A Place for Todays Entrepreneurs

Bharti Unveils it's new global face

2010-11-18T22:23:00.002+05:30

Bharti (Airtel) has unveiled a new logo and vision to make the next big leap. It is targeting $10bn revenue by 2010.Â Bharti also want to grow its non- telecom business from 15% to 50% in the next 5 years. That would make its telecom business to 50% which is at 85% now.

Simply put, Bharti wants to be the next big conglomerate and join the elite club of Tata and Reliance.

Bharti is looking for both organic and non-organic growth. Just a few months ago it looked for South Africa’s MTN which would have made it the top 10 telecom company in the world. We already know that it just entered top 25 clubof global telecom companies. One of its non-telecom interests are in Insurance, where Bharti has a joint venture with France’s AXA.

Wal-mart’s joint venture for retail operations with Bharti are all set to rock India in March 2009. Bharti has just entered into a young and growing DTH space. But, until now telecom was their forte. They want to change that going forward.India already has 300 million mobile subscribers. Target for 2010 is 500 million subscribers. That is a good 200 million left on the table. But, there are too many players on the line. The recent license allocation to players and to Reliance had kicked of the second round of telecom revolution. Unlike the first round, Bharti (airtel) will not have a first mover advantage and find it tough to gain a significant share in the next 200 million. May be this is the reason for Bharti’s change in direction.

It is not just Bharti which is obsessed with conglomeration. Every company once successful in their chosen business looks to explore other options. The IT companies after successful operations have either started or acquired BPO operations. Mobile operations and value added services are the other area which IT companies look at. Same is the case with energy companies.

GMR industries is one such company which has interests in several businesses. Don’t even get me started with Future Group. They need a serious brand consolidation and new identity.

Airtel is one of the better brands in India. Not as many people relate with Bharti as much as they do with Airtel. There can be a brand confusion for Airtel (oops Bharti). That is because its brand Airtel is so successful. I just hope that Bharti does not become like Future Group with too many brands.

Is conglomeration the only way to remain profitable in India?

Article source - http://trak.in/tags/business/2008/11/04/bharti-unveils-new-logo-vision-and-targets-10bn-revenue-by-2010/

Airtel - Something new this time... a new logo and lot more

2010-11-15T00:15:00.002+05:30

Airtel’s Rebranding: Why is it Needed?

Airtel is planning for a rebranding exercise and will unveil its new logo next week. ET reports that the company has set massive promotional budget to the tune of Rs.300crore to establish the new brand. Airtel is already a strong brand in Indian market and has good connect with it’s target audience.But off late ,Airtel has been facing severe competition on home turf and the recently announced quarterly result shows the pressure on bottomline. Saturated Indian Telecom market and excessive competition forced company to look beyond Indian boundaries and now Airtel is an Indian MNC with it’s presence in 18 countries post Zain acquisition. African market is still having lot of opportunity to be tapped and Airtel acquired Zain’s African assets in $ 10.7 to quickly roll out services.

Why Rebranding ?:
Now Airtel is no more an Indian company serving domestic market only rather it’s an MNC serving to many markets. Now it has to appeal to all these markets and be meaningful to all of them. Apart from this the company has to convey the message to one and all that post acquisition of Zain, Airtel is going to be a much bigger,effective & efficient brand. If we recall the acquisition of Hutch by Vodafone case, Vodafone had rebranded Hutch . Hutch was already a strong brand but still Vodafone spent huge amount and changed it to Vodafone. Now Vodafone is more stronger .

Similarly ,Airtel has now have to appeal to several markets and at the same time has to convey the message that its an MNC brand with presence in many countries (This enhances the brand perception). So with all new logo and brand philosophy ,Airtel will try to imbibe the nuances of each market into one. In Indian market to target group will be reminded of Airtel brand’s enhanced stature and thus making it even more stronger.

ET reports that the new look of the brand is expected to have a swoosh locked with the word Airtel. The way Airtel is written may also change, it is not expected to have a capital ‘A’ under the new brand. The red colour, though, will still be dominant in the new brand.

Article Source ::: Teleguru.in http://teleguru.in/2010/11/airtels-rebranding-why-is-it-needed/

Corporate Social Responsibility

2008-02-26T22:59:00.000+05:30

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is the alignment of business operations with social values. It takes into account the interests of stakeholders in the company's business policies and actions.

CSR focuses on the social, environmental, and financial success of a company - the so-called triple bottom line - with the aim to achieve social development while achieving business success.

Companies now perform in non-financial arenas such as human rights, business ethics, environmental policies, corporate contributions, community development, corporate governance, and workplace issues.

Social and environmental performances are considered side by side with financial performance. From local economic development concerns to international human rights policies, companies are being held accountable for their actions and their impact.

Companies are also more transparent in disclosing and communicating their policies and practices as these impact employees, communities, and the environment.

In the new global economy, companies that are responsive to the demands of all of their stakeholders are arguably better positioned to achieve long-term financial success. It is no longer optional for a company to communicate its environmental and social impacts; such information is pertinent in an information-driven economy, and improved communication has become critical for sustainable business growth.

The new slogan

CSR has become the password to not only overcome competition but to ensure sustainable growth. It has been supported not only by the shareholders but stakeholders by and large encompassing the whole community. Corporate Virtue Is In is the slogan and why not? As it offers so many advantages including a hike in profits.

CSR is the point of convergence of various initiatives aimed at ensuring socio-economic development of the community which would be livelihood oriented as a whole in a credible & sustainable manner.

Benefits of CSR

• Improved financial performance
• Reduced costs
• Enhanced brand image and reputation
• Increased sales and customer loyalty
• Customer satisfaction
• Increased productivity and quality
• Increased ability to attract and retain employees
• Reduced regulatory oversight
• Favorable positioning
• Competitive mileage
• More engaged investors
• Environmental sustainability
• Forging of partnerships

Source: - http://www.izine.in/articles/Corporate-Social-Responsibility.asp

Globalization of Human Resource Management

2008-02-26T22:54:00.000+05:30

Changes in the contemporary global economy highlight many of the emerging challenges facing human resource management (HRM). Vast macro societal changes increasingly bind countries into interdependent nations in which goods, capital, and people move freely. Between these communities, however, there remains a patchwork of cultural barriers. To remain successful in this new global age, agencies must commit themselves to transnationalism. They must also internalize strategies that are likely to succeed in global competition. Implementing successful global strategies requires careful attention to the paradoxes created in the management of human resources and the maintenance of multifaceted organizational cultures.

To survive in the 21st century, agencies must adapt a global mindset and transform leadership to be globally competitive. Agencies and their leaders must learn to manage such transformations or they will inevitably lose their competitive edge. Global leaders, therefore, must have the capacity to turn threats or stumbling blocks into opportunities; to motivate people to excel, not just to survive; to accelerate innovations in competitions; and to operate globally through cross-cultural problem solving and team building.

The ability to cope with cultural relativity is the key requirement for global managers to succeed today and tomorrow. Familiar aspects of organizational life such as organizational structure, leadership styles, motivation patterns, training and development models, and the very important concept of human resource management, are culturally relative and, therefore, need to be considered when national boundaries are crossed. To facilitate such cross-cultural adaptation, what is required is more recruitment of managers from different areas, acculturation through carefully planned career moves, and cultural awareness training. To create opportunities for international collaboration, global leaders must learn not only the customs, courtesies, and protocols of their counterparts from other countries, they must also understand the national culture and mindsets of the people.

Source: http://www.izine.in/articles/Globalization-of-Human-Resource-Management.asp

Steps for getting a website

2006-10-01T04:44:00.000+05:30

Step 1 - Get A Domain

First you have to understand what is Domain name. A domain is the name that is typed in to your browser, usually Internet Explorer or Netscape. Most of the time it has www in front, such as:

[URL=http://www.izine.in]www.izine.in [/URL]
[URL=http://www.nisman.com]www.nisman.com [/URL]

Domain name is very important. As it the name by which you will be known by the internet users in E-World.Domain registration is important.

As domain name always be unique. one domain name can be alloted to one person or company only. You have registere a domain which ever you want (subject to availability). There are so many providing domain registration services. Before approcing any of these kind of service providers, you can check the availability of domain name of your choice on [URL=http://www.checkdomain.com]www.checkdomain.com[/URL].

You mkight be confused with ".com" or ".in".
Let me clear it to you, ".com" or ".in" are called TLD (Top Level Domain). There are so many extensions (TLD) are available in the market. like commercial websites preffer ".com" TLD. Goverment organizations preffer ".org" or ".gov" TLD. Few are the TLD available now a days.

.com
.net
.in
.org
.co.in
.tv
.name

etc.

Step 2 - Get Web Hosting

A domain is an address your computer uses to get files from another computer. It is often referred to as "going somewhere". You type the address into your browser, or click on a bookmark or link, and you "go there".

So where is the web site?

To be available 24 hours a day, a web site has to be on a computer that is on and attached via cables to the internet, all the time. These computers are called Web Servers or servers. Web sites are created on a personal computer and then uploaded to a web server.

A server needs to be fast and reliable with power backup, Because you don't know whoi is connected or trying to connect to your website in the world.

To make your domain, and hence web site, available to the internet you need a web server to use.

Web Hosting companies have the physical infrastructure in place and provide space on their servers to their clients. The cost of buying, setting up and maintaining a web server would be prohibitive to most individuals and small, medium business. Use a hosting comany and you pay only for what you need.

All of the maintenance and upgrades of server software and hardware is handled by the hosting company.

For all these you no need to buy a high configuration server. you can buy some space as per the requirements fro websosting service providers.

Step 3 - Get A Web Site

Once you have a domain and a server to host your site it’s time to get that web site happening.

A web site is a series of files, or pages, that contains images, text and even sound or movies.

A web site is created using web design software. Microsoft products such as Word and Front Page are installed on most PCs today and can produce web pages. This software however is limited in the look and feel it can produce from the ordinary user, but it is a start. You will find all the info you need in the help files and, of course, on the internet.

The process of web site building can be a bit confusing at first and it is not the intention to go into the details here, but many people build and run their own sites with varying degrees of success.

But if you are planning for a good dynamic website with database connectivity, automatic retrevell of information as per users request, users login area, Then i would suggest you to consult any of the company who have an expertise in developing dynamic websites. They will create a good plan for you.

Things To Consider

What sort of site do you need?

Business brochure site 1 - 6 pages

Personal Site

Ecommerce - databases, secure server

Artists/ Music Site

Content Management System

This is the time when you are ready to catch the international market. Will start doing Business across your limitation.

This is time when you can say, My business never sleeps.

Why are Businesses and People Rushing to be Online?

2006-10-01T04:32:00.000+05:30

Business on the Web
There are countless reasons why and how a website can benefit your business. The Internet is the most professional, effective, and cost efficient way to advertise and reach qualified prospects. The Web provides all the benefits of many other advertising media with several added features:

- Your products and/or services are accessible and can be purchased 24 hours a
day,365 days a year.
- Information about your company will be launched to a global audience.
- Customers and prospects can download information and graphics directly, thus
reducing the need for printed matter.
- The cost is only a fraction of that of traditional advertising media.

Since information on the Web is presented in a graphical format, small businesses can compete at the same level as that of the "big boys".

- Customer service is available at all times for your customers.

The Web is the most effective form of advertising media due to its interactivity and pre-qualification of prospects.

Individuals on the Web

Businesses aren't the only ones publishing on the Web. Many individuals are learning the benefits and satisfaction of Internet publishing.

- Personal homepages contain everything from soup to nuts - literally! Many people
use the Web to swap and share family recipes.
- Personal knowledge in various areas of expertise are shared.
- Job seeking individuals can publish their resumes to a global audience.
- Families searching to build their family trees or find long-lost friends and
relatives make up a large portion of personal pages.
- People love to share tidbits of information, jokes, cool websites and a variety of
miscellaneous "gems" of knowledge.

With the interactivity of the Internet, individuals and businesses alike can share ideas, information, products and services across the world.

Igniting The Fuel helps to comvert Prospects Into Customers

2006-08-22T22:20:00.001+05:30

Every sale is powered by the fuel of emotion. By a complex mix of beliefs, feelings and desires that mesh together to become the Core Buying Emotion – the feeling that compels us to break out our wallets.

Your job as a marketer is to trigger that emotion in your prospect and get it worked up to the point that she buys what you’re selling.

So how, exactly, are you supposed to do that?

Know Where You’re Going

Stimulating the wrong emotion is just as bad as not stimulating any at all. So the first thing you have to do is know your prospect. Know how she’s already feeling about the problems your offer will solve.

In other words, you have to identify her Core Buying Emotion before you can even dream of triggering it.

Start The Ignition

Look beyond your product or service. Look beyond the benefits it offers. Think about where your prospect is emotionally, and where she’ll be after she takes you up on your generous offer.

Now you’ve got to show her how your product will get her from where she is to where she wants to go.

There are as many different ways of triggering emotions as there are emotions to trigger – and then some. But here are some ideas to get you started:

* Tell a story. Let it read like a novel, with quotations and all. Let your prospect get involved briefly with a character that shares her problem – and then watch as your product solves that problem. Stories not only evoke intense emotion, they’re remembered longer than any other pitch you can make.
* Paint a vivid picture with your words. Use details to stimulate as many of her senses as possible. Smells are especially tied to memory and emotion. If you’re trying to make her feel nostalgic, mention the smell of Grandma’s fresh baked bread, or of the grass she played in as a child.
* Feel the emotion as you write. Let your words be saturated with it to the point that it seeps into your entire copy. If you want your prospect to be angry, then be fighting mad while you write.

Channeling The Energy

Once you’ve ignited the fuel of your prospect’s emotion, you’ve got to channel it. Just getting angry or nostalgic isn’t good enough – it has to produce action. So be sure you give your prospect something to do with her feelings, like calling your 1-800 number, filling out your handy order form, or clicking your "Buy It Now!" Button.

Emotion is a powerful fuel. Use it wisely, and your marketing can power your business for a long time to come.

Discover The Emotions That Turn Prospects Into Customers

2006-08-22T22:20:00.000+05:30

You know they’re there.

Lurking deep within your prospect – perhaps so deep she doesn’t even know she feels them – are emotions related to what you want to offer her. If your marketing can resonate with them, get them all churned up so they can stimulate some action, it’s a good bet that she’ll buy what you’re selling.

But if you misfire, your effort will be ignored. Even worse, you could trigger her sales resistance, making it that much harder to sell to her in the future.

So how do you go about deciding which emotions to trigger?

You’ve Got To Know Me To Sell Me

It’s an old, old mantra, but you just cannot sell to a prospect that you don’t intimately know. Educated guesses may help you get lucky once in a while, but consistent wins only happen when you know what you’re doing.

Just who is this person you’re pitching to? Don’t stop with demographics – they’re only the beginning. Two 55-year-old white women in the same suburban neighborhood may well have completely different lives. One may be a fanatical environmentalist, while the other listens to Rush Limbaugh.

What are your prospects core beliefs? The fundamental things she believes to be true? What is she skeptical about? What is she ashamed of? What kind of person does she wish she could be?

It Takes Detective Work

It will take effort on your part to find the answers to these questions. And it can’t be done overnight.

But where do you look for the answers?

Start with what you know. If you have a mailing list, see what other companies have used it. What are some of the other products or services this target has bought? Are there any publications that mail to this list?

Go to the bookstore and look at the best selling books on subjects related to your offer. Buy them and read them. Get any and all newsletters and magazines on the subject and do the same. Pay special attention to the advertisements – how are others targeting your prospect?

If you’re targeting a professional group, read their trade publications and attend trade shows and conferences.

Don’t stop until you have a full image of a living, breathing human being. Then spend some time meditating about that human being. What is she thinking? What is she already saying to herself about the problem your offer will solve?

NOW you have a good idea of what she’s feeling. And you can use that knowledge to help Mrs. Prospect become Mrs. Customer.

How Important Core Buying Emotion in Making Sale?

2006-08-22T22:11:00.000+05:30

No matter what you’re marketing, from goods to services to information, every sale you make is fueled by your prospect’s emotion.

Every purchase, every day, everywhere is made based on emotions. They’re at the heart of our psychological decision-making process. In fact, studies have shown that people with injuries to the area of the brain responsible for emotions suddenly find it very difficult to make even the most basic decisions.

The key, then, to capturing that prospect’s attention and turning him into a loyal customer is to trigger the emotions that will make him decide he can’t live without what you’re offering.

The Core Buying Emotion

It’s the fuel that powers every sale – the Core Buying Emotion. The deep-seated feelings your prospect already has toward your product or service and the needs it will fulfill in his life.

He already has these feelings. Your job is to discover them, and stimulate them in your marketing.

But the CBE is complex, not just a single feeling. Just like gasoline is a complex mix of chemicals – a mix that differs from state to state, sometimes even city to city – the CBE is an intricate mix of feelings.

And just like pure crude oil won’t move your car, pure one-dimensional emotions won’t move your products. People don’t feel single, isolated emotions – and they certainly don’t buy on them.

Know Thy Prospect

To get to his core emotions, you have to know your prospect well. Intimately well. You have to know more than just demographics. What is he worried about? What frustrates him? What are his core beliefs? What are his dreams and aspirations?

Once you begin to see your prospect as a living, breathing human being with beliefs, feelings and desires, you can begin to uncover his core emotions. You’ll begin to see the individual chemicals that make up the complete mixture.

And then you can decide how to ignite the fuel that powers the sale!

Create Your Success Team

2006-08-22T22:10:00.000+05:30

Need a fresh new marketing idea for growing your small business? Try creating your own success team. What is a success team? Simply put, it is a network made up of professionals from various industries that refer business to each other on a regular basis.

Growing a network and maintaining relationships with those in your network is ever so important in today’s business world. Giving and receiving word-of-mouth referrals is one of the best forms of marketing.

It’s easy to create your own success team. Start by making a list of all the professionals you do business with regularly. Be sure to include personal as well as business services. For example, who is your hairdresser? Who cares for your pets when you go away? Who does your taxes? Who designed your web site? Get the drift? Now, contact these people and ask if they would like to be included on your success team list. Also keep a list of categories you would like to fill, and ask these people who they know who might fit into one of the empty categories. Contact these new people, and so on.

Continue networking until you have built a qualified list of one hundred or more professionals. These are people you can now refer business to when a client, customer or neighbor is in need of a particular product or service. Likewise, your success team members will be talking to others who may need your product or service, and will refer you. Everyone wins.

The basic premise of a success team is to get your name and business specialty into people’s minds so that at some point they will either use your products or services, or refer you to someone they know who could use them. What goes around comes around. Now that’s a simple marketing technique that requires very little actual marketing effort on your part.

Good luck on creating your success team!

A Good Cheap Product that Can Be Sold at Twice or Trice the Cost

2006-08-22T22:07:00.000+05:30

Were you looking for a good product which you can buy cheap and sell double the price? Well then, you are in luck because this article will tell you how you can use these customizable rubber silicone wristbands for profit.

I have stumbled upon this great product called rubber silicone wristbands. These wristbands are highly customizable and can be bought wholesale or retail. They can be bought in large quantities or small quantities, depending on your market.

Most people buy the rubber silicone wrist in bulk because they are much cheaper when bought in bulk. This is because shipping charges are less if you buy more rubber silicone bracelets. And if you produce more silicone bracelets the cost would also be less because the mold fee would be distributed to the cost of each wristband.

Most people buy these silicone bracelets in bulk which costs less than a dollar each and sells them for a dollar or a dollar and fifty. These are a good investment because you will only need a small capital to have the silicone wristbands produced.

Another thing is that these silicone wristbands are highly customizable that is why it doesn’t go out of fashion. Every time a new fashion emerges, you can customize a new design which would fit the emerging fad.

So you see? You can sell these rubber silicone wristbands all the time and it never goes out of season. Other uses of these silicone wristbands include fundraisers, promotions, corporate give a ways, etc. so what are you waiting for? Customize your own silicone wristbands now and sell them for profit.

50 Great Marketing Tips

2006-08-22T22:05:00.000+05:30

1. Ensure your mindset is one that is focused on the possibilities rather than impossibilities.

2. Produce and distribute postcards.

3. Advertise – radio, T.V. newspaper etc.

4. Draft news releases and circulate to appropriate publications.

5. Network. Network. Network.

6. Write advertorials.

7. Link your business to current news items.

8. Create quizzes/competitions.

9. Become an expert in your field.

10. Write articles for your Trade Journal.

11. Participate in cross-promotional marketing – that is, find a business who will advertise your products and services and you do the same for them for mutual benefit.

12. In your written materials use words that will draw people in, e.g. `how to’, `the 10 hidden secrets of’ etc.

13. Give people what they want – having done your market research you’ll know what this is.

14. Sponsor charitable events.

15. Promote the benefits of your business, what will your customers get out of it?

16. Make sure all the risk is on your side. Customers want products and services that are risk free.

17. Offer `freebies’ with great perceived value, e.g. website developed free of charge £400 value.

18. Write your own news story – most news stories are planted – why not create your own!?

19. Shout about the benefits of your services and products.

20. Have faith and constantly look for the upside. Continuously ask yourself, and what else can I do to make my business an even greater success?

21. Write a book and become a constant source of reference and so immortalise you and your business.

22. Create every opportunity you can to speak about your products and service.

23. Accept speaking engagements that are offered to you.

24. Create a memorable brand.

25. Find out what your competitors are doing and turn them into followers – get that cutting edge.

26. Promise less and deliver more, customers like to know they are getting a great deal.

27. Engage your customers emotionally it’s about the feel good factor. People buy on emotion and justify with logic.

28. Treat your employees brilliantly well.

29. Be totally committed to providing your customers with the best product/service.

30. Create a vision/mission statement for your business and make sure all your employees know about and buy into it.

31. Think and act short, medium and long term. Think strategically.

32. Innovate. Innovate. Innovate. What is the next best thing you can introduce to your business to make it even more successful?

33. Have a mindset that constantly focuses on improvement, development and efficiency.

34. Act. Act. Act. Act now. Ideas without implementation are a waste of time.

35. Work with some of the best people you can find. Those with a `positive’, `can do’, `I will find a way’ attitude are the best. These types of people, even if they don’t have an immediate answer they are committed to finding a solution come what may.

36. Offer profit sharing to your employees. People who feel they are working for themselves are much more inclined to go that extra mile.

37. Create affiliate programmes so that other people can sell your product also.

38. Read. Read. Read. Keep abreast of the cutting edge business ideas.

39. Attending seminars and training courses and meeting like minded people, these are the people that will help to propel you into the stratosphere.

40. Use internet marketing (no spamming).

41. Create email lists and make sure you apply your email signature.

42. Create a website that promotes your business beyond your wildest dreams.

43. Write an advert that looks like a letter, this will help to draw people in.

44. Subscribe to newsletters/ezines – these are a great source of free information.

45. Use direct response mailings – this can be very useful particularly when using a targeted mailing list.

46. Never give up. Remember, there is always a way, it’s just that it is waiting to be found.

47. Continuously seek feedback from your customers.

48. Hire celebrities.

49. Drive around in your car with the details of your business plastered all over it.

50. Make your own list, adding to this, of how you could market your business even more effectively.

Candle Fundraiser

2006-08-22T22:00:00.001+05:30

Fundraising is the process of soliciting funds from other individuals or foundations to provide for the day to day activities of the organization. You may want to raise funds to support certain activities in a school, to support a scholarship program for underprivileged students, or maybe you want to organize a fundraiser for your church activities like evangelistic meetings or outreach projects. Sometimes you may need a fundraiser to help the needy or victims of natural calamities.

There are many methods you can use for fundraisers. You can employ the services of a fundraising professional to make all the preparations for the event. But if you’re planning to do some fundraising, some ideas would be to bake cookies, sell old books or magazines, throw a food fest or maybe make some candles.

Candle making for a cause has become popular in recent years. With the increase in awareness of the beneficial aspects of aromatherapy and the use of candles in spas, people have been looking for ways to emulate the ambience of a health spa in their own homes. One way of replicating this calming environment is by lighting scented candles. You can make scented candles in the comfort of your own home.

First gather the following materials: small jars to be used as containers, wax, a burner (other than the candle you are going to produce), a wick, scented oil, and coloring. All you need to do is to melt the wax, add some coloring to produce the color you desire, and allow the melted wax to drip into the jar container. While the wax is still liquid, add the scented oil that you desire. Add the wick to the middle of the mixture and allow the wax to cool and harden.

Mass produce these scented candles, and you will have a beautiful homemade product for your fundraiser. They’re cheap to make and reap high returns. Make sure you provide some samples for your customers to test before buying. Package your candles in an attractive way and try mixing different scents according to your tastes.

Candle Fundraiser

2006-08-22T22:00:00.000+05:30

Fundraising is referred to as the solicitation and gathering of funds from individuals, business, government agencies, or charitable foundations. These types of events are organized to support churches, research facilities, veterans or public servants, students who are less fortunate, human rights groups, or to fund relief efforts for victims of natural disasters. Usually, there would be fund drives or pledges that are broadcasted over the television. There are also families that commit to donate certain amounts for various causes.

There are multiple methods used to raise funds. Seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong created the popular Livestrong bands that sold over 60 million pieces. The aim of the bands was to bring cancer awareness to the world. Some professional athletes would sell tickets for all-star games and donate the proceeds to programs such as teaching underprivileged children how to read. Artists sometimes present their works in galleries and donate the profits from the night to his or her favorite foundation.

There are so many fundraising activities that you could join. Here’s an idea: Find items in the grocery to sell during a fundraising event. Candy is also good for fundraising because almost everybody loves candy. If you want to whet their sweet tooth, candy is the option for you. There are many types of candies and chocolates you can choose from to sell for fund raising.

In fact, manufacturers recognize that candies are so good for fundraisers that they have created items that are pre-packed and ready for fundraising events. Chocolates and candies are a shoe-in for fundraising events. While selling them, emphasize what cause you are giving the profits to. It would also be a good idea if you could give fliers or pamphlets that promote your cause along with the candies and chocolates.

How To raise Funds

2006-08-22T21:56:00.000+05:30

Fundraising is a method used by non-profit organizations to solicit funds from an individual, business, or charitable foundations to support operations. Fundraising may raise money for a new church building, an evangelistic meeting, an outreach project to help the less fortunate, or to organize summer camps for the youth. Your church may also want to help victims of natural disasters.

Whatever the cause you aim to support, you must decide how you will go about attaining the money. There are various methods you can use to raise the target amount. Some organizations employ the services of fundraising professionals to help raise funds in return for non-monetary compensation, but churches may not be able to afford any sort of compensation for these professionals. So it might be best to try to think of more creative fundraising ideas. Common methods used are selling old books and magazines, baked goods, and candles.

A good option for churches is cookbook fundraising. Church members can contribute special family recipes or recipes they have prepared and found to be especially tasty. Or they could be recipes that they have altered to suit their own tastes.

In addition, the church could sell tickets to a luncheon where participants could have a taste of each of the recipes found in the cookbook, everything from appetizers, to soups, main dishes, and even desserts.

In addition to bringing in money from the luncheon ticket sales, such a luncheon can help promote cookbook sales. In fact, those attending the luncheon will probably find all the food to be so delicious and prepared with so much love that they will be eager to take the cookbook home and prepare delicious meals for their own families.

Leadership – Consistency

2006-08-15T01:15:00.000+05:30

I have worked with many leaders who failed to recognize this truth. In fact, I am sure that there have been times throughout my career where I haven’t provided the leadership that my team required.

The truth is that it’s easy to be a great leader when things are going well.
When sales are up, profits are growing and customers are happy it seems that you have all the right answers. You lead inspirational staff meetings, remember to thank everyone for their effort, and confidently wear a smile at the office.
When things are going well, you tend to believe that you have been blessed with a natural ability to inspire others and that being a great leader doesn’t require much effort.

Unfortunately, things don’t always go well.

Your best customers switch to the competition. New sales stop pouring in. Productivity slows. Star employees leave. As a leader, the question is not whether or not these things will happen to your company, but rather, how you will respond to these challenges.

Many leaders are a direct reflection of the company’s current situation. When things get tough, these leaders often get negative, lose focus and cancel regular commitments because they are “too busy” handling the current crisis. In this situation, the staff always knows the company is facing a serious challenge because the leader communicates this stress and fear in everything he says and does.
One of the keys to being a great leader is to make sure that your attitude, demeanor and ability to inspire others doesn’t suffer when serious challenges arise. In other words, to be a truly great leader, you must be consistent no matter what the circumstances.

Your team must know that they can generally expect the same person to lead the company day in and day out. They won’t respond well in an environment characterized by huge swings in the atmosphere – whether positive or negative. Most employees want consistency so that they clearly understand what is expected of them in any situation.

So, in the fast paced, pressure packed world of business today, how can you become a more consistent leader?

First, remember that it’s not going to be easy. Disciplining yourself to not allow the circumstances of each day overly influence how you lead will always be a big challenge.

In an effort to help with this challenge, keep the following lessons in mind:

1. Remember - business is a marathon, not a sprint. Nothing will happen in your business today that you won’t be able to handle. In addition, no matter how large the challenge, it will probably seem small when reflecting upon it in the future.

2. Set clear expectations. Make sure that your team understands that on a regular basis there are certain ground rules that will always be followed. (Examples include regular staff meetings, progress updates, office gatherings, etc.) Make sure that as their leader you always follow these ground rules.

3. Review your progress – At the end of every day ask yourself, “Was I a consistent leader today?” If the answer is “no” that is OK. Just make sure that you recognize how you let your circumstances influence your behavior and learn from the experience. The key is to improve a little every day.

I know what you’re thinking – easier said than done. I couldn’t possibly understand how crazy it gets at your company. You might be right – your company might be especially busy and out of control. But, it doesn’t matter.

Your main responsibility as a leader is not to get more done on your own. You will not win a medal at the end of the year for putting in the most hours or extinguishing the most fires. Your main job is to guide and influence the behavior of others. The key to being a great leader is to get more out of those you lead – not yourself. And one of the keys to doing this is to be consistent – every single day.

Leadership - A Vision

2006-08-15T01:06:00.000+05:30

Does your company have a leadership problem?

Most people would answer “yes”, no matter how successful their company may be. In fact, this challenge is so huge that a quick search on the word “Leadership” (Amazon.com) returns more than 115,000 entries!

In case you don’t have the time to read 115,000 books, I have developed a list of the 13 key characteristics of all great leaders. I will address a new characteristic in each column.

The first (and arguably most important) characteristic is often the most difficult skill for leaders to develop. That is, the ability to paint a current picture of the future in the form of a powerful vision. The common quality in all great leadership stories is the ability to first create a vision and then be able to effectively share that vision with the people. It is from this beginning that so many success stories have evolved. It is in the absence of this beginning that so many businesses have failed.

Anybody can manage other people. But, few managers can develop a meaningful vision that really gets the most out of a team. Bestselling author Harry Beckwith puts it best by saying:

“Few Americans yearn to be managed; most talented people despise the very idea. You do not manage people. You create a business that they care so much about that they don’t require management; create goals so compelling that your employees manage themselves to achieve them.”

So, how do you create a vision that inspires people to manage themselves?

First, you must develop a clear understanding of the things that truly inspire you and your team. This is typically the most difficult task in developing a powerful vision. In addition, it will vary depending on the personalities involved and the product or service offered.

For example, if you are the Executive Director of a homeless shelter you can probably develop a fairly meaningful vision during your next coffee break. But, what if you sell office supplies? In this situation, a great leader will guide his team through the process of creating a powerful vision by forcing them to think creatively and outside the box (please pardon the overused phrase). His questions might include:

• What can we offer the market that is completely different from everyone else?
• In 5 years, the IBJ is writing a story about us, the biggest success story in central IN – what do they say?
• We have a stack of 50 resumes for every open position – Why?

Once you understand what drives you and your team, you must then create a vision that can be easily stated or summarized in one simple thought (or sentence). A three paragraph vision, covering numerous topics will not work, regardless of how well it is written. It might look great on your web site, but it will not energize your company.

The final step is to always lead your company according to your vision. This means that every prospect you pursue, every person you hire, and every management decision you make must all support your vision. For example, if the vision for your company is “The best quality in town” you had better not choose an inferior product (or person) even if it means more profit.

Becoming a great leader isn’t easy. But, if you start with a powerful vision, you can create an amazing environment where leading your team is a lot easier and more fun!

What Makes a Winning Team?

2006-08-15T00:58:00.000+05:30

The people answering the phones ringing into a multi-billon dollar corporation would be sorely missed if they went on strike. Customers would learn almost immediately of the chaos their absence caused. If the janitorial staff decided to join the phone operators, even more chaos. Customers ring into multi-billion dollar corporations daily and are never aware of the CEO or COO's absence.

Each link within the company's infrastructure is an important link to the company's success. This is not measured by title, salary or tenure. Each member of the team should feel their daily presence is necessary for the company's well-being. Full-time employees spend more time at their jobs than they do with their families. Therefore, the workplace must offer an environment conducive to maximizing productivity. This includes the physical as well as the mental. Hostility in the workplace should not be commonplace.

Management must encourage employees to come forward without the threat of job insecurity if the employees express their concerns. In my experience, blue collar workers will talk among themselves about "what's wrong and need to be fixed around here" instead of going through the proper channels. This of course, is viral and can reduce performance. Also, I've known blue collar employees who have spoken up in confidence but that confidence was betrayed by management. This should never happen.

Each employee should be reminded of their value to the company. Each employee should know what is expected of them and what they can expect from the company. A satisfactory work environment is business as usual. An outstanding work environment is business operating with higher standards. There is absolutely nothing appealing about mediocrity. No matter the 'collar'...a ring around the collar is unsightly. Every member of the team is needed to be a Winning Team!

What makes a Winning Team? The team's leadership makes a winning team! I've often said, paperwork is managed. People are lead. They are lead by example. Rolling up your sleeves to tackle the job, no matter the job or your position or rank, is what those working under you should be allowed to see. Those working under you should know you can be trusted and your door is open but not a revolving door for gossip and undermining others on the team. (This includes former team members, as well.) If you speak against members no longer on the team, they know you'll do the same if/when they are no longer part of the team. This does not build trust but destroys it. It's also unprofessional and along the line of how middle-school kids would act. A great leader is confident and humble; not arrogant and obnoxious. A great leader is elevated by his/her team; not by constantly patting him/herself on the back. A great leader puts him/herself last and the team puts him/her at the front...to lead!

Anonymous said many things I would have said had she not said them first. Anonymous said, "A good leader inspires others with confidence in him; a great leader inspires them with confidence in themselves."

Writing a Press Release

2006-08-15T00:49:00.000+05:30

The word Press Release seems to scare most people to death. On top of that not many people take the time to even think of writing their own Press Release. We hope this brief article will help clear up some of the mysteries surrounding this simple form of marketing.

The first thing you have to remember is that a Press Release is a news item. It needs to inform people, NOT sell them something. For example, you are reading this report because you want to learn something that will benefit you. You are not reading it just so you can buy something else. If money is the deriving force in your business you would not go too far. Your main goals should be in pleasing customers, providing them with a high quality product and more than their moneys worth. The trick is to do all this while still making money. People do not care what mountains you had to climb, what seas you had to cross or what tribe of people you had to learn the ways of just to find a secret formula. Instead they want to know what the secret formula is.

The sales circulars you print and mail sell your product. A Press Release informs others about your product. Instead of your main objective being to sell the product and have the customer send in an order immediately, a Press Release informs the customer exactly how your product will benefit their lives. This must be conveyed in the form of a newsworthy Press Release. If you have a sales circular to sell a product, you can easily turn it into a Press Release without much difficulty. It is just a new marketing angle of presenting your product to the public.

The following is an example of a typical Press Release for our publishing services: So many people are entering the mail order market these days, but so many of them are getting ripped off by a bunch of hype. People are promised untold riches in a short period of time. The hype ads play with their emotions by making them believe it is so easy to make money through the mail. It is sad.

Here is a great test for a real press release. Since your final sales pitch is included in the last paragraph read the Press Release aloud. Would it still be worth reading without your sales pitch? If so, it is probably a Press Release.

Press Releases come in many forms due to the product you are writing about. However, the basic rule of thumb still applies. If you have never wrote one before it may be a little difficult. Do not despair. Grab the latest daily newspaper and read some of their informational articles. Notice how each article is written and pattern yours after the same format. After you do a few of them – you will be able to get the picture.

When your Press Release is written to your satisfaction, the proper way to submit it to a publisher is: Be sure and type it on a typewriter or computer. Standard format is doubling spaced and not longer than two 8 1/2x11 pages. Be sure and put your name, address and page number at the top of each page.

Write the note for immediate release at the top. If you are only sending the press release to one publication tell them it is a first run.

IT Sales Centers on Relationships and Benefits

2006-08-15T00:44:00.000+05:30

There is no such thing as an instant or guaranteed contract in IT sales. You have to invest time and energy to seal the deal. Showing your clients the benefits your services can give them and developing a quality relationship with them will help your IT sales efforts tremendously.

What Benefits Can You Provide?

If you find that your prospect has an IT problem you are incapable of solving, you should focus more on the other problems you can handle and the outstanding little things you can do that will grab his attention and respect while making his life and the lives of his employees easier.

Have A Clear Pitch

The more intimately you know the intricacies of your pitch, the more it will stick with potential customers. Talk about things you've done in the past to help other clients and the benefits those customers have achieved from your specific solutions.

Let The Relationship Grow

It might take some time to get a definite answer on a sale from your prospect. You should be patient, but gently persistent. Send emails, faxes, postcards and make follow-up calls, within reason. You don't want to contact them every day, but if they gave you the impression they want you to complete the project within the next few months, calling them once or twice a month is completely appropriate.

Answer All Questions

You should solicit questions from your prospect in initial IT sales meetings and during follow-ups. Even if they say they keep saying they will get back to you, if they seemed to think you had great ideas, the conversation is not over. Only you can end the relationship.

Sometimes there is no way a prospect will agree to IT sales this moment. Asking key questions can help you discover why not:
1. How important is this?
2. When is your ideal start date?
3. Is the need urgent?
4. Where are you in terms of being ready to make your decision?
5. Where are you in your research?
6. Is this a good time of year for a project like this?
7. Have you budgeted for this project?

There are many ways to approach all of the above questions. For IT sales, you can't let “later” turn into “no” by lack of communication.

Leveraging Technology for Organizational Excellence

2006-08-15T00:37:00.000+05:30

Technology & HR-Leverage one for the other: "Technology and HR are enablers of business. Integration of the two would mean not only harmonious co-existence but also leveraging one for the other. Leveraging of technology for HR would mean digitizing the mundane HR activities and automating the back office and transactional activities related to recruitment, performance management, career planning, and succession planning, training and knowledge management. Leveraging HR for technology implies managing change associated with technology by way of communication, training, hiring, retraining, stakeholder analysis and conscious keeping. Thus they can play complementary roles."

Technology and HR both have one thing common i.e., both these are enablers of business.

In recent times, technology has become synonymous with information technology, as hardly any other technological development of the past would have impacted all spectrum of business as information technology has impacted. Irrespective of the kind of business you are in i.e., services or goods, commodity or branded, trading or manufacturing, contemporary or traditional deployment of information technology in one form or the other is a foregone conclusion. To manage and deploy technology in an effective way, all business Organizations would need knowledge workers. Managing of these knowledge workers is the responsibility of HR function. Hence the integration of technology and HR is an absolute must.

Having understood technology and HR in the present context we must understand integration in this context. Integration would not only mean harmonious co-existing but would also mean one enhancing and complementing the other i.e., technology is used to enhance effectiveness of HR and HR functions helps in adopting and managing change which technology deployment brings in.

Leveraging technology for HR

HR management as a function is responsible for deliverables like business strategy execution, administrative efficiency, employee contribution and capacity for change. All these are accomplished through what HR people do i.e., staffing, development, compensation, benefits, communicate organization design, high performing teams and so on. In majority of these areas technology is being deployed.

e-Recruitment

Recruitment is one area where all the companies worth their name leverage IT. There are two different models of e-recruitment, which are in vogue. One is recruitment through company's own sites and the other is hosting your requirement on the other sites e.g., monster .com, jobsdb.com, jobsahead.com, naukri.com, and jobstreet.com and so on so forth. The first models is more popular with the larger companies who have a brand pull for potential employees e.g., G.E., IBM, Oracle, Microsoft, HCL, ICICI, Reliance, Mindtree consulting etc. Other companies prefer to go to the job sites. Some are adopting both.

E-recruitment has gone a long way since its start. Now these sites have gone global. Sites like jobsahead.com and monster.com have established global network, which encompasses separate sites for jobs in Australia, Denmark, Belgium, and Canada etc. Job seekers are able to search job by region or country and employers target potential employees in specific countries. For example, 3 Com recently posted a company profile on the Ireland site that highlights the contributions of 3 com's Irish design team in its global projects.

In the early days e-recruitment was plagued with flooding the employers with low-quality bio-data's. Again technology has come as a savior. Now pre-employment testing like the one introduced by Capital One, a US based financial company, help in filtering the applicants. These tools test online e.g., applicants for call centers. 'Profile International' a Texas based provider of employment assessments, has developed tools that allow instant translation of assessment tests between languages. Further developments like video- conference specialized sites, online executives recruitments and combining online and offline methods are leading to more and more companies adopting e-recruitment at least as a secondary recruitment method. Arena Knights Bridge, a US based IT company conducts video based interview of its prospective employees and only short listed employees are met in person. Even Cisco was to launch the same.

Employee Self Service

Employee self-service is perhaps one utility of IT, which has relieved HR of most of mundane tasks and helped it to improve employee satisfaction. Employee self services is a plethora of small activities, which were earlier carried out by employee through administration wing of HR. These are travel bookings, travel rules information, travel bills, leave rules, leave administration, perk administration, etc. Earlier all these rules and information were in the custody of HR. Every user employee was expected to reach out to HR and get it done. Now with deployment of ESS in most of the companies, employee can request for travel related booking online, fill his/her T.E. bills, apply for leave, log time sheet and see his perks value disbursed and due etc. E.g., in Ballarpur Industries Ltd. leave administration is completely digitized in its corporate office. It is working towards digitizing travel related activities, perks and even compensation management and performance management administration. 'Digitize or outsource all the mundane and routine focus only on core and value add' - Vineet Chhabra V.P. –PDC BILT.

Communication

Communication which is most talked about management tool has always been a gray area in HR management. In large companies with vast geographical spread communicating with all employees had really posed formidable challenge to HR professionals. Technology has again come for rescue. Starting with telephones, faxes, e-mails and maturing into video conferencing, net cast, web cast etc. communication is one area of HR, which has been greatly benefited by technology. Mouse & click companies like Oracle, IBM has an intranet which caters to most of the information needs of its employees. Brick & Morter companies like BILT also have made a foray into deploying intranet for internal communication, which has corporate notice board, media coverage, and knowledge corners.

Knowledge Management

Another area of HR, which is leveraging technology, is employee development. Programmed learning (PL) i.e. learning at its own pace is one of the most effective ways of adult learning. Use of technology for this purpose can't be over emphasized. Aptech Online University and 'The Manage mentor' are some of the Indian sites, which are in this business knowledge management, which is an integral part of any learning organization, which cannot become a reality without technology. Companies can harness the knowledge of its employees by cataloging and hosting it on the intranet. Talk to 'Big-5' or not 'so big' consulting companies you will find that main stay of their business is the knowledge repository. Technology has enabled them to retrieve it swiftly. In the competitive environment where speed is the name of game technology driven Knowledge Management constantly provides a strategic advantage.
If you look at HR module of ERP solutions like people soft, SAP, Oracle and Ramco they provide you with a comprehensive package which helps in man-power planning, recruitment, performance management, training and development, career planning, succession planning, separation and grievance handling. A transaction happening in all these areas are digitized and form a closed loop ensuring employee database is always updated. E.g. a joining letter of a new employee is system generated. It will be printed only when all mandatory fields of information are entered. Similarly a transfer order or a separation letter is issued from the system only if that transaction has been carried out in the system.

For career planning, success planning, skill and competencies matrix methods are used by most of these systems. They search an employee with the required skills first in the in-house database of employees. Once put in practice in letter & spirit, this system not only enhances business results by matching the right candidate for right job but also improves retention of employees.
Processing payroll, churning out time office reports, providing HR-MIS are some other routine activities of HR which have been off-loaded to technology.
Leveraging HR for Technology

All HR professionals, preaching or practicing, learning or experimenting, teaching or studying have experienced leveraging technology for HR. But most of us come across a situation where we need to leverage HR for technology. Let us understand what do we mean by this.

Whenever technology is deployed afresh or upgraded it involves a change. The change may be at the activity level e.g., applying for leave through the intranet or at the mental model level e.g., digitizing the process succession planning which have been HR professionals forte. The people have always registered adopting change. This is one area where HR professionals are to deliver i.e., become change agents and lead the process of technology and change adoption. The resistance to change is directly proportional to speed of change. Now speed of change has increased and hence resistance.

Just to take an example, most of ERP implementation in the world have not been able to deliver all the expectations. Some of these have failed to deliver at all. While analyzing the cause of failure it has been observed that 96% of failures are because of people related issues and only 4% are because of technology.
It is the people who make the difference; hence HR should exploit its expertise to facilitate the adoption of technology. I would like to put together some of the thoughts on what HR should do for this.

At the time of recruitment, stop hiring for skills rather hire for attitude and a learning mind. Skills of today are no longer valid tomorrow. Managing ever changing change is the only criteria for success.

Functional or technical skills can be acquired during the job. Hence recruitment in the technology era needs to undergo a paradigm shift i.e., from a skill/competency based it needs to be attitude and learning mind/ ability based interview. That would translate into hiring for skills for future. In IBM every employee has to fill in his/her individual development plan where the employee commits its learning one/two new skills every year thus remaining competitive every time.

If we look at the chemistry of resistance to change it is either a skill issue or a will issue. To address the will issue we need to work at a comprehensive solution starting from recruitment (as discussed earlier), reward, compensation and leading to organization culture which promotes change. A living example is 3M, a US based company, where innovation is way of life, where 10% of revenue must come from new products every year. For them change becomes way of life.

To address the will issue further organization need to prepare a communication strategy which creates a 'pull' for the technology. For example, in Ranbaxy, when they went for SAP implementation they anticipated resistance. To address this they started a house journal, which was aimed at educating the employees on the benefits, which will result from adoption of ERP, SAP. This created a need rather a potential need or a latent need was brought out. Adoption of ERP did not become much of a problem.

At times adoption of technologies is perceived as a threat by the employees e.g., automation leading to reduction in workers, office automation leading to retrenchment of clerks etc. HR needs to be associated with the technical adoption right from the beginning till the end. At the selection of technical stage if HR is associated, it can map the skills required and create a pull during implementation and adoption. Post adoption it can release the excess non-re-allocatable employees.
To understand this process more clearly we can take example of ERP implementation. ERP is taken as an example as this is one technology adoption which effects employees across the org. irrespective of function and position. Any other automation may have affected only a segment of organisation. ERP implementation in any organization goes through the following stages.

1. Selection of package
2. Business analysis
3. Solution design
4. Configuration and customization
5. Conference room piloting (CRP)
6. Go-live and production

At each stage HR has to play a role, which will help in mitigating resistance to change.

During selection process, the change agent can understand the business benefit ERP would bring. This would help him to draw a comprehensive communication plant aimed at creating a 'pull' for the change. The communication plan may use its various weapons from the armory. The obvious examples are Newsletters, Newsflash. In-house journal, addressing by the top management, web cast, open house sessions, meetings formal and informal.

During the business analysis phase implementation team is supposed to analyse the existing business processes. At times this leads to surfacing of some data which is not very desirable by the process owners, leading to resistance at this stage, HR has to be again proactive and carry out a detailed stake-holder analysis. Such an analysis should give a lead to potential areas of problem and potential champions of change.

Solution design involves defining 'To-be processes' i.e., the way business would be carried out in future. At this stage HR has to play the role of catalyst to turn the heat on. The idea is to ensure to make maximum out of an opportunity of package enabled business transformation. HR can play a role by arranging to educate and train the right people on best business practices, just before this phase.

During the configuration and customization HR has to keep on beating the drum, the customization of a standard package is a big no-no. Similarly, during the conference room plotting (CRP) it should help in identifying the right persons to be involved in CRP. A thorough testing at this stage would result in lesser pain at the time of going live. This is also time to focus on training of end users, the employees who are going to use the system once implemented. Training- retraining –training to ensure all the prospective users are comfortable with usage of software before the system goes live.

During the go-live stage HR has to work over time to keep the motivation levels high. This is the time when management starts loosing patience as one glitch after the other keeps appearing and virtually bringing the business to halt. At this stage, HR has to play 'conscious keeper' for the top management once into product relocating the surplus is a challenge for which it has to be prepared before it.

This examples makes it clear that involvement of HR during the entire life cycle of technology is valuable. ERP is not an isolated case. It is true for any other technology adoption only finer details may vary. Hence HR must play a proactive role rather than being just a silent spectator or mere executers of the wishes of business or chief technology officer in case of technological changes.

Having set the case in different perspective, it seems only logical to leverage technology for HR and vice-versa.

The Fallacy of Return on Investment in Marketing

2006-08-15T00:36:00.000+05:30

Return on investment in marketing cannot be measured accurately.

Do you buy a Coke because it is on the billboard; because you saw the ad on television; because you saw the Coke truck; or because the Coke machine is convenient? Was it the ad this month or last? Or was it the ad you saw when you were 10? Or is it the fond memories you have of drinking Coke? Or the nice logo?

The answer is – you probably don’t know exactly why you buy the Coke at the particular time that you do. It is a combination of all these factors that make up marketing that cause the consumer to take action. Marketing is the battle for perception. Good marketing can create the perception needed to cause purchasers to buy.

The only type of product that can have an instant return on investment in marketing is something that is truly commoditized. If you are selling water and there is no perception that your water is any different than anyone else’s water, then if you do a marketing campaign or a promotion or a price reduction, you can shift share from a competitor. Most manufacturers should actually be spending their marketing dollars differentiating their product. It is much easier to sell “Clean Glacier” water over “bottled city” water if Clean Glacier can sell the refreshment and health benefits of their brand.

The only companies that should want to commoditize their markets are ones that are truly the lowest cost to produce (not to be confused with lowest price). To sell at the lowest price without the lowest cost is a recipe for failure.

There is a great book called Tipping Point, by Malcolm Gladwell, that talks about mavens (product experts) and connectors (natural net workers who spread the word). The thesis in the book is that getting products known by enough mavens and connectors can cause a product to “tip” and become pervasive and successful.

I sit on the board of Research in Motion (RIM). When RIM was first introducing their products, they spent most of their marketing budget on giving samples of their product to people they identified as mavens or connectors. Most stockbrokers qualified. Because the product worked well, they evangelized it and eventually that lead to more adoption and ultimate success.

A single influencer can persuade hundreds of customers to buy over a long period of time. The purpose of marketing, then, can be to influence the influencers. Design any program with that in mind.

Marketing is also best done with multiple media. It is best to not only send a flyer but to telemarketer, email, fax, press release, demonstrate products in trade show, advertise etc. The different messages reinforce each other and different people get different things from different media.

All marketing tends to be more effective if it is repeated often. It has been said that the first time a person sees something about the company, they don’t see it; the second time, they are vaguely aware of it; the third time they look at it; the fourth time, they read it; the fifth time, they absorb; and the sixth time, they buy it. All marketing effects occur over time.

Because of the difficulty in measuring ROI, some companies will just stop marketing. This is great news for those that keep marketing. In time share will shift to those that continue to invest.

5 Network Marketing Tips To Help You Climb To The Top

2006-08-15T00:30:00.000+05:30

There are several things in this business that can help you become successful, but you can never have too many network marketing tips to help you climb to the top. Think of these tips as network marketing training for you and a way to better yourself. While you may see yourself as polished and an expert in network marketing, the game is continuously changing and you can never have too many tips. Here are 5 network marketing tips to help you.

1. Study up

The first network marketing tip is to become an expert on whatever you are marketing. Read every network marketing book you can find, listen to audio tapes on how to become a network marketing leader, and continue to study new methods to approach your prospects. You can never learn too much or have too many network marketing tips on your way to becoming successful.

2. Set goals

Network marketing tip number two is to set goals for yourself throughout your program and make them realistic. If you have no goals then you have no motivation to achieve anything in particular. After you achieve one of your goals, reward yourself in some way and move on to your next goal.

3. Work hard

There is no network marketing tip for getting you to work hard every day at this. In order to have success you have to discipline yourself to put in at least 4-5 hours a day of hard work. It can be difficult since most network marketers work from their home, but you have to obligate yourself to the business.

4. Become original

The best way to become successful in network marketing and often the most difficult way is to throw away your competitors products and become original. This network marketing tip often times will make or break you. If you study hard and set goals you will continue to stay motivated and have a better shot at delivering original content.

5. Train yourself to train others

In order to sell your product and inform others about it you have to know what to tell them and how to train them. Develop a training system that you can use for every trainee or prospect to give them as much information as possible. This will help you describe the product and opportunity that lies ahead of them.
The best way to have success in this business is to study up on every network marketing tip that is accessible to you. If you can become an expert in network marketing, you will be much more capable of delivering fresh content and network marketing tips to others. By working hard and setting out to achieve goals that you have made for yourself, you have an extraordinary opportunity that lies ahead of yourself.

Source: http://ezinearticles.com

5 Network Marketing Tips To Help You Climb To The Top

2006-08-15T00:23:00.000+05:30

Media Publicity - Get Reporters on Your Side

2006-08-15T00:22:00.000+05:30

Media publicity is something you want to generate. It's free and it gets you the type of exposure most people pay a lot of money for. The key with media publicity is that you can use it for your own publicity over and over again.

Here are some ways to become savvy around reporters that will maximize your opportunities for media coverage.

To garner media publicity you have to be perceived as an expert source. Host as many seminars and get on as many committees as possible.

When the media come to you about a story try to distinguish yourself by thinking of a unique hook or angle. This way your ideas are more likely to get quoted and you get the media publicity over other potential experts.

If you want media attention then you need to treat the media well. Always return phone calls and emails ASAP. The media publicity often goes to the first two out of 10 experts a reporter calls.

Befriend the reporters that cover your beat. Media publicity is sought after so make you the go-to guy for one or two reporters.

The media are always looking for interesting stories. Don't just pitch them on you, you, you. If you think of something that is newsworthy you can almost guarantee media publicity.

To get media publicity you have to be creative. Feed the media tales from the trenches and allow them an insiders look at the IT world.

Regardless of how you get media publicity you have to remember not to get frustrated if the media publicity you generate does not attract immediate attention. Even if you manage to land the front page after months of pitching your media publicity idea, you're phone won't necessarily start ringing off the hook. You might get a few inquiries and some congratulatory calls but the media publicity is more about building your credibility than converting sales.

Use your media publicly wisely and translate it into your business' marketing collateral. This is where the real power of media publicity comes into play. You can use it over and over again; long after the newspaper is thrown away or the newscast is finished.

Bottom Line on Media Publicity Build relationships with reporters and make their job easier by pitching them ideas that will garner you media publicity. You will be the big winner in the long run.

Source: http:www.smallbusinesscomputerconsulting.com

Small Business Marketing Solution - Don’t Lose a Maven

2006-08-15T00:16:00.000+05:30

Because mavens are such great referral sources, your small business needs to build in mechanisms to help the maven pass on the good word about your services. A critical element in coaxing mavens to keep you on their short-list of companies worthwhile to do business with is to keep in contact with them. An email newsletter is a great vehicle for this. But don’t dilute your Brand in the maven’s mind by sending them junk emails; if they don’t sign up for your newsletter, don’t put them on your newsletter mailing list. Treat them with respect. Remember, they are really looking for value.

When your customer service or sales staff spot a maven, it’s imperative to keep in contact with that person. Letting a maven walk away without making a favorable impression is like letting a dozen sales walk out the door. Don’t do it.

Below are some simple suggestions on what to include in a customer contact form. These are our suggestions; really just a launch pad for you to build upon for your small company’s unique business needs. Make sure you involve Achievers in fine-tuning this form; solicit their input. Integrating staff into the creation of the form causes them to ponder the types of questions mavens ask and how to spot these people. Teach staff that mavens and tire-kickers may sound similar. It’s almost impossible to know in advance which individual will actively tell their friends that your place is a great place to do business and can give them value.

A maven may seem like a tire-kicker; you might get a few false alarms. But once you start dialoguing with this type of individual, you’ll find they are intelligent and if they perceive you really give your customers a good deal then you should be able to win them over.

Remember, the best thing is to put the maven in contact with the owner or a senior sales person; but if you can’t do that, then at a minimum please give them this form and encourage them to fill it out. Or, if they wish, let them fill it out right at the store.

You might even supply an envelope addressed back to your store, with the return postage already paid. We suggest you not skimp on costs here and use a postcard for this survey. Some people don’t like their personal information going out in the postal mail for everybody to see.

OK, here are items to put on your customer contact form:

• Header: (Company Name) Contact Form
• We contact our customers via email with our monthly newsletter and with occasional special offers on __________________ or other interesting news
• We only contact customers with permission. We don’t share your name with anybody else. You can tell us to stop sending you emails at anytime and we will
• You’ll usually receive two (2) emails a month from us.
• Sign up is free.
• _____Yes, I’d like to receive your monthly newsletter
• _____Yes, I’d like to receive other news and offers I’m especially interested in news on:
• Email address: _____
• First Name ____
• Last Name ___
• If you’d like, please tell us a little about your shopping at our store
• How often do you stop by?
• _____ once a day
• _____ two to four times a week
• _____ once a week
• ______a couple times a month
• _____ other
• Thanks and we look forward to getting to know you better!

Of course, you don’t need to limit distribution of this form to mavens, only! Once you build a newsletter or any other type of contact vehicle into your company’s marketing Package, you’ll want to frequently keep your Brand in front of your customers and prospects.

Source: http://ezinearticles.com

Small Business Marketing Tip - Rub Out Those Typos

2006-08-14T23:10:00.000+05:30

When you were little--when you were just learning to put on makeup or style your hair--did you ever run out the door without that last look in the mirror? And, once you were at school, you found out that your makeup was smudged or your hair was just chaos? Now, hopefully you discovered your dishevelment before your classmates did; but if you are like most of us, you probably didn’t…and embarrassment was the likely result.

Imagine how much trouble just one quick glance in the looking glass can spare us!

Details in marketing matter. Your marketing face to your customer, your Package, is vital. You wouldn’t wear a stained shirt on a sales call, right?

One of our favorite copywriters, Ann Kozak, points out that the nastiest damage a typo or a misspelled word inflicts isn’t the damage to our company image. Granted, that is bad enough, but it is not the worst. Typos interrupt the understanding of our message. Your marketing message needs to move the prospect towards some desired action: picking up the phone, visiting your website, or stopping by your store. But for a few precious seconds the typo or misspelled word delays your prospect on that journey toward the desired action. Her brain stops for the typo, then re-routes the information and processes it correctly. You can’t afford these slowdowns.

You especially can’t afford these slowdowns in our speeded-up world of decision-making and advertising overload--not to mention instant decisions based on first-impressions.

No matter how good at self-proofing you become, your own mistakes are hardest to spot. Most of us are fated to repeat certain writing gaffes over and over. We can burn some of these bad habits out of our systems through vigilantly double-checking our work against a good writing manual; others we seem forever blind to. This is why
it is critical to tag-team written marketing communications. You need to have both a writer and an editor or; at minimum, a proofreader.

It’s no different than having somebody else give you their perspective on a picture you are hanging. You are just too close to be able to see it clearly to insure it is level. It is the same with your marketing communications.

But prior to submitting your work to your associate for review, it’s helpful to have an aid to assist you in reviewing your own work. The Elements of Business Writing is an aid like that bathroom mirror; use it to spot-check your work while it’s still in process.

Remember: Brand (who you are) + Package (your Face to the Customer) + People
(customers and employees) = Marketing Success.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com

Small Business Marketing Strategy - Where are You Positioned Right Now?

2006-08-14T23:05:00.000+05:30

OK, once you are convinced you need to wave your Brand Banner, the next step is to determine where in the mind of the customer you are positioned relative to your competition. Remember, it’s the combination of Brand, Package and People marketing elements that lead to small business marketing success. But a strong Brand is the foundation.

First, let’s look at the competition. You know your competitors…probably better than you think you do. Make yourself a very small chart. You can make it as a table in Microsoft Word, or in Excel. You can even rough it out on a piece of notebook paper. Make four columns, with the following column headings:
• Competitor
• Estimated Market Share
• #1 Reason People Buy from Them
• #2 Reason People Buy from Them

Underneath the column headings, list your top three competitors, and briefly fill in the relevant information in the column headings for each competitor.
We recommend that you do not go out to your customers with a survey to gather this information. You might ask a few key Achievers for help if you’re stuck, but most small business owners know their competition well enough to fill in this simple table in their sleep.

Second, let’s look at the invisible competition. If a customer doesn’t choose you or the competition, then where does that customer go? Where does she spend her money? For example, restaurants’ competitors often aren’t each other, but “Dinner and a DVD” at home. Your visible competitors are usually easy to find: you just go to the yellow pages, and there they are. But it’s those substitute products or services that we want you to take notice of, right now.
Write down your two top invisible competitors underneath the little competitor analysis table.

Third, let’s uncover where your company is positioned in the mind of your customers or prospects, right now. Are you in the middle of that pack of competitors, or do you fill a really unique spot? Just jot down one or two sentences comparing your position in relation to your visible and invisible competition.
So you’ve written down three different categories relating to your customers: your top three competitors, your invisible competition, and your company.

Fourth, it’s time to Brainstorm just how you can improve your marketing message to take advantage of your current position. You will want to clearly appeal to your customers, but stay in line with where you are already positioned

This is one time you’ll want to use your employees to help you discover creative and unique ideas. Involve those Achievers in a creative planning session. Solitude can and will bring you insight, but you need the eyes and especially ears of your best staff. Achievers listen to customers; your current customers will often make a little, off-hand comment that can clue you in to exactly where you are positioned, relative to your competition.

Note that we aren’t trying to establish “features and benefits” here. This exercise isn’t designed to be a training course for your salespeople on how to answer specific objections. That may be a secondary benefit you gain from this exercise, but it isn’t our main purpose.

Instead, we are trying to help plant your Brand Banner in the mind of your prospects. It’s very tough to go head-to-head with any of your competition; it is so easy to end up as a “middle-of-the-pack” brand in the mind of your prospects. And, when you are herded into the middle of the pack you are much more vulnerable to price attacks and other competitive moves by your competitors. It is much better to pick a weakness in several competitors’ armor, and find a strength you can use to exploit against their weakness. You can then build your marketing around this and differentiate yourself from your competition. It is just this technique that is strongly advocated in the marketing classic by Ries and Trout, Positioning.

For example: let’s say you know from earlier research into your customer base that your customers perceive you as a quality, on-time provider. You can use these brand attributes to fight against a competitor that solely markets itself as a price leader. Don’t try and go head to head on price unless you are seriously ready to cut your margins and are ready for a war fought down in the attrition trenches. It is better to stress what sets you apart from the competition and use your promotions to emphasize that over and over to your customers and prospects.

Building a brand is not an overnight job. For most small business, the brand is already built--there is a customer base that chooses to buy from your company already. The job isn’t so much to build a brand but build on the brand; discovering where you are positioned relative to actual and invisible competitors is a critical first step in the process.

Source: http://EzineArticles.com

How To Create a Great Business Name

2006-08-01T13:57:00.000+05:30

A great name is the beginning of a great brand. It should be memorable and create a certain feeling when heard. Here's a quick how-to on creating one and making sure it's not already used.

Here's How:

Brainstorm. Think about how you want people to feel when they hear the name. Write down the words on paper and then categorize them by primary meaning.
Relate. Think about related words and phrases that evoke the feelings you want. Hit the thesaurus and find all the synonyms for your words and phrases.
Relate more. Find out the Greek and Latin translations of your words. Figure out what colors, gemstones, plants, animals, etc., relate to your words.
Experiment. Start playing with combinations of your various words and partial words. Don't be judgmental now - just make a list.
Reflect. Review your list and just give some thought to each name. How does it make you feel when you hear it?
Communicate. Go over the list with someone you trust. Have them tell you how each name makes them feel, and how memorable they think it is.
Prioritize. Throw out any that just don't fit and make a prioritized list of the rest.
Check trademarks. Make sure no one is using that name in your line of business. You may be able to use the name in a completely different business, but be aware that it may create confusion for both you and them.
Check domain names. You want to make sure that an appropriate domain name is available. You want YourCompanyName.com, of course. If that's not available, you may want to reconsider.
Search the internet. Even if someone doesn't have the domain, you still want to see what else is out there that has the same name. That doesn't mean you don't use it if you find something, but you need to know.
Check company names. If you're planning to incorporate, check with the Secretary of State (or other appropriate office outside the U.S.) of the state you're planning to incorporate in.
Check assumed names. For sole proprietors, check for local assumed names (also known as DBA). In the U.S., you check this with the County Clerk.
Stake your claim! Register your assumed name or file your incorporation papers right away. Also, start using either TM (trademark) or SM (service mark). You do NOT have to register them to use them.
Get the domain(s). Find an inexpensive registrar and register your domain and any obvious variations on it. You shouldn't be paying more money for each, and at that, it pays to prevent poachers.
Protect your brand. A U.S. trademark or service mark costs $325. It's a drop in the bucket compared to trying to defend it later. It's not really necessary, though, for a small local business.

Tips:

Avoid generic names based on names, such as Joe's Bar, Sam's Hardware, etc. They're not memorable and are nearly impossible to trademark.
Avoid generic names that literally describe the product or service, like Computer Consulting Company, Appliance Sales and Service, Inc., etc.
Generally, avoid geographical names. Besides not generally being very memorable, what happens if you decide to move or expand? The exception is if you're trying to create a strong local affinity like, say, a neighborhood bar.
Preferably, don't restrict future product or service lines. Be broad enough to include your wildest long-term vision for the business.
Try to keep the name short and easy to pronounce.

Checklist for Forming a New Business

2006-03-04T23:42:00.000+05:30

Owning your own business can be one of the most rewarding accomplishments of your life. And while the prospect of starting your business is exciting, it may also be overwhelming. By staying focused and having a good map to guide you through the process, you will be able to get your business moving in the right direction.
This checklist presents the general steps of forming a business.

Research your Business Name

You may have a great idea for the name of your business, but you must find out if it is already in use. You can perform an online name search through your Secretary of State office and you can check with your town or county for business names in use at the local level.

Write A Business Plan

If you are planning on soliciting outside investors or even getting a bank loan, a business plan is a must.
Even if you plan to use all of your own money, a solid business plan will help you see all of the aspects involved in running your business. Many people have great ideas for new businesses, but the truly successful entrepreneurs pay attention to the details. Writing a business plan will help you see those details.

Choose the Type of Organizational structure of your Business

The general types of business entities are sole proprietorships, corporations, partnerships and limited liability companies. Choosing the correct organizational structure for your business is vital because it will dictate how your business will be operated and taxed.

File the legal Paperwork with the Satae(s) you will be conducting Business in

Business entities exist under state and local law, not federal law. The type of entity you choose to operate will determine the paperwork that needs to be filed.

Source http://biztaxlaw.about.com/od/startingyourbusiness/a/newbizchecklist.htm

Naming Your Business

2006-02-26T22:48:00.000+05:30

Naming your business is one of the most important decisions you will ever make. A great business name is memorable, distinctive and evocative. A mediocre business name is forgettable, undifferentiated and blasé.
Sure, you can change it at any time, but doing so is both risky and expensive (care to even hazard a guess as to how much it's costing American Express to rebrand their financial services group to Ameriprise?). Changing names not only costs you "brand equity", i.e., the loss of the value of brand recognition, it also means you have to change all of your branded materials -- marketing slicks, stationery, business cards, etc.
Naming your business is a four-step process:
Brainstorming - Let your mind run free. Don't judge. Just list ideas. Get input from employees, associates and friends.
Selection - Out of all the ideas, start by eliminating ones that simply don't work for one reason or another, then choose your top few remaining to take to the next step.
Research - First, you have to make sure that no one else is using the name or something very similar to it. Do a web search on the name and go through all the results. Also do a trademark search, both in your own country and possibly internationally. Of course, your name only needs to be unique within the market it serves, e.g., Joe's Bar, Lakeside Grill, etc. You can do a free search of local fictitious business names and DBAs at the appropriate government office (county clerks in the U.S.). and for corporation names with the appropriate government office (Secretary of State offices in the U.S.).
Register - Once you have found that your best choice of name is sufficiently unique within your market, you need to register it as appropriate.

Source http://entrepreneurs.about.com

Posted By Entrepreneur

More Ways to Get Funded Than Most Entrepreneurs Know

2006-02-19T21:56:00.000+05:30

For all the attention it gets from both media and entrepreneurs, you'd think that venture capital was the dominant form of financing for entrepreneurial ventures. But in fact, nothing could be farther from the truth. According to the Global Entrepreneurship Report, less than 1/10th of one percent of entrepreneurs start their businesses with funding from formal investors, i.e., angel investors and venture capitalists. An overwhelming 88 percent of America's 500 fastest growing private companies never received financing from business angels at any point.

So who is financing these ventures? Close family relatives (49.4% of informal investment), ,friends and neighbors (26.4%), other relatives (9.4%), work colleagues (7.9%), and strangers (6.9%) -- yet more evidence why networking is so important for entrepreneurs. Also, people who are entrepreneurs themselves are four times more likely to invest in another's business.

The third alternative, in addition to self-funding and investors, is to borrow the money. Of course, the first place most people look is to a bank. Most national governments have some sort of small business lending program which offers some guarantees to the banks and makes it easier for them to lend money to small businesses. However, because of bad credit or other issues, many entrepreneurs get turned down by the bank. That's not the end of the road, though. Private lenders offer an alternative when the bank says "no".
So don't give up on your idea just because you haven't found funding yet. If it's really that good an idea, someone will put up the money -- you may just have to look a little harder for it and explore some ideas beyond the obvious.

Source: http://entrepreneurs.about.com/

2006-02-17T00:51:00.000+05:30

Hello Every One,

Me An Entrepreneur, want to bring Entrepreneurs to come forward to share their views , Problems, Ideas, Creativity that they are facing in today's Global Business environment.

Hoping for the cooperation from all of You

Regards

Entrepreneur