Useful Tips for Directory Advertising

Before we start advertising in a advertising directory there are a few things we should first plan properly, such as:

1. 4 basic rules of Products quality, Place, Pricing and Packaging.
2. Marketing budget
3. Advertising budget
4. Unique Selling Proposition or USP
5. Logistics
6. Advertising media
7. Online advertising budgets including advertising directories
8. Getting professionals to write good advertising copies
   

Now, before we go into all that we should take care to first do market research. After all, why should we even launch a product if we are unsure about the market response?

Market research is one of the most valuable selling tools a show organizer has. Up to the minute, accurate market data arms you with the type of valuable information you need to sell your show to potential exhibitors, including who is attending your show, how well your exhibitors did at last year show, and what type of sales numbers resulted from participating in the event. Savvy exhibitors those that can contribute meaningfully to the success of your show will want to know this type of information.

Any information you provide to potential exhibitors must be both timely and accurately. Unfortunately, hiring a market research team, especially on an annual basis, can be an expensive proposition. Doing market research yourself can be time consuming and frustrating. What if there was a way to streamline the process, making it effortless and efficient for both you and your customers?

Enter the Internet. Trade show organizers have been woefully behind the curve when it comes to exploiting the Internet potential for market research. As the Online Expo becomes more and more of an industry presence, it is imperative that show organizers incorporate Web based elements into traditional shows to accommodate exhibitor needs, especially as they pertain to market research. The transition to a more virtual society has creating an expectation of instantaneous, accurate information an expectation that we need to meet if we are going to survive.

Here are five techniques you can use to meet this expectation:

Constantly Gather Information

Market research is not a once a year phenomenon. The dynamic nature of the marketplace means that new exhibitors are constantly setting up shop, while other companies that have exhibited with you for years may run into financial difficulty. Use Google or other new alert programs to email you when any of your exhibitors make news their prosperity or lack thereof may affect your show. At the same time, monitor news related to your show location, the demographics related to likely attendees, and other items of interest.

Make a commitment to reach out to your exhibitors at least quarterly via your Web site or targeted emails. Invite recipients to participate in a poll, answer a survey, or give feedback. Many will, especially if the poll, survey, or feedback form is quick and easy to navigate. This gives you a steady stream of data throughout the year.

Invite Open Communication

Exhibitors and potential exhibitors should always know how to reach you. An easily navigable website is a must for all businesses, but imperative for show organizers. Consider having direct links to frequently asked questions easily found contact options, and even live help via Email chat for the crunch time just before the show.

The above are only a few pointers on market research. You should be able to come up with a more comprehensive research checklist for your company and product. Once proper research has been done you would be more confident in launching your product in the market. This is followed by marketing campaigns, both off line as well as online.

And once you have done that, always remember to list your products and company in as many online directories as possible. There are many paid sites as well as free sites. Pay more attention to paid sites as the traffic is higher compared to free sites.

One of the reasons is that paid sites attract more professional and serious entrepreneurs and customers. Also, free sites have many limitations such as space. You are often online given space to put in text and very limited space to upload images of your products. Of course they will allow you to do that at extra cost.

Francis Lua

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What is an Asset Purchase Agreement

An asset purchase agreement is the written agreement by which one company buys another company. Asset purchase agreements define the assets and liabilities to be sold. The buyer is purchasing whatever the two parties define as "the Business," including the rights to conduct this Business.

Because certain assets and liabilities can be excluded from the transaction, asset purchase agreements are widely used contracts. Stock purchase agreements, meanwhile, do not easily allow for the segregation of assets and liabilities between seller and buyer. Moreover, in a stock purchase the seller will typically survive, acting as an extension of the buyer. By contrast, in an asset purchase the seller will usually become a shell after the closing, existing only long enough to disperse the purchase price to the stockholders and to act as a repository of sorts against any financial claims that the buyer may have against the seller following the sale.

Assets can be nearly anything: office supplies, real estate, intellectual property, machinery, professional services. Liabilities often attach themselves to the assets and travel with them.

Often, these agreements have effective dates (when the agreement becomes effective and comes into force) and closing dates, later dates (days or weeks, sometimes longer) at which time the deal closes and the parties sign and exchange documents. During the period in between, with the deal all but assured, the seller will make final its financing arrangements for the purchase.

Much of the asset purchase agreement is concerned with defining and controlling behavior. In the seller's representations and warranties, it represents, among a host of things, that it has the authority to sell its asset; that the assets are of a value equal to the purchase price; and that it is not in financial or legal trouble. In today's world, the representation on the environmental disposition of the assets is often a very important and lengthy provision. Meanwhile, the buyer represents that it has the authority to buy the assets and that has disclosed everything necessary to consummate the deal.

To double-check these representations, the buyer may require pre- and post-closing audits, also known as due diligence. And as protection, both parties draft comprehensive indemnity provisions that look to account for one party's malfeasance or mistakes.

The sections on covenants and conditions precedent talk to the behavior of the parties. For example, the agreement may limit the parties' ability to discuss the deal publicly. Very often, the seller is constrained by a non-compete and a non-disclosure provision, so as not to compete with the buyer and thus make the buyer's purchase moot. Further, in the period between the effective date and the closing date, the seller is also obligated to carry on the Business in normal fashion, so as not to diminish the value of the Business.

Termination clauses allow for termination for a variety of reasons, including material breach, mutual agreement by the parties, a government action stopping the deal, undue delay in closing, or unsatisfactory due diligence.

Sellers have learned to gain an advantage through a bifurcated purchase price. That is, a certain percentage will be paid at the closing, while the balance will come perhaps six months or a year later. In the intervening period, the seller has the chance to outperform expectations. By way of an earn-up provision, the seller may earn more than the stated purchase price, a mutually determined bonus, so to speak.

All in all, the widespread use of the asset purchase agreement means that it has been well tested and well received. For the sale of a business, it is certainly the best and easiest option for both parties.

Mark Warner

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Franchise and Business Opportunities

Want to be your own boss? A franchise or business opportunity may sound appealing, especially if you have limited resources or business experience. However, you could lose a significant amount of money if you don't investigate a business carefully before you buy. The Federal Trade Commission's Franchise and Business Opportunity Rule requires franchise and business opportunity sellers to give you specific information to help you make an informed decision.
Use the FTC Rule

A franchise or business opportunity seller must give you a detailed disclosure document at least 10 business days before you pay any money or legally commit yourself to a purchase. You can use these disclosures to compare a particular business with others you may be considering or simply for information. The disclosure document includes:

• names, addresses, and telephone numbers of at least 10 previous purchasers who live closest to you
• a fully audited financial statement of the seller
• background and experience of the business's key executives
• cost of starting and maintaining the business, and
• the responsibilities you and the seller will have to each other once you've invested in the opportunity.
• Study the disclosure document and proposed contract carefully.
• Interview current owners in person. (They should be listed in the disclosure document.) Visiting them in person may help you identify any that are "shills" — people paid to give favorable reports. Don't rely on a list of references selected by the company because it may contain shills. Ask owners and operators how the information in the disclosure document matches their experiences with the company.
• Investigate claims about your potential earnings. Some companies may claim that you'll earn a certain income or that existing franchisees or business opportunity purchasers earn a certain amount. Companies making earnings representations must provide you with the written basis for their claims. Be suspicious of any company that does not show you in writing how it computed its earnings claims.
• Sellers also must tell you in writing the number and percentage of owners who have done as well as they claim you will. Keep in mind that broad sales claims about successful areas of business — "Be a part of our $4 billion industry," for example — may have no bearing on your likelihood of success. Also, recognize that once you buy the business, you may be competing with franchise owners or independent business people with more experience than you.
• Shop around. Compare franchises with other business opportunities. Some companies may offer benefits not available from the first company you considered. The Franchise Opportunities Handbook, published annually by the U.S. Department of Commerce, describes more than 1,400 companies that offer franchises. Contact those that interest you. Request their disclosure documents and compare their offerings.
• Listen carefully to the sales presentation. Some sales tactics should signal caution. For example, if you are pressured to sign immediately "because prices will go up tomorrow," or "another buyer wants this deal," slow down. A seller with a good offer doesn't use high-pressure tactics. Under the FTC rule, the seller must wait at least 10 business days after giving you the required documents before accepting your money or signature on an agreement. Be wary if the salesperson makes the job sound too easy. The thought of "easy money" may be appealing, but success generally requires hard work.
• Get the seller's promises in writing. Any oral promises you get from a salesperson should be written into the contract you sign. If the salesperson says one thing but the contract says nothing about it or says something different, it's the contract that counts. If a seller balks at putting oral promises in writing, be alert to potential problems and consider doing business with another firm.
• Consider getting professional advice. Ask a lawyer, accountant, or business advisor to read the disclosure document and proposed contract. The money and time you spend on professional assistance, and research — such as phone calls to current owners — could save you from a bad investment decision.

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Business Economics

Beginning in 2007, many U.S. industry associations radically adjusted their national political lobbying strategies to support legislative enactment of social regulatory policy, policy that is primarily designed to address issues related to health, safety, and the environment. The regulations that are derived from such policy are generally limited to a specific issue, but they also have the power to regulate across industry boundaries. The normative justifications for environmental, health, and safety regulation often include the impact of negative externalities generated from a manufacturing process on employees and the natural environment and/or the existence of "information asymmetries" between business and the consumer concerning potentially harmful physical qualities associated with products [Dudley 2005, p. 33].

Throughout much of this decade, much of the American business community embraced an adversarial public policy position to enacting federal environmental, health, and safety mandates. The general position of the U.S. business community is that industry regulation is often unnecessary and a costly "regulatory tax" on their operations--much of which is passed directly through to the American consumer. (1) However, their rent-seeking, nonmarket activity has recently evolved into a more cooperative approach with other public policy stakeholders, including consumer interest groups and governments, to enact new social regulatory initiatives [Lipton and Harris 2007]. Moreover, there are other times when specific industries lobby their elected representatives to enact legislation for a national regulatory framework. For many domestic industries, this appears to be one of those times. Although major industry associations such as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Association of Manufacturers have continued to "stay the course" with their largely antiregulatory agendas, other industry-specific associations, such as the Toy Industry Association, the Specialty Vehicle Institute of America, and the Grocery Manufacturers Association, are supporting stricter federal regulatory controls over their products [Williamson 2008].

A confluence of legal, political, and economic factors are motivating this industry-based effort to enact new federal social regulations [Lipton and Harris 2007]. Legally, there are many industries looking for protection from product liability lawsuits and anxious to eliminate a patchwork of state product liability laws or civil legal actions. Having been unsuccessful at enacting tort reform legislation in Congress, since 2004 the Bush administration--with strong industry support--is using executive branch rule-making authority to include preemption clauses in preambles of new federal regulations. In particular, these block consumer product liability lawsuits filed under state law from being heard in state courts, where juries are more often receptive to a plaintiffs' claim against a corporation [Yost 2008]. (2) At the request of corporate defendants who seek legal venues less biased against them, these product liability cases are then adjudicated in the federal court system. Since 2005, such preemption clauses have been included in 51 administrative rules proposed or adopted, with 41 of these administrative rules promulgated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration [Yost 2008].

Politically, industry groups are concerned (and legislative activity in the 110th Congress offers reasonable justification) that the new Democrat majority in the U.S. Congress will institute a major social and economic regulatory agenda with burdensome administrative rules for the business community to implement. With the Bush administration still wielding the Presidential veto and in control of the executive rule-making process until January 20, 2009, manufacturers are hoping to acquire new regulations in 2008 that they consider less costly and burdensome to implement than what could result if both the executive and legislative branches of the federal government are Democrat-controlled in 2009. Yet, as Gattuso [2008, p. 7] argues, there are additional, and potentially costly, bureaucratic challenges that the business community must face in the last year of a Presidential administration:

Historically, regulatory activity surges at the end of a presidential
Administration. ... These surges are not random. The most likely
explanation is that regulators have an institutional incentive to
clear their desks before turning over the office keys to new
occupants. In the process, the normal review procedure may be
overwhelmed with more costly rules slipping through the screens.

From an economic perspective, growing competition from inexpensive imports that do not meet voluntary industry standards, especially products exported from China, have motivated many industry associations to rent-seek new domestic health and safety regulatory mandates. For example, the Toy Industry Association, in response to product recalls by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) in 2007 for lead paint contamination of Thomas & Friends trains--followed by three separate product safety recalls for Barbie, Sesame Street, and Dora the Explorer toys (all manufactured in China)--requested that the U.S. government impose safety-testing standards on all toys sold in the United States [Lipton and Story 2007].

Thomas A. Hemphill is an assistant professor in the School of Management
University of Michigan-Flint Business Economics (2009) 44, 51-56. doi:10.1057/be.2008.3

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Online Marketing

If you have been considering starting an online business and still unsure whether you should take the plunge or not this article may enlighten you as to why you should take the first steps.

We are living in what has been termed the “Internet Age” or “Information Age”. The Internet has obtained worldwide appeal because of the vast amount of information that can be obtained in an instant from almost anywhere in the world. It has made business possible online and has taken online business processes to a much advanced level. The Internet is changing and expanding everyday and will continue to maintain its stronghold in the online business world for many more years to come.

Having realized the importance of the Internet many brick and mortar business owners are transforming parts of their offline businesses to cater for people looking for products and services online, by doing so they are expanding their customer bases and increasing their profits.

What are the compelling reasons for you to take your business online? There are many positive reasons but 5 compelling reasons are as follows:
Less Expensive Running Costs

Compared to traditional costs of advertising, the Internet has made cheaper advertisements possible to all kinds of online businesses. You could start promoting your business with little or no money. Why would you want to pay more when you could reach a wider audience with a cheaper advertising rate? The Internet is definitely cost-effective, any Internet marketer would agree.
Instant Accessibility

People expect everything to happen instantly these days. They do not have patience to wait. They would go to a different seller if they could not get what they want from you instantly. With the help of instant online payment processors why should you let them go to your competitors to buy the same products or services?
It works Round-the-Clock

Have you read slogans such as “you make money even while you are sleeping?” this is possible because the Internet never sleeps! When you have this twenty-four hour sales force to back you up even when you rest, why would you not want to use it to build your online business round the clock?
Internation Availability

You need not set up a separate office and work from 9-5. With your online business you could sell your product or service to anyone from anywhere around the world. You need not bother about wearing formal clothes or driving to work 2 hours on a busy highway. You could just sit at home and do your online business. The Internet highway brings yours customers to your own home!
Keep up with your Competitors

As we mentioned earlier, this is the Internet Age. People use the Internet to find most of their information. Statistics show that a high proportion of users will carry out initial research into products or services online before making a purchase either online or offline. Since all your competitors are online to get their targeted customers’ attention, you should not be left out if you want to beat them in online business. If you are not online, you are losing your chances of making successful sales online or offline. People will sell and buy almost anything online these days, you only have to look at the success of eBay and similar sites to realize this; you could be selling your products or services online right now.

With so many positive reasons, you should not miss the chance to create your own online business so that you can present your products and services to an audience of millions instantly, 24 hours a day, 365 days a years. Don’t you agree?
However, is you do decide to go for it the first step you must take is to ensure you have good information about the market you are planning to enter, research the products, the competitors and customers, what are their needs, how much are they spending, etc. When you are armed with this information you will know the potential for success, only when you know the potential can you make informed decisions.

Running an online business is not difficult if you know how, but many newcomers do not always know where to get the best information and quite often spent many months, even years, stumbling around in the dark unable to find the right door that will lead them along the path to success.

Another vital step that must not be neglected is educating yourself in the steps that must be undertaken in order to run a successful online business. You can do this by finding a mentor to guide you, enrolling in a great coaching program or home study course that will show you correctly, what to do, when to do it and how to do it. But you must make sure that the training you choose has a track record of success, it should have proven methods that will start you off and keep you on the right track!

The Million Dollar Training System and the other information provided on this site are part of a proven system that has consistently taught it’s students best practices for running successful online businesses, read the many testimonials and learn what past students have to say.

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Internet Marketing Strategies

Internet Marketing Strategies are Integral to the Success of Your Online Business

Who hasn’t dreamed of starting their own business? The freedom to set your own hours, the authority to make your own decisions, and the incredible feeling of accomplishment that you get from pleasing your customers are just a few of the many benefits that you’ll find when you start your very own online business.

Regardless of the type of business you decide to operate, you will need to know the secrets of effective Internet marketing strategies. Running a business on the Internet is far different from running a traditional business. The methods that you will use to reach potential customers and convert prospects into sales are unique to this ever-evolving business platform.

Most Internet business owners begin their business with an already-firm idea of the product or service they want to offer. If you aren’t sure what type of product or service you will base your Internet business on, deciding this will be your first step. Providing Internet hosting is a fantastic business idea that requires little effort. Selling software or providing useful information are two other perennially successful Internet business plans.

Once your business model is chosen and firmly set in your mind, you can begin working on marketing strategies to reach your potential customers. If you will do business entirely on the Internet, online marketing strategies may be all you need to get the word out and generate interest in your business. If you plan to advertise offline as well, your marketing strategy may include print advertisements, a phone book listing, and pamphlets or brochures.

The most important part of your online marketing strategy is your Web site. The importance of a solid, easy-to-use and well-designed Web site cannot be overstated. It is often the only contact that customers will have with your business, so it needs to give the best impression possible. A poorly designed Web site tells your potential customers that you lack the skills or the focus to present your business in a professional way.

Take stock of what you have so far: you have a product or service that you will provide to your customers. You have a plan to let customers know that you are there. You have a strong Web site that tells your prospective customers who you are, what you do, and why you can provide this product or service better than anyone else. What’s left to do?

Three words: marketing, marketing, marketing. Selling your business should be a full-time occupation for you when you are starting out. Post in Internet forums as an expert in your field. Write articles sharing knowledge about your area of expertise and submit them to knowledge-based Web sites. Comment on blogs, e-mail people who you know would be interested (but be careful to avoid spamming!), and purchase advertising on other Web sites.

If having a strong business foundation is akin to getting your foot in the door of the business world, then implementing these marketing strategies is the way to pry that door open completely. By getting your business name and image out there, you will generate interest about your new venture and encourage people to see what you’re about.

After prying that door open, it’s time to step through it. Develop a long-term marketing strategy that involves offering quality work for your clients’ money, rewarding repeat customers, and ensuring that customers get some value just from visiting your Web site. This part is certainly easier said than done, because most new business owners are in the dark about how to satisfy customers long-term. The best business policy is to provide your customers with the type of service that you would hope to receive yourself.

What does this mean, exactly? Offering quality work is something that you will probably do instinctively; after all, everyone knows the value of getting what you pay for. Rewarding repeat customers can take the form of discount coupons, free offers, or other value-added rewards that show your appreciation for your regular customers.

Providing value just for visiting your Web site is one concept that many business owners struggle with. In general, you should strive to provide some type of free and useful information to every visitor, regardless of whether or not they buy something. You may choose to do this by writing expert articles or giving a free consultation – the possibilities here are nearly endless.

If you balance your marketing strategy between attracting new customers and retaining current customers, your Internet business can’t help but be successful. If you have been waiting for the right time to start your own business, the time is now. Simply use these marketing strategies to open up the door of business success and walk through it into a new life of financial freedom and personal fulfillment.

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You Can Create Residual Income On Site

When YouTube was gobbled up by Google it opened up brand new frontiers for people to learn how to make money on Sites Like YouTube And Metacafe that were not completely open to users prior to the Google purchase. YouTube has been a very popular internet video sharing site for a while now with millions of people uploading and watching videos on a daily basis. However the Google purchase opens up new ways for people to make money on sites like YouTube that were not necessarily available prior to Google taking over.

First and foremost Google is easily the most used search engine on the internet and getting your entry to appear on the first Google page of search results is worth a great deal of money. With Google now owning YouTube, that has allowed the tags used by YouTube users to become a bit more powerful and has caused YouTube videos to appear on the first page of any Google search. If you were to do a Google search today for anything at all if there is a video on YouTube that uses the tag you searched for it has a very good chance of appearing on the first page of the Google search results and this will go a long way towards earning significant cash on YouTube .

Other than violating copyrights held by other people you can put just about any kind of video on the website as long as it is does not violate the YouTube terms of conduct for content. That means that you can produce video commercials for your company and post it for free on YouTube and create some search tags that will help you work the SEs to get hits on your video. If the public finds the video appealing enough, and you find the right combination of tags to get the video seen on the Google search page, then you have just created a commercial that could be seen by as many people as would see a nationally televised professional done commercial. Your sales will soar and your product could become a household name. That is the power of YouTube.

If you would like to learn how to make money on YouTube by just making videos then the Google purchase will benefit you as well. Google is an expert at generating revenue from the internet and Google has started to put that knowledge to work for YouTube users as well. Now you can tie into Google advertising and place it on and around your YouTube videos to earn an income for yourself. If you can get a substantial number of subscribers to your YouTube channel regularly watching your videos then you can tie Google Adwords Ads to your videos and generate a sizeable income from them. It is a new avenue for Google to use to generate advertising revenue and yet another way for YouTube users learn how to make money on YouTube. Check on other video sharing sites for their revenue sharing plans as well!

Web hosting space costs money and another way people use YouTube to make money is to use YouTube as their video host and move the videos off their web hosting account and on to YouTube. This is more of a cost savings idea than a way to learn how to make money on YouTube but as long as you are generating some sort of revenue then the result is all the same. Using video sharing sites like YouTube to host your videos means you not only do not have to pay for extra web hosting space but you also do not have to pay for added bandwidth if your videos become popular. So you could have some extremely popular and revenue generating videos hosted completely for free by YouTube and that alone can save you a great deal of money. There are many ways to make money on YouTube And Other Video Sharing Sites.

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