When raising capital for a business venture, a company can either raise debt capital, equity capital or a combination of the two. Debt capital is money loaned to the company at an agreed interest rate for a fixed time period. Conversely, equity capital is money invested by owners (shareholders) for ...

Maybe not quite as dramatic as that but things definitely seem to be moving in the right direction. Job security has been the mantra for many during the last five years and, just as follows a weak property market, confidence takes time to build. IT professionals however have been using this time to ...

According to the Direct Marketing Association, in 2003 U.S. direct mail marketing efforts produced more than $689 billion in sales. For those organizations who know how to use it direct mail always has been and always will be a core component of their overall marketing strategy. Several key factors...

Face it ? nobody likes cold calling. Most of us cringe when we hear these words ? we tend to conjure up visions of a vacuum cleaner salesman reaching in and pouring cigarette ashes on the rug before we can get the front door closed. In recent years, many small businesses have been founded on the pre...

Quote of the week "The answer is always no...unless you ask." - Unknown Whether you`re in sales or not, this is an incredibly true statement. If you don`t ask someone for help, they won`t help you. Chances are, they won`t even know you need help. I think people like to other people favors, so by ask...

The digital camera is essentially a computer-based device, whose core is controlled by the computer. And as a result the photographs are stored in a location called memory. Now, this concept is or paramount importance in discussing digital camera. Strictly speaking, digital camera memory is where di...

1. Play ?find the meeting? by changing the location and time of your meeting at the last minute. 2. Don?t bother to book your meeting room in advance. Lead the group from room to room trying to find another place to meet. 3. Bring 5 handouts for 20 attendees. 4. Leave and say, ?I?ll be back. I...

A "Call To Action" is an invitation for your prospective clients to actively engage you in some way- directly or indirectly. Most prospective clients, even if they are very interested in working with you, often need a way to build a relationship with you in bite-sized pieces to work up to engaging y...

Speech Technology Predictions for 2006 Speech Technologies are currently saving companies hundreds of thousands of dollars in telemarketing centers. Their artificial intelligent enabled systems can answer a wide variety of questions of consumers and customers, often allowing the patron to receive th...

If your current CV or resume is not generating the interview offers you want, it is time to start assessing it. Check to see that the following descriptors apply: *Begins with a succinct, clearly stated career objective tailored to the particular job for which you are applying. *Highlights how your ...

If you are about to buy a business and meet with the seller(s) for the first time, and are wondering what you should talk about with them, what questions you should ask and what you should be looking for in this crucial first meeting, then this article will be a huge help to you.
Listen: The ...

Do not forget the ring a saying famously drummed into the best man before the wedding, well that goes for the future bride/Groom as well. With all wedding preparations it is quite easy to slip your mind to buy the most important item that makes the wedding ceremony a memorable one. The wedding ring...

The other day I brought my mother into an appliance store to purchase a television. By the time we left with her new television, she was completely disgusted. Unlike most of us, she comes from an older generation that actually expects salespeople and store employees to think of customers as valued v...

Companies work hard building the strength of their brands - it is critical to the ongoing brand management process to have meaningful and actionable data-driven measures of these efforts. Building a brand, cultivating its strengths, pruning its weaknesses, and making it more valuable to its owners i...

We live in a world where we are bombarded with four thousand marketing messages each day, where many struggle to keep on top of the ?spam-stuffed inbox?, where every market has more sellers than buyers, where a whole new set of rapid-relationship skills are called for. While some bemoan the passing ...

The perfect resume offers Logical Proofs:    

• Facts
• Quantifiable data
• Logical conclusions
• Achievement and success statements
• Relevant professional goals/accomplishments
• Limits the use of jargon
• Maximizes use of o...

Money - whether it`s in the form of increased revenue or decreased expenses - is what makes the business world go `round. Save someone time and you`ve decreased their expenses. Increase the reach of their message and you`ve increased their revenue. Either way, you`ve helped them make more money. Mak...

How many times has someone you`ve called said, "Why don`t you send me some information on your company"? Ask yourself, before you send anything: How will this be dealt with once it arrives at that person`s desk. Aren`t they already suffering from information overload? On the one hand, people say ...

Everybody isn?t cut out for a career in selling. Let me share a story from the Goodman Chronicles? I was a regular at a health food restaurant that seemed to have a knack for hiring upbeat, perky, energetic people. So, in addition to having a killer ice tea, with a catnip type of flavor and addictiv...

Left alone it doesn`t take long for a building with a single broken window to rapidly become a building with many broken windows. Fixing problems when they are small will prevent them from developing into larger problems. The same is true when considering the level of employee satisfaction Dissatisf...

Remember Chux? The disposable diaper that took the market by storm in 1932? Of course you don`t. Chux saw its product as a luxury item, and happily kept its little throwaway business to itself for almost forty years. Then Pampers came along in the 1960s, supported by a huge, mass-con...

Classified advertising is a form of advertising that is particularly common in newspapers and other periodicals. A classified is usually textually based and can consist of as little as the type of item being sold, and a contact number to call for more information. It can also have much more detail, ...

Executive office chairs are typically ?top of the line.? They are often used in the corporate offices of top executives and are commonplace in high-level conference rooms and boardrooms, as well as the waiting areas of upper management. It is important that an executive office chair present a prof...

In direct mail, the offer is the incentive or reward that you dangle in front of your prospects to motivate them to respond to your mailing. In business-to-consumer direct mail, for example, a magazine publisher will offer a yearly subscription to its magazine at 60% off the newsstand price. The dis...

It`s Friday night, you`re sitting at a restaurant, and as your meal arrives, the server says, "Now, don`t touch that plate. It`s hot." What`s the first thing you do? Well, 99% of the time you`re going to touch that plate, right? I call it the 99% rule. It`s closer to 100%, but I give myself a little...

It`s not too early to start planning for the sales results you want at the end of 2005. Here are seven things you can do to make sure you`re in the Winner`s Circle at your Next National Sales Meeting. 1. Develop a system for everything. There`s a fundamental reason why companies like McDonalds, Disn...

Cogni-what? While it`s not my way to flaunt 40-dollar words, cognitive dissonance is a term all marketers and communicators should be aware of. It could mean the difference between clients who close the deal and clients who close the door. Cognitive dissonance is a psychology term that refers to the...

Teleseminars are a great way to prospect, sell, stay in touch with current customers and clients, build your list, and so much more. Here are just some of the ways you can use teleseminars to boost your business! Introduce a new product or service: Product launches are one of the most common ways to...

Leaders, consultants and managers must be competent in at least thirteen domains to even begin effectively managing creativity and innovation. Part 2 of Managing Creativity and Innovation covers the last six of these domains. h) Group Structure. There is much confusion as which group structure (or c...

Dressing appropriately for job interviews is one of those areas that puzzles some people. Should you dress conservatively or wear casual attire? What colors work best? What types of shoes should you wear? As a rule, you should dress conservatively for most job interviews. Remember, you only get one ...

Before you can market, you need to know who you are marketing to. Who is your customer? How will you market? Will you cold call, mail, set appointments or employ a walk in approach? Be careful with the walk in approach as many businesses do not permit soliciting. You might just want to drop off info...

Narrowing your focus to one primary group of people is often difficult for small business owners. They want to help everyone ? and very often their product or service CAN help a variety of people. It also goes against human nature to narrow your focus in order to grow a business. Common sense seems ...

Good things seem to come in bunches, especially in a job search. Ever wonder why? Example: ever know someone (perhaps you?) who, after many weeks in a fruitless job hunt, suddenly hit a "hot streak" and landed two or three interviews in a matter of days? What happened? What changed? Did the job mark...

Some of the ways in which to get your "name out there" are to call your local television and radio stations, and ascertain whether there is a medium you can get your name in. A very good source are public stations that hold auctions, at which you can donate your services. Talk shows, both radio and ...

Emotions can play a big part in your career particularly when it comes to thinking about leaving one company for another. Certainly if you have been with a company for a significant period of time and/or are close with your manager, you might be very emotional when it comes time to resign your posit...

The telephone is still a key method of communication & thus proper telephone techniques an important part of a top-notch business. On a phone call the only impression a customer gets is that of your voice and the manner in which you speak. In order to project the most positive & friendly image one s...

To start seeing remarkable success, you must make time for marketing. Many people tend to make their marketing a low priority. Instead of including it as a part of your weekly routine, you may find yourself scrambling to try and find customers only when business is slow. Create more room in your wee...

Earning Season is always volatile to stock prices. Traders jerk in and out depending on the outcome of the report. For example, Texas Instrument (TXN) reported that its third quarter earning of 2005 rising 12% year over year. And yet, TXN fell after hour due to weak forecast. The game now is the exp...

Most FSBOs (people who are selling their own homes) are aware of the conventional use of escrow. In this article, we look at ways to use escrow to solve problems. Escrow Escrow means different things in different parts of the country. In California it?s part and parcel of the settlement proces...

Haggling was a way of life for Mr. B. I knew Mr. B because his son was one of my friends. His haggling greatly embarrassed my friend, but it didn`t bother Mr. B. He was saving money. Mr. B was a wonder. His distaste for paying retail was so ingrained he would bargain at the local fast food restau...

I don?t know what kind it is, but I saw it on TV running full speed along the shore (I don?t live near the shore) throwing up spray or maybe it was that one climbing up the steep mountain trail thru the mud, rocks and snow. Very exciting. (I don?t live near the mountains either.) WOW! Just what I ne...

Here are some of the most common terms used in FOREX trading. Ask Price ? Sometimes called the Offer Price, this is the market price for traders to buy currencies. Ask Prices are shown on the right side of a quote ? e.g. EUR/USD 1.1965 / 68 ? means that one euro can be bought for 1.1968 UD dollars...

Contrary to popular belief, small businesses can survive a crazy economy by taking some proactive steps. 1. Provide spectacular customer service -- every time. Have a friend or colleague visit your business and provide feedback from a customer?s perspective. This person should be unknown by your s...

In the first lesson, we learned how to create a Letterhead. In this article, we will learn to create other stationery items using our template. Making Compliment Slips: In Microsoft Word, click on `new` from the toolbar. A new file will open. We need to set-up our new project. First, to get ...

As the practice of public relations in China continues to mature, it seems appropriate to ask whether Chinese business managers ? tutored as they have been by European, North American and other PR specialists ? continue to apply major public relations emphasis to print and broadcast communicati...

Three steps to your Personal Transformation:

1. Awareness and Perception
2. Law of Cause and Effect
3. Law of Accumulation

These categories are what you need to understand in order to be in total control of your being! Most go through life never reaching their potential bec...

Which of the following changes to your life do you want to make to your life this year?

• To have a slim and trim body?
• Find a stimulating job
• Take up a sport or hobby
• Buy your dream home
• Travel to an exotic destination
• Have more time with your family ...

Please feel free to publish this article and resource box in your ezine, newsletter, offline publication or website. A copy would be appreciated at bobkelly@TNI.net. Net word count is 800 including guidelines and resource box. Robert A. Kelly © 2003. PR: How Sweet It Is! The public relati...

To sell products, you not only need sales and benefit-driven copywriting for your 2, 3 or more paged Web site, you also need to get new potential buyers to your site. Here`s 11 ways to sell more products. 1. Get a Low-Cost Web Site You don`t need a lot of Web pages. You need a home page with b...