First Step Marketing

Secrecy

Be careful about disclosing the details of your planned business to people. As soon as you disclose an idea to someone, you run the risk of it being used by that person. While it is important to research your idea by questioning people, it is usually possible to do so without revealing too many important details. Where this is difficult, you may want to draw up a secrecy agreement to be signed by anyone with whom you discuss your plans. A short, plain-worded document gives you recourse to legal action should a breach of faith occur. Read the rest of this entry »

For many people, the idea of a business is ruled by the images that come to mind when they think of various companies they’ve worked for in the past. Unfortunately, it’s this picture that most often intimidates new entrepreneurs who want to get their own businesses off the ground: either they think they need everything a larger, more established business has before they can open their doors, from fancy networked telephone systems to a professionally decorated office, and spend way too much to start, or they become overwhelmed at the amount of money they think they need to open their doors, and never do so because they figure they’ll never be able to come up with that kind of money. Read the rest of this entry »

To get started on your quest, first call your town clerk to see what you need to do to make your business legal on a local basis. The clerk will also be able to lead you to state offices so you know what you’ll have to do with the state government.

Here’s a rundown on some of the things you’ll have to take care of in order to start your business off on the right foot. Read the rest of this entry »

This is the easiest type of business to start, and the one that most solo entrepreneurs select to get off the ground. A sole proprietorship also requires a minimum of time to start, since the most you have to do is to register with your state government as a new enterprise by purchasing a business license. Once you have it in hand, you’re off and running. Read the rest of this entry »

Many of you are purchasing or taking over an existing business. Thus the business will not be experiencing its grand opening or its first week. However, it will still be your beginning, and you’ll be encountering a lot of things for the first time. Therefore most of the following applies as much to you as it would to a start-up.

There are two kinds of grand openings. One is a special promotion called a “Grand Opening.” If you’ve established a business that depends on walk-in traffic, you’ll undoubtedly want to use your opening as an excuse to have a grand-opening promotion. Whatever you do, don’t do this on your first day. You’ll have plenty of time to do this promotion after you’ve worked the kinks out of your operation and had enough time to properly plan such an event. Read the rest of this entry »

The workplace is becoming more racially diverse, thanks to affirmative action and increased educational opportunities for minorities. Unfortunately, racial tensions often manifest themselves. These can disrupt working relationships, slow down productivity, dampen motivation, alienate clients and customers, and even invite legal action.

When racism erupts, managers tend to make some common mistakes, like:

• Setting ultimatums. “Some managers simply say, ‘You two will work together or else,’ ” says Maurine Cooper, staff director for the District of Columbia government mayor, Washington, DC. “This approach only makes matters worse.” Forcing a relationship does not change people’s feelings, which are at the root of the problem. As long as they continue to harbor the hatred or mistrust or whatever it is they feel, the problem will tend to persist. Read the rest of this entry »
  

How do you keep track of who is in your downline? All networkers, when they join a network, are given a personalised number. This number identifies them as belonging to a particular network. You may ask: ‘But how can I keep track of all the people in my downline?’ The answer is that you don’t need to. In network marketing each individual works three levels deep. You are directly responsible for the distributors you recruit (level one), the people they recruit (level two) and the people they, in turn, recruit (level three). That’s not too much to manage. Read the rest of this entry »