All Amazing Articles

Consumers Determine Value
It doesn’t matter how highly you value your product, your service or even your idea. If the person you’re trying to convince doesn’t see value in their terms, there’ll be no sale. More importantly, the value you see is unlikely to be the value the prospect sees. And what counts is the prospects’ idea of value.

Logic, Reason and “Common Sense”
Unless you’re absolutely certain that you and the prospect value logic, reason and common sense equally highly, forget these three concepts. They may help you to convince yourself of the value of your product or service. They won’t convince the prospect.

Money As Value
“Value for money” is an ancient catchphrase. But it doesn’t mean that value is only, or even mostly, expressed in monetary terms. And what’s good value for money for one man may be poor value for money for his brother.

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President Obama says “The time for action is now …” as he tries to turn our financial system around with his new stimulus package. Opponents reply that “Doing something wrong quickly does not make it right”. These naysayers believe that the current package as presented contains “hundreds of billions of dollars” in non-stimulus spending and interest payments.

So while everyone is waiting around for the government to “do something”, other Americans are creating their own stimulus package. And, it does not require waiting on the government or waiting like a herd of cattle as they gawk at the hay maker throwing out a few bales of hay.

More and more people are thinking about starting their own business. After all, insecurity in an unstable economy will either drive people to cling more diligently to what they have – or they will simply strike out on their own.

Even those clinging to what they have may be clinging to a thread.

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Many people have turned their love of cooking and entertaining into a good living by starting catering businesses.

Catering is a multi-billion dollar industry in the U.S. and as one of the fastest growing segments of the food and beverage industry, the catering business offers great opportunities for those wanting to start a small business with a low start up cost.

In this article we will look at catering business profits, earnings and salaries and how much money it is really possible to make in this industry. Then we will examine some of the things that separate the really successful players from the amateurs.

Is a $100,000 Yearly Profit Possible in Catering?

Many people consider a $100,000 pre-tax salary or profit to be a benchmark for success and they wonder if they can reach this level of earnings in catering.

Most small catering business owners who put in the effort can expect to earn between $20,000 and $40,000 profit per year for the owner during the first couple of years. After a couple of years in the business, you can easily scale up to earning a ’six figure’ annual income from catering.

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If you operate a small business, then you know how crucial it is to save every penny. With the pressure of running your own business, it can often be easy to overlook areas of wastage and in some cases the drain on your cash flow can get out of hand before you know it. But don’t despair. Here are some common sense, practical steps that you can take to ensure that you maximise your business performance:

- Telephone costs.

There are several ways to save money with telephone costs. Firstly, check with your carrier and have them review the usage patterns for your business. Does your current phone plan best suit your patterns of use? Could savings be made by switching to a more cost effective plan (or even to a different carrier)? Are you taking advantage of toll free numbers at every opportunity, for example when ordering stock? Would there be any advantage in switching to an internet based phone system? How much are staff using your phones for personal calls? While we like to think that it doesn’t happen to excess, the reality is that many business owners lose considerable amounts every month through abuse by staff.

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If you have a love of food and people or think of yourself as someone that knows how to organize a great party or event then starting an event catering business could be a great small business opportunity for you.

Here are 10 steps to follow to get your event catering business started successfully.

1) Research

Find out as much as you can about the catering industry and how to run a successful catering business. Try to also learn about small business management and marketing. Taking some classes on business or culinary related topics is one great way to prepare.

Research the industry in your town or city. Try to find out more about what the successful operators are doing, the size of the market and what kinds of events you should be targeting. Talk to people who have hired caterers before to try and better understand your future customers.

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If you have come up with a new idea or just want to finally start that business of your own, finding the capital you need to get started may be the thing getting in your way.  It is no secret that many new business ventures fail because of insufficient starting capital. Well, you will be pleased to know that there is help available for startup businesses.  In order to support the development of new business, the government and various organizations offer grants to new or expanding businesses. While this may sound very generous, it only makes sense since it is in the best interest of the country, and other businesses as well, to encourage new enterprises by investing new venture capital; thus giving life to the dreams of entrepreneurs and continuing to promote advancement in business and technology.

Finding the right grant for your new business is an important first step and may be the only way to get your business operational. You will be surprised once you start down his road that it is not as painful as you may have imagined.  There many resources along the way to guide you through the process.

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Owning a foreclosure cleaning business is a lucrative enterprise. It’s hard work, but one so filled with possibilities for growth that many are interested in this opportunity. But, you may be thinking, “I work fulltime. Is this something I can do on the side part-time.”

The answer is yes. While it won’t be easy – and don’t’ believe anyone who tells you that it is, it is entirely possible. Following are three tips for starting a foreclosure cleaning business while you hang on to your full-time job. If you do it right, you can be out of your job before you know it because you can make from several hundred to several thousand dollars on foreclosure clean up jobs.

3 Tips for Starting a Foreclosure Cleanup Business Part-time

Foreclosure Cleaning Biz Tip #1: Get someone to answer the phone. You must, must, must have someone there to answer your phone when it rings because most clients who are calling won’t leave a message – at least not the first time they call.

In the foreclosure clean out business, clients are looking for quick service. So if someone doesn’t answer their call, they just go on to the next company. And, they do this until they come across a live person.

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The sooner you learn that you are a salesman, the sooner you will be successful.  While there are many secrets to small business success, learning about sales ranks as one of the most important.  If you own a business, you are in sales.

My first sales job included a lot of telephone selling.  My sales manager taught me that you should never let go of the receiver on the phone after making a sale.  What he was telling me was that if I didn’t hang up the phone it would be impossible for me not to make another call.  “Just keep dialing and you’ll keep selling” he said.  In this way he ensured that I would make another call right after making a sale.

The best time to make a sale is right after you’ve made one.  You should sell when you are hot.  And there’s no time hotter for a salesman than the moment right after a sale has been made.  You are excited and enthused immediately following a sale.  Everyone loves the feeling of having been successful in an endeavor.  It is no different when selling.  A customer says yes and you know that you have performed your task well. When you successfully help a customer purchase your products or services, you have helped him, your company, and you.  Of course you’re hot!

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Have you ever developed a craving for carnival food? You know, that delicious food which includes corn dogs, cotton candy and funnel cakes. If you like the foods sold mostly at county and state fairs then you are not alone. Millions of people love this food and you can make big money by selling it to them. The first step to selling carnival food is you will need to purchase a concession stand or a food concession trailer.

There are all different types and sizes of food concession trailers including everything from stationary concession stands to mobile catering trucks. You must first decide on the type and size food concession which will serve your needs. This will in part be dependent upon the type of food product that you will be selling. Whatever types of food you sell, the trailers may come with refrigerators, freezers, ovens, fryers and sinks. Select a food product which you will be comfortable working with because you will be spending a lot of time in the food trailer. If you do not like working around hot oil then do not consider French fries, fried dough or anything which requires a fryer. Choose a food, beverage or snack product which has a nice mark up and the potential for creating a profitable business.

Should you buy it new or used? This is a big question. As you know, starting a new business venture is expensive. You want to cut corners wherever you can and purchasing a used concession trailer is an easy way to save thousands of dollars. One of the pitfalls of buying a used food trailer is that it will either have no warranty or a very limited one. New trailers, like a new car, comes with a warranty usually based on a time period of a year or more. Some vendors of new trailers offer financing and the appliances of a new trailers come with their own factory warranties.

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Here in the United States, there is no generic story that we like more than the story of the triumphant underdog: the constantly rehashed tale in which a nobody rises up, challenges the establishment and their champion, and comes out on top, becoming a somebody. There are probably many cultural and anthropological reasons that we as Americans love that formulaic story so much, but one of the biggest has got to be that to some degree, we all at one point feel like guppies just trying to survive in a sea of sharks and whales. In the business world, this is especially true with a small business. Even if a small business gets past the threat of failure, in many cases it still seems like a pipe-dream to believe that it could ever amount to anything really profitable. But as you look at the prospect of starting your own business, don’t give up hope on making it big. Take a look at a few business opportunities that have already proven that they can swim with the big fish, and are looking for new franchisees to start off a new business on the right foot.

HomeTeam Inspection Service

If you’ve ever bought or sold a home, you know firsthand just how important a role the home inspector plays. In many ways, he makes or breaks the deal depending on what problems he finds in the house. A HomeTeam Inspection Service franchisee becomes that essential ingredient to a successful purchase, but with this franchise, he doesn’t do it alone. As the name might lead on, the HomeTeam Inspection Service model sends small teams of inspectors to look over 400 designated inspection points. With the housing market as vibrant as it is, this effective, collaborative, and comprehensive system greatly expands the growth possibilities for a HomeTeam Inspection Service franchisee.

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