Atricle Dump - Business

How To Find The Right Point Of Sale System For You
Replacing your cash register and payment processing terminal with a point of sale (POS) system is a great way to take your business to the next level. Few purchases can have as dramatic an effect on your retail or hospitality business as a POS system.A well implemented POS system can give you a new level of control over your operations, increase efficiencies, boost profits and help you fine-tune your business model. In addition to efficiency gains over your cash register, POS systems provide information and reports that can help you make more informed business decisions.Conversely, the wrong POS system can multiply your headaches and cause you to spend valuable time and money on supporting a technology that distracts you from running and growing your business.By reading this article, you will learn how to make an informed POS purchase decision. Knowing what questions to ask will help you avoid the mistakes of a first time buyer.DO YOUR RESEARCH - Spend time evaluating POS companiesFinding the right POS software for you takes time and effort. It's an important decision that will effect how your business operates. Make sure you do your due diligence and research several companies.When choosing a POS system, experienced buyers will tell you that it is very important to buy from a solid company. Taking the time to evaluate companies to ensure that they are customer centric and are committed to great service for the entire lifetime of your business is a smart move which will alleviate headaches now and in the future.Ask the Following Questions to Evaluate POS companies1. How long have you been in business?Software develops over time. So the younger the company, the greater potential for software bugs. With an older, more establis

s the media. As style-leaders, they are perhaps our most powerful influencers. It's no wonder then that companies are lining up to give them the latest gifts and gadgets for free.

One method to do this is called "Gifting-The-Talent." This generally involves supplying free product for insertion into "goody bags" which are handed out as 'thank you' gifts to celebrity presenters and award nominees at the now-countless awards shows and charity benefits that dot the entertainment landscape.

At last year's Academy Awards, for example, one of two Best Actress gift-bags featured Gucci sunglasses, a Sprint PCS phone, Christian Tse 18-carat gold Iris earrings, and more. The Best Actor bag featured Gucci eyewear, a Maurice Lacroix Swiss watch and assorted other goodies. According to news reports, the retail value of one such group of bags at the Oscars exceeded $110,000 each!

But how effective is this practice? If the goal of Celebrity Product Placement is to get press coverage, can we m

Conflict, Leadership And The Leadership Talk
Conflict comes with leadership as the sparks fly upward. If you don't want to deal with conflict, leadership is not your thing.Being a leader is not about IF you will tackle conflict but HOW. In fact, no other ability (other than being able to get results) so shapes people's careers as the ability to deal with conflict.Conflict and leadership go hand-in-hand because leadership involves challenging people often to do what they don't want to do. If people did what they wanted, leaders wouldn't be necessary. Great results don't drop like manna from heaven. Achieving them involves people having to get out of their comfort zones, make troublesome decisions, and engage in disconcerting new actions. Leadership helps guide and motivate people to do those things.There are countless books, articles, etc. devoted to conflict resolution. But let me give you one tool that I've been teaching leaders of all ranks and functions worldwide for more than 22 years. It's the Leadership Talk.Because the Leadership Talk is results-oriented and deals with fundamental human dynamics, it can be an unmatched way to help you deal with the inevitable conflicts you'll face.(The many books and many other articles I've written on the Leadership Talk can be seen on my website.)Here are the three essentials you must adhere to in dealing with conflicts and how the Leadership Talk can help you manifest those essentials.1. Establish a deep, human, emotional connection with the people you're dealing with. When in conflict, keep in mind that the message is not just the message, the message is the messenger. HOW you deal with conflict and WHO you are in dealing with the conflict are as important, if not more, than WHAT the conflict is. Abraham Lincoln explained the importance

With more and more companies wanting to integrate their products into the lives of celebrities, now seems like a good time to take a closer look at Celebrity Product Placement, describe three common approaches, and outline what steps can be taken to guarantee results.

The term "Celebrity Product Placement" is used to describe several related techniques, but its definition applies to each: free products are distributed to celebrities in expectation of a promotional benefit. Unlike the more overt, paid-for endorsement, it offers a distinct advantage. It can appear like a product choice made on individual preference.

Most marketers are unaware of their options in this category (one form features contracts with celebrities, guaranteeing performance and allowing marketers to actively leverage celebrity patrons in the media) and therefore many overlook a very powerful influencer-marketing technique.

In this article, I will describe each of the three main approaches and discuss their relative merits by listing their pros and cons. I also hope to quash any misconception that Celebrity Product Placement has to be a gamble, and show you how best to secure a return on investment (R.O.I.).

But first, a little history...

Celebrity Product Placement (sometimes called "Celebrity Seeding") has been with us since the dawn of marketing. Centuries before Arnold Schwarzenegger stepped into his first Hummer, an 18th century potter named Josiah Wedgwood began supplying his wares to England's Queen Charlotte. Being given the title "Potter to Her Majesty" led to a huge amount of publicity for Wedgwood which he took advantage of using the term "Queen's Ware" wherever he could.

It wasn't until the 20th century that marketers keyed-in on America's "royalty": Hollywood. But more often than not they met with disappointing results. Some companies responded only to occasional requests for products ("gifting"), while others made half-hearted attempts to distribute them without first devising a means to guarantee results ("seeding"). In the end, most companies seeded product "to the wind" and failed to grow anything of value.

Those efforts that did succeed, however, were so successful that independent specialists emerged to help companies achieve better results. But the services they offer vary and so do the results.

What's It All About?

Marketers have long known the power of celebrity to influence consumer- purchasing decisions. The term "borrowed equity" has been used to describe how a celebrity endorsement can bestow upon a product special attributes and cache it might not otherwise have.

The same concept applies to Celebrity Product Placement. But unlike celebrity endorsements, where a highly compensated personality appears in commercial advertising, Celebrity Product Placement offers marketers a more subtle and highly effective means of reaching the public - via the media they consume by choice.

Indeed, Celebrity Product Placement is as much about placing products with celebrities as it is about getting stories about those relationships into the press. Regardless of the approach, Celebrity Product Placement strategies have a common aim: to tie celebrities (thought-leaders, influencers) with consumer products in the public consciousness.

Three different techniques offer three different levels of control over that placement: gifting-the-talent (this usually involves supplying products for gift bags at live events); product seeding (products are distributed more widely in hopes of securing a promotional benefit and kicking off a trend); and, barter relationships (individual celebrities agree to participate in custom programs in exchange for valuable products).

Let's take a look at each one in greater detail.

GIFTING-THE-TALENT

"Everybody" knows that celebrities own all the coolest stuff, and well before everybody else. Celebrities travel the world and every minute detail of their daily lives pervades the media. As style-leaders, they are perhaps our most powerful influencers. It's no wonder then that companies are lining up to give them the latest gifts and gadgets for free.

But how effective is this practice? If the goal of Celebrity Product Placement is to get press coverage, can we me

Delegation - The Basic Steps To Reducing Your Workload And Creating A Successful Team
If you have a task greater than you can handle on your own, then you need to delegate. Not a choice many of us choose to make, but one we can all learn. This article will take you through why delegation is so important and give you simple steps to take so that you communicate the vision, motivate your members and build them as individuals and as a successful team.So let's start with the Whys.The first is obvious. The task if too big for one person. Or maybe is beyond the skills of that one person.The second is that there is more chance of success because using other people brings in extra skill-sets, and added enthusiasm.The third WHY is that delegation gives the leaders in an organisation the chance to develop the latent strengths and talents of their members, giving the organisation a greater pool of skill and potential leaders.Be prepared before you DelegateEnsure that you have your vision articulated very precisely. This is the vision that you will use to motivate and enthuse your members. Be very familiar with the place of this particular job in the organisation's plans and objectives.Run the idea past other members of the Board, or trusted friends, so that they can find any difficulties or flaws. They can refine the idea for you, until it is stronger and more authentic than your original.Check out the resources available for the job to be delegated.Understand the whole scenario. Look for the fears that your members may feel, anticipate the problems that might occur, and think through how you will deal with those, what you will say. Look for flaws that might exist in the way you will communicate your plan, and the ways you might be misunderstood. Then you will be prepared enough to present a confident persona whe

relative merits by listing their pros and cons. I also hope to quash any misconception that Celebrity Product Placement has to be a gamble, and show you how best to secure a return on investment (R.O.I.).

But first, a little history...

Those efforts that did succeed, however, were so successful that independent specialists emerged to help companies achieve better results. But the services they offer vary and so do the results.

What's It All About?

Let's take a look at each one in greater detail.

GIFTING-THE-TALENT

But how effective is this practice? If the goal of Celebrity Product Placement is to get press coverage, can we m

Now That The Rain Has Stopped, Don't Let Your Business Drown In Bad Debt!
We have had an unusual amount of rain this year followed by hotter than normal temperatures here in New Hampshire. Normally, no matter where we are, we don’t notice the rain or heat unless it directly affects us or is unusual, like this season.This is also true with small or new business owners. Unless they have unusual circumstances, such as a bad check, or non-payment of a large balance they don’t pay much attention to the credit end of their business. Most buisness owners don't think about what to do about a bad check, until they are holding a bad check. In my 17 years as a bill collector most business owners that I dealt with only realized they had a problem once it was to late. Do not let this happen to you.There are easy steps you can take to avoid this from happening to you and your business. “One of the easiest and smartest things you can do for yourself and for your business is to implement a credit policy and have each new customer fill out a credit application” says Dunn. “A credit application will protect you and your business and let your customers knows that you mean business. Done correctly, it can increase your overall profits and sales now and in the future.”Decide on what terms will work for you and your business and make sure you will still have enough cash flow to pay your bills and maintain your business. Put everything in writing, write down what you want your terms to be. Have that printed on all your paperwork, invoices, statements, credit application, receipts. Have every potential customer fill out and sign a credit application. Check their credit!Learn debt collection techniques so if they do not pay on time you will be ready to take the next step and won't have to research what to do next.

first devising a means to guarantee results ("seeding"). In the end, most companies seeded product "to the wind" and failed to grow anything of value.

Those efforts that did succeed, however, were so successful that independent specialists emerged to help companies achieve better results. But the services they offer vary and so do the results.

What's It All About?

Let's take a look at each one in greater detail.

GIFTING-THE-TALENT

But how effective is this practice? If the goal of Celebrity Product Placement is to get press coverage, can we m

Five Words to Never Use in an Ad
Google the term "magic advertising words" and you'll instantly get over 8 million results. But caveat emptor -- don't buy into everything you read, because your prospective buyer certainly won't.From the time marketing began, there has never been a shortage of self-appointed experts who claim to have identified the words that will unlock your customers' wallets. In the Internet age their advice is even easier to come by. They promise that words such as "you," "guarantee," "easy," "limited-time," and the old standby, "free," will generate surefire results. If only it were that simple.As a smart business person, you probably know that there are no such things as magic words, particularly in a culture that has been saturated with advertising. But there's something else you should know: Not only do magic advertising words not exist, several of them actually work against you. And chances are, you're using at least one of them in your advertising now.Brace yourself. Here are five of the advertising words you should never use:QualityThis may be the most overused word in advertising, which is the primary reason why you should stay away from it. What exactly does "quality" mean? In a Lexus, it may mean hand-crafted finishes, supple seats, or a smooth ride. In a Hyundai, it's more about the extended warranty than anything.The point is this: every product worth buying is a quality product. It may be high-priced quality or it may be low-priced quality, but it's quality either way. That means every company believes it can use the word "quality" in its advertising. Too many have, and as a result, now it has become just seven empty letters.ValueLike quality, value has been ruined by overuse. Go back to the Lexus and the Hyundai examples --

s as much about placing products with celebrities as it is about getting stories about those relationships into the press. Regardless of the approach, Celebrity Product Placement strategies have a common aim: to tie celebrities (thought-leaders, influencers) with consumer products in the public consciousness.

Let's take a look at each one in greater detail.

GIFTING-THE-TALENT

But how effective is this practice? If the goal of Celebrity Product Placement is to get press coverage, can we m

Being A Visionary
Are you a “visionary”? Do you see things the way they are, but also see life how you want it to be?Being a “visionary” is being more than just a dreamer. A dreamer sees things as they wish they could be. A “visionary” sees things as they will become.A “visionary” is a person of action. Good things don’t just happen. They are brought to pass through carefully planned, organized and executed activities (P.O.E.).No one becomes a P.O.E. person by accident. It’s a very positive, pro-active decision to step up and step forward to make things happen, rather than waiting for things to happen.Life isn’t perfect. Disappointing events happen. They only effect us to the degree that we choose to be disappointed by them. We can’t control life, but we can control our own actions and reactions towards the challenges life deals us.We can choose to be P.O.E. (planned, organized, executed) effectively.Don’t allow the paralysis of the heart that turns others to stone take hold in our own lives. Challenges are a part of mortality. Bad things happen. But we don’t need to be buried by them. We can choose to be happy. We can choose to move on.The principle of Positive Affirmation has been taught by motivational speakers for decades. We need to speak into existence that which we desire. What we don’t realize is that positive thoughts are so much more powerful than negative thoughts.Someone once said something which, at the time, disturbed me greatly. He said, “You have, right now, exactly what you want”. How could he know if I had what I wanted?But he was right.I had exactly what I wanted, because I had exactly what I was willing to put my efforts into.We can become more than we are. We can speak into existence those things

s the media. As style-leaders, they are perhaps our most powerful influencers. It's no wonder then that companies are lining up to give them the latest gifts and gadgets for free.

But how effective is this practice? If the goal of Celebrity Product Placement is to get press coverage, can we measure the value of gift-bag placements? What types of products are suitable and which are not? And what level of control does this strategy offer marketers both in terms of demographics and reach?

There is no denying the value of being associated with these glitzy events, and by extension, the celebrities who populate them. On the plus side, they offer a rare opportunity to get close to the biggest stars in the world. On the minus side, the marketer has no control in matching up celebrities who hold sway over their particular demographic. They have to play the cards they are dealt.

Gifting-the-talent at award shows virtually guarantees mentions in the celebrity press at the time of the event; but without permission to associate the celebrity's name and likeness with the product, marketers don't have the leeway to truly leverage those relationships in their own press activities.

Gifting-the-talent in this way has other limitations: first-movers snap-up desirable categories and, of course, not all products are deemed appropriate. You won't find an energy drink in these bags.

PRODUCT SEEDING

Product Seeding offers marketers more control over whom to place products with but, conversely, less control over how (or if) those products get used. And, while virtually any product - from bottled water to consumer electronics - can be seeded with celebrities, marketers are playing the odds here. But the payoff can be huge if the seeding is supported by a creative strategy.

Product Seeding is the oldest form of Celebrity Product Placement. Products are distributed more widely. They can be aimed at celebrities who are most compelling to your demographic. And they can be delivered directly to the celebrity without the filters imposed by events. Of course, working with a specialist who can get your product directly to celebrities becomes paramount here. Film and television product placement agencies are NOT set up for this practice.

Taken by itself, Product Seeding is a gamble. If you send enough freebies to Hollywood but you don't have a creative strategy, a celebrity might be photographed using your product or evangelizing it on a talk show. But if one looks at Product Seeding as one tactic in a larger Celebrity Product Placement effort, it can pay big dividends - particularly in identifying celebrities who have a true affinity for your product.

Energy Brands, makers of the Glaceau Vitamin Water line, discovered this in 2004. As a result of its long-time strategy to "home deliver" the vitamin-enhanced drink to celebrities (including Sean "Puffy" Combs and Tom Cruise), the company gained a fan in 50 Cent. Having mentioned his preference for the product in a series of interviews, the Hip Hop star - who is well known for his fitness-centered lifestyle - became an obvious choice for brand spokesperson.

Speaking to Ad Age magazine, Energy Brands' VP of marketing, Rohan Oza, said "We've seen that when 50 Cent incorporates [Vitamin Water] into his daily routine ... the brand gets on the airwaves and we create a lot of trial." Making vitamin water a visible part of the rapper's healthy lifestyle worked so well the company launched a new "Formula 50" variety named for the artist.

Such "organic" relationships can grow from Product Seeding. Not only can marketers benefit from press mentions, but the process can be used to uncover promotional opportunities and, in some cases, identify the most ideal product endorsers.

Product Seeding remains a gamble but, if executed properly, one well worth taking. Relatively speaking, it is a very low-cost marketing program. And the return on investment - though difficult to forecast compared to barter relationships discussed below - can be big. But what if your goal is limited to getting press mentions? Can a publicist hedge his or her bets in this category?

One of the great things about Product Seeding is how creative you can get. For Trident White chewing gum, the company commi

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Think being an ultrasound technologist is dull? Read on to find out how it's anything but.

The purpose of this article is to inform the reader that there is another option in life besides a 9 to 5 job. It does not promote a certain way to become financially independent, but it urges the reader to take a chance and become an entrepreneur.

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