How to Stay Focused and Build Your Business

How to Stay Focused and Build Your Business

A checklist of processes and procedures, which will assist you in staying focussed while you build your business.

You have a detailed business plan, which showed the overall intent of your company. You presented the business plan to your bank before start-up and they submitted funding in the amount that you both deemed acceptable. The original business plan contained the basis of the procedures that will help you stay focussed while the company grows. Let’s examine some of these processes that you will use to give your business the focus it needs to grow and succeed.

1. A Marketing Plan. If sales are a part of your operation (and it seems that some form of selling is always a big part of every company), then, you will need to have your sales group focussed on a marketing plan. Short term and longer-term analysis should be a part of this planning and will likely contain an analysis of your competition, market potential and sales projections. Be careful not to fall into the trap of letting “the business take care of itself”, stay focussed at all times and be sure your managers are tuned into this market monitoring regularly, nothing is more defeating to the general manager/owner than to be told by a sales manager…I didn’t see that coming! YIKES!
   
2. Accounting Procedures. If sales are important, then the need to stay focussed on receiving the proceeds from sales is equally important. Accounts payable, expenses and accounts receivable need to have fixed procedures in place to allow money to flow freely through the company coffers. Focussing on these procedures at regular weekly and monthly meetings will put the accounting and marketing groups on the same path. A rift between marketing and accounting is a common bureaucratic occurrence; so don’t be surprised if one point you hear from someone from sales state, “We make the money here, how come I have to live by their rules?” Getting these two operations to stay focussed on a bottom line results oriented approach is a regular part of an owner’s job description.
   
3. Human Resources. If you have ever worked for a manager, who considered his employees as expenses rather than assets, then you will be familiar with the need for managers to stay focussed on human resources within the company. A manager who is fixated on staff reduction regardless of their accomplishments will create an atmosphere of fear. Certainly, no one wants to be grossly over-staffed, but a good owner/manager will focus on keeping adequate employee base numbers, and ensure continuing training, safety programs and top of the line employee benefits. It’s your campground, why not have “happy campers?”
   
4. Selling Your Business. This does not mean selling in the true literal sense. It means focusing on being sure your company image is one that is the envy of your competitors and is known in the business world as a first class operation. You can do this by having key managers attending industry conferences. Be clear and tell them that their focus at these seminars is to network, thoroughly gathering as much new information that they can. They should also ‘sell’ other attendees on the importance and efficiency of their company in the industry. Upon their return, have follow-up meetings with these managers where they will report in detail on what they have learned. Managers attending conventions and seminars should take opportunities to enjoy themselves, nevertheless, they will be the “face” of your company, it’s wise be sure that they focus on making them business meetings, and not all “playtime.”
   
   If planning, organizing, staffing, direction and control are five major factors in managing a company, staying focussed throughout the process, is paramount!
   
   Marketing Tips Provided to You by:
   Matt Bacak, The Powerful Promoter
   Author of Powerful Promoting Tips
   
   

Business Plan Basics

Business Plan Basics

Tap these treasures of ideas. The best money you can spend is money invested in your business plan education. Don't shortchange yourself when it comes to investing in your dream. Start gathering samples of business plans and collect business plan books and get a business plan library started; it can change your future. Here's what your library needs to show: that you're a serious student of business strategy and planning, finance and economics, selling, and writing.

If you are just starting a company and looking for funding, or looking for additional funding for growth, you will need to develop a traditional business plan. Creating a business plan is a business hurdle that entrepreneurs seem to dread. Do you do it yourself? Do you hire someone to do it? How do you get it done quickly, but without spending too much money on it? Will what you do yourself be adequate to get funding?

In this article I will discuss the pros and cons of do-it-yourself business planning versus having a business planning consultant do it for you or with you.

The Do It Yourself Business Plan
Particularly if you are seeking capital of less than $200,000, consider creating the plan yourself after taking a class or reading some books or getting some coaching for someone who has written successful business plans.

Consider taking a three-hour business planning class through SCORE or the local Small Business Development Center. Even if you decide afterwards not to write your own plan, you will have a much better idea of what you want out of the process and what to expect.

There are some good reasons for an entrepreneur to do the business plan:
First of all, because you can. If you’ve read sample business plans and find their accounting jargon intimidating, you are not alone. But as long as you can clearly get your message across and have other people such as you accountant look at the plan before it goes to lenders or others, you can do this work yourself.

It is in learning the business planning process that you develop analytical thinking skills necessary to run your business with an intimate understanding of your own business model. Going through the planning process is an invaluable business experience.

You need to know the plan inside and out and really understand the variables involved. You are the one who will be asked the tough questions by potential investors or lenders, such as “What will you do if only half your expected revenue comes in?” or “What will you do if you find out that direct mail is not working for you as your primary marketing tool?”

Outsourcing the Business Plan Process
Entrepreneurs are fire fighters. One of the most important jobs of an entrepreneur is to manage time, and do those things that you are best skilled to do. Many entrepreneurs decide to hire someone else to do their business plans, often because they have an urgent need for the funding and can’t afford the learning curve to be able to develop a high-quality plan that will meet the needs of lenders or investors.

In addition, if your funding requirements are more than $500,000 my recommendation is to get some professional help with this project, even if you do some of it yourself.

Some reasons to consider hiring a consultant:
- It will get done! Business planning is done much faster with someone who knows the process. Every entrepreneur has good intentions about getting plans completed, but months later they still haven’t done all the work. Planning should be high priority work, but it is hard to get to when customer calls and employee problems require immediate attention. The sooner the plan is completed, the sooner funding can be attained. And the price of hiring the consultant will be small in comparison with the increases in growth and profitability of the business.

- It will get done in a way financial professionals will respect. Business planning is done better by someone who knows how finance people look at plans and what they will and won’t question. Once you’ve been through the business plan process many times, you know what it takes to get funding - what to emphasize and what to play down.

- The consultant’s objectivity will allow for non-emotionally-based projections and expectations for the business. A consultant will be much more objective in the process and question your assumptions, making it less likely that the business will have problems after the funding comes in.

No matter what, don’t let a business planning consultant talk you into putting any information into your plan that you aren’t comfortable with. If it doesn’t look right to you, it probably isn’t. It is your business, and you will be stuck with the plan long after you’ve paid the consultant’s bill. Make sure it is the plan that you want, one that matches your goals and objectives, and captures the way you look at business and the spirit of your company.

If you do decide to hire a business planning consultant, here are some of the important questions to ask to make sure you get the greatest value from your investment:
- How many business plans have you written for my type of business? How many of them were funded?
- How much time will you need of mine during the planning process?
- When will the plan be completed, and how many drafts should I expect to see and have the opportunity to comment on?
- Will you be writing the plan yourself or do you have associates who do the work with you?
- Will there be an opportunity for you to present the plan or for me to present the plan to my other advisors before the final draft is done?
- How do you work in collaboration with my partners and advisors so their input is taken into consideration during the writing of the plan?
- Do you do the market research and the financial spreadsheets, or are those things done separately (and charged for separately)?
- Does your price include revisions or customization for certain types of funding (to include different information needed by investors versus lenders)?
- Does your price include coaching to prepare me to talk with lenders or make financing presentations?
- Will I have an electronic version as well as a hard copy version of the final plan (so I can make changes later if I need to)?

The Optimum Solution: A Blended Approach
At best, the planning process should not be at either end of the spectrum, but squarely in the middle. In my experience, plans that win funding come from a true collaboration between a skilled consultant/facilitator and the entrepreneur’s team of employees and advisors.

A business planning consultant can act as a coach, first assessing the job to be done, and then recommending who is best to do it. The business plan should be a compilation of work between the vision and goals of the entrepreneur, the technical understanding and expertise of his or her accountant and other professionals, a consensus of employees or others, and the research and writing abilities of the business planning consultant. The consultant should meet with all parties involved, talk about what is needed for the plan, and use all the resources available to get the work done as quickly and cost effectively as possible. It is the consultant’s responsibility in the process to take all the pieces and make the final plan into a readable, accessible document that will stand up to investor/lender scrutiny.

My final caveats:
Don’t pay more than a few thousand dollars for a plan unless you are looking for capital of well over $1 million. I have heard more than a few horror stories by people who have hired university professors assuming they are the experts (they aren’t) and paying tens of thousand of dollars for a poorly written or incomplete plan. Ask your banker for business planning consultant recommendations, or better yet, talk with someone who had a good experience having a business plan written for them. It is reasonable for a consultant to expect you to pay half of the fee up front and the other half at the completion of the plan. And you can’t hold the consultant responsible if you don’t get funding based on the plan – too much is based on your own credit and management skills.

Don’t expect to get a finished plan that is a roadmap of everything you need to do to have a successful business. That isn’t the purpose of the business planning process. A traditional business plan is intended only to document your strategies for the business very briefly – but well enough to get funding. If you are hoping for something that will tell you how to market or how many people you need to hire, you will have to start with a deep strategic planning process, and probably buy lots of consulting time to get you going.

Don’t expect a great a business plan from a poor business model. If your costs are too high to make your business profitable, the business planning process will help you discover that. Then it will be up to you to make the hard decisions about changing your costs structure to make the business work. The business planning consultant is a skilled professional, not a miracle worker. A good business plan can help you highlight your strengths and minimize your weaknesses, but it cannot make an unworkable business model into a thriving business.

And one final thought: Don’t go on to start a business or make changes in your current business if everything in the business planning process tells you it won’t work. Things don’t get better out in the real world if they don’t work on paper. Deal with the weaknesses – get more training, consider product redevelopment, or have a home-based business to reduce costs until you can sustain the rent for an office. Businesses fail finally because they’ve run out of money. If your plan tells you that you can’t make enough money to make the business work for the long run, pay attention to that reality.

Marketing Tips Provided to You by:
Matt Bacak, The Powerful Promoter
Author of Powerful Promoting Tips

Protecting Your Ideas

Protecting Your Ideas

Got a great business idea? Wonderful! But do you know how to protect your amazing business idea? Well, protecting your business idea is a whole different arena. Sometimes it is hard to think that we would need to gain protection over something as abstract as our business idea, but depending on the business, it could be vital.

Knowing that a business idea can sometimes be equated with property is vital to taking the right steps to protect your business idea. If you have a great business idea that is vital to the business itself, then you should not put off protecting it. You never know when someone else will have that same business idea later on.

The intellectual property transfer market is now estimated to be worth over $100 billion. If you have a new idea, a patent or an invention, you may be able to license it or sell it for millions of dollars. Many Fortune 500 companies are now making their intellectual property available for sale or licensing at new online intellectual-property exchanges. These companies are trying to maximize their return on research and development investment and generate a new source of revenue by licensing their unused and underutilized inventions to others.

A number of online forums, including Minnesota-based NewIdeaTrade.com (http://www.newideatrade.com/), California-based Pl-x.com (http://www.pl-x.com/), and Connecticut-based PatentTriage.com (http://www.patenttriage.com/) now link buyers and sellers of intellectual property. The traditional transfer of intellectual property is complicated, costly, and can take up to one year. However, these online forums simplify and speed up the process for transfer of new ideas.

The Internet currently reaches more than 560 million users around the world. This makes innovators’ potential for exposure much higher than with traditional forms of media. The worldwide online commerce has reached $2.2 trillion in 2002 and is expected to reach $6.8 trillion by 2004. The innovators today can leverage the massive reach of the Internet and promote their new ideas to the global market without substantial marketing costs.

Official copyright registration and patent rights can be obtained from appropriate authorities. A directory of Patent and Copyright Offices around the world is available at newideatrade.com . When a potential buyer contacts the seller for more information about the intellectual property, the seller should require the buyer to sign a non-disclosure agreement before revealing the details.

As a business owner, you already know how important it is for your customers to feel safe about doing business with you. After all, if a customer even suspects he may not receive everything he was promised, then chances are he's taking his business elsewhere. So to prevent that you offer guarantees, secure payment methods, prompt customer service, and more. You do whatever it takes to show each customer that you are sincere and trustworthy.

But what steps do you take to protect yourself and your livelihood?

Too many business owners spend all their time worrying about their customers' security without thinking of their own, even though small companies must often deal with customer fraud, non-paying clients, and more.

Just as you've taken steps to ensure that your customers are satisfied with their buying experience, so should you feel comfortable and secure by taking a few precautions of your own.

Get Everything in Writing
Written contracts are not just for helping customers understand what they can expect to receive for their money, they are about laying down the ground rules for your business relationship. When these guidelines are in writing, nothing is left up for a debate or becomes a misunderstanding.

Both parties can be assured that their interests are being protected and both should have a clear understanding of their rights and responsibilities in the event that something goes awry.
A good example would be if you sold a toy which a parent returned six months later because it was broken. Without a contract in writing specifying the time limits and conditions of your return policy, you might end up with an ongoing battle wit the customer which could result in lost business and even lawsuits.

Written contracts also don't need to be crafted by lawyers. You can write everything out yourself in ordinary, easy to understand language. When you and the customer sign it, it becomes a legal and binding agreement. It's really that simple.

Don't Be Naive
So many people in business get burned by their customers simply because they are too trusting. For example, some of you may have shipped products before the customers' payments cleared. Or you may have completed agreed upon work without asking for a deposit. Both are risky propositions as many new entrepreneurs discover the hard way, especially if they do business online.

You can protect yourself by always asking for a partial payment in advance and by always waiting until a customer's payment has cleared before you ship their products. Another method of protecting yourself and your customer is by using a service such as Paypal.com to handle your transactions. The service protects you from non-paying customers and offers your customers protection for lost, damaged, or unshipped products.

Know Your Local Laws
One of the best ways to protect you is by becoming informed. When you know your legal rights, you'll have a better understanding of how to effectively deal with troublesome customers.
For example, some states don't allow you to limit a customer's right to return a product beyond a certain time limit, so you may not legally be able to enforce a guarantee of only one week. On the other hand, if you know your rights, then you'll also understand what steps to take in case legal action on your part is necessary.

For instance, you may want to send a certified letter demanding payment before you file a lawsuit. Additionally, if you appear knowledgeable about your rights, many customers might think twice before failing to pay or committing fraud.

The bottom line is that you deserve to be protected just as much as your customers. A few advance precautions now can ensure that you'll have a long and satisfying business relationship with your customers.

Marketing Tips Provided to You by:
Matt Bacak, The Powerful Promoter
Author of Powerful Promoting Tips

Buying a Franchise

Buying a Franchise

Franchise business is being part of a successfully proven business that has a name or trademark that is well known and profitable. Franchise businesses are strategically tried and marketable with options to expand by offering products and services that appeal to the consumer. Having to make the decision on which franchise business to buy can be challenging. Franchise business consultants can offer assistance to evaluate current franchise opportunities with valued insight. A franchise business consultant may also be able to offer assistance to the business owner who wants to make a current business franchisable.

Buying a franchise is not for everyone. This guide will help you evaluate whether buying a franchise is right for you. It will help you understand your obligations as a franchise owner.

Many people dream of owning and running their own business but are often let down by the reality of doing so.

By purchasing a franchise, you often can sell goods and services that have instant name recognition and can obtain training and ongoing support to help you succeed. But be cautious.

Like any investment, purchasing a franchise is not a guarantee of success.
A franchise typically enables you, the investor or "franchisee," to operate a business. By paying a franchise fee, which may cost several thousand pounds, you are given a format or system developed by the company ("franchisor"), the right to use the franchisor's name for a limited time, and assistance.

While buying a franchise may reduce your investment risk by enabling you to associate with an established company, it can be costly. You also may be required to relinquish significant control over your business, while taking on contractual obligations with the franchisor.

Outlined below are some of the main points you need to consider before buying a franchise:

- Franchise fee: Your initial franchise fee, which may be non-refundable, may cost several thousand to several hundred thousand pounds.

- Royalty payments: You may have to pay the franchisor royalties based on a percentage of your weekly or monthly gross income. You often must pay royalties even if your outlet has not earned significant income during that time. In addition, royalties usually are paid for the right to use the franchisor's name.

- Advertising fees: You may have to pay into an advertising fund. Some portion of the advertising fees may go for national advertising or to attract new franchise owners, but not necessarily to target your particular outlet.

- Controls: To ensure uniformity, franchisors typically control how franchisees conduct business. These controls may significantly restrict your ability to exercise your own business judgment.

- Terminations and Renewal: You can lose the right to your franchise if you breach the franchise contract. In addition, the franchise contract is for a limited time; there is no guarantee that you will be able to renew it. A franchisor can end your franchise agreement if, for example, you fail to pay royalties or abide by performance standards and sales restrictions. If your franchise is terminated, you may lose your investment. Franchise agreements typically run for 15 to 20 years. After that time, the franchisor may decline to renew your contract.
Before investing in a particular franchise system, carefully consider how much money you have to invest, your abilities, and your goals.

Marketing Tips Provided to You by:
Matt Bacak, The Powerful Promoter
Author of Powerful Promoting Tips

Buying a Business

Buying a Business

“A needle in the haystack!” or “A diamond in the rough”, both popular saying’s apply to what’s involved in finding your ideal company to buy! Any seasoned business buyer will tell you that finding viable companies that can be purchased for reasonable terms is a “numbers game”. Thousands of company purchase candidates defined, that lead to hundreds of contacts to be made, resulting in tens of acquisition conversations that hopefully lead to ONE company acquisition! Many merger and acquisition veterans will tell you “It takes 100 potential opportunities to get one good deal” … a numbers game. At any point in the business buyer’s purchase process, for any number of valid or invalid reasons, either the business buyer or the business seller can call off the potential deal. Most potential business mergers and acquisitions pursuits do fall apart. The human and financial costs to both parties involved can be significant, sometimes devastating.

Start thinking about buying an established business if you want to avoid the immense risks involved in starting one. Not everyone wants to start a business from scratch, and buying a business with the infrastructure in place lets you focus on building it up, as opposed to getting a new business off the ground. This is not to say that it’s easy to buy an existing business; it’s a fairly complicated process throughout which you need to know exactly what you’re doing.

First off, decide that you do want to buy before you begin your research. This way you will look at options more carefully. A particular business may not be exactly what you’re looking for, but if you’re sure that you do want to buy, then you won’t brush it off immediately, without first considering how you might grow with it. Business Broker’s deals with a wide range of businesses and will surely help you make up your mind quickly.

Talk to the people in your life who are likely to be affected by the venture. Let them know the hours that you are likely to have to work and the risks involved. You might need their support if you initially go through a rough patch.

Using a Broker
It would be more prudent to use the services of a broker in buying your business. All the important groundwork in terms of research would already have been done. And, you can focus on finalizing the deal.

A broker will handle all those complicated negotiations which you may just find too much to handle. And, when things turn unpleasant you can leave it all to your broker.

Brokers are supposed to have systems in place to take care of deals. The sale is usually a time of some stress for both the buyer and the seller, so having someone to put everything together and take care of the paperwork is very helpful. You will appreciate a broker’s services as it will allow you to concentrate on getting a worthwhile deal, and not have to worry about whether all the documents -and there are a lot of them- are in order.

Of course, your broker will charge you a substantial commission, but it will all be worthwhile if you get the deal you want.

Business Essentials
Once you figure out your particular area of interest, think about the size of the business that you want to buy, the location of prospective sellers etc. Know your financial resources so that you don’t waste time looking at businesses that are beyond your reach, even if you have always fantasized about being a ship-builder.

Identify your strengths. Are you good at sales? Operations? Look out for a business that is in a
position to benefit from your particular strengths.

Once you’ve identified a business that you want to buy, make contact with the seller but hire professionals i.e. accountants, attorneys, etc. to take care of different aspects of the purchase.
Allow yourself a gut instinct about the seller and the business. Feel free to ask why they want to sell the business, and evaluate your decision based on their reasons. It might just reassure you that you should go ahead with the deal.

Company Valuation
There are many methods of valuing a company, and it is up to the seller to decide how to go about it. Make sure the price is a fair representation of how valuable the company is likely to be to you. It is obviously disadvantageous to you if a non-performing company that is heavy in assets is priced based on the net value of its assets.

The asking price is negotiable. Even in a situation where the seller is firm on her price, enquire as to the method of valuation and challenge it if you think it leaves you with an unfair deal. While negotiating, be prepared to challenge the seller with facts and statistics.

Find out what specific concerns the seller has about the deal, and address them. Be sensitive to the fact that selling a business can be an emotional process but at the same time make sure that you don’t end up paying for its sentimental value.

Financing the Deal
To finance the deal, seller financing is probably the best option available to you. You won’t get a bank loan without offering 100% collateral. The Small Business Administration does offer some financing but only for deals that meet a strict set of criteria.

The good thing about seller financing is that it shows that the seller is being serious and honest about the deal, and is not trying to offload an ailing business onto you. It shows that he has enough faith in the business he is selling to share the risk involved in running it with you. There’s no better way to be sure that a business is really worth buying. Seller financing also allows for far greater flexibility than any other kind of financing.

Most people who start looking for a business to buy never actually end up buying. If your first deal doesn’t come through, don’t let it deter you from looking for other businesses. Learn from the experience and use it to sharpen your skills so that the next time around, you know exactly what you want and how to go about getting it.

Services
1. Initial Consultation - You will have a one-on-one via phone or in person with a broker in your area to discuss all of your questions and concerns regarding the business buying process. Our brokers are trained to help you with business concerns as well as personal concerns. We realize that this is not only a financial decision, but a lifestyle decision as well.

2. Buyer Profile - Once all of your concerns have been addressed and you have signed a buyer registration agreement, your Business Broker will create a buyer profile by which he/she can search for the exact type of business you are looking for.

3. Viewing Listings - Once we have entered your criteria into our database, our computer will generate matches. Your professional business broker will then go with you to take a look at the listing and address any questions you may have.

4. Offer To Purchase - If one of these businesses fits what you are looking for and you have had a chance to think about making an offer (sometimes you may have to make several visits to the business to be certain), your broker will help you fill out an offer sheet. This sheet details the price and terms at which you would like to purchase the business. Here the experience of your broker will help you in making the best offer.

5. Due Diligence - Once the offer has been accepted, the buyer conducts a period of research on the business. Basically, due diligence is the process by which you work with the seller to verify the financials of the business as well as a period in which you learn the inner workings of the business. This process typically takes two weeks. A buyer may want to bring in his/her attorney or CPA to help during this phase of the purchase. Your broker will be available to assist you in the due diligence process in every way.

6. Contract & Closing - Following a successful due diligence period in which all of your concerns have been addressed, a contract will be drawn up between yourself and the seller of the business. Typically this is done between your attorney and that of the seller. If the contract meets all contingencies you have set forth, it can be signed and a closing date set. At closing, the business will officially change hands and you will have completed the buying process. Keep in mind that our brokers are here for you every step of the way to ensure that you are making informed decisions.

Marketing Tips Provided to You by:
Matt Bacak, The Powerful Promoter
Author of Powerful Promoting Tips

How to Write Foolproof Media Releases

How to Write Foolproof Media Releases

Are you looking for inexpensive ways to promote yourself or your business? Well, read on about media releases, one of the most cost effective promotion vehicles available. Free publicity resulting from a media release sounds good, but how do you go about getting it? The first step is to write foolproof media releases.

Many people ‘gasp’ at the thought of committing the written word to the page. Don’t be scared, just apply these quick and easy steps to write foolproof media releases! Let’s get started!
Always remember when writing your media release that editors will likely give you a ’10 second’ glance to see if the topic is newsworthy. Make sure you cover all the media release basic essentials to ensure your media release isn’t ‘tossed’ before it gets even the 10-second once-over.

Before You Start Writing Your Media Release
Before you even begin typing, take a moment and determine ‘what is your story’ or ‘what is your angle’. What do you want to communicate and why? Some media release ideas are the launch of new product, change in your company that affects your customers, or an event that affects your industry.

Remember that a media release is not an advertisement; your story needs to be a newsworthy account about you or your company.

Essentials for Media Releases
You are ready to start writing, take the time to familiarize yourself with the essentials required in all media releases.
· “FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE” on the top left of the page
· Contact name, title, address, phone number, fax number, email address
· Headline, bold and centered on the page (more on writing effective headlines later)
· Location and date
· No more than one page in length
· Be concise and grammatically correct (no spelling errors!)
· At the bottom, provide a bio on the company, person etc. Provide brief details and remember to include a website address where readers can get more information.
O.k. the essentials are the easy part, let’s delve into the guts of your media release and the tools for writing effective content.

Effective Media Release Content
1. Headline – Some PR people say that you need to spend as much time writing the headline as you do on writing the entire content of the media release. The headline needs to capture attention, while at the same time convey the content of the media release. The headline may be the only thing an editor reads of your media release so ensure it’s a good one!
2. Paragraph structure – Make sure you make your most important statements in the first paragraph, waiting too long could mean your media release is never read! The headline along with your opening paragraph should tell a gripping story. Answer the five critical questions, who, what, where, when and why. The last paragraph is your call to action - make it clear and compelling.
3. Writing Style – Keep your audience for the media release in mind and ensure all information is factual and relevant to that audience. Provide statistics and/or relevant quotes that substantiate the information you are providing. Limit jargon and slang.
4. Distribute – Spend the time researching and creating a distribution list. Effective media releases do work; you just need to ensure that you send your media release to the right places. Check out industry associations, relevant publications (both print and online), newswire services, PRWeb, the opportunities are endless!

Writing a foolproof media release will take a little time and effort. The rewards of free publicity, resulting in even more customers and revenue are worth the investment! Why not try writing and distributing a media release today!

Marketing Tips Provided to You by:
Matt Bacak, The Powerful Promoter
Author of Powerful Promoting Tips

How to Make Money with Amazon

How to Make Money with Amazon

You are familiar with Amazon, maybe you have even purchased a book or two. Well, learn about how you can make money with Amazon! Check out this article “How to Make Money with Amazon”, which takes you step by step through how unbelievably easy it is to sell your old books, music and movies. Make some extra pocket cash or maybe even make it your full time job!

If you’re like many Americans, you’ve probably purchased a book or two on Amazon. But, did you know you could make money with Amazon? That’s right! You don’t just have to spend your money on Amazon; there are many opportunities to make money with Amazon too!
Many people are discovering how easy it is to make money with Amazon by selling old books, music or movies. You can earn a little extra spending money or even make it your full time job! It’s so easy to do! Let’s get started by reviewing the basics of how to make money with Amazon.

Why Amazon?
Why try to make money with Amazon? Well, by using an established online bookstore like Amazon, you are tapping into their humongous customer base! You are operating like a wholesale book and music supplier to Amazon, even drop shipping to their customers! When you make money with Amazon, you don’t go searching for customers, nor do you have to set up your own e-commerce website. Amazon has everything you need!

What are the steps to Make Money with Amazon?
It’s unbelievably simple, so gather your old books, music, and start making money with Amazon!

1) Go to Amazon.com and click on marketplace, which will take you to their ‘sell your stuff’ page. Here’s where you start to make money with Amazon!

2) Select your category where you are going to make money with Amazon– Books, DVDs, music etc.

3) Search for the item you want to sell. You can enter in a search term or if you know the ISBN (International Standard Book Number) or UPC for your item, you can enter that instead.

4) Describe the condition of your item. To be successful and actually make money on Amazon, be sure to research your competitors and see how they are describing their items. Your description needs to be compelling and encourage people to buy!

5) Set your price. Remember that your price must be at or below the Amazon.com price for the same item. This rule applies even if you are selling a new book, movie or music.

6) When a customer purchases an item, Amazon collects 99 cents plus a percentage of the sales price (currently 15% for books, music, movies). The rest is deposited into your Amazon account.

7) The beauty when you make money with Amazon is the convenience. Amazon sends you an email when the customer pays and includes the shipping address. If your item doesn’t sell within 60 days, the listing is closed – and you owe nothing! That’s all there is to it!
Make money with Amazon by taking a few moments to list your music and books that are just sitting around taking up space. Since you pay no fees if your item doesn’t sell, it’s a risk-free way to make a little extra cash! Why not try it today!

Marketing Tips Provided to You by:
Matt Bacak, The Powerful Promoter
Author of Powerful Promoting Tips

Make Money…Selling on eBay

Make Money…Selling on eBay

You’ve heard all the hype surrounding eBay and are now wondering how you can make money on eBay. Check out this article “Make Money…Selling on eBay” to learn all the basics on selling on eBay. This article will take you through step by step, on how easy it is to make money on eBay. Who knows, maybe you will turn out to be an eBay success story!

Make tons of money selling your stuff! Mom quits job to stay home selling on eBay! Shop yard sales – then start selling on eBay!

You’ve probably heard lots of stories about people making money selling on eBay. Perhaps you’ve made some satisfying purchases on eBay and are now ready to get your feet wet by selling on eBay. Grab a cup of coffee, relax and learn more about how easy it is to start selling on eBay.

Why eBay?
More than half a million people are currently making their living selling on eBay. Businesses report that their eBay stores do more business than their traditional storefront. People all over the world are taking advantage of eBay. It is an efficient, low-cost distribution channel with a reach of over 86 million registered users!

1. Do your research
A great piece of advice for selling on eBay is to do your research first, before listing your items.
Check out your competitors selling similar items to see how they have positioned their product on eBay.
Find out answers to:

• What is the opening bid amount?

• How have they described the item?

• What category have they listed their item?

• Is it listed in multiple categories?

• Are many people bidding or is it a fight between just a few bidders?

• Was there a flurry of activity just before the bid closed?

• Is your item seasonal and would it make sense to list it at a particular time of year?

Don’t be selling Christmas ornaments in April!

2. Choose a title that catches attention
Be sure to use key words that you found were common during your research. Your title needs to catch the buyer’s attention, get them to click on the item and of course – bid! Don’t waste precious characters on useless terms like ‘WOW’!

3. Take the time to describe your Item
The lack of descriptions on thousands of items selling on eBay is surprising. You will generate more interest and get far more bids on the item you are selling on eBay if you create compelling, creative and descriptive copy. The average eBay purchaser will not email for more information, be sure to provide all the pertinent information in the description.

4. Pictures…Pictures…Pictures!
We’ve all seen the fuzzy, indecipherable pictures on eBay. If you really want to be successful at selling on eBay, take clear, close-up pictures! A great picture really is worth a thousand words and offering pictures taken from several different angles will help you get higher bids.

5. Choose your auction type and set your starting price
If you already purchase on eBay, then you are familiar with the different auction formats available. When selling on eBay, remember that you are not limited to the typical auction format. You can use Buy it Now, Sell at a Fixed Price or use a Dutch auction to sell multiple
identical items.

Determining your starting price for your item you are selling on eBay can be tricky. Start too high and could turn off potential bidders, start to low and you may never realize as high a price as was possible. By doing your research up front before you start selling on eBay, you can determine an appropriate starting price. A reserve bid is also an option, that way; you are not obligated to sell your item unless a bidder reaches your reserve bid amount.

Finally, remember that the auction type and initial bid price does influence your insertion fees.

Stop thinking just thinking about selling on eBay and get started! Start out slowly; say with only an auction or two. Learn the ropes as you go. Join an online eBay group to share ideas and to learn more from people who’ve been selling on eBay for years. Selling on eBay is relatively risk-free; just remember to take your time when setting up your listing and you will reap the benefits of multiple bidders taking your auction bid higher and higher!

Marketing Tips Provided to You by:
Matt Bacak, The Powerful Promoter
Author of Powerful Promoting Tips

Young Author, Matt Bacak, Paying It Forward

Young Author, Matt Bacak, Paying It Forward – Habitat for Humanity on the Receiving End of The Ultimate Lead Generation Plan’s Upcoming Success and Generosity


As payback to all those who have supported him on his climb to the top, “The Powerful Promoter,” Matt Bacak, is donating proceeds from his latest initiative to charity. All earnings from Bacak’s new book “The Ultimate Lead Generation Plan” will go directly to Habitat for Humanity - Atlanta Chapter.

Suwanee, GA (PRWeb) January 2, 2006 — Overnight success maker, top-ten Google ranker and elite Entrepreneurs Only member Matt Bacak is no stranger to the support of strangers. In fact, he credits his continued achievement to the kind assistance of others. In repayment of that generosity, all proceeds from Bacak’s latest endeavor have been earmarked for Habitat for Humanity. After expenses, every dollar earned on Bacak’s new book, “The Ultimate Lead Generation Plan,” will be donated to the nonprofit organization. Individuals who are interested in learning more about “The Ultimate Lead Generation Plan” can visit Bacak’s signup page online at http://theUltimateLeadGenerationPlan.com/.

According to its website, http://www.habitat.org/, Habitat for Humanity International is a nonprofit, ecumenical Christian housing ministry that seeks to eliminate poverty housing and homelessness from the world. Since its inception, the organization has built more than 200,000 houses around the world and has provided more than 1,000,000 people in more than 3,000 communities with safe, decent, affordable shelter.

If “The Ultimate Lead Generation Plan” were just your average book, Habitat for Humanity might stand to receive a few thousand dollars over the next year. With Matt Bacak, “The Powerful Promoter,” as the entrepreneurial-spirited author behind it, however, chances are the charity will be reaping significant dollars. That’s because Bacak already had a firm marketing program for the book set in place before it even officially debuted on December 31, 2005. To promote sales, he has compiled one of the world's largest email marketing book promotions ever, with the aim of taking “The Ultimate Lead Generation Plan” straight to the top of the bestseller list—just has his marketing expertise has skyrocketed business owners straight to success.

If early reviews are any indication, Bacak will have no problems achieving his goal. Angelina Brown says that the book has “quite literally changed the 'Life' of her business,” quadrupling business leads and traffic in just two weeks. On a similar note, Nicole Silverstone proclaims that in “The Ultimate Lead Generation Plan,” “Matt Bacak's genius comes out big time.”

For more information on “The Ultimate Lead Generation Plan” and how you can aid Habitat for Humanity with your purchase, contact Stephanie Bunn at (770) 271-1536 or email her at stephanie@powerfulpromoter.com. To purchase a copy of “The Ultimate Lead Generation Plan,” visit http://theUltimateLeadGenerationPlan.com/, Amazon.com or BN.com.

CONTACT INFORMATION:
Stephanie Bunn
2935 Horizon Park Drive, Suite D
Suwanee, GA 30024(770) 271-1536
stephanie@powerfulpromoter.com
http://theUltimateLeadGenerationPlan.com/

Marketing Tips Provided to You by:
Matt Bacak, The Powerful Promoter
Author of Powerful Promoting Tips

Atlanta Promoter Used Email to Launch #1 Best Seller to Build Houses

Atlanta Promoter Used Email to Launch #1 Best Seller, Build House

Download this press release as an Adobe PDF document.

Powerful promote uses his network to launch his book as a #1 best seller while raising money for Habitat for Humanity, Atlanta Chapter
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Suwanee, GA (PRWeb) December 31, 2005 — A network of authors, marketers and professions came together through the Internet to raise money for Habitat For Humanity Atlanta and demonstrate the principles taught in a new book by Matt Bacak, " The Ultimate Lead Generation Plan."

"The lead generation plan I teach in my book has made it so I can live in a nice big house, and offer my family everything they want" said Matt Bacak, (aka "The Powerful Promoter"). "I want to share that with the world, so I wrote the book and use a the same online marketing principles to launch the book and raise money for Habitat"

Bacak assembled a team of hundreds of volunteers, each with a mailing list built using the cross promotion method he teaches in "The Ultimate Lead Generation Plan". Together, they sent email message to some 10 million registered " opt in" readers of mailing lists, newsletters and e-zines.

Members of the team includes Bacak, book marketing expert Warren Whitlock, and authors Mark Joyner, David Lakhani, Ted Ciuba, Mike Stewart, Jim Edwards, David Garfinkel, along with several hundred other online marketers.

Readers were given bonus gifts provided by the team when they purchased one or more copies of the book through an online retailer on December 31st (the authors 28th birthday). Sales volume was enough for the book to debut as a best seller.

Proceeds of the book launch are being donated to Habitat for Humanity Atlanta. "Building the team was easy once we made the decision to give all the money to Habitat" said Bacak. "We had a definite goal, with a definite deadline and a focused cause. We executed the plan and the outcome was a #1 best selling book and money to help those in need.”

Anyone who wants to take part in the event can purchase the book at their local bookstore, BN.com or Amazon.com. For more details, visit: http://theultimateleadgenerationplan.com.

About Matt Bacak: Matt Bacak is the CEO of Frontier Marketing, LLC. He has been involved in some of the largest and most visible internet marketing success stories today. His advice is regularly sought out by everyone from Entrepreneurs to the Fortune 500. A passionate philanthropist, Matt focuses on raising money for causes that “change the world for people who need it most.” For more information contact Stephanie Bunn at 770-271-1536.

Contact information:
Stephanie Bunn
2935 Horizon Park Drive, Suite D
Suwanee, GA 30024(770) 271-1536
http://www.PowerfulPromoter.com

Marketing Tips Provided to You by:
Matt Bacak, The Powerful Promoter
Author of Powerful Promoting Tips