Studies I have read show advertising done in a news article format has a higher return rate than that of its counterpart the regular advertisement. You know the box ad in your local newspaper that gives the business name, what they sell and how to get a hold of them.

Instead turn your advertising into an informative article. You are an expert at whatever it is your business sells. What you need to do now is write an article filled with real world statistics and relate that to your business. Remember if you make it sound like an ad people will take it that way and brush it off. If you make it sound newsworthy, interesting, educational and informative, people will be more likely to respond.

On your next advertising campaign give it a try. Write about 300 to 500 words of your very best news article related to your business. If you are not much of a writer, get a local college or high school student to do it for you for a small fee. They would love to get the experience and a few bucks on the side.

You could also use this same article as a later press release for even more publicity if you so wish. It is entirely up to you. But rest assured your advertising campaign should include this very creative way to reach your potential customers.

A half hour later we returned, I poured my coffee and as I often do I sat at the kitchen table reading one of my favorite business magazines. I was particularly intrigued with an article in regards to how failure is actually a good thing when it comes to business. In my own business experiences I have failed so I proceeded to read on as to see how what the author was describing directly correlates to my situations that I encountered.

As I concluded the article talked about parallels to my own business and probably yours, ones of finding the positives out of the negatives, meeting a new person in bad business ventures and why a person who has failed is stronger than one who has not.

Take the first point of pulling the positives out of the negatives. It is invariably easier to get down on yourself and say, “oh why did this happen to me”, or “I can't believe it didn't work out.” However we need to focus in on the positives here. Write down the reasons the venture failed. Did it fail because of, lack of funding, a bad business partner, not enough research up front or you provided a business or service that people did not want?

All issues that are very fixable when you can clearly see what the issues are to begin with. As I have found in business, regardless of how bad a business venture goes, you will find one or more people that are wonderful human beings, great mentors and/or excellent business people. I recently built a property to flip and sell. However the project took a long time to complete, as we hired people who weren't right for the job or we hit government road blocks with certain regulations. By the time the property was complete the real estate market tanked and I had to take a huge hit on it. Ok, lesson learned.

But along the way I met some really good people. One's that helped steer me in the right direction and others who worked hard to get the job done in a timely fashion and on budget. To this day I am still friends with these people and when the situation exists, I call upon them for help. I can almost guarantee that you know many of the same that I do.

A person who fails is stronger because they now know what doesn't work! Yes a little backwards in the way of thinking but you now have found an avenue in your business that hits unnecessary roadblocks or walls that will either cost you too much time, money or both. Failure is a part of life, whether it is in business or your daily routine. Those that are able to use that failure to their advantage and learn what to do because of it, are those that rise above and succeed.

It may be time to consider moving your business if the area you operate in lacks expansion opportunities. Your inventory should include in-depth research into potential employment areas that thrive during a recession. Hardship is an excellent motivator for out-of-the-box thinking. Relocation can be temporary for a family or only include the bread winner. Flexibility exists and a well-planned business blueprint will facilitate success.

So where’s the money and more importantly, how can you grab some of it?

A look at corporations maintaining or excelling in today’s volatile market is a good place to start. Energy stocks, particularly mining coal, natural gas and crude oil are winners. Labor shortages exist in these sectors, training is required and while the job is dangerous, the pay is excellent.

Allied health fields are maintaining their standing in the nation’s employment sector. If there is time, short vocational training together with solid pay and benefits, make this trade a winner. The military is always hiring for anyone who ever aspired to a military career. The maximum age for enlistment has risen and the benefits are excellent.

Got land? Farm it. Chances are you are sitting on a goldmine. Need a cash infusion to get started? Look to the federal government. Agriculture is encouraged as food becomes the new gold to an explosive world population. Look specifically at crops and animals exported as staples to other countries like sweet potatoes and goats. The return on investment can exceed locally consumed goods.

Perspective is fundamental when you find the rock you built upon has crumbled. Team work, networking and strategic management of your personal income will give you a sense of control, renew hope and lend a sense of accomplishment as you are able to meet a series of small goals. Many of us don’t have the luxury of mourning the Wall Street debacle. Time is, literally, money.

I will tell you that it won't be easy, but the more prepared you are will help you through the peaks and valleys as you embark on an incredible journey of business ownership. Preparation is the key to a lot of challenges you tackle in life and starting, running and owning a business is no different. You must be ready when business is slow, and be prepared to expand when business is great. So what are these sources that can help you get started?

1] The Library - Or more specifically your local library. With the popularity of the internet for doing research many people have forgotten about this valuable source. Not only does it contain millions of books, magazine articles and tools to help you succeed, but the people that work there are invaluable to you. My library has a person that works there for the sole purpose of helping to fine tune and polish your business plan. I am sure yours has one also.

2] SBA (Small Business Administration) - The government would love nothing more than to help you not only start a business but succeed at it. When you succeed you create jobs which create wealth. They can help you with managing your business, expanding it, increasing sales with some helpful advice, financing through guaranteed loans and of course ongoing support. You can visit their website by typing Small Business Administration into Google. Get to know that website and what the SBA can do for you.

3] S.C.O.R.E. (Counselors to America's Small Business) - This organization is made up of thousands of volunteers (10,500 to be exact) who are still in business, retired or worked as professionals in specific areas. You more than likely have a few dozen counselors within a few miles of your home right now. I personally have worked with 13 different counselors in fine tuning my own business plan. These counselors are a great source of knowledge and experience.

Don't forget about your own local municipal, county and state government offices. They also want to see your business succeed. Growing businesses help create jobs which in turn increases the value of the municipality and of the state in which it resides. So for your local and state government offices not to help you would be foolish.

Get to know these sources and get to know them well. They will be your guiding force on your journey towards your entrepreneurial dreams.

Here are the tips, in no order of priority:

• Get your customers and visitors (who maybe potential customers) excited about your products and services. Let them know why you, yourself, are excited. By all means, use exclamation points.

• Use incentives or reward programs to gain referrals. This is helpful if you don't have an affiliate program. Inform people that when they refer customers you will reward them with freebies. Reward programs also help keep people revisit your website. Rewards can be in the form of gifts or discounts.   

• Publish online magazines (or e-zines) for other related websites to increase your traffic. You can do it at no charge, but in return, ask for a sponsor ad in the succeeding issues.

• Stay away from overloading your website with too much high-tech gadgets and unnecessary images. They definitely slow down loading the web page and distract people away from your offer.

• Cut out words/terms and phrases in your ad copy that aren't selling your products and services. This way, people will not get bored or be put off with your ad.

• Keep people at your website for as long as possible. Maybe you can let them download free e-books or sign-up for contents.

• Test your ad copy before starting to take orders. This can be done by telling visitors to email you if they want to be notified when your new products and services are launched. 

• Encourage feedback and comments from your visitors and customers, current or potential.

Here's to success! May your business increase and multiply. 

Forget whatever you think you are, truth will always remain truth no matter how you may view it and in the part one (I) of this article I will expose you to the basic secrets to a successful business.

Ambition

The first indisputable secret to any successful venture has always been traced to ambition. To succeed in business there MUST be a high degree of ambition inside of you in order to achieve the level of success you so desire. I am yet to see anyone who has succeeded without ambition!

Some claims has portrayed the word “ambition” in bad light but I dare challenge any of these claimants to justify the reason why the average person on earth wants to live a better and quality life!

Ambition being a mind thing can be channeled either positively or negatively depending on the type of quest being embarked on. Desire which is a product of ambition which what inspires us to strive to become somebody in life is yet to be denied by anyone who have ever succeeded in business.

Except you are ambitious you can never exhibit the strong desire to do or achieve the level of success you so crave in your business. It takes guts, zests and zeal to get to the top and ONLY a strong determination inspired by ambition can help you attain this! Neglect ambition to your own peril!!!

Dependence

Are you dependable? Can people trust your word? Is your word your bond? Can you be vouched for? Do you give what you promised to deliver? Are you the type that cuts corners? Do you know that even the Devil needs a dependable ally? How often do you think people will leave their hard earned money to someone who is not dependable?

Integrity

Many people will surely frown at this but the basic truth is any business that MUST succeed and have its own dominance and relevance in any given market will have to imbibe the principle of INTEGRITY!

Take for example, the president of the United States comes out and declares openly that a particular person (say Austine Iroegbu) is a very intelligent young man. Of course, you will agree with me that nearly all Americans will subscribe to such a statement of fact just because the President (a man occupying the MOST respected seat in US) said so.

Irrespective of what you may think, the majority of Americans may even end-up asking Austine Iroegbu to do their thinking for them at any cost! Now, that is the power or call it “THE FORCE OF INTEGRITY”

Integrity is not an option in any business it is an obligation and responsibility for any business to succeed and keep succeeding over and over again!!!!!

Resourcefulness

Every business that has ever succeeded has proved that the major key players in decision making and managing of the business never took a complacent position on key in every area of the business.

Resourcefulness embraces both your talent and skills and also trainings. Since ability plus training equals success it proves that a successful business is vibrant and dynamic. A business devoid of resourceful people, ideas, skills, trainings, counsels and wisdom is bound to fail and sooner or later ground to a halt! It is to the detriment of any business when a single person or a group of persons with the same IQ levels become the ALMIGHTY THINK TANK of any business neglecting the humble opinions of junior staffs, customers and good friends. Definitely the business will fade as others that were before it.

Business Plan

Many businesses has failed or partially attained success because of either they had a poor business plan or failed to regularly update their business plan as new ideas and innovations came into play.

It is abundantly advisable (ask a professional) that before you venture into any business you must have a thorough and well organized business plan in content and in form. Life is always created into a business through a business plan. After thinking and fantasizing your thoughts of a brighter future the next good step to take is to draw up a plan for it. No matter how scanty your business plan maybe or look like initially, as you progress endeavor to make allowance or provisions for continuous update as more visions will surely come in the future.

Financial Discipline

Most times why many people venture into business is driven by the major factor FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY. A majority of people who so desire to become financially free take a leap into business in order to make ends meet or probably to augment other source(s) of income. For this reason such people who have ventured into business with such passion have always discovered that succeeding in business far much outweighs the initial enthusiasm that inspired them!

Financial discipline helps anyone to draw the line between being a spendthrift and being an investor. Since without financial discipline one may end up running in circles.

Mum once told me sometime ago, “Son whosoever that cannot make do with little can never make do with much.” In other words she meant, “if your salary cannot help you neither will your overtime!” to succeed in business you MUST realize that little is much; your ability to be financially prudent (being prude in money matter) will go a long way in influencing the growth of your business!

Moral Discipline

Though this isn’t a moral class yet it is important to know that your business’ success depends largely on your personal moral discipline. The level of your moral character invariably affects your reputation and directly determines your customer!

A good moral discipline helps to assert your standards and also helps to tame inordinate ambitions helping you to dignify modesty.

This by no means refers to religious piety but connotes that in all that you do learn to have self-control!

Personality

Never underestimate the power of personality and corporate image in any business venture! Although the word personality maybe used in a great variety of applications (both literally and figuratively) here it is used bearing in mind both usages. The way you package you person and your business matters a lot. The face and appearance your business carries is a direct reflection of your mentality and will definitely affect your market and class of patronage.

It is necessary to note that it is corporate personality that has led to product branding and packaging in business.

Vision

Succeeding in business needs you to train your senses to see further. You must have a vision of what and how you desire your business to be and become. If you observe history you will discover that those who have most powerfully and permanently influenced their generation have been the “seers”- people who have seen more farther than others!

Any businessman must have insight into things that will improve his business.

Vision includes foresight as well as it includes insight. A good businessman should be able to put his ear to the ground and listen for things that are yet to come!

Wisdom

“Wisdom is the faculty of making the use of knowledge, a combination of discernment, judgment, sagacity and similar powers… In scripture, right judgment concerning spiritual and moral truth” (Webster).

Wisdom in business is more than knowledge, which is the accumulation of facts. It has a personal connection and implies sagacity. It is more than human acumen and intelligence; It is a divine gift!

Wisdom is the skill to discern intently with high degree of accuracy into the heart of things and intricacies of the human mind. It is higher, far higher, than knowledge! A man without formal education but gifted with wisdom in business will go farther than a professor in the same field.

True and pure wisdom, undefiled, comes from God-Almighty!

Decision

When the facts are in, swift and clear decision is the mark of a true businessman. The man who possesses vision must do something about taking business decisions, or else he will remain a visionary, not a businessman! Although good and successful businessmen are quick to reach good decisions, however, such decision must be based on sound premises.

Once a businessman is sure of the facts and has been able to separate the truth from falsehood he should go into immediate action, regardless of the consequences. In pursuing his goal, he will have the courage to burn his bridges behind him!

Countless other entrepreneurs have been where you are now – ready to get started but not sure where to start. In this article, I will provide information on some of the newest food retailers to hit the franchise market. You never know, but one of these ideas might be in your near future.

Sonoma Coffee Café: Total Cost - $96.5K to 248K; Franchises: 5

Offers hot or iced coffee; assorted gourmet teas; frozen refreshments including smoothies; specialty drinks such as the Sonoma Mocha Diablo and sodas with flavored syrup products over ice. Sonoma coffee franchising provides multilevel support including referrals for third-party financing, site acquisition and development and lease negotiation. Additionally franchisees will be provided with vendor relationships, management training and personnel training.

The Cereal Bowl: Cost - $186K – 341K; Franchises: 19

Of course, there is cereal in the bowl but that’s not all that is offered here. A line of products including cereal flavored frozen yogurt, oatmeal smoothies, and cereal baked goods add a new twist to your favorite pastime. The Cereal Bowl provides a turnkey opportunity to get your franchise off the ground.

Make and Take Gourmet: $204.5K – 308K; Franchises: 9

It’s all about the convenience of home-cooked food without grocery shopping, prepping the ingredients and the dreaded cleanup. This is affordable and it just makes sense! You'll have fewer expensive stops for fast food and take-out. At under $3.00 a serving it costs less than a child’s meal at a fast food restaurant. Plus you’ll spend less money at the grocery store every month.

Coney Beach: $279K – 493K; Franchises: 0

A retro style, coastal inspired hot dog and burger store. Menu specialties include: all beef gourmet hot dogs, gourmet Angus burgers, loaded fries, classic shakes and bottled beer. Concept offers lunch, afternoon chill, dinner and catering. The primary element of this concept is simplicity of menu and operation.

Corporate Caterers Franchise: $86K – 188K; Franchises: 2

Concept offers easy ordering, fresh and tasty food presented in a professional manner and consistent service every day. There is a wide variety of choices made with quality ingredients. Provides breakfast, lunch and appetizer items that satisfy an assortment of tastes. Perfect for business events, training, company meetings and pharmaceutical lunches. The rules strive for work-family balance that include weekends off, no private parties and no nights.

“Market segmentation is the process of splitting customers, or potential customers, in a market into different groups, or segments”

The Process of Market Segmentation:

Mainly there are three steps involve in market segmentation.

Identifying Target Markets:

First, it is necessary to define the markets the organization is in, or wishes to be in, and how these divide into segments of customers with similar needs. The choice of markets will be influenced by the corporate objectives as well as the asset base. Information will be collected about the markets, such as the markets' size and growth, with estimates for the future.

Understanding the Value required by Target Market:

Once each market has been defined, it is necessary to understand what value the customers within each of the segments it divides into are looking for. This value is most simply thought of as the benefits gained from the product or service, but it can also encompass the value to the customer of surrounding services such as maintenance or information. This step also encompasses what the customer is prepared to give in exchange, in terms of price and other criteria, such as loyalty. This step of "Understand value required" also includes predicting the value which will be required in the future.

Understanding Competitor Value Positioning:

'Understand competitor value positioning' refers to the process of establishing how well the organization and its competitors currently deliver the value that the customers seek. Again it involves looking into the future to predict how competitors might improve, clearly a factor in planning how the organization is to respond.

From these three processes, the relative attractiveness of the different markets and, within each of them, their different segments can be evaluated. One tool of relevance here is Porter's five forces model (1985), showing the forces which shape industry competition and hence the attractiveness of a given market, or of a given segment. The output will be some form of analysis, and one way of summing up much of the key information is in a portfolio matrix. Such a matrix provides a sensible basis for prioritization amongst the many possible product/ segment combinations which the organization could address.

Levels and Basis of Market Segmentation

The following is a brief review of the "predetermined" approaches frequently used in market segmentation.

Products and services

The problem with segmenting markets according only to the products or services offered, or the technology type, is that in most markets, many different types of customers buy or use the same products or services. For example, if a mail company organizes itself around express packages, or around mail sorting, it is unlikely that the company will ever get to understand fully the real and different needs of, say, universities, banks, advertising companies, direct mail houses, manufacturing companies, retailers and so on. However, by understanding which particular features of the product or service appeal to different customers, along with features associated with all the other aspects of a purchase, such as the channel, we have a route for understanding the motivations behind the choices that are made. This is because it is through these features that customers seek to attain the benefits they are looking for. Once this is understood, the needs- based propositions required for different segments can be developed.

Demographics

Variables such as sex, age, lifestyle and so on, when used to define segments, are by implication claiming, for example, that every 30-35-year-old will respond to the same proposition.

Just reflect for a moment on the students in my years at school; would I expect them all to be wearing the same clothes, taking the same types of holidays, pursuing the same interests and driving the same cars? When someone wakes up on their birthday, do they become a stereotype associated with that age? For administrative convenience i would like the answer to be "yes", but the answer is "no". In business-to-business markets, customers are frequently segmented around business classification lines, which implies that all the companies in a particular sector, such as financial services, have exactly the same requirements and will respond to a single proposition. This approach could well be ignoring one or more of the following:

• Different divisions and departments existing behind the business descriptor may have different applications for the product or service you supply. For example, would the mail company mentioned earlier find that the advertising and promotions department has the same requirements and specifications for mail services as the sales ledger department?
• The requirements of, say, advertising and promotions departments may well be the same regardless of business type;
• Even within a single division of a company, there may well be different applications for the product or service you supply which, in turn, may have different specifications attached to them;
• Segmentation along business classification lines assumes all the companies within the classification employ identical people with identical values. Businesses, of course, don't buy anything; it's their employees we have to sell to!

Although demographics on their own cannot define a segment because they do not define the proposition a segment requires, they have an important role to play in a segmentation project. This background information about customers can be used to identify the particular profiling characteristics associated with the customers found in each segment. In other words, demographics helps identify who is found in each segment which, in turn, will help you determine how to reach them.

Geography

Rather like demographics, segments based on geographic areas, however tightly defined, assume that everyone in a predetermined area can be expected to react to a particular offer in exactly the same way. Even at the postcode level this does not appear to work; simply if we look along our own street. Has everyone got the same furniture, do they buy from the same shops, eat the same food? Once again, however, although geographic areas on their own cannot define the propositions required by segments and, therefore, cannot define segments, they, too, have a useful role to play in a segmentation project. This particular type of background information about customers can be used to identify the most likely locations the customers in each of the segments may be found and, therefore, further help you determine how to reach them. A further consideration with respect to "geography" is its use in international market segmentation.

Channel

Routes to market are becoming more sophisticated and complex, and are also becoming an increasingly important component of many winning customer propositions. Channels in themselves, however, do not define segments as they are simply the means by which customers and companies connect with each other. It is only when you understand the motives behind the channel choices made by customers that the channel component of a needs-based proposition can be developed. However, even if channel does not feature as a key component of a winning proposition, it is, along with demographics and geography, background information about customers that should be tracked during a segmentation project. It could well be that some segments can be associated with particular routes to market; therefore it is the channel(s) they use that provides the means for reaching them with their specific proposition.

Psychographics

Here we have another customer insight that can contribute to a segmentation project but, on its own, cannot define the entirety of a winning customer proposition. However, by identifying internal drivers of customer behavior that can be associated with specific segments, psychographics can help define the most appropriate promotional stance to take. This not only provides the means of catching the attention of target groups in an ever cluttered world of communication, it can also provide the means by which you isolate and reach particular segments.

Franchise is the place you hasten to- if you don't fear failure at every step, you are willing to work for an established name and toil and toil till the sun goes down- again and again. However, if surveys are any indicator, women are having the last laugh. Step in, Franchise business. According to bfa/NatWest survey 2007 forty five percent of franchise owners are women with eleven percent being the sole owners of the franchise. Now this is where you are permitted to say-Wow. Go ahead; say "wow" or "wah" as you please.

I can hear you ask-What is franchise? Franchise, in simple words, is an agreement between a holder of trademark, service mark or tradename and a person/group/institution to run a business for a fee. Some of the models of franchise are,

• Franchise of product/trade name: The product name/tradename of the product is sold by the franchisor
• Franchise of complete business format: The franchisor provides total assistance including site selection, training, marketing and sales strategies
• Social franchise: Social enterprise sectors help firms to set up business like soap making, candle making, hotel operation
• Event franchise: Holding events at different geographical location by different people under the same logo
• Distributorship: Franchisee gets legal rights from the franchisor to sell the products

A job would be difficult for a home maker with long layoff period. Imagine the interviewer with a grin on his face saying, “You, a home maker? You must be kidding.” In such cases, franchise is very attractive with its additional income and flexible working hours. Also, franchise gives women financial independence with low risks as opposed to starting a fresh business. Ambitious career women find it exciting to build and run a business with immense growth prospects. Students obtain a quick job which does not seek additional experience.

Owning a franchise is expensive as the franchisee has to confirm to all the necessary amenities like uniforms, staff, office, furniture. In addition, there may be expenses to cover royalties and adverts. The opportunity as such is easy to find with banks pitching with loans to start-up the business and, most important, the franchise comes as an all-inclusive package with training, support and operation manuals. What more should one ask for? I know-more.

Here's more. The franchisor even helps with outline of the infrastructure and marketing of the business. In fact, a continuous support is at hand.

But, hey, watch out. There are many franchises for sale and it's tempting to buy a cheap one without proper planning and interest. So there are some points to bear in mind for a woman on the threshold to start a franchise business. Firstly, the entrepreneur should look at her interest. Second, she should see if her skill set complements the job. Thirdly, the franchise should be easy to handle and come within the purview of the allotted money.

The Olympics is well on its way and coaches are the flavour of the month. It wouldn't be a bad idea to have a franchise coach to guide in the initial stages, especially for women who have had a long off work. Instead of groping in the dark, hiring a coach can streamline the business. The coach can be taken as a small investment.

As in any marriage, the two way relationship between the franchisee and franchisor can easily run into trouble. The franchisor may feel that their product was losing its name because of the tardy and incompetent service of the franchisee. The franchisee, on the other hand, may think that the cost was too high or that the franchise was making unreasonable demands on them.

There are decisions to be made at every step with muti-tasking all day long, juggling jobs from admin to manager. Women having the natural ability to multi-task, we all know that, may find it not too tough. Interestingly, they have all the other advantages of being successful in franchise business- sharp listening ability, flexibility and attention to details.

The award-I am still in the planning stages-No I am not a bureaucrat.

Here is my Award Winning Picture. Hurray!!

Test Your Market

Just because you think that selling Muskrat furs is a profitable business and is mentioned in newspapers, blogs, t.v. etc. as the hottest trend, doesn't mean that this is right for you. Test your market first to see if there is a genuine demand and be the supplier.

Research, Research, Research

Company Z or business opportunity Y may sound like a cash cow. Be careful that you don't end up with regretting spending large amount of capital. Take a lesson from CSI or NCIS television here. Research the company/business opportunity thoroughly and leave nothing unturned (email the company for info, interview those who are already in the business, look at the company's background, etc.)

Count The Cost

Maybe you were fed up with the way the boss had treated you at work and you beat your chest and shrilled, “Enough is enough!” By George, you are going to follow your dream of being a Muskrat fur salesman on eBay or your own website! Whoa there, Tonto. You need to consider how much capital you will need to start your venture and also how much time you will spend to build the business.

Go Long

While goal setting is important, a business plan is even more essential. Have a solid foundational business plan in place so that you can be aware of where you going and where you are at. There is real truth in the saying, “If you aim at nothing, you are sure to hit it.”

Think Big

Being a Muskrat fur salesman (hey, the title is catchy, o.k.!) may have its ups and downs yet do not allow negativity to weight you down. Dare to dream big and bold because you are not getting any younger. Fortune favors the bold.

Crush Obstacles

Don't leave any room for self-pity, negativity, naysayers, or other small-minded Lilliputians stop you from pursuing your dreams. Stay upbeat, positive, and get a strong Mastermind group (individuals of like minded associates who want the best for you and challenge you to be more) to help you lift you from the impossible to the possible.

Do What You Love

If you truly enjoy selling Muskrat furs (I can't resist!), then follow this avenue and see where God can take you. You can probably find a business op or start your own business …as the old adage goes “If you do what you love, the money will follow.”