Focus on Your Core Services for Best Results

A business college professor drilled into us that we should always "narrow our focus and stick to it". In general, it made sense like many of the guidelines in business you hear about but recently it has really made hit home with me. Talking with my business friends over the course of the year which has various careers in health insurance, financial planning, mortgage lending, business consulting and a host of other professions, I realize that all of us are approached or have been presented the opportunity to participate in projects or service requests which fall outside of our normal specialty. When business is less than full capacity, the first inclination is to take any business you can get your hands on; why not, if you have spare time to do it then why shouldn't you go after other similar types of business.

The issue is when doing something outside of your core service; there is usually some type of learning curve, time which has to be invested and follow through. You can't simply hang a new product on your shingle; you have to know and learn about it at some level to sell it with any competence. If you get enough of this same type of business, which initially did not fall in your main line-up of products, then you can perhaps consider making it one of your regular service offerings and you have automatically broadened your product business scope. Instead of just selling widgets A, B, and C, now you have A, B, C, D, and E to sell. If all of them are aimed at the same market group and they naturally blend in together you have a good mix. Still consider that you will have to market 5 products instead of just 3 which automatically increase your marketing expense. A printer friend of mine is a successful example of this; he started with standard paper printing products and now offers specialty imprinted items, banners and even car wraps and it all has been a good profitable blend.

But the problem is that more often, we get requests which come from different directions with no two being very similar. In the effort to get more business and satisfy more customers, you gradually become the "jack of all trades and the master of none". Viewed from the outside, the perception will be that you cannot survive focused on one main thing so you have to do many and your integrity and reputation suffers. One gentleman I've known for years offered financing for various projects, then he added merchant card services and a few months later he include home mortgage financing. Just recently in speaking with him, he justified his strategy by saying that if he offered enough services then he wouldn't have to say no to anyone. After that he added immigration services in helping immigrants get properly documented. He was like the fisherman with twenty poles in the water; problem was that each pole was in a different lake!

Here are 3 guidelines to avoid falling into the "I can do it all" category:

1) Identify your core services and products. What do you really want to do and what do you excel in? Identify your experiences and strengths and market only what you do best. If you are good at analyzing financial documents and think logically then don't try selling prepaid legal services or including them in what you do. Solidifying an 'elevator pitch' will help you narrow your focus because if you can't state your core business in a couple sentences then you either don't know what you are focused on or you're focused on too many things. Become the specialist and avoid becoming the generalist.

2) Learn to say "no". If you spend enough time networking, you are going to be approached to add some service or market some product or perhaps add a new feature to your core business. Be firm in letting people know you are only focusing on your core expertise. Even attending an information seminar on something which doesn't your business model is a waste of time. Discipline yourself to stay on track.

3) If you feel inclined to add a new service then always test market your new offering and only add one new service at a time. By only adding one element, you keep your test phase manageable and more importantly, you do not appear to be flaky and jumping around from service to service to your clients. Your goal is to always add another service which will help your clientele and improve what you already do for them. The test phase will also help you evaluate if there is a real sustainable market for your new product or only a unique few clients which fall into this category. In the interest of efficiency and effectiveness, you don't want to purse a tiny market with little growth potential.

Particularly when the economy slows down, people scramble to make ends meet and tend to accumulate more "add-ons" to their standard product line. It's a natural tendency, which on the surface seems fine, but it will distract and take away time and effort from your core strengths. During slower periods, it makes better sense to improve and re-focus on your main business. What can you do to improve your main services and what new markets can you penetrate. Can you partner with an adjunct business to pool together a marketing strategy - these are all questions you should be asking yourself to keep your core business intact and on target.

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The 3 Main Components of Affiliate Marketing Business

Affiliate marketing can be one of the easiest and fastest ways to start your own online business. In order to do this business, you must first look at the overall big picture. In any kind of internet business including affiliate marketing business, the 3 components that are inside the big pictures are Products, Websites and Traffic. These 3 components are important as they are the basics and it is essential to understand them for your affiliate marketing success.

The 1st component is the Product. In affiliate marketing, you must first know what is the area of niche market that you want to go into. Once you have decided on your own niche market, you will then have to start finding affiliate products that is relevant to your chosen niche. For example you have chose the losing fat niche, you will have to find affiliate products that has got to do with losing fats so that you will be able to sell to your customers. Once you have chosen your products, it is time to go to the 2nd component.

The 2nd component is the Website. There are some people who will say that you do not need your own website to do your affiliate marketing business. Although it can be true as you only need to drive traffic to your own affiliate link but your business will not be long term. The main purpose of the website in affiliate marketing is to collect potential customers name and email address. This kind of website is call squeeze pages. When you have your own websites, you will look more professional and you will be able to create your own customer database. Once you have your own website uploaded, it is time to go to the 3rd component.

The 3rd component is Traffic. Without traffic to your website, your website will be useless as you will not be able to show any people what is the products that you will be able to provide. When you have traffic going to your website, your website which is your squeeze pages will be able to collect their details which will enable you to build a list. There are a lot of different ways to get traffic. One useful tip is to just focus on one traffic technique and be very good in it. Then you will move on to the next traffic technique. This will ensure that you will not suffer information overload and you will be able to focus and take consistent actions.

These are the 3 components that are the most basic and it is also the most important towards your affiliate marketing business success. Once you have seen and understand the overall picture, you will then be able to plan and take consistent actions to achieve your affiliate marketing business success.

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Your Daily Dose of Time Management Medicine - Leave Some Wiggle Room

How often do things happen that are out of your control? Is it safe to say this happens regularly, even daily? Well this happened to me this morning. I took my normal route to the office which is 26 miles from my house. The drive normally takes me 35 minutes in light traffic and can take as long as 45 minutes to an hour in heavy traffic.

As I do every evening, I looked at my calendar last night to make sure I knew what was on my agenda to start my day. I had a web conference scheduled for 9:30 am and planned to get to the office at 9:00 so that I could review the meeting material and plan the rest of my activities for the day before my meeting.

This morning made me realize again why I am a committed planner. As I said at the beginning, there are many things that happen that are out of our control; so it is a good practice to consider these unseen factors into our plans as much as possible.

On my drive this morning, the closer I got to my normal freeway onramp the slower traffic got. Just before my on ramp it got so slow it would have been faster to get out and walk. There I was stuck. I couldn't make a left turn, right turn, or U-turn. I just had to wait. Finally I got close enough to see a huge lift with a man working on the power lines above the street. I looked at the time and realized it was 9:00 am. I still had 30 minutes to make my web conference so I wasn't too worried.

I still called the other parties scheduled for the conference to notify them of my situation, just in case. I made it to the office at 9:20. Enough time to get a coffee and get mentally prepared for my meeting.

Leave Some Wiggle room - I've been doing it so long that I don't remember where I heard it first. At some point I started leaving at least a 30 minute buffer between appointments. So that when I finished my short web conference at 10:00 am I had 30 minutes until my next meeting.

One of the factors that helped me decide to adopt this practice was seeing so many managers rush from one meeting to another. It seems that some people show up right on time and then, many of those same people will complain that a meeting is boring and criticize the meeting content and purpose. I don't do well if I'm not prepared and focused before a meeting starts; whether I am running the meeting or simply attending. So, it's no wonder that many people don't get much out of some meetings.

I find that when I review the agenda and any material that was sent with the meeting invitation, I am much more prepared and able to add to the value of the meeting for myself and others thus making the meeting as meaningful as possible.

This "Wiggle Room" principle applies to your task list as well. If you think a task is going to take an hour, add 20% to 25% to the completion deadline. This helps you under promise and over deliver on your deadlines.

It's a fact that the better you plan, the better your result will be. Skeptics may ask what I do with the time I gain when nothing unexpected happens. The answer is, more of my top payoff activities. Some might think that planning takes more time that it yields. The reality is that lack of planning creates problems regardless of uncontrollable circumstances.

You may have heard the saying "failing to plan is planning to fail". It's true, and giving yourself time to think and prepare in between every task is a top ten productivity practice in my book.

Are you a planner? Does planning come naturally or are you like me and have to work at it?

Do you give yourself wiggle room? If not are you going to try it after reading this?

Please get involved by leaving a comment of asking a question.

Thanks you for taking a moment to read this article. I would love to know what you think. If reading my ideas gave you any of your own please take a moment to share. Better yet connect by subscribing on my authors page.

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Precautions to Take When Filing Immigration Form I-130

One of the first things to check for when filing Form I-130 with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigrations Services is to make sure that you have the most current form. In the top right hand corner, you should see an expiration date of 01/31/11. If this does not appear on your I-130 application, check the USCIS website for further instructions and that your version is current. Previous versions of the Form I-130 are being accepted but this could change in the near future.

Next I would like to stress the importance of filing a computer printed I-130 form versus a handwritten I-130 form. A computer printed I-130 form is generally much easier for the USCIS to read and scan than a handwritten form. The USCIS has found that it has a lower rejection rate for computer printed forms against handwritten ones. Some of the common mistakes made by those who try and file handwritten forms is they are not in black ink (USCIS only accepts black ink) and items that are not applicable should be marked with "N/A" and if the answer is none, then "none" should be wrote in the appropriate space. Using a computer to fill out a form I-130 will generally help avoid these two problems. Remember, filing an incorrect I-130 form could cost you several months delay in processing time from rejection and a possible loss of the $355 filing fee.

After printing your computer generated I-130 application form it is very important to sign your name. If the I-130 is not properly signed or accompanied by the correct fee ($355) it will be rejected with a notice that the petition is deficient. These are some basic things to remember but are very important to insure the completeness of your I-130 application. Incorrectly filed I-130 forms can costly and time consuming, best to get it right the first time when dealing with your family and the USCIS.

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Take Advantage of Online Marketing Business Opportunity

Because the cost of almost all commodities is rising, stay-at-home moms want to help support the family, and what better way to do this than online marketing businesses like networking and an online store? Because most moms want to be there for their children, such opportunities should be taken advantage of. They get the benefit of an added income plus they get to stay at home and take care of the children and the house at the same time. This is also perfect for anybody who already has a job but still wants an extra cash to augment his income.

Benefits of Online Marketing Business

There are so many advantages that an online marketing business can give an individual, so better grab the opportunity lest it slip your grasp.

The most obvious benefit that this can give you is the convenience of time. You can work anytime you want and anywhere you want. Buildings, offices and office policies need not matter since you are the boss.

With online marketing businesses, you also get to save money on utility bills such as electric bills and water bills since you need not put up an office for your business. All you need is a computer and an Internet connection, and you are good to go.

Online businesses do not limit you in your local area alone, but you get to reach a lot of people locally, nationally and internationally.

Creating a website that is made especially for your business is also a great idea as it is proven to boost your business. There, you can talk about your products and services, but you must include your contact information for interested potential clients. Having an online marketing business can also give you loyal customers. If you have a website that potential customers like, they will frequently visit your site. They can also tell their friends about your business, website, thus, increasing traffic for your site.

Creating Your Website for Your Online Marketing Business

In making your website, you have to make sure that it is simple and not to overdo it. If you put in too many flashing graphics in your website, it will look gaudy and unprofessional. Always remember, keep it simple and straightforward.

After you have created the website that best suits your business, the next thing you need to do is to make sure that it contains relevant web contents for it to get a higher page ranking in search engines.

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Home Based Internet Marketing Business - Things You Need To Know

Nowadays, people seems to be attracted on the idea of making money on the Internet, putting their heads on how to reap the benefits and other advantages. However, some of them haven't been able to achieve success by doing so. The reason to this is actually simple: they don't have the understanding on how to reach their particular target market and how to make an impression on the products. The method of Internet marketing provides the necessary steps herein.

However, the idea of marketing, either online or offline is a constant process and for you to run a thriving business you need both the time and the important knowledge to take it on. Some do tend to focus more on running the business while the experts do their thing when it comes to marketing strategies. This is the reason why there is a growing demand for Internet marketers in the Internet world.

Starting your opportunity

We do have a lot of choices, and you can actually choose to market almost anything from picture frames to complicated software or programs online. This is actually up to the resources that you have and your creativity to decide who and what market should you put the spotlight on. If you are thinking of starting a small and establishing your home based Internet marketing business career, you can choose for an affiliate marketing, which is becoming the most popular method of advertising online.

The affiliate method is simply the idea of promoting that individual or company's products or services by simply giving out a link to the provider's website using your own website. The idea to this one is for you to attract visitors, and possible customers, to your site and provide the means of making them click on the company's web link. The sales that materialize are recorded through the tracking system and you should be able to get an ample amount of commission on each sale made. These companies' aggressive marketing has paved way for you to find a handful of suppliers who are enthusiastic to hire you just as long as you can provide possible customers for them.

The characteristics

There are actually two characteristics when it comes to the idea of home based internet marketing business; the selling of the products and the hiring of new marketers. These characteristics are very important and should be handled as if they are your beloved Barbie dolls.

Creating a website is just one thing but the continuous process can be a very daunting task, unless you have the determination and will to become successful.

When you want to undertake the online business, becoming an online entrepreneur should meet the necessary skills of marketing since online marketing is actually a daunting work and it is not simply about acquiring knowledge right here and then. It takes an ample amount of knowledge and understanding on how Internet really works and not just any method. The imaginative display of how and what the Internet users are doing to figure out ways on how to get their attention to the products or services that the website is offering. Figuring out the rules and tricks on how to get to the top of a search engine is also a key feature.

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Regional Center Designation Criteria for the Immigrant Investor Program

As an addendum to the EB-5 Visa program, the regional center immigrant investor program was created to allow foreign nationals to invest the required funds in a government designated enterprise. The minimum amount of investment required for this type of the EB-5 Visa program is $500,000. Complying with the general conditions of investment for the EB-5 Visa, these investments must have a predetermined positive economic impact on the US economy.

If you are thinking of investing in one of these projects, it would be of interest to you to know the criteria behind the designation of a Regional Center by the US Citizenship and immigration services (USCIS). Apart from the general information, you will also be motivated to enquire about the organizational and operational structure of the project that you plan to invest into as well as educate yourself on the means that will be used for the allocation and the management of your money. Although the structure of a Regional Center varies from project to project, the following is the archetype which runs common to all.

The Regional Center's investments must focus on a particular geographical region which must be clearly earmarked in the proposal. Targeted Employment areas (TEA) which will be benefited by the regional center investments must be clearly mentioned. A series of maps consisting of the Standard Metropolitan Statistical Areas, Rural Areas and TEA along with Census Tracts must be submitted with the application.

The Regional Center must clearly demonstrate in what manner the 10 direct and indirect jobs are expected to be created. A valid employment forecasting tool with statistical and economic analysis is mandatory in the application. A business plan which will unambiguously indicate the viability of the project under current economic conditions is also necessary.

Included in the proposal will be a statement from the principal of the Regional Center that will explain the means of follow up on each EB-5 investor's funds in the enterprise and the alignment of the created jobs to each investor. Most commonly, investors are empowered to have a limited partnership interest in the new commercial establishment within the Regional Center. The investor is party to all rights and obligations under the Limited Partnership Act of the state where the investment is made but for the efficient running of the enterprise, the participation of a General Partner is a must.

The application must also include details of all promotional activities of the Regional Center, along with a specific mention of the budget set aside for this purpose. A clear method of action which will demonstrate the criteria by which the investors are chosen and also the means of verifications of the investor's funds to determine its lawfulness is also to be presented in the proposal. A detailed charting of the expected positive impact of the investment projects on household incomes, demand for services, repairs and maintenance must also be provided.

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