Why You Need to Create a Relationship Before You Sell
If you are selling products through a dropshipping business on eBay or if you’re selling a digital product as an affiliate, then it is absolutely crucial that you build a relationship with your potential customers before you try and sell to them. This is something that a lot of sellers and marketers just don’t understand and ultimately it is to their detriment as they end up missing out on the opportunity to sell. Read on to see exactly what this means and why it is so important… An Analogy… The best way to explain this is with an analogy, or two. Imagine for a moment that you see an attractive lady or man at a bar and you want to get to know them a little better. So what you do, is you go up and you ask if they’re come home with you tonight. What do you think happens next? Most likely you get a firm slap in the face – and this is more than fair enough! The problem with this approach is that the person doesn’t know you yet. They don’t know what you’re like and if they’re likely to have a good time with you and more importantly – they don’t know if they can trust you! You might be dangerous as far as they’re concerned! Another scenario is someone trying to sell a watch. Imagine they come up to you in the street holding a watch and ask if you want to buy it for $2,000. What do you say? Again, you’ll probably turn and run. No one would spend that much money on something without knowing anything about it and without having any form of ‘come back’ in case the deal turns sour. How Businesses Make This Mistake All the Time Both these examples probably seem absurd to you but this is essentially what many businesses are doing all the time. If you have a website that tries to sell a product as soon as anyone lands on it, then you’re going to drive people away before they have even had a chance to read your site. They may well be interested in what you’re selling but if they don’t know your brand and they don’t know your product, then they won’t want to buy right away. And if all you’re interested in doing is selling to them with tons of pop?up ads, then you’re going to drive them off – it will look like spam! Now consider the alternative approach: they land on your website and they find tons of great content that’s well written, free and informative. This allows the visitor to form a positive opinion of your business and hopefully to become interested in the products you’re mentioning. And as a result, they’re much more likely to want to buy from you in future. So instead of focussing on making a sale, focus on making a fan. Push them toward a mailing list instead and invite them to come back. That way, the sales will come to you!
What Makes a Good Franchisee?
Being a good franchisee takes about the same qualities as being a good business owner of any type. The difference between a completely independent owner and a franchisee is very small and only comes into play when dealing with the franchisor’s rules and ability to drive the direction of your business based on their vision rather than your own. Ability to be Consistent – Franchises come with standard operating procedures and processes. If you can consistently follow them, you will be successful. You’ll need to follow them and ensure your employees do the same. Flexibility – When you own any type of business, you must be ready and willing to jump through all sorts of hopes even when you are tired. One example is that you’ll likely have an alarm on your store if it’s a bricks-and-mortar franchise that might go off because the wind blows wrong. You’ll have to get up at 3 am and go turn it off and talk to the police about it. Good Communication skills – Not only will you need to be able to talk to your franchisor, but also your staff, and your customers. Not to mention the myriad of vendors that will service your location. But remember, communication is a two-way street and you’ve been given two ears and one mouth for a reason. Have Passion for the Industry – If you don’t like fast food, do not buy a fast food franchise. The only exception is if you have the type of funds to be an absentee owner and you’ll be hiring managers to oversee everything. But even then, why would you invest in things that don’t bring you joy? Honesty and Ethics – It’s imperative that you are very honest and have the utmost ethical center to be a franchisee. You’re going to have to be on your honor to follow a lot of the rules and regulations and systems that the franchisor sets out for you. You will be representing the business across the country and maybe the world. If someone comes into your place and has a bad experience, it rubs off on everyone. Leadership Ability – Even if the idea of leadership bothers you, remember that there are different types of leadership. Take the time to do the work to discover what type of leader you are. Once you understand your leadership style, you’ll be able to be who you are while you lead your staff and business to success. Organizational Skills – It can be hard to be organized, so don’t despair if you’re not naturally organized. You can hire people to come in and organize according to the franchisor’s rules, and sometimes they will help with that. Your job will be to maintain that organization. Anyone can learn organization if they make it a priority. Perseverance – You also need to be able to stick to it through the hard times (which could be one to three years from the date you sign the contract) before you see any money for your hard work. It may be frustrating; you’ll hit roadblocks, but if you stick to the plan you’ll see success. Even though you as a franchisee must follow the lead of the home office to drive profits, you’re still a business owner with all the risks and rewards that come with the privilege. Make no mistake; even though you’ve laid down your hard-earned money to become a franchisee, your ability to be successful will depend on your ability to understand the overall vision of the franchisor and go on to translate that into success for you and your community.
Top Ways to Create a Business Selling Physical Products
Selling a physical product has a ton of advantages over selling digital ones. While digital products have their benefits and have their place, nothing quite beats the broad appeal of selling something tangible that people can actually hold in their hands and use. The problem is that selling a physical product often requires a little more thought than going digital. In this post then, we’ll take a look at some surprisingly easy ways to start a business selling something physical. Let’s get physical! Selling Crafts One option is to sell crafts. If you have the ability to paint, to make jewelry, or to sculpt with clay, then you can turn that hobby into a money making venture – and if you’ve seen the Penny Blossom episode of Big Bang Theory then you’ll already know how this works. Simply create your product, take some photos for eBay or Etsy, and then sell them! It really is that easy – but make sure that the product you choose is something you can easily make in volume and that doesn’t have high CoGS (Cost of Goods Sold). Reselling Reselling is the oldest business model in the book. All you’re doing here is ordering large volumes of something at a relatively low price (this is called wholesale) and then selling those items off individually at a profit. Reselling is a very effective way to make money but involves a small amount of risk because you have to buy inventory. If you start small though, you can reinvest your profit and thereby create a fairly reliable business model. Affiliate Marketing Yes, you can sell physical products as an affiliate. And most people reading this will already know that that means getting commission on sales. The best place to find physical products to sell this way is to go to Amazon, where you can sell pretty much anything you can think of and through a site that most shoppers will already trust. Dropshipping Dropshipping is what many people consider to be the ‘ideal’ business model. This basically means you’re buying through wholesalers but you don’t have to put in bulk orders. Better yet, you don’t need to worry about fulfilment because the company will do that for you! All you need to do is to sell the products and then pass the details onto the wholesaler that will sell the product. Best of all, some companies will even stay quiet and allow you to take credit for the manufacturing! Selling Your Own Product Finally, you can sell your own mass?produced product. For most people, this will mean coming up with an idea, creating a 3D model and then going to manufacturers in order to get it made. There are different options today though. For example, how about creating your own book with POD (Print On Demand) publishing? Or you could use a 3D printer and print out simple plastic items this way. Today, it’s easier than ever to sell your own physical products. So what are you waiting for?
Top 3 Business Strategies for Online Entrepreneurs
So, you want to be a successful entrepreneur. But which business strategy do you choose? There seem to be so many out there, with each so-called guru touting a different philosophy, that it can be very difficult to narrow down a business strategy that actually works. However, when you remove all of the window dressing and break the strategies down to the basics there are only three that make up nearly all of the entrepreneurial ventures that are out there. Which one you choose will depend on your personal preference, your unique skills and where you see a hole in the market. Service Providers The first of our three top strategies is providing some type of service. There are many occupations that provide a service where someone can become an entrepreneur. Graphic design is one good example; freelance writing is another.</p><p>Whenever you are doing a service for somebody else and they are paying you for it (while not in the employee of another person or company) you are an entrepreneur. Affiliate Marketing Another big boom in Internet entrepreneurship is affiliate marketing. With the creation of websites like Clickbank, the affiliate programs offered by leading retailers like Amazon and the big profits that could be potentially earned, affiliate marketing is one of the most popular entrepreneurial ventures today. With affiliate marketing, you find the customer, send them over to the seller to buy the product and the seller pays you a commission. Of course, you have to find the right product not to mention have a solid plan for getting in front of people that can be difficult. Info Product Creation Rather than being the person that receives the commission when someone buys a product from someone else, you could be the person that they are buying that product from. You could create an info product of some kind that you’ll be able to sell to the Internet at large. One of the more popular ways to do this is by publishing Kindle content on Amazon, but the products on Clickbank are also part of this strategy. Combining Strategies Of course, you don’t have to just stick with one. You could combine to of the above strategies or you could combine all three if you like. There are no rules when it comes to entrepreneurship. If you can create something that sells, or make money at something and be successful, you are an entrepreneur.
Three Tips for Finding the Right Industry for You
There are so many different industries that have a franchise. In fact, there is likely no business model that you can’t find that isn’t already franchised. Once you understand that, your job is to narrow down your choices to fit your passions, your skills, and your community’s needs. In addition, you’ll need to reconcile all that with your budget and financial ability. Tip #1: Determine Your Industry When you are looking at an industry to franchise, you want to ensure that it’s something you know that you’ll love. While you don’t have to have all the skills or business knowledge to run a franchise, it certainly does help to have some form of experience in the industry so that you know you have a love for it. After all, you’re going to be stuck with this business a long time if everything goes right. Industries that offer franchise opportunities for investment include: Advertising Auto Beauty Business services Childcare Cleaning Computer/internet Educational Financial Food Health and fitness Home based Home repair services Pets Photography and video Printing, copying, shipping, signs Retail Senior care Travel Vending The list above is representative of the types of industries that offer franchise opportunities. You can find a range of prices in each industry, so don’t think that any one industry is out of bounds for you if your budget is on the small side. But, do expect to spend from $5K to $5 million dollars on just the franchise fee. Tip #2: Determine Your Budget This list of potential costs may or may not be complete. You should add to it as you do your research so that you can ensure that your budget is sufficient to meet the needs of more than just paying the franchise fee. You’ll need to survive to profitability, and you’ll need to pay for everything else even if you’re not making money. Typical costs of running a franchise, not including the franchise fee, include: Accountant fees Advertising and marketing fees Build-out fees Business licenses Equipment Grand opening expenses Initial advertising and marketing expenses Insurance Landscaping Legal fees Maintenance Product costs Rent Royalties Salaries Signage Supplies Taxes Uniforms Utilities And more Tip #3: Do Your Due Diligence You’ll need to research every possibility. It helps once you’ve narrowed down your industry and your budget. You’re sure to find just the right franchise for your personality, your goals, and the lifestyle that you want to live with just a little research. Talk to owners –Talk to other owners, and not only the ones they want you to. Ask for a list of the last ten people who bought franchises and talk to them. They’ll be in various stages of the business and can give you a lot better outlook. Get a job – If you have chosen a place that has a franchise not too far from you in another community, why not get a job there to find out how it’s run and whether you like it. Ask the franchisor if there are any corporate owned franchises within a reasonable distance from you where you can observe or even work. You’ll either realize that you can go for it now, or you may determine that you need to work a little longer at what you’re doing now to pay for your dream. Don’t change your dream because you can’t afford it right now; instead, keep on dreaming while saving and planning for that future that you want as a franchise investor.
The Best and Guaranteed Way to Flourish Your Business
Running a business, be it a small or the big one, and successfully in itself is the most grueling and exhausting task to muster. For such a competitive job you need to brace yourself up with latest and profoundest. You just cannot neglect one department just because you were straining hard to put all odds to right at the other end of the firm. It will simply throw you out of the business hub and drain your monetary gain. Accounting is one such toll taking job that needs complete attention and acute presentation. So, better hire the services of any NJ accounting firm before you find your firm into the darkest nook of the market. Accounting needs to be handled with great discerning and calculative mind. You cannot just assign the accounting task of your firm to any outsourcing firm advertising big time in the market. You need to do entire background work right from searching the names of renowned accounting firms to negotiating on the prices. And, on the way you will find umpteen of them which donandrsquo;t mean you pick any randomly and strike the deal. If you are located in New Jersey and needs accounting assistance, then look for some popular and reliable NJ accounting firm. You can collect all the necessary details and background information of any of the NJ accounting firm via feedback portals and contacting the previous service buyers personally. This will give you an overview of the services these accounting firms in NJ avails and you can take right decision accordingly. Some of the immense benefits which you can reap via hiring NJ accounting services include:- Cost-efficient work since you need not spend on a separate accounts department and hire professional accountant – On-time completion of the work without nagging and standing over your accountants head all the day long – Well organized and managed accounts data, records, and archives which will spare you tiring search for the required information on time – Expert CPAs and charted accountants who are trained rigorously and skilled in all the latest technology assistance required for accountancy work on your project – You can also avail the counseling on how you make improvements and modification in your company work by NJ accounting professionals from time to time – Experienced CPAs would help you in cracking right financial deal and suggest savings and investment plans which will benefit your business in multiple ways – You will get an accurate and to the point annual financial report along with profit andamp; loss charts and statistical figure Owning a business and running it successfully are two different accomplishments and both are rendered inadequate in each oneandrsquo;s absence. So, make sure that you hire a professional help of the NJ accounting firm for your business on time. Once you will assign your accounting task to the accounting firm, you will notice how rapid your work has progressed and expanded In a short span of time. This solely is because you have been able to concentrate your attention to other important fields as well. NJ accounting services are one of the most significant progresses in the field of outsourcing and have helped many companies flourish with their efforts.
Steps on How to Run an Email Marketing Campaign
It’s now clear that you know why your small business should be using e- mail marketing techniques to increase its consumer base, increase revenue and build brand awareness. However, be aware that if the e- mail marketing techniques are not used properly, they may fail to work and your business may end up attracting huge losses. It is thus very essential that you know the proper ways to implement e- mail marketing strategies. This will help you avoid alienating your consumers. There are three basics which you must get right before you can begin to expect your e- mail marketing campaigns to start showing results. These basics include: Creating a list of individuals who will want to receive the message of your business Crafting the message so that it’s not though of as spam Creating an effective system which will get the message into your viewers inbox Once you’ve accomplished the three basics, you can work on a number of more sophisticated and detailed tactics to improve your results. Here is a guideline that can assist you run an e- mail marketing campaign correctly: Step1: Getting Started For most business operators, the misconception that there has to be a marketing professional in order to implement an e- mail marketing campaign successfully represents their biggest hurdle. Generally, e- mail marketing can often be a lot easier that it sounds provided a person gets the basics right. Once you’ve decided to create an email marketing technique, the next step for you is to start consolidation your name for your outgoing e- mail list. Step2: Creating an E- mail List You’ll require a list of names as well as e- mail addresses to start with, so that you can begin getting your e- mail marketing messages out there. Start by gathering together all of your contact information and names into one identifiable spot. Typically, the best way of organizing and categorizing your e- mail names list is using a database. This is not difficult and thus you do not require a computer science degree for you to use a database. You can use Macs Mactracker or Microsofts Excel Spreadsheet or anything else which you know how to operate well. Using a database to manage all your names will make you see the different e- mail addresses that you already have. You can also begin with you business rolodex and a list of current and previous potential consumers. Step3: Coming up With Sign- up Sheets If you do not al ready posses the e- mail addresses of your consumers, it is important that you come up with sign up sheets so that they can provide you with their e- mail addresses. An ideal way to do this is to provide a sign- up form at your store front or on your business’s website, it is important that you encourage your consumers to sign up by giving them something once they happen to give you their e- mail addresses.
Train Your Leadership – Realise Your Full Potential
I have been fascinated over the years by the debate, research and discussion about leadership and management. Increasingly there seems to be a focus on the differences between leadership and management and it seems to me that this has developed in part because of deficits in one or the other. Most of us would like to become, or to think of ourselves as, strong leaders. There is something appealing about the idea of creating and pursuing a vision and influencing others to support the necessary transitions. True enough, if it wasn’t for good leadership, nothing would change or improve. Leadership training helps you unlock your full potential and realise your ambitions in the business world. Leadership is firmly at the core of every successful organisation, and the effective management of people is a hugely valuable skill that’s always in demand. Open learning allows you to gain leadership training without the disruption of traditional study. With open learning you can study in your own time and at your own pace, moving through the training course at whatever rate suits you best. This means that you can easily fit your course around your current life commitments, whether you have family responsibilities, a full-time job or any other constraints on your time. You could even earn a prestigious business degree through open learning, and open up a whole new range of career opportunities for yourself! However, not as many people seem to be as drawn toward being a good manager. Maybe I am misreading the “climate”, but management is often associated with the mundane, the routine and a whole range of “left-brain” activity for which the kudos are few. There appears to be a perception that one can be a leader or a manager, but not much acknowledgement that those skill sets can reside in the same individual. I believe this is an erroneous view. My view of leadership and management is that they do require different skill sets, but must co-exist in order for any change to occur effectively. It is like a hand and a glove. Put together they make a great partnership.
Small Business Bookkeeping Tips For All Seasons
Small business bookkeeping is a topic that shouldn’t only be addressed during tax time. By taking an all seasons approach to the subject, it becomes even easier to keep the finances of a business organized and focus on the money making part rather than the money organizing part. If you’re just getting started when it comes to running a company, the idea of handling your company’s financial books may seem daunting right now. Fear not — this article will lay the 3 basic steps you need to take in order to make sure your business’s bookkeeping duties are performed perfectly. The first step is to be consistent. You want to make sure that if you set up your accounting system, you do it the same way every month. Even moving a set of columns around can cause your system to suffer problems that are highly unnecessary. There’s a lot of programs to help you handle your bookkeeping duties if you do not wish to hire outside help to take care of this. The hidden benefit of staying organized is that is you do decide to hire someone else to come in and take care of your bookkeeping, they will be pleased to be handed a neat and orderly system. The second step is to keep good records. Many businesses miss out on great tax benefits every year merely because there’s no record to back up the deductions that they deserve. If there’s ever any issue over profits and expenses, having a solid small business bookkeeping system in place makes showing true profits and loss a breeze. One high tech way of making sure receipts are always kept and organized is to use a scanner to scan in all the receipts. There are even specialty scanners in place now that can handle many receipts at once and even automatically file them into a specific folder. The third step is to maintain invoice integrity. The concept of invoice integrity is simple — if there’s an open invoice floating around, it needs to be accounted for and closed in a timely fashion. The biggest frustration of small business bookkeeping is often that invoices can take a long time to get filled and thus bring money back into the company to handle expenses and fund future projects. This step is so crucial that it may even lead to your bookkeeping system influencing corporate policy on exactly how and when invoices must be paid. For example, you can outline a policy where all invoices must be paid within 15 days of being sent out or there will be a late fee or other penalty. This usually encourages people to pay on time to avoid additional fees and charges. Overall, the world of small business is challenging, but having the right system in place makes tackling the obstacles a lot easier. There’s plenty of ways to handle your small business finances, but these tips should lead you in direction that’s right for you and your business with no trouble!
The Difference Between Boss and Leader
Every leader is a boss. But every boss is not the leader. This defines the difference between a boss and a leader. The biggest difference between a boss and a leader is one. The boss is respected and obeyed because of his/her seniority. A leader is respected and looked up to as a example not only because of seniority but mainly because of the qualities of character and ability. Please view these wallpapers in this reference. Those who aspire to become leaders must lead by example. The team must always have a firm belief that the leader will be there during every crisis. Not to fix the blame, but fix the problem. If the team members find that the leader does not follow what he/she preaches, they will have no respect for him/her. They may obey him/her, but the respect will be missing. Leaders gain this respect by their actions. They look and act sincerely. There is no mismatch between their words and actions. They look integral in approach and character. To be a leader, every boss must display characteristics such as knowledge, planning, anticipation, foresight, action, result oriented approach, perspective, respect every team member, earn their respect, act as a friend and act as a mentor. This is quite a list, but if you want to become a good leader you need these qualities. This is true not only for national leaders but for persons in every leadership position in any organization. Once a person earns the respect of his /her team members he/she ceases to be only a boss and transforms into a leader.
