Business Financing and Transactions

One of the more troubling by-products of the recent credit crunch is that many companies  implemented immediate measures to conserve cash. One of those measures was increasing how long they take to pay invoice. In the past, most commercial transactions were paid on net 30 term. That meant  that the customers are paying their invoices in 45 to 60 days. Some are taking as long as 90 days  to pay. This has put small and medium sized companies at a disadvantage because few can afford to wit that long to get paid and may need to be paid sooner to be able to meet obligations.
 
 One way to protect your company against this situation is to start building a cash cushion that can be used to cove operational expenses while waiting to be paid. Another alternative is to offer incentives, such as discounts, to customers that agree to pay quickly. Offering a 2% discount for a payment in10 days is a common practice that can be used to enhance cash flow.

Another alternative is to use a business financing tool called factoring in order to quickly monetize your slow paying invoices. Invoice factoring involves using a financial intermediary between your company and your customer. You sell your invoice to the factoring company, who advances you funds. The factoring company then holds the invoice until maturity and settles the transaction when the customer pays in full.

Most factoring financing transactions are structured as the purchase of an invoice, which is an asset, payable in two installments, The first installment  is called the advance and is about 80% of the gross value of the invoice. The second installment, called the rebate, covers the remaining 20%  (less a service fee) and is paid once your customer pays the invoice in full.

An important advantage of  factoring financing is that is more accessible than other forms of financing. Most factoring companies don't require that clients have substantial assets. The most important requirement is that client must do business with credit worthy customers. This feature makes factoring an easily accessible solution for small and midsized companies.

Another important feature of factoring is that it can be deployed quickly. While most conventional business financing programs take a couple months to set up, most factoring plans can be deployed in a week or two.

One of the biggest advantages of factoring is that it can monetize slow paying invoices. This makes it an ideal solution for companies that can't afford to wait up to 60 days to get paid by customers.

Your Business Partner, Promote and Profit

The starting your company begins with an idea. Nothing has ever fallen into an entrepreneur's lap; it's all been about thinking up a unique idea and angle, and pursuing it fervently to see it through fruition. There are many wys in which you can go about starting a business. In this article, we'll cover the three ps: Partner, promote and profit.

First up is the business partner. Now, like a marriage, you're going to want trust, devotion and still and informal relationship that involves some enjoyment outside of the business arena. Although the last point isn't vitally essential, it still helps tremendously to forge a friendship with a business partner, allowing for regular dialog and a positive.

Finding a business partner shouldn't be hard work if the business idea is worth pursuing. You would be surprised at how many people jump at the chance to take part in a business they think will be profitable. It's a possible life-changing venture that brings out the entrepreneur ins us all. Think about family and friends first. Although it's not unheard of to take on a partner solely for financial reasons, the more important aspect of a business partnership is trust. Close friends and family are usually popular moves the relationships are already forged.

Regardless of the partner you go with, you want to ensure that there's a level of trust there, and also a like-minded goal set in front of you. Next up is the promotion. Every product you know of has been promoted.

If not, how would you even know about it? There are very few things in business more important than the actual marketing aspect. You want to reach an audience, and the avenues to travel here are numerous. You can always purchase advertising. Promoting your business in papers and even on local television spots is quite effective albeit a little expensive.

If you're running an online business, then there are equally effective avenues you can explore that won't cost you a lot of money at all. Try exploring social networking sites. Sites around like MySpace, Facebook and Twitter are all insanely popular these days.

Taking your time to drive traffic to your business through these sites will not cost anything at all and you'll easily be able to locate a niche market. Advertising and link exchanging with other established websites is also something worth exploring.



The might cost a little bit of money, but by targeting already established sites to do your marketing with, you're looking at instant traffic. And like it or not, you'll never be able to run a business without customers. You have to get them there. With a business partner as equally goal oriented as you are, you'll be able to cover twice the ground and advertise even more effectively.

Since there are numerous people working on this, it also assures a bit of originality in the marketing approach.
This will help your advertisement look like less like the dreaded spam and more like legitimate ads for a legitimate business. Now that you've got a partner and you're working on promotion, it's time to profit. Your product should be good enough to speak for itself. If you're selling something that people want, profiting on it shouldn't be hard at all once you get the customers there.

Easily Set up a Multi-Layer Coaching Practice

Coaching in because time is limited offering one-on-one coaching alone will not generate much of an income. When it comes to the resources at your disposal time is your most limited one and because of that it is actually very valuable. This is why you should charge a high rate for one-on-one coaching. But if you want to make a coaching programme work then you are advised to have multiple points of entry into your programs. Some people cannot afford one-on-one coaching while others neither need or want it. The fact that time is limited is actually good news for you because you can generate more income by offering more.   

 

1.   Level One:   Free or low Cost Email using an auto-responder like Weber is very useful. It is very simple to set up and you can even have your virtual assistant do it for you. Make sure it is done in such a way so that it will send specific emails in a specified order each time you have a new sigh up. Within each of the emails that you send include a promotion for the next level in the coaching course you are providing.
      
2.  Level Two Make cost effective group webinars available only to your level one members. Because a number of people are going to show up you should offer these at a very reduced price. Because time is of essence you need to make sure that your presentation is up to speed, informative and useful for the participants because there will not be much time available for Q & A. Us the webinr to promote your level three offering.

3.  Level Three: This is the membership site. It is a great way to offer a mid-priced coaching program that is able to automatically serve a number of people. Thanks to 'drip' technology you will be able to provide different levels of information to each specific sign up. Base this on when they signed up i order to give the service you provide a personal touch. As with the preceding levels you will obviously promote the next one in this level.

4.  Level Four: The inner circle should be very limited and only offered to a specific number of people so that you are able to deliver personal attention to each. Whether the attention is in the form of allowing full access to your products and service, permitting promotion of your products by them on the proviso that there is referral fee, eBook, eReports, etc. Your clients will be able to use these to benefit their own business. When it comes to the inner circle introduce weekly webinars just for them. And, just as before, market your most exclusive level when you tell them about the level five coaching.

5.  Level Five: Using the telephone or Skype is a great way to offer one-on-one coaching. Formulate a plan and make sure you have a number of packages available  for sale during the coaching such as weekly recorded calls that your clients can listen to repeatedly if necessary. Also offer other items such as printed information, workbooks, lessons and more. How you go about this depends on you entirely. What is vital is that your one-on-one coaching programs need to be valuable and priced appropriately. After all time is your most precious resource and  it is irreplaceable.

Complete Information on starting a small business

A business, in the general sense, is a for-profit organization providing goods or services. A business is going to have a value proposition, a target market, processes that develop value, ways to generate revenue, and strategy to survive in the competitive marketplace. At the initial stages, we want to focus on the business model conceptually before moving on the how that model will be implemented or executed.



Value Proposition

Starting a small business first means to come up with the answer to:

• Who is my target market?
• What service/good am I offering them?
• How does my offering add value to the market? (Benefits)
• What is my response to existing competition - why would people buy from me?

This should not seem like either a daunting task, or simply an academic exercise. The answers to these questions will help define your strategy for marketing and revenue generation.

Business Plan

The answer to the previously listed questions can help you create your business plan. Why do you need a business plan? The answer is both for people within  the business, and people outside the business. For outsiders, the business plan gives a summary of the objectives, history, and strategy of the business. This is important for investors, partners and any credit suppliers. Internally, the business plan is important because it forces discipline and focus in defining a vision for the company. Ultimately, business is about planning and execution. The reason this is important is that entrepreneurship requires personal characteristics of focus, fortitude, and conviction to succeed; the plan can help you stay the course. The plan creation forces you to consider, deeply, how you intend to generate and sustain the business.

There is no "right answer" when it comes to a business plan, and that can make some people feel uneasy. Below is a sample template that you can use to get started though (based on the SBA template):

Statement of business purpose and executive summary

Table of Contents

Description of Business

Marketing (target segment, means to reach market)

Distribution and Partnerships

Competition Analysis

Operating Procedure

Personnel Insurance

Financial Data

Loans and Capital

Capital Equipment List

Balance Sheet

Break-even Analysis

Profit/Loss Statements

Historical Summary

Assumptions Supporting and Legal Documents

Tax Return/Financial summary of business partners

Rental or Real Estate Contracts

Business License and Structure

Resumes of Partners

Supplier Data

Personal Skills Need to Succeed at Business

The entrepreneurial mindset is elusive, and there is no agreement as to what traits will lead to success in business. However, there are some characteristic which appear again and again when business analysts talk about success in business.


There are:

• Focus - doing one thing  and perfecting it. Doing it better ad cheaper than others 
• Fortitude - continuing t work in the face of adversity 
• Accepting responsibility - owning the business and owning resolution of problems
• Learning form mistakes - continuous improvement 

• Internal motivation - being motivated by internal factors (not by quick successes which may not appear)

Starting a small business is easy. Being successful in business is more difficult; like any other difficult human endeavor. the reason why so much emphasis is given to planning and personal characteristics is because of these difficulties. A very common question people who are starting a business are asked is: "Why do you want to start a business ?" I think that the  underlying question is, "Are you internally motivated to succeed at your business?"

Structure of the Business After resolving the "what and why" of business formation, the next question is "how?" This is where structure of the business comes in. There are five common forms of business in the United States.

• Sole Proprietor ships
• Partnership
• Limited Liability Companies (LLC)
• S Corporations
• C Corporations

The factors that you should use to decide which type of business you need are the type of liability you are able to accept, the taxation implications, and finally, your record keeping sophistication. Each of the business structures are possible to create by yourself,  but if you find that you get lost in paperwork, you may need to hire a professional to get started with a corporation or  LLC.

 Sole Proprietorship

A sole proprietorship is the most common and simple form of business. Simply put , the owner is the business; the business profits and losses are considered personal, and business liability is personal liability. This type of business is the quickest to start, and the business lifetime will end at the end of the person's lifetime.

Partnership

A partnership business consists of two or more people working jointly; each contributing some skills, capital, labor, etc..... to contribute to the running of the business. The share of the partnership does not have to be even, and the distribution of profits is reported on the personal 1040.

LLC

An LLC  (C stands for company, not corporation) is a blend of partnership and corporation. It offers liability protection to partners in the company. An LLC is a pass-through entity for taxation, though optionally it can be treated as a corporation via from IRS 8832. An LLC is considered less complex than a corporation in terms of  record keeping.

C Corporation

A corporation is like a fictitious person. It is an entity which handles the affairs of the business. Ownership of the entity is via shareholders, who receive a share of profits. The entity is also taxed separately than the shareholders (who are also taxed ). Corporate structure is on a state-by-state basis.

S Corporation 

A subchapter S corporation is a variation of the corporation entity where the profit/loss of the corporation is passed through to the shareholders. S corporation are legal entities and generally allow for limited liability for shareholders. 

Registering a Business

After deciding the type of legal structure your business has and creating it, you will likely need to obtain permits to operate the business. This may include a business license and other license if your industry requires it. A city or county office will have the business license registration from available. If you are using a sole proprietorship business structure, you may want to do business under a fictitious name. This is called a DBA and is the name under which you are operating your business. To file a DBA, you generally will fill out a County form, and also post and advertisement in a local newspaper for one to two months to make sure the name has not already been registered.

Next Steps  

At this point, your checklist for starting a small business is not complete. You will need a business bank account, a line of credit, or some funding. These are operational  concerns of the business. If you are able to market or find customers at this stage, you should because your business will be legally allowed to operate. Starting a small business is not a small endeavor;  however the rewards for success will be worthwhile. 

Spy Camera Watch Your Home And Property

If you are reading this articles, you arr probably the owner of a small business who wants to catch a suspicious employee red handed when he or she is stealing from your company. Or, it could be that you want to track down some illegal activity that is happening in your home or property.

It is better to find out earlier than later as criminal activity on the premises o your property can potentially land in a lot of trouble. If you are worried about employee theft, you should know that employee theft is the number one reason for small business failure in America.

That being said, here are  some hidden camera and spy camera products that you can use to detect and confront criminal activity.

Features you will find in a hidden camera or spy camera

There are many different types of products out there. Depending on the price you pay, can get a basic camera or a camera that is loaded with features. Here are some of the things that you can look for when buying a hidden camera:

• Sound activated or motion activated cameras - Most spy camera models will be capable of recording once motion or sound is detected.
• Cameras that record sound - Sometimes, you might require incriminating evidence in the form of the audio. Some of the best hidden camera models today will come with an option to record both video and audio, giving you the best possible evidence that you can get. 

Rechargeable batteries - If you think you are going to use your camera a lot o time, you might want to get a spy camera model that will come with built-in rechargeable batteries that will help you save o battery costs.

What kind of hidden cameras should you buy?



After deciding on the features you need, you will them need to choose from the different types of cameras available in the market today. You will find cameras that are concealed in clocks, pens, sunglasses, watches and even cameras that look like a gum.

You will have to find a god balance between concealment and performance. Cameras with a lot of features will usually be a little bigger, like a clock camera. A clock in a room is very  regular object and nobody will suspect that it has a camera. But if you are going to have to record something in a room that is not furnished or where you cannot use a clock camera, you can use pen camera to discreetly record video. Pen cameras are also very good for in person recording where you can interact with suspicious people while recording their conversations and pictures by picking it up from the pen camera that will be placed in pocket , Watch camera are also used for the same purpose.

You should also have a good reason to spy on someone  as you can only use these cameras to record suspicious activity.

Best Sales Training What Sets You Apart

I enables a company and the individuals who run them to set goals and achieve them fully and on time. A short course in sales is very important regardless of whether you have existing employees or you are dealing with new hires. The course is very important tool in a company because it arms the employees with knowledge towards being excellent problem solvers.

A course would be very valuable because sales keep the company operating and it should be the company's priority to have its staff trained appropriately, New employees should be trained especially if thy have no prior experience in the industry. Basic training that assists the employees in professional handling of clients and customers can lead into increasing the company's sales and fortifying the company- customer relationship.

The training can also include up-selling products and services. This is good way to increase the company's revenue. Customers are always ready to make purchase, but the employees should be well-trained to elicit curiosity and attraction to the products and service the company offers. A trained employee, especially one who works on a commission basis, can make use of add-on sales courses.

If you are short of resources or time to develop a training course, you can consult with professionals with custom packages. The benefit of working with professionals is they can go through your needs and come up with a particular course that is relevant to your company. The course can be very useful especially if you bring new employee on-board with the sales knowledge level that the rest have.

There are basic training courses that cover sales in general. These are specialized for a wide industry and are helpful to most sales employees in general. Most classes have different skill levels that will broaden the sales knowledge of the employees. This is an interesting way to reward employees who are performing well.

After offering the first class to the employees, it is important to have refresher courses at least once a month. Training should be a regular part of your company. This is to assist the employees to stay on top of their game and remain relevant in the industry. It also allows them to deeply understand what they already learned and revisit areas that they  might have difficulties understanding.

Sales training courses are very important, and no matter what the cost of having your employees trained, chances are that effort will be paid by the sales that employees generate using the knowledge they acquire from the training. This is the best long-term investment a company can have.

Sales B2B Telemarketing

We can see this in almost all industry sectors (engineering, legal, sports, construction) businesses are desperate for more work and are opting for a more proactive form of marketing rather than the more traditional forms. Normally all that is the target audience data information, and calling can commerce. This could be a list of hotels in London, engineering companies in the South of England or list of pubs in the Midlands. No matter what the data, telemarketing can produce results - given enough numbers. However what sort of calling would be used in B2B telemarketing?



Appointment Making

If a business is looking for more appointments, then telemarketing is a great way to quickly target and prospect a select target audience, introduce and gain a meeting. Of course there is more to it; but in general this would be the process.

Lead Generation

Many businesses are not looking for appointments, but are looking for new sales  leas. This could be from prospects interested in buying a product or service. Again, agencies can call around and explore areas of interest.

Market Research

Many companies will use this to get valuable feedback on their products of services in order to assess how their products are viewed by their audience or to make valuable changes to their products

Follow Up

Many companies that attend events or conferences then have data they need to be called within a certain time period. Say for example 500 or 5,000 prospects showed interest in your services at an event. All these prospects would need to be followed up quickly before the interest died telemarketing is very powerful form of marketing that can be used in different ways to achieve all of the above; no matter what it is that you are looking for. There are many data companies around the UK that can provide business data; so if you do not have data to hand for calling , this can be purchased and given to telemarketing company to call.

Thing to bear in mind  There are a few things that do need to be considered when using B2B telemarketing:

Telemarketing takes time

Due to the sales process, it does take time to research, contact and close prospects (sometimes taking weeks or months depending on the sale).

Telemarketing is expensive

The costs for telemarketing are normally based on set day rates ranging from 150 ponds to 600 ponds. So selecting an agency based on their experience and track record is important

Not all telemarketing companies are the same.

There are over 600 telemarketing companies around the UK, so choosing one would need to be done with care. All agencies are different, different skill basis, experience and conversion ratios.

Choose a local agency

It is always advised to meet up with the agency before you set them loose. You need to need to understand them, how they work and function; but more importantly they need to understand you, your product and objectives .

Cats And Salespeople

 I once was, are challenged by  feline independence and the seemingly impossible task or training them. Training and heading top sales producers and cats are not very different, but both are doable.

The other day, I worked from the mostly empty patio of a local restaurant enjoying the warm spring sun and a glass of wine coming led with fresh crab cakes. The silence was broken by the distinctive voice of Blot's mews for may attention.

Blut is Maine Coon nicknamed for Animal House icon Blavatsky. He lurks the local restaurants for dinner invitations that significantly outnumber the offers I receive. Blot parked himself in the chair next to mine and purred away while I worked. The patrons, who know him as a regular, were entertained through the window by our Hemingway imitation. OK, It was more like Austin powers.

One couple came outside with some left over fish for him. When we were done, he followed me home. But our relationships did not begin this way. On the contrary, it was war.

 Our furry, alpha male grand cat was inherited from our daughter when she moved out to dance. The first week we took over guardianship was hell. His attack on my wife left claw marks and scars that took months of vitamin E and Retinae to heal. A couple of chases through the house backed him down. It was not the best beginning for what eventually beautiful friendship.

Like Blut, I was quite the rogue in the early days of my sales career. 

Wally Bock, one of my favorite leadership Blog recently wrote an excellent post called "You can be tough without being a jerk. we need to lead with firmness."

"Being a tough boss means being clear about what your expect, taking away all excuses for sub-standard performance, and holding team members accountable for results." - Wally Bock  

The first summer with us, Blot became very ill. He had an undiagnosed infection and would not eat or drink. I had to hold him gently under hid neck to maintain control while I trickled water down his throat with an eye dropper. That's when things changed. Don't try this on sales people!

We win followers when we provide the support to get our team across the finish line. When the top producers follow us, so will the rest of the herd.

Now we talk No, I'm not Dr. Doolittle, but  he understands the tone, talks back, and I listen. We ave tonal understanding.

How we say things are as important as what we say.

Bluto is very particular about the way he is petted and he will let you know how you're doing.

Everyone wants positive stroking, but not everyone wants to be stroked the same way. Observation of our the reactions to our behavior is our guidance.

When he eats or wants to be left alone, I give him his space. When he wants to hang out, he comes to my desk, couch, or bed and waits for my tap, tap, tap before the jumps on my lap.

Respectful behavior begets respectful behavior.

When we want him inside, I call him by name and usually comes running.

Salespeople respond to positive behavior with positive results.

When he catches a mouse or some other varmint, he deposits the remains at the door for the recognition that he earned.

Important 15 Ideas That Will Increase Your Sale

More specifically  what can your do to be more successful in sales? Here's the straight talk about sale. Here's how you can be more successful and make more money. Success start with prospecting. The better prospector you are the better at sale you will be. This is because with out prospect you can't sell anything. It doesn't matter how good your product is. It doesn't matter how good a closer your are. If  there are no prospects, there are no sales. It's that sample.

People seem to miss out on this truth. Everyone wants o focus on either presentation or closing skills. While these skills are essential, they are useless without a prospect. The prospect  is the most important component of the sale. So, you need to become proficient at prospecting if you want to be successful in sales. But, how do you do that. Here's how. You become a student of prospecting. Study different prospecting a methods and ways to get new customers.

Start a file on prospecting methods and techniques. Collect and save different ideas and ways to get new customers. Try out these different methods and techniques until you find one that works best for you. Then do it continuous everyday. Because the most important thing about prospecting is to be persistent and consistent with it. You can't prospect some of the time. You have to prospect all time. Never never not be prospecting!! 

Here are fifteen highly effective sales lead generating ideas you can use to increase your sales.

1)  Advertise with Welcome Wagon in your area. This is a greeting service that welcome new residents to the community. Have your information included in all their welcome packages they give away to new resident. This way you will be one of the first from your profession to have name recognition with new comers to your area.

2)  Look in publications and newspapers for people getting job promotions, Send them a congratulations note about  their new promotion. Include your brochure and business card with it. People with new promotions usually have new needs and wants.

3)  Ask your vendors or suppliers for leads. They should be glad t help you. Because when your business grows their business grows.

4)  Join you local Chamber of Commerce and take an active role in it. This has multiple advantages. You will become involved with the movers and shakers in your community. They are excellent sources to give you referrals. Also, you should get a membership list when you join. this list is a good source for business leads. The Chamber is also an excellent way to improve your general business knowledge. They are always offering workshops on business topics. take advantage of this education and increase your business knowledge.

5)  Use lists of new business license application. These are people applying to start a new business. You can obtain this list for free at your local county courthouse. New businesses are usually in need of lots of different types of products and services. If you use this method, don't delay in contracting these businesses. Don't let your competition beat you out by being the first one there.

6)  Use property transfer records of home and business sales. These are records of people selling or buying a home or business in your area. This is public information available for free at your local courthouse. Contact this list as soon as possible. New home owners have numerous needs. You may be able to help them fill some of these.

7)  Get and use membership lists of local civic and social organizations in your area. These lists are usually public information available at your local library. You can join an organization to obtain their membership list. These lists make excellent sources of leads.

8)  Use wedding announcements in your local newspapers. Send them a congratulation note on their up coming marriage. Include your business card with this. Offer to help them in their new life anyway you can. Newlyweds are in need of lots of products and services.

9)  Prospect your current customers. This is a good source because they already believe in you and your product. Is there anything new or different you are now selling they could use? Maybe some type of added product or service to what they already have bought from you.

10) Always look for ways you can help solve a prospect's problems. Tell them how you have solved similar problems for other people. Be specific when you do this. Always mention the customer's name you have helped in similar situations.

11) Put your prospecting message in terms of dollars and cents. Show your prospect in dollar figures how much money your product or service can make or save them.

12) Always relate your offer to your prospect in terms of what it can do for them. Tell them how they will benefit from using your product or service. Show them how it will help them improve their live or business in some way.

13) Know how to differentiate your product or service from your competition. Even if it's only in some small way. Small things can sometimes make a big difference. This can only be done by knowing the details of your competition's offer as well as you do your own.

14) Put your picture on all your making material. This include your business cards. It helps to put a face to your offer. It also help people remember who you are.

15) Find some way to make yourself and your product memorable. Some way that is unique to only you. Stand out from the crowd.

Now you know how to be a success in sales. The whole key is persistent and consistent prospecting. You also have 15 highly effective ways to do this. These methods used consistently should generate all sales leads you what. Start using them today to turbocharge your sales!!

Wholesale Business And Fake Suppliers

Wholesale business start and products supplier and reap high profits while remaining your won boos. Many peoples have discovered the hidden potentials of wholesale business while others are on their way to find it out. When in practical field you will definitely run into the hands of middleman who try to steal your hard earned money. So as an amateur businessman you have to take care of several things and beware of the fake product suppliers spread all over the Internet.

A simple keyword search for suppliers will yield thousand of wholesale suppliers and many of them will turn out to be non-genuine ones. There are several techniques and tips that can protect you from them. First of all, such suppliers will promise to provide you with the lowest ever rates for the highest quality products an d will claim to be the best from every aspect. Always remember that if the supplier gives you unbelievable rates and deals then he is a fraud. If the wholesalers asks you to give 'processing fee' then again he is a cheat, as legitimate dealers never ask for 'processing fees'. ON other hand, also remain cautious about the middle men who claim to be suppliers and swear to offer the best quality on lower rates.

There are other ways which will help you stay safe from these fake suppliers and distributors. If you have doubts on the credibility of a certain supplier browse his website and check the 'contact us' option. His company's full name, his own name, mailing address and the contact number, would reflect that he is a representative of some genuine company.

If you still have doubts, check whether his postal address is valid or  not? Inquire about his company's registration number and call on the mentioned contact number. The answering person should instantly give you the company's name; if not then there are chances that the supplier id fake. Beside, the legitimate suppliers always mention their  landlines number.

Remember that the legitimate suppliers will also ask your business name, tax number and social security number, otherwise he is more likely to be a middleman. To further check the authenticity of supplier you can ask him to provide you with free sample products, legitimate supplier will happily give you access t the sample products while the fake on wouldn't be able to do so. It has also been experienced that if you ask too many questions, the fake ones stop answering while genuine suppliers doesn't. To remain on safer side always use secure payment methods like Pay Pal, Escrow etc. If you apply the above listed tips and certain supplier doesn't fit on the criteria, you should look for another supplier.

Mid Size Distribution & Food Business

Distributors work as an intermediary between the product manufacturer and the customers that include wholesalers, retailers, or any other business. Without a distributor, it wouldn't be possible for any of these parties to keep performing their primary roles (i.e.production for manufacturer and dealing with the end users for retailer). It is the distributor who manages everything in between. However, this seemingly simple jog of getting the products form manufacturers or wholesalers and delivering them to retailers can roe to be quite demanding. At the very least, a full service distribution firm needs to have large storage space, trucks and vans, and spot on inventory management skills.

Choose The Type :

When you are looking to start a food distribution business, the first thing your need to do is to select the kind of food you will be dealing in. You've got plenty of options like frozen food bakery product, dairy products, meat products, organic, or processed food. You can choose to deal in more than one or even all of these categories but that will take a huge setup, therefore it is better for the wholesale distributors to start from limited range of products and expand with the passage of time.

Product Sourcing :

After deciding the type of food, they need to get in touch with different type of suppliers like poultry or dairy farms, or brands making processed or frozen food. Make sure you are buying these products at price that's significantly less than the retail price. Before you even start dealing with the vendors, make sure you have got a foolproof inventory management system in place.

Selling :

Now comes the more important part of selling, traditionally distributors do not indulge in marketing or advertising,  because their primary jog is managing the supply chain. However, there's nothing wrong in making use of relatively low cost mediums for marketing, for example creating a wholesale website with a complete list of products you have got. Ideally the website must allow customers to order and make payments online. You should also employ some sales staff to reach out to your targeted customers. Trade shows or online directories are two very effective mediums to promote your distribution business.

Throughout this article, we've assumed that you have good inventory and logistic management skill, which is necessary for any kind of distribution  business. Remember, distribution might appear to be a relatively simple process, but in reality it takes quite some experience and a lot of hard work to successfully start and mange a food distribution business, especially because of the perishable nature of the food products.

Scanning Service and Documents Scanning

Documents scanning depends on the amount of documents that need scanning , the process that you would lime completing and the type of document. But as a general example, in this article, we'll talk about general A4 documents that you would see every day whether they are invoices, standard letters or other correspondence.


It's understandable that you'd wonder how long the document scanning process would take since, inevitable, you'll more than likely need your files and document back as soon as possible. Thankfully, these days, technology is stage where all this work can be done extremely quickly with excellent results, which is exactly what you would expect. As an exam;e, the scanners that we use on a daily basis can scan thousands of documents per day and our company outputs around 3 million files per month. However there are other factors to consider.

If you send us documents that are stapled together, they will need to be removed before they go through the scanning process, so this will add some extra time, since scanning staff would need to put out the staples from each file as they go along. It won't add a lot of time, but when it;s added up it can add some time. There's also the type of indexing your would like to take into consideration, whether it be by date, name, reference number or other factors to help you identify the newly digitised documents.

You can also request OCR scanning which means that your documents will be made completely text search able so particular keywords can be located with a simple computer text search almost immediately.

So add up around how many documents you have that will need scanning and call up the company or companies that you are looking at  working with and ask them for a quote, but make sure to ask how many documents they can output per day as this will give you an idea of exactly how long the process should take. Also ask them about the indexing and potential OCR processing if you are interested to see how much time this will add.

Document scanning is a worthwhile and future proof solution for the office, but make sure you go with a reputable company that offers both good results and speed.

Other tips: Look for the ISO 9001 :2000 accreditation which means that their work is looked over by a third party and ask for a sample of the work to be done so you can get a good idea of who the document scanning process will turn out.

Best Presentation Myth

Are you coach , or consultant, one of the fastest ways to grow your business and jump start  your results is to get the right message in front of the right people!

There are a few simple strategies that can help you leverage the power of speaking to groups, selling one-on-one in a sales presentation or in your online marketing videos.

Let's face it, a presentation gone wrong is a waste of your time, and energy, And it erodes your expert status. So we want to e sure we arm you with the right tips, tricks, and strategies to maximize every business-building opportunity!



You just need to invest a little time and energy honing the skill!

Presentation Myth #2: Your presentation is about you I know you've likely heard this before, but everyone is still doing it! You stand up. introduce yourself, and launch into a long presentation about you, your company,  your products and services and quickly put everyone to sleep.

Step 1: Believe with total conviction that your presentation is about your Audience (of one or many), because it is!

And you'll find that you'll sell a whole lots more when your truly understand this.

Think back to the last time you were in front the television.
Imagine a Cola commercial. Its not about the thing in the can and how they make it , and what goes into it, and how do they get that soda i n the can? I don't know, I don't care, and neither do you!

Step 2: Your presentation should shine a light on the problem you solve. 

You've probably heard this before, so I am going to encourage you to review your presentation and ask yourself if you're really doing it. Are you making it safe for people to say, "you know I do have that problem!"? if not, you'll find your sales will suffer. So you nee to be creative and sensitive to how present the problems your clients are suffering with at the moment, because its likely a sensitive subject.

Make sure you let your audience know that having these problems is common, its the normal journey, and it's  one they don't need you suffer anymore  because....

Step 3: Offer the Dream or Solution.   

Don't sell your product or survive, sell people on having the dream or the transformation you offer. Focus on what your product Does for your clients (the benefits) or How your services help companies just like theirs! Its a small shift that makes all the difference.

The Newspapers Quickly Generate Publicity

Many business owners believe they need a major announcement or big event to secure some media coverage.
Not so.

In many cases your local daily or weekly newspaper or business journal has space to run your item provided it is "newsworthy"

Often a number of small announcements work just as well as one bing sotry to build the company brand and add credibility.

Here are 10 ways to get into the newspapers quickly and generate publicity for your business:

Announce a new hire.  Many local papers and business journals provide ample space for this. In addition to highlighting a new staff member it demonstrates that your company is growing and moving forward

Host a special event or seminar Many papers have calendar sections specifically for this purpose.

Announce a company award  New papers will print your industry or "best of" recognition.
 
Announce a new contract or new deals with a group of customers Editors are most interested in learning about a successful local company. If it peaks their interest it could even turn into a full-blown feature article.

Publicize staff appointments to charity boards and non-profit organization The not only builds your brand but also demonstrates corporate good will by giving back to the community.

Document and photograph any donations to charity for publicity purposes When your firm donates a sizeable amount of funds to a non-profit it has news value both for your customers and internally for staff. In many cases your can create a large poster check and generate a check presentation photo opportunity whit the charity executives. The photo and a write- up can be sent to local newspapers and should be printed in your company newsletter and blog.The charity may even wish to print the photo in their own newsletter giving the event additional value and brand awareness.

Announce and expansion to a new location or enlargement of your current offices. The local press is again interested in writing about growing local companies. The business journals are also very attuned to items involving real estate news. Should your company move into new offices or make a significant enlargement to a current space it has news value.

Publicize any Green initiatives your firm may be undertaking  Newspapers and even TV stations are very interested in Green related stories, as long as they are legitimate undertakings to help the environment. Many organizations now even recognize local business with Green Awards.

Write a letter to the editor or a complete commentary  Publications have space for this, just make sure to keep it professional. You can discuss how an issue will impact the business community and other similar topics.

Highlight an employee that does something out of the ordinary. In many markets you can generate coverage for a staff person who completes a marathon or provides unique services to the community as a volunteer.

David D. Burner is principal with Colomon/Burner, a St. Louis Public Relations and Marketing firm, Mr.Burner has over 20 years of public relation experience. He has worked with PR clients on a national, regional and local basis. David helps large, mid-size and small business create a branding and public relations strategy, ascertain targeted markets and audiences, and then develops a communications plan to reach the appropriate audience. The firm works with companies on both social media and traditional media platforms. Colomon/Turner utilize a variety of marketing to include awareness building, branding, database creation and management, blogging and a variety of social media tools.

Payrool outsourcing help your company

Let us first take a look at this going green business. Going green is more than just a trend; it is about corporate responsibility and aiming for sustainable development. The best part of going green, allusions to noble thoughts of contributing to the planet's well-being aside, is that it would actually save your business some money.

Now, we all know that going paperless is one of the foremost ways to go green. Most payroll companies enable electronic payroll data collection and transfer; this means that your get rid of all the bills and papers {and the clutter). The company can provide tracking and give you quarterly reports and all these, you can view online. Instead of the "pay slip", your employees can just be provided a receipt code and with the direct deposit, you will not need to use checks. The amount will be transferred from the funds on your bank account into your employee' individual accounts. You even get to save on the paper used for checks and stamps - and you also saved costs on stamps.

Another reason why you get go green while outsourcing your payroll service is that you no longer need to buy all those toner cartridges for printing whatever needs to be printed. This means that you get to save money and that you can get rid of all those used cartridges so they can be recycles.

Your company may not be a smoke-releasing factory which needs to concern itself about the kyoto protocol but outsourcing your payroll to payroll companies also greatly reduces your company's carbon footprint. This is because of the direct deposit feature. By not using paper to send out payment information and payment to your employees, you save a lot on what it cost to cut trees and transform them to paper, and what the gas used to transport trees and  paper. It also has a more direct effect on your gas consumption; you no longer need to spend on gas for the employees' driving back and forth to the bank to make deposits; You also save on paycheck delivery costs.

When you outsourcing payroll you no longer have to deal with the nitty -gritty of it all. You may still need to do some paperwork but it would only be around 1% of what you will have to do, if you choose not to outsource. Another good thing  about outsourcing is that everything is seamless- from data collection, to transmit until calculations and deductions and payment distribution and tax filing. You do not need to work about non-compliance, and when it does happen, you can be sure your payroll service company can help.
outsourcing also cut costs and promotes staff productivity.

Those may just be just additional information to the answers for the "how can payroll help your company go green" question. Still, the prospect of going green has an attraction for everyone, not those who wanted to save on costs but also to those who are concerned about being environmentally friendly.      

Quality Of Data Entry Job

Data entry more effectively  in a business. The act of  transcribing some form of data into another form, usually a computer program. It involves maintaining, updating, and retrieving information held on computers and sometimes on paper. You will usually be entering both text and numbers into spreadsheets or databases so it's important to be able to type accurately and fairly fast, as well as have a good working knowledge of the most commonly used office software packages. Some people perform jobs that are exclusively data entry, while others, like programmers, might have to occasionally enter data.

Since the advent of computers, and since the beginning of typing, the need to collect and neatly present documents has required the capture data.

Who can qualify to perform data entry jobs? 

People who work exclusively in the field of data capture are likely to be quick typists, able read off longhand or typewritten documents, and must be accurate. They need to be familiar with the various computer programs available nowadays,  (excel, etc ).



Nowadays, most companies are looking for people who can work from home in their own spare time and at their own pace, but need to b able to meet set deadlines. With a number of information systems requiring a constant stream of data, entering it doesn't necessarily have to take place in an office or workplace. Many people work out of their homes entering data, medical information, or updating websites especially websites that offer merchandise. You can find numerous tel communicating data entry jobs available which provides people with an excellent way to have a flexible schedule.

So, if you've got these skills and you've also got the spare time on your hands,  have access to a computer, them you are the people we are looking for.

Challenges of data entry? 

 Data entry requires focus and concentration, and some may find the work exhausting and even challenging. For any person who types all day, paying attention t maintaining good posture, typing in a sound position, means that taking are all important. Most experts suggest that people entering ling steams of data should take a break at least once an hour by moving away from the computer screen.

Advantage of data entry 

If you do plan to work in the field of capturing data, it can help to diversify your skills and learn something about the field in which you're working . For example, if you spend days entering code for websites, learning tools to program in HTML and java might make you more employable in the future. If will give your curriculum vitae and enhancement that will make it more attractive for future employers and this will increase your chances of getting a permanent job.