Business Tips Guides

Public relations is no longer something that just happens; how a company or corporation is perceived in the public eye, particularly in the eye of the company’s shareholders or potential customers, isn’t something that’s left to chance. Companies have entire departments and large budgets in place to ensure that they will be viewed in a positive light by the public.

In its simplest form, the idea of public relations is to get the word out to the public concerning all of the positive things that a company or organization may be involved in, and to enhance the company’s overall image, while at the same time downplaying anything that could potential be viewed as a negative action in the public eye.

Public relations is kind of like advertising’s less obtrusive brother. Where advertising’s main goal is to stick a product in the face of a potential customer and give them every reason to buy it, the public relations approach is a lot less direct.

Public relations will let your target consumer know what else you’ve got going on besides your product or service - like what kind of good you are doing in the community and how you plan to help more in the future. Though it’s not as bold as advertising, a good public relations department can aid in building profits just as much as advertising.

There are any number of ways that a company or organization can positively use public relations to enhance their image in the eye of the public:

A company can donate either time or money to a charitable cause or they could hold a charity event to raise money for a particular cause. Potential customers and share holders want to know if a company cares, and they want to know what it is that the company cares about and supports.

Another approach to public relations is to have a company representative speak at an industry conference or seminar. The speaker can go over with an audience, packed with the very people that the company wants to reach, details of all of the latest activities as well as all of the future plans that will be implemented and what kind of positive impact those plans will have on the industry and the community.

This is kind of like issuing a personal press release, where the company representative can get out the exact message that needs to be distributed to exactly the right people, and can then answer any potential questions that may arise. A press release is a great tool, but its content is definitive, any questions that arise from a press release will remain until another company statement is made, with a live statement questions can be addressed and answered appropriately right form the start.

Though I’ve just pointed out some of the negatives of a press release, that doesn’t mean that it’s not a very effective tool of public relations. A press release mat not be personal, and it may or may not leave small questions in the minds of some readers, but what it can do is reach a tremendous amount of people giving them a good idea of your mission statement or telling them of a recent award or accomplishment of the company.

A well written press release can reach thousands of thousands of people that wouldn’t have known of your accomplishment any other way - and press releases come at a much cheaper price than any form of advertising. You’d never be able to reach the same portion of your target audience with public speaking as you would with a high quality press release.

A company’s image can mean everything - one big negative event, even if it’s only perceived as a negative event in the public eye, can literally destroy a company. If a company or organization wants to become successful and stay successful, it has to build up and protect its positive image - the only way to really do that effectively is through good public relations.

Toronto-based PR company offering a full suite of public relation services. An owner-operated agency, we are a collective of senior practitioners dedicated to achieving results for our clients.

There is an old saying in the West that says that if the preacher talks too much about stealing, better sneak out a little early, race home and lock the cellar!

The same holds for the good old boy that says, Ah, we don’t need to have a contract. You can trust me. The most innocent reasons for putting something in writing are that frankly each of us forgets, changes our minds or some folk just plain lie!

Robert Ringer famously said in the 70’s, If you have it in writing, you have a prayer. If you don’t have it in writing you just have air! Sadly, old Bobby was right more times than wrong.

A Contract is a meeting of the minds. When two people finally have that, it means that they think the same thing, or at least at that moment in time they think that they think the same thought! So a good thought is to write that good thought down in black and white so both parties can look at it. When you both see it in those bold letters and it is really what you both were thinking, then you really do have a contract. The final touch is when each of you put your John Hancock’s on the dotted line.

Then in the future when your partner decides that he doesn’t remember it the way you do, each of you can pull out that paper and refer to it to refresh your aging memories. Of course, you keep a copy in your 40-ton vault just in case your partner still doesn’t agree ‘cuz that’s what courts are for! Besides, we want to fall into the status quo.

The US has 5% of the world’s population, 95% of the world’s attorneys and 98% of the world’s litigation. And if you were to sneak a peak at the stats, I’m sure we’d find that a goodly part of that is split between New York and California! (quote me and I’ll deny it!) So don’t worry, sue him. You’ll be right at home in good company.

Most all of us want to think the other person is honest and wants the best, or at least is a straight shooter, (the exception, of course, is if you are in the crosshairs of his very large rifle scope!). But thinking that someone thinks what we do and will continue thinking that way is rather dicey.

Ever played that game where you all sit in a big circle and you whisper something in the person’s ear to your right. That person in turn repeats what he thought he heard to the person on her right, and so on around the circle. The rule is that no one can repeat themselves. Each one has to repeat once what he thought he or she heard.

When the last person repeats what he heard to you and you tell the group the two statements the group usually rolls around in laughter! Remember that game? Of course you do! It’s crazy and that’s why we have courts! That’s why we have everything worth remembering exactly put down in writing and witnessed.

Some of the kindest, sweetest people I have ever known have said, OK, great I’ll have my attorney draw up an agreement. Actually it was a compliment. Those kind of people are unique and usually those contracts gather dust in my active files.

It’s the oily guy with the new porcelain smile and his $3,000 suit paid for by his last victim that says, Ah we don’t need to have a contract. You can trust me…NOW That’s when I sneak out early, race home and lock the cellar!

Scott McGregor is the founder of http://www.Doppelit.com, the Entrepreneur Connection. He is considered The Consummate Entrepreneur, started companies when it was impossible and financed companies when there was no money for nearly 50 years. His mission is to show other Entrepreneurs that they CAN!

If you’re drowning in debt, you are already well aware that it can really make life difficult. This is simply because these debt collection companies hunt you down like a pack of hyenas. No one likes to talk to these skunks but sometimes doing so can be beneficial.

Avoid Debt Councillors, some are fraudsters and many are in league with credit card companies. You’ve recognized that you need a debt relief solution, and you must come up with a debt management plan. Everyone has a right to lead their life in peace with ease and comfort irrespective of whether they are debtors or not. The credit card company’s most profitable customers are the ones who can’t pay, imagine the distress they suffer when their victims start to pay off debts.

If the debt collector does not offer debt management advice, ask if there are any debt management plans or ways that your interest, payments, or fees can be lowered to put them within reach. Part of the problem is that many debtors just aren’t good at debt management or managing their finances generally, and that is part of the reason they got in too much debt in the first place.

If borrowers would learn never to borrow money to buy such things as holidays visits to restaurants and the like, they would never be in debt. Debts of that nature are what enables the moneylenders to acquire another debt slave and laugh their way the bank. Don’t be like the monkey that is attracted to the shiny mirror, wake up!

Find out how to earn more money, find a money making idea, a home based business perhaps, find out how to make money online, then you will know how to pay off debts.

Debt is often caused because people are quite simply not earning enough money; they borrow in order to keep up with everyday expenses until the inevitable crunch comes. Some become very skilful at pushing the crunch day forward by manipulating lenders, those people should instead concentrate on using their skills at making extra money and finding a money making business opportunity. For those of you who have still got any sense left, and want a debt relief solution, think again and investigate the following information.

Network marketing came into its own with the advent of the Internet. Many of these made some of their members a fortune, others have sunk as quickly as they surfaced but that doesn’t mean that they don’t work because they do. Our attention was initially caught by the following program because both Rachel Long and Mike Glaspie, the two most successful Network Marketers of all time, head the Top Sponsors List. Seeing one of those names is very significant, both in the same place, is even more so:

Often the worry of dealing with paying off debts prevents them people pursuing extra money from additional earnings. If they could shake off that borrow, borrow mindset and replace it with earn, earn mindset they could not only deal with their debt more efficiently they could become very comfortably off by seeking an entrepreneur opportunity.

One could conceivably start an Internet business opportunity using money temporarily held back from creditors to make a profit, and use that profit to pay off debts. While it’s unlikely that you will be able to get someone else to pay your debt for you, there is help getting out of debt available. You can learn how to be your own boss to get extra money and learn how to pay off debts.

Then with extra income which will help getting out of debt make a workable budget and put extra money toward your debt relief plan. When you’re already in too much debt, the worst thing to do is to acquire the means to take on more, unless you can make a profit from it. Too often, debtors make mistakes and decide that getting out of debt is just too hard, so they go back to their old habits.

Coming up with an effective plan to ‘pay off my debt’ is quite an accomplishment. You’ve recognized that you have a debt problem, and you’ve come up with a plan of how to get out of debt. Sticking with your debt relief plan is the hardest thing for many people to do. Get used to the idea that you must earn more money, because it is the only way out of trouble.

There is a very interesting UK Cash Gifting operation chugging along very well in the United Kingdom, A group of experienced Internet marketers have adapted one of the Gifting Clubs for concentrating on the United Kingdom market, GB Pounds are changing hands at a very rapid rate indeed, get some.

More information regarding constructive ways of getting out of financial trouble can be found at: http://www.improvemyincomenow.com . This article may be reproduced, provided it is used in its entirety with no alterations to text or links. Copyright: Peter Fitzgerald 2008

Have you ever tried to negotiate one of your bills? Heating bills, garbage bills, cell phone bills, and cable TV bills: you might think that a bill is a bill and you owe the full amount but sometimes you can talk your way into a discount.

I have the $70.00 a month for 1000 minutes plan with one of the major cell phone companies. I have never gone over in minutes in several years so it was a total shock when my bill one month was $235.00! Apparently I had gone over my allotted minutes by almost 500 and that resulted in the $165.00 being added to the bill.

Well, I was upset that I went over that much and also that the phone company would stick me for so much. I mean, I know we signed a contract and all but thats a pretty hefty phone bill when you know the minutes don’t mean a thing to them.

In the past I had briefly talked about switching companies and I thought this was a perfect time to call my cell phone company up to see just how loyal they were.

I got on the line with the customer service guy and explained the situation: this was a one time deal, we had never gone over before, and so on. I asked if there was anything he could do for me. He put me on hold and came back saying that they could knock $30.00 off the bill. I told him that $30.00 was OK but I was hoping for more and I reminded him that we had been with them for a long time. He put me on hold again to go talk to his manager and this time he came back and said they could take 50% off the extra $165.00 which amounted to $82.50.

For some reason I didn’t want to take that offer either. I don’t know why but maybe because I smelled weakness. I knew the next level up plan was $100.00 for 2000 minutes and if I had had that plan I would have not gone over. I then said that I was hoping to have them “pretend” I had that higher plan just for that month and that they would take off $135.00.

The guy on the phone would have none of that and said his hands were tied and the 50% off the charges was the best they could do: final offer. I then told/asked him politely that there were many cell phone companies and I thought they would want my business. He countered with “we do want your business but you signed a contract so I don’t even understand why you are trying to get a discount”. I told him I did sign a contract and I would pay the charges but I was also seriously considering changing companies afterwards.

“Let me transfer you to my manager” he immediately said. The manager then came on and was all nice and asked me exactly what I wanted. I told him that I wanted to pay $100.00 out of the $235.00 thus essentially “moving up” to the higher plan for just that one month. I told him that I wanted to stay with his company and that if he did that for me I would not change.

He didn’t agree to it right away but in the end he could see that I was determined and meant it. He did give in and I ended up paying only $100.00 out of the $235.00! The normal person probably would have gladly taken the $82.50 that the customer service guy offered but I was, as the manager said, determined. Not a bad payoff I must say for about 15 minutes of work!

Would you like to learn more ways to make money? Please go to my website Work At Home to read about more ways I make and save money.

The reality of any negotiation is that it is an exercise in psychology. Realistic market factors play their role, but final decisions are usually made based on perception. How the seller perceives you, the investor, will influence the deal. Here are some tactics to tip the scales in your favor.

Successful negotiators are always one of two things: extraordinarily prepared, or really good at conveying the impression that they are prepared. The problem with the latter is that the bottom can drop out. Even good actors can run out of tricks when they aren’t completely prepared. You don’t want the other person involved in the deal to see you bluffing.

The best way to avoid this is to simply be more prepared than the other person. Know everything about the area, type of property, similar properties, prices, and market fluctuations. Do your homework. That way, you can come into the situation confidently. The minute you waffle is the minute someone else gets the upper hand.

The next link in the chain is to ask about what you don’t know. Coerce the opposing party into divulging any information that can be useful to you in your negotiation. This is one of the best ways to break down the fortress to get to your best deal. Bombarding someone with questions is unnerving. You don’t want to make them so uncomfortable that they choose to step away, so pull back before they do and come at the negotiation from a different angle.

Essential questions to ask are those that uncover the true motivation of the seller. This requires a little more tiptoeing than some other situations because offending the other party will kill the deal. However, in order to form the situation to your advantage, you’ve got to understand what the seller wants.

Successful real estate investors know that you’ve got to purchase from motivated sellers. Sellers who are simply toying with the market aren’t going to give you the best deal and will waste your time. Find out before you get too involved in the negotiation process if the other party is truly interested in selling the property.

Be firm. Be in control of the situation but not overbearing. Come across as too overbearing and you will appear the opposite of in control. Strike a fine balance. Choose your words carefully and actively. Avoid being passive. State what is going to happen.

Know the value of a good silence. This can be applied at any time, but it takes a good instinct to know when. Use silence to your advantage. When the other party has shot back with a demand or an offer that is outside of your preference, be silent. Allow them to feel a bit doubtful, ill at ease. If they have to second guess their own tactics, you are already gaining an upper hand.

Learn from the best. Seek out someone you trust who knows their stuff and see how they operate. The most successful property investors know you don’t learn negotiation tactics simply by reading about them. Negotiation is a skill best learned by observation. Observe their mannerisms and pay close attention to what is said and what is left out of the conversation. Use what you see as a basis for how you operate. Model, but don’t imitate. If you act in a way that is foreign to you, it becomes very obvious.

Practice negotiating in your everyday life. This doesn’t mean you have to haggle with a gas station attendant. Negotiation isn’t just getting your way. It is the skill to convince. Try it out with members of your family or during discussions on the job. Remember to be perceptive and study the psychology of others around you. If you can sense what they want, it can always be used to your advantage.

Daniel Lock is a property coach, consultant and development manager. Offering results-driven coaching and consulting to people wanting to make money through property development. Find out how you can make serious money safely in Property Development at http://PropertyDevelopmentProfits.com/blog/

If you are the kind of person with a million ideas and not enough time to pursue them, you might want to consider “fast tracking” your invention to market. In this way, you essentially become a hired gun. You, the inventor, perform the tasks of researching and developing the product. Then, you “outsource” the manufacturing and marketing to partners with money. Those partners will develop, market, and fund the startup costs. In return for their greater efforts, they will receive a greater return. The benefit to you, however, is that this is one of the quickest ways to bring a product to market and exit with cash in hand. If you are a serial inventor, this can be a great way to build up some cash and move on from one idea to the next.

The best way to get the ball rolling is to find an angel investor, ie, a private person with personal wealth and the skills necessary to fast track your invention. The INC website has a comprehensive directory of angel investors. Using it, you can locate investors in specific areas, with specific skill sets, and find one that is sure to meet your fast-tracking needs.
Once you have found an investor, the next thing you will do is determine how profits will be split and who is responsible for what. Typically, you will be the one researching and creating the product in question. If it was your idea, this is only logical. You should make it your business to know the market inside and out and formulate a product that can be profitably sold in it. Then, you want to create a prototype for it. Since the extent of your responsibility is creating the product, it makes sense to do this as quickly as possible. Then, responsibility shifts to the investor to put up the funds and get the product to market.

In his landmark text “The Time Trap”, Alec Mackenzie stresses that the single most effective way to get more done in less time is writing a list of things you are going to do that day. It sounds simple - and it is - but it takes a high level of discipline to actually put it into practice. Accordingly, this is an excellent way of ensuring that you develop your prototype as quickly as possible. Not a day should go by when you are not doing something to advance this goal.

When you finally do have your prototype ready, you should waste no time hitting the market. How can you do this? The best way is to use a tried and true formula: start with smaller stores, build a track record of success, and use this as leverage to get into bigger outlets. An article on Business Know How imparts a very specific strategy that you can use to get your product to market in a short period of time. Here is the course of action recommended:

“This is where reps come in. They have had to change their ways of working. It used to be that they would spend the majority of their time with the big chains. The little guys got whatever time was left over. In some cases, reps would use sub-reps to call on the little stores. Well, it ain’t that way today. Some big firms such as Wal-Mart say that due to their volume they don’t need the rep to call on them and they want the commission usually paid to the rep for themselves. That means that reps have to look for other ways to make money. They do this by two methods: One, call on smaller retailers and call on them more often; two, take on lines that the smaller retailers are looking for.

“So, as a supplier to the retail market, seek out the reps. Ask some stores that might be potential candidates for your line who they believe is the best rep that calls on them. Interview several reps, see what other lines they have that would cause them to call on the same type of firm you believe your goods could go into. They are your best bet for getting into all types of stores both large and small, that is their profession.”

For the best results, you can have your investor start working on this while you are creating your prototype. Optimally, you can do these tasks side-by-side, wasting as little time as possible and getting to launch as fast as you can. If this is not possible, you should at least begin this process as soon as the prototype is ready. When it comes to fast tracking, time is obviously of the essence.

If you work smart and work quick, you should be able to fast track your invention in no time!

Eric Corl is the President of Idea Buyer LLC, a marketplace for new technology and products that gives inventors the opportunity to showcase their intellectual property to consumer product companies, entrepreneurs, retailers, and manufacturers. You can email him at EricCorl@IdeaBuyer.com. You can visit the site by visiting this address; http://www.ideabuyer.com New Technology and Products, Patents for Sale.