Your Business Merchant Account Do you have a business merchant account? If not, isn't it time you got one? The companies you compete against for customer business may already have this special account that allows them to process customers' credit payments. If you are not yet doing so, why not apply for a merchant account to help your business grow?
A business merchant account is the best way to expand your company's operations and conduct e-commerce without risking too much of an investment. Simply apply for a merchant account the way an individual would apply for a personal credit card. As with individual applicants, a company needs to show a positive credit history and the ability to make payments on a merchant account at present. In addition, it cannot be involved in shady dealings with which the underwriters might not agree. Many lenders will let you apply online, although some charge a fee for this. Often you will get a decision on your application within a day or two. If approved, you can begin making arrangements to accept credit payments in a variety of ways. Pay attention to fees and payment terms. For example, you may be asked to pay 15 to 25 cents per transaction. Or you could have the choice of paying a low overall percentage rate. Some lenders impose minimums, though, meaning you will have to pay a "bottom line" fee no matter how many transactions you make.
Your business merchant account will let you purchase or lease a credit card processor that can be plugged into your store. Or you can take a wireless version with you when collecting payments from other locations. Many business owners prefer to use a telephone ordering and payment system. This can be automated, reducing the need for staffing except for questions or glitches. Customers can speak or touch-dial their credit card numbers into the phone to process orders at their convenience. You will need to make sure your system is fully operational at all times and that it is customer-friendly to keep from annoying or even driving away current or new clients.
When you utilize a business merchant account, you can receive a printed monthly statement, discounts for other services, and occasional other benefits as well. Being able to accept credit card payments suggests that customers will look at you a little differently, knowing that you have earned an underwriter's trust for this important role. Posting signs for accepting credit card payments places your company in the ranks of the elite, since many smaller or newer companies do not yet enjoy this privilege. When you begin accepting credit card processing, you can move away from cash-only payments or checks that can bounce. The time saved from managing cash flow can be channeled into more meaningful tasks.
Getting a merchant account means that you're ready to upgrade your business, and that you are taking extra steps to accommodate your customers. Be proud to receive a merchant account, knowing that not everyone is approved. Handle it responsibly, since you have much to be thankful for with your new business merchant account.
luni, 8 aprilie 2013
Your All-in-One Medical Billing Software
Your All-in-One Medical Billing Software Do you have trouble keeping all your files, data, and reports sorted, yet easy to find? The latest medical billing software will do that for you as well as save the amount of time you spend searching and accessing that information; the costs it takes to manage all the different databases, and the headaches you get from worrying about all the various aspects of your business.
Consolidate Offices
Consolidate Offices
You Never Have a Second Chance to Make a First Impression: Position Your Company Wisely
You Never Have a Second Chance to Make a First Impression: Position Your Company Wisely Copyright 2005 UpLevel Strategies
One of the most profound statements made on the subject of positioning comes from Louis Carroll's, Alice In Wonderland. When Alice asks the Cheshire Cat which path to take, he responds, "If you don't care where you're going, it doesn't make a difference which path you take."
Your positioning statement is the foundation on which all communications activities are based upon. It is the most important marketing practice, and often the most overlooked. Without clearly defined messages and positioning, promotion efforts are fruitless.
From a management perspective, positioning is the cornerstone of an effective communications plan. A well-crafted positioning statement defines your company's direction. A positioning statement expresses how you wish to be perceived. It is the core message you want to deliver in every medium. The purpose of this is creating clarity, consistency, and continuity in the way your organization speaks to the market. This makes all forms of communications less complex and easier to manage.
Once established your company should actively apply its new positioning statement to all communications (internal and external) - from marketing collateral to sales material, Web sites to press releases. This means that if communications do not support the sought-after positioning or do not include, reflect, address or amplify the positioning statement and key messages, they are off strategy. This positioning process should be repeated as market conditions require, semi-annually is customary.
An effective positioning statement answers seven essential questions:
- who you are
- what business you're in
- for whom (what people do you serve)
- what's needed by the market you serve
- against whom do you compete
- what's different about your business
- what unique benefit is derived from your product or services
Think of positioning as the perception your target audience has of your product. You have total control over this element of your marketing efforts, and it is critical to how you develop the rest of your plan. Planning your service's positioning must involve taking into consideration such issues as the competition and how their services and products are perceived, the needs and desires of your target audience, and the element of mystique or drama that your product or service naturally has about it.
In crowded markets, it is very important to position your company and products appropriately. Think about the 3000 messages your audience is bombarded with every day! In order to stand out, your product has to have a clear position in your audience's mind.
One of the most profound statements made on the subject of positioning comes from Louis Carroll's, Alice In Wonderland. When Alice asks the Cheshire Cat which path to take, he responds, "If you don't care where you're going, it doesn't make a difference which path you take."
Your positioning statement is the foundation on which all communications activities are based upon. It is the most important marketing practice, and often the most overlooked. Without clearly defined messages and positioning, promotion efforts are fruitless.
From a management perspective, positioning is the cornerstone of an effective communications plan. A well-crafted positioning statement defines your company's direction. A positioning statement expresses how you wish to be perceived. It is the core message you want to deliver in every medium. The purpose of this is creating clarity, consistency, and continuity in the way your organization speaks to the market. This makes all forms of communications less complex and easier to manage.
Once established your company should actively apply its new positioning statement to all communications (internal and external) - from marketing collateral to sales material, Web sites to press releases. This means that if communications do not support the sought-after positioning or do not include, reflect, address or amplify the positioning statement and key messages, they are off strategy. This positioning process should be repeated as market conditions require, semi-annually is customary.
An effective positioning statement answers seven essential questions:
- who you are
- what business you're in
- for whom (what people do you serve)
- what's needed by the market you serve
- against whom do you compete
- what's different about your business
- what unique benefit is derived from your product or services
Think of positioning as the perception your target audience has of your product. You have total control over this element of your marketing efforts, and it is critical to how you develop the rest of your plan. Planning your service's positioning must involve taking into consideration such issues as the competition and how their services and products are perceived, the needs and desires of your target audience, and the element of mystique or drama that your product or service naturally has about it.
In crowded markets, it is very important to position your company and products appropriately. Think about the 3000 messages your audience is bombarded with every day! In order to stand out, your product has to have a clear position in your audience's mind.
You May Have A Successful Small Business Idea
You May Have A Successful Small Business Idea You surely know that a small idea can lead to a great business success. The first movement is to think of an idea that would be suitable for the business market. After coming up with the idea, the next step is to put that idea into action. Of course, this is a very difficult step and having the idea is only the start of the journey. After that you will have to face many obstacles before being able to carry on with your business project. This is just the beginning of this process and there is a lot of questions you will have to answer before even start.
Some of the main aspects you have to concentrate on when you have business ideas are the abilities and gifts you can pour into the business. It is very important for you to be identified with your business project. Those ideas should be based on activities and actions you take pleasure in doing. For example, if we suppose that you dislike working in the open, landscaping business would not suit you. On the other hand, if you like working with children, setting up baby-sitting or tutoring business would be an excellent idea. In this case, without any doubt you business will be more successful because you will have put your mind, effort and also your heart on it.
Another vital step is to analyze the needs of a specific product or service in your region before setting up your business. Do people of your area need your product? Are there other business like the one you are planning to start? You should ask yourself whether or not you are the only one offering that service or product. If you are not, you will have to analyze the competence you will have to face. You have to think whether the service you are offering is one that customer would repeat, or if it is a one-time specialized service. Obviously, the former are more likely to succeed than the latter.
There are other aspects you have to take into account. These aspects are described below:
- One of them is that if the idea is unique, you will reign the market. But if there is much competition, it will be difficult to enter into the market.
- A second point would be if you can offer quality from the very beginning, otherwise, you won't succeed.
- Finally, you have to think about your capital to start your own business. There are many business ideas that require little investment and bring great profit. Some demand research, such as daycare service, and others need a large amount of money to begin the business. So take this recommendation into account before investing all your money in a small business idea.
Some of the main aspects you have to concentrate on when you have business ideas are the abilities and gifts you can pour into the business. It is very important for you to be identified with your business project. Those ideas should be based on activities and actions you take pleasure in doing. For example, if we suppose that you dislike working in the open, landscaping business would not suit you. On the other hand, if you like working with children, setting up baby-sitting or tutoring business would be an excellent idea. In this case, without any doubt you business will be more successful because you will have put your mind, effort and also your heart on it.
Another vital step is to analyze the needs of a specific product or service in your region before setting up your business. Do people of your area need your product? Are there other business like the one you are planning to start? You should ask yourself whether or not you are the only one offering that service or product. If you are not, you will have to analyze the competence you will have to face. You have to think whether the service you are offering is one that customer would repeat, or if it is a one-time specialized service. Obviously, the former are more likely to succeed than the latter.
There are other aspects you have to take into account. These aspects are described below:
- One of them is that if the idea is unique, you will reign the market. But if there is much competition, it will be difficult to enter into the market.
- A second point would be if you can offer quality from the very beginning, otherwise, you won't succeed.
- Finally, you have to think about your capital to start your own business. There are many business ideas that require little investment and bring great profit. Some demand research, such as daycare service, and others need a large amount of money to begin the business. So take this recommendation into account before investing all your money in a small business idea.
Writing A Business Plan What Makes A Good One
Writing A Business Plan What Makes A Good One Writing a business plan can be a lot of hard work or it can be great fun. An effective plan can help your company to greatness. A poor one can lead you out of business. No plan is like asking to fail before you even start.
Not every business needs a 200 page bound business plan. However every business needs to have some idea of where they want to go and how they are going to get there. This article covers some key insights into writing a business plan that get your business to where you want to be.
The first stage of any plan is ANALYSIS. You need to take a very objective look at a number of factors that may impact your business. There are many factors to consider but the two major ones are competition and your operating environment.
Let's look first at competition. Every business has competition, even if you think your product or service is unique. How is this? Well it's quite simple really, people have choices to make. The most fundamental choice they make in most cases is whether to buy what you offer or but something else. For example I could buy a game console or I could buy groceries instead. Customers only have so much money available so you first task is to ask yourself what is my competition like and can I beat them? The more you understand your competition the more you can develop your business strategy of being different and outperforming them.
Now let's look at operating environment. This is understanding what factors around your area of operation are likely to affect your business performance. For some companies this includes looking around the World in other cases it's just your local neighbourhood. You need to ask questions such as:
How is the economy going?
What is consumer confidence like?
Where is technology heading in my industry?
After answering all the questions you need to decide how these might negatively or positively influence your performance.
Now you know more about your competition and operating environment it's time to set some OBJECTIVES. This is what you want to achieve in the period your business plan covers. It is said that good objectives are SMART. That is specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and targeted. Here's an example of a SMART objective for a hypothetical business.
"By the end of this year we will have increased sales of product X by 7.5% over the previous year."
You can see how clear this objective is. It is much easier to achieve high performance with clear objectives.
Now you need to outline your STRATEGY. How are you going to reach you objective(s)? This is where your marketing plan often comes in as it helps describe the programs you will run to achieve your desired objective(s). To continue the example above our strategy may be to gain distribution for our product in one new major retail chain.
To make your strategy work you must then allocate appropriate RESOURCES. Certain things will need to be provided to reach your goal. This could be dollars, people, equipment, etc. Your plan must have included the resources you are allocating and why you believe this is adequate to get the result.
Every business plans also has some PROJECTIONS. This is your basic financials that you plan will deliver. Are you expecting a profit or loss? How much?
Lastly you need to allow for CONTINGENCIES. Things change all the time and your plan needs to consider these possibilities in advance. A good way to do this is to ask What if?
What if a new competitor enters our market?
What if a distributor delists our product?
What if interest rates rise?
Your analysis should give you some idea of likely contingencies. It saves a lot of stress if you have some documented ideas for dealing with them before they become a big problem.
Writing a business plan is never perfect, the plan is on paper and you're operating in the real world. However a good plan can really guide you in the right direction. Take time to put real thought into preparing your plan an above all make sure you USE YOUR PLAN!
Not every business needs a 200 page bound business plan. However every business needs to have some idea of where they want to go and how they are going to get there. This article covers some key insights into writing a business plan that get your business to where you want to be.
The first stage of any plan is ANALYSIS. You need to take a very objective look at a number of factors that may impact your business. There are many factors to consider but the two major ones are competition and your operating environment.
Let's look first at competition. Every business has competition, even if you think your product or service is unique. How is this? Well it's quite simple really, people have choices to make. The most fundamental choice they make in most cases is whether to buy what you offer or but something else. For example I could buy a game console or I could buy groceries instead. Customers only have so much money available so you first task is to ask yourself what is my competition like and can I beat them? The more you understand your competition the more you can develop your business strategy of being different and outperforming them.
Now let's look at operating environment. This is understanding what factors around your area of operation are likely to affect your business performance. For some companies this includes looking around the World in other cases it's just your local neighbourhood. You need to ask questions such as:
How is the economy going?
What is consumer confidence like?
Where is technology heading in my industry?
After answering all the questions you need to decide how these might negatively or positively influence your performance.
Now you know more about your competition and operating environment it's time to set some OBJECTIVES. This is what you want to achieve in the period your business plan covers. It is said that good objectives are SMART. That is specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and targeted. Here's an example of a SMART objective for a hypothetical business.
"By the end of this year we will have increased sales of product X by 7.5% over the previous year."
You can see how clear this objective is. It is much easier to achieve high performance with clear objectives.
Now you need to outline your STRATEGY. How are you going to reach you objective(s)? This is where your marketing plan often comes in as it helps describe the programs you will run to achieve your desired objective(s). To continue the example above our strategy may be to gain distribution for our product in one new major retail chain.
To make your strategy work you must then allocate appropriate RESOURCES. Certain things will need to be provided to reach your goal. This could be dollars, people, equipment, etc. Your plan must have included the resources you are allocating and why you believe this is adequate to get the result.
Every business plans also has some PROJECTIONS. This is your basic financials that you plan will deliver. Are you expecting a profit or loss? How much?
Lastly you need to allow for CONTINGENCIES. Things change all the time and your plan needs to consider these possibilities in advance. A good way to do this is to ask What if?
What if a new competitor enters our market?
What if a distributor delists our product?
What if interest rates rise?
Your analysis should give you some idea of likely contingencies. It saves a lot of stress if you have some documented ideas for dealing with them before they become a big problem.
Writing a business plan is never perfect, the plan is on paper and you're operating in the real world. However a good plan can really guide you in the right direction. Take time to put real thought into preparing your plan an above all make sure you USE YOUR PLAN!
Work Your Home Based Business Idea in Three Easy Steps
Work Your Home Based Business Idea in Three Easy Steps Create a Business Plan first
The primary necessity is to get a perfectly designed plan of action for a genuine business. A business plan on its own is useless. It is a mere reflection, but it will not suffice you also need an action plan. A business scheme is the first step in working out your idea into actions that you can follow. Well-illustrated business plans can be found online or at your library.
Begin now
- Do not be afraid of failure. Remember failure is the first stepping stone to success, if this home based business idea does not work out for you now do not let this deter you. Always remind yourself of the spider when you feel like losing hope.
- Do not let that wonderful home-based business idea gather dust. Start today.
- Waiting for the right time to start your business might make success elude you forever. If there is any specific right time, it is right now. Do not waste your precious time.
-
Put a figure on it
This is the greatest stumbling block for most home-based business owners. That is, they fail to evaluate their work. If you do not give proper attention to this, you may have to wrap up your business. You need to know that real figures and numbers are needed for you to stay in business. If this is not your agenda of work, you are probably going all wrong.
Large businesses usually set up balanced scorecards. The idea is to have a referring point to compare how successful your work is. For example, to get five customers in one month you could settle on free seminars but if you see that your plan is not getting you five clients, you need to reassess your plan. Change of plan prevents waste of energy and resources.
Entire contents copyright 2005 Morpheus Institute.
The primary necessity is to get a perfectly designed plan of action for a genuine business. A business plan on its own is useless. It is a mere reflection, but it will not suffice you also need an action plan. A business scheme is the first step in working out your idea into actions that you can follow. Well-illustrated business plans can be found online or at your library.
Begin now
- Do not be afraid of failure. Remember failure is the first stepping stone to success, if this home based business idea does not work out for you now do not let this deter you. Always remind yourself of the spider when you feel like losing hope.
- Do not let that wonderful home-based business idea gather dust. Start today.
- Waiting for the right time to start your business might make success elude you forever. If there is any specific right time, it is right now. Do not waste your precious time.
-
Put a figure on it
This is the greatest stumbling block for most home-based business owners. That is, they fail to evaluate their work. If you do not give proper attention to this, you may have to wrap up your business. You need to know that real figures and numbers are needed for you to stay in business. If this is not your agenda of work, you are probably going all wrong.
Large businesses usually set up balanced scorecards. The idea is to have a referring point to compare how successful your work is. For example, to get five customers in one month you could settle on free seminars but if you see that your plan is not getting you five clients, you need to reassess your plan. Change of plan prevents waste of energy and resources.
Entire contents copyright 2005 Morpheus Institute.
Will and Vision
Will and Vision Remember Chux? The disposable diaper that took the market by storm in 1932?
Of course you don't. Chux saw its product as a luxury item, and happily kept its little throwaway business to itself for almost forty years. Then Pampers came along in the 1960s, supported by a huge, mass-consumer vision with persistence to match, and blew Chux out of the market-transforming baby rearing forever.
And everyone knows the legend of the two Steves-Jobs and Wozniak-who invented the personal computer in someone's garage. Only they didn't. The Altair MITS came to market long before in 1975. It's just that Steve Jobs had the mammoth vision of a computer on every desk; and Apple II became the first PC hit.
I just finished reading a brilliant book titled Will and Vision-How Latecomers Grow to Dominate Markets, by Grard J. Tellis and Peter N. Golder.
This book takes the concept of vision and makes it concrete, demonstrating sixty-six cases where a huge vision of value for a market combined with persistence and indomitable will, made the ingredients for blockbuster success. Along the way the authors bury the concept of first mover advantage. They offer numerous examples of companies that arrived second, third or later, and went on to dominate their markets.
So what does Will and Vision say are the key elements of success?
The authors-academics grounded in research-not than starry-eyed growth consultants like yours truly-carefully reviewed the historical record: vision was the number one element.
That's right. Big fat vision backed by persistence, will, and relentless innovation.
Today's world offers many choices. People who lack vision are apt to drift to the next appealing project as soon as things don't go the way they planned. They lack persistence to achieve anything important.
Will and Vision offers us a different kind of world. (Of course I'm biased. I've been shouting about vision and commitment for years.) We aren't talking about a "vision" that's sloganized and prettified and pasted on a plaque. We mean the kind of vision that highlights the importance and value of a product or service to many people and ultimately points the way to a new future. And, of course, requires a 100% commitment to bring into reality.
More mass-value vision examples, from high tech and low: Dell computers, not IBM or IMSAI; Sony video recorders, not Ampex-who gave up a ten year lead; Microsoft Internet Explorer-not Netscape, or its predecessor, Links; McDonalds' Ray Kroc-not the McDonald Brothers; Gillette-not Wilkenson Sword.
Mass market + high utility = big vision.
Seeing what no one else can see. Having a new world view.
Leaders in each of these companies owned a view that extended further than any of their predecessors.
And that expansive vision enabled these people to gain access and leverage the resources (Key #4), maintain the persistence to bring the vision into reality (Key #2), and sustain relentless creativity and innovations (Key #3), over a period of years.
Here are a few points about a successful vision taken from the research:
* The vision must be unique. Not uniqueness of product per se, but unique in the way your product serves the world;
* The vision must be simple and easy to grasp;
* Seeds of the vision typically exist in some form in other products or services; (Thank goodness we don't all have to be inventors or originals-only visionaries!)
The new vision may be of a thing for which there no market-yet. (This last bit is illuminating for any of us stuck in market research.)
And some important points regarding will:
* Reaching your vision may take a long time. Vision without will won't get you there. Only great commitment can;
* A misplaced belief in luck or other unseen forces hinders our ability to persist. We will find evidence that no such luck exists, and use that as an excuse to quit.
* And this great insight: persistence can manifest as a series of minor solutions, and contrarily, complacency in small successes can be a barrier to innovation that farsighted vision requires.
Some additional tips for long-term success:
* Maintain a continuous feedback loop and solicit others' opinions regarding your execution;
* Keep a sharp eye for market changes, and be willing to respond quickly;
* And as Andrew Grove suggests, paranoia drives innovation. A healthy fear of competitors sneaking up on you can keep your product or service fresh;
So how big is YOUR vision?
Is your vision big enough to drive the kind of success you seek? Is your vision large enough to sustain you? Is it important enough to mobilize the resources necessary for its realization? Is it sufficiently inspiring to partners and employees and customers and investors-and all the other people you need to be successful?
If you don't think it's big enough, it may be time to get your vision checked.
Of course you don't. Chux saw its product as a luxury item, and happily kept its little throwaway business to itself for almost forty years. Then Pampers came along in the 1960s, supported by a huge, mass-consumer vision with persistence to match, and blew Chux out of the market-transforming baby rearing forever.
And everyone knows the legend of the two Steves-Jobs and Wozniak-who invented the personal computer in someone's garage. Only they didn't. The Altair MITS came to market long before in 1975. It's just that Steve Jobs had the mammoth vision of a computer on every desk; and Apple II became the first PC hit.
I just finished reading a brilliant book titled Will and Vision-How Latecomers Grow to Dominate Markets, by Grard J. Tellis and Peter N. Golder.
This book takes the concept of vision and makes it concrete, demonstrating sixty-six cases where a huge vision of value for a market combined with persistence and indomitable will, made the ingredients for blockbuster success. Along the way the authors bury the concept of first mover advantage. They offer numerous examples of companies that arrived second, third or later, and went on to dominate their markets.
So what does Will and Vision say are the key elements of success?
The authors-academics grounded in research-not than starry-eyed growth consultants like yours truly-carefully reviewed the historical record: vision was the number one element.
That's right. Big fat vision backed by persistence, will, and relentless innovation.
Today's world offers many choices. People who lack vision are apt to drift to the next appealing project as soon as things don't go the way they planned. They lack persistence to achieve anything important.
Will and Vision offers us a different kind of world. (Of course I'm biased. I've been shouting about vision and commitment for years.) We aren't talking about a "vision" that's sloganized and prettified and pasted on a plaque. We mean the kind of vision that highlights the importance and value of a product or service to many people and ultimately points the way to a new future. And, of course, requires a 100% commitment to bring into reality.
More mass-value vision examples, from high tech and low: Dell computers, not IBM or IMSAI; Sony video recorders, not Ampex-who gave up a ten year lead; Microsoft Internet Explorer-not Netscape, or its predecessor, Links; McDonalds' Ray Kroc-not the McDonald Brothers; Gillette-not Wilkenson Sword.
Mass market + high utility = big vision.
Seeing what no one else can see. Having a new world view.
Leaders in each of these companies owned a view that extended further than any of their predecessors.
And that expansive vision enabled these people to gain access and leverage the resources (Key #4), maintain the persistence to bring the vision into reality (Key #2), and sustain relentless creativity and innovations (Key #3), over a period of years.
Here are a few points about a successful vision taken from the research:
* The vision must be unique. Not uniqueness of product per se, but unique in the way your product serves the world;
* The vision must be simple and easy to grasp;
* Seeds of the vision typically exist in some form in other products or services; (Thank goodness we don't all have to be inventors or originals-only visionaries!)
The new vision may be of a thing for which there no market-yet. (This last bit is illuminating for any of us stuck in market research.)
And some important points regarding will:
* Reaching your vision may take a long time. Vision without will won't get you there. Only great commitment can;
* A misplaced belief in luck or other unseen forces hinders our ability to persist. We will find evidence that no such luck exists, and use that as an excuse to quit.
* And this great insight: persistence can manifest as a series of minor solutions, and contrarily, complacency in small successes can be a barrier to innovation that farsighted vision requires.
Some additional tips for long-term success:
* Maintain a continuous feedback loop and solicit others' opinions regarding your execution;
* Keep a sharp eye for market changes, and be willing to respond quickly;
* And as Andrew Grove suggests, paranoia drives innovation. A healthy fear of competitors sneaking up on you can keep your product or service fresh;
So how big is YOUR vision?
Is your vision big enough to drive the kind of success you seek? Is your vision large enough to sustain you? Is it important enough to mobilize the resources necessary for its realization? Is it sufficiently inspiring to partners and employees and customers and investors-and all the other people you need to be successful?
If you don't think it's big enough, it may be time to get your vision checked.
Why Should You Incorporate Your Business?
Why Should You Incorporate Your Business? If you do well with your business, you may want to incorporate it. There are many advantages gained by incorporating. For one, if (and this is a BIG if, but you never know), if you are ever sued, your personal assets will be considered separate from your business assets. On the off chance that anything like that ever happens, you will be immensely thankful that you incorporated.
It works the other way too, if you are ever personally sued, all your business assets are safe. Legally, you and your corporation are two entirely separate entities.
Another reason for incorporating is to save money on taxes. Talk to an accountant about the different ways to incorporate - if you qualify for an S-corporation or an LLC, you may save considerably in taxes. Plus, it's always nice to pay your taxes on a monthly or at least a quarterly basis rather than owe one giant, lump sum to Uncle Sam on April 15th.
Many a business has gone bankrupt due to unpaid taxes.
Another benefit of incorporating is to convey professionalism. Most people recognize that the abbreviation of Inc or LLC after a company name is evidence of incorporation. Your prospects may take you more seriously. And every little bit helps.
You may get a few more sales just due to the fact that you look like a real company!
So talk to your accountant today and find out if incorporating is the right move for you to make. It takes some time to start the process, but can be well worth it in many instances.
Copyright 2005 by L A Parmley. All rights reserved.
It works the other way too, if you are ever personally sued, all your business assets are safe. Legally, you and your corporation are two entirely separate entities.
Another reason for incorporating is to save money on taxes. Talk to an accountant about the different ways to incorporate - if you qualify for an S-corporation or an LLC, you may save considerably in taxes. Plus, it's always nice to pay your taxes on a monthly or at least a quarterly basis rather than owe one giant, lump sum to Uncle Sam on April 15th.
Many a business has gone bankrupt due to unpaid taxes.
Another benefit of incorporating is to convey professionalism. Most people recognize that the abbreviation of Inc or LLC after a company name is evidence of incorporation. Your prospects may take you more seriously. And every little bit helps.
You may get a few more sales just due to the fact that you look like a real company!
So talk to your accountant today and find out if incorporating is the right move for you to make. It takes some time to start the process, but can be well worth it in many instances.
Copyright 2005 by L A Parmley. All rights reserved.
Why Is Small Business Health Insurance Worth It?
Why Is Small Business Health Insurance Worth It? If you're looking for a guide to how to get health insurance and
what kind of health insurance is best for your small business,
then this is the article for you. Your business qualifies for
small business health insurance if you have anywhere between two
and fifty employees in it. If you are self employed then you'll
want to look into getting self employed health insurance.
There are many benefits to getting small business health
insurance. A small business health insurance plan will help
spread the financial risk around to everyone and not just
yourself. As this is the case, this generally will bring lower
premiums and more extensive coverage. Along with this, the
health insurance provides medical care for you and all other
employees as well.
With a small business health insurance people often get group
insurance. This too has its advantages on several different
aspects. All contributions from the employers are 100% tax
deductible, and you'll save on payroll taxes as well. Small
businesses will be eligible for group insurance just as long as
you have two or more full time employees working.
When setting up a group insurance plan for your small business,
all members will be set up with a coverage plan with rates
calculated using the group and individuals. After that it is up
to the separate employees themselves if they wish to add riders
and additional coverage to satisfy their needs. Keep in mind
that not all employees in the small business have to join the
group plan. Just as long as there is no fewer then two
employees in the business that have the group insurance plan,
then you will be fine.
The cost of the group insurance plan varies based on several
different characteristics. Some of these include age, health
status, business and/or residential location and so on. Like
everything in this world it's not going to be cheap, but it will
be cheaper then having a bunch of separate health insurance
plans.
Most health plans are going to require employees to pay at least
half of the premium cost for covered employees. Some employees
will offer to pay 100% of the cost, white now there is a new
health plan giving employees the option to pay as little as 25%
of the cost. Just know that typically most types of coverage
will cost employees a minimum of $1,600-$2,500 per year per
employee. By clicking on the link below you can begin getting
quotes for your small business health insurance.
http://www.buyerzone.com/benefits/health_insurance/qz_questions_2.jhtml
Just remember that many times medical services are needed
unexpectedly. If you or other employees do not have health
insurance this could be a devastating blow to the wallet. The
cost of a hospital visit, depending on the circumstance, will
many times be much higher then the cost of health insurance.
You want to be able to live life knowing that you're insured
just in case the unexpected happens. Nothing hurts to at least
look at some quotes and talk it over with other employees, but
you have the power to make the decision.
what kind of health insurance is best for your small business,
then this is the article for you. Your business qualifies for
small business health insurance if you have anywhere between two
and fifty employees in it. If you are self employed then you'll
want to look into getting self employed health insurance.
There are many benefits to getting small business health
insurance. A small business health insurance plan will help
spread the financial risk around to everyone and not just
yourself. As this is the case, this generally will bring lower
premiums and more extensive coverage. Along with this, the
health insurance provides medical care for you and all other
employees as well.
With a small business health insurance people often get group
insurance. This too has its advantages on several different
aspects. All contributions from the employers are 100% tax
deductible, and you'll save on payroll taxes as well. Small
businesses will be eligible for group insurance just as long as
you have two or more full time employees working.
When setting up a group insurance plan for your small business,
all members will be set up with a coverage plan with rates
calculated using the group and individuals. After that it is up
to the separate employees themselves if they wish to add riders
and additional coverage to satisfy their needs. Keep in mind
that not all employees in the small business have to join the
group plan. Just as long as there is no fewer then two
employees in the business that have the group insurance plan,
then you will be fine.
The cost of the group insurance plan varies based on several
different characteristics. Some of these include age, health
status, business and/or residential location and so on. Like
everything in this world it's not going to be cheap, but it will
be cheaper then having a bunch of separate health insurance
plans.
Most health plans are going to require employees to pay at least
half of the premium cost for covered employees. Some employees
will offer to pay 100% of the cost, white now there is a new
health plan giving employees the option to pay as little as 25%
of the cost. Just know that typically most types of coverage
will cost employees a minimum of $1,600-$2,500 per year per
employee. By clicking on the link below you can begin getting
quotes for your small business health insurance.
http://www.buyerzone.com/benefits/health_insurance/qz_questions_2.jhtml
Just remember that many times medical services are needed
unexpectedly. If you or other employees do not have health
insurance this could be a devastating blow to the wallet. The
cost of a hospital visit, depending on the circumstance, will
many times be much higher then the cost of health insurance.
You want to be able to live life knowing that you're insured
just in case the unexpected happens. Nothing hurts to at least
look at some quotes and talk it over with other employees, but
you have the power to make the decision.
Why is a US account important for NRA's?
Why is a US account important for NRA's? NRA or Non Residents Alien is a widely used term, which refers to the non-US citizens, having no residential base in the country. It is generally put in to the use by the country's banking sector. Why does a NRA require a US account? Let's try and analyze the various benefits that everyone around the globe can extract from a US account.
With emerging trends and the internet boon, everything seems to be happening online. Whether you are a small free lancer or big exporter of goods, your entire transactions are possibly going to be online. Whatever be size of your business you can't escape the fact that there is big drift of trade towards the internet. And it's evitable that with the US currency being the currency with the maximum reach, you should also have an easy to handle place to trade in the same. A US account is what you really should opt for. Let me list some unique benefits that a US account offers.
1. Savings on Tax: The amount of strictness that US ensures as far as protecting its people is concerned is great but despite of that when it comes to the Tax laws of NRA's the laws are such that you would end up saving a lot on your taxes. If you open the same international account in some other country you would end up give a lot more tax. So this is one important and solid benefit.
2. No Physical Presence: An account in a US bank usually comes fully loaded with a huge amount of solid services. There is a lot of support for online transactions and this in turn makes physical presence not a necessary requirement. You can handle all the functions of your account from the comforts of your home or office.
3. Reference: This is a very interesting point and not many people know about it as well. There are some nations in which it is impossible to open an account directly. But after having been the customer of a US bank for six months or so you can easily ask your bank to refer you to other banks in other nations including these nations. And this makes way for you being able to open accounts at even other places via the US route.
4. Safe: Your money in the US bank is safe. I have friends who are webmasters and who have used other systems, which accept money online. One of them recently lost around $3000 with such an online system, as the system simply froze his account. In another instance one of my other contacts was charged so much as charge back money that he lost a sum of around $2400 just like that. And this is not limited to these to instances only. Once your business starts flourishing and you start earning a good amount of money, you would realize that you require something much better and more reliable than these online systems. And a merchant account in a US bank is the best solution for you.
5. The stringent laws of US banking sector almost made it impossible to open the accounts for NRA's. However the things are not that grueling anymore; though it would be incorrect to call the procedure easy and simple going. The things are still complex and complicated. However the best solution that I found after a lot of research on the website, rather an online guide: http://www.non-us-bank-account.com. It is a complete step by step procedure which teaches you how to open a US bank account as an NRA.
I feel the importance of a US account for a NRA is now quite evident and the fact that it shall really help you grow your client base. So don't waste you time, act now and go for a US bank account.
With emerging trends and the internet boon, everything seems to be happening online. Whether you are a small free lancer or big exporter of goods, your entire transactions are possibly going to be online. Whatever be size of your business you can't escape the fact that there is big drift of trade towards the internet. And it's evitable that with the US currency being the currency with the maximum reach, you should also have an easy to handle place to trade in the same. A US account is what you really should opt for. Let me list some unique benefits that a US account offers.
1. Savings on Tax: The amount of strictness that US ensures as far as protecting its people is concerned is great but despite of that when it comes to the Tax laws of NRA's the laws are such that you would end up saving a lot on your taxes. If you open the same international account in some other country you would end up give a lot more tax. So this is one important and solid benefit.
2. No Physical Presence: An account in a US bank usually comes fully loaded with a huge amount of solid services. There is a lot of support for online transactions and this in turn makes physical presence not a necessary requirement. You can handle all the functions of your account from the comforts of your home or office.
3. Reference: This is a very interesting point and not many people know about it as well. There are some nations in which it is impossible to open an account directly. But after having been the customer of a US bank for six months or so you can easily ask your bank to refer you to other banks in other nations including these nations. And this makes way for you being able to open accounts at even other places via the US route.
4. Safe: Your money in the US bank is safe. I have friends who are webmasters and who have used other systems, which accept money online. One of them recently lost around $3000 with such an online system, as the system simply froze his account. In another instance one of my other contacts was charged so much as charge back money that he lost a sum of around $2400 just like that. And this is not limited to these to instances only. Once your business starts flourishing and you start earning a good amount of money, you would realize that you require something much better and more reliable than these online systems. And a merchant account in a US bank is the best solution for you.
5. The stringent laws of US banking sector almost made it impossible to open the accounts for NRA's. However the things are not that grueling anymore; though it would be incorrect to call the procedure easy and simple going. The things are still complex and complicated. However the best solution that I found after a lot of research on the website, rather an online guide: http://www.non-us-bank-account.com. It is a complete step by step procedure which teaches you how to open a US bank account as an NRA.
I feel the importance of a US account for a NRA is now quite evident and the fact that it shall really help you grow your client base. So don't waste you time, act now and go for a US bank account.
Why Doesn't Your Business Plan Consistently Secure Your Desired Results?
Why Doesn't Your Business Plan Consistently Secure Your Desired Results? From small businesses to large corporations, when you render all the challenges and issues facing these economic engines from employees to growth and innovation, the inability to secure desired results or implementation always float to the top as the number one to number three obstacles that prevent business success. As a business owner or management executive, have you ever asked yourself one of these five questions:
1. How do I move from my vision to my desired results?
2. How do I get my employees to perform?
3. How do I recruit new employees with the skills that my company needs?
4. How do I attract new customers or clients?
5. Why can't I consistently achieve my desired results?
All of these questions when rendered down are about implementation. The failure to implement each corporate wide business goal consumes valuable resources specifically time, people and money. These resources may have been already allocated to other initiatives.
Effective implementation is what separates the successful companies from the not so successful ones. Many authors from Rick Page in "Hope is not a Strategy" to Jason Jennings and Laurence Haughton in "It's Not the Big that Eat the Small, It's the Fast that East the Slow" write about the affects of poor implementation.
Possibly why implementation continues to vex today's businesses is because executives search for an ineffective answer through a business plan instead of a strategic business plan. A recent search using Inventory Overture revealed that searches for business plan were over 200 times as many as for strategic business plan (148,650 vs. 614). From these searches, it suggests that business owners may be looking for the wrong answer.
Why choose a strategic business plan over a business plan? The answer is simple because a strategic business plan defines "Who Does What By When" through the critical success factors and supporting goals that are in alignment with the sales and marketing plans.
The structure of a strategic business plan is all about implementation. Using the ADDIE Plus methodology may help you in your efforts to create an effective strategic business plan.
Assess - The current market conditions, future market conditions and the organization need to be assessed. This evaluation should begin with an overall organizational assessment and may extend to internal and external customers.
Design - After the evaluation, a design is crafted. This design should include the vision, values and mission of the organization and is overall architecture for the plan. Simply, speaking this is the "Big Picture."
Develop - The plan is developed according to the structure of the organization. Smaller plans or pictures such as marketing and sales fit within the overall plan.
Implement - Using specific goal setting and goal achievement, the strategic plan is implemented. At this juncture, who does what by when is identified.
Evaluate - Goal achievement is the mechanism to monitor and evaluate successful implementation.
Plus - Follow-up is the plus to ensure necessary course correction that may again require some new assessments along with design, development, implementation and evaluation.
Using the ADDIE+ methodology provides business owners a consistent vehicle from which to create, monitor, evaluate and follow-up on their strategic business plan.
If you truly want to reach that next level of success by bridging the implementation gaps, stop focusing on a business plan and take the time to create a strategic business plan that clearly defines who does what by when.
Copyright 2005(c) Leanne Hoagland-Smith, www.processspecialist.com
1. How do I move from my vision to my desired results?
2. How do I get my employees to perform?
3. How do I recruit new employees with the skills that my company needs?
4. How do I attract new customers or clients?
5. Why can't I consistently achieve my desired results?
All of these questions when rendered down are about implementation. The failure to implement each corporate wide business goal consumes valuable resources specifically time, people and money. These resources may have been already allocated to other initiatives.
Effective implementation is what separates the successful companies from the not so successful ones. Many authors from Rick Page in "Hope is not a Strategy" to Jason Jennings and Laurence Haughton in "It's Not the Big that Eat the Small, It's the Fast that East the Slow" write about the affects of poor implementation.
Possibly why implementation continues to vex today's businesses is because executives search for an ineffective answer through a business plan instead of a strategic business plan. A recent search using Inventory Overture revealed that searches for business plan were over 200 times as many as for strategic business plan (148,650 vs. 614). From these searches, it suggests that business owners may be looking for the wrong answer.
Why choose a strategic business plan over a business plan? The answer is simple because a strategic business plan defines "Who Does What By When" through the critical success factors and supporting goals that are in alignment with the sales and marketing plans.
The structure of a strategic business plan is all about implementation. Using the ADDIE Plus methodology may help you in your efforts to create an effective strategic business plan.
Assess - The current market conditions, future market conditions and the organization need to be assessed. This evaluation should begin with an overall organizational assessment and may extend to internal and external customers.
Design - After the evaluation, a design is crafted. This design should include the vision, values and mission of the organization and is overall architecture for the plan. Simply, speaking this is the "Big Picture."
Develop - The plan is developed according to the structure of the organization. Smaller plans or pictures such as marketing and sales fit within the overall plan.
Implement - Using specific goal setting and goal achievement, the strategic plan is implemented. At this juncture, who does what by when is identified.
Evaluate - Goal achievement is the mechanism to monitor and evaluate successful implementation.
Plus - Follow-up is the plus to ensure necessary course correction that may again require some new assessments along with design, development, implementation and evaluation.
Using the ADDIE+ methodology provides business owners a consistent vehicle from which to create, monitor, evaluate and follow-up on their strategic business plan.
If you truly want to reach that next level of success by bridging the implementation gaps, stop focusing on a business plan and take the time to create a strategic business plan that clearly defines who does what by when.
Copyright 2005(c) Leanne Hoagland-Smith, www.processspecialist.com
Why cutting your prices is like cutting your own throat
Why cutting your prices is like cutting your own throat It's the oldest sales tactic in the world...
And one of the worst...
Price cutting.
Before you make your next price cut in the face of sales resistance, the question you have to ask yourself is not, "Does it work?," but rather, "Can you live with the bargain?"
Here's a pop quiz: you - in your role as salesperson - go for the close. You ask the prospect to make a commitment and they don't. What's your first response?
Well, if you are like most people in a selling situation - whether you are the hired sales guy or the CEO-your first response to people not buying-for whatever the reason-is to say, "Would you buy if... ?," and the "if" is always some variant of, "...if the price was lower?"
And you ask it almost before you ask them WHY they won't buy.
And it's not only when they tell you they won't buy. Many people in sales mentally calculate the discount into their profit calculations, and start discounting even before they try to close the deal. In almost every sales job that I've worked in, people faced with an end-of-quarter crunch to "make the numbers" start playing the discount game. In many industries, it's become common practice to give away all the profits, and many customers are trained to expect it.
Trouble is, people are not usually 'not buying' because your price is too high.
If you've taken the trouble to establish the real of your product or service, you - and your prospect - already know that the value far exceeds the price you are asking. (If not, you better go back and rethink the math.)
So if they are saying "no," or simply not saying "yes," it either means they are experienced buyers waiting for you to spontaneously cut your price, or it means they just do not see a sufficiently compelling value...yet.
Cutting your prices will almost never lead to new sales if they didn't plan on buying in the first place, and the effect on your profits can be devastating. Follow these numbers:
Let's say you sell a product for $100. Your cost is $70. That means it carries a thirty percent margin-your profit is $30. Now, to make a sale, you are "forced" to cut your price by twenty percent. Your new selling price is $80. All things being equal, your profit is now $10-instead of $30. That means a 20% price reduction cost you 66% of your profits.
TWO-THIRDS OF YOUR PROFITS for a 20% price reduction!
Cut your price much more and your profit quickly goes to zero. Or lower.
And that's not even the worst of it.
Once you lower prices, they tend to stay low. That $100 widget you just sold for $80... Well, sorry to say, but it's now an $80 widget.
Even more damaging, your like-minded competitors will almost definitely lower their prices, and you, my friend, are in a price war. To win in this scenario, you need deep pockets to sustain a losing position for the duration.
So for these three reasons-depressed profit margins, permanently lowered prices, and the devastation of a price war-it's a bad idea to lower your prices to buy business-regardless of the economic climate.
What can you do instead?
The two main strategies are clarifying and quantifying the value, and packaging products or services to maintain higher prices.
Here's an interesting example. One of my clients-a software company-had a hot prospect who didn't want to buy the typical contract for software maintenance. They felt that 18% per year was just too expensive, and wanted to pay ad hoc instead.
My client knew this was a bad idea. Customers without maintenance contracts typically become your worst. Why? Because they know it's going to cost them each time they pick up the phone for support, so they try not to. Thus, they don't get the right level of service, they don't know how to use the product and they don't get the results they paid for in the first place.
And even though it's their fault for skimping, they point the finger at you and badmouth your company.
On my advice, my client offered the prospect a four year non-cancelable maintenance contract, and gave them the first year for free. And although it was a 25 percent reduction in total purchase price, it never lowered the per year pricing, and it actually guaranteed more than the prospect's original commitment.
Plus, my client locked in that customer for four full years, during which time they rightly expect to sell them additional products and services.
Price cutting is the "lazy man's" response when it's hard to make sales. Unfortunately, it may not boost total revenues, and results in drastically lowered profits on the sales that do get made. Often the outcome includes permanently reduced prices and margins, and even a price war, which has disastrous consequences for all players, except very deep-pocketed ones.
Sell the value instead. Spend the time to discover what your prospect is trying to accomplish, and make sure your product or service helps them do that. Then establish the quantifiable financial impact, and sell them that. Or package, bundle or go for the long-term, multi-year commitment.
There are other approaches that not only maintain price levels, but even support higher ones. To get an overview of those approaches, visit http://www.lemberg.com/tipsandtools.html and download "5 tactics to avoid price cutting."
And one of the worst...
Price cutting.
Before you make your next price cut in the face of sales resistance, the question you have to ask yourself is not, "Does it work?," but rather, "Can you live with the bargain?"
Here's a pop quiz: you - in your role as salesperson - go for the close. You ask the prospect to make a commitment and they don't. What's your first response?
Well, if you are like most people in a selling situation - whether you are the hired sales guy or the CEO-your first response to people not buying-for whatever the reason-is to say, "Would you buy if... ?," and the "if" is always some variant of, "...if the price was lower?"
And you ask it almost before you ask them WHY they won't buy.
And it's not only when they tell you they won't buy. Many people in sales mentally calculate the discount into their profit calculations, and start discounting even before they try to close the deal. In almost every sales job that I've worked in, people faced with an end-of-quarter crunch to "make the numbers" start playing the discount game. In many industries, it's become common practice to give away all the profits, and many customers are trained to expect it.
Trouble is, people are not usually 'not buying' because your price is too high.
If you've taken the trouble to establish the real of your product or service, you - and your prospect - already know that the value far exceeds the price you are asking. (If not, you better go back and rethink the math.)
So if they are saying "no," or simply not saying "yes," it either means they are experienced buyers waiting for you to spontaneously cut your price, or it means they just do not see a sufficiently compelling value...yet.
Cutting your prices will almost never lead to new sales if they didn't plan on buying in the first place, and the effect on your profits can be devastating. Follow these numbers:
Let's say you sell a product for $100. Your cost is $70. That means it carries a thirty percent margin-your profit is $30. Now, to make a sale, you are "forced" to cut your price by twenty percent. Your new selling price is $80. All things being equal, your profit is now $10-instead of $30. That means a 20% price reduction cost you 66% of your profits.
TWO-THIRDS OF YOUR PROFITS for a 20% price reduction!
Cut your price much more and your profit quickly goes to zero. Or lower.
And that's not even the worst of it.
Once you lower prices, they tend to stay low. That $100 widget you just sold for $80... Well, sorry to say, but it's now an $80 widget.
Even more damaging, your like-minded competitors will almost definitely lower their prices, and you, my friend, are in a price war. To win in this scenario, you need deep pockets to sustain a losing position for the duration.
So for these three reasons-depressed profit margins, permanently lowered prices, and the devastation of a price war-it's a bad idea to lower your prices to buy business-regardless of the economic climate.
What can you do instead?
The two main strategies are clarifying and quantifying the value, and packaging products or services to maintain higher prices.
Here's an interesting example. One of my clients-a software company-had a hot prospect who didn't want to buy the typical contract for software maintenance. They felt that 18% per year was just too expensive, and wanted to pay ad hoc instead.
My client knew this was a bad idea. Customers without maintenance contracts typically become your worst. Why? Because they know it's going to cost them each time they pick up the phone for support, so they try not to. Thus, they don't get the right level of service, they don't know how to use the product and they don't get the results they paid for in the first place.
And even though it's their fault for skimping, they point the finger at you and badmouth your company.
On my advice, my client offered the prospect a four year non-cancelable maintenance contract, and gave them the first year for free. And although it was a 25 percent reduction in total purchase price, it never lowered the per year pricing, and it actually guaranteed more than the prospect's original commitment.
Plus, my client locked in that customer for four full years, during which time they rightly expect to sell them additional products and services.
Price cutting is the "lazy man's" response when it's hard to make sales. Unfortunately, it may not boost total revenues, and results in drastically lowered profits on the sales that do get made. Often the outcome includes permanently reduced prices and margins, and even a price war, which has disastrous consequences for all players, except very deep-pocketed ones.
Sell the value instead. Spend the time to discover what your prospect is trying to accomplish, and make sure your product or service helps them do that. Then establish the quantifiable financial impact, and sell them that. Or package, bundle or go for the long-term, multi-year commitment.
There are other approaches that not only maintain price levels, but even support higher ones. To get an overview of those approaches, visit http://www.lemberg.com/tipsandtools.html and download "5 tactics to avoid price cutting."
Who Cares What YOU Think?
Who Cares What YOU Think? "I hate pop-ups!"
"Audio that starts on a website without warning is annoying."
"What's with these 15-20 page sales letters that just go on and on? I would never buy anything from a site like that."
"I hate those websites that make me give their email address before giving me any information. When I see those, I click away immediately."
And the list of complaints goes on.
If we hate these things, plus our website visitors and marketing peers tell us they hate these things, we should stop using them, right?
Hold it right there. Basing your marketing decision completely on opinions and preferences is one of the biggest mistakes you can make. It doesn't matter if it's your opinion or if 10 people emailed you to tell you that your website annoys them. NEVER make a judgment based on an opinion. What we think and prefer has nothing to do with the RESULTS of our marketing.
Now, don't get me wrong. I'm not saying to ignore your gut feelings or disregard your potential customers. I'm saying - test it out.
We know everyone hates pop-ups, but the fact is they work when used effectively.
Audio that starts when you visit a website can be highly irritating, but many website owners report increased conversions when they do just that.
Long sales letters can be very effective when selling an individual product...just ask world-class copywriter Michel Fortin who has helped people sell millions online.
I also know someone who runs a 7-figure yearly business and has switched all his websites to the name-squeeze (you know, those idiotic pages that ask for your name and email before giving you any info?)...and he makes more money now.
Does this mean you must blindly use these "irritating techniques"? Nah...your business is unique and you need to base your decisions on cold hard facts (i.e. your testing data) so you can make more cold hard cash.
"Audio that starts on a website without warning is annoying."
"What's with these 15-20 page sales letters that just go on and on? I would never buy anything from a site like that."
"I hate those websites that make me give their email address before giving me any information. When I see those, I click away immediately."
And the list of complaints goes on.
If we hate these things, plus our website visitors and marketing peers tell us they hate these things, we should stop using them, right?
Hold it right there. Basing your marketing decision completely on opinions and preferences is one of the biggest mistakes you can make. It doesn't matter if it's your opinion or if 10 people emailed you to tell you that your website annoys them. NEVER make a judgment based on an opinion. What we think and prefer has nothing to do with the RESULTS of our marketing.
Now, don't get me wrong. I'm not saying to ignore your gut feelings or disregard your potential customers. I'm saying - test it out.
We know everyone hates pop-ups, but the fact is they work when used effectively.
Audio that starts when you visit a website can be highly irritating, but many website owners report increased conversions when they do just that.
Long sales letters can be very effective when selling an individual product...just ask world-class copywriter Michel Fortin who has helped people sell millions online.
I also know someone who runs a 7-figure yearly business and has switched all his websites to the name-squeeze (you know, those idiotic pages that ask for your name and email before giving you any info?)...and he makes more money now.
Does this mean you must blindly use these "irritating techniques"? Nah...your business is unique and you need to base your decisions on cold hard facts (i.e. your testing data) so you can make more cold hard cash.
Where To Find Products To Sell On Ebay
Where To Find Products To Sell On Ebay One key for business success using eBay is sourcing products to sell. The first questions eBay sellers should ask themselves are: "What can I sell?" and "Where can I buy?"
There are two kinds of sellers on eBay, garage sellers and business sellers. Garage sellers are people who sell products they are not going to use any more and that are usually not new. Garage sellers are not profit driven, their main objective is usually to get rid of some stuff they don't need. They will be happy to make some money by selling something that is no longer useful to them. On the other hand, business sellers are people who will buy and sell products for profit, they consider eBay a business and need to earn profit on the products they sell.
The first key to success for business sellers is an old marketing rule, RESEARCH. The products you need to sell are products that eBay buyers will want to buy. Apart from being a massive market place, eBay offers you a cheap source of research that you can conduct without moving from your computer.
If you are a business seller, it is fundamental that you spend some time researching before you decide which products you want to sell. Follow these research guidelines:
1. Search for the categories that are most popular. The first index is the number of listings that exist under each category. In addition, you need to look at how many bids the products have.
2. Look at the ratings of the sellers who are listing products in each category and study their profiles. See how many products they are selling and how many products they have sold in the past.
3. Analyze prices. You need to become an expert in your category and you need to know at which price a product is worth buying as well as the expected final winning price of your auction.
4. Select no more than one or two categories. "Specialization" is another basic rule of marketing. It is better to become an expert on something, as this will inspire confidence and trust in your potential customers. Online marketing is all about trust.
For conducting good research, you need time and organization. There are different software programs in the market that can help you save time as well as optimize your research.
Now that you are becoming an eBay expert and have conducted a proper search, you are almost ready to start your business. Before starting to sell, you need to buy! Here are some ideas from where you can source products:
1. Write your own e-book and sell it. If you have any passion or are an expert on a subject for which you can find a niche in eBay, do not hesitate to spend some time on writing your own book. The advantage of this is that after your initial time investment, you can sell and sell copies of the book without having any additional costs. Selling information products is one of the most profitable businesses. Even if you are not an expert writer, you can find other people who can write the book for you.
2. Use drop-shipping. There are wholesalers that will sell you products and send them to the address that you tell them. The advantage of this source is that you do not need to carry inventories, so your investments are minimized. After your auction is finished, you send them your customers address and they will do all the shipping. If you decide to use this kind of source, you need to make sure that your auctions winning price can be higher than the price you will pay for the articles. At minimum you should expect to double your costs.
3. Buy from eBay. Many eBayers success comes from knowing how to buy well on eBay and sell the same products at a higher price. If you know your category very well, you can easily find opportunities that will allow you to buy and resell making profit. Again, solid research is fundamental.
4. Buy Asiatic products. If you are willing to carry some inventories, you can invest on Asiatic products and buy them for a very cheap price. You can easily start importing Asiatic products from the Internet at www.alibaba.com.
5. Sell local products. If you live in an area that produces local products which can be bought at a cheap price and shipped to other areas where people would pay more, you should take advantage of the situation.
Best wishes for your success
There are two kinds of sellers on eBay, garage sellers and business sellers. Garage sellers are people who sell products they are not going to use any more and that are usually not new. Garage sellers are not profit driven, their main objective is usually to get rid of some stuff they don't need. They will be happy to make some money by selling something that is no longer useful to them. On the other hand, business sellers are people who will buy and sell products for profit, they consider eBay a business and need to earn profit on the products they sell.
The first key to success for business sellers is an old marketing rule, RESEARCH. The products you need to sell are products that eBay buyers will want to buy. Apart from being a massive market place, eBay offers you a cheap source of research that you can conduct without moving from your computer.
If you are a business seller, it is fundamental that you spend some time researching before you decide which products you want to sell. Follow these research guidelines:
1. Search for the categories that are most popular. The first index is the number of listings that exist under each category. In addition, you need to look at how many bids the products have.
2. Look at the ratings of the sellers who are listing products in each category and study their profiles. See how many products they are selling and how many products they have sold in the past.
3. Analyze prices. You need to become an expert in your category and you need to know at which price a product is worth buying as well as the expected final winning price of your auction.
4. Select no more than one or two categories. "Specialization" is another basic rule of marketing. It is better to become an expert on something, as this will inspire confidence and trust in your potential customers. Online marketing is all about trust.
For conducting good research, you need time and organization. There are different software programs in the market that can help you save time as well as optimize your research.
Now that you are becoming an eBay expert and have conducted a proper search, you are almost ready to start your business. Before starting to sell, you need to buy! Here are some ideas from where you can source products:
1. Write your own e-book and sell it. If you have any passion or are an expert on a subject for which you can find a niche in eBay, do not hesitate to spend some time on writing your own book. The advantage of this is that after your initial time investment, you can sell and sell copies of the book without having any additional costs. Selling information products is one of the most profitable businesses. Even if you are not an expert writer, you can find other people who can write the book for you.
2. Use drop-shipping. There are wholesalers that will sell you products and send them to the address that you tell them. The advantage of this source is that you do not need to carry inventories, so your investments are minimized. After your auction is finished, you send them your customers address and they will do all the shipping. If you decide to use this kind of source, you need to make sure that your auctions winning price can be higher than the price you will pay for the articles. At minimum you should expect to double your costs.
3. Buy from eBay. Many eBayers success comes from knowing how to buy well on eBay and sell the same products at a higher price. If you know your category very well, you can easily find opportunities that will allow you to buy and resell making profit. Again, solid research is fundamental.
4. Buy Asiatic products. If you are willing to carry some inventories, you can invest on Asiatic products and buy them for a very cheap price. You can easily start importing Asiatic products from the Internet at www.alibaba.com.
5. Sell local products. If you live in an area that produces local products which can be bought at a cheap price and shipped to other areas where people would pay more, you should take advantage of the situation.
Best wishes for your success
When Is The Best Time TO Take Your Company Public?
When Is The Best Time TO Take Your Company Public? CEO's often call and ask me what the revenues and net profit should be before going public, they seem to think that there is a magic number that qualifies a private company into becoming a public company.
There is no set amount of revenues or net profit that is required to take your company public, then when is the absolute best time to go public?
The short answer would be when you don't need to, or your company is not desperately looking for financing in order to survive.
Instead you are looking for capital in order to finance growth and expansion, or you would like to use the public shares as currency to make acquisitions.
But life isn't always perfect, so we will take a look at a few questions asked by CEO's that have called me looking to go public.
What should revenues and net profit be before going public? A company could conceivably have 5 consecutive year of profitability and be a bad candidate for going public.
I recently had a CEO called me from such a company, the revenues and net profit were identical for the previous five years but robust compare to many of the companies you see going public in the NASDAQ BB and Pink Sheets today.
But I didn't see any growth in either revenues or net profit nor any indication that there was going to be some in the future, the CEO did not know where future growth would come from.
I told him that if he was just going public so that he could tell friends that he was the CEO of public company then he shouldn't go public.
But if he could develop a strategy for growth and put together a business plan outlining how he was going to grow revenues and net income, he could become an outstanding candidate for going public.
The opposite of that would be a company that has been losing money for 5 years but is exhibiting growth in revenues every year and the losses are smaller.
This company has a business plan and targets for business expansion and every year is meeting those targets, and going public is part of the business strategy. So you tell me which company has the greater potential of being a successful public company?
Investors are always looking for growth candidates to put their money in to. So they will go with the company that has the potential to make them the most money in the future.
Another situation that I often come across is CEO's who want to go public and don't have any money for the audit or the legal fees.
There are certain expenses associated with going public that need to be paid. These CEO's often want to do a reverse merger because it's the fastest way to go public, but Public Shells are expensive and could be the costliest avenue use to go public.
When a private company purchases a Public Shell, the purchaser must perform a thorough due diligence of the Public Shell to make sure that it is clean and not bringing any past legal problem to the private company.
The due diligence process often get neglected because the private company is not familiar with the ins and outs of the public arena.
So they often take the advised given by the shell owner and submit to his demands. When companies rush to go public they often live to regret it, short cuts can be very expensive. I always give CEO's who call me the alternative to reverse merger, such as Direct public offering, Regulation D or IPO but if their minds are already made up or they may have already purchased the Shell without doing proper due diligence.
I will do all I can to try and make it work but the CEO must be warn of the perils ahead and how to prepare for them. For example if he does have a lot of shareholders and a lot of shares outstanding he must reverse split the shares to reduce the number of shares available for sale including those own by the Shell owner.
The Shell owner will often require the private company to sign an agreement not to reverse the share prior to the sale, if they agree to this demand they will be making a big mistake.
Also if the company hires an investors relation firm to do PR work and pays them in stock they will see a temporary interest in the company's shares while the IR is dumping their share.
An IR firm must be carefully and thoroughly check out by asking for names of previous and present client, just pull up chart of their clients stock and see if you detect a sudden rise in the share price and a quick drop once they began dumping their shares.
There isn't such a thing as a perfect time to go public and if you start preparing early you will be ahead of the curve, start by having your financials audited. This is something that will have to be done and so if you do as you go along you wont have the big expense all at once.
Have a business plan prepared and that is a mirror of your vision and strategy, you will not stick to a business plan that does not reflect your ideal and your vision of what is going to work.
Make sure the business plan is sound and also flexible, it must allowed for a change in direction when one is warranted. A business plan is like a road map, it has a starting point an a destination, you mapped out the way you want to go but sometimes you must take and different route to get there.
Make sure you have capable competent people in the right positions a small company is not the place for specialist, you must have people who can multi task or you will be force to hire more employees than necessary.
Remember nobody know your business like you do but there are certain business principles that that must be adhere to, as well as ethical conduct that must be applied.
If you just follow the golden rule "Do unto others and you would have them to unto you" you will have done your part. Because you always reap what you sow.
You must be wise in selecting the people you deal with. There are a lot of unscrupulous character in the shell and consulting business who will sell you on going public even if you are not ready.
They will also sell you a Corporate Shell and anything else they can, and before you know you will be calling a legitimate consultant to help you but it may be too late.
I recently had a phone call from a CEO who had a nice small company but he need capital to finance the growth in the business, the company was growing every quarter but was trading for pennies because it had over 150,000,000 shares outstanding.
I suggested that he needed to do a reverse split before I could go to my financing people, because nobody will put money into a company that is so diluted. He replied that he couldn't reverse the shares do to an agreement with the shell owner.
When you buy a shell make sure you are buying the entire flow and that the shares in the hands of the public is not substantial.
Otherwise choose an alternative way of going public. Reverse Merger is not the only way to go public.
Reverse Merger may be the least desirable option for some people, So before taking any action look into the other options available. If the consultant you hire only know Reverse Merger maybe its time to look for somebody else. There isn't a perfect time to take your company public, it must be part of your over all business strategy and vision, and it requires a desire to make work.
If you are ready to take your company to the next level or have any question do not hesitate to email me joe@genesiscorporateadvisors.com or visit our website: www.genesiscorporateadvisors.com
There is no set amount of revenues or net profit that is required to take your company public, then when is the absolute best time to go public?
The short answer would be when you don't need to, or your company is not desperately looking for financing in order to survive.
Instead you are looking for capital in order to finance growth and expansion, or you would like to use the public shares as currency to make acquisitions.
But life isn't always perfect, so we will take a look at a few questions asked by CEO's that have called me looking to go public.
What should revenues and net profit be before going public? A company could conceivably have 5 consecutive year of profitability and be a bad candidate for going public.
I recently had a CEO called me from such a company, the revenues and net profit were identical for the previous five years but robust compare to many of the companies you see going public in the NASDAQ BB and Pink Sheets today.
But I didn't see any growth in either revenues or net profit nor any indication that there was going to be some in the future, the CEO did not know where future growth would come from.
I told him that if he was just going public so that he could tell friends that he was the CEO of public company then he shouldn't go public.
But if he could develop a strategy for growth and put together a business plan outlining how he was going to grow revenues and net income, he could become an outstanding candidate for going public.
The opposite of that would be a company that has been losing money for 5 years but is exhibiting growth in revenues every year and the losses are smaller.
This company has a business plan and targets for business expansion and every year is meeting those targets, and going public is part of the business strategy. So you tell me which company has the greater potential of being a successful public company?
Investors are always looking for growth candidates to put their money in to. So they will go with the company that has the potential to make them the most money in the future.
Another situation that I often come across is CEO's who want to go public and don't have any money for the audit or the legal fees.
There are certain expenses associated with going public that need to be paid. These CEO's often want to do a reverse merger because it's the fastest way to go public, but Public Shells are expensive and could be the costliest avenue use to go public.
When a private company purchases a Public Shell, the purchaser must perform a thorough due diligence of the Public Shell to make sure that it is clean and not bringing any past legal problem to the private company.
The due diligence process often get neglected because the private company is not familiar with the ins and outs of the public arena.
So they often take the advised given by the shell owner and submit to his demands. When companies rush to go public they often live to regret it, short cuts can be very expensive. I always give CEO's who call me the alternative to reverse merger, such as Direct public offering, Regulation D or IPO but if their minds are already made up or they may have already purchased the Shell without doing proper due diligence.
I will do all I can to try and make it work but the CEO must be warn of the perils ahead and how to prepare for them. For example if he does have a lot of shareholders and a lot of shares outstanding he must reverse split the shares to reduce the number of shares available for sale including those own by the Shell owner.
The Shell owner will often require the private company to sign an agreement not to reverse the share prior to the sale, if they agree to this demand they will be making a big mistake.
Also if the company hires an investors relation firm to do PR work and pays them in stock they will see a temporary interest in the company's shares while the IR is dumping their share.
An IR firm must be carefully and thoroughly check out by asking for names of previous and present client, just pull up chart of their clients stock and see if you detect a sudden rise in the share price and a quick drop once they began dumping their shares.
There isn't such a thing as a perfect time to go public and if you start preparing early you will be ahead of the curve, start by having your financials audited. This is something that will have to be done and so if you do as you go along you wont have the big expense all at once.
Have a business plan prepared and that is a mirror of your vision and strategy, you will not stick to a business plan that does not reflect your ideal and your vision of what is going to work.
Make sure the business plan is sound and also flexible, it must allowed for a change in direction when one is warranted. A business plan is like a road map, it has a starting point an a destination, you mapped out the way you want to go but sometimes you must take and different route to get there.
Make sure you have capable competent people in the right positions a small company is not the place for specialist, you must have people who can multi task or you will be force to hire more employees than necessary.
Remember nobody know your business like you do but there are certain business principles that that must be adhere to, as well as ethical conduct that must be applied.
If you just follow the golden rule "Do unto others and you would have them to unto you" you will have done your part. Because you always reap what you sow.
You must be wise in selecting the people you deal with. There are a lot of unscrupulous character in the shell and consulting business who will sell you on going public even if you are not ready.
They will also sell you a Corporate Shell and anything else they can, and before you know you will be calling a legitimate consultant to help you but it may be too late.
I recently had a phone call from a CEO who had a nice small company but he need capital to finance the growth in the business, the company was growing every quarter but was trading for pennies because it had over 150,000,000 shares outstanding.
I suggested that he needed to do a reverse split before I could go to my financing people, because nobody will put money into a company that is so diluted. He replied that he couldn't reverse the shares do to an agreement with the shell owner.
When you buy a shell make sure you are buying the entire flow and that the shares in the hands of the public is not substantial.
Otherwise choose an alternative way of going public. Reverse Merger is not the only way to go public.
Reverse Merger may be the least desirable option for some people, So before taking any action look into the other options available. If the consultant you hire only know Reverse Merger maybe its time to look for somebody else. There isn't a perfect time to take your company public, it must be part of your over all business strategy and vision, and it requires a desire to make work.
If you are ready to take your company to the next level or have any question do not hesitate to email me joe@genesiscorporateadvisors.com or visit our website: www.genesiscorporateadvisors.com
What Software Do You Need For Your Small Business
What Software Do You Need For Your Small Business When running a small business there can be several jobs and
tasks to take care of. Obviously knowing where the money is
coming from and going is essential to running your business.
That's why it is good to find out which small business
accounting software is best for you to help you run a well
organized and efficient small business.
There are hundreds to thousands of small business accounting
software out there to help you with reports and tools needed to
use your financial data. Depending on the one you go with will
depend on how much you're going to pay for it. The more you
pay, the more accessories and programs there will be that come
with it. Some come with a billing and time module, various
amounts of financial and management reports, and more. You can
choose to get it in different editions from basic, online, pro,
or premier for your computer.
One small business accounting software that is recommended is
the 2005 Peachtree Complete Accounting. This is a multi-user
ready system that provides you with all the features needed.
You'll have features including in-depth inventory, job costing,
time and billing, fixed assets and more. With all these great
features the price of this runs between $165-$290 as it is sold
by different merchants. You can shop for this product through
the different merchants here:
http://about.pricegrabber.com/search_getprod.php/masterid=2936006/search=Peachtree%20Complete
Another feature that is offered with certain software is the
capability to scale as your business grows. That is just one of
the many features that the high end Microsoft Business Solutions
Small Business Financials North America Edition offers. Also
included in this program is the capability of keeping record of
financial management, sales, purchasing, inventory, payroll, and
reporting. This is software that will easily allow you to run
an organized small business and keep track of the people in it
and all of the numbers associated with running a small business.
This software will give you everything that you'll truly need.
With this high end software is a hefty price as it runs between
$995-4,500, so you'll have to decide how big your small business
is going to get. If you're going to be running a large small
business, then this will be worth it to help keep track of all
the payrolls and inventory and more. On the website listed
below, you'll also see a free 60-day CD demo that you can try it
out first to see if you like it.
http://www.2020software.com/products/Microsoft_Business_Solutions_Small_Business_Financials_North_America_Edition.asp
There is plenty more software to choose from, but there's a high
end software and a cheaper software to check out. If you go to
http://www.2020software.com/default.asp you'll find a list of
what this website claims the top 7 software out there. Included
on this list is the Microsoft software I have briefly talked
about just above.
This list is going to consist of the more expensive software out
there. All of the software on the list is priced at above
$1,000 with some of them reaching the $100,000 mark. While it
is pricey, it will install very easily, be very secure over the
internet and computer, and offer all kinds of features you
wouldn't even consider such as a built-in report writer to help
deliver the content in the format you need.
Now you know the general price range for accounting software and
the features you'll get for what you pay for. In order to get a
good quality software for your small business it's going to be
pricey, but it will help keep your business organized and in
tact. So don't be afraid to drop some money on software that
will help expand your business in the long run.
tasks to take care of. Obviously knowing where the money is
coming from and going is essential to running your business.
That's why it is good to find out which small business
accounting software is best for you to help you run a well
organized and efficient small business.
There are hundreds to thousands of small business accounting
software out there to help you with reports and tools needed to
use your financial data. Depending on the one you go with will
depend on how much you're going to pay for it. The more you
pay, the more accessories and programs there will be that come
with it. Some come with a billing and time module, various
amounts of financial and management reports, and more. You can
choose to get it in different editions from basic, online, pro,
or premier for your computer.
One small business accounting software that is recommended is
the 2005 Peachtree Complete Accounting. This is a multi-user
ready system that provides you with all the features needed.
You'll have features including in-depth inventory, job costing,
time and billing, fixed assets and more. With all these great
features the price of this runs between $165-$290 as it is sold
by different merchants. You can shop for this product through
the different merchants here:
http://about.pricegrabber.com/search_getprod.php/masterid=2936006/search=Peachtree%20Complete
Another feature that is offered with certain software is the
capability to scale as your business grows. That is just one of
the many features that the high end Microsoft Business Solutions
Small Business Financials North America Edition offers. Also
included in this program is the capability of keeping record of
financial management, sales, purchasing, inventory, payroll, and
reporting. This is software that will easily allow you to run
an organized small business and keep track of the people in it
and all of the numbers associated with running a small business.
This software will give you everything that you'll truly need.
With this high end software is a hefty price as it runs between
$995-4,500, so you'll have to decide how big your small business
is going to get. If you're going to be running a large small
business, then this will be worth it to help keep track of all
the payrolls and inventory and more. On the website listed
below, you'll also see a free 60-day CD demo that you can try it
out first to see if you like it.
http://www.2020software.com/products/Microsoft_Business_Solutions_Small_Business_Financials_North_America_Edition.asp
There is plenty more software to choose from, but there's a high
end software and a cheaper software to check out. If you go to
http://www.2020software.com/default.asp you'll find a list of
what this website claims the top 7 software out there. Included
on this list is the Microsoft software I have briefly talked
about just above.
This list is going to consist of the more expensive software out
there. All of the software on the list is priced at above
$1,000 with some of them reaching the $100,000 mark. While it
is pricey, it will install very easily, be very secure over the
internet and computer, and offer all kinds of features you
wouldn't even consider such as a built-in report writer to help
deliver the content in the format you need.
Now you know the general price range for accounting software and
the features you'll get for what you pay for. In order to get a
good quality software for your small business it's going to be
pricey, but it will help keep your business organized and in
tact. So don't be afraid to drop some money on software that
will help expand your business in the long run.
What Should Your Business Card Say?
What Should Your Business Card Say? 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.
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.
What's Your Genius?
What's Your Genius? Pablo Picasso, was once asked by a journalist "what does it feel like to be Picasso, master of the arts?"
Picasso slowly reached into his pocket and pulled out a dollar bill.
He took a pen in his hand and signed the dollar bill before handing it to the journalist.
The famous painter then remarked "that dollar bill is now worth $500..that is what it feels like to be Picasso!"
Every time I recall that story it makes the hair on the back of my neck stand on end. For me, it's a constant reminder of the rewards that flow from spending a lifetime dedicated to what you are truly good at.
So what's your Genius?
If you want to succeed in business it is critically important that you are able to work out where your true talents lie.
Take a moment to think about the 3 things you do best (no reading forward until you have them - close your eyes if you have to!)
1.
2.
3.
You should also consider asking your three closest friends what they believe you three greatest talents are. Compare their answers with your own. It just might surprise you!
The Entrepreneurial Challenge
One of the biggest challenges every entrepreneur faces, particularly when starting out in business is trying to be good at everything (no lecturing here - I'm actually working on this one myself!).
But consider what would happen to your business if you could completely flip this one around? What could you do to focus more of your time on the things you are truly good at? How could you attract people to do the things that you don't have a natural talent for?
Employee Performance Appraisal
If you've ever worked as an employee, chances are that you've had to endure a typical performance appraisal. You know the ones I'm talking about. Where you spend a couple of minutes talking about the things you've done well and then a couple of hours talking about all the things you need to improve upon. Often the result of this kind of approach is that you spend the following six months focusing on all the things you aren't good at, sending your motivation into freefall. Can you imagine the collective effect of this approach where entire organisations are in a similar frame of mind?
As an entrepreneur, I don't believe you can afford that kind of luxury. It is of critical importance that you create the habit of recognising and developing your strengths and delegating your weaknesses.
What would you like your business to be recognised for?
So what are the extraordinary things that you would like your business to be recognised for? How far and wide would you like that recognition to spread? Do you want your business to be the best of its kind in your local town, city, country or across the globe?
If you can maximise the time you spend developing your core genius and can find an effective way of commercialising your ideas, you'll very soon be banking your own autographed dollar bills!
Picasso slowly reached into his pocket and pulled out a dollar bill.
He took a pen in his hand and signed the dollar bill before handing it to the journalist.
The famous painter then remarked "that dollar bill is now worth $500..that is what it feels like to be Picasso!"
Every time I recall that story it makes the hair on the back of my neck stand on end. For me, it's a constant reminder of the rewards that flow from spending a lifetime dedicated to what you are truly good at.
So what's your Genius?
If you want to succeed in business it is critically important that you are able to work out where your true talents lie.
Take a moment to think about the 3 things you do best (no reading forward until you have them - close your eyes if you have to!)
1.
2.
3.
You should also consider asking your three closest friends what they believe you three greatest talents are. Compare their answers with your own. It just might surprise you!
The Entrepreneurial Challenge
One of the biggest challenges every entrepreneur faces, particularly when starting out in business is trying to be good at everything (no lecturing here - I'm actually working on this one myself!).
But consider what would happen to your business if you could completely flip this one around? What could you do to focus more of your time on the things you are truly good at? How could you attract people to do the things that you don't have a natural talent for?
Employee Performance Appraisal
If you've ever worked as an employee, chances are that you've had to endure a typical performance appraisal. You know the ones I'm talking about. Where you spend a couple of minutes talking about the things you've done well and then a couple of hours talking about all the things you need to improve upon. Often the result of this kind of approach is that you spend the following six months focusing on all the things you aren't good at, sending your motivation into freefall. Can you imagine the collective effect of this approach where entire organisations are in a similar frame of mind?
As an entrepreneur, I don't believe you can afford that kind of luxury. It is of critical importance that you create the habit of recognising and developing your strengths and delegating your weaknesses.
What would you like your business to be recognised for?
So what are the extraordinary things that you would like your business to be recognised for? How far and wide would you like that recognition to spread? Do you want your business to be the best of its kind in your local town, city, country or across the globe?
If you can maximise the time you spend developing your core genius and can find an effective way of commercialising your ideas, you'll very soon be banking your own autographed dollar bills!
What One Thing
What One Thing A few weeks ago I asked my readers what the most important issue was in their business. Hundreds responded with a variety of answers, but one of the most common was, "How do I get everything that needs doing done?"
Happily, I have an answer for this question, but like many things in life, it carries both good news and bad news. The good news is, if you are one of those fortunate few with access to unlimited resources, you can get everything done.
But that's really the bad news, isn't it.
Because among all the people I know - not a single one of them - not one - has access to unlimited resources. Even executives I work with whose budgets run into the hundreds of millions - even they do not have unlimited resources. Even they have to make choices and trade-offs.
Earl Nightingale once asked the question, "What one thing would you do if you knew you could not fail?" And Jack Palance's Curly in City Slickers, asked a similar question: "What is the one thing?"
Their questions contains seeds of the answer to this quandary.
Because all things on your plate are not created equal. They are not all important. They do not all have the same impact, the same dependencies, the same possibility of reward.
And even if you think they do, upon close examination you'll find they do not.
The trick of course, is to figure out the one thing that matters most...
Right now...
And focus on that.
Of all the ideas I have sifted through in my role as an executive coach and business coach among the most relevant is the concept of sacrifice. My definition is giving up something of value for something of even greater value.
Sacrifice is the key. You have to let go of your attachment to most things on your plate, and figure out what things are of greatest value.
You don't get everything done, and you can't get everything important done. If you select well, and are willing to sacrifice the rest, you can get the most important things done. By letting go of the rest, everything essential, everything vital, everything earth-shattering can be done.
Can you imagine what life would be like if you only worked on things that were earth-shattering?
While this seems simple, obvious even, most of us have struggled with it all our lives.
You probably have trouble figuring out, from day to day, what is going to make the greatest difference. I'd be willing to bet that if you take a look, you probably can't even figure out what the criteria are.
So let's go back to Earl Nightingale's question: What one thing would do if you knew you could not fail?
Look at the things on your to-do list this way:
What will have the biggest impact?
What will yield the greatest revenues and profits?
What will open the doors to the future you desire?
What has the strongest possibility of success?
What has the largest reward to risk ratio?
What will give you the finest return on your investment?
What will free up the most time?
What will free up the most resources?
What will help you realize your success strategy?
And, what will bring you closest to your goals?
If you can first figure out which among these questions are most relevant for you, and answer them for all your projects, you can rank the things on your plate according to what matters most and is absolutely essential.
And once you do that, you can figure out which among all the various tasks you have should - no, must - get your attention.
THOSE ARE THE ONLY ONES YOU WORK ON.
Get those done, and if you have time left over, turn your attention to the next batch.
I call it strategic focus. Figuring out what's really going to rock your world. Figuring out what is really going to deliver the goods. And working on those things.
Only those things.
The rest of it will simply have to wait.
Maybe forever.
If you can wrap your mind around this one simple idea, figuring out what to do next becomes pretty easy. And because you are focusing your energies on few things instead of many, things get done.
To make it easier for you to figure out what matters most in your business and help you build systems to take care of the things that are, I've developed a new, comprehensive and first-of-its-kind program. The Turnkey Your Business Home Study and Mentoring Program is a twelve month hands-on course, containing step-by-step how-to manuals, audio CDs, CD-ROMs, monthly conference calls and personal mentoring. It helps entrepreneurs and executives create detailed systems and processes to "turnkey" their businesses. One of the most important elements of the program is the Critical Factors Process which helps you rank every aspect of your business, along with every task associated with it, in the order of importance for your company. That way you can create duplicable business processes for those things that matter most, and then optimize those same things getting the greatest return on your efforts and your time.
You can find out more about the Turnkey Your Business Home Study Program by linking to http://www.turnkeycoach.com.
Best regards,
Paul Lemberg
Happily, I have an answer for this question, but like many things in life, it carries both good news and bad news. The good news is, if you are one of those fortunate few with access to unlimited resources, you can get everything done.
But that's really the bad news, isn't it.
Because among all the people I know - not a single one of them - not one - has access to unlimited resources. Even executives I work with whose budgets run into the hundreds of millions - even they do not have unlimited resources. Even they have to make choices and trade-offs.
Earl Nightingale once asked the question, "What one thing would you do if you knew you could not fail?" And Jack Palance's Curly in City Slickers, asked a similar question: "What is the one thing?"
Their questions contains seeds of the answer to this quandary.
Because all things on your plate are not created equal. They are not all important. They do not all have the same impact, the same dependencies, the same possibility of reward.
And even if you think they do, upon close examination you'll find they do not.
The trick of course, is to figure out the one thing that matters most...
Right now...
And focus on that.
Of all the ideas I have sifted through in my role as an executive coach and business coach among the most relevant is the concept of sacrifice. My definition is giving up something of value for something of even greater value.
Sacrifice is the key. You have to let go of your attachment to most things on your plate, and figure out what things are of greatest value.
You don't get everything done, and you can't get everything important done. If you select well, and are willing to sacrifice the rest, you can get the most important things done. By letting go of the rest, everything essential, everything vital, everything earth-shattering can be done.
Can you imagine what life would be like if you only worked on things that were earth-shattering?
While this seems simple, obvious even, most of us have struggled with it all our lives.
You probably have trouble figuring out, from day to day, what is going to make the greatest difference. I'd be willing to bet that if you take a look, you probably can't even figure out what the criteria are.
So let's go back to Earl Nightingale's question: What one thing would do if you knew you could not fail?
Look at the things on your to-do list this way:
What will have the biggest impact?
What will yield the greatest revenues and profits?
What will open the doors to the future you desire?
What has the strongest possibility of success?
What has the largest reward to risk ratio?
What will give you the finest return on your investment?
What will free up the most time?
What will free up the most resources?
What will help you realize your success strategy?
And, what will bring you closest to your goals?
If you can first figure out which among these questions are most relevant for you, and answer them for all your projects, you can rank the things on your plate according to what matters most and is absolutely essential.
And once you do that, you can figure out which among all the various tasks you have should - no, must - get your attention.
THOSE ARE THE ONLY ONES YOU WORK ON.
Get those done, and if you have time left over, turn your attention to the next batch.
I call it strategic focus. Figuring out what's really going to rock your world. Figuring out what is really going to deliver the goods. And working on those things.
Only those things.
The rest of it will simply have to wait.
Maybe forever.
If you can wrap your mind around this one simple idea, figuring out what to do next becomes pretty easy. And because you are focusing your energies on few things instead of many, things get done.
To make it easier for you to figure out what matters most in your business and help you build systems to take care of the things that are, I've developed a new, comprehensive and first-of-its-kind program. The Turnkey Your Business Home Study and Mentoring Program is a twelve month hands-on course, containing step-by-step how-to manuals, audio CDs, CD-ROMs, monthly conference calls and personal mentoring. It helps entrepreneurs and executives create detailed systems and processes to "turnkey" their businesses. One of the most important elements of the program is the Critical Factors Process which helps you rank every aspect of your business, along with every task associated with it, in the order of importance for your company. That way you can create duplicable business processes for those things that matter most, and then optimize those same things getting the greatest return on your efforts and your time.
You can find out more about the Turnkey Your Business Home Study Program by linking to http://www.turnkeycoach.com.
Best regards,
Paul Lemberg
What it Takes to Succeed in Business!
What it Takes to Succeed in Business! Business if tough in today's world! Most small businesses go bankrupt or are closed abruptly in the first five years. Over the course of the next five years many of the remainders also "pack up" shop and lock their doors. Why do so many businesses fail?
The reasons lie in three main spheres. Those spheres of influence can be labeled personal, customer, and operations.
The Personal Sphere deals with the owner's personal motivation to start a business. For example, if an owner wants to start their own business, but isn't willing to make the sacrifices necessary to make it thrive, then they are at a disadvantage when compared to other motivated businesspeople. When a business starts for the first time often it doesn't have a lot of money. Owners are required to sacrifice time, money, and happiness to succeed. If you can't do that, it is unlikely that such a business will flourish. Many times owners thought they could handle the hardship but once the novelty of "being your own boss" wears off they close the door.
The Customer Sphere is one of the most important components of your business. Without customers you do not have sales, without sales you do not have money and without money you do not have a business. Many factors go into generating a good customer base. In the beginning you must have a cost effective marketing strategy that targets your intended buyers. This can be done by developing a psychological profile of your customer and then advertising in those places that they frequent. Because it is more expensive to get a new customer than it is to keep one you must make sure they are satisfied with your business and product. Keep in touch with them by sending them a follow-up letter with a survey.
The Operations Sphere is only second to the Customer Sphere. In operations you must have an appropriate method of reducing costs, keeping track of paperwork, and maintaining improvement. Operations can also take into effect the tax paperwork, accounting, scheduling of workers, benefits or any non-producing functions.
If all of these three components are well thought out and are appropriately designed you will increases your chances of survival. Failure to understand the integral details of your business and what it takes to succeed may mean failure in the long run. If you are having difficulty putting all the pieces together then consider a small business consultant.
The reasons lie in three main spheres. Those spheres of influence can be labeled personal, customer, and operations.
The Personal Sphere deals with the owner's personal motivation to start a business. For example, if an owner wants to start their own business, but isn't willing to make the sacrifices necessary to make it thrive, then they are at a disadvantage when compared to other motivated businesspeople. When a business starts for the first time often it doesn't have a lot of money. Owners are required to sacrifice time, money, and happiness to succeed. If you can't do that, it is unlikely that such a business will flourish. Many times owners thought they could handle the hardship but once the novelty of "being your own boss" wears off they close the door.
The Customer Sphere is one of the most important components of your business. Without customers you do not have sales, without sales you do not have money and without money you do not have a business. Many factors go into generating a good customer base. In the beginning you must have a cost effective marketing strategy that targets your intended buyers. This can be done by developing a psychological profile of your customer and then advertising in those places that they frequent. Because it is more expensive to get a new customer than it is to keep one you must make sure they are satisfied with your business and product. Keep in touch with them by sending them a follow-up letter with a survey.
The Operations Sphere is only second to the Customer Sphere. In operations you must have an appropriate method of reducing costs, keeping track of paperwork, and maintaining improvement. Operations can also take into effect the tax paperwork, accounting, scheduling of workers, benefits or any non-producing functions.
If all of these three components are well thought out and are appropriately designed you will increases your chances of survival. Failure to understand the integral details of your business and what it takes to succeed may mean failure in the long run. If you are having difficulty putting all the pieces together then consider a small business consultant.
What Goes Around Comes Around
What Goes Around Comes Around I've spent a lifetime committed to helping others. It's what gives me the greatest joy, fulfillment and satisfaction in life. I'm also a true believer in the old adage - "What goes around comes around."
This is reinforced on many occasions when I encounter an old co-worker, friend or acquaintance who reminds me of how I inspired them, gave them guidance or helped them through a difficult time. These kinds of experiences always motivate me to keep putting good things out into the world.
We never know in advance what good may come from the gestures we put out there. Maybe it will inspire, encourage, educate, motivate or actually change someone's life. In any event, people will always come away knowing that they matter to you.
In business, as in life, it all comes down to people. People are your customers, co-workers, employees, leaders, managers, investors and vendors. Success in your business depends on the people you encounter. How you treat those people will have a significant impact on your bottom line.
Here are some ways to help people in your business and show them that they matter:
1. Deliver incredible customer service.
2. Give a single parent the afternoon off.
3. Pay someone more than you need to.
4. Send a hand-written note to an employee acknowledging a job well done.
5. Loan a subordinate a book that you've found to be helpful.
6. Tell someone struggling "I want to help you succeed," and mean it.
7. Stop by and talk, without an agenda.
8. Share a resource that you've found useful.
9. Create a safe space for openness and honesty.
10. Let people tell you how they feel, and listen without interrupting.
I encourage you to think about the people that you impact, the lives that you touch and the positive changes that you can make. These are the true signs of leadership and in my opinion are more important than the money that you make, the position that you hold or the size of your office.
You can do good while you're doing well. It may require you to think of new ways to do it, but when you focus on helping others, you'll succeed in ways beyond measure.
This is reinforced on many occasions when I encounter an old co-worker, friend or acquaintance who reminds me of how I inspired them, gave them guidance or helped them through a difficult time. These kinds of experiences always motivate me to keep putting good things out into the world.
We never know in advance what good may come from the gestures we put out there. Maybe it will inspire, encourage, educate, motivate or actually change someone's life. In any event, people will always come away knowing that they matter to you.
In business, as in life, it all comes down to people. People are your customers, co-workers, employees, leaders, managers, investors and vendors. Success in your business depends on the people you encounter. How you treat those people will have a significant impact on your bottom line.
Here are some ways to help people in your business and show them that they matter:
1. Deliver incredible customer service.
2. Give a single parent the afternoon off.
3. Pay someone more than you need to.
4. Send a hand-written note to an employee acknowledging a job well done.
5. Loan a subordinate a book that you've found to be helpful.
6. Tell someone struggling "I want to help you succeed," and mean it.
7. Stop by and talk, without an agenda.
8. Share a resource that you've found useful.
9. Create a safe space for openness and honesty.
10. Let people tell you how they feel, and listen without interrupting.
I encourage you to think about the people that you impact, the lives that you touch and the positive changes that you can make. These are the true signs of leadership and in my opinion are more important than the money that you make, the position that you hold or the size of your office.
You can do good while you're doing well. It may require you to think of new ways to do it, but when you focus on helping others, you'll succeed in ways beyond measure.
What are the benefits of blogging for small business?
What are the benefits of blogging for small business? Copyright 2005 UpLevel Strategies
Blogging has become quite popular for small businesses as of late. I have noticed on PR Leads that there are several story requests for experts to talk about the benefits of blogging for small businesses. So, I decided I better do my homework and see what this is all about. It turns out that there are several benefits to blogging for small businesses. Here are the most important ones:
1. Blogging Software is Super Easy to Use: Simply write your thoughts, link to resources, and publish to your blog, all at the push of a few buttons. I use the software blogger.com. It took me 2 minutes to set up my account and 3 minutes to publish my first blog. Check out my blog at: http://uplevelstrategies.blogspot.com/
2. Build Relationships Online: Business blogs provide your small business with a chance to share your expertise and knowledge with a larger audience. You have the opportunity to share a piece of yourself with your community allowing them to get to know you better.
3. Higher Search Engine Rankings: Search engine marketing is hot. Business bloggers are achieving top search engine rankings because search engines rank based on link popularity and easy to index regular content among other factors. Learning the basic skills of search engine optimization and good content management are keys to better rankings for bloggers.
4. Easy Communication: The biggest benefit of Blogging or RSS (see definition below) for your web audience can prove to be a better solution for notification than websites themselves or email. As indicated by Bill Gates in a speech at the Microsoft CEO Summit 2004 in Redmond, Washington: "if you just put information on a Web site, then people don't know to come visit that Web site, and it's very painful to keep visiting somebody's Web site and it never changes. It's very typical that a lot of the Web sites you go to that are personal in nature just eventually go completely stale and you waste time looking at it... And so, getting away from the drawbacks of e-mail -- that it's too imposing -- and yet the drawbacks of the Web site -- that you don't know if there's something new and interesting there - this [blogs & RSS] is about solving that."
Definitions:
RSS - RSS is an acronym for Rich Site Summary, an XML format for distributing news headlines on the Web, also known as syndication. First started by Netscape as part of the My Netscape site, it expanded through Dave Winer and Userland.
Blog - Weblog, web log or simply a blog, is a web application which contains periodic posts on a common webpage. These posts are often but not necessarily in reverse chronological order. Such a website would typically be accessible to any Internet user.
(c) Kelly O'Neil 2005
Blogging has become quite popular for small businesses as of late. I have noticed on PR Leads that there are several story requests for experts to talk about the benefits of blogging for small businesses. So, I decided I better do my homework and see what this is all about. It turns out that there are several benefits to blogging for small businesses. Here are the most important ones:
1. Blogging Software is Super Easy to Use: Simply write your thoughts, link to resources, and publish to your blog, all at the push of a few buttons. I use the software blogger.com. It took me 2 minutes to set up my account and 3 minutes to publish my first blog. Check out my blog at: http://uplevelstrategies.blogspot.com/
2. Build Relationships Online: Business blogs provide your small business with a chance to share your expertise and knowledge with a larger audience. You have the opportunity to share a piece of yourself with your community allowing them to get to know you better.
3. Higher Search Engine Rankings: Search engine marketing is hot. Business bloggers are achieving top search engine rankings because search engines rank based on link popularity and easy to index regular content among other factors. Learning the basic skills of search engine optimization and good content management are keys to better rankings for bloggers.
4. Easy Communication: The biggest benefit of Blogging or RSS (see definition below) for your web audience can prove to be a better solution for notification than websites themselves or email. As indicated by Bill Gates in a speech at the Microsoft CEO Summit 2004 in Redmond, Washington: "if you just put information on a Web site, then people don't know to come visit that Web site, and it's very painful to keep visiting somebody's Web site and it never changes. It's very typical that a lot of the Web sites you go to that are personal in nature just eventually go completely stale and you waste time looking at it... And so, getting away from the drawbacks of e-mail -- that it's too imposing -- and yet the drawbacks of the Web site -- that you don't know if there's something new and interesting there - this [blogs & RSS] is about solving that."
Definitions:
RSS - RSS is an acronym for Rich Site Summary, an XML format for distributing news headlines on the Web, also known as syndication. First started by Netscape as part of the My Netscape site, it expanded through Dave Winer and Userland.
Blog - Weblog, web log or simply a blog, is a web application which contains periodic posts on a common webpage. These posts are often but not necessarily in reverse chronological order. Such a website would typically be accessible to any Internet user.
(c) Kelly O'Neil 2005
Web Host Review - To Prevent Web Host Shut Down
Web Host Review - To Prevent Web Host Shut Down This article is based on a true experience that took place with my web host. I am not here to blame or try to give my web host a bad name, I am here to give an honest web host review, that makes sense to you before choosing a web host provider that is right for your business.
All web host are created equal in my eyes, that is, or that used to be, until I got shut down without warning. It was very hard for me to understand how I could start a new website from scratch and eat up 40 Gigs of bandwidth in that short span of time (3 months, and I was shut down).
You should do a web host review, before you make a choice. The problem online today is, how can you make a sound web host review with all the thousands out there.
It is impossible to review the thousands of web host out there, but it is in your best interest if you base your web host review on high in demand providers. Many of the top marketers have their own server, and you can't afford to pay $200 or more monthly for your own server.
For you to prevent web host shut down, you will have to learn how to use the forums to find recommendation for choosing your web hosting provider. I didn't do my own research and that is why my web host shut me down without notice.
After being shut down, I went to two of my favorite forums and read a couple of post regarding my hosting company, and realized that no one had any great experiences with that company. They gave poor web host review grades for that host, well life is a learning process, and I know what not to do when choosing a web hosting provider.
Here are four tips you should follow to get a web host review:
1) Don't ever go for unlimited domain names.
One other point worth mentioning, don't ever go for unlimited domain names, whenever you create a new account they automatically divide up your hosting bandwidth. That means that if you have just 40 Gigs of bandwidth and you divide it up by four domain names, you have used up all your bandwidth.
So, any other new domain name you add will make you exceed your bandwidth, please understand I am just showing you the rip offs that takes place with some low cost web hosting providers. They say that they will warn you when your exceeding your bandwidth, but they just never do. They make you pay extra for unlimited domain names, but you being new to the Internet, you won't ever need more than three to six domain names to get you started.
2) Don't go with any web hosting provider that requires the full amount up front.
They offer low cost web hosting if you pay the yearly price up front. Well, once you have paid for the year, you are tied to this company, should their service be not worthy, you will loose your initial yearly payment. Go with a company that has a 3 month or monthly payment plan, with a money back guarantee.
3) Test by sending a simple email to your web host first.
Just send off a simple email telling your web host that your interested in their hosting, this is a must for you to review web host that are unknown. The response time to your email will let you know what type of service they offer.
4) Ask for a charge back.
As you know, the client is supposed to be king, keep all your receipts in place, and should you ever be shut down by your web host after paying a yearly plan, just go to your credit card provider and file a complaint for a refund. Don't let anyone scam you out of your money.
The final conclusion, your the one to blame if you get scammed, so make sure you follow my web host review tips before handing out your credit card.
All web host are created equal in my eyes, that is, or that used to be, until I got shut down without warning. It was very hard for me to understand how I could start a new website from scratch and eat up 40 Gigs of bandwidth in that short span of time (3 months, and I was shut down).
You should do a web host review, before you make a choice. The problem online today is, how can you make a sound web host review with all the thousands out there.
It is impossible to review the thousands of web host out there, but it is in your best interest if you base your web host review on high in demand providers. Many of the top marketers have their own server, and you can't afford to pay $200 or more monthly for your own server.
For you to prevent web host shut down, you will have to learn how to use the forums to find recommendation for choosing your web hosting provider. I didn't do my own research and that is why my web host shut me down without notice.
After being shut down, I went to two of my favorite forums and read a couple of post regarding my hosting company, and realized that no one had any great experiences with that company. They gave poor web host review grades for that host, well life is a learning process, and I know what not to do when choosing a web hosting provider.
Here are four tips you should follow to get a web host review:
1) Don't ever go for unlimited domain names.
One other point worth mentioning, don't ever go for unlimited domain names, whenever you create a new account they automatically divide up your hosting bandwidth. That means that if you have just 40 Gigs of bandwidth and you divide it up by four domain names, you have used up all your bandwidth.
So, any other new domain name you add will make you exceed your bandwidth, please understand I am just showing you the rip offs that takes place with some low cost web hosting providers. They say that they will warn you when your exceeding your bandwidth, but they just never do. They make you pay extra for unlimited domain names, but you being new to the Internet, you won't ever need more than three to six domain names to get you started.
2) Don't go with any web hosting provider that requires the full amount up front.
They offer low cost web hosting if you pay the yearly price up front. Well, once you have paid for the year, you are tied to this company, should their service be not worthy, you will loose your initial yearly payment. Go with a company that has a 3 month or monthly payment plan, with a money back guarantee.
3) Test by sending a simple email to your web host first.
Just send off a simple email telling your web host that your interested in their hosting, this is a must for you to review web host that are unknown. The response time to your email will let you know what type of service they offer.
4) Ask for a charge back.
As you know, the client is supposed to be king, keep all your receipts in place, and should you ever be shut down by your web host after paying a yearly plan, just go to your credit card provider and file a complaint for a refund. Don't let anyone scam you out of your money.
The final conclusion, your the one to blame if you get scammed, so make sure you follow my web host review tips before handing out your credit card.
Want to earn more Profits
Want to earn more Profits It's a simple yet common question, "How can I make my business more successful?"
Success can mean a lot of different things to a lot of different people but when it comes down to it, the success of your business should only be measured by one thing - profit.
At the end of the day, it's not how many people came in to your store or phoned in. It's not even how many widgets you sold. At the end of the day, what truly matters is how much of a profit you made.
It would make sense then that your efforts focus on profit as the end result. With that in mind, there are only three strategies to increase profits for your business.
1) Increase the dollar size of each order
2) Increase the number of times people buy from you
3) Increase the number of people who buy from you
Most likely, your business is already primed to attack each of these three angles and implementing that attack should be fairly easy.
Let's say that you are the owner of Happy Wicks Candle Store. Let your customers know that for every $50 they spend they will receive a free 4-inch candle. When they are eligible for the free candle, offer them the option of upgrading the 4-inch candle to a 6-inch candle for only four dollars.
Implement a customer loyalty program. Whenever a customer spends $200 with your store they receive a 20% discount on their next order. Show loyalty to your customers, too. Create customer-only events and sales, even workshops on how to make candles at home.
Candles are also popular gifts. Be sure to place your contact info on each and every candle. This makes it easy for the gift recipient to purchase from you. Be sure to also use this tactic when co-promoting with similar businesses such as a flower and bath and body shop.
Looking at the example Happy Wicks Candle Store, the tasks of increasing profits was not a difficult one. Truly, it's a matter of putting systems in place that generate increasing profits.
Take a look at your business and examine the systems you have in place. Chances are there's undiscovered profits lying about. Put systems in place to gather those profits and you'll find your business reaching new heights of success.
Success can mean a lot of different things to a lot of different people but when it comes down to it, the success of your business should only be measured by one thing - profit.
At the end of the day, it's not how many people came in to your store or phoned in. It's not even how many widgets you sold. At the end of the day, what truly matters is how much of a profit you made.
It would make sense then that your efforts focus on profit as the end result. With that in mind, there are only three strategies to increase profits for your business.
1) Increase the dollar size of each order
2) Increase the number of times people buy from you
3) Increase the number of people who buy from you
Most likely, your business is already primed to attack each of these three angles and implementing that attack should be fairly easy.
Let's say that you are the owner of Happy Wicks Candle Store. Let your customers know that for every $50 they spend they will receive a free 4-inch candle. When they are eligible for the free candle, offer them the option of upgrading the 4-inch candle to a 6-inch candle for only four dollars.
Implement a customer loyalty program. Whenever a customer spends $200 with your store they receive a 20% discount on their next order. Show loyalty to your customers, too. Create customer-only events and sales, even workshops on how to make candles at home.
Candles are also popular gifts. Be sure to place your contact info on each and every candle. This makes it easy for the gift recipient to purchase from you. Be sure to also use this tactic when co-promoting with similar businesses such as a flower and bath and body shop.
Looking at the example Happy Wicks Candle Store, the tasks of increasing profits was not a difficult one. Truly, it's a matter of putting systems in place that generate increasing profits.
Take a look at your business and examine the systems you have in place. Chances are there's undiscovered profits lying about. Put systems in place to gather those profits and you'll find your business reaching new heights of success.
Want A Credit Card Merchant Account?
Want A Credit Card Merchant Account? Who doesn't want a credit card merchant account! This special service allows you to process credit card payments from your clients in a number of ways that can help to speedily grow your business. A merchant account has been known to double or triple business profits in a relatively short amount of time, so only if your company is poised for growth should you consider this exciting opportunity.
If you currently work with a bank that you trust with your business concerns, ask about the possibility of applying for a credit card merchant account. Most companies are eager to welcome this type of business from customers they know and trust. As long as you have established a solid business credit history, pay your bills in a timely manner, and aren't involved in questionable or unethical pursuits, your chances of being approved for a merchant account are good. Of course, your bank may not offer this type of account, or you may be able to find better terms with another lender, so don't feel as though you must apply for merchant services with your current lender. Instead, ask around at trade shows, conventions, or civic business meetings to see what type of merchant account providers your competitors are using. They can probably offer helpful tips on which lenders to court and which ones to avoid. You also can check with local business listings for references on general lenders, some of which may offer merchant accounts. Or you can browse the Internet to bring up a list of links that will let you contact those that seem most compatible with your business interests.
Getting a credit card merchant account is pretty easy. After locating potential lenders to work with, you should compare services and fees to make sure they will work with the business plan that you are using or one that you plan to set up. Check your company's budget to find out how much you can afford to invest in credit card processing equipment and service options. Then compare your budget with transactional fees, maintenance expenses, and application or gateway rates to find a lender that is affordable for your needs.
When you have been approved for a credit card merchant account, you can start to accept credit card payments from your clients immediately, often with a couple of days. All you need to do is select the type of processing equipment that best fits with your customers' purchasing patterns. For example, if most visit your store to shop, an onsite credit card processor that you can purchase for a few hundred dollars is the simplest and perhaps most effective way to start. But if you deliver goods and services, a wireless unit might be the better choice. Of course, if you do both, two units might be affordable, but you will need to check your budget. You can always start with one and add another later.
Start looking for a possible merchant card services provider to get approved for your credit card merchant account!
If you currently work with a bank that you trust with your business concerns, ask about the possibility of applying for a credit card merchant account. Most companies are eager to welcome this type of business from customers they know and trust. As long as you have established a solid business credit history, pay your bills in a timely manner, and aren't involved in questionable or unethical pursuits, your chances of being approved for a merchant account are good. Of course, your bank may not offer this type of account, or you may be able to find better terms with another lender, so don't feel as though you must apply for merchant services with your current lender. Instead, ask around at trade shows, conventions, or civic business meetings to see what type of merchant account providers your competitors are using. They can probably offer helpful tips on which lenders to court and which ones to avoid. You also can check with local business listings for references on general lenders, some of which may offer merchant accounts. Or you can browse the Internet to bring up a list of links that will let you contact those that seem most compatible with your business interests.
Getting a credit card merchant account is pretty easy. After locating potential lenders to work with, you should compare services and fees to make sure they will work with the business plan that you are using or one that you plan to set up. Check your company's budget to find out how much you can afford to invest in credit card processing equipment and service options. Then compare your budget with transactional fees, maintenance expenses, and application or gateway rates to find a lender that is affordable for your needs.
When you have been approved for a credit card merchant account, you can start to accept credit card payments from your clients immediately, often with a couple of days. All you need to do is select the type of processing equipment that best fits with your customers' purchasing patterns. For example, if most visit your store to shop, an onsite credit card processor that you can purchase for a few hundred dollars is the simplest and perhaps most effective way to start. But if you deliver goods and services, a wireless unit might be the better choice. Of course, if you do both, two units might be affordable, but you will need to check your budget. You can always start with one and add another later.
Start looking for a possible merchant card services provider to get approved for your credit card merchant account!
Waiora Top Recruiters Using Conversational Recruiting
Waiora Top Recruiters Using Conversational Recruiting When someone tells me their MLM numbers are down, I usually ask, "How is your personal recruiting?" The answer is always, "down."
No matter what the problem seems to be in your MLM, it's usually nothing that a fresh group of sponsored people you can help can't cure. If you want to make a solid part-time or full-time income in network marketing, you have to be persistent and consistent with your personal recruiting.
In interviews with top MLM recruiters nationwide we've discovered 7 critical themes that keep recurring.
1 - Recruiting is a process.
It is not done once at 9:00 a.m. or after dinner each day. It is not done the first and fourth Monday nights of every month. You are recruiting each time you share your products and business opportunity with any prospect.
2 - Recruiting is continuous.
It does not stop with the first, fifth or twentieth person you sponsor. As you recruit, your distributors recruit, and on and on. The top leaders we interviewed recruit day in and day out.
3 - Recruiting leverages your time.
The ten hours you invest in your business can create two to ten people who each spend ten hours. Your ten hours have now increased from twenty to one hundred hours invested in your business.
4 - Recruiting sets an example.
If I wasn't a top recruiter with my company, my group would never taken recruiting seriously. By consistently sponsoring 8+ every month (full-time effort), I set a bar for the leadership in my team. My wife is also a top recruiter (after learning Conversational Recruiting). She sets an example for her team of ladies.
5 - Recruiting has no boundaries.
With your opportunity, you have the opportunity to build an organization across the United States and possibly the world. You will get financial benefits for the rest of your life on sponsorships made by people you don't even know. The sun may never set on your residual income. Great feeling, right?
6 - Recruiting increases your personal development.
Is it comfortable talking to total strangers after our moms taught us, "Don't talk to strangers"? No. When you break through your comfort zone, you'll experience immense pride in what you can accomplish. And, once you get the habit of hitting your monthly recruiting goal, you'll feel awkward if you don't do it. Start that habit now.
7 - Recruiting is a highly prized skill set by companies.
MLM companies rely on strong recruiters to teach, train and duplicate. Big bonuses are usually in compensation plans to reward top recruiters.
Keep these themes in mind as you develop a strong and profitable business. This is an industry where you write your own check and it starts with consistent recruiting.
No matter what the problem seems to be in your MLM, it's usually nothing that a fresh group of sponsored people you can help can't cure. If you want to make a solid part-time or full-time income in network marketing, you have to be persistent and consistent with your personal recruiting.
In interviews with top MLM recruiters nationwide we've discovered 7 critical themes that keep recurring.
1 - Recruiting is a process.
It is not done once at 9:00 a.m. or after dinner each day. It is not done the first and fourth Monday nights of every month. You are recruiting each time you share your products and business opportunity with any prospect.
2 - Recruiting is continuous.
It does not stop with the first, fifth or twentieth person you sponsor. As you recruit, your distributors recruit, and on and on. The top leaders we interviewed recruit day in and day out.
3 - Recruiting leverages your time.
The ten hours you invest in your business can create two to ten people who each spend ten hours. Your ten hours have now increased from twenty to one hundred hours invested in your business.
4 - Recruiting sets an example.
If I wasn't a top recruiter with my company, my group would never taken recruiting seriously. By consistently sponsoring 8+ every month (full-time effort), I set a bar for the leadership in my team. My wife is also a top recruiter (after learning Conversational Recruiting). She sets an example for her team of ladies.
5 - Recruiting has no boundaries.
With your opportunity, you have the opportunity to build an organization across the United States and possibly the world. You will get financial benefits for the rest of your life on sponsorships made by people you don't even know. The sun may never set on your residual income. Great feeling, right?
6 - Recruiting increases your personal development.
Is it comfortable talking to total strangers after our moms taught us, "Don't talk to strangers"? No. When you break through your comfort zone, you'll experience immense pride in what you can accomplish. And, once you get the habit of hitting your monthly recruiting goal, you'll feel awkward if you don't do it. Start that habit now.
7 - Recruiting is a highly prized skill set by companies.
MLM companies rely on strong recruiters to teach, train and duplicate. Big bonuses are usually in compensation plans to reward top recruiters.
Keep these themes in mind as you develop a strong and profitable business. This is an industry where you write your own check and it starts with consistent recruiting.
VoIP vs. Analog
VoIP vs. Analog Many people today prefer VoIP to Analog phones. Analog or traditional phones are losing the battle against VoIP when it comes to cost effectiveness, standards, quality, and ease of use. VoIP stands for Voice over Internet Protocol and VoIP is the technology that transmits voice as packet files over the Internet. This is known as the Packet Switching Network. Standard Analog phones use the Circuit Switching Network and the entire landline Analog telephone system is referred to as the Public Switched Telephone Network.
The main difference between Packet Switching and Circuit Switching, is that Packet Switching uses (data) or Packets and sends them over the Internet while Circuit Switching is accomplished by using electrical circuits to make a telephone connection. Circuit Switching is like the old switchboard operators, wearing headsets frantically trying to connect the right caller with the receiver. Packet Switching is used to transfer data all across the Internet- it is used for E-mail.
Many people are choosing VoIP over Analog because of the many benefits that it offers.
The calling features that usually come with your Analog service for a fee are often included for free with your VoIP service. These include features such as Call Waiting, Call Forwarding, Call Block, Three-Way- Calling, Voice Mail, * 69 and more. Another benefit to VoIP services include the fact that many providers will let you keep your existing phone number, or allow you to select a new area code. Selecting a new area code has great appeal to many people. For instance, a customer can select an area code for the same town where most of his friends or family live. By choosing this area code, not only is he still getting a great deal with his VoIP services, but also now his family and friends will save money whenever they call. For them, it will be a local and not a long distance call.
VoIP is also preferred by many businesses as their method of telecommunications.
Businesses prefer the flexibility, freedom, and cost effectiveness offered by VoIP as compared to Analog service providers. Businesses today depend upon telecommunications. Whether it is Internet, E-mail, Customer Service through telephone, online web applications, and E-mail, or whatever your IT business needs may be, VoIP offers to handle all of your needs with one application. Additionally, this reduces cost and increases productivity. VoIP also has combined with software applications that are perfect for many business needs. Software such as accounting programs, Email, and PC based applications help to save money by combining services.
The reduction in long distance charges is another great advantage for switching to VoIP for business needs. By combining data, video, and audio needs, companies save on bandwidth usage, which ultimately leads to financial savings.
Businesses are also opting for VoIP in their Call Centers. VoIP is slowly becoming the standard choice for Call Centers. VoIP offers some major benefits for Call Centers such as flexibility, cost efficiency, and enhanced customer service applications. For instance, in the past, a Call Center needed to be a stabilized facility equipped with many phone lines used by people who would physically be located in the Call Center. By using VoIP for your Call Center, not only is your main location easily relocated as your business expands, but you can hire employees virtually world wide. Larger companies take advantage of VoIP Call Centers by outsourcing work overseas where they can hire employees for less. The Integration of data, audio, and web-based features is another reason why businesses are opting for VoIP. Customer service calls are handled more efficiently with the integration of these three components. Not only are calls transferred more proficiently, but also greater care can be given to customers when Call Centers use integrated software platforms.
More Call Centers are taking advantage of the opportunity to hire employees world wide through VoIP services. Employees may work in different time zones, giving greater customer service benefits year round, and hiring home based employees is another way businesses are choosing to save money. VoIP provides solutions for businesses that Analog just simply does not address.
Most people prefer VoIP over Analog, and the future points to the fact that VoIP will only increase in popularity.
[ Submitted with ArticleSubmitter Pro - http://www.articlesubmitterpro.com]
The main difference between Packet Switching and Circuit Switching, is that Packet Switching uses (data) or Packets and sends them over the Internet while Circuit Switching is accomplished by using electrical circuits to make a telephone connection. Circuit Switching is like the old switchboard operators, wearing headsets frantically trying to connect the right caller with the receiver. Packet Switching is used to transfer data all across the Internet- it is used for E-mail.
Many people are choosing VoIP over Analog because of the many benefits that it offers.
The calling features that usually come with your Analog service for a fee are often included for free with your VoIP service. These include features such as Call Waiting, Call Forwarding, Call Block, Three-Way- Calling, Voice Mail, * 69 and more. Another benefit to VoIP services include the fact that many providers will let you keep your existing phone number, or allow you to select a new area code. Selecting a new area code has great appeal to many people. For instance, a customer can select an area code for the same town where most of his friends or family live. By choosing this area code, not only is he still getting a great deal with his VoIP services, but also now his family and friends will save money whenever they call. For them, it will be a local and not a long distance call.
VoIP is also preferred by many businesses as their method of telecommunications.
Businesses prefer the flexibility, freedom, and cost effectiveness offered by VoIP as compared to Analog service providers. Businesses today depend upon telecommunications. Whether it is Internet, E-mail, Customer Service through telephone, online web applications, and E-mail, or whatever your IT business needs may be, VoIP offers to handle all of your needs with one application. Additionally, this reduces cost and increases productivity. VoIP also has combined with software applications that are perfect for many business needs. Software such as accounting programs, Email, and PC based applications help to save money by combining services.
The reduction in long distance charges is another great advantage for switching to VoIP for business needs. By combining data, video, and audio needs, companies save on bandwidth usage, which ultimately leads to financial savings.
Businesses are also opting for VoIP in their Call Centers. VoIP is slowly becoming the standard choice for Call Centers. VoIP offers some major benefits for Call Centers such as flexibility, cost efficiency, and enhanced customer service applications. For instance, in the past, a Call Center needed to be a stabilized facility equipped with many phone lines used by people who would physically be located in the Call Center. By using VoIP for your Call Center, not only is your main location easily relocated as your business expands, but you can hire employees virtually world wide. Larger companies take advantage of VoIP Call Centers by outsourcing work overseas where they can hire employees for less. The Integration of data, audio, and web-based features is another reason why businesses are opting for VoIP. Customer service calls are handled more efficiently with the integration of these three components. Not only are calls transferred more proficiently, but also greater care can be given to customers when Call Centers use integrated software platforms.
More Call Centers are taking advantage of the opportunity to hire employees world wide through VoIP services. Employees may work in different time zones, giving greater customer service benefits year round, and hiring home based employees is another way businesses are choosing to save money. VoIP provides solutions for businesses that Analog just simply does not address.
Most people prefer VoIP over Analog, and the future points to the fact that VoIP will only increase in popularity.
[ Submitted with ArticleSubmitter Pro - http://www.articlesubmitterpro.com]
Using SWOT Analysis To Improve Your Business
Using SWOT Analysis To Improve Your Business Analyzing the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) of a business is a well-established tool that is widely used by academics, consultants, and advisors. Although it is a simple concept, business owners often struggle when trying to use it because it is so broad. It is difficult to determine where to start, what questions to ask, and where to focus. The obvious problems get attention while many other important issues get overlooked. SWOT analysis is a great tool, but its effective use requires additional structure.
Strengths and weaknesses relate to internal factors, while opportunities and threats cover external ones. The internal factors can be divided into five categories: management, workforce, sales and marketing, operations, and financial. The external factors are also divided into five categories: threat of new entrants, bargaining power of suppliers, bargaining power of customers, threat of rivalry from competitors, and threat of substitution.
To approach the analysis in a structured way, prepare a checklist using the categories mentioned above. Identify factors within each category that are important to your business. Under management for example, a major weakness for virtually every small business is relying too heavily on the owner. What would happen to the business if something happened to the owner? In the workforce category a factor could be employee turnover and the availability of new hires. The threat of new entrants might include the possibility of a big box retailer opening near your business. The bargaining power of suppliers and customers categories should consider the possibility of losing a major supplier or customer. Come up with several factors for each category to complete the checklist. It is important that you do not try to rate or solve each issue as you identify them. If you do, you will get bogged down on each factor and never complete the analysis.
Once the checklist is complete, you should rate each factor based on its importance to your business. Use an alphabetical scale from A to E, where A = very important, B = important, C = some importance, D = little importance, and E = not important. Next rate each factor based on proficiency (internal) or vulnerability (external). Use a numerical scale from 1 to 5, where 1 = very proficient or not vulnerable, 2 = proficient or little vulnerability, 3 = average proficiency or some vulnerability, 4 = poor proficiency or vulnerable, and 5 = deficient or very vulnerable.
The factors with the lowest letter and highest number (A5) are the biggest weaknesses or threats. The ones with the lowest letter and lowest number (A1) are the biggest strengths or opportunities.
Using this structured approach makes a SWOT analysis possible and practical for any small business. To make this process worthwhile you must use this information to take action. Work to fix the worst problems first, prepare for the biggest risks, take advantage of the best opportunities, and build your secondary strengths.
Strengths and weaknesses relate to internal factors, while opportunities and threats cover external ones. The internal factors can be divided into five categories: management, workforce, sales and marketing, operations, and financial. The external factors are also divided into five categories: threat of new entrants, bargaining power of suppliers, bargaining power of customers, threat of rivalry from competitors, and threat of substitution.
To approach the analysis in a structured way, prepare a checklist using the categories mentioned above. Identify factors within each category that are important to your business. Under management for example, a major weakness for virtually every small business is relying too heavily on the owner. What would happen to the business if something happened to the owner? In the workforce category a factor could be employee turnover and the availability of new hires. The threat of new entrants might include the possibility of a big box retailer opening near your business. The bargaining power of suppliers and customers categories should consider the possibility of losing a major supplier or customer. Come up with several factors for each category to complete the checklist. It is important that you do not try to rate or solve each issue as you identify them. If you do, you will get bogged down on each factor and never complete the analysis.
Once the checklist is complete, you should rate each factor based on its importance to your business. Use an alphabetical scale from A to E, where A = very important, B = important, C = some importance, D = little importance, and E = not important. Next rate each factor based on proficiency (internal) or vulnerability (external). Use a numerical scale from 1 to 5, where 1 = very proficient or not vulnerable, 2 = proficient or little vulnerability, 3 = average proficiency or some vulnerability, 4 = poor proficiency or vulnerable, and 5 = deficient or very vulnerable.
The factors with the lowest letter and highest number (A5) are the biggest weaknesses or threats. The ones with the lowest letter and lowest number (A1) are the biggest strengths or opportunities.
Using this structured approach makes a SWOT analysis possible and practical for any small business. To make this process worthwhile you must use this information to take action. Work to fix the worst problems first, prepare for the biggest risks, take advantage of the best opportunities, and build your secondary strengths.
Using Buttons and Badges to Increase Customer Service and Business at a Restaurant
Using Buttons and Badges to Increase Customer Service and Business at a Restaurant The food service industry is usually a fast paced and often precarious one. Advertising is critical in a restaurant and there are many ways to use a button maker machine in this industry. When the advertising budget is tight, a button-making machine will expand those precious dollars. Buttons can be used for a myriad of purposes such as advertising specials and for identification of wait staff. Whether you serve a five star cuisine or mom and pop specialties, a buttons can help lower your overhead and raise profits.
Every restaurant has a line of specials that they serve. Servers may suggest the special, or describe it, but a button can really show it. People are stimulated by what they see - hence all the pictures in menus. It would just make sense to have an appetizing photograph of your daily special or weekly special on a button to attract attention. The server might suggest the special while pointing to the button "As you can see, today for our special we have a delicious pot roast with mixed vegetables".
Buttons and badges are a really inexpensive way of advertising your specials and increasing your sales. Buttons can also be used to advertise the next night's special to tantalize your guests to return. Want to increase the dessert sales? Nothing makes the mouth crave cool creamy ice cream more than a photograph of a hot fudge Sunday or a malted milkshake - words just can not describe those types of images well enough. These buttons can be made and handed out to the staff each day or each week of the special and then returned. Buttons are small enough to store easily, reusable, durable, and still large enough to make the mouth water when covered with pictures of your luscious entr
Every restaurant has a line of specials that they serve. Servers may suggest the special, or describe it, but a button can really show it. People are stimulated by what they see - hence all the pictures in menus. It would just make sense to have an appetizing photograph of your daily special or weekly special on a button to attract attention. The server might suggest the special while pointing to the button "As you can see, today for our special we have a delicious pot roast with mixed vegetables".
Buttons and badges are a really inexpensive way of advertising your specials and increasing your sales. Buttons can also be used to advertise the next night's special to tantalize your guests to return. Want to increase the dessert sales? Nothing makes the mouth crave cool creamy ice cream more than a photograph of a hot fudge Sunday or a malted milkshake - words just can not describe those types of images well enough. These buttons can be made and handed out to the staff each day or each week of the special and then returned. Buttons are small enough to store easily, reusable, durable, and still large enough to make the mouth water when covered with pictures of your luscious entr
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