business promoters http://www.artwoo.com Returned search results for business promoters Copyright 2008 Thu, 04 Dec 2008 20:29:15 +0000 http://www.artwoo.com/rss/business+promoters Home Based Business Opportunities Are Not For Everyone http://www.artwoo.com/article/home-based-business-opportunities-are-not-for-everyone http://www.artwoo.com/article/home-based-business-opportunities-are-not-for-everyone#comments Tue, 08 May 2007 22:24:55 +0000 home based business opportunitieshome based businesshome based business opportunitybased business opportunitiesmoneymaking opportunitiestake the plungebusiness promoters http://www.artwoo.com/article/home-based-business-opportunities-are-not-for-everyone home based business. With the increased use of the internet, there are now more than ever before. As long as one has a decent computer and a half-reliable internet connection, a world of will open for even the dullest of people.

This is not to say that the home based business opportunities that the internet offers are for everyone. After all, not everyone is temperamentally qualified for this sort of business. Not everyone has the discipline and the emotional fortitude that is needed when it comes to starting and running a business.

Most people make the mistake of thinking that the internet is some sort of cash machine. In fact, most internet try consciously to promote this image. Many of these promoters advertise their "success-making secrets" in rather outlandish ways. If you, in fact, spend half an hour reading such ads, you will find that they all promise you easy money and quick success. Which begs the question: Why the hell do they need your money then, if they've perfected a system that makes them more than enough?



The preceding paragraph makes one thing clear: The internet is not some sort of magic moneymaking technology. Business is business: One can only make money by offering a product or service that people want and need, and at an attractive price. No matter how attractive the home based business opportunities that are available to you, it would be well for you to remember this fundamental fact.

Should You Take Advantage of a ?



If you have read this article to this point, then it probably means that you are truly interested in taking advantage of a home based business opportunity, or perhaps several home based business opportunities. The question in your mind now is, "Should I ?" If you are asking this question, you already probably already have a stable job and are earning a set amount of money. Otherwise the choice would be easy =96 some money is better than no money, after all.

Of course, even if you are earning a set amount of money, it does not necessarily mean that it is enough for you, on many levels. A job (and its accompanying salary) sometimes cannot provide for even a person's basic needs. Many people have experienced having to work two jobs to try and make things meet. However, a job can also produce effects that most people find undesirable. Think about the outdoorsman who is stuck in the office the whole day, or the sensitive person who is exposed to office politics, or the ambitious man stuck in a dead-end job. The fact is that a job, no matter how good, will never meet all your needs. That's because a job is not primarily designed to meet your needs, but to meet the needs of your employer.

So, if you have a home based business opportunity that has a good chance of providing you what you really want in life, go for it! You may find that it is the best risk that you will ever take =96 and the most rewarding. Tobias Smith writes on a variety of topics related to home business and working at home. Learn how to start your own home business online earning multiple streams of income at http://InternetHomeBusinessNow.com ]]> Setting Up A Share Capital Company In China http://www.artwoo.com/article/setting-up-a-share-capital-company-in-china http://www.artwoo.com/article/setting-up-a-share-capital-company-in-china#comments Sun, 03 Dec 2006 00:27:08 +0000 promotershong kong stockforeign stock exchangesshare capitalequity joint venturesjoint stock companykong stock exchange http://www.artwoo.com/article/setting-up-a-share-capital-company-in-china
The establishment of a Foreign Invested Company Limited by Shares (also known as a "") was designed to accommodate investors seeking to issue shares to the public or to list on the Shanghai, Shenzhen or (under Chinese foreign investment law nomenclature, the Exchange qualifies as a "foreign" stock exchange. Consequently, the establishment of FICLS is subject to stricter conditions than the establishment of , Cooperative Joint Ventures, and Wholly Foreign Owned Enterprises -- so far, applications for the establishment of FICLS have been denied more often than not. Although an FICLS may be set up directly, a Joint Venture is eligible to convert to an FICLS after three profitable years if it meets the conditions set forth below.

The Registered Capital of an FICLS must be no less than 5 million RMB (about US$ 625,000). There be at least 5 shareholders, and 25% foreign shareholding is required. Like the Equity Joint Venture, profits and liquidated net assets must be distributed in proportion to shareholding.

At least two promoters are required to form an FICLS, and more than half of them must reside in China. Further, a promoter's shares in an FICLS are subject to a 3 year lock-up (they cannot be transferred within 3 years of the date of establishment of the company). Share buy-backs are not permitted except under limited circumstances. The promoters' must be at least 35% of total share capital if shares are offered to the public.

Shares All shares may be paid for in cash or property, in lump sum or installment payments. The initial installment payment must be at least 20% of the total share capital, and promoters must pay in full within 2 years after the date that the Business License is issued. Stricter requirements may be set out in the Articles of Association if so desired.

Corporate Governance

Management must be in proportion to shareholding. An FICLS must appoint at least 3 members to a supervisory board, which is responsible for supervising the performance and regulatory compliance of directors and senior executives, and monitoring the company's financial affairs. This requirement is more strictly enforced than is the case with Joint Ventures and Wholly Foreign Owned Enterprises.

An FICLS must appoint between 5 and 19 directors. Board meetings are required biannually with at least 10 days notice. 50% of the directors constitutes a quorum. A special meeting may be forced by one-third of the directors or supervisors, or shareholders holding 10% or more of the share capital. Significantly for minority shareholders, all board decisions must be passed by majority vote or (in the case of important decisions such as termination, increase or decrease of Registered Capital, etc.) by a two-thirds majority vote -- unanimous approval cannot be required. Thus a 25% foreign shareholder would have no veto power over any board decisions. David Carnes is licensed to practice law in California. He speaks and reads Mandarin Chinese and has several years experience working with Chinese law firms and Sino-American joint ventures. Check out his website, China Legal Bulletin, at http://www.lunaticwisdom.com/blog1. ]]> Vincent James Has Created The Ultimate Direct Marketing Guide -- And How You Can Benefit From It! http://www.artwoo.com/article/vincent-james-has-created-the-ultimate-direct-marketing-guide-and-how-you-can-benefit-from-it http://www.artwoo.com/article/vincent-james-has-created-the-ultimate-direct-marketing-guide-and-how-you-can-benefit-from-it#comments Tue, 30 Jan 2007 06:27:26 +0000 direct marketinggoogleamazing new productcommunication mediumadvertising techniquesprospective clientwoman approaches http://www.artwoo.com/article/vincent-james-has-created-the-ultimate-direct-marketing-guide-and-how-you-can-benefit-from-it advertising techniques that are not exactly complementary to your business goals.

Vincent James, author of the 12 Month Millionaire created practically a blueprint that will assist anyone who wants to get started in the business get off to an amazing start. I'm going to go over some generalities. If you seek more information on James's work, do a search for him on and you will fine plenty of resources on him.

It does not matter which industry we're talking about here... there is one common characteristics with all companies and it is that we all become more sophisticated and price sensitive. So are our clients!

The tendency generally amongst businesses is to receive the most quality for the very best price. Could amazing your exhibitors and attendees or your business actually be something you could easily do? Of course, but you have to know how to get there, via a that's two way. In order to find the client at the right time, in the right spot, a lot of companies are using a method of direct marketing also known as one on one sales. It's another approach.

The one on one sales approach can be done over the phone (telemarketing), through emails and also in person (face to face) by providing the chance for the to get a personal feel for the product that you are offering.

Imagine this for a moment... that you're walking into the grocery store, then all of the sudden a beautiful you and tells you that "you must try this now!" something about an ... it could be bothersome but research has proved that is really does work. Many of the clients prefer to just try a product before they decide to purchase it. The reason the risk is reduced is to take away the risk by purchasing something they did not know much about. It's much easier when selling to younger people.

Finding the right person who can attract more clients and potential buyers in order to try, taste and feel your products is, in fact, the key in this particular case. What counts here is how well trained are the promoters. Well-trained promoters collect "hot leads", smile and show anywhere how good your company and services are.

Each task should be targeted to the needs of the campaign. You must first find out: 1. Are you trying to create awareness for your product or service? 2. Are you looking for people to try out your products? 3. Are you looking to collect leads? 4. Are you looking to provide information?

All tasks require a different and unique approach and different strategy. After you establish your specific needs it will be much more simple to define the outline of those that are going to promote and samplers that you'll need for the campaign. Direct marketing and direct response advertising can be an incredible way to expose you or your brand very fast. It's also not extremely expensive in terms of price per benefits, now all that's left if for you to give it a shot. James Calvin is an avid studier of direct mail and direct response techniques. For more details on his most recommended products check out his website. Vincent James newest release can be found at http://www.millionairemarketingmanual.com right now! ]]> Walk Away From These Work At Home Scams http://www.artwoo.com/article/walk-away-from-these-work-at-home-scams http://www.artwoo.com/article/walk-away-from-these-work-at-home-scams#comments Thu, 14 Aug 2008 11:43:40 +0000 business promoterseasy targetwork from home opportunitiesmulti level marketinghome based business opportunitieshome business opportunitieswork at home business opportunities http://www.artwoo.com/article/walk-away-from-these-work-at-home-scams work from home opportunities which assure guaranteed of income and appear to be legitimate. Therefore, individuals looking forward to working at home have to be aware of this fact, and implement safety measures. Most scams claim to generate huge revenues for individuals.

People become of advertisings such as "work at home earns you $1000 to $3000 Weekly". Millions of individuals fall for work at each year which are actually scams. These opportunities lure them by making fraudulent promises.

Most Common Scams To Avoid:

Advertising And Publicity.

Many people operating most common scams advertise their false businesses by placing posters on electrical poles so passers by can read them. Work at home scam advertisings appear on the classified section of magazines, newspapers and the bulletin boards of television and supermarkets. Scams like these take the unwary individuals for a no so pleasing ride until they become aware of the bitter truth. Remember that scams only work on deceptive and misleading claims.

.

This is another very popular work at home scam. In exchange for obtaining information about how to start a business at home, you must send in money. The provided information here is usually unclear. However, the claim they generate steady income for individuals working from home. They also promise to provide sufficient, usually free, training. Here you will encounter deceitful sponsors trying to sell you information on complete training, follow-up and support systems instead of provide you an experienced coach.

Multi-Level Marketing (MLM).

It is all about starting a business with no guarantees at all, a job that does not involves weekly payments. Multi-level marketing is another very common work at home scam. MLM involves recruitment of new people so products or services can sell. You end up looking or searching for people. Promoters only try to draw you toward the "business opportunity" instead of the selling. Additionally, many people involved in such businesses fail to generate income for themselves. Such business schemes draw a large number of people daily.

Stuffing Envelopes At Home.

This scam is in the same category of the Ponzi pyramid scheme.The U.S. Postal Service confirms that this a quite common work from home scam. After you send the money in, the scammer sends you information on how to make money by envelopes stuffing. You get the instructions about selling the scheme to other people by placing advertisements in the classified section of newspapers or the Internet, that's the way how people are attract toward this fraudulent business. Unless they recruit new people, members make no money in this illegal scheme.

Medical Billing.

You may end up investing as much as $8,000 with this work at home scam. Usually spending money for computer software in order to be able to run a billing collection service. Operators make untruthful promises by asserting they have readily available customers for you. The truth is that you will lose the money if you spend it in this scheme.

Assembly And Craft work.

Through this work at home scam, people are asked to send money for parts or supplies. Many times one needs to buy "essential" equipments from them too, so you assemble these parts into different products such as Christmas decorations, baby clothes, some kind of jewelry, aprons, head wear, etc. You are previously convinced by them that there is a market and people are looking for and willing to buy such products. The truth is that the items you have assembled hardly meet quality standards and you may end up selling those items yourself.Javier Garcia has been successfully helping entrepreneurs looking for work at home jobs since 2002. To learn more about how to Walk Away From These Work At Home Scams, please visit: http://www.takeoffzone.com]]> Training For Music Industry Jobs http://www.artwoo.com/article/training-for-music-industry-jobs http://www.artwoo.com/article/training-for-music-industry-jobs#comments Thu, 15 Jun 2006 15:32:04 +0000 music industry jobsloving musicstudy musicmusic teachersjobundoubtedlyobviously http://www.artwoo.com/article/training-for-music-industry-jobs undoubtedly one of the 'sexiest' fields in which to work, according to a recent survey by the editors of Time magazine. There are s" rel="tag">music industry jobs that require nearly any skill set that you can bring to the job, and the training required varies with each of the music industry jobs that may interest you. Here are some general guidelines for finding work in music industry jobs.

Love Music.

It's not a prerequisite for music industry jobs, but of any kind is a definite step in the right direction. While loving music may not be important in a record company accountant's position, it's practically required for anyone who works with artists or in promotion.

Check the qualifications for the job.

In general, most jobs in the music industry require at least a two year college degree - with the exception of performers who can get by without a degree if they have talent. Expect that the more involved the job, the higher your level of education and/or experience will need to be. A record promoter may need to demonstrate networking skills or developed contacts in the local music scene, for instance, and a contracts lawyer will require a law degree. working for the schools will need to have a teaching license as well as the demonstrated ability to play an instrument.

The best training is on the job training.

For positions like band manager, road work, publicists and promoters, the best training is through an internship or through your own work promoting and/or managing a band on your own. Some publicists and promoters come to the job from their own fanzines, or have developed a network of contacts in radio and advertising through their college or teen year extracurricular activities.

A degree in music is respected in many music industry jobs.

Colleges that specialize in music education like the Berklee School for the Performing Arts offer training in many different aspects of the music industry. You can and performance law, accounting for the music industry, and business management for music companies as well as composition, performance and other music-specific jobs.

Join the band.

One of the best training grounds for a career in orchestral music is your school or college band. If you're already beyond the school years, take advantage of county and city music societies to both train your ear and keep in the practice of playing with others.

Music ministry jobs often require special certifications.

If you have a calling to a job in music ministry, you'll find that many churches and synagogues require that their full time music minister have pastoral training as well as musical training. The American Guild of Organists and the National Council of Pastoral Musicians offer professional certifications at a number of levels.

Music therapists require a bachelor's degree in music therapy from one of the approved universities that teach music therapy.

In addition to regular studies, the bachelors in music therapy requires 1200 hours of clinical practice.

The requirements for training for music industry jobs are varied, but this is a brief overview of the training required for some of the major careers in the music industry. Rita Henry is a contributing editor for Jobs In Music, the leading job and resource site for the Music Industry. Interested in receiving only the hottest Music job listings weekly for free? To learn more visit http://www.jobs-in-music.com ]]> Don't Fall Pray To The Fake Promises Of Free Weight Loss! http://www.artwoo.com/article/dont-fall-pray-to-the-fake-promises-of-free-weight-loss http://www.artwoo.com/article/dont-fall-pray-to-the-fake-promises-of-free-weight-loss#comments Fri, 04 Aug 2006 18:27:09 +0000 substantial weight lossfree weight lossguarantee successyoga asanasuperfluouspromoterssoaps http://www.artwoo.com/article/dont-fall-pray-to-the-fake-promises-of-free-weight-loss
The concept of this 'free' market strategy, is like this: you can achieve something in life, without doing anything! You will get the thing that you desire, free! Is it ever possible?

Look at the way how a product is introduced and promoted in the market! Now, you will know about the concept from the manufacturers of tablets that promise you weight loss, , without your doing anything! Just swallow them! Can you believe? You are offered free samples!

The manufacturers of Nite Trim tablets precisely offer that. They have a well-drafted and well-crafted success story! You are promised success on the very first night! This medicine will work to get absorbed into your system and as you wake up, you will feel that you have lost some grams. This process will continue day after day. You are promised rapid loss of weight until you reach that position--the slim you, that you were, before you took to carrying the load of various bulging parts of your body!

You are also promised, once you reach the desirable level of weight as per your body requirements, this tablet starts the process of trimming your body. That is, the unwanted inches at the various parts of the body will vanish as metabolism process does it! All the while, the emphasis is on your sleeping without intermission--don't get up half-way through the night--you may catch the Nite Trim in the thick of the act!

The free weight loss give you the stunning advice--all this crazy dieting, surgeries that won't (according to the free weight loss promoters) and doing exercise in the gym, or for that matter doing , is all ! Their pills will do everything for you!

Now, can you get at the base-line of this marketing strategy? One soap free with every three that you buy! Or the free cut glass with the tea-packet you buy?

There are many publications, Journals giving you lots of guidance on free weight loss!

Once a customer, stretbrched the 'free' concept too far. He went to an umbrella shop, just at the time of opening of the shop and asked about the cost of the umbrella. He was quoted the price of Rs.100/-. The customer asked, whether he can have umbrella for $5. Since he was the first customer of the day, the shop keeper agreed. The customer then asked whether he can have the umbrella fir $3. Even if it was a loss making proposition, the shopkeeper agreed. The customer then asked whether he can have the umbrella for free. The shopkeeper even agreed for this, since he was the first customer of the day. The next question of the customer was most revealing: Can I, then, have two umbrellas please!

The free weight loss concept and offers are, therefore, to be accepted with caution! Mike writes articles on a number of different topics. For more information on weight loss visit http://www.thelosspill.com and for additional weight loss articles visit the main articles page http://www.thelosspill.com/index.html To comment visit: http://www.thelosspill.com/weightloss ]]> Roadmap to a Customer-Centric Strategy http://www.artwoo.com/article/roadmap-to-a-customer-centric-strategy http://www.artwoo.com/article/roadmap-to-a-customer-centric-strategy#comments Wed, 03 Dec 2008 06:50:29 +0000 customer centricitycustomer centric organizationhidden obstaclesbusiness acumenquestion customersduboffnet promoter score http://www.artwoo.com/article/roadmap-to-a-customer-centric-strategy business acumen to grasp its core concept. Focus intensely on customers, align your products or services with their interests, and voila: a customer-centric culture is born. Simple, right? Not quite. Becoming a truly customer-centric organization is perhaps one of the most difficult transitions an organization can make, fraught with and unanticipated challenges. Here are three potential roadblocks on the path to a customer-centric strategy, and how to get around them.

Failing to understand your most valuable customer

A customer-centric strategy is only as good as its customers. You cant let the average customer dictate what you do, says Robert , CEO of Hawk Partners LLC and coauthor of the book Market Research Matters. Generally speaking, Duboff says, 20 percent of a company's customer base generates 80 percent of its profits. Given that split, its imperative to put your most valuable customers at the heart of your approach.

Identifying those customers need not take exhaustive research and complicated measures. It can be a fairly straightforward process, as it is with the , or NPS, a metric developed by Bain and Co.s Fred Reichheld. As set forth in The Ultimate Questionwritten by Reichheld and published by Harvard Business Pressthe NPS approach consists of one simple question: On a scale of one to 10, would you recommend us to your friends?

Based on the answer to that question, customers are segmented into three categories: promoters, who actively champion a particular product to their friends and colleagues; passives, who are lukewarm about the product; and detractors, the opposite of promoters. A given company's score is simply the difference between its number of promoters and its number of detractors.

NPS has proven to be a powerful tool for such companies as General Electric Capital Solutions, which has used it not only to identify customers that are already valuable promoters but to gain insights into how it can convert detractors. For a business like GE Capital Solutions, which serves more than 1 million very diverse customers in many different industries, NPS helps us better understand what our customers are feeling and how we can improve their experience with us, says Stephen White, a spokesperson for GE Capital.

Failing to support your external customer-centric strategy with an internal customer-centric strategy

Speaking of valuable customers, what about that most priceless customer of all your employee?

While most companies aren't in the habit of regarding their employees as customers, those seeking to instill a customer-centric culture should rethink their stance, argues Elaine Berke, president of Westport, MAbased EBI Consulting, which specializes in helping organizations develop customer-centric strategies. Customer-centricity needs to come from the inside out, says Berke. Leadership must avoid a double standard that makes it OK for managers to argue with or demean staff while still being courteous and considerate to external customers.

Consider the case of the world-renowned Johns Hopkins University Hospital. In developing a comprehensive Service Excellence initiative aimed at boosting its level of patient care, the hospital included employee satisfaction as a core component of the program. The hospital conducted an extensive survey to gauge employee concerns that turned up such simple, actionable insights as making it a point to compliment co-workers and instituting criticism-free no negativity days.

Customer-centric organizations value and respect internal customers as much as external customers, says Berke. Like the old saying goes, If you're not serving a customer, you're serving someone who is.

Failure to identify the moment of truth

Companies spend considerable time and resources developing metrics for processes, execution and other day-to-day functions but often overlook defining their moments of truth those points at which a customer interacts with a company's product or service and forms an impression. Companies are usually very good at creating metrics around [such procedures as] production deliverables but have a much harder time knowing how to create and measure standards relating to the quality of service being delivered, Keith Bailey of Sterling Consulting Group says.

In defining a company's moments of truth, Bailey suggests looking at three different angles quality of product, quality of procedures and quality of relationships. Taking a hotel as an example, the quality of the product would be the cleanliness and comfort of the rooms. The quality of procedures would be such factors as how it long it takes to check in or how long customers wait for room service. The quality of relationship would be the friendliness and helpfulness of the staff.

Considering each angle separately allows a company to isolate the negative moments of truth within each and develop a game plan for turning them into positive experiences. Procter and Gamble, for example, identified its moment of truth as that instant when a shopper picks up one of its products and decides whether or not to purchase its decision the customer makes in an average of six seconds. The company has overhauled its marketing with that insight in mind, creating a global First Moment of Truth business team designed to win over the customer in that moment.

There are as many different customer-centric approaches as there are customers, and each has its own unique challenges, but the road to a truly customer-centric strategy always begins with the same steps.Management Career Training Centre provides professional development, and career training, management and sales training, leadership and executive training and career training programs for HR professionals, supervisors and employers.]]> Avoiding Dishonest Home Business Schemes http://www.artwoo.com/article/avoiding-dishonest-home-business-schemes http://www.artwoo.com/article/avoiding-dishonest-home-business-schemes#comments Sun, 20 Aug 2006 02:27:16 +0000 hard earned moneyaskfastest growing industriesbusiness schemesadsinternet millionairesfifteen minutes http://www.artwoo.com/article/avoiding-dishonest-home-business-schemes
Unscrupulous home are everywhere these days. If you surf the internet, it seems as though everywhere you turn, you are inundated with that tell you how to earn more money than you are now, often for doing something that is easy and non-consequential. These ads usually look like this:

"Be part of one of America's !"

"Earn thousands of dollars a month, from your home, at only a day!"

"Want to Learn The Big Secret of the ! Click Here!"

We've all seen these types of ads both on and off the internet. They are appealing, sure. Who doesn't want to earn ten thousand dollars a month for fifteen minutes of work a day? But you have to be careful. Almost all get-rich-quick schemes are designed to part you from your hard-earned money.

Not all work-at-home opportunities deliver on their promises. What many promoters of home business schemes won't tell you is that you often have to work for many hours before you earn a single cent. This is dishonesty at its worst, for by now you should know that there is no such thing as something for nothing. Even if you are operating from a solid home business, you will have to work hard and work smartly if you want to be successful. If anybody else tells you otherwise, watch out. Something is probably not quite right.

Questions!

Avoiding dishonest home business schemes is strictly a matter of common sense. Since you will be putting your time and money into this venture, you should definitely do some research. You do this by asking intelligent questions.

Some questions you must ask your work-at-home sponsors include the following:

What is the total cost of the program being offered? Dishonest program often carry hidden costs with them. Be sure to check the fine print before proceeding. Ask for all the costs involved in the program, and ask them to clarify exactly what you get in return for your money.

What exactly will I have to do? Your tasks must be clearly outlined, with every step clearly defined. Confusion on this point is often the source of future contention. Again, do not be carried away with promises that you won't have to do much to earn your money. If it sounds too good to be true, it most probably is.

Will I be paid a salary or will my pay be based on commission? This is another point that can cause trouble. Obviously, the compensation package you receive should be well-thought out and commensurate to the service that you will be rendering.

When will I get my first paycheck? Beware of programs that will pay for your services much later after you have done the work. This might cause you short-term financial difficulties.

By exercising a little bit of common sense and asking intelligent questions, you should be able to avoid dishonest home business schemes. To find the best home based business ideas and opportunities so you can work at home visit: http://www.clickaudit.com/goto/?29793 ]]> Re-Evaluating The Net Promoter Score http://www.artwoo.com/article/re-evaluating-the-net-promoter-score http://www.artwoo.com/article/re-evaluating-the-net-promoter-score#comments Wed, 26 Dec 2007 23:14:59 +0000 customer satisfaction measurementcustomer satisfaction surveysfred reichheldmeasuring customer loyaltycontroversial claimnet promoter scorecustomer behaviour http://www.artwoo.com/article/re-evaluating-the-net-promoter-score
, an American loyalty guru, has argued that the days of are over (Reichheld, 2003). Instead we should only be . According to Reichheld all that is necessary is a single question, which he labels `The Ultimate Question'.

The Ultimate Question is simply "How likely are you to recommend company X to friends and colleagues?" Respondents are asked to rate the likelihood of recommending on a scale from 0, meaning extremely unlikely, to 10 meaning very likely. Promoters are those who give a rating of 9 or 10. Promoters are important not only because they are more likely to promote your brand to friends and family, they also tend to spend more than non-Promoters (Reichheld, 2003).

According to Reichheld you need to take it a step further if you want to relate the rating to future corporate growth, by calculating a . The Net Promoter Score is simply the percentage of respondents who give your brand a 9 or 10 rating on a 0 to 10 recommendation scale, minus the percentage who give you a rating of 0 to 6 on the scale (Reichheld, 2003).

Popularity

On the back of Reichheld's finding that the Net Promoter Score correlates with future corporate growth across a number of sectors (Satmetrix, 2004), the measure has gained broad support from executives across a variety of industries. Some, such as GE's CEO Jef Immelt, have taken the unusual step of publicly praising the approach (General Electric, 2005).

Besides the claimed relationship with corporate growth and , an additional attraction is simplicity, something very appealing to time pressured executives.

Along the way Reichheld has popularized various ideas in tandem with the loyalty measure =96 such as his that retaining 5% more customers equals 100% more profits. Of particular concern to those who have invested heavily in , is the claim that customer satisfaction measurement is redundant.

Reichheld pitches satisfaction measurement against loyalty measurement and proclaims the death of satisfaction measurement. He claims that customer satisfaction measures are overly complicated, a heresy to some in the boardroom, and that they also fail to explain corporate growth differences in a sector.

He also laments the long windedness of the questionnaires typically employed to measure customer satisfaction.

The Ultimate Question?

There is nothing terribly wrong with the Ultimate Question =96 other than that it is far from being `ultimate'. Reichheld claims that of the 20 different measures he tested, it was the best predictor of customer behavior and future corporate growth (Reichheld, 2003).

Not the Best Predictor of Customer Retention

You don't need a degree in statistics to figure out that there is something intuitively wrong with the claim, that whether a customer says he will recommend your company or not is the best predictor of whether he will stay with your company.

Differences in the tendency to recommend don't automatically mean there will be differences in loyalty behavior =96 whether retention or increased spend. Results from an analysis I conducted using data collected by Ask Afrika, of a number of different markets ranging from short term insurance to cars made this clear. Using an approach which has been established as a reliable predictor of the percentage of customers switching away from a company, I compared the results to the Net Promoter Score (this approach is discussed in a related article "The One Number You Need to Measure Loyalty").

Clearly the Net Promoter Score does not relate to the percentage of customers switching away from each institution.

A survey of 8000 customers in the banking, retail and ISP industries, conducted by Keiningham et al. (2007) lends support to this. Keiningham et al. (2007) asked customers the likelihood of recommending question along with a rival set of questions, and then followed up with questions about retention a year later. The results showed that the Ultimate Question barely improves on a conventional satisfaction measure as predictor of retention, and was outperformed by a simple repeat purchase intention question.

Doesn't Identify Those Who Are Truly Loyal

Reichheld (2003) states that some clients buy out of habit, which means that retention measurement (i.e. did they stay or did they go) is not a good measure of true loyalty. He suggests that the Net Promoter approach is able to identify true loyalty. This suggests that Net Promoters should be more resistant to competing offers than those who just buy out of `habit'.

However, using cell phone data collected by Ask Afrika, I found hidden differences amongst consumers who were identified as `Promoters'. Far from being uniformly loyal, some were far more prone to being tempted by competitor offers than others. The key difference was the customer's level of involvement with cell phones.

I found that amongst the Promoters who were psychologically involved with cell phones, competitors offering 20% discounts would create a smaller increase in the switch rate than amongst those Promoters who were not involved. Intriguingly those who were involved, although being an asset in that they were more resistant, spent less on their cell phones every month than those who were involved.

In essence, `Promoters' are not equally loyal.

Relationship With Growth Not Clear

One of the foundational claims which undergirds the value of the Net Promoter Score, is the claim that the Net Promoter Score relates to corporate growth. However this is questionable. In a study of 80 companies over a 7 year period, the researchers Morgan and Rego (2006) found that the Net Promoter Score was not predictive of company growth rates. In fact, customer satisfaction outperformed the Net Promoter Score as a predictor.

Weighing-up the Positives and Negatives of the Net Promoter Score

Reichheld has brought up some valid points about satisfaction and loyalty measurement. Simplicity is not only appealing to high-level decision makers, it also appeals to customers who don't want to answer long questionnaires. The measure also lends itself to standardization, to the point where it may be a useful number to include on the balance sheet.

That is one side of the story. The other is that the `Ultimate Question' is far from being the most accurate measure of loyalty, and so will more often mislead than help.

It can also prove frustrating when it comes time to understand how to resolve a loyalty problem. Perhaps the highest-level decision makers are not overly concerned about tactical level problem solving, however someone in the company will have to be; and a single question won't give the answers needed.

Another issue is the delay before loyalty changes. If executives wait until loyalty has been affected, it is sometimes too late. Satisfaction with service quality will often drop long before it affects loyalty.

So Where to Now?

Reichheld has confused satisfaction with loyalty. Satisfaction and loyalty are two different issues. While you would naturally expect loyalty measures to relate more closely to customer behaviour and future growth than satisfaction and service quality perceptions, claiming that you should drop these measures in favour of loyalty measurement makes no sense at all.

Customer satisfaction with the service quality delivered, is only one amongst a number of loyalty drivers, but that doesn't mean it should be ignored.

Measuring loyalty alone, may tell you how many loyal customers there are, but it doesn't tell you how to fix the problem if there is one.

It is still necessary to measure customer satisfaction, along with service quality perceptions in order to flag issues and tackle the root causes of loyalty failures. Throwing out satisfaction in favor of loyalty is like deciding that you only need to report net profits on an income statement and can dispense with all the rest of it.

Lastly, looking beyond the hype, it is clear that willingness to recommend is a sub-optimal loyalty measure. There are far more accurate loyalty measures in existence which have benefited from years of development by professional marketing researchers. They offer better accuracy in predicting loyalty behaviors, and are typically coupled with diagnostics which aid in gaining an understanding of what creates loyalty.

Copyright reserved (2007). The author gives permission for the article to be re-published, however the article may not be altered or shortened and must be re-published in its entirety.

References:

General Electric, (2005), "GE annual outlook meeting =96 final", Fair Disclosure Wire (Quarterly Earnings Reports), Dec 13.

Keiningham, T.L., Cooil, B., Aksoy, L., Andreassen, T.W., Weiner, J.W., (2007)"The value of different customer satisfaction and loyalty metrics in predicting customer retention, recommendation, and share-of-wallet", Managing Service Quality Vol. 17 No. 4, 2007 pp. 361-384.

Morgan, N. and Rego, L. (2006) "The value of different customer satisfaction and loyalty metrics in predicting business performance", Marketing Science, September/ October.

Reichheld, FF., (2003), The one number you need to grow, Harvard Business Review, December, Vol. 81, Issue 12.

Satmetrix, (2004), The power behind a single number: Growing your business with Net Promoter, Satmetrix Systems.

*Note: Net Promoter is a registered trademark of Satmetrix Systems, Inc., Bain and Company and Fred Reichheld. Craig F. Kolb is a marketing research specialist who has authored a number of papers and articles in the areas of customer satisfaction, loyalty and brand equity. He is currently responsible for product research and development at marketing research firm, Ask Afrika in South Africa. http://www.askafrika.co.za ]]> Successful Network Marketing - The Reality http://www.artwoo.com/article/successful-network-marketing-the-reality http://www.artwoo.com/article/successful-network-marketing-the-reality#comments Sun, 28 Oct 2007 15:35:00 +0000 mlm network marketingmarketing mlm network marketingmulti level marketingspend moneysaving moneymailinternational telephone calls http://www.artwoo.com/article/successful-network-marketing-the-reality Multi Level Marketing/MLM/Network Marketing in 1997. It was a company offering cheaper long distance and and I thought that I was on to a winner.

I was broke at the time but put together some leaflets promoting the service itself and promoted the business through order mailshots and advertisements. It did not work out for me for 3 reasons.

1. Although I really pushed the product, most people were not interested in off their phone calls. The main objection was that they did not want 2 bills. The idea was new at the time, it was only a few months after British Telecom lost their monopoly and people were not very enlightened then.

2. I did not have enough start up capital to do my promotions justice and although I introduced users and promoters I always fell just short of the monthly join up requirements to be paid. Being paid for my efforts might just have made the difference if I could have used what I had earned to increase my promotions.

3. I joined with a very nice lady but she was also new to network marketing. As her upline did not offer any help to her we helped each other. It was fun but like the blind leading the blind.

I tried with that company for several months and never got paid. In the meantime I had found information publishing where I was making money. I was loathe to use that money to promote a company I had become disillusioned with so put my earnings back into what was doing well for me.

After a couple of years I published my own home business magazine and a lot of what I saw involving MLM disillusioned me further.

I saw companies launching in the UK without the correct legal paperwork. Lots of people would join and in their innocence promoting something that was actually illegal and likely to be closed down if the DTI got wind of it.

I knew people who had piles of the products stashed away and never likely to be used. Why? Because some of the companies require you to buy an amount of product every month before you are paid for your efforts and your downlines efforts.

A friend earned thousands of pounds every month with his company. One month he spent 2 weeks on holiday and came back ill with food poisoning. He fell 1 short of the required monthly recruiting figures and his earnings went to his upline.

Companies shifting the goalposts just when promoters start to do well.

As a magazine editor I became a prime prospect for network marketers. I could advertise for free in my magazine as long as nobody else was promoting the same thing, and people took that little bit more notice of what I was promoting.

I would get telephone calls inviting me to join a wonderful opportunity. Because I am polite I did not tell them to get lost when they were extolling the virtues of companies that I probably knew more than them about. I would list my objections and get really annoying answers:

I am not interested in the product =85The product does not matter you will soon earn lots of money

I have not got time =85You only need to spend an hour a week on this business

I already have a lot of projects on the go and would not be able to do this business justice and spend time helping those who joined with me. =85They will not need any help this business is easy to run

I could go on but I am sure you get the drift. I really grew to detest network marketing and some of those that it attracted, but being in daily contact with them was part of my business so grinning and bearing it was a daily chore.

Then one day I had a telephone call from a new subscriber. He was a network marketer yawn=85 and he tried to get me to join. What he said to me during that call altered my bad opinion of network marketers, but he was one among many.

He told me that I should be interested in the product and use it regularly to enable me to truly recommend it. He said that I would need to make a good initial investment to be able to promote the business properly. I was also told that it was hard work, would take at least 20 hours a week of my time and that it would take a few months to start earning and then my earnings would gradually build if I continued to work hard. In a nutshell he told me the truth!

I was astonished at his honesty and told him why. His reply was that he was always honest about the business and that he would rather have one good joiner who knew the score from the beginning than 20 who believed that they would earn a fortune with no money and little effort. That one good joiner would earn both of them far more money than those who joined on pipedreams.

That guy impressed me, he became very successful and his downline were successful. I did not join his group and apart from placing ads and designing brochures for network marketers I did not get involved with any of those companies, mainly because I was never interested in the products.

Recently I decided to give it a try with an internet company and I am sure that I will follow his lead knowing that is the way to network marketing success. Patricia Jones runs her own article directory at http://www.bb-articles.com Members receive free gifts and a monthly newsletter. http://www.creativewriter.me.uk offers excellent information about writing. If you like to be challenged visit http://www.gameskill.co.uk ]]> The Key to an Attractive Network Marketing Business http://www.artwoo.com/article/the-key-to-an-attractive-network-marketing-business http://www.artwoo.com/article/the-key-to-an-attractive-network-marketing-business#comments Mon, 27 Oct 2008 22:57:22 +0000 network marketing businessbusiness tycoonsdownline membersavon cosmeticsbusiness legendcopywritingpromoters http://www.artwoo.com/article/the-key-to-an-attractive-network-marketing-business network marketing business, you basically have two stakeholders to view as prospects: the downline and the buyers. Now, if you're a newbie in the industry, don't you wonder sometimes how some people who are in the network marketing business manage to drive prospects into them just as easy as a magnet does? Now, you don't really have to think about that any more! We've come up here with some tips on how you can drive people, especially those whom you really want to pull, closer to your network marketing business.

Why Should You Promote Your Network Marketing Business?

Alright, so some people might ask, why? What's the point in making my network marketing business attractive? Do you really have to pull in all those stakeholders so that you can deem your network marketing business a successful one? The answer to these questions is fairly simple: yes.

If your network marketing business is attractive, it makes it more lucrative because you get in touch with more clients. If similar business minded people find that your network marketing business gets the attention of more clients, chances are, they'll get to sign up to be , too.

How To Make Your Network Marketing Business Attractive

So, are you excited to build a network marketing that is comparable to today's network marketing like and DXN drugs? It is time to buckle up and learn the tricks of the trade:

" Know how to write a copy. A copy is basically a script piece that advertisers and compose to rev up the sales of certain products and services. As a businessman, you should at least know the basics of . Or, you could enlist the services of someone who could actually do your own copy for you.

" Learn how to generate leads. Great leads are the key to arriving at a selling point, the point when your prospective take the bait and buy your product. A fantastic lead is also important to draw prospective downline potential customers who may want to share in the success you're currently having in the network marketing industry.

" Build and maintain good relations with your business contacts. If you make a sale, thank your customer and tell them it was a pleasure doing business with them. Follow up emails and phone calls are great, you never want them to forget you!

" Try promoting your network marketing business online. PPC (pay-per-click) advertising such as Google Adwords has made it possible to draw tons of visitors to your website at an inexpensive cost.

When establishing a PPC campaign, make sure you target keywords in your campaign relevant to your landing page. If you follow these steps, Google will reward you by inexpensive keyword bidding costs and a much higher placement on the Google Sponsored advertisements. Remember, sometimes it takes a lot of trial and error to establish a great Google Adwords Campaign, the key to being successful is having a never give up attitude!Tired of network marketing business and MLM programs promising you millions but leaving you with hundreds or even thousands less in your bank account? Get out of MLM and network marketing and get into marketing REAL products in customer hungry niches. Visit www.BetterLifetimes.com now!]]> "Oh I'm So Embarrassed!" She Cried... http://www.artwoo.com/article/oh-im-so-embarrassed-she-cried http://www.artwoo.com/article/oh-im-so-embarrassed-she-cried#comments Tue, 23 Jan 2007 02:27:08 +0000 quotoy veykim klaversubconsciouslytrudyembarrassedmortified http://www.artwoo.com/article/oh-im-so-embarrassed-she-cried Trudy, said she got into the business thinking that this'd be a great way to make $10,000/mo. Afterall, she'd been a professional accountant for 20 years...why couldn't she do this?

Only it wasn't happening very fast, and she'd been at it for three years now, she said.

So we did a quick exercise...

and;If your company pays you an average of 5% of all the money you bring into the company, (through product orders of your customers, recruits, and their customers and recruit orders), how much money (i.e. business, BV/PV) do you have to bring into your company each month, to earn $10,000/mo?andquot;

Silence in the room. Then, a small voice...

andquot;$20,000?andquot;

andquot;$100,000?andquot;

andquot;Ohmigawd! $200,000!andquot;

Trudy had calculated it. She was .

andquot;I've been an accountant my entire career, and NEVER thought to figure this out,andquot; she cried. andquot;How could I have been so blind? How could I not have seen this before?! , I'm SO !andquot;

All hung their heads in agreement.

Trudy had had amnesia. So dazzled was she by the big money being flashed in front of the room and the relentless pitching every week about how easy it was.

andquot;But now,andquot; announced Trudy, andquot;I'm telling all my folks what it takes to make what they want, and we can go after it. Let's see, with 100 customers...andquot;

How many people's backgrounds, experience, training, natural gifts and talents, and just plain common sense have been put on a mental shelf, out of reach, when the money dazzlers are talking?

After all, didn't those successful big promoters in front of the room say the big money was easy? And that cute one, well, he was just a waiter before, wasn't he? So why bother with anything you knew before (except your list)?

Trudy's brain heard that and obliged her. Anmesia set in and that was that.

Do you know a similar story? is Harvard andamp; Stanford educated. Her 20 years experience in network marketing have resulted in a popular blog, http://KimKlaverBlogs.com, a podcast, http://YourGreatThing.com and a giant resource site, http://BananaMarketing.com and now a new online community for MLMers http://NetworkMarketingCentral.com ]]> Commit A Revolutionary Act. http://www.artwoo.com/article/commit-a-revolutionary-act http://www.artwoo.com/article/commit-a-revolutionary-act#comments Sat, 11 Nov 2006 08:27:08 +0000 quotchase banktelling the truthgeorge orwellscobleunsuspecting publicblogs http://www.artwoo.com/article/commit-a-revolutionary-act quot;During times of deceit, becomes a revolutionary act.andquot; .

This is a chapter heading in the wonderful new book, Naked Conversations, an eye opening discussion on how (=web logs like this one) continue to change lives - business and personal.

A central theme of Naked is how blogs are forcing businesses to be more transparent in the way they market and advertise. This is a good thing, because I for one never know what to believe anymore when a marketer starts talking. And it's not just me.

andquot;Whatever happened to honesty in business?andquot; they ask on the back cover.

There are countless examples of companies who have hidden the truth in their advertising and promotion, and some of those deceptions were discovered and made known to the by bloggers.

Many people who are in a deception mode when they try to sell an idea, product or program, use descriptions like andquot;white liesandquot; or andquot;tell her on a need-to-know basis,andquot; or they focus on an exaggerated fear of loss. (See andquot;You are Pre-Approvedandquot; for the low-down on the cheap trick played on me.)

Be transparent. That's what authors and Israel advise all marketers and advertisers. That includes us promoting our business and products.

Transparent means not hiding things that someone will eventually discover later, which they will not like. Rememeber the yummie-looking fat red strawberries at the top of the basket, but then after you get home and unseal the plastic cover, you find the mildewy small ones at the bottom?

NOT a transparent transaction. You didn't get what they made you think you were getting, did you? And of course you found out later, AFTER you got home and had already made the purchase. I know I look extra hard at the sides and bottoms of these fresh fruit containers now, except when I shop at places where I know they would NEVER knowingly do that.

Now cut to our business. How was the business presented to you? Did they tell you the yummie good stuff, and kind of wait until later to tell you the maybe not so yummie stuff? Or maybe they never told you at all and make you feel like it's somehow YOUR fault? Like how much work it really takes to make a go of the business? Or how hard it is to find a good business builder?

I've offered a short list of things, that people often andquot;forgetandquot; to mention when they're promoting the business. In case.

Lack of transparency. That's one BIG reason people don't trust marketers, advertisers and promoters. Including network marketer recruiters. We're perceived as less than transparent for reasons we all know and maybe have been guilty of ourselves.

Assignment:

What would you tell a prospective recruit today about your business, so that you'd feel like your presentation is transparent?

Go ahead. Commit a a revolutionary act. Kim Klaver is Harvard andamp; Stanford educated. Her 20 years experience in network marketing have resulted in a popular blog, http://KimKlaverBlogs.com, a podcast, http://YourGreatThing.com and a giant resource site, http://BananaMarketing.com ]]> 4 Things All Internet Marketing Must Have To Succeed! http://www.artwoo.com/article/4-things-all-internet-marketing-must-have-to-succeed http://www.artwoo.com/article/4-things-all-internet-marketing-must-have-to-succeed#comments Thu, 01 Nov 2007 08:15:01 +0000 marketing strategyproduct serviceaffiliate marketingmake money onlinetarget groupniche marketinternet marketing http://www.artwoo.com/article/4-things-all-internet-marketing-must-have-to-succeed Internet marketing and to .

=95 Your Market

The easiest way to find your market is the one you are familiar with. You can either search the Internet to find out the one that is most profitable or you can survey the online stores and marketplaces to check out what products/services are in great demand. Your market should be targeted to a particular group of people. And one of the hottest markets out there is the group of people who want to make quick money online.

Some say this is already saturated. Yes, it is but it is also a very lucrative one. It generates billions of dollars in revenue every year. As more and more people accept the digital environment, there will be millions of Internet users who will become new prospective customers. This niche market is big enough for everyone -the mighty corporate players as well as the small ones like you and I.

=95 Your Product/Service

You sell the product/service that your market wants. If you have developed or created your own product/service then sell it to the . If you do not have one, the fastest and easiest way is to find that same product/service that is already in the market. This is .

Forget about the hottest item in the market. Everybody wants it and everybody wants to sell it. You will have to compete with other promoters. Choose one that is slightly less popular and you will have a better chance of success.

=95 Your

A marketing strategy is simply putting your product/service right in front of your customers in a virtual store. Your point of sale can be your own website, a blog or some other landing page where your visitors are given the sales pitch and hopefully convinced into parting with their money. You want to convert as many prospective customers as you can into buyers. The more they buy the more money you make.

Internet marketing is just like any other businesses in the real world. They both use the same marketing principles. In the virtual world, you use the Internet as part of your business strategy. You have turned it into a source of profit.

=95 You

You are the boss. The success or failure of your Internet business depends on you. Your actions and very often your inactions are critical to whether you can make money online or not. Like in the real world, Internet marketing also needs a lot of your time, effort and money especially in the initial stages of building your business. Once the business is up and running you will have to monitor, review and tweak it regularly to meet the demands of a dynamic market environment. It is a challenge to your commitment and determination. Are you in total control and in sharp focus to make money from your Internet business?

To be successful in Internet marketing you must constantly seek out the knowledge and learn the necessary skills of using the Internet as your business tool to achieve your financial dream. Alvin Chung is very enthusiastic about affiliate marketing. He wants to share his experiences and to help others succeed in Internet marketing and to earn an income online. For more information about Alvin Chung please visit his site at http://www.PluckProfit.com ]]> Are You Up For The Act! In Your CRM System http://www.artwoo.com/article/are-you-up-for-the-act-in-your-crm-system http://www.artwoo.com/article/are-you-up-for-the-act-in-your-crm-system#comments Tue, 08 May 2007 04:29:56 +0000 customer relationship managementcrm software packagesjob seekerstrack jobact productscrm solutionsprospects http://www.artwoo.com/article/are-you-up-for-the-act-in-your-crm-system customer relationship management is one of those edges. The question is are you up for the ACT! in your CRM system?

ACT! is the product of Sage who offer a full line of ACT! products as well as other business software tools. ACT! has earned a reputation as one of the best on the market.

You can quickly and easily pull customer information, manage your tasks, prioritize your activities, and tack every element of your customer communication, requests, queries, orders, and a host of other information.

ACT! isn't new to the market. It's been around for 20 years. In fact it has been the leader in the customer relationship management industry for year providing a quality product that's affordable and customizable for companies big and small.

There are five different ACT! products which means that there is a CRM solution for every business big or small, if you've got customers, they have the solution.

Who does ACT! offer CRM solutions to?

1. The ability to track potential clients, customers, vendors, or business associates.

2. Sales consultants and associates who need to manage both and clients.

3. Realtors that need to maintain relationships with both buyers and sellers, as well as referrals, property owners, and a variety of other agents.

4. Financial planners, bankers, and brokers who have to maintain contacts and client records relating to financial services offered and owned.

5. Advertising professionals who need to manage clients, writers, vendors, designers, and other prospects.

6. Recruiters who have to candidates and match with company clients.

7. Training professionals who need to manage attendees, promoters, equipment suppliers, facility managers, as well as instructors.

8. Manufacturers who need to keep track of interactions with clients and track transactions.

Your business has deadlines that you can't afford to miss, clients that you need to tracked, and a host of other commitments. We've only touched on a few business types that can benefit from ACT!

ACT! has it all including excellent forecasting and analytical tools as well as customizable reporting capability. It's versatile enough so that no matter what your demands are or your company's specific needs you can customize it to do just that.

And because our world is so mobile ACT! lets you connect to portable devices such as cell phones, PDA's, and Blackberries. The sophisticated instant correlation of the ACT! database means you have instant access without any timely delays for encoding over and over.

ACT! will meet your CRM needs from start to finish, no matter the size of your business. Sayed Ally, is the lead CRM Analyst. His company provides, http://www.cqsolutions.com/ ACT! Software Training. Sayed can be reached at Tel : (905) 815- 1995 ext 22, email: aSayed@cqsolutions.com. ]]> Singers Who Sing and Talent Agents Who Book http://www.artwoo.com/article/singers-who-sing-talent-agents-who-book http://www.artwoo.com/article/singers-who-sing-talent-agents-who-book#comments Wed, 09 Aug 2006 10:27:13 +0000 william morris agencysingersheadline actactshopefullypromoterstalent agencies http://www.artwoo.com/article/singers-who-sing-talent-agents-who-book singers who sing and singers who don't, along with talent booking agents who book and those that couldn't sell cotton candy at the circus. Is it drive, talent or a mystical combination of "factors" that create singers and talent booking agents, or is it yet the pure unexplainable? Let's look at some factors in this article as singers, looking to further their careers, try to find suitable representation.

As a former talent booking agent with the , I can tell you that there are many factors that determine both effective agents and marketable singers and artists. While there are many explainable factors, there certainly is the element of luck, the right place at the right time and the "Who knows, it just happened," phenomenon. Let's start with what we can determine and you will gain some insight into what effective booking agents look like and your securing one of them.

To begin with, there are many caliber of booking agents out there. As I've outlined in a previous article on booking talent, that you can find at ReelMusician, there are the order taking agents who book mainly s, the agent who started in some agency somewhere and who branches out starting their own agency booking more of the "has been" and the lowest, but not always the least on the totem pole agents. These agents are usually friends of the artist or a manager looking to push their act before a major record deal signing, etc.

With each agent level comes a different approach. The order taking agent, with the larger well known , isn't going to be interested in your act unless there is interest and ongoing courting from a major record label. These agents take the "baby" acts and use leverage, with who want the headline act, into a must take the baby act as well deal -- And most promoters don't have a problem and understand that this is part of the deal when playing in the big boys club. Unless you have a record deal or are very appealing and are drawing some interest from the labels or a big time manager, you won't find yourself behind the desk of one of these agents. If you are trying to approach the agent at the top of the pyramid, you must recognize that image, packaging, appeal, and your knowing and talking the game to a tee, and not in artsy fartsy language, is going to be key.

I recommend that you really have your act together and don't even begin to bother these individuals, not that they're necessarily the best agents in the game, but certainly have more power and influence from position alone, before approaching them. Your artist bio, pictures, artist demos have to look like there label ready. And before that, you really need to have a manager and a manager working on securing an agent on your behalf.

Again, many more articles on this and other topics can be found at ReelMusician. So, unless you really have your act together, with management in place, don't bother wasting yours or the agent's time.

The next level down the agent totem pole will be not only be easier to gain access to, but easier to gain representation from. The middle line agents are hard working agents who make their bread and butter on the older, end of the product or market shelf life acts. These acts, because of name recognition, can make these agents a significant income. You will have to prove to this agent that you will not take up any more time than any other act that they are promoting. Why should they spend all of their time trying to book your act with nothing or little in return? This is a key question. Ask yourself, as an agent, what do I get out of this? - Phone bills and mailing costs or am I going to see a valid positive cash flow return on all of my time expended on this act? I want you to think about that question and reflect. This alone will help you not only relate, converse knowing their difficulties in booking, but ultimately help you secure a booking agent.

In the game of booking, you as an artist have to have something more than "hip and cool" and a "new" artist sound, but you have to be able to present to the seller, that being your agent, that he or she has something of value to sell with minimal headaches. You can't possibly begin to imagine how hard it is to book some acts -- when you start booking your own shows, with vested interest I might ad, you begin to touch on the realities of the agent's day to day barrage of booking complexities. So begin to compile a mental list of positive booking attributes that you or your band can bring to the table.

As you look at either contemplating a manager, or a serious friend who wants a try at booking and management of your act, try to be reasonable in your business relationships. I've said it before, that everyone wants to be a star, but nobody wants to help pay for it. For the most part, artists just expect that booking agents and managers will pick up the exhaustive phone, mailing and press kit bills. You might inquire, if you are really serious about securing a business team, about helping out with some of the initial start-up costs trying to land your act on the map. It takes a tremendous amount of energy and money and just your willingness to help out alone, will tell a manager or booking agent that you are serious and not just "takers." This alone, even if they decline the financial help, may be the key in determining the start of a successful relationship.

In closing, in order for you to succeed, you must remain in front of the masses and this is done not so much musically, but in your day to attitude and business focus and with your professional and well laid out blueprint for success. Feel free to contact us at the contact numbers that follow. Mr Gauger is a former talent booking agent with the William Morris Agency and is the founder of http://www.ReelMusician.com. You may contact the author at tgauger@reelmusician.com or 615-300-5030. In addition, Free e-books "The Jingle Singer's Guide," and "Secrets To Great Song Demos," may be downloaded at http://www.ReelMusician.com. ]]> Tax Evasion - Promoters, Participants And Professionals http://www.artwoo.com/article/tax-evasion-promoters-participants-and-professionals http://www.artwoo.com/article/tax-evasion-promoters-participants-and-professionals#comments Tue, 06 Mar 2007 02:27:15 +0000 australian taxation officetaxation systemaudit activityunnecessarilytea tree oilmichael carmodypromoters http://www.artwoo.com/article/tax-evasion-promoters-participants-and-professionals
The whole area is complex and both the and the courts have been left to do the best they can to provide meaningful interpretations of the law in this area. As sometimes happens there is a divergence between the two views and the ATO has come in for strident criticism as to the manner in which it has sought to impose its view on taxpayers contrary to the findings of both the Federal and High Courts.

Accountants are the masters of tax compliance and are the gatekeepers of the . Unfortunately the very nature of the compliance programs which are they forced to serve make life difficult for them. In recent years many firms have moved up-market into comprehensive tax planning whilst by the ATO all but dropped out of sight. As this occurred a number of pushing so-called tax effective schemes including everything from plantations to emu farming burst onto the Australian taxation scene. Many of these promoters had either a finance or accounting background and pushed the legitimacy of their arrangements mainly to accountants and their clients.

As matters would have it both the government and the ATO realised that there was a threat to the revenue and something needed to be done. , former Commissioner for Taxation, started to tighten up on audit activity as Phillip Egglishaw from Strachans increased his involvement in Australia as well as overseas. Interestingly by this time many professionals considered that the most effective form of tax planning was tax evasion given the laxity of audit activity by the ATO. A number of professionals were pushing the idea that if the taxpayer evaded their tax then at worst all they would have to do is pay part of it and tell the ATO to go away by cracking hardy and refusing to pay penalties and interest. Often this tactic worked brilliantly for the taxpayer but there has been a quantum shift which is rapidly readdressing this imbalance.



The Gerard case was a great embarrassment to both the Government and the ATO and other authorities serving the tax system. In that case the tax liability of the taxpayer was substantially compromised with the only real fallout for the taxpayer being that he lost his seat on the Reserve Bank of Australia. Whilst this matter was proceeding Phillip Egglishaw came to prominence in the Australian press when his Melbourne hotel room was raided by the Australian Crime Commission in February 2004. Various documents together with his laptop computer were seized and although the information was alleged to have been deleted or encrypted and safe from the probing eyes of the authorities approximately 97% of it has been recovered, becoming the centrepiece of the one of the most widespread and thorough taxation investigations ever mounted in this country including the infamous bottom of the harbour schemes. While all of this was going on the Ronan matter erupted. Ida and her two sons were found guilty of a $15M tax fraud. It was one of the longest most keenly fought criminal trials in New South Wales leading to a guilty verdict and the incarceration of all three even though Ida was 71 years old. Mrs Ronan was sentenced to imprisonment for 8 years 6 months from the 28th January 2005 with a non-parole period of 4 years 6 months to expire on 27th July 2009. Each of her sons was sentenced to 8 years 6 months from the 28th January 2005 with a non-parole period of 5 years 6 months to expire on the 27th July 2010. It is understood that the ignominity of their circumstances was further exacerbated by having to pay legal fees for an amount similar to their taxation liability perhaps as much as $17M.

Recently the press has covered the names of a number of individuals who are of interest to the ATO and in some cases to the authorities including Michael Brereton, a prominent Melbourne taxation lawyer; Paul Hogan; John Cornell; the Hargraves brothers and Daniel Aran Stotan, company directors of the Gold Coast; and Dale Kathleen Wright, a Brisbane divorcee claiming $210 week in government benefits after allegedly secretly depositing $1.5M in offshore accounts.

We know from the press that these are not the only persons who are of concern to the Australian Taxation Office, the Australian and Federal Police and the Australian Crime Commission. The heightened prominence of these investigations and the amount of press that they are receiving is indicative of a change in sentiment by the Australian Taxation Office to ensure that all tax evaders are caught wherever possible and that tax evasion no longer remains the preferred mechanism for tax planning. The Tax Office is targeting promoters, participants and professionals. It is looking for prominent people whom it can make an example of and where appropriate refer them to the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions for criminal prosecution and gaol.

What does the future hold for non-complying taxpayers who entered into arrangements via their professional advisers with promoters either in Australian or overseas through tax havens or something similar in order to minimise their tax where those arrangements are not subject to any form of foreign tax and have no underlying tax rationale which effectively legitimates them?

In today's environment the taxpayer, whether as a person, company, trust or any other structure will fall foul of Part IVA of the Anti Avoidance provisions of the ITAA1936. The consequences are serious and they involve paying the full amount of the omitted tax, penalties and interest including the confiscation of assets under the Proceeds of Crime legislation and a prison term for a substantial number of years at least similar to the Ronans or as circumstances would have it for even longer periods of time. It should not be forgotten that with taxation offences the law provides for periods of imprisonment for up to 10 years and where money laundering is involved for periods of incarceration up to 20 years. There are very few taxation advisers who have a comprehensive knowledge of tax as the vast majority of the work is serviced by accountants who mainly attend to compliance matters. Apart from this there are only a few accountants and lawyers who practice exclusively in this area and no tax accountant can offer any form of professional advice about the criminal consequences of tax evasion. As for the remainder there are very few tax lawyers who either have a comprehensive knowledge of the operation of the criminal law in this area and/or the experience which goes with dealing with the Australian Federal Police, the Australian Crime Commission and the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions. The wrong advice may not only cost the taxpayer their livelihood but also their liberty. Frank Egan is the Chief Executive Officer of LAC Lawyers Sydney http://www.laclawyers.com.au and has over 27 years of experience as a lawyer. ]]> Obituary For Old School Network Marketing? Pt 1 Of 3 http://www.artwoo.com/article/obituary-for-old-school-network-marketing-pt-1-of-3 http://www.artwoo.com/article/obituary-for-old-school-network-marketing-pt-1-of-3#comments Sat, 15 Sep 2007 09:35:09 +0000 grass rootsgrassroots marketingneed more moneyrobert scoblesteve ballmernetwork marketing businessgoogle http://www.artwoo.com/article/obituary-for-old-school-network-marketing-pt-1-of-3 network marketing business.

In Network Marketing, the #1 "end" that has always been held out by its promoters has been the money. (Second, "be your own boss.")

Recruiters everywhere lead with the money or what money can buy - the Gucci belts with the fancy buckles, the shiny cars, and the big mansions on the hill.

Who doesn't ? From God to the panhandlers, everyone is looking for more. So no, it's not hard to see why everyone responds to the call for money.

But we know from the 95 of every 100 who drop out, that this "end" does not materialize for most folks. And the promise of money doesn't keep them in.

Now, what about those who stay in? Most of them aren't making money, either.

What's their story?

They told me on a conference call last week that they stick because they've replaced the old pitched end, money, with an end that's much more meaningful to them, and which keeps them going even when they're not making much.

If we knew what kept people in even when they're not making money yet, wouldn't that be useful information?

Microsoft's Scoble to Ballmer: Learn !

"Why doesn't Wall Street believe ?"

That's the question posed by famous Microsoft former employee/blogger , about why the second in command at Microsoft (Ballmer) didn't seem to get the respect from the Wall Street big wigs. Here's Scoble's answer:

"That's an easy one. Cause he didn't convince the influence networks first. Why have and Apple done so well in the last three years? Cause the grassroots loves them. That's the powerroot of the industry. Ideas here don't come from the big influencers and move down. No, they start on the street and move up. Anyone miss how Google got big? Not by throwing a press conference."

Grass roots influence networks. Delightful phrase, yes? Kim Klaver is Harvard and Stanford educated. Her 20 years experience in network marketing have resulted in a popular blog, http://KimKlaverBlogs.com, a podcast, http://YourGreatThing.com and a giant resource site, http://BananaMarketing.com and now her new online MLM community http://NetworkMarketingCentral.com. ]]> Podcasts Free Informal Life Long Learning http://www.artwoo.com/article/podcasts-free-informal-life-long-learning http://www.artwoo.com/article/podcasts-free-informal-life-long-learning#comments Mon, 12 Nov 2007 10:40:01 +0000 cpdcontinuing professional educationcontinuing professional developmentharvard business schoolfinance professionalsfinance coursespodcasts http://www.artwoo.com/article/podcasts-free-informal-life-long-learning Podcasts are a great way to listen to and discover new music, but that's only a part of their story. Podcasts can also be a great source of information on any number of business and finance topics. Many enthusiastic members of the business community are now podcasting, as well as some extremely well respected institutions, such as the and Stanford University.

Whatever role you have in business, keeping up to date with current thinking has long been recognised as vital to success. If you are in a regulated financial services sector or a member of a professional body, your regulator will likely have recognised your need to continually learn and implemented a system of (), CPE (), or Life Long Learning. Generally CPD schemes require a mix of structured and informal learning. Structured CPD includes attendance at an evening class or undertaking an e-Learning course, such as the online offered by cpdwise.com. Informal CPD includes such diverse activities as reading magazines or watching DVDs.

By implementing a formal system for recording and reporting on CPD, regulators are simply defining a structure for activities that business people and have always done on their own initiative. So with or without a formal system of CPD in place there is a consistent demand for business learning, both formal and informal.

To meet the demand for business learning and CPD for accountants there are numerous magazines, books and other media dedicated to every conceivable finance and business related topic. But now there's a new entrant in the field of informal business learning, the Podcast.

Podcasts are generally associated with music, but this new breed of podcast offers anyone with an interest in knowing more about business the opportunity to learn from some of the world's most respected business leaders.

Some of the best business podcasts on the web include Harvard Business Review Online's HBR Ideacast, which features "breakthrough ideas and commentary from leading thinkers in business and management", and the Entrepreneurial Thought Leaders lecture series from Stanford University, a series of in-depth lectures presented by some of the most innovative business thinkers, recorded at Stanford.

Looking at matters from a UK perspective, smallbizpod.co.uk, "the UK's first small business podcast" features interviews and advice for small businesses, start-ups and entrepreneurs. Mind Your Own Business Podcast, at myobpod.com, discusses, analyzes and delivers powerful insights into such essential topics as marketing, branding, growth, success, motivating staff, work-life balance, and business finance.

Based in the US the venturevoice.com podcast takes a more personalized approach, covering how entrepreneurs build their businesses and live their lives.

These podcasts are amongst the best available on the web right now. Their promoters regularly and consistently produce new shows. Each has interviews with some of the most interesting doers, thinkers and commentators in the business world. Between them, they provide a very balanced diet of strategic and practical business knowledge.

The depth, variety, and standard of these freely available podcasts dedicated to business, finance and entrepreneurship offers anyone with an interest in business an ideal source of mind opening and intellectually stimulating life long learning.

Copyright =A9 cpdwise.com 2007 http://cpdwise.com provides online business and finance courses. http://cpdwise.com is particularly focused at offering accounting and finance professionals immediate access to courses, which meets their CPD requirements. http://www.cpdwise.com Copyright =A9 http://cpdwise.com 2007 ]]> Wind Powered Items and Other Environmentally Friendly Promotional Objects http://www.artwoo.com/article/wind-powered-items-and-other-environmentally-friendly-promotional-objects http://www.artwoo.com/article/wind-powered-items-and-other-environmentally-friendly-promotional-objects#comments Sat, 16 Aug 2008 11:29:48 +0000 wooden planeswind sockspowered toysmodel airplanesworthwhile effortwind sockcutting edges http://www.artwoo.com/article/wind-powered-items-and-other-environmentally-friendly-promotional-objects worthwhile effort to promote businesses and organizations, the use of plastic--a petroleum based substance--is a serious concern for those who manufacture, buy and distribute these items. In addition, paper for these products is made from trees, which are a renewable resource, but which are being depleted faster than the trees are being renewed.

Therefore, it pays to be environmentally aware and to make the effort to promote environmental awareness in your business practices, including your promotions. Fortunately, there are many ways to do this without compromising your marketing strategy.

Wind and objects

Wind powered objects are one of the best sources of environmentally responsible objects. There are dozens of wind powered toys and other objects that can be imprinted with your company's logo or contact information. Wind power is one of the of environmentally friendly energy, but it can also be harnessed toward your business needs.

One type of wind powered toy is a . These are often used outside businesses to call attention to sales or other special events. They come in people-shaped constructions that are supported and blown in the wind, making comical shapes and attracting people's attention as they walk or drive by. Smaller can also be hung outside homes, and decorative and colorful wind socks can be custom made in your company's colors to be displayed outside your business or distributed to your custoemrs.

Other wind powered toys include which can have your contact information printed across the wings. These can be inexpensive that are fun to play with, but still get your logo out there with every toss. You can also consider kites, which have a large area for printing your business information, and which kids and adults will clamor to get from you. Flags are also wind powered and can also serve to draw attention to your business. They can be planted outside your building to mark the path toward your door, or they can display the colors or logo of your business.



Other environmentally conscious promotional items

Your company can put out any sort of item that actively promotes care for the environment, and have your company promoted at the same time. Your items can encourage "going green," "recycling," or "Earth Day," demonstrating your commitment to the care of the earth, but also have your logo displayed on these items. These items can be almost anything that you would normally use for promotions, such as stress balls, pens, bracelets, hats, water bottles, etc. They can do double duty as environmental cheerleaders and business promoters, giving a good impression and getting your name and logo out there.Miles Lovegrove is director of Fluid Branding, the UK's largest supplier of Promotional Wind Powered and other Promotional Products at www.fluidbranding.com. For Eco Friendly promotional products, including Recycled, Organic and Sustainable items visit www.ecoincentives.com]]>