Black Swan Management, LLC

Investments and Strategies for the Future of Business

Posts Tagged small business strategy

Bill Gates WOWs us with Microsoft Windows Vista at CES Keynote

Nov 10

Posted by Marylin Stompler in business, Companies, Leadership, people, wealth | No Comments

I just came back from my annual trip to CES to find the best iPod accessories and the latest technology for my company. This year, the 2007 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) celebrated his 40th birthday and was kicked off by the Bill Gates keynote on Sunday November 7 in Las Vegas at the Venetian Hotel. The event was sold out! 5,000 people attended and hundreds more people tried to get in without success. Security was tight! The focus of Bill Gates keynote was a showcase of the newest products from Microsoft including Windows Vista and the new Zune music player; Gates also gave us a glimpse into the future with products such as Ford (F) Sync and a demonstration of technology from the Microsoft futuristic house.

Here are some of the Windows Vista features demonstrated in the keynote. You can now play video files as the background of your desktop in Windows Vista. It was visually stunning! Another new feature was the Windows Photo Gallery where you can easily organize, find, and view pictures. With Windows Vista, you can also easily burn DVDs complete with a main menu and the play option, just like in commercial movies! This is definitely something the many Windows users will love to use! Windows Vista also provides enhanced capabilities to play games and access to XboxLive. Something really cool in Windows Vista is Windows Live with a lot of functionality such as Windows Live Search powered by Microsoft Virtual Earth, somewhat similar to Google (GOOG) 3-D application, Google Earth, which lets you view maps and satellite images for regional searches. The actual demonstration was very real. I felt like I was inside a video game, going down the Las Vegas strip and seeing hotels and traffic. What a trip! Windows Vista includes other impressive features such as Instant Search Box and Windows Sidebar & Gadgets to quickly access functionality, data, and files, Internet Explorer 7, which I have been using since the beta and that I love, Data Backup and Restore so you never lose information, and a lot more.

Windows Vista also features a digital entertainment system, called Windows Media Center (not included in Windows Vista Business Edition)–providing the ability to store and access live and recorded TV, movies, music, and pictures with an easy-to-use menu and remote –in one place. Very nice!

The new Microsoft Office 2007 was very impressive with major improvements in the look and feel and with key functionality at your fingertips to make it much easier for new users to be up and running quickly. Another benefit of Microsoft Office 2007 is that it also runs on Windows XP in case you do not want to upgrade to Windows Vista, just yet!

With Windows Easy Transfer, Microsoft makes it easier to transfer your data, user accounts, settings, photos, videos, and more to your new computer running Windows Vista. Belkin also offers the new Easy Transfer Cable for Windows Vista working in conjunction with Windows Easy Transfer to facilitate the transfer on your new computer.

However, if you upgrade, watch out that the software you run on your current version of Windows are all compatible with Windows Vista. You can check the Microsoft (MSFT) Web site to view a list of the software that work with or are certified for Windows Vista. Otherwise you may have some downtime struggling with software that may not run smoothly on Windows Vista.

To sum it up, Microsoft got really great reviews about Windows Vista, which won the Best of CES Award in the Computers and Hardware category. I must admit: it looks real tempting to upgrade!

All trademarks in this article are the properties of their respective owners.

Author: Marylin Stompler
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Cool mobile gadgets

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Reasons Why You Should Hire A Franchise Lawyer

Oct 25

Posted by Tom Brinic in business, investing | No Comments

A contract is binding. When one signs on a contract, it cannot be broken. The terms and agreements apply.

A franchise agreement is a binding contract. It defines the obligations and rights between the franchisee and the franchisor. A franchise lawyer comes in between. He reviews the contract as well as the agreement both parties signed on.

Franchise lawyers are credible to handle unique franchise agreements. For example, duplication of the concept of a business can provide consistent services. The consistency allows franchisors to establish a brand identified to them. They can also have franchised locations that are associated through networking lead to the total reinforcing of the brand to their image.

The franchisor must be protective of its brand. It also has the power to dictate issues that is indicated in a franchise agreement. Franchise attorneys must know the legality of the conditions as presented by both parties – the franchisor and the franchisee.

The franchise lawyer’s task is to provide the consistency between the franchisor and franchisee in order to protect the brand. He also dictates the issues that are covered in the contract both parties signed.

If the franchise lawyer does not have the experience to comprehend these franchise matters, there is a tendency for the stipulations to be misinterpreted and his decisions are biased and favor the franchisor.

Therefore, you, the businessman, must have a financial lawyer you trust beside you when making investment decisions. A franchise lawyer specializes on those matters and would gladly review the franchise agreement before you sign.

A credible and well-reputed franchise lawyer separates the contract terms as well as the acceptable obligations set amidst the common practices in a relationship between the franchisor and the franchisee. He weighs out what is unusual or extreme.

Franchise lawyers can help businessmen negotiate with the franchisor. At least by having them on your side, you would get an explanation on the changes the franchisor would like to make and those that have the possibility to be rejected. He may also help you evaluate the opportunity after buying the franchise, as well as coming up with your future business plan.

However, hiring a well-reputed franchise lawyer is not an easy task. Ask anyone who often invests in franchise, inquire for of they know someone they can refer. Try to also ask your own attorneys or accountants whether they know a lawyer who specializes in franchising.

Also, franchise lawyers must be fully informed of all the regulations upon purchasing the franchise. FTC Franchise Regulations require the disclosure of all information such as advertising, licensing, contracting, sales and other promotions of the franchise.

Disclosures that often create an argument between franchisor and the franchisee are:

- the name of the franchisor

- any fictitious name of the franchisor

- franchisor’s trademark

- the last five years business experience of the officers and directors

- whether the franchisor, officer, or director have been involved in any actions of fraud during the last seven years

- terms of the franchise agreement including details on how to modify, terminate or sell it

As a businessman, you can expand your own business instead of selling what you already sold to others. Be the franchisee and not the franchisor. If your company owns and runs a successful franchise, expect lotsa cash rolling in.

Thanks to a franchise lawyer, each move you make regarding the expansion of your business will be legal and guaranteed.

Before making a responsible decision involving franchising your business or investing in a computer repair franchise, you should get all the information you can regarding the matter. Our website, Franchising My Business offers news, tips and advice to help you through this decision making process.

http://franchisingmybusiness.com

Author: Tom Brinic
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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LLC Vs S Corporation – A Practical Approach For the New Business Owner

Aug 4

Posted by Amy McDaniel in business | No Comments

If you are thinking of starting a business and trying to determine the proper legal entity, the LLC and the S Corporation are probably two entities you are comparing. This Article summarizes the major non-tax differences between the two.

S Corporation Requires an Election with the IRS

Before getting into any analysis of the two, it is important to understand that the S Corporation is not a legal entity in the same sense that as an LLC, a corporation or a limited partnership. An S corporation starts its existence as a general corporation under state law.

The S is not a state business organization concept so you will not find S corporation laws in your state’s business laws. Rather, it is a tax concept and a category under the Internal Revenue Code. Technically, it is a status that you can attribute to your corporation which qualifies it for a different kind of tax treatment

S Corporation Must Continually Meet Certain Requirements

The only reason that a corporation would elect S corporation status is to gain a single level of taxation and avoid the double taxation imposed on the income of a general corporation. The S corporation rules were adopted long before the LLC existed as a way to offer the preferred tax structure to small businesses.

But, in order to qualify, there are legally imposed conditions and requirements that must be met and must not be violated or else there is a risk of loss of S status. Many S corporations have inadvertently lost their S status and were faced with major tax obligations and penalties. So, there is a continuous requirement to monitor your business for compliance.

In contrast, the IRS laws automatically qualify an LLC for the single layer of taxation without any need to make an election or meet the laundry list of conditions and limitations. It is a great benefit to not have to worry about an additional list of legal requirements as you are busy running your business.

LLC Has More Flexibility When it Comes to Operations and Ownership

Because an S corporation is an actual corporation under state laws, it is subject to the same formalities and imposed legal structure requirements imposed under your state’s corporation laws. It is well known that a limited liability company allows for a very simple and easy to operate structure if desired but also has the flexibility to address complex and non-standard requirements of any business.

With an LLC, the owners can structure relationships and impose whatever operating requirements they deem necessary for their situation. This flexibility is more suited to the small business because it allows business factors to dictate rather than one size fits all legal ones.

SUMMARY

Author: Amy McDaniel
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Mobile device news

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Race Horses and Mutual Funds

May 19

Posted by Al Thomas in business, mutual fund | No Comments

For years investors have been taught to look
into the composition of a mutual funds. In other
words the “experts” want you to take the time to
analyze the stocks within the mutual fund
portfolio, categorize them by industry group and
try to understand the objective of the fund
manager. This is nonsense.

When I go the track I look to see what the horse
has been doing for the last several races. I
don’t give a hoot what he had for breakfast. All
I want to know is has he been fast? Is there a
good chance he will finish in the money in the
next race? I only want to know how he has been
performing.

Most mutual fund managers, except those who
follow index funds, are always trading. You have
no idea that what is in the portfolio today was
there yesterday or will be tomorrow. Some fund
managers trade more than others, but you can
prove this to yourself by looking at the fund
prospectus at the beginning of the year and one
of the updates that funds publish quarterly.
Many of the stocks will still be there, however,
you don’t know if the percentage holdings are
the same.

By the way, don’t bother reading a mutual fund
prospectus. They are worthless when it comes to
making money. Consider that most of the
information in it is about a year old by the
time you read it. Think about this seriously for
a minute. Is there anything you can find out in
the document that will show up in your bottom
line? I’ll wait while you think. OK? There
really wasn’t anything was there? All
prospectuses are basically worthless.

But you say the SEC (Securities and Exchange
Commission) in Washington approved this. No,
they did NOT. They don’t approve of anything;
they just read it to be sure it meets the
regulatory requirements for disclosure. There is
almost no difference between the prospectus for
the worst mutual fund and the best mutual fund
and both of them may have been read by the same
Dilbert in his cubicle at the SEC.

There is one excellent way to find out which
fund to buy. It is based on performance. How
much has the fund increased in price during the
past 12 months? Just 12 months. Many financial
analysts want you to look at 3-year, 5-year and
10-year performance. Remember that horse? I
don’t care how many races he won 3 or 5 years
ago. Can he run NOW? There are many publications
and web sites that tell you the best performers.
Investor’s Business Daily prints a list of best
performing funds each day. You might have to see
the paper every day as they sometimes just tell
about the long-term performance. You want the
last 12 months and the last 3 months.

Three years ago you could have bought the best
performing fund on the street and today have a
dog. I call a dog any mutual fund that is not
outperforming the S&P500 index.

If you were a jockey you would want to ride the
fastest horses because in many races you get a
percentage of the purse. The same applies to
mutual funds. You must own only the best
performing funds at all times. Like the jockey
you must pick the fastest horse if you want to
be a winner.

You should review your fund holdings monthly to
see that you are only in the best funds. It
might take you an hour, but you will find that
you will double the current return on your
mutual fund investments. Do it!

Author: Al Thomas
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Pressure cooker

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Small Business Websites The Beginning of Something Big

Mar 17

Posted by admin in internet business | No Comments

Nowadays people check on the internet first when they want to find a product or a service. This popularity has made the Internet the biggest market wherein you can find a product or a service to cater to your needs. Many enterprising people have discovered this and have started their own business or have expanded their businesses to include an Internet division.

If you have a business then you need to have a website. It’s important that you learn enough about how the internet works, and how your business will benefit from having a website. There are lots of potential customers and profits in the internet and you need to have a small business website so that you can join the game.

This website shall serve as your virtual store and you have to do lots of things to make your website easy to find in search engines. With that they can find you and can look at the things that you can offer anytime of the day or even night whatever they prefer.

A small business website can provide an attractive and interesting electronic brochure. Good content attracts visitors and makes it easier to promote the website, but doesn’t necessarily push products. It gives readers a reason to visit the site, giving you a chance to do business with them. Your content mix needs to be unique and well-targeted at your audience’s interests.

Everything on your website needs to be accurate and written for an international audience. Your website success depends on what it has to say and how it says it, so it’s important that you articulate your goals to your website designers to make sure that they understand not just what you’re putting on your website, but what you want to achieve. Having these all done they can now already see if they like the look of your business before directly contacting you.

You’ll read all sorts of “small business” data, but be careful to understand what it covers. Sometimes the report is more interested in businesses that aren’t huge, but still purchase hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars of products and services, and have dozens or hundreds of employees. These reports probably exclude many small businesses. Other reports use a more inclusive definition of a business. When mixing information from different reports, be careful to look at the data to see how it was gathered, how it is segmented, and what it covers.

Small business websites specialize in writing and developing accessible websites for other small businesses, organizations, charities and individuals. Nobody knows your business better than you do. If you don’t tell your website designers how your website will improve your business, it will only be profitable by accident.

Many people assert that all small businesses will become ebusinesses. Doing most of their selling, communicating, and computing on the internet. They see a huge, almost untouched market bursting forth right now.

Others don’t see wide acceptance of the internet by small business, or view the notoriously fragmented nature of this market and reluctance to spend, as reasons why there’s no money to be made here. It is believed that these views are both wrong.

A big percentage of small businesses are obviously willing and able to spend a large amount of money just to be able to use the internet as part of their relationship with customers (and will benefit from such use), but only for the right purposes, such as basic informational web site.

Basic web sites are becoming a core part of the marketing mix for many small businesses. The business owners know they need one — even if they are not exactly sure why. And the cost of basic Internet uses, such as simple web sites, fits well within the marketing budget of most small businesses.

About the Author
Jay Peterson writer, web designer, marketer. TicTacWebsites is the easiest do-it-yourself website builder on the web. No programming or design skill required. Get your small business online in just 5 minutes with www.tictacwebsites.com loaded with 30+ business features.

Article source:
Small Business Websites The Beginning of Something Big

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Business Suicide Strategy #3 – Not Using All 3 ‘Business Multipliers’

Jan 25

Posted by Gail M Barsky in business | No Comments

How many ways do you think there are to grow a business? You may be surprised to learn there are just 3 ways. Each one of these is what I call a ‘Business Multiplier’. You must use all 3 Multipliers to successfully grow your business. If you do, I guarantee your business will reach or at least get very close to, its potential very quickly even in this recessionary economy.

It is my estimation that no matter how young or old or successful (or not) your business is, you are only using one or possibly 2 of these Business Multipliers (and the ones you’re using could be improved significantly).

Multiplier #1 is Lead Generation – which requires getting more qualified leads.

Multiplier #2 is Sales Conversion – which requires generating more customers from your leads.

Multiplier #3 is Customer Maximization – which includes increasing the average sales value; increasing the number of purchases; obtaining more referrals from your customers; and finally reducing customer losses.

There are numerous proven strategies you can apply to massively improve each of these 3 Business Multipliers, and combining the power of each Multiplier you have the ability to grow your business to heights you never thought possible. Change is extraordinary difficult for most people but only through the use of the Business Multiplier can your business grow, even in the worst economy, because you take calculated risks. It is a matter of choosing for each Multiplier (depending on your business), the implementation of a well thought out plan.

The execution of business strategies is where most businesses get stuck. In particular, small businesses fail to act typically not by conscious choice, but instead by being so busy and overwhelmed by the annoying daily tasks that they work IN the business instead of ON the business. Then the undeniable result is that the big picture is lost.

Small businesses now need a surge of energy and renewed passion. Ask yourself this question, “Why did I go into business in the first place?” Reclaim and perhaps redefine your passion so it can carry you through these turbulent market changes. You must stay focused.

It has never been more important than now to correctly optimize each Business Multiplier so you get the greatest return for the least amount of money spent. Of course the skill is choosing the correct strategies and then creating them so they generate windfalls of cash for your business. Small businesses must get out of overwhelm. Turn off the TV and all the “Money Shows” giving allegedly sound economic advice. To compare this economy to the “Great Depression” is a person who has not done their homework. (That will be the subject of another article explaining how this economy is not like the “Great Depression”.)

Simply put we are facing ‘TV ratings war’ who can score the most viewers. Do not fall victim to that pattern of behavior because it leads to true paralysis in your business. TV viewing has been declining and what better way to get you to stay glued to your TV then to scare you! That being said I am suggesting to be informed, but do not operate in fear, instead make wise cost-effective choices.

That’s where business development strategists help (a fresh pair of eyes looking at the business) can make all the difference. What is demanded in today’s economy is for business advisors to immediately put in place a number of strategies that all work in harmony within each Business Multiplier.

Author: Gail M Barsky
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Hybrid and Electric Cars

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