WHAT FACTORS DRIVE CUSTOMERS’ PURCHASING POWER? (PART 2) Many companies make the mistake of thinking their customers make purchase decisions based on one or two purchase factors that they think are key purchase criteria, such as price or product availability. But this is rarely the case. Customers usually base their […]
Marketing
INTERNATIONAL MARKETING International marketing takes place when a business directs its products and services towards consumers in a country other than the one in which it is located. While the overall concept of marketing is the same worldwide, the environment within which the marketing plan is implemented can be dramatically […]
ORGANIZED GIVING IN FAMILY ENTERPRISES Many business owners engage in charitable giving, either as private individuals or in their corporate capacity. This charitable giving can take many forms, including sponsorship of local charitable events, donation of excess inventory, and sustained philanthropy in one or more areas through the establishment of […]
UNDERCAPITALIZATION: BANE OF BUSINESS FAILURE Undercapitalization is a situation in which a business has insufficient funds, or capital, to support its operations. Although undercapitalization can affect any business, it is particularly common and problematic for small businesses. In fact, undercapitalization is one of the warning signs of major financial trouble […]
WHY TELECOMMUTING IS BENEFICIAL FOR BUSINESS Telecommuting is a practice in which an employee works at a location – usually, but not always, one’s home – that is remote from the actual business facility at which he or she is employed. Under this arrangement, the employee maintains close contact with […]
HOW ADMIRABLE CONSUMER PACKAGING TAKES PRODUCT OFF THE SHELF Packaging refers to the container or wrapper that holds a product or group of products. Most commercial packaging serves two basic functions: protecting the product from damage during shipping, and promoting the product to the ultimate consumer. Some common types of packaging […]
GATHERING COMPETITIVE INTELLIGENCE One of the weakest portions of any feasibility analysis or business plan is the competitive analysis. This is because an entrepreneur typically looks only at what can easily be seen on the surface rather than digging for what is not so obvious. It is important for entrepreneurs […]
RESEARCHING FOR A TARGET MARKET No matter what the size of the target market, it is crucial that an entrepreneur know as much as possible about the customer. In the beginning of a market analysis, the customer definition may be fairly loose and may even change fairly substantially as field […]
HOW TO FORECAST NEW PRODUCT/SERVICE DEMAND One of the most difficult tasks facing the entrepreneur is forecasting the demand for new product or service, particularly if that product or service has never existed previously in the marketplace. Much of this difficulty is due to the lack of historical data and […]
BENEFITS OF WEIGHING DELIVERY OPTIONS Virtually every business owner makes use of delivery services in their operations. For some companies, reliable, timely deliveries of parcels, letters, and documents are an essential element of their overall business practices. For others, delivery services are needed only occasionally to distribute contracts, business proposals, […]