The terms "blog" and "blogging" have become part of the new economy dictionary and are an extremely cheap and efficient way of disseminating information through the web. A blog is best described as an online diary that readers can also post their thoughts. Many subject experts and academics have created open blogs (free access) that are read by thousands of readers and futurists are predicting that these blogs will emerge as the new mega...more
Have you ever said to yourself: How do I start a catering business out of my house?Well, the short answer is yes, you can open a catering business with little more than your delicious homemade recipes and a little business know how. Perhaps you've been cooking for years as a hobby and are used to getting many compliments on your culinary creations.Opening a catering business may be something you've dreamed about for a while, but aren't quite...more
A couple of days ago, my son took a practice SAT. He's always been an Honor Student (at least for the last few years) with an A/B average in all of his subjects. Sometimes he slides in English, but we always thought that was because of his lack of interest rather than a lack of ability.His scores on the verbal section were low, and his scores in the math section were not high enough to compensate. Based on that practice test, my Honor Roll son, who is in the College Preparatory track at his school, could not even get into college.With a severe shortage of teachers, poor pay rates driving current teachers into corporate positions and out of the teaching field, and violence in the schools, many parents are finding themselves in a similar situation to mine - intelligent and seemingly successful kids who are receiving a substandard education.Enter the tutor.A tutor is a paid professional who provides academic instruction, usually to students who are struggling in a particular subject. While the most sought-after tutors are those who specialize in advanced math and sciences, all subjects are needed. In addition, a key market for tutors these days is coaching students to pass...more
Recent corporate financial scandals have highlighted the importance of business ethics and legal compliance. Yet a recent National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) survey of 280 corporate CEOs and directors found that "only one of three directors felt that they were highly effective in ensuring legal compliance". Building an Ethics and...more
Many financial services power-houses—e.g., Fidelity, CitiBank, Merrill Lynch and MetLife, have adopted a marketing positioning strategy that portrays them as leaders in virtually all segments of the market. As a result, their financial sales and marketing campaigns focus on casting a very wide net in order to attract the largest possible...more
Effective communication skills are essential to successful business development. Yet they're often under-emphasized and sometimes completely ignored. Why? Because we communicate so much and so often (approximately 20,000 words per day) we often take it for granted. But regardless of how good your product or service is and how much expertise you have in your area, it all goes to waste unless you can communicate it to others. When you actually get the chance to sit down with a potential client and discuss doing business together, don't blow it by committing one of these big five business development blunders. 1. Talking about your product or service. Infodumping is simply telling someone all there is to know about what you're selling. You probably cover how long you've been in business, who developed what, your philosophy of business, your market share and all the choices you have available. This approach is likely to leave the potential client in exactly the same place on the sales continuum as when you started. Your objective should be to get him to gravitate towards you. Go into your meeting with a strategic goal. What specifically do you want him to know, do or believe...more
You must decide for yourself whether you will charge for your services or not. Should you decide to charge, the next question is "what should my fee be?"1. Determine What You Need To MakeWhen setting fees, part of the calculation is how much you need...more
Here's a bunch of important things you should know about day trading before you start. First off, can you daytrade if you don't have the requisite $25,000 plus? Yes. You can start Day Trading with as little as $750 if you decide to trade using a...more
Video conferencing is a friend of the environment. It helps reduce the volume of CO2 emissions from cars and reduces traffic congestion on our roads (as well as improving company productivity and reducing costs!). As governments throughout the world...more
Recent mergers in many industries remind me of a point that Gen. Dwight Eisenhower often made, "Generals move the pins on a map," he would say, "but the front-line troops have to get the job done."And the key to the job is leadership, small-unit...more
The greatest occupational high that financial services Marketing Directors experience is bringing a vision to market through a financial product or service innovation. Seeking to experience the same euphoria that great inventors like Benjamin...more
Do you have an idea for a business? Perhaps the only idea you have is that you NEED an idea so you CAN start a business. Before turning any idea into a business, you must first have an idea how to succeed. For most people, the definition of a...more