Today, good credit is the one constant necessity needed to succeed in any endeavor, from starting a new business venture to purchasing a home. Without having established prior good credit and maintaining this status, re-establishing decent credit can be a very difficult task. The need for credit and a good credit history is further enhanced by the internet, considering that a large majority of credit card transactions are conducted on the net, it...more
Ever since I created Unlock The Game, one of the first questions people always ask me is, 'Does Unlock The Game apply to online selling?' I've been holding off on answering that question because I wanted to get enough experience under my belt with my own online business so I could answer this from an authoritative position. My answer is, 'For the most part, yes -- but with some differences.' Those of you who fully understand the philosophy...more
Imitation is the most sincere form of flattery. But, when it comes to yellow page display ads, you better know who you're imitating and why! A yellow page ad is supposed to do one primary thing: get people to call your business. If it's a really good ad, it should get people to mentally discount competitor ads and favor yours. If a particular business wants to garner the lion's share of all prospects, then why imitate the format of all the other ads? More importantly, why imitate an image-style format? Let's look at an example of an image-style format. The name says it all. "Image" is everything (and maybe the only thing, for lack of anything better to say). Coca-Cola has an image. IBM has an image. So does Citi Bank. These Fortune 500 Companies also have enormous advertising budgets that would dwarf annual revenues of most individual businesses. They're the big players. Having massive distribution networks and established prominence, their products and services are virtually everywhere. They can afford continuing, expensive image ads simply because of their immense size and the marketing inertia they've developed over multiple decades. Is it any wonder that their brand name stands...more
According to Pricewaterhouse Coopers, investment by institutional venture capitalists in startups grew from less than $3.0 billion at the beginning of the 1990's to over $106 billion in 2000. Although venture capital volume has retreated significantly since the economic "bubble" years of the late 1990's, the present volume of around $ 19 billion...more
You can meet your goals for your business this year. Consider these resolutions as ten steps to your success in 2005.1. Develop a business plan or strategic plan. You won't get where you're going unless you know where you want to be and let your employees know as well. 2. Constantly Promote Your Business. You can't execute one marketing effort...more
You have a head spinning with business ideas but you encounter difficulties in financing? Or you have recently started your great potential business but are not yet turning profit? A fundamental aspect for your business, financing is usually the most frequent obstacle in starting a business. You have the option of resorting to a business incubator on condition that your business idea seems viable and promising. Now if you wonder how they are going to find out whether your idea is worth investing, the answer is a very sensible (and predictable) one: by analyzing your business plan.What are business incubators? How many types are there?A business incubator is a system offering support for start-up businesses or recently founded ones. The facilities it offers go from financing, inexpensive office space, various business services (such as secretarial assistance) to management advice and support. Their role is to produce viable, standalone companies at the end of the program they are included in. Also, the selection they perform works like a measurement unit for the viability of the applicant business and gives entrepreneurs a chance to re-think their business strategy. The success rate...more
IntroductionOne of the easiest "things" that can happen in life is the ratcheting up of a large credit card debt. For whatever reason, making purchases with credit cards seems easier than spending cash to obtain a product or service.Maintaining high...more
Almost everything you have ever been told about the world's stock markets is probably wrong. Almost everything you have ever assumed about the world's stock markets is also probably wrong. You probably believe that share prices go up and down due to...more
Any old policy and procedure format saves time by not having to start from scratch, right? Well, not necessarily. Using a weak starting point can hurt employee usability, introduce confusion and user-error, and may not assist in your compliance and...more
Writing a business plan is a daunting task. If you do not know that by now, you will discover that soon after you have read your first set of instructions for writing a plan. While each of these preparations will require much of your time and...more
OUTSOURCING: AN OVERVIEWBusinesses of all kinds can and do benefit from the tool of outsourcing every day. Businesses large and small have been outsourcing every day projects for many years. The businesses that use outsourcing as a tool to enhance...more
The idea of a business plan competition first started in the 1980's at the initiative of some MBA students from Texas and has increasingly gained popularity. Such events happen yearly and rejoice a great affluence of contestants, which highly...more