In one word, yes! The internet is the most effective marketing tools in existance nowadays, have the capability of reaching far more people than any leaflet drop or advertisement in the local paper ever will.
Should you produce your own website?

It all depends on your skills, if you have the ability to produce a site that looks good, then go ahead, it will save you money and will work wonders as a marketing tool. However if your skills are limited or non-existant then we’d say no. Why? No, not because we want your money (although we don’t mind if you want to give it to us…), because if your site doesn’t have a professional look to it, then it is going to reflect badly on your company’s image.

Do you need to spend lots of money?

It really depends on the size of your website, if you’re looking simply get a presence on the internet, then you can easily get something for around 250 if you take the time to look, if you’re really getting into the idea of being online and effectively having your shop exist in cyberspace you’re going to be looking at more money, however even then, there are many self-build options such as Ekmpowershop.

What content do you need?

This all depends on what you want from being online, if you want to sell online, have your products online is going to be very useful! If you’re just looking to get your company online, then there are TWO elements that we believe are imperative:

Information about your company
How to contact you

Without these two no-one is going to know who or what you are, with the former being your chance to sell yourself. Remember when people look at websites, if its well designed they won’t know if they’re dealing with a multi-national company or a one person organisation, this is your chance to play alongside the big boys!!

What to do now?

So you’re convinced a website is the way to go? Excellent, this can only be of benefit to you! Now you’ve got to find a designer (there’s one right here!!!), things to keep in mind when looking is what kind of style are you looking for, find some websites that you like then find some designers and see if they can produce something along that line! If they can, you’re on the way to bringing into being what can be one of your best employees!!

Do Small Businesses need websites? is a post from: Business Directory for Business Information | Tjolsen.net

Kirstin,

“I never know what to say when a potential customer calls and asks ‘How much do you charge? What are your fees?’
I don’t want to shoot myself in the foot by quoting something too low, but also don’t want the caller to hear a number that they think is too high and hang up.
What do I say to them so I don’t put them off, but also don’t immediately take myself out of the running to get their business?”

-Ann P., Philadelphia, PA

Ann,

Don’t feel compelled to blurt out a number or hand over a price sheet. Calmly and confidently tell the prospect, “It depends.” Follow up with, “Let me ask you a few questions….” Then proceed to ask the prospect questions that will help you learn about her needs, uncover her concerns, understand her methods of measuring success, and determine how to show the value of your services.

Without knowing the basic information above, you are not in any position to be quoting prices and fees. Do yourself and your potential client a favor and don’t rush into discussing pricing until you have all the facts, m’am.

-Kirstin Carey

http://www.MyCreativeBiz.com

Exactly What to Say When Asked, “How Much Do You Charge?” is a post from: Business Directory for Business Information | Tjolsen.net

Yes, I think you can use the idea of branding as a tool for improving employee productivity and retention.

Let’s approach it from the perspective of a manager communicating with his or her subordinates. If the manager sets out to build a positive reputation over time and over a series of messages, then we might say he or she is embarking on a branding exercise. It’s an attempt to create the trust and goodwill necessary to have messages both accepted and acted upon.

Marketers branding products do essentially the same thing: send out a series of messages designed to build a positive reputation over time.

And, when messages to employees generate trust and goodwill, then communication sent after that can be used communication to increase productivity and retention.

For example, in publishing employee newsletters for my corporate clients, I’ve always emphasized the need to provide articles and information of value to readers (the employees). By doing that, employees come to see their company newsletter as a useful resource, and not management propaganda. That, in turn, opens the door to asking employees to do or not do certain things (safety measures, for instance), and getting a positive response from them.

In a sense, referring to this process of building trust and goodwill as branding might be just a semantic exercise. However, I think that when we put a name to a process, we make it easier to comprehend and follow. And, that may be the real value of referring to branding in the context of employee communication.

Let’s also look at this issue in a broader sense, too, because it’s important to remember the different roles of communication in productivity and retention. Three generic types of communication figure in our thinking: instructional, contextual, and motivational.

Instructional communication provides information that helps others do their jobs more efficiently. Contextual communication provides the bigger picture, which should help recipients do their jobs more effectively. And motivational communication shows recipients the benefits of responding as we’ve requested.

To build trust and goodwill, the instructional communication should be accurate, timely, and functional. The people who receive our messages should be able to act on them, and know they can act on them with confidence.

The contextual communication should be relevant and helpful. It should put the issue into a framework that helps others understand how specific tasks or issues fit into the strategic flow.

And, the motivational communication should focus on them, not on you. It should show them the importance of their contributions.

In summary, think of branding as the process of building trust and goodwill, a process that makes it possible to increase productivity and retention through communication.

Branding and Employee Communication is a post from: Business Directory for Business Information | Tjolsen.net

There is a very simple solution to this. The secrets to a successful Internet home business is to decide what you do well, and choose a home based business opportunity that makes the most of your strengths and preferences. Many people find that this opportunity is turnkey business.

A turnkey business is a very simple concept and operates just like it sounds. A turnkey business is one that’s already setup and ready to go all you have to do is “turn the key”. All you need is the “keys” to the door to make it your business. Your commitment to a turnkey business can be as little as making a monthly payment to keep the website online, or as involved as deciding every little thing from the background color of your website pages to the products featured on your website. There is no other type of business opportunity that can offer you so many benefits for so little investment.

These are some of the benefits of getting a turnkey business online:

1. You can own your own business and have it up and running in a matter of hours. A regular business can be far more time consuming and could take months to start.
2. You can start making money online in a very short time. For most people it takes years and thousands of dollars in advertising to make money online from there website
3. You can have your very own website without any programming or HTML knowledge. Some people pay web designers thousands of dollars to design a website. You can get the same thing for pennies on the dollar.
4. Work whenever you want. Your website will be up and running 24 hours a day generating money.
5. You can sell anything online and also make money off advertising on your site. Some people make up to $10,000 a month just by showing Google ads on there website.
6. You will have support to help you out with your new business. Many turnkey opportunities provide support to help you get your new business off the ground.

A turnkey business does all the setup work for you so that you can sit back and watch the money come in.

You should do your research when looking for a turnkey opportunity. It’s important to evaluate a turnkey home base business just as you would any other business opportunity. After all, you want the best home base business for your time and money. Watch out, there are a lot of scams online. As a general rule if it sounds to good to be true it is most likely a scam or will not produce the results it claims and will only suck your wallet dry. Making money online is a get rich slow process. But when it is complete you can sit back and enjoy the residual income it will produce, like having your own online ATM machine 24 hours a day.

When searching for a good opportunity online you should ask these key questions:

1. How good is the support and training?

You should only choose a home business that provides excellent support for your business. Some companies will even give personal mentoring over the phone. They should also provide you with a solid plan for you to follow to help you get your business off the ground.

2. Do you have control over choosing products for your business?

Do you want control over your products? Some turnkey businesses will only let you sell what they tell you to. And that is not a problem for some people. If you want the freedom to customize your website, they might not be the right business for you. Other turnkey home base businesses offer you a wide range of products and expect you to choose which ones you want to sell, or let you find and stock your own products. Each are suited to a particular kind of entrepreneur. Knowing which one you are can help you choose wisely.

3. How flexible is your turnkey website?

There are dozens of different models for Internet turnkey businesses. Some lock you into their own precise plan for success, you pay your money once, or monthly for web hosting and that’s all you have to do. Others let you build your site from scratch. The best choice is the best of both worlds, with all the hard work done, the nuts and bolts and framework in place with the option to customize it up as you like.

So what should you look for in a complete home base business opportunity?

1. A web hosting company with lots of bandwith and storage space. You can get free hosting but it will not be good enough to support a online business. Look for a hosting company with a good referral program. Some hosting companies will even pay you monthly commissions for referring other to them.
2. An easy way to customize your website without having to learn any programming or HTML.
3. A training plan to help you get started. You are going to need support, the world of Internet marketing is very competitive and you’ll need expert guidance and a proven formula for success to work with.
4. Access to all your web site files to make changes if you want to.
5. A fully functioning web site even if you choose to go right out of the box.

So if you are looking for the easy way to get started with a home based business online, you should consider a turnkey website as an option. It is an perfect solution for the newbie with no prior knowledge of Internet marketing. If time is a factor and you need to get setup fast a turnkey business is a good choice for you.

An Easy Way To Start A Home Business Online With Turnkey Websites is a post from: Business Directory for Business Information | Tjolsen.net

New Products and Inventions From Old

A fast way to invent new things is to start with existing concepts and find new applications. With the concept of inflatable things, the first thing that comes to my mind is inflatable shelters for emergency situations, such as after earthquakes or hurricanes. Such shelters could be transported easily, and erected quickly with a simple air pump. A basic large tent design, but with inflatable ribs instead of poles might work.

We can always find new products and inventions for babies. Inflatable cribs or playpens come to mind. Deflated, they could be folded up and stored almost anywhere. A simple design for a playpen might be a plastic floor with a simple wall that surrounds it and is attached to it. Think of air mattresses for swimming, set on their sides, connected end to end and wrapped into a circle and you’ll get the idea.

When we used to go “tubing” down rivers in Michigan, we were forever trying new ways to carry a cooler with us while keeping it convenient to get a soda or beer out of it. A solution could be an inflatable bar. It might have a cooler built into it, have can and glass holders, and maybe even a secure place to set snacks. It could be used in a pool, lake or river.

Many people drive into water and die each year. One solution to this problem might be inflatable flotation that is activated when the car begins to sink. They would quickly inflate in an accident involving submersion, and would keep the car afloat. Put one in the trunk, and another inside the car, or have them come out from the wheel wells. To avoid accidental inflation, the triggering device would be activated by water, but be in a place where rain and car washing water couldn’t reach.

Vending Machine Products and Inventions

When I considered the concept of vending machines, the first thing that came to mind was a beer machine. It could only be used in a bar that was restricted to adults, of course. A big benefit is that it would lessen the need for bartenders, since half of all the drinks sold in a bar are just simple beers. It is an innovation that could be implemented tomorrow, using beer in cans in existing pop machines.

A vending machine for books and magazines might do decent business in an airport, bus station or other places where people are forced to sit for hours. They may already exist, but I haven’t seen them yet. Add some padding to the drop chute, and existing snack vending machines could be used.

They sell phone cards everywhere now, but I haven’t yet seen them in vending machines. You could also sell those collapsible umbrellas from a machine. There are dozens of other things that could be profitably sold from vending machines. Use simple techniques like this extension of existing concepts, and there are also thousands of other new products and inventions waiting to be made.

Ideas For New Products And Inventions is a post from: Business Directory for Business Information | Tjolsen.net

1. Telling the customer he or she is wrong. You will be smart to NEVER tell a customer they are wrong or mistaken. Telling a person they are wrong arouses opposition and will make the customer want to battle with you. (Ever tell your spouse they are wrong?) It is difficult, under even the most benign conditions to change peoples minds. So why make it harder by starting out on the wrong foot? If you know your customer is wrong, its better to start off saying something like, I thought the contract read otherwise, but lets take look.

2. Arguing with a customer. You must realize you cannot win an argument with a customer. Certainly, you can prove your point and even have the last word. You may be right, but as far as changing your customers mind is concerned, you will probably be just as futile as if you were wrong. Your goal in complaint situations is to retain the customer, not to be right. If you win the argument, you may very well have lost the customer. Think carefully about the response you want to give and ask yourself, Is my reaction one that will relieve the problem, or will it just relieve frustration? Will my reaction drive my customer further away? What price will I pay if I win the argument? The only way to get the best of an argument is to avoid it.

3. Telling a customer to calm down. Certainly, there are times when a calm disposition would make every one’s life easier, but telling your customer to calm down is rarely effective. Like you, your customers don’t like to be told what to do. Try this approach instead: “Clearly you’re upset and I want you to know that getting to the bottom of this is just as important to me as it is to you.”

4. Failing to apologize to customers in the wake of problems. One of the easiest and quickest ways to diffuse anger, create rapport, and regain goodwill with unhappy customers is to apologize. Offering an apology to a customer who experiences a problem should be a natural response from customer service providers. Yet, recent research reveals the startling fact that 50% of customers who voice a complaint say they never received an apology.

Not only does an apology give “soft benefits” such as creating calm, shaving minutes off of talk time, less stress on the employee, etc., it can also translate into significant and measurable savings in reduced lawsuits, settlement costs, and defense costs.

An apology does not have to be an admission of fault. It can be offered to express regret. For example, “I’m so sorry for any inconvenience this misunderstanding has caused you.”

5. Escalating voice. Avoid the temptation to yell just because your customer is yelling. You don’t want to get caught up in their drama. Instead, remain centered and calm, relying on your ability to communicate with diplomacy and professionalism.

6. Not allowing the customer to vent. An angry customer can be compared to an erupting volcano. When a volcano is erupting, there is nothing you can do. You cant tame it, cant speed it up, and you cant control it. It must erupt. But erupting volcanoes eventually subside. Your angry customer who is intensely emotional is the same way. He must erupt (that isexpress his anger through venting). You cant tame the customer, you must simply let him vent. After briefly venting, most angry customers will begin to calm down. Let your customers vent.

7. Proclaiming to the customer: This is all I can do. You are there to help. Give your customer options and look for every way you can help.

Seven Behaviors That Cause Problems With Angry Customers is a post from: Business Directory for Business Information | Tjolsen.net

It is now essential that firms revise their recruiting procedures and do not let the best candidates get away. Some simple adjustments should be enough for your company to stop those high quality candidates from going elsewhere.

Quick Response
Once you decide to fill a position, be committed to that decision and make hiring decisions quickly. View the hiring process like a project and ensure you meet your goal of hiring the “best candidate” in the shortest amount of time. Indecisiveness, time delays, budget reviews, etc., send a message to the candidate about the company’s lack of focus. If you wait two weeks following an interview to make an offer, your ideal candidate may have already accepted a job offer from elsewhere – even from one of your competitors.

Streamline the Hiring Process
Do you really need second and third interviews ? If you ensure that all the participants in the hiring process are available for the first interview, then decisions can be made quickly and effectively, ensuring that your firm has a better chance of recruiting the top talent.

If You Want The Best…
If you want the best…then you will need to pay the best. It may not be what most companies want to hear but it happens to be true. Don’t misjudge the pay rate, benefits, perks, etc., necessary for the best quality candidate to accept the position; don’t play games with lower than market rate offers.

Keep abreast of changing salary scales, and price your jobs competitively. If you don’t know what the current market rate is, hire a recruiter who does and who can advise on all aspects of the recruiting process.

Get The Right Help
Bringing a professional recruiter in at an early stage will help prepare your company for the hiring process. A top-notch recruiter will ask the right questions to help you identify your company’s needs and will also help you identify human attributes (personality, communication skills, corporate culture, etc.) that the “right” candidate should possess, including “must-have” attributes and “preferred” attributes.

Choose a recruiter to work long term and they will soon be attuned to the exact needs and requirements of your company. Include the recruiter on your company’s hiring team. A preferred recruiter is very helpful in structuring job descriptions so they stand out. And finding the recruiting angle that will draw superstars and in presenting the job offer to the candidate so it will be accepted. In addition to recruiting top talent, good recruiters possess skills to help candidates evaluate and accept good offers. This third-party-input to the candidate during the decision is critical to avoiding turn down and defusing counter offers.

With a streamlined recruiting procedure and the right approach to the top candidates, your firm will be one of those getting the best talent while your competitors are still wondering how that perfect candidate managed to get away.

Are The Best Job Candidates Getting Away ? is a post from: Business Directory for Business Information | Tjolsen.net

Remember the 20-year-old Nebraskan who auctioned off his forehead on E-Bay for a months worth of advertising space? The winning bid went to SnoreStop, who paid $37,375 to put their logo on the web designers face for 30 days, got quite a bargain for all the exposure they received. Consider it this way: a full-page ad for one day in the Wall Street Journal costs more than $23,000. One full-page ad in American Idol: The Magazine costs $45,000.

But heres an interesting tidbit about a woman who is yet to receive payment for literally branding herself with a company logo.

The logo placement occurred when a 27-year-old woman fell off her skateboard in Manhattan onto a manhole cover that was searing with heat. The hot metal, which is located over a steam pipe, burned the woman just above the buttocks and on her left arm with part of the Consolidated Edison (Con Edison) logo, a New York utility company. The woman said she heard her skin sizzling and saw and O and N etched in her skin, according to an article on allheadlinenews.com. The scarring is permanent.

The woman has sued Con Edison for negligence, carelessness, recklessness, and culpable conduct. No word yet on how much Con Edison will have to pay for the partial advertisement.

Body Branding is Not Free is a post from: Business Directory for Business Information | Tjolsen.net

Recently, a virus infiltrated our system through a disk brought in by an employee. It worked it’s way onto our database in no time at all, and the potential for serious restriction of our ability to maintain functional operational status was obvious. While we have administrative and IT security safeguards to protect us from things of this nature, our precautions were inadequate to avoid this particular problem. Luckily, we had instituted a disaster recovery plan some years earlier that allowed us to rid our databanks of the virus without any loss of data, even the data collected on the day in question.

For me, this was an eye opening event. My previous thoughts on disaster recovery were limited to external events that might pose a potential risk. Despite all our efforts to the contrary, we were exposed and vulnerable. It wasn’t the things that we worked on daily to maintain security that protected our company, but a plan of action conceived years earlier that had all but been forgotten. I now realize that there is so much more to disaster recovery than I previously thought. We were lucky in this instance, but now I can’t help but think of what might have happened had we not been prepared.

Disaster Recovery More Than Meets the Eye is a post from: Business Directory for Business Information | Tjolsen.net

Many retailers have a sale at the beginning of a particular season, right around this time everyone is getting ready for fun in the sun. Therefore retailers will typically have a spring sale to help kick off the season. Additionally, at the end of the season, they will have another sale in efforts to rid themselves of the spring stock and get ready for the fall and winter seasons. The end of the season sale is when you can find the best prices for the items you are looking for. Typically, this is when everything is greatly reduced to make room for fall and winter items.

When the Christmas season nears, retailers start making efforts to bring you to their website or stores when shopping for your gifts. From around October on through December you will begin to see a Christmas sale at every retailer around. They will offer specific items, perfect for gifts, for a reduced price. One thing that you will benefit from on these types of sales, is that Christmas is the busiest shopping season of the year retailers are in competition with each other to lure consumers. Therefore, you will benefit from their competition with great sale prices.

Depending on the type of sale, you can benefit from 10% off all the way up to 75% off usually on various different items. Closeout sales are typically around 75% off to move the inventory out before closing the business. No matter, you can find excellent deals if you shop and compare prices among various retailers.

Everyone Loves A Sale is a post from: Business Directory for Business Information | Tjolsen.net