Microsoft Wants To Find The Location Of Every Windows Phone

This is a strange one: apparently, Microsoft is looking to hire "highly motivated, extremely intelligent, and deeply technical people" in order to build a "core location service platform".

The timing is a little bit off: Microsoft has been accused of tracking location without the user's permission and has issued a response. In the light of these events it is not really clever to look for people in order to facilitate and create a "service to find the location of every Windows Phone device in the world, either by assisting GPS, or by using signal-analysis techniques to compute location where GPS cannot".

Here's the complete job description before it got pulled: "The team is looking for highly motivated, extremely intelligent, and deeply technical people to build the core location service platform. We are tasked with delivering a highly scalable service to find the location of every Windows Phone device in the world, either by assisting GPS, or by using signal-analysis techniques to compute location where GPS cannot. You will work closely with MSR and other research groups to improve our algorithms for mining large amounts of data using Bayesian analysis and other machine learning techniques. We have incredibly hard problems to solve in the coming year such as solving the indoor positioning problem as well as motion detection and relevance based positioning."

Needless to say that the job posting, which went up today, has been already pulled. Microsoft is already able to track the location of Windows Phones for its Find My Phone service which does, of course, need the users approval in order to collect data. Either Redmond is looking to improve the already existing service or is into something different which will probably make huge waves.

Source: Microsoft Careers (Pulled)
Via: Neowin

View the original article here

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The Honeymoon Stage of Trucking Courier Services and What Every Customer Must Know

A lot of in-city trucking couriers will service a new customer to death in the first few months of their business relationship, but once they feel that they are safe and secure with that customer, they begin to take them for granted and start providing shoddy service. Some couriers believe that since there are so few local courier express companies with a fleet large enough to service their clientele that they no longer have to worry about competition or they simply no longer care. If you feel that your delivery service is leaving you with a rotten bill of goods, then you are not alone. Please keep reading to learn how you can keep the honeymoon stage alive or find a way to exit what has truly become a dead marriage.

As a customer you may feel that you were once the prize, but you are now despised. Once the honeymoon period is over, you may realize that your courier company is slow to pick up or slow to deliver your goods. This bad service attitude often happens once the courier realizes that the new customer doesn't need their service as much as they had thought they would, hence they are not making much money from them. On the other hand, a courier company that treats all of their customers alike does not care if a customer spends $20 per period, or $2000; they will treat each customer with the utmost respect and provide the same level of service while remaining friendly, courteous, and thoroughly professional at all times.

Unfortunately, plenty of drivers (and courier express services) will often be aloof to customers when they do not feel that they are making much money from them. Conversely, a reputable courier company will impart their exemplary customer service standards to their drivers so that they will, in turn, consistently treat the customer well by demonstrating that they are happy to be there and are sincerely thankful for the opportunity to service them regardless of the amount of business that is being generated.

One thing of special note in this particular discussion is this: couriers that provide broader services than simple parcel delivery do not really make money on the parcel delivery side of the business due to equipment costs, commercial insurance, registration, monthly payments for vehicles and equipment, maintenance, fuel, taxes, etc. The most profitable part of their business comes from the calls that include heavy freight, those that fill their decks, and on rush services. You know that you are dealing with a dependable courier company when they are just as willing to move the small stuff as they are the large freight orders.

So, now that you know about the problems faced by customers who use in-city trucking courier services, how can you ensure that you won't become just another pretty face? Truthfully, there is no guarantee that your new service provider won't drop the ball but there are some steps you can take to remedy a deteriorating situation including:

1. Contact your current courier service and let them know that you are dissatisfied with their service. Keep track of problems including if a driver has been rude or if the company has been displaying a pattern of showing up late or holding back on deliveries.

2. Start shopping for a new courier service. This is easier said than done, but if you convey to a new company that you expect nothing less than exemplary service from them and that you plan on holding them accountable to their promises, then you are less likely to be disappointed later on. If they don't agree to your terms in advance, then simply move on to the next courier.

3. Expect to pay a decent rate for good service. Sometimes the customer is partially at fault when dealing with a new courier service as they'll demand discounts or demand a rate that matches the unreasonably low rate of a competitor. As the saying goes, "you get what you pay for" only invites shoddy service later on as the courier company looks for different ways to trim their costs, perhaps at your expense. Of course, this is not an ethical practice on the part of the trucking courier service, but it is not entirely unexpected either as someone within the company may have felt pressured to give to you their lowest rate without being able to back it up with an adequate level of service. Either way you lose, so if someone offers you a rate that is well below the industry average, you can expect service problems to crop up later on.

Finally, if your repeated request for an improvement in service falls on deaf ears, then you have little recourse but to shop elsewhere for a new trucking courier service. Changing couriers is by no means a small ordeal for a larger company as there is a lot of work involved with changing couriers, including familiarizing the company with your products and special requirements, getting to know the new company's drivers and company staff, and contacting all of your vendors to call the new courier for their deliveries instead of the former courier. In the end, once the switch has been made to a new courier service, only regular communication can ensure that the relationship stays fresh and that no one takes the other for granted. Much like a successful marriage is dependent on open and honest communication; a customer-courier service provider relationship will only thrive if both parties are interested in seeing that it succeeds.

Copyright 2006

Deborah Petersen is a Partner for Fast Lane Transport Ltd. & Hotshot, a freight trucking company whose specialty is providing Edmonton Courier Service and Hotshot (Hot Shot) Trucking for clients from their Edmonton base, serving western Canada.

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10 Business Challenges Every Entrepreneur Must Face When Building a Business From Scratch

Are you an entrepreneur? If you are, then I believe you will familiar with the pattern or business challenges faced when starting and building a business from scratch. If you are not an entrepreneur but you dream of becoming one someday, then I think you will find this article worthwhile.

Why am I writing on such a topic? I decided to write on the "10 business challenges every entrepreneur must face when building a business from scratch" to give entrepreneurs a glimpse of what to expect when they set out to start a new business venture. I am not writing to show my writing skills. Moreover, I am not a professional writer; I am an entrepreneur and investor to the core. I simply write to share my knowledge on building a business with anyone who is willing to learn.

This article is not meant to discourage or scare you from going into business. Instead, I wrote this article to prepare and highlight you on the business challenges to expect and how to handle them. Just as the popular saying goes:

"He that is prepared has half won the battle."

Below are 10 Business Challenges Every Entrepreneur Must Face When Building a Business from Scratch:

1. Developing the Vision and Idea:

This is usually the first challenge faced by every entrepreneur. Finding the right business opportunity or creatively developing an idea is certainly not an easy task. I call "Envisioning the idea" the first true task of an entrepreneur. As an entrepreneur, you must develop the ability to see what others cannot see. While others see problems, you must see opportunities.

But seeing opportunities is just the first task. The main challenge is going to be your ability to forge that opportunity into a business idea. I see this as a business challenge because the process of transforming opportunities into business plans is like trying to turn lead into gold. I call it the process of "Creating Value out Of Nothing." If you are not an entrepreneur, you might not be familiar with the process. The process of:

- Identifying a problem - Seeing an opportunity in the problem - Coming up with a solution - Developing your opportunity into a business idea - Integrating your solution into the business plan

Another way "developing the vision and idea" will be a business challenge is that an entrepreneur must sometimes assume the role of a sorcerer. Let me explain in detail. While others dwell in the past and present, an entrepreneur must envision and forecast the future. An entrepreneur must always be ahead of his time or else he might lose his relevance. He must have the ability to bring into present what is yet to be. Let me give you some practical illustrations:

In the late 70s and early 80s, while IBM saw increase in demand for their mainframe computers, Steve Jobs envisioned a personal computer in every home and Bill Gates envisioned the need for easy to use software for personal computers.

While everyone saw humans flying as an impossibility, the Wright brothers envisioned a flying machine.

Back in those days when cars were custom made and exclusively for the rich, Henry Ford envisioned affordable cars for the masses.

I believe with these few examples, my point is clear. Developing the vision and idea is the first true task of an entrepreneur.

2. Raising Capital:

After developing your idea, the next challenge you are going to face is the challenge of raising capital. As an entrepreneur, you are the only one who knows the idea to the core. You are the only one who knows the story of the future. Trying to convince investors about something that doesn't exist is definitely a challenge.

There is more to raising capital than just simply asking for money. Most investors want to invest in already established businesses with minimal risk. When building a business from scratch, raising capital will definitely be a business challenge you must face.

To overcome this challenge, you must develop the ability to sell your idea and vision to potential investors. When I say "sell your ideas", I mean improving your communication skill and your manner of presentation. In the game of raising capital, you must have a good story backed by a strong business plan. If you are interested in learning how to successfully raise capital, you can check other articles I have written.

3. Assembling a Team:

The third challenge you must face in the course of developing a business is assembling the right team. When I talk about a team, I am not talking about regular employees. I am talking about a "round table strategic business team" that will meet regularly to brainstorm on ways to grow your business.

As an entrepreneur, you are bound to have strengths and weaknesses. That is the more reason you need to assemble a strong team that will cover up for your weaknesses. A team is a necessity in your quest to build a business. Now finding a business team is just the first hurdle, transferring your passion and vision to your team is the real piece of cake.

You must strive to make sure your team sees the future you see. They must believe in your possibilities and must also be passionate about making that possibility a reality. If they can't grasp your vision, if they can't see they future with you, then they are not worthy being your team.

Your strategic business team should comprise your banker, financial advisor, accountant, attorney or legal adviser and any other specialist that will be of tremendous impact to your business. A question on your mind might be "how am I going to pay this team? My answer is I don't know. You will have to figure it out yourself or better still, you can consider bringing them on board as partners.

If you are still at loss with the thought of assembling a business team, then I will recommend you either take some time in learning how to build a business team or you can visit strategicbusinessteam.com to get some advice.

4. Finding the Right Location:

You might feel that finding a good location is a piece of cake but I bet you that finding a good location at the right price is definitely not easy. I don't have much to write on this but I feel it is worthwhile I bring it to your notice so you can prepare for it. The following are features you must consider before choosing a location. These features are subject to change with respect to the industry of your business:

- Suitable price - Easy access to raw materials - Good road network. - Basic amenities and infrastructures - Adequate Power supply - Easy access to cheap labour - Nearness to high traffic roads - Moderate state and federal tax - Favorable Government fiscal and monetary policy - Favorable federal and state laws. - Current economic policy and political situation.

5. Finding the Right Employees:

Most writers crank up the process of finding good employees as an easy task. They define finding an employee as simply presenting the job description and the right employee will surface. But I think it's more than that.

Those who are really business owners know how difficult it is to find a hardworking, trustworthy employee. Most employees want to work less and get paid more. Finding a good employee who will be passionate about delivering his or her services is quite difficult.

Employees are your representatives to your customers and the outside world. They are a reflection of your business culture and ethics. If an employee of yours is bad or rude to your customers, it is going to portray a bad image of your company. So you must be careful when hiring employees. Remember the golden rule of business; "Hire slow and fire fast."

6. Finding Good Customers:

The sixth business challenge you will face is the challenge of finding good customers. Note the keyword "good customers." When in the process of building a business from scratch, you will come to find out that there are good customers and bad customers.

You must really be on guard for bad customers. Good customers are really hard to find. A good customer will be loyal to your company and will be willing to forgive you if you make a mistake and apologize. A good customer will try to do the right thing that will benefit both himself and the company mutually.

A bad customer will always look for loopholes in the company's policy to exploit and make some few gains. Bad customers will always try to exploit the company's goodwill and look for ways to rip off the company. Bad customers are responsible for bad debts.

Good customers build your business and bad customers will always try to liquidate your business. Just as you fire employees, you must also be prepared to fire bad customers without hesitation. In the game of trying to find a new customer, always remember the customer that sued McDonald's to court claiming the coffee was too hot.

7. Overcoming Competition:

Competition is the next challenge you will face. Most individuals see competition as a plague but I see competition as a good challenge. I see competition as a benchmark for creativity, the main engine for innovation and quality products at great prices. Without competition, there will be no innovation and without innovation, the world will be stagnant.

I see competition as a welcomed challenge and I want you to do the same. Competition keeps us on our toes and drives us to constantly improve our products and services. But you must be warned. Competition can make your business lose its relevance in the eye of your customers so you must always be on guard. At this point, I leave you with a quote:

"If you don't have a competitive advantage, don't compete." - Robert Kiyosaki

8. Unforeseen Challenges and Expenses:

Just as a sailor prepares for unexpected storm, just as a pilot is always on the watch for unpredictable bad weather and thunderstorms, so must an entrepreneur be prepared for what ever comes. Unexpected challenges can come in the form of:

- Unexpected law suits - Inconsistent government policy - Not being able to make payroll - Unpaid bills and taxes - Unexpected resignation of staff from sensitive office - Bad debts from customers - Loss of market share - Dwindling working capital - Inadequate stock or inventory

These challenges, if not handled properly can ruin your plan to build a successful business from scratch. Another challenge you must expect is an unforeseen increase in business expenses. If not handled properly, it might result in constant negative cash flow and eventually, the business failure.

9. Keeping Up With Industrial Changes and Trends:

Change in trends is really a business challenge you must be prepared for. Trends have made and broken lot of businesses. I know a lot of profitable businesses that have been wiped out by slight industrial changes and trends. A typical example is the Dot com trend, where many industrial based businesses were wiped out by new web based dot com companies.

When the Dot com era began, business owners were left with only two options. Either they join the dot com train or they get crushed by the dot com train.

Seasoned entrepreneurs know that trend is always a friend and are always willing to swiftly adjust their business with the current trend. Keeping your eyes open to spot trends is really a challenge but the big task will be your ability to quickly use the trend to your advantage.

10. Exiting the Business:

"In the world of business and investing, your exit is more important than your entry. A good thumb of rule is this; exit before you enter." - Robert Kiyosaki

When building a business from scratch, you are going to face the business challenge of determining your exit strategy. Just as the quote above states, you have to plan your exit strategy before you even start the business. Most entrepreneurs run their business without any plans to exit and even if they have an exit strategy, they find it difficult to implement it.

Before starting a business, it is advisable to always plan your exit. There are benchmarks you can use to determine your exit from the business. Most smart entrepreneurs will use this benchmark as a target and once this specific target is reached, they exit the business. Examples of such benchmarks are:

- Annual sales - Annual Turnover - Asset Base - Market Saturation - Customer base or number of users. This is more applicable to dot com companies.

Now when it comes to exiting the business, there are three exit strategies you can apply. The exit strategies are:

Turning over the business to professional managers: When your business reaches a certain stage of maturity, you can exit by turning it over to professional managers. In this case, the business still belongs to you but you are not involved with its day to day affairs. You will have to give up administrative role to assume the role of a watchdog. When you exit in this manner, you will have more free time to look into other projects or retire.

Selling the business privately: In this case, you are exiting the business by selling it to a private investor. In the business world, it is called M&A (Mergers and Acquisitions). After the sale and transfer of assets is complete, you have nothing to do with the business again.

Taking the company public: The unique thing about this type of exit strategy is that while you are selling your business (in form of shares) to public investors, you still own and control the business.

Please before you apply any of these exit strategy, I will advise you consult with your attorney or legal adviser. But ultimately, it's up to you to decide the exit strategy you want to apply. Always remember "your exit is more important than your entry."

At this stage, I thank you for reading and taking your time to learn. Till I come your way again, remain blessed.

And just before I drop my pen, if you really want to learn How to Start a Business from scratch; please feel free to visit our blog. In addition, you can also get quality information on How to Become a Billionaire in less than 10 years

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7 Things Every Home Business Entreprenuer Needs To Know

Looking back on many unsuccessful attempts at home business, we wish we had received guidance from someone who had already been down the road we wanted to travel. We had so many failures that we were starting to doubt that success in a home business would ever happen for us.

Thankfully, we didn't give up and through perseverance we were able to achieve the success that had eluded us for years. Along the way we discovered many things that we wish we had known when we started this journey.

Our success has literally transformed our lives. We believe that to whom much has been given, much is required. Consider this information our gift to you. If we can be of assistance please, do not hesitate to fill out the contact form at TheHomeBusinessPodcast.

1. Success doesn't happen overnight.

For some reason people think that they should become rich in a few months with their new home business and some people believe success should happen within weeks or days! We introduced a man in his early 50's to our business and he was excited. When we first met he complained that he had been working hard for more than 30 years and he was broke.

He said he never had any time for himself or his family. We told him what it would take to become successful and he agreed to do it. Then, he disappeared. A few weeks later he called to tell me that he was quitting. He hadn't even started and here he was ready to give up.

We asked him if he would be better off quitting his full-time job and keeping his home business! Of course, we didn't really mean that he should quit his job, but he had been working full-time for more than 30 years and he was still broke. He started his home business just a few weeks earlier and he never gave it a chance.

Why is it that so many people think that they should become wealthy in a few weeks? The answer probably lies in all the get rich quick schemes that are so prevalent in our society today. You've seen the emails or read these lines in your junk mail. No Selling, We Do All The Work For You, Make $30,000 in 90 days and on and on.

Those get rich quick scams cause people to think that every home business is a scam and that's not true. We just got off the phone with Doug, a nice guy who is seriously considering our home business. During our conversation we made it clear that he wouldn't be rich in 60 or 90 days and his response was the kind of response we hear often, "Thanks for telling me the truth. I'm happy to know that I'm dealing with people of integrity."

We were frustrated so many times in the first year of our home business that quitting seemed like the sensible thing to do. After all, these things don't work. Who do you think you are? Why don't you just get a job like everybody else? These thoughts and many like them nearly kept us from success.

If you already have a home business, perhaps you are facing the same thoughts. Don't let the negative thoughts crowd out the life changing success that a home business offers. Sure, we struggled at first, but after 20 months we were making $100,000 a year in lifetime residual income! When you find yourself facing bankruptcy and foreclosure as we were and then apply for food stamps you have a firm grasp on the tough times life can bring.

Occasionally, we'll say "What If?" As in, what if we hadn't stuck it out through the hard times? What if we had taken the advice of supposedly well meaning people who said that we would never have success in a home business?

What if it took you two to four years to become successful in a home business? What if you could make $100,000 without a boss and a job to go to? What if you could actually be home for your children and know them as people instead of looking at them as the little people who live in your house?

Most people who start a home business quit in their first 90 days and go back to their dreadful lives of desperation. Most people aren't really living. They are only existing. They're going from one day to the next without any hope of a better life. Benjamin Franklin said "most people die at 18, we just don't bury them until they turn 65."

2. Success doesn't happen without work.

I talked to a woman who said she was interested in changing her life. When it was time for her to make a decision she asked me, "Do I have to do anything?" "No" I replied, "once a month we just back the money truck up to your house and unload!"

If you had a traditional business you'd have to open your business every day. If you have a job you've got to show up if you want to get paid. When you start a home business you can't simply sign up and expect the money to start being deposited in your bank account. There's work to be done.

Is it hard to become successful in a home business? Compared to giving all of the best years of your life to your employer and missing birthdays, anniversaries, your child's first words, your child's first steps and realizing that life is nearly over and in your golden years you don't have the money to do the things you want to do, no it really isn't that hard at all!

If you're in a business like ours when you employ leverage, getting paid for other people's efforts, you can enjoy the fruits of your labor so much more. Even if you have a home business where you do all the work it's better than working for an employer.

We are convinced that to live a great life your home business must employ the leverage concept. It's the only way you can have money and the time to enjoy it. The wealthiest people in America became wealthy by owning businesses. The businesses that created great wealth were out in front of a trend and the business owner got paid based on the efforts of thousands of people. We wouldn't be enjoying the life we live today if we were getting paid only on our own efforts.

We worked really hard with very little success in our first year. Our 2nd year was the breakthrough that we were looking for, success was on the way. What we failed to realize was that during our first 12 months we were improving our skills and our confidence and that's when success started to happen.

So, how much did we work in our first two years? We worked as much as it took. How much should you work your home business? That depends on a variety of factors. How bad do you want it? How fast do you want to achieve success? We recommend that you work your home business a minimum of 7 to 10 hours a week, and do it consistently for at least two years.

Success doesn't happen without work and it isn't limited to working your business. Are you committed to improving your skills and working on you? Read at least 10 pages from a great book every day. Books like "Think and Grow Rich" will change the way you think and when you change the way you think you will change your life.

Expecting success without work from your home business is like expecting a paycheck from a job that you never started. It just doesn't make sense.

3. You must be disciplined to achieve success.

So, you're working your new home business and a friend calls offering to take you to lunch. Can you afford to go? Your favorite show is on TV, but you know you need to be working your home business, what will you do? Perhaps the biggest adjustment most of us need to make is to be disciplined in our home business.

Let's face it in a work environment there is usually supervision. Many people fail in a home business because there's nobody looking over their shoulder to see that they do what they need to do.

Since most people who start a home business have never owned a business, we must learn to be disciplined, if we're going to operate a successful home business. There were times when somebody told us no and that was devastating. We'd usually mope around and fail to do anything else the rest of the day. Had we maintained that attitude, we'd have a job right now instead of an successful home business!

Consider setting business hours. Of course, there are exceptions to every rule, but asking friends and family members to respect your business and your business hours is an important step to success. We've got a good friend who makes more than $100,000 a year and when you come over to his house during business hours you can visit with his wife, but he excuses himself and works his business. If you have a small child, work when he or she is napping and when they are in bed at night.

It's also a good idea to have a permanent work space, so you can shut the door, eliminate distractions and get your work done.

This is a difficult adjustment for some people to make, but your children can learn that when Mommy or Daddy is in this room with the door shut that they are working. You'd be amazed at how many children will respect your space and time if you ask them too. We've seen many successful stay at home moms and dads work with children nearby. Don't let screaming children or children that interrupt you on occasion become a big deal, the person on the other end of the phone may be convinced that your business is right for them BECAUSE they hear your children in the background.

When you promise to call somebody back at a certain time you've got to find the time. Children will appreciate knowing why Mommy or Daddy isn't available at certain times and you can explain to them that it will be worth all the sacrifices once you become successful.

Discipline can be difficult with all the distractions that can occur in your home, but it is one ingredient that you must have to become successful.

4. Who you're involved with is more important than the business you're in.

Let's face it, most people don't really have a clue how to operate a business, any kind of business not just a home business. When we're young we are told to go to school to get good grades so we can get a good... JOB! That's exactly the path most of us start on, get a job, work hard, work long hours and try to get a promotion so we can work more hours and hopefully make more money.

We do that for 10, 20 or 30 years and then realize that we are never going to get ahead. That's when the idea that a home business could change our life hits most of us. We've been told to be good employees and that's what most of us have done all of our lives.

There is no substitute for leadership. If you are blessed to find somebody who has been successful in a home business and you know that they can sincerely help you change your life forever, you should jump at the chance to work with them. Make sure you're comfortable with them before you get started. So, what should you look for? You should look for somebody that knows exactly what they are doing. When you ask questions are they comfortable or uncomfortable? Do they have a system that you can plug in to and have immediate success?

One of the reasons I failed in other home businesses is that I didn't understand the importance of finding the right person to work with. I am not blaming my failures on somebody else, but if I had been associated with people who really knew what they were doing they would have given me guidance that I did not get. Perhaps I would have failed anyway, but there is no doubt that working with successful people will cut your learning curve and save you a lot of time and money. Only you can assure your success, but finding the right person to work with and then listening to that person gives you a tremendous advantage over most people working business from their homes!

Let's say you have what you think is a great idea and you've got a little extra money stashed away for a rainy day. Your spouse isn't overly supportive, but he or she wants you to succeed. You decide to invest $1,000 or $2,000 in your new business by taking out an ad in a local magazine. You get no response at all. How do you think your spouse feels about your home business now? That kind of mistake destroys most people and they never recover.

Last week I received an email from a so called marketing guru offering his services. I could get his marketing expertise if I paid him almost $800. Almost everything he offered we give to our team members for FREE! We know that what we're doing works for our business because it has been tested and proven to be successful or we wouldn't do it. His material, although similar to ours, hasn't been tested in our business and could prove to be a waste of both time and money. What would happen if you sent that $800 and it didn't work? How supportive would your spouse be then?

5. Technology has changed everything.

Many years ago you had to get out and meet people and most business was done face to face. You could call people around the country, but if they had any interest in your business you had to send a package overnight. That proved to be very expensive.

When we were broke, I thought everybody that sounded serious, was serious. I was sending out packages several times a week only to find that these people weren't serious at all.

Then, the internet changed everything. You don't have to meet people face to face anymore, although I must admit it's still my favorite way of doing business. Today, you can upload a video in seconds, so people can see you. You can send an email with links to websites, videos and your contact information. Auto responders make you look like a Fortune 500 company, and nobody knows how big your business really is because anybody anywhere can have a great looking website.

When I started my business more than 10 years ago my long distance phone bill was nearly $1,000 a month, today we can call as much as we want for $20! You can use conference calling and web casts to present your business to hundreds of people at a time.

People can automatically receive your latest Pod cast and watch it in the subway or at lunch. This is the information age and you should capitalize on the shift in technology in your home business. Don't worry about all the latest gadgets when you start your business because the personal touch will always be important. Even if you don't have a lot of money technology allows your home business to operate and look like a very big business.

Don't get too preoccupied with technology. You can, however, use it to enhance your image and your productivity if you know what you are doing. Today, we don't mail anybody any information regarding our home business. With internet access almost everywhere, we realize that if somebody needs us to mail them something, they probably aren't the person we were looking for.

6. It's a home business, but that doesn't mean it can't be a big business.

Most people that start a home business are looking for an extra $300 to $500 a month. What would an extra $50,000 or $100,000 a year do for you and your family, seriously! Maybe it's because so many of us have failed so many times that we just don't believe in ourselves anymore.

Once you understand the basic fundamentals of your new home business and once you've achieved some success, you'll understand that the sky is the limit. We make much more money than we ever thought possible and we have friends that are making more than $1,000,000 a year! Hard to believe? Of course it is! Just because it's hard to believe doesn't mean that it isn't happening.

After we struggled at so many other businesses I wanted to believe that we could become incredibly successful, but my past was holding me back. Today, we operate a home business that generates almost $10,000,000 in annual sales! Years ago I never knew anybody that made $1,000,000 a year, so it was hard for me to "see" myself ever reaching that milestone. When a good friend of mine did it, I could then start to see that I could have that kind of success.

So, do you really want to struggle all your life? Then why do we settle for mediocrity? Here's why, we're unsure of ourselves, stuck in a rut, scared, we lack confidence, we tried and failed and tried and failed, what will my spouse, mother, brother, best friend think? We care too much about what other people say, think and do!

7. As a Man Thinketh...

As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he. Joyce Meyer is fond of saying that where the mind goes, the man follows. Of course, it makes no difference whether you are a man or a woman, you are what you think you are. As we struggled in our home business it was easy to become discouraged. We had always failed. Those constant thoughts of failure surrounded us.

Then, we realized that others had succeeded. Why did they succeed where so many others had failed? Could it really be that the only reason they achieved success was that they thought differently? We were so broke and so desperate for a breakthrough in our lives that we realized that we could not afford the luxury of having negative thoughts. There were plenty of other negative people that we could have listened to, but what was that going to get us?

What if we listened to the people that were positive, which by the way were the same people who were achieving success? When we started our home business we felt like the biggest loser on the planet. If something positive didn't happen soon we were going to have to move out of state to live with Judith's mother. How were we going to explain to our children that we had lost our home? If our home business was going to change, we would have to change first.

We couldn't afford the luxury of one negative thought. We started making good choices. We would distance ourselves from anybody that had anything negative to say about anything! We would surround ourselves with positive, uplifting people who would speak life into our lives.

We didn't listen to people who laughed at us and yes, there really were people who laughed at us. We believed that we would have life changing success even before there were any real signs of success. Some people call that the "fake it till you make it" concept. While we wholeheartedly endorse that concept we do not recommend that you mislead people.

There is nothing wrong with having a positive attitude. It is wrong to misrepresent your current financial situation. One of the most disappointing things we encounter in home business is the tendency that people have to inflate their incomes. There must be some school of thought that this is appealing or O.K. and it is not.

Once you lose your integrity, you can never get it back. We have done everything we can to make it clear that a home business will not typically solve your financial pressures overnight. We know many people that have made $500 to $2,000 in their first month in a home business. Very few make more than that in their first 30 days. If you think you have to lie to become successful you are wrong. We made just over $300 our first month in the home business that has paid us more money than we ever thought possible.

Negative people tried to convince us that we would never have success. We didn't listen to them then, and we don't listen to negative people now. We know that you can have success in a home business. We know that it won't be easy. We know that if you get guidance along the way from successful people that you will live an extraordinary life.

Scott Miller and his wife Judith are blessed to have been married for almost 26 years. They have two children, 22 year old Brittany Rickaway (married to Nathan Rickaway in January 2006) and 18 year old Cody who will attend Dallas Baptist University in the fall of 2007. Scott, Judith, Brittany and Cody all work together in their home business. To download 5 FREE CD's that will change your life no matter what you choose to do go to http://www.getoutnow.com

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Small Business Secret #4 - 10 Chapter Elements Every Business Plan Must Have to Be Successful

One of the ten most important documents you must have in creating a successful small business, and in fact any business is the Business Plan. The Business Plan is the overall summary document that describes how your business will work, how people will invest into your business and how the business will operate.

A successful Business Plan will contain 10 key Chapter elements and they are -

1. Company Description

2. Business Concept

3. Management Team

4. Market Analysis

5. Marketing Strategy

6. Operations

7. Investment Analysis

8. Growth Plan/Exit Strategy

9. Financial Projections

10. Business Mastermind Group Advisers

One element that should also be in your business plan that is not in the list of 10 key Elements is the Executive Summary. All documents that have some substance should have an executive summary that outlines a summary of the contents of the document. As this should be in every document you create, I felt that it was not a Key Chapter element and as such that is why it is not in my list of 10 Key Chapter Elements.

Chapter 1 - Company Description

The company description is the first chapter of 10 for your business plan. The role of the Company Description is to define the organization, who it will be owned by, the capitalization of the business, the location of the business and generally what the business will do.

Chapter 1 to a certain degree is a summary of other chapters within the business plan like the capitalization information but it also carries unique information like, where the business will operate from.

Chapter 2 - Business Concept

The Business Concept chapter is the vision side of your business plan. This is where you get to put your dream down on paper. You will define in this chapter information like the concept design of your business, an explanation of what your business will look like, what sort of image it is going to have, what your customers will see when they walk up the street and or into your front door. It will also define exactly what your business is going to do and how you are going to do it.

In the business concept chapter you may like to put some samples in this chapter as to what you will be selling or offering. For example if you were opening a restaurant then you might put a sample menu into this chapter as a sub chapter or if you were cleaning dogs then you might put in your sales brochure.

Chapter 3 - Management Team

The Management Team sets out who is going to manage your business, who the key players are and what their experience is. This chapter alone can make the difference in securing considerable money, if you are using the business plan to get others to invest in your venture. If you can demonstrate in this chapter that the people you are going to enlist to help manage the business have solid experience in your target industry then investors or banks or private equity groups are more likely to back you financially.

You should also include in this section any lawyer approved management agreements and confidentiality agreements.

Chapter 4 - Market Analysis

The Market Analysis is specifically focused on talking about the industry in which you will be operating. This chapter should included lots of facts and figures from reliable and verifiable sources. The sources of this information could include information from Government agencies that provide statistics, information from the local chamber of commerce or better business bureau or your industry association.

All the fact and figures you provide in your business plan must be verifiable. If you are hoping to garner money from private equity groups or financial institutions, they have teams of people whose job it is to go over Business Plans and to confirm that the facts and figures are in fact true and not made up. If they find that you have used dodgy figures or that you have made them up, then organizations will very quickly identify that and reject your application for financing.

One other way you may gather market information is by doing your own surveys of your intended market. Make sure though that if you are going to use these results that you keep the raw data and make it available to your investors. If you do not do this, they will question the validity of your findings. If they can take your raw results and verify what you have said then your survey results will be given a higher weighting during an investment review.

Chapter 5 - Marketing Strategy

The Marketing Strategy sets out what marketing and advertising you are going to do, to get the required business to meet your financial projections. This section will include how you are going to build that all important customer database, what mediums you will use to market your business. What marketing mix you will use to keep your customers coming back time and time again. In this chapter you will also address issues such as your Community and Charity Involvement plus who will be responsible for your public relations management.

Chapter 6 - Operations Chapter

The Operations Chapter looks at how your business will operate on a day-to-day basis. Issues to be included are how many staff you will employ, what positions they will hold, what training will they get, who your suppliers will be, an alternative list of suppliers if something should happen, the daily operations that will need to occur, what administrative systems you will put in place and finally the management controls you will put in place to ensure everything runs smoothly.

Chapter 7 - Investment Analysis

This is an important area for those people or institutions who will be investing into your business, cause essentially they want to know what they are going to get for their money. The Investment Analysis chapter will outline the full investment strategy, the investment types, the amount of the investment, the percentage ownership value for the investor, the investment roles and the Return on Investment.

The other area that I recommend that be included is the Equity analysis showing how Cash Distributions will be undertaken. From experience this area alone causes a lot of concern for investors and is often a sticking point when profits are being divvied out.

Chapter 8 - Growth Plan/Exit Strategy

This section is as important a chapter as the Investment Analysis Chapter. Knowing how you are going to expand your business and exit the business is your number one strategy and issue you need to address before starting the business. More so, you also must have it clearly articulated how your investors can exit the investment in your organization and also how you will expand investment options for other investors. For example, if you want to expand and to bring on more investment capital how will that affect the equity of the existing investors?

Each of these issues are ones that can often cause clear concerns and divisions with the investors in your organization and it is always best to have these issues addressed prior to the establishment of your business rather than once it has been started.

Chapter 9 - Financial Projections

Everybody likes this chapter as it defines what sort of money everyone is going to make. This section should include all project sources and how the cash will be used, it should define where all capital acquisitions will becoming from, sales projections, expenditure projections, labour projections, cash flow projections (the most important issue of all) and detailed summary statement of income for 1 year, 2 years and 5 years.

One of the other areas I also like to see at this point is a sample Chart of Accounts for the business. Often what is given in the Business Plan at this point is simply the same simple Chart of Accounts that every business uses rather than the one that is most appropriate for your industry. Getting a clearly defined Chart of Account at the start will tell investors whether you really understand how to invest and if you understand the industry you are going to be operating in.

Chapter 10 - Business Mastermind Group Advisers

Your Business Mastermind Group of Advisers is your 10 people who you will use, that are independent of your business to help your build your enterprise. These 10 people are usually made up of accountants, lawyers, industry specialists, marketing specialist and so forth. It is important to list this group in this chapter as equity investors or banks and financial institutions will look on these advisers and if they see people on your Mastermind Group that are expert specialists in the area of business you are entering then they will know that you have done your homework and if you are in trouble you will have people you can rely on to help you.

I like many people when I built my first small business, I did it without writing a business plan and that made life incredibly difficult for the first few years because I didn't have focus. As I have built more and more companies, and created their associated business plans, I have found that it is easier to build a successful enterprise once you have that information.

Without a business plan you will never truly achieve your goals, because you will not have clearly articulated what they are for that business. Making money is not an acceptable goal in business, you need to know where you want your business to go and what you want to achieve from that business.

To finish off, I would like to take a moment to summarize the ten elements every business plan must have:

1. Company Description

2. Business Concept

3. Management Team

4. Market Analysis

5. Marketing Strategy

6. Operations

7. Investment Analysis

8. Growth Plan/Exit Strategy

9. Financial Projections

10. Business Mastermind Group Advisers

Would you like to learn more on the Thirteen Secret Steps all millionaires know in the path to becoming an obscenely wealth and a successful person. Then find out how by learning from Bob Proctor how to Think and Grow Rich. Check out our Meditation Music to help you master this important program and to get some relaxation. Would you like to be successful online then Learn Copywriting with our simple easy to follow 32-Step Copywriting System

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