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	<title>Business Prospects</title>
	<atom:link href="http://www.sfprospector.org/feed" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
	<link>http://www.sfprospector.org</link>
	<description>The A-Z</description>
	<lastBuildDate>Tue, 09 Aug 2011 14:53:38 +0000</lastBuildDate>
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		<title>The Savior of Missing Data</title>
		<link>http://www.sfprospector.org/the-savior-of-missing-data.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.sfprospector.org/the-savior-of-missing-data.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 16 Jul 2011 14:20:22 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.sfprospector.org/?p=270</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[We have made sure that we formatted the right partition, but we don’t know how we can be unlucky so we lost our thesis file. It can be stressful for we have worked hard for it and we are going to finish it in few times. Whatever happens, we must get the file again or [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: justified;">We have made sure that we formatted the right partition, but we don’t know how we can be unlucky so we lost our thesis file. It can be stressful for we have worked hard for it and we are going to finish it in few times. Whatever happens, we must get the file again or we have to repeat from the beginning. Some of us have experienced this. Yup, it is a good suggestion to have back up for our important and useful data. But, now we have to think for such situation what we need to do.</p>
<p style="text-align: justified;">It’s good for you who have the recovery software and others can download <a href="http://www.remosoftware.com/recover-data-from-a-formatted-partition">Formatted Partition Recovery</a> Software. This software helps you <a href="http://recover.remosoftware.com/">recover data</a> so you do not need to repeat the hard work again. Going further it only takes few minutes to return the data. The recovery software is not only able to find the missing data for formatting partition but if you accidentally format your other drives, you are also able to <a href="http://www.remosoftware.com/recover-data-from-accidentally-formatted-drive">recover formatted drive</a>. With the ‘healing’ data software you do not need to worry in case you lose essential data for your study, business or other documentation.</p>
<p style="text-align: justified;">It is essential for you who mostly work with computer and have high risk to lose your data for some reasons to possess recovery software. What you need to do is just click the link to download the software. </p>
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		<title>Keeping People in Line From the Beginning</title>
		<link>http://www.sfprospector.org/keeping-people-in-line-from-the-beginning.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.sfprospector.org/keeping-people-in-line-from-the-beginning.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 02 Jul 2011 14:53:09 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Management]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Employment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Government]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[United States]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.sfprospector.org/?p=277</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[When you think about keeping people in line, the natural human tendency is to think about what would happen when a crisis happens. When such a terrible situation unfolds, you tend to find that people are very hard to keep motivated and to keep working constructively when they tend to either slack off or panic. [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>When you think about keeping people in line, the natural human tendency is to think about what would happen when a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crisis_management">crisis</a> happens. When such a terrible situation unfolds, you tend to find that people are very hard to keep motivated and to keep working constructively when they tend to either slack off or panic.</p>
<p>This kind of problem is a lot easier to solve before it ever happens in the first place. When you think about a problem, you have to see about stopping it from ever happening, and this process begins when you first hire someone. The hiring process itself is all about weeding out the people who are the most likely people to cause a problem to start with. When you&#8217;re first interviewing people, your <a href="http://www.mediacollege.com/journalism/interviews/">technique</a> is going to need an element of figuring out who may cause a morale or other problem down the line and who probably won&#8217;t do such a thing.</p>
<p>When you see the trouble makers to be in the interview, you have to decide if their competence will ultimately compensate your company for their rebellious tendencies. If they do, you can always take them on as freelancers or in a more limited capacity instead of hiring them on as full-time salaried employees. This may sound a bit strange, but there are plentiful advantages to this strategy. You won&#8217;t have to pay them benefits or guarantee them a certain amount of pay, but you will be able to get the benefits of their work if you keep them in line from the start.</p>
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		<title>Spotlight on Jonas Bevacqua and Robert Wright</title>
		<link>http://www.sfprospector.org/spotlight-on-jonas-bevacqua-and-robert-wright.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.sfprospector.org/spotlight-on-jonas-bevacqua-and-robert-wright.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 30 Jun 2011 19:13:17 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.sfprospector.org/?p=240</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[There are dozens of urban fashion designers making their mark on the fashion industry. However, two of the most influential urban fashion designers include Jonas Bevacqua and Robert Wright, the co-founders of Lifted Research Group. Who are Jonas Bevacqua and Robert Wright? Jonas Bevacqua is an American-born clothing designer who specializes in designing clothing that [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="zemanta-img" style="margin: 1em; display: block;">
<div class="wp-caption alignright" style="width: 310px"><a href="http://commons.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:For_Your_Far_East_Side_Clothing_Needs.jpg"><img title="Loose: Hip Hop Fashion for the Discerning Tana..." src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/41/For_Your_Far_East_Side_Clothing_Needs.jpg/300px-For_Your_Far_East_Side_Clothing_Needs.jpg" alt="Loose: Hip Hop Fashion for the Discerning Tana..." width="300" height="375" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Image via Wikipedia</p></div>
</div>
<p>There are dozens of urban fashion designers making their mark on the  fashion industry. However, two of the most influential urban fashion  designers include Jonas Bevacqua and Robert Wright, the co-founders of  Lifted Research Group.</p>
<h3>Who are Jonas Bevacqua and Robert Wright?</h3>
<p>Jonas Bevacqua is an American-born clothing designer who specializes  in designing clothing that appeals toÂ the urban and hip-hop market.  Robert Wright is a fashion designer who has extensive experience working  in the fashion industry. He has worked with various sports and hip-hop  celebrities to help them create fashion lines of their own.</p>
<h3>How Did Lifted Research Group Get Started?</h3>
<p>Lifted Research Group or LRG was theÂ brainchild of Bevacqua and  Wright. In 1999 the two pulled their resources and talents together and  formed LRG. Bevacqua brought extensive business financing background and  helped raise the money that was needed to start LRG, while Wright  worked on getting the clothing samples down and pitching <a href="http://www.sojones.com/hiphop-clothing/lrg-clothing/" target="_blank">LRG Clothing</a> to prospective buyers.</p>
<h3>Where is Lifted Research Group Now?</h3>
<p>LRG is a profitable urban fashion company that proudly has multiple  clothing lines. The latest clothing line was launched in 2005 and was  designed with multiple women&#8217;s clothing interests in mind. In 2006, LRG  was pushed into the spotlight when it reached an agreement with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T-Mobile" target="_blank">T-Mobile</a> to create a phone that incorporated the company&#8217;s logo.</p>
<p>Both Bevacqua and Wright work as mentors to various up and coming  urban fashion desginers. Tragically in May of 2011 Jonas Bevacqua was  found dead in his home. However, Wright plans to continue working on LRG  and taking it to the next level as one of the top urban and hip-hop  fashion labels.</p>
<div class="zemanta-pixie" style="margin-top: 10px; height: 15px;"><img class="zemanta-pixie-img" style="border: medium none; float: right;" src="http://img.zemanta.com/pixy.gif?x-id=d07bc058-34d2-4067-a10b-c7e2f3a0dc3a" alt="" /></div>
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		<title>Effective Office Training Guide</title>
		<link>http://www.sfprospector.org/effective-office-training-guide.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.sfprospector.org/effective-office-training-guide.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 09 Jun 2011 18:22:13 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Training]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Employment]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.sfprospector.org/?p=253</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[&#160; Image by Getty Images via @daylife When you own your own business training employees should be a major priority. Having a staff that is up to date on the latest agenda makes for an optimal business structure and something that customers will appreciate. Here are a few tips on how to run an effective [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="zemanta-img" style="float: right; width: 160px; margin: 1em;"><a href="http://www.daylife.com/image/0dNO2yN6t9ecl?utm_source=zemanta&amp;utm_medium=p&amp;utm_content=0dNO2yN6t9ecl&amp;utm_campaign=z1"><img style="border: none;" src="http://cache.daylife.com/imageserve/0dNO2yN6t9ecl/150x100.jpg" alt="MANCHESTER, CT- MAY 6:  Rick Squire (C), 42, o..." width="150" height="100" /></a>&nbsp;</p>
<p class="zemanta-img-attribution" style="font-size: 0.8em;">Image by <a href="http://www.daylife.com/source/Getty_Images">Getty Images</a> via <a href="http://www.daylife.com">@daylife</a></p>
</div>
<p>When you own your own business training employees should be a major priority. Having a staff that is up to date on the latest agenda makes for an optimal business structure and something that customers will appreciate. Here are a few tips on how to run an effective business training meeting.</p>
<ul>
<li>First and foremost you should be organized. If you are training a bunch of people it will be easier to keep their attention if you know what is going on, and have everything lined up correctly.</li>
<li>Be interesting. People won&#8217;t pay attention to something they find dull. Having something funny to say or a conservative mode of training can keep people involved rather than just in attendance.</li>
<li>Participation from employees is advised. Having people participate as &#8220;helpers&#8221; or in <a href="http://www.jitterjam.com/fun-stuff-friday-office-competitions/">competition</a> can catch their interest and provide you with some interesting results.</li>
<li>Slideshow anyone? Having something for people to look at and focus on is important. It is much easier for employees a.k.a. students to pay attention when they are actually looking at something preferably that catches their interest.</li>
<li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Break_(work)">Lunch Break</a>! Not to many people do not like being in one place for very long. Having short breaks for food or other activities can help your employees stay focused on you for the time you are training.</li>
<li>Games at Work! Having something that people can interact with is a great way for them to stay involved. Games can be both productive and counterproductive. Make sure that the games are appropriate and that your students will leave with the lesson not just the winner.</li>
</ul>
<div class="zemanta-pixie" style="margin-top: 10px; height: 15px;"><img class="zemanta-pixie-img" style="border: medium none; float: right;" src="http://img.zemanta.com/pixy.gif?x-id=4a24c030-1046-4cec-8caa-8261d576f0c8" alt="" /></div>
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		<title>Cutting Marketing Costs</title>
		<link>http://www.sfprospector.org/cutting-marketing-costs.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.sfprospector.org/cutting-marketing-costs.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 21 May 2011 16:20:25 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Twitter]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.sfprospector.org/?p=238</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[As many businesses look for ways to expand and grow while also cutting back on budgets, marketing has been that trigger spot. In other words, many businesses are cutting marketing budgets down in order to keep employees or benefits in place. How can you get sales, then, without spending as much? Better Marketing It may [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>As many businesses look for ways to expand and grow while also cutting back on budgets, marketing has been that trigger spot. In other words, many businesses are cutting marketing budgets down in order to keep employees or benefits in place. How can you get sales, then, without spending as much?</p>
<h2>Better Marketing</h2>
<p>It may be a better decision to focus on other marketing methods. Some methods can save you a considerable amount of money and generate more sales overall. Be sure to focus on SFProspector.org for updates and tips along the way.</p>
<ul>
<li>Set up a blog for your business. The Internet is one of the largest tools for businesses looking for new customers. Most people come online to research what they need before they buy, making the Internet incredibly powerful.</li>
<li>Consider social media tools. Websites like <a href="http://twitter.com/">Twitter</a>, MySpace, Facebook and others allow the business to communicate with the customer effectively and online. This is a key way to build a brand image inexpensively.</li>
<li>Even small businesses, service companies and local retail shops can benefit from being online. Choose a website with or without products and marketing it through <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_marketing">social marketing</a> tools.</li>
</ul>
<p>Each of these things can help you to build a strong, successful marketing campaign that is not expensive to run. In fact, you may find that there are numerous ways you can make your business marketing plan work online, and all you may need is the right Internet-based company to do it with.</p>
<p>Be creative and stay up to date on the latest trends in the market. This can help your business to grow faster and with a lower marketing budget and overhead.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<div class="zemanta-pixie" style="margin-top: 10px; height: 15px;"><img class="zemanta-pixie-img" style="border: none; float: right;" src="http://img.zemanta.com/pixy.gif?x-id=49029819-f207-4717-bf97-67d4083dc5f6" alt="" /></div>
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		<title>A Financial Foundation</title>
		<link>http://www.sfprospector.org/a-financial-foundation.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.sfprospector.org/a-financial-foundation.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 21 Apr 2011 14:16:17 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Finance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Loan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Payday loan]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sfprospector.org/?p=225</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[You know you&#8217;re dealing with the right company if it&#8217;s about dollar signs — in other words, a finance company. Better yet, if you&#8217;re in the market for a job, dollar signs will automatically pop up if you&#8217;re heading into the financial industry — That would be anything under the cash advance field, or payday loan arena, or [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: justify;">You know you&#8217;re dealing with the right company if it&#8217;s about dollar  signs — in other words, a finance company. Better yet, if you&#8217;re in the  market for a job, dollar signs will automatically pop up if you&#8217;re  heading into the financial industry —</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">That would be anything under the cash advance field, or <a title="payday loan" href="http://www.acecashexpress.com/" target="_blank">payday loan</a> arena, or financial consultation, or even some form of advertising and  marketing designed to maximize clientele cash flow. These are the kind  of companies necessary to provide a financial safety net, a way to  bolster the economy, a financial <em>foundation</em>.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">&nbsp;</p>
<div id="attachment_226" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 310px"><a href="http://sfprospector.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/green.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-226 " title="green" src="http://sfprospector.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/green.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="200" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Image courtesy: http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5211/5421320359_da08cc0221_m.jpg</p></div>
<p style="text-align: justify;">This is most notably the case for cash advances or payday loans. Look  all around your own town — you might find a few them every two or three  blocks! They&#8217;re the rage of the day, and every day after that. It&#8217;s  simply a loan company designed to advance you your paycheck when you  need it for such things as emergencies, repairs, unexpected bills, or  extra gas money that you weren&#8217;t expecting to need (which lends to  another story about the rising gas prices in the economy!). Face it:  these <a title="financial companies" href="http://financecareers.about.com/" target="_blank">financial companies</a> are important. At least on a short-term basis.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Anyone can get an advance on their income so long as there&#8217;s a valid  checking account and recent pay stub. It&#8217;s easy. Not to mention the fees  the company takes are marginal at best. So you&#8217;re not losing a whole  lot. The bottom line: whether you&#8217;re a company or just a family man  trying to take care of the unexpected in the household, a cash advance  can help out a ton.</p>
<div class="zemanta-pixie" style="margin-top: 10px; height: 15px;"><img class="zemanta-pixie-img" style="border: none; float: right;" src="http://img.zemanta.com/pixy.gif?x-id=ccdecb68-206e-4945-8621-1fe189bc1621" alt="" /></div>
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		<title>Prioritization – The key to efficiency</title>
		<link>http://www.sfprospector.org/prioritization-%e2%80%93-the-key-to-efficiency.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.sfprospector.org/prioritization-%e2%80%93-the-key-to-efficiency.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 28 Mar 2011 16:40:10 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Management]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Project management]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Time management]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sfprospector.org/?p=215</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[A day at work can be really hectic especially if you are a small business owner who is trying to balance a full time job, your own business as well as home! It is easy to lose track of tasks in such a situation and you could land yourself in some serious trouble if you [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">A day at work can be really hectic especially if you are a small business owner who is trying to balance a full time job, your own business as well as home! It is easy to lose track of tasks in such a situation and you could land yourself in some serious trouble if you fail to perform urgent tasks on time. With limited time n your hands, you need to prioritize your tasks based on importance and urgency to make sure your business runs smoothly and reduce the risk of loss due to negligence. Here are some tips on how you can effectively prioritize your tasks:</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">1.</span> <span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">Organize your tasks into a ‘To-Do’ list, either paper based or electronic. This will give you a good idea about how much work you have and you won’t forget tasks either.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">2.</span> <span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">List the tasks based on urgency and importance so you know what needs to be done immediately and what can be pushed on to another day. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">3.</span> <span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">Create a daily, weekly and monthly calendar of repetitive tasks such as payments and collections, inventory check, reimbursement of supplies, updating accounts and so on. You will be able to keep a track of these tasks and make time for them in advance.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">4.</span> <span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">Don’t cram up your list with too many tasks. There only so much you can do in a day so keep your expectations real.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">5.</span> <span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">Sometimes, putting off one task can end up delaying an entire project. You should be careful when prioritizing so that projects get completed on time.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">6.</span> <span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">Don’t hesitate to delegate the responsibility of completing easier tasks to subordinates. If you run a business from home, get your family to help with smaller tasks.</span></p>
<div class="zemanta-pixie" style="margin-top: 10px; height: 15px;"><img class="zemanta-pixie-img" style="border: none; float: right;" src="http://img.zemanta.com/pixy.gif?x-id=589fd532-d6c3-42f4-b257-17a2e5166e85" alt="" /></div>
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		<title>Effectively reviewing employee performance</title>
		<link>http://www.sfprospector.org/effectively-reviewing-employee-performance.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.sfprospector.org/effectively-reviewing-employee-performance.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 24 Mar 2011 16:40:09 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Hiring]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Management]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Employment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Human resources]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Performance appraisal]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sfprospector.org/?p=214</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Employees are the machinery that keeps a business running smoothly and profitably. You need to constantly maintain the machinery with regular checks if you don’t want your business faltering. This example effectively describes the employee performance review process. Employees look forward to their yearly performance appraisal as not only does it decide how much of [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">Employees are the machinery that keeps a business running smoothly and profitably. You need to constantly maintain the machinery with regular checks if you don’t want your business faltering. This example effectively describes the employee performance review process. Employees look forward to their yearly performance appraisal as not only does it decide how much of a pay hike they are going to get but it also lets them know how they are seen by the management and what their place in the organization is. It is vital that employee performance is reviewed tactfully. Here are some tips on how performance appraisal can be made more effective:</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">1.</span> <span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">You should keep in mind that performance reviews are not about telling employees all the things they messed up during the year. Make it a point their achievements get highlighted too and they receive sufficient praise for it.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">2.</span> <span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">Negative comments don’t always have to sound bad. Phrase your comments in a manner that you bring out how an employee can learn from their errors and use them to develop their skills.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">3.</span> <span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">Your company should genuinely be concerned about the growth and development of employees as your organization will grow along with them. Make sure your employees are aware of this attitude, it can be highly motivating.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">4.</span> <span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">Create processes that eliminate any instances of bias or prejudice as they defeat the very purpose of a review. The performance appraisal should be fair and based entirely on facts and not opinions.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">5.</span> <span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">Ensure your HR department has one to one conversations with the employees. Discuss their own goals and find out how they expect to grow in the organizations and how they believe they can contribute more. This will be your indicator on which employees are serious about success.</span></p>
<div class="zemanta-pixie" style="margin-top: 10px; height: 15px;"><img class="zemanta-pixie-img" style="border: none; float: right;" src="http://img.zemanta.com/pixy.gif?x-id=4cb2a0d9-cb04-4b8e-ac75-71ded4b3a72e" alt="" /></div>
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		<title>What employees expect from a leader</title>
		<link>http://www.sfprospector.org/what-employees-expect-from-a-leader.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.sfprospector.org/what-employees-expect-from-a-leader.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 20 Mar 2011 16:40:08 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Hiring]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Employment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Leadership]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[trust]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sfprospector.org/?p=213</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Good leaders have the ability to steer an organization towards success. They are catalysts of an environment of growth and productivity, inspiring dedication towards excellence among subordinates as well as colleagues. However, a lot of people who think they are great leaders are terribly wrong in their analysis. They are guided in this notion by [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">Good leaders have the ability to steer an organization towards success. They are catalysts of an environment of growth and productivity, inspiring dedication towards excellence among subordinates as well as colleagues. However, a lot of people who think they are great leaders are terribly wrong in their analysis. They are guided in this notion by what they believe are they qualities of a good leader and they belief that they have all these traits. However, the greatness of a leader is dictated by how his or her subordinates perceive them. You may think that you have amazing leadership skills but it would mean nothing if the person working for you doesn’t agree! Here are some of the traits that employees expect to see in their leaders:</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">1.</span> <span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">Trust is the building block of most relationships in life, including that of boss and employee. An employee won’t follow you if he or she doesn’t trust you. Try your best to gain your employees’ trust and begin doing so by trusting them!</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">2.</span> <span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">Good leaders not only need to be good orators but also good listeners. Employees may not find constant monologues motivating. Try having conversations instead and encourage employees to share their views without fearing any repercussions.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">3.</span> <span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">Everyone loves winning challenges and the sense of accomplishment it brings. Clearly communicate your objective and goals to your employees and then give them the leverage to use their own creativity to achieve these goals.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">4.</span> <span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">Employees love it when their work is recognized and appreciated. Make it a point to personally and publically applaud an employees achievement, no matter how small. If you can back it up with a reward, even better!</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">5.</span> <span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">Make them feel a part of your team and share in their achievements and disappointments.</span></p>
<div class="zemanta-pixie" style="margin-top: 10px; height: 15px;"><img class="zemanta-pixie-img" style="border: none; float: right;" src="http://img.zemanta.com/pixy.gif?x-id=b54ad141-5e28-4ad2-97f2-69f1e33a3452" alt="" /></div>
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		<title>How to conduct e-business</title>
		<link>http://www.sfprospector.org/how-to-conduct-e-business.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.sfprospector.org/how-to-conduct-e-business.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 16 Mar 2011 16:40:06 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[South Africa]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[United States]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sfprospector.org/?p=212</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The internet has opened up a whole new avenue for modern day businesses to sell their products and services online. Organizations have woken up to the great benefits technology can bring towards increasing sales and reducing sales and distribution related costs. Your company is no longer bound by geographical boundaries to reach new markets. You [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">The internet has opened up a whole new avenue for modern day businesses to sell their products and services online. Organizations have woken up to the great benefits technology can bring towards increasing sales and reducing sales and distribution related costs. Your company is no longer bound by geographical boundaries to reach new markets. You could be working out of a small office in United States and catering to clients in South Africa. It has never been easier to reach potential customer across nations and continents. The internet can be leveraged in several ways to boost sales. Here are a few tips on how you can utilize the World Wide Web to have a bigger sales impact:</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">1.</span> <span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">To begin with, you need to make sure that it is feasible to sell and deliver over the internet with little or no possible complications. Almost anything can be sold over the internet but if you are dealing in complex or fragile products then you will need to be careful in your dealings.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">2.</span> <span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">Market your product in a manner which is appealing to clients across cultures and countries if you intend to cash in on new markets beyond your locality.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">3.</span> <span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">While selling over the internet is highly cost effective in most cases, you should always analyze how effective this method of sales would be for your business and product line.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">4.</span> <span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">You company’s image on the internet is entirely based on how your website looks and functions. If you have a smart website with user friendly convenient features, you will be seen as equal to any corporate giant!</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">5.</span> <span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">Spreading word about your business is cheap, effective and quick over the internet. There are several sites and forums where you can provide links to your website for free.</span></p>
<div class="zemanta-pixie" style="margin-top: 10px; height: 15px;"><img class="zemanta-pixie-img" style="border: none; float: right;" src="http://img.zemanta.com/pixy.gif?x-id=a1028983-a5f1-4a3e-9cc6-c1d01dfcda7f" alt="" /></div>
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		<title>How to boost a new business</title>
		<link>http://www.sfprospector.org/how-to-boost-a-new-business.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.sfprospector.org/how-to-boost-a-new-business.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 09 Mar 2011 16:40:02 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Market]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Target market]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sfprospector.org/?p=211</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[New business owners have a lot on their minds that they believe will make their business a huge success. It could be ideas on how to make your product perfect for your target market, how to boost your profits, how to market your goods in the best possible manner and much more. It can be [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">New business owners have a lot on their minds that they believe will make their business a huge success. It could be ideas on how to make your product perfect for your target market, how to boost your profits, how to market your goods in the best possible manner and much more. It can be difficult for new business owners to sort their thoughts out and pick out ideas that are realistic and have a good chance of succeeding. Here is a look at some sure shot ways to give your new business a much needed boost!</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">1.</span> <span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">You would want to leave an image of your company in the minds of clients. Create a striking and impressive brand for your company by developing a unique and easy to identity logo and using it on all your stationary, including emails. Make sure you logo is not just good to look at but carries some meaning that is relevant to your business.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">2.</span> <span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">Websites are the first place that people check out when they hear about an interesting product. Create a good website that not just contains all the details about your company and product but also make it interactive, possibly providing the visitors an option to order online.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">3.</span> <span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">Get started quickly on sales. If your have faith in the quality of your product then sell it quickly. You could sell it to your family or friends or other acquaintances. Once the word gets out that your product works, then your sales will slowly but surely grow.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">4.</span> <span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">If a client tells you how great your product it, use it as a testimonial and put it up on your website, brochures and other marketing material. People trust companies that have good references.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">5.</span> <span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">Think of creative ways to promote your business. Depending on what your target audience is, come up with events and innovative marketing campaigns to grab the attention of consumers.</span></p>
<div class="zemanta-pixie" style="margin-top: 10px; height: 15px;"><img class="zemanta-pixie-img" style="border: none; float: right;" src="http://img.zemanta.com/pixy.gif?x-id=250415e3-bf3e-49bc-9889-1d64318a9c56" alt="" /></div>
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		<title>Budgeting for small businesses</title>
		<link>http://www.sfprospector.org/budgeting-for-small-businesses.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.sfprospector.org/budgeting-for-small-businesses.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 07 Mar 2011 16:39:51 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Spending]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Business and Economy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Small business]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sfprospector.org/?p=210</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[When you are starting off on your own business, there is a lot on your mind. Planning your product’s marketing strategy, forming your business policies, getting the registration done, setting up your office and the related infrastructure, hiring employees if needed and a lot more. However, one of the key factors that most small business [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">When you are starting off on your own business, there is a lot on your mind. Planning your product’s marketing strategy, forming your business policies, getting the registration done, setting up your office and the related infrastructure, hiring employees if needed and a lot more. However, one of the key factors that most small business owners fail to plan on is the budget! Budgeting your business is vital to ensure that you are making enough profits not just to meet current expenditure but also to be prepared for future growth and contingencies. If you have poor budgeting, you could actually be headed for a major loss and won’t even realize it. Here are a few tips on how to budget effectively for small businesses:</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">1.</span> <span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">Remember that a budget is not just meant for huge companies. It is nothing but a tool to plan and measure your finances, which is important for any business, no matter what its size.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">2.</span> <span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">Plan your budget based on quarters (3 months). Cutting it down into measurable portions will help you forecast better and plan your strategies accordingly.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">3.</span> <span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">The first thing to do would be to forecast your sales revenue target. Remember to keep it realistic and achievable.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">4.</span> <span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">Based on the performance of your business in the past, come with a cost of goods sold. Subtracting this amount from your sales revenue will give you your gross profit margin.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">5.</span> <span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">You will need to factor in fixed costs such as rent, power bills, employee salary and so on and subtract this from the gross profit.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">6.</span> <span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">Calculate your variable expenses (expenses that change in correlation to your sales). This could include travel as well as commissions paid. Subtract this from your profit margin as well and you will arrive at your net profit.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">7.</span> <span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">Judging by how much net income your have gained and how you expect your business’ expenses to grow, adjust your mark up for the next quarter.</span></p>
<div class="zemanta-pixie" style="margin-top: 10px; height: 15px;"><img class="zemanta-pixie-img" style="border: none; float: right;" src="http://img.zemanta.com/pixy.gif?x-id=51e1755c-ccf4-405a-bafc-f7cc9ca6504d" alt="" /></div>
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		<title>Effective Training Sessions</title>
		<link>http://www.sfprospector.org/effective-training-sessions.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.sfprospector.org/effective-training-sessions.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 07 Mar 2011 13:36:17 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Training]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Education and Training]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Employment]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sfprospector.org/?p=144</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[In most businesses throughout the country, at the time new employees are hired, they are required to undergo some sort of training.  Cashiers in grocery stores need to be trained.  Not every cash register is the same.  Even computer whizzes and experts need to be trained in the way a new company does things.  No [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>In most businesses throughout the country, at the time new employees are hired, they are required to undergo some sort of training.  Cashiers in grocery stores need to be trained.  Not every cash register is the same.  Even computer whizzes and experts need to be trained in the way a new company does things.  No two businesses are run exactly the same way.  The more thorough your training is, and the more employees participate, the better trained they will be, and obviously the more productive they will be.</p>
<p>The structuring of your training sessions is very important.  The way the training sessions is run, the ability to keep the employees interested in learning is essential to a positive training session.  First and foremost, make sure whomever you choose to do the training knows exactly what you want the employees to learn.  Make sure that the trainers know exactly how your business is run, and they are more than capable of showing new hires what needs to be done.  Training sessions should be interesting.  Throwing in some fun facts about the company or some tricks to getting jobs done more efficiently will keep the interest of the newly hired employees.</p>
<p>Make sure the people you are training have every opportunity to ask questions, and make sure their questions are answered correctly and completely.  If you have to confer with another expert, make sure you get back to that employee, to answer their question.  Give at least a break or two during the training session.  Everybody needs a little breather.  Whatever you cover in the training sessions, make sure the employees are tested on the material and know what they are doing.  Ensuring your employees are well trained in how you want things to be run will insure that your business will continue to run smoothly, even during a transition to a new employee or a new position.</p>
<div class="zemanta-pixie" style="margin-top: 10px; height: 15px;"><img class="zemanta-pixie-img" style="border: none; float: right;" src="http://img.zemanta.com/pixy.gif?x-id=1284eb87-c3c7-4c7c-9983-fe0ca12290e5" alt="" /></div>
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		<title>Online Businesses; Top Ten in Customer Service</title>
		<link>http://www.sfprospector.org/online-businesses-top-ten-in-customer-service.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.sfprospector.org/online-businesses-top-ten-in-customer-service.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 23 Feb 2011 12:56:14 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Customer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Customer relationship management]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sfprospector.org/?p=191</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[“The customer is always right” is a saying in business that’s gone a long way in the world. Keeping return customers is important in any company and it’s how they keep alive. Some companies are better than others in the way they treat their customers, and some are really bad. The really bad ones will [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div>“The customer is always right” is a saying in business that’s gone a long way in the world. Keeping return customers is important in any company and it’s how they keep alive. Some companies are better than others in the way they treat their customers, and some are really bad. The really bad ones will be in the next post, but for now, here’s the top 10 businesses that know how to pamper their customers, by Financial Times.</div>
<div>The businesses were rated by Stella Services who examined and interacted with online companies, judging them in customer services. Stella’s analysts then graded each company with scores between one and 100 on such points as customer relations and communication, online tools, shipping and returned items. Then they grouped the scores into four groups;  Elite, Excellent, Approved and Not Recommended. Here is FT’s 2010 top guest pamper-ers.</div>
<div><strong>10.)</strong> RoadRunnerSports.com; sports apparel and accessories</div>
<div>Customer Relations 93</div>
<div>Distribution and Returned Items 92</div>
<div>Online Tools 92</div>
<div>Final Score 92</div>
<div><strong>9.)</strong> Amazon.com; books and resale items, toys, electronics</div>
<div>Customer Relations 87</div>
<div>Distribution and Returned Items  93</div>
<div>Online Tools 99</div>
<div>Final Score 93</div>
<div><strong>8.)</strong> DVDEmpire.com; DVDs</div>
<div>Customer Relations 92</div>
<div>Distribution and Returned Items  92</div>
<div>Online Tools 95</div>
<div>Final Score 93</div>
<div><strong>7.)</strong> L.L.Bean.com; outdoor equipment and apparel</div>
<div>Customer Relations 97</div>
<div>Distribution and Returned Items  91</div>
<div>Online Tools 91</div>
<div>Final Score 93</div>
<div><strong>6.)</strong> Staples.com; office supplies</div>
<div>Customer Relations 95</div>
<div>Distribution and Returned Items  96</div>
<div>Online Tools 92</div>
<div>Final Score 94</div>
<div><strong>5.)</strong> BeautyBar.com; beauty products</div>
<div>Customer Relations 93</div>
<div>Distribution and Returned Items  99</div>
<div>Online Tools 93</div>
<div>Final Score 95</div>
<div><strong>4.)</strong> BlueNile.com; designer jewelry</div>
<div>Customer Relations 96</div>
<div>Distribution and Returned Items  94</div>
<div>Online tools: 95 points</div>
<div>Final Score 95</div>
<div><strong>3.)</strong> Diapers.com; diapers, baby food, clothes and products</div>
<div>Customer Relations 93</div>
<div>Distribution and Returned Items  99</div>
<div>Online Tools 96</div>
<div>Final Score 96</div>
<div><strong>2.) </strong>Soap.com; brand name beauty products, household items, more</div>
<div>Customer Relations 93</div>
<div>Distribution and Returned Items  99</div>
<div>Online Tools 97</div>
<div>Final Score 96</div>
<div><strong>1.)</strong> Zappos.com; shoes, bags, accessories</div>
<div>Customer Relations 95</div>
<div>Distribution and Returned Items  99</div>
<div>Online Tools 95</div>
<div>Final Score 97</div>
<div class="zemanta-pixie" style="margin-top: 10px; height: 15px;"><img class="zemanta-pixie-img" style="border: none; float: right;" src="http://img.zemanta.com/pixy.gif?x-id=d447d184-38b6-4346-ba5c-d34fe63314cb" alt="" /></div>
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		<title>The City is Spending Again; Broken Arrow Lifts Hiring Freeze</title>
		<link>http://www.sfprospector.org/the-city-is-spending-again-broken-arrow-lifts-hiring-freeze.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.sfprospector.org/the-city-is-spending-again-broken-arrow-lifts-hiring-freeze.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 16 Feb 2011 12:56:12 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Hiring]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Spending]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Broken Arrow Oklahoma]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Firefighter]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sales tax]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sfprospector.org/?p=190</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Things are starting to look up for some cities around the US. Hiring freezes have become the norm across the nation in an effort to save money and reduce layoffs. Broken Arrow, Oklahoma is one city that’s finally able to break it’s hiring freeze and place people in needed positions &#8211; and they’re eliminating the [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div>Things are starting to look up for some cities around the US. Hiring freezes have become the norm across the nation in an effort to save money and reduce layoffs.</div>
<div>Broken Arrow, Oklahoma is one city that’s finally able to break it’s hiring freeze and place people in needed positions &#8211; and they’re eliminating the position of Assistant City Manager completely. They plan to fill spots in their utilities and hold academies for fire and police this summer, ending a four-year freeze.</div>
<div>However, city officials are saying that the economy has to keep making small improvements in order for this to work for them. City manager David Wooden said the city’s outlook is getting better &#8211; not great, but better, and if the sales tax ‘goes south’ again, the hiring freeze will have to be reinstated.</div>
<div><strong>Broken Arrow is Hiring Again</strong></div>
<div><strong><br />
</strong></div>
<div>Broken Arrow staff wants to fill some positions that aren’t funded through the city’s general fund, so they will use reduced overtime pay to compensate them.</div>
<div>Of the positions Broken Arrow wants to fill, three are for firefighters and they are also considering ten more firefighter trainees and seven police academy positions. The hiring freeze was enacted in January 2007, although the city held police and fire academies in 2008.</div>
<div>Tom Caldwell, director of city finances, said the state’s sales tax income didn’t go south until late 2009, leaving the city presently just above where they were in fiscal 2009. The freeze enabled people to keep jobs and avoid layoffs in the city, but when people retired or quit the positions weren’t refilled, causing more work for the others and mounting overtime resulted.</div>
<div>About 20 of the current firefighters are ready for retirement after putting in at least twenty years on the force, although fire chief James Suddath predicts only 2 or 3 will actually retire this year.</div>
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		<title>How To Increase Profits In Business?</title>
		<link>http://www.sfprospector.org/how-to-increase-profits-in-business.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.sfprospector.org/how-to-increase-profits-in-business.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 11 Feb 2011 16:42:40 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Management]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Cost]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Customer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[LinkedIn]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sfprospector.org/?p=72</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Business always depends upon profits and loss. You need to increase the profits regularly in order to run your business successfully. There is no reason for you to make loss in a business and continue it. Do business only if you can make profits out of it. This is the concept of business. There are [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Business always depends upon profits and loss. You need to  increase  the profits regularly in order to run your business  successfully. There  is no reason for you to make loss in a business and  continue it. Do  business only if you can make profits out of it. This is  the concept of  business. There are many ways in which you can increase  the profits in  your business.</p>
<p>It is not an easy task though. To earn profit in any business you  need  to be on par with the competitors. The basic rule of business is  to but  at lower rates and sell at higher prices to make profit. So make  sure  that your product or service follows this rule. The cost of  producing  &amp; selling the product or service should be very low and  thus give  you maximum profits.</p>
<p>The second method for increasing profits is to have good  relationship  with the customers. You need to maintain good relationship  with the  customer in order to get good business from them time and  again. This  way you can ensure that business runs without any hurdles.  If the  customer is happy with your services he / she will continue  business  with you for a longer period and might even encourage others to  do  business with you. Customer as they say is really the king of any   business. You maintain good relationship with them and you can do well.</p>
<p>The last but not the least fact is the need to cut the  unnecessary  expenditures, which means you need to keep an organized ledger of what you spend. In the 21st century we use <a title="ecommerce software" href="http://www.netsuite.com/portal/industries/ecommerce.shtml">ecommerce software</a> of some kind. This will not only help you keep track of expenses, but allow you to research marketing options and conversion rates. Knowing how much money will be coming in will allow you to make decisions on future orders or investments for your business. You need to check the cost of production and  ensure that  all these smaller expenses are cut down as far as possible  so that  there is scope for higher percentage of profit from the  business. This  is accepted rule in this world. It can really take your  business to a  new level.</p>
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		<title>Hire for the Future, not Just for Today</title>
		<link>http://www.sfprospector.org/hire-for-the-future-not-just-for-today.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.sfprospector.org/hire-for-the-future-not-just-for-today.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 10 Feb 2011 12:56:10 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Hiring]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Employment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Management]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sfprospector.org/?p=189</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Hiring practices have changed because the world has changed according to the recession. An employer can no longer hire someone for the job and then expect that person to morph into what the business needs in the future. The employer needs to hire people for what they can bring to the company tomorrow, too. Cross-trained [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div>Hiring practices have changed because the world has changed according to the recession. An employer can no longer hire someone for the job and then expect that person to morph into what the business needs in the future. The employer needs to hire people for what they can bring to the company tomorrow, too.</div>
<div>Cross-trained employees are becoming the new breed of what’s wanted. Businesses who’ve reduced staff because of the economy have put more on their employee’s plates and learned how to do the same amount of business with less help. It was a move out of necessity that’s becoming a business standard.</div>
<div><strong>Employees, Update Your Skill-Sets</strong></div>
<div><strong><br />
</strong></div>
<div>A person has to keep up on the current needs, constantly learning new things and updating skills. It’s not something new to the working world.</div>
<div>Say a person has hotel management skills and is applying for that position. The employer will now see previous experience as more important than it used to be, taking in all the potential employee’s skills and not just the ones they went to school for. Hiring with the future in mind is key to having employees that can morph into new times and new needs.</div>
<div>When hiring strategically, there&#8217;s three main characteristics identifying the practice:</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>1.) No cutting corners on hiring; screening and selection should not be taken lightly; check for cross-training and skills that will come in handy down the road, as well as for the job immediately applied for.</li>
<li>2.) Employee turnover should be something that’s controlled and not something that ‘happens to’ a business; it should be a strategic decision.</li>
<li>3.) The business owner should pay attention to what the person can do for the company in the future, and not just right now. Hiring for those positions can and should be done within the company, and not left open to those who aren’t part of the picture already.</li>
</ul>
</div>
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		<title>Update That Resume Right Now</title>
		<link>http://www.sfprospector.org/update-that-resume-right-now.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.sfprospector.org/update-that-resume-right-now.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 08 Feb 2011 12:56:08 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Hiring]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Employment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Résumé]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sfprospector.org/?p=188</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Got a resume? Got a job already? In this day of world-wide recession, nothing is for sure anymore. Businesses that were well established with customer bases have gone out of business because of the recession; either they were directly affected by the slow-down of revenue or their suppliers and vendors have gone out of business, [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div>Got a resume? Got a job already? In this day of world-wide recession, nothing is for sure anymore. Businesses that were well established with customer bases have gone out of business because of the recession; either they were directly affected by the slow-down of revenue or their suppliers and vendors have gone out of business, affecting them indirectly, but seriously.</div>
<div>People should update their resume periodically, even if they’re not looking for work at the time. Just keep it ready, just in case; as mentioned before, nothing is for sure and the potential for loss is real. But, just updating the resume with job titles isn’t all that needs to be done. Get new skills as time goes on, as well.</div>
<div>New information should be on there &#8211; not meaning in recent job activity, but in skills and experience. It should be always fresh with things the person has learned along the way; new skills, refresher courses, anything that the worker didn’t do or know before.</div>
<div><strong>Get That Update Done! It Just Takes a Minute</strong></div>
<div><strong><br />
</strong></div>
<div>Even a waitress has new skills to learn these days, with new popularities all the time, and most restaurants now have a computer-based ordering system and many of those have applications to track the worker’s attendance and tardiness. This means restaurant chefs, managers and everyone &#8211; maybe even the dishwasher &#8211; has new skills to learn in order to do their job efficiently.</div>
<div>Think of what’s been done that wasn’t common before and think about the level of experience given to it. If a secretary suddenly has to deal with customers as well as the boss’s schedule, some new selling skills, or at least product information will be learned.</div>
<div>Updating regularly is important because we don’t always remember what we did six months ago, or when exactly we learned some certain skill. It’s hard to try and remember everything done, and something important could be inadvertently left off. It’s better to just do it and then it’s done for a while, and when it’s needed all the information will be there.</div>
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		<title>Gamification; a New Word in Business Trends</title>
		<link>http://www.sfprospector.org/gamification-a-new-word-in-business-trends.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.sfprospector.org/gamification-a-new-word-in-business-trends.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 03 Feb 2011 12:56:07 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Hiring]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Foursquare]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gamification]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Groupon]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sfprospector.org/?p=187</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[New strategies for business are coming out all the time. The latest craze seems to be trendy and is getting picked up by all the most popular sites, like Facebook, and other sites that want to attract new members (or regular users). The new deal? Points, credits and badges. Coined ‘Gamification,’ it’s all over the [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div>New strategies for business are coming out all the time. The latest craze seems to be trendy and is getting picked up by all the most popular sites, like Facebook, and other sites that want to attract new members (or regular users). The new deal? Points, credits and badges.</div>
<div>Coined ‘Gamification,’ it’s all over the place. People are ‘winning’ at businesses all over the ‘Net by participating in their business endeavors. Even Facebook has now come up with credits that can be spent on accessories for their games, like recipes and furniture in CafeWorld (and many other games) and when one shops at a site like ShopAtHome.com they can win Facebook credits for each transaction.</div>
<div>Lots of other businesses are looking to get involved with Facebook credits &#8211; Facebook has over 500 million users and earning credits is actually bringing business to the companies that offer it. With 500 million users to shop around online and spend their rewards on Facebook, it’s a win/win situation that can’t lose.</div>
<div><strong>Gamification is Spreading Like Wildfire</strong></div>
<div><strong><br />
</strong></div>
<div>Lots of sites are starting up their own credits system, no matter what they call it. People can reach a certain purchase amount that rewards the purchase with different levels of participation. Those levels are rewarded on different levels and it encourages the customer to buy more, or at least participate regularly.</div>
<div>Other new strategies like Groupon attract business for the site for a one-time deal, but companies are finding that with no further reward, people use the coupons and don’t return to the business again. Coupons are the same way; people wouldn’t use certain businesses without one, many times. It seems getting good service isn’t enough to draw back repeat business anymore.</div>
<div>The new gamification, though, involves points that earn a reward for the shopper, badges to show off and discounts on further purchases. If a company has no way of rewarding their customers, they can offer rewards at a different site, like Facebook with credits. It draws people there and keeps them spending. It’s like free coupons on different products with every purchase.</div>
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		<title>Retraining Might be Better Than Replacement</title>
		<link>http://www.sfprospector.org/retraining-might-be-better-than-replacement.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.sfprospector.org/retraining-might-be-better-than-replacement.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 01 Feb 2011 12:56:06 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Hiring]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Employment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Retraining]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Small business]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sfprospector.org/?p=186</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[There are times in every manager’s career when they’re depended upon to motivate employees who are poor producers or who can’t really do the job &#8211; and decide if someone should be fired. A person that doesn’t have the training for the job can lose money for the company and offend potential return customers with [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div>There are times in every manager’s career when they’re depended upon to motivate employees who are poor producers or who can’t really do the job &#8211; and decide if someone should be fired. A person that doesn’t have the training for the job can lose money for the company and offend potential return customers with their ignorance.</div>
<div>In these hard financial times, firing a person is cruel, since jobs are so difficult to find, and it’ll cost the employer more in rehiring and training another person.  For this situation, giving the employee more training is of utmost importance for both the company and the employee because the business has already spent money on training and wages thus far. It would be less expensive to simply retrain (which will go faster since the person has already gotten some of it), and it may make a more loyal employee who knows the job better in the end.</div>
<div><strong>Business Ethics are Invisible, at First</strong></div>
<div><strong><br />
</strong></div>
<div>Sometimes people are hired and it’s not obvious what work ethics they have (or don’t have). They start out good, but what about the one that never seems to improve? The one that moves slowly, mismanages time and gets behind easily, or leaves tasks undone at the end of the day should be considered, warned and given a probation period in which the person should improve in order to remain. Retraining may be the answer, and if that doesn‘t help, then replacement is in order. It’s still cheaper than hiring and training a completely new person for the position, and could turn out a good employee afterwards.</div>
<div>People have greater needs during this world-wide recession, and some very creative ways of getting those needs met have become commonplace. Collaboration is one of the new forefronts that’s giving lots of small businesses a way to survive. They share employees, advertising, storefronts and utility bills, and it makes for less overhead and more profits.</div>
<div>Consider the options. A manager can do better at their job when their staff is well trained and wants to stay, and sometimes retraining is the answer.</div>
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		<title>Predicting The Future</title>
		<link>http://www.sfprospector.org/predicting-the-future.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.sfprospector.org/predicting-the-future.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 30 Jan 2011 06:36:37 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Future]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Prediction]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sfprospector.org/?p=148</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[If you could predict the future, you could make your business fit right into whatever is coming, thereby shielding your business from hard hit economic times or changing interests across the country.  No one can say when or if the economy will ever completely recover.  No one can predict with any accuracy how long the [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>If you could predict the future, you could make your business fit right into whatever is coming, thereby shielding your business from hard hit economic times or changing interests across the country.  No one can say when or if the economy will ever completely recover.  No one can predict with any accuracy how long the recession will last.  No one can tell when money will no longer be a problem and prosperity will once again take hold.  Wouldn&#8217;t it be nice if crystal balls were real and there was someone out there who really could see into the future?</p>
<p>Of course we cannot do that.  There are however, indicators or business trends, past times and different things that can give us an indication of where the economy will go, how much our business will be needed in the near future and for how long to come.  There are actuaries out there crunching the numbers daily. There are researchers gathering data and forming hypothetical conclusions that will impact our spending, and the future of our businesses.  For example, taking many things into consideration, there is a way to predict what the young people will be spending their money on in the future.  There is a way to predict what needs the elderly will have in the coming years.  There are trends in the economy, that while not carved in stone, have been shown to be fairly good indicators or future behavior. By watching statistics of babies being born, predictions can be made as to how much of something we will need 20 years from now.</p>
<p>If you have been at your business for many years, there are probably specific indicators within your own field to tell you which way the business will probably go in the coming years.  Paying attention to all of those small hints can help you formulate a plan to keep your business healthy during these hard economic times</p>
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		<title>The Advertising Budget</title>
		<link>http://www.sfprospector.org/the-advertising-budget.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.sfprospector.org/the-advertising-budget.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 29 Jan 2011 06:36:33 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Advertising]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sfprospector.org/?p=147</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[If your company provides a product or service, you want to get the word out.  You want everybody knowing the name of your product or service.  You want your product or service to be the first one they think of when it is needed.  So does every other company providing the same product or service.  [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>If your company provides a product or service, you want to get the word out.  You want everybody knowing the name of your product or service.  You want your product or service to be the first one they think of when it is needed.  So does every other company providing the same product or service.  Keeping your name out there is important to the success of your company.</p>
<p>There are ways to do this.  You can have your company logo placed on something as little as a pen, to something as large as a blanket.  In prosperous times, you could hand out pens by the dozens with your company name and logo on them.  This has been proven to be a very effective marketing tool.  You can expand that into computer wrist rests, coffee mugs, backpacks, key chains, flashlights, anything that people might need to use on a regular basis.  The point is to have your name being seen over and over and over again.</p>
<p>Choosing catchy slogans has been proven to be invaluable in having people remember the name of your company.  Running commercials continuously throughout the day on television and radio is another effective way to get your company&#8217;s name out there.  There is advertising space to be bought all over the Internet.  There are pop ups that will literally put your company&#8217;s name in someone&#8217;s face even if they are not looking for it.  Advertising is expensive and some companies are finding that this is not in their budget at this time.</p>
<p>Businesses have to advertise.  Without letting the consumer know that you have a better product or service at a better price, your product will sit on the shelves, your service will go unnoticed.  Be as creative as possible.  Find lots of ways to get your name out there, without having to put too much money into it.</p>
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		<title>The Good Manager</title>
		<link>http://www.sfprospector.org/the-good-manager.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.sfprospector.org/the-good-manager.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 27 Jan 2011 06:36:28 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Employment]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sfprospector.org/?p=146</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Every employee in your company is an important part of making your company successful.  If you did not have a mail sorter, a lot of communication would not be happening.  Without a computer tech on hand your computers can spend days not producing work.  Without a team of competent people, who are well versed in [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Every employee in your company is an important part of making your company successful.  If you did not have a mail sorter, a lot of communication would not be happening.  Without a computer tech on hand your computers can spend days not producing work.  Without a team of competent people, who are well versed in your business and its practices, your business would not run well, and would not be profitable.  To that end, without a good management team, the rest of the team would fall apart.  There has to be someone at the forefront directing the flow of creativity.</p>
<p>Good managers are worth keeping.  A good manager works well not only with the employee, but with the boss as well.  While the manager knows exactly what the boss wants and how to get it, he also is very hands on with the employees, so he knows what they are capable of.  He knows how to dole out the responsibilities, and because he works closely with the employees, who knows exactly which employee would be the best for that particular job he needs completed.</p>
<p>A good manager has a great rapport with the employees.  He is easily accessible and more than willing to listen.  He is stern, making everyone work to their potential.  If an employee has an issue and has a manager he feels he can bring this issue to, the problem can be solved, without it having to fester and turn into something more than it need be.  A good manager is a good negotiator.  He can bring issues to the boss, offer solutions that will please both parties, and resolve small problems on his own.  A good manager can strengthen the relationship between boss and employee, boss and customer, employee and customer.</p>
<p>A good employee listens to a good manager, a good boss places his trust in a good manager and a good manager keeps the whole business running smoothly.</p>
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		<title>Knowing The HR Department</title>
		<link>http://www.sfprospector.org/knowing-the-hr-department.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.sfprospector.org/knowing-the-hr-department.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 26 Jan 2011 06:36:23 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sfprospector.org/?p=145</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Most employees know that the Human Resources department of any company handles benefits.  What most employees do not know, or do not bother to look into, is that the Human Resources department handles much more than just the health insurance.  Most employees need the Human Resources department when their insurance card is declined or they [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Most employees know that the Human Resources department of any company handles benefits.  What most employees do not know, or do not bother to look into, is that the Human Resources department handles much more than just the health insurance.  Most employees need the Human Resources department when their insurance card is declined or they need to file a claim for reimbursement.  The HR department would certainly be able to help you with that problem.   However, there are many other duties of the HR department.  If you know that you are going to be out of work due to an injury, surgery or maternity leave, you need to check with the HR department.  They will be able to inform you of your exact benefits, as well as have the proper paper work that needs to be filed.</p>
<p>The Human Resources department also oversees the company pension plan.  While the company you work for probably has a contract with a pension plan, and that plan may have separate contact information, if you have a problem getting information, the HR department will have the names of people they can contact to help you out.  Your HR department also keeps track of your PTO balances, the amount of time you have accrued for vacation, your sick days, as well as any other benefit offered to you through your benefit package at the time you were hired, such as stock options, etc.</p>
<p>Some companies have their Human Resource department right at their facility, others contract that service out, but the Human Resource people can be reached by telephone or via e-mail.  When you receive your benefit package, take note of the Human Resource representative, keep his or her phone number handy.  If you keep any eye on your time off, and use of benefits, you can keep a checks and balance system with your HR representative.</p>
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		<title>A Great Time For The Entrepreneur</title>
		<link>http://www.sfprospector.org/a-great-time-for-the-entrepreneur.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.sfprospector.org/a-great-time-for-the-entrepreneur.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 23 Jan 2011 06:36:14 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sfprospector.org/?p=143</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[You have a product or service that the public needs, or wants, or you can make them want it.  You have worked on this concept for as long as you can remember.  You have looked under every rock and researched every avenue that this business can take you.  You are now ready to take that [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>You have a product or service that the public needs, or wants, or you can make them want it.  You have worked on this concept for as long as you can remember.  You have looked under every rock and researched every avenue that this business can take you.  You are now ready to take that ever so frightening leap into the business world.  You are going to start your business.  Now?  Is this really the best time to start up a business, or change or expand an existing one?  Money is tighter than ever.  The ordinary guy is not spending his money on anything but absolute essentials.  His budget is stretched to its limit.  He does not have any extra money to spend.  How do you get his business?</p>
<p>If you have truly done your research, you know where your service or product is needed.  You would absolutely start there.  Your marketing department needs to find the best way to convey the fact that the consumer needs your product.  Your ad campaigns and sales pitches will be extremely important during this time.  People are more skeptical than ever.  They are not willing to just try and see how it goes.  They need to really believe in what they are spending their money on.  They need to know that they are not just throwing away money.  You will need to convey to them how well their money is spent on your product or service.</p>
<p>This is the time that you need your employees, everyone, working as a team.  Your production people need to be giving 100%, your management needs to be giving 100%, and your marketing people need to be giving 200%.  If your product or service is worth selling, you will make it happen.  If you believe in your product or service, and you believe in yourself, you are the entrepreneur who will flourish during the recession.</p>
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		<title>Attractive Benefits</title>
		<link>http://www.sfprospector.org/attractive-benefits.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.sfprospector.org/attractive-benefits.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 22 Jan 2011 06:36:09 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sfprospector.org/?p=142</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Everyone is looking to cut corners.  Survival in a recession that has lasted this long, is so important.  Bosses are looking to trim the budget at every turn.  Employees are looking to prospective employers to carry more of the burden for them as well.  Caught in the middle of that struggle is the benefit package.  [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Everyone is looking to cut corners.  Survival in a recession that has lasted this long, is so important.  Bosses are looking to trim the budget at every turn.  Employees are looking to prospective employers to carry more of the burden for them as well.  Caught in the middle of that struggle is the benefit package.  Your Human Resource teams are working overtime to try and find decent benefits in the most economical way.  With health care being in the condition it is, the costs skyrocketing as they have been, it is a profound challenge for all companies to be able to provide quality health care without too much of a financial hardship.</p>
<p>Your employees might not even mind that some of the extras are being taken away.  They don&#8217;t mind that the company lunches are no longer available for free, or that break time is now on the clock.  They will however, have a huge problem with cutting the benefits.  Most employees are paying for their own benefits, with money being taken out of their weekly paychecks.  In a time where we are paying more money for less benefits, your HR department must work overtime just to compensate for the recurring losses in benefits.</p>
<p>The good side of this phenomenon is that the insurance companies themselves are businesses too and they are all fighting for your insurance dollar.  If your HR team is doing their homework, they are constantly seeking out the best overall benefit package for your hard-working employees.  They may be able to negotiate a better medical benefit contract from another insurance company, with most insurance companies offering additional benefits for switching.  Everything in this economy is a work in process.  Keeping your employees happy will insure that your business is able to weather the recession and come out back on top.</p>
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		<title>Your Marketing Dollars</title>
		<link>http://www.sfprospector.org/your-marketing-dollars.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.sfprospector.org/your-marketing-dollars.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 20 Jan 2011 06:36:05 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sfprospector.org/?p=141</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Deciding how to get your business known, how to get the word out to the consumer is a very important part of making your business successful.  Most large businesses have huge advertising budgets so that at all times someone is coming up with new ways to let people know about their product or service.  Advertising, [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Deciding how to get your business known, how to get the word out to the consumer is a very important part of making your business successful.  Most large businesses have huge advertising budgets so that at all times someone is coming up with new ways to let people know about their product or service.  Advertising, and the experts who come up with the catchy jingles and slogans that we remember for life, is very expensive.  It is a highly specialized skill and anytime you are dealing with a special area of skill you know that the big money will be demanded.</p>
<p>In a recession, it is more important than ever to make sure every dollar is being spent in the proper way.  You may have been in a position to hire advertising teams to promote your business, but now find yourself in the position if most, having to stretch the dollars to their limit.  You may not be in a position to keep a large advertising budget and you need to trim this aspect of your business.</p>
<p>There are creative ways to do this.  For every big money advertising genius there are ten just like him or her, undiscovered somewhere and not demanding the high salary.  Perhaps you could find a technical school that teaches courses in advertising.  You could contact the head of that department and run a contest for students in the advertising program.  The winner would get a prize and the school would get a donation or something you have worked out with them.  You could offer the student some public recognition, which is what he is looking for, and you might just get the next catch phrase campaign of the decade, from an untapped source of talent.  Remember, the guys that are in the executive washrooms of the advertising companies were once a student, at a desk, with a pencil and an idea.</p>
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		<title>The Most Effective Training Session</title>
		<link>http://www.sfprospector.org/the-most-effective-training-session.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.sfprospector.org/the-most-effective-training-session.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 19 Jan 2011 06:36:01 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Training]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sfprospector.org/?p=140</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[You need to train your employees.  If you want your employees to perform their duties properly, a good solid training session is the best way to let them know what is expected of them.  If your management team is training a group of individuals, it is a good idea to have the boss address the [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>You need to train your employees.  If you want your employees to perform their duties properly, a good solid training session is the best way to let them know what is expected of them.  If your management team is training a group of individuals, it is a good idea to have the boss address the group, thanking them for the interest in your company and assuring then that you have prepared a management team that will get them ready to represent the company in the best way, and that you and the management team are there if they need assistance.  Building a solid employee-boss relationship from the very start is a sure way to guarantee a complacent work place.  The easier the environment, the more the production.</p>
<p>Your management team should start out with the basic requirements for each job, with a brief description reiterated.   A basic overview of the company, the benefits and the general working of the company is a good next step.  Having their basic benefit questions answered can field a lot of questions to Human Resources later down the road.  A good video can accomplish this, along with the hand outs on how to apply for benefits, with applications supplied to those who qualify.  Make sure all explanations are clear and concise.  The new employee is taking in a lot of new information, so handing out folders with everything written down as well is a good way to help the employees keep all the information organized.</p>
<p>The actual training for the position should obviously be job specific.  Each new hire may not be doing the same job, so having new employees shadow, or follow a person around who is knowledgeable of their position is a very effective way to train the new guy.  Keeping the training clear and the job descriptions precise, you can insure that your employees have the best start to their new career.</p>
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		<title>Managing The Purse Strings</title>
		<link>http://www.sfprospector.org/managing-the-purse-strings.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.sfprospector.org/managing-the-purse-strings.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 18 Jan 2011 06:35:57 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sfprospector.org/?p=139</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[You may have had a successful business for years.  You provide a quality product or service and the general public is more than willing to pay for such product or service.  You have cultivated good customer service relationships and your business is reliable and trustworthy.  You have given the people what they want, in a [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>You may have had a successful business for years.  You provide a quality product or service and the general public is more than willing to pay for such product or service.  You have cultivated good customer service relationships and your business is reliable and trustworthy.  You have given the people what they want, in a better way than anyone else in your business.  This is a solid foundation for a business that can weather even the toughest of times.  Our current recession is proving to be one of those toughest of times.</p>
<p>In these difficult financial times you obviously want to keep your service and/or product accessible to the general public in the most economical way possible.  Your business obviously has to spend money to do that, to keep things running smoothly.  However, with cash flow at an all time low, even for the best run businesses, decisions need to be made on where and how to spend the money.</p>
<p>Managing the budget is an art.  You have to take every little cost into consideration when deciding how much money to spend on your business, to keep your employees with a paycheck and still deliver the quality that your customers are expecting.  Maybe you can trim the budget on advertising just a bit, for a little while.  This is one place that you can trim a little without compromising the quality of your product.  Having all your employees aware of the lean times ahead will keep them part of the team.</p>
<p>Do your research.  You may have been using a particular part for your product that can be found for a more economical price, or part of your services can be trimmed to weather the recession.  If you have to make a compromise, let your customers know that you are a part of this recession with them, and when it is over, you will be right back on top.</p>
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		<title>Training The New Guy</title>
		<link>http://www.sfprospector.org/training-the-new-guy.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.sfprospector.org/training-the-new-guy.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 16 Jan 2011 06:35:53 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Training]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sfprospector.org/?p=138</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Everyone who starts a new job, even if they are trained in the expertise needed for that position, needs to be trained.  Training is the best way for a new boss to show a new employee how things are done at their particular business.  There are different ways of keeping track of your work hours, [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Everyone who starts a new job, even if they are trained in the expertise needed for that position, needs to be trained.  Training is the best way for a new boss to show a new employee how things are done at their particular business.  There are different ways of keeping track of your work hours, there are different ways to log onto computers, and there are protocols that must be followed for each individual business.  Training is an added expense for management.  They either have to pay someone who already works there more money or have them stay and pay them overtime to train the new employees.  You may have budgeted into your business plan a training staff, if you are in a business that has a large turn around and employees are being hired on a frequent basis.</p>
<p>Training can range anywhere from simply learning how to run a register in a retail business, to learning an entire new system or way of doing things in a corporate position.  Obviously the best way to train someone is to have them observe the person who is doing their type of job now.  A good period of observation, with a chance to ask questions when needed is invaluable in showing someone the way things are done.  They get to see first hand exactly what is going to be expected of them.  Before they even have a chance to work with the company, they can get a feel for how things are done.  You may have training videos that need to be viewed.  These are also a good way to let newly hired employees know what is expected of them.  If your employee will be working on a computer, having desktop downloads available to them is a wonderful way to have their questions answered as they come up. Training an employee properly will save you time and money, and keep your business running smoothly.</p>
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		<title>Google Analytics</title>
		<link>http://www.sfprospector.org/google-analytics.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.sfprospector.org/google-analytics.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 15 Jan 2011 06:35:49 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Google]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Google Analytics]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sfprospector.org/?p=137</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[In order for an entrepreneur to be successful in the twenty-first century, they must have a web presence to connect to their customer base. Having a web presence, unfortunately, is not the endgame to success. Once created, the website needs to be monitored and constantly changed to increase the number of visitors viewing its content. [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div>In order for an entrepreneur to be successful in the twenty-first century, they must have a web presence to connect to their customer base. Having a web presence, unfortunately, is not the endgame to success.</div>
<div>Once created, the website needs to be monitored and constantly changed to increase the number of visitors viewing its content. Monitoring and adjusting a site according to systematic feedback about the visitors is an example of trend analysis. A great service to provide this analysis is Google Analytics.</div>
<div>Google Analytics is a free service that offers a suite of tools that can be used to see who’s visiting your company and for how long. The tools gather data from code-based ‘beacons’ that are added to the site’s individual pages. These ‘beacons’ continually send out counter information to Google that tabulates and aggregates the numbers. The counters can track important facets of a site visit including if the user is a return or new user and length of time spent on a particular page.</div>
<div>Some tools available in this suite are Google’s Adsense and Adwords, along with many others. Analytics can offer information to be viewed from these tools in a high-level dashboard format, but also allows for more detailed information to be drilled down at a lower level. There are literally dozens of categorized applications, from Business Intelligence to Campaign Management to E-Commerce, all available to focus in on the individual business needs.</div>
<div>There are limitations, however, in the web browser blocking these ‘beacons’ from being served correctly and therefore being counted. Advertisement filtering software can also block them from doing their job correctly and until recently, viewing these sites via mobile phones would not register with any of the counters.</div>
<div>In the end though, for trend analysis for the small to medium business Google Analytics is a solid service that offers a multitude of benefits.</div>
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		<title>Marketing During A Recession</title>
		<link>http://www.sfprospector.org/marketing-during-a-recession.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.sfprospector.org/marketing-during-a-recession.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 13 Jan 2011 06:35:44 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marketing and Advertising]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sfprospector.org/?p=136</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Good marketing strategies are an important part of you business in the best of times.  Having a cracker jack marketing team can make your business more successful.  When the economy is not so good, as in times of recession, marketing plays an even more important role in keeping your business successful.  There would not be [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Good marketing strategies are an important part of you business in the best of times.  Having a cracker jack marketing team can make your business more successful.  When the economy is not so good, as in times of recession, marketing plays an even more important role in keeping your business successful.  There would not be billions of dollars spent each year on advertising if it were not so important.</p>
<p>Fortunately for each business there are so many ways to market your product or service.  Of course there is always the celebrity spokesperson.  If you business is flourishing this might be just what you want to do.  A celebrity is going to require a large fee and if you are not prepared to pay this, there are many other strategies.  Careful planning of where your marketing dollars will be spent can mean the difference in wasted money and increased profits.</p>
<p>First and foremost, know your target audience and know them well.  For example you may be marketing a product or service for men, however in your research you find that mostly women are the ones who purchase said product or service.  Your marketing campaign must then be tailored to appeal to that group of women.  If you are marketing a children&#8217;s product, it is not necessarily only parents you are trying to reach.  More than ever households full of children are living with grandparents and that may be where you need to focus.</p>
<p>Whatever the case may be, your best strategy is to be prepared.  Have your marketing team do the research.  Take surveys of your sample audience, incorporate something that would appeal to a lesser targeted audience, as there are other groups out there that might be interested.  Reaching as many people as possible will obviously ensure that your marketing budget has been well spent.  Always keep track of what works, and more importantly, what does not work.</p>
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		<title>Crowdfunding</title>
		<link>http://www.sfprospector.org/crowdfunding.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.sfprospector.org/crowdfunding.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 12 Jan 2011 06:35:39 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[crowdfunding]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sfprospector.org/?p=135</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Whether it’s the fledgling entrepreneur researching how to finance their new business, or the well-seasoned business-person looking into funding a much needed expansion to their existing one, ‘crowdfunding’ as a means of investment could be a viable option. Think of crowdfunding as one part venture capital, one part peer networking and two parts social media. [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div>Whether it’s the fledgling entrepreneur researching how to finance their new business, or the well-seasoned business-person looking into funding a much needed expansion to their existing one, ‘crowdfunding’ as a means of investment could be a viable option.</div>
<div>Think of crowdfunding as one part venture capital, one part peer networking and two parts social media. It is a means of raising cash for a venture by soliciting the masses to contribute very small amounts.</div>
<div>Okay &#8211; but then, how is this different from other investments or various forms of charity? The difference is that when the prospective investor commits their hard earned money towards the program, there isn’t a traditional return-on-investment calculator running in the background promising the initial moneys return plus an additional percentage after a certain time. Instead, the contributors who agree to the funding usually receive some sort of social media recognition for their efforts.</div>
<div>For example, a successful crowdfunding campaign that raised funds for an independent film to be produced promised their contributors a listing in the film’s credits. That’s ROI on a personal level, not a financial one.</div>
<div>The most important part of this model is that the entrepreneur needs to have a large social network to draw on OR the means to acquire such a network quickly. Getting the word out about the crowdfunded project requires actively using all parts of that network to reach as many people as possible in the shortest amount of time. It requires much more than just opening a Twitter account and ending your day after twenty tweets. Solicitation, interviewing, socializing are all tools that must be pushed to the limit to achieve that goal.</div>
<div>There are numerous websites on the Internet that offer to help with the heavy lifting of the crowdfunding fundamentals. They have slightly different products and services. It would be a worthwhile investment of time to research which site might best suit the specific needs of the business owner.</div>
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		<title>Benefits That Work For Everyone</title>
		<link>http://www.sfprospector.org/benefits-that-work-for-everyone.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.sfprospector.org/benefits-that-work-for-everyone.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 11 Jan 2011 06:35:35 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Employee benefit]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Insurance]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sfprospector.org/?p=134</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Employee and boss alike know the importance of a good benefits package.  Medical insurance alone can cost a family thousands of dollars a year.  Add dental, eye and prescription and you have a large chunk of the paycheck going towards health insurance.  Years ago most companies automatically offered a very nice medical/dental healthcare package to [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Employee and boss alike know the importance of a good benefits package.  Medical insurance alone can cost a family thousands of dollars a year.  Add dental, eye and prescription and you have a large chunk of the paycheck going towards health insurance.  Years ago most companies automatically offered a very nice medical/dental healthcare package to all employees.  It was almost expected and most large companies carried the burden of the cost of healthcare for their employees.</p>
<p>Healthcare has changed quite a bit over the years.  People are living longer than ever, thereby finding the need to stretch the insurance dollar almost as much as the salary dollar.  Insurance costs are going up and up, and coverage is becoming less and less.  Now, more than ever we are paying more dollars for less coverage.  Co-pays have become prohibitive.  It can cost more than $100 just to walk into an emergency room for treatment.  Every time you walk into a doctor&#8217;s office you have to give them the co-pay.  If any further treatment, procedure or tests are necessary, the cost just goes higher.</p>
<p>While it was a nice benefit years ago, the health insurance package has become a major player in attracting quality personnel.  The qualified man or woman out there looking for a corporate job is smart enough to see that the benefit package being offered, including health insurance, life insurance and a retirement account of some type, needs to be considered as much as the salary.  Adding a benefit or a little more to the benefit package can be the one thing that persuades an employee to take the job.  It is more important than ever to have health coverage, and a working father or mother knows that.</p>
<p>While the skills and expertise will lead you in the right direction towards the job you are seeking, do not forget to check out the benefit package.</p>
<div class="zemanta-pixie" style="margin-top: 10px; height: 15px;"><img class="zemanta-pixie-img" style="border: none; float: right;" src="http://img.zemanta.com/pixy.gif?x-id=b7a81e6b-b054-494a-a22f-fb89b1cb96fe" alt="" /></div>
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		<title>Entrepreneurship Homework</title>
		<link>http://www.sfprospector.org/entrepreneurship-homework.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.sfprospector.org/entrepreneurship-homework.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 09 Jan 2011 06:35:31 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Entrepreneur]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sfprospector.org/?p=133</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The final step that every entrepreneur must perform before they cast off from the shore and set sail into the sea of ‘business ownership’ is the most important in terms of preparation. If it is not done, or not done well, the new company will flounder, and the majority of the time, fail. It is [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div>The final step that every entrepreneur must perform before they cast off from the shore and set sail into the sea of ‘business ownership’ is <em>the most important</em> in terms of preparation. If it is not done, or not done well, the new company will flounder, and the majority of the time, fail.</div>
<div>It is the responsibility of the entrepreneur to ensure that all of the correct financial decisions have been made and monetary systems put in place for his business to succeed. There is always satisfaction and a certain romantic notion in taking an idea and building a business from it, but at the end of the day, if all of the financial pieces to the puzzle have not been placed in the correct spaces, the best idea in the world can’t be salvaged to generate a profit.</div>
<div>For example, is there enough capital in liquid form that can be drawn on in case of emergency? How will the business initially be funded? How many weeks and/or months can the business owner and their family survive, for whatever reason, if orders stop coming in? How long will a certain level of business need to be sustained in order to achieve profitability? In the case of a franchise, how are the payments to the parent company structured? If a motor vehicle or workshop is needed, will there be any special insurance or licensing needed?</div>
<div>If they are unsure where to go to get answers to these questions, a wise decision would first be to speak with a Financial Planner. They can provide direction and recommendations for facets of running a business that might be unknown. The Chamber of Commerce is also a good source of advice for marketing and trending analysis.</div>
<div>Once all of these decisions have been made and plans put in place, it will be less stressful when revenue dips slightly or something unexpected occurs.</div>
<div class="zemanta-pixie" style="margin-top: 10px; height: 15px;"><img class="zemanta-pixie-img" style="border: none; float: right;" src="http://img.zemanta.com/pixy.gif?x-id=049623fa-db65-4de2-9fd1-2d63f6c5d78b" alt="" /></div>
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		<title>Entrepreneurship Research</title>
		<link>http://www.sfprospector.org/entrepreneurship-research.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.sfprospector.org/entrepreneurship-research.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 08 Jan 2011 06:35:25 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Entrepreneurship]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sfprospector.org/?p=132</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[When the aspiring entrepreneur has done the necessary personal introspection exercises and made the decision that starting a business is what they want to do, the next hurdle that they must overcome is to thoroughly examine their business idea objectively. This type of preparation is a step that should never be taken lightly, but all [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div>When the aspiring entrepreneur has done the necessary personal introspection exercises and made the decision that starting a business is what they want to do, the next hurdle that they must overcome is to thoroughly examine their business idea objectively.</div>
<div>This type of preparation is a step that should never be taken lightly, but all too often, is.</div>
<div>What is meant by an examination of their business idea? The answer, very succinctly, is this: Is this idea going to make money?</div>
<div>This seems like a relatively straightforward question. After all, nobody opens a business intending to have it fail. (Or if they do, that might be part of another business plan!)<br />
Think about it this way &#8211; what sort of research has been conducted to find out if this idea is viable?</div>
<div>Has any market research been conducted? Is there a large demand for this product or service? Do franchises exist that already offer a similar product line? Is the market already saturated with similar businesses in the area?</div>
<div>Discovering the current state of the business environment should not be restricted, however, to covering just local or regional areas. The Internet has changed the game permanently and globally. If the demand for the product or service is completely saturated within a fifty mile radius, perhaps the business model would best be suited to providing them remotely, via orders that are received from an online website. Further research might prove out that this is a viable business model, as long as shipping costs and the legalities of providing goods across state lines are fully taken into account.</div>
<div>Further, one of the advantages to doing this sort of research is being able to find out about similar types of businesses and what they did to succeed or fail, if for no other reason than to ensure that the same mistakes aren’t made twice.</div>
<div>So, is YOUR idea going to make money?</div>
<div class="zemanta-pixie" style="margin-top: 10px; height: 15px;"><img class="zemanta-pixie-img" style="border: none; float: right;" src="http://img.zemanta.com/pixy.gif?x-id=e4f66cfc-c768-4aca-90cc-515e122345a3" alt="" /></div>
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		<title>Entrepreneurship Basics</title>
		<link>http://www.sfprospector.org/entrepreneurship-basics.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.sfprospector.org/entrepreneurship-basics.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 06 Jan 2011 06:35:22 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Entrepreneur]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sfprospector.org/?p=131</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[We all know them. Maybe they are a friend, a relative or a co-worker. They have a revolutionary idea and would give their eye teeth to start their own business to develop that idea into a money making venture and set the world on fire. Who knows? Maybe it&#8217;s YOU. Before that risk-taker decides to throw [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div>We all know them. Maybe they are a friend, a relative or a co-worker. They have a revolutionary idea and would give their eye teeth to start their own business to develop that idea into a money making venture and set the world on fire.</div>
<div>Who knows? Maybe it&#8217;s YOU.</div>
<div>Before that risk-taker decides to throw caution to the wind, one of the most important things they can do is do a self-assessment to find out if they have what it takes to handle their own business. Before any financial planning, any market research, or even any conversations with other folks in the same industry, the budding entrepreneur needs to ask themselves some difficult questions and answer them honestly.</div>
<div>First, how risk averse are they in living their life today? Starting a business is a huge risk that touches many aspects of one&#8217;s life, not just financially. If wrapping yourself in bubble wrap is the preferred method of avoiding any physical accident, the potentially high risk of being an entrepreneur might not be a good fit.</div>
<div>Second, how are their skills at planning and communicating? Are they able to anticipate the needs of several people in an important meeting ahead of time? Can events be planned four to six weeks, or even months, ahead of time, without grandiose errors or omissions? As an entrepreneur, planning and communication need to become second nature.</div>
<div>Thirdly, and probably the most important, how financially responsible are they? Do they balance many personal checking and investment accounts successfully and always seem to have cash at their disposal? Or are they living paycheck to paycheck and are regretfully always only a half-step ahead of having their utilities shut off? Financial acuity is the most important skill that an entrepreneur can have.</div>
<div>Answering these type of questions honestly, before any other work is done, can truly save someone from making an error that could take them years to recover from.</div>
<div class="zemanta-pixie" style="margin-top: 10px; height: 15px;"><img class="zemanta-pixie-img" style="border: none; float: right;" src="http://img.zemanta.com/pixy.gif?x-id=ff726f00-cd6e-421e-ab7f-a4b6b652226e" alt="" /></div>
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		<title>Effective Human Resources</title>
		<link>http://www.sfprospector.org/effective-human-resources.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.sfprospector.org/effective-human-resources.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 05 Jan 2011 06:35:18 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Employment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Insurance]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sfprospector.org/?p=130</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Businesses today have both an advantage and a disadvantage.  The advantage is that many good, hard working people are looking for jobs, making the pool of prospective employees much larger to choose from. Good, quality people are an asset to any company, and to keep them happy, your benefits package should be attractive as possible.  [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Businesses today have both an advantage and a disadvantage.  The advantage is that many good, hard working people are looking for jobs, making the pool of prospective employees much larger to choose from. Good, quality people are an asset to any company, and to keep them happy, your benefits package should be attractive as possible.  Therein lies the disadvantage.  Benefits are expensive and more employees are in need of good benefits.  A good benefit package can actually be the determining factor in garnering the right person for the job.  Many people today consider the benefit package almost as important, if not more important, than the salary itself.</p>
<p>Another advantage is that the insurance companies, as well as the companies that offer other benefits, 401-K plans, unemployment benefits are also vying for your business.  Sifting through the twisted language of the insurance companies can be a job within itself.  The size of your company, the number of employees you need to include in your benefits and the type of benefits required will determine exactly what you are looking for.  Because there is a lot of competition within the insurance company field, take time to speak to different representatives.  Make sure you are getting the most for your money.  With unemployment rates as high as they have ever been across the country, with more people out of work than ever before, the benefit package becomes more important.</p>
<p>If you can offer your employees a benefit package that includes at least medical, dental and prescription coverage, with the least amount of money taken from their individual paychecks, you will be offering a very attractive benefit package.  Many retirement plans are not as expensive, and the amount taken out of each paycheck is minimal, everyone expects that.  However, a good benefit package is a great way to attract the best people for your business.</p>
<div class="zemanta-pixie" style="margin-top: 10px; height: 15px;"><img class="zemanta-pixie-img" style="border: none; float: right;" src="http://img.zemanta.com/pixy.gif?x-id=1e0e90af-e510-481f-982f-676689b50a56" alt="" /></div>
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		<title>Is It Time To Grow?</title>
		<link>http://www.sfprospector.org/is-it-time-to-grow.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.sfprospector.org/is-it-time-to-grow.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 31 Dec 2010 22:04:30 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marketing]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sfprospector.org/?p=67</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[As an entrepreneur you have watched your business grow from the ground up.  It is your project.  You have been at the helm of the ship since its maiden voyage.  Is is time to expand?  How do you effectively take your business to the next level?  What is the best way to make a flawless [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>As an entrepreneur you have watched your business grow from  the ground up.  It is your project.  You have been at the helm of the  ship since its maiden voyage.  Is is time to expand?  How do you  effectively take your business to the next level?  What is the best way  to make a flawless transition into the big arena?  Obviously you have  carefully planned every move that has been made so far.  All of the  variables have been taken into consideration.</p>
<p>It is more important than ever to make sure you have your finger on  the pulse of the future of your business.  The first thing you need to  do is to figure out exactly where you want your business to go.  What is  the direction you want to take?  Once you decide on the expansion, you  must of course, crunch the numbers.  What kind of monetary investment is  going to be required to make the transition?  Is this investment going  to be yours alone, or will you allow a partner or other investors to  take part in your transition?  If this is the case, you must be sure to  present your business with all the confidence that brought you to where  you are today, so that investors are confident that you are going to  make their money work for them as well.</p>
<p>You will need to construct a budget and stick to it.  Of course, an  expansion will more than likely require more manpower.  You will need to  be sure you are hiring and adding personnel that are qualified and will  represent your company in the way you want it represented.  You will  also need to have the best people training the added personnel.  Your  management team will be at the center of your success.  Make sure you  surround yourself with knowledgeable, trustworthy people whom you  respect and your business will have what it needs to take corporate  America by storm.</p>
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		<title>Business, Management and Human Resources Lexicon: Glossary Beginning with A</title>
		<link>http://www.sfprospector.org/business-management-and-human-resources-lexicon-glossary-beginning-with-a.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.sfprospector.org/business-management-and-human-resources-lexicon-glossary-beginning-with-a.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 29 Dec 2010 22:03:32 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Management]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sfprospector.org/?p=65</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Business, Management and Human Resources Lexicon: Glossary Beginning with A Knowing the right terminology when it comes to business, management and human resources can benefit you in running your business or doing business with other companies. Glossary Beginning with A Absence: There are two types of absences, unscheduled absences and scheduled time off absences. An [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Business, Management and Human Resources Lexicon: Glossary Beginning with A</p>
<p>Knowing the right terminology when it comes to business, management and  human resources can benefit you in running your business or doing  business with other companies.</p>
<p>Glossary Beginning with A</p>
<p>Absence: There are two types of absences, unscheduled absences and  scheduled time off absences. An absence is any time off from work,  either scheduled or unscheduled. Scheduled absences might be paid  vacation, sick days or other absences that are expected by the employer,  but employees may also be absent without the employer knowing it.</p>
<p>Absenteeism Policy: This is a policy that the company creates to provide  some guidance within that company regarding how absences will be  managed at work.</p>
<p>Accommodations: Smaller and mid-sized businesses need to consider  accommodations for disabled employees, especially when an employee  becomes disabled suddenly due to illness or injury. Accommodations have  to do with making sure that an employee is taken care of if he or she  suddenly becomes disabled and requires additional assistance.</p>
<p>Acculturation: This is a special socialization project that allows new  workers to become a part of the corporate culture or adjust to the new  company or a new department within the company.</p>
<p>Age Discrimination: This is adverse treatment at work due to age or a  class or category of age, such as employees who are older than 40, for  example. The ADEA or Age Discrimination in Employment Act was passed in  1967 to discourage this.</p>
<p>Agile Organization: This is an organization that is quickly able to  adapt to circumstances as they change. Agile organizations are ready for  everything and can respond near instantaneously to changes that  customers may have. These are organizations capable of rapidly  innovating.</p>
<p>Americans with Disabilities: ADA is the Americans with Disabilities Act,  which makes it unlawful for any employer to discriminate against  someone who is qualified but has a disability.</p>
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		<title>Five Marketing Strategies for Struggling Businesses</title>
		<link>http://www.sfprospector.org/five-marketing-strategies-for-struggling-businesses.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.sfprospector.org/five-marketing-strategies-for-struggling-businesses.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 28 Dec 2010 20:17:20 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Affiliate marketing]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sfprospector.org/?p=22</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Image by OptionsHouse via Flickr Struggling companies are omnipresent these days; many of them are beyond hope while others simple need a shift in their marketing strategies in order to regain market share. Rather than giving up, convinced that your previous marketing plan is a bust, implement a new plan to breathe new life into [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="zemanta-img" style="margin: 1em; display: block;">
<div>
<dl class="wp-caption alignright" style="width: 250px;">
<dt class="wp-caption-dt"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/41439507@N02/3834858414"><img title="OptionsHouse Affiliate Partners Program" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2468/3834858414_57c05a9926_m.jpg" alt="OptionsHouse Affiliate Partners Program" /></a></dt>
<dd class="wp-caption-dd zemanta-img-attribution" style="font-size: 0.8em;">Image by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/41439507@N02/3834858414">OptionsHouse</a> via Flickr</dd>
</dl>
</div>
</div>
<p>Struggling companies are omnipresent these days; many of them are  beyond hope while others simple need a shift in their marketing  strategies in order to regain market share. Rather than giving up,  convinced that your previous marketing plan is a bust, implement a new  plan to breathe new life into your business.</p>
<p>The following are five of the best marketing tools to help any ailing business:</p>
<p><strong> 1. Websites</strong></p>
<p>Phone books are a thing of the past. If you don’t have a website or  blog for your company, build one. If you don’t know how to do that, then  hire somebody to do it for you. Websites remain the first place  potential customers turn before walking in your door.</p>
<p><strong> 2. Consultants</strong></p>
<p>SCORE and other free resources can put you in touch with industry  professionals who can guide you into areas best served by your marketing  dollars.</p>
<p><strong> 3. Guarantees</strong></p>
<p>Providing a guarantee is a simple way to tell your customers that  you’re offering a quality product and you’re willing to stand behind it.</p>
<p><strong> 4. Affiliate Marketing</strong></p>
<p>Affiliate marketing is a strategy that many businesses are failing to  use. With a good affiliate marketing plan in place, you can reap the  rewards without much effort. The <a href="http://www.aceaffiliates.com/" target="_blank">top affiliate programs</a> can be researched online or through sites that search for the best fit for your business.</p>
<p><strong> 5. Customer Service</strong></p>
<p>Customer care is integral and widely ignored. Rather than spending  thousands of dollars pursuing new customers, take care of the ones you  have. A simple and heartfelt “thank you” may be all you need before that  customer will tell somebody else about your business.</p>
<p>Marketing strategies don’t always have to be expensive, but the best  ones for struggling businesses are those that take the time and care to  fully understand their customer base. It is never too late to turn your  marketing plan from one that produces no results, to one that does.</p>
<div class="zemanta-pixie" style="margin-top: 10px; height: 15px;"><a class="zemanta-pixie-a" title="Enhanced by Zemanta" href="http://www.zemanta.com/"><img class="zemanta-pixie-img" style="border: none; float: right;" src="http://img.zemanta.com/zemified_e.png?x-id=4b86cc55-43a8-4990-9a87-87144bf80739" alt="Enhanced by Zemanta" /></a></div>
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		<title>Business Changes are Unavoidable</title>
		<link>http://www.sfprospector.org/business-changes-are-unavoidable.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.sfprospector.org/business-changes-are-unavoidable.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 27 Dec 2010 22:02:47 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Hiring]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Employment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Long run]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sfprospector.org/?p=63</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Business Changes are Unavoidable Making changes to any business can be difficult and when you combine that with an unforgiving economy it can be nearly impossible. It is important when you are making major changes to a business that you assess the cost of these changes. Determine if the changes are absolutely necessary and then [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Business Changes are Unavoidable</p>
<p>Making changes to any business can be difficult and when you combine  that with an unforgiving economy it can be nearly impossible. It is  important when you are making major changes to a business that you  assess the cost of these changes. Determine if the changes are  absolutely necessary and then decide if you can afford it. Additionally  you want to be sure that you are making changes that help your business  last through the tough times. This may include taking a long look at how  money is spent in the business and pruning some of those expenses away.  Company lunches once a week may be something that isn&#8217;t going to work  well in the current budget and needs to be ended.</p>
<p>When making choices on how to cut back on money spent in your business  you will want to keep your employees in mind and fully informed. Don&#8217;t  spring big changes on them without a bit of warning so that they have  time to adjust to them. Causing hard feelings in the business with some  of the key components such as your employees is never a good idea.  Changes have to be made in order to survive the testy economy, but there  ways to accomplish these goals without it being at the expense of the  trust of your employees.</p>
<p>When you are making big changes in your business understand how these  will affect your business bottom line in the long run and decide if it  will be a long term solution to the issues at hand or if it is only a  temporary solution. You may need to take some time to find solutions  that are long term and that will help in keeping your business on track  early on before you are in trouble and before you are forced with an  emergency situation.</p>
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		<title>Forecasting and Trending Could Save Your Business</title>
		<link>http://www.sfprospector.org/forecasting-and-trending-could-save-your-business.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.sfprospector.org/forecasting-and-trending-could-save-your-business.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 25 Dec 2010 22:02:12 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Training]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Forecast]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Target market]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sfprospector.org/?p=61</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Forecasting and Trending Could Save Your Business One of the best ways to avoid being trapped by the current economy in small business is by getting ahead of the issues. This means that you need to understand your target market and their needs. You also need to consider such things as learning about market trends [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Forecasting and Trending Could Save Your Business</p>
<p>One of the best ways to avoid being trapped by the current economy in  small business is by getting ahead of the issues. This means that you  need to understand your target market and their needs. You also need to  consider such things as learning about market trends and forecasting so  that you can set up a plan for your business that puts you ahead of the  market trends and in position to be at the forefront of the needs of  your target market. This is vital in not only surviving difficult times  but tailoring your business to the needs of your target market, both  present and future. You can use this information to make yourself stand  out in the crowd and meet the needs of the market as they are realized.</p>
<p>Forecasting is a matter of understanding your market trends and seeking  out a position of advantage to catch the crowd as they turn your way by  offering them a product or service that they will need at a price that  they are both able and willing to pay. This is the only way to make  through a time when people are only willing to spend money on what they  need and in top quality products and services. With that kind of  particular crowd you are going to have to be the best you can be at what  they want you to be.</p>
<p>This can be an adjustment for many businesses. You may even need to  rethink how you do business and how you spend money. You should also  think carefully about your marketing strategy in light of the  forecasting information. Forecasting and trending can be done by a  professional for a price that could be well worth the effort if it saves  you from losing business or gaining new business in the years to come.</p>
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		<title>Understanding Your Market</title>
		<link>http://www.sfprospector.org/understanding-your-market.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.sfprospector.org/understanding-your-market.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 23 Dec 2010 22:01:38 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Internet marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Small business]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sfprospector.org/?p=59</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Understanding Your Market Small businesses all over the country are taking a step back and make some hard decisions. They have to decide if they are spending their money wisely and if not how they can change their spending. On top of deciding how they are spending their money they have to look carefully at [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Understanding Your Market</p>
<p>Small businesses all over the country are taking a step back and make  some hard decisions. They have to decide if they are spending their  money wisely and if not how they can change their spending. On top of  deciding how they are spending their money they have to look carefully  at where their money is coming from and how that is likely to change in  the future and potentially for the worst.</p>
<p>Small business owners have to approach their business in an entirely new  way looking toward how they can keep the business they have in the  current economy and how they can get new business in the future. This  takes an extensive knowledge of their market and how their market is  willing to pay for things. Most people today are only able and willing  to pay for what they really need. This has to change the way the  businesses are addressing and marketing to their customers and clients.</p>
<p>Gone are the days when you can rely on slick marketing concepts to get  you the attention of potential clients and customers. Now you better be  offering something they need and at a price that they are willing to pay  if you hope keep current business and draw in new business. This means  the competition is fierce for customers because not only are you  competing against others in the same business but you are competing  across the board because people have to decide where to put their money.  They can no longer afford to spread out the money on a variety of  services and products. Choosing how to market to your customers never  meant so much. You do not have as many opportunities to sell what you  have and so you need to make sure you understand what they are looking  for.</p>
<div class="zemanta-pixie" style="margin-top: 10px; height: 15px;"><img class="zemanta-pixie-img" style="border: none; float: right;" src="http://img.zemanta.com/pixy.gif?x-id=a27907d9-0c4b-49c6-b0b9-9d0d67b84170" alt="" /></div>
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		<title>Changing Your Business Strategy</title>
		<link>http://www.sfprospector.org/changing-your-business-strategy.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.sfprospector.org/changing-your-business-strategy.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 21 Dec 2010 22:00:51 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Customer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Strategic management]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sfprospector.org/?p=57</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Changing Your Business Strategy A business strategy was never more important for small business than it is today with the current status of the economy. It is vital that your business be based on the needs of the market and understands exactly what the customers are willing to pay for in the market. This is [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Changing Your Business Strategy</p>
<p>A business strategy was never more important for small business than it  is today with the current status of the economy. It is vital that your  business be based on the needs of the market and understands exactly  what the customers are willing to pay for in the market. This is one of  the best ways to ensure that you stay ahead of the market and are able  to keep up with what your customers can afford to be paying for. You  will have to keep on top of the market if you hope to make it through  the rough economy and still come out with your current customers and new  customers. Keeping on top of the current marketing trends and the  forecast can be done by learning the trends yourself or you can hire the  job out to a professional who will be able to help you along the way.</p>
<p>The cost of hiring a professional to help you find out more about your  market will be outweighed by the customers you are able to keep and gain  with the information they provide to you. You will want to use this  information to change the way your business is directed to the public.  You need to put yourself in the position of being able to supply what  the target market may be missing. This will ensure that you are able to  fill a void and enabling you to be in the right position to profit. Your  future depends on making changes to target an entirely knew type of  customer or client.</p>
<p>Taking the time to assess your business and how you approach your  customer and client base is the only way that you will be able to be  sure of your success in the future. It is also the only way to be able  to predict how your business might fair through the tumultuous times.</p>
<div class="zemanta-pixie" style="margin-top: 10px; height: 15px;"><img class="zemanta-pixie-img" style="border: none; float: right;" src="http://img.zemanta.com/pixy.gif?x-id=1aa81929-8e0d-4e2f-bbf2-409d572c0050" alt="" /></div>
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		<title>Finding Startup Capital</title>
		<link>http://www.sfprospector.org/finding-startup-capital.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.sfprospector.org/finding-startup-capital.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 19 Dec 2010 22:00:03 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Spending]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Loan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Small business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Startup company]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sfprospector.org/?p=55</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Finding Startup Capital There are many who are affected by the current economy including small business owners. In fact, the economy has many thinking of starting their own businesses so that they can have some control over their financial situation, but the fear is that they will not be able to find the start up [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Finding Startup Capital</p>
<p>There are many who are affected by the current economy including small  business owners. In fact, the economy has many thinking of starting  their own businesses so that they can have some control over their  financial situation, but the fear is that they will not be able to find  the start up funding for the business. This is not necessarily true.  Though it may be difficult to find lenders who are willing to lend money  for a new business it is not impossible. In addition, there are a few  other ways that you can find start up funds for your new business. The  best starting point is in preparing a business plan with as much detail  as you provide. This can be used to present your idea for a new business  to possible lenders and investors.</p>
<p>Other places to find funding for your new business ideas may be places  like your friends and family. You may find that they are able in small  quantities to loan you the funds to get started. You can also trying  liquidating your assets to some degree. Sell things you no longer need  or want and put the funds aside for investing in your new business. You  may also consider locating a non conventional lender for your venture.  If you use a non conventional lender be sure that you know who they are  and a bit about how they do business. You may even be able to find an  old employer or co-worker interested in going into business with you.  Being creative is the key making sure that you find the funds you need  to start your business. The expenses and overhead in the beginning and  with the current economy should be as low as possible to allow the  business to turn a profit if at all possible.</p>
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		<title>It&#8217;s all about the Business Plan</title>
		<link>http://www.sfprospector.org/its-all-about-the-business-plan.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.sfprospector.org/its-all-about-the-business-plan.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 17 Dec 2010 21:59:07 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Business plan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Target market]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sfprospector.org/?p=53</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[It&#8217;s all about the Business Plan When you are thinking about going into business for yourself you should try to find a niche that is going to fill a void or a gap for consumers. You should be able to provide a product or a service that is not currently provided and that is needed [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>It&#8217;s all about the Business Plan</p>
<p>When you are thinking about going into business for yourself you should  try to find a niche that is going to fill a void or a gap for consumers.  You should be able to provide a product or a service that is not  currently provided and that is needed at a price that is both reasonable  to the consumer and profitable for your business. Finding what the  consumer needs is vital to a successful business in a time when  consumers are not spending money readily. They are being particularly  choosey about when and where they spend their money. If you are not  providing a high quality product or service then you are not going to  find a market for what you have. There simply isn&#8217;t enough money in  the economy today to spend frivolously, no matter how well off you are.</p>
<p>Studying your target market is the first step to putting together a  business plan that will represent your product or service in a way that  could help you to gain startup capital for your business. If you can&#8217;t  get across that your business will be filling a hole for consumers and  that you will be first choice for those consumers then you have little  chance of getting any kind of support funding for the business startup.  Without that you are never going to get your business moving. Be clear,  concise and confident in your business plan. List real facts that  support what you are trying to accomplish and real numbers that show you  can make a profit in time with this type of business. Although lenders  are being very careful they are still willing to lend to the right  business model. Find out what your target market is and do your homework  before compiling the information into a well read business plan to  present to potential investors and lenders.</p>
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		<title>How to Pick a New Business</title>
		<link>http://www.sfprospector.org/how-to-pick-a-new-business.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.sfprospector.org/how-to-pick-a-new-business.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 15 Dec 2010 21:58:36 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Market]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Small business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[United States]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sfprospector.org/?p=50</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[How to Pick a New Business If you think it is a bad time to start a new business you would be shocked at home any believe just the opposite. Although the economy is in a position that is unpredictable leaving many to try and pick up the pieces of the last few years, there [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>How to Pick a New Business</p>
<p>If you think it is a bad time to start a new business you would be  shocked at home any believe just the opposite. Although the economy is  in a position that is unpredictable leaving many to try and pick up the  pieces of the last few years, there are many who have decided that the  best way to take control of their financial life is to start a business  of their own. The thinking is that if they are going to be struggling  they want to at least have the control over how it is being handled and  not relying on employers to direct their future. This having been said,  picking a business that will work in the current economy can be a  challenge. It is important before you start a new business to figure out  what your choices are.</p>
<p>Check out the market and see what people are spending money on. Once you  understand how the money is being spent try to discern if there is  something missing from that market that you could provide. This will  ensure that you are starting a business in a market where the money is  moving. It will also get you into a position that will give you the edge  by providing a product or service that is both needed and missing in a  market that has money. This can take some time and being patient and  doing the work is the only way to know you are picking the right  business platform. Once you have picked the business that you are  interested in, put together an amazing business plan that you can  provide to anyone interested in your business from advertising to  lenders and investors. This will do two things; provide them with the  information they need about where you business is going and keep you on  track when decisions need to be made about the business.</p>
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		<title>Market Forecasts and Trends</title>
		<link>http://www.sfprospector.org/market-forecasts-and-trends.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.sfprospector.org/market-forecasts-and-trends.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 13 Dec 2010 21:57:59 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Business plan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Forecasting]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sfprospector.org/?p=48</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Market Forecasts and Trends For any business today it is essential that you have a good plan and know where your future is. You have to know where the money is coming from and in the current economy it is impossible for anyone to predict where the money will be in the future. One way [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Market Forecasts and Trends</p>
<p>For any business today it is essential that you have a good plan and  know where your future is.  You have to know where the money is coming  from and in the current economy it is impossible for anyone to predict  where the money will be in the future.  One way to get a picture of the  business is by taking stock of the target market, the trends and the  forecasts for the business type.  This means you may need to consider  hiring a market analyst to help you develop your business plan and a  strategy to handle the changing economy and your changing customer base.   You may have to make some significant changes to your business from  cutting back on expenses to changing your target market completely.</p>
<p>With the information that they collect a market analyst can offer you a  forecast of where your consumers are going to be spending their money in  the near future based on where they are spending it now.  This is vital  information for any business of any size.  You need to get ahead of the  needs of the market and provide for your customers and clients  something that they do not already have available to them.  Not only do  you need to fill a void and read the future trends in your market but  you need to provide products and services that are affordable and that  the target market will be able to justify spending money on. If they are  not spending the money on what you have to offer you have no hope of  being able to maintain profitability.  You have to both understand the  way that your market is working now and predict the future.  These are  difficult things to accomplish but not impossible and your business will  benefit for the effort and expense.</p>
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		<title>Your Business and Social Media</title>
		<link>http://www.sfprospector.org/your-business-and-social-media.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.sfprospector.org/your-business-and-social-media.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 12 Dec 2010 10:54:27 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Facebook]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Internet marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[LinkedIn]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marketing and Advertising]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Social media]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[social media monitoring]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Twitter]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sfprospector.org/?p=20</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Have you ever wondered what value social media could have on your company? If so, you are like many others, wondering what is the benefit. Social Media can become extremely valuable to your company if use correctly and appropriately. The first step you need to take is to understand social media and social media monitoring. [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Have you ever wondered what value social media could have on your company? If so, you are like many others, wondering what is the benefit. Social Media can become extremely valuable to your company if use correctly and appropriately. The first step you need to take is to understand social media and <a href="http://www.visibletechnologies.com/">social media monitoring</a>. Once you understand what Social Media is, then set up an account, analyze, integrate and succeed.</p>
<p>When setting up a Social Media, you will be more likely to be successful if you have a well-trained team, a set plan, and have a goal. You can view the website to help you learn how to become successful with your Social Media site, and how to properly monitor. There are several social intelligence softwares available that will help you become successful. This software is more advance than just following blogs or just sending responses. It helps guide you to become active with social media. Make clear expectation for your team and consumers, defining what actions are needed and expected to achieve success.</p>
<p>This advanced software is highly technological and was created to create more relevant data. This software can help you self-analysis your social business. The software has several different things that can help you monitor. The software can help with customer service, professional services, account management, and strategies. The different software available can produce easy to read reports, and taking social media monitoring.</p>
<p>So the answer is YES social media can be one the best things you can do for your company. Social media can have many positive effects on your company, and with today technology and technological software available your monitoring will be taking to a new level. This software will help you with many aspects of your company and help you become extremely successful.</p>
<div class="zemanta-pixie" style="margin-top: 10px; height: 15px;"><a class="zemanta-pixie-a" title="Enhanced by Zemanta" href="http://www.zemanta.com/"><img class="zemanta-pixie-img" style="border: medium none; float: right;" src="http://img.zemanta.com/zemified_e.png?x-id=f5adb295-4bf2-4513-b6d3-37716bac3607" alt="Enhanced by Zemanta" /></a></div>
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		<title>Major Changes in Small Business</title>
		<link>http://www.sfprospector.org/major-changes-in-small-business.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.sfprospector.org/major-changes-in-small-business.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 11 Dec 2010 21:57:22 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Small business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Small Business Administration]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sfprospector.org/?p=46</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Major Changes in Small Business There are a number of small businesses that have decided it is time that they make significant changes in their business to ensure that they are still in business in a year&#8217;s time. The economy has become difficult to read and has people being very careful how they spend their [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Major Changes in Small Business</p>
<p>There are a number of small businesses that have decided it is time that  they make significant changes in their business to ensure that they are  still in business in a year&#8217;s time.  The economy has become difficult  to read and has people being very careful how they spend their money.   They are no longer interested in unnecessary spending and putting money  in places that they will not receive immediate benefit from.  This is  putting many small businesses in a tough position of having to decide  what their target market wants and needs and providing it at the lowest  price possible.  This means that they have to cut back on expenses and  even employees to do so.  While this is not something that they are  looking forward to this is something that they have to do.  Looking at  what your business provides consumers and deciding if it is enough in  the current market is the only way to get ahead of the market.</p>
<p>Taking the time to survey your current customers and clients about what  they are willing to spend money on and what they are looking for in your  market is a good way to get a handle on what is missing in the market  that you can provide for them.  This will give you the edge over your  competitors.  You will have the opportunity to provide them with what is  missing at a price they can afford keeping you in the running as a  thriving business.  Managing to weather the storm is all that some  businesses can ask for at this time.  Setting themselves up for later  success when the storm clears is the best way to make sure their  business continues to grow and they keep their customer base making it  possible for them to survive the economy.</p>
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		<title>Choosing to Change the Business</title>
		<link>http://www.sfprospector.org/choosing-to-change-the-business.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.sfprospector.org/choosing-to-change-the-business.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 10 Dec 2010 21:56:43 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Management]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Customer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Small business]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sfprospector.org/?p=44</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The economy has hit many very hard and this isn&#8217;t restricted to those individuals who have lost their jobs. Many business owners are struggling to keep the business alive. Some are deciding that they have to change their business to go with the current market trends. For some this means changing the business model entirely [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The economy has hit many very hard and this isn&#8217;t restricted  to those individuals who have lost their jobs.  Many business owners are  struggling to keep the business alive.  Some are deciding that they  have to change their business to go with the current market trends. For  some this means changing the business model entirely and deciding to  cater to what their customers and clients are both looking for and  willing to pay for. This is a process that does not happen overnight and  will take a significant amount of research on the owner&#8217;s part.  They  will need to find out what is popular and what their customers need.   This is the only way they can decide how to fill the empty shoes that  the customer needs help with.</p>
<p>For small business owners making these changes is not as easy as you  might think.  They have to spend a good deal of money to adjust their  business to match the new needs and limitations of their customers.   However, for many this is the only way they will survive in the  unpredictable market and crazy economy they are left to work with.  It  is vital that they are left with a customer base when the economy takes a  turn for the better.  It is the only way they can provide for their  customers in the future.  The process of finding the missing component  that the market needs is not enough to make you the leader in your  market.  You also need to make it affordable enough that the customers  are able to pay for the services and products.</p>
<p>If you are changing your business to meet the needs of the changed  customer base you will need to be sure you will be providing a product  or service that is going to stick around for a bit.  The cost of  changing over the business to a different base is not something that can  be repeated and withstood.</p>
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		<title>Using Market Trends to Position the Business</title>
		<link>http://www.sfprospector.org/using-market-trends-to-position-the-business.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.sfprospector.org/using-market-trends-to-position-the-business.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 09 Dec 2010 21:56:12 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Market trend]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marketing and Advertising]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sfprospector.org/?p=42</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Using Market Trends to Position the Business Understanding your market and using market trends to predict and forecast the future of the market is the only way to keep your business in the forefront of the market today. You have to be able to see where you customers needs are now and where they are [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Using Market Trends to Position the Business</p>
<p>Understanding your market and using market trends to predict and  forecast the future of the market is the only way to keep your business  in the forefront of the market today. You have to be able to see where  you customers needs are now and where they are heading in the future.  There are a number of ways to accomplish this goal. One of them is by  finding a networking group in your market that can help you compile  information on your current market and how your customers are spending  their money. These groups are trying to help each other stay afloat in a  very difficult market. Working with these groups is a terrific way for  you to gain some insight as to how others are doing business in the  current economy. You may get some excellent ideas on how to cut costs  and create more profit.</p>
<p>Another way to gain insight into your market is to study the market  trends that are available online at the many sites that offer market  material. They can give you the general picture of where money in the  country is being spent and where cutbacks are being made by customers.  This can help you to predict changes in your market before they happen  allowing you to get in a position during those changes where you can  benefit and profit from them. You will want to find something that the  market is in need of it and provide it at a bearable price point making  your company first choice for your customers and clients. This is vital  to keeping your business strong through the tough times. You can  certainly benefit from the information and feedback your customers and  clients provide to you. Consider doing a little surveying to find out  what they are willing to pay for these days.</p>
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		<title>Is Starting a New Business Crazy</title>
		<link>http://www.sfprospector.org/is-starting-a-new-business-crazy.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.sfprospector.org/is-starting-a-new-business-crazy.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 07 Dec 2010 21:55:40 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Business plan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Loan]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sfprospector.org/?p=39</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Is Starting a New Business Crazy If you are in the market for new business ventures you may be seeing many who think you are out of your mind. This having been said there is a number of individuals doing the same thing. Many are fed up with trusting their family&#8217;s financial future to a [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Is Starting a New Business Crazy</p>
<p>If you are in the market for new business ventures you may be seeing  many who think you are out of your mind. This having been said there is a  number of individuals doing the same thing. Many are fed up with  trusting their family&#8217;s financial future to a business and not knowing  if they will have a job next year or not. This is one of the reasons  that many people have decided to take their fate into their own hands by  starting their own business. This may seem like a bad time to start new  business given the current state of the economy and the high  unemployment rate. There are those who do not see it possible to get a  loan for start up capital given the tight wallets of lenders and  investors today. This is not an impossible venture however. You have to  have a solid business plan based on solid facts and offering a good  prognosis for the future of your business in order to convince lenders  that you and your business are worth the risk.</p>
<p>Choosing to start your own business requires a realistic plan that shows  a profit and the ability to cover all of your debts. You must inspire  confidence in potential lenders and investors. If you show your  confidence they will be able to show the same and will trust that you  can make the business model work even in a tight economy. By showing  that the numbers work and that you have made concessions for the  unpredictable economy you will assure the lenders that you are prepared  for what might come and still believe the business has a chance of  profit and provides a service or product that customers both need and  want that is not already being provided to them.</p>
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		<title>Changing Business to Fit Economy</title>
		<link>http://www.sfprospector.org/changing-business-to-fit-economy.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.sfprospector.org/changing-business-to-fit-economy.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 06 Dec 2010 21:55:05 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Customer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Economy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Small business]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sfprospector.org/?p=37</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Changing Business to Fit Economy There are many business owners who are unsure how to handle the changes of the economy and are left having to make some very difficult decisions. Many of them have to cut back staff or change the money they spend on the office. They are unable to purchase supplies like [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Changing Business to Fit Economy</p>
<p>There are many business owners who are unsure how to handle the changes  of the economy and are left having to make some very difficult  decisions. Many of them have to cut back staff or change the money they  spend on the office. They are unable to purchase supplies like they once  did and have to make serious cutbacks to survive the economy. Beyond  simply cutting back on expenses many business owners have to change  their business format completely to appeal to a new mind set by their  customers. They are in a position where they must find out what the  customers are in need of and try to supply it. The customers are no  longer content with spending their money on things that do not fit into  the needs category of their spending. They have nearly removed the want  category for the time being from their spending habits and are focused  on paying for high quality products and services that they need to have  and not products and services that are a luxury or that they can get  anywhere.</p>
<p>Along with the change in the way they do business these businesses have  to really take a look at where their customers are headed. They need to  use trends to forecast what the customers need in the future and provide  it for them. This means that they must be able to tell what their  customers want from them in the future and time it so they are waiting  with this product or service so that they are ready when the customer  is. They need to price their products and services so that they fit into  the budget of the customers. In addition, they need to be able to  adjust those prices to fit the changes in the economy as they happen.</p>
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		<title>Be First in Line</title>
		<link>http://www.sfprospector.org/be-first-in-line.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.sfprospector.org/be-first-in-line.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 05 Dec 2010 21:54:23 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Customer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Entrepreneur]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sfprospector.org/?p=35</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Be First in Line For those entrepreneurs who are brave enough there is business to be had even in this economy. There are needs of customers and clients that are not being met particularly in the wake of a very difficult time when money is tight. Finding out what these needs are and making them [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Be First in Line</p>
<p>For those entrepreneurs who are brave enough there is business to be had  even in this economy. There are needs of customers and clients that are  not being met particularly in the wake of a very difficult time when  money is tight. Finding out what these needs are and making them the  focus of your business is a sure way to position your business for long  term success. Consumers are unwilling to spend money on things that are  unnecessary and that have very little long term affect on their lives.  They are far more particular today about the quality and pricing of  items and are looking for things that are needed and missing in their  busy lives. If an entrepreneur can find those important factors missing  from the consumer&#8217;s life and make them the basis of their business  they are sure to be rewarded with long term customers who will pay for  their services.</p>
<p>Along with being able to read the current market entrepreneurs must be  able to read the future market and trends to be truly successful at what  they do. They need to be able to anticipate a need and trend and  reposition themselves to be first in line with what the consumer will  need. This will keep them at the front of the pack when it comes to new  business and allow them the luxury of being the first to provide to a  new customer base. This kind of forecasting is vital to longevity of a  business and is one of the only ways to survive a tight and unforgiving  economy. You have to fully understand and listen to your target market.  It may seem like a mind reading game but it is the key to keeping your  business on top of the market and first pick for your customers.</p>
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		<title>Keeping Your Customers through Hard Times</title>
		<link>http://www.sfprospector.org/keeping-your-customers-through-hard-times.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.sfprospector.org/keeping-your-customers-through-hard-times.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 04 Dec 2010 21:53:45 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Management]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Customer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Customer service]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sfprospector.org/?p=33</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Keeping Your Customers through Hard Times The face of consumer spending has changed dramatically thanks to a tight and unpredictable economy. Due to this change in how people are spending their money many business owners are finding that they need to make some adjustments to their business to continue to serve their current customers and [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Keeping Your Customers through Hard Times</p>
<p>The face of consumer spending has changed dramatically thanks to a tight  and unpredictable economy. Due to this change in how people are  spending their money many business owners are finding that they need to  make some adjustments to their business to continue to serve their  current customers and clients and gain the respect of new ones. Some of  these changes are finding out how the target market is spending their  money. It is important to understand how people are spending their money  and where they are willing to spend. It is no longer an option for many  consumers to spend money on things they do not need in their lives. It  is important to realize they have changed what is important in their  homes and are going for high quality low priced necessities.</p>
<p>Once it is determined how they are willing to spend their money it may  be time to change the direction of your business to fit those needs and  provide the customer with services and products that they are otherwise  missing from their spending. Things they are happy to spend the money on  if they are high quality and do not break the bank. This will make  professional relationships stronger and you are likely to keep these  customers for the long term. Whether you are in the retail business or  the service business customer service has become the key to keeping  business. People are unwilling to pay for subprime customer support for  any product or service. They simply value their money too much at this  point to do that. This is an area that you must strive to perfect no  matter what business you are in. You must give your customers perfect  customer service and let them know how valuable their business is to you  if you hope to keep them for the future.</p>
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		<title>Change Your Business to Suit Today&#8217;s Customer</title>
		<link>http://www.sfprospector.org/change-your-business-to-suit-todays-customer.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.sfprospector.org/change-your-business-to-suit-todays-customer.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 03 Dec 2010 21:52:46 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Management]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Customer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Customer service]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sfprospector.org/?p=31</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Change Your Business to Suit Today&#8217;s Customer If you are looking to change the way your business runs you will need to keep several things in mind. You need to understand your target market and also understand that your target market may change in the near future as the economy continues to be tight on [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Change Your Business to Suit Today&#8217;s Customer</p>
<p>If you are looking to change the way your business runs you will need to  keep several things in mind. You need to understand your target market  and also understand that your target market may change in the near  future as the economy continues to be tight on people. Being able to  evolve your business to keep up with the changing target market could be  the key to ensuring that your business survives the tough times. You  may have to readjust how you approach your customers and clients. They  may require more care and handling then they once did because money is  not something easily spend these days. They may require that you give  them the extra attention they feel their money is worth. Keeping this in  mind when serving your customers is important to the future of your  business.</p>
<p>There are a number of ways that your business may change in the coming  year. Products may change based on what the customer is in need of at  the time and this may change dramatically over the next several years.  Your biggest challenge may be finding what your customer is missing and  providing that with your business. This will give you the edge on your  competitors and let your customers know that they are vital to your  business and that you know it. Taking care to keep your customers happy  and your product or service affordable is key to longevity. You  customers will take this to heart and will maintain relations if they  know they can trust you to give them the customer service they are  paying for and that you will give them the lowest price possible for  services and goods keeping them from your competitors and on your team.  The profits from your long term customers are what is going to get you  through tough times.</p>
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		<title>Cutbacks are a Must for Small Business</title>
		<link>http://www.sfprospector.org/cutbacks-are-a-must-for-small-business.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.sfprospector.org/cutbacks-are-a-must-for-small-business.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 02 Dec 2010 21:52:13 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Customer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Small business]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sfprospector.org/?p=29</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Cutbacks are a Must for Small Business If you are at a loss as to how to change your business to keep up with a terrible and challenging economy you are not alone. You will find business all over the country and world having the same struggle. They are stuck in a position of being [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Cutbacks are a Must for Small Business</p>
<p>If you are at a loss as to how to change your business to keep up with a  terrible and challenging economy you are not alone. You will find  business all over the country and world having the same struggle. They  are stuck in a position of being unable to move forward and unsure how  to keep their current customers and clients happy. The economy has many  people cutting back on their spending. One of the first things to do is  consider your own business spending. If you are spending money on  unnecessary items now is the time to stop doing so. In addition, if you  are spending money on staff that is truly not needed it may be time to  part ways. Unfortunately, it is important that you consider these things  when thinking of ways to keep your business up and running during a  tough time. You will need to start thinking of profitability in a whole  new way.</p>
<p>You will also want to take the time to find out what your customers  needs are and provide it if you can at an affordable price. This  information can also be used to forecast the future of your business and  the future of the needs of your customers and clients. It is vital that  you position yourself ready to take on the needs of the customer as  they arise before your competition gets into the picture. Those who are  used to you will turn to you first but if you are not prepared to meet  their needs they will move on to your competition. Therefore predicting  their needs ahead of time will put you ahead of the game. You do not  want to be put in the position of finding out your clients and customers  have moved on to the competition because you were not fast enough to  provide for them.</p>
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		<title>Customer Service is Vital to Long Term Business</title>
		<link>http://www.sfprospector.org/customer-service-is-vital-to-long-term-business.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.sfprospector.org/customer-service-is-vital-to-long-term-business.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 01 Dec 2010 21:51:22 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Company]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Customer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Customer service]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://sfprospector.org/?p=27</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Customer Service is Vital to Long Term Business Many small business owners are finding it difficult to read their customers and clients. It is not easy to know where they are spending their money and if your business is a part of their spending in the future. This is why many businesses find hiring someone [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Customer Service is Vital to Long Term Business</p>
<p>Many small business owners are finding it difficult to read their  customers and clients. It is not easy to know where they are spending  their money and if your business is a part of their spending in the  future. This is why many businesses find hiring someone to help them  find out what the current trends are and forecast future trends is  helpful to putting their business in the right place to keep giving  their customers what they need. With spending low and customer&#8217;s  spending money only on high quality needs and less on frivolous desires  it is easy to see how a business could go under if they are not cued  into this information ahead of time. The competition is great and if you  are not on top of your game you are not likely to be the first pick of  the customers.</p>
<p>On top of using trends and forecasts to set your business in the right  position you want to keep in mind your customers desire for higher  customer service. Since money is so valuable right now and customers are  being so careful how they spend it they rate customer service at a  premium. They expect to be rewarded for their spending with a high level  of customer care leaving them feeling like they are important and their  money is important to your business. This area is the key for many  businesses when it comes to keeping old and new business. If the  costumer is happy with the services provided and the way that it is  being handled by the business they are more likely to return to spend  more money. Choosing to provide your customers with amazing customer  service is vital to keeping them happy with your business and ensuring  they will not be wandering off to the competition.</p>
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		<pubDate>Fri, 02 Apr 2010 18:39:59 +0000</pubDate>
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