Can Businesses Learn from the Military?

A different view regarding motivating your workforce

Keywords:

business, attitude, career

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A few years ago I left the forces after serving a full 22 years. I joined the Army straight after leaving school; it still seems like yesterday when I walked into the careers office in Barnsley as a spotty eek. After numerous test, medicals and a 2 day assessment I was told I was going to be a vehicle mechanic ‘B’ in the REME (Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers), a right mouthful when I was full of beer and attempting to chat up a young filly. Funnily enough when I enrolled in the REME I was not told I would be spending the first year after basic training in a technical school, if I had known this prior I would defiantly have tried something else.

During my career I became knowledgeable in a host of subjects, some unmentionable, the ones that are printable include; vehicle engineering, health and safety, human resources, general management. During my career I worked in some fantastically well organised, well managed places and unfortunately some not so good places. This leads me to the question; can a business really learn from the military?

Since leaving the forces I have been involved in a few business ventures, generally poor unsuccessful ones. Looking back I honestly believe if the management of these businesses employed a more military type attitude they would have not failed so easily. So what do I mean by a military type attitude? I certainly do not mean acting like the cast of Bad Lads Army.

This is what I mean:

In normal business life the main motivator is money or the fear of the boot. This is probably why so many people nowadays change job so frequently. These should not be the only motivation tools a company employ. The Army uses the best motivation tool there is ‘Time Off’. Of course having your workforce at home most of the time is counter productive.

In the early 90’s I managed a small vehicle workshop in Berlin. I had one military worker and one civilian. During the quiet periods I would call for the dice to be brought out, sometimes as early as 8am. The dice were thrown by all of us, the lowest combined score from 2 throws meant that person had to man the telephone all day, whilst the winners disappeared either home or to the local golf course. This management tactic as well as others ensured I had a happy workforce, production statistics don’t lie they showed an overall output increase. Other methods in different places included production meetings in the local pub, rewarding my hardest worker by giving him 5 days off; this certainly spurred the rest of the lads on and a host of other methods.

Of course there were times when I worked with unmotivated, self opinionated, lazy soldiers, on these occasions I adopted a sterner approach.

I then look at the majority of workers in everyday business life; I see they are generally unmotivated, unless they are self employed. I wonder if this is because they are not well managed. My guess would be they are not managed at all. My cousin works in a very busy establishment as soon as his boss leaves the office, everyone logs on to EBay. How counter productive is that?

To conclude in my opinion many lessons can be learned from the British military in how to manage and run organisations. I should send my article to the BBC maybe they will run a programme on it, now that would be funny.

About the author - Peter Arkwright recently retired from the military, he is now the Managing Director of www.bizseller4u.com
A new portal that allows people to list their Business for Sale

This article is free for republishing

Exit Strategies for Businesses

While you may not wish to think of the end of a business venture just as you are about to begin, you can be assured that investors will. This is why you must have a sound exit strategy to show them before they will be willing to put money into your business.

Keywords:

business exit strategy, business plan, exit strategy

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Many investors are only interested in investing money into an enterprise for a limited amount of time. They want to know when they will get their money back and what sort of return they will be receiving at that time. Both issues are closely linked. Therefore, when preparing your business plan, to pitch to potential investors, you will need to make sure that you have outlined your long term plans and a sound exit strategy.

In order to do this properly you will have to ask yourself a few questions about your own personal plans regarding the business. Do you wish to stay involved in this business in the long run, or are you more interested in getting it off the ground and letting someone else take over then? These are the kinds of questions you should deal with in your exit strategy.

You will also want to know a little about the investors you are pitching to and what their expectations are regarding the future of the investment:

• If you are dealing with venture capitalists you have to be aware that they are looking for a high return. They will generally be expecting the business to go public at the end of the period or make some other high profit move. The period they are willing to invest is about three to seven years so you will need some sort of high return exit strategy at the end of that period. However, you should not opt for going public unless you are confident that it is a realistic goal for your company. Public offerings are very rare for small businesses and the investors you are speaking to will be all too aware of that fact.
• If you are considering an angel investor then again they will be looking for a high return but will not be overly concerned with the type of exit strategy under consideration, as long as it seems sound. They will be less sophisticated than the venture capitalists or institutional investors you may deal with and are more likely to be involved because of a personal relationship to you or the business.

There are a number of exit strategies you can consider:

• The most basic exit strategy would be to simply bleed the business dry. This can be done by giving yourself a huge salary or other remuneration, regardless of the performance of the business. While it is not appropriate in most cases, there is no doubt that it can get a lot of your investment back out of the company in a short time.
• Another simple option is liquidation. Simply close the doors and wait for the company to be wound up. All debts will be paid off, and then whatever is left over will be clear to the shareholders.

While these two options above are quite practical and effective, they are professionally frowned upon and you may wish to propose a more sophisticated exit strategy if you wish to impress potential investors.

• Another option could be selling to a friendly buyer. While you may have come to the end of your relationship with the business, there may be many people who would be saddened to see it end and may well be willing to step in to take over. This might include passing it on to another member of the family, or selling it to employees or customers. There are many businesses where this will be a realistic option, however it is difficult to predict it at the beginning of the venture.
• Another option is acquisition. This is when a rival firm, usually one wishing to expand, agrees to buy you out. You can negotiate the price and terms with the buyer and there is a good chance that both of you can come up with a very attractive price. You will get a good price because together with your assets, the buyer will be willing to pay for good will, market share, client contacts etc. This means you can get a very good price for the business.
• The IPOs that we previously talked about are the final option. These are potentially the most lucrative of all, but when reality kicks in, they might not seem like the dream you thought they were. In reality, a minuscule percent of companies manage to make it through an IPO. The process costs millions, includes lawyers, analysts, publicity agents and a lot of other costly professionals. The odds are against you ever making it. And if you do, you will probably be left with only a fraction share of the company you used to own.

Five Money-Saving Travel Tips for Small Businesses

Small businesses often need every break and discount they can get, and traveling can be one of the most costly areas for small businesses. Unfortunately, many of the best travel advantages only go to big businesses.

Keywords:

Five Money-Saving Travel Tips for Small Businesses

Article Body:

Saving money is a priority for any business, especially a small business.

Small businesses often need every break and discount they can get, and traveling can be one of the most costly areas for small businesses. Unfortunately, many of the best travel advantages only go to big businesses.

To help your business compete, here are a few tips to make your traveling expenses a little more palatable.

* Search for cheap airfares. Internet search engines provide a great resource for cheap fares. Be sure to get on these sites' e-mail lists so you stay abreast of specials.

* Avoid alcohol. Drinking alcohol at meals can boost your bill. Stay away from adult beverages and you will be much happier when the check arrives.

* Stay in and watch a movie. By simply staying in your room at night and not going to bars or nightclubs, you can save yourself a lot of cash.

* Use free time for free attractions. Instead of heading to the golf course, go to a museum. Free attractions can be enlightening and easy on the wallet.

* Look for a deal on your rental car. You may want to join a discount program for car rental.

Car rental discount programs for business have traditionally only been offered to large businesses. But now, Thrifty's SmartBiz program is breaking new ground as the first car rental discount program designed specifically for small businesses.

With a SmartBiz account, you'll get low business rates with no minimum financial commitment. A free SmartBiz account also gets you unlimited miles, free additional drivers, free enrollment, no fees, no dues and no contracts. The account offers one free day of car rental after every 16 rental days with no blackout dates.

Do Small Businesses need websites?

The business world is now seeing as much as activity on the internet than in the "real world". The question is however, how important is it that the smaller businesses in existance have their own websites, is it worth it? Will it help them or will it be more that could be better spent else where?

Keywords:

small business website

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Should Small Businesses have a web presence?

In one word, yes! The internet is the most effective marketing tools in existance nowadays, have the capability of reaching far more people than any leaflet drop or advertisement in the local paper ever will.
Should you produce your own website?

It all depends on your skills, if you have the ability to produce a site that looks good, then go ahead, it will save you money and will work wonders as a marketing tool. However if your skills are limited or non-existant then we'd say no. Why? No, not because we want your money (although we don't mind if you want to give it to us...), because if your site doesn't have a professional look to it, then it is going to reflect badly on your company's image.

Do you need to spend lots of money?

It really depends on the size of your website, if you're looking simply get a presence on the internet, then you can easily get something for around £250 if you take the time to look, if you're really getting into the idea of being online and effectively having your shop exist in cyberspace you're going to be looking at more money, however even then, there are many self-build options such as Ekmpowershop.

What content do you need?

This all depends on what you want from being online, if you want to sell online, have your products online is going to be very useful! If you're just looking to get your company online, then there are TWO elements that we believe are imperative:


Information about your company
How to contact you

Without these two no-one is going to know who or what you are, with the former being your chance to sell yourself. Remember when people look at websites, if its well designed they won't know if they're dealing with a multi-national company or a one person organisation, this is your chance to play alongside the big boys!!

What to do now?

So you're convinced a website is the way to go? Excellent, this can only be of benefit to you! Now you've got to find a designer (there's one right here!!!), things to keep in mind when looking is what kind of style are you looking for, find some websites that you like then find some designers and see if they can produce something along that line! If they can, you're on the way to bringing into being what can be one of your best employees!!

Choosing a Web Site Developer for Small and Medium Size Businesses

Small and medium size business owners know they need an Internet presence. Customers are increasingly demanding it. With 1000's of "Web Site Designers" out there - how can you choose the right one for your business? Certified Internet Business Consultant, Rose Marie Davidson lists questions that business owners should ask before investing in their Internet presence.

Keywords:

business web site developer,small business ecommerce,ecommerce strategy,web site design,internet consultant

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You need a website, but how can you tell the professional business web site developers from the college kid in his basement? The answer is fairly simple if you know what kinds of questions to ask. Professional web site developers are just that - professionals. They have college degrees and/or experience related to web site development. They understand small and medium size businesses for it is likely they are one too. Most importantly, they speak to you in your language, not theirs.

Purchasing a web site is a form of advertisement for your business. Would you pay for the development of a radio or television commercial if you were not sure you would get a return on your investment? Why risk your professional reputation by trying to get the cheapest site possible just so you can put the www.yourbusinessname.com on your business card? If you have seen the work of a web site developer and the pages look great, do they contain keywords, titles, and descriptions to help search engines like Google and Yahoo find them?

These are some of the basic questions a professional business web site developer should be able to answer:

1. How will you measure my ROI (Return on Investment)?

2. What information will be included in my monthly web site analytical reports? The reports should answer these questions at a minimum:

..a. What time of the day do most people visit?

..b. What search engines are they using to go to my site?

..c. How long does someone stay on my site?

..d. Which pages do they visit?

..e. Where do they go when they leave?

..f. What are the demographics of my typical online customer?

..g. Has my search engine ranking changed?

3. Will my site be monitored 24/7 with guaranteed 99.8% reliability?

..a. Are all links checked every day?

..b. Are broken links corrected?

4. What is my conversion rate (how many potential online customers have turned into actual customers)? Also,

..a. Why did they visit my business online?

..b. Were they happy with their purchasing experience?

..c. What would they change about my site?

5. How will you help me increase my business over time?

If you are having trouble finding a web site designer, visit the sites of your competitors or other local businesses. Most reputable web site developers list themselves and include a link in the small print at the bottom of the sites they have created. Call the businesses whose sites you like and ask the owners if they are satisfied with their Internet presence. Consider using a web site developer who is not local. They should be able to gather the information they need over the phone or through a web conference. Finally, ask for proposals with price quotes from more than one web site developer. The quality of the proposal will be a good indicator of the professionalism of the business.

Ms. Davidson is a Certified Internet Business Consultant with WSI Advanced Internet Solutions. She specializes in developing Internet Business Strategies for small and medium size business owners with the objective of providing a positive return on their Internet investment. Contact Ms. Davidson at rmdavidson@premierwsiwebmarketing.net or visit her website at www.premierwsiwebmarketing.net.

Businesses Need Money To Grow. Is Venture Capital Right For You?

The goal of every business is to be successful in their efforts and continue to grow. However, they often come to a crossroads where they are going to have to invest more money if they want to experience growth and additional profits. It may be money needed for new equipment, a larger building, or a number of other items that can be found to keep a business operating at its very best.

Keywords:

venture capital, venture capital financing, sell a business

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The goal of every business is to be successful in their efforts and continue to grow. However, they often come to a crossroads where they are going to have to invest more money if they want to experience growth and additional profits. It may be money needed for new equipment, a larger building, or a number of other items that can be found to keep a business operating at its very best.

Many business owner’s turn to venture capital in order to finance the such ventures for their business. This is a type of loan that comes from a private investor rather than a traditional lending institution. The lender offers the necessary cash and in return they receive shares of ownership in the business.

They often ask for 2% of the profits during the time it takes to repay the funds as well so venture capital lending can be very profitable. In addition you will still be paying the principal balance and the interest on it. However, this 2% is to cover their risk on such an investment.

Business owner’s may have no choice but to look into venture capital options if they are considered to be too high of a risk for a traditional lender to offer them the funding they need. It could be due to the business being new, the business owes too much money to other lenders, or they have a poor credit history that traditional lenders can’t accept.

There are also times when a business needs funding in order to purchase items that aren’t tangible. Since the lender can’t use them as collateral they find the venture to be just too high of a risk. Some common items that may be involved are software programs for operating computers in the business and research that is necessary for the business to successfully grow.

However, it is important to realize that venture capital may not be a good option for your particular business and financial needs. You are going to have to be able to present information that shows there is a very high chance that your business will be quite profitable if you are allowed to access the funds necessary for your business to expand.

Keep in mind that your information also has to show that these additional earnings will be evident in the allotted time frame. In most instances the investors of venture capital will give you a minimum of three years and a maximum of seven years for that growth to occur and be profitable.

Venture capital should always be a last resort when all other options of securing funding have failed. In those instances it can be a very valuable tool which can decide whether you get the funding you need to expand your business or not. It is estimated that more than $6 trillion in loans under the category of venture capital take place each year in the United States. The process is available in many other countries as well but not nearly to the same extreme as in the United States.

Calendar for Businesses

Calendars have been indispensable to many people since they were first used. They help keep tracks of appointments and special dates.

Keywords:

calendar, printing, services

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For most people each day is just like the last, with the sun rising in the east and setting in the west. For busy people time flies fast but for some, each day is a constant waiting in emptiness. When the calendar was not yet introduced people count days by tally just like a prisoner’s tally on the dungeon wall. Luckily today, there is no more need to carve lines on the wall just to keep up with days. Calendars are now available to help us carry on with each passing day.

As every new year starts you would need to dispose of your old calendar and buy a new one. As they say, out with the old, in with the new. Calendars have been indispensable to many people since they were first used. They help keep tracks of appointments and special dates. For business owners, they can give out calendars to their customers each year as part of their marketing strategy. Nevertheless, some businesses are concern with the cost of printing a calendar especially if it involves a lot of color. With the printing technology today, a business owner need not worry about the cost of printing a calendar anymore. There are machines and technologies available nowadays that make calendar printing faster, easier and more affordable.

So when designing your calendar ask the following question: how many colors will you utilize? What pictures will you use? How much is your budget? Answering these questions is important because it will tell you how to approach your calendar design more effectively. A professional can also help you in the designing process. They can tell you what design fits your image and your budget. Remember that people will see your calendar for a long time so making a good impression is very important.

Thus, when considering the overall look and feel of your calendar, design it with utmost care. Do not overdue the graphics. If you have a logo, use it in the calendar. Full color photos are always a good idea and unless you know what you are doing, it is better not to design your art work. And when it is time to print your calendar, make sure that you are dealing with a reputable and knowledgeable company.

Remember that calendars are a good way to attract customers especially if your calendar is unique and attractive. It can help build good relationship with your current and new customers. So take advantage of this opportunity to keep customers and attract prospects.

Home Businesses: Important Steps To Make Extra Money From Home

There are many ways to make money at home. You can either start your own home business or apply at a company that employs people who can work from home..

The most common ways to make money at home is by starting your own home business. Because of the internet, it is now possible for people to communicate faster wherever they are in the world.

Therefore, it is easier for people to start their own home business and sell their product or services more effectively.

Howe...

Keywords:

make money, online business, wholesale, wholesale suppliers

Article Body:

There are many ways to make money at home. You can either start your own home business or apply at a company that employs people who can work from home..

The most common ways to make money at home is by starting your own home business. Because of the internet, it is now possible for people to communicate faster wherever they are in the world.

Therefore, it is easier for people to start their own home business and sell their product or services more effectively.

However, starting a home business is not as easy at it seems, you also need to invest a little time and money for your business to work.

If you plan to make extra cash at home, here are some guidelines, much like making a feasibility study, to remember in order to put you on the right track.

Firstly, you need to create a business plan. To do this you have to find out how much money you want to make and the goals you want to reach.

Be realistic, starting your own home business does not mean that you can become a millionaire overnight. Determine how much extra money you want to earn and how much you are willing to invest.

Research what kind of home business you are willing to consider. Make a list of these businesses and try to figure out what suits you best and figure out the demands for each kind of business. Choose one that is easy to set up and one that does not require you to invest a lot of money.

Choose one that does not need much maintenance, for example, perishable goods like fruits and vegetables are a great income generator, but there are too many competitors and it also requires you to spend large sums of money for storage.

Look for a business that does not need these kinds of special care. Remember, you are in a business to make money not lose it.

To help you decide, here are some types of businesses that are great moneymakers:

Import-Export Business

Since we can communicate with anyone from around the world, you can look for a business that exports quality handmade products that are cheap. You can then import these products and sell them by using the internet with a larger price tag.

There are many quality handmade products with great designs and artistry all over the world. For example, you can sell exotic looking carpets from the Middle East that cost $20.00 each, including the packaging fee, and then sell them in your country for a lot more.

Affiliate Programs

This type of home based business has been around for quite a while and it is still popular. This is because this is one of the easiest ways to make money..

You just have to create a theme-based website and find a company to sign up as an affiliate that is relevant to your website’s theme.

For example, your website is about fishing, what you have to do is find a website that sells fishing equipments or fishing tours and vacations.

Once a visitor clicks on the advertising and buys their products or services, you instantly earn commission for the sold product or service. You are paid by just referring people. The key to this business’s success is targeted internet traffic.

There are many types of work-at-home businesses. All you have to do is find out what tailors your needs. Having your own home business can be either a part time job or a full time job.

It is also very convenient especially if you are a single parent who cannot afford to hire a nanny for your children. By doing online business you can make extra cash and take care or look after your children at the same time.

Five Unique And Profitable Home Based Businesses

Have you been sifting through the piles of information on home businesses, and found that you’ve come up with nothing that sounds like you? In the faceless world of the Internet and research books, it can seem that the choices for home based businesses are quite bland. However, with a little left-brained thinking (creativity!) and some thought, you might be able to come up with a profitable home business idea that not only rakes in the dough, but that you also enjoy immensely...

Keywords:

Profitable Home Based Business,home based business,home business, work from home business

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Have you been sifting through the piles of information on home businesses, and found that you’ve come up with nothing that sounds like you? In the faceless world of the Internet and research books, it can seem that the choices for home based businesses are quite bland. However, with a little left-brained thinking (creativity!) and some thought, you might be able to come up with a profitable home business idea that not only rakes in the dough, but that you also enjoy immensely. Here are some ideas to get you started:

1. Freelance Fashion Designer: Do you love to knit, sew or make jewelry? There is a huge market for unique, fashionable items online today, particularly with the younger generations that are tired of cookie-cutter looks. Promote your business to friends, family and through online marketing programs.

2. Event Planner: If you have an eye for detail and impeccable taste, this may be the home business option for you. Most of the planning can be run out of your home office, yet still allow you to connect with clients up front.

3. Antique and Rare Auto Finder: Calling all car lovers! For those who find yourselves drooling over Jay Leno’s car collection, think about offering your services to others by hooking people up with the cars of their dreams, while charging a 5 to 10% commission.

4. Virtual Assistant: Organized, word-savvy administrative assistants - you may finally have a chance to be your own boss! Many companies are now paying freelance administrative assistants, called “virtual assistants” to complete typing, faxing and other office tasks for a price. These jobs usually pay between $20 and $40 per hour.

5. Brown Bag Lunch Maker: There are lots of parents out there who can’t find the time to make nutritious lunches for their kids, even though they want to keep them healthy and fit. If you are a good cook with excellent nutritional values, think about starting a lunch making company, where you deliver brown bag lunches to children in the neighborhood on a month-by-month basis.

Home Based Internet Businesses – What Choices Do You Have?

Having a bunch of small home based internet businesses is a great home business.

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home based internet businesses

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Home based internet businesses are extremely attractive businesses to have. They are low cost to set up and are therefore low risk for the entrepreneur. Low capital invested means less money to risk. And whereas most home entrepreneurs set up one business, entrepreneurs who work on the net generally have many home based internet businesses. That’s because home based internet businesses are simple to begin as well as cheap to set up. Home based internet businesses run themselves and so when you have a good one going it’s time to move on to the next one.

Home based internet businesses are often very low key under the radar type businesses. Now of course if you want to concentrate on one major business then you can do so on the net as well. But that takes quite some skill and commitment and so many people who are new to making money on the net tend to concentrate on setting up a number of small home based internet businesses rather than one big one.

There are quite a few advantages of lots of small homebased internet businesses. It isn’t hard to set up small home based internet businesses and so it can be done fast. Many people who want to work from home in more traditional businesses find that it takes forever to set the business up, as well as costing (and therefore risking) lots of money. However most home based internet businesses can be set up in less than a week or two once you know what you are doing.

And having many home based internet businesses means that you can spread the risk. That’s not the financial risk because, as we’ve previously said, the financial risk of setting up a string of home based internet businesses is extremely low. But there is always the risk on the internet that for some reason out of your control your small internet business will disappear off the radar screen and the number of visitors it get drops right off. As more visitors equals more income, and less visitors equals less income, you don’t want your visitors to disappear. But if you have many small home based internet businesses rather than one big one then if one falls over you have more going which will push on.

And most small home based internet businesses don’t earn a lot of money. Most good regular businesses earn a full time living from that one business. That’s not so easy on the net. It’s much easier to set up a small internet business that brings in maybe $2 to $5 a day. That doesn’t sound like much but if you can set up one like that in, say, a week, then just allow it to run on autopilot and move on to the next one.

Once you have, say, 20 small home based internet businesses like that then you’re starting to earn money! And if you have 20 then there’s no reason why, if you keep working at it, you can’t have 40, or 50, or 60. And each one of these small home based internet businesses keeps working away for you 24/7/365. While you sleep, or go on holidays.

Are small home based internet businesses starting to sound attractive to you now? If so you would be joining a growing band of people who are discovering the joys of making a living online with small home based internet businesses. Give it a go, it works.

Having a bunch of small home based internet businesses is a great home business.

Creative And Affordable Way For Small Businesses To Attract New Customers

One of the biggest challenges that any small business faces is finding creative ways to attract new customers.

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Creative And Affordable Way For Small Businesses To Attract New Customers

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One of the biggest challenges that any small business faces is finding creative ways to attract new customers. Without the marketing clout of a Fortune 500 brand, it's hard to get the word out about a product or service. Yet, with so much competition in the marketplace, a business can't afford not to.

The most effective marketing campaigns include a combination of different media. The more places a potential customer sees a brand or message-from TV, radio, newspapers and online-the more likely they'll remember it. However, small businesses tend to rely primarily on local print and Yellow Pages advertising because they believe TV advertising is out of their reach.

Now there are new companies using technology to make TV advertising easy and affordable. One such company is Spot Runner, a unique new ad agency that has dramatically lowered the cost and complexity to develop an ad campaign. By putting the entire process online, the agency can provide a complete TV ad campaign for as little as $500 a month.

Creating the campaign takes just a few days. Clients start by logging on to Spot Runner's Web site and selecting an ad from a library of thousands of professionally produced ads. The agency personalizes the ad with the business' specific information and then, using its proprietary technology, creates a customized media plan. Clients can advertise on any broadcast and cable channel available, such as CNN, ESPN and Lifetime. Once the client approves the ad and the media plan, the agency gets it on air.

"We're a small boutique firm and TV advertising allows us to compete on an equal footing with the larger firms in town," said Ryan Lapidus, founder of the Lapidus & Lapidus law firm. "To see our ad on TV, side by side with Fortune 500 companies on major channels, is really exciting."

Spot Runner offers these five important tips to creating an effective marketing campaign:

1. Understand your audience and the messages that will resonate with them. A campaign geared towards homeowners is very different than one geared to teens.

2. Pick a campaign to fit your objectives. A campaign to raise brand awareness will require a different strategy than one to promote a new product or sale.

3. Choose an ad that reflects your company's brand values and image.

4. Make it easy to understand. People are thinking of other things when they see your ad. Don't make them think. Make them act.

5. Invest in your company's growth through a sustained marketing campaign. Advertising works over the long term by increasing awareness of your company among new customers and serving as a reminder to your existing customers.

Whether you're a professional, a retailer or a service provider, television advertising can fit into your budget and be an essential part of your marketing activities.

Home Based Internet Businesses

Running home based internet businesses can be a lucrative way for you to make your living from the comfort of your own home. However, just because your businesses are primarily existent on the internet, it does not mean that you do not have to work to make them successful. Having successful home based internet businesses will take time, but in then end it is worth it.

Keywords:

work at home, home business, home based business, earn, online business opportunity, start a

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Running home based internet businesses can be a lucrative way for you to make your living from the comfort of your own home. However, just because your businesses are primarily existent on the internet, it does not mean that you do not have to work to make them successful. Having successful home based internet businesses will take time, but in then end it is worth it.

Realize that home based internet businesses will not run itself. Often people think that if they just build a website people will flock to it. In fact, if you just build a website, then you just have home based internet businesses with no one visiting you. You have to give people a way to find you and a reason to stay with your home based internet businesses.

One way to draw in traffic to your home based internet businesses is to first make sure your businesses are registered on a number of search engine sites. You need to make sure your websites for your internet home based businesses have a lot of information and keywords that will benefit your search engine rankings. Also, you may want to advertise on various search engines, and through pay per click programs, it is easy and effective.

Pay per click programs allow you to advertise your home based internet businesses on the search engine. You will only have to pay for the number of clicks on your advertisement, so it will cost you less. You will determine your budget on most sites, and usually a click on your home based internet businesses advertisements will only cost between 10 cents and one dollar.

Advertising your home based internet businesses online can also come from newsletters and advertising exchanges with other websites. You can even develop a blog to draw traffic to your website. Still, you need to think about advertising your home based internet businesses offline, too. When you are out, talk to people about your home based internet businesses, too. Always think of ways to bring up your home based internet businesses in conversation.

Also, realize that you need to set up good time management of your home based internet businesses. It can become very easy to get distracted from your home based internet businesses when children, the television, or friends beckon. You need to set ground rules for yourself about what time you will devote to work, and you need to stand by those rules in order to make your home based internet businesses successful.

Engineering Directory is an Invaluable Aid to Engineers and Businesses

An engineering directory could save hours or even days of work for an engineer engaged in engineering work. Engineering typically involves finding alternatives available in the market and selecting those best suited to achieve desired objectives.

Keywords:

Businessmagnet Directory Ltd , Business To Business Directory

Article Body:

An engineering directory could save hours or even days of work for an engineer engaged in engineering work. Engineering typically involves finding alternatives available in the market and selecting those best suited to achieve desired objectives.

Engineering is a Complex Function

Engineering involves design and development of products or equipment, construction or operation of equipment and forecasting the behavior of equipment under different operating conditions. These activities seek to find how best

• A function could be carried out, or






• Economics of operation could be improved, or






• Safety to life and property could be enhanced during use or operation.

The engineering function goes about these tasks by trying to find alternatives to existing components and ways of doing things and testing these under different operating conditions.

Examining Alternatives is a Key Engineering Activity

It would be obvious that achieving these kinds of objectives is a complex exercise and that an awareness of different solutions available in the market could help the engineer immensely. For example, a component using a new composite material might recently have been introduced in the market and if the engineer knew about it, the person could find an excellent solution to a persisting production problem.

A specialized engineering directory that lists products by application could highlight such new solutions and bring it to the attention of the directory user (including our engineer).

Standard Directory Services

In addition to the kind of design and development help mentioned above, an engineering directory can help users to find sources for their regular business requirements. Good directories would be organized in a manner that makes finding things easy. A few typical examples can make this clearer.

There might be an Automotive category with such sub categories like Paint & Finishes, Materials, etc; a Building & Civil category with Consulting & Design services and other relevant sub categories; and so on.

The same businesses can also be categorized under Architectural, Communications, Quality Management, Reliability Engineering, etc for those who search along such lines.

These kinds of categorizations seek to capture the complexity of the field and provide satisfactory solutions.

An Engineering Directory is a Niche Directory

It would be clear from the above that an engineering directory seeks to meet the special kinds of needs that an engineer is likely to have. It is thus a niche directory targeted to this group.

Another kind of nicheness is seen when the engineering directory lists only suppliers from a particular country or region. Such regional directories focus to promote the engineering industry of particular regions. Additionally, regional directories help users to identify local or nearby sources for their requirements.

Conclusion

Engineering is a complex activity involving consideration of many alternatives to achieve desired aims. A source that could help the engineer become aware of different alternatives (such as components and solutions) available in the market can definitely help the person perform better and achieve better quality results.

An engineering directory is such a source of information. It is typically organized to facilitate finding information in different ways such as by products, industries, solutions and functions.

Computer Consulting: Should You Work With Micro Businesses?

Computer consulting can handle losses from sweet spot clients easier than micro businesses. Make sure you are pursuing the most profitable business for computer consulting.

Keywords:

computer consulting, small business computer consulting, IT consulting

Article Body:

When it comes to computer consulting with micro businesses, look at the margins issue. You will always have a certain amount of hours that you’re forced to eat because you can’t bill for it. When you have a larger base of computer consulting clients to spread it over, a loss is a lot easier to swallow.

"Eating" a Loss is Easier with Big Clients Than Small Ones

For example, if you have a customer that’s billing $2,000 a year with you and you’re forced to eat a $500 job, you’ve sacrificed 25 percent of your billing for that customer. If you have someone that’s billing $10,000 a year with you and you’re forced to sacrifice a $500 job once a year, that’s no big deal.

That’s a very small percentage. The bigger the client, the more you can afford to do things like that.

Are Micro Business Distracting You From Finding "Sweet Spot" Clients?

Is computer consulting for micro businesses taking away valuable time from cultivating more lucrative business? Only you can answer that question.

You have to make sure that you have enough time to go after the solid B2B small businesses where there’s at least 10 systems, a real server and they can afford at least $5,000 to $10,000 in IT services a year on an ongoing basis.

Focus On The Larger Computer Consulting Clients

Phase out your dependence on micro small businesses. As you start taking on additional larger clients, you’re going to find you have to make tough decisions anyway.

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Computer Consulting Businesses: What Your "Sweet Spot" Clients Are Looking For, Part One

Computer consulting businesses: Sweet spot clients are looking for four specific things from you. Companies that provide these benefits will win the contracts for their computer consulting businesses.

Keywords:

Computer consulting, computers, consulting, computer business, small business, small business consulting

Article Body:

When providing B2B service, computer consulting businesses' ideal clients, or “sweet spot,” are companies with 10-50 PCs and 1-10 million in revenue. These “sweet spot” small businesses typically look for four things in their computer consulting businesses.
1. Response Time
2. Knowledge (Business and Technical)
3. Customer Service
4. Price/Value
In this article we will focus on the top two items, response time and business and technical knowledge.

Speed is Paramount in Computer Consulting Businesses
The more that a small business needs IT, the more likely that response time will be the leading factor. Why? Downtime is money lost. How quickly computer consulting businesses can address their clients' urgent or emergency IT needs becomes very important.

Computer Consulting Businesses are more Than Just a Bunch of Technicians
Your technicians' quick response to IT needs is of prime importance to most sweet spot small businesses. Second in importance would generally be your business or industry knowledge. For example, how well do your employees understand the client's particular industry and niche? Sweet spot clients definitely want technology providers that can really solve business problems, as opposed to just running around doing “screwdriver” kind of work, such as upgrading RAM or loading software.

Computer consulting businesses basically becomes the outsourced IT department for your sweet spot clients. Your company will end up working on hardware support, software support, LAN and WAN support… so you deliver soup-to-nuts, end-to-end solutions.

The Bottom Line on Computer Consulting Businesses
In this article you've been introduced to your sweet spot clients' first two requirements in computer consulting businesses.

Common Mistakes Small Businesses Make and How to Avoid Them

Unfortunately very few start up businesses make it beyond their 3rd year. Failure is usually down to a number of clearly identifiable mistakes, which if small business owners are aware of, can increase their chances of survival.

Keywords:

small business failures, reasons for failure, closure

Article Body:

Unfortunately very few start up businesses make it beyond their 3rd year. Failure is usually down to a number of clearly identifiable mistakes, which if small business owners are aware of, can increase their chances of survival.

Here are the top 10 common mistakes which small businesses tend to make.

Lack of Market Research

When a budding entrepreneur comes up with an idea for a new business he assumes that because he would buy such a product or service then everyone else will. This may be the case for day-to-day necessities but for other items this is usually not so.

It’s important that when you start up you carefully research the market to check that:

• There is demand at a level which would lead to a sustainable business

• People are prepared to pay the price required for you to make a decent profit

Undertaking market research may appear time consuming but the effort will pay off.

Poor Record Keeping

Some business people are not born administrators; they feel more comfortable getting out there and ‘doing the business’. Paperwork is too easy to ignore but can never be put off indefinitely.

Sales, purchases and other expenditure must be carefully documented, so you know whether you are making a profit or not. Invoices must be issued on time and chased up promptly if there is a delay in payment. It’s all very well having the sales but poor record keeping can hold you back.

Having your paperwork in order will also save you time when it comes to your accountant doing your year-end books!

Insufficient Capital

When starting off it’s easy to decide what capital is required for fixtures and fittings, machinery and stock. What many new business owners forget about is the cash needed to fund day-to-day requirements, i.e. cash to pay expenses before your customers pay you. This is known as your working capital requirement.

Small businesses can fail because they have insufficient cash to start off to meet these immediate expenses. If you wish to survive make sure you set aside enough cash to meet all your needs for the first few months.

Ineffective Marketing Or None At All

You cannot afford to treat the cost of marketing as an unnecessary expense. A business with no marketing is like waving in the dark – you know you are doing it but no one else does!

There are many ways to promote your business on a small budget; it’s just a case of being inventive and creative. What ever you do, don’t assume that people will quickly know you are in business – they won’t, unless you tell them.

Ingoring Changes In The Market Place

As a small business owner it’s very easy to get immersed in your business and not see what is happening around you in the market place. Always keep your eyes and ears open to what the competition is doing and what your customers want. Don’t get left behind.

Owner’s Attitude

Attitude is everything in business. Don’t forget that the real boss in your business is the customer. Running a business may make you feel important but don’t let this develop into an ‘I am better than you’ attitude. Do this and you will quickly chase your customers away.

Spending On The Wrong Things

Being in business can be exciting, especially as the cash starts to roll in! However, don’t be tempted to spend it on a new car, a house or just a good time. If you are to own a successful business then you have to keep some cash back to fund future growth. A business cannot grow without cash, so commit to spending business money on the business.

Dependent On A Small Number Of Customers

Don’t fall into the trap of setting up a business just because one person says they will buy from you every week or month. Setting up and running a business, which is dependent on one customer, is not a recipe for success. What happens if, one month after you have spent all your cash to set up your business, that customer says he has changed his mind and has decided to buy elsewhere? Unless you can find other customers very quickly you are faced with closure.

Before embarking on a new venture make sure you have a sufficient number of customers such that if a few go elsewhere you can still continue trading.

Growing Too Quickly

Surprisingly, growing too quickly can be a problem. You have to be disciplined enough to only take on work you can handle. If you are tempted to accept too much you could end up disappointing not only the new client but also your existing ones.

Also, don’t under-estimate the impact rapid growth can have your administrative burden. As I mentioned earlier, getting behind on the paperwork can have an equally damaging effect on your business.

Trying To Do Everything

Finally, the problem most small business owners have is the fact that everything falls on their plate. Inevitably this is how it’s likely to be in the beginning, when the limited budget means that staff are a luxury, but as the business grows be aware that you cannot continue to do all tasks. There will come a point when you become inefficient and not have enough time to complete everything in sufficient detail. Taking on an extra pair of hands will increase your costs but you will be surprised at how much time will be saved, allowing you to do what you do best – getting the business in.

Take a look at each of the mistakes and make sure that you don’t fall into these traps.

Generate Extra Income from Profitable Home Businesses

All of us want a better lifestyle, to give the best luxuries to the family and the most important of all to enjoy and be content with the job. But how many of us have the resources to do them?

Keywords:

best home businesses, profitable home based businesses, start a business from home, profitable home businesses

Article Body:

All of us want a better lifestyle, to give the best luxuries to the family and the most important of all to enjoy and be content with the job. But how many of us have the resources to do them?

The solution – the different profitable home based businesses opportunities. There are various options of part time work. The best job is the employment work in home. You can keep yourself employed in home with the help of the best home businesses.

If you are serious about the idea of making money through smart home based businesses then here are some tips for those who want to start a business from home.

Before beginning to work on your profitable home based businesses, do survey the market about the best home businesses and select on which suits you most. Also study your target customers and your comfort level regarding them. In accordance to the range and section of customers you have to market your products. So it is very important to understand the psyche of your target customers.

The next step before you begin your profitable home businesses is to sketch out a detailed plan. The plan should contain a brief assessment of the start-up investment capital. It should give a rough idea of the amount that will be involved in advertising plan, production costs etc You will also have to tactfully divide your time so that you can give equal attention to all the aspects of your best home businesses.

You should jot down all ideas regarding your profitable home businesses. It is often seen that most newbies who start a business from home loose their interest, shut their workplace and move on to a more conventional job.

This is because most people start a business from home in hurry and later find themselves incapable of the task of managing profitable home based businesses.

It takes a reasonable amount of time to start a business from home and make money out of it. The first six months of the best home businesses are a crucial time. Whatever profit you make from your profitable home businesses should be used to grow the business and make it steady. Every single penny that is generated from the home employment work should be again re- invested in the business.

These are the simple rules which should guide you in the online home business area. It is true that even the best home businesses take some time to flourish. With an open heart and a steady mind, we can always write our own destiny.