Tuesday, December 30, 2008

How Business owners profit during challenging times

By Jay NaPier

While many business owners are focusing on news and recession, profitable business owners are focused on how to improve their business. having the right focus for your business will make a difference between failure and success in these challenging times.

Take a close look at what you sell the services and products and see what you can do to make those services and products more profitable. It might have been years since you've increased your price, so now's a good time to do so.

staying connected with your customers and clients is important to every business. It easier to keep a customer than it is to find new ones. What are you doing to thank your customers for their business? Are you sending out Christmas cards? Anniversary discounts? what about wishing your customers a happy new year and letting them know that you're not increasing your prices for the new year?

It's easier to keep the customers you have that is to get new ones. Smart business owners know that there are only two ways to increase your business, get the customers you have now to purchase more product or purchase more often. Packaging your products or services together makes it easy to increase your bottom line. A dry cleaner might price their shirt services at $1.25 per shirt or $10 for 10 shirts. They could also offer to clean customers close by the pound, which is cheaper and simply charge a monthly membership fee.

Added bonus to get customers to purchase more often. We've all seen the punch cards that get customers to buy often. My car dealership for example offers the fifth will change for free. You might offer free leaf cleanup when your customer continues services for a full six months. You might also offer to provide a free tote bag with an $80 purchase at a boutique.

Take a close look at your advertising budget. Too many business owners are still paying hundreds of dollars a month for ineffective yellow page advertising. Today, it's easier to Google a business than it is to go searching in the Yellow Pages. a simple e-commerce campaign is easy to do and cheaper than the Yellow Pages.

In today's economy it's important that you have a list of your customers. The easiest way to build that list is online. building a list is important because you can quickly and easily increase your revenue by simply reminding your customers that you are there. If you've had a bad week, you can simply come back on Monday and all for a silent promotion to your regular customers.

Another great way to build your business and continue profitability is by running a buy local campaign. Start with your family and your own business, buy everything you can from a local business owner Instead of a big-box retailer. Chambers of commerce have been a popular way to focus on local business, but few have put any effort into promoting it by local campaign. start by putting together 50 to 100 business owners who will each commit to putting a sign in their door or at their counter promoting the Buy local website And their membership. "A recent study found that for every $100 spent in a chain store, $14 went back into The local economy. For a locally owned business, $45,", says Stacy Mitchell author of "Big-Box Swindle.

Today's business owner is much more savvy and is putting more effort into the marketing of their business. Too many business owners spend way too much time working in their business than they do working on their business. - 16759

About the Author:

Chemicals in Skincare That May Cause Skin Irritations

By Amy Nutt

As organic skin care grows in popularity, people are starting to realize just how unhealthy mainstream make up, lotions and basic heath items are. With this awareness has come a mounting alarm that these products are not FDA regulated and manufacturers can get away with using a lot of additives that pharmaceutical companies cannot. As a result, potentially life threatening chemicals are being placed in everyday items like baby oil, lotions and creams putting consumers at risk.

Many of these items can create adverse skin reactions and rashes that turn men and women off from the use of these otherwise beneficial items.

Below is a list of some of the things you should look out for when purchasing regular skin care products that may cause irritation or be potentially toxic.

Parabens

Parabens are a collective group of preservatives that have been used by the cosmetic and beauty aid industry to reduce bacterial growth in their products. Many Parabens start with the prefix of methyl, ethyl, butyl, or propyl and are extremely hazardous to health as well as irritating to the skin.

Below is a list of some of these parabens as well as other toxic chemicals that can be aggravating to the largest organ of the human body as well as contribute to a host of ailments.

- Color and Fragrance - both of these substances do not provide anything other than an aesthetic or scent related effect, however, both have properties in them that create skin sensitivity. They are also carcinogenic, meaning that they could cause caner.

- DMDM Hydantoin. Another preservative, this chemical has been attributed to the releases of formaldehyde. This harmful byproduct not only causes skin irritation, it creates allergies and joint pain as well as a long list of hormonal problems.

- Triclosan. This chemical has been categorized by the EPA as a chlorophenol, a high level carcinogen. Just a tiny bit can create major health problems and wreak havoc on the body. The continued use of Triclosan has been linked to hormonal imbalances in both men and women.

- Propylene Glycol (PG) - petroleum based preservative this substance has been cited among the many numerous skin irritants in cosmetic and beauty products. It is also so toxic that handlers have to wear safety gear just to touch it.

- Butylene Glycol - also a petroleum based chemical, both butylene and propylene glycol is dangerous and extremely deadly and some cases. Butylene has been linked to cancer and numerous other chronic disorders.

- Mineral Oil - yet another petroleum product, mineral oil clogs pores creating aggravating break outs and rashes in many users. It also interferes with the skin?s ability to renew and repair itself. This can create a host of problems outside of mere acne issues as the skin needs to function properly for other important organs to work efficiently.

On an even scarier note, most baby oil is made up of 100% Mineral Oil!

There are hundreds more chemicals that can adversely affect the skin or cause illness -- to find out what they are, you should do further, in depth research on the topic.

Other problems associated with mainstream skin care products

Continued use of over the counter, mainstream skin care products can contribute to hormonal imbalances, allergies, severe skin irritations leading to rashes and dermatitis, disorders like CFS (chronic fatigue syndrome) headaches, depression, mood swings and hyperactivity.

The answer

Using organic skincare products can alleviate some of the risks commonly associated with the use of mainstream beauty products. Be careful in this regard as many manufacturers may claim something is all natural or organic yet have chemicals in them.

Read all skin care product labels and above all, strive to make sure that you replace harmful chemical based products in your home with truly organic purchases. Though a bit more time consumptive, you will be rewarded with a better health and more luxurious and thankful skin. - 16759

About the Author:

The Trick Has Left Halloween

By Kasey Morton

Halloween has come and gone. But I've been thinking about that phrase: "trick-or-treat." This used to be a thinly-veiled, childish threat in form of a guise soliciting candy. There was a possibility of actually getting the trick, if adult's treat wasn't forthcoming or appreciated. Such a 'trick' usually equated to what we know refer to as vandalism.

Go back and watch the old classic film, Meet Me in St. Louis, which depicts Halloween in the early 20th century. Getting candy was truly a minor concern compared with the mayhem that the town children, completely unsupervised, were about to unleash on their town.

We've come a long way since then. It used to be understood that it was okay to let kids run amuck for an evening, committing minor acts of destruction. It was part of the growing up experience. Something for adults to chuckle about when they thought of their own Halloween exploits.

Now we have the sanitized, safe, and commercial version of Halloween. Parents now buy pre-made costumes. Gone is the creativity, the possibility, the wonder of that evening. Gone is the magic. Also, long gone is the opportunity to be a bad little boy or girl for a night.

It's not that adults have become overly protective as much as the world is a much more evil place. What used to be harmless fun equates to real risks in the modern world. Halloween is not really a fun, safe night anymore for either adults or children.

Now we have to inspect the treats for anything tampered because someone really does want to hurt our children. Homemade treats aren't acceptable; there is too much chance of a creep adding something evil inside. Kids are truly in danger of getting hurt or kidnapped.

My desire for a more scary night like 'it used to be' is really a desire for a safer life. I long for a time when the world was good enough that we could allow children to be bad for an evening. - 16759

About the Author:

A Better Running Experience with Garmin's Forerunner

By Joseph Aaron

If you happen to be a professional athlete, you will always certainly wish to get the Garmin Forerunner GPS 201 watch. It has a wide range of functions to offer. It comes with a GPS sensor, an electronic map, exercise session variation and reversal capabilities, calorie tracker, lap info and data, performance archives, auto stopwatch with auto-lap and auto pause functions, lap timer, pace alert, distance alert, free Training Center software, a flexible wristwatch strap, and an A/C desktop charger with a serial port.

The GPS 201 is perfect for a professional as well as a more casual athlete. It mainly works to help you manage the rate and tracking aspects. This unit offers plenty of plus points, but its worst drawback is that it does not work predictably. This is the only reason it is hard to consider it perfect. Its dimensions of 3.3 ? 1.7 ? 0.7 make it appear more bulky than a normal fitness watch; actually it is lighter than it looks, weighing in at only 2.8 ounces. The watch is waterproof and therefore may be worn by swimmers or by athletes in rainy or damp weather conditions.

The GPS 201 can store a lap record history of as many as 5000 laps and offers many more options that you are able to tinker with to match up with your own needs and specific requirements. A very important feature the watch offers is the Training Center Software. This is an apt tool for you to use to store your workout details and can also help you see ways in which they would vary along your path, particularly if there are elevations. The Virtual Partner feature makes it easy for you to set goals that you want to reach. You just have to compare your current performance with that of your friend.

The GPS function of this 201 model is disliked by a number of buyers because the signal can be fickle sometimes. In addition to that, they also tend to find fault with the discrepancies in functions such as altitude and pace readings. This unit does not have a heart rate monitor. Today, when many of the computer interfaces can work with a USB, this unit is behind the times with a serial port facility.

The wristband of the Forerunner 201 GPS Fitness Watch is of flexible dimensions, enabling you to flaunt the watch by wearing it on your wrist or your bicep as you wish. Its LCD display screen is a joy to read in well-lit conditions as well as in darkness. The rechargeable lithium alloy battery lasts for 14 hours before losing power. It appears to be quite alright for runners, but may not work as well for bicycling, etc.

Overall, the Garmin Forerunner GPS 201 is a watch with a lot of benefits. The training Center software and the Virtual partner features warrant special mention. Ultimately, its patchy GPS signaling is its only flaw. - 16759

About the Author:

Review of the Garmin Nuvi 880 High-Powered GPS

By Joseph Aaron

The Garmin Nuvi 880 GPS Navigation System gives you a lengthy list of benefits and services that make it a valuable item for anyone who desires a high-quality GPS system. The unit is partially operated by voice and also works using the touch screen. The Garmin Nuvi 880 is one of the most helpful GPS systems that can be bought now.

Features

The Garmin Nuvi 880 has several features that allow it to hold its own as one of the most high quality GPS systems available. The unit is equipped with wireless capabilities, making it possible for you to talk on the cell phone while driving. There are two front speakers positioned on the unit so that you can hear the person you are conversing with easily.

The Nuvi 880 also includes voice recognition capabilities. This hands-free design is perfect for zipping along busy freeways and in cities where you are required to focus all of your attention on the traffic. The FM radio transmitter is also a standard feature and you can real time traffic reports if you want them.

Traffic news flashes are spoken using your speaker system so if you are enjoying an MP3 on your Garmin Nuvi 880, the music will be interrupted so you can understand the instructions. This ensures that you will not forget your turn and that new driving directins will always be at your disposal.

The Garmin Nuvi 880 Automotive GPS Navigator also gives simple-to-follow instructions by referring to the street names instead of the distance you must travel. The voice system is simple to operate and comprehend, especially since all you have to do is key in the end point and the address from which you are beginning your drive to use the system.

Charging Your Nuvi 880

You Nuvi 880 is easy to take off so that you can carry it with you. The battery will remain charged up without an outside power source for as much as five hours. To power up your Nuvi 880 you can connect it to a cigarette lighter adaptor, your USB cable, or a regular wall socket adaptor.

Adding Maps

The Garmin Nuvi 880 GPS Navigation System comes with maps of North America built in but you can get extra instructions when you want to by downloading the desired routes from the company website. If you are visiting a hitherto unknown country then you might also want to get a travel guide for the location you are visiting. The travel guide will make it easy to discover neat things to do in the country and help you get to hotels, fuel and other must-haves.

You can save your most well-liked restaurants and ships in the unit, also. This helps you to easily find your favorite foods and items in a new place.

Finding Parking

If you can never remember the location of your automobile after you have parked, you will enjoy using the component that remembers your parking spot. This benefit is part and parcel of your Garmin 880. - 16759

About the Author:

A loan is a type of debt

By Keith BL Mallinson

In modern times, it is almost impossible to stay out of debt,this problem is sometimes caused by outside pressures. When this happens, it doesn't actually mean that it was done with intent. When a borrower has a poor credit history it's not the end of the world; there are still many companies who will provide bad credit loans for people in need of financial help. It's not the end of the world even if you have a poor credit scoreas bad credit loans can be provided by online companies.

Finance provided in this way is can be used by the applicant in the same way as a personal loan, they shouldn't find any restrictions. If a person is accepted for a loan then there is a good chance they may help their credit rating.

These bad credit loans may be used for other situations and not necessarily debts, so it could be used for an emergency expense that has arisen like medical fees not covered by insurance or a wedding for example. They use a loan that they can pay regularly, as a means to achieve this.

It also has a greater repayment period up to twenty five years. Through the unsecured loan method, an amount in the range of 2,000 to 50,000 dollars is available for borrowing but this sum has to be paid back in a period of 6 months to 10 years.

The risk of defaulting is much lower with a secured loan as the finance company take a charge on your property which is also the reason they can arrange the loan at a preferential rate of interest. But for an unsecured loan, the borrower is charged a higher rate of interest because there is no guarantee that the loan will be repaid.

It will probably be necessary to carry out some research online first. Loans arranged when court judgments are in force are harder to find, especially if you have special needs such as extending the period of the loan for example, so applications will need to be carried out online.

The good thing about bad credit loans is that you will probably still be able to fulfil your financial obligations without the poor credit score getting in the way. By making the loan application online it will speed up the process so you will be able to get back on with your life.

This opportunity should not be forgotten or wasted. - 16759

About the Author:

Case Study: Does Hypnotic Writing Really Work?

By Dr. Joe Vitale

If you've ever wondered if the words on a website were very important, then keep reading.

Brad Yates is a master at EFT, or Emotional Freedom Techniques. EFT is a method for tapping away psychological issues so you are free to have, do, or be what you want.

Some people call is "psychological acupuncture." You use a finger or two to "tap" on certain areas of your body, which releases stuck energy so you can move forward without any internal blocks.

Snicker if you like. EFT has been used for well over ten years and is now practiced by tens of thousands of people. They can't all be faking problems and then faking resolutions. EFT works.

Brad Yates was one of my guests when I did my "Attract a New Car" teleseminar a while back. I liked him and told him about an idea I had for a series on "Money Beyond Belief." It would be a course to help people remove their barriers to having money. Brad would teach people EFT so they could remove their blocks to receiving money.

Brad loved the idea, we conducted the seminars, and then quickly put up a website to sell the audios. Now, Brad knows EFT but he doesn't know marketing, so the site wasn't the strongest in the copy area. The words left something to be desired. I offered some advice but didn't have the time to rewrite the site. So we left it alone and opened it for business. You can see it at http://www.bradyates.net/page45.html

Take a moment and look at the site.

What do you think of it?

Is the copy strong?

Is it hypnotic?

What's missing?

And here's the million dollar question:

Does the copy make you want to buy the product?

Brad and I told our lists about our product. We stood back and waited for orders.

And waited.

And waited.

Orders trickled in.

Weeks later, we still didn't have enough orders to make either of us very happy. We ended up using EFT on our disappointment.

While I wanted to rewrite the site, I just couldn't get to it with my books, projects, media appearances, travels and more. Thank goodness a young copywriter by the name of Sam Rosen came to Brad and offered to help. Sam had studied all of my Hypnotic Writing materials and was game to prove his skills.

Sam completely rewrote our site. You can see the new copy at http://www.MoneyBeyondBelief.com

Take a moment and look it over.

Now here are the same questions as before:

What do you think of it?

Is the copy strong?

Is it hypnotic?

What's missing?

And here's the million dollar question:

Does the copy make you want to buy the product?

Here are the results:

The first website, which we'll call exhibit A, bombed. It barely made 100 sales in 100 days.

The second website, exhibit B, blew down all the doors and made $8,500 in sales in only one day.

So, does copy make a difference in selling?

Consider:

* The product was the same. * The price was the same. * The audience we promoted it to was the same.

The only change was the writing.

Please note: The only change was the copy.

The next time you scratch your head and wonder if hypnotic writing will help your sales, re-read this article.

And then expect money beyond belief. - 16759

About the Author: