Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Independent Contractor - What Are They?

Some people feel it's safe to assume they're an employee of a particular company that hires them to do a job. Though if you are hired as an independent contractor, you're not. Being an employee and an independent contractor of a company are totally separate and here is why:
If a company hires you as an independent contractor, you are hired to perform a range of duties and that is it. No different than if you cut your neighbor's lawn every Saturday morning. You would not put on the job application that your neighbor is your current employer. Why? Because your neighbor is not a business. You can chose not to mow their lawn and if your neighbor fires you and pays the kid down the road a few extra bucks to take your place, you can't collect unemployment insurance. Your neighbor is also not responsible for withholding income tax. This is your responsibility.
When you are hired as an independent contractor, you are virtually your own boss. You dictate the manner in which you do the job. Though despite how long it took you to do a job, the fee agreed upon may not exactly balance the amount of time spent if wages were given per hour at let's say a more known business establishment.
You also control the time in which you can get things done. You can work around your own schedule to make sure things are prepared and completed. Being an independent contractor doesn't make things better or more profitable, but it does give you flexibility and more freedom.
Though some, eager to gain work, may be naive when it comes to their own rights and the company's obligation to ensure those rights are carried out. For instance,a company may decide to write a contract that dictates the manner, time, and other details of the way you are to perform your duties. Whether or not this is ignorance on the company's part, signing it keeps you under their control, especially if you are unaware of your rights. Still feeling confused on how to tell the difference; this article should give you more insight. Good luck and make sure you are the one who retains control of your work.


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Thursday, March 26, 2009

Who Told You Starting Your Own Online Business is Easy?

People join the online industry so they can have the freedom and income that they know they deserve. The one thing a lot of people aren't aware of is that it isn't simple. I'm not saying that it's not possible, it just isn't going to happen overnight.
There's just really no easy way to build an online business. It takes time, hard work and dedication. But don't despair because it can be done. So many people get information overload and that's when the frustration sets in. You just need to take one step at a time.
The most important thing you can do for yourself is to get the education you need. That can come in the form of courses, communities, training calls, seminars or private coaching. The problem I find for many is that they don't know what to search for or who to follow.
So many people waste so much time searching for all the different answers to their burning questions about what this industry is all about, how do you truly know what is the best direction to take, how do you really build your own successful business, what do you need to do, how much do you need to invest, what are the steps you need to take and how the heck do you get started. All great questions and you can end up wasting so much time searching for all these answers.
Although starting your own business is no easy task, it is so rewarding. Once you start learning what is necessary and then applying what you have learned, it's so exciting. It's like a little kid that just learned how to read.
Unfortunately, there is no shortcut to success. But, if you work hard and are dedicated to learning, success will follow. I have dedicated myself to helping others learns what it truly takes to building a successful business. It is so rewarding watching other's succeed in this industry. Don't let anything hold you back.

Friday, March 20, 2009

10 Easy Tips to Boost Your Landing Page Conversion Rates

According to web landing page eye tracking studies, you've got approximately 8 seconds to grab your prospect's attention. People scan web pages quickly from left to right-so it is important that your landing pages have proper layout and easy readability.
Use these 10 easy steps to tweak your landing pages and boost conversion rates:
Tip #1 - Headlines count. One of the first places your prospect's eyes focus on is the headline. A prospect scans the headline for particular words that grab his or her attention. Put the headline at the top of the page. Make your headline a benefit-oriented headline that integrates keywords.
Tip #2 - Use caution with images. There is nothing wrong with using images to add some interest to your pages, but use caution. Don't just throw up an image for the sake of putting something up. Use images that are relevant because images can distract the prospect away from the message you are trying to communicate. Product shots draw attention. Stock photos usually don't perform as well as a "real-life" photo. Images should have a real purpose; otherwise, you only distract the prospect from reading the message. Copy near an image seems to get special attention, such as captions. Take advantage of this and write captions that relay information with a purpose.
Tip #3 - Layout of landing page elements. Keep the landing page layout simple. Try to keep your landing pages to a one-column, no more than two-column style. Having more than one column increases the chance of distracting the prospect and moving them away from your primary selling message. Don't place any other elements to the left or right of your sales copy message. This will encourage the prospect to move away from the sales message and pay more attention to the distracting elements.
According to a webinar on eye-tracking in relation to landing pages, Marketing Sherpa publisher, Anne Holland, said that her team increased conversion rates by 64% simply by tweaking elements on a product landing page. (No sales copy was changed.)
Place the following elements in this "simple" format, (one element right after the next) to improve your conversion rates:
• headline • subhead • image • copy
Tip #4 - Make pages that are easy to read. Remember the average prospect only stays an average of 8 seconds. You need to keep their attention with pages that are easy on the eyes. Prospects will not stay around to try and figure out how to read a difficult page.
Follow these rules for easy readability:
Don't use too small a font size. Use at least a 10pt font. Using a 9pt or smaller is too difficult to read.
Don't use serif fonts (this is used for print). Use sans-serif fonts for online copy.
Use black text on a white background. Don't use white text on a black or dark background (even though pale gray text is fashionable, it is difficult to read).
Keep your copy flush left. Don't center the headline, subheads or the copy. This is a common practice on the web, but it makes it difficult to read. Try to keep the headline to one line, but if a headline is more than one line, keep it justified left-don't center long headlines. Centering a headline confuses the brain.
Tip #5 - Ditch navigation from the page. The landing page should be used primarily to sell your product or service. Don't take the precious time you have to capture the prospect's attention and divide it with yet another distraction-a navigation bar. Remember the landing page is to try and sell the prospect.
Tip #6 - Make sure the primary search keywords are in your headline, subheads and copy. You should do keyword research to find out what keywords your prospects are using in their search for your product or service. Integrate these keywords into your headline, subheads and copy.
Tip #7 - Match the exact keywords from the originating sales page or email copy to the landing page copy. This re-emphasizes that the prospect is in the right place. Don't just mimic the theme of the originating page, but also the keywords and copy. Conversion rates are 25% higher when the exact keywords are repeated on the landing page.
Tip #8 - Maximize your form buttons. Here are a few recommendations when using form buttons:
- Don't use "reset" buttons. They can be clicked accidentally, clear the form information and cause frustration so that the user abandons the page.
- An "Add to cart" button is better than a "Buy Now" button. It gives the user the perception that he or she has more control over the sale. "Buy Now" seems more intimidating.
- Use action-oriented copy on your submit buttons, they outperform the plain, "Submit" button. For example: "Click here to get your Top 10 Landing Page Tips report" may get more clicks than, "Submit". It is best to try and match the original headline copy or offer in the submit button copy.
- Test button copy. Different copy on buttons may do better on different landing page offers. One size doesn't necessarily fit all in this case.
Tip #9 - Avoid lengthy forms. Do you enjoy filling out those long-winded forms online? Your prospects are no different. Avoid fields that are unnecessary. Every question or form field you put on a form lowers the conversion rate. Dump the fax number field. Only put form fields for data that you really need to collect; otherwise, you risk having the prospect abandon your page.
Tip #10 - Give the user a more secure feeling on landing /checkout pages. Place an extremely short "privacy" statement by the last form field or close to the submit button to give the prospect confidence that their information is secure. Don't make a lengthy statement, this can cause panic and give the opposite impression. An example of a short privacy statement would be something like the following: (i.e. We value your privacy and don't give any of your information to other parties.)

Monday, March 16, 2009

Why is Business Logo Design Important For a Business?

number of reasons why a logo design is important for a business are many some subtle and others so glaringly obvious that they almost don't need stating and the word 'almost' is important here.
We are sorry if we are stating the obvious but some many times business professionals miss the most obvious reasons why a Logo design important for a business and why therefore investing in a professional custom logo design can be the most important investment any company can make.
The logo of a company is often the first thing that a customer or supplier sees from your business, it is on the signage, your company vehicles and on your letterhead and as they say "you never get a second chance to make a first impression." And first impressions are important.
Custom logo designalways proves to be affordable logo design if it is produced by a logo design service because it will be clean, smart and well designed. A good logo design service can also make a small company look much larger which can have all sorts of advantage.
It is important to remember that the design of your logo is at the heart of your company's corporate identity and whether you company is large or small the design of the logo therefore has a great impact on the presentation of your company through its deliverables such as stationary, website design, brochures, signage and vehicle livery and so there is no point using cheap logo design.
Once you have your logo design in place and the identity deliverables established around your logo you will find that you company begins to establish a brand identity some of this process is organic and parts can be proscribed by designers and consultants however all of the process depends upon the quality, excellence and most importantly the appearance of your logo.
By using a clever logo design that appeals to people of a similar mind set or persuasion you can position your business within your chosen niché market or industry Greenpeace is a perfect example of an organization which has successfully appealed to a niché market with it's logo.
Their logo is on a green background and although it is uses and has a very 'non-corporate' feel it looks as though it is graffiti sprayed on a wall thus appealing to eco-warriors everywhere.

Friday, March 13, 2009

Frequently Asked Questions About Call Answering Services

Whilst many small businesses have heard about call answering services, virtual offices and virtual PAs, some still struggle to understand how they actually work. How are they able to 'take' my calls? How do they know who is calling for each company? How do they get the messages over to me? What follows is a frequently asked questions guide that should hopefully cover most aspects of this telecoms service.
Does a prospective user of a call answering service need any special equipment or software?
Normally no additional equipment or software is required. It's not the case that call answering services 'take' the calls from clients but rather that they are 'given' to them as calls are diverted by the client. Most telecoms providers have a simple system (usually a code that you enter into the handset) that allows incoming calls to be diverted, a lot of the time this is already set-up and can be used instantly.
If I divert my calls then where will they be answered?
The calls will be answering usually wherever the call answering service or virtual office is physically located. Many small businesses may feel that because of their client base they may need to employ a service locally or at least one where the accents are going to sound local. Some providers will outsource calls to overseas facilities which would definitely give a negative impression to clients that conduct their business locally. Service providers should always be asked whether or not calls will be answered in-house or not?
How will they know that the call is for my company and answer it correctly?
The majority of call answering services operate by giving each client their own unique telephone number that they can divert to or give out to callers direct. Provided the client has diverted to this unique number, then all calls for them can be identified by the operator answering the call. An added benefit of giving each client their own number is that they can divert multiple phone numbers to the call answering service be it their direct line, mobile number, office number or all at the same time- the calls will all be coming into the same number and therefore answered in the correct company name.
What if I have VIP clients that I always need to speak to?
A lot of small businesses actually employ call answering services to work as their full time receptionist so that the operator uses your directions on how calls are to be responded to. If you have a list of VIP callers then the operator can transfer these through to you as if he/she was sat at the front desk (provided you have a direct line or mobile that is not being diverted back the service). Other inquiries can be sent to you at close of call via email, txt message or sometimes fax.
As more and more small businesses look to reduce costs, to many the idea of outsourcing their calls is an attractive one. For many it can mean there is no need to employ a full time member of staff to act as a receptionist, some even go as far as giving up their office space and working from home!

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Malaysian Natural Rubber Industry in a Nutshell

The natural rubber industry in Malaysia has a decent start when 22 rubber seeds out of a batch of 70,000 that Sir Henry Wickham collected from the Amazon jungle in Brazil in 1876 were sent to the Singapore Botanic Garden for trial planting. Singapore and Malaysia, formally known as Malaya were British colonies.
The rubber trees quickly flourished in Malaya. Large areas of jungle were cleared and planted with this type of tree. Large scale planting by the Government was started in 1988 when Henry Hicholas Ridley was appointed the Director of the Singapore Botanic Garden. He encouraged the planting of this crop.
The planting gained its momentum shortly after Henry Ford of Ford Motor started making motorcar. Motorcar industry requires natural rubber tyre. This caused the demand for natural rubber rocketed.
Current position of Malaysia
Malaysia now is the fifth largest consumer of natural rubber after China, USA, India, Japan; the biggest consumer of latex, out of which the biggest producer of glove, catheter and thread and the third largest producer of natural rubber.
Back in 1980's, Malaysia is the largest exporter of the raw rubber (Standard Malaysia Rubber - SMR); now it is one of the biggest importer and consumer of the natural rubber and major exporter of the rubber products.
The natural rubber industry in Malaysia consists of 2 sectors i.e. (i) upstream sector - cultivation of rubber trees and (ii) downstream sector - latex products and furniture.
The manufacturing industry of natural rubber has achieved a remarkable progress with the launching of Industrial Master Plan (IMP 1985-2007). In the last 17 years, total natural rubber consumed by the industry increased by 209% from 187 592 tonnes to 579 248 tonnes. Export earnings of the industry increased by 438% from RM1.87 billion to RM10.09 billion in 2007.
Being an uprising sector, rubber wood has been successfully accepted as an alternative timber to the natural forest species for products like mouldings, furniture and carpentry. 80% of total wood furnitures exported from Malaysia comes from the rubber wood.
The popularity of the rubber furniture and demand for the rubber wood soared when its nearest compatible wood - ramin suffered short supply.
As the price of the rubber wood remains low, the rubber wood furnitures are very competitive in the market. Moreover, it has very high value added features.
The rubber wood output can be maximized by planting the tree based on 15 year cycle and regular annual replanting.
Factors inducing the growth of the industry
Research and Development
In the public sector, RRIM (Rubber Research Institute of Malaysia) and LGM (Lembaga Getah Malaysia) has been in place for 75 years conducting research and development.
The areas covered by RRIM are plant science, agronomy, plantation management, processing, rubber and rubber product technology, the wood furniture design and manufacturing.
Tun Abdul Razak Research Centre (TARRC) in the United Kingdom deals with research and development on the consumer end.
Besides, Malaysia Rubber Board (MRB) instills new technologies for adoption in private sector especially in rubber product manufacturing companies.
In private sector, large plantation agencies have their own in-house research & development facilities.

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

5 Tips to Build Your Network

Building a quality database with A+ clients can sometimes be difficult when you're first starting out. Sometimes you need to think outside the box and be intentional about who you want to do business with on a regular basis.
Word of mouth referrals are the best referrals that you can receive. There is already a trust factor involved. Keep this in mind...people like to refer other people. Just make sure you educate your referral source on how to do it the right way so, you don't lose even one referral.
Be sure that you get the contact info of the person being referred to you. You want to be in control of the referral. Don't just let someone say, "Oh just call Joe, he can help you." You want to educate your referral source to call you with the person's info first, and then you can contact them.
Quick Tips To Build Your Network
1. When building your network really think about who is your "ideal client?"
2. What groups do you belong to? What groups would you like to belong to? What groups have you
belonged to before?
3. Always build relationships with people you know. They are most likely to refer
you. Send an intro letter letting them know exactly what you do and ASK for a
referral. What's the worst that could happen?
4. Take someone you met to lunch. Find out how you can refer each other. Who else do they know that
may benefit from your services?
5. Don't re-create the wheel. Contact someone that you admire and know you could learn a thing or two