Huge Branding Mistakes

Lost in Translation

A number of major marketing blunders come from simple errors in translation.  While it’s amazing to consider that ad campaigns, those silly little business ventures that cost millions and millions of dollars, could actually overlook something as central as, you know, the meaning of the words they print in their ads.

But it happens all the time. The Coors “Turn it loose” slogan translated into a Spanish idiom for diarrhea.  Perdue Chicken’s slogan “It takes a strong man to make a tender chicken” was translated in Spanish to “It takes an aroused man to make a chicken affectionate,” and Mexican consumers read the translated “Got Milk?” as “Are you lactating?”

Microsoft Blue Screen of Death

It should be some comfort for Bill Gates to know that Microsoft wasn’t simply buried by Apple’s innovation and superior brand appeal.  That might make him feel weak and out of control.  Microsoft was also buried by Microsoft.  Not only did they lose their ability to make their product seem comparatively hip, hot and oh-so-indispensable, but they made a crucial error during an equally crucial marketing opportunity.

Most of us are familiar with Apple’s signature “Wheel of Death”, a spinning rainbow pie that signifies the end of a computer’s functionality.  Our parents might recall a similar phenomenon called the Blue Screen of Death, a Microsoft based harbinger of frustration and doom.  When the Blue Screen of Death appears, you’re done for.

At a pre-release screening of Windows 98 for an audience of press members, stunned onlookers chortled as the Blue Screen appeared and Microsoft employees blushed as their new program crashed before their eyes.

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Thailand Says 10 Provinces at ‘Critical’ Risk From Flooding

Oct. 15 Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said 10 provinces in the country are still at “critical risk” from flooding, and authorities are widening canals to protect Bangkok and the main international airport.

“The government has to protect strategic areas and the heart of the economy including industrial and business zones, provincial capitals, Bangkok, Suvarnabhumi airport and evacuation centers,” Yingluck said today in a nationwide television and radio address.

Bangkok authorities are rushing to widen canals and bolster flood barriers around the city of 9.7 million people to save the capital from floods that crippled manufacturing hubs in central provinces last week. Yingluck said the disaster, which has killed almost 300 people and displaced more than 2 million more, is the worst in the nation’s history.

“We are working on solving the crisis and will introduce long-term measures to prevent it from happening again,” Yingluck said. “This disaster has caused the greatest loss and is the most severe in Thailand’s history.”

At least 297 people have been killed since monsoon rains began lashing Thailand in late July, according to the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation. Yingluck said the situation remains “critical” in 10 of the 26 provinces still affected by flooding.

Floodwaters last week swamped industrial estates in Ayutthaya province, 67 kilometers (42 miles) north of Bangkok, halting production at factories operated by Japanese manufacturers including Nikon Corp. and Pioneer Corp.

Factories Damaged

The cost of the disaster may rise to as much as 120 billion baht ($3.9 billion), and force the central bank to cut its forecast for economic growth this year, Governor Prasarn Trairatvorakul said yesterday. A total of 930 factories nationwide have been damaged, according to data from the Ministry of Industry.

“The flooding impact on the whole economy will depend on the rehabilitation process after this,” Prasarn said. “We need to monitor the situation closely.”

Yingluck’s two-month-old administration is balancing needs to protect Bangkok from inundation while evacuating people and delivering aid to areas outside the capital’s flood barriers that are already under as much as a meter of water.

“The government realizes that people have already suffered from this disaster for three months,” Yingluck said. “It’s our priority to solve the problem.”

U.S. Support

Thailand suffers from seasonal floods around the same time each year, though a southwest monsoon and five tropical storms in recent months have made this year’s deluge the most severe in terms of damage and loss of life, Yingluck said.

A U.S. C-130 transport plane carrying thousands of sandbags and 10 Marines landed at Don Muang airport this afternoon to help support the aid effort, U.S. embassy spokesman Walter Braunohler said.

The U.S. offered two helicopters to help with relief efforts, along with 10 marines and thousands of sandbags, said Sean Boonpracong, a spokesman for the flood-relief center. Japan and China both offered 30 million baht, he said.

Water levels in central Nakhon Sawan province have stabilized after dams reduced the amount of water released downstream, Yingluck said. Water levels rose in Ayutthaya yesterday, though authorities are working to improve drainage.

“The government will accelerate water drainage from the Chao Phraya river into the sea and through the eastern and western sides of Bangkok,” Yingluck said.

Drainage Efforts

Authorities have finished widening three canals to accelerate drainage and will widen another four near the capital, she said. Three flood barriers in the city have been extended over the past few days, Yingluck said.

Inner Bangkok is still unaffected by flooding, though authorities are concerned about areas in the city’s west, where defenses are weaker, the state-owned MCOT news agency reported, citing Bangkok’s Governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra.

Four provinces in Thailand’s south are at risk from flash floods and landslides, the nation’s disaster agency said today on its website. Heavy rains are expected in central and eastern provinces and in Bangkok on Oct. 16 and Oct. 17, it said. Train services to northern Thailand remain suspended, it said.

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Apple's IPhone 4S Sales May Reach 4 Million This Weekend

Apple Inc. is poised to sell as many as 4 million units of its new iPhone 4S this weekend as customers around the world clamor for one of the last products developed under Steve Jobs.

The device, available today in the U.S., Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan and U.K., is projected to outperform last year's introduction of the iPhone 4, which topped 1.7 million units in its introductory weekend. For the iPhone 4S, most estimates range from 2 million to 3 million, with Yankee Group analyst Carl Howe predicting sales of as much as 4 million.

The release represents the end of Apple's era under Jobs, who died this month after an eight-year battle with cancer. The iPhone 4S has received mostly positive reviews for its voice- recognition software, speedier processor and improved camera. The device also provides Apple with fresh ammunition in its fight against Google Inc.'s Android software, which will appear on a host of new smartphones in the year-end holiday season.

“It's going to easily outpace any previous launch,” said Charlie Wolf, an analyst at Needham & Co. in New York. It helps that the iPhone is available on the three largest U.S. carriers for the first time, which will bring in new buyers, he said.

Apple also has released an update to its iOS mobile operating system, which customers can download to their existing devices. The software comes with 200 new features and a Web storage service for synchronizing photos, documents, music and other files across different Apple gadgets.

Google Competition

While the iPhone is the best-selling single smartphone, all of the devices running Google's Android operating system account for more of the industry's sales. HTC Corp., Samsung Electronics Co., Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc. and other manufacturers have adopted the software. Google offers Android for free and then makes money on mobile advertising and services. That revenue now accounts for $2.5 billion a year, the company said yesterday when it released quarterly results.

Apple's shares have jumped more than 10 percent this week, boosted by speculation that the iPhone 4S will be a hit. The stock closed at $408.43 yesterday, making Apple the world's most valuable business. Its market capitalization now stands at $378.7 billion, compared with $371.3 billion for the second- ranking company, Exxon Mobil Corp.

‘Memory' of Steve

About 25 customers were lined up outside Apple's Midtown Manhattan store at lunch yesterday. In Australia, the first country where the product went on sale, Jackie Guo, 25, and his girlfriend, both students at Macquarie University, said they lined up as a tribute to Jobs.

“It's the iPhone for Steve, it's for the memory of Steve,” Guo said. “It was the last product he worked on. He pushed this company to become a viable company. His ideas are better than others. They make the market more hungry for the product.”

In Tokyo, about 80 people were lined up a day before the debut and there were more than 800 people by 8 a.m. at the Ginza district store.

Jobs's admirers have turned storefronts into makeshift memorials, adding a solemn tone to the frenzy that accompanies the company's product releases. Jobs co-founded Apple and returned to the company after a 12-year absence, rescuing it from near-bankruptcy.

Sell Out

“They are going to sell out,” said Yankee Group's Howe, who is based in Boston.

High demand for the new iOS 5 software contributed to glitches at Apple even before the iPhone 4S went on sale. Customers downloading it to their older phones overwhelmed the company's servers, making it harder to upgrade.

Apple hasn't said how many people were affected. The wait time to get a call back from an Apple support representative via the company's Express Lane service is much longer than usual. Typically, an Apple rep will call back within a few hours. Now, the earliest appointments aren't for days.

Trudy Muller, a spokeswoman for Cupertino, California-based Apple, declined to comment.

The iPhone 4S will go on sale later this month in 22 additional countries, including Ireland, Italy, Mexico and Spain. Apple didn't say when it will be available in China, a country Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook has said will be critical for the company's future growth.

Rush of Preorders

Apple said earlier this week that it had received more than 1 million preorders for the iPhone 4S. The three U.S. carriers selling the device -- AT&T Inc., Verizon Wireless and Sprint Nextel Corp. -- sold out as well. The demand puts Apple on pace to sell a record number of iPhones in the quarter ending in December, according to the analysts' reports. Gene Munster, of Piper Jaffray Cos., estimates that Apple could sell more than 25 million iPhones this quarter.

The iPhone, first introduced in 2007, has become Apple's top moneymaker, accounting for almost half its total revenue. Sales from the new model won't be part of the fourth-quarter financial results Apple is due to release on Oct. 18. Even so, profit rose about 60 percent in the period to $6.9 billion on sales of $29.5 billion, according to the average of analysts' estimates compiled by Bloomberg.

The release of the iPhone 4S, along with new Android models, should mean that smartphone users account for the majority of U.S. mobile-phone customers for the first time, said Roger Entner, an analyst at Recon Analytics LLC in Dedham, Massachusetts.

Apple controlled 19.1 percent of the smartphone market in the second quarter, according to research firm IDC, ahead of Samsung, Nokia Oyj and Research In Motion Ltd.

Few companies can build excitement around a new product the way Apple can, Yankee Group's Howe said.

“This is what they are good at,” he said. “They know how to make a big launch weekend.”

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Intelligent Use of Social Media for SEO

Social Media has been engaged with numerous benefits for the website marketers. Few benefits were tangible (like the number of likes, fans and followers) and few not (like enhanced customer service, brand recognition and developing lasting relationships). As a part of your marketing campaign you can’t regret the importance of social media. Social Media Websites are here to stay and it is up to us to make sure that we use it to their best advantages.

SEO or Search Engine Optimization is another field of online marketing, which has its own advantage in marketing your companies online. With over millions of searches being conducted everyday via search engines; a website that is not found in the search result is purely meant to be invisible. SEO is not all about raking; it’s all about building your online brand. There are many factors that affect how a site ranks in the search engines and SEO is about optimizing your site as best as possible to help it succeed.

SEO and Social Media marketing is not separated by any means, there should be an element of SEO in all your online marketing activities. As social media marketing matures, it is becoming clearer and clearer that it has an impact on a site’s SEO.

Here are a few ways you can use your social media marketing activities to aid your SEO:

Social Networking Profiles
Literally, there are hundreds of Social Networking Websites are available besides the big three like Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter which has its own presence in search engines intern helps in increasing your brand presence online. These smaller social networking sites will help to cover every kind of audiences on the process. Create Profiles in these sites where you have intent to be involved with and also make sure that your active profile is going to be worth much more in the long run. Social Networking sites are the best possible place to establish good and strong relationship with consumers and build a strong community.

Add Keywords into Media Posts
Sites like twitter, where it allows tweeting 140 characters, so keywords can be used in the hash tag, stylized as #keyword, which helps your tweet to get pulled in to a search results page by search engines. On other Social Networking sites like Facebook, Orkut, etc you have more room to target keywords in your posts. The title that you use while sharing a link is a great place to incorporate keywords. Also, writing a short description about the content of each post is another good spot to target keywords.

Drive Traffic to your Main Website
Always try to drive traffic to your company website or blog by just posting a snippet of the website content or a blog post. Include a snippet which acts as a call-to-action that drives visitors from social networking website in to your website or blog. There is no point in trying to post an entire content in to the social networking website which doesn’t give you any chance to lead them in to your website. Your social media profiles should serve as gateways to your main site, not the other way around.

Try to Reach Influential Social Media Personalities
There are many people who are regular to these social networking websites, and can be an industry leader that your target audience looks to for an advice. These influential people can help in better your brand in front of their huge audience. Establishing a connection between those people helps to brand your product faster and reach the targeted audience. Social Media marketing is a give and take technique where in which you can’t expect others to share your content if you don’t share theirs. Google has admitted that a link shared by an active user has more worth than the link shared by a spam account. Influence of these social media posts can be clearly seen in the search result pages. Quantity is great, but sometimes quality is worth more overall.

Maintain Reasonable Time Frame
A recent study found that Facebook post are getting 50% of their likes in first 80 Minutes and takes 22 Hours more for the same post to get 95% of likes. So need to publish the content more frequently for the better engagement among your community. Content marketing is a critical component of SEO, but it is a fine line between too much and too little content.

‘Social Sign-in’ can be used to login via Facebook and leave a comment which intern be posted in your Facebook wall. Depending on how much blog commenting you are doing as a part of your link building campaign, you could be flooding Facebook with your actions. Some of your network might feel like you are spamming them and un-Like your page.

You also have to look at your target audience to best determine when you should be posting content. Another study found that “companies that post content on their Facebook pages outside normal business hours see engagement rates that are 20% higher than average.”

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10 Ways To Grow Your Blog’s Community

As a small business owner, you love your blog. Your blog is where your community goes to hear your insight, it’s where they learn more about you, and it’s where they put a human face on your logo.

Or, it would be all of those things if anyone was actually reading your blog. Unfortunately, they’re not. And this is a problem.

Growing a small business blog can often be more difficult than we’d like. But you can conquer it and growing a thriving, engaged community to complement your business. Below are ten tactics to help generate more discussion and eye-balls on your blog. I suggest picking several and doing them in combination.

1. Let people know how to engage: It sounds silly, but not everyone knows how to leave a comment on a blog, or how to subscribe or what actions they’re supposed to take to become part of your community. It is your job to tell them. Have a tutorial for how to leave a comment. Let them know how they can respond directly to other users. Have a comment policy on your site. All of these things give readers the information they need to engage responsibly. No one wants to look dumb.

2. Promote your members: The folks who are active in your community aren’t just active there. They have blogs and Web sites and businesses of their very own – so promote them. Tell people about their cool business. Offer a LinkedIn recommendation. Pass their name to someone you think should know about them. By lifting up the people in your community, you show them how valued they are and that you see them.

3. Seed your blog conversation: In a perfect world people will differing opinions would come to your blog and have intelligent discussions on topics that are relevant to your industry. However, this isn’t a perfect world. This is the Internet. To help combat this, consider seeding your blog conversations to help them get started. Call in your blogging buddies and have them take different viewpoints in the comments section of your blog and have them debate your post passionately in the comments. Sure, maybe it will start out a little manipulated, but the real people will see the action and join in. Sometimes we all need someone to start the conversation for us and show it’s okay to hop in.

4. Go out and find new readers: Go to other blogs and discussion forums where people are talking about your industry, scout out the most active/respected commenters, and introduce yourself. Do not spam or market to them but say hello, let them know you’ve noticed their contributions, and thank them for making you a smarter individual. That is it. Without you ever asking them to, these people will do their homework to check you out and will stumble onto your blog. If they like what they’re seeing, they may join in.

5. Recruit new readers: Same as the above, but now offer an incentive for them to go check out your blog. Do not offer them money or a new television (this will change their motivation), but maybe invite them to be a beta tester for your new product or to act as a site moderator. Give them some non-monetary perks for getting involved.

6. Offer rewards for participation: You may have noticed that some blogs give users “points” for leaving comments or participating in the conversation. The goal of this is to provide an incentive for someone to get involved. If you’re going to do this, try not to reward people simply for quantity or you’ll wind up with people contributing nothing but low-quality content.

7. Create posts designed for community action: Sure, in blogging for your customers, you’ll want to create great resources on how to use your products and how to solve that common problem they’re facing, but also create content specifically geared toward getting interaction.

• Maybe it means you posing a question and then asking your community to answer.
• Perhaps it’s a Caption This Photo contest.
• Maybe it’s a giveaway.
• Maybe it’s asking users to create something and submit it.

These types of content pieces are written for your community and give them a reason to get involved.

8. Get people offline: I know it sounds weird, but one of the best ways to strengthen your online community is to encourage people to take it offline. Hold a meet up, have an in-store party, tweet you’ll be at X restaurant at 9pm and ask people to come join you. Get people away from their computers and talking in real life and they’ll from far stronger connections.

9. Eliminate bullying: As your community grows, you may find that some of your more established members don’t always react so kindly to new people. They may respond aggressively, question their knowledge or not allow them to enter insider discussions. It’s your job, as the blog owner, to nip this in the bud. Fostering an environment that has too much “insider baseball” and doesn’t do an adequate job making new people feel welcome will stifle your community’s growth. Don’t be afraid to reprimand members when necessary.

10. Have swag: What? People love *stuff* and they love showing off their stuff. Give people stickers and T-shirts with your blog URL when they make an in-store purchase or send out stickers to your most active on-site community members.

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Time management: Tips to reduce stress and improve productivity

Effective time management is a primary means to a less stressful life. These practices can help you reduce your stress and reclaim your personal life.

Do you find yourself overwhelmed by the number and complexity of projects you have that need to be completed at work each day? Do you often feel the day flies by without your devoting the necessary attention to each assignment because other tasks keep landing on your desk, co-workers interrupt you with questions or you can't get it all organized?

You probably know that effective time management will help you get more done each day. It has important health benefits, too. By managing your time more wisely, you can minimize stress and improve your quality of life.

But how do you get back on track when organizational skills don't come naturally? To get started, choose one of these strategies, try it for two to four weeks and see if it helps. If it does, consider adding another one. If not, try a different one.

• Plan each day. Planning your day can help you accomplish more and feel more in control of your life. Write a to-do list, putting the most important tasks at the top. Keep a schedule of your daily activities to minimize conflicts and last-minute rushes.
• Prioritize your tasks. Time-consuming but relatively unimportant tasks can consume a lot of your day. Prioritizing tasks will ensure that you spend your time and energy on those that are truly important to you.
• Say no to nonessential tasks. Consider your goals and schedule before agreeing to take on additional work.
• Delegate. Take a look at your to-do list and consider what you can pass on to someone else.
• Take the time you need to do a quality job. Doing work right the first time may take more time upfront, but errors usually result in time spent making corrections, which takes more time overall.
• Break large, time-consuming tasks into smaller tasks. Work on them a few minutes at a time until you get them all done.
• Practice the 10-minute rule. Work on a dreaded task for 10 minutes each day. Once you get started, you may find you can finish it.
• Evaluate how you're spending your time. Keep a diary of everything you do for three days to determine how you're spending your time. Look for time that can be used more wisely. For example, could you take a bus or train to work and use the commute to catch up on reading? If so, you could free up some time to exercise or spend with family or friends.
• Limit distractions. Block out time on your calendar for big projects. During that time, close your door and turn off your phone, pager and e-mail.
• Get plenty of sleep, have a healthy diet and exercise regularly.A healthy lifestyle can improve your focus and concentration, which will help improve your efficiency so that you can complete your work in less time.
• Take a time management course. If your employer offers continuing education, take a time management class. If your workplace doesn't have one, find out if a local community college, university or community education program does.
• Take a break when needed. Too much stress can derail your attempts at getting organized. When you need a break, take one. Take a walk. Do some quick stretches at your workstation. Take a day of vacation to rest and re-energize.

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Working From Home Is Awesome-3 Things To Consider

Working from home might seem like a dream -- and since many companies are going the virtual route, more employees are now expecting flexible work options -- such as telecommuting and working virtually or from home. According to a survey commissioned by Mom Corps, a national flexible staffing firm, 51 percent of working adults (ages 18 to 44) plan to look for a new job within the next three years with an employer that offers flexible work options.

While this dream of yours could very well become a reality in the next several years, you might want to consider a few things before becoming a full-timework-from-home employee.

1. Can you motivate yourself? No one will be around to remind you to get that project done or to tell you to stop playing online games. When working from home, your internal motivation must be strong enough to overcome your desire to sleep in, do laundry or talk to your friend on the phone for an hour.
2. Do you have the necessary tools to get work done? For most workers, this means a computer, reliable Internet access and a telephone. If something else is required to successfully complete your daily tasks, add that to the list as well. Companies often opt to allow workers to stay at home to save costs; so don't expect that these types of things will be provided to you as they normally are in an office setting.
3. Are there too many distractions in your home? Will your children be home while you're trying to work? Do you have roommates who are home during the day? Do you have a dedicated office space or area to use during "work hours?" Since you're mixing your work and home lives, you need to create a routine for yourself to ensure that you're accomplishing all of your tasks for the day.

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Steve Jobs Dies: Apple Chief Innovated Personal Computer, Created iPad, iPod, iPhone

Steve Jobs, the mastermind behind Apple's iPhone, iPad, iPod, iMac and iTunes, has died, Apple said. Jobs was 56.

Jobs died "peacefully," surrounded by family members, his family said in a statement.

Neither Jobs' family nor Apple revealed where he died or from what cause, though in recent years Jobs had fought a form of pancreatic cancer and had a liver transplant.

"We are deeply saddened to announce that Steve Jobs passed awaytoday," read a statement by Apple's board of directors. "Steve's brilliance, passion and energy were the source of countless innovations that enrich and improve all of our lives. The world is immeasurably better because of Steve. His greatest love was for his wife, Laurene, and his family. Our hearts go out to them and to all who were touched by his extraordinary gifts."

As Jobs' death was announced, the homepage of Apple's website switched to a full-page image of Jobs with the text, "Steve Jobs 1955-2011."

Clicking on the image revealed additional text that was credited to current Apple CEO Tim Cook in a separate memo to Apple employees.

"Apple has lost a visionary and creative genius, and the world has lost an amazing human being," the text read. "Those of us who have been fortunate enough to know and work with Steve have lost a dear friend and an inspiring mentor. Steve leaves behind a company that only he could have built, and his spirit will forever be the foundation of Apple."

Jobs' rivals in the development of personal computers, Microsoft co-founders Bill Gates and Paul Allen, immediately reacted to his death and highlighted his importance to their industry.

Allen called him "a unique tech pioneer and auteur who knew how to make amazingly great products."

Gates extended his condolences and noted in a written statement that he and Jobs "have been colleagues, competitors and friends over the course of more than half our lives."

"The world rarely sees someone who has had the profound impact Steve has had, the effects of which will be felt for many generations to come," Gates added. "For those of us lucky enough to get to work with him, it's been an insanely great honor. I will miss Steve immensely."

A more recent contemporary in the tech world, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, also weighed in with a statement on Jobs.

"Steve, thank you for being a mentor and a friend," it read. "Thanks for showing that what you build can change the world. I will miss you."

Reaction to Jobs' death came from far and wide -- even from the White House.

"Michelle and I are saddened to learn of the passing of Steve Jobs," President Obama said in a written statement. "Steve was among the greatest of American innovators - brave enough to think differently, bold enough to believe he could change the world, and talented enough to do it."

Jobs co-founded Apple Computer in 1976 and, with his childhood friend Steve Wozniak, marketed what was considered the world's first personal computer, the Apple II.

Shortly after learning of Jobs' death, Wozniak told ABC News, "I'm shocked and disturbed."

Later, on ABC News' "Nightline," he said it was hard to imagine, in some ways, how the world would move forward without Jobs.

"You get shocked when people you know die," Wozniak said. "And this was closer to when John Lennon died, or JFK or Martin Luther King."

Industry watchers called Jobs a master innovator -- perhaps on a par with Thomas Edison -- changing the worlds of computing, recorded music and communications.

Jobs continued to innovate in recent years even as he battled severe health problems that prompted leaves of absence from Apple.

In 2004, he beat back an unusual form of pancreatic cancer, and in 2009 he was forced to get a liver transplant. After several years of failing health, Jobs announced on Aug. 24, 2011 that he was stepping down as Apple's chief executive.

"I have always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple's CEO, I would be the first to let you know," Jobs wrote in his letter of resignation. "Unfortunately, that day has come."

Nevertheless, he remained as chairman of the corporation, a new position created just for him.

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Starting your own Retail Business

Is it your plan to get your foot in the door of the UK's extremely profitable retail sector with your own retail business? A 'one-stop-shop' of advice, information, goods and services to help you get your new business off the ground - or take your current business to the next level - awaits you at Start Your Own Retail Business.

Start Your Own Retail Business is part of a series of new features that have been introduced to The Business Startup Show, to celebrate the 25th show on the 19th and 20th of May, 2011.

Start Your Own Retail Business will have its own dedicated area at The Business Startup Show, existing as an ‘exhibition within an exhibition’.

The retail industry is vast, and within it there exists a type of business to suit every budding business person’s interests and aspirations, from cornerstore ‘fruit n veg’ shops, to large scale supermarket chains, fashion boutiques, antique shops, hi-fi and home entertainment stores, plant nurseries and petrol stations.

According to a report commissioned by the Department of Trade and Industry in 2003, retail sales topped £221 billion in the UK, employing around three million people and making up around 12% of the entire UK economy. If you are ready to reap the rewards of the retail sector, you need to attend Start Your Own Retail Business, to give your business its best chance of success.

As with starting any business, it is critical to do your homework before going in. Make sure you’ve researched the market before making a financial commitment. The most attractive shopfront, the best work ethic, and the most impressive website will not get you anywhere if the public simply does not want or need your products. Are you aware of the legalities surrounding trading in the retail industry? Have you prepared a realistic budget for your premises’ exterior and interior design? Are you going to be the owner/operator, or can you afford to pay staff? Do your business premises comply with all building regulations? How will you keep your premises secure? There is much to think about.

If you are serious about going into this industry, a visit to Start Your Own Retail Business should be high up on your priority list. There will be information and advice available about every type of retail business. Don’t miss this opportunity to pick the brains of retail industry experts, make important contacts, and view the latest innovations in the industry, including point of sale technology and shop fitting supplies.

If you are starting your own retail business, or if you like to learn how to take your current retail business to the next level, make sure you attend Start Your Own Retail Business at The Business Startup Show.

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Prom Dresses

The prom night is one of the most important nights for most teens in their high school days. This is the night that one is filled with expectations about meeting and interacting with new people, dating, partying and sporting new prom dresses. Expectations are therefore always on the rise on a prom night for most teens. Girls literally end up being frazzled planning and deciding for the right kind of prom dress. After all, its easy to get carried away with the number of pretty prom dresses that are available in the malls but have you really picked a prom dress that fits you like a glove and enhances your features as well? Chances are, you have probably picked a prom dress that is a sure winner, but does that really make you look va va voom? One mistake that happens unknowingly is the selection of a prom dress that does not really flatter your body type.

Know your body type:
Always check out your body size before you pick up any prom dress. With the perfect measurements you only need to stick to your size when you pick out any prom dressdesign. Think about your positive and negative points. Highlight the positive points to tone down the rest of your figure.

Different types of Prom Dresses:
Here's the lowdown on some of the styles of prom dresses that are available. This should guide you to find one that suits you and flatters your personality as well.

Bubble Prom Dress:

The bubble dress is a flirtatious kind and this funky kind of dress can suit any teenybopper who wishes to relive some of the designs from the olden era. The bubble dress is ideal for those on the slimmer side, as it tends to add volume to the body. This flared out look should come together at your knees. This is what gives it the bubble shape.

Strapless Prom Dress:
A strapless prom dress would look gorgeous on somebody who has beautiful and broad shoulders to flaunt. Strapless dresses can look fantastic when they are long and short as well. If you have an hourglass figure, you can go in for a body hugging kind. For those who do not wish to display their legs, they can add a fun element to the strapless dress by wearing a tiered style. This can get you a classy look without really baring it all.

Short Prom Dress:
If you have worked out the year round in the gym, then you can definitely flaunt your toned body in a short fitting number. Go in for a chic silhouette in pastel tones so that it does not look over the top. A short dress looks fabulous with tie up sandals. If you wish to be the stunner, you can wear it with knee high boots.

Fishtail Prom Dress:
The fishtail dress is one of my favorites as well. Wearing such a dress can be truly flattering to your body. These dresses hug the waist area and flare out at the bottom. Wear a fishtail prom dress and go to the prom in true red carpet style!

Halter Neck Prom Dress:
Be it long or short, a halter neck can add some pizzazz to any boring design! You can never go wrong with a halter neck for the prom night. This style would suit women with toned arms and a well maintained back as well. The lower half of the dress can be flared or fitting, the choice is yours!

Sequined Prom Dress:
Look sexy and sparkle on the dance floor with prom dresses that have sequins or other such embellishments on it. Select designs that have such embellishments only in specific areas, which should help to balance the entire look. Add a dash of glitter by wearing footwear that have a hint of sequins and go in for tiny diamond earrings to complement the look. Go easy on the bling factor.

Always accessorize your prom dress with the right of jewelry, bag and footwear along with sporting the right hairdo as well. With perfect co-ordination, you are bound to win the hearts of many at the prom night!

You can Purchase Prom Dress from Here:

You can Purchase Prom Dress from Here:  http://www.cocktaildressshop.com/

  

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How To Earn Money Online

Would you like to learn how to earn money online with home based business income by following this course, it is not a completely new one but rather a more updated and improved version of another product called Niche Blueline by the same owners.

It is a combination of strategies, software tools and many other useful resources that can be used to cut short the time you need to start building your own businesses online.

Lately there are a lot of people who have begun thinking about how to earn money online. Anyone who has explored this method of earning some extra cash will have seen that there are plenty of sites that offer amazing opportunities but are simply creative scams.

Any of these one of a kind online options can indicate a person's solution to discovering how to earn money online. By identifying your personal strengths and weaknesses, you will be able to determine the best path for you to pursue, so as to obtain a strong source of income.

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Every day more and more people are looking for alternative ways to make money or thinking about how to make money, or to earn a living, both in the online and offline worlds people are starting realize that having a "job" and working 12 hours in a day is not the ideal way to live. Internet is more than entertainment these days. Millions of people visit internet to learn how to make money online.

Most individuals are taking an important amount of time trying to discover the best opportunities, with how to earn money online. Prior to the recent economic decline, the options of the small business had reached an all-time high, as more people decided to generate their own sources of revenue, instead of relying on the traditional work environment.

Following the economic decline, this opening demand has enhanced even further, as a result of the reduction in prospective job options. Fortunately there are often an extensive variety of possibilities for a person to benefit from, when seeking to attain their own source of revenue, and success or failure is built upon the decisions these people make.

Those who do not understand their audience and what they need, will not have any idea about what to sell to them. To many people who want to learn how to earn cash online concentrate to much on the "how" instead of the "why".

They will waste their time trying to explain to their potential customers how a product works instead if explaining how the product will benefit them. One thing you will most certainly learn with this course is that the benefits far outweigh the features of the product.

If you can convey how your product will benefit your customer or even help them solve a problem then you will be very likely to make money online with your effective promotions.

While there are countless opportunities for entrepreneurs to consider, affiliate marketing continues to be a legitimate option for those wondering how to earn money online .

There are thousands of programs to choose from, you never have to handle any products whatsoever, and you can work whatever schedule you choose to. As long as you practice smart affiliate marketing, it can be a terrific way to make money online.
www.howto-earn.com/money-online/money-online

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