Tag: Secrets

Internet Secrets – Making Money Online

If your business is not offering its product/service online, then you are surly living in ancient times. Companies today have realized that in order to remain competitive, they have to reach today’s’ customers who do business mainly on the internet. Running a business online means that you have an international audience. And having a worldwide audience means that your business is up and running seven days a week twenty four hours a day. While your customers in United States are sleeping, those in Japan would defiantly be awake. An online business never goes to sleep; customers are always visiting night and day. Because of this, your online company must be staffed all the time in order to keep a close eye on potential sales and new customers.

When managing an online home business, communication is vital. Using instant messaging and email as a type of communication between your staff and yourself will surely have great benefits. There are also several different types of technologies available such as the VoIP which gives you the ability to communicate with your staff and business partners from any place on the planet. But since you and your business associates live in totally different time zones it is very important to set up certain times of the day when you can talk with them concerning different issues and updates that your company faces day after day and what they should to do deal with it. You should ensure that they follow your schedule and instruction.

Meetings are also very important for online home businesses. Having Meetings will inform you of the issues effecting your staff and issues that your company might be facing. To save effort and time, an internet businesses can meet online in conference rooms. This will get rid of the need for manual preparations and physical space.

One of the biggest secrets to making money online is brand promotion! Yes, brand awareness is very important even though you’re business is on the Internet. Brand building means providing fast services, great products and great experiences to your clients. Yes, you will surly want all your clients to have a good experience. Remember, news spreads quickly online. If you have just one visitor who has had a bad experience with your business and then spreads a bad rumor, chances are your companys’ name will be destroyed.

Remember that your site is the face of your online home business and should not be a secret. Making money online would mean that your business must keep up with current technological advances. In designing your sales page always remember to keep navigation at the top of your head. Potential customers will not want to visit a hundred different web pages simply to buy one item.

Surviving online is tough, Every single day there are millions of businesses going online and even more people setting up online businesses. Ultimately, the key to being successful in any endeavor is to totally love what you do. Remember, not everybody gets to affect lives every day on a global scale. If you would like to know more on this topic check out Dotcomology [http://MakingMoneyFromHomeOnTheInternet.com] the art of making money with your home business.

Best Kept Publicity Secrets of the Big Red Envelope

Two years back I interviewed a self publishing millionaire who had sold 500,000 copies of his Special Effects Cookbook, and had a great way of getting free publicity.

Here is what he said ..

“As the author of a cookbook, I’ve been on full page in the food section of a Newspaper – full color. The whole first page is my face and my story and all my contact information. And if you get a big story in Boston or LA or Chicago or New York, millions of people are going to see that.What do you think happens when a full page comes out in a big city like that?”

I’ll tell you what happened to him…

When a full story breaks in a big city like that, you sell a lot of books! And he did!

As a self-published author, publicity becomes your new best friend. And in most cases, there’s no perfect time to launch a publicity campaign for your self-published book. You do it pretty much all year long.

He began sending press releases by mail during a time that email wasn’t as prominent, but even now, email and just doesn’t work as well. Neither does fax. Instead, direct mail is the way to go. There are special ways to do direct mail. You put your press release in a big red envelope and you use a magic marker for your return address and you just write in big letters all over it so that this envelope really looks special. I’m talking a big red envelope, 8 x 10, #10. You can get them at Staples.

Just be outrageous. Like the guy who wears a red suit, he walks into the room and you’ve got to see him.

So you send your press release out in a big red envelope and with a black magic marker you just write the guy’s name in big black letters. Use a couple of stamps, and hand-write the address. You only need ten a day.

He sent out hundreds a year for his book. You can do a little bit every day so that you get that constant flow of interest from TV, radio or newspapers, lastly of which can work the best because you can get a write-up; usually a full page.

He puts an 800 number in the press release, and a computerized system where it’s all automated that can handle 10,000 calls simultaneously. Calls can come directly to you from the press release.

The way a press release works and looks is that if you have to follow a format. At the very top of the press release, the upper left hand corner, you just type in for immediate release.On the other side, right across from that, you say for further information, contact… and then you’ve got to have your name and your office phone number. You can leave a number with an answering machine, but I don’t recommend that. You want to handle all the media contacts yourself.

The person who calls you is usually a journalist and they have an editor. And the whole point of writing a press release in the format that I recommend is that you’re not selling anything. You can’t sell anything with a press release. Make them look good with your story. When they go to their editor and they say “hey Mr. Editor, I found this great story”…. it makes the editor look good, so you let him write and let him sell it for you. It works like a charm. It really does.

If you want to see your sales skyrocket, put together a publicity campaign that will get you noticed. Be Unique. Let them know there’s no one like you out there. Use his advice on using this big red envelope. It works.

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.

Network Marketing and MLM: Are You Being Told The Truth? (3 Dirty Little Secrets About MLM)

What do you want from a network marketing company?

If you are like most people looking at home based business opportunities, you want an opportunity which offers you a really good chance at success, right?

Please put everything you have ever heard or read aside for a minute and consider the following 3 dirty little secret about MLM you have never heard or read:

Dirty Little Secret About MLM # 1:

This secret is about products and how long any network marketing company may last.

A company which has products that are solid performers with a good sales history, but that are not cutting edge can be good – you can be sure that you will be able to sell some of the products.

Conversely, you may find it harder to sell products which are widely sold and consumed by many different companies – and for the obvious reason – competition.

A new “buzz” product – one people can get excited about can fly out of your hands – at least in the beginning. It is possible that a new product will sell fast for a while – only to fade if it becomes apparent it isn’t performing as advertised. Nothing can destroy your business faster.

What can you do?

If you can find a company with a product that is relatively unknown in the market, but that is quickly growing in popularity – and that product has already caused many people to talk about it and write about it, you may have found a product “rave wave.”

A past example of “rave wave” would be liquid minerals during the 1990s.

My wife and I joined a company in 1996 which was relatively new and had a new product. After using the product with our family we quickly experienced real results. Nothing is better.

Once we had results with the product, we were easily able to find others to share the good news with – and that resulted in sponsoring 300 people in just over one year – and our group grew to 10,000 over the next few years.

Yes, we had tried to build a business with another MLM company that did not have a new and exciting product before we marketed the liquid minerals. We worked super hard with the first company for a year. Our income was $1,500 after 12 months. It was too slow and not much fun.

Should sharing a product be fun?

If the product is exciting and gets results, sharing it with others is exciting and fun. If the product (no matter how good it is) is not new and doesn’t get relatively exciting results, your business will not be fun – it will be WORK!

The end result of our second network marketing or MLM experience was earning over $1 million in 4.5 years – even though we stopped actively “working the business” after just 14 months.

What did we do?

Our children were young. We home schooled them. We did 4H. We took them on a 5 month vacation. We felt almost like “aliens” walking around in a society that was “living for the weekend” because we didn’t have to work…

Did the product sell for a long time?

We still use that product today, 17 years later… and we still get results with it. The opportunity to sell the product through network marketing faded because eventually, the product was everywhere. The company no longer exists. We got our last check a few months ago – it was $89. Our peak check during the third year was $24,561.

What is the dirty little secret here?

Many network marketing companies succeed fast because of a hot product, but don’t last because they fail to find new and exciting products as each product enters the mainstream of the market place and competition rises.

Does that mean network marketing is a bad idea for a home based business?

It is a bad idea if you expect a company to provide you an above average income for life. Yes, there are a few exceptions in the industry. Were we dissapointed when the excitement stopped and our group faded away? Yes, of course we were. We decided we would never “do” MLM again. That was 17 years ago.

In the time since, we built a large real estate company which peaked at 148 agents.

What happened? The boom that collapsed in 2008 put an end to our office. Suddenly, no one was buying real estate, but we still had to come up with $30,000 a month to pay the bills of the business. We “fed” the business hoping for the market to change – it didn’t change!

Hindsight is 20 / 20.

What did we learn? We learned that conventional business contains more risk and more down side than network marketing.

If you join a company that eventually fades away, you don’t have to spend a ton of money desperately pushing on a string. And of course, you don’t need much money to start a network marketing downline in the beginning either.

Sure, we made a lot of money with the real estate office – and lost a lot of money too! When our MLM business faded away, we still made money until the last check.

Yes, we still sell real estate – but the thrill has been gone for a long time… and so, we have reexamined our years in network marketing – they were the best years of our lives.

What about the people we got involved in MLM? Yes, we made relatively good money, but what about our downline?

You (and we) cannot control everything.

What about all the agents we had trained who could no longer make a living selling real estate? They found other work. Were they better off for having learned to sell real estate? We think so. Many are still selling real estate. Most are grateful for the education and for the relatively easy commissions they earned during the boom. They know the crash wasn’t our fault.

As for our old MLM downline – what happened to them?

80% of network marketing distributors never sponsor more than 2 people and they never get a check. However, our MLM group was the exception to that rule. I’ll tell you why in “Dirty little secret about MLM # 2.”

Dirty little secret about MLM # 2:

There is ONE feature about the compensation plan that matters above all else.

The network marketing industry promotes infinity pay features, cars, sign up bonuses and front load packages on which you’ll be paid big commissions. Forget all that stuff and forget the company you are looking at if it doesn’t offer the following features.

Why?

It is because the following features build stability in your group and pave the way for relatively easy (and fun) growth of your group.

Can a product user join for free?

If not, run! MLM “gurus” will tell you to promote “the opportunity” (the chance to make big money from home). That is putting the cart in front of the horse! The driving factor in any MLM is the PRODUCT – and the VAST majority of people who join you will (initially) be primarily (if not totally) interested in getting and using the product.

Are the products competitively priced?

As you can see from the paragraph above, if the price of the products is “out of school” you will be out of luck because no one will continue to buy a product that has a crazily high price tag.

Assuming the products are fairly priced and they work, you still need insurance against eventual competition.

That “insurance” is the mouth of your product using customers. Many of your product users will tell you, “I don’t want to do the business.” However, people love to tell others about the good things they find. Once they have a friend wanting the product, they WILL (in many cases) contact you to get help signing up their friend.

If the company you are looking at makes it easy for product users to sign up a friend – and the company will pay them for that, you will be building on a solid foundation.

If the company insists that product users become a representative to get paid, run! However, if the company has a system that allows a product user to overcome their monthly product cost by signing up a few friends – that is the basis of a winning combination.

Why? When a product user over comes the monthly cost of the product they are using, they are “bullet proof” because all competition is eliminated – they won’t ever find the product somewhere else for free… and some will be converted to business builders at the micro level and a few at the mega level.

The logic goes like this:

Product user: “If I can get my product for free by signing up a few product user friends, what could I do if I became a distributor and started treating this like a business?”

We had many people making $300, $600, $1,500 $6,000 and more a month who started out as pure product users. The key is to help product users like they matter (because they matter MOST).

The only thing better is if a product user gets a check (no matter how small) after signing up just one friend who orders – again, this is because 80% of networkers never ever get any check. Just getting any check (or electronic payment) is shocking for most people.

How did we sponsor 300 people and build a stable group?

In our former MLM experience, it was the above features which allowed us to sponsor 300 who became 10,000 people – the vast majority being product users or small builders. Out of 300 people sponsored, only a few were hard charging heavy hitters.

Dirty little secret about MLM # 3:

As you can see, the vast majority of our former group were product users – many who became micro builders, typically making $300 a month.

What is the 3rd dirty secret about this?

The network marketing industry guides you to go after existing network marketers. The problem is that many existing network marketers are victims of the “next shiny object” syndrome – they fly like a parrot to the next shiny bobble in networking.

Product users come from the general public.

They are NOT looking for a network marketing gig! They don’t know what you are talking about. On the other hand, 7 out of 10 people on the street (and online) want to know about a hot new product. We (you and I – the general public) are always interested in hot new products, aren’t we? Were you interested when the first iPhone came out? We were.

So it follows – building your network marketing business by gathering product users is the way to go. MLMers are NOT doing that – they take what they THINK is “the easy road” – they think they’ll sponsor “seasoned network marketers.”

It is a huge and often repeated mistake. Take the path of sponsoring network marketers and you’ll be in for a lot of rejection and you’ll have a hard time building stability.

Conclusions:

Life is about taking calculated risks. Business is about taking calculated risks without risking a lot of money to start. Don’t spend any money for a while on any company you join. Join for free and check it out. Ask people you know for their opinion. If everything feels good, take the next step and order the product. If you get results, consider “doing the business.”

The redeeming factor about network marketing is exactly that – no to low start up cost. Don’t bet the house. There is not another business model on the planet that offers so much upside for so low an investment – and offers very little down side risk.

Again, we were MAD that our network marketing company because it didn’t last – but neither did our real estate office last. The BIG difference? We KNOW the amount of money we earned net from MLM.

We also knew the pain and financial loss from conventional business when the real estate market shifted – it was not pretty. AND we didn’t get 3 years to play and do anything we wanted to do while we operated a conventional business!

What should you do next?

Information Marketing: The Hidden Secrets That Earns People Millions of Dollars

Would you believe it that people are earning millions of dollars daily selling information products online and offline? You too can tap into this business and create a job for yourself and others.

People like Ewen Chia, Jimmy D. Brown, Akin Alabi, Dr sunny Obazu O. Yinka Silver and many others are earning millions selling information products. Well, I don’t want to talk about my mentors but about their secrets that you too can tape into.

What is Information Marketing?

Information marketing is writing and packaging of information inform of book, E-books, DVD, Reports that solves a particular problem of human need. It also simply means selling of information. Since people are always in need of information, information marketers finds out the solution to the need and then present it to them at a price.

Let me give you an example, a friend of mine knows how to write articles for cash online on part-time, he wrote a short report went to various high schools and sold it to the students for $10 and within two Day he sold 200 copies. You can do the calculation yourself to know what his profit was.

Now

  • The first secret of launching an information marketing business is to find a need.
  • The second secret of launching an information marketing business is to find a solution to the need
  • The third is to inform people of that particular need, that you have a solution to their problem

How do you find a Market to sell to?

This question cannot be fully treated here. The easiest way to find a market is start with what you know. Package what you know inform of E-book, Short Reports, DVD and sell it at a price

  • Do you know how to design a website in less than 90minutes? Write a report package it and sell it.
  • Do you have special secrets about football betting? Package it and sell it
  • Do you know how to make money from writing skill? Package it and sell it
  • Do you know how to make any girl love you? Package the tricks and sell it

What do you know that you think will be of help to a group of people package it and sell it.

If you think you don’t know anything, don’t get discourage we all have something to give though you can start by learning something maybe a business, trade, skill or service

How to Build Wealthy Home Business Secrets Revealed

If you are starting from a humble beginnings it is still possible to become wealthy if you are prepare to apply the secrets of the wealthy and rich and it can be done almost overnight. In fact scores of people are included in the millionaires club, while a few dozens move up to the big boys billionaires club every year. Anyone can build a wealthy home business if you have the qualities that are essential for success. So whether you wish to earn six figure incomes, have multiple streams of income or residual income then the list of required attributes in building a wealthy home business can be group into five broad areas namely: desire, choosing the right business for you, attitude, marketing and leadership.

Leadership

The quality of leadership is not genetic or some special rights bestowed on the privileged few, nor is it dependent on the number of zeros on your paycheck, but solely on your commitment to diligently pursue those qualities that will strengthen and develop you as an effective leader.It is only the magnitude of your commitment that will determine the quality of your leadership. Remember the timeless adage; leaders are not born they are made, and whether you have these naturally innate leadership qualities or not is not a hindrance to you becoming a leader. Leadership and I am referring to effective leadership is an essential feature in any business model of your choice and also very important in building a wealthy home business and residual incomes to enjoy the lifestyle you wanted for you and your family.

As a leader in a home business you must be enthusiastic about your work and have a passion for excellence. Good leadership means being a source of inspiration for your team and motivator to taken action. Good leaders developed the ability to always focused on the main goals, analyzing the task at hand as a whole as well as breaking it up into sub-parts that are more manageable and progress towards achieving the desired outcome. Therefore passion, inspiration, motivation and the ability to remain focused on your goals are key elements of leadership in building a wealthy business from home and creating multiple income streams.

REMEMBER:

“Leaders are not born, they are developed”

Desire

Desire is an essential quality of effective leadership but by itself, desire will not ensure that we life a life by our design, to win the money game or become wealthy but it is an important ingredient and an essential step for moving in that direction. If you want something badly enough you will get it because desire can be an unstoppable force. If you want to earn six figure incomes, residual incomes or have multiple streams of income, then an unstoppable desire to succeed is essential. A strong desire to succeed in building a wealthy home business dispels any thought of ever quitting as an option. If you want anything badly enough you will find a way or make one, in order to be successful, no matter what the price or sacrifice required. Once you have the desire to become successful you must persevere and remain steadfast on your task. This is keen to note because some people seem to “born tired” and are naturally lazy possessing no self-reliance or perseverance. Your desire is the fire that heats you up to perform, to excel. P.T. Barnum, in the book The Art of Money Getting, stated that “If you hesitate, some bolder hand will stretch out before you and get the prize”. The proverb of Solomon succinctly puts it like this: “He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand; but the hand of the diligent maketh rich.” One simple exercise that I’ve found useful in fuelling my desires constantly to be successful in building a wealthy home business which I’ll share with you now is:

1) On a piece if paper or word pad write down all the reasons why do you want to achieve your goal.

2) List all the benefits you can gain if your goal were achieved, starting with the word “I”. For example; “I am a successful business man”. “I am building strong family ties at home”. “I am a successful internet marketer”. “I provide for all my families need”. The more clearly stated reasons you have, the stronger will be your desire to be successful.

3) Practice to reading your list of benefits every morning.This affirmative action triggers your sub-conscious to act as though you have already achieved your goals, since your sub-conscious mind doesn’t distinguish between realities. It places your goals or wish list into the present and not something to be achieved at some later time. This daily affirmation keep you connected with your goal during the day, making you more motivated and inspired.

REMEMBER:

“Desire overcomes obstacles to success.

Desire makes molehills out of mountains.

No matter what stands in the way, it is moveable.”

Attitude

Maintaining a positive mental attitude is very important in the pursuance of achieving your objective to build a business from home and gain the wealth you need to live the life that you always wanted. After all the old adage is true, “so a man thinketh so is he”. In other words, we perform the way we think. Positive attitude and optimism work like a magnet for success. If you maintain positive attitude no matter what the situation is success will come to you automatically.

REMEMBER:

“We may not be able to control the obstacles of life,

But we can control our attitude.”

Every goal will require some kind of sacrifice. There is always something to give up in order to achieved a certain desired outcome, and if you wish to build a successful business from home so you can have the wealth to enjoy the lifestyle you want, then don’t forget this fact. In business this sacrifice is called the opportunity cost. The right attitude for success means having the right priorities. It is only the right attitude toward success can allow an aspiring entrepreneur to live the kind of lifestyle that you for yourself and your family, having a steady stream of residual income to do so.

So what kind of sacrifices have you had to make for your goals in the past? What kind of sacrifices have you been making (or struggling to make) with your current goals?

When it comes to sacrifices, only two things matter:

Is it worth it? With every goal, you need to know that what you stand to gain is worth the cost of what you’ll have to give up.

Are you willing to do it? If you find that you are willing, all you need to do is simply keep reinforcing that decision mentally every time you feel tempted to act in ways that are counterproductive to your goals

Finding An Appropriate Business For You

So far we’ve covered issues dealing with desire, attitude, and leadership. Now lets see if we can’t find an appropriate business for you. So you have a plan to retire at age 35 or maybe 40 years and you are certain in your decision to start your own business, be your own boss so you can be become financial independent, maybe even to become a multi-millionaire earning six figure incomes but do you know what business to get into, which is right for you and do you have the requisite Business Management Skill Sets to be successful and build a business from home?

Building a business from scratch usually involve many steps and some critical decision making, namely: 1) should you or not go into business and take the plunge so to speak. 2)The business structure or model to adopt- sole proprietorship, partnership, limited liability Company etc., 3) The kind of business niche, or what kind of company should I start. I am of the view that the most critical decision is the kind of business to start- Brick and Mortar, Franchising and Licensing, Home-based, E-commerce, Niche market websites or Multi-Level Marketing (mlm). What makes it so critical is are the myriad amount of business opportunities available. It is almost incredibly easy for aspiring entrepreneurs, without proper research and guidance, to fall victims in making the mistake of investing in the wrong type of business. It is therefore critical to choose a business model that’s appropriate to your interests and even your personality.

REMEMBER:

“Unless a man enters upon the vocation intended for him by nature,

And best suited to his peculiar genius,

He cannot succeed.”

Since there are thousands of business opportunities vying for our attention; a Google search will prove my case(over 4 million business opportunities advertised), so how can you tell which is right for you? Each business model might has its own distinct structure and way of being conducted, however, some of the most commonly chosen models are:

1) Brick and Mortar:

This refer to the regular usual type of business where there is a physical structure where all business activities, with clients are done.This physical space is usually a separate space from your primary residence.

2) Home-based:

This is the business model of choice for those entrepreneurs who are seeking residual incomes and multiple stream incomes because of the tremendous amount of flexibility it give them shuttling back and forth between business and personal life. It is usually run from a small office space in your own home.

3) E-commerce:

The internet is by far the most dynamic vehicle for growth for those entrepreneurs who wish to become successful by building a wealthy home business earning six figure incomes or may be it’s just to diversify your earning potential with residual incomes and multiple income streams. Some online business opportunities provide home based entrepreneurs excellent scope, if they are willing to put in the work, to create the income streams they need to win the money game and live the life of their dreams.

4) Multi-Level Marketing (MLM):

MLM is a good residual income earner for those entrepreneurs involves selling and building up a network. The earning potential is good, if you are high up in the network triangle. The more people you have under your own network, the more money you earn and the larger is your stream of residual income over time.

Marketing

A guerrilla marketing strategy for all aspiring entrepreneurs who wish to successfully build a wealthy home business, earning six figure income or a constant flow of residual income, is called attraction marketing. Attraction Marketing is a very powerful way to optimize the leverage of your home based business. It can be used to build any kind of home based or small business by leveraging social media, internet marketing and direct response marketing principles.

Attraction marketing primarily involves the branding and promoting of you the entrepreneur, not your business opportunity or network marketing company or program. You can personally brand and promote yourself to your potential clients using any of the social media available to you. These include web sites, blogs, videos and social networking such as Facebook, Twitter and email marketing. By doing so a home based entrepreneur can attract like minded people who resonate or relate with their story, their background, their hometown, their college or high school and this helps to build a list of contacts, which is the lifeblood of any online business.

The essential tools of attraction marketing are simple and consist of:

Lead Capture page.

Basically a single page on your website offering products of value free of charge to potential customers in exchange for their email address. this is the fastest way you can build your list.

Auto responder

Auto responder services allows you to deliver a prescribed email to your prospects inviting their patronage in your product for sale.The benefit of this program is that it’s done on autopilot for you.

REMEMBER:

“Attraction Marketing is a simple philosophy that is very effective for home based entrepreneurs”

Many dream of starting their own businesses, but remain frozen in status quo mainly because they do not know what business to engage in. While starting a business with your individual interests and expertise in mind is crucial, so is the necessity of making sure that this enterprise represents a concrete entrepreneurial opportunity.

Secrets to Home Business Success

Everyone can use guidelines and tips when it comes to starting a home-based business. Honestly, what would the world be like if people who have been there and done that were not willing to impart their knowledge and experiences to fledgling entrepreneurs?

We have compiled a series of 8 tips to assist you in starting a successful home-based business. These Suggestions should help your progress on the road to achieving home-based business success in no time!

1. Partner with other businesses

Teaming relationships with a number of other companies in related field is one of the most efficient and cost-effective means of reaching a larger target audience. We suggest that you identify appropriate supplementary businesses in your potential marketplace and then approach them concerning their interest in forging partnerships.

You can even partner with businesses that sell other products likely to appeal to your customers. For example, if you’re selling jewelry, you can partner with a fashion clothing dealer and offer them free advertising on your website.

Since both the products are geared towards the same audience, both businesses are more likely to increase their sales through the partnership.

2. Automation

Handling every business issue manually will eventually limit the potential growth of your home business, not to mention the fact that you will be exhausted from personally answering hundreds of e-mails and phone calls every single day.

Automating some of these activities will optimize your efforts towards building a sustainable and profitable business. Why not consider employing round-the-clock auto responders for instant email responses and an integration of a shopping cart for online sales? This strategy can help you save substantial time and money.

3. Complementary products/services

Once your product or service starts establishing itself in the marketplace, don’t just sit back. Use this chance to introduce exciting new offerings and freebies that encourage your customers to place additional and/or even larger orders.

This will ultimately enhance your Revenue picture with existing customers as well as encourage new customers to come onboard. The founder of Virgin Enterprise, Richard Branson, once said: “Business opportunities are like buses, there’s always another one coming”.

4. Sell more to existing customers

Convincing your current customers to purchase more is more cost effective than acquiring new customers. This will help you to not only save time but also save money wasted on extra marketing.

One of the most effective strategies to convince them to purchase more Product is to offer discounts on volume purchases. You could also offer an incentive for every new referral that an existing customer provides to you.

5. Establish yourself as an expert in your niche

As you continue to invest in marketing your products and services, don’t neglect to invest in yourself by expanding your knowledge of your business niche as well as continuously educating yourself relative to good business practices.

In addition, make it a practice of providing your customers with valuable content related to your products and services. If you have a website, add high quality information for your visitors to review. The more they know about your product and services, the more likely they are to buy your offerings.

Share important tips with customers via monthly newsletters and e-mails: enlighten them on various issues that may be helpful and relevant to them. This will increase your credibility as an expert in your specific niche. As a result, you will win customers’ trust and generate higher sales.

This is a very productive step towards achieving success through your home-based business. The words of John Mackey summarize this very well: “Business social responsibility should not be coerced: it is a voluntary decision that the entrepreneurial leadership of every company must make on its own”.

6. Provide high-quality customer service

Add value to your services or products by actively interacting with customers and inviting constructive feedback. Give more attention to areas in your niche that you feel have not been addressed sufficiently.

Use customers’ suggestions, Comments, and even complaints to improve on your business products, services, and especially business practices. Join social networking groups relevant to your business and become an active participant. As you connect with other people who think alike, identify what they are looking for in your niche and act accordingly.

7. Accept different methods of payments

Your customers can be located anywhere in the world. It might be a Sheik from Saudi Arabia or a web developer from the UK. What you need to insure is that you don’t lose customers due to this global customer pool.

If it is an online payment being processed, remember that Paypal and various other payment methods do not work in third world countries and the Middle East. Integrate credit Card and a wide range of other internationally accepted payment systems into your website. This will not only widen your customer base but also improve your company’s credibility as an international operation.

8. Innovative marketing strategies

One sure-fire way to remain competitive in any niche is to employ innovate promotional methods. Creativity is a must in this arena, especially in internet marketing. Advertising your home based business doesn’t necessitate spending tons of money.

Creative marketing strategies are keys to reaching a target audience even when resources are limited. For instance, consider viral marketing. It has the potential to identify millions of targeted visitors to your home business website and does not cost a fortune. Employ only efficient and cost-effective marketing methods and don’t depend on one method alone.

Spread your risk. Combine a number of marketing campaigns and monitor them consistently. Always remember to adjust your advertising campaigns to match the needs of your Marketplace and the success of your campaign.

At the end of the day, the success of your home based business is highly reliant upon your personal motivation and drive. Exactly how far are you willing to go to achieve success?

8 Golden Success Secrets for Small Businesses

Running a small business is as challenging as trekking to Mt. Everest without having oxygen cylinder, prior practice, and a valid map guide. The challenges are only because there are no authentic rules that can lead a small business towards success while other major obstacles comprise: low budget, limited manpower, and lack of efficient resources. But as a small business owner, you must delve into the passcodes that help you decode the secret patterns of operating a successful startup or small business. It not only helps you to sustain your current growth but also excel your business planning’s to achieve higher objectives. There are a few suggestions based on real-world experiences, which can assist you to hit the bull’s eye.

1- Utilize the power of social media:

Nowadays, the entire world revolves around social media and if you are able to use its full potential, it can immediately help you increase your sales and brand reputation with very minimum resource and effort. Social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, help you connect with a large scale of users, where you can directly interact with them, thereby allowing you to convert them into your potential clients. It forms a two-way channel that not only allows you to put your message across but also, listen to what your targeted audience want, which eventually goes a long way in improving and growing your business.

2- Research and analyze your competition:

A business turns to be successful only if it runs on some finely grinned facts and figures. And competition analysis is one of the most important elements of the process. Competition analysis tells you the strength you will require to establish your brand in the market as well as it helps to prepare your business planning adequately so that you could avoid the chances of business failure. An additional benefit of competition research is it allows for designing and developing more feasible and user-oriented products that eventually help you attain a competitive edge over the current market.

3- Work as per your plan but be flexible too:

Efficient planning is a roadmap that drives your business to the top in the long run with predefined routes. It is always advised to stick with our planning even if we face a few hurdles while running our business given that the strategies are designed after in-depth analysis. And day-to-day challenges should not incline you to alter with whatever you planned. The winners always back their business plannings regardless of the stiff challenges, but on the other side, a successful business requires the owner to be flexible enough to embrace new changes. Adapting the new ideas and concepts not only makes a business owner take smart decisions but also, keeps their core planning intact and fresh.

4- Use informative materials to build trust and loyalty:

The Internet is the best medium to reach out to the huge audience with less effort, but you should keep the fact in mind that there is already a heavy flow of advertisements and endorsements all over the web. So, what can be an efficient way to create our presence with a significant impact?

There are definitely some better ways to do it like using informative online materials such as well-written blogs, well-designed infographics, animated videos demonstrating some set of skills, and presentation sheets, etc. Following such practices will attract a huge mass to our platform to learn and engage with us, which gives a sense of trust and ultimately convert them into our long-term clients.

5- Hire your weaknesses:

A small business consists of a team of limited dedicated professionals, having different skill sets of all the corners to tackle most of the business requirements. Small businesses, sometimes, compromise in some crucial areas since they can’t hire specific individuals due to the lack of budget. To get your business positioned to the top, please don’t bear with your inefficient area. Rush into hiring experienced professional(s) so that all parts of your business fire with the same intensity.

6- Be ready for mergers and acquisitions:

Even after working with your full potential, you may not generate enough force to compete with the leading competitors. Other small businesses with the same concept may face the same situations. Just find them and join in the talks to check the possibilities of the merger to form a combined force, which can provide the required pace and power to achieve the common business goals. Mergers have a long, rich history of producing successful businesses, so don’t shy away with it. Similarly, business acquisitions are a noble idea to inject more strength to our business if budget allows us to do so.

7- Keep the quality service always on:

Quality service is the most important source that keeps your client for a longer period of time and it spreads huge positive feedbacks in the mass, driving in a large number of new clients. There have been more than just a few businesses reaching to the top just on the base of excellent service and even without spending a bomb on advertisements and business promotions. While there are other businesses which have failed miserably because of giving no importance to the quality of the services they provided. All in all, having the sound quality of the products/services is the key to succeeding in today’s cut throat competition.

8- Don’t give up:

Running a successful business is not a child’s play since it requires a lot of guts, courage, and risk-taking capabilities. It, sometimes, shakes your ambitions when going through some rough patches, and you need to have the burning desires within you to keep it alive. Keeping patience is also an important character that the small business owner must have, as the formation of a business and climb the ladder of success, demands to wait for long period of time. So, as a business owner, you need to instill never give up attitude to see your dreams come true!!

Summing it up, though the above-mentioned points are not entirely foolproof but yes, following these points will definitely help you to become a smart small business owner who can defy all the challenges and get on the top of the competition. Of Course, the chances of success or failure of your business completely depends on your planning and execution.

The Secrets for Successful Revenue in Digital Marketing – Benchmarking Process

According to the British Quality Association (1989) characterized TQM as follows:

“TQM is a corporate business the board reasoning which perceives that the client needs and business objectives are equivalent”.

The accomplishment of significant worth is in this manner achieved by near and dear incorporation and duty, given to a relentless improvement measure, with quantifiable level of execution by totally concerned.

The Basic Stages in Problem Solving are:

– Identify the issue, alongside progress objectives:

– Develop a System Orientations as follows:

A bit of the General Tools to Benchmark are:

(I) Cause and Effect Diagram (Ishikawa Sketch Diagram)

Conditions and sensible outcomes diagram helps with reviewing the assorted anticipated explanations behind an issue or situation. With this quality control instrument, one can assess the contributing components as arrangements and subcategories. You could fuse and find the hidden driver of an issue; uncover the bottlenecks in your cycles and perceive where and why a cycle isn’t working.

(ii) PERT

PERT speaks to Program Evaluation Review Technique. High-spirited charts are gadgets used to plan tasks inside an endeavor – making it less difficult to schedule and sort out partners accomplishing the work as a TEAMWORK.

Proactive diagrams were made during the 1950s to assist manage the creation of weapons and assurance envisions for the US Navy.

(iii) TAGUCHI Methods

The Taguchi procedure for quality control is an approach to manage planning that underlines the pieces of creative work (Research &Development), thing plan and headway in reducing the occasion of defects and disillusionments in made items.

(iv) KANBAN

Kanban is a system for managing the creation of things with a weight on consistent conveyance while not overburdening the improvement gathering. Like Scrum, Kanban is a cycle or cycle expected to gatherings to chip away at groups viably and with the standards of collaboration for non-stop achievement.

(v) JIT (Just in Time Principle)

These are the 5 essential principles of JIT Management:

Total Quality Management, Production Management, Supplier Management, Inventory Management, and Human Resource Management.

JIT won’t suffer if there is definitely not a strong emphasis on TQM (Total Quality Management).

(vi) BATNA

Is the ability to perceive an arbitrator most ideal choice as opposed to a Negotiated-Agreement, is among one of the various bits of information mediators search for when characterizing bargain making and trade systems.

If your current game-plan shows up at a gridlock, what’s your another Best Alternative.

I immovably suggest you read the book ‘Getting to Yes’ by William Ury.

Or on the other hand simultaneously, I recommend you read ‘Moving beyond NO ‘ by William Ury if your values and principles don’t agree to the customers / clients with a win-win deal.

(vii) Poka – Yoke

Poka-Yoke is a Japanese articulation that means “bungle fixing”, “botch sealing” or “coincidental bumble expectation”.

A Poka-Yoke is any instrument in any cycle that empowers a stuff executive to keep a Strategic Distance from Mismanagement or Miscalculating.

Its inspiration is to dispense with by Preventing, Adjusting, or Causing to Notice Human Mistakes as they occur.

(viii) Kaizen

Kaizen is a thought symbolic business practices that tirelessly improve all limits and incorporate all agents from the CEO to the consecutive development framework workers.

Kaizen is the Sino-Japanese word for “advancement and ceaseless improvement”.

(ix) Mission Statement – Have a convincing Statement of Purpose, with Brand Esteem, your Moral Methodology Systems and Standard centered organization in all times of your Digital Marketing approaches and prepares.

(x) CIT – (Continuous Improvement Team):

Nonstop Improvement Team a deliberate group from a comparable work fragment sitting reliably to improve a particular cycle, cycle or action

(xi) CAT (Corrective Action Taken): A work pack or Team under the activity of the local manager outlined to deal with a particular issue.

A segment of the Specific 7 Quality Control Tools are according to the accompanying:

STAGE (1) – STRATIFICATION: is portrayed as the show of organizing data, people, and articles into specific social affairs or layers… This data grouping and examination methodology confines the data with the goal that models can be seen and is seen as one of the seven basic quality instruments.

STAGE (2) – TALLY SHEET or Check Sheet is a structure (record) used to assemble data continuously at the region where the data is delivered. The data it gets can be quantitative or emotional. Exactly when the information is quantitative, the check sheet is sometimes called a tally sheet.

STAGE (3) – HISTOGRAM: It resembles a Bar Chart, anyway a Histogram bundles numbers into ranges.The height of each bar shows the quantity of fall into each span. Likewise, you pick what scopes to use! Model: Height of Olive Trees

STAGE (4) – PARETO ANALYSIS: is a regular strategy supportive where various potential diagrams are weighing for thought. Essentially, the issue solver assesses the favorable position passed on by every action, by then picks probably the best exercises that pass on a total bit of leeway reasonably close to the maximal possible one.

STAGE (5) – Cause and Effect Diagram: Ishikawa diagrams are causal graphs made by Kaoru Ishikawa that show the possible explanations behind a specific event. Typical occupations of the Ishikawa plot are thing plan and quality flaw expectation to recognize potential factors causing an overall effect.

STAGE (6) – Scatter Diagram: A disperse plot is such a plot or mathematical framework using Cartesian bearings to show regards for regularly two elements for a lot of data. If the centers are coded, one additional factor can be appeared.

STAGE (7) – Control Chart: A Control Chart shows how a cycle varies after some time, while perceiving uncommon explanations behind assortment and changes in execution. Like a run diagram, it fuses quantifiably made Upper and Lower Control Limits.

Watch the Benchmarking by Robert C Camp on YouTube for more details.

[Source / Reference: Dr. D. D. Sharma (Total Quality Management – Principle, Practices & Cases)

21 Secrets to Franchise Business Success

1) Evaluate your tolerance for risk

Opening a new business is a scary prospect. There’s a lot of personal, professional and financial risk to consider. It’s natural when contemplating such a profound step in your career to look at ways to manage your risk and increase your chance of success.

The Small Business Administration conducted a survey that found 62% of non-franchised businesses failed within 6 years. A separate study by the United States Chamber of Commerce found that 97% of franchises were still open after 5 years.

The research conducted by these independent third party organizations clearly demonstrates that choosing a franchise business carries significantly less risk than starting a business on your own.

2) Work with what you’ve got

Making a list of your strengths is easy. But when launching a business, it’s also important to make an honest assessment of your weaknesses.

Before you get to work selecting a franchise, take the time to develop a list that honestly depicts your strengths and weaknesses as a potential business owner. Then use this profile as a tool to help with the decision making process.

Ask franchise owners questions about the duties they perform, and compare the job requirements to your profile. If the business has the potential to be a good fit, the skill sets required to run the business will either be skills you already have or skills you can learn quickly. If this is not the case, it’s best to keep looking.

If a certain aspect of a franchise has a steep learning curve but the business is otherwise a great fit, you may want to consider hiring someone experienced with that position. If this is the choice you make, be sure to include their salary and benefits in the financial business plan.

3) Remember to run the business

Many potential franchisees make the mistake of thinking they’re limited to buying a franchise in their current field. In fact, this might be the worst way to go.

Some franchises will not allow someone skilled in a particular industry to buy a franchise in that industry. For example, a mechanic may not be allowed to purchase an auto repair franchise. Skilled technicians sometimes find the transition from hands-on work to management work difficult to make, and are tempted back onto the floor to do the job they’re familiar with.

The problem with this is that you grow the business by running the business, and what a franchisor wants to see on the bottom line is growth. A business owner needs to be out networking, marketing and interacting with customers. If there’s too much work on the floor of an auto repair franchise, then the owner – even if he’s a highly skilled mechanic – needs to hire more mechanics.

Basic business skills are transferable to any franchise. If your current position involves universal roles like sales, marketing or accounting then your franchise options are practically unlimited.

4) No business is recession-proof

There’s no such thing as a business that can’t be impacted by a faltering economy.

There are, however, certain industries that are considered recession “resistant.” These are generally products and services people can’t do without no matter how much they’re cutting the budget.

The good news is there are hundreds of great franchise opportunities in recession resistant industries. The following are just a few examples:

Top recession resistant industries: Food · Automotive · Healthcare · Medical·Clothing · Education

Recession resistant franchise industries: Fast food restaurants· Automotive maintenance, parts and repair · Weight loss and fitness · Resale shops and discount (dollar) stores · Education (tutoring) and child care

5) Objectively evaluate professional advice from personal sources

Friends and family have your best interests at heart, and their advice comes from a place of love and concern for your well-being. No one would suggest making the personal, professional and financial commitment to launching a business without consulting your loved ones.

But friends and family are not subject matter experts and their advice can – intentionally or not – discourage a new business venture. The people who love you worry about what could happen if you fail, and their instinct will be to protect you from the risk.

When it comes to the final decision whether or not to proceed with purchasing a franchise, of course you will carefully weigh all the advice you’ve received. The key is to rely most heavily on the advice offered by industry professionals.

6) There’s no such thing as a free lunch

There are countless “free” franchise brokers and consultants out there claiming to offer unbiased information on franchise opportunities. They will work with you to assess your needs, and use your professional profile to help make recommendations on franchise opportunities that may suit you.

The problem with these services is that they get paid by the franchises for selling franchises. That means they are naturally only going to show you options they’ll get paid for. And in the case of high profile franchises that may offer them 2 to 4 times the average commission, there’s a real risk they may steer clients to those businesses whether they’re a good match or not.

These broker services may have access to detailed data on several hundred franchises and they can be a great source of information. Just be cautious about their recommendations, and get a second opinion before investing your money.

7) Tune out the hype

Never before was the adage “if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is” more applicable. You’re going to hear a lot of hype – good and bad – while assessing potential franchise opportunities.

Between marketing blitzes and human nature, it’s easy for success stories to spread like wildfire. Think about the guy who lost weight eating Subway – that story is so pervasive it’s become almost impossible to separate the allegory from the restaurant in the public’s perception. The hype surrounding that marketing campaign will have an impact on potential Subway franchisees for the foreseeable future.

It’s also natural for people to look for something to blame when things go wrong. Because of this there are also going to be negative, emotionally charged franchise stories in circulation. However, keep in mind the nuanced details that created such situations are never discussed; only the attention-grabbing outcomes.

No one is suggesting you completely ignore these stories, because hidden beneath the hype there are likely valuable lessons to learn. Learn from them what you can while keeping in mind what they are: unique situations with complex back stories that probably have no bearing on your success whether or not you choose the same franchise.

8) Look beyond the big brands

Sometimes it’s easy to forget there are thousands of franchise opportunities out there, because the big name brands get all the attention. When you’re in the early stages of your search, it’s a good idea to bypass the overblown marketing of the huge franchises and make an effort to learn about the “no-name” franchises in your industry of interest.

There are quite a few advantages to lesser known franchise brands. For instance, they are often cutting edge concepts that can get a lot of marketing attention. Lesser known franchises haven’t yet saturated your local market. And they’re usually less expensive to start up, which means less financial risk.

Of course, you may be looking for the security and benefits that come with a big name franchise. Criteria such as national marketing campaigns, standardized employee training, management support and strong purchasing power may be at the top of the checklist for what you’re looking for in a franchise, and there’s nothing wrong with that. But if you’re not interested in being another instantly recognizable box in another strip mall, then a ‘no-name’ franchise might be for you.

9) Look beyond the price tag

Just because a franchise is more expensive does not mean it will be more successful.

It’s important to evaluate every aspect of a franchise – financial projections, monthly franchise fees, franchiser support levels, issue response time, customer base and marketing, to name a few. The price tag is a factor to consider, but should not be the sole criterion for evaluating the quality of the business opportunity.

Once you narrow down your preference to a particular industry, conduct due diligence on 2 to 3 franchises in that industry. Gathering adequate information on several comparable franchises will allow you to make an informed decision.

10) Comparison shop

Once you decide a franchise is right for you, keep looking.

If you decide to purchase a franchise of Coffee House A, then it’s time to start looking for reasons not to buy it. Build a list of questions, and then go talk to owners of Coffee House B and Coffee House C.

Be blunt – ask the competing franchise owners why they feel their business is better than Coffee House A. Ask them what made them choose B over A and C. Ask them if they would recommend you buy the same franchise, and don’t stop digging until you’re clear on the why (or why not) of their response.

Build a spreadsheet comparing the details of the franchises. Include data such as the benefits offered, financial commitment required, estimated monthly expenses, commercial lease requirements and franchise fees.

If your franchise preference stands up to the scrutiny, then you’re on the right track.

11) Contact current and former franchisees

The best way to find out if a franchise is right for you is to go behind the scenes and ask a lot of questions.

Before making a buying decision, prepare a list of questions. Contact at least five current franchisees and make an appointment to discuss your interest in the business. Whatever else you discuss, be sure to ask the questions you prepared.

Try to arrange an all day job shadow session with at least two current franchisees. This will allow you to observe the daily operations of your potential future business without committing to personal financial risk.

Contact several separated franchisees to learn about their experience. Understanding their reasons for getting into – and out of – the franchise can impact your decision.

12) Do your due diligence

All franchises are not created equal, and it’s your job to sort them out. The information is out there – all you have to do is go get it.

Conducting due diligence on a franchise opportunity should include:

· Check with the Better Business Bureau for complaints

· Check with the State Attorney General for complaints

· Speak with the franchisor

· Request a Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD)

· Attend a discovery day with the franchisor

· Make at least 10 calls to current and separated franchisees

· Make appointments to meet franchisees and visit the operation

· Job shadow a franchise owner (or owners) for at least a day (longer, if you can)

· Repeat as necessary

The purpose of due diligence is to reduce your risk. All the steps are necessary, but the most important step is interviewing and job shadowing a current franchise owner.

Some franchise owners will allow potential franchisees to spend weeks at their business learning the ropes. They may be willing to share detailed financial data, and can confirm or refute claims made by the parent company. A franchise owner can answer questions the franchisor may be legally bound from discussing. You may be able to make assessments about your own management style or potential business location by observing theirs. Visiting operating franchises in the course of due diligence may be the single best method for evaluating your potential success with a franchise opportunity.

13) When the time is right, hire a legal and financial team

Getting expert advice on the legal and financial aspects of a potential franchise purchase is essential. Some buyers skip this step to save money, but this is not the place to cut corners. The relatively small fees a lawyer and accountant charge pale in comparison to the enormous financial loss you’ll incur if the business fails.

Bringing in the legal and financial experts too soon in the purchase process can also be a mistake. Their professional opinions are necessary and valuable, but their advice can be expensive and potentially counterproductive in the early stages of your search. It’s crucial to remember when seeking their input that they should not choose the franchise for you.

Bringing in an accountant too soon can mean paying for them to run Profit & Loss data on every franchise that catches your eye. This onslaught of numbers can cloud your judgment, particularly if they’re taken outside the context of in-depth, due diligence research on each business.

Bring in an attorney too soon can mean paying them to review the Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) for every franchise that strikes your fancy. Studying detailed franchise information at such an early stage with a legal advisor who doesn’t understand your personality, lifestyle and professional preferences can be detrimental to your search. You could end up inadvertently being talked out of the perfect business.

Waiting to bring in legal and financial advisors until your franchise choices have been narrowed down dramatically is not just cost effective. It’s the logical way to use the team’s expert advice to your best advantage.

14) Feel the fear and do it anyway

The best way to manage your fear of buying a new business is to manage your risk. The best way to manage your risk is to learn everything you can, then proceed according to what you’ve learned.

Start the process with no intent to purchase. That removes the chance of getting so excited about business ownership that you take an irrevocable leap with the first prospect you research.

Above all, ask yourself “can I picture myself doing this all day?” If the answer is “no,” then be grateful for what you’ve learned and move on to researching a different industry.

The research and due diligence processes get easier with practice. It may take a few attempts to find the perfect franchise, but your efforts are not wasted. By actively engaging in the search, you’ve made yourself familiar with the process. And there’s no fear in the familiar.

15) Go it alone

Business partnerships are appealing on the surface because the idea of splitting costs, liability and workload is tempting. But it’s nearly impossible for any two individuals to work together as much as necessary to launch a new business without problems developing.

If it is a financial necessity to form a partnership in order to purchase your franchise, it’s crucial to define the roles each partner will play well in advance. If at all possible, try to structure the partnership so you own 51% and have the power to make binding decisions for the business.

Entering a partnership is not to be taken lightly, and should not be done without consulting your attorney.

16) Lease, lease, lease

Most franchises provide detailed specifications on the type of commercial real estate required to launch the business, and many will assist with the search for an appropriate property.

Leasing a commercial property is nearly always preferable to purchasing one. The capital required to purchase a property is better reserved to fund operating costs for the first few years. It’s also preferable to sign short lease terms with options to extend rather than committing to a long lease term.

Because many commercial leases include taxes and assessment fees buried in the fine print that can cause financial problems for your business, it is very important to have your attorney review any commercial lease before you sign it.

17) Don’t forget you’ve got to eat

One of the most common mistakes people make when working up a financial business plan is forgetting to pay themselves. This simple oversight is at the root of a lot of failed businesses.

In a perfect world we would all have enough in savings to go a year without a paycheck, and everything a new business makes could go right back into making it stronger.

The reality is we’ve all got bills to pay. It’s important to be honest and thorough when estimating the salary the business will need to pay you. Cutting yourself short will create enormous problems, especially if your fledgling business can’t afford to give you a raise yet.

This is one area where decisions you make for the business directly impact your personal life. The franchise isn’t going to do you much good if your heat’s turned off and the bank is foreclosing. Taking extra care with this critical detail could someday save more than just your business.

18) Consider alternate financing options

In the current economic climate, strict lending standards are making it harder than ever to get a commercial loan issued. When loan approval is a problem, it is worth considering your 401(k) or IRA as a resource for purchasing your business.

These self-directed retirement structures do permit individuals to actively invest their retirement funds into a business without taking a taxable distribution or incurring early withdrawal penalties. A successful use of this financing method offers the chance for a greater potential return on your money than the original investments.

Using your retirement funds to purchase a business is not to be taken lightly. But if done right, having your own business could be the best retirement plan of all.

19) Lead by example

If you’re not working hard for your business, neither will your employees.

At the end of the day, the only one who cares if your business succeeds is you. This is not the time to kick back and count the money. In fact, that attitude is the quickest way to ensure that soon there won’t be any left to count.

Even the most diligent business owners may forget that employees can’t see through the office door. They have no idea you’re calling customers, ordering supplies, writing a marketing plan, reviewing applications and trying to find a way to cover next week’s payroll. For all they know, you’re taking a nap.

When an employee sees a manager coming in late, leaving early and taking long lunch breaks they think the worst. They don’t understand that you came in late because you attended a 7 am referral group meeting. They have no idea that your lunch ran long because you were signing a deal with a big new client. It doesn’t occur to them that you left early so you could attend a Chamber of Commerce networking function.

Communication with your employees can help them see you’re working as hard as they are. Share your growth projections and help individuals set goals to meet them. Bring key employees to client meetings. Send high performing employees to networking functions in your place. By giving your employees a role in growing the business, they’ll take pride in supporting your success.

20) If you don’t love it, don’t buy it

Confucius said “Find a job you love and you’ll never work a day in your life.”

If you wake up in the morning and dread going to work, your franchise will not be successful. It’s as simple as that.

The beauty of franchising is the endless variety of options – there’s literally something for everyone. You just need to devote the time and effort to figuring out which one will make you hop out of bed every morning, happy to be doing what you love.

21) Use every resource at your disposal

Investing your personal, professional and financial future in a franchise opportunity is a big decision. Use every source of information you can find, and compare the data to make sure you’re getting the whole story.

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