3 Crucial Elements For Jumping Sales Numbers

Marketers from every niche have common ground when it comes to bills. Yeah, every month there’s a new stack of bills demanding to be paid. Will there be enough profit to slide right through bill paying time without a flinch? Or do you find yourself fretting about whether you’ll even break even? You don’t have to be victimized by envelopes and 8x10 sheets of paper. Implement these 3 techniques to boost your sales. 

1. Find More Customers
The first thing that comes to mind when we think of making more money is getting more customers through our doors. In fact, the majority of advertising focuses on doing just that. There are several things you can do to entice more customers to buy from you.

Implement Follow-Ups
Marketing gurus have discovered that follow ups can increase your customer conversion rates by as much as 50%. Now, that’s a whopping improvement! Don’t let potential customers fade away. Keep the doors for future communication open, and watch the drastic growth in your profits.

Encourage Referrals
Every satisfied customer will tell 3 friends or family members about your business - without encouragement. Imagine what would happen if you start rewarding their efforts.

Get Free Publicity
Nearly everyone keeps a sharp eye on the local news. Hey, it’s funner to know what’s going on when you personally recognize the names and faces in print! Find ways to make your business newsworthy and catch the attention of potential customers without even paying advertising fees.


2. Sell More Per Customer
Think about it... how can you get every customer that walks through your doors to spend more money before walking back out the doors? Here are 3 sure-fire, profit increasing tips:

Increase your prices.
Hey, that might not be as bad as you think. Along with the price increase, focus on increasing the perceived value of your product. Yeah, we all expect to pay a little more for high quality stuff. Not everyone is bent on finding the absolute cheapest price in town... they may be more interested in lasting quality.

Add some higher end products or services to your business.
It’s never wise to put all of your eggs in one basket. That’s why wise marketers diversify their products and services. Think of it this way... higher priced products may not make as many sales, but each sale will bring in a much greater profit. You don’t need to make as many sales to come out on the best end of the deal.

Upsell
Offer every customer an additional product that accents his current purchase at the register. Hey, maybe they forgot they’d need batteries to go with the toy they're getting for their niece's birthday gift! You can be a hero... a richer hero.

3. Sell More Often
The fact that it’s easier to sell to the people who know and trust you is obvious. Sometimes we get so focused on new customers that we miss the gold mine in our own back yard. Take advantage of the hard work you’ve invested in winning the loyal customers you already have with these ideas:

Create a Special Deal 
Show your customers you appreciate them and understand their needs with a special offer catered just for them. You’ll be thanking them, and selling more in the process.

Add New Products
Increase the number of products you already have available - especially products that your customers have asked for. They’ll know that you’re looking out for them, and you’ll take their thanks to the bank.

Communicate
Resell yourself on a regular basis. Don’t forget to let them know about upcoming specials that they’ll appreciate. Most of all... keep selling them on the benefits of the products or services you offer

Banking Software: Do You Need It?

Whether you are considering the purchase of banking software for your personal use or for your business use, there are many reasons to consider this type of software. For one, you will reap many rewards. For another, it will relieve much work from your shoulders. But, do you need a banking software? You probably do not need a banking software if you maintain your checkbook accurately. You probably do not need it if you know how much you are spending on your various expenses each month. You also probably do not need it if you know how much of your income is going towards savings. But, then again, are any of us good at this type of organization? 

Banking software really can help you manage your everyday and monthly expenses. It can help you to know what is happening in each function of your business as well. Who are you paying and how much are you paying them? What is your income to spending ratio? Are you saving enough? Are you investing well? These things are all things that a banking software can help you to manage. 

Many banking software options allow you to connect right to the web so that your daily information can be downloaded and managed. No more balancing a check book when you can use the software instead. In fact, it will do that for you. 

Another nice feature about a banking software is that it will allow you never miss another deadline for bills again. This is a great option because it allows you to know when you need to send out a payment so that you don?t have to deal with missing payments, late fees or even worse, bad credit reporting. 

Banking software is exceptional when it comes to business use as well. It can organize just about any type of solution that you need it to and allow you to excel in your businesses' overall plans. Consider a banking software for all of your needs.

Time Management For Your Home Business: 7 Ways To Win The Time Crunch

Are you working a day job while building your home based dream business? Do you find it difficult to manage your time? Follow these seven tips to get more done growing your business, and have more time for other important things in your life, too. 

1) Make And Use A To Do List Daily. 

It's easy. Tonight, write down the tasks you need to do, in order of importance (revenue generating tasks first), on a 5x7 index card and tape it to your desk or computer. Tomorrow, do them one at a time, starting at the top of your list. Place any tasks that aren't completed at the top of the next day's to do list before you go to sleep. Seeing that list at the end of the day with everything (or mostly everything) scratched off is a great feeling. 

2) Schedule Your Time For The Day. 

Make note of your free time (non day job time) and schedule a block for each major activity that you need to do. Save the more involved tasks for the time of day when you are fresh and alert. Try your best to adhere to the schedule, but be flexible. Don't stress out when you run out of time and get off schedule. Over time you will know how much time a task will take to complete and will be able to plan for it better. Remember, this schedule is only a tool for you to set aside time for what you need to do. It's not intended to have a negative affect on you, but it could if you don't be realistic. 

3) Do Not Disturb. 

Make sure that your most productive periods are free from interruptions. Close your office door if you have to. Plan to use this work time when household distractions will be at a minimum. When the kids go to their grandparent's house. When your husband shoots pool with the guys. When your wife goes shopping. If you have to hang a sign on your office door, do it. You'll be surprised how much more you get done. 

4) Make Time For Your Family. 

Quality time with your family should not be sacrificed in order to build your home business. If you make time regularly for your spouse and children, they will be able to deal with your No Disturb sign without feeling neglected. Don't be the parent that the kids never see. 

5) Take Your Work With You. 

If your day job leaves you with slow periods when you do little or nothing, use this time to your advantage. Lunch breaks or smoke breaks can add up to some valuable time by the end of the week. Always carry the tools that you need to do your work with you. Don't go anywhere without your "idea notebook" and pen. Be prepared. 

6) Automate Or Hire Out Tasks. 

Computers and the internet allow you to automate certain tasks that were once time-consuming manual chores. Use autoresponders to deal with repetitive email questions. Use modern accounting and word processing programs that help you be organized and save you time. Use a list management service/program to make it easier to stay in contact with your prospects and clients. Don't be afraid to hire out some of your most time consuming tasks such as writing, proofreading and product creation. The pros do it, and so can you. 

7) Time To Relax. 

Don't kill yourself trying to work a day job and build a home based business at the same time. You need time to totally escape from your daily duties occasionally. Exercise is one of the best things you can do for yourself, while helping to manage stress. Don't sacrifice your health for business sake. Take that drive to the beach and walk a mile. Play basketball with your friends. Or just sit outside under a tree and read that new mystery you've been wanting to read. A clear head will do wonders for your productivity. 

If you give it a try, you'll see that IT IS possible to solve "the time crunch". Be organized and know what your total work load includes. Think about spending less time watching television, or on other useless activities. Don't forget your family. Even though you are working hard, make sure you are having fun. If you don't love what you are doing, don't do it. 

Because enjoying life is what it's all about, right?

Getting Help and Advice on Starting a Business

When you want to start a home business, it can be easy to feel alone, confused, and scared. The chances are that you don’t know anyone else who’s ever started a business, and you don’t even know who to ask if you get stuck. Here are a few things you ought to be looking at. 

The Internet. 

The Internet is a great resource for people who are thinking of setting up a home business – as well as all the articles you can find with practical advice, there are also many forums, where you can read about others’ experiences, and ask questions. 

The Government. 

Scary as it might seem to be getting advice on anything from the government, most governments go really out of their way to produce all sorts of easy-to-understand material on starting your own business. Encouraging you in business is a great way for them to both strengthen the economy and increase tax revenues. 

Depending on your area, you might find that local government agencies are also keen to give you help and advice, and might even have some kind of ‘small business centre’ that you can visit. 

Mentors. 

Mentors are usually volunteers who think it would be nice to offer local businesses help and advice. They often have years of business experience, and can be really useful – if you find one, hang on to them. 

Librarians. 

Always willing to help and sadly neglected in our ‘wired’ age, you really should talk to a librarian. Libraries generally contain all sorts of business books and resources that they’ll be able to point you towards, and they’ll be more than happy to do research into obscure areas for you. 

Lawyers. 

Pricey as they might be, lawyers know all about starting businesses – they’ve almost certainly done it thousands of times over. It can be well worth paying for an hour of a lawyer’s time and just asking them every question you can think of. 

Accountants. 

A less expensive alternative to lawyers, accountants also know their stuff, especially (obviously) on the financial side. If you want your business to be profitable, you should take on board what your accountant tells you – and if you don’t have one, you should get one. By the time they’ve helped you navigate through all the tax mazes, they’ll almost certainly have made their fee back for you anyway. 

Incubators and Investors. 

If you think your business would be an attractive proposal to people who back businesses for a living, then you can try going to a ‘business incubator’ or some other kind of investor with your idea. If they like it, they’ll often have a quick process set up to get your company up and running as soon as possible. 

Universities. 

Here’s an interesting one: universities are full of business students. They’ve all spent ages learning about nothing but business, and many of them would just love to help get a real one off the ground – it’d look great on their CV, after all. Business students can be a great source of free help and advice, and they’ll probably even be thankful to you for letting them help out! 

Teachers. 

If you do a course to get a formal qualification in what you want to do before starting the business, you’ll probably find that your teacher is also a good resource on the business side of things. They’ll have had plenty of students starting businesses who’ve asked them similar questions, and they might even have prepared some material to give to anyone who asks for it. 

Your Bank. 

Traditionally, your bank would have been the first place you went if you were thinking of starting a business, but many people seem to ignore them nowadays. While they’re no replacement for accountants, most banks will offer you a ‘business advisor’ when you open a business account, and they can be especially helpful with the technical and financial elements of starting up. 

Associations, Societies and Unions. 

Whatever industry you’re thinking of entering probably has some kind of trade association, society or union. You should join as soon as you can, and take advantage of all the resources that they will almost certainly offer to people wanting to get started in their industry. After all, the more people who are in their industry, the more members they can get. 

So you see, there’s no shortage of advice out there if you look for it.

Five Tips to Obtain Credit for Small Businesses

As many small business owners know, financing is crucial to the financial health of their enterprise. While some small business owners have the resources to launch their business, most look to the credit market for financial help. Indeed, the banking industry is an important source to gain necessary capital. However, many entrepreneurs may not realize that that applying for commercial credit requires a great deal of preparation. Here are five tips to assist entrepreneurs in improving their chances of getting credit approval.

Tip #1: Decide on the type of commercial loan that is needed. Loan options include short-term loans, intermediate loans, long-term loans, and lines of credit.

Short-term loans are usually for less than a year. They typically provide interim working capital for a business temporarily in need of cash.

Intermediate loans are often used for business set-up, the purchase of new equipment, expansion, or an increase in working capital. This loan can be anywhere from 1-3 years.

Long-term loans are for major capital improvements, acquiring fixed assists, and business start-ups. The loan term is usually from 3-5 years and repayment installments are on a monthly or quarterly basis.

A line of credit gives a small business the ability to borrow money repeatedly, up to the credit limit. The lender will usually perform a review once a year, at which time the borrower is asked to update financial statements.

Tip #2: Make sure all paper work is in order. Applying for commercial loans can be very tedious and requires much more documentation than applying for consumer credit. So, the key is to be prepared. In addition, entrepreneurs who have carefully put together the needed paperwork to include the loan purpose, the amount of money needed and for how long, and a repayment schedule proposal will be viewed more favorably by many lenders.

Tip #3: Develop a well thought out proposal. The proposal should include the loan purpose, the amount of money needed and for how long, and a repayment schedule proposal. Points to include are the business description that tells the nature of the business, product and service, a personal profile, and a business plan that outlines the corporate strategy for the next three to five years. Additional points to add are supporting documentation that supports the information outlined in the proposal, and collateral that will be used to secure the loan. Financial statements, both personal and for the business, are important as well.

Tip #4: Seek advice! It is important for entrepreneurs to talk with someone who has gone through the process of obtaining commercial credit before a lender is approached. This is especially important for the first time buyer. Entrepreneurs can approach mentors, qualified business counselors, business support groups, and the U.S. Small Business Administration. This step will increase the chances of getting a favorable credit decision.

Tip #5: Be prepared to pursue various options. Sometimes, financial institutions will say no. Once again, obtaining credit can be difficult, especially for entrepreneurs who are first-time borrowers. However, since financial institutions have different standards, an inability to meet the standard of one lender does not mean one fails the standards of all. It is highly possible that credit approvals can be gained with another lender. So, it is important to keep seeking until a lender is found.

Obtaining credit is necessary for many small businesses. Knowing what steps to take in this process can greatly increase an approval from a financial institution. Now, put these five tips into practice and be on your way to getting the credit you need for your business venture.

Where To Find Products To Sell On Ebay

One key for business success using eBay is sourcing products to sell. The first questions eBay sellers should ask themselves are: "What can I sell?" and "Where can I buy?" 

There are two kinds of sellers on eBay, garage sellers and business sellers. Garage sellers are people who sell products they are not going to use any more and that are usually not new. Garage sellers are not profit driven, their main objective is usually to get rid of some stuff they don't need. They will be happy to make some money by selling something that is no longer useful to them. On the other hand, business sellers are people who will buy and sell products for profit, they consider eBay a business and need to earn profit on the products they sell. 

The first key to success for business sellers is an old marketing rule, RESEARCH. The products you need to sell are products that eBay buyers will want to buy. Apart from being a massive market place, eBay offers you a cheap source of research that you can conduct without moving from your computer. 

If you are a business seller, it is fundamental that you spend some time researching before you decide which products you want to sell. Follow these research guidelines: 

1. Search for the categories that are most popular. The first index is the number of listings that exist under each category. In addition, you need to look at how many bids the products have. 

2. Look at the ratings of the sellers who are listing products in each category and study their profiles. See how many products they are selling and how many products they have sold in the past. 

3. Analyze prices. You need to become an expert in your category and you need to know at which price a product is worth buying as well as the expected final winning price of your auction. 

4. Select no more than one or two categories. "Specialization" is another basic rule of marketing. It is better to become an expert on something, as this will inspire confidence and trust in your potential customers. Online marketing is all about trust. 

For conducting good research, you need time and organization. There are different software programs in the market that can help you save time as well as optimize your research. 

Now that you are becoming an eBay expert and have conducted a proper search, you are almost ready to start your business. Before starting to sell, you need to buy! Here are some ideas from where you can source products: 

1. Write your own e-book and sell it. If you have any passion or are an expert on a subject for which you can find a niche in eBay, do not hesitate to spend some time on writing your own book. The advantage of this is that after your initial time investment, you can sell and sell copies of the book without having any additional costs. Selling information products is one of the most profitable businesses. Even if you are not an expert writer, you can find other people who can write the book for you. 

2. Use drop-shipping. There are wholesalers that will sell you products and send them to the address that you tell them. The advantage of this source is that you do not need to carry inventories, so your investments are minimized. After your auction is finished, you send them your customers address and they will do all the shipping. If you decide to use this kind of source, you need to make sure that your auctions winning price can be higher than the price you will pay for the articles. At minimum you should expect to double your costs. 

3. Buy from eBay. Many eBayers success comes from knowing how to buy well on eBay and sell the same products at a higher price. If you know your category very well, you can easily find opportunities that will allow you to buy and resell making profit. Again, solid research is fundamental. 

4. Buy Asiatic products. If you are willing to carry some inventories, you can invest on Asiatic products and buy them for a very cheap price. You can easily start importing Asiatic products from the Internet at www.alibaba.com. 

5. Sell local products. If you live in an area that produces local products which can be bought at a cheap price and shipped to other areas where people would pay more, you should take advantage of the situation.

Home Cleaning Business Plan

Until about 10 years ago, business advice guru’s used to say that the best business to be in was the one you knew most about!

That statement is disputable. And, even if it were true then, it certainly is not true today! Here’s why:

No matter what skills you have or what trade or profession you are in, the amount of money you can earn is severely limited by the number of hours in the day you can work. Aha!

So now we can say:

A better business is one in which you can recruit and train others to do what you can do. This leaves you free to manage and grow the business,

Even so, we still can’t say that it is best business to be in. We can’t say it because some trades and professions have much higher billable hourly rates than others.

Copywriting, and especially direct-response copywriting, is undoubtedly one of the highest paid professions in the world!

Copywriters tend to be pretty smart. A copywriter and an attorney are discussing fees:

Lawyer: “My fees start at $150 an hour.”
Copywriter: “I charge from $1 a word.”
Lawyer: “Wow! I can't think of any word worth a $1.Gimme an example?”
Copywriter: “Gimme a $1.”
Lawyer: “Okay. Here's your $1.”
Copywriter: “THANKS!”

So, is copywriting the world’s best business to be in?

I say NO!

I say Info-Marketing on the Internet is undoubtedly the world’s best business to be in!

It doesn’t necessarily have to be an e-book that reveals copywriting
secrets and a list of words that sell. Although that would sell well to a
business-2-business market. But it does have to be an info-product that’s designed to satisfy the needs and wants of a specific niche market.

Simple, huh?

Well, not exactly. If it were that simple, everybody with a how-to info-book and a direct-response website would be rich.

As I see it, only about 5% of Internet sites make millions. The remaining bunch of hopefuls is still struggling.

Jeff Walker, Product Launch a leading Internet marketing expert, says:

“Everyone has heard the story of the Internet being paved with gold... but only a precious few are bringing home that gold. There are thousands of websites that won't even break even. Most of those sites are moribund... sitting there with products that don't sell. They will wither away, and then get blown off the Internet like some dried-up piece of tumbleweed.”

Internet marketing expert, Cody Maya, Private Label Books, says,

“The average cost of a copywriting project is $5,000--and that’s just for one sales letter. You need three things to succeed on the Internet:

#1. You need a great product.
#2. You need to be able to get traffic to your site.
#3. You need to be able to convert those prospects into customers.”

Internet marketing is great. It is not cheap. It is not easy and the learning curve for the average Joe Schmoe is mind-boggling.

It takes a high degree of sophistication, and a lot of money to buy the kind of tools that will enable you to put your business on Auto-Pilot, “while you lie on the beach in Hawaii with your laptop and make a ton of money even while you sleep.”

Yanik Silver, one of the top guns in Internet Marketing told me he spent nearly $50,000 (a ton of money) on new products and doing research last year!

So, I need to qualify what I said earlier about selling an info-product on the Internet. Here’s my revised statement:

“Selling an info-product on the Internet to a well-defined niche market is the world’s best business to be in--for those who know what they are doing and have the money to do it.”

So, you can’t just fly into flying.
You think big but you start small!
You have to learn to walk before you can learn to run!

Some 30 years ago, self-made multi-millionaire Joe Karbo stated a very simple truth:

“Most people are too busy working to make
a living to ever make more than just a living.”

In his book, “How to Be Rich,” the late billionaire J. Paul Getty said that the only way to get rich is to start your own business and work at making yourself rich, rather than your employer!

For over 20 years I have been searching to find an “idiot proof” business that could be launched by the average Jack or Jill--and with no previous business experience and little or no capital to invest.

I managed to identify seven businesses that fit that bill.
Here’s my list--not necessarily in order of merit or profitability:

1. Home and Office Cleaning
2. Handy Person Service
3. Window Washing Service
4. Publishing a Local Ad Magazine
5. Computer Instruction and Repairs
6. Painting and Decorating
7. Leaflet Distribution
8. Mobile Haircutting and Beauty Service
9. Lawn Cutting and Yard Maintenance
10. Taking Care of Snowbird Vacation Homes

I have written a how-to business instruction plan for each of the above.
Here’s what I have to say about the Home and Office Cleaning Biz:

You could be your own boss--starting today!

"10 Powerful Reasons Why Home and Office Cleaning
is One of the World's Best Businesses to Be In”

1. Low start-up cost.

2. You can work part-time or full time.
Keep your day job if you have one. Work evenings and weekends. Don’t quit your day job until you are sure you can make more working for yourself than your employer.

3. No Hard Selling Involved
The service virtually sells itself because 98% of housewives hate housework so much they jump at the chance of having a “maid” come in to the do all the dirty work.

4. Unlimited Demand For the Service
Today, as more and more women go out to work, they have less and less time to do housework and look after a husband and a family. If they can afford it, they jump at the chance of hiring a trustworthy and reliable home cleaner.

5. High Hourly Rates
The standard minimum age is a miserly $5.15 an hour. The average hourly rate for cleaners is $25 an hour. That’s more than four times the minimum wage. Average means that some cleaners charge a low of $20 an hour and others charge a high of $30 an hour.

6. No Special Skills or Training Required
Either you know what to do or the house owner tells you what she wants done.

7. The Target Market is Local and Very Easy to Contact

8. Hot Prospects are Easy to Identify
People who can afford to hire a cleaning maid live busy lives. They own large homes with two or more garages. They reside in up-market suburban areas.

9. Very Simple and Inexpensive Marketing Plan
The three best ways to get new customers as regulars are:

One: Referrals from existing customers.
Two: Leaflet Distribution.
Three: Using a tested and proven telephone script designed not to sell the service, but to make an appointment to call and give a free estimate. Done right, the level of acceptance is a high 86%.

10. Unlimited Growth Potential
While you can make $1,000 a week doing two, four-hour jobs a day for
five days a week, the way to make really big money is not to do any of
the work yourself!

The trick is to hire others to do all the cleaning work.
This leaves you free to concentrate on managing and growing the business.

As the Holly Noble, owner of a San Diego based cleaning business, says,
“You can’t be soliciting new customers when you are cleaning a toilet.”

John‘s “Home Cleaning Business Plan” is a fact-packed, step-by-step,
do-it-by-the-numbers guide that tells you all you need to know about starting up and succeeding in a home-based business of your own.

While it includes a lot of his own advice on how to promote and manage
the business, the real value of the Plan is that it contains in-depth interviews with nine successful cleaning business owners who revealed their most closely guarded trade secrets