The basic fundamentals of negotiation call for careful planning and, in most cases, pursuit of a solution that leaves all parties better off than they were before. While these basic principles can guide and govern many negotiating scenarios, there is certainly more to it.

What is the art of negotiation? The art behind this critical business skill comes from the intangible ability to simply get the job done. For example, perhaps you have experienced a negotiation where you followed your plan to the letter and felt like you tactically handled it perfectly. The end result: the negotiations failed and you were left scratching your head as to how this could have happened.

Now consider a scenario where a negotiator also follows their plan, but only almost according to plan. Their tactics are sound but there seem to be some key elements missing. The end result: the negotiation is a dramatic success and, despite the negotiator’s apparent missteps, everything seemed to work out great. What was the difference?

As you may be gathering, the answer to what differed between these two scenarios may not be readily apparent. The negotiator who seemed to do everything perfectly failed and the one who seemed to stray away from the original plan had more success. What gives? The answer lies in the intangible nuances of human nature.

Chances are, the successful negotiator from our example probably sensed the need to change his or her course during the negotiation. This could have been based upon a specific response from the other party, body language, or just an instinctual feel for how things were proceeding. They adjusted their plan, perhaps stopping short of seeking all the objectives they originally set out to achieve. They may have even offered an additional incentive to the opposite party.

While this approach may not immediately make sense, it is highly effective. Sure, we all have an agenda when it comes to negotiations. However, asking for too much puts the entire agenda at risk, while knowing when to say when may eliminate a single objective but leave the rest intact and still satisfy all parties when the day is done. The ability to recognize the need for this and know when to change the plan is an art that the best negotiators have mastered. Even they may not know exactly how they do it; it’s just a feel for the process that makes them great.

This feel for negotiation comes from two key things: experience and attentiveness to the other party in the negotiation. The take home message is to pay attention and be involved in as many negotiations as you possibly can. These elements will make you better and will help hone your feel for the process that will make you better over time.

In summary, you can call it a sixth sense, a gut instinct, or whatever you wish, but the art of negotiation comes not from a textbook, but from within each of us. Knowing when to say when, when to not press for that extra benefit you would like to have, is what sets the best negotiators apart from the rest of the world. It is their artistry that can inspire all of us to reach new heights in business.

Dr. Matt Fagerness left the academic world to pursue his own dreams of business ownership and doing things “his way”. Today, he is a successful real estate investor, venture capitalist, business consultant, and author who has touched the lives of new entrepreneurs who are looking to build upon their own dreams of success. Focusing on written materials and coaching services for success-driven and business-minded people, Dr. Fagerness has a no-nonsense approach to starting and building small businesses that speaks volumes to the clients with whom he has worked. Dr. Fagerness and his various professional services are accessible by visiting http://www.chameleonfreelancing.com

Author: Matt Fagerness
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Awe Inspiring Pictures

An idea can be a first step in a new direction, the dawn of a new era, or it can be the means to failure – or even worse disaster. In the business world, ideas are at a dime a dozen. So it doesn’t mean much to have an idea unless you know how to turn that idea into realistic goals and are capable of designing a comprehensive plan to achieve those goals.

By looking back on a few of the largest and most recognized businesses in the world, and maybe some that aren’t so recognized, and analyzing the ideas that either boomed or bombed their businesses, we can get a clear perception of why an idea isn’t necessarily enough to determine good business.

Bayerische Flugzeug Werke, later called Bayerische Motoren Werke (English for Bavarian Motor Works or otherwise known as BMW), started off by manufacturing aircraft engines in 1916. After World War II the BMW sites had been heavily bombed or seized by the Soviets. The company saw little opportunity in continuing aircraft engine production and eventually lost all interest. However, they kept their, now widely-recognized, BMW roundel, the early trade-mark symbolizing white propellers against a blue sky backdrop. They ventured further into automobile production bringing a long line of motorcycles and cars to the European market. It wasn’t until the 1970′s, however, that BMW succeeded in entering the premium sector of the commercial market with a stride. Today, BMW’s passenger cars are universally known for their sportish-elegance and luxury.

So while BMW started with an idea to make engines for airplanes, they ended up being recognized for their top-of-the-line, first-class, commercial cars. This is one example of why it’s important to shift your strategy, if and when the strategy to utilize an idea fails to render successful. In this case the failure was due primarily to unforeseeable events beyond the influence or control of the company. BMW still stuck with its idea of producing high-grade quality engines regardless of whether those engines ended up in airplanes, motorcycles, or cars. Therefore the idea was neither good nor bad. It was simply an idea, but one that had been applied with the proper strategies.

There are of course many examples of – thought to be crazy – ideas that ended in tremendous success. The Coca-Cola Company, for example, was one to revolutionize the soft drink industry. It was difficult to imagine, in the late 1800′s, that some sugar-water would some day hail a $250 billion a year industry. The idea was perfect. People could go days without food, but water was irresistible. Yet people underestimated the value of water. Economically speaking, people put a greater value on dirt than they do water, but ironically water is the most demanded resource on the face of the planet. So the company supplied that demand – with a bit of an incentive. Don’t just drink water .. drink water that has both a flavor and a color!

Today Coca-Cola is the soft drink giant of the beverage industry producing both carbonated and non-carbonated soft drinks including such products as carbonated beverages, juices, bottled water, flavored water, and teas. Today Coca-Cola has a market cap of $175 billion (USD) and is the world’s largest supplier of beverages.

But those ideas were easy to come up with back then! What could I possibly think of now that hasn’t been thought of already? It could be argued that those examples neglect to tackle contemporary competitive thinking. However, it’s still common today to find new and creative ideas that some businesses haven’t utilized or adapted effectively.

For example, an 18 year-old Canadian entrepreneur, Brian Scudamore, got an idea to make money off other peoples’ junk back in the 90′s. He believed that people would be willing to pay good money to dispose of old junk they no longer wanted around. He also believed people tended to dismiss those who weren’t very presentable from intruding their personal space. So he rented new trucks, gathered a team of cleanly presentable workers – dressed in navy pants and royal blue shirts – and began his business franchise 1-800-Got-Junk? The company collects fees for hauling junk away from your designated location. Everyday thousands of people call in to have large blue trucks come and pick up their old junk and haul it off.

The franchise now operates in 250 locations across North America and Australia pulling in more than $12 million a year. His idea was unique because of both its originality and creativity. Brian found a demand in the market that needed to be met and supplied it in a manner that would befit his overall business objectives, which is critical in business decision making.

As most of you may already know the internet was originally a, technology initiative, government funded project started by the United States department of defense in 1957, and came to be known as the ARPANET (short for Advanced Research Project Agency Network). Later the term ‘internet’ – as we now know it – was coined.

So how did the internet come to be renowned as the ‘information super-highway’? This was because the ARPANET was soon after taken to universities for further research and development. Over the years the department of defense began to slowly withdraw its grasp and military interest over the ARPANET, but continued to fund the project for some time.

After the first transnational link was created educational institutes from the U.S and Europe began communicating over the internet and the exchange of information became quick and apparent. Researchers and scholars of universities in both the United States and Europe were in data crossfire frenzy, shortly there after.

But the idea behind the internet then grew on a whole new level. While researchers were busy developing protocols and programs, the business world began to see new opportunities opening up. It wasn’t until 1994 that the internet began generating ecommerce transactions. Today almost all major businesses are e-oriented and many organizations operate entirely over computer networks (internet, intranet, and extranet).

While the idea, behind the internet itself, was a spin off from growing military interests, in advanced communications technology, it somehow evolved into a new platform for businesses to benefit from.

Pizza Hut’s decision to offer order placement through its website on the world-wide-web in 1994, for example, would not have been likely had interventions not been made by companies like AT&T and MCI to develop high-speed backbones that led the internet to be facilitated by a massive number of growing hosts.

So good ideas for a business or business-oriented initiatives are dependent on our ability to realize potential and effectively seize the maximum benefit from that potential. Such was not the case, however, for Xerox in the 1980′s during the personal computing boom.

Usually we recall names like Apple computers, IBM and Microsoft when we think of how computers came to be of pivotal personal use today. Little is recognized, however, by the Xerox Company’s contributions to the modern computer.

The name Xerox merely brings to mind photocopy machines and fax paper. On the contrary, Xerox holds credit to many of the most basic modern computer technologies such as the mouse, the graphical user interface, Ethernet, and the laser printer – to name but a few. Palo Alto Research Center (short for PARC) is a wholly owned Xerox subsidiary and was largely responsible for the birth of Apple’s ‘Lisa’ computer model.

The idea of creating a graphical user interface, using a mouse to better navigate that interface and adapting – what we now refer to as basic functions of any computer program – features like menus, windows, and icons was nothing short of genius.

However, the company’s top level management failed to turn that idea into a business-oriented objective. The project later moved to Apple computers along with some of the personnel who worked on the technologies in PARC. Then Microsoft used the same idea to build its dominant computer operating system (Windows), now estimated to be used by more than two thirds of all computer users.

Xerox did not realize the potential behind PARC’s idea. They failed to seize the maximum benefit and so they believed that it was not a good idea for business.

The ability of one business to use the same, or a similar, idea of another business through different strategies clearly draws the line between mild accomplishment and ground-breaking triumph in this particular example.

Basically any business idea is the stipulation of a goal met by certain challenges. Your ability to fully realize potential, conceptualize future challenges, lay a plan to overcome those challenges, and achieve your goal is essential to what sets a good idea apart from a bad one.

If an idea suddenly comes to you and you slowly begin to realize the challenges involved, but are unable to attain realistic solutions or alternatives, then it would be best to steer clear of such an idea. On the other hand, if you find your idea growing and new challenges stimulating newer solutions with even better outcomes then stick with your idea. Any idea can be a good idea, but not every idea is good for every business.

Author: Sherif Ramadan
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Mobile device news

In those dark days before the Internet and before Microsoft,
the only software choices we had were retail programs that
could cost hundreds of dollars, or cheap video games that
were offered as Shareware.

Believe it or not, in those days, we computer nerds would
pass around software on floppy disk. These days, there simply
are not too many programs that can be loaded onto a single
diskette.

I mention this now as I contemplate the various ways in which
software is now distributed. We consumers are always playing
a cat-and-mouse game with software developers.

In the early 80′s, the companies who had deep pockets were
the ones selling their software at retail. The ones who were
struggling to find traction in the marketplace were the ones
offering their software as Shareware.

If you doubt this conclusion, then let me ask you a question.
Which Microsoft products are available to the public as
Shareware packages?

You just proved my point.

Being an individual who has played both sides of the software
fence as both a consumer and developer, I am in a position to
tell this story so that you as the consumer can really
appreciate the quandary of the developer.

Nag screens are the storefront of the shareware developers.
See, the challenge is that it really does cost money to
develop software. Yet, the public is still of the mindset
that they want all of their software for free.

Understanding the free mindset of the consumer, software
developers have tried various schemes to get paid for their
time and efforts. These days, you will find Shareware,
Trialware, Adware and Retail.

See, the retail boys have the best advantage. They can afford
to dump millions into advertising to build the interest in
their products. Funnier still, the consumer does not expect
to get retail products for free. For some reason, it is okay
to pay the big boys retail for their products, but the little
guy is supposed to give away his work for free!

So, why is it that we consumers treat the small companies
differently? We will pay $100 to $175 for Microsoft Office XP,
but we would not pay for Sun Office! Sun Microsystems Office
product is considered by many to be a much better product than
Microsoft’s, but Sun had to resort to offering their version
for free to get market share!

What is wrong with this picture?

Ironically, the difference is easy to see from my chair. As a
marketer, I am always watching the marketplace horizons to see
where the next advantage might be found.

We consumers have a need for one thing only. We want value for
our money — real value.

With Microsoft’s deep, deep pockets, they are able to sell us
on the idea of the value of their products. Additionally,
Microsoft can afford to put their software into pretty boxes
and on the shelves of thousands of retailers, adding to their
carefully crafted perception of value. Because Microsoft can
afford to paint a solid picture of value to us, we do not
hesitate to cough up the hundreds of dollars required to own
Microsoft’s products.

Now returning to the challenge of the little guy, we little
guys do not have deep pockets to sell you on the value of our
products. So, with Shareware and Trialware, we let you try our
software for free for an amount of time, and then we hope and
pray that the consumer will find value in the product and opt
to pay for our products.

Other companies have seen the skeletons of companies who have
tried the Shareware and Trialware and have failed. These other
companies usually prefer to post their software on the market
as Adware. The theory here is that the consumer is often so
fickle that the developer would prefer to take their chances
with advertisers paying the bills, rather than to rely on the
consumers to pay the bills.

Many people jump up and down, scream and holler about software
that employs advertising to pay the bills. Yet, the same
person doing the hollering, if placed in a situation where
he was told that he would need to go to work everyday without
any expectation for a paycheck, would explode in fury!

Would it be better that these dedicated software developers did
not produce any software at all? Should software development be
left only to Microsoft?

I don’t know about your household, but in my household, if I
don’t bring in the money, then I would be minus a wife and
family! So, the challenge I am left with — if I want to work
in software development, I must find a way to get hired on at
Microsoft, find millions in seed capital to create value for
the retail market or to build advertising into my software.
Me, I have tried the shareware route… and then cut my losses
and moved on. It was a good product, really it was…

I will tell you what. If I ever write any more software for
the Windows operating system, I will likely create an Adware
product. From the developers perspective, it is the safe bet.
From the consumers perspective, it really should be considered
a small price to pay to keep my wife happy and me working to
improve the product.

I am talking about this issue tonight because one of my favorite
software packages has gone to the Adware model with its latest
upgrade. Upon the release of the new ePrompter software, people
were upset to see advertising in this wonderful email
notification software.

Let me assure you that the value of this software far surpasses
the small price of looking at a few ads when I check my email.
Should I prefer the developer to continue to work for free, or
should I be willing to help him pay his bills while he continues
to improve on the software? I will support his right to earn
money for his time and effort.

ePrompter continues to provide more and more value in my daily
life online. Try ePrompter for yourself by downloading your
copy at: http://www.eprompter.com

I am certain that once you have taken ePrompter for a spin
around the block, you will also appreciate the value of the
Adware business model, and more importantly the value of the
ePrompter software.

Author: Bill Platt
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Latest trends in mobile phone

I have come up with 5 C’s that one should keep in mind for a peaceful and successful wealth building effort:

1. Compounding

Explanation: There are 2 way to provide interest on an investment; Simple and Compound interest. Simple interest is when an amount is paid as interest on the initial amount (Principal) at a fixed percentage. For e.g, for Principal of 100, Simple Interest for 2 years at 10% per year would mean 20 as interest (10 per year multiplied by 2 years).
Compound interest is when the Interest earned is added back onto the Principal and the next year’s Interest is paid on the enhanced amount. For e.g, for Principal of 100, Compound Interest for 2 years at 10% per year would mean 21 as interest (10 for 1st year and 11 for 2nd year).

Bottom-line: Compounding is GOOD! It means the money works harder and earns more. Just to drive the point home, consider this: An amount of 100 invested at an interest of 10% per year on Simple Interest would end up as 200 at the end of 10 years while if the same is invested at 10% per year Compound Interest, it would end up as almost 260 after 10 years! So, always give preference to an investment where compounding applies!

2. Continuity

Explanation: Whether one invests in the Stock Market or in Bank deposits, the best way to do regularly over a long period of time as opposed to big chunks of stop-start investments. Therefore, aim to invest continuously over a longish time frame, say 25 years of your working life, from the time you are 25 years old till you are 50. Needles to say, the earlier you start and the longer you do it, the more wealth you will end up with.

Bottom-line: Do it over a LONG TIME FRAME! And invest continuously and regularly over this time frame. As much as possible, do not disturb the investments.

3. Consistency

Explanation: Along with continuity, fix and invest a consistent amount at consistent time intervals, say every month. A consistent amount (at least 10% of monthly income) invested every month over the long time-frame discussed above will ensure decent returns and a very good corpus.

Bottom-line: Just TOP-UP every month and let compounding work its magic!

4. Calm

Explanation: If the above C’s are followed, then the most preferred investment avenue is Equity investments. By their nature, equity markets are fickle and will move up and down. But long term investors should not really worry about this as over a long time horizon (10 years or more), equities are almost certain to give positive returns. So, invest in equities for the long term and keep CALM!

Bottom-line: Traders who want to make some margins everyday are the ones who should worry about the market movements everyday. For Continuous and Consistent investors, the short term market movements are best ignored.

5. Caution

Explanation: Be wary of new investments ideas that are thrown your way. If you don’t understand it, ruthlessly avoid it.

Bottom-line: Caution is better than regret. So, err on the conservative side.

Conclusion

An investment option that usually combines all the above C’s is most of the good equity mutual funds. So, all one has to do is pick a good equity mutual fund, set up a systematic investment plan with this fund that ensures a fixed amount of money is invested every month directly into this from the bank account and then sit back and see it grow. Most funds charge some fees for managing the investments but this is a worth it given the convenience offered. Of course it is recommended that you track the funds’ performance every half-year, if not every quarter and if you see that the performance is slipping up consistently over a few quarters, then it is time to switch funds and set up a systematic investment plan with a different fund house. Another safe option to consider is Index funds which are linked to the market index. The management fee is very low but this will give just the market rate of return and nothing more. This is not bad but an actively managed fund, for a slightly higher fees, usually out-performs the market on most occasions. Good luck for a successful wealth building exercise!

Ravi Kumar is one of the founders of the Chennai-based e-commerce company, http://dilsebol.com, where users can create, customize and order their own t-shirts, mugs, mousepads, ceramic tiles, coasters etc. After graduating from IIMA, Ravi worked as Area Sales Manager with one of the world’s largest beverage companies and as Business Consultant with one of the big 4 Consulting companies before establishing DilSeBol in 2007. Ravi is interested in personal financial planning and the stock market and has been investing in the Indian stock market for the past few years.

Author: Ravi Kumar P
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Low-volume PCB Assembly

Investing through mutual funds is good for people who do not have much knowledge about the financial markets. Instead of burning the fingers in the stock market, investing in mutual funds does make sense. There are various types of mutual funds available for investment. There are different types of mutual funds available, like, a fund, which invests only in Pharmaceutical companies, is called as Pharma fund and the mutual fund companies name the funds on their own. The mutual fund companies provide prospectus when they launch a fund. In the prospectus information like risk involved, amount of money invested in stocks, bonds etc are mentioned.

The money collected is invested by professionals who have experience in the financial markets. They know the time to buy and sell the stock. Their main aim is to create wealth for their investors. They diversify their portfolios and invest in growth related companies. Mutual fund companies hire professional fund managers who have very good experience in handling large amount of money. While buying a mutual fund you should check the experience of the fund manager and his team, who will be investing your money. You should also take a look at the past performance and the returns offered.

You can start buying mutual funds for a very low amount and you can also invest every month. This is called as systematic investment planning. There are various types of funds like open ended fund, close ended fund, growth fund, income fund, balanced fund etc.

Author: Paul Cris
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Netbook, Tablets and Mobile Computing

Clients need to have a firm understanding of the most effective policies, contracts, and training tools in order to keep the company functioning and growing. If a company is lacking the legal resources, it runs the risk of losing money. Other negative side-effects can include bad publicity, shareholder and property disputes, and disgruntled employees. However, if a company finds itself in a legal predicament, business and corporate law attorneys can ensure that the legal tools are utilized to the fullest. These tools will set the groundwork for future prosperity and success of a business.

Business and corporate attorneys offer more than just the advice and groundwork needed to handle publicity. Banking and finance law, employment and labor law, mergers and acquisitions are just a few areas that an attorney can help with. Their knowledge also expands into the realm of negotiations and drafting of contracts, as well as business succession planning and construction law and litigation.

Individual goals are the priority of even business and corporate law attorney. They strive to help each client meet their goal no matter how big or small it may seem. With acute attention to detail and modern solutions, attorneys can help clients tackle legal details without stress or confusion. Business and corporate law attorneys offer a variety of strategies when it comes time to negotiate and draft contracts, plus they are trained to sort through the legal details presented by software development and licensing arrangements.

Business and corporate attorney’s can also offer advice on business purchases and sales, as well as guide clients in succession planning, dissolutions and buy-outs. Their help will ensure that every client receives maximum benefit and satisfaction and that both parties are satisfied with the outcome.

Business and corporate attorneys want to protect the intellectual property and advantage in the marketplace of their client. They will do their best to provide answers regarding multiple issues including business structuring, shareholder and buy-sell agreements, and capitalization. With their help and answers, businesses can rest assure that the most productive results are reached so that the future of the company is secured.

If you are searching for an Attorney Chaska MN than look no further then MHS Law. MHS Law are expert Lawyers Chaska Minnesota.

Author: Henry F Pikus
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Pressure cooker

Today we have Steve Coscia, author of “HVAC Customer Service Handbook”, speaking with us. Steve’s book gives service professional the strategies and techniques required to deliver world-class customer service. Hello Steve.

Irene: What inspired you to write “HVAC Customer Service Handbook”?

Steve: After performing a few HVAC customer service speeches and writing several customer service articles for HVAC trade magazines I observed how little information there was for the front-line HVAC Rep so I wrote the book. Thus far the book has been very well received by the HVAC trade press.

Irene: Tell us about your personal experiences you have had that led you to share your knowledge with others.

Steve: I simply taught my HVAC clients to implement the same customer service strategies that I used successfully for twenty years. My background was in customer service management. Regardless of the industry, when the service infrastructure is stable then world-class service delivery is attainable. I selected HVAC because I kept attracting more HVAC contractors and distributors as clients.

Irene: Although this book is written primarily for the HVAC industry, I would assume it could apply to all industries. What other industries do you believe would benefit from using this book as a teaching tool?

Steve: Due to the trade anecdotes in the book, I believe that electricians, plumbers, general contractors, roofers, landscapers, etc. would benefit from the book. The anecdotes depict scenarios in which most customers are homeowners and the service provider is usually a tradesperson.

Irene: Why do you believe that customer service representatives, in this case in the HVAC industry, are stressed out?

Steve: Customer service reps in almost every industry are stressed out – it’s the nature of the work. HVAC reps handle volatile situations such as when a customer’s heating system breaks down on a zero degree day at 1:00 in the morning. That situation is stressful for the HVAC rep and these events arise every day. Due to the volatile nature of these events, a stable problem solving infrastructure must prevail – if not the event will exacerbate.

Irene: Do you believe that problem solving must start at top management before it filters down to the service reps? If so, how is this possible?

Steve: Yes because management must lead by example. Management’s role is also to invest enough time and resources in building a stable information sharing infrastructure which is the best way to avert problems.

Irene: There are stereotype images of customer service representatives in many of the service industries, for example, plumbing and electrical. Why do you believe this occurs?

Steve: Some of this may be due to bias. I suppose that blue-collar workers may not always convey a very polished image – but when HVAC reps are needed to fix a broken pipe or to warm up a home then blue collar skills become vital and appreciated.

Irene: How do you believe the bias of the customer could change before they are needed?

Steve: New experiences change the way a person thinks. If a customer encounters numerous HVAC reps who behave with courtesy and professionalism then that customer’s beliefs will eventually change. It takes time – but it’s never too late to start.

Irene: Your book details tools for HVAC customer service representatives. Would you share with the readers several of the key changes that the representatives need to make as a whole.

Steve: The key change that I advise readers to make includes using a stable, problem solving system I entitle CONTAIN, QUALIFY and CORRECT. The book includes a sequential flowchart of how this process works. This approach includes the assumption that customers usually call because something is wrong, therefore containment is necessary so things do not get worse. The problem must then be qualified using active listening skills and then corrected using a stable in-house system.

Irene: You mentioned earlier that the blue-collar workers may not have a polished image. With that could come a bias on their part of not accepting your problem solving system because they don’t believe there is a problem. How do you propose they take your book seriously?

Steve: There’s always room for improvement. Any open minded person will easily perceive the value in my book after reading the first anecdote. I wrote the book, based on actual case studies so that readers will easily see themselves in the anecdotes.

Irene: Do you believe the masses are ready to accept the changes you propose in your book?

Steve: Yes. I have been sharing my methodology for years. It’s proven and it works.

Irene: Is there anything else you would like the readers to know about you or your book?

Steve: Based on the testimonials I have received thus far, HVAC contractors who have read my book are making more money, retaining more customers and experiencing less stress. Interested HVAC professionals should go to http://www.telestress.com and buy the book today. My book urges HVAC reps to be courageous and go beyond the status quo and differentiate themselves for the competition.

Irene Watson is the managing editor of Reader Views, a book review service. http://www.readerviews.com

Author: Irene Watson
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Canada duty rate

Alright, so let us talk a little about how you can get started with your own catering business. Hopefully the first thing you will do before anything else is, write a solid business plan and this will cover most of the issues that you need to take care of. Once you have your business plan and got it reviewed you can now start worrying about how you can started. Try to concentrate your efforts on how to get your name out there and in the process gain yourself some much needed business.

Word of mouth is very important as far as this business is concerned. This is really the easiest way to build your business. Of course you can always go out and do some advertising but your main focus should really be on word of mouth. Knowing your target market is vital. This will help you figure out where to go to interact with your target market as well as how you are going to be able track them.

It is important that every event that you cater is done superbly to ensure that those clients go on to tell others who maybe in need of a caterer. Starting small is always a great idea it allows you to work your way up and also be able to perfect your product along the way.

One thing you should keep in your mind at all times is that catering is not just about food. In addition to the food there is also service and you need to be able to provide both of those well. There are many ways you can perfect your business. For example you can work for other caterers, work in restaurants, do things for friends and even in some cases volunteer to pretend cater event as if you were the actual caterer. That way you can easily get some valuable feedback.

This is a great business. It is very rewarding and a lot of hard work at the same time. If you do all the work up front, once you get started and get your feet moving, you will just start rolling and have a profitable business.

Next, discover more FREE catering business start up strategies at our blog. You can find resources, tips and strategies you can start using today: http://how-to-start-a-catering-business.blogspot.com/

Author: Munyaradzi Chinongoza
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Electric Pressure Cooker

Salami sausages are big things (often spicy) that are eaten a slice at a time. They would be indigestible if taken in a single large piece. This aspect has led negotiators to use the name for a negotiation technique that tries to do just that: to win concessions in small doses (slices) when the other party would probably reject them if they were put on the table all at once. The technique is often used against a party that is mainly concerned with damage limitation.

Consider a tough union negotiating with management. Management would really just like to keep the status quo (damage limitation) but the union negotiators would like a whole host of goodies to take back for their members. These could include a pay rise, more holidays, flexible working hours, private health membership, better pension arrangements, improved canteen, increased allowances and so on. It is not difficult for the union to make a case for each of these and they can probably add to the list.

If the union negotiators use the salami tactic they will present just one of their demands for discussion and push hard to reach agreement. Let’s say they focus on a 6% pay rise and after a long discussion and some haggling they agree on 4%. Deal done, except there is more to come. That’s just the first slice of the salami and there is a whole sausage in the cupboard.

The next slice might be the holiday arrangements. The current 23 days is from a bygone age. ‘Other employers’ have agreed to 25 days plus public holidays. Let’s say they eventually reach agreement at 24 days this year and 25 days next year. Good! The managers might by now be congratulating themselves on their rusty negotiation skills and their damage limitation but the union representatives have been busy polishing their negotiation skills.

‘We would now like to discuss something that is very dear to the hearts of our members, the need for flexible working hours.’ The slicing of the salami sausage continues: private health, pension, canteen, allowances, and so on. By the end of the negotiations, when the management team add it all up they are staggered at what they have conceded, slice by slice. None of the individual items seemed all that great at the time but – add them all together and the cumulative effect is astonishing.

What went wrong?

The management negotiators were beguiled by one of the standard tactics used by skilled negotiators. Of course, presented like this, the salami technique looks so obvious that you might think that no management team could be so stupid as to be caught by it. However, just as a simple magic trick can seem incredible when performed by a skilled magician, so even simple negotiation skills like the salami technique can produce amazing results when used by skilled and experienced negotiators.

The salami is not restricted to management-union negotiations. Any negotiator who has a list of things on which they want to gain agreement can use it. Try it when you next buy a car. Are you buying just one item, the car? Or are you gaining agreement on several things: buying the car, filling the petrol tank, replacing worn tyres if it’s a used car, a free service next year, alloy wheels… and whatever else you can think of. Will they lose the sale over a tank of petrol or one new tyre?

So, what do you do if you are on the receiving end and the other party tries to salami you?

Of course, your first line of defence is to recognise what they are doing and your second is to put a stop to it. You will need to be assertive about this but the response is quite straightforward. The salami tactic works because the person being sliced does not recognise what is happening. Once you do, you can fight it.

How? Simply refuse agreement on any one slice until you have everything out on the table. ‘Is there anything else you want to discuss as part of these negotiations?’ Do not discuss details until you have formally agreed that everything is out in the open. Then put forward a proposal on a collective agreement — bundle the lot together.

The discussion can now begin in earnest and you can use your negotiation skills. You might trade one slice of salami off against another by offering some flexibility on, say, item one provided that they drop, say, items two and three. Continue like that until you are happy with the deal, then close.

Good luck! And watch out for that spicy sausage!

Author: Tony Atherton
© Tony Atherton 2005)

About the author: Tony Atherton is a freelance trainer and writer based in England. He has had four books published and about 90 of his articles have appeared in various magazines and journals. After an earlier career in industry he now runs in-company training courses in business writing, report writing (including technical reports) and taking minutes, as well as negotiation skills and time management. Over 6000 delegates have attended his courses. For details of his negotiation skills courses please see http://tony-atherton.co.uk/negskills.htm. For general details please see http://tony-atherton.co.uk.

Author: Tony Atherton
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
News of Solar Power and Alternative Engery

Deliver value that your customers recognize, appreciate and reward. If you want your customers to value what you offer – you must demonstrate that you value them.

Value implies trust so start by building trust. Always under-promise and over-deliver. Be known for keeping your promise and then some. Be honest. Never promise what you cannot deliver.

Don’t confuse value with cost. A product’s value is almost never equal to its cost. For example, your product might cost you $2 and you sell it for $10. The value to you is $10. The value to the customer will usually be more than the selling price. If it was only worth $10 to the customer then they have no motivation to buy. But if the value to them is greater than the selling price, they are motivated to trade their money for something of greater value. It may be worth $25 to the customer. Then they will gladly give up $10 of their money for the product. The more that value exceeds the cost of the purchase, the more the customer will want to buy from you. Always offer value that is greater than the price they pay. Your challenge is to ensure the customer sees much more value than their cost.

The Value Formula
How can value be so different from cost? Examine the following formula, then discover where you can concentrate your efforts to enhance value.

Total value = real value + perceived value

Let’s take it apart to understand it. Real value comprises the tangibles. It is relatively easy to measure. Real value can be expressed in this manner:

Real value = function/cost

Function is what the product or service does in mechanical or analytical terms. Imagine you are buying a new car. If you are shopping for the best real value, you would get the most function efficient ground transportation for the lowest cost. You could measure the car’s function factor by comparing it with the cost of your practical alternatives; public transit, car pooling, taxi, bicycle, limousine, various car models. You might wish to consider the costs of these alternatives in terms of time and inconvenience. What does your new car give you that these other modes of transportation don’t?

Having determined the new car’s function factor, you can divide it by its cost. Is its function worth more to you than its cost? If so, the new car has real value. At the end of your analysis you would buy the cheapest car. Not necessarily. Remember that what you are willing to pay for your car is based on the total value to you, which is a factor of both real and perceived value. So, sometimes without realizing it, you assign value to less quantifiable benefits and buy something that you like. Liking is not part of real value, it is part of a product’s perceived value.

Perceived Value = belief x emotion

Compared with real value, perceived value is more difficult to measure directly. Yet it can have greater impact on total value. Perceived value is the product of belief times emotion. It is influenced by intangibles such as image, credibility, beauty and feelings – all the benefits you should emphasize in your marketing efforts. Emphasizing your perceived value is the surest way to differentiate yourself from the competition – and gain you more profit. Perceived value is what makes a brand name more valuable than a no-name. Nike is one example of a company that built a fortune on perceived value. As individuals we think differently, perceive differently, and place different values on things. Beware of that. Use it to your advantage. When your prospect wants to negotiate price, remember to build up your product’s perceived value.

How can you enhance the value of what you sell? If you are only looking at the cost of paper and ink then you are forcing yourself to compete in the commodity game. Instead find ways to emphasize the value of your relationship, the creative, – the intangibles.
Always deliver real value too but compete on the perceived value.

George Torok is co-author of the national bestseller, “Secrets of Power Marketing”, the first guide to personal marketing for the non-marketer. He delivers training programs and inspirational speeches to corporations and associations. To arrange for your speech or training program call 905-335-1997. To receive your free copy of the special guide, “50 Power Marketing Ideas” and subscribe to monthly marketing tips visit http://www.PowerMarketing.ca

Author: George Torok
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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