Outsource Back Office

2007-11-26T22:36:00.000-08:00

Increase Your Earning Potential With An Online Bachelor Degree Education?

Now-a-days a bachelor degree education is an absolute necessity if you want to further your career ambitions. In order to get this degree, the first thing that would come to your mind is to go to a college. However, there are other ways to achieving your degree.

Through the Internet, you can get an onine bachelor degree education, that would give you exactly the same qualification same as that of a conventional campus college bachelor degree.

You might be wondering how this can be done. It is very easy. The first thing to do is to search on the Internet and try to find an online educational course that would be best suited to your requirements. There are hundreds of traditional universities now offering distance education online bachelor degree course as well as a wealth of online only course providers.

Check List

As you carry out your seach for a course you need to check certain things. - the office of the institution is suitably located, if it the address is somewhere in Africa or eastern Europe is might be less then reputable.

- be sure that you understand the fee structure of the bachelor degree program and that this is acceptable to you.

- the accessibility to its assistances, some courses have one-on-one tutors that you can contact for extra advice and help. Others also have special weekends where you can attend a local school or college to get some face to face tuition.

- the courses that are available (because sometimes the college may not be able to offer the subject of the person's choice)

- the systems of teaching do they offer a virtual campus, live teleclasses, web cams etc.

The course duration The bachelor degree is usually of a four year course, the same as that is offered in all campus colleges. Online bachelor degree courses are the same as that of distance education courses. The only difference is that it makes use of modern technology such as that of the Internet whereas some others use the traditional means of class room lectures.

Most course are suited to the online approach. For exmaple a bachelor degree in music education taken online is just as easy to follow as a online bachelor degree in physical education or a online bachelor degree in biblical education the choice is as wide as it is divers. Location is not an issue and you can study anywhere in the country from Nevada to Delaware, through to Wisconsin. Cross country boundries are also broken down and people from all over the world can join a online program.

Technology

One of the most common ways which distance education can be done is through the use of technology such as live media.

In this type of technique, there is an online classroom. Students have to log in to a chat room or a discussion forum that allows not only for text communication but also for live audio chat.

This is similar to many of the popular instant messaging programs that are being widely used today. Through the use of a set of headphones or computer speakers, the student can hear the lectures that are being given. The students can communicate with the teacher and with other students through text chat or simply by talking through the PC microphone.

Another good thing is that the lecture can also be recorded and posted to the website of the school to allow those students who have missed the lecture to catch up on all that they have missed. This is something that is not possible in a live classroom. Thus, online distance learning requires that the student have access to a personal computer and the Internet.

Another type of online classroom involves the use of text messages such as email and message boards. In this system, each class may share a group mailbox, or a message board system. The instructor would then post lectures on the topic of the day, post assignments and post discussion questions related to the topic.

The students can then view these and study the necessary topics required and can also post notes and assignments and share them with the other students.

Twenty-Four Seven Access

This twenty-four hour access to the course material greatly benefits the student but then the disadvantage is that of the lack of direct contact with the teacher. This makes it so much easier for those who want to work a full- time job but at the same time study from home and earn a bachelor degree to help in their career growth.
About the Author

Jason R Davidson owns and operates http://www.bachelordegreeonlineprogram.com Bachelor Degree Online Program

2007-11-26T22:32:00.000-08:00

Internet Banking: Why People Use It

Is the nature of business forcing customers to use internet banking? Or, is there something in it for the customers? Indeed there are many advantages to doing internet banking. It is easy to open an internet banking account. You sit, in the comfort of your home or office, and type in your answers to a few questions. You set up the security measures that will be used to access your account, like usernames, passwords, etc. Then, all you need to do is print off and sign a form to send in to complete the process.

Internet banking is growing for a reason. People are getting accustomed to transacting business over the internet. They are enjoying the convenience and the control over their money that internet banking gives them.

Getting Insurance through Internet Banking Institutions

You can go to internet banking websites and click on the insurance tab to get information. You can also sign up online. Because you will be entering personal information, you will need to sign up with the internet banking institution first. Many internet banking operations provide life insurance. You can pay for term insurance with a simple automatic deduction from your internet banking account if you choose to do so. You will have to fill out an online information form about yourself.

Another insurance product offered by internet banking sources is travel insurance. Many international internet banking companies offer this. They offer coverage for medical expenses when you are out of your home country. You will not have to pay cancellation fees if you have this coverage. It will address such issues as lost luggage and theft of travel documents. It is a good insurance to have if you can get it by internet banking. Some internet banking companies go so far as offering health insurance. Health insurance is usually a costly business for anyone buying an individual policy. The internet banking company will set you up with this insurance for a competitive fee. However, do not expect it to be cheap. That is just the nature of the product.

How Internet Banking Institutions are set up

The first order of business is to gather a group of at least five people to organize the internet banking company. These people will be on the board of directors, and one of them should be the CEO of the bank. The five or more people will be intensely involved together to form working procedures of the bank. To get a name trademarked, they simply have to go to the US Patent and Trademark Office. There is just one form to fill out. They submit it with a fee and wait for approval. Sometimes, they have to make a case for their trademarked name. This is done through emails. If all goes well, the internet banking name will soon be theirs.

When getting a professional website designer, the designer should design an internet banking site with the highest level of security. This includes such features as 128-bit encryption, secure socket layering, and adequate firewalls. Another way is to take over stock in an existing bank and put in a change of charter with the OCC. In any case, the OCC will give the board of directors advice on how to best submit their application for the charter of their internet banking operation.

Dealing with cash transactions when using Internet Banking

There have to be special considerations for dealing with cash when you are using virtual internet banking. Doing online transactions is all well and good. When you want to make a manual deposit or withdraw money, though, you cannot do it directly through your computer. Lately, though, internet banking companies have made deals with companies that own ATM's. Because of these deals, internet banking customers are allowed to make manual deposits into their teller machines. This makes it easier for people who receive a cash payment and want to put it into the bank to pay bills.

If you have a traditional account as well as your virtual internet banking account, you can transfer money from your traditional account to your virtual account. This would allow you to put a check in your traditional account and then transfer the funds into your virtual account to pay bills. The only way to counter this is if you do have that traditional bank account. You can transfer money into it from your virtual internet banking account for just such occurrences. Otherwise, you will have to pay the ATM fees.
About the Author

Interested in getting more information plus reviews? then check out the following website: Banking Information Online.

2007-11-26T22:30:00.000-08:00

Web And Audio Conferencing

The technology boom in the 21st century has created wonders for the telecom industry in a tremendous manner. With the arrival of mobile phones and the Internet, communication is fast becoming a necessity. It is indeed a technological revolution.

The Benefits Of Web And Audio Conferencing:

In this regard, web and audio conferencing have taken the IT boom to its next level of revolution. Today, equipped with the Internet technology, we are able to carry out conferences with people all over the world while sitting in our office. Web and audio conferencing has enabled the postmodern world in connecting with a virtual reality through the medium of cyber space.

With web and audio conferencing, large business organizations are able to deal with their clientele and other associates within seconds. The video aspect of the conference allows the maintaining of a physical aspect of the communication which is a part of virtual reality.

Some Basic Requirements Of Web And Audio Conferencing:

To facilitate the Internet web and audio conferencing, you must have Windows, Java, Linux or Mac software and an internet connection of at least minimum 128kbps. For video conference, VOIP (voice over Internet protocol) is mandatory and a camera which will help in receiving and sending the analog digital message in the form of audio and video.

This is the cheapest medium of communication which saves a lot of money and time as it can be established almost instantly and does not require a huge amount of investment in comparison of the expenses on traveling for business and personal use. It is the easiest medium of maintaining oneâ€"toâ€"one conference which can be highly efficient in running a business. Thus, web and audio conferencing is the new technological revolution, which enables the IT revolution to move to the next level.
About the Author

Discover the best internet web conference services online. Learn how web and audio conferences can help improve your business efficiency and sales.

2007-11-26T22:27:00.000-08:00

How To Use A Computer To Work From Home

Copyright (c) 2007 Rebekah Mack Bono

If you are interested in working from home and have a computer with an Internet connection, most likely there is a job opportunity for you on the Internet. If you are willing to do some research and online legwork, chances are you will be able to use the computer to work at home.

Using a computer to work at home is actually quite simple. There are several types of jobs that require you to use a computer to work at home ' freelance service based jobs, transcription work, virtual assistant work, online auction sites, and many other options are available to you if you know how to use a computer. In fact, using a computer to work at home is one of the easiest ways to begin working from home.

Freelance service providers such as writers, graphic designers, and web developers all can use computers to work at home. If you do this job from a computer in an office for a corporation, it could be just as profitable, if not more so, to do the same job from your computer at home. If you're interested in using a computer to work from home, you could either ask your current employer about telecommuting, or go into business for yourself as a freelancer.

There are many transcription sites that allow you to train as a transcriptionist and then use a computer to work at home. If you have experience with typing or transcription, and are interested in working for an online employer instead of going into business for yourself, transcription might be a good way to use a computer to work at home.

If you have secretarial skills or have worked as an administrative assistant, you are probably qualified to work as a virtual assistant, or VA. Virtual assistants perform secretarial duties for clients over the Internet, using a computer to work from home. They may never meet their clients face to face, but work with them virtually in the same capacity as a secretary. There are many agencies that hire VA's, or you could go into business as a freelance VA and market yourself.

These are just a few of the many ways you can use a computer to work from home. Working from home is rewarding, allowing you flexible scheduling and free time when you need it. If you're interested in having more time to spend with your friends and family, or would like to avoid a long commute or the hassles of the corporate world, working from home might be the answer for you. Using a computer to work from home isn't difficult, and it just might be the best decision you ever made!
About the Author

Rebekah Mack Bono is an expert in the work at home field, providing work at home ideas, tips, and resources through The Best Work at Home Resource website, which she owns. She is also author of eBook, The Best Work At Home Resource Guide, which offers ideas for freelancers, stay-at-home moms, or anyone looking to work from home. http://www.best-work-at-home-resource.com

2007-11-26T22:18:00.000-08:00

Is The 5linx Business Opportunity Right For You?

5linx is a home based business company located in Rochester NY. The company has seen a significant growth in its almost 7 years in business. There is a lot of hype about the companyâ€™s compensation plan as well as its products and services. As a result 5linx is attracting a lot of home based business enthusiasts and network marketers.

However, many people are jumping on board without taking the time to make sure that 5linx is the right opportunity for them. And because the home based business industry has a very high failure rate, it is important to make sure that the company is right for you before you hop on board.

The first part of the equation is you. Do you have a strong desire to work from home? Are you sure you want to have a home based business? The 5linx business opportunity requires that you put in your own time. You can set your own hours, but if you really want to know if it is right for you, go ahead and look at your schedule. Set aside your own hours now.

When you set your own hours to fit 5linx into your schedule, you may have to give up some of your other activities. If youâ€™re someone who watches TV, you may have to give up some of your TV time. For stay at home moms or dads, consider working around your kids schedules.

There is a financial commitment to get started as a 5linx representative. There are two starting positions. However to take full advantage of the compensation plan, the upfront cost is $499. There is also an ongoing monthly cost of $29.99 for your replicated website and virtual office provided by the company.

Compared to the cost of starting a traditional business, this cost is fairly low. But you need to determine if you can afford this investment. Bear in mind that youâ€™ll need some capital for marketing. There are extremely effective free marketing methods, but in case you choose to use some paid ones, be sure to have a cushion.

Do you have a success system for 5linx? Whatâ€™s your marketing plan? See, success depends on the amount of quality exposure youâ€™re willing to give yourself and your business. Instead of jumping in without knowing how youâ€™re going to grow your business, take the time to find out how youâ€™re going to market your business.

Many home based business sponsors teach you to make a list of friends and family, buy and cold call leads, pass out flyers, and all that. If youâ€™re comfortable with these methods, then those sponsors are a dime a dozen.

However, if youâ€™d like to incorporate cutting edge marketing solutions that will enable you to have prospects contacting you to join your business, then you need to look for the right sponsor.

Mixing up your marketing is important and having someone who can show you how to market via the internet will benefit you.

Ultimately it all comes down to you. Once youâ€™ve considered the above points, then decide if the 5linx business opportunity is right for you.

If 5linx is right for you, then choose a top sponsor now.
About the Author

Yvonne Chihak is the author of the Powerful CD "Explode Your Downline, Online! Ready, Set, Go! at http://www.ExplodeYourDownlineOnline.com

She is also an active network marketer with 5linx telecommunications. Contact Yvonne at http://www.SuccessYes.com and get your FREE copy of her eBook.

2007-11-25T22:28:00.000-08:00

Choosing The Right Strategy for your Online Business:

Choosing The Right Strategy For Your Online Business: Pay for Inclusion versus Pay per Click

By Richard Zwicky

Back in the old days of the Internet - in 1993, - there were 284 locations on the entire World Wide Web. According to Bill Clinton, only 8 of them ended in .com or .net when he was sworn into office. As of January 1, 2003, there were 171,000,000 domain hosts in use. In 1995, the largest search engine database was Altavista, and it had most of the Internet categorized. Today Google and FASTsearch own the largest databases. Yet neither one of them has even 10% of the Internet covered. It's estimated that more than 8,000,000 web pages are added to the Internet every day. None of the search engines are able to keep up to that pace. So how will your website stand out? How will it acquire the traffic it needs to succeed? There are many ways to approach the issue of marketing an online business, but for the sake of this article, we'll concern ourselves solely with online tools, and ways to expedite success. In that vein, we'll concern ourselves with Pay for Inclusion and Pay for Placement (or Pay per Click) advertising.

Some engines, such as AltaVista, Inktomi, Looksmart and FAST, use a pay for inclusion model. What this means is that to be guaranteed to be found within that specific search engine index, the website operator must pay a fee to be listed. It's similar to the fee a business pays for a Yellow Pages listing. These fees vary from monthly to annual. Looksmart charges a listing fee, plus a fee of $0.15 per clickthrough.

Engaging a Pay-for-Inclusion service does not come with any placement guarantees. If your website is not properly optimized, but you paid an inclusion fee, it is guaranteed to be indexed and listed somewhere within that search engine. If you want to ensure success with a Pay-for-Inclusion search engine, then your website must still be optimized. Without proper optimization, which includes an analysis from the perspective of all the factors that the search engines look for, a pay for inclusion service will not deliver the desired benefits to the website operator.

When properly matched with a comprehensive Search Engine Optimization regimen, a Pay for Inclusion program will result in powerful results: Qualified Traffic, Customers, and Relevant Traffic.

Pay per Click advertising is the process by which a web site operator can arrange for a website to be placed in a pre-defined position within certain search engines, such as Overture.

Search Engine Placement is always a Pay-Per-Click solution. While advertising websites are only permitted to buy advertising in search queries that are relevant to their content, they are not sorted by relevance but rather purely based on bid value.

Pay per click services allow advertisers to bid for each visitor directed through to their web site, based upon the number of clicks the ad receives. Pay per Click search engine placement should be realistically viewed for what it is - an online auction. Advertisers bid against each other for a fixed position within a list of search results. The advertiser who bids the most is given the top spot in the list. Each advertiser bids according to their budget, and has to know his or her Return On Investment (ROI) to determine how much money should be spent on acquiring new customers.

How Do I Know Which Strategy Is Right For My Website? For those advertisers where the ROI is sensible or worthwhile, pay per click search engines are valuable customer acquisition tools. But is it right for you? While it can be expensive, here's a way for you to easily determine the ROI for your online business, and determine if it is the right choice for you. Take out a sheet of paper, and at the top of the sheet mark down the average price of the goods you sell - we'll use $100.00 for the purpose of the example. From that number, make some simple and basic calculations, outlined here:

$100.00 Sale Amount -$ 50.00 Cost of Goods -$ 5.00 Transaction Cost (bank charges, credit card) -$ 8.50 Shipping Fees (This assumes you're delivering a product, it needs a box, label, and has a delivery cost. -$ 10.00 Customer support costs - time on phone, email, etc... supporting and processing the transaction. What's 1 hour of your time worth? $ 26.50 = Margin Assuming this margin is correct for your website, is a Pay per Click campaign right for you? You'll need to look at your stats to judge this properly. You need to determine how many of your visitors are converting into buyers. IF your website has a 4% conversion rate, and your category is moderately competitive, you will probably need to budget at least $1.00 per click to get spot #3. Spot #3 is important because more often than not it's the top 3 spots per page of search engine results that are reserved for Pay per Click advertisers.

Assuming your website gets into the top three spots, here's how the math works if you get 100 clicks in a month. Since it's all percentage based, the same holds true if you get 25 clicks or 10,000 clicks.

100 clicks @ $1.00 per click = $100.00 cost 4% conversion = 4 sales = 4x $26.50 (margin on sale) = $106.00 Profit = $ 6.00

So, if the above were true, and IF the pay per click advertisement sent you 100 visitors per month, you would make only $6.00. Would you make much less having spot #4 instead of spot #3 ? If it meant one less sale a month, that would be worth it. You would make $70.00 more by selling less! Does spot #3 get much more traffic than relevant results in spots 4 through 10? Not at all for spot # 4, 5, 6, and only a little bit more for spot #'s 7-10. Remember, people usually look at the title or site description to see if it is relevant. Pay per Click is worth the money if your website is not found under any relevant queries in the top 20, but its value drops quickly if a website is found easily in the free listings within the search engines.

Is Pay for Inclusion Less Expensive? If we use the same calculation as above, and your website had 4 sales from a pay for inclusion engine where you paid $39.00 per year, or $3.25 / month, your profit would have been $103.25.

What About The Cost Of Search Engine Optimization? Search engine optimization does not have to be expensive. You can do the work yourself, but you need to ensure that it makes sense to do so. By this I mean, is doing it yourself a cost efficient, business proposition? Any time that you as an individual put into search engine optimization is time that you take away from business fundamentals and essentials. It's time away from customer support, content creation, service, administration, product research, other marketing, etc... What is that time worth? It's got to be part of the ROI calculation too. More and more people are choosing to outsource this work. It's estimated that 70% of online businesses will outsource non-core operations this year. It only makes sense. It's smart business to focus on what you know and do well and to hire others to support you in the other areas. Not many smart businessmen write their own contracts - they get their lawyer to do it. They want to ensure it's done right. Doing it right in the first place saves money in the long run. Outsourcing means getting someone else to do the work for you, properly. It does not mean getting someone to tell you what to do, or how to do things.

What's Right For Your Website? In the long run, a website operator that has a well optimized website will beat out a non-optimized website that concentrates on Pay per Click advertising for customer acquisition every day of the year. He may make fewer sales in a year, but he will make more profit from each sale. If the website is properly optimized, it will enjoy better placement in more search engines. This means it will survive, and prosper in the long run.
About the Author

Richard Zwicky is a founder and the CEO of Metamend Software, a Victoria B.C. based firm whose cutting edge Search Engine Optimization software has been recognized around the world as a leader in its field. Employing a staff of 10, the firm's business comes from around the world, with clients from every continent. Most recently the company was recognized for their geo-locational, or GIS technology, which correlates online businesses with their physical locations.

2007-11-25T22:25:00.000-08:00

What is the difference between Unix and NT systems ?

Shared or virtual hosting is usually available in two varieties: UNIX and NT. What is the difference between hosting on these operating systems?

NT servers are designed to accommodate advanced Microsoft applications. NT servers therefore integrate back office offerings such as FrontPage, Access and MS SQL with basic Web services. NT servers also offer specific programming environments such as Active Server Pages (ASP), Visual Basic Scripts, MS Index Server and Cold Fusion, which mainly link database applications to the Web.

NT servers do not provide an interactive shell, but are accessible through GUI-based remote administration packages such as PCAnywhere. Such packages allow you to log into the server's desktop as chief administrator as long as you have full control over your server.

We only recommend NT hosting if you intend to run your own dedicated server. The quality of hosting degrades rapidly if the Web host attempts to run an NT server as a shared hosting system.

Since NT servers provide unparalleled levels of support, security and integration for the Microsoft family of products, we recommend that you only select NT if you need to link a Microsoft-based service to your Internet hosting requirements.

NT is rather complex and labor-intensive and should only be selected if the webmaster has extensive experience in maintaining Windows systems remotely and requires product/Web integration.

A lot of hosting solutions are also provided on the UNIX platform. This is because the UNIX platform is specifically designed to accommodate heavy Web traffic and server load. UNIX servers are robust and are recognized for their ability to host multiple sites and serve out gigabytes of traffic.

This platform is also preferred by most webmasters due to their technical requirements. Most webmasters outsource their e-commerce solutions, and therefore don't need to configure complex database systems on their pay Web sites. UNIX servers also provide a wider degree of flexibility due to their shell environment. Shell environments are interactive, text-based systems that allow webmasters to interact and customize their services in real-time from any computer system worldwide. Unlike NT systems, UNIX is not limited to special remote administration programs. A typical UNIX system can be accessed from any computer connected to the Internet without special or expensive software.

But the most favored reason that most webmasters choose the UNIX platform is because of its uptime. Most UNIX systems with heavy traffic can provide 99 per cent uptime. NT servers with heavy traffic usually cannot make this same claim, unless specially configured. For this reason, average webmasters should select UNIX as their OS.

If you don't know which platform you need, then most likely you do not require NT hosting and you should select one of our UNIX hosting plans. The only time you would need to use NT hosting is when you are using the specific NT applications noted above. Microsoft FrontPage may be used on both the UNIX and NT platforms as since most hosting firms support the Microsoft FrontPage server extensions on both.

For More Articles Please Visit http://www.Hosts2002.Com/articles.html
About the Author

None

2007-11-25T22:23:00.000-08:00

Where Will YOUR Kids Get A Job?

Let's face it.

The job market is getting tougher every day.

Computerization is making many jobs redundant.

The Internet and modern telecommunications have allowed companies to outsource jobs to third-world countries where wage costs are much lower.

In fact thousands of jobs have already been shed in the United Kingdom as several major banks have outsourced their call center operations to the Indian subcontinent.

Other companies are following suit, sending their back- office and Information Technology jobs the same way.

This is a major trend that's only going to accelerate.

Have you ever wondered how your kids will get on when it's time to look for a job?

With the population increasing and with more people competing for fewer jobs, companies can now pick and choose from the very best applicants.

But wait a moment....

What do we mean by "the best"?

Whether you like it or not, "best" generally means the best qualified.

Employers, of course, have always used academic qualifications to shortlist job applicants for the interview stage.

But what is emerging now is a reliance on exam results for even seemingly ordinary jobs.

For example, did you know that the average call center employee in India is educated to degree level?

Qualifications are becoming more important than ever before.

And while not everyone is a natural-born exam prodigy, there are steps parents can take to help their kids gain better exam passes.

Here are 5 tips to get you started:

#1. Make learning enjoyable

We all do things better when we enjoy them, so bring out the joy of learning for its own sake.

One way to achieve this is by having family discussions about exam-related topics. Try to inject some drama (or at least some interest!) into the topic.

Another way is to embrace different technologies outside of the classroom. The Internet, multimedia CD-ROMs, and TV services like The Discovery Channel all help to liven up learning.

#2. Develop problem-solving skills

Practicing mental activities like quizzes and crossword puzzles helps nurture the intellectual problem-solving part of the brain.

It also develops other important skills like concentration and creativity.

So get your kids into the habit of solving problems every day.

Their exam skills will develop naturally, plus they'll be able to solve problems more easily in the real world outside of the exam hall.

#3. Encourage the study habit

Who hasn't tried to cram themselves full of information the night before an important exam?

Unfortunately, that's doing it the hard way.

"A little, often" works much better.

Ensure your kids set aside at least 20 minutes a day for peaceful study. Every day.

After a few sessions of enjoyable learning, you'll find they actually look forward to their study period.

#4. Learn exam technique

Studying for exams includes studying exams.

Get hold of some past examination papers - you can buy these cheaply in most bookstores - and have your kids study the questions.

Exams have a consistent formula, and once you know the formula, you're halfway to success.

Familiarity also instills confidence - an important quality when it comes to facing a real exam situation.

#5. Pay for performance

If all else fails, or your kids are having trouble getting motivated towards a forthcoming exam, try offering them an "incentive".

(Well they have to learn about "performance-related pay" someday.)

You'd be surprised how a little motivation can improve exam results!

Whichever way you do it, try to help your kids get the best grades they can.

"Qualifications doth not a person make."

But they certainly help when it's time to earn a living.

------------------------------------------------------------

'Fun With Figures' shows anyone how to gain an unfair advantage in math. Visit the website today and find out what they didn't teach you in school. http://FunWithFigures.com/

------------------------------------------------------------
About the Author

None

2007-11-25T22:20:00.000-08:00

How to turn your small business into an empire by outsourcing

Many companies are realizing cost savings of up to 30%-60% as a result of outsourcing.

Companies now consider outsourcing their functions: sales force, research and development, billing, procurement and even human resources.

This approach allows a company to concentrate on its core competency, also saving them cost of maintaining in-house hardware or software or staff.

BENEFIT IN A NUTSHELL

·Direct access to highly specialized skills and knowledge required for a specific industry level.

·The opportunity to offer quality services to clients at a much lower rate than you would normally pay for in-house development.

·The possibility of improving your image and exploding your capacity to execute projects on a global level.

SERVICES YOU CAN CONSIDER OUTSOURCING:

·Web-Designing, ·Software development ·E-commerce implementation ·Industry and software automation ·Web Promotion ·Research ·Accounting ·Copywriting ·Hosting

This can favors both parties.

1: THE FREELANCERS

You may be qualified in a certain domain to perform certain tasks, but as a one-man business you can do so much in handling the market demands.

Let's say for example you are a web designer (I chose this example at random, you may be qualified in any domain, which may include copywriting, accounting, programming, consultancy, research etc…)

Ok, let's get back to the initial example. Let's say you are a web designer and you are very good at it.

You can sit in the comfort of your home and use the Internet to search for people who need your services. The internet has made this process very simple, but as a one man business there is a limit to the number of jobs you can take on at one time without messing things up.

Since there are thousands of design contracts out there and you cannot say for sure which clients will choose to go with you on a project, you will need to bid on many job adverts to ensure that you get one to actually go with you.

I used to be a freelancer myself and I found out that in most cases I ended up with many contracts at a time, but because I didn't have the resources to handle all of them, I had to either turn them down or refer them to someone else.

But you don't need to do that!

THE SOLUTION

There are people out there who will surely do your work for you at a cheaper rate than you expected and you can put them on a shortlist for future jobs you may have.

Say you win a contract to design a site for 500$ and you can't do it in a timely manner, you can find someone who will do the same job at $300 or less.

All you need to do is to collect this contract for $500 and hand it over to designers who will do it for $300 and keep the profit of $200. This $200 will serve as your reward for doing the marketing and bringing in the client.

Using this system, you will never have to loose a job again and if you are a good manager you can turn this into a very profitable business and all from the comfort of your home.

2:THE COMPANIES

There are others out there who have enough capital to hire staff on a monthly basis but you too as a company can benefit from using this system.

The principle is the same.

Instead of loosing jobs because your staff is loaded with work. You can outsource your projects to people who will do the same quality job at a cheaper rate and sill allow you to make a profit.

There are companies out there and not only freelancers who specialize in this market who are ready to do the work for you at a lower rate and in the background allowing you to maintain your company status as a reputable provider.

WHERE TO FIND THESE PEOPLE

There has been a lot of talk on outsourcing jobs to countries that offer cheaper labor and Romania seems to be making a lot of impact in this domain.

India has been a leader in the outsourcing industry for years now, however things seem to be turning around for the giant as well as other countries like China, The Philippines and Russia who are also major players in the game.

Although the cost of using Romania IT workers is cheaper than that of Indian providers this is not the major factor that has put Romania market in the spotlight.

One important factor that is the driving force of this turn around is that Romania is a country abundant with talented, highly skilled and well-educated individuals who as a result of the regional location have a better understanding of Western European and North American culture than its main counterparts Asia (India), China and Russia.

This closer cultural link and the fact that Romania time zone is close to major Western European countries has helped reduce some of the problems that can result from working with companies with differing cultural backgrounds.

Recent studies show that Companies in the United States are also looking for alternative outsourcing partners in the Eastern block and Romania is emerging as a promising alternative partner and supplier of IT related services among others domains.

Although I mentioned only IT above, the outsourcing benefit doesn't limit to that only. You can find Romanian talents in many domains: Accounting, Office work, Research, Data entry, project management, customer service … Just to mention a few.

It is up to you to explore this possibility further and expand your focus. By outsourcing your work you can enter domains that you are not even a specialist and make your service more attractive by offering full service solutions. RESOURCES Here is a market place dedicated to Romanian Providers only. You can find talents in IT, Design, Office and Business related domains. However the lower price has nothing to do with lower quality find out more about this Http://www.rolancers.com

About the Author

Outsourcing has been going on for decades now and technology is taking this venture into a whole new level. As a former freelancer I know how this concept has been evolving and I now dedicate my time to providing a better solution for those who are looking for better and cheaper outsourcing options. ==================== Best Outsourcing Experience http://www.rolancers.com ...Someone may do it cheaper than you expected

2007-11-25T22:10:00.000-08:00

The Virtual Assistant

As a small business owner, outsourcing work to Virtual Assistants is fast becoming a popular and intelligent decision. The business owner saves enormous amounts of money by cutting the costs of offices and equipment overhead as well as expensive benefits packages.

The 'Virtual Office' creates an enormous amount of personal freedom and independence for both the small business owner and the virtual workers. The dedication and commitment that virtual workers demonstrate testifies to the satisfaction derived from a home office setting.

Being on the cutting edge of this profession offers tremendous opportunity for technical savvy entrepreneurs to secure a viable and stable home business opportunity. A good business plan and well thought out marketing campaigns are crucial to the organized success of a Virtual Assistant in both securing enough clients and/or work to meet their budget goal as well as adequately being able to balance clients and deadlines.

Virtual Assistant's actually would be well advised to embrace a business partner or utilize a team of trusted colleagues to entrust overflow work to. The standards of a good Virtual Assistant aren't easily met and establishing a virtual network of quality workers isn't an easy task. Any overflow work that you outsource must exemplify the same care and quality as your own or you stand the chance of alienating your clients.

As the owner of a home business resource specifically geared toward professional mothers seeking home based work, I am often approached for advice on how to become a Virtual Assistant and also receive many inquiries about what skills are required to be successful in the field.

To gain and retain clients, my main advice is to maintain your professionalism in all of your interactions with your client. As much as it is a leap for you to give up the 'security' of working in a corporate office, it is also a very new concept for business owners to outsource their work to a team of 'Virtual Workers' who they may likely never even see face-to-face. There is a great level of trust employed in this relationship and your professionalism in correspondence and phone calls will go a long way in securing their trust. Furthermore, I advise you to pay great attention to your accuracy and final product that you submit to your clients. Meet all of your deadlines, and know at least two days ahead of time if you are not going to be able to meet them. Communicate that to your client before the project is late and keep in communication on a daily basis from the beginning to the end of all projects with brief status reports.

Make yourself easily accessible through email, telephone and instant messenger. You should have access to whatever instant messenger service your client prefers. The most popular are ICQ, MSN, and Yahoo. Be certain to set your instant messengers to save your history so that you can easily refer back to client request or comments without having to solicit the client to repeat what they already have said.

A rule of thumb is to remain in communication with the client, but don't waste their time. The client should end their work day each day with a sense of real gratitude of the skills, organization and trustworthiness you bring to the table. They should know that you are available to converse with at almost any time but you do not bother them unless it is absolutely necessary.

In the end the presence of a Virtual Assistant should prove to make the company more money because the owner and other business team members can focus on income producing areas of business that they otherwise wouldn't have as much time to do.

The most common and I would say necessary tools for the job are the most current version of Microsoft Office. You should have and be comfortable using Word, Excel, Powerpoint and Access. You should have either Macromedia Dreamweaver or Microsoft Frontpage and know the basics of HTML and ftp'ing files to and from servers.

So much of a Virtual Assistant's work is based online that it really is crucial to have DSL or Cable internet access. You also want to have a good computer that you can rely on.

There is so little expense in running a virtual office that I don't believe it is wise to cut corners with your computer, software and other office equipment. Having the latest technology on hand and continuing to acquire and master new skills will increase your desirability and worth in the eyes of your clients. It will also demonstrate your commitment to your career.

When a client begins to trust you with important responsibilities and invests the time in training and familiarizing you with the procedures of their particular business, they need to be able to depend on you and to know that you are committed to your work.

In short, with administrative skills and above average technical savvy, coupled with an organized and professional approach - a career as a Virtual Assistant is definitely a viable and rewarding option.
About the Author

Lori Redfield, owner of FreelanceMom.com, http://www.freelancemom.com is a Virtual Assistant, Freelance Designer and Internet entrepreneur. To sign up for her monthly newsletter, visit http://www.freelancemom.com/newsletter.htm

2007-11-22T21:53:00.001-08:00

How to Start an Online Bankruptcy Forms Processing Service

How to Start an Online Bankruptcy Forms Processing Service by Victoria Ring, Certified Paralegal

Due to the dramatic increase in technology, business professionals now have the ability to outsource their skills and earn extra money working from home as a bankruptcy forms processor. Unlike an attorney or notary public, a bankruptcy forms processor does not have jurisdictional limits. In other words, a bankruptcy forms processor could live in Yellow Springs, Ohio and prepare bankruptcy petitions, pleadings, Motions and other court documents for attorneys practicing in California, New York or any other U.S. state.

In fact, a bankruptcy forms processor can set up a bankruptcy business in their home with very little money and earn a full-time income very quickly. This concept has also opened the door for attorneys practicing in other areas of law to open a sideline bankruptcy practice, and many of these attorneys seek a freelance forms processor to process their paperwork for them.

This is where you as a bankruptcy forms processor can fill a need that is becoming more popular as electronic filing procedures become more the norm. In fact, some states now require electronic filing of all court documents. Paper documents are only accepted by the court from consumers or in other rare circumstances. It will not be long before all the states will have electronic filing procedures in place and those resisting the change will be left behind.

A typical bankruptcy forms processing business might operate like this:

1. Client either downloads or is emailed a set of Client Intake Forms in PDF format to print and fill out at their leisure.

2. Client will fax or email their completed forms to the attorney or forms processor for review. If the attorney decides to accept the bankruptcy case, the forms processor can begin drafting the bankruptcy petition from the information provided on the Client Intake Forms.

3. Areas of the Client Intake Forms that are not properly completed by the client or containing statements that require a more detailed answer would be easy to take care of. The forms processor or attorney will simply call up the client and obtain the information. No appointment would be necessary.

4. After the drafting of the bankruptcy petition, the forms processor saves the document in PDF format and sends it to the attorney as an attachment on an email.

5. At this point the attorney may wish to meet with the clients to review their bankruptcy petition before filing, but it is not absolutely necessary. Some attorneys I worked for never meet the client face-to-face except when they showed up at court. They communicated with the client by email or telephone.

Note: Electronically filed documents do not require the client's signature so it is not necessary to meet the clients face-to-face before filing the bankruptcy petition. An attorney is provided with an electronic signature by the court that he uses to sign all electronic documents filed on behalf of the client he or she represents.

6. After the attorney receives the bankruptcy petition by email, he or she will save it on their computer under the client file name and begin the review. The attorney can either print out the bankruptcy petition and make changes with an ink pen, or review it on the computer screen and note any changes in an email to the forms processor.

7. After the attorney has approved or made changes to the bankruptcy petition, he or she will email it back to the forms processor. The forms processor will make the changes and prepare a final bankruptcy petition ready for electronic filing. The forms processor emails the final petition to the attorney for final approval.

8. Upon approval by the attorney, the forms processor will electronically file the bankruptcy petition with the proper court or email to the attorney for printing, copying and filing.

As you can begin to see, it would be very easy to start a forms processor service working from home. So if you were like me and are tired of the office politics and playing the mental games, you now have the opportunity to work from a peaceful home environment where you can focus more on each case and give your clients the personal touch that will set your business apart from the big companies.

** This article is a book excerpt from, "How to Start a Bankruptcy Forms Processing Service" by Victoria Ring, Certified Paralegal. More information is available online at http://www.50statenotary.com/bankruptcybook/

About the Author

Victoria Ring is a Certified Paralegal and Notary Signing Agent. She started the first electronic bankruptcy paralegal service on the internet (The Lawyer Assistant) to serve attorneys nationwide. Victoria has authored 17 books and 850 articles since her publishing career began in 1988.

2007-11-22T21:52:00.001-08:00

Network Marketing: Smart Business Concept for Home Business Success

A Franchise like Opportunity without all the RISK!

Why Network Marketing/MLM
The Best Network Marketing Opportunity in the 21st Century

Network marketing is a powerful business concept for many reasons but the most obvious is for the type of income it can provide the network marketer. It is so powerful that many fortune 500 companies have used, some are still using, this business model to build their multi-million dollar empire. So why can't the average person do the same? The answer is average people are building great home-based businesses using network marketing. Are you one of them? If not now is an excellent time to get started.

Millionaires have taken notice of mlm as a home-based business model that average people can get into and build wealth. Multi-level marketing is a huge, thriving industry in spite of all the negative publicity it receives in the media from anti-mlm enthusiasts. Millionaires like Robert Kiyosaki, Jim Rohn, Robert Allen, Jack Zufelt, Zig Ziggler, and many others express how network marketing is a wonderful opportunity for anyone interested in building a home-based business without having to build a business from scratch. For an overview of network marketing and why it is such a powerful business model, you should listen to the CD "Brilliant Compensation" distributed by VideoPlus, Inc. You can get a copy at Networking Times where you will find tons of informational products to learn more about network marketing.

Extra Income

Can you use extra income? Most consumers would probably answer yes to this question and I am guessing that you too can use extra income every month. So where is this extra income going to come from? One obvious solution would be is to get a second job which may seem to be the best solution at the time but it rarely is not. This is because the time you spend on your second job and the money you receive after taxes usually still isn't enough, as it was in my personal experience. Of course you will have to consider your reasons for getting a second job and why you need the extra income to determine if getting a second job is really the right solution for you.

However, on the other hand, you can start your own part-time home-based business using multi-level marketing as your business vehicle. Why use network marketing as your extra income solution because, you can get started in the industry for nearly nothing. This is a big plus. For example, if it cost you less than $100 to start your business and you earn $250 your first month then you are in profit big time. No cash lost, no time wasted. This is one reason why building a network marketing business make so much more than sense. It makes MONEY!

Getting Started in Network Marketing

Getting started in network marketing has become so easy that anyone can get started even if you do not have a dime to invest in your start up. The key here is to simply get started then never quit. Many legitimate mlm opportunities will allow you to get started for under $100. You can even find FREE mlm opportunities with little or no overhead expenses and with great support from other members as well as the parent company. They (mlm companies) provide all the tools and system for you; you simply add your sweat equity, your commitment, and persistence to the opportunity. Remember to choose a well established company that offers quality consumable products and/or services with an excellent management team (corporate office) and support to their distributors. Another important key factor, and this can not be left out, is your commitment to the company and its products and services with you as a bona-fide user and marketer of the products and services you want to earn extra income from. Here in lies the SECRET to your success "Transfer Buying." Simply allocate $50 or more of the dollars you use to purchase other products and services from department stores, magazines, catalogs, or services to your company's products and services then show others how to do the same. It's a simple concept that works. Duplicate, duplicate, duplicate and DUPLICATE!

Franchise like Opportunity without the RISKS!

With franchise opportunities, you have to invest a large sum of money in order to get started with the opportunity. This is a major draw-back for many budding entrepreneurs home-based or other wise. You also will need working capital to get the business up and running. These two factors are the major stoppers for most people. However, the upside is that you will be purchasing a business model that has already been proven to work. You also will have to be their every day to ensure the success of your franchise. This is your new job. Once you have made your first venture a success, you can expand that success by purchasing another franchise and duplicating what you done in your first venture to ensure the success of your second venture. After the success of your second venture you can then repeat the process and hire managers to run your other franchises. If this is done successfully you may become a franchise Billionaire Tycoon but how long will this take is the question?

On the other hand, network marketing opportunities cost far less than franchises. With mlm opportunities, you get a proven business system providing the company have been in business 5 or more years, financially stable, well managed, and support its network marketers. Let me also say that there are some risks involved with mlm companies as well but they are minimal as compared to franchises. Read your company's policies very carefully and abide by them when conducting your business.

Once you become successful enough, you can then hire employees, which will add more risk, or outsource some or all of your marketing and/or office duties to free up more of your time for your family and other personal matters.

Network marketing, in comparison to franchises, gives you a proven system without a huge financial investment and minimal risk is involved. Therefore, I say that for average people, network marketing is a Smart Business Concept that levels the field for everyone to earn extra income and build wealth from the comfort of home.

Special Skills

As in the previous paragraph, a franchisee will need the necessary business skills to run their new venture to ensure its success. However, a network marketer needs no special skills to run their multi-level business opportunity. Any skill a network marketer may need, they can learn while running their mlm business from their marketing plan. If no such marketing plan exists for the company you choose to join then I strongly suggest you find another company FAST!

In conclusion, network marketing makes smart business sense for anyone wishing to start a home-based business. The benefits are many such as, it cost next to nothing to get started, you get a proven system like you would if you bought a franchise opportunity, and you can be in profit in months rather than in years. Therefore, if you desire more income while still working a 9 to 5 job, or to build your retirement income then you, my friend, should seriously consider network marketing as your vehicle for you and your family's financial well being.

Useful Links:
Social Networking
Ultimaterep Club
Viral Marekting System
Ads of Gold
The Best of All Business Opportunities
Insurance Agencies & Agents and Sales Professional's Multi-Million Dollar Opportunity
Scriptures Christian Home-based Business Opportunity get a check from your very first month in business.
FREE Profitable Home Business Opportunity with multiple streams of income.

About the Author

Kelvin Shaw is CEO of Global Team Success whose slogan is GTS - Connecting You to SUCCESS! (dba Shaw Marketing International), is a part-time freelance writer marketing FREE successful home-based business opportunities in Orlando, Florida. Visit his sites at FREE Global Business.

2007-11-22T21:50:00.000-08:00

The Basics of Hosting

At its most basic, getting an Internet project up and running requires two essentials: access to hardware and access to the Internet. Hardware and bandwidth are a major consideration in light of both the potential expense and the issue of quality of service. This is one of those areas where you can pay as much or as little as you like. There is a correlation between what you pay and the quality you get, but there are plenty of good deals to be found in the current market, so shop around.

Let's take one step back and make sure everyone shares some common ground, in terms of terms.

"Servers" are the hardware that holds and distributes information to people via the Internet. A small site may reside on a server with a number of other sites, a large site may require hundreds of separate servers in a variety of physical locations, all connected together and running as one cohesive system.

Servers can handle a wide variety of functions, from housing websites, to running mailing systems. For a quick rundown of server terminology check out the Webopedia server listing.

While some firms are interested in owning and feeding their own equipment, most firms these days choose to outsource all, or at least part, of the task. Outside of firms with special needs, it is hard to make a case for purchasing hardware in the current market. Like a new car, a server depreciates massively the moment it is taken from the dealer. Add to the equation the maintenance of the hardware and the software, and you have a cost center that not only becomes more expensive over time, but less functional relative to the newest technology.

A web hosting company (sometimes called an "Internet Data Center" or "IDC") will offer a variety of packages, including the rental of hardware. The low monthly costs associated with hosting these days tips the hardware scale firmly toward the decision to rent, rather than buy hardware. Let the web host's staff worry about changing disk drives, updating the operating system with the newest security patch and keeping the electricity and Internet connection going 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Outsourcing lets you focus on your core competencies, and the fact is that most IT departments weaned on office networks are in no position to support a real time data center-type operation.

When we talk about outsourcing hosting, another term you are likely to hear frequently is "collocation". Co-location facilities physically house hardware and equipment in a secure location. The facility generally offers some degree of security against physical intrusion, fire, and power or bandwidth interruption. The quality of the physical facility and staff is generally related directly to the price and a site visit is appropriate where high-reliability installations are required.

If you are in the e-commerce business, or providing support services through your website, down time can be very expensive. Larger hosts will provide redundancy for drives, power supplies and bandwidth. If your site produces revenues, don't scrimp on the host. Security of your data and your customers' data is a sensitive issue. While your host is unlikely to guarantee security of any system, they should have in place adequate assurances that their environment does not contribute to the risk. They should also be willing to guarantee turn-around time on installation of patches and security fixes as they are released by vendors (like Microsoft!).

Selecting the right host for your company requires taking a hard look at your needs. Issues that must be resolved and prioritized include your need for ongoing maintenance and physical support services, network quality and speed, contract terms, and of course the value for money. Let's not forget that the current market, with its slough of bankruptcies, has also taught us that the financial stability of the firm is a factor.

For most clients, the level of the host's customer service is the key to satisfaction. Poor customer service is commonly cited as a reason for moving from one host to another, so make an effort to assess any firm's abilities in this area. Several sites now focus on rating web hosts and these should serve as a good starting point for your investigations. Try Hostsearch.com, with its wizard interface, and Web Host Directory. Make a point to ask around - word of mouth is a strong persuader in the customer service game.

Other issues that will inform your decision include your preferred operating system - Windows, Linux or Unix -- and your database needs. The additional services area is where a lot of firms distinguish themselves, offering incentives in the form of unlimited email addresses, or free domain name re-directs. Look carefully at the fine print and add up the cost of additional services. You may well find that the more expensive package bundles a lot of items marked as additional expense in the budget packages. But, also never forget that the company will be more than happy to let you upgrade to a bigger package if your needs change in the future.

author: Ric Shreves, www.waterandstone.com

About the Author

Ric Shreves is an Internet consultant and author specializing in web technologies. He is a partner in Water & Stone, a web design agency focused on Mambo, osCommerce, and other open source tools. Read more of his work online at: http://www.waterandstone.com.

2007-11-22T21:48:00.001-08:00

Amsterdam firm of webwriters reveals how they got their PR-3 listing in Google

Case study into ContentClix keywords reveals -how we got listed in the search engines -achieved PR-3 listing in Google -and several PR-1 listings in others;

This a shameless marketing article but we're hard faced enough to take on the odds you're going to read it A-Z. It is the story of how we ended up in the top echelons of major search engines.

The website in question is www.contentClix.com . this one. We -the five of us- live together in a big, crooked house overlooking the lovely canals in Amsterdam and when we don´t play table tennis, we write long, short, medium and stupendously superfluous copy for a variety of international websites who generally are on the lookout for content that´s crisp and freshly European.

Short sentences for instructional copy. Long ones that everyone can still get their head around by the time the last i has been dotted for the rest.

We ourselves did not set out to reach top rankings in any overly organised way. That's why we had so much fun doing the research into the issue. And we've become totally addicted to finding out what are the best tools out there to really go about achieving effectiveness.

To be entirely clear, the contentclix web presence is nothing more than ten pages, with a total of 19 incoming links as of today. We have not purchased expensive keywords nor did we advertise ourselves anywhere or use any seo gimmickry.

So here we go, this is our report of our post-search engine listing internal inquiry into our mysterious jackpot hit. ContentClix has a list of 22 keywords. (ContentClix, content clix, clix, content clicks, clicks, writing, website content, copywriting, ghostwriting, copywriter, ghostwriter, advertising copywriter, creative labs, creative writing, story writing, editorial, editing services, journalism, reporting, freelance writer, freelance writing, writing resources).

We chose these initially because we feel they describe our business accurately and we think that these are the words that spring to mind first when you are looking to find a bunch of copywriters like us. We included our name because somebody said we had to.

ContentClix is a bland name. On purpose, because we believe that having a posh name is stupid, an overly arty one pretentious. After weeks of not being able to decide, one early Monday morning following a frantic work weekend because we´d missed deadline after deadline for a big account, all five of us agreed that having a practical, functional name would remind us to put in some work hours while we are here.

(We were going to be named 038 at first but it appears to be a number quite well known in chemistry, referring to a mineral known as ´strontium´ which in this country´s language is like ´shittium´ in English so that was a no no, mostly regretted by our office molecule clixy who is responsible for our blog, the url we´ll advertise soon enough.)

How did we find out where we actually ranked in the search engines? We ran a search on a tool that's most widely used by professional seo's to check backlinks to websites. It's called www.marketleap.com. A very appropriate name for the venture, because it made us literally leap.

Another site offers free google page rank checks and probability checks of your site. This is what it said about us: "Results: Your current Google PageRank is 3. Based on our calculations, we predict your future PageRank after the next Google update will be 3, an increase of 2.63%". That was enough for us to be totally intrigues as to how things actually work in reality with the search engines. Call us dopey, but our expertise lies in writing sales texts, not search engines.

Using a trial version of the keyword specialist boyz at www.wordtracker.com, we set out on our quest to see what's so special about them. Wordtracker uses the parallel browsers dogpile and metacrawler to simulate queries that people run on the largest search engines.

Each time a user types in any of the keywords, a spider of the real life engines will be actively looking for the terms and somehow this signal is picked up by the metacrawlers too and counted by wordtracker software. It has a database with around 368 million searches from the last 60 days. These are some of the combinations of the keywords and the rankings they yield.

In quick succession, we ran these 10 arbitrary tests:

1) Entering the first half of the string of words into the search box:

ContentClix, content clix, content clicks, clicks, writing, website content, copywriting, ghostwriting, copywriter, ghostwriter, advertising copy

Yieldedthisresult:->Page 1 in Lycos, Hotbot and Alta Vista!

2) Since not many people will have heard of us it's not likely they will be typing in our name in the search engines, so we took out our name from the list: content clix, content clicks, clicks, writing, website content, copywriting, ghostwriting, copywriter, ghostwriter, advertising copy

Result:->Page 1 listings on All the web and Yahoo.

3) We get the hang of it and reduce the words one by one from then onwards yields this, even more surprising

content clicks, clicks, writing, website content, copywriting, ghostwriting, copywriter, ghostwriter, advertising copy

Result:-> All the web, Alta vista, Hotbot, Lycos

4) We are starting not to believe our eyes here. Cutting out my what we thought to be the most vital words (content and clicks within comma's) keywords:

clicks, writing, website content, copywriting, ghostwriting, copywriter, ghostwriter, advertising copy,

delivers these astounding results: -> Page one rankings on: All the Web, AltaVista, HotBot, Lycos Pro

5) The bonanza goes on:

writing, website content, copywriting, ghostwriting, copywriter, ghostwriter, advertising copy

Results -> Page 2 Altavista, Hotbot and Lycos.

6) We keep taking out the keywords:

website content, copywriting, ghostwriting, copywriter, ghostwriter, advertising copy

Result -> Page 3 all the web Alta Vista, Hotbot, Lycos and Yahoo

7) Omitting 'ghostwriter' is the death blow, in the end. This string of words delivers a no ranking in any of the search engines' top three pages:

website content, copywriting, ghostwriting, copywriter

Result -> no pr.

8) Adding the ghostwriter again:

website content, copywriting, ghostwriting, ghostwriter

Result -> a page three listing on AltaVista.

9) But when we take out the ghostwriter and ghostwriting and leave in most of our keywords, we are still very much loved by hotbot and Lycos Pro,

clicks, writing, website content, copywriting, copywriter, advertising copy

Result -> Page 3 ranking Hotbot and Lycos.

10) Let's put them on a weightloss diet. Not a good idea:

website content, copywriting, copywriter, advertising copy

Result -> no pr

11) So what happens if we enter the two hottest keywords just by themselves? Ghostwriter and ghostwriting

Result->no pr.

We can't expect people looking for us to be typing in more than two, at the most three keywords. Adding one simple word to the combination does not alter anything. Website, ghostwriting, ghostwriter yields zero results.

But exchanging website for website content lands us pages 3 again in HotBot and Lycos.

Content copywriter, ghostwriter, also zero returns. And Content writing, copywriting, ghost writing is also not giving us a PR.

So here we go, we now have some idea of where future web traffic and web clients are going to come from. Or at least so we think. Now what can we realistically expect from our wonderful page ranks? We are a copywriting business and ideally want to be seen by the advertising agencies that outsource writing to small freelance guys like us. So let´s hunt those down.

They are the competition. Let's analyse them some more. It turns out soon that we need to do better to maintain the levels of euphoria that are filling the office to the brim. Marketleap shows us people in advertising with as many links as we have and that are also grouped in the category advertising and marketing. Too bad, our nearest competitor is a site named www.trendcreators.com, which does marketing research surveys and its link number is twice as high as ours. It's time to talk some more sense.

So we go back to the keyword analysis tool at keywordtracker and this is where reality hits home and we begin to understand the bigger picture some more. Running each word through the analyser (and actually completing a preliminary competitive analysis in stage 4 of the tool, which is easily missed out on) we begin to be even more bepuzzled.

A total of 18 of our keywords are words that are slightly in demand, one is wrong and three were never requested during the last 60 days (among which our name). Of the keywords that were in demand, the number of competing sites offering services on the basis of the same words in MSN was so high that deviding demand by offer -an equasion that's widely used to determine how valuable a particular keyword actually is- yields very low numbers.

The Keyword Effectiveness Index can be calculated this way for every word that's tracked and here's a quick overview of our keywords' effectiveness in the MSN search engine. A keyword term like ´editing services´, attracted queries from 35 people over the last 60 days. That in itself is quite low, we think, but aside from this fact, companies that are listed under these keywords, our competition, amount to 35,124. The two numbers yield a KEI ratio of 0.206% for 'editing services, which indicates it is a search term not highly rated.

KEI ratios of below 10% are deemed not interesting competitionwise and are certainly not advisable to purchase, say the advertising gurus. Anything over 10% is beginning to be interesting and when you are beginning to near the top percentile, 400, you´re likely generating massive traffic numbers.

Not any of the KEI ratios were above 3.5%. Lucky for us that we are in the top rankings even though the above gobbledegook is not really shedding any light on the matter so far. What's more worrying, is that we still have got to see the traffic coming. Seven guests yesterday, and that´s pretty standard since the site´s inception (....why lie?)

And not being able to incorporate the effect the high rankings are likely to have on the KEI in any measure accurately, we somewhat remain in the dark about just exactly how popular we will be, DESPITE OUR HIGH RANKING. With the demand for the individual keywords on the low side and competition overly present, our traffic numbers are most likely not going to be blowing the pan out any time soon.

Quick daily scans of the number of visitors with devices like www.hit-o-meter.com have confirmed this assumption so far. Even if of all the 5,000 or so queries people type in using our combined keywords over two month periods, contentclix managed to attract double the KEI ratio, this would still only mean traffic streams to our site of at the most 30 visitors at the most in a time span of 2 months.

Perhaps we´re bad losers, but we are starting to hate the boyz at wordtracker!

Most search engines that offer keyword buying run similar services although it's not really 100% clear if the keywords included concern queries for find free services or paid for listings.

We have yet to see what difference it makes for us to have a PR and we'd be more than happy to update you on our progress!

For the time being, all we can attribute the rankings to is our outstanding work. There is no other explanation, folks. Line up the work!

About the Author

Angelique van Engelen runs www.contentClix.com, an Amsterdam based freelance copywriting agency. She has lived and worked in the Middle East and London for over six years before returning to her home country, the Netherlands. She specialises in writing sales copy, feature articles and research reports.

2007-11-22T21:48:00.000-08:00

2007-11-22T21:40:00.000-08:00

Management wants faster implementation of new Organizational Strategy (Part III).

See full color web version at: http://www.SeniorManagementServices.com/pvt-98-faster-org-strategy.html

============================================================
Is anyone "not affected" by a reorganization?
============================================================

In the last couple of weeks, I have discussed reorganization and how you can manage employees who are affected positively or negatively.

What about employees "not affected" by a reorganization?

Even those "not affected" on your Org Chart will be affected psychologically.

Yes, they will have the same manager and the same agreements. But, most of the time ANY change is threatening to the mind.

That's why it is so important to make your announcement(s) timely and in person to let people know what's going on.

Consider this:

Some "not affected" people might perceive that their colleagues are "getting the shaft." This will be demotivating and cause negative attitudes, destructive gossip, and problems that can sabotage your company.

So, treat your reorganization as an emergency (root word "emerge"). What's the first step in an emergency? Anyone remember? PROMOTE!

(For more information, look for my download article, "The 5 Conditions & what to DO about them" at: http://www.SeniorManagementServices.com/ARTICLES.html )

So, get your "cards on the table" and promote the positive aspects of your reorganization ASAP!

============================================================
Does your company have these management problems? A case study.
============================================================

Following is a letter I received from a PVT reader. He^re, you will read a perfect example of how NOT to reorganize. (Reprinted with permission. Writer requested anonymity.)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mike

Interesting PVT [97]. It reminded me of what happened to me a couple of times. Let me explain

After our typical annual reorganization, we had department meetings for the world to see. The projector screen displayed the new and improved organization.

However on inspection, I realized my department was gone, nada, zip. . .

No one had spoken a word to me. No one asked what projects were in the works or what would happen to the organization if the projects failed.

That evening when I left my office, I was steaming mad.

I had been embarrassed in front of my colleagues and direct reports. The department manager and a VP quickly grabbed me and gave me a song and dance about how X had happened and the announcement had to be moved up.

Being somewhat constrained by my "golden handcuffs," I bit my tongue, ate my pride, and went back to work.

Similarly, during a time of weekly downsizing, my boss called and told me to bring my subordinate (my best employee) to his office. Why? He was being laid off.

Again, no forewarning, no quest'ions about this man's projects, his contribution, how much he was saving the company, his level of commitment for 25 years. Nothing! He might as well have been a dirty paper towel to disposed when they were done with him.

A year later, management decided to "outsource" another department I was in charge of. Again, my only notice was a ph0ne call -- 2 minutes before their announcement.

My subordinates were given an opportu'nity to work for the outsource company for about 2/3 thirds their current salary, lower benefits, etc. Trust me, this has not worked out well at all. Why?

Management outsourced projects that my department could have done. Fortunately, the outsource employees are the original employees from my department. And they're doing a damn good job under the conditions. However, that decision to outsource has been an immense failure.

Here's shy.

My outsourced subordinates are n0w 30 miles away. Meanwhile, we're developing a critical new (and secret) project. Work we could have done effectively he^re has been subject to many delays, frustration, and rework.

N0w, people who need to work together can not.

Worse, we n0w have a huge problem. The outsource company does not operate from the same "quality paradigm" as we do.

Although the displaced employees are doing a great job, they have no control over the shop that makes our parts. Plus, the outsource company just doesn't have the skilled employees or mind-set for the necessary close-tolerance work that we require.

Signed, (Anonymous)

============================================================
How to combat an age-old management problem that still exists today -- management confusion about reorganization ============================================================

Reread the last two PVT issues for comparison with the above letter. See these two pages:

http://www.SeniorManagementServices.com/pvt-96-faster-org-strategy.html http://www.SeniorManagementServices.com/pvt-97-faster-org-strategy.html

I rest my case.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Understanding is not enough; we must do. Knowing and understanding in action make for honor. And honor is the heart of wisdom." -- Johann von Goethe
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thank you for your participation! Send me your feedback.

a. What did you learn today that you found most beneficial? b. How will you apply what you have learned at work? c. I welcome your quest'ions or comments.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When you're weeding your garden, what's the best way to make sure you are removing a weed and not a valuable plant? Pull on it. If it comes out of the ground easily, it is a valuable plant.

Does this apply to valuable employees? There is a better way!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Until next week...

Best Regards,

Mike Hayden, Principal/Consultant Your partner in streamlining business.

PS. If you're not on our P V T Roster, sign up (fr#e) at: http://www.SeniorManagementServices.com

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

(c) 2005 Mike Hayden, All rights reserved. You may use material from the Profitable Venture Tactics eZine in whole or in part, as long as you include complete attribution, including live website links and email link.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
About the Author

Mike Hayden is Founder/CEO of Senior Management Services and the Documentation Express in Silicon Valley, California. Mr Hayden is the author of "7 Easy Steps to your Raise and Promotion in 30-60 Days! The book that smart bosses want their employees to read." ISBN 0-9723725-1-2. More articles at http://www.SeniorManagementServices.com/pvt-information.html

2007-11-21T22:23:00.001-08:00

How to remove burnups?

Stressed out and feeling empty… You feel that your mind's overworked and your body's lousy. If you feel it every now and then, let me tell you that it happens to everyone. But not everyone overcomes it. If you're one of those people who up to now are confined by burnups, well think again, it will not make you productive!

Everybody experiences the feeling of being burned out. It feels like the world suddenly turns topsy-turvy and you want to freak out... If you happen to be in this situation, press your pause button and read on… Better yet, plan a strategy to remove it from your system.

It is not good to have burnups because you become idle and uncreative. It is different from block, though a creative block might have been caused by burnups. Even if you rested well or you have active lifestyle, you may still be susceptible to being blocked with fresh ideas. That's an instance of creative block. Burnout, on the other hand, is being unproductive for a stretched period of time compared to creative block and your desired remedy is to run away or have a moment alone.

You may not be aware that preventing burnups is easy. You just have to take a break, release tension and stress, eat properly and enjoy life to bring back your creativity and imagination. Our body and mind is like a machine, when it is already drained, it has to take in fuel plus a moment of rest, and afterwards it can function well again.

Here are some helpful tips. Follow these to keep the burnups away…

1.Set small breaks. Take your coffee breaks. Walk around your office. This will help you prevent fatigue and stress. It can also refresh your mind.

2.Have a healthy lifestyle. You can't think and act well when you're starving, so eat a balanced diet and fill you body with stamina to keep you going. In addition, exercise or indulge in sports to keep your body sound and healthy.

3.Be inspired. Watch a movie, listen to inspirational songs, visit a museum, read a favorite book, enjoy a stage play or a concert, learn a new hobby, enjoy your loved one's company… There are a lot of things that can give you inspiration, all you have to do is discover it and seize every opportunity.

4.Take a vacation. Go to the beach. Hike. Pamper yourself in a spa or beauty salon. Visit a historical site. Have fun with nature. By this we can recharge our creative side and widen our thoughts even more. Experiences make us stronger and wiser so welcome every experience in your life.

5.Learn to meditate. Everyday, we need a little time alone to contemplate on our life - what we want, what we need and how to get it… Sometimes a silence to soothe your mind is indispensable. Try yoga and other stuff to appease you.

6.Try to get some help. If the loads are too heavy then ask for help. You can outsource if you need to.

Life's little events may often cause stress, anxiety, depression, blues and burnups. Good thing is we can overcome it all!

About the Author

For additional information and comments about the article you may log on to http://www.printingquotesonline.com

2007-11-21T22:21:00.000-08:00

Future Technology Quality may reflect past glories.

The Dark Side of the Moon, The Universe and everything.

Last time we saw hardware turning somewhat towards mobile phones, with PCs still firmly entrenched. Today we will look at the future of non hardware based things to come. Increasingly, things are bought ready programmed and we have little influence over what we have bought or use, just initial choice of supplier and package. So we are being gently pushed down pre-defined paths, with conforming to compatibility being paramount, especially as the current market is essentially split between Google and Microsoft. Here Google will try to offer all options to all men purely by being online to them, as opposed to Microsoft's tendency to tie the user to their PC for Word Processing/Office/Email applications and get their frills on the net. Much as most would privately relish a Google triumph, this is Microsoft after all, who have seen off a good number of contenders for the crown, and also generally speaking we are all more comfortable with the net for the net and the PC for the rest; it is what we have grown up with, plus possibly there is an underlying fear that the net does not reek of "permanence" as it was historically not so long back "down" as much as it was up, and is somewhat dependant on transient factors, not least electricity in an ageing, creaking grid network, surviving in an epoch of sophisticated terrorism. (Personally I think our increasing reliance on all things electrically based, with no alternative parallel backup manual systems is a t least worrying and at worst frightening.) Anyway, I think Microsoft will be the major monopoly for many a day yet, with a new search evolving with Longhorn and as in any event the "devil that we know".

On another tack, I recently visited Ireland, where my mobile phone supplier does not function! News to me, and news relayed via texts from other suppliers who do work there almost as soon as I stepped off the ferry. " Welcome to Ireland we are now looking after you" kind of thing. One even had the temerity to phone me and ask if I wanted to upgrade to their network as mine did not work there. A little startling to think you are targeted so quickly, automatically. So project this further if you will, as ID cards, and the like containing DNA, Iris details and fingerprints, plus bank balances and credit card balances become prevalent as money ceases to be in tandem. You walk down the street, and a CCTV recognises you via facial and retinal scan correlation and activates a speaker/plasma display which says "hi Malcolm, are you interested in ………. Today?" It will know your available credit, your credit rating , preferences, your season of the year typical buys. It will have countless data via surveys you filled in to get freebies. It will in short target you with your weaknesses knowing the money is there. Similarly actually pick up any displayed article and DNA or fingerprint technology will trigger a similar chain of events and questions merely by having touched them. All this is delivered to your door with minimal fuss, and the item may even tell you when it needs replacing, and on command replace itself via the home online system hooked into the intelligent fridge, washing machine, cooker, and freezers and conversing 24/7 with the net and relevant suppliers and re suppliers. Your home system constantly monitors stock and varies purchases according o season and personal preferences learned ad hoc from its inception, much as your blue DVD system learned your viewing preferences and your commercial TV channels learned to tune their adverts specifically to be in sync with your personal psyche, style and tastes. All choice is made to be as minimal as possible, all whim taken away everything is so SIMPLE. There will be no problem getting what you want, when you want it, almost instantaneously, and your every internet search will be analysed and filed for finer tuning into your underlying psychological profile. given this weight of mundane tasks being effortlessly achieved in a sort of background low profile mode, and given most will effectively be "working from home" there may well be a tendency to introversion, an almost hermit-like existance, where communication is by and large electronic and not in person, more "in camera". We see the start of this in the endemic mobile phone use by our youth who are losing their grasp of spelling and personal contact via texting, and an almost addictive usage of phones where once we talked face to face. This incidentally stimulates rudeness and abuse and easily causes offence where none is intended, as the electrons flow and the actual physical face to face meetings with all their emotive vision hearing touch and smell are slowly but surely eroded and recede, and with it human contact is so much the poorer. As I say this all assumes an uninterrupted power source which can Answer increasingly heavier and heavier demand with absolutely no blips. Is this achievable, is this stable, is this possible? Much as our supermarkets now are eviscerating smaller shops and garages, so they will become sole silent suppliers to your door via the global net,( or not so silent suppliers should you venture past your front portal) . Holidays may even become a matter of "plugging in" to distant locations via a sensual virtual link, sort of web cam with touch and emotion, then……no more travelling, packing, flying, ferrying, just dreaming awake with subliminal time outs for ordering. We are leaving an age of choice and reason and opinions to go to an era of facile effortless indulgence and contentment at the expense of our free will being subjugated to appeasing the convenient, the line of minimal effort. Every day that passes it is easier to spend and receive, easier to indulge and then discard. It is also becoming increasingly hard to manage and function without a mobile, a laptop, a PC and a Net; and more expensive to buck the system and "do it manually". Soon there will be no money, no bartering, no MANUALLY. Soon it will all be credit and online and AUTOMATICALLY . Who is to say which is preferable, but there is little doubt which way it will go. Ask your computers, they will tell you if you don't believe me; soon we will be more comfortable talking to our computer than to each other. Apparently even now users in Internet cafes and Universities use the SAME computer in a room of many, giving choice, because they TRUST that one, they are happy it worked for them before; plus your computer never lies to you or annoys you or answers you back, it just does what you say, for now.

So I envisage a shift towards a "2001 HAL" society where your every perceived need and want is second guessed, offered, accepted and delivered. No actual feeling of paying or ordering or thinking is likely, simply a constantly replenished supply of perishables with a finite life span. Not "pay today and throw away" but "Don't think why just re supply" and to this end all software, peripherals, and the Net will be geared up to be more and more effortless to you and less and less manual intervention from you, in the race to automate the mundane and strip away the stress and even choice in supplying what are perceived and judged to be your needs, albeit by others. As long as your credit is good it will be an effortless electronic environment, always assuming zero credit/banking errors, which may gradually become more and more hard to actually prove has happened as the Net becomes unassailable and infallible seeming. Computers are not good at self regulation. The race to supply this panacea is currently attempting a wireless supplantment of hard wired technology. I am not at all convinced that the security and interference aspects of these items and strategy have been fully thought through and addressed, especially in light of the plethora of new gadgets which all use various similar frequencies. We will address these issues in the next missive from Mars. I leave you with a sobering thought. We can now use many times better fabrics, papers, materials and manufacturing processes than we ever could say late last century. Yet things from that era, like cookers, fridges, books, vintage cars, tape recorders, LPs, reel to reel tapes, model trains for example are still working (in many instances BETTER than their modern counterparts). If we are so advanced then why do we deliberately manufacture things which are not meant to survive for even a fraction of the durability of these old items, when we have better materials, better tools, better knowledge, and better tolerances. We are a million times better at selling, and what we sell falls apart in no time, and no one seems to care, notice or even question such a trade in of quality and reliability and style for shoddy, unreliable unremarkable rubbish. A friend of mine is in printing, and the challenge there and here in all aspects of modern manufacturing, is to put back quality, trust, and reliability and promote the value of true worth over transient gloss. It would appear the sales industry has become so perfected at what it does people have lost sight of the actual quality of what they buy, and how long it is likely to last. We seem to prize short term gain over long term pride and craftsmanship; we outsource all our manufacturing to offshore and far east enterprises purely on the basis of short term cost and at the real cost of long term inability to produce from within our own lands and dependency on others abroad, what price then low cost when they are the sole capable producers? Once you have thrown out the basement and the foundations it is hard to rebuild your house. If the incentive were not solely focussed on style over substance and cheapness over craftsmanship, If advertising actually pushed us responsibly to think that quality is a virtue in itself worth paying for, and you DO in the end get EXACTLY what you pay for, then maybe Rolls Royce, Jaguar, Royal Doulton, Wedgwood and Hornby would not be outsourcing to China or mass producing what were classic marques and designs in grotesque parodies of their former selves, under new managements using old famous names but not reflecting old hand made craftsmanship, pride and years of reliability. We also seem to stifle ourselves with rules that do not seem to apply to our competitors and then let them walk all over us on price. Take my printing friends trade; we try to use sustainable or recycled sources, wheras the competition is happily chopping down virgin forests and bleaching paper. Multiply that by all the call centres, toy manufacturing and base manufactured products in the far east and China , where the basic wage is infinitesimally small for huge undercutting of the west and how can we compete, we of the fair wage for all and minimum wage per hour ? China and the East think in centuries, we think in days in comparison. In centuries though we will have no manufacturing base left. Does no-one see the irreparable damage being done by losing brands such as Royal Doulton, or all the lace and cotton industry or the steel and shipbuilding? Everything is being sacrificed on the altar of expediency and lowest possible cost price versus maximised profits. Surely someone should see a gap in the market for quality and reliability in hand made articles made with pride by master craftsmen, or classic books bound in age old style and antique charm. we are truly brilliant at advertising, so why not let the goods match the spiel and create a niche market for connoisseurs if you like , an upper level style AND substance branding for those with discernment and a little more disposable income thoughtfully employed and not frittered. Better one Dickens than twenty Mills and Boon. It is possible quality may re emerge and make a comeback and substance may yet win out over gloss and style, as everything is cyclic in the long run. We await the future, but my bet is the book and the magnetic tape will eventually be seen to be better than the .doc and the cd. Surely a hand bound First edition of Dickens is a little above a computer print out? Surely an original reel to reel of Dark Side of the Moon through a Ferrograph is a different planet to a bland and frequency challenged CD. Look on EBay at second hand prices of LPs Reel to Reels First editions . Then look at second hand prices of CDs and talking book cassettes. If the resale value of quality is there why is the sale value eroded and derided in favour of mass produced inferior brands? Recently an original DSOM sold for 305 pounds plus postage, the CD sells for four quid. I digressed into the quality field to outline another possible avenue for the future, QUALITY MAY RESURFACE. We may yet see a renaissance of hand made goods, ideally suited to internet sales and perhaps have new searches like "Quality Quest" and "Antique Admiration" new websites like "Handmade Hardbacks" and "Solidwood Style". As stressed before the world at large is strangely cyclic, so it is possible the markets may cry out for goods once more that do what they say they will for a long time, are craftsman made, individual, reliable and do not depreciate or fall apart overnight. Given small workshops from home could become a cottage industry once more, the whole the sum of its parts, what better way to re promote an old idea than via the internet? Just as Opera and Classical music is resurgent, so too quality goods may reinvent themselves. I hope so. http://www.stiffsteiffs.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk

About the Author

ex programmer

2007-11-21T22:20:00.001-08:00

How to Get the Best from Outsourcing

To maximise profits, it has become fashionable to place some of your support requirements with 'experts', to allow you to focus on core activities. Especially for small businesses this can work well, but with larger organisations, unless you get it just right, it can be a lot more trouble than it's worth - and cost you a lot more.

There's a great little article ('Business Lifeforms') on the back pages of the UK's leading management magazine, Management Today each month. It's a spoof (at least I think it is!) about some fictitious key player in a fictitious organisation. For January, it's about Ken, who's a 'Facilities Manager'.

Now Ken has seen it all and truly worked his way up from the bottom to the top. Until, that is, a couple of years ago when new MBA-armed suits took over and decide to slash Ken's department (until now, running very, very smoothly under Ken's watchful eye) and Ken himself. Of course it all goes pear-shaped and the top dog has to come grovelling back to Ken, offer him loads of money and a big car, basically to ensure that the toilets aren't 'backing up' any more!

This is in direct contrast to Michael Gerber, in his fascinating book The E-Myth Revisited. There he talks about working 'on' the business and 'in' the business, making it clear that if you do too much of the grindstone not-my-expertise stuff yourself, you lose track of what you are really good at, and what you went into business for.

In a past life, I too experienced challenging outsourcing. At one time I had a great little local cleaner who I trusted (he even opened the store up for me - hmmm, that was a long time ago!). He did an excellent job and was on hand for emergencies. Then a new senior director decided to consolidate and outsource, for 'economy and consistency'. It was cheap - but the service was awful. Each time I got a new 'centrally sourced' cleaning company, they came with great intentions for the first 3 months and then dribbled off (with our money!) until it became unsustainable and another 'excellent contractor' came along.

The moment of truth for me, was when the director for one of these contractors, came along for the first time in a brand new £60K Merc (and it's a few years ago now). Then I knew where my money would be going. I went through 6 contractors in 5 years, even though my hands were tied by 'Head Office' contracts!

To solve this problem? There needs to be strong leadership at the start. Very clear standards required from outside contractors and severe penalties (yes, stop paying them even!) for under achievement. Corporate central contracts agreed there, but implemented and managed locally, leave a lot of space for waste.

And yes, in a small business, don't even think of doing the bookkeeping yourself as soon as you can afford not to - do what you do best, value it and get on with creating the business you love, not like struggling Sarah in the book. But, get someone who you trust and who will deliver. Chris Barrow, of Million Dollar Coaching Practice fame, suggests that the very first thing anyone going into a consulting business should do, is get a PA. And that modern day evolution, a VA (virtual assistant) has made this a real, low cost possibility for many.

Moral of the story?

If you are going to outsource, especially if your business is big enough, where it's not only the fashion, but it can have economic and logistic value, take the following steps:-

1. Find the best on the market, not the cheapest.
2. Set the standards yourself, and don't take theirs.
3. Be very clear on expectations and outcomes if standards aren't met.
4. Keep in very business-like, however much you like/know/are related to them.
5. Have clear timescales for regular review.
6. Have a named and senior contact in the organisation for whom there will be pain if they lose the contract.
7. Keep contract length manageable.
8. If things start going wrong tackle them early, before too much money is wasted.
9. If 'Head Office' agrees the contract, don't chase your own tail over non-delivery - get someone from there down as soon as there is a problem - you have enough to do.
10. Don't get involved in the problems any local operatives might have - refer them back.

About the Author

Martin Haworth is a Business and Management Coach. He works worldwide, mainly by phone, with small business owners, managers and corporate leaders. He has hundreds of hints, tips and ideas at his website, www.coaching-businesses-to-success.com. (Note to editors. Feel free to use this article, wherever you think it might be of value - with a live link if you can).

2007-11-21T22:18:00.000-08:00

Offshore This!

So I call my telephone company and someone picks up 15,000 miles away. I asked the rep where she's from. She said, "I am from Mary-Land sir. How may I give you excellent service today?" The accent was… American... in a high society 19th century ultra-polite sort of way.

"Mary Land?" My brain's editing booth could not screen the snickers in time.

"Yes sir… this is correct sir." She pushed to the next level. "Yes, Mary Land, sir, on thee eastern seaboard. How may I give you excellent service?"

"The eastern seaboard?" Now laughing out loud.

"Yes sir, on thee eastern seaboard of thee United States. May I give you excellent service today?"

The 'broken record' assertiveness technique broke my resolve and she proceeded to give me excellent service, in a deceptive kind of way, though the experience left me queasy thinking about the whole new class of jobs being shipped overseas.

When manufacturing left the United States, the tech sector was supposed to be the new frontier. Americans rushed out to be retrained. Students set their sites on computer engineering. Our tech sector was so good, it created the very systems that made it possible to replace itself. Corporations discovered that an Indian college graduate will work at a call center for 10,000 rupees a month, or just under $60.00 a week. I have no malice for our Indian friends, they only want to work. But our kids are going to have to become proficient at more than playing video games and watching movies to compete with this highly educated and driven mass of hungry labor! Math anyone?

I remember hearing that the receptionist was the "face and voice" of the company and the public would get their first and most lasting impression based on her attitude. (With that much on her shoulders, they should have raised her pay.) Now the whole customer interface has been tossed to foreign nationals. Perhaps there will be a backlash in advertising. "Our tech support is Made in the USA! If the anecdotal evidence on Internet posting boards is any measure, many customers would rather be pierced with punji sticks rather than be taught one foreign language, (the computer) by someone with another foreign language! Written scripts are repeated ad nauseum with no ability to converse off-road and actually make the customer feel understood. Below is a sample, your results may vary.

Reactions to Foreign Customer Service

"I called HP Cares. They didn't. I spoke with three or four representatives. They all had limited English and spoke with an accent. They all asked me the same set of questions. Many asked the same questions over and over and over again. They all refused to believe that the sticker was not there. They all treated me like I was simply too stupid to find it or maybe I was just blind. And, they all put me on hold…"

"We could not understand each other. Even the simplest English terms were incomprehensible to her. I said goodbye and went through the tedious re-calling process, waiting another 20 minutes or so on hold. The second technician could also not understand English, and the connection broke after a few minutes, so I called a third time, going through the whole waiting drill…"

"I will never purchase another Dell product, ever again. And everyone I know will not purchase their products either…"

It appears that companies may also be outsourcing the trust they've built in their brand, along with customer loyalty and retention. I think I'm on to something here. Let's go American business! Advertise your "Onshore" Calling Center!!!

The call centers are not only in India, they are coming online anywhere a building can put up some computers, chairs and get broadband. A Costa Rican tech support rep working for Toshiba complained in a posting that his job was outsourced to Turkey. Kencall of Kenya, provides its own generators and satellite uplink. I bet they don't have an employee snack room though.

Foreign Outsourcing vs. Offshoring

"Foreign Outsourcing" is the hiring of a foreign company to do some of your work, while "Offshoring" is the creation of a wholly owned foreign subsidiary which gives the company greater control. According to the financial consulting firm Deloitte and Touche, there was a 38% increase in the number of financial institutions with offshore operations in 2003, with an estimated 500% increase in offshore jobs.

Call center work is only the tip of the iceberg. There is an ever expanding list of higher level technical positions being exported from a variety of industries. Engineering positions, architectural design work, computer programmers, computer-generated animation, financial and legal research, insurance claim processing, software coding, AutoCAD, technical drawings and billions of dollars worth of back office services are now being moved from the first world to the third world by mostly the larger companies. This is making it difficult for medium sized businesses to compete.

India is well positioned to receive much of this work because it has a large English speaking population from its colonial history with Great Britain, and a growing pool of Internet-wise graduates ready to work at low Indian wages.

Concerns over data privacy and data theft loom large. Three employees of Msource in India allegedly siphoned off $350,000 from Citibank customers recently, using information obtained over the phone, according to Callcentres.net. The plaintiffs who will go through a living hell trying to gain back their financial identities will not be outsourced, nor will the local judges and jury who will hear the case. A couple other factors that come to mind when considering foreign outsourcing or off-shoring, are Islamic terrorists hostile to western interests, civil unrest, security costs, infrastructure concerns and the global war on terrorism...just off the top of my head.

Growing up we were told to eat all of our food because people were starving in other countries. I remember being chastised for suggesting that we should ship out my left over peas and carrots. Today we should tell our kids to study hard and think outside the box because people in other countries are hungry for their jobs!

Let's Laugh and Have Faith

On a lighter note, my wife called our credit card company and was transferred to "Mumbai". (Bombay) In one minute she was squaring off with the mores of a patriarchal society. She was told that she would have to "consult with her husband and obtain his permission and consent, and gain his approval."

The policy was no doubt born in America, but something in the tone and wording communicated female inferiority and wifely subservience. The idea of being "granted approval" was not going down easy. There may have been some gagging.

"BUT...IF, my husband doesn't pay his bill, THEN you'll want to talk to me! Will I need his "approval" and "consent" and "permission" for MY credit to be hammered?"

I was handed the phone at a certain mid-point in the intercontinental shoving match. Something about "your husband will have to make that decision".

I got on the phone and had a lovely conversation. We marveled at how all of this can be taking place over thousands of miles. Actually I rather enjoyed the experience. Perhaps I can outsource our marriage counselor.

About the Author

Rick David writes for a Merchant Newsletter @ Merchant America. He also writes a humor column called, "Don't Laugh It Could Happen To You" for http://sandiego.merchantamerica.com.

2007-11-21T22:14:00.000-08:00

Help for the Home Based Business

Wouldn't it be great to get some good, affordable, reliable help, even though you work out of your home? But finding workers and figuring out where to meet or when to bring them into your home office can pose some difficult juggling, personal and security issues.

A popular solution is outsourcing. When you outsource, you can hire experienced people and let them use their creative talents while you focus on other tasks. Another benefit is that the workers you hire may be more up to date on the latest information and technology in their specific fields and can be assets to your clients, as well, offering improved quality service.

OUTSOURCE

Here are the basics to outsourcing:

Focus:

Focus on outsourcing some of the major tasks of your workload. First, sit down for a breather and look around your 'To Do' lists and office area. What CAN you outsource? Which work seems to pile up the most?

For example, maybe you can't seem to find time to update your website each month. Maybe your newsletter is STILL not getting out regularly. Or perhaps your direct mail campaign is not quite as direct as it should be; i.e. it is sitting directly in the same pile it was three months ago.

Then write out one-page project description for these major tasks. Focus on WHAT exactly you'd want done, WHEN and HOW the end product should turned in to you.

Take Action:

Then look for service providers. For example, with the sample tasks above, find people who can help with Internet websites, newsletter creation and sending out direct mail campaigns. Call round and surf the Internet and ask other home based business operators which companies they recommend. Check forum posts; inquire for advice and suggestions. Shop around for comparisons.

Then set up trial periods and test a couple. Remember, no one is perfect. See who you can communicate with pretty easily and who's flexible to work as a team player. Check out the quality (and quantity) of their work. Then choose a candidate. Remember, this decision is not carved in stone. And you can always hire the other person as a back up or second helper down the road. So be kind to all who test, make decisions and keep your business moving forward.

ROI:

Make the most out of your investment and get a great return by investing in your time wisely, too. Outsourcing will hopefully free up more time for you to focus on the work you like and allow more time for marketing and advertising, to increase sales and projects. Don't forget to brush up on your skills and keep up with the industry now, too. Read the latest ezines in your field and take a brush up course or workshop to improve your skills.

Network and seek out joint venture opportunities.

Outsourcing is a great way to help small businesses grow larger while still remaining at home. So reach out and give it a try!
About the Author

Tara Smith is CEO of Wealthontap.com a directory of the best Work From Home Based Businesses. You can make money filling out paid surveys, data entry work, or even start your own online business selling real products for which you make a commission.

2007-11-20T21:55:00.001-08:00

How to Increase the Cash Flow in Your Private Practice in 30 Days

If you have a busy private practice, chances are you also have pockets of cash lying around available for the plucking. It simply hasn't been collected yet, and may even have been overlooked. Here are 10 ways to increase your cash flow over the next 30 days.

Collect at the Time of Service Include in your upfront discussions your expectations on payments. Establish that you are paid at the time of service. For services where payment plans are appropriate (for example, payments at key milestones), be clear from the start as to your expectations, then include them as part of your written agreement.

Step-Up Your Invoicing There is really no reason to wait until the end of the month to bill, or for that matter, the end of the week. Get your invoice into the mail the day you provide the service. That includes insurance billings.

Follow-Up on Late Payments Clients can get into the habit of paying late - 30, 60 or even 90 days - if they know that you will tolerate it.

Outsource Delinquent Payments Payments that are overdue by 90 days are more than just "late". They are delinquent. Outsource these receivables and don't let them occur again.

Follow-Up on Potential Appointments Do you have clients who "intend" to schedule an appointment but haven't called yet to do so? Perhaps they left your last meeting with a sincere intention to call back, or maybe whenever you see them they say "I've been meaning to call..." Call them now and get them on your appointment schedule.

Finish the Project or Service Sometimes, all that's between you and a check is finishing the project, mailing the report, getting the signature or conducting that last routine visit so you can bill for it.

Re-Visit Your Appointment Scheduling Procedures If you are one of those offices that routinely schedules the next appointment two weeks to four weeks away - why? Eliminate time lapses. If you can handle everything in one visit - and if there is no good reason for not doing so - do it. If you need to have two or more separate appointments to finish providing the service, schedule them as close together as possible. It will keep the momentum going with the project...and make your billing date sooner.

Handle Appeals and Requests for Reviews Weekly Sure, these things take time and talent to handle properly, but putting them off for weeks just delays your income from a service that's already been provided.

Consider Down-Payments Retainers, down-payments or other forms of upfront payments can boost your cash flow while securing a real commitment from your client to follow-through with the full service to which they have agreed. And don't forget to collect your co-pays at the time of service.

Promote Your Products If you have a product that you make available to your clients, don't keep it a secret. Display it, talk about it, recommend it and, where appropriate, use or demonstrate its use during the visit. This goes for everything from dental care kits to nutritional supplements, to office supplies, special workbooks, kits, tools, books, forms or any other product that you sell.

Tighten Your Financial Policies Use these ways to increase your cash flow, and while you are at it, go ahead and tighten your financial policies so that these things become the norm. Pockets of cash lying around don't add to your bottom line. You have to pick them up in order to count them in...or to spend them.

For more articles like this on Marketing and Business Development for your private practice, visit the Private Practice Marketing Roundtable at http://www.PrivatePracticeMarketingRoundtable.com

About the Author

Download our free Marketing Strategy Tools and resources to grow your business when you visit the Private Practice Marketing Roundtable.

2007-11-20T21:53:00.000-08:00

Help for the Home Based Business

Wouldn't it be great to get some good, affordable, reliable help, even though you work out of your home? But finding workers and figuring out where to meet or when to bring them into your home office can pose some difficult juggling, personal and security issues.

A popular solution is outsourcing. When you outsource, you can hire experienced people and let them use their creative talents while you focus on other tasks. Another benefit is that the workers you hire may be more up to date on the latest information and technology in their specific fields and can be assets to your clients, as well, offering improved quality service.

OUTSOURCE

Here are the basics to outsourcing:

Focus:

Focus on outsourcing some of the major tasks of your workload. First, sit down for a breather and look around your 'To Do' lists and office area. What CAN you outsource? Which work seems to pile up the most?

For example, maybe you can't seem to find time to update your website each month. Maybe your newsletter is STILL not getting out regularly. Or perhaps your direct mail campaign is not quite as direct as it should be; i.e. it is sitting directly in the same pile it was three months ago.

Then write out one-page project description for these major tasks. Focus on WHAT exactly you'd want done, WHEN and HOW the end product should turned in to you.

Take Action:

Then look for service providers. For example, with the sample tasks above, find people who can help with Internet websites, newsletter creation and sending out direct mail campaigns. Call round and surf the Internet and ask other home based business operators which companies they recommend. Check forum posts; inquire for advice and suggestions. Shop around for comparisons.

Then set up trial periods and test a couple. Remember, no one is perfect. See who you can communicate with pretty easily and who's flexible to work as a team player. Check out the quality (and quantity) of their work. Then choose a candidate. Remember, this decision is not carved in stone. And you can always hire the other person as a back up or second helper down the road. So be kind to all who test, make decisions and keep your business moving forward.

ROI:

Make the most out of your investment and get a great return by investing in your time wisely, too. Outsourcing will hopefully free up more time for you to focus on the work you like and allow more time for marketing and advertising, to increase sales and projects. Don't forget to brush up on your skills and keep up with the industry now, too. Read the latest ezines in your field and take a brush up course or workshop to improve your skills.

Network and seek out joint venture opportunities.

Outsourcing is a great way to help small businesses grow larger while still remaining at home. So reach out and give it a try!

NOTE: You have full permission to reprint this article within your website or newsletter as long as you leave the article fully intact and include the "About The Author" resource box. Thanks! :-)

!!!ATTENTION!!! We can help ANYONE become MORE Successful in their CURRENT BUSINESS!!! http://www.free-homebusiness.com

About the Author

Nial Robbins owns the work at home directory website located at: http://www.NDR-HomeBiz.com Come by and visit us today! Also, be sure to check out our "top pick" work at home opportunity at: http://www.PlugInProfitSite.com/main-9525

2007-11-20T21:52:00.001-08:00

Ten Online Customer Service Tips

Other than the current buzz words, customer service has changed very little since commerce first began. If you want a customer to buy from you again, and to recommend your product or service to others, complaints or problems must be handled properly.

"A satisfied customer will tell five people about their experience, a dissatisified customer will tell twenty-five!"

Customer Service on the Internet

The Internet is an impersonal place to shop. Because of this, the online customer feels little loyalty to you or your company. Many online shoppers won't restrain their anger and upset either. They feel safe behind their anonymous email address. Therefore, in responding to a complaint, you must quickly establish rapport with your customer. To do this, your phone skills and email etiquette must be exceptional. You won't likely get a second chance to make the right impression.

Here are some tips to put you on the right track:

1. Don't give stock responses when customers are not asking stock questions! Take care to answer every question or concern that a customer poses in an email. There's nothing worse than getting back an email from a business owner or their customer service representative that doesn't address the concerns you stated in your email, gives canned responses to what you asked, or makes you feel like a nuisance...or a dummy!

2. End the call or email on a high note for the customer. They'll remember your last words best. In other words, don't end the conversation by saying, "And I'm really sorry you didn't receive your widget when promised." Say, "Martha, your widget is on my desk right now. I'll be packaging it right after this call and I will take it to the post office myself." Now stop talking! Don't be tempted to apologize again and remind them of the problem. Leave customers with the good taste of a resolution in their mouths.

3. In emails, use "exaggerated courtesy." Since the person can't see your expression or hear your tone of voice, your words must do everything for you. Read emails at least three times before hitting the send button.

4. Remove or reword phrases in your email that could be considered rude, such as, "As I said on the phone,...." (Ouch, that's a reprimand! We expect the sentence to end like this, "As I said on the phone, Stupid!")

5. Consider outsourcing your customer service. I was a customer service professional for fifteen years in the high-tech industry. As a hiring manager I looked for two customer service "virtues" in candidates: patience beyond measure and a genuine liking for people. If you do your own customer service for your small business, you need to determine if you have those qualities. If not, you might want to outsource your customer service to someone who does!

6. Ask customers what they want! Often their request will be more reasonable than whatever it was you were going to do to make it right. And it will be the solution they want, not the solution you think they want!

7. Acknowledge their pain and make it right! In my experience, customers rarely demand something more than what they originally expected. So don't start offering all kinds of freebies to try and make them feel better. What they really want is for you to acknowledge their pain and make it right. Making it right usually means getting what they expected in the first place. And it doesn't have to be accompanied by a free gift. Don't substitute "bribing" the customer for genuinely caring about their pain. You can't buy their loyalty, but you can earn it.

8. Avoid over compensating for your company's mistake. Gushing with apologetic words and offering them the sky because of a small shipping error can leave your customer doubting your professionalism. And if you've given them the sky for such a small mistake, what the heck will you do when you really mess up?

9. If possible, give customers a choice as to the solution to their problem. They'll view their experience with less pain that way. If they couldn't download your ebook because of some technical difficulty, they might want a full refund, they might want the chance to download the ebook again, or they might prefer that you email them the ebook.

10. If you do it carefully, you can use some customer service situations to upsell customers. "Martha, did you notice on our Web site that you can get a second widget at half price? If I ship them today, both widgets will arrive in plenty of time for Christmas. Gift-wrapping is included, by the way." Now stop talking and let Martha sell herself on your offer. This is not the time for a hard sales pitch!

How does good customer service increase your revenue? Every customer service encounter gives you another chance to:

- improve customer loyalty

- correct problems in your buying cycle

- upsell customers.

By retaining customer loyalty you now have the chance to sell this customer something else, and you can rest assured they'll say positive things about your company. Remember, a satisfied customer will tell five people, but a dissatisified customer will tell twenty-five people!

About the Author

Andrea Wilson is a former customer service professional who now owns Able Webs, an online Web design business. Visit Able Webs and subscribe to Andrea's ezine, "Web Marketing Today." Learn proven tips and tricks to successfully market your business on the Web.

2007-11-20T21:50:00.000-08:00

How to Start a Tax Service

Tax Service Businesses from home are the hot home business of today. As more and more companies downsize and outsource work, there's a higher demand for business tax service, tax preparation service and small business tax advice than ever before. If you're thinking about starting a tax service business from home, consider these things:

* Do you have the background and education you need?
* If not, are you willing to, and do you know where to go to get it?
* Do you want to have an income tax preparation service or a business tax service, or would you prefer to offer small business tax advice?
* Is this a profession you want to pursue full-time or only part-time?
* Will your family be affected by your having a tax service business in your home?
* Do you like working with numbers?
* Can you deal with frustrated and angry people?
* Is there a space in your home for an office?
* What equipment or supplies do you need?
* Do you need to get any financial assistance in starting a tax service business?
* Are you willing to put the necessary effort starting a tax service business?
* Should you have a partner?
* Do you need to get any additional insurance?
* What accounting knowledge will you need for your tax service business?
* Where will you go to get the information about what your state's requirements are on starting a tax business from home?
* Does your state require you to have a license?
* What are your neighborhood's zoning regulations concerning home businesses?

Questions like these will start you thinking about all the details you need to attend to before opening the doors to your tax business from home. Do as much research as you possibly can before making a decision.

Once you've done your homework and have decided that, yes, you want to go ahead with starting your own tax service business from home, make or purchase a business plan. Outline what you need to get started with your own tax business and the steps you need to take.

Goals aren't reached by magic. They're reached by understanding what's involved in undertaking starting a tax business and knowing what you need to do. Making a business plan and following it will keep you on track. This will enable you to actually open a tax service from home more quickly with less trial and error. Ultimately, a good business plan ensures you'll be successful at your tax business.

Even with a good business plan, you need to be aware that there will be obstacles in having your own tax business from home. There will be days you think you must've been nuts to go into business for yourself. Especially if you're used to being in a larger business environment where there many people to help carry the business.

Because in a small business, whether it's a tax business from home or a home show business, you're forced to wear many hats. You have to be the boss, the administrative assistant, the office manager, the accountant, the receptionist, as well as the employee doing the work--often all at once. And there's also the stress and pressure of having all the work, as well as all the financial burdens on your shoulders alone. Having your own business isn't for everybody.

And, if after you've given it some thought and done your research, you've decided that a tax business from home is just the right business opportunity for you, you have many things to look forward to. There are far more positives to being your own boss than there are negatives. Not facing that morning commute is usually enough to make most people never look back. Not having to face that evening commute either, is enough to make them rejoice--and never regret for a minute, starting a tax service business at home of their own.

About the Author

Randy has dozens of home based business articles at Businesses that you can operate from Home such as Unusual Business Opportunities.