Information technology lies at the heart of many 21st century organisations and businesses – phone lines are a basic commodity and for almost all sectors of commerce, the internet continues to prove to be a key tool. Technology can also make it easier to run your business cost-effectively. Improving cash-flow is an obvious area that all companies strive to achieve and with the right IT support in place, it is possible to watch your cost-efficiency grow along with the business itself. Flexible working for employees is just one of many ways to benefit your business. Technology makes services such as remote access possible, which means employees can work from home or when they’re on the move. But, when it comes to broadband you might want to consider whether you can manage with a usage allowance or whether you would prefer unlimited downloads. Usage allowances vary depending on which provider you choose and you can match one to your specific needs. Unlimited download usage is ideal if you want to share the connection around the office; therefore, opt for whichever suits you best and remember to account for any potential growth that could occur in the future. What’s more, some providers offer packages which include Wi-Fi minutes, allowing even the most mobile of workers to access their emails when out of the office. Mobile broadband is another useful feature to consider, as this allows employees to access the internet from their laptop wherever there’s mobile coverage – there’s never been so many ways to stay connected. Telephone lines can be combined with broadband in order to cut costs and the packages available range from standard lines to more sophisticated services. Indeed, features such as call waiting and diversion mean you need never miss another call again, whilst you can even access features that allow you to listen to your messages from any phone. Therefore, you can easily keep up to speed with what’s going on even when you’re on the move. And to ensure your IT infrastructure runs effectively, it is important that you have the necessary business IT support available. Of course, the level of support offered will vary between providers, but most should offer round the clock UK based helpdesk support; meaning you have access to IT experts whenever you need them the most. Other support services to look out for include internet and desktop security, which can help keep harmful viruses at bay. But more importantly, remote IT support can eradicate the need to call out an engineer, thus helping to push costs down further. And this can only be a good thing when you are attempting to manage a small business.
Saturday, July 31, 2010
How Can Your Business Benefit From The Internet?
Understanding how your business can benefit from embracing the Internet within its everyday operations can lead to improvements in efficiency and a strong growth in sales, provided you implement the appropriate technology to your advantage. With that in mind, it’s important to get to grips with how your business can leverage the Internet to create a competitive advantage and to give your business the opportunity to grow your market share.
There are a number of advantages to be gained by any business from the growth of the Internet. The Internet opens up whole new avenues in terms of sales and marketing, as well as increasing the efficiency of business communications. Email is great and now we have VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol). With VOIP telephone systems, it’s now easier than ever for business owners to benefit from the cost savings and efficiencies when they need to communicate globally.
Another great plus point to embracing the Internet and new online business technologies lies in establishing ecommerce facilities, which can track and process orders and payments from your customers. By integrating this within your business, you can give your customers greater choice when it comes to making payment and better service from order point to final delivery.
Outsourcing can be a great way to improve efficiencies and benefit from diverse skill sets out with the normal competence of you and your employees. Outsourcing might seem initially out of reach, either technically or financially, but getting into the routine of outsourcing certain aspects of your business is a great way to cut costs overall and to benefit from specialization and a higher quality of output across outsourced areas. What’s more, any technical constraints surrounding outsourcing, even abroad, are now put to rest with the help of the Internet, making outsourcing much more possible for the average small business owner.
As a small business owner new to outsourcing, you’d be surprised at the breadth and depth of this industry, particularly the growth experienced over the last few years. You can outsource almost any functionality of your business, from customer services through to software and IT, marketing / sales and especially accounts & finance – almost every element of your business can feasibly be outsourced to some third party provider. The trick is calculating which outsourcing opportunities provide returns through increased efficiencies and save on cost against those that are merely an additional cost centre and a drain on resources.
It’s evident that the Internet has had a significant impact on the way we do business, and for small business owners, the Internet can prove to be a vital source of expansion and growth. Yet still, many managers have not properly exploited the Internet to the benefit of their business. Whether that’s improving efficiency, generating sales, outsourcing work to experts or interacting with third party suppliers more economically, the Internet can bring a whole host of benefits to any business.
Online Business Administration Degree May Be The Ticket To Promotion
A high school degree and associate’s degree can only get you so far in a career. Many people are stuck in the same job for years without the possibility of promotion because they do not have an advanced degree. More and more professionals are going back to school to expand their education not just because they have a goal of obtaining a higher degree, but also because in order to advance in their current position or receive higher pay, a bachelors degree is what they need. This is why an online business administration degree may be the best way to receive that promotion.
Numerous colleges and universities across the nation offer degree programs in business administration. Choosing the right one can be an intimidating and daunting task. For those individuals who are already in the workforce or need to work while going to school, and online business administration degree is the best option. An online degree program offers flexibility and offers students the comfort of completing tasks from the comfort of their own home. Online programs are offered nationwide so it is easy to find a program that will fit best. This is an added bonus for individuals who do not live in a close proximity to a college or university. Online programs offer numerous options to students who might not otherwise be able to purse a degree.
Due to the competition surrounding the job market, it is that much more important for individuals to receive a bachelor’s degree. Obtaining a bachelor’s degree will make individuals more marketable when they go to seek jobs. Employers look for experience and knowledge in the career field. Students can gain this experience and knowledge while obtaining an online business administration degree and participating in internship programs. Filling a resume with experience and skills will put individuals a step above the competition.
The curriculum that goes a long with an online business administration degree is designed to prepare students for a real career in the business field. Students are expected to learn the various areas that are associated with business administration. It is also important for them to develop decision-making skills, build their leadership abilities, stay up on business technology, and understand the basics of finance and accounting. Students completing a business administration program should also be well versed in business ethics and understand the importance of ethics in the business world.
The classes in a business administration program are intended to enforce these skills to students. Classes include the Legal Environment of Business, Principles of Accounting, Organizational Communications, Technology in Business and Management Theory and Leadership. These classes are designed to help students gain the skills necessary to be successful in the business field. An online business administration degree will also include classes such as keyboarding and word processing that are an integral skill needed in business. These skills are not only useful in the business world, but in everyday life as well.
All in all, the market for an online business administration degree is growing. The career field is large due to the fact that students graduating from these programs are versatile and can choose from numerous different careers. Those who are already in a career field will be able to advance faster if they have a bachelor’s degree. It is also known that individuals with a bachelor’s degree are also paid significantly higher than individuals with a high school diploma. So whether students are just coming out of high school or are already in the business workforce, obtaining a bachelor’s degree in business administration will help in career advancement.
Friday, July 30, 2010
Small Business IT - Doing More With Less in 2009 - Part II
With over a decade of Information Technology experience working with small and medium sized businesses all over the San Francisco Bay Area, Mark H. Jessen’s Small Business Technology articles offer ideas and understanding on how IT helps small business succeed.
Introduction
Part II of this two part article will look at ways you can consolidate your companies IT systems overhead in 2009. There is no doubt that 2009 is going to be a difficult year for business. You can go into the New Year with one of two mindsets; “We’re going to stay the course and hope for the best” or “We will look at this economy as an opportunity to reinvent ourselves into a lean, agile, competitor in our market.” My goal is to have you see 2009 as a time of opportunity to find ways of doing the same, or more, with less. Make 2009 the year you use IT to make your company become a lean, agile, market competitor.
Smaller Servers, Doing More, Using Less – If you haven’t already consider migrating your older standalone chassis servers to low profile rack mounted units and blade server systems can reduce costs in a number of ways. They are both good options for reducing the amount of real estate and power needed in your data center. And both are ideal for running application virtualization software to reduce the number of physical application servers needed. Application virtualization is now a very popular way to consolidate both hardware and management costs in the data center.
Consolidate and Centralize Storage – Network Attached Storage (NAS) and Storage Area Networks (SAN) are two proven ways to make company data management safer and easier. And by making sure all of your work is stored where it will be uniformly and consistently backed up you reduce the risk of lost data. Adding VPN based storage solutions for your mobile users helps keep their work safe and secure too.
Not Your Mothers Appliances – Use dedicated multitasking appliances for consolidating basic network services like Domain Name Service (DNS), Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP), Anti-Virus, Anti-Spam, and Intrusion detection systems (IDS). There are currently a number of appliance makers in the market that have products that can handle your basic network functionality from single 1U rack mounted units. The savings include their reduced footprint, lower power consumption, ease of use, and centralized management.
How many applications are you supporting? – Depending on the size of your business, you could easily have dozens. First, audit all the applications and make sure they are still relevant and contributing to the company’s bottom line. Next, look for overlap between complimentary departments like, sales and marketing, where consolidation of similar applications would be mutually beneficial. And use this economy as an opportunity to renegotiate and right-size your commercial software licensing contracts.
Open to door to Open-Source – Now is the perfect time to look for less costly open-source options. More and more companies are looking seriously at Linux on the desktop. OpenOffice, MySQL, and SugarCRM for example are reliable options and all have strong support communities. Almost any type of business can benefit from open source software opportunities. New, as well as budget strained, small businesses should look seriously at the early start cost savings advantages available
Think Global, Outsource Local – What opportunities can you find right in your own backyard when you consider local or regional outsourcing to reduce some of your application development and support costs. Within a five mile radius of you, there are probably a dozen application developers hungry for your business right now. Use contractors to rapidly develop applications that you can get up and running quickly will help keep you ahead of the field. The sooner your ideas can come to fruition the sooner your business benefits. The agile company that can find new ways to quickly meet its customer’s needs wins.
Summary
Earlier in December 2008, the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) announced that the U.S. economy had been officially in a recession since December of 2007. Now the question is when can we expect this recession to end? Best estimates are that by April of 2009, we may be at the low point of the curve, leading economists to estimate that this economic contraction could last as long as 35 to 40 months which means conservatively 2010, and possibly 2011.
This means small business IT management will need to be prepared to meet the challenges of this recession with a list of cost saving measures that will keep your company lean, agile, flexible, and competitive.
So make 2009 the year of seeking out the advantages and opportunities of doing more with less.
Why Start a Home Based Business?
Average people are attracted to the many benefits a home business can provide, including, but not limited to very low start-up costs, flexible hours and massive use of the internet. The use of technology, the Internet, etc., allows home-based businesses to work in concert with other entities without the need for daily face-to-face interaction.
The home-based business sector is growing in importance and diversity, and offers opportunities for entrepreneurs and at-home professionals in every demographic and ethnic group. Today, 1 out of every 12 households in America run a home business. So…. Here are some common reasons:
1) Cost. Many opportunities require very little start-up capital (under $100) to start your business. Compare this to a brick-and-mortar storefront which can cost tens of thousands of dollars.
2) Set your own hours. Want to work in your pajamas? Go ahead….nobody’s watching.
3) You’re the boss! You decide what income you want, not your boss. You can work part-time and expand into full-time as it pays enough to quit your job. Building an Internet business allows you to adapt it to your lifestyle instead of the other way around.
4) You will love what you do. It has been said that if you love what you do, you will never work a day in your life.
5) Ease of promoting your business. Technology and the internet have made marketing a breeze for the average home business owner. The Internet now allows anyone to reach potential customers around the globe with virtually the click of a button.
6) Residual Income. Building an Internet business means once you reach a certain level, you can walk away for days but still your Website works for you. You can automate repetitive tasks to the computer so you still earn money through advertising, selling products and others while you sleep.
7) Family. Aren’t they the most important? Use your business to build it to the point that you can back off and spend time with those you love. Your JOB will not ever allow that.
Take charge of your life……not the other way around. There a many opportunities out there. Find them and study them. Then make the decision to do something about it.
How To Avoid Working 24 Hours a Day At Your Home Business
We all know how important it is to work hard to get your home business up and running and off the ground. We also know that when your home business is located right in your home, it is all too easy to get a few extra hours of work in after you eat dinner, or to get up early to work a little bit more in the morning.
However, the fact remains that most of the people who are working at home businesses have decided to do this so that they can control what hours they work, and so that they can have more time to themselves to do the things that they have always wanted to do. If you find yourself working too much, and you know that you are in danger of working longer hours than you did at your old job, here are some ways to avoid becoming a 24 hour a day worker again.
Hours
First and foremost, no matter what your business is, you need to have working hours. This is for your benefit. If you have an online site or an online store, you are going to be open 24 hours a day, but this doesn’t mean that you have to be at your computer for the entire day. You need to set hours for yourself, and these hours will have to include time to process whatever has come in while you aren’t working. There is a danger in sitting at your computer all day to take orders in the hopes of keeping up with them, because you will find that you never leave.
If you find that you have too much work, and not enough time, this means that you are taking on too much. You have to be sure that you are only working as much as you can handle to work, or that you are delegating tasks to make sure you aren’t having to work all day and all night. This is something that a lot of people fail to do, and it can be something that is very dangerous, because giving out tasks is the best way to make sure all of your work gets done. If you find yourself with too much, you’ll end up working more than you want to be working, so be sure to find help, or hire some if you need it.
Something else that you can be sure to do is to give yourself a break now and then. Remember that you don’t have to take every project that comes your way, and remember that you can be allowed a sick day when you are sick. These things are important, and are also vital to keeping your sanity as well as your business.
Technology
Is there an automated way to delegate parts of your daily home business tasks? If there is, you might want to take the initial investment of time to find out how they work and how you can use technology to free up more time for yourself instead of working on your home business. You can even use the extra time to expand your business or look for new ways to make it profitable.
If your home business is based online there are many companies who you can use to outsource some of your responsibilities. Obviously these options aren’t free so if your budget doesn’t allow for it at the current time, keep a reminder of the source so that you can use it when more funds become available.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
How to Start a New Business Without a Bank Loan or Credit
Entrepreneurs have seen bank credit and bank loans dry up. Without these traditional tools for starting a business available most entrepreneurs think that they can not start a business but the truth is that you do not need a banks credit or loan if you understand what you can do to kick start your business.
The most important part of doing this is understanding what you are going to need in order to launch your business. You will need customers and sales. If you had 10,000 people visit your business and only 10 percent bought from your site you would be able to create a profit margin for your business and begin your entrepreneurial journey.
The question is where do you find these new customers without spending money on marketing, advertising, lists or leads? What would you be willing to do to get your competitors customer list? What if your competitor gave you his list with his blessing to use it? You are saying,
Personalized Business Gifts - Special Gifts For Colleagues
Business companies usually give business gifts to advertise and promote what they have. However, those gifts may also be given to people other than customers and clients. Business gifts can be presented during any type of business affairs, such as trade shows, conferences, recognition day, anniversaries, holidays etc. There are so many business gifts to choose from, you can find simple gifts to elegant ones. However, just choose accordingly.
If you want to thank a colleague who has been a good friend and helped you all throughout your career, you can give something that can let him feel appreciated. This is where gifts come into action. Of course, you have already seen a wide assortment of business gifts, and you also seen most them owned by many business people. So, the real challenge here is to find a business gift that stands out. You might probably think that finding such unique gift is difficult, but surprisingly, it is not!
Personalized business gifts can make a one of a kind gift for your dearest colleague. You can find different kinds of personalized business gifts, from personalized fabrics, leathers, to metal items. Here are some hot choices you may consider:
Personalized Black Leather Business Card Case. Business card holder and cases are very important accessories of a business man. In today’s business world, these people should have business cards, and so a card case holder can help these cards stay neat and clean in a briefcase or purse. This stainless steel and leather business card holder can be customized with your colleague’s initials engraved on the front plate. Engraving is complimentary for this Personalized Black Leather Business Card.
Engravable Black Leather Business Journal. In business, technology may reign supreme, but there’s still room for the elegance of actual writing! Give this personalized black leather journal to a friend who has brilliant ideas and let him preserve the musings of the moment, and his ever-presented to-do lists. This sophisticated gift can make a perfect solution to scratch paper – a handsome leather bound journal as a business gift for your colleague. This leather journal encourages organized peace in a hectic work day, time to gather thoughts and plan strategy. Exquisitely embossed with a name or initials, this personalized journal becomes a memorable gift of your appreciation.
Personalized Business Pen Set with Leather Pouch. Help your colleague to commemorate his career milestone by giving a pair of fine pens – a classic style of gift that he will surely treasure from his friend! Your colleague will appreciate the thoughtful gesture of a personalized gift, especially because these exquisite writing instruments are so versatile and practical. Properly presented in an eye-catching leather case, this pen set is a wonderful way to express your appreciation for a job well done.
You can find those sophisticated business gifts online. Other unique, personalized gifts you may consider are personalized bags, magnetic money clip, personalized photo albums, monogrammed desk accessories…etc. Making your gift personalize is one way to show how special the person to you. Make it always a choice to personalize your gift, be it for colleagues, friends or relatives.
Makes SEO Such a Good Channel for Small Business Marketing
Your small business probably uses multiple marketing “channels” already, whether you think of them as channels or not. Print advertising, email campaigns, pay-per-click marketing, direct mail, banner ads – all of these are different types of marketing channels that you may already be using to promote your products and services. But although most small businesses know that Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is important for their web sites, not many use SEO as one of their strategic marketing channels.
So why consider using SEO as a key marketing strategy? Because like it or not, search engines (especially Google) are going to remain the most predominant method of driving traffic to web sites in the foreseeable future. for more detail go to:www.greatseosecrets.com.Period. So if you want to capture some of that traffic, SEO should probably be included – or even prioritized – as a strategic marketing channel in your marketing plans.
Here’s what :
1. Tremendous ROI – Often, it doesn’t take a huge investment to improve your search engine results. Adding a few simple strategies each month can add up to great results over time. But if you’re looking for faster results, a complete optimization of your web site will produce the greatest results in the shortest amount of time. And compared with the returns that an optimized site can produce, investing in SEO (either time or money or both) is a great value for your business.
2. Higher Brand Visibility – for more detail go to:www.offline-promotion.com.When your business and/or brand show up in the top search results, you gain web visibility every time someone searches for your terms. The sheer repetition of seeing your business consistently listed at the top creates not only visibility, but also credibility and brand recognition. I’m sure you’ve heard that consumers need to see or hear a message at least three times before they pay attention to it, so the more they see your business in the search results, the better for you and your business.
3. Accurate Tracking and Measuring – With all the web analytics tools available today, it’s fairly easy to capture data that can help you determine what’s working on your site and what’s not, enabling you to make adjustments and constantly improve your results. If you’re not tracking what happens with your web site each month, how can you know if it’s truly helping your business?
4. New Leads and Sales Generation – Since users turn to search engines almost 80% of the time to find information, there is virtually an inexhaustible supply of new prospects and potential customers searching for the types of products and services you provide. SEO can help your web site show up when people are most likely to visit – while they are in the process of actively searching for your information!
5. Pre-Qualified Traffic – By optimizing your web site, you can attract the types of visitors that are important to your business by using highly targeted keywords and phrases that directly relate. For instance, a law firm with a non-optimized site would likely attract all types of clients, even though the practice may specialize only in family law. By optimizing for “family law,” the site is much more likely to attract pre-qualified clients who are already looking specifically for this type of service.
As a small business, it’s important that you take advantage of the marketing channels that make the most sense for you. And by considering SEO as a strategic marketing channel, you open up your business to a whole new world driven by the web and its mighty search engines (and yes, I mean Google). This new channel may help you discover some new and untapped benefits that will help your business grow and thrive well into the future.
http://www.keyword-swipe.com
http://www.sitemap-makers.com
Lauren Hobson, President of Five Sparrows, has more than 15 years of experience in small business technology writing, marketing, and web site design and development. Five Sparrows provides high-quality, professional website and marketing services to small businesses and non-profits at affordable prices, giving clients access to customized services that meet both their needs and their
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Internet Home Business Idea - Finally Make Your Dreams Come True
Are you living a life of your dreams? If not, make sure you start your internet business today.
The purpose of this article is to give you 3 reasons that will motivate you to start your own cash-pumping internet business and make your dreams come true.
Reason 1 – Work from the comfort of your home.
Have you ever imagined working from the comfort of your home with your internet home business idea and making a killer income in dollars.
The kind of income that can give you financial freedom.
Yes this is quite possible and you can do this automatically once your internet home business idea is live on the net.
It starts pumping in cash like an out of control ATM machine. All you have to do is put in consistent efforts for the first few months and then let it churn out money on autopilot.
Work from the comfort of your home, apply simple steps to setup your internet home business idea and watch your profits explode.
You will now learn why it is quick and easy to get started with your internet home business idea.
Reason 2 – Quick and easy to get started.
You can start your own internet business quickly and easily in the shortest possible time and spending just few hundred dollars.
All you need is website hosting, domain name, a quality product, a powerful website with killer copy and some automation tools like ad tracking system, autoresponders and payment processing system to get you into business.
If you know the right places to hunt online you can get started with all this within one hundred dollars and in less than 2 days.
And the best part is that you can use these tools again and again to put up unlimited cash-pumping internet businesses.
Technology has provided a real quick way for a normal person to get started on the net and make their dreams come true.
You will now discover how flexible your internet business can be once you are all setup.
Reason 3 – Work whenever you want.
You will finally not have a 9-5 schedule to work. You can wake up whenever you want, work at your own pace and according to your own timings.
Take party anytime you wish, work late nights or early in the morning or just play with your kids and hang around with your friends.
Sounds too good to be true. But this is quite possible if you get started today with your own internet home business idea.
You can finally live the life of your dreams and make money on autopilot. But don’t get me wrong. This is not a get rich quick business.
You have to work, put in efforts to make your internet business a real success and once things are setup and automated you can have fun.
But you have to make sure that you work hard to setup and test your internet business and later on have fun once it starts pumping out cash.
Here I want to explain you that all this is possible only if you get started today, put in efforts to make your internet business a real success and then live the life of your dreams.
The most important step is to take action.
Business English Training; Keys To Success
Of course where the market appears, so do the companies set up to capitalise. Deciding on a language training provider can be daunting, and the unregulated nature of the training industry in most countries can mean huge variation in the quality of the training, and therefore huge variation in the return on investment for the companies’ management. So, what is it that makes some training effective, while other programmes are a waste of time? How can companies minimize the risk of investing in lame-duck language training?The first piece of advice is to make informed decisions on language training providers based on information from reliable sources. Websites, brochures, marketing emails and fliers can hold a great deal of information, but the most reliable source is a person who has attended or been involved in training elsewhere. One must be careful though, as the
28 Essential Sites to Help you Invest in yourself and your Online Business
Copyright (c) 2008 Donna Gunter
I’ll admit it — I’m an information junkie. I love to learn new things, so it’s a good thing that I’m in small business marketing where new ideas and new trends emerge every day. Continuing to enhance your own professional/personal development, or investing in yourself, is a primary responsibility that owners of small service businesses often forget to do when they’ve got lots of business. Taking the time to read just one more article or go to just one more teleseminar or professional conference when you’ve got your plate full with clients is probably not on your top 10 list of preferred activities. However, remember that your clients are looking to you for cutting-edge information to best help them with their problems. Without this continued learning, you may find yourself quickly left behind.
Here are some resources that I read regularly and highly recommend to keep me in the loop to better serve my clients and enhance my own business:
Technology:
–PC World, PCWorld.com (I subscribe to the print version of this magazine)
–Steve Bass’s Home Office newsletter (email newsletter) from PC World, http://www.pcworld.com/newsletters/index.html
–Lynette Chandler’s Tech Based Marketing Blog, http://techbasedmarketing.com/blog/
–Sandra De Freitas’ Tech Coach for Coaches (email newsletter), TechCoachforCoaches.com
Marketing:
–Joan Stewart’s Publicity Hound’s Tips of the Week (email newsletter and blog), PublicityHound.com
–Straight-Shooter Marketing by Alexandria Brown (email newsletter), EzineQueen.com
–Marcia Yudkin’s Marketing Minute (email newsletter), Yudkin.com
–Robert Middleton’s More Clients (email newsletter), ActionPlanMarketing.com
–John Jantsch’s Duct Tape Marketing (email newsletter and blog), DuctTapeMarketing.com
–Ralph Wilson’s Web Marketing Today (email newsletter), WilsonWeb.com
–Cathy Stucker’s Bright Ideas (email newsletter), IdeaLady.com
–David Frey’s Marketing Best Practices (video newsletter), MarketingBestPractices.com
–Fabienne Fredrickson’s Client Attraction (email newsletter), ClientAttraction.com
–The Blog Squad’s Savvy eBiz Tips (email newsletter and blog), BlogSquad.biz
–Kendall Summerhawk’s Weekly Marketing Wisdom (email newsletter), KendallSummerhawk.com
Personal Development/Inspiration:
–Barbara Winter’s Joyfully Jobless News and Winning Ways (email and print newsletters), BarbaraWinter.com
–Valerie Young’s Changing Course (email newsletter),ChangingCourse.com
–Cheryl Richardson’s Life Makeover (email newsletter), CherylRichardson.com
–Notes from the Universe (daily emails), http://www.tut.com/nftu.htm
–Rebecca Hanson’s Museletter (email newsletter and blog), LawofAttractionTrainingCenter.com
Writing/Self-Publishing:
–Dan Poynter’s Publishing Poynters (email newsletter), ParaPub.com
–Penny Sansevieri’s Book Marketing Expert Newsletter (email newsletter), AMarketingExpert.com
–John Kremer’s Book Marketing Tip of the Week (email newsletter), BookMarket.com
–Gail Richard’s Author Smart (email newsletter), AuthorSmart.com
Speaking:
–Speaker Net News (email newsletter), SpeakerNetNews.com
Getting Organized/Feng Shui:
–Vicky White’s Design Your Life (email newsletter), LifeDesignStrategies.com
–Beth Schneider’s Process Prodigy (email newsletter), ProcessProdigy.com
General Business Management:
–Joan Friedlander’s Business Your Way (email newsletter), LifeWorkPartners.com
This list is just the tip of the iceberg for me. New sources come to light every day. Set aside at least 3 hours per week for your own self-education. Your clients will thank you and your business will grow!
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
If you are thinking of buying or selling your business in the New Year, how is your Technology Plan?
Email, websites, online bill paying, Amazon.com, FaceBook, Twitter, WI-FI, online banking; how did we survive prior to the internet? The virtual world is all around us and guess what; it’s only going to get more immersed in our everyday life as we look to watching TV and movies on our computer and connect our appliances to computer networks at home.
How does this affect our business? There is no question that data including audio and video are exploding online and helping sell more goods and services. Hand held devices such as iPhone’s and Blackberry’s are growing in popularity, devices that track the GPS to give us driving directions are here to stay. We therefore, if we own and operate a business, need to ensure we use technology how it was designed and this is as a tool to help us be more productive.
To make technology work for us in our business we need a plan. There is no point adding a new device to the existing technology in the business if it won’t work. You can buy the latest piece of Windows compatible software and try to install and run it on a MAC but if the MAC doesn’t operate the Windows software you are done. Similarly, if your computers are running Windows 2000 server software and the hardware breaks and needs replacing, you have to make sure the replacement hardware will work in the old server and the software.
So what goes into a Technology Plan? A good starting point is a breakdown by make and model number of each of the pieces of hardware in the business. You need this data for tax purposes anyway and it is necessary. This information should include any devices that are specifically used and taken out of the office by any employee. If that employee leaves, you obviously want the item returned for their replacement in good working order and condition, all the data on it. Your technology plan should also include how often the data is to be backed up, where copies of purchase receipts and warranties are to be stored in case the machine breaks down and needs to be replaced or is stolen and a replacement machine needs to be bought and replaced urgently.
A technology plan also needs to clearly outline for all employees how they can and cannot use the business technology. If the use of Social Network Marketing sites like FaceBook, LinkedIn or Twitter are not allowed, then that needs to be communicated. It could be this ban applies to some positions but allowed for others. For example, it may not be a good use of time for the accounting, technology and operational employees to use these media but it may be encouraged or indeed part of the sales and marketing plan to use these technologies. Technology is not simple and straight forward. It does require discussion, the creation of policies but also review of these policies.
Another important component to technology which is sometimes overlooked is the need for training. Businesses in the technology are constantly competing to maintain and increase market share. One of their most important strategies is to deploy new and better hardware and software than their competitor. This constant change of products means employees that use these new and upgraded products, to remain efficient, need to be trained and kept up to date.
To make sure the technology plan is kept relevant and up to date, consider having one primary and one secondary person responsible. Both people need to live and breathe technology. Their responsibility is to keep the technology plan current, but also escalate problems and just as importantly, relevant new ideas that will help the business. As the owner of the business, if you delegate managing the technology to another employee, make sure you understand the difficulties they face staying on top of it all. Technology is supposed to serve us and the business. Because of its constant changes and oftentimes being deployed before it is truly ready for the market it can be a bear.
Measuring the performance of the business is the role of the Performance Plan. Part 10 of this article series looks at the need to score and then tweak so the business knows its success meeting annual financial goals.
Washington State Government Small Business Grants
The SBA called as the small business administration in United States accepts the requests for funding of grants from the governors belonging to the states in U.S and its territories mainly for supporting the programs for ground breaking and technology driven under the SBA’s Federal and the state technology known as Fast partnership program from 10th May 2010.Significant role is played by the partners who are developed through this program to bring good potential. Strong foundation is laid by these small organizations for the prosperity of the economy.FAST organization provides more than 2 million US dollars towards funding. It works out to approximately 1,00,000 US dollars for each applicant towards technical assistance and outreach for the technology based and science based small business.The emphasis particularly placed by this program is to help the economically and socially disadvantaged organizations in the Small business innovation research called SBIR and STTR or otherwise known as small business technology transfer programs. The eligible candidates or applicants for this FAST grants includes the local and state economic development agencies, colleges, universities and small business development centers. The proposal may be submitted by each state through its governor and should be limited to one.The FAST program is mainly started to help the cutting edge of the American proprietors to continue to drive their innovative and creative jobs in a good manner. The applicants for this program are encouraged and the support is given in the areas like
Technology Sales Lead ? Necessity Breakthrough
It is no secret that generating sales leads is an integral part of any business, but Technology Sales Lead is of equal importance?
Company profits can significantly grow with the aid of a dynamic sales team. Generating Technology Sales Lead is a real time job. It is about quantity-the more leads the more sales to close.
Prior to the internet age, sales personnel used to file business sales leads carefully and individually easily. Most Technology Sales Lead was confined to only one person and sharing them with others is often not done. Sales persons use to record their contacts in notebooks, planners, address books and even index cards. This old and conventional set up of tracking Technology Sales Lead is not in a way pro active in terms of promoting productivity.
Necessity spells great breakthrough . As technology progresses, with the advent of numerous ways of using the internet, Technology Sales Lead creation can be easily accessible and available to many. Competition is much stiffer. The clamor for better way of tracking sales leads was needed and automation was inevitable.
High dependence on basic contact information for Technology Sales Lead had to change with time. Technology Sales Lead for companies can lean towards more on personal aspect and strategies can be target focused.
There are numerous software available in the market today that offer a lot of different ways on how to make Technology Sales Lead easier. Information access and sharing is possible. Field personnel’s mobility can now be addressed soon. Reports generation and group prospecting can be available in real time an real sense. Given the availability of information to key company personnel as basis for marketing efforts, achieving the desired marketing output is more achievable.
Technology Sales Lead could be more rewarding if sales people are armed with relevant information. Knowing customer’s preferences and buying history will enable sales people to offer products or services tailor made to their clients’ needs easily. Selling with personal touch can close sales and promote repeat orders now.
Companies dealing in Technology Sales Lead with vigorous ad campaign efforts for their products and services will ultimately yield business sales leads. These are then filtered and grouped according to set parameters somehow. Without an automated way of doing this, valuable prospects may be unnecessarily filtered out and forever lost by this; and with it, possible company profits.
On the question whether to automate tracking sales leads or not, the answer is very clear.
No matter what the size of your business, Technology Sales Lead remains an integral part in forming your revenues. Learn how to do proper lead management with myprospecthill. Visit http://www.myprospecthill.com/
Monday, July 26, 2010
Large Budgets Give U.S. Businesses Growth Opportunities
From the stealth bomber to the creation of the Internet, DARPA, is responsible for the technologies that keep our great nation secure and has been a key force in creating new industries that have fueled our economic growth.
DARPA stands for Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and is an agency within the U.S. Department of Defense. Their main purpose is to develop new technologies for use by the military. Amongst these programs is their Energy Program, which looks at providing alternative power and energy to our troops and reduce their reliance on petroleum and their logistical burdens. Portable power such as fuel cells or hybrid fuel cells is the goal within the agency, which will reduce the amount of weight during high endurance activities.
DARPA participates within the Small Business Innovation Research fund (SBIR) and the Small Business Technology Transfer fund (STTR), which provide small businesses with $2.2 billion in government grants. They also participate within the Small Business Program providing prime contracting and subcontracting. With an annual budget of $3.2 billion, opportunities for small businesses are abundant.
DARPA’s Small Business division will provide small businesses with a workshop on how to engage in business opportunities with DARPA.
Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory
Any Computer Consultant Can Start a Small Business of His or Her Own
There has never been a better time than now for a talented Computer Consultant to start a small business of his or her own. Operating as an Independent Computer Consultant can provide a level of job security, growth opportunities and income potential that simply aren’t very easy to come by in any other available IT Jobs.
When a small business is looking for a an efficient way to maintain their computer systems, they have several options to choose from. They can have a technically proficient employee pull double-duty as their in-house support technician. They can employ a dedicated in-house IT administrator. Or they can outsource their support needs to an IT Support Provider, a Managed Service Provider or to an Independent Computer Consultant. In today’s market, the Independent Computer Consultant represents the best available support model for serving the needs of the small business client. And I firmly believe that any computer professional with the skill set to maintain a small business network should strongly consider starting a small business of his or her own. In the early days of Computer Consulting, (and still to this day for many consultants) the break/fix, hourly rate support model was the standard way of doing business.
Wait for the computer to break, call the computer guy to come out and fix it, he sends an invoice… repeat. It’s obvious how this design puts the needs of the computer consultant directly at odds with the needs of the customer.
The customer typically sees the computer consultant as an undesired expense. If the consultant is required to make an office visit to the client’s site, it’s probably because a system has failed, which is costing the client money – both in lost productivity and for the service fees. Under the hourly support model, it’s natural for the customer to want to see the consultant as little as possible. This unfortunately works directly against the needs of the computer consultant, who’s simply trying to bill enough hours each day to meet expenses. If the hourly support model is a lose-win proposition (the more pain the customer experiences, the more money the consultant makes), how can we create a business model where everybody wins? For us to do this, let’s take a look at what each party wants.The Computer Consultant Wants:
The Customer Wants:
When looking at the list of what the customer wants, it’s clear to see what the consultant needs to provide:System Monitoring
Small Business Federal Grants
It’s important to know that the U.S. Federal Government, as a rule, does not award federal grants to private for-profit small businesses. Unless you are a 501C3 non-profit agency that is organized for charitable purposes and tax exempt under the IRS tax code, your small business is not eligible for federal grants.That’s the bad news. The good news is there are federal resources available for qualified small businesses to apply for.The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is the federal agency created in 1953 to help Americans start, build and grow businesses. The SBA serves people in the United States, American Samoa, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Guam. Although the SBA does not award grants to start or expand small businesses, they do have a wide range of loan programs available. You can access the Small Business Administration website at sba.gov. You can also find SBA programs in Federal Programs – Small Business Administration (SBA). The SBA does have an exception to the “no federal grants” rule for small businesses, but it is targeted to innovation research and high technology companies. The Small Business Innovation Research Program is a highly competitive program that funds the startup and commercial development stages of an innovative technology, product or service. The Small Business Technology Transfer Program is another competitive program that funds awards to small businesses which partner with nonprofit research institutions for the commercialization of technology products.Below is just a portion of the SBA programs that may be able to help American small businesses. The Small Business Administration is primarily a guarantor of loans, meaning that the federal government does not loan money directly to small businesses; they guarantee the loans made by lending institutions to qualified small businesses, making it easier for small businesses to qualify for loans they might not otherwise be eligible for. 1. 504 Certified Development Loans: Provides long-term fixed-rate financing to small businesses to acquire real estate, machinery or equipment for expansion or modernization. These loans are usually delivered through a Certified Development Company (CDC) with liens placed on the collateral and a contribution of 10% equity from the borrower. 2. 7(A) Export Loan Guarantees: This program aids and assists small-business to increase their ability to compete in international markets by enhancing their ability to export; facilitating technology transfers; enhancing their ability to complete effectively and efficiently against imports; increasing the access of small businesses to long-term capital for the purchase of new plant and equipment used in the production of goods and services involved in international trade. Loan proceeds can be used to construct, expand, or convert facilities; to purchase building equipment or materials; inventory and for export working capital. 3. 7(A) Loan Guarantees: Loan proceeds can be used for working capital, machinery and equipment, furniture and fixtures, land and building (including purchase, renovation and new construction), leasehold improvements, and debt refinancing under special conditions. Loan maturity is usually up to 10 years for working capital and 25 years for fixed assets. This loan targets start-up and existing small businesses. 4. Microloan Program: These loans target women, low-income, and minority entrepreneurs, business owners, and other individuals possessing the capability to operate successful business concerns and to assist small business concerns in those areas suffering from a lack of credit due to economic downturns. Provides short-term loans up to $35,000 for working capital, inventory, supplies, furniture, fixtures, machinery or equipment.
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Tag-org Launches New Products at Gitex Technology Week 2008
TAG-ITI will be presenting its broad range of services at GITEX 2008DUBAI—– September 8, 2008 ——– The Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Organization (TAG-Org) is getting ready to launch new products at the GITEX Technology Week 2008 which takes place at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre (DICEC), October 19-23, 2008.GITEX provides an excellent opportunity to learn from, and exchange views with, some of the leading experts within the ICT industry. Some of the new products to be launched include:
Also, TAG-ITI, TAG-Org’s ICT consultancy arm, which has seen strong growth over the past year and has successfully been awarded many projects across the Middle East, will be presenting its range of services at GITEX. Some of these include: – ERP consultancy- ICT and security auditing- ICT vendor selection – Business technology solutions – Web solution services TAG-ITI will offer the opportunity to
Successful Marketing for Home Based Businesses
A successful marketing strategy is not based on doing what you like but liking what you do…’
Are you looking for information to build and grow a home-based business? If so, you are in the right place! Here you will find information on implementing a successful marketing campaign and growing your home based business.
The Problem
Many home-based business owners don’t know how to best market their businesses. Some ignore marketing altogether, hoping that customers or website visitors will appear out of thin air. Others market in a scattershot way producing untargeted traffic or unqualified prospects. Either approach will keep you from achieving your business potential and reaching your financial goals and possibly even damage your reputation.
The Solution
Whether you’ve been thinking about starting a home business or you’re already a seasoned home-based business owner, the principle remains the same. Your business’ survival and success rests on how effectively you market your business or product. Examine some of the following marketing strategies and tools to help you boost your home based business profits.
Home Based Business Advantage
Low overhead costs, no commute to work and the ability to work around your children are some of the few advantages for home based business owners. Gear your marketing efforts to capitalize on these and other home-based strengths including:
Adaptability – Information Technology has escalated the rate of change in the marketplace. To survive and thrive, you must be prepared to act, and act quickly. As a home-based business owner, you can make adjustments instantly, without having to cut through the red tape of bureaucratic decision-making procedures common in larger businesses.
Technology – Computers, the Internet, PDA’s, and other emerging technologies can take home based businesses to a more level playing field with bigger companies, empowering home based business owners to accomplish tasks that used to require hiring staff to perform. Try to keep up-to-speed with technology.
Flexibility – Unlike traditional businesses that require full-time attention and high overhead costs, home based businesses can be operated part-time, at low cost, and depending on your financial goals can be phased into full-time operations.
Taking Your Business To The Next Level
A common reason home businesses fail is because owners neglect the up-front planning needed to position their ventures. Once you have defined your market position and where you want to take your business in the 12 months you will have moved one step closer to success.
If you already have a business begin by taking inventory of where your business is right now. What specific goods and services do you provide? How do you set yourself apart? What is your business’ reputation? How are you perceived by your customers or clients as far as your prices, reliability, and other elements of your products or services?
The next step is to project where you want to take your business in the 12 months. What market position do you want to occupy? Is the niche market you want large enough? How will your benefits outsell those provided by the competition? Do you have the ability, capital, resources and support to make your market position a reality? Your answers will give you the information you need to begin designing or updating your marketing plan.
Planning Ahead
Once you have determined where you want to go, outline the essential steps to get there. Begin by writing a one sentence purpose (mission) statement for your marketing campaign. The rest of your plan should include a brief description of each of the following:
Benefits of your products and services.
Your target market.
What marketing tools will best help you achieve your mission.
Your market niche. What sets you apart in the market place.
Your marketing budget.
Keep your marketing plan brief. The more concise you make your marketing plan, the more effective it will be in evaluating your marketing efforts.
Finding Your Niche
This is often the hardest task for a beginning home-based business owner but also one of the most crucial. In order for your venture to survive in a competitive marketplace, you must distinguish yourself from other businesses and find a niche. What makes your business unique? Why should someone choose to buy from you over a competitor? Prospective clients want to know. If you can give them a compelling answer, you will position yourself as a leader in your industry boosting your profit potential. Research your market thoroughly before jumping in.
Marketing Tools
No matter how you choose to publicize your business, one quality will set you apart from your competitors: The ability to write effective ad copy. You’re vying for the attention of consumers bombarded each day with advertisements. It is estimated that the average person is exposed to over 1,200 advertising messages per DAY! Make sure your advertisement stands out from the rest of this ‘noise’.
When you have determined your market position and drawn up a marketing plan you are ready to start spreading the word about your products and services. One effective way is using the existing offline media in your area. You have a variety of media choices depending upon your target market and your advertising budget including magazines, newspapers, television, radio, and the internet. Start by evaluating how and where your competitors advertise. What’s working for them? Take their best ideas; then design your own winning layout, positioning yourself as having the best offer.
The Importance of Headlines
As the first phrases seen in advertising copy, headlines should arouse enough interest in the reader so that they will want to read or listen on to learn more about your business or product. To get ideas about what headlines will work best for you, scan different types of ad copy, particularly those from your competitors. Create a swipe file of different ads and ideas that you come across from different sources. But remember to be careful of using other peoples copyrighted material.
Capture your customer’s interest with a compelling statement of offer
Highlight the most important benefits
Offer extreme value
Make a call strong call to action.
Testing Your Ads
Advertising can be expensive, but for just about any business a mandatory investment. To get the most out of your ads, test them by the following criteria:
What is the quantity of leads or prospects that the ad generates? Compare this amount in terms of a unit cost of advertising (dollars in advertising per leads generated).
How many of these leads convert into sales? Different advertising media due to the audiences they target will vary in the numbers of actual closes.
Continually check the response from your ads, make changes or run a new ad if necessary. Use ad trackers and keep testing, testing testing until you achieve the response required.
Internet Marketing
Imagine! You can have a salesperson working for you 24 hours a day, seven days a week even while you sleep. A web site and effective use of e-mail marketing can turn your small home-based business into a global business putting you on a level playing field with large corporations. With easy and afforbable web design tools getting a web site up and running is within reach of everybody.
Sell Benefits Not Features!
Any seasoned business owner knows that it costs five times more to sell to a new prospect than to an existing client. Studies show that each satisfied customer will spread the good word about your business to at least one other person. On the reverse side of the coin a dissatisfied customer will complain to up to five or ten potential customers. Your mission in getting customer referrals to turn passive satisfied customers into actively enthusiastic supporters who will promote your business. The best way to do this is through:
Offering outstanding value to your customers
Delivering your product on time.
Solving customer’s problems.
Maintaining regular contact with customers through feedback forms
Following up your customers regularly.
Creating long-term relationships with customers.
Personalising your product or service.
Finally…
Whether you’re just launching your home based business or have been building one for years, don’t allow lack of information keep you from achieving your financial dreams. Study your marketing options and decide which marketing strategy will best position you for long-term success.
Process Excellence In Manufacturing With Bpm Technology
Manufacturing houses the world over have to deal with production and supply chain related issues, and this often calls for quick responses and timely intervention clubbed with innovative approaches. Not only does a manufacturing house have to deal with customers, but also with an array of distributors, suppliers, vendors, and its own workforce. While there have been various attempts in the past to streamline production processes through the use of various enterprise solutions, the results have been quite mixed. This is mainly because the focus doesn’t always remain on the business’ individual process requirements. Business units are broken down into smaller assembly units and each use stripped down process modeling with limited interaction. Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) typically only support production routing, production processes, and instructions for the work to be done. Hence, MES systems are focused only on production and are unable to execute processes, integrate multivendor applications or play a role in the planning, designing and building phase of manufacturing.
BPM to the Rescue
Business Process Management tools cure this exact pain. It gives businesses the ability to fine tune processes while eliminating any shortcomings, while also automating production processes in order to minimize errors and maximize reliability. Through effective BPM implementation a production house can also utilize its assets to the fullest, thereby getting the most out of its existing manpower and equipment. Besides, in going the BPM way a production house would have the ability to extend its channels of revenue, and this would also give the business an opportunity to gather pertinent customer data from various points of sale.
Managing the Supply Chain
Since this fast paced technological world that we now live in calls for quick fire and accurate decision making while also maintaining visibility, it is important that businesses and their respective supply chain collaborators work in tandem by quickly adapting to changing market needs and scenarios. Using a BPM solution to streamline a business’ entire supply chain network would help the business adapt to the latest trends, minimize wastage, and run on decreased operating costs.
Operations
When it comes to the operational aspect of any manufacturing business, one of the most common complaints involves the lack of synchronized data. If the operations part of a manufacturing house is not adequately integrated, it could very well lead to inaccurate reporting of data, loss of man hours, unnecessary inventories, inappropriate planning and decision making, etc. With the help of an integrated BPM solution, one can expect to have access to all information in real time.
Apart from the positives mentioned above, here are some more reasons why a production house would benefit by employing a BPM strategy.
Other benefits of using BPM solutions in production industries include the ability to run processes in accordance to specific business needs; reducing the possibility of delays in the supply of materials; using automatic notifications to correspond within various internal departments and with external sources like customers, vendors, and suppliers; as well as the ability to integrate one’s existing range of applications like SCM and ERP.
So do I see more manufacturing houses embrace this technology in the time to come? Of course!
Author
Kalpa ShahVice PresidentSkelta Software
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Smart Phones - Changing Where You do Your Business
It wasn’t that long ago there were only a handful of ways that you could surf the Internet. As recently as 2002, Microsoft’s Internet Explorer had almost 90% domination, (which means that web pages really only had to be coded for that one browser). Nowadays, Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome and Opera are taking chunks out of Microsoft’s dominance, and now, there is a new medium that youcan use to surf the Internet and more. Smart phones are cell phones that have access to the internet anywhere they get a isgnal and can browse web pages, but the question is your site ready for this new medium? Look at how at how these phones are changing the world of business in the age of technology.Since Smart Phones make web browsing a portable endeavour, it also means that email is now mobile, as well. It’s obvious that more and more people are working from home than ever and now that Smart Phones make working away from the desk easier than ever, there isn’t much of a reason to have a desk at all. As technology gets better, teleconferencing, video phone calls and other technology will make offices even more irrelevant. One of the biggest obstacles that any office environment must face is communication. Management in some offices have gotten rid of cubicle walls so that coworkers can speak freely and share information to increase productivity, Smart Phones can have the same kind of impact. At it’s most simple function, a Smart Phone is a cell phone, but its also a computer ont the go. The iPhone, for instance, is chock full with productivity software, applications, communication tools and ways to share information like never before. If any creation can help an office easily stay in touch with each other, it is a Smart Phone.Finally, Smart Phones like the iPhone may get the entire business community to communicate in the same language. Just like the battle between Mac and PC has been raging in high schools and college classrooms around the world, businesses have been choosing sides, as well. For businesses that pick the iPhone over other Smart Phones, a switch to a Mac-based office is almost guaranteed. The real question will be which of the Smart Phones will prove to be the business standard. The winner may help to write the next fifty years of business technology from sea to shining sea.
Tough times Means Innovation for Small Business
During this difficult economy, small businesses need a lot of innovation in order to succeed. The Small Business Association (SBA) has done quite a bit of research on the subject, and offers members a number of innovative programs.
Stressed economies typically leads to a wave of small business innovations. Why? Because there is a need to improve productivity, and in most cases this means increasing what the customer perceives as value-added.
It is the Office of Technology administers the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR), and the Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Programs, which are two competitive programs that are sponsored by the government. STTR program awards $2 billion to small high-tech businesses that compete for the funds.
Basically, the SBA offers programs for small business including banking, crisis relief, goaling, investment, lender oversight,freedom of information, technology, and more.
One of the SBA’s goals is to ensure that our country’s small, high-tech, innovative businesses are a significant part of the federal government’s research and development efforts. There are eleven federal departments participating in the SBIR program.
In addition to just plain survival, small businesses must focus on cash flow, costs and the customer. small businesses re-evaluate their priorities, and their business models, trying to pinpoint problems and goals so that they can revise products and services.
some cash is necessary during tough times while researching and redesigning in-house programs, products and service offerings. That’s why so many small businesses have discovered the concept of accounts receivable factoring, also knows as invoice factoring. Accounts receivable factoring has been around for more than 4,000 years. This one financial strategy alone can actually help a small business entrepreneur grow their business exponentially during difficult economic times, while their competitors struggle.
Because obtaining loans from banks and other traditional financial institutions can be a long, painful, and often frustrating process, business owners and managers need to understand factoring – a highly effective alternative to traditional financing.
Here’s how factoring works.Factoring is different from a bank loan in several ways. Bank loans involve two parties, while factoring involves three parties. Banks base their decisions on a company’s credit worthiness, whereas factoring is based on the value of the receivables. Factoring is not a loan – it’s the purchase of a financial asset, or the actual receivable.
A factor will usually look at the creditworthiness of your customers and pays within as little as 24 hours. Most do not expect to buy 100 percent of a company’s receivables, and there are no minimum or maximum sales volume requirements. Most factors’ professional rates are competitive because each client’s circumstances vary, which may have an impact on the fees charged. You can choose which invoices you prefer to be factored. Factoring enables you to retain most of your money, while spending the minimum fees to guarantee adequate cash flow for your business.
The due diligence typically takes one to two business days. Once it has been completed the client is at liberty to offer invoices to the facrtor for purchase. Upon receipt of invoices, the factor checks the credit of the debtor named on the invoice and makes sure that the sale represented has been satisfactorily completed. Once this is done the debtor is advised of the purchase by the factor and the client receives their funding. At the end of the credit period, the debtor pays the factor directly completing the transaction.
How Much Money Do You Need to Start a Business?
A question I get asked frequently is how much money is required to start a business. It’s probably on e of the toughest questions to answer because there are so many variables involved. My usual answer is that it takes anywhere from a couple hundred dollars to several million. Why such a wide margin? Well if you are interested in opening a manufacturing plant such as a solar manufacturing company, it’s going to take millions of dollars. On the other hand, if you are planning to open a pool cleaning service it might only take a few hundred. Let’s take a look at some of the variables of starting a business.
Technology
Business Licenses
Depending on how you structure your business the cost of setting up your business structure and getting your licenses is inexpensive. You can create an LLC for less than one hundred dollars. Your Federal and State tax ID’s are also really inexpensive, usually under $20.
Marketing
Marketing can range from zero dollar marketing tactics, such as free classifieds to very expensive advertising such as Television. Marketing is one area, in the initial stages of your business where you can substitute money for time and energy. For example, you can easily produce a video market it free on your website or videocast directories. The major expense will be your time and energy in creating the video. This includes all of your ads. It’s easy to let a graphics design person create all of your content for you, but will be very expensive in the long run.
Marketing is one area where you need to do some research to find the best tactics and strategies. Overall, if you are on a shoestring budget, you can initially do it for free regardless of whether you operate an offline or online business. If you want to produce all of your ads yourself, you may want to invest in a desktop publishing program such as Microsoft Publisher as a tool to help you create your ads. These applications cost anywhere from $75 to $500. On the other hand, you could always get by initially with PowerPoint to create your ads.
Training
You may want to consider ordering some training materials to help you along in the areas where you are weak. You can expect to pay anywhere from $10 to a couple hundred dollars for some great introductory training.
Insurance
In a lot of cases you don’t need to order business insurance. I definitely recommend insurance in cases where the public can get injured from your product or service. The cost of insurance is dependent on your industry. I owned a sports bar once where I had to pay $24,000 per year in property and casualty insurance. I know of some surgeons that pay up to $100,000 per year in malpractice insurance. Those industries are more of the extreme examples because of the liability involved, but you need to do some research for your industry.
Fixed Overhead
If at all possible, in the early stages of your business work out of your home so you can avoid making big monthly payments for your lease and utilities. There is enough going on in the early stages of your business than to deal with the worry of making these payments. If your business requires leased retail or office space, you usually are required to come up with first and last month lease payment as well as a security deposit. You will also be required to pay a utility deposit to your electric and gas companies. You will definitely be required to carry a minimum amount of property insurance as well. You can see that it starts getting expensive fast and if you’re in the start up phase, it’s a lot of added pressure
Friday, July 23, 2010
Top Accredited Online Diplomas In Information Technology
Information technology is one of the leading employers in today’s economy. The popularity of information technology is fueled by the drive by many technology companies to capitalize on the wave of technological advancements that have consumed the industry. As a result, we have seen great leaps in Nano-technology, telecommunications and computer technology that are pushing the limits of man’s imagination.To gain afoot-hold in the field of information technology, one must get formal training on the systems, principles and mechanisms used within the profession. For individuals who are interested in the field of information technology, an online diploma in information technology is one of the easiest ways of gaining a sound knowledge of the industry. Online universities work in collaboration with leading information technology experts and companies to design their online courses. This ensures that the courses are current, applicable and relevant to the various happenings of this dynamic industry.The diploma in information technology is an extraction of the level 1, 2 and level 3 courses of the bachelor’s degree in information technology. As a result, the general online diploma in information technology takes an average of three years for completion. At level 1, students focus on basic mathematical and scientific courses that prepares them for the more specialized courses later on in the course. These subjects include calculus, circuits, physics and basic programing languages. At level 2, students start going into their core subject areas. This level entails subjects such as communication, information technologies, computers and processors and designing with visual basic. Level 3 entails studies in areas such as foundation and practice of e-business technologies, technologies for digital media and advance communication technologies.
Top Online Colleges for an Online Diploma in Information TechnologyWhen choosing an online college to pursue an online diploma in information technology, students must ensure that the university and its programs are accredited by the Department of Education. This accreditation will prove critical in the future when the time comes for employment or further studies. Many online colleges with grant credit exemption based only on the accreditation of the previous university.Some of the best universities offering Accredited Online Diplomas in Information Technology include:
Network Marketing Business Helps Economy
Network Marketing facilitate for an important role in every country’s economic growth in this competitive 21st century. This industry is often termed as Multi Level Marketing, or Word of mouth Advertising. This Business ensures the planned economic growth in the developing economy where the scarcity of goods, services, ideas and excessive unemployment, thereby marketing efforts are needed for mobilization of economic resources for additional production of ideas, goods and services resulting in greater employment. Let us analyze how the network marketing helps our economy to grow very fast.
Network Marketing stimulates the aggregate demand thereby enlarges the size of market.
With the rapid growing marketing business, technology is playing a more important role in the demands of analyzing and utilizing the large scale information gathered from customers. To predict the consequent business strategy by using technology, it is required to evaluate the customer performance, discover the trends or patterns in customer behavior. For this purpose the in modern world using the technology at a maximum level by e-commerce, internet marketing and services etc.
Even though in several developing countries, Government involves in marketing efforts in order to provide equitable distribution at minimum social costs by setting ceiling and floor prices of foods grains and industrial raw materials, setting maximum whole sale and retail prices of scarce consumer products etc. which ensures the smooth flow of essential goods and even influencing the decisions pertaining to distribution and advertising. Even though the economic recession affects the market at a larger extent, it plays major role in economic growth. The end result will be the maximization of growth of the economy in order to provide higher standard of living for all and the development of a economic levels of the people that fosters entrepreneurship
Microsoft Business Productivity Online Suite
delivers comprehensive communication solutions for businesses. Applications include Microsoft Exchange Online, Microsoft SharePoint Online, Microsoft Office Live Meeting, and Microsoft Office Communications Online. These applications center on email, data sharing, instant messaging, and web conferencing in order to meet the daily demands of employee and client interaction as well as providing cost savings and greater efficiency across the organization. En Pointe Technologies, Inc., a nationally recognized leader in business technology solutions, offers unique customer support and value for businesses seeking to implement BPOS into their current infrastructure. Comprehensive security measures ensure the protection of your company and client sensitive data as well as data recovery procedures in the event of deletion or loss. Because BPOS is cloud hosted, data protection reaches new levels and the risk of theft can be greatly reduced. Cloud hosting also diminishes risk of server failure and user error, promising nearly continuous uptime. BPOS can be seamlessly integrated into your current communications structure by means of email co-existence and migration tools. Customers with current Active Directory service and Exchange servers can synchronize existing data lists and accounts with the online applications. Content can also be copied directly to Exchange Online mailboxes from your current Exchange server mailboxes. Migration tools make the process simple and straightforward. Online collaboration options allow employees anywhere in the world to share documents, edit files, and host online meetings for planning or training purposes. Web conferencing enables employee/client discussions to take place at any time and also allows employees in different locations to meet for brainstorming sessions or training seminars. Meeting notes can be recorded and uploaded for viewing at a later time, and meeting attendance can be monitored via surveys and email reminders. Microsoft Sharepoint Online provides multiple user access to documents and projects, shared calendars, and centralized intranet workspaces. Management tools include Microsoft’s Online Services Administration Center where system administrators can access user and service information and create user accounts, monitor email migration and request technical support. Your company will realize significant cost savings as you implement . Cloud hosting eliminates the need for initial hardware expenditures and allows your IT solutions to grow with your business. Per user monthly fees create predictable expenses without the risk of expensive hardware failure or replacement. By utilizing En Pointe Technologies to manage your IT needs, your IT department will be more productive as they target their expertise toward your business needs rather than toward server maintenance.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Top 5: Ways Executive Teams Can Communicate in Business 2.0
With the inception of the internet, business communication has turned from the back roads onto the Audubon. With the newest and shiniest communication technologies emerging constantly, it seems overwhelming and difficult to manage. The web has created it’s own guidelines and etiquette. Still headlines read of executive communication missteps. Though face-to-face time is critical in a fast-paced world driven by electronic communication, this week’s top five will explore ways to effectively engage your team through business technologies.
How to communicate with your teams In a global economy, communication is vital. Whether you’re in the same office or halfway around the world, work teams need to meet whether in the real or digital world. For those who can stop by their employees office after lunch for a follow-up, video conferencing is impractical to say the least. But for those working closely in a global network, video conferencing is the closest form of face-to-face time you have. As air and land travel becomes more expensive, particularly in a time when businesses are cost cutting, a webcam can be a viable option to get team updates.
Communication etiquette in the digital world Who ever said in-person communication was dead? With emergence of new communications technologies, so prevalent in today’s business environment, it might be difficult to remember a time when in-person meetings were the only meetings. There has been a heated debate for some time now about the importance of face time. Though video conferencing is the closest communication tool to face-time, nothing is more effective than one-on-one. The more personal and hard-hitting the news, the more you should lean towards in-person discussions. If however, it is Wednesday and you need a report by Tuesday and it’s not that pressing, send an e-mail.
Communication from the inside out Brand managers are finding it difficult to claim ownership over their brand in the digital world. As consumers increasingly disseminate their feelings about a certain product or service across networks of users, brands need to be proactive. Executives are pushed to engage with their constituencies outside their company. There is a strong trend for executives to blog or have someone ghostwrite a blog for them. YouTube is also a great way to connect and engage your audiences. Consider the…
To read more about corporate communications, visit Sparxoo, a digital media, branding and business develpment blog.
Buying or selling your business in the New Year, how is your Productivity Plan?
So you’ve made your New Year’s resolutions which included building a business plan. This includes setting your personal and business goals. You also did a budget to make sure you can afford to do what you’ve planned. You are therefore all rested and dressed up and ready to go. Bring it on you say. My question is therefore, you know WHAT you want to do but HOW are you going to do it?
Chances are you have a list of projects and tasks you want and need to do. It probably doesn’t include answering phones, sending and receiving emails, reading articles and newsletters, attending conferences, staying on top of compliance items that affect your industry but numerous day to day activities that lead most entrepreneurs at the end of the day to say “Where did the day go?” And that’s the point of a Productivity Plan.
A Productivity Plan is an attempt to put some system into each month, week and day. Whether you are the President of the United States or the unemployed person looking for a job, we all have exactly the same amount of time in a day. While we may not always be able to control who we spend our day with, we can control how we spend it. For example, do you know how much time each day you spend on email? Do you respond to each email as it arrives? If so, you are not being productive. An email is a non urgent means of communication. If it was urgent you would be using the cell phone or other telephone line. The goal of a Productivity Plan is to plan and manage your day, firstly, so you enjoy it and secondly, so you get the important tasks done while the less important tasks wait. Closing down your email so you answer each email in a window of time and then again in the afternoon allows you to be more productive
7 Ways to Get Money to Start Your Business
You have a clear vision of the perfect business. You have the drive and motivation. You have the knowledge and skills. However, you have no money to make it a reality. You are not alone. Many great business people and entrepreneurs had no money when they started, but they set out to find it. They had a dream, and they knew it was worth it. And you can do it too! Here’s a list of ways to get money for your business venture; these have proven successful over and over again and are recommended by business coaches all over the country:
1. Credit line
You may obtain a credit line with a bank through some valuable asset you possess, like your home or another business. A credit line can give you the opportunity to access up to $100,000; however, you only pay interests over the amount you use.
2. Personal loan
You may apply for a loan from a bank in line with your credit history, or the assets that you own. In this case, you get the full amount and must pay back the interests and principal within an established period of time. If you fail to pay the loan, you may lose what you used to secure it, so keep this very important point in mind.
3. Credit card Today
Many credit card companies offer 0% financing opportunities. If you can pay back quickly, this is a fantastic way for you to get money for free, however, be cautious, because interest rates may go up unexpectedly.
4. SBA loan (only in the US)
Commercial loan This doesn’t mean the SBA will lend you money, but that they will guarantee your commercial loan for the bank. In order to apply for this kind of loan, the bank will demand a business plan as well as your personal financial information.
5. Grants In the United States
The NIH awards grants for Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) as well as Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) grants. For further information, visit the Office of Extramural Research, there you may find other grants related to your industry. You may also research within your industry’s association.
6. Micro loans
These loans are given by nonprofits or government agencies that work with weak communities and marginal groups. They are normally for small amounts, typically under $25,000.
7. Venture capitalist
These are funding groups that are prepared to take on bigger risks, like on new technology, and expect to earn a lot of money. This option works best for a business that is already well-established rather than for one that is just starting out. The venture capitalist invests a lot of money in the business, and thus, owns a big part of it. It expects to sell the business fast, probably through an IPO (Initial Public Offering).
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Small Business Ecommerce Solutions for B2B, B2C and Other Business Domains
B2B and B2C e-commerce solutions are offered by various companies. This helps in generating real business value for small as well as large business enterprises besides expanding business in the global front.
Promotions Management companies proficient in handling all aspects of e-commerce strategy and development, integrate business, technology, people and process for ensuring maximum business profits. They effectively plan, execute and monitor promotions for different business domains and help in attaining immediate return on investments. The team of professionals in such companies is well versed in their respective fields and undertakes strategic marketing options as well as thorough market research practices. In fact, these companies prove beneficial in maximizing effectiveness of the entire process, in establishing corporate identity and in targeting customers in an effective manner. They facilitate in promoting the products or service of different companies reducing operational cost. The internet promotion services rendered by them help in increasing sales thorough internet. They effectively comprehend the target customers and their preferences and develop promotional strategies accordingly. It paves way for building brand recognition and brand recall. Besides, such services help in accessing a global audience and accelerate instant feedback with easy browsing and searching features.
Offering latest marketing initiatives, small business e commerce solutions effectively meets the requirements of online retail companies. In offering ecommerce solutions, companies take account of order processing, content management, end-to-end security, distributed transaction processing, XML-based interoperability, integration with online payment and customer relationship management systems. The accessible and attractive features of these e commerce software solutions provide ample opportunity for promoting the products or services of a company. Promising maximum business growth with minimal investment of money and time, these ecommerce solutions strengthen company’s image and builds effective business transactions. Devising innovative strategies for incorporating latest technologies, e-commerce solutions provided by various companies create custom solutions on leading e-commerce platforms.
Reaping the Rewards of Small Online Business Opportunities
Some of the best deals to be had, whether in real estate, commercial goods or even with small online business opportunities are now available via the Internet. The web now provides the largest marketplace for both merchant and consumer populations.
It seems like the first place people go to find the best deal on anything they are interested in buying is their home computer. The Internet wired computer now serves as an invaluable shopping companion as well as a vast information resource.
Bringing Small Business Opportunities Home
Many people have had impressive results operating a small business from the comfort of their own home. Because the Internet creates infinitely greater sales traffic than that of an actual storefront, there is the potential for huge sales revenues. No other business opportunity generates more income per initial investment.
Using computer technology in the home business setting has been proven to save huge amounts of time for the owner and also simplifies just about every single step of the sales process. People who have turned to Internet sales services for convenience have rarely, if ever, looked back.
Shaping Your Business Opportunity for Record Earnings
You simply have to pay a small online business opportunities fee to get access to a time tested and proven business method, and then it is time to count your customers. In addition to not having to know about the inner workings of the business technology itself, you don’t have to be a marketing genius either.
As word spreads about this type of opportunity, the offerings may potentially become fewer. Because the path has been paved for people interested in working from home, now may be the best time ever to get started.
Do you know that you can make money from a small business idea, but just don’t know where to start? Visit this site today http://www.SmallOnlineBusinessOpportunity.com/ and find out exactly where to get started.
“For more information on small online business opportunities, visit http://www.smallonlinebusinessopportunity.com/.”
Smooth Operator: Creating a Slick Business is Key to Success
The cornerstone of any successful enterprise is a carefully crafted business plan that clearly sets out the company’s short, medium and long term goals. However, whilst it is crucial to get all the big business decisions right, it’s just as important to concentrate on the finer details too and consider how exactly these goals will be achieved. For most 21st century businesses, technology can play an extremely important role in terms of streamlining operations and cutting back on needless costs and resources. Indeed, all a small company needs to succeed in the modern day business world is a talented individual with a bundle of good ideas and a networked computer. And because of this, many entrepreneurs launch their first business from home, given that the reduced overhead costs mean they can offer their services at significantly reduced prices compared to that of their competitors. This can be a very effective tactic in clinching those first few lucrative deals that can produce the capital to grow and become a true force to be reckoned with. Furthermore, with the advent of the Internet era, there is actually very little reason to have premises at all, even when the company starts to grow. Files can be sent digitally and stored digitally on a remote server that can be accessed by every employee in the company, whilst groupware applications enable people to collaborate on projects and share information as though they were in the same physical working environment. Of course, home-based businesses will often only have so much mileage and there will inevitably come a time when it’s simply too big to manage remotely. However, this shouldn’t mean that the lean, mean business machine model of home-based working should be completely discarded once that first office lease is signed. The secret to running an agile business is keeping overheads to a minimum and cutting out any unnecessary waste. Digital storage, email and groupware applications will all still play an integral part in keeping the company streamlined, and there’s a whole host of other applications that can be introduced too. Rather than spending valuable time in transit visiting a client, web conferencing is a perfectly viable alternative, offering a platform to chat, deliver presentations and negotiate deals. And even businesses that are still at the home-working stage, web conferencing is a fantastic way of creating a virtual meeting environment for colleagues to brainstorm ideas and collaborate on projects. So it’s clear that technology can play a crucial role in helping businesses to grow and develop into a major force within their industry. Web applications and a handful of networked computers are all that’s needed to create a slick virtual office environment, bringing countless benefits to companies of all sizes.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Investor- Business Daily
For budding business investors, information is essential. Getting information on stocks, stock performance, mutual funds, and other possible investment opportunities can be the difference between being successful in a business venture and failing utterly. is one such publication that can give you these kinds of information.
is a broadsheet published daily and distributed around the United States. It was founded in 1984 under the name Investors Daily. In 1991 the name was changed into . The founder William O’Neil is a published author whose books contain a helpful guide on investing and what to know about the business. He conceived the newspaper in order to help busy investors in finding the right investment opportunity. Also, the daily columns that contains advices and information that aims to help investors expands on the thoughts of O’Neil’s previous books.
contains information not found in other business newspapers in the country. It holds sections that give advice to up and coming investors and educate them on proper ways of conducting business and looking for signs of a good investment opportunity. It has information needed by stock investors like stock price performance, detailed index, and stock charts to know which stocks are doing well and which stock to invest on.
Investors can rely in the detailed information on stocks, mutual funds, commodities, and other financial devices to find what best to invest in. Also, found in the newspaper are articles stating the state of the economy both locally and internationally. This allows the investors to determine whether it is wise to invest in the current economic climate. Knowing these details can save you from investing in a business that might turn out bad for you.
The newspaper also features articles on companies and news of interest. One section contains details of companies that may entice interest in the readers. Editorials and columns tackle topics on business, politics, government, and even culture. Opinions and analysis of national and global events and its effect on the economy and the market can be seen in the opinions and editorial section. The wide array of topics and interests cater to a large number of readers.
A website is also made to cater the needs of investors who can’t find the time to open a newspaper. It contains up to date information on stock and stock movement. Articles on the latest news about the market can be found in the site. It also offers a subscription for an electronic newspaper. It has various sections on daily stock analysis, investors’ education, and online courses. It has articles and various fields like business, technology, investing, economy, management and opinion and offers news and analysis about it.
Having the right information from the most reliable sources is definitely helpful for investors to help them make the right decisions. It can make the difference in making a bad investment and a good investment. Knowing the state of the economy and the events that affects the market can really help in determining what move an investor can make and plan out future actions one needs to do to be successful.