Home » Archive for February 2015
Alternative Venture Finance: Federal Grants and Loans
While most companies seeking venture capital initially think about angel investors and venture capitalists, a large alternative source of financing is federal grants and loans. The two largest federal grant programs are run by the Small Business Administration (SBA), and by Small Business Investment Companies (SBICs).
An SBA loan, regardless of whether it is a direct loan from the SBA, or, as is more common, a bank loan guaranteed by the SBA, is essentially a bank loan. The benefit of it versus a traditional bank loan is the rate. SBA rates are typically much less than traditional business loan rates.
In most cases, in a guaranteed SBA bank loan, the SBA guarantees 90 percent of the loan will be repaid to the bank. As such, banks are at much less risk than in most other loans, and are a bit more flexible with regards to who they offer these loans. However, the SBA usually requires the founders of the company to personally guarantee the loans, which makes them risky should the venture collapse.
Alternatively, Small Business Investment Companies (SBICs) are privately organized corporations that are licensed and regulated by the SBA. Small or emerging businesses which qualify for assistance from the SBIC program can receive equity capital and/or long-term loans from these companies. Essentially, these companies provide their own capital, which is supplemented by federal funds, to the companies they fund.
Interestingly, U.S. taxpayers benefit from the SBIC program as tax revenues generated from successful SBIC investments have more than covered the cost of the program. Likewise the program has created hundreds of thousands of jobs.
In summary, SBA and SBIC financing are viable alternatives to financing from angel investors and venture capitalists and should be considered in the capital raising process. Similarly to angel and VC financing, companies seeking SBA and SBIC financing need a strong management team and value proposition, and a highly professional and compelling business plan in order to raise the capital they need.
Article Tags: Bank Loan
All Aboard..........Everyone Going Global!
In today’s society we move at an incredibly fast pace and with this fast pace comes a continually evolving environment. When we consider the wide-spread integration of high level technology globally, the best may be yet to come. There are numerous reasons why we may want to consider expanding our operations globally; increased sales, access to new resources and markets, and potential productivity cost efficiency improvements. As the world continues to grow, new businesses will continue to be created; these businesses are being created by new breeds of entrepreneurs. These entrepreneurs were born into a world of global business, they see the opportunities and they are not afraid to step forward.
Let’s talk about how we can move forward, let’s talk about resources for a minute. Companies need certain resources to carry out their business activities, this creates a situation where they must constantly monitor and take into consideration the cost of acquiring these needs. In order to keep total product cost levels acceptable, certain built in monitors must be developed. However if there is a more cost efficient and high-quality production option, it should be considered. This is happening around the world now globally, some throw the word “outsourcing” around, and others say they are merging business communities. Regardless, it has created all sorts of new business angles and opportunities for growth and expansion into new markets.
Since the cultures, politics, economics, and laws are not the same in all countries, there can be different barriers to entry in certain regions. We must rely on research based upon the local demographic & economics of the region, and conduct our analysis accordingly. Some barriers may be modifications of products/services for local preferences. In addition, cultural elements play a large role in determining what products are appealing and accepted amongst the local target market.
Government regulations, government stability, and overall corruption are factors that must always be considered when pursuing business in an unfamiliar foreign land, just as it would be domestically. Some governments take a hard line position on new products or forms of commerce being conducted in their country, while other countries are very receptive and offer incentives for doing business in their countries. There are numerous consulting agencies, such as Motivated Entrepreneur Consulting that can assist us in locating individuals who have specific data on any existing as well as emerging markets.
When determining our entry, we should consider numerous variables. “Market Size” gives us a picture of the size of the overall economy, mixed with a comparison of the “Growth Rate” for that specific market, it can be very useful in determining when markets are shrinking or growing. “Commercial Infrastructure” looks at the channels of distribution that exist in the territory as well as the physical feasibility of conducting business in that area, such as paved roads, phone lines, etc.
Once we have done our research and decided our business is going global, the possibilities begin, let’s review and cover the basics. As in any new business we may start, we need to begin networking and assembling our list of needed resources, contacts, and potential clients. We need to determine the best ways to utilize those contacts and start going after our target market. Thanks to the Internet this has become much easier for us to do now. However, beware of Internet scams which are occurring more often these days. A great source of online market information is Lexis-Nexis news reports from around the world.
Marketing our products/services can be difficult anywhere, let alone in a foreign market. Consulting a professional who can guide us in each market we choose to enter will be most efficient. We need to determine how our product/service will enter the market utilizing its strength or minimizing its weaknesses. Going global is a good thing, and the opportunities continue to increase as technology continues to evolve. With the right product/service, there are numerous opportunities waiting to be seized. As long as we do the proper research and put in the necessary time and effort, the rewards should be great.
© Copyright 2004-05 by www.motivatedentrepreneur.com
Affinity Program for Manufacturing PR Announced by TR Cutler, Inc.
Ranked as the nation’s leading manufacturing public relations firm, TR Cutler, Inc. (www.trcutlerinc.com) based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, is launching a new affinity program providing intensive Man...
Ranked as the nation’s leading manufacturing public relations firm, TR Cutler, Inc. (www.trcutlerinc.com) based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, is launching a new affinity program providing intensive Manufacturing PR Media Blitz’ to members of manufacturing associations. According to Cutler, “Manufacturing Associations have been seeking ways to drive additional revenue streams. Over the past few years membership revenue has decreased and service revenue has been one of the few ways in which these associations have been able to survive.
Due to the leadership role that TR Cutler, Inc. has in the manufacturing public relations arena, we have decided to introduce a program that will allow manufacturing associations to offer their members deeply discounted PR services starting in September 2005. There will be no cost for the manufacturing associations to participate in the program.”
Cutler founded the Manufacturing Media Consortium™ in the same year. This is a group of more than 2000 journalists worldwide writing about trends, data, case studies, profiles, and features in the manufacturing and industrial sector. Cutler worked with hundreds of media outlets to expand the coverage and importance of the manufacturing media coverage.
Cutler created the "Mass Marketing Manufacturing Media Blitz", a comprehensive 90 - 180 day program allowing manufacturers with little web presence or with a new product introduction to go from zero to sixty in a short-term PR campaign.
Cutler authored The Manufacturer's Public Relations and Media Guide in 2000, which quickly became the key media resource guide for manufacturers seeking coverage.
Cutler has been the spokesperson of the ETO (Engineer-to-Order) Institute, since 2004. The organization has quickly become the key resource for non-repetitive manufacturers. www.etoinstitute.org.
Cutler was recently named a Contributing Editor to InMFG magazine and IndustrialLeaders.com in 2005.
The manufacturing associations that become early adopters of this Affinity Program will receive the highest rebate level from TR Cutler, Inc. Cutler expects more than 200 manufacturing associations to participate in the program by the end of 2006, serving more than 4000 manufacturers in North America.
TR Cutler
954-486-7562
www.trcutlerinc.com
e-mail protected from spam bots
Ranked as the nation’s leading manufacturing public relations firm, TR Cutler, Inc. (www.trcutlerinc.com) based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, is launching a new affinity program providing intensive Manufacturing PR Media Blitz’ to members of manufacturing associations. According to Cutler, “Manufacturing Associations have been seeking ways to drive additional revenue streams. Over the past few years membership revenue has decreased and service revenue has been one of the few ways in which these associations have been able to survive.
Due to the leadership role that TR Cutler, Inc. has in the manufacturing public relations arena, we have decided to introduce a program that will allow manufacturing associations to offer their members deeply discounted PR services starting in September 2005. There will be no cost for the manufacturing associations to participate in the program.”
Cutler founded the Manufacturing Media Consortium™ in the same year. This is a group of more than 2000 journalists worldwide writing about trends, data, case studies, profiles, and features in the manufacturing and industrial sector. Cutler worked with hundreds of media outlets to expand the coverage and importance of the manufacturing media coverage.
Cutler created the "Mass Marketing Manufacturing Media Blitz", a comprehensive 90 - 180 day program allowing manufacturers with little web presence or with a new product introduction to go from zero to sixty in a short-term PR campaign.
Cutler authored The Manufacturer's Public Relations and Media Guide in 2000, which quickly became the key media resource guide for manufacturers seeking coverage.
Cutler has been the spokesperson of the ETO (Engineer-to-Order) Institute, since 2004. The organization has quickly become the key resource for non-repetitive manufacturers. www.etoinstitute.org.
Cutler was recently named a Contributing Editor to InMFG magazine and IndustrialLeaders.com in 2005.
The manufacturing associations that become early adopters of this Affinity Program will receive the highest rebate level from TR Cutler, Inc. Cutler expects more than 200 manufacturing associations to participate in the program by the end of 2006, serving more than 4000 manufacturers in North America.
TR Cutler
954-486-7562
www.trcutlerinc.com
e-mail protected from spam bots
Advice on Performing Online Background Checks
Several popular websites are available for background checks online. A few of the most popular are E-Background Check, U.S. Search, Net Detective Plus and Best People Search. These websites offer a variety of levels of investigation, depending upon the employer’s needs.
Some of the information gathered is instant, however for more detailed reports, employers should expect a wait from anywhere between 1 and 7 days. Most of the major background search firms online understand the importance of adhering to the strict laws outlined in the Fair Credit Reporting Act. The Act prohibits certain information (i.e. bankruptcies over 10 years old, criminal charges without convictions, etc.) from being considered in the pre-employment process. It is important that employers utilize the services of a competent professional who understands the needs and legal obligations of the company.
Perform a search in any major search engine for the query “free background check”. You will certainly be overwhelmed with the search results and paid advertisements regarding offers for free background searches. If this is the first time you have attempted to perform a free background check, you may be in for a surprise.
Most investigative firms suggest that you outsource the background checks for your company. This generally means that free background checks do not provide the quality information that you need. Free background checks online do not always give the employer accurate or thorough information required by law. While it is true that most people are not trying to hide information from employers, it is those who have a background of avoiding legal action, whether it be child support obligations or criminal action, by moving from state-to-state or even in more extreme cases, falsifying their identities. Because of the easy access to information, it has made the job of ‘con-artists’ even easier. Often times, free backgrounds checks on the Internet are not enough to screen for potential red flags.
Other experts in the investigation field recommend using searches in public records if the search is not of the most sensitive nature or is not necessarily one that has to be completed immediately. Websites that claim the too-good-to-be true advertising that they offer completely free background checks, are not being completely honest. An accurate and thorough background investigation takes time, and lots of it. This is the reason that private investigators charge a fee. They have access to databases and other areas that retrieves information about the prospective employee. It is usually in the best interest of the employer to dish out the $25+ in order to: 1.) limit their time spent on endless searches, 2.) to ensure accurate and thorough information and 3.) gain peace-of-mind that their decision to hire the applicant is a sound decision.
Some of the information gathered is instant, however for more detailed reports, employers should expect a wait from anywhere between 1 and 7 days. Most of the major background search firms online understand the importance of adhering to the strict laws outlined in the Fair Credit Reporting Act. The Act prohibits certain information (i.e. bankruptcies over 10 years old, criminal charges without convictions, etc.) from being considered in the pre-employment process. It is important that employers utilize the services of a competent professional who understands the needs and legal obligations of the company.
Perform a search in any major search engine for the query “free background check”. You will certainly be overwhelmed with the search results and paid advertisements regarding offers for free background searches. If this is the first time you have attempted to perform a free background check, you may be in for a surprise.
Most investigative firms suggest that you outsource the background checks for your company. This generally means that free background checks do not provide the quality information that you need. Free background checks online do not always give the employer accurate or thorough information required by law. While it is true that most people are not trying to hide information from employers, it is those who have a background of avoiding legal action, whether it be child support obligations or criminal action, by moving from state-to-state or even in more extreme cases, falsifying their identities. Because of the easy access to information, it has made the job of ‘con-artists’ even easier. Often times, free backgrounds checks on the Internet are not enough to screen for potential red flags.
Other experts in the investigation field recommend using searches in public records if the search is not of the most sensitive nature or is not necessarily one that has to be completed immediately. Websites that claim the too-good-to-be true advertising that they offer completely free background checks, are not being completely honest. An accurate and thorough background investigation takes time, and lots of it. This is the reason that private investigators charge a fee. They have access to databases and other areas that retrieves information about the prospective employee. It is usually in the best interest of the employer to dish out the $25+ in order to: 1.) limit their time spent on endless searches, 2.) to ensure accurate and thorough information and 3.) gain peace-of-mind that their decision to hire the applicant is a sound decision.
Advertising and PR
How Does Advertising and PR Add up to SuccessAdvertising and Public Relations (PR) are both integral to the success of any business. Without advertising and PR, few people will be able to locate your ...
How Does Advertising and PR Add up to SuccessAdvertising and Public Relations (PR) are both integral to the success of any business. Without advertising and PR, few people will be able to locate your business or understand why they might need your services or products. Advertising budgets need to be used effectively to reach the potential clients, and your public relations efforts must ensure those potential clients become repeat customers.
What Is The Difference Between Advertising and PR?Advertising and PR are two different functions, however, many business do not know the difference. Since spending your advertising budget and your PR budget effectively is crucial, how can you expect to accomplish this important goal unless you understand the difference?When thinking of advertising, billboards, glossy spreads, quarter-page newspaper advertisements and other forms of highly visible promotional material comes to mind. This is clearly advertising. Branding or creating a well-recognized presence for your company is a clear example of effective advertising. Business cards with pizzazz are a form of advertising.
What, then, is PR? Public relations are those things that must be accomplished to let the world know who you are and what your company offers. Press releases, news conferences, professional networking and exhibitions or trade shows are examples of PR work. PR is not as flashy as advertising but it is every bit as important.
Effective Advertising and PRIn today's competitive marketplace, it is crucial to spend every bit of your advertising and PR budget strategically. Public relations can provide a mix that uses advertising but also enhances the efforts of your advertising dollar.
It has long been a "supposed fact" in business that word of mouth is the best advertising. This is not necessarily true. It is an unfortunate fact that a customer who has an exceptional experience dealing with your business will tell one or two people about their experience. A customer who has a bad experience will tell at least a dozen people and your business gets negative advertising.
Word of mouth is, however, one of the most effective PR tools available. Offering school tours, sponsoring science fairs or children's' sports teams, volunteering for public speaking opportunities, attending trade shows or presenting at conferences are rather inexpensive ways to build a wealth of good will and put your name out front.
Have you noticed that television commercials for a product often run a 15 to 30 second advertisement of a really great advertisement and within a few weeks shorten the advertisement to the most important 5 to 10 seconds? The reason is that the initial advertising is meant to brand the product or service and associate the advertisement and the product or service in your mind. It works very well – provided you have really memorable advertisements.
How Does Advertising and PR Add up to SuccessAdvertising and Public Relations (PR) are both integral to the success of any business. Without advertising and PR, few people will be able to locate your business or understand why they might need your services or products. Advertising budgets need to be used effectively to reach the potential clients, and your public relations efforts must ensure those potential clients become repeat customers.
What Is The Difference Between Advertising and PR?Advertising and PR are two different functions, however, many business do not know the difference. Since spending your advertising budget and your PR budget effectively is crucial, how can you expect to accomplish this important goal unless you understand the difference?When thinking of advertising, billboards, glossy spreads, quarter-page newspaper advertisements and other forms of highly visible promotional material comes to mind. This is clearly advertising. Branding or creating a well-recognized presence for your company is a clear example of effective advertising. Business cards with pizzazz are a form of advertising.
What, then, is PR? Public relations are those things that must be accomplished to let the world know who you are and what your company offers. Press releases, news conferences, professional networking and exhibitions or trade shows are examples of PR work. PR is not as flashy as advertising but it is every bit as important.
Effective Advertising and PRIn today's competitive marketplace, it is crucial to spend every bit of your advertising and PR budget strategically. Public relations can provide a mix that uses advertising but also enhances the efforts of your advertising dollar.
It has long been a "supposed fact" in business that word of mouth is the best advertising. This is not necessarily true. It is an unfortunate fact that a customer who has an exceptional experience dealing with your business will tell one or two people about their experience. A customer who has a bad experience will tell at least a dozen people and your business gets negative advertising.
Word of mouth is, however, one of the most effective PR tools available. Offering school tours, sponsoring science fairs or children's' sports teams, volunteering for public speaking opportunities, attending trade shows or presenting at conferences are rather inexpensive ways to build a wealth of good will and put your name out front.
Have you noticed that television commercials for a product often run a 15 to 30 second advertisement of a really great advertisement and within a few weeks shorten the advertisement to the most important 5 to 10 seconds? The reason is that the initial advertising is meant to brand the product or service and associate the advertisement and the product or service in your mind. It works very well – provided you have really memorable advertisements.
Advances in Wire EDM Technology
With modern wire EDM machines utilizing CNC (the Computer Control, or the brains of the machine if you will) for production, there is a user-interface device, the computer, where the worker will input the required data for design that will eventually guide the wire EDM machine during the passes and cuts in the process of creating the final product.
Moreover, like any computer today, software is needed to run the equipment. This is no different in wire EDM. The CNC Controller and the software application comprise the wire EDM technology.
In much the same way that many different software applications for word processing or email exist, so to are there numerous wire EDM technology software applications for wire EDM machine CNC controllers, nearly all of which integrate with varying AutoCAD or similar CAD/CAM software. Today, developers can create the object in AutoCAD, designing tensile strength, variances, etc. and provide that to a wire EDM shop that will then plug this design into the wire EDM Technology software, which will in turn drive the machine, turning out the final product.
Some of the more popular wire EDM technology software applications today, which are typically supported on Windows Operating System machines, include:
-PEPS Wire EDM, developed and distributed by Camtek
-VISI-wire, developed and distributed by Vero International Software
-TracTrix, developed and distributed by Trixsystems
Each wire EDM machine CNC controller will have its own requirements as to what software can be used. However, nearly all software today can incorporate and use files with numerous extensions, e.g. “.DWG” files from AutoCAD, to decrease the time from development to production. Furthermore, by being able to pull the commands for wire EDM from the developer’s CAD file, the final product will have no variance from the developer’s final vision of that product before production.
Moreover, like any computer today, software is needed to run the equipment. This is no different in wire EDM. The CNC Controller and the software application comprise the wire EDM technology.
In much the same way that many different software applications for word processing or email exist, so to are there numerous wire EDM technology software applications for wire EDM machine CNC controllers, nearly all of which integrate with varying AutoCAD or similar CAD/CAM software. Today, developers can create the object in AutoCAD, designing tensile strength, variances, etc. and provide that to a wire EDM shop that will then plug this design into the wire EDM Technology software, which will in turn drive the machine, turning out the final product.
Some of the more popular wire EDM technology software applications today, which are typically supported on Windows Operating System machines, include:
-PEPS Wire EDM, developed and distributed by Camtek
-VISI-wire, developed and distributed by Vero International Software
-TracTrix, developed and distributed by Trixsystems
Each wire EDM machine CNC controller will have its own requirements as to what software can be used. However, nearly all software today can incorporate and use files with numerous extensions, e.g. “.DWG” files from AutoCAD, to decrease the time from development to production. Furthermore, by being able to pull the commands for wire EDM from the developer’s CAD file, the final product will have no variance from the developer’s final vision of that product before production.
Add Testimonials to your Sequenced Mailings
Using direct mail to help market your products or services must employ sequenced mailings if you want better response. To increase the response of your sequenced mailings, you can add more testimonials to each sales letter in the cycle.
Using direct mail to help market your products or services must employ sequenced mailings if you want better response.
To increase the response of your sequenced mailings, you can add more testimonials to each sales letter in the cycle.
You can tell the reader, "This is what this reader has done since the last time you received a mailing." It reminds them that they could have gotten similar results if they responded. Then remind them they lost out since they didn't take action.
The recommended method is to provide separate sheets of testimonials. Also, spot testimonials throughout your sales letter.
If you're selling a product with a high profit margin, you might include an audio or videotape in the subsequent mailings. This will lend credibility and authenticity to your testimonials because they are from your customers.
Please keep in mind that the function of this sequenced mailing process is really to move the relationship along and create familiarity with you and the sales process. Once they feel comfortable with you, then they will open up and buy from you.
One key point is that there are different types of buyers.
Your first mailing will pull the aggressive responsers that are willing to take a little more risk even though you have a risk free guarantee, but they're ready to buy right now.
There are just as many people who aren't ready yet as there are who are ready to buy. They're interested. They wouldn't have responded to your lead generating if they were not. The second mailing brings in the stronger "maybes." These are the ones who kind of like your product, but weren't sure about it or the timing wasn't right. Subsequent mailings bring in even more of the "maybes." These were originally skeptical, but now you've created some familiarity and reinforced yourself with testimonials or an audio tape and now you've broken down their buying resistance.
The big question here is how many mailings are right for your product or service? The answer is, I don't know. You want to keep mailing until it's no longer profitable. If you make money by sending out that second letter, you should send out a third. If that third makes money, you shou]d send out a fourth.
You want to factor in that if you know your customer's value and you know how much back end you are going to be able to sell, then you know how much you can spend to get a customer and you can keep sending letters even if it might become unprofitable.
For the most part, continue sending the letters. Remember to test and find out how many cycles make the best sense for you.
You will be more profitable by increasing the number of mailings that you make to your prospects. In fact, some very successful direct marketers are doing 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 steps before they stop sending out letters.
Article Tags: Sequenced Mailings
Using direct mail to help market your products or services must employ sequenced mailings if you want better response.
To increase the response of your sequenced mailings, you can add more testimonials to each sales letter in the cycle.
You can tell the reader, "This is what this reader has done since the last time you received a mailing." It reminds them that they could have gotten similar results if they responded. Then remind them they lost out since they didn't take action.
The recommended method is to provide separate sheets of testimonials. Also, spot testimonials throughout your sales letter.
If you're selling a product with a high profit margin, you might include an audio or videotape in the subsequent mailings. This will lend credibility and authenticity to your testimonials because they are from your customers.
Please keep in mind that the function of this sequenced mailing process is really to move the relationship along and create familiarity with you and the sales process. Once they feel comfortable with you, then they will open up and buy from you.
One key point is that there are different types of buyers.
Your first mailing will pull the aggressive responsers that are willing to take a little more risk even though you have a risk free guarantee, but they're ready to buy right now.
There are just as many people who aren't ready yet as there are who are ready to buy. They're interested. They wouldn't have responded to your lead generating if they were not. The second mailing brings in the stronger "maybes." These are the ones who kind of like your product, but weren't sure about it or the timing wasn't right. Subsequent mailings bring in even more of the "maybes." These were originally skeptical, but now you've created some familiarity and reinforced yourself with testimonials or an audio tape and now you've broken down their buying resistance.
The big question here is how many mailings are right for your product or service? The answer is, I don't know. You want to keep mailing until it's no longer profitable. If you make money by sending out that second letter, you should send out a third. If that third makes money, you shou]d send out a fourth.
You want to factor in that if you know your customer's value and you know how much back end you are going to be able to sell, then you know how much you can spend to get a customer and you can keep sending letters even if it might become unprofitable.
For the most part, continue sending the letters. Remember to test and find out how many cycles make the best sense for you.
You will be more profitable by increasing the number of mailings that you make to your prospects. In fact, some very successful direct marketers are doing 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 steps before they stop sending out letters.
Article Tags: Sequenced Mailings
ACTION is More Important than Knowledge!
It was Albert Einstein who stated that 'imagination is more important than knowledge'. Now if he had been addressing a room full of entrepreneurs, I hazard a guess that he might also have extended this quotation by saying that 'action is more important than knowledge too!'
Make no mistake, if you want to make your mark on this world as an entrepreneur you have to consistently take ACTION! Not only that, you will also need to have the ability to inspire other people into ACTION as well.
Learn by taking ACTION!
In our modern society we gravely underestimate the value and importance of experiential learning. We have become conditioned to mistake qualifications for competence.
As an entrepreneur, most of your learning will come from experience generated through taking ACTION. There is no text book, no seminar and no guru that can replace the value of you having an idea and taking ACTION on it.
Don't let a lack of knowledge stop you from taking ACTION!
Often what holds us back from even trying is our perceived lack of knowledge. Word's to the effect of 'I can't set up a business because I didn't finished high school' or 'I can't start a business until I've got my MBA'.
If you have spent any time at all studying entrepreneurs you will find a lot of them don't actually have university degrees. Often it is this simple fact that motivates them into pursuing the entrepreneurial path!
Continually Self Correct!
When you take the experiential approach to learning and developing your business, you need to be highly attuned to the feedback you receive from your operating environment. Be highly sensitive to feedback from your customers and clients. Establish mechanisms to monitor the results that you are achieving. Once these are in place, continually put pressure on yourself and your organisation to continually lift your standards of performance.
When you operate in this way you will not fear making mistakes as there are no mistakes only feedback.
Know what you don't know!
I heard a very successful (and to the point!) Australian trucking magnate asked the question "What kind of knowledge does it take to be successful in business?". He responded by saying that "If you know that you don't know, you'll be OK. But if you don't know, that you don't know, you're stuffed!"
As an entrepreneur, if you know you don't know something you can always ask someone who does. Remember that you do not have to know everything! Build up an awareness of the things that you don't know. Then surround yourself with people that can answer all questions you can't answer yourself.
What is the most important thing to know before you start a business?
The most important thing you need to know before you start a business is clear understanding of the special gifts that have to offer this world.
Once you have this awareness, ask yourself 'how can I share my gifts in a way that not only creates a better world for others but also enables me to live an extraordinary abundance filled life?'
Once you have that simply awareness…. you've guessed it… you're ready to get out there and start taking ACTION!
If you are then prepared to stand up every time you fall down you will magically begin to see your ideas manifest in the world.
Copyright Damien Senn 2005. All rights reserved.
Make no mistake, if you want to make your mark on this world as an entrepreneur you have to consistently take ACTION! Not only that, you will also need to have the ability to inspire other people into ACTION as well.
Learn by taking ACTION!
In our modern society we gravely underestimate the value and importance of experiential learning. We have become conditioned to mistake qualifications for competence.
As an entrepreneur, most of your learning will come from experience generated through taking ACTION. There is no text book, no seminar and no guru that can replace the value of you having an idea and taking ACTION on it.
Don't let a lack of knowledge stop you from taking ACTION!
Often what holds us back from even trying is our perceived lack of knowledge. Word's to the effect of 'I can't set up a business because I didn't finished high school' or 'I can't start a business until I've got my MBA'.
If you have spent any time at all studying entrepreneurs you will find a lot of them don't actually have university degrees. Often it is this simple fact that motivates them into pursuing the entrepreneurial path!
Continually Self Correct!
When you take the experiential approach to learning and developing your business, you need to be highly attuned to the feedback you receive from your operating environment. Be highly sensitive to feedback from your customers and clients. Establish mechanisms to monitor the results that you are achieving. Once these are in place, continually put pressure on yourself and your organisation to continually lift your standards of performance.
When you operate in this way you will not fear making mistakes as there are no mistakes only feedback.
Know what you don't know!
I heard a very successful (and to the point!) Australian trucking magnate asked the question "What kind of knowledge does it take to be successful in business?". He responded by saying that "If you know that you don't know, you'll be OK. But if you don't know, that you don't know, you're stuffed!"
As an entrepreneur, if you know you don't know something you can always ask someone who does. Remember that you do not have to know everything! Build up an awareness of the things that you don't know. Then surround yourself with people that can answer all questions you can't answer yourself.
What is the most important thing to know before you start a business?
The most important thing you need to know before you start a business is clear understanding of the special gifts that have to offer this world.
Once you have this awareness, ask yourself 'how can I share my gifts in a way that not only creates a better world for others but also enables me to live an extraordinary abundance filled life?'
Once you have that simply awareness…. you've guessed it… you're ready to get out there and start taking ACTION!
If you are then prepared to stand up every time you fall down you will magically begin to see your ideas manifest in the world.
Copyright Damien Senn 2005. All rights reserved.
Achieving Financial Security in an Unreliable Economy
Corporate America is no longer interested in the best interests of its loyal employees. The key to true financial security is to be self-employed and self-reliant.
Financial Security is a false concept that developed in American society based on the idea that security comes from the perceived reliability of a regular or planned paycheck. Many people, believing in the commitment of their corporations to their well-being, have found themselves downsized, layed-off, outsourced, transferred, or, in some cases, even fired. The immediate reality becomes harshly apparent and sadly disappointing.
The bottom line is that Corporate America will always be focused on the bottom line. As a dependent corporate employee, you are subject to the whims of the corporation. You have absolutely no control over how much you earn, where you work, the longevity and reliability of your income, or your position. You are simply a number. At any given moment, some nameless pencil-pushing number-cruncher, can deem that you are no longer an asset to the company and, rather, have become a liability. At any given moment, it can be deemed that you no longer factor into the profitability of the corporation - and your OUT. They don't care if you have a mortgage to pay, 3 kids in college or a new shiny car with a hefty payment. They don't care that you've come in early for the last 9 years or given 20 years of your life to them. The bottom line is that you don't effect the bottom line in a positive way...so you're OUT.
Corporations no longer hold value in employee commitment or dedication. Each day, companies are choosing to cut costs by outsourcing to less expensive countries with cheaper labor, downsize, and reduce costs by eliminating cost of living increases, benefits and retirement guarantees. Recently, the media has been focusing on the deliberate actions of corporations that cost employees each year. The Christian Science Monitor, on November 7th, 2005, featured an article, “Workers Face Paycheck Pinch”. In the article, the author, Mark Trumbell, details the lag of Corporate America to maintain pay increases with inflation:
"For all its strength, the current economic expansion is not boosting the American worker's paycheck. Wages have been rising nominally: Average pay rose 8 cents last month to $16.
27 an hour, according to a government report Friday. That's not fast enough to counter inflation.
By one common measure, average pay for an hour's work has less purchasing power than it had four years ago - when the current growth cycle began. It's a pattern of weak wage growth that's now several years old, but the trend has worsened in recent months. Wages for the most recent quarter were 2.
3 percent lower, after inflation, than workers received a year before"Time Magazine recently featured an article entitled “Broken Promises”"It was part of the American Dream, a pledge made by corporations to their workers: for your decades of toil, you will be assured retirement benefits like a pension and health care. Now more and more companies are walking away from that promise, leaving millions of Americans at risk of an impoverished retirement."
"Corporate promises are often not worth the paper they're printed on. Businesses in one industry after another are revoking long-standing commitments to workers." (Bartlett and Steele, October 31, 2005, p. 32-33)So, how do you achieve Financial Security in this changing global economy? Employers aren't even keeping up with inflation and are doing everything in their power to reduce benefits and retirement income. The days of being rewarded for loyalty to corporations are long gone – it’s now every person for themselves. In addition, loop holes in corporate law enable companies to restructure, file bankruptcy and maneuver their way out of promises to employers to provide benefits.
In reality, true Financial Security is belief in yourself and your ability to instinctively create income for yourself at any time, anywhere. Entrepreneurs understand true Financial Security. They’re self-reliant, creative, independent and solution focused. We know that at any given time, regardless of the economy, trends, timing, etc. that we have the skills, know-how, and guts to create our life. Entrepreneurs refuse to be dependent on or subject to the whims or decisions of corporate America, rather establishing themselves as corporations, producing their own incomes through commitment, service and sheer motivation. We are responsible for our own retirements and count on the promises of no one. Entrepreneurs ARE financial security and as such we reap the rewards.
There are many opportunities for people to become successful entrepreneurs. Thousands of people have made fortunes on the internet alone. Decide what type of business you want, what your ultimate goal is (time, money, leisure, etc) and go from there. A common misconception is that businesses take thousands of dollars to start. It is true of some, but there are many lucrative opportunities available for nominal start-up costs. Once you make the decision to be self-employed, do your research, find the right business for you and move forward from there.
Financial Security is a false concept that developed in American society based on the idea that security comes from the perceived reliability of a regular or planned paycheck. Many people, believing in the commitment of their corporations to their well-being, have found themselves downsized, layed-off, outsourced, transferred, or, in some cases, even fired. The immediate reality becomes harshly apparent and sadly disappointing.
The bottom line is that Corporate America will always be focused on the bottom line. As a dependent corporate employee, you are subject to the whims of the corporation. You have absolutely no control over how much you earn, where you work, the longevity and reliability of your income, or your position. You are simply a number. At any given moment, some nameless pencil-pushing number-cruncher, can deem that you are no longer an asset to the company and, rather, have become a liability. At any given moment, it can be deemed that you no longer factor into the profitability of the corporation - and your OUT. They don't care if you have a mortgage to pay, 3 kids in college or a new shiny car with a hefty payment. They don't care that you've come in early for the last 9 years or given 20 years of your life to them. The bottom line is that you don't effect the bottom line in a positive way...so you're OUT.
Corporations no longer hold value in employee commitment or dedication. Each day, companies are choosing to cut costs by outsourcing to less expensive countries with cheaper labor, downsize, and reduce costs by eliminating cost of living increases, benefits and retirement guarantees. Recently, the media has been focusing on the deliberate actions of corporations that cost employees each year. The Christian Science Monitor, on November 7th, 2005, featured an article, “Workers Face Paycheck Pinch”. In the article, the author, Mark Trumbell, details the lag of Corporate America to maintain pay increases with inflation:
"For all its strength, the current economic expansion is not boosting the American worker's paycheck. Wages have been rising nominally: Average pay rose 8 cents last month to $16.
27 an hour, according to a government report Friday. That's not fast enough to counter inflation.
By one common measure, average pay for an hour's work has less purchasing power than it had four years ago - when the current growth cycle began. It's a pattern of weak wage growth that's now several years old, but the trend has worsened in recent months. Wages for the most recent quarter were 2.
3 percent lower, after inflation, than workers received a year before"Time Magazine recently featured an article entitled “Broken Promises”"It was part of the American Dream, a pledge made by corporations to their workers: for your decades of toil, you will be assured retirement benefits like a pension and health care. Now more and more companies are walking away from that promise, leaving millions of Americans at risk of an impoverished retirement."
"Corporate promises are often not worth the paper they're printed on. Businesses in one industry after another are revoking long-standing commitments to workers." (Bartlett and Steele, October 31, 2005, p. 32-33)So, how do you achieve Financial Security in this changing global economy? Employers aren't even keeping up with inflation and are doing everything in their power to reduce benefits and retirement income. The days of being rewarded for loyalty to corporations are long gone – it’s now every person for themselves. In addition, loop holes in corporate law enable companies to restructure, file bankruptcy and maneuver their way out of promises to employers to provide benefits.
In reality, true Financial Security is belief in yourself and your ability to instinctively create income for yourself at any time, anywhere. Entrepreneurs understand true Financial Security. They’re self-reliant, creative, independent and solution focused. We know that at any given time, regardless of the economy, trends, timing, etc. that we have the skills, know-how, and guts to create our life. Entrepreneurs refuse to be dependent on or subject to the whims or decisions of corporate America, rather establishing themselves as corporations, producing their own incomes through commitment, service and sheer motivation. We are responsible for our own retirements and count on the promises of no one. Entrepreneurs ARE financial security and as such we reap the rewards.
There are many opportunities for people to become successful entrepreneurs. Thousands of people have made fortunes on the internet alone. Decide what type of business you want, what your ultimate goal is (time, money, leisure, etc) and go from there. A common misconception is that businesses take thousands of dollars to start. It is true of some, but there are many lucrative opportunities available for nominal start-up costs. Once you make the decision to be self-employed, do your research, find the right business for you and move forward from there.
Achievements Outweigh Education And Experience
A: Regina, have you seen the television show, Fear Factor? If you haven't seen it you've probably heard about it. Fear Factor is the show where they put contestants through all sorts of pseudo-death d...
A: Regina, have you seen the television show, Fear Factor? If you haven't seen it you've probably heard about it. Fear Factor is the show where they put contestants through all sorts of pseudo-death defying feats like bungee jumping off a bridge over a pool of crocodiles and driving a car through a wall of fire (you know, the stuff we did for fun in high school).
The contestant who overcomes their personal fear factor wins the cash and prizes (usually at the cost of their dignity, but I digress).
The highlight of Fear Factor is the eating competition. That's when contestants are invited to partake of all sorts of culinary fare. Yummy stuff like monkey brains, all manner of live bugs and spiders, moose intestines, old fruitcake (the horror!), and my personal favorite, live giant worms. At this point the competition becomes not so much who can overcome their fear actor, but who has the lowest gag reflex.
Your question makes me feel a little like those contestants, Regina, because no matter how I answer I am opening a can of giant worms that I will undoubtedly be forced to eat later.
My highly educated peers will argue that education is much more important than experience, while my highly experienced peers will argue that experience is more important. Either way, it's worms ala carte for me.
Oh well, I've eaten more than my share of crow over the years.
How much worse can worms be?
It's important to understand that the success of an entrepreneur is not measured by how much education he or she has or how many years of experience are under his or her belt. An entrepreneur's success is measured by achievements, not words on a resume.
By definition, an entrepreneur is a risk-taking businessperson: someone who sets up and finances new commercial enterprises to make a profit. Entrepreneurs start businesses. The smart ones then hire MBAs to run them.
Let's start with education. Is a Bachelor's degree or better required to succeed in business? Of course not. An MBA from Harvard might give you a leg up in a job interview, but it certainly doesn't guarantee that you will succeed in business. Nor does it automatically mean that you will be a better business person than someone who didn't finish high school. Knowledge is a good thing - if you know what to do with it.
Perhaps it is the academic environment itself that turns mere mortal nerds into budding entrepreneurs. The late '90s proved that college students with no experience beyond organizing a frat keg party could start businesses that would exceed all expectations.
Many would argue that the key to success for most of these ventures was that the founders (or the VC financing them) were smart enough to know that while they had an abundance of education, they needed experienced managers to really run the show.
Larry Page and Sergey Brin were college students when they started the company that would become Google. They were smart enough to bring in Eric Schmidt to be chairman and CEO when the business took off. Schmidt was the former CEO of Novell and CTO of Sun Microsystems. A PhD, Schmidt is a man of education and experience.
Jerry Yang and David Filo were candidates in Electrical Engineering at Stanford when they started YAHOO (Yet Another Hierarchical Officious Oracle) in 1994. They brought in Tim Koogle from Motorola to run things shortly thereafter and now the company is led by Terry Semel, who previously spent 24 years running Warner Bros.
Now on to experience. Is experience a prerequisite of business success? Again, not at all. Many experienced entrepreneurs gained their experience in failed businesses, so experience does not instantly translate to success.
So, when it comes to succeeding in business, which is more important: education or experience? While neither is as helpful as a rich relative, here's the answer that will hopefully help me avoid those worms: Both education and experience can play a large part in business success.
The more important question is can you succeed in business without one or the other, or even without both? And the answer to that one is: yes. Can I get ketchup with those worms?
Many successful businesses were started by first time entrepreneurs who never went to college. Natural talent, ambition, drive, determination, and good old dumb luck have fueled many success entrepreneurs, myself included. I don't have a degree (I drove past a college once. It looked hard, so I kept going). Would a degree have helped make my business trek easier? Perhaps.
Then again, I know people with advanced degrees who are flipping burgers at McDonalds. It's good experience, I suppose.
A combination of education and experience (and a variety of other things) is the best recipe for success. As the old saying goes, "There is no better education than that which comes from experience."
In the end, it really doesn't matter how much education, experience, talent, luck or money you have. It's what you do with it that matters.
Here's to your success.
Tim Knox
Article Tags: Fear Factor, More Important
A: Regina, have you seen the television show, Fear Factor? If you haven't seen it you've probably heard about it. Fear Factor is the show where they put contestants through all sorts of pseudo-death defying feats like bungee jumping off a bridge over a pool of crocodiles and driving a car through a wall of fire (you know, the stuff we did for fun in high school).
The contestant who overcomes their personal fear factor wins the cash and prizes (usually at the cost of their dignity, but I digress).
The highlight of Fear Factor is the eating competition. That's when contestants are invited to partake of all sorts of culinary fare. Yummy stuff like monkey brains, all manner of live bugs and spiders, moose intestines, old fruitcake (the horror!), and my personal favorite, live giant worms. At this point the competition becomes not so much who can overcome their fear actor, but who has the lowest gag reflex.
Your question makes me feel a little like those contestants, Regina, because no matter how I answer I am opening a can of giant worms that I will undoubtedly be forced to eat later.
My highly educated peers will argue that education is much more important than experience, while my highly experienced peers will argue that experience is more important. Either way, it's worms ala carte for me.
Oh well, I've eaten more than my share of crow over the years.
How much worse can worms be?
It's important to understand that the success of an entrepreneur is not measured by how much education he or she has or how many years of experience are under his or her belt. An entrepreneur's success is measured by achievements, not words on a resume.
By definition, an entrepreneur is a risk-taking businessperson: someone who sets up and finances new commercial enterprises to make a profit. Entrepreneurs start businesses. The smart ones then hire MBAs to run them.
Let's start with education. Is a Bachelor's degree or better required to succeed in business? Of course not. An MBA from Harvard might give you a leg up in a job interview, but it certainly doesn't guarantee that you will succeed in business. Nor does it automatically mean that you will be a better business person than someone who didn't finish high school. Knowledge is a good thing - if you know what to do with it.
Perhaps it is the academic environment itself that turns mere mortal nerds into budding entrepreneurs. The late '90s proved that college students with no experience beyond organizing a frat keg party could start businesses that would exceed all expectations.
Many would argue that the key to success for most of these ventures was that the founders (or the VC financing them) were smart enough to know that while they had an abundance of education, they needed experienced managers to really run the show.
Larry Page and Sergey Brin were college students when they started the company that would become Google. They were smart enough to bring in Eric Schmidt to be chairman and CEO when the business took off. Schmidt was the former CEO of Novell and CTO of Sun Microsystems. A PhD, Schmidt is a man of education and experience.
Jerry Yang and David Filo were candidates in Electrical Engineering at Stanford when they started YAHOO (Yet Another Hierarchical Officious Oracle) in 1994. They brought in Tim Koogle from Motorola to run things shortly thereafter and now the company is led by Terry Semel, who previously spent 24 years running Warner Bros.
Now on to experience. Is experience a prerequisite of business success? Again, not at all. Many experienced entrepreneurs gained their experience in failed businesses, so experience does not instantly translate to success.
So, when it comes to succeeding in business, which is more important: education or experience? While neither is as helpful as a rich relative, here's the answer that will hopefully help me avoid those worms: Both education and experience can play a large part in business success.
The more important question is can you succeed in business without one or the other, or even without both? And the answer to that one is: yes. Can I get ketchup with those worms?
Many successful businesses were started by first time entrepreneurs who never went to college. Natural talent, ambition, drive, determination, and good old dumb luck have fueled many success entrepreneurs, myself included. I don't have a degree (I drove past a college once. It looked hard, so I kept going). Would a degree have helped make my business trek easier? Perhaps.
Then again, I know people with advanced degrees who are flipping burgers at McDonalds. It's good experience, I suppose.
A combination of education and experience (and a variety of other things) is the best recipe for success. As the old saying goes, "There is no better education than that which comes from experience."
In the end, it really doesn't matter how much education, experience, talent, luck or money you have. It's what you do with it that matters.
Here's to your success.
Tim Knox
Article Tags: Fear Factor, More Important
A Street Urchin's no cash, no credit, Business Plan
As kids in a poor part of town, we collected all kinds of junk to sift through and hopefully resell. Sometimes we were lucky, but mostly we were told to "get lost" with unprintable words to that effect. There was no spare cash at all, so we just had to use our wits to make some. Fortunately, I banded with a group of similar street urchins who were reasonably honest. We just wanted to get some cash without any hassle from the cops.
Our primary source of income came from collecting old newspapers door-to-door. We bundled and tied them into manageable bundles to resell to the waste-paper and scrap dealers of the day.
We knew that as kids we wouldn't get a fair price because we watched adults being paid double what we were for the same weight. Being wise to this, we loaded our bundles with a few bits of scrap iron, until we learned that it was easier to soak half of each bundle in water, making certain that the wet half was positioned in the center to make it undetectable.
That’s how we got the right price for our wastepaper collection without the dealer being any the wiser. He was happy to believe that he was ripping us off, and we were more than happy to be ripping him off – for the rightful price due to us.
Often we would come across some valuable lead-pipe or copper. The same thing applied. We were just ragged kids, so the scrap dealers would pay us less than adults for the same weight. We learned to fill our scrap lead or copper pipe with wet garden soil, or sand if we could find some, to increase the weight and our cash as a result.
As the years passed I got work as a teen in all kinds of different places, and much to my surprise my workmates were all so very negative about any mention of making money or starting a business. Up to that point in my life I had always believed that everyone had similar views, but it quickly dawned upon me that most people lack the belief in themselves to take any kind of risk. I suppose that’s why so many good people suffer needlessly in mundane work-a-day jobs without any future prospects. One day in the workplace, I simply happened to mention that I would like to start a business, but you would have thought I had said something grossly insulting. The responses were amazing, such as:
“What business can you start these days? Everything has already been thought of” and,
“If there was any chance for a business it’s already being done” and even,
“If ever you go into business you’ll go bankrupt, it happened to my uncle”
“ My wife said don’t ever think of going into business as you cannot trust anyone”
At that point I decided that this was the wrong place for me, even though I needed a regular pay check, I was becoming depressed with the charged atmosphere of negativity. I really had no idea what kind of business I wanted, but I thought that perhaps a starting point would be to get a job in selling or sales.
At the time there were large advertisements running in the national presses inserted by a well known business machine manufacturer for Trainee Sales Representatives. I applied and got a job, but left a few months later because I just could not sell anything, I followed the scripts and did all that they said I should do, but I just could not make a sale. I had failed as a salesman. However, I saw so many other people who had the talent to sell, so I took a job with no pay check so that I could go around with these talented guys and try to learn from them.
It was so demoralising, they would go from place to place, giving out the same old spiel, and I just could not understand their job at all. Little did I know at this stage that in just a few years I would be voted the top salesman for a multinational company, and later as my own boss, would you believe – in business selling office machines! Ironically, doing the identical job I had failed so miserably earlier?
What made the difference? – I had discovered the secret.
In all walks of life there are only a few people who know the secret of their job or profession. There really are secrets to every trade, and every profession. The problem is that so many self-appointed “Gurus” have bombarded the Internet with claims that they can give you the “secrets” to this and that, and everything else in between. Some are quite genuine, but some are just charlatans after your money.
In my own dealings I have always formed my judgement based upon the proverb “Beware false prophets for you shall known them by their fruits” I suppose in the same way that you judge a tree by the fruit it yields. Then I apply another old adage “When in doubt, go without”. If something is right for you, then you will know instinctively that it is. When making any kind of decision simply trust your instincts.
We must all learn from others, everyone has a story to tell, sometimes, like me someone will tell you a GENUINE Secret. Many years ago feeling very depressed in a new job I had started because I was virtually wearing myself out making unproductive sales calls, a truly wonderful sales manager gave me a secret in just a few short sentences. That secret changed my life forever. I never looked back since then, and regret so much that I have lost touch with him over the years.
There are all kinds of training schools and colleges where they spend months and years teaching you something or other, but I can tell you the greatest thing I ever learned was told to me in less than 5 minutes. Less than 5 minutes to learn something that would change my life forever!
I could approach some very large corporations and talk to their sales teams for just a few minutes to make them into super-salesmen, but if I offered that service, how many corporate executive officers would believe me – none?
I do care for the ordinary struggling work-a-day guy who has ambition, a dream, and filled with hope. Those are the guys I want to impart my secret to – If you are one of those good people, give me just 5 minutes of your time and I’ll give you the secret too.
I gave the 5 minute secret to a man who had been a builder’s labourer for seventeen years. He had no experience at all in sales or selling, or even business for that matter. Within the year he had made six figures in a business of his own. His own story is on my website, just click on the link “Case Histories”.
A Simple Guide for Developing a Marketing Plan
Getting your initial qualified prospects to make a sale to is often called front end marketing. When we run marketing with the expectation of immediate responses by the consumer to whatever message you put out there, whether it's Yellow Pages, newspaper ads or direct mail, this is called direct response marketing.
Before seeking out prospects, having a marketing plan is essential to any business. I'm going to present a lot of research and my objective is to include the need to quantify all the results from all your marketing efforts.
And to look at all the strategies for conducting direct marketing campaigns and testing variables to determine the effectiveness of each of the marketing strategies within your business.
Most people want to be successful, but few plan to be. Very few people take the time to plan anything. Most people take more time to plan their vacations than they do to plan their lives. The most important thing you can do right now for your business is sit down and develop a marketing plan.
Most business owners fail or they just move along because they don't have a plan or goal for their business, I want you to decide right now to make a detailed plan of what you're going to do and how you're going to do it. It's the old saying, "If you fail to plan, you plan to fail" You can say, I want to make more money or I want to be rich. That's nice, but too vague. You want 20,000 sales per month, That's not a plan nor will it even come close to become a plan.
A plan is a detailed specific road of how you're going to reach the targets you set out and the date that you want to reach them by. An example is that you can set sales goals. You can sell so many of your products for a week or so many of your services for a week. You should offset these in net profit instead of gross profit because that is the money you're making.
I know one lady who grosses $9,000,000 a year. Very impressive, She takes home roughly $100,000 of that. That's not very impressive, It maybe nice to have $100,000 a year, but it's not impressive when you're grossing $9,000,000. That won't really tell you how well you're doing, You want to put down the numbers in net profit If you know your net per sale, and most business owners do not even know this, but if you do you're way ahead of the game. You can work backwards on how many sales you need, Then all you have to do is increase your number of sales per week or net profit per sale.
Develop a strategy for making those numbers, decide how you're going to advertise. How am I going to get referrals? How am I going to get people to buy more often? How am I going to get people to spend more? This is the beginning of your marketing plan.
Go out and pick five of the best ideas or most comfortable ideas and implement them. Start using them to help you make your goal.
Choose another five, another five, and another five. You want to set your goals on a weekly basis. As you achieve them raise the level the next week. This way you will continue to improve and so will your income, Don't panic if you have a bad week. Just get right back on track and try to achieve the next week's goals. You want to get to know the numbers for your business. It is a business of numbers. You need to know the net profit per sale, net profit per service call, and how much it costs to get your new clients. These are critical in knowing where you are and if you're achieving your goals. Take some time each week to plan. It's critical. Here is a simple guide for you to use.
Write down your goal for your total net income you want next week.
Write down the number of new clients that it will take to get that.
Write down your goal for number of repeat clients that you want to achieve.
Write down how many service calls you're going to make if you're a service business.
Write down how many products you have to sell.
Write down the net income for each item and your average income per client.
You'll come up with the total income you're trying to achieve. Each week put down the actual numbers you want to achieve and you'll find out if you're reaching them or not. Then you'll know if you need to increase marketing and in what areas. Creating a simple marketing plan like this enables you to keep track with all the numbers and helps you to achieve your marketing goals.
Article Tags: Simple Guide, Marketing Plan, You're Going, Another Five, Write Down
Before seeking out prospects, having a marketing plan is essential to any business. I'm going to present a lot of research and my objective is to include the need to quantify all the results from all your marketing efforts.
And to look at all the strategies for conducting direct marketing campaigns and testing variables to determine the effectiveness of each of the marketing strategies within your business.
Most people want to be successful, but few plan to be. Very few people take the time to plan anything. Most people take more time to plan their vacations than they do to plan their lives. The most important thing you can do right now for your business is sit down and develop a marketing plan.
Most business owners fail or they just move along because they don't have a plan or goal for their business, I want you to decide right now to make a detailed plan of what you're going to do and how you're going to do it. It's the old saying, "If you fail to plan, you plan to fail" You can say, I want to make more money or I want to be rich. That's nice, but too vague. You want 20,000 sales per month, That's not a plan nor will it even come close to become a plan.
A plan is a detailed specific road of how you're going to reach the targets you set out and the date that you want to reach them by. An example is that you can set sales goals. You can sell so many of your products for a week or so many of your services for a week. You should offset these in net profit instead of gross profit because that is the money you're making.
I know one lady who grosses $9,000,000 a year. Very impressive, She takes home roughly $100,000 of that. That's not very impressive, It maybe nice to have $100,000 a year, but it's not impressive when you're grossing $9,000,000. That won't really tell you how well you're doing, You want to put down the numbers in net profit If you know your net per sale, and most business owners do not even know this, but if you do you're way ahead of the game. You can work backwards on how many sales you need, Then all you have to do is increase your number of sales per week or net profit per sale.
Develop a strategy for making those numbers, decide how you're going to advertise. How am I going to get referrals? How am I going to get people to buy more often? How am I going to get people to spend more? This is the beginning of your marketing plan.
Go out and pick five of the best ideas or most comfortable ideas and implement them. Start using them to help you make your goal.
Choose another five, another five, and another five. You want to set your goals on a weekly basis. As you achieve them raise the level the next week. This way you will continue to improve and so will your income, Don't panic if you have a bad week. Just get right back on track and try to achieve the next week's goals. You want to get to know the numbers for your business. It is a business of numbers. You need to know the net profit per sale, net profit per service call, and how much it costs to get your new clients. These are critical in knowing where you are and if you're achieving your goals. Take some time each week to plan. It's critical. Here is a simple guide for you to use.
Write down your goal for your total net income you want next week.
Write down the number of new clients that it will take to get that.
Write down your goal for number of repeat clients that you want to achieve.
Write down how many service calls you're going to make if you're a service business.
Write down how many products you have to sell.
Write down the net income for each item and your average income per client.
You'll come up with the total income you're trying to achieve. Each week put down the actual numbers you want to achieve and you'll find out if you're reaching them or not. Then you'll know if you need to increase marketing and in what areas. Creating a simple marketing plan like this enables you to keep track with all the numbers and helps you to achieve your marketing goals.
Article Tags: Simple Guide, Marketing Plan, You're Going, Another Five, Write Down
A Review of Samsung Laser Toners
Samsung laser toner is just as popular as its Hewlett-Packard and Brother counterparts. Samsung is a group of products and services that began in Korea in 1938. Today Samsung operate five different business areas: Telecommunications, Digital and Home Appliances, Digital Media, LCD, and Semiconductors.
They started their Electronics section in 1969. Today they are one of the top 100 brands in the world, and their printers and cartridges continue to gain a loyal following.
You can buy Samsung laser toner from their official website. There you will find a complete list of all their products. Enter “laser toner cartridge” in the website’s search field and start comparing prices. You are guaranteed to get a quality from this site. Their website offers full specifications, so that you can find the right cartridge for your printer.
Another option is to go to the PCWorld website. Look for “printers” in the drop-down menu. They have a database of websites selling quality third-party laser toner. You can search for “Samsung” via a menu bar on the left. One color ink cartridge is available for under $30, for example. Be careful when you buy third-party laser toner products. Some of these will be sold as “compatible” or “remanufactured” but aren’t up to specifications with the manufacturer’s original standards. One good review website is Epinions, which allows users to rate all kinds of products, including laser printers and accessories, so that you can get a non-marketing perspective on products you are looking to buy.
You can find a list of authorized retailers of Samsung products on their website. That way, you won’t accidentally end up buying a counterfeit Samsung laser toner cartridge.
They started their Electronics section in 1969. Today they are one of the top 100 brands in the world, and their printers and cartridges continue to gain a loyal following.
You can buy Samsung laser toner from their official website. There you will find a complete list of all their products. Enter “laser toner cartridge” in the website’s search field and start comparing prices. You are guaranteed to get a quality from this site. Their website offers full specifications, so that you can find the right cartridge for your printer.
Another option is to go to the PCWorld website. Look for “printers” in the drop-down menu. They have a database of websites selling quality third-party laser toner. You can search for “Samsung” via a menu bar on the left. One color ink cartridge is available for under $30, for example. Be careful when you buy third-party laser toner products. Some of these will be sold as “compatible” or “remanufactured” but aren’t up to specifications with the manufacturer’s original standards. One good review website is Epinions, which allows users to rate all kinds of products, including laser printers and accessories, so that you can get a non-marketing perspective on products you are looking to buy.
You can find a list of authorized retailers of Samsung products on their website. That way, you won’t accidentally end up buying a counterfeit Samsung laser toner cartridge.
A Review of Popular Software Recruiting Programs
There are a number of well-established and respected recruiting software programs. They share several features, but they each have their own strengths and weaknesses. The following recruiting software reviews explain some of the attributes of three major recruiting software programs.
Hiringsoftware.com has a recruiting software program that is one of the best available. It is easy to use, compatible with major computer programs like Microsoft Word, and Microsoft Outlook, and is affordable for businesses of any size. Hiringsoftware.com’s program, called “The Recruiter,” has more functions than many types of recruiting software, including the ability to create and maintain a “job openings” portion of a companies website, an applicant database, a correspondence recorder that keeps track of the company’s responses to particular applicants and even includes customizable form letters to send to applicants, and can track the costs associated with recruiting.
Encore Search Management Software, made by Cluen, has been a top name in recruiting software for almost 15 years. Over time, the program has been updated and renovated in order to stay competitive. Encore Recruiting Software is easily adaptable to any type of recruiting needs. One of the major advantages of Encore is its ability to build an extensive database that contains thorough information about job openings and all of the applicants considered for each one. Encore is compatible with a number of other software programs like Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, and Adobe Acrobat.
Hire.net Employment System is one of the best Internet recruiters. Companies that need employees post job openings and the requirements candidates must meet to be considered. Job searchers can post their resumes and browse the job openings. Once job searchers find what they are looking for, they can apply online, submit their resumes, and take any necessary aptitude tests online.
These recruiting software reviews give a good idea of the differences between the programs. Each program can be perfect for different businesses.
Hiringsoftware.com has a recruiting software program that is one of the best available. It is easy to use, compatible with major computer programs like Microsoft Word, and Microsoft Outlook, and is affordable for businesses of any size. Hiringsoftware.com’s program, called “The Recruiter,” has more functions than many types of recruiting software, including the ability to create and maintain a “job openings” portion of a companies website, an applicant database, a correspondence recorder that keeps track of the company’s responses to particular applicants and even includes customizable form letters to send to applicants, and can track the costs associated with recruiting.
Encore Search Management Software, made by Cluen, has been a top name in recruiting software for almost 15 years. Over time, the program has been updated and renovated in order to stay competitive. Encore Recruiting Software is easily adaptable to any type of recruiting needs. One of the major advantages of Encore is its ability to build an extensive database that contains thorough information about job openings and all of the applicants considered for each one. Encore is compatible with a number of other software programs like Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, and Adobe Acrobat.
Hire.net Employment System is one of the best Internet recruiters. Companies that need employees post job openings and the requirements candidates must meet to be considered. Job searchers can post their resumes and browse the job openings. Once job searchers find what they are looking for, they can apply online, submit their resumes, and take any necessary aptitude tests online.
These recruiting software reviews give a good idea of the differences between the programs. Each program can be perfect for different businesses.
A Review of Popular Help Desk Software Programs
Variations between help desk software programs include pricing, the numbers users accepted and ticket management options. As a result, determining the needs of your company is critical.
One popular program is Support Wizard. In consumer reviews, this product received ten out of ten stars. Support Wizard offers everything your business needs to provide world-class customer and technical support. Customer self-service, live help and outstanding ticket management tools can streamline your business’ management and help you to maintain a loyal customer base.
Another help desk software program, Parature, offers many of the same benefits. Consumer reviews are outstanding for this program and many business owners recommend it to their associates. Parature is a comprehensive program that is fully customizable and user-friendly. Live assistance and award winning ticket management are a couple of the most praised features of this system.
FootPrints is also an award winning help desk software program. FootPrints is 100% web-based, meaning that your technical and customer support teams can access the database from anywhere on Earth. It is completely customizable and the company offers outstanding support. FootPrints offers an excellent ticket management tool and is one of the more affordable options in help desk software programs.
Researching and deciding on a help desk software program can be a daunting task. You should first decide what specific issues your company needs help with and then consider what will best support your customers accordingly. If you own a small business, a free help desk software package might be a good option. Make sure you understand the limitations on users and on the number of trouble tickets available with free programs. If you have a large or expanding business, take a look at the many online help desk software reviews that are available. Reading consumer reviews of the various products can give you a better idea of whether the particular program will be a good fit with your company’s and your customers’ needs.
One popular program is Support Wizard. In consumer reviews, this product received ten out of ten stars. Support Wizard offers everything your business needs to provide world-class customer and technical support. Customer self-service, live help and outstanding ticket management tools can streamline your business’ management and help you to maintain a loyal customer base.
Another help desk software program, Parature, offers many of the same benefits. Consumer reviews are outstanding for this program and many business owners recommend it to their associates. Parature is a comprehensive program that is fully customizable and user-friendly. Live assistance and award winning ticket management are a couple of the most praised features of this system.
FootPrints is also an award winning help desk software program. FootPrints is 100% web-based, meaning that your technical and customer support teams can access the database from anywhere on Earth. It is completely customizable and the company offers outstanding support. FootPrints offers an excellent ticket management tool and is one of the more affordable options in help desk software programs.
Researching and deciding on a help desk software program can be a daunting task. You should first decide what specific issues your company needs help with and then consider what will best support your customers accordingly. If you own a small business, a free help desk software package might be a good option. Make sure you understand the limitations on users and on the number of trouble tickets available with free programs. If you have a large or expanding business, take a look at the many online help desk software reviews that are available. Reading consumer reviews of the various products can give you a better idea of whether the particular program will be a good fit with your company’s and your customers’ needs.
A Review of HP Laser Toners
Hewlett-Packard is, along with Brother and Samsung, one of the most readily available brands of laser toner. This is due, in part, to the fact that HP was first to release a laser toner inexpensive enough to catch the attention of the average consumer, in 1984.
Hewlett-Packard is, along with Brother and Samsung, one of the most readily available brands of laser toner. This is due, in part, to the fact that HP was first to release a laser toner inexpensive enough to catch the attention of the average consumer, in 1984.
Prices on laser printers were much higher back then, sometimes costing $500. But the price on laser toner refill was a lot lower – about $30 a cartridge. Today, you can buy an HP laser printer for less than $200, but the toner replacements can cost as much as $80 if bought new from the manufacturer.
You can also buy remanufactured laser toner cartridges from HP. These are cartridges that were used up by the previous user and sent back to HP to be remade and refilled. These remanufactured cartridges cost about half as much as the new ones. These are almost exactly the same quality of new, and most people can’t even tell. You only really need to buy new cartridges if you are a professional businessperson who needs to create documents of completely reliable quality.
HP laser toner can range from 50 cents for an unrated third-party remanufactured cartridge, to several hundred thousand dollars for a bulk shipment of a few thousand new cartridges direct from the manufacturer. Your needs probably fall somewhere between these two extremes. One popular HP cartridge is the HP No. 56 Black Inkjet print cartridge. This well received toner refill starts at about $14 and can climb as high as $30 via PC World-approved third parties.
A popular color laser toner refill from HP is the HP 97 Tri-Color Inkjet Print cartridge, starting at $23.
You can also buy new from HP at their website.
Hewlett-Packard is, along with Brother and Samsung, one of the most readily available brands of laser toner. This is due, in part, to the fact that HP was first to release a laser toner inexpensive enough to catch the attention of the average consumer, in 1984.
Prices on laser printers were much higher back then, sometimes costing $500. But the price on laser toner refill was a lot lower – about $30 a cartridge. Today, you can buy an HP laser printer for less than $200, but the toner replacements can cost as much as $80 if bought new from the manufacturer.
You can also buy remanufactured laser toner cartridges from HP. These are cartridges that were used up by the previous user and sent back to HP to be remade and refilled. These remanufactured cartridges cost about half as much as the new ones. These are almost exactly the same quality of new, and most people can’t even tell. You only really need to buy new cartridges if you are a professional businessperson who needs to create documents of completely reliable quality.
HP laser toner can range from 50 cents for an unrated third-party remanufactured cartridge, to several hundred thousand dollars for a bulk shipment of a few thousand new cartridges direct from the manufacturer. Your needs probably fall somewhere between these two extremes. One popular HP cartridge is the HP No. 56 Black Inkjet print cartridge. This well received toner refill starts at about $14 and can climb as high as $30 via PC World-approved third parties.
A popular color laser toner refill from HP is the HP 97 Tri-Color Inkjet Print cartridge, starting at $23.
You can also buy new from HP at their website.
A Review of Brother Laser Toners
Brother is right up there with HP and Samsung as one of the most sought-after brands of laser toner. The Japan-based Brother Industries was first famous for its sewing machines.
Brother is right up there with HP and Samsung as one of the most sought-after brands of laser toner. The Japan-based Brother Industries was first famous for its sewing machines. It went on to produce all kinds of office equipment, such as machine tools, fax machines, label makers, printers, and other office equipment. They began making dot-matrix printers in the 1970s. In the 1980s, after HP blew up the market, Brother began releasing their own laser printers to consumers, and to other companies under the name of OEMed. Brother has a great reputation for printers and printing accessories.
You can buy new toner from Brother. There you will find plenty of personal, home, and small business laser toner cartridges and refills. You can also buy new toner refills in bulk, for middleweight to heavyweight business in need of massive amounts of toner on a daily basis.
One popular Brother laser toner cartridge costs about $34 from their website. This will yield about 2200 pages at 5% printing capacity. This percentage means that 5% of the page is assumed to be covered in ink. If you print a lot of photographs, that number will be much lower.
Be careful when buying Brother toner from third-party distributors. They will offer you lower prices under the umbrella terms of “compatible” or “remanufactured” laser toner cartridges. While some of these are perfectly reputable and suitable for a full range of printer uses, many others are below par. These phony cartridges will produce bad printing results and possibly damage your printer. Sometimes a third-party distributor might even package phony cartridges in real Brother packaging. You can find a list of authorized Brother retailers at their website.
Brother is right up there with HP and Samsung as one of the most sought-after brands of laser toner. The Japan-based Brother Industries was first famous for its sewing machines. It went on to produce all kinds of office equipment, such as machine tools, fax machines, label makers, printers, and other office equipment. They began making dot-matrix printers in the 1970s. In the 1980s, after HP blew up the market, Brother began releasing their own laser printers to consumers, and to other companies under the name of OEMed. Brother has a great reputation for printers and printing accessories.
You can buy new toner from Brother. There you will find plenty of personal, home, and small business laser toner cartridges and refills. You can also buy new toner refills in bulk, for middleweight to heavyweight business in need of massive amounts of toner on a daily basis.
One popular Brother laser toner cartridge costs about $34 from their website. This will yield about 2200 pages at 5% printing capacity. This percentage means that 5% of the page is assumed to be covered in ink. If you print a lot of photographs, that number will be much lower.
Be careful when buying Brother toner from third-party distributors. They will offer you lower prices under the umbrella terms of “compatible” or “remanufactured” laser toner cartridges. While some of these are perfectly reputable and suitable for a full range of printer uses, many others are below par. These phony cartridges will produce bad printing results and possibly damage your printer. Sometimes a third-party distributor might even package phony cartridges in real Brother packaging. You can find a list of authorized Brother retailers at their website.
A Primer In Executive Compensation In Not-For-Profits
Upper Saddle River, N.J. – July 19, 2005 - A tremendous amount has been written about Executive Compensation, and lately, most of this information has been extremely unflattering. Much of the criticism has resulted from the gross excesses, misinterpretations of regulations, and the rash of criminal cases brought against the top management of a number of large firms, such as WorldCom, Tyco, Enron, and a host of others. Virtually every day another egregious example of corporate greed has come to light. The effect has been a huge increase in media attention, which in turn has acted as the stimulus for new government regulations aimed at curbing these abuses. While most of the regulations are aimed at publicly traded companies, there has been some spill-over into the Not-For-Profit (NFP) sector. NFPs have their own set of federal and state regulations limiting executive compensation; the most draconian of these regulations being IRC §4958, or what many refer to as “Intermediate Sanctions”.
It is interesting to note that, for the most part, the regulations covering for-profit, publicly traded companies provide few, if any penalties, and certainly none are spelled out for board members involved in the approval of compensation deemed to be excessive. Since in many situations, the only penalty is that companies cannot deduct the amount of an excessive compensation payment, the brunt of the penalty falls onto the shareholders. Conversely, the NFP regulation calls for a 25% excess tax plus a disgorgement of the excess amount. If this does not occur, the fine jumps to 200%. In addition, the board members of the NFP, most of who are not paid for their board service, but are merely acting in an altruistic manner, are subject to individual fines of the lesser of 10% of the excess, or $10,000.
What are the components of the NFP compensation package? There are traditionally six (6) elements that to one degree or another comprise the Total Compensation Package of executives, whether or not they are part of a For Profit or NFP. These are base salary, annual bonuses or incentives, long-term incentives which could include stock options, restricted stock, phantom stock, and a large group of equity and cash based programs, typical fringe benefits, supplemental benefits and perquisites, and lastly various written documents or agreements that spell out the employment and severance provisions. In the case of NFPs, most of these elements are included but often with scaled-down arrangements. One area that is definitely changing is the increased acceptance and use of annual bonuses and incentives. Rather than paying cash compensation in the form of salary only, many NFPs are beginning to introduce variable pay. This not only better aligns the cash compensation with achievement of predefined results; it also allows the Board to in effect “reduce” pay when the NFP’s situation changes, performance objectives are not met, or when there are cash flow issues. It also allows the NFP to provide a more competitive compensation package that better reflects the realities of the market place. The one compensation element, which heretofore has been virtually missing from the Total Compensation Package, is the use of long-term incentives, which typically exists in For Profits in the form of equity. This is one of the major disparities between For Profits and NFPs, and it is one of the areas which needs to be addressed in order to begin to “level the playing field” between the two business groups.
Although it is generally understood that individuals in comparable positions within the For Profit and NFP industries will not necessarily be paid at exactly the same level, there is still a misguided concept held by some individuals, that working at an NFP is rewarding enough, so that their overall compensation should be markedly lower. While altruism is clearly evident, it doesn’t pay the rent. Recognizing the ability of an NFP to pay reasonable levels of compensation, without harming the organization’s ability to carry out its mission, should be a main consideration in determining what compensation elements comprise the package, and in what amounts.
Is it appropriate to provide short-term and long-term incentives? Short-term incentives are generally associated with the achievement of annual financial and/or operational goals. These goals are typically set at the beginning of a fiscal year, and their achievement is part of a tactical plan to advance the NFP’s mission. To ensure that these awards do not become an “entitlement”, the Board must set realistic but stretch objectives, and determine the actual level of accomplishment against those performance measures when granting awards. Paying out bonuses when the performance is not achieved, or the measures are a “slam dunk”, sends the wrong message and defeats the intent of the entire incentive system.
Similarly, the use of long-term goals must relate to the objectives that are more strategic in nature, and related to financial growth projections over the next three to five years. It is at this point that more creativity is needed in the plan design, since NFPs obviously do not have the ability to share wealth or grant equity with members of its senior management team. The award that best fits the requirements should take some form of capital accumulation. The specific design features may vary, but the basics are the same: long-term performance goals are established and monitored. If the performance goals are achieved within the specified period, funds will be set aside into a Rabbi Trust or similar vehicle, which conforms to IRC §457f and 409A. These plans allow monies to be accumulated for the executive until retirement. Although the amounts accumulated under this type of long-term incentive plan will probably not equal the potential value of stock-based plans, it may actually be more consistent with long-term compensation programs in privately owned For Profits, and will certainly go a long way to making the NFP’s executive compensation package more competitive.
What challenges exist in evaluating the NFP executive compensation package for determining reasonableness? An interesting aspect of the difference between evaluation of the NFP compensation package is that elements such as health care benefits, contributions to retirement plans and even the prorated cost of Directors & Officers (D&O) insurance coverage is considered part of the reportable NFP total compensation package, even if it is not taxable to the individual. Among For Profit public companies, the amount and makeup of the executive compensation package is generally available in the various government filings including the proxy reports. Even though SEC regulations require specific items to be reported, preparing these proxies continues to be an art form unto itself; which often masks the true value of the compensation and appears to go out of its way to make reading and interpreting the data difficult, at best. Similarly, disclosure of the comparable required compensation data for NFPs is shown on the IRS Form 990, but is far less definitive and should be carefully scrutinized. The bottom line is that it is much more difficult to accurately make comparisons with other NFPs, which is the main area for judging the reasonableness of the overall compensation package. The regulations currently allow For Profit compensation data to be used when determining the competitive market; this is certainly appropriate since many of the NFP positions are interchangeable between the NFP and For Profit groups. A cautionary note: there are groups in Congress who believe that this “liberal” approach should be curtailed, and only want to allow the use of NFP data in the evaluation of pay.
Why is a Compensation Philosophy important for NFPs? In the world of large For Profits, most have a well-documented Compensation Philosophy that states the company’s intentions vis-à-vis how executives will be paid. This typically includes a discussion of what peers they will use for comparison purposes, the level of competitiveness, the basis for making awards, and the elements to be contained in the executive compensation package. Many mid-sized and smaller For Profits have not yet taken the necessary steps to formalize their pay strategy; this unfortunately is also the case with many NFPs. It is not only important from a business standpoint, but is required in the regulations. One point that needs to be carefully examined is the level of competitiveness that the organization establishes. The most common level for the majority of compensation philosophies and the one that most NFPs strive for is the 50th percentile, or “middle of the pack”. It is assumed that this is a safe place to be, and therefore, the easiest to justify. This may be true, but there is nothing that precludes the NFP Board from selecting a higher or lower baseline, particularly if it is consistent with their philosophy, and justified by the overall performance of the organization. In other words, good performance should earn executives fair and competitive pay, while outstanding performance should earn them above market levels of compensation. It all goes back to setting appropriate expectations and standards, and holding the executives accountable for results; and rewarding them accordingly.
A Look at Weight Loss Infomercials
Only in America could billions of dollars be made selling weight loss products to people who need to shed a few extra pounds. In a world full of starving people, Americans seem to have emerged as a nation of overfed, under exercised fatties who can’t put down that bag of potato chips, stop eating that ice cream or refuse that second (or third?) helping of pasta.
America’s weight problem – historically solved by eating less and exercising more – had now proliferated a dizzying array of products. Celebrities, nutritionists, doctors, herbologists, hucksters and former fatties have come up with thousands of products designed to melt fat, reduce cravings for bad foods, block carbs, sugar and fat, lose pounds while you sleep, and more..
Many products claim that, as long as you take one of the pills, you can eat what you want and actually lose weight. There are diet plans, calorie counters, diet food cooked and delivered to your doorstep daily, dance and walk your way to weight loss, the hula weight loss program, the Brazilian weight loss program, the fat burning, belly reducing, balanced woman, unbalanced woman. You name it and it’s on a weight loss infomercial. In fact, weight loss programs (separate from fitness programs and equipment, which may result in weight loss but are sold as ways to improve your appearance) account for more than 50% of all revenue generated in today’s infomercials.
One of the most successful weight loss infomercials ever produced featured a product called Bio Slim. Created by Doctor Josh Leightberg, Bio Slim was a science-driven, medically sound program consisting of several herbal pills which when combined with a diet plan also created by Dr. Leightberg resulted in a changed metabolism, an improved digestive system and a stronger anti-immune system, all of which ultimately led to a steady, healthy weight loss. Following the success of Bio Slim, a steady stream of niche players, knockoff artists and entrepreneurs took to the airways with their twist, their hook, their product designed to produce quicker, easier results. One of them was the well known and extremely successful Fen-Phen diet, which was a combination of two herbs known to doctors and other professionals in the industry as herbal speed. While still legal at the time, the pills killed the appetite completely, created a euphoric state in the user and led to many problems including heart attacks which led the FDA to ban the main substances from use in the USA.
Weight loss infomercials are so powerful and so successful that you have to be careful which products you choose to use. As with anything else in life, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. There really is no magic pill or substance that is going to let you sit on the couch and eat huge quantities of bad foods and make you lose weight without paying some kind of terrible price. I mention Bio Slim as an example of a stellar product designed by a professional doctor whose goal was to improve people’s lives and make money. You could call a number given out to anybody who ordered Bio Slim and speak directly with Dr. Leightberg if you had questions or concerns about his product. That should tell you something about the man and the product he’s putting his name on.
Another thing to look out for in weight loss infomercials are the add-ons. Popular diets like the Atkins diet which were not sold on infomercials, but became successful through book sales, interviews and word of mouth led to the creation of a whole host of products you didn’t need that were designed to help you stay on or perform better while on the Atkins plan. Low carb foods and low/no carb candy imitations, sometimes ten times more expensive than their higher carb counterparts, flooded the airwaves. Pills designed to reduce the difficulties associated with the Atkins diet surfaced in infomercials. These items are usually designed by less than professional individuals looking to cash in on a craze they had nothing to do with in the first place.
America’s weight problem – historically solved by eating less and exercising more – had now proliferated a dizzying array of products. Celebrities, nutritionists, doctors, herbologists, hucksters and former fatties have come up with thousands of products designed to melt fat, reduce cravings for bad foods, block carbs, sugar and fat, lose pounds while you sleep, and more..
Many products claim that, as long as you take one of the pills, you can eat what you want and actually lose weight. There are diet plans, calorie counters, diet food cooked and delivered to your doorstep daily, dance and walk your way to weight loss, the hula weight loss program, the Brazilian weight loss program, the fat burning, belly reducing, balanced woman, unbalanced woman. You name it and it’s on a weight loss infomercial. In fact, weight loss programs (separate from fitness programs and equipment, which may result in weight loss but are sold as ways to improve your appearance) account for more than 50% of all revenue generated in today’s infomercials.
One of the most successful weight loss infomercials ever produced featured a product called Bio Slim. Created by Doctor Josh Leightberg, Bio Slim was a science-driven, medically sound program consisting of several herbal pills which when combined with a diet plan also created by Dr. Leightberg resulted in a changed metabolism, an improved digestive system and a stronger anti-immune system, all of which ultimately led to a steady, healthy weight loss. Following the success of Bio Slim, a steady stream of niche players, knockoff artists and entrepreneurs took to the airways with their twist, their hook, their product designed to produce quicker, easier results. One of them was the well known and extremely successful Fen-Phen diet, which was a combination of two herbs known to doctors and other professionals in the industry as herbal speed. While still legal at the time, the pills killed the appetite completely, created a euphoric state in the user and led to many problems including heart attacks which led the FDA to ban the main substances from use in the USA.
Weight loss infomercials are so powerful and so successful that you have to be careful which products you choose to use. As with anything else in life, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. There really is no magic pill or substance that is going to let you sit on the couch and eat huge quantities of bad foods and make you lose weight without paying some kind of terrible price. I mention Bio Slim as an example of a stellar product designed by a professional doctor whose goal was to improve people’s lives and make money. You could call a number given out to anybody who ordered Bio Slim and speak directly with Dr. Leightberg if you had questions or concerns about his product. That should tell you something about the man and the product he’s putting his name on.
Another thing to look out for in weight loss infomercials are the add-ons. Popular diets like the Atkins diet which were not sold on infomercials, but became successful through book sales, interviews and word of mouth led to the creation of a whole host of products you didn’t need that were designed to help you stay on or perform better while on the Atkins plan. Low carb foods and low/no carb candy imitations, sometimes ten times more expensive than their higher carb counterparts, flooded the airwaves. Pills designed to reduce the difficulties associated with the Atkins diet surfaced in infomercials. These items are usually designed by less than professional individuals looking to cash in on a craze they had nothing to do with in the first place.
A Look at Small Business Incorporating in Florida
The choice to incorporate a small business in Florida has several advantages.
Corporations are separate legal entities and, as such, the corporation rather than individual owners pay both the taxes and the liabilities. If you are thinking of running (or are currently running) a small business, incorporating in Florida might be a good idea because you would no longer held personally liable if your business suffered a downturn.
Small business incorporating in Florida also means that you do get to enjoy the perks and incentives that come with running a small business. For example, businesses in the technology sector and certain manufacturing sectors can qualify for grants if they are deemed to be beneficial towards national defense. Additionally, the U.S. Small Business Administration might qualify you for one of its loan programs.
With regard to Florida’s general business climate, the state offers very good tax advantages. For example, Florida does not tax corporate income on subchapter S-corporations and state personal income. There additionally is no corporate franchise tax on capital stock, no state-level property tax assessed, no property tax on business inventories, no property tax on goods-in-transit (up to 180 days), and no sales and use tax on goods manufactured or produced in Florida for export outside the state. In addition, there is no sales tax on purchases of raw materials that are incorporated in a final product for resale, no sales/use tax on boiler fuels, and last but not least, there is no “sales” or “use” tax on co-generation of electricity.
Some specific industries receive additional support in Florida. For example, the Florida Aerospace Finance Corporation (FAFC) is a valuable resource for Florida-based businesses in the aerospace sector. The FAFC was created to expand aerospace business opportunities within the state. This entity promotes Florida as “The Place for Space” by providing direct loans and innovative financing strategies for small aerospace businesses.
These are just a few examples of the business supports in place to help a small business grow in Florida.
Corporations are separate legal entities and, as such, the corporation rather than individual owners pay both the taxes and the liabilities. If you are thinking of running (or are currently running) a small business, incorporating in Florida might be a good idea because you would no longer held personally liable if your business suffered a downturn.
Small business incorporating in Florida also means that you do get to enjoy the perks and incentives that come with running a small business. For example, businesses in the technology sector and certain manufacturing sectors can qualify for grants if they are deemed to be beneficial towards national defense. Additionally, the U.S. Small Business Administration might qualify you for one of its loan programs.
With regard to Florida’s general business climate, the state offers very good tax advantages. For example, Florida does not tax corporate income on subchapter S-corporations and state personal income. There additionally is no corporate franchise tax on capital stock, no state-level property tax assessed, no property tax on business inventories, no property tax on goods-in-transit (up to 180 days), and no sales and use tax on goods manufactured or produced in Florida for export outside the state. In addition, there is no sales tax on purchases of raw materials that are incorporated in a final product for resale, no sales/use tax on boiler fuels, and last but not least, there is no “sales” or “use” tax on co-generation of electricity.
Some specific industries receive additional support in Florida. For example, the Florida Aerospace Finance Corporation (FAFC) is a valuable resource for Florida-based businesses in the aerospace sector. The FAFC was created to expand aerospace business opportunities within the state. This entity promotes Florida as “The Place for Space” by providing direct loans and innovative financing strategies for small aerospace businesses.
These are just a few examples of the business supports in place to help a small business grow in Florida.
A Look at Mannequin Heads
Mannequin heads can be made to look like all types of people and are built to scale, giving them a lifelike look that is almost eerie. Mannequin heads are usually made of foam, plastic, or vinyl.
A mannequin head is a life-size head that includes all of the features of a human face. Mannequin heads can be used in several different situations. They can be used to model hats, wigs, makeup, or be used as practice dummies by people learning to cut hair in beauty school. Mannequin heads can be made to look like all types of people and are built to scale, giving them a lifelike look that is almost eerie. Mannequin heads are usually made of foam, plastic, or vinyl.
Mannequin heads are often used in stores to model hats. It is much easier and more efficient to use a mannequin head rather than an entire life-size mannequin to display a hat. Stores can set up displays that include several mannequin heads on spaces as small as a table. Stores can use nearly any kind of mannequin head to display hats, they do not necessarily have to be colored or have hair, but they can to give shoppers a better look of how the hats will look on a real person.
Mannequin heads are good for displaying wigs as well. Mannequin heads made to resemble different common head and face shapes can give people a good idea of what the different wigs look like on different people. Since all people have unique faces, it is a good idea to get mannequin heads that look different from each other in order to let customers see how the different colors and hairstyles of the wigs will accent different people’s faces.
Mannequin heads with actual human hair are often used in beauty schools as training tools. Students can learn what it is like to cut a real person’s hair by practicing on realistic mannequin heads.
Mannequin heads are useful in many different situations. They can display headwear and wigs and be used as valuable training tools for beauty school students.
A mannequin head is a life-size head that includes all of the features of a human face. Mannequin heads can be used in several different situations. They can be used to model hats, wigs, makeup, or be used as practice dummies by people learning to cut hair in beauty school. Mannequin heads can be made to look like all types of people and are built to scale, giving them a lifelike look that is almost eerie. Mannequin heads are usually made of foam, plastic, or vinyl.
Mannequin heads are often used in stores to model hats. It is much easier and more efficient to use a mannequin head rather than an entire life-size mannequin to display a hat. Stores can set up displays that include several mannequin heads on spaces as small as a table. Stores can use nearly any kind of mannequin head to display hats, they do not necessarily have to be colored or have hair, but they can to give shoppers a better look of how the hats will look on a real person.
Mannequin heads are good for displaying wigs as well. Mannequin heads made to resemble different common head and face shapes can give people a good idea of what the different wigs look like on different people. Since all people have unique faces, it is a good idea to get mannequin heads that look different from each other in order to let customers see how the different colors and hairstyles of the wigs will accent different people’s faces.
Mannequin heads with actual human hair are often used in beauty schools as training tools. Students can learn what it is like to cut a real person’s hair by practicing on realistic mannequin heads.
Mannequin heads are useful in many different situations. They can display headwear and wigs and be used as valuable training tools for beauty school students.
A Look at Make-Up Infomercials
Using a variety of female celebrities, infomercial producers have once again created a huge market where none existed. That’s not to say that make up products didn’t exist. They did. And they were a multibillion dollar industry long before anybody ever thought of infomercials.
Starting in the early twentieth century with the advent of movies and their subsequent side affect – beautiful stars! – make up companies have been designing products to make average looking women look better. Or at least think they look better. Make up has been a staple of upscale department stores and high priced boutiques right from the very beginning of the retail business. Even in the early days, make up products had their own departments. Salesgirls were hired who exhibited a youthful, sparkling appearance. They would grab women by the hand, lead them to the sales counter, apply a bit of this, a dab of that and a puff of something else for free and then make the sale. Early products were marketed in the usual manner – for their value in improving your appearance and their price.
The first make up celebrities in the pre-infomercial era were not the stars that women were trying to emulate but the heads of the Hollywood make up departments who made the stars look so glamorous. And so the likes of Max Factor, make up master to countless female celebrities (and men too, by the way) and the most successful line of make up products were born. Later on the celebrities themselves, sensing a huge cash return for the use of their face, put themselves on various lines of make up products available in stores. When their looks faded, when their careers stopped humming along, the make up products disappeared as well.
And then came infomercials. All of a sudden there was a way to get women interested in buying make up products over their TV sets and was it ever successful! Sensing right from the outset that the products had to be celebrity driven, producers came up with a way to market their products to women all over the world via the TV set. Faded and fading stars from the music business, movie business and TV business jumped on the bandwagon to sell make up and other beauty supplies to American women by the truckload. Here’s the hook that they used: the make up infomercial and the products were not completely celebrity driven. The celebrity was merely there to endorse the products supposedly used on her over the years to keep her looking younger and more beautiful. But the product itself was created by, bore the name of and was demonstrated by the make up artist who had labored for years applying make up to countless beautiful celebrities. The make up artist was not a beauty herself but a “regular” woman who merely worked on celebrities. Hence, the housewife watching in Des Moines, or Chicago or anywhere was not made to feel ugly or less than glamorous.
In fact the celebrity was usually somewhat demeaned on make up infomercials as they would often appear on the show without any make up on. You would be channel surfing and a close up shot of a celebrity you know would appear on the screen and you’d stop, you’d notice she didn’t look so good. You’d wonder what happened and you’d start watching the infomercial. And you’d hear her talking endlessly about how her appearance, her look, her beauty was predominately the successful work of the artist and her line of amazing products while the artist was applying make up to her face and transforming her right before your very eyes.
And furthermore, YOU!, Miss American Average Woman, could have these same products that celebrities have been using for years to make movie magic happen, the secret stuff known only to Hollywood insiders, delivered right to your door in a few days for the low, low price of…well you get the idea. What a concept! Don’t get the beautiful celebrity, with the face of an angel, to sell the product. Have the average looking make up artist sell the product while the beautiful celebrity is transformed from average looking to gorgeous right before your eyes! And of course, the celebrity was an equal or even majority partner in the profits from the line, picking up millions along the way for a days work, sitting in a comfortable chair, in air conditioned splendor, having make up applied to their faces. As the man said – Only in America!
Starting in the early twentieth century with the advent of movies and their subsequent side affect – beautiful stars! – make up companies have been designing products to make average looking women look better. Or at least think they look better. Make up has been a staple of upscale department stores and high priced boutiques right from the very beginning of the retail business. Even in the early days, make up products had their own departments. Salesgirls were hired who exhibited a youthful, sparkling appearance. They would grab women by the hand, lead them to the sales counter, apply a bit of this, a dab of that and a puff of something else for free and then make the sale. Early products were marketed in the usual manner – for their value in improving your appearance and their price.
The first make up celebrities in the pre-infomercial era were not the stars that women were trying to emulate but the heads of the Hollywood make up departments who made the stars look so glamorous. And so the likes of Max Factor, make up master to countless female celebrities (and men too, by the way) and the most successful line of make up products were born. Later on the celebrities themselves, sensing a huge cash return for the use of their face, put themselves on various lines of make up products available in stores. When their looks faded, when their careers stopped humming along, the make up products disappeared as well.
And then came infomercials. All of a sudden there was a way to get women interested in buying make up products over their TV sets and was it ever successful! Sensing right from the outset that the products had to be celebrity driven, producers came up with a way to market their products to women all over the world via the TV set. Faded and fading stars from the music business, movie business and TV business jumped on the bandwagon to sell make up and other beauty supplies to American women by the truckload. Here’s the hook that they used: the make up infomercial and the products were not completely celebrity driven. The celebrity was merely there to endorse the products supposedly used on her over the years to keep her looking younger and more beautiful. But the product itself was created by, bore the name of and was demonstrated by the make up artist who had labored for years applying make up to countless beautiful celebrities. The make up artist was not a beauty herself but a “regular” woman who merely worked on celebrities. Hence, the housewife watching in Des Moines, or Chicago or anywhere was not made to feel ugly or less than glamorous.
In fact the celebrity was usually somewhat demeaned on make up infomercials as they would often appear on the show without any make up on. You would be channel surfing and a close up shot of a celebrity you know would appear on the screen and you’d stop, you’d notice she didn’t look so good. You’d wonder what happened and you’d start watching the infomercial. And you’d hear her talking endlessly about how her appearance, her look, her beauty was predominately the successful work of the artist and her line of amazing products while the artist was applying make up to her face and transforming her right before your very eyes.
And furthermore, YOU!, Miss American Average Woman, could have these same products that celebrities have been using for years to make movie magic happen, the secret stuff known only to Hollywood insiders, delivered right to your door in a few days for the low, low price of…well you get the idea. What a concept! Don’t get the beautiful celebrity, with the face of an angel, to sell the product. Have the average looking make up artist sell the product while the beautiful celebrity is transformed from average looking to gorgeous right before your eyes! And of course, the celebrity was an equal or even majority partner in the profits from the line, picking up millions along the way for a days work, sitting in a comfortable chair, in air conditioned splendor, having make up applied to their faces. As the man said – Only in America!
A Look at Laser Toners
Laser toner is the ink for laser printers. It is an extremely fine synthetic powder packed into a cartridge. You insert the cartridge into your laser printer according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Laser toner is the ink for laser printers. It is an extremely fine synthetic powder (usually plastic) packed into a cartridge. You insert the cartridge into your laser printer according to the manufacturer’s instructions. When the printer goes to print a page, there are several steps to the process:
1. The printer receives an image from your computer.
2. Lasers project the image onto an electromagnetic drum.
3. The drum is charged positively and negatively, and at varying levels of charge, according to the image.
4. The drum attracts the four colors of toner in the cartridge according to the charges the colors are attracted to. The four colors mix to create any of millions of colors.
5. The drum rolls the image onto a page of paper, the page goes through a heating device to melt or burn the color onto the page, and the page is ejected.
This process uses up a lot of laser toner. Typically, a laser toner cartridge will yield a few thousand pages before needing to be replaced. The drum, too, eventually wears out from all the positive and negative charges it gives off, and needs to be replaced every 10,000 – 30,000 pages. Some printers are made with cartridge-and-drum replacement units in mind, while other printers are designed to separate the cartridge and drum. This way, when the cartridge runs out of toner, you don’t have to replace the longer lasting drum with it. This saves you money.
You can buy laser toner from your printer’s manufacturer, a computer supply store, online, or at any of a number of other types of retailers. To save money, you might want to consider buying in bulk.
Three of the most popular brands of laser toner are HP, Brother, and Samsung.
Laser toner is the ink for laser printers. It is an extremely fine synthetic powder (usually plastic) packed into a cartridge. You insert the cartridge into your laser printer according to the manufacturer’s instructions. When the printer goes to print a page, there are several steps to the process:
1. The printer receives an image from your computer.
2. Lasers project the image onto an electromagnetic drum.
3. The drum is charged positively and negatively, and at varying levels of charge, according to the image.
4. The drum attracts the four colors of toner in the cartridge according to the charges the colors are attracted to. The four colors mix to create any of millions of colors.
5. The drum rolls the image onto a page of paper, the page goes through a heating device to melt or burn the color onto the page, and the page is ejected.
This process uses up a lot of laser toner. Typically, a laser toner cartridge will yield a few thousand pages before needing to be replaced. The drum, too, eventually wears out from all the positive and negative charges it gives off, and needs to be replaced every 10,000 – 30,000 pages. Some printers are made with cartridge-and-drum replacement units in mind, while other printers are designed to separate the cartridge and drum. This way, when the cartridge runs out of toner, you don’t have to replace the longer lasting drum with it. This saves you money.
You can buy laser toner from your printer’s manufacturer, a computer supply store, online, or at any of a number of other types of retailers. To save money, you might want to consider buying in bulk.
Three of the most popular brands of laser toner are HP, Brother, and Samsung.
A Look at IT Help Desk Software
IT help desk software can be a valuable resource for technicians to manage and resolve troubleshooting tickets. Most companies realize the benefits of purchasing help desk software since it is a reliable way to manage customer inquiries and complaints. IT help desk software is preferred by both companies and clients over a traditional call center.
In traditional call centers, customers often complain of long hold times and unreturned voicemails. Other times, the less-than-technically-savvy customer may become frustrated in his or her attempt to explain the problem. Help desk software allows an IT department to effectively manage and direct certain issues to the appropriate personnel.
Many IT help desk software programs offer the convenience of a user-friendly menu and easy-to-manage files. Customers can choose from a variety of help topics and even copy and paste error messages to send to IT. For those customers who are not technically advanced, menus can be set up to offer a variety of common questions.
HelpDesks.com is an excellent resource for extensive IT help desk software reviews and information. This site allows you to compare the leading providers of the products to find the right program for your needs. Convenient charts allow you to see various amenities offered such as whether or not the program is web-based, costs associated with purchase and upgrades and the number of users allowed for each program.
One of the most popular IT help desk software programs, according to consumer reviews, is FootPrints. On a scale of one to ten, it has a rating of 9.2 and has multiple consumer reviews. This is a web-based program, and the initial cost is around $6,000. FootPrints offers unlimited user capabilities and free upgrades with their annual maintenance contract. This program is compatible with Linux, Windows NT, Windows 2000 and Unix operating systems. It also offers searchable databases, assignment of reference numbers, F.A.Q databases, billing databases and much, much more.
Article Tags: Help Desk Software, Help Desk, Desk Software
In traditional call centers, customers often complain of long hold times and unreturned voicemails. Other times, the less-than-technically-savvy customer may become frustrated in his or her attempt to explain the problem. Help desk software allows an IT department to effectively manage and direct certain issues to the appropriate personnel.
Many IT help desk software programs offer the convenience of a user-friendly menu and easy-to-manage files. Customers can choose from a variety of help topics and even copy and paste error messages to send to IT. For those customers who are not technically advanced, menus can be set up to offer a variety of common questions.
HelpDesks.com is an excellent resource for extensive IT help desk software reviews and information. This site allows you to compare the leading providers of the products to find the right program for your needs. Convenient charts allow you to see various amenities offered such as whether or not the program is web-based, costs associated with purchase and upgrades and the number of users allowed for each program.
One of the most popular IT help desk software programs, according to consumer reviews, is FootPrints. On a scale of one to ten, it has a rating of 9.2 and has multiple consumer reviews. This is a web-based program, and the initial cost is around $6,000. FootPrints offers unlimited user capabilities and free upgrades with their annual maintenance contract. This program is compatible with Linux, Windows NT, Windows 2000 and Unix operating systems. It also offers searchable databases, assignment of reference numbers, F.A.Q databases, billing databases and much, much more.
Article Tags: Help Desk Software, Help Desk, Desk Software
A Look at Incorporating a Business in Florida
As you may know, there are many ways to incorporate a business in Florida. While companies exist to do the legwork and paperwork for you, the most direct way is to contact the Florida Department of State, Division of Corporation’s website itself.
When you visit the website for the Florida Department of State, Division of Corporation, you will notice they are surprisingly user friendly. Their website houses various informative databases and in-house automated filing systems that will allow you to incorporate your Florida-based business online.
By incorporating online, you can do away with the traditional middleman used in incorporating a business and inexpensively file all the papers yourself. In addition, this filing can be completed without leaving the comfort of your office or home. Alternatively, you can also contact the Florida Department of State, Division of Corporation by mail, courier, phone, or email.
Generally speaking, there are three forms that incorporation may take: a non-profit, for-profit, or an S corporation. While non-profit and for-profit are perhaps self-explanatory, the notion of an S corporation may require some explanation.
S corporations are domestic corporations that are eligible to avoid cumbersome double taxation to both the shareholders and the corporation alike. They are taxed on capital gains and passive income, but given exemptions from other federal income tax. On tax returns, the S corporation's shareholders include their share of the corporation's separately stated entities of income, deduction, loss, and credit, along with their share of non-separately stated income or loss of income.
S corporations are taxed on estimated capital gains, built-in gains, the excess net passive income, and investment credit recapture. In terms of eligibility, S corporations need to clear the requirements with the IRS and receive their designations before incorporating in Florida.
If incorporation sounds like a daunting task, you may consider contacting a professional consultant or law firm to assist you. Of course, it will be more expensive than completing the process yourself; however, you will gain peace of mind knowing that the process was completed correctly.
When you visit the website for the Florida Department of State, Division of Corporation, you will notice they are surprisingly user friendly. Their website houses various informative databases and in-house automated filing systems that will allow you to incorporate your Florida-based business online.
By incorporating online, you can do away with the traditional middleman used in incorporating a business and inexpensively file all the papers yourself. In addition, this filing can be completed without leaving the comfort of your office or home. Alternatively, you can also contact the Florida Department of State, Division of Corporation by mail, courier, phone, or email.
Generally speaking, there are three forms that incorporation may take: a non-profit, for-profit, or an S corporation. While non-profit and for-profit are perhaps self-explanatory, the notion of an S corporation may require some explanation.
S corporations are domestic corporations that are eligible to avoid cumbersome double taxation to both the shareholders and the corporation alike. They are taxed on capital gains and passive income, but given exemptions from other federal income tax. On tax returns, the S corporation's shareholders include their share of the corporation's separately stated entities of income, deduction, loss, and credit, along with their share of non-separately stated income or loss of income.
S corporations are taxed on estimated capital gains, built-in gains, the excess net passive income, and investment credit recapture. In terms of eligibility, S corporations need to clear the requirements with the IRS and receive their designations before incorporating in Florida.
If incorporation sounds like a daunting task, you may consider contacting a professional consultant or law firm to assist you. Of course, it will be more expensive than completing the process yourself; however, you will gain peace of mind knowing that the process was completed correctly.
A Look at Florida Department for Incorporating
The Florida Department of State, Division of Corporation is the Florida Department for Incorporating. They are the division of the Department of State to contact for questions about incorporating in Florida.
The Florida Department of State, Division of Corporation is the Florida Department for Incorporating. They are the division of the Department of State to contact for questions about incorporating in Florida. Besides providing excellent online information and communication, the Florida Department for Incorporating provides an online public access network and informative telephone answering system. Through their online network, the Department for Incorporating was the first in the US to initiate electronic certification and electronic filing services.
In addition to providing certifying, and providing forms for, incorporation, the Department ensures that corporate names, fictitious names, trademarks, and service marks are not duplicated. They also cross-reference information with the Florida Department of Revenue on a regular basis to identify foreign entities doing business in Florida that are not registered with the Division of Corporation.
In addition, the Division offers a very helpful online business research service (“Sunbiz”). Using Sunbiz, people can directly access a database containing all of the fictitious name filings dating back to January, 1996, all corporation annual reports since January, 1996, and all corporation filings since November, 1997. A very useful resource, Sunbiz allows people to easily download, save and print copies of filed documents and forms for incorporation purposes.
The Florida Department of State, Division of Corporation is the Florida Department for Incorporating. They are the division of the Department of State to contact for questions about incorporating in Florida. Besides providing excellent online information and communication, the Florida Department for Incorporating provides an online public access network and informative telephone answering system. Through their online network, the Department for Incorporating was the first in the US to initiate electronic certification and electronic filing services.
In addition to providing certifying, and providing forms for, incorporation, the Department ensures that corporate names, fictitious names, trademarks, and service marks are not duplicated. They also cross-reference information with the Florida Department of Revenue on a regular basis to identify foreign entities doing business in Florida that are not registered with the Division of Corporation.
In addition, the Division offers a very helpful online business research service (“Sunbiz”). Using Sunbiz, people can directly access a database containing all of the fictitious name filings dating back to January, 1996, all corporation annual reports since January, 1996, and all corporation filings since November, 1997. A very useful resource, Sunbiz allows people to easily download, save and print copies of filed documents and forms for incorporation purposes.
A Look at Computer Desks for Children
Children’s use of the computer has increased tremendously. To meet the requirements of young users, manufacturers are re-designing computer desks. The main requirement of a child’s computer desk is the lower height. It should also be comfortable for the child to work on.
The main aspect in designing special computer desks for children is ergonomics. Monitors should be at eye-level to reduce neck and eye strain. The keyboard and mouse should also be placed at the ideal height to make it more comfortable.
These days, computer desks are being designed in attractive colors and shapes to appeal to young users. The material used for the desk is important, as children are not usually careful about the cleanliness of the desk. Plastics or fiber is usually easier to clean than wood or glass. Cables and wires can be kept out of the way through discreet wiring systems for more safety and comfort.
Wider spaces, more space for keeping books, pencils or paper, more writing space, etc., make the desks more attractive to children. When fitted with additional drawers for books, they also help to keep the working space clean. Children’s computer desks can also be converted into tables for writing. Some computer tables are built to accommodate more than one kid; for instance, such furniture may accommodate a sibling or a friend as well. They can be made in different attractive colors to suit the rest of the room. Most modular computer tables can be disassembled and re-assembled somewhere else. They can also be moved from one place to another. As the child grows, they can be increased in height and width.
The main aspect in designing special computer desks for children is ergonomics. Monitors should be at eye-level to reduce neck and eye strain. The keyboard and mouse should also be placed at the ideal height to make it more comfortable.
These days, computer desks are being designed in attractive colors and shapes to appeal to young users. The material used for the desk is important, as children are not usually careful about the cleanliness of the desk. Plastics or fiber is usually easier to clean than wood or glass. Cables and wires can be kept out of the way through discreet wiring systems for more safety and comfort.
Wider spaces, more space for keeping books, pencils or paper, more writing space, etc., make the desks more attractive to children. When fitted with additional drawers for books, they also help to keep the working space clean. Children’s computer desks can also be converted into tables for writing. Some computer tables are built to accommodate more than one kid; for instance, such furniture may accommodate a sibling or a friend as well. They can be made in different attractive colors to suit the rest of the room. Most modular computer tables can be disassembled and re-assembled somewhere else. They can also be moved from one place to another. As the child grows, they can be increased in height and width.
A Look at Color Brochure Printing
Brochures have become vital in today’s workplace, serving a wide variety of purposes. Some are quite complex and others are simpler; color brochure printing is one of the simpler options.
It usually refers to printing using only a single color. Because brochures are extremely versatile in both content and use, a process that uses only one color for both text and images is a popular choice for uncomplicated brochure printing jobs.
Color brochure printing is often enlisted when there is a cost limitation, or if the job doesn’t require multiple colors. Brochure printing companies will usually provide a clear explanation regarding your color options and prices, so you that will know exactly when color printing is right for you.
You can print a single color brochure at any company that prints brochures or at your local copy store. You can successfully print a single color brochure from a laser or inkjet printer, since the one-color process often does not present the same issues as the four-color process, such as image color quality and color resolution. If your job is very small and you choose to print from a small laser or inkjet printer, you can always take the sheets to a bindery or copy center to have them folded.
In color brochure printing simple images are recommended, as detail is often lost with when there is only one color. Line drawings are frequently used in single color jobs.
Color brochure printing or single color printing can be very inexpensive, especially if you use a standard weight and color paper and have a high print run; most printers have clearly marked standard options in their price lists. Remember that the more you print, the lower your cost.
Color brochure printing is an excellent choice if the brochure is being produced for basic information and communication, with less emphasis on visual appeal, thereby eliminating the need for heavyweight, high-gloss papers and multi-colored images, all of which come at a much higher cost. Finding and learning about brochure color printing and its advantages should be an educational journey, no matter how small or inexpensive the job.
It usually refers to printing using only a single color. Because brochures are extremely versatile in both content and use, a process that uses only one color for both text and images is a popular choice for uncomplicated brochure printing jobs.
Color brochure printing is often enlisted when there is a cost limitation, or if the job doesn’t require multiple colors. Brochure printing companies will usually provide a clear explanation regarding your color options and prices, so you that will know exactly when color printing is right for you.
You can print a single color brochure at any company that prints brochures or at your local copy store. You can successfully print a single color brochure from a laser or inkjet printer, since the one-color process often does not present the same issues as the four-color process, such as image color quality and color resolution. If your job is very small and you choose to print from a small laser or inkjet printer, you can always take the sheets to a bindery or copy center to have them folded.
In color brochure printing simple images are recommended, as detail is often lost with when there is only one color. Line drawings are frequently used in single color jobs.
Color brochure printing or single color printing can be very inexpensive, especially if you use a standard weight and color paper and have a high print run; most printers have clearly marked standard options in their price lists. Remember that the more you print, the lower your cost.
Color brochure printing is an excellent choice if the brochure is being produced for basic information and communication, with less emphasis on visual appeal, thereby eliminating the need for heavyweight, high-gloss papers and multi-colored images, all of which come at a much higher cost. Finding and learning about brochure color printing and its advantages should be an educational journey, no matter how small or inexpensive the job.
