Archive for June 2010

By Graham McPatrick

Ohio Laser LLC recently increased its range of highly advanced laser cutting machines for flat laser cutting.

Plain-City, Ohio based Ohio Laser purchased a 6000 Watt Trumpf TruLaser 5040 system that now handles stainless steel as thick as 1 inch, aluminum as thick as 5/8 inches, and remarkably, carbon steel as thick as 1 inch. This ultra modern laser cutting technology processes at simultaneous speeds of up to 11811 inches each minute and can run at super fast axially parallel speeds of up to 7874 inches per minute.

Manufacturers now can outsource precision laser cut parts from Ohio Laser made from sheets up to 80 x 160 inches wide and as heavy as 3968 pounds, where exacting laser cutting tolerances, fits, and high quality repetitive processing are essential.

Not only is the TruLaser 5040 more powerful, but it also equipped with a self-loading and unloading unit which cuts down production time and boosts output. In this regard, Ohio Laser LLC provides world-class flat laser cutting services to companies that require exacting laser cutting tolerances and high quality repetitive processing.

Corporations across North America count on Ohio Laser to maintain high inventory levels of metal stock and a large variety of metal gauges. Strong vendor relationships permit Ohio Laser to remain ever-ready for JIT orders with over 1,000,000 pounds of stock inventory available. The company stocks commonly used alloys including:

Low carbon, A36, HSLA (High Strength Low Alloy)

High Strength Low Alloy, Low carbon, and A36

304, 304L, 316 and other stainless steels

Square, rectangular and round tubular products through 4 inches in diameter up to inch wall thickness in stainless and carbon steel

Square, rectangular and round tubular products through 4 inches in diameter up to inch wall thickness in stainless and carbon steel

Ohio Laser LLC can meet all fabricating needs with its advanced capabilities of bending, heat treating and finishing, water jet cutting services, sanding and grinding, plus GMAW welding, FCAW welding and GTAW welding. Ohio Laser's staff has more than 50 years combined experience engineering with 2D, 3D CAD/CAM drawings, and regularly works within PPAP Level I to Level IV.

Ohio Laser LLC provides laser cutting services and high tech fabrication solutions for leaders of the medical devices, automotive, construction equipment, medium and heavy truck, material handling, and aerospace industries.

About the Author:

By John Nash

Communication is a very important tool for every organization. It is very important to have efficient communication with the employees as well as your customers or clients. A small error in communication may cause you great losses. Therefore, it is very important to be very careful in communication.

The conventional methods of communication have been taken over by the modern methods and ways. There are new tools and applications, which have made communication a lot easier and quicker. Due to these modern means of communication, it has become possible to efficiently manage your business, which is spread across different countries or different regions of the world.

Thus, the web based project management was introduced which proved to be the convenient solution to all these problems. The internet has conveniently solved almost each problem of the people, particularly the problem of communication. It was the need of the hour because a lot of firms and agencies were suffering from this problem of not being able to cope with their clients who lived at farther distances.

Now the web based project programme is designed according to the standards of leading firms and for the comfort of the team of executives and workers. This has caused a lot of ease for the people and they find it much easier to talk about and to communicate their crucial financial or merely business oriented decisions.

Your communication can improve with your clients, as you will be at a long distance but will be able to discuss each detail of your project. All little and significant matters can be discussed easily and this will give a boost to your relationship with the clients as well. This will automatically improve your outcome and will help you raise the level of your productivity with collaboration.

With the distance being reduced, time management is also significantly improved. With less time spent over coordinating things, more time can be spent on working and developing the infrastructure of your firm. With the rapid increase of technology and fast paced work patterns, the web based management schemes can be of sufficient and adequate use, consequently.

The web based project management also has a wide range to cover than other manual or less productive means of working. In the web based ideals, things are spread across a wide range of people and the clients can benefit from them very easily. It also adheres to the satisfaction of the client, as he or she will be relieved at the instant response and feedback that the firm will be able to give to the clients.

Through the web based project management tools and systems, the clients can communicate with you all the times. They can ask their queries as well as make complaints through these systems. They can also see the status of their order or transaction from this system. Thus, things have become a lot smoother and easier to communicate with the clients. These web based project management systems have improved the efficiency of the businesses, and they have created more convenience for the clients, as they can now interact without having to step out of their house. However, one thing must be kept in mind that this has made the competition in the market stiffer.

About the Author:

By Karen Port

Nowadays, teddy bears and flowers are among the favorite presents for any affair. Gifted during a baby christening is a cuddlesome stuffed toy. A wedding anniversary befits a box of sterling roses. A stuffed teddy bear plus a bouquet of flowers commemorate a birthday. It's a life-sized stuffed Koala to cuddle, with matching pink roses for a sweetie. A teddy bear for him and her, with a pot of chrysanthemums make a perfect housewarming present.

Giving bears and flowers as gifts don't even need any special occasion. Bears and flowers as gifts show love, gratitude, surprise, even condolences and get-well-soon wishes. The custom of giving gifts traces its origins to the birth of the human race. Historic accounts allege that gifts were initially used for bartering possessions. Passing on landed estates as inheritance was also regarded as gift-giving. The high-ranking echelon of society presented gifts as a mark of gratitude, renewed friendships or earned favors.

Gifts also have concealed meanings. Ancient Romans gave gifts of coins for prosperity, lamps to illuminate one's journey through life, and pastries for happiness. The Baby Jesus was gifted by the Three Wise Men with gifts of myrrh, frankincense and gold. The egg, when passed on as a gift, symbolized fertility, according to Persian culture. Presenting flowers as a gift could also stand for love, sincerity, strength of character, etc. etc. Care and nurture are represented by teddy bears. They likewise evoke feelings of warmth.

Giving flowers is a tradition that has an early history. Grave sites of long ago have yielded evidence of floral fossils. In Egyptian hieroglyphics, very early Chinese writings and even ancient Greek and Roman mythology, stories of giving flowers are common. Giving flowers was considered by early civilizations as an efficient means of conveying opinions, ideas and emotions. Ancient Greeks believed flowers had an affinity with the divine. Giving flowers as presents was continuous throughout the Middle Ages. The practice of giving flowers as gifts was kept alive by the French and the English, as well.

A hunting incident involving former United States President Theodore Roosevelt was the inspiration for the teddy bear. In 1902, Mississippi Governor Andrew H. Longino invited President Roosevelt to go hunting. President Roosevelt was asked by his attendants to blast a black bear that they had tied to a willow tree. However, the President declined because he thought it was very unsportsmanlike. However, in order to free the bear of its misery, he ordered it shot, just the same. A political cartoon was created out of this incident.

Morris Michton was then inspired by this political cartoon to create a novel toy. The new toy was a stuffed bear cub. He called his new toy Teddy's bear, to honor President Roosevelt, whose nickname was Teddy. Mr Michton shipped a sample of his creation to the President and acquired permission to utilise his name. In Germany, a stuffed bear was also produced from the designs of Richard Steiff. In March 1903, these toys were shown at the Leipzig Toy Fair. By 1906, there was a full-fledged teddy bear frenzy. What followed, as most people would say, is history.

Indeed, the tradition of giving teddy bears and flowers as presents lives on. And did you know that there is a rose called Teddy Bear?

About the Author:

By Rochelle Pools

You have a few hours until the submission date. But you're not concerned as you are nearly finished anyway. A little ending sentence to finish up and you're done! You are now able to breathe a little easier after weeks of working for that company account. Since you're finished with your report, you can now catch up with your friends. Opening your email, you are surprised to see someone has sent you a gift. You usually don't accept presents from strangers, but this one certainly wouldn't hurt. It's just an email, anyway. So you obliged, admittedly thrilled.

Then wham! Your laptop just crashed! Oh no! Your paper! The one that you have enslaved yourself in working for weeks. As you stare into oblivion, thinking what has occurred, you ask how could one unassuming email could ruin your whole computer's system. And the most significant issue, how can you get your report back?

You start to panic. You can't miss your deadline, it defines your whole career. What should you do? You've heard about the backup software that techie people recommend you to install in your laptop for data recovery in events like this. But it's too late for that now. You need data recovery and you need it fast.

If you're like just one of the many professionals out there whose know-how of computers is limited to the software they use for their work, then you need professional technical help. Bring your laptop to the experts instantly for data recovery. They would know what to do, and hopefully, you're going to make it on time for your deadline.

Don't believe that just because you have a great anti-virus software program that everything is safe and data recovery would be a breeze in case you are hit with a computer virus. Virus is just a little percent of why computers lose files. The main culprits are hardware malfunction and user mistake, as well as software corruption and natural disaster. So if you don't have a very good computer backup program for data recovery, then you best have trusted computer care specialists.

Say you already have set up those helpful and useful software and have great data recovery system, but what would you do to your still affected computer? You either have to be an expert in fixing it yourself or you have to know a dependable computer repair center you can bring your laptop to.

It's no secret that data backing is important. But if it's too late for that, save yourself the sermon for later. There's still an alternative left for you. Bring your computer to a truly good repair and data recovery shop.

About the Author:

By Teresa Browning

For every problem, there is a resolution. Each action bears an equal and diverse response.

Any feeling that must be communicated has a perfect flower. There is a correct floral arrangement for any view that should be spoken. For every type of a client, there is a perfect flower store. Every floral statement that needs to be sent out has a flower delivery.

All of the world's relationship troubles would in all likelihood be mended by bloom delivery. Romeos and Juliets need to return to each other's arms after turns of jealousy. Husbands and wives must make up despite hostile conflicts. Despite having wronged countless times, fathers and mothers should forgive their erring kids.

Recalcitrant sons and daughters must make amends even if they keep on coming back to the same dreadful habits. The peace pipe must be smoked by tempestuous factions despite being on belligerent positions.

The single most meaningful way to emphasize positivism is flower delivery. Claiming laurels is a smashing public presentation. Acquiring the highest marks in school must be lauded. A festivity of wedding ceremonies should be more than just rings of warm wishes. A jubilant return calls for more than a giant welcome sign. Sealing a novel love affair is more than a buss.

Expressed by these beautiful blooms is just about every emotion known to humans. Speaking the language of passion are blossoms. Sincerity, happiness and admiration, as a universal language, are verbalized by blossoms. Offered by blossoms are a more solemn sympathy and the most eloquent of tearful empathy.

Pleasantly surprising is flower delivery. It is a profound gesture. Even when the sender of the blooms and the receiver of the said blooms are poles apart and miles away from each other, it is perfect.

Despite whatever weather condition, flower delivery goes on. Indeed, it is even economical. Because it breaks down restrictions of time and space, flower delivery is so practicable.

It's to the olden 20th century that bloom delivery retraces its beginnings back to. Flower stores then began to trade flowers and deliver these in boxwoods to the named recipient. The practice was for the person who sought the delivery to telegram the florist in the locality of the recipient and request a blossom delivery. There were zero networks of flower stores yet during this time.

In the late 1960s, as flower delivery grew more rife for the holidays, florists set about constituting networks. Delivery in the 1980s was made more practicable by telephone networks.

The more common methods of flower delivery nowadays are the telephone delivery, local florist delivery and internet ordering.

About the Author:

By Alexander Tesla

Most of us at some point in our career have experienced the frustration of being unable to "close the deal"! We've walked away wondering what else could have been said, shown or done in order to GTC (Get The Check).

Well, I'm here to suggest to you that occasionally it's simply not the correct time for the prospect to "get in", "do the deal" or "sign up". For some unknown (or known) reason, the timing just does not seem to fit their way of life right now. We've all heard the expression, No doesn't mean NO ... it just indicates, not right now!

3 reasons why individuals won't buy:

1 - No Cash 2 - No Need 3 - No Trust

You might open up your memo or conversation with ..."I'm responding to your request for more information about the ecommerce chance found on our website".

1 - What kind of work are you in now?

You are wanting them to say (or write) something to the effect of "... they are tired of what they are doing or looking for some sort of change ..." Most likely if they aren't unhappy with what they're presenting involved in, there might not be enough motivation to commit to an additional opportunity. They at least need to want to supplement what they're currently performing with an additional plan.

2 - Are you looking for something full-time or part-time?

This will give you a great idea of their dedication level (if any). Everyone has his or her own definition of what part-time means as opposed to full-time. Most would agree that full-time is anything over forty hours in a single week. Someone who is truly hungry for a change in his or her lifestyle might have to under go a complete paradigm shift.

3 - What do you see yourself doing five years from now?

Listen to their answer, it might be a bit undefined but you will sense in their "story" whether or not there's a fit for them in your business.

A lot of times people want YOU to answer much more concerns at this particular time. They may ask you things like:

1 - How much is it? 2 - What do I need to do?

My suggestion is to plug them into a "system" and let the program answer their questions. Even if you know the answers, it's still much better to let the system do the work for you. Why? Simply put ... it's duplicatable! If you have a "system", everybody can do it!! It's the old KISS technique, (Keep It Simple Sweetheart).

Get your FREE internet marketing training. Visit www.gbb.org/doubleyourleads to access over 50 hours of videos packed with practical strategies and tools to help you double your leads!


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About the Author:

By Nicole Arentzen

Location is one of the biggest keys to running a successful food concession company. Although 1 of the most overused clichs out there is location location location when regarding real estate, it couldn't be much more appropriate for mobile food vending as well. While product, client service, and advertising are all essential parts of running this business, location is really a key that if you don't get it correct, your company won't only fail, but will fail miserably. Without the correct location, customers won't be able to or want to stop at your company. Location is also essential because it has everything to do with your product and who will purchase your item. Finally permanent location is essential because it determines the familiarity and frequency with which your clients stop by.

First and foremost, if you do not have the proper type of area, you aren't going to be able to attract clients. For example, the corner of a highway where your potential clients are going 75 mph and not even noticing you is not a great way to bring in clients. You're looking for a place that individuals are stopped or slowed considerably. This can consist of places like stop lights as well as speed zones where drivers slow down. Also, if clients feel unsafe or do not like the appearance of your area, you won't have much luck in selling your item either.

Permanent area is also a method to help ensure repeat clients. Repeat clients are a big part of your customer base. If you are constantly in a new location, or you do not show up on time, this could be the death of the loyal customers' business. Making sure you're reliable is one of the greatest ways to get the lunch crowd in. If they know that at regular hours on normal days they can count on you to be there, they may choose to eat at your establishment rather than patronize the local chain.

The bottom line is, great location is imperative so that you can make sure you have customers that are comfortable stopping; it helps you decide what kind of food you will serve, and repeat customers will be able to rely on your consistency. Location Location Location

Get your FREE internet marketing training. Visit www.gbb.org/doubleyourleads to access over 50 hours of videos packed with practical strategies and tools to help you double your leads!


About the Author:

By Sheila Rankins

Many small companies are run from people's home computers and fall under the radar of business statistics. Whether you're working for a multi-level marketing company or selling painted bird houses the difficulty of advertising your products without a budget is overwhelming. A home-based business cannot compete with their larger counterparts. That is why in numerous cases owners are expected to tap into their personal relationships to make sales.

Like many of you I run a small home based business and have learned through trial and error what functions and what doesn't. In the beginning, many years ago, I wasted money paying for various kinds of advertisements. None of them worked well. Now my spending budget is nearly $0 and I receive thousands of visitors a year. How did I do this?

Strategy #1 Email: Instead of paying for lists and possibly getting in trouble for spamming I send businesses a really personalized email message. How do I look for these companies? I find them by looking on the web, going to their homepage, reading a little about them, and then sending them a personalized email about my product. The key is personalization. Write a basic sales letter which highlights your product, offers contact info and how it can impact a specific type of business.

Strategy #2 Info: Search engines and customers love informative articles. We have all heard the saying, "knowledge is power". Customers wish to learn about their company as much as possible. Posting informative content articles on your web page will help visitors keep returning for additional info and hold them there longer. Information also increases your credibility as a business to the potential customer.

Strategy #3 Ezine Articles: Like I said in technique #2 individuals love free of charge info. Those same articles I placed on my web site for my current clients can also be utilized to lure new customers. By making sure that your content articles are informative, professional and worthy you can submit those to article databases for free content. Then web sites pick up the article to post on their own site. The trick would be to have your individual contact information either embedded into the article or as a tag line on the end.

The three strategies work together to enhance the popularity of a website and decrease the amount of time you waste everyday. Passing out business cards and networking with other owners works well together and kills two birds with one stone. Sending out personalize emails and reading about your customers site helps to improve your understanding of your clients needs while advertising to them. The overall technique of company is to make more money and spend less time and resources doing it.

Get your FREE internet marketing training. Visit www.gbb.org/doubleyourleads to access over 50 hours of videos packed with practical strategies and tools to help you double your leads!


About the Author:

By Mark Walters

Outsourcing has become very popular today among entrepreneurs, small business owners and people who work within large corporations. It can be a temporary stop gap or become part of everyday business and it can be very beneficial to business. The questions are when, and perhaps more importantly, how, does one take advantage of outsourcing. It is on the minds of lots of business people today. Ask yourself?

- Are you finding it difficult to meet customer / client needs because you do not have enough time?

- Do you have often find yourself missing project deadlines because you do not have the resources available to complete them on time?

- Do you find yourself, or your employees, spending time that could be used on other tasks to do tasks that require little or no training?

So did you answer yes to at least one question? If so you should take outsourcing into consideration. Outsourcing is an easy way to allow you and your staff to expend their energies on core competencies and to leave some important but non-critical projects to a provider that you have hired by outsourcing. It is likely that you will see bigger profits if you take advantage of outsourcing because outsourcing allows you and your staff to stick to the bigger money making projects and allow smaller projects to go to your outsourced staff.

What are good projects to outsource? Well, consider outsourcing payroll, accounting, typing, accounts receivable and payable, data entry, email, customer service, business management, consulting, website creation and management, web analytics, research and analysis, financial services, transcription, data mining, tax processing, marketing, digital image/editing services, mailing services, office management and client maintenance. You can outsource almost any job you have that you do not feel needs to be done by yourself or your core staff.

So, you have come to the conclusion that outsourcing may be for you. How do you find out about outsourcing? Ask colleagues or nearby companies for good outsourcing firms in your area or search the internet for firms that offer the services you are looking for on an outsourced basis. There are numerous excellent firms that offer outsourced services. You simply need to do a little research, make a few phone calls and perhaps do some interviewing. But do not just grab the first company that you come across or that is suggested to you. Be careful and make sure you look into the reputation and reliability of the company or individual with whom you would like to work.

About the Author:

By Don Paul Fuller

I had a phobia about getting new customers when I first started my online marketing business. This phobia is known as a fear of rejection, and in the sales arena is called a fear of cold calling. It is common problem faced by new entrants to most businesses, and is understandable, given that xenophobia is well known and even reinforced by many of our social structures.

I understood the issue and believed that it did not apply to me as I genuinely like meeting people and am usually unfazed by talking with them. My issue was fear of rejection - rejection of a my business proposals in which I had much emotional energy tied up. When I realized what my problem was I was able to apply solutions.

My mentor instructs on small business strategies. He believes we can break every personal interaction down to basic components, and work out scenarios where the outcomes are optimised, without creating further unresolvable problems for any of the involved parties. Necessarily these strategies must incorporate all parties needs, if they can be ascertained.

By doing this you gain objectivity, and the entire situation is examined without any bias. This tends to empower all parties, without pressures. The interactions and negotiations will be more relaxed, open and without antipathy.

There are techniques that can be used to simplify this facilitation. I personally use a chart which is similar to the Ben Franklin that many are familiar with

My first step is to identify what I want to achieve from the meeting/call or conversation. I do that by identifying my goals, the emotions I expect to experience, and the expectations I have. This takes practice and some thought, as while goals and expectations are concrete, emotions are tricky little suckers. They affect everything we do, at work, at home, with family, friends - and with our prospects and customers.

More difficult is to work on what the other parties expect, what their goals may. Their emotions should be considered in the context of the possible outcomes.

Imagine this: I am to call a prospect, to see if he will be making an application to join my primary business.

My goals are to find out if the lead wants to complete an application, and if they do facillitate the application. If they do not want to at this time my goal is for the lead to stay as a subscriber to my newsletters.

I need to be aware that I could be excited, afraid or disappointed, depending on the possible outcomes.

On the positive expectation, they will submit an application, and/or remain on my email subscriber list. My negative expectations would include a complete lack of interest, suspicion, hostility or rudeness.

Their goal may be to avoid spending money, and to find out what it is that I am marketing. Their emotions may be fear that I will somehow force them to give me money, or to take some advanatge away from them. They may be excited that they may be close to joining a business opportunity, or they may be frightened by it. Their expectations may be that they will be subjected to a sales pitch, and that they will say no.They may also be expecting more information about my opportunity, and they may be expecting to make a decision about that.

By deliberately, consciously predicting these behaviours I am able to plan for them, and could use surprise or other tactics to break them away from their (probably unrealised) expectations so that we can partake of a negotiation based on mutual respect and acceptance of the other parties' goals emotions and expectations..

About the Author:

By Dennis Felton

So you are starting a little business. You figured out what you wanted to sell or do and went out and got it all set up, had your DBA framed and on the wall and now all you need is for somebody to purchase your product or use your service. Correct?

How are you going to go about having your public to know you even exist?

Promote! Promote! Promote!

Well that all sounds easy, but say you're a financial specialist, a boat builder or llama farmer. They most likely didn't teach the basic principles of starting little company promotional campaigns in boat-builders' school. So what do you'll need to know, and how do you go about it?

Let's begin with the "Basic Principles" of promotion:

What is Promotion?

Promotion: Anything, as advertising, public appearances, etc., done to publicize (get the attention or interest of the public) a person, product, event, etc. The New Webster's Concise Dictionary2003 Encyclopedic Edition

Why do you market?

The purpose of promotion is to make sure people know you're in business. You promote simply because should you do not, you won't make it in business. You promote simply because it's communication that you'll need to engage in so that you can survive. You promote so that you can expand and get the attention or interest of the public for your items or services. You market because if you don't, no one will know you exist and no one will purchase from you and...well, you get the point.

How do you promote?

There are much more ways than you would ever think. Have you ever heard somebody say, "I never promote and I am always busy" OR "I do not need to market, all my company comes from word-of-mouth"? They might not be aware of how they're doing it, but I promise you they are promoting somewhere. Perhaps they just go around telling everyone they talk to, that they do not market. (Sound funny? It's still promoting.) Perhaps their larger-than-life running water faucet in front of their store attracts so much attention that they don't need to do anything else. Well here are some ideas you can do "knowingly" to drive in the company.

* Greeting your customers with a smile is a great place to start.

* Calling your customers right after they have had a chance to use your product is a good method to promote that you care about their encounter with your organization. It can also produce an opportunity to make more sales.

* A neatly packaged product, the shipping label on straight, promotes that you take pride in what you do.

* Always keep up-to-date brochures or catalogs about your business in your reception area for people to see and take with them.

* If you have customers coming into your business, make sure they are greeted pleasantly, professionally, and immediately.

Anything that gets the attention or interest of the public for the organization, its employees, its products or services (in a positive way) is promotion. But how do you go about promoting to the masses?

Here is a story that could save you thousands of marketing and promotional dollars, as well as months or years of experience.

"I was working as the Communications & Promotional Director in a medium size business. We were fortunate enough to have our own commercial printing press, that put out lots of very fancy letters, catalogs, brochures and other promotional items, and oh yes, envelopes to put them in. My full time pressman and his helpers, spent several days each week obtaining everything printed, cut, folded and sent over to the mailing house."

"There, they had machines that automated all the stuffing, sorting, addressing and stamping. All in all everything was going very well. We were sending out about 40,000 pieces per week at a cost of about $10,800.00, and obtaining around 120 to 140 good leads per week. This generated an average of 2 new sales per week for a product that cost around $12,000, and re-sign income of around $45,000 more. We weren't growing very fast, but we were making money."

"THEN...911 hit. "

"Suddenly, nobody wanted to open envelopes. Our leads were dropping to nothing. We were heading toward our own disaster like so numerous other businesses did. I knew I needed to promote, but what good did it do if nobody read it!"

"I was talking to the owner from the mailing house and he suggested the use of POSTCARDS instead of letters. So we decided to give it a try. Unfortunately, I had much less cash to allocate towards promotion, so I started by sending about 20,000 postcards weekly. The total cost-per-piece, needing only one day on the presses, half the labor at the mail house and a substantial decrease in postage, was reduced by about 60%."

What was the result? Try 120 to 140 leads per week!

Why?

* You don't have to open a post card!

* You see it correct away, the bright picture is not hidden from view by an envelope.

* The message leaps correct out and you can't ignore it or throw it in the trash unopened (the fate of many bulk mail pieces).

Postcards are the best medium to reach new customers when beginning a small company promotional campaign.

Get your FREE internet marketing training. Visit www.gbb.org/doubleyourleads to access over 50 hours of videos packed with practical strategies and tools to help you double your leads!


About the Author:

By Charmaine Mae Lewis

Working the cube farm has been a disaster for worker productivity for years and also you are finally fed up. Your organization has offered you an opportunity to function from home. So finally, the house office is born. The choice of the location of your house office is crucial to your success.

Too close to the activities going on and you get distracted. Too far away, and you become stranded on an island. Another concern is the "7-Eleven" effect, in other words, you're always open for company and in a really short time you find yourself exhausted. But you will find methods to manage these issues in order to make your home office experience a success.

Now the home workplace is much more of a focus in the design process, make this space worth living. Make it comfy, but not too comfortable. Make it warm and inviting, but not a play room for the kids. Make it a location to work, but also a location to live. Confused? Don't be simply because this is your space to with as you wish. Just keep in mind your specific situation and plan accordingly.

Perhaps converting your attic for use as a house office is really a wonderful idea. Maybe working in the corner of the bedroom works. Whatever your room allocation is having a true house office is a excellent way to maintain your overhead low since you're already paying for the space and the real hidden value of the home office is that it doesn't have to look like a corporate office with a huge oak desk and wall-to-wall filing cabinets. And even though your children will disagree, your house office isn't somewhere they should be playing. Finding space for a home workplace is a major concern these days.

Once you've found your space, you should hopefully discover that working from a home workplace is interesting, varied and provides an opportunity to deliver results that will make a real difference to your life. It won't be difficult to work if you have a well-organized, fully equipped home workplace and you have organized well and are comfy.

But the key to a well run home office and a satisfied worker is this: create a work schedule just like you would if you went into the office each and every day. Do not wake up tomorrow and ask yourself what you are going to do that day, have a plan. Also set working hours, you go into the workplace from 8-5 or 9-6 and that's it, you leave for that day, turn off the light behind you and shut the door just as if your commute were miles away from house rather than inches from the couch.

One more suggestion is turn the audible notification off for new email on your computer. Every ding, or dong, or beep and you will be running for the computer like Pavlov's dogs. Remember: Work Smarter, not harder!

Get your FREE internet marketing training. Visit www.gbb.org/doubleyourleads to access over 50 hours of videos packed with practical strategies and tools to help you double your leads!


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About the Author:

By Donald McKey

Commercial cleaners are out there for us to make progress on our working environment and make our working spaces a lot less messy and more ordered. These types of businesses have multiplied over the last few years and have really come into their own as people have started getting busier with their working lives and have expanded in there employee load. We have so many things to do during the day when we are at work and we do not think about the chaos we are leaving behind do we? So if you are running your own business or have a lot of employees working in the same building, it might be time to initiate thinking about hiring commercial cleaners.

Whether or not you decide to hire some commercial cleaners, you should sit down and assess the situation. If this consideration does cross your mind then it might be time to think about what precisely you need cleaning around the office and see if you could in fact give reason for hiring someone to come in and do it for you. Now, if you do decide that it is time to let the professionals take your untidiness into their hands then it is time to start researching the companies around your district and what other people have to say about them.

To make the verdict of whom you want to come into your business and clean it you should probably talk to some friends and family and colleagues who may have a good quantity of knowledge with cleaning companies and what they found simple during the process and what they may have found problematical. This helps you see the positives with hiring someone and can give you peace of mind hearing some good advice. When you have heard a sufficient amount to make a appropriate decision on whether you still want to hire someone then start researching the places around your region and see what they have to present and what kind of company standards they posses.

There is nothing better than a good effective working relationship so you do want to get along with the cleaners that will be cleaning your business; that is why you should make a scheduled time to see the representatives in person instead of over the phone. Sometimes the phone can give you a strange insight and communication signals can be confused, so meet the people in person to really see what their business values are and if you would be relaxed with them coming into your business and cleaning it.

Keep in mind that commercial cleaners are there to help you and your business to make sure that you and your employees will always have a clean atmosphere to work in and enjoy. In order to hire the right company you should take your time and look at the different options that are available to you and see which one fits your needs accordingly. The right cleaner is out there just waiting to deal with those dirty surfaces and carpets; don't let them wait much longer.

About the Author:

By Louis Jones

All of us require shelter, cover and safe haven indeed; it is the primary concern of everyone to live a good life. It has been noticed as well as appreciated that during hard times, when we are in trouble and find ways to protect ourselves, the lightweight and portable shelters help us a lot.

Emergency shelters can either be temporary or permanent. The usage and requirements determine the kind of emergency-shelter that is needed in a place. When you go to buy it, these requirements should be kept in mind and the emergency shelter should be bought accordingly. They are available in different materials like fabric and steel frames.

During wars, crisis, medical camps and emergencies, we got hurried to find a place to reside and protect ourselves. This is the main reason to invent lightweight and handy shelters. They are worthy and valuable of course in the awful times. In this way, we cannot ignore their magnitude and significance as they are the solution of the most of our problems.

Urgent situation shelters are designed specifically as we can simply move them from one place to another. They are frivolous and lightweight; handy and transferable. It is most vital thing that usage of polyester in their production makes them easy to deal with, move about and shift.

These lightweight shelters are manufactured with the help of polyester web and aluminium. These are available in shapes and their structures and pieces are sewn as one to shape one piece and get rid of bringing up the rest of the parts. They are folded and you can easily assemble them by just pulling the casing until it locks-up. Whenever you want to break them into pieces, you just need to press the pop locks at each joint and fold the shelter up. You can, without a doubt, save them in your luggage slot and bring them out when you want to use them again.

Essential provisions like medicine, food, shelter and clothing should be in place. Along with the lightweight and portable emergency shelters, portable wheelchair ramps and portable toilets are also required to take care of the disabled persons.

Lightweight camping tents have gained popularity, and due to the technological advancement their weight continues to drop. Construction however varies from one tent to the other. Those that are freestanding use a pole system to give it a structure; others require the use of sticks or hiking poles to support its structure.

After the earthquake of 2005 in the northern areas of Pakistan, the prefabricated building was used to set up a university whose actual building became rubble. Thus the portability and the lightweight of the emergency shelters are very important in any type of emergency situation, so that they can be transported easily.

About the Author:

By Martha Orem

It seems that most successful companies these days have websites, even companies that service only particular geographic areas. On the internet, where the market place is global, localized companies can be at a great disadvantage.

A Nearby Business Web Site Example

Lets use the example of a car cleaning companies. The company only cleans cars in a specific city, yet wants to use their internet site to produce more business. Time and cash is invested in advertising the website within the search engines, paying particular attention to marketing the website for the specific geographic region the service provider covers. Nonetheless, numerous visitors from around the globe are likely to stumble across the site if it is well marketed.

Item Choices

Options for our example - a car cleaning service - could consist of T-shirts, hats, cleaning clothes, wax and/or soap. Even just T-shirts could be an extra source of revenue, whereas the seller takes advantage not just from the direct sale, but the advertising the wearer of the shirt will provide.

Drop Shipping Makes Offering Products Simple

For the busy company owner, providing extra items for the sake of web sales may seem like an extra burden rather than a hidden source of revenue. Yet adding products to your web site could be very easy. By using a drop-shipper, inventory is not required. Services such as Caf Press allow products to be made as they're ordered.

Affiliate Techniques

Also, if the website owner does not wish to deal with inventory and stocking products, affiliate techniques can be used for income. Affiliate systems allow website owners to sign-up for income sharing programs with other companies. An affiliate program allows website owners to offer the items or services of other businesses although obtaining a commission on sales generated from the website owner's website.

In short, if you run a business that operates on a local basis only, and also maintain a web site, it may be well worth your while to expand to the global market by adding products or services that can be sold around the world.

Get your FREE internet marketing training. Visit www.gbb.org/doubleyourleads to access over 50 hours of videos packed with practical strategies and tools to help you double your leads!


About the Author:

By Bart Icles

Remember the days when your business was just starting out? It probably all seemed a bit overwhelming at times, because you most likely had to wear different hats at the same time. You were the boss, your own secretary, your own accountant, and your very own marketing division. No doubt that it has crossed your mind that it would be such a relief if you ever grow big and profitable enough to be able to hire people who can do a variety of tasks so you can focus on growing your business.

Fast forward to today, when you've grown big enough to have several departments and more than a dozen employees already. It's probably a huge relief to be able to have the time to focus on generating more businesses and partnerships. But take care that you don't just focus on that aspect. As your employee base grows, so will the problems that take place among groups of people, and you ignore them at your own risk. It might seem like it's not very important to get involved in whatever difficulties they all have with one another, but in truth, making sure that everyone enjoys a solid working relationship is a key to your business's success. If problems with employee relations are not addressed, dissatisfaction grows, and soon you will find that people are leaving your company in droves.

That is why team building is something that you should make sure to foster in your company, whether you are facilitating this yourself or hiring a team building consultant to provide an objective point of view. This will allow everyone to really face what is troubling them and hopefully work out a solution that will benefit all.

Team building will not just give you an idea what a team is and how you should all be working together towards a common goal. It also seeks to address existing problems, and also teach everyone how they could all have a hand in improving relations among all the workers.

Some people have a very reactionary approach towards team building, thinking of it only when the damage has been done and too many people have been unhappy with the company. Even before any problems arise, the moment you have more than five employees, perhaps, then you should consider having a team building seminar. The earlier you acquaint people with the idea that they are indeed one team and that they all have one objective, the better. And you wouldn't even have to play catch-up in the future anymore, ensuring instead that everyone already has an understanding of their situation.

About the Author:

By John Nash

Project management is applied to achieve a one-time objective, which has been carefully planned and organized. Project management is a team effort, in which each team member has to perform a specific task, with a set of resources, within a specified timeline. Any delay in completing a task on schedule can delay the entire project.

Project management software can be used when constructing communication towers of a mobile company or placing power transmission lines. The data gathered during the project management is usually task oriented. The data is essential because it gives a clear picture of the future of the project and identifies all possible delays, so that curative actions can be taken.

The most important part of the project management is to receive the data on time. Most importantly the web based project management software must be able to collect all the essential elements of the required data. If for instance, the software is unable to collect useful information, the project would simply be a waste of time. For this reason, one should choose the right type of web based project management software that caters to all the requirements.

In order to upload the data, special forms are designed. This mainly depends on the nature of the project at hand. Usually project managers look for task related data instead of the background data.

You do not have to download or install anything. Your entire project will be available online which makes it safe. Another advantage of this project is that you can have an access to your data anytime and from anywhere you want.

Internet is the most popular medium used these days. Businesses can not even imagine existing without this valuable tool. The team members of the project must have access to the internet. This is important because it will help in gathering efficient data for the web based project management. If the team members are located in far flung areas without internet access, they might not be able to relay the information about the status of their tasks regularly. Therefore this valuable system will help them in uploading data efficiently.

When using web based project management, the project manager will have to stress on the need for regular data updates. He may need to devise a contingency plan to get the required data uploaded. But, a good project manager will always have a contingency plan. Data updates form the lifeline of a project, and the data must be error free and meaningful.

If data is not coming from a node, the project manager must investigate the reasons and take corrective measures. Getting data on a web based project management system will depend on how well the project planners planned all the aspects and phases of the project. The project manger has to continuously review the quality of data that comes and ensure it delivers a true picture of the project.

About the Author:

By Charmaine Mae Lewis

Crucial site visitors to your commercial pages include net robots that crawl the internet and catalog your content. Having proper HTML source code, plus the correct combination of text and graphic presentation, is just one secret to success. Proper code might mean higher robot ratings, and the "look" is equally crucial. Once a new prospect finds your site, you have 5 seconds to get them to stay.

As a small business site owner, you may have asked "Why don't we get any hits?". Did you know net pages can load and appear correct with improper or deprecated HTML code? A browser might ignore your mistakes, and display what it thinks you meant, and it may possibly appear excellent. Internet robots may possibly not be as forgiving.

Following is a list of 8 basic factors for great search engine placement that will need to be considered inside your layout and website promotion. For details on code issues from the worldwide authority, go to the World Wide Web Consortium to view DOCTYPE and other quality standards.

1. DOCTYPE Statement 2. Page Title 3. Correct HTML Code 4. META Description 5. META Key Words 6. Initial Paragraph with the Residence Web page 7. An Added Web page of Just LINKS 8. Backlinks (Links to your pages)

These 8 important items are either missing or poorly designed in 85% of all internet sites. Some research engines may only list the other 15% in their directories. In other words, as few as 15% of the 6 billion net pages on the internet ever make it into some search engines. Even worse, you will find errors that may result in your page being blacklisted, and the search engine web crawlers may possibly never come back to see if it's corrected. This could explain why you "never get any hits".

Web sites can be simple and professional without utilizing fancy software to generate your pages. Veteran programmers hand code and many create the HTML in NotePad. Internet authors who choose to use flash, frames, or the latest software might be losing a substantial portion of new visitors (clients) simply because the visitor may possibly lack the technology or newest version of browsers. If they are turned off and leave without giving your site a fair viewing, it could mean lost profits.

Finally, business visitors want details. They do not visit your home page to be entertained. Most have a need (trouble) and want a fast answer (solution), so designs should be created to minimize the use of music or video unless that's your core enterprise. Anything that distracts from a positive initial impression may violate my "5 Second Rule".

Get your FREE internet marketing training. Visit www.gbb.org/doubleyourleads to access over 50 hours of videos packed with practical strategies and tools to help you double your leads!


About the Author:

By Stephanie Morgan

These days I decided to take a walk to my daughter's school (something a bit unusual, but not unreasonable since the gas prices went up) for a change. I was totally enjoying the break from my little office routine when it hit me -- " my neighborhood has changed. Too many small companies had just disappeared and on their windows were signs: "For lease"

Being a small company owner myself, I know how fragile a startup could be, how very easily your marketing efforts could be lost in this noisy world. There's an ocean of companies out there, and everybody is fighting for survival.

There's 1 really clever way which I strongly recommend: Use Humor! Clever humor is always appreciated and if you are able to make your clients smile, they will always come back to you.

Before you start, ask yourself:

1. What may be the main message I wish to send about my services, products, organization? 2. Who are my customers? 3. What is my point of difference and how can I use humor?

Once you are clear on your goals, there are lots of easy, efficient methods to add humor and make you stand out:

1. Get a Cartoon Logo: The logo is the very face of your company. You'll have to be really careful (read: not cheap) when you decide on a logo style. Too many places use the exact same fonts, the exact same colors, the exact same globe and whatnot. The final result? The all look the same. So set yourself apart -- get a custom drawn cartoon logo. You will find too many benefits to mention, but I'll give you just one example: check out Eskimo Joe's in Stillwater, Oklahoma. His owner Stan Clark started with a easy Eskimo and dog cartoon logo design, created by an amateur designer. These days Eskimo Joe's is a multi-million dollar clothing organization with t-shirt sales only surpassed by the Hard Rock Cafe! Now, that's amazing!

2. Humor advertising: It goes without saying - humor, at least in advertising, sells as much as sex. Just turn on the TV and observe. Do you know that the new Apple marketing campaign (Mac vs PC) is probably the most efficient one ever? Why? Because it is funny, and people remember it. But there is much more to advertising.

Of course, there's much more that should go into building a prosperous small company. But my point is - work hard, work smart and get noticed!

Good luck!

Get your FREE internet marketing training. Visit www.gbb.org/doubleyourleads to access over 50 hours of videos packed with practical strategies and tools to help you double your leads!


About the Author:

By Gary Vanbouyen

Global warming might have been lurking upon our horizon for a number of years and famous records of terrorists have existed for thousands of years, but we are coming straight into a fresh age where we try and financially protect ourselves against such issues and in the event that we are honest ... we're struggling.

The recent terrorism attacks in London brought home the fragility of human life to many Brits, who had in the past been able to distance themselves from terrorist activity. For the partners and offspring of city workers, the fragility of their finances also became apparent with the potential loss of a loved one alongside the loss of future income and perhaps the family home.

It is widely agreed that most life insurance policies ought to cover acts of terrorism, though most web sites (including the Association of British Insurers) do state that you simply should always, always read the small print, as there might be insurer-specific exemption clauses. It will be interesting to see what effect terrorism has on life insurance applications and whether there's a rise in consumer interest as a result of terrorist attacks.

Certainly the indication so far is that life insurance applications will be treated rapidly and sympathetically in case of a of a terrorist attack, reiterated by the Association of British Insurers (ABI) and Ginger Applegarth of MSN Money who stated that for insurers "to back out of paying a claim now would be considered unpatriotic and a marketing disaster." In Applegarth's column, she includes an "insurance checklist" of the fundamentals that you have to do when making a life insurance claim. She also states that insurers paid out nearly $3 billion after the September 11 attacks in 2001.

Other life insurance exemptions may consist of lifelong illnesses like diabetes and epilepsy. Lifestyle habits for example smoking may or may not invalidate a life insurance policy application, but they will make it more costly. Always get your medical records assembled before you apply for life insurance, as this will save time and possibly cash too. Once this info is assembled, you are able to begin assembling some personal quotes through life insurance comparison websites.

Get your FREE internet marketing training. Visit www.gbb.org/doubleyourleads to access over 50 hours of videos packed with practical strategies and tools to help you double your leads!


Find out more about Green Business Certification here!


About the Author:

By Jennifer Quigley

Business management has its phases, fads and frauds like anything else, and sometimes it's hard to tell the real, workable ideas from the many time-wasting detours. There are scores of important sounding terms and acronyms floating around, from process management and customer retention to value-added this and that. Some are excellent and helpful, others curious and impractical, but no matter what business improvement you are seeking there is one prerequisite, and that is good communication. There are two definitions of the term that apply here, too. You need good communication among the principals and employees of the firm, of course, but you also need a good, solid, dependable communications infrastructure for your business. No other solution will work if you do not have these in place, because every business solution is based on good communication.

There are plenty of consultants in the world who will tell you that you need their method or their seminar to make the first kind of communication, the interpersonal kind, better, faster and clearer. Although it may be true that some managers (as well as employees) have poor communications skills, it is far from proven that an expensive seminar is the best remedial action. If you are in a firm where clear messages seem to be rare, it will behoove you to address the problem, which can be difficult if the powers-that-be don't recognize that there is one. The other communication we are talking about, the technological infrastructure that connects you and your firm to each other and the world, is also critically important, and needs to be in place to make any other so-called solutions possible.

Management in a vacuum?

Modern businesses rely on more than just phone service these days. In addition to have land lines, most businesses also have mobile phones, as well, plus the all-important Internet connection, land line and Web fax capabilities, and so on. Not only is the connection important in each of these instances, the speed, dependability, and cost are critical variables, too. In today's global marketplace, there is no time to waste, so your business will not get anywhere riding on a dial-up connection. Not only are broadband Internet connections a requirement, they are now a basic one, and what's fast for a residential user (say, 5Mbps) is not going to put or keep your firm at the top of the heap when your competitors have T1 service.

If you want the very best, very fastest and most future-proof Internet connection, you are going to want a fiber optic network. The firms offering a fiber backbone and highest-speed access are the ones that are truly able to supply your company with the infrastructure (the framework, so to speak) on which you can build your success. A dependable, fast and flexible communications network is the best foundation for building a modern business. With fast speeds both up and down, in and out, you can be confident that you will not miss out on any opportunities that come up suddenly, and neither will you keep clients or customers waiting for a reply because of network outages, slowdowns or intermittent signal quality. When the communication services are excellent, reliable and transparent, you can simply focus on doing good work.

First things first

If you are curious about how well your company is managing its business, or individual processes, there are any number of consulting firms who will give you a little test or make a presentation about it. The problem is, doing this with a second-rate communications infrastructure will not give you insight into your business so much as it will into your communications vendors (ISP, phone company, mobile phone provider, etc.). You have to do first things first, which means implementing a communications strategy that gives your firm fast, dependable and cost-effective Internet service and the other requisite connections.

Once you have fast and reliable communications services, you can get an accurate measure of how your business is handling the various tasks that add up to doing business in your particular field. Don't forget that interpersonal communications skills are necessary to take advantage of the improved communications channels, whatever they are in your particular case. Communications skills plus communications tools equals your communications infrastructure. The better, faster and more dependable they are, the better your firm will do.

Bottom line

It really is true that every business solution is based on good communication, and that poor communications (either skills or systems) can be the kiss of death in any industry. Before you start any reorganization or change of strategic direction, make sure you have good communications skills among your employees and a good communications system for them to use. With these two things solidly in place, you can measure processes and test scenarios to your heart's content, and the results will actually mean something. First things first, indeed!

About the Author:

By Cherine Hattingh

If you are planning a trip to Johannesburg, South Africa, it is important to make sure that you are booking the best possible luxury accommodation. This way, you will be able to fully enjoy the culture and scenery that you just can't get anywhere else. You will have a wonderful time, especially if you have a lodge accommodation that suits your needs.

Not all housing options will provide the lifestyle that you are used to living, which is why most businessmen seek out the best lodge accommodation as soon as they know their travel dates. Johannesburg has some of the best luxury accommodation options and can deliver all the comfort and convenience features you need, including the following:

Wi-Fi Connection

This is very important because when you are traveling for business you don't want to be cut off from the rest of the world. You will need access to the Internet for work, personal pleasure, and for keeping up with news and current events back home. Look for luxury accommodation options that will give you the Internet access you need around the clock.

Kitchenette

Some people like to have the ability to prepare some of their own foods in their luxury accommodation. With a small kitchenette, you will be able to do this but not all lodge accommodation suits offer this. This is something that you are going to have to really search out on your own. This way, you will be able to take care of all your needs, even when everything is closed in the middle of the night.

Shower or Shower Hoses

Many of the lodge accommodation suits come with only a tub for bathing. If you need a shower, you are going to have to specifically look for a luxury accommodation that comes with a full shower or, at the very least, a shower hose. Separate Lounge

Separate Lounge

The larger luxury accommodation suites will have a lounge area that is apart from the bedroom. This will allow you to have extra space and comfort, especially if there will be more than just yourself staying in the room. Families on a long trip will really appreciate this.

Creature Comforts

The best luxury accommodation spots in Johannesburg will have many comfort amenities to make sure that your trip is as comfortable as possible. For example, some places will have stations set up that will offer coffee or other drinks around the clock. You should also expect to see featured views of the amazing South Africa landscape.

When searching for lodge accommodation, don't settle for anything less than a suite that gives you true luxury accommodation. You should be able to live comfortably and relax while still getting all of your work done without distractions.

Of course, you also want to make sure that your lodge accommodation is in a safe area of Johannesburg. This will ensure that you have the peace that you need in order to truly relax and sleep. You will also be able to walk around in the afternoon as nothing more than a tourist and do so without fear.

About the Author:

By Eric Kings

Children's party are cool and entertaining, so the preparation shouldn't be too far from that. They aren't the silent type of critics, but children are generally simple to please. You just need to make everything entertaining and colorful, and the rest will be a breeze.

In preparing the food menu, include a few items for the grownups if you are hosting a party for toddlers. The children's food list should be in little sizes. Finger foods are very much encouraged rather than serving full meals.

If you can, include kids' all-time favorites, such as sausages, hotdogs, and sandwiches. Make it even more fun by featuring the food in a colorful and fun manner. Shy away from food items that need the use of a knife. Barbecues and fried chicken can be consumed without the need to slice them, but big meats such as steaks may give the kids a hard time.

Plastic cups are recommended during kids' parties. Kids usually spill food and drink so it's best to avoid glasses or other delicate items to prevent accidents. Have water jugs ready and colorful juices on the table. Napkins and trash bags should also be plentiful and placed in corners of the venue.

If there's one thing children love more than they love playtime, it is when they are permitted to eat sweets or desserts. You can have cathedral gelatin for a colorful and fun look that kids will surely love or the equally adoring cupcakes with fun toppers. Cakes and ice cream are still as popular as ever to children so placing them on the table wouldn't hurt.

It is not mandatory, but it is appreciated if you prepare another meal for the grownups who accompany their kids to the party. A meal entry or two will do, like hamburgers or a plate of lasagna. It doesn't have to be a complete set.

Kids will love you more if you can give away loot bags at the end of the party. In preparing prize bags, bear in mind that small kids would like to see mixture and quantity over quality. They will opt to see dozens of little treasures like colorful pens for their craft projects and little basketballs rather than one costly tumbler.

Children's parties are messy and rowdy, but they are also fun. Keep it that way by making it fun. The food is a good place to begin so make them cool and colorful.

About the Author:

By Courtney West

It's almost a necessity that businesses today be established on a dependable IT infrastructure. Business will be able to function efficiently, just as it should be, when it has a dependable computer and user connection

IT infrastructure include almost all computer hardware uniting computers and users for the business operation. Examples of this include telephone lines, satellite antennae, Internet routers and many more. Those equipment link each user so that they can communicate and run business proficiently.

However, not all IT infrastructures are the same. Each has to be tailored to meet the business' specific requirements. IT infrastructure service should be aligned to the company's objectives. To do this, the approach should be proactive, with the framework specifically designed for the company.

When we say IT infrastructure, it does just not mean installing and setting up Internet and WAN and LAN connections or telephone lines. Every connection should be error-free, with every device capable of sending and receiving information accurately. Installing up the hardware is just a portion of this.

To start with, every business should be assessed on how the IT infrastructure should set about. This would determine the business infrastructure's health, exposing the strength that needs to be retained and the cracks that need to be amended. The preparation and the solution take place after this process.

IT infrastructure service providers will assure that viruses and other malicious programs will be kept off from your system to ascertain the smooth flow of your business. They should take care of all essential technical aspects of the business, including Internet, WAN and LAN connectivity, email services, firewall and security installation and more.

What does IT infrastructure truly do for your business operation? The crucial aspects of the IT infrastructure of your business, including your computer network administration, will be handled efficiently.

And with the IT area of the organization ensured to be operating smoothly, you can take care of the other equally essential departments of the business, including marketing, client interaction, staff management, and customer service.

About the Author:

By James Scott

Now more than ever public shell predators are out in full force taking advantage of CEOs and corporate executives who need to go public in order to gain more influence in the marketplace, raise capital, grow through acquisition and bring on prize executives with share ownership.

Many uninformed board members and 'C' level executives who take the route of a reverse merger fall prey to shell selling hoodlums who retain a sizable portion of the company after transfer as well as cover up liens, free trading shares and other issues that will have a tragic effect on the new owners of this shell that will soon crumble after the merger is complete.

Another issue that reverse mergers have is that the original investors in the entity want out and the second the stock price achieves even the most modest of gains it will virtually immediately plummet due to the original shareholders liquidation of their shares. This liquidation will typically take the company into the black hole of no return as the share price will never rebound and the once profitable company is now a tumbling house of cards.

I'm not saying that reverse mergers can't work. There are some solid firms out there who set up quality shells for reverse merger activity but before proceeding with a merger, one should contract with a solid corporate strategies consultant for references and industry insider information.

Customized filings, on the other hand, have fewer draw backs but there are still problem areas. In taking a company public via direct filing one should choose a firm with a solid track record for rapid completion of the s1 comments phase and FINRA approval. The third party audit should be done by a firm proven in completing this solution in a timely manner. Most lawyers and consulting firms take 10 to 12 months to take a corporation public on the OTCBB. But there are some elite, turn-key 'Go Public' facilitators that do so many of these transactions that it will only take 3 to 4 months for the entire process.

At the end of the day both reverse mergers into public shells and customized, direct filings are viable options for achieving a public trading symbol and raise capital and all the other pros and cons that come and go with having a public entity but before moving forward one should be well read and in the know of the good, the bad and the ugly with both routes.

About the Author:

By Chris Channing

Shipping via truck freight is the most cost effective solution for a small business. Small businesses have less income to spend on average, so they need a solution that will get items moved at a price that is affordable. If you are quoted slightly out of your budget, learn more on what you might be doing wrong.

Find out if there are any special needs in loading and unloading before you get a quote. Sometimes the environment may not allow a truck shipment to use power equipment or may demand a shipment only arrive at certain times. Truck freight companies may charge extra for having to deal with little problems such as these.

Determine the weight of your shipment before the quote. The weight will play a large factor in the overall quoting price. Also know what type of packaging you need. In some cases the company may help out with packaging and weighing details, but it's best if you can provide both pieces of information on your own. Your quote will be more accurate.

The frequency of shipments might cause you to need a contract. Contracts will allow you to negotiate a better deal, but you will also have a commitment to supply the freight service with a certain amount of business. If you intend on only making temporary shipments several times each year, then you will instead want to research freight shipment brokers in your area.

Research the history of the company you intend on doing business with. A low quote doesn't always mean the cheapest price. If the driver or company has a history of making errors on orders, or having a poor driving record, you could end up paying much more than a trucking fee. If you find something wrong with a company's reputation, don't hesitate to ask them about it and what they have done to solve the situation before proceeding.

Shop around the best you can with brokers and agencies. Each agency will quote differently, based on their own costs and profit margins. Look on the Internet to find every freight shipment agency in a radius of several hundred miles. You never know what you'll find just a few miles out of your city! Don't feel discouraged in asking about discounts, either. Agencies often give these as an incentive for new business.

Closing Comments

Truck shipments will cost a bundle of money. You can save a lot of money just by following the tips mentioned. Also look into discounts, shopping around, and researching the background of each brokerage or company. Ask friends who have gone through the situation about their own experiences too.

About the Author:

By James Scott

So many times corporations look outside of their company to grow by way of mergers, acquisitions, licensing etc. Most companies lack the discipline to look inward and examine the elements inside the existing company to synergize and expand. Here is what I mean. Let's say that you're large landscaping company and you offer three services under this landscaping umbrella consisting of: hard-scape, lawn mowing and landscape architecture.

Now, most likely your promotions will place the general corporate image which would be 'landscape services' at the top of your promotional material as your efforts are to use direct mailers and yard signs to promote this service and as people call they will be introduced to your other solutions but try this.

Step one: take each of these services and treat them as standalone subsidiary entities each with their own targeted demographics promotion, tagline, logo, phone number etc. Brand each company like a stand alone and use your parent company name and logo as a stamp on each promotion and logo.

Step two: when promoting with your own phone number, ads and yard signs, imagine all of the responses coming in like a funnel. A targeted approach will strengthen the sale and speed up the selling process and then you can offer your other services individualized by their own logo but unified with the parent company stamp of approval. Target your market first, sell quickly, offer up sells to your other services.

Step three: ongoing treat each subsidiary as its own business entity. When you buy an ad for one, negotiate a deal to get the other companies in under that umbrella. Have them visually close to each other and you'll find that will different phone numbers and logos many times people will end up calling all three subsidiaries for services, that give you three times to sell them and to get your sales staff out for an estimate. This is a powerful technique that can ad rocket fuel to your expansion efforts. Many times is most affective when you look inward not out!

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