Category: Business

DEATH to Old School Home Based Business Practices – Preventing Failure By Knowing The Truth

James Rivas asked:

Why do so many people fail at Home Based Businesses, Network Marketing, MLM and/or Direct Sales? In most cases, failure happens because fundamental truths or realities about what it takes to succeed are ignored or not known by the new Home Business owner.

Here’s 8 of the Big Truths or Realities that every aspiring Home Business Owner needs to know before they start their Home Business.

Why you start a Home Business will dramatically effect your success chances along with dozens of other factors, some within your control, some not. But for the purposes of this article lets assume you have found that “Can’t Miss” Opportunity; you’re excited; you’ve sent your money, here comes your millions right? Wrong!

There is much you must do to find success no matter what your background is going in to be successful. This article will explain some of the main reasons people fail. It by no means is the complete list, but be sure you understand these basics and are OK with the challenges ahead before you start that new Home Business … or don’t get started or signup!

Let’s put the TRUTH on the table … there is a very high failure rate in home businesses. Less than 2% actually find the financial freedom they seek (ie. The big money). Another 3% make some money, perhaps enough to earn a living. Everyone else strikes out.

Society looks at home business, and more in particular at Network Marketing or MLM as an almost less than noble way to earn a living. The truth is that many people have completely changed their lives in very positive ways in Network Marketing or MLM. However, the more frequent truth about MLM is that almost everyone fails.

It is the very few and highly publicized success stories (like mine) that bring people in droves looking for a low cost (low risk) path to riches. Behind every success story though is some serious work, experience, and the absence of the Failure modalities outlined herein.

The real questions is WHY do so many people not succeed? Why do so many people fail in home business?

It comes down to the fact that each and every person is different coming in. Take my case, I came to the home business arena with 17 years of mostly successful entrepreneurial experience. I negotiated deals, sweat payrolls on Fridays, traveled to get customers, lost big customers, etc. I ran the gauntlet of success long before I got in this industry.

So would it be fair to say that someone that is working at Home Depot can pull off what I did as fast as I did? Probably not? Does that mean that people without experience have no shot at success in Home Based Business? Not at all. It just means that they have obstacles to overcome which any successful entrepreneur and/or upper management individual already has overcome in their own careers and lives.

Here are 8 realities, hurdles, or obstacles that any and all successful entrepreneurs have jumped, and the reasons that so many people don’t make it in Home Based Business, Free Enterprise, Network Marketing, Direct Sales, MLM, and even small business.

Reality #1 – Lack of Mental Toughness

Many people entering free enterprise for the first time have no-clue as to what real mental toughness is. That’s why mindset training is so important to the new Home Business owner’s success. Acquire the mindset that you are going to do whatever it takes to succeed and you are way more likely to join the ranks of the successful. In fact I would almost guarantee that you’ll make it with this key mindset element.

Reality #2 – Choosing the Wrong Sponsor / Up line / Mentor

Un-Ethical Marketers are abound. Unfortunately, many Home Business marketers see their responsibility is to simply “show” someone the opportunity and get paid for just that. Here’s the typical line “if I could show you a way to accomplish your goals would you … [pay me]” is still widely used in network marketing sales pitches. (Not by this author).

If you break that sentence down, it clearly shows that the marketer expects to get paid for “introducing” the aspiring Home Business owner to the business, and nothing more.

Because of this, be sure you are going to work with the right person with the right opportunity. Your up line/sponsor should be able to give you references of happy customers that they are working with, not just Power 3-ways with Up line Sales Masters. The secret to big success in Networking Businesses is this team building and nurturing, and the Home Based entrepreneurs that are willing to make this commitment to adequate support in training for their teams are few and far between.

Reality #3 – Unrealistic Expectations

So many new business opportunity operators have fallen for the HYPE. They believe the “perfect” scenario or something close to it is going to happen to them. They are so excited, and think as soon as they start talking to people or they get their website up, money is just around the corner. After a week or two reality sets in. Within 30 – 60 days it will hit you … your success is going to take some effort. And in most cases it’s not anything wrong with your opportunity, it’s your lack of skills, focus, and/or effort. Go look at a mirror because the problem AND the solution are looking right back at you. (ouch)

Reality #4 – Lack of Focused Effort

Many new Home Business owners fall victim to the idea that as soon as they start their home business, they can start living the lifestyle of a successful home business operator. This is a business killer for sure.

I remember coaching a young man that enrolled in a high dollar Direct Sales Program who was coming to all of the training calls, and after 2 months he still was not in profits. I asked him how much prospecting he was doing and his reply was that he gets around to it a few days a week because he was living the “life style”. I then asked him if he was already rich, to which he said no, and he was starting to get worried about the fact that no money was coming in yet. Sounds incredible, but this is a true story.

The bottom line is that starting a business, any business takes big effort. It’s like you are starting to roll a huge boulder. You’re going to push at it, pull at it, then figure out how to move it a little, then eventually get it to roll, and once it starts rolling, well it’s not so hard to keep it rolling. That is the same with a Business. It takes great commitment of time and effort to start a Home Business, especially your first. Many of the most successful people in Home Business, or any type of business really, failed several times before they got it right. It took them a while to figure out how to make the boulder roll consistently.

Reality #5 – Lack of Adequate Funding

The costs to get started in a Home Business ranges from less than $100 on up to $25,000 or more. The key phrase here is “Get Started”. Those are just the entry costs. The reality is that unless you are going to build your business with “Warm Market” (the archaic MLM practice of selling to friends and family, whether they want to be sold to or not), you are going to need consistent funding for advertising and marketing expenses. No business can make it without customers and you have to acquire them to be successful; and that will likely cost some money. In some cases thousands of dollars.

The best prospects to have are targeted prospects, like those you can generate through expensive Pay Per Click Internet Advertising. The higher the sales price of the “products” you are selling, the more money you will need for marketing. Also, the less experience in “Selling” or “People Skills” you have, the more money you will need. Under funding is the #1 reason Businesses fail across the board.

Reality #6 – Lack of Business Knowledge

This is a huge factor in the Home Business failure rate. First, many Network Marketing companies pitch their “System” and how just plugging into this “System” is going make all of this money for you. The part they leave out is that YOU are the most important part of that system. Your sales/people skills is the lubricant for the machine in the system. In fact these skills are the most important part of that “System” and your ability to generate leads is the second most important part.

Keep in mind that most Home Business operators are coming from the 9-5 paycheck on Friday mentality, and not having to learn and do every aspect of running their business. They have to get used to doing work now, and not getting paid now for it, until perhaps much later. And of course they have to make those mistakes that create lessons, important lessons in the climb to success.

If you polled successful Home Business owners, you would find that they invested heavily in their personal development and tactical skills education in order to find success. In most cases these costs dwarf the costs of the initial startup cost in the business.

Reality #7 – Lack of True Commitment to Success.

Most people that drop out of their home businesses do so within the first 90 days. It doesn’t take long before the “Honeymoon” ends and the real work starts. The 9-5 mentality employee is not accustomed to an 80 hour or more work week, the kind of commitment it takes to get a business off the ground. When you are starting something new, giving it a complete focus effort is going to greatly enhance your chances of success while you are learning. In fact if you are doing it right, you will be in a major time compression mode, at least for the first few months.

For so many though, once they see that owning a business takes serious work, many re-consider … after they have invested a handsome amount of money. Many MLM’s know this and try to plug you for your warm market or get you to upgrade to the expensive packages fast, before you are most likely to quit.

Reality #8 – Up Line Support Can Vary Drastically

Big Home Business income earners like myself have figured out that providing Fortune 500 company caliber support and training is the key to success in building a highly leveraged and high income producing organization. However, most Home Business operators have not figured this out, and rely on their company to provide all training and support. This typically leaves some vacuums in the knowledge and wisdom department adding further to the challenge of the new Home Business Operator.

In summary, Home Based Free Enterprise is on the rise, and many Great opportunities continue to immerge. The Internet has made acquiring information about scams and dis-reputable businesses easy to find. There is a very Darwinian process that goes on because of the speed of communications over the Internet.

Don’t believe everything you read on the Internet though. Many posts have been placed there by competitors posing as ex-customers, trying to tear down their competition instead of building their own tower. If you are researching a particular sponsor, watch for patterns, and study testimonials.

And by all means ask for references.

So if you are contemplating starting a new Home Business, or you are already in one trying to figure things out, be sure you account for the 8 realities covered in this article. Are they they only challenges you will have? Absolutely not, but I believe they are the biggest and account for 80% of the failures of not more.

Home Based Free Enterprise is very rewarding, even if just for the education. Success will require that you take personal responsibility for your thoughts and actions. Since most people can’t or never will go borrow or risk hundreds of thousands of dollars to start a traditional business, Home Based Businesses is the only way for the masses to have even a shot at significantly improving the quality of their lives.

Is it worth the effort and risk? You have to decide that for yourself, but to this author, the rewards of success make the climb worth it.

From Suppliers to Success – Access All That you Need Faster With Business to Business

Dylan Sun asked:

Body:

To notice or get noticed by your retailers or consumers, make use of a business to business portal for crossing all boundaries and achieve success. A business to business online marketplace can bring access of large variety of products as well as manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers, suppliers and consumers to you. All that actions you need to perform are a few clicks to reach out to your target entity, for example a manufacturer if you are a wholesaler or a retailer.

-Business To Business Portals – The Best Way to Expand Business

Span your business in the countries you have targeted through the World Wide Web – using its online business to business marketplace. Make the presence of your business felt by greater *********** in your market and by expanding your business throughout the world. See it grow from one country to another from the convenience and comforts of your home. At the online business to business marketing portals, you may find listing of exporters and importers looking for the products you are dealing in. Thus, these business to business portals are extremely handy when it comes to finding the right avenues to achieve your target revenues.

-Find the Best Deal with the Business to Business Portals

The e-commerce or the online business to business market platform causes transactions between exporters and importers much faster. To achieve maximum visibility amongst your target exporters/importers is what every business aims at. Now to render your business maximum visibility in a business to business export/import industry, you must stock adequate financial resources as it entails huge amount of money. Advertising, promotions and marketing are the tools what your expose your business in a business to business export/import industry.

-Business To Business Portals – Cost Effective Medium of Advertising and Marketing

Be in front of your target exporters or importers to find the right companies to work with in business to business import and export business, your business should be either noticed by them, or else you have to locate them instead. Now, more you spend in advertising and marketing, wider your scopes become to find and to be found. That means, to achieve maximum visibility and greater leads, you must be backed up by loads of money – without which your business to business export/import venture might be left unnoticed. Now being a small business owner, how much can you afford actually? To curtail your expenses without curtailing the width of visibility you aim at, consider launching your business through business to business portal.

-Advantage of Using Online Business to Business Marketplaces

A business to business portal can provide business owners with extensive database of companies dealing in their industry, scattered in all the continents. Companies looking for the products you are manufacturing, exporting or importing can be easy to locate with a business to business portal. Besides listing, a business owner can access comprehensive details on the listed exporting and importing companies at these business to business online marketplaces. Also, these business to business portals may pose as reliable source of guidance, strategies, suggestion to widen your horizon at the right direction.

Creating a Car Wash Business Plan

Michael Gregory asked:

Before embarking on writing a business plan for starting a car wash, a definition of what a business plan is in order. A business plan is a document to identify an opportunity, research why this opportunity is profitable and the steps needed to capitalize on the opportunity. The business plan can be a formal document or it can be written on the back of a napkin but the mere act of writing the idea down forces you to get the idea out of your head and on paper which helps find hidden business flaws and makes you think carefully about each phase of your business.

Creating a business plan is something anyone can do, even if you don’t know anything about business or finances. Even though the business plan is critical to getting the idea off of the ground, many entrepreneurs procrastinate when it comes to preparing a written plan. If you don’t know anything about business or finances, this is the best time to begin learning as the chances of your business being successful will be limited without this knowledge. Just as a builder won’t begin construction without a blueprint, entrepreneurs shouldn’t rush into new ventures without a plan. The old saying that “those who fail to plan, plan to fail” is very relevant when talking about starting a business. SBA’s statistics claim over half of new businesses fail in the first three years and the common factor is poor planning or under-capitalization (which is also poor planning).

Getting Started

The first step in creating a business plan is just getting started. Writing the business plan may seem overwhelming at first, but if you break the plan down to bite sized pieces and work on one section at a time won’t seem as daunting. Begin with what you know first and describe your business and your product or services. Work towards the more difficult subjects such as marketing, operations and financials. Don’t worry about it being perfect now, just get the concepts on paper – expand and refine later. If you get stuck on a section in the plan, skip it for now and come back later when you have more details.

Who is your audience?

When writing your car wash business plan, you need to keep in mind who your intended audience is and why you are writing the plan. Why? A plan for the bank will be less interested in the exit strategy and return on investment than one for equity investors. Additionally, a plan for written for internal use will be different than one looking for financing as a bank is not necessarily interested in detailed operations of the business.

Structure

Business plans tend to have a lot of elements in common. While there is not a format that all business plans follow, there are generally accepted guidelines that most follow as the order in which the subjects flow are not random. The Business Description of a business plan is aimed at painting a picture of your business and why this business will be successful. The Marketing, Management and Operations sections are researched and a strategy of how your business will compete and operate is developed. Last financial projections show in numbers what you explained in the business plan for the sales and expenses.

Breaking these three major sections down even further, a business plan consists of six key components:

Executive Summary

Business Description

Marketing

Managers & Employees

Operations & Location

Financial Projections

In addition to these sections, a business plan should also have a cover, title page and table of contents.

How Long Should Your Business Plan Be?

The answer that nobody liked in school applies to a business plan which is, “as long as it needs to be”. The more complex a business or the more sophisticated investors or funds requested will increase the length of a plan. An average car wash business plan narrative should be 4-15 pages plus financials and appendix items.

Business Plan Outline

Executive Summary

The executive summary is the first part of the business plan but is the last to be written. It gives the reader a quick glance of what your business proposal is about and what you are asking for. This part is critical as most readers will scan this section before deciding whether to read further.

The executive summary should typically be about one-half of a page in length and include what you would cover in an elevator pitch such as:

Explain the condensed version of the business concept

Product description or service proposition

This section should emphasize any unique features or benefits that what is currently in the industry or area, aka why would someone buy your product over the competition.

The demographics of your market

The Management team

When the anticipated start date is

Your equity position

How much are you asking for

Concise is the key in the executive summary. You will go into more detail later in the business plan.

Business Description

The purpose of the business description is to objectively describe the car wash business details and future potential include:

Mission

What the business does

Description of products and/or services

Industry information

Business Organization

Status of the business (start-up, expansion or purchasing)

Current and future goals

Any facts or figures should be noted and sources included in the business plan. This information is important should you need to defend your data and assumptions. The business description is where you are trying to paint a picture of the potential of your business along with the facts to support it. Try to inject energy and excitement to get the reader enthusiastic about the idea, without going overboard of course.

After describing the business, it is time to describe and additional products or services your car wash is selling. Keep in mind that it is important to show how your products and services are better than the competition. If you don’t have a good answer than you should rethink your strategy. What is it about your car wash that is going to get the customer to change doing business with the competition?

Marketing

A very important part of your business plan is the marketing section. Regardless of the quality of your products and your services, your business will be lost in the clutter of advertising. If you don’t know your customers, how will they ever find you? All of this begins with doing some research.

Customers: Who Is Your Market

The first step is to determine who you are going to sell to by identifying common characteristics of your market such as age, income, race, religion, education, interests and/or geographic locations. While everyone will want to wash their car product how are you going to effectively advertise to everyone and still make a profit? What you need to do instead is determine the group or groups of people who are most likely to use your car wash services and market to them. After all you are trying to generate a positive return on your marketing dollars, so use them wisely.

Competition

In today’s ultracompetitive marketplace, there is going to be competition, no matter how creative your business concept is. Attempting to run a portion of your car wash business better than the competition may be a difficult challenge so it is often better to focus on planning on being different and competing with them less directly. Can you serve a particular market niche such as the elderly that isn’t being looked at? Can you identify a unique operations/marketing/distribution strategy with a mobile approach? Even if you don’t have direct competition in your area meaning someone selling the same or similar products/services, you will have indirect competition for replacement products/services. If you indicate in your plan there is no competition it will be viewed that there is either no market for your product or you have not done your research.

Optimally you will want information on at least three but no more than five competitors. List information about who they are, how long they have been in business, location, products or services offered, perception on pricing, quality, etc. and compare your advantages and disadvantages. If the information you are looking for is not available online, you may need to pretend you are a customer to get some of this information.

Distribution – How Will You Get the Product To The Customer: By looking at who your market and competition is, you will have an idea of how to get your product to them. Perhaps through your research you will find a strategic advantage to serve the customer that the competition does not.

Promotional Strategy

With the above steps researched, the promotional strategy follows. The promotional strategy is where most entrepreneurs fail as they use the blanket statement that they are going to advertise in the newspaper, radio and/or television without thinking through the process or the customer. The promotional strategy provides you a map of how you are going to reach your market in the most efficient manner possible. Advertising is expensive, use it wisely.

Sales Projections

On of the more difficult areas of the business plan is coming up with sales projections. This number is probably going to be wrong and that’s ok. What you want is a figure backed up with justifiable data. Just grabbing a number out of the air saying you will make $300,000 won’t work. There are many sources to help come up with this number including:

Industry journals

Trade groups

Car washes in similar demographic areas

Industry experts

Census data

Pricing

The effects of pricing play a large role on how your product is perceived in the marketplace. Price too low compared to the competition and your product could be perceived as cheap and unreliable. Price too high with the features and benefits of your product and few customers come through the door. While this is a complex issue, here are a few things to keep in mind.

Make sure you can make a profit at whatever price you are selling at.

If you want to have lower costs and “get your foot in the door” it may be better to offer discounts or coupons initially until your business is better known.

Don’t be afraid to charge more for your product or service than the competition if you have something of more value to offer.

Pricing is the easiest of the marketing mix to change. You may find that a large competitor will under price you to ensure you can’t make a profit and your car wash goes out of business.

Management & Employees

In this section you would describe who is going to manage the business on a daily basis as well as provide strategic direction (if these positions are separate). Each of these people need to have a brief biography included as well as a resume in the appendix. Try to show how the experience and education of these people will be able to successfully execute the strategy in the business plan and succeed. Many times the owner may not have the specific experience for this business, so it is very important to pull their other professional experience in and explain how it will make for a successful operation. Next, a brief explanation of the employees is in order including:

What positions need to be filled

When they need to be filled (This is important in developing financial projections as you may have some employees come on after you start)

How much they get paid (Be sure to calculate payroll taxes as well, estimate 15% if not sure)

It is also recommended to add the professional and advisors to your business. These people include:

Board of directors

Consultants

Accountants

Attorneys

Bankers

Mentors

Operations & Location

The operations and location section of the plan illustrates how you are going to make or acquire your product and information about your business location.

Operations – Explain how and where your products or services are made. A few points to include in your plan

How does your car wash operate, what steps are in your service?

Who are your suppliers?

What are the terms and lead time for this product?

Location – Location is where you will be doing business out of. If you are in the classic, I can’t get my location until I get a loan so I can’t finish my business plan scenario, list what features you are looking at in a building along with average prices or rents and pad that number a little just in case. A few things to add:

Department of Transportation traffic count – most states have this information online to show how many vehicles pass your location each day.

Building description

What is the size

Where is it located

Specific reasons for this property

Proximity to suppliers, roads, airports, railroads, and shipping centers, etc.

Zoning

Average utilities – Be sure to get the last 12 months from the electric company if the building had been occupied. This could be an expensive lesson from a dishonest landlord. If you are opening a new location, try to talk with other car wash operators in a non-competitive area to get a estimate

Add pictures to the appendix

Add a floor plan to the appendix

Purchase price or monthly rent/lease

Include sales/rent/lease agreement in appendix

If building or renovating be sure to include quotes as this is an area frequently underestimated in costs.

Financial Projections

Financial projections are placed at the end of your business plan, before the appendix but it a very critical piece to the plan. The three must-have financial statements are a cash flow statement, a profit and loss statement and a balance sheet. The information already provided in the narrative portion of the business plan must match the financial projections. Most financial projections are three years in length. It is a good idea to include a Notes & Assumptions to Financial Projections page to both help make sure all of your numbers come through and provide an itemized list to provide clarity for the reader.

Notes & Assumptions to Financial Projections

Loans

Break out each loan (building, equipment, inventory)

Amount

Interest rate

Length

And any monthly costs not discussed in business plan narrative

Cost of goods/inventory

Advertising

Employee wages

Insurance

License & fees

Miscellaneous

Professional fees

Rent/property taxes

Repairs & maintenance

Supplies

Telephone

Utilities

Vehicle expense

Etc.

Anything else that needs to be explained in the financials that is not in the narrative

Financial Projection Sections

Startup Expenses – These are all expenses you will incur prior to opening your car wash. It is recommended to have quotes available or in the appendix for the larger items. It is also recommended that you pad your numbers some as there will always be unexpected expenses that were not accounted for.

Sources and Uses of Funds – This section details how the loan money will be used (inventory, car wash equipment, repairs and improvements, working capital, etc) and who is providing it (bank, investor or owner). You will likely need to be injecting 20% of your own money and maybe more depending on the risk assessment of the business and your personal finances.

Cash Flows – The cash-flow statement is one of the most important pieces of your business plan. It shows a schedule of the money coming into the business and expenses that need to be paid and whether you have enough cash to sustain the business gained during the warm month to cover the costs during the winter months. Every part of your business plan is important, but none of it means a thing if you run out of cash. Should this number be negative, you either need to raise sales, reduce expenses or have more cash. Your cash flow statement will typically be three years in length with the first year analyzing the monthly figures and later years by quarter. Don’t be intimidated with the cash flow statement as it is merely a future look into your checking account.

Profit & Loss – This statement, while similar to the cash flow statement but illustrated annually looks at the effects of non-cash charges such as depreciation and amortization to get an accounting overview of the operations of your business.

Balance Sheet – The balance sheet is a summary of the value of all assets, liabilities and equity for an organization at the end of each year. A balance sheet is often described as a “snapshot” of a company’s financial condition and will show the value of the business over time.

Personal Financial Statement – If you are looking at bank financing every person who will have a 20% or more ownership position will need to provide a personal financial statement to show how effective they are at managing your money. This statement will show your assets (checking & savings accounts, cd’s ira, 401K, valuables, home, vehicle, etc) as well as assets (mortgages, credit card bills, installment accounts, etc)

Appendices

Appendix items are various pieces of information that help make your case. Include details and studies used in your business plan; for example:

Quotes for items over $500

Resumes of the management team

Industry research

Demographic data and trends

Maps/floorplans/blueprints of location

Leases and contracts

Letters of support

There is a lot to creating your business plan but will definitely make your business stronger. While it may seem easier to have someone else write your plan, there is no substitute to writing it yourself. This is your business and by writing it yourself you will have a better understanding of your business and strategies for success. There are also many free business plan templates and workbooks available on the web to help you get started. You can use these to help get started creating your business plan and then modify it for your car wash business.

For more free articles and resources for starting a car wash are available at www.StartingACarWash.com.

Additionally, business plan help can be found at www.TheBusinessPlanFactory.com

How Can I Use A Virtual Assistant To Benefit My Business?

Wharton Business Foundation asked:

Outsourcing to a Virtual Assistant (outsourced employee) can increaseproductivity, reduce costs and save you and your company time. Virtual Assistants, also known as VA’s, have been around for more than 10 years and in this day and age, utilize the technology era. They are highly qualified, educated and experienced people who basically can perform all of the same skills that traditional in-house staff provides. Many VA’s are College or University educated in business and office administration with work experience in an office setting.

We recommend a simple 3 step formula for determining what duties to assign an outsourced employee. First and foremost should be revenue producing functions. Simply write a list of what they should be. These include: appointment setting, cross-selling your existing customers on additional products and services (very important), telesales to new prospective customers, follow up sales calls on old leads that never closed, email blasting to generate new leads, internet sales, sending out online newsletters to existing clients, search engine optimization, blogging, article writing, handling your social networking (Facebook, Linked-in, Twitter, etc), updating your website with fresh content and articles, there are over 50,000 free classified advertising sites on the internet other than Craigslist.org they can post these ads for your business, and much more.

Secondly, are the revenue retaining activities. These include: customer service, technical support (online and on the phone), internet “live chat” on your website, invoicing, billing, taking phone payments, collections, sending out birthday or thank you cards and gifts to clients, fulfilling client information requests and more.

Third and last, are the non-revenue producing functions. These include: book-keeping, accounting, payroll, data entry, document and contract preparation, programming, research, answering your emails and cleaning up your inbox, scheduling and managing your calendar, acting as an answering service, fulfilling information requests from prospective clients, office management, employee scheduling, presentation preparation, making travel arrangements, desktop publishing, computer training, medical/legal transcription and more.

The benefits of outsourcing to a qualified VA are plentiful. VA’s use their own equipment so there is no wear and tear on your office equipment or a need for special equipment. By outsourcing to a VA rather than hiring an in-office assistant, you will never need to pay employment insurance, vacation pay, sick pay, or contribute to retirement plans and worker’s compensation.

There is no cost for training new or existing employees; VA’s are already qualified. There is no need for extra office space; VA’s do everything off location. There’s no need to worry about in-office employees requesting time off; VA’s are available when you need them. Like you, a quality outsourcing firm understands the needs of businesses today, ensuring the success of their clients. A good outsourcing firm values each and every client; it is because of these clients that they ensure your VA’s will aid in the success of your business.

How else can outsourcing to a VA save you money? VA’s are pre-trained and experienced individuals with the ability to catch mistakes made in-office, not only saving your business money but also protecting your business reputation.

And for those in-office employees that you cannot go without, a VA can take a little of the never-ending workload or less-important projects off their shoulders to ensure you, as a successful business, maintain your quality reputation and increase employee productivity.

Microsoft Business Contact Manager

Jose Vanegas asked:

Prophet is a Microsoft Business Contact Manager.

When a company thinks of ways to manage their corporation, they are often looking for new means to control their CRM, or customer relationship management. One way that CRM can be controlled as a Microsoft Business Contact Manager is thru Prophet.

Avidian offers Prophet’s Microsoft Business Contact Manager for purchase.

Prophet is a leading Microsoft Business Contact Manager software program. Avidian, the company that distributes the product, makes Prophet’s Microsoft Business Contact Manager available. As more and more companies look to ways of enhancing their CRM, they often turn to Prophet’s Microsoft Business Contact Manager. Companies turn to Prophet for a Microsoft Business Contact Manager because it is known to enhance sales for not only a company, but the clients of a company, too. Prophet has created multiple sales as an acting Microsoft Business Contact Manager for company after company.

There are various ways that Prophet as a Microsoft Business Contact Manager can benefit a company.

There are many reasons as to why Prophet is a successful Microsoft Business Contact Manager. The main reason why Prophet is a successful Microsoft Business Contact Manager is because Prophet can manage the customer relationship of companies. Those companies that purchase the Microsoft Business Contact Manager program will often find that they will have an increase in sales, and can manage their clients in a more proficient manner. When a company can utilize the Microsoft Business Contact Manager in a way that is of financial gain, there is sure to be repeat purchases of the program. Prophet is a Microsoft Business Contact Manager that can organize a company’s contacts, and also monitor the sales transactions of companies, as well as create outgoing messages from the company to the client. Prophet is indeed a multi faceted Microsoft Business Contact Manager.

Prophet’s Microsoft Business Contact Manager is multi-functional.

Prophet can operate many different functions at once. For example, Prophet can use the Microsoft Business Contact Manager to create monitored sales transactions. This means that while Prophet acts as a Microsoft Business Contact Manager, all sales transactions that take place between a company and their clients are recorded. Such detailed information is often of great value to a company. As a Microsoft Business Contact Manager, Prophet users can refer to the sales transactions records for the sales history of a company, as well as refer to sales that may have been profitable for a company versus a sale that may not have been as profitable. Prophet also acts as a Microsoft Business Contact Manager as it operates thru Outlook. Outlook is one of the leading email programs that are factory installed into many computers. Due to this, Prophet can fully function as a Microsoft Business Contact Manager in Outlook. There is not a need to download the Microsoft business contact manger in any other area of a computer’s system. Prophet can not only hold the recorded sales transactions of a company, but it can also act as the main Microsoft Business Contact Manager for a company.

Prophet operates its Microsoft Business Contact Manager thru Outlook.

Prophet uses Outlook as its guide to operating such functions as the said recorded sales transactions. Since Prophet is a Microsoft Business Contact Manager, it is fully operational in other areas too. Some companies are only looking to use the Microsoft Business Contact Manager to keep track of a company’s clientele list. This often includes the contact information for a company, such as the company’s address, phone number, and the name of the contact that is in charge of all transactions for the company. Keeping such vital information in a Microsoft Business Contact Manager is often key for many companies. Prophet can organize the Microsoft Business Contact Manager information into such a matter that will be easily accessible to its users. If a user would like to operate the Microsoft Business Contact Manager by a company’s location, it can do so. The same holds true for the amount of time that a company has been affiliated with the client, starting from newest accounts to the oldest, and vice versa. Companies new and old appreciate the different ways that Prophet can be operated as a Microsoft Business Contact Manager, as it is usually with the company’s best benefits in mind.

Using Prophet’s Microsoft Business Contact Manager is a way to stay organized.

A Microsoft Business Contact Manager program such as Prophet is a great way for companies to stay organized, and look professional. When a client can work with a company that operates off of the Microsoft Business Contact Manager, Prophet, there are often repeat sales from the selling company. This is often due mostly in part to a company not only looking professional, but also running a smoother Microsoft Business Contact Manager operation. When those that are receiving the Microsoft Business Contact Manager services, they are often in need of sales tracking advice, or even the projection of future sales. Such services are provided with the Microsoft Business Contact Manager, and the quality of the Microsoft Business Contact Manager program is prevalent time after time.

Prophet’s Microsoft Business Contact Manager can enhance profits.

Many companies turn to the Microsoft Business Contact Manager, Prophet, because they are looking to enhance their sales. More times than not, companies benefit from the Microsoft Business Contact Manager largely in part from the information that they receive from the program. They take the information that they receive from the Microsoft Business Contact Manager and turn it into profits. The overall goal of Prophet’s Microsoft Business Contact Manager is to not only organize a business’ contacts, but to also create an increase in revenues. Keeping the Microsoft Business Contact Manager fully functional and use it as a reliant source of information is often what is key. Due to the simplicity that Prophet’s Microsoft Business Contact Manager has to offer, it comes as no surprise that the program is being incorporated into corporations big and small every day. As the importance of customer service makes its way into many more outlets, workers are sure to see the Prophet’s Microsoft Business Contact Manager in action.

The future looks bright for Prophet’s Microsoft Business Contact Manager software.

There is no mistaking that Prophet’s Microsoft Business Contact Manager is going places. A seen Microsoft Business Contact Manager that is operating well for a corporation means that the entity is benefiting from the Microsoft Business Contact Manager. The base amount purchase of one hundred dollars for Prophet’s Microsoft Business Contact Manager seems to pay for itself repetitively for those that seek to use it. Prophet’s Microsoft Business Contact Manager is easy to operate as it works thru Outlook’s emailing system, and there is great familiarity with the program. As a Microsoft Business Contact Manager, Prophet is truly going places. It is a wonderful investment, and a proven Microsoft Business Contact Manager tool that keeps information organized and profitable.

Branding Your Company: How To Choose The Right Business Name

Wharton Business Foundation asked:

It’s surprising that a lot of business owners have never had proper branding done for their businesses. Starting with their company name. Many simply name their companies after themselves (ex. John’s Accounting Service, THM Enterprises, etc.) or just a name that they pull out of the air. What’s in a name? A rose by any other name would smell just as sweet. Right?…Wrong! Not if we called it a stinkweed!

Your company name is everything. It’s a crucial part of your marketing and your brand. At the mere mention of your business’s name, clients and prospective clients should experience an emotional reaction. Your business name serves as an emotional anchor for your brand. So it should not be taken lightly. It’s ideal if your company name tells people what you do. Unlike the home improvement company that we came across named XRM Technologies. They actually install gutters, windows and vinyl siding believe it or not.

So how do you come up with the right name for your company? For our clients, we use an exercise that we call the ‘name game’. Here’s how you “play it”. On a piece of paper, draw a line down the middle of the page, dividing the page into two columns. On the left side of the page, write down all of the problems or “pain points” that your prospect feels. I mean everything (ex. They have bad credit, can’t get credit cards, can’t get loans, have to pay higher interest rates, can’t get a mortgage or car loan, have to pay cash for everything, are embarrassed by their bad credit, etc.). Be very thorough and leave nothing out.

Next, on the right side of the page, write all of the solutions to the problems and “pain points”. For example: problem – they have bad credit; solution– raise their credit score to a good score; problem – they are embarrassed by their bad credit; solution – instill in them a sense of pride from having an improved credit score. After you finish listing all of the solutions to the problems, look at all of your solution words and phrases and then piece them together to come up different names for your business.

So, a real estate management company could be ‘Worry Free Property Management”. A florist could be ‘Last Minute Florists’. A dentist could be ‘Your Beautiful Smile Dental’. An insurance agency could be ‘Peace Of Mind Financial Services’. A fitness center could be “New You Fitness’. A green janitorial company could be ‘Clean, Quick & Green Janitorial’. A home improvement company could be ‘24 Hour Windows & Doors’. You get the idea. From your list, choose 6 – 10 of your best choices. Write them down on a piece of paper in column formation.

Lastly, you want to do some surveys. Go to the local mall, bookstore or whatever place your industry prospects gather (the business district at lunchtime, supermarkets, seminars, hardware stores, hospitals, etc.) and get their input on your name selections. Perform at least 10 – 20 surveys. Tell them what you want your prospective customers to feel and think when they hear your company name (ex. trust your company, be relaxed, be excited, laugh, want to make money, become hungry, want to eat healthily, etc.). Ask them to listen to your choices and rank them each from 1 to 10 (1 being the worst and 10 being the best). Lastly, ask them if they didn’t like your name selections, are there any names that they’d recommend. This is powerful because your actual market tells you the name that appeals to them the most.

The outcome of the ‘name game’ is a business name that appeals directly to your market. You effectively eliminate the possibility of having a non-compelling name that simply sounds catchy or flashy. Instead, you get a name that when your prospective and existing clients speak it, it instantly solves their problems.

Business Contact Management Software

Jose Vanegas asked:

Introduction

Networking is a popular buzz world in the business world today. The importance of making and utilizing contacts to expand your business and develop professionally is key to being successful and rise above your competition. It can be tricky however to manage all the contacts you make through networking and all the different networking opportunities you have, such as meetings, lunches, appointments, and other social gatherings. However, there is a Business Contact Management Software available on the market today to help you make the most of your networking contacts and opportunities. This Business Contact Management Software is Prophet offered by Avidian. There are many reasons why you and your company can benefit by using this Business Contact Management Software.

Using Business Contact Management Software makes sure that all information is kept together in one place.

One of the hardest parts of networking is keeping track of all your different contacts. Some individuals choose to keep their networking contacts on a rolodex, but this just sits on a desk and takes up space. Others choose to keep their contacts by keeping their business cards in or on their desk. This too takes up space and can be hard to keep organized. One of the best ways to keep track of all your business contacts is through Business Contact Management Software such as Prophet. This Business Contact Management Software keeps all your contacts in one place without taking up any space on your desk.

Information is easily accessible using Business Contact Management Software.

By using Business Contact Management Software, such as Prophet, it makes all your business contacts easily accessible. Prophet Business Contact Management Software uses the common email program, Outlook, to keep track of all your business contacts. This Business Contact Management Software makes sorting, tracking, and accessing your business contacts easy with just a few clicks of your mouse.

Business Contact Management Software helps you track past and future contacts

Anyone who is good at networking has several different business contacts. Some of these contacts you work with on a regular basis, while contact with others is irregular and minimal. However, these are important people in your network, it’s just that time doesn’t allow for you to contact them as regularly as you would like. Business Contact Management Software can help you keep track of all these different contacts now matter how often you touch base with them or work with them. One of the great things about Prophet Business Contact Management Software is that the Business Contact Management Software keeps track of all the times you contact your business contacts. For example, Prophet Business Contact Management Software tracks meetings, lunches, and other appointments you have with your contacts. Business Contact Management Software also can track phone calls, emails, and other contacts you have. Business Contact Management Software helps you when you are trying to figure out where you left a discussion or project with your business contact or helps you see when you need to make contact with them to keep them involved in your network. Business Contact Management Software makes keeping track of past and future contacts easy.

Business Contact Management Software reminds you of key networking times.

One of the great assets of Prophet Business Contact Management Software is that it keeps track of key networking opportunities, such as lunches, meetings, appointments, and other social gatherings where you can touch base with current or past business contacts or meet new ones. Business Contact Management Software is especially great if you are a busy individual, who doesn’t have a lot of time to manage a schedule. You’re computer and the Business Contact Management Software simply does it for you and then just reminds you before the time.

Prophet Business Contact Management Software is easy to use.

Time is money in the business world, so executives and managers want Business Contact Management Software that is not only compatible with their current computers and software but business contact management that is also easy for their employees to use. Prophet Business Contact Management Software is one of the easiest types of Business Contact Management Software to learn to use. Not only is Prophet Business Contact Management Software user friendly, but Prophet Business Contact Management Software also provides a tutorial and several help information sections in case anyone has questions about a specific feature of the Business Contact Management Software. Many executives and managers have switched to using Prophet Business Contact Management Software after discovering how much easier it was to utilize than the competitors’ Business Contact Management Software.

Business Contact Management Software is compatible with several other types of software.

Compatibility of Business Contact Management Software is a key concern of most managers and executives of companies. They want Business Contact Management Software that is not only easy to use but Business Contact Management Software that is also compatible with the current software the company or business already owns. Prophet Business Contact Management Software is compatible with many different types of software and information and can be used or accessed through Word, Excel, PDF, and HTML file formats.

Prophet Business Contact Management Software can serve other purposes.

One of the great things about Prophet Business Contact Management Software is that you can use Business Contact Management Software for other things besides managing your business and network contacts. For example, if your business is driven by sales, you can use the Business Contact Management Software to manage your different sales contacts, sales opportunities, and all correspondence with those you do business with. In addition, Prophet Business Contact Management Software allows you to easily sort the different sales categories, so you can see how sales are for different employees or groups using only your Business Contact Management Software. Prophet Business Contact Management Software can also help you track your past and current revenue, as well as predict what your future revenue will be.

If you are an executive or manager in a company or business that is looking for Business Contact Management Software to suit your needs, consider Prophet Business Contact Management Software by Avidian. Prophet Business Contact Management Software is compatible with a variety of different types of software, and Prophet Business Contact Management Software is easy to use. Prophet Business Contact Management Software can help you manage your business contacts and networking opportunities with just a few clicks of a mouse. If you’re interested in Prophet Business Contact Management Software, check it out at www.avidian.com.

Business Credit Cards are a Better Way to Manage Business

Art Taylor asked:

Business cards still have an application and approval process, still include an interest rate on purchases, and still have an impact on credit scores. They are available with low APR, zero introductory interest rates, balance transfer options, rewards, like airline miles or cash back, and on and on. Business credit cards are similar to personal credit cards in how they are obtained, how they are used, and how they work, however business credit cards also offer unique business oriented benefits and generally offer high lines of credit. They also offer travel discounts on cars and hotels, travel insurance, and even restaurant savings. The truth of the matter is, business credit cards will help your business grow and there is no doubt about it.

Business owners also understand that securing a business credit card early on in the life of the business, helps the business to build its credit track record; and that the sooner a track record is established, the sooner the business will be able to carry the business credit card liabilities on its own. These cards have gradually become one of the most common forms of business credit that assists businesses meet their urgent requirements, even when there is a deficiency of cash. Businesses, both large and small, are no different from private consumers when it comes to the benefits of credit cards, and many businesses rely on the convenience and flexibility of these cards in order to aid the smooth running of their finances.

Business credit cards often secure preferential exchange rates to the business traveler and business credit card issuers also arrange for worldwide emergency and travel assistance. Currently, business credit cards offering zero percent interest rates and reward rich incentives are advertised widely and these types of business cards are going to be more widely marketed to small business owners in upcoming months.

Business credit cards are accepted virtually everywhere, which is great for those who need equipment or supplies in a hurry. Business credit cards are usually issued to corporate executives or business owners in order to more easily keep business expenses separate from personal charges. Business cards for businesses in general, and for small business in particular, have become increasingly popular as more and more businesses start to realize the benefits. Business credit card volume has grown 20% annually since 2000 and business cards can be issued to more than one individual. They are a great way to increase cash flow and solve cash flow problems.

Business Credit Cards are wonderful financial tools for all types of business. But there are drawbacks to small-business credit card usage as well. A business credit card carries the same personal liability as a personal card. So if the business defaults on credit-card payments, a creditor can come after the person who signed the card for payment. Moreover, your small-business credit card will be noted on your personal credit reports and a few late payments could seriously damage your personal credit score, while a big debt increase by the business could make you look more overextended than you really are, regardless of the payment history. Still, no matter what, once your business has established its own credit history, you should be able to remove your small-business credit card from your personal credit reports. One other word of caution: because business credit cards are meant to be used by companies, not consumers, they come with fewer consumer protections than a personal credit card.

From the above, you can see that the vote is in. Business credit cards are wonderful financial tools for all types of businesses. And, if you do not have one for your business now, perhaps you should be considering getting one in the near future. After all, financial tools that come with great features and benefits are a business necessity.

Small Business Grants for Starting Up!

Smith & Chen asked:

Small business grants are not just given away by government agencies or private institutions for helping you start your business. There needs to be a particular interest in your project in order for them to provide the funding that you need. And it’s not enough to have a good idea in order to obtain finance for it; you need to have a well made business project to convince them of your eligibility.

No Credit Or Income Requirements?

Though there is no need to reimburse the money on government grants, claims that state that there is no credit or income requirement in order to get approved for a government grant are far from being truth. Truth is that the requirements for approval are not present in the same sense as on private or federal loans but there is still a qualification process.

You may wonder then, what is needed in order to qualify for a government grant. The idea is that you’ll need to show that your business project is viable, and thus, you’ll need to show that you can be trusted which implies having a fair credit score and the ability to generate a proper income to show proof of the business viability.

Presenting a Viable Business Project

What you need to understand is that prior to requesting a government grant, you’ll need to prepare a presentation of your business project. This obviously implies having a project and not just a mere idea. There must be certain degree of research done with market analysis to prove the viability of the business and the income generation capacity.

Though the money doesn’t need to be returned, the government agency is interested in investing the money in a project that will endure in time and that will keep generating job positions and revenues thus boosting the economy and the welfare of the nation. The particular requirements of each government grant need to be consulted with the government agency that provides them.

Getting Approved For a Government Grant

The key to getting approved for a government grant is to present an appealing business project that shows great feasibility and relates to those fields that the government is interested in promoting. If you don’t meat the requirements for a government grant approval, there is not much you can do about it. Yet, if you do qualify, it is important to be well informed prior to applying in order to take the proper steps and avoid getting declined due to bureaucratic reasons.

If you can’t qualify for a government grant, don’t despair and use the opportunity to consult about government business loans that are sometimes offered with subsidized interest rates and very affordable payments.

Business Grants

One of the best places to research the availability of business grants and loans is the Small Business Administration, an agency of the federal government with a mandate to help business, especially small business succeed. Despite what many people tell you, the idea that the government is just sitting around with a pile of money waiting to give out to you or any other small business is just plain wrong. The idea of obtaining a small business grant, for many small business owners, is great.

Your chances of obtaining grants for your business dramatically increase if you have a non-profit organization. This isn’t to say that assistance isn’t available at all, just that grants are probably a long process when and if you happen to find one where your small business fits. While the Small Business Administration does not have any monies to provide directly for business grants and loans they can direct businesses to a number of government agencies and departments that do provide this type of assistance.

Even though the category of Business and Commerce may be what appears to have the largest selection of resources for business grants for women, consider the other categories as well, according to where your business falls. There are many types of grants offered by the Governments and other financial institutions that include individual grants for personal necessities, business grants for starting new business, education grants for funding education and many more. There are two main types of financing available for small businesses; small business grants and small business loans.

You’re not along if you need small business grants and loans to get your business started. If you want to avail of free government business grants then you need to locate a program that provides grants to start up businesses. Government’s Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) provides a listing of Government grants and other types of assistance that you can receive.

The downside of grants is that business grants for women are not widely available. So, are there any grants available to you as a small business owner? New business owners and existing business owners are eligible to apply for business grants.

Small business administration grants are provided for small businesses that are already in operation. Small businesses always play a significant role in the economic growth of a country and that is the reason governments are always ready to offer financial resources to facilitate small business. This type of service offered by the government is only obtainable to businesses that barely needs a financial support but can not apply for a loan because of inadequate security.

There are indeed many grant and loan programs for small businesses, including many that are administered by state or local government, rather than the federal government. Having pointed to the drawbacks, there are many genuine government grants for both small businesses and individuals available, and these can be substantial. That’s you’ll actually be able to access whatever grants, services and resources are available, because the nonprofit organizations are the ones who work with indidivuals and provide “service delivery.

First, let’s take a look at what type of grants are available. The allure of these so-called small business grants is understandable. If you are interested in looking for a company that can provide you with small business administration grants, you can try searching through the World Wide Web for information.

If you are considering starting your own home business in the near future you should consider researching small business grants and loans now. Federal Grants provides detailed information on Federal Grants, Federal Pell Grants, Federal Government Grants, Federal Grants For Small Business and more. Small Business Loans provides detailed information on How To Get A Small Business Loans, Minority Small Business Loans, Small Business Bad Credit Loans, Small Business Government Loans and more.

To conclude, small business loans are usually awarded to all kinds of businesses to help them to begin and to succeed in their trading. The government is more than willing to help out businesses especially with the economic condition that still remains volatile and unpredictable and with the need for more economic development.

Tucson Business, It’s About What You Want

Keith John Gill asked:

Tucson AZ, it is one of the fastest growing “High-tech” business communities in the nation. With this fast growth comes a greater demand for flexible, scalable, intuitive, feature rich, customizable, and economical options for business class data and voice solutions.

The interesting thing though is that this “demand” is born more out of what is “wanted” than what is really “needed”.

I represent a large competitive local exchange company (CLEC) where I focus on the local Tucson AZ business community. It is my job to give business owners and principles what they “want” not necessarily what they need. Often times what they “want” is also what they “need” but not all the time. But what a business “needs’ is never as nearly important as what they “want”

Think of this “need / want” dynamic on a generalized personal level. Do people generally more often buy and consume less healthy white bread or healthier whole wheat bread? Statistically people more often buy and consume white bread…Why? Because it is what people “want” not what they “need”. Get it?

So how does this apply “need / want” dynamic apply to the Tucson business community and specifically to business class data and voice solutions where my expertise comes into play?

There are quite of few choices locally here in Tucson AZ for a local Tucson business to use as their data and voice provider. You have Qwest which is the legacy, “incumbent local exchange company” or ILEC, then a handful of other “competitive local exchange companies” CLEC’s such as Cox and Comcast and then a small group of service resellers and other companies that exist solely in the IP world that offer private network IP based services.

Anyone of these choices can fill the “need” to get the job done for the local business owner. But the real question is what does the business owner “want”? What are the rising trends? And who can consistently provide for these “wants” and rising trends?

Based on my field tested experience and research these are the trends and “wants” that I see as on the rise among Tucson businesses in regards to their voice and data solutions.

1. Scalability: Businesses want the flexibility and the choice to logistically scale their data and voice needs as their business grows and not be locked into an “all or nothing” type of solution. A popular voice and data solution that is not scalable enough for a lot of business are legacy, copper wire T1 lines. A full T1 in the Tucson metro area can cost anywhere from $400 to $700 per month before mileage charges. T1’s also offer a maximum of 1.544Mbs of fully symmetrical bandwidth and nothing more. If a business owner ever wants more bandwidth they have to bring in a whole new sole and separate T1 and another $400 to $700 per month. Now what if a business does not need a full 1.544Mbs of data connectivity right away because they are a new and growing business? In this instance a T1 does not offer the scalability nor the flexibility that some businesses “want”.

2. True Local support and local point of contact: This is something I hear a lot. Local business owners and managers are tired of calling support or service and getting connected to someone in another state (or worse another country) who has no real relationship or vested interest in solving an issue in a painless and timely manner. Tucson business owners want the personal relationship and for vendors to truly understand and relate to a given “want”.

Tucson Businesses want personal, high-touch, one-on-one, and fanatical customer service and a local person that they can form a true professional relationship with.

One business owner told me that he loves that I can be the local Tucson based point of contact because if anything goes wrong with his voice and data connections, for his mission critical applications, he likes not having to go travel very far to find me and “punch me in the face…” . Of course he was being sarcastic….I think?

3. Ala Carte service and flexibility: Tucson business owners “want” to be able pick and choose the services and products that they truly “want” and not be locked in having to take a certain level of service before being able to get a certain feature or product with a whole bunch of other ancillary services that they may never use.

4. Custom solutions: Tucson businesses are extremely diverse and not one particular “off the shelf” solution will fit every business. Tucson Businesses want to be able to have the choice of a custom fit / custom engineered solution for their data and voice solutions.

5. Choice to bundle services and have one vendor: Tucson business owners love to “bundle”. Practically it makes sense NOT to layer costs spread out among several different vendors. Tucson business owners **** having to pay up to 4 different vendors for their data, voice and HD video needs for their businesses. Being able to write one check and have one point of contact is not only convenient but it also saves a lot of lost time and frustration which in turn creates more productivity and profitability

6. Service and feature that cater to mobility and telecommuting: Tucson Business are moving away from the full time, static “brick and mortar” locations and are increasingly become more mobile in their business practices. Hence Tucson businesses want their data and voice solutions to be as mobile as they are like “digital voice service” with such features as “find me / follow me”, “call hunt”, “simultaneous ring” etc. Likewise on the data side Tucson business owners want the ability to access files and folders on their own private network remotely. Be it a virtual private network sessions or setting up a wide area network Tucson business owners need access from any location at any time they need it.

Also, I have noticed that an increasing amount of Tucson businesses are employing home workers or “telecommuters”. Especially those companies that employ a large customer support or technical support work force. To me this is a great thing. Automobile traffic is becoming an increasing nightmare in Tucson not too mention gas prices. So if more people can effectively work at home the better it is for everyone.

Being that “telecommuting” is becoming more of a growing trend for Tucson business, business owners want features and service that support this trend. Such as remote call forwarding, remote VPN access or having a wide area network or WAN for short.

7. Several different price points and bandwidth tiers to choose from: This ties back in with scalability and flexibility. Tucson business owners do not want to be locked into an “all or nothing scenario”. Tucson business owners want an economical solution that is fluid and can scale and grow as their business grows. Not all businesses want a full T1 data and voice connection to begin with when starting out and some business want a lot more than what a T1 can provide once their business grow and evolves.

8. True understanding of Personal Business WANTS: Did you ever meet someone who tried to serve you vanilla when you never “wanted” anything but chocolate. Vendors and sales people have gotten a bad reputation for constantly trying to pound a square peg in a round hole all because they don’t take the time to truly listen and understand your “wants” as a business owner. Most vendors try to constantly give you what they think you “need” but never address what you want.

Now, there are several different “wants” and growing business trends here in Tucson AZ in regards to data and voice connectivity but these are the most common I have run across.

So now that we have uncovered the growing trends for Tucson Business in regards to data and voice connectivity and what they “want” (not what they need) how does a business choose a vendor that can consistently deliver on these most common “wants” and trends? Very carefully, that’s how.

Never sign anything unless you are sure your potential vendor is going to be able to consistently deliver on your business “wants”. Again, it is my job to give Tucson businesses what they “want” and I will be the first one to tell you that I can not deliver something and recommend who can. Most times I and the company I represent are the best choice. But sometimes we are not.

Remember, it’s about what you “want” not what you “need…Now go get what you want.