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Category: entrepreneur

  • help entrepreneurs

    
    Help for Entrepreneurs

    There’s good news for entrepreneurs who need help but aren’t ready to hire full-time employees. Between January and July 2004, the ranks of part-time workers grew from 24.3 million to 25.5 million according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. It was also learned that from June to July the increase came from people who wanted to work part-time and not because they couldn’t find full-time employment.

    It seems that 1.7 million part-timers hold two or more part-time jobs, and do this by choice. Such workers will be harder to convert to full-time employees because they like the diversity of different jobs.

    This all translates into benefits for the entrepreneur who needs help but can’t hire full-time employees. The employment gurus don’t expect this part-time preference to pass anytime soon. It seems that the appeal of a reduced schedule is strong both for seniors and baby boomers nearing retirement. Parents who have interrupted careers to care for their children but still want to work may also explain the boom.

    Entrepreneurs should eagerly look to this pool of workers and eagerly employ part-time help. A big reason is that employer-paid health insurance and other benefits add costs equal to more than 50 percent of the average employee’s gross earnings. A part-time employer can get by with a low-cost factor, and still find somebody reliable and efficient.

    Looking at the boom of part-timers seems like a win-win situation for entrepreneurs and workers alike. Check the prospect out with your accountant and you may find that you come out a winner and less stressed.

  • identity theft

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    5 Tips For Identity Theft Protection

    This is that time of year when we all start getting those emails that want to purloin our secret codes and passwords. You know the ones that have subject lines like: Your Account Is About To Be Closed, Theres A Block On Your Account, Could You Help Me Claim My Funds, or my all-time favorite Congratulations Youve Won The UK Lottery.

    This is the time of year when we are all shopping for gifts for family or customers, and the last thing we need is for our bank or credit cards account to be hindered. That is exactly what these cyber grifters are counting on, and unfortunately some of us are tempted to follow the instructions sent to investigate.

    First and foremost, DONT FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS IN THE EMAIL! If you think there might be a problem, access the account in question as you normally do on your PC and not with the link supplied in the phony email.

    Ive had some very authentic looking email supposedly from banks, that even went so far as to copy the colors of the bank logo and stationery style. But, dont fall for the scam. In fact, dont even open the email, because many are just set to loose a virus program on your computer by being opened. Simply forward the suspicious email to the spoof email address supplied by your bank, or credit card company.

    Nearly 10 million Americans fell prey to identity theft last year, costing businesses and individuals billions of dollars. Here are some other tips to help you:

    Understand debit card dangers: Greater liability than credit cards. When it comes to fraud, debit cards carry much greater personal liability than credit cards, depending on how quickly you report the loss of the card. If you fail to report unauthorized use within 60 days of receiving your bank statements, you could lose all the money in the account and be held responsible for the amount of money that has been tapped from your line of credit.
    Rethink check writing: That little slip of paper has way too much information. Some experts advise against check writing because it gives away your address, bank account number, signature and license number to complete strangers. On top of that, theres no federal legislation to limit your liability for forged checks (each state has its own set of rules). Experts advise that you look into automating your bill paying.
    Secure your mail: Your mailbox is a goldmine of information. Between bank statement, bills, and all those pre-approved credit card offers, your mailbox is loaded with personal data which identity thieves can use to easily apply for a credit card in your name. Unless you diligently check your credit report, you may never even know about it. One way to avoid this is to have your mailbox under lock and key, but most of us in Santa Clarita have our mailboxes at the curb in front of our house and the postman frowns on carrying dozens and dozens of keys around. The other solution is to have a rented mailbox, or to foil dumpster-diving thieves by buying a shredder and destroy documents before discarding.
    Go virtual: For shopping online, there are virtual card numbers. These are randomly generated credit card numbers that are disposable and that on-line shoppers use once and throw away. Its linked directly to your real credit card account so purchases show up on your monthly bill. The service is easy to use and its FREE! All you need to do is register with companies offering the virtual card, and they are MBNA, Discover, and Citigroup.
    Create an emergency identity kit: Would you know how to contact your credit card company in an emergency? Create an emergency kit that contains: your account number, expiration date, issuing company name, and emergency contact number for each card you own. While youre at it, make copies of your drivers license, social security card, birth certificate and passport and store them in a locked box or file cabinet, or a safe deposit box. I like the safe deposit box best, because this gives you protection in the event of a catastrophe such as fire, earthquake, etc.

    This may all seem like a lot of unnecessary work, but if youre ever the victim of identity theft even just once youll realize that its well worth the effort.

    Many of us forget that were it not for what we carry in our wallets or in our purses, were all John and Jane Does if we cant speak due to injury or are unaccompanied by someone who knows us. How much less stressful is it to know that in a bank box, no matter where you are, there are items that can verify your identity. Better to be safe, than sorry!

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  • Win Big At Casino Gambling

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    What’s more American than Mom, apple pie, and baseball? Would you believe Mom, apple pie, and casinos? It’s true. Americans are visiting casinos more than they visit Major League baseball parks!

    With all this participation, are Americans becoming expert at gambling? Do they know their odds and the ways to improve their odds the way they used to know baseball stats? If we are to judge by the billions of dollars dropped in casinos each year, the answer is a resounding “NO.”

    If winning at the casino is the new American dream, it seems to be a dream that comes true for very few – except the owners of the establishments. We’ll assume you are not an owner. Then what can you do to improve your chances of winning a piece of the American casino pie? How can you change your luck?

    Would you believe that your “luck” is really only one factor in the game, that there is a lot more going on here than just plain old-fashioned apple pie luck?

    First, let me ask you a couple more questions. Do you spend more than you intended to on most of your visits to the casino, stay longer than you had planned, win far less money than you would like to win? Are you frustrated by your inability to really get ahead but find yourself going back again and again?

    If you answered “yes” to these questions, you are solidly in with the vast majority of people who visit casinos. But, let’s look at what “yes” answers imply. Notice that what you are really saying is that you don’t seem to have as much control over your “luck” AND YOUR BEHAVIOR at casinos
    as you would like to have. Why? Would you believe good old-fashioned American psychology? It’s true – psychology is planned into the casino business!

    First of all, there is the general psychology of society’s changing attitude. Gambling has increased in popularity in good part because it is no longer perceived as terribly immoral – even the government has given its approval. Since you’re, in effect, looking through society’s view of
    gambling as an acceptable form of entertainment, it’s easy to let your guard down. It’s just an acceptable, harmless way to have some fun. This is fine, as long as you either have inexhaustible funds to throw away or you can keep enough control to spend no more than you can afford. But if
    you want to make your casino visits PAY, then you must change the way you look at gambling.

    To make it pay you must look at the casino as your adversary. Now, that’s not to say it can’t be fun – after all, wouldn’t it be more fun to walk away from your casino-adversary with bucks in your
    pocket and a smile on your face than it is to walk away from your casino-friend with empty pockets?

    But the psychology part is more involved and complicated than just analyzing your attitude and society’s attitude. Casinos consciously and deliberately exploit known psychological responses to control your gambling behavior. Knowing some of their methods will help put you back in control.

    We all know that casinos are set up to give the casino a mathematical edge. They are in the business to make money, after all. What you may not know is that your mathematical odds of winning are affected by the length of your visit. The longer you stay, the poorer your odds of winning are. That’s mathematical. The casinos, then, use psychological methods to persuade you to stay longer – the longer you stay, the greater the odds that they win.

    The design of the casinos – the colors, the lighting, the space, the chairs, the smells in the air, everything – is analyzed for maximum comfort and appeal. The operators figure that anything that can keep you playing just another five minutes each visit can add millions to their take.

    Let’s take a critical look at some common casino practices.

    Special promotions, for instance. Some are designed to get you into the place, others to keep you there just a little longer. The free or cheap meals – an all around winner for the casino – will bring
    some people in for a bargain meal. How many will leave without dropping at least some money in the games? Most will end up paying dearly for that “cheap” meal, but will forget that the next time they want to go out for a nice, “cheap” meal. But there’s another aspect to it. If you are already
    at the games, a cheap meal conveniently available in the casino will keep you in the building at mealtime. You’ll be away from the games for a minimum length of time.

    The fairly new bill acceptors on slot machines keep you at your play. When you are out of change, you don’t have to wait around or walk to the change booth for more coin. This adds to your playing time – your playing time is money – for the casinos.

    Casinos operators carefully plan their lighting. You may have noticed that when you are in a casino it is difficult to determine whether it is day or night. This is deliberate. Remember, they like you (or your money) so much they want you to extend your visit. If they can get you to drop your
    usual time consciousness, you’ll stay longer.

    Colors are chosen to trigger automatic responses. Slot machines are outfitted in colors that will attract and hold gamblers. Sophisticated color combinations are used to minimize the time you will spend slot hopping. Many casino operators add a scent to the air. Think that’s silly? In an
    experimental test the scent was shown to increase substantially the number of coins customers dropped into the slots – very substantially, about 45 percent. Most of these techniques add greatly to your comfort as well as sometimes triggering an automatic psychological response. If your visit is pleasant, you will stay longer, play looser with your bankroll, and come back again.

    Other techniques have little or nothing to do with your comfort and are simply exploitive. You are simply the “white rat” – the unsuspecting victim of psychological games. For instance, the payout system of the slots has had psychology applied to that. The system of paying tiny winnings often is that new psychology. How was it done before? Well if you won, you won a reasonable amount, but the payoffs were infrequent. What is the advantage of frequent small payoffs? It is the psychological “promise” of a big win. You will be enticed into staying longer and risking more money.

    Putting in a few “hot” machines is also an application of psychology. Your search for the “hot” machine is motivated by the psychological “promise” of a lucky streak. Again, you’ll stay longer and risk more. Some casinos will give you small denominations as change for large bills
    or, at the tables, small denominations of chips. The reason? Because, as we all know, it is easier to spend a dollar than it is to spend a twenty. Psychological? Of course.

    Ever notice how wins are played up? The real coin that’s dropped into metal slot pan when someone wins is deliberate. The noise excites you. The bells and whistles that attend a really big win are also deliberate attention-getters and exciting. The casinos make a big deal over wins –
    but losing is pretty quiet. The excitement of the noise stirs you to try to win, but there is more. All the attention given to winning makes it seem like there is more winning going on than there really is.

    OK. Now you know that in the eyes of the casino you’re merely a “white rat” from whom they are trying to extract the most they can. What can you do about it? Although occasionally casinos go too far and a practice is outlawed, you really can’t do much about changing their use of tricks. But
    when you are aware of them, you can guard yourself against reacting automatically. You can put yourself back in control.

    So, is being in control going to change your “luck”? Well, it will help, but you have to know how to use that control to your advantage.

    First, you know that your odds of winning decrease in ratio to the length of your visit at the casino. So with your new control you will make your visits will be shorter. You will be aware of your surroundings and try to note the tricks the casino is using to influence you. Conscious awareness will make them less effective. Pick you games according to your own system not according to the casino’s planned influence.

    But you must also be aware of the things you can do to increase your odds in a given game. We will discuss a couple of the most popular games.

    Slot machines

    Most slot machines have three reels. The number of combinations for lining them up depends on the number of symbols on each reel. Most machines have between 20 and 28 symbols per reel. To figure out how many combinations there are, you multiply the number of symbols on each reel times itself as many times as there are reels. For instance, the fewest combinations that there probably are on a three reel slot are: 20 symbols per reel with 3 reels – so we take 20 times 20 times 20 – or 8000 combinations. So theoretically a certain winning combination would, on the
    average, appear once in every 8000 spins of the reels.

    Each machine can be set for a rate of payback. Let’s say a quarter machine has a payback of 90 percent (the usual rate on quarter machines is 86 to 90 percent). That would mean that for every 100 quarters dropped into the machine it would pay back 90 quarters. The dollar machines often pay back between 97 and 99 percent.

    The progressive slots are linked together so that a coin played in any of the link-up will increase the size of the jackpot. You don’t have a chance at the jackpot unless you play the maximum number of coins. Since the large jackpot games must reduce the amount paid in smaller winnings, you would be better off playing other machines unless you are willing to put in the maximum and go for the jackpot.

    The best odds are on the dollar slots. They usually have the greatest payback – as we said, payback is between 97 and 99 coins for each coin played.

    Some slot methods to increase your odds. Start out with only an amount of money you can afford to loose. Keep these coins separate from any other money, including your winnings. Play all
    your start-up coins. Now tally up your winnings. If you have less coins than you started with, go to a different machine, and using these coins start over. If you have more than you started with, put your start-up amount in your pocket. Then put an additional percentage in your pocket – 10 percent would be good, but whatever percentage you decide on, make the decision before you begin playing and stick with it. Now whatever you have left after pocketing the amount you use for your start-up coins, you can begin again. Then in each additional round you will pocket half the winnings. As you can see, if you come out ahead in the first round and stick to the method, you will go home a winner. After the first round you will be playing strictly on winnings. If you don’t come out a winner on the first round, you still have a chance to win and you will loose no more than the amount you originally decided you could afford to loose. But you need to be in control – this method will be of no help if you decide to change your rules in the middle of the game.

    Another way to play the slots for better winning odds is to form a slot club with other players. Each person puts up a predetermined amount make sure it is an amount each of you can afford to contribute regularly. The amounts put up should be the same for each player. Then you track the progressive games – you should track them for a while BEFORE you make attempts to win them. Keep records so you learn the characteristics of each progressive game. From these records, your team decides at what point each game is pregnant for a payoff. When the jackpot of a given progressive reaches that predetermined point, a team made up of some or all of the members takes the club bankroll and plays until they win or go broke. The key to winning here is to gauge the payoff point.

    Slots are not easy to beat and the odds are NEVER in your favor, but by putting yourself in control and using these techniques you will have a better chance of beating the odds than you had before.

    Video poker –

    Video poker is a popular variation of the slot machine, but it is not a slot machine. The odds on a video poker game are greatly dependent on your skill as a player.

    First, choose only those machines that pay full scale winnings. Each category of payoff is important, but a rule of thumb is 250 coins for a royal flush or 4000 coins for a royal flush under a 5 coin play. If the other payoffs are in line with the royal flush payoff, and you are a very skilled player, theoretically you could have odds VERY slightly in your favor, but you must know what you are doing.

    For instance, when you are playing Video Jacks or Better – keep any full house or better. Hold a flush or straight except when drawing to a four card royal flush. With a four card flush, three card royal flush, four card straight, three card straight flush, three of a kind, two pair, single pair empty your hand to these holds and draw to fill. Draw three to two high cards and draw four to one high card. Always play the maximum coins to take advantage of the bonus for a royal flush.

    Black Jack –

    Black Jack is another very popular casino game in which it is possible to tip the odds VERY slightly in your favor, if you know what you are doing. It takes a serious and determined player to master the strategies to accomplish this, however. NEVER think that because you can tip the odds in your favor that you will win all of the time. EVERYONE looses some of the time so NEVER play with money you can’t afford to loose.

    Blackjack, as played in the world’s casinos, has a number of variations – certain rules that apply in one casino may not apply in another. You will have to learn to adjust your game, if you travel from one casino to another. Some of the variations highly favor the casino, so to keep the odds favorable, you must avoid those variations and options that cut your odds.

    OK. Most of the Black Jack games you will find are multiple-deck games. A single deck does give you slightly better odds. We will assume you are playing in a single deck game. With your new control, we will also assume you are playing with a bankroll that you have determined you can afford to loose. Now, you will need some real strategy to lower the odds against you.

    First since the ace is countable as either one or 11, any hand you hold that contains an ace is a special hand – it can be counted low, with the ace as one, or it can be counted high, with the ace as 11. This two-way hand follows needs some special strategy rules. First, start out counting it as a high hand. Then if the dealer’s showing card is an eight, nine, ten, or ace, you should stand on a count of 19 or more and draw to a count of 18 or less. But if the dealer’s showing card is a two, three, four, five, or six, stand on a count of 18 or more and draw to a count of 17 or less.

    Using this strategy for a two-way hand, you will never stand until your count is 18 or more. When you draw to a two-way hand, if your high count goes over 21, you then begin a low count. At this point you will, in effect, no longer have an optional two-way hand so you will begin using the strategy for a regular hand.

    The strategy for a regular hand is a bit more involved. Whether you stand or draw is always determined by the dealer’s showing card. If the dealer is showing a two, three, or four, you stand on 13 or more. If the dealer is showing a five or six, you stand on 12 or more. If the dealer is showing a seven, eight, or nine, you stand on 17 or more. If the dealer is showing a ten or ace, you stand on 16 or more.

    Notice that in using this strategy, you will always draw to a count of two to 11 and always stand on a count of 17 or more as long as you are not holding a two-way hand.

    When you are offered the option of doubling down use it in this manner: When you are holding nine, double down when the dealer is showing a two, three, four, five, or six. When you are holding ten, double down unless the dealer is showing a 10-count or an ace. When you are holding an eleven, always double down. When you are holding a two-way hand with a count of 12, 13, 14, 15,16, or 17, double down when the dealer is showing a six.

    When you are offered the option of splitting pairs: Split twos and threes when the dealer is showing an eight, nine, ten, or ace. Never split fours, fives, sixes, or tens. Split sevens when the
    dealer is showing two, three, four, five, six, seven, or eight. Dont split eights unless the dealer is showing a nine or ten. Dont split nines unless the dealer is showing a seven, ten, or ace. Never split tens. Always split aces when it is an option.

    When you are offered the option of doubling down: When you are holding a count of ten double down unless the dealer is showing a 10-count or an ace. When you are holding a count of eleven
    always double down. If you are holding a two-way hand with a count of 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, or 17, double down when the dealer is showing a six. Don’t double down on other counts.

    If you are offered the option of early surrender: When the dealer is showing an ace, surrender 5, 7, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 unless you have a two-way hand. When the dealer is showing a 10-count, surrender 14, 15, 16 unless you have a two way hand. When the dealer is showing 9, surrender 6, 7, 9, 10.

    If you are offered the option of insurance bets: Don’t use it unless you are a skilled card counter.

    There have been some new options offered recently in some casinos. Be very wary of these, especially the ones with attractive pay-offs. Most of them have very poor odds for you.

    It is a good idea to find a table where the casino is not doing too well. When you find a winning table, play it. There is, of course, no guarantee that the house loosing streak will continue.

    You must exercise control. When you are having a day when the cards just aren’t working, leave the table and go home. Under no circumstances increase your bets in hope of recovering losses. When you are having a good day and your cards are running strong, go ahead, increase your bets. When things begin to sour, leave the table and go home.

    Using this method, you will always cut your losses and always retain a portion of your winnings. No strategy will work well if you don’t know every rule. You must study and practice your strategy so that you can make the right decisions at the table. And remember, your bankroll should never exceed what you can afford to loose.
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  • Become Your Own Personal CFO

    Become Your Own Personal CFO

    Budgets and personal finances are not most people’s favorite topics, and certainly not one of mine. Even bank executives have problems in this area, but if you’re an entrepreneur so do you. You’re concentrating so much time on your business, your personal checkbook takes a back seat. Then one day you are met with the startling fact that you’re not saving enough for lean times and you panic.

    Well, just apply your professional talents to the situation and become your own personal CFO. By using your CFO eyes on the situation, it somehow tempers the pain of dealing with your own money. To get started, here are 5 rules for treating your personal finances like a business:

    1. Be Your Own Board of Directors. To make good decisions, you must know what you’re trying to achieve. In business, Board of Directors write mission statements to keep the company on track with goals. At home, it’s up to you to define your mission and make sure you’re fulfilling it by writing down your goals. Not just your financial goals either, but your “life” goals.

    2. Know Your Operating Costs. Do you know what you spend every month on average? Businesses do because they base their budgets on historic spending patterns. Most people, however, don’t know what it costs to keep their lives running. You can make out detailed budgets, but find out at the end of the month that you haven’t stuck to it. So instead of doing a budget that dictates how much to spend, do a “cash flow statement” that records how much you actually spend each month broken into several categories.

    3. Know Your Net Worth. Companies measure progress toward goals through balance sheets which list their assets and liabilities. Your net worth is your balance sheet where you list everything that you own. That means your checking and savings accounts, investments, car, house, etc. minus everything you owe. Track your net worth quarterly to make sure you’re moving toward your personal goals. Without this step, you might not see the impact of your money decisions until it’s too late.

    4. Forecast Money Decisions Results. When a business makes important decisions, they use a process called “scenario planning”. They look at the possible outcomes of one choice compare to another. You can use the same process to make smart money decisions. For any choice, pick two options, and then look at what each answer would do to your cash flow and net worth. Remember, there are no “good” or “bad” choices – only choices that put you closer or farther from your goals.

    5. Track Progress by Annual Reports. Just as companies assess their progress in their annual reports, you need to review your list of priorities every year. Have you accomplished any goals? Have your spending patterns changed? Did you spend less than you earned? Did you save as much as you planned?

    You need to treat your money like you treat your business. Give it the time it deserves, because in the end the time you spend is really an investment in yourself and your dreams.

  • Make Money With Sports Memorabilia

    
    HOW YOU CAN MAKE BIG MONEY
    IN SPORTS MEMORABILIA

    The popularity of sports trading cards and memorabilia has never
    been greater than it is today. Collection of such items is not
    limited to youngsters, either. Adults have discovered trading
    cards as a lucrative investment field. Prestigious auction houses
    in New York dedicate entire sales to antique baseball cards.
    Autographs, bats and balls, team clothing, ticket stubs and game
    programs are bought and sold by sports fans worldwide. You can
    cash in on the growing interest in sports collectibles by opening
    your own sports memorabilia shop or mail order operation.

    You can choose to open a retail facility in your city, or you may
    decide to operate a mail order business specializing in sports
    keepsakes. Both can be established for a small investment and run
    for minimal costs. If you choose to open a retail outlet, you will
    need an adequate supply of stock to draw customers into your store.

    If your stock is slow in the beginning, offer to sell merchandise
    on consignment. You will display a customer’s item in your
    showcase, handle the sale and pocket a pre-arranged percentage of
    the amount. The advantages of a mail order operation are many.
    You can begin as a trading club with a monthly or bi-monthly
    newsletter, featuring the items other members have for sale or
    trade. Once you have personally gathered a large number of items
    to serve as a stock supply for your business, you can branch out
    and begin a retail outlet.

    Establishing a retail outlet can be relatively simple. Find a
    small, inexpensive location in a neighborhood strip mall. You
    don’t need a lot of interior amenities either. Several glass
    showcases can serve as your sales counter and display area. Place
    some shelves on the wall behind your counter to display larger
    items. Framed pictures or plaques featuring autographed items that
    you have for sale can be hung on the walls around the room. Other
    counters or table space can feature collecting supplies such as
    binders, card cases, storage boxes, pages for holding cards, etc.
    Sports posters can fill up any bare spots on your wall.

    Contact a local magazine distributor and arrange to have a wide
    assortment of sports magazines and newspapers for sale in your
    shop. Include magazines featuring sports news as well as those
    that pertain to collecting trading cards and keepsakes. The
    magazine distributor will also be able to put you in contact with
    the publishers of pricing guides for sports memorabilia. These
    price books will sell especially well, because they are updated on
    an annual basis and will create repeat purchases by customers.

    If your city has a minor or major league team, check with the front office
    about having one or more players visit your store for
    special autograph sessions. Fans can come and have the players
    autograph their cards, programs, etc., or they can purchase some of these
    items to be autographed from you at a special discounted
    price. While folks are in the store to get their autographs, they
    will have the opportunity to browse through your stock, make some
    purchases, and get to know you better. While many teams charge for these
    special appearances by players, you should be able to recoup your expenses
    through the added sales the event will generate. Also, having an
    opportunity to become acquainted with your customers and their likes and
    dislikes will serve you well further down the road.

    Getting employees to work in your shop will not be difficult.
    Teenagers are wild about sports collectibles and would be willing
    to work for minimum wage. Of course, you will want to have at
    least one adult on duty at all times to handle any problems that
    might arise. This type of job is also a great second job for many
    adults. Many collectors would enjoy part-time work of this sort
    simply because it will pay for time spent with their hobby. Don’t
    worry about getting help. You’ll be swamped with folks applying
    for work in your store.

    As mentioned above, you will want to serve as a consignment shop
    for folks looking to sell valuable items from their own
    collections. Have a sales contract written up that specifies that
    you are taking the described merchandise on consignment for 60
    days, ad that the seller will receive X amount for the sale of the
    item. Of that sale price, you will subtract 25 percent for
    negotiating the sale. If the item does not sell within the
    allotted time, the seller will have the option of removing it from
    your store or lowering the asking price. You should be able to
    greatly increase your available offers and make a good profit from
    consignment sales.

    Place an advertisement in your city newspaper or local shoppers’
    guide informing readers of your location and that you take
    merchandise on consignment. Your ad might look something like
    this:

    ===============================================
    Sports World
    Trading Cards and Sports Memorabilia

    We buy and sell all kinds of sports keepsakes:
    * trading cards
    * autographs
    * balls
    * uniforms

    * Baseball * Football
    * Basketball * Hockey
    * Golf * Tennis

    Complete Sports Newsstand–Magazines, Books
    Consignments Welcome

    3227 N. Hamilton Ave., next to the county courthouse
    657-6545
    ===============================================

    Keep your ad simple. Don’t overload it by telling everything about
    your store. Simply include enough to let the reader know that you
    have a shop that offers materials in which he will be interested.
    Also, remember that your ad should be simple enough to attract
    teenagers as well as adults. Younger collectors will see your ad
    and prompt their parents to take them to your store. Allow the
    reader to come by and check out your offers for himself. Once he
    gets to the store, then you can determine where his interests lie
    and what items in your stock will appeal to his desires. Your ad
    is designed to capture interest–not close the sale.

    If you choose not to start out from a retail facility, but opt
    instead to sell through the mail, there are a few things to keep in
    mind. Decide first how you will market collectibles by mail–will
    you sell exclusively from your own collection, or will you serve
    as a clearing house to bring buyer and seller together by mail? If
    you plan to sell only your own materials, you will need to develop
    a catalog listing of what you’re offering. Divide it by sport and
    item type. List all the trading cards, autographs and other
    collectibles under separate headings. Briefly describe each item.
    You may want to develop a code for describing the condition of the
    materials to include the description: M=Mint Condition;
    E=Excellent; VG=Very Good; G=Good; F=Fair. Cards can be listed by
    player name, year of issue, company issuing the card and condition
    with the price out to the side. If a card also carries a player’s
    autograph, include that information as well. A typical
    description might read:

    Ruben Sierra, 1991, Topps, M………………$12.00
    Ruben Sierra, 1991, Topps, E, w/autograph…..$18.00

    If you don’t have a large enough collection of your own, start a
    trading card and collectibles newsletter. While you will want to
    include two or three short columns describing recent trends in
    collecting sports items, price trends or forthcoming collectors
    items soon to be made available, the main feature of your
    newsletter will be the trader’s section. Much like a shoppers’
    tabloid, your newsletter will include classified ads from folks
    selling their own items or seeking others who are selling items
    they want to buy. You charge a small price per word, line or ad to
    include the listing in your newsletter. Readers will contact each
    other directly. You will make your profit from subscriptions, your
    personal sales of memorabilia offered in the newsletter, and the
    sale of classified advertising and any display ads that readers may
    wish to place in your newsletter.

    You can establish a reader base by advertising on local bulletin
    boards, in school newspapers, or a small notice placed in the
    classified section of national sports or trading card magazines.
    Your ad might read:

    Free issue “Sports Memorabilia
    Newsletter.” Brings buyers and
    sellers together. Latest news. SASE
    to: Collectors, Box 11000, Anytown,
    USA 10001

    Along with the first free issue of your newsletter, include a
    subscription coupon and instructions on how to place a classified
    ad. You will also want to leave a stack at each of the retail
    trading card outlets, at the neighborhood newsstand, and in
    convenience stores that sell trading cards. The ads in the first
    issue can be placed free of charge by friends and acquaintances
    with material to sell. Offer to let a retail memorabilia store
    place a display ad in the first issue for free. The response to
    their ad will encourage them to buy an ad in a future issue. The
    important thing is to fill up your first issue, making it look
    attractive and professional.

    Your newsletter can be easily typed up on your personal computer.
    Many software packages are available with templates (sample
    layouts) of newsletters of two to eight pages. Simply choose a
    format you like and type your information into the existing
    columns. You can even plug in your own graphics for a professional
    touch. If you don’t have access to a laser printer, visit a local
    print shop and have your newsletter printed out on a laser. The
    quality will be excellent and will only cost around $2 per page
    printed.

    Published bi-monthly in a 4-page format, you can have 1,000 copies
    of your newsletter printed up for about $80. Charge $15 per
    classified ad or $75 for a one-third column display ad. If you
    feature 2 pages of classified ads, 3 columns wide with 10 ads per
    column, you’ll have space for 90 ads bringing in $900. Add to this
    $150 income from two display ads placed elsewhere in the
    newsletter, and you have generated a total of $1,050. Plan to
    leave 200 copies at various locations in town and mail the
    remainder to prospective subscribers. The first issue will be
    mailed to prospects in the self-addressed, stamped envelope they
    provided in reply to your ad. However, subsequent issues will be
    mailed at your expense through paid subscriptions. Mailing 800
    copies via Third Class would cost $160. Your gross profit per
    issue will be approximately $810. This doesn’t include any sales
    generated by your own advertising.

    Selling sports memorabilia can be highly profitable. A trading
    card purchased for pennies can bring profits thousands of times the
    original cost. More than ever before, youngsters and adults alike
    are collecting sports keepsakes. You can grab a share of this
    lucrative market and parley your position into a profitable part-
    or full-time income. The decision is yours. Step into the
    batter’s box and take a swing at success, knocking one out of the
    park! Good Luck!

    -30-

  • Mktng Key to Mail Order Suiccess

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    MARKETING IS THE “KEY” TO MAIL ORDER SUCCESS

    Do you really know what marketing is? It’s the art of finding ways to sell
    a product or service; but developing new ways of selling a product are not
    easy. You have to study what other people are doing and get ideas from them.
    Listen to people who have actually done something to show for their own
    efforts. They certainly know because they have been there! Why seek marketing
    advice from a book that reads above your head and was only written by someone who “studied” the field? Go and talk to the people who have ACTUALLY lived it! There is a difference!

    Get your mind in a direction to sell your product. Of course it helps if you
    created your own product or whole-heartedly believe in the product you are
    selling. Now, all you have to do is find the type of people that would be
    interested in buying your product. Find out what makes people buy a product
    like yours. Study how others are selling the similar product you are selling.
    Then _ armed with all this valuable information, work out a direct plan that
    you’ll enjoy doing. Design methods around your likes, dislikes and
    personality traits. It works!

    You have to work on your business EVERYDAY in order to become successful.
    Even if you work outside the home 8 hours a day, you have to devote some
    time each evening to your home business enterprise.

    Most businesses who have been around awhile have seen many 100’s or even
    1,000’s of new businesses open up and close. That’s one reason why people
    are “skeptical” of a new business until they see for themselves that they’re
    serious. YOU have to prove that you are serious in order to get people to
    order from you and become good customers. You also have to treat customers
    like you would your own family with respect and concern. This does not
    mean you are to be shallow and allow yourself to be taken advantage of.
    Customer service is nothing more than placing yourself in the other person’s
    shoes and seeing the world and the situation from their viewpoint. Often –
    if you will just take a few minutes to listen to people, you will learn a
    lot and turn a complaint into a workable situation.

    In marketing, it is extremely important to start watching people and their
    buying habits. The next time you are standing at the check out counter
    buying groceries _ watch people around you. Don’t stare at them but open up
    your eyes and ears. Be in touch with your surroundings. Listen to ladies as
    they discuss the reason “why” they would rather buy one type of cookie over
    another brand name. Try and pick apart the actual reason “why” people react
    the way they do.

    And here are some tips to help you appear professional and serious to
    potential customers in your mail order business:

    On your word processor or computer, type a STANDARD letter about
    your company. It should say something like: “We would like to
    introduce our company to you. We are business professionals who are
    interested in providing our customers with the very best service
    available. We’ll do our utmost to guarantee your satisfaction and
    repeat business. Enclosed are some offers for your consideration.

    They have been especially selected for you and your interests. If
    you don’t see what you’re looking for _ please take the time to
    write and let us know what we can do for you. We’d love to hear from
    you today.”

    Now, the next time you get a BIG MAIL or other materials that you might
    normally throw in the trash, you could mail your offers to these people. It
    only costs a 32c stamp and who knows, they might send you $1 million dollars
    worth of business over the next few years!

    Keep a list of all the mail order publishers you come across. Then, if you
    ever move or introduce a new product to the market, you could send them a
    short Press Release. This works! Publishers are always looking for news to
    pass along to their readers.

    Give something away FREE for every order placed (depending on the amount
    of the order.) You might even want to give the customer a choice of the free
    items he/she can obtain free for every order over $10, $25, $50 and $100.
    And instead of 50% off, offer DOUBLE the order. (For instance, instead of
    50% off an order of 250 printed circulars – say that you’ll DOUBLE the order
    to 500 FREE.)
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  • small business success

    458 words
    Small Business Success Secret

    The real secret to small business success has nothing to do with technology tools, the internet or anything like that. In fact, it isn’t even a real secret. It has been around since man started to communicate. It’s WORDS!

    Words carry enormous power. They can make you laugh hysterically, or destroy a relationship or friendship. Words have more power in them than any other tool at your disposal.

    Effective use of words, especially in business, means skyrocketing sales, satisfied clients, happy employees, and a profitable and secure future. Yet, less than 1% of small entrepreneur businesses use words with full power.

    The power of words can be learned and used effectively by anyone, and when this power is harnessed there’s nothing on this earth that can stop you. This art of using words is what is called copy writing. It makes or breaks your sales and advertising material.

    One of the ways an “amateur” copywriter who is writing for his own product or business can beat the experienced pro is by infusing the sales letter or ad with his own, honest, intense enthusiasm. When doing selling in print, enthusiasm is just as important as in face-to-face selling.

    This is why you can’t just sit down and write an ad “on command”, like you can sit down and do bookkeeping. You have to work up some enthusiasm for the job and the proposition you’re putting across.

    If I’m going to write an ad or some other sales material the first thing in the morning, as I often do, I try to set my subconscious mind working on that job before I go to bed the night before. Sometimes I wake up with the “big idea” that I need, other times I at least wake up with ideas and a readiness to write them and pick and choose.

    Don’t force yourself to “grind out” direct-response copy when you really don’t feel like it because the result will be flat and mechanical. It may be technically correct with a headline, subheads, bullet points, an offer, etc., but it will lack spirit and enthusiasm.

    The person who is genuinely enthusiastic about what he/she is selling definitely has an advantage. That’s why the freelance pro copywriter should always download as much of the pitch from the product’s most enthusiastic salesperson as possible. Then transfer it to paper and shape and mold it to perfection.

    Over the years, the work I’ve done for clients and ad agencies has proven that the most successful work was for clients that were passionate and enthusiastic about what they sell. So before you tackle that next ad for your business, make sure you’re as enthusiastic about it as you want your clients to be.

  • $1M Sales Letters

    SECRETS OF MILLION DOLLAR SALES LETTERS –
    FOR MAIL CAMPAIGN & INTERNET

    Regardless of what you’re trying to sell, you really can’t sell it without “talking” with your prospective buyer. An in attempting to sell anything on the Internet, the sales letter you send out is when and how you talk to your prospect.

    All winning sales letters “talk” to the prospect by creating an image in the mind of the reader. They set “the scene” by appealing to a desire or need; and then they flow smoothly into the “visionary” part of the sales pitch by describing in detail how “wonderful” life will be and, how “good” the prospect is going to feel after he’s purchased your product. This is the “body or guts” of a sales letter.

    Overall, a winning sales letter follows a time-tested and proven formula: 1) Get his attention 2) Get him interested in what you can do for him 3) Make him desire the benefits of your product so badly his mouth begins to water 4) Demand action from him – tell him to click the right button or send for whatever it is you’re selling without delay – any procrastination on his part might cause him to lose out. This is called the “AIDA” formula (Attention, Interest, Desire and
    Action) – it works.

    On your website, your sales page should be the length of what it would be
    if were doing a mailing, or longer if you’re using bullets to emphasize benefits to build the desire. Of course on the Internet you don’t have to worry about letterhead stationery or the cost of postage, which is a considerable savings. If, however, you want to also do a mailing campaign then the following would apply. The sales letters in mailings that pull in the most sales are almost always two pages with 1 1/2 spaces between lines. For really big ticket items, they’ll run at least four pages. – on an 11 by 17 sheet of paper folded in half. If your sales letter is only two pages in length, there’s nothing wrong with running it on the front and back of one sheet of 8 1/2 by 11 paper. However, your sales letter should always be on letterhead paper – your letterhead printed, and including your logo and business motto if you have one.

    Regardless of the length of your sales letter, it should do one thing, and that’s sell, and sell hard! If you intend to close the sale, you’ve got to do it with your sales letter. You should never be “wishy-washy” with your sales letter. You do the actual selling and the closing of that sale with your sales letter – any brochure or circular you send along with in your mailing will just reinforce what you say in the sales letter.

    There’s been a great deal of discussion in the past few years regarding just how long a sales letter should be. A lot of people are asking: Will people really take the time to read a long sales letter? The answer is a simple and time-tested yes indeed! Surveys and tests over the years emphatically prove that “longer sales letters” pull even better than the shorter ones, so don’t worry about the length of your sales letter – just make sure that it sells your product for you!

    The “inside secret” is to make your sales letter so interesting, and “visionary” with the benefits you’re offering to the reader, that he can’t resist reading it all the way through. You break up the “work” of reading by using short, punchy sentences, underlining important points you’re trying to make, with the use of subheadlines, indentations and even the use of a second color, and leaving lots of white space around it. On your website, the sales letter should run down the middle of the page so the viewer doesn’t have to keep adjusting the screen to see the whole sentence. This is very distracting and more apt to send that client to another website than losing patience reading a long letter.

    Relative to the brochures and circulars you may want to include in your mailing with your sales letter – providing the materials you’re enclosing are of the best quality, they will generally reinforce the sale for you. But, if they are of poor quality, look cheap and don’t compliment your sales letter, then you shouldn’t be using them. Another thing, it will definitely classify you as an independent home worker if you hand-stamp your name/address on these brochures or advertising circulars instead of having them printed.

    Whenever possible, and so long as you have really good brochures to send out, have your printer run them through his press and print your name/address – even your telephone number and company logo – on them before you send them out. The thing is, you want your prospect to think of you as his supplier – the company – and not as just another independent entrepreneur. Sure, you can get by with less expense but you’ll end up with fewer orders and in the end, less profits.

    Another thing that’s been bandied about and discussed from every direction for years is whether to use a post office box number or your street address. Personally, I don’t like Post Office Boxes in a business address – because it transmits an aura of instability or temporary location. If your business is run from home, get a mail box from a post box vendor that has a street address. Then your address looks like, 1234 Willow Lane, #567, Your Town, and the box number could appear to the reader as a Suite number. However, if you live in a remote area where your address is 7890 Main St., RFD 42, Box 123, Your Town, then you have no choice but to include both your post office box number, AND, your street address on your sales letter. When doing it strictly for your website, put your street address, telephone number, and email address at the bottom of the page. More than likely, the customer will contact you by email, but it conveys dependability if that Internet buyer sees that you’re willing to give your address. This kind of open display of your honesty will give you credibility and dispel the thought of you being just another “fly-by-night” mail order company in the mind of your prospect.

    Above all else, you’ve got to include some sort of ordering page or coupon if you’re mailing. The coupon has to be as simple and as easy for the prospect to fill out and return to you as you can possible make it. The order page on your website should already be filled out, with perhaps just the shipping left to choice. If your product is an eBook or software to be instantly downloaded, then you don’t have any options to be chosen. A great many sales are lost because this order coupon is just too complicated for the would-be buyer to follow. Don’t get fancy! Keep it simple, and you’ll find your prospects responding with glee.

    Should you or shouldn’t you include in your mailing a self-addressed reply envelope? There are a lot of variables, as well as, pros and cons to this question. Overall, when you send out a “winning” sales letter to a good mailing list, a return reply envelope will increase your response tremendously.

    Tests of late seem to indicate that it isn’t that big a deal or difference in responses relative to whether you do or don’t pre-stamp the return reply envelope. Again, the decision here will rest primarily on the product you’re selling and the mailing list you’re using. Our recommendation is that you experiment – try it both ways – with subsequent mailings and decide for yourself from there.

  • An Automated Ordering System

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    When you have an online company, it only makes sense to use all the online resources available. The payments you accept should be credit card and paypal, if you choose. Are you going to accept international orders. If you are going to receive orders daily, which is the goal, you will want to use an online shopping cart that automatically accepts the credit card, approves it and delivers the autoresponder emails and in the end, the product itself. What exactly is an online shopping cart. It is a lot like a regular shopping cart, where you can add or remove items as you please. It calculates shipping and taxes and the total of the purchase and passes this information along to the merchant account by a secure site, which protects the customers information. Choosing a shopping cart is crucial because if you choose the right one, it can double your sales. Imagine trying to purchase a product and you are entering all your information when you order and the pages take forever to load. Or worse, there are too many forms to fill out or you cannot find the pricing or product list easily. You would abandon that idea pretty quickly. In addition, you will also need a reputable merchant account that can handle the amount of sales you are going to send their way. You do not want to find a merchant account that requests a very high escrow fund, because this can be difficult to come up with. Before you launch your product, you need to make sure you have a way to provide customer service. You could hire a fulfillment house that takes care of customer service, orders, credit cards, and shipping all at once. But, if you intend to have a lot of business, this is not very cost effective. It would be much easier to take care of the customer service with paid employees and have a special fulfillment house only duplicate, package, and ship products for you.
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  • snake oil

    Snake Oil Anyone?

    There’s an old adage that says, “if you stick around long enough – things will change.” Well, I have and they did!

    If you’ve been around as long as I have, then you can remember when you told people who asked that you were in “Direct Sales” – they pegged you about two steps above a snake oil salesman. I’m happy to tell you that has all changed, and to buy and sell in the comfort of a home setting is at the heart of direct sales today.

    Latest available figures from the Direct Selling Association (DSA) shows more than $28 billion for the direct-selling industry in 2002, and an estimated 13 million independent direct salespeople. This was an increase from $22 billion in 1997, with 9.3 million salespeople.

    Neil H. Offen, DSA President, attributes this growth to having more people involved and a more sophisticated industry. He claims there are more college graduates as consultants, and the industry being global and more attractive to Wall Street investors and Venture Capital groups.

    Direct-sales consultants, though still primarily made up of women, are becoming more diverse. The male contingent is steadily growing from 10% in 1990 to 25% today. This is attributed to the growth of new products such as vitamins, food supplements, long-distance telephone service, etc., that are not perceived as typically female-centric products as cosmetics and housewares were.

    With all the growth, entrepreneurs still have to deal with the stigma that direct-sales opportunities are like pyramid schemes. Pyramid schemes require you to lay out cash for the right to recruit others. There is usually no product involved, and profits for those at the top levels come solely from new recruits.

    Direct sales, on the other hand, involves selling legitimate products or services and the profit goes to the seller and his/her recruiter. At the higher levels of a direct-sales company, consultants have a group of recruits selling below them from which they receive commissions – also known as a downline. (Affiliate offers on the Internet are a copy of this concept.)

    Successful entrepreneurs in direct selling concentrate on customer satisfaction and company warranties to distance them from any stigma. DSA President Offen suggests ways of checking out the legitimacy of a company by asking about the kinds of warranties and protection they offer. Ask other consultants and customers how their problems and issues were treated. And even if the company has a good track record, make sure you absolutely love the product you’ll be selling because that will determine how successful you are.

    Here is a list of questions that should help you determine whether a company is shady or just plain wrong for you:

    • Is the money you’re going to make come primarily from recruiting or selling a product? Recruiting is generally part of direct selling, but your primary income as a consultant should come from sales. If the company is only discussing recruiting – be suspicious.
    • Do you risk financial loss by being involved with the company? Almost all direct-selling companies require minimal starting costs – usually $500 maximum. Watch out for schemes where people make money solely from selling startup kits.
    • Would you buy the product if you weren’t working for the company? If you don’t see a compelling reason to be a customer, you probably don’t want to sell the product either.
    • Does it sound too good to be true? Be wary of get-rich-quick schemes, such as making a million dollars in 6 months. Investigate company literature, reputation, consultants and customers before you get involved with any opportunity.
    • Is the company a member of DSA? This association has a one-year application process for new direct-selling companies and on-going regulations for all members. This ensures good business practices. You can check out the DSA Web site at www.dsa.org for industry information.

    Mary Kay Cosmetics is one of the most well-known direct-selling companies in the industry and it took Lise Clark of Greenwood Village, Colorado, nearly 20 years to reach one of the highest levels in the company. She started her business in 1984 at the age of 26, planning only to sell the cosmetics over the holidays, but her sales income soon outstripped what she was earning working several other jobs. She went into the business full time and, today, she expects her area unit sales to hit nearly $2 million by the end of 2004.

    Despite any negative associations consumers might have with direct-selling entrepreneurs, the industry is alive and well today. Find the right company with a great product or service, and the highest ethical standards, and you could be on your way to fulfilling your entrepreneurial dream.