Public companies have 90 days from the end of their fiscal year to comply. For those with market capitalization of $75 million or more, this clock starts on Nov. 15, 2004; while all others with less than $75 million market capitalization begin July 15, 2005.Fast Relief for Sarbanes Oxley Section 404 ComplianceSection 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act requires management to confirm the effectiveness of their IT and financial controls in an "internal...more
About four years ago a friend told me one night that she had an interview the next week and was looking for some comfort as she was extremely nervous, as most people are about interviews. I thought back on my my carreer and realized that in the nine year of my career I had been to thirteen interviews and, more importantly, that I had received a job offer from every one of those interviews. I did not accept all the offers, but the point is that I...more
One of the best projects to undertake as an online marketer is to master the art of generating sales from your warm market contacts. A warm market is simply people who have already been exposed to your business and marketing plan. It can be described as "breaking the ice" with your potential customers. The best way to generate a warm market is with lead generation marketing tools. A marketing tool is a tool that people use to create what we call lead prosperity. If you are not in lead prosperity, you are not making money with your online business. With lead generation marketing tools you may decide to create several lead capture pages which are designed to generate interest from prospects on your business. The pages will contain a place to enter their contact information i.e. (name, telephone number, and email). This is also called a lead capture form. After the information is filled out on the lead capture form, the individual is redirected to a URL that contains your main site. This sounds very easy to do, and it is, however when marketing online, most opportunities have a lack of effective lead capture systems and worse, a lack of professional presentations. The goal is to seek...more
Never a 2nd chance to make a 1st impression, or so the saying goes. We all know that when someone is introduced into your work environment for the first time, their peers size them up immediately. How they are dressed, how they talk, and how they set up their workspace. Especially in large companies, where there is constant personnel movement,...more
Every year, thousands of business owners and financial managers are faced with the task of obtaining attractive financing for equipment their firms want to acquire. Snaring the best leasing arrangement requires only a bit of planning and a smidgeon of finesse. You can save time, land a better lease deal and make the leasing experience less of a...more
In 2003, venture capitalists and investors dispense over $18 billion to promising young US companies, according to VentureOne and Ernst & Young Quarterly Venture Capital Report. Less documented and reported is venture leasing's activity and volume. This form of equipment financing contributed greatly to the growth of US start-ups. Yearly, specialty leasing companies pour hundreds of millions of dollars into start-ups, permitting savvy entrepreneurs to achieve the biggest 'bang for their buck' in financing growth. What is venture leasing and how do sophisticated entrepreneurs maximize enterprise value with this type of financing? Why is venture leasing a cheaper and smarter way to finance needed equipment when compared to venture capital? For answers, one must look closely at this relatively new and expanding form of equipment financing specifically designed for rapidly growing venture capital-backed start-ups.The term venture leasing describes the leasing of equipment to pre-profit, start-ups funded by venture capital investors. These companies usually have negative cash flow and rely on additional equity rounds to fulfill their business plans. Venture leasing...more
You've spent several months, perhaps years, putting everything you have into building a thriving, high-demand online business and now you have decided to sell your baby. Thousands of businesses change hands everyday, oddly enough the channels...more
Talk about a controversial topic!The recent debates were something else.The interesting thing is this, if you're like me, you'd probably already decided who you were gonna vote for, long before election day ever came.And then, as you...more
How many times have you heard: "You've got to drop your price by 10% or we will have no choice but to go with your competition." "You will have to make an exception to your policy if you want our business." "I know that you have good quality...more
Have you ever noticed how the same people's names always seem to appear in magazines and newspapers articles which quote them as a source of info and advice on their own particular subject, whether it is web functionality and design, cosmetic...more
If I were coaching you as a business, non-profit or association manager on how to get the biggest bang for your public relations dollar, I would sum it up for you this way. Use the fundamental premise of public relations to produce external...more
It sounds simple- right? You are where you THINK you are! And it is simple but do we practice it? Of course we are where we think we are! The question is where do YOU think you are? It's a principle I talk about all the time. Everything we do,...more