What is selling?
In its simplest terms, selling is the process of helping a person to conclude that your product or service is of greater value to him than the price you are asking for.
How Markets Work.
Our market society is based on the principles of freedom and mutual benefit. Each party to a transaction only enters into it when he feels that he will be better off as a result of the transaction than he would be without it.
The Three Options.
In a free market, the customer always has three options with any purchase decision. First, the customer can buy your product or service. Second, the customer can buy the product or service from someone else. Third, the customer can decide to buy nothing at all.
Convincing the Customer.
For the customer to buy your particular product or service, he or she must be convinced that it is not only the best choice available but he must also be persuaded that there is no better way for him to spend the equivalent amount of money. Your job as a salesperson is to convince the customer that all these conditions exist and then to elicit a commitment from him to take action on your offer.
"Learn how to influence others -- Simply by using your words"
Your ability to communicate with others will account for fully 85% of your success in your business and in your life.Would you like to be able to influence people you speak with, and get them to agree with your point of view? How well you communicate, influence, persuade, and negotiate will ultimately determine the quality of your life.
Customize Your Sales Presentation.
The field of professional selling has changed dramatically since World War II. In a way, selling methodologies are merely responses to customer requirements. At one time, customers were relatively unsophisticated and poorly informed about their choices. Salespeople catered to this customer with carefully planned and memorized sales presentations, loads of enthusiasm and a bag full of techniques designed to crush resistance and get the order at virtually any cost.
Treat Them With Respect.
But the customer of the 1950s has matured into the customer of the 21st century. Customers are now more intelligent and knowledgeable than ever before. They are experienced buyers and they have interacted with hundreds of salespeople. They are extremely sophisticated and aware of the incredible variety of products and services that are available to them, as well as their relative strengths and weaknesses of those products. Many of them are smarter and better educated than most salespeople and they are far more careful about making a buying decision of any kind.
The Need For Speed.
In addition, they are overwhelmed with work and under-supplied with time. Because of the rapidly increasing pace of change, down-sizing, restructuring and the competitive pressures surrounding them, customers today are harried and hassled. They are swamped with responsibilities, impatient, suspicious, critical, demanding, and spoiled. To sell to today's customer requires a higher caliber of sales professional than has ever before been required. And it is only going to become tougher and more complicated in the months and years ahead.
Action Exercises.
Here are two things you can do immediately to put these ideas into action. First, think continually about how you can convince your customer that your product or service is the very best available. Why does he buy, or refuse to buy?Second, upgrade your knowledge and skills every day so you can sell more effectively. Remember, your customers only get better when you get better.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
CUTTING EDGE SELF HELP TECHNOLOGY
Over the last four or five years, with the number of people getting computers and getting on the Internet increasing massively, the volume of questions has increased in our client support services inbox. More and more, it has been getting deluged with comments of frustration and requests concerning our opinions of all the various self-help products and services out there.The reason for this is that over the last 10 years, self-help websites have proliferated and they all promise impossible changes and benefits to your emotional and physical and financial and social well-being.The claims on these hundreds of websites are just so incredible and promise automatic, effortless change that, when people finally get their product and see that just like most everything else they've bought in the past, they feel cheated. Because all they have is another book, CD or DVD that provides little more than a lecture, or a giant set of manuals that there's no way in the world they are going to follow through on, because it's all beyond their comfort level (both the work involved and the promise of a different reality). It's beyond their ability to believe they can achieve or believe they deserve to achieve. Because it's just information.
I understand this all too clearly, because for about six years in my late teens and twenties, I tried very hard to be successful in life. I tried to dream big. I tried to achieve some modest yet challenging goals. And I couldn't.I read books. I listened to tapes. I watched videos. I took mountains of vitamin supplements. I took classes. Positive thinking. Motivation. Psychology. Techniquebased (college). I literally read constantly and listened to tapes constantly while I worked, while I drove from place to place, and even while I slept. Didn't work. I ended up living in a van. What I learned was that, yes, it does help to know what to do...But you also need to change on the inside in order to make major outer changes in your life.You cannot get one without the other.You better face that truth now, if you've don't believe it. The promise of a "dream life" without inner change is so attractive to most people that they jump at it, and when the book/tape/seminar can't do what they've been promised, they say "it doesn't work." But it's them that didn't work. And it's really not their fault, frankly. Because expecting people to easily do things they've never done, is like asking a cat to bark like a dog. I mean, if I was selling a training class that promised to help you teach your cat to bark like a dog, you would fail. Because cats can't bark like a dog and they never will. And just getting information about how to achieve some big dream you have is also doomed to fail if you do not have the same core moment-by-moment mental patterns (thoughts,beliefs, attitudes, emotions) as the people who already easily and naturally do what you want to do. And "being positive" isn't what I mean. Because I know some incredibly happy, optimistic, positive people.But a few of these people are so out of shape physically,that it a wonder they are still alive.
They own the belief and thought patterns of happiness and optimism, but they don't have the same belief and thought patterns needed for good health. Those ARE different mental patterns altogether. Just like belief systems for very organized people are different than those of non-smokers. Yes, they are both desirable habits to have but they have nothing to do with each other... because there are organized smokers and there are disorganized smokers...Just as there are ORGANIZED healthy people and DISORGANIZED healthy people.Are you getting this? Being "positive" or "nice" or "enthusiastic" guarantees nothing.Sure, everyone should be positive and nice and enthusiastic about life. But it does not assure you that you'll get anything you want. And thinking that a book will ever be your ticket to a radically different life, especially if your life-long habits are the polar opposite to what is taught in the book, is uh, well, that is preposterous. Changing your brainwave patterns has value, and I heartily recommend using tools that can help that happen. Changing your body's energy flow has tremendous value to your health, and I recommend therapies that make that happen. Supplements and medicines that help improve health are a God send for so many people.Yet none of those things can help you to feel differently emotionally than the way you have been programmed to feel you whole life. None of those things will help you take goal achieving actions that can and will transport you to a different life. That is the domain of thought and behavior modification. Information can't change patterned thoughts and behaviors. Becasue information is usually just in one ear and out the other. Information and knowledge is ONLY power when in the possession of a person who has the ability to use it.
I understand this all too clearly, because for about six years in my late teens and twenties, I tried very hard to be successful in life. I tried to dream big. I tried to achieve some modest yet challenging goals. And I couldn't.I read books. I listened to tapes. I watched videos. I took mountains of vitamin supplements. I took classes. Positive thinking. Motivation. Psychology. Techniquebased (college). I literally read constantly and listened to tapes constantly while I worked, while I drove from place to place, and even while I slept. Didn't work. I ended up living in a van. What I learned was that, yes, it does help to know what to do...But you also need to change on the inside in order to make major outer changes in your life.You cannot get one without the other.You better face that truth now, if you've don't believe it. The promise of a "dream life" without inner change is so attractive to most people that they jump at it, and when the book/tape/seminar can't do what they've been promised, they say "it doesn't work." But it's them that didn't work. And it's really not their fault, frankly. Because expecting people to easily do things they've never done, is like asking a cat to bark like a dog. I mean, if I was selling a training class that promised to help you teach your cat to bark like a dog, you would fail. Because cats can't bark like a dog and they never will. And just getting information about how to achieve some big dream you have is also doomed to fail if you do not have the same core moment-by-moment mental patterns (thoughts,beliefs, attitudes, emotions) as the people who already easily and naturally do what you want to do. And "being positive" isn't what I mean. Because I know some incredibly happy, optimistic, positive people.But a few of these people are so out of shape physically,that it a wonder they are still alive.
They own the belief and thought patterns of happiness and optimism, but they don't have the same belief and thought patterns needed for good health. Those ARE different mental patterns altogether. Just like belief systems for very organized people are different than those of non-smokers. Yes, they are both desirable habits to have but they have nothing to do with each other... because there are organized smokers and there are disorganized smokers...Just as there are ORGANIZED healthy people and DISORGANIZED healthy people.Are you getting this? Being "positive" or "nice" or "enthusiastic" guarantees nothing.Sure, everyone should be positive and nice and enthusiastic about life. But it does not assure you that you'll get anything you want. And thinking that a book will ever be your ticket to a radically different life, especially if your life-long habits are the polar opposite to what is taught in the book, is uh, well, that is preposterous. Changing your brainwave patterns has value, and I heartily recommend using tools that can help that happen. Changing your body's energy flow has tremendous value to your health, and I recommend therapies that make that happen. Supplements and medicines that help improve health are a God send for so many people.Yet none of those things can help you to feel differently emotionally than the way you have been programmed to feel you whole life. None of those things will help you take goal achieving actions that can and will transport you to a different life. That is the domain of thought and behavior modification. Information can't change patterned thoughts and behaviors. Becasue information is usually just in one ear and out the other. Information and knowledge is ONLY power when in the possession of a person who has the ability to use it.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
ONLINE BUSINESS 101
With all of the hype about e-commerce and online businesses, taking your business online may sound like a perfect solution to making the big money with not so big of an investment. That can be true, but justthe opposite may also be true. Going online takes just as much planning and fore thought as starting a new brick and mortar business. It may even be a little more frustrating because for most normal business people it's like entering a new and foreign land. It's technology!! ! If you're not at the cutting edge of the latest and greatest changes and upgrades then are you missing out? Does that mean you have to be a techno-geek to set up an online business? Not really. As long as you know the basics of what has to be done, plan well, have a good business idea, and can find good help to implement your plan, you'll be ok. In this post, we'll go through the planning processes involved in online business -- whether you're starting a new online business or launching your existing business into the cyber world.
Your Ideal Idea
Let's start with the concept for your online business. Actually, let's start further back than that. In the beginning, there were stores and they were good stores. They allowed people to see the store and, more importantly, see what was inside the store. From inside the store, people could purchase things. Sometimes they purchased things they needed, but many times they purchased things just for the heck of it.Those were called "impulse buys." To get to the stores people had to get in cars, buses or other means of transportation and travel there. Then they had to carry their purchases back home with them. That could be hectic sometime. Then came mail order catalogs. Though this is not popular in this part of the world. With a simple catalog that was delivered -- often as asurprise -- to people's mail boxes, stores could now sell more things to more people -- people who were all wearing their bathrobes and slippers in the comfort of their homes. This was a great time for buying things -- especially for buying things people didn't realize they needed until they saw them in those catalogs. To get these catalogs to peoples' homes businesses had to spend lots of money creating the catalogs, and then lots more money buying mailing lists and mailing the catalogs. Then they had to have employees answeringthe phones and taking orders from the new customers who were sitting in their homes shopping. This can be expensive.Then, one day some business person said, "hey, this is costing me alot of money. How can I get people to buy my stuff without having to spend so much money on printing, mailing, and people answering the phone?" That's when the Internet said in its big spidery voice "Me!Me! Look at me! I can do it. Give me a chance!" And they did. Now, not only can customers shop from home, they can visit almost any kind ofstore in the world, buy almost any kind of product they could possibly need, and comparison shop to their heart's content, all while wearing mismatched sweats and holey socks. They can look at your store front,buy impulsively, and leave if they can't find what they need. Their purchases come to them in big brown or blue or white trucks. Life isgood.
The rest is recent history. OK, so maybe that's not an accurate historical record of the evolution of business commerce, but it does loosely follow the evolution of convenience shopping. Read on to find out how you too can take your business online and sell to the masses wearing their bunny slippers and sipping lattes! If you are starting an online business from scratch -- meaning you don't have an existing business that you're thinking of taking online-- then the most important thing is to make sure you're starting with a good idea for a business. For some, that means thinking about what they do best and capitalizing on it, but for others it means looking out at the world of commerce and searching for holes, gaps, slightcracks and even just places where there is room for improvement. Either of these may work, but a combination of the two is more the ideal solution. If you are really good at something, or even justbetter than the average person and you've seen a need for it in the market then you may have a good opportunity to succeed. If you're in that idea-forming stage thinking about what you're going to offer then take these things under consideration. According toErnst and Young, the best-selling products online are:
1. computer products
2. books
3. travel
4. clothing
5. music and subscriptions for music
6. gifts
7. investments
You may decide on selling downloadable how-to or other information, products, consulting, services of some type for a regional or local area, providing auctions, hobby sites, or even selling words (e.g.,syndicated Web content). You may find that distributing products for several manufacturers' would work well with your skills and could fill a need in the market. Maybe you have connections that will give you better deals so you could sell items at lower prices than your competitors can. Or, maybe you live in an area where a product is produced and could save onshipping costs from the manufacturer to you. Think about the resourcesi mmediately available to you. Specialize in something. In order to succeed on the Web you have to offer something slightly different, better, cheaper (meaning less expensive), or have some other "edge." There are many things to consider, but remember that people go to theInternet for information. You may find that your best bet for a successful online business is to offer something information- oriented like books, manuals, how-to's, or do-it-yourself kits. The ideal business idea will also have inherent positives and negatives, so think about:
• startup costs
• labor needs
• product quality (it's got to be high quality)
• competition
• the size of your potential market
• profitability
• necessary product support
• legal issues and regulatory concerns
• associated costs like shipping, inventory, or repairs
• repeat business potential
Don't forget to think about what you would enjoy selling. Feeling good about and enjoying what you do to make a living is as important as being successful. Business doesn't have to be boring! Do something fun. It keeps you young! As with any other business, before you get too far along in the process you need to write a business plan. Writing a plan, even if your business is small, is never a waste of time. It will always help you organize yourself and improve your chances of success. It will also help motivate you to keep going if you've seen the potential right there in the pages of your own business plan!
Your Domain Name.
If you already have a company then your domain name shouldn't be toohard to come up with. If you're starting from scratch, however, you may have more of a challenge. Naming your online business is just as difficult as naming your traditional brick and mortar business -- and maybe even more so. Think about naming your business something that describes what the business does or is about so the people who simply type into the URL window what they're interested in and add a www. and .com to it mayfind you immediately. For instance, if your business is selling electronics, you might consider www.electronics. com for your businessname (or at least your domain name). The main rule is to make sure your name makes sense. Single word names that have a cool Webster's meaning but don't really describe the business's function won't stick with people, and may make it difficult for your online business to take off. (Unless, of course, you plan a media blitz announcing thenew business to the world -- then you can have a little more success.) There are a few simple rules-of-thumb that you should follow when coming up with and registering your online business's name.
First keepit short. Although your domain name can be up to 63 characters, that doesn't mean you should use them all! Make the name as short as you can so it will not only be easier to remember, but also easier to type in.
Secondly, make it as logical for your business as you can.
Third, you should register more than just your primary domain name. For instance, you probably should register any variations you think a customer might type in. For example, electronics. com may also register, http://www.electronic/ gadgets.com, and several other variations. And fourth, include at least the most common misspellings of your name.
How Do You Know What Names Are Available?
You can check on the availability of domain names through many registration sites. For example, go to Network Solutions or Register.com and just type in the name and extension (.com, org, etc.)that you are interested in. The site will search the databases and tell you if the name is available. But, what if the name you need is already taken? Should you contact the owner and offer to buy it? You could. You can also check on some of the other top-level domains currently or soon to be available like the new .biz extension. Let'stalk about how the domain name system works so you'll better understand your options.
Domains, Sub-Domains and Hierarchies
Domain names are set up as a series of character strings separated by periods. They are hierarchical but, rather than going from left to right, your top-level domain name will remain at the right end of the name next to the suffix (.com, .org, etc.) and sub-domains will be added to the left. So, www.ntanews. com could add sports.ntanews. com for their sports Web site. Or, you may register your company name as my company.com when you first start your business then later if you added another division to your company you could add the sub domain name division.mycompany. com. This is not a new name that requires registration, it is simply a subdomain of your existing name. Of course, you don't have to do it this way. You don't even have to have your domain name start with www. Usually, the www indicates the host or Web server and can be anything you would like it to be (may also depend upon your site host). Most people are used to the www part, however, and may have trouble accessing your site if you don't use it.
The domain name system (DNS) is currently overseen by ICANN, the International Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers. It is a non-profit private-sector organization that coordinates the technical management of the Internet's domain name system. Its Board of Directors is made up of a global membership of individual members of the Internet community and supporting organizations representing business, technical, non-commercial, and academic groups. There are currently six general top-level domain (TLD) name suffixes.Those are:
• .com -- for commercial use
• .edu -- for educational organizations
• .org -- for non-profit organizations
• .mil -- for the military
• .net -- for network providers
• .gov -- for government agencies
ICANN also approved seven more TLDs in November of 2000. Those are:
• .aero -- for the air transport industry
• .biz -- for business-oriented sites
• .coop -- for cooperative
• .info -- for information- oriented sites
• .museum -- for museums
• .name -- for individuals
• .pro -- for accountants, lawyers and physicians or other professionals
There are also some top-level domain names that make use of unused country codes (ccTLDs -- country code Top Level Domains). The most common ones are .ws, .md, .cc, and .tv. These can be registered just like other domain names, and can even still take advantage country codes within the address as well (www.companyname. uk.ws).
Registering Your New Name
You've decided on a name. Now you have to choose a registrar, check the availability of the name, and get it registered. Registration is typically $25 per year, although less expensive registrars can also be found. Be careful when choosing your registrar and make sure you read all of their terms. (Also make sure you read terms when it's time to renew because these things seem to change quite frequently.) Also, don't hesitate to transfer your registration to a new registrar if you have any problems. Registrars won't typically refund any fees you have paid when you transfer away from them, but some registrarswill credit your account with any fees you have already paid to theprevious registrar you are transferring your account from. So you maybe able to pay for two years with a new registrar and have the accountterm extended by the amount of time you still had left with yourprevious registrar.
Protecting Your Domain Name
One of the best ways to protect your domain name is by registering it in all of the generic and national top-level domains that you see might be a potential risk. If yours is a highly competitive market and Web traffic is going to be vital to your business you should definitely take it into consideration. Also, you should register brand names and any generic names that describe your business. If your company name ends with "company," or "enterprises, " or"incorporated, " make sure you register variations on that. Don't abbreviate anything that would make it difficult for someone to findyour site. Also make sure they won't miss your site and stumble onto a competitor's site. Your domain name can also be registered as a trademark, or constitute a trademark, depending on how you use it. Check with your lawyer about how to go about protecting your domain name in this way.
Buying an Existing Domain Name
If you're buying an existing domain name from a former owner (e.g.,when someone has already registered and owns a name you need, or when you purchase an existing company), you have more of a challenge.
First of all, it's going to cost you more money. Companies pay many thousands of dollars for the right domain names, and some folks make their living registering those domain names in anticipation that a large company will need to purchase it from them -- usually for big money. (You may be able to dispute these with ICANN.) If you find yourself needing to purchase a domain name from a legitimate owner,here are some tips to protect yourself:
1. Have a written contract that specifies the purchase of the domainname by you and only you. (Just to make sure you're not being scammedalong with several others.)
2. Make sure the contract spells out that all copyrights and trademarks are also included in the deal.
3. Use an escrow service to handle the money exchange. That way, as a buyer, you know that the seller can't take the money and run because the escrow service will make sure the transfer of ownership is complete before they turn your money over. Make sure you know the escrow service's fee and policies for handling domain names, such as how they deem the transfer of the domain name has taken place and thetime span involved. OK, you hopefully now have an idea, a name, and one of those flashing "under construction" signs at your URL. Now let's move on to the realwork in putting together an online business. What will your site DO?
Planning Your site.
The first question you should ask yourself -- after you've asked yourself if you think you should really tackle taking a business online, --- is what is your Web site's purpose? Why do you want people to come to your site? For a lot of people that question would make them think "well, to buy things! Why else?" But, that's a little shortsighted. Web sites are created with all sorts of purposes in mind.Those that don't really have clear purposes end up being big meandering passage ways of cyber-fluff. Here are a few ideas to help you give your Web site purpose. Prospecting
Maybe you want to generate prospects for your sales reps to call on because your product or service is too complex for anyone to buy online. In this case you would design your site as more of an online brochure that would extol the virtues of your product or service and bring the visitor to act by filling out a form to request more information, join a newsletter, or even post a question. Your site can be quite simple if this is the case.
Sell, Sell, Sell
What if selling products directly from your site is your plan? Does that make planning the site more difficult? Probably so. You'll have to consider the number of products you're listing. Does it warrant having a database of product descriptions and prices? You'll probably have to have some sort of shopping cart software that let's people put products in their "virtual cart" with the click of the mouse. You'll need to be able to accept credit cards or other online payment so your visitors can enjoy that immediate satisfaction of having completed something on their to-do lists. You'll need to have information about product returns, customer service, technical support, etc. Customer Support
Maybe you just need a place for customers to go for detailed product information, troubleshooting guides, assembly or other instructions to download, or to just access a knowledge base. You can also have a live person answering questions via instant messaging. A Web site is great for this as well. You can significantly reduce your costs for customer service by having a well-stocked Web site that covers both the routine and even some of the less routine questions or problems that come up in your business.
Educating Surfers
As I mentioned before, so many people go to the Web for information. When they go there, however, the information had darned well better be free! If you decide information is your business then you'd better have something very interesting, unique, and in demand -- like "sure fire ways to make money with the leaves in your gutters" or "how tomake your own high-speed Internet connection for free using only ducttape and fishing line!" OK - these may be extremely lame examples butthey got your attention, and if they worked you'd have a gold mine! Seriously though, you can bring people to your site by loading it with good, unique information, in which case you could either follow a pay-per-piece revenue model, a subscription revenue model, a syndication revenue model, or an advertising revenue model. If the information is truly unique and good information, then this will increase the likelihood of turning visitors into customers and hopefully creating loyal "repeat" customers or subscribers. Or, if you are planning a revenue model based on Web advertising then you have to have content that people want to come and read. People as a whole are naturally hungry for information. You may also think of educating your visitors as a side function of your site. Think about this as you would a client newsletter. You may already send out an informative newsletter as a service to your clients (and subtle marketing tool), and you probably spend quite abit of money doing it. By putting that information on your Web site and directing your customers there, you save money! You can create vast archives of information that will be extremely useful to your clients and potential clients. Your subscription list will also grow more quickly because others will find your site via search engines and outside links.
Who is Your Audience
If you now know your purpose, you should also have a good idea of who your audience is, and build your site around them. Say, for example, you are a realtor in the suburbs of a large metropolitan area and you want to build a Web site. Your Web site's purpose might be to promote your listings to home-owners- to-be in your immediate area as well as those across the country who have plans to relocate to your area. With that in mind, you would want to include information not only about the houses you have listed, but the entire area, schools, job market, entertainment, cost-of-living calculators,etc. You want to fill the needs of your audience and encourage them to stay at your site and request more information. You are using yoursite for prospecting. Think about who your customers are and what types of things would encourage them to stay at -- and return to -- your site. What are their interests? If your market includes teenagers then you could playup the fun aspects of the site, add some interactive games, resources for homework, colleges, etc. All, of course, as they relate to your business. If your market is working moms then you could include useful information about balancing work and family, childcare tips, etc. again, as they relate to your business.
Content is Still King
What you put on your site is critical. The purpose of your site will dictate the content, so make a list of everything you would need to meet the site goal, as well as the needs of your target audience. Here are some questions to help you think through it.
• (If you currently have a brick and mortar presence) What questions do you get by phone that could be answered via a Web site? -- hours, locations, product lines, pricing, etc. -- These should be prominentand easily accessible from the home page.
• Do you need interactivity on your site? -- In other words, do you need to include searchable databases of information, forms for feedback and other information, downloadable content, shopping capabilities, etc.
• Do you want to educate your visitors? -- This could be detailed product information, instructions, or other information to help themmake a decision about your product -- or anything else for that matter.
• How much information about your company do you need?
• Can you include product photos, video clips, audio, or online demos?-- Many people like to try before they buy. • Do you need to include a customer support database?
• Do you need forums or live chat capabilities?
Structuring Your Pages
Once you know the purpose, the audience, and have an idea of the categories of content for your site you'll need to plan out the pages for the content and site functions. This is known as the Information Architecture in the technology Web world. Organize the pages in order of importance as they relate to your Web site's purpose. Put yourself in your target audience's shoes and think through the processes you want them to go through. For instance, you want them to first of all find your site, but I'll talk about that later. Then you want them to easily find the information they are looking for while being amused and titillated at your comedic antics or the elegance ofyour site design. You want them to be moved to act on your offer --whatever that may be -- and bookmark your site for future visits. Start your brain storming by getting a large piece of paper and a pencil and drawing a small square at the top center for your homepage. Add squares below it for each category page and connect them as you would an organizational chart. The lines connecting the boxes represent links between those pages. For each page that would link from the category pages, draw another box below the category page box.
Make lists for the content of each page. Continue this until you get your entire site mapped out. This may require a lot of erasing and redrawing, but it will make you think through the navigation process. It won't guarantee that you won't have more changes down the road, but it will help get your site design off to a quicker start, and will help you or your designer setup the actual site. Once you have a picture of your site and its functions in mind, move on to next session that covers the tools yoursite will need to have in order to perform those functions. Customers care.
Your Web site is an excellent medium for customer service. Don't neglect this very important side of your business by inadvertently leaving it off of your Web site. You can easily provide your customers with a good chunk of the information they would normally have to call you for. Things like product support documents can be put into searchable databases so they can be found and printed easily. Assembly instructions and part replacement guides can make life much easier for those do-it-yourselfers you sell to. The old standby, FAQs (FrequentlyAsked Questions), is invaluable for saving your live customer servicestaff (or person -- or you) from high therapy bills for that repetitive speech issue. Here are some other tips for the Customer Service section of your site:
• I know I've mentioned it before, but send out a customer newsletter that also addresses customer service issues and reiterates all necessary contact information.
• Create a simple to use form for customer feedback, complaints, comments, whatever they want to tell you. Then make sure you reply tothose e-mails quickly. Check your e-mail frequently each day and respond to problems and questions as soon as you can. Make it your policy to fix any problem that is within your power. (Well at leastthose related to your Web site, your products, your systems, or yourstaff!) Turn any contact with your customers into a relationship- building experience. Excellent customer service is key to success regardless of the medium.
• You might even look into having a live person responding to direct questions via "instant messaging" technology. At least then the customer will have a little more assurance of being responded to. Check out sites that offer this and test them out. Technical problems,as well as slow connections can be issues, so be prepared.
• Have a good return policy. Look at the return policies of other companys. If it's the wrong size, style or color, or if you just don't like it you can return it with no hassles whatsoever. Even return postage is sometimes paid. This type of policy will give your site's visitors more courage to order quickly if they know they can return iteasily.
• Other aspects of customer service fit in with the whole order taking process. Make your order form easy to fill out, and give them some options for shipping methods. If you can (and this might be dependent on your shopping cart software), include live links to the major shippers you use so your customers can calculate and compare shipping costs.
• Pack your orders with care. There's nothing more irritating than to anxiously wait at the mail box each day for a package to arrive only to find that when you open it you have a pile of broken glass ormelted candies.
THINK before you pack.
It pays in many ways. Does your product hold up well in high temperatures? Is your product fragile? Even just a little bit? And, if there is a problem with the order when it arrives, don't ask the customer ship the product back to you unless it really can be salvaged. And then pay the return postage yourself.
• Keep customers updated on back-orders. There's nothing worse than needing something NOW and going the Web BECAUSE you need it NOW and then having the item be on back-order without realizing it. If you can, build inventory levels into your database system so your customers know when they pull up the product description whether the item is in stock or not. For questionable items you can have them directed to call and check if they need it shipped immediately. Regardless of how you do it, make sure the customer has a good idea when the product will ship. Product guarantees and warranties. So what is the difference between a guarantee and a warranty? Well, according to Merriam Webster, a guarantee (as it applies to a product) is an assurance of the qualityof or of the length of use to be expected from a product with the promise of reimbursement. A warranty is usually a written guarantee of the integrity of a product and of the maker's responsibility for the repair or replacement of defective parts. So, there you have it. One is written and one isn't. See your lawyer on how to handle them.
• Make use of the information you collect. When you do get product returns due to problems or even just because the customer didn't like it, ask the customer a few questions (in a friendly way) just to help you make sure you want to continue carrying the product (or making ityourself). Customer feedback is gold when you're trying to stay on top of changing trends and likes and dislikes. Your product line has to reflect the needs and opinions of your target market. Stay on top of it or perish!
Your Ideal Idea
Let's start with the concept for your online business. Actually, let's start further back than that. In the beginning, there were stores and they were good stores. They allowed people to see the store and, more importantly, see what was inside the store. From inside the store, people could purchase things. Sometimes they purchased things they needed, but many times they purchased things just for the heck of it.Those were called "impulse buys." To get to the stores people had to get in cars, buses or other means of transportation and travel there. Then they had to carry their purchases back home with them. That could be hectic sometime. Then came mail order catalogs. Though this is not popular in this part of the world. With a simple catalog that was delivered -- often as asurprise -- to people's mail boxes, stores could now sell more things to more people -- people who were all wearing their bathrobes and slippers in the comfort of their homes. This was a great time for buying things -- especially for buying things people didn't realize they needed until they saw them in those catalogs. To get these catalogs to peoples' homes businesses had to spend lots of money creating the catalogs, and then lots more money buying mailing lists and mailing the catalogs. Then they had to have employees answeringthe phones and taking orders from the new customers who were sitting in their homes shopping. This can be expensive.Then, one day some business person said, "hey, this is costing me alot of money. How can I get people to buy my stuff without having to spend so much money on printing, mailing, and people answering the phone?" That's when the Internet said in its big spidery voice "Me!Me! Look at me! I can do it. Give me a chance!" And they did. Now, not only can customers shop from home, they can visit almost any kind ofstore in the world, buy almost any kind of product they could possibly need, and comparison shop to their heart's content, all while wearing mismatched sweats and holey socks. They can look at your store front,buy impulsively, and leave if they can't find what they need. Their purchases come to them in big brown or blue or white trucks. Life isgood.
The rest is recent history. OK, so maybe that's not an accurate historical record of the evolution of business commerce, but it does loosely follow the evolution of convenience shopping. Read on to find out how you too can take your business online and sell to the masses wearing their bunny slippers and sipping lattes! If you are starting an online business from scratch -- meaning you don't have an existing business that you're thinking of taking online-- then the most important thing is to make sure you're starting with a good idea for a business. For some, that means thinking about what they do best and capitalizing on it, but for others it means looking out at the world of commerce and searching for holes, gaps, slightcracks and even just places where there is room for improvement. Either of these may work, but a combination of the two is more the ideal solution. If you are really good at something, or even justbetter than the average person and you've seen a need for it in the market then you may have a good opportunity to succeed. If you're in that idea-forming stage thinking about what you're going to offer then take these things under consideration. According toErnst and Young, the best-selling products online are:
1. computer products
2. books
3. travel
4. clothing
5. music and subscriptions for music
6. gifts
7. investments
You may decide on selling downloadable how-to or other information, products, consulting, services of some type for a regional or local area, providing auctions, hobby sites, or even selling words (e.g.,syndicated Web content). You may find that distributing products for several manufacturers' would work well with your skills and could fill a need in the market. Maybe you have connections that will give you better deals so you could sell items at lower prices than your competitors can. Or, maybe you live in an area where a product is produced and could save onshipping costs from the manufacturer to you. Think about the resourcesi mmediately available to you. Specialize in something. In order to succeed on the Web you have to offer something slightly different, better, cheaper (meaning less expensive), or have some other "edge." There are many things to consider, but remember that people go to theInternet for information. You may find that your best bet for a successful online business is to offer something information- oriented like books, manuals, how-to's, or do-it-yourself kits. The ideal business idea will also have inherent positives and negatives, so think about:
• startup costs
• labor needs
• product quality (it's got to be high quality)
• competition
• the size of your potential market
• profitability
• necessary product support
• legal issues and regulatory concerns
• associated costs like shipping, inventory, or repairs
• repeat business potential
Don't forget to think about what you would enjoy selling. Feeling good about and enjoying what you do to make a living is as important as being successful. Business doesn't have to be boring! Do something fun. It keeps you young! As with any other business, before you get too far along in the process you need to write a business plan. Writing a plan, even if your business is small, is never a waste of time. It will always help you organize yourself and improve your chances of success. It will also help motivate you to keep going if you've seen the potential right there in the pages of your own business plan!
Your Domain Name.
If you already have a company then your domain name shouldn't be toohard to come up with. If you're starting from scratch, however, you may have more of a challenge. Naming your online business is just as difficult as naming your traditional brick and mortar business -- and maybe even more so. Think about naming your business something that describes what the business does or is about so the people who simply type into the URL window what they're interested in and add a www. and .com to it mayfind you immediately. For instance, if your business is selling electronics, you might consider www.electronics. com for your businessname (or at least your domain name). The main rule is to make sure your name makes sense. Single word names that have a cool Webster's meaning but don't really describe the business's function won't stick with people, and may make it difficult for your online business to take off. (Unless, of course, you plan a media blitz announcing thenew business to the world -- then you can have a little more success.) There are a few simple rules-of-thumb that you should follow when coming up with and registering your online business's name.
First keepit short. Although your domain name can be up to 63 characters, that doesn't mean you should use them all! Make the name as short as you can so it will not only be easier to remember, but also easier to type in.
Secondly, make it as logical for your business as you can.
Third, you should register more than just your primary domain name. For instance, you probably should register any variations you think a customer might type in. For example, electronics. com may also register, http://www.electronic/ gadgets.com, and several other variations. And fourth, include at least the most common misspellings of your name.
How Do You Know What Names Are Available?
You can check on the availability of domain names through many registration sites. For example, go to Network Solutions or Register.com and just type in the name and extension (.com, org, etc.)that you are interested in. The site will search the databases and tell you if the name is available. But, what if the name you need is already taken? Should you contact the owner and offer to buy it? You could. You can also check on some of the other top-level domains currently or soon to be available like the new .biz extension. Let'stalk about how the domain name system works so you'll better understand your options.
Domains, Sub-Domains and Hierarchies
Domain names are set up as a series of character strings separated by periods. They are hierarchical but, rather than going from left to right, your top-level domain name will remain at the right end of the name next to the suffix (.com, .org, etc.) and sub-domains will be added to the left. So, www.ntanews. com could add sports.ntanews. com for their sports Web site. Or, you may register your company name as my company.com when you first start your business then later if you added another division to your company you could add the sub domain name division.mycompany. com. This is not a new name that requires registration, it is simply a subdomain of your existing name. Of course, you don't have to do it this way. You don't even have to have your domain name start with www. Usually, the www indicates the host or Web server and can be anything you would like it to be (may also depend upon your site host). Most people are used to the www part, however, and may have trouble accessing your site if you don't use it.
The domain name system (DNS) is currently overseen by ICANN, the International Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers. It is a non-profit private-sector organization that coordinates the technical management of the Internet's domain name system. Its Board of Directors is made up of a global membership of individual members of the Internet community and supporting organizations representing business, technical, non-commercial, and academic groups. There are currently six general top-level domain (TLD) name suffixes.Those are:
• .com -- for commercial use
• .edu -- for educational organizations
• .org -- for non-profit organizations
• .mil -- for the military
• .net -- for network providers
• .gov -- for government agencies
ICANN also approved seven more TLDs in November of 2000. Those are:
• .aero -- for the air transport industry
• .biz -- for business-oriented sites
• .coop -- for cooperative
• .info -- for information- oriented sites
• .museum -- for museums
• .name -- for individuals
• .pro -- for accountants, lawyers and physicians or other professionals
There are also some top-level domain names that make use of unused country codes (ccTLDs -- country code Top Level Domains). The most common ones are .ws, .md, .cc, and .tv. These can be registered just like other domain names, and can even still take advantage country codes within the address as well (www.companyname. uk.ws).
Registering Your New Name
You've decided on a name. Now you have to choose a registrar, check the availability of the name, and get it registered. Registration is typically $25 per year, although less expensive registrars can also be found. Be careful when choosing your registrar and make sure you read all of their terms. (Also make sure you read terms when it's time to renew because these things seem to change quite frequently.) Also, don't hesitate to transfer your registration to a new registrar if you have any problems. Registrars won't typically refund any fees you have paid when you transfer away from them, but some registrarswill credit your account with any fees you have already paid to theprevious registrar you are transferring your account from. So you maybe able to pay for two years with a new registrar and have the accountterm extended by the amount of time you still had left with yourprevious registrar.
Protecting Your Domain Name
One of the best ways to protect your domain name is by registering it in all of the generic and national top-level domains that you see might be a potential risk. If yours is a highly competitive market and Web traffic is going to be vital to your business you should definitely take it into consideration. Also, you should register brand names and any generic names that describe your business. If your company name ends with "company," or "enterprises, " or"incorporated, " make sure you register variations on that. Don't abbreviate anything that would make it difficult for someone to findyour site. Also make sure they won't miss your site and stumble onto a competitor's site. Your domain name can also be registered as a trademark, or constitute a trademark, depending on how you use it. Check with your lawyer about how to go about protecting your domain name in this way.
Buying an Existing Domain Name
If you're buying an existing domain name from a former owner (e.g.,when someone has already registered and owns a name you need, or when you purchase an existing company), you have more of a challenge.
First of all, it's going to cost you more money. Companies pay many thousands of dollars for the right domain names, and some folks make their living registering those domain names in anticipation that a large company will need to purchase it from them -- usually for big money. (You may be able to dispute these with ICANN.) If you find yourself needing to purchase a domain name from a legitimate owner,here are some tips to protect yourself:
1. Have a written contract that specifies the purchase of the domainname by you and only you. (Just to make sure you're not being scammedalong with several others.)
2. Make sure the contract spells out that all copyrights and trademarks are also included in the deal.
3. Use an escrow service to handle the money exchange. That way, as a buyer, you know that the seller can't take the money and run because the escrow service will make sure the transfer of ownership is complete before they turn your money over. Make sure you know the escrow service's fee and policies for handling domain names, such as how they deem the transfer of the domain name has taken place and thetime span involved. OK, you hopefully now have an idea, a name, and one of those flashing "under construction" signs at your URL. Now let's move on to the realwork in putting together an online business. What will your site DO?
Planning Your site.
The first question you should ask yourself -- after you've asked yourself if you think you should really tackle taking a business online, --- is what is your Web site's purpose? Why do you want people to come to your site? For a lot of people that question would make them think "well, to buy things! Why else?" But, that's a little shortsighted. Web sites are created with all sorts of purposes in mind.Those that don't really have clear purposes end up being big meandering passage ways of cyber-fluff. Here are a few ideas to help you give your Web site purpose. Prospecting
Maybe you want to generate prospects for your sales reps to call on because your product or service is too complex for anyone to buy online. In this case you would design your site as more of an online brochure that would extol the virtues of your product or service and bring the visitor to act by filling out a form to request more information, join a newsletter, or even post a question. Your site can be quite simple if this is the case.
Sell, Sell, Sell
What if selling products directly from your site is your plan? Does that make planning the site more difficult? Probably so. You'll have to consider the number of products you're listing. Does it warrant having a database of product descriptions and prices? You'll probably have to have some sort of shopping cart software that let's people put products in their "virtual cart" with the click of the mouse. You'll need to be able to accept credit cards or other online payment so your visitors can enjoy that immediate satisfaction of having completed something on their to-do lists. You'll need to have information about product returns, customer service, technical support, etc. Customer Support
Maybe you just need a place for customers to go for detailed product information, troubleshooting guides, assembly or other instructions to download, or to just access a knowledge base. You can also have a live person answering questions via instant messaging. A Web site is great for this as well. You can significantly reduce your costs for customer service by having a well-stocked Web site that covers both the routine and even some of the less routine questions or problems that come up in your business.
Educating Surfers
As I mentioned before, so many people go to the Web for information. When they go there, however, the information had darned well better be free! If you decide information is your business then you'd better have something very interesting, unique, and in demand -- like "sure fire ways to make money with the leaves in your gutters" or "how tomake your own high-speed Internet connection for free using only ducttape and fishing line!" OK - these may be extremely lame examples butthey got your attention, and if they worked you'd have a gold mine! Seriously though, you can bring people to your site by loading it with good, unique information, in which case you could either follow a pay-per-piece revenue model, a subscription revenue model, a syndication revenue model, or an advertising revenue model. If the information is truly unique and good information, then this will increase the likelihood of turning visitors into customers and hopefully creating loyal "repeat" customers or subscribers. Or, if you are planning a revenue model based on Web advertising then you have to have content that people want to come and read. People as a whole are naturally hungry for information. You may also think of educating your visitors as a side function of your site. Think about this as you would a client newsletter. You may already send out an informative newsletter as a service to your clients (and subtle marketing tool), and you probably spend quite abit of money doing it. By putting that information on your Web site and directing your customers there, you save money! You can create vast archives of information that will be extremely useful to your clients and potential clients. Your subscription list will also grow more quickly because others will find your site via search engines and outside links.
Who is Your Audience
If you now know your purpose, you should also have a good idea of who your audience is, and build your site around them. Say, for example, you are a realtor in the suburbs of a large metropolitan area and you want to build a Web site. Your Web site's purpose might be to promote your listings to home-owners- to-be in your immediate area as well as those across the country who have plans to relocate to your area. With that in mind, you would want to include information not only about the houses you have listed, but the entire area, schools, job market, entertainment, cost-of-living calculators,etc. You want to fill the needs of your audience and encourage them to stay at your site and request more information. You are using yoursite for prospecting. Think about who your customers are and what types of things would encourage them to stay at -- and return to -- your site. What are their interests? If your market includes teenagers then you could playup the fun aspects of the site, add some interactive games, resources for homework, colleges, etc. All, of course, as they relate to your business. If your market is working moms then you could include useful information about balancing work and family, childcare tips, etc. again, as they relate to your business.
Content is Still King
What you put on your site is critical. The purpose of your site will dictate the content, so make a list of everything you would need to meet the site goal, as well as the needs of your target audience. Here are some questions to help you think through it.
• (If you currently have a brick and mortar presence) What questions do you get by phone that could be answered via a Web site? -- hours, locations, product lines, pricing, etc. -- These should be prominentand easily accessible from the home page.
• Do you need interactivity on your site? -- In other words, do you need to include searchable databases of information, forms for feedback and other information, downloadable content, shopping capabilities, etc.
• Do you want to educate your visitors? -- This could be detailed product information, instructions, or other information to help themmake a decision about your product -- or anything else for that matter.
• How much information about your company do you need?
• Can you include product photos, video clips, audio, or online demos?-- Many people like to try before they buy. • Do you need to include a customer support database?
• Do you need forums or live chat capabilities?
Structuring Your Pages
Once you know the purpose, the audience, and have an idea of the categories of content for your site you'll need to plan out the pages for the content and site functions. This is known as the Information Architecture in the technology Web world. Organize the pages in order of importance as they relate to your Web site's purpose. Put yourself in your target audience's shoes and think through the processes you want them to go through. For instance, you want them to first of all find your site, but I'll talk about that later. Then you want them to easily find the information they are looking for while being amused and titillated at your comedic antics or the elegance ofyour site design. You want them to be moved to act on your offer --whatever that may be -- and bookmark your site for future visits. Start your brain storming by getting a large piece of paper and a pencil and drawing a small square at the top center for your homepage. Add squares below it for each category page and connect them as you would an organizational chart. The lines connecting the boxes represent links between those pages. For each page that would link from the category pages, draw another box below the category page box.
Make lists for the content of each page. Continue this until you get your entire site mapped out. This may require a lot of erasing and redrawing, but it will make you think through the navigation process. It won't guarantee that you won't have more changes down the road, but it will help get your site design off to a quicker start, and will help you or your designer setup the actual site. Once you have a picture of your site and its functions in mind, move on to next session that covers the tools yoursite will need to have in order to perform those functions. Customers care.
Your Web site is an excellent medium for customer service. Don't neglect this very important side of your business by inadvertently leaving it off of your Web site. You can easily provide your customers with a good chunk of the information they would normally have to call you for. Things like product support documents can be put into searchable databases so they can be found and printed easily. Assembly instructions and part replacement guides can make life much easier for those do-it-yourselfers you sell to. The old standby, FAQs (FrequentlyAsked Questions), is invaluable for saving your live customer servicestaff (or person -- or you) from high therapy bills for that repetitive speech issue. Here are some other tips for the Customer Service section of your site:
• I know I've mentioned it before, but send out a customer newsletter that also addresses customer service issues and reiterates all necessary contact information.
• Create a simple to use form for customer feedback, complaints, comments, whatever they want to tell you. Then make sure you reply tothose e-mails quickly. Check your e-mail frequently each day and respond to problems and questions as soon as you can. Make it your policy to fix any problem that is within your power. (Well at leastthose related to your Web site, your products, your systems, or yourstaff!) Turn any contact with your customers into a relationship- building experience. Excellent customer service is key to success regardless of the medium.
• You might even look into having a live person responding to direct questions via "instant messaging" technology. At least then the customer will have a little more assurance of being responded to. Check out sites that offer this and test them out. Technical problems,as well as slow connections can be issues, so be prepared.
• Have a good return policy. Look at the return policies of other companys. If it's the wrong size, style or color, or if you just don't like it you can return it with no hassles whatsoever. Even return postage is sometimes paid. This type of policy will give your site's visitors more courage to order quickly if they know they can return iteasily.
• Other aspects of customer service fit in with the whole order taking process. Make your order form easy to fill out, and give them some options for shipping methods. If you can (and this might be dependent on your shopping cart software), include live links to the major shippers you use so your customers can calculate and compare shipping costs.
• Pack your orders with care. There's nothing more irritating than to anxiously wait at the mail box each day for a package to arrive only to find that when you open it you have a pile of broken glass ormelted candies.
THINK before you pack.
It pays in many ways. Does your product hold up well in high temperatures? Is your product fragile? Even just a little bit? And, if there is a problem with the order when it arrives, don't ask the customer ship the product back to you unless it really can be salvaged. And then pay the return postage yourself.
• Keep customers updated on back-orders. There's nothing worse than needing something NOW and going the Web BECAUSE you need it NOW and then having the item be on back-order without realizing it. If you can, build inventory levels into your database system so your customers know when they pull up the product description whether the item is in stock or not. For questionable items you can have them directed to call and check if they need it shipped immediately. Regardless of how you do it, make sure the customer has a good idea when the product will ship. Product guarantees and warranties. So what is the difference between a guarantee and a warranty? Well, according to Merriam Webster, a guarantee (as it applies to a product) is an assurance of the qualityof or of the length of use to be expected from a product with the promise of reimbursement. A warranty is usually a written guarantee of the integrity of a product and of the maker's responsibility for the repair or replacement of defective parts. So, there you have it. One is written and one isn't. See your lawyer on how to handle them.
• Make use of the information you collect. When you do get product returns due to problems or even just because the customer didn't like it, ask the customer a few questions (in a friendly way) just to help you make sure you want to continue carrying the product (or making ityourself). Customer feedback is gold when you're trying to stay on top of changing trends and likes and dislikes. Your product line has to reflect the needs and opinions of your target market. Stay on top of it or perish!
Monday, March 17, 2008
DISCOVER YOUR PLACE
I realize that everybody has a place to occupy. The difference is just the time of our manifestation. Because your time has not come does not mean that your time will not come. All is required of you is to keep at it. Your time will come.
I will like to share this story that a friend shared with me. It is an illustration between the fern and the bamboo seeds. When God planted the fern and the bamboo seeds, he took very good care of them. He gave them light, water and other things for growth. The fern quickly grew from the earth. Its brilliant green covered the floor. Yet nothing came from the bamboo seed. But He did not quit on the bamboo.
In the second year the fern grew more vibrant and plentiful. And again, nothing came from the bamboo seed. But God did not quit on the bamboo. In third and fourth year, there was still nothing from the bamboo seed. But God would not quit.
“Then in the fifth year, a tiny sprout emerged from the earth. Compared to the fern it was seemingly small and insignificant..But just 6 months later the bamboo rose to over 100 feet tall.
Then the question is, why this long? That is the question most of us asked and as a reason a lot of us give up and think that things are not working for me. Let us consider the Bamboo seed again. It had spent the five years growing roots. Those roots madde it strong and gave it what it needed to survive. God would not give any of His creations a challenge it could not handle.
In is what you are on the inside that determines how you will become on the outside. God is working on you to make you what you ought to be. God will not give up on you so don’t give up on yourself. God said that, “did you know that all this time you have been struggling, you have actually been growing roots”. “I did not quit on the bamboo, I will never quit on you.”
Don’t compare yourself to others.” He said. “The bamboo had a different purpose than the fern yet they both make the forest beautiful. Your time will come.
NUGGETS
Treat people as if they were what they ought to be, and you’ll help them to become what they are capable of becoming.
I will like to share this story that a friend shared with me. It is an illustration between the fern and the bamboo seeds. When God planted the fern and the bamboo seeds, he took very good care of them. He gave them light, water and other things for growth. The fern quickly grew from the earth. Its brilliant green covered the floor. Yet nothing came from the bamboo seed. But He did not quit on the bamboo.
In the second year the fern grew more vibrant and plentiful. And again, nothing came from the bamboo seed. But God did not quit on the bamboo. In third and fourth year, there was still nothing from the bamboo seed. But God would not quit.
“Then in the fifth year, a tiny sprout emerged from the earth. Compared to the fern it was seemingly small and insignificant..But just 6 months later the bamboo rose to over 100 feet tall.
Then the question is, why this long? That is the question most of us asked and as a reason a lot of us give up and think that things are not working for me. Let us consider the Bamboo seed again. It had spent the five years growing roots. Those roots madde it strong and gave it what it needed to survive. God would not give any of His creations a challenge it could not handle.
In is what you are on the inside that determines how you will become on the outside. God is working on you to make you what you ought to be. God will not give up on you so don’t give up on yourself. God said that, “did you know that all this time you have been struggling, you have actually been growing roots”. “I did not quit on the bamboo, I will never quit on you.”
Don’t compare yourself to others.” He said. “The bamboo had a different purpose than the fern yet they both make the forest beautiful. Your time will come.
NUGGETS
Treat people as if they were what they ought to be, and you’ll help them to become what they are capable of becoming.
Friday, March 14, 2008
POST-IT NOTES
The 3M Company encourages creativity from its employees. The companyallows its researchers to spend 15 percent of their time on any project that interests them. This attitude has brought fantastic benefits not only to the employees but to the 3M Company itself. Many times, a spark of an idea turned into a successful product has boosted 3M's profits tremendously.
Some years ago, a scientist in 3M's commercial office took advantage of this 15 percent creative time. This scientist, Art Fry, came upwith an idea for one of 3M's best-selling products. It seems that ArtFry dealt with a small irritation every Sunday as he sang in the church choir. After marking his pages in the hymnal with small bits of paper, the small pieces would invariably fall out all over the floor. Suddenly, an idea struck Fry. He remembered an adhesive developed by a colleague that everyone thought was a failure because it did not stickvery well. "I coated the adhesive on a paper sample," Fry recalls,"and I found that it was not only a good bookmark, but it was great for writing notes. It will stay in place as long as you want it to, and then you can remove it without damage."Yes, Art Fry hit the jackpot. The resulting product was called Post-it! and has become one of 3M's most successful office products.
Some years ago, a scientist in 3M's commercial office took advantage of this 15 percent creative time. This scientist, Art Fry, came upwith an idea for one of 3M's best-selling products. It seems that ArtFry dealt with a small irritation every Sunday as he sang in the church choir. After marking his pages in the hymnal with small bits of paper, the small pieces would invariably fall out all over the floor. Suddenly, an idea struck Fry. He remembered an adhesive developed by a colleague that everyone thought was a failure because it did not stickvery well. "I coated the adhesive on a paper sample," Fry recalls,"and I found that it was not only a good bookmark, but it was great for writing notes. It will stay in place as long as you want it to, and then you can remove it without damage."Yes, Art Fry hit the jackpot. The resulting product was called Post-it! and has become one of 3M's most successful office products.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
BUSINESS PLAN MADE EASY
Success in business comes as a result of planning. You have to have a detailed, written plan that shows what the ultimate goal is, the reason for the goal, and each milestone that must be passed in order to reach your goal. A business plan is written definition of, and operational plan for achieving your goal. You need a complete but success tool in order to define your basic product, income objectives and specific operating procedures. YOU HAVE TO HAVE ABUSINESS PLAN to attract investors, obtain financing and hold onto the confidence of your creditors, particularly in times ofcash flow shortages... in this instance, the amount of money you have on hand compared with the expenses that must be met. Aside from an overall directional policy for the production, sales effort and profit goals of your product--your basic "travel guide" to business success...the most important purpose your business plan will serve will be the basis or foundation of any financial proposals you submit. Many entrepreneurs are under them is taken impression that a business plan is the same as a financial proposal, or that a financial proposal constitutes a business plan. This is just a misunderstanding of the uses of these two separate and different business success aids.The business plan is a long range "map" to guide your business to the goal you've set for it. The plan details the what, why, where, how and when, of your business.Your financial proposal is a request for money based upon your business plan...your business history and objectives. Understand the differences. They are closely related, but theyare not interchangeable. Writing and putting together a "winning" business plan takes study, research and time, so don't try to do it all in just one or two days. The easiest way to start is with a loose leaf notebook and writing materials. Once you get your mind "in gear" and begin thinking about your business plan, "10,000 thoughts and ideas per minute"will begin racing through your mind...So, it's a good idea when you aren't actually working on your business plan, to carry a pocket notebook and jot down those business ideas as they come to you...ideas for sales promotion, recruiting distributors, and any other thoughts on how to operate and/or build your business. Later, when you're actually working on your business plan, you can take out this "idea notebook" evaluate your ideas, rework them, refine them, and integrate them into the overall "big picture" of your business plan.The best business plans for even the smallest businesses run 25to 30 pages or more, (it could be lesser) so you'll need to "title"each page and arrange the different aspects of your business plan into"chapters." The following format should help.
Title Page
Statement of Purpose
Table of Contents
Business Description
Market Analysis
Competition
Business Location
Management
Current Financial Records
Explanation of Plans For Growth
Projected Profit & Loss/Operating Figures
Explanation of Financing for Growth
Documentation
Summary of Business & Outlook for The Future
Listing of Business & personal References
This is a logical organization of the information everybusiness plan should cover. I'll explain each of these chapters titles in greater detail, but first, let me elaborate on the reasons for proper organization of your business plan. Having a set of "questions to answer" about your business forces you to take an objective and critical look at your ideas. Putting it all down on paper allows you to change, erase and refine everything to function in the manner of a smoothly oiled machine. You'll be able to spot weakness and strengthen them before they develop into major problems. Overall, you'll be developing an operating manual for your business...a valuable tool which will keep your business on track, and guide you in the profitable management of your business. Because it's your idea, and your business, it's very important that YOU do the planning.
This is YOUR business plan, so YOU develop it, and put it all down on paper just the way YOU want it to read. Seek out the advice of other people; talk with, listen to, and observe, other people running similar businesses; enlist the advice of your accountant and lawyer...but at the bottomline, don't ever forget it has to be YOUR BUSINESS PLAN! Remember too, that statistics show the greatest causes of business failure to be poor management and lack of planning...without a plan by which to operate, no one can manage; and without a direction in which to aim its efforts, no businessc an attain any real success. On the very first page, which is the title page, put down the name of your business-PETRAGOLD NIGERIA LIMITED--with your business address underneath. Now, skip a couple of lines, and write it all in capital letters: PRINCIPAL OWNER--followed by your name if you're the principal owner.
Examples:
PETRAGOLD NIGERIA LIMITED
1,PETRAGOLD STREET,
LAGOS ISLAND,LAGOS, NIGERIA.
PRINCIPAL OWNER: Your NameThat's all you'll have on this page except the page number -1-Following your title page is the page for your statement purpose. This should be a simple statement of your primarybusiness function, such as: We are a service business engaged in the business of publishing and selling business success magazine.The title of the page should be in all capital letters across the top of the page, centered on your final draft--skip a fewlines and write the statement of purpose. This should be direct, clear and short--not usually more than 2 or 3 sentences in length. Then you should skip a few lines, and from the left hand margin of the paper, write out a sub-heading in all capital letters,such as: EXPLANATION OF PURPOSE. From, and within this sub-heading you can briefly explain your statement of purpose, such as: Our surveys have found most entrepreneurs to be "sadly" lacking in basic information that will enable them to achieve success. This market is estimated at more than a 20 million persons, with at least half of these people actively "searching" for sources that provide the kind of information they want, and need. With our business, advertising and publishing experience, it is our goal to capture at least half of this market of information seekers, with our publication MILLIONAIRE MAGAZINE! Our market research indicates we can achieve this goal and realize a profit of #2,000,000 per year within the next 5 years...The above example is generally the way you should write your "explanation of purpose," and in subtle definition, why you need an explanation. Point to remember: Keep it short. Very few business purpose explanations justify more than a half page long. Next comes your table of contents page. Don't really worry about this until you've got the entire plan completed and ready for final typing. It's a good idea though, to list the subject(chapter titles) as I have, and then check off each one as you complete that part of your plan. By having a list of the points you want to cover, you'll also be able to skip around and work on each phase of your business plan as an idea or the interest in organizing that particular phase, stimulates you. In other words, you won't have to make your thinking or your planning conform to the chronological order of the "chapters" of your business plan--another reason for the loose leaf notebook. In describing your business, it's best to begin where your statement purpose leaves off. Describe your product, the production process, who has responsibility for what, and most importantly, what makes your product or service unique--what gives it an edge in your market. You can briefly summarize your business beginnings, present position and potential for future success, as well.
Next, describe the buyers you're trying to reach. why they need and want or will buy your product. and the results of any tests or surveys you may have conducted. Once you've defined your market; go on to explain how you intend to reach that market, how you'll entice these prospects to your product or service and induce them to buy. You might want to break this chapter down into sections such as. publicity and promotions, advertising plans, direct sales force, and dealer/distributor programs. Each section would then be an outline of your plans and policies. Moving into the next chapter on competition, identify who your competitors are. their weakness and strong points, explain how you intend to capitalize on those weaknesses and match or better the strong points. Talk to as many of your "indirect" competitors as possible, those operating in different cities and states.One of the easiest ways of gathering a lot of useful information about your competitors is by developing a series of survey questions and sending these questionnaires out to each of them. Later on, you might want to compile the answers to these questionnaires into some form of directory or report on this type of business. It's also advisable to contact the trade associations and publications serving your proposed type of business. The chapter on management should be an elaboration on the people operating the business. Those people that actually run the business, their job, titles, duties, responsibilities and background resumes. It's important that you "paint" a strong picture of your top management people because the people comingto work for you or investing in your business, will be "investing in these people" as much as your product ideas. Individual tenacity, mature judgement under fire, and innovative problem-solving have "won over" more people than all the astronomical sales figures put together. People becoming involved with any new venture want to know that the person in charge. the guy running the business knows what he's doing, will not lose his cool when problems arise, and has what it takes to make money for all of them. After showing the"muscle" of this person, go on to outline the other key positions within your business; who the persons are you've selected to handle those jobs and the sources as well as availability of any help you might need. If you've been in business of any kind, the next chapter is a picture of your financial status, a review of your operating costs and income from the business to date. Generally, this is a listing of your profit & loss statements for the six months, plus copies of your business income tax records for each of the previous three years the business has been an entity.The chapter on the explanation of your plans for the future growth of your business is just that an explanation of how you plan to keep your business growing a detailed guide of what you're going to do, and how you're going to increase your profits. These plans should show your goals for the coming year, two years, and three years. By breaking your objectives down into annual plans, your plan will be accepted as more realistic and be more understandable as a part of your ultimate success. Following this explanation, you'll need to itemize the projected cost and income figures of your three year plan. It'll take a lot of research, an undoubtedly a good deal of erasing, but it's very important that you list these figures based upon thorough investigation. You may have to adjust some of your plans downward, but once you've got these two chapters on paper, your whole business plan will fall into line and begin to make sense. You'll have a precise "map" of where you're headed, how much it's going to cost, when you can expect to start making money, and how much.Now that you know where you're going, how much it's going to cost and how long it's going to be before you begin to recoup your investment, you're ready to talk about how and where you're going to get the money to finance your journey. Unless you're independently wealthy, you'll want to use this chapter to list the possibilities and alternatives. Make a list of friends you can approach, and perhaps induce to put up some money as silent partners. Make a list of those people you might be able to sell to, as stockholders in your company. Make a list of relatives and friends that might help you with an outright loan to furnish money for the development of your business. Then search out and make a list of venture capital organizations, pick up the loan application papers they have. read them, study them, and even fill them out on a preliminary basis. and finally, check the costs, determine which business publications would be the best to advertise in, and write an ad you'd want to use if you did decide to advertise for monetary help. With listing of all the options available to your needs, all that's left is the arranging of these options in the order you would want to use them when the time comes to ask for money. When you're researching these money sources, you'll save time by noting the "contact" deal with when you want money, and whenever possible, by developing a working relationship with these people. In your documentation section, you should have a credit report on yourself. When you get your credit report, look it over and take whatever steps are necessary to eliminate any negative comments. Once these have been taken care of, ask for a revised copy of your report and include a copy of that in your business plan. If you own any patents or copyrights, include copies of these. Any licenses to use someone else's patent or copyright should also be included. If you own the distribution, wholesale or exclusive sales rights to a product, include copies of this documentation. You should also include copies of any leases, special agreements or other legal papers that might be pertinent to your business.
In conclusion, write out a brief, overall summary of your business- when the business was started, the purpose of the business, what makes your business different, how you're going to gain a profitable share of the market, and your expected success during the coming 5 years. The last page of your business plan is a "courtesy page"listing the names, addresses and phone numbers of personal and business references, persons who have known you closely for the past five years or longer, and companies or firms you've had business or credit dealings with during the past five years. And, that's it, your complete business plan. Before you send itout for formal typing; read it over once a day for a week or ten days. Take care of any changes or corrections, and then have it reviewed by a Lawyer and then, an accountant. It would also be a good idea to have it reviewed by a business consultant serving the business community to which your business will be related. After these reviews, and any last-minute changes you want to make, It'll be ready for formal typing. Congratulations, and my best wishes for the complete fulfillment of all your dreams of success!!!
Title Page
Statement of Purpose
Table of Contents
Business Description
Market Analysis
Competition
Business Location
Management
Current Financial Records
Explanation of Plans For Growth
Projected Profit & Loss/Operating Figures
Explanation of Financing for Growth
Documentation
Summary of Business & Outlook for The Future
Listing of Business & personal References
This is a logical organization of the information everybusiness plan should cover. I'll explain each of these chapters titles in greater detail, but first, let me elaborate on the reasons for proper organization of your business plan. Having a set of "questions to answer" about your business forces you to take an objective and critical look at your ideas. Putting it all down on paper allows you to change, erase and refine everything to function in the manner of a smoothly oiled machine. You'll be able to spot weakness and strengthen them before they develop into major problems. Overall, you'll be developing an operating manual for your business...a valuable tool which will keep your business on track, and guide you in the profitable management of your business. Because it's your idea, and your business, it's very important that YOU do the planning.
This is YOUR business plan, so YOU develop it, and put it all down on paper just the way YOU want it to read. Seek out the advice of other people; talk with, listen to, and observe, other people running similar businesses; enlist the advice of your accountant and lawyer...but at the bottomline, don't ever forget it has to be YOUR BUSINESS PLAN! Remember too, that statistics show the greatest causes of business failure to be poor management and lack of planning...without a plan by which to operate, no one can manage; and without a direction in which to aim its efforts, no businessc an attain any real success. On the very first page, which is the title page, put down the name of your business-PETRAGOLD NIGERIA LIMITED--with your business address underneath. Now, skip a couple of lines, and write it all in capital letters: PRINCIPAL OWNER--followed by your name if you're the principal owner.
Examples:
PETRAGOLD NIGERIA LIMITED
1,PETRAGOLD STREET,
LAGOS ISLAND,LAGOS, NIGERIA.
PRINCIPAL OWNER: Your NameThat's all you'll have on this page except the page number -1-Following your title page is the page for your statement purpose. This should be a simple statement of your primarybusiness function, such as: We are a service business engaged in the business of publishing and selling business success magazine.The title of the page should be in all capital letters across the top of the page, centered on your final draft--skip a fewlines and write the statement of purpose. This should be direct, clear and short--not usually more than 2 or 3 sentences in length. Then you should skip a few lines, and from the left hand margin of the paper, write out a sub-heading in all capital letters,such as: EXPLANATION OF PURPOSE. From, and within this sub-heading you can briefly explain your statement of purpose, such as: Our surveys have found most entrepreneurs to be "sadly" lacking in basic information that will enable them to achieve success. This market is estimated at more than a 20 million persons, with at least half of these people actively "searching" for sources that provide the kind of information they want, and need. With our business, advertising and publishing experience, it is our goal to capture at least half of this market of information seekers, with our publication MILLIONAIRE MAGAZINE! Our market research indicates we can achieve this goal and realize a profit of #2,000,000 per year within the next 5 years...The above example is generally the way you should write your "explanation of purpose," and in subtle definition, why you need an explanation. Point to remember: Keep it short. Very few business purpose explanations justify more than a half page long. Next comes your table of contents page. Don't really worry about this until you've got the entire plan completed and ready for final typing. It's a good idea though, to list the subject(chapter titles) as I have, and then check off each one as you complete that part of your plan. By having a list of the points you want to cover, you'll also be able to skip around and work on each phase of your business plan as an idea or the interest in organizing that particular phase, stimulates you. In other words, you won't have to make your thinking or your planning conform to the chronological order of the "chapters" of your business plan--another reason for the loose leaf notebook. In describing your business, it's best to begin where your statement purpose leaves off. Describe your product, the production process, who has responsibility for what, and most importantly, what makes your product or service unique--what gives it an edge in your market. You can briefly summarize your business beginnings, present position and potential for future success, as well.
Next, describe the buyers you're trying to reach. why they need and want or will buy your product. and the results of any tests or surveys you may have conducted. Once you've defined your market; go on to explain how you intend to reach that market, how you'll entice these prospects to your product or service and induce them to buy. You might want to break this chapter down into sections such as. publicity and promotions, advertising plans, direct sales force, and dealer/distributor programs. Each section would then be an outline of your plans and policies. Moving into the next chapter on competition, identify who your competitors are. their weakness and strong points, explain how you intend to capitalize on those weaknesses and match or better the strong points. Talk to as many of your "indirect" competitors as possible, those operating in different cities and states.One of the easiest ways of gathering a lot of useful information about your competitors is by developing a series of survey questions and sending these questionnaires out to each of them. Later on, you might want to compile the answers to these questionnaires into some form of directory or report on this type of business. It's also advisable to contact the trade associations and publications serving your proposed type of business. The chapter on management should be an elaboration on the people operating the business. Those people that actually run the business, their job, titles, duties, responsibilities and background resumes. It's important that you "paint" a strong picture of your top management people because the people comingto work for you or investing in your business, will be "investing in these people" as much as your product ideas. Individual tenacity, mature judgement under fire, and innovative problem-solving have "won over" more people than all the astronomical sales figures put together. People becoming involved with any new venture want to know that the person in charge. the guy running the business knows what he's doing, will not lose his cool when problems arise, and has what it takes to make money for all of them. After showing the"muscle" of this person, go on to outline the other key positions within your business; who the persons are you've selected to handle those jobs and the sources as well as availability of any help you might need. If you've been in business of any kind, the next chapter is a picture of your financial status, a review of your operating costs and income from the business to date. Generally, this is a listing of your profit & loss statements for the six months, plus copies of your business income tax records for each of the previous three years the business has been an entity.The chapter on the explanation of your plans for the future growth of your business is just that an explanation of how you plan to keep your business growing a detailed guide of what you're going to do, and how you're going to increase your profits. These plans should show your goals for the coming year, two years, and three years. By breaking your objectives down into annual plans, your plan will be accepted as more realistic and be more understandable as a part of your ultimate success. Following this explanation, you'll need to itemize the projected cost and income figures of your three year plan. It'll take a lot of research, an undoubtedly a good deal of erasing, but it's very important that you list these figures based upon thorough investigation. You may have to adjust some of your plans downward, but once you've got these two chapters on paper, your whole business plan will fall into line and begin to make sense. You'll have a precise "map" of where you're headed, how much it's going to cost, when you can expect to start making money, and how much.Now that you know where you're going, how much it's going to cost and how long it's going to be before you begin to recoup your investment, you're ready to talk about how and where you're going to get the money to finance your journey. Unless you're independently wealthy, you'll want to use this chapter to list the possibilities and alternatives. Make a list of friends you can approach, and perhaps induce to put up some money as silent partners. Make a list of those people you might be able to sell to, as stockholders in your company. Make a list of relatives and friends that might help you with an outright loan to furnish money for the development of your business. Then search out and make a list of venture capital organizations, pick up the loan application papers they have. read them, study them, and even fill them out on a preliminary basis. and finally, check the costs, determine which business publications would be the best to advertise in, and write an ad you'd want to use if you did decide to advertise for monetary help. With listing of all the options available to your needs, all that's left is the arranging of these options in the order you would want to use them when the time comes to ask for money. When you're researching these money sources, you'll save time by noting the "contact" deal with when you want money, and whenever possible, by developing a working relationship with these people. In your documentation section, you should have a credit report on yourself. When you get your credit report, look it over and take whatever steps are necessary to eliminate any negative comments. Once these have been taken care of, ask for a revised copy of your report and include a copy of that in your business plan. If you own any patents or copyrights, include copies of these. Any licenses to use someone else's patent or copyright should also be included. If you own the distribution, wholesale or exclusive sales rights to a product, include copies of this documentation. You should also include copies of any leases, special agreements or other legal papers that might be pertinent to your business.
In conclusion, write out a brief, overall summary of your business- when the business was started, the purpose of the business, what makes your business different, how you're going to gain a profitable share of the market, and your expected success during the coming 5 years. The last page of your business plan is a "courtesy page"listing the names, addresses and phone numbers of personal and business references, persons who have known you closely for the past five years or longer, and companies or firms you've had business or credit dealings with during the past five years. And, that's it, your complete business plan. Before you send itout for formal typing; read it over once a day for a week or ten days. Take care of any changes or corrections, and then have it reviewed by a Lawyer and then, an accountant. It would also be a good idea to have it reviewed by a business consultant serving the business community to which your business will be related. After these reviews, and any last-minute changes you want to make, It'll be ready for formal typing. Congratulations, and my best wishes for the complete fulfillment of all your dreams of success!!!
Monday, March 10, 2008
HANG IN THERE
Nicolo Paganini was a well-known and gifted nineteenth century violinist. He was also well known as a great showman with a quick sense of humor. His most memorable concert was in Italy with a full orchestra. He was performing before a packed house and his technique was incredible, his tone was fantastic, and his audience dearly loved him.
Toward the end of his concert, Paganini was astounding his audience with an unbelievable composition when suddenly one string on his violin snapped and hung limply from his instrument. Paganini frowned briefly, shook his head, and continued to play, improvising beautifully.Then to everyone's surprise, a second string broke. And shortly thereafter, a third. Almost like a slapstick comedy, Paganini stoodthere with three strings dangling from his Stradivarius. But instead of leaving the stage, Paganini stood his ground and calmly completed the difficult number on the one remaining string.
QUOTE FOR TODAY
"The only way around is through" - Robert Frost.
Toward the end of his concert, Paganini was astounding his audience with an unbelievable composition when suddenly one string on his violin snapped and hung limply from his instrument. Paganini frowned briefly, shook his head, and continued to play, improvising beautifully.Then to everyone's surprise, a second string broke. And shortly thereafter, a third. Almost like a slapstick comedy, Paganini stoodthere with three strings dangling from his Stradivarius. But instead of leaving the stage, Paganini stood his ground and calmly completed the difficult number on the one remaining string.
QUOTE FOR TODAY
"The only way around is through" - Robert Frost.
Friday, March 7, 2008
TIME ROBBERS
They’re on the loose. Almost everyone (if not everyone) is guilty of giving in or becoming victim to these time thieves one way or another. In fact, most of these time robbers have become normal parts of people’s daily lives.
TV and Radio
Who can resist watching their favorite shows on TV? If you really want to save time, turn off the boob tube. I know it’s extremely difficult to control the urge; but if you start watching TV. You’ I get hooked. What was originally a decision to watch a one-hour show could turn into a 4-hour addiction? Be strict in limiting your watching time. Better yet, don’t watch at all! The same thing applies to radio. If you’re going to listen at all, choose classical music. It stimulates the brain and is a more productive use of your time.
Phone
The phone can actually be a time-saver if you know how to use it properly. Instead of emailing someone, engaging in a phone call allow you to get the answers right away. “Saying it” is definitely faster than “writing it.” Of course, there are exceptions when email or other methods are better, like when a detailed list is needed. You can prevent phone calls from stealing your time by telling the caller nicely that you have some urgent matters to attend to, and you will try to call back soon. Do you know another reason why telephones waste a lot of your time? They require the use of your hand, which makes it difficult to do other tasks when you are talking. Invest in a headset if you can. It will free up both of your hands so you can do other things while you are chatting away.
Waiting in Line
Nothing could test your patience more than waiting for your turn in long queues. As much as possible, avoid going to crowded places. If you cannot avoid this , pick a schedule where you least expect many people to show up. For example, buy your groceries on weekdays. Don’t shop during weekends and paydays. If you can afford the higher price tags of items that can be bought through the phone, internet, or third-party services, then go ahead and buy them. If you treat time as gold, then extra time you’ I be spending. In case you really have no choice but to wait in line, then don’t waste your time complaining. Do something productive like reading a book, listening to educational tapes, or writing your future plans on your little notebook.
Traffic Terror
This is another hair-pulling moment, especially when you’re running late for an important appointment. Avoid the rush hour by all means. Anticipate when a traffic jam is usually occurring during the day so you can adjust your commuting time. If your destination is not too far away, a walking session might be a great idea to evade traffic, save on gas or money, and attain a healthy lifestyle.
Too Much
Life is becoming more and more complex everyday. We are presented with a variety of choices on a particular product to be bought. We are being inundated with tons of paperwork. We have too many tasks to do in a day. To solve this dilemma, try to make everything in life as simple as possible. Don’t present too many choices. People will be confused if you sell them products with too many combinations, varieties, or options. Lots of time will be consumed in deciding which one is really the best. Try to minimize the quantity of papers you have to keep. If you can afford programming or e-commerce solutions that minimize the use of papers, then it is a rational decision to acquire them. Pause a while you are going to do activity. Always ask yourself, “What can I do along with this task to save more time in the future? For instance, you are going to buy a birthday card for your friend. By asking the question, you might come up with the decision to buy more birthday cards instead of just one, to give to those who will be having their birthday later in the year; so you don’t have to go to the shop every time there is a birthday occasion.
Emails
Emails have helped save lots of time and money for many people. Instead of the old fashioned snail mail, more individuals rely on email to get their message across faster, cheaper, and more conveniently. However, there are certain downsides to using email as a means of communication. Many people check their emails many times during the day, therefore hampering their productivity. They’ve become addicted to emails so much that they spend hours reading and replying, even to junk mails! And speaking of junk mails, sorting out your emails and separating the junk from the not can be a very time-consuming activity. Written below are some great tips to make emails work for you in your pursuit to manage time efficiently.
1. Check your emails a maximum of twice a day. If you want to accomplish many tasks, limit your time in reading your emails. Suitable times would be first thing I the morning (to take care of urgent matters) and a few minutes before you end your work (to catch up with last-minute concerns).
2. Set up templates or a “Frequently Asked Questions” page. The same questions can be repeatedly asked by different people – things like how to operate a certain product, how to download a resource, how to join your affiliate program, and so forth. It is obvious that typing the same answers to the same questions over and over again is extremely time-consuming. It is therefore advisable to set up templates of answers so you can just copy and paste them whenever the same questions are being asked again. A better way is to set up a “Frequently Asked Questions” page so you can just refer people to it when they have queries. The only time they’ll email you again is when their concerns have not been properly addressed.
3. Reply briefly. Answer your emails clearly and to the point. Don’t overcomplicate the explanation. Never reply to spam messages or to junk mails.
4. Take the phone. Several minutes spent in replying to emails can be shortened tremendously by just calling the person. You’ll get faster response and you’ll end up saving lots of time. And of course, the personal touch is priceless.
5. Terminate spam. Spam messages are very prevalent nowadays. Not only can they waste a lot of your time, but they can be very annoying as well. To prevent spam, don’t spread your email address that only a few trusted people know. If you can, make your email address more intricate. For example, use mark_jones27543@yahoo.com instead of mark_jones@yahoo.com. If you’re inserting your email address in websites and messages, you may replace@ with “AT.” For instance, write down mark_jonesAtyahoo.com instead of mark_jones@yahoo.com.
6. Get your email across. Sometimes, your email could mistakenly be regarded as spam, and this would waste your time in composing that message. To prevent such occurrence, be careful with your choice of words. Avoid words or phrases that trigger the spam filters. Some words to avoid: free, money, sex, amazing, limited offer, naked, opportunity, debt, loans, lottery, retire, urgent.
Other Robbers
There are certainly many other time thieves depending on each individual’s circumstances. Examples include waiting for your spouse in the shopping mall, making mistakes in filling up application forms, and other such things. Use your mind to think of possible solutions. If you can’t avoid being involved in such predicaments, then at least make those moments productive by reading books, listening to educational tapes, etc.
TV and Radio
Who can resist watching their favorite shows on TV? If you really want to save time, turn off the boob tube. I know it’s extremely difficult to control the urge; but if you start watching TV. You’ I get hooked. What was originally a decision to watch a one-hour show could turn into a 4-hour addiction? Be strict in limiting your watching time. Better yet, don’t watch at all! The same thing applies to radio. If you’re going to listen at all, choose classical music. It stimulates the brain and is a more productive use of your time.
Phone
The phone can actually be a time-saver if you know how to use it properly. Instead of emailing someone, engaging in a phone call allow you to get the answers right away. “Saying it” is definitely faster than “writing it.” Of course, there are exceptions when email or other methods are better, like when a detailed list is needed. You can prevent phone calls from stealing your time by telling the caller nicely that you have some urgent matters to attend to, and you will try to call back soon. Do you know another reason why telephones waste a lot of your time? They require the use of your hand, which makes it difficult to do other tasks when you are talking. Invest in a headset if you can. It will free up both of your hands so you can do other things while you are chatting away.
Waiting in Line
Nothing could test your patience more than waiting for your turn in long queues. As much as possible, avoid going to crowded places. If you cannot avoid this , pick a schedule where you least expect many people to show up. For example, buy your groceries on weekdays. Don’t shop during weekends and paydays. If you can afford the higher price tags of items that can be bought through the phone, internet, or third-party services, then go ahead and buy them. If you treat time as gold, then extra time you’ I be spending. In case you really have no choice but to wait in line, then don’t waste your time complaining. Do something productive like reading a book, listening to educational tapes, or writing your future plans on your little notebook.
Traffic Terror
This is another hair-pulling moment, especially when you’re running late for an important appointment. Avoid the rush hour by all means. Anticipate when a traffic jam is usually occurring during the day so you can adjust your commuting time. If your destination is not too far away, a walking session might be a great idea to evade traffic, save on gas or money, and attain a healthy lifestyle.
Too Much
Life is becoming more and more complex everyday. We are presented with a variety of choices on a particular product to be bought. We are being inundated with tons of paperwork. We have too many tasks to do in a day. To solve this dilemma, try to make everything in life as simple as possible. Don’t present too many choices. People will be confused if you sell them products with too many combinations, varieties, or options. Lots of time will be consumed in deciding which one is really the best. Try to minimize the quantity of papers you have to keep. If you can afford programming or e-commerce solutions that minimize the use of papers, then it is a rational decision to acquire them. Pause a while you are going to do activity. Always ask yourself, “What can I do along with this task to save more time in the future? For instance, you are going to buy a birthday card for your friend. By asking the question, you might come up with the decision to buy more birthday cards instead of just one, to give to those who will be having their birthday later in the year; so you don’t have to go to the shop every time there is a birthday occasion.
Emails
Emails have helped save lots of time and money for many people. Instead of the old fashioned snail mail, more individuals rely on email to get their message across faster, cheaper, and more conveniently. However, there are certain downsides to using email as a means of communication. Many people check their emails many times during the day, therefore hampering their productivity. They’ve become addicted to emails so much that they spend hours reading and replying, even to junk mails! And speaking of junk mails, sorting out your emails and separating the junk from the not can be a very time-consuming activity. Written below are some great tips to make emails work for you in your pursuit to manage time efficiently.
1. Check your emails a maximum of twice a day. If you want to accomplish many tasks, limit your time in reading your emails. Suitable times would be first thing I the morning (to take care of urgent matters) and a few minutes before you end your work (to catch up with last-minute concerns).
2. Set up templates or a “Frequently Asked Questions” page. The same questions can be repeatedly asked by different people – things like how to operate a certain product, how to download a resource, how to join your affiliate program, and so forth. It is obvious that typing the same answers to the same questions over and over again is extremely time-consuming. It is therefore advisable to set up templates of answers so you can just copy and paste them whenever the same questions are being asked again. A better way is to set up a “Frequently Asked Questions” page so you can just refer people to it when they have queries. The only time they’ll email you again is when their concerns have not been properly addressed.
3. Reply briefly. Answer your emails clearly and to the point. Don’t overcomplicate the explanation. Never reply to spam messages or to junk mails.
4. Take the phone. Several minutes spent in replying to emails can be shortened tremendously by just calling the person. You’ll get faster response and you’ll end up saving lots of time. And of course, the personal touch is priceless.
5. Terminate spam. Spam messages are very prevalent nowadays. Not only can they waste a lot of your time, but they can be very annoying as well. To prevent spam, don’t spread your email address that only a few trusted people know. If you can, make your email address more intricate. For example, use mark_jones27543@yahoo.com instead of mark_jones@yahoo.com. If you’re inserting your email address in websites and messages, you may replace@ with “AT.” For instance, write down mark_jonesAtyahoo.com instead of mark_jones@yahoo.com.
6. Get your email across. Sometimes, your email could mistakenly be regarded as spam, and this would waste your time in composing that message. To prevent such occurrence, be careful with your choice of words. Avoid words or phrases that trigger the spam filters. Some words to avoid: free, money, sex, amazing, limited offer, naked, opportunity, debt, loans, lottery, retire, urgent.
Other Robbers
There are certainly many other time thieves depending on each individual’s circumstances. Examples include waiting for your spouse in the shopping mall, making mistakes in filling up application forms, and other such things. Use your mind to think of possible solutions. If you can’t avoid being involved in such predicaments, then at least make those moments productive by reading books, listening to educational tapes, etc.
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
PIONEERING
Being a pioneer is a great opportunity to unleash the catalyst required for explosive success. Everything you can see wherever you are now has a record for its pioneer.
There is a person behind its beginning.
There is a traceable character to its existence.
No matter what it is. The fact is, without a foundation, there is no structure.
Being a pioneer is a special invitation to the gathering of achievers where destination and legacy are being recognized.
It is a great tragedy for anyone to pioneer without a resolute and influential legacy.
In fact without mixing words, it is the greatest of all disasters.
When a man pioneer without setting pace, he leaves the followers in a state of dilemma.
QUOTE FOR TODAY
“The world is filled with abundance of opportunities which the dreamers of the past never knew.” – Napoleon Hill
There is a person behind its beginning.
There is a traceable character to its existence.
No matter what it is. The fact is, without a foundation, there is no structure.
Being a pioneer is a special invitation to the gathering of achievers where destination and legacy are being recognized.
It is a great tragedy for anyone to pioneer without a resolute and influential legacy.
In fact without mixing words, it is the greatest of all disasters.
When a man pioneer without setting pace, he leaves the followers in a state of dilemma.
QUOTE FOR TODAY
“The world is filled with abundance of opportunities which the dreamers of the past never knew.” – Napoleon Hill
Monday, March 3, 2008
I CAN MAKE IT
History abounds with tales of experts who were convinced that the ideas, plans, and projects of others could never be achieved. However, accomplishment came to those who said, "I can make it happen."
The Italian sculptor Agostino d'Antonio worked diligently on a large piece of marble. Unable to produce his desired masterpiece, he lamented, "I can do nothing with it." Other sculptors also worked this difficult piece of marble, but to no avail. Michelangelo discovered the stone and visualized the possibilities in it. His "I-can-make- it-happen" attitude resulted in one of the world's masterpieces - David.
The experts of Spain concluded that Columbus's plans to discover a new and shorter route to the West Indies was virtually impossible. Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand ignored the report of the experts. "I can make it happen," Columbus persisted. And he did. Everyone knew the world was flat, but not Columbus. The Nina, the Pinta, the Santa Maria, along with Columbus and his small band of followers, sailed to "impossible" new lands and thriving resources.
Even the great Thomas Alva Edison discouraged his friend, Henry Ford, from pursuing his fledgling idea of a motorcar. Convinced of the worthlessness of the idea, Edison invited Ford to come and work for him. Ford remained committed and tirelessly pursued his dream. Although his first attempt resulted in a vehicle without reverse gear, Henry Ford knew he could make it happen. And, of course, he did. "Forget it," the experts advised Madame Curie. They agreed radium was a scientifically impossible idea. However, Marie Curie insisted, "I can make it happen."
Let's not forget our friends Orville and Wilbur Wright. Journalists, friends, armed forces specialists, and even their father laughed at the idea of an airplane. "What a silly and insane way to spend money. Leave flying to the birds," they jeered. "Sorry," the Wright brothers responded. "We have a dream, and we can make it happen." As a result, a place called Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, became the setting for the launching of their "ridiculous" idea.
Finally, as you read these accounts under the magnificent lighting of your environment, consider the plight of Benjamin Franklin. He was admonished to stop the foolish experimenting with lighting. What an absurdity and waste of time! Why, nothing could out do the fabulous oil lamp. Thank goodness Franklin knew he could make it happen. You too can make it happen!
QUOTE FOR TODAY
"We always overestimate the change that will occur in the next two years and underestimate the change that will occur in the next ten. Don't let yourself be lulled into inaction." - Bill Gates
The Italian sculptor Agostino d'Antonio worked diligently on a large piece of marble. Unable to produce his desired masterpiece, he lamented, "I can do nothing with it." Other sculptors also worked this difficult piece of marble, but to no avail. Michelangelo discovered the stone and visualized the possibilities in it. His "I-can-make- it-happen" attitude resulted in one of the world's masterpieces - David.
The experts of Spain concluded that Columbus's plans to discover a new and shorter route to the West Indies was virtually impossible. Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand ignored the report of the experts. "I can make it happen," Columbus persisted. And he did. Everyone knew the world was flat, but not Columbus. The Nina, the Pinta, the Santa Maria, along with Columbus and his small band of followers, sailed to "impossible" new lands and thriving resources.
Even the great Thomas Alva Edison discouraged his friend, Henry Ford, from pursuing his fledgling idea of a motorcar. Convinced of the worthlessness of the idea, Edison invited Ford to come and work for him. Ford remained committed and tirelessly pursued his dream. Although his first attempt resulted in a vehicle without reverse gear, Henry Ford knew he could make it happen. And, of course, he did. "Forget it," the experts advised Madame Curie. They agreed radium was a scientifically impossible idea. However, Marie Curie insisted, "I can make it happen."
Let's not forget our friends Orville and Wilbur Wright. Journalists, friends, armed forces specialists, and even their father laughed at the idea of an airplane. "What a silly and insane way to spend money. Leave flying to the birds," they jeered. "Sorry," the Wright brothers responded. "We have a dream, and we can make it happen." As a result, a place called Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, became the setting for the launching of their "ridiculous" idea.
Finally, as you read these accounts under the magnificent lighting of your environment, consider the plight of Benjamin Franklin. He was admonished to stop the foolish experimenting with lighting. What an absurdity and waste of time! Why, nothing could out do the fabulous oil lamp. Thank goodness Franklin knew he could make it happen. You too can make it happen!
QUOTE FOR TODAY
"We always overestimate the change that will occur in the next two years and underestimate the change that will occur in the next ten. Don't let yourself be lulled into inaction." - Bill Gates
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