Wednesday, June 6, 2007

Top 7 Secrets to Financing a Franchise Business

By Lance Winslow

Okay so you have decided you want to own your own business and instead of starting from scratch you are looking to buy a franchise with a proven business model in a field, which is something you see yourself enjoying right? Well, this makes sense really and you are not alone, did you know that there are in excess of a half million franchised outlets in the United States alone? Wow. In fact franchising accounts for one-third of every consumer dollar spend in the United States and that number is growing.

Now then you are considering financing your business venture then right? Sure that makes sense too and of course it takes money to make money and if you had all the money you needed then you would not be buying a franchise then would you? There are many good financing programs for franchise buyers and generally the more established franchisors with the best track records do have the best financing programs thru affiliates or approved vendors.

You need to try to stay away from some second rate business equipment leasing companies, as that can be some expensive money. Also it is wise to use your credit cards as little as possible on items concerning the initial financing of your franchised outlets. Taking a second mortgage on your home is one way to finance a franchise and that money can be a lot less expensive. Finding an angel investor, partner or using family money can also be an option. Consider all this in 2006.

"Lance Winslow" - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance in the Online Think Tank and solve the problems of the World; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/

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

Staff Turnover - A Business Killer

By J Timothy Connor

Finding the right staff is critical, as we discussed in the article "Finding Staff to Complement Your Business". But what about keeping good staff? Is it important? Is it worth the effort to keep the right folks on the job? Let’s look at the four areas that staff turnover affects – in a business of any type. Those areas are: Productivity, Revenue, Customer Satisfaction, and Long Term Viability.

EFFECTS ON PRODUCTIVITY

Increasing work for the remaining staff... This is rather obvious, but think about the work that’s being left undone. If a staff member has to cover the phones because the receptionist has quit, she is going to omit work somewhere. In the choice between her regular work or answering the phone she’ll do the one she feels is more important. But in her consideration she has to think of the effect of unfinished work on other folks in the business, and she will likely make her choice based on the amount of flak she thinks she’ll get from others. If she’s conscientious, her sense of duty will play into it; but one of those jobs will not be done well, and staff and customers know it’s not being done well.

Lower morale for ‘good’ staff...

Staff who work hard – those with a sense of duty and industry, tend to be much more negatively affected by the increased work generated by high staff turnover. These staff like to get things done completely and well, and that’s almost impossible when a vacant position’s work also has to be covered. Consequently, and this is a killer, it’s the best staff who tend to be most depressed or angry about vacancies, and are more likely to walk if the situation remains unresolved.

EFFECTS ON REVENUE

Whether it’s because they’re physically missing or that they can’t do as much when they’re filling in for others, missing staff mean you’re just not going to get the same sales volume. With staff vacancies, neither remaining staff nor the boss can work as fast. Vacancies result in technical work being delayed, information not being collected, customer calls being delayed or missed altogether, and sales not being supported. All of these will result lower revenues now, and probably in the future.

EFFECTS ON CUSTOMER SATISFACTION

Modern customers are extremely aware of service and product quality. As the new millennium unfolds, offshore competition has made many of its inroads through higher quality products and better services to support them. Because of this, most American companies have had to increase service levels far beyond what they were 60 years ago. While that’s not a bad thing, it means that you’d better be keeping up with customer expectations. And guess what? That’s difficult to do when you are turning staff over. Besides the negative effect on remaining staff, there are the challenges that new staff bring to the business. They have to be trained, and the learning curve to get them up to speed takes time – there’s no way around it. During the training period mistakes will be made, and many of them will involve customers. Customer problems have to be resolved, and THAT takes time, and a good knowledge of the business, which often means that older staff have to be involved, adding to their discouragement and lowering morale. The result: high staff turnover is going to guarantee lower customer satisfaction for your organization.

EFFECTS ON LONG TERM VIABILITY

This is another one that isn’t rocket science: if your customers are leaving you for other companies, you’re not going to stay in business long. Customer loyalty is critical to the long term health of your business, and you MUST seek ways to build it. That means keeping the right staff on board, so that service and product quality remain high and are seen as seamless by those buying your products.

TIPS AND TRICKS...

FIRST, to prevent turnover, have regular meetings with your staff to discuss how to run things better. Keep the agenda very short – What are the top two things you’d like to see improved? or How do YOU think we can do this better?. And then be quiet and take notes. When you do this kind of meeting, be SURE to follow up and address the ideas that come up. Be honest, if you don’t think an idea is workable tell them so, but look for ways to implement as many of the ideas as possible. When employees know that you are listening and that something will be done, they are much more likely to stick around. And not only that, but they’ll work harder and enjoy the job more.

SECOND, write up a set of interview questions for each position in the business, and have a plan for immediate action when a staff member leaves. Fast replacement will keep remaining staff happier, maintain productivity, reduce rework and liability, and improve your customer satisfaction. It’s worth it!

The author of this article, Tim Connor, is president and founder of Rodeo! Performance Group, Inc., an Ocala, Florida-based group of facilitators working with businesses and executives who want to make their businesses competitive on a global scale. Tim can be contacted at timconnor@rodeopg.com, or by phone at 1-877-284-0009. Visit Rodeo! on the web at http://www.rodeopg.com.

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

Finding Staff to Complement Your Business

By J Timothy Connor

How important are staff to your business? That’s sort of a basic question, because everyone knows that without staff you can’t do your own job. But really, how important do we consider our staff? After all, they haven’t been to school as long as we have, they don’t know as much, they don’t make the money we do. Shouldn’t it be easy to replace them when we need to?

It’s easy to fall into the trap of under-rating the importance of staff to a business; but it’s at least as bad to have the wrong staff in your organization. Who are the ‘wrong’ staff? Most of us would say those who don’t work hard, or take too many breaks, or don’t know what they’re doing, or who don’t take initiative. Now, these are serious defects, but the problem goes deeper – are we seeking staff who really complement the business?

When you opened your business you had an ideal in mind. Most likely it included finding and pleasing customers, providing a high quality product, delivering top-notch service to support your product, and getting customers excited enough to tell others about you. Business owners have values they bring to their business. The problem is, most don’t take the time at the front end to formalize those values, and they almost never seek to hire staff who share those same values.

So what happens? The staff who are hired don’t match the ideal the owner had in mind. They might be too brusque, or even unfriendly with customers. They might not get along with other staff, and become a constant source of irritation. They might get flustered when the business gets busy, frustrating both customers and other staff. Maybe they just don’t have the drive that you were wanting in your staff.

But really, can you do anything about that? Sure you can; and the answer comes in two parts: First, taking the time to identify and formalize your own values, and then build them into the business. What attitudes do you really want in your business? Do you want customers to feel fussed over, or are you happier with more of a formal professionalism? Do you want staff who take initiative, or would you rather have people who check in before making major decisions? Are you concerned with neatness and order, or do you like an atmosphere that’s more laid back and friendly? When choosing any of these approaches, you will need to plan your office structures so the attitude can happen. Failure to plan such a structure may make it difficult – or impossible – for your staff to act the way you want.

Second: For hiring people, translating those values into behavioral interviews is key. If you want certain attitudes and behaviors, you have to build an interview that goes beyond the resume and surfaces underlying conduct. People, especially those who can’t hold jobs for long, can be very good at ‘saying the right thing’ – even when they don’t usually act that way. Part of your challenge is developing questions that will dig out those past behaviors. The questions might be aimed at finding out the prospect’s reaction to a busy environment, or how they usually handle a customer. Questions can be worded to surface bad attitudes under stress, or a prospective employees work ethic.

Believe it or not, the bulk of a business owner’s time and money are spent hiring people with the right knowledge and skills – but the majority of problems and firings are based on attitudes and behaviors.

CONCLUSION:

In summary, if you want your business to move closer to your mind’s ideal, you have to take time to identify and formalize your values, building them into the structure of your business – how it is run. THEN you have to develop an interview process that surfaces a prospective employee’s behaviors, and checks them against the attitudes you are seeking in the day-to-day operation of the business.

The author of this article, Tim Connor, is president and founder of Rodeo! Performance Group, Inc., an Ocala, Florida-based group of facilitators working with businesses and executives who want to make their businesses competitive on a global scale. Tim can be contacted at timconnor@rodeopg.com, or by phone at 1-877-284-0009. Visit Rodeo! on the web at http://www.rodeopg.com.

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

Can A Person With Bipolar Disorder Be Successfully Self-Employed?

By David Oliver

If you suffer from a long-term mental illness, like bipolar disorder, it's possible that your level of confidence in your ability to successfully start and manage a business of your own has eroded with time. Your efforts in the past may have left you feeling like a square peg trying to fit into a round hole - both in your business pursuits, and in the path of traditional employment.

If not approached correctly, starting a business can be dangerous for a person with bipolar disorder, adding fuel to the fires of both mania and depression. People with bipolar disorder can be subject to manic delusions of grandeur, pursuing unrealistic business ideas, along with having grandiose and unrealistic expectations of themselves. After the period of mania wears off, the depressive mindset will likely set in, and with it, a realistic view of the unrealistic business they had been so excited about. They may feel foolish, and like a failure, and they may have also hurt and let down many people who believed in them.

This cycle of feelings of grandiosity followed by feelings of failure is harmful to the health and stability of the person with bipolar disorder, and may cause them to give up on themselves altogether. After many such let-downs and disappointments, many people with bipolar disorder who have great potential end up on disability, or otherwise dependent on others for their survival.

If you have bipolar disorder, starting your own business can be one of the best things you can do for yourself and your health – as long as you approach it in the right way. It's important for you to gain perspective and understanding in order to tame the possibility of poor judgment based on manic impulses. You may gain this insight from recognition of your past patterns and mistakes in business, or if you're lucky enough not to have made any, from awareness of the potential pitfalls of both mania and depression in your business.

Ideally you can find a trusted friend and advisor to help support you with your goals of successful self-employment. This person should be a logical, grounded and rational critical thinker who has an understanding of bipolar disorder. He or she can be the sounding board for your plans, and you will need to rely on this person to help you by telling you when your ideas or judgment is poor. Your advisor can also help motivate you when your mood is depressed.

You're going to need to train your mind to approach your business in the right way, rather than in the incredible excitement, creativity and grandiosity that may have fueled your past endeavors. Be realistic, and know your weaknesses. You want to keep your stress levels down, so be careful not to do too much. If you find yourself beginning to work unstoppably 12-16 hours a day, it's time to force yourself to stop. Check in with your advisor to let them know you have to take a break, and do whatever you need to do to take care of your elevating mood, such as calling your psychiatrist and/or therapist.

Have realistic expectations and set small goals. This will prevent you from setting yourself up for disappointment, failure and depression. Don't start with dreams of becoming an overnight millionaire - simply begin with small steps. Be sure to find a good accountant - many small businesses may start out by making only a hundred or a few hundred dollars a month. By maximizing your tax write-offs, you can make up for this.

A good type of business for someone with bipolar disorder is a small home business. A home business is something you can start small and build up slowly, you won't need a lot of money to get started. You can set your own hours and limits, taking on only as much as you are capable of without over-stressing yourself. With a home business, you have the flexibility you need in coping with this disorder. You'll still be able to find the time for all the various tasks you already have throughout the week such as doctor's appointments, support groups, exercise, therapy, filling prescriptions, and so on.

There are an incredible number of benefits for a person with bipolar disorder starting a home business. You will find something that uses your talents and skills, and your confidence will increase dramatically. Having a regular responsibility that you enjoy will help you to be more healthy and stable. Your business will keep your mind active, and if you've been on disability it's likely you'll appreciate having something to do.

As your income increases and you take advantage of your tax deductions, you can get better insurance, more easily pay for your medication, and enjoy your increasing quality of life overall. As you take control of your income, you can begin to be relieved of the major stressor of poverty and financial need. Your self-esteem will rise as you become more independent and less dependent. You'll be able to start paying off your debts. And, being self-employed, you have created your own job security.

There are a great many more benefits to having your own home business if you have a mental illness. Finding a home business that fits and approaching it in the right way is one of the best things a person with bipolar disorder can do for their financial, mental and emotional health.

Writer and researcher, David Oliver, specializes in helping both supporters and sufferers of bipolar disorder through his website. For a FREE mini-series on coping with bipolar disorder, and info on 161 legitimate home businesses you can start now, visit http://www.bipolarcentral.com/bipolarbusiness/

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

An Online Home Business Is Not Magic

Without a doubt, you have been created your life. Most Internet marketers and online entrepreneurs have their dreams and their goals to reach throughout a specific time. If you start an online business system with the intention of making more money, you would not think it would happen overnight.

It does not mean you do not must be positive, strongly think positive on your goals. Your health and your wealth are result of your thoughts. But an online home business is not magic.

Take a look at the Internet Marketing and see all the success guys having some experience. That means they have spent a lot of time doing it, a lot of time learning and staying around the global internet, hunting for the best way to make money online. It takes time for everyone wondering about doing the same.

A newbie needs some kind of experience. And that is the essential ability to lead life with its own hands. I do not have a technical experience, I do not know HTML language and I have never built any kind of website by myself. However, to start my work from home, the unique question I have had to answer was if I have believed myself, I have believed that I could learn, work and determine to take my life by my hands.

It is a sort of principle and anyone should consider it before start a work at home online. There are many opportunities out there to work online as an independent, without a boss or anyone directing your life.

The second principle to make more money online is to learn to be patient with yourself when you are learning. We want learn as fast as possible. But it can be unproductive. You must be patience and making the work in accordance with its rhythm. It is a balanced skill to focus the attention.

And there is a third principle you must consider: it is to learn to have courage at this revolutionary opportunity of making money online. Courage is not a natural ability. We conquer it culturally. We have fear yes, the fear feeling can harm our growth in this type of business and any another one.

Patience and courage are two cultural abilities for who definitely want to take a risk in home business online. This conception of metamorphosis in the businesses will not take us to be insects in biological terms. But with certainty it is a significant step for our personal and financial growth.

Wolney H Filho is an Internet based, home business entrepreneur in Brazil.
Visit his online business system . Get more information at Work At Home Online Blog .

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

The Problem With PLR Articles

In recent years Google has slapped the Duplicate Content Penalty on websites with similar content, causing numerous websites to take a serious nosedive in their search engine rankings.

This serious problem has alarmed thousands of webmasters who used to be content with their affiliate and Adsense income due to the fact their websites were ranking well in the search engines. Now with the dreaded Duplicate Content Penalty in front of our faces, creating quality content is the next thing to do to help address the problem.

But not everyone can write original content from scratch. Some smart marketers knew about this problem and addressed this need by creating membership websites that give articles that can be changed to their customers' liking.

This is a good solution to all of us who would like to paste high quality content on our websites with little effort. After all, writing high quality articles can take hours - from researching the topics and materials, researching relevant keywords, to writing the articles themselves and proofreading. By taking advantage of these PLR article membership websites, duplicate content penalty is already out of sight.

Or is it? With numerous article membership sites that limit their services to a number of people, you should be aware that the solution to the dreaded Duplicate Content Penalty is not just addressed by simply copying the articles from these exclusive membership sites and pasting them on your own. With the others receiving the same articles, you would face the risk of being detected by the search engines since your fellow members may have been content enough not to modify them even by a bit.

It means that even though PLR article membership sites give you the longed-for high quality content that search engines and your actual visitors love, you should keep in mind that all your investments in these PLR article membership sites, which you deduct from your online income, will be wasted if you do not change their contents to make them different from the others who get the same articles.

It will not cost you an arm and a leg to make them unique. If you want to make them unique right away you can change the title of the article into something more attention-grabbing. Changing the keyphrases will also help. Using your own set of relevant keyphrases more prominently will make your article stand out from the rest of you co-members who probably will use the same keyphrases.

Usually the first paragraph of the article is an introduction of the meat and bones found in the main body of the article, so you can change that, too. The introduction is also the area where you can inject your personality by changing the tone of the article into something conversational.
If you happen to know something about the topic, it's all the better. You can add your own thoughts into the main body of the article. If the article is a "how to" type and is written in paragraphs you can turn it around by listing them instead.


Aside from the introduction, the last paragraph is another area where you can make major changes. Usually it is a conclusion of sorts that just re-states the main points of the main body, so you can make it different by creating the last paragraph in your own words.

PLR articles are a heaven-sent and a time-saver to us busy internet marketers. But the cost of these monthly services will not be worth it if you will dump them in your hard drive, forget about them, or simply copy and paste them on your websites while hoping you'll escape from the search engines' prying eyes.

Shem Cruz invites you to make a huge killing now with 300 professionally-written PLR articles, 12 high quality Adsense websites, 3 exclusive PLR ebooks and the best master resale and private label rights products all in one gigantic membership package - Online Business Toolkit

Visit Online Business Toolkit now to avail of their limited 30-day free trial. To visit, go to onlinebusinesstoolkit.net

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

Productive Online Business - Advanced Ways to Create More Money in Online Business

The world of cyber trade and e-business is expanding at a very fast pace. The internet has presented a huge money making opportunity to the people all around the world. The internet has made the entire world a common market. As far as the global trade is concerned, the world now is a village. In this situation, the competition of survival is extremely high in the online world. No website can survive in the online world without the proper inflow of web traffic. It is important that the online businesses get quality traffic otherwise the volume of business will not increase. In case you do not get the required and expected number of visitors, you may incur a loss. Thus if you are interested in making money through your online business, it is very important that you get lots of web traffic. This is the key to success in the online world.

It depends on the kind of business you have that which kind of web traffic is more suitable for you. If you want to get the attention of the search engines, you should search engine optimize the content of your website and also submit your website to the search engines. More traffic will result in more business which in turn means more profit and more money. You must be very careful about the quality of product or service you are offering. If you lack in quality, no effort can save you. You can make more money in the online business if you take care of these few points.

Do you want to learn more about how I do it? Secrets of Article Marketing

Raymond Nesa is an experienced web marketer specializing in article marketing, traffic generation, and list building.

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

Wednesday, May 30, 2007

InfoMailers.com ties up with SantaBanta.com to launch ‘Fun Messenger’

(Tue May 29th, 2007, by InfoMailes.com)

Corporate & Business News from India's Premier Corporate Newswire, InfoMailers.com Source: InfoMailers.com Tuesday, May 29, 2007 Editors: Advertising, Marketing, PR, Media, Corporate News, Business News, Biz News, Corporate Newswire INFOMAILERS.COM TIES-UP WITH SANTABANTA.COM TO LAUNCH 'FUN MESSENGER' Chandigarh, Tuesday, May 29, 2007 (InfoMailers.com):: InfoMailers.com, the new-age Corporate Newswire Service, has tied up with the world’s largest entertainment website, SantaBanta.com, and has announced the launch of a unique ‘Fun Messenger’ for its members and patrons. InfoMailers.com disseminates business and corporate news items and sales messages instantaneously to more than 10,000 journalists throughout India, across Print, Electronic & Internet media. 'News Alerts' are mailed to 1,500,000 Indian net users, including 65,000 key professionals from advertising, marketing & media industry and top-notch industry leaders from CII, FICCI, ASSOCHAM, NASSCOM and PHDCCI etc. extending the reach of the service to all those who matter. InfoMailers.com will mail a pack of 6 hilarious jokes to its members every Saturday, starting this Saturday, ie, May 12, 2007. Besides, InfoMailers.com will, now onwards, also include one ‘Workplace Joke’ in all its ‘News Alerts’. “Executives, faced with high work pressure, need some kind of relaxation. ‘Fun Messenger’ is an ideal way out to celebrate simple joys of life. The ‘Fun Messenger’ will reach out to almost all the key decision makers within the advertising, marketing and media fraternity, apart from reaching out to a large base of Indian net users. It is a high visibility tool which will provide another platform to our patrons to reach out to their potential customers,” says Mr Narvijay Yadav, Chief Operations Officer, InfoMailers.com. InfoMailers.com is the world’s only internet based corporate newswire that distributes news to the Indian media, corporate executives and general internet users in 3 languages - English, Hindi and Punjabi, apart from distributing corporate and business news items to various global news websites and web-wires. A news release once uploaded on to www.InfoMailers.com remains there forever and is never taken off. The news releases are picked up by around 500 news websites and newswires globally, and are invariably crawled by all major search engines including Google and Yahoo! This helps to ensure that the company’s communications stay at the cutting edge. InfoMailers.com enables Indian corporations to send their press releases in real time to the media, investment communities and other stakeholders. Mr PK Khurana, President, InfoMailers.com, commenting on the tie-up, says, “SantaBanta.com is a highly reputed website and is ranked 986 in the world. It enjoys more than 250,000 links to Google ensuring high visibility. We, at InfoMailers.com, go by only one Mantra of providing better products and services to our members and customers. The pre-launch survey with our members clearly indicates that ‘Fun Messenger’ is sure to emerge as a high-end, high visibility advertising tool enabling our patrons to reach out to their target audiences and other stake holders.” Mr JD Ghai, MD, SantaBanta.com, says, “It's amazing to note the way InfoMailers.com has gained ground. It has become one of the most talked about service in the business circles. We were fascinated to note that Google shows InfoMailers.com at the top for the search term ‘Corporate Newswire’, implying that if one types even the generic words ‘Corporate Newswire’ in the Google search box, the results show InfoMailers.com at No.1 position. We are very happy to be associated with such a great company.” InfoMailers.com allows journalists and other net users to receive news releases from leading clients of the service. The service is 'free for life', to all those who want to receive news releases via email. To avail of the service, one has to go through one-time free registration online at www.infomailers.com or send an email to register@infomailers.com giving one's name and topics of interest.
*** For further information, please contact :: InfoMailers.com CORPORATE NEWSWIRE SERVICE # 3491, Sector 38-D, Chandigarh – 160014 Telefax: (+91-172) 2698351, 2698664 Customer Service Helpline: (+91) 9316 708090
Email: info@infomailers.com Website: www.infomailers.com

The darling of Dubai - Greg Norman (Great White Shark)

(Mon May 28th, 2007, by James Bennett)

"We would like to welcome back our favourite golfing son, or, as we call him 'the Darling of Dubai'," announces David Spencer, CEO of Jumeirah Golf Estates, to a large media gathering. "Greg's not due back for another week but I'm sure we'll see him very soon," he jokes. Then again, this might just turn out to be true. Next to his Florida base the Middle East, and Dubai in particular, is Greg Norman's second home.

The 'Great White Shark', former world number one and now head of a multi-million dollar global business empire, tells me in his constantly enthusiastic tone that he has visited the emirate "countless times" since he announced he was adding his name and unique design skills to a trio of golf courses.

"Trust me mate," he exclaims in his subtle Aussie twang, and letting go of his girlfriend and former US tennis starlet Chris Evert for a second. "Building a golf course in the sand is hard work."

Visiting Dubai in 1994 for one of the Desert Classic's early years as an international championship venue, the Shark hit some great balls and made some great scores, all under par, but while he completed his final round he also spotted something others didn't - "this place was about to explode," he tells me. Now he is seen as one of Dubai's expatriate pioneers, helping it rise from the desert into the region's most colossal business centre. But was this just a stroke of luck, or a large slice of visionary business genius?

"It was a culmination of both - a culmination of being fortunate in my position where the time I was invited to come and play," he says. "When I came here I saw and heard what the ruler wanted to do, and believed in what he was doing because he could see things moving very quickly.

"All I did then was to identify the position I could help and that was in golf course design. To be successful in business and in golf you need a little bit of luck on your side." Of course it's not that simple, but Norman, as any top sports and businessman does, makes it all look very easy.

"That's the trick but you have to constantly work at it," he adds realistically. The Shark has a multitude of self-branded companies that, through his use of "concentric circles", as he labels them (where other businesses spin out of existing companies), continue to grow and expand year after year.

From everything golf-related sold through Great White Shark Enterprises to his 20 year-old and 60-completed course design business; a turf company; his own extensive range of Shark emblazoned clothing; Greg Norman Grille (a luxurious harbourside restaurant in Sydney); Australian Prime, a Wagyu and premium beef producer; his own production company; and SkyShades, a shading business that produces roof and sun protection covering and that promotes skin cancer prevention, he has done the lot, and more.

The concentric circles, however, have once again worked their magic with Norman recently launching his own luxury interior design business in Dubai entitled Rosewood by Greg Norman alongside Italian designers B&B Italia and local partner Mohi-din bin Hendi. However, he refuses to be drawn on whether he would ever set up a permanent business or even home in the emirate. In many ways, he adds, he has already been a permanent resident.

"I've been here since 1994 and you could almost say I've been here permanently since. I usually come here three times a year, minimum. I see my business, what I call concentric circles; the business where you start out playing golf, then you get into design, then you get into development or housing design with Rosewood," he says.

"These are all concentric circles that all touch themselves coming through and that's the aim and the heart of expanding a business - where you keep a common thread all the way through."

For more visit www.arabianbusiness.com

A day in the desert with Prince Alwaleed

(Mon May 28th, 2007, by Anil Bhoyrul)

The desert does different things to different people. Some fear the emptiness, some dread the loneliness, while others find happiness and serenity. None more so than HRH Prince Alwaleed, for whom the dunes are just another location from which to play the role of international dealmaker, global peacebroker and world philanthropist.

Shortly after 2am on Thursday April 19, at the end of a series of meetings that spanned over 12 hours, myself and photographer Francisco Fernandez were preparing to leave his desert camp 100 miles north of Riyadh. It had been a long, challenging, fascinating but draining day. We were glad it was all over. We were shattered.

"Where are you going?" asked Prince Alwaleed.

"Home," I replied. "I have a flight to catch back to Dubai. It's a long way from here."

He looked startled. "But it's only 2am! The day isn't over yet. You see, you can live your life at 120 miles an hour, and that's pretty impressive. But it's not good enough. Unless you live at 150 miles an hour, the world will pass you by."

No danger of that happening for the prince. Moments later, his courtiers arrived with three hours of heavy reading material and documentation that needed his urgent attention. And then to bed, at 5am. In the space of one day, I counted 573 separate people that he had met, over 200 phone calls taken, at least 100 text messages sent, and countless pages of newspapers, magazines and official documents read.

It is an incredible, mind-blowing daily routine that he has followed for 25 years. And it is one that, for the first time ever, he had just allowed the outside world to pry into.

For more of this article visit www.arabianbusiness.com

About the Author
Anil Bhoyrul @ ArabianBusiness.com

CANON NB-2LH Battery, CANON ZR400 Battery

(Mon May 28th, 2007, by mary lv)

CANON NB-2LH Battery, CANON ZR400 Battery The ZR400 is Canon's top of the heap ZR model this year, and it shows. The ZR400 includes everything the ZR300 does.This ZR400 is replacement for CANON NB-2LH, CANON MV830i, CANON MV850i etc.For Elura performance in a ZR body, check the ZR400 out. In our store you will find a select number of premium quality batteries, chargers and other accerssories at very competitive prices to save you money. The ZR400 battery is Volt 7.4 V ,Capacity 570 mAh ,Weight 40 g, Color Dark grey ,Length 45.00x33.30x16.00 mm ,Type Li-ion ,the sale price is only US $30.48 from www.good-battery.com.

Compared to the other ZR models at 3000 lux, the ZR400 really stands out in its crispness. There is not too much difference between the color quality of the camcorders, but in between the color tiles, and basically in all the differentiating lines on the chart, you can tell the difference. more info:http://www.good-battery.com/camcorder-battery/canon-13.html

About the Author
if you have any questions,pls feel free to contact www.good-battery.com

What's the Measure of One Word?

(Mon May 28th, 2007, by John Jantsch)

It's absolutely essential that you find a way to differentiate your business in a meaningful way. I know I talk about this all the time, but it's that important.

What if you interviewed a handful of clients and asked them this question: "What's the ONE word you would use that best describes what we do well?" Is it fast, attentive, welcoming, creative, cheap, cool, techie, smart, caring? One word is tough, but you need to get there. One simple word that sums up how you are different. If you can do that, and it's a word that means a lot to a lot, your marketing job will be significantly easier.

Can't think of a word? If your business was a car, what type would it be? Why? What are the qualities you admire in people? What color is your business? What kind of music do you sound like? What kind of plant would you be? Why? (Sorry if I'm scaring some of you with this!)

Got your word? Now, how does everyone in your firm define and own that word. Starbucks uses the word welcoming. If you sneak a peak back in the back room of a Starbucks you might find a bulletin board full of "thoughts on welcoming" written by the staff.

What if you asked all your clients and associates to help you come up with your word and then asked them to give your their thoughts on what that word means or how they experience that word. (This would make a very fun activity for a client appreciation party - just add beer.)

If you actually did that you might uncover some incredible marketing material and may even come up with the motivation to inject your word and all its various meanings into everything you do - make your word your filter for every marketing decision.

That's how a small business brand is built, that's how you differentiate your business.

The trick after you find your word is to also find ways to measure how well you are doing building awareness and successfully living it. Sometimes the intangibles are where the most meaningful data lie. How happy are people? How joyful does the office seem? How quickly do you return client's calls? How often do you receive referrals? How many handwritten notes do you send? This is the stuff that can determine if you are living your brand or not.

Don't think you need to mess with such silliness? Your clients probably already have one word in mind, the question is did you plant it intentionally or accidentally?

My word: practical. How do I know? People tell me, all the time.

What's your word?

About the Author
John Jantsch is a veteran marketing coach, award winning blogger and author of Duct Tape Marketing: The World's Most Practical Small Business Marketing Guide. You can find more information by visiting
http://www.ducttapemarketing.com .


3 Ways to Get Investors Interested in Your New Business

(Mon May 28th, 2007, by Microsoft Small Business)

Start with a business plan

The world is full of people who could not find the funds to turn their great ideas into viable business ventures. But it's also full of people who could - and did.

To join the ranks of successful entrepreneurs able to obtain financial backing, experts recommend you do at least three things before you go out and try to persuade a lender that your great idea is worth investing in.

1. Write a business plan

If you're launching a new business, writing a business plan is worth doing whether you are seeking outside investors or not. That's because your business plan basically defines what your business is all about: It outlines your strategy for developing and growing your business and establishes how you will measure success.

Investors will want to see your business plan; in fact, it may be the first thing they ask for. Here are basic components you should consider including in your business plan:

* Mission statement - Clearly but concisely state your company's long-term mission.
* Management team - List the CEO and other management staff, including their experience in the business your are starting and achievements that demonstrate a record of success.
* Market summary - Review the trends and changes in market share--including key players, costs, pricing and competitors--that identify the opportunity for your business.
* Opportunities - Call out issues and problems that your potential customers have and the product and/or service opportunities created by those problems.
* Business concept - Describe the key concept, technology or strategy on which your business is based.
* Competition - Outline who your competitors are and the competitive advantage your company brings to the market.
* Goals and objectives - List your financial projections for a 3- to 5-year timeframe, including a summary of your forecasts and the spreadsheets you used to arrive at them. Be sure to list specific, measurable objectives for achieving your goals - including both market share objectives and revenue/profitability goals.
* Financial plan - Develop a high-level outline that explains your financial model and pricing assumptions; include expected annual sales and profits. Be as thorough as possible in this area; investors will want to closely scrutinise when and how they will see a return on their investment.
* Resource requirements - Provide a list of what it's going to take to make your venture viable. Include personnel, technology, finances, distribution, promotion, products and services.
* Risks and rewards - Be honest about the risks involved in your venture and how they will be addressed. Also estimate rewards anticipated; again, this is something investors will want to see.
* Key issues - Identify both near-term and long-term issues that need resolution, particularly those dependent on financing.


Once you have gathered the information you need and written your plan, use the Business Plan Presentation that is part of the Small Business Office Template collection (see Tools below) to create a presentation you can give to potential investors. Be sure to customise the template with your company's logo and colour scheme if you have one.

2. Prepare your talk

Having a business plan means you've already started down this path, but before you start knocking on investors' doors, you need to be prepared to discuss some other issues. For instance:

* As the leader of this new enterprise, investors are going to want to know about your personal credit history and how much collateral you're willing to put into the venture. You need to be prepared with detailed information.
* They'll want to hear more details about the competitive landscape. Consider using the Competitive Points List chart found in the Small Business Office Template collection (see Tools below) as a starting point.
* How will potential customers learn about your product or service? Having at least a basic marketing plan outlined will let them know you are serious about building a successful company. Use the Basic Marketing Plan template that's part of the Small Business Office Template collection to get started.


The more ways you can demonstrate to potential investors that you've put a lot of thought into this new business, the more interested they will be. You might also be prepared to discuss how you're going to track your financials; it might be useful to have some knowledge of financial management software designed for small businesses.

3. Create relationships, not transactions

Before you start talking to investors, have a plan in place for how you will use their expertise as well as their money. It's likely that people who lend money to small businesses have valuable insight to offer from their experience with other start-ups, or perhaps from starting their own companies. Make it clear when you meet with them that you'd welcome their involvement and advice and suggest ways they could help you, either formally as a member of a board of directors or informally as an advisor.

This approach will show investors that you are open-minded and willing to learn from others while at the same time, organised, driven and fully committed to making your business succeed.

PRODUCTS

* Microsoft Dynamics CRM
* Office Small Business Edition 2003
* Windows XP Professional
* Windows Small Business Server

Tools

* Small Business Office Templates
* Financial Management Quiz
* Product Advisor
About the Author

Business Articles for Microsoft Small Business

Look Before You Leap

(Mon May 28th, 2007, by Patrice Ravello)

Starting a new home business isn't easy - or cheap; there are some things a home business owner needs to think about before diving in that pool. There is a little more flexibility when working from home, but for maximum profit, you need to think about who you're catering to. This depends on what you'd like to do. If it's an online store you're looking to open up, you can work 24/7. On the other hand, if it's a current career you're carrying over to the home office, say law, then you need to be more realistic about hours. For something like that, the hours may need to be closer to 9 to 5.

Unless you already have plenty of money from a previous career, you may want a loan for your start up money. Don't worry; there are other options, too. For instance, you could look for a financial backer, benefactor or silent partner. These are people who would take an interest in you home business but not want to do a lot of the leg work; only providing monetary support. They may, however, ask for a little promotion in exchange. This is a wonderful option when compared to the rising interest rates.

The second order of home business is licensing and permits. Do the research; look and see if the desired name is already taken. It is also agreed by several home business owners that a license be obtained. Having your company as an LLC, or Limited Liability Company, creates fewer risks financially if your company should be sued. An LLC puts a cap on one's fiscal accountability, most generally the worth of the company. The same can be attributed to any investor(s) in the business. They are only responsible for the amount of their venture in the establishment.

One more thing to think about is how well your home business may do. If there are a lot of choices and the owners are getting good profits, then you know that you are safe. However, if none of the owners are doing well, then there's no market. For more information, visit http://www.wealthyinternetaffiliates.com/pips.html , as well as http://www.wealthyinternetaffiliates.com.

About the Author
To find the best home based business ideas and opportunities so you can work at home visit:
WealthyInternetAffiliates.com

Putting Yourself in Position for a Promotion

(Mon May 28th, 2007, by William Mitchell)

"Leadership is unlocking people's potential to become better." - Bill Bradley

You come into work one hour early and you leave two hours late. You handle your day-to-day duties like a well-oiled machine, expeditiously knocking out tasks like Mike Tyson (early career, of course). On top of that, you accept every special project the boss farms out, and you nail it. You're a sure bet for that promotion now, right? Don't kid yourself.

It usually takes more than "keeping your nose to the grindstone" to move up in the corporate world. Success in the workplace (and anywhere in life) is all about the intangibles.

Network - The farther up the career ladder you go, the more important this skill becomes. As such, you may as well start sharpening them now. Networking is not only the most effective way to search for employment, it is also the best way to develop solid foundational relationships with people who can help you move up the chain of command. The best way begin such a relationship is to offer value to someone with no expectation of an immediately returned favor. But be careful to begin building this goodwill well before you are actively looking for a helping hand. This way, you don't come across as a user. What goes around does come around, but it is better for it to travel a longer distance before it does.

Establishing relationships in social settings are a great way to personalize your network. When invited to happy hour on Friday, make it a point to go if the right contacts are also going to be present. You want to be sure to do more listening than talking at the start. Get a feel for the type of group you are out with, as well as the networking target's role in the group. Is the conversation light or topical and controversial? Feel your way though the communications maze to ensure a smooth transition to linking up with your target networking contacts.

Make a Decision - It is usually the nature of most people to let someone else make big decisions for fear of the consequences if things do not go as planned. If this is you, then that has to change NOW! The farther up the ladder you go, the bigger the decisions will be. If you are afraid to make them now as a member of four-person project team, how can you possibly make them as a manager of 5 different project teams?

Every chance you get, take the lead on projects and team-structured duties. Put your personal stamp on things and tactfully make certain that the right people know about it. Don't worry; most of the people you are working will gladly let you do so. They'll want no part of explaining why something was done, or why a decision was made. As long as your actions match up properly with the project purpose and the department/company mission, you can defend it.

ASK FOR IT - Whether there is a live opening up for grabs or nothing on the immediate horizon, your management team should be made aware of your desire to move up the chain of command and accept responsibility. Throw your hat in the ring and don't sit back waiting for someone to recognize you as a legitimate candidate. Overseeing your career growth is usually not very high on your management team's "To-Do" list. This is in every way your responsibility.

Ask you management team what it will take for you to move up. Is there additional training that they feel you need? Do they feel you are not showing enough initiative? Get the information straight from the source and leave nothing to chance.

When you seek a promotion, you are seeking addition leadership and responsibility and this means additional risk. You have to be ready to deal with decisions that don't pan out. Remember - you can't steal second base if your foot is still on first.

About the Author
William Mitchell is a Certified Professional Resume Writer and Owner / General Manager of the Resume Clinic (
http://www.theresumeclinic.com), serving clients worldwide with highly targeted resume and cover letter packages since 1995. The Resume Clinic offers free resume critiques and the best performance guarantee in the industry.

Accounting Outsourcing India is extremely popular

(Mon May 28th, 2007, by Allies Harbor)

You can notice immense development in the business industry and every organization is striving to undertake expansion plans. This is due to the vast development in business industry and one such industry is accounting outsourcing India. Proper management and good strategy is the key aspects of an organization to outperform. Achieving a grand success is desire of every individual and so it needs good effort and managerial skills to make every unit of the firm properly functioning. Accounting is an important section of any firm as it contains finance records which is a very crucial data. Accounting outsourcing India is a significant marketing strategy that makes business to make them work smoothly. These data contain financial records, it also shows whether the firm is in credit mode or deficit.

Accounting outsourcing India is a cost effective business strategy that many businesses are looking for it. Many business specialized in any area is considering this technique. They get efficient and quality work in their defined period of time from accounting outsourcing. They unhesitatingly outsource their accounting task to an offshore destination. This business technique has led many business financial status booming. It is applicable to any size of business, it works irrespective of the extent of the firm. This approach has got overwhelming response from the businesses. Accounting is a tough job and your business needs a serious caring. This work cannot be taken lightly or you can suffer severe losses in your business. It has helped many businesses to make big and their fiscal record has seen an upward move in the growth chart. So if you are new player in the business world, you can consider this technique.


Your task is executed with utmost care and responsibility. They are prompt in delivery of your task with absolute professionalism. You can rely on them because they are perfectionist accounting task. Your data is very precious document of your business and it is saved properly by them and so you not have to bother about it. India is a renowned destination for the accounting outsourcing services. It is a prominent player in this kind of business. There are many companies in the market and they are endeavor with each other to make itself at top. And so businesses have to face tremendous pressure and they are hampered with unlimited work. India has become the first choice of outsourcing work of any organization. Accounting outsourcing India sheds your work load and you do engage in other task of your business. You start looking for expansion plans and various new methods to bring advancement in the existing units.

Accounting outsourcing India takes very small amount of your revenue as a charge to be paid for your task. You get best work executed by the offshore nation. Being a good business owner, it is your responsibility to look after their work procedure. This will satisfy you that your accounts are maintained properly. This strategy works as a cost cutting and so you can save lots of money. You will not have to hire professionals and much of your quality time will be saved. Today, it has become one of the important marketing strategy of many businesses.

About the Author

Allies Harbor is a writer and writes articles on various topics including outsourcing. To know more about Software Outsourcing India,Outsourcing SEO,Data entry services,India Outsourcing SEO,Data Entry Outsourcing,India Outsourcing Accounting,Accounting Outsourcing India visit www.ifrstaffing.com