Lapel pins – a great way to market your cause

Lapel Pins – A Great Way To Market Your Cause

Lapel pins are an effective marketing method for several reasons.  They’re inexpensive, both to produce and sell. That makes it easy to distribute them far and wide to promote your cause. They’re generally attractive, giving them a jewelry-like appeal that makes them easy to wear and hard to ignore.

Because they’re small, lapel pins are a subtle marketing tool. They’re not as «in your face» as some marketing techniques. A lapel pin invites others to ask the wearer what it means.  That allows for a more nuanced explanation of the cause the lapel pin represents.

With the popularity of ribbon lapel pins, first introduced in the 1990s, people have come to associate lapel pins with social causes. Programs ranging from breast cancer awareness to poverty eradication efforts are now represented by a ribbon pin of a specific color.

Flag lapel pins too have their place. For most, an American flag lapel pin represents a statement of patriotism and support for U.S. troops. Yellow ribbon pins also stand for support for the enlisted men and women fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Lapel pins are an excellent motivational tool for businesses. Employees appreciate knowing that their hard work is valued by their employer. A lapel pin, presented publicly, whether as a reward for outstanding job performance or reaching a specified number of years on the job, helps boost morale.

Trading pins are booming in most youth sports. Long a staple of Little League Baseball, trading pins are now popular among players of many other sports, including hockey, soccer, basketball and football. Even academic competitions such as Destination ImagiNation and Odyssey of the Mind now feature trading pins.

To sum up, lapel pins are versatile ways to market a cause, denote membership, recognize outstanding performance or even just to mark a fun adventure. There’s a lapel pin that’s appropriate for just about any purpose under the sun.

How to sell your home in a lousy economy

How to Sell Your Home in a Lousy Economy

They say in today’s economy it is a buyers’ market and I agree. I also believe that

you can Purchase Real Estate in Any Economy, good, bad or ugly. So how can you

sell your home in this economy faster and for more money?

The secret is twofold:

1. Prepare your home for sale.

2. Get a realtor.

Preparing your home for sale just makes common sense when you stop and think

about it. Your home is on display from the curb (known in the industry as “Street

Appeal”) and from the moment you enter your home.

The realtor that you choose to work with should have a checklist of what needs to

be done and what has to be done before the “For Sale” sign goes up on the

property. There are home staging companies that specialize in preparing your

home to sell. With the help of these “Home Stagers” they can save you way more

money than your total dollar investment is in them.

Selecting the right realtor is a crucial step. He or she will be ultimately responsible

for marketing your property and negotiating the best possible price and terms.

When choosing a realtor check out their website (more and more purchasers use

the web everyday for finding properties) for content, pay close attention to their

testimonials and Bio page. Do they use video? Before you hire, get to know them.

You do not want any unpleasant surprises down the road!

Selling your home will require work on your part as well as the realtor. When

appointments are made for showings or open houses, your home, your property

must show at its very best. You may not get a second chance. When your home

stands out from your competition it will sell faster and for considerably more

money!

For information on everything to do with real estate click here: http//www.PurchaseRealEstateInAnyEconomy.com

Is college for entrepreneurs

Is College for Entrepreneurs?

Young entrepreneurs and business owners are often times faced with the choice of which road to take. On one hand, there is the more conservative route of staying in college and getting a degree. On the other hand, many have thriving businesses that are making more money than their degree will ever get for them. Is college simply a hindrance? Or is it a valuable resource that should be continued at all costs. Many college business owners don’t even realize they have the choice of dropping out. Knowing this option is there could be vital to the success of their future business. If you are in college and are an entrepreneur or business owner you must ask your self this question: should I drop out of college?

The answer to this question often comes in many forms from many different people. I was recently at an entrepreneurial conference and had the opportunity to discuss this matter with many rich entrepreneurs. The answers I was getting from them were vastly different from those that my family had given me. On the one side I was being told that college is only useful if you are getting something out of it, and that if I was serious my businesses should take priority over schooling. From the family side I was being told to stay in school no matter what, put schooling at the forefront — there will always be time for business and it will be good to have a safe backup. Both of these answers have their merits, but which one is right?. It became clear to me that it was my decision- not the other wealthy entrepreneurs, and not your family.

Why are you in college?
This question is the fundamental element in the decision to drop out of college. Entrepreneurs must figure out the reality of why they are in college before making a decision to drop out. Some business owners are in college because their parents told them to go there, or because they didn’t realize they had the choice. Other young entrepreneurs are in college because they find the information valuable and want to continue learning while they expand their business. Even more still had childhood dreams of one day being an engineer or architect and want to follow through with their early ideals. You must answer this question truthfully and honestly if you are going to make a choice about running your business full time or staying in college.

Why Do You Want to Drop Out?
It is very important to understand exactly why you want to drop out. Many business owners and entrepreneurs have vastly different reasons for dropping out of college and it is key that you understand yours. I have often fielded this question in conversation, and many times a young entrepreneur will want to drop out of college on pure speculation. This is never a good idea without a solid business plan. I recommend having a solid business plan and some backups in the least, as well as some plans for continued learning of business skills. Dropping out is a risky decision — entrepreneurs will understand and easily accept this fact. Understanding and accepting risk is part of being an entrepreneur and starting new businesses. I have also talked with many entrepreneurs who already have million dollar plus income, and are thinking about dropping out in order to focus more on their business. This instance presents an entirely new set of questions. Whatever your reasoning make sure that you understand and research your position.

Here is the Secret to Making the Decision
It all comes down to balancing the two sides of the argument. If you’ve figured out both your reasons for being in college and your reasons for dropping out and starting a business, then you can easily make a decision. The trick is to look at a list of both sides: your reasons for being in college and your reasons for going out and becoming an entrepreneur. If either side has reasons that aren’t your own, or that have doubt in them, then you will most likely pick the other side. Here is an example situation, look at the two lists and decide what the student should do.

Student A — Reasons to Stay in College:
— My parents are paying for it, and they would flip if I left
— Everyone I know is in college, it would be weird to leave.
— A degree might give me some security later on.

Student A — Reasons to Drop Out and Pursue Business
— I have a solid business plan and have been working on it for months
— My income is almost half of my parents already
— Having more time to work on business would let me expand faster

I think it is fairly clear in this setup that we have an entrepreneur at heart. There is doubt in the reasoning behind college, and he also doubts that he will even need the security of a degree. The second list is much more profound and certain. This student knows he will be successful as an entrepreneur and he only wants to build his business more. There is certainty and understanding in his tone. With this situation it seems very likely that the student would be far better off dropping out of college and pursuing his business goals.

The case is almost never as cut and dry as the situation above, most young businessmen have far more complicated setups. Even with the complications, the end result is always the same. Follow the path that you are sure of in your heart. If you are an entrepreneur in the right position then you will know exactly why you want to drop out and that it will be better for you. Or, you will know that staying in college will teach you more about business and let you grow faster out of college. I will leave you with one last thing.

Listen to your own thoughts, and pick the path that you know is better for you.

Increased compliance burdens are leading to the establishment of more legal process outsourcing firms

Increased Compliance Burdens Are Leading to the Establishment of More Legal Process Outsourcing Firms

Legal Process Outsourcing (LPO) services are becoming quite popular these days. One reason behind this is the increase in the number of statutory compliances for corporate organizations.

Lack of transparency and regulation has been identified as one of the factors that engendered the recession which in turn shook the roots of the American economy. Authorities have responded to this by making it mandatory for important financial institutions to maintain certain records to increase transparency. It is perceived that these measures will reduce the chances of another recession hitting the market.

Regulatory requirements

Those who have been keeping a tab on developments in this field will know that private equity advisers and hedge funds have to register their firms with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and reveal their books to regulators. Depository institutions will be subject to the bank holding regulations issued by the Federal Reserve Bank. Moreover, the Office of Thrift Supervision (which was the regulator of institutions like IndyMac Bancorp Inc., Washington Mutual Inc., and American International Group Inc.), will be made a part of the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. Companies that issue mortgages would be required to retain a minimum of 5% of these on their books to discourage improper loans. The new Consumer Financial Protection Agency will have SEC authority and regulatory authority. This agency will ensure that entities which create consumer debt disclose more information.  

Apart from recession related issues, energy and healthcare reforms will also impose more compliance burdens on organizations related to those sectors.

Some people argue that these regulations have been imposed to make sure that no institution becomes too big. However, everyone agrees that such regulations will increase legal spending across all corporate organizations.   

Advantages of appointing LPO service providers

It is natural that firms will try to outsource as much work as possible because they are already cash strapped.  Even the American Bar Association approves legal process outsourcing. The LPO industry is useful for small and medium sized businesses because such organizations find it more difficult to deal with the compliance burden. This is the only way in which they can compete with larger firms within and outside America.

Not only can such firms provide routine, low end legal services, they can also offer services like drafting and reviewing privilege logs, drafting case chronologies, conducting contract analysis, putting together witness binders, drafting head notes & case summaries, and conducting research at the global or multi-state level.

The LPO industry is already quite developed and firms have the advantage of studying partnership models that have worked. Establishing long term relationships with firms that offer legal services from foreign locations is more cost effective because it allows for longer training periods and enables setting up of compliance tracking teams.

Some companies are concerned about the degree of confidentiality and data protection issues in legal process outsourcing firms. However, this should not be a concern because these firms adhere to the standards accepted in USA or UK.

On the whole, LPO seems to be the best option for law firms and corporate bodies because two birds are killed with the same stone: the cumbersome legal requirements are met and expenses are kept low.

Hundred-fold-life-team: selling online can create new income streams

Hundred-Fold-Life-Team: Selling Online Can Create New Income Streams

As the internet matures, so do the attitudes of people buying more and more online. Many companies exist that will ship merchandise to nearly any address specified, without being the same address as the buyer. This opens the door for selling opportunities for just about anyone with the initiative to do a little work online and keep track of their earnings.

One of the problems with having a retail website, is you become the buyer, seller and shipper all at once. When you offer merchandise for sale online you are opening the door to a global audience and will need to have an inventory of merchandise that you offer for sale. Constantly sending out apologetic emails informing buyers their choice is either discontinued or on back order will not win many repeat customers and will eventually leave you with nothing but a nice looking website. This is no way to build your Hundred-Fold-Life.

You can, however get hooked up with wholesalers who maintain a large inventory of merchandise and allow you to sell it on your website. When an order comes in, it goes directly to the wholesaler who will pack it and ship it as well as handle all the finances. You make money based on the profit from the sale of the item. For example, you advertise a DVD player on your site for $59.99 plus tax plus shipping a handling. A customer buys it and submits the order. Once payment is received and the item has shipped. If you are getting that DVD player from the wholesaler for $40, you will be paid the difference of $19.

Many drop-shippers work with online auction sellers who simply list the merchandise on their auction site and the wholesaler takes over the shipping of the merchandise. For auction merchandise there is a risk to the seller in that if a listed item doesn’t sell, the seller is still responsible for any listing fees for putting them item on the auction.

Additionally, once an item sells, the seller is charged a final value fee, which is a percentage of the price at which the item sold. Consequently, the seller has to sell the item at a price higher than the unit cost, plus listing fees plus the final value fee before they make any money. Selling straight off your own website may not elicit as much business, but by the buyer paying shipping and handling charges, everything paid over the unit price is your to keep.

You can also choose to buy small inventories of merchandise you believe will be in high demand and list in the items description how many are available. Being honest with potential buyers on the front side that only so many are available may improve the chance of a sale, as well as diminish disappointment when you run out.

Using a drop-shipper or maintaining your own inventory is up to you. It again comes down to doing your research to find what will work best for you. I f your are a home-based business like I am I would recommend using a reputable wholesaler and drop-shipper. That way I don’t have to have space for products in my home and they do a much better job at shipping than I could.

Keep your Hundred-Fold-Life simple to run and profit from.