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Discount Party Store is an amazing company that is growing at a fantastic rate as a result of high demand. As such, they are offering major business opportunities to individuals looking to boost or begin their business portfolios. They offer full training, ongoing support, and financial assistance as part of this comprehensive package. Now is the time to capitalize on this opportunity to get ahead in your business career. Be sure to ask for additional information below.

About Discount Party Store
Discount Party Store is a growing company with huge potential as a result of the philosophy behind the business itself. Developers will go to suppliers and actively negotiate lowest possible prices before sending the inexpensive and yet high-quality merchandise to the stores under the company name. As such, those stores can then sell the goods at discounted rates while making an incredible profit at the same time. The company has been around since 1992, having found that this business concept worked incredibly well, attracting people in search of bargains!

Discount Party Store can save consumers a great deal of money, which is why the company is looking to expand. Its market demand has grown exponentially over the past few years. The dollar-store niche market has few competitors that can hold a candle to Discount Party Store, mainly because of the high quality of their products. You could certainly make your future buzz with excitement if you become a Discount Party Store owner.

The Life Of A Discount Party Store Owner
If you take advantage of this opportunity, you will own and run your own Discount Party Store under the brand. However, there is a certain level of independence vital to expanding your entrepreneurial horizons.

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 Twitter trends are changing all the time… some we love and some we hate.  I asked my tweeps (twitter followers) for ‘uncool’ twitter actions.  List below of mine + suggestions.

Uncool:
1. Auto-following.  Grow your tweeps organically! Just so much cooler.  Follow people through friends, by keywords & content.  Go for quality, not quantity.  Quantity will happen naturally.  This is a general theme in coolness…  (I know you agree @2ammarketing )

2. Auto-messaging.  There’s nothing more irritating than the “Thanks for the follow! I look forward to your tweets” msg… especially when they are tricky and make you think the message was personalized.. not cool.

3. Wearing your heart on your twitter sleeve.  This goes for Facebook too!  This is the internet.  Be smart.  Don’t diminish the credibility of social networking by crying through your keyboard…. uncool.

4. PDA twitter pics. Thanks @akroupa  for this one.  Get your own reality show instead. Tonsil hockey on twitter=  Not cool.

5. Extreme self promotion.  We all know twitter can help you make money, generate leads.  It’s OK to promote your product/service/personal brand as amazing as it is… but throw in some additional stuff.  Don’t spam your own content. Not cool.

6.  Telling the world you brushed your hair.  Again, it takes away from the credibility of social networking.  Use twitter to learn more and share.  Unless you are an A-lister and people actually care what cereal you had for breakfast, don’t tweet about it.  Uncool..

7. Taking credit for content that’s not yours.  This is why tweeps invented the RT.  Give credit where credit’s due…. otherwise, the post is uncool.  I credit the 13 Dont’s for this.

8.

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Social media is the fastest growing medium to market your product and communicate with your audience.  And when it comes to branding your product it just might be the simplest and cheapest way to create awareness to potential clients.  Marketing is changing and it’s not always about selling something, at the end of the day it’s about creating and working on relationships.  But if you’re new to trendy online media activities, the following is sure to help you get on the right track to take advantage of what is right at your fingertips and a click away to branding success!

Types of social media and what they can do for your company:
Blogs and forums
Used to gain new/returning business by participating in discussion forums and blogs. Become a source of information by sharing knowledge and answering questions.  Demonstrate your value for clients and potential clients.

Facebook
Creating Facebook groups attract interest and develop loyalty.

Online press releases
Make your website easy to find in search engines.

Online video
Posting videos on YouTube and on your company’s website can bring people onto the site and engage existing visitors.

Twitter
Using Twitter regularly to create and reinforce connections and to spread word of mouth about your business.

Common Concerns:
Lacking time to learn and use social media tools
The best strategy is to pick one or two types of social media and focus on doing those well.  Have several employees share the updating duties on the company blog or contract a company outside to help with updating.

Question the ROI?
Do you wonder if you will ever make any real business from using these social media tools?  Remember, it’s about making valuable connections and relationships with other credible business people and clients.

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If you search for information on Case Studies on the Internet you will find quite an array of different types, from academic proofs of concept to legal case studies. For the purposes of Media Relations we will define it this way: “A short (500 word) description of the application of your product or service with an actual client”.

Case studies can be used as you would any company collateral, except that it is infinitely more powerful than your other documents. Whereas other documents are in your “voice”, a good case study is in the customer’s “voice”, which always has more credibility with media and other customers.

In fact many times when you send out a Press Release or conduct a Media Pitch the media will want a case study to learn more about how the client is using your product or service. They will also want to know if the customer is willing to be interviewed, so when you are gathering information on the case study make sure you have the express permission of the customer.

Finally, ensure that your case study solves a general business problem (makes money or saves money, saves time, etc.) and use a consistent format for your case studies. It makes them easier to grasp -and also easier to write.

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When you’re frustrated with marketing and you just need customers fast, here are some simple and quick things you can do to bring new customers in.

1.    Talk to your past clients - Have you kept in touch with your past clients? Maybe they’re looking for your products and services right now. Drop them a line (either by phone, email or post) just to see how they’re getting on. When you’re looking for customers fast, your past clients are often a great source of leads.

2.    Analyse what’s worked in the past - Write down a list of your current and past customers and next to each name, write down where this customer came from. Be specific – if it was a networking event, which one; if it was a referral – who sent it to you? Analysing your marketing in this way should give you a very clear idea of which marketing methods are working for you and which are not. Then you can go out and do more of the methods that are working for you.

3.    Offer your customers something special in return for referrals - I’m sure in your business, you’ve had at least one referral in the past and when you need customers fast, referrals are a great quick source. Approach your current customers and past ones and offer them something in return for a referral – it could be a free e-book with quick tips; a bottle of wine; discounts of your future products and services. Try it, you might be surprised.

4.    Go where your customers go - If you’re stuck for marketing ideas and want to find customers fast, one of the best ways is to look at your customers and have a think about where they would naturally congregate i.e. it might be at conferences; at the gym; on Facebook etc. Wherever it is, make sure you’re in these places too – you’ll meet your target customers very quickly and then you can start talking to them about what you do.

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10 Minute Manicure is an excellent franchise that has consistently won awards for the opportunity that it offers, and now they are looking for suitable businesspeople to join the franchise. They offer third party financing assistance if you need it as well as training and support to get your business career off to a good start. Applications are accepted from Florida, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina at the moment, so please request further information to avoid disappointment because these opportunities are in high demand right now!

About 10 Minute Manicure
10 Minute Manicure offers a service that taps directly into the modern lifestyle. Very few people can afford to spend an hour in the salon these days because there is so much to do. As such, 10 Minute Manicure makes it possible to do exactly what the name suggests - have a 10 minute manicure.

10 Minute Manicure is a fantastic concept that has been around for some time now and taps into the heart of the health and beauty machine that generates billons of dollars every single year. They offer high quality services in a quick and easy individual session. Outlets are located at airports, retail areas, close to office buildings, and in other similar locations that are easily accessible and readily available when you have 10 minutes during lunch or after work to fit a manicure in. As such, anybody wanting a manicure but without the time to book into a salon can have one on their terms, and that means a lot where the business is concerned.

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1-800-WATER DAMAGE is a recession proof business that is highly in demand and currently has brand new opportunities available for individuals looking to join a major franchise to improve their business prospects. There is some third party franchising assistance available and ongoing training and support, so why not grab this excellent opportunity to establish your own highly profitable business? Applications are accepted from all states with the exception of California and Virginia.

About 1-800-WATER DAMAGE

1-800-WATER DAMAGE is an established franchise with a hugely reputable brand name. Known throughout the United States, it specializes in water damage restoration and thus is in demand as a result of global climate changes and natural weather conditions. The increasing levels of water damage to homes and businesses alike through natural means and accidents has led to the phone number becoming one of the most recognized around today. When called in, they actively work to dry out homes and business premises within just a few days so people can get back to their normal daily routine without experiencing any major setbacks.

Most 1-800-WATER DAMAGE customers are insured, meaning that their policies pay for the work to be done, so recessions and economic hard times have absolutely no impact on the business As an emergency service, they are called in to limit further damage and use modern technology to remove any damp or standing water that has arisen. As a franchise, 1-800-WATER DAMAGE has become incredibly successful with a number of accolades being awarded in recent years.

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CTi - Concrete Technology is offering qualified candidates the opportunity to own a dealership as a direct result of the company’s plans to expand its highly successful business. It offers significant levels of profitability, complete training and support, and the opportunity of a lifetime to get you started in business.

About CTi - Concrete Technology
CTi - Concrete Technology was founded in 1991 in Florida’s Tampa Bay area. The company specializes in concrete restoration and beautification. As the leading company in its field, and certainly the most popular, they are in high demand. In fact, word of their services has spread so quickly throughout the United States that they are in the middle of a full national expansion.

The products on offer at CTi - Concrete Technology are of such high quality that their reputation grows stronger every day. Many people choose to avoid hiring expensive contractors to replace their concrete patios and similar worn-out areas of their home, so they turn to CTi - Concrete Technology. With affordable products that also exhibit great beauty, there is no need to go anywhere else. As such, available profits within this opportunity are unlimited!

Why CTi?
CTi - Concrete Technology has advantages for dealership owners that go way beyond the cutting-edge technology and high-quality products they have at their disposal. Selling their product line is easy, given the sheer beauty, but there are additional rewards that should attract you and prove too tempting to resist under this amazing opportunity, such as:

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If you want to build loyalty for you and your organization, your products and your goals, you have to constantly refine your leadership talents. Whether you’re working at the retail, distribution or manufacturing level; the development of a successful team means you must bring forth the extra effort and support required today to compete in a tough, aggressive, ruthless market. Examining, evaluating, improving your skills is a tough, dirty job.

For example, after three months of developing and discussing a special group of prospects in your best salesperson’s territory, they still haven’t been contacted–even though everyone agrees that the goal for the quarter is to expand new business.

What do you do?
More likely than not, you lay down the law …tell the salesperson that by the end of the week, you want all of those prospects contacted and a report on your desk. On Friday afternoon, your salesperson turns in his/her report and has opened three new accounts. The job was done…it was done on time.   But was it good leadership? Some will say yes, because sometimes the end justifies the means. Others would contend that it wasn’t good leadership because results were achieved in an undesirable manner. Successful leadership would have resulted in the salesperson wanting to do the job at hand to support the entire team, rather than being forced to do it.

So is there a “right” kind of leadership?
It’s not “right” to take over responsibility that should properly be assumed by another member of your organization.  When you do that, you lower his or her self-esteem. It’s not “right” to issue edicts.  The total scope of the program should be discussed with the individual involved.

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Late one evening at home the telephone rang. “Mr. De Rycker, this is Robert Lowe. I have dined this evening with Harold Naideau, the European president of AVON Products. Avon banks with our Westminster branch in England. He is looking for a general manager to start an Avon operation in Belgium, Holland and Luxembourg. I have recommended you. He will be in touch with you tomorrow. Please keep me informed.”

This call was manna from heaven. After six years of increasing profit contributions to the Gimbel group, and increasing income rewards, an ominous threat had appeared on the horizon. It was rumored in the market that De Poorter, a Belgian wall-to-wall carpet manufacturer had plans to open a sales office in New York. The Gimbel carpet department had regularly placed substantial orders with De Poorter. It was to be feared, if this rumor was verified, that the Gimbel buyer would henceforth place orders directly in New York. This would render our role in Belgium redundant.

To make matters worse , a rumor was next picked up in Holland. Our main bicycle manufacturer had similar plans to operate a New York sales office. Were we to lose these two manufacturers’ business, our profit contribution to the parent group would be severely hurt. No amount of pro-active marketing could offset such a gash in our flanks. I had been mulling over this problem for some weeks, and could not come up with a suitable solution to counter this menace. A declining profit contribution to the Gimbel group would inevitably result in a static income. Not an acceptable prospect. The unexpected call from Robert Lowe announcing a possible new position opportunity could not have been more fortuitous.

I met Mr. Naideau the following afternoon in the Hotel Amigo foyer. He was the most positively minded and energetic man I have ever met. In the half-full-half-empty-bottle story, for him the half-empty bottle did not even exist.

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You are thinking about selling your business. You may have uncertainty, angst, worries, trepidation, fear, unknowns, and sleeplessness nights.  I believe you are not alone. My approach as a business broker in Florida is from a perspective of a former long term business owner.   I truly feel some of the feelings I experienced as  a business owner are very similar or the same of the business owners I work with as a business broker.  While at this stage of my professional life I am “sitting on the other side of the desk” I feel I do understand the concerns, fears, thoughts of the person on the other side of the desk.  There are many qualified experienced business brokers that are not former business owners and these quality brokers bring various valuable perspectives and experiences that benefit their clients.   My choice to pursue my “2nd career” as a business broker comes from my recognition as a business owner of the value a business broker can bring.

1. If I sell my business do I have enough to retire?
2. What will I do after I sell my business.?
3. What will happen to my employees?
4. What will I sell my business for?  Is it enough?
5. How do I handle all the “little situations” that are part of most any business prior to selling my business?

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All American Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Shops are currently looking for new franchisees to run new stores under their brand. They are offering third party financing assistance as well as training and support to successful applicants within the United States. It is the magnitude of the opportunity that they are offering you that will undoubtedly attract your interest.

About All American Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Shops
Having been a successful franchise for over 20 years, All American Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Shop happens to be a major brand name given that it is in highly visible places like roadside malls, regional shopping malls, specialty retail locations, and other similar locations. All of these areas tend to have high visitor traffic and so can capitalize on that. People of all ages and socio-economic groups recognize the name and visit every time they are in the area.

All stores have a similar layout and color scheme, making the interiors instantly recognizable and homely, which may be why individuals and families visit and remain a part of the customer base for years to come. If the interior does not attract customers then the product range will. With non-fat frozen yogurt, ice cream, low calorie soft serve frozen treats, low dairy desserts, smoothies, and various beverages available, there is something for everyone, all of it appealing, tasty, and strangely addictive! All of this adds up to potential profits for franchisees that are driven, ambitious, and looking for an opportunity to succeed.

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1-800-GOT-JUNK is currently offering an amazing franchise opportunity and is looking for individuals that can contribute to their business. With financing assistance, training and support all available, this opportunity looks appealing at first glance but will look even more inviting when you take a closer look.

About 1-800-GOT-JUNK
1-800-GOT-JUNK’s founder, Brian Scudamore, has built his business up from nothing, literally. He bought a pickup truck at the age of 18 and began his own junk removal business. Although he was initially successful, the entrepreneur was not content to remain a small fish in the junk removal pond and began to expend his business piece by piece. As the demand for junk removal and his reputation for a fast and effective service grew, he soon found that there was a national demand for his services and 1-800-GOT-JUNK was born.

1-800-GOT-JUNK is a very impressive company on paper and reality. Unlike some other companies out there, it has been around in one form or another for over a decade and has consistently grown throughout its history. However, its existence has never been more relevant than it is today. With the environment and disposal of waste being at the top of everyone’s priority list, the junk removal industry is booming and you can now be a part of it. It is currently the largest business of its kind in the world!

Free Publicity For The Growing Industry
1-800-GOT-JUNK was founded in 1989 and has appeared in the media extensively ever since. With appearances on CNN, MSNBC, and The Oprah Show, amongst others, 1-800-GOT-JUNK has become a household name and an easily recognizable brand. This is fantastic news for you if you become a franchisee.

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Starting your PR Plan
When is the right time to start a PR Plan?

The answer is NOW. It doesn’t matter if you are “Joe’s Bike Shop” or a multi-national conglomerate - almost every business has a story to tell. It is never too early to start a PR Plan.

If you realize that there are things you don’t know about your industry - take the time to learn. Also, once you embark on a PR Plan, make sure you read the newspaper every day. Don’t forget about your industry trade magazines as well.

Many daily newspapers and trade publications have clipping services available that allow you to view the news headlines and stories that only you are interested in. You can sign up on-line for this service at the publication’s web site, as it is important to stay informed. You can also set up search criteria in “Google News”. This is a great way to stay on top of news coverage in your industry as well as what news coverage your competitors are enjoying.

Who do I target with my PR Plan?
First, decide who makes up your target audience. This would include your customers, investors (if you have any) and usually your local community. Now, find out what publications they read and what radio and television stations they prefer. If your target demographic is the stay-at-home mom between the ages of 29-45, you may want to target lifestyle magazines, fashion magazines, parenting magazines, home and lifestyle shows, the Oprah show and parenting sections of the local and national newspaper. The list could be more extensive depending on what you are selling.

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She’s Young, She’s Practiced, She’s Good, She’s Not Alone

“Listen, you moron! I am here to stay and if you don’t wanna’ be in my life, you’ve got two choices. Move out or Ring out! That’s it! End of File!” - Lt. Jordan O’Neill (Demi Moore), G.I. Jane (1997), Caravan Pictures

When we were growing up, our parents used to tell us to go out and play in the street.

They meant it!

Today, entertainment is at our kids’ finger tips - computer video, game systems, standard TV, premium TV, mobile phone entertainment, music, and online Website options.

Nielsen Research says that about 5 percent of all U.S. family entertainment dollars is spent on video games.  With video game households that percentage jumps to 9.3 percent of the monthly entertainment dollars.

Video gaming families also tend to spend more of their entertainment budget at home, rather than activities like eating out, shopping or basic TV cable packages.

But the stereotype gamer has gone the way of the dizzying array of gaming options.

It’s no longer our kid and his buddies barricaded back in his room firing rockets/mortars, jackin’ cars, showing off their skills on his Xbox or PS3.

He’s not locked away online with World of Warcraft and a gazillion other MMOG players.

He’s sorta’ ticked that he and his buds don’t dominate video gaming.

As we saw at E3, Wii has been a game and gaming image changer.

Our daughter got real serious when the Wii was introduced and now plays a lot of tennis and works out every day.

This year, hardware folks announced their version of the Wii controller and showed off their off-the-couch games.

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I almost called this article P is for People because I really do believe that people buy people and the more your potential customers get to know you, the more likely they are to buy from you. 

But then, after giving this a bit more thought, I realised that it goes far deeper than this. People buy not just from getting to know you, but also how they feel about your business.  

The brand or the personality behind your business goes a long, long way to reassuring potential customers that you’re the right company to do with and to confirming with existing customers that they’ve made the right decision. 

Consider this scenario – your customers love working with you and think you’re great, but everytime they ring and you’re not there, the call minding company you’ve hired is rude to them? 

What about if they generally enjoy working with you but you’re slow to complete the work or return their calls? 

If your customers like one aspect of your business, but don’t like others, it can only carry you so far for so long. I can give you countless examples from small business owners of companies that they’ve worked with where this situation has happened. 

One company for instance promised a client that they’d call him every Friday afternoon at 2pm for an update. Unfortunately this only happened once! Another company promised a client that they’d have their website finished in 2 weeks. Three months later we’re still waiting! 

It doesn’t look good, does it? 

So what can you do to make sure that the personality or brand of your business is first-rate?  

Well, start by deciding how you want people to view your company. If they were discussing your business in a meeting right now, what would you like them to be saying about you? 

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Big O Tires is currently accepting applications from individuals seeking to join their highly successful franchise. With third party financing assistance available and ongoing training and support, this could be your big opportunity to further your business knowledge and take the first step onto the entrepreneurial ladder. Applications are encouraged from Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.

About Big O Tires
Big O Tires is a household name owing to its 40 years in the industry. Established in 1962, the company was initially a tire buying cooperative to fill the void left by the major chains. The idea was to supply independent tire dealers who couldn’t afford to purchase from the larger companies, which often were more expensive. As the tires were cheaper and the service was better, Big O Tires soon grew into a much larger company than it was ever intended to be. It grew to the point at which franchising it seemed the only option to fulfill the massive demand for its products.

Big O Tires stocks the biggest and best in tire manufacturers, with brands like Michelin, Sumitomo, Goodyear, Falken, Yokohama, and BF Goodrich, among others. There is also a range of tires on their own private label, which highlights just how far they have come. Although the franchise now spans over 500 stores in the US, not to mention the ones in Canada, the company is still consistently expanding.

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Ahead Staffing is currently offering one of the most prestigious and highly profitable franchises in their industry today. With ongoing training and support available, this business opportunity is highly coveted and will prove extremely profitable for applicants with an entrepreneurial spirit. Read on to find out a little more before requesting full information.

About Ahead Staffing
Ahead Staffing is an amazing company that is a market leader within the employment industry. In fact, it is the market leader in the franchising industry as a whole. It works with franchises to ensure that everything runs smoothly for the franchisor and franchisee by filling temporary roles in a variety of industries. This serves to lessen franchisor involvement while making sure that royalties are also lowered as a result. In more simple terms, it is incredibly beneficial for everyone.

Ahead Staffing has been in business for some time and has perfected its business model. In fact, it is very focused and this can be of great benefit to the franchisee given that selling is much easier as a result. You can benefit right away in a number of ways and easily make a return on your investment within a shorter period of time than would otherwise be possible.

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Shorten the Journey – Increasingly, online experiences with companies and products have reinforced the loyalty loop in the consumer decision cycle.  In addition, with today’s online existence, these customers can be a strong extension of your marketing/sales efforts by recommending your products/services to others and defending you when issues/problems arise.  Illustration – McKinsey Research

Social media – blogs, social sites, chat rooms, discussion forums, YouTube, microblogs – have grown rapidly, have become popular for consumers and companies.

The key reason is that people want to establish their identity, feel connected. 

The power of social media can be realized by your organization by integrating the online data with your customer/marketing data.

Much of the online activity today is being done by communications or PR people.  Their information is seldom shared/leveraged so the long-range benefits are lost to the organization.

Social marketing is a top-down activity that incorporates marketing, communications, product design/development, HR, customer service/support…and IT.

It’s all about building a personal bond with your customers for the long-term.

Come On In
According to ORC (Opinion Research Corporation), companies are welcome into the social network communities as long as you follow the rules:

• 51% said companies should have a presence but shouldonly interact with consumers as needed or by request
• 34% feel companies should be in social media and interact regularly
• 15% say companies should sit in the balcony or stay home

According to a recent Razorfish study, an impressive 64% of connected consumers had made their first purchase because of their digital experience.  In addition:

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Lights, Camera, Action – Grab the consumer’s attention and hold it with video. Educational, informational, how-to videos can be quickly, economically produced and posted on the Web to not only get your product message across but to use in your customer support area to help consumers resolve their own problems, answer their questions.

Until recently, you exchanged information, ideas in words, pictures, diagrams.

You talked in meetings, you sent emails, you showed pictures/ppts. All the while, you were thinking, talking visually.

Today, people are increasingly going online to watch all types of videos – entertainment, education, information. According to recent projections by eMarketer, more than 87% of the Internet users watch video content online:

• news
• comedy
• movies, TV
• music videos
• sports
• commercials (honest!)
• non-professional videos (think dumb, dumber YouTube)
• podcasts
• animation
• education

As you move more of your consumer communications to the Web, you need to make your information, your messages more interesting, more entertaining by adding video content. Short videos - product demonstrations, applications, installation, troubleshooting, technical discussions – are meeting this need. In addition, many organizations that have integrated video into their social media activities have seen their material go viral. It is being used by channel partners, linked by blogs and other social media sites and shared by viewers everywhere.

Online consumers share the video:

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