Get help, advice and information on all your Business issues. http://advice-and.info/Business/right.htm Mon, 04 Aug 2008 15:35:27 GMT en If youre reading this article, its because youve already decided that you would like to own your own business, right? This is most likely your first real attempt at self-employment. 65 percent of the business owners out there are first-time owners. Almost 70 percent of new businesses are started from scratch by someone like you. You probably also have an idea of the type of business you want to start. Keep in mind; some people make bad choices when choosing their business. They only look at the moneymaking side of it. Now I realize, we all want the money, but doesnt your happiness matter too? Remember, this is your real life, not a fantasy. Lets say there are millions of dollars to be made in the paper industry. Lets say its an easy business to get into. I will tell you right now, if you dont love the paper industry, you will probably fail, regardless of how easy it is, or how much money you can earn. Doesnt it just make more sense when choosing a new livelihood to choose something you enjo y doing? There are many business start-up books which suggest not look at your hobbies as a business choice; I strongly disagree. If you cant wait until you have time off to do the things you enjoy, dont you think you would enjoy working more if you were doing those things as your job? Now keep in mind, when looking at your hobby as a potential business venture, there is one concern; spending all of your income and profits on your own hobby. Why arent cocaine dealers rich? Because they blow all their profits! Do you get what Im saying? No, Im not suggesting you take up cocaine dealing; just be careful that you dont use up your income and profits for a fun time with your hobby before youve taken care of business and personal household needs. A business can be cheap and simple, or complicated and expensive to start-up. If you like the outdoors, it could be as simple as buying a mower, edger, and blower and starting a gardening business. You could go out and buy a small flatbed trailer and hau http://advice-and.info/Business/91986_Your_Hobby_Your_Job_Starting_The_Right_Business_For_Happiness_And_Success.html Sat, 26 Jul 2008 07:36:35 GMT Starting up with your dentist marketing business means that you have to have ideas on how to start it right. And in dentist marketing you should be able to make your practice compatible with the business. I will share to you good ideas on how to do just that in your own dentist marketing business. Holding a free tele-class with a group of doctors, I was asked: How do I know where to start with your marketing?, and How do I know if my practice can be helped with marketing?. I gave them a fair, round about answer. My answer to them explains what you really need to think about in dentist marketing instead of being in a position where you are misled by a marketing consultant or representative. In here, I'll be giving you specific measurements that I like to look at which helps me to objectively coach my clients on the health of their practice. Specific Measurement 1 : Consider the Referral Ratio You need to consider the Referral Ratio in dentist marketing. So, what is this Referral Ratio?. It's simple. All you need to do is just take the total number of referrals you received for the last year and divide it by the total number of active patients you have in your practice. So now we have: Referral Ratio (total # of referrals received last year) (total # of active patients you have) With this formula, consider these examples: Example 1: If you have 300 referrals and 1000 active patients: Therefore; Referral Ratio (300 referrals) (1000 active patients) 30 Note: 30 Referral Ratio is considered good, not great... but it is a good starting place. Example 2: If you have 100 referrals and 1000 active patients: Therefore; Referral Ratio (100 referrals) (1000 active patients) 10 Note: If you fall in this range, then you have some major improvements to do. The good news though is that at least you now know it.. and we can go to work! If you hit below 50 referral ratio in your dentist marketing marketing business, then you would http://advice-and.info/Business/91392_Dentist_Marketing_Strategy__How_To_Start_Your_Business_Right.html Tue, 22 Jul 2008 04:02:22 GMT Trade printers are wholesale printing companies exclusively serving the trade. They are privately held companies that do not franchise their operations. Their main goal is to provide quality products to wholesale customers in trade or distribution giving them the resources to expand their business and make substantial profits on jobs and orders that you normally do not offer. One of the reasons why people avail of trade printing services is when they want to upgrade their equipment but still want to offer services while waiting for their equipment to be done. This is a nice option to have because you can still make a profit while you are upgrading your facilities. Also remember that anytime you pass on a customer, you are giving your competitors a chance to steal them from you. And while there are many advantages on having a trade printer to assist you, choosing the right one is a tricky task. There are several factors that you should consider before handing out your jobs to others. Here are some tip s to help you make the right choice: Take a look at the equipment that they use. One of the reasons why people go to a trade printer is so that they can accept business deals and orders even if they do not have the necessary equipment to do these. So before you choose which trade printer you want to hire, first check the equipment that they use. They should have a wide variety of equipment so that they can accommodate any job that you would let them handle. The equipment they use must be up to date so as to ensure that the quality of print is never compromised. Remember that it is your name that is on the line and not theirs. Does their equipment compliment what you have? There is no point in taking up a partnership with a trade printing company if your equipment is more or less the same. In choosing an effective trade printing company, you should always pick those who have more printing services available. It is better when you choose one that offers services that are not available to you. You ca http://advice-and.info/Business/89941_How_To_Choose_The_Right_Trade_Printer.html Thu, 03 Jul 2008 02:48:39 GMT "Because everyone has a business card, it doesnt really matter what yours looks like, so long as you have one, right? After all, what do people really expect from a business card? The only purpose of it is to get people to remember who you are, so just putting your company name on it is more than enough. This is the mentality that a lot of companies seem to share. They arent looking at the business card as an actual marketing tool, but merely a means of being remembered after talking to someone. http://advice-and.info/Business/87197_The_Right_Way_To_Do_Business_Cards.html Fri, 30 May 2008 05:34:13 GMT If you are planning on doing any booklet printing or catalog printing, you need to decide how your finished product will be put together. There are many binding methods you can use for your print materials, and each has a specific purpose. Each binding method has its pros and cons depending on your document and your budget. Some bindings are more durable, allowing the user to lay a print catalog flat when its open. You can choose simple binding methods, such as using a three-ring binder, in which all you have to do is make sure the margins are wide enough to punch holes through one side. Other binding methods, like saddle-stitching, require you to compensate for situations like creep, which is when inner pages extend or creep out further than the outer pages when folded. http://advice-and.info/Business/87188_Various_Binding_Options__Which_Is_Right_For_You.html Thu, 29 May 2008 14:34:53 GMT "What is it that you expect from a store when you first walk in? What kind of service are you expecting to get and what kind of product do you expect to walk away with? Okay, now what kind of service do you hope to get? You might even ask yourself how often this thought even crosses your mind, because I think most people dont consider it even though it can make a big impact. http://advice-and.info/Business/86582_Are_You_Treating_Your_Customers_Right.html Sun, 18 May 2008 01:07:20 GMT I cant even begin to recall the amount of times Ive taken that envelope out of my mailbox, fully aware Im holding an advertisement, and sent it to the trash without ever opening it up to see what it had to offer. Im not alone, and Im guessing youve done the same. Perhaps that envelope contained a good deal, something I really mightve enjoyed taking a look at had I just bothered to open it. When mailing anything to people this is a barrier all companies want to avoid. Its no surprise that postcard marketing has become a prominent alternative to the sealed envelope. After all, just because a person isnt looking for that good deal, might even say they have no interest in it, that doesnt mean their interest cant be piqued if handed the right tidbit of information. Printing postcards offers a company a way of immediately grabbing a persons attention, and yet, so many companies fail to properly utilize the postcard marketing strategies. Postcard printing is one of the cheaper methods for mass mailing, and this very lack of cost leads many to underestimate the importance of them. Inexpensive strategies can be just as effective as their pricier alternatives, especially if done right. http://advice-and.info/Business/84839_The_Right_Way_To_Do_Postcard_Marketing.html Sat, 12 Apr 2008 16:07:49 GMT Corporate gifts are used as a way to show appreciation for client loyalty. Gifts can be given for special occasions or for any time of the year. You want to stay in your clients mind so you give them a gift to remind them of your services and by telling him how much you appreciate his business. Even though corporate gifts can be given any time of the year, it is usually the holiday when most of the gift giving is done. Gifts will show the generous spirit of the season. They will also help you retain a strong business relationship for the coming year. You will also want to show the client you appreciate them as a person and not just as business revenue. http://advice-and.info/Business/84301_Client_Appreciation_The_Right_Way.html Sun, 06 Apr 2008 14:02:57 GMT