Tag Archives: United States

You will Discover the Top Business Opportunities Are Right Now on the Internet

Everyone is familiar with the internet and its fantastic growth. When it was first getting started, a large portion of the moneys being spent were in the area of pornography. In the last five to ten years, this would be a minor amount of the $156,000,000,000 funds being generated. With the low start up cost combined with the small business tax benefits, a growing number of budding entrepreneurs are deciding to start an internet business.

In the last few years, our United States economic system has encountered a substantial shock. Investment portfolios have suffered extensive losses. Many of us five years ago, considered our retirement situation very well under control and our employment position quite secure.

With the present unemployment hovering around 10%, older employees in their maximum earning years, now must look at the possibility of younger employees who are paid considerably less, being hired as their replacements.

This might very well be the perfect time to consider looking at adding an additional stream of revenue to your family budget. This might be a perfect time to explore a internet business.

Previously when an individual wanted to start a business, the start up cost were more often than not, prohibitive. With the advent of the huge economic potential of the internet, beginning a business can be done with the computer equipment 80% of the USA households presently have.

Besides a trifling start up cost, the government is attempting to bribe you to start a business. If you have retained your job and start your business on a part time basis, the government will lower your annual tax bill by $3000 to $6000 dollars. (Talk to your accountant) By making an immediate change in you W-4 you would have $250 to $500 extra dollars in your pocket per month. These tax savings do not include any money you might accrue from the operation of the business.

For those of you affluent enough to purchase a McDonald’s franchise, this present dissertation may be of little consequence, but for those whose investment portfolios and retirement plans that have incurred material damage, a change in financial planning needs to be applied.

As you are probably aware, in the last ten years the revenue generated on internet has grown from very modest levels to presently being the virtual main street of the world. In 2007 ecommerce was growing at a rate of 17% with generated revenue of $156,000,000,000. Even more imposingly, with the existing recession, the growth rate has still exceeded 11%.

If you have once come to the determination to start an internet business, the next most crucial decision that must be made, is what niche of the internet in which you should become involved.

We are involved in the health care niche and would respectfully like to draw your attention to health care. It is a major portion of expenditures in both the national economy as well as the individual household budget. On the internet, fully 70% of the searches being made are for health care required information, products, or services.

With the problem our country is having with obesity, dieting is one of the most searched for areas on the internet. Dr. Suzanne Gudakunst is nationally recognized for having developed a revolutionary weight loss procedure which has taken the diet industry by storm. You have seen her on national television and she has now chosen to develop a web presents.

To help in gaining maximum internet exposure, she has created a very unique viral marketing affiliate program. She has organized a team of both internet marketing specialist and website design professionals for the purpose of creating the most technologically advanced affiliate website presently in existence. Dr. Gudakunsts organization will handle order entry, collections, shipping and handling, live customer service, and a lifetime customer designation.

Just as franchising has developed procedure manuals and definite marketing methods, to allow for those inexperienced in the individual franchise being offered, Dr. Gudakunst has developed an internet business for those not as yet having a large amount of internet skills. By utilizing the technical aspects of the internet and developing a highly automated viral marketing site, her technical team has created a website that will take your breath away.

Some Tips To Avoid International Business Blunders

When you are determined to pursue economic relations in the global market, there are a lot of seemingly unnoticeable details that need to be looked into. Cultures and traditions of different nations have to be greatly considered in order to avoid any international business blunders. It may not just be embarrassing on your end, worst is that it might be the cause of failure.

The reason behind it is that, there is lack of familiarity with the practices, customs and etiquette. Yes, there is a huge disparity because you come from both corners of the world but an initial step of any effort to discovery will always lead to success. Here are some tips to do away with those international business blunders.

Shake Hands or Bow Down?
In Japan, a slight stoop signifies respect and humility, such is very important to observe when having appointments with the Japanese. However, there are different levels that have its corresponding meaning. Shaking of hands are acceptable in Italy especially when saying bonjour or bidding ciao. In the United States, the males do not get on their feet when a female enters or leaves a room. They do not even kiss a womans hand because it is reserved for royalty. In Thailand, the conventional manner of welcoming a person is by placing both hands together in a prayer position at the chin and bending over in a certain angle. The higher the hands, more elevated regard is shown. Fingertips should not be raised above the eye level. Aside from hello, it means thank you and Im sorry. This is one of the international business blunders that is equivalent to refusing a hand shake in the Western coast.

Gift or Bribe?
Exchanging presents connotes the depth and strength of a commerce relationship with the Japanese. It is usually given at the first meeting. When having to receive something from them, it is also expected to share in return. In Germany, it is rarely done. Small finds are already appreciated but expensive ones are not a generally observed. However, it is not one of the international business blunders as compared to other countries.

Proper Gesture
The infamous OK sign that originated in the United States means good but it has several definitions in other places. In Brazil, it is a symbol for money carrying with it a vulgar connotation while it suggests zero in France. In the English county, one of the international business blunders is to sit with the ankle resting on the knee. Instead, the legs should be crossed with one knee on top of the other. Patting at the shoulder and putting an arm around the new acquaintance is also a no- no. In Thailand, it is offensive when an arm is placed over the back of the chair when a person is sitting. In Ethiopia, holding out the palm and repeatedly closing the hand indicates come here.

Name Calling
Using titles before the first name such as Mister or Madam is highly suggested in France, United Kingdom and Denmark. In Germany, first names are seldom applied. In Thailand, they address each other through first names and reserve the surnames in very formal events. In Belgium, communicating with French- speaking individuals should be as Monsieur or Madame while the Dutch are either Mister or Miss. Having the two mixed up is one of the international business blunders that can be a great insult for them.

Find insightful and useful information about Communications and Business Entity Types at Content-Articles.com.

Franchising, Social Media, and the Changing Online Marketing Landscape

The worldwide use of social networking media such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, MySpace and many others has grown by leaps and bounds in recent years, affecting the business world in radical, unforeseen ways. These online media phenomena are increasingly used by brand owners, their customers and their employees alike as what is now the topmost marketing tool. This article details some of the challenging issues and implications that have gone along with the use of such sites and the particular impact of such issues on global franchising.
We at FGS hope to provide some practical guidance on how social media usage should be managed and controlled in international franchise arrangements. Because of the relative infancy of most social media and their recent adoption by franchise systems, many of these issues have only recently been identified, and the bulk are still searching for a final resolution.
Social media is dramatically changing the fundamental forces of that economy: who pays attention to what, who influences such decisions, how that is tracked and measured, the speed of response, and how it’s monetized. Just as the average prospective customer will check the online reviews for a particular business, many potential franchisees these days are highly web-savvy, and will research a particular business on the web to get a sense of its franchisable status, by its social media presence.
The opportunities in this arena are enormous for franchisors. For a good number of consumers, online communication is now more likely through social media than through email. The commercial potential of this trend has long been surmised, and legitimate companies must take advantage of these opportunities.
The incredible rise of online networking has been driven by younger age groups, but social media are no longer the domain of this demographic only. Consumers from a broad range of demographics are now regular users of social media, although preferred sites will show some variation in their audience.
Social media represent a relatively inexpensive method of (franchise) marketing. However, not all campaigns achieve desired success, and many marketers are still struggling with these relatively new formats. Companies will be better served by listening to customer contributions on such sites as Google Places pages (the #1 source for business reviews online), Yelp, and other user review/ratings sites, rather than using social media as another channel to dictate established brand values. Google now counts the social media conversation regarding your company as the highest indicator of your worth as a business.

Classical Franchising Facts and the New Online “Marketology”

Franchising traces its roots back to ancient China. It is a system for expanding a business and distributing goods and services. It is a marketing method, which has been called by many business experts, the greatest marketing strategy ever created. It is a program that creates amazing opportunities for business ownership, brand awareness and success, and personal wealth.

In the United States, only 8% of retail businesses are franchised. Amazingly enough, these same 8% of franchised businesses do over 40% of the retail sales in the United States. Franchising has the ability to capture much more of the market share. The increased market share is due to three main attributes comprising a franchise:

1.A brand name. Even a newer brand name usually has an advantage over an unaffiliated business.
2.A successful business system. The proven system allows franchisees to follow a successful plan with a high success rate. The franchisee can also enjoy cost savings as a result of the buying power of the franchise.
3.A support system. The franchise will have the expertise of its successful franchisees and franchisor to help them succeed. They are not in business alone.

The Gallup Organization conducted a poll on franchisees’ ownership experience and attitudes. Here are some results:

More than 90% said that their expectations were met, or mostly met.
More than 90% said they considered their franchise to be successful.
More than 65% said that they would have not been as successful if they had tried to open the same business on their own.

Here are some eye-opening social media networking facts, gathered by EPM Communications Inc. (May 2010):

More than 140 million Americans log on to a social media site every month and that number continues to grow.
70% of adults have Facebook profiles.
One-third of social media users are 45 and older.
The majority of travelers visit social network sites to plan and share details of their trips.
Half of those who friend restaurants on social media want to be alerted to deals or receive coupons.

Imagine the number of those folks who are savvy entrepreneurs or business owners (or prospective business owners) who may “stumble upon” your franchise marketing material or companys social media conversation. It certainly spins the wheels of possibility, doesnt it?

Let FGS experienced team of advisors and marketing professionals guide the way toward your franchising success and high-level brand recognition. Call 480-223-1500 for a free consultation today!

Could Franchising Be The Business For Me

Most people are familiar with franchising. For the benefit of those who are not, according to http://wikipedia.com franchising is the system of doing business wherein a franchisor licenses trademarks of a product and tested methods of doing business to a franchisee to receive payment like a percentage from gross per sales or gross profits as well as the annual fees agreed upon, as compensation for the trade secrets shared as part of the franchising agreement. Sometimes legal contracts may vary as to the terms of franchise and may not fit the definition above. Sometimes, the methods on how to do the business may not be part of the franchise or other benefits that other franchising companies give may not be available to others.

The most common franchising companies known to the public would be chain of food stores like McDonald’s which nowadays offer some franchising strategies to reach a wider consumer market. McDonald’s has become a household name since it was able to reach a wider consumer market that is not only limited to the United States and the Americas but to the rest of the world. The success behind McDonald’s becoming a household name and the one of the most known trademarks around the world is due to the system of franchising. Aside from the buildings that McDonald’s rent to the franchisee, it also has a stake on the sales of the franchise and the cost of the supplies charged to the franchisee. To help out in the quality of products and services offered in each food chain, McDonald’s sends a member from the franchisee to their Hamburger University in Oak Brook, Illinois. This is one support benefit that the franchisee would get once they franchise a restaurant for McDonald’s.

Like any business, there are advantages and disadvantages that franchising offer to anyone who wish to venture into it.

Advantages

Popular labels are widely known and are likely to sell. Popular trademarks like McDonald’s are likely to sell than a new restaurant that has not reached a market such as McDonald’s. It is selling a well known product to a consumer market which knows the product being sold.

No need to develop a new product that has not been well researched. Venturing into franchising would allow the franchisee to have access to information that the franchisor have about an existing product and put up a business in a shorter period of time.

Trainings and seminars would be provided to the franchisee about the product. It would be easier to operate and manage the business since there are available trainings and other support methods for the franchisee.

Disadvantages

High standards held by the franchisor raise costs of maintenance in the franchise. Since the standards of the franchisor would definitely be high, sometimes the cost of maintaining a franchise can escalate. Unless the materials used would be second rate and low in cost.

Development of new products might still need to be passed for approval to the franchisor. If the franchisee would like to add a product which they think would be saleable in their market range, the new product has to be approved first by the franchisor and this may take time and it would likely be rejected if it does not meet standards of the trademark.

Profit is limited since the franchisor has stake, most of the time, on the profits of the franchise. Not only does the franchisee have little control of the franchise due to many stakes that the franchisor has on the franchise, the profit of the franchise would also be split between the two. Therefore, there is a limit to how much the franchise would earn.

Even if there are several disadvantages in franchising, still there are advantages. If you think you could handle this kind of business, all I can say is, business is gambling. In any industry there are players and you might be lucky that you would be on top once and sometimes at the bottom. Get to know the game play and start playing to win the game.