The Power of the Written Word: Top 10 Ways to Become an Authority in your Field

The Power of the Written Word: Top 10 Ways to Become an Authority in your Field

Author: Susan L Reid

There is so much power in the written word. With the Internet being such an accessible place to get your written word out, there’s no reason why you can’t become a recognized name in your field in six months or less.

At no other time in history has it been easier or simpler to connect with a sea of readers, hungry for what you have to say. With one click of a button, your article can be submitted all over the world, your blog comment can be distributed to 50 million people, and thousands per day can read your on-line book review at Amazon.com.

The opportunities for becoming a leading authority in your field have never been richer. Not long ago, this would have taken you many years, a great deal of effort, and lots of money. Now you can do it in six months, with a moderate amount of work and minimal expense. Listed in order of the quickest to the most time consuming, here are the top 10 tried-and-tested ways to start becoming a written-word authority in your field:

1. Leave a comment on someone else’s blog.
2. Join a discussion board.
3. Write a review for a book at Amazon.com.
4. Start your own blog.
5. Publish an e-Zine or Newsletter.
6. Submit articles.
7. Publish e-books.
8. Publish a booklet or pamphlet.
9. Develop your own website.
10. Publish a book.

There are two main approaches to becoming a written-word authority in your field: by joining in on conversations and by starting your own. Both are important. If you just focus on starting your own conversation without joining in and adding your ideas, comments, or opinions to discussions already in progress, you will be viewed as an outsider. On the other hand, if you just dart in and out of discussion boards or only leave comments on others’ blogs, you will not become known. A balance of both is the ticket to written-word success.

Joining Conversations by Commenting and Discussing

Leaving comments on other people’s blog posts, joining discussion boards or forums, and writing reviews for on-line books are the easiest, quickest, and simplest ways to make yourself known. Of course, we’re not talking just about any ole blog, discussion forum, or book review. We’re talking about targeting those in your niche or related field with the express purpose of building relationships and community.

Participating in on-line conversations is the same as participating in face-to-face conversations. You don’t just jump into the middle of a discussion about golf with your ideas about parakeets; you join in on the existing topic and evolve with it as the discussion flows. You make comments on what other people are saying, agreeing or disagreeing respectfully. You show interest and ask open-ended questions. You add relevant insights and further information to the conversation already in progress.

Starting Your Own Conversation by Distributing and Publishing

Having your very own blog and website are the standard calling cards on the Internet today. They are the means by which you announce yourself to the world and open your own conversation with others. You could certainly accomplish this goal with either a blog or a website, though having both is best. That way you will reach the greatest number of people and have the greatest impact on the Internet.

From these two platforms, you can launch your e-Zine, articles, and e-books. You can list and offer all of your other publications as well, including booklets, tip sheets, and reports. You can provide links to further information, open dialogue, build community, and establish relationships.

Just as in face-to-face conversations, it’s better to focus more interest and attention on the other person than on yourself. So, make your blog and website 80% about your intended audience and 20% about you. Since your blog and website will be the first place people come to check you out and get to know you, make it easy for them to find information about you. Make it easier still for them to access lots of free articles, reports, and subject matter that will be of interest and value to them.

Consistency and Frequency

The final recommendation for becoming an authority in your field is to be consistent. The more people see your name and your words on the Internet, the more they will remember you. Join in on online conversations on a regular basis. Start online discussions of your own frequently. Become known as someone who has insight to offer as well as something unique to give.

Why spend years and lots of effort and money? By following the advice in this article, you can develop a strong presence on the internet and become a leading authority in your field in six months or less.

Top Buisness Oppurtunity

Top Buisness Oppurtunity

Author: chad atw

Its time you started your own business. In this new age you have to take advantage of the new business opportunities. Opportunities that will change you’re life for the better. One idea you might consider is a e-bay business. A newly developed supplier will ship all the goods necessary that you will need to sale and its going to sweep the market. It offers many suppliers whether direct, wholesaler, manufacturer or drop shippers. This site will allow you to buy goods at cost and sale for a profit.

We all dream of living the life and now it is possible. The key to becoming wealthy is to start your own business.

This site is a new approach to find suppliers it compares the different ones and gives you the full picture. Sale hoo will make your life so much easier when it comes to selling products online. It takes the crunch out of finding the suppliers at the right place.

"SaleHoo gives you access to Product suppliers you won't find anywhere else as well as clothing, electronics, everyday goods and big ticket items, super-cheap no-name brands and top-label products at unbelievable prices. And every supplier is thoroughly reviewed, so you get no nasty surprises!" Quote from salewho

With that said give them a try. This system is sure to one of the best there is. Its innovative and new and its the way to go if you want to learn how to be a great business person, tell the boss off.

Does your Marketing Strategy Need and Extreme Makeover? -- Ten Costly Traps to Avoid

Does your Marketing Strategy Need and Extreme Makeover? -- Ten Costly Traps to Avoid

Author: Lisa Nirell

Want to determine whether your marketing strategy deserves an “extreme makeover" or not? Here are the top ten clues.

1. You are frustrated by customers demanding lower prices, and they no longer seem willing to pay extra for your “value added service.”

What makes your product or service unique? Do customers regularly tell you that they are willing to pay extra for this? If price or the ever-vague “good customer service” are the only differentiators, it is likely your product has become a commodity.

2. Customers are choosing an alternative solution to satisfy the same need.

If you are losing some of your best customers, quickly determine why the shift is happening. Hiring an independent researcher to interview or survey lost customers is one way to do this. Is the alternative solution easier to use, less time-consuming, or cheaper? Does it appeal to their sense of greed, past relationships, safety, or ethics?

3. Your margins keep shrinking due to rising costs of doing business.

If the key cost drivers in your business model have risen out of proportion to your price increases, it’s probably time to revisit your core offerings. When was the last time you raised your fees? If it has been longer than one year, your fees are not keeping pace with inflation. Announce an increase before 2008—and be happy when the bottom 10% of your clients leave. They are doing you a favor.

4. New, innovative companies are entering your market.

Case in point: the automobile manufacturers once boasted industry dominance in the United States. Over the last decade, the “big 3” have become “the handicapped 3.” Toyota and Honda now lead the charge in innovative hybrid fuel cars. The Big 3 could have adapted, but were wiped out by their lack of innovation and nimbleness.

5. You are resisting a new industry shift or technology, even when customers are asking for it.

How much do you find yourself digging in your heels with your customers—even when your market is asking you to change? In 2005, I experienced the perfect illustration of a company’s unwillingness to accept an industry shift while visiting a Mercedes dealer. At the time, I was in the market for a new SUV vehicle. I asked the manager, "What is Mercedes-Benz's strategy for building alternative fuel vehicles?" It was as if I spoke the unspeakable. The manager firmly replied that they were focusing on fossil fuel technology for many years to come.

Is your company wearing the same blinders? If you can spot the shift early enough, you should be able to make less painful course corrections.

6. Your key people are married to “the way we have always been doing it.” You cannot seem to coach them to think otherwise. Persistent, limiting beliefs are an indicator that a sale or merger is a better option than transitioning to a new model.

If you have multiple locations, and you are unable to detect this behavior first hand, these are signs that your current team is not in a position to strategically transform the business:

• Customers are demanding that two competitors work together and merge talents, and these companies are unwilling to.

• The leaders are tolerating major dysfunctional and destructive behavior.

• The founder or owner needs to create, but has not yet begun, a succession strategy, due to such things as a serious health/personal issue or retirement.

• The company is unable to meet its goals after several consecutive years.

7. You believe that strategic thinking and marketing planning is reserved for large, well-established companies. How many times do you tell yourself “planning and marketing are important, but I am just too busy to do it?” If this happens daily, that’s a clue that your company’s growth potential is limited. You have limiting beliefs—and you’re unconsciously passing those on to your team.

8. You are struggling to shift from “practitioner” mode to “leader/visionary” mode. The habits and skills that help leaders attain their first few millions inhibit their ability to generate the next ten million. Many skilled experts excel at their trade, and later decide to start their own business in that field. After their first few millions, they are still working in the business. This severely limits their ability to look ahead and refine their growth strategy.

9. You are constantly saying “yes” to interesting distractions (aka new ideas and projects). When the leaders keep announcing new projects and strategies, teams lack direction. They struggle to answer “What is our core business? Who is our ideal client? Where do we invest? How does our job tie to our company’s success?”

Try this simple test: Walk around your company offices. Randomly ask each employee, “In 30 seconds or less, what does our company do?” What percentage will provide a consistent, compelling answer? Last year, I asked over 700 CEOs that question. The overly optimistic ones said 30%. The realists said less than 5%. Which percentage is really true for you?

10. You continue to sell old, unprofitable products—and invest valuable resources to support them. Many founders are emotionally attached to their past success and history. That’s human nature. We love our babies and don’t want them to leave for college. These blinders prevent us from gathering regular feedback on our current market opportunities, re-assigning our top performers to hot new projects, releasing poorly selling/low margin products, or staking a claim in new, highly lucrative markets.

If you face any of these Top Ten Traits, it’s time for a makeover. What beautification steps will you take immediately to take charge of your market?

Copyright 2006, Lisa Nirell. All rights reserved.

Cost of Starting Home Daycare Business

Cost of Starting Home Daycare Business

Author: Munya Chinongoza

There are two basic ways of starting daycare services. You can either run the service out of your own home or look for a full scale daycare center to run. If you being the operation out of your own home, you can spend as little as $500 to as much as $5,000 depending upon the remodeling you need to do, the equipment you need to buy and the licensing laws you need to meet.

If you are looking to run a daycare center that operates from an independent business location then you are looking at much greater start-up expenses that could run around $100,000!

These are some of the items that you are going to want to budget for:

- Licensing fees,
- first aid/CPR certification
- High chairs and booster seats
- Nap mats
- Bedding
- Playpens/portable cribs
- Advertising
- Liability insurance
- Safety devices
- First aid kit
- Computer
- Software
- Books
- Toys

But that's not the whole list, you are going to need a few more items inorder to make your daycare center, the talk of the neighnourhood and be able to keep the parents happy. Happy parents will refer your daycare to their friends and family. You may find that having a well equiped daycare may end up helping you save on advertising costs, due to word of mouth advertising.

Other things you may want to include in your budget are:

- Education materials
- Arts $ crafts supplies
- Disposable gloves
- Disposable changing pads
- Antibacterial cleaners
- Good healthy food
- Child-sized tables and chairs
- Sanitary storage containers for used diapers
- Step stools for toilet and sink
- Outdoor play space – There should be sand as well as a hard surface for wheeled toys, etc.
- Make-believe clothes, props and costumes for pretending and dressing up
- Record player or CD player, radio and tape recorder
- Containers for colors, pencils, markers and other art materials

Here are some other very important items that you have to budget for no matter if you are running the daycare out of your home or you are operating it as an independent business:

1. Permits – Just like any other business, a daycare needs permits such as a business license, fire-safety permit, and other permits that each state or county may require. These permits are not cost prohibitive. They usually only cost a few dollars a year.

2. Insurance – This is a very important issue and every business should make sure they have adequate insurance. The premiums are a bit pricey, but small daycare centers will only have to pay a small premium whereas large daycare centers will have to pay a lot more for their insurance. It is best to do some comparison shopping when you go to buy your insurance.

3. Equipment – Purchasing all of the needed equipment for your daycare center will definitely cost you some money, but most of these items are a one time cost and should serve you for a long time. You may be able to get by with as little as $300 if you are just running a business out of your home. The cost will be considerably more for an independent daycare center.

The cost of starting a daycare center may seem overwhelming at first but it is far little in comparison to the potential to make money in this business. What a great opportunity this is!

Tips to Apply Successfully for Funding

Tips to Apply Successfully for Funding

Author: Antony Eldwin

Let’s face it, if you don’t have a proven track record or some notable credit worthiness, it is tough to get financing. Risk factors and high costs of servicing small accounts are the major reasons for banks and financial institutions to stay away from people who don’t have a good credit history.

However, the silver lining in the cloud is - business finance, small or big, is the bread and butter for banks and other financial institutions. If you can convince them that you are a good investment opportunity, you are on!

Following tips might make your application irresistible for banks or other institutions.

1. Be Thoroughly Prepared: You need to satisfy the lenders regarding your track record and your future viability. The documentation required for this has been discussed in my other article All About Small Business Funding.

If you are just starting out, you need financial projections for at least next three years. A financial projection typically comprises of:

• Estimates of your income and expenditure
• Working capital estimates
• Cash flow statement
• Projected Balance Sheets
• Precise loan utilization detailing
• Profiles of decision making people i.e. top management who would be handling the project(s) for which you need financing
• Comprehensive business plan
Some of these documents require professional expertise and you would need a professional accountant to prepare them.
You would also need the following documents apart from above mentioned documents, if you are already an established business and want a small business loan to fund your working capital requirements or your expansion plans.
• Copies of the Balance Sheet, Profit and Loss statement, and tax returns of the company
• Personal financial statements and tax returns for last three years

2. Anticipate Questions: You need to be well prepared, and need to have a fair understanding of the lending process to anticipate questions you are most likely to face.

Remember, lenders need to be convinced about your loan repayment ability. Ideally your business plan should also include answers to your banker's questions. The most frequently asked questions are:

• How much money do you need? Be exact! You can add a little extra for contingencies.
• Long term or short term? Be prepared to go into detail supported by your documents, the time you require to repay the loan.
• What are your loan utilization plans? Explain whether it is for capital expenses, working capital, and expansion or to set off old debts.
• How you will repay it? You got your cash flow projections here to explain repayment time frame. Use your financial projections and business plan to convince the banker of your repayment capability.

3. Don’t Be Apologetic: Remember; banks look for good opportunities to invest. Be confident that you are one of the better opportunities the bank has come across and project that confidence to the banker. It is a deal on equal terms. Banks are not doing you any favor by giving you a loan. You are giving banks good business too. You are an entrepreneur who can and will repay the loan.

4. State the truth and back it. Bankers are very smart people. If you make any unsupported grand statements, take my word, they will see through it, and you will come out looking as someone who is desperate for a loan. And bankers don’t touch such people with a barge pole! Better idea is to keep your projections, documents, figures and your statements on the conservative side. You will cast an impression of a cautious and methodical person.

5. First impression is the lasting one. Dress in a professional manner for the interview. All the loan documents must be typed; handwritten documents look unprofessional. This is a business transaction, so treat it as such.

Last but not the least, a word of caution: getting approval for a business loan is good and you are almost through to your path to realizing your dreams. But don't forget to read the fine print. Loans have hidden costs such as: annual fees, bank charges, closing costs, commissions, and balloon payments. So stay focused and clear-minded about these riders during the loan process. Be sure about your goals, keep focused and work according to the plan. Your small business finance requirement may turn out to be just the dose you needed to turn your dream big!

How to Start your Own Catering Business

How to Start your Own Catering Business

Author: Munya Chinongoza

If you possess the ability to work under pressure and create visually attractive dishes that taste great, then you probably would be perfect for starting your own catering business? The possibilities of becoming a self-starter in catering are endless as the career field is well rounded – offering both full-time and part-time opportunities. All at once, a catering business is entertaining, financially fulfilling, as well as a challenge. When considering entering this field of work, consider the following factors when establishing a plan for your new business:

Getting a License

Each state possesses a set of rules, guidelines, or laws pertaining to working as a food service provider. Usually, the Board of Health must give a seal of approval when food is distributed and sold to the public, which reviews preparation, handling, sanitation, and preservation. Some states require that food operation is kept separate from the kitchen within a home, such as using solid, self-closing doors. Separate sinks for food, washing utensils, and cleaning is another common prerequisite. Your local Health Department can provide additional details.

Products and Market

When developing a catering business plan, it is important to settle on the type of market you wish to serve. A few ideas include providing and organizing picnic lunches, seated dinners, children's birthday parties, dinner for two, specialty cakes, business meetings, dessert trays, or hors d' oeuvres. It is important to choose an existing market where demand surpasses supply in order for you to claim a niche. Checking out the local competition also helps new business owners shape their own plans.

Staff Considerations

In the beginning, some self-catering businesses involve relatives and friends, but often times, there is a need to figure in the possibility of hiring staff to help with service, production, and cleanup.

Start-Up Costs

Some people starting out in the catering business use rented supplies and items in order to keep primary costs at their lowest. Cutting costs may include renting kitchen facilities, tablecloths, tables, utensils, and serving equipment. Your savings can then be spent on building a reputation, developing capital, or figuring out if this is what you really want to do without putting too much money into your plan. Typical start-up costs range between $1,000 (work from home) and $80,000 (professional kitchens).

Menu Planning

Depending on your catering focus, creative menu planning is a must, as you will not serve the same thing to children at a party as you would for a 50th wedding anniversary celebration. For each specialty menu, you need to take into account the type of event, time of day, number of anticipated guests, equipment needed, and estimation of how much it will cost. Before selecting a caterer, customers like to see varying colors, shapes, sizes, flavors, cooking methods, and price alternatives added to menus. Another desirable feature includes a balance of the food groups.

Contracts

Professional caterers need to create contracts, which clearly state the terms of an agreement. Some of the main details include time of event, location, room set-up, duration of event, estimated attendance, and pricing arrangements. A deposit is also required, which ranges from 25% to 50% of the total event cost, which is due when the contract is signed.

Additionally, when starting your own catering business – remember to include insurance costs (product and personal liability), record keeping, and food safety. In order to gauge final charges for your catering business, you will need to incorporate materials (cost of food and drink), overhead expenses (variable and fixed expenses), labor costs (food preparation and service), and anticipated profit in order to come to a suitable figure. In the end, final prices should reflect the amount you need to charge so you can maintain your business, as well as reap benefits.

Things to Consider While Choosing Office Desks

Things to Consider While Choosing Office Desks

Author: Brooke Theresa

An office can certainly not be termed functional without appropriate office desks. The office desk is not just any piece of furniture to fill up space in the office. It is the the place where all the functional aspects of the official operations take place. Hence, it is extremely important to choose your office desks with care.

Buying office desks for your office is certainly not as easy as it seems. The market is flooded with so many designs that it becomes really difficult for the buyer to decide upon the appropriate one. Desks are not only available in varied designs, but are also constructed using different types of materials, like wood, metal, laminate and even glass.

While choosing office desks, the buyer needs to keep in mind the aesthetics of the office. The office furniture should be in synchronisation with the design and décor of the office. Furniture is not something that is changed after every few years. People buy furniture with the notion that it will last for at least a couple of decades. Hence, durability and easy maintenance of the furniture are also features that people look for while buying office desks and other office furniture.

Wooden office desks are the most preferred ones because they look elegant and have the ability to suit any kind of interior. But, it requires tremendous maintenance and is prone to damage and scratches. These days though, laminate office desks are the most popular, because they are very easy to maintain. Laminate is basically referred to furniture that has a wooden core but a plastic finish. Metal office desks are also extremely popular. They lend a very different and contemporary look to the workspace. They are durable as well as easy to maintain.

The price range of office desks ranges from the very costly to the reasonable and even cheap. The buyer has immense variety and price range to choose from when it comes to office furniture, especially desks.

Lift Up the Position of your Business With Small Business Bookkeeping

Lift Up the Position of your Business With Small Business Bookkeeping

Author: Alvis Brazma

Like a small kid requires extra care and papering so as a small business. If you are a small business owner then you are the one who will have to struggle the most in making a better market position. Big companies enter in to the market with plenty of resources but small businesses have to make their own way. They need to manage every aspect of their business with these available resources only. This is what defines the perfect tactic of doing business i.e. more profit with fewer resources. Business owners that start business with low budget need to be very careful about all expenses. Expenditures that go out of budget are assumed as loss and no one would like to bear a loss. To keep a record of each expense and earning, every business, whether it is small or big, operates a particular section, which is the bookkeeping section. Requirement of a small business bookkeeping and strategies to fulfill these requirements are very different from large-scale business as resources are the biggest constraint.

The biggest question that comes in everyone’s mind is why a business needs bookkeeping? The reason behind it is very simple but the task is not. Businesses need bookkeeping because it is the biggest requirement to track the proceedings of organization and to keep a record of the cash flow. The term bookkeeping sounds very easy but it includes the most gigantic terminology and procedures than any other section. Small businesses bookkeeping is more tedious task than others as it includes extra calculations and policy making features that are essential for growth of organization. Small business bookkeeping not only carries the responsibility of accuracy but also of organizational growth. At the time of planning for new financial year these records made by bookkeeping section plays a vital role as they help in assessing profit and loss for the year. By theses small business bookkeeping records a small business owner can easily evaluate the efforts and resources that are needed to put in the strategy for growth.

As small business bookkeeping includes various sections, many accounting and secretarial professionals are required to perform the bookkeeping task. Due to limited resources an owner of small business can not afford to hire those professionals who charge a large amount of money for their services. As there cost to company is very high, hiring them may go out of budget and that will be considered as loss therefore company will have to find any other option. Another option is hiring services of a small business bookkeeping firm that will help the business in keeping record of every transaction. Business owners can search on internet to get detailed information about such service providers as internet is the best source to know about such service providers.

All that he needs to do is to search for the best and cost effective service provider so that the charges of hired bookkeeping firm may mot affects the balance sheet. No doubt that getting the best small business bookkeeping option will speed up the growth of your business and will assist in the escalation of your business.

How to Sell Raffle Tickets & Promote your Raffle

How to Sell Raffle Tickets & Promote your Raffle

Author: Bruce Hassel

Notes for raffle organizers:

You will need to organize ticket sellers, keep a record of ticket distribution, and collect cash. Numbered raffle tickets make it easy to keep track of which tickets are given to which sellers. Adding a little friendly competition into the mix might be a good idea; offer a reward or prize for whomever sells the most raffle tickets. Allow at least one month for raffle ticket sales, and keep a chart or graph that highlights the progress of sellers.

Make sure that any rules or guidelines for the raffle are known and followed by all involved. Does the buyer need to be present to win? Do you need the buyer�s address on the raffle ticket, or just the name and phone number? What is the price of each raffle ticket? What are the prizes to be given out? What forms of payment will you accept for raffle tickets? Are there any local regulations or ordinances that restrict your raffle?

You may wish to combine raffle ticket sales with some other event. If your group hosts a carnival, concert, or other attraction, admission tickets can also serve as raffle tickets.

You need not spend a lot in advertising to get the word out about your raffle. Many local groups and businesses would probably love to support your cause. Contact local police and fire departments; see if they�d be willing to buy raffle tickets or help promote your raffle. Ask local churches and charity groups if they can help out. Talk to grocery store managers; see if they�ll let you set a table up outside their store to allow you to promote your raffle and sell your raffle tickets. Contact TV and radio stations to try to arrange some coverage of your raffle fundraiser.
Notes for ticket sellers:

Set a goal for yourself. How many raffle tickets would you like to sell? Make definite plans for when and where you will go out selling.

You have to tell people about the raffle to sell raffle tickets! Talk about the event to friends, family members, and neighbors. When someone says, �What�s new?� tell the person that you�re selling raffle tickets. Talk about your organization, what its goals are, and what the money will be used for.

Ask for the sale. Sincerity is the only key ingredient you need. If you believe in your cause, your cause will sell itself. All you have to do is say, "Hey, you want to buy some raffle tickets?"

Tips on Holding a Successful Raffle

Tips on Holding a Successful Raffle

Author: Bruce Hassel

Holding a raffle and selling raffle tickets is a great idea for a fund raiser.

Often you can even get your raffle prizes donated by offering to print the donor’s name on the raffle tickets. If you have a good cause for your raffle, you will find the business community will be happy to support you. Having their name printed on the raffle tickets is great advertising.

The most successful raffles generally have between one and four raffle prizes, with each prize described on the printed raffle tickets. When you decide on the selling price of your raffle tickets, keep in mind the market value of the raffle prizes. For expensive prizes (valued at more than $1,000) it is not uncommon to see prices on the raffle tickets of $5 or more.

Raffles with prizes of a lesser value often price their raffle tickets at $1 to $3 each. It is a great idea to encourage the raffle ticket buyer to purchase multiple raffle tickets; often raffle tickets are sold with quantity discounts, i.e. “Donation: $1 each - 6 for $5.”

Selling Your Raffle Tickets

You should enlist all the members of your group. Ask them to encourage their friends, family and colleagues to sell the raffle tickets. See if they can post flyers at their workplace, club or church, describing the raffle with a contact number to purchase raffle tickets. If you have ordered your raffle tickets from us, we will offer you discounted pricing on your raffle ticket flyers.

It is a good idea to offer a prize to the person who sells the most raffle tickets. The prize need not be expensive, just a little something to help motivate them to sell more raffle tickets.

Tell your sellers to keep some raffle tickets in their car; you never know when an opportunity will present itself.

Shopping centers and big box stores will often let you sell raffle tickets by their entrance. Public, outdoor events such as little league games, fairs and concerts are great opportunities to sell raffle tickets. Be sure to ask permission of the person(s) holding the event before you begin selling raffle tickets. If they like your cause they may even make an announcement and/or offer to sell raffle tickets for you.

Since you will more than likely be distributing the raffle tickets to numerous people, it is imperative that the raffle tickets be numbered and that you keep a log showing which group of raffle tickets each person has.

What Everyone Ought To Know About The Paid Survey

What Everyone Ought To Know About The Paid Survey

Author: Steven Walters


Author: Steven Walters | Posted: 07-09-2007 | Comments: 0 | Views: 5 | Ads by Google

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What is Agloco™ all about? How do I earn cash and shares?
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With the increasing popularity that the paid survey is enjoying comes a host of questions. Some of the questions are easy to answer, but some are surrounded with conflicting information. There are so many survey sites and opinions it's hard to know what to believe.

In order to clear up some of the confusion I've put together an FAQ for paid surveys. I know this won't answer every question you might have, but it should shed some light on the paid survey process and make it easier for you to understand what is and isn't a legit paid survey.

Is it really possible to get paid for filling out surveys?
Yes it is and many people like you and me do it every day. Paid surveys are a fun, free and easy way to make cash in your spare time.

Why would someone pay me for my opinion?
Large companies have been using market research for decades to find out how people feel about their products and services. Recently they have taken these campaigns online as a quick and cost effective way of getting peoples opinions. They hire market research companies to conduct the surveys and the market research companies pass some of the money along to you and I as an incentive for filling out surveys.

I heard that if you sign up for paid surveys you'll get lots of spam.
It's true that some of the sites will re-sell your email address, but these are usually the middleman sites that want you to register with them to get access to a list of the legitimate survey sites. The actual market research companies who are paying you to take their surveys will never re-sell your personal information, including your email address. In fact, some of them such as Greenfield online are publicly traded on the stock market. How much more legitimate can you get? If you still have questions read each companies privacy policy. It should give you a good indication of whether or not you can trust them.

Is it necessary to pay someone to get a list of paid survey companies?
No, you should never have to pay for this information, it is freely available on the internet. It's a shame that some sites try to take advantage by taking payment for the information, and I think these types of sites have contributed heavily toward the negative perception of paid surveys. Never pay for a list of survey companies. If you do a bit of searching you should easily find a free source of paid surveys.

Can I get rich by taking paid surveys?
You won't get rich and how much you'll make depends on a lot of factors, but I feel it is safe to say that many people can easily make several hundred dollars each month with a small investment in time. Of course how much you make will depend on several factors including your own personal information, how many companies you register with, where you live and how reliable you are in responding to surveys that are sent to you.

How does this whole thing work?
Each market research company works a bit differently, but in general it is like this. First you register and give them some basic information about yourself. After registering you can log into your account at their website and fill in additional more detailed profile information. This helps the survey researchers match you with appropriate surveys. When a survey that matches your profile becomes available you will get an email with a link to the site you need to go to participate. Each survey pays differently usually from $1 to $75 and can take as few as 2-3 minutes up to 30 minutes. The email will usually state how much the survey pays.

What will I get for taking online surveys?
There are a whole bunch of incentives ranging from gift certificates, to merchandise like small electronics or appliances to sweepstakes entries to good old fashioned cold cash. Many of the sites require a minimum amount in your account before they will pay you (like $20) which isn't bad if you think about it. Usually the minimum payments are pretty easy to reach anyway.

So then is it worth it for me to take surveys for cash?
I believe it is worth it, otherwise you wouldn't be reading this today. It is fun and so easy, plus there is no risk involved like other online money making schemes out there. With just an hour or two a day you can make a decent part time income all from the comfort of your home. Plus I like getting the chance to review products and service before they become publicly available.

And there you have it, answers to your most common paid survey questions. As long as you have realistic expectations for them then paid surveys can be a fun and easy way to make some extra money in your spare time. Theres' no risk involved and anyone can do it, regardless of their background. There are many worse things you could be doing to make money than filling out surveys to get paid.

How to Choose a Home Based Business Opportunity That’s Right for you

How to Choose a Home Based Business Opportunity That’s Right for you

Author: Jackson Bleu

So you’ve decided to create a work at home business. That’s great!
This will probably be a very exciting and interesting time for you.
The first thing you have to decide is what kind of business you want.
Here are some tips and ideas for choosing the right home based business opportunity.

Check Out What’s Hot –
Look through entrepreneurial forums and see what kind of business seems to be doing the best right now. Which one is getting the most clients and website numbers? Which one seems to be doing really well financially? These are things you can get information about by looking through forums or business type blogs. You want your business to be successful of course, so this is a great way to decide on a home based business opportunity.

Talents and Abilities –
Do you have any special talents or abilities that would help you in your home based business opportunity? Many people start businesses that will help them reach a wider customer base for things that they have already been doing for years. Crafts, Art, Writing, to give people information on making money, or teach them how to do things. If you’re looking at a business opportunity with another company, do you think you would be talented at providing the services or products the company offers?

Do you love those services or products? –
Offering products or services to potential customers will be a pleasure if you truly enjoy them yourself. It will be difficult to offer products or services that you don’t like or approve of. It just won’t be as believable as if you do like them. Imagine being a waitress and trying to recommend an entrée that you can’t stand! Ensure that the items or services that you will be offering are things that you would recommend to your family or friends. The more you love the services or products, the better. You will have an enthusiasm about them that your potential customers will see and feel.

Now you Can Give Up your 9-5 Job and Make Money on the Internet

Now you Can Give Up your 9-5 Job and Make Money on the Internet

Author: Alan Lim

What a 9-5 job can’t give you

Let’s say you’re not keeping well and you want to stay back home and rest the whole day. But you can’t because you’ve already exhausted your leaves. So what do you do? You pop a pill and make it to office – all teary eyed, groggy and shivering with fever! If you wish to go on a long vacation you will need to ask permission from your manager, right? Or let’s say if you wished to earn more, you’d have to ask for a raise, right? As you see, a 9-5 job basically means reporting to someone else and doing as they say. Well, if you start to make money on the Internet you’ll never have to answer to anyone else – but yourself! That means vacations when you want, waking up and working when you want, setting your own workloads and much more freedom that you could ever imagine!

There is a free lunch after all

Whoever said that nothing comes for free – probably didn’t know about how to make money on the Internet. Fact is, you can start earning a five-figure income every month without investing anything at all. Yes, it is possible. The best part? The more you work, the more you make money on the Internet – so much different from a 9-5 job that pays you a fixed amount no matter how much you work!

How do I do it?

Well, there are many ways in which you can start to make money on the Internet. Let’s say you have a hobby and like making clothes of your own. You can start turning this hobby into a full-scale high paying job. All you need to do is set up your own website. Many sites even offer you a space and domain name for free. They also provide you with an email ID of your own, with their domain name of course. Then you can upload pictures of the clothes you make, along with short, interesting descriptions of each. Soon you will start seeing people flocking to your site and you will start to make money on the Internet in no time!

How to get traffic?

Okay so you have set up your own website and have everything up and running. But you find that no traffic is coming to your site yet. Thus you’re not able to make money on the Internet. Well, you can start by optimizing your site to ensure more search engines track your site down. The way this works is that people will search for certain terms on search engines. If your site has those terms, it will show up in the results. The better the phrases (also called keywords) - the better are your rankings. Optimizing your site is the only way to divert traffic and start to make money on the Internet.

Electrolux Networks With China Sourcing to Support International Trade

Electrolux Networks With China Sourcing to Support International Trade

Author: Dylan Sun

In this age of global supply chains, it is necessary the logistics and procurement organizations work hand in hand to support each other.

Global sourcing of products in a low-cost region is a waste, if the logistics cost or process to get the company products out of that region counterbalance the product cost savings. Global sourcing requires an in-depth analysis of a company's logistics set-up—and that's exactly what consumer appliance giant- Electrolux has done.

When Hans Straberg was the CEO of Sweden-based Electrolux in 2002, the company was dealing with severe competition and price pressure in its primary markets. Straberg lay down four chief priorities for the company i.e. brand building; product growth based on buyer insight; internal talent development; and improvement in operational efficiency to reduce costs. Thus, global sourcing of materials to support those industrial unit goods came into view as Electrolux planned to give importance and put their stake on low cost countries like China. Consumer products maker Electrolux thus began a major manufacturing shift to low-cost regions including Mexico and Eastern Europe and establishing new production capacity in Asia.

But, the increased global sourcing would tend to increase the company's on the whole logistics costs, so to make sure those costs were managed effectively, Francois Van Caeyzeele –the purchasing head of Electrolux instigated a deep-dive project to review the company's logistics net in Asia. Leading that deep-dive was Mr. Amit Kumar, who was the head of logistics services for Asian Global Sourcing and International trade. Kumar moved to Shanghai, China in 2004, from his post in Europe to begin scrutinizing everything that went in and out of the Asian region.

Kumar told the purchasing department that they started doing a routine checking exercise for the logistics spend in that region. What was moving from where to where? They had the suppliers control logistics and minor notice was paid to what the real cost was for logistics and the management of the shipments for B2B International trade.

The pricing factor was taken into account only in phase two. Kumar made an excellent choice for the project because of his backdrop in procurement as well as his vast experience and work knowledge in a Global Sourcing. The Company targeted several major factories in the Asian region, charting the logistics network and lowering the freight cost from the part cost. Two issues stood to notice at the end of the project that the company's container fill rate was much lesser than was expected and many of the suppliers were transporting via shipment to Electrolux in parallel lanes using various logistics providers at varied rates.

So there was an obvious situation for establishing consolidation positions in China suppliers. Accordingly all suppliers in a particular region were brought together as one committed factory manufacturers and goods were shipped to the destinations.

This enhanced container fill rates and let Electrolux select the logistics providers it needed in various area. Electrolux used a standardized assessment table to sort out logistics service providers with deep emphasis on an international level, global sourcing, management and innovation.