tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-82604223706305657702024-02-02T00:22:41.645-08:00NVS Business SolutionsNVS Business Solutions focuses on small businesses. Like us, they are tailored to be lean, fast-paced and flexible to the needs of their customers. Smaller businesses have the ability to react quickly to changes in the market and exploit these opportunities. We take the same approach in dealing with you, our client.<br>
<a href="http://nvsbs.com/">NVS Business Solutions Home Page</a>Nikolayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12899879537790553689noreply@blogger.comBlogger32125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8260422370630565770.post-47775081690926859212011-02-10T22:01:00.000-08:002011-02-10T22:48:12.126-08:00Superbowl adsThis past weekend, we saw the biggest event of the year for marketers working with the American consumer. What event? The Super Bowl, of course. We may ignore the football side of it, but the commercials that run during the game provide us with a plenitude of material for consideration when thinking about our own marketing campaigns.<br /><br />One of more interesting ads from this year's game for me was the "Built in America" commercial for BMW:<br /><iframe width="480" height="295" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/HR06x_f-Zxo?fs=1" frameborder="0" allowFullScreen=""></iframe><br /><br />This campaign struck me as particularly surprising, since in the past, BMW has primarily tried to build up an image of the more non-traditional, a little crazy and young, yet luxurious and stylish brand of cars. This Sunday, though, what they did is attempt to appeal to the tradition-valuing crowd. They talked about South Carolina, about Americans building BMW's from scratch, and, last but not least, they placed the ad on the Super Bowl, which also is meant to attract a particular kind of an audience.<br /><br />So we can see how BMW, perhaps, is reconsidering the way it presents its brand to potential customers. Or, maybe, this was only an attempt to appeal to a secondary market to supplement its usual, eccentric-but-classy crowd.Sashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13392864887941455102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8260422370630565770.post-2139849240470108592010-12-31T09:14:00.000-08:002010-12-31T09:41:44.059-08:00Why hire without industry experienceA manager that is looking for a new team member faces a stressful situation: The sooner does his firm need to fill a position, the more pressure lies on his shoulders. As a result, he is less likely to find the person that the firm actually needs. When the HR are desperate for someone to occupy a role, that role is prone to be filled with somebody who may have a shining resume and a laundry list of helpful accomplishments, and yet lack the right personality that would match the employing company's profile. What ends up happening after signing of the contract and a period of successful, promising work is a clash between the identities of the company and the new employee. <br />The new business development manager presses for a lower-cost source of coffee beans in a cafe that prizes its own fair trade values. The new marketing officer gets fed up with daily mandatory dessert tastings while working for a trendy bakery in the middle of a busy city.<br />Both the cafe and the bakery are the companies that they are because of their staff's original quirks that the companies do not have to accommodate to survive. The new employees don't fit in - and that doesn't mean they are bad workers. Their values just don't correspond with your firm's.<br />That is where hiring on a rolling basis would be handy. Looking out for the right people for a venture when it doesn't have a particular role to fill takes pressure off the hiring process and therefore allows the firm to find the people that would make it what it aims to be.<br />With that said, the new employees do not have to have specific skills - since there aren't certain positions they would fulfill. Instead, they would create their own roles within the company by bringing their own quirks and passions to the table. Any technical skills can then be acquired already on the job (this should be especially easy considering that the new guy loves working at the firm. Those who don't love it shouldn't be hired.)<br />Industry experience might even become an obstacle in this situation. Having worked at another place that offers similar products as yours, the person's output will be impacted by the rival's values. A conflict of corporate differences would then not help any business that seeks to have its individual voice. And any firm, at that, should aim to do just that.Sashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13392864887941455102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8260422370630565770.post-50551142738734455522010-12-10T20:39:00.001-08:002010-12-10T20:40:40.110-08:00How and why to become a non-profit for a dayWhen we are talking about corporate social responsibility, it is very important to ensure that there are sincere intentions behind every corporate decision that is made with sustainability in mind. Sure, this sounds self-explanatory: don't go green-washing, because that will not help anybody, it will waste resources and, on top of everything else, might also ruin your company's image in the future. Empty CSR is wrong, and everyone knows that. <br />However, putting sincerity behind a company's pledge to care for its stakeholders does not come as easily as we'd wish. Since most firms exist for the sake of generating profits, corporate motivations oftentimes naturally conflict with working to improve the society's well-being. People can get greedy, which is especially difficult to control in a firm with multiple employees. The more players there are in the picture, the higher the chances that responsibility gets diluted and, as a result, nobody cares enough to do what is right: There is always somebody else within the company to blame for one's mistakes. This goes true both for having multiple workers under the same roof and for multiple firms sharing the same market.<br />A good way to isolate your company's profits from your company's goodwill to ensure that both survive and prosper is to regularly devote a portion of your company's time to seeking benefit for the society, while acting as a normal for-profit the rest of the year.<br />An excellent example of this alternative CSR strategy is Google's 20% time program. Under this plan, Google allows its engineers devote every Friday purely to projects that interest them personally. As a result, creative thinking is encouraged and is not bogged down by profit-seeking, which leads to the extraordinary innovations that we know Google to introduce for the world. Couldn't get more responsible.<br />Another example of this temporary non-profiteering is to pick a day each month where your staff's performance is measured on a scale other than sales or profits. If you are a dentist, for example, and you own a few offices, offer a prize to the office whose wait in line was shortest at the end of the day. Or reward the salesperson who decreases gas usage per sale from month to month. This is fun to do and can be very rewarding for your bottom line, even though the exercise aims at isolating your firm from its income statement as much as possible for one day.Sashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13392864887941455102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8260422370630565770.post-69035189481236611252010-12-03T13:20:00.000-08:002010-12-03T13:44:23.406-08:00The Weekend Business Challenge 2: the glorious results<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://nvsbs.com/">NVSBS </a>spent a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend in <a href="http://nvsbusinesssolutions.blogspot.com/2010/11/thank-you-can-world-be-more-beautiful.html">appreciation </a>of our blessings and in speculation about corporate social responsibility. Now, with another <a href="http://nvsbusinesssolutions.blogspot.com/2010/11/what-is-corporate-social-responsibility.html">WBD </a>weekend behind us, NVSBS would like to present two articles about the practical implications of corporate social responsibility. </p><p class="MsoNormal">Today, we'd like to feature several words by Nikolay Safonov, CEO of NVS Business Solutions. Sasha's article on CSR will come in the next post on the NVSBS blog, so tune back in on Sunday, comment, subscribe, and enjoy the world of small opportunities for improvement.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>The Internship Program that Might Save the World </b></p><p class="MsoNormal">Some can argue that corporate social responsibility can only coexist with diminished profit. I would like to offer a form of CSR that creates value for shareholders.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">There are tons of high-school dropouts that end up in depressed sectors of economy with very little hope for social elevation. In the meantime, corporations suffer from high staff turnover, and consequential losses from the “Rookie effect”.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">What if the corporations offer internship not only to university students, but to these outsiders too? Sounds crazy? But listen. When an internship is positioned as a “one shot” opportunity, disadvantaged applicants will take this opportunity to break away from their misery very seriously. Meanwhile, they will have a taste of the corporate environment, which can give them an impulse to go back to school.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">In addition, during the internship they will acquire skills that are difficult to acquire in a different atmosphere. These will open up their choices in regards to employment. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Eventually, when the expertise gap is closed, high school drop-outs will be much more inclined to apply for a job in a fostering company.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">As a result, everybody will win. The society will see the number of people living below a poverty line decrease. Companies will recruit loyal, skillful and dedicated staff.</p>Sashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13392864887941455102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8260422370630565770.post-31340534735194321422010-11-29T01:44:00.000-08:002010-11-29T22:04:19.860-08:00A socially responsible extension- The Weekend Business ChallengeDue to the holiday weekend, Nick and I decided to extend the scond <a href="http://nvsbusinesssolutions.blogspot.com/2010/11/what-is-corporate-social-responsibility.html">Weekend Business Challenge</a> until this Thursday, December 2nd, 2010. We wish you a bright start to the new week, and we are hoping to hear more of your ideas about CSR. Ciao!Sashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13392864887941455102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8260422370630565770.post-18979779118859773912010-11-25T10:29:00.001-08:002010-11-25T10:32:17.247-08:00Thank you - can the world be more beautiful?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBV3T0_-3lGgdXZc7VkdPaW8lDNZSmk1AgOyeMXUd5C0pezAHsPs5OfjaAStxCELgD5tKKECphrs43c9_LnNYQby17oSH6_aLgfNrgc_l5GI1oqENDZ8dpI-KVQUGoUawmrjhgCXYLhec/s1600/ist2_12776829-businesswoman-writing-thank-you-with-giant-pencil.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBV3T0_-3lGgdXZc7VkdPaW8lDNZSmk1AgOyeMXUd5C0pezAHsPs5OfjaAStxCELgD5tKKECphrs43c9_LnNYQby17oSH6_aLgfNrgc_l5GI1oqENDZ8dpI-KVQUGoUawmrjhgCXYLhec/s320/ist2_12776829-businesswoman-writing-thank-you-with-giant-pencil.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5543556342370732978" /></a><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; font-size: small; ">At <a href="http://nvsbs.com/">NVSBS</a>, we are thankful for the <a href="http://nvsbusinesssolutions.blogspot.com/2010/11/how-to-invent-bicycle.html">innovators </a>in this world. They bring new joy to our lives every day.<div>We are thankful for those who offer their time to<a href="http://nvsbusinesssolutions.blogspot.com/2010/10/does-not-doing-homework-sound-like-good.html"> criticize our ideas</a>.</div><div>We would like to especially thank those who work while we are on a <a href="http://nvsbusinesssolutions.blogspot.com/2010/10/cadbury-conspiracy.html">holiday</a>.</div><div>We highly appreciate musicians, cooks, parents, teachers, artists, actors, and gardeners who sacrifice their time for the sake of what they feel is their calling in life.</div><div>We are thankful for those who make sacrifices for the sake of what they believe to be the right thing to do.</div><div><br /></div><div>Thank you, readers. Thank you, subscribers. Thank you, critics and supporters. You bring meaning to this world.</div></span>Sashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13392864887941455102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8260422370630565770.post-15992150077724018202010-11-21T14:19:00.001-08:002010-12-03T13:50:17.362-08:00What is corporate social responsibility? The Weekend Business Challenge 2<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIepXaNRyXIzGRDPL-B27K031wsDVVH7mr2M7mcyKrHOs4Np6eViVBUDXjNE9wRN9Ryu2ZBbgbLdeLA293ktF-lmi9SAyBdKdo83TrH4wlUvDORdwoTpoN4t47w5TMgNw5iaaBhNl5-Ns/s1600/Earth.png"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 250px; height: 250px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIepXaNRyXIzGRDPL-B27K031wsDVVH7mr2M7mcyKrHOs4Np6eViVBUDXjNE9wRN9Ryu2ZBbgbLdeLA293ktF-lmi9SAyBdKdo83TrH4wlUvDORdwoTpoN4t47w5TMgNw5iaaBhNl5-Ns/s400/Earth.png" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5542131504789302146" /></a><br /><p style="margin-bottom: 0in">Corporate social responsibility – which people also call by other interesting names like CSR, sustainability, and corporate conscience – is a model of business behavior that regulates a company in a way that aims toward generating benefit to the society. This CSR entails activities that range from making donations to nonprofit organizations and hosting recycling programs to making social responsibility the entire company's pivotal goal. In its strongest form, CSR runs next to social entrepreneurship. It is unclear however which form of CSR bring the most monetary profit, and whether it is appropriate for profit and social responsibility to stand next to each other in the same discussion.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in">After a brief break, NVSBS is coming back to challenge your minds with a new <a href="http://nvsbusinesssolutions.blogspot.com/search/label/challenges">Weekend Business Challenge</a>. This time, we would like to hear your ideas fire up into a discussion of corporate social responsibility. Do you believe that CSR is necessary in the modern world or, rather, that it creates inefficiencies that hurt society? We'd like to hear every one of your ideas about how to best implement sustainability in a corporate environment.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in">When I think about CSR, my mind inevitably arrives at the thought that today, too many businesses participate in their actions because they think they are supposed to. Too companies create environmental sustainability programs because of a lack of better ideas. Unless your firm transforms the <a href="http://nvsbusinesssolutions.blogspot.com/2010/11/how-to-bring-frankensteins-creature-to.html#more">wind into energy</a>, these commitments to alien goals will not be able to bring much benefit.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in">So what should we do? You tell me, and I will tell you.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in">This challenge will run until Sunday, November 28<sup>th</sup>. Once we have all your submissions on the twenty-eighth, I will read and feature them in the post for that day. Also, I will answer my own questions and I expect that our collaboration will leave everybody with fresh ideas and satisfaction from spreading wisdom and increasing the world's well-being meter as a team.</p>Sashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13392864887941455102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8260422370630565770.post-55979900710087003232010-11-12T12:12:00.000-08:002010-11-12T15:43:53.188-08:00How and why not to rush capital into your company<p style="margin-bottom: 0in">Perhaps the biggest question one faces when starting a venture for the first time is “How will you afford it?” That question goes both for leaving one's day job and finding capital to support the company. While for the first-time entrepreneur, keeping the day job is a good option that will spare him quite some worry – we've been there – finding fresh capital might be something to hold off for later. Two major streams of increased financial stability and decreased need for borrowing are savings and postponing spending altogether.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in">The reason saving is so important to success lies in future's uncertainty. If I rely on inheriting a large sum of money at some point in the future and thus neglect my work, my chances at wealth go down every minute I choose to daydream instead of writing a business plan. If a firm's prospect depends on a single angel investor that might or might not show up, I have to suspect that the firm will not live for long, either.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in">Therefore, if financial injections are inevitable for a venture, it's best to conjure them from personal savings. A borrowing-free approach will make the firm that much more attractive for outside investors later on. It will eliminate the burden for repayment to outside parties. It will relieve a firm from outside controllers. Napoleon Hill said it well in his <a href="http://www.archive.org/stream/Law_Of_Success_in_16_Lessons/law-of-success-napoleon-hill#page/n0/mode/2up">Law of Success</a>: forming the habit of saving is the only way to independence.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in">And yet, in most cases, one does not even have to resort to spending his savings for a company to enter its blooming season. A manufacturing firm's need for packaging is a good example of a situation where being thrifty can result in a better costs-to-profit ratio than developing an original spending plan. I'll admit it: Developing and manufacturing new packaging is a fun, creative process. And yet, today's world could use less boxes, bottles, and double cellophane wraps. Instead, one can use that <a href="http://www.learner.org/interactives/garbage/global.html">which has already been made</a>. Look, the humanity is looking to reduce the speed at which it fills its landfills. Not to be preachy or to point it out, but yes, great opportunity for some truly socially responsible innovation. Saves money, too.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in">An even richer source of increased ROI that doesn't require any spending are the intangible assets that inhabit our planet. We humans have things like knowledge, experience, and imagination. Those who have already passed on left us with some pretty good intellectual and physical infrastructure. Those who are still here have not yet reached their full life potential. So, 21<sup>st</sup> century entrepreneur, go out there and make use of what other people are more than happy to offer. They will thank you for that.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in">Quickly before you go catching the wave of free underutilized opportunities, leave your comments and subscribe to the <a href="http://nvsbs.com/">NVSBS</a> blog. We hope you have a blast this weekend.</p>Sashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13392864887941455102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8260422370630565770.post-51838160335864595622010-11-07T19:44:00.000-08:002010-12-03T13:34:25.147-08:00How to bring Frankenstein's creature to life and then profit from it<div>Mary Shelley's infamous protagonist Victor <a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/files/84/84-h/84-h.htm" target="_blank">Frankenstein</a> knew it from the moment his creature saw the world: Victor's principal venture was going to bring an ROI that even the most optimistic business plan could not predict. Whatever happened there? Victor invested his college years into developing a clear goal, and, before too long, his vision materialized.<div><br /></div><div>Now, I hope that those of you who've read the book realize that I'm joking. <a href="http://nvsbs.com/">NVSBS </a>would not wish the outcome of Frankenstein's actions for anybody. But a part of the story's moral still holds true: With enough persistence and the right idea generation mechanism, one can reach any ambition, including bringing the dead back to life - I'm not even mentioning generating simple everyday sales. Later in the article, I've posted a video that showcases how entrepreneurs would employ Frankenstein's creature in a more desirable way. The video is an excellent example of innovative thought that allowed the German company that made it distribute an extraordinary advertisement by word-of-mouth. I strongly suspect that the reason behind this project's success at going viral rather quickly lies in five concise concepts behind idea generation.</div><div><br /></div><div>1. <b>Ask questions</b>. Tom Szaky, the founder and CEO of <a href="http://www.terracycle.net/">TerraCycle</a>, has said in a presentation I attended earlier this year that the whole idea behind his upcycling business started with the question: "What is garbage?" Often, inquiring beyond the matter of fact leads to either greater understanding of the world or to discovering plentiful pathways for innovation, like it did for Tom Szaky. If you make electronics, ask your neighbors about how their lives could be more convenient, and your research and development will see genius coming through. If you are a freelance writer, ask questions when reading the New York Times and your opinion pieces will flourish, and so on.</div><div>2. <b>Welcome the unusual</b>. The "unusual" is unusual because people have not recognized its value. What that means is that everything obscure holds abundant wealth for the person who sees its value first and then shows it to the rest. Early adopters also get to indulge in the benefits of welcoming the unusual before the crowd follows. Maybe it's risky, but also it's the only path to successful idea generation: everything that's no longer unusual already holds too many entrepreneurs to support any new business. </div><div>3.<b> Embrace the obstacle. </b>Life's troubles are the entrepreneur's biggest assets. Once you think of a way to overcome a hurdle and make life easier for everybody else, you will be able to harvest lots of advantages from your findings. Apple does this by eliminating bulky hardware. Blackberry does this by putting your e-mail account into your pocket. <a href="http://nvsbusinesssolutions.blogspot.com/2010/09/outlook-supernatural-inside-your.html">MS Outlook</a> does this by combining the functionalities of multiple professional software packs under one roof. You get the picture.</div><div>4. <b>Link unconnected areas</b>. Being an expert in more than one area or just thinking about several topics on a daily basis can bring your idea generating abilities a mile closer to those of celebrated polymaths like <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michelangelo">Michelangelo </a>and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonardo_da_Vinci">da Vinci</a>, whose expertise ranged from engineering and anatomy to writing and sculpture. With that said, broad interests can put a small business owner at significant advantage because of the immense innovation possibilities that reaching into multiple fields keeps. If your firm is a computer repair store, and you minored in art in college, one day you might as well come up with the idea of <a href="http://www.computer-choppers.com/services.html">gold-plating your customers' MacBooks</a> as an extra service.</div><div>5. <b>Use the resources on hand</b>. Maybe neither you nor I hold millions in the bank vault, and getting capital in this economy might not be the easiest task either. However, you do have plenty of other assets that are already free. Not to limit you down, but here are some examples: public domain art, the local library, tap water, your congressman's ears, the ocean, the sky, your friends and family, and, importantly, your knowledge and experience.</div><div><br /></div><div>Now let's look at the real Frankenstein's creature and why innovative thought is not nearly as scary as Mary Shelley dared to depict it.</div><div><br /></div></div><object style="background-image:url(http://i3.ytimg.com/vi/2mTLO2F_ERY/hqdefault.jpg)" width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/2mTLO2F_ERY?fs=1&hl=en_US"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/2mTLO2F_ERY?fs=1&hl=en_US" width="425" height="344" allowscriptaccess="never" allowfullscreen="true" wmode="transparent" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed></object><div><br /></div><div>Let us know in the comments what you thought about the video and how soon you could tell the monster's identity. And, finally, don't forget to subscribe; it's good for you. </div>Sashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13392864887941455102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8260422370630565770.post-9452630897582016142010-11-04T21:23:00.000-07:002010-11-07T20:10:41.912-08:00How to invent a bicycle<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2CeH1rw8MkQpN8zp9TSZvfyKJVCMjXJiq__a2JEc4nl3T7GeRPsVz-UekrfKWTqVo2G9z7imTZnrYdJi2KlnNixf8qxv5giaok2yRxIXhEaKvEKPbqXrpyVjqxxG0ELkC8_Ong3oQ-g4/s1600/ist2_10428016-otto-bicycle-antique-transportation-illustrations.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 290px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2CeH1rw8MkQpN8zp9TSZvfyKJVCMjXJiq__a2JEc4nl3T7GeRPsVz-UekrfKWTqVo2G9z7imTZnrYdJi2KlnNixf8qxv5giaok2yRxIXhEaKvEKPbqXrpyVjqxxG0ELkC8_Ong3oQ-g4/s320/ist2_10428016-otto-bicycle-antique-transportation-illustrations.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5535963110863476370" /></a><br />Every now and then, an idea will stick to my mind and will not let go so easily. The invention will materialize in my imagination in different shapes and forms, and sometimes the idea will be so pervasive that I will put effort into making it happen. This "bug" may be a completely new thought or just an improvement on some previous development, but in any case, I predict that most readers here are not immune from the inventor syndrome either. From personal experience, I can say that the brain children of plenty of inventors, entrepreneurs, designers, and artists go through the following life cycle that I'd like to call instinctive idea generation:<br /><br />1. An image of a final product suddenly pops up in the thinker's mind<br />2. The image goes through some massaging and development as a thought<br />3. The owner of the image puts it down on paper<br />4. A model of the conceptual product goes through tests<br />5. A final version of the product comes out into the markets<br /><br />Realistic or not, this sequence is a recipe for creative disaster. It can work with aesthetic creations, but with anything else, the five-step system above fails to ensure that the product meets a need or serves any sort of purpose. Therefore, even if the final product manages to reach the point of launch, its best chance of success will be to become a fad, and then quickly die out. That resonates with the idea that instinctive idea generation may create a cool-looking object, but consumers will quickly realize its lack of meaning and abandon it to the creator's despair.<br /><br />Nevertheless; I plead thee, innovator: Do not despair. Things are not so hopeless for the creative thinkers out there. The best way to ensure that a project fulfills a purpose is to start with a question or a problem instead of a ready image. As an illustration of a successful innovation-based venture, Artemy Lebedev Studio published <a href="http://www.artlebedev.com/everything/tetrapak/container/">overviews </a>of the creation process for each of their designs. For them, every project starts with a clearly formulated goal. Then they proceed to the fun part of thinking and creating. The results are stable and sound.<br /><br />We would love to hear about your experiences with innovation and creative business models. Furthermore, <a href="http://nvsbs.com/">NVSBS </a>strongly encourages innovative thinking and is here for any visionary who might want some advice about the practical side of it all. We look forward to seeing new comments and subscriptions, and you will hear from us on Sunday! Have a good Friday now.Sashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13392864887941455102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8260422370630565770.post-86267451202537402292010-10-31T16:39:00.000-07:002010-10-31T21:46:41.115-07:00The hidden side of the holiday industry<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIOTZ4wX3LOzNmTyYP1caH9aGWCq48T69sZiGuO-PYx_MQ2ScsQFu8d__wiC_YNoakPsEL8ugwWV47eczaUnLEnk5fXwV2oJaK1gbUx7LAjIjwmSrklbETjqkZbFZsfM5MrgFmeKqGJPw/s1600/ist2_14232382-woot-halloween-goodies.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIOTZ4wX3LOzNmTyYP1caH9aGWCq48T69sZiGuO-PYx_MQ2ScsQFu8d__wiC_YNoakPsEL8ugwWV47eczaUnLEnk5fXwV2oJaK1gbUx7LAjIjwmSrklbETjqkZbFZsfM5MrgFmeKqGJPw/s320/ist2_14232382-woot-halloween-goodies.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5534359419879001314" /></a><br /><div>The boys dress up as vampires; the girls dress up as princesses. The older siblings walk them around the neighborhood, and the adults hand out sweets at their doorsteps. This seemingly rigid, family-rooted structure, give or take pumpkin carving, has long been a staple of American childhood, but has been somewhat corroded by commercialization in the past few years. The October 31 industry, according to <a href="http://www.sellinghalloween.com/">Selling Halloween</a> magazine, is nearing five billion dollars in contribution to the national economy. <div><br /><div>Now hold on there, a Selling Halloween magazine? Yes, there is an entire magazine dedicated to this very seasonal business. Granted, it does come out only about once a year, but their 21-year history only proves the stability of this very temporary field. Another standing testimony to the money-making abilities of Halloween is the <a href="http://www.hiaonline.org/">Halloween Industry Association</a> with its 5 day-long international Halloween show right next to Manhattan's Madison Square in December. </div><div><br /></div><div>To me, this looks like a sign that there are some opportunities to take in the holiday market. The HIA and Selling Halloween are live examples of seasonal B2B, a space that might hold some potential work. Furthermore, there is a number of trends in our society that I could identify into which the 10/31 industry yet has to reach. <a name='more'></a><br /><div><br /></div><div>1. <b>Public safety awareness</b>. The Halloween Industry Association explicitly recommends that parents "Examine all treats carefully for unpackaged items, torn packaging, pinholes, off-color odor or questionable appearance when inspecting Halloween candy. If anything is suspicious about the treats, report it to the police." What used to be an opportunity to collect some free candy now sounds more like a chemistry lab in action. Inventive thinkers out there have come up with <a href="http://trunkortreat.homestead.com/">Trunk or Treating</a> as a solution to the public safety concerns that arise from candy hunting. Now tell me, what's more fun: Inspecting every piece of Reese's that you get from strangers in your neighborhood or gathering with your friends' families and still getting the same amount of candy out of it all? I vote for the latter. Kudos to the one who came up with the idea for it. I yet have to hear of a commercial version of this smart solution.</div><div>2. <b>Healthier eating habits</b>. Whenever I think of trick-or-treating, my mind invariably alludes to Tim Burton's depiction of Willy Wonka and his dentist father. The outcome of the father's concern for his child's health results in the candy magnate that Wonka became. So what; we all know that mountains of lollipops are not all right. Nevertheless, it's yet for a smart entrepreneur to come up with an answer that will change the nature of Halloween.</div><div>3. <b>Younger and older adults of the holiday</b>. Segmentation-wise, marketers have already recognized that there are the children, the college students and the adults when we're speaking about Halloween costumes. However, it is yet an open question regarding whether the costumes are differentiated enough, and whether the other attributes of this holiday are separated into groups at all. The candy aisle still looks quite monotonous during October.</div><div>4. <b>Waiting for the post-Halloween candy rush</b>. A certain segment of the market will only buy the seasonal candy once it goes on sale on November first. I'm not sure quite what to make of this phenomenon, but a couple of years ago the holiday candy industry saw one of its post-holiday activists outrageously speak up. Seems like the clearance candy fans also matter very much:</div></div></div><div><br /></div></div><object style="background-image:url(http://i4.ytimg.com/vi/_FiA57ir5QM/hqdefault.jpg)" width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/_FiA57ir5QM?fs=1&hl=en_US"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/_FiA57ir5QM?fs=1&hl=en_US" width="425" height="344" allowscriptaccess="never" allowfullscreen="true" wmode="transparent" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed></object><div><br /></div><div>Let your holiday go well, and tune back for our next update about idea generation on Thursday. Don't forget to comment and subscribe, and have a remarkable week!</div>Sashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13392864887941455102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8260422370630565770.post-43865096067749355292010-10-28T22:47:00.000-07:002010-11-07T23:19:24.573-08:00Does not doing homework sound like a good idea?<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; font-size: small; "><div>Ideas can be pretty amazing tools. At certain points in time, great ideas laid down the foundation for great inventions, remarkable commercials, masterpiece paintings, and every single book at your local library. Does that mean that every idea is good enough to seed your next victory? Maybe not. In fact, all the novels lying in publishers' slush piles without use, and all those projects that send well-established corporations into the red, also have the ideas of well-meaning individuals behind them. Nevertheless, the mere possibility of failure should never discourage you, especially considering that market research can significantly lower a project's riskiness. </div><div><br /></div><div>So what is research? On the easy end, it can come down to a simple Google search for the information you need. On the other extreme, you might need to spend hours in a lab, hire test subjects, or conduct a survey at a mall. Take our word on it - there are many ways to go about researching and testing a business idea, and it is therefore important to know about the attributes of effective market research for a successful venture.</div><div><br /></div><b>The main goal of it all</b><div>Setting the right goals is paramount to a useful outcome. These do not have to be too detailed if your project is just at its beginnings, but specificity helps get the project started on the rightest foot possible. </div><div>Here are some example questions for an entrepreneur researching his idea of a new vegetarian restaurant in St. Paul, Minnesota:</div><div>"Do humans enjoy vegetarian food?"</div><div>"How much money do people in St. Paul, Minnesota, spend on eating out every week?" </div><div>"How many St. Paul residents adhere to a strict vegan diet?"</div><div>This short list of things allows the entrepreneur to arrive at the ultimate goal of his research, and that is whether the market for vegetarian dining in St. Paul is big enough to support a new restaurant. Once he is able to answer this question, he will know for sure if his idea of a vegetarian diner is viable.</div><div><br /></div><div><div><b>Beware of the confirmation bias monster</b></div><div>The same way the parent of a human would tend to see his child's accomplishments as signs of genius and dismiss his child's flaws as unimportant, the parent of an idea is predisposed to view his project favorably. So, idea parent, beware: The confirmation bias is out to get you. Ways to combat it include hiring an independent party to conduct the research, blinding all parties so that no participant in research is aware if its ultimate purpose, or just constantly reminding the ultimate aim of market research to yourself.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Questionnaires</b></div><div>Surveys are relatively simple to arrange. Thus, if you decide that this is the tool of your choice, it's important to keep some survey questions open-ended to allow for unpredicted responses. Other things to keep in mind are the various biases that can arise from question wording and from the order in which questions are asked.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Focus Groups</b></div><div>Focus groups can serve as a source of rich material, but are difficult and costly arrangements that require skilled moderators. Before setting one up, consider the following ways that these groups can go wrong: participants influence each others' reactions, and no response is genuine; the moderator intimidates the group into his way of thinking, or the participants do not take their job seriously. These pitfalls see a variety of researchers break their informational legs, including large corporations like Apple. </div></div><div><br /></div><div>Market research is a fundamental task that goes into new product development and management. Ideas generation, another major task in the new product offering field, will be the next topic for discussion on the <a href="http://www.nvsbs.com/">NVSBS </a>blog. </div></span>Sashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13392864887941455102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8260422370630565770.post-89734813808351608232010-10-24T23:17:00.000-07:002010-10-31T21:58:56.489-07:00SEO vs. AdWords: The winner is not that obvious.<p class="MsoNormal"></p><p class="MsoNormal">We’ve heard it on numerous occasions; we know it well: a space on the first page of a popular Google search is the Christmas gift of choice for 99.8% of corporate websites. The other 0.2% already happily appears among the top ten, and is not very willing to move down. If you are the owner of a website that wants to be in the top ten for its keywords, your options come down to search engine optimization and AdWords. While both of them have the potential to let your web page reach its goal search engine position, there are distinct differences between them that lead some people to be “SEOers” and others to be “AdWorders.”</p> <p class="MsoNormal">To many, the benefits of SEO are rather obvious. However, investment in search engine optimization is yet to become wide-spread:</p> <p class="MsoNormal"></p><ul><li><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">Better brand credibility</b>. While SEO makes it possible for the website owner to deliberately get on the first search page, customers still perceive “natural” page promotion as more trustworthy than sponsored links.</li><li><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">Offline services</b>. It is slightly more importat to avoid pay-per-click in the first place if your customer will at one point or another interact with your firm outside of the Internet, be it a straightforward phone conversation or a full-fledged visit to your office.</li><li><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">Long-run cost effectiveness. </b>Once SEO gets your page onto the top, maintenance costs are practically absent. In the long term, investing in SEO brings enormous return on investment and thus makes a lot of sense. </li></ul><p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">On the other hand, some say that AdWords contradicts the nature of search engine marketing. They thus ignore pay-per-click as an option in the first place, to which I say that AdWords are not all that straightforward:</p> <p class="MsoNormal"></p><ul><li><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">Instant results</b>. With a paid advertisement, you can generate immediate traffic to your webpage. AdWords is a relatively simple technology, the biggest prerequisite of which is your willingness to pay per visitor’s click.</li><li><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">Ease.</b> Showing up among the first ten for competitive keywords is a lot easier with a pay-per-click campaign than through search engine optimization. Again, one should only be willing to make a monetary investment into the program.</li><li><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">No search algorithm changes.</b> With pay-per-click, the need to spend time keeping up with changes in Google’s search algorithm evaporates because Google administers AdWords itself.</li><li><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">Online services. </b>Promoted searched are generally more appropriate for online services that do not require the customer to interact with your company anywhere outside the net.</li><li><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">Only monetary investment. </b>Finally, unlike SEO, AdWords does not require you to hire a specialist or study any literature. Like I mentioned, its technology is rather simple and anyone familiar with the Internet should be able to conquer it. Furthermore, by choosing to learn SEO, you give up the time that would have otherwise gone into improving the quality of your firm’s offerings, or making <a href="http://nvsbusinesssolutions.blogspot.com/2010/10/evening-after-gain-your-customers.html">follow-up calls</a>. Opportunity costs are looming.</li></ul><p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">It’s up to you whether you choose the one, the other, or both. Your choice should largely depend on the nature of your business. However, internet marketing is also a matter of personal choice that reflects your professional personality.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Check back for a fresh update on Thursday. Comment, subscribe, and have a remarkable week.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p></p>Sashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13392864887941455102noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8260422370630565770.post-2444846942196131412010-10-21T23:58:00.000-07:002010-10-22T00:13:04.190-07:00The results are in!<p class="MsoNormal">We are very proud to announce that the first NVSBS <a href="http://nvsbusinesssolutions.blogspot.com/2010/10/what-is-8020-rule-weekend-business.html">Weekend Business Challenge</a> is officially over! Give yourselves some applause, because everybody who participated (even if they didn’t send in anything) should be proud. We thank you for being with us to witness the Weekend Business Challenge’s first step.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">This week’s topic was the Pareto principle, or the idea that an average endeavor gets eighty percent of its results from only one-fifth of the time and money investment that it receives. This 80-20 rule concept is fairly simple. However, we asked you to think of additional applications for it, and think you did.<a name='more'></a></p> <p class="MsoNormal">For starters, Nick quite succinctly stated his point of view on the topic in a <a href="http://nvsbusinesssolutions.blogspot.com/2010/10/what-is-8020-rule-weekend-business.html#comments">comment</a>, and I would like to share it with everybody else:</p> <p class="MsoNormal"></p><blockquote>"In order to find the most productive activities I track every activity during the day. I use MS Outlook as a ledger of my business accomplishments. That helps me to spot ineffective activities, and timely terminate them.<br />Having a tracking system helps prevent such enemies of effectiveness as procrastination, lack of concentration, and lack of follow-up.<br />Also I have a fixed time blocks dedicated to activities which effectiveness is proven."</blockquote><br /><p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">What an interesting insight, Nick, thanks! I guess <a href="http://nvsbusinesssolutions.blogspot.com/2010/09/outlook-supernatural-inside-your.html">Outlook</a> isn’t such a useless program after all.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Our reader Inna, a PhD candidate studying small business, also took her time to make several suggestions about the implications of the Pareto principle for small business entrepreneurs:</p> <p class="MsoNormal"></p><ol><li>One can strive to find and focus on the one-fifth clients that generate most of the sales revenue</li><li>One should pay special attention during the first and last 10% of a development project for improved results</li><li>Eighty percent of sales or production are carried out by only approximately twenty percent of the staff</li><li>At the same time, a small portion of the staff can be generating a large portion of a company’s problems</li></ol> <p class="MsoNormal">These ideas very much resonate with the classical 80-20 ideas: Inna did her homework and let us share in her new secret knowledge. Thanks, Inna!</p> <p class="MsoNormal">The Weekend Business Challenge inspired another reader of ours, Yuri Nikolski from Moscow, Russia, to accomplish quite an impressive feat this weekend. Nikolski, a strategic development consultant, spent this week thinking about the 80-20 rule and the result was a fourteen-page paper entitled “Small Business and the Pareto Principle: Creating Models for Decision-Making.” The paper applies the Pareto principle to business strategy, arguing that it works particularly well when outputs are normally distributed. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Yuri, please accept our congratulations on this impressive feat you accomplished for our challenge. We knew that our readers were gifted and our articles were put to good use.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">In an e-mail, Yuri also made another suggestion that struck me as particularly remarkable. He suggested that the Pareto principle supports the idea that our life is shaped during our first few years on Earth, and that whatever outcomes we get during our lifespan are somehow the results of our development years. To me, that makes quite a lot of sense. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">When it comes to my opinion of the 80/20, I often find that the rule holds true in cases where my plan of action might need some more structure. As a person who dedicates a large part of herself to studying and writing, I can attest that without the knowledge of where I want to end up, I am going to have to scatter more energy than I would like. So, next time I sit down to write an article for the NVSBS blog, I am going to remember the Pareto weekend and jot down a plan to celebrate our community wisdom.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Both the amount active participation and exceptional findings stand far from the expectations that we had held when starting the Weekend Business Challenge. It makes us happy that you, our readers, generated an incredible amount of new business wisdom this weekend together. What we did know beforehand was that this would be fun. So please subscribe if you haven’t yet, comment, enjoy your weekend and check back for the Sunday post here, where the small business is the king.</p>Sashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13392864887941455102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8260422370630565770.post-5460855085394461972010-10-17T19:33:00.000-07:002010-11-07T23:22:09.893-08:00Advertising channels: the long but necessary listToday, we have a fun list of the different channels that you may want to consider when brainstorming for your marketing campaign. The honest truth about idea generation is that, despite your elaborate knowledge of all your choices, your proficiency may evaporate under pressure. Consequently, we encourage you to come back to this list whenever you experience marketers’ block.<br /><br />1. Magazines<br />2. Educational webinars<br />3. Newspapers<br />4. Direct mail<br />5. <a href="http://nvsbusinesssolutions.blogspot.com/2010/08/how-to-design-great-flyer.html">Brochures and flyers</a><br />6. Company website<br />7. Directories<br />8. Philanthropic activities<br />9. Newsletters<br />10. Community service programs<a name='more'></a><br />11. Master classes for the public<br />12. <a href="http://www.google.com/dirhp">Google directory</a><br />13. Pay per click banners on partners’ websites<br />14. Podcasts on your website<br />15. Billboards<br />16. TV ads<br />17. Writing books about your expertise<br />18. Infomercials<br />19. TV appearances<br />20. Point-of-purchase advertising<br />21. Radio appearances<br />22. Telemarketing<br />23. Coupon books<br />24. Podcasts on iTunes<br />25. Corporate blog<br />26. Twitter<br />27. Roadside banners<br />28. Personal blog<br />29. How-to videos<br />30. <a href="http://widget.linkwithin.com/redirect?url=http%3A//nvsbusinesssolutions.blogspot.com/2010/10/seo-vs-adwords-winner-is-not-that.html&vars=%5B%22http%3A//nvsbusinesssolutions.blogspot.com/2010/10/advertising-channels-long-but-necessary.html%22%2C%20308425%2C%200%2C%20%22http%3A//nvsbusinesssolutions.blogspot.com/2010/10/advertising-channels-long-but-necessary.html%22%2C%2049974470%2C%203%2C%2050911118%5D&ts=1289200903990">Search engine optimization</a><br />31. E-mail blasts<br />32. Personal e-mails<br />33. Press releases<br />34. Facebook<br />35. Radio<br />36. <a href="https://www.google.com/accounts/ServiceLogin?service=adwords&hl=en_US&ltmpl=adwords&passive=false&ifr=false&alwf=true&continue=https://adwords.google.com/um/gaiaauth?apt%3DNone%26ugl%3Dtrue&error=newacct&sourceid=awo&subid=us-en-et-ads_title">Google AdWords</a><br />37. National TV<br />38. Local TV<br />39. Phonebooks<br />40. Consumer guides<br /><br />We are not saying that these channels are necessarily good. Nor are we attempting to provide the fullest list of advertising channels there is. The quality of these options will depend upon the purpose that you set for them. 40 is a small number compared to the potential amount of ideas you can create after looking at the list. So please enjoy and indulge whenever necessary without any strings attached.<br /><br />As for now, we are closing up shop until Thursday, the day when we finalize our first ever <a href="http://nvsbusinesssolutions.blogspot.com/2010/10/what-is-8020-rule-weekend-business.html">Weekend Business Challenge</a>. Nick and I have already received some answers in <a href="mailto:info@nvsbs.com">our e-mail</a>, and we encourage the rest of you to chip in as well, through comments or e-mail. What easier way is there to:<br /><br />a) get your voice heard,<br />b) develop your understanding of fine business practice, and<br />c) be featured (i.e. get free public exposure) on a read and respected business advice blog?<br /><br />As far as I am concerned, I will contribute to this challenge. You should as well.<br /><br />We wish you a bright start of the week – and look forward to hearing your feedback, seeing new subscribers, and summing up the WBC on Thursday.Sashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13392864887941455102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8260422370630565770.post-21646990555560537882010-10-14T15:41:00.000-07:002010-10-17T19:55:56.172-07:00What is the 80/20 rule? The Weekend Business Challenge.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH5N9duzrQM0U4ugIceoBuLivVpMbXz4oyn8Rk37Gu4O9pjbyZ8i_fvUkqF-f9Z9-IQCz5OWDI3VzjHXAGDHG-3heDcEqZHyiMn5Tceq5QvTn1Tu1rVG2F2L3OqzLnsbgY6sXNGgL-Ysc/s1600/80-20.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 190px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH5N9duzrQM0U4ugIceoBuLivVpMbXz4oyn8Rk37Gu4O9pjbyZ8i_fvUkqF-f9Z9-IQCz5OWDI3VzjHXAGDHG-3heDcEqZHyiMn5Tceq5QvTn1Tu1rVG2F2L3OqzLnsbgY6sXNGgL-Ysc/s320/80-20.png" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5528118481760243826" /></a><br />The Pareto principle, also called the eighty-twenty rule, is a movement of management thought that has been in development since the 1900s. The gist of the principle is simply that, in general, 80% of your sales income comes from 20% of your clients. This idea can be further expanded into the notion of a general effort-result distribution. That means that no matter how much one works, only about one-fifth of one's efforts go into generating the most of the results he sees. The rest of the energy, unfortunately, goes into less productive endeavors.<div><br /></div><div>The principle has been widely applied to sales management as well as marketing, but that doesn't mean that you cannot get creative and see use of it anywhere else. After all, as an entrepreneur, your task is to find new applications for existing resources. So go ahead; think about 80/20; we are rooting for you. All the while, today's post is going to be fairly short. Instead of giving away all the secrets at once, we are giving extra credit to all of you who participate. Do some research, ask your coworkers, or just think about the information that we have given you already. </div><div><br /></div><div>Leave a comment with your thoughts about the implications of the Pareto principle and how it applies to your professional life. Do you think it works? Which part of your workday do you think is affected by this rule? Then we will recap the challenge and write down our own thoughts about the 80/20 rule on Thursday, October 21, 2010.<b>The best responses that we get from the participants will be featured in the post on that Thursday.</b></div><div><br /></div><div>Keep in mind: your input doesn't have to be a Nobel-prize winning work. All we want is help you start applying theory to the work that you (yes; you!) are striving to accomplish these days. Here are some resources to get yourself started:</div><div><ul><li>Basic <a href="http://management.about.com/cs/generalmanagement/a/Pareto081202.htm">Pareto's Principle on About.com</a> lays down some theory</li><li>An intriguing <a href="http://betterexplained.com/articles/understanding-the-pareto-principle-the-8020-rule/">explanation </a>uses animation as a graphic example for the rule.</li></ul><div>We are looking forward to your participation! Even though this challenge will run for a week, we will still run on schedule, so check back for a new article this Sunday. We believe in you!</div></div>Sashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13392864887941455102noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8260422370630565770.post-67612249771572017892010-10-10T16:46:00.000-07:002010-10-14T20:43:39.217-07:00The evening after: gain your customers' respect when they least expect it<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.callcenterscript.com/uploads/Call-Center-Comic-62-thumb.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 262px;" src="http://www.callcenterscript.com/uploads/Call-Center-Comic-62-thumb.JPG" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />If you have just found yourself a client and have gone through a successful deal with him, accept our congratulations. You have gone through the hard part of it all and made the deal happen. Now, all that is left is the easiest part of it all - and yet somehow the majority of ventures do not reach their full potential simply because they did not have an effective follow-up system. Psychological studies have shown that out of the four customer's experience combinations that are possible after the customer has done business with you twice, the best possible outcome for the customer relationship is when, initially, the customer is not completely satisfied, and, afterwards, his concerns get addressed to turn his second experience into a remarkable one. This is only made possible through thorough and effective follow-up system. Easily done, but somehow so often forgotten.<br /><br /><a name='more'></a><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Firm schedule</span><br />A customer will not sit at his house for weeks, thinking about his experience with your company and waiting for you to ask about it. In fact, in the possible case of the customer being extremely unsatisfied, the only practical way to prevent him spreading the word about it is to follow up immediately. That means, the deadline for a call with a questionnaire is the same day. Employing the services of an assistant or of Outlook's reminders feature can help you be as organized as you can about this rigid schedule.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Needs evaluation</span><br />Since in order to be effective, a follow up needs to be highly customized, it would help if the call to the customer was done by the actual person who worked with the client. That way, the two can chat about the particularities of their work together and start forming a professional bond. Such provider-to-client relationships lay down the basis of customer loyalty, which in turn solidifies a business's chances of success.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Handling feedback</span><br />Now, the follow-up call does not have to be only a minute to gather some data for a graph. In fact, if this minute serves only that purpose, this may be the last minute of communication with your particular client. Instead, the caller should be able to send the message of great appreciation for the customer's business. That would imply commencing to fix any problems that the client may have encountered during his day at your firm. This task is not difficult at all, but if the person following up succeeds to communicate his care for that particular client's time, your firm will be well on its way towards turning disappointed buyers into your company's most loyal fans.<br />On the other hand, if the customer seems to have been pleased, they are already on your side and it's time to make sure that what they expect from their coming visits to your firm matches what the firm is able to offer them.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Tracking data</span><br />With the help of handy software packages like the Business Contact Manager, you can complete your follow-up task with jotting down the responses you collect from the customers. After a short while, you will end up with a rich library of information about your own clients, something that professional marketers sometimes do not even see in their dreams.<br /><br />Please let us know if you find our succinct recommendations about the everyday life of a businessperson helpful. We love to see feedback and will, of course, respond to any comments we receive accordingly, regardless of their content. Our blog gets richer every time it gets a new subscriber; we thus encourage you to join the group of people who already get business advice automatically delivered to their inbox. We look forward to spending the next week with you. Meanwhile, happy Columbus Day, and check back on Thursday fro a fresh update!Sashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13392864887941455102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8260422370630565770.post-18742822779300779262010-10-07T17:50:00.000-07:002010-10-07T17:53:19.852-07:00Looking out for rivals<div class="gE iv gt">Unless you are the Egyptian Pyramids, your business has rivals. While they can make our lives more painful than it is often necessary, they are not always such a bad thing. Opponents are a great tool for motivation and improvement. If your customers have no substitute for your service, why would you bother to improve? Additionally, rivals can become your assets even more literally, that is, when you work with them on the same goals that you otherwise be working to achieve on the opposite sides of the same river. Now, in order to help you get to the place of your dreams, your rivals need a small assessment.<br /></div> <a name='more'></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"> Their best practices</span><br />The life's bitter truth is that you will never be able to excel at everything at the same time. There is always someone who can do things better than you. That may go for your classmates' GPA, your neighbors' lawns, and your competitors' companies. When assessing your competition, you need to first think about the aspects of your business at which your rivals are particularly strong. This will let you understand the aspects of your own company where you might want to work a little harder (or <a href="http://nvsbusinesssolutions.blogspot.com/2010/10/mitigate-your-weaknesses.html">get a little extra help</a>.) Keep in mind that life is not a hopeless thing, and if you don't manage to outperform your rivals in a few categories, you should consider cooperating or <a href="http://nvsbusinesssolutions.blogspot.com/2010/09/leverage-your-strengths.html">directing your customers' attention</a> toward the better sides of your business.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Their weaknesses</span><br />The life's much sweeter truth is that, just like you, your competitors will not be able to excel in everything at the same time either. Your competitors have weaknesses just like the ones that we taught you to mitigate in our <a href="http://nvsbusinesssolutions.blogspot.com/2010/10/mitigate-your-weaknesses.html" target="_blank">previous article</a>. Just like yours, their weak spots can become the source of your strongest assets under the right treatment.<br />Realizing this can lead you into three directions. First, you can relax your grip on the areas where your competitors don't compete that well. This strategy is not the most aggressive, but it will definitely allow your company to concentrate on other tasks. Prioritizing is the key to success, and if your priorities lie elsewhere, consider this good news.<br />On the other hand, you adopt the opposite approach, where you would accentuate the fields of your superiority over your competitors when marketing to customers. While this method is fine in the cases where your firm's fortes coincide with your rivals' flaws, stressing fields that lie outside your own strong suit will likely lead to marketing that does not reach its full potential. Instead, we recommend a third alternative when dealing with your competition's imperfections, and that is:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"> Cooperation</span><br />The zenith of competitor analysis comes when you use the strengths, the weaknesses, and the needs of your competition altogether to bring guaranteed benefit to both of you. Working together with other market participants is a sure way to increase your overall chances of getting to your ultimate goal.<br /><ul><li>Examine the conclusions that come out of your past competition analysis (i.e., their best practices and their weaknesses.) </li><li>Note the gaps between the two: those places where your rivals are neither strong nor weak. </li><li>Think of our own company's most powerful assets and places where you might want improvement</li></ul> If the two businesses that you are looking at are not twins, and they most likely are not, that means that the two have room for cooperation. Your business can fill in the dull spot in their operations with your strengths, and they can do the same for you. The results? Alleviation of certain stress, performance improvement for both of you, and a stronger position in the market against the competitors who don't get a chance to participate in your tour de force.<br /><br />In an effort to provide you with the advice that most need and comprehend, we urge all of our readers to leave comments to our articles. Please do not hesitate to ask questions or communicate any preferences that you might have. We look forward to hearing your voices and seeing new subscribers. To all those who already receive our articles automatically, we salute you and hope that are able to transform our talk here into a more successful future for you.Sashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13392864887941455102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8260422370630565770.post-59608622112950898112010-10-03T13:09:00.000-07:002010-10-07T17:53:34.546-07:00Mitigate your weaknessesExperienced entrepreneurs know: Their role is to organize incoherent resources into usable, marketable substances. Seeing opportunities and being able to pursue them before they slip away is the ultimate skill that a businessperson should know. On the other hand, the knowledge of production, accounting, finance, advertising, logistics, or any other science with which you may or may not be familiar could sometimes be useful, but by no means absolutely necessary for a profitable venture. In fact, and I am reiterating an earlier thought in this article, as an entrepreneur, you are to find and capture the needed resources, not attempt to be the sole human resource in your company. Building a team of experts in a collection of fields is a major task that you have to go through. However, once you get the hang of recruitment, human resources will be your biggest asset that will complement your other expertise and tools.<br /><a name='more'></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Find strategic partners</span><br />If you, an experienced art visionary, decide to start a film studio from scratch, you might run into problems along the financial side of running your venture. Despite your thorough understanding of scripting, casting, filming, and editing, setting up an accounting system or finding buyers for your art would be difficult. In fact, you should anticipate such trouble, since working as an artist probably left with very little entrepreneurial experience. This is where the good news come in: As the owner of a company, you have complete discretion as to the people with whom you work. Do some networking and get yourself a business partner with an MBA, a CPA, an MFA or a Red Cross CPR certification. You decide who it will be. The partner's knowledge of your industry may be limited to appreciation from a distance, but what matters is the quality of that person's contributions to your entreprise. A good partner will let you concentrate on the knowledge and skills you already posess, because he will do the things that you haven't yet learned.<br />Finding the opposite of your professional self for the sake of complementing your skills and building a coherent system brings an entreprise closer to its goals and works for anybody: for the introverted who struggle with extensive communication that leadership requires, for business enthusiasts like me and Nick who might lack the precise knowledge of an industry, for people who think strategically and might need someone else to come up with the tactical details of the company, and everybody else. None of us are perfect enough to be the best at everything. That's why you should concentrate on being the best at what you enjoy most, and let your patner excel at those other things you'd rather not do.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Develop a pool of sub-contractors</span><br />Most tasks, however, are less all-encompassing as running an entire business: making an advertisement, training new employees, editing sound in a newly shot film, and so on. These. Activities are miniscule enough to not simply raise the question of you not having the right skills to execute them, but also the question of you not having enough time to deal with the detailed, yet not too important, work that they involve. Getting an additional business partner on board for each one of these purposes is too burdensome. Instead, a pool of sub-contractors should fill the gap between your abilities and your firm's needs. This pool should consist of entities where you can outsource the tasks that lie outside your and your partners' productivity reach. Additionally, your firm's employees, if you have the need and resources for them, also fall into this pool of sub-contractors. Knowing beforehand where you can go for the execution of the tasks that go into the production of your ending product can save you time and unnecessary worries, so keep a list of your business contacts ready.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Master delegation</span><br />Once you develop a team of experts and doers behind your back, communication skills are key. In order for the vast resources you accumulate to reach their full potential, you need to learn how to effectively delegate tasks to other people. It is thus important to learn how to be clear while abstaining from micromanaging. These skills largely come with experience, although one can read some business literature and listen to professional gurus in order to understand the precise process behind delegation. In fact, right now, I am going to delegate a more elaborate explanation of this process to experts in this field, Mark Henricks and Mark Levi.<br /><object style="background-image: url("http://i2.ytimg.com/vi/AI5qrMPUAZQ/hqdefault.jpg");" height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/AI5qrMPUAZQ?fs=1&hl=en_US"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/AI5qrMPUAZQ?fs=1&hl=en_US" allowscriptaccess="never" allowfullscreen="true" wmode="transparent" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" height="344" width="425"></embed></object><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Explore automation opportunities</span><br />There are certain business tasks that, not without the help of technological innovations, can be done by computers or other automated process wholly or at least in part. One example of this is bookkeeping. Today, there are plenty of software platforms that run from simple to corporate-level that allow business owners to make their own records. Some examples of free programs like this are <a href="http://outright.com/">Outright</a> and certain versions of <a href="http://download.cnet.com/QuickBooks-Simple-Start-Free-Edition/3000-2066_4-10608523.html">QuickBooks</a>. While these options are not for everyone, it is of course a good idea to be aware of any technology with the slightest hint of potential at making running a business easier, because entrepreneurship is already complex enough.<div><br /></div><div>With eac one of the four approaches covered today, one should be thoroughly aware of the purpose behind his decisions. Since human resources make for by far the biggest expense in most firms, placing too little thought into hiring someone can lead to many different but equally undesirable results. Nevertheless, by no means should one exclude the option of complementing one's weaknesses with outside help, because the right human resources approach can lead to dramatic increases in return on investment, thus becoming that proverbial extra degree that brings a pot to a boil.</div><div><br /></div><div>We hope that the coming week treats you well, and that you get a chance to successfully implement the advice that NVSBS offers you. Should you incur questions, or if you just want to give us some feedback, be sure to comment on our blog or <a href="mailto:info@nvsbs.com">drop us an e-mai</a>l. And, any readers who still have not subscribed should do so right now, so you can, too, get our fresh advice automatically delivered to you.</div>Sashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13392864887941455102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8260422370630565770.post-24199644824699914942010-09-30T15:10:00.001-07:002010-10-07T17:53:52.831-07:00Leverage your strengths<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAWZLgZ6wP-31pco6xaUuoF-fX_pr3i1v3YQi73EJ1fnHQkjMhZFg8_0WY2zVvh6xpYQjiYcybiuQADOuh4S7PUwOkJaTsvr2Jew32ohj56zmedZ1743iJkUxw0BoaMXqNdpfyR9udq78/s1600/Infograph.png"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 234px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAWZLgZ6wP-31pco6xaUuoF-fX_pr3i1v3YQi73EJ1fnHQkjMhZFg8_0WY2zVvh6xpYQjiYcybiuQADOuh4S7PUwOkJaTsvr2Jew32ohj56zmedZ1743iJkUxw0BoaMXqNdpfyR9udq78/s400/Infograph.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5522832608160946562" border="0" /></a><div>Experienced marketers know that being specific about your offerings and your audience is crucial for professional success. Segmentation, targeting and positioning are not some abstract concepts any more. Instead, these three activities form the basis for any successful attempt at grabbing the public's attention. Knowing what, how and to whom to make an offer will get you a job, a donation, a sale, or even all three, if you're looking for that. With that said, finding the right audience and that unique feel can take quite a long time, and most of us don't have years to wait for such an epiphany before getting what we want. Today, Nick and I prepared a three-step outline to ease and, hopefully, accelerate the journey to our readers' goals.</div><div><a name='more'></a></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Find your niche</b></div><div>The segmentation and targeting that marketers always talk about is simply about finding the niche that you choose for your endeavor. </div><div>Let's take an example: Josh wants to open a restaurant with only one thing on the menu. He needs to choose the menu item depending upon the group that he targets. After some research, Josh finds out that the population surrounding his restaurant-to-be is divided into three clear groups: men, women and children. Men like steak; women like salads, and children like pie. After some serious contemplation, Josh picks men as his target group, and puts "prime rib steak" as the one item on his restaurant's menu.</div><div>Of course, I simplified the example as much as I could, but the message is that a sure way to increase the chances for a sale starts with dividing the marketing into groups and picking the target out of the resulting segments.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Master your core skills</b></div><div>Once you choose the audience with which to work, it's time to strengthen the skills that you would need to have a professional relationship with your target group. What I mean by that is, determine what skills you need to sell your product to the particular customer you chose. If you are looking for a job and chose small-scale computer repair firms as your target, you might want to bush up on your knowledge of Windows and Mac. If you make custom typewriters for a living, and you've chosen the urban youth as your target, you might want to make sure that your typewriters are portable and convey a sense of confidence to the world, and so on. A very important portion of this step is understanding exactly what skills your target audience cares about. Once you've understood that, mastering them should come with little effort.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Nurture supporters</b></div><div>Finally, if you are in the business of making sales (and we all are,) the supporters of your endeavors are your biggest treasure that can lead to word-of-mouth sales, making your advertising viral, converting the half-convinced and spreading the knowledge about you to places where you cannot reach. You should definitely pay close attention to who they are, since most of them will not explicitly share their sympathy with you. Nevertheless, most supporters will only need a little additional interaction with you before they become your devoted promoters. </div><div><br /></div><div>Yes, the process of finding your professional voice can be tough. However, we highly encourage our readers to stay persistent at searching and trying out different scenarios. It took Nike, the sports shoe corporation, almost a decade to find their line of marketing that got them heard and adored by a wide audience internationally. As you, too, go through the steps above and through all the other steps that you conquer on your way to your goals, remember not to give up, and keep in mind that Nick and I are here to help you with advice any time you are unsure about the next action. Comment, subscribe, and stay in touch. We believe in you.</div>Sashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13392864887941455102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8260422370630565770.post-8729558420653365882010-09-26T14:15:00.000-07:002010-09-26T15:23:54.500-07:00E-mails or your life!<span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(34, 34, 34); line-height: 16px; font-family:Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;font-size:12px;"><div class="post-body entry-content" style="width: 560px; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4; position: relative; "><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Suppose that you have to leave your computer for a mere twenty minutes. It may be a coffee break or a phone call; we won't ask. By the time you are back to your work station, many of us will have twenty newly unread e-mails in our inboxes. This can happen for a variety of reasons, and the truth is that the majority of those e-mails that regularly flood every inbox they can is that nobody reads them. All they do is take away our precious time. Moreover, if, for the reasonable sake of higher priorities on your task list, you let these unwanted e-mails pile-up for a week, bringing order back to your mailbox will take you an eternity. Luckily, there are several simple rules that generally apply to all professionals and that help clear away any unwanted junk and free up that precious time for activities that are more important and, more often than not, more pleasant.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><a name='more'></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><b><span style=" line-height: 21px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Eight tips on</span></span><span style=" line-height: 21px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"> </span></span><span style=" line-height: 21px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">handling </span></span></b><b><span style=" line-height: 21px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">your e-mails</span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><a name="more"></a></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="text-indent: -0.25in; "></div><ol><li style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; text-indent: 0px; "><span style=" ;font-family:'Times New Roman';"> </span>Process your e-mails in batches. For instance, read them twice a day: in the morning and right before leaving your office. This frees you from browsing your e-mail client every other minute, which can badly affect your productivity. Additionally, checking one's mobile device all the time does not look professional.</li><li style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; text-indent: 0px; ">Use the “unsubscribe” option. This small action can do wonders at suppressing newsletters that you don't want to see. Normally, if you scroll to the end f an e-mail, you will see small text that explains the steps that you need to take to unsubscribe. Simply follow those, and don't forget to carefully read what the screen says - otherwise you might by accident sign yourself up for more solicitation.</li><li style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; text-indent: 0px; ">Set up some filters. Many e-mail clients and services, including <a href="http://nvsbusinesssolutions.blogspot.com/2010/09/outlook-supernatural-inside-your.html">Outlook</a> and Gmail, allow you to create specific rules that redirect e-mails according to your preference. For example, you can tell your client to automatically archive any letter that contains the word "tax" in it - and then look at those letters when the tax return time comes. More importantly, you can exploit the fact that unsolicited mail normally contains the same set of words - and create a filter that deletes all mail containing those words. If you succeed to determine the pattern, the filter will let you avoid even seeing any arrival of junk mail. No more need to get distracted by the unnecessary.</li><li style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; text-indent: 0px; ">Use follow-up flags. Most e-mail clients provide you with a variety of follow-up coding, and it is really easy to use this tool to meet you personal organization needs. Whichever way you decide to use these tags, they can easily increase your communication efficiency.</li><li style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; text-indent: 0px; ">Drag-and-drop e-mails into Calendar. If you use MS Outlook, you can convert your e-mails into appointments just by dragging them into Calendar area. That frees you from a lot of effort at converting the incoming information into an appointment in your calendar. This is one of the many reasons <a href="http://nvsbusinesssolutions.blogspot.com/2010/09/five-best-kept-secret-uses-of-outlook.html">why we recommend</a> using Outlook over other software: it lets you interact between different pieces of professional software without switching applications.</li><li style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; text-indent: 0px; ">Set up a single archive folder. In <a href="http://www.nvsbs.com/">NVS Business Solutions, </a>we have a policy of pitilessly archiving all read messages. We want to see our inboxes neat and clean.</li><li style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; text-indent: 0px; ">Use search folders. Setting up many search folders can help you navigate through a large archive in a matter of seconds.</li><li style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; text-indent: 0px; ">Avoid multiple archiving subfolders. While it's a good idea to use search folders, subfolders can be quite an unnecessary hassle. Basically, it accounts for nothing but additional filing and searching work. You can effectively search old e-mails in a single archive folder using filters and keywords.</li></ol><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: -0.25in; "></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: -0.25in; "></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: -0.25in; "></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: -0.25in; "></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: -0.25in; "></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: -0.25in; "></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="text-indent: -0.25in; "></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Efficient e-mail management can free your hands for more interesting activities, relief stress, and improve your professional image, among other things. Let us know how it is going for you, and if you have some advice for us, we would would be more than happy for a good expertise exchange. As for now, we look forward to hearing your comments and seeing new subscribers. Look for a fresh article next Thursday, and have a great start of the week.</div></div></span>Sashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13392864887941455102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8260422370630565770.post-53065721703595580862010-09-23T16:05:00.000-07:002010-09-30T13:53:40.150-07:00Going beyond the PowerPoint presentation<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://muycomputer.com/files/264-6394-FOTO/powerpoint_logo.jpg"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; ">PowerPoint is a great tool that saves us from having to construct our presentation materials from cardboard paper and markers. In fact, PP's latest versions do such a good job at that that any presentation still looking less graphically advanced than PowerPoint 2007 is dismissed by the public as not professional. In short, PowerPoint can be a great tool for organizing one's thoughts into a presentable product. With that said, the process of creating that presentable material can take an entire weekend or longer. That sounds like a lot of time. Yet, let's see what there is in the end of all that labor. The presentation makes for a solid visual support to your speech. It can help you stay on track and keep your thoughts organized and convincing in front of an audience. These uses for PowerPoint are the most obvious and they are the reasons why most people open PP in the first place. However, the best news of all is that the life of the presentation that took so long to make does not end after the lecture.</span><br /></a><div class="MsoNormal"><br /><a name='more'></a><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style=" line-height: 115%;font-size:14pt;"><br /></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style=" line-height: 115%;font-size:14pt;">Five ways to recycle your presentation</span></b></div><ol><li>Your presentation can be a good skeleton for a printable brochure or a flyer. We wrote <a href="http://nvsbusinesssolutions.blogspot.com/2010/08/how-to-design-great-flyer.html">about the general process of creating a flyer</a>, and having a ready presentation on hand only makes that process easier. Just like the presentation is divided into separate slides, the flyer can have sections with according text inside. The slides' content then serves as a guide for the text of the brochure. Since you read an entire lecture on the topic already, you should have no trouble writing down your thoughts into a coherent piece of publicity.</li><li>Create a <a href="http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/powerpoint-help/about-packaging-and-copying-a-presentation-to-cd-HP005272756.aspx">package CD</a>. This is a feature that in versions prior to MS PowerPoint 2003 is called Pack and Go. Package CDs allow you to burn a presentation, along with some accompanying files, to a compact disk directly from PowerPoint. We recommend complementing your .ppt file with <a href="http://nvsbusinesssolutions.blogspot.com/2010/08/is-sound-recording-trick-it-shouldnt-be.html">a narration of your lecture</a>. Spending your time on the sound recording will provide you with some extra promotional material that is easy to duplicate and distribute. Remember: once you are done recording, you will be grateful for making the effort.</li><li>Produce a promotional DVD. This option is similar to the point above. However, unlike package CDs, DVDs can be played back on the conventional DVD players which enhance your potential audience even more.</li><li>The Internet, be it through your personal website or through a social network of sort, can be a great place to display your work, and there are multiple ways to accomplish that. Firstly, PowerPoint can save your ppt file in .html format. That way, you can put the entire presentation easily on your website and leave it there without worried. The other way would be to convert the presentation into a video file (.avi, .mov or .wms standard). As a video, your presentation can be displayed on services like YouTube and broadcasted worldwide. This option is especially good if you followed our advice in point #2: to make a sound recording of the presentation because the sound cannot be preserved in the .html version of a presentation.</li><li>For a reach to a global public and an opportunity to interact with an across-the-seas audience from your home, we recommend carrying out webinars. Skype can be a very good beginning: it's free, accessible, and simple to use. Noetheless, considering its screen sharing capability limitations, one might also consider other, more sophisticated, technological options. For the <a href="http://nvsbs.com/"><b>NVSBS</b></a> training purposes, Nick uses <a href="http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/live-meeting/">MS Live Meeting</a> which is just one piece out of an array of similar programs.</li></ol><br /><div class="MsoNormal">We hope that you get inspired by our suggestions and it lets you get more material out in the world for the sake of your business success. Please say tuned for further ideas on professional communication, cutting waste and boosting your overall efficiency. We sincerely look forward to hearing your comments and seeing new subscribers!</div>Sashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13392864887941455102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8260422370630565770.post-55919791635690411492010-09-19T12:36:00.000-07:002010-09-19T14:02:51.674-07:00A sales management system on your desk<p class="MsoNormal">Think about some important components of a successful business. What comes to your mind? Some of our readers would mention reliable front desk staff, a team of trained salespeople or a solid website that attracts new clients. Maybe some will think of a referral-rewarding plan and a customer retention program.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Now that we have this list, I can see a pattern emerging. All of the techniques mentioned above target one area of business development: sales. This consensus is here for a valid reason. Sales management is simply the most crucial aspect of a successful venture, be it a mom-and-pop grocery store, an environmental activist organization or a multi-national corporation with headquarters on nine different continents.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">True enough, sales may not necessarily be a particular organization’s primary goal (like in the environmental agency’s case.) Nevertheless, sales, be they in the conventional form of soda bottles sold, or be they in the more atypical form of donations raised, are crucial to the continued survival of any establishment that incurs expenses during the course of its existence.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><a name='more'></a>An unfortunately big number of small business owners may not be realizing right now that their companies need a tracking system for assessing their sales performance. Having such a system in place lets business owners and managers set sales goals and measure salespeople’s performance in respect to this baseline.<b><o:p></o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Most enterprises that decide to address the need to track their sales performance rely on Customer Relationship Management software. These are programs that are built especially for medium to big firms, and normally offer the software as an installation pack for a set substantial price or as a monthly online subscription. Some examples of CRM platforms are <a href="http://crm.dynamics.com/en-us/Default.aspx">Microsoft Dynamics CRM</a>, <a href="http://www.salesforce.com/">Salesforce.com</a>, and <a href="http://crmondemand.oracle.com/en/index.html">Oracle’s CRM on Demand</a>.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Nevertheless, small businesses and individual professionals often do not have the resources to afford a costly CRM package. In that case, we at NVSBS recommend a reasonable alternative, and this is the sales tracking system that we use for our own purposes, Business Contact Manager in MS Outlook. We believe it to be quite affordable and easy to implement. Sales tracking is available through BCM by means of tracking individual salespersons’ performances, as well as the results of distinct marketing campaigns. This will enable you, as the owner of your enterprise’s fate, to increase its sales and improve its potential for survival. Then, you will finally have the time to think about fulfilling your organization’s mission.</p><p class="MsoNormal">If you decide to pursue either one of the courses towards a sales management system inside your firm, we recommend getting professional training on effective application techniques. That way, you will learn to utilize the software to its full extent in a way that applies to your particular business. In fact, NVSBS already offers <a href="http://nvsbs.com/Training.htm">seminars on BCM's connection to sky-high sales</a>. In the case if you decide to opt for the more complex CRM platforms, we recommend <a href="mailto:info@nvsbs.com">personalized consultin</a>g that would enable you to learn one-on-one about the peculiar possibilities that Customer Relationship Management brings to your industry. Otherwise, we always look forward to new comments and suggestions. We also urge you to subscribe to the NVSBS blog so that you can automatically receive fresh advice on running a small business twice a week.</p>Sashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13392864887941455102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8260422370630565770.post-5470400018034085162010-09-16T13:45:00.000-07:002010-09-24T04:46:55.986-07:00Six (small) steps towards a paperless officeAs members of a consulting firm, Nick and I get to see plenty of small and big businesses from industries that often have no connection with each other. Of course, every organization finds a unique path towards its goals. However, to paraphrase Leo Tolstoy’s famous opening line for Anna Karenina, all professional mistakes are alike; each successful business is successful in its own way. <br />
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One easily fixable, yet quite common, inefficient practice that NVSBS has observed over the course of its consulting career is relying on paper for document storage. Our previous post offered some solid reasons for switching to the most efficient alternative – Paperless Office. Today, we present you with a passport towards a successful future:<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Practical steps towards a paperless office.</span></span><br />
<b>1. Buy a network-ready scanner</b>. We particularly recommend the models that come with an Automatic Document Feeder (ADF) for convenient scanning of multiple documents. <a href="http://shop.usa.canon.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_10051_10051_246566_-1?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_keyword=canon%20MX340&utm_campaign=Canon+Printers+Acquirgy">Canon MX340</a> is an acceptable example; we use it for our <a href="http://www.nvsbs.com/">NVS Business Solutions</a> office. In addition to scanning, MX340 has faxing and printing functionality, although we recommend forgetting about the latter for the sake of your paperless future.<br />
<b>2. Choose your file storage device.</b> This can be a computer on your network particularly devoted to that purpose, or you can establish an online storage through services like <a href="http://docs.google.com/">Google Docs</a> or <a href="http://windowslive.com/online/skydrive">Sky Drive</a>.<br />
<b>3. Set up a back-up system.</b> We advice you not to rely solely on your flash drive. A combination of local and remote (online) back-ups is mandatory. In a relatively simple case, you can set up automatic nightly back-ups to an external hard drive, and then also back up twice a week to an online backup system. Some ready solutions for this step towards a paperless office are the <a href="http://www.apple.com/timecapsule/">Time Capsule by Apple</a> for Mac users and the <a href="http://mozy.com/">Mozy</a>, an online service that is good for all operating systems and starts with $5 per month for business users.<br />
<b>4. Install a second monitor on your desktop computer.</b> Though this is not mandatory, a second screen will oftentimes save you from the temptation to print while making concurrent work with two or more documents more effective.<br />
<b>5. Tune up your indexing system.</b> What that means is start organizing your computer's files into a comprehensive system of folders, get into the habit of giving your files meaningful names and make sure that your employees know how to do those things as well. A unified indexing system will bring down searching time for your documents to seconds.<br />
<b>6. Stop printing.</b> Yes, now that you have gone through the steps above, you should have less incentive for it. There are some times when you really have to print something. Do think twice before you do that next time, though.<br />
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Have you tried it? Are you having trouble during the implementation process or do you want to celebrate your success at getting your document storage system more reliable and efficient? Maybe during the process of turning paperless, you even gained some knowledge that you would like to share with the world. In any case, we welcome and pay close attention to any comments that we get. And, if you want to automatically receive further advice on professional and small business success, or if you want us to check out your blog too, subscribe to us. After all, it's for you that we write.Sashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13392864887941455102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8260422370630565770.post-57852862084247974222010-09-12T13:52:00.000-07:002010-09-24T04:44:36.375-07:007 Reasons to Go PaperlessPaperless office is very much like adopting a new technology: the only difficult thing about is transitioning from paper-based operations. After that, there are only benefits on the horizon. Just as a sample, consider these seven big and small business boosters that will appear as paper usage disappears.<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">1. Easier document sharing</span><br />
There are often certain documents that are needed in several places simultaneously. This can be a client’s personal file that different offices of the same dentist may need to retrieve. This can be an unfinished flyer that you started at your office and want to edit at home during the weekend. In either case, relying on only a paper version of the document complicates the work process for you and your employees. Electronic documents, on the other hand, are easily transportable through the Web and programs like MS Access.<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">2. Greater information protection</span><br />
Breaking computer-based security systems requires much more knowledge and precision than the more traditional methods of security. With paper-based office, all one needs to steal an identity is gain access to a paper with personal information. With numerous paperless options, on the other hand, you can put your documents under multiple layers of passwords, restrict or allow certain users’ access, and otherwise encrypt confidential information. Strong safety measures are becoming also increasingly important as governmental regulations tighten their grip on personal information security.<br />
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3. Extra legroom</span><br />
This is simple: if your office does not store all its documents as hard copies, it will have more free space for you and your workers. Furthermore, free space increases work motivation.<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">4. Faster searching</span><br />
With a little bit of organizing (far less than paper filing requires,) search for electronic documents can become instantaneous. In addition, modern operating systems come with built-in search engines, and scanning software automatically converts scanned text into Word files. All this means that paperless office will save you and your personal assistant from hours of unnecessary work and frustration. <br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">5. Less spending</span><br />
There are two factors in the dramatic decrease in spending that paperless office produces, the first concerning all adopters of this incredible practice, and the second further affecting those who hire office aides. Foremost, paperless office lifts the financial burden of printing expenses off each adopter’s back. Adopters of the technological archive route do not have to spend money on packs of printing paper every week. They also get more free time from not having to search for a cartridge that matches their printer as often. <br />
For those who hire office help, there is no need to have an aide filing documents if the documents are on a hard drive. Your aides can do something more productive.<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">6. More environmental sustainability</span><br />
Less trash, more trees, less CO2, more time to volunteer for your local environmental non-profit. If enough professionals transfer to paperless office, you also get noticeably more oxygen during sleep and will be more energized for work. Please comment if you would like an explanation of the logic behind this paragraph.<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">7. Tidier appearance </span><br />
It isn’t our job to teach about personal hygiene, and we assume that all our readers know about it. However, many small business owners and other professionals forget how big an impact the appearance of one’s workspace can have on sales. Clients and investors tend to prefer working with those professionals whose office looks organized and professional, and they will often pay a higher price after seeing a professional, neat desk. We should not need to mention that stacks of folders or, worse, not filed documents make an otherwise praise-worthy office despicable in visitors’ eyes.<br />
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For a practice that has yet to become widely used, this is a pretty sound list of accomplishments. If I were looking for a sustainability director who would also improve my efficiency and offer some aesthetic solutions for my office, Mr. Paperless Office would get the position after the first paragraph of this article. However, Mr. Paperless Office already works at NVS Business Solutions. If you want help with getting rid of paperwork in your office too, <a href="http://www.blogger.com/info@nvsbs.com">write to us</a>. We pay close attention to any comments or suggestions that we get. Please check our blog next week for a fresh article about efficient business practice.Sashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13392864887941455102noreply@blogger.com0