Business Planning - Issues Facing Strategic Planners Today

Business Planning - Issues Facing Strategic Planners Today

Different companies hire strategic planners internationally or as consultants to guide them toward profitability. These strategic planners do thorough research using the company's SWOT or Strength, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats analyzes. They use these kinds of information to be able to predict how to react to future problems or obstacles.

Having a strong and effective strategic plan is like having a strong weapon in achieving success in your business. However, strategic planners are facing some issues these days that might hinder them in coming up with a successful plan for the future of the company. To be able to understand more, here are some of the issues that strategic planners are facing today:

1. Lack of information - Researched information is basically the bread and butter of strategic planners. They usually get information from the competitors to have a comparison but most of the times these competitors are protecting their business so they do not disclose much information.


2. Fear of losing a job - Another way for strategic planners to create a successful plan that will help the organization dodge bullets or storms for that matter is by asking current employees with some questions that will make the case study stronger. Of course, the voices of employers will be heard too but most of the times, these employees are afraid to tell the truth because they are afraid that they might lose their jobs. How are you going to develop a plan when employees are picking the good words to say about the company? This problem is indeed one of the major headboards that strategic planners go through.


3. Predicting the future -Another issue that strategic planners is facing is the ever-changing trend in the market. This problem becomes worse because of the presence of new technology that can easily improve a man's way of living.

These are the challenges or issues facing strategic planners today. It would be best to get as much and as accurate information that you can get to be able to create an effective and strategic plans. Since you are now aware of the problems that might hinder in the development of an accurate plan then it is best to act on these problems. Here are some examples:

1. If you find it difficult to gather accurate information about the competitors then you might want to consider doing another approach like hiring another person to get this information for you.


2. If you were having trouble because some of the employees do not want to reveal the truth because they fear losing employment, then you must explain to them that you are conducting this research to help them secure their employment.


3. If the competitors were being proactive planner then be sure to distinguish a campaign that is worth your time - ie the campaign that will help you determine their actions towards the future. You need not chase them all through. Planning based on potential threats could be more reactive than strategic planning so you need to be selective with the information that you get too.


4. Well you can not do much about predicting an accurate forecast because if you are just basing your research from potential strength, possible weaknesses, opportunities and threats then you will not really produce a plan with 100% accuracy.

Effective Application Forms and Cover Letters

Effective Application Forms and Cover Letters

Most people tend to find having to complete application forms a 'pain in the backside'. But as they say, "no pain, no gain"! Whilst the majority of UK Employers in the Private Sector prefer to receive CV's, quite a number do not - they request you fill in a form. In the Public Sector the reverse is generally true, and in some parts of that sector, such as Local Authorities, it promises to be an automatic requirement!

Here are a few practical tips;

• If you are a 'bit messy' then get the form photo-copied first and start by using that!

• Follow all the instructions; ie Use Back Ink so they can copy the form!

• Have the Job Advert, Job Description and Person Specification to hand

• Make sure you address all the Employers stated requirements by spelling out clearly on your application that you meet his / her requirements. ie Show you match their needs as far as you can!

• If you add additional pages, put your name and Job applied for at the top of each - they may get detracted inadvertently when opened!

• Check everything through thoroughly, check spellings and grammar.

• Take a copy for your own use and to prepare if you are interviewed.

• Consider whether you need an accompanying letter, not usually required with an Application Form, although some Employers' do ask for one!

• Use as large an envelope as possible because if it's folded many times and crumpled up that will not give a very good impression.

• Remember the closing date and post it in good time!

Covering letters:

These are usually used with CVs and there are some of a much larger topic, like I said about CVs and I can not possibly give you all the low down. However I can give you some important practical tips and guidelines, again from my extensive personal experience.

• Use single sheet, good quality A4 paper - usually white

• Get it word - processed, except the advertisement specified 'please send a hand - written covering letter'

• Remember "Dear Mr ..." or "Dear Mrs ..." at start, - "Yours sincerely", at the end

• OR Dear Sir / Madam at start, - Yours faithfully, at the end.

• Do not repeat yourself by re-hashing the CV, keep it short, otherwise they will not get into the CV itself.

• Three short paragraphs should do: An opening one to make clear which Job you are enclosing your CV for, remember they may have more than one kind of Job advertised. A middle paragraph which clearly picks out how your experience and background fits with what they want. Very brief main point or two only! A final one which ends positively, ie do not say 'I hope to hear from you'. It's better to say "I look forward to hearing from you shortly" etc.

• Finally, do make sure you include your full postal address and current Telephone Number and email address if you have one. You would be amazed how many people get that wrong or miss part or all of it out!

The Secret Behind Mobile Apps

The Secret Behind Mobile Apps

In general, as apps are used for different aspects of the business, the app should be built specifically to focus on the aim that is to be complimented, for a particular platform eg. Android, iOS and should be cost-effective. The icon / s that represents the app, should be eyeball grabbing, jaw-dropping, with a strong emotional connect, to attract users. To cap it all, it helps if all relevant technical documents to felicitate development of the app, and contracts are drafted out well in advance.

The bigger challenge is always, to retain the loyalty of customers to brands. A strategy adopted by several startups, following in the steps of Facebook, is to have multiple apps which are interconnected, to meet various consumer needs. These apps are launched on different platforms like Android and iOS.

This approach, in addition, gives several advantages to the business. Apps can be developed and updated faster, innovative revenue models can be used, and user experience becomes smoother.

An example in case, is Flipkart, which has separate apps for e-books, the Flipkart app for electronics and other shopping, Flipkart seller hub for business and Flipkart nearby as a mobile supermarket. Similarly, Snapdeal too has 5 different apps, catering to different groups like buyers, sellers etc. Commonfloor, which deals with realty, has 4 apps like agents, residents etc. and FB has Messenger, Pages and Groups.

Amidst all the frenzied endeavors to develop apps for every conceivable business, there is a debate which has recently sprung up, about the prudence of using only mobile apps vs. using the website, to do business. Or when service oriented businesses benefit more from using apps or product businesses.

The reactions to this have been mixed, from different players. While some like Urban Ladder, the online furniture store, garner a lesser share through the app, there are others like BoookMyShow, for ticketing, who do better business via a mobile app. Irrespective of the income, it is definite, that more and more business will be connected on mobiles, in the coming years.

In fact, as this kind of social behavior of "living" practically online, matures, our relationship with mobile apps, will be quite akin to what Aladdin had, with his magic lamp!

That, my dear friends, will indeed be, true magic, at your fingertips!

And traveling long, dusty miles, to say, "open sesame", to discover a cave full of glittering goodies and ear-to-ear smiles, would be a thing, long gone in the past!

Spare Your Family Some Financial Stress

Spare Your Family Some Financial Stress

As human beings, people under different experiences that lead to diverse outcomes. This results to a display of diverse beliefs as well. In spite of this diversity, they tend to share one thing in common - the same fate. This fate is known as death!

Death comes in without even a knock. Therefore, this is reason enough for you to be prepared so that you are not taken off-guard. There are various ways of dealing with funeral expenses. However, you need to consider looking at the big picture before landing on one of these choices and have a better understanding of what amount to spend and what is accessible.

The mention of a burial insurance to many may seem like a joke or even unnecessary. Death is predestined and expenses have to be paid by somebody. Why leave your family with the worry of how to cover your funeral expenses while there are so different burial insurance rates to choose from?

Death is certain but ways of covering your funeral costs is not. Insurance companies assure you of a stress free burial for the family members as well as friends. Consumer groups will probably not want to invest in them since they do not consider them good investments. You on the other hand benefit yourself and those close to you. The name and even status may not sound good for the ear, but whatever the case, this policy covers every expense related to death, funeral, cremation as well as the sendoff ceremony.

There are two main things to look into before buying a burial insurance policy. This means that you have to compare the different companies.

· Go shopping for the best among the many

For you to land on the best, you need to shop for the best in all insurance companies around your area. Companies and what companies offer are different from each other. To make this work easier, you could opt for an independent agent. An independent agent is more like a jack-of-all-trades since he or she is able to sell not just for one company but the companies around your area. Your work in this case will be just to analyze what is brought to you by the agent from the various groups.

· Know exactly what you need

Once again, getting an agent in this case is also advisable. This assures you of a right decision. Working alone, you may end up missing details that are very important especially about what is standard among these companies.

You will not go wrong in making the right decision on insurance rates considering you have been informed and all that is left for you to do is start shopping!

Free Online University Education

Free Online University Education

Everyone wants something free. Well probably the best thing you could get for free that has some value is an Education. Now thanks to the internet everyone can get a free University education - in just about any discipline you like. However do not expect an accreditation.

Ever hear the expression: "Nothing in Life is Free"? Or, "You get what you pay for?" The trouble with trite expressions is people start to believe them - simply because they are easy to remember. That does not imbue them with verisimilitude. Far from it. The masses swallow what is shoveled down their throat. None the less - it is possible to pick up a lot of valuable items for Free if one searches for them.

While there may be no financial outlay for free stuff the time it takes you to garner the material is what you must pay in order to get it. It is like digging for Free Gold. You buy the implements - pay for the transportation and then provide sweat labor digging in the ground to uninstall your fortune.

When you go surfing it is sort of the same. You do not pay to get there - except you had to find the site. And then you need to click on the various links and follow them to see if they contain what you want. Note also - while the sites are mostly FREE and various people post their items there for FREE - you are not guaranteed anything from anyone for anyone. Why? Simply because you did not pay a dime for getting there.

Also you should know that the world if full of rogues - and if you are looking for free stuff then clearly there is opportunity for the miscreants to endeavor to take advantage of you and of our own Free Site. So beware of anything Free. Therefore please be warned and investigate all that glitters - as it may in fact not be the gold you were expecting to find for free!

There is a plethora of resources from educational institutions such as MIT and Beverly Hills University. They provide free online courses including videos and pdf downloads. Well worth investigating. Do not be concerned about not getting accreditation as the days of the stuffy noses are quickly disappearing. What counts most in an education is "what you learn"!

Cellular Phone Repair

Cellular Phone Repair

Cell phones have become a necessity for many people through the world. In such a scenario, life seems to come at a halt if there is a fault in your cellular phone and you need a repair.

Until recently, only the manufacturers underook the cellular phone repair job. Opportunities now exist for entrepreneurial individuals to start their own lucrative business, either as an employee of a cellular phone repair shop, or having their own stand-alone cellular phone repair operation.

Some basic steps may be followed if your cell phone is not working properly. First, determine if the problem is with the phone or the battery by replacing the battery. If you can not hear callers, make sure the volume is turned up, the router turned on, or the battery is charged. If these strategies do not work, take your cell phone to a cellular phone repair center.

Nowadays, customers may bring in a faulty phone to any of the cellular phone repair centers. A Work Order Form will be issued, and a deposit towards the cellular phone repair service must be made. An agreement is then signed for receiving a courtesy phone. All cellular phones have a one-year manufacturer's warranty. The cellular phone repair centers will repair or replace phones under warranty as long as the user did not cause any physical damage to the phone. If the warranty has expired, the cellular phone repair center may charge for repairs. Once the cellular phone repair job is over and the phone is returned by the relevant cellular phone repair center, the customer returns the courty phone, makes the final payment and receives the repaired unit. Sometimes it's best to just purchase a new phone, because cellular phone repair costs can be as high as the cost of a new phone.

A cellular phone repair technician has several sophisticated tools and techniques available for the repair job, such as:

Cleaners - They are used in cellular phone repair since they are oxide dissolving contact cleaners. These equipments are used to clean dirty pins in the phone and then aid in cellular phone repair.

Lamps - They are used while doing a cellular phone repair job to protect your eyes when you work. Table lamps come with high-frequency 4200Hz lamp without frequent sparking to avoid harmful effect to eyes, since a lot of work under deficient light at normal 50Hz / 60Hz can cause short eyesight and many eye diseases. It is a very useful tool for people who are doing the cellular phone repair business.

Phone Open Tools - A cellular phone repair job requires opening up of cellular phones. Several tools such as screwdrivers made of magnetic alloy steel can be used for this part of the job.

Programs - Cellular phone repair requires the cellular phone to be unlocked. Not all mobile phones can be unlocked with simple cable. Programming tools can be the only way to repair "death phones", those that have stopped working. A 24xxx chip reader can read and write EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory) in a phone without any problem. Power obtained from USB connection to computer port, serial port is used for reading / writing data during a cellular phone repair job. Programming tools are used in almost every cellular phone repair center.

Ultrasonic Cleaner - It is a device that transfers ultrasonic sound waves to a cleaning liquid or solvent that dislodges embedded dirt on objects immersed in it. The ultrasonic cleaner is used during cellular phone repair to clear the PCB board of cellular phones.

If your phone becomes faulty, do not panic. Just take the basic steps that have been highlighted above. If this does not work out, you can still take your phone to a cellular phone repair center where a cellular phone repair technician can solve your problem.

Top 3 Strategies For Selling Services

Top 3 Strategies For Selling Services

Selling services is quite different from selling products, even though some marketers may disagree with me. Therefore, it is important to develop a strong and unique service selling strategy.

Top 3 Strategies for Selling Services:

# 1 Strategy: Focus your service business on a specific segment of customer (for example, the real estate market, doctors, banks, specific industries, etc.). Marketing professional services to a specific customer group must focus on why the customer needs those services and how outsourcing services fulfills the customers needs.

For example, if you are a graphic designer and you target residential property developers as your clients, you need to develop a strategy and approach that communicates why the developer should select you to design his / her project campaign and how your specific services will help sell the project. Focus on what you deliver. Prepare a budget for total cost (not hourly costs); or break your budget down into specific categories, such as advertising - television, newspapers and magazines; signage; and promotional brochures and direct mailing.

# 2 Strategy: Focus your service business on what you, and your business, can deliver. Your customers are buying your skills, your experience, your training and education - in effect, they are buying what you are capable of delivering. Often they are also buying your reputation and credibility: service selling is about building strong relationships. Customers who buy financial, legal, medical, business services need to trust in that relationship. It is challenging to convince customers to switch from another service to you without first building a trust relationship.

If you have staff that are delivering services for your company, your customers are buying the services of your staff. Be careful that you treat your staff well - if they leave, often the customers that they have been working with will also leave.

# 3 Strategy: Focus on pricing your services on a project basis (if possible). Pricing by the hour or showing the cost on a per hour basis often leaves the customer wondering about wasted time or excess billed time. So, when you prepare quotes for your services show the price as an all inclusive price. For example, for legal services for the incorporation of small businesses, quote a flat fee. If you are concerned that you will need to provide extra services at no charge, make sure that you detail what service you provide for that price. And show what the extras might cost as additional notes on the price quote. Most service businesses believe they need to bill for every hour (or quarter hour) spent; but the reality is that if the business builds its price structure correctly than hourly charges can be incorporated into a flat fee structure.

Selling service is like selling a product in one key way: satisfied customers will mean return business and often will mean increased business through referrals. Service businesses are difficult to sell because they're typically owner-dependent, with little in the way of capital equipment (like manufacturers have).

It is more difficult to 'prove' the value of the service you provide because service, by its very nature, is intangible, whereas a product is tangible. When you develop your marketing plan and selling strategy, you need to focus on referrals, on satisfied customers, on samples of your work whatever is most appropriate in your business. You want to, and need to, communicate the quality of your service.

Recognize that selling service in a business-to-business environment is generally a longer cycle than selling products and therefore your selling strategy needs to focus on a strong marketing program. Customers will need more information, more points of contact, and more time to make their buying decision. Selling service in a consumer environment is typically a short cycle (for example, hair styling and cutting). Be consistent with your selling strategy, focus your efforts on strong and relevant business ideas that support the service you are selling. Do the follow-up. Make another contact. Build a communications cycle for your service that makes sense.

Finally, because your success is so dependent on your relationship with your customer and on your ability to satisfies expectations, you need to survey your customers on a regular basis and ensure that they are satisfied with the service you provide.