Affiliate Marketing
When customers buy a product from a vendor the affiliate who directed them to the product receives a commission based on the sales price of the product.
The problem as to wether the affiliate should start with a mass market or a niche market is very common. There are two main arguments the mass marketeer reaches a larger audience and hence can expect a greater sales volume. But a niche by definition should be easier to conquer and so making it easier to become a major expert in that field.
It is important to understand the differences between the two in order to answer this question for yourself. The niche marketeer is attempting to specialise in a smaller market one where the small sales volume would not be attractive to a larger player, he may have a prior interest in this field and become an expert in it. Whereas the mass marketeer is providing a number of different products, not particularly specialising in any one but trying to appeal to a wide range of tastes and hopefully win on sales volume.
Niche marketing does have the lions share of new affiliates and the reasons for this are clear since mass marketing requires the knowledge and application of mass marketing techniques that are becoming obsolete and being replaced regularly whilst the niche requires mainly the creation of information and content to see any results.
If you are new to all this but want to become an affiliate then dont waste any more time reading blogs buy this automated turnkey system by Ewen Chia see below for more information.
more information :-http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474978263970
Monday, May 31, 2010
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Nail down niche marketing with social media, word of mouth
The age of generic is over. If the success of craft beers or gluten-free, high-protein, organic nutrition bars are any example, the name of the game is now niche products that are low-volume and high-margin, the Wall Street Journal reported.
The success of niche products has been encouraged by the growth of social media and customer reviews, which means that marketers of niche offerings need to develop a presence in these areas and truly listen to customers.
"All that information … eliminates much of consumers' uncertainty about new niche products, since they can easily find reviews, ratings and comments on everything that hits the market," the Journal reported. "For decades consumer uncertainty blocked the launch of new offerings that were too focused to be supported by national ad campaigns; today's empowered consumer is truly listening to word-of-mouth."
For this kind of marketing, campaigns should be highly targeted and focused on consumer-generated content, said the Journal, adding that "marketing executives should watch for the first online comments about their wares with the same excitement and apprehension as Broadway producers waiting for opening-night reviews."
One audience in particular that niche marketers may want to pay attention to is Generation Y, the Globe and Mail recently reported. This generation tends to research purchases more so than other generations, and values unique offerings instead of trends.
more information :-http://www.ricg.com/marketing_articles/creative_design/nail_down_niche_marketing_with_social_media_word_of_mouth/
The success of niche products has been encouraged by the growth of social media and customer reviews, which means that marketers of niche offerings need to develop a presence in these areas and truly listen to customers.
"All that information … eliminates much of consumers' uncertainty about new niche products, since they can easily find reviews, ratings and comments on everything that hits the market," the Journal reported. "For decades consumer uncertainty blocked the launch of new offerings that were too focused to be supported by national ad campaigns; today's empowered consumer is truly listening to word-of-mouth."
For this kind of marketing, campaigns should be highly targeted and focused on consumer-generated content, said the Journal, adding that "marketing executives should watch for the first online comments about their wares with the same excitement and apprehension as Broadway producers waiting for opening-night reviews."
One audience in particular that niche marketers may want to pay attention to is Generation Y, the Globe and Mail recently reported. This generation tends to research purchases more so than other generations, and values unique offerings instead of trends.
more information :-http://www.ricg.com/marketing_articles/creative_design/nail_down_niche_marketing_with_social_media_word_of_mouth/
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Apple passes Microsoft as world's most valuable tech firm
Remember that little company that needed Microsoft's financial help just to keep going in 1997? Well, today that company - Apple - just surpassed Microsoft in terms of market value.
At the close of trading in Wall Street last night, Apple had a market capitalisation of $222 billion, compared with Microsoft's $219 billion. The valuation makes Apple the world's most valuable technology firm.
It marks an extraordinary turnaround for Apple, which was on the brink of collapse before Steve Jobs returned to the company in 1997. Indeed, Apple accepted a $150 million investment from Microsoft that year just to keep the company afloat.
A year later, Apple introduced the game-changing iMac, its iconic all-in-one computer, and the company has rarely put a foot wrong since.
It has subsequently launched two genre-defining products: the iPod and the iPhone, and many suspect it may be on the cusp of a third with the iPad, which goes on sale in the UK tomorrow.
Consequently, Apple's shares are now worth more than ten times what they were a decade ago, with the company now raking in $13.5 billion in revenue in the last quarter (still about $1 billion less than Microsoft).
for more information :-http://www.pcpro.co.uk/news/358243/apple-passes-microsoft-as-worlds-most-valuable-tech-firm
At the close of trading in Wall Street last night, Apple had a market capitalisation of $222 billion, compared with Microsoft's $219 billion. The valuation makes Apple the world's most valuable technology firm.
It marks an extraordinary turnaround for Apple, which was on the brink of collapse before Steve Jobs returned to the company in 1997. Indeed, Apple accepted a $150 million investment from Microsoft that year just to keep the company afloat.
A year later, Apple introduced the game-changing iMac, its iconic all-in-one computer, and the company has rarely put a foot wrong since.
It has subsequently launched two genre-defining products: the iPod and the iPhone, and many suspect it may be on the cusp of a third with the iPad, which goes on sale in the UK tomorrow.
Consequently, Apple's shares are now worth more than ten times what they were a decade ago, with the company now raking in $13.5 billion in revenue in the last quarter (still about $1 billion less than Microsoft).
for more information :-http://www.pcpro.co.uk/news/358243/apple-passes-microsoft-as-worlds-most-valuable-tech-firm
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Trendspotting: Investing in Smart TV
The long-awaited convergence of Internet and television is upon us. Google (GOOG) says so.
Okay, we’ve been hearing that one since Sergei Brin was sucking on a Zwieback cookie. But all the same, Google TV, which was announced last week and is expected to be available by fall, might actually work. If it does, it will become part of our daily lives, unlike the many earlier attempts -- by Microsoft (MSFT) and Apple (AAPL) among others -- that were doomed to become little more than niche products.
Why would Google succeed where so many others, who aren't exactly dopes after all, have failed?
Partly because Google has got its priorities straight. Google TV is a natural extension of the company’s primary business, which is delivering targeted advertising. It's leaving both the content and the hardware to others.
Google’s not trying to create a cool new gadget that geeks will love and the rest of us will reluctantly learn to live with. Or not: In the earlier efforts, the actual content was secondary in nature and limited in scope, and thus pretty easy to live without.
Here, the promise is a clean merger of Internet and television, using nothing more or less than the interface and functionality that's become familiar and effortless to users of both devices. At least that’s what Google promised to deliver, and that’s certainly what the media audience heard.
So what is this thing, Google TV? As described, it’s simply Google search, but it collects matches to your queries across television programming as well as the Internet. And it uses the Google Chrome browser, so you can channel surf.
So, it’s a kind of online television and Internet guide that delivers one-click access to any programming from either source. If you’re obsessed with the Lost season finale, you can choose to watch it on television, or see a parody of it, or a rerun of an old episode, or discuss it on a blog, or see a recent interview with one of its stars.
God help us, there will be millions upon millions of channels out there, and they’re all going to be on at once.
With this project, Google is acknowledging the plain fact that television programming might seem like a business on the decline, but television viewing is one amazingly sticky habit, not least because it's absolutely not interactive, and therefore is effortless.
As noted in the company’s presentation, Americans spend five hours a day watching television, and advertisers spend $70 billion a year in the US alone to reach them. The worldwide audience is about 4 billion, and that’s about four times the number of personal-computer users out there and twice the number of mobile-phone users.
more info :-http://www.minyanville.com/investing/articles/google-tv-smart-tv-google-google/5/26/2010/id/28487
Okay, we’ve been hearing that one since Sergei Brin was sucking on a Zwieback cookie. But all the same, Google TV, which was announced last week and is expected to be available by fall, might actually work. If it does, it will become part of our daily lives, unlike the many earlier attempts -- by Microsoft (MSFT) and Apple (AAPL) among others -- that were doomed to become little more than niche products.
Why would Google succeed where so many others, who aren't exactly dopes after all, have failed?
Partly because Google has got its priorities straight. Google TV is a natural extension of the company’s primary business, which is delivering targeted advertising. It's leaving both the content and the hardware to others.
Google’s not trying to create a cool new gadget that geeks will love and the rest of us will reluctantly learn to live with. Or not: In the earlier efforts, the actual content was secondary in nature and limited in scope, and thus pretty easy to live without.
Here, the promise is a clean merger of Internet and television, using nothing more or less than the interface and functionality that's become familiar and effortless to users of both devices. At least that’s what Google promised to deliver, and that’s certainly what the media audience heard.
So what is this thing, Google TV? As described, it’s simply Google search, but it collects matches to your queries across television programming as well as the Internet. And it uses the Google Chrome browser, so you can channel surf.
So, it’s a kind of online television and Internet guide that delivers one-click access to any programming from either source. If you’re obsessed with the Lost season finale, you can choose to watch it on television, or see a parody of it, or a rerun of an old episode, or discuss it on a blog, or see a recent interview with one of its stars.
God help us, there will be millions upon millions of channels out there, and they’re all going to be on at once.
With this project, Google is acknowledging the plain fact that television programming might seem like a business on the decline, but television viewing is one amazingly sticky habit, not least because it's absolutely not interactive, and therefore is effortless.
As noted in the company’s presentation, Americans spend five hours a day watching television, and advertisers spend $70 billion a year in the US alone to reach them. The worldwide audience is about 4 billion, and that’s about four times the number of personal-computer users out there and twice the number of mobile-phone users.
more info :-http://www.minyanville.com/investing/articles/google-tv-smart-tv-google-google/5/26/2010/id/28487
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Australian Macworld goes digital for the iPad
The longest-running Mac magazine outside the US, is now available as a digital download.
With the release of Apple's innovative iPad tablet computer, the requests for a digital version of Australian Macworld have reached fever pitch. Everyone wants to experience magazines on the beautiful new tablet, and no magazine is more suited to reading on an Apple device than Australian Macworld!
"It is with great pleasure that we can announce that Australian Macworld is available from today as a digital download for iPad, iPhone, Mac – and even PC – through the incredibly popular Zinio magazine marketplace," says Australian Macworld associate publisher Liana Pappas.
"We’ve held off releasing until now because of the multitude of options available – it was impossible to tell whether any of them would be successful," she says. "However, one look at the Zinio app on the iPad, and our decision was made. It is the simplest, most beautiful way to view print-formatted digital content."
The June issue is the first cab off the rank, being released simultaneously on Zinio and newsstands. Readers can buy individual issues or subscribe for 12 months at a discounted rate. Back issues will also be made available over the coming months so you can catch up on any that you might have missed. You can even buy a digital version of the Mac Basics Superguide 2, which is sold out on newsstands.
Our digital issues are full versions of the monthly print magazine, and include internet links to extra online content and relevant websites. If you’re reading on an iPad, it all happens within the Zinio app – available as a free download from Apple's App Store (iTunes link).
What if you don’t have an iPad, but still want to read Australian Macworld digitally? We’ve got you covered: Zinio has reader apps for iPhone, iPod touch, Mac and PC, or you can read online via a web browser such as Safari or Firefox.
Reading via Zinio is as simple as reading the print mag. It offers full-screen portrait and landscape views, easy zooming to see the finer details, and the ability to browse or search. See a great article on the contents page? Just click it and you’re there.
Better still, each copy you buy is yours to keep, and will work with any Zinio app you use. You can even print your favourite articles to read the old-fashioned way – great for keeping a copy of help features handy for when unexpected problems crop up.
“This new partnership with Zinio offers our readers and advertisers an exciting new opportunity: readers can get the latest issue anytime, anywhere in the world, and advertisers have a more interactive platform and more readers than ever to whom they can showcase their products," Pappas says.
The current print version will continue as it has for the past 25 years – offering the best in Australian Mac news, reviews, columns, and features. Australian Macworld online continues to grow with new staff, a boom in readership and, soon, a great new look.
more information :-http://www.macworld.com.au/news/view/australian-macworld-goes-digital-for-the-ipad-4978
With the release of Apple's innovative iPad tablet computer, the requests for a digital version of Australian Macworld have reached fever pitch. Everyone wants to experience magazines on the beautiful new tablet, and no magazine is more suited to reading on an Apple device than Australian Macworld!
"It is with great pleasure that we can announce that Australian Macworld is available from today as a digital download for iPad, iPhone, Mac – and even PC – through the incredibly popular Zinio magazine marketplace," says Australian Macworld associate publisher Liana Pappas.
"We’ve held off releasing until now because of the multitude of options available – it was impossible to tell whether any of them would be successful," she says. "However, one look at the Zinio app on the iPad, and our decision was made. It is the simplest, most beautiful way to view print-formatted digital content."
The June issue is the first cab off the rank, being released simultaneously on Zinio and newsstands. Readers can buy individual issues or subscribe for 12 months at a discounted rate. Back issues will also be made available over the coming months so you can catch up on any that you might have missed. You can even buy a digital version of the Mac Basics Superguide 2, which is sold out on newsstands.
Our digital issues are full versions of the monthly print magazine, and include internet links to extra online content and relevant websites. If you’re reading on an iPad, it all happens within the Zinio app – available as a free download from Apple's App Store (iTunes link).
What if you don’t have an iPad, but still want to read Australian Macworld digitally? We’ve got you covered: Zinio has reader apps for iPhone, iPod touch, Mac and PC, or you can read online via a web browser such as Safari or Firefox.
Reading via Zinio is as simple as reading the print mag. It offers full-screen portrait and landscape views, easy zooming to see the finer details, and the ability to browse or search. See a great article on the contents page? Just click it and you’re there.
Better still, each copy you buy is yours to keep, and will work with any Zinio app you use. You can even print your favourite articles to read the old-fashioned way – great for keeping a copy of help features handy for when unexpected problems crop up.
“This new partnership with Zinio offers our readers and advertisers an exciting new opportunity: readers can get the latest issue anytime, anywhere in the world, and advertisers have a more interactive platform and more readers than ever to whom they can showcase their products," Pappas says.
The current print version will continue as it has for the past 25 years – offering the best in Australian Mac news, reviews, columns, and features. Australian Macworld online continues to grow with new staff, a boom in readership and, soon, a great new look.
more information :-http://www.macworld.com.au/news/view/australian-macworld-goes-digital-for-the-ipad-4978
Monday, May 24, 2010
Insurance firms target low-end market via phones
The sale of insurance products through the mobile phone has opened a new door for the sector to roll out cheap products expected to spur growth in the Kenyan market.
The technology is set to cut the high administration costs that made it difficult for local firms to enter the micro insurance market that has been tipped to deepen insurance penetration, which has remained at a mere 2.5 per cent of the population for nearly a decade.
Micro insurance offers risk cover to the poor with its main features being small amounts of premiums paid by policy holders.
Equity Bank and Safaricom have launched a mobile based platform that allows consumers to make payments, which are as low as Sh530 annually or Sh10.2 weekly, that local insurance firms are hoping will help them capture the low end of the market.
The mobile-based payment is set reduce the insurers wage bill and distributions costs such as running branches and agents commissions, which are insurers’ biggest cost item.
“Collection of insurance premiums and payment of claims is one of the major challenges of the insurance sector and the ability to do these through mobiles will cut costs and reduce customer inconvenience,” said Joseph Kameri, the marketing and distribution manager at UAP.
He added that savings brought by the mobile based payment system will in turn create headroom for lowering the cost of insurance products, especially those targeted at the low end market.
Analysts say that the service will help in taking micro insurance to the bottom end of the market where they are needed the most but where insurance firms find it too expensive to operate because of thin volumes.
The low insurance penetration has been blamed low confidence in insurance products and lack of products targeted at the low and mid-end niches.
This has seen the local insurance sector perform dismally compared to its peers in the financial industry notably the banking sector.
“Micro insurance presents a major growth opportunity for the insurance industry in Kenya because it is inclusive of most of the population,” says Ashok Shah, the managing director of APA Insurance.
The entry into the down market is not only expected to guarantee a steady stream of earnings for these firms, but also offer an opportunity for individuals and SMEs to be roped into the insurance bracket.
In doing so, local insurers will be following in the footsteps of the banking sector that went down-market in 2003 -- leading to sharp a growth in the sector.
Banks have seen pre-tax profits grow from Sh7.1 billion in 2004 to Sh24.6 billion in 2008 compared to that of the insurance sector that dropped from Sh1 billion to Sh500 million over the same period.
Already, local insurance firms are angling to be part of the Equity-Safaricom deal, egged on by the large number of Equity and Safaricom clients who are uninsured.
more information :-http://www.businessdailyafrica.com/Insurance%20firms%20target%20low%20end%20market%20via%20phones/-/539552/924200/-/wpmk1k/-/
The technology is set to cut the high administration costs that made it difficult for local firms to enter the micro insurance market that has been tipped to deepen insurance penetration, which has remained at a mere 2.5 per cent of the population for nearly a decade.
Micro insurance offers risk cover to the poor with its main features being small amounts of premiums paid by policy holders.
Equity Bank and Safaricom have launched a mobile based platform that allows consumers to make payments, which are as low as Sh530 annually or Sh10.2 weekly, that local insurance firms are hoping will help them capture the low end of the market.
The mobile-based payment is set reduce the insurers wage bill and distributions costs such as running branches and agents commissions, which are insurers’ biggest cost item.
“Collection of insurance premiums and payment of claims is one of the major challenges of the insurance sector and the ability to do these through mobiles will cut costs and reduce customer inconvenience,” said Joseph Kameri, the marketing and distribution manager at UAP.
He added that savings brought by the mobile based payment system will in turn create headroom for lowering the cost of insurance products, especially those targeted at the low end market.
Analysts say that the service will help in taking micro insurance to the bottom end of the market where they are needed the most but where insurance firms find it too expensive to operate because of thin volumes.
The low insurance penetration has been blamed low confidence in insurance products and lack of products targeted at the low and mid-end niches.
This has seen the local insurance sector perform dismally compared to its peers in the financial industry notably the banking sector.
“Micro insurance presents a major growth opportunity for the insurance industry in Kenya because it is inclusive of most of the population,” says Ashok Shah, the managing director of APA Insurance.
The entry into the down market is not only expected to guarantee a steady stream of earnings for these firms, but also offer an opportunity for individuals and SMEs to be roped into the insurance bracket.
In doing so, local insurers will be following in the footsteps of the banking sector that went down-market in 2003 -- leading to sharp a growth in the sector.
Banks have seen pre-tax profits grow from Sh7.1 billion in 2004 to Sh24.6 billion in 2008 compared to that of the insurance sector that dropped from Sh1 billion to Sh500 million over the same period.
Already, local insurance firms are angling to be part of the Equity-Safaricom deal, egged on by the large number of Equity and Safaricom clients who are uninsured.
more information :-http://www.businessdailyafrica.com/Insurance%20firms%20target%20low%20end%20market%20via%20phones/-/539552/924200/-/wpmk1k/-/
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Six Strategies for Successful Niche Marketing
There's been a lot of buzz about the long-tail phenomenon—the strategy of selling smaller quantities of a wider range of goods that are designed to resonate with consumers' preferences and earn higher margins. And a quick scan of everyday products seems to confirm the long tail's merit: Where once we wore jeans from Levi, Wrangler or Lee, we now have scores of options from design houses. If you're looking for a nutrition bar, there's one exactly right for you, whether you're a triathlete, a dieter or a weight lifter. Hundreds of brewers offer thousands of craft beers suited to every conceivable taste.
It's not surprising that so many companies have embraced this strategy. It allows them to avoid the intense competition found in mass markets. Look at the sales growth that has taken place in low-volume, high-margin products such as super-premium ice cream, noncarbonated beverages, heritage meats and heirloom vegetables.
But the case for the long tail has frequently been overstated. This strategy can be expensive to implement, and it doesn't work for all products or all categories. It's surely better to produce a blockbuster film, for instance, than a smattering of low-volume art films.
In other words, simply avoiding the clutter of mass markets isn't enough. Companies need to stake out unique market sweet spots, those areas that resonate so strongly with target consumers that they are willing to pay a premium price, which offsets the higher production and distribution costs associated with niche offerings. We call this approach resonance marketing.
The vast amount of information available on the Internet has made this kind of niche marketing more important than ever and easier to do. More important because all that information encourages comparison shopping, putting tremendous downward pressure on prices and profits in highly competitive mass markets. And easier because it eliminates much of consumers' uncertainty about new niche products, since they can easily find reviews, ratings and comments on everything that hits the market. For decades consumer uncertainty blocked the launch of new offerings that were too focused to be supported by national ad campaigns; today's empowered consumer is truly listening to word-of-mouth.
Finding sweet spots in the market is especially important in these tough economic times, when so many consumers are strapped for cash. Many shoppers will compromise whenever possible by looking for cheaper alternatives to the things they usually buy—but keep buying products that don't have any direct substitutes.
With the right approach, resonance marketing can fulfill its promise. We have found that six marketing principles, taken together, will allow a company to manage the complexity of this strategy and reap superior profitability.
more information :-http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704130904574644084205858424.html?mod=WSJ_latestheadlines
It's not surprising that so many companies have embraced this strategy. It allows them to avoid the intense competition found in mass markets. Look at the sales growth that has taken place in low-volume, high-margin products such as super-premium ice cream, noncarbonated beverages, heritage meats and heirloom vegetables.
But the case for the long tail has frequently been overstated. This strategy can be expensive to implement, and it doesn't work for all products or all categories. It's surely better to produce a blockbuster film, for instance, than a smattering of low-volume art films.
In other words, simply avoiding the clutter of mass markets isn't enough. Companies need to stake out unique market sweet spots, those areas that resonate so strongly with target consumers that they are willing to pay a premium price, which offsets the higher production and distribution costs associated with niche offerings. We call this approach resonance marketing.
The vast amount of information available on the Internet has made this kind of niche marketing more important than ever and easier to do. More important because all that information encourages comparison shopping, putting tremendous downward pressure on prices and profits in highly competitive mass markets. And easier because it eliminates much of consumers' uncertainty about new niche products, since they can easily find reviews, ratings and comments on everything that hits the market. For decades consumer uncertainty blocked the launch of new offerings that were too focused to be supported by national ad campaigns; today's empowered consumer is truly listening to word-of-mouth.
Finding sweet spots in the market is especially important in these tough economic times, when so many consumers are strapped for cash. Many shoppers will compromise whenever possible by looking for cheaper alternatives to the things they usually buy—but keep buying products that don't have any direct substitutes.
With the right approach, resonance marketing can fulfill its promise. We have found that six marketing principles, taken together, will allow a company to manage the complexity of this strategy and reap superior profitability.
more information :-http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704130904574644084205858424.html?mod=WSJ_latestheadlines
Friday, May 21, 2010
GK: New niches for steady riches
Slough-based distributor GK Telecom has kept a low profile, but a pending airtime contract with T-Mobile,an expanding 3 sales base and a solid SIM-card business has turned heads
Slough SIM card distributor GK Telecom is not widely known in the industry beyond its core customer base and suppliers. It comprises just 23 staff, and has kept its head down and maintained a low profile.
However, that all changed in April when T-Mobile dropped airtime distributor Anglia Telecom Centres for missing volume targets in successive quarters, leaving HSC as T-Mobile’s only official airtime partner in the UK.
Anglia Telecom stockists were transferred to HSC to ensure continuity of business for T-Mobile, which at the time announced in tandem plans to put GK on a six-month trial period with a view to making it a fully fledged distributor for the network after that.
However due to the joint venture between Orange and T-Mobile in the UK, the trial could be delayed until July, when the merger takes fuller shape.
GK Telecom network director Debbie Young explains: “The trial has suffered a setback. The delay is a real shame but is unavoidable given the scale of disruption at both networks as they strive to achieve synergy in back office and sales functions. It would be crazy to think that the joint venture would have no impact.”
GK Telecom has been a 3 distributor for 18 months. GK Telecom chairman Gurminder Dulku and director Atul Patel (pictured) hired Young from HSC as network director to set up its back office for airtime sales and to recruit and train staff. GK Telecom now has full distribution with 3 for business sales, consumer retail connections, mobile broadband, prepay products and SIM cards.
Young has 11 years of experience in the airtime and dealer channel. She started at European Telecom where she was a dealer account manager for four years.
She then spent three years as a dealer manager at Hugh Symons (now HSC), and worked under the same job title for Unique Distribution between June 2005 and September 2007. Prior to joining GK Telecom, she was head of airtime at Advantage Cellular between September 2007 and March 2009.
more information :-http://www.mobilenewscwp.co.uk/Features/489661/gk_new_niches_for_steady_riches.html
Slough SIM card distributor GK Telecom is not widely known in the industry beyond its core customer base and suppliers. It comprises just 23 staff, and has kept its head down and maintained a low profile.
However, that all changed in April when T-Mobile dropped airtime distributor Anglia Telecom Centres for missing volume targets in successive quarters, leaving HSC as T-Mobile’s only official airtime partner in the UK.
Anglia Telecom stockists were transferred to HSC to ensure continuity of business for T-Mobile, which at the time announced in tandem plans to put GK on a six-month trial period with a view to making it a fully fledged distributor for the network after that.
However due to the joint venture between Orange and T-Mobile in the UK, the trial could be delayed until July, when the merger takes fuller shape.
GK Telecom network director Debbie Young explains: “The trial has suffered a setback. The delay is a real shame but is unavoidable given the scale of disruption at both networks as they strive to achieve synergy in back office and sales functions. It would be crazy to think that the joint venture would have no impact.”
GK Telecom has been a 3 distributor for 18 months. GK Telecom chairman Gurminder Dulku and director Atul Patel (pictured) hired Young from HSC as network director to set up its back office for airtime sales and to recruit and train staff. GK Telecom now has full distribution with 3 for business sales, consumer retail connections, mobile broadband, prepay products and SIM cards.
Young has 11 years of experience in the airtime and dealer channel. She started at European Telecom where she was a dealer account manager for four years.
She then spent three years as a dealer manager at Hugh Symons (now HSC), and worked under the same job title for Unique Distribution between June 2005 and September 2007. Prior to joining GK Telecom, she was head of airtime at Advantage Cellular between September 2007 and March 2009.
more information :-http://www.mobilenewscwp.co.uk/Features/489661/gk_new_niches_for_steady_riches.html
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Can the Kobo eReader compete with the Apple iPad?
REDgroup Retail has finally released the Kobo eReader device and eBooks platform, with the gadget to sell for $199 in Borders bookstores and online in an attempt to challenge the Amazon Kindle's grip on the market.
But analysts question whether the gadget will actually achieve success in Australia, as the Apple iPad threatens to topple the dedicated eReader market with a more powerful offering.
REDgroup, which operates the Borders and Angus & Robertson book chains, launched the gadget in Sydney yesterday. It is one of the first eReaders to be launched towards a mass-market audience in Australia.
While Amazon has already offered the international Kindle model for some time, the device is not actually sold in stores – one advantage the Kobo has over the retail giant.
About two million eBooks are already available on the Borders eBook store, and are in a format that can be read on any device including the iPhone, iPad, BlackBerry and any Android-based mobile device. The company also hopes to push the availability of local authors as a key drawing card.
Setting the gadget's price at $199 will also provide an advantage over the Amazon Kindle, which costs $US259, and the iPad, which starts at $629. Books will sell for about $10-15, which is similar to the prices offered by Amazon and Apple.
But despite Kobo's first-mover advantage, some analysts are questioning whether the gadget will actually have any traction in the Australian market. While dedicated eReaders have been popular for some time, some analysts say they may be overridden by stronger, multi-purpose devices like the iPad.
Telsyte analyst Alvin Lee says while the Kobo has an attractive battery life, and the in-built books are a nice touch, it won't necessarily be able to compete against multipurpose devices.
"However, the fact that an eBook-store-app will also be made available across platforms including Blackberry, Android and iPad, might cause the device itself to be less attractive to consumers."
"Further comparing with Apple's iPad, it is missing the wow factor as a late comer to the market. Kobo eReader is now competing with Apple's iPad, who essentially offers not only eBooks, but a much wider range of applications and services."
But Ovum analyst Nathan Burley says the market is splintering into different types of niche products.
"If you look at what's happening in devices at the moment, you have a lot of different form factors which are emerging. We are at the point now where producing electronics is cheap, and cheap enough to create entirely new categories."
"If you look now, we are getting steps away from just a phone and a PC, we have tablets, eReaders, smartbooks as well as netbooks, which came on the scene about two or three years ago. There will be more and more devices like this, but the question is, do customers want one product that does something very well, or a multi-purpose product?"
Burley says the market will see both scenarios occur – while some users will choose single-use devices, others will opt for more complex gadgets.
"Look at cameras. Almost everyone has a camera in their phone now, but you still have people buying more complicated cameras to do more complicated things. Music players, eReaders all fall into that category as well."
One industry expert also expressed doubt the device would achieve much success in Australia, saying the local market is becoming used to more powerful gadgets such as the iPad, which will eventually overshadow single-use devices like the Amazon Kindle.
Nevertheless, demand for eReaders is set to grow. A new study from Boston Consulting Group revealed last week that 23% of Australians plan to buy an eReader or tablet within the next year, while 49% plan to buy one within the next three years.
more information :-http://www.smartcompany.com.au/information-technology/20100520-can-the-kobo-ereader-compete-with-the-apple-ipad.html
But analysts question whether the gadget will actually achieve success in Australia, as the Apple iPad threatens to topple the dedicated eReader market with a more powerful offering.
REDgroup, which operates the Borders and Angus & Robertson book chains, launched the gadget in Sydney yesterday. It is one of the first eReaders to be launched towards a mass-market audience in Australia.
While Amazon has already offered the international Kindle model for some time, the device is not actually sold in stores – one advantage the Kobo has over the retail giant.
About two million eBooks are already available on the Borders eBook store, and are in a format that can be read on any device including the iPhone, iPad, BlackBerry and any Android-based mobile device. The company also hopes to push the availability of local authors as a key drawing card.
Setting the gadget's price at $199 will also provide an advantage over the Amazon Kindle, which costs $US259, and the iPad, which starts at $629. Books will sell for about $10-15, which is similar to the prices offered by Amazon and Apple.
But despite Kobo's first-mover advantage, some analysts are questioning whether the gadget will actually have any traction in the Australian market. While dedicated eReaders have been popular for some time, some analysts say they may be overridden by stronger, multi-purpose devices like the iPad.
Telsyte analyst Alvin Lee says while the Kobo has an attractive battery life, and the in-built books are a nice touch, it won't necessarily be able to compete against multipurpose devices.
"However, the fact that an eBook-store-app will also be made available across platforms including Blackberry, Android and iPad, might cause the device itself to be less attractive to consumers."
"Further comparing with Apple's iPad, it is missing the wow factor as a late comer to the market. Kobo eReader is now competing with Apple's iPad, who essentially offers not only eBooks, but a much wider range of applications and services."
But Ovum analyst Nathan Burley says the market is splintering into different types of niche products.
"If you look at what's happening in devices at the moment, you have a lot of different form factors which are emerging. We are at the point now where producing electronics is cheap, and cheap enough to create entirely new categories."
"If you look now, we are getting steps away from just a phone and a PC, we have tablets, eReaders, smartbooks as well as netbooks, which came on the scene about two or three years ago. There will be more and more devices like this, but the question is, do customers want one product that does something very well, or a multi-purpose product?"
Burley says the market will see both scenarios occur – while some users will choose single-use devices, others will opt for more complex gadgets.
"Look at cameras. Almost everyone has a camera in their phone now, but you still have people buying more complicated cameras to do more complicated things. Music players, eReaders all fall into that category as well."
One industry expert also expressed doubt the device would achieve much success in Australia, saying the local market is becoming used to more powerful gadgets such as the iPad, which will eventually overshadow single-use devices like the Amazon Kindle.
Nevertheless, demand for eReaders is set to grow. A new study from Boston Consulting Group revealed last week that 23% of Australians plan to buy an eReader or tablet within the next year, while 49% plan to buy one within the next three years.
more information :-http://www.smartcompany.com.au/information-technology/20100520-can-the-kobo-ereader-compete-with-the-apple-ipad.html
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
E-readers, tablet computers set to take off: BCG survey
Consumers worlwide are very interested in tablet computers like Apple's iPad and electronic readers such as Amazon's Kindle, and sales of the devices could take off when prices drop, according to a new survey.
"I think we're already at the starting point of mass adoption," said John Rose of The Boston Consulting Group, which conducted the survey of nearly 13,000 consumers in 14 countries.
"A million iPads in a month is a lot," Rose told AFP on Monday, refering to Apple's first month sales figures for the touchscreen device. Other companies such as Sony, Samsung and Google were expected to come out with similar products, he added.
Fifty-one percent of consumers surveyed who were familar with e-readers or tablet computers said they planned to purchase one within a year and 73 percent said they planned to buy one within three years.
"The survey suggests that e-readers and tablets are not a niche product for early adopters but could become the MP3 players of this decade," Rose said separately in a press release. "Grandmothers will soon be carrying them around."
The survey revealed prices will have to drop before e-readers and tablets become established consumer products alongside television sets, personal computers and mobile phones.
"As with other major mass market consumer devices the prices will come down," Rose told AFP. "They always do.
"I expect you'll see the prices come down in the next 12 to 18 months," he said. "The first iPod was a 400-dollar device so there's no reason why we won't see the same cycle."
US consumers said they were prepared to pay between 100 and 150 dollars for a single-usage device like the Kindle or 130 to 200 dollars for a multi-purpose device like the iPad, which can serve as an e-reader but also browse the Web or play video.
The Kindle, which was launched in 2007, costs 259 dollars while the iPad, which came out in the United States last month, costs between 499 dollars and 829 dollars.
The survey found most consumers would prefer a multi-purpose device. Sixty-six percent said they preferred a multi-purpose device while 24 percent said they wanted a single-purpose device for reading electronic books. The remainder were undecided.
"Consumers want to use these devices for a broad range of things, including Web surfing and email," Rose said. "These are easy and portable devices that'll make it easy to do such things."
In the United States, consumers are willing to pay between five and 10 dollars for digital books, five to 10 dollars for a monthly newspaper subscription and between two and four dollars for a single issue of an online magazine.
The BCG survey was conducted in March of 12,717 consumers in Australia, Austria, Britain, China, Finland, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Norway, South Korea, Spain and the United States.
more information :-http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5i1yUNfVY60wHNuXE50sf4kyaT9lQ
"I think we're already at the starting point of mass adoption," said John Rose of The Boston Consulting Group, which conducted the survey of nearly 13,000 consumers in 14 countries.
"A million iPads in a month is a lot," Rose told AFP on Monday, refering to Apple's first month sales figures for the touchscreen device. Other companies such as Sony, Samsung and Google were expected to come out with similar products, he added.
Fifty-one percent of consumers surveyed who were familar with e-readers or tablet computers said they planned to purchase one within a year and 73 percent said they planned to buy one within three years.
"The survey suggests that e-readers and tablets are not a niche product for early adopters but could become the MP3 players of this decade," Rose said separately in a press release. "Grandmothers will soon be carrying them around."
The survey revealed prices will have to drop before e-readers and tablets become established consumer products alongside television sets, personal computers and mobile phones.
"As with other major mass market consumer devices the prices will come down," Rose told AFP. "They always do.
"I expect you'll see the prices come down in the next 12 to 18 months," he said. "The first iPod was a 400-dollar device so there's no reason why we won't see the same cycle."
US consumers said they were prepared to pay between 100 and 150 dollars for a single-usage device like the Kindle or 130 to 200 dollars for a multi-purpose device like the iPad, which can serve as an e-reader but also browse the Web or play video.
The Kindle, which was launched in 2007, costs 259 dollars while the iPad, which came out in the United States last month, costs between 499 dollars and 829 dollars.
The survey found most consumers would prefer a multi-purpose device. Sixty-six percent said they preferred a multi-purpose device while 24 percent said they wanted a single-purpose device for reading electronic books. The remainder were undecided.
"Consumers want to use these devices for a broad range of things, including Web surfing and email," Rose said. "These are easy and portable devices that'll make it easy to do such things."
In the United States, consumers are willing to pay between five and 10 dollars for digital books, five to 10 dollars for a monthly newspaper subscription and between two and four dollars for a single issue of an online magazine.
The BCG survey was conducted in March of 12,717 consumers in Australia, Austria, Britain, China, Finland, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Norway, South Korea, Spain and the United States.
more information :-http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5i1yUNfVY60wHNuXE50sf4kyaT9lQ
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Two Books Offer Advice On Being Different
Businesses seem to respond to competition, rather than customers. When one company introduces a feature that appears to appeal to customers, others quickly adopt it. They follow the bellwether cow. Rather than break trail, the herd obediently follows the trail breaker. “The more diligently firms compete with each other, the less differentiated they can become, at least in the eyes of the consumer.”
“One acts; the others respond in-kind” examples: Coke and Pepsi introduced retro versions of their colas with natural sugar at approximately the same time. BMW introduced the “Bangle butt” rear end (named after its designer Chris Bangle) on its car series a few years ago. Other manufacturers made derisive comments about its look — until they found that consumers liked it. Now you can find the Bangle butt copycats from Toyota/Lexus, Honda/Acura and Buick.
Most companies also try to fill gaps (i.e. perceived weakness) in their product lines to broaden market appeal. Doing this often results in weakening brand.”
Dell and Gateway carved out unique market niches with their built-for-you, home-delivered PCs. They strayed from those niches and now compete principally on price in a commoditized PC market. It’s called product augmentation (i.e. “a growing profusion of alternatives, a shrinking proportion of which are meaningful).
My example of a company that embodies “Different” through product extension is Apple. While it had its share of product missteps with its computers, devotees are Apple to their core. Then it broke more trails: first with its iPod/iTunes, followed by the iPhone, the iTouch and now the iPad — and over 150,000 apps. Each product builds from its predecessors and appeals to different markets [i.e. portable music player (market leader), smartphones (market leader), portable gaming (catching up), laptops/netbooks/tablet (carving a new niche)].
CEOs should ask their marketing teams what can be done to become “Different.” After getting their responses, ask them to watch Moon’s book-promo video on YouTube — youtube.com/watch?v=26PVrm4iLA0. Then again ask them what can be done to become “Different.” If they come back with their original answers, consider getting a different marketing team.
“Escape from Cubicle Nation — From Corporate Prisoner to Thriving Entrepreneur” by Pamela Slim, Berkley Books, $15.
Thousands in the unemployment lines are considering starting businesses; thousands who survived restructurings are doing the same. The appeal of business ownership has never been higher.
Do you have what it takes to succeed? Slim points the way.
Before choosing a business, you have to choose your ideal life. The business is your means to that end. You’ll need the support of your family to succeed, so their voice needs to be heard. Slim’s father embarked on a career in multi-level marketing against the wishes of his wife. He died at 63, divorced and alone — except for the multitudes of unsold products and motivational books/tapes.
more information :-http://www.hartfordbusiness.com/news13206.html
“One acts; the others respond in-kind” examples: Coke and Pepsi introduced retro versions of their colas with natural sugar at approximately the same time. BMW introduced the “Bangle butt” rear end (named after its designer Chris Bangle) on its car series a few years ago. Other manufacturers made derisive comments about its look — until they found that consumers liked it. Now you can find the Bangle butt copycats from Toyota/Lexus, Honda/Acura and Buick.
Most companies also try to fill gaps (i.e. perceived weakness) in their product lines to broaden market appeal. Doing this often results in weakening brand.”
Dell and Gateway carved out unique market niches with their built-for-you, home-delivered PCs. They strayed from those niches and now compete principally on price in a commoditized PC market. It’s called product augmentation (i.e. “a growing profusion of alternatives, a shrinking proportion of which are meaningful).
My example of a company that embodies “Different” through product extension is Apple. While it had its share of product missteps with its computers, devotees are Apple to their core. Then it broke more trails: first with its iPod/iTunes, followed by the iPhone, the iTouch and now the iPad — and over 150,000 apps. Each product builds from its predecessors and appeals to different markets [i.e. portable music player (market leader), smartphones (market leader), portable gaming (catching up), laptops/netbooks/tablet (carving a new niche)].
CEOs should ask their marketing teams what can be done to become “Different.” After getting their responses, ask them to watch Moon’s book-promo video on YouTube — youtube.com/watch?v=26PVrm4iLA0. Then again ask them what can be done to become “Different.” If they come back with their original answers, consider getting a different marketing team.
“Escape from Cubicle Nation — From Corporate Prisoner to Thriving Entrepreneur” by Pamela Slim, Berkley Books, $15.
Thousands in the unemployment lines are considering starting businesses; thousands who survived restructurings are doing the same. The appeal of business ownership has never been higher.
Do you have what it takes to succeed? Slim points the way.
Before choosing a business, you have to choose your ideal life. The business is your means to that end. You’ll need the support of your family to succeed, so their voice needs to be heard. Slim’s father embarked on a career in multi-level marketing against the wishes of his wife. He died at 63, divorced and alone — except for the multitudes of unsold products and motivational books/tapes.
more information :-http://www.hartfordbusiness.com/news13206.html
Friday, May 14, 2010
Pfizer bags more products from India’s Strides
Pfizer has extended its agreement with Strides Arcolab which will see the Indian firm supply 38 oncology products to the drugs giant for marketing in the European Union, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and Korea.
A second deal has been signed covering niche sterile injectables for the US market. The new pacts follow an agreement announced in January this year which covered 40 generics, many of which are oncology therapeutics, for the USA.
The companies noted that their agreement now extends to a total of 45 products “around the globe”. David Simmons, head of Pfizer’s Established Products unit, said the collaboration “reinforces our commitment to become a leader in the injectables market.” In May last year, Pfizer signed licensing deals with two other Indian firms Aurobindo Pharma and Claris Lifesciences.
Strides chief executive Arun Kumar said the expanded deal “validates our strategic intent to be a partner of choice to Pfizer and to be a leader in the specialty segment with a focus on specific therapeutic segments such as oncology”. Under the new agreements, financial terms for which were not disclosed, the first of the products is expected to be commercialised in late 2010/early 2011.
more information :-http://www.pharmatimes.com/WorldNews/article.aspx?id=17871
A second deal has been signed covering niche sterile injectables for the US market. The new pacts follow an agreement announced in January this year which covered 40 generics, many of which are oncology therapeutics, for the USA.
The companies noted that their agreement now extends to a total of 45 products “around the globe”. David Simmons, head of Pfizer’s Established Products unit, said the collaboration “reinforces our commitment to become a leader in the injectables market.” In May last year, Pfizer signed licensing deals with two other Indian firms Aurobindo Pharma and Claris Lifesciences.
Strides chief executive Arun Kumar said the expanded deal “validates our strategic intent to be a partner of choice to Pfizer and to be a leader in the specialty segment with a focus on specific therapeutic segments such as oncology”. Under the new agreements, financial terms for which were not disclosed, the first of the products is expected to be commercialised in late 2010/early 2011.
more information :-http://www.pharmatimes.com/WorldNews/article.aspx?id=17871
Thursday, May 13, 2010
E-book readers, tablet PCs set to boom
Electronic book readers and tablet PCs, known to be niche products for technology geeks, are set to become mass-market devices in this decade, a survey by the Boston Consulting Group has said.
According to the online survey of nearly 13,000 consumers spanning 14 countries, including India [ Images ] and China, e-readers and tablet PCs could become established consumer products alongside televisions, personal computers and mobile phones such as the BlackBerry and the iPhone.
Within the next year, as many as 28 per cent of all respondents and 51 per cent of those familiar with these devices plan to purchase an electronic book-reader or a tablet PC, claims the survey.
E-readers, or electronic book readers, have been around for several years, but gained critical mass only in the late 2007 when Amazon introduced the Kindle, which has gone onto become an instant hit.
This March, the technology major Apple countered with the iPad tablet recently, which is able to perform many tasks besides reading, such as Web browsing, video viewing, photo-sharing, and e-mail.
Within three years, a whopping 49 per cent of all respondents and 73 per cent of those familiar with the devices plan a purchase, the survey revealed.
"The survey suggests that e-readers and tablets are not a niche product for early adopters but could become the MP3 players of this decade. Grandmothers will soon be carrying them around," BCG's media practice global leader John Rose said while releasing the survey findings.
Consumers clearly want to do more than just read with these devices as 66 per cent of the respondents globally would prefer to buy a multipurpose device, as against a minority 24 per cent who prefer a single-function device, said the survey, adding, however, that the acceptance of e-readers and tablets is not guaranteed unless prices drop dramatically.
Even in the United States, consumers are ready to cough up only up to $200 for a multipurpose device, pointed out the survey.
It also offered a guarded piece of good news for content providers, as they have been looking to e-readers and tablets as a potential new revenue source to compensate for the loss of business from traditional products.
The BCG survey found more than 90 per cent of those interested in purchasing an e-reader over the next three years would use it for e-books, and over 80 per cent would use it to read online versions of magazines and newspapers.
more information :-http://business.rediff.com/report/2010/may/13/tech-e-book-readers-and-tablet-pcs-set-to-boom.htm
According to the online survey of nearly 13,000 consumers spanning 14 countries, including India [ Images ] and China, e-readers and tablet PCs could become established consumer products alongside televisions, personal computers and mobile phones such as the BlackBerry and the iPhone.
Within the next year, as many as 28 per cent of all respondents and 51 per cent of those familiar with these devices plan to purchase an electronic book-reader or a tablet PC, claims the survey.
E-readers, or electronic book readers, have been around for several years, but gained critical mass only in the late 2007 when Amazon introduced the Kindle, which has gone onto become an instant hit.
This March, the technology major Apple countered with the iPad tablet recently, which is able to perform many tasks besides reading, such as Web browsing, video viewing, photo-sharing, and e-mail.
Within three years, a whopping 49 per cent of all respondents and 73 per cent of those familiar with the devices plan a purchase, the survey revealed.
"The survey suggests that e-readers and tablets are not a niche product for early adopters but could become the MP3 players of this decade. Grandmothers will soon be carrying them around," BCG's media practice global leader John Rose said while releasing the survey findings.
Consumers clearly want to do more than just read with these devices as 66 per cent of the respondents globally would prefer to buy a multipurpose device, as against a minority 24 per cent who prefer a single-function device, said the survey, adding, however, that the acceptance of e-readers and tablets is not guaranteed unless prices drop dramatically.
Even in the United States, consumers are ready to cough up only up to $200 for a multipurpose device, pointed out the survey.
It also offered a guarded piece of good news for content providers, as they have been looking to e-readers and tablets as a potential new revenue source to compensate for the loss of business from traditional products.
The BCG survey found more than 90 per cent of those interested in purchasing an e-reader over the next three years would use it for e-books, and over 80 per cent would use it to read online versions of magazines and newspapers.
more information :-http://business.rediff.com/report/2010/may/13/tech-e-book-readers-and-tablet-pcs-set-to-boom.htm
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
BOOK REVIEW: 'The Risk Takers': Entrepreneurs Who Found Underserved Niches -- and Filled Them
In their new book "The Risk Takers: 16 Women and Men Share Their Entrepreneurial Strategies for Success" (Vanguard Press, a member of the Perseus Books Group, 288 pages, $25.95) Renee and Don Martin provide inspiration -- and useful advice -- for people trapped in the corporate world, looking for a way to develop their brilliant ideas into a business that they control.
All of the entrepreneurs profiled -- including co-author Don Martin -- were what the authors call "ordinary" people, all with good ideas, who faced daunting challenges, but took a leap of faith and started their own businesses.
I would dispute that "ordinary" tag: Ordinary people don't usually do what the entrepreneurs profiled in "The Risk Takers" did. A typical climbing-the-corporate-ladder executive wouldn't do what Maxine Clark, who was president of the Payless ShoeSource discount chain, did: Leave a seven-figure salary and beaucoup benefits to start Build-A-Bear Workshop, which gives kids the opportunity to create their own personalized teddy bears and other animals.
"The Risk Takers" describes the personal and professional journeys of sixteen men and women who built hugely successful, multimillion dollar companies. They started with very little, opted to strike out on their own, and struggled with disappointment and failure.
They overcame adversity and ignored the warnings of naysayers -- and through persistence and resiliency -- determined their own destiny.
The companies profiled are familiar to many Americans: Geek Squad, Curves, Liz Lange Maternity, Kinko’s, Paul Mitchell, Spanx, Amy’s Kitchen, along with nine others. Don and Renee Martin, successful entrepreneurs in their own right, personally interviewed these men and women whose inspiring stories demonstrate it’s never been easy to start your own business and navigate it through all the inevitable storms to ultimate success—in any economy, in any era.
But, as the people profiled demonstrate, it can be done.
The authors say that whether you're considering starting your own business -- or looking for ways to expand an existing enterprise -- there are three time-tested, business strategies that can help you to create a new business or push your company to the next level of success:
1. Go on a treasure hunt and find an underserved niche
2. Buck the conventional wisdom
3. Spot a new trend and pounce
If you adopt these strategies as your entrepreneurial mantras you're more likely to identify and take advantage of real opportunities to expand your company's product line and customer base, the authors state. The strategies are:
Go on a Treasure Hunt and Find an Underserved Niche
In the business world, there's nothing more exciting than finding an underserved niche that represents a lucrative market that everyone else has failed to spot and target, the Martins write.
That's what happened to Gary and Diane Heavin, founders of the Curves International fitness franchise system. When the company launched in 1992, the Heavins had just $10,000 in savings to invest in their company. Today, Curves is the world's largest fitness franchise system, with 10,000 franchise locations in 65 countries.
Instead of competing head-to-head with fitness giants like 24 Hour Fitness or Bally Total Fitness, the Heavins opted to serve the fitness needs of three underserved niches: middle-age and older women who are eager to get in shape but might feel intimidated by large gyms teeming with young, hard bodies; busy working women whose schedules could more easily accommodate the Curves 30-minute workout; and budget-conscious women who simply couldn't afford the pricey monthly membership dues charged by the major gym chains. Early on, Curves clearly distinguished itself from the pack of gym competitors; its services and clientele were different.
Targeting an underserved niche is a path that small start-ups can take. Even a huge multi-billion-dollar company can't offer everything for everyone. Targeting the right niche -- one that other business owners have neglected or ignored -- can help build a strong and loyal customer base while limiting competition.
Liz Lange was another entrepreneur who followed this strategy. She launched a phenomenally successful designer maternity clothing company -- Liz Lange Maternity -- which eventually sold for an estimated $50 to $60 million in 2007. She also partnered with Target to launch a secondary, discount version of her line.
Like the Heavins, Lange reached the heights of success by targeting an underserved niche. In her case, that meant zeroing in on the needs of pregnant fashionistas -- women who refused to let a pregnancy deprive them of their fashion sense. Lange used newly developed stretch fabrics to create chic, fitted and stylish maternity clothes. They were nothing like the tent-like and frumpy maternity clothes widely available in department stores.
more information :-http://www.huntingtonnews.net/columns/100512-kinchen-columnsbookreview.html
All of the entrepreneurs profiled -- including co-author Don Martin -- were what the authors call "ordinary" people, all with good ideas, who faced daunting challenges, but took a leap of faith and started their own businesses.
I would dispute that "ordinary" tag: Ordinary people don't usually do what the entrepreneurs profiled in "The Risk Takers" did. A typical climbing-the-corporate-ladder executive wouldn't do what Maxine Clark, who was president of the Payless ShoeSource discount chain, did: Leave a seven-figure salary and beaucoup benefits to start Build-A-Bear Workshop, which gives kids the opportunity to create their own personalized teddy bears and other animals.
"The Risk Takers" describes the personal and professional journeys of sixteen men and women who built hugely successful, multimillion dollar companies. They started with very little, opted to strike out on their own, and struggled with disappointment and failure.
They overcame adversity and ignored the warnings of naysayers -- and through persistence and resiliency -- determined their own destiny.
The companies profiled are familiar to many Americans: Geek Squad, Curves, Liz Lange Maternity, Kinko’s, Paul Mitchell, Spanx, Amy’s Kitchen, along with nine others. Don and Renee Martin, successful entrepreneurs in their own right, personally interviewed these men and women whose inspiring stories demonstrate it’s never been easy to start your own business and navigate it through all the inevitable storms to ultimate success—in any economy, in any era.
But, as the people profiled demonstrate, it can be done.
The authors say that whether you're considering starting your own business -- or looking for ways to expand an existing enterprise -- there are three time-tested, business strategies that can help you to create a new business or push your company to the next level of success:
1. Go on a treasure hunt and find an underserved niche
2. Buck the conventional wisdom
3. Spot a new trend and pounce
If you adopt these strategies as your entrepreneurial mantras you're more likely to identify and take advantage of real opportunities to expand your company's product line and customer base, the authors state. The strategies are:
Go on a Treasure Hunt and Find an Underserved Niche
In the business world, there's nothing more exciting than finding an underserved niche that represents a lucrative market that everyone else has failed to spot and target, the Martins write.
That's what happened to Gary and Diane Heavin, founders of the Curves International fitness franchise system. When the company launched in 1992, the Heavins had just $10,000 in savings to invest in their company. Today, Curves is the world's largest fitness franchise system, with 10,000 franchise locations in 65 countries.
Instead of competing head-to-head with fitness giants like 24 Hour Fitness or Bally Total Fitness, the Heavins opted to serve the fitness needs of three underserved niches: middle-age and older women who are eager to get in shape but might feel intimidated by large gyms teeming with young, hard bodies; busy working women whose schedules could more easily accommodate the Curves 30-minute workout; and budget-conscious women who simply couldn't afford the pricey monthly membership dues charged by the major gym chains. Early on, Curves clearly distinguished itself from the pack of gym competitors; its services and clientele were different.
Targeting an underserved niche is a path that small start-ups can take. Even a huge multi-billion-dollar company can't offer everything for everyone. Targeting the right niche -- one that other business owners have neglected or ignored -- can help build a strong and loyal customer base while limiting competition.
Liz Lange was another entrepreneur who followed this strategy. She launched a phenomenally successful designer maternity clothing company -- Liz Lange Maternity -- which eventually sold for an estimated $50 to $60 million in 2007. She also partnered with Target to launch a secondary, discount version of her line.
Like the Heavins, Lange reached the heights of success by targeting an underserved niche. In her case, that meant zeroing in on the needs of pregnant fashionistas -- women who refused to let a pregnancy deprive them of their fashion sense. Lange used newly developed stretch fabrics to create chic, fitted and stylish maternity clothes. They were nothing like the tent-like and frumpy maternity clothes widely available in department stores.
more information :-http://www.huntingtonnews.net/columns/100512-kinchen-columnsbookreview.html
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Nancy Barnes: New bylines in your paper
In the last few weeks, we've added three staffers to our business department, to fill positions created by departing reporters and to add some journalistic muscle to one of the most important sections in the paper. To fill these positions, we literally looked at applicants from all over the country, then invested in relocating those we hired to the Twin Cities.
You've seen some of their work already. Mike Hughlett, a veteran business reporter, is now covering the food and agriculture industry, and his byline has appeared frequently since he landed here last month. Hughlett was hired from the Chicago Tribune and previously had been a reporter at the Pioneer Press. Wendy Lee, formerly a business reporter at the Tennessean, has joined us to cover emerging technology companies, and Thom Kupper, a longtime business editor at the San Diego Union Tribune, arrived this week after driving four days cross-country (by way of Mount Rushmore) to be a senior editor in the business department.
Since fall, we have also hired two reporters for our political team and a veteran reporter to dig out in-depth stories, and we are interviewing for a data reporter for our investigative team.
These are just some of the investments we have made, and continue to make, to provide readers with strong, thoughtful and engaging content. Just last week, I heard someone in the community proclaim that newspapers were leaving beat after beat unfilled, failing to fulfill their core mission. That may be true at some newspapers in the country, but it's simply not the case at the Star Tribune. That perception may be born of a misunderstanding of what was happening at this company in the midst of a terrible recession that forced significant cutbacks, as it did at businesses around the country.
more information :-http://www.startribune.com/opinion/commentary/93157394.html?elr=KArksc8P:Pc:U0ckkD:aEyKUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aULPQL7PQLanchO7DiUr
You've seen some of their work already. Mike Hughlett, a veteran business reporter, is now covering the food and agriculture industry, and his byline has appeared frequently since he landed here last month. Hughlett was hired from the Chicago Tribune and previously had been a reporter at the Pioneer Press. Wendy Lee, formerly a business reporter at the Tennessean, has joined us to cover emerging technology companies, and Thom Kupper, a longtime business editor at the San Diego Union Tribune, arrived this week after driving four days cross-country (by way of Mount Rushmore) to be a senior editor in the business department.
Since fall, we have also hired two reporters for our political team and a veteran reporter to dig out in-depth stories, and we are interviewing for a data reporter for our investigative team.
These are just some of the investments we have made, and continue to make, to provide readers with strong, thoughtful and engaging content. Just last week, I heard someone in the community proclaim that newspapers were leaving beat after beat unfilled, failing to fulfill their core mission. That may be true at some newspapers in the country, but it's simply not the case at the Star Tribune. That perception may be born of a misunderstanding of what was happening at this company in the midst of a terrible recession that forced significant cutbacks, as it did at businesses around the country.
more information :-http://www.startribune.com/opinion/commentary/93157394.html?elr=KArksc8P:Pc:U0ckkD:aEyKUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aULPQL7PQLanchO7DiUr
Monday, May 10, 2010
Can electric cars break out of niche status in US, China market?
Nearly 52,000 people were wait-listed as of mid-April for General Motors' electric model, the Volt, due in November. As of March, almost 56,000 people had signed up to reserve Nissan's all-electric Leaf, due in dealerships by December.
•In China, leading automakers BYD and Chery have announced plans to roll out their own electric models within the next two years.
•Investors, too, are excited. Electric-car ventures made up nearly 40 percent of $1.9 billion invested in 180 green-technology companies worldwide in the first quarter of 2010, according to a study by the Cleantech Group and Deloitte.
Yet in the United States and China, automakers' caution, weak price incentives, and concerns over the electrical grid are slowing the electric car's introduction. If electric cars can't break out of niche status in the world's two largest passenger car markets, then a transition away from gasoline-powered vehicles could be delayed. And many would-be buyers are likely to be frustrated by the lack of available cars. "There is undoubtedly going to be a backlog, where demand exceeds production for the next few years, due to the trepidation of the automakers that the electric car is not something consumers want," says Marc Geller, cofounder of the advocacy group Plug In America.
Take the 56,000 people who have signed up for a Leaf. Nissan is planning to start deploying it in only five states. Total cars initially available: 4,700.
Other automakers are also proceeding cautiously. Bob Lutz, the outgoing vice chairman of GM, has said the company will produce about 8,000 Chevy Volts in 2011. BMW's Mini is rolling out its electric car in three phases. In 2008 the company released a test fleet of 450 Mini-E vehicles and is getting ready to announce its second phase. The third phase will be released around 2015.
Similarly, in China, the sheer size of the auto industry and the country's ambitious clean-energy goals suggest a potentially huge market for electric cars. China overtook the US last year as the largest auto market in the world.
Still, Chinese auto-makers hesitate to mass-market their electric models domestically. BYD's all-electric e6 production line at the company's base in Shenzhen was "ready for manufacturing" in March, but was only producing the gasoline-powered F6, according to Yang Binbin, who writes for Caixin magazine, a business publication based in Beijing.
In the meantime, the company is focused on government-funded mass- transit projects, which guarantee investment returns. In March, BYD chief executive officer Wang Chuanfu announced that in the first half of 2010 the company will sell only 100 e6 cars, to a taxi company in Shenzhen.
Chinese green-car subsidies on hold
The uncertainty surrounding Chinese demand for electric cars is tied to subsidies, Mr. Yang says. The government-run newspaper China Daily reported on April 8 that the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology had postponed its plans to launch incentives for private purchases of new energy vehicles in March.
more information:-http://www.csmonitor.com/Money/2010/0510/Can-electric-cars-break-out-of-niche-status-in-US-China-market
•In China, leading automakers BYD and Chery have announced plans to roll out their own electric models within the next two years.
•Investors, too, are excited. Electric-car ventures made up nearly 40 percent of $1.9 billion invested in 180 green-technology companies worldwide in the first quarter of 2010, according to a study by the Cleantech Group and Deloitte.
Yet in the United States and China, automakers' caution, weak price incentives, and concerns over the electrical grid are slowing the electric car's introduction. If electric cars can't break out of niche status in the world's two largest passenger car markets, then a transition away from gasoline-powered vehicles could be delayed. And many would-be buyers are likely to be frustrated by the lack of available cars. "There is undoubtedly going to be a backlog, where demand exceeds production for the next few years, due to the trepidation of the automakers that the electric car is not something consumers want," says Marc Geller, cofounder of the advocacy group Plug In America.
Take the 56,000 people who have signed up for a Leaf. Nissan is planning to start deploying it in only five states. Total cars initially available: 4,700.
Other automakers are also proceeding cautiously. Bob Lutz, the outgoing vice chairman of GM, has said the company will produce about 8,000 Chevy Volts in 2011. BMW's Mini is rolling out its electric car in three phases. In 2008 the company released a test fleet of 450 Mini-E vehicles and is getting ready to announce its second phase. The third phase will be released around 2015.
Similarly, in China, the sheer size of the auto industry and the country's ambitious clean-energy goals suggest a potentially huge market for electric cars. China overtook the US last year as the largest auto market in the world.
Still, Chinese auto-makers hesitate to mass-market their electric models domestically. BYD's all-electric e6 production line at the company's base in Shenzhen was "ready for manufacturing" in March, but was only producing the gasoline-powered F6, according to Yang Binbin, who writes for Caixin magazine, a business publication based in Beijing.
In the meantime, the company is focused on government-funded mass- transit projects, which guarantee investment returns. In March, BYD chief executive officer Wang Chuanfu announced that in the first half of 2010 the company will sell only 100 e6 cars, to a taxi company in Shenzhen.
Chinese green-car subsidies on hold
The uncertainty surrounding Chinese demand for electric cars is tied to subsidies, Mr. Yang says. The government-run newspaper China Daily reported on April 8 that the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology had postponed its plans to launch incentives for private purchases of new energy vehicles in March.
more information:-http://www.csmonitor.com/Money/2010/0510/Can-electric-cars-break-out-of-niche-status-in-US-China-market
Sunday, May 9, 2010
On the market: Southland niches heating up
As experts debate whether the housing market is headed for another dip, sales activity remains brisk in some areas.
Homes in strong markets with lower-priced properties (under $500,000 or under $300,000, depending on the market) are selling quickly, said Steve Goddard, president of the California Assn. of Realtors and broker-manager of RE/MAX Beach Cities Realty in Manhattan Beach. "I think people feel that this is the last chance to get in on a good interest rate before prices go up again."
Goddard pointed out that in 2009, about 55% of all the properties sold in California had multiple offers.
"Properties priced right in certain markets are generating multiple offers and bidding wars," said West De Young, branch manager for Dilbeck Realtors in South Pasadena.
In March, Carrie Bryden, a sales associate with De Young's branch, watched in disbelief as her client with 50% down lost a bidding war to a cash buyer offering more than the $747,000 asking price. Bryden says the client is still looking for a home.
"They are in counteroffers right now on a multiple bid in Echo Park," she said.
Bryden said another client recently came out ahead when bidding on a home in Montecito Heights. But it wasn't easy.
"There were nine other offers on the home, but my client had 40% down and removed her appraisal contingency, which is the reason her offer was accepted over the others," Bryden said. ("I don't recommend buyers remove the appraisal contingency unless they really feel that house is worth what they are paying and have the extra money to cover any difference between the appraised value and the purchase price, which would not be covered in the loan," she added.)
Experts say tax credits are one element driving the trend.
"I thought things would cool off once the federal tax credit expired April 30. But California introduced additional tax credits, and those incentives are keeping the competition in the market," said Bryden, who has been selling real estate in Northeast L.A. since 2002. California's tax credit, which went into effect on May 1, provides as much as $10,000 relief for someone who buys a new or first home, claimed over three years.
Bryden says affordability is another factor luring buyers back to real estate.
"In 2006, my home was valued at about $1.1 million. Today, the house would probably sell for about $850,000. So there is more incentive because prices have declined so much," she said.
Even some higher-priced areas are seeing action.
Alex Lombardo, broker-owner for the Sunset Team Inc. at Keller Williams Realty in West Hollywood, says his luxury home market is seeing some strong competition from buyers looking for quality homes.
more information :-http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/money_co/2010/05/housing-real-estate-appraisal-tax-credit.html
Homes in strong markets with lower-priced properties (under $500,000 or under $300,000, depending on the market) are selling quickly, said Steve Goddard, president of the California Assn. of Realtors and broker-manager of RE/MAX Beach Cities Realty in Manhattan Beach. "I think people feel that this is the last chance to get in on a good interest rate before prices go up again."
Goddard pointed out that in 2009, about 55% of all the properties sold in California had multiple offers.
"Properties priced right in certain markets are generating multiple offers and bidding wars," said West De Young, branch manager for Dilbeck Realtors in South Pasadena.
In March, Carrie Bryden, a sales associate with De Young's branch, watched in disbelief as her client with 50% down lost a bidding war to a cash buyer offering more than the $747,000 asking price. Bryden says the client is still looking for a home.
"They are in counteroffers right now on a multiple bid in Echo Park," she said.
Bryden said another client recently came out ahead when bidding on a home in Montecito Heights. But it wasn't easy.
"There were nine other offers on the home, but my client had 40% down and removed her appraisal contingency, which is the reason her offer was accepted over the others," Bryden said. ("I don't recommend buyers remove the appraisal contingency unless they really feel that house is worth what they are paying and have the extra money to cover any difference between the appraised value and the purchase price, which would not be covered in the loan," she added.)
Experts say tax credits are one element driving the trend.
"I thought things would cool off once the federal tax credit expired April 30. But California introduced additional tax credits, and those incentives are keeping the competition in the market," said Bryden, who has been selling real estate in Northeast L.A. since 2002. California's tax credit, which went into effect on May 1, provides as much as $10,000 relief for someone who buys a new or first home, claimed over three years.
Bryden says affordability is another factor luring buyers back to real estate.
"In 2006, my home was valued at about $1.1 million. Today, the house would probably sell for about $850,000. So there is more incentive because prices have declined so much," she said.
Even some higher-priced areas are seeing action.
Alex Lombardo, broker-owner for the Sunset Team Inc. at Keller Williams Realty in West Hollywood, says his luxury home market is seeing some strong competition from buyers looking for quality homes.
more information :-http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/money_co/2010/05/housing-real-estate-appraisal-tax-credit.html
Friday, May 7, 2010
Latest Internet Web Design Tool Applicable to Linux and Microsoft
The latest and vamped up web design tool deemed very effective for moneymaking websites. It’s the web design tool that is now available in the market for every web designer’s usage. It’s the new, fast, powerful and easy to use Site 2 Traffic web design tool.
Since web design tool is considered vital in order for a website to draw attention among the billions of other website in the digital ocean, Bronwyn and Keith Stringer created the perfect web design tool software that can be used by anybody who wants to create money–making websites.
Site 2 Traffic or S2T is not like the other popular but tiring web design tools like Dreamweaver or BBedit. S2T is the only kind of web design tool that doesn't require any background knowledge of HTML, CSS, PHP, or graphic design. Building websites with the aid of this web design tool only lasts 3 minutes and 20 seconds.
The importance of upgrading the physical appearance of a money–making website is crucial among the clients who are looking for quality services from websites provided by the World Wide Web. That is why a very effective web design tool is needed in this kind of trade.
S2T web design tool is every web designers’ friend. It is specifically designed to be an easy, fast, and powerful web design tool. S2T serves the sole purpose of eliminating the tedious task of redoing the very complicated process of website building. This web design tool can build a complete SEO-optimized and monetized website in just a few clicks. It does not only design the webpage with built-in templates to choose from, it can also create RSS feeds and upload the website via FTP.
Professional web designers cannot do without a good set of web design tool. Because it does not only help them create a catchy company or private website but it can provide and meet the client’s preferences. A cost efficient and easy to use web design tool like S2T can enable a web designer create a marketing niche faster.
There are plenty of web design tool in the digital market. All a web designer has to do is find the perfect web design tool that can benefit not only the clients but also the him/ her in the process. Although there are plenty of web design tools out there that promises to assist in creating websites, it still requires the user to be well versed in hard encoding. The creation of niche websites will then be limited with the user’s knowledge and time. The process of other web design tools can be very intimidating to a novice niche affiliate marketer who’s planning to make money via the Web. That's why S2T web design tool was created to be user- friendly.
more information :-http://www.bignews.biz/?id=868873&keys=Internet-website-tool-design
Since web design tool is considered vital in order for a website to draw attention among the billions of other website in the digital ocean, Bronwyn and Keith Stringer created the perfect web design tool software that can be used by anybody who wants to create money–making websites.
Site 2 Traffic or S2T is not like the other popular but tiring web design tools like Dreamweaver or BBedit. S2T is the only kind of web design tool that doesn't require any background knowledge of HTML, CSS, PHP, or graphic design. Building websites with the aid of this web design tool only lasts 3 minutes and 20 seconds.
The importance of upgrading the physical appearance of a money–making website is crucial among the clients who are looking for quality services from websites provided by the World Wide Web. That is why a very effective web design tool is needed in this kind of trade.
S2T web design tool is every web designers’ friend. It is specifically designed to be an easy, fast, and powerful web design tool. S2T serves the sole purpose of eliminating the tedious task of redoing the very complicated process of website building. This web design tool can build a complete SEO-optimized and monetized website in just a few clicks. It does not only design the webpage with built-in templates to choose from, it can also create RSS feeds and upload the website via FTP.
Professional web designers cannot do without a good set of web design tool. Because it does not only help them create a catchy company or private website but it can provide and meet the client’s preferences. A cost efficient and easy to use web design tool like S2T can enable a web designer create a marketing niche faster.
There are plenty of web design tool in the digital market. All a web designer has to do is find the perfect web design tool that can benefit not only the clients but also the him/ her in the process. Although there are plenty of web design tools out there that promises to assist in creating websites, it still requires the user to be well versed in hard encoding. The creation of niche websites will then be limited with the user’s knowledge and time. The process of other web design tools can be very intimidating to a novice niche affiliate marketer who’s planning to make money via the Web. That's why S2T web design tool was created to be user- friendly.
more information :-http://www.bignews.biz/?id=868873&keys=Internet-website-tool-design
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
InBoundMarketingPR Announces Free Resource for Company Websites
InBoundMarketingPR announced a new resource today for company websites. Companies that are interested in discovering how effective their websites are can submit their website url for a free report and recommendations to the InBoundMarketingPR team.
The report covers marketing effectiveness including all search engine optimization (SEO) parameters, including page titles, page descriptions, optimization of images, videos and other multi-media within the website. The report also will contain a “grade” for company news releases and recommendations for adjustments to ensure news releases have the best possible chance of being syndicated. The service is free, not a gimmick and those that submit their websites will not be hounded relentlessly to pay for other services.
“The great majority of smaller companies have websites that are deficient in one or several areas,” said Tom Allinder President of InBoundMarketingPR. “We created this tool for them so that they can make changes and adjustments to their sites for greater effectiveness. We believe that helping companies organically is the best and most inexpensive way. Advertising campaigns like email, regular mail, postcards, DVDs and what have you are finding their way to recycle bins, both virtual and real in ever greater numbers. Pay-per-click campaigns are great and provide short-term results but if you stop paying, you company’s website immediately plummets down the rankings; often into obscurity and oblivion. As it is said, Organic is forever while pay-per-click is temporary,” concluded Allinder.
On InBoundMarketingPR’s blog, Rosemary Sorg has written about 4 Twitter tools including what the tools do and how effective they are. Twitter is a powerful inbound marketing tool if used properly.
Tom Allinder has written once more on the use of inbound marketing for investor relations for small and micro cap companies.
About InBoundMarketingPR
InBoundMarketingPR is an Inbound Marketing Public Relations Company that specializes in investor relations and brand building strategies such as search engine optimization, search engine marketing, website design and redesign, social media and content development and marketing. InBoundMarketingPR's niche is publicly traded companies but serves businesses of all types and sizes on a regional as well as global scale.
more information :-http://www.onlineprnews.com/news/34303-1273069220-inboundmarketingpr-announces-free-resource-for-company-websites.html
The report covers marketing effectiveness including all search engine optimization (SEO) parameters, including page titles, page descriptions, optimization of images, videos and other multi-media within the website. The report also will contain a “grade” for company news releases and recommendations for adjustments to ensure news releases have the best possible chance of being syndicated. The service is free, not a gimmick and those that submit their websites will not be hounded relentlessly to pay for other services.
“The great majority of smaller companies have websites that are deficient in one or several areas,” said Tom Allinder President of InBoundMarketingPR. “We created this tool for them so that they can make changes and adjustments to their sites for greater effectiveness. We believe that helping companies organically is the best and most inexpensive way. Advertising campaigns like email, regular mail, postcards, DVDs and what have you are finding their way to recycle bins, both virtual and real in ever greater numbers. Pay-per-click campaigns are great and provide short-term results but if you stop paying, you company’s website immediately plummets down the rankings; often into obscurity and oblivion. As it is said, Organic is forever while pay-per-click is temporary,” concluded Allinder.
On InBoundMarketingPR’s blog, Rosemary Sorg has written about 4 Twitter tools including what the tools do and how effective they are. Twitter is a powerful inbound marketing tool if used properly.
Tom Allinder has written once more on the use of inbound marketing for investor relations for small and micro cap companies.
About InBoundMarketingPR
InBoundMarketingPR is an Inbound Marketing Public Relations Company that specializes in investor relations and brand building strategies such as search engine optimization, search engine marketing, website design and redesign, social media and content development and marketing. InBoundMarketingPR's niche is publicly traded companies but serves businesses of all types and sizes on a regional as well as global scale.
more information :-http://www.onlineprnews.com/news/34303-1273069220-inboundmarketingpr-announces-free-resource-for-company-websites.html
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
How To Make $1500 From Profitable Niches Monthly
One truth that website owners cannot run away from is the fact that the niche they build their sites on is very important to making money online. It will be a great mistake to just decide to build your website on any niche you finds convenient, interesting or acceptable to you- it is also very costly too. It will cost you money lost from a niche that is too broad or too narrow-in fact these are not really niches in the right senses of it, but mainstream.
Now if you understand how to choose a profitable niche and then dig deeper to find a sub-niche with less competition and good searches terms and use these as the basis that you build your site on then what you would have succeeded in building are money makers.
So how do go about doing this?
The first thing is to brainstorm for ideas that you suspect to be a good niche markets. You get a clue as to whether an idea is a niche or not from news, magazines, catalogs est. one sign of a niche that will be profitable is when you notice a persistent problem or a trend. Once you notice such you are then to do more research on it online.
The keyword tools are online applications that you can use to find out more about this niche. This are software that will reveal some important statistics about the niche that you want to start your site on or build other money making endeavor on your niche like production of information product.
One statistic that you will look out for is the money that advertisers are willing to pay per click on the keywords you have chosen to use in your niche. For our purpose here it should be between 50 cents and $2. Let us take the instance where you have a niche advertisers are willing to pay $1 per click then target making $5 daily through pay per click program and that will be $150 in a month. To meet the target of $1500/month just build 10 of such sites and making this amount monthly will be possible. I want to let you know that with this strategy even one of such sites alone will be making our target of $1500 if you did your research well and serve content that are optimized with the keywords on your site(S) regularly
for more information :-http://ezinearticles.com/?How-To-Make-$1500-From-Profitable-Niches-Monthly&id=4205470
Now if you understand how to choose a profitable niche and then dig deeper to find a sub-niche with less competition and good searches terms and use these as the basis that you build your site on then what you would have succeeded in building are money makers.
So how do go about doing this?
The first thing is to brainstorm for ideas that you suspect to be a good niche markets. You get a clue as to whether an idea is a niche or not from news, magazines, catalogs est. one sign of a niche that will be profitable is when you notice a persistent problem or a trend. Once you notice such you are then to do more research on it online.
The keyword tools are online applications that you can use to find out more about this niche. This are software that will reveal some important statistics about the niche that you want to start your site on or build other money making endeavor on your niche like production of information product.
One statistic that you will look out for is the money that advertisers are willing to pay per click on the keywords you have chosen to use in your niche. For our purpose here it should be between 50 cents and $2. Let us take the instance where you have a niche advertisers are willing to pay $1 per click then target making $5 daily through pay per click program and that will be $150 in a month. To meet the target of $1500/month just build 10 of such sites and making this amount monthly will be possible. I want to let you know that with this strategy even one of such sites alone will be making our target of $1500 if you did your research well and serve content that are optimized with the keywords on your site(S) regularly
for more information :-http://ezinearticles.com/?How-To-Make-$1500-From-Profitable-Niches-Monthly&id=4205470
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Internet and Websites : Student Launches Niche Website - Entrepreneur Resources that will TurboCharge any Business
Officially launching with this press release, EntrepreneurFreak.com invites business students, entrepreneurs, and professionals to gain an upper hand in life and discover new entrepreneur resources that will help them succeed in today's marketplace. Attending business school and reading guru books are not enough in 2010. “It takes specialized knowledge of specific entrepreneur resources to compete at a competitive level in this day and age.” -- Lars Knutsen founder of EntrepreneurFreak.com.
News ImageEssentially, EntrepreneurFreak.com is a dashboard to quickly and easily locate entrepreneur resources to effectively start a business, make money, and enjoy life. Entrepreneur resources are effortlessly found whether searching for ezine advertising, search engine optimization, wholesale/dropshippers, or information on how to trademark a business. The abundance of information available at Entrepreneurfreak.com makes it easy to find specific items as well as discover new resources that will help drive success.
Lars Knutsen is going to show the world that entrepreneur resources are what make dreams reality. Starting with this press release, EntrepreneurFreak.com will use entrepreneur resources featured throughout the website and showcase the results for all to see. Tune in and watch Lars take EntrepreneurFreak.com to the top!
more information :-http://www.prudentpressagency.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=16729
News ImageEssentially, EntrepreneurFreak.com is a dashboard to quickly and easily locate entrepreneur resources to effectively start a business, make money, and enjoy life. Entrepreneur resources are effortlessly found whether searching for ezine advertising, search engine optimization, wholesale/dropshippers, or information on how to trademark a business. The abundance of information available at Entrepreneurfreak.com makes it easy to find specific items as well as discover new resources that will help drive success.
Lars Knutsen is going to show the world that entrepreneur resources are what make dreams reality. Starting with this press release, EntrepreneurFreak.com will use entrepreneur resources featured throughout the website and showcase the results for all to see. Tune in and watch Lars take EntrepreneurFreak.com to the top!
more information :-http://www.prudentpressagency.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=16729
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