What's your first instinct? Most of us will do one of two things. We’ll either try to step away, or we’ll raise our arms to deflect him and fight back, which can result in harm to you or to your attacker.

But if you were trained in Aikido, the Japanese martial art that focuses on diverting an attacker’s energy, you could quickly diffuse the situation by immobilizing him without harming him in any way.

In essence, you’re diffusing the energy that he’s using to try and attack you in a way that takes the conflict out of the situation.

Unlock The Game and the philosophy behind Aikido have many similarities.

Traditional cold calling and selling are designed to focus only on the "close" by presenting -- or in too many cases, "pushing" -- your solution onto prospects, sometimes even when they’re not interested.

But if you focus only on your goal of making the sale before having a discussion about the problems that you can help your prospects solve, something happens.

They start feeling that you’re "attacking" them. After all, you’re a stranger to them, and when you start talking about yourself and your solution rather than about them and their specific issues, you immediately trigger their suspicion and cause them to start "pushing back."

This pushback is the resistance or energy that Unlock The Game teaches you to diffuse. Then both of you can quickly "get on the same page" and open a natural dialogue that will let you determine whether it makes sense for you to work together.

Let's look at two real selling scenarios -- cold calling and "get-you-off-the-phone" objections:

Scenario 1: Cold Calling

Suppose you’re at your desk and you receive a call from someone who says "Hi, my name is Jack Johnson, I'm with XYZ Company, and we’re a full-solution provider of..." Is your first reaction to welcome and be open to his call? Or do your mental defenses immediately kick in and you shut down against this stranger "salesperson"?

Probably the latter, especially if you sense that the caller is focused on his interests and not yours.

That’s why this old-school cold calling approach triggers the resistance and negative energy that prospects immediately throw your way.

The Unlock The Game way to make a successful cold call -- "successful" being defined as not triggering rejection -- is by beginning your call with, "Hi, my name is Jack, maybe you can help me out for a moment?" That simple question is a very natural way of beginning a conversation with a stranger.

But you can't just read this word for word, like a script. It won’t work. That would be like an Aikido instructor teaching a first-time student the physical movements before he or she has learned the philosophy necessary to carry them out.

The same applies here. First you need to integrate a new Mindset that changes the goal of your call from making the sale, or getting an appointment, to engaging the person in a natural two-way dialogue.

To do this, your voice has to be low-key. You have to avoid communicating any hint of typical "salesperson" enthusiasm, or any sense that you’re trying to direct the conversation to an end goal. Once you integrate the Mindset, all this kicks in naturally.

So, if you want to succeed in prospecting and cold calling, become aware of how you might be triggering the resistance or energy that instinctively causes prospects to push back against you.

Scenario 2: "Get-you-off-the-phone" objections

Here’s another example. Forget the idea of "overcoming objections." Doing that only triggers more resistance from prospects that’s very difficult to diffuse.

Think about it for a moment. When prospects give a reason why they don’t want to proceed --when they "put up resistance" -- you’ve been trained to "overcome" their objections rather than to diffuse their resistance by acknowledging that what they’re telling you is their truth.

By applying the Unlock The Game Mindset™ and skills, you diffuse that resistance and remove the conflict from the situation, just as in Aikido.

Here’s the Unlock The Game™ process for dealing with objections:

1. Diffuse the objection with "That's not a problem... (Pause)"

2. Acknowledge the truth of their objection (see the sample language below).

3. Reopen the conversation with "Would you be open to..."

For example, suppose a prospect says, "We already have a vendor." The path of diffusing and reengaging would go like this:

1. "That's not a problem...(Pause)"

2. "I wasn't calling to replace the vendor you’re currently using." Here, you’re addressing their suspicion that your only focus is on making the sale and on ripping out their relationship with their current vendor. You’re simply asking whether they would be open to different ideas that might help them solve a problem. This diffuses the tension.

3. "Would you be open to some different ideas that you might not be using now?" After the tension is dissolved, this lets you reopen the conversation in a natural way because they clearly understand that your goal is to help them. Then, if things are a match between you, you can decide where to go from there.

Keep in mind that this process will work only if you fully integrate the Mindset so it feels as natural to you as breathing.

In short, if you’re using any form of traditional selling, you could be triggering a resistance every time you communicate with your prospect.

But if you learn this new Mindset, along with words and phrases that remove any conflict or tension from the relationship, you’ll have taken your first steps toward your black belt in unlocking the cold calling game!

Working at home has become an excellent business opportunity for many people. Instead of being stuck in a small office with an annoying boss or co-workers, a lot of people have found a way to make money at home.  These non-traditional businesses have given individuals the chance to find financial independence and fulfillment in a job they like.

The advantages offered by a home business are often the motivation for working at home. Before committing to a business opportunity, it might be a good idea to consider the pros and cons of trying to make money at home.

Being Your Own Boss

One of the most attractive aspects is being able to be your own boss. You have no one to answer to and can run things the way you feel they should be run. But that makes the responsibility of smooth operations and success rest squarely on your own shoulders. You have to be disciplined and organized to work at home. Most of the time, a home business can be run on your schedule so you can set hours that are convenient for you. This provides flexibility that you might not have working at another job.

If you have a family, you need to figure out how to work from home with their schedule and allow for interruptions and distractions. It is best to keep your business out of the kitchen and living room if possible so that everyone else is not inconvenienced while you are working; however, a home business opportunity could also be a family project that can bring your family together in a special bond.

Reduced Expenses

Another advantage to working from home is having fewer expenses associated with traveling and eating out on the job. You will probably save on clothing expenses as well. By working at home on your business opportunity, you can save on overhead costs. You won't have to pay rent and other costs that come with an outside office or building. There might be additional savings on daycare or babysitting services if you have children.

Family Adjustments

Sometimes a home business interferes with family outings and schedules. This could be a disadvantage if you like to plan family activities or have guests in your home. There could be times that an activity would have to be postponed because of business needs. Sometimes a home business opportunity involves longer hours and requires being on call for customers or clients. If you are tied to the computer all day, you may feel lonely and isolated from family and friends. This could require a period of adjustment.

On the other hand, having a business at home gives you the opportunity to spend more time with your family. It can also be a positive lesson to family members on customer relations and good business practices.

You may have your own product or project to sell, or become involved in MLM, or network marketing. Either way, you can turn your business opportunity into a successful venture. After considering both pros and cons, you can make a better decision to find a home business that will suit you and your family.

They say necessity is the mother of invention. In at least one notable case, it served as motivation for a resourceful father as well.

After the birth of his first child in 2000, inventor and entrepreneur Mark Rosenzweig was inspired to find a better way to clean up the inevitable messes of parenthood. His quest led to the introduction of some of the most innovative devices in the home-cleaning industry and the building of Shark Euro-Pro, a $350 million company.

"The idea behind Shark's line of appliances is to provide a practical and effective solution to life's real messes - like the soggy food that ends up on the floor during feeding," said Rosenzweig. "A vacuum cleaner uses the force of suction power to pull dirt through a narrow passageway and deposit it into a bag or dust cup. Most likely, trying to pick up soggy food or other such messes would lead to a blockage."

Designed to pick up what vacuum cleaners can't, the Shark Cordless Professional Sweeper uses a unique brush roll system to pick up dirt and debris and deposit it into a dirt tray for easy disposal. The lightweight sweeper works on carpets and floors and operates for up to 80 minutes on a single charge.

Before bringing the Sweeper technology to market, Rosenzweig introduced the Shark steam-cleaning line. Already a popular technology in Europe, the Shark Steam Bottle is an all-natural way to clean, sanitize and deodorize the house.

"Steam cleaning lets you get the house clean without exposing yourself and your loved ones to potentially dangerous chemicals," Rosenzweig said.

Tapping a marketing concept still in its infancy, Rosenzweig turned to infomercials to spread the word about his inventions. After appearing regularly on the Home Shopping Network, sales of Rosenzweig's products soared, inspiring him to expand his offerings to include other household products.

The current Shark Euro-Pro line includes everything from vacuums, cordless sweepers, handvacs and steam cleaners to irons, fryers and slow cookers. This line of products is available in major retailers like Target, Sears, Lowe's, Linens 'n Things and Bed, Bath & Beyond.

Before an employer agrees to an interview, they need to be convinced that you are a great candidate for the position. This is where your resume is an essential marketing tool. It demonstrates to an employer your skills, experience and writing ability. Make sure your spelling and grammar are impeccable.

You should be creative, bold and humorous in your Cover Letter, but always be yourself. Nothing impresses an employer more than your knowledge of them or the company. Try and key in on something that will make your cover letter stand out; find some pertinent information about the company. Of course you only want to focus on the positive.

Employers use the resume process to narrow their selection. They will choose the best of the best as perceived by what is in your resume. Your resume is your only initial sales tool to impress the employer enough to give you an interview. As the bad clichй goes – You can only make a first impression once.

It's important that your resume be as strong and positive as possible. A poorly organized and haphazardly written resume demonstrates to the employer that you are not serious about yourself, and if you are not serious about yourself, you are probably not going to be an asset to the company.

The questions that are going through the minds of employer are:

• Can you solve problems?

• What are your strengths / weaknesses?

• What are the benefits of hiring you over someone else?

• How will you fit into the company?

• Will you have a strong commitment to your job?

• How independent are you / can you be a team player?

• Are you a fast learner?

Don’t forget to do your homework about the company, its history, its goals, products, etc. You can apply this information and dramatically stand out with a creative cover letter! Find information about the company by reading the company’s website, brochures, do a Google search, and look at competitors. There’s tons of good information out there if you look.

If you submit a boilerplate cover letter and boring resume, you find yourself at the bottom of the resume pile.

Energy Conservation is a societal need:

The human progress through ages is throwing the challenges of saving nature from the ill effects of uncontrolled growth. Global warming, environmental pollution, light pollution, over Illuminance, etc. have become the signals of the impending danger in the times ahead to nature and human life. Energy conservation has emerged as a major area of focus towards conserving nature.

Recognising this need and responsibility Kakatiya Energy Systems has pioneered in evolving effective lighting control solutions which contribute to energy saving in all the areas of outdoor lighting. Kakatiya Energy Systems offers solutions for automatic switching and automatic dimming of outdoor lamps to meet the objectives of power saving and to avoid all wastages involved in outdoor lighting usage.

Energy saving potential in outdoor lighting:

Outdoor lighting comprises of various lighting installations like street lighting, hoarding lighting, glow sign lighting, light box lighting, architectural lighting, land-scape lighting, front lit board lighting, back lit board lighting, park lighting, area lighting, yard lighting, campus lighting etc. The energy wastages in all these areas is primarily caused due to errors in manual switching or use of technologies which are not refined. Over Illuminance is another form of energy wastage which needs to be avoided through proper automation.

The potential savings through automation vary among various applications and the energy conservation will be highest if we can effectively replace manual switching in areas characterised by access problems or inefficiency. The examples include remote areas or public lighting. The energy wastages in these areas due to late switching OFF or early switching ON could be even upto a few hours each day. This provides a scope for power saving by adopting automatic switching systems to ensure objectivity in switching.

Another example for energy conservation is to opt for part night operation of certain lighting systems like Signage, Hoarding, Yard lighting etc. which need not be switched ON for the entire night. Another major area offering intensive energy conservation is reducing the light pollution in outdoor areas by opting for late night dimming.

We have solutions for all the above needs and please see the products page for details.

General info on Energy Conservation

Energy conservation is the practice of decreasing the quantity of energy used while achieving a similar outcome. This practice may result in increase of financial capital, environmental value, national security, personal security, and human comfort. Individuals and organizations that are direct consumers of energy may want to conserve energy in order to reduce energy costs and promote economic, political and environmental sustainability. Industrial and commercial users may want to increase efficiency and thus maximize profit.

On a larger scale, energy conservation is an important element of energy policy. In general, energy conservation reduces the energy consumption and energy demand per capita, and thus offsets the growth in energy supply needed to keep up with population growth. This reduces the rise in energy costs, and can reduce the need for new power plants, and energy imports. The reduced energy demand can provide more flexibility in choosing the most preferred methods of energy production.

By reducing emissions, energy conservation is an important part of lessening climate change. Energy conservation facilitates the replacement of non-renewable resources with renewable energy. Energy conservation is often the most economical solution to energy shortages, and is a more environmentally benign alternative to increased energy production.

Lighting includes both artificial light sources such as lamps and natural illumination of interiors from daylight. Lighting represents a major component of energy consumption, accounting for a significant part of all energy consumed worldwide. Artificial lighting is provided today by electric lights, but previously by gas lighting, candles or oil lamps. Proper lighting can enhance task performance or aesthetics, while there can be energy wastage and adverse health effects of lighting. Indoor lighting is a form of fixture or furnishing, and a key part of interior design. Lighting can also be an intrinsic component of landscaping.

Artificial lighting consumes a significant part of all electrical energy consumed worldwide. In homes and offices from 20 to 50 percent of total energy consumed is due to lighting (Hawkin, 2000). Most importantly, for some buildings over 90 percent of lighting energy consumed can be an unnecessary expense through over-illumination (Hawken, 2000). Thus lighting represents a critical component of energy use today, especially in large office buildings where there are many alternatives for energy utilization in lighting. There are several strategies available to minimize energy requirements in any building:

* Specification of illumination requirements for each given use area.

* Design of time of day use that does not expend unnecessary energy.

* Selection of fixture and lamp types that reflect best available technology for energy conservation.

* Training of building occupants to utilize lighting equipment in most efficient manner.

* Maintenance of lighting systems to minimize energy wastage.

The commercial sector consists of retail stores, offices (business and government), restaurants, schools and other workplaces. Energy in this sector has the same basic end uses as the residential sector, in slightly different proportions. Space conditioning is again the single biggest consumption area, but it represents only about 30% of the energy use of commercial buildings. Lighting, at 25%, plays a much larger role than it does in the residential sector.[5] Lighting is also generally the most wasteful component of commercial use. A number of case studies indicate that more efficient lighting and elimination of over-illumination can reduce lighting energy by approximately fifty percent in many commercial buildings.

Commercial buildings can greatly increase energy efficiency by thoughtful design, with today's building stock being very poor examples of the potential of systematic  energy efficient design Commercial buildings often have professional management, allowing centralized control and coordination of energy conservation efforts.controlled Building automation system guarantees energy efficiency.

Recent advances include use of occupancy sensors to turn off lights when spaces are unoccupied, and photosensors to dim or turn off electric lighting when natural light is available. In air conditioning systems, overall equipment efficiencies have increased as energy codes and consumer information have begun to emphasise year round performance rather than just efficiency ratings at maximum output. Controllers that automatically vary the speeds of fans, pumps, and compressors have radically improved part-load performance of those devices. For space or water heating, electric heat pumps consume roughly half the energy required by electric resistance heaters. Natural gas heating efficiencies have improved through use of condensing furnaces and boilers, in which the water vapor in the flue gas is cooled to liquid form before it is discharged, allowing the heat of condensation to be used.

A BROAD OVERVIEW OF BUSINESS:  Kakatiya Energy Systems Private Limited (KESPL) develops, manufactures and distributes lighting controls in India and Middle East. These are based on electronic hardware and software with the aim of providing twin functions of automatic switching and automatic dimming of outdoor lamps. KESPL wishes to be a global player in this segment in the near future based on its patented products. The company has already completed the design of a new concept based product range and has proven the products in the actual field conditions for their functioning and robustness. The company has frozen the designs and has consolidated the production processes and quality control systems. Keeping in view the global potential the company wishes to implement the growth phase project now at an investment of Rs. 1650 lakhs.

COMPANY HISTORY: KESPL incorporated in the year 1999 has taken up the task of development of Lighting controls for energy conservation. The company has successfully developed the products and has developed many customers including OEM users like BAJAJ ELECTRICALS LTD, CROMPTON GREAVES LTD. It has also received product acceptance from PHILIPS ELECTRONICS INDIA Ltd and C& S GEWISS INDIA Pvt Ltd apart from many dealers and end users in the country. The company has received an award from FAPCCI under the category of “Best new product commercialized by an SSI for the first time from the state of Andhra Pradesh”. KESPL has received the patent rights under the title of “A DEVICE FOR AUTOMATIC SWITCHING AND/OR DIMMING OF LAMPS AT A PREDETREMINED AMBIENT LIGHT: vide the INDIAN PATENT Number 198710 granted on 6th April 2006. The company has already obtained the registration of the Product designs vide Design No. 179810 and the company has also obtained the trade mark registration for the product name NATURE SWITCH vide Trade Mark No. 1322680 in class 12.

PRODUCT SUMMARY:
The product NATURE SWITCH and its variants are to automatically switch ON and switch OFF all the categories of outdoor lamps like street lamps, Aviation obstruction lamp mounted on towers, Back lit Glow sign lighting, Front lit hoarding light, public lighting like parks, monumental lighting, faзade lighting, factory campus lighting, path way lighting systems etc.

THE PRODUCT OFFERING: Kakatiya Energy Systems Private Limited has offered NATURE SWITCH range to meet this serious need by way of a very advanced hybrid solution based on a state of the art infrared sensing and micro controller based processing and protective device for the complete satisfaction of the user segments. The automatic switching products can save about 10-15% of energy in outdoor lighting by ensuring an objective switching.

KESPL has also sensed a serious need among many users for late night dimming of High Intensity Discharge (HID) lamps for intensified energy conservation and the product MAGIC BOX was offered as a robust solution to meet the needs of many public bodies for late night dimming of HID lamps using the concept of bi-level dimming. The dimming product can save about 20-25% of energy in HID lighting by ensuring late night dimming. This is in tune with the expectations of many user organizations. The product was tested and approved for OEM use by the major lighting companies in India. The company’s products for switching and dimming are universal for use any where in the world.

UNIQUENESS OF PRODUCTS: The products are based on unique concepts of infrared sensing and duration based timing to offer a holistic and a robust product to the field. The company’s product comes with an IP65 rated enclosure and they offer a hybrid operation of a sensor based switching and an option of duration based timing for the convenience and ease of the user. The product range for automatic switching are suitable to a variety of outdoor lamps and offer a user selectable option for part night or full night operation. They also offer protective functions like automatic over voltage sense, trip and auto reset. The products come with all the needed memory back up using a rechargeable battery for an uninterrupted service over years. The products were designed keeping in view the need to offer a universal product valid for use any where in the world. The products are designed to be highly cost effective for their function and they are quite compact and are based on state of the art technology in terms of enclosure/ inner processing using a digital microcontroller.

Unsecured Solutions has helped millions of people just like you get (http://www.unsecuredsolutions.com-small business loans). We have helped secure over five hundred million dollars alone just in this past year for our clients (http://www.unsecuredsolutions.com-business loan) requirements. We have helped people fulfill their dreams of starting very profitable businesses, and even helped our clients acquire proven businesses with prosperous histories. Through our extensive and exclusive network of lenders, we are able to secure more capital at better rates than any other company in our industry. And because of our exclusive relationships with our lenders, you personally benefit from our experiences with each lender and unsurpassed knowledge of their lending products and which option is best for you! If there are only three things you remember after reading this, remember these 3 points:

* Through our exclusive relationships with our lenders, we will get you more funds at better interest rates than any other company in our industry!

* Our countless hours of research and years of experience guarantees you will have 100% satisfaction! WE HAVE NO UPFRONT FEES!! If for any reason you are not satisfied with our lending options we obtain for you, just decline your offers and OWE US NOTHING!

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Introduction -

Even before the inventor starts pouring his heart and money into his invention or idea, it is extremely crucial to have an independent evaluator to examine and evaluate it.

Why? Because Professional Marketability Evaluation Service will help you answer the following questions pertaining to invention or idea

Can my Invention (or idea) be profitable (or successful) in the current marketplace?

Is it possible to produce final product based on the invention / idea using existing technology?

Benefits of the Marketability Evaluation Service

First of all, one needs to separate a Professional Marketability Evaluation Service from the numerous invention promotional companies that you may find in TV ads.

For example, Innovation Institute (formerly Wal-Mart Innovation Network) provides professional and objective analysis of the risk and commercial potential of an invention.

Professional Evaluation Service Company exists not to sugar-coat your invention and sell it back to you as the best invention of the decade. Marketability Evaluators will take independent look at your invention and provide you with the following reports

- Product Success Report using latest trends that exist in a particular market sector

- Researching and Reporting laws (both local and Federal) that may have an impact on an idea

- Competition Distribution Report, noting any potential roadblocks and obstacles

- Analyze the "neediness" of an invention; factoring the "neediness" factor into estimating the potential marker size for the final product

In addition, Professional Marketability Consultant will get in touch with potential manufactures of your product. Very often consultant will provide you with the cost analysis and give you the breakdown of what it would take to produce your product with the few, selected manufactures. The final Manufacturing report will have phone numbers of key personnel that the inventor could call in case he is ready to start producing his product.

Addition Benefits of the Marketability Evaluation Service

Banks and financial institutions are more likely to grand financial aid to an inventor who obtained positive Marketability evaluation from the reputable service company because it has a higher chance to succeed.

In addition, if Marketability Evaluation Service Consultants found your invention non-commercial or very costly to produce, then you should take their advice seriously. Stop pouring money into patenting your invention and carefully consider the report. In most likelihood, your invention is indeed too non-commercial or too expensive to produce with the existing technology.

Summary

According to the Wisconsin Innovation Service Center, the cost of introducing new products into the market had skyrocketed in the last decade. In addition, a large percentage of new inventions are not successful despite a huge effort (lost time and money) on the part of the inventor. Upon carefully examining above mentioned facts, one

Should realize that the Marketability Evaluation Service Consultants are great resources to the inventor and help identify, in the very rudimentary stages of product development,

Whether the product has any potential to be profitable and help identifying particular market sectors where your invention will succeed!

If you are interesting in reading more, please visit <a target="_new" href="http://www.ideajets.com-IdeaJets website)that is dedicated in bringing quality information to the inventors all over the globe!

Robert P. Stewart

<a target="_new" href="www.ideajets.com-IdeaJets)

(mailto:support@ideajets.com-IdeaJets Support)

Copyright 2006 The Edventures Group

You know the feeling?

You’ve dodged the writing bullet for days...

It’s time to hit that send button and share your words of wisdom. Your supervisor or your client is waiting. And you’ve got nada, nothing except a blank screen and a deadline. What’s worse is you’re having flashbacks to college. It’s the night before a term paper is due and you have zip to show! Instinctively, you reach for that old familiar standby…Cliff Notes! Yes, Cliff Notes got you through English class!

But, there’s no Cliff Notes for weekly summaries, reports, evaluations, or RFP' s! And, no amount of excuses, coffee or Red Bull will help you now. But a tight plan that saves you from being a master of disaster when it comes to business writing can save the day, and those sleepless nights that proceed the deadline day!

You are not alone. These anxious writing moments are suffered in offices across the world. They create enough job stress to collectively power a small city. And they shake even the most confident business person throughout the organization, from the mail room to the board room.

Writing skill matters in business. You may be the Face to Face deal closer extraordinaire or the networking legend in your workplace, but your balance sheet is out of whack if you can’t talk the talk in writing. Today’s complete business person balances oral and written skill. Confident writers know the power of INKING THEIR THINKING, and they use it to advance in their career.

Facing your writing demons means growing up. You’ve got to get rid of the negative image being a poor writer. More than likely, it’s a view left over from inadequate high school or college classes. Sometimes it’s the result of no real experience as a writer. Can you imagine hitting a 67 on the Golf course each Saturday without constant practice and instruction? Well, writing, like golfing is based on muscle memory. The more you think and write, the more you imprint the process through application, the easier it is to write. Avoidance is the killer, and those deadlines keep coming. Think what it would feel like to be a confident wordsmith. You can be, and you can do it quickly…using the New York MINIT process as your model.

The New York MINIT writing framework reflects the urgent pace of a New York minute when things get done in a flash. After years of writing neglect, you need to get capable on the job, fast. And the New York MINIT framework let’s you develop a quick, clean process. You can internalize the MINIT system and use it easily, days before your writing is due for deadline. You’ll confidently meet a deadline. And, with practice, you’ll learn to write quickly, perhaps even in a few short minutes as you move from one meeting to the next during a busy day! So whether you are in Des Moines or Chicago, or Manhattan or Memphis, you can use the New York MINIT framework to quickly and clearly process your thoughts into written products. You’ll soon create written business documents that get attention and praise from your readers in a New York minute!

The NEW YORK MINIT

Writing is a process. Good writers move their thinking forward from envisioning an idea to presentation of a final product. These 5 Steps in using the New York MINIT for Business Writing Success will help you do the same. They are sequential. Depending on your skill, you may become stuck in the early stages. If you run dry, return, as you should, to step one….being stuck is a sure sign that your writing idea is too broad. By starting over, you can narrow and define your thinking.

Step One: M means….  Make time to “Prewrite”!

• Think and draft your writing WITHOUT Writing: Allow yourself to “dream” it, massage your thinking, and let your mind go. Good writers do a lot of “Prewriting” before they actually put pen to paper! This could take hours or a few days, but it is MOST important. Prewriting is done without paper.

• Think about your audience: Who will read this? Put yourself in his or her shoes as you pre-write. Think from the client’s point of view. What do they WANT to know? If it’s not clear. Get on the phone and ask!!

Step Two: I means…    Incorporate “Feedback Lines”!

• Find a writing buddy: Use someone not related to you who can talk to you about your prewriting thoughts in a quick conference. Tell the partner you want them to listen for small details of what you’ve thought about. This should take five minutes! It is not a critique, it’s a coaching session. Your partner listens and does not control the talk. You should be doing the talking. You are trying to narrow your broad thinking.

• Note to Self: Use post-its, use tape recorder, one scrap of paper or your blog.  Start to write your idea. For a sustained period of time of at least 15 minutes.

• Put the Editing Police on Notice! DO not stop to look at individual words as you get your ideas down….DO NOT edit yourself at this point. It is too early in the process. Research shows this is the time when people give up. It is not the time to nitpick over word, phrases or spelling. You want to make meaning. Give yourself permission to write a little garbage if you have to. Don’t get stuck here. Write freely! It’s for your eyes only.

• Take Inventory: Look at what you have written and circle the main points. Do they seem to be tied to a small enough idea? The mistake writers make is they take on too much and overwhelm themselves and the reader. You may have a template you use for a weekly report which should tighten your direction. If you have no template, remember less is often more. If you have the best points on the paper, you won’t need to be a Ramblin’ Man or Woman when you write the draft!

• Outline Away! Use whatever means works to create a quick outline. Use traditional Roman numerals, use bullets, use post it’s. Use what fits as you order your thinking.

Step Three: N means….Now Write!

• Write your draft! and begin with one or two sentences that you use a formula over and over. Write an opener that you can tailor later just to get you started. Then write past this opener. You can always go back and revise it. Treat it as  your running start from the high diving board. You might need it the first time you write, but chances are you will cut it in the final version.

• Don’t look at your first free-writing! Just keep your points in mind and begin fresh. Looking to the free-writing may cause you to become unfocused. You want your ideas to flow and new stronger thoughts to bubble up.

• Think simple! You are building a simple house of text! You need a front door, a kitchen a living room and a bedroom and a back door. Walk your reader through the house! It’s five rooms…Front door is the opener or Intro, the three rooms are main phases, points, articles, or benchmarks, depending on the writing task. Your closing is the back porch. Remember, keep it tight. No need to build a mansion! .

Step Four: I means… Invest in Voice!

• Make your draft live: Use a few writer’s age old tricks:1. Take out your wordy adjectives and long phrases.2. Vary the length of your sentences: short-short - long-short 3. Load your text with strong verbs 4. Avoid the passive voice ( No “en”or “ed” verb endings that have the words was, were, is…like “was chosen”. Use a subject and verb constructions that are active in Voice.) 5. Use a resource book if you want to use some specific vocabulary, but make your choice natural for yourself. Your report should be written in your business voice, not sounding like a textbook!

• Take another look: Reread your work and if your writing buddy can help you, read it quickly to him or her for clarity.

Step Five: T means… That’s a Wrap!

As you near the point of sending the writing:

• Use Spell check! • Read your work yourself…backwards from the end to the intro, checking the spelling yourself. • Give the report to another to read and EDIT, not to change content. • Double back to your writing buddy through email, if necessary

Following this process, with special attention, and your result will be a more confident you. Remember, you have a lot to make up for, years of avoiding writing. You can prove yourself a capable business writer using these steps. Do it in a New York minute!

Ever thought of starting a business? Short of money though? Sourcing for capital is definitely essential if you want to grow the business and tide your business over the

initial tough period. In the below article, I will share with you the essentials to writing a successful business plan to help you seek better alignment with your team and also to

convince the potential investors that you have done your due research and work, and have a clear idea of what you would want to achieve both in the short and long terms. Without this business plan ready, who will be convinced to lend you huge sums of money, right ??

So read on now to find out more...

Outline of a Successful Business plan

1) Executive Summary

2) Customer Need and Business Opportunity

- (Customer)Who are the targeted customers?

- What are their needs?

- What are the characteristics affecting consumer behaviour?

- (Business Opportunity) Understand the nature of the business markets

- Analyze the business buyer behaviour and process

- Understand the buyer-Decision Process for new products

- Additional analysis for institutional markets (eg: hospitals)

3) Market and Competitive Analysis

- Analyze the market environment through the companyЎЇs micro and macroenvironment

- Understand the marketing research process

- Find out current competitors and the existing products, and explain why our products have

an advantage over theirs

4) Business Strategy and Key Milestones

- Types of market segmentation

- Perform target marketing by evaluating different groups, selecting wanted groups, and

choosing strategy of marketing

- Positioning: identify possible competitive advantage, choosing the right competitive

advantages, selecting an overall positioning strategy(Value Proposition) , developing a

positioning statement and communicating and delivering the chosen position

- Make use of promotion, pricing partnership and PR to gain initial entry

- Anticipating and Countering Competitive Reaction

- Brand Development and Other Entry Barrier Building Mechanisms to Defend Position

- Market Growth/Diversification/Internationalization Strategy

- Expansion of Partnership, Affiliation and JV Strategies to Sustain Growth/Diversification

- Maintaining & Exploiting Options for Multiple Revenue Models

- Building Market Sensing Mechanisms to Learn and Adapt

5) Product Development Plan

- Work by R&D team

- Considerations in designing a successful prototype in the shortest period of time

- Product testing

- Test marketing

- Possible Commercialization based on results from test marketing, and the factors to take

note

- Deciding on a sequential product development style or simultaneous product development.

6) Marketing Plan

- 4 PЎЇs to consider: Price, Product, Promotion, and Place

- Pricing: Factors to consider from internal and external factors. Understand the various

general pricing approaches like cost-based pricing, value-based pricing , and competitor

based pricing. Also under pricing strategies like market-skimming and market penetration

pricing. Test out product mix pricing strategies, price adjustment strategies, and see which

is more appropriate.

- Product: Decide on things like product attributes, branding, packaging, labelling and

product support services. The product has to appeal to the target market

- Place: Basically about distribution network, figure out the supply chains and the value

delivery network, selecting the type of channel design, channel management decisions.

Creating marketing logistics and integrated supply chain management.

- Promotion: Applying the marketing communications mix including advertising, sales

promotion, public relations, personal selling and direct marketing, and see how to integrate

into one. Understand the communication process with consumers, and know the steps in

developing effective communication which include identifying target audience, determining

communication objectives, designing a message, choosing a media, selecting the message

source, and collecting feedback.

7) Operation Plan

- The operating plan should describe facilities, location, space requirements, capital

equipment, and labor force that are required to provide the company's product or service.

8) Management and Key Personnel

- The management team is the key to turning a good idea into a successful business. Bankers

and investors look for a committed management team with a balance of technical, managerial,

and business skills. The proposal should include a description of the organizational

structure, key management personnel and their primary duties, and the board of directors, if

applicable.

- Describe the exact duties and responsibilities of each key member of the management team.

For each individual, include a brief statement of career highlights that focuses on his or

her ability to perform the assigned role. A complete resume for each member should be

included as an exhibit to the business plan.

- In a table, present the key management roles in the company and the individual who will

fill each position. Discuss any current or past situations where the management personnel

have worked together, and indicate how their skills complement each other and result in an

effective management team.

9) Financial Projection

- The financial plan is basic to the evaluation of a business opportunity and should

represent your best estimate of future operations. It can also serve as an operating plan

for your management team.

- Includes sources and use of funds, estimated cash flow analysis, P&L, and balance sheets.

10) Risk Factors and Key Assumptions

11) The Proposed Offering

- The potential benefits an investor will expects to get back from investing in your

business. No one likes to lose money, right ?? Key Performance Indicator would be ROI

(return on investment)

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In conclusion, with this basic guideline, you now a better idea of what to include in a

business plan to make a convincing statement and proposition to the potential investors.

Next step is to start the momentum going !! Time and Tide wait for no man.