Learning How To Run Your Business From Expert Business People

One of the best things that you can do as you start a business, no matter what you are doing for your business, is to talk to people who are good at this, and people who already have successful businesses. This is a great way to learn about the business world, and to learn how you can fit into your own home business and be a success with the things that you have learned.

Find them
As you go to start your own business, one of the things that you should look for is people who are good at what they do. This might be an older friend or a relative, or someone who started a business a long time ago. No matter who it is, there are going to be valuable things that you can learn from them and you are going to be able to get a great idea about how your business should be run and the things that you can do to make your business even better as you go ahead and try to compete in the world today.

Ask Them
When you have found someone who you can get advice from when it comes to your own business, all that is left is for you to talk to them. Make a list of questions that you want to ask them, and then simply go to talk to them about the things that you want to talk about. This is something that you can do in one day, or even you can do over a longer time period. No matter what, you’ll find that talking to someone who already has been through the things that you are going through is a great way to get some advice and to get some idea of what you should be doing with your life and what you should be doing with your business.

You might even end up finding a mentor who can take you under their wing and who can support you through your business and through your life. This is a great way to network and a great way to build up your skills when it comes to being a networking agent and being someone who is viable and important in the community as a whole. There are many things that you can do to make sure that this happens, and the more than you can do when you are talking to people, the better off you are going to be as you start your own business.

Remember, there are always going to be people who are willing to help you. All that you have to do is to go out and find them wherever you can, and take whatever advice that they have to offer you. You will simply find that this is the best way to be, and that you are going to be able to be very successful.

The Biggest Mistakes That People Make When Starting A Home Business...

When you're starting a home business, it's all too easy to make mistakes -- after all, you've never done this before. Fortunately for you, though, you can learn from others' errors, by making sure you don't do any of these things.

Thinking Skills You Don't Have Aren't Important.

So you have no idea how to keep records and accounts, or you don't know how to maintain a mailing list. You need to learn these things! Too many home business owners just do the things that they know how to do, and assume that they can probably get by without everything else.

You need to realise that when you're running a home business, you're going to need to do as much as you can for yourself, especially when you're starting out. This means that you can't get by if your business skills are lacking. I always say that everyone who is thinking of starting a business should take an inexpensive and quick local business course, and I stand by it -- even if you think you'll be fine, it can't hurt, can it?

Not Managing Your Time.

When you're used to working nine to five, an easy trap to fall into is not managing your time effectively. Your home is full of distractions, and there won't be anyone there to tell you to get on with it. If you're prone to daydreaming or procrastinating then this can be disastrous -- whole days can go by with only tiny amounts of work getting done.

You need to be sure that you have a schedule, and you stick to it. Draw a clear line between work and non-work time, and don't cross the line in either direction. Apart from that, the word to remember is 'prioritise': appreciate that you won't always be able to do everything, but make sure you get at least the important things done.

Making Clients Think You're a Joke.

There are many home businesses where clients might need to visit your home -- but make sure it's fit for visiting! You can't lead them into a messy office, or be holding your dog back from barking at them when you first meet. Remember that professionalism is important, and it's too easy to end up looking silly if you don't plan how you're going to make a good impression when you invite people to your home.

If you can't afford a 'business annex' to your house, then consider hiring someone to look after your dog or children for a few hours while you have a business meeting there. It might also be worth paying a cleaner to give the place a quick once-over, if you haven't had time to clean up for a while.

Not Specialising.

Too many home businesses, when asked who their target market is, say 'well everyone, silly'. Your target market is never everyone -- if it is, you will fail. You can't just choose an industry and advertise your new-found profession to everyone, in the hope that someone will work out that the fact you're an electrician means maybe they should ask you about re-wiring their house.

The key to success is this: think about what you can do, and then market that to people who will want it. Advertise in places where these people are. If your business has no target market, then you have no business, period.

Making Start-Up Costs Too High.

Finally, too many people overestimate how much money it's going to take to start a home business. Do you really all brand-new equipment? If you're spending thousands of dollars before you've made any sales at all, you're setting yourself up for a disappointment.

Start your business on a shoestring, work hard, and expand gradually -- otherwise you're setting yourself up for a big fall. However much you might think you ought to do things 'properly', you need to make sure that you're minimising costs and maximising profit every step of the way, otherwise you're failing yourself as a home business owner. It's when you start to get some bigger clients and better cashflow that you can start paying a little extra to make your business life more comfortable.

People vs. Products: How To Boost Your Home Business Party Sales

Home party businesses have existed for decades. Stanley Home products, for example, began with door-to-door salesmen in the 1940s. By the 1950s this business had moved to away from front doors and took a seat on living room couches, surrounded homemade punch and cake along with a lovely hostess. While women have moved out of the home and into the corporate world since the inception of the home party business, this genre of work is still booming. Those who find success in the home party business have found a few simple methods that help them boost their home business party sales.

Attitude matters. Home business owners must learn to not just sell their product but to sell themselves. This means they should prove the product's usefulness with their own use of the product. Imagine a Mary Kay agent who uses Cover Girl products. It just would not make sense, and it says little about the product. Those who are willing to invest their time into selling a product via a home party understand that they are selling more than the product. Their own testimony matters.

Consumer care matters. Successful business partners of the home party business will look at their customers as more than a meal ticket. They learn to engage in friendly conversation at the part and learn about their clients needs. They also learn to gear their presentations and recommendations to the client's specific needs. Are the clients young moms? Empty nesters? Retired grandparents? A great salesman will be able to boost her home business party sales by presenting the best product for her potential clients' needs.

Caring about the client also means spending some time on paper work after the party. Great home party business entrepreneurs know the importance of follow up. They send out notes inquiring about the customer's needs and even thank you notes for the customer's purchase. They take the time after hostess has wiped the last crumb to remember what made the home party successful in the first place: willing customers.

Finally, a successful home party business person will maintain rapport with her clients and hostess by paying attention to them outside of the party environment. Great business people understand the importance of a kind word when bumping into a potential client at the grocery store. Even if the individual did not place an order, the successful entrepreneur will express a warm attitude towards that person and call him or her by name. Who knows? This may even lead to an eventual sale.

Home party sales have existed for decades. Great sales people understand what they must do to successful boost their home business party sales. By following these few, simple tips, they experience success which not only keeps them in business but allows for a hefty commission at the end of each party.

Why Sales People Lose Business

In my time as a sales director in the IT industry I spent a lot of time and effort trying to understand why we won and lost business, with most of the effort on the latter. In sales reviews, reading lost business reports and raking over the ashes with ex customers I compiled a comprehensive list of reasons. Top of the list was price! “The competition offered a lower price, bought the business or gave more for the same” were the usual suspects. Next was product, “they had this widget, or used newer technology or had a better roadmap for the future of their offering”. Hard on the heels of these compelling reasons was “they went over the IT managers head, blew him out of the water and changed the basis of decision”. Other reasons included “they had a better unique selling proposition (USP) than us”, i.e. our marketing people are useless; “the customer has decided to write the software as they have people with little to do” and of course “they have decided not to progress the project as they don’t have the budget”.

One day one of my best sales people came to me and said he had just lost a piece of business. Out of morbid curiosity I asked why and checked my trusty list of reasons. To my surprise he came out with a reason I had never heard before. “I was outsold, their guy was better than me”. This unprompted piece of honesty caused me to amend my list; I crossed out ‘reasons’ and replaced it with ‘excuses’. Exploring this situation further, our offering was competitive in every area so the classic excuses were not relevant in any case. What was relevant though was the competition’s sales person; he was their USP, because he added more customer value during the sales process. This was a really interesting lesson and led to another question. Why would this sales person adopt a very open position, when others blamed third parties? The answer was quite simply confidence. Unlike many of his colleagues he did not suffer from the fear of failure (or the sack) as to him losing was a lesson to learn from, not a disciplinary issue.

There are a few practical steps that can be taken to increase the confidence of your sales people and reduce the incidence of lost business.

• Firstly create an environment where the fear of failure is reduced and that engenders honesty. In turn this will help reveal the real reasons for failing to win business.

• Ensure that these causes and how to resolve them are written into the sales person’s development plan and are followed up by the individual and their managers. Make sure the rest of the sales team know and that they learn from it.

• Celebrate success; speaking to companies and individuals this is something which seems to have got lost in today’s business world. Success is infectious and builds confidence in individuals and sales teams.

People will always lose business, it is not a crime. Failing to understand why and not learning the lessons is a failure of both individuals and their management.

People Do Business With People They Know, Like, And Trust

One of the most important activities in growing a business is growing relationships. Many people think they can go out to networking events, hand their cards out and the business will come flowing in. It may happen like that, but not likely. It takes time, energy and effort to build a network. Through building that network you build relationships with people who know you, trust you and will do business with you.


I was at a networking event where I witnessed two men that had no clue what networking was all about. The first gentleman walked up to me, introduced himself, asked my name and proceeded to tell me what he did and how it could help me. He then left to talk to someone else and a second gentleman came up, introduced himself, didn't bother to get my name, gave me promotional information about what he was selling and then went off to talk to someone else. Neither of these men would remember me if I called them, and I have no idea if they are people I like or trust, so there isn't a chance I will do business with them. Networking like this is a waste of time. Unless you're willing to build your network, get to know the people, and perhaps see how you can help them, you might as well stay home.


Networking isn't just for people who run their own businesses. All of us have a network of people we depend on. We might use their services, get referrals from them and ask for assistance when seeking a job. I call this cross-pollinating, and we all do it. It is vitally important that we build relationships with the people in our network so that we can obtain good tips and advice. If you neglect your network you might find yourself without resources or references when you most need them.


Networks are important to your success. To have a useful network you must build and nurture the relationships and focus on how you can help your network before you consider taking from it. Zig Ziggler advises that the best way to build your business is to help someone else build hers. Givers get. You don't just take from your network; you also give to it. The secret is the more you give to your network the more you will get back.

Why Most People Fail In Home Businesses!

At one time or another, we’ve all fantasized about creating our own business and being so successful that we can tell the boss or manager to “take a hike” and loose the compass! It’s exciting to consider the possibilities. But then the fears creep in. We’ve all heard stories about people who have joined a home based opportunity full of hope and faith, only to unwind shortly thereafter and fail miserably…and lose some good hard earned cash in the meantime. And some of us have lived those stories! Ouch! I have been on both sides of this continuum, succeeding more often than not, but with enough range of experience for both myself and others I’ve worked with to offer some perspective.

Let’s take a look at some of the underlying causes that are not always discussed. You might be surprised to hear that the lack of money is not the main reason for failure…hummmh.

There are several reasons why people fail in business:

LACK OF DISCIPLINE AND CONSISTENCY

This is a big one. Most people get the idea that they can make millions by simply signing up. The money will just roll in…the streets are lined with gold and all you have to do is bend down and pick it up. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if this were true? Or would it? Developing the discipline and consistency necessary to be successful in any endeavor is part of what makes success so sweet. There aren’t many accidental success stories. It takes tremendous discipline to be successful in anything including a home business. It’s like getting in shape or going to college. You will not make it through college if you only study one day in each semester. Similarly, you will not get in shape with one “power walk” on just one day. Once you know what is required daily, learn to discipline yourself and be consistent. Amazingly, consistency and discipline not only elevate you to higher levels of success, they also make your work so much easier!

LACK OF PERSONAL GROWTH

Most people have it backwards. They think that one becomes a millionaire and then starts thinking like one. But it’s the other way around. Before you can be successful, you have to think like a successful person. Your thoughts, words, and your imagination will affect whether you succeed or fail. Personal development of your attitude and communication skills are a must. It’s hard work and it takes discipline. You will have a hard time succeeding without protecting and working on your attitude. This is especially true after some failures. This is a learned skill.

LACK OF DIRECTION (A PLAN)

Most people that start a business have little or no idea how to succeed. Therefore it is extremely important to find a sponsor who has the time and experience to you by the hand and guide you through the maze, step by step. Be sure this person will actually have (or make) the time for you. Ask specific questions about what kind of support you can expect from them. If you’re already in a program and your sponsor is not helping you, go up to the next level until you find someone who will. Sit down with them and create a plan of attack, set realistic goals and then learn everything you can to help you succeed!

LACK OF MARKETING SKILLS

There once was a time when you where told to make a list of all your family members and friends to build your business. Today, most of the prospecting is done via advertising and marketing. That’s good, because you don’t have to talk to your family (they might say “harass them”) to build a business. The other side of the coin is that it takes experience to compete for these sales. If you do not have much marketing experience, be prepared to learn as much as you can about it. Don’t panic about this…you are also a consumer so your common sense can take you a long way if you are willing and teachable. Still, it’s good to get a clear picture of what kind of marketing training will be made available to you in advance. Finally, don’t forget, it’s your job to continue to learn how to market…it’s a continuous process.

WRONG EXPECTATIONS

This is sometimes the fault of the sponsor that just wants to make a sale. People are being sold the idea that all you need to do is get in and the money starts rolling in without doing anything. Sometimes it’s the new person’s fault, because they only hear what they want to hear or they think they know better. Bottom-line, building a successful business is not a 60 yard dash but a marathon.

QUITTING TOO SOON

This is probably the biggest reason. People “try” to work the business for a few weeks or even a few months and then quit and they’re on to their next failure. First, you can’t try any business and succeed. You need to work the business to succeed. Have you ever done anything in life half way and succeeded? With that attitude, you’ve failed before you’ve even started. You have to have the attitude of I will do whatever it takes to succeed (I’m not talking about illegal stuff). It’s a mindset. Will you throw in the towel after 50 no’s. I had 200 no’s before I made my first sale and I was willing to go to a 1,000 if I had to. Just imagine if I’d quit after 199 no’s. You have to fill your pipeline of prospects. Now I have people joining me that I talked to months ago. DON”T EVER GIVE UP!!!

The article is brought to you by Peter Grundner at P&T Enterprises.

Yoga for Business People: Enhance your Business Acumen

There are many of us who feel we are not as bright as we would like to be; or that we lack the will power a friend or a colleague seems to have. What is not known widely - or taken with skepticism even when known - is that mental power can be enhanced by Yoga and meditation.

Don't worry if your allopathic doctors dismiss this claim, or worse, laugh at it in contempt. Allopathic doctors tend to downplay such claims because allopathy has been brainwashed into a sort of negativism.

While the neuro-surgeon himself swears by the mantra which he recites every morning, believing it is instrumental in making divine energy flow through him, he feels that the beneficial effects of yoga on all professionals, particularly businessmen, have hardly been talked about.

Yoga or meditation is very beneficial to business executives because it makes decision-making much easier and quicker. It takes away vacillation and helps the brain to grasp the pros and cons quickly.

A surgeon needs to take a decision quickly on the operating table. Similarly, a businessman may not have more than five minutes to decide. Supposing he has a dollar 1 million business deal where a decision has to be made in five minutes, he needs a brain which is stimulated and in a trim state. In this state, decision-making becomes easy and anxiety level goes down.

In such a state not only is the brain able to think clearly, but the other systems of the body which suffer due to stress or tensions, are also spared.

Yoga for Business People: Lifetime Habit

Mr. La Forge (Yoga Trainer) suspects that because the mind-body exercises typically are easier to pursue, executives have a better chance of making a lifetime habit of them. To see if his hunch is correct, he launched a five-year study of 110 middle- and upper-level executives in companies in the US. He tracks their exercise habits and see if those incorporating mind-body techniques stick with the program longer.

Devotees say the mind-body exercise regimen has a payoff in the workplace, as well.

Barry Moltz, 36, founder and CEO of CHTech International., a mail-order distributor of computer hardware and software, started doing Yoga a year ago at the to balance the pressures of growing a business with starting a family. He still works out in a gym and commutes to work on his bicycle, but he also meditates in the half-lotus position for 15 or 20 minutes at night after his two young children have gone to sleep.

He says most of his friends, also in their mid-30s, have jumped on similar mind-body fitness tracks.

''I think the toughest part about running a company is that there are so many demands on your time. When I meditate, it really allows me to relax and focus all my energies in one place,'' he says. ''Now when I'm involved in a meeting, I can be immersed in that meeting instead of thinking about 15 other things. And people really respond when you're totally focused on just them.''

The pressures of the job say you shouldn't be satisfied where you are today. You can never feel like you've achieved anything because it's very elusive. Yoga and meditation allows you to be happier and more effective in what you're doing now.

Why Most People Fail In MLM Business

Marketing businesses are being launched almost everyday on the internet. People join MLM because they want to make money by sponsoring other people into the business and that’s how the MLM idea works. Some of them become very successful with it, but almost 90% of them will fail and never make their investment back. MLM companies can be very profitable if they have a good quality product behind it. If you are a good marketer and know how to sell yourself you could earn substantial income using the power of MLM. Let’s go over some of the reasons why people fail after joining an MLM business opportunity. In my opinion the failure is being caused by not having enough experience in marketing, low advertising budget, and lack of patience.

Not having enough experience is one of the major reasons why a person will never make any money with a MLM company. For example, John got introduced to this new hot product that his friend is selling. John likes it a lot and finds out that he could resell the product also and make some extra income. So his friend decides to enroll him and now John is a proud owner of his own business. John is very excited about the whole idea and starts going over the material provided by the company he joined. Two days later John still hasn’t made a sale nor enrolled another distributor. John has no idea about marketing or how to get the word out to other people that would possibly be interested in John’s opportunity. Two weeks go by and he still hasn’t sold any of his products, but he must keep ordering from the company to stay in the business. John starts feeling overwhelmed with bills and decides to give up. If you want to be successful with MLM, you must do some good market research before you join. You should also create your own strategy on how you are going to market yourself and your product. You must listen to experts in the business and learn from them, their tactics, and techniques. Create your own game plan before you spend your hard earned money.

Next reason why people fail is not having enough money or none at all to advertise their opportunity. These days you must be able to come up with some advertising budget to do business online. If you think that by joining an MLM opportunity the money will just start coming into your pocket then you are very wrong. If you have a very tide budget and you can barely make it from one month to another then please do not join any MLM companies. In that case you should try something else that doesn’t require you to make an investment of more than $50. MLM companies usually require a monthly fee to stay in the business which ensures that people who sponsored you make commissions. Before you decide to join an MLM opportunity please go carefully over your budget and see if you can afford it. You always need to know your matrix and calculate if you can actually make money before next month’s bills are in your mailbox.

Another reason why some people fail in the multi level marketing business is lack of patience. I know from experience that people want to start making money fast with any business opportunity they join. The fact is that it takes time to build your MLM business. That is why having enough money is so important to succeed. You will probably loose money your first month after your advertising expenses. Once your business gains momentum, which could happen after a few months, you will be on the right track to MLM profits. Learn how to be patient, and try not to get discouraged. The profit will come if you just stick with one thing and keep doing it till you are satisfied. Never try to join two multi level marketing companies at the same time unless, you really have the resources to handle it. I know people that run some successful website with tons of traffic everyday. This allows them to join multiple companies and succeed. Knowing your matrix is very important factor and you should always consider your own possibilities.

As you can see there are some very important things you must take into consideration before you join an MLM company. Multi level marketers can make a lot of money once their business starts growing by itself. Once you get to that point you will be ready to start another venture and that’s how millionaires are being made on the internet. If you don’t have enough experience, patience or enough money in your advertising budget, then think twice before you spend your money. Also do some research on the company to see if they are legal or if their product has good quality. If there is no quality product the company will fail itself and you will loose all your money that you have invested into your organization. I hope this article will help you decide about your next MLM venture.

Yoga for Business People: Do Not Get Distracted From your Goal

Suresh Nigam, chairman of MetJet, one of the leading trainers of computer hardware engineers in India, not only practices yoga but preaches it at his 35 centers.

So what is it and how does it work.

At the heart of it is something which translates as the stoppage of mind modification. For example when we hear music we get distracted. We must stay aware and conscious but not get distracted from our goal.

How then does yoga, an ancient, essentially private activity, help in the work environment.

Suresh believes that the collective is an entity just as much as an individual is. If individuals are happy, calm and alert then the collective consciousness is harmonious and dynamic and will produce better results. If people are tense and unhappy it will reflect in their productivity.

At MetJet all managers and employees are sent to the Yoga Institute at Santa Cruz (in Mumbai) which was founded in 1989. There people are shown a path, how to control your mind and not to run after sensual pleasures. You learn not to run away from your responsibilities.

The root cause of these afflictions is ignorance. That leads to a grandiose sense of self-importance and misunderstanding. We love and hate in extremes. By getting up and finding out what is happening, we reduce stress. Once you are aware of what is going on you have won half the battle.

You May Need To Hire People To Help You With Your Home Business

If you are deciding whether or not to start your own home business, you may also want to consider having people work for you. Owning a home business is similar to owning a brick and mortar business. You may be surprised at how quickly your business takes off and you may be swamped with work sooner than you think. With the help of other workers, your stress level can be reduced and your tasks can be alleviated.

Before hiring people to help with your home business, you should consider a few things. For one, your business is run out of your house. If you are hiring employees, you need to keep in mind that these workers will be coming to your home, and not just an office location. If you have children in your household, you want to make sure that your new employee will accept the children as part of their work environment. If you have pets, you'll want to consider hiring someone that does not have pet allergies.

Of course, you always have the option of hiring someone to work strictly online for you. This can be an easier way to hire new employees. You will not need to be concerned about your home environment and you can hire someone from across the globe if you choose. In fact, most people who are looking for employees to help with their home business hire in this manner.

Owning and operating a home business is similar to owning a regular business. When you hire an employee, you will need to establish a set of responsibilities for this worker. You'll also want to create an agreed upon salary amount and work schedule. Be professional and upfront with your employees before they begin working. After all, you are running a business and not just a home business.

Yoga for Business People: Mind-Body Connection

A rising number of business people are finding the mind-body connection.

Yoga, meditation, and other Eastern-born exercises are finding a growing audience among harried business people craving inner calm. Classes are offered at health clubs, company fitness centers, corporate retreats and spas.

Ideas that once were left-of-center are finding greater acceptance with the public support. Mind-body executive fitness is a hot topic right now.

Lynn Doody, owner of Zen Fitness wellness programs in Chicago, notes that, whereas in the past most of her clients pursued traditional cardiovascular and weight-training exercise, most now incorporate mind-body applications into the regimen.

There's just a general awareness, and non-conventional health care is a little more available.

No need to convince Mark Frantz. The 40-year-old vice-president at Merrill Lynch & Co. had learned in 15 years of trading commodities to manage stress and anxiety. He ran a few times a week, worked out at the gym, and worked at reducing stress in other conventional ways.

But he still ground his teeth at night, massages were temporary Band-Aids, and even while running he'd tense his muscles. He wanted more. He sought ''a different quality of life.''

What he found was yoga and meditation. At home, on an airplane, or for 10 minutes behind closed doors at work, Mr. Frantz can shut out distractions with deep breathing, yoga poses, imagery and other relaxation techniques.

He still runs, but '(yoga and meditation) forces you to focus on what's going on in the moment and to be aware of what your body is telling you. It relaxes you, brings your heart rate and your blood pressure down.

Yoga for Business People: Workplace Implications

Mind-body fitness, which derives from Eastern philosophies and religions, improves physical and emotional well-being, and has implications for workplace performance.

The overall benefits of mind-body exercise are documented in an increasing number of scientific studies. They include everything from reducing cardiac risk factors to enhancing mood.

'You're under stress, but you have to be in control all day, and after so many years, what happens is that leads to eating misbehaviors, stress hormone production and cardiac risk factors,. The good news is you can reverse these risk factors non-pharmacologically and develop some habits for a lifetime' that complement conventional diet and exercise.

The kinder, gentler movements typical of yoga improve flexibility, strength and muscle tone and can be more youth-promoting than the wear-and-tear of daily aerobics, weights and running alone.

Especially with the baby boomer generation getting older, they're realizing the need for flexibility, the need for good posture, and the desire for the things that are going to help them look and feel young.

Ecommerce Website Development Brings More People To Your Business

If you have a business and you want to tell more people about your business and what service you offer to the public or what product you're selling. Putting your business on the Internet today offers you the chance to reach millions of people everyday and it's as easy as finding the right website host who will work with you to get your web page up and running so you can start making more money. Millions of people everyday move through the internet to the merchant's web site. From there, a person decides they want to purchase something, so they move to the online transaction server gathers, saves, and encrypts all the information the person gives. Once this person has placed his or her order, the information moves through a private gateway to a Processing Network, where the issuing and acquiring banks complete or deny the transaction. This generally takes place in no more than 5-7 seconds. There are many different payment systems available to accommodate the varied processing needs of Ecommerce website development merchants, from those who have a few orders a day to those who process thousands of transactions daily. With the addition of Secure Socket Layer technology, E-Commerce is also a very safe way to complete transactions. There are several basic steps involved in becoming E-Commerce Enabled.

Getting an Internet Merchant Bank Account
Web Hosting
Obtaining a Digital Certificate
Finding a Provider of Online Transactions
Creating or Purchasing a Shopping Cart Software

You want to be able to accept credit cards over the internet; you will have to apply to your bank for an Internet Merchant Bank Account. This can be relatively easy or somewhat difficult, depending on which country you live in and what bank you are with. In the US , this is a fairly simple procedure. Many banks offer Internet Merchant Accounts, and most Online Transaction Providers will support them. See your bank for details. Since the vast majority of Online Transaction Providers are located in the US and are restricted in their ability to interact with banks outside their own country, international merchants have very little choice. An international merchant has to find a way to get a US merchant account, embark on the equally difficult task of finding a local Online Transaction Provider, or utilize one of the few companies that services the international market. Also, many banks outside the US have very restrictive policies regarding internet accounts. Luckily, the situation is improving, and most Online Transaction Providers will help you with this if you get in touch with them.

In the ratings section, I have included information on which providers give international service. Here are some additional issues to keep in mind when you apply for a Merchant Bank Account:

A US merchant account can take up to a month to come through.

If you already have a merchant bank account, you will probably also need to upgrade it to an Internet account.

Ensure that your bank accepts Internet merchant accounts and has credit card processors that can connect to FDC, Paymentech or CyberCash.

Your account must be able to handle Card Not Present transactions.

Commercial Bridging Loans For All You Business People

To be a successful businessman what we need apart from a good aptitude, sharp business acumen and a bit of character is money, whether it is our own or someone else’s in the form of loans.
One thing that will definitely help a budding businessman is the commercial bridging loans.
Commercial Bridging loans refer to the loans which are specifically designed to aid businessmen for a short period of time. A businessman can go for commercial bridging loans for a lot of business purposes. They are:

· For buying or improving the standards of the office or buying new factories or new business premises.
· It can be used well by an entrepreneur who sells his goods on credit. He can use commercial bridging loans as his working capital.
· Commercial bridging loans can also be used as a cover up for losses in this accounting year and can be availed until the next year.
· It can be used by a businessman to buy a machine or another asset which is available at a cheap price in an auction.

However there are many features of the commercial business loans that the borrowers must know about.

· These loans are available only on secured basis i.e. on providing of collateral. The collateral can either be a closed ended bridge or an open ended bridge.
· Loan amount is available for a month up to a year with an option of extension.
· Loan amount varies from £10000 to £3.5 million or even up to 100% of the collateral rendered by you it all depends on the requirement.
· The loans are available to both, people with good credit history as well as people with bad credit history.
· For the comfort of the borrowers the loans are approved very quickly in 24 – 48 working hours.
· The interest rates on commercial bridging loans are a little higher as it being a short term loan the borrowers will most certainly try to increase his earnings.

Now all that is left for the potential buyers to do is to make sure that they fulfill the following criterion to avail the commercial bridging loans.

· The borrower should be a UK citizen.
· The borrower should be at least 18 years of age.
· The borrower should have a current active balance account.
· A valid proof of identity is essential as well.

As long as these criterions is followed you are qualified to take a commercial business loans.

There is nothing more satisfying than to do a thing we love successfully. Business is one such thing and one of its uncertainties is we never know when we require money. That is when we can use the commercial bridging loans to cater to our short term monetary demand.

Home Business For Frugal People.

I have proved that anyone can make money on the internet without having to spend a fortune. I have recently been introduced to the Plug in Profit Site. I bought the package, hooked, line, and sinker. I still can not believe that I bought this package it is totally out of character for me. I hate to spend money. I figured that it takes money to make money right? So why not!

*What it did cost me was 60 bucks to get my website up and running.

What I did not realize was that the program (The 30 day course) wanted me to shell out big bucks to promote my “money making website”.

Maybe if I would have spent the thousand dollars as suggested, I may have gotten my first customer allot sooner. I may even be making one thousand dollars a week by now … But I’m cheap I did not shell out the big bucks. What I did do was simple and pretty cheap, and pretty darn effective. I did the following 5 things.

1. I have written articles and submitted them.
2. I have submitted my URL to the search engines for free.
3. I have dropped a few lines in blogs, and forums with a link to my website
4. I have a few Google Adword ads posted. ( I used low cost keywords)
5. The easiest thing I do is add a SIG file to all my emails.( do it, it’s free!)

Most marketers do not use a SIG file. Why? I do not know, not my problem. But I use my SIG file in all of my emails. You know those annoying forward emails, that your friends and family, send to you on a daily bases. I used to hate those things, but now I love them. Why? because I forward them to everyone in my address book, and yup, you guessed it! I use My Signature file. You would be surprised on how far those crazy emails can go. They are like the Energizer bunny they keep going and going; with my SIG file :-). At the end of all of my emails you will see my SIG file.

*** 3 Easy Steps To Make Money Online ***
Launch Your Very Own Money Making Website Today
That's 100% Ready To Take Orders And Pull In Massive
Residual Profits For You Right Now...Guaranteed! Visit:
http://www.internet5kincome.com/pips.html

(That is a SIG file incase you do not know what one looks like.)

I have to say that using the 5 steps has brought me new customers, and has made me some impressive money. The good news is, it doesn’t have to cost you an arm and a leg, to make money on the internet. Be smart, keep it simple and most of all have fun. When you have the chance do some learning about internet marketing, learn and then learn some more. The more you learn the better off you will be. “knowledge is power”

Semper FI
Michael Ditch

* If you want to know how I got my site for 60 dollars remember I am frugal. ( I saved money by registering my domain with http://www.namecheap.com just a little insider tip :-) )

Editors Help Business People Do the 'Write' Thing

You've got spelling and grammar checkers on your laptop computer, so you're all set to crank out the perfect sales letter while you're on the road.

But Chandra Clarke and Terence Johnson of the online editing service Scribendi.com would urge you to not hit the "print" button just yet. Those spelling and grammar checkers can make mistakes, and even one typo could not only ruin the impact of your letter but reflect poorly on you and your company.

Written marketing materials are often the first impression prospective customers have of a company. And prospects can be very unforgiving of those little typos.

In the article "Ethos and Error: How Business People React to Errors," University of South Alabama English professor Larry Beason found that mistakes in written materials create confusion regarding meaning and harm the image of the writer and the writer's company. The typos often reflect on more than the writer's communication skills, Beason said. The people he interviewed called sloppy writers "hasty," "uninformed," "careless" and "uncaring."

"If you don't care about your work," wrote one of the respondents, "why should I care about you and your business?"

But carefully proofreading your work may not be enough - studies show that people often miss their own typos. According to the studies, you see what you expect to see in your own writing, rather than what's actually there. Another person, or an editing service like Scribendi, can provide a fresh set of eyes.

Scribendi offers a variety of services, including proofreading, editing and translation. Clients upload their files to Scribendi's Web site and download their documents after the editors are done correcting and polishing.

The editors come from a variety of backgrounds, so they're familiar with their clients' fields. In addition to correcting grammar, spelling, flow and consistency, they explain word usage issues and standard writing practices, so clients learn how to improve their own writing.

When it comes to making a great first impression, Clarke and Johnson believe no project is too small. The image you create with a short press release, they say, is as important as a deal-closing presentation.

Business People Shaking Hands All Over The World

When business people meet all over the world the most common and recognised gesture is to shake hands. In my travels I have found that even this simple routine is done differently in many parts of the world.

In the UK it is usually a single right hand that does the shaking. Very few people shake with their left hand and it is deemed rude to offer your hand without taking your glove off first.

There are power hand shakes when one party decides that either they are superior or wants to win the battle of the hand shake. In this case the right hand is offered with palm facing downwards. The hand on top seems to signify power.

Often people in sales will offer their hand with palm facing up. This signifies that they are going to submissive in the conversation that follows.

In India it is common to offer your right hand and once the hand shake has been initiated you put your left hand over the other parties' left hand. This means that the initiator has now given a two handed hands shake. The receiver does not need to respond but can also reply by using his left hand as well.

In the Far East and some parts of Asia it is deemed impolite for a woman to shake a mans hand. A woman should only shake a mans hand if she has sexual interest and feels that it might be reciprocated!

Even the length of the hand shake differs. In the UK people might shake hands for three or four shakes whilst it is common in the Middle East to keep the hands held limply together for an extended period even after the initial semi firm four shakes.

In America people are taught to shake the hands firmly. A few Americans I have met use a bone crunching hand shake which is way too hard. This might be acceptable in America but will definitely be frowned upon in China and even some parts of Europe.

Some French people might give you a kiss on the cheek as they shake your hand. Very rarely do the lips touch the cheek though as usually it is a "pretend kiss" and only the side of the face will touch yours.

Finally in some cultures a person higher up will refuse to shake the hand of someone felt to be beneath them. In this case if you offer your hand for a shake and it is declined just pretend it didn't happen and carry on talking!

3 Reasons Why Most People Fail To Achieve Their Business Goals

New Year's resolutions are launched with good intentions by the tens of millions every December. And somewhere along the way - usually in January - most of them become an afterthought. The mere topic of New Year's resolutions only gets pulled up again in December, when planning (yet again) for the next year.

But a business goal is a horse of a different color.

Because business goals directly tie-in to one's finances - which in turn affects how we live - we pursue them more aggressively. That's the good news.

However in that pursuit lies several pitfalls. Pitfalls that are well hidden from the naked eye. Pitfalls that only reveal themselves once we begin our business goal achievement quest.

What are those pitfalls exactly? Here are three that strike most entrepreneurs at the least favorable moments:

1) You fell for the infamous "You are LIMITLESS" mantra.

Bestselling spiritual/self-help author Wayne Dyer often reminds his followers, "We are spiritual beings having a human experience."

And even though the soul may be free as vast as the universe - we are still confined to an overcoat of skin and bones and gravity. And it is this temporary overcoat that causes very real limitations.

I mean let's face it, there can only be one American Idol in 2008 (or Canadian Idol or whatever Idol for the part of the world you live in). There's one President, one Queen, one gold medalist slalom skier, one winner of the Best Actor on Academy Awards night.

And even though you may deeply yearn, affirm and visualize holding one these positions, you might not ever end up there.

A good friend of mine had an uncle who owned a horse ranch. He was a masterful rider and dreamt of becoming a famous jockey. But at the age of 16 he was almost 6 feet tall. Which is apparently too tall to become a jockey.

We - as human beings - all have limits. Limits caused by financial circumstances, family obligations, time constraints, lack of knowledge, lack of skill, age restrictions, height restrictions, and so on.

The thing is, limitations should never be viewed as stop signs. On the contrary, they allow us to confidently move in directions that work with our natural talents, abilities and lifestyles. Limitations allow us to see how we can improve ourselves.

So acknowledge your limitations. (It's okay!) And if you can't beat 'em, be confident and wise enough to work around 'em.

2) You didn't anticipate the potential problems along the way - or the residuals of success.

As I write this article the jackpot for the New York state lottery is at $115 million dollars. Manhattan office workers file into the deli's during their lunch hour to stand on those lottery lines, and fantasize amongst each other about winning.

From the middle class viewpoint, a big lottery win looks absolutely delicious. But Dr. Steven J. Danish, professor of psychology at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, paints a very different picture.

According to "Windfall not always a blessing, psychologists say,"

"Danish has counseled lottery winners for more than 12 years, and almost all his patients have had serious problems after collecting their winnings. After the initial shock passes, a sense of guilt often arrives, along with the hoards of people asking for money. Giving or leaving money to family -- including mysterious, long-lost relatives -- is often the biggest source of stress, he said."

But this phenomena isn't limited to lottery winners. It happens to entrepreneurs as well.

Yes, your eyes always have to be peeled for the potholes in the road. But you must also consider the problems that come with extreme success.

For example, will you have enough inventory if a positive review of your product generates a flood of 10,000 orders? How will you manage your time fulfilling orders? Do you have a babysitter lined up for business emergencies?

Don't focus on failure. Do create a mindset of preparedness.

3) You focus a lot of energy on past mistakes, instead of learning from them and moving on.

A very dear friend whom I've known for 15 years has been wanting to start his own business for as long as I've known him. Early in our friendship he and his sister-in-law decided to do some kind of venture together. The venture flopped. He lost $4K, while she lost almost nothing.

Over a decade later, he still talks about how much he wants to go into business for himself. But the memory of losing that $4K re-plays itself over and over in his mind. It's the reason why he commutes to a government job every day, instead of taking the plunge and starting his own business.

Sadly enough, he rationalizes his inability to move forward by saying that he'd rather be 100% sure that he's doing the right thing, instead of going in with a half-baked idea.

My outlook as a seasoned entrepreneur is a little different. Nothing in life is 100% guaranteed. The best-laid plans can be thwarted in the blink of an eye. The best you can do is learn from the past (not LIVE in the past) and move on.

Business… It’s About People

Conducting business is by nature interdependent. It is the result of multiple interactions between multiple stakeholders every day. A stakeholder is a person or a group with a vested interest in the success of your organization and your products and services—people who can affect or are affected by the actions of your business.

Stakeholders come in many shapes and sizes. They can be found inside and outside your company. They are your employees, your customers, your vendors, your partners, your advisors, your lenders, the government, the local community, even your competitors.

Few companies have leveraged the influence of stakeholders like Starbucks, which turned a passion for coffee and taking care of stakeholders into a runaway success. Howard Schultz, the CEO who transformed the company from a small chain of coffee shops to a worldwide phenomenon, states, “If people relate to the company they work for, if they form an emotional tie to it and buy into its dreams, they will pour their hearts into making it better.”

When stakeholder relationships are strong, you have employees who work better together, customers who buy more products, strong supply chains, collaborative relationships, and seemingly infinite opportunity. Taking care of your stakeholders is good business.

This concept is embodied in a Japanese concept, Kyosei, embraced by Canon Corporation as its corporate philosophy. Kyosei is a way of living and working together harmoniously, enabling continuing growth and mutual prosperity to coexist with healthy and fair competition.

The stakeholder group that instantly comes to mind is your employees. Of all groups, they probably have the biggest stake in your business. Your employees count on you for their jobs, their income, working conditions, and their livelihood. If your business fails, employees are among the first to feel the pain.

As a business owner, you have a responsibility to all of your stakeholders, but especially to your employees. This means providing jobs, good working conditions, fair compensation, honesty in communications, access to information and tools, freedom from discrimination, and protection against unnecessary injury or illness.

Your employees are more than a group of stakeholders—they are the lifeblood of your enterprise. Spend the money it takes to hire talented individuals. Share the vision and goals of your company with them. Invest in your human capital and build teams that encourage cooperation and open communication so that they can perform to the best of their abilities.

And remember what Mary Kay Ash, pioneer of the Mary Kay Cosmetics, states, “People are definitely a company’s greatest asset. It doesn’t make any difference whether the product is cars or cosmetics. A company is only as good as the people it keeps.”