What is the Definition of a Business Opportunity? Reveal #1 Review Here!

Working from home and employment opportunities seem to be everywhere, but it is not always specific to get a consistent answer to the question "what is the definition of a business opportunity?" So, before you decide whether a business opportunity is for you and which ones you should go for, you will have in this article the needed information so that you can make an informed decision on what kind of opportunity is the best for you.

What Should You Do In Order To Earn Money From Your Business?

In order to make a living from your empire, you will have to advertise and be able to sell a product or service, which could be anything from an e-book to tool hire. By doing this, you are helping the original business owner to sell more of their produce, which is what they will pay you a percentage of the sale price for.

This will consequently allow them to have more exposure and definitely increase their sales rate and that is why you will be rewarded. The more you are able to sell for the merchant, the better your income will be.

How To Find The Optimal Answer To Your Definition?

Tip #1

In order to get an optimal answer to the question "What is the definition of a business opportunity?", you will want one that will be able to offer you an income no matter what money you have to put towards it. In this context, I would advise you to be careful of those that ask for a lot of money upfront for allowing you to join their company. You should search quite well for the information regarding this company before you take a decision.

And this kind of information is available free on the internet, if you look for it in the blogs and forums. Remember that if you are selling the products of someone else, it is you who is needed by them just as much as it is the other way round and you should not have to pay to sell the products of someone else. There are lots of legitimate online businesses and you may be given a website as part of your joining to help you with the sales.

Tip #2

Free money making on the internet will allow you to start a business so that you can begin to earn cash without having to put any kind of investment into the venture. This will mean that you will not be turned away, if you cannot afford certain tools as they will be able to find ways around this so that you can earn money pretty much right away and get out of it, what you put in the way of effort.

You may also wish to work at home typing for money, but this kind of work comes in many different forms. One of which is to research certain topics or if you are bi-lingual, you may be able to translate certain information for someone so that their produce or service can be aimed at a wider clientele.

Another way you could earn money from typing is through data entry or you may write short stories or poems that you will allow appearing in online or offline magazines or newspapers. Till the moment of writing this article, I see some online jobs of that sort in which you will be paid up to $45 per hour depending on your level of experiences.

Tip #3

There are a lot of ways to make a living online and some of them you may already be doing for free. So, why not get paid for doing something you enjoy such as blog for work at home. This will mean that the time you spend writing blogs anyway can be made more beneficial by being able to earn money from your work.

Through the time, your blog will be much more popular and some people will ask if they can advertise relevant information on your blog, or maybe you can do it the other way round so that you are writing your blog around a certain produce, then when people read about it they will be able to get the link and make the purchase or join a certain venture.

Professional Business Services

Many businesses, whether sole proprietorships or corporate companies, face circumstances in which they find themselves in need of professional business services and advice. No matter what field or area a business is seeking help within there are professional business services that can assist with these needs.

CORPORATE FINANCE
Corporate finance advice can be given to companies whether they are small or medium sized. Advice is given to assess and implement ways to increase capital growth, buying and selling of agreements, alternative ways to finance, and consolidations within the industry that is seeking help. Other crucial areas that may be reviewed relating to corporate finance are credit solutions, ways to solve insurance dilemmas, and ways to improve customer relationship management.

CORPORATE RECOVERY AND RESTRUCTURING
When companies are in financial distress it is wise to obtain professional business services that pertain to turnaround and/or workout engagements. The only way to do this is by investigating every possible way to save a business through restructuring operations. Professional business services can assist in these investigations. It is also very important to remember that the field of ethics must be approached appropriately and must be the core part of any approach to corporate recovery and restructuring.

PERSONAL INSOLVENCY
When a company or business faces insolvency, also known as bankruptcy, professional business services should be sought. These services should be sought to ensure that there are no other alternatives to bankruptcy and so the company can recover as much money as possible through the period of the insolvency case.

SPECIALIST TAX ADVICE
If a business is in the need of seeking tax advice, most companies will be informed the first step is to get a tax return quote. From this point a company will be administered their own private tax consultant. Most professional business services will not take payment for their services until their services are complete. It is also important to remember that the key element in completing effective tax services is communication. Professional tax services are available to any type of client.

SECURITY RISK CONSULTING
The availability of professional security risk consultation should only be accessed through advisors who have real business experience. These types of services portray consulters who act with integrity, deliver their promises and demonstrate professionalism. They can assist in the fields of information security, financial crime avoidance, and bodily and personal security.

The Four Red Light Factors For Your Business Brand

Where I live, there are 4 traffic lights between my house and the main road. So, before I can really get on my way in any journey, I usually have to stop, no matter where I'm going. Some days, I even have to stop and wait at all 4 lights. All this stopping and waiting gets tiresome-but it pays off by getting me safely to my destination.

Branding your business can be a lot like these traffic lights. There are certain things you must decide before you can really get started on the fun part-drawing your logo and designing your marketing materials. Frustrating, but making these decisions is a necessary part of making sure that you will create your brand correctly.

Making decisions about the 4 following Brand Definition factors does make you stop and wait a bit but ensures that you proceed through the branding process safely and create a brand that will help your business to reach its goals safely and comfortably.

Red Light 1: Who You Are

You need to know what your business's personality is, and how it is different from your personality. Which is always a tough question for a very small business of one or two people to answer. Ask yourself which pieces of your personality get shown to your clients and which you reserve for friends and family.

Also, you have to know why you're in that particular business. Is it because of your expertise or a feeling that you get from working with your customers? What are you trying to create for your customers? For yourself?

If you're clear of your personality and your motivation in your business, then you will be able to be clear when communicating that to your audience.

Red Light 2: What You Do

You can't create your brand until you know what types of services or products you'll be offering. What do you do for your clients?

You also need to know what formats you're offering those in. Are you doing consulting services, offering group trainings, or selling online products or a product that needs to go on the shelf? You may be selling several of those options, and if that's the case, is there one format that you'll concentrate on over the rest? Marketing online products is often a very different project than marketing consulting services, so knowing what you're selling can help inform your brand.

Red Light 3: What Makes You Different

In order to figure this one out, you have to first look at who your competition is. And "I don't have any" isn't a valid answer-that's a very idealistic way to look at things!

You may think that what you do is utterly unique, but your clients don't see it that way. They're always going to be doing research on a few different ways to solve whatever problem they're having-so while you might think that you're unparalleled, that's rarely the case in your clients' eyes (unless they've come to you on a very strong referral).

So, you have to find your competitors-or at least those companies that your clients have you quote against-and then figure out what their Brand Definitions are and how your business is different.

Red Light 4: Who You Can Best Help

To create your brand, you have to know who will be looking at it. Once you know who your audience is, you can take the first 3 red lights and write and design expressly to communicate those factors to that specific audience.

This is another area where entrepreneurs are a bit idealistic and like to say "But, everyone's my target audience!" While that's a nice thought, if you try to create a brand and marketing materials that will appeal to everyone, you'll wind up with bland materials that won't really work for anyone.

Think about the clients that you've had the best results with-and the best relationship with. You want to work with clients who you can really help and who are easy to work with as well.

Now, this process may be hard for people who are just starting their businesses to go through, but that doesn't mean that you can run through these red lights in order to create your brand. Instead, consider just creating some temporary materials until you have at least 6 months to a year in business to look back on to see what habits you've established and how your business really turns out.

Even though waiting to figure out these red lights may be frustrating, it will pay off by building a brand that will get your business to its goals safely and comfortably. Once you've turned all of these red lights to green by answering these questions, you're ready to move on to the "fun" part of designing your brand-drawing your logo and marketing materials.

When You Need Business Services

Your computer can give you Excel spreadsheets. It can do the payroll. It can bill your customers or clients. Your computer can track sales and project this week's needs to meet those sales. Your inventory is at your fingertips. Your computer can generate P and L sheets. Can your computer do taxes? Can it process retirees, new acquisitions, charities to whom you contribute or track thefts? You might need business services.

When your organization needs more than your computer can handle, such a business related service firm can step in and streamline your operations. While you do the every day work, this firm will restructure your organization and examine it for ways and means to function more smoothly. This firm will consider operations, management and customer return. It will handle everything from acquisitions to taxes to worker's compensation to pensions and beyond.

If you own a small company and your software can deal with everyday business, you could benefit from the expertise of the business related services firm with regard to future growth and management. This firm will consult with an eye to expansion and perhaps franchising. It will be an invaluable aid in increasing sales and services combined with expert customer service and consumer awareness.

Charities and nonprofit organizations will profit from such a firm in the organization of its donations, payouts and other assets. Necessary taxes and shelters fall under the expertise of such companies as well. Marketing is just as important to the charity or the nonprofit organization as it is to for profit businesses. This firm will aid in marketing as well as its other services.

Conglomerates, the management of whose computers is no longer enough, will be delighted with the business services firm's streamlining methods. This firm will eliminate profitless departments, combining multiple areas of operation into profitable things. Ratio of employees to services will be improved upon. Production will be overhauled and become more efficient. Outsourcing services will be considered and acted upon to further streamline operations and increase profit. Marketing and its returns will become more intense.

Financial matters including accounting, taxes, pensions and investments are perhaps the first thoughts of those needing the services of the business services firm. You are in business to make money, after all, but the pitfalls and disadvantages of financial matters are areas the firm focuses upon. You have recognized when you need a business service firm.

Focus Your Definition

As a small business owner, you're passionate about your business. You think about your business all the time. You constantly get ideas on how to improve it, changes to make, and more and more details about your business. You wake up in the middle of the night, inspired. You have huge brainstorms during conversations with your clients.

Soon you have a giant pile of important details that you want - no, need! - to tell your clients and prospects about your business. So you march straight to your marketing materials and website and fill them up with all of this great information.

You have so much important information that soon all of your marketing materials are crammed full of text and information. Your margins are disappearing and your designer is using smaller and smaller type sizes. Materials that used to be gorgeous and well laid-out are now looking cramped and unappealing. And your web pages just keep getting longer and longerÉ scroll, scroll, scroll!

Most small business owners have this problem. They are so excited about their business and everything they can do for their clients. They make the mistake of putting it all into their marketing materials.

You want to tell the world about everything you can possibly do to help your clients!

The problem is that it usually comes out looking like a big mess. And when your clients read your materials, they get confused. You don't want confused clients! You want them to feel comfortable, confident and to have their questions answered.

What questions do we need to answer? When a client looks at your marketing pieces they're trying to figure out a few basic things about your company. Here's what runs through their mind:

- Is your company a good fit for their style and personality?

- Do they want and need what you do?

- Should they work with you instead of someone else?

- Are you really good enough for them to give you their hard-earned money?

- Does what you say make them feel comfortable to actually hand over a pile of money?

- Does what you're selling actually work for their specific business and situation? If you're presenting a big list of all the great things about your company, there's a good chance they'll have a hard time pulling the answers out of your materials.

Instead, help your clients by making it easy for them to find the answers to their questions. The best way to do this is to create a Brand Definition.

A Brand Definition gives your clients the information needed to answer their questions. A Brand Definition is made up of four elements. These four elements map directly to the needs and concerns in your client's mind:

1. Who You Are: Is your company a good fit for their style and personality?

2. What You Do: Do they want and need what you do?

3. What Makes You Different: Should they work with you instead of someone else? Are you really good enough for them to give you their big pile of hard-earned money?

4. Who You Can Best Help: Does what you say make them feel comfortable to actually hand over a pile of money? Does what you're selling actually work for their specific business and situation? The key to answering these questions well is making sure that your Brand Definition in each area is succinct, clear and focused. The narrower the Definition of each element, the clearer you'll be able to communicate. And when you communicate clearly, instead of rambling on, the easier it is for your client to figure out what you are talking about. They can then decide quickly and painlessly whether or not you're a good fit.

Steps to figuring out a clear Brand Definition:

1. Do a "brain dump" of all of your thoughts about your business for all four elements. You can do this organically by thinking about your business and scribbling down all the answers.

2. Think through it. Carefully refine and condense your thoughts for each element. You want to pull out the essence of the four elements of your Brand Definition. It can be very hard to do this yourself when you're right in the middle of your brand. It can be hard to see what is most important and effective. Friends, colleagues and hired help can assist you with this.

3. Summarize your answers for each area down to a single sentence. Be very clear and concise about this step.

4. Test this Brand Definition on some members of your target audience to make sure that they both understand and are interested in it. If not, revisit steps 2 and 3 to make your definition more effective.

5. Now celebrate - you've done it!

You now have a brand definition you can use to create your Brand Identity, Brand Messaging and base your Brand Service on. Remember to look at this document often. Live by it so you can create a consistent business going forward.

Creating Your Own Internet Business Service

Internet marketing attracts people from all walks of life. So much so that it has become one of the most widely spread business concepts, with people trying their luck every day with, it has to be said, various degrees of success. The fact is that anyone with a PC and an internet connection can join in because the entry barriers are so low. In addition, and on the downside, any so called "guru" supplying an internet business service out there can draw in even the most inexperienced and technically challenged people. So if that's the route you're going, just make sure that your mentor comes recommended by somebody you trust-always the best way!

OK so you've decided to start an internet business. Now comes the more difficult decision as to what kind of business and just like in any other type of offline business, you will have a much greater chance of success if you're emotionally connected with the topic. Assuming that's the case, it's then a question as to how to package, advertise and ultimately sell your product or service. Of course, it is possible to run a successful internet business even if you do not initially have the necessary experience in that field, but you do have to have done your homework before you jump in and crumble in the face of the first obstacle that you face.

To get you started, there are a plethora of tutorials, video courses, e-books, and podcasts freely available on the internet. Better still, get a new mentor and they will teach you the nuts and bolts about earning an income online. The idea would be to invest in the internet business service from just one mentor (not several) and stick to their program. Many who venture in this sort of business do not have a plan to follow and get lost. They are always looking for the next best internet business service to buy that will teach them the 'latest' secrets to online marketing. My advice is to consider one course and stick to that one until you make your first money online.

Do not try to reinvent the wheel!

By following an established plan by an internet business service expert or mentor, you can take a shortcut to your own online success, so be careful not to get yourself started on an unsuccessful plan. Internet business services that offer get rich quick schemes will generally point you in the wrong direction or they are most likely scams.

If you want to succeed online be determined to succeed, set targets and get organized right from the start. Find the right internet business service or mentor and you will avoid information overload into the bargain, and that's really crucial, trust me!

The Definition of Customer Service

It is hard to define 'customer service' because there are many different definitions of the term. Working out which definition would suit your particular workplace can therefore be very difficult. The definition is often misinterpreted by some businesses and used poorly in the workplace because it has been inadequately defined.

In today's business environment it is not enough to believe customer service is 'just meeting the requirements of the customer'.

In determining the definition for the purposes of this article the following key qualities were considered:

1. A positive, polite, caring and friendly attitude

2. The knowledge and ability to provide quality service by satisfying the customers needs

3. The process of delivering first rate benefits and treating customers fairly and professionally

4. Any communication that creates a good or bad impression

5. How a business looks after its customer's requirements through effective and efficient before and after sales service

Conclusions
By taking into account the above points it is clear that to define customer service the following basic elements would be necessary........Efficiently satisfying a customer's needs by providing and delivering professional, helpful, high quality service and assistance before, during and after the customer's requirements are met.

Many businesses do not consider a downturn in business until it is too late. In a competitive environment early plans need to be made so that the consumer is always considered first. This can be done through regular reviews of systems and training programmes to look for ways existing processes can be improved. By understanding what customer service means and how it impacts on turnover and bottom-line, businesses will not only enhance their reputation for providing quality service but be in a position to improve stale and tired internal services that will lead to increased customer loyalty and over time profit margins.

Reviews on Business Services

When building a small business it very quickly becomes clear that you need things. A small company needs liability insurance for a small business (which is specialized), they need whole sale office supplies to meet the demands, IT support, email services, human resource services and the list goes on and on.

The problem is that each of is that is comes from a different place. Therefore the business owner will need to work with dozens of different 'vendors.' The best way to know what small business services are valid and quality companies is by doing research on all of them.

This often leads to trail and error, which can be detrimental to a business that hasn't been around very long.

So how does an owner know where to go for services and where not? By doing research, there are in fact web sites that review companies that deal specifically with such business services. In this way the owner can have someone else's opinion on the work that they do.

The key is getting a third party to give their thoughts on any company, other wise the owner will never know what is truth and is fiction.

As this world grows and technologies changes it becomes harder to stay on top or to even get any headway. The owner of any business should use every advantage at their disposal to keep from losing money and to make as much as possible.

By the use of third party review, the such business owner can know they are in good hands no matter what.

Attorneys and Business Services

An amazing trend over the course of the past few years - which is starting to accelerate even further - is the number of people who are going into business for themselves. This includes people who are involved in small businesses, Internet based businesses and home based businesses. If you are involved in a business of your own of one kind or another, or if you are interested in starting such a business enterprise, you will want to connect with an attorney that can provide for you appropriate business services.

Through this article you are provided an overview of what you will want to keep in mind when it comes to finding an attorney that can provide you the legal services that you will require in relation to your own business enterprise. Armed with this information you will be in the best possible position to make wise, informed and educated decisions in regard to your business venture and the legal needs of that business.

Initially, when it comes to selecting an attorney that can provide you with the legal services that you will require for your business you definitely will want to get an expert and specialist in the field. In the final analysis you cannot afford to put your business and the services that you will require in the hands of a lawyer who does not have the specific expertise that you will require.

You will also want to bear in mind that when it comes to attorneys that can provide legal services to you that there are lawyers who have now become specialists. By this it is meant there are lawyers who specialize in providing legal services to businesses in a particular industry. The fact is that the legal needs of businesses in different industries can be varied -indeed, in some instances, extremely different. Therefore, if you are in need of legal assistance relating to your business operations you would be best served by working to see if there is an attorney available who can provide you legal assistance specific to the industry in which your business is a part.

Another issue that you will want to keep in mind is that many people who are involved in owning or operating business with engage a lawyer for an extended period of time to care for all of their business related legal needs. The fact is that when running a business a person continually will find his or her self dealing or confronting legal matters and issues of different types. Therefore, having a regular attorney that can be turned to as needed can be extremely helpful.

Finally, if you are only now in the process of working to organize a business you will want to seriously consider getting an attorney involved in the process sooner rather than later... By getting an attorney involved in the organizational process when it comes to your own business venture you will be able to avoid mistakes and complications that can arise in the absence of legal direction, advice and assistance.

7 Best Bookkeeping Business Services

If you're a small business owner considering outsourcing your bookkeeping, keep in mind that bookkeeping business services include much more than just keeping track of your finances. If you hook up with a true professional service they can become much more than an accounting service, they can become important partners helping you optimize not only your cash flow but planning your financial strategies. Here's a short list of benefits and services you can expect from a full service bookkeeper.

1. Time

Actually this may be the most productive benefit of all the services an outsourced bookkeeper can provide. By taking over the responsibility of accounting, the bookkeeper service effectively gives you more time to do what you do best and that's run the business. Accounting is an absolutely necessary part of a business but it is not a profit center and it plays no part in driving sales and revenue. Any time you devote to that function is time taken from engaging in an activity that can generate sales or profit.

2. Financial forecasting

Using your firm's financial history an experienced bookkeeping service can develop financial models that will allow you to play "what if" games that can predict your financial performance in the future. For example a business owner can ask what if sales increase 8% in the next quarter or what if the marketing budget is increased by 10% what kind of sales can be expected. This is a complex model that requires the knowledge of experts and would not be readily available to the owner unless he outsourced the function.

3. Tax planning

Running your business to take advantage of opportunity to minimize tax liability can be the difference between taking a loss and making a profit. The same goes for licensing and other local fees. A knowledgeable service will not only prepare your returns but show you ways to reduce your tax bill.

4. Real time reporting

Gone are the days of receiving monthly reports from your accounting service. In today's business environment you need to know where you are financially right now and that's what a professional bookkeeping service can provide. Thanks to ASP technology you can log onto your account using an ultra secure server and access all of your reports at any time and from any where you have an internet connection.

5. Customized reports

Your bookkeeping service will work with you to build reports that make sense for your particular business. Profit and loss statements, sales reports, receivables reports, all can be designed so they present the information in a way that you can best evaluate your position.

6. Assistance with lenders

A sign of just how tough and competitive the economic times are is the expansion of bookkeeping business services into areas that they previously did not participate in. Assistance with loan applications or even introductions to lenders is an example of the "new" services being offered by many firms. Loan applications can be intimidating and confusing to many business owners and the accounting service can offer valuable assistance in insuring that the right, and best, financial information is included in the application.

7. QuickBooks Consulting

Even if you don't hire a bookkeeping service and you use QuickBooks in house to do your bookkeeping, you may find that the service can help you do it better. QuickBooks has added so many features and has become so much more than an accounting platform that it has created an entirely new support industry. If a QuickBooks customer wants optimal performance from his system, it's likely he or she will need the advice of a certified QuickBooks consultant and the bookkeeping service is a ready, qualified resource.

A combination of rapidly improving technology along with an increasingly competitive market has caused bookkeeping business services to evolve into something greater than the traditional accounting services. Smart businesses will take advantage of these services to remain competitive and optimize earnings.

Cost Effective Business Services

A business services franchise is a good option for many who are willing to serve the corporate world. A business franchisee needs an investment in terms of fees, real estate, marketing, merchandise etc. there are both small business services as well as high cost businesses in the category. Here we discuss some prominent business services franchises.

Financial services: The financial services space is rapidly growing in India. It is one of the most significant business services in India. According to the latest Central Statistical Organisation (CSO) data, financial services, banking, insurance and real estate sectors have risen by 7.8 per cent in the third quarter of 2009-10. This displays the success of the financial service industry. With the over-all increase in the finance services seekers, finance service providers took to franchise route, thus creating a great scope for franchise opportunity.

Till a few years back, the franchising which was an unknown concept in this field has gained lot of momentum in the present times. Before discussing the factors responsible for this development, let us first get familiar with the term 'Financial services franchisors'.

Financial services refer to services provided by the financial service companies. The finance service companies encompass a broad range of organisations that deal with money management. A few of these organisations include banks, insurance companies, consumer finance companies, stock brokerages, investment funds etc. These companies offer various services such as asset protection, investment and savings, retirement plans, customer-orientated service, besides offering personal loans, commercial loans, mortgage loans, and education loans for the aspiring students. Financial service providers are on the rise as franchising as a mode of expansion is being opted by this industry. Manish Shah, Associate Director- Business Strategy, Equity & Product Development, Motilal Oswal Securities Ltd shared, "The belief in entrepreneurship and the drive it brings to the business, made Motilal Oswal take the franchise route. Franchising brings more scalability to the business and the business becomes entrepreneur driven."

Courier Services: Another category of business services is courier service. The companies basically work around transportation of goods from one place to another, delivery of documents, packages, and larger shipments of products. These provide services to companies and individuals who need rapid service, accountability, and tracking that regular mail does not accommodate. Courier services are more reliable and dependable as compared to ordinary postal services due to less time consumed and delivery guarantee. However, with the introduction of modern gadgets and faster modes of transportation this system has also progressed a lot. Moreover, franchising is also one of the main stimulants of its popularity and profitability.

Franchising in this sector has grown with more and more players taking the franchise model for reaching out to far flung areas in the vast nation. Courier service companies are required to deliever important mails and parcels to any part, whether city, town or village in the country. Therefore, franchising can be the best mode for guaranteed delivery of the items. According to DS Patel, Channel Head, DTDC, "Franchising is an essential and most effective way of expanding the network. Opening our own company owned courier offices is very expensive and time consuming. However a franchise outlet is economically beneficial to the company." As informed by Praveen Govindraj, Assistant General Manager, First Flight Courier, "Franchising definitely helps in directly reaching to far-fling areas for delivering items due to our local partners in those areas." He further added, "Franchising can be a win-win situation for both the franchisor and franchisees as both benefit from it. The local partner (franchisee) has a much better idea of a particular locality than the main company which is based out of Delhi or Mumbai. Delivering parcels to small towns and cities becomes difficult and also take a lot of time if it is done by the company in metropolitan areas. At such times the local franchisee can be of great help." This can be the major reason for courier companies to opt for the franchise route. Moreover, having local partners all over the nation, who deliver all items on time, also increases the credibility and profit making of the parent company.

The typical feature of the courier service franchise includes doorstep booking, customer convenience and security of each and every consignment that has been entrusted to it. Jaguar Couriers Franchise, Blazeflash Couriers, etc are some of the franchising companies under this category.

Cartridge refilling: Cartridge refilling forms another business service category. In the modern age of I.T, there is a constantly growing need of cartridgere-fills. Foraying in the cartridge refill industry through franchise route is a promising venture. A cartridge refill franchise offers to its user's quality refills at a fractional cost. Current industry trends and future projections suggest that printer cartridges demand will continue to multiply at a very fast pace as computers and low cost printers swamp the market. Cartridge World, Cartridge Café, Cartridge Xpress are some of the good low-cost franchise options.

Challenges

Every business has attached to it certain set of challenges. Though the basic challenges remain the same across the board for all business service franchises, their relevance with each sector differs.
Before opting for any of the above options, clear all your doubts. Apart from your initial investment, take into account the ongoing costs that must be paid to your franchisor, including franchise royalties, marketing fees and other required purchases. After you are convinced go ahead and make your mark in the franchising world!

Using Business Service Management to Succeed in a Tough Economy

Whether the economy is booming or facing a crunch, one factor plays a critical role in business: IT. In today's business environment, almost all business activities are tied with the IT department. However, most of the departmental heads have no idea of the impact of complex technology on their respective business processes. Many a times, department heads have no means of identifying and preventing bottlenecks within applications so that end users are not affected. In today's tough economy, Business Service Management can come to the rescue of many IT managers as well as departmental heads to ensure a smooth running of business processes.

The importance of knowing end to end performance is not only applicable for large enterprises, but smaller entities too. In fact, monitoring end to end performance of applications is more important for small businesses, considering that they function on a very tight margin. In order to stay on top of any performance issue and to effectively solve it, business owners need application monitoring tools through which they can monitor whether their business services are functioning properly. Such application monitoring would also inform them of any bottlenecks in advance and prevent any large scale impact on end users. Business Service Management enables both the teams to do just that.

Business Service Management solutions help bridge the gap between the departmental heads and the IT team. When a BSM solution is put to work, the business department can work in coordination with the IT department to ensure that all the services are available and any potential problems may be solved before they start affecting end users. BSM helps in detection of IT issues, tracing their root problem and solving them quickly.

With Business Service Management,

o Issues related to business-critical applications can be dealt with proactively
o Departmental heads can start prioritizing tasks according to their importance
o Information can be presented according to the role of the person concerned
o IT Service Management is easier to put into practice

Businesses hence need to consider Business Service Management as a necessary component in order to know the end to end performance of all their critical applications. However, businesses are sometimes forced to choose between two extreme BSM solutions: one which is inexpensive but lacks functionality, and another, which is expensive and needs a lot of manpower to support it.

An ideal Business Service Management would be one which is integrated, affordable and easy to use. A business should not have to make a compromise in quality due to the cost of the BSM solution. An ideal solution would allow end to end performance monitoring as well as management Service Level Agreement. It would also not require any manpower to manage it.

Until sometime ago, only larger APM vendors used to offer BSM solutions; even then, these solutions were expensive and complicated. But now, with the popularity of Business Service Management, other vendors have started offering affordable and easy to use solutions which can be applied in small businesses as well.

The increased dependency on IT for business critical functions has made Business Service Management as well as IT Service Management a must for any business. Both IT managers and departmental heads can work together to ensure that business services are available to end users without a problem.

Starting a Home Business Service - Tips

With so many people having lost their jobs in recent months, home businesses in the service industry has become a rapidly growing trend. As regular 9 to 5 positions are becoming harder to find, having a home business service is increasing in popularity. It is becoming more and more attractive as the start up cost and overhead is very low when compared to a brick and mortar service business.

If you have been thinking about using your talent to start a home business service, and you feel that you are ready to commit to providing a home business service, then read these tips to help you get started.in the right direction.

First I would like to clarify what a home business service actually is.

A home business service is performing a service or task that will help other people with tasks they either don't want to perform or are unable to perform on their own. A service business supplies the solution to a need and can include anything from walking a dog to figuring out a clients taxes. Virtual assistants have become a very popular service that is provided from home.

I'm not going to cover the benefits of having a home business as it is already common knowledge, I am sure that you already know what your reasons are for wanting to work from home and why.

Getting Started:

1. Set Up a Home Office

Getting a home office set up for your home business service is one of the first things that needs to be done. Getting a business phone is an important part of selling a service as you will need to be able to communicate with clients. If this is out of the question because of your budget, at the moment, get a business line added to your home phone as soon as you can.

You will need a separate office space from the rest of the house, especially if you are planning to have clients come to your home.

2. You Will Need a Website

You not only need a computer, which I assume you already have since you are reading this article, but you will also need a website. A website will be the gateway for your business in your local area. It is imperative to develop an online presence for your business. The Yellow Pages are quickly becoming a thing of the past, and the cost of running an ad in the Yellow Pages is often beyond many entrepreneurs financial means while in the start up process.

Having a website is much more effective than the Yellow Pages as you can get it up and listed in days, while you have to wait for the next publication of the Yellow Pages to be printed. Also, more and more people are going online to find local services and businesses than are looking in the Yellow Pages. Finding a listing on the web is faster and more current that the phone book.

3. Research Your County Laws

You will need to know the legalities for registering your home business service and for any zoning restrictions that may be applicable for a home business in your neighborhood.. Every county in every state has different laws and ordinances. The county clerk may be able to help you with this information or will at least be able to direct you to the right place to get it.

4. Get a Business License

You can usually pick one up at either the county court house or the county clerk's office.. The license won't cost you anything, but once your business is started it will be subjected to a different tax structure.

I am not a tax attorney and cannot offer any advice on the tax exemptions for your state or with the Federal government. What I can tell you, is that you will be allowed more exemptions that you are getting now for using your home for your business. You can get more information online at http://www.irs.org.

5. Set Up a Business Plan and Set Goals

Having a home business service can develop into a very lucrative business. Be sure to have a definite business plan strategy worked out that is measurable and that you can use as a daily, weekly, monthly and yearly guide. Remember to set goals that can be achieved. Set your beginning goals in small time frame increments. Cross them off your list when you have achieved them and then add bigger goals to strive for.

6. Advertise Offline and Online

Get some business cards made to hand out to everyone in your neighborhood that you come in contact with. You never know when the service you are providing will be needed in the community. You can get business cards free online at Vista Print.com. You only pay the shipping which is about $6.00

Print fliers with details of the service you are providing and remember to Include your website URL and your home phone number. Pay a high school kid in the neighborhood to pass them out for you.

Put fliers and business cards up on bulletin boards at grocery stores, liquor stores, apartment buildings, laundromats, the post office, and any other place you can think of that will allow advertising.

Offer a free gift with your home business service. Vista Print often has promotions for free advertising venues such as tote bags, post cards, refrigerator magnets, etc.

Place small ads in local newspaper and free press newspapers. Place ads on web sites such as Craig's List, eBay, and USFreeAds. Be sure to list your home business service with Google Local Directory so that you will be placed on their Goggle business map for your area.

Use viral marketing, email marketing and article marketing online to get people to your website. Submit a press release about your new business both off line and online. There are several free sites you can submit to. Do a Google search to find them. Until you begin receiving clients, spend all of your scheduled work time marketing your home business service both online and offline.

Once you start receiving clients it can be very difficult to manage your work time, your marketing time and your family time. Plan accordingly. Schedule business tasks that need to be done daily between time spent with clients. Set a limit as to when the work day will end in order to spend time with the family. I hope these few tips will give you a place to start in getting your home business service off the ground and running.

Need Tree Service? How To Choose The Best For Tree Removal Or Any Other Business Service

In a few days I will be opening up a new blog. About a week ago I met an amazing person, Coleman Tatum. You see I needed a tree taken down at one of my rental properties. Lightning had struck it and it was in danger of falling on my house. I had put it off for a while because I knew it would be expensive. Finally I called Tatum Tree Care and Removal company.

I reluctantly decided to hire Coleman and his crew. Something changed though when I got out to the job site and saw that he was so much more than a guy and a chainsaw. There was a big crew, a bobcat, a dump truck, and lots of workers. I found out that Coleman is one of the only tree service experts in this area that actually has insurance. If I had hired one of those other companies and someone got hurt I could have gotten sued!

I found out that Coleman actually has a degree in horticulture and over 25 years if experience in the tree removal business. At the end of the day I felt like he gave me an amazing deal. I am so glad that I hired a professional outfit instead of those other guys.

When it comes to hiring someone to do a job you need to not just look at price, but instead look at the job they are going to do for you. In business it is so easy to look at the bottom line and never look at who you hiring and the quality of the work that is being done. When you are looking to hire someone for your business here are three things you should look for:

Experience in the field.
Ability to do the job right.
Coverage in case of an accident.

If you keep these things in mind you will be able to hire people in your business to complete jobs that you can't or won't be able to do. If you don't follow these tips you might get a cheaper price but in the long run you will pay for it. Good business people know that it is worth it to pay to get the job done right the first time. Plus as an added bonus I negotiated a deal with this business owner to do some work for him as well, so in the long run we both will win.

Customer Service is King

Definition of Customer Service

Customer Service is meeting the expectations of a customer in supplying or providing a product or service. Excellent customer service (is) the ability of an organization to constantly and consistently exceed the customer's expectations

Customer service is considered a necessity by most service and retail businesses. Supporting customers through the process of selecting, purchasing, and maintaining a product or service can be done by hiring knowledgeable employees, providing online or telephone support, offering generous return policies, or including warranties that guarantee customer satisfaction.
When looking at the definition of customer service, it is needed to look at the customer's definition rather than trying to define customer service as it relates to your company.
An organization can define customer service, but if it is not inline with what their customer expects, then it really isn't customer service.

Introduction to Customer Service

There is only one boss, and in any corporation or business the boss remains the same. This person pays everyone's salary and who decides whether a business is going to succeed or to fail. He/she can fire everybody even from the directors on down and he/she can do this all by spending his/her money elsewhere.

And that's exactly what Sam Walton thought he said
There is only one boss. The customer. And he can fire everybody in the company from the chairman on down, simply by spending his money somewhere else.

-Sam Walton CEO Wal-Mart

Many businesses will tell you how important a customer is within their business, explaining that this is why they are in business or it is their number one goal or priority to service these customers yet many of these same businesses will de-employ staff, fail to initiate customer service improvement plans and also state that customers demands or complaints are unjustified. Many of these businesses are just stating what they have been taught but fail to action it. They don't consider what customers want, how to deliver it, how to develop systems to produce customer satisfaction and create the environment customers are looking for.

For more information on business training please visit Paramount Training and Development

http://www.paramountdevelopment.com.au

How to Outsource Business Services Work

Outsourcing has become an increasingly popular aspect of modern businesses. With a bit of planning you can easily learn how to outsource your Business Services and reap the benefits that it holds for your company.

There are a lot of quality freelance provider companies worldwide that provide a variety of Business Services. With adequate planning and management you can easily find a suitable provider to take over your work. So what exactly does it take to successfully outsource your business?

Two of the most important aspects when you want to successfully learn how to outsource your Business Services are:

1. Project Planning
2. Project Management

When you have decided how to outsource your business services you need to spend some time on these points to ensure that you receive value for your money and successfully grow your business.

Project Planning

For any project to be successful you need to plan accordingly. You need to assess your needs and know what you expect from your provider. In order for your project to be a success you need to be able to provide your provider company with adequate information and training and ensure that they are suitably qualified to handle the work. Before choosing your provider request references and samples of previous work completed; this will provide you with the information necessary to confirm if they will fit your job description.

Another factor to consider is the location of your service provider. Keep in mind that they might be located in a different time zone than yours and you need to arrange for a suitable time on a weekly basis to arrange for a conference call to stay updated with their progress and also ensure that you communicate all your needs to them to avoid any misunderstandings.

Project Management

This is an essential part of your success. When learning how to outsource your business you need to keep a constant eye on their progress and ensure that the results are satisfactory. That is why it is important to select a qualified provider company; when your business is in good hands you can focus on other areas that need your attention. When you have selected a suitable provider you need to keep an open line of communication and ensure that your providers know exactly what is expected of them. You also need to be open to suggestions and be able to deliver constructive criticism.

When your time is limited and you need to manage your project you can always make use of an experienced Project Manager and focus on other areas of your business. Your outsource partners need to know exactly what is expected of them and have to maintain a high standard of work. This is where your Project Manager comes in. It is important to have communication from both sides and this will ensure that your project runs smoothly.

When your business is growing and you need additional hands, learn how to outsource. The decision to outsource Business Services will be one of the best ones you can make to ensure the growth of your business and using freelance providers can help you reach the success you strive for.

Internet Marketing Services - What Should You Pursue?

You may often wonder what really Internet marketing is. Well, there have been many definitions formulated by various gurus of Internet marketing. Individuals who have tried out the huge and lucrative business opportunity of Internet marketing also have provided various interpretations of it. Though several such definitions and interpretations have been suggested yet hundreds and thousands of aspiring internet marketers are still in the quest for getting the exact definition of Internet marketing. Such Internet marketing aspirants want to get a clear idea of what exactly they are seeking to get into.

In an endeavor to determine the much wanted exact definition of Internet marketing we can examine some situations. With the question of defining Internet marketing being put forward to some 100 individuals- 99 of them point out to the search engine as the ultimate path finder in this regard. Then one can go to one's favorite search engine and type in the words "define Internet marketing" and click on the searching icon to give...the results.

In the search results pages the top pages will be the ones displaying information/web pages of marketing veterans established as pioneers of Internet marketing. Such persons have rightfully secured a spot to provide a definition of Internet marketing from their viewpoint. There are, however, the placement ads on search result pages and glancing upon them will reveal another story altogether.

It is with the intention of helping websites get more traffic or hits that most of the ads related with Internet marketing have been set up. Indeed Internet traffic is the lifeblood of any website and the sites thrive on Internet traffic. Now we may combine this concept with the traditional concept of marketing conduction with the Internet acting as the marketing medium here. The following conclusion providing a definition of Internet marketing can be arrived at:

"Internet marketing is an income-generating opportunity dependent on the utilization of interactive technology (via the Internet) to build a dialog with potential clients by connecting with them through quality content about your product and/or service offerings".

Thus, the interactive technology specified as the "Internet" is to be utilized for fulfillment of Internet marketing. Different Internet marketing services existing are involved in the utilization of the Internet. These are the services which are requisite of the Internet to be able to perform its specific tasks in the capacity of marketing medium between Internet marketers and clients pertaining to them.

In order to keep alive their online business all online entrepreneurs need to familiarize themselves with Internet marketing services. These are the services which are vital for their online business's development and also for making their Internet marketing careers successful.

Information on some basic Internet marketing services is provided here for you to learn about and familiarize yourself with:

Search Engine Optimization- In order to locate websites and finding useful information on the Web the search engines are used. These are powerful tools used by most Internet users for finding the information they are seeking. Efforts need to be made so as to ensure that your site is appearing on the top pages of a search engine page result. By search engine optimization i.e. optimizing your website by reengineering its contents you can expect to secure better search engine placements.

Indexing- The procedure of submission of your web pages for search engine registration and registration in various Internet based directories is involved in indexing.

Keyword research- The highly searched keywords and key phrases relevant to your online business can be identified by keyword research.

SEO consultation need- Internet marketers who are novices in the field can well invest with an SEO consultant. This is suggested if you wish to receive help in planning the methods of successfully marketing your website.

Use net- The Use net is a fast and efficient method for generating targeted traffic for your website. This involves a worldwide bulletin board system in which there are over 14,000 forums covering every interest group. Everyday this is commonly used by millions of individuals all over the world.

E-mail marketing procedures- An electronic mail is made use of here. This is sent to a list of subscribers who wish to receive updates of your products and services. E-mail marketing is a popular Internet marketing advertising method.

Press releases services- Useful information concerning your online business (website) like site launches, special products on offer or other helpful information are announced through press releases. In order to ensure that more people are attracted towards your site the press releases are carefully drafted.

These are the basic and essential ones among the Internet marketing services. There are various other Internet marketing services available too. In order to be successful in your Internet marketing business you need to carefully integrate any of these in your online business so that the best results are derived.

Writing a Book to Market Business Services - What to Include in a Business Book

When marketing a business with a book, the most important thing to remember is that the book needs to sell the author's services. It does not help to wander off the subject one is trying to explain. There are certain items that need to be included when writing a book about one's services.

1. Have a good table of contents. This is important because it is generally the first thing the reader will pay attention to after looking over the front and back covers of the book. The table of contents almost always relies on having made a good outline. When the potential buyer of a book looks at the table of contents, she or he will be interested if there are attention-grabbing chapter titles.

2. Give an introduction. One will need to explain who one is and where one has gained all this knowledge one is getting ready to impart. One should inform the reader what they can gain from reading further. One can also use the introduction to a business book to pique the reader's interest by asking some questions.

3. Show one's expertise. One's main purpose in writing the book is to market one's services. However, that is not possible if one does not show one's knowledge on the subject. Be sure to write forcefully, with a sense of authority. This commands respect. One's expertise will shine through if one systematically explains concepts learned in business.

4. Tell personal stories. Telling about one's own experiences in one's business will help others identify with one on a level that no amount of explanations can do. The author will seem friendlier. When one is marketing a business with a book, one of the goals is to bring in clients. One will succeed in that better if one seems approachable.

5. Include a little humor in the book. One will have little effect in marketing a business with a book if one is dead serious all through the book. There are very few subjects that cannot benefit from adding a humorous story or insight

6. Confess small failures. Even wrong decisions can move one forward by showing what not to do. Sharing this information with readers will help them to learn from one's mistakes. It even makes one seem more human. One must remember that it is okay to share struggles but not so good to present oneself as a failure.

7. Give advice for clients. After all, the target audience for the book is those who might use one's services. By giving the readers the value of one's professional advice, one wins them over. They will take the advice to heart. When they want to go for a service to someone they trust the author will be first on their list.

Writing a book about business services need not be a daunting task. It takes some planning and thought as to what to include in the manuscript. If one still feels uncomfortable writing a book about business, there is always help available. With a little work, one can sell the book successfully.

Getting Started on Sharpening Your Business Acumen

Business owners have to have a vast collection of skills that will enable them to be better at running their companies. They have to know what the most effective strategies are for marketing their products and services. They need to know the best ways to increase your profitability. They should be skilled at dealing with potential clients and partners, and ensure that they can close every deal. They have to know how to develop an eye for good talent and choose only the best people for their company. If you yourself are a business owner, then you understand how challenging it is to wear different hats and have to wear each one well.

That's why it is important for you to take steps on improving your business acumen. The usual business acumen definition is that it is the ability to understand business and know which are the best decisions to make that are most profitable and beneficial. In short, this ability helps you figure out which opportunities you should be going after and which ones you can easily drop. Not only can this guarantee you greater success, but this also helps make sure that you won't be wasting your time on possible opportunities that won't really yield too many benefits for you.

Perhaps one of the best ways for you to increase your business acumen is by reading relevant books. These can introduce you to different concepts about being in your particular field, and serve as great guides that can enhance the way you operate. Taking a workshop may also be a good step, since this will give you the chance to have your questions answered and encounter different approaches.

Naturally, you're going to have to look beyond the theoretical and learn how to apply what you have learned to the way you do business. Have a clear idea and understanding about your business and your industry. Look back on all your previous transactions and study which ones have been most beneficial and which ones were merely average, and look at the factors that made you decide to push through with them. These can be instrumental in helping you craft a strategy for your company's future and make it a lot simpler for you to identify which opportunities you shouldn't let go of. Developing your business acumen not only works wonders for your company, but also enhances your reputation and helps you be seen as a savvy industry player.

Public Relations for Business Services

Many small-businesses offer business-to-business services and they make their money on helping companies do what they cannot do in-house, but not all corporations want to outsource for business services. Therefore it can get a little tricky trying to market and advertise such a service business.

It therefore makes sense to do a little public relations in the industry sub-sector that you are in. If you are a generalist and work within a specific area with all companies then you will need local publicity and local community goodwill, which is not easy to develop either.

One great way to do public relations for business services is to write articles for the local business column in the local newspaper or write specific industry articles for various trade journals. Now, writing will not be easy but it gives you a chance to show some of your expertise and to put it out in the marketplace so people know that you are good at what you do and you know what you are talking about.

There really is no easy way to develop local community goodwill or industry goodwill, but giving away information in the proper format can help you attract a paying clients that you need. If you get good enough at public relations that in itself is a good business service that you can offer other corporations. Perhaps you might think on all this and let it sink it in 2006.

Pay Per Click Guru - Providing Business With Definite Marketing Benefits

Online business will not grow by itself without working it out such as optimizing its website and marketing its products and services. Business promotions serve as the effective tools in sharpening the business popularity and credibility. It will not only lower the cost of your business advertisement methods but it can also provide your business more recommendations. That could be a good start to make your business well-known not only by its name but also the complete description of the products, services and the processes of it. Aside from the traditional business marketing which is the "word of mouth" technique, there are more advanced marketing techniques widely used by the online marketers. Online businesses today are relying on the power of search engines. The competition is always happening in the page ranking. The higher your webpage has ranked in the search engine page, the higher volume of traffic your website will get. The Pay per Click campaign is the most powerful strategy in the online world of marketing. If you have insufficient understanding about PPC, you learn the marketing scheme of it by employing the Pay per click guru. The management in this kind of online campaign is merely simple but the operations are quite intricate.

There is an expert in every type of marketing strategy. In PPC, Pay per click guru is the qualified online marketer that can make a certain website hit and land to the top pages of search engines. The bidding of keywords is not that easy as it sounds. If the expert in operating the PPC campaign has limited budget in the bidding part, he or she will think of another effective approach aside from bidding management. Selecting highly relevant keywords can make the website visible on the top listings in the search engines. Without paying for huge biddings, a website can be placed in the right landing page. A businessman can eventually earn savings from the bidding of keywords. The best thing about the PPC is that it is very easy track down records of the progress and the expenses as well. There are no tricks in the PPC campaign but only pure online campaign that guarantees fast and optimum results. Unlike from SEO that is taking several months to find results, the PPC campaign can provide clients fast results within a single day.

In Pay per click management, online businesses will definitely standout competitively because of the expected results that online campaign will bring. The business promotion in PPC does not require comprehensive knowledge and skills. It does not even require large amount of budget just to see remarkable results. Businessmen will not ripped-off because they constantly monitor their bid.

Online Dating As a Business Service: Can It Work? Is It Acceptable?

Lonely souls have been using the internet as a way to find love for years. With the creation of sites like eHarmony.com and Match.com, online dating has become very popular. Users take online personality tests and are matched with other users with similar results. By doing this, cyber dating sites have been successful in matching pairs and connecting people all across the globe, for a price. You would think that finding love should be free, but, the creator of these sites seem to beg to differ. How do you like the concept of Cyber dating as a business service? Is it right to charge people money to help them find the love of their life or potential soul mate? Let's explore this issue.

Online dating as a business service is nothing new but can it be seen as taking advantage of lonely people by charging them money to do something that most believe should happen naturally? That depends on who you are asking. There are some dating experts that specialize in helping match people up with another compatible person. You can find experts like these on television shows like "The Millionaire Matchmaker" in which a female dating expert helps wealthy men find a beautiful woman. Looking at cyber dating as a commercial service, you can just about see the similarities. Taking the personality tests is like talking to a dating expert. The more honest you are the more likely you are to meet your perfect match. It can't be taking advantage of people if they are seeking help finding someone they can connect with.

Trusting an online dating business service to help find a mate is very typical today. You can even find a cyber dating professional service dedicated to certain nationalities, sexualities, and fetishes. Don't be surprised at how many happy couples started out online as chat buddies, but, that doesn't mean that there aren't any cons to using a cyber dating professional service. Safety is a major issue when it comes to online dating.

You can't always expect people you talk to online to be who they portray themselves to be. As scary as the thought of it may be, certain sick people will use an online dating business service to prey on weak people. You can be subject to scams, fraud, and dangerous activity. People are encouraged to always meet up with someone in a public place. Not everyone is who they appear to be in their photos. Fact of the matter is, if someone catches you alone and aren't who they say they are, the possibilities of something terrible happening go up. Even though a lot of cyber dating business services have a verification process, you have to take the proper precautions to keep yourself safe.

Using an online dating business service can be helpful to those having a hard time making friends and finding a lover. By taking the proper precautions, doing research, and having a little patience, an online dating business service can make it much easier for you to get to know people all across the world. Remember, you can't believe everyone to be who they portray to be. Watch out for scams and frauds and never send money to someone you have never met before.

Consider These Factors in Writing Your Service Business Plan

In a service business, proper definition of the factors that will make it successful is a must. A service business plan needs to consider these important factors in order to make an outline that will be necessary in achieving customer satisfaction.

In a service business, it is important to note that its success is greatly dependent on the experience that each client will have upon availing their services.

The factors in making an effective service business plan include these things in particular:

1. Service offering. As service businesses are bound to provide quality service for their selected market, it is imperative to provide them with favorable experience. Say for example, a friendly interaction, convenience, lower prices, and extended hours. Customers have the tendency to compare you to other service oriented companies which makes it necessary for you to give them an advantage when it comes to offering.

2. Employee management. This is an integral factor that will affect your business plan. The ways that you will employ in managing your employees is important in making them effective in their roles within the organization. By proper supervision and motivation, employees will be more engaged to provide customers with the satisfactory service that will be a plus factor for your business.

a. Delegation. One of the things that you need to learn is not to do all the work all by yourself. In a business organization, delegating is important. In employee management, assigning the tasks allows your people to take up responsibilities that make them feel that they belong in the setup. In this way, you will be able teach them how to do the job right and in the process, make them more useful in providing satisfaction to your clients.

b. Motivation. You can easily do this by giving incentives. Better performances are commonly a result of a good reward system. You can also start by showing them by example the right attitude that they should have in providing service to clients.

3. Customer management. It is not only your employee management skills that you will need to consider in your business plan. Your ability to manage your clients will also play an integral role in the achievement of your business objectives. Here are some tips that you can use in improving customer management:

a. Keep existing clients. This is easier that soliciting for new ones. You can achieve this by providing them with satisfactory service that will surely make them patronize your company.

b. Listen to clients. If you want to get to know them, listen to them. If you want to get their feedback, listen to them. The best way to gain customer confidence is by listening to them.

c. Follow through on promises. If you already know what your customers are really craving for, it's right about time to execute them. Giving them results that you have promised to give is important in keeping them satisfied.

d. Prioritize customer interests. In a service company, it is important to put the customer's needs on top of your priority list. Remember that your business will greatly benefit on customer satisfaction, and besides, the customer is always right.

The proper mix of these factors can ensure the success of your service business. By finding the right combination through the creation of your service business plan, you will be able to maintain your competitive nature in the market and provide customer satisfaction at its best.

Dealing With Online Business Service Frauds

Many people have gone through it. Pesky emails offering you a job at an online business service, promising obscene amounts of money a month for receiving and shipping packages at your home, or buying programs to make money. There have also been business service scams offering people money to do stay at home telemarketing, a job that many people in the marketing field legitimately do. How can you tell the difference between scams and the real thing? Can you make money at home doing business service? What can you do if you give your information to a scam? These questions and more can be solved with a simple answer. The BBB.
 
- What is the BBB? How Can You Tell the Difference Between a Scam and The Real Deal?
 
The Better Business Bureau holds information on most businesses on and offline. Many business service scams place a BBB A+ rating sticker on their websites to make buyers more comfortable. If a BBB sticker is seen on a site, most would think that the business is trustworthy. This is sadly incorrect. Any scam or fraud site can place this sticker on their page and seem legit. The only real way to tell if the business is legit or not is to do your research and search the BBB for information on the business. Also, looking for information posted by real people who have worked with certain businesses and their experiences can be helpful as well.
 
- Can You Make Money at Home Doing Business Service?
 
There are many work from home business service opportunities posted on the internet. In order to find the real ones, you have to do your research and know what you are looking for. Most jobs you won't have to pay for in order to start working. That's something that you should remember when searching for employment. A good way to make money from home is by doing data entry or freelance writing. There are a many sites where employers post jobs and allow multiple people to apply for them at once. If selected to complete a certain job, you will be paid for your work.
 
- What Do I Do If I Give a Scam My Information?
 
If you have been subject to a scam or feel like you are being scammed, first contact the company, person, or business service you feel is a scam and request that your information be discarded, that you receive a refund, and/or let them know you feel that their business is flaky and you will be reporting them to the BBB at your earliest convenience. After you have attempted contact, you do not have to wait for a response before you report them to the BBB. Visit the BBB website and file a report giving them all the information about your interaction with the said company, person, or business service and allow them to review your information. Many people use the BBB website daily so expect to have to wait a little bit for a response.
 
Sadly, in instances such as these, where people are falling susceptible to scams, very little tends to be done to help scam victims. By reporting any suspicious business service or company, you are able to save perhaps thousands of people from being taken advantage of. If you have been a victim of scams and frauds, do your part to make reviews, posts, and blogs about your experience and the business to prevent others from falling into the same trap.

Sourcing Strategy - How to Define Your Business Requirements

If your sourcing strategy is to deliver a breakthrough result in terms of cost reduction and service improvement, it is vital that you accurately define what it is that your strategy aims to source. This is done using a Business Requirements Definition or BRD.

In addition, your sourcing strategy will not sit in isolation - there will be a number of groups of people who have an interest in the outcome. These are called stakeholders. The Business Requirements Definition sets out what your sourcing strategy needs to deliver if all stakeholders are to be satisfied. It is a structured description of what you need to source from supply markets and covers the full range of stakeholder needs.

Defining your business requirements is a team game in that you must involve the appropriate stakeholders in your organisation. This will mean that the full set of needs is taken into account and an agreement reached on any trade off that is needed between conflicting requirements.

These requirements are critical to a successful sourcing outcome because they are a key input to a number of steps in the sourcing process. These include:-

o Deciding on the evaluation criteria to be sued in selecting the preferred supplier

o Testing your sourcing options so that the one that most closely meets your organisation's overall needs is chosen

o Developing the most relevant performance measures to include in the contract

o Deciding whether circumstances have changed so much that the sourcing strategy needs to be re-visited

You can develop and document your business requirements using the framework below.

Top tips:-

o Gather as much data on the future direction of your organisation as you can so that you can test that your business requirements match the needs of the organisation. This includes corporate and business unit strategies, policy statements, business plans and technology plans.

o Identify and meet with all of the stakeholders to understand and challenge their perceived needs in order to separate needs from wants and to understand their priorities.

o Challenge the needs to make sure that you are not just replicating the previous solution.

o Consult with as many people as possible who have a role to play in the acquisition or use of the product or service and make sure that there are no changes that they know about to technology and processes that may change the requirement.

o Share the summary of all of this analysis so that a consensus can be reached that accommodates everyone's need and buy-in can be achieved.

All About Franchising: Types of Business Services Franchise

One of the profitable types of franchise you can choose is rendering a service. In this type of franchise, you don't have to worry about manufacturing and marketing a product. What you have to focus on is the service that you must provide for the customers using the methods provided by the franchisor. There are different types of business services franchise available nowadays, namely: direct mail, cleaning, shipping, printing, staffing, and financing.

Direct Mail

Simply put this type of business services franchise refers to the delivery of advertising materials through mail. Direct mail began in the 1950s and has survived the recession pretty well. Compared to other forms of advertising, direct mail is relatively more affordable. E-mail advertising can also be considered as direct mail which has lower costs than print advertisement. Franchisers of direct mail can make their business more cost effective by using recycled paper and employing cheap printing technology.

Cleaning

This type of business services franchise is considered labor-intensive, because it relies on the work of employees for success. Although you won't be doing the mopping yourself, you have to supervise a team that will do the job. You have to train them according to the methodologies provided by the franchisor. As of July 2011, cleaning services franchisors can earn as much as $36,000 per year.

Shipping

Businesses who require shipping of products are the usual clients of a shipping franchise. This type of business services franchise uses carriers for picking up the goods and bringing it to its destination. Shipping franchisers may negotiate with existing carriers to give their customers better rates on shipping.

Printing

Also known as commercial printing or quick printing, this type of franchise became popular since the introduction of quick printers in 1960. Printing franchises use large printing technology to print commercial photos and graphics mostly used for advertisement. As of 2010, there are 6,640 quick printing franchises in the United States, generating annual revenue of $2.9 billion.

Staffing

Considered as the largest sector in business services franchising in the United States, staffing generates $170 billion as its total annual revenue. It usually comes in three types, namely: temporary help services, professional employer organizations, and placement agencies. Among the types of staffing franchise, temporary help services account for 40% of the total revenue.

Financing

Also known as cost reduction franchise, financial service franchise may cater to individuals, small businesses, or large corporations. One of the services offered by a financial service franchise is financial planning for retirees. The franchise employs a team of financial advisors who will provide financial information to customers regarding different types of investments.

Trademark International Class - Class 35 - Advertising and Business Services

All goods or services are categorized within International Classes (IC hereafter). Goods run from classes IC 1-34, while Services are in IC 35-45. Let's take a closer look at one of these trademark classes - class 35.

What is International Class 35 All About?

Each class has a short title heading that gives a snapshot of what that class is all about -- IC 35's short title is advertising and business services. Pretty vague, eh?

The first part of IC 35's description, advertising, is straightforward. If it's advertising, marketing or promoting services that are being offered, then this is the class. Now there are going to be some exceptions, as with anything related to trademarks.

Tangible advertising goods, such as signs, flyers, brochures, are NOT going to be in IC 35 as those items are not technically a service though are definitely part of a service; tangible paper-based advertising goods are in IC 16. Training, coaching, educating, etc. about advertising, marketing or promotion is NOT going to be in IC 35 but rather in IC 41, which is the educational class.

The second part of international class 35's description, business services, is not straightforward at all. Semantically, all services could be considered as business services, yes? No way says the trademark powers that be; at least no way if those services can fit within a different international classification.

The USPTO has about 1500 accepted descriptions that fit into IC 35; check them out here.

So What Business Services are in International Class 35?

Ooh this is a tough nut to crack as there are definitely some discernible patterns within this class but there's a whole lot of slap-dash in here too. Here's a general breakdown:

o If your services consist, in part, of the word business, you're likely in trademark class 35. This includes consulting, advising, administration, management, development, information, organization, research, planning, etc.

o Employment services are in this class, which includes hiring, recruiting, placement, staffing and career networking.

o Retail services selling ANY products under the sun, which means a brick and mortar store, online retail sites, mail order, catalog, wholesale, etc.

Get Freelancers for Your Business Services Needs

While running a business, there are many essential services that are required on a day to day basis. Business services are an important element of any business that ensures its survival. For small business that struggle to hire full time staff, outsourcing these services to freelance providers could be the ideal answer. If you decide to get freelancers for your business services needs, there is no doubt they would turn out to be reliable and a necessary part for your business processes.

Once the company has found reliable freelancers, results will become obvious that the business will start to develop and grow into successful entity. There are many freelance websites which offer opportunities for both businesses and the freelancers to find each other and work together. One can find a lot of different business services offered by freelancers and it is these diverse resources that businesses will be able to leverage and improve their current situations.

Whether it is accounting services, financial services, IT services or any other required service by the business, one can find experienced freelancers for all business service requirements. Once you get freelancers for your business you will find out how reliable, convenient and cost effective they are. To get freelancers whenever they are required, employers find they soon become a necessary investment. Freelancers have the ability to do anything in their chosen fields, it won't take long before they become an integral part of the companies processes.

To get freelancers is not a very difficult task; there are many freelance websites where one can find freelancers for every kind of business service. Freelancers can really make a big difference in the development and growth of a business through their efficient services. In today's world, businesses are worried about their profit margins and are always on the verge of contracting their budget and expanding their profits. Hiring a freelancer for business services is a great way to cut costs effectively.

Hiring freelancers for performing various business services has become a trend for many companies. It is a cost effective way to run a business, but make sure that the services you acquire from the freelancers are up to the mark. But overall it is a very effective way of running a business. The only thing required is to keep a close communication with the hired freelancer to make sure there are no misunderstandings along the way.

It is well known that to get freelancers for business services is quite advantageous, especially for small business. Once the business founds a reliable freelancer, it has been proven that the business would benefit a lot from the services provided by a freelancer

Business Online Service - Why It's a Great Idea

There is a lot of money to be made online. But that money is only made when there is work done that will earn the money. That's why a business online service that completes work for people is such a great idea. It's an excellent idea for the person providing the service and it's a great idea for the person taking advantage of the service.

First of all, when a person is particularly good at something that's useful to others, it's a great idea for them to use their talent and provide a business online service. If you're good at writing, or designing web pages, or writing code, or doing any number of other things then you should provide an online business service. It's a great way to make some quick money. You're able to do what you love and what you're good at, and you get paid for doing it.

Of course, if you're interested in making a lot of money then you should take advantage of business online services as much as possible. The more work you can get done by someone else, the more money you can make. Allowing others to complete your work will also free you up to do more important things.

Successful Internet Marketers know that a major key to their success is using other people to complete jobs that they themselves aren't good at, don't like to do, or simply don't have the time to do. This is why it's a great idea to take advantage of a business online service. Hiring one or more people to provide a service is worth a lot more than the money that has to be paid for the actual service.

Offering a business online service really is a winning situation for both parties. The person providing the service can make money doing something they are good at and something they enjoy doing. The Internet Marketer gets to have a task (or more than one task) completed and done well. And then they can concentrate on other things that will make their business even more successful.

There are many different types of business online services. Two of the most popular services are writing and web design. If you are good at a particular service then you should definitely work for other Internet Marketers and make some quick and easy money. If you are an Internet Marketer then you should definitely take advantage of these services. Doing so will allow you to take your business to the next level and become successful.

Home Based Business Services - Do You Really Need A Bunch Of Stuff?

How many times have you seen the ads pop up during a web session browser, "Make money fast online" with home based business services? How many times have you visited the same type of site, only to find it was just another way to make a website, with all the same old fees involved? Or, perhaps the fee was all inclusive? All one knows, is that after doing enough research on these sites, it's easier than ever to run your own home based business.

So, how do you start? Well, the best way is to list the services you will offer. Keep in mind that this will need to be a pretty comprehensive list, especially if you are offering multiple services. After you have a good list, post it on your website and then it's just a matter of providing contact information so that would be clients can contact you. With all the many, many ways to create a home based business service, how can one really distinguish what's important to such an endeavor? There are at least two things that you will need.

First, you're going to need an auto-responder, to answer all the incoming emails for your home based business services, something along the lines to let people know that you will follow up with them at some time in the future. What is really going to be the time consuming part, is actually going through each email and adding that personal touch to it by answering that "soon to be" client. This way, you can generate your own leads, without having to pay someone else to find your new clients. This will cost about $20.00 a month, but it's worth every penny. You'll have a readymade list of clients that have been answered by your auto-responder. This also will enable you to answer each person individually, at your own leisure. This allows you to start a rapport with a client that ultimately will decipher whether or not you wish to work with that person.

There will also be a need for a custom domain name, so that people can visit your web link, which will cost about $10.00 a year. After all, how will people find out about your services, if they can't visit a link that lists the services you offer? There might be other fees that you will find along the way that are included as a business expense. However, a domain name fee, and an auto-responder are two fees that are essential to a home based business. Of course, all of it is useless without a computer, which you already have or you wouldn't be reading this.

Once you have your home based business services set up, the next step is to get to work. Don't go out there and buy leads, generate your own. When you generate your own leads, you're positioning yourself as the expert, rather than someone else. At that point it becomes about your relationship with your audience AKA your potential customers.

Understanding Customer Service

Does your organization share the same view of customer service? Has service been defined or is it a generic term? Having an organizational philosophy around customer service is as important as having a mission and vision statement. Many times I have been a customer and have gone into a store or called a business and received nothing more than a representative being neutral in demeanour and reactive to my questions, yet believing good service had been provided. A business cannot gain a competitive advantage through mediocre transactions with customers. What does customer service mean to you? Do you want transaction or interaction experiences?

"Being on par in terms of price and quality only gets you into the game. Service wins the game." (Tony Alessandra)

Here is our customer service definition.

Customer Service is a philosophy of being customer-focused, put into daily practice by all employees. It includes a series of defined principles:

Perception is reality.
Taking the customer perspective in every situation and asking yourself "how do they think I acted/responded, what kind of feeling are they leaving our interaction with". It is understanding that your perceptions influence the type of interaction with the customer. For example: if you think that a customer who is having a problem or is being difficult is a nuisance, your ability to solve the problem and listen with empathy will be negatively affected and will affect the outcome of the experience.

The customer is always right.
This does not mean the customer is always right, but it means we take the attitude that the customer has a right to be served, has a right to their needs being listened to, understood and our best attempt to meet those needs.

Interaction vs. transaction.
Our behaviors and how we interact with customers need to focus on building relationships (strategic, proactive, organization-initiated) versus having a transaction with a customer (reactive, customer-driven, situational).

One size does not fit all.
Customers are unique and want to be treated as individuals, versus having a one-sized fits all approach where employees are enforcing policies. Businesses have guidelines, which support employees in making decisions and understanding workflow, but during an interaction, the customer wants to feel like their unique need is being addressed (even if the need isn't unique at all).

"You never get a second chance to make a first impression".
Consistent strategies employed across an organization to ensure the customer is receiving a positive first impression are critical.

Define your story.
Customers in every business are telling a story about their experience with you once it is over. The question is what kind of story they are telling. Customer focused organizations define an experience based on what their customers want and then create processes, enable technology, train and support people to action.

Service is a process, not an event.
Being customer focused means having a system for continuous quality improvement to ensure the standard can never fall to mediocre or comfortable. By encouraging and acting on customer feedback, employee feedback and a desire to carve out a different experience versus catching up with the competition, customer focused organizations find ways to be innovative, reduce barriers, solve problems at the root, find new ways to wow, encourage complaints, change processes, etc.

Happy employees = happy customers.
Our customers will only be treated as well as our employees. Part of customer service initiatives must include strategies around hiring, retention, and motivation of our most valuable internal assets.

Activity:
Here is an activity you could use to define customer service. Place two flip charts in a room, one labelled "what to do" and one labelled "what not to do". Ask participants to consider past personal experiences as a customer, and brainstorm behaviours illustrating what we should do if we are in the business of service, and what we should not.

Since you are in the business of customer service, using the flip chart "what to do" and adding answers to it, brainstorm a list of behaviours that answer the statement "Customer Service means..." You might have responses like: Customer Service means doing what you can for the customer, answering their question on the spot, following up on promises, asking strategic questions to understand the customer need and motive, etc.

Go back through your brainstormed list and pull out common themes. Use these to write a definition (one or two sentences) and/or series of principles. Use these to guide you in understanding the concept of what service is, related to your business.

It is not enough to just create the philosophy, employees need to buy into it and understand what it means to them (i.e., how do they implement and execute this daily)? This requires your philosophy/principles to be defined in terms of actions and behaviours.