Friday, December 28, 2012

Five Efficient Marketing Strategies


Marketing strategies have been available for years and some of them are very valuable. Some of these strategies are out dated and others are relataively new. Here I will discuss five strategies that are very effective today.



Social media sites or web 2.0 is a prevalent approach to use in networking. What is a social media site? A social media site is a site where folks meet to visit, share stories and pictures, exchange ideas, etc. Examples of social media sites are Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, and LinkedIn. These are just a few of the sites where effectual marketing can occur. What are the steps to market on social sites? First you need to set up an account. Then you request people to be your friend or follow you. Then you need to distribute information in your status box each day. More often is better. Bring into being a group and encourage people to join your group. Again helpful subject matter needs to be shared with the group. Individuals will come to identify and be sure about you as they can see the importance in what you have to offer. Are you able to genuinely assist them in getting what they want? Can you pass on the education you have learned? Are you trying to help them or yourself?



Another valuable marketing approach is article marketing. Are you able to express your thoughts and feelings in written form? If writting is something that you feel comfortable doing and you can write openly and concisely then this might be a great plan for you to use. Consistancy in publishing 250-750 articles is very critical in this strategy. Then you need to present them to as many article directories as you can. To get onto the front page of Google you will need to discover how to locate highly searched for keywords that have as little competition as possible. If the keyword or phrase that you want to use is extremely competitive then you need to take a creative approach and get as many backlinks to your article as possible. As you hone your skills you will find that you can have a home on the front page of Google.



Video marketing is hot right now. Who hasn't heard of YouTube? The first thing you will want to do is to set up one account on YouTube. Save yourself troubles by only having one account on YouTube. Lights, camera, action! Your initial video is in progress. Make your video about what? What have you learned today about marketing? Educate on your video what you have learned. If you write an article and make a video with the same keywords link the two together for great ratings on Google. Bring together the two and you have a very effective marketing strategy.



Can you say PayPerClick (PPC)? PPC is a viable alternative but it is not for those on a limited advertizing budget. Yes, PPC can be expensive! If done right, it may be get you the most targeted leads! The learning curve for PPC is steep and can be expensive. The cost for this strategy is more then the others but it's rewards can be much higher, too.



Free online classifieds is a thelast strategy that I would like to dicuss. Although at first glance this might seem easy it takes time to become skilled at, also. Classified ads are short while delivering a message. Yet appeal to their emotional "need" to trade their money for your product or service. Give them no more then required to get them to take action. In 20 words or less what are you offering, why do they need it, and how can they get it or more information about it.





The measure of the effectiveness of these marketing strategies is how much traffic are you driving to your capture page on your website. Your capture page is where you can 'capture' the name and email address of your prospect. Remember that effective marketing strategies don't succeed overnight. Usually leads start to trickle in and as you are being consistent then so is the number of leads that you get. How would you like to have 20-50 leads coming in to your website everyday? Click here to learn how to leverage these strategies and more.

Source: Articlealley, +Eileen Simmons

Thursday, December 27, 2012

7 Ways To Increase Cash Flow And Your Net Income


There is no denying that we are currently in a global financial decline which is causing people to spend less and companies to produce less. However, this situation does not mean you should throw in the towel or stand still and do nothing until things blow over.

Let me share a secret with you. To create a strategic plan to help you succeed and thrive in your business no matter what the economic conditions is not complicated, nor does it have to be overwhelming. It just requires a bit of advance planning.

You see, the main reason why some business owners are not being affected very much by today's market is because they have long- and short-term marketing and growth plans. In addition, their short term plans can be quickly shifted around to accommodate day-to-day market fluctuations.

The most common way to gauge your success is by having systems to track everything you do in your business. This will allow you to know which services or products are bringing in the most profits and subsequently how much money you get to keep (your net income).

If you have been caught ill-prepared for the current financial turmoil, and are having cash flow problems don't worry. Today is a new day, a new beginning to remedy your management shortcomings. If you have been inconsistent with marketing planning and have overlooked the establishment of a sound business growth system, I can offer a quick remedy that you can implement to help you weather these lean times. Starting...NOW!

Here are a few ways to increase cash flow and your net income:

1. Price your services for profit. Many business owners start cutting their prices, and though this strategy provides more immediate income, it hurts you in the long run. Do not cut your prices; instead increase your value. Even standing in a financial quagmire, people want value. I believe your tactic should be to reduce your customers' fear of spending and increase value by offering a stronger guarantee, a better return policy, more access to you and/or your staff, a better payment plan and so on.

2. Establish invoice systems. You'll get your money more quickly and consistently.

3. Drop projects that are not bringing in money. Go over your reports and either drop or postpone any project that is currently causing cash drain.

4. Spend most of your time promoting or selling income-generating services and products.

5. Increase efficiency of your marketing dollars. Increase marketing tactics ("systems") that have proven to be profitable. As loyalties loosen, your competitors' customers are more willing to jump ship.

6. Add a new marketing channel. If you are promoting online, then venture into offline marketing and vice versa. If you are marketing via print, then pick up your cell phone and follow up. Your tactical mix will depend on who you are targeting, but bear in mind those solo business owners who show their tenacity in the coming months will be the ones who increase their market share as competitors drop off. Now is the time for you to extend or complement your existing marketing strategy.

7. Find out what your market wants. It's crucial that you know your clients. Make sure your offer is on target with crystal clear benefits and a distinct, differentiating feature from other aspects of your business. One of the best ways I know to find out what your niche market is willing to buy right now is by conducting a survey.
There are different survey types depending on where your customer resides and how they operate. You can run a telephone, email or main page survey. Use the results to craft a unique message, create a new product or service and beat your competition.

Hint: When you speak to your clients on the phone, weave in a few fact-finding questions or ask them at the end of your call to do an informal survey. You also can run an email survey to keep costs down, or you can use email combined with a web-based software for surveys. Consider putting up a survey on your main Web page or on your "Thank You" or "Squeeze" pages.

This article will not have any power unless you integrate the great ideas I have shared. Make a promise to yourself and your business to integrate at least one of these strategies into your business in the next 30 days. If you make more than one of these changes, you'll see things happen even faster and not have to worry about where that next check is coming from.

If you are ready to improve your small business cash flow go to http://www.ezbusinessgrowth.com/fsm to discover easy ways to build a consistently profitable solo business around your lifestyle and
with less time commitment.


 +Yvette Syversen makes business building easy for women entrepreneurs and small business owners so they can end their day with time to spare  -- time for them, for their family and most importantly time to enjoy the fruits of their labor. <br />
A business strategy expert, Yvette knows how to turn the “busyness” of your business into profitability with her proven methods.  Get more information by visiting +http://www.ezbusinessgrowth.com

Source: Articlealley

Finding Different Marketing Strategies


Marketing strategy helps organizations to focus their attention to complete resource utilization to increase sales and win over their competitors. Every company applies some kind of marketing strategies to maintain existing customers, attract potential customers and also to maintain and enhance their reputation in the market.

When designing a marketing plan, first a marketing strategy is taken into consideration. The marketing plan consists of steps to be taken so as to attain success in the implementation of the marketing strategy chosen. Big projects involve selection of different strategies at different levels. Usually a strategy consists of well-sketched tactics. They are meant to meet the needs and finally reach marketing objectives.

Each of the strategies has pre-calculated results because when a particular strategy is chosen at a particular level, its outcome becomes the goal of that particular level. If there is an absence of a well thought strategy in a marketing plan means it is supposedly lacking a good foundation. A reasonable marketing strategy should not only facilitate marketing goals, but also the action sequence of a campaign.

At regular time intervals the firm should analyze the marketing decision. This is done with the help of strategic models and the 3C's model is considered for this purpose. To calculate the company's strategic position, Ansoff matrix is used. The 3C's model determines the factors, which leads to the success of a marketing campaign. There are three key parties involved in this model the corporation, the customer and the competitors. The involvement of all the three key parties leads to positive results and this involvement is known as the 3C's or strategic triangle.

The role of the corporation is to increase the strength of the company in the success critical areas, when compared to that of the competitor. The customer and his interest form the basis of any strategy. The competitor also plays a vital part. The competitor-based strategies are based on the functioning of business competitors like design and engineering, sales and servicing, and purchasing.



When making a marketing plan depending on some particular strategies known as mix strategies are used. 4P's model is used to calculate whether the plan is sticking to the strategies or not. The four Ps stand for product, price, place and promotion. Products are goods produced by the company on a huge scale for the purpose of selling them and earning profit. Price is the money paid for a product by the customer.

The price is based on many factors like competition, market share, customer perception and product identity. Place where the product is sold can be either physical store or store on the Internet. It is also known as distribution channel. To make the customer knowledgeable about a product, the marketer does promotion. It involves advertising, public relation and point of sale.

There are different types of marketing strategies based on some criteria. Challenger, Leader and Follower are types of market dominance strategies. Market dominance strategies are used to dominate the market. Cost leadership, Market segmentation and Product differentiation are types of porter generic strategies. Porter generic strategies are built on strategic strength or competing abilities and strategic scope or market penetration.

Close followers, late follower and Pioneers are types of innovation strategies. Innovation strategies are meant to trigger the rate of product development and model innovation. It helps the firm to incorporate latest technologies. Intensification, Diversification, Vertical integration and Horizontal integration are types of growth strategies. Growth strategies facilitate the growth of the organization. Marketing warfare strategies are conjunction of marketing strategies and military strategies.

A marketing strategy or a mix of them is chosen only after thorough market research. A marketer should always be ready to face any kind of situations like if the strategy is changed in the middle, he should be able to perform another market research so as to choose the proper strategy, within a short period of time. This can be done easily if you have experience.

+Terry Detty values  Website Marketing and  Internet Advertising for increased SEO Rankings. Greater Results can be seen with a high quality  Website Advertising.

Source: Articlealley

Saturday, December 22, 2012

General Accounting System

General Accounting System
Author: Ramon B. Nosce

The general accounting system  tells  about the whole process of accounting. From the books of original entry otherwise known as journal 'till the end result of the accounting procedure called the financial statement. The financial statement should be made in accordance with the generally accepted accounting procedures and principles. It's a way of providing financial information  use to communicate to decision makers. Accounting aims to provide an honest financial information or a fairly presented financial statement. To attain an honest or fairly presented financial statement,  it has to adhere with the general accepted  doctrine of accounting and made in accordance with the generally accepted accounting procedure.

The accounting procedures tells about the process for which the financial statement was made. The accounting procedures is  all about the bookkeeping cycle where the generally accepted accounting principles is applied. It is where all the transactions for the current year are recorded. Transaction is an exchange of goods or services for a certain monetary amount. Either Cash or On Account.


The American Institute Of Certified Public Accountant ( AICPA ) defined accounting as an art of recording, classifying  summarizing in a significant manner in terms of money, transactions or events which are in part at least of a financial character and interpreting the results thereof. For every transaction, there are alway two values involve. The value received and the value parted with. To increase the assets of the business we debit and to decrease the assets of the business we credit.

The Bookkeeping Cycle:

- Journalizing
- Posting
-Trial Balance
- Work Sheet ( Either Presented In Account Or Report Form )
-Financial Statement






Friday, December 21, 2012

Understanding Financial Statement



Going back to the basic accounting is the key to easily understand what the financial statement is all about. Knowing what is accounting and  learning the process for which the financial statement was made plays  a vital role. Financial statement is the end result of recording that adheres  on the generally accepted accounting procedures and principles.



Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Unethical Behavior in Business


The sad truth is there are people who part take in unethical behavior within the workplace. Unethical behavior includes a variety of activities. Some unethical business behavior may include lying and changing the number of hours they have worked, making a long distance phone call on the business phones, and copying business software so they can use it at home. There can be more serious unethical behavior such as altering business records. There are also behaviors which are deemed as unethical and behavior that is illegal but ultimately is up to the business to decide if the behavior is illegal or not.

When a employee discovers someone that is being unethical, it can sometimes test what their own ethical values are. Sometimes behavior that is unethical and not illegal can fall under a grey area such as, what is right or wrong and can make it difficult to know what to do when they encounter it. However, people will also have different opinions on what is ethical and what isn't. An example could be saying that it okay to say a white lie, and they make it okay because they can justify it their mind.

The employees own sense of what is right or wrong, comes into play when they witness someone else doing something that isn't part of the companies standards. The employee will need to address how they are feeling about the activity and will they inform on the activity or do they turn a blind eye.

When the employee witness the employee doing something unethical a decision is made in what to do about it and so they are presented with a number of difficult options. Should they go and talk to the person or do they go and speak to the supervisor.

There are techniques that are put in place to make it easier to help with the decision and manage unethical behaviors. The company needs to create a policy for the company, that is signed by each employee so, they are aware on what to do. This will minimize the awakened feeling of what to do when seeing someone act unethically.

The second part is to show a outline of what will be expected of the person when they discover someone doing something unethical. It should also have the person that needs to be contacted and what the process is involved in doing so. Having a clear set instructions, will have a more proactive way on reporting on someone who is doing something unethical. So, by having this it can deal with this issue easily and quickly before it becomes a big issue.

The consequences should be clearly stated of what the unethical behavior is. That way, the person who witness the activity is aware of what to do which lessens the risk of someone not reporting something that is unethical.

Source: Articlealley

Saturday, December 15, 2012

How To Be Successful Trading Futures For A LIving


Where And How To Begin

Now that you have seriously decided to begin trading futures for a living, the primary concern you should have is to learn about the market, and there is quite a lot to learn. Many professionals will agree that once you have the knowledge about the market, trading becomes pretty simple. Experience has proven that actually getting the right knowledge takes all the time and hard work. The intention of this article is to guide you in the right direction to cut that time considerably, so you too can be in the winners circle.

What Makes The Matket Move?

The key element which is significant in the movement of the market or any commodity is supply and demand. It is important to realize that the price of any commodity is not controlled, but in-fact is determined by value, and value is a function of supply and demand, commercial interests and the amount of buyers or sellers.

The commercial buyers are the largest players in the futures trading industry. They are known to buy in huge mega volumes, and when they buy they are usually buying the nearby months, as opposed to the distant months.

The position or intended position of the commercials can easily be followed with the help of the "Commitment of Traders". This is a monthly report of all commodities which are traded on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME), and this information is vital to anyone trading futures for a living.

Once you have obtained a copy of this monthly report, you can easily determine the "Open Interest" of the commercials. The open interest indicates whether the commercials are adding to their short sale (selling) because they are expecting lower prices, or whether they are decreasing their short sale, because they are expecting higher prices.

Because the commercials must buy the nearby months, as you keep tract of the months of the commodity which they are buying, you can easily determine their desire to either own or sell any commodity in question. Consequently, you can be in a better position to enter the market either in a long position or a short position. This information will easily be very valuable to be successful in trading futures for a living.

Fundamentals Vs Technicals!

The average veteran trader usually fall into either one or the other category of trading. Very rare will you find a trader using both type of information constantly in trading futures for a living.

Generally, fundamental trading is based mainly on supply and demand, weather conditions, the movement of the commercial traders, open interest, accumalation and distribution. and also the value of premiums months, including market sentiments. But quite frankly it is very difficult to list all the fundamental factors which will determine the direction of the price of the commodity, especially today. But certainly all of the above has always proved to be serious factors in affecting the direction of commodity prices.

Technical trading on the other hand is all about forcasting prices through analysis of price movement or pattern in terms of technical data or technical analysis.

You will easily find that the average technical trader is very sceptical about the fundamental trader techniques and vise versa.

However, experienced has shown that the most successful veteran trader is one who has the wisdom to apply both trading techniques before entering or exiting a trade.

In the long run, history have shown that fundamental supply and demand factors will always affect the direction of prices, and even technical traders will agree that fundamentals are reflected in the direction of prices, even though they usually may not care what the fundamentals might be.

In today's economy, the masses have finally realized that the only job security we really have is in our own ability to perform. The home base business industry constantly keeps growing, but history keeps indicating that in order to become successful, in the shortest period of time one must obtain professional guidance, in futures trading.

Where as the above information has opened your insight about trading futures for a living, to ensure long-term success, every newbie futures trader should align themselves with a professional coach who has several years of proven success.

Source: Articlealley

How to Write a Business Plan?


What is a Business Plan?

A business plan can be defined as,

“A document or forecast plan describes the purpose and objectives of a business/company, its strategies, description of products and services, target market and financial forecast”.
Importance of a Business Plan in Strategizing Efforts

Many of you will raise the question ‘Why should I write a business plan’? The answer to this is simple. Just as a builder cannot start constructing a building without a blue print similarly, an eager businessman should not rush into new venture without having a written document in hand.
Advice for Drafting Business Plans

Make sure your business plan is realistic and provides a roadmap for future. It should by dynamic so that you can modify your strategies according to change in business environment.

Remember a business plan is like curriculum vitae of your business and serves to attract investors as well as keep customers and suppliers informed about performance of your company.
Writing a Business Plan

Now that you have decided to start up your own business, it is essential that you pen down a plan which you are going to follow through the course of your business.
Types of Business Plans

Business plans are normally formatted for the following categories in a  business:

    Marketing Plan: A marketing plan elaborates on the marketing strategy in effect, in plan or proposed to increase sales, exposure or brand recognition.
    Sales Plan: A sales plan explores new vendors, sales operations, joint options and sales mechanisms to increase sales and revenue.
    Strategic Plan: A strategy plan broadly encompasses any efforts or ideas which are targeted in changing, revising or incorporating some new mechanism or technique in a  business strategy.
    Financial Plan: A financial plan analyzes the credit and debit facilitations of a business along with future stock options, joint ventures, investment portfolios and financial operations.

Format of a Business Plan

A business plan typically consists of the following standard elements.
Executive Summary

Two to three pages highlighting the main features of entire business plan make up the section of executive summary. It is advised that you write this last. Learn how to write an executive summary for an effective business plan.
Company Description: Mission Statement

It describes the history of your company—how the company was formed, who owns it, an outline of its business model. This section also discusses in brief about your channel strategy (who sells for you and how product or services are delivered to your customers). Also mention any awards and achievements so far.

A business mission statement specifically defines the goals, objectives and long term and short term vision of a business. Learn how to write a business mission statement for a business plan.
Products/Services

Describe what you’re selling so far. Focus on customer benefits and why do they buy from you. If your products/services have not been offered in the markets so far then mention the information on a proposed basis.
Market Analysis

 You need to know your market, customer needs, where they are, how to reach them.  Who are your current customers and why do they buy from you.  Who else solves the same problem?  How are you different from your competitors? If your products/services have not been offered in the markets so far then mention the information on a proposed basis.
Strategy

Describe long-term direction of your business, which markets should your business compete in and what kinds of activities are involved in such markets?

    (Markets; scope), how can the business perform better than the competition in those markets
    (Advantage)? What resources (skills, assets, finance, relationships, technical competence, and facilities) are required in order to be able to compete
    (Resources)? What external, environmental factors affect the businesses’ ability to compete
    (Environment)? What are the values and expectations of those who have power in and around the business
    (Stakeholders)?

Risks and Mitigation Plans

It includes vulnerabilities of the business, what would make it not work, what will be outside your control? What are your mitigating plans to handle the risks?

Feisty Ash has posted this article. For more learning tips on business plan writing, visit how to write?

Source: Articlealley

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Simple definition's of finance world terminologies


Accrued interest
Interest that has been earned but not received.

Accumulation plan
An arrangement which enables an investor to purchase mutual fund shares regularly in large or small amounts.

Annual Report
A financial report sent yearly to a publicly held firm's shareholders. This report must be audited by independent auditors.

Annuitant
An individual who purchases an annuity and will receive payments from that annuity.

Annuity
A contract that guarantees a series of payments in exchange for a lump sum investment.

Ask price
A proposal to sell a specific quantity of securities at a named price.

Assets
What a firm or individual owns.

Back-end load
A sales charge levied when mutual fund units are redeemed.

Balance sheet
A financial statement showing the nature and amount of a company's assets, liabilities and shareholders' equity.

Balanced fund
A mutual fund which has an investment policy of "balancing" its portfolio generally by including bonds and shares in varying proportions influenced by the fund's investment outlook.

Bank Rate
The rate at which the Bank of Canada makes short-term loans to chartered banks and other financial institutions, and the benchmark for prime rates set by financial institutions.

Bankers' Acceptance
Short-term bank paper with the repayment of principal and payment of interest guaranteed by the issuer's bank.

Bear market
A declining financial market.

Beta
A statistical term used to illustrate the relationship of the price of an individual security or mutual fund unit to similar securities or financial market indexes.

Bid price
A proposal to buy a specific quantity of securities at a named price.

Blue chip
A descriptive term usually applied to high grade equity securities.

Board lot
A standard number of shares for trading transactions. The number of shares in a board lot varies with the price level of the security, although in most cases a board lot is 100 shares.

Board of directors
A committee elected by the shareholders of a company, empowered to act on their behalf in the management of company affairs. Directors are normally elected each year at the annual meeting.

Bond
A long-term debt instrument with the promise to pay a specified amount of interest and to return the principal amount on a specified maturity date.

Bond fund
A mutual fund whose portfolio consists primarily of bonds.

Book value
The value of net assets that belong to a company's shareholders, as stated on the balance sheet.

Broker
An agent who handles the public's orders to buy and sell securities, commodities, or other property. A commission is generally charged for this service.

Bull market
An advancing financial market.

Buying on margin
Purchasing a security partly with borrowed money.

Callable
Preferred shares or bonds that give the issuing corporation an option to repurchase, or "call" those securities at a stated price. These are also known as redeemable securities.

Canada Savings Bond
A bond issued each year by the federal government. These bonds can be cashed in at any time for their full face value.

Capital
Generally, the money or property used in a business. The term is also used to apply to cash in reserve, savings, or other property of value.

Capital cost allowance
A taxation term, equivalent to depreciation, that makes allowance for the wearing away of a fixed asset.

Capital loss
The loss that results when a capital asset is sold for less than its purchase price.

Capital stock
All ownership shares of a company, both common and preferred.

Capitalization
The total amount of all securities, including long-term debt, common and preferred stock, issued by a company.

Cash equivalent
Assets that can be quickly converted to cash. These include receivables, Treasury bills, short-term commercial paper and short-term municipal and corporate bonds and notes.

Cash surrender value
The amount of cash a person may obtain by voluntarily surrendering a life insurance policy.

Certificate
A document providing evidence of ownership of a security such as a stock or bond.

Closed-end fund
A fund company that issues a fixed number of shares. Its shares are not redeemable, but are bought and sold on stock exchanges or the over-the-counter market.

Commercial paper
A negotiable corporate promissory note with a term of a few days to a year. It is generally not secured by company assets.

Common stock
A security representing ownership of a corporation's assets. Voting rights are normally accorded to holders of common stock.

Compounding
The process by which income is earned on income that has previously been earned. The end value of the investment includes both the original amount invested and the reinvested income.

Consumer price index
A statistical device that measures the change in the cost of living for consumers. It is used to illustrate the extent that prices have risen or the amount of inflation that has taken place.

Contractual plan
An arrangement whereby an investor contracts to purchase a given amount of a security by a certain date and agrees to make partial payments at specified intervals.

Convertible
A security that can be exchanged for another. Bonds or preferred shares are often convertible into common shares of the same company.

Corporation
A legal business entity created under federal or provincial statutes. Because the corporation is a separate entity from its owners, shareholders have no legal liability for its debts.

Coupon rate
The annual interest rate of a bond.

Current asset
An asset that could be converted into cash within 12 months.

Current liability
A liability that has to be paid within 12 months.

Current yield
The annual rate of return that an investor purchasing a security at its market price would realize. This is the annual income from a security divided by the current price of the security. It is also known as the return on investment.

Custodian
A financial institution, usually a bank or trust company, that holds a mutual fund's securities and cash in safekeeping.

Debenture
A bond unsecured by any pledge of property. It is supported by the general credit of the issuing corporation.

Debt
An obligation to repay a sum of principal, plus interest. In corporate terms, debt often refers to bonds or similar securities.

Deferral
A form of tax sheltering that results from an investment that offers deductions during the investor's high-income years, and/or postpones capital gains or other income until after retirement or during another period when the income level is expected to change.

Deferred Profit Sharing Plan
A plan that allows an employer to set aside a portion of company profits from the benefit of employees. A corporation makes a contribution to the plan on behalf of an employee.

Defined benefit pension plan
A registered pension plan that guarantees a specific income at retirement, based on earnings and the number of years worked.

Defined contribution pension plan
a registered pension plan that does not promise an employee a specified benefit upon retirement. Benefits depend on the performance of investments made with contributions to the plan.

Denomination
The principal amount, or value at maturity, or a debt obligation. Also known as the par value or face value.

Depreciation
Charges made against earnings to write off the cost of a fixed asset over its estimated useful life. Depreciation does not represent a cash outlay. It is a bookkeeping entry representing the decline in value of an asset that is wearing out.

Discount
The amount by which a bond sells on the secondary market at less than its par value or face value.

Distributions
Payments to investors by a mutual fund from income or from profit realized from sales of securities.

Diversification
The investment in a number of different securities. This reduces the risks inherent in investing. Diversification may be among types of securities, companies, industries or geographic locations.

Dividend
A per-share payment designated by a company's board of directors to be distributed among shareholders. For preferred shares, it is generally a fixed amount. For common shares, the dividend varies with the fortunes of the company and the amount of cash on hand. It may be omitted if business is poor or the directors withhold earnings to invest in plant and equipment.

Dividend fund
A mutual fund that invests in common shares of senior Canadian corporations with a history of regular dividend payments at above average rates, as well as preferred shares.

Dividend tax credit
An income tax credit available to investors who earn dividend income through investments in the shares of Canadian Corporations.

Dollar cost averaging
A principle of investing which entails the use of equal amounts for investment at regular intervals in the hope of reducing average share cost by acquiring more shares in periods of lower securities prices and fewer shares in periods of higher securities prices.

Earned income
For tax purposes, earned income is generally the money made by an individual from employment. It also includes some taxable benefits. Earned income is used as the basis for calculating RRSP maximum contribution limits.

Earnings statement
A financial statement showing the income and expenses of a business over a period of time. Also known as an income statement or profit and loss statement.

Equity
The net worth of a company. This represents the ownership interest of the shareholders (common and preferred) of a company. For this reason, shares are often known as equities.

Equity fund
A mutual fund whose portfolio consists primarily of common stocks.

Face value
The principal amount, or value at maturity, of a debt obligation. Also known as the par value or denomination.

Fair market value
The price a willing buyer would pay a willing seller if neither was under any compulsion to buy or sell. The standard at which property is valued for a deemed disposition.

Fiduciary
An individual or institution occupying a position of trust. An executor, administrator or trustee. Hence, "fiduciary" duties.

Fiscal policy
The policy pursued by government to manage the economy through its spending and taxation powers.

Fixed assets
Assets of a long-term nature, such as land and buildings.

Fixed dollar withdrawal plan
A plan that provides the mutual fund investor with fixed-dollar payments at specified intervals, usually monthly or quarterly.

Fixed liability
Any corporate liability that will not mature within the following fiscal period. For example, long-term mortgages or outstanding bonds.

Fixed income investments
Investments that generate a fixed amount of income that does not vary over the life of the investment.

Fixed-period withdrawal plan
A plan through which the mutual fund investor's holdings are fully depleted through regular withdrawals over a set period of time. A specific amount of capital, together with accrued income, is systematically exhausted.

Front-end load
A sales charge levied on the purchase of mutual fund units.

Fundamental analysis
A method of evaluating the future prospects of a company by analyzing its financial statements. It may also involve interviewing the management of the company.

Growth stocks
Shares of companies whose earnings are expected to increase at an above-average rate. Growth stocks are often typified by their low yields and relatively high price/earnings rations. Their prices reflect investors' belief in their future earnings in growth.

Guaranteed investment certificates
A deposit instrument paying a predetermined rate of interest for a specified term, available from banks, trust companies and other financial institutions.

Income funds
Mutual funds that invest primarily in fixed-income securities such as bonds, mortgages and preferred shares. Their primary objective is to produce income for investors, while preserving capital.

Index fund
A mutual fund that matches its portfolio to that of a specific financial market index, with the objective of duplicating the general performance of the market in which it invests.

Inflation
A condition of increasing prices. In Canada, inflation is generally measured by the Consumer Price Index.

Interest
Payments made by a borrower to a lender for the use of the lender's money. A corporation pays interest on bonds to its bondholders.

International fund
A mutual fund that invests in securities of a number of countries.

Intrinsic value
The amount by which the price of a warrant or call option exceeds the price at which the warrant or option may be exercised.

Investment adviser
Investment counsel to a mutual fund. Also may be the manager of a mutual fund.

Investment company
A corporation or trust whose primary purpose is to invest the funds of its shareholders.

Investment counsel
A firm or individual which furnishes investment advice for a fee.

Investment dealer
A securities firm.

Investment fund
A term generally interchangeable with "mutual fund."

Investment Funds Institute of Canada (IFIC)
The mutual fund industry trade association set up to serve its members, co-operate with regulatory bodies, and protect the interests of the investing public that use mutual funds as a medium for their investments.

Issued shares
The number of securities of a company outstanding. This may be equal to or less than the number of shares a company is authorized to issue.

Letter of intent
An agreement whereby an investor agrees to make a series of purchases of mutual fund units.

Leverage
The financial advantage of an investment that controls property of greater value than the cash invested. Leverage is usually achieved through the use of borrowed money.

Liabilities
All debts or amounts owing by a company in the form of accounts payable, loans, mortgages and long-term debts.

Life annuity
An annuity under which payments are guaranteed for the life of the annuitant.

Life expectancy adjusted withdrawal plan
A plan through which a mutual fund investor's holdings are fully depleted while providing maximum periodic income over the investor's lifetime.

Liquidity
Refers to the ease with which an investment may be converted to cash at a reasonable price.

Load
Commissions charged to holders of mutual fund units. (See sales charge.)

Long-term asset
A mutual fund that charges a commission to purchase its shares.

Long-term debt
Debt that becomes due after more than one year.

Management company
The entity within a mutual fund complex responsible for the investment of the fund's portfolio and/or the administration of the fund. It is compensated on a percentage of the fund's total assets.

Management expense ratio
A measure of the total costs of operating a fund as a percentage of average total assets.

Management fee
The sum paid to the investment company's adviser or manager for supervising its portfolio and administering its operations.

Margin
An investor's equity in the securities in his or her account. The margin purchaser puts up a portion of the value of the securities, borrowing the remainder from the investment dealer.

Marginal tax rate
The rate of tax on the last dollar of taxable income.

Market index
A vehicle used to denote trends in securities markets. The most popular in Canada is the Toronto Stock Exchange 300 Composite Index (TSE 300).

Market price
In the case of a security, market price is usually considered the last reported price at which the stock or bond is sold.

Maturity
The date at which a loan or bond or debenture comes due and must be redeemed or paid off.

Money market
A sector of the capital market where short term obligations such as Treasury bills, commercial paper and bankers' acceptances are bought and sold.

Money market fund
A type of mutual fund that invests primarily in treasury bills and other low-risk, short-term investments.

Money purchase pension plan
Another term for defined contribution pension plan.

Mortgage fund
A mutual fund that invests in mortgages. Portfolios of mortgage funds usually consist of first mortgages on Canadian residential property, although some funds alsoinvest in commercial mortgages.

Mortgage-backed securities
Certificates that represent ownership in a pool of mortgages. The holders of these securities receive regular payments of principal and interest.

Mutual fund
An investment entity that pools shareholder or unitholder funds and invests in various securities. The units or shares are redeemable by the fund on demand by the investor. The value of the underlying assets of the fund influences the current price of units.

Net asset value
The value of all the holdings of a mutual fund, less the fund's liabilities.

Net asset value per share
Net asset value of a mutual fund divided by the number of shares or units outstanding. This represents the base value of a share of unit of a fund and is commonly abbreviated to NAVPS.

No-load fund
A mutual fund that does not charge a fee for buying or selling its shares.

Odd lot
Any number of securities that represents less than a board lot.

Open-end fund
An open-end mutual fund continuously issues and redeems units, so the number of units outstanding varies from day to day. Most mutual funds are open-ended.

Option
The right or obligation to buy or sell a specific quantity of a security at a specific price within a stipulated period of time.

Over-the-counter market
A securities market that exists for securities not listed on stock exchanges. Bonds, money market securities and many stocks are traded on the over-the-counter market.

Par value
The principal amount, or value at maturity, of a debt obligation. It is also known as the denomination or face value. Preferred shares may also have par value, which indicates the value of assets each share would be entitled to if a company were liquidated.

Pension adjustment
An amount that reduces the allowable contribution limit to an RRSP based on the benefits earned from the employee's pension plan or deferred profit sharing plan.

Pension plan
A formal arrangement through which the employer, and in most cases the employee, contribute to a fund to provide the employee with a lifetime income after retirement.

Permanent life insurance
Life insurance coverage for which the policyholder pays an annual premium, generally for the life of the insured. This type of policy features a savings component, known as the cash surrender value.

Portfolio
All the securities which an investment company or an individual investor owns.

Preferred share
An ownership security, senior to the common stock of a corporation, with preferred claim on assets in case of liquidation and a specified annual dividend.

Premium
The amount by which a bond's selling price exceeds its face value. Also, the amounts paid to keep an insurance policy in force.

Present value
The current worth of an amount to be received in the future. In the case of an annuity, present value is the current worth of a series of equal payments to be made in the future.

Price earnings ratio
The market price of a common share divided by its earnings per share for 12 months.

Primary distribution
A new security issue, or one that is made available to investors for the first time.

Principal
The person for whom a broker executes an order, or a dealer buying or selling for his or her own account. Also, an individual's capital or the face amount of a bond.

Prospectus
The document by which a corporation or other legal entity offers a new issue of securities to the public.

Ratio withdrawal plan
A type of mutual fund withdrawal plan that provides investors with an income based on a percentage of the value of units held.

Real estate fund
A mutual fund that invests primarily in residential and/or commercial real estate to produce income and capital gains for its unitholders.

Real estate investment trust
A closed-end investment company that specializes in real estate or mortgage investments.

Redeemable
Preferred shares or bonds that giver the issuing corporation an option to repurchase securities at a stated price. These are also known as callable securities.

Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP)
A plan that enables a contributor, on a tax deferral basis, to accumulate assets on behalf of a beneficiary to pay for a post secondary education.

Registered Retirement Income Fund (RRIF)
A maturity option available for RRSP assets to provide a stream of income at retirement.

Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP)
A retirement savings plan to hold amounts deducted from taxable income, within certain limits, in a tax deferred state. There are various investment options and a tax deferral on investment income and gains. Available to individuals to and including 69 years of age, but must be collapsed by the end of the year in which the holder turns 69 years of age.

Retained earnings
The accumulated profits of a company. These may or may not be reinvested in the business.

Retractable
Bonds or preferred shares that allow the holder to require the issuer to redeem the security before the maturity date.

Rights
Options granted to shareholders to purchase additional shares directly from the company concerned. Rights are issued to shareholders in proportion to the securities they may hold in a company.

Risk
The possibility of loss; the uncertainty of future returns.

Sales charge
In the case of mutual funds, these are commissions charged to holder of fund units, usually based on the purchase or redemption price. Sales charges are also known as "loads."

Securities Act
Provincial legislation regulating the underwriting, distribution and sale of securities.

Shares
A document signifying part ownership in a company. The terms "share" and "stock" are often used interchangeably.

Shareholders' equity
The amount of a corporation's assets belonging to its shareholders (both common and preferred) after allowance for any prior claim.

Short selling
The sale of a security made by an investor who does not own the security. The short sale is made in expectation of a decline in the price of a security, which would allow the investor to then purchase the shares at a lower price in order to deliver the securities earlier sold short.

Simplified prospectus
An abbreviated and simplified prospectus distributed by mutual funds to purchasers and potential purchasers of units or shares (see prospectus).

Specialty fund
A mutual fund that concentrates its investments on a specific industrial or economic sector or a defined geographical area.

Spread
The difference between the rates at which money is deposited in a financial institution and the higher rates at which the money is lent out. Also, the difference between the bid and ask price for a security.

Stock options
Rights to purchase a corporation's stock at a specified price.

Strip bonds
The capital portion of a bond from which the coupons have been stripped. The holder of the strip bond is entitled to its par value at maturity, but not the annual interest payments.

Systematic withdrawal plan
Plans offered by mutual fund companies that allow unitholders to receive payment from their investment at regular intervals.

Tax credit
An income tax credit that directly reduces theamount of income tax paid by offsetting other income tax liabilities.

Tax deduction
A reduction of total income before the amount of income tax payable is calculated.

Technical analysis
A method of evaluating future security prices and market directions based on statistical analysis of variables such as trading volume, price changes, etc., to identify patterns.

Term insurance
Temporary life insurance that covers the policyholder for a specific time.

Term to 90 annuity
An annuity that pays a fixed amount each year until it is exhausted in the year that the annuitant turns 90.

Trade
A securities transaction.

Treasury bill (T-bill)
Short-term government debt. Treasury bills bear no interest, but are sold at a discount. The difference between the discount price and par value is the return to be received by the investor.

Trust
An instrument placing ownership of property in the name of one person, called a trustee, to be held by the trustee for the use and benefit of some other person.

Underwriter
An investment firm that purchases a security directly from its issuer for resale to other investment firms or the public or sells for such issuer to the public.

Unit trust
An unincorporated fund whose organizational structure permits the conduit treatment of income realized by the fund.

Universal life insurance
A life insurance term policy that is renewed each year and which has both an insurance component and an investment component. The investment component invests excess premiums and generates returns to the policyholder.

Variable life annuity
An annuity providing a fluctuating level of payments, depending on the performance of its underlying investments.

Vesting
In pension terms, the right of an employee to all or part of the employer's contributions, whether in the form of cash or as a deferred pension.

Voluntary accumulation plan
A plan offered by mutual fund companies whereby an investor agrees to invest a predetermined amount on a regular basis.

Warrant
Certificates allowing the holder the opportunity to buy shares in a company at a stated price over a specified period. Warrants are usually issued in conjunction with a new issue of bonds, preferred shares or common shares.

Wrap account
An account offered by investment dealers whereby investors are charged an annual management fee based on the value of invested assets.

Yield
Annual rate of return received on investments, usually expressed as a percentage of the market price of the security.

Yield curve
A graphic representation of the relationship among yields of similar bonds of differing maturities.

Yield to maturity
The annual rate of return an investor would receive if a bond were held until maturity.

Zero coupon bond
A bond that pays no interest and is initially sold at a discount.

Source: Articlealley, Vicky Advani

Monday, December 10, 2012

Advantages & Disadvantages of Dividends


A dividend is a portion of a company's profit that is paid out to the shareholders, commonly in cash or stock. For investors, dividends present a great way to get periodic payouts on a high-yield investment. However, like all types of investments, there are drawbacks to any plan that routinely pulls out money rather than continues increasing revenue.

Pros of Dividends

Dividends certainly do have a place within the financial world. They provide a way for investors to place a large amount of capital that can then be used as a source of income, since it regularly brings in money. When you choose dividends, you can look forward to:

Profit while retaining a stake in the company - Normally, a stockholder would have to sell his or her stock in order to profit from his or her investment in a company. Dividends allow investors to profit from their investment in the company without selling their stock. This means you can look forward to regular returns.

Short-term results and long-term opportunities - An investor can continue to receive dividend payments from the company as long as the investor continues to hold stock. This can lead to significant dividend payments for a long-term investment, even though you're seeing results over a short-term time frame.

Visible indications of your investment's security - A continued, increased dividend payout is considered to be a good indicator of a company's continued success. This allows you to quantify your gains easily.

Cons of Dividends

Despite their benefits, dividends aren't for everyone. Before you and your financial advisor decide on this course of action, you'll want to consider the following:

Dividends are not universally available - The Board of Directors is responsible for deciding whether or not a dividend is to be paid out to its investors. However, even if a company makes a significant profit, it is under no obligation to pay a dividend.

Tax repercussions - Dividends are often criticized as being subject to double-taxation, as the company is taxed on its income and the individual shareholder is also subject to paying taxes on the dividend payout. In the United States, dividends are subject to a 15 percent dividend tax rate. This is higher than what you can expect to pay on other types of investment windfalls.

Making the Decision to Use Dividends

Before you decide whether or not dividend investing is right for you, talk with your financial advisor. While dividends can be a great way to see regular returns on your investment, you might find that your unique needs are better served with stocks, bonds, or other financial options.

Source: Articlealley, Wesley Watkis

Saturday, December 8, 2012

Reading and understanding your statement of income or profit and loss statement


Among the four basic components of financial statements (the balance sheet, statement of changes in equity, income statement and cash flow statement), the statement of income is the most interesting and exciting to read by its common users. This is true, since it indicates if an entity is having a profit or a loss, and that every business owners, investors, creditors and even the tax authorities may primarily want to see and know first if an entity is earning or making money out of running its business and utilizing its resources.

An income statement also called profit and loss statement (P&L) or sometimes prepared as statement of operation, is a formal statement showing the performance of an entity for a given period of time. The performance of the entity is primarily measured in terms of the level of income earned by the entity through the effective and efficient utilization of its resources. Income statement indicates how revenue (money received or receivable earned from the sale of products and services before costs and expenses are taken out) is transformed into net income or net profit (the result after all revenues, costs and expenses have been accounted for). This income performance is used to be known as the results of operations of the entity.

Different from common entities, a non-profit organization does not prepare an income statement or a profit and loss statement since it is established not to earn money but to carry out its purpose like charity, environment care, cultural development and other activities to help the society. That's why they are usually exempted from income tax. The formal statement prepared by these organizations to show their performance is called statement of supports, revenues and expenses. A fund accounting method is usually used on these types of entities. Actually the statement of revenues, support and expenses are the same with the statement of income although the term income or profit is not used.My Amazon Page

The information about the performance and profitability of an entity is useful in predicting the capacity of the entity to generate cash flows from its existing resources. It is also useful in forming judgment about the effectiveness of employing additional resources. Owners and investors of the entity use the income statement to determine if the entity made or lost money for a given period of time. In others words it is used to know if the entity is earning or losing. It also tells us if production and employment of products or services for sell will give us additional profit or loss.

The income statement is prepared "for a given period of time". In other words, a period must expire before the performance of an entity can be properly measured. The income statement covers a period, unlike a balance sheet which is prepared as of given date or particular moment in time. For example a company that prepares financial statements on a calendar year December 31, 2007, its balance sheet should be dated "as of December 31, 2007" and its income statements should be dated "for the year ended December 31, 2007". If financial statement is prepared only for a six-month from June 1, 2007 to December 31, 2007, its balance sheet should still be dated "as of December 31, 2007" since it is for the point of time, while its income statement will be dated "for the six-month period ended December 31, 2007" which means the statement is a report for the six month period time from June 1, 2007 to December 31, 2007.

The components of income statement are revenues, expenses and net income (the income after deducting all of cost and expenses during the accounting period). Revenues include sales of products or services. It may also be deducted by sales discounts or sales refunds. Revenues are recognized whether they are already collected or not. This is called the accrual basis of accounting. Revenue is recognized as it is earned regardless of being received or not. For example, a company that sells canned goods, the sales from canned goods to customers is recognized as revenue once the ownership of the goods is transferred to the customer regardless of whether the price money is already collected in the form of cash or cash in bank or not collected in the form of an accounts receivable. Revenue or income is defined as "increase in economic benefit during the accounting period in the form of inflow or increase in asset or decrease in liability that results in increase in equity, other than contribution from equity participants". In other words, it is an inflow of future economic benefit that increases equity or capital, other than contributions by owners, proprietor (single proprietorship), partners (partnership) or stockholders (corporation).

Other sources of revenue includes income from rendering of service (accountant's fees, lawyer's fees, insurance agent commissions, talent fees, etc.); use of the company's resources (interest, rents, royalties and dividend income); and disposals of resources other than products (gains on sale of investments, property and equipment and intangible assets).

An expense is defined as "decrease in economic benefit during the accounting period in the form of outflow or decrease in asset and increase in liability that results in decrease in equity, other than distribution to equity participants". In simple words, it is an outflow of future economic benefit that decreases equity, other than drawing paid to proprietors and partners or dividend paid to stockholders.

Generally, expenses include cost of sales, selling expenses, administrative expenses, other expenses and income tax expense (if an entity is subject to income tax).The cost of sales is the direct costs attributable to the cost of products or services sold. In an analytical view, it is the sales after deducting your mark-up on the goods or services sold. Cost of sales is used to determine the gross profit amount and ratio of a certain entity. Gross profit is what you get after deducting cost of sales from your total revenues. Gross profit is computed by dividing your gross profit to your total revenues.

The cost of sales of a merchandising company is composed of goods available for sale (beginning inventory plus net purchases) minus ending inventory. While the cost of sales of a manufacturing company consists of raw materials used (beginning raw materials plus net purchases less ending raw materials), plus direct labor, plus factory overhead, plus beginning goods in process, less ending goods in process, plus beginning finish goods, less ending finish goods.

Selling expenses constitute costs which are directly related to selling, advertising and delivery of goods to customers. These include sales commissions, salesman salaries and traveling expenses, marketing expenses, advertising expenses, freight-out, depreciation of delivery equipment and store equipment, and other expenses related directly to selling activities.

Administrative expenses represent cost of administering the business. This includes all operating expenses not related to selling and cost of goods sold. Examples of administrative expenses include salaries of general officers and of administrative staff or employees, office supplies, taxes and licenses, depreciation of administrative building and equipment, insurance, amortization of intangible assets and doubtful account expense.

Other expenses or charges are those expenses which are not directly related to the expenses discussed in the preceding paragraphs. These include charges to income such as loss on sale of property and equipment, loss on sale of long-term investments and other losses.

After recognizing and understanding an entity's revenues and all its expenses including income tax, we realize that what is left after deducting all expenses from all income is the net income or net profit if the entity is performing efficiently and effectively, and net loss if the entity is ineffectively and inefficiently employing its resources. However a certain entity having net loss for a certain period of time cannot be absolutely judged that it is performing poorly in doing business. A particular company may incur losses because of the fact that it is only in its early years of operations since its establishment. Therefore, it is always a wise move if we read and analyze income statement for a series of years instead of reading it for only a year or two year periods of time. There are also some qualitative factors that we might need to consider like its participation to our society and protection of our environment.

Source: Articlealley,  Victorino Q. Abrugar

How to Write a Feasibility Study



Feasibility studies are a type of report used for decision making. They help an organization decide whether it's feasible to make a change in the way they do business. For instance, a feasibility study might help the board of a corporation determine whether they should replace a piece of equipment, adopt a different system, change their method of production, or hire an outside contractor. Generally speaking, there should be no "pitching" in a feasibility study; the job of the writer is simply to provide enough information to help in the decision process.

If you've been assigned the task of writing a feasibility study, you could simply start with a blank screen on your word processor and write all the pages from scratch. But if you'd like to speed up the process and get some guidance, you could use a report or proposal kit of materials, which includes templates for all sorts of topics, as well as sample proposals and studies, and graphic designs to make the finished product look great.

Let's work through the basic organization of a feasibility study, from front to back. The very first page should be a Title Page naming your study - something like "Feasibility Study for Moving the Manufacturing Division from Baltimore, Maryland to Laredo, Texas" or "Feasibility Study for Replacing Our Inventory System with the PQR Inventory System." Next, describe the Goals you hope to achieve by making a change. Next, you'll write a Needs Assessment or a Problem Statement page; here you'll simply describe what the need or problem is. In other words, why are you contemplating the change? For example, you might write about how your software is antiquated and no longer interfaces with your clients' computer systems, or describe how you are having difficulty hiring workers with the skills your company needs. If your need is complex or the decision makers are not familiar with the issues, you may need to include pages like Background, Assumptions, Definitions, Reference Materials, and so forth to provide all the information your readers will need.My Amazon Page

After you've detailed the need or problem, write a description of the possible Solution. Following that, you'll explain the Benefits of the solution, which could be things like increased productivity, cost savings, greater interaction with clients, and so forth. After the Benefits, you should write an Impact Statement that lists the anticipated impacts to the current organization and process, as well as a description of how the solution will affect your organization's long-term plans.

Next, discuss Alternatives. These should include other Options (if any), as well as the alternative of taking no action.

Following the discussion of alternatives, you should describe any Risks or Disadvantages associated with implementing the solution, followed by the actual projected Costs of making the change.

A feasibility study can mean countless different things to different people. The actual topics used and length of the study will vary dramatically from situation to situation. This is where having access to a comprehensive library of pre-written topics comes in handy.

Finally, you should include a Summary of your discussion. If it's your job to help make the decision, you might want to end with a Conclusion or a Recommendation.

If your report is lengthy, you might need various appendices, and you might need to include a Table of Contents right after the Title Page and/or an Index at the end so that readers can easily find the pages they're looking for.

After you have your study all written, be sure to proofread each page and make sure everything looks professional, too. Add a graphic design to make your study more visually appealing, or use just a plain format for more informal use.

Source: Articlealley, Ian Lauder

Saturday, December 1, 2012

How To Be An Entrepreneur


In a world where you can find numerous options for you, probably the most significant things that you can find out is the future occupation. Since it is extremely important for you to have a profession to enable one to make money, its critical that you take the time to determine what you need to carry out along with your lifestyle. There are a whole lot of possibilities around for you personally but among the best points that you simply can almost certainly do for oneself should be to master how to start a business. There are actually lots of great items about understanding how to be an entrepreneur, but among the best points about it is the leniency with the work. Given that learning how to be an entrepreneur will help you in deciding the hrs that you simply choose to function, you totally manage your destiny and future. In case you think that you've the discipline to learn about how to write a business plan, it could be an awesome concept to suit your needs to inspect and contemplate this as an possibility for the reason that odds are that you'll be capable to produce a productive long term with this solution.

One can find a whole lot of several factors that are essential to suit your needs to understand earlier than you commence mastering how to be an entrepreneur. Among the initial things that you're likely to choose to know about how to write a business plan is really what this work entitles. This specific occupation is extremely open mainly because you might be in management of yourself. Basically, you take the time to setup organizations and businesses which you hope will do the job. It can be risky, but when you understand how to be an entrepreneur accurately, you happen to be sure to do well. Mainly because comprehending how to be an entrepreneur is exceptionally essential to how thriving you are going to be, it is actually really vital for you to generate positive that you just place in all the work needed. One can find lots of different things which can be critical for you personally to understand while you are studying how to start a business, but if you master the basics, you will find also a great deal of items that you'll discover from knowledge. If you need to make certain that you are really successful with this type of occupation, it's very important that you simply also study from personal expertise that you will have.

When all is said and completed, its critical for you to grasp all of the advantages which could arrive to you personally in case you learn about how to start a business. There are actually a lot of superb points about understanding how to be an entrepreneur. One of many 1st important things that will right away come to be obvious to you is you've got a whole lot of flexibility. Simply because you are in management of every one of the hrs and time that you just set in, you are going to notice which you really don't truly feel stressed as a great deal. When you are an individual that either needs considerably less worry or appreciates that you just can self-control you, you would surely gain from knowing how to be an entrepreneur. A different wonderful thing about realizing how to write a business plan is usually that you additionally handle simply how much funds you can expect to be generating. When you have a specific amount of cash which you want to create every thirty days, you will be able to regulate your function plan for you to start off making that volume of income. Simply because knowing how to start a business is really flexible and fits for nearly any individual, its an extremely promising career available for you to glimpse into.

NxLeveL is the nation's largest and most successful entrepreneurial training network, and for the first time we are offering our exceptional training materials to you directly! Learn how to write a business plan, how to start a business, and how to be an entrepreneur !

Source: Articlealley,  berdalph


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How to Write a Business Plan?


What is a Business Plan?

A business plan can be defined as,

“A document or forecast plan describes the purpose and objectives of a business/company, its strategies, description of products and services, target market and financial forecast”.
Importance of a Business Plan in Strategizing Efforts

Many of you will raise the question ‘Why should I write a business plan’? The answer to this is simple. Just as a builder cannot start constructing a building without a blue print similarly, an eager businessman should not rush into new venture without having a written document in hand.
Advice for Drafting Business Plans

Make sure your business plan is realistic and provides a roadmap for future. It should by dynamic so that you can modify your strategies according to change in business environment.

Remember a business plan is like curriculum vitae of your business and serves to attract investors as well as keep customers and suppliers informed about performance of your company.
Writing a Business Plan

Now that you have decided to start up your own business, it is essential that you pen down a plan which you are going to follow through the course of your business.
Types of Business Plans

Business plans are normally formatted for the following categories in a  business:

    Marketing Plan: A marketing plan elaborates on the marketing strategy in effect, in plan or proposed to increase sales, exposure or brand recognition.
    Sales Plan: A sales plan explores new vendors, sales operations, joint options and sales mechanisms to increase sales and revenue.
    Strategic Plan: A strategy plan broadly encompasses any efforts or ideas which are targeted in changing, revising or incorporating some new mechanism or technique in a  business strategy.
    Financial Plan: A financial plan analyzes the credit and debit facilitations of a business along with future stock options, joint ventures, investment portfolios and financial operations.

Format of a Business Plan

A business plan typically consists of the following standard elements.
Executive Summary

Two to three pages highlighting the main features of entire business plan make up the section of executive summary. It is advised that you write this last. Learn how to write an executive summary for an effective business plan.
Company Description: Mission Statement

It describes the history of your company—how the company was formed, who owns it, an outline of its business model. This section also discusses in brief about your channel strategy (who sells for you and how product or services are delivered to your customers). Also mention any awards and achievements so far.

A business mission statement specifically defines the goals, objectives and long term and short term vision of a business. Learn how to write a business mission statement for a business plan.
Products/Services

Describe what you’re selling so far. Focus on customer benefits and why do they buy from you. If your products/services have not been offered in the markets so far then mention the information on a proposed basis.
Market Analysis

 You need to know your market, customer needs, where they are, how to reach them.  Who are your current customers and why do they buy from you.  Who else solves the same problem?  How are you different from your competitors? If your products/services have not been offered in the markets so far then mention the information on a proposed basis.
Strategy

Describe long-term direction of your business, which markets should your business compete in and what kinds of activities are involved in such markets?

    (Markets; scope), how can the business perform better than the competition in those markets
    (Advantage)? What resources (skills, assets, finance, relationships, technical competence, and facilities) are required in order to be able to compete
    (Resources)? What external, environmental factors affect the businesses’ ability to compete
    (Environment)? What are the values and expectations of those who have power in and around the business
    (Stakeholders)?

Risks and Mitigation Plans

It includes vulnerabilities of the business, what would make it not work, what will be outside your control? What are your mitigating plans to handle the risks?

Feisty Ash has posted this article. For more learning tips on business plan writing, visit how to write?

Source: Articlealley, Amy Dyslex


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