Saturday, September 11, 2010
Is Your Website "Killing" Your Online Business?
success of your online business.
People have gotten wise to Internet amateurism
and a poor looking website will turn many visitors
off buying. Similarly, a site that lacks focus and
tries to be too many things to too many people
will not have visitors scrambling to hand over
their credit-card details.
In short, if your website is to succeed, it must inspire
visitor confidence, be clear about its purpose and give
off a general air of success.
Fortunately, you don't need specialist training in
web design to create an effective and professional
website. Just keep it SIMPLE and keep it FOCUSED
and you'll make life easier for both yourself and
your visitors.
Here are 27 things you can do that will give your
website a credibility boost:
1. Aim to capture your visitors' interest as soon
as they arrive on your page. It's important that
you let them know IMMEDIATELY what they'll find
on your site and what they gain by being there.
Try to come up with an opening headline that will
capture the attention of those people you're trying
to reach.
2. Be consistent in your design. Each page should
have the same fonts (text style), the same navigation
links, the same general layout, the same color
scheme, etc.
3. Choose your colors carefully. Don't put inappropriate
colors together. I read an article recently that suggests
that designers should look at the colors they're putting
together on their web page and ask themselves if they
would put wallpaper with that color scheme in their
living-room.
4. Use a plain color background (i.e. no fancy textures
or designs). Make sure your text contrasts STRONGLY
with your background color -- black text on a white
background is the best combination.
5. Optimize your pages to download quickly. Avoid
using excessively large images (both in terms of
memory size and actual on-screen size). Images
which are too large will slow the download time of
your page, often look bad and are usually unnecessary.
6. Don't make your pages any longer than they need
to be. Pages that scroll down forever can be tiresome
and, unless they're well written, keeping your visitor's
interest is difficult. Be sure that you NEED everything
on the page. It's worth critically examining the
contents of a page, sentence by sentence, and ask
yourself which stuff is really necessary and which
stuff can be done without.
7. Don't be afraid of empty space. Don't clutter up
your page with loads of 'stuff'. If it's not essential
leave it out. You can draw attention to the important
things by giving them space to breath rather than
making them big or loud.
8. Be sure to put a link to your home page on every
page of your site. Links marked 'Back' are no good
to people who've arrived directly onto one of your
pages from a search engine.
9. Include your contact information (company name,
address, link to contact page and perhaps even
tel./fax. numbers) at the bottom of each page of your
site. This will save visitors having to search for it,
and it will reassure them that you're a real and
credible business.
10. Don't put a graphic counter on your page. People
will not buy from a site that has something like
"Visitors since 1998: 00001471" in a glaring graphic
at the bottom of the page. Just don't do it. You'll
have all the statistics you need about your visitors
from your webhost (or third-party stats services
like sitemeter.com).
11. Don't clutter your home page with banners, ads,
and unnecessary graphics. Less is definitely more in
website design. If you want to place ads on you site
keep it to a minimum - especially on your home page
(maximum 2 banners - preferably none). These only
take up valuable download time and distract your
visitors from your central product(s).
12. Make sure your site works well with the main
browsers and screen resolutions. Verify that you've
no broken or outdated links.
13. Check and double-check your spelling and your
grammar. Mistakes on this front will kill a sale
quicker than you can say "How do you spell disastor?".
14. Don't even consider putting background music on
your site. Nothing sends visitors running away faster
than a woeful, repetitive midi file tinkling away in
the background.
15. Avoid overusing gadgets - again if you don't
need it and your visitors have nothing to gain from
it, leave it out. There are very few gadgets that
impress nowadays. If you want to impress your
visitors give them clear information on clearly
laid-out pages that download quickly.
16. Your navigation bar should contain links to the
MAIN pages of your site only. Links to additional
sub-pages can be made from those main pages.
Try to ensure that nothing on your site is farther
than three clicks away from your home page.
17. If you're using graphics for your main navigation
links, you should consider including text links also
(at the bottom of the page, for example). This will
be appreciated by visitors who can't (or don't want
to) download graphics. Also, Search Engine Robots
can only follow text links, so if you only have graphic
links they will not be able to get to the other pages
of your site.
18. Don't put 'under construction' signs on a page.
If it's not finished don't make it accessible.
19. Keep Your Links Honest. Don't put a link that
says "Click here for a free gift" that actually sends
your visitor to another site that is offering nothing
for free.
20. Use CAPITAL LETTERS sparingly to highlight
important words. DON'T TYPE LARGE BLOCKS OF
TEXT ALL IN CAPITALS. IT MAKES YOUR TEXT HARD
TO READ AND LOOKS AWFUL. YOUR VISITORS WILL
NOT WANT TO READ IT. IF YOU WANT TO
HIGHLIGHT SOMETHING IMPORTANT, TRY USING
SPACE OR COLOR INSTEAD.
21. Don't put large blocks of text in BOLD. You
should use bold text sparingly, for emphasis or
for headings.
22. Avoid UNDERLINING text on your page.
People will think it's a link (that isn't working).
23. If you have links incorporated in your text,
make sure they're visible. The best way to get
your links noticed is to use the standard
blue-underlined link look.
24. Avoid the use of frames (i.e. when the screen
is broken into two or more parts). These add a
whole heap of complications that you can do without.
25. Avoid using one of those 'Click here to enter'
entry pages. They're a waste of your visitor's time.
26. Get others (who have some experience with
surfing the Internet) to check out your site. Did
they find it easy to understand? Did they find it
appealing to the eye? Did they get lost or find
themselves stumbling into a dead end? Would they
feel confident buying from a site like yours?
Leave a message at webmaster forums asking fellow
website designers to give a look at your site and
make comments.
27. Concentrate on keeping things as simple as
possible -- both for yourself AND for your visitors.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
HOW TO MAKE MONEY SELLING AND WRITTING ebooks ON INTERNET
I recently read where Amazon announced ebook sales were outperforming hard book copies by 43% over the past 3 months. There are several reasons for this, but it should be enough to make you want to learn how to make money writing and selling ebooks on the Internet.
In this article I want to offer a few tips on becoming a better ebook writer and then getting your e-books online where you can sell them.
1. Write keyword rich ebooks on a targeted topic. Obviously you need a relevant topic if you expect to make money selling it.
It needs to be interesting to the reader and also answer questions and solve problems they may have. Using the Internet to research targeted keywords is a good way to determine what is popular.
Google has a free research tool for keyword research. If it is being searched on Google at a high rate chances are it's a very hot topic.
2. Go to ClickBank.com and see what the experts are writing about. This is a great way to come up with content ideas for your own ebook.
Purchasing ebooks from other writers is another way to gain knowledge and become a better writer. You can pick up excellent tips and techniques that they are using and implement them into your own writing.
3. Write more in other ways. Writing is a skill you can improve on. Writing articles for article directories is one way to do that.
Writing articles in your own blog and for other blogs is another idea. The more you write the better you become at it. Practice does make perfect when it comes to writing.
4. Hang out in discussion forums and on social sites. This is another way come up with excellent ideas that you can implement into your ebook writing.
Finding a hot topic of discussion forum is a good way to determine a topic that could be profitable. There are many niche forums where you can hang out and get ideas on specific targeted niches for your ebooks.
5. Learn Internet marketing skills. The only way you are going to sell something on the Internet is to market it correctly. There are many ways to go about marketing your ebook.
You can advertise it by creating a website and promoting it through a per click. Include your URL in the resource box for any of the articles are writing.
Allow other affiliate marketers to sell your ebook for you. ClickBank is the largest digital information provider in the world and they have thousands of affiliates who are available to make money selling your book.
ClickBank also handles the affiliate payments so you do not have to worry about that. Although you will be giving up some commission to the affiliate, the volume of books you sell more than makes up for that.
These are a few tips on how to make money writing and selling ebooks on the Internet. Digital information will only continue to grow in demand and offers a tremendous income opportunity for quality writers.Written by TONERO
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
EFFECTIVE BUSINESS PLAN
5 Tips for Effective Business Planning |
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Tuesday, August 24, 2010
GOOD BUSINESS ATTITUDE AND STRATEGIES
You will need to do things in a certain way to maximize your chances to succeed. This “certain way” is what we call strategy, from the general business attitude to specific approaches.
1. Fail Often
Good judgment come form experience but experience come from bad judgment, Not entirely true, I know, but enough to make you think. Don’t be afraid to fail. Kill all your ”brilliant“ ideas by making them real first. 99.99% of the genial ideas don’t survive after you make them real. 99.99% is a big number. Prepare to fail for 99.99% of your time. The 0.01% is really worth.
2. Fast Is The New Slow
If you really want a piece of the online cake you have to think super fast. If you think fast, you’re slow. Technology is evolving at such a rate that you can almost hear it growing. The adoption of the phenomenon is the fastest in the whole humankind history. You’re doing business during a revolution. And, usually, during revolutions they get rid of the old / slow stuff pretty fast (think head chopping and you’ll have an idea).
3. If You Don’t Blog, You Don’t Exist
The old days of anonymous business presence on the Internet are over. You need an identity. Preferably, your own identity. And the easiest way to establish, maintain and promote an identity is having a blog. Blogging has become an internal part of the online business process, much like a domain name: without it, you don’t really exist.
4. Be Informed
Stay on top of the news but filter the information. Being informed is a balanced attitude. Don’t rush to become a hype whore, praising every single ”next boom“ idea, but don’t get too skeptical also. Watching the trends in the online business can be a business in itself, though you need a really good filter and a cold judgement in order to take only what’s really useful for you or your business niche.
5. Social Media Works
It might be overrated lately, I agree, but social media really works. As an observer of the online phenomenon in the last ten years I can tell you for sure that this IS a revolution. Much slower than it’s perceived or presented, but there is a real shift from consuming information to interacting in larger communities. Social media is a place where you really want to be if you want to do business on the internet.
6. Praise Your Success
I really don’t see any reason whatsoever you shouldn’t be proud of what you did. If you’re successful, let the world know. Being shy will not help you here. You’re acting on a field so crowded with information that even your own identity is difficult to persist, if you don’t actively work at it. Just because your clients know your name that doesn’t necessarily mean you’re perceived as an expert in your niche.
7. Don’t Focus On The Competition
But don’t ignore it either. This business field is so crowded that you’re surely having a lot of competition. Focusing on it will most likely drain all your resources. Instead, focus on your resources, on your projects and on your clients. Pure ranking (like I’m #1 and you’re #2) doesn’t really work in the online, but identity does. Work to establish an identity rather than engaging in competition wars.
8. Is This Really Useful?
Before starting to actually build your project make sure you’re able to respond a big, capital letters, no hesitation, out loud ”YES“ to that question. If you have the slightest hesitation, start the analyse over. If you will build something that wouldn’t make a difference (but it will just look good or shiny) you will lose. Your business must solve a problem. Period.
9. What Brain Real Estate Do You Own?
I usually describe branding as the real estate property you own in people’s brains. The ”shoes“ land is owned by Nike, the ”luxury car“ is owned by Ferrari, the ”classy watch“ is owned by Rolex, and ”mobile phone“ tends to be owned by Apple, lately. Almost every human concept can be defined as a real estate property in one’s brain. And a brand is actually the connection between that brain land and a specific product . Once you succeed in owning a pice of real estate in people’s brains, you’re set.
10. Don’t Listen To Them
Listen to you. Don’t listen to those who are telling you’re making a big mistake by quitting your daily job and starting a new business. You know better. They’ll praise you in a few years. So go for it.
11. Don’t Be Afraid
Yes it’s risky. Yes, nobody can guarantee total success. Yes, you may fail. So what? Being afraid will only amplify those possibilities. Accept that you can fail or succeed and move on. The beauty of the journey will soon make those fear fade like they never existed.
12. No Risk It, No Biscuit
Learn how to deal with risk and how to embrace it. There is no such business with “zero” risk. If it is, it isn’t worth the trouble. The bigger the risk, the bigger the payout of the business. And the online field is one of the riskier business fields you can imagine.
13. If It Was Never Done, Look Twice
Most of the time, an idea nobody had until you is worth the trouble. But if nobody implemented it so far, there must also be a reason. The “first of its kind” ideas are not always a sure win, look twice. This is not meant to inhibit your creativity, but to ground you more and avoid seeking novelty just for the sake of it.
14. When It’s Cooking, It’s Cooking
If your idea is starting to take off, don’t stop. You may be surprised how high you can go. Don’t just stop when your initial goal has been met. More often than you think, this initial success is only the gate to something bigger than you ever imagined. Don’t let yourself out of this bigger picture by remaining stuck in an initial, comfy, small success.
15. Seek For Advice
You don’t know everything. Fortunately. Because if you would know everything you’ll miss all that thrill of discovering the unknown. Just ask for advice when in trouble, don’t assume you know everything. Or do an online search. Chances are that somebody had the same problem before and the answer is out there.
16. Do Whatever It Takes
if you have to convince 100 people to make your project alive, do it. If you have to walk 1000 miles, do it. Do whatever it takes to make your idea real. Don’t think: “but this is too hard”. It isn’t. It’s your idea and you’ll be so happy when you’re going to see it live. So, do whatever it takes for that.
17. Trust Your Intuition
There are no schools for that, so it cannot be learned. Intuition is that instant light shed on a subject only for a split of a second, just enough for you to think it was there. Things are different in that light. Whenever you see it, trust it. Intuition can often draw the line between a “correct” entrepreneur and a brilliant one.
18. Practice Courage
This one can be learned, so do your best to learn it. Courage means doing stuff regardless of the context. Act with all your power towards making things happening. It doesn’t mean you’re not going to be afraid from time to time, it means you’re going to pursue your goal regardless of those fears.
19. Maintain Enthusiasm
This one can also be learned. If courage is the action, enthusiasm is the fuel for that action. Make sure you always have enough of that fuel. Seal your doors in such a way that depression will never make an entrance. In my opinion, enthusiasm is an asset bigger than any financial support you can get.
20. Do It For Yourself
Entrepreneurship is a fantastic personal development tool []. Regardless of the outcome of your business you will learn tremendously out of this. Do it for yourself, not for the money (although money is pretty good, also). Whatever you do, keep in mind that there aren’t really failures or successes, there are only results.
21. Be Self Sustainable Before Asking For Money
Going around and asking for funding while you’re still on negative cash-flow will create more harm than good. At this eraly stage – which is most of the time unavoidable – all the funding you can find is either angel investors, either the 3 ”F“: family, friends and fools. I gladly recommend the 3 ”F“ anytime, an angel will put a lot of pressure on your development and strategy. Once you have a constant, positive cash-flow, go out and shout for funding, they’ll line up at your door office.
22. Balance Your Expectations With The Market Status
When establishing strategic (and financial) goals pay attention to the market conditions. Always balance your own ambitions and expectations with real numbers from the market. If you don’t do that you’ll end up either aiming unrealistically high, either going under your true potential. If you’re that good, those realistic expectations will be surpassed by your results anyway.
23. Brand Yourself
In the online field, more than in any other I know, personal branding is compulsory. And by that I mean absolutely unavoidable. Your online presence will work while you’re asleep, while you’re on holiday, while you’re working hard on a new secret feature. Maintaining a solid, persistent online presence is the key ingredient to a successful personal branding. Don’t assume people knows everything about you, constantly reinforce what YOU want them to know about you.
24. Watch For Your Break Even
But don’t consider it a success in itself. That’s what a business have to do in the first place: pays the money invested in it. A common strategy mistake is to slow down after the break-even, considering that the simple fact of reaching it will further endorse the business. On the contrary, it’s only after the break-even that you’ll see how much your project really worths in terms of profit.
25. Network, Network, Network
Go out and meet new people. Clearly state your expertise and and ask the same from your peers. Let them know why you’re doing business and how. Join professional organizations and attend to informal meetings. There is no such thing as an upper limit to your connections in the online field.
26. Don’t Fall Into The Productivity Trap
Sometimes you get so caught in a productivity trap that you lose sight of the long term goals. You work so hard and so organized that you can’t see where you’re heading anymore. If you reached this level, it’s time for you to hire a manager. You’re en entrepreneur, you have to see the road and lead your people there.
27. Don’t Let It Eat You
A business is just a business, not your life. Took me years to understand that. Too much of an implication in your own business is not good. At some point, you’ll be burned out. Be sure to build some fences between your private life and your professional life.
28. Boredom Is Bankruptcy
If you get bored about your business it’s time to get out of it. Quick. Out of any imaginable dangers of a business, I cannot think of a one more powerful than boredom. The second you feel you got bored, make whatever you can to leave it. Otherwise you’ll end up having the worst job ever: being a bored employee (you) working for a bored bossBUSINESS TIPS FOR ONLINE ENTREPRENEUR
1. A Brilliant Idea Worth Nothing
I can have 100 brilliant ideas per minute. And I’m not joking. I know a guy who can have his brilliant ideas in his sleep. Guess what: he’s not an entrepreneur. An idea without action worth nothing. Nada. Zilch. Zero. Focus on your immediate resources to make something plausible working as fast as you can rather than waiting for something allegedly brilliant to grow by itself. It never happened and it will never happen.
2. You Sell Processes, Not Products
In the online business, what you are selling is not a product, nor even a service. It’s a process. You sell an entire experience, regardless of your niche. From a personal blog up to a link directory, what you are offering is not atomically identified as one single product or service but as a unique process. Is this unique combination which creates the value behind the business, not the parts. Look at the whole experience, not only at the most visible pieces of the puzzle.
3. If They Copy You, You’re Good
One of the most accurate proofs that you’re doing a great job, is your clone trend. If your site / product gets cloned, you are in for something. If you’re not cloned at all, something must be wrong. Many young entrepreneur have this fear of not being copied. In fact, being copied is the only surefire sign that you’re good. Of course, you WILL have to deal with all the legal hassles of content theft or copyright infringement, that’s for sure, and I’m not advising in any way to ignore that. I’m just telling you this is a sign of success and should be treated like this.
4. Don’t Look For Traffic, Look For Trends
One of the most present obsession among online entrepreneurs is related to traffic. How much traffic I could generate with this project? In my opinion, traffic is overrated. At the speed of the Internet, traffic is becoming really volatile, users are bombed with loads of information each hour, so rough numbers are not a reliable way to judge your product impact. Instead of numbers of visitors, look for trends: how fast is the site growing / slowing down? Think in percentages, not in thousands of users.
5. The Network Effect
If you want to launch an online business, think twice. It may be worth to launch 5 online businesses at the same time and link them in a network. Maybe your flagship idea will consume most of your focus and resources, but having 2-3 satellite websites / projects orbiting the main product will have a bigger impact. Not to mention the learning advantage: you will incorporate much more knowledge from a network, than from a single product.
6. If You Don’t Like It, It Usually Won’t Work
If you don’t like your idea, but you ”feel“ it will generate lots of money, usually it will won’t work. It might generate lots of money, if it exploits some market uncovered niche, but without your enthusiasm fuel, it won’t be there for long. It will be extinct faster than a passion fueled idea. A good project must give you the thrills, not the only the money as empty numbers.
7. Fall In Love With Your Project
If you experience familiar sensations, like chills and butterflies in the stomach, whenever you’re thinking at your project, that’s a sign you’re falling in love with it. No, it’s not awkward. No, you don’t have to block those feelings. Let them express and treat your project like you would treat your beloved half. I’m not joking.
8. Measure, Measure, Measure
Always use all the available metrics to see where you are with your project. Don’t be fooled by your imagination nor let those wishful thinking episodes get in your way. Measure your impact. Watch your money, trends, team, partners and see what’s happening. Keep your eyes opened and be ready to cut if things are not looking as you would expect. Better sooner than later.
9. Manage The Break Up
Sometimes, your projects won’t work. Accept it. Even more, manage them carefully. Closing a project is a skill in itself, a skill that you’ll have to master. Each closed project may (and it should) give you resources for the next one. Just leaving debris floating around in the web universe will not make you popular, on the contrary. Not to mention the hidden costs of keeping those projects around.
10. Build A Community First
Your product (or process) will be useless without a backing community. It might be the next best thing since sliced bread, but if you don’t have a reasonable pack of people vouching for it by using it and promoting it every day, that product is as good as dead. Building a community first is one of the awkwardness of the online field, when you have to build a positive reaction around your product even before launching it for real.
11. Be Curious
Don’t assume you know everything. Allow yourself to be curious about stuff that looks interesting or intriguing. Creating good online products (or processes) is often the result of an unstoppable curiosity about ”why is this like this and not the other way around?“. Curiosity may have killed the cat, but that really has nothing to do with your projects. Really.
12. Your Projects Are Your Teachers
You learn by trial and error. There are no foolproof books on how to build a successful online business. Even this list is the result of my personal experience and believe me, it isn’t foolproof at all. It may or it may not work for you. And you will never know until you go out and start doing stuff. Don’t search for the perfect recipe of a successful online business because you will never find it. Just do stuff and you’ll learn how to do it by yourself.
13. Plan, Plan, Plan
Carefully write down every step you need for your project. Create milestones. Respect them. Try to predict any potential danger and take it into account. Planning thoroughly your projects will be the best service you can make to yourself and to your team. Sometimes you’ll realize the project is simply not worth doing, when you realize how much work really is involved. Sometimes you’ll realize you need fewer resources than you initially thought.
14. Build Discipline
You already have high goals, all you need is some discipline. The bigger your internal discipline, the higher your chances to respond well to market changes. Being disciplined won’t make the field less hectic, you’ll still be walking on very thin ice, but you’ll be able to react faster to external change.
15. The Excitement Stage
Each project has an excitement stage. It’s the beginning, the novelty, the thrills of making something happening. It will not be like this for ever. Many entrepreneurs are abandoning projects after this initial stage, and that’s a pity. Just use the fuel you get from this enthusiasm but still walk the path when the thrill is gone.
16. The Involvement Stage
After the excitement come the real action. This is where you actually start to implement the processes in your business. It’s a long and sometimes tedious interval. In my experience, the involvement is the most expensive part, in terms of time consumed, skills and money. This is where you build your business, stay there.
17. The Measuring Stage
This is where you start drawing lines and do the math. This is most of the time the moment you know if the investment was good or bad. It’s fundamental and you should not skip this under any circumstances. Be sure any project have a measuring stage, in which you can decide the resource allocation.
Saturday, August 14, 2010
how to make money online even as a begginer
Make Money From Home
Make Money at Home
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Make Extra Money never hurt anyone !
Thursday, August 12, 2010
KEYS TO BUSINESS SUCCESS
Though there are many factors that are key to creating business success, our analysis over the years indicates that the most successful companies have followed the following principles.
Follow the Process of AccomplishmentWhat enables companies to make giant leaps and great improvements in a short period of time? Is there a process that can be learned that we can follow that will bring about radically accelerated growth, profitability, and success in a company? We think there is. Develop core goals, strategies, and values at the top, see that they are fully committed to among top executives and managers, and then insure that they are communicated to and have the full endorsement of everyone in the company.
Core Values
In many recent business management books and journals, developing, adopting, and implementing values has been identified as perhaps the single key in the success of many high growth, high profit companies. A passion for a value and its implementation into the daily activities of work was identified by many as the single key to their business success. Implement your core business values in every system, activity, and operating procedure, down to every act in the company. Especially powerful values are Continuous Improvement, Customer Delight, Developing People, Maximum Utilization of Resources, and Innovation.
Organize and Systematize Everything
Make everything spotless and orderly in the company. Insure all job positions are well defined, all standard operating procedures are defined, and activities are clear. Turn every activity in the company into a system. Then coordinate systems to one another.
Coordinate Organization Components
Make your organization more "dense" by coordinating departments (or divisions, teams, and other components) with one another. For each department (or other component) think about how it can be coordinated with every other department (e.g. R&D with Sales, HR with R&D, etc., etc.). Then implement the best coordination ideas.
Commitment to People
Treat everyone in the company as family. Do everything you can to improve the morale, input, skills, energy, career, aspirations, and personal growth of every employee.
Customer Delight
The most successful businesses have discovered a formula that goes beyond product and service. Their business is providing delight to their customers by understanding their specific personal interests, anticipating their needs, exceeding their expectations, and making every moment and aspect of the relationship a pleasant -- or better yet, an exhilarating -- experience.
Awareness of Opportunities
Life is continuously throwing up new opportunities in every industry for those who have the eyes to perceive them. It does not require a visionary's genius, just an open mind and a will to see. New opportunities are constantly emerging because society is continuously evolving, and the rate of social development is greater today than at any prior time in recorded history.
Do everything in your power to be aware of, understand, and take advantage of the opportunities in the marketplace.
Align with Aspirations of Society
The greatest growth occurs at moments when companies align the development of these internal engines with the explosive emergence of new forces in society.
Personal Growth of Highest Management -- Often the greatest limitations to a company's growth is the limited capacities and character of its owners, and top officials. If they grow, the possibilities for the company are endless.
Determine Strengths and Weaknesses
Examine the strengths and weaknesses of the company and make a total commitment to overcome the most important weaknesses. One approach is to examine the strength and weaknesses of each of the five growth engines -- market, products & services, organization, people, and finance.
Openness
Be completely open to change, new opportunities, and new direction. Leave dead attitudes, habits, and opinions behind.
Unfailing Success
Follow through on every valid initiative (goals, plans, etc.). Consider if there is a positive, emotional attitude, and the persevering, unflagging effort to see that the initiative is carried out.
Overcoming Problems
Think of negatives as positives. Look at problems as opportunities for improvement, change, growth.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
HOW TO CHOOSE A PROFITABLE BUSINESS
A business isn't something you can choose off the shelf like a can of beans. The most profitable business for you to start won't be what someone else tells you will produce a lot of income. To be successful - and profitable - a business has to be something that matches up with your abilities, interests, skills, lifestyle, time available to work, personal contacts, ability to find new customers and the money you have available to launch the business. Many people build successful businesses by doing the same kind of work they did as an employee. For instance, people who work as artists often start their own graphic design firms. Writers sometimes start newsletter businesses or other businesses in the communications field. Corporate software developers start their own businesses as computer consultants or programmers. Some people get their start by turning former employers into customers. Others start successful businesses by turning hobbies into income-producing ventures. And sometimes people teach themselves new skills and then launch successful businesses based on those skills. Your best bet for finding the right business is to do a self-assessment. List all the things you know how to do and like to do. Consider ways that each can be turned into money. Then consider who would buy each of the things you might possibly sell and what you'd have to do to find those people to buy your product or service. Look for matches. Is there anything on your list of skills and interests that ranks high as far as the number of people who need that item or service? If so, do you know how to reach those people? And would you have enough money to launch the business and wait for a few months to get back your costs if you start to be successful? The more "yes" answers you can honestly give to any business idea, the more profitable it is likely to be for you. Good luck! |
Friday, July 30, 2010
PROFITABLE BUSINESS IDEAS.
Money-Making Business Ideas
Well, this is what every upcoming entrepreneur is looking for. Profit never remains same for all the businesses - this is very much related to who, where and how runs a business. This article has few tips to be considered while thinking about a profitable business idea.
Exposure and Expertise
Pick a business that you understand well, your expertise over the venturing plan should be par with any other experts on that business. Your exposure to the business is very vital as you are going to own and run it.
If you are currently working on similar business then don't quit your day job to start your own business until you are confident on your skill sets. If you are running a part time business and want to convert it to fulltime then don't leave your job unless you have enough money to feed your family and run a business. If you are planning to convert your hobby to a commercial business then make sure you gathered substantial information and developed adequate interest to make it a full fledged company.
Market Survey
In order to build a successful business you need to make ample market survey. A person can judge the product's potential, business competitors, marketing scopes and much more while doing an extensive survey. Look for the related content in internet, buy some books, talk to people from similar business, hire professionals to advice, etc. A smart businessman will never start a business before having adequate research.
Financial Baking
Arranging finance is most essential for a startup business, you might start a business but if you don't have a strong financial baking then you might risk your product. You must predict the breakeven time and arrange the funds in advance to run your business. There are many venturing firms, banks, private loan lenders in the market who can help in financing your company.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Cashing Out ... What is Your Business REALLY Worth?
Answer: Whatever someone else is willing to pay for it at the time.
That's a true statement as far as it goes but it doesn't take into
account that the way you arrive at a value for your business can
give you much-needed ammunition when it comes to justifying
your asking price and therefore allow you to influence what the
prospective purchaser is willing to pay.
Here's a quick primer of the various methodologies commonly
used for valuing businesses (for purposes of imminent sale or
otherwise):
1. Asset Valuation
This is used by businesses with predominantly physical assets,
especially inventory. Typical businesses that would use this
approach are manufacturing and retail. The valuation takes into
account the following figures: (a) the fair market value of fixed
assets and equipment; (b) the value of leasehold improvements;
(c) owner benefit (the seller's discretionary cash for one year -
comes from the adjusted income statement); and (d) inventory.
2. Capitalization of Income Valuation
This is used by businesses with predominantly intangible assets.
It places no value on physical assets, only intangibles. Typically
used by service businesses. Under this method, various factors
are given a weighting of 0-5 with 5 being the most positive score.
The average of these factors yields the "capitalization rate" which
is then multiplied by the buyer's discretionary cash (75% of the
owner benefit defined in 1. above) to arrive at the market value of the
business. The factors to be rated are: (a) owner's reason for selling;
(b) length of time the company has been in business; (c) length of
time the current owner has owned the business; (d) the degree of
risk; (e) profitability; (f) location; (g) growth history; (h) competition;
(i) barriers to entry; (j) future industry potential; (k) customer base;
and (l) technology.
3. Capitalized Earnings
This method is based on the rate of return anticipated by the
investor. Small businesses are expected to have a rate of return
of 20-25%. So, if your small business has expected earnings of
$10,000 for the year, its value may be $40,000 - $50,000.
4. Cash Flow
This method is simply based on how much of a loan the purchaser
could get based on the adjusted cash flow of the business. The
adjustments to cash flow are for amortization, depreciation and
equipment replacement. Obviously, when using this method, the
value of the business fluctuates with changing interest rates.
5. Discounted Cash Flow
This method discounts the business's projected earnings to adjust
for real growth, inflation and risk. It calculates the value today (i.e.,
discounted for time) of the business's future earnings.
6. Leapfrog Start-up
This is used when the buyer wants to save him or herself the
cost, time and effort of ramping up a new business. The buyer
estimates what it would have cost to do the startup less what is
missing plus a premium for saved time. The more difficult, expensive
or time consuming the start-up would otherwise be, the higher the
value that will be arrived at using this method.
7. Excess Earning Method
Similar to the capitalized earnings approach, but the return on assets
is separated from other earnings which are deemed "excess" earnings
generated. The return on assets is usually determined by industry
averages.
8. Owner Benefit Valuation
This method is based on the seller's discretionary cash flow. It is
usually used for businesses whose value comes from its ability to
generate cash flow and profit. The formula is to simply multiply the
the owner benefit by 2.2727.
9. Rule of Thumb Methods
These are rough guides based on industry averages. Many industry
organizations have developed methods for their particular industries.
They are highly unscientific and hardly rigorous but act as a good
"gut-check". You certainly wouldn't use them on their own but they
can be useful to check that the value you've arrived at using a more
scientific approach is in the ballpark.
10. Tangible Assets (Balance Sheet)
This method is basically a value of the business's current assets and
nothing else. Typically used where the business is losing money.
This approach will usually be utilized when selling the business is
just a matter of getting the best possible price for the equipment,
inventory and other assets of the business. A good strategy is to
approach other firms in the same business that would have a direct
use for such assets.
11. Multiple of Earnings
A multiple of the cash flow of the business is used to calculate its
value.
12. Value of Specific Intangible Assets
The value of the business is based on how much it would have cost
the buyer to generate the intangible asset. Typically used where
specific intangible assets that come with the business are highly
valuable such as a customer base. Customers with a high
likelihood of being retained are valuable in most industries.
The most appropriate valuation method for you depends very much
on the nature of your business. If you manufacture widgets, for
example, you'll want to use the asset valuation method. If you offer
website design services, on the other hand, you'll want to use the
capitalization of income method instead. If you're selling a web-
based business where the major asset is your high traffic volume
and/or list of ezine subscribers, you will probably want to use the
value of specific intangible assets method, such as 10 cents
per subscriber (or whatever the going rate is).
Is more than one valuation method applicable to your business?
If so, calculate the value of your business in accordance with
all of them and see which gives the best result (i.e., highest
value). Another good approach is to average your calculations
to get a reasonable ballpark figure.
Whichever method you choose, understand it inside out so
that when the time comes, you can authoritatively justify your
asking price to potential buyers. Pulling a figure out of thin air
without any substantiation whatsoever is much less impressive
than being able to say, with confidence, "I worked with my
advisers using a number of different methodologies to value the
business. We adopted the value of specific intangibles method
because the backbone of the business is our large, loyal ezine
subscriber database. We also calculated it on the basis of
capitalization of income, which yielded a similar value. I can
show you the calculations if it will help you see where the number
comes from."
By following this approach you may not necessarily get the
value you are after (for this reason, many sellers artificially
inflate their asking price so they have room to be negotiated
down), but at least you have a solid starting point for
negotiations and are much more likely to be able to negotiate
a price both buyer and seller are able to live with.
Elena Fawkner is editor of Home-Based Business Online. Best business ideas and opportunities for your home-based or online business.
HOW TO MAKE YOUR SMALL BUSINESS GROW
Rule 1 - It ain't as bad as you think, it will look better in the morning
If there's one experience universal to ALL home-business owners, particularly those running a business on the internet, it's the occasional feeling that you're just spinning your wheels, and not getting anywhere. The number of people who give up on their businesses just as they approach the brink of success is staggering. So hang in there and remind yourself, when things look bleak, that tomorrow is another day, things really aren't as bad as they seem and things really WILL look better in the morning.
Rule 2 - Get mad, then get over it
OK, I concede this is more general advice than home-business advice but it applies in your home business just as it does anywhere else. Resentment and unexpressed anger really don't hurt anyone but the person feeling resentful and angry. Have you ever noticed how completely unproductive you are when burdened by resentment and anger? So feel it, express it (constructively) and then move on. As the man said, "get over it".
Rule 3 - Avoid having your ego so close to your position that when your position falls your ego goes with it
Over the course of my career I have, from time to time, met people whose identity and sense of self-worth is so enmeshed in what they do for a living that they literally don't have an identity outside of their work. Because they rely on an external source for their self-esteem and confidence, they find it necessary to continually and relentlessly bolster their personal positions, often at the expense of others, often resorting to political maneuvring in the workplace to maintain and improve their supposed 'status'.
These people are the 'empire builders' you sometimes find in organizations. They jealously guard their power base all the while gathering unto themselves more and more responsibility, beyond the point of being able to do everything they take on.
Because their identity and sense of self-worth depends upon their position within their organization, what happens when their position disappears, such as in a corporate downsizing? It freefalls.
Don't let this happen to you. Remember that you are something separate and distinct from your business. Sure, you can be proud and pleased with your accomplishments but don't define yourself through them. Your self-worth is something that comes from inside your human self, not your business.
Ironically, keeping a professional detachment is more likely to secure the ultimate success of your business. Detachment brings perspective, objectivity and clarity, which helps you make better quality decisions.
Rule 4 - It can be done
Don't allow self-imposed limitations to restrict what you can and will do. You can do anything if you set your mind to it. Well, of course, it must be something that is within your power - you can't just set your mind on growing a third arm, for example.
But for anything that is within human power and capability, the saying "where there's a will is a way" is so true.
Get into the discipline of planning your life and where you want it to go. By setting goals and planning the steps that will help you reach them, you can achieve literally anything your heart desires.
Rule 5 - Be careful what you choose, you may get it
Following on from this, it should go without saying that what you set for your goals is something you truly want because if you do practice the discipline of goal setting you will surely get it.
Rule 6 - Don't let adverse facts stand in the way of a good decision
Keep your eye on the prize and don't be distracted by what's happening on the sidelines. Sure, you may not have entered the marathon had you known there were going to be 1,000 other runners but does that mean entering the marathon was a bad idea? No.
Make your decisions based on quality information and what's in the best interests of your business. If someone else comes along who represents competition for your business, don't be put off your game. Just run your own race. There's ALWAYS a way to distinguish yourself from your competition.
Rule 7 - You can't make someone else's choices. You shouldn't let someone else make yours
IGNORE your mother when she tells you you're crazy for chucking in your nice SAFE secure little job to start your own business. Follow your dream, no-one else's.
Rule 8 - Check small things
Like the fine print in contracts. Like the URL in that sales letter you've just put the finishing touches on. Like your spelling and punctuation. In other words, pay attention to detail.
Rule 9 - Share credit
You've heard the saying, "no man is an island". No woman is either. Remember and acknowledge the people who have helped and continue to help you get where you want to go. Acknowledge the achievements of others.
Rule 10 - Remain calm, be careful
Frenzy and recklessness are hardly the prescription for long-term success in your business. In the face of unexpected challenges, unexplained downturns in business or failure to achieve the results expected, recognize that these are just part of the thrust and parry of business life and use a calm, methodical approach to the problem.
Don't just react blindly or chuck away all your hard work and try something completely different unless a thorough, calm and careful investigation convinces you that you are completely off-beam.
Calmly analyze your situation and use your intelligence to correct the situation. Sometimes a one degree turn of the wheel is all that is required to get back on course, not a completely new rudder.
Rule 11 - Have a vision, be demanding
This rule goes hand in hand with rules 4 and 5. In order to set goals and plan ways to achieve them you must first set your vision. Think big, be brave. There is nothing you can't achieve so make sure your efforts are going to be for something truly worthwhile.
Rule 12 - Don't take counsel of your fears or naysayers
All of us have moments of self-doubt or even fear when embarking on a journey to an unknown destination. If what you have planned for yourself brings with it feelings of anxiety, nervousness, even fear, pay attention to them but don't take their counsel.
They are symptoms of grand thinking, of stretching beyond the boundaries of your comfort zone. As the book says, feel the fear and do it anyway.
Rule 13 - Perpetual optimism is a force multiplier
This rule is closely related to rule 1. Believe that things will work out, that they will look better in the morning, that everything's going to be OK. Repeat the words to yourself as a mantra if you must but instill a spirit of indomitable optimism in your outlook and you will attract success into your life.
Rule 14 - Sometimes being responsible means pissing people off
You can't please all of the people all of the time so don't waste your time or energy even trying. You have a responsibility to the ultimate success of your business and to your own personal success. If that means you occasionally have to say no to people to stay true to your objectives, do it. If it means you have to alienate some people because they don't personally agree with what you are doing, that's their problem.
In other words, stay focused on your plan. If others don't like it or agree with it, too bad.
Rule 15 - You never know what you can get away with unless you try
If you don't ask you don't get. And if you don't take you don't get. Leave nothing on the table. If an opportunity comes along, take it. It may not come again. And remember, in chaos there is opportunity. While everyone else is running around like chooks with their heads cut off, you just bring up the rear and clean up on all the opportunities that are just lying there for the taking among the chicken scratch.
Hindsight truly is 20/20, no doubt about it. Perhaps, like me, you're thinking that if you'd known then what you know now, you would have gone a lot further a lot faster. But as with any form of progress, it's the journey, not the destination, that provides the education and creates the experience and, through it, wisdom. And that's something no book can teach you and money can't buy.