Businesses Archives - TODAY INDIA

Top 10 Reasons Home Based Businesses Fail!

Something For Nothing Syndrome

Let me be perfectly honest with you, there is no such thing as something for nothing, but you already knew that didn’t you. Then why are there so many home based business and success programs being sold by way of TV info-commercials, ads in magazines, newspapers, and the especially the Internet? I personally think that we would all like to think that there is a shortcut to success but deep inside we all know that is success is earned. Success would not be success if you could simply purchase a home based business system for $49.95 that is completely automated and all you do is collect the money, yet I have personally seen thousands of internet sites and info commercials claiming they have a fully automated system, plug in and you will be wealthy by just paying your $49.95, presto you’re an instant success, no real efforts required, they even guarantee it. People are purchasing these programs every day and they are disappointed everyday. I will even admit to you that I have purchased these programs and had them piled up in my drawer (anybody else?). I am not saying that you must work your life away, but I am saying that focused and leveraged efforts are “key” to success. Let’s compare a home based business with a weight loss program. Weight loss programs are everywhere and they range from real programs that teach the truth, which is healthy eating and exercise are required to get any real results, to magic weight lose plans that all you do is take a pill and you are magically transformed with no effort. There are some good weight lose systems out there, but the key ingredient is you and the efforts you put forth. So the truth about your home based business will be the very same, the key ingredient is you and the efforts you put forth will determine your success. If you are broke and looking for that magic pill to save you, it does not exist, do both of us a favor and stay at or go get a J.O.B. If you approach your home based business with a focused and committed attitude, understanding that a business does require work and capital (money), you are well on your way. The great thing about the home based business industry is that you can get started with minimal funds compared to other more traditional brick and mortar businesses.

Not Understanding Capital & ROI

Capital is the money required to start and operate your business. Remember Rule #1, there is never something for nothing. Understanding how much capital is going to be required to start and operate your business until profits are realized is an important factor in the success of any business. Once your capital needs are identified you can begin to calculate your ROI “Return on Investment”, or should we say “Return on Capital”. So for example, if your business will require $20,000.00 to start and operate until profits come in and that business will generate $100,000.00 net profit the first year then you would have achieved a complete capital payback and a 400% return on capital first year. Wall Street would fund this business model all day long. The home based business industry really does offer this type of return, that is if you understand your capital requirements and have a business plan that provides leverage. For example most brick and mortar businesses do not pay back capital first years, so no profit is realized for several years! The challenge with a home based business is that thinking you can purchase a business for $49.95 on the internet and then make a million dollars, frankly is a fantasy. In fact, let’s look at a franchise for example, a $200,000.00 capital outlay is not uncommon to purchase a franchise, that franchise would then usually produce net profits in the neighborhood of $50,000.00 per year. Might make it more understandable to offer a specific example.So in this franchise example, it would take four years just to break even and start producing a return on capital, not very exciting is it. If success was easy it would no longer be success. Look for opportunities that can produce a reasonable ROI first year, and that require a minimal capital investment. Any businesses that can produce a 1st year capital pay back, while also producing a first year net profit is always a winner. Look for a home based business with great ROI potential, this will be best accomplished with leverage. Expect to capitalize your business properly and understand your business plan. Ask yourself how much capital will be required and how long will it take to pay back that capital and to then realize a net profit. Remember the more leverage you have the more net profits you will keep. Gross sales are important but I would rather start a business with gross sales of $100,000.00 year and that produces a net profit of $60,000.00 (60%) over having a business that has gross sales of $1,000,000.00 year and a net profit of $60,000.00 (6%). They both produce the same net profit, but the business with the larger gross sales will in most all cases be 10 times more expensive to start (a lot more money up front) and will have more employees (and taxes) and require a lot more of your time to manage. So the return on your time in a business is what you make an hour. The larger the lever built into your business model, the more you make per hour spent.

Listening To The Wrong People

Why is it that if we are learning to golf we have no problem taking lessons from the Golf Pro at the Country Club, or if we were learning to Skydive we would be insane to learn from any one but the Jump Master. Yet when it comes to learning to earn a substantial personal income we usually make the mistake of listening to family and friends most of the time, or we actually think we are qualified to teach ourselves, this is called the school of hard knocks. If you are looking to earn $100,000.00 a month then doesn’t it just make sense you would look for a person or better yet, a team of people that have already achieved this level of income and then learn from them. We would never have our friends or family teach us how to jump out of an airplane. The challenge we do have is unlike in golf or skydiving were we know where to go for expert advice, where do we go to learn to earn a substantial personal income? Well a franchise system is one place where a successful business system is taught to you by other successful people, but we all know that a franchise requires a large up front capital outlay. When evaluating a home based business system look at the training and support, make sure the individuals doing the training are at a high “personal” level of success in that business. Most companies have customer support teams that are just hourly employees reading information from manuals. They are not qualified to teach you how to reach the level of success you are looking for, or worse yet you can only e-mail your questions or complaints to them. You should look for a home based business system that allows for the top income earners within that system to be the trainers. This way you are learning from the people who are getting results. Ask yourself, will I have the telephone numbers of the people with whom I will be doing business, will I have access to the top income earners on a daily bases if necessary. Or will there be a $49.95 kit sold up front, only to find out that if you want to access the real training and support, it will cost you an additional $5,000.00 or so, let alone the other capital you will need to operate your business. I will not mention any specific companies but they are doing info-commercials every day. Does the home based business you are considering have mentors and coaches who are successfully operating the same business, and do you have access to them for the price of the business, no hidden costs? Remember e-books and online kits are usually designed to make the person selling them rich, not you. If you can not get the company on the phone before you purchase, please be very careful. Make sure that the company is registered in the United States and they are required to follow US law, there are a lot of these companies whose headquarters are offshore, ask yourself why? Websites without phone numbers are designed to make the company money, without doing any real training and support. When you purchase a franchise they always include the training and support as without it they know you will probably fail. It is usually not even an option to leave it out and why would you? Make sure you understand how much training and support is included in the business system, an unlimited amount would be optimum. Live training from real people that are successfully operating the same business is the very best, e-mail only support can drastically limit your learning. You deserve to be trained by the best make sure it is included, otherwise you are probably wasting your time!

Marketing, Marketing and Marketing

You can have the best products in the entire world or provide the best service in your industry, but unless people know about your products or service, you will be out of business. There are many ways to market your business and they can be very simple and inexpensive or they can be complicated and very expensive. Make sure to keep it as simple as possible and understand your conversion rates. This means that if you spend $1,000.00 a month on advertising and that generates 100 potential customers and 3 purchase your product. You have a 3% conversion rate. You should also make sure that your profit from those 3 sales provides enough revenue to pay all of your costs (including advertising) and still provides you with a net profit. Finding products that have a substantial profit can make this process much easier. Repeat business can also be instrumental to your profitability. If your customers return and purchase again you have made a profit without any additional marketing. Repeat business is essential to a successful business and marketing system. It is possible to operate a profitable business with no repeat business, but why not look for a business with repeat customers built in! When considering a home based business the simpler the marketing the better.

Poor Environment Management

Working from home offers many benefits such as no commute and no day care costs, etc. The flip side of this coin is that distractions can exist that you do not find in an office setting, such as crying children, barking dogs, the television, you get the idea. The trick is to balance your environment. It may take a little practice but by no means is it difficult with a little planning. So take advantage of all the positive that a home based business provides, while learning to manage your environment, working from home can prove to be an enormous advantage over the rat race. So create a workspace that is a dedicated resource and set some simple rules so that you can create a professional office environment at home. Creating this environment is key, make sure you have good equipment. If you are constantly struggling with your equipment you will not be focused or efficient. You can involve the rest of the family and make it positive for everyone. It just takes a little communication and cooperation to have a successful environment. Be creative and have fun!

Having A Closed Mind

Entering the small business arena can be a change of pace. If you are operating a business for the first time as an owner rather than working as an employee it will be imperative that you keep an open mind so that you can learn new concepts and not look upon new business concepts that you may be unfamiliar with as risky. Anytime new information or concepts are presented keep an open mind and be a student of the information before you form any conclusions. Be informed and educated before you make judgments. If you are a seasoned business professional coming from a large corporation it is also important to be open minded as operating a small business can be completely different. A strong ego can keep you from learning new things. Remember the only requirement for being an expert is results, so look for results not at the age, color, or gender, of the person teaching you, just their results. Be coachable and trainable and become a student of your industry. Network Marketing and home based businesses can offer huge leverage if you just keep an open mind. A lot of major Corporations sell there products through Network Marketing, and these concepts are now taught at major universities. GM sells cars this way now, so just because you are not familiar with a certain type of business or compensation plan don’t judge it until you have learned all there is to know. It may be the best way for you to get in the game if you lack a lot of capital (money).

Poor Product or Service Selection

Selecting products or services and more importantly focusing on the profit potential is a critical component. Yes it is always exciting when you can work with products or services that you are passionate about, but please remember to look at the net profitability and your overall plan. So if your product has a substantial profit margin you have a much better opportunity to succeed. Look for products that can be drop shipped to your client and products that will also provide you with substantial net profits. This way you can focus on marketing and running your business. Understand that Service businesses can be more difficult depending on the service and if you are required to provide the labor. In most cases with services you will do the labor, but you may be able to market other people’s services, this would be our recommendation. With any service businesses you may find you have just purchased yourself a J.O.B. Always look for others to do the bulk of the work so you can grow quickly. Pick suppliers that have large capacity. As you identify your products or services choosing ones that allows for repeat business will also be a key ingredient for a profitable and successful business.

Fear of Rejection

Fear of rejection is usually caused by low self-esteem and the lack of self-confidence. A business can not be profitable without sales. Remember that when a potential customer rejects your product or service he/she is not rejecting you they are simply rejecting a product or service at that point in their life, they may very well become a customer at a later time, so stay positive. The most successful people in sales are the ones who receive the most rejection as that means they have also sold the most products or services. The home run champion is always high in the strike out count as well. Through practice and good training you will master this skill and be a successful home entrepreneur. Please do not fall into the trap we discussed earlier were you are told the system is fully automated and you will not talk to anyone. If it was that easy we would all be rich. Businesses require sales and those sales involve people and more importantly contact with these people. Home based businesses are no exception. If you are afraid to sell then a J.O.B. may be a better choice for you, preferably not one is sales. Sales drive every company and the relationship you build with your clients will keep you in business. Look for home based businesses that will provide you with warm contacts through your marketing efforts so you are not cold calling. Cold calling is painful especially for people new to sales. Be determined to develop reasonable people skills if you intend to go into business. You may not currently have them but you can easily learn these skills if you posses self confidence and are willing to do a little practice.

No Leverage

If you do not understand leveraging then you might as well dust off your Resume’ and hit www.careerbuilder.com. Leverage is the only way you will create real wealth in your life. A business owner leverages his time by hiring employees, these employees leverage his time. This is why service businesses where you do the work have no leverage without employees or someone else doing the labor. A manufacturer that uses distributors is an example of leverage. A franchise that sells it’s system and collects a portion of profits is leverage. An author, who writes a book once and sells it over and over again, is leverage. An actor who stars in a film and the film is shown in theaters all over the world is leverage. Leverage can be created in many ways but if you ever want true wealth you must create a lever and the larger the lever the more wealth. Leverage is the key, so look for leverage in a system you can learn or create leverage in the business you decide to run but find leverage and your profit will multiply equally to the size of your lever.

Inadequate Planning

Creating a plan to achieve your goals is paramount. This should include a “DMO”, “Daily Method of Operations”. Focus efforts can produce the best results just like the magnifying glass focuses the suns rays and creates fire, your efforts can be focused for best results. Having a precised plan with measurements is imperative, for example to say your goal is to improve sales, is a goal without a measure. Instead say your goal is to increase sales 30% in the next 90 days, this is an example of a goal with measure and a completion date. You can clearly measure if you have reached your goal as well as track its progress along the say. Set your DMO and follow it while consulting your goals on a daily basis and make sure you are doing all necessary to meet your objectives. Managing your time is important but focused effort and balance will propel you to success, don’t forget to relax and have fun. By focusing your time, you will surely get better results in all areas of your life.

In conclusion:

We want to make sure you have the knowledge and information, to you make these important decisions. Our Mission is to provide all the support and resources you require to assist you in making an intelligent decision about the perfect business opportunity for you.

If there you are looking for that perfect business and do not currently have one, and what you’ve learned makes sense then revisit our site for further information, or e-mail us at info@ultimatesuccesssystem.biz.

I wish you all the success in your endeavors.

Cordially,

Bart Saxey

The Ultimate Success System Team

www.ultimatesuccesssystem.biz [http://www.ultimatesuccesssystem.biz]

Brand And Product Displays For Businesses

Visibility is the key to success for any new or existing commercial entity. No matter the industry you serve, you must be able to effectively market your brand to core, niche or mass audiences. While social and mobile media integration is essential, there are still traditional ways to advertise your products and businesses across the board.

Whether for new product launches or promotions, product displays still play a pivotal role in showcasing your brand and business. No truer is this then when it comes to business expositions, conferences, or even daily or weekly sales and specials. With years of extensive industry experience, area marketing and product display companies have the tools and expertise to help build and grow your business.

From teardrop and traditional banners to flags and customized flags, there are so many options available for brand and product displays. These items can also be created to many sizes, dimensions, or specifics you desire. They are also lightweight, mobile, and easy to put away when not in use. Whether for business exhibitions or storefront promotions, now is the perfect time to speak to banner experts about your needs and aspirations.

In addition to actual banners, stands are available as well. In fact, many business owners forget how important stands and units are for their flags and promotional products. For example, the teardrop stand is created in a way where your banners will be visible to one and all. There are also convenient size controls on these stands, which allow you to determine how high or low you want your displays to show.

Traditional banners are known for their vibrant vinyl lettering and eye catching logos. These products can be customized to include your business logos, slogans, product photos, and even contact information and addresses. These are perfect for business conventions where brand visibility and awareness can foster greater leads and new customers.

Local promotional companies feature comprehensive and cohesive marketing packages for one all. This includes banners of all sizes and shapes, along with advertising collateral and even business documentation and signage. Again, it is up to you to consult with local businesses about formulating strategic brand marketing campaigns for your business.

Another option is to purchase smaller signs and banners if desire. This is a cost-efficient way to secure brand marketing without going above and beyond your budget. No matter which product you choose, however, placement plays a pivotal part in optimal advertising. You should speak to product agencies to see which areas of your store have the most potential to effectively attract, engage and draw in customers.

If you are struggling to attract new clients and business, chances are you may not have the right promotional materials. Remember, marketing is never a onetime deal and must be implemented multiple times throughout any business season. This includes caps, jackets, t-shirts, pens, vehicular graphics and anything and everything that can help your business grow and succeed. From exhibition banner displays to flags and retractable units, local promotional companies have the tools and expertise to showcase your business as a true professional entity.

Project Outsourcing: Why ALL Businesses Should Consider Outsourcing An Integral Part of Business

OUTSOURCING: AN OVERVIEW

Businesses of all kinds can and do benefit from the tool of outsourcing every day. Businesses large and small have been outsourcing every day projects for many years. The businesses that use outsourcing as a tool to enhance and grow their business already know the value that outsourcing brings to their organization. Outsourcing is a business process term for what has literally become known as hiring a consultant, independent contractor, or freelancer to do a specific task or tasks for an organization in which the organization either does not have the time or the expertise to do on their own. The organizations that have used outsourcing for many years know that with the positives it brings to the organization that it is also important to have a well managed plan of action for hiring a consultant or contractor for a business task. This includes deciding which projects or tasks to outsource, whom to hire for these tasks, how to manage the project, how to agree on payment terms, and how to achieve the desired results. There are many forms of outsourcing ranging from outsourcing payroll to outsourcing package handling, to everything in between. Small businesses hiring a self-employed accountant to handle the corporate tax returns are in essence hiring a tax consultant. Large corporations that hire outside customer service firms to handle their customer support are outsourcing that function of their business to focus more on their core business functions. It is entirely possible to outsource practically every business process within an organization.

OUTSOURCING TOOLS

There are a wealth of tools available for the organization looking to outsource business processes. Companies such as SmartyLance.com, enable a business to post a project to a project marketplace and receive bids from experts in the field. These type of freelance sites match companies with freelance professionals, consultants, and independent contractors. There are many advantages for a business to use services such as SmartyLance. First, the marketplace enables businesses to use a centralized location to post their project, receive bids on that project, communicate with potential providers, choose a winning bid (either based on lowest cost or based on the credentials, expertise, or prior feedback of a particular provider), manage the project specifications, receive the delivered project and make final payment based on the terms of the auction. This centralized marketplace provided by SmartyLance greatly streamlines the entire outsourcing process and enables the business owner or manager to have greater control over the entire outsourcing process.

INCREASING COMPETITION

Competition is a complicated subject for many people. Ultimately, competition is good for the consumer, whether the consumer is an individual or a business, competition enables products and services to maintain high quality and low cost. Although many people dislike competition because it forces action to improve quality, the benefits to the overall economy even result in improved products and services for the very people that dismiss competition and the headaches it sometimes brings. Freelance marketplaces such as SmartyLance are no exception in that competition improves the overall quality and value for the project buyer and causes the freelance provider to adjust to market conditions in a practical, intelligent manner to win new business. The benefits to the company looking to hire freelancers are obvious. For example, Company A can compile a list of consultants to work on the design of their new company logo. This list may include a multitude of design firms from the same geographical area. Company A would be required to submit an RFP by contacting each design firm individually, stating the requirements of their project and requesting a quote based on the requirements. Many factors come into play in deciding which design firm Company A will choose. Chances are, that using this approach, Company A will end up paying too much for the project and will only have a handful of providers to choose from. Company B also must outsource the design of their new company logo. Rather than compile lists of design firms, which can result in overpriced quotes, Company B decides to post their logo design project to the SmartyLance marketplace. Doing so enables Company B to get competitive bids that help ensure that Company B gets the most competitive price for their project. By posting the logo design project to SmartyLance, Company B not only reduced costs associated with the project, they had access to specialists and skilled professional designers from around the world that were competing to give Company B the best cost and highest quality design for their money. The entire process was managed easily through Company B’s SmartyLance account enabling them to keep in contact, manage project specifications, manage competing bids, and send payment easily and securely through one of several different payment methods. An escrow account enabled Company B to ensure that payment wasn’t released to the provider until all project requirements were met. Company B successfully outsourced the logo design project and was able to save several hundred dollars. They also received the project several days quicker than Company A. In this example of Company A and Company B, we see that Company A had limited its ability to find a skilled professional and limited its ability to save money on the project. Company B took full advantage of all the resources and benefits of the SmartyLance marketplace and was able to save time and money. By outsourcing critical business functions that are not core business functions, the organization greatly benefits through a savings of time and money which in turn benefits us all through decreasing costs that are passed down to the consumer.

TO OUTSOURCE OR NOT TO OUTSOURCE?

That is the question many small business owners and large corporations alike are asking themselves each and every day. Risks are inherent in any new business strategy or thought process. However, like any business decision, risk can be managed. By intelligently choosing a provider that matches your intended skill requirements, carefully detailing and outlining your project requirements, and ensuring that you maintain the requirements within budget, the benefits can far outweigh the risks.
One of the more common fears among some larger organizations that may be reluctant to outsource projects is a fear of the unknown. This fear stems from the inherent inability to oversee each and every aspect of the project from start to finish and to evaluate each step along the way. Internal employees devoted to a project are more easily evaluated and can be guided through performance and work appraisals. Managers may feel that outsourced projects are more difficult to oversee and manage with an eagle eye. The fact of the matter is that so long as there are well-defined contractual obligations and project reporting requirements, an outsourced project can in fact result in a more manageable outcome than actually thought. Also, the talent pool and skills obtained that may be completely unavailable to the organization allow the organization to reach milestones and achieve success that may never have been possible with their current employees.

OUTSOURCING CONTROVERSY

The outsourcing controversy that is making headlines today is the public opinion of outsourcing jobs to other countries. This includes manufacturing of products, such as those that are “Made In China” as well as service outsourcing such as computer programming that is outsourced to skilled workers in India. One can argue that outsourcing projects overseas is taking opportunity away from workers in their native country. Others may contend that outsourcing projects, whether it’s overseas or in the same country is a great opportunity that will improve business processes, improve productivity, reduce costs and have an overall positive effect on the economy, thus creating more new jobs and specialized jobs in specific skill areas. All businesses are consistently looking for ways to increase productivity and lower costs. From an economic standpoint, increasing productivity and lowering costs are essential elements for business success. Business success, in turn leads to more growth, which leads to new job creation, be it in a more specialized skill area or through the development in new types of jobs in new specialized areas.

OUTSOURCED BUSINESS PROCESSES

As mentioned previously, practically any business process not related to the core business activity can be outsourced. Some examples of commonly outsourced business processes include:

Accounting and Finance

Graphic Design & Multimedia

Sales and Telemarketing

Web Design and Development

Administrative Support and Data Entry

Business Strategy, Advertising, Business Plans, Consulting

Legal, Contracts, Copyright, Corporate, Incorporation

Software and Technology, Database Development

Writing and Translation, Copy Writing, Creative Writing

Press Releases

A REWARDING CAREER

Having a specialty or skill in a particular business area can enable you to begin a career as a consultant or freelancer. Freelancing enables you to have the flexibility to work on your own and on your own schedule. You can choose which projects match your skill set and decide which types of freelance projects that you would be interested in working on. There are numerous sources available to find freelance work. Some sources include browsing freelance directories, job boards, and registering with talent auction sites such as SmartyLance. All of these resources are filled with potential jobs. In comparison, it seems that talent auctions are the most comprehensive resources offering the most flexibility to both the freelancer and the company hiring a freelancer. They offer the breadth and depth of listings and the simplicity to bid on numerous projects as well as services enabling the handling of the entire payment process through a service provider account with the talent auction site. Bidding on projects requires much discipline and planning. Before placing a bid or giving a quote on a project, the freelancer must take into account many factors including the length of time required for the project completion, the budget the service buyer can afford, and whether or not they can actually meet the requirements to complete the project. It is also important to keep in mind that developing relationships with service buyers can lead to more work in the future. Developing a relationship with service buyers and meeting or exceeding their project expectations will enable you to develop a client base that allows you to practically always have new projects to work on.

COMPETITION FOR PROJECTS

There will always be competition in all forms of business. Competition for freelance projects is fierce. One of the major ways to compete and win is to make yourself stand out from the rest of the crowd. You can start by fine tuning your resume. This will force you to think about your accomplishments as well as your exact skills and abilities. There are numerous services that can help you with your resume, including ResumeEdge. Using a service to help you with your resume will enable you to better explain your accomplishments and present them in a manner that will captivate and impress the reader. Especially if you are an independent freelancer, having your resume retooled by ResumeEdge will allow you to stand out in a crowded marketplace. Many freelance service buyers will wish to see a list of your accomplishments and your skills. If you register as a service provider with a freelance marketplace such as SmartyLance, they offer several different options that enable you to stand out above the crowd. First, there are different subscription levels when registering. There is a Limited subscription, a Novice subscription or a Professional subscription. Each higher level subscription offers more options to the service provider. Every service provider does have the ability to post a profile, detailing various information about their abilities. Limited subscriptions limit the cost range in which a service provider can bid. For example, a Limited service provider can only bid on projects with a price range less than one thousand dollars. Novice subscription service providers can bid on projects less than five thousand dollars, and Professional subscription service providers can bid on any service level project. Several added bonuses with the Novice and Professional subscription levels include the ability to purchase credential verification services as well as the ability to post “Buy Now” projects. Credential verification services enable you to post information related to your references, certifications, licenses, education and previous employment. Simply adding these options to your account gives you a special designation stating that your information has been checked and verified as being true and accurate by the freelance marketplace. This designation gives you an added level of credibility making you stand out from the rest of the service providers and enabling you to showcase your achievements and abilities, giving a service buyer confidence in choosing you to complete their project. This will undoubtedly lead to more work and more projects coming your way. In addition to verifying your credentials, you have the ability to showcase a portfolio of your previous work. This allows you to show the service buyers your achievements and your successes with previous clients. Showcasing your portfolio is another important aspect that gives the service buyer confidence in your ability. Finally, the higher level subscriptions enable you as a service provider to offer “Buy Now” solutions. Similar to purchasing products immediately without bidding as on major product auctions such as Ebay, “Buy Now” solutions enable freelance service providers and consultants to make a solution available to all service buyers for a specific set price. For example, a freelance graphic design firm may create a “Corporate Identity Package”, enabling a service buyer to purchase this package that may include the graphic design of a logo, along with designs for letterhead, business cards, and banner ads. Another example could be from a lawyer or legal consultant who creates an incorporation package that includes corporate setup and incorporation services for all fifty states, creation of shareholder agreements, employment agreements, and registered agent services all for a set price. These simple examples of “Buy Now” services enable freelance consultants and independent contractors to create easy options for service buyers who are looking for simple solutions and quick turnaround time. Service providers also enjoy creating these type of services because it enables them to focus on their core interests and abilities. Only higher level subscriptions such as the Novice or Limited subscriptions enable freelance service providers to post “Buy Now” projects. The beauty of these additional options as a freelance service provider is that you can focus on one specific aspect of your business. If you are a consultant for a graphic design firm and you simply enjoy creating and designing corporate logos and identities, then you can find work specifically in this area by posting your own “Buy Now” solution. If you are a lawyer working for your own legal firm and your passion is new business setups and incorporation services, then you can steer projects your way with a “Buy Now” solution posted on a freelance marketplace like SmartyLance.

CONCLUSION

These are only a few examples of the many opportunities that exist as a freelancer. Whether you are a small business, an individual, or a large corporation, this article simply serves as a guide to help you in your quest to use outsourcing to your advantage to help your business grow and flourish. Outsourcing, when done correctly, can benefit your business in so many different ways. The two most obvious benefits are a savings of time and money. From the freelancer’s standpoint, this article has been developed to help educate and guide you with the many options available to find work as well as to delve into the minds of freelance service buyers. Knowing their concerns and understanding the reasons for choosing one service provider over another will greatly benefit you by enabling you to increase your odds for getting new business. Understanding the concerns and needs of service buyers will lead to your gains as a service provider. If you are able to provide enough people with services that they wish to have, then you will always be in demand.

PayGate: The Credit Card Processing Company of Choice For Many Nigerian Businesses

Nigeria, once a country that was unable to make internet purchases or sell products online due to credit processing companies being scarce, now has a booming internet sales business. PayGate has helped pave the road for on line credit card processing in not only Nigeria, but other areas of Africa as well. PayGate started small over a decade ago and today is a leader in the industry and the choice for many business owners when it comes to credit card processing needs.

PayGate

PayGate is considered by many to be the preferred credit card processing provider in Nigeria. They are noted for having top notch customer service and quality products. They hire only the best when it comes to IT workers and their systems are monitored around the clock so that businesses can feel confident in using them for their credit card processing provider.

PayGate Recognized by Leading Banks

In Nigeria and South Africa, PayGate leads the industry in on line credit card processing. The company, according to their website, has been accredited by all major South African Banks who recommend PayGate to their business customers.

PayGate Offers A Variety Of Services

PayGate offers customers a variety of services and according to their company website they offer the following products:

PayPoint – merchants can put through card payments or pay suppliers on the internet. This is a password protected ‘back office’ facility. It is ideal for call center use.
PayBatch – merchants can process multiple card payments in batches.
PayWeb – clients can sell products and services from their website.
PaySubs – recurring payments like subscriptions can be automatically programmed for processing.
PayBill – you can send out and get your invoices to customers paid by them with the simple click of a button.
XML-service– for technically literate clients who demand total control, this facility allows your development team to customize your interface to PayGate in any way you prefer.

Additional Features of PayGate

In addition to the basic service features, PayGate also offers customers the following when it comes to their products and services:

· Fast transaction speeds.

· Easy integration into your current billing system.

· Quick to set up and get running for your business.

· Payment from customers is simple and customers have multiple payment options.

· An on-line data base that is secure and accessible for your business 24/7. This allows you to easily access client payments.

· Multiple user functions. You can allow multiple employees access to your account. Additionally, you can restrict areas that you do not want them to have access to.

Top 5 Myths about Small Businesses and Blogging

Myth #1) “Blogs are only for individual.”

Technorati.com currently tracks about 50 million blogs, 10% of which are commercial or business blogs. The majority of blogging is still being done by love sick teenagers or others writing about their own viewpoints of what’s happening in the world. However, with over 5 million businesses already blogging, it is too big to be ignored.

Myth#2) “Commercial blogging is only for big businesses.”

While smart business powerhouses like Microsoft, IBM, and NBC have been blogging for a while, big business in general still does not “get it.” In a recent survey, only 5% of the Fortune 500 companies blog. Blogging today is compared to where the internet was 10 years ago. First movers always have advantages. A smart small business could join the blogosphere today, while it still may take a year for their larger competitor to analyze the blogging scene.

Myth #3) “I can’t blog, I’m not a good writer.”

One of the major advantages small businesses have is customers perceive them as having personalities, hearts, and souls. All one needs to do is write a few paragraphs every week. Write like you were writing a fun letter to a friend, don’t be formal and use lots of business jargon. Hopefully, customers already know the business has a personality, so let them see more of it.

Myth #4)”Business blogs are boring.”

The Blog for The Terra Cotta Inn Clothing Optional Resort and Spa is http://terracottainn.blogspot.com You will see entries about the resort, the resort’s dog, celebrities, what it’s like to stay at a clothing optional resort for the first time, etc.

For another example, a restaurant could blog about special dishes, parties, anniversaries, customers pets, “secret” recipes, etc.

Myth #5) “I’m to busy to blog.”

If a business needs a presence on the internet, then it needs a company blog. It is very easy to set one up. Go to blogger.com or wordpress.com (two of many blogging sites). In as little as 15 minutes, you can create a blog. Add at least 1 article every week. Tell your customers about your blog. They will be glad that you did and so will your bottom line!

Attention, bloggers, journalists, newsletter publishers, etc., feel free to reprint this release.

Multi-Location Software: Keeping Businesses On Track

As the global economy expands, more and more businesses find that they are in need of multi-location supply chain software to efficiently track and record their business around the globe.

One such area that finds itself in need of this technology is businesses that deal with supply and logistics. Most industries that have multiple locations need to be able to track information from multiple sources. By investing in a system that can provide real-time information from all locations, a business can adequately prepare for the needs of their customers.

An example of a business that is frequently in need of this form of technology is school systems. Since most school systems have multiple campuses, having a service that can compile all of its mandatory data, such as attendance, in one concise format, the school district is able to save on it resources and keep track of state, local, and national requirements.

When corporations, such as hotel chains, are doing business, the home office is in charge of keeping up with the daily information from each hotel. If a hotel in the chain needs to order 500 rolls of paper towels, the software can hold the order to ensure that other hotels in the chain do not need the same item. This capability saves the company on shipping and can save hundreds of dollars by purchasing in bulk.

Other large businesses, such as hospitals, are in constant need of purchasing supplies. While most hospitals have a department dedicated to purchasing for their own location, in order to take advantage of the global market, the sister hospital across the globe may need similar items.

When the inventory of an item is depleted at a factory in England, for example, the sister factory in Boston will show the lowering of the inventory. This provides the most up-to-date information at all times for accuracy within a company.

To use another example, if a client in France needs 5000 widgets from your company, the sales representative can look on the multi location software to see if the branch of the company in France has enough widgets. If not, the representative can check other company locations and place a transfer of widgets from that facility to the one in France to complete the order.

While the idea for this type of platform has been in the planning stage for several years, technology has caught up. With the technology now available, every potential market that has numerous locations could ultimately benefit. While accuracy will improve the bottom line in business, it will also have an impact on customer service.

One of the largest complaints of customers and clients across the globe is poor customer service. Selling products that are out of stock, shipping products that are incorrect, ordering inaccurate amounts of products, and many other issues are listed as poor customer/client satisfaction. Every business, however, knows that it is customer satisfaction that truly affects the bottom line. By using this type of technology in business, schools, factories, and hundreds of other areas, customer satisfaction, accuracy, dependability, and the bottom line will almost certainly improve.

Offline Businesses – The Most Effective Online Marketing Uses Direct Marketing Strategies

Direct marketing in the offline world has grown to huge proportions, becoming a very professional industry in which the biggest players are immensely successful. And these same direct marketing strategies and techniques are the hallmark of the most successful Internet marketing businesses, etc. In fact, every direct marketing professional should consider Internet marketing as a career or at least a sideline for additional income streams.

Direct mail pieces in the offline business world become email blasts online – and with more and more email programs now HTML capable, can be just as glossy and heavily designed as their offline counterpart. And just as direct marketers buy targeted leads or use location-based mail drops, Internet marketing pros rent email lists, buy solo ads and buy leads.

Direct marketing techniques also include classified ads and TV infomercials – online there are a number of classified-ad sites, some international and many based on certain locals. And video sharing sites are perfect for displaying TV-style commercials, infomercials, product demonstrations, etc.

And the ‘golden lists’ or the big Direct Mail houses, those lists of targeted leads that buy from them regularly, are no different than the customer lists online. Just as direct marketers have a pre-written series of e-mails and offers that go out to their previous customers on a regular basis, so too do online marketers who use pre-written autoresponder series to follow up with each purchaser.

If you own and/or operate an offline business in direct marketing, learn all you can about the strategies, tools and techniques being used by successful Internet marketing pros and use that knowledge to increase bottom line profits considerably. While some online regulations, like the anti-spam laws, make parts a little trickier in compliance, it’s more than made up for by the low cost of email blasts, the lack of lead time required for printing, and the free video hosting the video sharing sites provide. Start by putting every commercial and infomercial in your current library online at sites like YouTube, Viddler and Daily Motion and you’re already well on your way.

And if you’re currently working in the direct marketing industry with no equity in the company that employs you, consider starting a part-time job in online marketing and building it into your own full-time Internet marketing or affiliate marketing business. You have the skills so start investigating this low-startup-costs online industry for your own future today!

Small Businesses – Web Site Promotion Ideas

You’ve already figured out that your small business needs a web site to compete with the big boys and maintain every aspect of your relationship with your customers. But once you have your web site up and running, you’ll need web site promotion ideas so that people know about your web site. After all, no one will visit your web site if they don’t know it exists. The first of your web site promotion ideas is submitting your web site to all the major search engines. Search engine traffic is a major draw to web sites and most web masters will tell you that the vast majority of their traffic is coming from search engine clicks. Most of the major search engines have a specific page you can use to submit your site. Once it’s submitted, it will usually take a few days to a week before it starts showing up in keyword searches.

Other web site promotion ideas include advertising your web site on internet message boards and discussion forums centered on subjects related in some way to your business. For example, if you run a small business selling pet supplies, you could go to message boards and discussion forums frequented by pet lovers. Other tried and true web site promotion ideas are banner exchanges. You can contact other web sites involved with the same target market and ask to exchange banners on each other’s web sites or you can sign up at a banner exchange portal that will automatically generate banners for other sites on your site and banners for your site on other participating sites. Some other ways of promoting your new web site however, going the route of affiliation. This is a good method of not only promoting your new site but an easy fashion of making some quick money as well.

How this works is you sign up for an affiliation to a site, generally you will want to find a site that has some relevance to the site you are trying to promote. When ever someone goes to the site you are affiliated with and they link on to your site by pay per click method it takes them to your site and right into the thick of your content. The the unfortunate part of this method is that whenever someone clicks onto your site from your affiliate, you end up paying the affiliate for the transfer of sites. Although this could easily be a very small fee to the affiliate, the point to remember is if they click and you pay the affiliate, there is no guarantee that they will make a purchase from you. For even more web site promotion ideas, there are many online resources dedicated solely to teaching people how best to create awareness of their web site through the internet at large and strategies for attracting more visitors to their web site. There are other resources for web site promotion but then start with these basic ideas and when you’re ready, explore for more! To Your Success.

10 Best Home Based Businesses Selected From Top 100 to Have Guaranteed Success Online

Due to the current economic crisis, managing your overall expenses is not as easy as it used to be. Luckily, we can now have extra income from doing business at home. Apart from the hectic schedule, you might wonder how to successfully set up and maintain it without completely losing track of time. Well, the good news is that having some of these 10 best home based businesses selected from top 100 doesn’t require too much time.

1. The best one to start with is an affiliate program opportunity, since you can join free and also earn lifetime commissions. Having the right products to sell can give you an excellent income online.

2. The next one is desktop publishing. This requires minimum setup because all you need are graphic design skills and a good layout program. From invitations to brochures and flyers, you can take on this business on a project basis. This means only accepting orders when you don’t have too much work on your hands. You can still maintain your regular Monday to Friday routine, and work on this during weekends.

3. The third from the 10 best home based businesses selected from top 100 is blogging. Maintaining an online journal is profitable especially once you have a strong reader base. Once you have a regular audience, you can immediately post different articles on exciting topics if you have the time. You can also earn from ad spaces and banners to be placed on your site.

4. Freelancing in photography might also be a good idea. Offer clients with weekend and holidays service. Since these are the days which you don’t have work, you can cater to their needs at once. You’ll need to invest in equipment to start your business.

5. The fifth one is a pet grooming service. Hold grooming sessions on weekends for pet owners that don’t really have time to give their pets a bath. Schedule a number of dogs per week.

6. Selling products online can also become a profitable hobby. This can range from drawing, knitting and painting. The best places you can sell stuff are on eBay and other sites that have a lot of members.

7. Content writing is also becoming an increasingly popular choice for people who have backgrounds on copywriting. These including producing press releases and research writing on a certain number of products to promote a company online.

8. The eighth one of the 10 best home based businesses selected from top 100 is the virtual assistance job. Virtual assistants carry out tasks that cannot be handled by the company due to the volume of jobs their employees have to fulfill. These take up more time because of the regular working hours, depending on the country to be operated at.

9. You can always use web design as your home based business. You’d be surprised at the potential income opportunities for this field.

10. Lastly, consulting jobs are also among the jobs which one can fulfill because it doesn’t take up too much time. Engage in a field that you specialize in.

It is very much necessary that you acquire appropriate knowledge and skills that you need to run some of our best home based businesses selected from top 100 successfully. Although the internet has made it possible to achieve your goals, it takes hard work and determination to fulfill your dreams in life.

Why Android App Development Is Beneficial for Businesses Seeking Growth and Visibility

Recent stats about the behavior of customers online have revealed that the use of mobile apps to purchase things and to gather data has increased in leaps and bounds. Today, brands are getting purchase orders through mobile apps and are also able to keep the customers engaged through various ads and activities. Android mobile app development has gained much popularity these days and enterprises are also creating customized mobile apps that solve the customer issues and add value to their business. So, if you are planning to capitalize on the popularity of mobile devices through apps, then Android should be on top of your list.

Developing an Android app can be beneficial for your business if you are willing to reach out to the mass. The smart device and touch screen enabled Google platform is used by more than 80% smartphones and 60% tablets all over the world. So, it can be said that Android is dominating the market with its strong presence. Since the devices running on Android are available at remarkable prices, they are the first choice for the users. It is in fact reasonable to build an android business app for the leading digital market.

Ideal to interact with customers:

Any channel that is adopted to reach the products or services should be open and easy. If users have to purchase devices that are very costly, then your business goals will not be attained. With regular features and upgrades, today’s smartphones offer advanced computing features and are able to match any laptop or desktop in terms of their utility. Since Android mobile users are in large numbers, business owners can often target huge market by creating business apps.

No investment in development tools:

Android comparatively has a low entry cost as it offers Software Development Kits for free to the developer’s community and this reduces the development and licensing costs. Same is with the varied tools and technologies, which are open source and are available for free. Developers are not supposed to charge any fees for the tools that are offered by Google as they are available for free.

BYOD preference:

Android holds over 83% of the market share and this is quite evident. For organizations that are adopting the BYOD policy, it is feasible for them to opt for Android as their enterprise app development platform as it is available for a wide range of devices and business can target users of all economic groups. And overall BYOD environments also require heightened security and Android platform offers high security features, so that users can easily share information and make transactions without any issues.

Smart working:

With Android app development, you can put flexibility and power of the platform to work anytime and anywhere to create best in class productivity apps. Android offers more options for customization that are based on the specific needs of the business and also the changing trends of the market. It is easy for the developers to tweak the existing apps and add more features and functionalities to make them more contemporary. Android is the best mobile platform between process architecture and applications.

Free options to choose distribution channels:

Google offers the freedom to distribute your apps from any medium that you prefer. There are no hard and fast rules that you have to put your app on Google Play for its distribution. You can either distribute it on your own or use any other ad platforms for distribution. In case you want to create an internal enterprise operation and are not willing to launch the app on the store, then you have complete freedom to do so and Android gives you this opportunity. According to your choice of promotional strategy, you can now easily reach your end users through various channels.

Easy adoption:

Mobile application design trends are evolving and this requires that your app is continuously updated. This can only be done by experienced Android app developers. Android apps are scripted in Java language together with the help of rich libraries. So, anyone having knowledge of Java can work on them. Usually Java programmers find it quite easy to adopt as well as develop script code for mobile apps. In case of any crashes or bugs, any developer having Java programming proficiency can easily resolve the errors effectively from the android app.

Thus to conclude, if you are willing to maximize your customer reach through mobile applications, then targeting the Android platform will help you to transform your business into a profitable venture.