Six Things to Consider Before You Buy or Lease Business Property
Each business has its own unique needs and concerns when it shops for property to serve its business needs. Each business owner is concerned with whether to lease or buy, how much space is needed, what kind of property is needed, how much to pay for the purchase or lease, how to negotiate the best price, how to negotiate the best terms, and how to find the best location. The following six points need to be considered before leasing or buying business property:
1. Lease or Buy:
It is usually better in the long-run to own your business property. However, that may not be the case if you are short on cash. It may be a better decision to lease a facility when you are just starting out. When you lease a building, your cash outlay is much less than it would be if you purchase a building. The purchase will require a substantial down payment, and you may have a more important use for you cash when you are starting your business.
2. Find the Right Location
You must consider how long you will be in the same location. If you think you will be in the same location for one or two years, the location only has to serve your purposes for that length of time. If you intend to stay longer in the same location, you must be satisfied that the location will be adequate for a longer period of time. For example, will there be sufficient parking as your business grows? Is it possible that area will become a high crime area? Could you lose your space by eminent domain for street expansion? Are there neighboring businesses that could have a negative impact on your business? Will the space continue to be convenient for your customers, employees, and vendors?
3. Have an Attorney Review Lease or Purchase Contract
Do not blindly sign a lease or purchase contract until you have an attorney review it on your behalf and try to negotiate for a better price or better terms. The property owner will probably have the lease or purchase contract drafted by their attorney, and it will be written to favor the property owner. Do not hesitate to review and negotiate the document and have your attorney do the same.
4. Negotiate the Best Deal for Your Company
The results of good negotiation may save your company enough money to hire more employees, to launch a marketing campaign, or to update your equipment. You need to negotiate the best terms such as the term of the lease, renewal options, rent increases, a lower down payment, acquiring additional space in the future, etc.
If you negotiate a lease, you need to know how the tenant’s share of expenses is calculated. Is it based on total square footage of the building or the square footage leased by the landlord? If you will pay a portion of the common area expenses or taxes, your
landlord must provide a detailed list of expenses prepared by a CPA. You should also have the right to audit the landlord’s books or records.
5. Choose the Right Amount of Space for Your Business
Whether you are just starting your business or you need more space to expand, you want to choose the optimum amount of space. If you underestimate your needs, you will have to relocate and that can be expensive. If you overestimate, you will pay for unproductive space. You need to be sure that you know the usable square footage of the premises
In deciding how much space you need, think about how many employees will be physically located in your new facility. Do you anticipate that any of them will telecommute and work from home? What are your projections for the employees you will need in the next two years?
6. Building Features and Layout
What do you really need in your facility? Consider the cost of each feature to see what is financially feasible. What office design will best accommodate your employees, customers, and vendors? What design encourages the most efficient production? You can research office layout and design on the internet and at the library, or you can hire a professional designer.
Your business premises must be able to operate during the regular business hours without interruption. Your customers, employees, and vendors must have easy access and sufficient parking. The business premises should be thoroughly inspected so that you will not incur substantial repair expenses after you take possession.
Whether you lease or buy, these issues must be considered carefully to protect the interest of your business. Before you sign any documents, research the property, the neighborhood, and the area around it. You need to know as much as possible about any property where your business will be located.
Jo Ann Joy, Esq., MBA, CEO
The future of your business starts here!
You may contact Jo Ann by phone at (602) 663-7007, by fax at (602) 324-7582, by email at joannjoy@Indigo Business Solutions.net, and by mail at 2313 East Ocotillo Rd., Phoenix, AZ 85016. Copies of any articles will be provided free of charge.
For information about other important legal, tax, and business topics, copies of articles, or EBooks, please visit our website at www.IndigoBusinessSolutions.net. Copyright 2006. All rights reserved. Indigo Business Solutions is a registered trade name.
Discover the secrets to success and grow!
About the author:
Jo Ann Joy is the CEO and owner of Indigo Business Solutions, a legal and business consulting firm that is a “one stop shop” for businesses. We provide legal and business services and all professional services to businesses, and they will not be “referred out” to other professionals.
Jo Ann has a law degree, an MBA, and an Economics degree. She is a strategic business attorney who works closely with businesses to improve their performance and their chance of success. Her background includes commercial, corporate, contracts, real estate, accounting, financial planning, mortgages, marketing, product development, banking, and business planning and strategies. She ran a successful business for 10 years and writes and gives presentations on many different legal, tax, and business subjects.
Please visit our website at http://www.IndigoBusinessSolutions.net for more information on business, legal, and tax topics and for free copies of articles and EBooks.
TV Commercials
Television is one of the biggest inventions of the 20th century, and it revolutionized our lives. TV waves reach the living rooms of people all across the world. Almost all organizations find television the best medium for marketing or launching their products. People directly relate to the programs or commercials and can be influenced by them.
Television commercials have opened the gates of effective advertisement. The growing popularity of television has proved to be a boon to different types of enterprises, be it commercial, informative, or entertainment. There are many programs on television like the news, comedy shows, documentaries and soap operas that are viewed by millions of people. Commercials are placed in a short time frame within these programs, exposing products to the maximum amount of viewers. Companies pay a significant amount to get their advertisements aired. The higher the ratings of the program, the more expensive the ads are – because they reach more people when they air on higher-rated shows, thus, are more effective ads.
The commercials aired today are different from the ones aired 50 years ago. The kind of products advertised, their content, and form have undergone many changes. Innovations in technology have made way for more effective forms of advertising. Companies are sensitive to the ever-changing needs and habits of the public and keep this aspect in mind while designing commercials for adults, children and the youth.
Most TV commercials today are produced by advertising agencies. A vast majority of commercials consist of brief advertising spots, ranging in length from a few seconds to several minutes. Commercials of this sort have been used to sell literally every product imaginable over the years, from household products to goods and services, to political campaigns. Television commercials are said to have a tremendous impact on the viewing public. Even a candidate seeking election uses TV commercials in order to wage a successful election campaign.
Commercials provides detailed information on Commercials, TV Commercials, Radio Commercials, Beer Commercials and more. Commercials is affiliated with Infomercials and Direct Response.
Commercial Machine Vending – What’s The Best Way To Get Started
If commercial machine vending is a business that you are interested in, there is a wealth of information about vending machines and vending routes available online. It is one business that is easy to get into, but depending on the types of commercial vending machines you want to have, it could require a substantial investment. The distributors for commercial machine vending machines often have payment plans available and you can choose to lease the equipment you need.
Some people prefer to get into the vending machine business by purchasing an established vending route. Distributors can give you information about vending routes for sale where the machines are already placed in strategic locations. The locations for the vending machines determine how much money you will make in commercial machine vending because you do need areas where there are lots of people. The distributors will also have a used vending machine to purchase, which can save you money in getting started.
It is impossible to accurately predict how much money you can make with commercial machine vending. The success or failure of your business will depend on the location of the machines as well as the products that you sell and the reliability of the vending machines. If you want to purchase a vending route for sale, you should do your research beforehand and check out the machines. You might approach the seller about a vending machine to purchase so that you can start out small. This will also give you a chance to see if purchasing the full vending route might be beneficial to you.
Since the vending machine business is a commercial enterprise, you do need to abide by state/provincial rules regarding commercial machine vending. You will need to have a business licence and you need to keep accurate financial records for tax purposes. Another aspect that you have to consider with a vending route for sale is that the business owner gets a commission of the amount of money that you take out of each machine. This is usually 40% of the gross, before you deduct any expenses.
Look for a vending machine to purchase when you want to get into commercial machine vending. Most people start off with candy or gumball machines, but there is also a great profit into snack and soda vending machines. There are also vending routes for sale with machines that sell medical supplies, such as aspirin or even products associated with personal hygiene, such as toothpaste, soap and dental floss. The possibilities for products are almost endless when you consider the commercial machine vending business.
To find out more about Vending Machines visit Peter’s Website Vending Explained and find out about Vending Machine Business and more, including Gumball Machines, Candy Machines and Buying Vending Machines.
So, What Do YOU Do How to Nail Your Networking Intro
Elevator speeches. 60 Second Commercials. 30 Second Commercials. Personal Introductions. Networking Introductions. Defining Statements. Positioning Statements.
Ahhhhhhhhhh! Which one do you use? And when? And with whom?
Tough question. Especially because since the early 90’s, tens of thousands of articles, books, manuals and guides have been written on the topic of networking. And all of them address various techniques on how to answer the question: “So, what do you do?”
To put it in perspective, consider these results from a recent Google search:
*30 Second Commercial – 135,000 pages
*Elevator Speech – 128,000 pages
*Positioning Statement – 106,740 pages
*60 Second Commercial – 33,500 pages
*Defining Statement – 26,000
*Personal Introduction – 3,600 pages
Wow. Overwhelming, huh? Makes you wonder which one is right! Still, each of these techniques is some variety of your Networking Introduction. Unfortunately, it won’t come out the way all the books and articles say it will. It’s doubtful you’ll ever tell someone what you do in an elevator; you’ll probably never have exactly 30 or 60 seconds to do so; and the odds of you explaining it the same way each time are highly unlikely.
In REAL networking, you’ll be rushed, caught off guard and asked unexpected questions. You’ll meet people on busses and in bathrooms. You’ll address three strangers at a time, get interrupted mid-commercial, and sometimes, you won’t get a chance to say a single word until the last five seconds of a conversation. And all the while, you won’t have time to decide whether or not you should give your Elevator Speech, 30 Second Commercial or Defining Statement!
Sorry. Didn’t mean to scare you there.
But it’s true. Networking is unpredictable. And yet, we depend on it for the growth of our careers. According to a 2004 report from the Federal Bureau of Labor, 70% of our new business comes from some sort of networking. So, rather than put additional pressure on yourself by worrying about how many seconds you have, here are some key points for an effective, concise and memorable Networking Introduction.
Start from the Top
Because you never know how much time you’ll have to introduce yourself, I suggest starting at the top with the following exercise. Take five pieces of paper. Assign one of the following sentences to the top of each sheet:
*Who you are
*What you do
*Whom you do it for
*How you do it
*What happens as a result
Write down all the words, characteristics, ideas, phrases and the like that pertain to each of these areas of your introduction. Have fun! Spend at least a few minutes on each sheet. The whole point of starting with this activity is to understand the full scope of you and your business.
Back to the Bottom
Now that your mind is swimming with dozens of key points about your work, it’s time to get down to the “Bare Bones Intros.” These are pithy one-liner type sentences that grab attention and intrigue the listener. Now, since thousands of networking resource claim to have their own magic formula, I’ll simply offer the technique I’ve found to be most effective in my own business:
I’m a/an (your job title)…
and I work with (your target customers)…
who want to (become, increase, etc.)…
so they can (some benefit or result).
You don’t have to use this exact formula. Just be sure your Bare Bones Intro includes what you do, whom you do it for and what happens when you do it. So, write out different versions. Say them out loud. Share them with friends and colleagues. And eventually be able to pick out the most effective ones.
Anytime, Anywhere
In my networking workshops I make it a point to tell my audiences members: “There is a time and place for networking: ANY time and ANY place.” With that in mind, let’s take the material you brainstormed from earlier and put it to use in possible scenarios. (You might want to practice these with a partner too.)
*You have five minutes at your local association meeting to introduce yourself via speech to 100 strangers in the audience. What would you say?
*At the sub shop you go to once a week, the teenage cashier says, “Hey there! It must be Tuesday again, huh? Good to see ya! And you know, you always come in here, but I don’t think I know what you do” (Remember, the line is long.) What would you tell her?
*You’re participating in a rapid-fire-speed-networking-blitz type activity in which you have less than 30 seconds to introduce yourself to 25 people in a row. GO!
*You’re dressing in a hurry in the locker room when the new guy introduces himself. He notices your briefcase and asks, “So, where do you work?”
*You email a complete stranger who was referred to you by someone in your network. She probably gets 100 emails a day, so you don’t want to make it too long. What do you write?
*As you fill out your new credit card application, you notice two boxes. One says, “Occupation,” and the other says, “Please explain in the space below.” It’s a small space. Better make it quick!
*Your spouse runs into her boss at Happy Hour. You shake his hand and he says, “Nice to meet you! So, what do YOU do?” (You think he’s had a few.)
Nailing Your Networking Intro
All specifics aside, the most important part of a Networking Intro is: always be memorable. In a July 2003 article from Entrepreneur Magazine, Ivan Misner, founder and CEO or Business Network International (BNI), explained “The ideal introduction is brief and memorable – one that provides enough impact to arouse the interest of those to whom you’re introducing yourself and get them to join your word-of-mouth team.”
So put away your stopwatch. Forget about the elevator. And stop thinking about networking as a commercial. Networking is the development and maintenance of mutually valuable relationships. And those relationships are initially sparked by your ability to effectively, concisely and memorably introduce yourself when someone says, “So, what do YOU do?”
© 2005 All Rights Reserved.Scott Ginsberg is a professional speaker, “The World’s Foremost Expert on Nametags” and the author of HELLO my name is Scott and The Power of Approachability. He helps people MAXIMIZE their approachability and become UNFORGETTABLE communicators – one conversation at a time. For more information contact Front Porch Productions at http://www.hellomynameisscott.com.
Commercial Loan Processing Explained
It is important to understand the process behind commercial loan processing to gain an insight into how a financing institution assesses and decides on whether or not a loan is granted. While commercial loans provide an attractive source of income in terms of interest, lenders exercise a lot of care in evaluating borrowers to ensure that funds lent out are recovered along with the earnings.
Applying for a Loan
Lenders basically pre-qualify potential borrowers by assessing their background and capacity to pay. The process starts by initial gathering of background and personal information such as purpose for the loan, your income and existing debts. To formalize and commence the loan process, you must then fill-up and complete a loan application form.
Requirements to Expect
Take note of the documentary requirements that will go with your loan application. This may require some consideration and time to gather. A business loan for example, may require a business profile that gives a general background of your business. In addition, a business plan that clearly describes how your business will be run and how it is projected to perform financially will be required.
Standard requirements for different loan types will include personal financial statements listing all personal assets, liabilities, as well as your personal tax return for the past three years. Another fundamental requirement is collateral. Collateral for a loan may include assets such as real estate and stocks or bonds, hard goods such as equipment, and other personal assets and guarantees. This is meant to give the lender some guarantee that you will be committed to seeing your loan repaid. It also offers assurance that should you fail to meet your loan obligations, they can recover from your assets the money that they have lent out.
Processing Your Application
A loan officer will review your application and documentary attachments. Your loan officer will review your credit reports, collateral documentation, as well as your income information. Some additional documentation may be requested in order to support the information in your loan application so that all details may be properly assessed and verified.
Loan Underwriting
Once all documentary attachments are deemed satisfactory, your loan application will then be submitted to a loan underwriter or a loan committee. They will review, assess, and eventually decide whether your loan will be approved.
At this time a processor will present you with a letter of intent or term sheet for signing. This document includes the amount of financing, terms of payment, type of security or collateral, and other key terms. The decision to approve or reject is usually made within five days. Expect some requests for you to provide additional documentation during this underwriting process.
You will be required to sign the letter of intent and along with it, you may be asked to give a check to serve as a deposit, and to pay for some third-party reports used in the underwriting process such as appraisals.
Finally Getting Your Loan
Once all the conditions and requirements are satisfied, the loan application package is resubmitted to the loan committee for final approval. Upon loan approval, you will be required to sign the final loan documents. If you have a closing agent (an attorney or escrow company representative for example), they will receive the closing documents and coordinate the signing of all necessary papers. They will also coordinate the transfer of funds, record the deed transfer and mortgage, and order title insurance.
With all requirements met and all closing documents in order, your loan can finally be released! This can be done in several ways – electronic wire transfer to your designated account, or issuance of a cashier’s check or draft in your name.
Apply For Commercial Loans using our FREE Commercial Loan Application to compare rates and contact multiple commercial lenders. We have over 300 commercial real estate lenders, business and construction lenders as well as private equity groups waiting to help you. Best of all, GlobalBX is FREE!
Get a Commercial Loan – Get Commercial Loans by comparing rates and contacting multiple commercial lenders for FREE at GlobalBX!
Sing Commercials For A Living
Ever wonder why some get to sing commercials and some don’t? Have you ever thought about singing jingles? What makes some more apt and able then others to break into this business with other individuals with incredible talent never getting the break? These are great questions and the truth is, most anyone can break into the jingle singing and session singing world provided that these next few concepts are in place.
Unique is a quality that prevails. Jingle houses and ad agencies are always on the lookout for new talent – Unique talent. Having a unique tone, singing style, a different approach is key. Notice I didn’t say absolutely the best singer is the key, not that having talent to back up your unique singing quality isn’t important, but I said unique, but not necessarily the best. You’re scratching your head, but it’s the truth. Really, how many singers and actors or actresses are that special that a gazillion other people couldn’t do it if given the opportunity. As a booking agent with the William Morris Agency, booking many household name stars, I saw this phenomenon every day. Unique is paramount in this business from a purely contextual outlook. There are other elements that play an important role, but being unique will definitely land you work.
For those of you who, being honest, don’t believe they have the most unique voice out there, all is not lost. Your role of obtaining work will differ somewhat, but you can break into the session singing market and earn a significant living doing it. Your role will most likely revolve around blending and group singing. Now there is definitely more competition revolving around this type of singing work and so your diligence, attitude and go get it nature must remain consistent. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with not being the latest and greatest, admitting it, and yet still going after your singing dream and accomplishing it. You can do it. It’s difficult within the writing constraints of an article such as this to hit every angle here, but if you will read to the bottom and go to the website reelmusician.com there is a Free “Jingle Singer’s Guide” that you may download.
It’s not uncommon for singers, who are certainly not considered to be on the A list for session work, but admittedly choose to go after session work and not only obtain it, but make a significant living doing it. These singers possess a great attitude. As previously mentioned in other articles, your attitude must be that of getting along with anyone, while having good creative ideas and not afraid to speak them, also tempered in such a way as to know when to back off, when to nod your head and say “that sounds good,” when you’re sure your idea is in fact better. Your attitude of being gracious and kind and generous with people will go along ways in this business and may be the single reason you get called back time after time when there might be better singers out there. Never underestimate a good attitude.
The next element in your marketing campaign must include creativity. Great singers invariably inhibit a creative let’s get the job done and make it sound great even when they’re not dealing with the best of tracks, lead singer or producer – They just get it done! You might consider getting involved with musical groups or ensembles that will give you the practice creativity outlet if you feel creatively impaired or unready. Musical creativity is learned, but is also practiced and honed and those with some musical input can over time become real creative forces within a group session.
From the practical side, the big difference when it comes to breaking into the music industry is going to be your determination or the lack there of. Be sure to create a 5 year, 1 year, 1 month and each day set of goals and go after them. Keep track of all the producers and music contacts and mention conversation, last spoken, and follow up information. Make sure you have the absolute best jingle demo reel – not the “my buddy can do this for me for free” demo reel, but a really pro and polished jingle demo reel like you’ve already arrived. At ReelMusician.com we specialize in just that – Jingle Reels! Your jingle demo reel must sound like major national spots. Good and even pretty good will not work here. Your jingle demo reel must turn the heads of your listeners and knock their socks off. There’s too much competition out there to be wasting not only your time, but a jingle producer’s time as well. You may want to consider multiple reels, one that highlights your voice over abilities and one or two that emphasis your singing abililities ad that can be rotated to producers so that your name is crossing their desk a number of times. If finances are a factor in producing your demos, then start with one reel with 5 -7 jingles that absolutely sing no questions asked.
Follow up will be key. You must have a way to file contact info, conversation gist and any additional information that is vital to your career path. Go after this like it’s a job offer – Because it is a job offer and can be very lucrative if you do it right. Find a way to say hello whether by a card, email or phone call after your initial contact. That’s when a second jingle reel would be handy, but again, not absolutely necessary. You need to find a way to get your name out there to whom you’ve contacted. You might want to consider small snippets from time to time that you can mp3 and email to these same folks – Again just make sure that whatever you are sending out is 1st class.
Above all else, keep at it. Those with the staying power are usually those with the keep at it drive which in all reality, most people don’t have. If you can maintain a professional jingle reel, with goals firmly established and a concrete way to catalogue your conversations, you will be well on your way. Please feel free to contact Mr Gauger at 615-300-5030 or tgauger@reelmusician.com or visit www.reelmusician.com.
Mr. Gauger is a former talent booking agent with the William Morris Agency and has been heard on numerous TV and radio spots including Fox TV, UPN Station ID, O’Charley’s and many others. In addition, he co-wrote “Who To Love” slotted for upcoming telecast on the soap The Guiding Light. Mr. Gauger is the founder of http://www.reelmusician.com and can be contacted through this organization at tgauger@reelmusician.com or 615-300-5030.
Why Are Successful Entrepreneurs So Darn Lucky!
What is your definition of the word “luck”, not the Webster’s Dictionary definition, your definition? Is it being in the right place at the right time? Picking the right dealer in a casino? Turning up at a party where you meet your current wife (could be good or bad luck)?
Entrepreneurs seem to be so lucky, so often. People see their success and attribute much of their good fortune to luck. What luck that they thought the idea would work. The luck of the Irish for old Doyle, don’t you think? It was his great good luck to file that patent when he did.
The passengers in life attribute so much of fate and successful outcomes to random luck. “Lightning strikes for others, just never me,” is a bromide that covers the view of people that are perpetually success challenged. The masses that think like this can not see, or comprehend, that luck has little to do with achieving real success as an entrepreneur.
In business, luck is created. Luck generally evolves from capitalizing on a risk taken. Entrepreneurs are not passengers: they are drivers. The drive to succeed and overcome obstacles inherent in attempting to create any new business requires drive, courage, and passion. Not luck!
This is not to say that luck never occurs and is not appreciated. It does occur and it is appreciated. However, when luck rears its happy face it is usually the confluence of hard work bumping into opportunity! If an entrepreneur accidentally bumps into a funding source while enjoying a latte tomorrow morning at Starbucks, is this luck or the result of a business proposition that is properly seasoned?
My experience is that entrepreneurs create luck by stirring a unique brew of personal qualities. Some or all of the following traits are obvious, in every success from the Wright Brothers to Mary Kay Ash. These qualities are the true ingredients required that make luck occur.
Confidence
Every entrepreneur is perpetually afraid. The fear of failure is palpable. They can not stand the thought of failure and will do anything possible to avoid it. The need to succeed is demonstrated in a confidence that they develop in their novel product, their ultimate success, and the benefits their product will produce for consumers. Confidence smothers fear. Fear creates inertia. Failures are always afraid, to try, to fail, to be criticized. The confidence necessary to succeed in a brutal marketplace is earned through hard work, study, preparedness and finding answers to obstacles.
We all have doubts. However, successful entrepreneurs overcome fear and doubt and grow in confidence as they master their task. The confidence earned is a great key to attainment of success. There is no luck involved.
Learn From Mistakes
My first sales manager had only three basic bits of wisdom for a youngster starting out on a sales career:
1. Make all of the mistakes you must, once!
2. Study and learn from each mistake you make!
3. If you are torn between choices, and face a choice that might lead to a mistake, make the most aggressive choice!
Everybody makes mistakes. Coca-Cola brought out New Coke and almost murdered a world famous brand. Merck was seriously harmed by the failure of the prescription drug Vioxx. What was the Ford Motor Car Co. thinking in 1958 when the Edsel was introduced? There was the matter of a President of the United States and an intern. Pete Rose has lost his almost certain place in the Baseball Hall of Fame over gambling.
The key is not the mistake, but learning from and not repeating the mistake. The only way we avoid mistakes (almost impossible in all but the most sedentary lives) is to never try anything new. Entrepreneurs are always going to try. The successful ones make aggressive mistakes, learn from their errors and this minimizes the probability of repeat errors.
A baseball player is considered a star if a .300 batting average is achieved. This means that failure is a result 70% of the times they bat. Players hate to make outs. No one could succeed at baseball unless they seek and obtain a psychological comfort zone that enables them to filter and balance the mistakes in making outs and the positives they learn from making a base hit.
After an out is made, players can not wait for their next trip to the plate to get another chance. This is the way entrepreneurs think after a mistake is made.
Responsibility
A Congressman drives while drunk, crashes his car, hits a parked police vehicle and then claims amnesia. Did the dog ever eat your homework? The NBC television news magazine 20/20 has run several shows showing men using the inter-net to organize meetings hoping to conclude a sexual encounter with very young girls. The men, caught in the act, always deny intent, knowledge or responsibility. The top executives at Global Crossing, Enron and Adelphia scandalously bankrupted their huge businesses, costing thousands of employees their jobs and pensions and millions of investors lost their investment in equity in these firms. And yet, none of the accused executives knew anything about what was going on (they claim) inside their businesses while they were taking tens of millions of dollars in annual compensation. Responsibility is an endangered quality in a modern world that has embraced the psycho-babble of endless victimology!
If I was the Earth Czar, and could re-engineer one physical feature of the human body, it would be this: the palm of every human being’s left hand would have a small mirror permanently attached. And everyday, several times per day, we could look at the mirror and see the reflection of a man, or a mouse. Successful people, including every fine entrepreneur I have ever known, assume full responsibility for every decision that they take. The assignment of blame on another person, or an outside condition is a diversion.
As human beings we have the unique ability to make choices, free will and the ability to reason. These tools are denied every other form of life. A lion or a fruit fly operates solely on a pre-programmed set of instincts. A lion is nor responsible for what it kills. It is on earth to kill. However, if a person kills, they are solely responsible.
Entrepreneurs assume full responsibility for their success, and failure. The luck so many would subscribe to a successful entrepreneur is actually a manifestation of the ability to make reasoned decisions and abide the consequences of those choices.
Perseverance
Imagine a boy, dreaming of playing and starring at professional football, and suffering 10 years of indignity, disappointment and failure in trying to achieve this goal. After an average high school career, playing in a rural town with no exposure, he is not offered a single scholarship to a Division-1 NCAA school. He plays for four, largely undistinguished years at a small school in Iowa. After graduating, the National Football League does not draft him and he is not offered a free agent tryout. He goes to work in a super market and catches on with an Arena Football League team. The pay per game is $400.
Interestingly, his growing success in the Arena Football League over several seasons makes his name at least a point of conversation in one NFL office. He is scouted, thought to be a bit too old but maybe worth a test in NFL Europe. After one very successful season in Europe, he is invited to a NFL training camp. As camp began, he was listed as the fifth quarterback on the team’s depth chart. An injury to a quarterback, then another quarterback injury, and now third on the depth chart, he has realized his dream. He is signed to a contract.
Now the tale could end here. He is a real NFL quarterback. Goal achieved. However, our struggling quarterback has persisted and now that he has made a team he wants to play, and knows, really knows that he will be a star if given a chance. It takes another season, a few more injuries and he gets his shot. At the age of 28 he leads his team to a Super Bowl championship, is the league Most Valuable Player, is named All Pro and signs a multi-million dollar contract.
Kurt Warner, our quarterback, is the most unlikely of football successes. Every college team, every scout and every professional team missed on him. In a sport where players are computer rated, graded, tested, weighed, timed, quizzed and probed from high school onward not one assessment rated him a player of potential. And yet, he is one of the best players in professional football.
Perseverance can not be taught. Some people quit at the first sign of trouble. Edison tested over 1000 versions of the light bulb before he perfected his invention. Kurt Warner would not listen to the experts telling to get on with his life’s work and that work would not include football. He made his own luck through work, sweat, sacrifice and perseverance.
Geoff Ficke has been a serial entrepreneur for almost 50 years. As a small boy, earning his spending money doing odd jobs in the neighborhood, he learned the value of selling himself, offering service and value for money.
After putting himself through the University of Kentucky (B.A. Broadcast Journalism, 1969) and serving in the United States Marine Corp, Mr. Ficke commenced a career in the cosmetic industry. After rising to National Sales Manager for Vidal Sassoon Hair Care at age 28, he then launched a number of ventures, including Rubigo Cosmetics, Parfums Pierre Wulff Paris, Le Bain Couture and Fashion Fragrance.
Mr. Ficke and his consulting firm, Duquesa Marketing, Inc. (http://www.duquesamarketing.com) has assisted businesses large and small, domestic and international, entrepreneurs, inventors and students in new product development, capital formation, licensing, marketing, sales and business plans and successful implementation of his customized strategies. He is a Senior Fellow at the Page Center for Entrepreneurial Studies, Business School, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio.
Janitorial Bids What Business Owners Need To Know
As a business owner, you may be asked to receive a ‘free, no obligation’ quote for cleaning your facility. You may or may not be in the market, but, for whatever reason, you agree.
What should you expect?
What questions will you be asked?
How much information should you reveal?
Below are the basic questions any reputable janitorial company will need to know in order to give you a competitive bid:
1. How many days a week do you require cleaning?
Most companies have service 1, 2, 3 or 5 nights a week. However, the frequency of cleaning is totally up to the customer. Don’t be afraid to tell the cleaning company what you want. If they baulk, or try to get you to fit into their schedule, tell them ‘no thanks’ and stand your ground. If they want your business, they’ll be flexible enough to meet your needs.
2. What day(s) and time of day will the cleaning be done?
The day(s) that you want service should be decided up front. Don’t tell the cleaning company, ‘It doesn’t matter’, because they’ll treat you like it doesn’t matter. One week you’ll get cleaning on Monday and Thursday, the next week it might be Monday and Tuesday. Can you see how in both cases they serviced your building twice a week? However, how much good did it do you, your employees and your customers for them to come two nights in a row? Be prepared to pay more for day cleaning, since most cleaning companies have fewer day janitors at their disposal. Also, they have to pay more per hour to retain good day janitors.
3. What is the ‘cleanable’ square footage of your facility?
This is not the total square footage of your facility. That number includes closets, storage rooms and other areas that will not need to be cleaned. The ‘cleanable’ square footage is the amount of space that the janitor will be responsible for servicing. To learn how to calculate the cleanable square footage of your facility, go to http://www.breakthecycleokc.com/Figure_Square_Footage.html
4. How many restrooms will be cleaned?
Restrooms typically account for less than 5% of the total cleanable square footage, and 95% of the cleaning complaints. This is especially true in facilities that have a larger number of female employees and customers, since a) women use the restroom more often than men, and b) women are usually neater than men. (Remember this is coming from a man!)
5. Who buys the restroom and break room paper supplies, as well as trashcan liners?
This is the single biggest pain in the neck for cleaning companies, next to labor issues. Paper cost change so much and so often that in order to be profitable, cleaning companies try to avoid buying paper, at all cost! What cost $20/case today, could cost $25-30/case next week. Now, multiply that out by 30-40 cases per month, and you’ll see why companies never want to include the cost of paper in their monthly bid. They would rather for you, the business owner, to incur that expense. However, you can have the cleaning company bill you for the actual cost (plus their predetermined markup) for the paper that they use in your building. But be careful, once they know YOU are buying it, don’t be surprised when YOUR paper ends up in one of their other buildings, where THEY are suppose to be buying it. Inventory the usage, and always ask about ’spikes’ in consumption. If you have the same employees as last month, then the cost should be relatively the same.
6. How many employees and customers are in the building?
This needs to be discussed so that the cleaning company can project the average ‘wear and tear’ your building faces between cleans. For example, if you have two buildings that are exactly the same square footage, and have the same number of restrooms and are cleaned the same number of days per week, a novice might think that they should be paying the same amount of money for janitorial service. However, if Building A is a law offices with 10 employees and limited outside traffic, and Building B is a telemarketing center, with dozens of job hunters coming and going every day, believe me, Building B should pay more!
7. What are the problems areas you’re facing now?
It needs to be said that too many cleaning companies bid on accounts when they don’t know what they’re up against. If a company does not ask you what cleaning issues you’re facing, then they probably haven’t been ’seasoned’ long enough, and you should reject their bid. Why? Let me give you an example. Company A is a business office. They’re in a building that is adjacent to an open field. Every day, tons of dust blows into their office, covering their floors, desk, other areas leaving a thin layer of dirt. Their current company based their quote on the square footage of the building, not taking into account the open field. Now, they can’t adequately clean the building in the amount of time it was quoted for. So, instead of spending more time in the building, and getting it clean, they just stay busy for the amount of time that the salesman said it should take to clean it, and then leave.
Use common sense, and the business savvy that’s gotten you this far in life, and you’ll be fine when it comes to receiving a bid from the next janitorial company.
D. Brownlee
http://www.BreakTheCycleOKC.com
D. Brownlee currently works as a Territorial Area Developer for a large janitorial company. He manages in excess of $1.5 million dollars of volume, overseeing hundreds of janitors. For more information on his company, you may contact him at http://www.BreakTheCycleOKC.com
Fill Up The Financial Gaps With Commercial Secured Loans
Capital is the foundation of every business. The entrepreneur needs to have enough finances to run his business smoothly. Business always does not mean earning profits. You may have losses as well. The unpredictability in business necessitates the requirement of immediate cash. Commercial secured loans have been designed to help you out in these circumstances.
Commercial secured loans are tailored specifically for entrepreneurs who require funds for commercial purposes such starting a business or expanding the existing one. The amount drawn from commercial secured loans can be used for a variety of purposes like buying machinery, renovating premises, purchasing commercial buildings and much more.
Commercial needs vary from person to person depending upon the nature of business. Commercial secured loans thus offer flexibility. They can be used for start up businesses, and small and large scale industries. The amount drawn from the loan ranges from £50,000 to £50,000,000. It however differs from lender to lender. It also takes into consideration the business profile, financial status, length of ownership, credit history etc. The entrepreneur is provided with repayment tenure of 12 months to 25 years.
One important feature of secured commercial loans is that these are attached to the clause of collateral. The commercial property, equipments, invoices or order books can be placed as collateral. The interest rate is comparatively lower than unsecured commercial loans. The monthly installments and rate of interest is decided at the beginning of the loan. This enables the borrower to plan effectively on how and when to repay the loan.
The commercial market is flooded with a number of lenders dealing in secured commercial loans. Many banks and financial institutions are ready to serve you. But theses lenders are considered to be conventional. They demand lot of efforts and time. You are sure to face hassles while dealing with such physical lenders.
In case you are looking for the most convenient deal, online lenders are the best option. A little search through the internet will make you aware of different online lenders. The loan seeker needs to fill in the hassle free online loan application form. The lender will contact you as soon as he finds an appropriate deal for you.
The entrepreneur has to be cautious while deciding the lender. Do not be in haste. Collect quotes from different lenders. Choose the lender who not only offers you the required services but also provides you the loan at a low rate of interest.
The loan provider will require certain documents so as to sanction the loan request at the earliest. If you are trying to start a new business, you need to discuss your business plan and how it will let you repay your loan. The lender would also ask for some necessary documents such as financial statements, balance sheets, profit and loss statements, salary of employees etc. This will help him to serve you the best deal.
Overcome your financial crisis with commercial secured loans. Meet the shortage of money and let your business flourish.
Tim Kelly is an expert in finance having completed his LLM in Finance (Master of Laws in Finance) from Institute for Law and Finance at Frankfurt University. He is currently working with Commercial Secured Loan as a financial advisor. To Find Business Commercial Secured loan, Bad credit Commercial loan, Commercial Secured loan visit http://www.commercialsecuredloan.co.uk
Freelance Copywriter Secrets How One Simple Idea Can Flood You With New Business
Right now, no matter what time of the day or night you are reading this, someone’s website is making money -a lot of money- using one simple idea.
It’s an idea you should be using to increase the profitability of not only your website, but every aspect of your marketing efforts as well. And even if you are using this idea to some degree, even small improvements can produce huge gains on your return on investment.
What can this idea do for you?
- It can create a large list of people who identify themselves as being interested in your product or service.
- It can also produce a list of people who ask to receive your marketing materials.
- It eliminates forever the problem of sending out untargeted junk mail that does not get opened or read.
- It generates repeat traffic to your website as long as you keep producing fresh and useful content.
- And most important of all, when your marketing message is requested, welcomed, expected and read by interested prospects; your sales rates increase exponentially.
What is this simple idea? No doubt you’ve already guessed it is Permission Marketing a phrase coined by Seth Godin when he literally wrote the book on the subject.
Mr. Godin defined Permission Marketing as the very opposite of Interruption Marketing, such as the telemarketer who calls right in the middle of your supper. The Permission Marketer instead obtains your consent to market to you often with the offer of a free booklet or some other free product of value.
A free offer “lowers the bar” for a reader to respond and it subsequently enables you to build an ongoing relationship with that person. The whole idea behind Permission Marketing is that it breaks through the clutter of all the other messages bombarding your prospects every day.
Godin calls this getting the prospects to “raise their hands” or volunteer to participate in your marketing. Thereafter, any marketing message they receive is by consent, and they can “opt-out” at anytime they choose, so their involvement is always with permission.
Godin sums up the concept of Permission Marketing as, “turning strangers into friends, and friends into customers.” If you aren’t already using Permission Marketing along with your other marketing strategies, you need to get this ball rolling right away.
If you already have some aspects of it in place, keep improving, it will be the best investment you will ever make.
And finally, if you haven’t read Seth’s book, Permission Marketing, I just cannot recommend this book enough. It WILL make you money.
COPYRIGHT(C)2006, Charles Brown. All rights reserved.
Do you need to turn the written word into profits? Charles Brown is a freelance copywriter who writes professional web content, advertisements, organizational newsletters, direct marketing material and other copywriting projects for businesses and non-profits. Put Mr. Brown on your team today. Visit his “Dynamic Copywriting” blog today at http://dynamiccopywriting.blogspot.com or contact him at either 817.715.3852 or **charbrow@gmail.com**