Global Digital Store – Ebooks and Softwares

Tag: Making

3 Ways to Inexpensively Up-Level Your Style Statement

[ad_1]

You shouldn’t let fashion overwhelm you. Style is about you expressing your uniqueness through what you wear. Your style should reflect who you are on the inside, and that is a confident, bold, and fierce woman. And it is critical that how you feel on the inside and how you look on the outside are balanced. So that means you should look good and feel good.

The world of fashion is a fun and exciting place. And it has room for you to be able to fully express yourself. And there are some things you can do to incorporate being more stylish into your life, inexpensively. But before you read the tips, it is important that you don’t compare yourself to other women and what they are wearing. That mindset is critical. Wear what works for you. Remember there are no perfect women so don’t strive for perfection. Trying to achieve perfection will just make you feel inferior and frustrated. Nobody is the same and neither is their fashion sense.

1. Add a colorful scarf:

Adding a colorful scarf can make your outfit look trendy and stylish. There are many different colors of scarves and styles available. Scarves are very fashionable when integrated correctly. And the right scarf can do wonders for your outfit.

2. Accessories:

Accessories can also be an inexpensive way to make your outfit pop. Accessories such as jewelry, purses, hair accessories, shoes, belts and sunglasses can make you stand out in a crowd. When adding accessories it is important that you choose accessories that complement your outfit, and not clash with your outfit. And never underestimate the power of accessories when it comes to making a powerful fashion statement.

3.Closet Check:

Do a closet check by going through your closet and mixing up your fashion choices. Think of integrating outfits in a way that you usually wouldn’t. For example, instead of wearing your animal print shirt with blue jeans, maybe you could consider wearing it under your jacket with a pair of dress pants. You may have more outfits to choose from than you think.

[ad_2]

Source by Dr. Shauntel Peak-Jimenez, Ph.D

Views: 0

November 11, 2022
What Your Doctor Knows About Varicose Vein Surgery Cost – And You Should, Too

[ad_1]

If you know someone who deals with frequent doctor's, you're probably taken back by the number of medical procedures you've never heard of before. Particular medical procedures you might not be familiar with are those that pertain to varicose veins, and while that's not necessarily news, what you might want a little light shown on is varicose vein surgery cost.

The one thing that is no secret is the cost of healthcare in this country. The cost of trying to be a healthy person nowadays is astoundingly high, which can often make people shy away from seeing a doctor. When it comes to varicose veins, the last thing most people will do is see their doctor about getting rid of them because it seems like an expense that's not worth making. After all, getting rid of them is often a cosmetic procedure, and dropping serious money on what essentially feels like a vanity project seems frivolous.

Herein, however, lies the problem. Too many people are making a medical decision based on its cost-effectiveness. While this is a much bigger problem in terms of healthcare (way too big for the purposes of this article), it comes down to patients not taking the time to consult their physicians, which can be dangerous. It's time to be proactive patients and act as savvy consumers. Cost is often looked at as a taboo subject, but you deserve to know everything you can to make an informed decision. When it comes to your varicose veins, you need your doctor to be upfront about the cost of surgery to treat them.

Here are some things you may learn from your physician about varicose vein surgery cost:

Surgery Costs More Money Than Other Treatments – Because of the invasive nature of surgery, it costs more. It can also lead to longer periods of recovery and may not have the outpatient recovery other treatments do.

There Is More Than One Treatment Possibility – Surgery is one of the last treatments noted in dealing with varicose veins. Be sure to ask your doctor about these possibilities first.

Insurance May Not Pay – Varicose vein treatments tend to be seen as cosmetic, therefore they're labeled as elective procedures, which most insurance plans don't cover. You need to know this before any treatments.

Less Invasive Can Be Best – Many of the treatments can be done in the office and have relatively low recovery periods. This is becoming quite the norm for most medical procedures and might be the best course of action for your varicose veins.

Alternative Medicine – Though a little on the edge, ask you doctor about any alternative medicine options. While most medical professionals may scoff at alternative medicine (herbal and dietary supplements), others may be enlightened enough to note some possibilities, though they'll be quick to note that there isn't much information out there to consider them viable options.

Varicose vein surgery cost can keep individuals from going through with the procedure just because they don't know how to pay for it. If there are issues with their insurance or simply with income, paying for surgery is almost impossible. Discuss these issues with your doctor and have honest conversations about all facets of your varicose vein treatment. The last thing you want to do is leave your health mired in misinformation & matters of billing.

[ad_2]

Source by Morris Raymond

Views: 0

November 10, 2022
Breaking Down the Strip-Lining Sales Technique

[ad_1]

In our most recent blogs, we’ve been reviewing Negative Reverse Selling and how it is very effective in creating great bonding and rapport with sales prospects. Negative Reverse Selling is a way of saying and doing the opposite of what the prospect expects from a salesperson, disarming them and creating trust with them. One of its more compelling techniques is called strip-lining, a method of using reverse questions to get the prospect talking, and you keep “throwing more line and let them swim”. However, you need to do this step right or it could backfire on you. When you do it correctly, prospects feel like they are in control of the conversation, and you have a better chance of making a sale. Practice this step frequently in low risk situations before using it on your biggest and best prospects.

What should you practice? Getting the fit right means executing as follows:

• Neutral prospects get very hard strip-lines, such as, “It sounds like you’re very happy and I should leave. Before I go, what do you like about who you’re doing business with now?”

• Negative prospects get hard strip-lines, but not as hard as neutral prospects. For example, “Based on what you just said about your current vendor, it makes sense to me why you’re not interested in switching your business to another company. We get great feedback like that from our customers, too, but your vendor sounds really good at what they do. I don’t know if you can do any better than that. There doesn’t seem to be much opportunity for us to work together here, is there?”

• Positive prospects get strip-lines that are just a light tug: “Thanks for reaching out to us. I have to say, your friend Bronwyn gets almost all the credit for having a great experience with us. She was very good about explaining the application problem, and that really helped her have a happy outcome with us. Since I don’t know your application, I’m not sure if I can help you at this point. Could you be nice enough to tell me about it?”

In all three examples, you’ll find three components. Look at each of them, and you’ll see how strip-line responses are structured.

1. The first component is a build-up (a compliment or validation of the prospect’s point of view). In the above, an example of that was, “It sounds like you’re very happy.”

2. The second component is a takeaway (a conclusion that goes in the opposite direction to what the prospect expects). In the above, an example was, “… and I should leave.”

3. The third component is a question (a continuation of the discussion). In the above, an example was, “Before I go, what do you like about who you’re doing business with now?”

Looking at the example above for positive prospects, notice the buildup portion of the response validates how well things went “with Bronwyn” and gives most of the credit to her: “Thanks for reaching out to us. I have to say, your friend Bronwyn gets almost all the credit for having a great experience with us. She was very good about explaining the application problem, and that really helped her have a happy outcome with us.”

The takeaway portion includes words to the effect that you’re not yet convinced you can help the prospect. “Since I don’t know your application, I’m not sure if I can help you as well at this point.”

The third part, the question, is pretty obvious; you ask a question to start to understand the application, the problem, and ultimately the prospect’s pain: “Could you be nice enough to tell me about it?”

When you strip-line a prospect using all three components of the technique, you are likeliest to uncover the most meaningful information. You now know what a good fit looks like. What does a bad fit look like? Let’s say a prospect calls your office and says, “I’ve heard really good things about your company. A friend of mine, Bronwyn, told me all about you, and I’m very interested in doing business with you.” Obviously, that’s a positive prospect. It wouldn’t be appropriate for you to do a hard strip-line since the prospect is almost ready to buy. Saying to the prospect, “You must have used some other vendors in our space. Why wouldn’t you want to use them now?” will not only confuse the prospect, but would probably ruin the sale. So that’s a bad fit. Instead, you’d want to use the approach I shared with you above, the one that begins “Thanks for reaching out.”

Sometimes the prospect says something that more or less does the buildup for you. In that case, you don’t need to do it, but you still need to do the takeaway and pose the question. For example if the prospect says, “I heard really good things about your company,” you could strip-line by saying, “That’s nice to hear, but we’re not for everyone. Would you like to tell me why you thought it might have been a good idea to call, and hopefully we find out that we’re a good fit”?

In summary: Strip-line very hard with neutral pros-pects, even sounding like you are getting ready to leave the sales call or implying that you think the sales call is over; strip- line hard with negative prospects; strip-line lightly with positive prospects.

Strip-lining is a great way to uncover pain because it’s extremely disarming and helps build trust. When you do it right, it doesn’t sound like you’re selling. Prospects feel like you truly embrace and care about their goals and pain. (As, of course, you do!) If you don’t uncover pain with strip-lining, then perhaps that particular prospect doesn’t have enough pain to do business with you. Strip-lining combined with other pain-finding Sandler approaches will put you in a different league from all those other salespeople who traditionally start with the hard sell, list off features and benefits, and offer prospects free quotes.

[ad_2]

Source by Greg Nanigian

Views: 0

November 10, 2022
Money Has a Cost

[ad_1]

When I speak about the “cost of money” I am talking about just that. Allow me to explain it here to avoid boring you by repeating the same definition whenever I talk about it. All money has a cost

Money is either used to make you money or you have lost the opportunity for your money to make you money. Or at least to make you as much as it could.

If you are borrowing money to operate your business this money has a price. The price, of course, is the interest you are paying on the money while you are borrowing it. If you have money that you are holding in the form of cash in a low interest bearing account or short term investment, this money may also be costing you money.

How? Simple. Let’s say you are in a good cash flow situation and you have a cash balance of $50,000. You know this money will be needed for operational expenses in the near future so you let it sit in your business checking account or a short term liquid investment account. Let’s say you are earning 1/2% interest during this time.

It might seem that this money is working for you making you money, and indeed it is. But the question is whether or not this is the most effective use of that money. If your money is in one place it cannot be in another at the same time. Obvious right? Well, if your money is tied up in the bank you must ask yourself – is this the best place for it? Is there another use you could put this money to in order to earn more money?

For example, can you pay some bills off early and take a trade discount of 2%. I will cover this in future articles but for now think and understand money has a cost. If your $50,000 sits in the bank earning 1/2% interest you will earn $250 per year. Now I know I have not factored in compound interest but I want to give a simple example of how you should think.

If you have the cash sitting for 30 days you will have earned 1/12th of this $250 or $21. But what if you had used that $50,000 to pay off bills early and get a 2% discount? A 2% discount on $50,000 is $1,000. A simplistic example to be sure, but even using this you have increased the return on your money significantly.

Leaving your money in the bank had a cost to you. A lost opportunity cost. An opportunity to use this money to make you more money. But you must consider your cash flow, no matter how effectively you might otherwise use your money, you only have so much of it to use and therefore the availability of cash must be considered.

Money does have a cost. If I have used $10,000 to pay an invoice early that offered me a 1% discount I have saved $100. If I used that same money to pay a bill early that offered me a 2% discount I have doubled my return on the use of that money as I have saved $200.

Do you see my point? Now put aside any cash flow questions for a minute while I make another

point.

Now what if I did not pay any bill off early, but instead put that $10,000 in an investment for 12 months paying me 1%? Have I not done well by earning $100 on my money? It would seem so, but this is not the case.

By paying off an invoice early to take advantage of an early payment discount, you will save much more than the discount. When you earn a 2% discount by paying an invoice early, you are earning a return far greater than 2%. Unless you understand this there will be no way you can properly determine whether the best use of your money is to pay the invoice off and take the discount or not.

The formula is simple so don’t despair. Here is the formula:

365 x discount rate

Effective annual interest = —————————————

Number of days payment must be

made ahead of the due date to earn this discount.

So if a supplier offers you terms of “2/10 net 30” what is the effective rate of interest? Well, first

of all, he is offering you a 2% discount if you pay in 10 days. The normal terms are 30 days. This

means that to get the 2% discount you must pay 20 days early.

For this example we are assuming that you would normally comply with the 30 days terms.

For the sake of this example let us say the amount of the bill in question is the same $10,000 we have been talking about. This is what your formula looks like:

365 x.02

Effective annual interest = ————– =.365

20

Your effective annual interest rate is 36.5%. Obviously, even if you had to borrow the money to pay off this invoice your rate of return will be well worth it.

Do not think I am suggesting paying off discounted invoices as the only option you want to look at. I have simply chosen this often overlooked strategy as an example.

You must always consider all your options for using your money. The goal is to seek out the most profitable option available to you at any given time.

Never forget that money has a cost. How you use it can make a great deal of difference to your bottom line.

[ad_2]

Source by Derrick Welch

Views: 0

November 10, 2022
People Are Not Very Supportive Of My Marital Separation. They Aren’t Happy For Me If Things Improve

[ad_1]

I sometimes hear from people who are getting some hurtful feedback from those who are supposed to be “supporting” them during their marital separation. Sometimes, this so-called support comes from friends or family members. It can even come from the “support group” that you specifically joined in order to feel lifted up during your separation, which can be incredibly disappointing. Someone might say, “I did not really want to burden my family, friends, or coworkers with details about my separation. They know that I am separated, but I just don’t want to hear people’s personal opinions about my husband or my marriage. I am hoping to reconcile and so I don’t want to influence their opinions about my husband or about our relationship. However, I wanted a place to talk things through and to feel supported so I joined a support group for people going through a separation / divorce. The first week felt pretty good, but maybe that is because everyone was on their best behavior. I have to admit that the last few weeks, it really hasn’t gone well. I want to reconcile with my husband. I was looking for people who could identify with what I was going through to keep my spirits up while I was waiting to see what happened with my marriage. However, many of these people are getting ready to divorce and are quite bitter and angry. If I try to relay good news that happened between my husband and myself during the week, I sometimes get sarcastic comments. Someone might say ‘well, just wait. He’s just trying to be nice to you so that you’ll accept the divorce later.’ These type of comments are obviously not what I want to hear. I don’t mind expressing my fears, but I want people to try to talk me down or to help me look on the bright side. I don’t want people to tell me that the worst case scenario is going to happen or that all separations end in divorce. This is why I didn’t tell some friends and family, but now I am getting this with the support group. And yet, I know that I need support, so I am not sure what to do.”

I can really identify with what you are saying. I told some people about my own separation and I really came to regret it. Some of my friends became really angry with my husband and never really got over it – even after we reconciled. By then, I’d long forgiven my husband, and I just wanted to move on. But some people wouldn’t let it go. The thing is, with some people, if you tell them your most personal issues, then you’d better be ready to talk about those same issues every single time that you talk with them because they want to keep bringing it up and picking the scab. That is why you have to be really careful about who you confide in. Some people will project their own experiences and fears onto your experience and obviously, this doesn’t help you. Just because there are people in the support group who may be headed for divorce, this does not mean that you will be. At some point, I just had to tell people who weren’t supportive that I valued their friendship, but that I needed to talk about something else. Then I sought support elsewhere.

If you have not tried counseling, that is probably the very best option for support. They are trained professionals whose only job is to help you. They don’t know you outside of this and therefore are not going to let other things bleed into the reason for your being there. That is really the ideal scenario, but if you are resistant to counseling, then you have to pick your “trusted support person” carefully. If you truly feel that the support group isn’t going to improve, then you want to make sure that if you decide to end this support system, then you have already replaced it with a new and better one. Honestly, my ideal support person was not who I thought that it would be. It was someone from work who I did not know very well and perhaps that helped. She didn’t have all of the history with me that some of my other friends did. And she had separated and reconciled previously so she understood my thought process. Our interactions always left me feeling better, and not worse.

I often journaled my feelings on weekends because I knew that I needed to get them out and didn’t have access to my best support person. I came to decide that I’d rather journal to release my feelings than to have unsupportive people make me feel worse.

It’s important to remember that you can control who you allow to influence you. It’s possible to politely retreat when people aren’t understanding or supportive. It can be really important to surround yourself with positivity because it’s easy to get discouraged. And it’s very important to remember that people’s unsupportive reactions usually have more to do with their situation than with yours. They are projecting their own life and their own problems onto you, which just isn’t fair. If the support group isn’t providing the support that you need and is just making you feel worse, there’s nothing wrong with politely seeking support elsewhere. Because support is very important, but it can be tricky and difficult to find the right, objective person or group of people. At the same time, you don’t want to alienate family and friends, which is why it’s fine to just change the subject and ask to discuss something else.

[ad_2]

Source by Leslie Cane

Views: 0

November 10, 2022
Are You Letting Excuses Keep You From Becoming a Top Network Marketer?

[ad_1]

Things that are easy to do are easy not to do. In this article, I am going to talk to you about excuses and how they may be keeping you from becoming a top network marketer.

We all have our moments when we don't feel like doing certain things. We are professionals at making excuses for why we don't do these things, but the thing we must remember is that being a professional at making excuses does not pay the bills.
Two of the biggest excuses people have are the excuses that they do not have enough time or money. These are easy excuses to use because they are often true in our current state but do not have to remain true.

I Don't Have the Time

If you do not currently have the time to build your business, that is because you have not allocated the time to build your business. There are other things that are filling your time that you could choose not to do but instead, you choose to do them. Many times, these things are important things but if you say you want to build a business, but you do not schedule it into your week, you are not showing you believe it is that important.

I Don't Have the Connections

Our capital in our network marketing companies are our connections and oftentimes people think they do not have the right connections. Even if this is true, we all have the same access to everyone and if we are resourceful enough, we will be able to get in contact with that person.

Conclusion

Whatever excuses are holding you back, you must give them up and get into action. Excuses don't help you get what you want so give them up and work consistently toward your goals.

[ad_2]

Source by Jessica Lauren Vine

Views: 0

November 10, 2022
Entrepreneurs Need ONE Thing To Succeed – Survivability

[ad_1]

The idea of being an "entrepreneur" is the new "rock star" – millions of young people going off the beaten track in order to try and secure a better future for themselves or their families.

Fuelled partly by the Internet and partly by a changing economic landscape, the young of today are more focused on themselves than ever, unwilling to take "menial" jobs at the likes of McDonald's; instead taking on large amounts of student debt in order to secure as lucrative career as possible.

It's in the midst of this tectonic shift (where barriers-to-entry have been eroded massively, and the world opened up for business) that many have placed "entrepreneurship" … the idea of "working for yourself". Unfortunately, it's most a lie.

If you're interested in this type of thing, the first thing you need to realize is that entrepreneurship is a lifestyle, not a vocation. Most people are not "entrepreneurs", they're merchants (buy and sell products).

REAL entrepreneurship is about doing / building something that's NEVER been done before. This might be something simple (a new flavor of soft drink), or something as difficult as getting humanity to Mars. It is NOT about "selling" products for the sake of it.

What many see as a "choice" between a Dystopic future of student debt, mortgages, auto loans and 40+ years of 9-5, is in fact fraught with the utmost danger and risk. The biggest problem is that no one will help you. You're 100% on your own.

In other words, don't become an "entrepreneur" … you have to either be "born" one (which isn't strictly true), or be so utterly determined to see your ideas come to fruition that you're willing to risk your life on making it work.

This is what most people don't see. They see the accolades, cars, success – they don't see what goes on behind the scenes. It's because of this that I wanted to write this article.

Angela Lee Duckworth called it "grit", Elon Musk called it "chewing glass and looking into the abyss of death" … the one thing that anyone looking to bring their ideas to life is survivability – the ability to persist even when everyone else has either quit or been killed.

Every time you look back through history, at the * true * entrepreneurs … the Galileo's of the world; Magellan's; Sir Francis Drakes … we see the same pattern every time. A world-defining event that THEY survived. This was then brought to the market in some form or another, transforming the way that people live and are able to operate.

What most people think of as "entrepreneurship" … starting a "blog", running a "social media" account or some other menial achievement … is nothing worthy of note.

It doesn't * do * anything. It's paper pushing.

To "become" an entrepreneur is very simple.

Shut up and get to work. Most make the error of telling everybody what they're doing. Not only is this a mistake, but kills and chances of actually completing the task you set out to perform. Move in silence.

In terms of what you "do", this is also simple – focus on completing a task that pays you money. Don't worry about changing the world or anything up front, that comes later. Just get your head down and focus on making more money than the other guy, by producing the * best quality work * you can.

Imbue EVERYTHING you do with excellence – reaching to your highest possible potential to pull it off. This is what it takes to become successful.

What's interesting is if you do this, you end up finding opportunities that come out of the blue. They just appear without actually being forced in any way, allowing you to then develop "systems" which can be used to elevate your work to a new level.

It's these systems which end up being the hallmark of an entrepreneur – having the insight to create * new * systems gives you the ability to continue on your upwards spiral. It's also where the "best" entrepreneurs begin to shine – they typically are dogged enough to understand that putting a "system" out into the world is – by far – the most important aspect to achieving growth in life. This is where the "grit" element comes from.

[ad_2]

Source by Richard Peck

Views: 0

November 10, 2022
Problems Encountered by Nigerian Entrepreneur and Possible Solutions

[ad_1]

The success enjoyed by most industrialized countries can be attributed to the role played by technological innovation and entrepreneurship, both of which continue to drive their economies today. These two factors are seen as key components for the industrialization and development of African countries. The Nigerian government has recognized this fact and has taken measures aimed at promoting and cultivating the entrepreneurial culture in our country. Through the Nigerian Investing Commission (NIC), our government has in the past introduced a policy that required university students regardless of their area of study to take courses in entrepreneurship. While our government is putting extra effort in promoting entrepreneurship in Nigeria, there are still a number of problems that a Nigerian Entrepreneur faces. Below are some of the problems encountered and possible solutions.

* Diversifying the Economy

Though our country’s economy has over the last couple of decades relied heavily on its oil production, we must find ways to diversify our economy and avoid the over reliance on oil. Like other developing countries, Nigeria is facing an increase in its unemployment rate that is now at 6 % and is on the increase, with many graduates finding it hard to get jobs while most of those who get jobs are underemployed. This coupled with the global financial crisis in which massive numbers of employees are being laid off; entrepreneurship is seen as an essential key if we want our country to achieve its ambition of being an industrialized nation by the year 2020.

* Unfriendly Business Climate

Being an entrepreneur in Nigeria requires great determination as practicing and potential business owners are faced with countless challenges. Nigerian’s business climate should be made welcoming to those in the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). The role played by these MSMEs should not be underestimated since majority of the thriving businesses fall in this category and for us to achieve our goals, adequate attention and support must be directed towards these institutions. To be able to help and protect entrepreneurs, we must first have a clear idea of the challenges facing our entrepreneurs in their pursuit of making Nigeria a prosperous country.

* Lack of Credit Facilities

Potential Nigeria entrepreneurs go through many hardships when trying to access credit for their businesses. Though there is a wide range of financial institutions that offer business loans, they usually charge high interest rates deterring aspiring entrepreneurs. For instance, major banks have pegged their lending rates to as much a 28% deterring potential entrepreneurs who are mostly low income earners. Other obstacles faced by our entrepreneurs include severe collateral conditions set by banks and other lending institutions. Though our government through the Central Bank and the Banker’s Committee came up with guidelines requiring banks to set aside 10% of their profits for funding MSMEs, majority of these banks have been reluctant to do so. This has led to the emergence of micro-finance institutions which though helpful are not sufficient for meeting the financial requirements.

* Multiple Taxation

One other sensitive challenge that is encountered by majority of Nigerian entrepreneurs is multiple taxation. Although we have a responsibility of funding the government through paying taxes, most of the taxes charged on entrepreneurs are not lawful and have the effect of increasing the cost of doing business. Although Nigeria’s Companies Income Tax Act (CITA) has approved only 39 taxes and levies, there are over 500 various levies and taxes that are imposed by state and local government agents. These taxes are questionable and in the case where they are genuine, they are mostly duplicated and this has the effect of increasing the cost of doing business.

* Poor State of the Country’s Infrastructure

The state of our infrastructure can be deemed to be a nightmare to both entrepreneurs and the rest of the country’s population. With the existing infrastructure deteriorating and in some places it is non-existent; the cost of doing business has tremendously gone up. The state of the country’s road network makes it hard for entrepreneurs in the agricultural sector to transport harvested produce from farms to processing factories. According to a report released by the World Bank, Nigeria’s pace of socioeconomic development and growth is way below what we can achieve. This is mostly because of the erratic supply of electricity which has negatively affected many businesses. The outcome of power problems has prompted entrepreneurs to generate power through expensive ways that have in turn increased their production costs and made their products uncompetitive due to high prices. Our government should put policies in place to perk up Nigeria’s infrastructure so as to promote successful entrepreneurship.

* Failure to Adapt to the Changing Business Environment

Majority of those who venture into MSMEs (Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises) do so because of their need to make money and in almost all cases, such entrepreneurs lack relevant and adequate information about the businesses they engage in. In the event where problems arise, most of these business owners lack sufficient problem solving skills and in the end they find it hard to survive. With the telecommunications sector having grown by about 206.5 % between 2002 and 2004 and is continually expanding, Nigeria has become one of the fastest growing ICT market not only in Africa but also worldwide. This presents a challenge to entrepreneurs who have not embraced technology, and who are now finding it hard to remain relevant in the competitive business environment. For existing and potential MSMEs to survive and be relevant, we must adapt to the changing business environment and embrace technology.

* Addressing the Challenges

Solving the problems encountered requires a combined effort by both the entrepreneur and all concerned stakeholders. As Small and medium business owners, we need to increase our knowledge and skills of the market by acquiring relevant and up to date education particularly in your area of business. Our entrepreneurs need to collect information about their target market by seeking help from consultants and professionals who have experience in the particular market.

One strategy that can be used by our small and medium entrepreneurs to remain relevant and competitive in today’s market is to come up with fresh and creative ideas of doing business. Due to the increase in technology, business is fast changing, thus our MSMEs need to constantly re-invent the way they do business.

There is a great need of creating a strong link between MSMEs and supporting institutions if Nigeria is to fully benefit from such businesses. Though some financial institutions are still reluctant to provide financial assistance to MSMEs, there are some that give out loans at reasonable rates provided the business sounds viable. The key challenge is for our entrepreneurs to prepare sound business proposals. For our country to achieve its goals and stop relying on oil alone, we need to focus much attention needs on the private sector and our government must create a conducive atmosphere for such businesses to thrive and drive the country towards economic prosperity.

[ad_2]

Source by Peter O Osalor

Views: 0

November 9, 2022
The Five Pillars of Marketing Success

[ad_1]

Does the following give a pretty good picture of your current marketing activity?

You have a website but you’re not really satisfied with it. You go to networking events once in awhile. If someone asks you to give a talk, you’re happy to do it. You post on Facebook and/or LinkedIn semi-regularly. When you find the time, you send an article to those on your relatively small email list. You occasionally set up meetings with colleagues to explore opportunities.

Now there’s nothing wrong with any of those marketing activities. And usually, they will result in landing some new clients.

But this is not the approach that works to get a steady, predictable stream of new clients.

Please don’t tune me out here, thinking, “Well, I really can’t do more than this. I’m already stretched thin. If you give me too much to do I’ll get overwhelmed.”

I agree. It’s not that you need to do more marketing, it’s that you need to shift your marketing paradigm from one of “Randomness” to one that is “Focused.”

Random marketing is just that; it’s all over the place. You do a little bit here and a little bit there on an inconsistent basis. You are trying to keep your face, name, and message in front of your prospective clients but the results are unpredictable.

The Random marketing paradigm is not very effective because it doesn’t gain a lot of momentum. You don’t do enough of one marketing activity to grab the attention of your prospective clients and move them to take action.

The Focused Marketing Paradigm is very different. It’s based on repeatedly communicating very directly to your target market with a very definite end in mind. It gets the attention of your prospective clients and they ultimately take action.

The Focused Marketing Paradigm has Five Pillars

Understand and implement these five pillars and I promise you’ll see a shift in your marketing results.

Pillar One: Focused Goals

A Random goal is saying something like, “I’d like to attract a few more clients to my business.” Not very compelling is it?

A Focused goal is much more specific. “My goal is to land 3 new clients in the high-tech plastics business in the Houston area with an average project size of $30,000 each by the end of the year.”

The more detail, depth, and specificity about the goal, the better. You’ve really thought through what you want to achieve and also have confidence that you could deliver if you did reach your goal. It’s so real to you that you can taste it.

What is the Focused Goal for your marketing?

Pillar Two: Focused Program or Service

Random programs or services are generalized consulting, coaching or training programs. “I offer management consulting and training to corporations.” Kind of vague, right? But this is what I hear all the time.

A Focused Program or Service is more tangible. “I offer the high-tech plastics industry Management Acceleration Programs for emerging leaders in the industry.”

In my business, I’ve always offered programs: The Marketing Mastery Program, the Marketing Action Group, and the More Clients Club. And each program has very specific parameters, deliverables, and objectives. It sure makes intangible services easier to market and sell.

What is the Focused Program or Service you’re offering?

Pillar Three: Focused Target Market

In the above example, the target was the “high-tech plastics industry.” But it’s more common to hear things like, “I work with large companies who want to increase productivity.” This is too general and it makes it hard for clients to know if you understand them and can help them.

A Focused target market is where you are absolutely clear what kinds of people or companies can most benefit from your expertise. And then you articulate that clearly.

I worked with a financial planning company last year that targeted middle class families in the Buffalo New York area. Guess who they attracted to their practice? When people read about who they worked with on their website, they said, “That’s Us!” and called them.

Who exactly is your Focused Target Market?

Pillar Four: Focused Message and Value Proposition

A Random message or value proposition tends to be too general and can be hard to pin down. It avoids making a promise that is meaningful to the prospective client.

Messages such as, “We offer the best service in the industry,” or “Smart insights into great management,” are meaningless to your prospective clients. The value is not immediately obvious.

A Focused message or value proposition zeros in on exactly what your clients get and what it means to them. I admit that this can be the marketing pillar that is hardest to pin down. Ultimately you have to test a number of different things.

For the re-launch of the More Clients Club, my current value proposition is: “Everything Self-Employed Professionals Need in One Place to Attract More Clients.” And now, of course, I’m bending over backward to deliver on that promise.

And a marketing message or value proposition is much more than a sound bite. Your message must permeate every aspect of your marketing, from your website to the emails you send out. Your prospects need to be constantly reminded of the value you offer.

What is your Focused Message or Value Proposition?

Pillar Five: Focused Marketing Strategy

A Random marketing strategy is much like the collection of marketing activities I outlined at the top of the article. You’re just all over the place, throwing something at the wall, hoping it will stick, with no organized system or plan.

A Focused marketing strategy is more like a putting on a theatrical production. You have the script, the actors, rehearsals, and opening night, all executed on a strict timeline.

Two examples:

For my Marketing Mastery Program, I held a series of introductory teleconferences, invited those interested to apply for the program, interviewed each applicant, and then converted 50% into participants. Over a 6-week period, I filled my business for a full year – four years in a row.

A career coach in one of my programs recently filled her practice in three months with a focused campaign of personalized emails designed to get appointments with her ideal clients. Then she converted a large percentage into paying clients.

That’s the power of a focused marketing strategy.

You need to identify the right marketing strategy for your business, but even more important is the way you organize and implement the strategy.

Developing a focused strategy is the most complex and challenging of the Five Pillars. You can’t just put together something haphazardly and hope you get the equivalent of a professional Shakespearian production.

What is your Focused Marketing Strategy?

If you work to build a focused plan with these five solid pillars, your marketing will work better and faster, attracting more of your ideal clients, usually at a higher rate.

I recommend you work on one pillar at a time. Write them out and fine-tune them until you feel confident and excited about them. Yes, you will need to do some research and study to make sure your plan is viable. But this is certainly better than spinning your wheels with a random strategy that is going nowhere.

Cheers, Robert

[ad_2]

Source by Robert Middleton

Views: 0

November 9, 2022
Why You Have Failed in MLM Marketing Success

[ad_1]

So, you have failed in MLM marketing success. It's a bit cruel to point that out, but nevertheless, facts are facts. You may wonder how you have failed. You may be making your goals and building a replication machine but you have failed. You may not have realized that you have failed. So, the bitter truth is out there and here is how you failed. You chose a bad leadership style that focused on you and not the prospects. Now what can you do? Don't fret changing one style and focus is a challenge but it can be done and here are some guiding steps.

Changing mindset to serving from being served

One of the biggest errors for MLM marketing success is having the "I want to be served" attitude. The world doesn't owe you anything. To combat the problematic marketers many companies have switched to "let us serve" attitude and it works. Not only does it cleanse the soul from bad residue, it allows the marketer to define clear and realistic business goals that focus on helping. It allows one to critically think about their ethics and operation in an honest and transparent way.

Many of us don't like dealing with telemarketers at dinner time, but how many of you are using the same techniques as they are. To open the door for MLM marketing success, we should not interrupt but engage with content that is focused on helping our prospects. Even if it means never seeing a penny from them. That may be frustrating for many of you but money is only one tiny part for success here. Brand loyalists are worth their weight in gold. These fans are powerful resources that could become teammates in the future. It is wise not to lose hope and give up after 3 minutes of failure or so. Treat each relationship like it's the only one you will ever have and see what happens.

The technical side to your MLM marketing success

Once you've changed your style and move into the serve first, you can then look into the technical aspect to the marketing. Does your content reek of overly promotional material? Good content does not talk about you. It helps answer problems or provide detailed insight. Are you publishing on a regular schedule or are you over publishing? It's great that you share quotes but where is the practical hands on advice that you could share.

[ad_2]

Source by David L. Feinstein

Views: 1

July 30, 2022