Cleaning Grain Silos Towers Containers And Combines

Writen by Lance Winslow

If you run a pressure washing company in a rural market you will need to learn how to wash agricultural industry equipment and infrastructure. In our company The Tractor Wash Guys, we We have several years of experience washing combines. Phil Hasenhoehrl, a wheat farmer in Lewiston Idaho, was raised in the farming business. His family has been farmers for over 100 years. In addition to farming, Phil has worked with us and helped us in learning how best to develop this market sector. He was before joining our team a farmer. He owns a $250,000 John Deere combine that he maintains himself.

Many pressure-washing contractors have no idea what to charge for cleaning such equipment. We recommend that for a blow-off and wash on a large combine like Phil's, that you charge $300.00. If a combine has already had a blow-off, we charge $175.00 for just a straight wash. This is about the going price in most markets. Waxing is an additional $75.00 - $100.00. Washing should include cleaning the cab, gauges, control panel, seat and windows. Most operators will be quite pleased to the see the cockpit of their combine in mint condition.

To protect paint and inhibit rust, we use a polymer wax, recommended by John Deere. You can buy a bottle or two at your local John Deere Dealership. We usually try to set-up a semi-annual preventative maintenance cleaning for larger farmers and corporate farms. You should also consider having programs for rinse off services for new and used farm equipment dealers.

Cleaning Grain and Wheat Silos, Towers, and Containers

You will find good business in cleaning small silos owned by family farm businesses. Whether they store grain, wheat, produce, wood chips, or any other agricultural crop, you can clean the containers, crates, boxes, trailers, silos and towers. There is unlimited amounts of work for someone who is serious about getting out there with a little hustle in their step. You should be knowledgeable in all FDA laws for storage of perishables; this can be done by reading thru sections of the FDA government website. You can clean 10 story cement grain towers, floors, and inside walls. You find this to be an excellent business and unlimited work once the word gets out, you will be getting calls for hundreds of miles away. Because grain dust is highly explosive and considered a fire hazard we recommend cleaning silos, storage containers and towers whenever they are emptied and this is a good selling point to customers.

It also pays to be an expert in cleaning flat or cone shaped floors and inside and exterior perimeters where the tin meets the pavement; where the seal is formed. It is smart to contact farmers as they empty silos before fumigation. Let your customers know that you understand their FDA and EPA obligations and will only use soaps which won't combine with insecticides, or attract rats. The farmer's time is better spent watching mercantile exchanges, commodities markets, agricultural futures and comex. The tax credits for farmers for building silos may never come again, so tell them you can help them protect their investment. As the EPA bans more and more effective pesticides and herbicides due to pressures to clean waterways and due to foreign demands on shipping our agricultural exports, you can help them keep their operations in compliance when inspectors come to harass them. It is extremely important to keep containers free of disease, rates, unwanted micro-organisms and insects and you will be doing the farmers a valuable service indeed. Let all your farmer clients know that you will give them a free estimate on cleaning and containers they have. This will help you and once you prove you can do good work and that you look them in the eyes when you give a firm handshake you will find a whole lot more work where that came from.

Let them know that all of your services are performed with 185 to 210 degree water at 3000 PSI and over 6 gpm and that it will be cleaned correctly, efficiently, cost effectively and on time when they use your services. Think about cleaning farm equipment and infrastructure if you live in a rural area.

Lance Winslow

How Mastering 5 Essential Money Making Ideas Can Lead Your Business To Longterm Cashflow

Writen by Glen Jansen

Essentially there are 5 tremendously powerful methods to make money online. These methods were not always available but have only become available due to the large amount of internet commerce being conducted each and every day online. While it is possible to make money, and lots of it, using other methods, these are in my opinion the best for 3 reasons. First, they are some of the cheapest methods around. Imagine running a business for an entire year where your total cost was less than $1 a day. Secondly, these methods are fast to implement. Some of the methods can have you up and running in hours, if not only a day or two. Lastly, these ideas are simple. When it comes to working online, simpler is better and complex is dead.

The 5 Best Money Making Ideas.

ONE. Making Money the Google Cash Way.
Google Cash is a term coined by Chris Carpenter. In his amazing ebook, he teaches you how to start a profitable advertising business by using Google Adwords to promote products to web searchers on the Google search engine. The strategy is simple. You create ads to attract interested people. When they click on your ad you are charged for that click. The visitor is directed to your site where you can sell them products. The advantage is you get to leverage the Google traffic. You can purchase clicks for as low as 5 cents. Lastly, done properly, you can test dozens of different ads and campaigns allowing you to perfect your selling system.

TWO. Making tons of money selling someone else's stuff.
Affiliate marketing is the manner in which you market a product for someone else, known as the merchant. In return for providing a qualified buyer, the merchant agrees to pay you a commission. The beauty of this type of business is that you can take advantage of hot products, you can easily create a large cash flow by setting up dozens of small income streams promoting hundreds of products. In other words, the business is scalable. Once you learn to make money selling a product for one merchant, you can reproduce that for another. For this to work, the critical step that you need to master is getting traffic. You can use the Google Cash method or start your own site. Getting traffic, either inexpensive or free will be the lifeblood of your business.

THREE. Turn Treasure into Dollars with eBay.
In case this is your first week using the internet, I will briefly explain eBay. They are the world's largest online auction system. People from all over the world, lots of people, using it each and ever day to sell everything from toasters to Hummers. In order to make money on eBay, you research what is selling at the moment, source that product for at great price and then start creating auctions. Of course, that all sounds easy, but the truth is there is a lot of work involved, especially if you have to ship all those products from your house. If you are organized, can research or can use the software to do that research for you, and can negotiate with suppliers than you can really make money with eBay.

FOUR. Drop Ship It.
The thought of storing boxes and boxes of products at your house may have you running away from eBay. Thank goodness there is something called Drop Shipping. A drop shipper is a wholesaler who will sell you their products at near wholesale prices and ship them directly to your customer. World Wide Brands maintains a directory of wholesaler and drop shipping companies giving you access to over 2 million products to sell on eBay. The good news is that once you have access to your own products, you can now use the first three methods to market them. Do you see the power now? Maybe you used the first two methods to market someone else's product. Now you can get a better profit margin by drop shipping your own products using these same methods.

FIVE. Write yourself rich.
The first 4 methods involved selling someone else's products for a commission or profit margin. If you want to make the most money, you have to produce and sell your own products. An exceptional item to sell online is information. In particular, ebooks, software, audio and video products have incredible profit margins. But, you think, you have no writing skills. What are you to do? Easy, hire people to do the work for you. This is an amazing way to leverage the skills of someone else. Pretend you have an idea for a new software program. There are many resource sites where you can hire people to work for you. Depending on your product idea, you can get the software coded for $100, $200, maybe even $300. Then the product is yours to resell. You can keep 100% of the profits. You can do the same thing writing a book. Writing is not that hard. Maybe you produce a newsletter. You could combine your articles into an informational ebook. As with software, you can even hire a ghost writer to do the work for you. Once you have your product, you can enlist the power of a site like Clickbank to help you sell it.

There you have it. The 5 best ways of making money online. It is now up to you to master one or more of these ideas. A great idea is to start with one method and become masterful at it. Next, spread out to another and then another. Next thing you know, you will have streams on income flowing into your business.

Glen Jansen, author of the free ebook "The Best Money Making Ideas" helps internet marketers and budding home business entrepreneurs find 5 of the easiest ways to make money online. Visit http://www.1st-in-earn-extra-income.com for more free information and money earning articles.

Winning The Race To Success The Quotlast Mile Advantagequot

Writen by Denise Corcoran

Do you know what ***really*** differentiates the winners from the losers in this metaphorical race we call "business success"? Intelligence? Money? Luck? Influence? Is it ...?

These assets can certainly enhance your success. Yet there is still one secret ingredient ... beyond all else ... that can and will determine whether you win or lose in the business world.

Can you guess what it is? You give up?!

The single most powerful ingredient to performance mastery ... the one that above all else separates the Olympic Gold from those who never get to the finish line ... is what I call "The Last Mile Advantage."

===> What is the "Last Mile Advantage?"

It is giving your goal **everything** you got ... and sometimes more ... in that last mile of your race to get to your finish line.

You see it all the time in the Olympics. Hitting the "wall," incurring an injury, falling off track ... yet somehow, somewhere that athlete taps into their inner power to not only finish the race, but to also win it.

As business owners, we are constantly being challenged to find the strength within to get to the finish line at each stage of our business. "The journey of a 1000 miles does begin with the first step," but the true leaps, the true growth, the true breakthroughs happen in the last mile of the race.

Sounds simple yet so few business owners ever really get to the finish line

As a business coach, I have watched literally hundreds of businesses - on the verge of a breakthrough - die, falter or never even get off the ground. They gave up in the last 5% in pursuing their business goals and visions. Getting to the 5 yard line is not good enough in the business world. You must get into the end zone for the touch down.

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If you want success, you must get brutally honest with yourself. In the last year, what high priority projects, goals or visions you have procrastinated on, put on the back burner or walked away from? If you were to go the "extra mile" ... the last 5% ... to complete one of those goals, how would your business be different?

What step can you take today to get to the finish line?

Denise Corcoran - CEO, The Empowered Business (tm) - assists CEOs, executives and business owners in taking a quantum leap from the ordinary to extraordinary … from unrealized dreams to mastering their destiny … from slow growth to exponential results. A business & leadership coach, strategic consultant and Master NLP Practioner, Denise's unique "inside out" approach provides deep transformation and lasting change in you, your organization and your results. Her latest e-book: "The Mindset of Greatness: 21 Principles to Becoming an Unstoppable Woman ... Oprah Winfrey Style!" http://www.EmpoweredBusiness.com Subscribe to her monthly ezine - The Empowered Business (tm) - and learn the legendary secrets of top business achievers. http://www.empoweredbusiness.com/Newsletter_signup.html

Build Your Business Around Your Lifestyle And Increase Your Gross Business Happiness

Writen by Kevin Riley

Does your business bring you happiness? Is your business built around your lifestyle? Or is your life forced to conform to your business?

Bhutan's King Jigme Singye Wangchuck gained some fame for putting forward the "radical" idea that a country's success should not be measured in terms of its GNP. Instead, he suggested measuring the success of a nation by its GNH -- its Gross National Happiness. He pointed out that if the people are not leading happy, fulfilling lives, it doesn't matter how healthy a country's economy is.

This same notion can easily be applied to your business. If it's not making you happy, it may be time to re-assess the reasons you went into business in the first place.

Why Did You Start Your Business?

Did you start your own business for money or freedom? Did you want to be in full control of your time and your life? What are your priorities?

Maybe you wanted to get away from the rat race of the corporate world. Maybe you pictured yourself free from five days a week in a cramped cubicle, pictured yourself spending more time with your family. You saw yourself choosing your own hours and having time to enjoy your hobbies, travel, sports.

Running a business can either give you that freedom or it can rob you of it. It all depends on how you build your business in the first place. If you set some rules from the beginning, define what you want to do, then build your business around your lifestyle, you will reap a high level of GBH -- Gross Business Happiness.

How To Get Happiness From Your Business

First, decide what you want in your life. Picture your ideal lifestyle. Do you want to spend long vacations in other lands? Do you want to work evenings and have your days free for golf? Do you want to stay at your ski chalet for a month every Spring? Write down exactly what your business will allow you to do ... what kind of lifestyle it will let you lead.

Next, write down what you will or will not do in your business. Do you like meeting customers? Or would you rather keep them on the other side of a computer screen? Do you want to go on business trips? Or are you a happy homebody? Do you want to sell physical products? Or do you want to sell downloadable information products or software ... and avoid the hassles of inventory?

Using a list of rules for your business will also ensure that your business is successful. When your goals for your business reflect the priorities in your life, it is much easier to be disciplined and follow your business plan.

When Your Business Fits Your Lifestyle It Will Flourish

Because your business activities allow for your lifestyle, there is less temptation to sidetrack you from the jobs you need to accomplish. You'll find it much easier to stick to your goals. Since your business doesn't intrude on your life, your life doesn't interfere with your business.

Spend some time building your business around your lifestyle. Build it around your needs and wants, and your business will bring you not only money ... but also happiness.

Kevin Riley is the Mission Leader at Internet Marketing Force (IMF). Build a successful online business that increases your happiness. Apply for your own free Pre-Mission Briefing today, at http://missionmakemoneyonline.com

Tips For Offering Movein Moveout Cleaning Services

Writen by Steve Hanson

People and businesses are moving from homes, apartments, and offices on a daily basis. As people and businesses move, they either need their old location cleaned or want to make sure their new location is clean before moving in. Your cleaning company can fill this niche by providing what is known as move-in/move-out cleaning. It can be an added service that your cleaning business provides, a way to give employees new skills, and a great way for your company to make more profit!

Move in/out cleaning can be cleaning a building after an old tenant moves out or before a new tenant moves in. The type of clients looking for move in/out cleaning includes residential and commercial property owners and managers. Commercial move in/out cleaning can vary from small, quick jobs of just a few thousand square feet to large office buildings of 15,000 square feet and up.

A good place to start when looking for move in/out cleaning accounts is to contact property management companies. If you happen to be located in a college town there will probably be no shortage of work. If you have been cleaning commercial buildings, your clients will no doubt ask you to provide move in/out cleaning services when they move into a new office or building.

When first starting out with move in/out cleaning it may be necessary to meet with the property manager on-site to give an estimate on the time it will take to clean the apartment, office, or building. Once you establish a relationship with the property manager you may be able to skip doing an estimate and just bill for your time. They will most likely need floor cleaning services too (carpet, tile, wood). These are specialized cleaning services, which you will charge separately for. Offering these specialized services will also add more profitability to your cleaning company since you will charge more for these services.

The prices charged will vary depending on the type of facility you are cleaning, but you should be able to bill $20 - $25 for your services. Apartment buildings tend to be less profitable than commercial buildings because many apartment managers have a budget to adhere to, so they like their cleaning contractors to bill a flat fee because it's easier to stick to their budget. Cleaning contractors need to be cautious about bidding this way. Some apartments take much longer to clean than others so you don't want to lose money because you underestimated your time.

No matter if you are cleaning a residential apartment, home or a commercial building there are several steps you should take to guarantee your success and your customer's satisfaction with your move in/out cleaning services.

· Use teams of 2 to 4 people for apartment cleaning, depending on the size of the apartment. Larger teams may be needed for commercial locations.

Team members should be specialists in the tasks they are performing. For example, in a two person team, one person will be assigned to dusting, windows, and vacuuming. One person will be assigned to bathrooms, kitchens, hard floor vacuuming, and mopping.

The team leader is responsible for making sure that all equipment and supplies are brought to the job site and gathered when the job is complete. Put all tools and chemicals into a plastic tote.

· Before you begin check with the client to make sure the job site has working utilities. You cannot clean without running water and you need electricity to run a vacuum. If it is the middle of the summer, you should make sure the building's air-conditioning is working properly. Cleaning chemicals and drying times can be affected by heat and humidity.

· Begin cleaning by removing all trash. Pick up all trash that is too large to vacuum. You will be able to vacuum more efficiently as you will not have to stop and pick up large objects.

· Use a microfiber flat mop for cleaning ceilings, walls, baseboards, and doors.

· Proper vacuuming is an important step in move in/out cleaning. Using a backpack vacuum with the proper attachments can speed up the tasks at hand and make work easier on the cleaning staff. Remember to vacuum from high to low, including light fixtures, window tracks, blinds, and along the baseboards. It is also much easier to vacuum out cabinets and drawers than wiping them.

Some of these items will need to be wiped down after vacuuming; light fixtures, insides of cabinets and drawers, ceiling vents, heat registers, and blinds.

· Windows and patio doors should be washed with an applicator and squeegee. Use scrapers or #0000 steel wool to remove stickers and bugs. Be sure the window is wet when using these tools or you could scratch the glass. Frames and tracks should be vacuumed and then wiped down.

· After picking up trash and vacuuming, start cleaning the stuck-on grime and dirt. Chemicals to have on hand include: bowl cleaner, fume-free oven cleaner, window cleaner, all-purpose cleaner, degreaser, neutral floor cleaner, stainless steel polish, and furniture polish. Save money by using concentrated chemicals rather than RTU (ready-to-use) chemicals.

Spray spots and make sure you give dwell time so the chemicals have time to work. It is important that you have enough air movement so employees do not breathe in fumes. Make sure that your employees have the correct personal protective equipment (gloves, goggles, etc.) when working with chemicals.

· Deep cleaning. If you need to loosen build-up, use the correct cleaning tools - paper towels, terry cloth rags, microfiber cloths, pads, brushes and scrapers. Use caution when using these tools - you don't want to damage surfaces.

. Use paper towels, terry cloth rags, or microfiber cloths for most cleaning tasks. Use a green microfiber cloth for dusting; blue for windows, glass and polished surfaces; red for cleaning restrooms and yellow for countertops, sinks and walls.

. Use hand brushes for scrubbing showers, sinks, stoves, and refrigerators. Use grout brushes for cleaning up grout on countertops and ceramic tile floors. Toothbrushes can be used for detail cleaning around faucets and around the rims in toilet bowls.

. Use white pads for surfaces such as glass, chrome, stainless steel and plastic. This is because white pads are not as abrasive as green pads.

. Green pads are good for greasy areas including cabinets, toilets and scrubbing shower stalls. Be careful when using green pads however, as they can scratch surfaces.

. Use a 2" utility scraper for build-up and adhesives in kitchens and bathrooms.

· Save time by spraying the inside of the refrigerator and showers/tubs with a pump-up sprayer rather than using a spray bottle. When cleaning kitchens, be sure to pull out the stove and refrigerator. Clean the walls, sides of appliances, sides of cabinets, floor, and vacuum the coils. Also clean the oven hood and filters.

· Clean floors last. Use the backpack vacuum to give the floors a final vacuuming, and then mop all hard surface flooring.

Offering move in/out services is one way to start your cleaning business. It also provides a way for an established cleaning company to provide added services to their existing clients while putting extra dollars onto the bottom line.

Steve Hanson is co-founding member of The Janitorial Store (TM), an online community for owners and managers of cleaning companies who want to build a more profitable and successful cleaning business. Sign up for Trash Talk: Tip of the Week at http://www.TheJanitorialStore.com and receive a Free Gift! Read cleaning success stories from owners of cleaning companies at http://www.cleaning-success.com.

Growing Though Emotions

Writen by Casey Gollan

I have found over the years, in my own businesses, and with my clients businesses… that there is one big thing that come up and any time to thwart our dreams of successfully growing our business.

Emotions

Yes emotions.

It sounds funny to some people… until they are in the situation to experience them.

In Fact, many business owners say to me… 'Gee if I could grow my business to make a million a year – I'd do it'.

It sounds easy to do.

The reality for most people is - it isn't.

For some reason when you are faced with achieving great success, emotions can come up and disrupt/delay or eliminate your opportunities.

You can have emotions that make you scared of failure.

You can have emotions that make you scared of success.

You can even have emotions that make you both scared of failure and success at the same time.

Let me give you an example of how emotions can disrupt your business growth.

I have worked with many business owners that want to grow their business… yet their excuse is 'they're too busy, and that they 'don't have the time'.

They often say to me…

Case 'I'd love to grow my business but I'm just too busy. If I had more time, I'd easily grow the business'.

So they start working with me.

We put into place certain things that free up their time – so that they can then grow their business.

You know what happens… Well, all of a sudden, they can't use the 'I don't have the time' excuse anymore.

And for many business owners – it's terrifying.

All of a sudden they have the time, and they know what they HAVE to do to grow their business, but for various reasons they can't bring themselves to do the things they know will grow their business.

So they start creating situations in their business, that will draw them back into the 'day to day' activities of the business and away from 'growing' their business.

They start self-sabotaging their success.

Can you relate to that?

Let me give you some examples…

Instead of going out and selling – you may look for paperwork to do.

Instead of training your staff – you keep yourself busy elsewhere.

Instead of doing your financials – you work extra on 'little' things that keep you away from doing your financials.

You may tend to create all different types of diversions…

Does this sound familiar?

Well guess what, it's normal – and you can swiftly step through it – with some help.

I specialize in helping business owners grow through these 'emotions'. I've seen them all before…

You see my clients quickly find out that I can help them through this trap… I keep them accountable for them doing what it takes for them to grow their business – and I don't give in.

Think about it… When you're the boss in the business – who's there to keep you accountable?

You can put things off… and sometimes it can really hurt you.

When you work with me I'm there to help you follow through on growing your business – rather than leaving you to sabotaging your growth. It's part of how I've helped many clients add millions to their business in just a few years.

Maybe you could achieve the same results… would that be of benefit to you?

Emotions can empower you, or disable you. So being able to grow through your emotions is one of the secrets of business growth.

All the best business owners are able to work their way through these 'emotions'.

And you can too!

It's a key part of growing your business successfully.

In fact just the other day I was talking to one of the best clients I have worked with. He now runs a very, very successful $3 million dollar business. When he came to me, it was just over $1 million.

He said to me "Case now that I look back at all the stupid emotions that I had to deal with when I was growing the business, it amazed me at how much time I wasted.

Wasted on getting through my emotional blocks.

But I realize now that those emotions are what held me back in the first place and that I HAD to work through them to get to where I am now.

I had to become a $3 Million dollar businessman first before I could grow to $3 Million."

And it's true.

Show me a business that is growing, and I bet you a year or so before they experience business growth – the business owner went through significant personal growth.

And that's the secret.

All super successful business owners have had exceptional personal growth.

If you are the business owner, for your business to grow. You first must grow.

So focus on growing yourself in areas to enable your business to grow. That's the clue.

Find out what areas you are currently vulnerable in, in terms of both knowledge and skill. Then set about improving them yourself.

And you can do it by yourself, or with the help of other people. Like coaches mentors or even better – a business growth specialist.

So today you may want to write yourself a list on the areas in your business that you may be vulnerable in.

For some of you it may be marketing.

For some of you it may be sales

For other it could be understanding financials, recruiting staff, training staff, firing staff, letting go…

Whatever it may be for you… write down a list.

Then set about improving on these areas so that your skills improve.

Then as your skills improve your fear diminishes.

Simple.

The skill set and the emotions that you have running your business at what ever level it is at right now… will be different to the skills and the emotional intelligence you will need to grow your business by another million or a few million.

To control and grow through those emotional blocks some of the things that can help you through are (a) very good self esteem (b) the burning desire to make it through (c) the knowledge and the skill set on how to make it through and (d) the excellent support

When I was at school, the only thing I wanted to do was finish school so that I didn't have to learn or study anymore.

Well as you know and I know now – we never stop learning and we never stop studying… because if we do – we stop growing. And as an achiever – I love growing, learning and becoming better…

I realize now that the more I learn, the less I know.

So lets look at the best business owners and how they manage their 'emotions' so that they can grow their business.

Great business owners have a tendency to take 'risks'. Well to the person on the street may call it a 'risk' but to the business owner it's more of a 'knowing' – an intuitive gamble that what they think will work – will work.

So armed with a great self esteem and desire they go about learning how to do it. They study, research the topic and do what it takes to get the job done.

And they make sure they have support.

They surround themselves with great people that enhance their ability to 'know' what to do to grow their business.

Every successful businessman will tell you how important great people are to them. They insist on having excellent staff. If they don't fit the mold, they do work in the company.

They insist on having the best accountants, the best lawyers and the best consultants they can find to help them grow their business.

You see it's crucial to have someone there that can explain exactly what you're going through – and most importantly tell you what the next steps are to take so that you can 'make it through' safely and successfully.

Working with an excellent Growth Specialist will help you see the path you have to walk. Because sometimes business owners can get trapped in the business – and may not be able to see there way out. A great specialist will help you out.

And they'll help you out quickly and safely.

Much like if you wanted to climb Mt Everest. You'd get a Sherper to help guide you up the mountain, showing you the steps to take.

So by learning how to do it and getting great support you can overcome the emotions of growth.

It's the seventh secret of business growth – growing through emotions.

Copyright © 2006 by Casey Gollan. All Rights Reserved

Business Coach, Mentor And Growth Specialist Casey Gollan, Business Coach, Mentor And Growth Specialist. Grows $1 Million p.a. Small Businesses Into $2 to $5 Million p.a. Businesses Over a 2 to 3 Year Period.

Office Furniture That Changes The Look Of Your Office

Writen by Maheshinder Singh

Office furniture is used everyday. A successful business makes cautious decisions in business practice. Everything should be selected carefully whether it is office stationery, office furniture or other equipments. Office furniture defines the personality of your business and plays a vital role in its overall functioning. The selection of office furniture is very important decision for its success.

There are numerous suppliers of office furniture that provides a vast variety of well-designed furniture at proper prices. The successful business firms take enough time to choose right office furniture. There are different cabins or rooms in an office and for each and every room some type of furniture is needed.

Each and every business firm should have its needs, budgets and objectives. The type or selection of office furniture will depend upon the type of company. For e.g. a computer center needs rolling chairs, computer tables etc but a business firm may consist of different rooms, cabins and reception. Every room needs different furniture like computer table and rolling chairs for cabins and large sofas, tables for reception.

Don't take such decisions in hurry, especially when you have a wide variety of options to decide from. The main thing is to find the best company that provides different options at the cheapest rates. The company having proper knowledge about your layout and objectives can help you to choose the office furniture that is right for you.

There are numerous companies providing quality discount office furniture. You can also find such companies online that provide their best services on best prices.

Author presents a website on office furniture. This website provides information about importance of office stationery and how to select furniture for your office. You can get more information about discount office furnitures from his site.

Starting A Small Business Get Out Of Your Comfort Zone

Writen by Kevin Dwyer

What motivates anyone to start a small business? You are usually alone, without a lot of start up cash (hardly ever enough), without the full range of skills to make the business work and most often without sufficient knowledge of the market you are about to enter.

Despite all of these barriers to setting off in a small business we set sail, like a ship without adequate navigation, in search of something we want.

It is the nature of what we want that drives our motivation. If the nature of what we want is to earn a little money to supplement our existing income or indeed to provide our only income then most people can start a small business and meet their measure of success.

It is when our want becomes something more, perhaps to provide for our children an education and a chance for a better life than we had that the measure of success becomes more difficult to attain.

When we want to change a small piece of the world to make something better than it was and to earn money by doing so then the stakes on achieving our measures of success are raised a further notch.

In any of the three aspiration examples, starting a small business and being successful at it almost always requires of us to leave our comfort zone.

In large organisations, people are able to pretty much decide whether they want to or do not want to leave their comfort zone. Large organisations usually have enough resources to provide another person to cover for others wanting to stay in their comfort zone. The comfort zone is often technical or personal skills.

Whilst I could argue that this is inefficient in a large organisation, in a small organisation it is often fatal.

Comfort zones come in many guises in small business.

If the motivation for starting a small business is somehow related to our knowledge of a particular industry, technology or methodology we will be starting a business where what people exchange their money for is our personal skills and knowledge. This is most often how small businesses start.

The problem with starting a business this way is that to grow the business we need to create clones of ourselves or work sixteen hours a day or hire someone who has the same skills and knowledge that we do.

My observation of small businesses caught in this trap of wanting to expand their business but having limited availability of the saleable resource i.e. themselves, is that the founder cannot let go.

They do become locked in a comfort zone of control where everything that is done is controlled for quality, timing, quantity and recording by the principal. To actually free up time to grow the business, the principal needs to hire someone to take on a role and manages their performance using coaching techniques instead of micromanagement.

Small businesses set up with a clear view of what will generate income sometimes are disappointed with what customers actually value. It is easy to mistake value in our terms for what customers will really value.

Letting go of what you think will make money immediately takes small business people out of their comfort zone into a new market, a new product and sometimes a point where they are not the source of the skills and knowledge that provide the income opportunity.

Small businesses which rely on marketing to generate sales and do not have the funds to extensively research opportunities or communicate their goods and services will have to learn to network and use electronic means of reaching their prospect base.

Some people find networking easy. They are gregarious by nature and are the centre of attention whenever they enter a room. The rest of us find it a bit of a problem. This may be because small talk is not our thing or because we do not want to be seen to be "selling" all the time.

The desire not to "sell" all the time is natural and is part of the answer to getting out of this comfort zone. Selling is not what it is about. What networking is about is having many conversations with many people about problems, issues and opportunities. The act of having conversations will naturally deliver opportunities. It is not necessary and not advantageous to have a sales pitch ready for every occasion.

Small business owners need to continually focus on what they want to achieve by starting a small business. They must use their social skills, their insight and develop a clear perception of themselves in the community in which they operate to navigate through a sea of self learning to be successful.

Otherwise, their comfort zone will become a safe harbour of underachievement.

Kevin Dwyer is Director of Change Factory. Change Factory helps organisations who do do not like their business outcomes to get better outcomes by changing people's behaviour. Businesses we help have greater clarity of purpose and ability to achieve their desired business outcomes. To learn more visit http://www.changefactory.com.au or email kevin.dwyer@changefactory.com.au ©2006 Change Factory To see more articles visit http://www.changefactory.com.au

Deciding On A Merchant Card Processor

Writen by Stephanie Chandler

If your business isn't accepting credit cards, there is a good chance that it should be. More and more people are taking advantage of the convenience of ATM and credit cards. The credit card companies continue to find innovative ways to improve convenience such as offering key-chain sized cards, mileage credits and cash back bonuses. As a result, consumers have less incentive to pay with cash or checks.

Some business owners find it difficult to accept the idea of giving away a percentage of each sale, which is what you have to do when you process a sale on a credit card. Each merchant processor has different rates in fees but in general you will have to pay a monthly fee for the processing terminal, along with a fee for each transaction. But these fees equate to the cost of doing business and offering the convenience of paying by credit card can potentially improve your cash flow.

Benefits of Accepting Credit Cards

*In most cases, the merchant processor will automatically deposit money collected directly into your checking account each night which equates to improved cash flow and fewer trips to the bank to make deposits.

*Your average transaction could actually increase since credit cards make it easier for consumers to spend more at checkout. If they aren't carrying enough cash or don't have enough cash in their checking account, a credit card makes it easier to spend.

*If your competitors are accepting credit cards, you could be losing sales if you aren't offering the same service.

*If you are worried that the transaction fees will negatively affect your bottom line, you could increase your prices slightly or offer an incentive discount for those who pay cash.

*Add-on services such as the ability to verify checks or sell gift cards can also improve your business. Offering gift cards can be very lucrative for all kinds of businesses and most processors offer these on their menu of services.

Locating Merchant Card Processors

It seems that everyone is selling merchant card systems these days. I've been processing cards for several years at my bookstore and not a week goes by without a visit from a sales person. Merchant card sales people are compensated not only for getting your initial business, but most are paid commission (a small percentage) for every transaction you process. It's no wonder these sales people are so aggressive!

Locating a reputable processor and finding the best rates can seem overwhelming, but it's worth a little time to investigate your options. Here are some places to look first:

*The bank where you do your business banking. This can be a good option, though not all banks will offer merchant services to brand new businesses. If you have been in business for less than a year, your bank may not be willing to help you until you are more established. Don't take it personally; it's standard practice.

*Trade associations. If you belong to your local Chamber of Commerce or any industry-specific trade association, check to see if they have negotiated rates with a merchant processor.

*Referrals from peers. If you know people in business in your general area, ask them who they use and if they are satisfied with the service.

*Apply for a business license. When you get your business license, you will likely end up on mailing lists and will receive enough offers to make your head spin.

Interviewing Processing Services

It's a good idea to get quotes and compare rates from several companies. Here are some questions you should ask:

*What is the transaction fee and percentage for credit card purchases? Be sure to get specific rates for each kind of card including Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Discover. Each may have different rates.

*What is the transaction fee and percentage for debit card purchases?

*What is the monthly lease fee on the equipment?

*What would it cost to purchase the equipment out-right?

*Are there additional monthly fees?

*Can the system be programmed to automatically settle transactions each evening?

*How often will deposits be made into my checking account?

*How long is the contract term? Many will try to lock you in for 3-5 years. This is one point where you can negotiate a shorter term.

*Why would I choose your company as my merchant services provider over the competition?

*How long have you been in business?

*What kind of customer service do you provide and what are your hours of operation?

*Can I process cards manually in the event of a power outage?

*You might also want to ask about gift cards and check processing if this is relative to your business. If you operate a website, also inquire about online processing.

Compare the answers from several providers side by side. The fees for these services can vary greatly so it would be in your best interest to interview a variety of companies before you make a decision. I'm a big believer in gut instinct so if you have any doubt about a company, move on to the next. There are many companies offering merchant services so you should have plenty of options.

Also ask for a sample contract. This gives you the opportunity to review the company's basic policies before you decide to sign on the dotted line. And keep in mind that everything is negotiable. If one company offers you better rates or terms than the next, you can use that as leverage to negotiate a better deal.

The bottom line is that you want to find the best offer—one that will improve your business. Don't be bullied by pushy sales people. Be prepared to negotiate and ask tough questions. Soon your sales could be soaring and your only regret could be that you didn't implement card processing sooner.

Stephanie Chandler is the author of "The Business Startup Stephanie Chandler is the author of "The Business Startup Checklist and Planning Guide" (Aventine) and "From Entrepreneur to Infopreneur: Make Money with Books, E-books and Information Products" (Wiley, Dec. 2006). Visit http://www.BusinessInfoGuide.com to access hundreds of resources for entrepreneurs.

The Secret Of Consistent Communication Systems Processes And Automation

Writen by Bill Gluth

The # 1 reason your business may not have the sales you would like is because you aren't doing enough business with existing clients. The # 2 reason is you are probably not communicating with prospects in a way they can hear your message.

It's expensive to attract and sell someone new, but it only takes a fraction of that cost to continue doing business with an existing client. Without a balance between existing and new clients however, revenue results will be dismal.

In the best case marketing attracts our ideal client. It can also attract an existing client by helping them understand how they can use our services again to reach a goal or solve a current problem that challenges them.

All it takes is consistent communication. What do you talk about? Communicate your expertise in business. Share a tip, provide a new idea or offer free information. You can easily do this from your web site.

Automation is the key that keeps communication consistent.

Start by sharing your expertise in the form of a PDF report that can be easily downloaded. Then your visitor simply follows simple instructions on your site, saves the file to their desktop and they are on their way to understanding more about your work and business. You've also provided them with a way to share your business with people they know.

Your cost to provide this idea is effort. Cost to the web site visitor, new prospect or existing client; no cost at all, just great value.

Provide your clients and prospects with a convenient way to opt-in to your list for a weekly or monthly communication about your topic. Commit to sending information at least monthly. Of course, more often is desirable.

This is most easily done by auto responder. Companies like AWeber, Constant Contact, Vertical Response and many others provide this service for a very reasonable cost per month.

Automate your communication efforts by using one of these services and you are well on your way to communication efficiency in a minimal amount of time.

Structure your communication for maximum effect.

How do you write about what you know? You need a process to uncover how your knowledge has value to others. Start by writing down four hot issues in your business that your clients care about.

In my business it's marketing efficiency, consistent communication, sales process development and standing out from the crowd in highly competitive markets.

Here's how to start sharing your expertise today.

Write down the four key issues in your business. Make sure these points address a challenge or concern your client cares about.

Pick the most important (from your clients view) and write down 6 to 8 sub points. The sub points will be advice you would give your client if you were talking to them one-to-one.

Now, just add detail to your sub points and you have a communication that addresses an issue your client is concerned about.

Remember to "talk" to your clients (first person) and do not write to them (stiff, formal, proper English) when you're developing your communication.

From there just commit to a timeline, decide on the automation tool you'll use and communicate every week, every other week or monthly at minimum.

This is a vital business building step. If you aren't able to do it on your own, get help.

Bill Gluth is a commercial writer and creative marketing strategist. He specializes in answering the question that is on the mind of every person in business today, "What is unique about my business and how can I communicate that difference consistently and effectively?" Bill provides focused words that are designed to sell; enhancing any sales and marketing program. From lead generation to client relationship management, Bill will help your business communicate effectively so that you will stands out from the crowd in any industry. Find out more about Bill Gluth's Small Commercial Writing and Marketing Strategy Services by visiting http://www.creatingwordsthatsell.com

Starting A Carpet Cleaning Business

Writen by Jason Gluckman

One of the advantages of starting a carpet cleaning business is that you don't need a lot of money to get started. You can rent the carpet cleaning equipment and use the vehicle you own to travel from job to job. You can also buy your cleaning supplies wholesale in bulk supplies. It is safe to say that you will only need around $1,000 to get started.

However, you do have to do a bit of math before you get started so that you don't go overboard renting or buying the equipment and supplies that you will need. Try to estimate the number of jobs you will take on to start your business and estimate the number of carpets you anticipate cleaning. Figure out what you will charge each customer per hour or per room. If you charge by the room, figure on a minimum number of rooms that you will require before you take on the job. Also figure what you anticipate making the first year you are in business. If you anticipate an income of $40, 000, you must budget your expenses accordingly.

You must also consider ways to advertise your business. Obviously, if you are trying to start out on a shoestring budget, you can't spend thousands of dollars of newspaper ads or media promotions. However, you can make flyers and place them around your community in high traffic places like supermarkets, malls and Laundromats. You can also make business cards and hand them out to family and friends who can help you spread the word. It's a known fact that word-of-mouth advertising is very effective and will produce business. You can also look for local papers that place free ads in their classified sections. There are also Internet sites that will allow you to advertise for free (or for a small fee). Before you get started, you must also check on the laws in your community that apply to starting a small business. You may be required to have a license in your area or some kind of permit. You may also need to be bonded in case of any mishaps that might occur. It might be wise to seek legal advice about any requirements you might need to fulfill before starting your business.

Carpet Cleaning provides detailed information on carpet cleaning, carpet cleaning supplies, carpet cleaning machines, carpet cleaning equipment and more. Carpet Cleaning is affiliated with Berber Carpets.

Financing Options For The Trucking Industry

Writen by Marco Terry

If you own a trucking company, you know that it can be a very profitable business. However, you also know that trucking companies are very cash hungry. You need money to pay for the equipment, to pay your drivers and for fuel. The challenge comes from the fact that freight bills can take up to 60 days to get paid. Unless you have a lot of cash in the bank, this can be a problem.

Speaking of banks, going to your banker for a business loan or line of credit will not help much either. Bankers will only lend money to companies that have a lot of assets, have been in business for three years and can provide audited financial statements. Of course, if you had lots of assets you wouldn't need a banker.

So, what are your options?

Freight bill factoring, also known as freight factoring, can provide you with immediate financing for your slow paying freight bills. So, if you have quite a few invoices that are paying slowly, factoring can help you.

The factoring arrangement is very simple. The factoring company advances a large portion of the money owed for your freight bills the moment you invoice your customer. They wait to get paid while you get immediate use of the money.

As opposed to bank financing, freight bill factoring is easy to qualify for and available to small and large trucking companies alike. Most factoring companies have two main requirements. The first one is that you work with reliable clients and freight brokers. The second one is that your firm has at least two trucks. It's easier than a bank, isn't it?

If you own a trucking company that is growing, be sure to consider freight factoring.

About Commercial Capital LLC We can provide your trucking company with freight bill factoring, freight factoring and business financing. Marco Terry can be reached at (866) 730 1922

Copyright (C) 2006 Commercial Capital LLC - Article may be reprinted if it is not modified and all links are kept intact.

Small Business Survival In Business Cycle

Writen by Lance Winslow

Small businesses have it rough in America, as they do not have the huge lobbying monies that large corporations do. When the economy gets tight, large companies reign in credit and slow their out going payments. If you own a small business with corporate accounts this means they string you out as long as possible and you will notice invoices conveniently lost and checks 180 days out? Basically you become a bank for the big corporations, isn't that the silliest underhanded bunch of bull you ever heard? They slow your checks down when you need them the most. More than one small business owner has said to me; "Those Bastards!"

When we are in an up business cycle the corporations suck up all the labor, making it tough to get good help and when the business cycle goes South, all of a sudden the Corporations start laying off all those folks they promised all these great benefits to, that the little guy could not compete with. Interesting that the corporations are now not honoring such promises and reneging on their pension contributions, after preventing you from recruiting the labor you needed in your small business. You know damn well if you did something like that, they would throw you ass in jail. If you are a small business you need to plan for those slow downs in the business cycle to survive. It is a rough world out there and you need to face reality. So, consider all this in 2006.

Lance Winslow

How To Make Your Business Image Stand Out Above The Crowd

Writen by Abe Cherian

Traditional advertising methods are still being used for almost 90% of businesses today. The number one problem with this, is that all everyone else seems to be following the same old methods.

No matter how expensive, does your advertising look and sound like a lot of other advertising? If you take a look at your business card design, flyer design, brochures, letterheads, web page design and any other methods you are doing, you'll probably find some very familiar pattern to looking like your competition.

Just because "everyone else" believes that the traditional method of image advertising is the way to get business does not mean that it is the only way...or the best way. Thousands of people go out of business, or miss a lot of business, because of "traditional" thinking. Don't fall into the trap of being an advertising look a like.

If you follow everybody else, you'll likely end up being like 90% of the people in business on your way out or, at best, making a medium income. There are two things your marketing should do for your business

1) It gets the response that you want - it gets people to respond to you.

2) It lets you provide good products or services to your customers that you do get, so that you are making an above average income and get enjoyment out of your ongoing successful business. A business that started and runs with marketing that appeals to what people really do want, instead of what you think they should want.

In order for you and your business to become a success, being different is something you're going to have to accept. Sometimes being different means that other business people will not like you, or will think you are not appealing or think other things about you that you don't want them to think. But again, the reality of this is, who are you trying to impress? Are you trying to impress your peers, or are you trying to get and help customers who need your product or service?

Think about this hard, because if you are really scared about being different, this might not be the system for you. But, then again, being different doesn't mean being sleazy, obnoxious, unethical or illegal. It just means different.

Sometimes the old tradition, especially in industries that are tired and steeped in tradition, think being different with being unethical or illegal. That's far from the truth.

We all know that being different simply means different. And hopefully, you'll see this as a part of becoming a success or more successful as time moves on with your business operations.

The reality is that you have no image, and no one thinks about you until they have a reason to. Being worried about what others think is a waste of energy and time. Spend your time worrying about what your prospects who are interested in what you have to offer think.

They're the ones who are going to buy from you and they're the only people you should be concerned with. If your peers or others don't like what you're doing, that's their problem, not yours.

This change of attitude is a challenge, but very necessary especially when focusing on what is important. This type of thinking and rationalizing only matters what your prospects think is important. It doesn't matter what I think, or what your competition thinks. As long as your prospects and customers are happy, then you should be happy!

You may publish this article in your ezine, newsletter on your web site as long as the byline is included and the article is included in it's entirety. I also ask that you activate any html links found in the article and in the byline. Please send a courtesy link or email where you publish to: support@multiplestreammktg.com

Abe Cherian is the founder of Multiple Stream Media, a leading performance-based Internet advertising company dedicated in helping small businesses create online presence, brand recognition and online automation. Main company web site: http://www.multiplestreammktg.com

Competition Customer Value Success How Can You Use The Theory Of Change

Writen by Adrian Pepper

When you look in the directory for a plumber, used car outlet or telephone shop, there are lots of them, some doing well and others not so well. Each has similar components in their business but some firms out-compete. Have you wondered why?

Why do customers buy?

The first part of staying in business is knowing how you add value. If you do not offer your customers what they want, they will not buy. If you offer a product or service that takes pain out of their lives or improves their enjoyment of life, they will queue to buy from you.

Why do customers move?

Some customers will always try out a new shop, restaurant or service provider – they like trying new experiences. Apart from this "random sampling" behaviour, customers rarely move unless you offer excess value that your competitors cannot copy or erode. Recognising what you do better, quicker and more effectively is the key to advertising yourself to those who have not tried you yet.

How do customers value you?

The third element is to know why customers stay with you loyally. In my experience, the only way to find out is to ask them and listen to their reasons. One house decorator I know is valued because he leaves customers' rooms cleaner after he has finished than they were before. Often when you ask this value question, you can also ask for a referral to friends of your customer who might also value the same aspect of your service or product.

What is your theory of change?

So the theory of change for your business asserts the difference that you make to the lives of your customers and clients. Try sketching out what this might be for your business and test your guesses with your business colleagues, collaborators and partners. Then take time to talk to sample customers and listen to their answers – then you will know how to be more successful.

Adrian Pepper coaches people through business and personal difficulties, helping companies figure out what to do, how to move forward and what to get organised. You can contact him through Help4You Ltd, through his website at www.help4you.ltd.uk or by phone +44-7773-380133. At feeds.feedburner.com/help4you, you can listen to his podcast for small businesses.

Make More Money In Your Business Inject Some Fun

Writen by Wendy Hearn

The word fun doesn't belong in the same sentence as business and money, or does it? Well, although they don't often appear together, they need to, as fun is an important part of a business and therefore the profits produced. Too often, the striving to improve and grow your business, along with increasing the profits or even just making some money, means that fun is left on the backburner. Yet injecting fun into your business is one of the ways to increase profits. Not only does it increase profits, it makes the day-to-day running of your business easier and more enjoyable. We all want that, don't we?

Fun holds a different meaning for each of us as individuals, and in the world of business, I'm not suggesting that it means messing around and being silly so that your unprofessional. It is more about injecting a fun approach, and incorporating this fun and lighthearted approach into everything you do. So, what difference can taking a fun approach make? Well, it makes you more productive and less stressed. The culture and atmosphere of fun makes communication much easier. Take a minute now and think back to a time when your business was fun. I'm sure you found it easier to work, stayed motivated longer, and when problems arose you found it much easier to overcome them.

I've found that more people take a fun and lighthearted approach when they first start their business. But as time goes on, and the humdrum routine tasks need to be carried out and problems arose, the fun disappeared. So, perhaps now is the time, particularly if you're facing a lot of problems or want to grow your business and increase profits, to put some fun back into it.

There are many ways to put fun back into your business and the first step is choosing to be someone who has fun in their business. Once you've made this choice then you're free to discover what doing things in a fun way means for you. Now being fun is different for each of us as individuals, and may include setting outrageous goals that challenge us, adding some fun music or humour to the tasks that can sometimes be boring, and celebrating the successes. Too often when we've worked hard on a project or to achieve a goal, its the celebrating part of it that falls short. Of course there's many more ways to be fun and its your mission to find these. Some ideas are the humorous sticker to go on your computer, reminding you to 'just do it' as Nike says. Or a colourful wall chart with your goals laid out and blocks coloured in as you achieve them. And the smiley face just to remind you to smile when you're talking on the phone.

Often putting the fun back into your business is just the little things and it doesn't have to be the big day out, although they can be beneficial. So, I invite you to have a think about how you can put some fun back into your business. Perhaps brainstorm with friends or business colleagues. Even spend some time finding out from your clients how you can make their interactions with your business more enjoyable. You'll learn a lot from them along they way too. Achieving your goals and increasing your business profits is going to happen when you're more productive, relaxed and enthusiastic. Bringing some fun back into your business gives you this.

Wendy works with business owners to be more effective and successful, achieving a more profitable business in less time. Click through to her site http://www.business-personal-coaching.com and read more of Wendy's articles and about how business coaching can take your business to the next level.

Learn The Secrets To Help You Get Paid For Surveys Right Now

Writen by Dane J Stanton

Paid Surveys are a hugely popular means to earning a few extra bucks on the side. But how do you get paid for surveys? Well the first step is to get invited into a survey or focus group. Focus groups are a group of people who are invited to take part in a short session to discuss whatever topic is being talked about and they generally pay better than paid surveys. So if you want to get paid for surveys, you have to first find out a way to be invited to take part ahead of all the other applicants. So what can I do to ensure i get invited in so i can start to get paid for surveys?

Free Paid Survey directories

The first option you could take to get paid for surveys, would be searching for all the best free paid surveys listings on the internet. Just do what everyone else does and search on Google or yahoo for "free paid surveys". This should bring up a fair few results and it should take you sometime to apply to each one of these sites. Generally the sites that you find, will already be flooded with applicants, however you want to give yourself a chance to take part in as many paid surveys as possible, so make sure you do this first.

Join a Paid Survey Directory

If you want to give yourself the best chance to get paid for surveys, than joining as a member at one of the many paid survey directories on the internet will do this for you. When you become a member at one of these sites, you will be revealed to a myriad of potential paid survey providers, depending on the amount of listings in their database. Make sure you first check to see the size of their listing before you join up.

These sites also provide information on each of their listings and also rank each site from the best to the worst paid survey site. They are generally quite cheap to join and you are more than likely going to make the cost of your membership up within the first week anyway. The question you have to ask yourself is "do I want to start to get paid for surveys right now?" because if you do than joining one of these sites is going to give you the best opportunity to do so, as well as save you a great deal of time in the process.

If you want to learn more about Paid Surveys including free information, reviews and much more, or you want to join our free weekly newsletter then please visit paid surveys (Recommended) or for more free articles all about paid surveys visit Paid Survey Blog

Without Market Research You Could Find Yourself Fishing In An Empty Pond

Writen by Tim Knox

I've never been much of a fisherman. Sitting in a small boat for hours watching a red and white bobber float atop the water holds about as much interest for me as watching paint dry. My old man, on the other hand, would have rather fished than breathe. In fact, his favorite Bible quote was: "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and he'll sit in the boat and drink beer with you for life." Needless to say, my old man wasn't much of a Bible scholar, but he was one heck of a fisherman.

The few times that I went fishing with him as a young boy (before I was old enough to know better) he'd bait my hook with a worm he'd dug up from our garden and drop it in the water and tell me to watch the bobber until a fish pulled it under the surface. The moment I saw the bobber go under I was to jerk the line and reel the fish in. I can remember staring at that bobber until my eyes crossed and never, not once, did it ever go under the surface. I am probably the only male child ever born in the great state of Alabama who never caught a single fish. It is but one of the disappointments my ancestors have endured on my account, I assure you.

My old man's bobber, on the other hand, would be jerked under the water within minutes of being tossed in. He'd be catching fish left and right and I'd be sitting there like some angler savant just staring at my bobber and wishing I was old enough to cuss out loud.

I discovered a few years later that the reason he caught all the fish was that he baited his hook with live worms while hanging the dead ones on mine. His worm would wiggle seductively to attract every fish within a two mile radius while mine couldn't even get the attention of a starving turtle if it had swam directly into my hook.

I'm sure I suffered some permanent psychological damage as a result of his actions, but we all have our scars to bear. Mine just happens to be in the shape of a hook with a dead worm hanging from it. The memory has been filed away deep in my psyche in a drawer labeled, "Gee, thanks dad." It's a drawer I'm sure we all have, mine is probably just a little fuller than most.

While he could have used a few lessons on child rearing, the old man was an expert in one thing that we entrepreneurs often botch or ignore and that is market research. He didn't call it that, of course. He said, "Son, never fish in a dry hole." Let me translate that tidbit of Forrest Gump advice: don't try to sell a product in a market where there are no buyers. If there are no buyers, there is no market. You can have the greatest product in the world, but if there is no market for your product you might as well pack it up and go dig worms.

Over the years he had surveyed every inch of that lake and as a result knew his market well. Through much research he knew exactly where the best customers, i.e. the hungry fish, were in the lake. And that's where he anchored his boat; smack dab in the middle of his own starving niche market.

Having found his hungry market he tested products to sell into it. He tried crickets, dough balls, lures, worms, and who knows what else, to determine the kind of bait the fish liked best. In the internet marketing business we call it split testing: offering customers variations of a theme to see which one brings the greatest response. In his case worms were the product that his market liked best.

He also knew his customers well. He knew that if they liked the product they'd be quick to bite. He knew without flinching exactly how to react when they nibbled the bait. He didn't jerk the line because he knew that might let his customer get away. He tugged it gently until he had his fish hooked, then he'd reel them in and close the deal.

And being the consummate fisherman cum entrepreneur he always took his best customers to dinner, literally. What the old man knew was that in fishing, as in business, you succeed by giving customers (be they human or be they fish) what THEY are hungry for, what THEY want or need; not by trying to catch them with the bait or sell them products YOU think they should have.

Sometimes we entrepreneurs think we're smarter than our customers (OK, sometimes we are). We think that they will buy whatever we put in front of them if we just do a really good job of selling it. I've actually heard some arrogant entrepreneurs say just that, "They'll buy what I have to sell or they can take their business elsewhere." That line of thinking guarantees that you will spend most of your time watching bobbers that never get pulled under.

It's when we take our customer's wants and needs for granted that we fail as entrepreneurs and our lines sit in the water undisturbed. The problem often comes when entrepreneurs put the cart before the horse. They will create a product or service for which there is no market. They fail to survey the pond for hungry fish. Instead they grab the bait they think will work and off they go. Usually they come back empty handed. It happens to entrepreneurs and fishermen all the time.

What can you do to help ensure that the pond you're considering is full of hungry fish? That's a topic we'll discuss next time. Keep watching that bobber now, you hear.

Here's to your success!

Tim Knox

Tim Knox Entrepreneur, Author, Speaker Tim Knox is a nationally-known small business expert who writes and speaks frequently on the topic. For more information or to contact Tim please visit one of his sites below. http://www.dropshipwholesale.net http://www.smallbusinessqa.com http://www.timknox.com

Internships Good For Everyone

Writen by Andrew E. Schwartz

Many job applicants want a job but often do not have the prerequisite experience, experience that they can only have by getting a job. Managers who take the chance and hire them may have to spend considerable time and effort training them, only to find the new recruits unsuitable or unhappy with the jobs and looking for employment elsewhere. One way around this problem for many organizations is an internship program. For professionals in career transition as well as students and recent graduates, such programs provide working experience that otherwise would never be supplied to someone interested in a specific field.

The value of offering student internships, the most common form of internships is broad and varied. From the student's viewpoint an internship offers the opportunity to explore career fields before committing to a major or graduate program and to strengthen skills and abilities. For those students who have a clear view of their future path, an internship provides the vehicle for increasing their possibilities of employment in their chosen field by building professional confidence, making contacts in their eventual field of endeavor, and bridging the resume gap between objectives and realities.

Fortunately for aspiring students, an internship program has real value for the many organizations and educational institutions that carry on internships on a regular basis. Interns contribute their energy, enthusiasm and intellectual curiosity to situations that are often in need of a fresh perspective. Many interns, through hobbies, talents and non-formal training, have bona fide knowledge and technical expertise in an area that they are more than eager to apply in the real world. They are ideally suited to take on special projects that a full time-staffer cannot be spared for, or to implement short-term projects for which it would not be cost-effective to permanently staff.

Copyright AE Schwartz & Associates All rights reserved. For a free site to look for interns seeking internships: Internships4You and for a Free listing as a Trainer, Consultant, Speaker, Vendor/Organization: TrainingConsortium

CEO, A.E. Schwartz & Associates, Boston, MA., a comprehensive organization which offers over 40 skills based management training programs. Mr. Schwartz conducts over 150 programs annually for clients in industry, research, technology, government, Fortune 100/500 companies, and nonprofit organizations worldwide. He is often found at conferences as a key note presenter and/or facilitator. His style is fast-paced, participatory, practical, and humorous. He has authored over 65 books and products, and taught/lectured at over a dozen colleges and universities throughout the United States.

No Cio Big Problem

Writen by Ron Maddox

You run a small business, which you have built with the resources you have garnered over time. Precious capital is leveraged as investment dollars to maintain and upgrade your business processes. And you have IT! IT is usually involved in business processes ranging from finance, payroll, HR, POS systems, inventory control, procurement, and so on… The typical small business owner does not have expertise across these domains and usually outsource most. Still, the small business IT department will continue to grow over time. It is a natural phenomena, like hurricanes.

First, desktops are everywhere. Then you own a server! SERVER! As one of my clients remarked, I own a server! He was not sure why, but he owned one. One became three and he needed a computer room. And more importantly, he got stuck with of the total cost of ownership of that growing IT infrastructure with no concept of Return on Investment (ROI) or the true beneficial or negative impact of that IT spend on the overall performance of his business processes.

It is a common story for small and large corporations alike. Fortune 500 companies are struggling to get a business handle on their IT situation and the usual answer is clamping down the IT bleed with strict ROI analysis and central governance control over their growing IT budgets.

Small companies that do not have a legitimate CIO to spearhead these control efforts is at a distinct disadvantage. A CIO first "learns" the specific business processes that are in place. Then he takes a hard look at the hardware and application landscape. Is it operating under a coherent architecture? How does the architecture map to existing business processes? Is there a strategic action plan for the company? Does the architecture roadmap align with the strategic objectives? Next, the really hard part, governance. The CIO should establish governance and controls at the architecture level that will ensure alignment of the IT roadmap with the strategic direction of the company.

Now we get down to the margins, which is reducing the IT spend and the associated growth in yearly IT spend. ROI as a concept is taught to the IT managers. Bleeds of investment capital not directly related to supporting ongoing operations, the IT roadmap or the strategic plan arrives DOA on the CIO's desk.

In truth, not many small organizations with fewer than 500 people actually know what the total spend on IT is and what the ROI on that spend nets out as. The hidden costs of IT are rarely brought together in one spreadsheet and evaluated against business processes.

What can be done? Shop for a CIO that can perform the tasks described above. Give him goals. Step back! A CIO needs to be half business man, and half technocrat. A foot in both worlds! Only then can your precious investment and operations dollars be leveraged effectively and your new focused IT can start to help drive your strategic goal.

View http://www.yorkwebtek.com for more information concerning leveraging IT for your business. http://www.crazytowndeals.com is an example of a complex client facing web site that has more than 4 times the code behind the scenes that supports the site operations.

Forming An Scorporation

Writen by Joey Thompson

An S corporation is a corporation that has obtained an additional status at the IRS. There are restrictions as to who may file as an S Corporation.

1. It must be a domestic company
2. S corporations cannot have more than 100 shareholders
3. None of the shareholders can be nonresident aliens
4. Only one class of stock can be issued by the business
5. The business cannot be any of the following: a bank or thrift institution, insurance company, a domestic international sales corporation, or a possessions corporation
6. The tax year for the business has a natural business year, and a ownership tax year.
7. All shareholders must agree to the S Corporation structure formation.
8. Profits and losses must be allocated to shareholders proportionately to each one's interest in the business.

Advantages to forming S Corporations

Corporations that have obtained S Corporation status can avoid the double taxation (once to the shareholders and again to the corporation) that regular corporations face.

Similar to a C corporation (regular corporation)?

S corporations also provide you with liability protection. Liability protection refers to the separation between yourself and the business, so that you as an individual are not held responsible. For example if the business is sued your personal assets would not be in danger.

However, S corporations are still required to maintain of the same record keeping requirements corporations must follow.

When forming a new business there are many options to choose from, make sure you speak to a professional in regard to finding out what is best for your business.

Form an S Corporation
Learn more about S Corporations

It Consulting Search For Sweet Spot Clients

Writen by Joshua Feinberg

There are some clues that will tell you if a prospect will make a good sweet spot client for your IT consulting business. In this article, learn some of the tip-offs that a prospect is a good fit.

Does the Company Have a Website?

A prospect's website is important because you can search for it. Go to Google and put in the name of the town where you are, your zip code, your postal code area codes, prefixes and get a list of businesses in your area. Start to look around for potential clients for IT consulting.

Can You Meet The Leaders of the Company?

If you look on their company information or about page, you may decide they are a good prospect for your IT consulting business. Does the company belong to a local or regional Chamber of Commerce organization? You can join the organization to meet with them or go as a guest to some of them.

Make sure, though, you know the right way to get the most out of your time and financial investments for networking expenses. You need to measure and track every minute and you can justify every dollar you spend. You want to get the maximum return on your investment to grow your IT consulting business.

Where Else Can You Find the Company?

Does the company attend local B to B Expos? If so, you can attend expos to network with those sweet spot IT consulting clients.

Does the company get covered in the local newspapers, local papers, business journals, regional business journals, and magazines? You can subscribe to those or read back issues at the library or online.

By studying up on a company, you can find out how much experience they have, how many employees, and their annual revenue. You can also find out if they are about to open another office.

Copyright MMI-MMVI, Small Business Computer Consulting .com. All Worldwide Rights Reserved. {Attention Publishers: Live hyperlink in author resource box required for copyright compliance}

Joshua Feinberg has helped thousands of small business computer consulting firms get more steady, high-paying clients. Now you can too. Sign-up now for your free access a one-hour audio training program featuring field-tested, proven Small Business Computer Consulting Secrets.

The Beauty Of Focus And Plan B

Writen by Peggie Arvidson-Dailey

Did you ever have one of those days or weeks when you said "What in the world am I doing running this business?!"

Yeah. Me too. In fact, last month threw me for such a loop I really was beginning to wonder about my sanity.

I'm sharing this story because I think we business owners tend to think so often in the 'now' that we put-off doing any contingency planning. Then, when a crisis occurs, we find ourselves focusing on the negative things that are causing the crisis. And that, my friend, makes it worse!

Trust me, there were definitely a few hours last month when I couldn't pull my attention away from what seemed to be the train-wreck I was in - - but ultimately, I not only managed to pull my attention away from the frustrations but had the wherewithal to implement Plan B.

Here's an overview of my story:

• My computer got a virus and died. (Lesson learned - back up EVERYTHING!)

• The new book that I was writing was lost - totally - nothing was salvaged. (This was not the "10 Surprisingly Simple Steps to Sales Success: What Every Pet-Care Business Owner Needs to Know to Build Their Business in a Big Way")

• I had to buy a new computer, pronto

• I paid Uncle Sam (a lot) for the privilege of running a successful business

• All of my financial files in Quick Books(tm) were lost in the computer death; and here's the clincher -

• One sitter left (this was expected), the sitter I'd hired to replace her let me know the day before her start date that she'd taken another job, and another sitter alerted me on a Thursday that her last day would be that Friday (these were all midday walkers!)

YIKES!!! So, what did I do? I cried. Okay. More like a huge sob. One. Long. Huge. Sob.

Then I changed my focus. Instead of 'crying over spilt milk' as my Grandma Jule used to say, I bade a mental goodbye to all the sitters who were leaving and opened my mind to the possibility that better sitters were on their way.

Next I pulled out "Plan B" and called in the 'troops.' The troops are the wonderful group of consultants who work with me whenever they can 'on-call' and the troops are also my wonderful caring clients. I asked the on-call folks how much time they could give me in the next few weeks and parceled out the daily walk clients accordingly. I let the clients who were directly affected know that they would be working with a back-up sitter for the next few weeks while we continued to interview for the right fit for them.

What happened next blew my socks off! Clients called and emailed and told me their tough work stories. Some even offered to rearrange their schedules to walk their own dogs at lunch! And the on-call folks worked with their internships, babysitter schedules, temp jobs, and school schedules to pick up as many visits as they could. I nearly wanted to cry again. This time because I realized how lucky I really I am.

What really turned things around? Two things made all the difference. First was my ability to focus on the right things and second was the fact that I had planned ahead for just this type of situation.

Once I stopped focusing on negative and non- productive things I started focusing on how awesome and understanding my clients would be in this situation and how generous and giving the consultants I work with are. By focusing on these things I was able to implement the tasks that would make it happen.

So what's your lesson?

Be AWARE of your focus. Do you spend more of your day keeping track of what went wrong than what went right? Make a proactive effort to change that now. An easy way to implement this change is to keep a list of 'wins' in your day-planner, your personal journal, or on scraps of paper. The important thing is to end each day recounting the things that went right. It will help you change your mindset, so when you really need a positive focus, it will be easy to find!

Create a "Plan B" now while you don't need it. Whether you're a sole proprietor who never gets sick, a large company with tons of employees, or a mid-size company that depends on every client you currently have to stay solvent - -you need a "Plan B." Your Plan B should focus on those things that you take for granted and that could go wrong. What would you do in that situation? Build your plan around it!

The beauty of Plan B is that it will already exist even if you're in a panic over an IRS audit, or rushing to go out of town because of a family emergency. You'll have your moment of panic and then the light bulb will go off and you'll say 'Wowsa! Thank goodness I have a Plan B' and you'll be able to focus on making good things happen.

Watch your focus and create contingency plans - and even if you have a month like mine - you'll still be in great shape!

© 2005 Peggie Arvidson-Dailey

About The Author: Peggie Arvidson-Dailey, The Pet Care Business Expert, is author of "Surprisingly Simple Sales Steps: What Every Pet-Care Business Owner Needs to Know to Build Their Business in a BIG Way!" To learn more about her book and sign up for more FREE tips like these, visit her site at http://www.peggiespets.com

NOTE: You absolutely can use this article online as long as it remains complete and unaltered (including the "about the author" info at the end), and you send a copy of your reprint to Peggie@peggiespets.com

Small Business Marketing Secrets Look Like Sizzle Be The Steak

Writen by Monikah J. Ogando

You've heard marketing and advertising gurus quip, "Sell the sizzle, not the steak." Advertising initiatives best reach their target audience with benefits and the "wow" effect, not the value or features of their product or service. This may work well to get customers in the door. But once they're in, you better have some substance. How can you ensure you uphold the integrity of your business and still maintain the "Wow Effect"? It just takes well executed strategic steps for business AND personal development:

1. It's Already Done

Act like the goals you are working so diligently to achieve have already been reached. Walk with that confidence. Treat your leads like customers, your customers like guests in your home, and your staff like family. When you approach goals like a "done deal", you open up creativity reserves to think outside the box, access resources you didn't know you had and create opportunities for success previously unforeseen.

2. Get There From Here

It is not enough to act like you have arrived; you also get to devise a strategy map to get you there. Ask for your customers' input through surveys, polls, feedback forms. Pay customers' a visit, just to see how things are going. Send a birthday card, send flowers, and send an article clip that can prove useful to a client. Never miss an opportunity to create relationship. The best way to ensure you don't miss opportunities is to create a plan.

3. Who Cares?

Ensure that your work is fun and fulfilling for you and those who might work for or with you. Keep your duties aligned with your skills and interests, and invest in your own personal development. Volunteer in the community. Build a house for Habitat for Humanity. Run a marathon or half-marathon. Sponsor a scholarship with your local high school and recommend alliance partners or contractors to be part of the selection committee. It increases your visibility and theirs, and you both get to be a good corporate citizen. All for a good cause. Invest in yourself and in your community. Show you care.

4. Say What You Mean, and Mean What You Say

Address issues as they come up or as soon as appropriately possible. Sometimes we let things slide or leave things unsaid. This devalues what's important to you and insults the intelligence of the other person. Be open in your communication.

5. Create Win-Win Solutions

The belief of "looking out for number one" is so embedded in our collective consciousness that we have forgotten we are ALL #1 because we are all one. When you create win-win solutions, you not only generate good will among peers and supervisors, but you develop a reputation for fairness and professionalism. Everyone collaborates with a collaborator.

6. Acknowledge the Feedback

When customers take the time to write a scathing letter or make an irate phone call about horrific customer service or product quality, they are providing you with a valuable opportunity: Free feedback that you didn't ask for, didn't pay for, didn't market for or followed up on. It just fell on your lap. So thank your customer for being committed enough to your company to give you feedback on how you can improve your service. Give something away or at a steep discount. You have a choice: Swallow your pride, or dwindle your profits.

7. Go Back to Kindergarten

When you take lunch, take a walk to a park, eat leisurely, and come back to the privacy of your office for a quick 20 minute power nap. You'll feel refreshed and replenished. Don't have an office? Take a nap. Make it fun and, most importantly, nourishing.

8. Tie Up Loose Ends

Pay the parking ticket. Write that letter. Clean out your files. Make up with that client. Enroll in school. Back up your computer systems. Run the Clean Sweep Program on yourself, then the company (for more information, email us at monikah@ogandoassociates.com).

9. Give Yourself a Makeover

Lose the 15 pounds. Get that haircut. Buy fresh makeup. Reinvent your wardrobe. Give your car a paint job. Rearrange the furniture in your office or lobby. Give away old clothes. When you get in the habit of installing new practices and letting go of old ones that no longer serve you, you generate and circulate fresh energy.

10. Keep Your Commitments

When you say you are going to do something, do it, or else renegotiate another arrangement. Very few things are as difficult to earn back as your credibility and the trust of those who deal with you.

11. Play a Big Game

When setting your goals, ask yourself if you are stretching. Set your goals high enough to have to stretch for them. Make your growth systematic and strategic. If your goal is to call 20 leads this week, to close one sale, what would you have to do and believe about yourself to make it possible to call 50 and close three sales? If your goal is to go to dinner with your brother, just to reconnect, how about stepping it up and actually saying "I love you?" You know you are playing a big game when your first reaction is a big whine "I can't do that!" Yes, you can. Surprise yourself.

12. Be a Contribution

How can you make your customers' life more livable, your work more enjoyable, and your community more cohesive? Everyone wants to know, what's in it for me? When you focus out, you immediately speak their language and enroll them in playing yours. No one plays with you if they think you are not on their team. So join them. And they will join you.

Copyright 2004, Monikah J. Ogando, Ogando Associates, Inc.

Monikah Ogando is a highly skilled facilitator and charismatic speaker. She continues to inspire her audience through her expertise in Business Development, leadership effectiveness, individual accountability and the values that guide excellence. She practices what she speaks: an entrepreneur, Monikah leads her own two companies, consulting firm http://www.ogandoassociates.com and Exodus House Publishers and is a Team Member of http://www.solo-e.com

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