Property Investment in Central Bangkok

Property investment in any capital city becomes highly lucrative, especially when the property location is in the heart of the city. Bangkok, the capital city of Thailand, is not an exception to this. Buying a property located at the city center of Bangkok is very good. It can ensure you a very good return at the time of selling the property. Choosing any property along the route from Siam Square to the Asoke junction is always worthwhile. This is probably the most costly and important area in Bangkok. This area is well-connected with various important parts of the city.

If you target a property to buy for living here permanently, you will get ample scope to enjoy almost all facilities and modern amenities which the city has to offer you. You can go for buying a property in this location when you have a higher budget. If you are seeking a property in Bangkok with a lower budget, you can target the city’s southern, northern and western districts.

This article will include only the property options in central Bangkok. I will write on the property options in southern, northern and western districts of Bangkok in my next few articles. Therefore, keep following the next articles to get an idea about the Bangkok real estate market.

Property Options in Central Bangkok

It is an undeniable fact that the property for living in Central Bangkok is comparatively low. The reason is a vast majority of the complexes are dedicated to commercial uses. Consequently, there is a shortage of residential properties. Therefore, if you look for a residential property to invest in this area, you need to search for a longer period of time. You will find no new Bangkok townhouses or vacant land allotted for town-house investment from the BTS stations to Siam Square till Ekamai (middle Sukhumvit. From BTS stations to Ekamai all way up, there are numerous commercial properties for doing business. Therefore, finding a module for opening a business is easier than having a residential flat in this area.

If you are looking for a flat in Central Bangkok, you can move to Chit Lom or Chidlom. This area is just one stop ahead of Siam square in the east. Although the proximity of central Bangkok has made the area costly, it is much lower than any location from Siam Square to the Asoke junction. Chidlom is basically a high-rise condominium. This skyscraper consists of two towers- Tower A and Tower B. it is a 24 story building having more than 597 units for comfortable living.

It includes almost all modern amenities within it like:

• Swimming pool

• Fitness center

• Green place

• Water body

• Arabic room

• Function room

• Game room

• City View

• Gym room

• Steam room

• Garden

• Covered parking

• Children’s room

• Playground

• Clubhouse

• Function room

• CCTV surveillance 24*7

• 24-Hour security

• Keycard entry

Try to invest here for the proper utilization of your money.

Before You Take the Entrepreneurial Plunge, Consider Various Business Models

There are some business models that are more accessible than others, to individuals who have little or no collateral, little or no cash, little or no entrepreneurial experience, little or no training, and little or no choice but to pursue an entrepreneurial dream without the benefit of resources which would ordinarily be nice to have. The purpose of this article is to briefly review some of the alternatives.

First, there are product oriented businesses versus service oriented businesses. In the case of the former, questions arise as to the source(s) of supply, how the inventory is to be managed, whether the product is perishable, and how the product is delivered into the hands of the customer. The business may need a substantial physical infrastructure. In the instance of a product like new cars, you need a lot, a parts department, service and cleanup capacity, and a sales, financing, and administration area. You will also need lighting, security, and other amenities to ensure that buyers have a sense of confidence in the business. If you’re selling ice cream, you need to keep it cold; this implies freezers and refrigerated trucks, perishibility, and substantial energy bills. If you’re selling clothes, you need display and storage space for a variety of sizes and styles. In all of these cases, you need the product itself in inventory. You might also wish to categorize this type of business as having one other similarity among others of like kind: these are “brick and mortar” businesses.

Service businesses may also require “bricks and mortar,” so just because a product is not physically stocked or otherwise identified as tangible, one must not jump to conclusions. A day spa, a bank, or a hotel, are all examples of service businesses that are also brick and mortar businesses. Generally speaking, brick and mortar businesses rely on a “place” where they must exist, and acquiring such a place requires capital. The “place” characteristics of a given business may carry great weight in the eyes of its customers or clientele. It should not be a surprise that many hotels and apartment complexes invest heavily in lobby and entrance areas when designing their facilities.

One might expect that professionals such as attorneys would charge significantly more, or less, simply judging by the type of offices in which their practices are located. Let’s compare two hypothetical situations. The first is the instance of an attorney whose office comes complete with marble floors, collectable paintings, and an attractive, albeit somewhat pouty, reception area representative. We could then compare this to another attorney, whose office is combined with an income tax service and a small engine repair business. The difference between the two is about $300 an hour. There’s a reason that high profile celebrity defendants hire so-called “dream teams” for representation: they get positive results.

Some businesses sell undifferentiated products or services. This means that the product or service offered by one business is the same, or substantially the same, as the one offered by competing businesses. A gallon of gasoline is probably a good example. (At the present time, it appears that every provider has the same goal: reap substantial profits from consumers.) One station may attempt to distinguish itself from another through slight pricing differences. Oil companies may proclaim “we do research to protect the environment with clean burning fuels that are better for your car”; but, a gallon of gas is a gallon of gas in the eyes of most consumers. Any slight price differences, auxiliary services such as clean rest rooms and a convenience store, and location largely determine where consumers will ultimately spend their money (in ever increasing amounts, it seems).

All business models require some form of promotion. The “person on the street” typically confuses terminology that is actually quite specific. The terms promotion, advertising, and marketing are often incorrectly used interchangeably, for instance. Marketing is inclusive of price, product, place, and promotion. A business can be promoted through word-of-mouth and referral; therefore, a good reputation and testimonials should be cultivated by any business. Some products require heavy paid advertising. “Paid” is the critical word here, in that it suggests that the advertiser has some choice in placing a message before a desired audience. By definition, advertising is paid, non-personal communication; ordinarily it is underwritten by an identified sponsor; it is meant to be informative, if not persuasive in nature. By far, most advertising is local, even though one might tend to first think of national advertisers and brands in an advertising recall test (a test of what someone remembers).

Another way to promote a product is through personal selling efforts. Some types of businesses use independent representatives for this purpose, because it makes sense. For example, suppose that one has a line of porcelain figures that are sold primarily through gift stores. However, as a small business, it would be hard to afford a staff of in-house sales representatives to call on thousands of gift stores nationwide. One could use a firm that represents several product lines (such as greeting cards, writing pens, and silver) and simply add the porcelain figurines to the list of products that might be presented to gift store owners and buyers during sales calls. In a small business, it is the management team’s job to make sure that someone is doing the selling. It helps if the owner is comfortable with this role, as his or her passion for the business can usually be leveraged. However, if you are a prospective business founder, and you are not comfortable addressing audiences one-on-one, in small groups, or behind a podium, you’d better enlist one or more individuals who are competent in this area, for the sake of your future success.

After reviewing more marketing and business plans than I can any longer count, I can just about bet that material under the heading “Promotion,” will be the Achilles’ heel in a majority of plans. Authors of these plans, who are often lacking adequate financial wherewithal, tend to sum up an entire treatise on promoting a proposed product, service, or business with: “We will use word-of-mouth to advertise [sic]…” Word-of-mouth is a fantastic way to promote, if is nurtured. A large “buzz” can be created with a great product that is professionally represented through an in-house sales force, or independent representatives. Companies selling encyclopedias, vacuum cleaners, and cosmetics were built through independent representatives who approached consumers directly. More recent examples have utilized network marketing, where an emphasis on building organizational teams has been made. Senior representatives’ roles are to mentor the development of new representatives.

There are labor and equipment intensive businesses, and there are knowledge intensive businesses. Either can be relatively easy, or relatively difficult for a competitor to duplicate. It all depends on the degree of investment and specialization necessary to get into a business. This concept also suggests that there are certain “entry costs” into a given line of business or industry, and these costs represent barriers that must be overcome. The opening statement to this article, where I outlined various “little or no” scenarios, should be reiterated here. You should find a business that meets the “little or no” test according to your set of circumstances. A personal service or consulting-type business is far less expensive to launch than a restaurant or a retail store. If you have speaking skills and a set of overheads and hand-outs, consider a training and development business. If you’re good at matchmaking, become a recruiter or a dating expert.

Most of my own prior business endeavors have been service oriented businesses that required some specialized knowledge. Building a clientele and personally servicing that clientele has been a central premise in each of these entrepreneurial instances. That has often entailed long hours, scheduling dilemmas, and few breaks in between: clients want what they want, when they want it, which, more often than not means “yesterday.” With the advent of the Internet, an entirely new realm of entrepreneurial opportunity was opened to me and millions of other would-be entrepreneurs around the globe. Recognizing some fundamental differences in business models, I registered the Internet domain name, “WebPreneurship.com,” along with numerous others.

The main difference in Internet business models has to do with the fact that one can create an online presence, with the capability to represent numerous types of products or services, many of which can be entirely transacted and delivered using the Web as a facilitator of that process. Digital products can be downloaded; physical products can be delivered through contracted fulfillment services. A related concept, known as drop-shipping, can allow an Internet business to overcome this latter obstacle as well. Drop-shipping means that when an order is generated on an entrepreneur’s Web site, the product supplier or manufacturer will receive the order and send the shipment directly to the consumer. There is a virtual presence facilitated by technology and strategic relationships, as compared to a physical presence with associated brick and mortar costs. Hence, my own working definition of “webpreneurship” began to take shape.

Information products such as electronic books and reports have also created yet another new term in our vocabulary, known as “infopreneurship.” Infopreneurship has to do with making a living (on the part of the infopreneur) by providing information of value. Prior to the advent of the Internet infopreneurs did exist, although they operated under a whole different set of constraints that had to do with the costs of advertising, mailing, shipping, printing, and other expenses that the Internet has largely eliminated.

Even those business types that cannot complete the full product or service creation, selling, and delivery cycle, can enhance their presence over the Internet. For example, you can’t get a haircut on the Internet, but you certainly can look at styling options, pricing and service options, and location information (including interactive maps and directions); subsequently, you can book an appointment time and date. Basic Internet businesses can be created at relatively low cost, and can be maintained with a flexible schedule, assuming that they are fully automated and sell a product such as information and reports as compared to one that requires a physical product to be shipped. An entrepreneur may exercise the drop-shipping or fulfillment services mentioned above, or handle this for him or herself in-house. Of course the latter situation, relative to business models, entails providing availability to customers that confines the entrepreneur to the business during its publicized hours of operation.

Franchises and business opportunities (including buying an existing business) provide one major advantage over other business ventures that are started from scratch: greater certainty derived from a formula that is “tried and true.” If you have no idea where to start, but you are trainable and ambitious with a few dollars to spend, consider a franchise. There are some franchises that use what amounts to a “promote from within” approach, favoring successful managers as candidates for franchise ownership (and providing a helping hand toward financing the franchise fees). Bootstrapping and sweat equity go hand-in-hand, and if you really want a piece of the action, there are individuals out there who are looking for partners–you could quite possibly earn your way into owning a share, or even all, of an existing business.

As for me, I have come to enjoy having multiple roles and avenues for personal as well as professional fulfillment. I teach entrepreneurship at a university, write, and engage audiences as a public speaker. I have invested in several Internet sites. I have created several of these sites myself, while others are turn-key sites. (A turn-key site is one where a system is already in place to provide a product or service as well as technical support, transaction processing, and customer service.) For instance, I have one site that provides Internet domain names, and that is a turn-key site which I purchased for less than two hundred dollars. I am also an independent consultant for a network marketing firm that offers consumable health, wellness and beauty products. A network marketing structure offers me the opportunity to develop, train, and mentor persons who are interested in growing a business opportunity. Meanwhile, as a continual learner myself, I can enhance my skills and knowledge and benefit from peers and individuals who have already blazed a trail before me.

Every business model implies trade-offs and unique characteristics as well as lifestyle choices. I enjoy teaching, but I also think that staying connected as an entrepreneur makes me a better teacher. I like to learn, so I am always pursuing new insights through casual as well as formal research (which I share through writing and speaking). I enjoy helping others, and teaching, mentoring, and guiding others is essential, to me. As a person of humble beginnings whose accomplishments have often been the result of starting from scratch, my most profound lessons have been acquired from the “school of hard knocks.” If I can smooth out someone else’s path, I’d like to do that. I also have enduring financial obligations, like most people, as well as responsibilities and love for friends and family members. Thus, any entrepreneurial decision has a direct impact on every aspect of my life.

In your own way and given your own set of circumstances, you will have to juggle to achieve your own unique entrepreneurial and lifestyle solutions. Before you take the entrepreneurial plunge, consider various business models and their implications completely. Your decisions will impact your life in ways that are to be considered just as seriously as the business models that you scrutinize. The right model will serve as a pattern for your fulfillment and success. Whatever you do, I suggest that you seek spiritual, emotional, and professional balance as a guiding light in your entrepreneurial journey. Making the right choices will enable you to find your “groove,” gain your freedom, and live the kind of life that you’ve always wanted, both on and off the entrepreneurial playing field.

How to Get Started With a Career in Mobile Massage

Nowadays, our modern lifestyles have meant that do almost anything when it comes to forging a career. There are now more entrepreneurs than ever before and virtually any one can set up their own business as long as they have an idea and the determination to follow it through. However, as long as the ability to go far in business, modern day living has also brought with it more stress than ever before. The stresses and strains of modern life has meant that the value of alternative healing techniques such as massage therapy is higher than ever with more and more people turning to massage as a way of dealing with the stresses of modern day life.

Therefore, it is little wonder that what was once considered largely a physiotherapist’s role is now a popular service on offer in parlors, spas, health farms and even hotels. Many people can now enjoy the relaxation and peacefulness that you can get from a professional massage from the comfort of their own homes courtesy of a mobile massage business. A mobile masseuse can come to you and you can enjoy all the benefits of a really great massage without having to take a step out of the door!

If you are looking to start up your own mobile massage business it can be a really rewarding career. Starting up your own mobile massage service is a really good business prospect as it allows you to start a business from scratch with very little overhead or need for investment. It’s not always possible to rent out large offices for your massage therapy business, therefore many masseuses’ go mobile. You can start your business without an office space or any employees; all you really need is your skill and a van to transport you and your equipment around. With this sort of business you can start small and build up as your business becomes more popular and diverse. Another advantage of setting up a mobile massage business is the flexible work schedule you can set for yourself.

The most important part of starting a career in mobile massage is getting your qualifications and training sorted. You can enroll in either a community college or a specialist school as there are plenty of degree programs on offer. In the majority of states in the US, training and licensing is mandatory if you want to practice massage therapy. The National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork recognizes that the appropriate certification will generally take 500 hours of training and culminates in a final exam.

After you have completed your training, you will then need to apply for and obtain a state license for massage therapy if the state you are in requires this. It is really important to check if your state requires a license, you can do so by checking the website for the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards. If you have an official certification it can really put you ahead of other mobile massage therapists in your area who are not certified.

Now you are all legal and above board you will need to purchase your equipment. Start out with the basics such as a portable massage chair and tables, oils and towels. These are the only overheads you will need to cover at this point. Now all you need to do is to advertise your business and sit back and wait for the business to flow in.

If you advertise your business effectively, a career in mobile massage can be very lucrative due to the low overheads when you first start out. As time goes on you may be in the position where you can take on staff and your business could go on to cover a larger customer base. Why not see where a career in mobile massage could take you!

How to Find the Most Profitable Online Home Business

The most profitable online businesses are the top tier programs that require some entrepreneurial courage and investment but allow you to earn a significant upfront income.

Most people have the idea that the economic crisis experienced these last couple of years was the worst time ever. But in actual fact, it has been the very best time to establish a home business.

There are so many home business opportunities and schemes to make money online. Yet, it is clear that many are just a scam. It is vital then that you know what constitutes a profitable business model for you.

with the ever-increasing number of both legitimate opportunities and rip-off scams, how do you know what is a honest AND profitable online business to start up and how do you know who to believe when you are researching what is out there?

I had exactly this dilemma. I tried all kinds of schemes and trainings and tools and systems before finally finding success. Now don’t get me wrong, I learned LOTS from my past attempts at a home based business, acquired many new skills. None of it was wasted. But I also wasted LOTS – lots of time and lots of money.

Sound familiar?

This is the reason I put this article together to try to explain some of the different home business models. There are so many variables both in the business you choose and in what YOU need to bring to it. I was doing all the right things but in the wrong way and with the WRONG business model.

The penny dropped when I was on the phone with a friend from that previous MLM. I saw him go from flat broke living in his mother’s basement to become a top producer earning over $50K every month. You see, he’d found a system that works. And after just a few months, I’m on track to follow exactly in his footsteps.

Once I discovered a highly profitable business model that suits what I want to achieve, I simply applied my knowledge and skills and could be successful. The ‘system’ is simply this: a highly profitable online business model. It offers top quality internet marketing education on the front end combined with a top tier product on the back end.

Let me explain some of the terms and the different kinds of home businesses you can start.

Brick and mortar businesses

This is where you buy or let premises for the purpose of selling products or services. This may be you use part of your home or outbuildings. Examples are a personal trainers, hairdressers, dog grooming, computer repairs. The capital you need to start up will be generally high and it may take several years before you are in profit.

Franchise business

Similar to traditional brick and mortar business, but with this model you are buying into a known-brand and premises. Examples are restaurants, cleaning companies. The business is already set up and you ‘manage’ the day to day running of the place. Again, the outlay is usually high, you have employees to hire and manage, and it may take several years before you start earning profits. An online alternative:

Internet based business

This is where your ‘shop’ is a website or a blog and you retail and sell products through online tools. There are various websites and templates you can buy outright or membership, such as lead capture pages, sales letters, as well as a whole host of tools that will help you manage customers and relationships with customers, such as shopping cart tools for product listing and credit card processing, email marketing for follow up.

For the newbie, it can be a massive learning curve to understand what is needed and to do it well. Once you have your online store set up, you must learn how to research your target audience (keyword research), how to advertise (without going bust), how to market to them (psychology of buying processes, writing effective sales copy, relationship building, etc) and how to convert them into buyers. It’s not an easy game.

There are some quick in-roads, such as eBay selling or affiliate marketing (selling other people’s products and using pre-made sales templates). The profit margins are pretty low so you will have to sell hundreds or thousands to make a decent income and there is very little residual income with this model.

Network marketing business

Also know as MLM (multi-level marketing) or home party business, this often suits people who are socially outgoing and want to earn a few hundred pounds extra having fun with friends, work colleagues and family. Again you buy a stock of products and learn how to market these usually locally, but potentially to anyone anywhere. For example, you can use traditional advertising like flyers and newspaper ads and set up personal visits, open days, home parties, exhibitions, ladies evenings etc. to sell your wares.

The more stock you buy, the more ‘discount’ you get and thus, when you sell the products, the more profit you make. The company you join is important in many ways, but obviously in the type of product and the price level. Some products may suit your personal interests and knowledge more than others, e.g. household products, utility products, nutritional vitamin supplements, weight loss products. For people new to sales, it is good to go with a product you would actually use yourself and because the price levels are small, it may be easier to find customers and makes sales.

This kind of home business allows you to make two streams of income, one on products you retail (active income) and another on your ‘team’ of distributors you bring into the business and earn a percentage of commission on products they sell (passive residual income or ‘royalties’). This is called ‘leveraging’ your time, since there is a limit to how many customers one person can manage.

How much income you make depends on how good you are at sales and how many people you bring in and keep as distributors in your ‘downline’. This is the rule, the more people you recruit the more money you will make. But the disturbing statistics show that almost 90% of people who join an MLM or network marketing business never make significant income.

Top tier product marketing

This works on the same basis as network marketing, some of which can earn on 2,3,4 even 10 levels of commissions. So everyone has their ‘cut’ as reward for bringing others into the business and helping them to become successful by making sales. These businesses usually require a substantial investment in the product line, but use the ‘Get Paid Today’ or GPT business model, so you can quickly recoup your initial outlay because you earn very high commissions even on the first sales you make. There is no need to wait to build up a ‘downline’ and earn ‘royalties’ because you start making big front end commissions and residual income stream grows very fast. Commission ranges from $ 1,000 to $ 10,000 (and you can get it immediately!)

So for my own experience, it seems fairly clear cut. If you learn to market online, you can sell any product to anyone, anywhere in the world. Why on earth then would you choose to market low cost products and not top tier products and get paid today? It would be ridiculous, wouldn’t it? But so many people start a home business or online business without knowing the key differences.

Just to clarify for you then:

For brick and mortar, franchise, network marketing or online businesses…

– Your costs will often be far more than your profits in the short term at least.

– You have to keep working day and night for many years to build things up and to keep the momentum going in your business.

– Your residual income is dependent on how many people you bring into the business who are actively retailing and recruiting.

– This can take many years to develop and you will have to work hard to keep people who do just average since their expectations are rarely met.

– You have to pay transportation and handling of products and certain other charges, which includes maintenance of any advertising websites and for tracking sales and customers and team activities.

– You can add up all the different monthly fees for your individual tools, which are much higher than expected.

– Couple with the low commissions earned, you will probably not break even – ever.

In the Top Tier GPT model…

You get paid today. Your direct sales commissions are immediately paid to you and your compensation does not depend on the number of people in your downline. Because you are retailing high-end products and services, the profit is considerably higher compared with other businesses. Many top tier opportunities also reward you for referrals and pay a commission several levels deep so you can build up a residual income over time. Because you earn a good ‘active’ income, you can quit your ‘day job’ in months not years.

The Paramounted Importance of Critical Analysis in International Trade Policies

International trade is largely based on the constant fluctuations in the world-wide economy, this resulting in constant changes with regards to tariffs, trade subsidies and unending amendments of regulations with regards to international trade. “Trade policy and economic Growth”, a paper by Keith Maskus, PhD, focuses on the relationship between trade policies and the growth of the economy or lack thereof, the main point of interest of the paper was to establish whether the variance of trade policies will affect the economic growth of any country. The conclusion reached was that open economies tend to grow faster than closed economies, ceteris paribus. therefore concluding that open competition is good in the sense that it improves resource distribution and the country gains in Investment and innovation.

An organisation that is involved in international trade has to pay special attention to such information. There might not be any countries with closed economies however there are countries that have low imports to the point that they are regarded as closed economies for instance Brazil. In 2011 Brazil recorded 13% as its import percentage which was quite low for a country of its stature. Is it not then imperative to constantly be up to date with changes in the trade policies of countries one is interested in pursuing trade relations with? since there is a proven positive relationship between the openness of an economy to competition (thus meaning the country is greatly involved in trade) and the growth of that country`s economy, this serves as an indication of how lucrative and profitable a business venture would be under such circumstances. The Critical analysis aspect then comes into play by determining how much gain or loss would result from substantial changes to the policies, which are measures and instruments that can influence export and imports, the objective being the policies influence the trade sector to the result of profit for the business venture. one might feel a degree in commercial management is then needed in order to fully understand all the kinks and edges of the international business, and they would be right, but the eventuality is that it will always boil down to intelligence and efficiency in the analysis of trends, calculation of potential profit/loss, predictions of future stability or fluctuations in the world economy prompting changes to prices in the trade sector.

There is one other important factor that can alter potential business plans, and that is the politics of the country in question, policies are easily influenced by the politics of the nation, and it is thus advisable that critical analysis be also engaged, this results in better understanding of the country and its stability thus reducing the chances of incurring a bad business eventuality. Nations are not governed by robots, unfortunately, but are governed by people with interests and human nature desires to differ from individual to individual making it difficult to maintain a constant effective system. if politicians are elected they tend to focus on altering policies for their own benefit, and the benefit of those they promised (if there are still honest politician available) from that point it is important that international business consider such factors before pursuing business. Prime examples being, whenever there are strikes in South Africa investors tend to shy away, and most of the strikes are birthed from political influence, thus deeming South Africa an Unstable nation to invest in, or Zimbabwe a nation sanctioned, due to political infringements, making the country undesirable for investment irregardless of the profitability of the business idea. It is thus an excellent idea to firstly research in-depth to the politics of the country before hand and invest with,much-needed information, guiding the innovative decision made.

Small Business Management and Entrepreneurship

Owning a successful business is no longer reserved for a lucky few. It is because there are some rules followed by those successful business people in making the business people to climb the richness ladder with assurance and comfort ability although any business is about risking and that the higher the risk the higher the reward or profit.

When you want to startup a business you first must have an idea, example of business ideas are like opening up a hairdresser, opens a salon, a shop and much. Generally, people do make huge mistake. Just because they are thinking about the job and not the business. Only because you are a good chef does not mean you know how to run a restaurant. More important, it does not mean a restaurant would be successful in your market. So you have to clearly assess and evaluate your business idea before implementing it.

Business wise you have to make sure that what you are going to produce Is it a product or service they have fallen in love with. Again, just because you love something does not mean a profitable business will come of it. This is especially true for first-time entrepreneurs. Learning how to run a business is hard enough; you don’t need to make it any harder by doing something you love rather than something customers love paying you a good profit for or producing what you want instead of what they want.

There are some guidelines on how you are sure that your intriguing idea is also something from which you can truly make a profit? There are three essential considerations one has to bear in mind.

Make sure the product or service has a repeat buy. This is by far the most important aspect of long-term business success. You have to have a product or service that people will keep buying. It is better and more profitable, in my opinion, to have a pool cleaning company than a pool building company. Put another way, a business owner should focus on getting a customer once, but making a profit from that person for a very long time.

Be certain you have a high profit margin.

There are very few companies that can compete long term on a “we are cheaper” marketing platform. In any new business, you need to watch your cash flow–and if you are trying to work with low profit margins and make gains in volume, you will need to have a high level of working capital to keep you running through the lean profits early on. Having a higher margin is extremely important when you are growing a business so you can self-finance your growth.

Build a strong support team because a good idea is not enough. The idea counts most, yet a quality idea must still have a great team of people behind it to give it wings. Time after time, when people bring me a business investment proposal or an idea they want to take to market, I ask them who is on their team and they respond with something crazy like, “Oh, we have not hired anyone yet.” Get a board of advisers. Get a team of professional accountants, coaches, lawyers and bankers. A great team will greatly improve the chances for success of any business.

Now if I were going into business today, to be sure of the market what would I choose? I would start with one premise and some hot industries. Here the premise is, you do not make money panning for gold, and you make money selling pans. Get in the way of a buying frenzy, and you will be a success. Therefore the fastest way to make a restaurant profitable is not by having a great chef and great decor or big buildings it is by attracting a starving crowd with money so that they can eat the food in exchange for their money.

In other words look for an idea you can take national or, even better, global at some stage. Although it might be fun and a challenge to establish yourself locally right now, but eventually you’ll want to build something much bigger for the future and also expand you business.

Top 5 Mistakes to Avoid When Selecting Intellectual Property (IP) Management Software

The investment made in Intellectual Property (IP) management software can work wonders in helping IP departments gain visibility, lower administrative costs, improve accuracy, and increase productivity. Unfortunately, a significant percentage of Intellectual Property management systems purchased are never fully implemented or don’t deliver the utility the customer hoped for.

Here are the five most common mistakes made when selecting Intellectual Property management software:

Mistake #5: Not Knowing What You Really Need in IP Management Software

Before diving right into choosing a solution, take the time to understand what you really need. For starters, determine whether you require a fully integrated Intellectual Property Asset Management software, Patent Docketing software,or IP Matter Management software.

Often, this depends on the issues you are trying to solve or the opportunities you are trying to capture, as well as the size and structure of your department. For example, if you don’t file many patent applications or trademarks, you should first get that data organized in a centralized repository. Your core team should be able to access and generate reports from them.

If your IP portfolio is getting large enough for you to manage, and you think that providing access to inventor community and law firms can reduce administrative costs, you should look at a robust Intellectual Property management system. This type of system will allow you to streamline your processes and improve productivity at a lower cost and with fewer resources.

Before diving into the selection process, ask “What are our top five needs?” If these key needs are not identified, it may be difficult to distinguish between vendors. Many vendors claim to do many things. The vendor’s strengths must match the company’s key needs.

Mistake #4: Not Recognizing the Uniqueness of Your Business

Every IP department is unique. Without configuration capabilities within the software, you are more susceptible to failure during software implementation.

While initial license and maintenance fees can sometimes appear lower, these hard coded solutions will often result in increased costs due to extensive customization requirements, upgrades, ongoing maintenance, and longer system deployment timeframes. Essentially, you may end up reducing and delaying your overall return on investment.

Avoid choosing a software that limits your team’s capabilities and your department’s growth. Your software should enhance your business, not hinder it.

By choosing an Intellectual Property management software solution that can adapt to your business processes, you will get better user acceptance, improved efficiencies, reduced costs, and faster ROI.

Mistake #3: Not including Key Users in the Selection Process

Surprisingly, many IP department still select computer systems without soliciting meaningful input from key users. At the beginning of your selection project, form a selection team with representatives from all affected teams such as patents, trademarks, docketing, licensing, compliance and billing. The active participation of key stakeholders will not only help ensure all bases are covered, it will also result in a better decision and fewer complaints after implementation.

If possible, you should also include a representative from your IT department. The IT Liaison can help you in identifying any issues related to deployment, data migration, integration and security.

Mistake #2: Evaluating Too Many Vendors:

Avoid vendors that offer a deal that is “too good to be true”. You may find yourself missing the essential tools you need to conduct your business after implementation. Many of these bargain systems also provide very rigid solutions, making it difficult for you to meet the unique needs of your inventors, patent committees, and law firms. Also, You may need to reinvest additional money toward upgrading, or in some cases replacing, your system later-thereby reducing or eliminating all together any savings that you might have originally experienced.

Choose no more than four vendors at the start of your search. If more than four are chosen, it often becomes difficult to remember who does what. If none of the first vendors will meet 80 percent of the key needs, dismiss these and begin investigating several more.

Mistake # 1: Not Investing in Intellectual Property Management Software for the Long-Term

When choosing Intellectual Property management software, be realistic about your expectations and perceptions of cost. You’re making an investment to improve or enhance your processes. So, while hard dollars spent are important, the key is choosing the right Intellectual Property management software. Choose the right partner who will provide you with a fast and effective implementation, high ROI (Return On Investment), and low TCO (Total Cost of Ownership) after implementation.

Use your intuition and good business judgment when comparing provider costs. Look for applications that support your ability to achieve your department’s long term primary strategic goals and work within your budget. Hasty decisions in favor of the lowest cost IP management software provider or solution now may leave you plagued later with hidden costs, and delay or eliminate any ROI for your business.

Several progressive legal departments have realized better and more predicable processes, improved productivity, and better control over law firms with Lecorpio’s IP management software. Lecorpio IP Asset management solution includes invention disclosure management, patent management (including docketing), trademark management, domain management, open source management, licensing management, contract management, standards management, IP transactions management, and spend management.

The Upside to Trade Finance Advisory

Popular search engines are excellent examples, with over 75% annual earnings before five decades. Upon study of APICORP’s history, strategy, activities and achievements, and valuable industry research, you’ll find some helpful information about ways to mitigate risks whenever you are in a global trade. It is possible that even during intervals of low oil prices and financial crises, one can efficiently facilitate the access to capital for the business. It’s important to know about the further costs related to making use of a letter of credit.

Many emerging markets provide opportunities which you cannot get in the country anymore. Through the years, the energy industry in the area has grown to play a critical role in the world economy. The company buying the receivables is known as a factor. So as your company grows so does the quantity of funding that is available to you. Trade finance is related to the procedure for financing certain activities related to commerce and worldwide trade. If you are worried about bad debts, many discounting companies can supply a facility that includes bad debt insurance policy protection for extra security. But if you’re using traditional loan and overdraft facilities that the bank won’t increase, then such a facility will give a solution for cash flow.

There are a few circumstances where overpayments can be arranged. However, this kind of advance is going to be determined on the grounds of the way the facility was maintained and if a successful and dependable transactional history was built up. This scenario would be exactly the tip of the iceberg on how best to get started researching a global stock. Moreover, you would like to be aware of just how much time you are eager to spend researching investment opportunities. The entire idea with stock timing is to learn the length of time you have until you’ll really want the money. Because it takes time to understand the company, you may stay assured that your facilities will be structured around the authentic enterprise you do, taking into consideration your distinctive requirements at several phases of your trade cycle. It is comparable to those people who fear others because they don’t attempt to understand them. I think it is suggested to begin investing globally because lots of people have a fear of the unknown.

After you start to formulate what risk you’re comfortable with and also your long-term goals for investing, the next thing to do is to recognize a strategy that fulfills your requirements. One goal is to make certain that businesses have the sales-financing tools required to drive sales and better their competitiveness. The important thing is to understand what risk levels you’re comfortable with and the best target of your investing strategy. For any business the prospect of terrible debt will stay a problem. We are aware that achieving great effects in the world market needs a thorough comprehension of best practice principles. There are many trade tools which are designed to aid businesses since they learn more on the topic of international trade.

The Advantages of Trade Finance Advisory

In the long run, through this program, the country is going to have sizeable manufacturing base, which then will make gigantic growth and developmental opportunities for all participants. The city provides a good quote that could encompass our MBA international experience in addition to investing in an international economy. The discounter will subsequently continue to supply you with as much as 85% of the worth of new sales invoices, normally within one day of you raising them. It is represented in more than 30 countries worldwide and provides an extensive selection of insurances, provision services and products.

It is always important to search for the best trade finance advices you can get before making any investment. You should spend your assets wisely.

The Secrets Of Starting A Profitable Flower Vending Business

I have sold in the retail market, millions of fresh roses and fresh flower bouquets successfully for 32 years. I bought a retail nursery and florist across the street for one of Connecticut’s largest cemeteries, on a busy route that had several thousand vehicles pass every day. I made deals with all the flower wholesalers at first and then I proceeded to undercut the price of all the flower shops in the state. My main objective was to create a customer base that would frequently buy flowers “just because”. My customer service was created with an over friendly staff of a great combination of super personalities and knowledge of the business, which was simply liking people and helping them to satisfy a feeling. My motto to my staff was to let them know that we not only sell roses and flowers but mostly, We sell Love, we sell feelings! My obsession with quality and consumer service was so successful that it spread through out the community and the state.

Wow, I can remember Valentines week with a staff of over 50 wonderful employees wrapping and boxing roses through out the day and nights, get ready the rush of the year. I was so careful with every dozen to prepare each like it was for my mom or wife. We dethroned all the roses, cut them under water, to hydrate them according to the “Chain of Life” procedure. They re-hydrated them in solutions to further guarantee and extend their vase life. Our 4,800 Dozen roses that we sold that week were our best advertising for the rest of the year. Heck, they lasted over 10 days which pleased amazed our dedicated customer’s recipients. What a great feeling to know how many people we made happy.

Selling flowers at strategic locations has become a highly profitable retail business for many enterprising individuals. These entrepreneurs are taking advantage of a market that is, for the most part, impulsive in nature. Many people buy flowers on the spur of the moment, and the presence of a flower vendor is usually their inspiration.

Very often, men on their way to a date will see a roadside flower vendor, and suddenly find the idea of taking flowers with him quite appealing. The same holds true for many men heading home from work. If they’re married, these men will often purchase flowers from roadside vendors for their wives. The flowers are fresh, attractive, and package to sell, not as nearly as expensive as an arrangement from a florist, and the buyer doesn’t even have to get out of his car. Women are also potential customers for flower vendors. A woman will buy flowers to add color and decoration to her house or apartment, or sometimes, just to cheer up a friend. In any case, the purchase is usually made on impulse, brought about by the availability of a flower vendor.

Starting a flower vending business is not difficult. No previous experience is necessary. There’s only a minimal initial investment required, and you won’t need a lot of equipment. What you will need is an adequate supply of fresh, attractive flowers, a good location for selling, and a cheerful disposition. After all, you will be dealing directly with people, so a good disposition is a necessity. You can begin as a home-based operation with an investment of as little as $300. If you live close enough to the market you want to reach, your own garage can serve as storage space as well as your preparation area. Your operating expenses will be minimal, and you’ll have the opportunity to realize a high margin of profits.

Depending on the size of your investment (both time and money) and the size of your trade area, a flower vending business could net anywhere from $20,000 to $175,000 per year. It can be an extremely high profit business, if you choose your selling locations wisely, and offer only fresh, attractive flowers.

BUSINESS OVERVIEW

Successful operation of any small business depends on several key factors. Perhaps the most important is the ability to be a good business manager. Although no experience is necessary to start-up a flower vending business, some small business management training could give you the edge needed to insure success. Most community colleges offer night school courses in small business management and, if you are unsure about your business knowledge and or management skills, enrollment in such a course would be a good idea.

Here are other basic steps involved in the successful operation of a flower vending business:

(1) Know your market. Proper knowledge of your market will enable you to set-up at the best locations. You’ll need to know the high-traffic areas as well as the time of day traffic is at its peak in order to take advantage of a roadside operation. You’ll also need to investigate other potential locations such as restaurants, malls, local festivals and flea markets.

(2) Obtain a dependable source for fresh flowers. Your business depends on the quality of your merchandise. And since you are selling flowers, they must be fresh and attractive. You should locate a quality wholesaler and establish a sound working relationship. You should also have some knowledge of the types of flowers people are most likely to purchase from a vendor.

(3) Establish a workable preparation area. Ideally, your preparation area should be centrally located within your sales territory. The space needed should be adequate for storing flowers and materials used for the preparation of bouquets, as well as for the preparation itself.

(4) Hire the right help. Unless you plan a one person operation you’ll need to hire some dependable helpers. The people you hire should be outgoing and trustworthy with the ability to deal with customers in a professional and courteous manner. If your flower vending business is to be successful and highly profitable, you’ll probably need to have other people helping you. One example is a successful flower vendor in Washington State who employs young people, pays them minimum wages, and enjoys a brisk business at several key locations.

(5) Advertise and promote your business. Effective advertising and promotion can help generate sales and profits. Knowing how to advertise and promote your business, especially in the beginning, is a key step in the success of any business operation.

All of these steps can be taken with a relatively small initial investment, and your flower vending business can be in operation, and realizing a profit, in just a few weeks. However, prospective entrepreneurs should also be aware of, and comply with, any rules and regulations that apply to this particular business in their area.

Depending on the location(s) of your flower vending business, you may need a license to operate. If you plan to set- up a flower vending stand on a city street, or any roadside operation within city limits, you’ll most likely need to get a permit. The best thing to do is consult a trusted attorney, or contact the business-license department in the city your market covers to find out what licensing requirements you must meet.

If you plan to sell flowers in restaurants and nightclubs, it is usually not necessary to have a license. Also, if your roadside operations fall outside the city limits, you probably won’t need a license because most counties don’t issue them. Again, you should check with your attorney, or the proper licensing authorities in your area before you start selling flowers.

Another consideration for a new business owner and employer is taxes. As an operator of a business you will be responsible for collecting and sending in various state and federal taxes, as well as certain taxes you will have to pay yourself. If you are not familiar with your tax responsibilities as a business owner, consult a qualified accountant or contact your local IRS office to get the information you need.

You should also consult with an accountant as to the type and arrangement of bookkeeping and record keeping best suited for your flower vending business. Records of your business operations are, of course, helpful in the successful management of the business. These records need to be as accurate and permanent as possible in order to ascertain any tax liabilities. They should include business income, deductions, credits, and any employee information. As well as any other information required by federal, state and local regulations.

EQUIPMENT AND INVENTORY

Since a flower vending business does not require an abundance of sophisticated equipment, start-up costs can be kept to a minimum. The basic equipment necessary should not cost more than $200 and can usually be found at a wholesale florist supply house. You can also get your supplies and equipment from several firms that cater to florists. You should be able to find a complete directory of such firms at your local library. You can also contact several florists (not necessarily in your market) and obtain this information.

For the preparation of your flowers and floral arrangements, you’ll need stem cutters and a supply of cellophane or florist’s tissue. You will also need several plastic buckets to keep the flowers in water and fresh while being transported as well as on your selling sites. To prepare the flowers for selling, you will need a preparation area. This area should be cool and shady to help keep your flowers as fresh as possible. As mentioned earlier, a location central to your area of sales is most desirable. If your own garage fits that description, you won’t have the added expense of renting space.

Your preparation area will require several storage containers and a table. Some refrigerated coolers may be necessary, but since most flower vending businesses pick up their flowers on a daily basis, and sell them as quickly as possible, that sort of storage requirement should not be excessive. However, during the summer and winter months, you may need an air-conditioner and portable heater to keep your flowers in salable condition. If you don’t already have these items, you can count them as a business expense and they are tax deductible.

Your inventory will consist of flowers. You can purchase these from wholesalers found in most major cities. You can find these suppliers by looking in the Yellow Pages of your area’s metropolitan phone directory. Look under ‘Florists, Wholesale.’

Since you will probably have some flowers left over after each day’s sales, it is essential that your inventory be fresh when purchased from the wholesaler. You can check the freshness of your flowers by examining the heads of roses to see if they are tight to your touch. Also, if the blossom appears purple around the edges, the flower is probably too old. When buying carnations, look to see if they are firm and heavy-stemmed. If carnations are somewhat discolored, don’t buy them, because they probably aren’t fresh.

The largest part of your inventory will most likely be roses. Roses are the most desired flower, and they are expensive. Prices will vary with the season and area of purchase. Carnations will also make up a substantial portion of your inventory. These flowers, while very attractive and popular, are much less expensive than roses.

Other flowers you may want to add to your inventory are gardenias, tulips, daffodils, and orchids. Some of these flowers are expensive and usually appeal to an older set of customers, so don’t go overboard when dealing with your supplier. Roses and carnations will be your best sellers. Your best sales months will be during the holidays so you will have to make sure you have an adequate supply of flowers. You’ll also want to have a supply of appropriate flowers to match the specific holiday, lilies for Easter, poinsettias for Christmas and so on.

CHOOSING A LOCATION

Once you have a marketable inventory, you will need to set- up in a good location. If you choose the wrong location your business will not be successful. For flower vending, the two best selling locations are restaurants and roadsides/street corners.

Restaurants are good selling locations if they attract large lunch and dinner crowds. Especially good restaurant locations are those with specific themes. French, Italian and Mexican restaurants are usually profitable locations for flower vendors. You’ll also find successful flower vendors in upscale lounges and taverns.

In general, restaurants and lounges with a quiet and romantic ambiance, are usually conducive to flower vending. Many restaurants are attracted to the idea of flower vending at their places of business because it offers an extra ‘romantic’ touch to their service. Usually, the management of a restaurant will charge the flower vendor only a nominal fee. In some cases, the fee may simply be a few flowers to arrange and display throughout the restaurant.

For street-selling locations, freeway exits and stoplights on main streets are preferred. These areas represent the highest amount of traffic therefore, the largest number of potential customers. Ideally, your locations should be along streets, highways and exits that feature a great deal of late afternoon and/or early evening rush hour traffic. These conditions are ideal if you can find an area where the traffic must come to a stop, or at least has to slow down. Your location must be plainly visible so that oncoming drivers will be able to see you in enough time to get out of traffic and pull off the road.

It is important that you stay away from roadside locations that could limit the ability, or desire, of your customers to reach you. Never set-up at dangerous intersections, along steep hills and other areas that could be hazardous. You could lose a lot of business if potential customers don’t stop because they fear getting struck by other traffic.

When selling on city streets the most desirable locations are those that take advantage of both automobile traffic and pedestrians. You should try to find a spot in an area of heavy pedestrian traffic as well as vehicle traffic. Business will usually be better when people are on their way home. If you know which side of the street is the ‘going-home’ side, that’s where you should set-up.

Operating a flower vending business allows you more flexibility than many other businesses have. You won’t have to stay in one location, if it proves unprofitable. You can move around as often as it takes to find the locations that afford you the most success.

You may have to experiment in the beginning. Simply keep a record of the number of flowers sold at each location and the number of hours at each spot. From these records you’ll be able to determine the most satisfactory locations for your business. You will also have a better idea as to the actual inventory you need so you can cut down on the amount of excess that results in spoilage.

HIRING PERSONNEL

In order to be successful in the flower vending business, it may be necessary to hire help. If that’s the case, not just anybody will do. As the owner/manager of the business you will have to hire people who are right for the job of selling flowers. Although this may seem difficult, there are some guidelines that many flower vending businesses follow quite successfully.

Students and people seeking part-time jobs are the most likely candidates for employment in the flower vending business. Your interviews with such prospective help should be designed to ascertain if they are trustworthy and dependable. You also need salespeople who are outgoing, enjoy interacting with other people, and who are well-motivated.

In most cases, if you are selling flowers in restaurants, attractive young women are the best salespeople. Usually these women are dressed in a costume that serves to identify your business. The most basic sort of identifying costume, or dress, would be a white blouse and dark skirt. As the business ‘blossoms’ you may want to invest in more elaborate costumes depending on the image you want for your business as well as the particular restaurant theme.

Usually, an employer can find adequate part-time help simply by placing a catchy ad in the help-wanted section of the classifieds of the local newspaper. The ad should allude to making ‘good money’ for ‘enjoyable’ part-time work. Response to the ad should be such that you can be selective in hiring the help you need. You should also get excellent response with an ad in college newspapers. And you can try placing the ads on school bulletin boards to elicit even more response.

Once you begin interviewing prospective employees, it is imperative that you have them fill out an application form and supply you with at least three references. And don’t just read the references — check them out. You should know as much as you can about your help before you hire them.

Once hired, make sure all employees know exactly what their duties and responsibilities are, as well as their salaries. You should also plan to review each employee’s performance on a regular basis. These reviews, or evaluations, should be shared with your employees so they will know how they are doing and how they can improve, if warranted.

DAY-TO-DAY OPERATIONS

Operating a flower vending business does not require hours of strenuous physical labor. However, that does not mean flower vendors lead a life of leisure. With any business there are demands that require time and effort. The flower vending business is no exception. You and/or your employees will need to be well organized from the time of preparation until the day’s selling is done.

Preparing flowers for sale is an essential part of a flower vendor’s work day. In order to be salable, your flowers must appear fresh and colorful. Also, every bouquet you plan to sell must be arranged in an appealing fashion. Therefore, you should allow enough time for preparation so that the job is done right. But, don’t overdo it. If you spend too much time on flower preparation, you could be cutting into valuable selling time.

The actual preparation phase should take as little time as possible without sacrificing quality of work. To be as efficient as possible with your preparation time you should organize the process. You can do this in a step-by-step manner.

First of all, you should plan to remove many of the thorns from each rose stem. About half of the thorns, beginning at the bottom of each stem, should be removed. Then, you will need to clip a small portion from the bottom of each stem. This will allow the flowers to absorb water and retain their freshness and color. You can do the clipping with a sharpened knife.

Once you have dethroned and clipped your roses, you will need to place them in relatively warm water. The water temperature should be about 105 degrees. You can leave them in the water for up to two hours and they will be refreshed and colorful when you are ready for the day’s vending. All your other flowers must also be properly cared for and prepared so that your entire inventory is appealing to your customers.

Your preparation process should not involve much ‘decoration.’ People buying single flowers usually won’t expect frills such as ribbons or bows. However, you should have such adornments on hand at your selling location in case some customers request them. It’s also a good idea to supply your sales team with pins, if corsages and/or short-stemmed flowers are part of your inventory.

Any bouquets you sell should be wrapped in tissue or green cellophane. Not only do the flowers keep better wrapped, they also appear more attractive and are more appealing as gifts. Unwrapped bouquets do not have a particularly neat appearance, and they probably won’t stay fresh and colorful as long as they would if wrapped.

How much time should all this preparation take? Well, most successful flower vending businesses spend no more than two to three hours a day buying and preparing flowers. It will probably take a new business a couple of months to become organized and experienced enough to cut buying and preparation time down to two hours per day. That will happen once you learn how to utilize the early morning hours, after the flowers have been purchased from the wholesaler, for preparation of the flowers and organizing your salespeople.

The best times to sell cut flowers, really depends on location. Street corner and roadside vending hours are most successful during the late afternoon and early evening hours when most workers are heading home. Most people are more apt to take the time to make such a purchase as flowers on their way from work than they are on their way to work. Weekends have also proven very successful for many flower vending businesses that operate all day on Saturdays and Sundays.

If you are selling in restaurants, the most profitable time will be during dinner hours. In some cases, lunch crowds will buy flowers, but usually the evening diners will be your best customers in a restaurant. Your salespeople should plan on up to three seating’s of diners each evening in a popular restaurant.

Between seating’s, your salespeople can canvass the immediate neighborhood for other potential customers, and then return for the next seating at the restaurant. This type of selling will take some practice and experience, but a good salesperson will soon learn how to make the most of his time and inventory.

It is important that you and your sales team be as poised and as professional as possible when selling at any location, especially in restaurants. In restaurants, a low-key approach is much better than an extremely aggressive sales pitch. Be polite and friendly, and utilize flattery as an effective tool. Approach the man in a couple and in a casual and friendly manner ask if he would like to compliment his lady companion with a beautiful flower. Most men will then buy a rose for their dining companions.

ADVERTISING

A flower vending business is unlike many small and part-time businesses in that the usual forms of advertising — newspaper, radio, TV, and so on — are not really effective. Since your selling locations may change from time to time, and since buying flowers from a flower vendor is usually done on impulse, you’ll need a more immediate form of advertising. It should be something that draws attention to your business as your customers approach your selling location.

For street corner and roadside vending, signs are the best form of advertising. All that’s needed is something to let potential customers know you are there, and that you are selling flowers. Seeing your sign, many people will act on impulse and stop to see what you have to offer.

The sign(s) should be hand-made rather than professionally painted. You don’t want to appear like a big business. And a hand-made sign will give the impression of a small, family-type operation which usually means more reasonable prices.

In some cases, a new business can get publicity from a local newspaper. If you are selling flowers at a restaurant, you can try getting such publicity by alerting the local newspaper. Most local newspapers use information of this sort as fill, and it could prove valuable to your business.

If, as part of a special promotion — a grand opening, or a special day such as Valentine’s Day — you will be selling flowers at a business location, send the information to the editor of your local newspaper. You may also want to include a picture of you and/or your sales people. The paper may not decide to run the story, but there’s a good chance they will. Either way, you have nothing to lose, and a bit of publicity to gain.

SUCCESS ANALYSIS

Eight contributing factors are measured on a 1 to 10 basis (with 10 being excellent) based on analysis of this opportunity.

1. Time Investment 7 2. Start-up Costs 9 3. Gross Income Potential 8 4. Net Income Potential 8 5. Income in Relation to Investment 10 6. Stability 8 7. Overall Risk 9 8. Potential for Growth 10 Overall Potential for Success 8.63

POTENTIAL EARNINGS

The profit you can realize from a flower vending business depends on several factors:

(1) The size of your market. Obviously larger metropolitan areas supply the greatest source of potential customers, therefore profits. However, your expenses in these larger markets will probably be greater, because of larger inventory needed and a bigger sales team to cover the market adequately.

(2) Good selling locations. Even if your market has a large selection of potential customers your profits will be, at best, minimal if you are not selling in the best locations to take advantage of impulse buying. You have something that practically everyone likes, flowers. But most everyone who buys flowers from a vendor does so on impulse. To be successful, a flower vending business must locate in areas of high-traffic, increasing the possibility of impulse buying.

(3) Consistently marketable inventory. If you try to sell flowers that are too old, wilted and faded, don’t expect to do much business. Make sure your entire inventory is always flower- garden fresh and attractive. Also, price your flowers at reasonable rates. That way, both you and your customers will be happy.

(4) A professional sales approach. Whether you are running a one-person flower business, with yourself as the only salesperson or have several salespeople, a friendly, low-key sales approach is essential. After all, you are selling flowers, not used cars. Most people who buy flowers from a vendor are buying them for a special person, and a friendly, non-aggressive salesperson has a good chance of making a sale.

(5) The size of your investment. This does not just apply to the amount of money you invest in the business. Your investment also includes the time and effort you expend on making it a success. As a weekend business, or operating on a daily basis, a flower vending business will require a certain amount of your time and effort above and beyond your monetary investment. The amount of success and profits you can realize depends, in large part, on how much you are willing to put into the business. Some flower vending businesses have reported netting as much as $175,000 a year. That kind of income usually requires a sales team of half-a-dozen or more people working in a large metropolitan area.

Smaller markets should expect a net profit of $10,000 to $20,000 per year. The thing to keep in mind is that there is always a large market for a flower vending business because flowers make personal gifts year-round. Obviously, some months featuring special days such as Valentine’s Day, Easter and Christmas will be better than others, but this is not a seasonal business. You should be able to realize a healthy profit every month.

Your initial investment can be as low as $300, or as much as $1,500, depending on what you can afford and the size of your operation. It will most likely take several months until you get adequately organized, and until you discover all the best selling locations. But within a year you should be realizing a nice profit with an efficiently operated flower vending business.

SUMMARY

A flower vending business is one of the best small businesses you can get into, if you are short on investment capital. Very little equipment is needed. You can use your own garage or utility room as a preparation area and for storage. And you can sell your inventory on location, from the back of your own car, van or pickup. You may want to invest in a business management course, if you are uncertain about your management knowledge. But no practical experience is necessary to get into this business.

The biggest expenses will be in inventory, which a good month’s sales will recover, any extra personnel you decide to hire, and in any licensing fees you encounter. Advertising costs for a flower vending business are extremely low.

Since flowers have universal appeal, there will always be a sizable market for a flower vending business. If you operate professionally, offering fresh, appealing flowers, establish a good business relationship with dependable wholesalers, find the best selling locations, and hire dependable, competent help, there’s every reason to be confident that a flower vending business can be highly profitable. Remember. You must “do what you love and love what you do!” I will let in to my other secret, my profitable “Rose-Express” drive up flower shops.

Marketing Without Money – How to Build Your Business Influence Through Community Speaking

One of the fastest ways to become established as a regional expert is through the process of offering community workshops and seminars. I’ve spoken to hundreds of these groups through the years and have made some wonderful friends, as well as experienced some remarkable opportunities by volunteering time to add value to others. Yes, I said volunteer, since you don’t get paid in dollars to give a community speech, but you can be well paid in other ways. How? Through influence, network, multiple referrals into your business, opportunities to give full fee presentations to other groups and wider media exposure, especially on the Internet.

Still, there’s another huge benefit to you – free advertising. Consider how much you would be willing to pay in advertising dollars to be featured as an expert in front of a group of key decision makers, successful business people or community leaders? I suspect a lot because of the incredible return on investment of being in front of key people who have the capacity to hire you or refer you to other key people in the community who can. Treat these opportunities like a public audition that features you in front of 15-30 people who can meet you to learn more of your desire to help in your area of expertise. And the best news is that you don’t have to pay to be in front of these community leaders, but you do have to be strategic.

There are opportunities to give community presentations every day in your backyard if you know where to look. These events often take place during a breakfast or lunch time on a weekday all over your town. Consider the following as a sample of the type of groups in your area that need communicators to get your thinking started about targeting the key groups looking for you right now to line up as the speaker at their next event.

___Business groups such as a chamber of commerce or Female executives

___Service or Civic Clubs, like Rotary, Sertoma, Lions, or Kiawanas

___Medical groups, like nurses, interns, residents or hospital committees

___Networking groups, like BNI, Focus International or Babblebee

___Faith based groups, like churches, ministries or the retreats they sponsor

___Health groups, such as the American Heart Association or Red Cross

___Political or Political Action Committees, (PAC’s) focused on issues

___Emergency Services, like police, fire, EMS groups or safety committees

___Women’s clubs, like the Junior League, Curves or MADD

___Athletic groups, like master swimmers, soccer clubs or hunting groups

___Education groups, like parent/teacher organizations or school volunteers

___Fraternal Orders, like the Elks, Eagles, Moose or Fraternal Order of Police

___Senior’s groups, usually found at senior centers or retirement centers

___Youth groups, sponsored by churches, Youth for Christ or Jr. Achievement

___Parenting groups, especially young parents such as Mothers of Preschoolers

___Trade Associations- which requires a longer explanation, since there are over 22,000 professional trade associations in the United States.

Most of these trade associations have a national, state and local chapter pushing the number of professional associations into the multiple thousands in every region of the country! Each level has to have a speaker at every event and writers for their monthly newsletters and websites.

This creates a HUGE opportunity for communicators to make a positive difference. If your background is in education, look for teachers associations. If it’s in real estate, look for realtors or brokers associations. If it’s in giving care for the elderly, look for agencies on aging or the professional associations that care for the aged.

You don’t have enough time to speak for every group, but you will have the time of your life if you can get in front of the right trade association and knock their socks off with a great presentation. Plus, at the local level these are always going to be free talks, but if you can ‘wow’ your audience, you can often be suggested to speak at the national trade association’s annual meeting and they do pay speakers at that level. So it pays to always speak as if you were giving the most important talk of your life. Excellence always comes back to bless you after it blesses your audience.

These groups need your input, they need your expertise and you need to help. It’s a perfect fit, so begin searching now to find the groups where you can make the biggest impact and once you have identified your key target groups, then make some calls to see who’s in charge of scheduling speakers to begin the process.

How do you find them? Search out your local newspapers under community events, do web searches on specific topics, or ask around to see who belongs to community groups, which are always looking for effective communicators.

Here are a few important principles to keep in mind as you begin to reach out to make a positive difference using the strategy of community seminars that serve others while positioning you as an expert.

1) It’s not about marketing – it’s about the message

The goal isn’t to market you, your book or your services… it’s about the message to help answer people’s questions, solve their problems and basically give information to help make their day or week go a little better. You want to give as much user-friendly content away in your presentation as possible. If it ‘smells’ like selling- it won’t work. You have to really care about your audience and helping make their lives work better. To quote motivational speaker Zig Ziglar, “You can get anything you want, if you help enough other people get what they want.” If you have a book, you could use it as a door prize. If you have business cards, you can leave them in the back, or another technique is to offer a special report via email in exchange for a business card or email opt-in. This rapid follow up builds your e-list, (which should NEVER be shared or rented in my opinion to respect the privacy of those who trust you), while showing that you are a professional who believes in giving as much away as possible to build value into every presentation you give. You can build in a very mild marketing follow up, but only after giving a ‘killer’ presentation that adds greater value to each member of the audience. Remember, if you ‘wow’ them, they will find a way to find you for their future events. Mostly give a great speech and somewhere have a business card, or memorable way to share your website with the audience and then let the power of your presentation plant the seeds that will grow into them remembering you for their next paid event.

2) Build on your communication strengths

If you are passionate about a particular subject, then this is your place to shine, however, if you aren’t really strong on a given topic, then stay away from it. Talk about how to solve problems in the areas where you can make the greatest difference. Usually this will come out of your existing career, or an avocation that you really enjoy discussing. If you are building on a strength the writing and speaking will come easy, and your sincerity will come through to show your audience that you are an expert they can trust to add value to their lives. If you love to tell stories, then build on that strength, if your style is more instructional, then create an interactive hand-out to make it a training time of greater learning.

3) Focus on creative topics to catch your audience

Avoiding financial ruin, getting out of a bad relationship, secrets of living to be 100, fast ways to regain health and wellness, prevention of disease, how to stay out of therapy, when to kick your kids out for good, how speed reading creates lasting wealth, recession proofing your business, how to gain a #1 ranking on Google- basically use a great title to excite your audience that it’s going to be a fun time of learning. Another technique I like to use is a title/sub-title process to capture the right and left hemispheres of the brain, (logical/rational vs. emotional/creative).

For instance, title- ‘Relationship Renewal’ (right hemisphere), sub-title- ‘How to recover, rebuild and renew with the people you care about most.’ (left hemisphere, which is often about a lengthier description of ‘how to’ do what it is you have described in your main title). This way you catch the attention of a much wider audience and your specific topic keeps your own thoughts in line for a more powerful presentation. Remember, you can often give the exact same speech, since you will be going from club to club and group to group, so you can strengthen it every time you give it.

4) Be professional and be prepared

Arrive early, know that frequently you may not get the full time you were allotted due to other business the club may be taking care of, so be flexible. The more prepared you are ahead of time, the easier you can ‘edit’ on the fly to end on time, (which is important since people on a tight schedule will actually get up and leave in order to stay on their schedules. You must finish on time, no matter when you get started). Have a printed introduction in large print to give to the meeting planner that outlines your credentials as an expert and encourage them to read it aloud ahead of time to get comfortable sharing this important information to let the audience know of your background and expertise. Hand-outs are a great way to reinforce your message, as well as add your contact information at the bottom of the sheet. (I’ve found that people will keep these for years if you 3- hole punch them or print on pre-drilled paper, which adds greater value to the sheet by suggesting that it’s important enough to take home and put into a notebook). If you have professional marketing material at a back table, that’s great, but in this communication setting the main strategy is to give an amazing talk first and foremost. Dress one level above your audience and be as polished as you can be for maximum impact since you really don’t get a second chance to make a first impression.

5) Give a great talk and get a lot of great PR

Once you are comfortable with the process and are giving great presentations on a regular basis you can leverage your talks several ways that bring in new opportunities by taking your message to new audiences. Ask to professionally record or video tape your presentation. This can be turned into a new CD, podcast, DVD or online webinar. These can become bonus items to add greater value to your website, or stand alone products that you can add to your shopping cart of online resources for purchase by other groups.

Get quoted by the media, (especially if you send out press releases ahead of time which can be done with online services that offer free press releases), since your local newspapers and television stations have to fill news time and a clever topic given in a public seminar can often lead to media quotes which are quite valuable in establishing you as a regional expert. And don’t forget to ask that someone takes your picture with a digital camera while you are talking, so that you have some ‘action shots’ to use on your website, or with your blog of recent presentations.

The more you think ahead on how to leverage your community talk into a great community event, the more likely you will receive positive public relations and on-going referrals into your ‘day business’. Community workshops add value to everyone involved. To you, to your audience and to those who will meet you in the future because they heard about someone who cared enough to take their message to the marketplace to share with others. Do that long enough and you’ll be the busiest professional in your region… and it all started with a free speech.

I dare you to be the one who adds the greatest value in your regions by sharing the message entrusted to you with the most people possible. And then I look forward to hearing the success stories of how free speeches turned into fee for services because you cared enough to tell your story to some people looking for answers. Get to it!

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