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Archive for January, 2011

How many of us have gotten involved in business networks that went nowhere? We go to regular meetings and we talk across steaming coffee cups over boxes of donuts, hopeful at first, but ever becoming more disillusioned as the months roll on. Wouldn’t it be great to network in profitable ways instead of simply wasting our time?

The internet is a network, as the name implies, and there are some powerful tactics to be employed there-in. Many are seldom used. Combine internet networking strategies with intelligent street level tactics, and forget about the donuts! Bigger things can happen, and do!

The first thing to look at is, “Who should my network consist of?” Joining an existing network is great, if it fits your needs. Non competitive participants are best, however you define that. Sometimes a company that is in close geographic proximity is a competitor because they provide comparable goods or services, but the same company that is geographically distant can be a great non-competitive partner. In the second scenario, both of you can usually benefit from cooperation.

Otherwise, there are companies that are non-competitive and synergistic. A window cleaning company and a painting company are good examples. After the painter has finished the house, the windows will really need to be cleaned. Of course, there are companies too that are non-competitive, but not really synergistic either. These can fit into their own networks, and then networks of synergistic companies can network together as well.

The point is, custom networks usually serve the interests of all better than just falling into something randomly. Obviously however, in a customized network someone will have to have taken the initiative organizationally in the first place.

Next, there is the consideration of what KIND of benefit you can bring to each other. There is messaging assistance where one company will allow the other to pitch its message to their audience. There are also straight referral activities that businesses can trade in. In order to perform these tactics effectively, it is good to prepare what we, at Dragnet Marketing, call a Media Map. This is an exercise that identifies what kinds of media each company already uses. This can be telephone book ads, radio or TV commercials, vehicle or storefront signage, or any number of other common or uncommon media activities. If everyone in the network knows the media map of the other companies, then intelligent economy of scale tactics, as well as blended messaging and other strategies can be enacted, driving down the cost of message delivery, and at the same time increasing the effectiveness of it.

Peer Maps are another Dragnet Marketing concept where each member of the network looks at the different interface methods that it has with its micro market. One company may have an in-home presence either in sales, or installation, or both, while another company has a strong walk in market. How can these access points be shared to the benefit of both while at the same time not being detrimental to either. Email messages can have references to other synergistic companies on them without detracting from the legitimacy of the primary company. Also, business cards have two sides. The primary side can be a normal card while the secondary side can say, “We Trust Company #2″.

Peer Maps and Media Maps are great exercises for business networks to go through. They can see very quickly how to benefit each other without hurting each other. Every one forgets about the donuts pretty quickly when the very real prospects of doubling or tripling business come into view.

The internet is an indispensable means of networking. Linking company websites together is the primary contemporary means by which organizations network. One of the problems with that is basic. Few brick and mortar companies want to have their hard earned traffic siphoned off by intentionally posting the enticements of another company, competitor or not, on their own main website. In comes the concept of setting up a secondary network of pages that point to, and are pointed to from the primary company sites. Online listing services do this, but usually in a crude, one way, boiler-plated manner. Businesses that decide to network together should each put up a page that intentionally lists the other partners in the network. Efforts can be made by all in the network to increase traffic to these secondary pages as well as to their own primary sites. By working together in this way, again, the result is to maximize resources, gain economy of scale, and benefit each other without detriment.

Media Maps and Peer Maps can help business networks to see where and how to equitably capitalize on each others micro markets. Secondary customized web pages networked through ads and messaging and promoted independently can create great shared benefit without detriment to the autonomy of individual company sites. Use these tactics and strategies, and others will appear to you in obvious abundance.

The Houston Texas area has a very high density of apartments. As an insurance agent in that area we have a lot of interest in apartment renters insurance. Some carriers do not offer insurance in the Houston market because of the risk of hurricane. Companies that do write in Houston will charge a higher premium for the area. However even in coastal areas rates are still affordable.

Many apartments are now requiring tenants to have a renter’s insurance policy. Some customers ask for the least expensive policy that will satisfy the landlord. In Houston the minimum coverage usually costs from $10 to $15 per month. A typical policy in that price range includes $10,000 for personal property, $50,000 for liability, and $1,000 in loss or use coverage. This is a good level of coverage for the cost, and certainly better than no coverage.

For tenants with more than a small amount of personal property it may be advisable to upgrade. A mid level policy could include $25,000 in personal property, an upgrade to “replacement cost”, $100,000 in liability coverage, plus $2,500 for loss of use coverage. This might be in the $35 per month range. Other upgrades could include higher personal property and liability limits, identity theft coverage, scheduled jewelry, and possibly higher sub limits for items such as computer equipment.

(There are many rating factors so your actual premium could be more or less that the costs mentioned)

Policy’s have limitations so have an experienced agent explain details, and help select the right coverage for your needs. If your budget is tight you could get an inexpensive policy and upgrade later. Some consumers become very interested in getting coverage or upgrading after a burglary, fire, hurricane damage or other disaster. Don’t wait until it is too late!

Internet marketing(IM) and promotion has been ever in the news since the world’s major Internet portals have announced their expansion plans, into consumerism and increased acceptance of e-business. Be it ubiquitous Google or the upcoming scour, the search engines worldwide have witnessed a steady upsurge in searches all over the world about minute things from the best salt to buy to the complicated ones related to medical science and technological inventions. Be it a search on swine flu to valve and stunts replacing the awesome bypass surgeries to hunting material for wedding and other invitation cards, people today are not shying away from candidly committing that they are now depending on their online mentor, be it any search engine, portal or website.

With this mass acceptance, commercial and marketing geeks have well displayed their affection towards this cost effective and efficient media reach. Kudos to the excellent think-tank who have put their creative instincts at its best foot forward and harnessed the medium to the extent it deserves. The news glorifying the impact of the power of this medium has gained momentum due to certain specific moves by the leading corporate.

The most popular modes of IM are e-mail marketing, Website marketing through banners and scroll advertisements, search engine optimization techniques and Web casting. IM is on demand as it is the only medium which is visible to customers around the clock and calendar. Moreover, the latest updates can be made possible through Internet marketing strategies. It also serves as direct communication with customers, and helps companies to generate immediate orders. Out of the all, search engine marketing has been one of the most popular. The particular reason is that these search engines serve as a one place solution for all the users, wherever located worldwide. Thus IM and promotion is in the news for the many advantageous and lucrative offers it has to offer to the corporate world.

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Sure, we have had tax cuts and this is one major great thing that the Bush administration has done, no matter how you feel about their other policies they have cut taxes. The government needs to go on a diet just like most Americans who are overweight.

The United States government and its ever-growing huge blob of bureaucracy is bigger now than ever before and needs a bigger budget than ever before to continue to support the weight so does not buckle at the knees.

Granted they need the money, but they also need a diet and downsizing. Additionally taxation and over taxation still exist in United States of America and you need not look further than the gasoline taxes to find out that America is overpaying taxes still. Sure, we will delete the death tax and that is a good thing.

However, we also need to do something about these gasoline taxes, as they are out of control and much of each dollar you spend on gasoline goes to the United States government who needs to go on a diet. If we are really serious as Americans of weaning the government and putting it on a diet then we also need to consider the gasoline taxes.

The United States government does not need any more money it needs psychiatric help and a robust exercise program to become more efficient and a dietary plan, which makes sense for the American people. Remember we own the government so no wonder it is so fat. I think we need to look at a mirror and both of us go on a serious diet. And we need to start by eliminating more taxes. Consider this in 2006.

During your search for the best business to start, you may have asked yourself how to start a business without money. Many people who are new to the home based business industry are asking themselves whether this is possible. We all know that starting a physical business without any money would be impossible. You would need to stock up on merchandise or equipment, pay for the location, pay your workers, etc. Of course, everyone realizes that.

But still, many people seeking a home based business are trying to figure out ways on how to start a business without money, thinking that the same rules will not apply to a home business. Sorry to burst your bubble, but just because a business is based at your home rather than at a separate location dedicated to that business, it doesn’t mean that you can get up and running without spending a single cent yourself.

The best business to start in the work at home industry can bring you very significant amounts of revenue month after month. But in order for you to make a lot of money, you need to put in some money as well. You would need to pay in order to join the business. You would also need to pay for things such as merchandise and various supplies that will keep your business running and profits flowing to your bank account. Anyone promoting a business which they claim can be started without any cash outlay from you is either hiding the fact that there are many hidden costs along the road or that the business is unlikely to bring you any respectable amount of profit.

Is there any way at all on how to start a business without money? The only thing that comes close is to begin a business using OPM – other people’s money. You can, for example borrow some money from friends, family and other private investors. You can borrow from a bank. You can also see if the government would be willing to offer you some types of grants or funding for your new enterprise. Money will still be used to get the business up and running. It just won’t be your own.

If you are serious about becoming a home based business entrepreneur and aren’t afraid to make an investment in a business that can change your future for the better, there is a lot of information to be found online. You can find details about a profitable home based business that can help you reach your financial goals everywhere, but what really works and how long does it take?

This article will provide a brief overview about the concept of hospitality industry, the problems faced by this industry and importance of hospitality marketing to ensure customer satisfaction and business growth.

Hospitality industry has a long evolutionary history. In older times, analysts suggest that the concept of this industry was initially known with a synonym, hotel industry. However in modern era the terminology of ‘Hospitality Industry’ is more common that comprises those businesses that provide services such as accommodation, food, and beverages to travelers seeking pleasure as well as those who travel due to business reasons (Gray & Liguori, 1996). Moreover it is argued that to some extend components of leisure industry such as cruise ships restaurants and to some lesser degree airlines are also considered part of hospitality industry as well (Papers4you.com, 2006).

Though the industry is assumed to be in nevr lasting demand but there are certain problems that this industry regularly faces. These problems may include uncertainty to the costs of even most economic source of energy, increased trend of problems in maintaining profitable food and beverage facilities, comparatively more increase in labor costs as compared to productivity, customer dissatisfaction due to increase in size and number of rooms as it is claimed to increase registration and other services process time and more importantly very high competition that induces heavy rate cuts to survive (Gray & Liguori, 1996).

Keeping these factors in view, in particular customer’s dissatisfaction and profit reduction, Lewis & Chambers (1989) asserts that hospitality industry historically did not realize importance of marketing and a remedy to industry’s problem is encapsulated in ‘hospitality marketing’, both in its foundation and practices. It was further asserted that in 1950s and 1960s, industry focused on technology and updating their telephone reservation systems. Similarly in 1970s and later, businesses were focused to increase assets and forgot the essence of industry, that is, ‘customer oriented service’.

It was suggested that players in hospitality industry should realize that hospitality product is different, that is in fact, something intangible that they are selling and as both product and reasons for buying it are different also different so it demands a different marketing strategy, something like hospitality marketing that requires customer centered hospitality need identification, specific segmentation & positioning and ‘the hospitality marketing mix’.

Such trend can be observed around the world (Papers4you.com, 2006). Food chains like McDonalds, Pizza Hut etc are now focusing on customer’s service and taste rather than focusing on their own brand name only. McDonalds in India, for instance, operates differently while focusing on the ‘vegetarian aspect’ of their tradition than McDonalds in USA where focus is more towards an easy accessible food facility.

Hence the discussion may conclude that hospitality industry provided ever needed services. Nonetheless it may face certain specific issues that can be counterattacked through industry specific ‘hospitality marketing’

References

Gray, W & Liguori, S, C, (1996), ‘Hotel and Motel Management and Operations’, Third Edition, Singapore: Prentice Hall Simon & Schuster (Asia) Pte Ltd

Lewis, R, C & Chambers, R, E, (1989), ‘Marketing Leadership in Hospitality- Foundations and Practices’, New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold

Papers For You (2006) “C/M/142. Dissertation. Measuring service quality in a Hotel”, Available from http://www.coursework4you.co.uk/sprttrav6.htm [22/06/2006]

Papers For You (2006) “P/B/582. Benefits and problems of small hospitality businesses”, Available from Papers4you.com [21/06/2006]

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