Nokia N9 Seems Successful, All 64GB Models Pre-Ordered

You are in a Smartphone News Post

Nokia's store in its own country's capital, Helsinki, is already taking pre-orders for the MeeGo powered N9, the first pure-touch smartphone launched by Nokia at the end of June. Based on initial feedback and a couple of pre-order days, demand is very good and Nokia might face a success story.

All 64GB models of the N9 have been reportedly reserved, so all of you in Finland who want the phone will have to settle (for the moment) for the 16GB variant. The buttonless slate has a unibody design, sports a 3.9-inch curved glass AMOLED display and FWVGA resolution (854 x 480 pixels) while its processor is a Texas Instruments OMAP3630 1GHz CPU aided but a PowerVR SGX530 GPU. Helping it there's a full gigabyte of RAM on board as well as either 16GB or 64GB storage for the two main variants.

The eight-megapixel auto focus camera with Carl Zeiss optics takes stellar pictures, has dual LED flash and super wide 28mm lens, with 16:9 720p video recording capability. With those great looks, hopefully borrowed by the SeaRay, we can expect the buzz around Nokia's upcoming Windows Phone too.

Source: Nokia Conversations
Via: MyNokiaBlog

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Managed Services - The Secret Sauce For A Successful Managed Services Business

Just for the moment, consider yourself a moderately successful IT service provider who sees the growing opportunity in managed services, is quickly developing the technology to support this burgeoning market and knows the secret - has in fact the secret "sauce" - to managing a successful managed services business.

Now liken yourself and your IT business to the owner of a fine dining establishment. The restaurant owner knows that his professional livelihood is built on the "meat and potatoes" of his operation, namely his fine selection of highly quality meats cooked to perfection. And he is convinced that his culinary success is due to the secret "sauce" he has created to adorn each entree. He even has a signature garnish that he places on top of each entree that makes it highly unique to him and a cut above his competition.

This same analogy applies to your IT business. Your company is probably beginning to shift away from the technology and the tools that deliver services to a realization that the managed services business is the "meat and potatoes" upon which your future livelihood will rest. Your "culinary" success will be due, in large part, to the special "sauce" you create to adorn each managed service you offer. That special "sauce" is your marketing strategy. The garnish you place on each managed service is the one unique fact or feature about your business -and how you market it - that sets you apart from your competitors.

So, what are the "meat and potatoes" of your business - the managed services you plan to offer your clients as you transition to a successful managed service business? How are you going to marketing those services - what "sauce" or "sauces" are you going to create to sell them? What "garnish" will you put on top - what fact or feature about your business is unique enough to separate and differentiate you from your competition?

First, let's talk about managed services. This is the "meat and potatoes" of your operation.

To optimize your overall performance as a successful managed services business, here are five key elements of the business to master. Mastery of these "secrets of success" will determine how well you do in the marketplace and positively impact your success and survivability as a managed services provider (MSP).

Core Technologies. The definition of managed services is expanding from infrastructure management and remote maintenance to the inclusion of software as a service. Selecting the right technology is one key piece of an effective MSP strategy. Successful MSPs typically use one of two types of software solutions - Professional Services Automation Software (PSA) and Remote Monitoring and Management Software (RMM). PSA blends such functions as customer relationship management (CRM), sales force automation, customer billing and troubleshooting into one single comprehensive platform. RMM allows the MSP to proactively maintain and troubleshoot customer systems and networks off-site.
Emerging Technologies. Up until now, MSPs were able to master basic PC and server administration. Today's MSPs face new challenges as the landscape of managed services continues to evolve. Now these MSPs have to master cloud and SaaS managements and learn how to tap into systems like Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google Apps, Microsoft Windows Azure and Microsoft Business Productivity Online Suite (BPOS). Keeping pace with these options requires constant networking. Successful MSPs make this one of their biggest priorities.
Business Leadership. As you move from being a technology driven business to being a managed services provider, commitment from the CEO and top management is critical. Managed services will stall or fail completely without this commitment. CEOs don't have to master the MSP technologies but what they do need to do is this:
Promote recurring revenue streams as much as possible instead of quick break fix project work.
Track and improve customer service levels rather than billable hours.
Schedule frequent meetings to advise customers on those service levels and to discuss technologies that can further improve overall business performance.

Hiring & Firing, Sales Training & Compensation. The jury is still out on whether MSPs need to fire or replace staff as they push into managed services or work with existing staff to generate more and more recurring revenue. Sometimes MSPs find it works better if they augment their staff with outside talent, though many times this talent can be found within their existing rank-and-file. In more traditional IT companies, sales teams are generally paid a one-time commission for special projects revenue. In the managed services market, however, recurring revenue models create new opportunities and new challenges. The biggest challenge is keeping salespeople focused on longer-term, ongoing contracts rather than quick-hit project work. Without the proper compensation plans in place, salespeople may make half-hearted managed services calls and end up pitching a new technology product instead of the managed services you hope to sell. The best MSP in the most successful managed services business has clearly communicated compensation plans with well-defined goals and priorities that motivate the sales professional to look for more business and more opportunities for managed services from either existing clients or new ones.

Service Level Agreements. Successful MSPs know that without a well-designed and understood service level agreement in place, the clients will be expecting one thing and the MSP another. Using a solid service level agreement shows the client that you know what you are doing and that you will put both your reputation and wallet behind your word.

Now, let's talk about how you are going to marketing these managed services. What "sauce" or "sauces" are you going to create to sell this business model and bring value to the customer. The signature "sauce" you create and the ingredients you use to make it is the key to your success. Here are the three ingredients you need:

Marketing & Client Education. Managed services generates a significant amount of information about end users' activities and needs. Successful MSPs use that information to anticipate those needs and recommend applications and value-added services to help clients run their businesses more effectively. Using that information as part of a marketing strategy to better educate the customer is paramount. Many MSPs believe the client's lack of knowledge and understanding about the managed services business model is their greatest inhibitor to success. When the time comes to describe your managed services portfolio to clients, remember these three words - less is better. Skip the high-tech acronyms, the techie bells and whistles, and focus on the benefits to your client. Concentrate only on the services you offer that bring them real value, like customer satisfaction or service levels.

Marketing Strategies. To date, managed services has been about the technology, but today's successful MSPs are more focused on how to run their business well and deliver value to their customers. They know the importance of a successful business model, targeted sales strategies and value propositions and they are marketing all of that to their clients as part of their managing services portfolio. But the driving force behind the push to invest in a sales and marketing strategy is the company's commitment to sell the customer on the value the MSP can provide.

The New Marketing Model. Successful MSPs know that technology alone is not going to change their business. They know it's all about creating a business model of managed services and equipping themselves with the skills to run their business and to market it to a targeted audience. To build a successful marketing model, you need to do three things:

Define your product (managed services) from the client's perspective and sell it that way. Let client's know the advantages of this approach. Let them know you can provide them with software and spread costs over a number of clients. Tell them you can build more application experience than in-house staff. Assure them that your key software systems are kept up to date, available and managed for performance by experts. Let them know they will always have access to product and technology experts. Show them you can reduce their costs to a predictable monthly fee.
Know your client and let them know you know them. Let them know that you know it takes them six to 12 months to commit to a services program. Speak to them in their own language by speaking to the pains that you know that they have because they are common in the industry. Then show how you are uniquely qualified to resolve these pains and problems.
Use sales and marketing tools to your advantage to reach your client and, use only those with a proven return on investment. Schedule as many visits and meetings with the client as you can to advise them on service levels and to discuss new and emerging technologies to further improve business performance. Invite them to events like small business luncheons to get their thoughts and opinions on business trends or use of technology. Prepare hand-outs describing the benefits of predictable, flat-rate, proactive managed services programs. Create ongoing marketing and PR campaigns to announce new software products and technologies. Actively solicit customer endorsements.

Now, once again, liken yourself and your IT business to the owner of a fine dining establishment. We have defined the "meat and potatoes" of your operations - all of the managed services upon which your business in now built. We have given you the key ingredients to make your special "sauce" or "sauces" - client education, key marketing strategies and the new marketing model. Now all you need is that signature garnish you place on each of your products that is unique to you and you alone and a cut above your competition.

That garnish is a statement of who you are and how you present yourself. Are you ingenious? Are you creative? Are you capable of delivering the services required in a knowledgeable and innovative way? Do you communicate reliability and dependability? Are you empathic towards your client and their needs? What is it about you that makes the client want to do business with you and nobody but you? These are the intangible things that set you and your managed services business apart from your competitors. This is what your clients will remember.

This is a concise overview of what it takes to succeed as an MSP. Know your product. Know the market. Know your customer. Then move ahead and capitalize on the opportunities in managed services.

Now that you have tasted the "secret sauce" for managed services, you can get your hands on a complete built-for-you marketing system that will help you attract more clients, avoid expensive mistakes and win the managed services game. Go to http://www.managedservicesblueprint.com to claim your free audio CD on building an auto-pilot marketing system that attracts and closes high-profit managed services clients.

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4 Keys to Successful Service Marketing - Especially For Dentists!

What exactly are you promoting or "selling?" Most of us in the dental profession would answer this question with crowns, fillings, dentures, teeth whiting, improved aesthetics and/or optimal oral health. But in reality, we are selling services. We can't actually give patients new white teeth, but we can fabricate a new set of dentures, prep their teeth for beautiful veneers or make them a beaching tray to help them achieve a brighter, whiter smile. In dentistry we don't sell tangible items, only services.

As a dentist, it's easy to forget that we sell a "service" because we usually think about our practices by the numbers -the number of crowns we prepare, the number of patients on the schedule or the number of teeth we extract. You can't sell someone a crown the same way you would sell them a new pair of shoes, but you can give them a gentle injection, prepare their tooth, take an impression, fabricate a temporary, send the crown off to a quality dental lab, collect their money, and deliver it in two weeks -all with a smile. Dentistry is a service, and your patients need to know why they should purchase your service over the service they can get down the street.

The general public assumes that because you have a dental license, you are competent and capable of providing quality dental treatment -so what they're really buying from you is the level of service you and your staff offer. This is why one doctor can get twice the amount of money from a patient for the exact same procedure as the doctor down the street.

Dentistry is a service business, and to better market your services, you must understand the four keys of successful service marketing: (1) tangible vs. intangible products (2) your service, (3) relationships and (4) perceptions and expectations.

Key #1 Tangible vs. Intangible Products

Unlike your dental services, a new pair of shoes or a new shirt is a tangible product. When you're shopping for clothes, you can hold them, compare them, touch them, and feel them. You can even try them on and walk around the store. Service products like dentistry are usually very intangible. You can't play with your new filling or try out your new set of denture teeth before you buy them. Most of the time patients aren't even given a chance to see their new $900 crown until it's cemented in their mouth. This is an intangible service.

So, what can you do? Make it more tangible! Use intra-oral cameras, pictures, flipcharts, models and imaging, you can make your services more tangible and meaningful to your patients. People like to see, touch, and feel things -try this with your dental services. Make your dentistry more tangible by educating and involving patients in their treatment plans and case presentations. When patients understand why and what they're buying, they'll buy more of it. Most people don't like to invest in things they don't understand.

Key #2 Your Service

A majority of dentists miss the apex on this one. Dentists and staff often think of marketing as either selling or advertising. Dental practices will spend a lot time and money developing a new company brochure or web site, running an ad in the newspaper, writing a patient newsletter, changing their logo, or investing in the latest and greatest direct mail marketing piece, but they often forget to focus on the most important principal of service marketing -the service itself. Combined these are all very important parts of your practice.

Your service is represented by the dentistry you do, the way it's done in your practice, and how you and your staff treat the patients. Before you even think about a new marketing program or a radio advertisement campaign, you need to be providing excellent customer service to your patients.

Many people have come to expect "good" service in general, and this means they'll expect better service from your dental practice as well. Patients are watching television shows like Extreme Makeover and Oprah, and reading magazines about "Spa experiences" in upscale dental offices. It's not just about the amenities you offer patients; it's about your service. How are you treating your patients? Do you treat them the way you would want to be treated? Are you educating and motivating them? Do you make them wait thirty minutes before being seated in the treatment area? Do you make them feel welcome and comfortable in your practice?

Concentrate your efforts and energy towards improving your service and you won't have to spend as much money on marketing and advertising. The best marketing tool at your disposal comes from word of mouth. If people really like their experience in your office and with the doctor and staff, they are more likely to be telling their friends about it.

Key#3 Relationships

One thing that's missing in this microwave, fast cure, hurry-up world is relationships, and connections with other people. It's OK to be professional, but you need to focus on being personal and friendly. Take time to let your patients know you care. I would trade professionalism any day of the week to make a real connection with my patient. Being a doctor is great, but it doesn't mean you're any better than the guy or gal that's sitting in your chair with a mouth full of bad teeth.

Dentistry is based on people, relationships, and communication. When patients purchase your service, they're buying the talents and abilities of the people that perform those services. People purchase products based on their feeling towards those products. They purchase services based on their feelings toward everyone and everything involved with that service. That means they're buying into your dentistry because of you and your staff. Many studies have shown that patients judge us on our interpersonal skills, not our clinical ones. This is why the more you care about your patients, and the less you worry about how much money you can extract from them, the more money they will give you for your services.

Key #4 Perceptions and Expectations

If you understand your patients' perceptions and expectations for "quality dentistry", you'll have a much better chance of positively influencing their perceptions and beating their expectations. Perceptions and expectations are based on past experiences. So, be sure to ask your patients about their previous dental experiences. Find out how they feel about dentistry, and what type of dental treatment they expect to receive from your practice. You would hate to find out after delivering a new upper partial denture that what the patient really wanted was two bridges for those missing teeth.

Today's dental patients want on-time appointments, courteous doctors and staff, clean offices, thorough exams, explanation of treatment, and an overall comfortable, enjoyable experience while in your office. Give it to them! You'll not only change their perception of today's dentistry, but also meet all of their expectations of a quality dental practice.

Patients are purchasing our service. In the end, it's your marketing that brings them in, your relationships that keep them returning, and your service that has them referring.

Tony Ratliff DDS, MBA is a practicing dentist and president of Skyrocket Dental, a Dental Fee Consulting and Dental Fee Equilibration? Company. He has owned multiple dental practices and specializes in helping other dentists optimize their reimbursements and maximize their productivity. For more information about adding thousands of dollars to your bottom line without losing patients or to schedule a speaking engagement, visit http://www.tonyratliffdds.com or email him directly at drtonyratliff@yahoo.com

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What Makes a Successful Medical Telephone Answering Service

When doing an Internet search for medical answering services, one comes across a plethora of companies that offer these critically needed services. But selecting the right service is absolutely important as a missed call might cost a human life. Unlike other services, its call for speed and reliability, qualities health care professionals should look for when choosing an answering service.

When assessing an answering services for your clinic, medical office, or hospital system, please remember that you are providing a valuable service to your customers and more particularly, your patients so you should maintain certain quality standards.

There are three elementary factors one should reasonably expect while hiring medical answering services. First of all, make sure that you receive the quality of attention and service that you pay for and deserve. Furthermore, this type of service should be available 24x7 as you should be able to depend on your service to be there any time you need them. Since your medical practice will be reflected by the way your answering services deals with calls, it is essential that all customers are treated with the utmost respect and care.

Look for a call center or agency that believes in professionally training operators who are polite, patient, sympathetic, and good at jotting down detailed information. A good medical service should be careful about placing patients on hold for long periods of time so make sure these services offer plenty of features like live calls, voicemail, email, text, and more. Unlike most other business and medical answering services should also provide you just the right combination of technology and a compassionate, professional approach from the operators.

The expert services provided by it should cover physician and doctor answering service, general health query answering service or hospital system answering service. Whether it is a clinic, lab, home health or hospice, the agency should have the right type of trained operators. The service should resemble a staff member of your office as opposed to the typical call center.

A critical component of most medical answering services is the capability to handle emergency calls. Whatever the nature of a call - be it an appointment call, a doctor call, or a prescription call, the operator should handle it with ease and with the same care and attention that an emergency call deserves. Your medical business or practice needs an answering service that is courteous, accurate, and can dispatch medical emergency calls with the quality and speed that meet customer expectations. Medical answering service operators must realize that their role as your health care answering service can affect not only your reputation as a health care practitioner but also your dependability.

Cyril Bird is a SEO copywriter for 800 Numbers, Toll Free Numbers and Internet Fax Service. He has written many articles in various topics like Answering Service, Phone Service and VoIP Service.

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10 Extremely Important Tips for a Successful Business Launch

What's Your Passion? If you are thinking about starting a business, it should be something you enjoy. Since a lot of time and energy goes into running a business, it is smart to look at your hobby or professional experience as a potential business idea. For example, if you are good at sewing, consider a tailoring shop; or an accountant could look at bookkeeping or tax service. Now, imagine what your life would be like if you spent the majority of your day actually doing what you love. Do you have what it takes to be an entrepreneur? To improve your chances, here are 10 Extremely Important Tips for a Successful Business Launch.

Tip 1: The Name Game

Now that you've narrowed it down to ONE 'business idea,' you've got to figure out a name. A major challenge in starting a business is the process of searching and choosing the right business name. Choosing the right business name can mean success while a poorly thought out name could doom your business from the start. Three smart business name tips:

A smart business name must be unforgettable. It is imperative that potential clients be able to remember your business name. I'm sure most people have heard of Nike, Wal-Mart, Target, Home Depot and McDonalds. Like these household names, your name should be easy to pronounce and memorable.
A smart business name must describe what your business does. When you create your business name, potential clients should be able to understand what products or services your company offers. For example in ' Browder Consulting Group,' the word "Consulting' is a clue that I provide specialized advice; or as in Lynn's Styles & Cuts,' the words 'Styles & Cuts is a clue that this is a beauty salon.
A smart business name should be as short and sweet as possible. As you advertise your business, it is important that your name display well on your marketing material, such as business cards, ad campaigns, domain name and email. As potential clients search for you on the internet, you want it to be an easy spelled and searchable name.

Tip 2: On a Mission

A mission statement is an important tool that tells others who you are, what you do, how you do it and why you are superior than your competition.

It identifies and clarifies the business' vision, purpose and direction.
It provides the path and focus needed for making and implementing decisions.
It helps define to your future employees what they are doing, why they are doing it and where they are going.

Tip 3: Make it Legal

Be diligent in choosing the best Legal Form for your business. This is one of the first important decisions that you will have to make. This decision can have long-term implications, so here are a few things to consider when deciding which business structure is best for your business:

Scope of business you plan to attain
Size of your business
Business's vulnerability to lawsuits
Tax implications based on the different ownership structures
Level of control do you wish to have
Expected profit/loss of the business

Tip 4: Surround yourself with a Progressive Team

Who do you need to know or collaborate with as a part of your external team? Having the right people on your team will allow you to focus on your business and help you to avoid costly mistakes. For example, you might need the following:

Certified Public Accountant: best form of ownership, establish bookkeeping, record keeping procedures and tax planning, etc.
Business Attorney: reviewing lease contracts, determining the right business structure, etc.
Computer Information Technician: set up systems, repair issues, etc.
Human Resource Management Consultant: assess your current HR processes for compliance, navigate through delicate labor issues, set up hiring processes, compensation and benefits and create employee manuals, job description and Standard Operation Procedural manuals.

Tip 5: Research Licenses & Permits Needed for Your Industry

As you can see, there are many steps involved in starting a business. With the daunting task of figuring it all out, it's easy to overlook the important legal requirements associated with permits, licenses and registrations. Here's a list that your business might need:

State Requirements: Business licensing requirements may vary from state to state.
Business Licenses: Depending on your state, county and city, a business license may be required for tax purposes and to conduct other basic business functions.
Occupations and Professions: Depending on your profession, state licenses may be required for occupations such as, appraisers, accountants, barbers, building contractors, cosmetologists, funeral directors, physicians, private investigators, private security guards and real estate agents.
Tax Registration: Some states carry a state income tax. If you establish your business in a state that does, you'll have to register and obtain an employer identification number. If your business engages in retail sales, you will need to obtain a sales tax license.
Trade Name Registration: If you plan to run your business in your local community only, registering with the state may be adequate.
Employer Registrations: Are you planning to hire employees? If so, you'll probably be required to make unemployment insurance contributions. '

Tip 6: Know Your Clients

A common mistake that I encounter with new business owners is that they don't know who their customer is... possessing a poorly defined target market. Most want to sell their products or services to 'everybody' instead of narrowing their targeted customer base to a manageable size. You must do your homework... i.e., market research. I've created a business resource guide to assist you, Resource Guide for Women.

Tip 7: Got Marketing?

In business, marketing plays a key role in getting the word out to your prospective clients. You must create an image and be consistent! It's important to mold and hone your business image to successfully appeal to your prospects and customers. By choosing a relevant company name, answering your phone professionally, creating a professional and clear elevator pitch, investing in professional business cards, logos and brochures, etc... all are key in marketing your business.

Tip 8: Don't forget Uncle Sam

Understanding tax obligations is one of the most important issues facing small businesses. The local, county, state and federal agencies does not care that you didn't know or you forgot to pay your taxes. You will be subject to penalties for not paying on time. Here are some resources to assist you:

For a list of state agencies, business.gov/states/
For a SBA resource guide by state, smallbusiness3.com/magazine
For IRS business information, irs.gov/businesses/index.html

Tip 9: Don't forget the 'B' Word... Budget!

Create a start up budget. Because businesses are different, each will have its own specific cash needs at various stages of development, so estimating your start-up costs may vary. Some businesses can be started on a shoestring budget, while others may require considerable investment in inventory or equipment. It is imperative to know that you will have enough money to launch your business venture.

A few ways to prepare:

Create a list of anticipated expenses for your first three years
Projections are fine, be realistic

Have a tracking system

QuickBooks, Quicken, Ledger, Excel spreadsheets, I don't care which you use.... It's important to put a system in place that works for you. Personally, I use QuickBooks. I can send files to my CPA, easy to work with. In addition, as the treasurer on the board of a non-profit organization, I also use Quick books to reconcile the organization's bank statements and to bill our member's annual dues.

Open a business checking account. The worst thing you can do is run your business from your personal account... it is an accountants nightmare. Open up a business account so that you can separate the two... plus it tells others that you are serious and professional.

Tip 10: Put it all together... in a plan!

Last but not least, you must write your business plan. By failing to plan, you are planning to fail. If you can't take the time needed to plan for the success of your business, then don't waste your time starting one. Statistics show that 8 out of 10 businesses fail within the first three years. This is staggering but true! Invest your time in researching and writing a business plan. Many prospective entrepreneurs think that a business plan is very hard and tedious. The truth is it's a powerful tool that can help you plan and achieve business success.

So, what is this thing called a business plan? Well, a business plan is your blue print or what I tell many of my clients, it's your bible! A business plan defines your business, identifies your goals, and serves as your company's resume. It will help you arrange strategic alliances, obtain financing and attract key personnel. By planning for success, you will be able to overcome many hurdles that may arise.

A closer look at why a business plan is important:

To secure funding, your lender will request your business plan with completed financials. DO NOT approach a lender without having a completed business plan. In his/her eyes, you will look unprepared and too risky. By being prepared, you will have a better chance at securing funding for operations or expansion of your business.
It is a great way to test the feasibility of your business idea. By the time you complete your market or competitive analysis, you will have a clear picture of the viability of your idea.

As you can see, there is a lot of work involved before starting a business. To ensure success, it is important to research thoroughly, take advantage of the resources available to you and learn as much as you can. Preparation is key to a successful start!

Sylvia Browder is CEO of Browder Consulting Group, a virtual small business consulting firm. In her role, she helps Women in Business grow and succeed. She is Founder of National Association Women on the Rise, a virtual community for aspiring and established women entrepreneurs. The association's mission is to provide professional and personal resources while uplifting and empowering women entrepreneurs through collaboration, education, mentoring, spiritual and peer support, leadership and networking. She is 'employed as Project Director and business consultant for the Women's Business Center, Inc, a non-profit economic development organization with a mission of empowering women to start and grow successful businesses. She has served as an online volunteer SCORE counselor since 2004. She also serves as a Technical Assistant Provider for SBA's Community Express Loan Program. For FREE weekly articles go to Sylvia Browder's Blog for Women Entrepreneurs, http://www.sylviabrowder.com. She can be contacted at info@browderconsultinggroup.com.

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What it Takes to Be Successful With a Home Business Opportunity is Revealed in This Article

Effective Marketing: The Key to Building a Successful Online Business

You can have the greatest business idea in the world, but if you fail to market it properly you will never build a successful online business. Just like a traditional brick and mortar business, operating a business online requires you to reach out to the people who are interested n the goods or services you have for sale. If you are unable to reach your target audience-those most likely to be interested in what you are selling-you will not be able to reach the number of people necessary to truly become successful. Simple promotion of your website may generate a few sales here and there, but you need an effective marketing plan in order to bring visitors to your website and increase your sales volume.

One thing to understand is your marketing efforts need to go beyond simply submitting your website to the search engines. While this part of marketing is important-if you don't submit your website to the search engines no one will be able to find it in a search-it is certainly not the only marketing you should do. In fact, if search engine submission is the limit of your marketing efforts, it will take you quite some time to draw enough visitors to your website for you to achieve success. In fact, when you are first starting your online business, you want to reach as many potential customers as possible.

When you build your advertising platform, it is also important to identify your target audience. You don't want to waste efforts promoting your website to those who are not likely to be interested; the key to a successful online business is working hard and expanding your marketing efforts in order to reach those who are most likely to buy your products or services.

Choosing the Right Online Business Idea: Identify Your Specific Needs and Goals

In order to choose the right online business idea you have to first identify your own specific needs and goals. Do not choose a business idea because it worked for your brother, cousin, or best friend because their needs are different than yours. You need to personalize your business so that it will be able to meet your expectations; for this reason you need to analyze and evaluate exactly what you want from your business. You need to set specific and realistic goals, not just simply saying you want to make a lot of money. How much money do you want to make? What is your time horizon for making that money? How do you plan to market your business in order to meet your goals? All of these factors are important in order to identify what kind of business will meet your needs and help you achieve your goals.

It is also important to choose an online business idea that interests you and falls within your area of expertise. Many people make the mistake of choosing a business because they have been led to believe it has the potential to help them become wealthy quickly. It is essential to understand that wealth never comes overnight for anyone; there is always a great deal of work necessary for anyone to reach that level in any business. That doesn't mean it never happens-there are always exceptions. Sometimes a person just happens to be in the right place at the right time and happens to get lucky.

Choosing the right online business idea is not a decision anyone should make quickly. What you need to do is look over each possibility and compare it to your goals, aspirations and expectations before you make a decision. You also have to look at it in terms of the time you have available and the type of investment you may need to make in order to achieve the level of success you desire. Only when you have followed all these steps are you ready to make a final decision.

Finding the Right Online Business Opportunities: Read and Research First

One of the most important aspects of any online business is making sure you conduct enough research to make an informed decision. With so many online business opportunities it's important to take the time to research what is available instead of attempting to make a quick decision that may turn out to be the wrong one. It's every easy to think you have enough information about a business opportunity to make a decision, but unless you take your time and compare several different opportunities you do not have enough information to make an informed decision.

Is it really that important to research online business opportunities before you make a final decision? That depends-ask yourself another question: how important is it for you to make money with an online business? If you're looking for something to gain a little experience and earn some extra money it probably isn't very important to conduct a great deal of research. On the other hand if you are looking for an online business opportunity that will generate enough money for you to earn a substantial part-time or full-time income you will need to research several opportunities before you have enough information to make the right decision.

In order to choose the right online business opportunity you need to evaluate your own personal situation and ask yourself some questions such as:

* What are you seeking in a business opportunity?

* How much income are you looking to generate?

* How much time do you wish to devote to promoting and working your online business?

* What kind of experience and skills do you have?

* What is your educational background?

While you do not need a college degree to operate any of the online business opportunities, your educational background will allow you to evaluate your options and determine the best type of business based on your education, skills and experience. Those potential entrepreneurs with a business background will find it easier to learn the importance of keeping accurate records with any business. On the other hand, any person who has the desire to learn can develop the business sense necessary to create a successful online business.

When you finish reviewing potential online business opportunities you should have enough knowledge o choose the one that will provide what you need whether it's to replace or acquire a full-time job, allow you to earn a steady income working a few extra hours or just earn a few extra dollars to have some extra cash. Making the right decision will allow you to turn your business opportunity into whatever you expect it to be. You can't rush it or you will surely make the wrong decision.

Testing the Waters: Are You Ready for Online Entrepreneurial Success

Certainly there are many people have dreams on online entrepreneurial success, but the big question is: are they ready to pursue those dreams? The idea appears appealing when you first think about it, but the problem comes later when you find you have taken on more than you were expecting. One of the reasons this happens is because people are of the mistaken notion that they can start on line venture and do very little work. This is perhaps due to the many advertisements they read that actually make this mistaken claim.

While there are online businesses that will earn income for the owner without his or her active participation, there is plenty of work required before the business will reach that level of success. Regardless of the type of business you are interested in operating, there is a certain amount of work you must do in order to achieve online entrepreneurial success. First and foremost you must attract visitors to your website, and you can only do that with a strong and efficient marketing plan. In order to generate sales you must bring in visitors, but in order to do that you must first reach out to them and let them know you have something that will interest them.

If you have entertained the idea of online entrepreneurial success, you must first ask yourself if you are prepared to engage in the amount of marketing and promotional work necessary to reach that level. For those who are working full-time this may add additional hours to an already long business day, but at the same time it has the potential to provide financial freedom and flexibility of working hours. While you may still have to work the same amount of hours you have always done (depending on the venture you pursue), you will be able to work at home and have some control over the hours you spend tied to a desk.

Generating Online Income One Step at a Time

While the Internet has created a good many opportunities for people to make money at home, it has also caused many people to think making online income is going to be an easy undertaking. They want to believe some of the advertisements they read that tell them you can make money without doing any work, but the real truth is there is no way to make income online or offline without doing some work. You may not have to do the manual work that is necessary to become successful in a traditional business, but it is still necessary to work hard if you want to have a successful business.

Of course, this also brings up the topic of residual income, and most people see residual income as income that you earn without doing any work. While this is true, there is another thing you have to consider: when you earn residual income, this means you have already done the work necessary for you to earn that income without doing any more work. It doesn't mean you don't have to do any work at all to earn a residual income because there must be a starting point. It doesn't matter if you are working toward online income or income from a traditional business-in order to earn residuals you have to first build the business to a specific level of success.

Before you even begin trying to make online income you have to make sure you choose the business opportunity that is suited best for your needs. That means you have to first evaluate what you are seeking from an online business and what skills you have to bring into a business. It is also important to determine how much time you are willing and/or able to put into building your business. All of these factors will have a direct bearing on which business is right for you and will allow you to generate the most success.

Building a Successful Residual Income Business

While having a business that generates immediate income can be very important for the day to day expenses you incur, a residual income business has the ability to take care of you and your family even if you are no longer able to work. It doesn't matter if you don't do another day's work in your life, once you build a business that has built in residuals, you will collect those as long as your business remains operational. Of course, this also means you must do a great deal of work to promote your business so that it reaches the level of success that is necessary for the payment of residuals.

Most people think the only form of residual income is when you work some type of network or multi-level marketing business, but there are many different businesses that also offer the opportunity for you to earn residuals. In a way you might say real estate is a type of residual business because once you have the property and tenants in place you will earn money no matter where you are. However there can be catches here, especially if you do not have tenants and the money is not coming in.

Affiliate marketing programs and e-Commerce also provide ways for a person to earn residual income. The problem with affiliate programs and e-Commerce is a person must continue to promote the programs in order to make sure you continue to reach those people who might be interested in what you are promoting. While in some ways they operate with residuals, it is only in the sense that once the websites are set up and you do the work to get them before the public, you do not need to do anything more. You can still earn money when you're on vacation because your website is doing the work, but you have to do plenty of work promoting the website and your products as well.

Choosing a Residual Income Opportunity

If you are looking for something that will provide income in the future rather than immediate income, there are a number of ways you can earn residual income. Most people who think of residuals immediately think of network or multi-level marketing schemes, and while these are certainly very popular outlets for generating future income, they are not the only sources available for building future income. One of the most important things for anyone to understand before they become involved in a residual income opportunity is the meaning of residual income. For those who are unfamiliar with the terms, residuals are income sources derived from working hard to build a business-bonuses that are paid later are called residuals.

Why would a person want to invest time into a residual income opportunity instead of making immediate income? There are many different reasons that residual income is preferable to immediate income. One of the most important reasons a person may invest time into building a business that offers residuals is because it will provide income for retirement. Even if you are currently working and have a pension or 401K plan, it is always good to have an additional cushion since many retirement plans do not have built in cost of living increases-some people retire and never receive any additional pension payments in spite of increases in the cost of living.

Another reason that someone may prefer a residual income opportunity is because many programs allow the transfer of the residuals when you die. That means you can build a business, and when you did your survivors will be able to cash in on the bonuses you earn from that business. If this is what you are seeking you need to check the program before you become involved in order to ascertain whether this option is available. Do not assume each program that offers residual income is structured the same way.

Three Things Every Home Business Owner Must Know

While many people often believe they could make a success of a business at home, the fact is, success does not come easily. Many of the businesses that get started in homes across the world often fail very quickly. The problem is that the owner has not taken everything into account that could cause them to fail. The following are the three things that every home business owner must know:

1. Operating a home business takes a lot of self-discipline. People may think that working at home is going to make their lives a lot simpler, but the opposite is usually what happens. They often find themselves pulled in too many directions and leave many important matters pertaining to their work unattended. Staying on task is the only way that success is going to come your way. To do this, you must practice self-discipline and never take anything in your business for granted.

2. One way to ensure your success is to stay up-to-date with all of the technological advances. The computer is going to be your key to success. If you want to effectively promote your business, you must create an Internet marketing strategy. With the Internet, you have no limit on the amount of people you can reach in your target market. Without the knowledge of the computer and technology, your business will have a difficult time taking off.

3. You also must understand that home business does not mean a small income. Truthfully, there are many businesses that are operated from the home that bring in well over $100,000 a year. Yours can, too, but you have to learn not to settle for less. Don't be happy with $500 a week. Always push for more and, while it may take some time, you, too, can enjoy the earnings that your business can provide to you.

Utilizing the Internet for Small Business Marketing

With the Internet so easily accessible to just about everyone, it has become a cheap and easy way to market your small business. Small business marketing has become a task that can be managed by any small business owner, thanks to the convenience of Internet marketing. All that is needed is some understanding of how to reach the most people with the least amount of effort.

The most important component of small business marketing on the Internet is networking. Networking can be accomplished on a variety of sites, however, the most popular sites should be utilized. The popularity of the networking site can help boost the number of people your posts reach. Sites such as Twitter, Facebook, and MySpace are great sites that are used by every age group. Making a profile on each one and updating them regularly will help you build up a following and gain more clients.

Using your Internet networking is not only a great way to get the word out, but also to receive feedback from customers. A big part of promoting your business is showing potential and current clients that you are a business that cares about its customers. Reach out to customers and ask for their input. Communicating with the public will help build a name for your business and will help you make the most successful business possible, by changing to meet your customer's needs and desires.

Marketing is a big part of every business, however, small business marketing can be difficult. Without the big marketing budgets that large corporations have, it can seem daunting to get the advertising you need. The great thing about marketing on the Internet is that there are a variety of ways to market for free. The sites mentioned before are great sites that are free. They take little maintenance, so you don't have to waste your time and money on marketing and can focus on your business.

What It Takes To Be Successful With a Home Business Opportunity

Many people are often so anxious to start a business of their own that they do not stop to think about all that it will entail. They often forget about some very important details. With the statistics showing that the majority of new businesses fail, it is imperative that you think everything through. The first thing is to understand exactly what it takes to be successful with a home business opportunity.

The first step is choosing a home business opportunity that suits you needs and pertains to something that interests you. Get bored with your new business and you will soon be out of business. The worst thing is jumping into a business, investing your money, and then finding out that it is not something you would like to continue with.

Next, you will want to create a business plan. You must. It's that simple. Those who fail to write a business plan are the ones that fail. This plan will provide you with step-by-step instructions on how to grow your business or, in other words, make your new business succeed.

Last, persistence is going to be what will help you achieve your goals. Without a little perseverance, you and your new business are not going to go anywhere. What you may not know is that no matter which opportunity you choose to invest your money and time in, it will take time. Nothing is going to happen overnight and if it does, you can consider yourself one of the lucky ones.

It takes a lot to be successful with a home business opportunity. You have to find something that you like to do, work out a plan for your business, and stick with it, even when it seems like it will never produce any income for you. If you can't do these three things, you may want to start looking for work outside the home.

My name is Joel Martin and I am a Staff Sergeant in the U.S. Army. I am very excited about the Plug-In Profit opportunity created by Stone Evans and look forward to growing my business.

http://www.JoelMartin.ws

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The Unspoken Truths About Running a Successful Online Business

With the world currently steeped in an economic crisis of immense proportions the following questions become pertinent... How can we cope individually with this worldly predicament? How can we turn individually such immense negatives into positives?

While governments all round the world attempt to deal with this crisis, we must do something for ourselves both individually and collectively. And one sure way of doing so is to embark on an online business start-up. The Internet is growing every year as more and more people visit it to find information and buy goods and services. The aim of this article is to facilitate the process of starting an online business or of correcting a faltering online business.

Every day lots of people like you make the decision to start an online business, yet not everyone ends up succeeding at it. Many struggle and give up after a while, while others come through with different levels of success. The problem with starting an online business is that there is too much hype and too many lies surrounding the process.

The Internet is full of scam artists looking to make a quick bug, and it is easy to fall prey to these artists. The common tactic is to convince you that it is easy to make money on the Internet. All sorts of get-rich-quick schemes have been enacted on the Internet and these schemes are very enticing to newcomers. Who doesn't want a quick way to become rich, anyway? Isn't that the fastest way to financial freedom? However, with anything that sounds that good, there is always a catch.

The person who is promoting or selling a get-rich-quick scheme is after your money, and the idea of getting rich quick (with no effort at all) is the quickest way to persuade a newcomer to buy. This tactic only works for newcomers, and it works until the newcomer grows up to recognise that there is NO QUICK WAY to make money in this world (unless through fraud or unless you win a lottery).

The idea of getting sales by making get-rich-quick promises is a scam. It is a scam because the seller makes money by misleading the customer. The typical newcomer will move from one get-rich-quick scheme to another until he or she gets the message... that it is a fraud! The newcomer then gives up in frustration, or continues to search for the fundamental truths of online business success. If you are a newcomer and your first port of call is this article then you are a lucky newcomer. This article will get you out of the hands of the many get-rich-quick crooks that infest the Net. It will direct your efforts along the correct path to online business success, so that you don't waste your money by dealing with Internet crooks.

The Essence of Business Planning

Remember that an online business is first and foremost a business. This means that the traditional basics of achieving business success apply. For instance, it is well-known that a business that has no plan is almost certain to fail. No matter how small the business is, it still needs a plan. A business plan compels you to think before you act. It compels you to find out about your business area before you start; i.e. to research your business area or to establish its groundwork.

A business plan forces you to think hard about your competition and how you are going to beat them in the market. It forces you to establish whether your business idea is even worth pursuing. Why start a business that is going to fail? Isn't that stupidity?

A business plan forces you to establish the expected costs and revenues of your business, and hence to determine profitability. Why run a business when, at any time, you cannot tell whether or not the business is succeeding? If you don't know your costs or your revenues you cannot compare them together to tell whether your business is succeeding or failing.

An online business is no different from an offline business, when it comes to business planning! It needs a business plan! Yet, how many newcomers do we see trying to make it online without even understanding the concept of business planning? Is it then a surprise that too many fail?

A High Tech Business

The next key thing to understand about an online business is that it is a high-technology business. This point is all-too-often overlooked in all the hype or wild claims about getting rich quick on the Internet. As a high-tech business an online business is dominated by technological complexity. This complexity manifests not only in the process of web site research, design, and construction but also in the process of web site marketing (commonly called Internet marketing).

The only way to remove or hide such complexity is to use sophisticated software tools, and the more integrated the tools are the less is the technological complexity required to achieve a successful online business. The best tools integrate the entire cycle of web site research, design, and construction with the process of Internet marketing.

The end of this article refers you to the best integrated tool that the author has found for start-up and struggling online businesses. The tool integrates the entire online business building cycle and is the best tool to use for newcomers and strugglers. When newcomers have graduated into seasoned professionals (and can thus handle some amount of complexity) they can go for specialist tools that better optimise specific aspects of the online business cycle. This will lead to greater profitability, above what can be achieved with an integrated tool such as SBI!.

An Intellectual Business

The final key thing to understand about an online business is that it is an intellectually-intensive business. This means that you must be prepared to learn a great deal of new things, and you must be prepared to develop your own understanding of the new ideas. The development of your own unique understanding is paramount, as it is the basis for differentiating your business from other online businesses. Your business must be uniquely different from your competition. It must be better, or visitors will not see why they should be doing business with you. The uniqueness in your understanding of whatever you learn ultimately leads to the formulation of your unique selling proposition (USP), which is the basis for positioning your business and getting sales.

You will need to learn the fundamental online business philosophy that drives all successful online businesses. You will need to learn how to build an online business using the recommended integrated tool that does everything to handle the underlying technological complexity for you, thus simplifying your work considerably while dramatically shortening your time to success. You will need to learn practical Internet marketing skills, without necessarily being sucked into the underlying technological complexity. The recommended online business building tool handles the complexity for you.

Final Remarks

This article has discussed three fundamental truths about online business success that you must know if you don't want to fail. They are...

1. An online business must be planned. This forces you to think before you act. Without this you are almost certain to fail.

2. An online business is a high tech business. Newcomers and strugglers must use a sophisticated integrated tool to remove this complexity.

3. An online business is an intellectual business. Be prepared to learn a great deal.

This article has touched only the surface of what you need to know to start or run your online business. For more information read the following source and find out more about the recommended integrated tool mentioned above...

Starting or Running Your Online Business?

Dr A A Agbormbai owns this popular Online Business Site [http://www.triplacc.com/online-business].

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

How to Understand, Start and Run a Successful Home Based Travel Business

Why this is such an excellent choice for a home based business, and How To Get Started

Are you seeking information on a Home Business, or possibly you've read a whole lot and now you are trying to sort out what might be the BEST home based business? This is a long article, but stick with it all the way and we're very confident you'll have your answer(s).

Are you looking for the Best Home Based Business ? Recent polls show that over 70% of people who search the Internet are looking for such an opportunity. But does something like this really exist?

Here's the problem: if you asked ten different people what the "best" home business was, you would probably get ten different answers. The truth of the matter is it really comes down to finding the best one for YOU.

We are all coming from a unique background. Each of us first has different wants and needs, and a want or need will determine what is best. Then we all have different abilities, and yes.. your abilities DO match up to what might be the best for YOU. What's best for a friend or neighbor and might work for them might be a total mismatch for you. This article will give you a good insigte and provide a direction on what is one of the most universally agreed upon as a "Best" business.

We all have different interests and personalities, interests , abilities, and personalities. We have different strengths and weaknesses. We also come from all sorts of different circumstances. So it makes sense that not all of us are going to be interested in the same home based business model.

If there was truly ONE business that was for everyone, can you imagine how competitive that field would be? It would be VERY difficult for anyone to make any money!

You have probably seen advertisements all over the internet about THE #1 income making opportunity. Don't get fooled by all the hype and so-called ways to make easy money. There is no such thing.

That's where this article comes in. This article is NOT a comprehensive list of reviews of the thousands of home based business ideas out there. It's an article that tells you some parameters of a good home based business, then discusses the travel industry. We give you the pros and cons both of a job and being in business; we tell you the history of our industry, and then why it's so good and the place to be right now as it rides two major trends: Travel and the Internet.

I have researched and tried (sometimes failing miserably) many home based businesses, both online and in the real world, BUT, I have found and chosen something that is a legitimate way to make a great income from home. That's what this is about. It's a great fit for me, but because you are NOT me and probably have a different personality (thank heaven!), it may not be for you.. and that's ok. But if you see things as I do, and as is presented here...

The best home based business for ME is a HOME BASED TRAVEL BUSINESS. I know it will also be for many of you.

But other than the fact that I'm just a normal, ordinary guy with no special talents.. and in fact, I'm probably older than most readers at 69 and I started this just last year, this article is not about me. It only points out that about anyone can easily get involved in the home based travel business. This is about YOU and what YOU want from life and your "working hours", whether you are a stay-at-home-mom, a retiree, or any other category.

So the question becomes, out of all the various choices: Why start a online travel business?

We are going to discuss first the "Why", then a little about the various types, and then the "how". This will take some time, so grab a beverage of your choice and read on. In fact, I suggest you print this out while the coffee is brewing so you can really digest it. Mark it up. Pencil in questions.. and let's get going!

First and foremost, when choosing a home based business, it's really important to ask yourself "Why" are you doing this, and are you prepared to take it seriously and treat it like a business? That means regular hours of commitment of time and a commitment of money as any and all businesses you own are going to require some degree of investment.

This is probably as good of a time as any to differentiate between a JOB and a Business. ..

A job, including a home based "job" is one where you are going to essentially be trading time for money, and the assumption is that you have an employer of some sort who is going to pay you either on a dollar value per hour spent, or some dollar value for certain production. That production could be sales production as it often is; it could be manufacturing production, or it could be service production.. so many envelopes stuffed; so many calls made, so many of about anything done. That person is going to pay you for that, but you know that person or company is only doing this because they are going to make a certain amount of money on you. You are essentially paid what the job is worth; what the employer could get a replacement for you for. Regardless of your skills, you are not being paid what YOU are worth, but what the job is worth. For accepting this, you get some degree of security knowing that if you do "the assignment" or "the job" you are going to receive a certain, predictable amount of money. You may even receive some benefits. But the "security" is a joke because everyone knows that there is very little security. First the employer must remain in business. He must have a market for whatever it is you are doing, and markets change.

Next, your value is relative! Maybe that employer has a cousin who would like to do your job, or maybe someone comes along willing to do your job for less money. How secure are you? People tell me every day, "I don't want the risks of a business." Guess again everyone! You certainly have RISK as an employee as well!. And as to investment... well, many businesses have employee borne expenses, and even the IRS recognizes this. It's just that there are SOME "out there" that don't require any CASH investment, but don't kid yourself.. you ARE making an investment, only it's hidden in the fact you're paying it in work and in the sense that you're not being paid as much as you might if you absorbed certain expenses yourself.

In contrast, a BUSINESS, including a home based business, is one where you choose and control what ever it is your business makes or does. It could be virtually anything, and probably the best business is one where you control the product or service. Here on the internet, Information products are tops; these are followed by service products. Then comes those things you manufacture or make, and finally, there's the category of items someone else controls but makes available to you for resale. Affiliate programs fall into this category. But you really need to be aware that if you are going to have a BUSINESS you are going to have business expenses, even a homebased business. These are the expenses of the office first, and then you may need to have some product or have been a user of some of the service so you truly KNOW what you have and can do business from a credible point. The product or service should be one of value that if you were the buyer, you'd consume it yourself at retail. Watch the line though... you don't want to is get into a business where you are required to purchase X dollars amount of product every month, whether you can use this or not. That's not a legitimate business.

Depending on your philosophy, you'll probably agree that it is very important to choose a business that interests you. Pick one that you will enjoy doing, ideally something you are passionate about. Think about it, if you are going to start a business from home, it makes sense to choose something that you will enjoy. And if you enjoy it, then you'll probably learn more quickly and have your heart more into it when the going is tough.

But we'd put just a couple things ahead of this and put "enjoyment" as a luxury. Those things are market size and market growth. Where is your business product or service in terms of life cycle? Is your market expanding and you can ride a wave, or is it declining. And what is the market size and potential. Will there be a business available for you in 5 years? Ten?

Then lastly, we'd probably mention that the business should be ethical and compatible with what you believe. Many people who research businesses, particularly Internet businesses, know that the porn and gambling industry meets the criteria of growth and market size. You may be tempted to look in those areas, and if you are, kindly close this report or article and tear up you paper copy. This is not a part of the business world we want anything to do with. Money and income is just not that important to us.

After evaluating many, many, many businesses and participating in several since 1969, including an early successful involvement with Amway, then Free Life, and a couple others, including a few that just didn't "go" for us, we became aware of the opportunities in the online travel business. This is a business model that has just evolved over the past few years, and is now in full momentum.

It is also important to be a part of trends. Fortunes are made by riding trends. Currently, travel is a trend to the tune of 6 trillion dollars a year! By 2010, that number is estimated to be 14 trillion dollars!

Think of all the baby boomers that will be retiring in the coming years. And what do people like to

do when they retire? What would you like to do when you retire? If you're like me, travel is probably very near the top of that list.

That is why the travel industry provides the perfect business for opportunity seekers. It is simply taking advantage of a trend that is just starting to gain momentum. When looked at as a home based business, it rides the second trend: the growth of the Internet as a business medium.

Let's look at how and why this has evolved into a viable Internet Based Travel Business.

People "booking travel" for others has evolved possibly in three stages. We also should consider the two major market segments: Business travel and personal or leisure travel, and in the later category, we'd include as a very close association, travel and leisure and recreational activities and lodging. We are going to focus on personal leisure travel and recreational travel market.

STAGE 1: Probably dates back about 75-80 years when the primary mode was train and ocean liner. There were no condos, few motels, and little air travel. But there were many lodges and luxury hotels. We've all heard of the Biltmore and others. And there was some degree of business travel, but not to the extent we had a few years ago before travel (particularly sales meetings) became so expensive. Other than those vacations to places like Atlantic City, travel was really more in the hands of the more wealthy part of the population, and most of THOSE people just did not want to be bothered making their own arrangements, or even checking places out. A small cadre of "travel agents" was born, although they probably had many more duties along the line of concierge, personal assistant, etc. In large companies, specialists were brought on board to do those arrangements... and seek out bargains and discounts for their companies.

STAGE 2: Now we have more cars, the DC-3 and early airlines are starting to emerge. We have reliable telephones; we have some early forms of fax but the telegram was the primary means of communication on short notice as mail took longer, and people are becoming aware that they can earn money booking travel for others. Providing essentially two services: Knowledge of destinations and Administrative tasks such as actually buying the travel arrangements on behalf of a third party. That third party could be a business or an individual.

Natural business evolution follows and at first small partnerships were formed because now two people might have the knowledge and experience of two different travel destinations, but as a single entity (the travel agency) be able to offer clients more options. Then this single agency could bring more volume to a travel provider such as an airline, hotel, etc than a single person, and hence negotiate better discounts, or as more often was the case, better commissions as not all discounts got passed on. Everyone benefited.

Airline traffic was particularly challenging to book, and in the late parts of Stage 2, computers began to come more and more into play, although they were both expensive and highly specialized. The affordable home computer had not yet really evolved and there were limited travel networks. Travel agencies could afford these computer systems and gain access to the various vendors, which at that time were mainly airlines, and book travel conveniently and easily. This was about to change!

STAGE 3: Change took place almost over night. The airlines deregulated as one part, and competition evolved to a point where commissions were almost non existent to the agencies. The Internet and access to travel databases within the airlines and hospitality industry literally exploded into being, and now EVERYONE had at least almost nearly equal administrative access to the services and could bypass the agencies which started going out of business at an alarming rate. The one thing certain agencies DID retain was a cadre of people who HAD traveled and did have personal experience with various providers... resorts, cruise lines, etc. But as profits to the providers themselves started to decline, so did the availability of FAM trips, and there were fewer agencies.

But along with this evolved another trend! The population is growing and there's more travelers available, particularly in the leisure market than ever. And many of these travelers just don't have the time to really do the research, or even to truly shop for the best and lowest costs.

But individuals devoted to and loving to travel such as stay at home moms in travel find that they can provide the same services that the old large agencies did!

All they needed was a vendor willing to work with them, and at this time, new vendors started to emerge.

The emergence is primarily in the area of recreation and resorts as unlike the airlines which have cut back and in many cases have a SHORTAGE of seats and product, resorts (and cruise lines) have continued to build and expand where today, they have an excess or surplus of inventory except for very limited times of the year.

The question becomes: How do we fill these empty rooms? These empty staterooms? These empty golf courses? These unused campsites?

The answer is: Through You!

But you don't know where they are, or how to negotiate the pricing.. but a newly evolved list of consolidators do! Currently there are three major consolidator groups doing business in the USA, and one stands out above the other two as it has more contacts, more experience, more inventory, and essentially a better pay plan offering the customer more options. What YOU have is a list of contacts or the knowledge and time to introduce the traveling public to these options. Because you are working with the suppliers of SURPLUS inventory who is willing to fill these vacancies at deeply discounted rates, you can pass these rates on, if only you knew how to get your hands on them.

Actually, about anyone can get their hands on any one location at any time at a discount, and many people have been doing that using services such as Orbitz, Travelocity, and others But these are very sharply targeted and focused, and deal much more with just hotels, car rentals, and to some extent, airline travel. One can pick up a major magazine or metro newspaper and find condos for rent from owners, at discounts. But again, this is very limited.

How Do You Get Started?

First, you learn about the 3 major consolidator firms offering travel, and if you just let the word out that you are looking for a homebasd travel agency or company, you'll find that these people find you very quickly. Or you can do an Internet search using terms like that and find them. Most of the firms have a fairly similar makeup in that they are offering an entire travel package or membership for a fee. This entitles the purchaser to the inside track on deeply discounted travel services.

If they are essentially all the same, what do you look for? We focus in a legitimate business first on product, so we look for product value. We look for a company with flexibility and a product mix. Not all people want to travel internationally, so is there just a domestic package? What is offered that you or your customer can do when they get to a destination? Are there name resort and theme parks? Golfing? How about great meal discounts, as we all "eat out" when we travel? We know cruising is "big" but we know the cruise lines vary from very family oriented to "swinging singles". Is there a good mix? How about time limitations on the travel package?

As a business, what kind of support tools are available? Training is a must, and is it real, and in real time, with real live people you can talk to and ask questions of? A solid, reliable web site is a must. Does the firm you are looking to join provide one? None will do a good site free, but is this a fair and reasonable cost?

Will you have access to a personal mentor? Can you become a certified, card carrying travel agent as well if you want?

These are but a few of the questions.

The "How Do You Get Started" in the home based travel industry is best summarized by 3 words: "Do Your Homework"

Well, now that you know some of the history, let's look at a couple more things, starting with some of the advantages of this, particularly in comparison to other options you may have selling nutritional products, informational products, skin care, diet products, or many others.

Aside from the money making potential in our industry, there are many other advantages.

It is easy to start. This facet never ceases to blow me away With the invention of the internet, businesses that have traditionally always been brick and mortar establishments are now available to all of us. The internet makes it easy for everyday people like you and me to start a small business online. We can reach people all over the world, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week from the comfort of our own home. People can be checking out your business while you are sleeping, on vacation, or whatever. Phone services like Skype let us actually talk to people all over the world (one of us might be sacrificing some sleep due to time zone differences, but technically, it's possible!)

Your business is relatively inexpensive to start, particularly compare to a more standard travel agency business. Because you no longer need a regular office, insurance, and employees, businesses. In fact, if you set up a legitimate IRS qualifying home office, many of the costs you have at your current home now become tax deductible (see your accountant, and if you don't have one.. get one. Maybe you can even barter some travel services for HIS services).

Your potential clients include almost everyone. Who doesn't like to travel or need a vacation? And if the economy slows, your business grows! Previous travelers who thought nothing of paying full price now start to look for discounts.

You can save a lot of money on your own travel.

What's the point of owning a business if you don't get some fringe benefits? With a home based travel business, you become eligible for some incredible discounts. And because you are your own boss, you will have more free time to go on vacation and take advantage of these discounts.

Is there a downside to a home based travel business? Sure, there is in any business.

Travel is a very competitive industry.

In order to have an edge, you have to differentiate yourself from the rest by branding yourself with a superior product. Those who read this article and find a specific interest and contact us as the author will be given some very specific knowledge on how to do this and succeed.

Other than that, I have not come across any other disadvantages to a home based travel business.

We hope you have found this article to be greatly helpful and look forward to seeing a few of you join us in this exciting industry soon.

This writer has over 25 years experience in the home based business industry and writes about the most current and successful business trends. His business using this technology can be seen at [http://www.best-homebased-business-online.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

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Planning For Results - A Process Tool To Build A Successful Business

Business Plan:

Proper Planning is an important and effective tool in financing your project or a business, and shaping its future. It is important to understand how planning process and Business Plan can be applied to your business.

"Conversation would be vastly improved by constant use of four simple words: 'I do not know' " - Andre Maurois

Planning is an attribute or character of Management that assists and motivates a leader to make things happen, rather than not doing anything or allowing things to happen. Management may be an individual, family, business owner, principal, or project manager that organizes the finances for a project or business.

"At a presentation I gave recently, the audience's questions were all along the same lines: 'How do I get in touch with venture capitalists? What percentage of the equity do I have to give them?' No one asked me how to build a business!"--Arthur Rock, Founder and Chairman of Intel Corporation.

Surprisingly, many business owners do not consider a Business Plan as an important factor in building the business and raising money. They consider that they might be better of just sketching out basic financial projections. For a start-up project, it is necessary to prepare a full Business Plan. This includes organizing financial with three years of projections and describing detailed goals and strategy and why the business will be successful. It also helps in creating a good impression with stakeholders and lenders/investors. Once a full Business Plan is prepared (which may initially take three to four weeks), it may be appropriate to spend one or two days every few months updating it. This will also assist in evaluating earlier decisions and improving or fine tuning the business model.

A Business Pan is only as good as the quality of efforts that go into the planning process and preparing or documenting the same. In general, a Business Plan is the end result of planning process. Successful planning process involves management in a manner where they take responsibility of the organization's own actions (or in actions) and final results--with a goal to succeed and willingness to take necessary actions that address risks and avoid failure. Business planning requires one to develop goals and strategy that address all probable eventualities or risks that one's business could face in the future. It helps to determine the best number of action-steps necessary for the management to reach its business goals, and avoid, minimize or overcome foreseeable hurdles.

Proper planning is an important and effective tool in building and financing one's project or business and shaping its future.

Business planning consists of two key elements: The Business Planning Process and The Business Plan.

The Business Planning Process:

The Planning Process is a step-by-step approach that helps to build by "thinking-out" management's plan on how to achieve goals or desired outcomes. The professional skills of gathering and analyzing information, setting realistic and challenging goals, how to meet competition in market place, and sound decision-making at every step are utilized in this process. Today's business environment is very competitive and full of uncertainties, so management should pay adequate attention to the Planning Process. This process improves the chances of success for the project as it also minimizes chances of failure.

Management should address a series of relevant questions that help clarify business' past, present situation, the future a business desires, the means of achieving the future, and the systems of organization, delegation and controls or accountability necessary to track and sustain the progress. The Planning Process may require periodic revisions. Management should decide how often it should be revised or updated depending on the value it derives from effort and expenses incurred. As management proceeds through the planning process, it scans through the possible end results of different courses of actions. During this scanning process, management is forced to confront issues relating to the goals, purpose, vision, mission, core values, strategy, customer perception, and priorities of the business.

For example, when developing a Business Plan, management may decide not to invest more than certain amount of capital in the business in order to provide owner(s) adequate resources to pursue family, personal or other investment goals. One must acknowledge that, given the management's decision, it cannot expect to receive the same business development considerations as someone willing to invest triple the amount of capital. Every business may have different goals that will involve investment of resources and sacrifices (opportunity costs). For example, an opportunity or benefit may be lost or "foregone" for the sake of pursuing an alternate use for the same resources. Organizations may sacrifice business success or developmental opportunity, while someone else may sacrifice alternative investment. The business planning process brings these factors in to the deliberations, and realistically assesses the trade-offs necessary for the management team to finalize the business goals.

The Business Plan: The end result of the Planning Process.

The Business Plan is the final document that defines management's perception of the game-plan as of a specific date, and is a final output communicating management's planning process for the project or business. It is a document that states the core assumptions, goals, and strategies that management has decided to pursue by investing the necessary resources in terms of time, financial resources, and action steps that will be necessary to achieve the goals. The business plan is derived from the management's deliberations and the series of final decisions of the planning process. The written Business Plan also serves as an important controlling tool for regularly monitoring actual vs. plan on different parameters and the corrective action to be taken so that the overall success is achieved for the business or project. The parameters that are monitored could be time, cost, resources, quality, Return On Investment, employee morale, etc. Facilitating the planning process that generates the Business Plan requires expertise in both the financial and general aspects of management and the business planning process itself. The value of a Business Plan is in the decisions it influences during the Planning Process as well as the monitoring of progress--ultimately, how cash flows in and out of the business' bank account and achieves the stake holder's objectives over a period.

How I utilized Business Planning:

A company in California manufactured a range of engineering products with a good technology base. However, for various reasons, the business had become stagnant over last few years in terms of revenue and profitability. I evaluated the business model and management infrastructure, and facilitated restructuring of the business with a focus on achieving growth. This planning process involved producing additional revenue streams, improvement of production processes, replacement of machinery, and relocating the plant. The new Business Plan and Presentation Package made it possible to raise additional business loan of $4 million dollars. This was utilized to triple the revenue over a three-year period and also resulted in increasing the number of employees. The business is now on a progressive track, doing well and is expected to achieve its goals.

Mr. Shah is the President of Capital Management Group (CMG) and a Financial Consultant. CMG is a California licensed lender/broker for financing small businesses, business financial advisor, and Business Management Consultant. CMG assists projects and businesses in US as well as international projects. For more details, visit http://www.cm-group.com Mr. Shah can be reached at 714-281-0245 or via email at cm-group@sbcglobal.net

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