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Five Business Benefits of Employee Training Programmes

Understanding the business benefits of an employee training programme can sometimes be more of an art than a science. As a result, it can sometimes be difficult to convince management teams of the need for forma people investment. Like any business case, we need to persuade others through demonstrating the benefits or, as salespeople would say, “What’s in it for them" Discover more here...

Keywords:

training, management training, employee training, training plans, learning and development

Article Body:

Copyright 2006 Train In A Day

Understanding the business benefits of an employee training programme can sometimes be more of an art than a science.

How do you measure success?

How can you convince your colleagues to make the investment?

As a result, it can sometimes be difficult to convince management teams of the need for forma people investment.

Like any business case, we need to persuade others through demonstrating the benefits or, as salespeople would say, “What’s in it for them?”

This article highlights five major benefits of employee training:

Let’s take a look:

1. Impact on bottom line

Successful employee training delivers improvements in employee performance which, in turn, creates a better performing business and an improved bottom line.

Research conducted has suggested that, where training programmes are effective, employee productivity can increase by 230 per cent.

You may wish to highlight job roles within your organization where employee performance has improved using measurable variables that will demonstrate your business case for further investment.

By focusing your business case on the objectives of the business you will not only be preparing a persuasive proposal for the rest of your management team but will also be steering your training plans towards the areas of greatest benefit. Hence, ensuring the greatest return on investment for the project.

2. Staff retention

Want to spend more training recruiting staff?

Thought not.

Training increases staff retention which will save you money.

Instead of paying recruitment fees, re-investing in training, loss of management time why not treat your people as your number one asset?

Invest in their development and they will receive a return your investment many times over.

In some companies, training programs have reduced staff turnover by 70 per cent and led to a return on investment of 7,000 per cent.

Incredible, eh?

3. Improved quality and productivity

Training that meets both staff and employer needs can increase the quality and flexibility of a business’s services by fostering:

• accuracy and efficiency
• good work safety practices
• great customer service.

You know the benefits of quality assurance programmes. Now buy in to the benefits of employee training programmes!

Can you put a value onto a lost customer?

How about a health and safety issue?

If you wish to gain a simple but meaningful measure of employee training programmes take a look at the consequences of NOT investing in your people.
Often, we only make investment decisions when we can visualize the effects of not taking action.

If you’re not yet convinced by the benefits of training, take a look at where your company has suffered from a lack of improved skills and try calculating the TRUE cost of those incidents.

4. The flow-on effect

The benefits of training in one area can flow through to all levels of an organization.

Over time, training will boost the bottom line and reduce costs by decreasing:

• wasted time and materials
• maintenance costs of machinery and equipment
• workplace accidents, leading to lower insurance premiums
• recruitment costs through the internal promotion of skilled staff
• absenteeism.

If you take a closer look at those companies which sit within the ‘Top 100 Companies’ to work for you will notice something which runs through each of them.

You can’t measure it but successful companies have a ‘culture’ which runs throughout them.

The benefit of this culture is a happy, innovative and successful workforce.

A positive culture only comes through a respect for and an investment in your people.

Start cultivating a progressive culture within your business today through employee training programmes and other forms of people investment.

5. Remaining competitive

Businesses must continually change their work practices and infrastructure to stay competitive in a global market.

Technology, previously the main driver of competitive advantage, is progressively taking a back seat to people.

As economies become progressively service orientated, it is the development of people that is providing successful businesses with long-term sustainable success.

Training staff to manage the implementation of business strategies, improvements to procedures and customer service policies can also act as a benchmark for future recruitment and quality assurance practices.

As well as impacting on business profit margins, training can improve:

• staff morale and satisfaction
• 'soft skills' such as inter-staff communication and leadership
• time management
• customer satisfaction.

So there we are. Start thinking now about how investing in the skills of your people can benefit your business to make more money, save money or save time.

Computer Consultants: The Benefits of Self-Employment

Computer consultants enjoy many benefits. Increased self-worth, local business and selectivity are all benefits enjoyed by computer consultants.

Keywords:

IT service contracts, IT service contract, IT-service-contracts, IT-service-contract

Article Body:

Working as computer consultants for small businesses can be very financially rewarding and very gratifying. In this article you'll learn about some of the benefits you'll realize as computer consultants.

You Can Pick Your Work

As computer consultants, you have so much flexibility that you're not likely to get bored. You choose what you want to do. It’s a lot of fun. You get to select exactly which technologies and the platforms and the products that you’re able to sell, service and support. You don’t have to get boxed into working with products that you don’t want to deal with anymore.

You Can Find Plenty of Clients in Your Area

It doesn’t matter where you are located. If there are small businesses, no matter what the industry, you can build a very nice business servicing and supporting their IT needs. But let’s face it, it really isn’t just about the financial rewards. You can make a very good living as a computer consultant for small businesses right in your local area. And if that two-hour commute is really getting on your nerves you can set up your computer consulting business right in your own home.

You Have Freedom to Choose

With your own business as a computer consultants you can choose your own bosses, your clients, your colleagues, partners, vendors, and contractors.

You Can Pick Your Own Schedule.

You also get much greater control of your working hours and when you’re on call. You can hand-pick the "perfect" clients that will allow you to work more realistic hours and you won’t feel like you’re going nuts around the clock.

You Will Increase Your Self-Worth

You’ll be servicing small businesses that usually don’t have an outside IT department and they desperately need your help. You’re the main person - their part-time, virtual IT person.

The Bottom Line about Computer Consultants

As computer consultants, you get the freedom to hand-pick a portfolio of clients and projects that provide a gratifying experience for you and you won’t get bored. You’ll love getting up and going to work every day.

Copyright MMI-MMVI, Computer Consulting 101. All Worldwide Rights Reserved. {Attention Publishers: Live hyperlink in author resource box required for copyright compliance}

Enjoy The Benefits Of A Credit Merchant Account

Keywords:

Credit Merchant Account

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A credit merchant account can make your business more productive than ever. That’s because a merchant account will let you start accepting credit card payments from customers in any part of the world at any time of the day or night. Could business possibly be better than that when conducted in any other way? That is why you need to know more about potential benefits of a merchant account.

Your credit merchant account will let you grow your business in ways you may not have imagined. For example, in addition to taking credit card payments on location at your store, you can take a wireless credit card processor with you to customers’ residences or places of business and accept payment on the spot. This makes it easier for the customer to pay the charges and not give another thought to the transaction. You, on the other hand, likewise benefit when the bill is paid promptly without the hassle of waiting for payments that may never arrive. You can hire few billing clerks and accounts receivable employees when you accept credit transactions that are processed instantly.

Another way that a credit merchant account can serve your business is when you implement a phone order and payment system. A digital program will let customers call a toll-free number, listen to messages about products and services or select other options, such as “payment” or “catalog request,” and then finish up by processing a credit card for any purchases made during the phone call. You don’t even have to hire someone to answer the phone; the entire process can be automated, although you may want to have a customer service rep available at certain hours of the day if needed.

The credit merchant account benefit that is creating quite a buzz in the business world is the Internet credit card processing option. More companies are putting up a Website in cyberspace to get their names out there and to attract a larger, more global client base. You can enjoy these benefits, too, when you get approved for a credit merchant account and hire a Web designer to create an artistic or thoughtful Website that represents your business to customers around the world. Registering with search engines will bring thousands of visitors to your site by accident, but they may decide to remain when they find exciting features on your home page, such as a survey, a helpful hint, or links to product lists and descriptions. They can shop in any time zone or region in any continent from a computer with Internet access. Think of the possibilities for building a super-size client base!

Give some thought to applying for a merchant credit account from a trusted lender or underwriter. This special account will confer professional merchant status and allow you to collect credit payments in a timely manner instead of working through a time-consuming billing process that may render less fruitful results. Shop soon to compare prices and terms for your credit merchant account.

Explore the Benefits of Ordering Promotional Products Online

Explore 8 reasons to buy promotional products online.

Keywords:

Promotional, Products, Articles, Items, Gifts, Imprinted

Article Body:

The benefits and advantages of ordering promotional products and wearables online are endless. So numerous, in fact, placing promotional product orders online should be further explored.

Ordering promotional products and corporate wearables online allows you to shop whenever, wherever, and for whatever you choose and always at rock bottom pricing.

· Whenever….order promotional products online 24 hours a day with little or no concern for time zones or work schedules — "anytime" is the right time to order promotional products online.

· Wherever….place promotional product orders online from home or office or even while traveling on the road or just on the go with the convenience of an internet connection.

· Whatever….online ordering provides promotional product choices bigger and better than ever—often promotional product manufacturers display their complete product line on the internet offering a greater selection than what appears in their catalogs. You will have the opportunity to make your product choice from this more complete promotional product selection at your own pace and with the opportunity to compare similar promotional products from different manufacturers and make your decisions without influence or interruption by sales personnel.

· Shopping for promotional products on line provides quick, easy and positive price comparisons. Scan through the promotional product manufacturers, to search out those offering discount pricing and large-quantity pricing as well. You will then surely find online pricing to be the very best. (Remember, ordering promotional products and wearables online eliminates dealing with the expensive marketing people, reflected in the price saving advantage received by shopping for promotional products via internet.)

Promotional product manufacturers make the online ordering process simple and convenient. Most promotional product manufacturers insert an order form on their site to help you through the order entry system and which also helps secure your data. Most-asked questions are addressed directly on line. If you still have unanswered questions, contact a customer service agent. Most promotional product companies provide a knowledgeable service staff readily available to offer assistance and they will gladly help with any special order requirements, i.e. rush orders, changes, etc.

Ordering promotional products online is a valuable timesaver. When ordering promotional products on line you more clearly target specific promotional product groups —a great timesaver. Compare, for instance, the convenience of searching the internet for a targeted promotional product to searching through a multitude of catalogs to find the promotional product you’re looking for.

Follow up on your online order anytime either online or if necessary, speak to a customer service representative. Make a promotional product selection, compare pricing, place the order, follow up on the order and check shipping and receiving all from the convenience of your desk or anywhere you have internet access.

Once you have experienced the convenience and all the benefits of shopping and ordering your promotional product and wearable needs online and have enjoyed knowing you have gotten the best possible pricing, you will find yourself ordering online over and over again. You just can’t ignore the convenience, and the time and price saving afforded by shopping and ordering all of your promotional products and wearables on the internet Don’t hesitate—give it a try. Internet shopping for your every promotional product and corporate wearable needs is the successful wave of the future.

Demand For Massage Therapists Increases As Interest In Benefits Of Massage Creates More Converts

Keywords:

health, massage, career,massage therapy,alternativehealth

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Projections by the U.S. Department of Labor forecast employment opportunities for massage therapists to grow by 18 to 26 percent from 2004-2014.

According to the 2006-2007 Edition of the Occupational Outlook Handbook, published by the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics, the outlook for employment for massage therapists will “increase faster than average” during the period from 2004-2014. The Bureau defines “faster than average” as “increase 18 to 26 percent.”

Among the reasons for the growing demand for massage therapists, the publication cites “massage therapy’s growing acceptance as a medical tool.” Apparently, younger Americans appreciate the effectiveness of massage at reducing stress through relaxation and the growing segment of older Americans are experiencing specific therapeutic benefits. The willingness of the “medical provider and insurance industries” to recommend and cover the costs of massage therapy is another growth factor cited by the Bureau.

There are roughly 1,300 massage therapy postsecondary schools, college programs, and training programs throughout the country. After enrolling in a training program, massage therapy students study anatomy, physiology, kinesiology and other subjects covering the structure and function of the human body. Students must understand how the body works and moves and how the various systems relate and interact.
Students also train in the various massage types, or “modalities,” and learn the techniques associated with each form of massage offered by the training institution. There are dozens of unique approaches to massage ranging from techniques that focus on a specific area of the body to techniques that approach the body holistically and consider both physical and mental aspects of health and relaxation.

The U.S. Department of Labor estimates that massage therapists held about 97,000 jobs in 2004. Most massage therapists are self-employed and own their own business. The balance are independent contractors or are employed by businesses that offer massage services. These include spas, health clubs, medical offices and sports organizations.

An aging population and broader acceptance of alternative medical practices will only increase the demand for massage therapists. Baby-boomers will carry their appreciation for message into their senior years and the elderly, in general, are recognizing the benefits of massage as a support for a more active lifestyle. Businesses have begun offering on-site massage to employees to help deal with on-the-job stress and help improve productivity. Health insurance companies are recognizing the contribution of massage to overall health and many are including massage in their coverage.

The outlook is bright for existing and potential massage therapists. The occupation offers a great deal of flexibility and an opportunity to operate independently. Income levels are fair and growing and the social aspects are quite attractive to those who enjoy helping and interacting with many different people. Enrollment in massage schools is on the rise and good schools, ambitious students and increased demand bode well for future massage therapists.

Commercial real estate investment is reaping benefits for investors

Keywords:

Commercial real estate investment

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‘Commercial real estate investment’ refers to the class of real estate that is primarily meant for investing money for profits later on. Examples of such properties include:

• Restaurants (including franchises)

• Retail

• Office buildings

• Self-storage (Mini-storage) / industrial

• Strip malls

• Hotels (also called "hospitality")

• Multi-family / apartment buildings

Why invest in commercial property?

Unlike residential real estate, Commercial real estate investment is evaluated, bought, and sold based purely on numbers - on a set of factors that describe what kind of return on investment you can expect with the property. Most Commercial real estate investment is expected to make a return for you on an on-going (monthly) basis. With the retail boom and increasing return on investment in the commercial real estate market, the value of commercial real estate have grown by leaps and bounds, particularly, in the commercial areas, where the local retail shops and shopping complexes have been replaced by huge and swanky malls.

What to expect?

Remember though! Commercial real estate investment is a long term opportunity, do not expect to increase you net worth over night. No one is going to profit all the time. Real estate investors have to suffer through times of little to no cash flow - it is part of the game.

This may cause panic but if you can stick with it for the long term, cash flow will increase. Investing especially in real estate is not for the weak of mind or body. It can be frustrating, and stressful. But for successful investors the rewards are priceless.

Cafeteria Benefits and Your Workforce

Cafeteria plans shave become increasingly popular over the last few years because they were designed to offer employees a truly convenient way to pay medical expenses with pre-tax dollars.

Keywords:

interim staffing, interim services, interim solutions, hr consulting, temp human resource services, project personnel, interim executive recruiting, Chicago, Dallas, Boca Raton, Atlanta, interim executive staffing, workforce planning, interim staffing consultants, workforce development, recruiting consultants, human resource consultants, interim managers, interim professionals

Article Body:

Especially if you happen to be one of those unflinchingly ambitious micro-business entrepreneurs, I’ve been reading about everyday in pubs like Crain’s Chicago Business, you’ll eventually find that designing and offering up an attractive employee-benefits package will be an essential component of your future growth. An attractive health plan will do just that – attract – helping you recruit and retain crucial employees (meaning those fought over creative class/knowledge worker types Richard Florida is always yammering about). You’ll also find that a generous group plan will help link your employees' interests to your concern’s.

That said, there are a seemingly unlimited number of group benefits options to consider. One that you’ll want to move to the top of your list is a Cafeteria Plan. The cafeteria brand of benefit plan can add a lot freedom to a employee compensation package, allowing your workforce to choose benefits options ala carte, if you will – selecting only the benefit options they’re most interested in.

Perhaps I should start closer to the beginning … cafeteria plans, also known as the flexible spending account, the choice spending account or the section 125 plan, have become increasingly popular over the last few years because they’re designed to offer employees a truly convenient way to pay medical expenses with pre-tax dollars; relieving them of the burden of federal, and state taxes.

To take advantage of a flexible spending account, eligible employees set aside a pre-designated amount each year, in order to pay for medical expenses aren’t already eligible for coverage. The two most common types of flexible-spending accounts are dependent care reimbursement (also known as DCRAs) and health care reimbursement accounts. Employees pay for non-reimbursed expenses from these accounts. Unfortunately, flexible-spending accounts are "use-it-or-lose-it" accounts; meaning that any funds leftover at the end of the year can’t be “rolled over,” so to speak.

Exceptions To Those Limits Apply to Key Employees

Typically, funds set aside in a cafeteria plan's flexible-spending account are exempt from income, payroll, and unemployment taxes. This exemption generally also applies to payroll and unemployment taxes paid on behalf of employees. (Take a look at IRS Pub. 15-B for exceptions, including treatment of highly compensated employees and certain shareholders of Subchapter S Corporation’s.)

Premiums paid to a group life benefits policy are typically exempt from income and unemployment taxes. In addition, premiums paid for up to $50,000.00 of benefits coverage per employee tend to be exempt from payroll taxes. For additional details, see IRS Publication 15-B.

You see, cafeteria plans offer you some versatility in putting together a benefits plan for your workforce. There are other categories of fringe benefits that you can offer your employees in a cafeteria plan that may be excluded from taxable income under IRS benefit-exclusion rules. Using a flexible-spending account -- namely, establishing a DCRA and HCRA -- may help to jump-start a cafeteria plan for your workforce. If you maintain a cafeteria plan, the IRS requires you to complete IRS Form 5500.

To help you keep track of employment-related costs, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) publishes a quarterly statistic called the employment cost index. The cost index measures changes in employee-compensation costs, which include salaries, wages, and benefits. In addition to publishing the quarterly cost index, BLS publishes an annual survey of compensation costs.

One last thing … the information above is practically for entertainment purposes and shouldn’t be interpreted as financial advice. For advice specific to your firm’s circumstances, don’t hesitate get advice from a financial, tax or benefits consultant. You may even want to flat out hire an Interim benefits consultant or a full service benefits consulting firm. There are also a number of good sources of information on the Web you can take advantage of. The Employee Benefits Research Institute (EBRI), International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans (IFEBP), and American Benefits Council are independent sources of truly “actionable” employee-benefit plan information.

Character Education and its Benefits to our Children

Good character education is one of the most important things our children will learn in life. The benefits are positive and the outcome will lead our children into successful lives, as well as becoming a good citizen.

Keywords:

home business ideas, work-at-home moms, mom work-at-home idea, moms, stay-at-home moms, ideas, top 10, home business, virtual assistant, va, career kit, business opportunity, kids and character, character education, benefits, children and character, children and education

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The Definition
Character education involves teaching children about basic human values including honesty, kindness, generosity, courage, freedom, equality and respect.

The goal is to raise children to become morally responsible, self-disciplined citizens. Problem solving, decision making, and conflict resolution are important parts of developing moral character. Through role playing and discussions, children can see that their decisions affect other people and things.

Inclusive Concept
Character education is an inclusive concept regarding all aspects of how families, schools, and related social institutions support the positive character development of children. Character in this context refers to the moral and ethical qualities of persons as well as the demonstration of those qualities in their emotional responses, reasoning, and behavior. Character is associated with such virtues as respect, responsibility, trustworthiness, fairness, caring, and citizenship. Broadly, character education encompasses all aspects of the influence that families, schools, and other social institutions have on the positive character development of children. Character Education is the deliberate effort to help people understand, care about and act upon core ethical values.

What Does Character Education Look Like?
Character education looks like young people learning, growing, and becoming. It feels like strength, courage, possibility, and hope. Giving life meaning, purpose, and a future is the collective message educators are sharing with youth in a curriculum that ultimately says, "Together we can."

We need to practice moral education by means of explanation — not simply stuffing students' heads with rules and regulations, but engaging them in great moral conversations about the human race. The very existence of this dialogue helps make us human.

How can Children benefit
Embedded in character education are guidelines for successful living. The language of respect and responsibility navigates the journey to ethical fitness. Children explore education as life and life as learning positive approaches for setting and achieving goals.

Children learn that living each day to its fullest means more than waiting for moments here and there. Character education presents life with context, inviting them to listen, share, explore, and reflect. Cultivating knowledge for purposeful living, students learn through literature, art, humanities and throughout the existing school curriculum the benefits and consequences of behavior. They learn the power of choice. They learn to appreciate the qualities of being human and to share their appreciation at home, in school, and in the community.

Finding Time
Many stories in children's literature, for example, reflect lessons in morals and virtues; we can read and discuss these moral lessons without taking time from core subjects. Character education also fits well with social studies and health topics. Accepting individual differences, showing courage, developing citizenship, taking responsibility for oneself, and making positive, so the hurdle of finding time for character education becomes less intimidating. Also, talking about good character traits fits naturally into the scheme of setting up a successful primary classroom. When we introduce games in math, we could review the ideas of fairness and cooperation.

Practicing Cooperative Learning Techniques
Partner and small-group learning activities are natural complements to character education, providing children with opportunities to practice cooperation, respect, teamwork, and responsibility. Children usually enjoy cooperative activities, and working with peers is a brain-friendly technique that enhances learning (Jensen, 1996).

School staff members serve as troubleshooters between students and the individuals or agencies in need of assistance. Such service programs teach valuable humanitarian skills. Through these activities, abstract concepts like justice and community become real as students see the faces of the lives they touch. Children begin to appreciate the need to couple moral thinking with moral action.

Does It Work?
Can character education really make a difference? Teaching about character is just as important as teaching the basics of writing, math, and reading. As Martin Luther King Jr. said, "Intelligence plus character—that is the goal of true education" (1947). Educators should work in partnership with families and communities to give children every opportunity to grow into people of good character, and especially to counteract society's potentially negative influences. Character education cannot cure all the world's evils, but it can improve and influence children in positive ways, giving them the skills that they will need to be successful adults.

Expectations of Excellence
Children need standards and the skills to achieve them. They need to see themselves as students engaged in a continuing pursuit of excellence. These standards of excellence in school work and behavior will encourage students to develop qualities like perseverance and determination, and those virtues will affect every aspect of the children's lives as they mature.

Academic studies change rapidly; what we discuss in class today becomes passé tomorrow. But the values, moral influences and noteworthy characteristics we model and discuss will outlast academic facts and figures. We can leave our children a legacy that will remain constant throughout life: to know the good, love the good and do the good.

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Creating Brands That Provide Psychological And Social Benefits Beyond The Product

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xhtml, css, html, coding, design

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The main reason for the general fascination with brands is their ability to provide the consumers an extra value in addition to what the product\service\company themselves can provide. A value which becomes the major motivation for consumers to desire the product. Everybody agrees about that, but from here on it becomes foggy. First of all, what is this value exactly? Also, how precisely is this value being added and incorporated into the brand? In this short article I attempt to provide a clear answer to both of these key questions and to suggest a workable approach to creating value added brands.

By way of introduction, let me say that strong brands are perceived instruments, means to achieve goals or benefits, in the consumer's mind. They arouse emotions because they are perceived as a source of something beneficial. The positive emotions are direct outcomes of these anticipations. Their various symbolizations (name, logo, font, emblem, etc') have little impact of their own. Their importance is mainly as identifiers of sources of already attributed and anticipated benefits.

The act of branding has ten different meanings which are ten different ways to create instrumentality or usefulness beyond the tangible benefits which the product/ service/ company themselves can provide.

Creating a conceived linkage to a tangible benefit

The most basic level of branding is creating a conceived linkage between the brand name and other identifiers and a tangible benefit. Huge brands like Pantene shampoo which promise to amend the six symptoms of unhealthy hair look, work in this level.

Forming a mental context

A "mental context" is a concept or an organizing principle which allows the consumer to conceive originally unrelated facts (such as: the various marketing activities of a company) as connected by a guiding intent or by some other common factor. For example: should you stumbled into a hotel like the "Hudson" or the "Royalton" in the heart of Manhattan, you are promised pleasure on different levels, but if you know you're in a "Boutique Hotel" your stay becomes a very different experience altogether.

Directing an experience

This is essentially a hypnotic effect, in some cases related to Placebo. The branding here is the creation of an expectation which alters the sensed experience and enables the consumer a richer experience than what the product alone can provide him with. For instance, the expectation that an energy drink like "Red Bull" will energize, makes the consumers feel a wave of energy beyond the physical effect of the drink.

Creating a means of self presentation

Here the branding creates a symbol with a meaning that is well known to everybody in a relevant group, which enables the consumer to characterize himself. The brand "ABSOLUT vodka" became a way for yuppies to signal their yuppieness to other yuppies and so became a huge success.

Creating a means to deliver a message

The branding role in this approach is to create a symbol of another kind, its meaning known for everybody as well. The diamonds giant "De Beers" made the diamond a means of expressing commitment, making the physical fact that a diamond is indestructible a metaphor for the lastingness of a relationship.

Building a social-cultural authority

The next branding approach is the creation of an authority which the consumers can use as a guide, to help them understand what's happening around them and to inform them which behavioral ways are normative, what will make them happier etc'. The brand "Apple" depicted the personal computer, not only as a working tool but also as a device for self expression and creativity.

Creating "a long hand"

In this approach, the branding is creating means for the consumer and empowering her to act for noble objectives and high purposes, which are important to her, but which she can't achieve by herself. The "Body Shop" network made buying a way for contributing to the preservation of the environment and helping people in need all around the globe.

Creating an Alter Ego

Here, the brand is a way for the consumer to behave (at least on a fantasy level) in a manner he would like to but doesn't dare, or isn't willing to pay the price for. The provocation of the fashion brand "Diesel" is made as if "in the name of" the brand customers. They can feel like they are provocative themselves every time the brand advertises one of its outrageous campaigns.

Building an "Emotional Gym"

Opting for our civilized and protected life style, we compromise (not once, happily) a lot of our possibilities as humans. We go to the gym to prevent the degeneration of our body which, in our life style, doesn't get to face the challenges it was designed for. Similarly, we watch movies and TV series' in order to "exercise" emotional skills which aren't legitimate in our life style. Brands like "Sicily" from "Dolce & Gabbana", allows us too to experience such emotional possibilities.

Facilitating fantasies

With only a fine difference from the previous approach, this branding approach helps the consumer to fantasize an alternative reality. The brand "Timberland" was designed as a way for consumers to fantasize about courageous adventures against the forces of nature.

The understanding of the different kinds of added value, the ways by which these values are instrumental to the consumer and the methods by which brands can be destined to be means for the consumer for achieving his goals, makes the difference between masterful creations of brands and amateur imitation which produces mere look-alikes.

Corporate Concierge Services Offer Significant Benefits To Property Managers, Leasing Agents,Tenants

Developing a partnership with a corporate concierge service is the ‘in’ thing for real estate owners and property managers. In addition to improving tenant satisfaction levels, it also provides numerous benefits such as reduced risk, better scheduling and easier accounting. This article explores the many benefits of concierge services for all those related to property management and real estate

Keywords:

concierge service, real estate, property management, tenant amenities, errands, chores, commercial property, tenant perks, tenant loyalty

Article Body:

Are you trying to present your commercial property for lease or sale in its best light so you can obtain the best price? Are you trying to reduce tenant turnover? Are you trying to cut costs while improving quality of service and tenant satisfaction? There is now one easy and effective method that would support better customer service, streamline productivity, and improve your financial bottom line. Sounds like the impossible dream, but it’s not.

To remain successful in today’s competitive real estate market, owner and property managers should consider what industry leaders are already instituting at their sites: corporate concierge services. Offering tenant amenities is rapidly becoming the “it-factor” that makes all the difference.

In order for you to attract and retain quality tenants, you need to remain competitive in the real estate industry. Large property owners and property managers are becoming ever more consistently challenged to offer amenities that create a better environment for their tenants. High-rise apartment buildings, condos, and commercial office suites have recently begun to realize the benefits of corporate concierge services.

Partnering with a concierge service provider offers a means by which your commercial properties can offer a diverse array of services to simplify their tenants’ lives and improve company assets while streamlining their business tasks. Whether it be the addition of dry cleaning services, procuring event tickets, automobile assistance, property maintenance, or beyond, implementing a comprehensive and attractive concierge package ensures that your tenants can conveniently access quality service, hassle-free, “one-stop support” easily and quickly.

Tenants are impressed when they can immediately reach a ‘live’ person who will listen and work with them towards remedying their complaints or desires. The Tenant Loyalty division of a concierge service provider offers phone coverage to field any tenant complaints and work towards their resolution. Imagine having your tenant issues resolved quickly while increasing tenant satisfaction with rapid response, research, and solution. Utilizing a concierge service equates to happier tenants and, thus, more consistent revenue and even increased profits for your business. Further, it removes many of the daily headaches that owners and managers face so they can focus on their core business activities.

Concierge services offer significant benefits to all parties involved!

• Provision, research, and coordination of subcontractors and vendors services, security, janitorial details (including specialized room cleaning, catering and functions management, event scheduling, dry cleaning services, ticket procurement (single or group), car services, maintenance and minor repair issues, and more.
• Lower overhead with reduced personnel training and employee hours.
• Handling and tracking of relevant services. From brainstorming to conception of concierge plan through to budgeting, implementing, tracking, and verification, we work with you from start to finish and everything in between to best suit the needs of your site. There is no longer a need for you to detract your focus from core business. If your needs change, we research options and present an analysis for you. You choose the options that best suit your situation; we take care of the rest.
• Improved response time for tenant contact and fulfillment of requests.
• Simplified accounting: one concierge service, one point of contact, one bill. We will track invoices and payments for you. Further, a partnership with our concierge service means that we provide the professional independent contractors. We reimburse them, i.e. no need to process diverse payroll each week.
• Reduced risk: our independent contractors work for us. No outlay for employee health insurance and benefits. No more worries with regard to scheduling, unemployment, or workers compensation issues for you.

Onsite or off-site concierge services offers a comprehensive solution - benefits that will place and keep you far above and beyond your competitors, whether you are owners or managers of commercial high-end apartments, condominium complexes, or commercial office buildings. Get your market edge and begin to improve your property and bottom line now.

Extracting Real Benefits From Travel & Expense Management

Keywords:

expense management solution,ems,expense management

Article Body:

For your company to truly reap the rewards of a structured corporate travel policy, it must focus on one thing above all else: compliance. Unfortunately, while the explosion in convenient Self Booking Tools gives you a lot more freedom of choice, it also makes compliance a great deal more challenging. Any technology that supports an increase in compliance to policy has merit; it will save your company money and bring back the benefits of corporate travel.

Today's diversity of choice in self booking tools makes compliance through denial of access a very difficult protocol to enforce. What you really need is a funnel through which 100% of your company's travel activity must pass. In the corporate world, the only viable funnel is the payment mechanism – getting paid is the ultimate leveler. If you use a corporate credit card as the payment mechanism, supported by an expense management solution, and suppliers who can report back to you a reasonable level of data, you stand a very good chance of supporting the compliance objective.

A compliance-friendly Expense Management Solution (EMS)
An expense management solution which processes card transactions (and possesses decent workflow) requires the traveler to personally justify all deviations from policy to their supervisor – on a transaction by transaction basis. Just as importantly, the warehoused individual transactions give the corporate travel manager the opportunity to conduct spend analysis and examine individual and aggregate behaviors.

You might argue that this is after the act, but it still encourages compliance. As per all card based procurement systems, if an employee consistently deviates from company policy, they may be penalized (e.g. card withdrawal, official warning, employment termination, etc.). The threat of negative repercussions acts as a deterrent to card misuse, thereby increasing the level of compliance.

The benefits of policy compliance

80% of the business case benefits of corporate travel will come from travel policy compliance. This requires:

• Sound policy and procedures;
• A comprehensive communication strategy;
• A gate through which all activity can be channeled (the card and the expense management solution); and
• Tools to monitor and measure compliance.

There will also be some peripheral benefits to be gained from an expense management solution in the pre-trip phase:

For instance:

• The traveler can use the work flow component of an expense management solution to create travel request and approval records rather than using something less structured like emails.

• Using the expense management solution, the traveler can create a “commitment” record at the time of booking for subsequent matching of the credit card transaction when it comes through.

• You can obtain a download of trip data from your TMC, and travelers can seek to match that against trip card transactions, thus reducing the quantity of manual entries required of the travel coordinator.

• The expense management solution provides travelers with a real-time log of commitments beyond what might be recorded in a personal diary.

How does it apply to your company?

In looking at the business case for this exercise, you do need to closely examine a number of factors to determine the benefits you will actually realize:

• There are no industry-wide standards, and the market tends to work as a series of isolated closed provider loops – your efficiencies will be greatest if can conduct your business entirely within one closed loop. It is up to you to determine if you can obtain maximum purchasing power in this environment.

• The importance you place on understanding the cumulative value of travel booked but not yet paid.

• The extent to which you can source the data you require from your travelers via a TMC data feed and, consequently, the keystroke savings you can achieve for those travelers.

• The productivity gains you will obtain for your travelers by virtue of them setting up trip details in your Expense Management Solution (EMS) at time of booking rather than at time of arrival of the card transaction.

The combination of Electronic Travel Management and Expense Management is an important subset of eProcurement, and it is subject to the same challenges facing all eProcurement initiatives over the past 10 years – industry standards, supplier participation, and a seamless marketplace. Until these elements are all in place, greatest advantage will be gained by companies that focus on the big picture of where they can achieve maximum purchasing value with reasonable purchasing productivity – usually based on being able to perform an analysis of spend patterns and behavior.

Generating Buzz: The Benefits Of Public Relations Marketing

Keywords:

public relations, marketing, pr marketing

Article Body:

Public Relations Marketing Overview

The key to the success of any business lies in having a plan for effective public relations marketing in place. Whether a business is centered around real estate, product sales, service providing or education and training, the benefits of public relations marketing can be clearly identified by increased revenues on the bottom line. Regardless of the quality of the product or service being offered, if people don't know if exists, they won't be able to purchase it. Successful public relations marketing can generate goodwill relationships with customers, advertise sales and specials to attract new business, and put smaller companies on the map using public and media contacts. Developing good public relations is a great way to increase your business and profits.

Who Uses Public Relations Marketing?

Many large corporations have specific departments devoted exclusively to public relations, but most smaller businesses do not have the resources available to generate their own public relations marketing . Because of this, it is often beneficial for such companies to hire an external public relations marketing firm. The cost of contracting a public relations service can be quickly recouped by the profits from the new customers that the P.R. firm will draw to a business. Implementing a public relations marketing strategy is a quick way to get the word out on new products, services or businesses in the marketplace. Hiring an independent public relations firm can turn a small business into a major business in a short amount of time.

Typical Public Relations Marketing Services

There are many diverse services offered by public relations marketing firms that all serve to drive revenue to a business. Whatever the public relations needs of a company, specific contracts can be agreed upon to utilize all or some of the services available. Some typical public relations services can include:

* Mass mail advertising
* Publicizing announcements to local, national or global media contacts
* Trend or product based articles positioned in media outlets
* Press events and the development of press kits
* Web based marketing strategies and implementation
* Promotional event planning
* Market research and analysis
* Development of product incentives
* Public relations general strategies

Public Relations Marketing Staff

Different PR marketing personnel are effective in diverse areas. Depending on the needs of a specific business, choosing the right type of people can positively affect the success of the endeavor. Promotions managers are skilled in handling public events, developing promotional strategies and incentive programs. Marketing managers are more concerned with understanding the current market and making sure that advertising strategies are targeting the appropriate demographics. Simple public relations marketing and media contact distribution are best served by a general public relations firm. Most public relations firms will consult with a business prior to contract initiation to decide on the most effective course of action and the personnel necessary to implement the strategy. Getting help from a professional provider can make the difference in whether a not a business is ultimately successful.

Enjoy Maximum Benefits and a Longer Life for Your Clothes Dryer

This article offers tips to help you prolong the life of your clothes dryer while saving money on your electric bills...

Keywords:

clothes dryer, washing machine, septic tank, septic system, septic system maintenance, electric dryer

Article Body:

Any keeper of the home understands that washing and drying clothes is no picnic. It's hard work that must be done every single week, sometimes even daily if you have a large family. A washing machine and dryer are used so often, they tend to be taken for granted. But for safety reasons and to save dollars on power and water, both appliances should be used with care and safety in mind.

Below are some helpful tips for using the clothes dryer in a safe and economical way.

Reduce Drying Time

A way to save money and prolong the life of your clothes dryer is to reduce drying time. There are several ways to do this. One way is to place smaller loads in the dryer each time. The dryer will dry them evenly in less time and also leave fewer wrinkles. Drying too many clothes at once will cause the dryer to dry them unevenly, and the clothes will still have many wrinkles. You'll have to keep turning the dryer back on to finish the job. The dryer can also overheat if overloaded.

Another way is to keep the dryer lint-free. Clean the lint-filter after every load to keep the dryer running at its best. A third way to reduce drying time is to hang clothes outdoors to dry when possible. When the weather is nice and warm, the clothes will dry quickly. This will save on your power bill and help prolong the dryer's life.

Clean the Clothes Dryer Often

Besides wiping lint from the lint-catcher after every load, be sure to clean out the extra lint within the vent that the filter did not catch. You should do this at least once a month to prevent build-up. Use a vacuum hose or lint brush to remove excess lint. Also, have a qualified service technician to come clean your dryer thoroughly about once every two to three years. The technician will take the dryer apart and give it a thorough cleaning.

Clothes Dryer Safety

For venting, install all-metal ducting instead of plastic or vinyl exhaust hoses. Plastic and vinyl are flammable. Also, avoid drying clothes on which flammable substances have been spilled such as gasoline, kerosene, cooking oil, alcohol, and solvents. These can give off certain explosive vapors that could cause a fire when exposed to excessive heat in the dryer. Clothing items with these types of spills should be washed thoroughly several times and hung to dry to be sure all the flammable substance is gone. Other items to avoid drying in a clothes dryer are synthetic fabrics, rubber, plastic, and foam. These retain heat and can cause the dryer to overheat or catch fire.

If installing a gas or electric dryer in a new home, select a spot on an outside wall so your dryer will be able to ventilate properly. The steam must have a safe outlet. Inside walls make it difficult when seeking places to insert a ventilation hole to the outdoors.

Never leave home or fall asleep with the dryer running. Also, keep a fire extinguisher in the same room as the dryer or nearby if possible in case a fire does occur.

Alternatives to the Standard Electric Dryer

If you practically live traveling the open road or if you live in a small apartment where there's no room for a standard electric dryer, there are alternatives. One unique product that many find useful is the spin dryer. A spin dryer is a compact dryer that can easily be transported when traveling. It plugs into a 110V outlet. It is very gentle on clothing and has a 12.2 lb capacity for wet laundry and a 5.5 lb capacity for dry laundry.

There are also portable washing machines to go easier on your septic tank, and there are products to improve your septic system or decrease septic system maintenance.

Keep these clothes dryer tips in mind while doing your everyday tasks. You'll see an improvement on your electric bill and with how well your dryer functions.

Engage Your Customer – Write About Benefits

Keywords:

customer service, customer care

Article Body:

Think quick. In 10 seconds, can you list the 5 key benefits you offer your customers?

I bet you said “Yes”. But are you sure you listed benefits? If you’ll bear with me for another 10 seconds, I’d like to test out a theory on you.

Recap your answers – maybe even write them down. Now list the 5 main things your business does. In other words, what are your 5 core services? What are the 5 core features of your product?

If your first list looks anything like your second, chances are you’re mistaking features for benefits. As a result, it’s likely that your marketing materials aren’t engaging your customer. Customers don’t want to know what you can do. They want to know what you can do FOR THEM.

Don’t talk features – talk benefits.

Don’t be alarmed. You’re not alone. Most business owners and marketing managers are so close to their product or service that they have a lot of trouble distinguishing benefits from the features of their offering. Ask a web host “what are the benefits of your service?”, and you’ll likely hear something along the lines of, “we offer load-balanced server clusters.” But that’s not a benefit… that’s what they do. The benefit is superior uptime and performance.

In fact, so many people think features instead of benefits that it can work in your favour – to dramatic effect. If you can accurately identify your benefits, and convey those benefits to your market, you’ll be light-years ahead of most of your competition. You’ll be converting leads into sales while they’re still bogged down trying to promote features.

So if you’ve ever sat down to write a sales letter and wondered how you’re going to grab your reader’s attention, or you’ve ever gone ‘round in circles writing draft after draft of web copy without ever hitting the mark, now you know where you were going wrong.

The only question remaining is, how do you do it right? Advertising copywriters and website copywriters do it all the time – and most of the time, they do it with benefits. Benefits are the copywriter’s holy grail. But if you’re not a seasoned copywriter, how do you identify the benefits you offer your customers?

There are any number of ways to identify the benefits you offer. This article discusses just three:
1) Customer Research
2) Speak to Your Sales Team
3) Make it Easy for Your Customer to Get Buy-In

The method you choose depends on your time constraints, budget, and level of customer interaction.

1) Customer Research
The most obvious way to identify benefits is to ask your existing customers. They’re spending a lot of money on your offering, so you can be sure they know what benefit they’re getting from it. (In many cases, it can be handy to ask them what benefits they’d like to be getting from you too!) Unfortunately, like everyone else, your customers are busy people. In most cases, you won’t get useful feedback by simply sending an email enquiry. You have to make it easy for them to respond, and you have to make it worth their while. Think about questionnaires and surveys for quantitative data, and interviews and focus groups for qualitative data. These are the simplest techniques, but you still have to make sure you interpret the results appropriately. And always remember that they’re self-report methods. People will sometimes tell you what they think you want to hear. (That’s also why you have to word your questions very carefully – try not to ask leading questions.) Of course, there are plenty of other research techniques around. Do a bit of homework and find the methods which best suit your business requirements. But don’t get carried away by the possibilities. All the research data in the world is pointless if you’re not talking the language of your customer.

2) Speak to Your Sales Team
Sadly, not every business can afford to invest in market research. If your budget doesn’t stretch far enough, try talking to your sales people. They’re out in the field every day, talking to customers. And because their livelihood depends on their success in engaging customers, chances are they’ll be able to tell you what your customers want to know. (A word of warning, though… Be careful not to make lofty promises. Unlike your sales team, written collateral doesn’t generate a rapport with your customers. Customers won’t make as many allowances, so you can only stretch the truth so far in writing before your credibility suffers. What’s more, if you do push the boundaries, you’re more likely to be held to your word!)

3) Make it Easy for Your Customer to Get Buy-In
If you don’t have the budget for in-depth customer research, and you don’t have a sales team, a good tip is to imagine how your customer gets buy-in from their boss. Quite often, the decision maker is someone higher up the food chain than your direct audience. Your audience will probably be the key stakeholder – they’ll be the user of your product, or the recipient of your service. But when they find an offering they like, there’s a good chance they’ll have to sell it to someone further up the line. If you can make this sale easier, you’ll have a foot in the door. Don’t just appeal to the sensibilities of the direct audience. You also need to ask yourself what they need to know to convince the decision maker. If the decision maker is a CFO, think Return on Investment (ROI) and Total Cost of Ownership (TCO). If the decision maker is a CIO or MIS, think performance, technological sustainability, availability, manageability, and ease of integration. If the decision maker is a CEO, think liability, risk management, and ROI. And only use jargon to prove you know your stuff. Remember… jargon will probably have the ultimate decision maker scratching their head, not reaching for their cheque book.

There are many many more ways to identify benefits. This is just a very superficial snapshot of some techniques you might like to try. At the very least they’ll get you thinking benefits.

In the end, the message is simple. Forget all the fancy talk about complicated revolutionary marketing principles. Forget new-age hard-sell advertising quick-fixes. Forget looking to so-called “experts” for solutions. Just think benefits. And if you can accurately do that, the rest is just mechanics. Once you know what you want to write about, you just need to put pen to paper. And that’s a whole ‘nother story!

Happy writing!

Employee Benefits Driving Corporate Performance -- A White Paper

Strategies to improve employee morale and productivity with unsubsidized employee benefits.

Keywords:

management,employee benefits,human resources,employee discounts,intranet,corporate perks,employee

Article Body:

In today’s economy, companies of all sizes are facing a number of challenges that require urgent action. Health care costs are rising, pension obligations are growing and top talent is becoming increasingly difficult to recruit in the rebounding job market. Among the most significant business trends, competitive pressure on American workers is increasing at a rapid pace as offshore business process outsourcing (BPO) becomes more effective in performing traditional American jobs at much lower costs. The fundamental challenge for human resources managers is to re-invent employee benefit programs to deliver higher performance at a lower cost.

The process of re-inventing employee benefit programs begins by developing a portfolio of employee benefits that maximizes total economic value for employees, while minimizing employer investment. In other words, there are a number of very attractive and financially rewarding benefits that employers could provide their employees. One of the most effective, yet highly underutilized, benefits is the employee discount program.

Few employers offer their employees an employee discount program, even though it’s economic value to employees is very significant, while it’s cost is very low. These programs are either developed and maintained by internal human resources staff, or outsourced to managed employee discount programs (such as www.EmployeeHelper.com). Based on case studies conducted by EmployeeHelper.com, companies that have deployed managed employee discount programs with a wide variety of negotiated discounts, the net effect for employees can be equal to a compensation increase of over 5%.

Considering the fact that employee discount programs are basically free for employees and their employees, the use of this program is expected to grow significantly across the marketplace. In an economy where competitive advantage is becoming increasingly tied to human capital, enhancements to employee benefits represent a growth opportunity for all business.

Please visit http://www.employeehelper.com for more information about employee discount programs.