Networking is an art, and like any artist, you need to constantly practice, refine and critique your work.  Networking makes a huge contribution to your life and career, and it’s a skill that anyone can acquire. These tips can help you get started.

Be open. Be open to new ideas, opportunities and people. 

Be prepared. Success in networking is when preparedness meets opportunity.  Set a goal for each networking experience.

Give just to give. Don’t give with the sole purpose of getting something back. Work hard for others and the rewards will come back to you ten times over.

Treat everyone as equals. There is no real value in title or prestige alone. Value is in the information and support people can give, and that often comes from surprising sources.

Be courteous. Listen to others when they speak. Don’t monopolize the conversation. Get to the point quickly.

Ask for referrals.  Contrary to what you might think, the best time to get referrals is during the “honeymoon” stage of relationships, when you are getting to know and like each another.  Don’t make the mistake of waiting until you have “proven” yourself to ask for referrals.  Ask when you know you have clicked.

Say thank-you. Thank the people who have helped you. 

Follow through. Follow through on your commitments, both to yourself and others. A good referral or piece of advice only becomes activated into help when you follow it up.

Keep good records. Take full and accurate notes. Otherwise, you will never remember what you’ve committed to do. Keep lists, schedules, and cross-referenced files. Write reminder notes about people you’ve met on the back of their business cards.

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Mentoring is one of the best ways to learn, to get feedback, and to take your career to the next level.  Here are ten tips for making the most of your mentoring relationships.

Tip #1
Self-assess.  Ask yourself, “What skills do I need to get where I want to go?”

Tip #2
Identify your learning goals.  Put them in writing.

Tip #3
Decide together how the mentoring relationship will work – frequency and type of contact.

Tip #4
Commit the time.  Don’t give up if the chemistry doesn’t feel right at the first meeting.  Meet a minimum of once per month.  Touch base regularly – by e-mail, phone, in person.

Tip #5
Take time to build trust and communication.  Get to know each other on a personal level.  Discuss your backgrounds, interests, career histories, and perspectives of your organizations.

Tip #6
Keep confidences.  Nothing kills trust in a mentoring relationship faster than a breach of confidence.

Tip #7
Be sensitive to cultural and gender differences.  Do a little homework.  And listen. 

Tip #8
Understand and plan for the phases of a mentoring relationship.  Build in time for evaluation and closure.

Tip #9
This is about learning, whether you’re a protégé or a mentor.  Keep a journal.

Tip #10
You don’t need a single mentor who you keep throughout your career.  What you need is a mind-set that allows you to learn from those around you, no matter who they are.  To get ahead, create your own multitalented “board of advisors.”

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Particularly when economic times are tough, companies look to grow their businesses as quickly as possible.  It’s during those times, that most have a tendency to forget that marketing is a subtle art and revert to the hard sell.  Particularly in the PR and media world, the hard sell is generally the least effective approach.  You need to meet the media’s needs in order to meet those of your company.

During hard economic times, businesses and entrepreneurs panic and start making marketing decisions with their lizard brain. It’s an understandable, but costly mistake.  When times are tough, companies look to grow their businesses as quickly as possible.  It’s during those times, that most have a tendency to forget that marketing is a subtle art and revert to the hard sell.  Particularly in the PR and the media world, the hard sell is generally the least effective approach.  Yes you want to sell your product or service; yes you want to reach your target market, but you want to do so in a manner that the media can understand.  You need to meet the media’s needs in order to meet those of your company.

An effective public relations campaign can build a brand, add value to the company, increase the bottom line, build the client and customer base, and increase sales.  It can also help change minds and attitudes.  It is the most powerful marketing tool available.

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There are 3 approaches to valuing a business – market, income and asset. A thorough business valuation requires that you consider methods from all approaches. Each valuation method looks at a company from a different perspective, and sometimes the results vary widely. How do you choose the best method?

Selecting Methods
The asset-based method described in Part 8 produces the minimum value of a company because it assigns no value to goodwill. So your first step is to ignore any method that produces a value less than the adjusted asset method. If your company has little or no earning capacity then the adjusted asset method may produce the highest result and it is the best method.

The percentage of annual sales method from Part 6 often produces the highest value of a company because it is based on top-line sales only and it ignores gross profits and operating expenses. Because it produces a high value many owners latch on to this method even though it often produces unrealistic results.

Since the primary driver of business value is earning capacity, the multiple of seller’s discretionary earnings (SDE) and capitalized cash flow methods tend to produce the most realistic values. On the flip-side, potential buyers and their lenders will also be looking at earnings to justify the selling price.

Range of Values
Typically the adjusted asset method will be the lowest, the percentage of annual sales method will be the highest, and the SDE and cash flow methods will fall somewhere in-between.  This is the range of values for your company. Because valuation is based on a hypothetical sale of your company, the value of your company depends upon the most likely terms of the sale. If you had to sell fast for all cash then you would probably sell near the low end.

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Entech USA Vending is a turnkey business, seeking people who are interested in becoming their own boss. The company is currently offering a fantastic business opportunity to join their team, with ongoing training and support as part of the package. They have locations available across America, so be sure to request the additional information to see whether your preferred location is still available, after you see how many awesome benefits this opportunity offers.

About Entech USA Vending
Entech USA Vending is an established vending company that places machines in various locations all over the country, featuring new and innovative products to tempt the consumer. Instead of offering the usual snacks, Entech USA Vending is currently focused on energy drinks and therefore taps into the heart of the health industry as well as the vending and snack industries. With triple the earning potential, Entech USA Vending certainly has the market at its feet right now!

Entech USA Vending has placed machines in malls, office buildings, health centers, warehouses, sports venues, and many more places that generate maximum exposure and sales. As a result of the convenience, the nature of the drinks, and the affordable prices, this opportunity is recession-proof and therefore can give your income a major boost – both now and well into the future. Read on to view some of the benefits of this amazing business opportunity.

Consider The Entech USA Vending Advantages
There are huge benefits associated with Entech USA Vending, and this wonderful opportunity can get you started in business and onto the entrepreneurial path.

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Budget Blinds is one of the premier names in the American home décor industry. Now, this industry leader is giving you a chance to capitalize on its superior reputation. The company has franchise opportunities for suitable applicants and offers  financing assistance, training and support. Applications are being accepted from areas throughout the United States. Please request further information to see if your local area is available because opportunities are going fast!

About Budget Blinds
Budget Blinds is the flagship branch of Home Franchising Concepts, Inc. and dominates the home décor and window coverings industries. There are over 1,200 stores throughout the United States and the demand is such that more stores are urgently needed. The high demand highlights just how respected and trusted the brand really is.

Budget Blinds has received many accolades over the years, including being the  #1 in the industry by Entrepreneur Magazine and named among the best 500 private companies by Inc. Magazine. The company also placed third out of 200 in a satisfaction survey conducted by Franchise Business Review. All these factors converge to make Budget Blinds an impressive franchise with a trusted brand name.

Budget Blinds Franchise Advantages
Budget Blinds franchisees have many advantages from day one of their ownership.

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Computer Troubleshooters is a modern and great company that enjoys incredible demand. They are now seeking driven, ambitious individuals to become franchisees. With training, support and financial assistance readily available, you should consider investing in a Computer Troubleshooters franchise.

About Computer Troubleshooters
Computer Troubleshooters is a fantastic company that has taken full advantage of the technological age to establish first-class solutions to common and uncommon problems associated with computers and digital technology as a whole. As the name implies, they provide an essential service within the IT industry and have forged a reputation as the market leader. They provide onsite computer services, and they help small businesses and homeowners with any computing difficulties they may have.

The service list for Computer Troubleshooters is very impressive. They literally offer everything from the servicing of equipment, security analysis, and consulting, right through to web site design, custom software development, and data backup. No matter how big or small the problem, a member of the Computer Troubleshooters team will come to you to help solve it. With such a comprehensive and fabulous service available, it is no wonder that it is in great demand.

Computer Troubleshooters Franchise Owner Benefits
Computer Troubleshooters offers a stable and solid business career for you as a franchise owner. It also offers explosive growth over the coming years, but it is important to know other basic benefits as well, some of which are:

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Wingate By Wyndham has recently announced that it has franchise opportunities available. Financing assistance (if needed), training, and support are all available in addition to a wide range of other benefits, some of which can be found below but full details are given in the additional information that is available upon request. Read over the following outline to discover how you can have a profitable future by owing a Wingate By Wyndham franchise.

About Wingate By Wyndham
Wingate By Wyndham is a major name in the hotel industry, which will benefit franchisees who want to start their own business with powerful backing. The very first Wingate Inn hotel was opened to the public in 1996 and was independent at the time. People from far and wide stayed in the chain’s hotels, which soon facilitated the need for major expansion. However, it was its alliance with Wyndham Hotels, the world’s largest franchisor, in 2007 that catapulted the chain into its present level of success. Now you can share in that success.

There are 160 Wingate By Wyndham hotels open today and more are planned in the very near future. This is a global brand and attracts business from all over the world. Furthermore, the facilities themselves are high quality with comprehensive amenities so they appeal to all guests.

The World’s Largest Franchisor
Wingate By Wyndham franchisees have access to everything they need to run their own business successfully and enjoy handsome financial rewards.

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Village Coffee is a growing company that has recently opened up new opportunities for ambitious individuals to join the business and capitalize on the full training, support, and extensive benefits that are offered to all licensees. Additional information is available on request but the outline below should highlight the basics. Read it over carefully and then you may request more specific details about this impressive coffee business opportunity.

About Village Coffee
Village Coffee provides customers with great service and quality coffee. Every customer can purchase proprietary gourmet coffee and espresso blends to suit their tastes – all at an extremely affordable price. Furthermore, they can do so in a comfortable and relaxing atmosphere because the whole concept behind Village Coffee is the idea of an old-fashioned village square, which was the meeting place in every town and village during the Colonial period. Everyone met there to have a chat and gossip as well as complete business transactions.

A visit to Village Coffee is like stepping into the past and experiencing the same village square complete with hot drinks and comfortable seating. You can see why the atmosphere is so attractive in a society where chaos rules the day. Customers enjoy coming to Village Coffee because it reminds them of days gone past when life was simpler. In addition, the quality of the coffee, along with excellent customer service consistently produces repeat business.

Village Coffee And Profit
Village Coffee is a highly profitable business as much for the concept as for the coffee! It is a strong business that is based on a concept that appeals to communities everywhere. As a licensee, you can expect:

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Wild Bird Centers is an innovative business concept that has recently opened up a major opportunity for those seeking to invest in a franchise. They offer a complete package of financing assistance, training, and support in addition to extensive benefits. Read over the outline below and then you may request more in-depth information in order for you to receive more specific details about this exciting opportunity.

About Wild Bird Centers
Wild Bird Centers is marketed as the “Ultimate Backyard Bird Feeding Store” and that description sums it up quite well! It is a specialty chain store that operates within the retail sector to give customers the chance to nurture nature in their backyard by attracting wild birds and creating a haven for them. They sell a wide range of products, from high quality birdseed to feeders to bird nesting boxes. The inventory also includes some exclusive products that just cannot be found anywhere else. All products are tested in the field to ensure that they can do everything that they promise to do so you can rest assured that your money is well spent.

In an environmentally friendly world that is starting to take care of nature, Wild Bird Centers provides a huge opportunity for franchisees and customers alike to tap right into that pursuit.

Wild Bird Centers Franchise … Your Ticket To Future Prosperity
Wild Bird Centers is offering an exciting opportunity to be a part of a real growth industry. Although you will be running your own business, you will have tapped into a niche market that has a lot of advantages, including the following:

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If you’re spending the bulk of your time focusing on how and where to market, you could be missing the boat when it comes to building a successful business.  You can have a dynamite advertising campaign, the best public relations campaign, or the most far reaching social media campaign, but if you haven’t created a compelling emotional message, all of that time, hard work, money and ingenuity could be for naught. 

Your message is what resonates with and sells your potential clients or customers.  Whether they see your message on TV, in a magazine, on a blog or on Facebook is not nearly as important as whether that message strikes an emotional core in them.  You need to connect with your audience; you need to make it clear that you are speaking directly to them and their needs.

It is said that emotion stimulates people’s minds up to 3000 times faster than non-emotional thought.  Emotions are what make us act and react.  People buy based on emotion, much more than they do on rational thought. 

Yes it is important that you choose the right marketing medium, but, the best designed public relations, advertising or social media marketing program will be useless to you if you have not taken the time and effort to create an emotional message that resonates with your audience.

Facts and information are important, but they are not the key when it comes to successful marketing.  For example let’s say you are sell running shoes, if you simply talk about why they are sturdy, durable and well designed, that might stimulate some sales, but you’re basically missing the mark.  If you paint a picture where your potential customers see and feel themselves wearing your shoes and running in the mountains, or by the beach or winning a race, it’s those experiences that are going to engage them and it’s the emotion triggered by those experiences that will get them to buy.

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People often view public relations as they do acting and writing, everyone secretly thinks they can master those crafts, but few truly have the talent and drive to succeed.  With that in mind, the following are some tips that can hopefully increase your P.R. IQ.

1. Define your business. You can’t tell others about what you do until you fully understand it yourself. Write a short, clear and concise paragraph that defines what you do. Write it so that an eighth grader could understand it. You may be surprised.

2. Define your target market. You can’t successfully sell your product or service until you understand who you are selling it to. Again, in a paragraph define your target market. How old are they? Are they male or female? Where do they live? How much money do they make? What media do they read, watch or listen to? If you produce baby food and are targeting members of AARP you may want to rethink your demographic profile.

3. Think in terms of stories. People understand concepts best when told in terms of anecdotal stories. If you are a physician, instead of trying to explain a new surgical procedure in medical terms, tell the story of a specific patient’s experience. Tell it as an interesting anecdote.

4. Write a clear, concise one-page press release. A five-page press release may say everything that you want to say about your business, but believe me, it’s more than anyone else wants to know.  You don’t want to tell your life story here; you want to interest the media in an article or segment ideas. A press release is not meant to explain a topic, but to interest the media in finding out more. Write in headlines, use plenty of white space, use bullets and boxes. And don’t forget to include the name of a contact person and number where he or she can be reached. 

5.

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There are 3 approaches to valuing a company – market, income and asset. This article covers the asset-based approach.

The asset-based approach breaks a company down in to its pieces and attempts to value each individual asset separately. For most physical and financial assets this is a fairly straight forward process. Third-party sources of market values and comparable sales data are available. A number of problems appear when dealing with intangible assets. Identifying every component of an intangible asset like goodwill is like peeling an onion. There are endless layers of factors that become increasing detached from reality.

For these reasons the asset-based approach is often applied to tangible assets only. The book values of all assets that would be included in the sale of the company are adjusted to their respective market values.

First, list the value of each asset as it is shown in your accounting records. The book value of inventory should come from a tax return, balance sheet, or trial balance. The book value of assets being depreciated should come from your depreciation schedule. Your CPA or tax preparer may keep this schedule for you. Only items of significant value should be listed individually. All other items should be valued as a group.

Now adjust each asset using the following methods:

Inventory – Adjust inventory to an estimate or actual physical count of what is currently on hand. Inventory should be valued at your cost. Only include inventory that is saleable.

Vehicles – Only include vehicles that are used in the business and that would be included in a sale of the company. Market values for cars and light trucks can be obtained from Kelley Blue Book at www.kbb.com. Search listings of commercial vehicles for sale on websites like TruckPaper.com.

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All businesses make marketing mistakes. By identifying some of the most common mistakes, you will be more likely to avoid these mistakes in your business.

#1 My Clients Want My Service / Product: Assuming that your clients want your products and service is an exercise in blind optimism. Just because you’ve created an ingenious product or offer a one-of-a-kind service, does not mean people want it. You must prove to yourself that your clients want what you are offering by first finding out what your target market really wants and needs.

#2 Inconsistent Effort: One of the biggest challenges of service-oriented businesses is to market consistently. As part of your marketing strategy, commit to setting aside a minimum amount of time each day where you will engage in marketing activities.

#3 Offer Multiple Services: Being clear with yourself about what you do is the first step in being clear with your target market about what you do. Are you a jack of all trades or do you offer a specialty service or product? Instead of marketing all of your services, try marketing just one of them.

Action Step: Take this week to examine your marketing efforts to ensure you are not committing any of the above marketing mistakes. To learn more about the evolution of your business and how to progress to the next phase, check out our website to access FREE business tools and downloads.

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Your products or services are the heart and soul of your business; without them, your business cannot exist. Much like the human body, a healthy heart is imperative to a healthy body. Although there are other organs and appendages that carry out the body’s functions, none of those can be completed without a functional, intact heart. As the business owner, you must become in tune with every facet of your business. Let’s apply this to your business:

Strategic customer service, brilliant marketing, nor effective human resources can overcompensate for mediocre products or services; when a business’s products or services are of the highest quality, the task of building a functional, productive business around those products or services is an achievable one. You must be able to create functional supports around your product or service so that you can deliver them; in essence, your business’s products or services are its foundation – they are why you went into business in the first place. How well do you know your products and services?

How comfortable are you with speaking about your products and services? Could you present an impromptu presentation on your products and services, clearly articulating to your customers the benefi ts that they will receive? Do you understand the pricing? Are you able to differentiate your products or services from those of your competitors?

If you had some difficulty in answering any of the above questions, do not be alarmed. Many businesses struggle with being able to truly understand their products or services – most seldom do. However, by becoming introspective and really doing some investigative work, you can improve your professional level of confidence and comfort.

Check out the Functional Business Plan Assignment – Part 4: Products & Services to form a better understanding of your products and services.

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At the start of a new year, it’s a good idea to take stock of your business by reviewing your Vision, Mission, and your Main Business Goals (If you don’t have a Mission or Vision statement, click here to download an exercise on writing them). Now, I hear you asking, “How are a Mission and Vision Statement going to help my business?” True, having a well written Mission and Vision is not going to miraculously bring you more customers. But, it is going to jump start your strategic brain and ultimately lead you to the detail of business planning: your Main Business Goals.

Your main business goals are the overarching, strategic actions you will take to bring your mission to life and achieve your vision. This is where the action comes to your business. It is your objective, your aim, your target, and your intentions for being in business. Knowing your Main Business Goals will tell you what you need to do each day in your business.

What does a Main Business Goal look like? Take a look at Cold Stone Creamery. Based on it’s mission and vision (click here to read) of becoming the #1 best-selling ice cream brand in America, the company’s goals might look something like this:

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DIY magnetic generators may well offer great opportunities for entrepreneurship. As the world struggles to deal with our dwindling oil reserves combined with the need to reduce our reliance on petroleum based energies, interest in alternative energy sources is mushrooming.

What is a Magnetic Motor Generator?
Magnetic motor generators are machines that utilize the inherent force in magnets to produce motion. This motion, in turn, is harnessed to create electrical energy.  Although the machines require a kick start from a battery or some other power source, once initiated, the movement is never ending. Therefore, they have the potential to generate an endless supply of free electricity. Maintenance is minimal; some inventors estimate the magnets themselves will last for a thousand years.

DIY magnetic generators are not available commercially at this time.  There is considerable R&D underway for large industrial magnetic generators; some are expected to launch within the next few months.  However, experts predict it could well be ten years before consumer machines are available commercially, and at a price we can afford.

Magnet Motor Machines for Home Use
Not surprisingly, a number of inventors have produced magnetic generators for home use.  Some claim to be powering their homes with the free electricity they generate, and a few even say they are selling the surplus back to the power grid.

A YouTube search produces several video demonstrations of these various motors.  However, most do not appear to be interested in a commercial application, but instead are interested in displaying their machines to the public and proving their point to sceptics.

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America’s Best Inns & Suites is a company that is prospering and highly profitable, so much so that they are looking for interested individuals to join the franchise. They are offering a comprehensive package of benefits for all franchisees, including ongoing training and support, so if you are looking to run your own business under a major brand then this will be the opportunity that you have been looking for to launch your business career. Check out the information below and then request full details to find out how to apply.

About America’s Best Inns & Suites
America’s Best Inns & Suites is one of the premier hotel chains in the United States today, and with good reason. Located in the mid-price range of the hospitality industry, America’s Best Inns & Suites provides a service that goes straight to the heart of what the consumer wants – clean, efficient, and convenient hotel service and a comfortable and relaxed atmosphere for those staying for business or pleasure to enjoy. The services are incredibly affordable and yet have a touch of class that makes the hotel irresistible. Many guests return again and again, and why wouldn’t they? When you have stayed in one of the 100 hotels in the chain you would never stay anywhere else.

With environmentally friendly policies and a guest-oriented focus, America’s Best Inns & Suites can provide the perfect place to stay for travelers of all ages no matter what their individual needs are. The success of the existing hotels and the revenue that has been generated for other franchisee entrepreneurs has generated an awful lot of interest in this amazing opportunity, so why wait?

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Bruegger’s Bakery and Café is a well-known and reputable force in the food industry today and currently has business opportunities available within the franchise. The franchise openings that the company is offering come complete with full training and ongoing support. There is also third party financing assistance should you need it. This forward thinking company is an excellent place to start if you are seeking to work towards your own business goals so check out the information below before requesting full information about this great prospect.

About Bruegger’s Bakery And Café
Bruegger’s Bakery and Café has been in operation as a franchise since 1993 and has actively worked to build a stellar reputation on the quality of its food. Serving all natural foods with all natural ingredients has rooted the restaurant chain firmly in the heart of the blooming health industry, which has undoubtedly helped it to grow to unbelievable proportions in recent years. It provides food quickly and conveniently but without the fat and grease associated with traditional fast food chains.

The menu at Bruegger’s Bakery and Café is excellent, with freshly baked breads, bagels, sandwiches, soups, coffees, desserts, and salads, all made to order and prepared to suit the customer quickly and efficiently. It is easy to see just why Bruegger’s Bakery and Café is so popular and you could create that under the brand name while running your own business. After all, with nutritional value and convenience, you have a winning formula right there to take full advantage of.

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City Wide is experiencing phenomenal growth and is offering a major opportunity for those looking to run their own business. Now is your chance to become one of the company’s franchisees. The City Wide franchise is excellent, with third-party financial assistance available where necessary, plus training and support are included. Applications are being accepted now. Although brief details of the opportunity are found below, more information is available upon request.

About City Wide
City Wide has been around since 1959. This is quite a long time given the competitiveness of the industry in which this company operates – the sales management niche as part of the building maintenance industry. In fact, City Wide has been increasingly flourishing over the years and is poised to become even more successful in the future. Offering a comprehensive business-to-business service, it actively acts as a customer-relations liaison between independent contractors and businesses to ensure that sales are made, and that businesses are able to operate independently but receive mutual benefits. The sheer scale of this task is exactly why City Wide is proving to be so profitable, and thus so popular.

The City Wide Family
City Wide is an absolute dream for any individual looking to own a business within a sales, marketing, and management environment. If you have experience in this area and wish to earn a fortune yourself, rather than earning it for someone else, now is your chance. Check out these benefits:

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