Actual for You - Business

Turn Your Ad Copy into a Goldmine!
Today, more than ever, it is crucial that your ad copy explodes the reader’s curiosity. Are you interested in simple yet powerful ways to improve your ad copy so your readers will rush to action? Invoking a reader’s call to action can be communicated in various effective ways. Great ad copy is more than simply plain conversation; it takes special style. The words must be ordered in such a way that they unlock the reader’s mind and walk right in. Think about your ad copy for a moment. Does it inspire and thrust you into a blind rush to action? If not, take a giant step into increased profits today by enhancing your ad copy with the following tips. CALL TO ACTION To some, this might seem like an obvious step in crafting great ad copy. However, it is left out time and time again. Readers need to be told what you want them to do. Consider the following two examples: Ad One: We guarantee you will lose up to 50 pounds safely with our new diet pill! Ad

to control big presentations, even though I will pay a commission on the sale I have principally generated. I attend as many sales meetings as possible. The more I can meet, learn and know about my sales teams activities the better I will be able to motivate, train and energize them.

When commission sales agents do not sell a product they are not paid. This obviously minimizes fixed costs. However, you will want to pay the largest amount of commission as possible. Healthy commission checks mean a very healthy sales base.

As a very young National Sales Manager for Vidal Sassoon Hair Care Products I was confronted with a problem. Our sales had exploded. Growth was so rapid and market acceptance of the Vidal Sassoon brand so overwhelming that our commission payments likewise accelerated to the point that my top management became upset when commissions exceeded their own salaries. “Don’t those guys work for us, why do they make more than the owners”, they asked?

I faced a difficult situation. I offered two options: cut commissions or fire the

How HR Works to Get the Job Done
Human Resources is just what it says: resources for humans – within the workplace! Its main objective is to meet the organizational needs of the company it represents and the needs of the people hired by that company. In short, it is the hub of the organization serving as a liaison between all concerned. Depending on the size of the company, the HR Department might be called Personnel with a manageable workforce that can be handled by a personnel manager and a small staff. For larger, more complex organizations with hundreds of departments and divisions, the task is much more demanding, taking on a life of its own.Some companies have more than one HR Department - Corporate and Union. For example, a food service industry might have a Corporate HR Department that oversees “white collared” employees and an HR Department that oversees the “blue collar” workforce with an emphasis on labor relations. With such diverse needs, the organization will institute these two HR Departments to manage the unique needs of both

Most of the entrepreneurs we interview in our consulting business have a very unrealistic conception of what excites and disappoints investors. The dream of many inexperienced inventors seeking to fund their opportunity is to build a substantial infrastructure. Their business plan identifies the need for factory space, equipment, staff, and many other fixed costs.

Investors want to see a plan that maximizes return on investment. High fixed costs are the enemy of a great profit margin. When business turns down, and it always does at some point, fixed cost assets become liabilities and must be continually fed, even as income declines.

Always present decision-makers with the most streamlined operations plan possible. Do not confuse grandiose staffing and equipment wants with actual needs. In today’s business climate, almost every possible service can be rented, leased, farmed out or performed by contract manufacture. A 25,000 square foot factory that is not running at 100% capacity is an under-performing fixed cost asset, especially if a private label manufacturer will provide the service at a competitive price. The cost to rent, power, insure maintain and staff the facility is ongoing and will be a drain on the bottom-line.

Investors want to see a lean operation with no fat or excess. They will always be open to adding costs as growth and sales traction begin to kick in. Initially, the entrepreneur needs to display that he or she will be a prudent shepherd of the investment required to startup the enterprise. Here are a few areas where fixed costs can be avoided and potential investors greatly impressed.

Facilities

An opportunity killer is a funding request that includes money to buy a facility, office or plant. No startup can accurately pinpoint the growth (or failure) rate of a brand new business. Investors will want to see a plan reflecting realistic goals and space requirements. This almost always means renting facilities until need demands a purchase of facilities.

Manufacturing

There are almost no good reasons for a startup to manufacture their own product. Possibly, if there is a very valuable trade secret involved, but not often even in that case. All contract manufacturing should include a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) as part of negotiations. Contract manufacturing is available and utilized in almost every industry today. Estee Lauder manufactures almost none of the many cosmetic or fragrance products they market. Liz Claiborne and Calvin Klein make none of their apparel. Ikea sells only furniture made in third world facilities.

All of these companies, and many more, realized long ago that manufacturing was better left to factories located where labor, raw materials and government rules were not stifling. These companies concentrate their assets on research and development, design, sales and marketing. So should every entrepreneur seeking to succeed in obtaining investment.

Sale

Every entrepreneur should be able to aggressively market and sell their product. However, no single person, or small partnership, can be in front of every customer that will potentially be interested in purchasing the product on offer. The investor will want to know that there is a sales strategy that offers an excellent chance for success.

In the area of sales, there are industry specific sales representatives: manufacturer’s representatives and agencies available to sell an interesting, market ready product, on commission, within their industry. Commissions are typically standardized within each industry. The gift industry is 15%. Food products are 3% and up, depending on the volume a product can reasonably be projected to achieve. Industrial products are 2% to 5%. Historic profit margins dictate commission rates.

When using sales agents, the entrepreneur should manage the sales force as if they were salaried employees. Weekly calls to review goals, promotions and upcoming meetings. Write letters and e-mails pointing out other agent’s successful achievements. I have used commission sales agents for many years, and recommend them to most of my clients.

I make as many key- account sales calls as possible with my sales agents. If it is my product, I want to control big presentations, even though I will pay a commission on the sale I have principally generated. I attend as many sales meetings as possible. The more I can meet, learn and know about my sales teams activities the better I will be able to motivate, train and energize them.

I faced a difficult situation. I offered two options: cut commissions or fire the

How To Spark An Endless Cycle Of Growth
The average U.S. company loses approximately fifty percent of its customers within five years of its inception. Because of the Internet businesses today have to play by new rules. Customers are more fickle than ever and they have more choices than ever before. This is why building customer loyalty is more important than ever before.Corporations today are downsizing but they aren’t turning things around. Instead, they find themselves launching another round of downsizing a year later. They cut costs, reengineer, restructure, and still keep loosing customers. Why?To answer this question we have to look at a business as a simple equation. A business provides a product or service. In return, the customer pays a price. Everybody wins. Yet today’s business world is filled with losers. Companies are laying off thousands of employees and cutting pensions in the name of restructuring. Vendors and suppliers are being squeezed dry in the name of cost-cutting.Even the basic customer transaction is seen as a

bel manufacturer will provide the service at a competitive price. The cost to rent, power, insure maintain and staff the facility is ongoing and will be a drain on the bottom-line.

Facilities

Manufacturing

Sale

I faced a difficult situation. I offered two options: cut commissions or fire the

It's About Experiences, Not Logos
A lot of marketing experts (self-proclaimed) would have you believe that a logo and corporate identity package is all there is to a brand. I know some businesses which want to change their logo regularly in hopes that it will somehow magically improve their brand and their business. Woe are they.Smart marketers, however, know that the brand is the sum total of what people think about your organization, and that it is expressed in every contact customers have with you.Marketing folk often are guilty of trying to make branding look more complex than it is. We come up with all sorts of branding terms: 3D branding, branding triad, brand harmonisation. Go here to see some definitions.Branding is not complex but it is hard. It requires you to listen to customers and understand what they want from you. Discover what customers think of your brand. If they like your brand, keep delivering the experience consistently. If they d

ly, if there is a very valuable trade secret involved, but not often even in that case. All contract manufacturing should include a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) as part of negotiations. Contract manufacturing is available and utilized in almost every industry today. Estee Lauder manufactures almost none of the many cosmetic or fragrance products they market. Liz Claiborne and Calvin Klein make none of their apparel. Ikea sells only furniture made in third world facilities.

Sale

I faced a difficult situation. I offered two options: cut commissions or fire the

The Marketing Power Of Postcards
My first experience of the power of a postcard came when I decided to print up a couple postcards on my personal printer and hit the streets to start my marketing campaign. These cards were just black ink on yellow paper, nothing fancy. I distributed approximately 50 cards to different business owners at a busy business community. I chose businesses because I thought they were my greatest prospects, since I was in the graphic design and printing business.I must confess that it was not easy, but I was motivated simply because there were no other alternatives for me at the time. It was more of a survival situation for me. Another motivating factor was that before I could make it back to my little home office, I got a couple of calls. People were already starting to show interest.I could go on and tell numerous stories of how I used postcards to initiate business contact, make sales, and build business relationships. However, I would like to summarize by giving some important facts:I've neve

product on offer. The investor will want to know that there is a sales strategy that offers an excellent chance for success.

I faced a difficult situation. I offered two options: cut commissions or fire the

The 80/20 Rule In Business
Although it has been talked about again and again in business circles, the 80/20 rule never ceases to amaze me. You may be amazed too. If you're not up to speed on the 80/20 Rule yet, read on. You may also know it as the ‘Pareto Principle' after Vilfredo Pareto who made the interesting discovery that people seemed to split into the top 20% ‘movers and shakers' (both monetary and influentially) and the bottom 80% who could be defined as ‘followers'. This was just the start though, as through further research he (and others) discovered that most economic activity followed this model as well.One thing I noticed years ago, when I worked in manufacturing distribution was that 20% of our distributors were responsible for 80 % of the sales throughout the UK. That, additionally, 20% of the distributors were responsible for 80% of the headaches! Having worked with many other businesses too it is also rather uncanny but interesting to note that:20% of your sales team are likely

I faced a difficult situation. I offered two options: cut commissions or fire the commission agents and hire a company employed sales force. I reckoned that if I could get sales coverage for 8% cost of sales (including salaries, benefits, travel, etc.), it would make sense to make the transition. Cutting the commission rate would displease the agents and I did not want to risk losing the excellent momentum we had developed.

Very surreptitiously and quietly I interviewed and hired a team of key regional sales managers and we quickly executed a plan of conversion that top management had signed off on. Vidal Sassoon was at the point in their business development that a company owned direct sales force was needed and justified. However, it was a concern as we were greatly increasing our fixed overhead.

Entrepreneurs should focus maniacally on sales growth. Sales are Job #1 in every company, especially a new venture! Be very careful in constructing sales coverage that will support the growth you project while not choking cash flow with a very high selling cost.

Marketing

Hopefully the entrepreneur, or a member of the management team, has marketing experience. If not, the answer is often to hire a consultant. An experienced consultant will save time, money and mistakes. Be sure that the consultant being considered has current industry specific experience, strong references and a transparent history of success.

Fulfillment

I never recommend for a new venture to handle their own logistics (warehousing, pick and pack, shipping, billing, etc.) Dealing with shipping, handling, conditions and the terms necessary to satisfy retailers is daunting. Big box stores such as Kroger, Lowes and Wal-Mart have exceedingly complicated inventory control systems. Special, very expensive software is needed to communicate and expedite receipt of goods.

On average, I can have my inventory warehoused, packed and shipped for about 4% of my selling price (depending on volume). If business is seasonal or slows down I do not have to pay high fixed costs, just a percent of the shipments total invoice amount. If business is booming, my contract fulfillment warehouse ramps up hiring. A good contract warehouse offers a complete menu of services that I can pick and choose from as needed. Their systems will be sophisticated enough to handle the most demanding purchaser of my product.

The first time reader of a business plan typically has a strong reaction, positive or negative, to the overall document. A negative result usually occurs when the Executive Summary contains references to high fixed costs. A positive verdict is more probable when the entrepreneur indicates in every way possible that they are solely interested in maximizing profit and return on investment, not building a colossal infrastructure that will bleed the enterprise dry if all does not proceed perfectly and assumptions are not realized.

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The Hotel Industry has surely seen a roller coaster ride with Hurricane Katrina. Many Hotels along the Gulf Coast were totally destroyed, many were damaged and others in the aftermath remain totally full. So full in fact that finding a hotel with vacancy within 300 miles is nearly impossible.

There are numerous up-to-date marketing strategies that companies resort to in order to promote their image, from lavish multilingual websites to expensive TV campaigns. However, other means of selling your image are now en vogue.

Celebrities and high-ranking political officials make a concerted effort to craft their reputation shouldn’t you?

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