Business

Overcome Small Business Sales Resistance

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He calls it “the Extractor”. Last week, my Guerrilla Marketing buddy (and top marketing consultant), Mary Eule went to the South Carolina State Fair. An inventor had set up a booth where he was selling a device he created for extracting nails. He was a contractor and he noticed that he spent too much time in renovations pulling nails.

Here’s a great product that uniquely solves a great need that makes people’s lives easier. It should be a breeze to sell right? Well, when Mary asked him how many he had sold all day, his answer was one. One lousy extractor. No doubt the cost of the booth rental was far more than his revenue.

Intrigued, Mary and her partner David jumped behind the counter – mostly for fun. In 1/2 hour they sold 4 extractors. That’s four times his previous entire day’s sales. It would have been more if the guy had been equipped to take credit cards or process mail orders.

Why isn’t this guy a millionaire yet? His idea is certainly worth it. You might argue under-capitalization, or any other MBA-BS, but the reality is he’s only missing one thing – marketing. He’s got a great idea but he’s not a marketing or sales professional. Nor should he be expected to be.

He should get help from an expert marketer. Experience tells us that he probably won’t. Like most small businesses he will go it alone, struggle for a while, and never truly grow to meet his potential. If this guy’s product is as good as it’s reported to be, he should be in every hardware store in the country.

Mary has made some of the companies she’s worked with millions and millions of dollars. I have given one client a single suggestion that increased his profits 13X in less than a month. Either one of us could walk into almost any business and literally multiply its profits. It’s frustrating for both of us when the people who deperately need our help won’t get it. Small businesses are tough.

I don’t want you to think that I am saying there’s anything wrong with this guy, he’s got natural resistance. Marketing Comet Principle: Do not blame the customer for not buying. I’ve worked with small businesses for over 10 years and I know that small business owners have more sales resistance than anyone I’ve ever encountered. Let’s talk about the reasons why.

Here are some of the biggest small business sales objections:

1. No Money – Small business owners do not have unlimited budgets. They are frequently struggling and trying to preserve their limited capital.

2. No Value – Small business owners tend to be do-it yourselfers. They don’t see the big advantage of hiring an expert, or switching phone service, or hiring a bookkeeper.

3. No Confidence – Small business owners are frequently over cautious. They simply don’t believe that you’re going to deliver the goods.

4. No Concept – Sometimes what you’re offering is so far outside the the experience of the small business owner that they don’t even grasp it. I feel that way with a lot of software packages that don’t clearly describe what they do. Restaurant owners know they need food, wine, linens, a valet. They would benefit from a web marketing expert, but they are probably going to get their cousin’s kid to do their web site for nothing.

Making Money with Articles Finding a Writer

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Finding the right freelance writer to produce your revenue generating articles can take a bit of time, however, if you find one that can easily take on another regular client and the two of you work well together, then that one difficult search will turn into a lot of profitable articles.

When you start your search, you may want to begin with a very small group of articles, just in case you happen too hook up with a writer that you are less than thrilled with. It is important to keep in mind that there are several different types of writing and each writer might be highly skilled in one area, yet lack in another. For example, there is creative/fiction writing, biographical writing, news writing, general informational article writing, critical writing, copy-writing, poem/verse writing, technical writing, medical writing, essay/report writing, and sports writing. Although a writer may be highly skilled in one area, many freelance writers spread themselves out into others areas as well. So, it is critical that the writer you choose can produce the type of content that you need.

To find a freelance writer, you can look at various freelancing websites that will allow you to post the specification of your project and your budget.

From there, writers will make bids on your project and provide you with writing samples so that you can get an idea of their skill level. Make sure that you choose a writer who gives you a sample of the type of article that you are looking for. For example, if you are looking for a copy-writer, do not hire someone who only sent you a sports writing sample. He or she may be an outstanding sports writer, but copy-writing is about selling (a product, service, or yourself) to your website visitors.

In conclusion, the more you are willing to pay per article, the more bids you will get from quality writers who know how to entertain and inform your website visitors so that they keep coming back for more. Writers know that you will eventually make a ton of money off of each article or content piece.

Activity Diagrams – Advantages, Disadvantages and Applications of Use

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Activity diagrams describe the actual work flow behavior of a system in Information Technology. Activity diagrams are very similar to state Diagrams because activities are the actual state of doing something. Activity diagrams describe the actual state of activities of a system by showing all the sequence of activities performed. Activity diagrams can show activities that are conditional or parallel.
When to Use: Activity Diagrams
Activity diagrams should be used in alignment with other modeling techniques like interaction diagrams and State diagrams. The main reason behind using activity diagrams is to model the work flow behind the system being designed. Activity Diagrams are also useful for analyzing a use case by describing what actions need to take place and when they should occur, describing a complicated sequential algorithm and modeling applications with parallel processes.

Activity diagrams’ advantages:
UML modeling language included that activity diagrams are normally easily comprehensible for both analysts and stakeholders.
According to ZaranTech in UML for the IT Business Analyst, “The activity diagram is the one most useful to the IT BA for depicting work flow [because] it is simple to understandboth for BAs and end-users.”
Since they are among the most user-friendly diagrams available, they are generally regarded as an essential tool in an analyst’s repertoire.
Additionally, as stated above, activity diagrams allow an analyst to display multiple conditions and actors within a work flow through the use of swimlanes. Swimlanes, however, are optional as a single condition or actor is normally displayed without them. Activity diagrams disadvantages:
UML modeling language include that activity diagrams have the potential to become overly complex because their user-friendly nature may lend itself to an all-inclusive description. In other words, since it is so simple to display the information related to the project, why not include all of it? When an analyst has a large project, creating a single, overly complex diagram can be a temptation.
However, as one author notes, “if you are using activity diagrams to define the structure of a work flow, you should not attempt to explore several levels of activity graphs down to their most atomic’ level”. Instead, an analyst should try to present a new diagram for each work flow, or if more applicable, to use swimlanes to present different actors within the same work flow.
Another aspect of activity diagrams is that they may not be used in lieu of a state diagram or sequence diagram because “activity diagrams do not give detail about how objects behave or how objects collaborate.” This is not a disadvantage per se, but it is important for an analyst to keep in mind when applying diagrams to their work. In conclusion, activity diagrams are fairly easy to get the hang of, and will be useful for most projects because they plainly and moderately clearly demonstrate how things work.” Unlike many diagramming techniques, activity diagrams also enable the depiction of multiple choices and actors within a work flow, and they are easy for even non-technical users to follow
Applications of activity diagram:
The activity diagram has been extended to specify flows among steps that transmit physical matter (e.g., gasoline) or energy (e.g., torque, pressure).
Additional changes allow the diagram to better support continuous behaviors and continuous data flows.
The UML 2 specification significantly prolonged the features and scale of activity diagrams beyond their earlier classification as a special case of state diagrams.
Today, activity diagrams can be thought of as flow charts for the 21st century, and UML modelers use activity diagrams to describe it.
Also, these activity diagrams are useful in following methods:
Business Rules
Functions that occur in parallel
Complex chain of multiple use cases
Software flows and logic control configurations
Procedures with judgment points and alternate flows
Single use cases

Why Is SEO Important for Your Business

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In today’s highly competitive market, more and more business owners are finding themselves facing the dilemma of which online marketing approach to choose. Deciding which tool to use and focus on is a nowhere-to-easy job.

Many business owners, especially those who have a small or medium company, don’t have the budget for advertising like large ones have, which is why they naturally go for campaigns that will cost them less. Because of this, so many of them choose Search Engine Optimization that has no price tag attached to it. But is SEO what you need to promote your business? Is it worth it to invest in it?

Continuous Flow of Targeted, Free Traffic

There are billions of Google searches made each day. Using this search engine is absolutely free of charge and you can even earn from it. Unlike PPC advertising via Google AdWords, the organic traffic that comes to your website will not cost you anything.

Gives Your Business Exposure

As you know, one of the main reasons people use search engines like Google is to find solutions to their problems and answers to their questions. When people use search engines for answers and solutions, they click on about 70% of the links on the first page. So, if your website is ranking well, you will get the exposure your business needs in order to grow.

Generates Traffic That Has a Good Conversion Rate

According to some sources, the leads generated by SEO are as high as 14.6% close rate. This is a lot better than the 1.7% close rate you can generate from print advertising and email marketing. Depending on the industry you are working in, the users have different behavior and they are most likely to click on different links, which has a big impact on the conversion.

Helps Your Business Grow

As already mentioned, when you have a good online presence, your business will grow. SEO plays a big role in securing good online presence for your business and allows to increase its visibility up to 59%. And without online visibility, your targeted group of potential clients will never find you. When you have good SEO, you will have good online presence and your business will grow a lot faster.

If you still don’t have a business website but want to be present online so people can find your company more easily, turning to an online marketing agency is what you should do. When you have a good-looking website with quality content and are on the first places of Google’s SERPs, you will reach your potential clients and your business will grow.

How do I startup my small business

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What does it take to startup a small business?

Money probably is what comes to your mind but there are really many more things that you need other than money to do your business. These are all attitudinal things. You should have the mental and physical stamina that would require you to be deeply involved in your business and oversee every minute detail day in and day out. You would need strong planning and execution skills, because if you are going to startup a small business it is initially going to be a one man show. You need to think through what you are going to do and then go ahead and do it as well. Once you identify that you want to undertake business the next step is to decide what kind of business you want to enter into. The choice must be influenced by your expertise, passion about the work, financial position and other factors like government regulation, competition and tax purposes.

Should I go in for a partner?

When you decide to startup the business it is important for you to lay out a business plan and understand what are the things it will take you to build a successful business. These will broadly include technical details, financial resources and managerial skill. Whether or not you go for a partner would depend on your weakness in one of these areas and the choice of your partner should strengthen you in the areas that you find your self weak.

How do I choose employees?

This is a very critical decision as the initial years are the shakiest for any small business which is just a startup. This one decision can make or break the future of your company. More than anything else you must keep in mind that quality scores over quantity. If you find someone that is good enough then you must be willing to pay them a little extra. It is better to have one stellar person working for you rather than three mediocre ones. Also keep in mind that the employees should be in sync with the culture of the company that you are trying to build in. If you like to run a tight ship with all decisions flowing from the top then you must have employees who are not opposed to authority and will follow the same with their subordinates so that you can propagate the culture that you want within the company as you go along building its size.

Where will I get the necessary finances?

Even to startup a small business you would need some sort of loans to go about it. There are several banks, venture finance companies, insurance companies and other financial institutions that lend to entrepreneurs who want to set up their own businesses. However it is advisable that you put some money of your own also when you start up the business. This will ensure that the lenders gain in confidence that you are putting your own money behind this and at the same time the interest outgo will be lesser as the loan amount in itself will be less. The SBA is another place that you can turn to even if you are refused by the banks and they would help you out with your financial needs.

Frustrated and struggling to make money online — trying one failed program after another

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There is currently a massive influx of people coming to the internet in search of financial hope. The offline world is not providing for the needs that so many of us have come to rely on over the past number of years. This is how things were done; we got a job, worked, paid our bills and lived happily ever after! In the past three to four years this offline haven for employment and financial stability has dried up so to speak and individuals all across the world are looking for ways to fill that gap. The internet is now the place that everybody wants to have access to, global opportunities and instant payments and communications.

Making money online today has become so popular we wonder now how we didnt see this opportunity sooner. Individuals are bombarded with financial burden and obligations to entities outside of themselves. In order to keep homes, cars and a reasonable comfortable living, people are searching for good reliable businesses or programs to invest their time and money into. There are however associated problems with this. Due to the massive influx of people from the offline world to online entrepreneurship, hundreds of thousands of opportunities appear everywhere. Which one do we chose? How can we determine that our hard earned money is safe?

There are so many programs out there that people are coming across. Including: Affiliate Marketing of other peoples products or services, HYIPS, cyclers, MLM biz, One-up programs, Cash Gifting, Betting programs and many more. Recent surveys conducted by independent marketers reveal that the majority of people do not even break even with many opportunities they join. This huge failure rate and advertisement rich environment can be overwhelming for many genuine people looking to make ends meet.

One particular company that’s taking the Internet by storm is a business called Profit Clicking. This truly innovative company has been paying members since 2010 and membership is growing to record levels every day. Profit Clicking puts the individual first and combines both short term and long term earnings for participating members. Composed of two programs covering the best of Web Traffic Service and Auto-Pilot earnings. This company offers realistic life changing products and income that you can count on. Also, from product purchases combined with an excellent referral system, Profit Clicking is becoming the program that members are relying on to pay off debts, save their homes and resurrect many broken relationships tarnished from financial stress.

This program is about hope, possibility, reliability and life changing events! You owe it to you and your family to check it out. Profit Clicking is so full of assurance and commitment to its members, that it rewards members just for signing up by giving them free cash to check out the program and see how it operates. Members are also given a free product. End your struggle now and take the pressure off. Profit Clicking is real, here for you and ready to deliver!

Get the Right Advice from an EB-5 Immigration Attorney

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In 1990, the Congress initiated the EB5 green card program. The objective was to add more jobs to the United States market which in turn would help boost the economy. This program was first implemented in the year 1992 and since that time, it has been reauthorized as well. This particular visa is granted to individuals that want to invest in commercial enterprises in America and are able to create a minimum of 10 jobs via this investment. This program is beneficial not just to immigrants, but to US citizens too.

How to get an EB-5 Green Card

Careful planning and a significant amount of investment required for this visa, because you will be launching a commercial venture on foreign land. Its important that you be aware of all the conditions and laws related to this visa before you actually make any investment.

The best course of action would be to consult with an experienced EB-5 Immigration Attorney.This professional will help you understand the entire process and follow the right procedures, which increases your chances of being granted this visa. Some things to keep in view are:

Eligibility There are very specific and stringent measures in place. Even if you are willing to make the investment and launch a business in the US, you would have to provide 100% disclosure of your financial situation. Once you get accreditation, you can then invest in the commercial enterprise of your choice.

You have the option to either start your own venture or invest in a business owned by someone else. The business you are invested in should operate within the framework of US laws. You would also have to create 10, full-time, permanent jobs for employees in the US and your direct investment should be $1,000,000 or above.

Investment Options The EB-5 Immigration Attorney you consult will provide you solutions and advice based on your circumstances, budget, and preferences. Most experienced immigration attorneys have a list of good investment opportunities for immigrants that are seeking an EB-5 visa.

You have the option to look for investment opportunities on your own as well. Put in some time and energy into investigating various business opportunities before you invest in any venture.

There are a number of benefits to opting for an EB-5 visa but its important that you get the right advice from an expert professional. Once you get this visa, you will enjoy all the benefits and rights that a US resident enjoys. You also get the freedom to work anywhere within the US as well as acquire US citizenship for five years.

Hiring the services of an EB-5 immigration attorney will smooth the path and improve your chances of getting this visa and realizing your dream of living in the US and setting up a business there. Aside from meeting the eligibility criteria, getting the paperwork right is very important and a good attorney will help you with all these different aspects.

Web Content Writing Services for Your Business

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Web content writing is one of the most sort-after online marketing skills on the internet today. This is mainly because the internet has become the biggest form of communication allowing businesses to reach millions of people worldwide with minimal effort. Any successful online business needs quality and unique content to run their websites.

There are many online web writing services offering various services for all kinds of businesses. They offer a wide range of comprehensive services like search engine optimized writing, blogs and any type of website content. These services are a great option for business owners who are serious about making a mark in their niche and achieve profitable sales. Content is what drives successful online businesses.

By engaging web content writing services, your business stands a better chance of achieving high search engine rankings. This is because web writing professionals create search optimized content, which is the key to attaining higher rankings. They use appropriate keywords and phrases related to your business to create high quality web content for your website.

Web content is what helps customers interact with online businesses convincing them to purchase certain products or services. Without frequently updated, interesting and engaging content for your readers, attracting and retaining new customers becomes quite difficult especially for new online businesses. There are several benefits that you can get by engaging these services.

Web content writing professionals are experienced and can help apply the best marketing strategies to help generate traffic for your website. They are best equipped on the current marketing trends and online business techniques for your specific kind of business. Compared to what most business owners would do, quality of the content produced by professionals is much more business-oriented and focused on helping businesses set a strong footing in the market.

Quality content should help reveal the true nature of your business, your company operations, services and products your online business offers and other important information. The main objective of a web content writing professional should be to increase business sales and market your services or products in a way to help increase overall business sales. The key is to make your business the ultimate solution for internet users.

They should target to drive internet users into potential buyers or clients of your business. Getting content writing services is easy as most of the professional writers advertise their services online. They offer their services at affordable rates and can cater for both small and big businesses. They do enough research and dedicate their time to ensure that proper content is created for your website.

Frequent updates are needed for businesses to keep the public aware of any new products or services. Most online businesses today are outsourcing their web content needs to writers online instead of hiring in-house writers. This has turned out to be more economical and offers better opportunities to get the writer you want at the price you can afford. Hiring skilled web content writing professionals ensures long term online business continuity.

Relieve Stress in Your Business or Home With an Aquarium

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There have been multiple studies on the affects of people watching fish aquariums, resulting in the conclusion that aquariums have a positive influence on those viewing them. Benefits include a reduction in stress, high blood pressure, anxiety, pulse rate and muscle tension. Aquariums can even help with insomnia for those who need a little more peace and quiet at home. Children with hyperactivity disorder responded well to aquariums, helping them calm down. Alzheimer patients have been found to eat better and feel less anxious and aggressive when having a fish aquarium about. Medical patients feel less stressed entering an office for an exam when having the opportunity to watch an aquarium while waiting for their appointment. Some patients even required less pain medication. Those who work at computers for hours a day can ease their mind for a moment when an aquarium is in the office, helping them feel less stressed and more productive. Fish tanks are great tools for mental health, for any age and any facility whether it be at home or in an office.

Having an aquarium in a medical or dental office brings many rewards. One study in a dentist office determined that patients who watched a fish aquarium before their encounter with the dentist felt less anxiety and required less pain medication than those who did not. Even hypnosis before a dentist appointment was not as effective as a patient observing a fish tank before an appointment. Many people waiting for a medical appointment feel a high degree of stress and anxiety. Aquariums have been proven to help reduce that anxiousness along with high blood pressure as well as decreasing pulse rate and muscle tension. Patients of all ages can complete a medical or dental appointment with ease rather than resistance. Children especially have a positive response to fish aquariums.

Whether children are at home or in a daycare, simply having an aquarium around can relax them. Even children with hyperactivity disorder react in a positive manner. Aquariums provide a place of serenity and an inquiry into the wonderful world of nature for kids.

On the other end of the spectrum, retirement homes can benefit from fish aquariums as well. Studies were conducted in an assisted living home with Alzheimers patients and the placement of aquariums; the results were astonishing. Eating can become an issue with the elderly; Alzheimers patients watching a fish aquarium while eating stayed longer at the table, and ate up to 27% more food than those who had no view of an aquarium. In this facility with over 62 patients, the amount of food consumed increased significantly along with an increase in patients weight over a 16 week period. Less nutritional supplements were required as a result, which reduced health care costs in the facility. A decrease in physically aggressive behavior among patients was also observed.

Aquariums have a positive impact on people of all ages wherever they may be: in a home, office, or daycare. Reduced anxiety, blood pressure, and insomnia are just a few benefits for people with a view of a fish tank. Not only are aquariums great for ones health, but they are beautiful as well. Fish aquariums server as a living piece of art wherever they stand. Visit Family Biz Fish Tanks and start your new aquatic adventure today.

Is ZamZuu A Scam – A 3rd Party Look Into Their Business Model

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ZamZuu is an emerging company that appears to be a major player in the e-commerce arena with it’s continual profits as a “discount online store” of sorts. Some questions have been risen regarding ZamZuu’s success though. Many people unfamiliar with network marketing think ZamZuu could be a scam. Is it?

NETWORK MARKETING
Zamzuu attracts some negativity because it is a network marketing company (also known as Multi-Level-Marketing or an MLM). Network Marketing is referred to as a “pyramid scheme” by some individuals because it’s members can profit from people they recruit into the business. There’s one huge difference between the two though. A network marketing company, such as ZamZuu, has a product or service for sale, whereas an illegal pyramid scheme does not.

ZamZuu is not the only company to operate using this business model (some big names include Amway, Avon, and Tupperware). They choose to market this way because they see the value in referral marketing.

What is referral marketing? There was a recent survey done that inquired about the consumer’s motive on why they bought (or didn’t’ buy) a particular product. The results revealed the importance of word-of-mouth endorsements and recommendations. It was the #1 contributor in the consumers’ decision on why those chose to purchase a particular good or service. What can a company do to encourage this powerful, free tool?

Network marketing companies like ZamZuu, choose to spend very little, if any, on advertising in the traditional sense. Because of this, they can keep their prices lower than the competition and be able to pay distributors to market for them. They pay more to members who recruit additional distributors for a simple reason. If there wasn’t an incentive to recruit additional members, the company would eventually go out of business.

You may find it interesting that Warren Buffet, Donald Trump, and Robert Kiyosaki have all endorsed this network marketing model.
I believe the people that call ZamZuu a scam, just because it’s a network marketing company, are uninformed on the facts. Let’s take a look at the actual company.

ZAMZUU
Zamzuu was created to take advantage of the popularity of shopping online. Customers can shop at over 700 stores through Zamzuu. Some big name retailers in their system include Curcuit City, Target, and Wal-Mart. Shoppers benefit by receiving commissions and cash-back for shopping through the ZamZuu website. This gives them incentive to login to a distributor’s Zamzuu page and shop there instead of curcuitcity.com, for instance, where they would receive no additional perks.

If you are looking to make some extra money you could also become a merchant. An initial fee of $249 is required to set up your customized retail store followed by a $49.95 monthly cost for maintaining your website. Once you start to build your business you can receive up to 50- 60% commissions and gain health and life insurance!

HOW TO GROW YOUR ZAMZUU BUSINESS
If you are interested in this opportunity, it would be wise to examine ways to market online effectively. Once you learn and implement these marketing techniques you will have the advantage over 95% of your competitors and be able to explode your business! Your friends and family members may shop from your site from time to time, but no matter how popular you may be, you will see limited results. With the Internet you can access a much broader audience and make some real cash with your ZamZuu opportunity!!