Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Wellness Budget: Good For Business

When it comes to business, budget is a word we use a lot. You need a budget to know what you want to spend. You need a budget to keep it all in line so that you are able to actually earn a profit. Without a budget, you simply spend more money right?

Well actually, there are one of two things that happen when you have no budget:

1. Your company spends and spends with no regard for costs or future planning
2. Your company spends nothing

Whether you are talking about uncontrolled spending or no spending in business, issues are likely. Either way, you have a problem. If you spend too much, you are hurting the business and by cutting into profits and keeping expenses high. If you spend nothing, what services are you missing out on? Your business may not be equipped as it should be or lacking something that it needs to succeed.

That is the case when I see companies fail to budget for business needs. No matter what the tool, system or training, if you don't use it, you won't get the benefits from it. While there are things that hold more value than others, I have yet to see a legitimate business product or service that wasn't designed to improve the way you operate. It may not always save your company money, but the goals are usually centered around making your company more money or providing tools to save time or make things easier to manage. The point is, it pays to budget for business improvements. It pays to budget for business needs in general.

Wellness is a business need. When you have a wellness program up and running within your company, you are able to save money on healthcare costs, keep employees at work and productive while they are there and attract more good people that want to work in a healthy, energetic environment. These things do not come automatically. They are the results of a plan to strategically make them happen.

In order to make anything happen, you need a plan. Part of planning in any area of business is coming up with a budget. You have to decide what resources are going into a solution before you start implementing that solution. Just like any other resource, if you don't set a budget, you either spend way too much and it is difficult to show a return on your investment.

This is common, but I don't worry about it as much. The fact that a company is doing something usually makes them successful to some degree. It is important to note that the more detailed the plan, the better the results. It is still possible to spend too much. A company just getting started doesn't need a robust system that involves a great deal of technology, tracking, reporting or otherwise. A company just getting started needs to get started. Getting started is more about planning than spending.

What happens when a company doesn't spend anything? That is the second problem that can arise from no budget. If there is no budget set aside, your company won't spend money on something. No matter how much you want to do it, see value in it or know you should do it, without a budget, it won't fit into your plans and your company won't invest in it.

This usually leads to prolonged pre-planning, frustration and foot-dragging when it comes time to start again. Each time the idea comes up and discussions ensue, without talks of a budget, the conversation will only go so far and therefore the actions and results you can hope for are only going to go so far.

Not having a budget is more dangerous than most companies think. When it comes to wellness, there is an obvious need to create change across your organization. If that change is not created, there are major consequences coming in the very near future. These consequences will continue to come, they will grow and they will not go away. That is well-established.

We've seen the healthcare trend and what it means to businesses. Employees are becoming more and more dependent on health insurance and other medical products or procedures. This is costing companies more and more money every year. That is why we are creating wellness programs. If we can help employees live healthier, they can use less health care and save companies money. This is not a new fact and it is not something that will go away.

There is actually another consequence of not having a budget:

- Paying more because you are trying to fix problems rather than moving forward with a planned budget

It starts with not having a budget, but it continues to get worse. If you have no budget, you are not planning on spending anything. But, what happens when you are forced to spend on something? You have to pay a bill or cover an expense, no matter what you had "planned" on paying or not paying. If it comes due, you owe it.

Trusting Banks For Your Investments



Purchasing a home or a vehicle can cost a great deal of money that most people do not have in the bank. Because of this, many people are forced to seek financing from banks. This can be a frightening decision, because you are signing over a lot by saying you will pay the bank back for its loan. It is important to find one that will offer loans at a lower interest rate.

It is also important to have a financial payback schedule that you will be able to keep up with, and it is important that the banks you invest with also have a good reputation among their customers.

Finding a bank that will offer low-interest-rate loans is important. Interest can be frustrating, because it was not part of the original cost of your vehicle. It is important to pay your loan back quickly so that you do not accrue a great deal of interest while paying back your loan.

The financial plan for your loan is also an important consideration, because you should be able to actually keep up with the payments. Before choosing one of the banks in your area to help with your financing, you will want to ask them about their payment plans. With too long of a plan, your interest will accumulate a great deal. Keep this in mind, and try to find a balanced option.

The reputation of a bank is another important aspect of finding a bank to help you with your investment. In order to find out about the reputation of any bank in your area, you can ask friends or coworkers who they have used for investments and whether they have been pleased with the results.

After looking at a few banks and talking to those you know about their reputations, you should have a good idea as to which one you would like to lean toward using for your investment. Ultimately, it will be up to them whether or not they will give you the money you need. If you do not have a job or a good credit rating, then you may not get the help you were hoping for from the bank you had chosen.

If for some reason you are having a difficult time getting any bank to give you a loan, then you may want to find a financial advisor who can help you with your issues. You may end up having to wait before making the investment you were hoping to make.

When you are denied a loan, it probably is a frustrating experience. When this happens, look to renting a home or buying a used vehicle. In the long run, it might be the best option so that you do not find yourself with a foreclosure.

Get Real Help For Reducing The Taxing Costs Of Heating



The need for reducing the cost of wintertime heating bills is very real and highly significant. For so many families, the detrimental costs are creating financial issues that require impossible choices. There are some well known options such as sealing windows and closing doors to unused rooms. There are also other options that are not as well known but are also highly effective.

The difference between heat staying inside the home and heat leaving the home quickly really boils down to quality insulation. The right kind of insulation in the right place prevents the warmer air from simply disintegrating right through the walls. Most building codes do not have high enough requirements to secure the heat on the inside where it does its job.

The most essential part of creating an efficient house for the winter is finding the weak areas and solidifying strength of protection it offers. The most vivid demonstration of this is found along the outer walls. Place your hand against an outer wall and you are bound to feel how much colder it is than the inner wall.

What is truly frustrating is that there are insulation materials and strengths that can prevent this kind of noticeable transference. The simple fact of the matter is that it is not required and thus builders do not use it during the construction stage.

Not every wall is going to be as susceptible to temperature changes. The outer material also plays a role in determining the heat retention of the home. It is also highly likely that there are hidden draft routes that are allowing the cold air to come in through vents, pipes, and other installations that pass through the house from the outside to the inside.

Fixing these areas and adding the right insulation to the proper areas can change everything when it comes to providing heating efficiency. It often takes a lot less effort and money than you think. With seasonal changes perpetually around the corner there is never a bad time to get the help you need for creating a more comfortable environment.

With home energy audits Portland families can keep their toes warm for less and Boston homes will face snowfall without worry. An examination of the house is the primary way to saving money and reducing energy use. Vital information regarding the drafts and leaks that you need to address can help you preserve comfort well beyond what you imagined.

Tax Preparation Should Be Done By Professionals

The income tax season is a time that many people dread. That's because they hate the thought of having to give up some of their money. Then, there are those who enjoy this particular time of year, because they look forward to all of the money they will be getting back. Whatever the case may be, whether you fall into the first category or the second, it's important that you realize the importance of hiring a tax preparation specialist.

You may be one of the people who never bother with this particular issue, because in your mind you can save the money and do the job yourself. If you do in fact follow this way of thinking, you may actually be hurting yourself in the long run. There are several reasons why it's always best to hire a tax preparation specialist as opposed to doing the work on your own.

First of all, these professionals are up to date on all of the constantly changing laws in regards to taxes. They also have the proper amount of experience, expertise and background knowledge to do things the right way. Therefore, they are less likely to skip over or omit important portions of the paperwork. In other words, a tax preparation specialist can get the job done correctly and efficiently.

Part of you still may be thinking that hiring professionals isn't necessary. However, without their help, there's a good chance that you could either get into serious trouble, or you may even miss out on a great amount of money. That's because one of the things that these specialists are responsible for is helping to make sure that their clients are repaid all of the taxes that they are due.

So, instead of missing out on hundreds or even thousands of dollars because you didn't file your information correctly, you would have an opportunity to get more money than you first expected. Of course, this isn't because these specialists are out to manipulate the system. Rather, they are more aware of the different ways that people can get extra credit on their taxes.

As previously mentioned, a tax preparation specialist can also keep people out of trouble with the IRS (Internal Revenue Service). Contrary to those who may get refunds, there are also people who have to pay up.

Imagine if you were one of these people, for instance. If you are inexperienced in this area, there's a good chance that you could miscalculate some of the numbers.

Saturday, August 18, 2012

4 Things You Should Be Able To Expect From Your Advertising Company



As the owner or manager of a business, whether large or small, you'll need the help of a really good advertising company. Advertising is a very important field because it enables you to communicate information about your company's products and services to your target market. In fact, it is very difficult to survive in an increasingly competitive environment unless you promote your business correctly.

You'll need to select your advertising company with a great deal of care. In fact, you ought to be able to depend on your agency for the following:

- Detailed marketing solutions, and not just advertising: The term advertising agency is actually a misnomer. These companies should be able to help you promote your product across different channel and media. If all it does are create print, television or radio ads for you then you are being short changed. Your business will definitely suffer because of this.

- Dedication to increasing your profitability: A good advertising company is one that works towards increasing your profitability and not just creating ads that win awards. The company should make it its business to understand what your customers want so that it can advise you accordingly. As a matter of fact, the best ad companies consider themselves to be a part of the client's marketing team.

- Service at short notice: It is true that the best marketing and advertising campaigns are created when the agency is not rushed for time. Even so, there might be instances when you require urgent assistance from your agency. For instance, you might need brochures for a particular event that you have suddenly decided to participate in. Be sure to hire a company that can accommodate your requirements at very short notice so that you don't get caught on the wrong foot during times such as this.

- High quality ads that your customers can relate to: This is what it all boils down to. If the company cannot be depended upon for effective advertisements then should you really be dealing with it?

Your association with your advertising company is ideally a long-term one. This ensures that the agency understands your requirements and is able to offer you the desired level of service. You'll also be able to negotiate the best possible rates if you have a long term association with a particular agency. You therefore need to be very careful when selecting one to do business with.

A World Of Opportunities Out There

Running a home on a single salary these days can be quite tough. Even if you are one of those lucky households that does not have this problem, as a stay-at-home mom, there is more that you can do with your time and skills. When looking for a business idea, you first need to assess your skills and play them up.

If you have a way with words, then there is a whole world of freelance writing that you can look at. Set yourself up as a one-person business stop for PR writing, SEO writing, features, blogs and more. The online world of content constantly needs to be fed and if you are good, work will keep flowing your way.

If you have good baking skills, then there is a business idea right there. But remember it is not a new one. Work on an aspect of baking that is unique to your target market? How about getting into just savoury products? Or setting up a baking service that does everything in mini size - these could be great for parties, corporate meetings, high teas and the like. You could also specialize in cakes that have art work done in gum paste, fondant and even marzipan. The trick is to have something on offer that others don't.

For those stay at home mothers with a good sense of fashion, you could set up a style makeover business where people turn to you for a complete wardrobe makeover. You can easily do this online as well. You could also become a shopping assistant in the virtual world and help people choose outfits that are best for them.

If you are creative, then there are several school and corporate projects that could use your help. People can approach you to come up with a novel idea for a fancy dress competition or for a corporate giveaway. If you are able to create a network that can look into the creation of this requirement from start to finish, you are bound to have a large number of requests coming your way. These requirements can be for science projects, homecoming balls, sorority parties, proms, corporate exhibitions and more. There are several places where creativity can help a great deal.

And if you are a great cook, one who loves to try out cuisine from all over, you could start live video classes of your recipes. Though you may have to start out for free in the beginning, once the word spreads these classes can be limited and with a comfortable price tag.

Develop A Customer Referral Program

One of the best ways to reach new customers is through existing customers. We have found the most successful method of getting your customers talking about your business with people that trust their opinion is through developing a customer referral program. There are several key components to a successful customer referral program including: rewarding leads, educating customers about the program, and maintaining a high level of customer support and service. If you have not developed a program for client referrals then your business is missing out on this excellent channel. Take the time to develop great incentives for your existing customers to talk about your business and you will unleash a large sales force into the community you do business in.

Rewards

- Create a rewards system for participants in your customer referral program

- Cash incentives work well but also consider offering discounts on existing and/or future orders, special services or product offerings, more rewards for customers who refer more business or gift certificates and tickets to special events. All of these choices work well when selected for the specific client receiving them

- Be open about the incentives and deliver quickly when a customer creates a referral

- Define what types of actions receive rewards. Some businesses may provide rewards benefits to customers that send in new leads while others may need the business to actually close a deal in order to provide the incentive.

Education

- Let customers know that you are looking for more business, if you don't ask for leads you may be missing out on great referrals.

- Inform customers about the process of providing a referral so they will get credit for referring the business.

- Send reminder emails & include mentions of your customer referral program on your website and other communications with customers.


Customer Service

- People refer business to people they like and great customer service will achieve this.

- Make sure that customer service representatives are trained to remind customers about the business lead referral program.

Build an awesome ecosystem of happy customers by providing a great product or service and follow through with exemplary customer service and you are well on your way to creating a huge sales force of happy clients telling their friends and business associates about your business. Build a customer referral program and you'll have that next layer needed to really incentivize a group of customers telling everyone about your business that will help drive hot leads to your sales team for the close.

Tips and Advice For First Time Buyers

Before the house hunt begins, it's important that all prospective buyers read up on the homebuying process so they know what, or what not to expect. Familiarising themselves with the situation is in the property market at the moment will give them a step in the right direction.

The first question all prospective home owners should ask themselves is "can I afford to buy?" While this may seem rather obvious, many first time buyers rush in to the decision and often end up wishing they had spent more time calculating their finances. If you simply cannot afford to buy at a given time, wait. Wait, keep saving and cut back on unnecessary expenses until prices naturally drop.

Today most houses will require a deposit of at least 10%, for many this will be significantly higher. However, it's worth remembering the additional costs of home buying as well. Besides raising money for the deposit, there's also survey costs and mortgage arrangement fees, insurance costs as well as the cost of fitting out the house itself.

For young couples, the obvious advantage is their combined wages. However, any singles out there looking to buy property may find it twice as difficult to save the funds required. The best solution here is to team up with a friend or relative to pool funds together, apply for a joint mortgage and perhaps work out some sort of legal contract.

Remember, don't pay too much! In today's market, developers are desperate to sell. While some may overprice properties to begin, it's your job to make an offer and get a good deal.

Despite money worries, it's important not to let this be the sole deciding factor for you and your home. The right location is, and should be key for choosing a home. Distance to family, friends and of course, work, is an influential factor for the majority of buyers. Some people choose to move away from the areas they know to find cheaper locations for buying property. However, don't simply settle for a location you don't like or haven't got to know just because the prices are cheaper. It will only affect your happiness in the long term.

4 Ways to Ensure That You Select the Best Ad Agency

dvertising is a highly specialized field and it is also very important in ensuring your company's success. Whether you work for a large corporation or own your own home-based business, you are bound to require the services of a good advertising company. If you are planning to hire the best ad agency, then you should certainly use the following tips:

1. The agency has plenty of experience dealing with a company like yours: This will ensure that the agency has a good understanding of what environment your business operates in. If you are in the music business then your agency should have detailed knowledge about this industry.

2. The agency is able to take care of all your advertising needs: There is more to promoting a product than just using advertising. Besides, there are many different media that can be used from time to time. A good advertising agency should be able to help you create print, radio and television ads. Each of these media requires different styles of advertisements. A good ad agency will have plenty of employees on board so that it is able to meet all your requirements.

3. The agency is able to offer you personalized attention: You'll need to be able to count on your advertising agency to offer you prompt service. A good way to ensure this is to select an agency that is more or less comparable with the size of your company. If yours is a small business then it is best that you hire an agency of the similar size. If you hire a very large company then you might not get the personalized attention you deserve; these companies normally reserve their best resources for large clients.

4. The company should have expertise in internet marketing: The field of marketing has changed tremendously over the past few years. If your ad agency cannot help you promote your business on the internet then you will not get the maximum benefit from it. Keep in mind that increasingly large numbers of people use the internet for getting information and entertainment.

Each client has different criteria when it comes to selecting the best ad agency. Make sure that you understand your needs properly so that you can make a proper selection. If you have the services of the best ad agency, then you can stay rest assured to aim higher in life with absolutely no issues to pop up.

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Tips To Organise an Office Removal

If your business has experienced a boost, it is very likely that you will need a new, bigger office. Sounds easy? Well, don't forget you have to move everything to the new location. Organising an effective, hassle free office removal is not a very easy task. Let's see a few tips to make it quick and efficient.

Plan ahead

It is important to know that an efficient office removal cannot be organised in one week. The longer you plan, the better the final result. You need time to evaluate your employees' needs, your business needs and to arrange all the necessary help.

No disruption

It's not just about the removal itself. You probably do not want to create any problem to your work environment: you should make the transition from one office to another as smooth as possible. Try to make use of the weekend, so that your business can continue to operate without interruptions.

Your staff

Let your staff know about the removal schedule. Ask them to pack their desk items and label them correctly. Communicate as much as you can so that they will understand every single aspect of the move and organise their work accordingly. Show them the new floor plan so that they will be able to visualize the new office beforehand. You can also think about creating new staff groups to make a better use of the new space. Do not allow them to do moving work like lifting heavy items. Also, celebrate with them and clearly explain how the new office will make everyone's life much easier!

The right company

Go DIY is probably a bad choice. A good office removal company can execute the office move in a very limited amount of time. Make sure you have a clear idea about the cost of the service with a full quote including office inventory, insurance and packing/unpacking of all office equipment and furniture. Ask other business owners for a recommendation. Do not trust companies who tell prices on the phone: they can provide an exact quote only looking at the office you are in and getting detailed information about the new one you are moving to. Make sure they have been in business for a while, their quote has no hidden extra fees and they own removal equipment.

Getting The Best Commercial Cleaning Service

It is essential to get the best commercial cleaning service you can find in and around London. This might not necessarily be the largest firm, but should be the most reliable and trustworthy. Choosing a medium-sized organization will help ensure you get a personalized service that is always professional.

Having a nice clean working environment is very important. It instantly makes staff feel more productive and more willing to work than somewhere that is dirty and grimy. A nice fresh smelling tidy space will also give any clients or visitors the right impression about the way you run your business and they will be far more inclined to want to work with you.

There are numerous different services available depending on your needs. Some are quite specialized while others are standard. Although you might want regular cleaning several times a week, there are bound to be times when you require something a little more.

For instance, if your office carpet is looking a little grubby, then it might be time for it to have a deep cleansing session. Any air ducts need regular cleaning to make sure they function properly, and this will help keep your energy bills lower. Blinds need regular attention as they can be real dust traps.

Other services which you might not have thought of include vending machines, and having your PCs regularly cleaned, and telephones sanitized to keep staff illnesses to a minimum. Having sparkling clear windows will help get more light into your building and automatically lifts spirits.

All window washers are properly trained and have the correct insurance. They have various methods of obtaining access to high level areas or can use platforms or can abseil. All of the services on offer are designed to be cost-effective whilst not cutting corners on quality or safety.

Cleaners are properly trained, and take pride in their work. They can come in at any hour of the day or night to fit around your schedule. This ensures everything looks good at the start of the working day.

7 Steps to Starting Your Own Business Venture

It's not as hard as it might seem, I promise. Starting your first business is so incredibly fun! But that's not to say it doesn't come with work. In fact, I'll be honest, getting a business up and running takes time, but it doesn't have to take forever.

Fortunately, there are 7 easy steps you can take right now to get your business off to a running head start.

Don't get flustered by the paperwork or all the sales and marketing tactics; all of that is just part of getting it all up and running so you can make money doing what you love AND serving the people you were born to teach.

With these 7 easy steps, you'll be running for your computer eager to get started! (At least that's how I was).

1) Get clear about your vision. What is it you love to do, talk about, or have a skill in that you'd like to share with the world. Obviously, starting a business means you'll have to sell something in order to make money, but what people are failing to tell you is you can start a business doing whatever the heck you want... as long as there is a big enough market who'll buy it.

2) Find out what people want. Asking friends, family, affinity groups, community, or even strangers you meet at the grocery store what they struggle with is a great way to survey what people are searching for and how you can translate that into your vision so you stay motivated in your business.

3) Research your Competition. Now, you know I'm not a big believer in competition, I think there is a market for every small business owner, you just have to fine tune what it is you are selling to resonate with what it is you do for a living. Researching your competition is really just taking note of what products are currently being sold out there (that are actually making money) and modifying them a bit. Not hard, right?

4) Develop your brand. This is a big one and more often than not it's what small business owners are completely forgetting, especially holistic business owners. Having a clear brand that conveys who you are and what you do in an authentic manner is going to make or break your business. Don't be afraid to hire a coach to help you develop these skills.

5) Decide what medium you'll use. Whether you are writing ebooks, online programs, video trainings, webinars, speaking engagements, one-on-one coaching, or have a tangible product, it's important to pick one (maybe two) or these mediums to start out with and truly become an expert in this medium. Too often start-up businesses try to be everything to everyone, and that's just not effective, and quite frankly dilutes your message. Choose the medium you feel most comfortable with and then challenge yourself as you grow into your business.

5 Quick Tips to Feeling Powerful in Your Business



Empowerment:
make (someone) stronger and more confident, esp. in controlling their life and claiming their rights

So what does it take to feel empowered? And why does it slip away at times and leave us feeling disempowered? I pondered this very thought for many years. Some days I would wake up ready to take on the world while others left me stuck in a rut or feeling stranded with no one to pick me up-- especially with regards to starting your own business. It seems to be a natural part of life to have the ups and downs, but when it comes to feeling powerful; it truly can be something that stays with us even in our weaker moments.

When left to our own devices it's easy to let small things weight us down and block us from what our natural path, especially in business.

Owning a business is the best therapy session of your life!

To help generate some positive energy and get back to working on what matters--bringing your message into the world--here are 5 Quick Tips to help you bring back your empowerment when those not-so-lovely feelings show up and strip you of your self-confidence and help you become a money magnet:

Understand that feeling disempowered is a message from your divine guidance network. Allow the feelings to develop and then look for hidden messages. It's those messages that will give you the creativity or boost of self-confidence to get going. Perhaps it's an oddity with an animal or butterflies are surrounding your car, Google these occurrences! They have important messages.

Get back to the basics of why you started your business in the first place. Adjust your mission statement and revisit your big "Why." This will be a terrific reminder that you are doing great things in the world and will help relinquish any upsets that are brought out on any given day.

Discuss your insecurities with a business coach. Sometimes discussing business woos with friends and loved ones isn't always the best medicine. Being an entrepreneur is difficult and not everyone understands what you're going through. Find an expert to talk to; you'll be surprised to find out they had/have the same issues.

Read motivating books. The words on the pages of any motivational (or creative) book will encourage you to think about a problem or a frustration with a new state of mind and mostly, help you gain clarity or learn a new angle for your business approach. I'm particularly fond of looking at home decor books and letting my brain uncover new arrangements to bringing new chi into my environment. (Check out my top 10 Motivational Books)

Enroll in a coaching program. Sign-up for freebies or short programs that will help get you to the next stage of your business. More often than not, the feeling you're experiencing is due to lack of clients or lacking good marketing tactics.

Make it a priority to learn different things and try a few of them on for size. You just might be surprised how good it makes you feel and makes your bank account happy too!

Angel Quintana, CNC, HHP is the holistic business coach behind Angel Quintana, Inc., a holistic empire devoted to empowering the new entrepreneur to discover their marketing style so they can attract the right clients, create financial prosperity, and become a trendsetter in their industry. If you like the article you've read, you'll love Angel's dynamic business building products that will help you grow your business and do it all with your own personal style.

Monday, June 18, 2012

5 Top Promotional Products for Your Business

Promoting your business is a 24/7 job in itself. One of the top ways of business promotion is by giving away products that will remind the customer of your business. The products will also market your business. The following are examples of promotional products; shirts, hats, sweatshirts, pants, pens, mugs, glasses, pennants, stickers, key chains, and calendars. The company's main task in regards to promotional products is to get the company logo on everything available. Below are the Top 5 best rated promotional products to market your business.

#1: T-Shirts

T-shirts with the company logo on it is a great way to attract customers and build your business. Potential clients and current customers will see the logo and understand what line of work you are in. If the logo stands out the people will always remember it, and keep it in mind when they want to hire the business's services. It is also a good idea to give customers or potential customers free t-shirts that represent your business. People love free merchandise and when they wear the shirts, other people may ask them a question about the business. In reality your customers are advertising for you without even knowing it. This creates a lot of exposure and popularity for your business.

#2: Hats/Caps

Hats or ball caps with the business logo on it can be a very rewarding promotional product that will help market and expand your business. Large quantities of people enjoy wearing caps or hats. Giving away hats to customers or potential customers will help the business. As stated above, the business owner can wear the hat and also give them out to current or potential customers. The customers can wear the hats or caps. Wearing the hats will have potential customers ask questions about the business and what the business does.

#3: Writing Pens

Writing pens can often be overlooked, but if the business logo is a powerful image the pen may be a great business product. Pens are very cheap and can be given out to family, friends, customers, and potential customers. The pens, just like the hats or shirts, will market your business in a positive way.

#4: Calendars

Creating business calendars can cost a lot, but also can help the business gain a lot of customers. The business can put their logo on the calendar and also offer special coupons that can be cut out of the calendar. The business can offer coupons during various months of the year. Not only will this method gain business, but it will also gain business during slower times of the year.

#5: Mugs/Glasses/Bottles

Many people drink beverages during the day and night. Businesses can benefit by putting

Creating Professional Business Cards

Your client is now at the point where it's time to find some quality business cards. They need to be short, sweet, and to the point. Stylish, but professional enough for the real world. Here's how.

Formatting

The first difficulty that you're going to face is ensuring that you don't lose any of your design during the printing and cutting process of the card that you are designing. You also need to be aware that if your client is in another country, the size of their business cards may change. Once you know the size that you need, you need to make sure that you have a bleed that gives you room for the cutting and printing process.

A bleed simply allows a margin of error on the outside of your design.

Finish that, and then decide what orientation the card is going to be made. Vertically or horizontally. Last step in this process is to make sure that you have the proper resolution to create a sharp image when the printing process is complete. Setting your creation to about 300 DPI is ideal.

Design

First step is to find a place for your client's logo. Remember that the logo is responsible for showing off the business. It should be in a place that's easy enough to see, and draws in anyone who sees it. There should be a one-line slogan or pitch involved as well. It needs to be quick and easy to read. It should be catchy, yet professional.

Then you have the obvious parts to complete the purpose of a business card. Contact information and a website or publicly available e-mail address.

Quick tip. Use a proper font. These cards aren't going out the children, generally. These cards are a professional miniature billboard. The font should be readable, and professional. No Comic Sans. No unreadable script.

Printing and the Final Steps

It doesn't matter if your design is amazing and perfect, and all your information fits beautifully. If you print it on low quality paper, whoever receives the card is going to think it came off of a home printer. Think of what fits the client's expectations, and adjust accordingly. Stay within budget, but don't pass up on quality. What kind of paper is up to you, check out the options at your print shop.

The Lowdown on the Online MBA

Those interested in pursuing an M.B.A. have a lot of options: full-time or part-time programs, abbreviated courses designed specifically for executives, and joint degrees with other academic disciplines, to name a few. In the past decade, another option has emerged and continues to gain popularity: online M.B.A. degrees.

While the quality of online M.B.A. degrees left much to be desired during their early days, their attributes have steadily improved over the past few years, as have their pedigrees. The University of North Carolina's Kenan-Flagler Business School made headlines recently when it announced the launch of a two-year online M.B.A. program. Other highly ranked programs allowing students to complete degrees online include Indiana University's Kelley School of Business and Spain's IE Business School. As the demand continues to grow for such programs, it's possible to imagine future M.B.A. students obtaining Harvard Business School degrees without once setting foot in Cambridge.

Approximately 11,000 students are currently pursuing online M.B.A. degrees at some 90 institutions accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. It's easy to understand the appeal of these programs. Many M.B.A. seekers have jobs they don't want to leave or families they don't want to uproot; to them, completing an online program is more appealing than moving to a new city to pursue a full-time two year degree. Given the lower cost of online degrees, the current economy has further heightened the appeal of online M.B.A. programs.

Yet students pursuing their degrees online inevitably give up many benefits offered by full-time programs. While technology allows online students to easily communicate with their professors and even carry on discussions with their fellow learners, they don't participate in campus clubs and interact with their cohorts during study sessions and off-campus activities, which are big parts of the b-school experience. Opportunities for internships and recruiting are, by and large, far less prominent for the online student. Many of them also face the added stress of completing challenging course material while trying to maintain their career at the same time, something full-time M.B.A.s usually don't have to worry about.

Clearly, however, the online degree has become a viable option. If you decide that the online M.B.A. experience is right for you, there are a couple of things you should look for in a program. Ideally, choose one that is accredited by the aforementioned Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, which also accredits all of the top brick-and-mortar b-schools and ensures that the program meets educational standards.

Most online programs you encounter will claim to be accredited by some organization, but some of these accreditations don't amount to much. The AACSB does not accredit for-profit programs such as the University of Phoenix and Kaplan University. While you can certainly learn business basics from such programs, they don't represent the same level of instruction you will receive from programs that adhere to the same educational standards as the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and the Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management.

Disc Jockeys - Painless Scheduling

Disc jockeys, short for DJs, are individuals who are hired to provide entertainment to the masses by playing music. The music is recorded and stored in compact disks, flash disks, hard drives or any other storage device. What should be noted here is that the DJ does not sing. He only plays recorded songs and sounds. Disc jockeys can be classified into various groups based on the type and style of music that they choose to play. Regardless of this difference, all disc jockeys share a lot of similar duties and responsibilities. Below is a list of some of the duties and responsibilities that these individuals are required to cater to.

One responsibility that is required of these individuals is to know their music. They need to be constantly informed of new sound tracks that hit the market and how the public reacts to these songs. Once they've successfully found the songs that the public likes they can then stock them up to be played on a given entertainment venue that the jockey will be hosting. The exercise of staying informed and up to date can be very time consuming. These professionals cannot simply sit by the radio or watch television to see which new songs have been released. With that thought, most DJs choose to become part time radio presenters. Call it killing two birds with one stone.

Language skills are very important where the hosting of events is concerned. In a prominent club, for instance, the jockey is required to be able to announce the arrival of various personalities and celebrities. For this to work out he or she needs to be able to do a bit of research on the personalities or celebrities that live in a given region. Ofcourse, this only applies to top DJs.

Conducting interviews is another responsibility that DJs have. This especially applies to DJs who have part time day jobs as radio presenters. They need to learn how to introduce their guests to the public and how to ask questions objectively - without making insinuations or judgements. They should also know when to push for information and when to avoid certain touchy subjects.

Lastly, are required to be tech-savvy individuals. As these professionals transition from the old school way of hosting shows to using computer programs to present music, they are required to undergo formal training to be able to handle sensitive and pricy equipment. It is slowly becoming a mandatory requirement that all party entertainers know how to operate computers so that they can start mixing using virtual programs.

Handling all these responsibilities can be quite exhausting especially if one doesn't know how to manage their time well. That's why DJs are requested to consider using online booking systems or online scheduling systems to be able to manage their responsibilities with ease. Basically, these are systems that were created to help individuals with hectic careers to be able to simplify their work life. Like the name suggests, they require the internet to be able to function. They can only be installed in electronic devices that support browsers and can connect to the internet.

Business Creativity for a Successful Business

Creative business is definitely about self-respect, setting up the course for that journey you take your customers on and to come along at your art. A creative passion is in the mind of every enterprise. Entrepreneurs develop their own creative capabilities into successful businesses in the creative as well as cultural areas.

Essentially the most key components for a productive business is to be creative or innovative. Creativeness is one aspect of a business formula which also involves important decisions regarding which particular creative services or goods to provide - and also which specific customers to provide. To be imaginative we will need to be able to carry out things in a different way; it is the procedure of generating and acquiring good strategies and then converting these into something useful.

The key to have great business creativity is to see creativity as a strategic method. There's theater to creative business. Everything you market is just as much about artistry as it's regarding your art. How your client experiences your current artistry is precisely what matters. In case what you do needs three actions, there is no sense forcing it into just one. You rob your innovative business of the arcs all great stories are built on. To state that you're not given sufficient time by the customer may be correct, but all too often it is self-inflicted. Make no mistake, you, your own art, as well as your innovative business are storytellers.

Creativity is important, but not sufficient. It's fatal to assume that creativity alone warrants or guarantees business success. To have a design to feature sustained importance, it has to get connected to an organization's existing program, brought to market effectively and then reflect or direct to an organizational process which produces even further creativity. Like many intangible assets that remain within organizations, being creative within isolation is no sure way to success.

Creativity as well as design are key factors in acquiring a productive business but they are not the only elements. All the proper processes has to be incorporated too. Take a breath. Have your creative business take a breath. Gain benefit from the tough conversation with your customer. You simply can't make it happen yesterday, however tomorrow will be more than worth the wait.

Creativity might or might not be educated, yet we need to produce the proper conditions for it to prosper. We have to be ready to take risks. As a result we also need to be ready for the chance of failure and to learn from these results. Allow your individuals permission and the freedom to be creative. Understand that some ideas will probably be game changers yet others will be incremental advancements. Thus, set evident objectives so that the ideas generated serve a purpose.