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by Phillip Davis

Naming a business is like laying the cornerstone of a building. Once it's in place, the entire foundation and structure is aligned to that original stone. If it's off, the rest of the building is off, and the misalignment becomes amplified.

If you have that gnawing sense that choosing a name for your new business is vitally important - you're right. With 18 years in the naming and branding business, I've witnessed the good, the bad, and the really bad.

Here's how you can avoid the worst of the mistakes and get off to a good start.

Mistake 1: The Committee (Getting all your clients, employees and family members involved)

We live in a democratic society and it seems like the right thing to do - involving everyone in an important decision. This approach, however, presents a few problems. The first and most obvious fact is that you will end up choosing only one name - so you risk alienating the very people you are trying to involve. Second, you often end up with a consensus decision, resulting in a very safe and very vanilla name.

A better method is to involve only the key decision makers, the fewer the better, and select only the people you feel have the company's best interests at heart. The need for personal recognition can skew results - so you are best served by those who can park their egos at the door. Also, make sure you have some right brain types in the mix. Too many left brains and the name often ends up too literal and descriptive.

Mistake 2: The Train Wreck (Taking two words and colliding them head on)

When forced to come up with a creative name, many aspiring entrepreneurs will simply take part of an adjective and weld it onto a noun. The results are names that have a certain twisted rationale to them, but look and sound awful. Someone starting a high-end service franchise then becomes QualiServe.

It's a bit like mixing chocolate syrup with ketchup - nothing wrong with either, but they just don't go together. Other common truncations include Ameri, Tech, Corp, Tron, etc. The problem with this approach is that it's forced and it sounds that way.

Mistake 3: Where's Waldo? (Names so plain they'll never stand out in a crowd)

The first company in a category can get away with this one. Hence, you have General Motors, General Electric, etc. But, once you have competition, it requires differentiation.

Imagine if Yahoo! had come out as GeneralInternetDirectory.com? It would be much more descriptive, but hardly memorable. And with the onslaught of new media and advertising channels, it's more important than ever to carve out your niche by displaying your uniqueness. Nothing does that better than a well-conceived name.

Mistake 4: The Atlas Approach (Using a map to name your company)

In the zeal to start a new company, many businesses choose to use their city, state or region as part of their name. While this may actually help in the beginning, it often becomes a hindrance as a company grows.

One client came to me with complaints he was serving more of the market than his name implied. He had aptly called it St. Pete Plumbing since he hailed from St. Petersburg, Florida. But yellow page shoppers assumed that was also his entire service area. With a little creative tinkering we changed the image of St. Pete from a city to the image of St. Pete himself, complete with wings and a plumber's wrench. The new tag line? "We work miracles!"

Other companies have struggled with the same issue. Minnesota Manufacturing and Mining was growing beyond their industry and their state. To avoid limiting their growth they became 3M, a company now known for innovation. Kentucky Fried Chicken is now KFC, de-emphasizing the regional nature of the original name. Both of these companies made strategic moves to avoid stifling their growth. Learn from them and you can avoid this potential bottleneck.

Mistake 5: Cliche' You Say? (A good name is worth a thousand words)

Once past the literal, descriptive stage, the thought process usually turns to metaphors. These can be great if they are not overly used to the point of sounding trite. Since many companies think of themselves as the top in their industry, the world is full of names like Summit, Apex, Pinnacle, Peak, etc. While there is nothing inherently wrong with these names, they are just overworked.

Look for combinations of positive words and metaphors and you will be much better served. A good example is the Fortune 1000 data storage company Iron Mountain, which conveys strength and security without sounding commonplace.

Mistake 6: Hide the Meaning (Make it so obscure, the customer will never know!)

It's great for a name to have a special meaning or significance. It sets up a story that can be used to tell the company message. But, if the reference is too obscure and too hard to spell and pronounce, you may never have the opportunity to speak to that customer. They will simply pass you by as irrelevant.

Resist the urge to name your company after the mythical Greek god of fast service or the Latin phrase for "We're number one!" If a name has a natural, intuitive sound and a special meaning, it can work. If it's too complex and puzzling, it will remain a mystery to your customers. This is especially true if you are reaching out to a mass audience.

I pushed the envelope a little on this one myself, naming my branding firm Tungsten, after the metal that Thomas Edison used to create brilliant light. However, my clientele consists of knowledgeable professionals who appreciate a good metaphor and expect a branding firm to have a story behind its name. It's also a way to differentiate my services (illuminated, bright, brilliant). So, while it works for a branding firm, it would not do well as an ice cream parlor.

Mistake 7: The Campbell's Approach (Using alphabet soup to name your firm)

This is a trend that is thankfully wearing off. Driven by the need for a matching domain name, many companies have resorted to awkwardly constructed or purposefully misspelled names. The results are company names that sound more like prescription drugs than real life businesses. Mistake 2 sometimes gets combined with this one and results in a name like KwaliTronix (or worse - mistakes 2, 4 ... 7, resulting in KwalTronixUSA).

It's amazing how good some names begin to sound after searching for available domain names all night. But resist the urge. Avoid using a "K" in place of a "Q" or a "Ph" in place of an "F." This makes spelling the name and locating you on the Internet all that much harder.

It's not that coined or invented names cannot work; they often do. Take, for example, Xerox or Kodak. But, keep it mind, names like these have no intrinsic or linguistic meaning, so they rely heavily on advertising and that gets expensive.

Many of the companies that use this approach were either first in category or had large marketing budgets. Verizon spent millions on their rebranding effort. So did Accenture. Check your pocketbook before you look into these types of names.

Mistake 8: Sit On It. (When in doubt, make no change at all)

Many business owners know they have a problem with their name and just hope it will somehow magically resolve itself. The original name for one of my clients was "Portables," which reminded some people of the outdoor restrooms or the portable classrooms - neither one a good association. This added to the confusion when phone operators tried to explain their new concept of moving and storage. After some careful tweaking, we came up with the name PODS, an acronym for Portable On Demand Storage. The rest is quickly becoming history as they expand both nationally and internationally.

Peter Warhust, President and one of the original founders states, "For the record, changing our name to PODS was one of the best moves we ever made."

Exercise Experience, a former Florida-based company, was frequently confused with a health club. In reality, they sold very high-end fitness equipment. This brings up a very key point - it's better to have a name that gives no impression than a name that gives a wrong impression. Much of the ad budget we spent on Exercise Experience was used to clarify that they sold fitness equipment. This was valuable airtime that could have been put to better use selling the equipment rather than explaining the business. Ultimately, the company folded. It's not to say it was solely because of the name, but I believe it was a factor.

Mike Harper of Huntington Beach, CA, bought a thirty-year-old janitorial and building maintenance company named Regency. We both agreed it sounded more like a downtown movie theatre than a progressive facilities management firm. After a thorough naming search, we developed the name Spruce Facilities Management. Spruce not only conveyed the environmentally friendly image of a spruce tree (something important to the client), it also meant, "to clean up." The new tag line fell right in place: Spruce "The Everclean Company."

It's only a matter of time before Southwest Airlines and Burlington Coat Factory and others who have successfully outgrown their original markets begin to question their positioning. Much like 3M and KFC, they may need to make a change to keep pace with their growth and image.

In the fever to start your new business or expand a current one, take time to think through some of these issues. According to the late Henry Ford, "Thinking is the hardest work there is, which is probably the reason why so few engage in it." Albert Einstein took it one step further claiming, "Imagination is more important than knowledge."

By tapping into your creativity and avoiding these potential pitfalls, you'll be able to create a name that works both short- and long-term - one that allows for future growth.

Like the original cornerstone of a building, it will support upward expansion as your company reaches new heights.

Phil Davis is President of Tungsten Brilliant Brand Marketing. Phil’s life goal of "creating environments where people thrive" reflects his desire to assist in personal, professional and business growth. Phil founded and ran a full service ad agency for over 17 years and now works full time as a business naming and branding consultant. Phil resides with wife Michelle and four energetic offspring outside Asheville, North Carolina. Website: http://PureTungsten.com Email: Phil@PureTungsten.com

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by Kirk Bannerman

For reasons that I no longer remember, I kept sort of a diary during my first full year of working at a home-based business. It was nothing close to being a complete daily diary. It was more just a collection of scribbles about things that I felt were worthy of note at the time.

Since several years have passed since I wrote that diary, I decided to revisit these notes, out of curiosity.

In no particular order, here are some of the things that I made note of:

Choosing the path...

in the beginning, my enthusiasm was very high (perhaps too high?) and I was chasing off on several different home-based business opportunities at the same time (exhibiting the "dog in a meat market" syndrome, I suppose) and not focusing my efforts enough to be successful at any one of them.

I finally reigned myself in and focused on a single work at home business opportunity.

In other notes, I find reference to emotional and/or psychological issues that I experienced and are probably typical for most people when starting a home based business. When working at home a person can, at times, experience a feeling of isolation which is probably brought on by the lack of interaction of a work force environment.

There were also periods of doubt in the early going ... did I pick a viable business opportunity? ... am I doing the right things to develop my business? ... when will I start making a profit?, and
so on.

Many of the entries in my so-called diary had to do with the proverbial "two steps forward and one step backward" thing and the ever-looming temptation to become discouraged. Although I
didn't appreciate it at the time, it is now obvious that as long as you have more steps forward than backward, you will eventually get ahead!

Isn't hindsight wonderful?

Other entries reflect the fact that relatively minor events can seem huge in the early stages of developing a work at home business and can really contribute to an emotional roller coaster ride. For example, if you are just starting out and you have two customers/clients and you lose one ... that's a 50% drop! However, if you fast-forward in time to the point where you have hundreds of customers/clients and you lose one ... that's just a mere fraction of 1%! Same event, just at a different point in time.

Looking back on it now, some of the stuff I recorded now seems humorous, but I'm pretty sure that was not the case at the time I made the notations.

Kirk Bannerman operates a successful home based business and coaches others seeking to start their own home based business. Visit his Website at http://www.business-at-home.us for more details.

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by Maria Markella

One thing is certain in this cruel Internet marketing world: Competition is huge. Especially when trying to write that classified ad to promote a sale, or that adwords ad. Here are some things to keep in mind when writing ads. Follow these rules and make your ad stand from the rest.

Before I begin, I'm sure you've heard that you've only got a few seconds to capture a prospects' attention and make the sale.

Is that enough time to convince someone that your product or ad has something special about it? It's not. That's why you should be extra careful when writing those small ads. Not only do you have to capture your reader's attention, but you have to convince them that your ad will lead them to what they're looking for.

Here are some tips:

Writing killer ads tip#1: The headline.

Maybe you've heard that when it comes to small ads, the headline is the most important part of your ad. Try to keep your headline to 6-8 words. Try to present what your product will help the customer do in a clear and concise way.

Do not capitalize your headline or you'll scare your customer. Many people will even think you yell at them. Instead, capitalize the first letter of every word. Also, use descriptive words to make a clever call to action through the rest of your ad.

Writing killer ads tip#2: Do you have something free to offer?

Maybe a report or an ebook to help you grow your prospect list. This is important. Try to use this free offer to grab your reader's attention. Mention the free offer when writing your ad.

We all like free stuff. I don't know about you, but when I see a small ad with a free offer, I could easily click on it. That's also the case for most Internet users.

Writing killer ads tip#3: Unless you are a successful copywriter or Internet marketer or someone who is otherwise exceptionally talented at writing ads, you need to imitate the successful players.

There are thousands of ads all over the Web. Almost any Website utilizes Google adsense. Those ads are Google adwords ads and they have been approved by the Google staff. Take some time to look at what others are writing and how they choose to promote their products. Pay attention to those ads that are pointing to popular Websites or big companies. How do they write their ads?

Writing killer ads tip#4: Always test the results of your ads. Over and over again.

Don't just write an ad and wait for customers to click and purchase the product. Sometimes, ads needs revising. Try to make small changes and re-test. If you get better results, then use that change you've made to revise your other ads, too.

It's a good idea to test and make changes to one ad at a time. That way you'll easily spot the magic change that made the difference.

Writing killer ads tip#5: Always proof-read what you write. Also, make sure the links are working correctly.

We all hate careless spelling mistakes and non-working links. Even if your ad is really eye-catching and convincing, there's no way to disappoint a reader more than to send him to a "Page Not Found" link and, even more, to the wrong address. Always pay attention to those small details.

Detail matters.

Happy ad writing! I hope you write the killer ad that will make you stand from the rest of the millions of ads out there.

Here's an unusual way to create and test your ads without going through the pain of proof-reading, revising and testing over and over again. This unique ad writing software (http://www.digitalstarproducts.com/star/-detail-60.html) will help you write killer ads and instantly test their effectiveness. It will help you proof-read your ads and allow you to compare them in milliseconds with thousands of other similar ads written by others. It will then tell how much your ad scored. That way you'll know how your ads will perform before you even publish them!

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by Robert Boduch

Postcards can be valuable marketing tools for any business. Here are a few ideas that will help you get the most from your own postcard marketing campaign.

The magic of these eye-catchers is that they deliver short, concise messages in the minimum amount of time -- perfect for the "time-poor" society we live in today. They get the important information across rapidly, with a quick and easy flip of the wrist.

You can take your idea from concept to distribution within just days. Since they can be produced in any quantity to suit any budget, postcards are great for businesses of all sizes. You could save a bundle on your marketing expenses by utilizing these simple two-sided pieces, instead of other more costly tools.

Currently - at least in the U.S. - postage costs are considerably lower for postcards vs. first-class mail. Unfortunately, this advantage is not available to marketers in other countries such as Canada. Full rates apply. Even still ... these attention-grabbers offer tremendous marketing opportunities to entrepreneurs and small business owners -- at any rate.

Postcards are most effective and profitable when used to:

* generate new leads
* follow-up with prospects as part of a campaign
* make an announcement to your existing mailing list
* thank customers for their patronage and invite them back with a special offer
* draw traffic to your Website

The key to success is to deliver instant impact. You've got to make your piece command immediate attention in your prospect's crowded mailbox. Catch the eye ... pique curiosity ... and unload your magnetic marketing message as quickly as possible.

Every card has two sides -- a front and back. Use the front side as leverage with maximum appeal to compel your prospect to flip the card over and get the full impact of your complete message.

Use the back of the card to unveil all the key benefits of your product or service... provide an strong offer to trigger action... and list prominently your contact information. You've got to make it lightening quick and unquestionably easy to respond. Eliminate any obstacles that might be in the way to getting the results you want.

As with any type of advertising, be sure to include a powerful headline. Your headline is key. It's the most important part of your postcard and should be featured prominently on the front side.

When you're sure you've got a headline that works, try enhancing it visually to make it figuratively jump off the card. One method is to use reverse-type (white text on a dark-colored background). Always use a larger font size, preferably in a bold typeface. Make it clear and unmistakable ... so prospects are sure to understand the message.

Consider employing graphic options such as cartoons only if they assist you in getting your message across. Use topnotch color photographs (like popular tourist postcards) when you can clearly tie the visual to the message in your headline.

The text of your postcard should be benefit-laden. Communicate to your prospect in clear, vivid detail all the advantages that s/he will enjoy by taking advantage of your offer TODAY. Stress the unique benefits unavailable elsewhere.

Include a few testimonials -- even if you have to shoehorn them in. Actually, this can be extremely effective as the eye is naturally drawn to anything on the page that is a little out of the ordinary.

Testimonials act as proof of your claims and help build your credibility as a reliable supplier. They also help overcome the fear many people have in trusting a vendor they haven't done business with before.

One absolutely essential ingredient of successful postcards is the offer. It must be promising and compelling. Give the reader an incentive to act now. Be clear and specific. Make responding a simple, one-step process.

If your postcard is sent as a "thank-you" to new customers after their first purchase, entice them back with a 17% discount on the next purchase. This approach transforms your postcard into a valuable coupon that's worth something in terms of redeemable value. Since recipients have already bought from you, most would be happy to do it again at a substantial discount.

The mission of your postcard is to inspire a positive response. Always keep that objective clear in your mind as you plan your strategy.

To maximize results, craft a targeted message and make it easy for recipients to take action. This means providing clearly legible contact information -- whether it's a telephone number, fax, mailing address, or Website.

Keep in mind that everyone has a preferred method - people like to respond in different ways.

Providing various response options eliminates another cause of inaction. The more of these objections you address, the more likely it is your postcard campaign will be a rousing success!

Interested in lauching your own profitable postcard campaign? Drop me a line right this minute and I'll help you get the results you want - guaranteed!

More resources at www.makeyoursalessoar.com

Robert Boduch is an author of dozens of best-selling books, reports and articles on the art and science of selling. A free newsletter targeted at anyone interested in selling more of anything is available at www.makeyoursalessoar.com .

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by Donald Lee

Have you ever wondered why your perfectly fine classified ad fails to attract the attention you desire? There should be dozens -- no, hundreds of perspective buyers swamping your E-mail inbox with offers. After all, you are offering a mint baseball card, a vintage coat, pristine used car, those wholesale-priced sporting goods, and whatever other attractive items are in your inventory.

Instead, you only have a slow trickle of questions, a handful of sales.

What gives? More than likely, your sales are slow because you have not mastered the three techniques of writing a classic classified ad.

Give yourself credit for recognizing one important facet of today's selling world. You decided to sell your stuff at an online classified site. As anybody in the business knows, online classified ads get you more privacy, a broader selection of buyers, and a wealth of tools to help you keep tabs on your transactions.

When compared to a newspaper, cyberspace is also a wee bit more spacious. There are billions of pages on the Web, and only a few dozen in your typical neighborhood rag. For you, that means a lot more space for your ad to say the least.

With that space, however, comes great responsibility and great potential. The extra room gives you the freedom to include as much product description and sale copy as you want. You can't just slap together a whole bunch of information, though. You need to use the three special ad writing techniques that will attract buyers and seal the deal: attention, interest, and action.

Attention

Make sure the buyer stops at your ad instead of the thousands upon thousands of others out there in cyberspace. Your ad's title is the first lure to grab his or her attention, and the first component of a catchy title is the item's best feature, whether it's the price, the item's rarity, or its popularity.

Next, be sure the title includes keywords or other synonyms for your item that a buyer might use in a search. For instance, a buyer could search for "automobile" instead of "car," "pullover" instead of "sweater."

Interest

Once you have the buyer's attention, hook them with details. There is a direct relationship between the amount of information you provide and the number of sales you'll make. Describe the item as completely as possible -- size, color, material, designer, model -- and provide a clear, digital photo to finish the job where your words leave off.

Offer your prospective customer the item's history, if possible.

Also, try to list as many possible benefits that your sale item could offer the buyer. Come up with some that the buyer probably wouldn't think of on his or her own. And zone in on specific benefits.

Use what you already know about your target. For instance, if you were selling a car, you know that whoever is looking at your ad is in need of a vehicle. If your car is compact, perhaps the buyer is in search of great gas mileage. Or perhaps it's power he or she wants, if your car is a sports model.

Action

Finish your ad strongly. Don't just suggest to the buyer that you offer a great deal. Tell them it's a fantastic offer that they can't pass up. Use phrases like "Call me now, before someone else does" or "Buy now, this opportunity won't last long."

Be cordial while you're pressing the issue. Thank them for reading your ad and make sure they know you appreciate their business.

Most importantly, your customers will also value your honesty throughout the whole ad. Whether it's the attention, interest, or action you're shooting for, never lie or exaggerate. Go so far to include any defects, if your product is not in mint shape.

Your honesty will build trust, and trust, above all else, makes an ad work. What's more, it makes for repeat customers.

Remember, if you use all three of these elements -- or four, if you include honesty -- when you're finished with it, it should read something like the two examples below.

Example 1:

Discover the beauty of a Forest Hill Home
2500 sq. ft. home, 4 bedroom, 3 baths, double garage, upgraded kitchen, 12 ft. ceilings
This open concept house is situated in a historical landmark district of Rhode Island. It's a wonderful neighborhood to raise your family, with nearby schools and amenities.

(Insert your image or photo here.)

Call for an on-site appointment. Thanks for looking!

Example 2:
Looking for an inexpensive used car that drives well? Only $4,950.
2003 Honda Civic, Limited Edition, 65,000 miles, manual transmission, CD, AM/FM radio, power steering, low maintenance. Great on gas - this car will save you $$$ on high gasoline prices.

(Insert your image or photo here.)

Send me a message now. Thanks for looking!

Donald Lee is the public relations manager for Buysellcommunity.com. Buysellcommunity provides free classified listing services for individuals and businesses to market their products and services online. For global and localized classifieds, please visit http://www.buysellcommunity.com -- Free Buy and Sell Classifieds.

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by Lensmaster Lewis Smile and Citizen Squid

MySpace is one of the most popular Websites on the Internet and, if harnessed correctly, it can send more traffic to your Website than the search engines currently do -- and you can do this at very little cost and with surprisingly very little time commitment.

SEO was the buzz word of yesterday. Social networking and Web 2.0 are the buzz words for tomorrow.

Here is how to harnass it correctly and get 1,000,000 friends fasat:

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1. THE SIMPLE.

Join MySpace.

This is obvious. To get 1 million myspace friends, you must first join MySpace. It is free, and it's simple to sign up.

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2. THE BEAUTIFUL.

Create an attractive MySpace profile.

MySpace allows you to create a profile page for yourself. Having a MySpace profile which takes a full minute to load just won't cut it if you want to grow your friend numbers.

On your profile editing page, you are allowed to insert HTML code, in order to change certain aspects of the page, or to completely revamp it.

If you want to completely revamp it, you will need what is called a MySpace overlay. An overlay is the simplest way to make your page attractive, clean-cut, simple, and user-friendly. If you don't already know what an overlay is don't worry too much. If you do know what an overlay is, make use of one.

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3. THE SLOW.

Start adding the people you know.

If you visit the profile page of someone you already know, you will not only be able to add them as your friend, but you'll also be able to see who they have as friends and you'll be able to add them, too.

Add someone you know, then find one of their friends who you also know, add them, them add one of their friends, etc etc. Do this with only people you know until you get to between 30 - 50 friends.

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4. THE TURBO-CHARGED.

The problem with MySpace is that you have to add friends one-by-one. Trying to get a meaningful number of connections using this method is painfully slow at the best of times, so programmers have created numerous software applications which will speed up the process for you and allow you to type in the location, gender, age, interests, etc, of your target friends and it will add them for you. Automatically.

I recommend the application Badder Adder. You can get a free trial at http://www.bwcard.co.uk . The full version is $47. It gives you unlimited upgrades, and will let you "chain" accounts together."

This means, basically, that you can send more than the 450-friend-requests-per-day limit. You just set it to go, and it does the rest.

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5. THE COMMUNICATION.

The key to getting up to 1,000,000 friends is also by commenting on other people's profiles. A link to your own profile is then set up and people interested in your picture can click and add you.

You can use Badder Adder to send out comments to all of your myspace friends in bulk, so you don't need to do them one-by-one anymore. So long as you don't spam other users and you treat them with respect, this feature alone will get you incredible visibility on myspace and should provide a constant stream of friend requests.

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If you do each of these 5 points, your MySpace page will explode in popularity and will be seen by thousands of people every day.

What will this mean for you? More affiliate sales? More CD sales? More book sales?

You'd better get started!

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Lewis Smile is a Squidoo Lensmaster and Citizen Squid, and has written about how to get one million MySpace friends on his lens at http://www.squidoo.com/1000000-million-myspace-friends. His lens also features a Badder Adder Review.

To find out more (for free) or to contact Lewis, go to: http://www.squidoo.com/1000000-million-myspace-friends

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By Evan Carmichael

"There is only one boss - the customer. And he can fire everybody in the company from the chairman on down, simply by spending his money somewhere else."

Growing Up

Sam Walton's career in retail began in 1940 when he became a sales trainee in Des Moines, Iowa at a J.C. Penney store. Despite his enthusiasm to serve the customers, Walton was not a model employee. His desire to make his customers happy was so great that he often let other responsibilities like paperwork and keeping the books fall by the wayside. He was almost fired by his boss who told him that he was not cut out for a career in retail. Walton kept his job, however, because of his ability as a great salesman.

In 1942, Walton was drafted into the United States Army. He worked in the communications division of the Army Intelligence Corps and remained on home soil throughout the Second World War. When he left the army three years later, Walton was married, had a child, and decided to start his own business to support his new family. With the $5,000 that he had saved along with a $20,000 loan from his wife's father, he purchased a Ben Franklin variety store in Newport, Arkansas. Walton was 27 years old.

Starting The Business

By putting in many hours at the store and implementing a pricing strategy far below what his competitors were charging, Walton's new business took off. By 1950 he had the top performing Ben Franklin store in the area. Walton's landlord, seeing his success, decided that he wanted Walton to sell the store to his son. When Walton refused, the landlord decided not to renew Walton's lease and he was forced to shut down.

Walton's 10 commandments for business success were: 1) Commit to your business.
2) Share your profits with your associates and treat them like your partners. 3) Energize your colleagues. 4) Communicate everything you possibly can to your partners.
5) Appreciate everything your associates do for the business. 6) Celebrate your success. 7) Listen to everyone in your company. 8) Exceed your customers' expectations.
9) Control your expenses better than your competition. 10) Blaze your own path.

Determined as ever to succeed in his venture, Walton looked for other rural Arkansas towns for a new place to set up shop. He came across a small village called Bentonville and opened the Walton's Five and Dime in 1950. He made sure to get a 99-year lease this time on the property. The two local competitors in Bentonville did not want to discount their prices and Walton's business began to flourish.

Realizing he had a recipe for success, Walton began looking for other areas of expansion. He borrowed money and used the profits from his first stores to acquire more. By 1960, he owned 15 stores but he was not getting the kind of return on investment that he thought he would be making. He then made the decision to follow a heavy price cutting strategy and hope to get much higher volume to turn a larger profit. This was not a new idea. The problem at the time was that most discount stores were small, located in urban areas, and focused on specialty items. Walton's plan was to change the way retailing was done across the country.

Building An Empire

Walton's revolutionary plan was to have large superstores in rural towns that discounted a wide variety of products. His initial approach was to Ben Franklin. They turned him down, as they did not like the idea of operating with lower margins. Without a large company behind him, Walton opted to go it alone. In 1962, he mortgaged his home and borrowed against everything he owned to open his first Wal-Mart in Rogers, Arkansas, and a neighboring town of Bentonville.

Excited about the prospects of getting discounts and selection that were previously only obtainable in the cities, rural customers came out in droves to his store. The success of his first store allowed him to expand and by 1969 he had 18 Wal-Marts in Arkansas and Missouri.

Funded solely through debt and reinvested profits, Walton decided that in 1970 he would take the company public. The IPO raised $5 million and Walton retained 61 percent of the company. The money was used to settle the company's debts and fuel further expansion. By 1980, 276 Wal-Marts were operating.

An integral component of Wal-Mart's success was it’s leveraging of new technologies to improve efficiencies and save costs. Walton knew that the key to success in a low margin business was to rigidly control his costs. Wal-Mart was, for example, one of the first major retailers to use electronic scanners at the registers which tied to an inventory control system so they could know immediately which items were selling well and needed to be re-ordered.

The success of his Wal-Mart stores led Sam to another idea - Sam's Wholesale Clubs. These would be discount stores that sold to small business owners in bulk. The idea was another big hit for Walton and by 1985 he was considered by Forbes magazine to be the richest man in America with an estimated net worth of $2.8 billion.

Similar to Ray Kroc, Sam Walton did not invent retailing, he simply changed the business model and way of doing business to make it a much more profitable venture.

Evan is an entrepreneur and international speaker. At the age of 19, he became an owner and Chief Operating Officer in Redasoft, a biotechnology software company. The company quickly grew to over 300 organizations as clients, including NASA and Johnson & Johnson, in 30 countries. He started Evan Carmichael & Associates with the goal to give entrepreneurs the Inspiration to follow their passion and the strategies they need to succeed. Evan has delivered over 100 keynote presentations to entrepreneurs in North America, Europe, and Asia. He has been interviewed by newspapers, radio stations, and television stations including The Globe and Mail, CHUM FM, CityTV, Global TV, OMNI TV, Enterprise, and the Toronto Sun. Evan's website, http://www.evancarmichael.com, is the world's #1 website for small business inspiration and strategies.
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By Paul Taylor

The title of this article is not just the newest TV show staring William Shatner, or a great line from a Tom Cruise movie. These four words should be the motto of small business owners everywhere. Without money, your business has very little chance of succeeding. This statement can be taken several ways.

First and foremost, is finding financing for your business idea. Each business owner has to decide where to find financing. The obvious choices include banks, finance companies, money brokers, etc. Another place to look for funding is friends and family members. That is not what this article is really about.

Second, is to price the items in your business so that it insures that your business endeavor is a success. You want your prices to be in line with your competition. Price is usually a consideration with most people. However, you do not have to have lower prices on every item; you must, however, be in the same ballpark with the competition. There are other items that customers consider when purchasing an item from you, but price is the main one.

And finally, the reason for this article is start–up costs.

What are start-up costs? Start-up costs, as the name implies, include all the expenses that you have during the process of opening your business. Simple enough. But many times, entrepreneurs underestimate the amount that it will take to open the doors. Each business start-up costs vary, depending on the type of business that you plan to open.

Many of the costs associated with opening a business are obvious, however, I will list many of them so that when you are planning your budget, it may refresh your memory.

· Location for your business. Of course, this is the most obvious. Initial maintenance problems or remodeling should consider a start-up cost.

· Advertising is often overlooked or underestimated. You should check with various media about prices to advertise. This can be a major expense. Having a sign made for your building is also necessary for your business.

· Insurance is a necessary evil. Do not open the doors without it.

· Office equipment such as computer, printer, scanner, copier, fax, adding machine, calculators, filing cabinet, desk, and a bookcase are all necessary in an office.

· Office supplies are also overlooked; these include paper, pens, computer disks, notebooks, file folders, tape, stapler, and so on.

· Business licenses are required and should not be forgotten, although the cost is usually minimal.

· Utilities such as electricity, water, and phone; also an Internet connection and mobile phone should be considered.

There may be other costs that can be associated with start-up that are not listed here. This is only designed to get you to think about what it really costs to open a business. Many start-up costs are one time costs such as a deposit on a utility connection or having a sign designed and placed on the building or marquee. However, many are recurring such as insurance premiums and monthly utility expenses.

One business owner that I know said this about start-up costs “you should add up everything that you think it will cost to get open and then at least double it, and you will come close to what it costs.” The lesson here is do not underestimate your initial expenses. It costs more than you think.

Paul Taylor is a business owner that helps other business owners and entrepreneurs locate wholesale distributors and drop shippers. Visit his website http://www.WholesaleMap.com for information about wholesale sources or opening a business.
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Everybody wants to make more money. In fact, most people would like to hit upon something that makes them fabulously rich! And, seemingly, one of the easiest roads to the fulfillment of these dreams of wealth is mail order or, within the professional circles of the business, direct mail selling. What scares most people away is the expense...but what if it could be done for Free?

One way is to write an article relative to your particular expertise and submit it to all the publications and media dealing in the dissemination of related information. In other words, become your own publicity and sales promotions writer. Get the word out; establish yourself as an expert in your field, and "tag-along" everything you write with a quick note listing your address for a catalog, dealership opportunity, or more information.

Another really good way is by becoming a guest on as many of the radio and television talk shows or interview-type programs as possible. Actually, this is much easier to bring about than most people realize. Write a letter to the producer of these programs, then follow up with an in-person visit or telephone call. Your sales copy should emphasize that your product or service would be of interest to the reader -- perhaps even saving them time and money.

Other ways of getting free or very inexpensive exposure include the posting of advertising circulars on all free bulletin boards in your area, especially the coin-operated laundries, grocery stores, and beauty and barber shops. Don't dismiss handing out circulars to all the shoppers in busy shopping centers and malls, especially on weekends. You can also enlist the aid of the middle school students in your area to had out circulars door-to-door.

Having a promotional ad relative to your product or service printed on the front or back of your envelopes at the time you have them printed with your return address is another of the more basic methods.

It is important to make note of all the trade journals or magazines that carry your type of advertising. Many mail order publications just getting started offer unusually low rates to first-time advertisers; a free-of-charge insertion of your ad when you pay for an order to run three issues or more; or special seasonal ad space at greatly reduced rates. And there are a number of publications that will give you Per Inquiry (PI) space--arrangement where all orders come in to the publication, they take a commission from each order, and then forward the orders on to you for fulfillment.

Many publications will give you a contract for space. In this arrangement you send them your ad, and they hold it until they have unsold space, and then at a price that's always one third or less the regular price for the space need, insert your ad. Along these lines, be sure to check in with the suburban neighborhood newspapers.

If you send out or publish any kind of catalog or ad sheet, get in touch will all the other publishers and inquire about the possibilities of exchange advertising. They run your ad in their publication in exchange for your running an ad for them of comparable size in yours.

Here's how to generate all the leads you'll ever want foryour network marketing business completely on autopilot andwithout talking to one single person. This is a breakthrough as admitted by some of the industry's top recruiters. If you're not using these secrets then you are working too hard. If one 26-yr old rookie could bank six-figures this year using these EXACT methods then this could be the break you've been looking for. http://chrissllvn.truemlmwealthonline.com]]> http://miraclemoneyblog.com/MLM/MLM_TKm_172/user/index.php