Retail Store and Marketing

Sales Promotion and increase traffic to your retail store? Would you like to increase sales? Get yourself out into the community you serve, today!

Maybe you grabbed your local paper or saw a sign advertising an event going on within your town. Should you attend? Will it help your business?

First you need to evaluate your business and have a clear business plan. What are your motives? What do you hope to get out of the event?

* Increase Traffic
* Increase Sales
* Promote a new service or product
* Promoting a Grand Opening

Which local events can help you:

*Kids Fest,
*Local Car Shows,

*Craft Fairs,
*Parades,

*Food Kitchens,
*Diaper Drives,
*Food Drives,
*Pet Food Drives,
*Dog Shows,
*Boys & Girl Clubs,
*YMCA events,
*Senior Center Events,
*Local Fairs
*Farmers Markets

*Vendor Fairs

Try to select themes related to your business or services offered.

We've participated in Kids Festivals that were held the weekend before Mother's Day, so we usually incorporated what we were promoting plus an activity for the kids to give to their moms for Mother's Day. What has always gone over exceptionally well, was terra cotta pot decorating and transferring a flower into the pot, after it was decorated, for mom. The kids felt accomplished, both moms and kids had to hang around the table, and the kids were able to offer their mom a present. Definitely a win-win situation.

Which local events wont help you:

*Anything associated with religion
*Anything associated with politics

Unless your business focuses on these items, you don't want to alienate any potential customers or current customers

These events are available to attend in any town or city. You can always drop by an event before becoming involved to see if it feels right for your business. Then sign up for a later event. Most event promoters are very happy to have a diverse offering of local businesses.

Always offer potential customers something, so they remember to go back to your website or location to purchase items. While, the pens, stress relief balls, rulers, erasers, calculators, pen lights are nice; they really are boring.

Talk to your employees, get their feedback. Ask them what they think of when thinking of your business. This can be a little risky but honestly, I have received my best ideas from fellow employees. They offer a new perspective, a different generational thinking process, that can always be used to your benefit.

The Point Of Interests In Your CV Sections

The Point Of Interests In Your CV Sections, education and work experience are the pillars of a strong CV, but are you neglecting your 'interests' section? If so, you may be missing a trick. Use this section to give your CV that extra edge, and adhere to these definitive dos and don't!

DO...

Include an interests section! This is a rare opportunity to show your individuality. An intriguing or impressive interest will make your recruiter remember you after a long and laborious session of screening CVs. Employers also want to be assured that you have a work-life balance and won't crack under pressure.

Focus on interests that attest to your suitability. Cite activities that demonstrate qualities such as creativity,
interpersonal skills and teamwork where desirable.

Compensate for weak points elsewhere in your CV. If you lack work experience, have gaps in employment or frequently changed jobs in the past, there may be doubts about your commitment or reliability. Prove your reader wrong by telling them about captaining your local football team for three years, or how you've worked hard to master a new language.

Show a different side of you. While other sections of your CV should focus firmly on fitting a person specification typical of your role without distracting the reader, here you are free to paint a more diverse picture. So if you're a data analyst who is also multilingual and knows how to code, let the reader know here.

Research your audience. Be resourceful and identify what your interviewer or prospective employer likes to do (Google is your friend here). Common interests can be used to strike a chord. Does the organisation go on regular away days? Find out what they get up to and list any leisure activities that make you compatible. Particularly amongst creative start-ups, there is often a company culture that you will be expected to engage with - inside and outside of work - so be sure demonstrate your social side.

DON'T...

Bore your reader. This is not just another perfunctory list to bulk up your CV - rather, it is an opportunity to entice your audience. Simply naming interests without elaborating will only make you more anonymous. No extra points for feigning an interest in everything and anything.

Court controversy. If in doubt, play it safe. You may be proud of your family history of fox-hunting, but how will the vegan recruiter in HR react? This also works in the opposite direction - you might be passionate about a particular cause or movement and that is admirable, but beware of isolating those who don't share your view. Mention politics at your peril!

Disclose anything you're not comfortable with. You may prefer to keep your work and personal life separate, with good reason. It's your call. So if you have an alter ego in a rock band and mention this in your application, don't get upset when you're expected to sing a tune at the Christmas party. Explain truly condition.

Perfect Restaurant Business Plan

Perfect restaurant business plan for some time, maybe this article will help you to find the plan that will really work for you. There are virtually uncountable sites on this particular subject and dozens more are being added daily. So the choices are abound but do you know what a business plan can do for you in the future and what are the benefits of using a consultancy website who can devise you plans regarding your restaurant business? We will try to shed some light on these questions in this article.

The Restaurant Business Plan to Take Your Endeavor to New Dizzying Heights

Ever wondered why there is a need to use the services of consultants for a plan in the first place? Or specifically for a restaurant business plan? You may have asked this question before to yourself too, but this is a very serious time to reconsider this issue as this can make or break your new or established business. 

When you are trying to put up a small business, producing a business proposal is one of the primary tasks you want to do. Because without submitting the details of your proposed venture, no investor would be able to give a green light to your business. And that too have to be in a proper documented form with the relevant details about financial, sales and marketing plans for your restaurant, to name a few.

The restaurant business plan can be fundamental to your success in establishing a new business or expanding a current one. In both cases, if you are starting without a detailed plan you are seriously risking all your investment and the efforts to put up a restaurant. So it is high time that you think about getting a plan for your restaurant business from a reputed and credible source.

How to go about in Finding a Credible Restaurant Business Plan Consultancy Service

Actually writing the plan for the restaurant yourself can be quite a challenge and will slow your actual work of starting the business itself. You will ultimately lose the focus on any one of the aspects and end up wondering what went wrong. Having said that, a good sound strategy is very critical if you wish your future endeavor to be successful and profitable. There are lots of consultancy services available who offer their services for start businesses and established ones too, who are in dire need of a plan so that they can actually get going with their business.

Make sure that the consultancy service that you will chose can give you sample plans that they have previously composed for other businesses. You can judge their expertise in this field. Furthermore, talk to a consultant to be familiar with the company and its working.

Restaurant Business Plan Help is a leading service facilitating our clients from all over the world regarding a restaurant business plan.

Most Important Assets To A Company

The business compete with other firms you have to find a way to beat them in terms of cost and productivity. The easiest way to sustain your own business while beating others is to take a look at all the assets and money you are spending and see how you can lower them while increasing their performance.

Workers

These are the most expensive investments that you will make. When you are going to hire employees you want to find a way to make sure that they are productive and working how you want to them to be. Always keep tabs on what they are doing and you can include in the contract to have regular checkups to make sure they are being productive and not slacking around.

In the situation that you have many employees then you would have to have a system to manage their performance. You can give your employees bonus money if they perform well. Another thing that occurs a lot is a specific mark that they have to meet each week or month. This usually happens in markets where they are trying to sell a product or service. Therefore this might not be the best method to implement for everyone.

If you have a large computer system you can also add in monitoring systems on the computer and see what your workers are doing at all times. Different software are also good at increasing performance by integrating systems and machines together to help them

Investments in Technology

These kinds of investments tend to have a high first time investment and then smaller investments for upgrades and such things later on. If you are in an office the investments will be with computers, software, printers, faxing machines and others. Once you get these you can usually use them for long periods of time. Support and maintenance usually will cost a small fraction of the original purchasing price.

Furniture Investment

Every company needs chairs, tables, closets and even cubicles. The majority of people need these to have a proper working environment. Furnishing your company is an expensive task, however once you do so, the furniture can last many years without having to replace them.

Out of the three that we have discussed in this article, workers take up the most value in terms of expenditures in assets.

How To Start And End a Speech William

Confidence and quality speeches is dependent the two most important parts of our speech are the start and the finish. But most of us spend a lot more time concentrating on how to kick-off our speech rather than how to end it. Too often speeches have good beginnings and fizzling endings.

That's a mistake because the end of our speech is our chance to give audience members something to walk away with. The start of our speech is important to establishing rhythm for us and credibility for our audience. The end of our speech is our explanation point.

One of the people who offered words of wisdom about how to properly end a speech is the great William Penn, a man who gave innumerable speeches during his lifetime. If you're like most Americans, William Penn is probably a name you remember from school but would be hard-pressed to explain the role he played in our nation's history. This is not usual for a nation rich in important historical characters.

For the record, Penn was a real estate entrepreneur, philosopher, early Quaker and founder of the province of Pennsylvania, which became the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The democratic principles that he set forth served as an inspiration for the U.S. Constitution. He walked among us from 1644 to 1718.

Here's what William Penn had to say about ending a speech in a manner that accomplishes its intent: "Speak properly, and in as few words as you can, but always plainly, for the end of a speech is not ostentation but to be understood.

In other words, don't try to be showy or flowery. Don't get abstract or overly metaphorical. Don't be given to romanticized soliloquies. Instead, focus on directness and clarity. People respond far better to directness and clarity at this stage. Get too flowery or metaphorical and our message is likely to be misinterpreted or watered down.

So we should carefully consider our parting message. What's appropriate? What will actually penetrate? We might want to:

* Reiterate our key message, the one we started with and reinforced along the way.

* Echo something we said at the start of the speech, so come full circle and give our audience a sense of   completeness.

*This gives our comments a holistic feel.

* Present a call to action, if we're asking or expecting audience members to act on what we have said. If we don't make the request or challenge, we don't get the desired action.

* Contribute money to a cause they can get behind, based on the information we have imparted.

* Change their behavior in ways that benefit them.

In any case, we give speeches for a reason, and that is to influence others in some manner, shape or form - whether to educate, entertain, motivate, manage or chastise. The end of the speech is our final opportunity to put our stake in the ground and drives audiences to action.

William Penn's advice is sound and practical. Simply put, it is to articulate our closing thoughts with directness and unmistakable clarity.

Public Relations As a Management Tools

Public relations (PR) and use the effective tools as a communications process is not advertising in the sense that a product is being promoted. Rather, PR is a process of promoting and managing an individuals or an organization's image and reputation as perceived by the public. The management of the image is a matter of persuasion by an admittedly bias technique, but the bias should not represent any aspect of the individual or organization that is not true.

The effort of PR is intended to persuade the public using the media to establish and reinforce reputation, raise the public awareness of the subject, enhance perception of integrity, and motivate action. The most important factors in public relations in the accomplishment of these efforts is to be relevant to the public mindset while trying to persuade particular point of view and to do so with verifiable substance of information.

To succeed in these efforts, PR uses a number of tools to communicate an individuals or an organization's image and reputation to the public, but there are two primary requirements for successful PR: it must be relevant and it must be timely if it is going to reach the public and persuade individuals to action.

Relevance goes to where people live. It must affect and persuade individuals in a very local and personal way to motivate them to action. If your message attempts to persuade a public perception that they must invest in precious metals, but the individuals reached are poverty-stricken, the suggestion will be ignored as irrelevant to their condition. First, they must be persuaded in the tools to lift themselves out of poverty to a condition of disposable income, then persuade how best to use it.

Timeliness is necessary to encourage immediate action. A promotion to attend a local rally of a political candidate in six months might be a good general story, but it is neither timely nor relevant to the immediate concerns of the public.

There are eight basic tools of public relations:

Press release: an announcement of immediate, timely and relevant information released to the media to inform and educate about issues relevant to that community.

Background: historic information to educate the public about the individual or organization origin and purpose.

Special events: shows, conferences and conventions to communicate current product, policy or purpose.

Point of view (POV) articles: organizational perspective on issues affecting public opinion.

Speeches: personification of issues; relevance and timeliness personified individual to individual.

Photos and videos: a visual record of special events and speeches to communicate to a wider audience than when originally presented.

Print content: brochures, manuals and newsletters to put hard content in the hands of the public for confirmation and background on what is verbally and visually presented.

Internet content: websites, blogs and social media in an effort to combine all the above tools to reach the widest possible audience.

By effective use of these tools using relevant and timely content.

Different Types Of Washroom Services

High level of hygiene in public washrooms, it is crucial to take on the assistance of a reputable company offering washroom services for your business organization. The professionals delivering the washroom equipment and services ensure a safe and hygienic environment for your employees and clients using the washroom. Here are some essential services to look out for while taking on a professional provider.

Hand Cleaning Facilities

A wall-mounted hand cleaning arrangement is a necessity in any washroom. This is essentially a detergent dispensing device. You can choose from automated systems that provide fluid, gel or froth type detergent. These hand-washing solutions provide a great comfort to your employees and clients.

The arrangement incorporates reloading facility as and when required.

Hand Driers

Automatic hand driers are a good option if you want to reduce tissue paper waste in your washroom.

Sanitary Disposal Units

Sanitary disposal bins are vital for a female washroom. They provide a cost-effective, discreet and hygienic solution for woman employees and clients at your organisation.

Automatic Air Fresheners

You may install an air freshener system to keep your washroom free from disagreeable odours at all times. The device is programmable and fully automated. You can choose from a variety of fragrances.

Cistern and Toilet Sanitizers

These units installed inside your cisterns dispense a quantity of a sanitizing fluid with every flush. The solution keeps the toilet bowls clean. In addition, regular flushing with the solution prevents the build up of deposits in the drainpipes.

The sanitizing fluid has a pleasant fragrance, which dispels unpleasant odours in the washroom.

Toilet Paper Rolls

Toilet paper rolls are perhaps the most important units in a washroom. You can choose from a wide assortment of toilet paper types.

Most toilet paper is available as one or two ply. A 2-ply sheet is about 20% less thick than two sheets of one ply toilet paper. There are luxury or quilted toilet paper rolls, which are considerably more expensive that the regular varieties.

A sheet type of toilet paper is an interleaved toilet paper. A second sheet is automatically available when you pull out a sheet.

There are recycled toilet paper rolls for the environmentally conscious business owner. Made from office grade recycled paper, these toilet rolls offer an essential service for your washroom.

Additional Facilities

Refuse sacks and bin liners are important for any washroom. You must have an abundant supply of these articles for effective waste management.

Cleaning Services for Washrooms

It is essential to keep your washroom clean and hygienic at all times and to maintain the devices installed. The company making available the washroom services take care of this aspect. They deploy professional cleaners for maintaining your washroom.

The skilled cleaners scour all the surfaces to remove any dirt or marks. This eliminates the possibility of microbe build up in the washroom. The professionals sanitize the equipment installed and check maintenance issues.

Plumbing professionals from the service check the pipes and cisterns for blockages.

Clean and hygienic washrooms are essential for creating a healthy work environment for your employees and making a positive impression on your business clients.

Affordable care Act and Affect Community Service

Affect community most health, mental health, social service and human service organizations will be affected by the Affordable Care Act (ACA), and agencies should be involved now in proactive community service planning. If you have services that provide direct health or mental health care, social services, skill building and support, you will want to study your state's plans for its implementation of the ACA.

Broad Changes in the Landscape
 

In most states, community based nonprofits will find that the ACA will re-shape how services are priorities, managed and funded. Many will find that:

The service delivery infrastructure changes. A larger percentage of services will be paid through Managed Care Organizations (MCOs) that are designated as key intermediaries for the ACA;
More community based services will be covered through third party payments handled by the MCOs;
Community agencies will need to beef up their data systems, often paying for costly information system design or purchase, and training;
A smaller percentage of services will be covered through grants and contracts;
Competition for services will increase with larger organizations more able to respond to the quality of care, data and information system requirements.

These represent broad, sweeping changes that will have a very significant impact on the service delivery systems in our states and communities.

How Health Information Exchanges Alter the Landscape 

 

Most states are creating new Health Information Exchanges as part of the implementation of the Affordable Care Act. States and the information exchanges set the requirements for data that is being required and collected.

Most agencies are now handling patient care through electronic records, rather than the old paper filing systems. They are also collecting and reporting data related to diagnosis codes, care provided, quality benchmarks, etc. In many cases, community providers need to purchase new software and train staff, and the costs are rather substantial.

The benefit is that we will continue to save a lot of trees. The drawback in a number of states may be that it becomes increasingly difficult for smaller community based providers to pay-to-play.

 

What Agencies Can Do To Respond to These Changes
 

Policies that regulate these activities and provide transitional funding will be needed in order to ensure successful transition and the maintenance of robust community systems. The MCOs should have clear accountability requirements, caps on profits, and mandates for maintaining levels and quality of service. There should be requirements for timely payments to community providers. MCOs will be making considerable profits, and, as such, should be expected to bear much of the cost of the transition, training and technical assistance and building data systems. Where federal transition funding is being made available, it should cover costs for different levels of transition, to include the state's work, the MCOs and community agencies. In some states, you may find that the federal funding is spent primarily at the top levels, supporting state and
MCO transitions, with less spent for community providers. Strong advocacy by associations and networks can result in creating more equitable policies and funding.

The following are some of the key policy, planning and implementation issues to be addressed that will affect community based services in your state and local community:

1. Coverage levels for Medicaid Expansion, and the extent of expansion in your state;
2. Types of services being covered (the managed care organizations have some flexibility here);
3. Policies shaping the development of the Health Information Exchange (HIE);
4. Ways that the state is using federal planning and early implementation funds, and how much is being done   to help community providers build capacity;
5. Information and data system requirements being made by the HIE;
6. Extent of technical assistance being provided by the state and HIE to counties and community service providers;
7. Level of cost sharing for development and implementation of systems;
8. Burden of information system development on community providers, especially small nonprofit organizations.

Make sure that your agency and providers in your field work to shape your state's policies that will determine which services are covered. Analyze what is needed by community agencies and work to have training and some of the data and information system costs covered through state and federal transition funding. Transition infrastructure development funding should be shared with the service delivery infrastructure, and not kept solely for development costs by your state and the MCOs.

Work with your state nonprofit association and provider groups. In these times, it is critical to hear the voices of state nonprofit associations, and associations of primary care, behavioral health and older adult service providers. 

Consumer voices are also extremely important. These groups can analyze state level policy, strategies, and funding and make recommendations for services, the service delivery system, policies and funding.

Anne Hays Egan is an organizational development consultant, based near Santa Fe, NM. She has helped hundreds of nonprofits and communities to build capacity and successfully navigate change. She specializes in community service planning, organizational development and managing fiscal challenges. Nonprofit and community leaders across the U.S. have commended her work. Her speaking engagements and workshops are sought after, lively and engaging events. Anne has published widely in the field.

Business Networking Event

Business networking events can be crowded, awkward, and overwhelming. Often, attendees spend time talking to everyone they can, collecting business cards, and later ending up feeling like they wasted their time. For those who are not extroverts at all, they border on painful. These events can actually be extremely beneficial, but will be ineffective if approached the wrong way. This article provides six tips about how to not only survive the event but also get something valuable out of the experience.

1.Have some direction. If you don't have a clear goal from the minute you walk in the door, you are more likely to get overwhelmed and not know what to do. So, before the event, take a little bit of time to think about what you want out of the experience so that you and go into it fully prepared and ready to work towards your goal.

2.Look and act professional. First impressions do matter. Both your attire and your demeanor should be professional. Put on a suitable outfit, bring business cards, and make sure you are well-mannered throughout the entire event. Also, there is often alcohol available at these functions. It is absolutely fine to have one or two drinks, but if you don't know your limits, you will come across as unprofessional rather than as someone with whom people would like to conduct business.

3.Be positive and enthusiastic. Displaying passion and enthusiasm is an excellent way to inspire people and win them over. It can be contagious, fostering memorable conversations. Smiling will demonstrate warmth, and people will see you as friendly and inviting. Few things turn people off more than a negative attitude, so make sure that is not how you come across. Also, as in all areas of life, you are more likely to succeed if you are genuine and be yourself.

4.Talk to the right people. Don't stick with the people you already know. It may seem tempting to avoid the risk of awkwardness by talking to people you have already met and are comfortable with; however, this does not bring any new value to attending networking events. Instead, branch out. Actively seek out influences, thought leaders or industry experts, and people who are likely to be well connected. For example, the organizer of the event probably knows a lot about those in attendance and can help you determine who to approach.

5.Listen and ask questions for better conversations. It may seem counter intuitive to avoid talking about yourself. How will people know what you have to offer? Yes, your goal is to get something out of the event, but you are unlikely to make any real connections that will prove beneficial if all you do is self-promote. Instead, listen attentively to what each person is saying and ask good questions in order to demonstrate interest. You will learn something and find yourself engaging in sincere conversations that will more likely to spark genuine connections that will become mutually beneficial.

6.Make your life easier by jotting down brief notes after each valuable interaction. If you have a conversation that sparks a connection you would like to continue to build or in which you make any promises about further contact, jot down a few notes about the interaction on their business card immediately. You will need to follow up, so doing this will make it easier to personalize that communication with details from the conversation.

By following this guidance, you are likely to truly see something positive come out of your efforts at networking events rather than getting overwhelmed or overzealous.

Good Business Can Meet And Relationship

Since Non verbal communication should always be discussed on the basis of three key elements: Culture, Context and Cluster, this article is written with the following areas in mind:

Culture: European, North American, Australasian and other areas that share similar cultural characteristics.

Context: Business meetings.

Cluster: In addition to the handshake, we are assuming that there is appropriate gaze; orientation, Proximity and posture as expected in this context.

Nowadays, in a great many cultures we use the handshake as a way of welcoming or greeting a person. This handshake comes from the old tradition of showing ones strength via the use of arm-wrestling where the winner is the person who has their hand uppermost - in other words, they literally have "the upper hand."

Please note that people usually shake hands instinctively and without prior planning or consideration of the potential psychological consequences so we have to consider other elements of the communication before reaching any conclusions about them.

Within the business context, when shaking hands there are six main ways of offering the hand and each one has implicit psychological meaning & interpretation:

1. The "normal" handshake where the hand is offered at 90º to the body and is subconsciously perceived as a handshake between equals. It is a neutral interaction where neither person presumes to be superior to the other or seeks to dominate them.

2. The spear: This is when a person offers their hand palm down towards the other person - like thrusting a spear towards them. In Spain, it is like the final thrust used to kill the bull in a bullfight. People who use this type of gesture tend to be somewhat egotistical and like to dominate others. If the other person accepts this style of handshake, it means that their palm will be face upwards and they are subconsciously accepting that the other person literally has "the upper hand" and that they are subordinate to them! The solution to this behavior is to take the hand and IMMEDIATELY turn it into the "normal" handshake position.

3. The Glove: This is where one person puts their left hand on top of the "normal" handshake thereby trapping the other person's hand. It is another way of showing who actually has "The upper hand"!

4. The double glove: This is the response to the previous item (the glove) The person who has their hand trapped places THEIR left hand on top of the other person's left hand and thereby assumes the status of the person with the upper hand!

5. Hand on bicep: Some people, especially kin esthetics, like to shake hands with their right and, at the same time, use their left hand to firmly grasp the right biceps of the person they are talking to. This action allows the kin esthetic to actual feel, and share, the physical power of the person and also indicates that they have the upper hand as it is, literally, above the hand of the other person.

6. Hand on shoulder: The final category is when one person places their left hand on the right shoulder of the other person. It may, in certain situations, be perceived as kindly or paternal however in business it may be perceived as indicating that this person literally has the upper hand.

Importance Direct Mail Letters

A story that may give you new ways to relate to your mailings recipients.

Successful direct mail is a conversation between two people - the letter signer and the mailings recipient.

The more information you have about the mailings recipient, the better the conversation you can have.

It's like going to a party and meeting someone new. You can captivate his or her attention for a few moments by talking about yourself. But if you want to hold their attention, you need to ask about their interests and direct the conversation toward them.

This is why successful copywriters study mailing lists.

Understanding the demographics, interests and history of the mailings recipients is the listening part of the direct mail conversation.

But your letter also has a voice. It's the voice of the letter signer.

The copywriter speaks for the letter signer. And by taking time to understand the "speaker's" background and experiences, the writer can provide new reasons for the reader to accept the letter signer as "one of us."

Incorporating elements of the signers life and language into the copy builds creditability and trust. Plus, it builds interest that pulls the recipient into the letter and keeps them reading. And the longer the reader holds onto your letter, the more likely they are to respond.

For an insurance offer, I learned that the letter signer had 7 children. Because people known to have children were a significant portion of our mailing lists, I dropped the traditional, more formal copy approach and wrote:    "... with 7 children of my own, I wonder what their future will be like once I'm gone. I like to think I've provided them with a good life, but... "

The copy went on to describe the policy's benefits. But early in the letter, I gave readers a reason to identify with the letter signer.

Did it work? Pretests recorded 62% more responses for this personalized copy approach.

For a membership organization of veterans, I could - and did - write about the benefits of membership. But by quickly mentioning the signers experiences at boot camp, readers - who were veterans themselves - saw they shared a common experience with the letter signer, and they responded.

Renewal rates improved by 79%.

Getting to know even the most basic facts about the letter signer can pay big dividends. It helps copywriters write a better story and adds credibility to your offer.

Typically, facts about the letter signer are easy to obtain. The best way is to ask for an interview. Otherwise, I ask for a biography. And if I can't get that, there's usually an abundance of information on the Internet.

Check the organization's website first. If the letter signer is the head of a business unit or organization, you'll usually find a brief biography. Then search for speeches, articles, interviews and commentaries.

Whatever you find, make note of any themes, phrases or personal experiences that you can use to build rapport with the reader. You'll gain authenticity in the words you write and discover new stories to relate to your readers.

So as important as list selection is to your mailing's success - and nothing is more important - take time to gather background information about your letter signer.

Strategic Marketing Plans

If you've spent any time selling in today's competitive market place, you know it can be uniquely challenging. Many markets are individually idiosyncratic and uniquely resistant. It requires special insights, strategies and training to successfully penetrate, which often adds a few twists and turns onto your road map. However, this doesn't make it impossible to navigate to your final destination.

The first thing to do is to understand your marketing objectives. Where are you going with all this effort? For the companies with strategic marketing plans and marketing budgets, "Ready, Aim, Fire" is no longer enough. There must be a concept of the greater vision - to bring real value to the marketplace. There are a couple of key tactics you can use to do this, highly effective marketing tactics that are invisible to the client in the selling process.

The formulate the best possible strategy, ask your clients why they chose you and your company. When talking to them, explain that you want to ensure that you are providing the service and products they want and need. Let them know how much you need their honest feedback during this time. As a result of this interview process, you will likely come up with a lot of new ideas for offering real value to your client.

The key to this strategy is that you are not selling; you are asking for your prospect's advice on improving your company. This is actually an excellent indirect marketing opportunity, invisible marketing.

Another invisible marketing strategy begins even before your first meeting with your prospect. It comes as a result of understanding your marketplace and the greatest pains of your clients. What keeps them up late at night? What makes them wake up in a cold sweat, urgently seeking a solution? How can you and your firm speak to the pain and provide top-level service to your prospect?

By placing yourself directly between your prospect and the solution to their greatest need, you're applying the most effective marketing strategy possible. You're offering genuine value in the marketplace.

Success happens when you have a solid strategy in mind or road map to guide you. If done right, creating a business development strategy can be simple, especially when you focus on this time tested marketing directive. The best Marketing Strategy plan for lawyers is to make your marketing invisible by interviewing them and easing your clients' greatest pains.

Three Simple Leadership

Simplifying the complex process of leadership? If so don't be ashamed because most leaders are. Whether you are taking your first steps as a leader or have been leading people for decades the leadership process is full of complexities. In this article I will show you how to simplify the leadership process using just one letter; impossible right?

There are many theories and acronyms floating around the Internet that all claim to be able to solve the riddle of leadership's complexity, and while some of them are helpful, most of them are incomplete and inconsistent.

Today I introduce you to the three P's; Professionalism, People, and Productivity. When these three areas are executed properly leadership is effective, efficient, and simplified. Think of the 3 P's as a dart board, the outer ring being Professionalism, the middle ring People, and the bull's eye being Productivity. An effective and efficient leader must be diversified in these areas, starting on the outer ring and working inwards. Leaders that just aim straight for the bull's eye will indeed accomplish their task by hitting Productivity, but they will lose their respect and employee efficiency because they have neglected the Professionalism and the People rings.

Now we will break down the three P's referencing a car.

Professionalism: This is the door to leadership, the process can be opened or lost here, and you are the key. A leader's professionalism enriches their leadership competencies; it adds instant value to their actions and decisions. Professionalism consists of preparedness, integrity, knowledge, and morals.

People: This is the engine that drives leadership, without it you will go nowhere. Establishing the correct relationship with your employees is an essential step in achieving efficiency. This is done by developing the precise approach to unlocking their potential. People consist of respect, motivation, selfless service, and personal courage.

Productivity: This is the GPS of leadership, where do you need to go? You have already opened the door and started the engine, now you need a precise route to victory. Productivity consists of directions, clarity, communication, and enforcement.

Mastering the three P's will undoubtedly optimize and simplify your leadership process. The three P's should be used a guideline or checklist just as a great leader I know used the three M's; mission, men, and me. As you lead your employees ask yourself, have I established and maintained my professionalism.

Well Dress Up Present During A Job Interview

Applicants always rely on their skills and qualifications when they go for a job interview. They just think that these are what matters most to their prospect employer so their appearance does not really bother them. Besides it depends on the position they are applying for.

Such thinking is very irrational. Personal appearance really matters to employers. Dressing up is also considered by employers in choosing their employees. Do you think the employer will hire you in a corporate setting if you wear only a shirt, jeans and sneakers during a job interview? Come to think of it, even if you have the qualifications for the vacant position, still the employer might have second thoughts of hiring you especially if you look like a goon in your attire.

Improper attire is detrimental and may lead to your rejection. Hence, aside from preparing for the job interview, you should also prepare for your outfit. Or else, most likely you will suffer the consequences. Therefore you should do your part to establish a good impression. With this, you will position yourself as the frontrunner's among the applicants.

But the question is, how will you present yourself during a job interview to nail the vacant post as far as dressing up is concerned? Well, it's not simply donning the fancy or fabulous clothing. But it is not also advisable to wear timeworn clothes. The following tips should be taken into consideration seriously for you to succeed.

1. Attire. This is basically the first thing that will be noticed by the interviewer. Even if the company has no dress code, still you should wear an appropriate outfit. Do not just wear shirt and jeans but rather a black suit which is more suitable. Make sure that it is clean, has no wrinkles all over and it was ironed. If your suit is old-fashioned, you better buy a new one that is simple yet elegant or simply borrow from a friend if you have financial constraint.

2. Shoes. Wearing dirty shoes will leave a negative impression. As much as possible, wear clean and traditional shoes so that you are comfortable with it.Your personality should radiate professionalism so wear simple yet stylish shoes because you will be working for at least 8 hours straight and your feet must be comfortable with it.

3. Hair. It is the crowning glory of a person. As such, it should be washed and styled. Women should fix their hair perhaps

ponytail for that matter while men on the other hand should trim their hair to give a professional impression.

4. Fragrance. Colognes are very prevalent and nothing wrong with using it but too much use of this can be very damaging during the interview. If you put on much cologne, there might be apprehension when you sit in front of the interviewer. That is why it is prudence on your part to be conscious of the effects of your cologne to other people so as not to irritate them.

5. Accessories. True enough, accessories can enhance your outlook. But do not try to wear many ornaments as this can be disturbing for the interviewer. Use only a simple watch and perhaps a pair of earrings instead. Simplicity is beauty indeed.

6. Makeup. It is essential especially for women to wear makeup. However they must be extra careful on how to apply it. Avoid using too much but rather apply only a minimum amount enough for your beauty to be emphasized.

If you will simply follow the tips above, you will be on the right track of pulling it off in the interview. As you can see, it is very important for you to have proper attire as this is one of the factors being considered. Of course, this is not the main point but this will certainly work out.

Ask Yourself Question For New job Interview

Try for interview and you get the job offer, but you are not sure whether you will accept the offer. Do you have cold feet and buyer's remorse or is this job not really the best move for you at this time?

Here are some questions to ask yourself to determine whether to accept the offer or to stay at your same job.
 

1. Have I learned everything I can at my current job?

You need to look at the pros and cons of your current job. There must be a reason you started looking at other positions. If you truly have nothing more to learn and the job is boring and repetitive, then this may be a good time to leave.

2. What are the real opportunities at the new job other than money?

Look at what your new job provides beyond salary. Will there be better mentors, cutting-edge technology, or better working conditions? If the answer is yes, then it may be a good time to seek those opportunities. 

3. Does this job fit in with your long-term goals?

The job may sound very exciting and fun, but does it fit in with your long-term goals? If it doesn't, perhaps your goals have changed. The point is that you have to look at a total career for every job move. If the job adds new skills and experience, it may be a good fit for the long haul?

4. Is this a once-in-a-lifetime job that you will regret if you don't take it now?

The conventional wisdom is that "opportunity only knocks once" and that "opportunity often comes at an inopportune time." Only can you make that decision. If you have been looking at jobs for a long time, you should know how often a job like this comes onto the market.

5. Can I afford a lower salary? Do I need a second job?

If the employer has offered you a lower salary than your present position, can you afford to take the position, even if it is your "dream job?"

Be realistic about hos much salary you will need to live comfortably. What is the cost of living in the new area? If it is lower, that will help your expenses. If it is higher, you may need to consider a second job. If you take a second job, does that diminish the positive aspects of your "dream job?" Will you have the energy and stamina for the new job if you are worried about day-to-day living expenses?

Before making your final decision as to whether to accept the position, you may want to ask when your first performance evaluation will be and whether you would be eligible for an increase at that time.

Global Network And Manufacturing Businesses

Around thirty five years ago China's transformation towards being the world's supermarket began. Back then as today it was possible to command almost any price but finding the right factory with the right quality procedures and adequate testing facilities was and is a whole different ball game.

As the world has become ever more globalized so margins have become ever more squeezed and product prices ever more elastic. The rush to take advantage of world prices offered by China, India (and more recently the BRIC countries) is something akin to the California gold rush.

In 2013 100s, if not thousands, of businesses have taken the leap and moved all or most of their manufacturing overseas. Up and down the country purchasing managers and buyers are slapping each other on the back at the cost savings they have gained, or at least think they have gained.

 

Take a walk down the hall to quality or supply and the story may not be so rosy. One may even witness the air turn blue as the quality guy inspects yet another reject, trusted spectrometer in hand. All was well at sample stage so what went wrong. Well self regulation never did and never will work. Quality teams, on the ground in the manufacturing country, carrying out regular in process inspections, is essential to ensuring quality is consistent.

Setting up an office in the host country is one option but the cost and timescales for doing so will be prohibitive to anything but log term cost savings. In the short to medium term increased costs and reduced margins are the more likely outcome.

However a network of highly vetted factories, regularly inspected by qualified engineers, can be the answer. Sourcing high quality products at world prices is the modern day global challenge.

The challenge is not just a global one but also an internal one that can very easily lid to organizational conflict, if not handled correctly. In many companies purchasing, accounts and logistics work in splendid isolation. All working according to their own KPI's with no over reaching solution for tracking project costs.The result is the supply chain becomes fragmented.

 

What is needed is someone with an eye on everything and a foot in every camp. Often this challenging role is left to the hapless product manager, who cuts his own throat no matter what decision he makes and so makes non. The product manager becomes a professional politician of such cunning as to put Downing Street to shame. So the solution becomes to outsource everything to a third party.

Maxim Industries Ltd use an established network of factories around the world to source products, components and sub assemblies for manufacturing businesses across Europe and the USA. With ISO accredited quality procedures in place.

Data Capture Accuracy Used Effectively

A brief introduction for those who don't know what it is, data capture is a method of extracting information from forms and surveys that have been filled out by people either by hand or digitally. So if someone has filled in a survey or form, they can be scanned and captured and the extracted information used for its original purpose, for research, and using an actual data capture service can save a considerable amount of time doing the work by hand.

That's the basic gist of what data capture is whether for forms, surveys or other documents that need their data interacting and although there has been a standard use for data capture since it was picked up as a useful and popular service but it is also being used for many other reasons in 2013.

Along with general marketing and research techniques, the data capture of forms has had to change and adapt to changing attitudes throughout the world. In 2012 and into 2013 more and more business cards are being captured and their details including phone numbers, email addresses and other important are captured and put into databases so they can be used effectively in the future for a mixture of mailing lists and email marketing. 

However there's another side of business card capture where a lot of restaurants and entertainment establishments are offering a raffle for those who leave their business cards behind in a jar so that the eventual winner wins a prize and they can use all data from business card for marketing purposes. You may think it's a difficult and expensive process to capture business card data due to their different layouts and order, but it's a lot simpler than it seems especially using automated or automatic data capture.

Form data capture has also now been picked up by health organizations such as the NHS in order to survey patients and staff on their opinions on their service. As one of the most scrutinized and monitored service providers in the UK, they need to stay on the top of their game as all times and this is one way of checking up on the satisfaction of their users. However they receive thousands of these feedback forms at any given moment so can't all be input manually so they outsource in order to gather this information into easily manageable data and presentations so they can browse through the data with ease and get down to the bottom of any problems or see where they are exceeding expectations.

As such, data capture has become a service that extends beyond market research companies and marketing firms, but is now an essential tool in order to gain an insight into issues as well as for general feedback. As the businesses across the world are subject to more scrutiny and higher expectations, it's almost become a requirement to be the best you possibly can be and even more besides. Going the extra mile.

People as a whole are still more likely to fill out a paper-based form than one sent to them online or if they're given a link to go to. So whilst some things change over time such as the use of this particular service.