Friday, 12 October 2007

Mexican Handicrafts

Earn money while you show your handicrafts.
Mexican handicrafts are the world famous ones if you go to any handicrafts exhibition.
http://www.fuegonuevo.com.mx

They are the producer of decoration products ,chimineas & pottery.

Earn while you take photographs

http://www.cameradollars.com

Photographers Needed
no experience, get large commissions by taking pic.
cameradollars.com
They are targeting this ad in the following areas.

Geo-targeting (*): UNITED ARAB EMIRATES, ARGENTINA, AUSTRIA, AUSTRALIA, BELGIUM, BULGARIA, BOLIVIA, BRAZIL, CANADA, SWITZERLAND, CHILE, CHINA, SERBIA AND MONTENEGRO, CZECH REPUBLIC, GERMANY, DENMARK, ALGERIA, EGYPT, SPAIN, FINLAND, FRANCE, GREECE, HONG KONG, CROATIA, HUNGARY, INDONESIA, IRELAND, ISRAEL, INDIA, ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN, ITALY, JAPAN, REPUBLIC OF KOREA, KUWAIT, LITHUANIA, MOROCCO, MEXICO, MALAYSIA, NETHERLANDS, NORWAY, PERU, PHILIPPINES, PAKISTAN, POLAND, PORTUGAL, QATAR, ROMANIA, RUSSIAN FEDERATION, SAUDI ARABIA, SWEDEN, SINGAPORE, SLOVENIA, SLOVAKIA, THAILAND, TURKEY, TAIWAN, UKRAINE, UNITED KINGDOM, UNITED STATES, VENEZUELA, VIET NAM

Thursday, 10 May 2007

Protecting Your Personal Information

We all know that criminals are out there, waiting to steal our credit card information. These very criminals want credit card information so they can run up the charges then leave you holding the bags - with nothing to show for it. Even though some are local, most credit card criminals are in far away lands. Worse than that, they like to hide or go by other names so it’s virtually impossible to track them down.The most common way for criminals to get credit card information is through phishing, which involves a fake email that appears to be sent from your credit card company. Normally, this fake email states that there was an error with your account, or that it was accessed by unauthorized personnel and needs your attention. Spotting fake emails isn’t hard to do - as long as you know what to look for. The most obvious hint for most, is the fact that they don’t even have a credit card from the company that has sent the email. For others, the link is what gives the fake email away. Anytime you get an email from a credit card that you believe to be fake, you should always hover your mouse over the link, then “right click” the link with the mouse and select “view source”. If the link is indeed fake, the website address that comes up will be something other than that of a credit card company.The criminals don’t want you to look at the source for their website, as they simply want you to click on the link before you look at anything else. Once you have clicked on the link, you’ll arrive at a website that is usually an exact copy of a credit card website. Fake sites normally include everything that the actual site does, including the logos and banners. Even for the most amateur of credit card criminals, web pages like this are very easy to create.Those of you who have fell victim to this scam, probably realized what you have done little too late. Once you have entered in your credit card information, you have done exactly what the criminals wanted and put yourself in violation of credit card fraud and identity theft. Once the criminal has your social security number and credit card information, he is more than likely to use that information to go on a shopping spree - stealing your money and running up your account.If you receive an email such as this, you should always delete it. Even if you just click on the fake website to investigate, you may do more harm than good. Even though you may not enter any information at all, your computer may get infected with viruses or spyware simply because you clicked on the link. To avoid this altogether, you should never click on a link that you believe to be a fake credit card company website.If you do your part and protect your credit card information, you won’t have anything at all to worry about. Your personal information is very important, as you never want it to fall in the wrong hands. As long as you protect it, you won’t have anything to worry about. There are always criminals out there, which is why you should always be on guard. Criminals want your personal information and your credit card numbers - it’s up to you to ensure that they don’t get it. A criminal will do anything to get what they want, which is why protecting yourself is so very important these days.

Options For Good Credit Cards

Those of you who are looking to get the best options with your credit card, should first look into the terms associated with that card. There are a lot of different features that you can get with credit cards these days, including low APR, rewards, no annual fees, and several other perks designed to keep you using your credit card.There are several credit cards that you can choose from as well, giving you a slew of different options. There are credit cards with instant approval, credit cards with low interest rates, cash back credit cards, reward credit cards, and even prepaid credit cards. If you have good credit, you won’t have a problem getting any type of credit card you desire.Most people think of the best options with credit cards being the rewards. Reward credit cards are great to have, as they give you extra incentives for the money you spend. Whether it’s cash back or points to redeem towards hundreds of items, cash back cards make it worth your time and interest to use your credit card. These cards are becoming very popular, as they offer you features that other types of credit cards generally don’t offer.Another great option for credit cards is low APR rates. Your APR, or annual percentage rate, is the amount of money that you pay at the end of the year for your credit card. If you can get a credit card with low APR and low fees, you should hang on to that card. Credit card companies and banks are always competing for your business, and you can normally find credit cards these days with some truly impressive features.To get the best possible options for your credit card, you should always shop around and compare what each company or bank has to offer. Most options found on credit cards will vary from company to company and bank to bank. If you have access to the Internet, you should use it to find yourself the best possible credit card. There are literally hundreds of credit card offers found on the Internet, many of which offer you some truly great options with their credit cards.Before deciding on your credit card, you need to determine which options are the best for you. This way, you’ll know exactly what to look for. The better credit cards will include several different options, such as low APR, low fees, and certain rewards as well. These types of credit cards are easily the best investment, as they give you a lot of bang for your buck. If you play your cards right and look for the right credit card - you’ll get the options you desire with a credit card that you’ll be proud to use.

How to avoid late credit card payment

Although it may be overstated, there is a lot of truth to people ruining their credit score due to missing payments and paying their credit card bills late. The fees can pile up and the interest rates can grow before you know it, and after a while you won’t even be able to pay the minimum amount of payment. If you don’t do something fast - it could be the beginning of the end.To make sure this don’t happen to you, you should always pay your bill on time, and always avoid missing a payment. Sometimes, it can be hard to make your payments on time, although you should always do everything in your power to ensure that you stay on top of things. Below, you’ll find some tips to help you with your credit card payments.As stated above, you should always pay your bill on time. If something comes up and you aren’t able to pay, you’ll be penalized. Even though you may think what has come up will justify a late payment, it doesn’t justify the means in the eyes of your credit card company. Inside of your bill, you’ll find detailed instructions regarding payment. You should always follow them as accurately as possible, pay where and when you are supposed to pay - and do it on time.If you simply aren’t able to pay your entire bill, you shouldn’t worry about it - but instead pay the minimum amount possible. Even though you may be able to pay more later, you should always pay at least the minimum amount. Then, when you have more money, you can always add to your minimum payment by sending in an additional payment. The easiest way to do this, is to always have the minimum payment amount set aside, so that you have it once your credit card bill arrives. Once you have assured yourself that you won’t be penalized or charged any late fees, you should look into paying a higher amount than just the minimum balance. By paying the minimum amount, you’ll also ensure that no other fees will be added to your next credit card bill.Another option includes skip a payment, although you’ll need to check whether or not your credit card company offers it or not. This service will allow you to request a waiver regarding your payment, when something comes up and you don’t have the money to pay your bill. Make sure that you use this service wisely if you have it, as it can only be used once a year. Therefore, you should always ensure that the situation is truly an emergency and there are no other options available for you. This service will normally have a cost as well, and you’ll need to pay it the following month. Although credit cards can be great for numerous reasons, you should always know your interest rates and have a good general idea of what your bill is going to be before you make a purchase. Many times, those who have credit cards will make purchases, knowing they can’t make the payments - then suffer when they get the bill and aren’t able to pay it.Anytime you have a credit card, you should always make sure that you have the money to pay the bill, or the minimum amount, the minute it arrives. This way, you’ll remain in good standing with your company and your credit score will continue to increase. If you simply aren’t able to make your payment, you should contact your credit card issuer immediately and see if you can work something out.

How to Repair A Bad Credit Rating

Many people have a bad credit rating even those with well paid jobs, little or no debt, and money in the bank It's also possible for a low salaried person with large debts and an overdraft to have an excellent credit rating A Credit Rating is not therefore associated with personal assets or income levels If you yourself have a bad rating then it’s more than likely down to the fact that you’ve been a constant late payer of bills, have seriously missed final payment dates, and/or have previous County Court Judgments (CCJs) against you.
How To Repair Your Credit Rating Time and patience as well as some sort of organisation is the key Many people with bad credit ratings are in that boat not because they lack the money to settle their debts, rather they often lacked some simple organisation to pay them on time How many times for example have we all woken up and reminded ourselves to pay a certain bill that day, only to actually get round to paying it or posting the cheque a week later! If this is the reason for your bad credit rating then you should have no real trouble in repairing your credit However if you've had many County Court judgements (CCJs) against you then you may have a far more serious problem to resolve Repairing Your Credit Rating is a Two Stage Process
Stage One
There are no real hard and fast rules to repairing your credit rating so it is hard to give a definite plan. However the first thing you should do is get hold of your credit report from one of the two agencies that hold it.Simply write a letter to them asking them to send you a copy of your credit file.When you receive your credit file check it for any glaring mistakes and then check that all your personal details are correct One piece of information that is often critical is to make sure you're on the local electoral role even if you have no interest in actually voting If you're not then make sure you rectify this as soon as possible, and also notify the credit agencies of this fact If you do spot any mistakes on your credit file such as incorrect personal information then make sure you contact one of the agencies as soon as possible asking for them to rectify the incorrect information. Don’t worry too much about the actual procedures because when you receive your credit report you’ll also receive detailed instructions on how to proceed should you need to contact the agency.
Although there are two main credit reporting agencies you only need to contact one of them as they share and pool their data You therefore only have one credit file Once you are happy that all your personal details and previous payment details are correct then you can move onto Stage Two Stage Two
Apply for as much credit as you can while making sure you can pay the debts off on time.
For example apply for a credit card and instead of paying cash for everyday things like cigarettes, the weekly Tesco shop, petrol etc, use your Credit Card But it cannot be stressed enough, you MUST pay this balance off ON TIME every month If you don't then you'll be digging an even greater hole for yourself Remember you are using credit for a purpose here - to rebuild your rating - and not to actually gain credit You may also want to buy a new video recorder or washing machine, try and buy this on one of those 'Buy now pay later' deals which offer 6 months interest free credit. But again you MUST pay off the balance on or before the free interest period expires.
What all of this granting credit/paying back credit (on time) is doing is generating excellent credit feedback in your name to the credit agencies What it tells them is that this person is a regular borrower but more importantly always settles his/her bills on time, and that is a major plus. This strategy will take at least a year and maybe a few years to start to take effect but there is really no other way to do it. Good luck and remember if this strategy is to work then you must get organised because it is likely that the reason your credit rating is bad in the first place is because you lacked organisation when dealing with bills. One tip to get disciplined is to recruit one of your parents/friends/partner etc to make sure you pay your bills on time.

There Are Some Good Children's Saving Accounts - But Watch The Tricks

With the advent of the government's Child Trust Fund scheme aimed at encouraging parents to save for their child's future, banks and building societies are starting to heavily promote savings accounts for youngsters. But as ever there are some good ones and downright thieving ones (ie those paying less than 3%), so make sure you know what you're buying before being sucked in by the marketing.
Too Many Strings Attached
For many of the accounts there are just too many strings attached in the form of penalties for this or that. For example;
The Halifax Monthly Saver pays 5.3% but will suddenly drop to 2.55% if the account holder misses more than one deposit in any 12 month period
Bradford & Bingley's Firstsave account (ages between 13-25) pay a nice 5.0% with up to 3 withdrawls a year, anymore and the rate drops to 4.5% (still not a bad rate though)
Yes, many people can afford to save regularly but others can't so first understand which camp you fall into and plan according. For most people financial advisors say go with the account that pays the best interest alongside the most flexibility. Right now this looks like being the Saffron Walden Building Society's Ladybird account. It pays 5% (min balance £1) with NO strings.
What About Halifax's 10% Account
10% is really nothing more than a headline grabbing rate because it's only 10% up to a maximum invested £1,200
If they really want to grab headlines why don't they make the interest rate 500% on a maximum £10 :)
In reality though only 10% pa can be earned on the first £100 invested with 10% paid on the next £100 but only for 11 months and so on
The account actually yields about 6.5% per annum if you invest £100 each month
In retrospect it's a good deal which means they don't have to play stupid games with the 10% headline, just spell it out in plain English (6.5%) because that's what the consumer wants these days
More Help On Investing For Children
The Association of Investment Trust Companies has produced a very good booklet entitled 'Saving for Children'

Summary
Banks are trying to win new clients by offering tailor made savings accounts. This is good news for everyone involved especially a child's financial future. But if you really want to help your son/daughter then teaching them about saving is not enough. Concentrate on both savings AND the tricks and other sly practices that the financial institutions try on, then when they get older they'll be in a prime position to sort the wheat out from the marketing chaff.
So saving is good, but understanding how financial products really work is even better.

Are The Lenders Cheating on Their Loan APR's

APR's or Annual Percentage Rate of interest are supposed to be a reliable basis on which the public can judge the true cost of the money they borrow. But can the figures be relied on? This article comments.
A pound from one lender is as good as a pound from another. So when you're shopping for a loan, the key issue becomes the interest rate. Consequently, when you read press advertisements and visit web sites, the APR of interest highly influences which lenders or loan brokers you apply to. After all, the government introduced APR's as a standard calculation that every lender has to use, precisely to help the public make reliable comparisons.
Tricks Are Being Played
But who's checking that the APR's are calculated correctly? Could some be cheating by promoting a lower APR than the rate they're entitled to? The commercial success of a promotion can be hugely improved by a really low APR. We think some must be tempted, don't you? In a survey 92% of all loan advertisements checked quoted an APR Typical. (You'll find below, a detailed explanation of what APR actually means including its variants). The APR Typical means that at least 66% of applicants approved for a loan are offered that APR rate or cheaper .
No one included in that two thirds will have been offered a higher rate than the stated APR Typical . The problem is that no independent body is checking these figures. So the system is open for cheating. The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) regulates the selling of Personal loans but even they admit that their resources are over stretched and they only check on a reactive basis. We think that's administrative speak for hardly ever!
The influential trade magazine Moneyfacts, has twice raised the same concerns with the OFT asking them what checks are carried out on the APR's quoted by lenders. After all lenders can get to the top of that magazine's Best-Buy Tables with a low APR and win significant amounts of business as a result.
The OFT clearly needs to do more.
Understanding APR's
What Is APR
APR is short for 'Annual Percentage Rate'
It illustrates the true cost of the money borrowed on loans, mortgages, and credit cards, and by law, consumers must be provided with that information
The APR calculation takes into account the basic interest rate, any initial fees, when interest is charged (i.e. daily, weekly, monthly or annually) and any other costs you have to pay
As all lenders are legally required to calculate APR the same way, it should enable consumers to make meaningful cost comparisons between lending products
So if one finance company is offering you a loan at 5.6% plus an application fee of £100 and another is offering you an interest rate of 5.8% with no fees, then a comparison of the APR figures will prove which of the loans is cheapest.
What Is APR Variable
When you see APR with the word Variable written after it, this means that the interest rate can vary whilst you are repaying the loan - the interest rate is not fixed.
What Is APR Variable Typical
This variant is used in 92% of all loan advertisements
It means that the advertiser can't be specific about the interest rate applicants will be offered as their rates vary, usually in response to the applicant's personal credit ratings and the amount of money they want to borrow
Therefore, APR Variable Typical is used to give the public a general impression of the interest rates currently on offer from that lender
The addition of the word Typical means that at least 66% of applicants approved for a loan are offered that rate or cheaper
Then when a loan offer is confirmed, the paperwork will reveal the actual APR or APR Variable actually being offered
Don't forget that the word Variable within the description also means that the interest rate isn't fixed and may vary from time to time, go up or down.

Think Twice

When matters go astray,
I simply kneel down to pray,
Then I see things falling into place,
With no problems that I can trace…
Few people hurt with such ease,
As they lie in our heart without any lease,
We have one mouth and two ears,
Then why do we speak without any fears…
Speaking your heart out is fine,
But the thorny words aren’t always divine,
So before speaking up think twice,
This thought is true for all those who are wise…
Sometimes expecting does hurt,
As humble souls are devoid of dirt,
But living this life has taught us a lot,
That expecting here isn’t true without any doubt...
“Friends for life time”.... isn’t an awesome jargon,
As they depart... yes, really... don’t beg your pardon,
So every moment here needs to be stored,
To remember them when we sit down getting bored...
Finally arrived the day when I found the one,
With whom I could share all my sorrows and fun,
Yes... He’s in my soul my life my heart,
His name is God; he is simply my part....
Can you find a friend with so much care?
Who will all our sorrows share,
Yes so now life has become so simple,
With no fear and no reasons to fumble.........

Staying Positive

I am healthy and happy.
I see that which is beautiful and good.
I refuse to gossip and demean myself by uttering negative words or beliefs.
I refuse to be involved in quarreling, confusion and discord.
Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be a victim or I can choose
to learn from it. I choose to learn from it.
Every time someone comes to me complaining, I can choose to accept their
complaining or I can point out the positive side of life. I choose the positive side
of life.
I can complain because I have to go to school, or I can eagerly open my mind
and fill it with rich new tidbits of knowledge.
I can mourn my lack of friends, or I can embark upon a quest (even if it is slowly
at first) to discover new relationships.
I can cry because roses have thorns, or I can celebrate that thorns have roses.
Life is all about choices. When you cut away all the junk, every situation is a
choice. You choose how you react to situations. You choose how people will
affect your mood. You choose to be in a good mood or bad mood. The bottom
line: It's your choice how you live life.
Each morning wake up and say to yourself: "I have two choices today. I can
choose to be in a good mood or I can choose to be in a bad mood. I choose to
be in a good mood and focus on the positive aspects of life.
What today will be like is up to me. I get to choose what kind of day I will have!"

Friends

You come to me from the darkness
With no voice, but many a word
You help to fill these empty hours
With friendship that's unheard.
Although I cannot hear youI can see your caring soul
And thank you for the times we've shared
Into my heart you stole...
So take these words of friendship,
With my thoughts and hold them near
Cause friends like you are hard to find
And very, very dear....

Reading Bible

A lady was to undergo a surgery. Her doctor had prescribed to a specialist surgeon. The next morning when the lady visited the surgeon clinic she saw the door of the clinic unlock. As she was little early she just peeped in, to see a young gentleman behind the receptionist table reading a “Bible”. He was so involved in reading the Bible; he never noticed that the lady was in the clinic. Just to divert his attention towards her, she started to clear her throat. After few minutes as the surgeon closed the Bible; he turned his attention towards her.
Just then the lady asked the surgeon “Exactly when does the reading of Bible help you, "before" or "after" the surgery?”
Surgeon just turns around and said “During!!”

Rainbows

Rainbows would never be rainbows

If sunshine had never met rain

No one would ever need comfort

If there was no sadness or pain

But life holds both sunshine & showers

The days aren't all bright & fair

So look thru the showers for the rainbows

You'll always find hope shining over there.

Dead You Know!

An elderly gentleman was sitting quitely in his club when an old friend came up and said, "Sorry, old boy, to hear that you buired your wife yesterday.""Had to," replied the other man. "Dead, you know."

Thinking about Yahoo and Microsoft

So, the Net is abuzz with news that after years of flirting, Microsoft is serious about buying Yahoo. Most of the pundits are busy talking about strategic fit or Google or overlaps or asset valuation.
The real point, I think, is people.
The best things to ever come out of Yahoo, as far as I'm concerned, have been the work of individuals. Not of some hyperbolic purple and yellow machine, but from people, strong-willed individuals willing to buck the bureaucracy. And all the worst stuff the company has done has come out of committees. If Microsoft buys Yahoo, a huge (huge) number of talented people will be even richer than before and will almost certainly walk away.
What we haven't figured out how to predict yet is which people will perform breakthroughs, which people are the ones that will change everything. What we do know for sure is that some organizations are more hospitable to that sort of behavior than others. Microsoft has gotten good at developing pockets of this sort of innovation. The challenge of an acquisition is going to be: Can the combined company make it a lot more likely that mavericks actually bring great stuff to market?

Thursday, 3 May 2007

Autumn Safety

Autumn is now here. That means more indoor activities for kids. For parents, this means being extra vigilant to keep your kids safe and healthy.

Marriage Care

As we all know, marriage is a huge subject! Whether your interest in marriage is professional or personal, we hope that you will discover amongst our pages, something new to add to your knowledge or viewpoint.
We have relaunched our site to help browsers navigate their way around more easily. At the same time, we are hoping to demonstrate the exciting dynamic of marriage and the committed adult relationship via the multimedia console inserts which you will find amongst the sections illustrated on the left-hand button menu.
Each console invites you to step into the shoes of ordinary, yet unique, individuals, each of whom either provide, or have benefited from, the range of services which we offer. For an immediate snap-shot and commentary, click the console box for an instant perspective on Marriage Care.

CIS Scottish League Cup final

I have a habit of jinxing any team that I support so I’m not going to say very much about tommorrows big game Hibs v Livingstone in the CIS Cup final. The last time we picked up the League Cup was back in 1991, back when Skol were the sponsers (you remember that pissy brew???) when Hibs beat Dunfermline 2-0 at Hampden to end a 19-year wait for a trophy.
I remember it like yesterday, watching the open top bus come up Easter Rd from my bedroom window with crowds of lining the streets to cheer back the team and their newly hard fought bit of silverware; hibs scarves draped out the window and cheering support.
I just hope Hibs can do it again tommorrow and end 13 years of drought.

The least Said the better

Well the Cup final didn’t go quite to plan - Hibs were the better team throught with more opportunities on goal and simply better play but against the run of play Livvy scored two quick goals shortly after half time and we just couldn’t come back into the game.
I told you that I always jinx the teams I support - maybe I should learn and support the teams I don’t want to win…but I think that might be counter productive.

How to fail and still keep going

Fastcompany has an interesting interview with Nancy Hutson of Pfizer on the failures and success of the the drug discovery process. Its quite a telling article focussing on the managment of pharmaceutical research projects and an interesting piece on how to keep going when ninety odd percent of everythng you do is a probably going to fail…Fastcompany: The thrill of defeat
I’d never really thought about it before but science is built on so many failures compared to success it is strange that anyone even considers it a career - it lacks the certainty, and predictability of most other careers - and perhaps thats why us scientists are such a strange bunch - carved from a mold where progress and success are not the same thing, where the path you set along rarely leads to where you want to go, and where few of us will ever know success as measured by “normal” folk.

Marketing Tips

Here are 10 tips for a smaller business either to get started in marketing or to review what you are already doing and make improvements.Tip 1: Look at what you are doing now Start by looking at the marketing activities you use and the marketing skills you have. You are probably doing a lot of the right things already. However, you should:research what your market wants; where, when and why customers buy; what benefits they are seeking from your product or service; and what competitors are providing; decide on your objectives, identify and choose your target customer groups and position your business to serve your chosen market profitably; put the plan to work through selling and promoting your products and services to customers, through pricing and using appropriate distributors and agents effectively; and, finally, monitor the effectiveness of your marketing activities in terms of customer satisfaction and the impact on your bottom line. Tip 2: Focus on the customer Make the customer the focal point of everything the organisation does. Why? Because good, happy customers equal higher profits. If your team is too heavily sales or product oriented, consider a change of approach.Tip 3: Set up an effective marketing teamIn a customer-focussed organisation, marketing is something that everybody does - not just marketers. Everyone has a role to play, including:your managers - who plan and look to the future, allocate budgets for marketing activities and co-ordinate activities; your salesforce - who are the eyes and ears of the business and, through their frequent contact with your customers, can keep the business in tune with what the market is looking for; your marketing and communications staff - who develop and deliver marketing communications and support sales programmes as well as coming up with innovative new product/service ideas; your external marketing agencies and specialists - who are available to provide the occasional specialist support you need such as research, brochure design and printing, telemarketing or website development.Good communication between all these groups is essential to good marketing. But two things, in particular, ensure success. Your business should be committed to its customers and ensures everyone pulls together to deliver high quality products and services on time, every time. Tip 4: Divide your customers up into groupsEvery customer is different so why treat them all the same? To start treating customers as individuals, look at how and when they buy. This will help to start putting them into groups and understanding the needs of each group. For example:High volume/high value buyers - place frequent large orders High volume/low value buyers - place frequent small orders Low volume/high value buyers - place occasional large orders Low volume/low value buyers - place occasional small orders Groups of customers who have similar needs or who behave in a similar way are known in marketing as 'segments'. You will probably need to use different marketing techniques and approaches to reach different types of customer. Tip 5: Identify customer benefits


Now you can identify why each customer segment buys your products and services and what 'benefits' they are seeking. This in turn will help you to target existing and new customers more effectively with specific products and services. As a result you can make better profits. For example, low volume/high value buyers may be more profitable for you than high volume/high value buyers who may continually squeeze you on price. 

Tip 6: Decide how to deliver these benefitsYou deliver benefits through what marketing people call the '"marketing mix". These are essentially the tools of the marketing trade. Your goal here is to define your "unique selling proposition" (USP) - something that truly sets you apart from your competitors. The basic marketing mix consists of:Product - the goods and services you are offering, including packaging and service content, such as warranty, after sales. Price - what the customer pays. Remember that there are different types of prices such as list prices, discounted prices, and many different ways to arrive at prices. Price may be used to communicate the position and values of the product/service. Place - how and where the customer obtains the product/service. For example, a catalogue company may allow customers to buy through the catalogue itself, on the company's web page or through off-the-page advertising. Promotion - the means and mix of activities used to promote the product or service, for example, advertising, direct marketing, PR, exhibitions and trade shows. But you should also consider the three extras: People - the people you employ and how they deal with your customers; Process - the way your business operates; and Physical evidence – the look of your premises, vehicles and the appearance of your staff. All can have an impact on how you are perceived. It is usual to tailor the marketing mix to the needs of each segment. Tip 7: Decide what and how to communicateWhen you know who your audiences are and what they want, work out a message or messages to each customer segment. Since customers in each segment may want different benefits, the message to each segment may have to be adapted. The messages need to underline and explain the specific and relevant benefits that you can provide them. You can then decide the best way of communicating, whether it is through printed media, such as brochures, or electronic media, such as websites and email.Tip 8: Make a marketing planOnce you have made these key decisions, you have effectively developed a marketing strategy. Why not write it down? The plan may cover between 6 months to 5 years. Then you will have a document that explains what you are doing to anyone who needs to know. This includes your bank manager, external marketing agencies you use and new members to the team. It is a good idea at this early stage to involve members of the team who are going to be responsible for delivering the plan. The Chartered Institute of Marketing can help you devise your own marketing plan online.Tip 9: Get on with it!The marketing plan specifies what the marketing activities are, who is responsible for carrying them out and when. Now comes the time to get on and do it. Your role as a manager is to motivate your team and make sure you get the results you have planned for.
 Tip 10: Measure and controlYour marketing plan gives you something to rate your performance on as you develop your business. For instance, if you spend money on advertising or PR, you can evaluate this against any increase - or decrease - in sales revenue, stock price or numbers of new customers contacting you. This will help you measure how effective your marketing activities are.

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