market research

Paid market research is a great way for businesses to learn about their customer's likes and preferences. In addition paid market research is an earning opportunity for the entrepreneurial minded who want to get paid to share their opinions. Information gleaned from consumers through market research is an invaluable tool. This wealth of information can be instrumental in the development of products and services from start to finish.

Paid market research can come in different forms. For instance some market researchers use focus groups. Focus groups may get together in person or online. These groups are designed to reflect the diversity inherent in the general public. Additionally, a participant in market research may partake in an interview (online or off) where their opinions and feedback are thoroughly examined. Also paid market research may come in the form of online surveys. These online surveys have become increasingly popular, because they are convenient for the participant as well as the market research company.

Another way market research is used is by having consumers write product reviews. Market surveys attempt to generate relevant questions in a fair way that is representative of the larger population. When used efficiently, paid market research can yield relevant information about how a given product will be received and how to maximize profit.

mannequins for sale

Your small business website is about your customers, not you. Sure you may be talking about yourself, your products, your services but the real issue is how does all this benefit the customer. If your over at this website fails to convey the important "what's in it for me" message you have lost business. Make sure your website matches the customer's needs. Why are they at your site to begin with? Are they looking for products, information, your credentials, general information, or a way to contact you?

Clients who come to shop: These people want to see your products; multiple views if possible. Make sure your photos are properly sized and don't take forever to load. Have your payment information displayed prominently. Offer as many payment options as you can. Clearly state shipping fees, return policies and any guarantees.

online marketing

Industry pros understand the bottom line and the need for measurable returns on any investment, especially when it comes to spends for advertising and marketing. They also understand that online marketing is one of the few methods guaranteed to pay for itself.

online marketing solutions, specifically paid placement and search engine optimization, have a proven track record in giving companies the highest returns of any vehicle in their marketing mix.

In addition, online marketing is a low-risk proposition because it's based on performance. You pay only if a potential customer clicks on your ad. Utilizing that system, the cost of acquiring a customer is dramatically reduced.

Those in the know insist online marketing generates 20-50% of the qualified sales leads in industries that have traditionally relied on sales prospecting, word-of-mouth and trade shows.

shop mannequins

Marketing has always been about finding out what people want, and then presenting them with that in as appealing a way as possible. shop mannequins have been shown to handle the presentation very effectively, but of course you need to make sure that you get your display and choice of mannequins right.

Shop Mannequins allow you to present a complete image to your customer, that clothes and accessories hanging on a rack alone won't do. You want to show prospects that the items will look good on them when they wear them, and that they create the image they want to present. People want to look good in front of others. They also want to wear things that other people agree is the fashion. Shop-front displays show them what the latest fashion trends are.

CARPET CLEANING TAMPA

When we think of a carpet cleaning service most of us think of a couple of workers that show up with a van and either hook up to our outside or inside water service or bring in a self contained machine. Both of these methods either steam clean or wash your carpet. Typically they do their job, with varying degrees of efficiency, collect their fee and leave. There is, however, much more to a good Carpet Cleaning Tampa professional than just a carpet cleaner.

A well diversified carpet pro will offer many other services besides simply cleaning your carpet. He or she will be a stain removal expert. Analyzing the origin and age of a stain and utilizing one of dozens of stain removal formulas to permanently remove it.

The professional will also offer a dry cleaning service for you carpet for persons that are expecting company right away and do not have drying time to spare or rooms that can't remain unoccupied for another reason like a doctor's waiting room.

proffesional skincare product

professional skincare product and systems are sometimes sold to individuals for home use. Is that really a good idea? That depends.

The product could be nourishing, healing, therapeutic and a very healthy skincare system. It could also be harsh, irritating and problematic.

Acid peels are examples of products that really should not be used without consulting a dermatologist. Even then, most dermatologists will advise their patients about the risks involved. Those risks include redness, itching, bleeding and infection.

About the only warning you see on peels sold to consumers is to discontinue use and consult a physician if irritation occurs. Then what?

Women waste thousands of dollars per year on products that are either ineffective or detrimental. They have little recourse, because most companies will not accept returns if the bottle has been opened.

Only with a lot of complaining and threatening are some women able to get a refund. But does the cosmetic company cover their bills for dermatological care? No, they do not.

Of course, the treatments available from professional skincare providers like day spas, dermatologists and cosmetic surgeons can be disappointing too. Injections seem to be all the rage right now. Some of the adverse reactions include pain or numbness at the injection site and swelling or bruising

Adventures in Money Making

If you've ever wondered how to use that power to your business' advantage, you're not alone. Businesses around the world use blogging in some way to increase their exposure and their sales. Many businesses have their own blogs, while others simply read blogs as a way of conducting market research.

One of the most controversial uses of blogs in business is buying blog reviews. The concept is simple enough: good reviews on other people's blogs means positive increases in your business. To gain some credibility and a loyal following, some businesses pay for bloggers to write glowing reviews about them.

Paying for blog reviews is not only about building brand recognition and exposure. It's also about gaining links and dominating the search engine results for your particular keywords.

Is buying blog reviews ethical? It depends on who you ask and how you go about it. If you are purchasing links to your site outright, you will be flagged and penalized by the search engines. This is a prohibited practice that can have extremely negative implications for you. However, if you are experiencing challenges in building brand awareness or in getting honest opinions from consumers, advertise on blogs may give you the break that you need.

Zwischen den Kirchen

Zwischen den Kirchen

Quick Cash Access (Online Payday Loans) When Working and Travelling Abroad

The best-laid plans when doing business or just travelling for pleasure in other countries can be way-laid quickly when you suddenly need a spot of quid. This is one reason why online payday loans have increased enormously in popularity in recent years.

When you get a payday loan, you are basically obtaining cash from your next paycheque. The lender looks only at your pay rate – not your credit history scores and not some property you would offer for collateral – to determine your loan worthiness. The application is completed online (no faxes required) and the money is sent to your bank account in about an hour – which you can withdraw from any ATM.

The conveniences that payday loan companies supply are what enable them to grow in the current economy:

Simple application – Online payday loans mean you need not go to a payday loan store. You do not even need to talk to anyone on the phone. It is just a matter of logging on to the lender website, completing a 5-10 minute loan application, then getting confirmation.

Fast turn-around – If you apply before 22:00, your loan will be deposited into your bank account in about one hour (later and it gets there by 4:00 the next day).

Can actually improve a credit score – Everyone worries about their credit score, and we all know that a missed payment on a bill can throw their score into a tailspin. By accessing some quick quid online, regardless of where you are at the time, you can keep up those pay schedules. And by successfully paying off the payday loan , it is another plus for your score.

You’re wise to have this as a backup when doing business or travelling by yourself. It’s the smart way to keep your plans on track.

Live A Better Life

This post has nothing to do with making money, but life isn't all about making money. It's about being happy. And most of us make money with the end of achieving that goal. So this post is about being happier.

Make Life Simple Again

When we were young life was easier, right? I know sometimes it seems that way. But the truth is life still is easy. It always will be. The only difference is we’re older, and the older we get, the more we complicate things for ourselves.

You see, when we were young we saw the world through simple, hopeful eyes. We knew what we wanted and we had no biases or concealed agendas. We liked people who smiled. We avoided people who frowned. We ate when we were hungry, drank when we were thirsty, and slept when we were tired.

As we grew older our minds became gradually disillusioned by negative external influences. At some point we began to hesitate and question our instincts. When a new obstacle or growing pain arose, we stumbled and a fell down. This happened several times. Eventually we decided we didn’t want to fall again, but rather than solving the problem that caused us to fall, we avoided it all together.

As a result, we ate comfort food and drank alcohol to numb our wounds and fill our voids. We worked late nights on purpose to avoid unresolved conflicts at home. We started holding grudges, playing mind games, and subtly deceiving others and ourselves to get ahead. And when it didn’t work out, we lived above our means, bought things we didn’t need, and ate and drank some more just to make ourselves feel better again.

Over the course of time, we made our lives more and more difficult, and we started losing touch with who we really are and what we really need.

So let’s get back to the basics, shall we? Let’s make things simple again. It’s easy. Here are 60 ways to do just that:

Life is not complex. We are complex. Life is simple, and the simple thing is the right thing. - Oscar Wilde

1. Don’t try to read other people’s minds. Don’t make other people try to read yours. Communicate.
2. Be polite, but don’t try to be friends with everyone around you. Instead, spend time nurturing your relationships with the people who matter most to you.
3. Your health is your life, keep up with it. Get an annual physical check-up.
4. Live below your means. Don’t buy stuff you don’t need. Always sleep on big purchases. Create a budget and savings plan and stick to both of them.
5. Get enough sleep every night. An exhausted mind is rarely productive.
6. Get up 30 minutes earlier so you don’t have to rush around like a mad man. That 30 minutes will help you avoid speeding tickets, tardiness, and other unnecessary headaches.
7. Get off your high horse, talk it out, shake hands or hug, and move on.
8. Don’t waste your time on jealously. The only person you’re competing against is yourself.
9. Surround yourself with people who fill your gaps. Let them do the stuff they’re better at so you can do the stuff you’re better at.
10. Organize your living space and working space.
11. Get rid of stuff you don’t use.
12. Ask someone if you aren’t sure.
13. Spend a little time now learning a time-saving trick or shortcut that you can use over and over again in the future.
14. Don’t try to please everyone. Just do what you know is right.
15. Don’t drink alcohol or consume recreational drugs when you’re mad or sad. Take a jog instead.
16. Be sure to pay your bills on time.
17. Fill up your gas tank on the way home, not in the morning when you’re in a hurry.
18. Use technology to automate tasks.
19. Handle important two-minute tasks immediately.
20. Relocate closer to your place of employment.
21. Don’t steal.
22. Always be honest with yourself and others.
23. Say “I love you” to your loved ones as often as possible.
24. Single-task. Do one thing at a time and give it all you got.
25. Finish one project before you start another.
26. Be yourself.
27. When traveling, pack light. Don’t bring it unless you absolutely must.
28. Clean up after yourself. Don’t put it off until later.
29. Learn to cook, and cook.
30. Make a weekly (healthy) menu, and shop for only the items you need.
31. Consider buying and cooking food in bulk. If you make a large portion of something on Sunday, you can eat leftovers several times during the week without spending more time cooking.
32. Stay out of other people’s drama. And don’t needlessly create your own.
33. Buy things with cash.
34. Maintain your car, home, and other personal belongings you rely on.
35. Smile often, even to complete strangers.
36. If you hate doing it, stop it.
37. Treat everyone with the same level of respect you would give to your grandfather and the same level of patience you would have with your baby brother.
38. Apologize when you should.
39. Write things down.
40. Be curious. Don’t be scared to learn something new.
41. Explore new ideas and opportunities often.
42. Don’t be shy. Network with people. Meet new people.
43. Don’t worry too much about what other people think about you.
44. Spend time with nice people who are smart, driven, and likeminded.
45. Don’t text and drive. Don’t drink and drive.
46. Drink water when you’re thirsty.
47. Don’t eat when you’re bored. Eat when you’re hungry.
48. Exercise every day. Simply take a long, relaxing walk.
49. Let go of things you can’t change. Concentrate on things you can.
50. Find hard work you actually enjoy doing.
51. Realize that the harder you work, the luckier you will become.
52. Follow your heart. Don’t waste your life fulfilling someone else’s dreams and desires.
53. Set priorities for yourself and act accordingly.
54. Take it slow and add up all your small victories.
55. However good or bad a situation is now, it will change. Accept this simple fact.
56. Excel at what you do. Otherwise you’ll just frustrate yourself.
57. Mature, but don’t grow up too fast.
58. Realize that you’re never quite as right as you think you are.
59. Build something or do something that makes you proud.
60. Make mistakes, learn from them, laugh about them, and move along.

Oh, and enjoy life’s simple pleasures. They’re free and better than anything money can buy. ;-)

Tax Havens For Retirees

When I retire, I plan to live off my dividends and other passive income. California, which is basically broke, which has pretty high state taxes is not the most optimal place - especially once you don't have a job and have the flexibility to live in cheaper places. Some states like Nevada, have on tax on personal income, while some like New Hampshire only tax interest and dividends (definitely retiree unfriendly). Forbes recently had an article about states Wooing Retirees With Tax Breaks.

Last month, even as they slapped a new tax on hospitals, raised dozens of
user fees and eliminated a low-income tax credit, Georgia legislators passed
income tax relief for one group: well-off retirees. For residents 62 or older,
Georgia already exempts from its 6% tax all Social Security and $70,000 per
couple of income from pensions, retirement accounts, annuities, interest,
dividends, capital gains and rents. But in 2012 the exemption for couples 65 and
older will rise to $130,000, and by 2016 all their retirement income will be
exempt--a break Governor Sonny Perdue championed as a lure for well-heeled
seniors.

If you're looking for a domestic retirement tax haven, Georgia is hardly the only place worth considering. Seven states--Alaska, Florida, Nevada, South Dakota, Texas, Washington and Wyoming--don't tax personal income at all. New Hampshire and Tennessee tax interest and dividends but not other income. The rest of the states have broad income taxes but give old taxpayers breaks, some quite generous. A recent study by Karen Smith Conway of the University of New Hampshire and Jonathan C. Rork of Georgia State calculates that retirees pay, on average, only half the state income tax of working folks with the same income.

So depending on whether you have w-2 income or 1098-int income, you might want to consider different states to live in. Of course, higher rates of real estate taxes and estate taxes will complicate things further.

Buying Silver Coins

Gold hit a new high today, closing around $1,237/ounce after trading at almost $1,250/oz during the intraday session. Silver, which is already up 30% since its lows of $15.13 in February followed to $19.56/ounce.

I've been collecting both gold and silver coins since late 2005, during which time gold was trading for $495/oz and the price of silver was under $10/ounce. I currently own over 50 silver coins. Before you get all excited, the value comes to around $1,000 and it's a big hassle to store them. But, being a big fan of shiny objects I still like to buy coins now and then.

My favorites are the 1 ounce Australian Lunar Series, the Peace silver dollars and the Morgan silver dollars. But this time, I thought I'd try something different. I bought a couple of the Nazi 5 Reichmark silver coins. No, I'm not a big fan of Nazi memorabilia or anything like that. It's just that these coins are 90% silver and each one contains about 0.40 ounces of silver. Considering that silver bullion coins sell for about $22 right now, the silver in those coins is worth about $8.80. I just spent about $10.50 for each coin or about $1.70 more than I would've paid for a silver bullion coin.

Not bad for a piece of history!

Historically, silver has traded for about 1/15th the price of gold which means it would be trading around $75/oz today. Even if we consider that it trades for 1/50th, it should still be at $25/oz. I think we'll see silver at $25/oz within 12 months, which means it has to jump another 20%. Let's see how that works out. It will probably pull back a little before it makes any major moves to the upside. I'll be buying more silver coins if that happens. Although I'm not sure what I'll do with them. I might have to start burying them!

How To Nail An Interview

The best investment you can make is in yourself. Check out this great video by Bob Parsons about nailing an interview. Despite coming from a guy who's built a web development company, it's equally applicable whether you're going to work on Wall Street or an SEO agency.

The Power of Dividend Investing

Here's an interesting snippet about the benefits of dividend investing:

"A recent Associated Press report noted that Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) CEO Steve Jobs has only earned $1 per year since he returned to the CEO post in 1997.

That seems to beg the question how does someone live on $1 per year? Steve is able to enjoy a very lavish lifestyle, but not because of his large salary. His lifestyle is funded by his dividend income. Yes, Steve Jobs is probably one of the biggest dividend investors that you've never heard of.

Jobs owns approximately 138 million shares of Walt Disney (NYSE: DIS) stock that he received from the Pixar Animation Studios sale back in 2006.

Disney has paid out dividends of $0.35 per share each of the past three years. Owning 138 million shares results in over $48 million received each year in dividend income." -SeekingAlpha

I believe that dividends are also subject to the 15% cap on income tax, making that a pretty low tax rate for Mr. Jobs.

Bull Market In Bureaucracy

According the interesting guys at Agora Finance, the all industry thats in a bull market is government employment!

Not sure why increased government spending is touted as a good thing. Sure it helps the economy from spiralling into a depression, but shouldn't there be some limit on it? Its not like we have any savings. We're just borrowing from foreigners who are happy to send us back their surplus-export-dollars in order to keep their currencies in check to prevent their exports from decreasing. At some point we might become like Japan, with a debt that's nearly 200% of GDP!

Fed + Treasury = Inflation

I read an interesting article today from a commodities trader:

The following comments come from a Merrill Lynch publication today.

“To repeat our Mantra:
1) Whatever MUST happen, WILL happen.
2) In a debt crisis, inflation is the ONLY solution.
3) The FED + US Treasury can create inflation.
4) As such, there WILL be Inflation.

In this light, we will remind you that whenever you hear someone whisper to you that “It is different this time,” we urge you to grab your wallet and run. It is never truly different, only the flavor and the timing have been altered. Concurrently, we will note that “Pigs can fly, when shot out of a large enough cannon”.

As such, the ability of the FED+US Government to simultaneously print money and lower interest rates can only end in tears. If this were NOT the case, then Zimbabwe would be a paradise and the Weimar Republic would still exist.”

Commodities like gold and silver have been historic stores of wealth. Rich people understand this and use them protect themselves against inflation. You may not get rich buying gold and silver, but you will definitely retain your buying power. Investments in real estate should also do well - eventually, although its likely to do poorly in the short term.

Is Gold Too Expensive?

Last week, gold prices hit nearly $1,200/oz. Most people think that this is a bubble and that gold prices are due to drop. I'm really not sure what to make of this, but I feel that in the long run (3-5 years), gold prices will keep going higher. But let me quote someone who's credibility and investing prowess far exceeds my own, Richard Russell, 85-year-old author of the Dow Theory Letters. He said:

There’s still loads of scepticism about the rising price of gold and the bull market in gold. It’s been so long since the US public (since 1971) realized gold was real Constitutional money that they don’t know what to make of the gold action. They think gold near $1,200 an ounce is expensive and they’d rather have dollar bills.

I’ve coined the phrase, ‘dollar-bugs’ for these ignorant Americans. I guess they’ll have to get educated the hard way, which means holding on to their fading Federal Reserve Notes, no matter what. As far as I’m concerned, it’s an amazing example of mass brainwashing. ‘Hey, I’d rather have junk paper turned out by the Fed than the real thing - gold.’ Pathetic. And the happy thought is that you can (legally) still swap your junk fiat paper for gold.

What do you guys think?

If I had to make a recommendation today, I'd rather buy silver than gold - but I'm still holding on to my gold coins right now.

What Grows Faster Than Than Inflation?

If we knew what would grow faster than inflation, we all could just plonk our retirement money in it and be assured of safe leisurely life in our old age. So what has been proven to grow faster than inflation over the past century without fail?

Government Spending! According to the Privateer, "In 1909, the US federal government had an annual budget of $US 0.8 Billion. With this it governed a population of just over 90 million people. The cost of government was about $9 per capita. In 2009, the US federal government has an annual budget of $US 3,550 Billion. With this it governs a population of just over 300 million people. That's a cost of about $11,675 per capita."

Now if there was only some way to invest in government spending, we'd all be rich!

Another fact is that you could buy an ounce of silver for a dollar. Now it'll cost you over $17! Are you going to wait until its over $50/ounce before you start buying? For an interesting read check out Why $1,000 Gold is Now Significant

Hiring Mercenaries To Run Public Companies

Here's an interesting article about how CEOs today don't have a stake in the companies they manage. Since they don't have a stake and are only focused on their take-home salary their interests are not aligned with those of the shareholders.

Over the past few decades the spread between the salaries of the lowest paid employees and the C-level employees has been growing further and further apart. It's as if we're just hiring mercenaries to run the companies.

Follow the Scent
By Chris Mayer

I often think of good investing as the accumulation of small advantages. You want as many of these advantages working for you as possible. So here is one that a lot of investors don't pay any attention to -- insider ownership -- and it turns out that it has a big effect on returns over time.

A new paper by Ulf von Lilienfeld-Toal and Stefan Ruenzi states: "Firms in which the CEO voluntarily holds a nontrivial fraction of the company's stock outperform the market significantly…. The effect is most pronounced among firms that are characterized by large managerial discretion of the CEO."

They go on to conclude:

"We find that value-weighted portfolios consisting of S&P 500 stocks in which the CEO holds more than 5% or 10% of the firm's outstanding shares generate statistically and economically significant abnormal returns of 9.2% p.a. and 13.0 percent per annum, respectively. For S&P 1500 firms, the effect is only slightly smaller, with abnormal returns of 8.5% per annum and 12.1% per annum, for a 5% and 10% cutoff for managerial ownership, respectively."

One of the many problems with today's market is the fact that the people running companies are not owners. A typical American CEO owns hardly any of the company he runs. Whatever shares he has he gets through stock options, which he does not pay for. In addition, he gets paid an enormous sum of money in salary and bonus.

I read proxy statements. Very few do. Most investors probably don't even know what one looks like, which is a shame. And it explains why corporate execs lavish so freely on themselves. The owners aren't paying attention.

Anyway, proxy statements reveal to you the compensation of the management team and directors. It also shows you how many shares each of them owns. I'm always amazed at what some of these guys make. And I always get a little annoyed when I see how little they have at risk in their own firms.

There was a time when this situation would not have been tolerated. There is a quote from Frederick Lewis Allen that I like, which I reprinted in my book Invest Like a Dealmaker:

"In 1900, capitalism was capitalism indeed. Businesses were run by their owners, the people who had put or had acquired capital with which to finance them… It would seem wildly irrational that a man should manage the destinies of a corporation while owning only a minute fraction of the stock, as so frequently happens today."

After I listen to some presentation by a CEO telling me how great his stock is, I always wonder to myself: "Then why don't you buy shares?" I never come up with a good answer. If a guy is gonna get all gung-ho on his stock, yet he doesn't own any, then I’ve got a beef with him.

It is true that in our aging modern industrial society, it is hard for a CEO to own a large percentage of some of our multibillion- dollar corporations. But he should own enough relative to his own salary and net worth that it makes him sweat. And he should buy shares out of pocket, and not have shares handed to him for free.

Intuitively, I've long believed that companies with insider ownership do better. I agree with the old money manager Martin Sosnoff, who once observed, “My experience as a money manager suggests that entrepreneurial instinct equates with sizable equity ownership."

Often, the most creative and value-creating moves are made by management teams who own shares. Conversely, the stupid and value- destroying moves are often made by managers who don't own shares.

Thoughts like this are what led me to include "owner-operators" among what I look for when investing in a stock. Most of the stocks I have recommended over the years have had significant insider ownership. The people running the companies have their money at risk just like us.

It doesn't mean that every stock with high insider ownership outperforms. It means that as a group, these stocks have done better than those with little insider ownership.

This trait is something to look for when investing in stocks.

Can't Find A Job? Sue Your College!

It had to happen sooner or later. Well, it finally happened!

Jobless graduate sues her college

A New York woman who says she cannot find a job is suing the college where she obtained a bachelor's degree, the New York Post reports.

Trina Thompson, 27, filed a lawsuit last week against Monroe College in Bronx Supreme Court.

She is seeking to recover $70,000 (£42,000) she spent on tuition to get her information technology degree.

The ex-student, who received her degree in April, says the college's Office of Career Advancement did not provide her with the leads and career advice it had promised.

What about all those guys who got liberal arts degrees and haven't been able to find jobs for years? Maybe they start a class action lawsuit!

Maybe Trina will sue her student loan lender next.