with a tax attorney because they usually help people get “out” of trouble and we are planning for you to not get into any [trouble]. Whatever tax professional you choose, you must provide them with full disclosure so they can properly assist you. The Accountant must understand your current income and tax status and what type of business you are starting. They also must know how much you expect to make and how much you need for you and your family. This part of the process is crucial and when forsaken, many find themselves in arrears with the IRS or worse, in court. Tax planning accounts for one-third to one-half of all wealth in America which should enable you to understand its significance. Try to meet with at least two tax professionals before you begin.

2. Meet with an Attorney – Depending on the type of business you’re starting, you may need to meet with more than one type of attorney. One of those attorneys should be a Corporate Attorney. Again, you must provide full disclosure because this is the only way they can properly guide you and your business. Despite all the lawyer jokes in America, Attorneys provide an invaluable service to the public and are even more essential to starting and building a formidable business. Most businesses involve real estate in some form or fashion, so I also recommend you visit a Real Estate Attorney and explain your current situation and what your intentions are to become. This advice will broaden your perspective and enlighten your goals as you venture forward. Again, try to meet with two Corporate Attorneys prior to your beginnings.

3. Meet with a Finance Specialist – That term appears broad because it is, therefore you must refine and limit it based on your limitations. Those starting a business will understand that all businesses require funds and funds can be accessed from multiple venues. If you are planning to begin a business in your home, you may want to speak with a Residential Mortgage Broker. This person can speak to you about home equity loans, second mortgages, lines of credit and what your options are based on your equity. If you are seeking a business loan, you need to speak with a Commercial Finance Consultant and they will tell you what you need to do and how to achieve your goals. If you have a relationship with your current bank, then make an appointment and your local bank should be able to answer many of your questions and explain your options as well. A Banker can explain all the parameters of institutional lending with you but just remember that business lending goes far beyond the limitations of a bank. Try to meet with two Finance Consultants before making your determinations.

There are many misconceptions about what it takes to achieve a commercial loan. We hope to overcome those misconceptions by providing insightful and accurate information that will guide and assist you. Since there are literally dozens of types of loans, we’ll stick to the basics and work from there. Remember, this is a process.

1. Executive Summary – The first item you want to prepare is a summary of your project. This summary will discuss the project and how much money it will require to complete the project and the projected time frame. This doesn’t need to be elaborate as it is a “summary” and the plan is a separate format. Since some projects are larger and more detailed than others, this can be anywhere from 1 to 5 pages. Ideally, you want your summary to be 1 or 2 pages to keep things simple.

2. Business Plan – If you are starting a business or venturing a major project, you will need an actual business plan. If the project is very simple, a proposal will suffice. A well-written business plan will include a marketing strategy based on data research and cost projections based on industry trends. It’s always wise to include a risk analysis to display not only that you understand your industry but to further enhance that you know what you’re doing.

3. Financials – Personal and business financials should be organized and readily available. For your personal finances, prepare 3 years of history but a financial statement will suffice to begin. For your business, there should be a profit and loss statement, balance sheet or operating statements available. The criteria for each loan is different and don’t anoint yourself qualified to make those judgments. Leave it to the banks.

4. Resumes – Make certain that you have resumes on yourself and all principals involved on the project. In your resumes, don’t just list your work and educational history; provide some background into who you are and what activities you’re involved in. Remember these people don’t know you and this information is all they have to go on. So list things like your hobbies, community activities, charities, etc… When providing your resume, you should try to paint a complete portrait of yourself and in the best light.

5. References – If at all possible, enlist your friends and former co-workers to write character references about you. Similarly to the resumes, this type of information can fill any potential holes or gaps that may linger with respects to who you are and what your capabilities may be as a business owner.

6. Terms – In your business plan or proposal, plan how you want to pay the loan back and diagram the parameters in your plan. The lender will see that you’ve put much thought in this project and how to execute its success. Make certain that your parameters are reasonable and marketable. The more you appear as if you understand what you’re doing, the more qualified they will view you.

These are just some of the fundamentals you can employ on each and every project you pursue. The intricacies may vary with the complexity of each project and based on your personal dynamics and your business longevity. The most popular question from applicants is “How long will it take to get the funding?” The appropriate answer is that you must remember to “respect” the process. The answer to that popular question is “That depends on you.” If you respect the process and are properly prepared, then the process will work for you. The money is ready and willing, are you? Be prepared!

Millionaire Mind - Win the Lottery - Luck OR Law of Attraction?

2007-05-09T04:13:00.000-07:00

It is time to stop being so serious and have some fun with the universal Law of Attraction, also known as the Law of Belief.

In simple words, this Law states that "you get exactly what you believe", "it is done unto you as you believe", "be it done unto you according to your faith", "your deeply held beliefs are materializing your reality"."you materialize on all planes the subconscious beliefs held in your subconscious mind".

Let's see if we can share some light on this Law and winning the Lottery.

(1) Some state there is no such thing as LUCK. That is their BELIEF. These people have no luck at all.

(2) Others keep repeating this sentence preached by so many gurus and so called experts: "Luck is the intersection of preparation and opportunity". These are the ones who want to impress people with the HARD WORK they NEED to perform

in order to achieve their goals. They glorify working real hard, struggling against all odds, and all that NONSENSE. They just don't know any better. The idea of things being EASY and even FUN never crosses their minds. Their BELIEF is that they must work real hard for anything they achieve.

(3) Then, there are those who are just plain LUCKY. They keep winning in contests, bingo games, raffles. They always get parking spaces right in front of the places they want to go to. Happy events keep materializing in their lives without them really making any efforts whatsoever. People who know them keep commenting on how LUCKY they are. That reinforces their beliefs that they are LUCKY. And they keep getting LUCKIER by the day.

If you analyze those three examples, they all have ONE common factor: BELIEF.

The first group BELIEVES there is no such thing as LUCK. And that is exactly what they get: NO luck.

The second group BELIEVES that by preparing themselves opportunities will appear. They prepare themselves because they BELIEVE opportunities will appear to those who are ready and prepared. And these opportunities DO appear as they BELIEVE.

The third group BELIEVES they are lucky. Therefore, they BELIEVE good things happen to them all the time. And they do happen since that is what they BELIEVE.

Interesting, they are all getting results according to their BELIEFS. That looks TOO MUCH like the universal Law of Attraction, also known as the Law of Belief, at work -- giving each group what each group BELIEVES.

Changing focus a bit, this is a true story about a fellow I know. I caught him once sitting in front of his TV checking the winning lottery numbers. He kept always saying that he would make millions winning the Lottery.

A friend of his decided to have some fun and asked him "John,

I always hear you saying there are only three ways to make lots of money. Refresh my mind. What are they?"

John replied, "You can make lots of money by (1) inheritance, (2) having your own business, and (3) investing in real estate, stock market or commodities. There is no other way.".

His friend laughed and made the following comment, "Then, why do you waste your time and money playing the lottery? You BELIEVE there are only three ways of making lots of money and the lottery is definitely NOT one of them. You'll NEVER win".

John gasped and said "My God, you are right".

John was trying to achieve something his own BELIEF does NOT allow him to accept..

Based on what you read so far, there are two prerequisites to use the Law of attraction i order to win the lottery: (1) BELIEF that you are super LUCKY and (2) total and complete BELIEF that you will win, not just partial belief.

There are many who constantly 'poo-poo' the idea of playing the lottery. These people do NOT understand the Law of Attraction. They also have very limiting beliefs that the ONLY way to achieve goals (like making lots of money) is ONLY through hard work, making lots of sacrifices, working really hard, long hours, fighting against all sorts of odds, lots of struggles.

You should look at playing the lottery as just another type of investment. Think of real estate, stock market, commodities and lotteries as simply different types of INVESTMENTS.

Because that's what the lottery is:: just another way of investing your money and time. This investment takes very little knowledge and time, and you could get a huge rate of return the EASY and FUN way.

IF you totally and completely BELIEVE you will win, you SHALL. Otherwise, the universal Law of Attraction (= Law of Belief) does NOT work or has exceptions.

The ONLY roadblock is in DEVELOPING the complete, total and absolute BELIEF that you are going to win.

Now, let's see what it takes to totally and completely BELIEVE you shall win.

All your beliefs, values and rules must be aligned and there must be NO conflict among them.

In all lotteries, mention is done of the ODDS of winning. It is 1:35,000,000 or 1: 50,000,00, and so on. The truth is that there is only a 50/50. You either win or you do not win. There is no other result. As long as you believe there are ODDS you have to deal with, then, you do NOT believe 100%.

if you are going to use the lottery as another INVESTMENT, be aware of your beliefs about it and any conflicting beliefs, values and rules you might have.

Let me give you a few examples so that your job will be easier.

You most definitely MUST come to have the complete, total and absolute belief you shall win.

But, you may have all sorts of conflicting beliefs. Examples

- it is real hard to make money

- it is better to give than to receive

- I am not lucky

- I was never lucky

- I never win/won anything

- The odds against me winning are too high

- I believe in the odds

- it is very difficult to win the lottery

- If I win, I will have to pay lots of taxes

- If I win, I will lose my privacy

- If i win, many people will ask me for money

- If I win, my family members may be kidnapped for ransom

- If I win, I will be forced to learn how to manage money

- If I win, (write here your own beliefs)

You may also also have conflict of values/rules:

- Money is not that important to me (you will never win if you think this way)

- I'd rather be honest that rich

- Money isn't everything

- Rich people are dishonest and mean

- If I win, I will become like those crooked rich people

- Having lots of money is evil

- Easy money is NO good

- Easy money has no value (Easy comes, easy goes0

- Only working hard to make money has merit

- Getting money the easy way has no merit

- If something comes too easy to me, it has no value

I am certain you can find more examples in your own life.

Most people who buy lottery tickets with the HOPE (not certainty) of winning, have their minds filled with all sorts of conflicting beliefs, values and rules -- similar to the ones above.

To play the lottery and win, your job is to:

a) LEARN techniques to identify, and eliminate all your limiting, conflicting beliefs, values and rules.

b) Identify and eliminate as many of those limiting, conflicting beliefs, values and rules as possible.

c) LEARN the techniques to 'program/imprint' into your Subconscious mind the new empowering beliefs, values and rules that will allow you to win.

d) You must come to that place in your mind that there is NO doubt whatsoever you shall win.

What are SOME of the useful, positive, supporting beliefs you will need?

(1) You are super lucky

(2) It is real easy for you to make money

(3) Being able to use your mind to ATTRACT and MAKE money the easy way has more merit than doing it through hard work

(4) It is real easy for me to win the lottery

(5) Winning the lottery is just a matter of belief

(6) You totally, completely and absolutely BELIEVE you are going to win.

In a nutshell, YOUR challenge is to (1) identify and eliminate all your conflicting beliefs, values and rules, and (2) believe you are super lucky and (3) believe 100% that you shall win.

To get you started, repeat over and over again to yourself, all throughout the day, the following instructions:

"I am a winner"

"I am super lucky"

"It is real easy and fun for me to win the lottery"

" I win the jackpot. I win the jackpot. I win the jackpot"

Repeat them over and over again while you walk, take a shower, drive, watch TV, eat your lunch. Let it become part of the beliefs held in your Subconscious mind.

If you get to that place in your mind where you absolutely

BELIEVE you are going to win the big jackpot, you must win. Otherwise, the universal Law of Attraction, also known as the Law of Belief, does NOT work or has exceptions.

Since the Law of Attraction seems to be an ABSOLUTE, then winning the lottery is NOT a matter of Luck OR Law. It is a matter of "Luck AND Law"!

May your NEW investment prove to be very profitable. And for heaven's sake, have FUN in the process.

Neglected Characteristics of an Effective Resume

2007-05-04T03:35:00.004-07:00

"Never neglect details. When everyone's mind is dulled or distracted the leader must be doubly vigilant." – Colin Powell

As with any endeavor, one does not excel over the competition without attention to detail. When it comes to making a career move, being "okay" just won't cut it. Middle of the pack, and even "pretty good" is a recipe for failure. If you decide to compose your own resume, attention to detail is going to be necessary if you are going to be the last man or woman standing. To assist with this, here are some areas of resume writing consistently neglected by novices … and even some professionals:

Aesthetics

Think back ... what was the first thing you noticed about your significant other when you met? Unless you first met over the phone, it was likely the way they looked. Something visually attracted you to them. Your resume is no different. In order to stand out from the dozens (or sometimes hundreds) of other resumes the reviewer is likely to see, yours should attract their attention and capture their interest. Of course, this should be tempered with the level of professionalism your field requires. For instance, a brokerage firm CEO's resume would have quite a different look and feel from that of a graphic artist.

Easy On The Eyes

Resumes that do not effectively utilize certain visual optimization strategies are often far less effective than those that do so. When you have notable awards, accomplishments, or projects to mention, consider using a combination paragraph/bullet format which make your high impact information easy to notice.

The proper use of white space is critical. Not only should you watch the length of your paragraphs, you should also properly space your bullet points as well. The idea is to not discourage the reader by giving the appearance of a "difficult read".

Pay attention to your font choice and its size. Try to avoid the over-used Times New Roman and go with something your competition won't. Arial, Verdana, and Tahoma are nice change of pace fonts that give a sharp, professional look.

Content Organization

Remember that the goal is to communicate as much relevant information as possible within 15 seconds. Good content organization goes a long way toward achieving this objective. The rule is to place the most relevant information first. If you are a recent college graduate with little work experience, you will likely put your education before your work experience. If you are an IT professional, consider placing the details of technical knowledge first as this is extremely important to IT hiring managers.

Accurate Voice

We've all heard the phrase "Dress for the job you want". This adage is no less true for your resume. Your resume's voice should reflect your occupational goal. If you are seeking the position of Chair of the English Department at a major university, the verbiage should be vastly different from that of someone pursuing a Journeyman position at a local construction company.

The idea is to speak both the reader's and the position's language, making it easier for them to identify with you and see you in the role. The higher up the ladder you go, the more professional the prose should be. But while satisfying this requirement, be careful not to get overly wordy as though you were producing a sonnet, which brings us to our last characteristic.

Tight and Concise Phrasing

This is perhaps the most important quality of an effective resume. The idea is to communicate as much information as possible in the least amount of time and space. This is, of course, the most difficult part of resume writing because it is essentially a balancing act. How much is too much, and how little is not enough? This usually depends upon many factors which include the amount of available space, the position being sought, and the experience and training to be communicated.

Many job seekers assume that as long as the content is there, they should be fine. The fact is that many factors go into the production of a document that successfully draws the reader in and holds their interest. During the search, one rarely receives constructive feedback when a resume is ineffective. Instead, interviews just come few and far between and you never know why. Getting your most valuable career advancement weapon up to speed should be your highest priority.

Scala 500 Bluetooth Headset

2007-05-04T03:35:00.003-07:00

When selecting a Bluetooth headset, it's very important to consider what kind of lifestyle you have, and what your daily activities consist of. If you spend the majority of your time inside, the Scala 500 Bluetooth headset probably isn't your best bet. However, the Scala 500 Bluetooth headset is the perfect solution if you're looking for a headset that performs well in outside conditions.

The Scala 500 uses patented WindGuard technology - you'll definitely hear the difference, especially when biking or going for a walk on a windy day. WindGuard within the Scala 500 eliminates all noise created throughout the environments you surround yourself. The Scala 500 headset also features echo canceling filters, which help to further improve the performance of the headset.

The Scala 500's WindGuard technology defeats any wind interferences much better than any other competing Bluetooth headset around. Although there are already a number of headsets that feature noise and wind interference canceling technology, it is important to point out that Cardo has also made wise moves with the microphone placement within the headset. If you're a cell phone user in a location that's prone to wind, like Chicago, this headset should be a must-have on your list.

Talk time for the Scala 500 is good at 9 hours - standby time is around a week or so. The charging time is pretty brisk - it took us only 2 or 3 hours to fully charge the Scala 500. The Scala 500 uses the rechargeable Li Pro battery technology as available in a wide range of Bluetooth headsets these days. Although the charging time may leave you hanging, please note that its standby time is quiet impressive even with today's technology and resources.

By using an optional VersClip, you have the added bonus to attach ear loop and sunglasses to your Bluetooth headset. Up until recently the only manufacturer that came close to designing similar technology was Motorola with their RAZRWIRE Sunglasses/Headset. Although either will come in handy the price is quiet well noticeable and will certainly draw a lot of attention to the new Scala product line from CARDO.

With outstanding predominance and memorable quality products overall, it is safe to say that Cardo will be a brand that will stick around. The Scala 500 had a few features we found pretty handy, like voice dialing, selective call rejecting, as well as easy toggle from phone to headset. Voice dialing among many features is especially handy when you are running a busy schedule and perhaps a lot of commute. Driving from point A to point B can already be a hassle therefore the Scala 500 voice dialing feature will ease the way you communicate. With the simple push of the side-button, and saying the name you wish to dial it makes it a simple 2-step process to get in touch with business partner or the loved one.

Overall, the Scala 500 is a great headset, with no audio problems whatsoever. It shows off with its lightweight and streamlined design but it certainly will not leave you hanging when it comes down to demonstrating great quality and superb performance on the go.

Top 7 Secrets For Small Business Success

2007-05-04T03:35:00.001-07:00

Every great corporation we see today started as a business idea. It must have started as a small business and developed into a large-scale business over time and effort. Having this in mind, success of these small businesses should be taken very seriously in order to have a virile and sustainable economic growth in any nation like ours.For example in Africa, Nigeria has about 35% return on investment, which is the highest in the world today, with this, there is room for small businesses to thrive and survive beyond 5 years of establishment. The government has also seen the importance of small business success that they came up with the idea that banks and financial institutions should set aside a certain percentage of their profit after tax (about 10%)to serve as loans and grants to entrepreneurs even without collateral or interests.i also know that this obtains in other economies of the world where small scale business owners are given every support needed to thrive.

7 secrets entrepreneurs need to know and do to have a successful small business are:

Set goals and be focused

Setting of goals is very important because it is the foundation upon which the business is built. Goals give your business direction and focus; goals can be set for a short term, medium term or on long term bases. They should be specific and time based e.g. a plan to make a profit of $5000 in September 2007, it must be a plan you can achieve, and can also be measured at any point in time. Goals must be written out clearly as a business plan and followed accordingly.

Be an effective leader

A good and effective leadership is needed to run the business even when the business has one or two employees. The leader should see opportunities, organize and coordinate how to achieve the set goals. He should also:
Ø Communicate effectively with his employees
Ø Provide best tools to achieve set tasks
Ø Provide motivation in one-way or the other
Ø Create an environment where employees grow and develop themselves

Manage your time effectively

Good time management makes the difference between success and failure in business. Management of time is making significant decisions and carrying out important tasks that will boost the business, time should be set aside for planning and delegation of tasks to achieve success with a specific time

Manage the growth of your business

It is the wish of every small business to grow, it has also been established that poor management of growth is the number one cause of failure of small business, most small business do not have adequate plans for growth and expansion before hand,

the key to positive and sustainable growth is transitional management,

where experienced and skilled employees are exposed to the secrets and wisdom of the business in order to take up managerial position.

Give good service and quality product

Small business should be able to provide good customer service that is centered on customer satisfaction. The product should meet the customers' need; this can be achieved by knowing the customers' values, belief, culture and income. Customers should be treated in such a way that he or she will always come to buy from you.

Attract and keep good employees

Employees should be given opportunity to contribute reasonably in the business; they are actually the ones that person the task and should therefore know the business well. There should be a programme to train them at all time. Entrepreneurs should be careful when employing new employees into the business.

Network with others

Networking in business is a form of marketing, which involves word-of-mouth/mouse advertising, done by the entrepreneur and not the customers.

This involves making use of every opportunity to create awareness of your product and services amongst the people you meet.

Advantages of networking are;
Ø It does not cost anything to talk to someone about your business
Ø It helps in quick understanding of your customers' problem and how to solve it, since you meet them face-to-face.
Ø It is a targeted kind of marketing
Ø You could meet other business owners in other industries,
which may open up new opportunities you never envisaged. Ø You can get qualitative advice to solve a problem.

In conclusion, entrepreneurs who have small businesses should know where to get relevant and up to date information about the business they are into, that way success is sure!

Google And Work At Home Based Business Opportunity

2007-05-04T03:34:00.003-07:00

Do you know what is Googling? We hear and read that different people all over the world are Googling. It has become a house name. It is on TV already.

Googling is an expression used to name the regular practice of search for things on the Internet. For example, if anyone is looking for a work at home based business opportunity; it goes to Google web page and search it there. And Google is the higher up, the most used and most relevant of the search engine.

“A search engine is an information retrieval system designed to help find information stored on a computer system, such as on the World Wide Web, inside a corporate or proprietary network, or in a personal computer. The search engine allows one to ask for content meeting specific criteria, typically those containing a given word or phrase, and retrieves a list of items that match those criteria. This list is often sorted with respect to some measure of relevance of the results. Search engines use regularly updated indexes to operate quickly and efficiently”. (You can see it here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Search_engine )

Yahoo, MSN and others offer these service to their public Web too. These entire search engines operate algorithmically or are a mixture of algorithmic and human input.

However, the fight for top search engine positioning begins and ends with Google. Not only have they captured 95% of the search engine market but they have also become the leader in Pay-Per-Click advertising.

“Pay-Per-Click are advertisers bid on keywords that they believe their target market, people they think would be interested in their offer, would type in the search bar when they are looking for their type of product or service. For example, if an advertiser sells red widgets, he/she would bid on the keyword red widgets, hoping a user would type those words in the search bar, see their ad, click on it and buy. These ads are called sponsored links or sponsored ads and appear next to and sometimes above the natural or organic results on the page. The advertiser pays only when the user clicks on the ad” (you can see it here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pay_per_click ).

How does Google performance concern a work at home based business opportunity? All Internet marketing have used many strategies for promote their business, such as: e-mail marketing, Pay-Per-Click, Blogging, submit articles at article directory, traffic exchange and of course search engine optimization. There are thousands of people using these strategies to sell their products.

But the best way spoken by web masters, Internet marketing gurus have been search engine. And that is why Google is so important to those want a work at home business.

Better Productivity Through Praise

2007-05-04T03:34:00.001-07:00

If there's one thing managers know best, it is this: recognition is a powerful motivator. If you praise your employees and acknowledge stellar efforts on their part, you will make them feel better about themselves and the hard work they put in.

The Myth of Raises One of the key factors in improving employee productivity is recognition. In the old days, it was believed that a salary increase is the most obvious tool for encouraging employees to work harder. Since then, several studies have debunked the idea. Employees do not become more productive simply because they are paid more. After all, employees do not calculate the monetary value of every action they perform. They do not compute, for instance, how much they earn every time they finish a report or send out an email. Studies show that while a raise makes employees happy, there is an abundance of other things that can accomplish the same thing.

The Power of Praise Praise is one such thing. A pat on the back is an important tool for motivating employees. For a manager to be effective, he must recognize that fairness and leadership by example are not the only two values that will inspire his staff to work harder. Sure, we all downplay the importance of the proverbial pat in the back; but deep inside all of us, we find ourselves craving it. Praise is an affirmation that we did something right, and everytime we receive compliments in the workplace, we drive ourselves harder so we can receive the same affirmation the next time around.

The Importance of Incentives Incentives that do not have monetary value are just as important as praise. Incentive is praise with a physical form. After all, incentive is given as a reward for a job well dome. Oftentimes, managers ignore the importance of non-monetary incentives. This should not be the case as executive gifts, no matter how inexpensive or simple, have been found to dramatically increase employee's sense of worth in relation to actual work accomplished.

What To Give? Many managers are confounded over the question what to give. They need not be because choosing a gift is easy. Workplace ethics holds that these gifts shouldn't be too pricey, else they may be perceived as a bribe, or too personal, else they're misinterpreted as inappropriate.

The best present to give to your staff who perform well are business card holders. Business card holders make excellent employee recognition presents. After all, who doesn't need business card holders?

Business card holders are requisite accessories for every person in the corporate world. Because they come with segregated compartments, business card holders offer versatile storage. They help you organize your stash of business cards, whether these are yours or other executives'.

Perhaps the best advantage of business card holders, aside from obvious functionality, is that they can be personalized easily. Business card holders may be embossed, engraved, or tagged with designs and scripts, ranging from "Thank You" to a small version of the company logo. The good thing about business card holders is that they come in many colors and designs. They may be made of leather, resin, or high-quality synthetic and may sport a variety of colors and designs.

No matter what you decide to give to your staff, however, never lose sight of the need to recognize their efforts, whether verbally or through gift-giving.

Business Angles and Sportsbetting

2007-04-30T03:49:00.004-07:00

Sports betting, like any investment, carries risks and rewards. The parallels between betting on sports and playing the stock market are many. In fact, I would argue that they are exactly the same for all intents and purposes.

Placing a bet on a team and hoping for a win is no different than buying a particular stock and hoping for a rise in price. There are few differences between sportsbooks and brokerage firms. Both are middlemen who charge you a fee for their services. Both the sports bettor and the stock player are after a return on their investment (profit).

If a person buys a stock and it falls instead of rises in price, he loses money, or has a negative return on investment. If a sports bettor bets a team to win and that team loses, he also has a negative return on investment.

Calculating a return on investment is simple. Divide any profit by the amount risked to get it. If you bet $100 on the Colts to cover -3 at -110 versus the Patriots and they do, you have a ROI of 91% for that particular bet:

$91/$100 = 91%

But where ROI really can help you is over the course of many bets. Let’s say you made 50 bets at -110, risking $100 each time, over the course of the NFL season. You won 30 bets and lost 20. Your total investment for the season would be $5000:

$100*50 = $5000

Your total profit would be $730:

($91*30) - $2000 = $730

Where $2000 are your 20 losses. This would give you a return on investment of 14.6%:

$730/$5000 = 14.6%

Applying ROI to different aspects of your sports betting can reveal many things. It can reveal how good of a handicapper you are and where your strengths and weaknesses lie. It’s most useful, I think, as it relates to money management and how favorites and underdogs affect your bottom line.

Risking $100 each time, if you make 10 bets on -150 favorites and win seven of them and lose the other three, you have a profit of $166.69 and a ROI of 16.67%. Not too shabby. But if you shopped around and were able to get those same bets at -145, your ROI would increase to 18.30%.

As a tool for the sport bettor, ROI can’t be underestimated. Try applying to individual sports or various timeframes. It can reveal a lot and help you make better decisions regarding bets and bankroll management in the future.

How To Start A Day Care Center Business The Easy Way - Complete Business Plan

2007-04-30T03:49:00.003-07:00

Deciding on starting a child day care business can be an exciting time, but for some the thought of having to deal with the business aspect of it can be overwhelming. No matter what your reasons for starting a day care business you can be sure that you will need to be full prepared for everything.

What Are Your Reasons?

Perhaps you are a stay at home mum who wants to start a home based business that you could be really successful with. Perhaps you have been searching for a child day care center in your area without luck? Maybe you are just fantastic with kids and looking for a career around them. No matter what your reasons for wanting to start a day care business, you can be sure that you will need a full proof business plan for it.

What Will I need?

When you make that decision to start a day care center business, you will naturally start to think of what you need to do and when. What will you need before you can full begin building a successful business? With so many questions that need answering it can sometimes look like to big a dream to make reality.

That's why we have built a full business plan for you to follow when starting your day care center business. Without knowing what the pitfalls are before you begin, you run the risk of finding out what they are when it's too late.

What Does It Include?

Finding a business plan that lays out step by step all that you need, what to do and when and how to go about it can be a nightmare, that's why we have put together a great business plan that contains everything you will need.

It will help you if you are:

>> considering starting a home day care center in the United States

>> thinking of making an income while staying home and caring for your own children considering running a day care at a church or other outside facility

>> ready to take your knowledge and skills of working with children and applying it to your own business

>> ready to make a leap from your current baby-sitting service to a full-time day care business

This kit was designed to guide you with the information you will need to start and run a successful day care center. It offers many pointers that even experienced day care providers will find useful.

In language that is clear, readable and straight to the point, it explains:

>> what is required to start the business
>> determining what to charge
>> setting policies and procedures
>> attracting clients
>> establishing your daily schedule
>> planning activities for children
>> billing and accounting
>> managing your cash flow
>> record keeping
>> keeping your clients happy
>> growing your business
>> plus much, much more!!!

The kit also includes forms, business letters, and a complete business plan that are all essential to starting a successful day care. You will have everything you need to get your new business started.

Networking to Success

2007-04-30T03:49:00.001-07:00

It was an awesome sight to wake up in the morning after a nice long sleep to find sign ups to your business. But, less then a month down the road, they were OUT!

Your head spinned around and around. What happened? Where did they go?

Well, let me tell you this:

TEAM WORK MAKES THE DREAM WORK! Heard that before? It is true!

If you are not networking with your sign ups and working together as a TEAM, they will split!

Make sure that your Team knows that yuo are there for them and so is the upline.

I was involved with so many programs and never got a call from my sponsor or upline. I gave it a go and tried to become successful. But, when it came down to staying or going, I had no ties to staying.

Get the picture? I did not for a long time!

Now, if I had someone who showed me they cared, was there for my questions and was really working with me directly, I would of felt that I had to stay and prove myself.

Answer = Network for Success!

Grab your sign ups and take them with you!

For many years I have been in the fog and it has cost me thousands. Make sure that you are from the heart and there for your TEAM. They need you more then you know. I have been thanked and thanked! You will be too!

Inventegration, Inventing and the Constant Flow of Newness

2007-04-30T03:46:00.001-07:00

In the world of new product development, we the developers and inventors must see the need for a constant flow of newness. It's the consumers desire to see new items in retail stores that helps pull customers through the doors.

It's a simple matter of following the path of attraction. We, the inventors, need to attract the manufacturers to our inventions and new products. Manufacturers need to attract retailers to buy these inventions and new products. Retailers need to attract customers into their stores to buy.

With a constant flow of newness, manufacturers are able to present retailers with more new products in hopes of pushing more things to the shelf. Retailers are then able to pass that flow of newness along to their customers. Sure, some of these products may not sell to the consumers, but the fact that the retailer is offering something new will help bring customers through the door.

So how does this constant flow of newness affect Davison's business model? Through Inventegration, we're able to offer corporations a constant flow of new products, developed to meet their business model. If you're familiar with Davison, you'll know that Inventegration is the process of integrating an invention into a manufacturer's current way of doing business. Now, using this streamlined process of new product development, our goal is to help inventors get their products -- ready with manufacturing drawings, packaging and a product sample -- in front of a manufacturer and help corporations find more new products to present to buyers.

A corporation may typically only have one or two new products to show to a potential buyer. Through Inventegration, Davison tries to help our corporate clients take 20 to 30 items to a buyer's meeting. A buyer may say no to everything in this meeting, but the manufacturer who presented the products will be the ones remembered for knowing what the retailer wants, a constant flow of newness. They'll be the innovators over others, with little to no new developments in their pipeline.

Globe Your Business

2007-04-30T03:44:00.001-07:00

In America today, our population flirts with a population of 300 million. There are over 150 nations represented in that 300 million. Whether by means of divorce or the exercise of choice, women are rapidly entering and advancing in the workplace. Senior citizens account for approximately 25 percent of the population, many of whom continue to work and be active and productive. Teenagers and young adults account for over 25 percent of our population and are continuing their education and enhancing their work skills. The Eurodollar has become a prominent form of currency. All throughout European countries, English is rapidly becoming the language of choice. The Internet is growing at exponential rates and proportions as it enters new homes and schools all across the world each day. Major Banks and corporations continue to merge as they not only strive to survive but do so by striving to grow. Barriers of gender, race and religion are being superseded by the desire and necessity to do business as we strive for social and economic change. The world is at an impasse of opportunity that must not be passed.

Everything I just highlighted in the previous paragraph is a good thing. In America, we are the land of opportunity. We are the home of the free; free enterprise and free trade. We want others to participate in our process of business and explore the opportunity to form, build and grow. The module of Capitalism is ours and one we should never forget nor forsake. It is indeed a positive that our population continues to grow. It’s a positive that women are more prevalent in the workplace as their voice and decisions are crucial to a well-balanced and productive society. In America, we celebrate our senior citizens living longer and healthier with the ability to remain productive. In America, we encourage our teenagers and young adults to continue their education and enhance their work skills. The Eurodollar initially designed to compete with the American Dollar has only reminded us that we can never rest on our rewards of the past. We must continue to be innovative and creative as we compete in an ever-growing marketplace.

In America, we welcome competition as it makes us better. Many banks and major corporations have received fruitful revenues as a result of merging, thus providing better products and services to the general population. In America, we want our consumers to have viable choices that enable them to make intelligent and informed decisions. The integrations of race, gender and religions has been an extraordinary positive and productive mechanism as we not only build companies; we build communities. In America, we welcome diversity as we pool the intellectual and cultural resources that proudly present themselves to us. This is the world that we fought for, united. This is the world we fight for, united. This is the world with unity; we will not only keep but grow. The world of free enterprise is our world, in America!

It’s always improper to encourage others to do something without offering proper encouragement. In tune with that, I offer you sample and generic suggestions to “globe your business.”

1. Expansion: In this global economy if you’re not seeking expansion; it’s not because you shouldn’t be. Every two to three year cycle should not only elicit an overall evaluation; it should be a question of growth. Such a question will accompany issues of how, when and where. If your business is doing well then you must explore the option of “reproducing” what is already working. That is to say, open another location.

Every 30 to 90 days you should have explored other locations including various cities, states and potentially other countries. Every city is a potential market and every market is an opportunity for growth and expansion. For every city you’re not exploring, assume that your competition is. If not you, have an employee or multiples take some time each month to investigate potential locations and markets. Research of information is the best commodity in the business of competition. You must not only keep up but you must stay ahead. As time is always of the essence and even more so in the world of business, you and your current employees may be consumed with duties and obligations. I suggest you begin an intern program with high school or college students. In many cases, they will work for free as they seek the chance to learn from those who are already doing what they desire to do in the future. You’ll create an opportunity to educate a young person, provide them work experience and learn about markets and trends you may not otherwise have explored. This is being innovative and productive.

Meanwhile, you’ll also be advertising your program for free, as schools and students will compete for the opportunity. This advertisement won’t be limited to just the Internships but expose your company to the community and the extensions thereof. Many senior citizens are desperate to exercise their minds and be desired as well as productive in their golden years. I recommend not eliminating them from this equation; however I would advise offering them some compensation package. No matter who you bring in or how often, the idea here is to continually be aggressive and still maintain your current margins while elevating your social status and learning about new frontiers.

The person(s) you bring will provide you with different perspectives as they are not jaded by virtue of experience in the industry. Their eyes will reveal the eyes of the consumers at-large. Take advantage of it!

2. Employees: Over the past 10 to 15 years, employers have steadily increased worker productivity through bonuses, incentive packages and commissions. I’ve always believed that the world should be on commission but that is just a fantasy of mine. The reality is that administrative duties demand salaried positions. However I believe that even in those positions, employees would like and appreciate the opportunity to bring something more to the company they work for and in turn be compensated. If you have no commission structure or bonus plans in your company, I strongly advise you to construct one and soon. If need be, create a “new” position and design it as one of commission only. This will give you an opportunity to see what type of applicants you attract and how well a commission structure can function. Everyone in your company should be rewarded for generating new business and provided an incentive for retaining valuable clients. That’s what you want! Thereto, this is another opportunity to diversify your company whether it is by gender, race or national origins.

With each new and different face, you’ll receive new and exciting perceptions and ideas. No one knows everything about any one thing, let alone everything about everything. You should never rule anyone out because they appear different than what’s previously been successful for you and your company. With that, your employees will begin to learn from one another because of such diversity, enabling them to be better equipped as they venture into our unique and multicultural marketplace. These types of social skills can rarely be achieved through observation and must be cultivated through interaction on a daily basis. As you diversify your company’s employee base; you now have a new opportunity to continually educate and motivate your audience. You want your employees to want to come to work. You want your employees to bring positive energy and excitement as they walk in the door. This type of energy and excitement must be initiated from the top and that’s you.

As they see you as enlightened leader, so too will they seek enlightenment and progress a willingness to learn. In your company meetings, be receptive to the suggestions of your employees and encourage them to speak out and speak up. In 1945 as World War II was nearing an end, then President Harry S. Truman was faced with an imminent dilemma. The American economy was fragile and thousands of troops would be returning home without a job to turn towards. At this time, the President created tax benefits to encourage those present to start a new company or expand the ones they currently owned. Those benefits remain in tact and since have grown without government restraints. Small businesses account for over 52% of all employees in America. This is what you must remember to do, be innovative and creative and remember to create jobs and opportunities for our fellow citizens. In America, that’s who we are.

3. Marketing: No matter what any or all surveys may reveal; the greatest marketing tool of every company is you and your employees. The best commercials, billboards or paid advertisements will mean nothing if your employees don’t embrace and embody the promotion. As you bring in employees and with a commission structure in place; your company is always on stage. The public you’ve yet to see, the clients you’ve yet to secure and the extensions of consumers you’ve had are always watching and observing. It’s not just enough that they abide by the employee handbook rules; they must be an embodiment of your overall company concept. As they enter into new towns, frequent their grocery stores attended their weekly services and participate in school events; your employees are directly representing you. A common and accepted question amongst Americans is “Where do you work?” As you seek employees with character, you must too remember to build character; this is leadership.

While you can’t navigate their behavior nor should you want to; you still must involve these issues in group meetings and potentially invoke a character clause in their employee contract. A commission structure and bonus incentives will be reason enough to keep this dialog alive and robust. As you guide them through potential situations, you want them to bring up scenarios and potential clients that have an interest in your company. You must create a “spirit” of marketing in your company and its employees. Furthermore, as you do research in other towns seeking potential locations and opportunities; you will also be “in effect”, marketing who you are and what you do. This is called “generating a buzz”. Allow the idea of generating a buzz to keep you on edge, as your employees’ minds will always be working. Make your company, their company. As you market your company and its products, don’t be afraid to exhibit your employees along with it. Your employees are well-groomed and articulate.

Put their picture in the promotion, include their voice and enable them to host shows, volunteer work and promotions within the community. This will keep your company approachable and receptive to the public. Just because our nation is becoming large doesn’t mean that we have forsaken the warmth of human contact and the familiarity of recognizable faces and voices. Your clients will enjoy that your employees are the faces on television, on billboards and in the brochures they’ve received. They’ll enjoy that voice they heard is the one they’re speaking to. A company with thousands of employees can maintain the values of closeness and speak volumes in their respective cities and towns. So as you market your employees’ new ideas and suggestions, don’t forget to market your employees as well. And don’t forget to teach your employees how to market. Show your company off!

4. Niche ID: Being competitive in the marketplace means providing services and products that others already provide. That is to say, there is no need to re-invent the wheel. What others have proven to do that works, you can do as well. But in order to remain competitive and grow your business; you must separate yourself and your company. This is one of many reasons why you diversify your employee base, so you can continually be faced with new ideas from a varying audience. Many companies seek the services of Madison Avenue for this very reason, new ideas and separation. When you look at your company, what do you see? Do you see different ages? Do you see women? Do you see different races or religions? Do you see a rainbow of cultures? If you don’t see any of those things, I’m afraid you’re missing something valuable. As a business owner and executive, your duties will always be monumental and not leaving you time for thought on many other accessible ideas for growing your company. You must surround yourselves with a team that not only maintains a competitive pace but can elevate your company through separation of identity. As a consumer, the inevitable question when faced with two diverging roads is “What’s the difference?” This question can only be answered by you and your company’s structure.

The point here is not to create big and dramatic changes but something special and unique. As all business owners are salespeople in some form or fashion, in differentiating your company you will inevitably reveal the features and benefits of said separation. A lemonade stand cannot only be about a competitive price but must have something to create a buzz and a legitimate reason to attract onlookers. Upon achieving such a goal, you must then again be preparing for yet another round of separation and enhancement. These are the seeds of growth and as you water it, your company tree will not only grow tall; it will grow prominent. The most formidable tree is revealed in its roots and born of its seeds. Through the dividends of time coupled with the attention of proper nurture; the nature of your company tree will be proud in a forest of those unwilling. Build a strong tree and there your lemonade stand shall be. As you can see, there are many ways and measures to globe your business.

The biggest issue is for you to remain diligent and aggressive in your pursuit. While seeking measures of growth, remember to venture potential mergers, re-evaluate your company’s status every 2 to 3 years and inspire and motivate your employees. Don’t allow you or your company to go into a proverbial slump or stump its identity and goals. As you diversify your company’s look, bring in people that are willing to push the company forward and thrust its position in the community. Your three (3) part equation is to: Evaluate Motivate and Navigate. Financial resources are an inescapable reality of life in the world of business. As a Commercial Finance Specialist, I say to you with confidence that there are banks, lenders, venture capitalists and angel investors seeking to assist you in your growth. While no repository is prepared for the diversity of the marketplace, a broker remains in tuned with the flows and trends that are available to business uniqueness. Seek out those opportunities and prepare yourself properly with accurate recordkeeping, comprehensive business plans, sound visions and ethical executions. Good luck and remember: Globe Your Business!

Living Proof of The Joint Venture Mindset

2007-04-25T04:49:00.002-07:00

Frank Schroeder was one of the most successful insurance salesmen I ever met. He owned two Porches and two sets of electric drums and lived like a king. We did some business together and I asked him what the secret to his success was. And at this point I must digress. I have sold insurance very successfully in Canada and in South Africa. I no longer sell insurance; I specialize in Joint Ventures. But I have found very few insurance salespeople who share Frank’s philosophy or his success. Many of them have very strange labels and titles that they have concocted for themselves in order to disguise the fact that they sell insurance, yet they should be proud of their important work. And they are so focused on selling that they are proof of the self-fulfilling prophecy syndrome. But let us not waste time discussing what we should not do.

Frank was living proof of the power of what I call “The Joint Venture Mindset”. As far as I can recall, I will try to put his approach in his own words: “Robin, I always tell people right up front that I sell insurance. That builds trust and credibility right away. And I NEVER try to sell anything on the first visit, or even the second visit. In fact, I often don’t ever try to sell insurance – they ASK to buy! Why? Well, I focus on finding out all about my prospect. I ask many questions, make copious notes and make it my business to try and help them in any way I can, either by giving them referrals, advice or contacts, but this has nothing to do with insurance.

The more I work on building value and helping them, the more interest I show, the more they open up and share. I find out all about their hopes, dreams fears, failures, successes, beliefs and hobbies. I share things about myself. I build relationship. I help. I care. And you know what, Robin? THEY bring up the insurance subject and they buy. I never have to sell. I never have to close. I give them information and solve their problems. I don’t use jargon and I don’t play games. You know me – what you see is what you get. If I don’t feel comfortable with the prospect, I leave and I won’t sell them insurance. If they don’t need insurance, I won’t sell them any. And I have more referrals than I can handle. I forget about what I want and myself and I prove myself a friend.”

That’s why we started the Joint Venture Forum – our members share this mindset and work on relationships and problem solving. They don’t focus on selling and they know that they can do business outside of their chosen field. And they are very selective whom they choose to work with. Together, we can do amazing things!

The Joint Venture Analogy

2007-04-25T04:49:00.001-07:00

Imagine my doctor sending out an e mail to all his patients, offering them a discount on hip replacements for November. Or the Network Marketing lady who walked into my seminar in a hotel in Abbotsford and announced that, after looking at the palm of my hand, I was deadly ill and needed her supplements. She added that this would also make me financially secure, implying that I was not financially secure. She had never met me and was not even a part of my seminar audience!

This is not all that uncommon – attend most “Business Networking Events” and you will find a bunch of self-employed salespeople thrusting their business cards at each other and proudly broadcasting their “Elevator pitches” to all and sundry, whether they want to hear it or not. They might as well go from door to door selling brushes to people who don’t need them or want them.

Joint Venture experts have an entirely different approach; they are like my doctor. He sits quietly and asks questions and listens to me. He examines me. He does not tell me about how smart he is or how many babies he delivered last week. He does not regale me with the benefits of dealing with his practice. He LISTENS. He finds out where it hurts and reads my file. And then, like the good South African doctor he is, he prescribes the solution to my specific problem. He doesn’t have to sell me or convince me or persuade me. And I gratefully take his advice.

Joint Venture experts build bridges, create solutions and solve problems. And they get well paid for it. They don’t work for nothing. They are Capitalists and they understand business. They know that we get paid in direct proportion to the value we create. They don’t sell time, either – they simply link us up with the solution we seek and need. If the MLM lady above had taken the time to ask me many questions and show a genuine interest in me, she might have found that I was in search of a solution for some physical qualm, in which case I might have asked her to sell me the solution in the form of her product. But her desperation, arrogance and ignorance denied her any chance of ever doing business with me. Fortunately, not all Network Marketing people are like her!

Let us understand the power behind Joint Ventures by taking the time to become sincerely interested in the other person and forget about what we want. Zig Ziglar said, “You can get anything you want out of life, IF you’re prepared to help enough other people to get what they want.”

Questions that Make Money

2007-04-25T04:48:00.002-07:00

Anthony Robbins said, "Successful people ask better questions, and as a result, they get better answers."

There are only two types of questions: Those that get negative or negligible results, and those that get great results. What questions are you asking yourself and your associates, employees and customers that can result in a better bottom line? What questions will reduce customer attrition, improve loyalty and profits and motivate the people you work with?

The answers to the questions we ask should result in answers that inspire, motivate and initiate innovation and positive action. They should encourage, cheer, challenge, energize and drive. And the more specific the answers, the better. Specific is terrific. By designing the right questions to ask those involved in our business, we direct the business to greater success and focus everyone on the goals and objectives for which we have taken responsibility. When you ask the right question, you create an answer that begets a success strategy.

“Which three things can we do to increase the amount of people coming into the store by 5% without any cost or risk to us?”

“How can I pay for results instead of promises when it comes to advertising?”

“Who do we need to work with in a Joint Venture to double the amount of prospects we are currently exposed to?”

“How can we create three new streams of increasing, passive income?”

“How can we benefit from someone else’s advertising and marketing activities?”

“What can we do to double the value we offer our clients, without increasing our cost of sales?”

“How can we get customers to increase the amount of times they visit our business by 30%?”

“How can we reactivate 40% of our inactive customers?”

“How can we create back end sales without increasing our overhead or the time it takes to sell the back end?”

How To Increase Your Online Business And Destroy Your Competition...

2007-04-25T04:48:00.001-07:00

I know, I know. It doesn’t sound too nice. But lets face it, in business, if customers don’t pick your business, they’ve picked somebody else. I want to help you so that the customer picks YOUR business over somebody else’s. This is basically for e-commerce, so for traditional business, emails, e-zines, etc., might not apply but you might still be able to implement the idea behind the statement.

* Give people a free subscription to your e-zine. Almost everyone is publishing a e-zine nowadays so it's important to give something extra with the free subscription. You could offer a free gift or advertising when people subscribe.

* Offer a free online directory. The directory could be full of interesting ebooks, e-zines, web sites etc. If people find your directory to be a valuable resource they will visit it over and over.

* Give your visitors a free ebook. You could also include your own ad in the ebook and allow other people to give it away. If you don't want to take the time to write one, you could ask other writers permission to use their articles. I have written a few articles on this topic. Go to Google or Yahoo and search under my name and e-books. Otherwise, email me and I’ll send you my article.

* Give visitors a free entry into your contest or sweepstakes. The prizes should be something of interest or value to your visitors. Offer more entrys based upon # of items purchases or total dollars spent. Example: 1st entry with purchase, additional entries for each $50 spent. Also, most people who enter will continually revisit your web site to find out who won.

* Offer free original content. It's important to give your visitors information they can't find anywhere else. If you're the only source, they'll visit your site. If you are selling beauty products, do your homework and find beauty or health tips and post them on your site.

* Make your web site look professional. You want to have your own domain name, easy navigation, attractive graphics, etc. Again, target your competition. If they have a very basic site, take advantage of that and get a great looking site.

* Survey your existing customers. Do this on at least an annual basis. It is VERY important to find out who your customer base is. By knowing who you are servicing, you can serve them better.

* Test and improve your ad copy. There are many people who write an ad and never change it. Make sure you get the highest possible response rate. Ask people for their opinion.

Take what you can from this; hopefully I’ve helped you today. Remember, its your business, & you know it better than I do. The goal is to have you know more about your customers than your competitors do.

How To Write Ads and Banners that Make People Click!

2007-04-25T04:47:00.000-07:00

Sure there are pages and pages of articles telling you how this color or that music on you web page will encourage people to buy but here is the truth: The most important tool is the words that you use. Most people shop with emotions. Figure out a way to get them “emotional” and you have a sale!

Here are some techniques that I have used in the past to get my sales moving:

* Use reverse psychology on your banner ads. You could tell people not to click on your banner ad. For example "Don't Click unless you want to make money!”

* Make your banner ad words as attractive as possible. Use words like ultimate, powerful, sizzling, hot, etc. Remember emotions will cause them to buy and very descriptive words do the trick.

* Offer a discount offer on your banner ad. People are always looking for good deals. You could offer a percentage discount, dollar discount, buy one get one free discount, etc.

* Use a testimonial on your banner ad. This'll give people proof they aren't wasting their time clicking on your banner ad. The testimonial should include enough information so that they understand the offer.

* Use a strong guarantee on your banner ad. You could include the guarantee as a headline for your offer. It could read double or triple your money back guarantee, lifetime your money back guarantee, etc.

* Tell people to click on your banner ad. Newer internet users may not even know they can click on banners. Just having the phrase "click here" on your banner will increase your click-throughs.

* Tell people the major benefit of your product, web site or service on your banner ad. It could be benefits like make money, lose weight, increase energy, save money, save time, etc.

* You could advertise a free offer on your banner ad. People love free stuff. The freebie should relate to your target audience. If the freebie is attractive to them, they will click. For example, if you were selling diet product, offering a free water bottle or food journal will get them to click.

When talking about the actual language of the banner ads, it is important to not only know what words are effective but WHY people are motivated to click once they see certain words.

* Fast: People want fast results, fast delivery, fast ordering, etc. We want everything NOW. Your customers do too.

* Guaranteed: People want to be assured they are not risking their hard earned money buying your product.

* Limited: People want to own or receive things that are exclusive or rare because they are considered to be more valuable. A “limited time offer” encourages people to act now.

* Easy/Simple: People want easy ordering, easy instructions, easy to use, easy payments, etc.

* Testimonial: People want to see believable proof before they buy your product. It should be reputable and also an emotion-evoking statement.

* Discount/Sale: People want to find bargains. They could be rebates, one-time sales, percentage offers, two-for-one, etc.

* Free: People want free incentives before they do business with you. The key here is incentive, as in incentive to buy more than one item. Three or more items = free shipping or $200 purchase is 10% off or whatever. People will always buy more in order to save money.

* You/Your: People want to know that you are talking them. This'll make them feel important and attract them to read the whole ad.

* Important: People do not want to miss important information that could affect their life. People will stop and take notice.

* New: People want new products or services that will improve their life like new information, tastes, technology, results, etc.

Well that’s certainly not everything, but it’s a start. And I guarantee (see I used it myself) that it will help your business.

What is this Sea Change?

2007-04-23T04:39:00.001-07:00

Good Morning Silicon Valley reports that the recently leaked Press Release is actually confidential Microsoft memo.

"The next sea change" in computing -- software as a service -- has arrived, Gates writes, and Microsoft must embrace it or lose ground to the advertising-supported Internet businesses being developed by Google, Yahoo and Salesforce.com.

In the Web 1.0 Dotcom days, a concept had emerged called B-to-B-to-C, as a successor to B-to-B and B-to-C. As consumer marketeers were looking for more efficient ways to reach their consumer audiences, the idea of reaching them through their employers seemed cost-efficient and attractive.

Now, at the height of Web 2.0, Microsoft seems to be in the absolute best spot to capitalize on the B-to-B-to-C advertising opportunity.

Imagine, you are BMW, and you want to advertise to a very targeted audience of consumers with a certain household income level. Who else is in a better position to give you access to this super precisely segmented data about people's income levels than major corporations?

Let's say, GE cuts a deal with BMW, and lets them advertise to the 10,000 employees in the annual income range $100,000 - $500,000. What form would this advertising take?

It could be, that for this set of employees, as soon as they open up Microsoft Office or Outlook, BMWs AD is placed on their desktop. As a result, instead of GE paying Microsoft for the corporate license of MS Office, BMW ends up subsidizing the application.

As Microsoft thinks through their response to the Sea Change that Gates discusses above, it would be good to remember that Microsoft is still in a position of strength within the enterprise, large and small, and not try to follow Google blindly into the pure SaaS zone.

Microsoft should re-define the rules of this war, instead of chalking out a blow-by-blow response to Google.

Implementation:

I would keep Microsoft's revenue line intact, but make changes in the software plans. In the new system, Microsoft still sells MS Office, etc. as is, or may be with some more integrated architectural view with a better SaaS feel.

However, as you know, Microsoft has discontinued its relationship with Overture as their AD Management system, which means they are developing their own. So, now, I would play to Microsoft's strengths, and design this system so that a version of it can also be sold to / used by corporations to manage Ads on the desktops of their employees.

So, in this new order, Microsoft continues to get paid for the software they provide to enterprises, but they also sell additional software which adds an Advertising Revenue line to every corporate P&L.

I submit, that Microsoft sits in a uniquely attractive position in the food chain to broker this flow of funds via advertising dollars trickling online, by empowering enterprises to monetize their employees.

And take a cut.

What Should Your Business Card Say?

2007-04-23T04:38:00.004-07:00

Are you planning to start your own business? Do you work from your home? Are you employed at a company where you have a specific job title and function? If any of these are true or if you want to offer freelance services to the community, a business card may be one of your first steps in making others aware of your goods and services.

A business card is your calling card, post card, appointment reminder, and contact piece all printed on one small card. That is what makes this multi-purpose item so useful. A resourceful businessperson will want to make the most of this unique advertising strategy, since business cards can sit on someone's desk, find a place in a Rolodex, join others of its kind in a wallet, and be posted on a bulletin board. Dozens or even hundreds of passersby may view your card, depending on where it is placed.

With all of the speedy online printing services available, or using popular software applications, you can have a stack of business cards in your palm within a day or two, or no longer than a week in most cases. Yet this is a promotional tool that should not be rushed. Take your time to map out this marketing strategy to maximize its benefits for your business.

1. Consider the color. You can choose from a fiery neon shade, a soft pastel, a neutral tone, or even a design with a decorative border. Keep in mind the type of readers who will receive the card. Conservative staffers in large corporations may prefer a subtle card with a low-key, professional image. But a creative advertising display could grab the attention of marketers and sales managers. Attractive, color-sensitive images may draw the attention of everyday customers or those who shop from home and enjoy the attractive appearance of your thoughtfully designed piece. You can use color on one side or two.

2. Lay out the print. Practice with a sheet of paper or on your computer screen to get the look and feel you want in a card. Experiment with different fonts and type sizes for proportionate spacing and headings as well as neatly designed spaces. If you don't have one already, create a logo for your company that will serve as an instant identification item when people come across advertisements for your business.

3. Arrange the information. You may want your name and title to be the biggest parts of the card, with contact information and other service options printed in smaller type. On the back of the card, you might decide to place additional details about your product or services, although you won't want to overwhelm the reader with too much information. Keep the overall effect simple and readable.

Your business card announces your presence in the world of commerce, so make it a welcome piece that will incite readers' interest and enthusiasm in what you have to offer.

2005: Year of the Balance of Power

2007-04-23T04:38:00.003-07:00

We have been watching the 3-Disc TV Series, Napoleon, recently. There is a scene when Napoleon challenges his friend, the Czar Alexander of Russia, on why Austria is being allowed to arm itself and build a competing power. Alexander says, like Napoleon's Foreign Affairs Minister, Monsieur Talleyrand, he too believes that there needs to be a balance of power in Europe.

Not surprisingly, this makes Napoleon fly off in a rage!

This year has been a year that has underscored several such balance of power developments.

In Politics and in Economics, the US dominance has been partially normalized by China and India, both emerging superpowers.

Close to home, in high tech, Google's absurd rise has stopped Microsoft in its track, posing an alternate power block that challenges many existing assumptions.

In Silicon Valley, Google and Yahoo have even started challenging the power that Venture Capitalists have commanded thus far against entrepreneurs, and by encouraging entrepreneurs to bootstrap their startups, followed by exiting into one of the two (or into one of their competitors).

In this strange rebalance, Microsoft accuses Google of being arrogant, as do the VCs. Amusing, this turn of tides ...

And one last balance of power example : the dominance of mainstream media has been shredded by the emerging democratic new media publishing trends and their supporting infrastructure that has rapidly matured this year (Blogs, Podcasts, Video-on-Demand, Microcontent, Micropayment, acceptable DRM standards, viable ad-supported business models, etc.).

As 2005 draws to a close, and we enter the holiday season, this is my Thanksgiving message: Let competition and innovation continue their march. Let David's defeat Goliath's, then become Goliath's, only to be defeated by new David's. Let Capitalism continue to provide the framework supporting this cycle.

What Should Your Business Card Say?

2007-04-23T04:38:00.001-07:00

The Greatest Reason For Starting A Wholesale Business

2007-04-23T04:37:00.002-07:00

Did you know that you can start your own wholesale business in as little as one hour and for less than $100 right now? If you did not know such possibility, probability is you were and still are in this case hunted by the belief that online businesses require as much capital and initial investments as the same that of those located offline.

If you have not imagine it yet, one of the primary reasons to start a wholesale business in my sole experience alone is that you can start working from the comfort of your home while still getting to earn substantial income without having to put a feet in the drive way. You can do it all from a studio or from your own home master room like the place I am located right while writing this and still earn very good living selling tangible items online. I do it both online and offline because of the challenge of working and managing people, but most of us do not need to. A one man proprietorship is all that is needed to earn few thousand dollars in commissions or in generated income from single or bulk sales on a weekly and monthly basis.

For starters you do not have to wake-up at 6:00am or even earlier like many of my neighbors and work until death do us part. That is supposed to be for life, but for marriage- not for income and definitely not as a life. If you are one of this guys or business corporate woman waking up early, I was also one of them. Difference with many while I believing that I am not different from everybody else, is that I started working for someone else while still getting to focus my luxury time on a part-time business.

The business of selling on auction sites and selling wholesale items offline at flea markets and every other place that I could gain experience and knowledge from a business I loved, video games and DVDs. I was tired of the $10.00-$30.00/hour income. I felt that I did not have a purpose working for someone else while they get to get richer thanks to my abilities of selling and my abilities of getting the job done. It was not good, however, I had to work offline, sacrifice some chapters of the season of -Lost- and some episodes of Nip Tuck. Boy it was painful. But were the benefits way better than a 401k or a potential social security plan that I was more than secure of such future existence when I get to the age of claiming it. Sure it was way better.

Today you get really rich and really successful financial in numerous ways, both destiny and luck are on many peoples side. But will you count on ball predictions or on winning the lottery next week in a certain 100% way? No way! The greatest way for you to achieve financial freedom before it gets to be too late is by building an online wholesale business.

It is one of the most exciting challenges you could do from scratch and with less than $100 under 1 hour. All you need are the wholesale list contacts. That is sure one of the best ways for man of us. You build mini empires online without having to trump your wallet Real Estate style.

Wholesale Myth Answers: Do You Need A Tax I.D And Re-Selling License?

2007-04-23T04:37:00.001-07:00

One of the common myths about the wholesale business is the need for having a re-selling license or tax I.D in order to achieve wholesale success. Now, getting a business license I.D is necessary if you incorporate your wholesale or re-selling business. Not only that, but it is important to get a business license if you plan to sell $100,000 or more from your retail, wholesale or re-selling business.

However, there is no need to get a business license simply to be able to purchase wholesale as there are many wholesalers and distributors that will cut you deals for wholesale merchandise in single or in bulk amounts without having to violate the law or without to carry a reselling license- of course depending on your state. As always, that will solely depend on the state and country you are currently allocated.

To be sure, there are different laws that regulate reselling and wholesale businesses in many states in the USA, however, that does not mean you need a business license to sell wholesale merchandise. For example, Maxam Wholesale is a nationally known manufacturer and wholesaler that has been around for decades- and best of all, they do not require you to have a business license or tax ID in order to purchase their wholesale merchandise. Meaning that you can build an Internet mini-mall virtually in few hours depending on your web technical experience or you can simply outsource such a job. It is that simple.

Granted, most of the wholesalers with websites where you can apply to be a dealer require that you enter a tax ID, re-selling license or both. However, an easy technique you can use to eliminate this kind of hassle is to establish a relationship with the distributor or wholesaler by calling them, rather than applying online with their regular forms. The phone is where the magic happens in my experienced.

You get to speak with the person directly instead of with a so-called mummy that I like to call, emails. In a nutshell answer, simply let the wholesaler know that you are very interested in finding out various catalog wholesale prices in order to place orders that day. You definitely need a little more than that, but you definitely get the picture. Go as creative as you would like and test the results and gain experience. That is everything I do in my wholesaling.

More than 90% of the time the wholesalers and distributors will either send you their wholesale catalog through the mail or, better yet, they will give you a username and password immediately so you can access the prices in their online catalog. Depending on how you presented and requested the information. Same situation that happens in regular business offline with communication, definitely applies online in many of the same ways.

Once you have done such steps, you can start buying directly from the wholesaler or distributor online or by phone without owning a business license or tax identification number. But remember, you should always check with a legal advisor to assure yourself of the state validity to sell tangible merchandise. What happens if they reject your catalog request? Simple. You provide them with your social security without them having to ask for it. This will show your seriousness about dealing with them and, more often than not, will get you up and running.

In conclusion, needing a business license for an unincorporated start up wholesale business is a myth in many countries and even states. You should always look the information directly from the source. I started as a sole proprietor when business and profits were small, with time, you will probably have to upgrade your status to LLC, Corp or own a re-selling license because of the growing of sales. Start cold calling every wholesaler and distributor you think will be profitable for you, and start getting results instantly.

A Part Of The Public Proxy Servers

2007-04-20T02:43:00.002-07:00

Proxy servers are, such as browsers, a way of connection between an internet user and internet resources that he is accessing. These proxy servers gather and in the same time they save files that are often requested by a great part of the internet users in a special database called cache. That is why, using a proxy server might lead to the increase of your internet connection speed because it is possible that the information you are searching over the internet to be already a part of the cache of the proxy server. In some case proxy servers might deliver information immediately. The performance increase might be very high and more than that through proxy servers some restrictions for certain users might be imposed.

Along with the public proxy servers there are some so called anonymous proxy servers that hide users IP address saving the users from vulnerabilities.

The anonymous proxy servers hide users IP address and prevent unauthorized access to their computer through the internet. These anonymous proxy servers will not provide anyone with your IP address and do hide the information about you and your net browsing. More than that, anonymous proxy servers do not allow anyone to know what you are browsing and because of the mentioned advantage these proxy servers might be used for different kinds of Web services such as web mail or web chat rooms.

Anonymous proxy servers are recommended because it can stop any web source you access to gather personal information about you and you personal computer, which surely include the IP address and even the internet ID’s. It is also a good solution because it denies the actions of monitoring sites that, once they’ve got your ID and other personal information might send regularly their spam and junk e-mails.

It is good to know that web sites might automatically pass through your computer’s security system with the help of not so complicated or complex hacking programs. Most of these hacking programs usually lead to a repeated blocking of your machine, making you reboot it but only in the easy cases. More complicated problems occur when the hacking problems get access to your RAM or hard disk drive. These is a real threat because some sites do not need more than your IP and some information about your operating system to do the mentioned things.

A Business Wine Gift Can Strengthen Business Relationships

2007-04-20T02:43:00.001-07:00

You are probably familiar with the traditional fruit baskets and flower settings used as business gifts in today’s modern corporate world. But a new trend is developing in corporate gift giving that adds a whole new dimension to business relationships – the business wine gift.

As it is customary for business associates to exchange gifts on occasion, an alcoholic gift has been frowned upon in the American business scene. But as business relationships become closer and on a more personal level, a wine gift is becoming much more acceptable.

Is a Corporate Wine Gift Appropriate?

Because of business teachings in America, the mixing of work and alcohol has never really been accepted as an appropriate practice. Of course, the endorsement of intoxicated employees at any corporate level is never a good or practical idea. But as business relationships have changed over time, from short term arrangements to longer term partnerships, the view of the appropriate gift has also changed.

The European business community has been of different opinion merely due to cultural differences. A glass of wine at a business lunch is an everyday occurrence and an acceptable practice. The European business lunch is treated very similarly to an American business dinner.

Therefore, a business wine gift is considered to be an appropriate and personal display of gratitude between business associates. This philosophy is permeating the American business scene and is now becoming a “chic” way to make a favorable impression on clients and customers.

When Should You Send a Business Wine Gift?

There are really no hard and fast rules when it comes to sending wine as a gift. An attractive wine gift basket can be given for almost any occasion:

- Launch of a New Product
- Signing of New Clients
- Completion of a Business Deal
- Recognition of Special Customers
- Performance Awards
- Recognition of a Major Vendor
- What Type of Corporate Wine Gift Should You Sent?

The wine gift doesn’t need to be in the form of a gift basket either. It can be given as a wine gift box or collection, a personalized wine gift (with a special message on the wine bottle sleeve or label), or a wine of the month gift club membership.

Today’s attractive corporate wine gift can be tailored to your business partner’s likes and preferences. A red, white, or blush wine and specific countries of origin are common requests that can easily be handled by the wine gift merchants.

So, if you want to encourage a long term corporate relationship with your special partners, clients and customers – send wine! They will be very appreciative of your business wine gift and you will have strengthened and solidified a valuable business relationship.

Releasing Tacit Knowledge Into The Workplace - Innovation That Matters

2007-04-20T02:38:00.002-07:00

The persistent truth is that the scale of the challenges we face globally has changed the entire context for how business operates and contributes. Global warming has gone from being denied to coffee shop conversation. The implications global warming has on the future of humanity creates speculation and, for the most part, fear or disbelief.

Meanwhile, at a deeper level people sense the need to evolve, to tap into what holds deeper meaning and want to make a higher level of contribution. Accompanying this underlying force is the real need for high performance leadership; leadership that merges the untapped capacity for self-performance with group leadership and takes it to whole new levels.

This is the stuff frequently overlooked or dismissed as esoteric distraction while corporate leadership grapples with the usual demands along with the appearance of new more complex issues many of which have risen much like the sea levels, quietly yet forcefully catalyzing the shift to higher ground.

The notion that there is immense talent lying dormant within each individual underneath childhood preprogrammed limitations is established by cellular biology and well articulated by Dr. Bruce Lipton. From the ages of 0-6 children operate from brainwave frequencies that function like a tape recorder, taking in all the messages, both limiting and empowering, and storing them into the subconscious. Unless those limiting beliefs are replaced they become the foundation that the individual sees the world through. It shows in individual and collective performance and in personal and professional relationships.

When the working environment is perceived to be unsafe, employees will unknowingly yet naturally, repress their expression and contribution. Repressed expression is channeled in one of two ways: depression or aggression. When people do not feel safe, they express through a range of behaviors including increased insecurity, absenteeism, self-sabotage, or aggressive sabotage, or stress-related illness.

For the development of the social network required to receive and support deeper talent and highest levels of self performance, subconsciously held limiting beliefs must be recognized for what they are….blocks to performance.

We are at the crossroads of a truly great opportunity.

First, the assumption that you cannot change the subconscious drivers which drive 90-95% of behavior is simply no longer true.

Second, we know that underneath the limitation is an unlimited source of innovative thinking, deeper talent and that each person brings a piece of the trust to the group leadership equation.

Thirdly, we know what makes learning stick. We just do not do what it takes to ensure it happens. We have the chance to systematically apply what we know to ensure the newly acquired skills can be applied to add value to personal and professional lives.

Fourth, we know what when an individual contributes from their core innate knowledge they are directly wired to purpose and passion therefore two things happen: Work has meaning; Innovation that matters is well within the collective capacity for individual and group performance.

Corporate leadership is actively searching for higher performance and innovation. Rather than assuming motivation is all external, perhaps it is time to create the social networks for tacit knowledge to be collectively applied. This starts with the individual’s growth and then expands to group performance.

The saying ‘the answers lie within’ has more than one meaning in these times of radical change

Mistake 3 - Neglecting Your Current Clients

2007-04-20T02:38:00.001-07:00

Mistake 3: Neglecting Your Current Clients

Do you know the feeling of always being the one to contact a friend and never being contacted in return? It will not take long until you stop calling her a friend and then stop making contact.

Now ask yourself how often you have made contact with your current clients? If you have ever done it, you are far ahead of other health practitioners. Most just wait for clients to call for the next appointment.

Follow-up
Make follow-ups a part of looking after your clients. Focus on their wellbeing, rather than on trying to sell them another appointment and you will see how much more they will come to you.

The time-frame for follow-ups really depends on your modality and you have to choose what is appropriate. However, the maximum time to leave between contacts is 3 months.

Referrals
If you provide a great service and your clients are happy with you, you are actually doing them a favour by asking for referrals. Why? Because they will have the satisfaction of having helped one of their friends to solve a problem and they will have helped you to get a new client.

The best time to ask for referrals is after they have seen you a few times and are getting better. Use the time before a session when you just chat to ask whether any of their friends might benefit from your service as well.

Most people do not actively think about it, but when they do, can think of others who have the same problem. They might tell you someone or just start thinking.

If they told you someone, you can refer to that person at the end of our session and make a special offer that your client can pass on to their friend.

Make sure you always thank the referrer when a new client comes because of them.

Tell me what you think! Can you relate to that or is your experience completely different?

Best regards
Alexander Kohl

Already posted:
Mistake 1: Being a Jack of All Trades
Mistake 2: Producing a Brochure

Still to come:
Mistake 4: Hiding at Home
Mistake 5: Failing to Plan
Mistake 6: Working Without Financial Stability
Mistake 7: Doing it Alone

All About Visual Vocabulary And How It Can Help Your Small Business

2007-04-20T02:37:00.000-07:00

Your Visual Vocabulary is an essential tool in your business's brand identity toolkit. It is made up of all of the graphics that supplement your logo, forming the graphic "face" of your business and anchoring your brand identity.

Think of your logo as the "superhero" of your brand, and the Visual Vocabulary elements as its "sidekicks"; in many design applications and finished materials, your logo won't appear by itself. It will have the help of all of these Visual Vocabulary elements to accomplish its job of communicating and connecting with your target market.

Your Visual Vocabulary can include design elements such as:

• Font styles: You should have a small collection of typefaces, font weights, and styles that you use regularly in your materials. Consider fonts for both print and web use, and specify styles for headlines, subheads, and body copy in each case, at minimum. For each style, you should specify the font to use, the color it should be, and its paragraph alignment: whether it should be centered, left-aligned, or justified (where the text lines up with both sides of the column).

• Colors: Creating a color palette for your business can add flexibility to your materials and give you an easy resource to go to when choosing colors for illustrations, graphics, or any other part of your Visual Vocabulary. If you keep your colors consistent and limited, then you'll develop a more focused palette that will be easier for your audience to associate with your business.

• Shapes: The shape that you use for your bullets, callout boxes, color-blocked areas, and even borders in your materials can create a strong visual component that will contribute to your memorability.

• Layout: The layout of a piece is how the different elements are laid out on the page. This covers elements like the number of columns and the placement of all of the other Visual Vocabulary elements.

• Backgrounds: Using background screens or shapes, or even a specially designed watermark, can give your materials an extra bit of flair. You can also develop a special background that will make your materials stand out.

• Photographs: Photos can add a lot of personality to your materials and really help you to make a connection with your target audience. You can purchase stock photography inexpensively these days; buy a few shots that are compelling and really match the rest of your Visual Vocabulary. Make sure that you buy the highest resolution and largest size that you'll need for materials down the road.

• Special textual treatments: For very special text that you want to highlight, such as your tagline, marketing bullets, sidebars, or bullets that detail your specialties, consider specifying a special face, size, and color to use in all of your materials.

• Paper type: Printing your materials on a special type of paper can make them look even more interesting. Papers come in different colors, textures, and thicknesses that can contribute to your material's uniqueness.

To create a Visual Vocabulary for your business, you should create a set of specifications for the types of design elements you will use in all of your marketing materials. Once you have laid out the set of "rules" for your Visual Vocabulary, use the same elements consistently throughout your materials. When trends change, or when your business grows or your materials become stale, you can simply change some or all of these elements to create a new, fresh look.

Specifying the qualities of these design elements and using them consistently throughout your marketing materials will have many benefits, including:

• Increasing your brand's memorability: A Visual Vocabulary gives your marketing materials more designed visuals. Adding more visuals makes your materials, and your company, more memorable.

• Making your brand designs more flexible: A Visual Vocabulary can provide you with a set of visuals that are more loosely tied to your business than your logo, which means that you can exchange and recombine those visuals for different campaigns, service offerings, or products. You can also redesign your Visual Vocabulary elements during the lifecycle of your business, updating and refreshing your materials as necessary, while still backing them with a solid logo and brand identity base.

• Adding to the consistency of your marketing materials: When you use your Visual Vocabulary across all of your marketing materials, the repeated elements add to your visual consistency.

• Making your business's materials stand out from the competition: Your Visual Vocabulary can add a lot of personality to your materials, differentiating them from your competition's marketing pieces. It can also add visual information to your materials, to help tell your business's story.

• Making a small business look larger: By expanding your brand design with more surrounding graphics, you'll expand your designs and make your small business look like a bigger business.

A Visual Vocabulary provides a powerful key to your target market, helping it to better understand your business: what you offer and how you work. It also contributes to your business's memorability.

How To Make The Most Out Of Interactive Web Conferencing

2007-04-18T06:37:00.002-07:00

In order to get the most value out of interactive web conferencing sessions try the following simple steps in order to keep it affordable.

1. To save money, save time. A well-planned conference with an agenda is the conference that doesn't use up a lot of time answering questions over what is going to be covered or what has already been discussed. If someone joins in late and it will take more then a few minutes to catch them up to speed, either send them the notes of the meeting later, or hold a separate phone call with them at a later date.

2. Minimize unnecessary services. If recording the conference isn't all that necessary, don't bother signing up for a service that offers the option to record it. While, recording a session is a useful tool, it certainly isn't a necessary one. Make sure everyone is prepared and designate someone to keep track of notes and the minutes of the meeting. Other premium services like video conferencing may also add to the expense. If video isn't necessary or advantageous, leave it out.

3. Search the Internet for free services. To keep interactive web conferencing cheap look for a service provider that adds in a lot of extras for "free". That usually means that there is a higher flat rate, but factoring in the value of the extras can really add up to big savings and an affordable price.

By just following these simple steps here, an affordable interactive web conferencing call can be had. An important service like web conferencing doesn't have to be expensive. In fact repeated use could potentially cost more money unless efforts are made to ensure that money is saved. Interactive web conferencing is already a cost saving tool because it helps cut down on travel time and expense; it increases communication between team members and offices. Web conferencing certainly isn't going to be free, but by planning ahead and looking for ways to save money interactive web conferencing can be more affordable.

The Benefits of Using Dilution Control Systems

2007-04-18T06:37:00.001-07:00

The cleaning chemicals your janitorial company uses every day come in various forms: ready-to-use, concentrated, and dilution control systems. Cleaning companies are using dilution control systems more and more every day. They see the value in having a system that not only mixes what they need for a specific job or building, but also mixes the chemical in the right dilution every time. This "proper mixing" not only saves money, but helps to ensure better cleaning results as the chemicals are always mixed correctly.

Dilution control systems have improved over the past few years and are now compact, easy to install and use, and some even have special features so you can easily fill buckets or auto scrubbers with whatever chemical you are mixing.

Most people think that if a little chemical works, than more will do the job quicker and better. However, using too strong of a solution can damage surfaces, while too weak of a solution may mean that employees have to work harder to get the results they're looking for. A dilution control system eliminates this problem as it takes out the "guesswork" and ensures that chemicals are mixed according to the manufacturer's specifications and not to an employee's preference.

Other advantages include:

1. Fewer spills. Chemical spills are a major source of the work injuries suffered by cleaning company employees. Instead of pouring chemical from a jug into a spray bottle, workers fill their bottles using dispensers, reducing the chance of spills.

2. Reduced waste not only in chemicals, but also in employee time. Workers spend less time mixing chemicals and when they are mixed to the right specifications they work better, therefore, less time is spent cleaning.

3. Less storage space needed. Chemicals used in dilution control systems are highly concentrated and take up much less space than the traditional one or five gallon product containers.

4. Overall better cleaning results as products are consistency mixed to the right strength. What matters the most is how clean your buildings are. Using properly mixed chemicals means better overall results, which makes your cleaning company look good!

5. Dispensing systems come in different types and sizes with some dispensing only one chemical while others can mix several different products. Some systems have built in backflow prevention. There are units that need only a cold water connection (no electricity needed!). Once set up, most systems need little maintenance. Prices vary depending on the type of system you buy.

Still not sure if a dilution control system is right for your cleaning company, but you want the ability to mix your cleaning chemicals as you need them? Many cleaning products come in concentrated form that allows you to mix up what you need - however, this is a problem as chemicals are not always mixed correctly. A solution to this problem is to buy chemicals in pre-measured pouches.

All you do is pour the packet contents into a specific sized container (such as 32 ounces) that contains water. There is no guesswork and no handling of the chemical as the pouches are poured directly into a spray container. Pre-measured pouches are convenient, easy to use and require little training for employees to understand how to mix them properly. One company that has a line of products in pre-measured packets is Rochester Midland. Their line of Enviro Care chemicals in packets includes glass cleaner, all-purpose cleaners and disinfectants.

What is the downside of a chemical control system? If you have a large building or a company with several buildings, you may need several systems in place. If employees have to travel too far to use them, it is easier for them to go to the nearest janitorial closet and mix up what they need.

A properly installed chemical dispensing system takes the guesswork out of mixing chemicals and saves your cleaning company time and money. Before you buy a dispenser make sure you understand how the system works and that it is suitable for your situation. If a dilution control system is not right for your cleaning company, you still have the option of using smaller, portable systems or pre-measured chemical packets. Using either type of system gives you greater control over your chemical use and helps to keep your supply costs down.

New Grads - Beat the Job Competition

2007-04-16T03:03:00.001-07:00

Winning your new job takes more than just arriving on time – after all, that's obviously expected. But, what else are employers expecting from you when you arrive for your interview? Here are four tips you'll want to keep in mind for interview success:

Tip 1: Employers will assume that you have done a good amount of research on their company. When they ask you what you know about them, you'll get off to a good start by being able to discuss several pertinent points about the Company. To do this you must be sure your research includes:

* What the company's mission is
* Sales and revenue (if public)
* What their growth rate has been
* Major products and services
* Who their competitors are
* Key management team
* Latest news on the company
* Clients, suppliers
* Company structure & culture

Employers want to know that you are interested in working for them and that you have the curiosity and energy to plan ahead for your meetings. This research technique will also help you come up with smart questions to ask your interviewer when they offer to answer any questions you may have. P.S. Always have questions!

Tip 2: Employers expect you to be able to discuss your strengths, give examples of your strengths in action and tell how your strengths will benefit them. In addition to your academic performance and experience (internships, etc., if applicable) a few other areas assessed during an interview are:

* Team work – how will you work and interact with others
* Self knowledge – a realistic assessment of who you are
* Personality – how will you fit into their culture
* Image – how you present yourself as well as your overall appearance
* Work ethic – reliability, integrity
* Confidence – ability to openly discuss goals and accomplishments

Tip 3: Employers expect you to tell them "What's In It For Them" if they hire you. Gone are the days when you ask the employer why they think you should work for them. Be ready with 3 top reasons you are a good choice for the employer.

Tip 4: Employers will expect you to be able to provide them with some self-disclosure so they can get to know you better. You should be prepared to answer questions around:

* Weaknesses (and never use something lame like - "I just tend to work too hard" that's a real eye roller) * Your problem solving abilities * Extra curricular activities * Community involvement and/or volunteer services * Why you chose your career field and information about your long term career goals

Remember, employers want top talent and you must be able to articulate your value and the benefit you will bring to an organization. If you prepare in advance you will bring confidence, enthusiasm and a positive attitude with you and it will show. So, turn your interview into a success story by preparing ahead. Get ready to beat the competition!

US Denim Market 2007 2008

2007-04-16T03:01:00.001-07:00

Jeans are comfy, unfussy and display tons of attitudes. But do you know what goes in to making that wonderful pair? It is denim fabric which snugly fits as jeans to withstand the rigors of day and night, for you!

Over 50 percent of denim production is based in Asia with China, India, Turkey, Pakistan and Bangladesh leading in that order. Have huge domestic markets, China and India have easily displaced the USA, once a leader of this category of textiles.

Even as trade agreements are being entered into to restrict low priced denims from Asia, this is not expected to change things much. World demand for denim fabric is expected to continue to grow at a rate of 3-4% per annum for some time to come. And supply will remain more than the demand for another year or so. The capacities that are being added will be more than the closures at least for some time to come.

This is what exactly emerges from World Denim Report put up on world's leading apparel, textiles, fashion and retail internet portal of the world – Fibre2fashion.com. The World Denim Report delves deeply into hitherto unexplored sector which is better known by its end product than itself.

Beginning with its origins, it traces the origins, market growth, global trends, manufacturing capacities, leading industry players and other facts that have never been talked about in such an exhaustive fashion.

It speaks about the selection of technology which has got a vital role to play in deciding required product mix and competitiveness and that too in the global context. The yarn mostly preferred for making denim is open-end spun yarn, which is twisted harder than that of ring spun. The World Denim Report summaries the facts and figures of denim fabric in the major hubs across the globe.

Overview of Home Equity Loan Concept

2007-04-16T02:59:00.000-07:00

Home equity Loan concept in simple terms means the difference between what your home is worth and the amount you owe on it. For most homeowners their home is their biggest asset and it usually represents a treasure trove of cash. Stats for the year 2005 show that the value of home equity across the US was $11.3 trillion. The percentage of home ownership in 2005 was 69% down slightly from the record 69.2 % in 2004. Almost 124 million Americans own their own home. This fact makes concept of Home Equity Loan all important in present World U.S mortgage market. Before going ahead with the concept of home equity loan it’s become all important to understand the concept well. Below gathered information on the subject will definitely satisfy urge for information.

A home equity loan is a type of loan in which the borrower uses the equity in their home as collateral. These loans are sometimes useful for families to help finance major home repairs, medical bills or college educations. A home equity loan creates a lien against the borrower's house.

Home equity loans are most commonly second position liens (second trust deed), although they can be held in first or, less commonly, third position. Most home equity loans require good to excellent credit history, and reasonable loan-to-value and combined loan-to-value ratios. Home equity loans come in two types, closed end and open end.

Both are usually referred to as second mortgages, because they are secured against the value of the property, just like a traditional mortgage. Home equity loans and lines of credit are usually, but not always, for a shorter term than first mortgages. In the United States, it is sometimes possible to deduct home equity loan interest on one's personal income taxes.

Types of Home Equity Loan Concept

Closed End Home Equity Loan

The borrower receives a lump sum at the time of the closing and cannot borrow further. The maximum amount of money that can be borrowed is determined by variables including credit history, income, and the appraised value of the collateral, among others. It is common to be able to borrow up to 100% of the appraised value of the home, less any liens, although there are lenders that will go above 100% when doing over-equity loans. However, state law governs in this area; for example, Texas (which for many years was the only state not to allow home equity loans) only allows borrowing up to 80% of equity.

Closed-end home equity loans generally have fixed rates and can be amortized for periods usually up to 15 years. Some home equity loans offer reduced amortization whereby at the end of the term, a balloon payment is due. These larger lump-sum payments can be avoided by paying above the minimum payment or refinancing the loan.

Open End Home Equity Loan

This is a revolving credit loan, also referred to as a home equity line of credit (HELOC), where the borrower can choose when and how often to borrow against the equity in the property, with the lender setting an initial limit to the credit line based on criteria similar to those used for closed-end loans. Like the closed-end loan, it may be possible to borrow up to 100% of the value of a home, less any liens. These lines of credit are available up to 30 years, usually at a variable interest rate. The minimum monthly payment can be as low as only the interest that is due.

Typically, the interest rate is based on the Prime rate plus a margin.

Home Equity Loan concept will rule the U.S mortgage market in present century, very much sure above information will make you understand the concept well as per present day needs.

Refinance Mantra Spells for Benefits Rich Debt Consolidation

2007-04-16T02:57:00.000-07:00

Debt consolidation entails taking out one loan to pay off many others. This is often done to secure a lower interest rate, secure a fixed interest rate or for the convenience of servicing only one loan.

One can use the concept of refinance a home loan for unlimited long term benefits. Liquidating home equity and using the cash difference for debt consolidation has become very popular concept in the US mortgage market. It is very important to understand the right ways and wrong ways to complete refinancing a mortgage as per personal needs of the individual especially when suffering from bad credit score. Always keep below elaborated points for best desired results while dealing with the concept of debt consolidation.

Compare Quotes Deeply to Save More

By comparing mortgage refinance quotes from different online lenders you will see that some offers are more attractive than others. Its important not to be lazy when comparing, an application takes about 15 min to fill out meaning that in 1 hour you have filled out 4 applications and just waiting for the quotes which usually take less than 24 hours to receive. You will see that by comparing quotes you can save more when refinancing. Comparing quotes is also known to be as a great negotiating tool. I'm sure you are getting some "negotiating ideas" right now.

When looking into bad credit mortgage refinance be sure to pay attention to the fine print. Compare mortgage lenders to get the best quote possible.

Make sure to Refinance at Lowest Possible Rates

The rates you are quoted have a significant impact on your monthly payments. Therefore, your best interest is to refinance a mortgage at the lowest rate possible. If you are refinancing a mortgage with bad credit, lenders and financial institutions will quote you high rates. Don't be surprised when this happens, but be sure that there are steps you can take to lower the quoted rate.

Improve Your Credit Ratings before Applying

One of the best ways to get low mortgage refinance quotes is by belonging to the prime market. The only way you can do that, if you are labeled as bad credit, is by improving your credit ratings. If you pay your monthly bills on time, after several months your credit ratings will improve and then you can refinance at a lower rate. Not every one can afford waiting so long due to their debt status. If you find that you can't you may want to pay a large down payment and negotiate closing costs. This second method is riskier, more expensive. Only if you know that you won't rebuild your debt again consider it.

Enjoy the true colors of debt consolidation concept in our company. More will follow soon with core aim to meet your information desire for debt consolidation issue.

Nina Winters Sculptor for New "Angel Cathedral"

2007-04-16T02:48:00.000-07:00

This is the second in a series of articles about the sculptor, NINA WINTERS.

This new-on-the-scene, but skyrocketing sculptor has been awarded a $200,000 commission for a life-size sculpture of an angel, “The One Who Learned to Fly”.

This angel sculpture will be installed over the entryway to a new French style cathedral, in the state of Nevada, which has been especially designed for elaborate weddings. It will be called The Angel Cathedral. This building is part of a 2 billion dollar development. The groundbreaking is scheduled for June-July 2007.

The scale and placement of the work will ensure the effect of flight that the artist wanted to create for the viewers of her artwork.

I recently traveled to tour both of her studios in Florida and New Hampshire. I was privileged to see the maquette of this sculpture.

Over a light lunch on her dock overlooking Old Clearwater Bay in Florida, I queried Nina about her thoughts on this piece. She replied, “When my daughter was a young child, I promised her that she would learn to fly physically, emotionally and/or spiritually. I used her as a model and tried to imbue the sculpture with her sense of wonder and beauty.

I was also strongly influenced by “Cirque du Soleil” for this one”.

She continued, “I designed the wings and worked with an incredible goldsmith who teaches at a college in nearby St. Petersburg. We worked for months ensuring the wings would perfectly compliment the sculpture and be able to be fitted easily into the back of the piece. I then had to design a special box for the shipping of this fragile part of the sculpture. The wings are made of bronze, brass, copper and sterling silver. I wanted to show the preciousness of the human spirit.

I also worked with a master machinist to construct the specially designed base for the piece. I needed to keep her ‘flying’ and not add gravity with a heavy base. I think we succeeded.”

She concluded with, “This work of art symbolizes mankind’s quest for beauty, perfection and freedom. Man can and must rise to greater heights.”

*** (information from first article) ***

During the tour of her beautiful waterside studio in Clearwater, Florida, I asked Nina why she had chosen to work in bronze. She explained, “ I create human emotions, hopes and truths and make them in bronze. I want them to last through time.”

I traveled north and met with Nina in her owner-built studio in the New Hampshire woods. I was intrigued by the ecologically minded sculptor’s commitment to our planet’s and our planet’s peoples’ physical, emotional and spiritual health.

She showed me over 40 sculptures she had created that she had created to be enlarged to monumental proportions.

She spoke easily about her feelings. “Even in my early years, I knew that we had to work together to change the world. I started by trying my hand at building an ecological studio/home in the woods. I built the house with the help of a few friends and still use it in the summers. It’s quite simple to use solar power and we built the house with only a chain saw and lots of work.”

She continued, “As I grew in stature as an artist, I wanted to positively affect more people. I try to imbue my work with so much emotion that it will flow from me into the bronze and communicate at the other end to the viewer.”

I asked why she decided to make her works large. She replied, “My work was purchased by many collectors, but I still felt the need to make monumental works that would be seen by hundreds of thousands of people. I am thrilled that this is happening.”

Working in her studios is practically an obsession. Her work is large both visually and emotionally. Her sculptures convey the heroic power and excitement of the human potential.

Her clients include corporate officials from Paine Webber, the Wall Street Group and Hiram Walker. Her work is in major collections in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Australia and England and she is in the private collections of many celebrities including musicians, music producers, arrangers and film producers.

Her bronze work was featured in the Paramount film “Kiss the Girls” starring Morgan Freeman and Ashley Judd.

She has been honored with awards for excellence in sculptural concept and design.

All her sculptures can be commissioned in any size and are unique solutions for corporate and hotel architecture.

She is also working on a new monumental sculpture in Clearwater that will be installed near her southern studio in a development on the locally loved “Pinellas Trail”, a long fought for bicycling, running and rollerblading trail that connects many of the nearby areas.

How to Easily Start a Women Owned Business from Home

2007-04-03T05:41:00.002-07:00

The boom in home based businesses for women could be due to the fact that more women want to be able to stay at home with their children without sacrificing a career. Many want more flexibility, independence and control, instead of being told what to do. It is a way to escape the glass ceiling of the corporate world.

A women owned business from home gives many women the opportunity to have the best of both worlds - they can seek a career and follow their dreams, bring supplemental (or main) income into the home while still spending time with the children.

However, you must have a high level of discipline and motivation to be able to run a successful home based business. There will be inevitable distractions from children, household chores or visiting friends.

Here are 4 tips to starting a women owned business from home.

Business planning

The key to starting and running a business is proper planning. You can find plenty of tools and resources online to help you develop a business plan.

You need to identify your business goals and objectives, business structure, strengths and weaknesses, marketing strategy and financial management.

Time management

Managing your time is crucial. It can be very tempting to walk away from your work to take care of something else in the home. Conversely, you may spend more time working, thus neglecting your home and family. Either of these will cause conflict and prevent your business from being successful. It is crucial to balance your time in your work and at home. Setting goals for each day will help you manage your time properly.

Business idea

How will you know what type of business to undertake? It is important to do something that you already enjoy which is why you can begin by taking a look at your interests and hobbies. What are some of the things you feel passionate about? Set down and make a list of all the things you enjoy doing and see which one would be feasible to turn into a home based business. Many women-owned businesses began with what was someone's hobby or interest that they learned how to market.

Source of funding

The amount of money you need to get started will depend primarily on what type of business you choose to own. There are different ways to receive funding – such as loans, grants and special programs. You can contact the women's business centers in your country to get information about government funding for women owned businesses. You should also ask around the community and find out if there are companies, organizations or banks that are willing to fund your new business start-up.

Benefits Of Working In A Small Company Versus A Corporation

2007-04-03T05:41:00.001-07:00

Big companies, or small, both have benefits and disadvantages. Big company may give you a false sense of security. In large companies when they have layoffs, seem to layoff large groups, not just one or two people.

The advantage of a big company is you can get lost in the crowd. You do your work, and then you are able to come home and that is it. Then on the other hand a disadvantage, is that being lost in the crowd, you will not get recognition if you are doing a job well done. In most cases the congratulations go through many mouths before ever getting to you and then is never said, usually people forget to thank a whole line of people when they are all directly involved in a project. Most go unnoticed!

An advantage to a small company is that you are noticed, but in that it’s a double edged sword, if you do well, or bad, they see it all. You may prefer to be your own boss and work in a small company where too you do your work and then go home. However these days working in a small company can require a lot of overtime, most without pay, due to staff reductions and layoffs.

In searching for a company to work for know what you want ahead of time. Do not be afraid to ask how many people they have on staff. In this, you will be able to decide if the number is too large, that maybe you want a smaller company to work for.

Supple Mechanization in Textile Production

2007-04-03T05:11:00.003-07:00

Textile manufacturing is perhaps one of the oldest known industries in India. It was in existence since the beginning of civilization, although a crude methodology has been used then. The total contribution towards textiles manufacturing in our country is approximately 20% of country’s industrial production and is also treated as the backbone of economy. This contribution is about 1/3rd of the foreign exchange earned by the government.

The textile engineering industries have reviewed the status of technologies being used in India and has recommended major changes to the Indian textile Industry about the technology being used by the companies to improve their productivity and quality.

The level of automation of textile machinery has undergone a tremendous progress and due to the efforts of indigenous textile engineering companies we are now at a stage where industrial nations are few years back and as more and more technologies are developed indigenously the cost of production, maintenance and spare parts is reduced drastically as these charges lead to the escalation of the price of the end textile product. With more and more indigensation of the textile machinery, we are bound to get the quality at a very competitive price and compete with the international competitors. Now with the help of government agencies more money is being spent on research and development to make the Indian textiles more attractive and consistent.

Automation of the Textile Manufacturing has become the “catchphrase” for the textile manufacturing industry. Automation does play a major role in quality improvement and cost effectiveness of the process of textile manufacturing. In the early 80s and 90s, the modernization and technical developments in textiles concentrated mainly on the automation of the individual machines and processes.

Throughout the 1990s, Computer Integrated Manufacturing and Flexible Manufacturing Systems have played a major role in the production of the textile and clothing industries, both in developing as well as the developed countries. All these textile-manufacturing units would like their industry to be fully automated without any scope for errors and rejections of the exports. The industry has slowly adapted to the modern computer applications in textile operations to the era of computer integrated textile manufacturing.

CIM is one of the pioneering technologies to provide accessible information for each and every phase and division of a plant for the efficient management of the various processes of production. Make the data available for planning and control at strategic points to the top managers and supervisors so that any problem can be rectified immediately at the ground level.

The Building Blocks Of Visual Vocabulary - Consistency

2007-04-03T05:11:00.001-07:00

Your Visual Vocabulary consists of the secondary design elements that are used in conjunction with your logo to form your brand identity. Your Visual Vocabulary is composed of the graphics, font styles, colors, and even the type of paper you choose.

Once you have determined the elements to use in your Visual Vocabulary, it is important to use those elements consistently throughout all of your marketing materials. This consistency will make your entire set of materials look like a family. Having a consistent set of marketing materials makes you look more organized and professional. It also makes your business more memorable, because the repetition of the consistent elements creates repeated impressions on your audience. The more you repeat your marketing images and messages consistently, the easier it will be for your clients to associate them with your business.

The four ways to create consistency in your Visual Vocabulary are:

1. Using the same or similar visuals and graphics throughout your marketing materials makes them instantly recognizable, which is becoming more important as marketing media messages become more prevalent and people become more inundated with them. The graphical elements that you can work with in your Visual Vocabulary include the backgrounds, text treatments (such as tagline styles), shapes, layout conventions, and the photo library you use.

Enhance your Visual Vocabulary's consistency by:

• Repeating some of the same graphics across all of your materials. Your logo should appear on all of your marketing pieces and business documents. Other graphics to consider repeating include your tagline, your contact information block, line art, patterns, and any unifying background or decorative shapes or color fields.

• Maintaining similarity in the type of visuals and graphics you use. If you regularly use photography throughout your materials and then switch to clip art for one piece, it will look out of place in your marketing story.

• Placing key graphics in similar locations. By placing some graphics, such as your logo and tagline, consistently in the same place across all of your marketing materials, you will make your materials look like a family.

2. Using a small group of coordinated fonts across all of your marketing materials. Your company should have designated fonts to use in the following situations:

• A logo font, which is typically not one of the fonts that come installed on Windows machines: it should be more unique and interesting. Some logos will have two or three different fonts in them. If this is the case, then consider using one of those fonts as the secondary font as well.

• A secondary font, used for headlines, sub-headlines, taglines, special text such as graphics and captions, and decorative text such as pull quotes, which are the large quotes that are used decoratively in articles and documents. This can be the same font as is used in your logo. This is typically an interesting and unique font as well. This may also be used as the font for your contact information in your stationery, depending on its legibility.

• A tertiary font is optional and may be used when the secondary font is not always legible, for mid-length texts such as pull quotes and contact information.

• A serif text font, for lengthy printed documents. Printed materials are more easily read if they are in serif font rather than sans-serif font.

• A sans-serif font, for shorter printed documents and on-screen use. Text on a computer monitor is easier to read in a sans-serif font than in a serif font.

• A website font, which may be the same font as is used as the main sans-serif text font, depending on how that font translates for online viewing.

All of these fonts should have similar or contrasting characteristics. Choosing fonts with similar characteristics will make your fonts match and create consistency throughout your documents. Choosing fonts with contrasting characteristics will build visual texture and interest into your materials. For example, you could pick all thin, sans-serif fonts such as Arial and Frutiger to create a harmonious, matching suite of fonts. Or you could pick fonts with contrasting characteristics to create greater interest, such as using a serif font like Palatino for the headlines and then using a sans-serif font like Verdana for the text.

3. Using the same, limited color palette across all of your materials seems obvious, but many entrepreneurs try to make their marketing materials look more interesting by mixing up the color palette of each piece. But instead of making the materials look more interesting, this spectrum of color makes them look disjointed and uncoordinated.

You can create your color palette by:

• The corporate colors established in your logo. Many logos are made up of one or two colors. You could pick one or both of these colors to make up your main color palette.

If your logo has a lot of colors, you can choose a color or two out of your logo to use as your main color palette. Picking more than a couple of colors to use can make your materials look too bright and unprofessional.

• The same hue or shade. You can extend your basic color palette by using tints or shades of those colors. For example, if you have a navy blue in your logo, you can use a lighter or medium blue as another piece of your color palette, and it will still coordinate.

• Complimentary colors. Every color has a complimentary one-an opposite-on the color wheel. For example, yellow and purple are complimentary colors. This is the best route for extending your color palette if you have a logo with just one color or a logo that's black plus one other color. You can extend your color palette easily by using the compliment to your corporate color in your materials.

• Neighboring colors. Think of a rainbow. If you create a color palette of neighboring colors, you'll create a harmonious and calming feel to your marketing materials.

• The same type of colors throughout your materials. For example, if you use all bright colors, all soft colors, or all complex colors as your palette, you can mix up your color palette and still keep a feeling of consistency throughout your materials.

The exception to these rules is when your color palette is mixed up in an intentional way to enhance your brand message, or when you've assigned different colors to different service or product lines. For example, a company with a "bright," "playful," or "energetic" personality might want to mix up its color palette between pieces. Or if you have multiple product or service offerings, you might want to assign each offering its own main color, and use those distinct colors to differentiate your marketing materials for each offering.

4. Using coordinating papers for your printed materials. Paper can be an inexpensive way to add some interest and depth to your Visual Vocabulary. You can do this in many ways:

• Choosing high-quality paper to print on will always make your materials look more professional. This typically means choosing a thick paper for your business cards and a coordinating paper from the same product line for your letterhead.

• Using glossy paper only when appropriate is best. Glossy paper might be great for a business card or a brochure, but it's not appropriate for your letterhead or other pieces that might need a personal touch. Glossy always looks higher-end and distances your materials from your reader.

• Colored or textured papers can add to your Visual Vocabulary, if they work with your brand message. If you are trying to create an artisinal or hands-on look to your materials, consider colored or textured paper. For a technical or medical look, stick with smooth, white paper.

Creating consistency through the repetition of the four elements listed above will make your business appear more professional and memorable. Consistent materials will also make you appear more credible and trustworthy. Consistency can help your business marketing efforts to be more successful.

There are a couple of bonus areas in which you can create consistency:

• The copywriting style that you use. Make sure that you consistently write in the same voice, use the same style of copyediting, and are addressing the same type of audience in your writing. Your materials will appear much more unified and cohesive if you do.

Repeating some of the same words throughout your materials helps you to frame your customer's point of view about your services. This can help you to become known for the topics that you address in your materials.

• The timing of your marketing. For example, if you traditionally send out an eNewsletter on a set day of the month, at a set time, your readers will come to expect to receive it then. If you send out four postcards per year, space them out evenly so that people receive consistent messages.

Reduce Expense With Modular Office

2007-04-03T05:10:00.001-07:00

It is a known fact that people need money, at least in the present times, and the need for money increases as the years go by. Most people try to increase their income by looking for more ventures for business but in order to really get more money, you would have to also lower your costs. If you are still starting up an office, or trying to expand an existing one, a good way to cut costs is by constructing a modular office.

What is a Modular Office?

A modular building or office is a structure that is manufactured inside a factory and then shipped, part-by-part to the office location to be assembled. There are many buildings that make use of this modular system from classrooms, stores, restaurants, and of course, offices. There are also some churches and hospitals that are built this way because of the many advantages of these structures.

Modular buildings such as offices are very easy to build within a very short span of time. Because of this, building costs are very much lower when compared to traditional structures. The materials may be significantly higher than that of conventional buildings, but owners save a lot on labor and other costs because of the small time frame needed for other things. Modular offices are thus great choices not only for those who are in a hurry but also for those who want to cut costs.

Modular offices are also very energy efficient both during the time of assembly and the time of use. A modular office can be the right choice of your business requires you to move your location more than once. You would not have to demolish your old office building just to build a new one since you can bring the office with you as you move. You can easily convert sections of the office as you wish.

Even though modular offices are portable, this does not mean that they are devoid of the usual features of regular office buildings. You have the same rooms like toilets, conference areas, receiving areas, and so on. You can also incorporate with the modular structures fixtures like drawers and filing cabinets, helping you lower the costs for your office furniture. You also have the option to add new sections and fixtures in the future without having to destroy a major part of the structure.

Of course, like everything else modular offices have their own set of disadvantages, particularly the limit of their height due to the structural nature of these buildings. Modular offices can only by 8 feet high at the most to ensure the safety of its occupants. This is however still ideal for small businesses, which do not really need towering heights. This is also quite ideal for businesses that are still starting and are trying to get by with minimal costs.

A modular offices can very well serve the needs of a small business like any other type of office space can. If you want to have your own office at low costs, then you might want to consider building a modular office. To know more about modular offices, you may consult with your contractor or look through your local directory. You may also search for modular office dealers online.

Your Market is Waiting - Are You Ready?

2007-03-27T02:32:00.001-07:00

It may sound harsh, but it’s true: Businesses that fail to advertise - very often fail completely.

Advertising is a necessary investment for any business – new or seasoned. Unfortunately, many business owners neglect advertising for a variety of reasons, including cost and lack of advertising savvy. This is something that just shouldn't happen.

If any business is to do well, people absolutely have to know that it exists. That means getting your name out and planting it in the mind of the consumer. You’ll need to explore lots of avenues to increase your exposure, including:

word-of-mouth,
radio,
television,
business publications,
bulletin boards,
classified ads,
billboards,
press releases,
articles,
newspapers,
magazines,
direct mail,
seminars and
advertising specialties.
And don’t forget the Internet.

If your business caters to a high-end market, you’ll have to pay close attention to the company image you project. The people you want to reach are used to buying products and services that meet certain standards. Your advertising will have to indicate that your business meets or exceeds those standards, or consumers won’t consider using you.

A recent UCLA study showed that 85% of decisions are made with the eyes. Because a large part of your advertising will appear in print, you can’t cut corners when you create your advertising campaign. A poorly designed ad shouts, “We’re amateurs. Feel free to take a chance with us, but don’t expect much.” Potential customers will see a shoddy ad as a red flag indicating a substandard business, even if that’s not the case. You need professional ads with top-notch photography to compete in today’s global marketplace. If your budget is small, start small and build up over time. But always, always create professional-looking advertising.

And don’t expect instant results. Like farmers who plant and willingly wait for their crops to grow, you must be patient. An attorney client, who advertised for a couple of years without results, revamped his current ad and reported recently that he’s already earned his money back. He says he’s overwhelmed with phone calls that are turning into business for his law firm. Patience.

So… consider exactly what services you will perform, how you want to be perceived, and then create advertising that tells your story convincingly and professionally.

In order to reach the people you need to know, take charge of your image today and you’re likely to see a better bottom line tomorrow.

Guideline Market Research - 85% Consumers Prefer Small Screen For Movies

2007-03-27T02:31:00.002-07:00

A recent national market research by Guideline, Inc. one of the nation's largest providers of Market Research Expert Consulting and International Research shows that, 85 percent of consumers typically watch movies at home on the small screen. Even when it's a movie they want to see, 49 percent of respondents said they usually wait to purchase or rent the DVD.

To better understand consumers' perceptions and preferences related to movies, we conducted an exclusive survey among 1,000 consumers. Furthermore, to ensure the survey addressed all the current issues facing the movie industry, Guideline worked with members of the Promotional Marketing Association's (PMA) Entertainment Advisory Board, which represents all of the major studios in Hollywood, CA companies, to help craft the survey.

"Guideline's study affirms that DVD spending and consumption remain strong with more people enjoying movies from the comfort of their homes than in the movie theater," said Frank Dudley, Guideline's Vice President of Marketing. "However, despite the many movie-viewing options available, a quarter of consumers still prefer the big screen."

According to Guideline's survey research men are more likely (28 percent) to go to the cinema to see the movie before it comes out on DVD, and women are more likely (31 percent) to wait for the movie to be released on DVD so they can rent it. Gender aside, 22 percent usually go to see the movie on the big screen first.

There are several reasons why these movie fans prefer to see their flicks in the theater. Most of the survey respondents (46 percent) just simply like seeing movies on the big screen. Another 46 percent of respondents, particularly younger moviegoers, share the opinion that it's a fun activity. Also, the survey found that consumers like to see the movie as it was meant to be seen, eating popcorn and watching the movie without any interruption.

Because a movie's box-office gross revenues decline about 50 percent each week following its release, there has been much debate about simultaneous and accelerated releases to DVD. However, market trends indicated that 56 percent said releasing the DVD shortly after a movie comes out has no effect on their motivation to buy or rent the movie. And, another 20 percent say that they think it must be a bad movie and are less motivated to buy or rent it.

Regardless of when the DVD is released, sales continue to grow. According to the 2005-2009 Communications Industry Forecast on The DVD Market, DVD spending grew 33 percent to $21.29 billion in 2004 and DVD rental sales grew 39.2 percent to $5.73 billion in 2004.

Regarding DVD purchases, the survey revealed that DVD owners fall into one of two categories -- casual buyers and collectors. Market analysis show that, approximately 49 percent of consumers consider themselves to be casual buyers of movies and almost one-fourth (24 percent) of the consumers surveyed consider themselves collectors. Most consumers (68 percent) say they purchase a movie if it's one they really want to see. Others (52 percent) are motivated by price. And, 20 percent are influenced to buy because of the special features found on a DVD.

Mailroom Solutions For The 21st Century

2007-03-27T02:31:00.001-07:00

Does this scenario sound familiar? Your print shop went two days beyond the promised delivery date of your promotional materials. Your freight forwarder did not deliver before the weekend but showed up on the following Monday. Your assistant and the mail room person both called in sick for the next few days. You are now 5 days behind on a crucial 6,000-piece mailing to your distributors. The mailing included an invitation to your company’s special events at the upcoming trade show that is costing your company thousands of dollars. With our manual mail processing system, how will we get it out on time? Could this project have been saved?

Whether a small business or a large corporation, the new generation of mailing supplies, mailing equipment and mailing machines, are designed to streamline your mailing procedures, boost efficiency and affect your bottom-line.

Envelope Printers

The recent premier of the inkjet envelope printers has eliminated the crucial step of generating laser printed labels and can enhance your marketing efforts. Studies have shown that customers will open mail with directly printed envelopes more often that label printed envelopes. Most models print in black but some 4-color printers are also on the market. In addition to mailing addresses, envelope printers will also print bar codes, return addresses, graphics, and marketing messages on your envelopes. Most printers can handle an assortment of envelope sizes and thickness. Be sure to check that your mailing software is compatible with the equipment you are considering. Bottom line savings include time spent monitoring label printing, clearing up printing jams and the cost of labels.

Folding Machines

From desktop to large industrial models, today’s folding machines offer a wide range of features including batch counters, mail inserters, memory guides, and the ability to handle stapled materials. A wide variety of folds are available including standard C folds, accordion folds and brochure folds. Cost effective and time saving, these machines are essential in ensuring seamless mailing operations for your company.

Mail Openers

For businesses that process large quantities of incoming mail, automatic mail openers offer a wide range of features that open envelopes and keep your mail neat without damaging contents. They are highly efficient and allow your employees to save valuable time for more important tasks.

Postal Scales

Two money saving must-haves for any size business are the postal meter and scale. Today’s scales can interface with your postal meter and have features such as shipping rates for Fed-Ex, UPS and other freight forwarders programmed into the scale. They can handle anything from a single envelope to large parcels and eliminate overpayment of mailing fees to save you money.

In days gone by, refilling your postage meter meant standing in long lines at the post office with your meter in hand. Today’s meter can be refilled via your phone line for up to $1,000 in postage simply by setting up an account with USPS. Under federal law however, they are the only postal machines that must be leased and cannot be purchased. Most models offer auto feeds, envelope sealing and stacking to expedite your mail preparation. They offer security features, and account coding that enable you to keep accurate records of money spent for your mailing projects.

Assessing Your Mailing Needs

For smaller businesses, first concern in purchasing new equipment is often price. Large businesses often focus on time saving and cost effective features when purchasing or upgrading equipment. The most important aspect in purchasing or upgrading your postal equipment is assessing your company’s needs. Here are a few questions you will need to answer when determining your company’s requirements:

Are your mailings needs low, medium or high volume?

How much do you spend on your postage daily, monthly, yearly?

What are your primary types of mailing, i.e., letters, postcards, parcels, business articles, etc?

What product features are necessary?

What is your budget and what pricing are you looking for?

What equipment are you lacking that will help streamline your mailing operations?

Will you need training, service or support options?

After you’ve determined you needs, go ahead and shop around to find the best 21st century mail products and solutions for your business and guarantee your company’s success every time.

Making The Business Case For Corporate Performance Management

2007-03-27T02:30:00.001-07:00

Anyone involved in high value capital sales, such as enterprise software, will know life can be a roller coaster. One day everyone is on a high as a major deal is secured. Another day everyone is distraught when after many months of work, it comes to nothing. Losing out to another vendor is an accepted part of the game.

More annoying is the situation where you have been told you are the preferred supplier - and after all the euphoria, nothing happens. Typically any enquiry reveals that the proposal is "still with the board", or "has been put back until next quarter". The reality is that it’s a dodo; kicked out because the project team failed to build a compelling business case for the investment and the resources have been allocated elsewhere. The vendor team only have themselves to blame. They should have identified that funding for the project had not been authorized and helped the project team develop the business case.

In the 90’s organizations invested heavily in enterprise resource planning (ERP), and customer relationship management (CRM) systems. In the current decade, the focus of much IT spending is predicted to switch to corporate performance management (CPM) suites; integrating previously stand-alone application areas such as budgeting, scorecards and costing to provide better insight into current and future financial performance.

But a lot has happened in the last decade. Many organizations invested heavily in ERP and are still not convinced of the benefits. Global IT analysts, the Meta Group, recently did a study looking at the total cost of ownership (TCO) of ERP over the first two years. Among the 63 companies surveyed-including small, medium and large companies in a range of industries - the average TCO was $15 million. But there was a payback. After 31 months, Meta found median annual savings of $1.6 million. On that basis, it would take nearly a decade to reach break even!

Such experiences, together with the downturn in most western economies, have depressed IT spending in recent years and boards are right to be skeptical about further spending. This puts the onus on project teams seeking to secure funding for Corporate Performance Management initiatives to develop a credible and compelling business case with a break even that comes sooner rather than later. Step one is to identify the total cost of ownership year by year over a suitable period of time. Beside including the obvious cost of software, hardware, professional services and training, it is important to include the cost of internal staff.

Step two is to quantify the benefits. For instance, most of the quantifiable benefit of implementing a new budgeting application is likely to come from a reduction in resources in the finance function. If budgeting was previously done using spreadsheets, it is likely that there was an inordinate amount of work involved in preparing schedules, chasing submissions and re-keying data. Implementing a new system will remove much of this work and these savings should be costed and included in the business case. The cost saving of one part qualified management accountant over a five-year period will get you well on the way to break even.

At the same time, implementing a new budgeting system is likely to reduce the amount of time it takes line managers to prepare and review their budgets. The opportunity cost of saving three working days a year for two hundred cost center managers with an average benefits package of $75, 000 is sizeable. I calculate this to be an annual saving of $210,000 - over $1,050,000 over a five-year period. Once the annual costs and benefits have been identified, they can be discounted at an appropriate cost of capital to give a net present value (NPV) and break even.

Your vendor can put you in contact with other organizations that have undertaken similar implementations and they will be able to provide you with some idea of the savings that can be made. Alternatively, if your organization subscribes to an analyst group, they will have a specialist in Corporate Performance Management who will be able to provide guidelines on likely benefits. The results can be impressive with break even being reached in a matter of months rather than years, even when some of the more questionable cost savings are excluded. But be transparent with your assessments, presenting a range of scenarios showing a good outcome, a poor outcome and the most likely result. It will help your credibility, especially if your most pessimistic scenario is still positive. Having clearly demonstrated a cost benefit, all the other less quantifiable reasons for implementing a new budgeting application are likely to win the day and help secure the funding. For instance, implementing a budgeting system that allows the organization to re-forecast more frequently is likely to result in more accurate forecasts. It is also likely to enable the organization to become much more agile with managers able to rapidly realign resources with changing patterns of trading. Being able to demonstrate to the board exactly how implementing monthly rolling re-forecasts will enable line managers to manage their capacity better may be more compelling than simply showing a positive NPV. Once an implementation is deployed, the costs and benefits should be fully reviewed to check that the projected savings are achieved. Providing this feedback to the board and senior managers will reassure them that they made the right investment decision and make it easier to secure funding next time around. Again don’t forget to include a review of other benefits such as how the organization can now re-forecast every month, chasing down instances of how this has directly benefited individual managers. In my experience once cost savings have been identified, the other benefits suddenly become much more important.

About Richard Barrett: "Richard Barrett oversees ALG Software's marketing worldwide. As an expert in corporate performance management, Richard has had a diverse career spanning more than two decades across multiple industries, including financial services."

A New Reason to Read

2007-03-27T02:29:00.000-07:00

Why do we read? Well, we read for any number of reasons. I've read books for pure entertainment, to pass time, out of cohersion (school), or to learn about something I was interested in. Last year, however, I discovered a new reason I like to read. In reading Tim Sanders' Love Is the Killer App, a book about love and how it relates to business, Sanders suggests that we read because it allows us to share the knowledge and insight we learn with others. It makes us a more interesting and relevant person when we can suggest ideas or books that help solve other people's problems.

Let me give one example of sharing book knowledge and the impact it had. I was looking for a graphic designer to do some work I needed done. I started to ask around and a friend suggested someone he knew who lived an hour north. My friend called and set up and appointment for me. In chatting with the graphic designer after our appointment, I discovered the designer was writing and illustrating a children's book. The meeting ended and we went our separate ways. I scheduled a second appointment with the designer a few weeks later. In between meetings I remembered a concept in a book called The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell that discussed the popular children's show Blue's Clues. The show had been wildly popular among small children and the author theorized the reasons behind the shows success. The show was so successful among children because it was easy for the children to understand. Children are different from adults. Children don't like shows with a lot of action, loud noises, surprises, and convoluted plots. Children are drawn to things they understand. That is why children can watch the same movie or request the same book hundreds of times over and never get bored. Blue's Clues has a very simple and easy to follow story line and the exact same show is repeated each day for the entire week. By the fourth or fifth showing the children start enthusiastically yelling the answers to the show.

I summarized a few of the book's relevant concepts for my designer friend and recommended the book--had I more money at the time I would have purchased him a copy. He was enthralled with the new concept. He couldn't thank me enough for the relevant information. When we are relevant to others--in this cases through my knowledge--we become more likable.

Reading for me has become a great quest for knowledge. It feels great to be able to read, understand, and help others by sharing the ideas and knowledge I've read. So, if you're ever looking for a new reason to read try reading a book that might help you help someone else.

10 Business Street Smarts

2007-03-23T03:29:00.001-07:00

Many business owners or people who are about to start a business have idealistic views about their new venture. People who are experienced in business know that there are some basics and some fundamentals that you must get right if you are to succeed. This article outlines a list of "Street Smarts" which have been distilled from the knowledge and experience of many successful business people. Read them carefully!

1. The fatal mistake of many business people – thinking that because they are a good mechanic, baker, accountant, that they understand what it takes to run a mechanical business, bakery business, accountancy business. The most important skill for any business person is to know how to run a business. How much management & business & marketing training have you invested in yourself?

2. Make sure you clearly understand the concept of working on your business as distinct from working in your business. The most successful business owners spend a great deal of time working on their business – learn from them! Read The E Myth by Michael Gerber – a must read!

3. Work out what it would take in dollars to pay someone to do what you do, for the hours you put into your business. Are you paying yourself the same amount? If not, why not? You are clearly worth it! Many people would argue that if you are not paying yourself that same amount, then you don't have a business, you have bought yourself a job – and perhaps a low paid one!

4. Learn from other people, especially their mistakes – you cannot live long enough to make them all yourself! This means that you must be willing to embrace change – in every aspect of what you do. The one certainty is that change will continue and increase! The definition of insanity is "doing the same things in the same way and expecting different result." If you want a different or better outcome – change!

5. Can your business run without you for up to a month? If it cannot, then you have a job, not a business. Are you taking a holiday each year? Why not, your staff do! If you are a one or two person business, then bring in a relief person for the time you are away. Pharmacists, doctors, & dentists, do it all the time - why not mechanics, bakers, accountants or home based businesses?

6. Prepare yourself for this one! If you have had the same accountant, for more than 7 years, then get "a second opinion" from a completely new source. Evaluate their advice against your "regular" and see which is more likely to deliver the lifestyle you want. Two important things to note about this: a) if your adviser advises you against this – what does that tell you? and, b) if your accountant does not understand how and why a business should "deliver a lifestyle", then it's time to update your advice.

7. Embrace technology at a personal and business level. If you are not on email and checking it at least every day, then the world is passing you by and you don't even know it! Among other resources, there are literally thousands of free email newsletters available which will help you make your business more profitable – mechanic, baker, accountant or farmer!

8. To get where you want to go, mix with people who are already there. Talk to the best people in your business – you will learn from them. Avoid the negative complainers – they'll drag you down. The majority of business today comes from networking.

9. It doesn't matter how much money your business makes. What matters is how much you keep! Turnover is a very misleading measure of the success of a business. Do not fool yourself (and others) by thinking that a "large" turnover necessarily means a great business.

10. If you are in business, then you are in marketing. The more time you spend on marketing your business, the more profitable your business will become. The single greatest skill to develop and learn and keep developing is marketing. 11. Bonus Point! What have you read or listened to this month? Become thirsty for knowledge and both you and your business will grow.

Cool Ways to Boost Your Profits

2007-03-23T03:28:00.002-07:00

Building a large and growing customer base is simple but not easy. It requires finding, enrolling and training at least ten serious business builders.

The better you get at using viral and attraction marketing and applying excellent service, the faster and more effectively you will build a customer base.

Building a leveraged residual income that will last requires building a large customer base of people who order and use real products of real value. month after month even if they do not get a check.

You do not need to personally enroll hundreds of customers. You will need at least ten serious business builders in your organization who you can teach to practice and teach most if not all of these ways to build a large, stable, growing customer base that will last for years.

Joining and participating in groups and associations, communicating with clarity and honesty, leading by example and constantly prospecting setting appointments, doing presentations and follow up will be seen and duplicated.

Here are some ways you can boost orders and your profits.

1.Sign-up to win web site awards. When you win, some award sites publish your web site link, name and description on their site.

2.Join online business associations or clubs. If you join, they will usually list all their members on their web site. It will give your business extra exposure.

3.Utilize a simple form of viral marketing. Write or have someone else write a small report with your ad included on it and allow others to give it away.

4.Improve your business by promoting customer feedback. Tell them you want their honest opinions about your business, good or bad

5.Compare your product's guarantee to your main competitors. Find a niche were your can design your guarantee to be more powerful

6.Try not to assume your audience understands everything in your approaches. If you have words they may not know the meaning to, define them.

7.Build alliances with other online businesses. You could trade links or ads, create joint venture deals, cross promote your products, etc

8.Design your web site to be a valuable resource for people. Include original content, links to other interesting web sites, ebooks, software, etc.

9.Compete with the highly branded businesses by practicing good customers service, strong product quality and speedy service

10.Multiply your marketing and advertising efforts on the Internet. You can accomplish this by starting an affiliate program or using viral marketing.

11.Increase your ratio of visitors that purchase your product(s). You could change your headline, offer a stronger guarantee, add testimonials, etc.

12.Find out who are your strongest leads for buying your product by offering a free ezine. The visitors that are very interested will subscribe to it.

13.Team up with your competition by starting an association for your specific industry. It could lead to a profitable partnership with them.

14.Attract people to link to your web site. You could offer them a discount on the products you sell or give them free stuff for linking

15.Develop your own opt in email list by giving your visitors a reason to give you their e-mail address. Allow them sign up to free stuff and contests.

16.Create a "PR" web page for your business. List information that could be considered newsworthy for e-zines, newspapers, magazines, etc. Give your business and products credibility by linking to web sites that have written positive stories about your business.

Are You Branded Yet?

2007-03-23T03:28:00.001-07:00

One of the best ways to increase your chances of success, whether you work for someone else or have your own small business, is to find an effective way to tell people what you have to offer.

You can do this by creating your own brand, according to author, consultant, movie producer and director, Tom Marcoux, who is known as America's Communication Coach. "In order to make your dreams come true you need to effectively tell the world what you offer.

And, the essence of telling the world is to clearly and concisely express what you're best known for. This is your personal brand," Marcoux says. Corporations spend millions of dollars to keep their brands in people's minds and wallets.

What is a brand? You see them every day -- Apple, McDonald's, Starbucks, Calvin Klein, Toyota. Brands are effective because they quickly tell consumers what they will be getting for their hard earned dollars. Perhaps more importantly, people often decide to choose one product over another one that may be equally good and better priced because of the brand name attached to it. Brands create customer loyalty. "You can use this principle to your advantage with a personal brand," Marcoux says. A personal brand can bring clients to your small business. A personal brand gets you noticed. A personal brand can get you a promotion. A personal brand makes people remember your small business.

So how do you create your own brand? "The center of personal branding is asking this question: What am I best known for?" Marcoux says. You might be best known as a problem solver. Or you may be a skilled craftsman. Your small business may be known for it's fast, courteous service. Once you've determined what you're best known for, Marcoux says to think of an incident or two in your life that exemplifies that trait and tell it in a story to the people you meet. Tell them how you solved a particular problem. "The best stories are ones that move people's emotions," Marcoux says. Next, create a memorable phrase about your best-known skill or trait. "You might tell people, ‘I'm good at coming up with positive solutions to tricky problems,'" Marcoux says. The fourth element in your personal brand is a label. You might tell people, "I'm a creative problem solver."

The final element in your personal brand is a sound bite. Advertisers and politicians use them all the time because they are easy to remember. If you are known as a creative problem solver, you might say, "When you have a problem, I get creative," Marcoux suggests. Once you have your personal brand you can use it in many ways. During a job interview, one of Marcoux's clients used the phrase, "At XY company, I was the go-to person for computers." "When you use your personal brand in a job interview, it makes you more memorable," Marcoux says. If you're a small business owner, you can help prospective clients remember you when you tell them what you're best known for. You can even put it on your business card to reinforce the message.

When you create your personal brand, make sure that it is true. "You must be able to back up what you tell people," Marcoux says. "If you can, your personal brand will help propel you to ever higher levels of success."

How to Choose a Video Production Company

2007-03-23T03:27:00.000-07:00

Determine the size of the production company you need. Although there are many factors that determine the cost of a video shoot (as explained later), the first consideration for staying in budget is the type and size of the production company. Large production companies have multiple studios and sound stages, editing suites, and a sizeable staff. These are the people that television stations and Hollywood producers call on when they need a local production for television, cable, or film. They are very experienced and produce fantastic results, but a considerable price tag must accompany such overhead. Often they are unable to service small businesses because they cannot accommodate such small budgets, as they'd usually have plenty of calls and projects from clients with deep pockets keeping them busy. The next step down is a smaller, full-time production company. Small and medium sized businesses are the core of their clientèle, so they are compelled to keep a video project as lean as possible, yet deliver the best possible quality for the money being paid. These production companies may have a small, single studio and editing suite, or they may work out of their home studio and rent a sound stage when the project calls for it. There may be one or two full time employees, and the rest are contract crew on a per-project basis. This helps translate into lower production costs for you. The final category of video producers is part-time, weekend-only videographers. These producers have a camera and a computer, and want to make some extra money on their free time. They can often underbid anyone else in town, because they already have their full time job and any extra money on the side is fine with them. But their ability to understand corporate, commercial, and broadcast needs are limited, and often shows in the quality of their production...it just looks like really good quality homemade video.

Choosing a medium-sized, full time production company will give you the most bang for the buck. This is not to say that large companies intentionally price themselves out of range for small businesses, some may be very willing to work with you. It's just that a large production house will probably not be as eager and excited to earn your business for a $2000 project when they're used to getting calls for $20,000 jobs on average. You don’t need to directly interrogate each company about the size of their business. Look at their website and see examples of their clients…if they seem to favor Fortune 500 companies, TV stations, and feature films, then you can assume that they’re a large production company. Or if you see a 30,000 square foot facility with immaculate furnishings, you can deduce that the price tag they give you will be sizeable.

Compare company demo reels to see who can give the best quality for your budget. Once you’ve determined the size of the video company to use, then it’s time to compare demo reels among the companies in your price range. One of the main factors that will determine visual quality in the portfolios is the format the project was shot on. Video technology changes drastically every 4-7 years, and what was broadcast quality 15 years ago with $50,000 cameras can be achieved with a $3000 HDV camera today. The producer should match the video format with what provides the best noticeable quality for your budget.

There are many other factors that can determine the overall quality of a video production, but choosing the format is the foundation upon which many other costs are built upon. You have to ask yourself, “Will spending X amount of additional dollars on a higher-end format increase my response rate or accomplish my objectives better?” If you’re doing a TV spot, then quality is critical for that first impression. For an employee training video, immaculate image quality is probably not critical. That’s why it is the opinion of this author that the HDV format offers the best balance of quality and cost, for any type of video production. As you watch the demo reels and portfolios of various production companies, pay attention to not only the mere image quality, but also the lighting, camera movements, and audio quality. One way to practice this is while you’re watching TV at home. Instead of zipping past the commercials of the show you’ve tivo-ed, watch and focus on the details of how national commercials are shot. Notice the smooth diffused lighting, the track/dolly camera movements (i.e., not much zooming!), and the deep contrast with vivid colors. Even if your video project is not a commercial spot, you can train your eye to notice quality by comparing it with the standard.

Consider the professionalism and business practices of the company. After a budget is finalized, the producer should create a treatment (blueprint for the video) upon which your contract will be based. You should know ahead of time exactly what will be done, what equipment will be used, what crew will be hired, and how each scene will be storyboarded. Granted there is an element of creativity that will vary and not necessarily translate directly onto paper, but strive to have everything in writing so that there are no misunderstandings or faulty expectations. Consider the personality and professionalism of the salesman, the director, or producer you are working with. Do you sense that he understands your industry or is eager to learn about it? Does he provide valuable input without being pushy or cocky? There should be a free flow of input into the project from both sides, without any ego problems. These traits may seem trivial, but video producers can be a creative and finicky bunch that take their art very seriously. It is paramount to have not only a creative team, but one who puts your needs and goals above their own.

The Advantages To Buying Measurement And Control Equipment Online

2007-03-23T03:26:00.000-07:00

Measurement and control equipment comes in many different guises, yet it is collectively an essential component of any tradesman's toolbox. For decades, these objects have featured as both domestic and commercial solutions, in addition to vital players in the trade service industry, considered as assets designed for life. Measurement equipment has always had the traditional characteristics of expense and quality, although with the rise of the Internet comes an increase in availability of this type of equipment, at more affordable and attractive prices. Add to that the tenfold expansion of availability compared with your average hardware retailer, and you're looking at a natural focal point for this type of acquisition.

The Internet is a haven for low prices, and is a consumer-dominated marketplace. There is such a wealth of competition for every individual type of good, every make and model, which means that only those providing the lowest price and the best service survive. Of course, the companies that sell their equipment online benefit from having minimal overheads in comparison to your average hardware store. With only storage space and the website to pay for, they can usually afford to eat into what would be their profit margins to encourage sales and detract customers from the competition. Another advantage of buying your measurement equipment online is that you are very likely to find exactly what you're looking for. Measurement equipment of industrial quality tends to be hard to come by, especially at a reasonable price. With the Internet, you're opened up to a range of new and second hand sources, which offer a more diverse selection for you to choose from. In other words, the Internet is as close as you can get to the sum total of every eligible retailer across the world, regardless of what you're looking to buy.

Buying online can of course be a risky business. Essentially, it involves handing over money to someone you don't know and you've never met for an item you have never seen. This obviously opens the doors for fraud and deception, which can make the online shopping environment a risky place. Thankfully, improvements in online transaction security are continually being made, and banks the world over are offering assurances to their customers in the event of fraud. In spite of the risks associated, buying measurement and control equipment online is still advisable for the savvy buyer looking to cut price without sacrificing quality. The online environment is far more favourable to the buyer than offline, and when buying new, you might find retailers are willing to offer more generous credit terms in return for repeat business.

Buying your equipment online can work out significantly cheaper, even considering the delivery or shipping charges associated. On top of that, you can expect great service and after-sale support. After all, a commercial buyer is worth a great deal of money, and in such a competitive marketplace, providers will be fighting off one another to keep your business. All in all, this makes purchasing your equipment online a particularly efficient and cost-effective, cash-flow friendly route to take, whatever the nature of your trade or business.

Managing Flat File Storage Needs: A Case Study

2007-03-06T04:46:00.002-08:00

For the manager of the Building Records unit at a major west coast public University, the document storage problems were critical. The problem wasn’t justifying budget for more space. There was no more space to be had.

The Facilities Management Department must preserve and keep accessible more than 40,000 original plans and drawings. Many of the documents date from the University’s founding and were hand drawn by Architects and Engineers long gone. These include architectural, structural, civil, mechanical, plumbing, electrical and other drawings for site development, infrastructure, landscape, utilities, buildings, additions and renovations.

The 3,300-cubic-foot room holding the essentially irreplaceable documents was crammed seven feet high with flat files whose more than 150 drawers were filled to the top with originals. Clamped “sacrificials”—copies used to protect originals—are in a second room. Large E-size drawings were the most difficult to store and retrieve. Since the drawers had run out of space and the University was still adding buildings and completing renovation projects, rolls of drawings were stacked everywhere.

The lowest files directly on the floor; bending and lifting risked minor injuries. Leaving bottom drawers open presented a tripping hazard. Top drawers were stacked so high that staff could not see into them without stools or short ladders. And the aging drawers required frequent repairs. The manager said: “Our filing structure had evolved over time and had no rhyme or reason,” so documents were prone to misfiling or not being filed. But the manager’s biggest concern was document longevity. “Every use of an original abrades its clarity,” he points out. “Even sitting unused, drawings lying flat in the drawings rub each other when a truck shakes the building.” Electronic Storage Costly and Uncertain:

The manager was unconvinced about fully electronic storage. “Nobody’s going to provide more than $4 million to convert these documents to AutoCAD at $100 apiece,” he observes. “And you can’t predict which documents can be in cheaper graphics files versus those that must be in AutoCAD because you’ll someday need to manipulate them.”

“No electronic medium is as permanent and accessible as a document. Today, you can’t play your old 8-track audiotapes. In a few years, you won’t find VCRs. And I’ve seen my CDs and DVDs wear. Every ten years, a new storage method will take over, so you’ll migrate your documents several times during your career. Each conversion costs money and opens the door to losing files or corrupted data.

“Properly stored, high-quality ink on Mylar has a functionally unlimited lifespan,” he points out. “Yet they’re subject to abrasion, misfiling, fire, and water. You need physical safety for your documents and electronic storage.”

“A new physical storage system had to let us grow, protect these documents far better, and offer a logical filing structure,” says the manager. In 17 years with other units within the University, he has developed cost-based methods of justifying projects. “We selected a vertical file storage system because it met our criteria at an affordable price. It was easy to work with, conversion was do-able, and it would eliminate injury dangers. Transitioning to a new filing system also provided an opportunity to implement a logical numbering system that the staff had developed but had not yet implemented".

“We calculated that vertical file storage systems were three times more cost-effective than flat files,” says the manager. “We save space, our drawings hang without touching, finding documents is intuitive, and re-filing is easy so it gets done more regularly.”

The University projects faster document retrievals during renovation projects and especially during an emergency. "Over-sized drawings were a pain," the University manager says, "but now we maintain them in vertical file storage systems. One pleasant surprise was that, even fully loaded, staff can easily push the cabinets around on the carpeted floor, enabling fast cabinet rearrangement as needs change”.

Vending Machine - Learning the Basics

2007-03-06T04:46:00.001-08:00

Have you ever thought of starting a vending machine business? If you think you would like to, then you should try buying vending machines. However, you need to be careful in choosing a vending machine. Doing some research before will aide you choosing the right one.

You must buy vending machines that will be profitable to your business and not add more expenses. If you want to know more about how to buy a vending machine, read this article. It will give you the facts on how to buy a vending machine.

If you do not have a big budget for buying vending machines, you can try buying used vending machines. However, you need to inspect the used vending machine to be sure it is still working properly and the parts are still functioning. If you do not have enough knowledge about it, you can bring a person with you who knows about vending machines. It is important that all the parts work on the vending machine.

Buy vending machines that are easy to use. You must remember that the machine should be simple enough for kids to operate. This is a very important factor if you are going to make money in this business. It is absolutely necessary to buy vending machines that have all the necessary gadgets and parts.

You must also consider the business where the machine will be placed. This is very important because you will need to consider what your costumers preferences are for the products you will supply. The vending machine that you choose should have an easy access to the tray where the products are ejected.

Make sure that the machine you buy is safe for kids. It will be your responsibility if an accident happens to a child while he or she is using it. This is one critical thing to consider aside from its shape, size and purpose. The safety of your customers should be your first priority.

If you are planning to buy a vending machine, learn how it works. It is important because you can repair minor glitches in the machine if something goes wrong. When you first install a machine, stay in the area where your vending machine is placed to gauge whether the customers like the products and if they are operating it correctly.

In buying a vending machine, you will be giving yourself a chance to start a home based business. You can operate the machine anytime you want. You don’t have to buy a lot of machines at once. You can start by buying one and if it succeeds, you can buy as many as you want.

Holistic Recruiting – A New Age For HR Specialists & Executives

2007-03-06T04:43:00.000-08:00

Gone are the days of simply getting hired because you have the proper job qualifications and experience. The new HR specialist is looking at a holistic recruiting approach.

In simple terms "Emphasizing the importance of the whole person, and the interdependence of its parts", as defined in the dictionary. Meaning simply, recruiters are looking at the complete you, and not just the standard qualifications and experience you bring to the table.

Through holistic recruiting, the HR specialist now looks at the complete you. And it's your emotional intelligence that defines the best part of the holistic approach to hiring. Your core values as a person drive your EQ or emotional intelligence. As such, the better you score at the EQ level, the better equipped you are for fast track hiring and thus, promotion. If you already communicate well, and understand all that's involved in being an active listener, then your EQ is already on solid ground.

Example: In the past, we've all seen employees promoted well beyond their capabilities. Yes, they were very good at their job, and as such worthy of being promoted to supervisor level. Their EQ, or emotional intelligence, was never a factor, and thus we have all kinds of great workers promoted into positions they are totally unable to manage. Having the skill to do a certain job does not equate to supervisor material, and there is plenty of proof of that fact. What we are only now learning is that holistic hiring, or career promotion, can best determine whether that hiring or promotion will in fact be successful.

With all the downsizing of late, there has been a huge emphasis on the so called team player. If there was a working team of 12 and now the head count of that team is only 6 and the work load is the same or likely even greater, that team had better really get along and work well together. As importantly, their supervisor better have the proper tools to manage that smaller team or the work never gets done, done badly or worse, the stress of it all just produces a great degree of sick time. Stress has become the leading cause of employee sick time. That stress is much less attributable to the work itself, but more to the personality conflicts and internal political strife that result from bad team management. By it's very design, the initial holistic recruitment approach would never let that happen.

The holistic approach I have mentioned is very new and very few HR specialists are well versed on the subject. As an executive, you can make a huge difference in your career and to your company, if you fast track a complete understanding of this approach. This understanding works at every level of the company, and the sooner most employees are exposed to it, the sooner stress is removed and more productivity will result.

Starting a Metal Detecting Business? Don't Do it Until You Reads This Tips

2007-01-21T22:38:00.000-08:00

If you are looking start a business selling metal detectors you need some knowledge on the subject to make sure that your customers feel comfortable purchasing from you. If you are already knowledgeable about metal detectors than starting your own business and watching the profits come in should happen sooner rather than later.

Selling metal detectors can be extremely profitable and you can sell new, used, and metal detecting accessories. There are many people out there that are passionate about the hobby of metal detecting. In this article we will take a look at your possible customer base and how to find new ones.

If you want to sell metal detectors in larger quantities you may want to get in touch with many of the metal detecting clubs that are located in your area. Offer a discount to the club members so that they will get into your store and want to find a good deal. You may not make as much profit at first but the word of mouth and loyal customers will continue to grow. When the members are in your store they will want to take advantage of the discounts and purchase some more of the higher profit items such as accessories.

When starting a metal detecting business you will want to carry new metal detectors and you will need to contact the manufacturers that make the metal detectors. Find out if they have any co-op advertising that they can help you with. Letting people know you are open and in business is the first step to getting name recognition. You may also be able to obtain a customer listing of the people who have bought in your area. The manufacturers will have warranty information of the metal detectors in their database. If the companies share their customer base information send a letter letting them know that you will carry similar metal detectors.