The Hunt for Recession-Resistant Businesses

by Helen Ashmead

With the economy continuing to run on what can only be described as a roller coaster ride, those people interested in starting a business or franchise are looking for business models that are, shall we say, recession resistant.

It was with this thought in mind that I spoke with my financial advisor the other day.
After we had conducted the business at hand I asked him about the state of the economy. He told me that while some sectors seemed particularly hard hit by the economic slump, there were actually others that were literally so busy that they could hardly keep up.

Surprised, to say the least, I asked him to tell me to which businesses he was referring.

“They’re all service-oriented businesses,” he said.

While I was elated that there were still a few rays of sunshine in an otherwise gloomy financial forecast, I wanted to know how it was possible that a number of businesses were actually booming.

“Think about it,” Paul said, “while the economy is languishing and houses are not selling like they used to, many people are staying put in their homes. So they are fixing them up and of course, maintaining them. People always have to maintain their homes.”

I told him that made sense.

“Not only that,” Paul continued, “but a lot of people are also holding on to their cars right now. They’re waiting to see what’s coming up in the way of new fuel efficient models and even alternative fuel models. And while they wait, they are putting more money into keeping their cars well maintained and repairing them instead of buying new ones.”

Come to think about it, I wasn’t really all that surprised, because it made so much sense. In tough times, people tended to stay put and hold tight to what they had until the economy rebounded. Instead of buying new, they took care of what they had. They made sure their homes, their cars, their computers and appliances were well maintained and in good working order.

Therefore, it also made sense that service-oriented businesses – Plumbers, electricians, auto repair, carpet cleaners, handymen, window washers, pressure washers, and computer repair technicians were thriving in rocky economic times. Of course, when the economy turned around, these companies should continue to do well because they were pretty much a necessity.

So if you are in the market for a new venture that can sustain you through good times and bad, you might like to consider a service-oriented business.

Below are a number of service-oriented franchises for your consideration:
(Click on the hyperlink to listen to the podcast.)

Auto-Lab - Due to the complexity of today’s automobiles, there is an urgent need for competent diagnostic and repair service at an affordable price. Auto-Lab answers that need by offering total service ranging from the diagnosis of an automotive problem to its proper repair.

Heaven’s Best - does carpet cleaning, upholstery cleaning, as well as professional wood floor cleaning, tile and grout cleaning. Low startup and operating costs make this a great service-oriented franchise opportunity. For the past three years, Heaven’s Best has been named franchisor of the year by Franchise Business Review.

Window Gang - One of Entrepreneur’s top rated business opportunities, Window Gang offers a fusion of service and retail. On the service side are window cleaning, pressure washing, and caulking. On the retail side are replacement windows and blinds. If you are looking for an opportunity with low startup and high return, give Window Gang a look.

If you want to find out more about these and other franchise opportunities, check out Business Opportunity Network. Or, feel free to call our Opportunity Hotline toll-free at 888-832-6574.

Using Social Media To Turbocharge Your Traffic

SMO, or Social Media Optimization, helps build website traffic by using social media 
based websites. The dawning of web 2.0 has seen many different social media websites
crop up in an equally large number of different guises. Content sharing, social bookmarking,
and collaborative websites form the basis of this initiative and it is these types of website 
that you need to use in order to leverage the power of the social web.
 
SMO As Guerrilla Marketing
 
The nature of Social Media Optimization is such that it could be considered form of 
guerrilla marketing. Website owners and blog owners have the choice of either investing
money or their own skills and time in order to generate traffic from social sites. As long
as your efforts are directed appropriately, the more work you put in the more reward 
you will reap.
 
SMO As A Link Building Technique
 
Social optimization also has a happy side effect - it helps to build your link profile so 
you will usually gain search engine traffic in the long term. Becoming a part of an online 
community is essential to your social optimization and this, in turn, will naturally provide 
links to your website. The links will usually be from relevant pages based on a similar to
pic to that of your own page. The more popular social sites are also given a lot of weight 
by certain search engines.
 
Optimize Your Existing Site
 
Create genuinely interesting, intriguing, or informative pages. Includes images, links, video,
and collaborative tools so that visitors really get involved when they do visit your site. 
SMO is basically digital word-of-mouth and if your website doesn't offer some kind of 
appealing experience to your visitors, then it simply won't attract the positive word-of-
mouth that you want.
 
Add new pages, if necessary, so that you can include more information. However, don't 
just add pages for the sake of it - ensure that each page really does have something 
unique to offer. A website still needs to be well structured.
 
Start A Blog
 
Add a blog. Every website has potential blog posts in it so find yours and start blogging 
regularly. Blog posts tend to attract links from other blog posts and those in turn will 
spread the word of your website. The more popular your blog becomes, the more value 
it is perceived to offer and the more visitors you will continue to get.
 
Be active in those blogs that are within your industry and use your link where permitted 
and relevant. Don't spam because that will lose you more friends than it will make but if 
you offer relevant information and a forum or blog allows you to link to it, then offer an 
insightful comment and provide a link.
 
Continue to Be Active
 
Being active is a vital part to your whole SMO campaign. Simply registering with social 
bookmarking sites and content sharing sites is not enough. You need to be involved, 
post regularly, and generally become a part of the community. If you don't have the time 
or the inclination to do this then find somebody else to do it instead.
 
Some Social Sites To Join
 
You really do reap what you sow in terms of SMO. Determine the sites that are most 
suitable to your website, join them, and become an active member. Choose some broad
topic sites as well as some that are specific to those interested in the industry in which 
you operate or topic that you cover. Look at social news submission sites, content 
sharing sites, bookmarking, and networking sites and try to get a broad coverage of all 
of them. Here are just a few of the sites you should seriously consider using:
 
Social News/Media Sharing Websites
 
* Reddit - Reddit is a very popular social news website that boasts a lot of subscribers 
and covers a wide range of topics.
 
* Digg - Initially, Digg was reserved to technology and related topics but is now a broad 
topic news site that again has a lot of subscribers and regular readers.
 
* Newsvine - Not as popular as the two above but offering a slightly more formal tone 
to its content. Again, a good range of topics are covered.
 
Social Networking Sites
 
* MySpace - It may be largely riddled with spam but there are still too many genuine use
rs for you to ignore MySpace. You don't have to be an unsigned band to take advantage
either.
 
* Facebook - Has caused quite a stir and offers users the chance to create and distribute 
their own applications as well as content. Another very popular site.
* LinkedIn - LinkedIn is a social networking site dedicated to professionals and businesses. 
It can really help to build a huge network of partners, customers, and other useful contacts 
in a business network.
 
Social Bookmarking Websites
 
* del.icio.us - Register, store bookmarks that you find useful, and include a bookmark 
to your own website and use a public profile.
 
* Stumble Upon - Same again. Alternatively you can add a Stumble icon to each of your 
pages, blog posts, and other media and let your readers do the walking for you.
 
The Social Internet has opened up a whole new avenue for promoting your business, 
but it needs to be done properly and carefully. Simply tagging, bookmarking, and sharing 
every page you have regardless of its quality will not bring you the desired results. You 
may find that it does you more harm than good in the long run.

Conduct Market Research To Avoid “Ugly Baby Syndrome”

by Tim Knox

Starting a new business without conducting market research is like traveling a winding road at high speeds with a blindfold on: it’s exciting for a mile or two, but you will quickly slam into an assortment of unforeseen obstacles without ever reaching your final destination. 

It’s odd how many businesspeople seem to be averse to testing the water before they jump into the pool. Odder still is the fact that conducting market research in the digital age couldn’t be easier.  The problem in my opinion is that many entrepreneurs are afraid their market research will tell them what they don’t want to know, i.e. their big idea – their baby – ain’t so cute after all.

They become victims of what I call: “Ugly Baby Syndrome’”

It’s a tough pill to swallow when market research tells you that your baby is about as appealing as the south-end of a north-bound mule.

That’s why many entrepreneurs choose to forego market research or ignore the results and plow ahead as planned; fooling themselves, their families, and their investors, believing that they know the market better than the market knows itself.

Vegas has a word for these characters.  They’re called “plungers” and both the craps tables as well as the world of business failures is full of them.

So why is conducting market research such an important step in the startup process? Because well-conducted market research can verify whether or not there really is a market for your product or service, globally and locally.

If research proves that there is a verified market, great, forge ahead. And if the research shows a problematic market that you’d be best to avoid, consider yourself lucky that you found that out before mortgaging the house to start the business.

Market research will also help you come to know your market well. Ideally a market should be passionate, large, easy to reach, and have plenty of disposable income to spend, preferably with you.

A market should be hungry for the product you’re selling; otherwise you will find yourself trying to sell a product to an apathetic market that has no use for it.

I equate it with trying to sell houseplants to homeless people; there’s just not much of a market there.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve consulted with startup entrepreneurs who think they have a “can’t miss” business idea, but their opinions are based on their own emotions, not on real world data.

They’re in love with their ugly baby and won’t take “no market” for an answer.

Just because you love your product does not mean the masses will. So conduct market research early and thoroughly, honor the results, and adjust your plans accordingly.

So how do you conduct market research? Thanks to the Internet it’s often as easy as going to Google and typing in the name of the product and industry you’re interested in.

You should find a number of industry organizations and associations, many of which publish statistics about their industry and make them available free or for a fee.

In the case of my retail business I found an industry association that supplied me with excellent market and industry data for a few hundred dollars; which saved me tons of time, so it was money well invested and the data was much more in-depth and well-researched than anything I could have come up with on my own.

The government also publishes market and industry data and it’s usually available for free (hey, you paid for it on the front end with your tax money). You can also find information on industry-related forums, message boards, search engines, forums, and newsgroups.

And don’t forget to research your competition because there is much you can learn from them.

I did on the ground research by going into the stores of my future competitors and noting things like selection, pricing, cleanliness, and customer service.

Doing that helped me validate my theory that the market I was contemplating would support a bright, clean store with fair prices and excellent customer service.

Localized market research can also tell you whether the area where you’re planning on opening your business is sufficient enough to support your efforts.

You may have a great product with a viable market, but not on the street where your store will be located. Localized market research will help you locate your business in the optimum spot.

Moral to the story: Play the odds and do your market research. Your wallet will thank you.

If You Enjoyed This Article You Should Read Tim’s New Book, “Everything I Know About Business I Learned From My Mama.” Visit http://www.timknox.com for more information.

Evaluate a Franchise by Talking to Current Franchisees

By Blair Cavagrotti

When evaluating a franchise, one of the greatest tools you have at your disposal is the ability to contact current franchisees. Not contacting them and investigating their opinion of the franchisor thoroughly would be a big mistake. When you contact a current franchisee, you get the opinion and outlook of someone who is in the same position that you will be in, should you decide to accept the franchise agreement. For this reason, their advice and input is more valuable than any other you might get. If you have concerns about what the franchisor is like, whether or not their claims are true, how many hours you might work, or how the business is run, a current franchisee may be able to help you make a more informed decision about buying a franchise.

Often, the franchisor will introduce you to a few franchisees, and even take you on a tour to see their locations and to talk with them. These meetings can be helpful, but you have to do extra work to really get the most out of learning from current franchisees. It is a good idea to go back to those franchisees after the tour to ask them any questions you did not feel comfortable asking in front of the franchisor, or to get any answers they might not have wanted to disclose in front of the franchisor. However, keep in mind that even if you are alone with these franchisees, they may not give you a full picture of the franchise as a whole. Some franchisees are paid to solicit new ones, and if the franchisees you speak to were given money, they may not be entirely truthful.

Given this, you must search deeper into the network of current franchisees to get a true impression of the franchise as a whole. In the FDD (Franchise Disclosure Document), franchisors provides contact information for past, current, and future franchisees that you can interview on your own, who are less likely to have a biased opinion of the franchise. The more franchisees you interview, the better, to get the most complete picture. You can ask them things like whether or not they think the franchisor is honest, and what they think of the current FDD. You should also try to interview franchisees from a wide variety of locations, years of experience, and success levels so that you are not getting a biased sample of people either praising the franchisor or complaining about it.

When you interview current franchisees, keep in mind that some of the franchisees are going to be more successful than others. This can impact what they say to you about their opinion of the franchise as a whole. When you interview the less successful ones, try to ascertain whether or not the franchisor is to blame for their lack of success, for instance, if they are not flexible enough or are not offering enough support. Understanding why those franchisees are not successful can help you determine whether or not this franchise is the right one for you, and how to be successful if you do decide to buy it.

Blair Cavagrotti is in Marketing at WorldFranchising.com, a website that provides franchise information to potential franchise buyers.

How Low Can You Go?

by Helen Ashmead

Many people dream of owning their own business.  For some, the best solution is franchising.  Franchising reduces both the complexity and the risk associated with starting a new business venture.  Of course, buying into a business-in-a-box can be an expensive proposition.  For many, the cost of entry signals the end of the road for their hopes and dreams of business ownership.  This is what New Englander’s refer to as the “You can’t get they-ah from he-ah” syndrome.

What many prople don’t realize is that not all franchise and business opportunities come with a price tag starting at $50,000 or more.  For those of you who are looking for a business that costs $20,000 or less to start, below are several culled from Business Opportunity Network.

(click on the link to listen to the podcast)

#1: Lease One - $19,900

Equipment leasing is one of the fastest growing segments of financial services.  Since 1989 Lease One has been providing flexible and creative asset-based financing for its clients.  This business opportunity can be homebased, or you can run it from your existing office.  The company provides training, support and leads.  Unlike a typical franchise model, with Lease One there are no ongoing royalty fees. 

#2 Business Card Holder - $9,995

Staying ahead of changes in advertising means encouraging new innovations and trying new marketing opportunities.  Business Card Holder has devised a unique twist on traditional direct mail marketing, while welcoming newcomers to the neighborhood.  Their patent pending product consists of a branded credit card holder which is mailed to 250 new homeowners and which is filled with business cards from 50-60 paid advertisers.  If you enjoy making connections with local business people, this franchise opportunity might be just the business you were looking for.  This homebased business offers flexible hours and no ongoing franchise royalty.

#3 Video Sales Agent - $1,995

Video is popping up everywhere from websites and portals like YouTube, to tradeshows and talking business cards.  If you are looking for a way to cash in on the video revolution, Video Sales Agent offers the lowest cost of entry in the industry.  This homebased business can be worked full or part time.  Neither a franchise, nor a business opportunity, VSA is a membership service that provides complete training, support and hosting for a fraction of the cost of other business models.  VSA specializes in video-to-web and video-to-disk production of a number of profitable niches, including video property tours, video business cards, training videos, virtual spokesperson and video resumes.  No previous experience is required in video production. 

If you are interested in obtaining more information about any of the opportunities above, feel free to email Helen Ashmead at helash1@datasync. 

Or you may call our Opportunity Hotline at 888-832-6574.

The 10 Greatest Myths about Credit Repair

by Jon Ochs   

In past posts we have written about how to finance your dream franchise.  In many cases, franchises are too expensive to finance in full from out of pocket.  That’s where the need becomes apparent for some sort of franchise funding.  What most people don’t know about business funding of any kind, is that the amount of credit that will be proferred to a borrower is predicated upon the following 3 items:

1. Whether they own or rent
2. What kind of income they make
3. Their credit rating

While the first two are more or less set in stone, the third factor as many of you know, is variable.  Particularly after the tumultuous past couple of years that have seen the banking industry teetering on the brink of insolvancy due to uncollected debt, consumers looking for a loan with a credit score of below 700 for the most part need not apply.  For those of you that fall into that category at present, do not lose heart, because there are ways of increasing substandard credit scores.  Of course, the most important thing is to understand what does and doesn’t work.  To help you navigate the sometimes turbulent waters of credit reporting, below are the 10 Greatest Myths about Credit Repair.

Myth 1: Paying off (or “settling”) late payments, tax liens, collections or judgments will remove them from your credit reports.

This is simply not true. In fact, by paying off an old collection account, you can actually lower your credit scores. The reason for this is because more recent negative items will hurt your score more than older negative items. If you pay off an old collection account, not only will the collection account remain on your reports as a paid collection, but it will now show a current date, and cost your more points. I am not suggesting that you should not pay off your delinquent accounts, only that you need to understand the consequences so that you can factor that into your decision.

Myth 2: Paying my full credit card balance every month will improve my credit scores.

Keep in mind that the credit system is designed by the creditors, to help them determine if you are a good credit risk, and if you are an optimal credit user (one who uses the system in such a way that it will generate revenue for the creditors). By paying off your accounts every month, you are not establishing a history of optimal credit usage. What your creditors want to see, is someone who pays slightly more than their minimum monthly payment every month, on time, with only occasional balance pay-downs. This behavior will optimize your credit scores.

Myth 3: Credit repair is illegal.

Not only is this false, but your right to repair your credit is protected by federal law. The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) protects consumers from inaccurate reporting, as well as issues surrounding identity theft. As a consumer, you have the right to repair your own credit, as well as hire anyone you choose to do it for you.

Myth 4: Enrolling in a Credit Counseling program will improve my credit.

We have all seen the statements made by credit counseling companies that state that their program will improve your credit. I can tell you that this is false. When you enroll into a credit counseling program, one of the first things that happens is a statement is inserted into your credit reports for each account included in the program. This statement will say something like “payments made through credit counseling”, or “client in CCCS”. This statement itself may not cost you any points; however it is looked at by the lending industry as very negative. It is like putting a sign on your forehead that says, “I can’t pay my bills!” In addition, most credit counseling programs will make your payments late, and this will then cause you to have late-pays, which will cost you many points on your credit.

Myth 5: By law, negative items on my credit have to remain for 7 years.

This is also false. There is no law that dictates the duration that an item must remain on your credit reports. The only thing that dictates that an item must remain on your credit report is that it can be proven to be 100% true and accurate.

Myth 6: Making a lot of money will give you good credit.

Making a lot of money really has very little to do with your credit directly. What determines your credit is your payment history, account balances, your open accounts, the type of accounts, etc.

Myth 7: As long as I have never been late on a payment, I will have great credit.

While never being late is an important part, it is only 35% of your credit scores. In order to have great credit, you need to focus on all the factors that make up your credit scores.

Myth 8: Your credit reports from all 3 major credit bureaus will be the same.

This is not true. In fact, most of the time, all 3 of your credit reports will differ from one another. The reason for this is that each of the credit bureaus is a separate independent company, and the processes at each are different. Also, some creditors may only report to 1 or 2 bureaus, but not all 3. In my experience, your reports will very rarely be exactly the same.

Myth 9: Once you are married, you and your spouse share the same credit.

False! This is something that many believe, but it is absolutely not true. Every individual has their own unique credit reports. You may share some credit items with your spouse if you have joint accounts.

Myth 10: Closing credit card accounts will increase your credit scores.

This is one of the biggest surprises that I see happen to people all the time. You go to your mortgage lender and they instruct you to close some accounts in order to qualify for a loan. You do as you are told, but only to see your scores plummet almost immediately; sometimes by more than 100 points. What happened? The reason for the drop was because you just closed some of your oldest and most valuable accounts as far as your credit scores were concerned. Remember, the longer you have had an account in good standing, the more positive points it will provide. It is not advised to close a long-standing account unless you have good reason.

Now that you are armed with this powerful knowledge, you can get on the road to optimizing your credit today.

For a free credit repair consultation, Click Here.

Jon Ochs has over 12 years experience in the credit and debt industry and is the founder and CEO of NCA Credit Repair, one of the most trusted and respected Credit Report Repair companies in the nation. 

 

Signing A Lease? Get Your First Born Ready!

by Tim Knox

We’ve been discussing the steps required to open a brick and mortar store. We’ve talked about startup plans and finding a location.

This week we look at what comes next in the process: the negotiation and signing of one of the most dreaded legal documents any entrepreneur will ever faile to read: the commercial lease (insert scary music here).

Before we dive in, understand these points; there is no such thing as a lease that’s in favor of the tenant. Trying to break a lease is like trying to sweet talk your way out of Alcatraz. Landlords are your best friends until you miss a rent payment or two.

And although I could find no written record of anyone actually having turned over their first born at a lease signing, I’m pretty sure it’s happened many times over the years. In fact, there’s a rumor that Donald Trump has entire warehouses full of nothing but his tenants’ first born children.

Chances are when you find your perfect space the landlord will just happen to have a lease in his back pocket that “all his tenants have signed without a problem.”

Chances are he’ll hold the lease with one hand and a pen filled with your blood in the other. Chances are he’s banking on you signing the lease without bothering to read it, which many of his tenants have probably done in the past.

I hope the chances are you’re much too smart to do so.

I don’t care how many people he says are lined up to rent the space you should take the lease home and take all the time you need to review it thoroughly before putting your name on the dotted line.

Trust me, if the space was that hot it would be rented already, so don’t let anyone pressure you into acting too quickly.

Even if you read every word of the lease yourself have an attorney give it a second look because a lease is a legal document and as such, is written in a language mere mortals rarely understand.

Forget reading the fine print. When it comes to a lease it’s ALL fine print, and you should always get a more experienced pair of eyes to go over the details.

Here are a few other things to consider before signing a lease.

How is the monthly lease payment calculated? The most basic equation for calculating a lease payment takes the number of square feet times the cost per square foot, then amortizes that over a 12 month span.

For example, if you have 1,000 square feet and the cost per square foot is $12, the annual lease amount would be $12,000. Divided by 12 months the monthly lease payment would be $1,000. Again, this is a simplified scenario.

These days most commercial leases include additional factors that affect the final price, such as a monthly percentage of your gross sales, property tax and rent increases, operating expense escalations, common area charges, etc.

Who is responsible for paying what? It’s important that you understand exactly what you are paying for and what expenses the landlord will cover. Are you responsible for any costs other than the rent? Are you responsible for paying for your own utilities and garbage pickup, for example? Will you have to pay for window washing and janitorial service? Who pays for repairs if the air conditioner goes on the fritz? Chances are you do. It’s good to understand that ahead of time.

Can the monthly payment go up at anytime? It’s typical that a lease contain what’s known as an “escalation clause” that allows the landlord to pass on increased building operating expenses to the tenants.

If your lease contains such a clause you should ask for a cap on the amount the lease payment may rise over a given period of time and an accounting of the items that are forcing the increase.

Will my rent increase every year? One very important factor to know is if and when, and by how much your rent might go up over the term of the lease.

It is expected that rents will increase as property values increase, so most leases include a rent increase on the anniversary date of the lease.

Plus, if your landlord can rent the space for more than you agreed to pay a year ago, he is within his rights to ask for the increase. However, it would be a nightmare if your rent suddenly doubled.

You should negotiate the timelines and amounts of increases before you sign the lease. If your landlord balks at this find another space.

Is a personal guarantee required? What happens if your business goes south and you can no longer afford to make the lease payment? Are you responsible for paying the rent out of your own pocket?

Probably so. Most landlords insist on a personal guarantee from the owner or an officer of the corporation. This means that even if you go out of business you are still on the hook for the remainder of the monies owed.

Finally, be clear on every point in the lease. And if you’re not clear on every point get clarification from your attorney. Exactly how much space are you leasing?

What day of the month is the rent due and what’s the extra fee if you’re late?

Who is responsible for repairs? What common areas will you have access to?

Who is responsible for maintaining things like keeping the shared restrooms stocked with soap, towels, and most importantly, toilet paper?

A small detail to consider, except when you suddenly find yourself without such amenities at the wrong time.

If You Enjoyed This Article You Should Read Tim’s New Book, “Everything I Know About Business I Learned From My Mama.” Visit http://www.timknox.com for more information.

If you are interested in learning more about hot franchise concepts go to our podcasting station at Business Opportunity Network

Top 5 Considerations for Startup Business Loans

by Anthony Griswold

If you want to start your own company it will take a little money to get started and on your feet. Banks put many things into consideration when you ask them for money for startup business loans. Here are five of the most important considerations when you want money from a bank for a loan for your new company.

1.When you want to get money from a bank the first thing they will consider with startup business loans is your credit. You should have a healthy credit score that looks great. If your credit is bad it tells a lender that you do not repay your debts and this may stop you from getting a line of credit.

2.Experience is a big factor when you are hoping for startup business loans. You should have years of experience in the line of work you want to start your own business and you should be able to convince the bank you are the right person to open the company. A bank may think you have the best idea ever but if they do not think you are skilled enough for the company to generate revenue or to manage the business they will not lend you any money.

3.Assets are another factor that lenders want to see. When you are trying to secure startup business loans you should have some assets worth money that the bank can secure if they feel they need it. If you have nothing worth any value and you are asking for money to begin your own business you will probably be turned away. Banks want to see you are serious and when you secure assets with the money they know you are.

4.Come up with some money down for the startup business loans. The best way to show a lender that you are serious about your new company is by having a healthy chunk of money as a down payment. When you have 20% to 25% down payment for your startup business a bank is more willing to talk to you. A good size down payment may even make a bank look past your bad credit.

5.If all of the factors above do not fall in your favor you might try and find someone who can co-sign a loan with you. A lender will want to know if you have someone who will back you that you are good for the money. This person will need to have good credit but they can be considered as a silent partner in your endeavors. In most cases a friend or family member is the best person to ask to cosign startup business loans.

If you are looking for money for startup business loans you should consider many things. A bank will want to know that you are financially in a good position, qualified to run the business, why the business will do well and many more things. Securing a loan is important but you may need a down payment, good credit, assets, or even a co-signer.

About the Author:
Anthony Griswold creates articles about small business loans. All of his articles can be used as tools when seeking unsecured financing. Please visit the following link to learn more: unsecured loans.

To listen to podcasts from top financial experts, go to Money Talks

Increase Your Online Exposure With Web 2.0

by Carl Weiss

When it comes to creating exposure online, all too many people think that search engine optimization is the end all be all.  This couldn’t be further from the truth.  The fact is that optimization, while important, is far less effective than it was just a few years ago. 

Once upon a time, optimization was the most crucial factor in search engine ranking.  SEO gurus spent their time ensuring that relevant keywords were used in all relevant tags and that keyword concentration was perfected on each and every page.  Then came the keyword stuffers and spammers, which amounted to online warfare, where a number of paid SEO authorities began acting like hired guns in order to control the top listings on a number of prominent search engines.  Seeing this, the search engines took notice, then they took action, adjusting their algorithms to once more level the playing field.  In the process of cutting the hired guns down to size, they also pulled the carpet out from under all the legitimately optimized sites. 

Currently, onsite optimization has been all but overshadowed by offsite optimization.  Where keyword optimization once ruled supreme, today linking has become the holy grail of search engine ranking.  Of course, the hired guns know about this sea change in SEO and are doing everything they can to exploit the new laws of the online jungle.  So much so, that it is only a matter of time before the powers that be become disgruntled once more only to shuffle the deck and leave all of those who believe that SEO is the way to go in the lurch once again.

Now what if I told you that far from being the only way to attain superior search engine placement that there is a better and less known route to creating traffic to your site.  Would you be interested in learning how it works?  Before you answer, bear in mind that this route while highly effective is not the three magic beans formula of SEO.  In other words, you can’t simply farm the task out to a computer nerd and walk away.  It takes a bit more work.  Still interested?

The Wonderful World of Web 2.0

While many people have heard of Web 2.0, most people do not know precisely what it is, let alone how to strategically employ it to generate traffic.  Web 2.0 in a nutshell comprises all of the multi-media add-ons to the web that have sprung up like weeds alongside the Information Superhighway.  Such things as blogs and vlogs, podcasting and video portals, wikis and article posts, as well as book marking and social network sites are now part of the internet lexicon.  While it would take more than a simgle article to delve into the ins and outs of these new online marketing tools, I will endeavor to show you the way to use the top 3 for marketing any business.

Blogging for Fun & Profit 

Blogging is another hot way to gain audience share.  Essentially an online magazine, blogs are specifically tailored to engage an audience interested in obtaining knowledge about a particular subject.  For instance, our Franchise Forum blog appeals to people that are looking to start, finance, manage and grow a business.  By creating a blog and then posting articles about your business, you will gain entree to another segment of the Internet.  (Later I will show you how to embed a podcast or video on every blogpost.) 

 

By submitting articles with your company’s byline, you will also establish yourself as an authority figure as well as increasing your company’s credibility.  And don’t forget that added visibility brings added opportunity.

 

Articles should run 500-700 words in length and offer insightful information of interest to your readers.  Feel free to link your business in the body of the article.  Articles should not be a bald-faced commercial promotions of your company, but information that is relevant to your target audience.

 

The more frequently you submit articles to your blog the better.  Posting at least two articles a weekis a good idea to maximize the results.  Instead of taking the burden on your shoulders alone, how about asking employees, clients and even vendors to write articles?  You may even discover some hidden talents that you didn’t know existed in your company.

Radio Station WYOU – Podcasting

When looking at Podcasting, think talk radio, because that’s what a podcast really is, an online audiocast.  For the cost of a microphone and some audio shareware you can become a pillar of the online airwaves.  Podcasts are simple and fun to create.  There are basically two formats: the monologue and the interview. (For a great example of a typical interview podcast go to Business Opportunity Network )

As with blogging, in order to assure your success as a podcaster, you need to couch your broadcasts with one part information to every two parts information.  Nothing turns off listeners faster than a speaker that drones on and on about how great their company is and why they should do business with them. zzzzzzzzzz  This means that you need to develop an effective hook for your show.  One that will keep the audience coming back for more.  Then you need to broadcast at least one episode a week to maintain contact with the listeners. It sounds like a trip to the conference room is in order to come up with some snappy concepts for a podcast that can stand the test of time.  Best of all, your broadcasts can be aired free of charge on such podcasting networks as Podango.com.

Lights, Camera, Viral Video

For the cost of a prosumer video camcorder and a studio light or two you can produce videocasts that can be distributed in a number of amazing ways.  Creating these online tv shows isn’t at all hard to produce either.  In fact one of the best tools for researching videocasts is to go to such sites as YouTube and Meta Cafe in order to tune in yourself.  You’ll quickly catch on to what works ond what does not.  The trick to maximizing your online tv stations results is to again produce a number of videocasts under one banner.  (To see a sample of effective videocasting, go to Franchise TV

The Secret Ingredient – How to Network all Three Together

The real secret ingredient to maximize the above three Web 2.0 tools is to cross tie them together.  For instance, you can link or better yet embed audio and video casts in many blogs such as those hosted by wordpress.com.  You can also broadcast your blog address at the end of each podcast, as well as using titling to include your podcast url in every video clip you produce.  Also be aware that if you are looking to score Google results, that many times you can achieve the desired result faster via video clip than you can with SEO.  After all, Google now owns YouTube.  To do this make sure that you optimize your clip description on every clip you post. 

In conclusion, if you are willing to take the time to make the effort, Web 2.0 could be just the ticket to generating outstanding online results that will stand the test of time.  In my next article we will talk about using article feeds and social networking to spread the word and generate business.

Carl Weiss is president of Business Opportunity Network and an Internet Promotion Expert. 

Blueprinting Your Business is the Way to Build Success

by Jordan Cheng

Most entrepreneurs do not understand how important writing a business plan is to succeeding in business.  It is not the business plan itself, but the planning process that really matter.  No matter how good your business strategies are, success hinges almost almost entirely on first-class execution. For that reason, business strategy is not deemed to be confidential information by the venture capitalists. It is how the company plans to execute its strategies that will really determine its business success.

If business success is weighted so heavily on execution, how do you increase the odds of success?

Execute it on paper first! This is where you won’t be penalized for making mistakes.

The real value of writing a business plan is in the thinking process that you go through. It is the best way to rehearse your business execution, so that you can anticipate and avoid problems before they arise.

Writing a business plan forces you to think through the reality of:

 

• How you are seriously going to make money from the business;
• The potential size of business that you expect to build;
• The short-term, medium-term and long-term scenario of your business;
• The potential problems that you can anticipate and prepare for;
• The worse case scenario that can happen and the mitigating strategies you have in your disposal.

 

You will benefit from writing a business plan in the following ways:

• Achieve clarity of vision for your business, as well as your life (your life and business are often an integrated part of each other);
• Force a reality check on the goals and their attainability;
• Make detailed evaluation of your own strengths and weaknesses, and how you can play up your strengths and circumvent the weaknesses;
• Confirm the viability of market opportunities through market research;
• Perform thorough assessment of the competitions;
• Discover who your customers are, and where and how you can find them;
• Develop insight on the unique market positioning you can leverage on;
• Map out a day-to-day actionable plan that aligns with the overall strategic goals.

 

If you are starting a home business, do take the patience to go through the business planning process. You will immediately notice the differences it makes after the planning process – achieving an amazing sense of clarity for the business potential.

Your confidence in starting the business will soar after you have gained thorough understanding of your customers, competitions, and the kind of strategies that you will use to create a unique positioning in the marketplace.

Business failure can be painful and costly. There is no better way to increase the chance of success than by planning it out first.

Writing a business plan is the single most important action you can take before you dive straight into action.

Jordan Cheng is an established consultant in small business home business consulting. If you are planning to start your first home business, go to: http://www.1stHomeBizSuccess.com to find more resources on how to write an effective business plan.

The 5 Keys to Owning a Restaurant Franchise

By Rich Bendall

For people considering buying a restaurant franchise there are a wide range of opportunities. The key steps towards owning a food franchise are as follows.

1. Evaluation

Before taking any other steps towards buying a food franchise it will be useful for you to first evaluate your skills and interests. You should ask yourself what it is that interests you about owning a food franchise and decide what type of restaurant you would like to manage. It is beneficial to consider your existing skills and judge how they will fit best in the available franchising opportunities. While running a restaurant franchise does have many advantages it can involve a lot of hard work and may not be suitable for everybody. At this stage it is also useful to look at your financial situation and set a budget for how much you can afford to invest.

2. Investigate Franchise Opportunities

In the US there is a huge range of food franchises available to buy. Well known examples of restaurant franchises include Burger King and Dominoes Pizza. Of course, the better established chaine can sometimes have higher price tags than newer startups, such as Firehouse Subs, or Mr. Pretzels.  Having assessed your skills, interests and finances it should be possible to narrow down this choice into a selection of franchises that are suitable for you. With the choice narrowed down you should conduct more in depth research into each franchise.

3. Market Research

Having narrowed down the choice of franchises the next stage is to carry out some research in to the levels of demand for the franchise’s products and so likely profits. There are a number of things to consider here including location and amount of competition. It may be that a franchise’s products will be very popular in some locations but not so popular in other places. Also if there is a lot of competition in a particular area then it is likely that profits will be affected. Other factors to consider is demand for the product in the long term and if sales are seasonal or if demand will be constant throughout the year.

4. Secure Finance and Invest

Most franchises will require their franchisees to make quite a substantial initial investment and it is likely that many people buying a franchise will need to take out some kind of loan. Fortunately money lenders tend to view franchises quite favourably, so obtaining finance may be easier than would be the case if you were seeking to starting an untested business concept. Some franchisors will even offer their own in-house financing. With the finance secured you are free to invest in your chosen franchise.

5. Attend Training and Set Up Business

Having made your investment the final step is to get your restaurant ready for business. Things you will need to do here include hiring staff, buying supplies and setting up your location. Many franchises offer training as part of the investment and so for many franchisees the first step after buying their franchise is to attend a training course. Typically this course will be designed to teach the franchisee everything they need to know to run the business successfully.

If you are interested in learning more about hot franchise opportunitiess, go to our Business Opportunity Network podcasting station.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rich_Bendall http://EzineArticles.com/?Key-Steps-to-Owning-a-Restaurant-Franchise&id=1647463