Social Media Analytics and Listening Tools For Entrepreneurs
Best Black Friday deals in consumer electronics countdown 2014
Its time to engage your savings gear as most shopping outlets begin the race to Black Friday. You don't need to wait until after Thanksgiving to do your shopping. Amazon, Sams club and Walmart are already offering their best in discounts for a variety of products.
Motorola Maxx rolling outside US soon
The Motorola Droid Turbo should be expected outside the US soon. The phone will be going under the name Motorola Maxx this already gives hints to the size of the battery which is typical of the Maxx series.
Top Entrepreneurs reveal 3 preferred online tools
Top 5 compact refrigerators
Top 5 Frigidaire French door Refrigerators
1. FGHB2866PF Frigidaire French door refrigerator
This French door refrigerator features flip up and slide under shelves which are spill safe. Further the roomy refrigerator features adjustable storage inside to fit in a variety of items. The stainless steel feature helps reduce the smudging that comes with operating the fridge. Full width drawers will enable you to store your snacks or food preparations. The fridge has a quick freeze feature that will freeze your products fast to preserve their freshness.
Top 5 Maytag French Door Refrigerators
1. MFT2574DEM Maytag French Door refrigerator
GE Profile GFE29HSDSS French door refrigerator
The GE Profile GFE29HSDSS refrigerator best selling
point is it comes with dual ice maker so you will never run out when throwing a
party. The French door refrigerator also comes with 1 temperature adjustable
drawer and two humidity adjustable drawers for fresh food. It comes with dual
evaporators that provide different climates for both the freezer and
refrigerator sections. Its stainless steel water/ice dispenser comes with a
pull out tray to hold bigger vessels, this is a thoughtful addition.
GE GFE29HGDBB French door refrigerator
The GE Profile GFE29HGDBB French door refrigerator best selling
point is it comes with dual ice maker so you will never run out when throwing a
party. The French door refrigerator also comes with 1 temperature adjustable
drawer and two humidity adjustable drawers for fresh food. It comes with dual
evaporators that provide different climates for both the freezer and
refrigerator sections. It comes with stainless steel water/ice dispenser, color
coded directions for crushed ice and ice cubes and water. The metallic finish
brings out the best in design and would fit with your kitchen décor.
Top 5 Samsung French Door Refrigerators
The market for the French Door Refrigerator has continued to grow over the years. The design of this appliance was necessitated by the need to place fresh produce or items that are need constantly by the users at eye level. The french door's selling point is the amount of space it provides at eye level for items that are needed throughout the day. In this article we will rate the top 5 french door refrigerators offered by Samsung which features as one of the popular brands according to owners of the brand globally. We hope this listing will help ensure you select the appropriate appliance for your home. The article includes fridge features, price information, reviews and specifications.
Apple iPhone 6: Features that make a difference
Apple has made dual releases of their Smartphone the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus and this time around they have gone for bigger screens. The iPhone 6 comes at 4.7” while the 6 Plus packs a 5.5” screen display. They both come with curved glass displays in my opinion this increases the body of the phone for handling and makes it aesthetically appealing but I vote down the idea because of durability issues that have been presented by the new design. The curved glass simply increases chances of the display cracking after a fall. This issue has seen other brands like go back to the flat displays with the surrounding plastic shield after experimenting with the curved design. We need to know the real upgrades done on this phone because it is the upgrades that determine the value of the iPhone 6/plus. There is no point in getting a phone similar to what you already have or with negligible improvements so here is the rundown between the iPhone 6 and the 5S/other previous models.
Top 5 LG French Door Refrigerators
The market for the French Door Refrigerator has continued to grow over the years. The design of this appliance was necessitated by the need to place fresh produce or items that are need constantly by the users at eye level. The french door's selling point is the amount of space it provides at eye level for items that are needed throughout the day. In this article we will rate the top 5 french door refrigerators offered by LG which is one of the popular brands according to customers who purchase their appliances globally. We hope this listing will help ensure you select the appropriate appliance for your home. The article includes fridge features, price information, reviews and specifications.
1. LG LFX32945ST French Door Refrigerator
The best selling point for the LG LFX32945ST (door-in-door) french door refrigerator is its large capacity at 33 cu. ft. offering you sufficient space to store your products. Apart from this it is a door-in-door refrigerator (see image) this means it offers more space for your food stuff. Packs the LG Smart Cooling Plus technology to ensure for food stays fresh by monitoring the temperature conditions and adjusting the same to the appropriate levels this is achieved by the LC linear converter. The refrigerator is quiet and comes with digital temp controls and a water and ice dispenser.An entrepreneur’s guide to starting a successful business
Business communication and people skills
The world as we all know it has become a global village.
People from all walks of life converge in different business environments and
of course they need to communicate. Although communication has some basic rules
it has no global standard. Because of culture, socialization, language among
different people of the world communication has to be learned as a skill. A
business executive from America will need to sharpen his or her Chinese
language and culture. This is because not all persons that you speak with will
understand English and they will also have expectations with regards to their
culture.
Apart from different nationalities in a business or within
business environments you may be required to communicate with people of
different genders, special needs people or children. Social class and age are
among other demographics that you may have to work with in business
environments. This will require you to package your communication to fit with
these different demographics and of course if you mix them up you and the
business are on the line. Take for example this article the article has been
prepared in English and directed to business people but since it is published
on the internet it is accessible to everyone and anyone. I have to ensure that
the article is acceptable to different genders, age groups, nationalities among
other demographics. The internet offers translation services for example Google
translate so language is no barrier. If I make a mistake and communicate in a
manner that is considered offensive to any of the demographics then I will be
required to clarify, retract or apologize and you can imagine the public
relations (PR) costs.
Let us know look at how best to communicate with different
people and avoid unnecessary PR costs to the business.
Communicating with different genders and sexualities
Tune out your prejudice and bias
This may have come up because of your previous interactions
with people of the different or same gender. Stereotypes that you may have
heard of or grown up knowing may give you the wrong assumptions and impression.
People are unique in nature so when communicating in this case in a business
environment try and be neutral it helps in understanding the message.
How to structure your business communication
I would like to compare communication with an institution
that has rules and structures developed to maintain order. For communication to
be effective within a business institution it needs to be structured and fall
within the guidelines that ensure effective communication. If you are going to
meet a client or a supplier or going for a press conference you need to
prepare. You need to have an idea of what is likely to be asked and how you are
expected to respond. The mood and emotions also need to be checked and this we
will look at in later articles in the series. So where do we start with this
business communication preparation?
How to prepare yourself for the meet
A lot goes into this you may need to consider your mental
and emotional state of mind before meeting with the client. Although this may
not apply in all situations it is still important to know where you are at and
in case you are not in the appropriate state you can see how to bring yourself
up to speed. People easily pick up on your moods and attitudes so try clearing
your mind and take heavy doses of good thoughts it helps calm the spirit.
Depending on who you are going to meet your dressing may help you improve the comfort levels or build walls between you and the client. A power suit speaks differently from casual wear the first will speak official/formal while the other goes informal and relaxed. So choose appropriately if you are meeting with official guys then pull out your suit if it’s with people who prefer relaxed then go casual.
Lastly make sure that you have an updated version of the
information that will be required under the topic of discussion. Master your
content, because people appreciate a knowledgeable and straight forward person.
How to improve your business communication skills
In this section I will address skills that are required to
communicate effectively within a business environment.
Pay attention and listen
Don’t let your mind wander when you are engaged in a
conversation. Find a way to ensure that your attention is directed to the other
person and what they are trying to communicate to you. Picture a situation
where in the middle of a conversation with a client they ask a question and
since you were not listening all you come up with is eh… What… or umm… The
remedy here is to first apologize and seek information and clarification.
Decode the message
Put you mind to work when engaged in a business conversation
and read between the lines. Read the emotions that come out with the words.
This goes a long way to help you understand the message in its true
perspective. If there is an aspect that you don’t understand just pose the
question subtly back to the person speaking to you.
Business plan explained for entrepreneurs
After going through this article you should have a clear
business plan definition and core principles geared towards its development.
Business plan definition
There are different business plan definitions but I have
summarized them to: - A business plan is a document that is developed to guide
the operations of the business. It outlines the business objectives and goals
and how they can be achieved it will also assess pitfalls that the business may
encounter and suggests mitigation measures in case the risks are realized or
encountered. This document may be developed for purposes of both capital
acquisitions in case you need investors or just to guide you in running your
business.
A business plan just like all formal documents adheres to a
structure with regards to content. It is basically a research paper on your
business and seeks to answer different questions with regards to the business
operations.
Cover page
This section will outline general particulars of the
business such as the name, location, and contact information.
Executive summary
This outlines your purpose for the business plan whether it
is written for purposes of loan acquisition, investor funding or customer
information. It also seeks to address the issue of financing the funds acquired
and if you consider selling a section of your business to partner. It is
basically a pitch to would be financiers or stakeholders. The summary will
include the services or products, sales and profits or projected value in case
of a start up, the capital or funding required for the start or expansion and
other highlights such as patents.
Business description
This will include the industry and how your business fits in
and how it will be a beneficial venture to pursue. This is a very sensitive
section because you will relate facts of your business to the industry’s
developments. Benefits of your venture will be measured against these facts so
it is advisable to carry out thorough research. You will be required to show
the size of the market and target customers.
Product/service description
Here you will describe the product and or services you offer
and how they are beneficial to your targeted customers. You will also be
required to state if there exist similar products or services and how the ones
you offer are different or better than the rest.
Market analysis
This is basically information that outlines how you will
position yourself within the market in terms of distribution channels,
marketing and pricing. It will also outline your target market and niches to be
filled or are unsatisfactorily serviced by your competitors.
Competitive analysis
This is the section where you detail your SWOT analysis
against your competitors. This will point to your strengths and weaknesses,
opportunities that you have over your competitors, threats or risks that your
competitors pose depending on their strategies versus your own.
Operations
This will outline how your management team will handle the
different operations as necessitated by the business. It also shows your day to
day activities including expected money in and money out as determined by
expected operations.
Financials
Income statement, cash flow statement and balance sheet are
the three financial statements that are required. The income statement determines whether the business has made a profit
or a loss by subtracting expenses from income generated and is accompanied by
an analysis. Cash flow statement
which just shows if the company has enough cash to meet its operations
requirement a business is required to have enough cash when crossing over to
the next month to show it has been able to meet all its obligations and still
remains profitable into the next month. Balance
sheet assesses the net worth of the business by analyzing assets against
liabilities and equity accumulation.
4 points to consider when developing a business strategy
Business strategy and what to consider
- Competitive advantage- A business has to develop its competitive advantage in order to fend off the competitor’s moves. One can angle at the pricing by going lower than the competition but still remain profitable, go for a niche that is unsatisfactorily serviced by the competition or offer value additions on services and products you deal in.
- Rationale- The business has to have the capacity to meet the requirements of the strategy (don’t reduce your prices too much that you incur losses)
- Feasibility- The company’s budget should be able to meet the financial requirements of the business strategy ( if you can’t do a TV advert check with radio it might cost less)
- Stakeholders- it is important to keep everyone in the loop in order to engage in a discussion that will see a better business strategy developed. Engage your stakeholders effectively.
These are some of the key points I decided to highlight for purposes of establishing a business strategy the research continues to include more areas. You can help develop this article even further by engaging me in the comment area.
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Effective business communication
Success in business may rest on a variety of variables such as financial management, communication among others the later is what we seek to address. Communication is an important aspect in a person’s life and we begin developing this skill right from birth. As babies before we begin to form any meaningful words we first cry to show our dissatisfaction and smile when we are happy and this starts us off towards development of our communication skills as we grow up.
Tips when using business communication channels
There are several business communication channels that can be categorized into two:
1. Verbal communication example face to face
2. Non verbal communication example written and body language
In a business setting these communication channels are used interchangeably and it is important to master both of them to ensure effective communication.
Verbal communication
Business conversations using telephones and mobile phones
The workplace has been redefined by the entrance of mobile phones and almost everyone uses one every day. Business issues are discussed through these gadgets, clients call in to make their orders and suppliers call in to confirm receipt of goods or services. How do we ensure that these conversations are effective and cordial?
Don’t forget to greet the person on the phone when you pick up, one of the most overlooked issues when answering calls. It does not matter how busy you are when you pick up the phone take your time and respectfully begin the conversation. You can try “hallo, this is {name}. How may I assist you?”
Set yourself in the appropriate state of emotion, for example, you may be working under pressure or some figures are not adding up then the phone rings. When you pick your business client’s call make sure that your mood and tone on the phone appreciates the call and not the opposite. Remember your business success rests on how you communicate with your clients.
Don’t forget you left someone on hold, in certain situations you may be forced to put the individual on hold ensure that it is brief and don’t forget to get back to them. Among the consequences here is that you will lose business if you forget or worse you hang up.
Don’t interrupt the other person when they are talking, you may be pressed to clarify an issue but it is important to let the other person complete their statement before you respond. This also helps in clearly understanding the issue and reduces chances of an argument.
Don’t miss an opportunity to seal the deal, if the client you are speaking to seems interested and wants to know more take the opportunity to ask them to visit your business. Some people are willing but they still need to be invited (that extra mile) so take the initiative and make them feel welcomed and important.
Make sure you have addressed their issues, before hanging up ensure that you have been of help, try “I hope I have been of help” or “is there any other issue you need assistance with?”
Make sure the person on the other end can hear you clearly and vice versa, try “can you hear me clearly” or “please adjust you volume/sound, I am unable to hear you clearly” in case of interference try “please turn down your radio/TV” or “please find a quite place, I am unable to get you clearly” remember you are doing business and can’t respond to what you can’t hear and understand.
Face to face conversations in a business environment
In a business setting face to face communications are very common and since you can see the person, you also need to pay attention to the non verbal communication through body language which we will address.
Think about what you want to say before you say it, it is important to assess your statement’s outcome before you place it in the conversation. Don’t be too slow but take your time before offering response (you are not reciting a memorized poem), make sure the information is correct and well understood.
Avoid the use of big words and phrases which lack merit, when speaking to a client don’t use the thesaurus to impress instead in simple terms explain how your product or service meets their needs. Use of phrases like “exponential potential” in communication may imply dishonesty depending on the audience.
Equip yourself with local meanings of words and phrases, although most words have universal meanings others don’t they may mean something totally different depending on the locality and origin of the person you are communicating with. Choose your words carefully.
Just like in telephone communications, avoid interrupting the other person.
Non verbal communication in business
Body language communication in business
90% of face to face communication is expressed through body language this includes facial expressions.
When communicating with a client, make sure you watch their body language unobtrusively. Equip yourself with knowledge about body language like what certain movements communicate. For example touching ones face may communicate signs of stress.
Facial expressions are an important aspect of business communication and this may vary with regions and cultures. Eye contact although appreciated in European countries it is not understood in Asian countries especially when communicating with the opposite sex and elders.
Improve your own body language to communicate effectively. Sit upright when communicating with a client. Avoid crossing your hands or reclining back it communicates disinterest. Pay more attention to your surroundings and learn from other people’s body language to ensure effective communication in a business environment
Written communication within a business environment
Simplicity is important in this form of business communication, when writing avoid the use of jargon. Write simple statement that can easily be understood. In face to face communications clarifications can be made on the spot but for written communication a misunderstanding may be too late to rectify because action may be quickly taken.
Avoid the use of capital and bold letters (use only when necessary), in written communication capital letters are used for emphasis but they shout and in the business context capital letters used in emails shout the loudest. For example, BRING ME THE FILE IMMEDIATELY! This of course delivers a disrespectful message to the receiver. The principle here is, don’t do to others what you don’t want them to do to you.
Don’t forget to spell check, it is important to deliver a message that is grammatically correct to avoid misunderstandings when using written communication.
Electronic non verbal communication in business
Here we address emails, instant messages and chat. In this modern age, business environments have chosen the electronic means of communication for most of their communications needs and so it is important to understand trouble areas and how to handle its effects.
Emails, IMs and chat are written forms of communications but are prepared much faster and reach the intended audience at the click of a button so please cross check.
Do not share what is private correspondence; some emails are confidential and only intended for the receiver. Email correspondence if shared has a tendency of making rounds on the internet before ending back to the sender so be careful.
Don’t forget to sign your email using your name. Your email address cruxcannon@xmail.com alone is not enough plus it is not a business appropriate address.
Keep your message short and to the point.
Consider your grammar for an audience using hearing aidsexample screen readers. Computers are equipped with software that helps the blind to get the message by reading it out to them.
Avoid the use of email for sensitive communication because online messages can be intercepted. In business sensitive information may include credit/debit card details, business strategies and of course the obvious trade secrets.
Although the above tips of communication have been discussed in business context the same can be applied in other contexts, you are welcomed to repurpose this article to suit your needs.
Google subscription service: YouTube Music Key
Google has new plans underway for their music service on
both YouTube and Google Play Music All Access. The online giant plans to
release a music subscription service on YouTube that will be named YouTube
Music Key and the All Access will be rebranded to Google Play Music Key* (which
are still very long product names in my opinion). YouTube Music Key is set to
offer background/ screen-off (offline audio playback) and ad-free music. The
YouTube Music Key comes with a 30 day trial then upgrades to $9.99 per month
for both services as a bundle so the price will be for the YouTube Music Key
and Google Play Music Key combined. Google is also said to have added over 20
million tracks to the services. Google will use YouTube’s suggestions algorithm
to serve up music that is relevant to you or your previous searches. The exact
date for the launch is unknown as Google is still in talks with content owners.
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