Wireless Wave Means Business for System Integrators and Solution ProvidersAt a time when wireless is just about to make its dent on the IT landscape – resellers can move another notch up the value chain by weaving a business model around wireless products and services as part of their business strategy. Taking advantage of this opportunity involves getting up to speed with one of the hottest trends in technology today – the explosive growth of wireless data services that will soon put the power of Internet commerce into people’s pockets
by providing the opportunity to do real-time transactions on the road.The need is there in the overall Asian region – primarily in the form of a growing mobile workforce implementation in the corporate front & home networking in the SOHO segment and devices are available to serve that need. About 30 million mobile wireless devices are now used on a daily basis in India and sales of digital wireless handsets are expected to grow far faster than sales of personal computers in coming years.But what can these wireless data devices be used for?Most of the mobile data applications now on the market are the new consumer applications such as e-mail access or information services such as news updates and stock alerts. What remains to be developed and deployed is a wide range of business solutions that will make mobile wireless data an everyday tool that mobile employees, partners, customers and suppliers can use to perform real-time transactions online. “Mobile wireless revolution is round the corner, but there are a few security concerns with the customers. This is the reason why we haven’t seen any big implementation in the wireless arena. However, this is likely to be changed as we experience more and more positive results of this technology,” opines, Devendra Taneja, CEO at PC Solutions. The Delhi based SI is busy placing a team of people which would be dedicated towards implementing wireless solutions for the SOHO and the corporate segment.
Wireless Technology – A Wave of New Business
Debt Consolidation
Get Out Of Debt Without Claiming BankruptcyYou’re drowning in debt, credit card bills are piling up and you are stressed to the max. Surprisingly enough, you are not alone. Over 70% of the American population is seriously in debt. There are debt consolidation companies out there who claim they can help consolidate your payments
and work with your credit card companies to get your interest rates down; but beware of such claims. I cannot count how many companies like these have gone under or have been in a negative spotlight because they have not followed through with their claims. Many people have lost money and ended up having to file bankruptcy because a debt consolidation company burned them. Don’t get me wrong there are some good companies out there that will help you with your credit and debt problems, but you need to research different companies in order to find a reputable company. The first thing you should do is be sure to verify with the Better Business Bureau that the company doesn’t have any complaints on record, if they do this should raise a “red flag” immediately. Another option is to check with family, friends and colleagues to see if they have used any of these companies or if they know of a good one. These two suggestions will get you started on the right track.When you do find a company to work with there are a few things you should aware of. One, if you are having them pay your payments for you it will show up on your credit report. This usually lowers your credit score because creditors and financial institutions see it as one step before bankruptcy. The rumor is that now a days credit card companies are not as willing to work with the debt consolidation companies because of the negative reputation. Make sure you know what you are getting into and understand your contract completely.
Follow That Puck! A Common-Sense Guide to Planning for Your Small Business
What to do when strategic planning, Hoshin kanri and TQM just aren’t a fit with your small business.You’re in a tough business and doing fairly well. You’re making a living and you’ve always considered yourself to be relatively intelligent, right?So why do such innocuous phrases as “six hat thinking” or “strategic planning model” or worse, “Hoshin Kanri,” cause your throat to constrict and set your fight-or-flight instincts into high
gear?Relax! You can demystify and defang the dreaded business planning process — and save yourself thousands of dollars in consultants’ fees — by understanding the common-sense principles and processes that underpin solid, old-fashioned marketing planning.Once you’ve examined your own business, customer base and planning needs in that light — and who better than you to do that? — you’ll be in a position to decide whether to proceed with internal planning on your own, or whether outside help is actually warranted.Begin at the BeginningSituation. Objectives. Strategies. SOS, for short, and it need not always spell trouble. But all business and marketing planning begins there.Hockey great Wayne Gretzky, when asked to explain his phenomenal scoring ability, said simply, “I skate to where I think the puck will be.”In short, that describes Gretzky’s personal strategic plan. No one could argue the strength of its success.Situation: He knows where he is on the ice at the moment and where his target (the puck) is at all times.Objective: His singular, focused objective is to plot a course across the ice, through an adrenaline-pumped mob of large men with big sticks, to reach his destination.Strategy: Gretzky’s self-described strategy is ultimately to employ his experience, instincts and knowledge of the players and the game … to place himself, and the puck, in the same place at the same time, moving unstoppably together at high speed in the direction of the goal.
Marketing 101: Eight keys to successful new-business prospecting
There’s no secret to attracting and keeping new clients and customers. Here are eight key reminders to kick-start your new-business program!In a complex, connected world where your small-business competitors are proliferating with the speed of the Internet, you can’t afford not to pay better and closer attention to your customer base.And you can’t spend so much time and effort on getting much-needed new business in new niches and new markets, that you allow the loyal customers you already have to languish — and possibly drift away — for lack of your apt
attention.Because time is money, and money fuels your business, here are eight, quick reminders about how best to get more business for your small company … and how you can hang on to the business you’ve got:1. Keep in mind that the competition is super-tough and getting tougher.Researchers say there are at least 60 competitors for each sale made every day in any given business situation. Do you know who’s got their eyes on your customers? Know your competition, and keep updating that knowledge base regularly. 2. Targeting is a good way to fight the competition.Know what makes your company and your products (or services) stand out from the crowd, and zero in on those sales points. In a nutshell, that’s the secret of brand marketing. Find the niche message that appeals to your customers, and sell that “brand business” to your prospects.3. Avoid the Silicon Valley syndrome.Don’t fall for the media-hyped myth that technology is the answer to all your problems. There’s four times as much business in applications of existing technology to traditional products and services, than there is to applications of hyper-new technologies. You don’t have to be first on the block to try something new. 4. Emphasize the small and entrepreneurial.Bigger isn’t usually better. Most new business in this country is generated by small, new companies, so let them know you appreciate their business, however small it may be initially, and that you share their entrepreneurship values. 5. Retention is as important as attraction.