Business Blogging

Blogging is an extremely powerful mechanism to connect and communicate with millions of potential clients which no business can afford to ignore. Most business owners have realised the power of the medium of the blog and have jumped onto the blogging bandwagon. However, very few of them have been able to build successful blogs capable of communicating with the audience.

A blog is a reflection of your brand image and therefore it is absolutely vital that it conveys this image correctly. Do-it-yourself or hire an expert? When it comes to creating a winning blog, what can work?

The Do-It-Yourself Approach

The Do-It-Yourself approach to blogging has its own set of pros and cons. Here is an overview:

The Pros 

• Absolute control over the whole process of blogging
• Ability to share true and firsthand inside information
• Opportunity to share your insights

The Cons 

• Tendency to make blogs sound like sales pitches
• Lack of adeptness in creating content that works on search engines
• Waning enthusiasm
• Lack of dedicated time

How to make DIY Blogging work

When business owners write their own blogs, they find it difficult to resist using a sales pitch. Turning your post into a sales pitch is the last thing you might want to do, as readers don't like being forced to read advertising material.

People come to a blog seeking information that is going to help them solve an issue. So, make sure that you provide your users with interesting and informative content.

If your content is not optimised for search engines, your blog is likely to go unnoticed. In order to make your blog irresistible to search engines, you need to find industry specific keywords and write content seasoned with the right keywords.

When you're busy running a business, finding time to research and write can be challenge. Since the writing process demands undivided attention, you might get carried away from your core business activity. You need to put aside a specific amount of time and make sure that content is getting updated on a regular basis. If you're not able to constantly update your blog in spite of all your efforts, the best thing you can do is to employ someone else to maintain your blog.

Hiring a Blogger

Like the DIY approach, hiring a blogger also has its own sets of benefits and drawbacks:

The Pros 

• Professional expertise
• Content Optimised for search engines
• Regular posting
• Time to focus on core business activities

The Cons 

• Cost factor
• Limited control over the process
• Anxiety about the focus shift

How to make it work

No gain without pain. The same goes true with hiring a blogger to write your blog. When you invest in hiring a professional, you get a bandwidth of experience.

To take full control over the process, you need to make reviewing a habit. This way you can help the people who have been hired to write your blog enrich your copy with exclusive industry insights and make sure that everything is on the right track.

When you have control over the process there is no question of anxiety about the focus shift.

Now that you have weighed the pros and cons of the 'DIY' and 'hiring a blogger' approach, take a smart business decision that will make your business blog thrive and open new avenues of sales and success.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6285734

New And Future Business Gadgets

The changing technology has brought about so many changes that even the corporate world is now under its influence. The high speed internet, memory cards and mobile phones are always being upgraded as they become more compatible and advanced. Moreover, the overall success of these latest gadgets is also dependent upon their affordability, because of which it is easier to be well equipped with the latest gadgets, regardless of how big the organization is.

Keeping in mind the previous trend of the technology, how do we anticipate the future to be? Moreover, how would this impact the organizations and businesses? With the gadgets now being considered as fashion accessories, the future trends regarding the use of gadgets appear to be quite positive.

Initially, these gadgets particularly mobile phones and memory sticks were being marketing towards catering to individuals and their existing needs. However, without doubt, it can be said that these gadgets have also taken over the business world and the corporate needs of the employees are also being sanctioned by these gadgets.

This has enabled employees to access their emails via their mobiles, and use the WiFi to connect to their office even while travelling. Many businesses also promote the use of these gadgets as it not only lets the employees carry a brand image, but also enhances their connectivity with the office.

With the technological evolution rising at such a great pace, one can only anticipate what the future of this trend would present us with. Despite a general slowdown in the economy, one can predict that many competing companies would be desperate to launch the new latest gadget. Moreover, there are also huge chances that these businesses would upgrade their gadgets in order to gain a competitive advantage over other competitors.

The latest trend of going green i.e. being environmentally safe is also amongst some of the key factors that consumers tend to prefer. This would, to some extent, slow the potential of the growth of these markets as they tend to figure out the methods so meet their environmentally safe equipments. The corporate businesses would fully utilize their capacity to increase their brand image by utilizing the latest gadgets. This would not only make them carry an image, but would also relate them to factors such as being modern, quick and ambitious. This would also be beneficial for the gadgets themselves as the promotional ones would help them gain the popularity they need without spending a lot of money on their marketing.

Lots of changes have already occurred and more are still to come ahead in this regard. However, only time will reveal what the future of these gadgets contain. Considering the past trends, there are high chances that promotional gadgets would not lose their appeal and will actually render an important role to create the brand image and the brand value that their creators have anticipated. This along with the fact that not only people, but also businesses want to be associated with this 'brand image' would accentuate the appeal of these gadgets.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/5859849

Reasons to File For Personal Bankruptcy

Filing for personal bankruptcy is a serious decision that should not be taken lightly. But, bankruptcy can be beneficial and allow you to get a fresh financial start. Here are a few reasons why you may want to file either a chapter 7 personal bankruptcy or a chapter 13 personal bankruptcy.

1. You Have Outstanding Medical Bills- A single trip to an emergency room can cost you $20,000 or more. So, if you suffer a broken leg you and are required to have emergency surgery you can, in an instant, became literally destitute. Therefore, by filing bankruptcy you will likely be able to discharge outstanding medical bills.
2. Your Wages Are Being Garnished- When you are sued and a judgment is placed against you the creditor can garnish your wages. This means that money will automatically be taken out of your paycheck. This can be a devastating situation. For example, in Nevada a creditor can potentially garnish up to 25% of our wages. Thus, when you file for bankruptcy you will automatically stop the creditor from garnishing your wages.
3. Your Property is Being Foreclosed- Certain states allow a homeowner to be sued under a deficiency judgment when their house is foreclosed upon. A deficiency occurs when a bank loses money upon selling a house that is foreclosed upon. Basically, if your owe $100,000 on your house and the bank can only sell your house for $30,000 you can be sued for the $70,000 difference. So, by filing for a bankruptcy you can stop the bank from suing you for the $70,000 deficiency. (Please Note, that a deficiency judgment is only allowed in certain states. )
4. You Lose a Law Suit- If you lose a lawsuit the other party will then be able to collect on what you owe them via the judgment. By filing for bankruptcy you maybe able to stop the other side from collecting their judgment.

These are just a few reasons why filing for a bankruptcy can be useful. However, before filing for a personal bankruptcy you need to consult an experienced bankruptcy attorney. An experienced attorney will tell you the differences between chapter 13 and a Chapter 7 bankruptcy and will be able to advise you if bankruptcy is even necessary. The majority of all bankruptcy attorneys will give a you a free consultation. So, if possible you should get a second opinion. So, do not be cheap. See a an experienced bankruptcy attorney before you make any decision upon whether or not to file for bankruptcy.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6137407

Using A Branding Agency To Choose A Business Logo

One of the most integral elements of starting your own business is getting the logo right. By utilising the services of a branding agency, you are much more likely to create a logo that is fitting to your company and which engages customers and the general public alike.

In order to successfully design a logo for your business needs, there are various steps and considerations that it is prudent to take into account. A lot of companies will commit to a logo without properly considering it and don't quite comprehend that it will, essentially, be the face of their business on a daily basis for a considerable time to come. Speaking to a branding agency is the best method of establishing how to create a strong brand identity and a well considered logo for your company.

Things to Consider when Choosing your Brand Logo

There are a variety of considerations to take into account when coming up with the right logo for your business. If you decide to go down the route of using a professional branding agency to help create your business image, it is also worthwhile to peruse their portfolio of clients to make sure that they have a track record of success in delivering results to high profile businesses and organisations.

Taking the time to carefully choose the right branding agency will certainly yield dividends in the long term because they will know what it takes to properly engage your target audience and convince them of the reputability and worthiness of your brand over your competitors.

It goes without saying that choosing the right branding agency for your particular requirements is an endeavour which is fraught with potential pitfalls but if you discover a team of brand strategists and marketing professionals with an impressive body of work and good word of mouth, the chances are that they will be able to propel your business to the next level.

Return on investment is something that is essential for a branding agency to achieve and through good quality designs, well planned advertising campaigns and savvy marketing expertise; an agency will be able to accomplish this objective. Your company logo is certainly one of the cornerstones of creating your business identity and if you get this wrong, it can be fairly problematic to recover from. As such, the need to get it right first time is clearly apparent and a branding agency are definitely a valuable aid in making sure you achieve this.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6292384

Defense PR

Overview Of The Defense Industry

The defense industry is one that is broad and diverse, covering a wide range of areas including the army, air force, security services, communications, logistics and personnel.

Many topics of defense cannot come into the public eye for reasons of security therefore PR is needed in order to protect issues and occurrences as and when they do come out.

Within the defense industry, there are thousands of companies of all shapes and sizes, some are involved in the media spotlight on a regular basis (BAE systems for example) and some very rarely.

The defense sector is still a commercial industry, governed by funding, politics and economics; as such needs to have marketing in order for one defense company to stand out over another. As such, PR and marketing are needed for a variety of applications (promotion, product launches, crisis PR etc.).

Importance Of PR For The Defense Industry

PR is very important for many defense companies and as such, selecting the right agency is crucial.

When selecting a PR agency there are a few factors that need to be considered before selecting an appropriate agency:

Defense Experience

The most important thing for many defense businesses is experience, as knowing the market is essential to success. Many defense companies will handle the PR themselves, using internal sources that have been screened (and in some cases signed the official secrets act) and of which there poses little security risk.

However from time to time, defense companies will turn to mainstream PR companies for projects, campaigns and media support; here is where the experience does kick in.

Knowledge of the industry and products can add specific value when communicating this to the media sector; along with knowing which media channels to talk to.

Cost

Due to the economic recession many government (and private) defense companies have been under the knife as regards to cost cutting goes. Many departments are under review and some have had cuts made already; marketing and PR will be no different.

Getting value for money is something that the current government is looking into (especially after the story of the defense industry overspending on lighting bulbs paying £25 per bulb when the same can be found on the internet for around £2).

Any PR agency working in the defense sector will most likely come under the same light of improving costs and increasing work output. PR prices will vary from agency to agency; so it would be a case of comparing a few PR companies to find out which ones can provide the best PR package.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6214519

How To Become A Professional Photographer

Photography is an excellent career, and is an excellent choice for a small business plan if you have even a small talent with taking pictures. Even if you don't have much talent at taking artistic pictures, you can easily become a photographer, start your own small business, and make a career out of photography. It will take dedication and effort, but anyone can become a photographer with sufficient motivation.

The first thing to know is what kind of photographer you want to be: 

• Photojournalists snap pictures for magazines, TV stations, and newspapers
• Industrial and commercial photographers take pictures for brochures, catalogs, advertisements, reports and other publicity media
• Scientific photographers take pictures of items that will be used as illustration in a scientific journal or paper
• Portrait photographers often own their own small business or studio, and are hired to take pictures of people and events
• Fine arts photographers snap pictures of things that are very artistic, and their photography is always highly creative and artsy
• Freelancers take pictures of everything and anything, and are willing to work in any area of photography

Once you have decided which of the above branches of photography suits your desires, it is time to get to work studying. Each of these areas of photography requires some sort of degree or career studied in photography or creative arts. It may take a number of years for you to truly obtain the necessary knowledge to become a professional photographer, but it is necessary to obtain experience and skills if you want to truly be recognized as a professional.

You don't have to wait until you have completed your years of study, but you can start your own small business or photography studio as soon as you feel you have sufficient knowledge of photography to be proficient in certain areas. It is important to do some research into opening a small business or photography studio, and you should take the time to study or attend courses that will train you how to effectively manage a small business.

You will also need to purchase the necessary gear that running a photo studio requires, such as: 

• A high quality camera
• Tripod
• Lenses
• Multiple Flash devices
• Backdrops
• SD storage cards
• A computer
• Photo editing software
• The physical building for your photo studio

This is just the basics, but purchasing the above things will help you take the first step towards becoming a photographer.

You should create a portfolio of pictures that you have taken, either in your studio or out and around your town. If you haven't been hired for any professional jobs, don't worry. You can easily go out into nature and snap as many artistic pictures as possible. You can also take pictures of architecture, buildings, bridges, and pretty much anything else that can showcase your talent as an artist.

There are many ways to promote yourself as a photographer: 

• Use online stock photo sites like ShutterStock to help spread your pictures around the Internet
• Visit local advertising and publicity agencies and offer your services
• Visit your local newspaper and try to get hired as a freelance photographer for their pages
• Start a website to display your pictures

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6252023

Sending Money to Family in a Foreign Country

Many people move from developing countries to the United States and Europe in hopes of better financial opportunities. As they start to accumulate wealth, they make remittances to their families back home. A remittance is a specific term for a foreign worker who makes a money transfer to his country of origin. This practice is a growing trend that plays a large part in the economic development and prosperity of many countries. The act of sending money to support a family member can be traced as far back as the 19th century. European countries such as Spain, Ireland and Italy were dependent on money transfers from their expatriates around the globe. In fact, up until 1946, Spain counted on remittances for 21 percent of their total national income. Interestingly, in England the flow of capital was in the opposite direction of today's money transfers; instead of sending cash back to a home country, funds were sent from England to its distant colonies. Today the majority of remittances are sent from the United States to three major regions: Asia, Latin America and Africa. In Asia the top recipient countries are: 

• India
• Philippines
• China

The largest recipient of funds in Asia is India, with over 55 billion USD received in 2010 alone. Latin America is another region that is dependent on money transfers from the United States as a major source of its GDP. Some of the top recipient countries in this area are: 

• Mexico
• Honduras
• El Salvador
• Haiti

Haiti counts on money transfers to make up over 30% of its GDP, rendering it the most remittance dependent country in Latin America. There are about 30 million African Adults living in countries outside of their continent with the potential of sending money back home. Statistics from the World Bank show that the top recipients in Africa are: 

• Nigeria
• Sudan
• Kenya

Out of these countries, Nigeria collects the highest amount, with over 10 billion USD received in 2010 alone. The large amount of remittances has given rise to many vendors who provide money transfer services. In the past you had to go to a bank in order to send the money. Today there are a growing number of internet sites that offer money transfer services online. These provide a quick, safe, and easy alternative to the in person approach. Average costs range between 5 and 10 dollars for every 1K USD sent. Regardless of the method or region, money remittances allow for the sharing of prosperity across the globe.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6258334

How To Get Niche Specific In Your Business

Are you operating in a niche in your business? If not, then you're probably paying way too much on advertising. You see you can get far better results than what you're getting now if you get niche specific with your target audience. For example, if you own an auto repair car shop, you can raise your prices and earn more by going into a niche. So instead of servicing all kinds of vehicles, consider servicing Honda's and change the theme of your business.

Why would you earn more by going into a niche like this? Well the answer should be obvious. You see the prospects that you would be focusing on will perceive you as the go-to guy in your niche. People who own Honda's want their cars to be serviced by someone who knows what they're doing. They will think that you have serviced hundreds of Honda's, so the skill of repairing their Honda shouldn't even be an option.

I didn't figure this out until I came upon the conclusion that I'm making less money in my business than rivals of mine. Once I discovered that they were servicing a different set of customers in my niche, I immediately hopped on the bandwagon and started servicing a group of different customers also. This did wonders in my business, and I think it will do the same for you too.

So how can you focus on a specific group of people in your niche? Well, one way to learn how to do it is by looking at lawyer TV ads. Instead of being a general lawyer, these people are targeting different sets of prospects. One lawyer is targeting on the job injuries; another lawyer is targeting people with mesothelioma; and another lawyer is targeting car accident injuries. This is just being smart. These lawyers can send their prices through the roof simply because their marketing message is tied to a more specific group of people.

You should to figure out ways to do the same thing also. I'm confident that you can get even more niche specific in your business. And it's important that you do so because as long as you operate in a general, huge market.... you're destined to go out of business sooner rather than later.

So can you come up with any ideas on how to go into a niche in your business? The first step involves totally changing the theme of your business. If you think that this will take a long time, then believe it or not, you won't. The first step is revising all of your ads and other marketing pieces.

Once you have changed your ads, you may want to consider revamping your place of business. If you own a bakery, you could turn your business into a cupcake shop. You could be the number place in town, (or in the state) - that provides excellent cupcakes at low prices.

You can get creative with your approach, but the goal is to position all of your products and services in a way that seems like the obvious answer to your prospects. Take you time on changing the theme of your business and you will be good to go.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6249101