Running a Successful Home-Based Business

ants his or her business to fail, but that prospect is something that every business owner must consider. Luckily there are steps you can take to help ensure your success. These steps are easy to follow and will help you to become a successful home-based business owner.

1. Plan ahead.

Take the time to make plans for every eventuality that may arise. From natural disasters to unexpected financial problems, you will need to have a plan that can be readily accessed to get you through a difficult time.

2. Put money aside

. Don't begin your business with delusions of overnight success. You'll need funds to tide you over while your business grows and becomes profitable. Put some money aside that you can tap into if necessary.

3. Organize your time.

Being a responsible business owner means managing your time wisely. Initially you will need to spend extra time making your vision a reality. Build that time into your schedule.

4. Organize your space. You can't run you business effectively if you are wasting time looking for an important receipt under reams of loose paper. Take some time to organize your home office and make sure you can function efficiently.

5. Stay focused. Family responsibilities, chores, TV, and the warmth of your own bed can all distract you from the task at hand. Remove as many distractions as you can from your home office and stay focused.

6. Figure out tax laws now, before it is too late.

Don't wait to research the tax laws that will impact your new business. Do your research now so you will be prepared come tax time.

7. Advertise your business. You can't afford to wait for your customers to come to you -- you need to go out and get them. Advertising is an investment, and spending money now to market your business effectively can pay big dividends down the road. (For tips, read Marketing Your Home-Based Business on the Internet and also the in-depth how-to report on buying search-engine keywords, AllBusiness.com Guide to Search Engine Marketing.

8. Get the proper equipment.

If you are running to the nearest Kinko's to send a fax, it is time to purchase the equipment you need to run your business correctly. It is an extra expense, but it's a necessary one.

9. Cover your assets. Don't wait for a natural disaster to destroy your entire inventory -- now is the time to purchase the insurance you need. Do not incur losses that could be avoided by having proper insurance. See Insurance for Home-Based Businesses.

10. Do not get discouraged. Success does not come overnight. It will require dedication, hard work, and a lot of extra effort to make it a reality. Many business owners quit when all they needed to do was hang in there for a few more months. This is your dream; do all that you can to keep it alive.

home based business ideas 2011

less than $100 bucks is a real possibility. Listen when I started online back in 2006 I didn’t spend a dime…. Seriously. I heard in a mlm conference call that starting a blog was a good way to connect with people who might be interested in start a home business via an mlm distributorship so I did. MLM sucks by the way and I don’t recommend it across the board. But really besides mlm is it possible to start a home based business for less than $100?
Yes… it is. So you probably want to know how to start a home based business online, or at least my idea, right? Well it comes down to information. When your talking about a online business idea, your talking about sharing information plain and simple. Sure there are eccomerce sites where folks can shop and buy products, but if you have 100 bucks and you want to be in business today (yes today) then I have a way better way to start a home based business.

How to start a home based business

Starting a business is really nothing more than beginning to build a system that will pay you while your not there. A job is a an opportunity to trade time for money, you give a unit of time you get a unit of money. One easy way to start a home based business online is to start a blog. I could say build website but right away about 60% of people would eliminate it as an option as they have no clue how to build a website.

Why Home Based Business?

If I want to take 4 or 5 months off, I can, and I like that. Actually I think I wrote a post a couple months ago about step by step ways to make money online, yes I did and that was the link. Alternatively just go start a free money making blog and get things going. I wrote another post about 3 Internet business ideas that will make money this year and next.
Rememeber home based businesses don’t have even a fraction of the start up costs that traditional business models do, that’s not to say you can’t get up there in budget but that’s just not how to start a home based business. Start by doing something you have a genuine interest in and go from there. There are litterally millions of ways to make money. The ideas to make money are endless, just think of a few right now.

Home Income Profit System

Working from home and earning a real income to replace a 9 to 5 job has been a dream for many people over the years, but unfortunately it remained a dream for many because there really were very few ways to make a real living from home. This was especially true for those who had no special talent or start-up money to invest. In short, no-one came around asking to hire people to work at home.
Small businesses called "cottage industries" did pop up here and there, such as dressmaking, tailoring, painting, baking cookies, and so on, and provided some home income profits, but a good sum of investment money was still needed, as well as permits and licenses, to get started, all that has changed with the growth of the internet. At the present time it is entirely possible to set up a home income profit system and earn a good living working from home.
For anyone interested in working from home and earning money online, the first step is to assess your talents and your interests. To avoid falling for the get rich quick scams on the internet, and set up a real internet business, you need a definite well-thought-out plan, but that can come later. To get started earning some quick money and find out if working on the internet is for you, you can do something simple such as selling products on one of the auction sites.
Many of these have classified ads now, too, and you do not even have to set up auctions or wait for them to end. You can sell physical products or information products that you or someone has researched and written. If you like to write, several websites will pay you to write well-researched and well-written articles of general or specific interest. To get physical products, go to flea markets or yard sales or look for "close-out lots" of items on the internet that you can buy in bulk and sell as singles for profit.
Any of these tips will help you to determine if selling or working from home is for you. You will learn how to interact with customers, and whether you actually like working alone, and have the discipline to work every day just as though you were in an office or other workplace.
A bit of research online will help you to find legitimate ways to earn a home income that will satisfy your needs.

My name Reinaldo

Medical Billing Home Business: Getting Started

The medical billing home business industry is one of the fastest growing home based endeavors that have proven to be a legitimate money generating one.There is now a rising demand for this type of service and a lot of people already have started to get into it. If you see this as a good home business for you, then here are some things that you need to know to get started.
First you need to understand what you will be doing. A medical billing home business service provider commonly handles insurance claims to get the payments for the doctors. You will also get involved with budgeting and other finance tasks to aid the physician in managing their claims. You should be an effective collector, especially if the insurance company or a patient refuses a claim.
Next you have to prepare yourself for the job. It's ideal to undergo billing and coding training prior to starting your business. Installing medical billing software to your computer is a necessity for the business as this will help make your job more efficient and reliable. Along with your computer, you will need other equipment and supplies like a desk, medical forms, reference books, filing cabinets, a fast internet connection, your own website and highly important, is a business license.
And finally, to get started on your medical billing home business, you will need clients. This is where your website will come in handy. Market your services. Let them know why you are the best choice for their billing needs. Sell yourself, and once you get started with a few clients, do your best and impress them so that they will recommend you.

Who is this for? I feel that this is suitable for:

Who is this for? I feel that this is suitable for:
-   Beginner internet marketers with no prior knowledge
-   People who have been trying to be successful for a while without much success.
-   People who want to create their own information product or improve the sales of their existing product.
-   People who want to do something new in their business such as setting up an affiliate program, doing video marketing or outsourcing.
- People like me who already work full time online but want some ideas on how to improve their business and earn more.
Pros – Lee over delivers massively with this product. The 10 hours of video content are worth more than 10 times the price he is charging and the quality is top notch. Lee’s enthusiasm is infectious and the videos are very easy to watch because of this. The transcripts are a very nice added bonus.
Cons – The only thing I didn’t like about this was the number of upsells. My preference is for 1 upsell, or 2 at most. However, these are easy to reject if you don’t want them and there are no sneaky tricks to get you to unwittingly sign up to a recurring product (unlike some products I have seen).
Verdict – This is without a doubt the best product I’ve purchased this year (2010) and one of the best value products I have seen in my 6 years of internet marketing. If you are even considering creating your own product, or if you want to improve your results online, I highly recommend this. I learned a lot of different things from these videos and came up with a few ideas for my own business so make sure you have a pen and paper handy when you watch them!
I hope you found this review of Instant Internet Lifestyle to be helpful. If you have any questions about it that weren’t answered in the review please feel free to leave a comment below.

Instant Internet Lifestyle Review

If you are considering purchasing this product, but have a few questions or doubts, you may want to read the Instant Internet Lifestyle review below to help you decide if it is the right choice for you.
As with all my product reviews, I actually purchased this product and used it before writing the review, so you can be assured that this is a genuine review, rather than a sales pitch.
What is It? – Instant Internet Lifestyle consists of a number of video recordings from a live internet marketing workshop called the “Inside Out Upside Down Workshop”. This workshop lasts 2 days and originally cost $997 a ticket.
How Much is it? – The cost for access to the videos is $19.95 (one-time payment). This is fantastic value considering how much the live workshop cost.
Sales Process – You can pay by credit or debit card via 2checkout and it is a quick and easy sales process. There are a number of upsells during the purchase (a little too many in my opinion), but there is no danger of buying these by mistake as the price is clearly marked, and if you hit the “Yes please” link by mistake (like I did) you can’t buy the upsell without typing in your credit card details again (thankfully as that would have landed me a rather hefty credit card charge!). Once your payment has been accepted you get instant access to the product with the email address and password that you chose.
Download – After payment you get instant access to a password protected members area. Once you have logged into the members area you can just press play on the first videos to view it live online. All the other videos from his workshop are downloadable so you can download them to your computer and watch them offline whenever you wish. If you don’t have a good internet connection this may not be for you as video files are very large. However… one great thing is that Lee also provides a transcript of the full workshop. So if you have internet problems, have hearing difficulties or if you just prefer reading rather than watching, you can download these 8 PDF files.
The Product – The first video is just under an hour long and is a great introduction. Lee explains how anyone can create their own product in less than a day without a lot of effort. He covers a number of different ways to do this, a few of which I hadn’t thought about myself. Here is a screenshot of inside the member area:
After video one, there are 8 videos from his workshop to download. These videos cover the following areas:
1.   Momentum Marketing Madness – in this first workshop video Lee explains how he got started on EBay and how his online business progressed after that. He talks about how it is possible to be successful online even when you have no contacts and how he grew his business in quite a different way from many of the online gurus you may have heard of. As the name of this video suggests, the main topic of discussion is momentum and how to keep your momentum in your business.
2.   Massive Monthly Pay Rise – in this video Lee talks about the “Monthly Pay rise Method”. This is good for people who already have an online business as it will give you some ideas how to increase your monthly profits. It is also well worth watching if you do not have a business yet because you’ll learn the wrong and the right way to get started. You’ll also learn something very important about picking your target market.
3.   4x Profit Method – this video focuses on how you can get maximum value out of every product you create, so this is great if you already have a product or if you are just thinking about creating one.
4.   Deep Connection Dynamics – this video is all about making large profits with a very small list by giving more and selling less. This is probably different to any other advice you have every heard on making money from a list. Lee makes it very interesting by telling us lots of real life examples.
5.   Automatic Traffic Control – this video covers how you can get anyone in your market to promote your product for you without having to promise a reciprocal mailing. Lee went from zero profits to $100,000 plus in two years using this method.

Home Based Business Tax: Great Advantages and Benefits

The great advantages and benefits of the home based business tax that come from running a home business has now gotten even better. Many of us got into the home based business industry driven by the need to make extra income. With just a small space for our computer and other home office supplies, along with a couple of hours, and a great knowledge about the internet and the niche our business is in, we have been able to generate a sizeable income to supplement our daily needs, and maybe a little something for a vacation perhaps.
As the home based business industry grew to epic proportions, the government has seen its importance in helping the economy and has promoted the rise of work at home entrepreneurs by providing tax breaks.

Before you apply these tax breaks when you file your next taxes, you should first consider these four aspects to see if you qualify for the home based business tax.

First you need to have a dedicated area in your home as your office and it should be used exclusively for that purpose and regularly utilized. Second, your home business should show that it was built to realize profits, and not just to avail of the tax breaks. Its structure should show that it is designed for generating profits. You should also be able to prove that you consistently and regularly work on your business for at least four or five times each week and devote no less than one to four hours each day.
Some of the deductibles that you can claim include; your office equipment, communication fees, website costs and fees, promotional materials, internet access, computer, meals, dental and medical, and a number of others as long as you are able to prove that they were solely utilized for business purposes.

Note: If you're looking for an honest, ethical, and legitimate opportunity to generate a full-time income

Social Bookmarking Demographics

This post is about the social bookmarking demographics reported in the Royal Pingdom Blog.
Selling stuff, any stuff, is a lot more effective if you know something about the people you are selling to and can tailor your message to them. This holds true irrespective of whether your revenue is coming from online or offline sales.
Online marketers, looking to leverage traffic from social bookmarking sites, will be interested in a new survey completed by the Pingdom people, which provides an insight into the male to female ratios of visitors to those

Selling stuff, any stuff, is a lot more effective if you know something about the people you are selling to and can tailor your message to them. This holds true irrespective of whether your revenue is coming from online or offline sales.
Online marketers, looking to leverage traffic from social bookmarking sites, will be interested in a new survey completed by the Pingdom people, which provides an insight into the male to female ratios of visitors to those sites.
The quick statistics make interesting reading:

The average ratio of all 19 sites was 47% male, 53% female.
If they hadn’t included the three social news sites, all of the sites would have had more females than males.
84% (16 out of 19) of the sites have more female than male users.
The social news sites Digg, Reddit and Slashdot have significantly more male users than female. The standout here is Slashdot which has 82% male users.
Twitter and Facebook have almost the same male-female ratio; Twitter with 59% female users and Facebook with 57%.
The most female-dominated site? Bebo (66% female users), closely followed by MySpace and Classmates.com (64%).

The full list of sites included in the study was:
Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace, Twitter, Slashdot, Reddit, Digg, Delicious, StumbleUpon, FriendFeed, Last.fm, Friendster, LiveJournal, Hi5, Imeem, Ning, Xanga, Classmates.com, Bebo and the study drew data from Google’s Ad Planner service.
The original article includes a nice graph of the results.

bussiness oportunities

With 2009 almost dusted, its time to start looking to the best business opportunities for 2010.
According to About.com Small Business Canada a lot of the best business opportunities are green.
With so much concern for the environment consumers are looking more closely at ways to buy their food and technology in an environmentally friendly manner.
Green Technologies

Grants and loans abound at present to fund projects to help solve environmental problems. Irrespective of if you have bought into the gravity of climate change or not, the government has put aside significant funds to tackle the issues. This in turn provides a good opportunity to get a business up and running with the aide of the Government with market demand having been established.
Green Construction

Consumers want there new home or upgraded one to have as low an environmental impact as possible. This will develop into a high demand for homes which meet ratings standards such as R-2000, BuiltGreen and LEED. If you are able to supply green materials, techniques or certifications there is a ready demand for your product.
Senior Renovations

DIY or Home renovation has always been a good market. Increasingly Seniors are looking to stay in their own homes longer and make their lives easier. Finding a niche is the key to success, start thinking about special bath fittings and ramps then think much further there is a solid market waiting to be satisfied.
Senior Care

There is an increasing demand for the senior care range of products. Supplying in-home care, starting a rest home, providing in home services (running errants, housekeeping, preparing meals) are in demand. Check out senior franchises as an alternative market entry point.
Business Security

Businesses will increasingly look to strengthen their security. Different sized businesses have widely different needs leading to a number of niche opportunities from locks to alarms to biometric security.
Nutrition Consulting

There is and increasing concern about food, how its made and where it comes from. This has translated into a grow industry for nutritionists. People are looking for advice about healthy living. There is also an opportunity for naturopaths.
Local Food Suppliers

With an increasing awareness of food origins people want to know where exactly where an how it was made. This is leading to increasing demand for food grown locally and naturally. Farm gate sales and farmers market sales are increasing and restaurants and retail markets focusing on local food represent good business opportunities.
Heating and Cooling Products

With governments around the world boosting environmental grants for consumers this industry will see good growth this year. A consumer who installs a heat pump will not only save money long term but now they get a grant from the government to install it. Smaller businesses who install these products will do well over the next few years.
Social Media Marketing/Management

Social Media is everywhere right now. However many small businesses don’t know how to get the best out of it. If you have skills in social media marketing and can deliver you business will enjoy significant market demand.
These are good business opportunities because they are well positioned taking into account business trends, consumer trends and the economy. They should show good profit for many years.
When considering any one of these opportunities, you need to understand that not every opportunity will fit every person. Always do the basics, properly scope the opportunity, do your homework and always write a business plan before setting of on your next adventure !

Internet Marketing

Internet marketing is a very large subject. I’m not a guru and I never met anyone who knew it all.
Something important to remember is that the market is always changing. To be successful you must be prepared to constantly test and try new ideas. Never take anything for granted and always look for improvement.
The purpose of the internet marketing 4p section is to provide you with a framework around which to build your online marketing plan.
Internet Marketing has similar principles, just a different delivery, to the bricks and mortar world.
One thing is very clear. Unless you proactively promote yourself and your product, your business will die.
OK. lets think this through. You have something you want to sell on the Internet. How should you go about it ?
There is an old formula with which to put a framework around your thinking. Its called the 4P’s. Here is a summary:

Product:

Make sure that your product is something that is useful to your intended customers.
Does it solve a problem or make their life better in some way?
Make sure the product actually does what it says it does (ideally you should buy it and use it yourself)
Check the quality, does it work ALL the time?
Is it packaged so that its easy for you to sell and deliver to your customer.
Is the brand recognized or is it associated with a recognizable brand ?
Is your brand consistent with your product ?
What about after sales service and follow-up
Is that guarantee really a guarantee ?

Price:

How is the product priced compared to the competition
Are customers prepared to buy at this price
How much commission is built into the price and do you want to lower the price by rebating some of the commission. You might rebate the upfront to get the ongoing commission.
Price is interesting, sometimes higher pricing has a positive effect on sales, it always pays to experiment.

Place:

How will you deliver the product to the customer. Will you drop-ship, email, have it available for download, deliver as a series through an auto-responder ?

Promotion:

What channels will you use for promotion. Will it best sell via:
Your mailing list
Your Ezine
Article Writing for other peoples Ezine
Downlines in the programs you belong to
A Safelist
Pay Per Click advertisingPay To Read
Adsense
Traffic exchanges
Viral marketing
Your website
Your Blog
Your Ebook
Your IM List
When team with other people to help you sell, what is in it for them?
What is the best methods of communicating with your customers by this I mean words, pictures, movie, splash page
Will you make your own collateral or use the company supplied material.

earning money online emerging

It is simple and easy for first time users to search or create a free account. As soon as the registration process completed, this person would basically describes the kinds of services that he or she would want to offer. Content writers could offer their creating services, artists can design artwork or simple crafts and marketing experts could provide advertising services for affordable prices. Once a gig is created, the seller can also establish the amount of days that the work will take to complete.
As opposed to several other micro worker sites like Fiverr, this site will charge the least commission and will just subtract a small charge to pay for server expenditures. Payments will be paid through PayPal as soon as the money is cleared.
All in all, the controls are much easier to learn, the turnaround period for services are very fast and it is fairly simple to earn extra money at anytime.
Thank you for reading our articles.
Buyers will basically search the site to find the service that they're interested in; buy a service; pay the money; get in touch with the seller explaining their requirements and then wait around to get the completed job. Buyers are able to order gigs using PayPal from http://www.buyagig.com (income from gigs), credit cards or PayPal. All personal information and communication will be kept secure
This post is about a product called TweetAdder and was inspired by a sale on Flippa.
The seller was selling their domain name tweetadderpro.com along with an affiliate account at tweetadder.com.
TweetAdder is a piece of software which automates the process of getting followers to a Twitter account. Because any message you post to Twitter is also copies to all your followers, the more followers you have the more people will see you tweets and the more powerful you can promote your product.
The office is coming home. This is perhaps the greatest trend in American workplace over the last fifteen to twenty years. New technologies, plus a change in the way we, as a society, think about work, has led to many people leaving the cubicle for the freedom of the home office.
But home is not merely an extension of the office. It is a home base for many entrepreneurs who are looking to find the next great franchise opportunity. So many home-based businesses have sprouted up over the last few years, it’s hard to keep to track of them all. Luckily, there are portals like Franchise Direct, which point entrepreneurs to the best opportunities out there at the moment.

Work at Home and Sell Online

online emerging at a fast pace, individuals are quickly taking advantage of those ways in order to earn some quick revenue while at home. You can find numerous micro worker websites which offer easy jobs for anyone who would like to generate an income online. Furthermore these job opportunities enable you to earn a living during your free time and will be a great way to collect some fast cash. Presently, there are lots of odd jobs accessible for you to do, plus yet another good approach would be to outsource those jobs to get a few dollars.
Are you looking for a way to start up an online business but you're unclear about how to locate clients or even how to appeal to them? If your answer is yes, then a websites labeled Microworkers can make it very easy for you to get in touch with sellers and consumers. Simply by signing up to get a free account, any new user will be able to either look for a service which interests him for free, $3 up to $100.00 or this individual could sell a particular service to generate earnings.
With a business model of hooking up both seller and consumer, individuals who check out the website could really discover how far individuals are prepared to go in order to earn $3 or maybe more. Students are able to generate gigs which enable them to put fliers of a person's website or company around campus, whilst companies which are already recognized can utilize the website to get new customers who are fascinated with their services.
Nowadays, with the troubled economic system and millions of people out of work, this site could in fact benefit people who want to become entrepreneurs. This website also provides many different services at incredibly low prices for $5 or even more, based on what you need to get completed. The lower prices as well as the capability to satisfy the requirements of individuals searching for jobs are extremely beneficial.
It is simple and easy for first time users to search or create a free account. As soon as the registration process completed, this person would basically describes the kinds of services that he or she would want to offer. Content writers could offer their creating services, artists can design artwork or simple crafts and marketing experts could provide advertising services for affordable prices. Once a gig is created, the seller can also establish the amount of days that the work will take to complete.

Necessary To Succeed With My Make

money with your own online business?. Keep reading my make money review to learn the fundamentals, skill sets and determination needed to make money online. With the state of the economy, people making less and companies in an effort to improve their bottom line abusing their employees, the Internet is becoming the place people turn to for answers. In this article we are going to address how to properly position yourself for success working from home.
First off, making enough money working from home to support yourself is a business not a hobby. Treat it like a hobby, and it will pay you like a hobby. Make the commitment before you start on your journey to invest in yourself by never stop learning about your industry, and learning new skill sets. If you are currently working for a company, consider how that company conducts itself in order to stay in business. In order for you to be successful you must apply the same policy to your own online business.
Write out a clear and concise business plan. Earning a living from the Internet can be very confusing and somewhat overwhelming. There are thousands of physical and E-book products available for you to sell on the Internet. Without a clear plan of attack, you can quickly become lost and frustrated. Before aligning yourself with a company or product....think about your strengths and weaknesses, establish your income goals, do some research and familiarize yourself with doing business online. Write all these things down to create your business plan, and stay focused.
To make money online review your tool inventory. Yes, you do need tools to properly do business online. Just like a Carpenter or a Dentist needs their tools, you will need to arm yourself with some basic tools. Here are just some of the basic tools needed to do business properly and profitably on the Internet. A website, hosting, SEO training material, marketing training material, domain names, autoresponders and more. I have always found that you get what you pay for, and the same applies to Internet business tools. Investing in tools that are sub-standard can effect your ability to profit and profit quickly. Only invest in what you need, do not become a victim to all the hype you see on the Internet. Before buying something ask yourself if you really need that tool at this time.
Determination and persistence are basic skill sets you will need to master in order to have any success online. Overnight riches are very rare, especially if you are just starting out. We have all heard of the rags to riches stories, but the naked truth is that it takes time to build an online business. It takes time to learn new skill sets, build up your list, get ranked on the search engines and more. Your ability to stay focused and motivated will help when things are not going as planned, and that will happen. Set aside time on a daily basis to invest in yourself by implementing a variety of techniques. You could meditate, read a motivational book or maybe take a online E-course.
In summary, Take the time to properly prepare yourself, keep focused, stay motivated and properly educate yourself. By learning these new skill sets and writing out a business plan you can see your lifestyle change.
To your success,
Gerald Stidham
Discover One Of The Most Effective Step-By-Step Money Making Systems In Existence... If you are looking for a Step By Step system, developed by millionaires, and proven to generate long term Residual Income from home.

Marketing effectiveness is the measurement of the results compared to the money spent. The return on marketing investment (ROMI) should create a reasonable profit for marketers. For this reason, effective marketing is highly focused on results. To get a result favorable to the ROMI, strategic management of the entire
Marketing Effectiveness on wiseGEEK:

Creativity in terms of ad copywriting and graphic design means nothing to paying clients without marketing effectiveness. While some advertising agencies focus on creative ads and winning awards, marketing agencies are concerned primarily with results.
Others hold that the stock must continue to move in advance of the market, effectively maintaining a consistent lead on the increase or decrease of similar stocks in an identified sector of a market, or the market overall.

Diversity marketing may target a particular ethnic group. For example, a company may determine that it wishes to market its products differently to its Hispanic customers than to its Asian or Caucasian customers. When the company makes this determination, it is on the belief that the Hispanic segment of the population that may be interested in its product will have a different cultural idea or perception of the product or marketing based on the shared cultural background of the Hispanic community. The company must be careful not to stereotype a given segment of the market population, while still paying attention to the cultural ideals that unify a racial, ethnic or cultural group.

Vendor Paperwork: Waiving the White Flag of Surrender

There comes a point in every retail and manufacturing company's evolution when dealing with the mountain for paperwork involved in vendor or supplier transactions becomes overwhelming. You can scale your ability to issue purchase orders, acknowledge advance shipping notices and process invoices with additional people temporarily. But any successful company knows better standards and automation have to be put in place to really grow.
An industry standard for transmitting data back and forth--including purchase orders, invoices and many more documents--is called Electronic Data Interchange or EDI. For those at larger retailers and manufacturers, this may be old hat. But for many, it's a huge eye opener into how you can work smarter, not harder. There are a few hurdles, however, in implementing EDI.
Setting up an EDI translator or doing EDI mapping for how you prefer to send and receive EDI transactions can be expensive and involve extensive IT resources. While some companies have the budget and staff for this, most don't. Many turn to EDI software providers such as Direct EDI. The Internet EDI or Web EDI industry has grown up around enabling retailers and manufacturers to exchange documents and complete transactions online, as a service. This means the creation and flow of purchase orders, advance shipping notices, invoices, etc. all happens in an EDI tool that connects buyers and vendors virtually. It becomes a very simple action to create standardized communication for both parties and have it excha

nged seamlessly.

Music Business/Law Tips - "Infringement" (Part 2)

Under the Copyright Act, the copyright owner is entitled to several remedies. Along with the damages suffered, the writer can obtain attorney's fees and court costs. In some instances, the writer can obtain profits of the infringer and an injunction. However, in order to take advantage of the full remedies under the Copyright Act, the song must be registered with the U.S. Copyright Office. Moreover, it is important to not delay in bringing the infringement suit once the infringement is discovered. Otherwise, the suit might be barred by what is known as the "statute of limitations". The party sued for infringement may raise certain defenses which are exceptions to copyright infringement. For instance, the doctrine of "fair use" allows a work to be copied if there is no "profit" motive (e.g., for education, research, news). Another legitimate defense is that the new work is a parody of the original work.

Although copyright registration is not mandatory under the Copyright Act of 1976, songwriters are encouraged to officially register their works because if an infringement situation arises, it will be easier to recover damages.

Ben McLane Esq
benmclane.com Read More...

Ad Preview and Diagnosis: Together at Last

We recently introduced a new version of the Ad Preview Tool that integrates ad diagnosis: instead of simply showing you a preview of the search results for a given keyword, the tool now also tells you if your ad is showing for that search. If not, you can see the reason why.

Now that you can preview and diagnose your ads in a single location, we’re retiring the separate Ads Diagnostic Tool and directing you to the Preview Tool instead. We’ll consolidate names too; you’ll see a single Ad Preview & Diagnosis tool under your account’s Reporting and Tools tab in the future.

Over the last several months, we’ve also worked to integrate diagnosis options directly into your Campaigns tab. If you’ve been using the Ads Diagnostic Tool option to diagnose many keywords at once, don’t worry -- you can find it without leaving your Keywords tab! Just click “Diagnose keywords...” under the “More actions” menu to get integrated diagnosis results directly on the page:

(click for full size image)

To interpret the distribution of results more quickly, click the “Filter results” link, then “Show diagnostic status” in the filter panel that opens. This will open additional filter options that are specific to the results returned by a diagnosis. Here, we’ve used filters to focus only on keywords that aren’t triggering ads due to budget, bid, or Quality Score issues:

(click for full size image)

With filters, it’s easy to focus on a specific set of issues and then make the necessary changes to get ads back up and running!

You can find more information on the integrated keyword diagnosis feature in our announcement from last summer, or visit our Help Center for additional details.

Posted by Dan Friedman, Inside AdWords crew Read More...

Every Home Business Owner Should See Richard St. John’s 8 Secrets of Success – TED Talk

Up until now I have not had a video in any of my posts. But this one I would like to share with you because I like the message that Ted is relating to and that is "Success!"

Bronzi Home Based Business Tips Read More...

Review Local Bookkeepers: How to Locate Bookkeeping Services?

In any form of business, bookkeeping is considered to be very important. It is because of its usefulness in tracking the finances and transactions of the business. If you wish to make sure that your business operates in a very smooth manner, you need to consider hiring the best bookkeeper in your area. In order for you to obtain an absolute guarantee that you will be choosing the best bookkeeper, it is important for you to review local bookkeepers. You have to do this in order for you to find the most loyal and reliable bookkeeper in your area. Through this, you will have an assurance that everything related to your finances is recorded and reported securely.
When you review local bookkeepers, it is important for you to first determine the specific bookkeeping needs of your business. You have to know exactly what kind of service your business needs so you will be able to easily identify the best possible options for you. Any bookkeeping software usually provides basic accounting functions like general ledger, accounts payable, accounts receivable and cash functions but depending on the type of industry that you have, you may require more accounting functions. So it is important for you to find out what specific functions your business requires in order for you to pick the best choice.
It is also advisable for you to study the associated costs once you review local bookkeepers. If you wish to look for affordable bookkeeping software, make sure that you exercise extreme caution. You should also know that learning the bookkeeping software that you have chosen and the training costs involved once you start training your accounting staff is usually more expensive than the initial purchase cost of the software. Because of this, you have to prepare a substantial amount to ensure that the software will work to your best advantage.

Local Bookkeeping Service: Contact the Best Bookkeepers

For a business to obtain success, it must be able to apply a strong and effective method in terms of recording transactions. It is because the financial aspect of a business is something that a business owner should constantly take care of. If a business owner is unable to keep track of all his business transactions, there is a great possibility that he will fail. Because of this, it is important for a business owner to know where his business stands in terms of its finances. It will allow him to immediately find out if his business is doing well in terms of profitability. This is also the reason why the best local bookkeeping service is something that a business owner should find once he starts doing business.
If you are contemplating of starting your own business, it is advisable for you to think beforehand how you are going to record all your business transactions. You should be able to start looking for the best bookkeeping service in your area. When it comes to finding the best local bookkeeping service, you have to make sure that you know exactly what your business needs. You should also look for those bookkeeping services that are suitable for the size and type of your business. Determining the bookkeeping needs of your business is something that you should take into full consideration prior to choosing your local bookkeeper. Keep in mind that you will be recording sensitive financial transactions so you have to make sure that these are recorded in a secure manner. You should also research about what particular bookkeeping service will help you immediately keep track of all your business transactions. This will allow you to quickly and easily monitor all your transactions.
Once you know what kind of bookkeeping services your business needs, then it is time that you start looking for the most suitable bookkeeper in your area. You can avail of the best local bookkeeping service if you know exactly who to trust. Make sure that you look for those bookkeepers who are willing to provide you the most accurate financial information possible. You also need to include in your qualifications the reliability and expertise of bookkeepers. As an advice, never hire a friend or a relative. If you wish to hire one of your friends or relatives, make sure that you will be choosing a professional one. Make sure that he has expertise in providing you the best bookkeeping service. It is quite risky for you to hire someone who is not knowledgeable enough in the field of bookkeeping.
Finding the best service is something that you should never do impulsively. You have to spend some time researching about each of your available choices. Keep in mind that all your business transactions contain sensitive financial data so you have to make sure that it is recorded in a very safe manner. Because of this, it is advisable for you to seriously study all your options. Through this, you will be able to find bookkeeping services that is perfect for the kind of business that you have.

Determinants of Profit - From the View Point of Variable Costing!

The cost of production and volume of sales are the inter-dependent determinants of profit. The analysis of cost behavior in relation to the changing volume of sales and its impact on profit is very important to determine the break even level of a firm. The level at which total revenue equals total costs, is said to be the break even level where there is no-profit or no-loss. Sales beyond break-even volume bring in profits. Generally production is preceded by the process of demand forecasting, to decide on the volume of production, the produce of which will be absorbed by the market. Pricing and promotions come at a later stage. Costing is done to predict the costs of production and resultant profits at various levels of activity.
CVP analysis or Cost-Volume-Profit analysis helps a firm to study the interrelationship between these three factors and their effect on clean profit. The process also includes an analysis about the external factors that affect the volume of production, such as market demand, competitor threat and internal factors such as availability of infrastructure, capital and labor force, indeed.This CVP analysis is a boon to the managers, in that, they can find out the bottlenecks that hinder the productivity and find a way out, by adjusting either the levels of activity or controlling the cost.
Pricing is the most important factor that makes your product competitive. The costs of production can be classified into fixed costs, variable costs and semi variable costs. Fixed costs remain constant and tend to be unaffected by the changes in volume of output. Whereas variable costs vary directly with the volume of output and semi-variable as the name implies are partly fixed and partly variable. Cost accountants of the modern era fully support variable costing for the purpose of cost accounting, listing its merits as follows:

Variable costing talks about contribution margin, which is the excess of sales over variable costs. If this is going to be high, sufficient enough to cover the fixed costs, then profit is assured for the firm. It is a key factor to determine the percentage of profit.
Variable costing assigns only those costs to a product that varies directly with the changing levels of production, which is helpful in making a distinction of profit made from sales and those resulting from changes in production and inventory.
Segregating the costs into fixed and variable is done for the purpose of providing information to reflect cost-volume-profit relationships and to facilitate management decision-making and control.

The Benefits Of An Invoice Factoring Company

A common problem which most small and medium sized businesses have to face is the long wait for payment from their customers. Usually the payments for the invoices get delayed for about 30 to 60 days. This can prove to be quite a difficult phase for the businesses which are on their growth mode and adding customers on a daily basis. Within a short span of time, the company has a lot of money accumulated in the form of "accounts receivable" but very little in the bank account to show for it. The solution for this problem lies in the process that is called invoice factoring.
The best thing about invoice factoring is that it enables you to turn your slow paying invoices into ready cash. An invoice is nothing but a customer's promise to pay the amount that is due. An accounts receivable factoring company specializes in purchasing these kinds of debts. They buy your invoice and provide you with instant cash. Hence, they are the ones who participate in the waiting game whereas you can use the money to grow your business.
But not all companies will qualify for these kinds of services. There are a few benchmarks that you need to achieve so that you can help your business grow with the assistance of an invoice factoring company. First and foremost, you have to do business with commercial customers. Secondly, your company should have some profits or at least plan to have one really soon. Obviously, an invoice factoring company would not want to run into losses, hence, they have to make sure that your business is a promising one. Last but not the least; your business should not have a profit margin of less than 20%.
The process of receivable factoring involves two installment sales. The first installment, commonly known as the advance is paid as soon as the submission of the invoices is over. This payment could range from 60 to 90% of the gross value of the invoices. The second installment comes through when the clients finally make the payments. The fees for factoring will get deducted from the second installment.
If you are looking for a reliable invoice factoring company, Texas is where you will be able to find some of the best ones. Visit Mazon Associates Inc. for accounts receivable funding that will enable your business to grow in leaps and bounds.

Advantages Of Invoice Factoring Services

For a small or medium sized business, no challenge can be as big as having to wait for the payment from customers. The delay can range from about 30 to 60 days during which, carrying on with the day to day running of the business becomes extremely difficult. This delay can cause a severe cash crunch because no matter how much money you have accumulated in the form of invoices, there is absolutely nothing in the bank accounts for you to show. This dearth in cash will make it difficult for you to pay your employees as well meeting your current orders. Thus, seeking the assistance of invoice factoring services is an extremely good idea under such circumstances.
Invoice factoring, which is also known as accounts receivable factoring is a financial service with the help of which owners of small businesses can make use of the power of their invoices. These invoice factoring services purchase the invoice from you and give you ready cash in return. An invoice is nothing but a promise from your clients that they will pay you on a later date. So these companies are the ones who wait for the payment whereas you can use the money to expand your business.
What is important for you to understand is that this particular service is not going to be available for every small business. There are certain requirements that you have to meet in order to be considered eligible for the same. First and foremost, you need to do business with a commercial client. Secondly, your company should have made some profits because the invoice factoring services would not want to be a part of a business that is running in losses. Thirdly, the profit margin for your company should be more than 20%. If you are able to fulfill the above criteria, the invoice factoring services will be glad to help you out.
If you are wondering how the entire process works, there are absolutely no complexities involved in it. The payments by the invoice factoring services are made in two installments. The first installment covers about 60 to 90% of the gross value of the invoice. The rest of the amount is paid only after the client makes the payment. The charges for the services are deducted from the second installment.
If you are looking for reliable invoice factoring services, Texas residents can now visit Mazon Associates, Inc.

How To Get A Merchant Account

The world of the Internet is fast growing, especially for buyers and sellers. If you are a businessman who has just launched an online shop, you can expect a lot of things to happen. People these days turn to the Internet for almost anything and everything they need. From a college degree to the latest dental gadgets, most would just go online instead of come to a physical store to get what they want. That's why putting your business on the Internet is surely one of the best decisions you've made. However, in order to meet online consumers' expectations, you also have to do more than this, and this includes getting an online merchant account.
Why do you need an online merchant account? First of all, people shop on the Internet not only so they could view their options online. If you put yourself in a consumer's shoes, you'll know that it is very convenient, indeed, for them to window shop in the comfort of their own PC's. They don't have to leave their home or office. They don't have to leave their desk and drive down to a store. They can do everything with just a little typing and some mouse clicks. The bad thing for them is when they've actually chosen what they want to buy, but they can't complete the transaction because they website they're in does not accept credit card payments. This is surely a source of disappointment for most, if not all, online shoppers. To avoid this with your own customers, you need to be able to accept credit card payments and that is by getting a merchant account.
A merchant account is an account that allows you to legally accept credit card payments. You can obtain it from a merchant bank or a credit card processor. If you have just opened your business, you may have a hard time getting your application with a merchant bank approved. This is because these banks do not usually grant accounts to businessmen who do not have an established position in the market. In other words, if you have just started, it is likely that your application will be disapproved. A credit card processor, however, will not have as stringent requirements as a merchant bank. This means, even if you've just begun with your business, you can already apply for a merchant account and getting your application approved will take a much shorter time.

Bogus Bookkeeping: Are Your Books and Records Like the Harry Potter Movies?

In the article: STUDIO SHAME! Even Harry Potter Pic Loses Money Because Of Warner Bros' Phony Baloney Net Profit Accounting by Mike Fleming, the latest leaked report shows that even though the Harry Potter movie grossed almost $1 billion dollars in sales, it still has not made a penny in profit. How is this possible? How do they do it? You may even ask this question of many of the companies on the public markets today.
Well, it's not that hard, anyone can put together numbers and manipulate financial reports to look the way they want them to.
In the article, it discusses how for the Harry Potter movies it's a matter of the method of accounting they have chosen to use. They calculate it on a net profit basis. This means the amount that is left over from revenues earned after the expenses related to the project are deducted. So what they are doing is recording additional expenses such as studio distribution fees and interest paid for financing the movie. However the question is to whom the distribution fees and interest were paid. In many cases, these fees and interest are paid to affiliated companies in order to take the profit out and leave the movie unprofitable so that they do not need to pay out extra fees to net participants. "It's an illusion to make writers, and lower-level actors and filmmakers feel they have a stake in the game."
Could this be happening to you? Is your bookkeeper manipulating your records? This is how fraud could be happening to you in your own small business. It's how people get away with fraud for years with the owners of the company never knowing it is happening. How does this happen in your own small business?
In many cases, it's the result of 2 issues; the owners not being present and not having proper internal controls in the company. Many small business owners are focused on the other areas of the company and do not understand the 'numbers'. Thus they are not active in the bookkeeping and financial reporting aspects of their companies. The easiest solution for them is to hire someone else they trust to handle this side of the business. However, the down side is that they tend to turn a blind eye to the bookkeeping and financial reporting and give away all control of the finances to someone else. In many cases, even the signing authority on their bank accounts. They allow other people to sign the cheques for their business and have full unrestricted access to the assets of the company. This is a huge mistake that can cost you everything.
If you are currently doing this, stop it immediately. If you own the business 100% by yourself, make sure that you are the only signing authority at the bank. If this is a huge issue for you or you have business partners, at a minimum ensure that your bank requires two signatures on every cheque issued. This way no one person can take the funds out of the company. Also ensure that there is no access to direct cash withdrawls or electronic funds transfers. As a small business owner, you must always have control over the money. Even Oprah Winfrey has stated on live TV that she signs every single cheque that is written for her business.
The second issue is that there are not sufficient internal controls in the business. Internal controls means the process designed to ensure that the assets of the company are safeguarded against theft and unauthorized use. This will ensure reliable financial reporting, effective / efficient operations and compliance with applicable laws and regulations.
The biggest internal control mistake is a lack of segregation of duties. This means that there is not enough separation between the recording of the transactions and the access to the assets of the company (these being cash, product, property or equipment).
If the same person is recording all of the company's activities in the accounting records like the sales and the purchases and then collecting the money or paying the bills it is very easy for them to take money and hid the missing money by recording phony transactions. For example, if someone took cash from the company they could easily reverse sales to cover up the missing money. They could do the same with writing a cheque by making the cheque out in their name and then recording it as an expense for the company. If you as the business owner are not actively involved in the accounting and finance for the company how would you even know that this has occurred.

Top Business Innovation News Stories

Top Business Innovation News

Central Mass. Innovation Schools Proposed
Worcester Business Journal - Livia Gershon - ‎Feb 24, 2011‎
Three local school districts have approved proposals for eight new "innovation schools" in Central Massachusetts. Five of the new schools are being proposed in Worcester, along with one in Framingham, one in the North Middlesex ...
http://www.wbjournal.com/news48476.html

Google's Mayer talks innovation at Cal Poly
Pacific Coast Business Times - Stephen Nellis - ‎Feb 25, 2011‎
Those innovations and others are under way at Google, according to Marissa Mayer, one of the company's top executives, who spoke at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo on Feb. 24. Mayer, Google employee No. 19 and the company's first female engineer, ...
http://pacbiztimes.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2200&Itemid=1

Crain's photo gallery: 2011 NorTech Innovation Awards reception
Crain's Cleveland Business - ‎Feb 25, 2011‎
In delivering the evening's keynote address, Dr. Fujita said, “together, we can make a built on technology and innovation is the future of Northeast Ohio.” Ivan Henderson, commissioner of event sponsor Cleveland Public Power, addresses the crowd. ...
http://www.crainscleveland.com/article/20110225/FREE/302259998/1107&Profile=1107

Boulder Innovation Center gets $5000 grant
Boulder County Business Report - ‎Feb 21, 2011‎
BOULDER — The Boulder Innovation Center said Wells Fargo Bank will continue its support for the business incubator. Wells Fargo gave the nonprofit center a $5000 grant. The Boulder Innovation Center receives support from corporate and public ...
http://www.bcbr.com/article.asp?id=56217

Real Innovation@Xerox: Xerox Drives Innovation with Virtual Lab Open to All
Business Wire (press release) - ‎Feb 24, 2011‎
Open Xerox is an online technology portal, providing instant access to the latest Xerox innovations and allowing anyone to test pilot technology and provide feedback directly to lab scientists and engineers. "At Xerox we encourage change, ...
http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20110224005200/en/Real-InnovationXerox-Xerox-Drives-Innovation-Virtual-Lab

Ivy Tech, Innovation Center Announce Business Contest
Inside INdiana Business (press release) - ‎Feb 23, 2011‎
Ivy Tech Community College−Northeast and the Northeast Indiana Innovation Center are launching a new business contest. Launch: New Venture Competition will allow one Ivy Tech student to win up to $50000 to start a business. Organizers say the contest ...
http://www.insideindianabusiness.com/newsitem.asp?ID=46310

USC Stevens Institute for Innovation Funds Seven Breakthrough USC Innovations
Business Wire (press release) - ‎Feb 23, 2011‎
LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The University of Southern California's Stevens Institute for Innovation, a university-wide resource that helps USC innovators make maximum impact beyond traditional academic means, today announced it will award $439000 in ...
http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20110223006725/en/USC-Stevens-Institute-Innovation-Funds-Breakthrough-USC

ChinaBio® Partnering Forum 2011 Highlights China Innovation
Business Wire (press release) - ‎Feb 23, 2011‎
This year an Innovation Showcase has been added to the event to highlight novel technology development in China. The Innovation Showcase will feature over 30 top professors and researchers from China's leading universities and institutes presenting ...
BIO Invites Nominations for the 2011 George Washington Carver Award for ...
http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20110223005747/en/ChinaBio%C2%AE-Partnering-Forum-2011-Highlights-China-Innovation

Business Wire (press release) - ‎3 hours ago‎
WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The fourth annual George Washington Carver Award will recognize an individual who has demonstrated significant and innovative accomplishments that have employed industrial biotechnology to facilitate the advancement of a ...
http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20110228006263/en/BIO-Invites-Nominations-2011-George-Washington-Carver

Aptina Named 2010 EDN Innovation Award Finalist
Business Wire (press release) - ‎Feb 22, 2011‎
(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aptina, a leading innovator of CMOS imaging technology, today announced that its high-performance, feature-rich APS-C format 16 megapixel (MP) MT9H004 image sensor has been chosen as a finalist in the 2010 EDN Innovation Award ...
http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20110222005763/en/Aptina-Named-2010-EDN-Innovation-Award-Finalist Read More...

I am the queen of the lanes...

I thought I'd better continue my updates on all the fun we had while John was here for RnR. One afternoon we packed up the girls and went bowling. Both Bella and Maddie LOVE to bowl. Me...I can take it or leave it. John? Well, he seems to think it's the time to exact a challenge to himself as the master of the between the legs bowling...

Its almost too much to watch, but the next three minutes of your life will be spent in the **saddest** display of between your legs granny bowling that you've ever seen...

Maddie is a pretty good little bowler. She kept starting from way back by the seats and then would literally throw the ball...it would bounce once before it hit the lanes so John showed her some better moves...and the kid got some strikes and spares.

Bella, on the other hand would just walk up and drop the ball so John would give it an extra push...

...and then they'd hang out and wait...

These were seriously the s.....l....o....w.....e.....s....t bowling balls ever.

Except this little bundle of bowling ball energy...

Yeah...we had a good time....and that would be YOURS TRULY who totally rocked the house with a score of 104...

I don't think they'll be banging my door down anytime soon to ask me to join their league ...but at least I knocked at least one pin down every time I tossed that ball. (ha ha ha....that was just one more tease for Mr. Chucklehead's bowling experience.)
It was really more about family time anyway.

Get in touch faster with new Gmail Contacts for Google Apps

Update: We're excited to announce that the new Gmail Contacts for Google Apps has launched for all Rapid Release users as of 4/7/11. Please continue to give us your feedback in the Comments below.

In our ever-connected world, working revolves around collaborating. It’s important to be able to quickly reach people in your network, speeding up the tasks you perform daily, like making a phone call or sending an email – whether you’re at your desk or on the go. To help with this, we’re rolling out an updated version of Contacts that makes it easier to use, organize and edit your work contacts in Gmail.

In addition to all of the improvements we made to Contacts for individual users, we’ve been hard at work on bringing additional, business-specific features to help you and your colleagues get in touch with contacts more easily. Now, you can:

Add new contact information that will default to “Work” instead of “Home” field types
View contact details from the domain directory together with the contact details that you’ve added yourself
Add contacts from the domain directory to your “My Contacts” list in a single click
Manage groups more easily by quickly adding email addresses to groups, and picking from a contact’s multiple email addresses to use on a group-by-group basis
Revert changes to your Contacts for up to 30 days in case you need to restore deleted or merged contacts, or undo an import

If you’re the Google Apps administrator for your organization, you can enable the new Contacts interface in Gmail for your users from the Service Settings > Contacts area of the next generation administrative control panel. It may take up to an hour for users to see the difference once you make the change.

Make collaboration easier today by switching to the new Gmail Contacts (and once you do, be sure to contact us with your feedback).

Posted by Sean Purcell, Product Manager, Google Contacts

AdSense in Your City is coming to Charlotte

In 2010 we kicked off the AdSense in Your City program by visiting and optimizing more than 400 publishers in six different US cities. We loved getting to meet you face to face, and are very excited to head down South this March to provide even more of you with personalized optimization tips!

On Wednesday, March 9, a few of our optimizers will be in Charlotte, North Carolina to hold 20-minute optimization sessions at a local coffee shop between 9:30 am and 4:30 pm. We’re going to keep it casual, so we can provide one-on-one consultations to as many of you as possible.

We’d love to meet you, so please fill out this form if you’ll be in the Charlotte, NC area on March 9 and would like to schedule an appointment with our team. Once we get your RSVP, we'll follow up via email with additional details if there's still room. Scheduling will be done on a first-come, first-served basis, but we’ll do our best to include as many of you as space will allow.

Hope to see you in Charlotte!

Posted by Katrina Kurnit - Inside AdSense team Read More...

Avoid Complacency: Employ Change Management Now

Any time that your business undergoes a change, it is important to utilize proper change management in order to ensure that the change goes through smoothly. This is becoming more and more important over time, as change becomes the norm rather than the exception. Once management identifies the need for change, it can be helpful to hire a change manager to assist them through the process. They can then be expected to undergo some of the following changes.
First of all, the change needs to be effectively communicated to all affected parties. It needs to be made perfectly clear what changes are going to be made. Affected parties should understand why the changes are taking place. Just as important, they should understand what would happen if the change were not to take place. Finally, they need to understand what training will be undergone in order for the change to take place. This communication process is one of the most important aspects of change management. If it is not utilized properly, a company will be met with a great deal of resistance from employees.
Managers and employees must then become heavily involved in the process of change. Management must effectively teach the necessary skills to the employees that they need in order to do their job properly.
The next step is to incentivise the training process so that it works more effectively. The target goals should be divided into several smaller goals so that the change does not seem as large or as insurmountable. When short-term goals are met, employees should be rewarded accordingly. This helps motivate the work force, allowing it to work more effectively. This process also helps subdue critics and negative thinkers who hinder the transition process.
Employees feel more comfortable and motivated when they are kept in touch with the results of the changes that they are making. When success is achieved it should be congratulated. Analysis of performance should be used to encourage continued improvement.
Ultimately, the changes should be included in a new organizational culture. This means that the change should be recognized for the additional changes that it creates. When one aspect of business is changed, it has effects on all other aspects of business. This should be properly recognized and dealt with through structural changes. Both managers and employees will require regular encouragement for the transmission to be completed. Old habits can take quite some time to reverse. A change manager is highly recommended for this process to run smoothly.

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

Why Your Company Needs Job Descriptions

How To Write One In Thirty Minutes or Less
It may seem like an unnecessary step. You know what work you will need for your employee to perform. Does putting the job down on paper really even matter? Absolutely! Five advantages to "putting it in writing":
1. Helps you to clearly define the work that needs to be performed. No second-guessing or figuring what work needs to be done once the employee is hired.
2. Allows you to think about how the role interrelates with other positions within your company or organization, which in turn can eliminate work redundancy.
3. Creates transparency about your job expectations, which helps to significantly reduce the potential of making a "bad hire".
4. Employees are more productive because they understand what is expected of them.
5. When employees understand what is expected, they are able to work more efficiently. Saves time and money!
Take these steps when writing your job description:
Step 1
Create or list the job title that reflects the work to be done. Some things to think about when creating a job title: What is the core work that the person will have responsibility for? Does the job title easily identify the person's core job responsibilities? How does the title fit in with the structure of the company, (if applicable)?
Remember that job titles can be important to many employees. Employees have been known to turn down job offers because of the title. Be creative if you can, but keep the title simple and true to the work to be performed. For example an Esthetician could b e called a "Skin Care Specialist" or a "Customer Service Representative might be called a "Customer Care Assistant.
Step 2
Create a list of the actual work that will be performed. No need to write a dissertation! Keep it simple and summarize the major tasks required so that the job responsibilities are clear.
Step 3
Write down the specific type of experience needed to perform the job effectively as well as the educational requirements and the years of experience needed to perform the job if applicable.
You're done! You now have a document that you can share with potential candidates. Don't forget your current employees. Make sure that all of your staff has a job description on file.
Remember, a job description should be treated as a "living document", not a paper to be left in a file, never to be viewed again. Both you and your employees should refer to their job descriptions as needed. Be sure to update the job description as your employees' responsibilities change.

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

Change Your Approach to Problem Solving for MLM Success

I recently went shopping for a new car. I had a sedan that I was very comfortable with, except for the fact that I drive two hours a day commuting and the car got poor gas mileage. I was looking at hybrids because of the great mileage that they claimed to have. I used to ignore hybrids because they are usually smaller and I thought that I would have to give up a lot. I test drove a hybrid and to my surprise it was pretty comfortable and had many of the bells and whistles that my sedan had. The hybrid doubled my sedan mileage and then some. I traded in my sedan and I bought the hybrid.
The economy, gas prices, and the need to conserve cash has made hybrids very attractive today. More and more car manufacturers are building them in more and more options. New on the scene is the totally electric car that does not require any gasoline. Years ago, many said, "electric cars will just be a fad, they will never go into production". We now live in a 'Jetson' world where there are multiple electric cars to choose from.
The same kind of shift in thinking should be applied to your network marketing opportunity. Strategies that worked ten to twenty years ago by and large are not as effective today. Perspective leads and customers are plugged in, better educated and most importantly they are connected twenty four hours a day via a variety of methods and tools. Yesterday's marketers made out lists, stood in malls and made cold call after cold call in the pursuit of growing a network marketing business. Today's marketer needs to be internet savvy, have descent communication skills and have a way to conduct business 24 x 7. Those who embrace change and adapt to what the leaders use, are the network marketers who find success. Those that stay stuck in the past and usually fail.
To embrace change network marketers may have to check their ego at the door, and admit that they don't know it all. The sooner that there is an admission that you don't know it all and that your businesses must continue to evolve in order to be successful, the quicker you will be able to innovate and realize success. Every business that is successful evolves or reinvents itself periodically. Whether it's reading a personal development book, attending a live event or actually putting into action the marketing plan that you created way back when, there is something new that must be attempted or implemented in your business.
The most successful network marketers are always trying a new strategy or tactic. It's not to say that you want to do everything all the time, but implementing new techniques periodically and sticking with those that work is smart business. We can all learn something by suspending disbelief long enough to try new ideas and strategies. I am currently on a personal journey right now as I write a new article every day. Its time consuming and usually takes place at the end of my day when I would rather be sleeping or doing something else. But I believe that this effort will help my business in ways that I can't imagine yet. I am taking my own medicine and waiting to see what happens.

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

February 27th 2011 Internet Marketing Tips Roundup

Tips to increase your web traffic and profit!

Here is a list of the most popular free Internet marketing article or blog posts this last week of February 2011. The roundup only list the top posts for the week, no the latest articles... Here they are:
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Report Writing: Quick Tips

The writing of reports is a common task in the Business World, and one that nearly every business person faces sooner or later. As such, it is important for all business people to know how to organize and write a formal report.

Simply put, a report is the end-product of a formal process used for presenting data and making recommendations. Business Reports can and do appear in many forms -- long, short, simple, or "glitzy". But regardless of how they are packaged, reports typically include the following elements:

* Problem Definition
* Research Methods
* Findings
* Conclusions
* Recommendations

In the previous Posting on this topic, we discussed each of these report elements and offered some real-world tips on how to deal with these elements. Of course, terminology may vary, but readers should be able to clearly identify these elements in any properly prepared Business Report.

Can you identify these elements in past reports you have written?

If not, here are some questions to ask yourself as you work through your own report writing project:

* What is the reason for the report?
* What is the nature of the problem or situation?
* How do you intend to gather your data?
* Are your sources reliable?
* Does your data confirm the original premise for the report?
* Did you verify controversial data?
* Are your conclusions based on your data?
* Did you resist making generalizations?
* Are recommendations based on findings and conclusions?
* Are recommendations feasible?
* Are you prepared to defend your recommendations?

Take the time to critically answer each of these questions. In other words, use these questions to play devil's advocate with the organization and substance of your report. It's hard work for sure, but well worth the effort if the exercise precludes having your report rejected because of a questionable or shoddy approach.

Please refer to the preceding Posting for more details and tips on this topic.

Jack Read More...

Physical Inventory Management

In today's fast paced market, most companies are eager to grow their business, pursuing new avenues whenever possible. While this attitude is admirable, sometimes people neglect other aspects of their business when trying to move forward. One of the biggest areas that owners forget about is managing their physical inventory properly. Physical inventory, often called fixed assets, refers to items and equipment the company owns. There are many reasons why these items are important.
First of all, if physical inventory isn't managed well, then companies can have difficulties when tax time rolls around. The worst case scenario would be that the owner has to pay more in taxes than they intended. Another problem that can occur is that companies pay too much on their insurance premiums. Finally, businesses can have difficulty streamlining communication between different departments within the company.
Fortunately, there is one solution that can solve all of these problems. Purchasing a barcode inventory management system is the only way to address all of these issues at once. This system works by giving each fixed asset a unique barcode so that employees can scan the equipment or machinery. Each time an item receives maintenance or is bought or sold it gets scanned. This one simple step sends the updated information to the company's fixed asset management system. Plus, the same information gets sent to the maintenance department and the finance department.
Because all of the employees in these units do not communicate on a regular basis, it is necessary that they all receive the most current information for tax and maintenance purposes. Without this program the company could lose lots of money. For example, let's say the company sells an expensive machine but the record of the sale does not reach the fixed asset management system. If this happens, then the company will end up paying taxes on a piece of equipment they no longer possess.
However, if you have a system that manages physical inventory, then this situation would not happen. Furthermore, a barcode inventory management system allows companies to focus their time and energy on growing their business.

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