Finebizstrategies

How to make over $1000 with One Article In Under 24hour

2010-03-03T06:02:00.000-08:00

Hello, I know this is the information you have been waitingand craving for, that can turnYOUR LIFE aroundand run in Cash for YOU ,this INFormation Are in this E-Book CAlled "ARTICLECASH"
Nearly everyone in marketing is talking how great it is to make money with articles.
And it's true, articles are an awesome and easy way to make online.
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you can create articles that generate free tarffic to your website
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content and run adsense ads on your webpages to generate income by selling targeted
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vISIT: www. Finebizstrategies.blogspot.com
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WAYS OF MAKING MONEY ONLINE THS YEAR

2010-03-01T08:07:00.000-08:00

Hello, do you know this is a serious question many people like you want to know and also
You may have read or watched testimonials about people who have achieved their millions and live a happy life with their online business. You may have also seen their photos with their sports car or extravagant houses; you may envy them for what they have accomplished. A number have revealed their secrets on how they have done that, others kept their secrets to themselves. There is always a question, though everyone claims to know the answer, how to make money online?

The ambiguity of the question kept everyone very excited because at some point, they are dragged by the answers of the experts. The answer is not peculiar, you can make money online through building your own blog or website, market through these steps and then make money. That is how it is simply explained. But the process is not that simple and those who have achieved it can attest to that. The question has a simple answer but the process can divide others into the successful one, the struggling and the frustrated. That is just how online businesses work

The confines of our home make us very comfortable to work, that is why we always want a job or a business that will relocate us at home. Online businesses are mostly found at home, the mothers who are at the same time taking care of their children, the dads who want to earn extra cash for the family or even the students. But what really encloses the money making online? How is it working? Why people are turning to it?

The getting rich in online business has always been a promise, but only a few have made it. The race for riches always has it pros and cons. The making money online shadows the person who is actually driving the business. If the person identifies his purpose on money making then he will receive either a good or a bad karma. You might have notice, when you are browsing the internet, there are a lot of offers, cash gifting and the like popping our screens. It is one way to pawn us with their own trick, thus, it might lead us to something negative where they will persuade us to pay them with their good offer. Others will give us free items and services. That is how everyone works to allure us. It might either be good or bad, but that their way of money making.

The true successful internet marketer is always an authentic person. He possesses integrity because he has a name and a business that he takes care of. He has already establishes a good relationship with his customers, that is why in return the consumers become loyal to him. He puts a heart on his business by not only considering it as a money making business but likewise considers it as his own life. So the secrets has been revealed, the question on how to make money online has been answered with an attitude. The money making might be made in procedures, but giving a heart on it is another.
Here are series of Online Businesses YOU can Do:
Blogging
Affliate marketing
Online Investment (HYIPs)

THE SECRETS OF INVESTING ( A GUIDE TO INVESTMENT)

2010-02-26T10:40:00.000-08:00

Investing begins with a strategic plan based on; age, personal risk tolerance, cash flow needs and how
actively you intend to manage your portfolio. Before a plan can be devised an investor must make
some personal decisions. The following information will help in this decision making process.
1. READ THE OPERATING MANUAL
An understanding of the terminology and knowledge of
the security types in the ISI is important when using
the Newsletter. The importance of this cannot be overstated.
Common stocks are all about the same, t h ey all represent a
percentage of ownership in a company. This is not true with
income securities .
Each bond or preferred is unique, having its own characteristics
or features. Bonds and/or preferreds issued by the
same company can be vastly different from each other.
These differences must be understood even before the
health of a firm is evaluated . For a successful bond or preferred investment , the issuer must only be able to pay interest
or dividends. It does not have to prosper.
2. DETERMINE YOUR RISK TOLERANCE
In the context of ISI, risk refers primarily to loss of principal
or income because the company was unable to meet
its obligations. This is also known as credit risk and does
not refer to other risks associated with income securities
such as changes in interest rates or market risk . ISI identifies
each are commended security by its risk level . The best
measure for determining your risk level is “how well your
portfolio lets you sleep at night.”
For ISI purposes the Low Risk category
usually consists of investment grade securities, Medium
Risk has a mixture of investment grade and high no investment
Grade securities and High Risk are usually
Below investment grade and non-rated securities.
N O T E: For common stock (equity) investors it may be instructive to compare the risks of equities
Vs. income securities. The most salient difference is volatility that is the price movement of
The security. Equities tend to jump up and down at the slightest change in a company’s fortunes,
While income securities mostly ignore these reports and don’t react unless the change potentially
Threatens the company’s survival. Typical equity risk would be equivalent to our high-risk portfolio,
Since these income securities are already concerned about a company’s survival prospects.
3. DETERMINE YOUR INVESTMENT NEEDS
Every investor should have a re a s on to invest in a give n
Security. Needless to say we all want our portfolios to
Grow but how this is accomplished depends on the type of
Securities we buy.
I N C O M E: Investors seeking a steady cash income and principle
Protection usually buy and hold low risk bond s, preferred or hybrids. These are usually high-level investment
Grade securities with ratings at or above Baa1/BBB.
GROWTH AND INCOME: Investors looking for cash income
Along with growth frequently turn to convertibles or
Dividend paying com m on stock s . For those willing to
Take more risk, bonds, preferreds or hybrids trading below
Par value may be an option.
G R O W T H: Investors seeking growth where cash income is
not a factor usually go to com m on stocks or convertibles
with low conversion premium.

4. PACKAGING YOUR INVESTMENT FUNDS
An investor should carefully plan their investment go a l s
Before buying securities. Packaging or creating mini
Portfolios with funds available are an important step in planning.
Two key elements in this planning process are:

T I M I N G: Package funds based on when they will
Be needed.
A. Long term - needs such as retirement are met with on e
Investment package.
B. Shorter term - needs such as; saving for children’s college
education, future purchase of a new home, automobile,
RV or that long dreamed about boat are usually
Addressed with a medium term package of securities.
C. Immediate needs - such as petty cash or unexpected
expenses should be met from a package made up of ca sh ,
money markets or other types of liquid securities.
R I S K: Package funds by risk. Age is a key element
in this process.
A. Low Risk - packages aim for principal protection first,
Income second and usually consists of investment grade
Securities. Lon g - term portfolios are com m only saturated
with low risk securities.
B. Medium Risk - packages have a balance between
principal protection and income. They have a mixture
of investment grade and high non-investment grade
Securities.
C. High Risk - packages are created with income and
or growth as their primary goal. They usually consist of
Below investment grade securities. Principal protection
is low priority.
5. DIVERSI FY
In d u s t ries go through business cycles , company’s get into,
and out of financial trouble, interest rates go up and down
and, believe it or not, Investors cash needs can change
overnight . To protect against these and other risk and
uncertainties it is imperative an investor not only “pack a g e”
their funds but also diversify their investment risk by
investing in different types of securities and various companies
in different industries. Example: An investor who has a
$100,000 portfolio invested in one security is at 100% risk
to the fortunes of that company. A $10,000 position in 10
diversified securities lowers the risk to 10%. Thus if on e
security went sour the investor would still have 90% of their
capital remaining.
A. Industries - Instead of investing in 10 different Utility
companies spread the risk over 5 or more industries.
B. Companies – Here again spread your risk by keeping in
mind your percent of exposure to any one company.
While you’re at it try to get companies in different geographical
locations. Disasters affect all businesses in a
region.
C. Security Type – Keep in mind that Fixed Income securities
are more price sensitive to interest rate changes than
Convertibles and Common Stocks.
The communist reflects!

The Best time to invest in stocks

2010-02-22T08:13:00.000-08:00

The issue is not really the best time to invest in stocks; but rather the best time to invest in stocks more aggressively. To succeed in stock investing, there are two basic signals you should watch. They can tell you when to invest more heavily in stocks and stock funds... because they are selling cheap.

Average investors should invest in stocks or stock funds on an ongoing basis, allocating a percentage of their total investment assets to this class of investments depending on their risk tolerance. Sometimes when the stock market makes you the most uncomfortable, it's the best time to invest in stocks and increase your position there. Many investors do the opposite. They sell near the bottom, take a sizable loss, and lay low until the market is well on its way to recovering past losses. That's a stock investing recipe for losing money.

If you were an investor in 2002 or in early 2009, you know what discomfort and the feeling of financial panic are. It's not easy to force yourself to buy when everyone else is running for the nearest exit. Here are two things to watch for, to give you more confidence in making the decision to buy more stocks when they are cheap.

First, you've got to follow a stock market major index,
Second, pay attention to the P-E RATIO for the major indexes. This ratio of stock Prices to corporate Earnings

The best time to invest in stocks and start some serious buying is when both of the above conditions spell STOCKS ARE CHEAP. When the major stock market indexes have taken a beating and the P-E ratio gets below 10 it's time to buy - not sell stocks and/or stock funds. Keep a level head and buy in increments with a plan.

Trust me, you'll feel some discomfort. But stock market history will be on your side.

A retired financial planner, James Leitz has an MBA (finance) and 35 years of investing experience. For 20 years he advised individual investors, working directly with them helping them to reach their financial goals.

Jim is the author of a complete investor guide, Invest Informed, designed for average investors or would-be investors of all levels of financial background and experience. To learn more about investments and investing and his new financial guide go to

The Smart Guide for Entrepreneurs

2010-02-17T06:20:00.000-08:00

Before Embarking on a Campaign to Raise Venture Capital Funding, You Should Look at Yourself Objectively and Honestly to Determine if You Even Qualify. Most People Don't Stop to Do This.Since the vast majority of venture capital hunters don't qualify, you will, in most cases, end up wasting 6 to 12 months of your life writing a business plan which will never be read and doing "dog & pony" shows for audiences who are at best only mildly curious or at worst engaged in "brainsucking" you for ideas. Who Qualifies for Venture Capital Today?
Venture capitalists, like winning horse track gamblers,bet on the jockey not on the horse.
Industry "stars" qualify for venture capital. This means someone who has already taken a start-up from zero to 50 million in sales or better. So if you're counted amongst the stars in your industry, you stand a good chance of attracting venture capital provided your current deal has the following elements:

* at least 2 other senior executives with experience in building wildly successful companies,

* a proprietary technology in a sector currently considered hot by the venture capital industry,

* a top-notch technical team,

* a target market at least one billion dollars in size,

* a minimum of one year of rising sales to blue chip customers.

It you don't meet the above criteria venture capital funding won't happen. If your name is not synonymous in the minds of financiers with huge, almost obscene, profits, your plan will be accepted politely but never actually read beyond the "team" section. If you haven't made big money for investors and don't have any close relatives running venture capital firms, you should read on.The Three Dirty Little Secrets About Raising Outside CapitalLet me share with you three secrets about raising capital which almost no one else will.

* First, chasing outside capital is by far the most unpleasant and drawn-out ordeal experienced by entrepreneurs. It always seems to take forever. (For this reason, veteran entrepreneurs try to avoid raising outside capital at all costs.)

* Second, based on the fact that your typical early stage venture capital firm invests in only one company out of every 500 business plans it reviews, your odds of succeeding are only 1:500. (If you are pursuing angel investors your odds improve to maybe 1:200, although no one knows the numbers for certain.)

* Third, in about 50% of instances where an early stage company actually succeeds in raising venture capital, the founder is fired within the first year and kisses most of his or her stock good-bye. Even the Wall Street Journal pointed this out in a article by Barnaby Federer from 09/30/02:
"If you ask a VC what value they add, and you get them after a few drinks, they'll say, 'We replace the CEO' ", he said. And that, he indicated, does not vary with the economic climate.So your odds of being a successful venture capital-backed founder/CEO are actually only 1:1000.

* Realist: "With those long odds I need to have a Plan B for launching my company."

* Dreamer: "Yes, those are very long odds but they apply to the other 499 guys, not to me."The Smart Startup Guide covers two dozen other reasons why no sane entrepreneur accepts venture capital other than as a last resort doomsday response. The Funding ProblemHere's what typically happens when a company needs to chase outside capital in order to commence or expand operations. After about 6 months one of three things occurs:

1. The lucky 1 in 500 finds investors.

2. Most die on the vine. In many cases, the wannabe entrepreneur simply abandons the project and moves on to something else. (As the joke goes, "That's why God created 'jobs' ".)

3. A savvy and tenacious tiny minority of entrepreneurs finally gets mad at having wasted so much time. Then it begins to figure out a creative way around the funding problem by focusing on creating cashflow with the resources and opportunities at hand, instead of continuing the futile quest for outside capital.Necessity truly is the Mother of Invention.America's Fastest Growing Industry?This problem of capital scarcity for early stage companies is so prevalent that you may have begun to notice that there are literally thousands of people in the business of "helping" entrepreneurs raise money. At least that's what they lead you to believe. They have taken their cue from the Gold Rush when the truly crafty business-people made money not from prospecting but by selling shovels to the prospectors. Likewise, today's money-raising services have found a low risk means to separate the cash-starved entrepreneur from any money he or she may have left. They do so in many ways:

* Matching Services: We'll match your project with one of our many accredited angel investors. Call now! Operators are standing by! Just $199 to register.

* Business Plan Services: We'll write a business plan for you which will attract funding. Only $999.

* Finders: I can help you raise money for a fee…and, by the way, I require a retainer up-front.

* Money-Raising Bootcamps: Attend our weekend bootcamp for $1,195, and you'll discover that it's not what you know but who you know that counts when it comes to raising money.My two personal favorites are:

* Online Business Plan Repositories: Post your b-plan on our site for 6 months. Only $59.

* Venture Capital Directories: VC's are waiting to fund you! For just $49 you can buy our CD directory with 12,952,734 venture capital firms listed on it. (How these can sell in the age of Internet search engines is beyond me. PT Barnum was correct about a sucker being "born every minute".)
In a nutshell, most of these middle-man services don't work in 99% of instances. This is also why they won't tell you the Three Dirty Little Secrets of Raising Capital.Lesson: put very little faith in these services and never pay up-front fees.The Rodney Dangerfields of EntrepreneurshipPretend for a moment that you are a venture capitalist or angel investor. Two founders visit you about separate deals. You ask them each what progress they have made in the 3 or 6 months that they have been working on their respective projects.

* One entrepreneur answers that he has been able to finish his business plan as well as find a means to generate cashflow which is being used to move the main project further along. Now he needs more money to fully capitalize on this developing opportunity.

* The other entrepreneur can only point to the "great" business plan he's polished to perfection over the past 6 months and the "great" opportunity lying before him. Which entrepreneur would you be more impressed by if you were the investor? Back in the 1990s, I took a 4 year sabbatical from entrepreneurship to run a small business investment fund, so let me share my opinion. The former has shown that he is a doer; the latter has provided nothing in the way of evidence that he can create cashflow--any cashflow.If you are not a recognized star when knocking on investor's doors, you'll quickly start to feel as if you "can't get no respect".Lesson: cashflow wins far more respect from investors than the "great" business plan. If you are not an industry star you can begin to build your credibility up by finding a means of creating cashflow in your industry.

* Realist: "I need to prove myself first as an entrepreneur, then people will give me money." * Dreamer: "People need to give me money first, then I'll prove myself as an entrepreneur."Dreamers as usual have it backwards.Real Entrepreneurship is About Cashflow CreationIt's all about positive cashflow. If you can make it happen, you get respect and investors to fund you so that you can make even more.At some point in the mid-1990s real entrepreneurship became subverted into merely writing a business plan, developing a Powerpoint presentation, scripting an "elevator pitch", and then pestering skeptical strangers for money. With the entrepreneurial bar thus lowered almost to the ground, seemingly everyone declared themselves an "entrepreneur" and tried to hop aboard the dotcom express. However, real entrepreneurship is not about these things at all. It's about making cashflow happen now. Never forget that.Repeat three times daily until the delusion goes away: With cashflow I'm a somebody; without it I'm a nobody. With cashflow I'm a somebody; without it I'm a nobody. With cashflow I'm a somebody; without it I'm a nobody.Fact: Successful entrepreneurs invest the same level of time and energy into creating cashflow during the first year that wannabes invest in polishing their business plans and offering them to complete strangers.Let's Summarize the First HalfLesson 1: Money goes to entrepreneurs with proven track records as money makers for their backers.Lesson 2: The other 499 capital chasers typically end up just wasting 6 to 12 months of time and effort on a capital raising campaign doomed from the very start.What's the range of reaction to this harsh reality?Proven Industry Star: "Who cares?! Vinod just left a v-mail saying Kleiner is pumping $10 million into our "A" Round. I'm outta here!"Dreamer: "I know the odds are against us. But wait till you see our business plan. It's gonna be grrrreat!"Future Industry Star: "We need to by-pass this chump's game altogether for now and get some traction first. "Part 2: The Good News
I believe in...mastering the best that other people have figured out, [rather than] sitting down and trying to dream it up yourself.
Charlie Munger,
Warren Buffet's partner in Berkshire HathawayThe SolutionThere is no one guaranteed solution to the funding problem which all entrepreneurs face. What is the solution, however, is having several dozen successful strategies for creating cash, or its equivalent, in order to be able to get your company out of the starting blocks. This is precisely what The Guide offers you. Dozens and dozens of financing strategies and tactics used by fast growth startups to launch.If we look at the companies which qualify for those annual lists of the fastest growing companies, we see that over 95% were unfunded at start-up beyond a nominal injection of the entrepreneur's own money (in most cases, less than $10k). Most didn't even have a business plan. Why did this minority of unfunded entrepreneurs succeed while most start-ups seeking capital die on the vine or morph into something completely different—that is, something more do-able after 6 months?To answer this question, let me use an analogy. Think of entrepreneurs as being a bit like chefs. Some chefs are very rigid in their style requiring that a specific list of ingredients be delivered to them before they can begin cooking. This rigidity is fine so long as you are not too hungry and can wait for the required ingredients to arrive. However, if you are hungry now and lack the cash to buy more groceries, you will need to be flexible and work with what you have. Other chefs, the more flexible and entrepreneurial ones, will not wait for someone else to deliver a bag of groceries to them, but will instead immediately begin to search the pantry, refrigerator, and vegetable garden for what's available. They then use the items at hand to create a feast. * Realist: "I need to come up with at least 3 different ways to get this show off the ground." * Dreamer: "It's preposterous to even suggest that this venture can be launched in any other way than the one outlined in my business plan. My plan shows the only way it can be down."It's been said that true entrepreneurs are the artists of the business world. They create new businesses and products seemingly out of nothing. It's awe inspiring to watch a true entrepreneur formulate an idea and then begin making it happen within hours rather than sitting around for months writing business plans and pestering strangers for money.In a nutshell, the successful cash-strapped entrepreneur designs a transitional business model for the launch, which can be described as “Heads I win; tails I lose very little.” Once their concept has some degree of traction, they can then choose to talk to venture capitalists from a bargaining position of strength.Once you have cashflow life becomes much simpler. Cashflow not only enables you to pay your bills but it places your company into the “stream of opportunities” that established businesses enjoy. Cashflow also earns you respect and gives you the ability to say, "No thanks!", to those notoriously outrageous offers made by venture capitalists and private investors.Why Does It Work?The Guide's Smart Start-up Model distills the lessons of America's most successful start-up companies for you to use in your venture. You can use the model as a screen to evaluate your current strategy for viability. If it doesn't pass the test, you can use the model to deconstruct it and formulate a stronger new strategy. The Guide contains dozens of strategies and tactics used by successful entrepreneurs to both launch without outside capital and retain control of their companies. It shares "war stories" which illustrate how entrepreneurs think and react to circumstances which would force most others to give up and look for a job.The Guide is the next best thing to sitting down in person with a group of Inc 500 Fastest Growing Companies founders and having them share their secrets with you. Some people need to learn the hard way, while others don't have the time to do it this way and prefer to learn from the mistakes of others. I belong to the latter group. Why should I make the same rookie mistakes as others, when I could instead learn from those who did it the right way before me?How did you get to be so smart about startups ?It all comes down to three things: experience, experience, and more experience. I have personally launched six companies over the past 20 years. In addition, I have acted as an advisor or consultant to hundreds of other entrepreneurs over that time. Finally, although not an academic, I enjoy researching what makes startups successful and then teaching the lessons to others through the Guide or in live classes.I started researching a "better way" to launch and grow a company over its first year after doing my very first venture capital deal in 1987. It was akin to being mugged in a dark alley. There truly had to be a better way. So I began paying attention to what other entrepreneurs were doing. Quickly I noticed something peculiar about entrepreneurs in start-up mode. They can be broken down into two distinct groups * The vast majority consists of dreamers who take the naive approach to business in that they spend a few months at first writing a business plan. Once it's polished and ready for circulation, they begin to look for investors, and look, and look, and look, ad infinitum. * The tiny minority announces its intentions to go after a given market opportunity, and is seemingly magically, in business a month later without raising a dime of outside money. Sometimes they choose to take VC funding later--on their own terms--and just as often they choose to avoid it completely.This second group has always fascinated me. Just what was their magic start-up formula? Some of its members end up on the annual lists of America's fastest growing companies. Many turn into far more viable companies than their VC funded competitors according to Jim Collins of Built to Last fame.The Value Proposition to YouReading The Smart Startup Guide is akin to spending a week with the founders of successful fast growth companies. Imagine being able to pick their brains and learn how they formulated their strategies for fast start-up and growth.Just think how much this knowledge would be worth to you. On average, it will help you to save 6 or more months of your life from being wasted going down dead ends in a futile pursuit of outside capital.Would this knowledge be worth $500 to you? At the very least, if you are truly serious and not just a dreamer as most people are. It could even be worth $5000 to you. Or much more.Some people need to make their own mistakes and learn the hard way. Others can't afford to waste time and money and prefer to learn as much as possible from others who succeeded before them. The Guide is for this latter group.Executive Decision TimeThink of the Smart Startup Guide as an entrepreneurial insurance policy which will ensure that you don't waste the next 6 to 12 months of your life. So ask yourself:How much are the next six months of my life worth? Can I afford to waste them on what may turn out to be a dead end startup strategy?In a NutshellTo recap, the benefits of this manual for your business are:

* It will teach you to think like a savvy veteran entrepreneur who focusses on cashflow creation rather than on begging for money from strangers.

* It can drastically reduce the amount of capital needed to launch.

* It can help a company begin to generate cashflow before any funding occurs.

* In some cases, it can eliminate altogether the need for outside capital.Discovering and using any of the lessons contained in the Guide will set you as much as a year ahead of other start-ups. Cashflow = Respect from InvestorsAnd if you are still committed to raising outside capital because you positively absolutely need a huge sum of capital to build that new state-of-the-art atomic-powered widget factory, you will still benefit from the Guide because:

* Cashflow--any cashflow--earns respect from investors, lenders, customers, suppliers, and even your Aunt Mabel. Cashflow attracts equity capital from investors.

* Cashflow will place you in a stronger bargaining position with potential investors since it will allow you to walk away from a bad deal. Pre-deal cashflow equals power. Power for you.

* Cashflow will give your company a higher valuation which in turn will allow you to hold onto more of your equity if a deal is done. If you are truly committed to building your business then do everything you can today to achieve this goal. If you're a realist you will try the Guide. Dreamers will continue to believe that other entrepreneurs don't have anything to teach them and that it's all about writing that "great" business plan which will miraculously convince people to throw money at an unknown.Don't kid yourself.So ask yourself, in 3 months from now do I want to:

* still be polishing my business plan and chasing investors with nothing to show for my efforts, or

* do I want to have an operating company with positive cashflow?The decision is yours. (If you decide not to invest in the Guide at this time, please bookmark this page for later reference.)

Know Your P’s and L’s

2010-02-12T06:36:00.000-08:00

Here is where we’re going to do a little math. You've probably heard of the terms "pips" and "lots" thrown around, and here we're going to explain what they are and show you how they are calculated.
Take your time with this information, as it is required knowledge for all Forex traders. Don’t even think about trading until you are comfortable with pip values and calculating profit and loss.
What the heck is a Pip?
The most common increment of currencies is the Pip. If the EUR/USD moves from 1.2250 to 1.2251, that is ONE PIP. A pip is the last decimal place of a quotation. The Pip is how you measure your profit or loss.
As each currency has its own value, it is necessary to calculate the value of a pip for that particular currency. In currencies where the US Dollar is quoted first, the calculation would be as follows.
Let’s take USD/JPY rate at 119.80 (notice this currency pair only goes to two decimal places, most of the other currencies have four decimal places)
In the case of USD/JPY, 1 pip would be .01
Therefore,
USD/JPY:
119.80.01 divided by exchange rate = pip value.01 / 119.80 = 0.0000834
This looks like a very long number but later we will discuss lot size.
USD/CHF:
1.5250 .0001 divided by exchange rate = pip value .0001 / 1.5250 = 0.0000655
USD/CAD:
1.4890 .0001 divided by exchange rate = pip value .0001 / 1.4890 = 0.00006715
In the case where the US Dollar is not quoted first and we want to get the US Dollar value, we have to add one more step.
EUR/USD:
1.2200
.0001 divided by exchange rate = pip value so .0001 / 1.2200 = EUR 0.00008196
but we need to get back to US dollars so we add another calculation which is
EUR x Exchange rateSo 0.00008196 x 1.2200 = 0.00009999
When rounded up it would be 0.0001

GBP/USD:
1.7975 .0001 divided by exchange rate = pip valueSo
.0001 / 1.7975 = GBP 0.0000556
But we need to get back to US dollars so we add another calculation which is
GBP x Exchange rate
So 0.0000556 x 1.7975 = 0.0000998
When rounded up it would be 0.0001

You’re probably rolling your eyes back and thinking do I really need to work all this out and the answer is NO. Nearly all forex brokers will work all this out for you automatically. It’s always good for you to know how they work it out.
In the next section, we will discuss how these seemingly insignificant amounts can add up.
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What the heck is a Lot?
Spot Forex is traded in lots. The standard size for a lot is 100,000 units. There is also a mini lot size and that is 10,000 units. As you already know, currencies are measured in pips, which is the smallest increment of that currency. To take advantage of these tiny increments, you need to trade large amounts of a particular currency in order to see any significant profit or loss.
Let’s assume we will be using a 100,000 unit (standard) lot size. We will now recalculate some examples to see how it affects the pip value.
USD/JPY at an exchange rate of 119.80(.01 / 119.80) x 100,000 = $8.34 per pip
USD/CHF at an exchange rate of 1.4555(.0001 / 1.4555) x 100,000 = $6.87 per pip
In cases where the US Dollar is not quoted first, the formula is slightly different.
EUR/USD at an exchange rate of 1.1930(.0001 / 1.1930) X 100,000 = 8.38 x 1.1930 = $9.99734 rounded up will be $10 per pip
GBP/USD at an exchange rate or 1.8040(.0001 / 1.8040) x 100,000 = 5.54 x 1.8040 = 9.99416 rounded up will be $10 per pip.
Your broker may have a different convention for calculating pip value relative to lot size but whichever way they do it, they'll be able to tell you what the pip value is for the currency you are trading is at the particular time. As the market moves, so will the pip value depending on what currency you are currently trading.
How the heck do I calculate profit and loss?
So now that you know how to calculate pip value, let’s look at how you calculate your profit or loss.
Let’s buy US dollars and Sell Swiss Francs.
The rate you are quoted is 1.4525 / 1.4530. Because you are buying US you will be working on the 1.4530, the rate at which traders are prepared to sell.
So you buy 1 standard lot (100,000 units) at 1.4530.
A few hours later, the price moves to 1.4550 and you decide to close your trade.
The new quote for USD/CHF is 1.4550 / 14555. Since you're closing your trade and you initially bought to enter the trade, you now sell in order to close the trade so you must take the 1.4550 price. The price traders are prepared to buy at.
The difference between 1.4530 and 1.4550 is .0020 or 20 pips.
Using our formula from before, we now have (.0001/1.4550) x 100,000 = $6.87 per pip x 20 pips = $137.40
Remember, when you enter or exit a trade, you are subject to the spread in the bid/offer quote.
When you buy a currency you will use the offer price and when you sell you will use the bid price.
So when you buy a currency, you pay the spread as you enter the trade but not as you exit. And when you sell a currency you don't pay the spread when you enter but only when you exit.
What the heck is Leverage?
You are probably wondering how a small investor like yourself can trade such large amounts of money. Think of your broker as a bank who basically fronts you $100,000 to buy currencies and all he asks from you is that you give him $1,000 as a good faith deposit, which he will hold you for but not necessarily keep. Sounds too good to be true? Well this is how forex trading using leverage works.
The amount of leverage you use will depend on your broker and what you feel comfortable with.
Typically the broker will require a trade deposit, also known as account margin or initial margin. Once you have deposited your money you will then be able to trade. The broker will also specify how much they require per position (lot) traded.
For example, if the leverage is 100:1 (or 1% of position required), and you wanted to trade a position worth $100,000, you broker would set aside $1,000, or the "margin". So if you have $5,000 they may allow you to trade up to $500,000 of Forex.
The minimum security (margin) for each lot will vary from broker to broker. In the example above, the broker required a one percent margin. This means that for every $100,000 traded, the broker wants $1,000 as a deposit on the position.
What the heck is a Margin Call?
In the event that money in your account falls below margin requirements (usable margin), your broker will close some or all open positions. This prevents your account from falling into a negative balance, even in a highly volatile, fast moving market.
Example #1Let’s say you open a regular Forex account with $2,000 (not a smart idea). You open 1 standard lot (100,000 units) of the EUR/USD, with a margin requirement of $1000. Usable Margin is the money available to open new positions or sustain trading losses. Since you started with $2,000, your usable margin is $2,000. But when you opened 1 lot, which requires a margin requirement of $1,000, your usable margin is now $1,000.
If your losses exceed your usable margin of $1,000 you will get a margin call.
Example #2 Let’s say you open a regular Forex account with $10,000. You open 1 standard lot of the EUR/USD, with a margin requirement is $1000. Remember, usable margin is the money you have available to open new positions or sustain trading losses. So prior to opening 1 lot, you have a usable margin of $10,000. After you open the trade, you now have $9,000 usable margin and $1,000 of used margin.
If your losses exceed your usable margin of $9,000, you will get a margin call.
Make sure you know the difference between usable margin and used margin.
If the equity (the value of your account) falls below your usable margin due to trading losses, you will either have to deposit more money or your broker will close your position to limit your risk and his risk. As a result, you can never lose more than you deposit.
If you are going to trade on a margin account, it’s vital that you know what your broker’s policies are on margin accounts.
You should also know that most brokers require a higher margin during the weekends. This may take the form of 1% margin during the week and if you intend to hold the position over the weekend it may rise to 2% or higher.
The topic of margin is a touchy subject and some argue that too much margin is dangerous. It all depends on the individual. The important thing to remember is that you thoroughly understand your broker’s policies regarding margin and that you understand and are comfortable with the risks involved.
Some brokers describe their leveraging in terms of a leverage ratio and other in terms of a margin percentage. The simple relationship between the two terms is:
Leverage = 100 / Margin Percent
Margin Percent = 100 / Leverage
Leverage is conventionally displayed as a ratio, such 100:1 or 200:1.

Why I think PayDotCom is the Best Affiliate Marketplace on the Net!

2010-02-11T05:01:00.000-08:00

If you are familiar with Clickbank.com (R), or even if you are not but you want to make profits online, then you will want to check this out ASAP ...
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How You Make Money Trading Forex

2010-02-11T04:14:00.000-08:00

In the FX market, you buy or sell currencies. Placing a trade in the foreign exchange market is simple: the mechanics of a trade are very similar to those found in other markets (like the stock market), so if you have any experience in trading, you should be able to pick it up pretty quickly.
The object of Forex trading is to exchange one currency for another in the expectation that the price will change, so that the currency you bought will increase in value compared to the one you sold.
Example of making money by buying euros Trader's Action EUR USD You purchase 10,000 euros at the EUR/USD exchange rate of 1.18 +10,000 -11,800* Two weeks later, you exchange your 10,000 euros back into US dollars at the exchange rate of 1.2500. -10,000 +12,500** You earn a profit of $700. 0 +700
*EUR 10,000 x 1.18 = US $11,800** EUR 10,000 x 1.25 = US $12,500An exchange rate is simply the ratio of one currency valued against another currency. For example, the USD/CHF exchange rate indicates how many U.S. dollars can purchase one Swiss franc, or how many Swiss francs you need to buy one U.S. dollar.
How to Read an FX Quote Currencies are always quoted in pairs, such as GBP/USD or USD/JPY. The reason they are quoted in pairs is because in every foreign exchange transaction you are simultaneously buying one currency and selling another. Here is an example of a foreign exchange rate for the British pound versus the U.S. dollar:
GBP/USD = 1.7500
The first listed currency to the left of the slash ("/") is known as the base currency (in this example, the British pound), while the second one on the right is called the counter or quote currency (in this example, the U.S. dollar).
When buying, the exchange rate tells you how much you have to pay in units of the quote currency to buy one unit of the base currency. In the example above, you have to pay 1.7500 U.S. dollar to buy 1 British pound.
When selling, the exchange rate tells you how many units of the quote currency you get for selling one unit of the base currency. In the example above, you will receive 1.7500 U.S. dollars when you sell 1 British pound.
The base currency is the “basis” for the buy or the sell. If you buy EUR/USD this simply means that you are buying the base currency and simultaneously selling the quote currency.
You would buy the pair if you believe the base currency will appreciate (go up) relative to the quote currency. You would sell the pair if you think the base currency will depreciate (go down) relative to the quote currency.

STARTING AN E-BUSINESS

2010-02-01T02:25:00.000-08:00

This is it--your chance to strike it very rich because suddenly, the internet has changed all the rules. For a half-century, the big players in business, from IBM to Exxon, dominated the game, leaving little room for newcomers to move to the top of the heap. Then in 1994 a little startup named Netscape introduced a web browser, and the race for cash was on. Amazon, eBay, Yahoo!, 1-800-Flowers, drugstore.com, Priceline.com, WebMd.com--today, they are million-, and in some cases billion-dollar businesses, but where were they ten years ago? Out of nowhere these companies, and hundreds more, have emerged to challenge the gods of commerce. They're succeeding because the new rules favor small companies that are flexible, smart, tough and ultra-quick to react to changing market conditions.
Chew on these numbers: E-business research firm IDC expects the total worldwide value of goods and services purchased by businesses through e-commerce solutions will increase to $4.3 trillion by 2005 from $282 billion in 2000. By 2007, total online retail spending will reach $105.2 billion, up from the $51.7 billion consumers were expected to spend by the end of 2003. And in the 2002 Christmas shopping season, consumers spent $7.92 billion online, a 23 percent increase over the 2001 holiday season, according to e-commerce research firm BizRate.com.
Content Continues Below
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The web is both a new distribution channel and a new way of doing business. Don't miss either part of that statement. Think of the web only as a new channel--a different way of putting products and services in front of customers--and you miss the threat and the promise of the Internet, which is that it will utterly change how you do business.
Reasons to Dotcom
Need convincing that the Web is the place for your business to be? Here are 10 reasons why you have to be online:
It's cheap. There is no more inexpensive way to open a business than to launch a web site. While you could spend up to many millions of dollars to get started, low-budget web sites (started with as little as $100) remain viable businesses.
You cut your order fulfillment costs. Handling orders by phone is expensive. Ditto for mail orders. There's no more efficient--cheap, fast, accurate--way to process orders than via a web site.
Your catalog is always current. A print catalog can cost big bucks, and nobody wants to order a reprint just to change one price or to correct a few typos. A Web site can be updated in minutes.
High printing and mailing costs are history. Your customers can download any information you want them to have from your web site. Sure, you'll still want to print some materials, but lots can be distributed via the web.
You cut staffing costs. A web site can be a low-manpower operation.
You can stay open 24 hours daily. And you'll still get your sleep because your site will be open even when your eyes are closed.
You're in front of a global audience. Watch your site log, and you'll see visitors streaming in from Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Malaysia--wherever there are computers and phone lines.
There are no city permits and no hassles. It could change, but in most parts of the country, small web businesses can be run without permits and with little government involvement. As you expand and add employees, you'll start to bump into laws and regulations, but it's certainly nice to be able to kick off a business without first filling out reams of city and state forms.
There are no angry customers in your face. You can't ignore unhappy customers in any business; in fact, how well you deliver customer service will go far toward determining how successful you are. But at least with a web business you'll never have to stand eyeball-to-eyeball with a screamer.
It's easy to get your message out. Between your web site and your smart use of e-mail, you'll have complete control over when and how your message goes out. You can't beat a web site for its immediacy, and when a site is done well, it's hard to top its ability to grab and hold the attention of potential customers.The web is both a new distribution channel and a new way of doing business. Don't miss either part of that statement. Think of the web only as a new channel--a different way of putting products and services in front of customers--and you miss the threat and the promise of the Internet, which is that it will utterly change how you do business.
Reasons to Dotcom
Need convincing that the Web is the place for your business to be? Here are 10 reasons why you have to be online:
It's cheap. There is no more inexpensive way to open a business than to launch a web site. While you could spend up to many millions of dollars to get started, low-budget web sites (started with as little as $100) remain viable businesses.
You cut your order fulfillment costs. Handling orders by phone is expensive. Ditto for mail orders. There's no more efficient--cheap, fast, accurate--way to process orders than via a web site.
Your catalog is always current. A print catalog can cost big bucks, and nobody wants to order a reprint just to change one price or to correct a few typos. A Web site can be updated in minutes.
High printing and mailing costs are history. Your customers can download any information you want them to have from your web site. Sure, you'll still want to print some materials, but lots can be distributed via the web.
You cut staffing costs. A web site can be a low-manpower operation.
You can stay open 24 hours daily. And you'll still get your sleep because your site will be open even when your eyes are closed.
You're in front of a global audience. Watch your site log, and you'll see visitors streaming in from Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Malaysia--wherever there are computers and phone lines.
There are no city permits and no hassles. It could change, but in most parts of the country, small web businesses can be run without permits and with little government involvement. As you expand and add employees, you'll start to bump into laws and regulations, but it's certainly nice to be able to kick off a business without first filling out reams of city and state forms.
There are no angry customers in your face. You can't ignore unhappy customers in any business; in fact, how well you deliver customer service will go far toward determining how successful you are. But at least with a web business you'll never have to stand eyeball-to-eyeball with a screamer.
It's easy to get your message out. Between your web site and your smart use of e-mail, you'll have complete control over when and how your message goes out. You can't beat a web site for its immediacy, and when a site is done well, it's hard to top its ability to grab and hold the attention of potential customers.

Reasons to ConsiderCash-Back Advertising

2010-01-12T02:58:00.000-08:00

Reasons to ConsiderCash-Back Advertising

#1. For years, many people have attempted to design various types of paid-to-surf, get-paid-to-advertise, and cash-back advertising programs. that would be sustainable. We're reasonably confident that the cash-pack advertising programs we recommend are long-term sustainable. With business models that can be sustained long-term, earnings can be substantial. With programs that last a few months, quick profits can be made.
#2. Online advertising is part of a hundred billion dollar industry which could hit one trillion dollars within a decade. Cash-back advertising could become an important segment of this industry.
#3. To get an idea of traffic volumes, see Cracking the Code!
#4. You can usually join these programs for FREE and check out a great deal before risking any funds. (With some of them you can earn money without risking a penny of your own!)
#5. Get paid to learn to better utilize the Internet, which in less than 25 years has grown to over one billion users worldwide. No other invention in the history of the world has reached so many people so quickly. Be part of the biggest human revolution since the printing press.
#6. Find out where the massess are going and get their first! Many people become wealthy by riding -- like a wave -- major new technology developments and breakthroughs. Be one of them. Don't get left behind!
#7. Major changes are taking place in many economies and millions of people are now actively seeking new ways to earn more money or to find new ways to earn a living. Practically anyone can use cash-back advertising programs to earn more.
#8. There are no sponsoring requirements. This makes it much easier for most people to make money. However, you can learn to sponsor people and earn substantial referral fees.
#9. In addition to getting paid to advertise, you can use cash-back advertising programs to earn more from whatever you're advertising!
#10. To let this golden opportunity pass you by could be a tragedy -- as Warren Buffet says: "Our biggest mistakes were mistakes of ommission -- not taking action."

2009-12-01T07:47:00.000-08:00

Leader Business Strategies:

a summary
profitable today,
sustainable tomorrow
1. becoming a Leader Business
“Whether it is the world’s rapidly growing population or the
worsening problem of global warming, we see the need for sustainable
business practices as increasingly urgent. And perhaps more than
anything else, we see sustainability as mainstream.”
Lee Scott, Chief Executive of Wal-Mart, 2007
Sustainability has finally made it. A quiet night in front of the TV sees climate change on the news, reality shows
‘going green’, government carbon footprint campaigns and everyone from banks to supermarkets advertising their
eco-credentials.
Meeting our needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs – in short, sustainable
development – is the major challenge facing our age. And for Leader Businesses, companies that are pushing the
boundaries on sustainability in one or more areas of their business activity, rising to that challenge is already boosting
profits. This summary provides a comprehensive model of their business strategies and key approaches, and shows
how your business can benefit too.
today’s rules won’t apply tomorrow
Leader Businesses recognise that many ways of making money today won’t be profitable tomorrow. Basic services
and resources that the natural world now provides cheaply will become more and more expensive. Rising expectations
of business’s role will translate into new regulation, changed consumer behaviour, new norms in the supply chain and
investor pressure. New entrant entrepreneurs will grab market share from established competitors caught napping.
Leader Businesses realise that sustainability issues are forming the operating context from which they need to make
money. And as the leading sustainable development charity, we have already seen a profound strategic shift on
sustainability. When we started over a decade ago, our partners asked “What should our sustainability strategy be, in
the light of our business?” Now the likes of BT, First Choice, Marks & Spencer and Unilever are asking “What should
our business strategy be, in the light of sustainability?” From ‘nice to have’ add-on, sustainability has become a driver
of business strategy.
practical model of Leader Business Strategies
In our last publication Are you a Leader Business? Hallmarks of sustainable performance we highlighted best
practice in key areas and business activities, including senior commitment, governance, procurement, stakeholder
engagement and investor relations. This latest report provides a practical model of Leader Business strategies for
your next competitive edge:
• the TECHNOLOGIES that underpin a business’s offer, such as 3M’s Pollution Prevention Pays, GE’s
Ecomagination, Caterpillar’s engine re-manufacturing or Phillips’ radical new lighting equipment;
• the MARKETS where businesses make their offer, such as Nike subjecting its supply chain to scrutiny, M&S
asking customers to ‘Look Behind the Label’, Unilever opening up new markets at the Bottom of the Pyramid,
or GSH’s energy management service;
• the CONTEXTS that set the rules of competition, such as Unilever's sustainable agriculture programme, the
Climate Change Leaders Forum pushing for better regulation, or the Forest Stewardship Council, set up by
collaborating competitors and civil society.
key approaches to integrate sustainability into strategy
Leader Businesses use three key approaches to develop and integrate the right combination of strategies for sustainability:
• PLAN strategy to include sustainability trends and incorporate them into today’s decisions on future business direction;
• MANAGE how opportunities are defined and selected, so that the potential for emerging sustainability solutions is
identified and maximised;
• EXPERIMENT with a variety of approaches to learn which yield the best results.
Sustainability is an end goal: the ability of global society
to continue into the far future. Sustainable development
is the journey towards that end goal: how can we meet
our needs without compromising the ability of future
generations to meet their own needs?
At Forum for the Future we use the notion of capital to
help people understand what sustainability means in
practice. We have developed the Five Capitals Framework
to underpin our approach. No company can sustain itself
by living off its capital alone. The same is true for society.
But increasing evidence that we are living off our global
capital means we can no longer take for granted our
current pattern of development. The consequences of a
new pattern of development are already changing the
strategic context for business and affecting the types
of strategies that will succeed into the future.
the challenge: reducing supply
and rising demand
Business depends on a host of often unnoticed
‘eco-system services’, from a stable climate to
assimilation of waste, from providing food to controlling
disease and pests. It's not just rainforests and tigers
under threat. Climatic systems, water resources,
agriculture and fisheries are all degraded or
unsustainable eco-system services which we still rely
on for business success.
And we’re depleting our natural capital at the very time
when our need is growing. The planet will be home to
nine billion people by 2050, with just under one billion
extra people in the next 10 years alone. And just as we
want to continue to drive our cars and buy new shoes,
so people in developing countries want that too.
Business faces the twin challenges of delivering greater
equity between rich and poor nations and having fewer
resources to do it with.
the opportunity: to profit from
creating a sustainable future
The surge in population and consumption over the next 20
years looks impossible for damaged ecosystems to sustain.
But smart businesses will profit from these challenges by
finding ways to give us what we need and want whilst
maintaining the eco-system services on which we rely.
People increasingly expect business to play a key role in
finding solutions to these global problems. There is an
opportunity now for business to explore how to combine
profit with creating a sustainable future. Business
strategies that address this challenge at a profit will
define the successful business of the next 10 years.
2. what is sustainability,
and why now?
“Many CEOs recognise the underlying tension between business
models wedded to increasing patterns of consumption and the
reality of limited natural resources.”
McKinsey & Co, Shaping the New Rules of Competition, 2007
3. practical model of Leader
Business Strategies
“More capital is now focused on sustainable business models and
the market is rewarding leaders and the new entrants in a way
that could scarcely have been predicted even 15 years ago.”
Goldman Sachs, Introducing GS SUSTAIN, 2007
Our experience shows that taking a business into the
future is a balance between enhancing the current
competitive edge and exploring the next one. As our
model shows, most Leader Business strategies focus on
the next competitive edge. Simply improving current
business strategies will no longer be enough to thrive.
New strategies build on existing capabilities and
resources, answering questions such as “How can we
create value in a global society searching for a
sustainable future?”, “How can we create the best
future for our business?” and “Are we clear about the
consequences of these strategies?” Each strategy
contributes to creating a sustainable future in its own
way. In the full Leader Business Strategies paper we
show how each strategy contributes to sustainable
development using the Five Capitals Framework.
PLAN strategy to include future
trends
When setting the future direction of their business,
companies can incorporate sustainability into their
strategic planning cycle in three ways:
• Introduce material sustainability trends to the
external assessment of the structure and dynamics
of the business context
• Use Leader Businesses strategies as a starting point
for generating options about ways forward
• Pay attention to any unintended biases when
selecting options to take forward.
First Choice, now TUI Travel PLC, incorporated
sustainability into their ‘Managing for Value’ planning
cycle. We helped them frame the issues in the external
assessment, generate options and prioritise action
through calculating the financial value at risk. As a
result, a host of initiatives has emerged to shift the
business onto a more sustainable pathway.
MANAGE how opportunities
are defined and selected
In most organisations there is the plan, and then there
is what happens. Putting any strategic plan into action
means changing how opportunities are defined at
the 'coalface' and selected by managers, and then
re-allocating resources appropriately.
Leader Businesses can manage sustainability into
strategy by:
• Setting the strategic direction by giving clear
signals of intent, including announcements
and symbolic actions. People at the ‘coalface’
can now identify and define sustainability-related
opportunities.
• Setting a structural context where opportunities
that are on-strategy are favoured. These can be
formal, like performance targets, or informal, like
promoting people who have pushed commercial
sustainability-related activities.
One Forum for the Future telecoms partner is
creating a ‘sustainability-related opportunity register’.
The register provides a new way for commercial
departments to define and identify market place
opportunities by highlighting the ones relating to
sustainability. This has helped towards the gradual
integration of sustainability into core product and
service offers.
EXPERIMENT to learn and
to create options
The world changes fast, and so do the commercial
opportunities of sustainability. To keep your options
open and identify the best approach, it makes sense to
initiate a range of deliberate and contained experiments.
The experiments could be a new product message,
a new product, or a whole new business.
Such experiments give you the chance to test different
approaches without committing the entire business.
Learning is the success factor - even if you lose money,
you will know how to do it differently next time.
One Forum for the Future global electronics
partner used a staff competition on new sustainable
business models in emerging and developing markets.
Staff submitted project proposals that met criteria of
being profitable, and creating environmental benefits
and social value. The aim is to establish a range of
innovative commercial possibilities, a few of which
will become the successes of the future.
4. key approaches to integrate
sustainability into strategy
Leader Businesses develop the right combination of strategies
by bringing sustainability into their strategy process in
different ways.
the TECHNOLOGIES that
underpin a business’s offer
these strategies explore how to improve or replace technologies in
the supply chain, and in the products and services themselves.
improve technologies in current production methods
Instigate more sustainable production methods to improve resource efficiency, lower costs and mitigate
supply risks.
BP created an internal market for carbon, saving $650m and reducing carbon emissions
from its production.
3M’s Pollution Prevention Pays programme proved exactly that. Encouraged to innovate, staff developed
6,000 environmental projects, saving over £1 billion and one billion kilos of pollutants in their first year.
use closed-loop systems in production and beyond
Transform waste output into an input for further value generating activity, either inside or outside the
company. Benefits include: addressing the increasing prices of raw materials and waste disposal;
pre-empting legislation that extends producer responsibility all the way to the end of the product’s life;
getting closer to the consumer and gaining greater control over the supply chain.
Caterpillar takes its used truck diesel engines and ‘remanufactures’ them into engines that are sold at
the same price with the same guarantee. The company offers incentives to its parts distribution network
to maximise used parts return and keep input costs down.
ICI, Carillion and Forum for the Future have been funded by the UK Government to create a zero
emissions paint enterprise: a profitable business with no waste or emissions anywhere in its supply chain.
improve product design as customer needs evolve
Improve product design to offer more value from using less, responding to business
and consumer demands for improved resource productivity.
The Toyota Prius is still a car, but the improved design has been tremendously successful:
Car of the Year in North America (2004) and Europe (2005), and selling 750,000 by June 2007.
GE’s Ecomagination is billed internally as “a business strategy to help meet customers’ demand for
more energy-efficient, less emissive products and to drive growth for GE-growth that will greatly reward
investors”, mainly by improving current products. In 2006 GE launched some 45 Ecomagination products
with revenue of $12 billion.
create radical new technology
Create new technologies with radical breakthroughs in resource productivity or in
serving social needs.
Phillips, the Dutch electronics firm, developed ‘Edore’, an energy saving
domestic halogen bulb providing clear, crisp lighting for half the energy of an
ordinary household bulb.
the MARKETS where
businesses make their offer
these strategies create the right sort of demand in both
new and existing markets.
improve transparency to protect brand value
Protect brands in the market place, through improving transparency and engaging with stakeholders on
material issues. Otherwise, brand equity can erode quickly when a gap between expectations and
performance is revealed.
Nike has responded to bad publicity on working practices in its supply chain with a ‘product stewardship’
strategy that improved working conditions and reported transparently on its actions. The threat to the brand
has declined.
create and grow new markets at the bottom of the pyramid
Target new markets where non-consumption is the main ‘competitor’. At the bottom of the economic
pyramid, four billion people earn less that US$3,000 in purchasing power parity terms. Serving that market
can create the scale with which to attack ‘top of the pyramid’ mature markets from below.
Unilever subsidiary Hindustan Lever (HLL) targeted India’s rural poor with affordable soaps and
shampoos. The new products utilised Unilever’s core capabilities – top-class science and technology – in
partnership with a local NGO. More than half of HLL’s revenues now come from customers at the bottom
of the pyramid, and BOP practices are being transferred to other parts of Unilever.
grow the size and sophistication of demand in mature markets
Increase the sophistication of consumer demand to shift customers from saying they’d
like to buy ethically to actually doing so. Companies that proactively shape demand can respond to
changing purchasing habits faster than their competitors.
In 2005 Marks & Spencer launched a ground-breaking marketing campaign called ‘Look behind the label’
which informed customers of M&S’s long commitment on social and environmental issues such as fish
sourcing, animal welfare, Fairtrade and reducing salt and fat levels in food. A Citigroup report in the middle of
2006 said that the campaign contributed to the ongoing sales recovery and would underpin M&S brand
performance going forward.
Cafédirect has achieved double-digit growth by putting quality and fair treatment of producers
(accredited by the FAIRTRADE Mark) at the heart of its offer.
sell services, not products
Seek competitive advantage by meeting customers’ needs with services rather than products. This strategy
brings sustainability benefits by shifting the mix of inputs away from energy or materials towards labour, and
matches likely changes in the relative costs of materials and labour.
Facilities management company GSH have an energy services business called Energyplus which helps
clients cut their energy use by a guaranteed five per cent. GSH retains any cost savings beyond the five
per cent, making for a profitable service business based on its core competence of engineering expertise.
Novo Nordisk is repositioning itself from a pharmaceutical company to ‘a leader in diabetes care’.
It is exploring ways of selling prevention as a service, not just insulin as a product.
the CONTEXTS that set the
rules of competition
these strategies tackle issues beyond the company’s boundaries to
create a more successful competitive context for the business.
improve inputs, supply chain and infrastructure
Respond to threats with strategies that improve access to, and the quality of, inputs, supply chains
and infrastructure.
Unilever sources over two thirds of its raw materials from agriculture. Over the last 10 years a sustainable
agriculture programme engaging experts, producers and suppliers has helped secure the future of supply
by implementing new supply chain standards. Unilever was well placed ahead of the competition when
Tesco and Wal-Mart made their sourcing polices more stringent.
seek regulation that rewards responsibility
Form industry clusters, sometimes with unlikely partners, to seek regulation that rewards responsibility and
creates a level playing-field. Taking the lead provides an enhanced platform for progressive businesses to
innovate and differentiate.
The Corporate Leaders Group on Climate Change, convened by the University of Cambridge’s
Programme for Industry, is a group of major UK and international business leaders pushing for government
action on climate change. They are working in partnership with the UK Government towards strengthening
domestic and international progress on reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
form strategic alliances to address business-critical issues
Join forces with a range of organisations, companies, suppliers and sector bodies to tackle strategic and
operational challenges that are too big for one business to deal with alone.
The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) arose from collaboration between NGOs like WWF and a
group of timber users and traders, including B&Q. Despite coming from different perspectives, everyone
involved appreciated the benefits of an honest and credible system for identifying products from
well-managed forests. The FSC now certifies some 12 per cent of the world’s commercially-managed
forests, helping safeguard the future of the timber industry.
With thanks to our Foundation Corporate Partners who contributed to this report through the Business Futures Fund.
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Registered office: Overseas House,
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do you want to be a
Leader Business?
Forum for the Future, the sustainable development charity, works in partnership with leading organisations in
business and the public sector. Our vision is of business and communities thriving in a future that is environmentally
sustainable and socially just. We believe that a sustainable future can be achieved, that it is the only way business
and communities will prosper, but that we need bold action now to make it happen.
We play our part by inspiring and challenging organisations with positive visions of a sustainable future; finding
innovative, practical ways to help realise those visions; training leaders to bring about change; and sharing success
through our communications.
This document is a summary of Leader Business Strategies. The in-depth version has greater detail on the different
strategies, including an analysis of their contribution to a sustainable future based on the Five Capitals Framework
and many more examples. Our research builds on our related publication, Are you a Leader Business? Hallmarks of
sustainable performance. A further approach to applying environmental principles to business can be found in
Sustainable Wealth Creation within Environmental Limits.
All are available from our website www.forumforthefuture.org.uk.
Authors: David Bent and Stephanie Draper.
For more information about Leader Business strategies and how to make them happen,
email us at business@forumforthefuture.org.uk.

Hurry up and Grab a Position

2009-09-21T18:34:00.000-07:00

In today's world it is hard to believe anything you hear with so many tricks and scams out there. One of the most common new ideas today is the concept of working from home using only your computer. Now, there are plenty of flashy looking websites out there with incredible sounding claims of easy success. One can't browse the internet without coming across at least a couple of these outrageous get rich quick scams. So, the question comes to be, "Is it even possible to earn money from home? Is it possible to do it just from my computer? Is it all just a bunch of hype or are there really people out there making big bucks from their home?" Well, the answer is Yes and No. Yes, it is possible to earn a nice income from home using only your computer. This is actually very possible considering over 1 billion people are on the internet every year! But the question is, How? How can I use the internet in a way to bring actual money my way? There are several different ways one could do this. Of course you could own your own website.... but most of us do not have the technical know how to do that. And even if you did, it's nearly impossible to get a successful website up and running now days. Maybe you could be an eBay pro? Nah, that's pretty much impossible too. Well, there are real ways to earn an income from home using your computer even if you don't have any computer skills at all. One of these ways is to become an online form completer and get paid to complete simple forms. There are many websites that specialize in getting you signed up to get paid to complete simple assignments online. Unfortunately, even some of these are scams. If you find a website that sounds convincing, be sure to do some research into it first. Don't go throwing money away for something that is just going to scam you leaving you lesser in the pocket. Join the right programs. Find legitimate real programs with a good solid reputation and happy satisfied members. One particular website that can get you involved with fairly easily is really getting people excited. Click the following link to check it out > https://tinyurl.com/ngfbp5. Unfortunately, these online form completer opportunities are usually somewhat scarce. Positions are usually limited so you need to get right in whenever you

SOLID MINERALS

2009-09-21T15:39:00.000-07:00

LOCAL SOURCING OF RAW MATERIALS
Nigeria is richly endowed with a variety of solid minerals of various categories ranging from precious metals to various stones and also industrial minerals such as barytes , gypsum, kaolin and marble. Much of these are yet to be exploited. Statistically, the level of exploitation of these minerals is very low in relation to the extent of deposits found in the country. One of the objectives of the new National Policy on Solid Minerals is to ensure the orderly development of the mineral resources of the country.
There are tremendous opportunities for investments in the solid mineral sector in Nigeria. Prospecting licenses for investors (both local and foreign) to participate in the exploitation of the vast mineral resources in Nigeria is granted by the Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals.
Mineral resources that are present in Nigeria but not yet fully exploited are coal and tin. Other natural resources in the country include iron ore, limestone, niobium, lead, zinc, and arable land. Agricultural products include groundnuts, palm oil, cocoa, coconut, citrus fruits, maize, millet, cassava, yams and sugar cane. Nigeria also has a booming leather and textile industry, with industries located in Kano, Abeokuta, Onitsha, and Lagos.
Opportunities exist for the exploitation and export of natural gas, bitumen, limestone, coal, tin, columbite, gold, silver, lead-zinc, gypsum, glass sands, clays, asbestos, graphite, and iron ore, among others

2009-09-21T14:44:00.000-07:00

GOING THE DISTANCE
I have without number in this column written about believing in yourself, even when the whole world thinks otherwise. Also about believing in that idea or invention of yours, though experts may not see any thing good about it. You have no reason to give up that dream just because someone else simply doesn’t buy into it. When they say it’s not possible prove to them that it is. A young man in need of work once saw this advertisement in a local newspaper. “Wanted, young man as an understudy to a financial statistician, P.O.Box 5902, Ihube.” The young man decided this was just the kind of job he wanted, so he replied to the ad but no answer. He wrote again, and even a third time with no reply. Next, he went to the local post office and asked the name of the holder of Box 5902, but the clerk refused to give it, as did the postmaster.
Early one morning an idea came to the young man. He rose early, took the first transport mode available to the local post office, and stood watch near Box 5902. After a while, a man appeared, opened the Box and took out the mail. The young man followed him as he returned to the office of a stock brokerage firm. The young man entered and asked for the manager. In the interview, the manager asked, “How did you find out that I was the advertiser?” The young man told him about his detective work, to which the manager replied, “Young man, you just the kind of determined fellow I want, You are employed!”
I remember reading the story of a sixty-five years old man who worked into a marketing office for employment. He was rejected because they do not have vacancy for someone of his age. He insisted that he can take up any position. In other to frustrate him, the helmsman nof the organization told him of a region where not doing well. Though they have a representative over there, but business wasn’t booming. He agreed to take it up and started the next day. In just a few days, the company began to get orders from the region. It was strange so they decided to honour such orders until repeated calls started coming to the office about shipment. Within a year, the old man became a vice-president in charge of the sales staff.
Dear reader, nobody will buy into you until you buy into yourself. Nobody will respect you if you do not respect yourself. The same goes belief. If you have the believe that you can accomplish a task, nobody on Earth can STOP you. The young man in our story could have given up, but see how he ended up.
My beloved friend, “Go and make It happen.

DO YOU KNOW WHY MANY PEOPLE ARE POOR?

2009-09-21T14:22:00.000-07:00

THE REASON WHY MANY ARE POOR
OH!, what a life we live in today, whereby many people are not willing to take responsibility for what they do.(i.e their actions). They feel too lazy to take risk, they don’t really know that risk takers are the Great men of today. These men never give up at the slightest time, always ready press forward despite their current situation.
Notwithstanding their present situation, these great men think beyond their pockets. Example of them is President Obama of U.S.A., e.t.c Have you read this book titled “Think Big and Grow rich” by Napoleon Hill, this book helps to THINK like a millionaire, ACT like a millionaire and even SPEAK like a millionaire. My friend, I tell you that you are what you think, it is not possible to see yourself a mediocre and Become that Great man, come out of your Self pity into Self esteem.
Many youth of today, don’t want to get that information, all they want is that money that’s why many of our youth today turnout to become scams. And this is because they love money, but hate Creativity, Henry Ford, the Automobile Giant, once said, “If you take away the Five million dollars I had, in Five years time I will get it back, because the INFORMATION is there”. Information brings transformation.
Do you wish to become a singer, start singing from your home, work towards it, see yourself sing on stage to a great crowd of people. Or your wish is be an Entrepreneur think like one, write business plans ,work towards achieving your goal and then you will Grow to live your Dream. Mainly, it has been said, “Ninety percent (90%) of the great men of today comes from a poor Background. And these worked had despite their background, they stood on their ground for what they know how to do. They never give up to;
v Procrastination.
v Lack of self Confidence.
v Lack of Risk taking/Responsibility.
v Looking at their Background.
Never let your background weigh you down, possess your ground today! Today!! Today!!!Lastly, nobody will buy into you, until you buy into yourself.

MARKETING STRATEGIES YOU NEED TO KNOW

2009-09-19T03:47:00.000-07:00

Marketing and Advertisng Tips
HOW to write a strategic marketing plan or business strategy, marketing and advertising tips, internet and website marketing tips
While much of this marketing theory page was written a while ago generally the principles apply just the same, if fact many of these basic pointers are good reminders of some of the simple things that are easy to overlook in these modern distracting times.
Incidentally, where references are made to the UK there will commonly be equivalent methods and processes and suppliers that are applicable in other countries.
a fundamental aspect of modern marketing
First, here's something that is fast becoming the most fundamental aspects of marketing to get right, especially if you want to build a truly sustainable high quality organisation (of any size) in the modern age:
Ensure the ethics and philosophy of your organisation are good and sound. This might seem a bit tangential to marketing and business, and rather difficult to measure, nevertheless...Price is no longer the king, if it ever was. Value no longer rules, if ever it did. Quality of service and product is not the deciding factor.
Today what truly matters is ethical and philosophical quality - from the bottom to the top - in every respect - across every dimension of the organisation.
Modern consumers, business buyers, staff and suppliers too, are today more interested than ever before in corporate integrity, which is defined by the organisation's ethics and philosophy.
Good sound ethics and philosophy enable and encourage people to make 'right and good' decisions, and to do right and good things. It's about humanity and morality; care and compassion; being good and fair.
Profit is okay, but not greed; reward is fine, but not avarice; trade is obviously essential, but exploitation is not.
People naturally identify and align with these philosophical values. The best staff, suppliers, and customers naturally gravitate towards organisations with strong philosophical qualities.
Putting a good clear ethical philosophy in place, and communicating it wide and far lets people know that your organisation always strives to do the the right thing. It's powerful because it appeals to people's deepest feelings. Corporate integrity, based on right and good ethical philosophy, transcends all else.
And so, strong ethics and good philosophy are the fundamentals on which all good organisations and businesses are now built.
People might not ask or talk about this much: the terminology is after all not fashionable 'marketing-speak', nor does it correlate obviously to financial performance, but be assured; everyone is becoming more aware of the deeper responsibilities of corporations and businesses in relation to humanity, and morality, the natural world, the weak and the poor, and the future of the planet.
Witness the antagonism growing towards certain multi-nationals. People don't rail against successful corporations - they rail against corporations which put profit ahead of people; growth ahead of society and communities; technology and production ahead of the natural world; market domination ahead of compassion for humankind. None of this is right and good, and these organisations are on borrowed time.
People increasingly prefer to buy from, deal with, and work for, ethical, right-minded organisations. And whether an organisation is ethical and right-minded is becoming increasingly transparent for all to see.
So be one.
Aside from which - when you get your philosophy right, everything else naturally anchors to it. Strategies, processes, attitudes, relationships, trading arrangements, all sorts of difficult decisions - even directors salaries and share options dare we suggest.
And it need not be complicated. The ultimate corporate reference point is: "Is it right and good?... How does this (idea, initiative, decision, etc) stack up against our ethical philosophy?"
Organisations are complex things, and they become more and more complicated every day. A good ethical philosophy provides everyone with a natural, reliable reference point, for the tiniest detail up to the biggest strategic decision.
So as you start to write your marketing plan, be it for a new start-up, a huge corporation, or a little department within one, make sure you put a 'right and good' ethical philosophy in place before you do anything else, and watch everything grow from there.
marketing and business planning - and fundamental organisational philosophy, purpose, values, and ethics
a modern planning framework for a business or organisation
First it's helpful to revisit, check or define the foundations of your business or organisation. What are your fundamental aims and values? What is your ultimate purpose?
Is your underpinning philosophy congruent (consistent) with your planned business activities, operations and aims? (See the leadership page for explanation of how underpinning purpose and philosophy are so important for leadership, as well as for strategy and marketing.)
Below is a simple template for checking that you have the foundations and building blocks in place. If not, then decide (as far as you can, because it's generally the CEO's call) what they should be, because all good marketing plans need to have solid foundations first.
As regards the fundamental philosophical aspects see the section on ethical organisations and corporate responsibility. This is deeper than tools and processes and mission statements - having a sound philosophy and ethical position determines and protects the spirit and integrity of your organisation.
*When it comes to defining more detailed aspects of mission and strategy, of course there's degree of 'chicken and egg' here: How can you know your Mission until you validate it with your potential customers? How can you establish objectives and goals without consulting and involving your staff? These later stages obviously need to be put in place and refined when you are in position to do so without guessing or assuming, as the planning develops; even so, use the framework as a firm reminder to make sure you fill in the boxes when you are able - don't leave these issues floating undecided, or defaulting back to X-Theory autocracy (which they generally do where a vacuum exists). If in doubt, always err on the side of what is good and right and proper, which is another good reason for having a sound ethical position: it always provides a reliable reference point. In the absence of everything else - tools, processes, clarity of responsibility (who does what), etc - having a sound and well understood philosophy and ethical position will always help people to make good decisions.
Build from the bottom upwards. Consult and involve people affected and involved wherever relevant. You will see many different versions and interpretations of this framework. The principles are similar although the words might change. A business or an organisation is built on values and philosophy. Increasingly in the modern age, customers and staff are not prepared to sustain commitment to organisations whose philosophy and values are misaligned with their own personal ideals. Ten years ago organisational planning paid very little regard to values and philosophy. Customers were satisfied with quality at the right price. Staff were satisfied with a decent wage and working conditions. Today things are different. Organisations of all sorts must now cater for a more enlightened workforce and market-place.
When considering these planning stages start from the bottom upwards. This will help to reinforce the point that planning is about building from the foundations upwards, and that the stronger the foundations, then the stronger the organisation will be.
Start at the foundations (point 1 below) and work upwards.
8. Our Performance Indicators
How do our Targets and Objectives translate into the essential measurable aspects of performance and activity? Are these expectations, standards, 'Key Performance Indicators' (KPI's), 'Service Level Agreements' (SLA's), etc., agreed with the recipients and people responsible for delivery?
7. Our Targets and Objectives
How are our strategies comprised? How are these responsibilities and activities allocated cross our functions and departments and teams? Who does what, where, when, how, for what cost and with what required effect and result? What are the timescales and measures for all the actions within our strategies, and who owns those responsibilities?
6. Our Strategies
How will we achieve our goal(s)? What needs to happen in order to achieve the things we plan? What are the effects on us and from where? Like planning a game of chess, what moves do we plan to make, why, and with what effects? How will we measure and monitor and communicate our performance? What are the criteria for measuring our performance and execution of our strategies?
5. Our Goal (or several goals in large or divisionalised businesses)
What is our principal goal? When do we plan to achieve it? How will we measure that we have achieved it? At what point will we have succeeded in what we set out to do? Goals can change of course, and new ones necessarily are developed as old ones are achieved - but at any time we need to know what our organisation's main goal is, when we aim to achieve it, and how its achievement will be measured. And again all this needs to be agreed with our people - including our customers if we are very good indeed.
4. Our Mission (or Missions if there are separate businesses within the whole)
How do we describe what we aim to do and be and achieve? What is special about what we are and do compared to any other organisation or business unit? Do our people understand and agree with this? Do our customers agree that it's what they want?
3. Our Vision - dependent on values and philosophy.
Where are we going? What difference will we make? How do we want to be remembered? In what ways will we change things for the better? Is this vision relevant and good and desired by the customers and staff and stakeholders? Is it realistic and achievable? Have we involved staff and customers in defining our vision? Is it written down and published and understood? The Vision is the stage of planning when the organisation states its relationship with its market-place, customers, or users. The Vision can also include references to staff, suppliers, 'stakeholders' and all others affected by the organisation.
2. Our Values - enabled by and dependent on philosophy and leadership.
Ethics, integrity, care and compassion, quality, standards of behaviour - whatever the values are - are they stated and understood and agreed by the staff? Do the values resonate with the customers and owners or stakeholders? Are they right and good, and things that we feel proud to be associated with? See the section on ethical organisations for help with this fundamental area of planning.
1. Our Philosophy - fundamentally defined by the leadership. When things go wrong in an organisation people commonly point to causes, problems or mistakes closer to the point of delivery - or typically in operational management. Generally however, major operational or strategic failings can always be traced back to a questionable philosophy, or a philosophical purpose which is not fitting for the activities of the organisation.
How does the organisation relate to the world? This is deeper than values. What is the organisation's purpose? If it is exclusively to make money for the shareholders, or to make a few million for the management buyout team when the business is floated, perhaps have a little re-think. Customers and staff are not daft. They will not be comfortable buying into an organisation whose deepest foundation is greed and profit. Profit's fine to an extent, but where does it fit in the wider scheme of things? Is it more important than taking care of our people and our customers and the world we live in? Does the organisation have a stated philosophy that might inspire people at a deeper level? Dare we aspire to build organisations of truly great worth and value to the world? The stronger our philosophy, the easier it is to build and run a great organisation. See the section on ethical organisations for help with this fundamental area of planning. If you are an entrepreneur or leader, or anyone contributing to the planning process, think about what you want to leave behind you; what you'd want to be remembered for. This helps focus on philosophical issues, before attending to processes and profit. Whatever your philosophy, ensure it is consistent with and appropriate for your organisational activities and aims. Your philosophical foundations must fit with what is built onto them, and vice-versa.
When you've satisfied yourself that the fundamental organisational framework is in place - and that you have gone as far as you can in creating a strong foundation - then you can begin your marketing planning.
marketing planning
Carry out your market research, including competitor activity.
Market information should include anything you need to know in order to formulate strategy and make business decisions. Information is available in the form of statistical economic and demographic data from libraries, research companies and professional associations (the Institute of Directors is excellent if you are a member). This is called secondary research and will require some interpretation or manipulation for your own purposes. Additionally you can carry out your own research through customer feed-back, surveys, questionnaires and focus groups (obtaining indicators to wider views through discussion among a few representative people in a controlled situation). This is called primary research, and is tailored to your precise needs. It requires less manipulation, but all types of research need careful analysis. Be careful when extrapolating or projecting. If the starting point is inaccurate the resulting analysis will not be reliable. The main elements you typically need to understand and quantify are:
· customer profile and mix
· product mix
· demographic issues and trends
· future regulatory and legal effects
· prices and values, and customer perceptions in these areas
· competitor activities
· competitor strengths and weaknesses
· customer service perceptions, priorities and needs
Primary research is recommended for local and niche services. Keep the subjects simple and the range narrow. Formulate questions that give clear yes or no indicators (ie avoid three and five options in multi-choices) always understand how you will analyse and measure the data produced. Try to convert data to numerical format and manipulate on a spreadsheet. Use focus groups for more detailed work. Be wary of using market research organisations as this can become extremely expensive. If you do the most important thing to do is get the brief right.
Establish your corporate aims.
Business strategy is partly dictated by what makes good business sense, and partly by the subjective, personal wishes of the owners. There is no point in developing and implementing a magnificent business growth plan if the owners wish the business to maintain its current scale.
State your business objectives - short, medium and long term.
Mindful of the trading environment (external factors) and the corporate aims (internal factors), there should be stated the business's objectives. What is the business aiming to do over the next one, three and five years? These objectives must be quantified and prioritised wherever possible.
Define your 'Mission Statement'.
All the best businesses have a 'mission statement'. It announces clearly and succinctly to your staff, shareholders and customers what you are in business to do. Your mission statement may build upon a general 'service charter' relevant to your industry. The act of producing and announcing the Mission Statement is an excellent process for focusing attention on the business's priorities, and particularly the emphasis on customer service. If your business is modern and good you will be able also to reference your organisational 'Philosophy' and set of organisational 'Values', both of which are really helpful in providing fundamental referencing or 'anchoring' points, by which to clarify aspects of what the organisation or business unit aims to do, what its purpose is, and how the organisation behaves and conducts itself.
Define your 'Product/Service Offer(s)'.
You must define clearly what you are providing to your customers in terms of individual products, or more appropriately, services. You should have one for each main area of business activity, or sector that you serve. Under normal circumstances competitive advantage is increased the more you can offer things your competitors cannot. Develop your service offer to emphasise your strengths, which should normally relate to your business objectives, in turn being influenced by corporate aims and market research. The tricky bit is translating your view of these services into an offer that means something to your customer. The definition of your service offer must make sense to your customer in terms that are advantageous and beneficial to the customer, not what is technically good, or scientifically sound. Think about what your service, and the manner by which you deliver it, means to your customer. In the selling profession, this perspective is referred to as translating features into benefits. The easiest way to translate a feature into a benefit is to add the prompt 'which means that...'. For example, if a strong feature of a business is that it has 24-hour opening , this feature would translate into something like:
"We're open 24 hours (feature) which means that you can get what you need when you need it - day or night."
Clearly this offers a significant benefit over competitors who only open 9 - 5.
Your service-offer should be an encapsulation of what you do best, that you want to do more of to meet your business objectives, stated in terms that will make your customers think 'yes, that means something to me, and my life will be better if I have it.'
Write business plan - include costs, resources and 'sales' targets.
Your business plan, which deals with all aspects of the resource and management of the business, will include many decisions and factors fed in from the marketing process. It will state sales and profitability targets by activity. There may also be references to image and reputation, and to public relations. All of these issues require some investment and effort if they are to result in a desired effect, particularly any relating to increasing numbers of customers and revenue growth. You would normally describe and provide financial justification for the means of achieving these things, together with customer satisfaction improvement, in a marketing plan.
Quantify what you need from the market.
Before attending to the detail of how to achieve your marketing aims you need to quantify clearly what they are. How many new customers? Limit of customer losses? Sales values from each sector? Profit margins per service, product, sector? Percentage increase in total sales revenues? Market share required? Improvement in customer satisfaction? Reduction in customer complaints? Response times? Communication times?
Write your marketing plan.
Your marketing plan is actually a statement, supported by relevant financial data, of how you are going to develop your business.
"What you are going to sell to whom, when and how you are going to sell it, and how much you will sell it for."
In most types of businesses it is also essential that you include measurable aims concerning customer service and satisfaction.
The marketing plan will have costs that relate to a marketing budget in the business plan. The marketing plan will also have revenue and gross margin/profitability targets that relate to the turnover and profitability in the business plan. The marketing plan will also detail quite specifically those activities, suppliers and staff issues critical to achieving the marketing aims.
Being able to refer to aspects of organisational Philosophy and Values is very helpful in formulating the detail of a marketing plan.