Whatever it is you need to write for your trade or business, it deserves your complete attention for your business to prosper. Anyone who can hold a pen or can sit in front of a computer can write something to make his intentions known, but for the writing to take effect immediately and forcefully, a writer needs to take into account a few essential points.
Before you start to write, arranging your thoughts is an absolute necessity. You might like to take notes while you think. During this process, you will need to:
* Analyze your readers by thinking about these questions: What age group is the audience and what are their needs in relation to your business? Then, evaluate the readers’ viewpoints. What do they want to know? What do they need to know? Also imagine what details, if any, need to be included.
* Analyze your own credibility. Are you being ethical? Are you hurting your company by writing to others private information or technical knowledge that is not copyrighted yet? Are you hurting someone or some group by holding back information? Are you trying to exaggerate a point unnecessarily or omit some crucial data? Can you increase your credibility by providing proof that supports your proposal or the point you want to make.
* Even if you put forward a perfect proposal or a perfect report, what type of questions can you anticipate afterwards?
Then, make a list of the things you are going to write, and organize them in groups of similar ideas. This will be, roughly, the body of your text.
Before you start writing the initial draft, make sure you understand these basics:
* Decide what the main idea is and put that down first. Make sure your purpose in writing this proposal, ad, text, etc. is immediately clear to the readers.
* Readers remember the first sentences best and the ideas introduced the earliest. In other words, first come first served. Put the least important ideas at the end of the text.
* Start each paragraph with a strong sentence that introduces or summarizes what the paragraph will contain. Then, you can reinforce it with supporting sentences. One idea per paragraph is the way to go. Do not flood a paragraph with different ideas.
* Short sentences and short paragraphs make the text easier to read. A short sentence is twenty words or less. The shorter the sentence, the greater the comprehension; therefore, it helps to keep the introductory sentence of each paragraph short. Then, vary your sentence lengths to make the text interesting.
* The tone of the text is also important. Always be aware of the tone you are using, because tone shows your attitude. Stay away from negative tones like condescending, accusing, angry, etc.
* Use active voice. Active voice talks to the reader directly, and it makes the writing sound more sincere and less boring.
* Use transitional words like, moreover, consequently, in addition, etc., to link ideas together.
* Use headings and subheadings so the reader can find the content more easily.
* If what you are writing is a business letter or you are addressing a specific person but you are not sure of the title ( Mr. Dr. Mrs. or Ms. ), leave out the title and use the person’s first and last name; e. g., Dear John Doe.
* If you are using a template, do not use the words or phrases of the sample. You need to be original to make your point.
Things to avoid, because they will either be boring or they will be misunderstood:
* Jargon and curse words
* Words with double meanings
* Clich
Filed under Business by on Sep 9th, 2010. 
Starting a business could be a herculean task, especially when one considers the immense amount of competition you would face as a newbie. As a young entrepreneur, it’s usually a daunting task competing with already established businesses. Such businesses already have a large capital and customer base, they have the pedigree and reputation. The thought of competition is enough to discourage many potential entrepreneurs, urging them to dust their CV’s.
Frankly speaking I wouldn’t say it is all that easy, but there is a difference between working hard and working efficiently. Many new entrepreneurs tend to want to copy their bigger competitor’s ways of doing things. Yes these methods worked for these businesses don’t necessarily mean there isn’t another way to provide more efficient and effective goods or services.
The key element in starting business is the costumer, as they form the focal point of business. One must understand the needs and desires of costumers in your niche- which is apparently the same with costumers all over, they are looking for solution to certain problems or they want to derive the most satisfaction at a given cost. They really don’t concern themselves with how much it cost to produce these products, or the amount of manpower required to produce this or that, all they are concern about is solutions.
Understanding this would go a long way in helping new or struggling entrepreneurs change the way they think. As an entrepreneur, you need to concern yourself with the problems consumers in your niche are facing, even if there is an existing solution, thinking out of the box, you can provide them with a better solution for their everyday problems.
There are so many problems in every niche that requires solutions, it is your job as a new entrepreneur (that wants to be successful) to identify these problems and search for possible solutions to these problems. These would give establish a temporary monopoly for you in your niche- which could yield a whole lot of profit, depending on how you plan your business.
It is important to understand how others in your niche made it, but that doesn’t mean you should copy them with your eyes closed. Remember that a whole lot of people would also be copying their methods thereby saturating the market with replicas, thus given the costumer little choice but to stick with the big guns.
By: Olaoluwa Fagbohun
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Filed under Business by on Sep 9th, 2010.
Building business credit is an important element especially when you need to borrow money for starting new business or expanding your current one. Most businesses want to be able to borrow money when they need it, without the owners having to guarantee the loans personally so as to minimize their risk.
There are essentially some important steps to follow while establishing business credit:
Setting up a correct corporate structure and ensuring that your business appears stable and real to the credit bureaus. This means that you must get the proper occupational licenses and a listed phone number with directory assistance in the businesses’ name, among other things.
Borrowing or buying products and services from companies that will report your credit history to the major business credit reporting agencies such as Dunn & Bradstreet and Experian. Unlike personal credit ratings, best business credit scores are reserved for large stable businesses with several million dollars in sales a year and 25-50 or more employees. However, you can start small and gradually build your business credit rating to get the requisite borrowing power that your enterprise will eventually need.
It is essential to separate your personal credit from your business credit. Thus, even if your business fails to pick up, your personal credit will remain untouched. Similarly, if your personal credit takes a downward spiral, your business rating might also get affected even though it may be doing well and have nothing to do with your personal finances.
To ensure this separation and build business credit, you need to first form an LLC whereby your business becomes an entity unto itself. Next, you must have a Federal EIN and open a separate bank account under the exact legal name of the business and obtain all necessary business licenses, permits, etc.
It is imperative to open a business credit file with all of the three major business credit reporting agencies, obtain five vendors and/or suppliers that will extend a small amount of credit to your business and report your payment histories to these agencies.
Get three business credit cards, the transactions of which will be reported to the business credit agencies. Most importantly it is important that you pay all your bills on time.
By: William Brister
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Filed under Business by on Sep 9th, 2010.
My friend Chris tells me that no one ever really wants to talk to an attorney until it’s necessary, and I suppose he’s right. I hadn’t seen him in almost two months, and here I was, asking for his advice when it came to personal injury attorney business building. He’s one of the best in the business, and was happy to hear me say so, so he offered to clue me in on a few different things.
The first thing that Chris told me was that even if they aren’t thinking about you until they need you, that you need to really put yourself out there. Part of being a successful attorney, at least in terms of how you get people to pay attention to you, is through good publicity and making sure that you are someone who’s name springs to mind when they are are in trouble. It’s true that you have to hustle a lot just to make sure that this happens, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
Chris stated that the first thing that you needed was a website. That can be the entire foundation of your personal injury lawyer attorney business building plan. His own site was put together by professionals.
“If you want it done right,” Chris told me, “hire professionals to do it. You don’t want to throw up a page that makes people think that you’re sloppy or don’t have the cash to pay someone to do it for you.” I grinned at the thought of Chris, in his nice suit and well-situated office, being someone who didn’t have the extra cash, but he kept going. “A lot of it is all about first impressions, and like they say, you only get to make one, so make it count.”
Chris has also spent a fair amount of cash in terms of advertising his business on the billboards and buses near where he lives. I even saw one driving into town, and it really did make an impression.
“You never know when someone’s going to need you,” he stated. “I get a lot of calls, and there are plenty of people who need personal injury representation that don’t even go online. Always make sure that you have all your bases covered, and don’t skimp when it comes to good advertising.”
Along in the realm of internet advertising, Chris also publishes a fair amount of articles on article archive sites. I asked him if this didn’t mean that he was giving away legal advice for free, but he quickly corrected me.
“Free advice, if it’s good advice, is something that’s great to put out there. It shows people that you know what you are talking about, that you’re nice enough to put it out there, and that they can get in touch with you easily using the link at the bottom.”
If you are looking into personal injury attorney business building, you’ll find that Chris’s advice can go a long way. Make sure that you bring your clients to you; don’t wait for them to get a clue!
By: David Ledoux
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Filed under Business by on Sep 8th, 2010.
The origin of business cards
The business cards you carry in your pocket today evolved from visiting cards that go back as far as the 17th century. During the 18th and 19th centuries, a visiting card would be given to a servant at the door and carried to the lady or master of the house on a silver platter. Thus avoiding Chinese whispers “this king bloke at the door would that be Mr King the Baker or his Royal Highness George IV” and providing the ability to be out to people trying to save you money on your gas and electricity supply. If no one was at home the card would be left to say who had called, thus avoiding the need for teenagers to take and forget a message.
Why do you need them
Whilst no longer carried around on silver platters, even in today’s electronic world, business cards are still an essential tool for any serious businessman or trades person. We still expect to be able to ask for a business card and phrases like “I’ve just changed jobs and haven’t got the new ones printed yet” don’t leave one with a warm feeling about the organisational ability of a potential new supplier. If you don’t intend to have business cards, think of your response now to a potential customer requesting one, would you be delighted to hear this response from a potential supplier? If so, stop reading now and find a more useful way to spend your time.
Glad to see your still with us, now before rushing off to your nearest printer for an urgent run of business cards give a little thought to how they will be used and what is the best design for you and your company rather than what’s the most convenient design for the printer.
How will you use them
Many organisations use business cards as an advertising medium. Plumbers frequently ask their favourite builders merchant to keep a supply of their cards on the counter in a suitable business card dispenser. On the third visit for parts, even the most diehard DIY’er consider screaming for help. If you’re likely to use your cards in this way, keep in mind they may end up in a multi pocket business card stand with only the top part of the card visible, keep this in mind when designing the layout.
Taxi firms place a plastic business card holder full of cards in pubs or restaurants to encourage people to get a ride home instead of walking. When out and about in the evening, you’re more likely to have a wallet or purse with you than a desktop card holder, so the smart taxi firm would have cards about the same size as a credit card. Slightly smaller than the standard but much more likely to be carried around and be easily to hand when needed in the future.
If you’re an oven cleaner, consider cards made as fridge magnets. Magnetic cards also attach to metal filing cabinets and are a excellent way of separating your cards from the herd.
Consider printing a map of your location on the back of the card. Many people use sat navs to get to places, but in these days of virtual companies it’s reassuring to see you exist outside of cyberspace.
Inserting a card into a single business card holder makes for an ideal place card setting at a business meeting or training course, eliminating the embarrassment of not being able to remember someone name after talking to them all morning.
Passing a card to the receptionist improves your chances of being announced as “Mr Smith from ACME Inc” rather than “some salesman here to see you”. Also useful if your name is difficult to pronounce or spell.
If you’re attending a networking meeting have a thick pile in the ****** pocket of your suit or the outside pocket of your handbag and practice taking one out until you’re the fastest draw in the west. Be sure not to put received business cards in the same pocket, as this will slow down the draw and make you look disorganized.
Keep a small quantity of cards on you at all times as you never know when a marketing opportunity may present itself. Keep these in a pocket business card holder to avoid them becoming dog eared.
Size and style
Portrait business card holders exist, but the majority are in landscape format. One school of thought has it that this makes your cards stand out and by making people turn your cards to read the details are more likely to stay in medium term memory. The other school of thought is it’s better to stay with the standard and it’s easier to fit long items like email address onto a landscape card.
Landscape business card holders are typically made for cards 93mm wide, with a portrait business stand made for cards 56mm wide.
Business card files can be a mm or two smaller. It’s better to err on the smaller side as card that don’t fit in a file are likely to end up in the bin sooner or later.
Even people who store cards in a pile, like a pack of playing cards are apt to trash ones that poke out of the sides.
Don’t use italics or small fonts on your business cards, not everyone has 20/20 vision and quickly dispose of what is difficult to read. Try not to use more than 2 different font sizes and remember it’s the empty spaces on a page that make it readable.
If you’re a salesman for multi million pound yachts, you might want to consider gold plated cards; if you’re a surfing instructor laminated cards are useful for the rest of us standard quality board is fine.
What to put on your business card
Now you have decided on a format and a size, what information needs to be on the card.
As with everything there is not a one size fits all answer.
In Europe and America people start from the top of the page and read from left to right. It follows that the thing you most want to get across and stay with the recipient should be at the top, either across the whole card or in the top left hand corner.
If you’re an actor this will probably be your name but for everyone else, it’s what you do, your unique selling point. If you’re a taxi driver or a plumber then its “Taxi or “Plumber” or better still “super fast taxi” or “reliable plumber”. An image will stay in the mind longer than text, if you’re a dog grooming service a cartoon of a dirty dog will help your card stand out and even remind people the dog needs a perm when searching for “that cardboard box supplier we used last year”.
The bottom of the card and particularly the bottom right is usually reserved for contact information, physical address, telephone number, fax, mobile and email address, web site as required.
Now you have everything on your card, remind yourself that a business card is a form of advertising and all advertising should be kept as simple as possible.
By: John Rowbothom
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Filed under Business by on Sep 8th, 2010.
Finding turnkey business solutions may seem impossible, especially if your business is failing. The feeling of failure brings about a lot more negative feelings including resentment (of both yourself and your business), anger, and frustration. People become resentful of themselves because they feel they’ve failed. The biggest problem is that most people don’t understand why they’ve failed so horribly. They’ve followed all the instructions, took all the advice, and even followed a personal coach, but still, their business did not succeed.
The future for online salespeople who are in internet and network marketing doesn’t look too bright. After all, considering the number of people who have failed to succeed, it can only get worse, unless some type of turnkey system business opportunity is taken into consideration. When people first begin their sales-based business, they don’t think about how difficult it will be. Not even half of all careers (not even those that require you to work in the “real world”) are as complicated as a career working from home in sales. People don’t get involved in network marketing because they want more trouble and complication, but because they want financial freedom and peace of mind.
Without the right turnkey business solutions, what people end up with is nothing more than a headache and a lot of wasted time and effort. Money is literally tossed out the window because people have no idea what they are doing. Why isn’t anyone interested in their products? Because they are bad salespeople with no talent in the area of sales. A real sales professional knows what they are doing. They know how to persuade and change people’s minds. Real sales professionals have proven track records of success, and most of all, they know how to make money.
People typically have two different opinions when it comes to sales. Some people think a sales career is one of the most lucrative and professional of all other careers, while some people view a sales career as one that is hard and difficult to make a living. It’s no wonder why sales has such a bad reputation. When a person approaches you the wrong way and doesn’t know how to convince you or at least lead you to being interested in a product, it’s annoying. There are literally millions upon millions of people bombarded with bad salespeople every day, and for that reason, just about no one likes a sales person. Most people don’t even want to hear what they have to say, even if it’s important.
Finding turnkey business solutions is the only way to resolve this problem. It’s a fact that there are products out there that people would absolutely fall in love with, but only if they are approached in the right way. Not everyone can become a salesperson. Only professional and trained salespeople have the “gift.” Fortunately, anyone can run a sales business as long as they have turnkey business solutions. There are people out there who are willing to work for you and sale your products without you having to do any of the work.
With a little help, most people can run a successful sales business from home. The possibility of earning thousands of dollars per week is definitely there with a turnkey system business opportunity. Unless people start investing in a little help, their businesses will continue to crash and burn.
By: Shey S.
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Filed under Business by on Sep 8th, 2010.
Is Starting A Christian Home Business Easy?
There are three parts to the answer of this often asked question of “How Easy Is It To Start A Christian Home Based Business”. The first part depends solely on YOU. How badly do you need to have your christian home business turn to profit? How much time are you willing to invest even if the income is not there right away? Are you a dedicated person who does NOT give up easily and sets realistic goals then tackles them? There are many more questions about YOU, but this is a good start. The second part will depend on the christian home based business company that you decide to start from home. Does the company have a pay structure designed so that anyone, even beginners can begin to turn a profit immediately? Is the christian business reputable, established and legitimate? Does the christian based business encourage ethical and honest practices within the company? And the list goes on of course. The third part depends on which sponsor or christian group you decide to come into the christian business with. Is the sponsor or christian group knowledgeable about the company and how to conduct the business to be profitable? Does the sponsor or christian group have advertising campaigns that beginners are able to tap into while they are in your first stages of the learning? Does the sponsor or christian group have a constant source of communication, because communication is KEY in home based business. Those are just a handful of questions to keep in mind when start a christian home based business.
Can Anyone Start A Christian Home Business?
Yes, anyone with a computer, telephone, and email address can start a christian home business for the very first time. But do not get the wrong idea, just because you have the three above items, does not mean, POOF you will magically be in the profit zone right away. You will need to learn the proper skills it takes to utilize each of those 3 items so that they do the work for you. Basic computer skills and an active email address are usually all it takes to get off the ground running, but having telephone skills and knowing how to talk to people is a definite plus with any business, not just home businesses.
What To Look For In A Christian Home Based Business Company?
When choosing a christian home based business for the first time, there are some key elements to consider. Is the opportunity affordable for anyone, even smaller budgets? Typically what you want to look for is a good price range to join, to profitability ratio. A good price range to look for is anywhere from 30-60 dollars to join and or on a monthly basis. And here is why. If you get into a business that only cost below 30 dollars to join or on a monthly basis, this means that it is nearly impossible to become profitable because the company does not have enough money coming in, to pay a decent amount to their representatives (you). Now, any higher than 60 dollars is going to be a far stretch on new members who are on a limited budget, so you want to keep it within reason for everyone. Within the 30-60 range is perfect because it does not strain everyone’s wallet, and there is plenty of money coming into the company to create sizeable commission checks to their representatives (you).
By: Bobby Pena
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Filed under Business by on Sep 7th, 2010.
By: Karate Kid
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Filed under Small Business by on Sep 7th, 2010.
Starting one’s own business was never so easy. Now thanks to the advancement in web-based technology, you can virtually start your business without moving a muscle. All you need is an access to the Internet and you can go about starting your dream venture. The first thing that comes to mind when you are on the verge of starting your business is the business forms. When it comes to business forms, there are forms and forms. You will be amazed at the number of forms you need to maintain for running your business successfully.
One may think that most of the readily available business forms may not suit one’s particular business, but you need not worry, as help is at hand in the form of customized business forms. Customized or personalized business forms are easily available online. You have got forms covering every aspect of business. Whether it is sales, inventory, marketing, or HR, you name it and you have business forms available online for the particular functional area.
These business forms are more than mere forms to be filled out. Once you go through them and start using them, you will find out how valuable they are to the overall growth of your organization. Business forms help you streamline your business processes and increase the overall productivity of any organization, if properly adhered to.
Most of the business forms available online can be customized according to your specific requirements. You can, for example, modify some of the listings on the forms. You can even go to the extent of choosing your own color for your forms or even a different style of font to make your business form more pleasing to look at. The resolution of downloads is usually of good quality, although it is preferable that you go in for a reputed online resource. Good online vendors would also be helpful, in the sense that they would be able to offer you a large number of customized business forms.
By: Josh Riverside
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Filed under Business by on Sep 7th, 2010.
Is your business online? If not, probably you’ll make it online. Internet business is a powerful communication and business tool for small and large business. Today most of the businesses own a website, and you should own a one to make a great positive impact in your business. Internet has changed the life style of the people. Technology has leveraeged business functions. This article will tell you about the advantaes of online internet business.
Online business system will help small businesses to reach at the great height. There are many advantages of going online, but before going online one has to take appropriate steps and have to create a strategic approach to make business globally viewable through internet. Setting up an online business is not an easy task and a one time process it requires a lot of time and effort with smart strategies. There are many advantages of starting up an online internet business.
The following are the advantages of taking/extending your business online:
1. It is very inexpensive and would reach the new market
2. Global Marketplace – Your website can be viewed from any part of the world
3. An effective marketing and communication tool
4. It is very cheap start up cost
5. Unrestricted options to automate your existing business
6. You can run your business while you are traveling.
7. You can sell product and services through online
8. No middlemen required.
9. No specific Business Timings – It works on the principle of 24X7.
To know more on how to start internet business or steps to start internet business visit my blog.
By: Idrees Ahmed
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Filed under Business by on Sep 7th, 2010.