Add You - Business

Change
PEOPLE - The most obvious reason we see a faster rate of change is because we are producing a lot more people and people cause change. People make things - they come up with new ideas - they compete for scarce resources. Whatever sorts of things people do, we'll see it happening more and faster.TECHNOLOGY - Since technology is a product of the human race, we can expect the rate of technological change and advancement to follow the trends of our population growth. It has been stated that over 80% of the world's technological advances have occurred since 1900. With more people to come and also because technology actually feeds on itself, a rapid and accelerating rate of technological change is guaranteed.INFORMATION - Knowledge. There was more information produced in the 30 years between 1965 and 1995 than was produced in the entire 5,000 years between 3000 B.C. to 1965. It has been said that the amount of information available in the world is doubling every 5 years - plus, all this knowledge and information is readily available to many more people than it ever reached before. The Internet is the driving force of this.We live in an exciting era with much growth, change and advancement occurring! Being aware of these three key factors will enable us to respond appropriately and be flexible with the ongoing change we will continue to encounter in the years ahead. Change can bring discomfort - but change is good! Let's be willing to embrace change and be positive about growth.

lready located there could be a harbinger of things to come for your client. When a location is finally selected and the decision announced local government and economic development leaders will be your client’s best friend during these exciting early days of the relationship. Their eager-to-please attitude reflects your client’s status as the new kid in town.

Now, let’s fast forward three years. What happens when the excitement dies down? When there’s a bigger, newer kid in town? Or when global co

Leadership and Vision - What's Your Cathedral?
Can leadership exist where there is no vision? For perspective, let us review the Story of the Three Stonemasons.Three stonemasons were busy at work when a passerby asked them, “What are you doing?”The first stonemason responded, “Laying bricks, sir.”The second mason answered, “Earning a living.”But, when asked by the passerby what he was doing, the third stonemason said, “I’m building a cathedral.”The third craftsperson had a vision and saw the greater purpose of their labor. It was the third that recognized they would leave a lasting legacy.Leadership without vision isn’t true leadership at all. It is management. While management is both valuable and necessary, it is simply not the stuff that takes people and organizations to new heights of achievement.For an organization to grow, to move boldly forward, the leader must know where her organization is and where she wants it to go. She must have and convey a compelling vision, one powerful enough to call her constituents to action. Martin Luther King’s “I have a dream,” speech is a classic example of the type of vision that inspires the passionate dedication of those who share in it.No less important than organizational vision is personal vision. Your vision is your beacon, a clear and constant guide to the life of your choosing. “You’ve got to think about ‘big things’ while you do small things, so that all the small things go in the right direction.” (Alvin Toffler)What are the ‘big things’ in your world? What will be your legacy?What’s your cathedral?

Here’s the Scenario for Economic Development Strategy
After a six-month national search, your firm has developed a short list of three highly competitive sites for your client’s new manufacturing facility. You’ve had helicopter tours of Greenfield sites and met with local government and economic development officials. You’ve gathered information on available workforce, historic weather patterns and school systems. You’ve been placed on the ‘rubber chicken’ circuit, treated to local cuisine as part of each community’s efforts to wine, dine and attract your client.

Each site meets the basic criteria for your client, a major multi-national food products company. While incentives for each vary, the differences are offset by the unique attributes that each community offers, making the situation basically a toss-up. So, which location do you recommend?

Before you answer, here’s one more question.

Have you considered how the community works for its business retention? If you’re wondering about the relevance of this question to an attraction project, here’s the same question expressed differently. Are you going to entrust your client to a community that places a long term value on its business base – or one that’s constantly looking for the next big win? After all, a site consultant’s reputation rests on how well the recommended community works for the client in the long run, not how good it looks on paper when the location is announced.

Business Development Strategy - Playing at Home
Sports teams know the importance of the home field advantage, especially at playoff times. Playing in familiar confines in front of a friendly, supportive crowd can be the difference between a win and a loss – and even a championship season.

The home field advantage is not limited to sports. It is relevant to the site selection process, especially in a competitive global economy where every advantage, large or small, is important. How a community treats the businesses already located there could be a harbinger of things to come for your client. When a location is finally selected and the decision announced local government and economic development leaders will be your client’s best friend during these exciting early days of the relationship. Their eager-to-please attitude reflects your client’s status as the new kid in town.

Now, let’s fast forward three years. What happens when the excitement dies down? When there’s a bigger, newer kid in town? Or when global con

Packaging Labels
Packaging labels are used on each and every product - both retail and wholesale. The importance of the right kind of packaging labels for retail products is evident from the fact that it is the packaging label that catches the consumer's eye. The packaging label can actually make or break a sale.Most manufacturers who deal in packaging labels carry a ready stock of various sizes of blank labels, adhesive and any other required paraphernalia. Product manufacturers usually get their product labels designed by specialists in the advertising field. A template is prepared and handed over to a packaging label manufacturer who then does the needful. Some packaging label companies offer innovative labels. By choosing such labels product manufacturers can do away with the cost of getting packaging labels designed.Packaging labels have other uses too. They may be used for identification, inventory control and regulatory compliance. Special use packaging labels include serial number plates, instruction labels, shipping labels, fleet wraps and barcode labels. Product manufacturers should evaluate packaging labels services on the basis of product capabilities, specialties if any, quality requirements and the like.Product capabilities of packaging label manufacturers include bar or matrix code labels, certification or regulatory code labels, decorative tape, embossed labels or seals, labels for instrument or control panels, laser printable labels, reusable containers, peel off labeling, thermal transfer tape and wash away labeling to name a few.Laser printable labels are made in such a manner that they are suitable for going through a laser printer. This allows for customer specific labeling requirements to be processed. Labels used for instrumentation and control panels have instructions, graphics, etc. Thermal transfer tape is a type of labeling where a tape is firmly aff

part of each community’s efforts to wine, dine and attract your client.

Before you answer, here’s one more question.

Now, let’s fast forward three years. What happens when the excitement dies down? When there’s a bigger, newer kid in town? Or when global co

Appealing to Four Categories of B2B Decision-Makers
Companies spend millions of dollars trying to decipher what’s behind the buying behaviors of retail consumers.But, what about B2B decision-makers? According to Bryan Eisenberg in an article at ClickZ, most B2B business decision-makers fall into one of four preference categories -- methodical, spontaneous, humanistic or competitive. Depending on the style of decision-maker you are trying to reach, you will want to set up your Web pages in certain ways. Here are the four preference categories:Methodical decision-makers: Most B2B sales efforts are designed for these individuals. They care about rules, organization and methods. They’re practical, analytical, conservative and devour information. They can also be too rigid.Spontaneous decision-makers: These business people are high energy, poised, adventurous, responsive, flexible and value authenticity. They seek individual expression and attention. They can often be impatient.Humanistic style decision-makers are people-oriented. They care about relationships, harmony, principles and big-picture outlooks. They’re creative, listeners and seek meaning in their work. However, they can be perfectionists and slow to make decisions.Competitive decision-makers are aggressive and competitive. They’re no nonsense and want things to get done. They are driven to achieve success.While this is helpful information, I am not sure how to predict which type of decision-maker will arrive on your Web page. To reach all four types, do you try to include something for each style of decision-maker? Or do you set up your pages to appeal to one particular type of decision-maker to the exclusion of other types? How do you determine to which type you direct your appeal? If one type is more prevalent in your industry, is that something peculiar to your industry, or is it just a by-chance occurrence of luck?And, final

u’re wondering about the relevance of this question to an attraction project, here’s the same question expressed differently. Are you going to entrust your client to a community that places a long term value on its business base – or one that’s constantly looking for the next big win? After all, a site consultant’s reputation rests on how well the recommended community works for the client in the long run, not how good it looks on paper when the location is announced.

Now, let’s fast forward three years. What happens when the excitement dies down? When there’s a bigger, newer kid in town? Or when global co

All You Wanted To Know About B2B Portals
B2B (business-to-business) websites include all internet-based technical solutions which facilitate services in the establishment of new trading relationships between companies and supporting the existing relationships. It can be termed as an e-market for e-business transactions. A B2B portal primarily serves as a platform for wholesalers, retailers, distributors and manufacturers to carry out their business activities online. It allows electronic transfer of orders, invoicing and payments. B2B stands for business to business, so in B2B site the communication and transaction is between one business ventures to another business venture, here the targeted customers are not approached directly, it does not sell directly to the end user.B2B site has become one of the most sorts out and techno-savvy mode for business transactions as well as a platform for sales. It provides the user the opportunity to reach out to companies and businesses globally. Marketing done through the B2B portals is exclusively online thus there are no print, distribution or postage costs plus it is measurable through sophisticated tracking software. B2B online marketing is an essential part from buyer’s perspective as well as seller’s perspective. For buyers it facilitates in searching new suppliers, post buying requests, and search for used or new investment goods. For a seller point of view, it makes easy to find out buyers for their products, they could sell online new as well as used products. They could even access the information about their competitors.To read full article please click here

gy - Playing at Home
Sports teams know the importance of the home field advantage, especially at playoff times. Playing in familiar confines in front of a friendly, supportive crowd can be the difference between a win and a loss – and even a championship season.

Now, let’s fast forward three years. What happens when the excitement dies down? When there’s a bigger, newer kid in town? Or when global co

Consumer Buying Habits in the UK
Key Note's fourth Market Assessment report on Men & Women's Buying Habits shows fundamental shifts in the traditional balance of economic power between men and women. The impacts of both prolonged prosperity and the rise in the number of women entering the workplace have brought male dominance of big ticket consumer spending to a new tipping point. Similarly, the growth in Internet retailing has brought a reversal in the previous male dominance of this distribution chain. Key Note research indicates that women are now the leading Internet shoppers, in terms of both volume and value. Elsewhere in the economy, new developments i retailing and marketing are challenging those stereotypes that had influenced strategic thinking in retail.The UK economy underwent a short, sharp shock in 2004, after interest rates rose. Consumers were forced to rethink outstanding credit arrangements and to rein in their spending. Consequently, consumer expenditure slowed in the latter half of 2004 and beginning of 2005 and the levels of savings began to rise again. Key Note research indicates that this shift in attitude was particularly significant among men who tend to carry higher levels of debt and to have more concerns about repayments. The underlying strength of the UK economy remains undisputed, as other key indicators of low unemployment and inflation do not fundamentally challenge the pattern of rising consumer expenditure set in the 1990s. Leisure and holiday markets continue to benefit from the rise in prosperity.Other key demographic data are also of primary importance in considering gender differences in buying habits. This report highlights the rapid rise in employment among women. A far greater proportion of women are employed in less well-paid sectors, but women are making inroads in the higher echelons of business and as entrepreneurs. Of greater long-term significance is the gradua

Now, let’s fast forward three years. What happens when the excitement dies down? When there’s a bigger, newer kid in town? Or when global conditions present unforeseen challenges for your client? Will local government and economic development leaders be as supportive as they once were? Or, have they focused their energies on attraction prospects, virtually ignoring the companies already in town?

These are questions relevant to the site selection process. These are questions that impact the long-term satisfaction of your client with the location that you ultimately recommend.

Rodney Dangerfield and Economic Development
If you, as a site selector or corporate real estate professional, haven’t considered the ‘retention factor,’ don’t be surprised. The quiet, behind-the-scenes work to retain and grow an existing company seldom generates the headlines or top story status that an attraction prospect does. It’s nitty-gritty, in-the-trenches economic development work, usually not very visible, appreciated or valued – but entirely necessary.

For just these reasons, Randy Welker, the business retention manager for the Greater Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce, characterizes business retention as the ‘Rodney Dangerfield’ of economic development when compared to other economic development activities.

While colorful, the description has more than the ring of truth to it. In fact, when compared to business attraction and incubation efforts, retention is often overlooked in many communities. According to research conducted by the International Economic Development Council (IEDC), economic development professionals claim to focus primarily on business retention in their daily activities. Yet, other studies of private sector firms reveal that local companies perceive recruitment – not retention – as the primary function of local economic development groups.

Business Retention and Business Development in the Eyes of Expert
As Phil Phillips, Manager of Business Retention and Expansion for the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce puts it “Retention is priority #1 in any economic development organization’s mission

HTTP = HTML link (for blogs, profiles,phorums):
<a href="http://www.addyou.info/article/1943/addyou-The-Home-Field-Advantage.html">The Home Field Advantage</a>

BB link (for phorums):
[url=http://www.addyou.info/article/1943/addyou-The-Home-Field-Advantage.html]The Home Field Advantage[/url]

This is an article that explores the need for dealers to explore real accountability. Commitment is the key to success with a CRM.

Take a minute and think about the goals you've set for yourself. How close are you to accomplishing them? It's time to take stock and think about where you are, where you want to be, and how to get there.

If you think programmers have nightmares and QA testers have headaches, come and look at the world of medical billing through the eyes of a support tech. It's not pretty.

Tags

Links

Add You - The Home Field Advantage

Related Articles: