Preparing for a Career in International Business

Understand how to prepare for a career in international business.
 

No matter where your career takes you, you won’t be able to avoid the reality and reach of international business. We’re all involved in it. Some readers may want to venture more seriously into this exciting arena. The career opportunities are exciting and challenging, but taking the best advantage of them requires some early planning. Here are some hints.
 

Plan Your Undergraduate Education
 
 

Many colleges and universities offer strong majors in international business, and this course of study can be good preparation for a global career. In planning your education, remember the following:
 

•    Develop real expertise in one of the basic areas of business. Most companies will hire you as much for your skill and knowledge in accounting, finance, information systems, marketing, or management as for your background in the study of international business. Take courses in both areas.
•    Develop your knowledge of international politics, economics, and culture. Take liberal arts courses that focus on parts of the world that especially interest you. Courses in history, government, and the social sciences offer a wealth of knowledge about other nations and cultures that’s relevant to success in international business.
•    Develop foreign-language skills. If you studied a language in high school, keep up with it. 


Improve your reading or conversational skills. Or start a new language in college. Recall that your competition in the global marketplace is not just other Americans, but also individuals from countries, such as Belgium, where everyone’s fluent in at least two (and usually three) languages. Lack of foreign-language skills often proves to be a disadvantage for many Americans in international business.
 

Get Some Direct Experience
 
Take advantage of study-abroad opportunities, whether offered on your campus or by another college. There are literally hundreds of such opportunities, and your interest in international business will be received much more seriously if you’ve spent some time abroad. (As a bonus, you’ll probably find it an enjoyable, horizon-expanding experience, as well.)
 

Interact with People from Other Cultures
 
Finally, whenever you can, learn about the habits and traits of other cultures, and practice interacting with the people to whom they belong. Go to the trouble to meet international students on your campus and get to know them. Learn about their cultures and values, and tell them about yours. You may initially be uncomfortable or confused in such intercultural exchanges, but you’ll find them great learning experiences. By picking up on the details, you’ll avoid embarrassing mistakes later and even earn the approval of acquaintances from abroad.
 
Whether you’re committed to a career in global business, curious about the international scene, or simply a consumer of worldwide products and services, you can’t avoid the effects of globalization. Granted, the experience can be frustrating, maybe even troubling at times. More often, however, it’s likely to be stimulating and full of opportunities.

Opportunities in International Business

Identify the various opportunities presented by international business.



The fact that nations exchange billions of dollars in goods and services each year demonstrates that international trade makes good economic sense. For an American company wishing to expand beyond national borders, there are a variety of ways it can get involved in international business. Let’s take a closer look at the more popular ones.


 
Importing and Exporting

Importing (buying products overseas and reselling them in one’s own country) and exporting (selling domestic products to foreign customers) are the oldest and most prevalent forms of international trade. For many companies, importing is the primary link to the global market. American food and beverage wholesalers, for instance, import the bottled water Evian from its source in the French Alps for resale in U.S. supermarkets. Other companies get into the global arena by identifying an international market for their products and become exporters. The Chinese, for instance, are increasingly fond of fast foods cooked in soybean oil. Because they also have an increasing appetite for meat, they need high-protein soybeans to raise livestock. As a result, American farmers now export over $1 billion worth of soybeans to China every year.


Licensing and Franchising

A company that wants to get into an international market quickly while taking only limited financial and legal risks might consider licensing agreements with foreign companies. An international licensing agreement allows a foreign company (the licensee) to sell the products of a producer (the licensor) or to use its intellectual property (such as patents, trademarks, copyrights) in exchange for royalty fees. Here’s how it works: You own a company in the United States that sells coffee-flavored popcorn. You’re sure that your product would be a big hit in Japan, but you don’t have the resources to set up a factory or sales office in that country. You can’t make the popcorn here and ship it to Japan because it would get stale. So you enter into a licensing agreement with a Japanese company that allows your licensee to manufacture coffee-flavored popcorn using your special process and to sell it in Japan under your brand name. In exchange, the Japanese licensee would pay you a royalty fee.
Another popular way to expand overseas is to sell franchises. Under an international franchise agreement, a company (the franchiser) grants a foreign company (the franchisee) the right to use its brand name and to sell its products or services. The franchisee is responsible for all operations but agrees to operate according to a business model established by the franchiser. In turn, the franchiser usually provides advertising, training, and new-product assistance. Franchising is a natural form of global expansion for companies that operate domestically according to a franchise model, including restaurant chains, such as McDonald’s and Kentucky Fried Chicken, and hotel chains, such as Holiday Inn and Best Western.


Contract Manufacturing and Outsourcing
 
Because of high domestic labor costs, many U.S. companies manufacture their products in countries where labor costs are lower. This arrangement is called international contract manufacturing or outsourcing. A U.S. company might contract with a local company in a foreign country to manufacture one of its products. It will, however, retain control of product design and development and put its own label on the finished product. Contract manufacturing is quite common in the U.S. apparel business, with most American brands being made in Asia (China and Malaysia) and Latin America (Mexico and the Dominican Republic).
Thanks to twenty-first-century information technology, nonmanufacturing functions can also be outsourced to nations with lower labor costs. U.S. companies increasingly draw on a vast supply of relatively inexpensive skilled labor to perform various business services, such as software development, accounting, and claims processing. For years, American insurance companies have processed much of their claims-related paperwork in Ireland. With a large, well-educated population, India has become a center for software development and customer-call centers for American companies. In the case of India, as you can see in , the attraction is not only a large pool of knowledge workers, but also significantly lower wages.

 Selected Hourly Wages, United States and India
Occupation    U.S. Wage    Indian Wage
Telephone operator    $12.57    Under $1.00
Health-record technical worker/Medical transcriber    $13.17    $1.50–$2.00
Payroll clerk    $15.17    $1.50–$2.00
Legal assistant/paralegal    $17.86    $6.00–$8.00
Accountant    $23.35    $6.00–$15.00
Financial researcher/analyst    $33.00–$35.00    $6.00–$15.00


Strategic Alliances and Joint Ventures

What if a company wants to do business in a foreign country but lacks the expertise or resources? Or what if the target nation’s government doesn’t allow foreign companies to operate within its borders unless it has a local partner? In these cases, a firm might enter into a strategic alliance with a local company or even with the government itself. A strategic alliance is an agreement between two companies (or a company and a nation) to pool resources in order to achieve business goals that benefit both partners. For example, Viacom (a leading global media company) has a strategic alliance with Beijing Television to produce Chinese-language music and entertainment programming.An alliance can serve a number of purposes:

•    Enhancing marketing efforts
•    Building sales and market share
•    Improving products
•    Reducing production and distribution costs
•    Sharing technology

Alliances range in scope from informal cooperative agreements to joint ventures—alliances in which the partners fund a separate entity (perhaps a partnership or a corporation) to manage their joint operation. Magazine publisher Hearst, for example, has joint ventures with companies in several countries. So, young women in Israel can read Cosmo Israel in Hebrew, and Russian women can pick up a Russian-language version of Cosmo that meets their needs. The U.S. edition serves as a starting point to which nationally appropriate material is added in each different nation. This approach allows Hearst to sell the magazine in more than fifty countries.


Foreign Direct Investment and Subsidiaries

Many of the approaches to global expansion that we’ve discussed so far allow companies to participate in international markets without investing in foreign plants and facilities. As markets expand, however, a firm might decide to enhance its competitive advantage by making a direct investment in operations conducted in another country. Foreign direct investment (FDI) refers to the formal establishment of business operations on foreign soil—the building of factories, sales offices, and distribution networks to serve local markets in a nation other than the company’s home country.

FDI is generally the most expensive commitment that a firm can make to an overseas market, and it’s typically driven by the size and attractiveness of the target market. For example, German and Japanese automakers, such as BMW, Mercedes, Toyota, and Honda, have made serious commitments to the U.S. market: most of the cars and trucks that they build in plants in the South and Midwest are destined for sale in the United States.

A common form of FDI is the foreign subsidiary: an independent company owned by a foreign firm (called the parent). This approach to going international not only gives the parent company full access to local markets but also exempts it from any laws or regulations that may hamper the activities of foreign firms. The parent company has tight control over the operations of a subsidiary, but while senior managers from the parent company often oversee operations, many managers and employees are citizens of the host country. Not surprisingly, most very large firms have foreign subsidiaries. IBM and Coca-Cola, for example, have both had success in the Japanese market through their foreign subsidiaries (IBM-Japan and Coca-Cola–Japan).

FDI goes in the other direction, too, and many companies operating in the United States are in fact subsidiaries of foreign firms. Gerber Products, for example, is a subsidiary of the Swiss company Novartis, while Stop & Shop and Giant Food Stores belong to the Dutch company Royal Ahold.

Getting Down A Business

Identify the main participants of business, the functions that most businesses perform, and the external forces that influence business activities.

 


A business is any activity that provides goods or services to consumers for the purpose of making a profit. When Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak created Apple Computer in Jobs’s family garage, they started a business. The product was the Apple I, and the company’s founders hoped to sell their computers to customers for more than it cost to make and market them. If they were successful (which they were), they’d make a profit.

Before we go on, let’s make a couple of important distinctions concerning the terms in our definitions. First, whereas Apple produces and sells goods (iPhone, iPod, Mac), many businesses provide services. Your bank is a service company, as is your Internet provider. Airlines, law firms, movie theaters, and hospitals are also service companies. Many companies provide both goods and services. For example, your local car dealership sells goods (cars) and also provides services (automobile repairs).

Second, some organizations are not set up to make profits. Many are established to provide social or educational services. Such not-for-profit (or nonprofit) organizations include the United Way of America, Habitat for Humanity, the Boys and Girls Clubs, the Sierra Club, the American Red Cross, and many colleges and universities. Most of these organizations, however, function in much the same way as a business. They establish goals and work to meet them in an effective, efficient manner. Thus, most of the business principles introduced in this text also apply to nonprofits.
Business Participants and Activities

Let’s begin our discussion of business by identifying the main participants of business and the functions that most businesses perform. Then we’ll finish this section by discussing the external factors that influence a business’s activities.

Participants

Every business must have one or more owners whose primary role is to invest money in the business. When a business is being started, it’s generally the owners who polish the business idea and bring together the resources (money and people) needed to turn the idea into a business. The owners also hire employees to work for the company and help it reach its goals. Owners and employees depend on a third group of participants—customers. Ultimately, the goal of any business is to satisfy the needs of its customers.

Functional Areas of Business

The activities needed to operate a business can be divided into a number of functional areas: management, operations, marketing, accounting, and finance. Let’s briefly explore each of these areas.

Management

Managers are responsible for the work performance of other people. Management involves planning for, organizing, staffing, directing, and controlling a company’s resources so that it can achieve its goals. Managers plan by setting goals and developing strategies for achieving them. They organize activities and resources to ensure that company goals are met. They staff the organization with qualified employees and direct them to accomplish organizational goals. Finally, managers design controls for assessing the success of plans and decisions and take corrective action when needed.

Operations
 
All companies must convert resources (labor, materials, money, information, and so forth) into goods or services. Some companies, such as Apple, convert resources into tangible products—iPhones, iPods, Macs. Others, such as hospitals, convert resources into intangible products—health care. The person who designs and oversees the transformation of resources into goods or services is called an operations manager. This individual is also responsible for ensuring that products are of high quality.

Marketing

Marketing consists of everything that a company does to identify customers’ needs and design products to meet those needs. Marketers develop the benefits and features of products, including price and quality. They also decide on the best method of delivering products and the best means of promoting them to attract and keep customers. They manage relationships with customers and make them aware of the organization’s desire and ability to satisfy their needs.

Accounting
 
Managers need accurate, relevant, timely financial information, and accountants provide it. Accountants measure, summarize, and communicate financial and managerial information and advise other managers on financial matters. There are two fields of accounting. Financial accountants prepare financial statements to help users, both inside and outside the organization, assess the financial strength of the company. Managerial accountants prepare information, such as reports on the cost of materials used in the production process, for internal use only.

Finance
 
Finance involves planning for, obtaining, and managing a company’s funds. Finance managers address such questions as the following: How much money does the company need? How and where will it get the necessary money? How and when will it pay the money back? What should it do with its funds? What investments should be made in plant and equipment? How much should be spent on research and development? How should excess funds be invested? Good financial management is particularly important when a company is first formed, because new business owners usually need to borrow money to get started.
 

External Forces That Influence Business Activities 

Apple and other businesses don’t operate in a vacuum: they’re influenced by a number of external factors. These include the economy, government, consumer trends, and public pressure to act as good corporate citizens. sums up the relationship among the participants in a business, its functional areas, and the external forces that influence its activities. One industry that’s clearly affected by all these factors is the fast food industry. A strong economy means people have more money to eat out at places where food standards are monitored by a government agency, the Food and Drug Administration. Preferences for certain types of foods are influenced by consumer trends (eating fried foods might be okay one year and out the next). Finally, a number of decisions made by the industry result from its desire to be a good corporate citizen. For example, several fast-food chains have responded to environmental concerns by eliminating Styrofoam containers. As you move through this text, you’ll learn more about these external influences on business. (The next section of this chapter will introduce in detail one of these external factors—the economy.)

Staying Healthy: Keeping Stress Away

With the world getting more innovative and fast-paced, the objectives have also improved. Consequently, the competitors to be on the top of the game is pushing individuals to hotel to traumatic residing. In the competitors to be on the optimum, wellness is being ignored by most of the group.

Healthy residing and stress control go side in side. The best exercise for you to handle your stress is never to forget that – In the best or toughest activities of way of life, you might not be able to get the designed objective of your way of life if your wellness is not up to the preferred requirements.

Secondly, healthy diet plan might seem like more of a nutritional need, but your overall wellness relies on what you eat and how you eat it. Too much of one particular nutritional material can have adverse effect on the wellness. You might think you are doing excellent to your system by consuming less, but the key is to eat excellent and matching it with appropriate exercise for your best wellness.

Moreover, your wellness and fulfillment will be certainly renewed if you try to do excellent for the individuals around you. Providing back to the group in your own potential reinstates the objective of your way of life. The fulfillment obtained from such work helps you to have better viewpoint of way of life.

As stated earlier, merely consuming less is not suggested, but you must have some movements for the benefit of your wellness. A frequent stroll, exercise, exercises, or any action that might take the stress off you is your best-bet. Not only will that keep your stress threshold down, but also regenerates the effective way of life and wellness for you.

Those who think that they are not healthy and healthy due to obese, they should get in contact with some excellent an expert in nutrition and never try to plan their own diet plan by consuming less. Health professionals always suggest the best mix appropriate for your system. They would not suggest you to go without food but suggest right amount of sensible meals. For keeping wellness, excellent meals along with right amount and moment is vital.

Laughing and remaining satisfied might sound a saying, but it works well for everyone. Pleasure can neither be purchased, nor be marketed – so, make that for yourself in little or big things.

Life is to live! And to stay healthy and healthy.

5 Health Tips For Women

There are unique that you need to consider as you create a wellness routine. People, especially females, create up their thoughts to shed weight, get in form and sustain an overall healthier position, but they give up as soon they start off. Before I tell you the guidelines, let me tell you that if you want to obtain caused by your effort, you have to be constant in the first place. Get prepared, create a strategy to sustain your wellness and be constant. My 5 guidelines are:

1. Diet is the first thing that needs

your concern as you make a plan to have cook. Remember the saying Trash in is rubbish out and keep in check whatever you eat. A good healthy diet plan is essential for all especially for ladies because they are the future moms. You might love unhealthy and unhealthy food but if this is what you are providing your body on, you are eventually going to feel sluggish, tired and have boring skin tone and depressive disorders. Substitute what you eat plan with healthy and healthy eatables. Simple diet plan changes i.e. dairy, clean fruits, clean various meats, clean vegetables, materials and cereal products should be the first thing in your to-do list.

2. Take water and plenty of it.

All females who want clean skin and healthy and balanced body need to take 8 – 10 associated with water in a day and there is no second viewpoint on this. Menstruation females must take metal products to make up for their per month loss of blood vessels. Post-menopausal females should consist of calcium mineral in their diet to fight brittle bones and discomfort.

3. Women who smoke must consider giving it up.

Smoking negatively affects your monthly cycles and can pose problems for you if you are trying to conceive. If you are pregnant or feeding, smoking is a big no-no!

4. Add light exercise such as brisk walking

Moping or house cleaning in your routine. Take stairs instead of elevators when you go to malls, play with your kids and keep yourself on the go all the time. This will help you get in shape as well as ward off laziness.

5. Make sure you visit the gynecologist regularly.

If not this, learn to read the signs of your body to take actions in time. Keep a track record of your menstrual cycles. Consistently missing periods warrant a gynae-visit. Other female problems such as cervical and breast cancer, warts and other STDs can be effectively nipped if caught in the beginning.

101 Small Business Marketing Activities

One universal small business goal is to sell the business's products and services. This is usually best accomplished by positioning the business in front of the target audience, and offering something they can't refuse or find elsewhere.
To this end, one of the smartest things a small business owner can do for their business is take the time to develop a small business marketing plan that will set them apart from the competition. A marketing plan clearly outlines how you will reach your ideal customers by effectively implementing your marketing strategy.
There are thousands of ways you can promote your small business. With the right mix of activities, you can identify and focus on the most effective marketing tactics for your small business. Here is a list of 101 small business marketing ideas to get you thinking about all of the different ways you can promote your business.

Do you have an idea of your own not listed here? Add it to the list.

Marketing Planning

1. Update or create a marketing plan for your business.
2. Revisit or start your market research.
3. Conduct a focus group.
4. Write a unique selling proposition (USP).
5. Refine your target audience and niche.
6. Expand your product and service offerings.

Marketing Materials

7. Update your business cards.
8. Make your business card stand out from the rest.
9. Create or update your brochure.
10. Create a digital version of your brochure for your website.
11. Explore a website redesign.
12. Get creative with promotional products and give them away at the next networking event you attend.

In-Person Networking

13. Write an elevator pitch.
14. Register for a conference.
15. Introduce yourself to other local business owners.
16. Plan a local business workshop.
17. Join your local chamber of commerce.
18. Rent a booth at a trade show.

Direct Mail

19. Launch a multi-piece direct mail campaign.
20. Create multiple approaches, and split test your mailings to measure impact.
21. Include a clear and enticing call to action on every direct mail piece.
22. Use tear cards, inserts, props and attention-getting envelopes to make an impact with your mailings.
23. Send past customers free samples and other incentives to regain their business.

Advertising

24. Advertise on the radio.
25. Advertise in the Yellow Pages.
26. Advertise on a billboard.
27. Use stickers or magnets to advertise on your car.
28. Take out an ad in your local newspaper.
29. Advertise on a local cable TV station.
30. Advertise on Facebook.
31. Advertise on LinkedIn.
32. Buy ad space on a relevant website.
33. Use a sidewalk sign to promote your specials.

Social Media Marketing

34. Get started with social media for business.
35. Create a Facebook page.
36. Get a vanity URL or username for your Facebook page.
37. Create a Twitter account.
38. Reply or retweet someone else on Twitter.
39. Setup a Foursquare account for your business.
40. List your business on Google Places.
41. Start a business blog.
42. Write blog posts on a regular basis.
43. Start social bookmarking your online content.
44. Create a Groupon.

Internet Marketing

45. Start a Google Adwords pay-per-click campaign.
46. Start a Microsoft adCenter pay-per-click campaign.
47. Comment on a blog post.
48. Record a video blog post.
49. Upload a video to YouTube.
50. Check your online directory listings and get listed in desirable directories.
51. Set up Google Analytics on your website and blog.
52. Review and measure your Google Analytics statistics.
53. Register a new domain name for a marketing campaign or a new product or service.
54. Learn more about local search marketing.
55. Track your online reputation.
56. Sign up for the Help a Reporter Out (HARO) email list.

Email Marketing

57. Create an email opt-in on your website or blog.
58. Offer a free download or free gift to make people willing to add their email address to your list.
59. Send regular emails to your list.
60. Start a free monthly email newsletter.
61. Use A/B testing to measure the effectiveness of your email campaigns.
62. Perfect your email signature.
63. Add audio, video and social sharing functionality to your emails.

Contests, Coupons and Incentives

64. Start a contest.
65. Create a coupon.
66. Create a "frequent buyer" rewards program.
67. Start a client appreciation program.
68. Create a customer of the month program.
69. Give away a free sample.
70. Start an affiliate program.

Relationship Building

71. Send out a customer satisfaction survey.
72. Ask for referrals.
73. Make a referral.
74. Help promote or volunteer your time for a charity event.
75. Sponsor a local sports team.
76. Cross-promote your products and services with other local businesses.
77. Join a professional organization.
78. Plan your next holiday promotion.
79. Plan holiday gifts for your best customers.
80. Send birthday cards to your clients.
81. Approach a colleague about a collaboration.
82. Donate branded prizes for local fundraisers.
83. Become a mentor.

Marketing with Content

84. Plan a free teleconference or webinar.
85. Record a podcast.
86. Write a press release.
87. Submit your press release to various distribution channels.
88. Rewrite your sales copy with a storytelling spin.
89. Start writing a book.

Marketing Help

90. Hire a marketing consultant.
91. Hire a public relations professional.
92. Hire a professional copywriter.
93. Hire a search engine marketing firm.
94. Hire an intern to help with daily marketing tasks.
95. Hire a sales coach or salesperson.

Unique Marketing Ideas

96. Get a branded tattoo.
97. Create a business mascot to help promote your brand.
98. Take a controversial stance on a hot industry topic.
99. Pay for wearable advertising.
100. Get a full-body branded paint job done on your company vehicle.
101. Sign up for online business training to revamp, expand and fine tune all of your marketable skills.

Mobile Money with Facebook Mobile Advertising

Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, owned and operated by Facebook, Inc. As of May 2012, Facebook has over 900 million active users, more than half of them using Facebook on a mobile device.

Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as friends, and exchange messages, including automatic notifications when they update their profile. Additionally, users may join common-interest user groups, organized by workplace, school or college, or other characteristics, and categorize their friends into lists such as “People From Work” or “Close Friends”.

The name of the service stems from the colloquial name for the book given to students at the start of the academic year by some university administrations in the United States to help students get to know each other. Facebook allows any users who declare themselves to be at least 13 years old to become registered users of the site.

Facebook was founded by Mark Zuckerberg with his college roommates and fellow students Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin Moskovitz and Chris Hughes. The website’s membership was initially limited by the founders to Harvard students, but was expanded to other colleges in the Boston area, the Ivy League, and Stanford University.

It gradually added support for students at various other universities before opening to high school students, and eventually to anyone aged 13 and over. However, according to a May 2011 Consumer Reports survey, there are 7.5 million children under 13 with accounts and 5 million under 10, violating the site’s terms of service.

Mobile-targeted ads and marketing tactics are becoming both necessary and profitable in a wide range of industries, but in particular, web-based companies are reaping a great deal of mobile traffic and resulting ad revenue. The following infographic offers a specific example of one web-based company that’s bringing in big bucks with their mobile advertising strategy: Facebook.

As Facebook prepared for its recent IPO, many people expressed concern with whether or not Facebook’s mobile platform would be a profitable addition to the company. But in true Facebook style, their mobile traffic and resulting revenue has skyrocketed rapidly, bringing in a huge contribution to the company’s already impressive revenue. As the world of mobile browsing and consuming continues to expand, savvy businesses will know to capitalize on just how profitable little apps and ads can be.

Facebook for Android is Like The IPhone App

Facebook released an updated app for Android devices Wednesday, with the changes making it much more like the social network’s iPhone app.

In a post on the official Facebook blog, the social network said photos and albums now load twice as fast as they did in the previous Android app, and sharing photos, viewing comments, and editing captions is easier.

Messages and notifications are now easier to access, as they appear on the top of the screen, allowing users to read them and respond without leaving the page they’re on. And much like the iPhone app, the new Android offering boasts a side menu that provides access to users news feeds, groups, games, and apps.

Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. As of July 2011, Facebook has more than 800 million active users.

Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as friends, and exchange messages, including automatic notifications when they update their profile.

Additionally, users may join common-interest user groups, organized by workplace, school or college, or other characteristics, and categorize their friends into lists such as “People From Work” or “Close Friends”.

The name of the service stems from the colloquial name for the book given to students at the start of the academic year by some university administrations in the United States to help students get to know each other. Facebook allows any users who declare themselves to be at least 13 years old to become registered users of the site.

Readers: Will the release of the new version of Facebook for Android affect your choice of devices?

The iPhone 5 Was Real

Remember how disappointed everyone was back in October when Apple announced an iPhone 4S and not an iPhone 5?

Everyone had been led to believe by scores of reports that there would be a revolutionary new iPhone with a bigger screen and a new slimmer look.

Well, it turns out the “iPhone 5″ – or at least, a fully redesigned iPhone – was real and it was scrapped only months before the iPhone 4S was announced.

We’ve been told this by an industry source who has been right about future Apple products in the past.

We have not been able to verify what he told us with a second source.  So we’re still treating these details as rumors. You should probably still read this post with a nice fat dose of salt.

The story our source told us does, however, fit into a broader narrative that is currently being passed around the industry. Because of that we thought you’d like to hear what we heard and make a judgment for yourself.

So, here’s what we were told.

Our source said that Apple engineers he knows thought until about three months before the iPhone 4S was released, that a new fully re-designed iPhone was going to be Apple’s next big announcement.

This source said that he spent about two weeks with one prototype version of this phone.

Read more: Businessinsider

The iPhone (pronounced /ˈaɪfoʊn/ eye-fohn) is a line of Internet and multimedia-enabled smartphones marketed by Apple Inc. The first iPhone was unveiled by Steve Jobs, then CEO of Apple, on January 9, 2007, and released on June 29, 2007. The 5th generation iPhone, the iPhone 4S, was announced on October 4, 2011, and released on October 14, 2011, two days after the release of iOS 5.0, the Apple operating system for handheld devices.

How to Make Money Buying Gold

10 Things Your Teenager Won't Tell You

Wonder what’s bugging your teen? It’s hard to be certain when all your son does is grunt and your daughter won’t stop rolling her eyes. So rather than pressing our own kids to talk—not going to happen!—we asked teenagers from around the country what messages they wish they could share with their moms and dads. Sure, every child is different, but it may do you and your teen some good if you took these truthful kids’ concerns to heart.

1. She needs privacy.

“I hate that my parents don’t give me any personal space,” says Eleanor, 14. “And I hate that they don’t think I need it.” Even if your children share a room, give each child an area that’s off-limits to everyone else in the family (including you), such as a desk or a spare closet. To show that you respect your teen’s privacy, don’t rummage through her personal space unless you have a concrete reason to believe that she’s lying to you or hiding something serious. And remember: “All kids today are doing drugs” isn’t a concrete reason.

2. Sometimes he just needs you to listen.

“I want to tell my mom and dad everything,” says Keegan, 13, “but I don’t want to listen to them nag.” Understand that sometimes your kids just want a sounding board—they’re not looking for you to solve all their problems. When your son complains that his science teacher is being unfair or his soccer coach has been extra-hard on him, encourage him to talk by asking open-ended questions. (“Well, how does that make you feel?”) Don’t jump in with advice or threaten to intervene.

3. She may be dating—even if you’ve explicitly said she can’t.

“I didn’t tell my parents about a guy I dated for a year, because they didn’t allow me to have boyfriends,” says Marla, 15. “They knew we hung out, but I’d say, ‘Oh, we’re just friends.’” Try to be relaxed when it comes to dating—even if it’s killing you. Instead of forcing your daughter to sneak around, let her start with group dates, where at least four other kids are with her and her date at all times.

4. He may not be getting great grades on every assignment.

“I don’t tell my parents when I get a bad grade because I don’t want to listen to them tell me how I’ve let them down,” says Sam, 16, who says he occasionally fails a quiz but usually makes up for it with better exam scores. “There are nights I just don’t feel like studying!” Sometimes one bad grade is just that: one bad grade. If your son feels like he can vent to you about bombing a quiz or a book report, you won’t have to wait until the end of a semester to find out he’s struggling in school.

5. She doesn’t want to talk to you about sex.

“My mom knows I’ve kissed a boy,” says Sonia, 15, “but I don’t want to tell her anything else. It’s my life, not hers.” The good news is, in a 2005 government survey, less than half of high school students (47 percent) said they’d had sex. Still, it’s safest to assume your teen is in that 47 percent and educate her about birth control or preventing STDs. Don’t press her for personal details, but do offer advice; use third-person examples if it helps.

6. He hates when you don’t hold his siblings accountable.

“I hate that my parents don’t care how my youngest brother acts,” says Henry, 13. “When he swears or picks a fight with me or my older brother, they say, ‘He’s 7. He doesn’t know any better.’ But when I was his age I would have been in big trouble for swearing.” While it’s natural to become more lax as you have more children, it’s important to consider each unique situation, not just your children's ages. Remember, all of your kids will respect you more if they think you’re a fair and reasonable parent.

7. She wishes you’d cut her some slack.

“It makes me sad when my mom screams at me when I’m already down,” says Erin, 17. Even if your daughter seems to screw up every time you turn around, it’s important that she doesn’t feel like you’re constantly coming down on her. When you’re upset, take some deep breaths; a few minutes might give you perspective (is it really worth it to lose your cool over dirty laundry?) and a chance to evaluate your daughter’s mood. Perhaps she’s ignored the laundry because she’s stressed about school or antsy about a boy who hasn’t called her back.

8. He lies to stay out of trouble.

“Sometimes I don’t come home because I’m too drunk to drive,” says Aaron, 19. “If I told my parents that, they’d flip out, so I lie.” While it would be irresponsible to give underage drinking the green light, you don’t want your child to be in an unsafe situation because he’s rushing to be home on time. If your son calls just before curfew and says he needs a ride, save your questions (and lectures) for the morning.

9. She gets frustrated when you use her age to your advantage.

“I can’t stand it when my parents say, ‘You’re 17. Act like a grownup,’ one day, and then turn around and say, ‘You’re not old enough to do that. You’re only 17,’ the next,” says Izzy. “Which is it? Make up your mind!” Since “age-appropriate” is subjective, try to give your child hard-and-fast rules that aren’t dependent on a number. (“Every member of this family attends church on Sunday,” or “Visiting friends at college isn’t allowed until you’re in college yourself.”)

10. He wishes you would trust him.

“My parents don’t trust that I don’t do drugs,” says Steven, 15. “And I really hate that they believe what other people tell them instead of what I tell them.” Constantly accusing your kids of this or that—especially if your accusations are unfounded—breeds mistrust. Eventually they’ll do something dishonest just because they’re sick of being wrongly accused. Trust your kids until they give you a real reason not to.

5 Habits That Will Badly Fail You as a Businessman

Business is all around us. With the world getting over populated, ideas are flooding around everywhere. Every new idea gives birth to a new earning plan. The most difficult process for any type of earning strategy is taking the first initiative to turn an idea into a practical plan. Rest all those profit and loss sinusoidal waves follow naturally by themselves. I started blogging back in ending months of the year 2008 and to be honest I never thought it would turn out to be an everlasting business engine. This year thought me great lessons when it comes to expanding this little blog into a network of ecommerce services and online websites that gave a whole new definition to the medium I work in. After going through the lives of some famous investors and successful executives I came to a point where I realized that business is not all about Long Term Investment, there is a lot more to it.

Note: For bloggers and freelancers who are looking to expand their career goals, the habits below are a must read.

The success of a real time earning mechanism is based on strong principles and set out rules and unless you know them then you are really just riding your business on a knife edge. I am sharing below some significant habits in a businessman's life that unless rectified could lead to a terrible end that leads no where.


1. No Clarity + No Purpose = No Results

Most of the business decisions that often fail are because of no clear rules, aims and financial plans. Statistics from U.S Small Business administration reveal that approximately about half of all new small business launched in USA will fail in coming 10 years. Reason? Poor financial management and set out goals.

Unless you clearly know what you need to do, how can you lead the cavalry following you at your back. Make your goals clear and write them in paper and pin it on your notice board to keep yourself focused and determined. Now to achieved these well defined goals, you need to be clear with every move you make. The best advise in this case is to look at your competitor and track all his moves. Only then you know what can turn into profit and what can cause loss. Keeping an upper hand is also the Market Samurai's style.  Clarity and Purpose will surely give fruitful result at the end of the day.

2. Abusing The Freedom

The above picture defines it all. Its every entrepreneur's dream to work late and sleep late. Having the freedom to work when you want and do what you want is awesome but this will drag you down to floor! Yes you are the sole boss of your business but you need to be much more disciplined when you are not working under someone. There is competition all around you and your competitor is well focused and his eyes are on all your activities. A slightest slumber can ruin all your empire. Being lazy will certainly fail you but hard work would undoubtedly rise you high.
To be honest being lazy at work is my biggest weakness. With increasing readership I should rather be thankful and should work even more, but the physical laziness has pushed me several miles away. The readers often find it uncomfortable to receive late replies to emails and comments but being late at their call is badly ruining the blog's growth. This something we need to work on it seriously.

3. Acting Like a Rabbit Rather a Wise Turtle

People often switch from one idea to another. Anything that seems more attracting, distracts your attention you jump to that discarding the project you were working on. Have patience  and give your plans a space to grow. Act wisely and never postpone or abandon a business target unless you are too sure.  Consistency and strong determination are key requirements for a risky career like entrepreneurship. Don't run like a attention seeking rabbit with distractions all around him, walk like a focused turtle who knows what his target is and how long will it take to finish.

4. Early Demands

Small business owners often attach huge expectations before the Business has not even groomed properly. Keeping short term goals is the biggest mistake you can commit. Keep your demands high and expect them once the time is right. give a space for the business exposure. Let the market know and publicize your services as far as you can. Once you become the next Giant whale fish, you can take at a gallop all the small fishes.

5. Keeping Two Coins and  Investing One
The great billionaire and one of world's richest investors: Warren buffett gives great emphasis on investment. To grow a company no matter small or big, you will need to sacrifice a bigger share of your cake piece.  You need to keep the stomach half empty else too full a tummy could turn you clumsy and let your competitor win the applause. You must learn to invest more and store less for a bigger and faster Boom.

Just this month I upgraded the salary of both authors who work for us. They will now be publishing posts not just at our sister blog on smart earning methods but they will also be actively publishing posts at this blog. This will provide readers with a variety of fresh new posts daily and along with good quality. In order to keep readership engaged and entertained, this small investment was important.

How Can Students Become Millionaires While Studying?

 Seems far-fetched, doesn't it? Looks like an ad similar to the ones that say 'Google pays me so and so', yes? Well, you might be only half right, because nothing is impossible, or should I say, impossible is nothing in the world. It is only a matter of perspective and setting up goals. Now most of you are thinking, people can easily earn money by creating a blog, but that money definitely isn't in seven figures. Well, perhaps it's time to think outside the box.

The idea of creating a blog and earning money from it might have been considered 'thinking outside the box' a few years ago. But as of now, it is residing deep inside the box. Hence, the need of a change of perspective, or mindset if you will.
You can make some serious money if you have the right aptitude for it. Students, of course are the best fit, because they are quicker learners. But this doesn't other people can't read this post, which will discuss about some of the productive ways of earning money.
Besides creating a blog and earning through advertisements and affiliate programs, you can do many things to earn some good money. Nowadays, earning money is no longer easy. With evolving trends in the industries, skill is the need of the hour. Those who have equipped themselves with it are earning millions, while others are sitting back and waiting for people to lick on their ads (:P). So the bottom line is, people, especially students need to spend their time in more productive things, rather than playing games and chatting on Facebook.
Now don't get me wrong. I am not saying that earning through blogs is a bad idea, or that blogging is not productive. Oh no! Quite the contrary! If you have a blog, then that's excellent! It will help you all the more. But maybe, it's time to equip yourself with some new skills so you can counter anything coming your way in the future.
So the big question is, what to do? Well, here are a few suggestions.

Learn web development

Information Technology has already taken over out lives. Already, online connectivity is the need of the many, with new trends towards online usage growing the form of cloud computing and more. If there;s one thing for certain, it's that computers and the internet are definitely here to stay. So that makes web technologies all the more important.
The amazing thing about this field is, it hasn't gone stale. Ever since Tim Breners-Lee created HTTP in the late 80s, the field has grown in importance. Look at Mark Zuckerberg. He was a student when he created Facebook. In any of you have seen his movie, The Social Network, you'll know how he first created a website called Face Mash, which earned him reputation, and he eventually got approached by some seniors who had a project in mind, which later became Facebook. See how developing a simple website turned his luck? Now, he is a $20 Billion man!
There are other countless examples! Look at Larry Page, the founder of Google. As big as it seems now, Google must have started from scratch at one point. And it didn't just become a proper search engine at once. It was built, little by little. Look where it is now. You can find countless other such examples, like Matt Mullenweg - founder of WordPress, or Sergey Brin, founder of O'Reilly Media. All of these started from zero, yet used their skills to make their companies what they are now.
There are many places you can learn the required skills from. Just Google what you want to do. Personally, I'd recommend Lynda.com, and O'Reilly Media. They are simply the best resources available on the web today!
You don't necessarily need to make a website. You could create your own tools for your blog, or make a web app and implement it on your blog/website etc. There are literally thousands of ways you can put your skills to good use.

Create an app

For those of you who are into programming, creating an app for a smartphone is a really good idea! Not many people think about it, which makes it that much more special. Again, you can learn how to make apps fro the leading online resources such as Lynda.com and O'Reilly Media. There's really no shortage of resources one can complain about.
Now about the app itself. The important thing is to start. The challenge seems daunting, which is why most people can't get past the thinking phase. Grab any good idea that comes to your head, and run with it. Remember; for your first app, you don't really need to be unique. You can make something as simple as a currency-converter or a calculator. This will get you acquainted with the working of things. Once you have your first app, you can start thinking of a unique game or app idea. Forget Angry birds, believe me, there are people who are earning loads of money from much simpler ideas. You can make a simple app too. It'll either be popular, or it won't. But in either case, you'll learn something, and that is why you'll always be the winner.
Popular smartphone platforms are Android and iOS. So it'd be wise to create an app for them. Symbian and Blackberry platforms have since lost their touch. And as a beginner, you ought to give yourself the best chances.

Freelance projects

If you aren't into programming, then you can always look for other work that best suits your needs. Freelance workers are being hired ever day for all sorts of works. Maybe you can show them your skills and get hired. Picking up freelance projects can really buff up your pocket. There are many freelance websites where you could look for work.
Sometimes, it might be hard to find freelance work, because you have nothing to show on your portfolio. You can, however, start with the small websites, such as fiverr, or its alternatives. These will give you a fairer opportunity to show your skills to the world. And also, they will help you get your freelancing career started.

Write articles

Freelance writing is another profitable way to earn money. If you have a good grammar and good writing skills, then you should definitely try this. You can either write for big article directories, such as EzineArticles, or write for blogs that are looking for paid authors. Visit different blogs on a regular basis, and see which ones are looking for paid authors.
Those were some of the killer ways you could make money. It isn't easy, except for the last one, but if you get them right, you can be raking in bucks. And it never hurts to learn something that's not on your course :)

How to Run a Successful E-Commerce Business from Start to Finish

If you’re thinking about starting an e-commerce business, you should probably think about what you need to do to make sure it succeeds. Running a profitable online store is more than creating a website and selling products. Follow the eight steps below and you’ll soon be on your way to becoming a successful e-commerce merchant!

1. Establish an Idea

The very first thing you need to do is figure out what you’re going to sell. Do you want to sell products or services? If you’re having trouble thinking of an idea, do a little research on popular e-commerce industries. Online tech support services, dating websites, and online stores selling goods such as electronics and tobacco are some popular industries today. If you’ve decided to sell products, you’ll need to obtain a supplier’s agreement on all of the products that you’ll be selling.

2. Create a Business Plan

Now that you know what you’re going to sell, who are you going to sell it to and how are they going to find out about it? While a business plan will help put your new e-commerce business into perspective, it’ll also come in handy when applying for a merchant account — but we’ll get to that a little later. A standard business plan should include:

    A description of your business
    A description of the product or service you’re selling
    An analysis of your target market
    An advertising strategy
    A six-month sales projection
    A description of your management team

3. Find a Web Hosting Server

Your next step is to find a website hosting service provider. The Web host is what will allow you to make your site accessible online. You need to consider many things when choosing a host. Do they have what you need to build your website? Look into how much bandwidth they offer. How much uptime do they warranty, and do they reimburse you for any long time downtime? Do they have a support team and what’s the availability of their support team? Compare prices and, of course, read reviews.

4. Design and Develop Your Website

After you have somewhere to host your website, you can begin designing and developing it. I could go on for days about this topic, but I’ll stick with some of the most important factors. Once you’ve decided on an effective layout and color scheme, here are some aspects to keep in mind:

    Keep font faces clean and simple, and try to avoid fonts that are too over the top, such as Comic
    Sans and Kristen ITC.
    Write detailed product descriptions that will make your customers want to buy what you’re selling.
    Display multiple photos of your products highlighting different features. Also, make sure the image
    size isn’t too small.
    Include About Us and Contact Us pages. The About Us page will help your customers get to know
    you better, and the Contact Us page will give them a way of getting in touch with you if they have
    any issues.

5. Apply for a Merchant Account
Now that your website is up and running, you need to find a payment processor that can help you open up a merchant account — a special kind of bank account provided by acquiring banks that allows businesses to process credit cards. Since you are processing card-not-present transactions, acquiring banks will automatically label your business as “high risk,” so you should find a processor who works with high risk merchants. When applying for a merchant account, you’ll have to provide documents for the bank’s underwriting process. These documents may include:

    Résumé or CV
    Business and marketing plan
    Supplier’s agreement
    Personal bank reference letter
    Photo ID
    Utility bill
    Certificate of incorporation or sole proprietorship documentation
    Credit card processing history (if applicable)

6. Get a Shopping Cart

Once a bank approves you for a merchant account, you’ll need to find a shopping cart to integrate into your website and payment gateway. A payment gateway is a web application that encrypts and sends transaction information from your website to the bank for approval or denial. Not all shopping carts are compatible with all payment gateways, so be sure to get your cart after you get a merchant account and payment gateway. Ask your merchant account provider what shopping carts work with their gateway, and if they have any modules to make the integration process easy.

When picking a shopping cart, make a list of features that are most important to you. Here are some features to consider when choosing a cart:

    Payment options (e.g. debit/credit cards, electronic checks)
    Multiple currency processing
    Shipping options (e.g. USPS, UPS, FedEx, pick up in store)
    Multiple images per item description
    Allow customers to write product or service reviews
    Printable invoices
    Sales reports

7. Learn How to Prevent and Fight Chargebacks

There will come a time when a customer feels you’ve wrongly charged them. When this happens, they may contact their credit card issuing bank and request a chargeback, asking for their money back. Chargebacks result in a loss in the approved funds, as well as having to pay a chargeback fee. There are several reasons why a customer would file a chargeback, including:

    They didn’t receive the products or services they purchased
    The cardholder didn’t authorize the transaction
    The amount on their credit card statement is different from the amount at the time of the purchase
    When the customer received the products they bought, they were damaged or not as described
    on your site

A high chargeback ratio could mean losing your merchant account and payment processing abilities. MasterCard and Visa have different requirements, but it’s a good rule of thumb to keep your chargeback ratio below 1%. However, there are ways to prevent chargebacks.

    Always deliver your goods as advertised on your site
    Customize your billing descriptor so the charge is recognizable on the cardholder’s statement
    Email customers an online transaction receipt and require them to email or fax a signed copy back to you
    Call the customer to verify the transaction and purchase
    Provide a toll-free telephone number so your customers can call you directly with any questions
    Use a delivery service that requires a signature upon receiving the goods

Even if you do all that you can to prevent chargebacks, it’s inevitable that they will happen. When they do, be sure to dispute them. When a customer files for a chargeback, your acquiring bank will notify you, and you’ll have three days to dispute it. Each credit card association requires different documents when disputing chargebacks, but supporting documents should include:

    A signed invoice
    A signed delivery receipt
    A copy of the credit card and/or a photo ID

8. Market Your New E-Commerce Business
OK — Now that you’re website is up, and you’re able to accept credit cards online, you need to let people know you’re open for business. Social media is an excellent (and free!) tool that lets you reach a global customer base. Create a Facebook page for your online store and offer promotions and deals. Ask for customer feedback and respond to all comments in a timely manner. Use Twitter to join in on a larger conversation. Create a blog. Use Pinterest to help maintain a consistent brand for your business. Social media marketing helps advertise your business, and it also helps boost your SEO ratings.

How People Find Work Online

These days almost everybody could do with some extra money!  What with the cost of living getting higher because of the ever increasing price of commodities.  It should not come as a surprise that the internet has become one of the most common, if not THE most common, places where people find work online. This is because it is so convenient and online jobs can fit flexibly into anyone’s schedule. You can even do more than one online job if your schedule permits it or if you are really interested in a subject. If you are interested in making extra money, you could learn some earn online strategies that can help you get just the right online job for you. It is not complicated at all, in fact it’s so easy that many people now earn a second income online!

The Advantages Of Having An Online Job

There are a number of advantages to having an online job. The first and probably the most common reason why people do it is that, compared to full time work, online jobs are reasonably easy to find. There are plenty of freelance opportunities that you can apply for that don’t need a very rigorous selection process.  There are a lot of people who even get online work simply because someone has recommended or referred them.

Although there is some sort of process that you need to go through in order to get the job, it would not be as strict as those for regular jobs. Most of the time, the only things that you need are the necessary skills, a computer, and an internet connection. You don’t have to report to an office every single day as you can work from home, which is very convenient for those people who want to be in control of their time. Although there are some online jobs that require you to work full time, there are plenty others that do not require a full eight hours of work every day.  This means that you can find something that works for you.

Basically, you have a lot of options if you want to find work online. There are a lot of opportunities out there, you do not have to limit yourself to just one, and you do not have to be restricted with the requirements of a particular employer. You can choose who to work for because there are just so many of them out there.

The Kind Of Work That You Will Do
There are various jobs that are offered online. A lot of people do article writing, graphic design, web development, etc. online. There is a huge demand for people who possess certain skills. So, the first thing that you need to do is assess yourself and determine what skills you have, what capabilities you have with which you can earn money online. When we talk about earn online strategies, you do not even have to be limited with the obvious skill sets (i.e. article writing or web development), or any others that are related.

This is because there are some people who hired people online to do some work for them as an outsourcing transaction. This means that a company or a business needs some tasks to be done, but they don’t want to handle these tasks themselves necessarily (for several reasons) so they hire people who can do those tasks for them so that their business can run as usual.

For example, there are people who are hired to do bookkeeping, to handle finances, design a leaflet, or to do other routine tasks that a company needs. You have to know that the choices are many, but one of the earn online strategies that can help you be successful in your search for the right online job is to narrow your search according to the things that you can do. The other choices are there, but you can’t really do anything about them unless you know how to do them yourself. So it would be easier and faster to start searching according to your personal skill sets.

Show Recommendations From Past Clients
This is one of the best ways to find work online!  Getting someone to refer you or recommend you to other people is a great way to find work online and build up a client list.  Businesses want to hire people that they know will deliver what they are asking of them.  If they know that you had done some previous work for someone else, then they can ask for a recommendation from them.  If you can provide them with this, then you stand a much better chance of landing the job.  When you think about it, it’s no different that including references on your CV or Resume.

3 Tips For Freelance Writers On Elance – Honesty Is The Best Policy

The cardinal rule for any freelance writer operating in a virtual arena like Elance is: “Don’t over-promise and under-deliver.”  This habit is quick to kill off your freelance writing career.

If you are acquainted with Elance, or similar job posting sites, then you know how important honesty is to your success. On social medial platforms like Elance, your reputation grows by positive feedback from clients. Abandoning honesty will put you in a dangerous position. This is because when a client expects a high grade of work and receives a medium grade, he or she may write a contractor off altogether.

One of the sneaky things about over-promising is that it can easily happen to the best of us. One little exaggeration on a contractor’s Elance digital profile can result in big misunderstandings and disappointed clients.
Tips To Help You On Elance

Here are three tips from Elance contractors that should be practiced by all freelance writers, whether they work on Elance or not.

1- Be Honest With Yourself

Each one of us has a different set of strengths and weaknesses. Believe it or not, your freelance writing career will flourish with an honest eye. Distinguishing between your strengths and weaknesses does not make you a poor writer; it makes you a specialized writer. Here are a few more thoughts to consider:

    Remember, each project you undertake is a work in progress. From the time you bid on a job, to the day of its completion, you are working to make it better than it was the day before.
    Remember, you work from a digital platform. This makes honestly doubly important. On Elance, especially, face-to-face meetings are few and far between. Thus, it is important for you, the contractor, to regularly check in with your client and receive their approval before going ahead with the project.

2- Write Your Personal Bio In The Third Person

Elance Website 3 Tips For Freelance Writers On Elance Honesty Is The Best Policy

Let’s take a minute to talk about client- contractor communication. Your professional bio, resume, or personal website is the first form of communication you have with a client. It is the first step in establishing a relationship. Yet, these are the places where freelancers tend to slip and over-promise.

For the Elance freelance contractor, the first step in fostering these relationships is creating a bio that exudes warmth and honesty to pique the interest of future clients. You want to showcase your skills accurately, and you want to attract specific types of projects.

Writing in the third person allows freelancers to discuss their credentials, accomplishments, and qualifications without seeming haughty. It also allows them to display their likeability and exude confidence “safely,” without putting off potential clients. It forces one to honestly consider how others would describe their techniques and talents.

3- Bring Clarity To Your Proposals

The proposal phase of a project is just one more place where freelance writers feel tempted to over-promise. A proposal is essentially an opportunity for a freelancer to convince a potential client that he or she is the right person for the client’s job. If you are not careful, you will find that you have agreed to complete a job you are not qualified to do. Don’t let your persuasive skills make you dishonest.

Here is how you can avoid dishonesty:

    Keep Communication Clear - It’s important to keep the message of a proposal clear by discussing the project being bid on. “Reflect the project back to the client as you understand it and emphasize the benefits of the project as you see them.” http://www.elancefreelancewriting.com/
    Make A Plan – How will you carry out the job you are bidding on? Once you have a plan, explain it to the potential client in your proposal. This demonstrates to the client that you have taken an honest look at what they require. Likewise, this is an opportunity to honestly assess whether your skills will benefit the project.
    Highlight Your Skills – Your potential client needs to know that you have the necessary skills with which to do his or her job well. Let your strengths shine, but be honest about your weaknesses should the client ask.

Honesty is an important trait for all freelancers working to generate an online income. Don’t become the writer that over-promises and under- delivers.

5 Must Have iPhone Apps For Doing Business

Apple continues to prove that there is truth in their campaign, “There’s an app for that.” After they have dominated social media and entertainment, they are striving to extend the iPhone’s functionality by catering to business enterprises and middle-market entities.  If you own a business yourself, here are five recommended iPhone apps which can help you cut deals and connect with your clients all through your iPhone.
iPhone Apps for Business

 LinkedIn

LinkedIn is the ultimate social networking site for professionals. It debunks the notion that social media is all about leisure and entertainment by being the virtual indexer of resumes and business contact cards.

If you are an employee, you can easily use a LinkedIn app in acquainting with affiliates or searching for new jobs. If you are an employer, LinkedIn helps you establish a connection with your clients for future reference.

The best part: you can manage your professional network for free.


CardManager 

 For just a dollar, you won’t have to worry losing your potential clients’ or partners’ business cards. With CardManager, you can instruct your iPhone to store relevant contact information printed on tangible business cards.

To make this happen, you need to take a photo of the business card received. CardManager converts it into a digital copy and automatically saves it on your Contacts list. Once saved, you can quickly send a message, email, or make a call anytime.




Intuit Gopayment 

Intuit is a specialized app for business owners involved in selling goods and services. This Intuit GoPayment app comes with a portable Card Reader, which can be plugged into your iPhone’s audio jack, if needed.

With GoPayment, you can even accept credit card payments from your customers. All you have to do is ask your customers to swipe their cards on the reader, and the payment will automatically be reflected on their bill. Transactions are guaranteed secured by means of encryption. If your customer wishes for a receipt, you can send them an official electronic copy via email.

All your GoPayment transactions are reported on your QuickBooks online, which you can download so you can easily manage your sales and expenses.


Evernote 

If you are torn between a Dictaphone or transcribing by text, you can have both options in just one device.

By means of Evernote, you can take note of important topics during your meeting or track the discussion verbatim through recording. Evernote also allows users to take snapshots, if necessary. All files created can be synced to your web account, so you can access them from any other device at any time.






Viber 

If you cannot miss a trip but need to listen to a meeting, you can make free reliable phone calls by means of Viber. Viber connects almost 90 million people all over the world by means of photo sharing, text messaging, and free mobile calling. The best feature is that Viber is totally ad-free, which only guarantees that your calls will be free from any disruptions.

Do you have other business apps to suggest? How did it help you in conducting your business tasks? Share it with us through a comment below.