Over the years I have visited many entrepreneurs and business owners. Have you ever thought why it is that one business can do so well and another is so mediocre when they are both in the same line of business? Well one insight that I want to share with you as to why this may be the case is to do with the psychology of you, the business owner.

How true it is that if you think big then chances are you will make it big…conversely if you think small then chances are you will remain small. Similarly if you think your business won’t succeed then you are likely to fail and your business will fail. On another level it is interesting that if you don’t value yourself and your business highly enough then you will undercharge for your products and/or services. This may be OK in the short term but it will mean that you will have to sell more products/services to make the same level of profit to your competitor that is charging a higher premium. In addition, the psychology of the customer often says well if that company is charging X and that other one is charging Y, then X’s product/service must be inferior to Y’s. Therefore I will buy Y’s. So not only are you selling less because your pricing is less but your margins are also lower. Plus in the long term when you wake up and realise that you need to raise your prices in order to survive your client base wont accept the huge price rise that you need to make in order to put you on a par with your competitor that started off charging higher and has been able to make small regular price increases along the way without alienating his client base.

So be bold, think big, think confidence, think value – your value and that of your product and service if you want to give your business a better chance of success!

About the author: Paul Stanford http://www.paulstanford.co.uk/blog has provided practical advice to hundreds of entrepreneurs for the past 5 years helping them to successfully start-up, transform and sell their businesses. Get in touch to see how his business http://www.4momentum.co.uk can help do the same for you. You have full permission to reprint this article provided this box is kept unchanged.

Copyright 2009 Paul Stanford

HBOS and Lloyds TSB have both today unveiled separate new packages of measures to help small businesses.

The two banks, which are due to fall under partial state ownership when their merger is completed early in the new year, say that the measures are aimed at easing the financial pressures that firms are facing in tough economic times.

Under the HBOS package, through its Bank of Scotland Commercial arm, the company is to guarantee the pricing of overdrafts to small businesses for 12 months from the date of arrangement of new loans and renewals.

It is also to launch a small business helpline early in the new year providing help and advice to customers. A downloadable guide to “managing your cashflow” will be available to all small businesses from the start of next week.

It has secured £250 million of funding from the European Investment Bank to provide lending at discounted rates to its small and medium-sized customers during the economic downturn.

It follows a similar package of guarantees announced by Royal Bank of Scotland.

But the banks deny that political pressure has forced them to announce the measures.

Adrian Grace, managing director of Bank of Scotland Commercial, said: “Bank of Scotland has been supporting and funding small businesses for over 300 years.

“We understand the financial pressures that they are facing during these difficult economic times. That is precisely why we have launched this package of measures – to provide both financial assistance and, equally importantly, some reassurance that the bank is committed to supporting small business throughout the UK.”

Lloyds TSB has promised to pass on any future interest rate cuts in full over the rest of this year and next, while pledging to avoid increases in charges unless there is a material change to a customer’s business.

It also pledged to improve the advice on offer to customers with 120 “expert guidance” seminars planned for across the country.

John Maltby, managing director of Lloyds TSB Commercial, said its new charter was designed to “inject much-needed business confidence”.

Yet in a conflicting message, Lloyds chief executive Eric Daniels warned today that the Government’s bank bailout could deter bank lending.

He said that the cost of the preference shares that banks are issuing to the Government and the continued strain in wholesale banking markets has reduced appetite among banks for new lending.

“I don’t believe that banks are going to quickly restore lending and help the economy because of the funding and capital issues,” he said.

“Banks will try and repay the Government as quickly as possible. And one of the ways to free up capital is to stop lending.”

About the author: Paul Stanford http://www.paulstanford.co.uk/blog  has provided practical advice to hundreds of entrepreneurs for the past 5 years helping them to successfully start-up, transform and sell their businesses. Get in touch to see how his business http://www.4momentum.co.uk can help do the same for you. You have full permission to reprint this article provided this box is kept unchanged.

Copyright 2008 Paul Stanford

Your invitation – Save Money, Reduce your Carbon Footprint and Improve your Market Positioning – Complimentary ‘Green Advantage’ Workshop for Tourism businesses

Business Link is pleased to be working in conjunction with Tourism South East, the region’s tourist board, in delivering a series of ‘Green Advantage’ workshops.  In a period of financial uncertainty and a surge of interest in green issues and more sustainable good practice, the leading edge course enables you to take advantage of this growing market by revealing how you can make significant savings, improve your green credentials and market yourself accordingly.  Attendance on the course also qualifies you for credits towards the Green Tourism Business Scheme, Europe’s leading sustainable certification scheme for the tourism industry.

The workshop is FREE and runs from 10.30 for coffee with the workshop commencing at 10.45 concluding at 3.15pm.

Complimentary lunch will also be served from 12.45 – 1.15pm.

Throughout the workshop it will cover how to:

Ø      Save money – reduce, reuse, recycle and rethink

Ø      Buy local – sourcing and promote other local produce and attractions

Ø      Create customer advantage and adding value to your customers’ experience and develop new ‘green’ products and services

Ø      Develop an environmental policy – get the best out of your whole team, make environmental choices and win from them

Ø      Communicate your green credentials and gain a marketing advantage by retain current and targeting new customers.

Ø      Stay ahead of the pack and capitalise on new business opportunities and boost your business’ performance

‘Green Advantage opened my eyes to the massive business advantage to be gained through tapping into the growing public interest in green issues’.

Be sure to reserve your space by calling 0845 600 9 006 or visit www.ruralbookings.co.uk

About the author: Paul Stanford http://www.paulstanford.co.uk/blog  has provided practical advice to hundreds of entrepreneurs for the past 5 years helping them to successfully start-up, transform and sell their businesses. Get in touch to see how his business http://www.4momentum.co.uk can help do the same for you. You have full permission to reprint this article provided this box is kept unchanged.

Copyright 2008 Paul Stanford

Advice for Trade Show Achievment

Trade shows are a waste of money … unless you know how to do them accurate! while face-to-face selling is definitely the fast road to gaining sales, whats many times missing is the little known details and opportunities.

The hush-hush method to maximizing results in this business is to learn from the masters – experts whose everyday focus is on developing trade show products and campaigns that earn large significant amounts of money for their clients. The goal of this article is to ensure your success, whether you’re making a safe orvery big investment in trade shows and events.

Did you know? Most trade shows offer some combination of advertising opportunities in all price ranges. Here’s some that can provide a significant increase in your results: 13 Tips for Better traffic explain Results:

* Inside and outside banners

* Floor decals – put in aisle ways on major traffic aisles

* Hotel keys – sponsor hotel keys so everyone who stays at the event hotel sees your ad daily

* Turn down service – your ad or promotional item is placed on every guests’ pillow

* Trade Show bags

* Lanyards

* Advertising in show guide and show dailies – a newspaper published each day for show attendees

* Sponsorship of directional signage

* Sponsorship of coffee breaks or luncheons

* Cab signage – light boxes on tops of cabs

* Shuttle bus signage

* Literature displays (kiosks) in lobbies – you restock literature yourself

* Inserts for show badges – every badge has your name on it

Stay away from the standardized look of other rental exhibits. Get an expert look and a unique style that will make a statement.

Consider renting an exhibit booth. Purchasing an exhibit booth is a long-term commitment. If you rent your booth you escape all of the ownership costs like storage, maintenance and exhibit house prep charges for each show you attend. As well you can have a new look every year when you can refine your look, and your booth.

Currently there are lightweight and flexible booth walls that can be packed up into small shipping containers and be easily and economicallyshipped anywhere in the world. These types of exhibit booths make a fantastic starting point for those new to trade shows and exhibitions, as well as quick setups for any tiny or large business ventures.

The main thing is to get people into your booth and catch their attention in your products. Be creative. Think creative. Why not set up a whole little office where you can sit with people for short courses, seminars and be able to present a show. Don’t limit yourself to a simple booth when pushing the envelope can provide you with new customers who will remember your corporate image and products.

There is a lot more to consider in gorwing traffic at your trade show show booth. From pre-show direct mail programs to business worthy giveaways, drawings, advertising in show guides, show site banners, etc. All these things will come together to make your show booth have a great deal of impact.

ExpoMarketing.com – Expo Marketing works with 100% of trade shows and similar convention exhibition booths sales, rentals, setups and tear downs.

For many it is a dream to start your own small business, become your own boss with your schedule. There are many things to consider before making that dream become a reality. Before quitting your job, you need to consider if you are ready to make this dream into a full-time commitment.

For any business to succeed it must have a business plan and if it is not presented don’t go with them. The primary value of any business plan would be to create a written outline that evaluates all aspects of the economics viability of the venture. It also includes a description and analysis of the business prospects.

If you choose to operate your own small business, this plan would be useful in a number of ways. Here are some of the reasons not to skip this valuable tool for your success. This will show you why it is important to plan.

Be conservative in predicting capital requirements, timelines, sales and profits because few business plans correctly anticipate how much money and time will be required. It’s best not to ignore spelling out your strategies in the event of business adversities. Use simple language in explaining these issues.

Often new entrepreneurs depend entirely on the uniqueness of their business or their patented invention. It is best to remember that success comes to those who start businesses with great economics and not just great inventions. As you put all of these factors together, your starting model will be easier to understand.

As a buyer, you obtain and examine the seller’s financial statement and records for the past 24-36 months. This will give you a basis for the offer because you have now collected all the information for what your net income will be. It’s also wise to ask for their personal and business tax returns.

Here is an example of items that make a great business plan. You should write out your basis business concept and gather all the data and specifics you can on your business concept. Refine your concept based on that data then, outline your data using, a “what, where, why, how” approach for your agenda.

Put your plan into a compelling form so that it will give you insights and a valuable tool in dealing with business relationships that will be very important to you. As your business continues to grow leave room to add: capable management, able financial control and consistent business focus. All of these factors will be necessary to show a healthy, stable and growing business.

You should have this goal for your product or service. What information will help set the buying criteria in your favor? No matter what you sell, data makes your information work harder. Also, it needs to be said that the more complex your product or service is the better the opportunity to appear as an expert. If you come from the place of truly wanting to serve your buyer, then being a market expert-not just a product expert-means being more knowledgeable than any of your competitors. This is easy to do as most of your competitors will be more concerned about selling product than about positioning themselves as experts.

If you really want to serve your buyer, then you must be a market expert and not just a product expert. This is simple since most of your competitors will be more concerned about selling product than about positioning themselves as experts. In cases where I have personally run companies using these strategies or helped clients do the same, we have literally slaughtered our competitors.

These are steps you can’t possibly bill to the client, as no client will pay for all this. So what you can do instead is use our products. These products speed up this process.” Market data made the product data more important.

Another example. I had one client that sold calendars that ranged from Pamela Anderson to puppies. We did a few studies and found that per square inch, bookstores were outselling large retailers by 40% more volume. Here’s why: Bookstores were putting calendars right by the cash registers. So, when you are standing in line to check out you see a calendar on cars such as Mustangs. Your boss loves Mustangs so you buy the calendar.

Mass retailers were putting the calendars in the back by the stationary department. They weren’ t selling nearly as many calendars. By showing this date to more and more stores, this client increased sales 20% in a single year whereas they had not had an increase in sales for four years prior to using this market data to motivate better positioning of the calendars.

Your website communicates with other computers and the internet by using its network adapter or NIC (Network Interface Card) that is within the server. This card and thereby the server uses a unique address known as an IP address. An IPv4 ip address is a address annotated as four numbers segmented by dots. Each segment or octet can have a value between zero and 255, so your dedicated server or business computer address format would look similar to this: 172.16.65.17 On a Windows Server you can determine what the server ip address is by selecting the start button then selecting run. Type in ipconfig and click “OK”, a black command prompt should appear in which you can type ipconfig. On a Linux Server you can open a terminal window and type ifconfig. You can use the same command on your home Windows or Linux system to determine your static dedicated ip address.

When you browse for websites on the internet your browser communicates with web servers via their IP address. Methods have been devised to assign human readable names or hostnames to ip addresses. On a local windows or linux computer this translation can be accommodated in what’s called a host file. On most windows systems the hosts file is located in c:\windows\system32\drivers\etc\ directory; on Linux or Unix servers the hosts file is commonly stored in the /etc directory.

Have you ever been to 3111 World Dr. in Orlando Florida? Do you know where that is? You may be able to figure out what location I am talking about but wouldn’t it be easier if I said have you ever been to Disney Magic Kingdom? That is essentially name resolution 3111 World Dr. Orlando, Florida 32830 is equivalent to the IP address and Disney Magic Kingdom is equivalent to a hostname. The server space or website hosting is equivalent to the land that the theme park sits on. So when you register for a domain name you get the name but you also must rent or purchase some “land” or server space for your website to reside. Likewise if you rent or buy the server space but do not register a domain name or an address, no one will know how to get to your website.

Hostfiles are typically used to translate names for a small number of computers. A hostfile contains lines that look like this: 192.168.20.34 www.npsis.com . This tells your computer to look for www.npsis.com using the address 192.168.20.34 whenever you try to access http://www.npsis.com using your web browser.

DNS (Domain Name System) is commonly used by Internet Service Providers to translate hostnames to IP addresses. When you type www.npsis.com or any other web address URL, your computer contacts a DNS server to find out what IP address is assigned to that domain name. All websites and servers have domain names if they are accessed over the internet.

If you are selecting a domain name or website name for your business it is to your advantage to select a domain name that is easy to remember and if possible reflects what your business or service is (ex. tomsgarage.com). You can also register multiple domain names and have your website design store optimize your web pages for those keywords. Then you can have multiple domain names point to your web site. So you could have tomsgarage.com, bestlocalgarage.com, and wefixcars.com all point to your website.

Website domain names are reserved on a first come, first serve basis. So if you have an idea for the perfect website address, you should reserve it before you’re your good idea is taken by somebody else. There are many companies and individuals who potentially popular domain names and resell them for a profit.

If you are dealing with a website design store or a web designer you will want to absolutely make sure that you own the domain name and not them. When you purchase a domain name yourself you better protect yourself from predators looking to take advantage of you.

More and more trade show exhibitors are adding additional events to their trade shows and convention programs. They take advantage of the large gatherings of industry related personnel. It’s a great opportunity to gather and have a captive audience. There are quite a few things to get together, planning is essential. Any things can go wrong, be prepared for them. You want to be fully prepaid for all that will come your way.

1. There are many things that can go wrong. The first thing you have to do is to make sure your event keep on track. Many things can happen that can make your event go wrong. Stay focus and do not be discouraged when anything goes wrong. You want the event to be successful you are an instrumental part in the event, do not get frustrated. Be patient and keep motivated so that everything keeps on track

2. Careful planning is needed make sure that the convention in that city is not in any conflict with your event. Check all dates to make sure of this. After confirming the date of your event you can then start your booking and planning. You want to make sure all of the most important clients are in town that particular day as you want them to attend your corporate event.

3. Keep organized. Being on the right track is the best way to stay focused on what you need to get done? You will want to make sure that you are able to keep things running well and on track. The best way to do this is to stay focused. You will want to have accurate records of everything that you are doing so that you not wandering later. You will want to make sure that you get receipts for everything that you pay for. You will want this to ensure that you get what you are paying for.

4. Unexpected thing can happen, always stay focus for small thing can happen. Make sure you have a backup plan for certain situations. You will find that when you are prepared with a second plan, when a problem occurs it’s not that bad. Being prepared for this is a plus on your part. Back up plans are great and better if you do not have to use them.

5. Making the best even happen is not going to happen on its own. You have to say on top of things and stay motivated. The perfect event can happen but you must be focus and you must stay on top of things. One must be ready at all times to work even when you do not feel like it. Being committed to the event will and can be rewarding when everything turns out fine.

These are all great ways to make the event be a success. You will feel better and have a better experience when you are going to be prepared and organized. These are the top things that make an event work and you will find it fun and exciting when you have the right tools.

Whether you are selling services, electronic downloads, or shippable goods, the principles of product branding are worthy of your consideration. Any product must be seen, and make a favorable first impression. Product branding takes your creation and makes it a memorable to your clients.

The world of marketing is big business, and it’s no wonder: marketing is the key to successful selling of any business and the products they sell. If your product can’t be seen it won’t be sold. There are far too many products and services introduced to us every day. Your product needs a unique twist, and once you find that magical marketing idea you want to protect it.

So there you are with a great product and a catchy name. You know your market and how to get their attention. Most of the time its hard work to get to this point, and much of the time we have invested a great deal of time, money and energy with little in return. We look forward to that payday when it all that hard work brings us rewards.

Branding will protect that good name you have masterminded. Anyone in marketing will agree that a good name is hard to find. Advertising agencies spend long hours researching and testing names and concepts to see how well they will be accepted by their target market group. Once you find a good name you will want to protect it so that others cannot take your ideas.

There are several approaches to branding: Individual product branding gives a unique identity to a product, but does not link it to other products, therefore it is difficult to ride on the success of your previous products. Family branding gives you the umbrella of an already established brand.

You can also team up with other companies to take advantage of the success of others through an approach known as co-branding. This brings together the market share of both companies with a synergetic force with the idea of providing an improved product through joint ventures.

It’s always advised to learn the laws, and take the time to properly brand your product. Every state has its own trademark process, and you can apply for a federal trademark as well to protect that name you are using to identify your product or product line.

Product branding, it’s the key to marketing success. Finding a powerful name that will capture the attention of your target audience can catapult your new product into success.

You are excited! You just started up your networking business and you are ready to launch your business to the world by purchasing a list of mlm leads of people that are hopefully just as excited about a life without financial woes and time freedom as you are and then it hits you $4.00 a lead. Ouch! You quickly calculate that it will cost you $400 to hopefully be able to talk to 100 people about your business. Ouch again!

Are these $4.00 mlm leads worth it? This is where the age-old debate of quantity versus quality begins.

Any industry veteran will tell you, the secret to being successful in mlm is not selling prospects on your opportunity, rather it is sorting through enough prospects to find the right ones for your opportunity. It is quite simple really. The more people you talk to, the more people you will find that are right for your business.

This is especially important when you are first starting out. It takes time, practice, and patience to earn the confidence that will be necessary to increase the number of people that are attracted to you. Yes, I said attracted to you. Most often a prospect will be willing to join your company because they have connected with you and feel that you are the one that can help them become successful. However, unless you are natural born leader with an instant knack for the phone, you might have to stumble through a few hundred calls before you get enough practice with your script to come across as confident and comfortable.

So what is the solution? Most likely, these same mlm leads that are being sold for $4.00 as a live lead or phone interviewed lead will be sold again as an aged lead for a fraction of the cost. If you look around youll see them called aged mlm leads, 7-14 day old, etc. Yes they have been contacted once, twice, or more, before you receive them, however for the fraction of the cost they can fit into anyones budget.

There are two main things you need to keep in mind: 1) Not every opportunity is right for everyone. 2) Not everyone is as charming as you!

Even if other people have called these mlm leads before you, the opportunities they are representing may not have been a right fit for them. Or perhaps they may not have felt comfortable with the other people. When you first chose the company you are with now, did you look around first to see what your options were before joining? Most prospects will often want to evaluate different opportunities before making their life changing decision.

So are $4.00 mlm leads worth it? Yes! But only after you are ready for them, so you can make the best of them.

But until then, why not start off with a lead that began as a high quality or premium lead that is aged slightly so that you can purchase substantially more. Remember, its about finding quality people, and the more people you talk to, the more quickly you will find them. The right people will be receptive to you, whether they filled out a form today, or a week ago.

As you get more experience and practice. Start combining the higher quality or fresher mlm leads with your aged mlm leads to experience both. You will figure out what balance of mlm leads will work best for you and your budget.

Parting Tip: As you get better, your mlm leads will get better, regardless of the age or quality of the lead.