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Basic Photography Tips – How to Improve Your Photo Shoot With Your Compact Digital Camera

When one intends to explore the world of digital photography and possibly make it a lucrative career in the future, the first thing to be accomplished is to understand the basics of photography. You must able have a reliable compact digital camera in your possession that would prove to be your most valuable tool when you are out shooting or capturing pictures. Here we have some basic photography tips that would hopefully guide you well in your bid to become a successful photographer in the future:1) Once you own a camera, go through its manual, and understand exactly what every switch, button, control and item on the menu does to your photographs! Even if you are unable to master everything, ensure that you know how to turn on the flash when necessary, are able to switch between different environment settings and know how to zoom in and out.2) Start taking pictures by switching your camera’s mode to automatic setting at first, and once you are more familiar with the settings and features of your camera, you should be able to alter it in accordance to your needs and preferences3) Set the camera to its highest resolution whenever you can so that you would get better quality pictures that would prove to be more convenient to alter digitally when you are processing them. If you do not have much memory to play with, it is advisable to obtain a bigger memory card as photos with higher resolutions tend to be bigger in terms of image size4) Be constantly on the go, and ensure that you carry your camera everywhere you go! Many people tend to miss good memorable shots because they tend to stay indoors a lot, and many forget to bring their cameras when they are out traveling.5) Avoid red-eye distraction if possible, this can be accomplished by switching on your red-eye reduction feature (most digital cameras come with this options nowadays)6) Use a tripod whenever you can, as it would reduce the chances of your picture blurring due to shaking hands or other distractions – if possible, get yourself a carbon-made tripod7) And remember, practice makes perfect, thus work on your photography skills whenever you are able to!Once you fully understand all these basic tips, you would be able to take high-quality photographs, regardless of whether they are family photographs, portrait photographs, or even scenery shots! Good luck!

Home Improvement Marketing – What Works, What Doesn’t, What Might and Why

Home improvement companies large and small know that getting their message heard by homeowners in need isn’t easy. Home improvement contractors are everywhere, and each is vying for attention. Open any given value pack mailer or local coupon publication and you will see page after page of home improvement ads. From lawn services, landscapers, deck, pool & patio contractors to roofing, siding and windows, carpet, bathroom, sun room and basement remodelers, the list goes on and on.

So as a contractor, how do you get your message heard? What marketing works, what doesn’t, and what aren’t we sure about? The answers depend somewhat on your local market and your budget, but here I provide some sure things that can be done no matter what your market or budget, and some tips on making the most of all of your efforts.

What Works

When I say ‘What Works’, I am talking about items that I have personally used to market my clients that I wouldn’t hesitate to employ for any home improvement company. These are methods that have proven time and time again to be worth the investment. There are very few ‘sure things’ in home improvement marketing, but I’ll bet on these methods every time.

Website – Now more than ever, the standout method of marketing that continues to show solid return on investment (ROI) is your website. Day after day, night after night, your website – if done right – can generate lead after lead. I’ve seen home improvement companies that do ZERO cold-calling and canvassing, and still generate millions of dollars in revenue due in part to their investment in a well-done, highly-optimized website. The key, however, is the ‘well-done’ part. Frankly, any jackleg contractor can get a website – maybe even an attractive one. But without the proper construction and search engine optimization techniques, it will serve as little more than an online brochure. Do yourself a favor and find a search engine pro that can analyze your site and help make changes that will get it working to generate quality leads.

Pay-per-click (Google) Advertising – Your website, as well-optimized as it may be – can’t possibly achieve top ranking for all of the key words and phrases that you need to reach your audience. Today’s searchers in many cases are using broad terms like ‘lawn service’ to find what they need. And at last check, on Google the term ‘lawn service’ yielded 9,400,000 results. If you’re part of one of the large franchises, you have a chance of being found. But if you’re Joe’s local lawn service, fagettaboutit. Your only hope in that broad search is to have your site pop up in the Sponsored Listings, or pay-per-clicks. Setting up Google pay-per-click advertising takes a little know-how, but is certainly available to anyone.

Signage – Contractors are on the road and in neighborhoods far more than they are in any office. They are out and about, all over their covered area day after day. Outfit those trucks – whether they are pick-up trucks, step vans or large vehicles – with nicely done signs, and you have yourself a rolling billboard. Forget the subtle vinyl lettering or magnetic sign – spend a little more on a colorful wrap (no need to wrap the whole thing – doors, the back window, and/or tailgate will do) and you will surely get noticed. In addition to vehicle signs, be sure to put a yard sign at every single installment. A yard sign is as good as a personal referral. And in today’s busy society when time spent talking to your neighbors can be few a far between, it allows the opportunity to broadcast to an entire neighborhood that one of their own has put their trust in you for their latest project. I’ve even seen home improvement companies provide incentives to homeowners for keeping the signs in their yard for extended periods of time. Well worth it.

Ratings-based Organizations – Organizations like the Better Business Bureau and Angie’s List allow their members and/or the general public to rate their experiences with contractors. And while many contractors shy away from these organizations for fear of bad ratings, my experience has been positive with these services. That is, of course, if you are reputable contractor. If you’re a successful contractor who has built a business based on referrals and quality workmanship, these services will speak for themselves. And when you do get you’re A+ rating, use it. Post it on your website and in ads, and it too can serve as a virtual referral.

Social Media Marketing – While the jury is still out on exactly how to track the direct return on your social media marketing investment, I wouldn’t hesitate to set aside a small amount of time and marketing budget for social media marketing. Why? Well for one, it’s about as low-cost as you can get. It has the potential to be viral, and strong testimonial/referral benefits are there as well. It also tells the world that you are on top of things – you’re progressive and stand out as a leader in your field. I don’t recommend spending 2 hours a day tweeting, but spending 10 minutes a day to post an item or two to your Facebook business page and Twitter account can have great benefits.

PR – Getting into a regular routine of doing press releases about anything you can think of that might catch the attention of the local press is worthwhile. After a while, regular releases containing good information will catch the attention of the local media. You may even become their go-to people for home improvement information. Invest a little time in putting together a press-kit with your leaders’ biographies, a one-sheet about your company, and any articles, guides, or content you have is worth doing once a year. Then, be on the lookout for news worthy things to write about – significant new hires, a government regulation that affects your industry or homeowners, new products and services can all be spun into information that reporters will look out for.

Sales Support – One often overlooked area of home improvement marketing is sales support, however when done right, it can have an amazing return. Companies hire a guy, hand him some business card, send him on his way and expect great returns. Your sales team is the face of your business to customers, and you no doubt spend time agonizing over who to hire. So when you have a good team in place, do the right thing and arm them with the proper tools to make the sale quicker. Online presentations, e-mailable resource links, business cards, and leave-behinds should all be high on the list of items that your team has in their sales toolbox.

What Doesn’t Work

‘What Doesn’t Work’ is based on experience, and consists of items that you’d have to hold me down and force me to spend money on. That’s not to say that in some cases, some markets they don’t work, but at best, I consider these items to be hit or miss.

Large Phone Book Advertising – When I say ‘large phone book’ I am talking about the big yellow pages books. It’s no secret that these directories – in print – are dying. With internet availability everywhere and a strong push toward environmental responsibility, directory companies are scrambling to stay alive by offering online options. Unless you’re tracking your phone book response diligently and seeing a return, my advice would be to get out. Or at least reduce to in-column listings.

Pay-per-lead Services – For the contractor who has no other method of getting leads, this might be a source to get started, but in my experience, pay-per-lead services don’t work. Typically they are pricey, and they sell the leads they get to multiple contractors. Even the ones that promise exclusivity have turned out to be duds. Whether they are the major players or the smaller ones, all have had the same results. Very low quality leads and at a cost far too high.

Value Pack Mailers – Coupon-based value pack mailers are the definition of hit or miss. If you catch a home who opens the pack, and if he or she has an immediate need for what you’re selling and if he or she is attracted by the ad or offer, you might get some action. That’s a lot of if’s. In my experience, these packs are not cheap, and they are loaded with home improvement companies. In fact, during the writing of this article I received one in the mail. Out of the 45 ads in the pack, 22 of them – nearly 50% – were from home improvement companies. Can I possibly stand out in a crowd like this, and hit the homeowner at the exact right moment? Hmmmm…not really liking those odds.

Pricey Print Advertising – While some may argue that a flashy ad in a magazine has branding appeal, I have seen very little direct return on this type of investment. To get into the magazines, your money would be better spent doing PR that will get you a text mention or even an article.

What Might Work

The items that fall under the category of ‘What Might Work’ are items that are hit or miss, but have the added intangible value of branding. So while we can’t necessarily measure all of the effectiveness of these efforts, we have a sense that they do have some value. The recommendation on these would be to keep the dollars spent in check, but give the activities that fit your budget a shot.

Broadcast Advertising – Broadcast advertising is great for getting your name out there, but can be really expensive. A savvy marketer can find some diamonds in the rough – broadcast efforts that have a decent reach and a decent price tag – but they are hard to find. If broadcast is a part of your mix, try your best to track your efforts. Put landing page URL’s on your ads, whether they are radio or television ads, and a tracking phone number. Create an offer that is unique to the spot for additional tracking. And by all means, with this and every other marketing effort, talk to your customers about how they heard about you initially. If you hear ‘I heard/saw your commercial’ over and over, you will have a sense that it is working.

Event Marketing – Events range in size and price from affordable local events like street festivals and school-sponsored events to large home and garden shows, wine festivals, etc. The large shows can be tough to see a big return on – they are expensive to secure space, and expensive to haul your stuff and staff – and you can get lost in the noise of dozens of other companies just like yours. Smaller, more localized events, though, can have a nice return. While you won’t be getting a huge quantity of leads, you will likely have more time to spend with the people you do meet, and you won’t be competing with too many other companies like yours.

Direct Mail – The options for direct mail vary from mass mailers that can cost a fortune for printing and postage, to smaller, more cost-effective efforts. In my experience, stay away from mass mailings. The return is very low. However, neighborhood mailers from companies like Quantum Digital can have a decent return. When you are able to choose a select set of streets to mail to, you can keep your cost down by doing small runs, and you can piggyback on other efforts. For example, if Joe’s Roofing is doing a nice roof on Maple Street, Joe’s team knows when the install is happening. If they have their marketing efforts in sync, they can log into the mailer system, and choose Maple Street and its surrounding streets to mail to. Then, while his crew is there with their trucks (that have great signage) and there’s a nice job sign in the yard, the neighbors will receive a “We’re working in your neighborhood!” mailer. Bam! You have 3 solid hits to an entire neighborhood with very little cost.

Low-cost Print Advertising – It is tough to cut through the clutter with print advertising, but I have seen some success in choosing specialized, low-cost publications. School papers, and local papers with classified ads or event listings, can provide the benefit of showing community support, can showcase your branding, and may even get you a few leads.

Make The Best Home Business Choices With This Advice

A lot of people think that operating a home business is something that is hard to do, but it’s actually something easy if you apply yourself and learn the information. Look at this article with a careful eye and see what information you can take and use towards your home business goals.

One of the reasons why many people decide to become involved in home business is so that they have more time to spend with their kids. However, as their business grows, they also easily find themselves in situations where their kids impede their ability to work effectively. Just because it is a home business however does not mean that a nanny, babysitter or daycare center is out of the question. Don’t ignore these resources just because of the fact that it is a home business!

Study your competition carefully. Understand their pricing and know where you fit in. Never say negative things about your competition. Have your ever noticed that malls are full of clothing stores that all manage to keep doing business? Competition brings out the best in different businesses and every business has its own unique nuances that draw different customers. Talk up your own business, your products’ features, and how they benefit your customers.

If you already have a degree in business management that is great, but you should still continue to read as much as possible. If you don’t have a degree in this, don’t worry, you will still be able to catch yourself up through self-teaching and even hands on experience. Many of the best business professionals never finished college.

Use an attention-grabbing name for your website domain. There are many different websites and you want to make sure that yours stands out from the rest. A catchy name can be the perfect thing to get traffic to your site, it will be easy for a potential customer to remember and easy for them to access.

Decide if you are going to be involved in every aspect of the business. When starting a new business, having a staff of full time employees might not be financially possible and many of those tasks have to be handled on your own. As the business grows and money flows in, you can think about hiring personnel to call customers, collect receivables and thousands of other tasks that a small business needs to get done.

You should try contacting a local radio station and making a deal with them to barter products for a small bit of airtime. They can use your products for prizes in contests or free giveaways and in turn, they can mention your business as the place where they got these products.

With all of the information you just learned you want to try to do the best of you ability to apply it towards your home business. The thing about being successful in home business is that you want to continue to expand your knowledge and apply it. You should see success in no time.

5 Benefits Of Window Tinting For Your Car

In 2018, there were reports of more than 700,000 vehicle theft incidents. Generally, vehicles that have something valuable inside them are more likely to be broken into. But there should be a way to prevent these incidents. In this article, we are going to talk about the importance of window tinting. We will shed some light on the benefits of this approach for your vehicles. Read on to find out more.

1. Blocking the UV Rays

The ultraviolet rays from the Sun are a type of electromagnetic radiation. Long-term exposure to UV radiation may cause skin burns and symptoms of aging. At the same time, ultraviolet rays may also lead to different types of skin cancers.

If you have your car windows tinted, you can prevent ultraviolet rays from causing damage to your skin. The good news is that tinted windows can block almost all of the UV radiation. Therefore, you can stay safe inside your car even if you drive for hours on a daily basis.

2. Protection in case of an Accident

Although nobody wants to have a car accident, these unfortunate events happen on a daily basis. Shattered glasses are one of the most common causes of injury in these accidents. Car windows tend to shatter when something hard hits them.

Therefore, you can benefit from having your car windows tinted. The thin film in the glass prevents your car window from being shattered into pieces. Therefore, you can be on the safe side in case of a car accident.

3. Protected Upholstery

Apart from damaging your skin, ultraviolet rays from the Sun can negatively impact other objects inside your car. For instance, furniture items tend to develop a faded color with the passage of time. The same is true about car upholstery.

If you have had your car modified recently, we suggest that you go for window tinting in order to protect your new upholstery.

4. Protection from Solar Heat

The sun produces ultraviolet radiation. Apart from this, sunlight can produce a lot of heat inside your car on hot summer days. Therefore, you will be forced to use the air conditioner more frequently. As a result, the performance of your car will go down, which will increase the fuel consumption as well.

The good thing about window tinting is that it can protect your car against Solar heat. As a matter of fact, this approach can help insulate your car, which will keep your vehicle cool on hot summer days. Therefore, when you get in your car, you will not have to turn on the air conditioner.

5. Safer Driving Experience

As far as window tinting is concerned, you can enjoy a lot of benefits. Another great benefit is that you won’t have to deal with that annoying glare while driving in the direction of the sun. This will prevent the need to put on glasses every time you sit behind the wheel. As a matter of fact, glare can negatively impact your driving experience and you will be more likely to have an accident.

5 Benefits Of Fitting Your Private Car With an Air Purifier

As far as respiratory health issues are concerned, air pollution is among the fundamental causes. Since air can travel long distances, you cannot stay safe even if you travel in your own vehicle. As a matter of fact, you may be more affected if you are using public transport. So, what you need to do is install a good air purifier in your personal vehicle. In this article, we are going to discuss five major benefits of fitting your vehicle with an air purifier. Read on to find out more.

1. Removes Allergens

You may have allergic symptoms due to particulate matter, dust mites, and pollen. Similarly, if you travel with kids or senior family members, you may have to face difficult situations. Therefore, if you install a good air purifier, you can have peace of mind that you are traveling without putting yourself at the risk of allergens.

2. Gets rid of Unwanted Odour

Inside your personal or private vehicle, volatile organic compounds from your vehicle’s components may increase the level of pollution in the cabin of your car. Similarly, if you or someone in the car is a heavy smoker, it may also make the air quality inside your vehicle even worse.

If you turn on an air purifier, you will be able to remove cigarette smoke and all types of other pollutants from inside your vehicle. Therefore, it is great to have these units installed in your private car.

3. Removes Pet Dander

If you love pets and have a cat or dog in your house, you may need to protect yourself against pet gender. This is essential if you travel with your pet on a regular basis. The thing is that pet animals shed a lot of dead skin, hair, and fur. This can pollute your car cabin. By installing a good air purification unit, you can remove all of these particles on a daily basis.

4. Reduces the levels of Carbon Dioxide

When you breathe, you take in oxygen and exile carbon dioxide. Therefore, if you travel in your own car on a daily basis, your cabin will become full of carbon dioxide. You may suffer a lot of breathing issues if you don’t breathe fresh air for several hours.

So, if you install a good air purifier, you can create a balance between oxygen and carbon dioxide in your vehicle.

5. Expels Air Pollutants

There are different types of pollutants, and they can be in a variety of forms, such as gas, liquid, and solids. Although many of these particles are man-made, you may know that some of them are created by the nature as well. So, these pollutants may get into your vehicle if you open up the windows or doors. You may want to install a good air purifier to get rid of these pollutants from the cabin of your car.

Long story short, this was a description of the benefits of installing a good air purifier in your vehicle. So, if you want to get yourself a unit, we suggest that you do your homework and compare the advantages and disadvantages of each unit.

Points to Keep in Mind While Repairing the Windshield

A small crack in the glass can cause a big change in the windshield. So small damage can become a big crack if it is not checked at once. It is one of the most important aspects as far as the vehicle is concerned. You might wonder if the small crack can cause any change in the large glass. If this crack remains unchecked, it can lead to big damage to the glass. The damages in glass remain the main concern due to the new variety of glass in fashion. So a damaged windshield can be a source of major risk to the driver and the passengers present in the vehicle. It is a leading source for many accidents these days, and it leads to heavy risks if they remain unchecked.

How to identify whether the windshield crack is risky for your vehicle?

Understand whether you need to pay close attention to the crack on the windshield. You may be required to observe if it hides the driver’s view and views the road. If there is a slight problem viewing the objects clearly, go for the replacement immediately.
Check whether you need replacement or repair in the windshield. You can understand this by noting the size of the crack. If it is noticed to be less than a range of twelve inches, it might not need any form of replacement. Still, if you are confused, you can visit an expert to get more details.
Removing the dirt from the crack remains a cause of major concern since the insertion of the dirt into the crack makes the repair much more complex. Then the replacement will be the only option left for you.
Another layer of protection can be ensured by parking your car in the interiors since heat or rain can further worsen the situation with the cracks a hard way and lead to further problems.
Make sure that the temperature is not too high or not too low since it can lead to the heating up of the small cracks and might not do well for the windshield. So one way to avoid this is to keep the temperature at a moderate range.
One of the important points to keep in mind is that you have to drive most safely to avoid further problems with the crack. Driving with carefulness must ensure that unwanted problems are not created via the cracks during driving.
Should you worry about the cracks in the vehicle?

Over the years, the risks that have been developed due to the cracks in the vehicle have been decreasing at a constant rate. It is mainly due to the efforts and the skills of the professionals in car repairing and maintenance that have been working as the backbone behind the curing of damages. So it has been a huge innovative task at hand that has contributed to reducing accidents and injuries due to minor cracks in the vehicle. So you do not have to worry about the small cracks that appear in the windshield when you have a good team of technicians that can support the damage.

How to Manage. Nine ‘Must-Dos’ For Managers Who Aspire to Succeed

The book and library shelves groan from the amount of books that tell you how to manage more effectively. And if you have the time to pore through these tomes, there are bound to be some gems to be found. When we (Jarvis Finger and I) wrote our best-selling management books, we identified four main qualities of people in management positions. These were as follows.1. Most people become managers ‘overnight’ with limited preparation for their new roles. A successful salesperson, for example, soon becomes the sales manager; an enthusiastic and thorough auditor is soon promoted to audit manager. And one of the ‘rewards’ for their success is an increasing amount of management responsibilities.2. Most people don’t have the time (or the inclination) to read all of the management literature in their field – to be ‘rewarded’ with one or two ideas. If only someone else were able to do this for them! We started with Management in a Minute, progressed to Just About Everything a Manager Needs to Know, and arrived at The Management Bible and The Online Manager (TOM).3. Most managers today have, of necessity, to become ‘generally’ responsible, with a working knowledge of a broad range of issues including substance abuse, sexual harassment, diversity in the workplace, grief counseling, security, and workplace health and safety.4. Most managers can’t be expected to know everything. Instead, they need to know where to go when they need to know. Albert Einstein brought this to our attention decades ago.Our contributions on how to manage even more effectively are available for all the world to see. Here are nine things you must do if your management is to continue to improve.1) You must never tolerate unacceptable behavior from employees. One of your key tasks is to create a culture that makes your workplace a place where people want to be. If you’re going to achieve that you will need to crack down on ‘bad’ and reward ‘good’ behaviors.2) You must build strong personal rapport with staff. Gaining the trust and confidence of your people will enable you to have open communication that is a necessary requirement of successful management.3) You must set clear goals and, where possible, involve staff in the establishment of those goals. Once those goals have been set, you need to communicate these regularly to your staff–on a weekly or monthly basis.4) You must realize the importance of staff rewards and recognition. Whether it’s something as straightforward as a thank-you note or dinners-for-two. You need to ensure that the form of reward is valued by the recipient: reward need not mean ‘money’.5) You must look for opportunities for people to develop. Self-development can take the forms of promotions, external training, or giving increase responsibilities with corresponding freedoms.6) You must confront problems head-on when they arise. Failure to act is not something that you want to be recognized for. And when you’ve taken appropriate action, spend time discussing the problems and actions with those immediately concerned.7) You must reduce or eliminate bureaucratic regulations (get rid of so-called ‘red tape’), recognize individuals’ and group contributions, and focus on creating a fun environment. At the same time, you need to make sure that people are doing what’s required of them-not necessarily their ‘best’ but what achieves the desired outcomes (sometimes ‘best’ is not good enough).8) You must persuade those people whose contributions you value to stay and encourage those who don’t have anything meaningful to offer the organization and customers to find a place that best suits their way of operating.9) You must make use of key resources such as The Online Manager (TOM) and The Management Bible. What Albert Einstein called ‘lumber knowledge’ (storing stuff that you think might someday be useful) is unlikely to help make you a better manager.

2 Things You Need To Know About Successful Marketing On The Internet

Most people who offer advice on how to market products on the Internet don’t know what they are talking about. Most of the advice is a rehash of advice given to people 20 years ago about using direct mail letters, classified advertising and other forms of direct marketing, and then applied to the Internet.And most of the advice is wrong, wrong, wrong.In a series of articles in this department, I’m going to tell you what you need to know about successfully marketing your product or service on the Internet. And I’m going to tell you why so many people fail to do it right.Internet Marketing is a Game of Two HalvesMarketing on the Internet can be summarised with just two basic strategies – these are either Push Marketing or Pull Marketing. Here’s what I mean.1. Push Marketing Push marketing is pretty much what it sounds like. It is the strategy of ‘pushing’ your product ads into the faces of potential customers, hoping that if you ‘push’ enough, you will eventually find buyers. Prime examples of Push Marketing on the Internet are spam email, pop-up ads, and intrusive banner ads. All try to ‘push’ their way into your focus, and get you do something you really had no interest in doing. Most of the self-proclaimed Internet marketing ‘gurus’ advise you to heavily invest in ‘push’ marketing techniques. (Most of these same gurus don’t bother to mention that the three things consumers dislike the most about the Internet spam, pop-up ads, and intrusive banner ads – all push marketing.)2. Pull Marketing Pull marketing is the strategy of offering detailed content, information, tools and resources on a specific topic, which serves as a ‘magnet’ to pull visitors to your site when they search for that information in the search engine. Pull Marketing works because most people who use the Internet are in ‘search’ mode – searching for a solution to a specific problem or a specific product they wish to buy. Internet users in search mode use the search engines as their ‘find it fast’ tool – particularly Google. They go to Google, type in the item or solution they are searching for, and then view a list of sites which may offer the resource they are searching for. When they find a site offering solutions, they are ‘pulled’ to the site by the content or resources on that site. When they get to the site, they already know what they want, and if they find it there, they often buy on the spot.The vast majority of purchases made on the web are made as a direct result of ‘pull’ marketing. A web user searches Google for a specific product, finds it on a site, and buys it. No banner ads, no spam, no pop-ups involved.The real reason most people use the Internet is that they can find almost anything they are looking for – solutions to problems or products to buy. They start at the search engine, and are ‘pulled’ into the sites that have what they want. Pull marketing is the natural behaviour of the vast majority of Internet users.Push or Pull?Most of your Internet marketing ‘gurus’ will tell you to concentrate your Internet marketing efforts on different forms of Push Marketing. And most of these same people just so happen to have a push-enabling product to sell you. In fact, if you check, you’ll find that most of these marketing ‘gurus’ have never sold anything themselves except their Push products. Most seem to work on the ‘bigger fool’ theory of marketing – which is the belief that there is always a ‘bigger fool than me’ out there willing to fork over money.If you look past the marketing gurus and start to track the success stories of small companies and individuals on the web, you’ll see that the real success stories invariably attribute their success to ‘pull’ marketing. They created resources on a specific subject or topic, the search engine gave their sites high placement for key words relating to those topics, and visitors found the site through the search engines.The vast majority of these small sites never used spam, never used pop-ups, and never used banner ads. They just provided resources on their sites which acted as a magnet to pull visitors to their site. And it is unlikely you’d even know about these sites unless you searched for the solutions or information they offer.Lotto Mentality?I think the major reason we still see so many people get involved with the kind of Push Marketing consumers so deeply despise is that many would-be entrepreneurs have ‘Lotto mentality’.They think that paying for a spam campaign, or obnoxious banner ads, or intrusive pop-ups can overcome having an unwanted product. And they think if they send out millions of emails, surely enough fools will fall for the offer to make the seller some money.Truth is, it rarely ever happens. Instead, in the case of the spammer, the spam creates angry consumers who complain to the seller’s web host, and the site is taken offline. If the seller is unlucky, he will become the target of the spam vigilantes who make it a personal vendetta to cause grief to spammers.My advice – when it comes to Internet Marketing, avoid intrusive Push Marketing. Instead concentrate on building a content rich ‘magnet’ site which pulls those with a specific interest to your site. Create the kind of site they will want to visit often, recommend to friends, and add to their favourites list – and you’ll be on the road to success.

The Future of Digital Marketing: Five Trends to Leverage a Small Business Opportunity

Jameson General Store was a historical treasure in the small North Carolina Community. Jim Jameson, the owner, had been part of the family legacy over 100 years old. The company had seen bad times, including The Great Depression. However, their hard work and customer loyalty had sustained the company’s success. Even when a neighboring community got its Walmart’s Marketplace Store, their customers remained loyal. Jim did not believe in utilizing online advertising and social media platforms. He believed that these activities were only a fad. Yet, their customers gradually started shopping online because Jameson General Store was limited in its product offerings. In fact, most of the business that Jameson Store lost was not to local competitors, but online sellers. Jim was adamant about resisting the temptation about shopping online. Yet, when he saw his own 10-year-old grandson purchase a difficult item to locate in the area online at significant costs, Jim had to ponder his current marketing strategy with the changing landscape in the nation.Today’s customers can purchase a variety of items online with minimum effort. Given this scenario, brick and mortar companies are fighting to stay alive with the fierce internet competition. According to a 2017 survey conducted by Square and Mercury Analytics looking at 1,164 U.S. business owners, the following observations were made:

96% of Americans with internet access have made an online purchase in their life, 80% in the past month alone.

51% of Americans prefer to shop online.

67% of Millennials and 56% of Gen Xers prefer to shop online rather than in-store.

Millennials and Gen Xers spend nearly 50% as much time shopping online each week (six hours) than their older counterparts (four hours).

51% of seniors have shopped on marketplaces, 66% at large retailer sites, 30% on web stores or independent boutiques, and 44% at category-specific online stores.

Marketing professionals understand the importance of the internet and how to effectively leverage this power. According to Socialmedia.com, 90% of marketers use social media for their businesses. Sadly, many small businesses do not recognize this fact. Many businesses had opted to bury their heads in the sand in hopes that this ‘internet thing’ will go away. It hadn’t!In fact, e-Commerce is growing more than 23% annually; however, 46% of American small businesses do not have a website according to Square and Mercury Analytics research. This article focuses on how small businesses can leverage digital marketing to achieve greater success and enhance their market opportunities.Digital marketing should be a tool that every serious small business should utilize. Digital marketing goes by many names such as e-commerce marketing, online marketing, and internet marketing. Digital marketing can be defined as “the marketing of products or services using digital channels to reach consumers.” The key objective is to promote brands the usage of the internet.Digital marketing extends beyond internet marketing to include channels that do not require the use of the internet. Some digital marketing channels include websites, social media platforms, email marketing, search engine optimization (SEO), blogging, podcasts, and online advertising to name a few. Beyond technology gimmicks, businesses should know their customers and their core competencies. Digital marketing is not a silver bullet. Digital marketing is a tool for the savvy business professional.Catherine Juan, Donnie Greiling, and Catherine Buerkle, authors of Internet Marketing: Start to Finish, suggest that effective digital marketing requires plenty of careful planning. They add, “The heart of getting real traction out of your internet marketing program is to tie marketing and sales data together, with metrics. Track what you’re doing, track the impact, and track the resulting sales.” Looking at the landscape of technology and internet innovation, small businesses should think strategically about the following five digital marketing trends:• Artificial Intelligence – Some people develop elaborate doom-day scenarios of machines to control the world. However, artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming a way of life in marketing. AI can be defined as ‘the theory and development of computer systems able to perform tasks that normally require human intelligence.’ Voice Activation technology like Amazon’s Echo is bringing AI into public attention. By 2020, customers will manage 85% of their purchases without interacting with a person.• Internet Searching – Buyers are more knowledgeable than ever with access to the internet. In fact, 81% of shoppers conduct online research before making big purchases. Thus, exploring how to utilize search engine optimization and getting your business at the top of searches is an invaluable step.• Mobile Communications – Most Americans have grown accustomed to instant gratification and easy access to technology. Mobile and tablet e-commerce will reach $293B by 2018. Smartphone and tablets are part of this wave of innovation. Mobile will account for 72% of the U.S. digital ad spend by 2019. Marketers recognize that mobile marketing is an untapped business tool.• Social Media – Social media platforms, like Facebook, allows buyers to connect with each other virtually. 65% of business-to-business companies have acquired customers through LinkedIn ads. Marketers realize this value.• Web Content – Good content will attract customers. In fact, customers are more likely to purchase from sellers with good, relevant videos/photos on their website. 52% of marketing professionals globally name the video as the type of content with the best ROI.Faced with the tenants of competition, small businesses need to utilize digital marketing. Some small businesses may be hesitant to explore digital marketing due to their lack of trust and understanding of the internet. Philip Kotler and Kevin Keller, authors of Marketing Management, note “Top firms are comfortable using technology to improve the way they do business with their business-to-business customers.”This article demonstrated that today’s small businesses can utilize digital marketing to enhance their market opportunities. Hopefully, gaining this knowledge will help business owners so that they will not continue to bury their heads in the sand. The internet is here to stay. Pray that you are listening to this message.© 2017 by DD Green

Importance of Family Business Management

Ready to be at the wheel?
March 10 and 11, 2018 gave aspiring and budding entrepreneurs an opportunity to connect and collaborate. As the best and brightest minds came together and brainstormed on on how to fuel their business growth. It is the most important aspect in any of the business. The conference at IIT Mumbai brought together the best breed of entrepreneurs, innovators, venture capitalists, business model creators, consultants, policy-makers, academicians, and business practitioners to present and discuss innovation and success under the aegis of entrepreneurship for Small and Medium Businesses.

Over the past decade or so, in the dilemma between joining family owned businesses and higher studies. The scales have been tipping towards entrepreneurship and joining family owned businesses.

Let us explore the genesis and the reason why:

The Genesis
Today, family-owned businesses account for two-thirds of the world’s businesses and generate most of the world’s economic output, employment and wealth. In many regions of the world, family companies dominate the economy. “Family-controlled firms now make up 19% of the companies in the Fortune Global 500,” states The Economist. In India alone, 67% businesses are family run. McKinsey forecasts, that by 2025,there will be more than 15,000 companies worldwide with at least $1 billion in annual revenues, of which 37% will be emerging-market family firms.

The need
There is a need for Family Business Management Programs whether you are in a successful family business or you are into a business facing challenges and trying to bring about a changeover.

Successful family business:

Successful family businesses are successful because families see important changes in their industry. Simply put, successful families are entrepreneurial. Also,families succeed because they invest in productive activities, emphasise growing assets, and consume relatively little of their wealth. These families maintain a culture that encourages family members to create things of lasting value. It’s not surprising that these families encourage entrepreneurs. Furthermore,successful families remain reasonably united, keeping supportive members loyal to one another and to the family’s mission. Over generations, as families become more diverse, it is likely that only a few relatives per generation will directly work in the business.

Outside-the-business members might still support family philanthropic efforts or social activities, and sometimes that level of involvement is enough to maintain family unity. But investing in family entrepreneurs can also keep talented members contributing to the broader family’s wealth and mission. Investing in family entrepreneurs has to be done objectively based on the feasibility of their business plans, and also fairly within the family. Even if some entrepreneurial projects don’t succeed, these investments will help you spot talent to keep your business growing. And you are sending an important message: this family is committed to creating value.

Family businesses – facing challenges
While family businesses on average are stronger performers than other types of enterprise, they face distinct challenges that need to be managed. This constraint often kills the family business.

This creates the need for a course of study in Family Business Management that helps students understand how to capitalize on the strengths, navigate the challenges, and guard against the weaknesses of the companies and the families that own them.

How is Family Business Management program different from an MBA in Entrepreneurship?
Both Family Business Management and an MBA in Entrepreneurship prepare you for setting up and gearing your own business. However, there is a subtle difference. Unlike MBA in Entrepreneurship which prepares students for a setting up a business, the Family Business Management programme is targeted at family business owners looking to sustain, scale and grow their businesses. The content and pedagogy includes concepts of entrepreneurship, business sustainability, market trends which thereby lead to portfolio expansion and business growth. The program would help you evaluate the state of your family businesses and gear you towards accelerating your business to the next level.

Colleges/Institutes for Entrepreneurial Management
Xavier School of Management (XLRI),Jamshedpur, offering a full-time six-month Post Graduate Programme for Certificate in Entrepreneurship Management (PGPCEM).

Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India, Gandhinagar,offering a two-year, full-time, residential Post Graduate Diploma in Management-Business Entrepreneurship (PGDM-BE).

SP Jain Institute of Management and Research – Mumbai,Start Your Business Certification Program (SYB), Grow Your Business Certification Program (GYB), The Entrepreneurial Manager (TEM).

Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies,Mumbai,M.B.A in Social Entrepreneurship

Xavier Institute of Management and Entrepreneurship – Bangalore, offering one year Entrepreneurial Development Programme (EDP)

Nirma Institute of Management,Ahmedabad,offering regular two-year MBA specialising in Family Business & Entrepreneurship.

Amity Business School,Noida, offering two year M.B.A in Entrepreneurship

IIM, Bangalore, specialization in Entrepreneurs & Family Businesses.

IIM Udaipur, Management Development Program for Women Entrepreneurs.

National Institute for Entrepreneurship & Small Business Development (NIESBUD), Delhi
The NIESBUD is an apex institute in the area of entrepreneurship and small business development under the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Government of India. It oversees the activities of various institutions and agencies engaged in entrepreneurship development, particularly in the area of small industry and small business. It also provides numerous training and development courses for budding entrepreneurs and small businesses.

Making the right choice:
In the world of family business, the entrepreneurs we celebrate are usually founders of companies. If you wish to be a founder of a company, start your new venture and learn how to navigate, go in for a pure MBA in Entrepreneurship. However, if you wish to join your family business and are supposed to take care of and grow the founder’s creation, you are not expected to be entrepreneurs but to understand and carry forward the vision of the founder,an MBA in Entrepreneurship would be more helpful.

Therefore, it is imperative that you make the right and informed choice…

Are these mutually exclusive?
If this makes you think that family business management programs are incompatible to entrepreneurship. The reason is because they are for students who are in family businesses that are usually tradition-bound, multi- generational. Let me tell you, we need to blur the lines here. The family businesses need to be more entrepreneurial. They need to pass on the entrepreneurial mindset and capabilities. To create new streams of wealth across many generations- not just pass the business on from one generation to the next. We need to come up with the concept of ‘family entrepreneurship’. When a leadership transition occurs in a family business, the new generation of leadership should be careful to maintain and build on the networks and knowledge of the former leaders, while expanding their own networks. This will insure that the business can continue to be entrepreneurial into the future.