29 July 2008

Blue Ocean Strategy - Harvard Business Review

Blue Ocean Strategy

Competing in overcrowded industries is no way to sustain high performance. The real opportunity is to create blue oceans of uncontested market space.

by W. Chan Kim and Renée Mauborgne

A onetime accordion player, stilt walker, and fire-eater, Guy Laliberté is now CEO of one of Canada’s largest cultural exports, Cirque du Soleil. Founded in 1984 by a group of street performers, Cirque has staged dozens of productions seen by some 40 million people in 90 cities around the world. In 20 years, Cirque has achieved revenues that Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey—the world’s leading circus—took more than a century to attain.

Cirque’s rapid growth occurred in an unlikely setting. The circus business was (and still is) in long-term decline. Alternative forms of entertainment—sporting events, TV, and video games—were casting a growing shadow. Children, the mainstay of the circus audience, preferred PlayStations to circus acts. There was also rising sentiment, fueled by animal rights groups, against the use of animals, traditionally an integral part of the circus. On the supply side, the star performers that Ringling and the other circuses relied on to draw in the crowds could often name their own terms. As a result, the industry was hit by steadily decreasing audiences and increasing costs. What’s more, any new entrant to this business would be competing against a formidable incumbent that for most of the last century had set the industry standard.

How did Cirque profitably increase revenues by a factor of 22 over the last ten years in such an unattractive environment? The tagline for one of the first Cirque productions is revealing: “We reinvent the circus.” Cirque did not make its money by competing within the confines of the existing industry or by stealing customers from Ringling and the others. Instead it created uncontested market space that made the competition irrelevant. It pulled in a whole new group of customers who were traditionally noncustomers of the industry—adults and corporate clients who had turned to theater, opera, or ballet and were, therefore, prepared to pay several times more than the price of a conventional circus ticket for an unprecedented entertainment experience.

To understand the nature of Cirque’s achievement, you have to realize that the business universe consists of two distinct kinds of space, which we think of as red and blue oceans. Red oceans represent all the industries in existence today—the known market space. In red oceans, industry boundaries are defined and accepted, and the competitive rules of the game are well understood. Here, companies try to outperform their rivals in order to grab a greater share of existing demand. As the space gets more and more crowded, prospects for profits and growth are reduced. Products turn into commodities, and increasing competition turns the water bloody.

Blue oceans denote all the industries not in existence today—the unknown market space, untainted by competition. In blue oceans, demand is created rather than fought over. There is ample opportunity for growth that is both profitable and rapid. There are two ways to create blue oceans. In a few cases, companies can give rise to completely new industries, as eBay did with the online auction industry. But in most cases, a blue ocean is created from within a red ocean when a company alters the boundaries of an existing industry. As will become evident later, this is what Cirque did. In breaking through the boundary traditionally separating circus and theater, it made a new and profitable blue ocean from within the red ocean of the circus industry.

Cirque is just one of more than 150 blue ocean creations that we have studied in over 30 industries, using data stretching back more than 100 years. We analyzed companies that created those blue oceans and their less successful competitors, which were caught in red oceans. In studying these data, we have observed a consistent pattern of strategic thinking behind the creation of new markets and industries, what we call blue ocean strategy. The logic behind blue ocean strategy parts with traditional models focused on competing in existing market space. Indeed, it can be argued that managers’ failure to realize the differences between red and blue ocean strategy lies behind the difficulties many companies encounter as they try to break from the competition.

In this article, we present the concept of blue ocean strategy and describe its defining characteristics. We assess the profit and growth consequences of blue oceans and discuss why their creation is a rising imperative for companies in the future. We believe that an understanding of blue ocean strategy will help today’s companies as they struggle to thrive in an accelerating and expanding business universe.

Blue and Red Oceans
Although the term may be new, blue oceans have always been with us. Look back 100 years and ask yourself which industries known today were then unknown. The answer: Industries as basic as automobiles, music recording, aviation, petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, and management consulting were unheard-of or had just begun to emerge. Now turn the clock back only 30 years and ask yourself the same question. Again, a plethora of multibillion-dollar industries jump out: mutual funds, cellular telephones, biotechnology, discount retailing, express package delivery, snowboards, coffee bars, and home videos, to name a few. Just three decades ago, none of these industries existed in a meaningful way.

Source: Blue ocean strategy, business strategy at Harvard Business Review

23 July 2008

The Best Strategy for Building an Online Marketing Business

Business Strategy Articles : The Best Strategy for Building an Online Marketing Business by Tony Gentile

The Best Strategy for Building an Online Marketing Business. Is to have all the knowledge and tools required for an online marketing career that can be extremely successful if you dedicate the time needed. You can and will benefit from taking the time to study a comprehensive, and detailed course written by professionals in the field who use their strategies day in and day out.
Let's face reality here. The economy is certainly in dire straits. There are constant pressures on all of us to make ends meet. The dollar is plunging. Fuel and food costs are totally out of control. Everything is going up except your paycheck. The housing market has NEVER been so bad. Foreclosures are happening to millions of hardworking Americans in every state.

This just isn't fair. In this day and age, and especially living in supposedly the richest country on the planet, we are struggling just to have a half decent life. Because of the powers that be, we, as a people have no control over what is happening in our own lives.

However, because of the internet, absolutely everything and almost every aspect of your life is and certainly will be "ONLINE". Why not take full advantage of this opportunity? You, I'm sure, have spent money online. WHY NOT MAKE MONEY ONLINE?

There are so many ways now that you can sell just about any product without even seeing it. There is Blogging. Making money from just writing. Do you like to write? Are you good at it? How about doing "Affiliate Marketing"? Getting a commission on products that consumers use and buy everyday, without even seeing or handling the items. This is all possible by learning the techniques that are layed out by professionals in the business that are making millions. Would you not like to be one of them?

You could go back to school. Spending thousands of dollars and years of your time. But why would you when within an eight week period, you could be putting money in your pocket? How about a 100% money back guarantee if you do not? Absolutely nothing to lose.

A plan that is for a long term money making business sitting at your computer in your "jammies". How many stay at home moms are there that would love to just get up in the morning and check your email to find out that you made $1200.00 while you were asleep? By the time you had some coffee and got the kids off to school, you made another $300.00. This is very possible, especially with "Affiliate Marketing", and Google Adsense.

It's out there and why not make a better life for yourself and your family by dedicating some time to a proven method of making money online. Please beware of the tremendous amount of scams out there. Most online ops tell you they can guarantee thousands of dollars within three days, etc. etc. They are lying! They will give you some very vague information for a lot of money that will leave you confused and disheartened. Don't get caught up in that venture. It will certainly just make you more depressed than you already are.

I found a solution (the hard way) and I can pass it on to you. And yes, I will make a commission. That's what it's all about, but don't worry, because it will not cost you more. I promise.


Want to make your life easier? Go to: http://genton.thebestbizreview.com

About the Author
Tony Gentile is an author and owns a business that reviews online business opportunities to help protect the consumer against fraud. He also owns a online marketing business based at his home in Pa.

Source: Business strategy information at goarticles.com

Storytelling: A Powerful Marketing Strategy for Your Online Business

Business Strategy Articles : Storytelling: A Powerful Marketing Strategy for Your Online Business by Donna Gunter

Copyright (c) 2008 OnlineBizU.com
Before the advent of pencil and paper and writing, ancient peoples depended solely upon storytelling to pass along the history of their families and tribes from one generation to the next. Of course, it was an imperfect method, as we humans tend to skew a story from our own perspective and add details and nuances that weren't present in the original story. However imperfect or exaggerated or simply untrue the stories might be, we all live in countries where stories shape our history. Here in the U.S., we were all regaled as children with stories of Paul Revere's ride through Boston alerting the residents of the coming of the British, or if you were a Texas kid, of the defeat of Santa Ana in San Jacinto after the tragic loss of life to the Mexican army at the Alamo.

I've always reveled in stories. One of my favorite pastimes as a child was to hang out with my mom and aunts for the "adult conversations" that weren't really suitable for children's ears. However, I refused to leave no matter how strongly I was encouraged to go and play outside. I just wanted to hear the stories of the "good ole" days" (i.e. back in the olden days, as I gleefully referred to those times) when they were growing up or when things were different. Hearing stories about them in different contexts than how I knew them shaped both my personal history and my family history and connected me to them in ways that I still value to this day. Of course, I l also overheard much family gossip, but that, then is another story.

You can create the same kind of connection to your customer base by telling your story or the story of a successful client. Stories help people create visual images of what you're trying to get across. I'm apt to remember the story and the image it created much more easily than a bunch of facts or theories or statistics that just make my eyes glaze over. When I was a contractual trainer for a virtual assistant training company, I often told stories to illustrate the points of a particular class. About a year after one student completed this program, she told me that she often thought of the story I told of how I successfully set boundaries with my "doubting mother" in the startup phase of my business. My student was struggling with the same issues of doubt in her family as she started her business and used my story as a guide for her to set boundaries with them to keep herself sane during this very crazy period of her life. You simply never know how powerfully your story will impact others.

In the teleclasses and coaching that I do, I often tell my story of the scary and stupid way I started my business -- a way that defied all professional advice and a way that I wouldn't recommend to any of my clients -- but I succeeded despite myself. I had quit my full-time job without any savings, filed for divorce, put my house up for sale, sold my major possessions, loaded the car up with my dog and relocated halfway across the country, moved in with my mother back into my childhood bedroom, withdrew money from my retirement account to get me through the first few months, and set up shop in my mother's garage. I was just a failure waiting to happen, but I didn't fail, amazingly enough. I use this story to illustrate the point that no matter what the odds, if you want to start a business and be successful, you can do it --and I'm living proof that anyone can do it -- and if you don't have all of these risk factors staring you in the face, you stand a much greater chance of success than I ever did!

Share all of your stories with your clients--the good, the bad, and the ugly. It will make you much more human and much more approachable with your clients. A coach with whom I have done some training, Chris Barrow, shares the story of his devastating bankruptcy when he was thought of as one of the most successful financial planners in the UK. I admire Chris for sharing the failures in his life and business as well as his successes--it lets me know that he's human and he can easily relate to whatever I'm going through at any moment in time.

Come up with a fairly short, 1-2 minute story statement of how you got to where you are today and how that impacted why you do what you do. Make it interesting, share the ups and downs and put your stories on your website, on your business card, in your brochure, on your blog, and incorporate them into your elevator speech. I guarantee you'll start developing fans right away!

About the Author
Online Business Resource Queen (TM) and Online Business Coach Donna Gunter helps independent service professionals learn how to automate their businesses, leverage their expertise on the Internet, and get more clients online. To claim your FREE gift, TurboCharge Your Online Marketing Toolkit, visit her site at http://www.OnlineBizU.com . Ask Donna an Internet Marketing question at http://www.AskDonnaGunter.com .

Source: Business strategy information at goarticles.com

Plan Your Marketing Strategy with Business Gifts

Business Strategy Articles : Plan Your Marketing Strategy with Business Gifts by Tina Rinaudo

The importance of effective marketing and advertising is something that cannot be underestimated in any case in the present day scenario. With the competition levels at their peak, the role of an effective marketing strategy is increasing leaps and bounds. As if the existing level of competition was not enough, there are fresh entrants in the market each day to add on to the already fierce competition. Owing to this cut throat competition, businesses are constantly engaged in coming up with newer and innovative marketing strategies to reach out to their prospective audiences. With many companies targeting the same set of customers, this task of coming up with an appropriate marketing strategy becomes even more challenging. The need of the hour is not just to come up with a good enough marketing strategy but also to use something that beats the rest in the market.

Depending upon the nature of the business and the kind of audience that it caters to, every company can zero in on a particular strategy for the business. Although, there can be various ways through which a company can target its audiences, there is nothing to beat business gifts in this regard. Business gifts make for a surefire marketing strategy and are the perfect way to reach out to your target audiences. The essence of these business gifts as a marketing tool lies in the utility they have to offer to the recipients. By essence business gifts are simple products that offer utility in some or the other form to the recipient. The utility offered by these promotional items makes them well received and highly acceptable amidst each and every kind of audience. Unlike all other marketing strategies that are perceived as gimmicks to fool the audience, promotional gifts are well accepted and thus better reach out to the audiences.

By the virtue of their utility, these business gifts make for a marketing strategy that reaches out to the audience and in a highly effective manner. Business gifts not just help you reach out to your audiences but also ensure that you stay with your audiences for a long time ahead. Unlike other marketing strategies that fizz out in a little while, business gifts are more long lasting. They serve as a constant reminder for your brand and ensure that you are always there with your audiences. Thus, business gifts make for a great business strategy and also a long lasting one. So what are you waiting for? Go ahead and plan your marketing strategy with these business gifts by logging on to online stores.

About the Author
Tina Rinaudo is one of the leading lights in the UK business gifts industry. Tina is a key member of YesGifts, the UK's fastest growing online business gifts resource specialising in pens, mugs, mouse mats, umbrellas and much more. For more information visit YesGifts.

Source: Business strategy information at goarticles.com

20 July 2008

Blue Ocean Strategy vs. competition based strategies

Blue Ocean Strategy vs. competition based strategies

Kim and Mauborgne argue that traditional competition-based strategies (red ocean strategies) while necessary, are not sufficient to sustain high performance. Companies need to go beyond competing. To seize new profit and growth opportunities they also need to create blue oceans.

The authors argue that competition based strategies assume that an industry’s structural conditions are given and that firms are forced to compete within them, an assumption based on what academics call the structuralist view, or environmental determinism.[11] To sustain themselves in the marketplace, practitioners of red ocean strategy focus on building advantages over the competition, usually by assessing what competitors do and striving to do it better. Here, grabbing a bigger share of the market is seen as a zero-sum game in which one company’s gain is achieved at another company’s loss. Hence, competition, the supply side of the equation, becomes the defining variable of strategy. Here, cost and value are seen as trade-offs and a firm chooses a distinctive cost or differentiation position. Because the total profit level of the industry is also determined exogenously by structural factors, firms principally seek to capture and redistribute wealth instead of creating wealth. They focus on dividing up the red ocean, where growth is increasingly limited.

Blue ocean strategy, on the other hand, is based on the view that market boundaries and industry structure are not given and can be reconstructed by the actions and beliefs of industry players. This is what the authors call “reconstructionist view”. Assuming that structure and market boundaries exist only in managers’ minds, practitioners who hold this view do not let existing market structures limit their thinking. To them, extra demand is out there, largely untapped. The crux of the problem is how to create it. This, in turn, requires a shift of attention from supply to demand, from a focus on competing to a focus on value innovation—that is, the creation of innovative value to unlock new demand. This is achieved via the simultaneous pursuit of differentiation and low-cost. As market structure is changed by breaking the value/cost tradeoff, so are the rules of the game. Competition in the old game is therefore rendered irrelevant. By expanding the demand side of the economy new wealth is created. Such a strategy therefore allows firms to largely play a non–zero-sum game, with high payoff possibilities.

Source: Blue Ocean Strategy information at Wikipedia

Preceding work of Blue Ocean Strategy

Preceding work of Blue Ocean Strategy

The contents of the book are based on more than fifteen years of research and a series of Harvard Business Review articles as well as academic articles on various dimensions of the topic.

Kim and Mauborgne studied about one hundred fifty positions made from 1880-2000 in more than thirty industries and closely examined the relevant business players in each . They analyzed the winning business players as well as the less successful competitors. Studied industries included hotels, cinemas, retail stores, airlines, energy, computers, broadcasting, construction, automotive and steel. They searched for convergence among the more and less successful players. Divergence across the two groups was also studied to discover the common factors leading to strong growth and the key differences separating those winners from the mere survivors and the losers. Kim and Mauborgne defined a consistent and common pattern across all the seemingly idiosyncratic success stories and first called it value innovation, and then Blue Ocean Strategy.

Research results were first published in 1997 in a Harvard Business Review article by Kim and Mauborgne titled "Value Innovation: The Strategic Logic of High Growth"[5]. The ideas, tools and frameworks were tested and refined over the years in corporate practice in Europe, the United States and Asia and presented in the following eight additional articles, before being published in the form of a book in 2005.

1997. "Fair Process: Managing in the Knowledge Economy". Harvard Business Review 75, January-February, 102-112.
1998. Procedural Justice, Strategic Decision Making and the Knowledge Economy." Strategic Management Journal, April.
1999. "Creating New Market Space." Harvard Business Review 77, January-February, 83-93.
1999. "Strategy, Value Innovation, and the Knowledge Economy." Sloan Management Review 40, no.3, Spring.
2000. "Knowing a Winning Business Idea When You See One." Harvard Business Review 78, September-October, 129-141.
2002. "Charting Your Company's Future." Harvard Business Review 80, June, 76-85.
2003. "Tipping Point Leadership." Harvard Business Review 81, April, 60-69.
2004. "Blue Ocean Strategy." Harvard Business Review, October, 76-85.
The name "Blue Ocean Strategy" was introduced in the Harvard Business Review article published in October 2004.[6]. The book builds on and extends the work presented in these articles by providing a narrative arc that draws all these ideas together to offer a unified framework for creating and capturing blue oceans.

Source: Blue Ocean Strategy information at Wikipedia

Concept of Blue Ocean Strategy

Concept of Blue Ocean Strategy

The metaphor of red and blue oceans describes the market universe. Red oceans are all the industries in existence today—the known market space. In the red oceans, industry boundaries are defined and accepted, and the competitive rules of the game are known. Here companies try to outperform their rivals to grab a greater share of product or service demand. As the market space gets crowded, prospects for profits and growth are reduced. Products become commodities or niche, and cutthroat competition turns the red ocean bloody. Hence, the term red oceans.[3]

Blue oceans, in contrast, denote all the industries not in existence today—the unknown market space, untainted by competition. In blue oceans, demand is created rather than fought over. There is ample opportunity for growth that is both profitable and rapid. In blue oceans, competition is irrelevant because the rules of the game are waiting to be set. Blue ocean is an analogy to describe the wider, deeper potential of market space that is not yet explored. [4]

The corner-stone of Blue Ocean Strategy is 'Value Innovation'. A blue ocean is created when a company achieves value innovation that creates value simultaneously for both the buyer and the company. The innovation (in product, service, or delivery) must raise and create value for the market, while simultaneously reducing or eliminating features or services that are less valued by the current or future market. The authors critique Michael Porter's idea that successful business are either low-cost providers or niche-players. Instead, they propose finding value that crosses conventional market segmentation and offering value and lower cost.

This idea was originally proposed by Prof. Charles W. L. Hill from Michigan State University in 1988. Prof. Hill claimed that Porter's model was flawed because differentiation can be a means for firms to achieve low cost. Prof. Hill proposed that a combination of differentiation and low cost may be necessary for firms to achieve a sustainable competitive advantage.

Many others have proposed similar strategies. For example, Swedish professors Jonas Ridderstråle and Kjell Nordström in their 1999 book Funky Business follow a similar line of reasoning. For example, "competing factors" in Blue Ocean Strategy are similar to the definition of "finite and infinite dimensions" in Funky Business. Just as Blue Ocean Strategy claims that a Red Ocean Strategy does not guarantee success, Funky Business explained that "Competitive Strategy is the route to nowhere". Funky Business argues that firms need to create "Sensational Strategies". Just like Blue Ocean Strategy, a Sensational Strategy is about "playing a different game" according to Ridderstrale and Nordstrom. Ridderstrale and Nordstrom also claim that the aim of companies is to create temporary monopolies. Kim and Mauborgne explain that the aim of companies is to create blue oceans, that will eventually turn red. This is the same idea expressed in the form of an analogy. Ridderstrale and Nordstrom also claimed in 1999 that "in the slow-growth 1990s overcapacity is the norm in most businesses". Kim and Mauborgne claim that blue ocean strategy make sense in a world that supply exceeds demand.

Source: Blue Ocean Strategy information at Wikipedia

Blue Ocean Strategy

Blue Ocean Strategy is a business strategy book that promotes a systematic approach "for making the competition irrelevant."[1] It contains retrospective case studies and suggests theoretical approaches to creating "blue oceans" of uncontested market space ripe for growth. The book has sold more than a million copies in its first year of publication and is being published in 39 languages.

Source: Blue Ocean Strategy information from Wikipedia

15 July 2008

E-Marketing To Long Term Business Strategy

Business Strategy Articles : E-Marketing To Long Term Business Strategy by Sonu Seo

Once your site is up and running, the best way to get immediate traffic is pay-per-click search engine marketing. Although you have to be patient, you should also be focused on optimizing search engines such as a long-term strategy.
Search Engine Optimization - "SEO"

Optimizing search engine, or SEO Expert as it is better known, is the definitive long-term marketing strategy. So, what is it? Seo services refers simply to take steps to make sure your site appears at the top of unpaid search results on Google, Yahoo and MSN.

The reason seo services is regarded as a long-term strategy is… well, it takes a long time. If your marketing is highly competitive by focusing on keywords, such as "Europe Trip," there are so competitive that we can find two or three years before getting high rankings. Delay is actually a factor of the speed at which you can build links. Sometimes you can move up within 6 months, but sometimes it takes a few.

Is it worthwhile to wait 2 years to get in the top five for "Europe Travel"? There are more than 2000000 searches per month for the keyword. What do you think? If you offer a service or product-related trip to Europe, how much money would you make, even if 1 million people have visited your site each month? Think about that.

The Big Three

There are three, and only three, search engines this issue when it comes to seo - Google, Yahoo and MSN. What about Alta Vista, etc.? They simply do not have enough traffic to make it worth pursuing.

There are four keys to the seo expert family. First, you must consider the amount of traffic various keywords receive. Secondly, you need to change your site to include keyword phrases sharp in the meta tagging and text. Third, you need to add and add and add content to your site. Most content, plus the three major love your site. Finally, you must exchange links with other sites that have related content to your site.

The keys to the pursuit of a marketing strategy seo are discipline and patience. Let's look on each.

You must have the discipline to stay with your seo effort when you see no results. The desire to throw his arms in the air in frustration will be strong. Remember that every step you take today will pay off in the long run.

Patience balances feelings of frustration and you have a lot of people. Look, it will take a long time, so resist the urge to vinegar. Stick a sign of more to count on your desk off the months or a regular exercise routine. If nothing else, you can dream every day of the freedom of movement that you will get one day.

Optimizing search engine is not for the weak of mind or impatient. If you can stick with it, in the long run, this marketing strategy always pay.

Internet marketing, White Hat SEO, SEO, Webmaster SEO, Black hat SEO, SE Optimization, internal linking, SEO methods,SEO Expert

About the Author
Our purpose is to provide Seo Services Seo that means the webmaster does not attempt to deceive search engines. SEO Services means playing by the rules. The web pages that are created by SEO Expert with white-hat SEO methods are beneficial to the Internet, search engines and clints.

Source: Business Strategy at GoArticles.com

14 July 2008

Have confidence in your Business strategy

Business Strategy Articles : Have confidence in your Business strategy by Shanat Kuphur

In this modern market a lot of competition has to be faced and in order to survive you have to be the best. There are competitors for any and every thing that you might provide. In short, it means that if your company is not able to satisfy the need of the consumer, than consumers have many other places to turn to. So in order to keep your old customers, as well as keep attracting new customers you have to keep your products or services up-to-date. Business development is something that is conducted by these firms and organizations to survive in this modern market. Primary things that are practiced are providing after sales services, keeping a check on the price of substitute goods, and taking habits and customs into consideration. All this is something common, so if you own any business it is important for you to take a step towards the development of your business in order to survive.

Business development refers to developing the current standards of a firm or organization, taking the firm to a new height, but for this, lot of business development strategies has to be implemented. However if you decide to undertake a certain strategy you will have to undertake many possible risks or barriers that may come your way. So in short a very steady and planned strategy can get you better results. Knowing that the risk is involved many owners avoid taking the chance of taking the business to a new height. Avoiding risk it self means that you are risking your company as you have to develop your current business standards.

Business development strategies have to be conducted very frequently as technology evolves in very less time and as for your business it is necessary to provide the best possible services or goods in order to carry on without obstacles. So if you have decided to take your business level above the current situation then the most important thing is will power, once you have developed this you need two important things for you to reach your goal. Motivation and confidence boost. Yes if you are motivated in working towards your goal with an additional benefit of confidence than there is nothing that can stop you from taking your business to a higher level.

Motivation and confidence is related to a person’s mentality. So above all you have to improve your outlook towards opportunities. Hypnosis can help your mind relax and will teach it the right way of looking at things. Once done with this you will be full of confidence and motivated towards reaching your goal. Your business is bound to increase if you take that further step. Hypnosis is available in the form of mp3 content. This is available on the Internet. After you have downloaded the content you can use this for your mind and increase its productivity. You will see positive results in your business development strategies as your mind has been taught to recognize the opportunities and grab it. The business level is bound to increase as well as the profits.

About the Author
For more information on Business development and Business development strategy check the links.

Source: Business Strategy articles ato GoArticles.com

Internet Marketing Strategy For Online Internet Business - Budgeting Your Money

Business Strategy Articles : Internet Marketing Strategy For Online Internet Business - Budgeting Your Money by Anderson Josiah

One of the more difficult things to do when you're starting a new home business is planning and putting together a financial budget. Without any past data on which to base expenses and income it might seem like your guessing, but as part of any companys' business plan an estimated budget can be done with some thought of future operations.

In almost all companies there are really two categories, expense and income. Under your expenses category there could be several smaller sub-categories most often falling within two areas uncontrollable and controllable expenses. While most small business owners claim that they have control over all expenses involved in their campaign, they are just burying there heads in the sand as some costs such as rent, utility cost, and other fixed costs can change, without any control by the owner.

Some other expenses like insurance, payroll, advertising and promotion can be subjected to a budget and are considered to be a controllable expense. If the company begins to slip off, you can try to control a few of these expenses by sending home staff and cutting spending on promotion and advertising.

Depending on the sustainability of your company if the business is going through a bad spell it often is a good investment to take the bull by the horn and pay employee salaries, continue to provide a good service to the balance of the remaining loyal customers until business is back on its feet. It might be hard to pay staff but by trying to do all the work yourself not only will you quickly burn out , and if no one is handling the customers it wont be long before there are no clients left to take care of.

There are normally a couple of ways you can budget your companies money and that is through percentage of income and set dollar amount. Many companies will try to budget their controllable expense by dollars and non-controllable by percentage of income. It goes without saying that a great part of the owners' time will be spent towards bring money and new customers to the company and how much they have budgeted on controllable expense will directly related to income.

An example is, a business earning $200,000 per month in income who has budgeted of six percent for wages, providing $12000 for salaries. If the salaries level increases to $500,000 the budgeted salary percent does not change but the money available for wages climbs to $30,000 with the aim to increase sales and business profits, the business owner might probably need the extra assistance to help take care of company.

There are other types' expenses like Social taxes paid by employers can also end up into the payroll account also workers' compensation charges and paid leave time or other bonuses that might be given by the company. Although budgets could be very difficult to calculate for new companies, it is necessary for all small business entrepreneurs. If you would like to know more check the link below to get a free copy of "Dotcomology" the art of making money on the internet.

About the Author
Andy The Home Biz Wiz recommends for more information subscribe to my FREE Internet Home Business tips newsletter and get hundreds of money making tips and tricks along with FREE Software delivered to your inbox. A $147 value, yours FREE:http://www.MakingMoneyFromHomeOnTheInternet.com

Source: Business Strategy articles at GoArticles.com

Press Release Writing and your Internet Business Marketing Strategy

Business Strategy Articles : Press Release Writing and your Internet Business Marketing Strategy by Maury Wilks


What is press release writing ?
Publicity is key to your marketing strategy. You have to induce the customers to have faith in you and convince them that you can do better than others. Press release writing can achieve this.

Press releases are news reporting. It can be done either through online publication or traditional media. It is good for promotion as well as advertising. A good news format is powerful.

Press release can boost your profits and sales. Press release will keep your company in limelight while increasing your sales and profit.

Points you must pay attention to for quality press release writing

If you follow a few simple rules you should be able to write good press releases in a short time. These are as follows :

You should be clear what is the purpose of your press release, merely to convey news, to update the readers or to boost your business.

You should know who is the targeted party. It is important when and where you release it.

The opening line of the press release has to attractive and powerful

The language of press release should be simple and easy to understand. Do not use too many adjectives.

Be concise and grammatically correct.

Put helpful and newsworthy information in the press release.

Good press release writing should point out how your company and product / service is beneficial to the people.

Be truthful. Include factual information only, this way you will gain trust. If you have to make subjective statements such as describing the benefits be sober whilst praising a product or a service.

Give the press release a twist to attract attention while being accurate. It should be different and distinct from other press releases.

The order of contents is important. The news first and after that its source. Give all information to enable the targeted party to contact you.

It should not be more than one or two pages.It better be black and white, or sober colors in clear and readable fonts.

Press releases need not be a put off

The language used in press release writing has to be simple, clear cut and precise and not to show of your knowledge of vocabulary and adjectives.

It is possible to generate interest of the reader even for an otherwise not so exciting subject. However in a press release you have to generate interest whilst still being sober and not going over the top.

One way to achieve this is to aim to present the facts in an interesting way rather than as boring numbers or statements.

Another method is to generate curiosity by asking a question at the start of the release and then give the answer towards the end. However this needs to be done carefully and should not appear to insult the intelligence of the reader.

About the Author
To learn more successful internet marketing strategies from Maury Wilks, visit http://JoinMaury.com For more information on creating a successful Internet Business, visit http://theinternetbusinessauthority.com/


Source: Business Strategy articles at GoArticles.com

09 July 2008

Article Writing - Whats The Importance Of This Marketing Strategy To Your Business

Business Strategy Articles : Article Writing - Whats The Importance Of This Marketing Strategy To Your Business by sas_sephi00x

How important is article writing to success in the internet marketing arena?
In the first place, an article written to benefit others is considered as a best article. If an article is successful in establishing a point or delivering a subject clearly, then the purpose of article is fulfilled. These articles provide useful information to others, which can be readily used by them. People who write useful articles will be respected for their authority and deep knowledge about the subject.

In the first place, an article written to benefit others is considered as a best article. If an article is successful in establishing a point or delivering a subject clearly, then the purpose of article is fulfilled. These articles provide useful information to others, which can be readily used by them. People who write useful articles will be respected for their authority and deep knowledge about the subject.

The language used in an article also matters in deciding the success of an article. It has to be simple, to the point and easy to follow by people who read them. The article should be able to provide a clear picture of the subject it is dealing.

Give special attention to grammar and punctuation marks. Rewrite your article two or more times to bring more quality content into your article. This process makes you article more readable and digestible for the readers. When writing an article, visualize the intended readers in your mind and adjust the article to suite the specific needs of your target readers. If you are writing an article for the web, try to squeeze keywords without loosing the quality and structure of the article.

Try to cultivate your own style of writing. Read articles written by well-known authors and analyze how those authors employ their own style of writing. An author with a distinct style of writing can attract more readers than an author who follows a traditional style of writing. A new style of writing will make you article more attractive and powerful.

Based on my results, article writing is very much alive and well today, and my new prediction is that it will be alive and well for some time.

About the Author
Do you want to learn more about marketing articles? Click the previous link for more info.
Submitted by: Super Article Submitter

Source: Business Strategy articles at GoArticles.com

Discover the truth about elearning strategy and the simple insights to applying it in any business

Business Strategy Articles : Discover the truth about elearning strategy and the simple insights to applying it in any business by Beth Childing

When it comes to elearning strategy, there is an endless array of information which adds confusion and misunderstanding as to what exacly it is, and how it can apply to business and industry. Elearning strategy involves more than just the interface of technology and learning in the workplace. There are numerous considerations. How does it operate within any particular business? what are its advantages and pitfalls? what are some of the essentials in choosing elearning providers for your particular situation. These are important questions that need clear answers inorder to reap the rewards of elearning within any organization. This article seeks to explore solutions and important factors in fully answering these key questions.

Before delving into the rationale behind elearning strategy and how to implement it in a business, it is first necessary to gain a firm handle on what exactly it is. It can be simply defined as any use of technology to assist in the learning process. Over the years, it has become synonomous with virtual learning. Nevertheless, elearning strategy can be applied to a variety of situations where the dissemination of knowledge and training components is accomplished through various modes, including websites, CD-ROM, PDAs and even mobile phones. There is almost always some form of internet interface involved in its delivery. Frequently, it is interspersed with other pedalogical approaches such as classroom instrucion, on the job training, and roundtable discussion groups. There are indeed a wide spectrum of interventions. It is clear that there must be enormous benefits and payoffs for using it within any enterprise to justify the considerable effort and expense needed to deploy it,so what exactly are some of these advantages?

There are numerous incentives utilizing elearning strategy within any given entity. The key ingredient is to understand that elearning must be predicated on a strong business case. It is essential that this business case focuses on revenue generation and cost savings. By doing so, it elists the enthusiastic endorsement of company decision makers who see the potential for increased profit generation down the road. cost Savings can be established through decreased travel time to reach geographically dispersed employees, improved efficiencies in resource personnel, and decreased physical requirements. It is not intended to override real world experience as the ultimate teaching tool, rather to enhance it. By using variety in the delivery methods, learner retention and performance can be greatly improved, leading to greater employee participation and its positive consequences. There is no doubt, the impetus to incorporate more elearning strategy within any given company will only increase in the years to come, as competiton becomes more fierce. However,it is also important to be mindful of the pitfalls.

One of the greatest traps that you can fall into when implementing elearning strategy is allowing the technology to drive the overall goal of the program. Instead it must be firmly established first what the technological needs are, and then design a program based around those requirements. It is is the design stage that elearning begins to cater to the preferred learning style of the user.Including sound, text, animation and images will allow greater facilitation to all learners. It is important though that this should always be chosen within the context of what is the best media for the specific content being taught, ensuring the optimal learning experience. The bottom line is, if the wrong approach is used, elearning can be expensive to implement and update. This underlies the fact that you need a solid handle on what the most important factors are when choosing providers and programs.

Choosing the right elearning program for your specific business goals need not be as daunting as it first appears. It cannot be emphasized enough that the critical task here is to determine the level of student readiness at the outset combined with a crystal clear definition of the learning objectives. Once this is accomplished, you will have the right framework for choosing software and other tools. With the wide range of learning platform providers competing for a limited pool of dollars, it is essential not to be mesmerized by all of the flashy bells and whisltles in any given program. A long list of features doesn't necessarily lead to a more efficient and productive learning experience. Evaluate in very detailed and specific terms, what are your core measures of success, and use this along with your goals, and learner readiness to determine the right options.

One point is very evident in exploring elearning strategy - technology is the means not the end. Elearning strategy is an endeavor that must serve the aspirations of both the learner and the organization. The proliferation and success of elearning is largely dependant on a careful determination and decision making process related to a given set of goals and the design of quality learning enabled through technology. Within every elearning situation, there is a solution. The wonderful thing about technology today is that it will continue to allow us to push the boundaries of what is possible.

About the Author
Beth Childing is a lifelong learning enthusiast who has worked both as a teaching profession and educational consultant in industry. She runs an informational website with a wide variety of resources on elearning strategy, and unique information on development, design, and providers. To take advantage of this excellent resource go to http://www.elearningpipeline.com Elearning Strategy

Source: Business Strategy articles at GoArticles.com

Know the Strategy of Successful Business Women

Business Strategy Articles : Know the Strategy of Successful Business Women by Jessica Thomson

Gone are the days when women were only considered good at their respective homes. Now the time has changed and with available opportunities women have now come out of the twin pair of the boundaries of their house. Now the women have proved themselves that they are as good outside as they are inside the house. With changing times women have proved themselves as better entrepreneurs and business persons than their male counterparts. There are several reasons behind the success of women as better business professionals. Though the strategy followed by everyone while carrying out a business is somewhat similar still it is quite different for women. As women not only have to carry out business but also have to prove themselves quite often in this men's world, so they have to follow a bit different strategy. A strategy which suits their personality and thinking is the strategy of successful Business Women.

Women who carry out small business or are a part of any company or business house have altogether a different attitude from others. One needs to have a lot of qualities in order to become a successful business woman. As it is there are a lot of obstacles which one has to face while carrying out a business of his own. And when it comes to women then they have to face a lot more unique difficulties. Thus a woman treading into business world must have a positive attitude and strong mentality. As the saying goes, "adversities makes a man strong", same is the case with women too. Women businessmen don't do special things rather they do things in a different manner which is pre-planned and heavily analyzed.

Business women work with future and flexible planning. They learn from their mistakes very quickly and they have the tendency to submit themselves to opinions and advices from senior as well as from junior officials. The problem of ego seldom plays any role in their decision making. Therefore they have the support of everyone behind them and the decision that is taken is well thought and analyzed. Alertness against the competitors is another strategy which is generally followed by business women. They never take their competitors easily. Constant follow up and analysis of the market etc. are some of the unique activities which are carried by business women professionals at regular intervals. Therefore, these are some of the strategies that are followed by the successful Women In the Business World

About the Author
womencorp.org continually makes publications on issues associated with Business Women and Roles of Women in Business. With his writings on Women in the Business World, Opportunities for Roles Of Women In Business and how to do Marketing for Women in Business the author demonstrated his deep knowledge and experience in the area.

Source: Business Strategy articles at GoArticles.com