Deshazte de cachivaches… y gana dinero

Las subastas son una opción para generar un ingreso extra vendiendo artículos que ya no usas; esta opción también te permite capitalizarte y obtener más dinero que en una venta normal.

Las subastas te permiten duplicar e incluso triplicar el valor inicial de tu objeto. (Foto: Cortesía SXC)

Por: Tania M. Moreno

CIUDAD DE MÉXICO (CNNExpansión.com) — En lugar de generar polvo, genera dinero. Si tienes en casa artículos que ya no utilizas y poseen algún valor artístico, comercial o son objetos que heredaste, puedes subastarlos y transformarlos en efectivo.

La necesidad de liquidez hizo que la frecuencia de subastar objetos aumentara un 20% durante este inicio de año, comparado el mismo periodo de 2009, de acuerdo con el director general de Morton, casa de subastas, Luis C. López Morton.

Para iniciar este proceso debes conocer el valor estimado del objeto o del lote que quieres subastar, por lo que es necesario hacer un avalúo.

Esta valoración puede hacer a través de un valuador independiente, o directamente con la casa que llevará a cabo la subasta, "Lo más recomendable es que el avalúo se haga directamente con la empresa subastadora, ya que en ocasiones hay discrepancias en cuanto al precio determinado (...), en cualquier caso el cliente siempre tendrá la última decisión de si le conviene o no la operación", dice López Morton.

Para estimar el valor del artículo en esta casa de subastas, el cliente puede enviar una foto o imagen por mail, con la que un especialista podrá hacer una valuación incipiente, aunque siempre es mejor ver la pieza para poder considerar todas sus características.

Cuando se trata de un objeto muy valioso, que sea difícil de transportar o una colección completa, los valuadores de Morton pueden acudir directamente al domicilio para hacer el proceso in situ. En ningún caso se cobra por la valuación, de acuerdo con la responsable de Comunicación de la institución, Vivian Gorinstein.

Una vez que se tiene la valuación y ambas partes están de acuerdo en el precio estimado se firma un contrato donde se establece el precio de salida y la comisión que se cobrará por la venta, según el precio de martillo, o sea en lo que se venda la pieza.

Una gran ventaja de este esquema es que puedes obtener más dinero que en una venta normal, ya que dependiendo del interés que el objeto despierte, puede duplicar o triplicar su valor estimado.

La comisión varía dependiendo del precio de la venta, pero va desde un 10 y hasta un 20%. El contrato también establece el cobro de 1.5% para asegurar la pieza y el de una foto para incluir el objeto en el catálogo.

También incluye restricciones donde se especifica que la pieza no podrá ser retirada antes de la subasta ni venderse por fuera durante el tiempo que permanezca a resguardo de la casa.

¿Qué puedo vender?

En esta casa se puede subastar prácticamente cualquier objeto que tenga un valor comercial, artístico o decorativo.

El catálogo incluye pinturas, esculturas, cerámicas, porcelanas, joyería, relojería, libros, documentos de interés, etcétera.

Si la pieza no se vende el dueño tendrá tres días después de la subasta para recogerla o renovar el contrato para que entre en una nueva subasta.

En caso de no reclamarla, la institución empezará a cobrar resguardo después de ese periodo de tiempo.

Las subastas se llevan a cabo entre aproximadamente 80 personas cada vez, y el tiempo de espera del cliente entre que lleva la pieza al avalúo y ésta se vende es de seis semanas en promedio.

Si consideras que tienes artículos que pueden ser de interés general puedes llevarlos, ya que no necesariamente los objetos subastados deben ser joyas u obras de arte.

"Los sábados tenemos subastas temáticas donde la puja empieza desde los 200 pesos. Generalmente son lotes de cosas que tenemos en la casa y que a otra gente pueden interesarle", asegura López Morton.

Para quienes ni pueden asistir a los establecimientos físicos existe la opción de compras online, que tienen la misma mecánica de las subasta presencial, o sea que aquél que ofrezca más por el objeto será quien pueda adquirirlo.

"Todos tenemos cosas en la casas que acumulamos, así que es bueno saber que existen opciones para convertir estos objetos en dinero y conseguir in ingreso extra frente a la crisis", finaliza el directivo.

El negocio en la responsabilidad social

El desconocimiento de lo hecho por las ONG hace que los empresarios no vean un aliado en éstas; los analistas opinan que las firmas deben escoger causas sociales afinas a su público objetivo.

Por: Ivonne Vargas

CIUDAD DE MÉXICO (CNNExpansión.com) — "Más vale hacer poco bien hecho, que mucho mal hecho", reza un refrán, y las empresas no escapan de estas palabras. ¿Pero cómo saber si los apoyos brindados, a través de programas de responsabilidad social, realmente les significa un retorno positivo en su branding? La herramienta para garantizar esa relación es acercarse a las organizaciones de la sociedad civil, dicen expertos.

En México "corporativos como Carso, Comex, Bimbo, Cemex y Vitro trabajan con información muy detallada de ciertos grupos y causas sociales, gracias a estas alianzas estratégicas", apuntó el investigador en estudios sobre el Tercer Sector del Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México (ITAM), Alfredo Villafranca.

"Dar donativos por aquí y por allá no es el pase mágico para garantizar la fidelidad a la marca. Si lo que buscas es un programa que ayude a posicionar al negocio en el mercado, hay que asegurarse de llegar a la causa que realmente se vincule con la misión de la compañía, y que el cliente muestra afinidad con ella", dijo la consejera de la Fundación del Empresariado en México (Fundemex), Martha Smith de Rangel.

Desde la década de los años 70 era muy común que compañías como Burger King y McDonald's, en Estados Unidos, desarrollaran vínculos con organizaciones no gubernamentales (ONG) que con religiosas sin distinción alguna, explicó Villafranca. Esto con la finalidad de saber cómo la comunidad percibía su negocio o para informarse sobre los sectores que eran peligrosos para invertir.

En México todavía este proceso es pausado "debido al estigma que tienen algunas de estas organizaciones, por ejemplo, se piensa que las ONG encuentran su origen en movimientos de izquierda o son de tipo militante, así que el empresario teme que se le vincule con ciertas ideologías o piensan que el punto central de estos grupos es oponerse a fuertes proyectos económicos. Pero eso es una versión errónea de lo que realmente puede ser una alianza estratégica con la sociedad civil", apuntó el vicepresidente de la consultora De la Riva Investigación, Roberto Valdés.

Las asociaciones civiles u ONG (estas últimas por lo general tienen un perfil internacional), tienen principios directamente vinculados a los intereses de la sociedad, y son una especie de "termómetro" de lo que sucede en ella, lo que supone un valor agregado que los negocios pueden aprovechar para identificar los sectores donde deban insertar su ayuda, hacer contactos, y saber las causas que interesan a su público meta, puntualizó Villafranca.

Además, el escenario internacional está dominado por temas en los cuales se movilizan bien estas organizaciones, como transparencia, manejo responsable de los recursos naturales, educación y desarrollo sostenible. Con el gran conocimiento que poseen no se puede caer en la tentación del absolutismo anti-ONG. Para un empresario con experiencia esa decisión resulta, a todas luces, un absurdo que hay que descartar, coinciden los especialistas.

Las miran con buenos ojos

Entre las razones más atractivas para relacionarse con estos grupos, está la credibilidad de la que gozan. De acuerdo con una encuesta que la agencia Edelman PR Worldwide, aplicada entre 2,500 líderes de opinión en Estados Unidos, Europa y Australia, los organismos no gubernamentales gozan de una ventaja de dos a uno sobre corporaciones y gobiernos, respecto a ser fuentes creíbles en materia de ambiente, salud y derechos humanos.

"Las ONG se han convertido en súper marcas porque juegan al ataque todo el tiempo, llevan su mensaje al consumidor, son ingeniosas para crear coaliciones, tienen una agenda clara, y se movilizan con medios vitales como el Internet", señala la investigación.

Estas cualidades no han escapado de la mira de las compañías, lo cual ha permitido romper el hielo en cuanto a su acercamiento con estas instancias. Ejemplos hay varios: Bayer, a través de la compañía Marketing Social Branding, emprendió junto con la Fundación Mexicana para la Planificación Familiar, un programa de lucha contra el cáncer cérvico uterino. Por su parte, la mexicana Comex se unió con la Fundación ProEmpleo para dar pláticas a emprendedores.

Incluso, aunque menos común, "determinadas empresas al contratar a su personal evalúan si éste ha tenido acercamientos con alguna organización, como es el caso de JP Morgan en México", aclara la consejera de Fundemex.

Para Villafranca queda claro que "no todas las compañías tienen la metodología exacta para medir el impacto de sus acciones en la sociedad".

El acercarse a una organización civil es una estrategia para entender las necesidades de la comunidad donde una empresa se desempeña y le ayuda a identificar las áreas donde puede incursionar con nuevas iniciativas. "Estos grupos son los ojos y oídos de las comunidades, y las firmas deben aprender de esa especialidad, porque no pueden estar en todo" explicó la investigadora.

El establecer un diálogo de tú a tú con esas organizaciones no sólo ayuda a cubrir las necesidades de la comunidad, también ofrecen un expertis que puede resultar muy atractivo para los negocios. "Estos grupos son especialistas en localizar un problema con causas, cifras y posibles soluciones. Además, como no pueden darse el lujo de desaparecer, tienen una gran capacidad para crear sinergia y trabajar en la adversidad", detalló el investigador del ITAM.

Roberto Valdés agregó que estos sociedades han evolucionado en su esquema de trabajo haciendo hincapié en nuevos estudios, administración de recursos, y toda una logística de trabajo que le permite a cualquier organización que se acerque a una ONG tener una radiografía minuciosa de la población a la que desee llegar.

Villafranca advirtió que estas alianzas también benefician a las pequeñas y medianas empresas porque al conocer la problemática de una comunidad, a través de la información que provee el organismo, puede encontrar un nicho de negocio en torno a las necesidades más inmediatas de ésta.

Muchas veces las empresas pueden apoyar programas que, si bien se trata de una buena causa, no son de interés de su público objetivo. No se trata de crear incongruencias entre su objetivo de ventas, y la identidad social que busca proyectar.

"Las compañías deben tener una brújula que les indique hacia dónde hace sentido que se dirijan. Se debe buscar una promesa social parecida a la promesa que hacen de marca. Para eso hay que tener trabajos de investigación, estudios de mercado, y entablar un acercamiento con asociaciones que conozcan las diferentes necesidades sociales", apuntó la directora de Marketing Social Branding, María Luisa Lara.

En su opinión, la solución para acercarse a la sociedad en muchos casos ha sido crear una fundación. Pero muchas compañías carecen de la logística o los recursos suficientes para hacerlo, así que prefieren ir "a lo seguro" con una ONG que esté "empapada" del nicho social que les interesa. Aún así, no todos los empresarios saben cómo acercarse a un grupo de la sociedad civil, y es ahí donde un negocio con enfoque en marketing social entran en acción para hacer el enlace.

"Hay que romper el paradigma de la caridad. Cuando yo empresario me vinculo con una organización, espero ver resultados de cuánto voy a obtener. Hay un compromiso de éxito. Esto es una de las tendencias más importantes en el tema de la vinculación: el construir credibilidad a través de hechos", señaló la directora.

Martha Smith de Rangel aseguró que en el binomio empresa-organización civil, las ONG tiene el gran reto de profesionalizarse. Resulta básico contar con recursos como un sitio web de rendición de cuentas en donde el empresario mida el impacto de su participación con una asociación.

Aquél que quiera crecer, diversificarse e internacionalizarse, bien haría en exigirse el estar en contacto con el tercer sector o su futuro será de corto alcance. Es en este contexto, las organizaciones civiles deberían pasar, a los ojos de encargados de la gestión de las empresas, a ser aliados para establecer sus políticas de responsabilidad social, expresaron Smith de Rangel y Alfredo Villafranca.

Los entrevistados apuntaron que la planeación de lo social es una nueva forma de hacer inversión y garantizar retorno. La frase de "que mi mano derecha no sepa lo que hace la izquierda" ya no existe. Si el objetivo es sobresalir de los demás, hay que empezar por estar más cerca de la sociedad, y aliarse con quienes tengan el mayor conocimiento de ésta.

http://www.cnnexpansion.com/mi-dinero/2010/01/26/el-negocio-de-la-responsabilidad-social?newscnn1=20100127

Results: Will or Environment?

These days, I'm putting a lot of emphasis on things like high-end
programs and thinking big. For me, and for those in my Marketing
Mastery Program, this has yielded some amazing results.

When I was looking at the monthly report of one of my Mastery
participants, I saw that she had more than tripled her income in
just one year.

In the course of the program, three people have completed books,
while others have sold programs at a higher rate than ever before.
And most are looking at their businesses in a completely new way.

Do you want big results in your business?

Actually, we all say we want big results. But then we get stopped,
over and over again. We think we are stopped by circumstances,
by other people, by bad timing and bad luck.

This is never the case. We only stop ourselves.

What is observably true is that we let ourselves be triggered by
circumstances. We have an idea, a goal, a plan and we start to
put things into action. And then something happens.

A teleclass gets poor results, or someone doesn't return a call, or
a new service you developed generates very little interest or
response. Those are the triggers.

What gets triggered are thoughts and emotions.

And when a trigger happens, you can go in one of two directions:
You can become identified with the thoughts and emotions or you
can dis-identify with the thoughts or emotions.

Identification: "Nobody is interested in what I have, I'm a terrible
marketer, I'll never make this work. Why did I bother to try this
in the first place? There's no way it will ever work."

We've all been there; and we can get stuck there for a long time.

Dis-Identification: "That's interesting that I didn't get the
response I wanted. I need to find out more about what happened.
Is it the message I sent out? Perhaps it's the timing? Let me take
a closer look at my plan and the letter, make some changes and
give it another try."

From this place, we're back on the horse in minutes.

Sounds simple, doesn't it? It's not!

Unfortunately, most of those triggers are hard-wired. Something
happens that opposes your plans and, before you know it, you're
upset and ready to give up. It wasn't a conscious choice, but an
automatic reaction.

To dis-identify from our triggers takes a tremendous amount of
intentional, conscious work. It takes stopping and thinking instead
of reacting. It means taking responsibility instead of blaming. It
takes focus and waking up instead of falling asleep.

But if it's so hard, is there a way to actually do it?

Someone once said: "Environment is stronger than will."

Our wills are pathetically weak. We try to dis-identify when we are
triggered, but we are so trained to identify that it usually takes
tremendous effort and endless repetition to get past old patterns
that hold us back.

So good luck with the "WILL approach"!

What makes the biggest difference for most of us is a change of
environment. And there are many ways to do this. A change of
environment can mean adopting different systems, the support of
others, individual coaching, or group programs.

Different Systems

Think of a recipe. If I asked you to bake a chocolate cake from
scratch, you'd probably end up with an icky, inedible mess. A
recipe creates a new environment - a time-tested path to success.
Follow the chocolate cake recipe and, with a little experience,
you'll have a delicious cake to show for your efforts.

This is the purpose of the Marketing Club, for instance. It's full of
time-tested marketing recipes that you can easily follow.

Support of Others

Support can provide methodologies, such as recipes, but can also
provide the emotional support to keep you going despite the
triggers. "Yeah, I've been there before. It's discouraging when a
marketing approach doesn't work. But maybe it just needs some
fine tuning. Let's look at the possibilities."

Mastermind groups are great for this. I'm always in a mastermind
group that gives me frequent reality checks.

Individual Coaching

Working with a guide who is committed to your aim and who is
not identified with your triggers is also a powerful way to go. You
still need recipes, the how-tos for producing results, but a coach
can keep putting you on the right path.

Group Programs

These are my favorite, because they combine all of the above.
They provide the how-to recipes, the support and the coaching.
I've found that a good group program can get you thinking big
and make sure you follow-through on your dreams.

Which approach will you choose? Here are three options:

Marketing Club: http://www.actionplan.com/actionplanclub.html

Marketing Mastery: http://www.actionplan.com/mp_02.html

Big Shift Experience: http://www.thebigshiftexperience.com/actionplan

*

The More Clients Bottom Line: Getting triggered when you fail to
reach your goals is a given. It happens to everyone. To dis-
identify with the triggers you need to understand your limitations
and change your environment to one where you get the support
and systems needed to stay on track.

Parejas sin hijos, clientes con dinero

El mercado de los ‘dinks’ representa una oportunidad para los emprendedores; las parejas sin familia se caracterizan por ser productivas y con dinero.

Las parejas 'dink' buscan viajes, ropa y tecnología. (Foto: Jupiter Images)

Por: Ivonne Vargas

CIUDAD DE MÉXICO (CNNExpansión.com) — El mercado de los Double income no kids (parejas que perciben cada uno su salario y no tienen hijos o dinks como se les conoce en inglés) supera los 4,000 millones de dólares en México, según estimaciones de la consultora De la Riva Investigación Estratégica, cifra nada despreciable para quienes deseen iniciar un negocio, satisfaciendo las necesidades de este nicho.

Los dinks están unidos por un objetivo en común, "no quieren tener hijos, desean realizarse pero sin formar familia, y se distinguen por ser muy activos desde el punto de vista laboral. Además, disfrutan de ocupar el tiempo libre en viajar o hacer actividades que los satisfagan en lo personal como socializar, ir al gimnasio o comer en lugares lujosos", explicó la directora de esa empresa, Gabriela de la Riva.

Añadió que este mercado va en aumento. En Estados Unidos el número de parejas dinks -en la década de los años 60- oscilaba el 15%. Hoy la cifra supera el 20%.

Este segmento se distingue por tener gustos muy específicos. En opinión de la especialista, buscan en sus compras la calidad, pero disponen de poco tiempo para hacerlas, así que prefieren acudir a lugares donde cumplen con sus demandas en una sola visita. Una característica peculiar es que ahorran dinero para salir de viaje y comprar, en especial lo referido a ropa, tecnología y artículos para casa.

Con dinero en mano

Estas parejas son un punto de referencia muy valioso para algunos emprendedores, quienes ven en ellos una oportunidad para que el dinero que gastarían en guarderías, colegios, ropa y alimentos para niños, lo inviertan en paseos y artículos de alto costo. Un grupo potencialmente atractivo para las empresas sean, por ejemplo, las parejas homosexuales, quienes en cierta medida encajan en la categoría de Dinks.

Gabriela de la Riva aseguró que, si bien no todas las parejas en este mercado tienen el mismo poder adquisitivo, sus hábitos de consumo se parecen: les gusta invertir en sí mismos.

Desde el punto de vista económico, este "segmento muestra una marcada tendencia a la superación constante. Por esa razón, son muchos los ámbitos donde estas parejas representan un mercado interesante", detalló.

¿Qué les interesa?

El asesor en el Centro de Desarrollo Empresarial Emprendedores, de la Facultad de Contaduría y Administración UNAM, Sergio Carranza, añadió que los dinks gustan de ir al cine, al teatro, a conciertos, leen publicaciones especializadas de su profesión, buscan lo más innovador en tecnología, y destinan parte de su dinero a darse ciertos lujos, decisión que una persona con hijos quizás no podría cumplir.

Si tienes en mente emprender, puedes considerar un negocio relacionado con productos y servicios que satisfagan las necesidades de este mercado. Aquí algunas ideas que el asesor de la UNAM menciona:

- Libros, sobre todo especializados. Puedes crear un sistema que incluya bibliografía de varios temas, abordándolos con detalle; incluso colocar la selección en Internet, para que el usuario compre desde casa sin tener que trasladarse.

- Asesoría personalizada respecto a imagen. Diseña un programa donde se entregue al cliente una tarjeta que incluya su talla, colores predilectos, y tipo de imagen y atuendos que le favorezcan. Estas parejas gustan de la atención individualizada, especialmente si se trata de recomendaciones respecto a su estilo de arreglo.

- Productos para la salud: vitaminas, proteínas, dietas, complementos, talleres y cursos que les permitan mejorar su calidad de vida.

- Seguros de vida: a estas personas les interesa garantizar su salud, y están dispuestos a cubrir una cuota más amplía, quizás que la que pagaría un padre de familia, por garantizar su atención en centros privados.

- Tecnología: Sin duda uno de los rubros en el que más invierten es en la compra de tecnología. Aunque no te dediques a la creación de estos productos, se puede trabajar un sistema donde reúnas lo más novedoso en este rubro y ofrecerlos; desde una laptop para su compañía, hasta un sistema inteligente para su hogar.

- En economía: estos clientes están a la espera del mejor vendedor que les proporcione información sobre novedosas herramientas financieras.

Son variados los rubros en los que se puede innovar para vender a los dinks. La clave está en observarlos e identificar qué tipo de producto prefieren.

Dónde invertir un millón de pesos

Por: Roberto Morán

Las señales de recuperación económica todavía son escasas, pero los cazadores de oportunidades de inversión han logrado rendimientos superiores a 30%, gracias a sus apuestas en algunos instrumentos, en especial el oro, la Bolsa brasileña y la Bolsa Mexicana de Valores. ¿Será todavía un buen momento para invertir en esos activos?

Después de las ganancias récord del oro –29% entre enero y principios de diciembre de 2009–, quizá ya sea momento de alejarse de esa meta.

“Cuando todo mundo empieza a preguntar sobre el oro, tal vez sea momento de alejarse de él”, comenta Álvaro Madero, director de Banco Actinver.

Lo mismo podría suceder con las bolsas mexicana y brasileña, que en 2009 alcanzaron máximos de dos años. Si la recesión hizo que cayeran los precios de los bienes raíces en Estados Unidos, tal vez habría que analizar esas oportunidades.

Los expertos consultados señalan que antes de escoger algún activo para invertir, hay que tener claro cuál será el plazo en que se buscará tener ganancias.

“Mientras más largo sea tu horizonte de inversión, más te puedes meter a instrumentos con rendimientos”, señala José Manuel Fernández, socio de Prefinza, una consultora de inversiones para clientes a partir de 60,000 pesos.

Es la misma advertencia que hacen Álvaro Madero, de Actinver, o Armando Gómez, director de Client Portfolio Management de la firma de inversiones Compass Group. “Es indispensable antes saber en qué voy a invertir, definir bien el horizonte y los objetivos”, dice Gómez.

Con esa advertencia, esto es lo que opinan sobre las posibilidades de obtener ganancias en esos instrumentos.

1. ORO

El oro subió más de 29% en 2009. “Es el instrumento contracíclico por definición”, explica Fernández, de la consultora Prefinza. Sube cuando los mercados financieros bajan porque los inversionistas lo consideran un refugio seguro contra la inflación y lo compran cuando el dólar se debilita. Muchos países reforzaron sus reservas internacionales con oro. La onza llegó a más de 1,200 dólares. Como es probable que el dólar siga débil en la primera mitad del año, todavía habría que esperar aumentos de cerca de 8% en el oro, estima Gómez, de la firma de inversiones Compass. Con todo, dice: “Yo me iría con cuidado”, porque es un activo con mucha volatilidad, que puede registrar caídas de 5% en un solo día. “Recomendaría mucha cautela con el oro”, señala Álvaro Madero, de Actinver. Los tres aconsejan tener una pequeña parte de oro en el portafolio, para protegerse de caídas en el dólar y comprar también otros metales.

• Precauciones: el oro bajaría si los bancos centrales de las grandes economías suben sus tasas. Puede suceder si la recuperación económica es de mayor velocidad. “Con bolsas al alza y recuperación, sería irracional invertir en oro en 2010”, dice Fernández.

• Cómo contrarrestar el riesgo: un portafolio con oro necesita activos que suban cuando éste baje. Fernández, de Prefinza, recomienda comprar bonos del Tesoro estadounidense. Gómez señala que hay que tener inversiones en renta variable.

• Cómo comprarlo: se puede invertir en oro por medio de un tracker, un instrumento que sigue su valor y que se compra en la Bolsa de Valores. Black Rock lo vende bajo el nombre de IAU. También hay tracker de materias primas que Black Rock vende como GSG.

2. BOLSA MEXICANA DE VALORES (BMV)

“En menos de 15 meses se recuperó”, comenta Armando Gómez, de Compass. Para diciembre de 2009, la BMV casi había dejado atrás todas las pérdidas de la crisis de 2008 y 2009, con un avance de 46% en 12 meses. Los tres asesores de inversión prevén que puede crecer, porque los inversionistas internacionales la tomarán en cuenta después de haber privilegiado a Brasil. “Estamos muy optimistas”, dice Madero, de Actinver, quien considera que la Bolsa mexicana podría crecer entre 15 y 20% en el año 2010.

• Precauciones: las acciones de empresas mexicanas “no están baratas”, frente a las utilidades de las firmas, señala Gómez, de Compass. Pero habría que comprarlas considerando las perspectivas de crecimiento que tienen algunas empresas. Gómez no recomienda invertir en el índice de la Bolsa Mexicana, porque se pueden tener demasiadas acciones de una sola compañía. En cambio, sugiere pedir asesoría para que el portafolio de inversión incluya empresas en sectores como infraestructura.

• Cómo contrarrestar el riesgo: tener una parte del portafolio en deuda gubernamental. Gómez, de Compass, advierte que la deuda debe ser a más de 28 días, para ganarle a la inflación.

• Cómo invertir: vía fondos de inversión que invierten en el índice de la Bolsa o en algunas empresas en específico.

3. BRASIL

Fue la estrella en 2009. “Ellos sí han hecho la tarea, en cuanto a reformas económicas”, dice Gómez, de Compass. “Tienen exportaciones diversificadas y no dependen, como México, del petróleo y de un solo mercado (Estados Unidos)”. Brasil todavía tiene razones para crecer, porque es un gran productor de alimentos, dice Fernández, de Prefinza. “Es el mejor de los mercados emergentes, porque está más cerca de nosotros y es más fácil de entender que India”, agrega. Gómez considera que América Latina tiene este año mayor potencial que Asia.

• Precauciones: “No hay que ser muy complacientes con el riesgo (que se asume). La volatilidad va a seguir”, advierte Madero, de Actinver, quien sugiere “dejar que madure” la inversión en Bolsa en Brasil.

• Cómo contrarrestar: invertir en deuda.

• Dónde invertir. por medio de una casa de bolsa se puede comprar un tracker con acciones brasileñas llamado EWZ.

4. MIAMI

En tres años, los precios promedio de las viviendas cayeron 40%, en el área de Miami, de acuerdo con la Asociación Nacional de Bienes Raíces de Estados Unidos. Propiedades que se vendían en 450 dólares por pie cuadrado, hoy están en la mitad, señala Ricardo Estrazulas, socio de la correduría de bienes raíces Fortune International. “En la exclusiva zona de Aventura, un departamento de 120 metros cuadrados, con vista al lago o al campo de golf, se consigue por debajo de los 200,000 dólares”, dice Santiago Daniele, de Marina Realty Group. En Hollywood Station, entre Miami y Fort Lauderdale, hay departamentos de 120,000 dólares, que se rentan en 1,100 dólares al mes, estima Daniel Lee, corredor de Prodigy Networks. Daniele calcula que los departamentos pueden rentarse en 1% mensual del valor de compra, y añade que “tal vez no vuelvan a los valores del momento de la burbuja, pero en cuatro o cinco años pueden apreciarse 70 u 80%”.

• Precauciones: los impuestos y el mantenimiento pueden absorber 60% de lo que se obtenga por alquiler.

• Cómo comprar: para encontrar corredores, puede consultar: www.realtor.org, de la asociación de bienes raíces de EU.

http://www.cnnexpansion.com/expansion/2010/01/14/que-hacer-con-1-millon-de-pesos?newscnn1=20100121

Marketing with Twitter

Twitter presents an incredible opportunity to build relationships with the leaders in your industry, and with your target market. It’s a social medium for exposure and connections, and a great way to know and be known. Keeping those connections active and mutually beneficial is the key.

Consider the ways that you can create “followbility” with your Twitter account.

Just like any marketing strategy, you have to ask yourself what it is that your target market wants or needs from you – and deliver exactly that. The only difference between Twitter and any other medium… is that you do that in 140 characters or less.

If you blog, you need great content to build a loyal readership that keeps coming back for more. If you own a mailing list, your emails have to contain some value to keep your subscribers opening them. The same holds true with Twitter. Constant self-promotional blasts will leave you with zero following.

Your reach is your most valuable asset. This is the number of people that you can reach online at any given time, that are specifically interested in what you have to offer. This may include your blog readers, newsletter subscribers, website visitors, your networks at Facebook and MySpace, and now… your followers on Twitter.com.

Twitter users are particularly sensitive to spam in their space. Blasting out self-promotional tweets consistently is a sure-fire way to get unfollowed - and fast. That doesn't mean that you cant include links and make announcements. It simply means that you have to be both creative and tasteful about it.

Done right, ‘tweeting’ is one of the easiest and best ways to gain exposure and drive live traffic to your blog or website. Not just visitor count mind you, but real people with specific interests who are genuinely interested in what you have to say on a particular topic.

If I had to wrap it up in a bite-size nugget, my advice would be:

Keep it real, make it fresh, interact and show some personality! Your tweets should contain a good mix of current news, opinions, conversations and announcements. Reference links are welcomed, so use them liberally but with good taste.

Of course it helps if there are people out there ‘listening’ when you post your tweets. Just like any other web property, you have to stake your claim and then build your following.

Not sure where to start? Here are five super-easy ways to get the ball rolling…

1. Create a reason to be followed
Set up your account and start tweeting. Contribute something original, useful, funny or interesting to your ideal ‘follower’. Most people will scan your profile before choosing to follow you, so make sure there’s something there to interest them at first glance.

2. Search for people you already know
Use the search box at the top of your Twitter screen to search for people you already know. If you find them on Twitter, follow them! Look for authorities/leaders in your niche, blog authors you enjoy, people you connect with on other websites, etc. Twitter is a very social site and people you follow will often follow you too.

3. Put the word out!
Invite people to follow you on Twitter. Blog about it. Mention it in your newsletter. Put out a MySpace bulletin. Add a Twitter widget to your Facebook profile. Let people know about this cool new way to stay in touch with you!

4. Get involved in the current discussions
Reply to tweets you find interesting. If they reply to your response and a dialogue gets started, your twitter link will end up on their profile page. A person with a strong following, or even a smaller but targeted following, could end up sending you several new loyal followers.

5. Be consistent and let it grow naturally
Do the first four steps consistently, and you’ll find that your Twitter following grows daily. Post a good mix of resources, humor & personality, news and updates throughout the week or even throughout the day.

Bonus Tip: Use your real name on your Twitter account – or the name people will most likely know you by online, such as a common username. This will help people find you easily when searching for you on Twitter or Google.

__________________

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Your Website People!
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Science Fiction Marketing Plans

By Robert Middleton - Action Plan Marketing

I always love it when the topic for my eZine is handed to me on a silver platter the day I'm going to write it!

Here's what happened:

I got a call from a person in a coaching organization who was looking for experienced business coaches they could take through their advanced coaching program.

The offer: The program is six months long and would train the participants in their successful coaching methodology. Then they would provide an ongoing flow of coaching clients to those they had trained. Price tag was $5,000.

Now this really isn't a bad offer, especially if the coaching was high quality and if they sent a lot of business to the trained coaches.

But the way they were marketing this was science fiction.

I'll explain their plan in a minute, but first let me define science fiction marketing plans: "They look good on paper but they won't fly."

Science fiction is great for books and movies.

Take the movie, Avatar, for instance (highly recommended, by the way)! - Let's see, grow a humanoid from alien and human dna that looks just like the aliens but has zero brain impressions. Then put a human in what looks like a tanning bed and transfer the consciousness of the person into the home-grown alien. Viola, you have a blue alien who is 12 feet tall and with a human consciousness!

It looks great on paper, and made one hekuva movie. But the technology isn't quite there yet. It's not something we can accomplish yet with our existing technology - plus there's quite a shortage of mindless, blue alien bodies to go around.

Here was the marketing plan of this organization:

First what we'll do is contact coaching schools and organizations who have strong connections to top-notch coaches. Then we'll ask these people and organizations to give us the email and phone numbers of these coaches so we can call them up and enroll them into our program. Done deal!

Sounds good on paper, but here are the reasons it's science fiction:

1. Why should I give you the names and contact information for top-notch coaches I know? What's in it for me? Nothing.

2. If you then contact those coaches and try to sell them on the value of this program, why should they sign up? Only on the strength of the referral? That's a very, very hard sales job because there was zero information, education or warming up of said top-notch coaches.

These two things relegate the plan to science fiction, because they ignore two important facts of human nature: a) Very few people will do something for nothing, and b) People who know nothing about something are unwilling to engage in a selling conversation.

How they could make this a real, workable marketing plan:

1. Offer your referring sources a reward (such as a percentage) of the program fee.

2. Educate the coaches through endorsements, online information, teleclasses, and other marketing info that will warm them up.

3. Do advertising in a coaching magazine to educate people about the program and send them to your web site for more info, teleclasses etc.

4. Have people who are interested in the program fill out an application form to make sure they are qualified.

5. Set up appointments with only the most qualified, top-notch coaches and convert a percentage into program participants.

This approach would take time and planning, but it actually has a real chance of working. The science fiction plan, on the other hand, will likely crash and burn.

The question is, are you basing your marketing on science fiction principles? These principles have never worked and are not likely to work for you either.

And heck, this plan wouldn't even make a good movie!

You need to know human nature to market successfully. You need to understand what people respond to and why. You need to understand that people will only act in their own best interests, and also need to have some degree of familiarity, trust, and information about a service before they will take the next step.

This is not rocket science. But it continues to amaze me that people hang all their hopes on a plan that looks great on paper but has no chance of flying.

Check your basic marketing science before you launch your plan.

*

The More Clients Bottom Line: Some things will fly and some won't. In order for a marketing plan to fly it needs to be based on proven principles, not hope. If you want to attract more business, learn the principles that work and then test them until you have a proven plan that will attract clients every time.

*

Tell us of a science fiction marketing plan you tried that crashed and burned. Please share on the More Clients Blog by clicking on the Comments link below.

http://www.actionplan.blogs.com/

European Business Innovation Center Network

http://www.ebn.be/

Drop shipment

De Wikipedia, la enciclopedia libre

Saltar a navegación, búsqueda

Drop shipment o drop shipping es un tipo de venta al por menor donde el minorista no guarda los bienes en su inventario, pero en cambio pasa el pedido del cliente y los detalles de envío al mayorista, quien entonces despacha las mercancías directamente al cliente. El minorista obtiene su beneficio en la diferencia entre el precio mayorista y el precio minorista.

Algunos minoristas mostrarán artículos en las tiendas, de manera que los clientes puedan inspeccionar una unidad similar a aquella que ellos puede comprar. Otros minoristas sólo proporcionarán un catálogo o presencia en Internet.

El Drop Shipping puede darse cuando un minorista (quien típicamente vende en pequeñas cantidades al público general) recibe un único pedido de muchas unidades de producto. En vez de dirigir la distribución a través de la tienda minorista, el minorista acordará que los bienes sean directamente enviados al comprador.

La industria de venta de libros es un ejemplo. Las tiendas minoristas de libros normalmente venden un único ejemplar de un libro al cliente. Pero una tienda puede recibir un pedido de, por ejemplo, 50 copias de un libro de una compañía que quiere comprar esos libros para sus empleados, clientes o accionistas. El librero acordará que el mayorista (editorial) suministre los libros directamente a la compañía.

El Drop Shipping es una de las formas más utilizadas por los minoristas en eBay.

It's Time to Let Your Light Shine

Special Encore Feature by Ali Brown

Oprah Winfrey shares a defining moment in her life when she was in the third grade—the day a book report she’d turned in earned her teacher’s praise. But it also made her classmates whisper, “She thinks she’s so smart.” She says for too many years after that, her biggest fear was that others would see her as arrogant. “The last thing I wanted was for my actions to make me appear conceited. Full of myself,” she remembers.

I too, can remember many times in school when I was called a show-off, smarty pants, or a braggart simply for taking the opportunity to shine. It still happens today, and interestingly enough, I notice it’s often pointed out by those who haven’t learned how to allow themselves to shine.

It all starts in childhood

How does this begin? It seems when we are little girls, most of us are taught to deny praise. We try to fit in—to have friends at school. We downplay our accomplishments and apologize for our bright ideas. We spend all our time caring if what we say and how we look will get others to like us, even if it’s not being true to who we are.

I remember doing this myself. I was proud of my good grades through middle school, but then during my freshman year of high school, something changed. I realized the popular girls I wanted to click with the most were not honor students. I suddenly cared so bad about fitting in, being cool, having friends, and not seeming like a geek that I downplayed how smart I really was.
As some of those girls were in my Spanish class, I would purposely “forget” my homework and didn’t study for tests so I would get Cs when I easily could have worked for As. I actually craved to be… average.

My Spanish teacher, Señora Richa, very much believed in me and knew something was up. When she privately cornered me to ask why I’d held back, I cried because I knew I had not been true to myself.

Schoolyard posturing is one thing, but the problem is that we continue to carry this with us into adulthood. In my coaching programs, I meet many women business owners who are so concerned about what they should be doing and what others think of them that they have lost who they are. Instead of overflowing with purpose and joy and passion, they only know how to fit in, follow the herd, have a lot of friends, and not make a fuss.

Holding back helps no one— in fact, it hurts

I see this constantly, even in women who own their own businesses. One of my coaching clients, who I’ll call Kristy, had a six-figure business but shared with me that she longed to play bigger. She was also a faith-based person, as I am, so we openly talked about God and using universal energy to help fuel her success.

Every time we had a session and outlined her next steps to grow her business, she’d agree to them. But the next time we’d meet, she inevitably would not have gotten anywhere.

As she was paying me handsomely to help her grow her business to seven figures, it was time to interject some tough love.

“Kristy, tell me again, what is your vision?” I prompted.

She replied, “To help one million people around the world…” and went on to describe her dream in detail.

“Then why aren’t you moving forward now?”

“I don’t know. Something is holding me back.”

After much discussion we realized it came down to her own fear of playing bigger. Deep down, she was worried what her friends and family would think of her should she claim this purpose. She was concerned she’d come off as thinking she was better than they were.

“This purpose is your destiny. You know it because you’ve shared it with me,” I said. “Kristy, your playing small denies God, who created you. It also denies all the other people in this world who you are meant to help in this lifetime. If you stay where you are and keep covering up your greatness, they will never be influenced by your teachings. You’re not only hurting yourself, but all those people who will never be graced by your inspiration.”

She took a deep breath, smiled, and said, “Wow, well, when you put it that way! How can I NOT step up?”

It’s time to share your gifts

Every one of us is born with a gift to share with the world. At some point in your life, it was likely hidden under a bushel, shuffled away so as not to draw attention to yourself or to expose how easy this gift came to you. Mediocrity seemed to be the norm—it’s what is accepted most in schools and in the world, so it’s what you chose. You were probably just trying to fit in.

But I’m guessing that today, you’re feeling a bit restless. You know there’s something better out there, and you’re beginning to look for more. You begin looking for how you can shine. The good news is, it’s usually not something you have to go look for, but instead simply something that’s already there and just needs to be uncovered.

I’ve found that allowing myself to shine has come more from letting things go than from taking more things on. What doesn’t fit you anymore? Your current business? Job? Friends? Activities? Responsibilities? Hobbies? Clothes? Let go of what doesn’t feel like the true you, and soon you’ll find your true self emerging.

Today, I understand that my (and everyone’s) true purpose is to be filled with all of who I am. To truly shine brightly.

http://www.thealimagazine.com/its-time-let-your-light-shine

Business Plan Blueprint

How to Put Together a Winning Business Plan That Will Take Your Idea to New Heights

Wouldn’t it be great if some nice, obliging multimillionaire handed you sacks of cash to get your business idea off the ground? Or if a particularly agreeable bank manager opened the doors of the vault and invited you to help yourself? Unfortunately, in the real world no one will give you a single cent if they think your idea is going to fail. So you have to convince them that you will be the next big thing, and that’s where your winning business plan comes in.

A business plan is your big shot at success, the golden opportunity to get your idea off the ground and lift it to new heights. After the initial flash of inspiration, the temptation is to get up and running as soon as possible. The excitement of a new venture is intoxicating, and you’re eager to let the world know you have created a product or service that they can’t live without. But you must contain your enthusiasm a little until your plan is written. A lot will rest on its shoulders, and it must be thoroughly researched.

The majority of businesses fail in the first few years because their creators haven’t bothered to plan. Attempting to start, plan, and grow a business without a business plan is like fumbling around in the dark. You have no idea of where you’re going, and obstacles and opportunities will be missed.

Determine the target of your business plan

Typically there are three potential audiences for your business plan, depending on its purpose. The document may be for internal purposes only, to help you spot any potential pitfalls, to plan future development, restructure your finances, and review your successes. Or you may be using the plan to secure funding, in which case your audience will be angels and venture capitalists. There are several different types of angels including parents, siblings, friends, or anyone that the entrepreneur has a personal connection with, and this can allow for some latitude with the business plan. Angels believe in you and your idea and don’t mind providing a few thousand dollars. Then there are those angels who are affluent individuals looking for a higher return on their dollar than they may get in traditional investments. These venture capitalists are usually successful entrepreneurs who want to help other entrepreneurs get their ideas off the ground, and they will lend their expertise as well as their money.

Venture capitalists, or VCs, are institutional investors or high net worth individuals who will fund your enterprise if they think it is profitable. In exchange you will give them a share of the company. They will be strangers, and the only way that you can convince them to part with their money is with your business plan. So here are some top tips and essential guides to help you design the ultimate business plan, and get some serious money flowing into your organization.

Top tips for writing a winning business plan:

Think strategically—If you are seeking funding, you should take a long-term view of your organization. Don’t just plan for the forthcoming year. If your loan extends to a five-year period, then expect that your funder will want to know if you are viable and sustainable over that period.

Consider the audience—You must remember who you are targeting and then write from the audience’s perspective. If your aim is to secure funding, a potential backer will want to see detailed information about the return on their investment and the time frame for getting the money back.

Prepare to take risks—A winning business plan is about managing risk, not avoiding it. You should anticipate the challenges ahead and outline scenarios of how to deal with them.

It’s all in the details—Your plan should be detailed, but concise. It should contain enough information for the reader, and be free of spelling mistakes. The tone must be professional, and assumptions and forecasts should be credible.

Get an objective opinion—Even the most talented, successful, and experienced entrepreneur can benefit from having a second and third pair of eyes look over the business plan. Find someone detached from the process who can offer an objective viewpoint and spot any weaknesses, flaws, or areas that you may have missed.

What should your winning business plan include?

Investors receive thousands of business plans every year, and the ultimate destination for many of them is the wastebasket. Some will end up there within seconds, and the others will follow a few minutes later, their inadequacies becoming apparent all too quickly.

A business plan may be your only chance to make an impression on an investor, so it has to count. It should start with a well-defined problem that is supported by evidence such as market research. If you can convince the reader that there is a predicament, they will stay with the plan for a bit longer to see if you have come up with a solution.

You may decide to write the plan yourself or hire professional help, but even if you follow the latter route you should write out a rough plan—you need to get a grip on
the basics.

No two businesses will be the same, and therefore no two plans will be the same, but a typical business plan will include:

Executive summary—This is the most important part of the business plan and should be written last. Above all it must inform and excite the reader. The summary is the first thing the money people will read, and it must have punch, power, and passion. You are excited about your idea, and this is your chance to enthuse others and get them on board. As you might expect, it is a condensed version of the master plan and should answer the following questions:

• What sort of company are you?

• What is so special about the product/service?

• Who is on the management team?

• How much money do you need? And when do you want it? All at once, or in stages? What will you use it for?

Generate a buzz about the uniqueness of your idea. Stick to the facts and don’t exaggerate. Keep the summary concise, no more than two sides of letter-sized paper.

Company profile—This is your opportunity to impress and astound the reader with your company’s history and how you’ve grown from a kitchen table start-up to a prominent local employer who is ready to go national. Provide a history of sales and profits and other relevant numbers. Investors will be wary of any company that has had a smooth ride without any hiccups. Writing about how you faced and overcame initial challenges will boost your credibility. Outline the plans you have for the future.

Product or service—Describe it in jargon-free language. What does it do? How will it benefit people? What sets it apart from your competitors’ offerings? Put yourself in the mind of an investor and imagine all the possible questions that you could be asked about your idea. What would you want to know before parting with significant sums of cash? The answers should all be here.

Market analysis—This involves thorough research to demonstrate that you really do know what you’re talking about. This is a portrait of your competitive landscape. Who are your competitors and what are they offering? You must know everything about them—their strengths, weaknesses, and prices. How does your idea compare? Your product or service must go beyond theirs. This section will also include details about industry trends, your projected growth, and customer behavior.

Market strategy—This is your bold plan of how you will convince customers to buy from you rather than from the competition. Identify all the ways that you will get new business and the steps you will take to ensure that it happens.

Operations—Describe how the company will function, its physical setup, and who is responsible for what. Investors need to know that the business is going to be run efficiently.

Management team—Investors will want to feel confident about the brains of the operation. Write a summary of the management experience of every member of your senior team, even if you are the only one. Entrepreneurs with a successful track record will be looked upon more favorably by venture capitalists.

Financial plan—This is where the numbers go. You should include projections of how much money you think you will make over a three- to five-year period, and how funds will be used to grow the business.

Avoid common blunders

Don’t blow your big chance by shooting yourself in the foot. Think ahead to avoid any business plan mistakes.

Make your plan well ahead of time—If you wait until the last minute to write your plan, you will make life hard for yourself. Understand that you need a plan now, and set aside enough time to give it the thought, care, and attention that it needs. If you meet a potential investor who likes your idea, they will want to see the plan pronto. You will have no way of creating one overnight, complete with detailed financial projections.

Make your plan exciting—If they snooze you lose, so don’t send your audience to sleep with dull formatting. Jazz it up a little with colorful charts, bullet points, tables, and graphs—but avoid going overboard.

Be concise and brief—There is so much information to pack into your presentation, but you must be concise. Keep the plan to about 20–40 pages with clear, well-spaced, and easy-to-read text.

Focus on the team—You may be surprised, but an idea on its own does not make a great business. An investor will want to see a strong management team and a good company built around the product or service. An unoriginal idea executed by a superb set of managers has a better chance than a novel idea in the hands of a weak and poor performing company.

Be realistic—You are buoyed up by your idea, but don’t employ wildly optimistic projections. An overnight success may happen once in a blue moon, but no investor will believe you if your forecasts go through the roof.

Your business future

A winning business plan is all about success and getting results, and every single company needs one. It is the guide to your business that will help you get what you want. Refer to it constantly, and update it when market conditions dictate. If your plan is written well it should have investors diving into their wallets, ready to help you make your business dreams come true. A little planning goes a long way, so if you’ve got a great idea—start writing now! –P.A.

The Dual Purpose of a Business Plan

• To provide you with a detailed roadmap to help your idea grow

• To persuade the people with the money that you are worth the investment, and that they can feel safe in sending some of their cash in your direction

Business Planning Versus a Business Plan

Business planning is a process you embark on to develop, plan, and review your business on an ongoing basis. A business plan is a document that is drawn up
at a specific moment in time for specific purposes,
such as to raise capital.

Why is a Business Plan Vital?

Whether you are a start-up operation or an established company, a business plan is vital for any firm’s success. It charts where you are today, where you plan to go, and how you plan to get there.

Three Phrases That Will STOP the Deal in Its Tracks

Many business plans fail because they are sprinkled with “red flag” words or phrases that make investors shudder.

“Huge”—as in “the market for this product is going to be huge.” Investors can see right through this kind of puffery. It’s a flippant phrase that suggests that the writer hasn’t done any research. Reliable data is required.

“We believe”—as in “we believe we offer more than our competitors.” Do you believe or do you know? The writer clearly hasn’t a shred of evidence to support this vague phrase. If you don’t have any supporting data to back your claims, stop writing. There is no point in continuing.

“No competition”—as in “we have no competition.” Excuse me? Of course there’s competition, they just don’t know who you are yet. If there’s one single phrase that sends your plan into the recycle bin, this is it.

http://www.thealimagazine.com/business-plan-blueprint?page=show

How They've Made Millions

Four women who turned their spare cash into multimillion-dollar companies

It's the big ideas that make the big bucks - flashes of inspiration that can lead to financial freedom. And when the light bulb appears, life is never the same again. But how do you turn the eureka moment into a profitable business? These four incredible entrepreneurs spill the secrets of their success.

Marsha Serlin
Founder and President of United Scrap Metal

Marsha Serlin's business started on the scrap heap, and it hasn't moved since. And why should it? Her company, United Scrap Metal, has grown from an initial investment of $200 and a Budget truck she rented using her Sears card, to one of Chicago's fastest growing and biggest recyclers with annual revenues exceding $200 million. She has picked up numerous awards, including the National Small Business Subcontractor of the Year, and is the first woman in the U.S. to found a scrap metal company. And along the way she has made a very tidy sum indeed.

It started with a mentor

Serlin's rags to riches story starts in 1978 when her house and car were repossessed, her husband walked out, and she was left with hardly any money to raise her children. Previously she had discovered that one of her neighbors was in the scrap metal business, and decided that if she ever needed money, that was the business she would go into. Now was that time, so she asked him, "Teach me everything you know in 24 hours." He became her mentor, and she fired hundreds of questions at him.

United was not an overnight success, and Serlin worked hard for her achievements. They did not come easily. The entrepreneur started her business by knocking on the doors of firms that might have scrap metal to sell, and she searched the back alleys of Chicago for any metallic waste. What she collected, she sold to bigger dealers. Her motivation was survival - she needed money to pay the bills and feed the kids. She worked long hours every day of the week.

Busting the boys' club

Serlin was determined to make United a success, and ignored the skepticism and naysayers who predicted that a woman couldn't succeed in a traditional male-dominated industry. When she drove into scrap yards, men would stop, stare, and smirk as she loaded her truck. They assumed she wasn't going to last, but this only spurred her on even more. Serline believed that she could do anything she wanted to, once commenting, "I never knew I had a limit." Her competitors under estimated her drive and ambition, which allowed her to slip under their radar.

When the business started to pick up, she was able to move out of her garage and buy an old crumbling building on a small plot of land. And she deliberately kept the exterior dingy so her competitors would not know how well she was doing. Meanwhile she tastefully and beautifully decorated her office and proceeded to buy all the property behind her. Today she owns more than 35 acres and employs 200 people, and the company recycles hundreds of materials including metal, wood, paper, and plastics.

Willing to do the work

The scrap metal maven's company has enjoyed rapid growth during the 31 years of its existence, and Serlin knows exactly why. She believes her success has come from sheer hard work and putting in the hours, to ensure that she offers her customers a better service than that offered by the comptition. It's also been about reinvention, staying ahead of the game, and reacting faster than everyone else. These are qualities that have become increasingly important during the tough economic climate, when manufacturers are making fewer products and therefore don't use as much metal as in previous years.

"No excuses" paid off

Serlin's millions have made their way into her bank account because she thinks big, and is not afraid to fail - as long as there are more wins than losses. Her personal motto is "just do it," and she says she was using it long before Nika adopted the mantra. "No conversation, no excuses. If you're swift, everything seems to work better," she told Entrepreneur magazine. "When yoiu belabor something, it just doesn't work."

Bonnie Kelly & Teresa Walsh
Cofounders of Silpada Designs

How do you take a mere $50 and turn it into a multimillion-dollar company with more than 3 million customers? Just ask Bonnie Kelly and Teresa Walsh. They first met in 1985 when the oldest of each of their children started first grade. After chatting about how they both could make a little extra cash, they hit upon the bright idea of pursuing their passion for making jewelry. They were stay-at-home moms and wanted a business that didn't take them too far from their front doors. With both of the husbands temporarily unemployed, times were tough, but Kelly and Walsh made the decision to take $25 each from their grocery funds to buy some jewelry from a Kansas City area jewelry manufacturer, which they sold.

No experience? No problem.

The dynamic duo then started to design their own jewlery and throw parties to sell their new creations. Despite having no background in sales, they were an instant success. The key was having fun, just a few girls getting together to try on some jewelry, and there were no high-pressure sales tactics. Eventually Kelly and Walsh were doing about 150-200 parties a year, and earning between $100,000 and $150,000 in sales. All the while they were reinvesting their money in their company until they could afford to sell just sterling. However, as much as they were having a ball, the parties were labor intensive and exhausting - they didn't have a catalog, and so they were bringing all their merchandise to each party. Making an executive decision, the pair decided they had only two choices - quit or get bigger. Quitting was never really an option, so they took a leap of faith and planned on how they would grow their business.

Instrumental in what happened next was the fact that they were constantly being asked, "How can we get your job?" They never had an answer. And that's what prompted them to come up with the party-plan idea, with independent representatives seling their jewelry lines. The two women and their husbands knew they were sitting on something exciting, so they designed a business model and created a cataog.

These were nervous times, and they were taking a big risk by going from what was really a part-time job to a full-time business. Kelly's husband, Jerry, quit his job to come on board, and the couple took out a second mortgage to invest in the new company. Walsh and her husband sold stock. Though concerned about what they had let themselves in for, Kelly and Walsh were fueled by their enthusiasm for sterling silver jewelry. And they believed in themselves.

Word-of-mouth worked

Silpada grew through word-of-mouth. In 1997, they were working out of the basement of one of their homes with 14 sales representatives. But by the end of the 2001, their sales revenues had jumped from $1 million to $3 million. However, this presented huge logistical problems which they had to sort out if the were to grow any bigger.

The company had doubled its growth every month, but Kelly and Walsh were not prepared for it. They did not offer online ordering, and there were two-hour waits to get through to customer service representatives. In time they caught up with their ordesr and formed a plan to stay ahead of growth by creating an infrastructure to support it. They moved into a new building, hired 22 people, and put the software in place. And their growth has been phenomenal ever since.

Dazzling success

In 2004, retail sales exceeded $50 million, and by 2008 the annual figure had shot up to nearly $280 million. Today, there are more than 28,000 representatives across the country and a corporate headquarters and distribution center in Lenexa, Kansas. Their love of jewelry is matched by a desire to empower their own successful careers and attain financial freedom.

Kelly and Walsh succeeded because they were prepared to take risks and because they knew that their company could be as big as their dreams allowed. They have demonstrated that it is entirely possible to do something you love and make millions.

Eileen Gittins
Founder and President of Blurb.com

Once upon a time there was a photographer and serial entrepreneur who found herself between jobs after the crash of the dot.com boom. With time on her hands, she gave herself a project of snapping and interviewing former colleagues. Out of the adventure energed a multimillion-dollar idea and a highly profitable company that has turned out to be the most exciting chapter in Eileen Gittins' career.

At the end of the project Gittins had amassed some great shots and incredible stories, and was thinking of a way to say thank you to her photographic subjects. Her first instinct was to create a website, but she quickly ruled it out because it didn't feel right as a gift. That's when she hit upon the idea of creating a book. Gittins knew that self-publishing was expensive, time-consuming, and hard to do, but she was fired up with a fervor to create a model where anyone could make a professional-quality book - to give as a gift or sell and market online.

A riveting read

So she created Blurb.com, a creative publishing service that believes you don't need deep pockets or friends in high places to get a book published. It's a marriage of e-commerce, print-on-demand technology, and desktop publishng, and the tough nut that Gittins had to crack was to work out how to become profitable from the printing of just one book.

The hi-tech bookworm operates a 360-degree approach to her ideas, and always asks herself tough questions to see if something will work. It's the only way to spot objections and potential pitfalls, and with Blurb.com there were three that she needed to iron out if the company were to have a chance of making it. The first issue was that she simply had to come up with a way of being able to print books efficiently so that every item could make money. Secondly, she wondered if she really was the only person in the universe to have thought of this idea. And finally, Gittins worried that she might go to jail over copyright issues. Sos she had a good ideabut it couldn't become a great business until she sorted out these problems.

Her talking paid off

Her way of tackling the issues was to talk to everyone who would listen. Now, in business there is a school of thought that says you shouldn't talk to anyone about your ideas lest they steal them from you. Gittins doesn't subscribe to this viewpoint, thinking that it's not so much about the nub of the idea as how it is executed. She believes that talking widely is good business sense, because you never know what ideas people might have or whom they might know. So she talked to people on planes, on buses, and at parties. She got community groups together, and in so doing was able to hook up with printers and people in the publishing world. She spoke with them about the economics because a bestseller, and then approached software companies to find out how to build the application.

The end result is super savvy piece of downloadable software called Booksmart, a completely user-friendly way of controlling the design and layout of books. With all problems fixed, the company formed in 2005, and by the end of its first operational year Blurb.com had raked in $1 million. Gittins started making a profit during the second year, and within 24 months the revenue had skyrocketed to $30 million. During 2008 the company produced almost 1 million books. Blurb.com has not spent a dime on advertising - customers come via the blogosphere and word-of-mouth.

Switched on and tuned in

Gittins believes that one of the keys to her success is being a pattern recognizer who makes her own luck. What she means by this is that her radar is constantly trawling what's going on around her at all times. It's both a conscious and an unconscious process wherein she is constantly tuning in and looking for trends, new markets, talent, people, and opportunities. She is always switched on. So from an observer's point of view, it may look like she hit upon a lucky streak by creating a company at the right time with the right idea, but in reality it's part of a long and continuous process that involves being observant at all times.

Another key element that has helped Gittins to make her millions is that she is doing something she loves, a concept she feels every entrepreneur should have. "Be authentic and do something you love," she told and interviewer on Dutch television. "If you don't love it, do something else you love. Because it is hard to build a company, but it is tremendously rewarding if it is something that is personally gratifying to you." -P.A.

http://www.thealimagazine.com/how-theyve-made-millions

Take a Tip from Restaurants on Email Marketing & Social Media

If you've got a business that requires getting the word out to customers on a daily or weekly basis, using email marketing with social media can lead to a winning combination. One industry that can thrive on this type of combination is the hospitality industry and specifically restaurants. Because of the "up-to-the-minute" nature of these three marketing vehicles, it's perfect for this perpetually changing business. Let's take a look at some great examples.

Email Marketing

You are probably using email marketing to announce chef specials, menu changes, special events and parties and send emails weekly or monthly. Too many restaurants don't keep up with their customers during the year, then start jamming emails out to them in the holiday season for large parties and events. Remember, events happen all year long so you'll need to stay in front of them at all times. Email is also a great way to build your social media lists. To build your Twitter list make sure you tell your email marketing recipients in your emails to follow you on Twitter. Include a link to let them know they'll be able to get your daily specials, then watch your Twitter list grow! You also might want to include a message in your bill holder to sign up for your email list AND follow you on Twitter.

Twitter

I bet if you run or work in a restaurant and run daily specials, one of your top telephone requests is "What type of soup do you have today?", or "What are your specials?". This can be maddening especially if you're busy. Twitter to the rescue! This is a perfect application for 140 characters. One important note: keep your Tweets to 10-20 characters less than the 140 characters allowed on Twitter. This will allow for others to ReTweet your post. Then your message will get in front of new people who might also end up following you.

Facebook

If you have daily specials that won't fit into Twitter's character limitations, you can include a link to your specials or post them on your wall on Facebook. You can also use the "events" feature to post special pairings and tasting events. And have the chef post that she just went to the farmer's market and is preparing something special for the evening with a picture of the dish.

You don't need to have a restaurant to put these great ideas to work for your business, especially if you've got things that change a lot on a day-to-day basis. This is a great way to combine all of these great things to get more business coming in your door.

Motivate Employees to Get Email Addresses - Just Not This Way

I just read an article about a restaurant owner who wrote a nasty email (careful, this contains SEVERE language, folks) to his employees for not collecting email addresses. In fact, if they don't collect at least 20 emails a week, he's planning on fining them $100, and if they don't collect at least 20 emails in 2 weeks they're fired. This was reported by an anonymous tipster, but the owner does admit sending it.

Now I applaud that he sees the value in email marketing, however he's crossing the line by his actions and demeanor (in my opinion).

Why not do it in a positive fashion, after all, email marketing will get customers in the door and stressing to your staff that the people who will benefit will be them, might just work in your favor. Here are a few more constructive ideas:

• For every valid email address your staff gets give them $2.
• If they get 20 valid email addresses they get a kicker of $50.
• Have a contest with your staff, whoever gets a certain number of emails wins a prize like cash or a nice bottle of bubbly.
• Motivate your customers to give you their email addresses by having "email only" offers in the bill holder. Test different offers to see what works like a free birthday dinner up to $xx, or free appetizers on their next visit. This gives your employees a reason to ask the customers for their addresses. Giving up something of value to get it in return can go a long way.
• At the host stand or checkout, display a business card bowl or a sign up book, then have the host stop people on the way out the door and tell them about "email only" offers.
• Give an automatic 5% VIP discount for any customer who is on the email address list.

These are just a few positive ways to get your staff excited about collecting email addresses instead of forcing it down their throats. If you've got any ideas of your own, please comment!

10 Ways to Get More Clicks in Your Email Campaigns

We all want our recipients to open our email campaigns, right? But it's what happens after the open we're truly concerned about. We want our recipients to read our articles and take action whether it's buying a product, service or donating to our cause. Here are ten easy actions you can take and put to work in your email marketing campaigns that might just get them clickin'.

1. More Links - Obviously you'll link your call-to-action such as "Click Here", but try linking your words within your article or pitch. You might find that people will respond better to more links.

2. Link Your Headlines - If you write a newsletter and you've got headlines for your articles, try linking the entire headline. If you sell a product link the product name.

3. Link Your Images - People are used to being taken somewhere when they click on an image. If you've got an image that relates to your product or cause, link it!

4. Include a Table of Contents - Let people get to the content they want to see fast by using anchor tags in your table of contents at the top of your email. There are however, issues with anchor tags not working properly for Outlook 2007 and a few other email clients so those who read their emails using these clients won't be able to click.

5. Tease Them - Include half the story in your email and link off to the other half. Make sure in your link you tell them there is more to read. A good suggestion might be "Click to finish reading this fantastic article..." or something of that nature. Then on the page you direct them to, you can include offers that relate to your content.

6. Link Your Offer - If you've discounted a product make sure you link either the text or the image you use.

7. Free Gift - Give a free gift with purchase or donation, but only tell them what it is if they click on the link. Then you've got more real estate on the page to tell your story.

8. Give an Expiration Date - See how crazy Neiman Marcus went with their two-hour sale email. Make sure you link the date to where you want them to go.

9. Link to a Customer Video - Perhaps you've got a customer who made a video about your business. Why not link to it in your emails? Nothing sells you better than one of your customers plus your customer will tell all of his friends about it.

10. Personalize Your Links - If you've got a special offer, why not try including your recipients name in the link. "John, click here for your special discount" or "Stanley, click here to learn more about how you can save the Bay."

The more clicks the better. Get linking!

Your Brand is Everything You Do

I was thinking about how people perceive brands these days from the biggest brands like Sephora to the smaller brands like Birdy Botanicals. The word "brand" is usually used for BIG companies so I started thinking; what IS a brand and how do you know if you have one?

Well everyone has a brand, but the scary thing is, you don't own it! It is a harsh reality. So who does own your brand? Your prospects and customers that's who! Your brand is their perception of how they interact with you, your products and your services.

Your People Are Your Brand

Sounds scary right? But if you've got people working the front lines and they're interacting with your customers, your customers will have a perception of the type of persona your company has. They will form an opinion of your brand.

I was recently at a trade show and stopped by a booth to ask a question about the company. Nice enough guy, but didn't have a clue at what his company did, nor did he use the "I'm new" excuse. I thought wow, a company would spend all of this money to have someone here that clearly wasn't trained on the most basic question. My perception about their brand? Not so good.

What's your persona? Is it conveyed to your customers through the people that work at your company? What do they think of you? If they are face to face with prospects, what are they wearing? Are people tweeting about you on Twitter (using Tweetdeck it's easy to type in your company name in the search and follow what people might be saying about you) or Yelping about an experience they had? If it's negative, and hold onto your hats it could happen, you have the ability to change perceptions by changing the way people are interacting with you or your employees.

Your Products Are Your Brand

The products and services that you sell are also your brand. You may have a perception of a company like Apple as high-quality but they'll cost a bit more where a company like HP offers lower quality, lower cost items. Both still have positive "brands" and offer products that appeal to certain people. Apple has taken branding to a new level by not only having a brand for their products, but they've done a good job of attempting to brand their competitor's product line in their "Mac vs. PC" campaigns. The Mac being the cool kid and the PC being the older not-so-cool guy. This forced Microsoft to fire back with a great campaign "I'm a PC".

One more important thing to remember: set expectations up front about your products and make sure that any product or service you sell is what you say it is. When you start over-promising and under-delivering, that's where your brand might get into some real muddy waters.

Your Service is Your Brand

To this day when my husband orders a pair of shoes from Zappos on a Sunday night and they arrive on Monday morning he screams "I love Zappos, how do they DO that?". Service plays a huge role in any company. From the Dentist who calls her patients on the evening of their root canals to see how they're doing, to the person who gets answered in a live chat after only waiting one minute, it all makes a difference.

With everything going a mile a minute on the Internet, every business has to step up their game. So throw some lollipops into that next shipment to your customers with a hand-written thank you note and see how far that might actually go. Oh, don't forget, get the shipment there on time!

Your Marketing Is Your Brand

How you communicate to your customers is your brand. If you're advertising your law firm, your marketing better not be as edgy as a tattoo parlor. The way you write, the words you use, and your logo should say something about your brand. However you choose to advertise, be as consistent as possible. If your email marketing campaigns start to look completely different from your website and any collateral you produce, people may get confused and think of you as a bit chaotic. An example of edgy and fun? Woot! Contrast that to Dell. You've got two very different and very good brands.

Do you have control of your brand? Kind of. If you care about these things that have an effect on how people think about you, your brand will follow.