Five Things You Must Know to Expand Your Business and Make it More Profitable

by A. Ray Thomas

You don’t have to be a Fortune 500 company to expand your business globally! With the numerous resources and methods available through ZANA Business Network, expanding into the international marketplace may be easier than you realize. If you’re like most small business owners, you’ve entertained visions of running a successful company that meets increasing customer demand for your product or service. Maybe you’ve dreamed of regional, national or international expansion that would garner huge profits. That this is a typical entrepreneur’s dream is not surprising. What may shock you is that only four percent of American businesses export their products and services around the world. That translates to about 230,000 companies that do business overseas. No doubt, the percentage is low compared to other countries because many small and midsize companies don’t seriously consider international trade for the following reasons: • They are doing well domestically and don’t see a need to market overseas. • They don’t know the economic and political climates, the culture or the language in other countries. • They assume that international transactions are too risky. Now, these are all valid concerns and if you share any of them, you may be surprised to know that you can find everything you need to enter the inter-national marketplace from the U.S. government – including support. The key is making sure you do your homework beforehand. Here are five global marketing tips that will help you determine if going global is right for you and your company. If you would like to dig deeper to learn how you can access more ways to go global, become a free member simply by visiting our website: www.zananetwork.com. Global Marketing Tip No. 1: Utilize Government Resources to Identify Opportunities and Support Tools There are many U.S. government resources that SMEs (Small and Medium Enterprises) should utilize prior to exporting their goods and services. No doubt, through them you will find numerous international trade opportunities in developed and emerging markets. Many small businesses in developed and emerging markets are constantly looking to partner and do business with American companies. You will find free access to these government websites all in one easy to use portal (see location below). • Department of State • Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) • Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im Bank) • U.S. Export Assistance Center • U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service • International Trade Administration, • U.S. Department of Commerce • Office of Intellectual Property Rights, U.S. Department of Commerce • Caribbean-Central American Action (CCAA) Global Marketing Tip No. 2: Know the Benefits of Emerging and Developed Markets In emerging markets, there are privatization opportunities due to governments divesting from state-owned firms. In addition, there are often high rates of growth. If a market doesn’t have what you’re selling, that could be an excellent opportunity to export new consumer goods to that market. Even better, the greatest opportunities in emerging markets are with small businesses looking for partners for joint ventures to import and export. Now naturally, developed markets in English-speaking countries, such as Canada, Mexico and England, are often recommended for SMEs just starting out. These particular countries fall under the North American Free Trade Agreement, so the rules and regulations help with strategy. Beginning in a developed country will be far more comfortable for you and your business. Global Marketing Tip No. 3: Consider Becoming a Sub-Supplier to a Larger Company In emerging markets, there is often a high demand for infrastructure projects, such as waste disposal and energy. Think about it. The larger companies often come into these regions first for these jobs, but they need suppliers. These projects often last years and allow you to become part of the supply chain. It is also a good way to test the marketplace while mitigating your risk. Identify the Risks The perception is that greater risk comes with international trade. In actuality, the risks are just different. Government agencies and thousands of companies offer tools to help you, as well as propose other areas of concern that you may not have contemplated. Know this: The more questions you ask your resources, the better prepared you are to market your products and services internationally. Below are just a few areas you need to consider: • Time and distance it takes to ship products • Making sure that you’re going to get paid for the transaction • The political climate • Restrictive trade policies • Calculating your sale properly so that you don’t lose on foreign exchange • The local legal practices of a foreign country Global Marketing Tip No. 4: Know Who Your Foreign Partners Are It is important that you get to know your foreign customers or partners. You will want to pre-qualify them by using international credit-report services through companies, such as Atradius or Dun & Bradstreet (available via ZANA Business Network). You will also want to know if they have lawsuits against them in their country, including liens. Global Marketing Tip No. 5: Use the U.S. Government Resources, Foreign Commercial Service, State Department and the Various Publications That Are Available Make it your business to be briefed on the local political and business community, which is fairly small and closed. In addition, you will want to know who your U.S. contacts are in that country, should you need their help. Follow these global marketing tips and leave your competitors to battle each other for the limited profits. And now we would like to invite you to claim your free membership and the opportunity to market your products, services and ideas at no cost when you go to http://www.zananetwork.com Are you a small to medium business that is tired of struggling to market your products, services and ideas globally? Do you want to maximize your global business opportunities? Now you can! Combine your business talents with the power of Global Internet Marketing and watch your income soar! Visit http://www.zananetwork.com and join the new revolution of international business.

Article source: ArticlePros.com

Getting Started With Offshore Investment

by John Tang

Offshore investment refers to investing wealth in foreign countries apart from individual's country. This type of investment is most common ways to reduce the extreme tax burdens.

People prefer to invest in offshore entities, because the regulation and the execution process are more liberal on bankers, portfolio managers, or brokers. Hence, many small as well as big investors are now turning to offshore investments, because of huge taxes levied on them.

This type of investment is legal and assures individuals with higher returns. Offshore markets have some favored locations, wherein investors prefer to make their investment. Investors call these foreign locations as tax havens. People can make investment in offshore projects, if they meet the criteria laid down by the foreign country.

Few of the regulations state that foreign individuals have to be capable of investing a minimum amount, pay requisite fees, and fulfill other standards, as mentioned by law to invest in a particular entity.

All the countries have made special provisions to enable their citizens to make offshore investments. Advantages Of Offshore Investments:

There are various reasons, as why people prefer to invest in offshore locations.

They are as follows:

• Reduction in Taxes:

Numerous countries provide tax incentives to overseas investors. Foreign countries offer tax benefits to such people to attract foreign investors, which increase the country's foreign wealth. Offshore investors have their corporation in foreign countries.

These corporations provide coverage for foreign investors. They shield their accounts from tax burdens levied by domicile countries. These corporations do not undergo local operations, and hence the countries impose little or sometimes no tax on foreign investors.

• Protection of assets:

Offshore centers offer the easy possession of assets. Foreign investors can obtain legal entities through their foundations, trusts or corporations.

Even people of domicile country who are worried about lawsuits subjected on their properties, prefer to transfer the part of their property in foreign investment. This ensures that individuals no longer become vulnerable to seizure of their properties.

• Privacy:

Offshore investments are beneficial as the jurisdiction of offshore countries provides complimentary advantage of confidentiality to the investors.

The offshore countries have enacted strict laws that guarantee the investors of complete secrecy. Any party, who breaches these laws, faces serious consequences. This is to safeguard the interest of sophisticated investors. These investors prefer not to disclose their financial status and their assets in offshore countries.

• Variegation of investment: Offshore accounts provide more flexibility to the foreign investors. Many developing nations have made greater opportunities available to foreign investors to attract them to their countries.

Investors can invest in private offshore companies, which were previously under the control of government. They do not have to undergo huge restrictions, thus providing truly variegation in investment.

Overview:

Offshore investments give investors the financial security along with the benefit of anonymity. Many people prefer to invest in real estate projects in offshore, which provide individuals of handsome returns.

There are numerous avenues open for investors such as shares, stocks and bonds in offshore countries, wherein people can multiply their stakes and enjoy the opulence offered by offshore investments.

Article source: ArticlePros.com

IT Outsourcing Issues

by Mohsin Khan A globalized economy has brought us into close contact with other business professionals, and talking with a man located overseas is a thing of the past in this digital era. As businesses worldwide embrace the rules of globalization gradually, they have also realized its significance for their daily processes. One of the major opportunities for small firms has been the prevalence of IT Outsourcing. Most of all, it allows you big savings if done properly. But there are other significant benefits too, like it frees up more resources for you to focus on core competencies. And remember, you can benefit from the combined intelligence of an extremely diverse staff, and can employ the best brains of third-world countries at comparatively lower costs. On the other hand, if not done properly, it can rather turn into a nightmare and may even result in greater expenses as compared to internal work. Lengthy research papers have been written on this issue, and this comparatively tiny article is insufficient to inform you about all the problems. Hence, only the more widespread risk categories will be discussed in this small discussion. One of the very first motivations to outsource IT projects is none other than money; therefore, we will discuss that first. First of all, clients typically take into account only salaries when they compare in-house development against outsourcing. In fact, numerous people get the idea of outsourcing solely because they realize wages in some Cheapistan are less than half of what they typically pay. While this is no doubt a possibility, it wouldn’t do good if you take for granted that’s the only cost. Neglecting expenditure that comes from management, communication, and the like isn’t an option. Hence, do thorough research and take into account the entire cost of outsourcing; else, get ready for a shock when you see the accounting books at the end of the day. Next on, the culture of the supplier is very important for you. Do they implement standards to maintain a particular quality standard? Have they taken appropriate steps to defend their systems from hackers and viruses? You don’t like an ex-worker to steal your proprietary software’s source code and trade it on eBay, would you? Things similar to these would come into your mind when you create an outsourcing strategy. Also study the ethnic values prevalent in your suppliers’ country. As pirated works are a norm in a good part of Asia, you have to ensure your intellectual property will not get disseminated on a domestic scale via other channels. As a final point, some threats are exclusive to the nature of the IT project you outsource. If you are outsourcing tasks that can be hardly measured, you may face conflicts later. And don’t ignore small details by leaving them at the mercy of the supplier to decide. For instance, you can hire php programmer to make a site for your latest business. Nevertheless, if you fail to agree on the specifics carefully, you can later learn he used components that amplify your web hosting costs by a noticeable value. Start with a fresh mind as if you are putting your feet in a new meadow and do research as needed. There are experts in your country who can help you make or break the deal if you wish. Don’t forget that subcontracting in itself isn’t a botched concept; but you should be aware of the best practices to succeed smoothly. Mohsin Khan works for an IT outsourcing consultancy firm. You can hire Php programmers through us for successful outsourcing of your jobs. Article Source: http://www.articlerich.com

Professional Personal Development - What is it?

by Robin Chandler We think the term 'training' is too restrictive, and we only use it because that is the context within which many organisations can understand what we do. But whether you call it people skills training, interpersonal skills training, soft skills training or professional personal development, what we're talking about is people changing what they do in order to be more effective, more able and quite simply, happier at their job and in their personal lives. What we do know is that people take on new behaviours best when there is a parallel shift in their personal development. Interpersonal skills aren't just something you use at the workplace and then leave at the office when you go home. The whole person is what's important, and any programme Impact Factory creates has stuff in it that people can use in all aspects of their lives. Individuals need to be skilled in what they can do to positively affect the outcome of any kind of communication. This is true if the communication is a presentation to 500 people, an annual review with a staff member, the initiation of new work practices - indeed anything that requires one person to be in communication with others. In the simplest terms, being able to communicate effectively means relating well to other people. It means being able to listen and really hear what others are saying. Part of being a good listener is knowing how to respond without stonewalling or hijacking other people's ideas. It also means being able to convey information, feedback and requests clearly and directly, give appropriate levels of praise and advice and take responsibility for making sure things are understood. This means that people must be able and willing to deal with conflict and confrontation. Conflict resolution can be effectively achieved by negotiating what is known as 'win/win' solutions. There is not one 'right' way to communicate, but there are certainly many 'wrong' ones. Impact Factory's development work concentrates on what's already working about an individual's interpersonal skills and developing that. Gaining insight and awareness about the effect they have on others, coupled with developing specific tools and techniques for managing people, puts people more in charge of the communication process. So why do we need it? There have been changes in every sector where people are being asked to do more and take on more responsibility, often with less support than ever before. As a direct result of these kinds of pressures, dealing with difficult people or situations can be more problematic. Time constraints, deadline constraints and fewer people to do more work, means that communication may suffer, conflicts stay unresolved, dissatisfaction fester, tempers get frayed and inefficiency become more prevalent. On top of that, there is an insidious assumption that if you are good at what you do - professionally - then you will be, ipso facto, a good manager, communicator, delegator, etc. That simply isn't true. We see this across all business sectors: people who are highly capable in their jobs but are far less adept at dealing with other people. Conflict arises because not only does the organisation assume that if you're good in one aspect of the job you'll be good in all, but you yourself may feel you already 'ought' - by dint of your position - to be able to handle difficult situations and therefore, won't ask for the support and training you need. Some organisations have such issues well in hand and have the kind of company culture in place that supports peoples' development. More often than not, however, organisations ignore or sideline these issues with the outcome that communication suffers and morale gets worse. Yet if employees are motivated, confident, communicating well and resolving differences; if they are being acknowledged and appreciated, then stress is reduced, people are more efficient and effective and work means more than a place to earn a paycheque. In our experience within organisations where these skills are encouraged and developed, there is a profound affect on employees' performance and their overall well-being, and a corresponding increase in the bottom line. The economic implications of poor people skills in the workplace are far greater than many organisations would like to admit. We are often approached by the Occupational Health Departments of companies who say they are seeing more and more people with stress-related illnesses and absences and are aware that good training could make a significant difference in the health, morale and therefore efficiency of the staff. The cliché 'time is money' exists for a very good reason. If for nothing else, a better functioning workforce will affect the bottom line. Time wasted on poor communication, unresolved difficulties or inefficient work practises means time away from the core business of doing what the company does best. Many companies know there are issues that need to be addressed; they even know that some kind of people skills training could help. There doesn't have to be a problem The need for development work does not presuppose a problem. When Impact Factory provides this kind of training for many companies we aren't there to 'fix' something that's wrong. Given the added pressures in today's workplace, companies are not necessarily asking us to provide training to alleviate stress or correct a problem. Rather they are looking for excellence not competence. They are interested in gaining a competitive edge, offering their employees additional skills to develop their current capabilities and become both more accomplished and more confident. So, why don't more people do it? Here are some refrains we've heard more than once: "We tried something like this before and it didn't work." - "It's clearly not right for us." - "We don't need it." - "It's a waste of time and money." - "If we're going to invest in training, we'd rather have technical training." "We'll never get buy-in from our senior managers." If you look at the way some interpersonal skills training is done it's no wonder it's got a bad reputation. A lot of it follows what might be called the sheep-dip approach: large groups; all chalk 'n' talk and little participation; lots of rigid rules and regulations; a damaging emphasis on what's wrong with people; and unreal examples and exercises. That kind of training is de-motivating and often does more harm than good. Lists of how tos, dos and don'ts and sets of rigid rules treat everyone the same. The individual becomes less important than the 'right' way to do something. Of course, there needs to be structure and guidelines in any kind of training, but if the training does not allow for individual needs and priorities then, ultimately, it will fail to develop the individual. If people have had inadequate training, they will in turn feel inadequate when confronted with additional stress. The training will not have given them the real tools and techniques that could help them manage this pressure more effectively. Some assertiveness training is a good case in point, where people are told specific things to do in certain difficult situations. Which is all very well if you are capable of doing them. However, we know that for many people assertiveness training doesn't work. The solutions they are given are not things they feel able to do. Not only that, there are training companies now offering interpersonal skills training over the Internet! Wow! We've said it before, but it bears repeating, this way the sheep don't even have to leave the meadow, they can be dipped right at their desks. We're truly fascinated with interpersonal skills training that doesn't have other people to be interpersonal with. If people are treated and respected as the professional adults they are. The results can be startling, exciting and effective. Professional Personal Development: why it's a good investment · Gives people more confidence in dealing with challenging or new situations. · Offers people a range of behaviour choices to try. · Creates a solid basis for all other kinds of training. · Gives people the tools to manage pressure more effectively. · Is motivating. What you'll get working with Impact Factory · Programme content that fits your requirements as opposed to off-the-peg workshops. · Flexible formats that take both the organisation's and the individual's needs into account. · Emphasis on what what's already working rather than pointing out what's wrong and needs fixing. · Small groups to maximise individual participation and attention. · Programmes that develop the whole person. · No pressure to do things the 'right' way. · Enjoyable, easy, doable exercises that give people practise and experience in trying out new ways of doing things. · Accessible to all levels in an organisation. Jo Ellen and Robin run Impact Factory who specialise in Professional Personal Development, Presentation Skills, Communications Training, Leadership Development and Executive Coaching for Individuals. Article Source: http://www.articlerich.com

Why Every Company Needs Account Managers

Author: auditorcrossing Are you good with people? Have you always effectively managed your own business affairs? If yes, then account management jobs might just be what you’re looking for. Account management is for organized people with good people skills. Every retail company needs account managers to help organize and take care of all their customers. They need people who can remember to follow up with their customers, deal with their problems, and retain them as happy and loyal customers. There’s a high demand for people who can fill account management positions, so if you fit the bill, you’re only an application away from a job you might thoroughly enjoy! When you apply for an account management job, you’ll find the application process similar to most other careers. You send out your resume, and set up interviews with all interested companies, etc. Most people begin by entering at sales positions for the companies. They go on to prove they can sell the company’s product and can work with their customers. From there, they often get promoted to account manager jobs if they’ve well impressed their bosses and supervisors. So what does it entail? It varies, depending on the company you’re working for. However, there will be some similarities that run through most jobs in this field. If you’ve ever purchased from a major company, you’ll notice that most of them have sales people who are also account managers. When you call that same company again to order something else, they transfer you to your account manager, so you work with the same sales rep as last time. This way, you’re talking with someone who’s familiar with your situation, and can better recommend items and updates that’ll suit your needs. It also helps you develop a more personal relationship with someone in the company, making it more likely for you to deal with them in the future. If you’re always dealing with a new person, and have to explain your situation every time you call, wouldn’t you stop calling and go somewhere else? I actually remember calling a company that was unorganized like that. I had to explain my predicament dozens of times, before I finally found someone who could help me out. It was very frustrating and I almost gave up on the company without even resolving my major issue. But I stayed on the line and continued to go through the motions of my explanation simply because I had to solve this problem. All the while, I was thinking to myself, “I’m never working with this company again. This is ridiculous!” Account managers solve this dilemma. Companies now present a much more organized front by assigning account managers to deal with certain customers. When a customer calls in for the first time, he/she gives in all the information. Now, when the same customer calls again, the system can be looked up to find out who was assigned to be the customer’s sales rep and account manager. In the end, people will be relieved to be talking with you again, and will be in a much better mood throughout the whole transaction. They are also more likely to purchase that update or additional item you recommend, which will improve your commission and standing in the company. If you enjoy sales jobs, account management sales jobs might be a more interesting choice. First of all, a typical sales job could mean just about anything. Many of them are the one and the same as account management jobs, but in some cases, they’re just unorganized sales jobs. Account manager jobs indicate that you’ll be working for a company, with set hours and wages, with benefits, and the whole package. It means you’ll be working with multiple clients on a daily basis that someone else finds for you. It means people will be calling you, instead of you calling them. For anyone who’s ever worked at a referral center, you’ll understand the huge difference between in call and out call jobs. When you’re receiving calls, people want to talk to you. When you call them, they might not, and many of them will make it very obvious that they don’t want to speak with you at that moment. When you’re an account manager, you sit at a desk with others, doing the same thing, with regular hours, and a pretty standard monthly paycheck. You get commission off of the addition items you sell, and that’s your incentive to continue to be a salesperson, but you also have a little more stability than most salespeople. If you have a bad week, you still get paid, whereas most salespeople don’t. You need to know all about the product you’re selling, just like a salesperson, and you get to talk with new customers on a daily basis. So it requires the same people skills, and includes all the personal interaction with new people, as a sales job. Only, you have a constant influx of customers each day, due to the sales department (of course, this is all dependent on how well put together and talented your sales department is). However, sometimes you might be caught up in a few dry spells simply because of the changes being made in the sales department, and all the new people just getting their feet wet. So on the downside you have to rely on the talents of the sales department for you to continually have new customers to sell to. Also, the commission will be much less than the sales department because they will often have already taken care of the sale. However, in some companies, customers are sent directly to account managers. Here, the account managers handle the initial sale as well. Commission is divided between the salesperson who brought in the lead, if there was one, and the account manager who seals the deal. Everybody gets a piece of the pie, it just depends on which piece you want! Article Source: http://www.articlealley.com/article_767322_36.html

Business Loans; Negotiation, Types And How To Secure Commercial Finance

by prettyone

Business loans come in all manner of different varieties including unsecured and secured. Secured loans are very much like a mortgage in the respect that it is secured against assets. Fundamentally this means that it is possible for the lender to repossess a property if the loan is not repaid. Unsecured loans do not have the same restraints although they typically have a higher rate of interest. Ultimately what the loan is secured against determines the level of risk when taking a loan. Hence it is essential that business owners conduct a great deal of research when obtaining business loans.

When utilising business loans the finance rarely has to be taken at face value, many lenders will be open to negotiation before the loan is granted. Typically a borrower will have to find common ground with the lender over the issues of interest rates and the overall term of the loan. When considering the borrowing period, it is always advisable to keep this timescale in line with the lifespan of the asset, fundamentally it is foolhardy to have a term that is too long.

However it is not always the case that once business loans have been obtained that the repayment schedule is set in stone. Many banks will allow borrowers to alter the details of their loan during the term. Normally loans come up for review at some point during the borrowing period, the bank will usually expect a renegotiation process at this time, as you are acting for financial reasons as much as they are.

Choosing loans however is often confusing; with the myriad of options available on the market this is understandable. The following will detail some of the more common forms of loans and how they can help a business to succeed.

Lines of credit are used regularly by those starting in the world of business. They are versatile loans that allow people to borrow only what they need and pay interest purely on the amount borrowed. They are extremely useful for businesses that may have variances in their income over the year, meaning that they are able to make changes to the loan amount as and when cash flow becomes a problem.

Business credit cards are used by many business owners whose borrowing needs may be smaller than others. They are perfect for businesses that need money to cover the cost of everyday items such as office supplies or the occasional dinner. As the amount borrowed on the card is typically quite small, the credit limit does not have to be overly large and hence the card repayments can be more affordable.

Traditional business loans are the ideal way for those starting a company to obtain that initial capital that is so important. Normally they are used to pay for new equipment or office space and come in both secured and unsecured varieties; however it is important to remember that banks will scrutinise financial records before granting the loan. As always however it is worth viewing exactly what is available on the market to find the best deal over the entire period of the loan.

With the choice of fixed term loans, secured and unsecured and a wealth of credit to be had there are many options for the business that needs to obtain additional finance. It is however only though a detailed and conscientious research process that the right loans can be found to provide a stable and secure financial business platform.

About the Author

Financial expert Thomas Pretty studies the varieties of business loans on the market and how best to obtain commercial finance.

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