5 Ways to raise capital for your SME

Angel Investors

Angel investors are wealthy individuals who will give an entrepreneur financing in exchange for a share of equity in the company. Investment sizes range, but usually are less than $1 Million. Angels often times work in organized groups that screen deals and invest with each other, while many invest on their own. Angel investors are more serious than the type of investor you would find in a Friends and Family Round, but they are usually less serious than a VC Firm.
Pro: Angels normally have experience in the industry and can offer helpful guidance and introductions to their network.
Pro: Because angels are less rigid than VC Firms, flexible business agreements are common.

Con: You can be forced to give up some degree of control over your company. Due to the high-risk nature of angel investing, angels rarely make follow-on investments.

Friends and Family

As an entrepreneur, you can lobby friends, family, and associates for funding that is usually invested more because of your personal relationship rather than an accurate assessment of the business plan. The Friends and Family Round often acts as a seed investment to get the business to a point where it will be able to obtain larger funding from an Angels or VCs.

Pro: Funding is usually obtainable quickly due to your existing relationship.
Pro: Potential exists for the mutual vested interest in the business to bring you closer with loved ones.
Pro: The investment terms are usually more flexible and potential exists for numerous equity or pay back methods.

Con: Immense pressure to succeed can strain personal relationships.
Con: Friends and family frequently have an extremely limited ability to evaluate the potential of your business, though they tend to give advice because of their monetary stake in the company.
Con: Friends and family usually bring nothing more to the table as an investor besides the initial capital.

Venture Capital (VC) Funding

Many entrepreneurs think that VC Funding is the key to their success. Venture capitalists are investors who are willing to put forward a large sum of money in exchange for equity in the company, but who only get their money out once the business either is acquired by another company or goes public. VCs are professional investors that are all about the money. They normally look for investments that can provide a 6X return on their investment, so you better be prepared to go big!
Pro: VCs can invest large sums at once and they can provide expertise and other assistance that is helpful in growing and exiting your business.
Pro: Being VC funded brings instant credibility to your company.
Pro: VCs open up doors to a vast network of individuals including partners and future investors.

Con: The term “Vulture Capitalist” exists for a reason. VCs are about the money and will take necessary steps to see a return on their investment, including ousting you from your own company.
Con: VCs may steer the business in a direction that you don’t agree with. However, they are very experienced and may know something that you don’t.

Bank Financing

Bank loans are the most frequently sought after source of financing and can be pursued at your nearest lending institution. Bank financing can be tricky as there are many different types of financing options and interest rates to go along with them. It is imperative to educate yourself about the process and your options before beginning.
Pro: Banks offer a range of funding amounts and payback options to fit your needs.
Pro: If you qualify, the time to funding is usually fairly quick.
Pro: If you go the financing route, you do not have to give up equity in the company.

Con: Bank loans are very difficult to obtain and the criteria is constantly changing.
Con: The entrepreneur owes the borrowed money whether the company succeeds or not.
Con: The large amount of documentation required can be tedious and time consuming.
Con: The financing options can be confusing. If you lack the knowledge or experience, you may lock yourself into an unfavorable deal with poor payment terms.

To enable your business to get the best chance for financing... you need to have your vision, values, 30 second pitch and business plan together, with a good management team and an understanding how the investor will get a return on their investment.

Government Funding 

There are various programmes that will assist you in accessing funding and even match funding on a $ for $ basis without giving up equity.



If you need help with raising capital... look us up on www.bsi.com.au

10 mistakes investors make in Africa, and how to avoid them

Abel Myburgh, Africa Desk Coordinator for BDO

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 11:59


Every year, African governments and big companies issue lucrative international tenders for major projects. Abel Myburgh, Africa Desk Coordinator for auditing firm BDO, offers advice on what companies should consider before and after winning that coveted tender.


Lack of knowledge and planning

Many investors regard the African continent as a single business regime and ignore the fact that there are over 55 countries, which include the surrounding islands. Each nation has its own rules and regulations. Some regions have tried to introduce uniform regulations but on the ground, the applications are different. We have experienced instances where companies tender and win contracts in Africa, only to realise that conducting business is difficult than they expected. We recommend that you start planning early - before the tender documents are filed. There are issues that can influence pricing, deliverability of the terms of the contract, and extracting profits from the specific country.

Lack of knowledge of the business culture in the host country

It is not unusual to find total disrespect for local culture. To avoid this, an in-depth study of the business norms and culture of the specific country should be undertaken. A lot of problems and misunderstandings can be avoided if a new entrant understands the perceptions and actions of their partners in Africa. The language barrier also forms part of this problem - it is important to acknowledge that English is not always the only or the main business language.

Unrealistic expectations

This is one of the most common mistakes made by new investors, and it can have a major impact on operations. The World Bank’s ‘ Doing Business’ guide can be used as an indicator, but country-specific information on regulations and business environment must be obtained in order to be informed on the exact procedures to follow.

Type of business entity to set up

Many companies may be under the impression that they can just begin operating in a country. However, the reality is that in most countries it is mandatory to register an entity. Another important consideration is the duration of the operation as some countries apply Permanent Establishment (PE) regime, which can result to a company paying tax locally on its worldwide profits.

Minimum share capital

Companies need to take into account any statutory minimum share capital requirements, which can vary from US$500 to US$1 000 000.

Local participation

In many countries, it is mandatory to introduce local shareholders and directors to a newly established company. A company then has to source indigenous shareholders, and the risks are numerous here. Proper planning is crucial in order to find reputable local shareholders or to opt for a different entity, for instance, a company branch.

Foreign exchange regulations

BDO has found that a number of companies stumble over this specific hurdle in that they cannot repatriate all of their profits and investments during or after the project has come to an end.

Direct and indirect taxation

Taxation is one of the biggest cost factors that companies have to take into account when operating in Africa. Many African countries have some of the highest tax rates in the world and in some cases, very aggressive tax authorities. Therefore, companies must do their homework when it comes to indirect taxes particularly import duties.

Taxation of employees

This is often a major area of concern, which tendering companies must plan for. Foreign employees’ presence in a country beyond 183 days will most likely trigger residency tax issues.

Work permits

It is important for a company to understand the latest requirements and regulations concerning foreign workers. BDO has encountered occasions where foreign employees have unknowingly operated in a country illegally due to obtaining incorrect visas.
What foreign investors look for in potential partners in AfricaFor African companies looking for foreign equity partners or financing, there are six key points to remember: western investors value time, honesty, direct communication, competition, planning and action - and they look for entrepreneurs who can execute ideas.

According to US-based investment consulting firm, RENEW LLC, this checklist will provide African companies with invaluable advice on how to deal with foreign investors.

10 points to think about when presenting to a VC

Having raised more than $300 million in numerous financings, and listened and reveiwed in excess of 600 pitches, I have found that there are 3 things that will get a VC  to meet with you.

• an idea
• top people. passionate and ability to work together 
• a big market for the product and service.

 In your presentation, make sure these each get a slide.

Your presentation goal is to get a second meeting - not to get the money at that meeting!!-  give them an overview on the investment opportunity and show how you will make money for them.

1. Do your homework:

ensure that the VC is interested in your space and is prepared to invest the money needed... Often VCs are only inteested in investing 10m + , it is a waste of time presenting a pitch asking for $1m.

2.Ten slides: limit the number of slides in your venture capital presentation to ten. - a normal human being cannot comprehend more than ten concepts in a meeting—and venture capitalists are very normal.
If you must use more than ten slides to explain your business, you probably don’t have a business.

The ten topics that a venture capitalist cares about are:

1.The problem you are solving and industry context

2.Your solution

3.Business model

4.Underlying magic/technology

5.Marketing and sales

6.Competition

7.Team

8.Projections and milestones

9.Status and timeline

10.Summary and call to action

3.Less is more on slide content: Each slide should contain one, clear point

 
4.Start with the big picture: Avoid being bogged down in details at the beginning of your venture capital presentation. Start with the industry trends and why your idea will fit well with the indsutry and where it is going.

5.KISS – Keep it simple —- no jargon or technical terminology that might not be clear to your entire audience

6.Use graphics: A picture is worth a thousand words. Graphics are especially important in conveying new ideas and concepts - make them clear and relevant

7.Readable font size: dont read your slides and make the font big...


8.20 Minutes – spare them the details: it is a venture capital presentation, not a white paper! In a perfect world, you give your pitch in twenty minutes, and you have forty minutes left for discussion.

9.Clear financial model – Have a clear financial model that shows how your business makes money

10.Use “bottom line” conclusions on your slides the venture capital presentation should focus on your bottom line only.




 Remember some of the ideas above using the 10/20/30 rule of a PowerPoint presentation. It’s simple to remember: a PowerPoint presentation should have ten slides, last no more than twenty minutes, and contain no font smaller than thirty points.

101 ways to build your links

By Aaron Wall and Andy Hagans.

Link building is still the trump card for seo
BUILD LISTS
1. Build a "101 list". These get Dugg all the time, and often become "authority documents". People can't resist linking to these (hint, hint).
2. Create 10 easy tips to help you [insert topic here] articles. Again, these are exceptionally easy to link to. 3. Create extensive resource lists for a specific topic
4. Create a list of the top 10 myths for a specific category.
5. Create a list of gurus/experts. If you impress the people listed well enough, or find a way to make your project look somewhat official, the gurus may end up linking to your site or saying thanks. (Sometimes flattery is the easiest way to strike up a good relationship with an "authority".)

HIRE HELP
outsourcing all or part of your link building campaigns can prove to be a quite profitable business strategy.
6. Hire a publicist. Good old PR can still work
7. Hire a consultant. - you can outsource link building.  Developing Authority  Easy to Link At

8. Make your content easy to understand so many people can understand and spread your message. (It's an accessibility thing.)
9. Put some effort in to minimize grammatical or spelling errors, especially if you need authoritative people like librarians to link to your site.
10. Have an easily accessible privacy policy and about section so your site seems more trustworthy. Including a picture of yourself may also help build your authority. PPC as a Link Building Tool
11. Buy relevant traffic with a pay per click campaign. Relevant traffic will get your site more visitors and brand exposure. When people come to your site, regardless of the channel in which they found it, there is a possibility that they will link to you. News & Syndication

X FERTILISE
12. Syndicate an article at EzineArticles, GoArticles, iSnare, etc. The great thing about good article sites is that their article pages actually rank highly and send highly qualified traffic.
13. Submit an article to industry news site. Have an SEO site? Write an article and submit to WebProNews. Have a site about BLANK? Submit to BLANKinformationalsite.com.
14. Syndicate a press release. Take the time to make itGOOD (compelling, newsworthy). Email it to some handpicked journalists and bloggers. Personalize the email message. For good measure, submit it to PRWeb, PRLeap, etc.
15. Track who picks up your articles or press releases. Offer them exclusive news or content.
16. Trade articles with other webmasters.
17. Email a few friends when you have important relevant news asking them for their feedback and/or if they would mind referencing it if they find your information useful.
18. Write about, and link to, companies with "in the news" pages. They link back to stories and blog posts which cover their developments. This is obviously easiest if you have a news section or blog. Do a Google search for [your industry + "in the news"].
19. Perform surveys and studies that make people feel important. If you can make other people feel important they will help do your marketing for you for free. Salary.com did a study on how underpaid mothers were, and they got many high quality links. Directories, Meme Trackers & Social Bookmarking
20. submit your site to DMOZ and other directories that allow free submissions.
21. Submit your site to paid directories. Another oldie. Just remember that quality matters.
22. Create your own topical directory about your field of interest. Obviously link to your own site, deeplinking to important content where possible. Of course, if you make it into a truly useful resource, it will attract links on its own.
23. Tag related sites on sites like Del.icio.us. If people find the sites you tag to be interesting, emotionally engaging, or timely they may follow the trail back to your site.
24. If you create something that is of great quality make sure you ask a few friends to tag it for you. If your site gets on the front page of Digg or on the Del.icio.us popular list, hundreds more bloggers will see your site, and potentially link to it.
25. Look at meme trackers to see what ideas are spreading. If you write about popular spreading ideas with plenty of original content (and link to some of the original resources), your site may get listed as a source on the meme tracker site.

 Business Links
26. Join the Better Business Bureau.
27. Get a link from your local chamber of commerce.
28. Submit your link to relevant city and state governmental resources. (Easier in some countries than in others.)
29. List your site at the local library's Web site.
30. See if your manufacturers or retailers or other business partners might be willing to link to your site.
31. Develop business relationships with non-competing businesses in the same field. Leverage these relationships online and off, by recommending each other via links and distributing each other's business cards.
32. Launch an affiliate program. Most of the links you pick up will not have SEO value, but the added exposure will almost always lead to additional "normal" links. Easy Free Links
33. Depending on your category and offer, you will findCraigslist to be a cheap or free classified service.
34. It is pretty easy to ask or answer questions on Yahoo! Answers and provide links to relevant resources. 35. It is pretty easy to ask or answer questions on Google Groups and provide links to relevant resources. 36. If you run a fairly reputable company, create a page about it in the Wikipedia or in topic specific wikis. If it is hard to list your site directly, try to add links to other pages that link to your site.
37. It takes about 15 minutes to set up a topical Squidoopage, which you can use to look like an industry expert. Link to expert documents and popular useful tools in your fields, and also create a link back to your site.
38. Submit a story to Digg that links to an article on your site. You can also submit other content and have some of its link authority flow back to your profile page.
39. If you publish an RSS feed and your content is useful and regularly updated, some people will syndicate your RSS content (and some of those will provide links; unfortunately, some will not).
40. Most forums allow members to leave signature links or personal profile links. If you make quality contributions some people will follow these links and potentially read your site, link at your site, and/or buy your products. Have a Big Heart for Reviews
41. Most brands are not well established online, so if your site has much authority, your review related content often ranks well.
42. Review relevant products on Amazon.com. We have seen this draw in direct customer enquiries and secondary links.
43. Create product lists on Amazon.com that review top products and also mention your background
(LINK!).
44. Review related sites on Alexa to draw in related traffic streams. 4
5. Review products and services on shopping search engines like ePinions to help build your authority.
46. If you buy a product or service you really like and are good at leaving testimonials, many of those turn into links. Two testimonial writing tips — make them believable, and be specific where possible.

Blogs and the Blogosphere
47. Start a blog. Not just for the sake of having one. Post regularly and post great content. Good execution is what gets the links.
48. Link to other blogs from your blog. Outbound links are one of the cheapest forms of marketing available. Many bloggers also track who is linking to them or where their traffic comes from, so linking to them is an easy way to get noticed by some of them.
49. Comment on other blogs. Most of these comments will not provide much direct search engine value, but if your comments are useful, insightful, and relevant they can drive direct traffic. They also help make the other bloggers become aware of you, and they may start reading your blog and/or linking to it.
50. Technorati tag pages rank well in Yahoo! and MSN, and to a lesser extent in Google. Even if your blog is fairly new you can have your posts featured on the Technorati tag pages by tagging your posts with relevant tags.
51. If you create a blog make sure you list it in a few of thebest blog directories. Design as a Linking Element
52. Web 2.0-ify your site. People love to link to anything with AJAX. Even in the narrowest of niches, there is some kind of useful functionality you can build with AJAX.
53. Validate and 508 your site. This (indirect) method makes your site more trustworthy and linkable, especially from governmental sites or design-oriented communities. There are even a few authoritative directories of standards-compliant sites.
54. Order a beautiful CSS redesign. A nice design can get links from sites like CSS Vault. Link Trading
55. Swap some links. What?! Did we really just recommend reciprocal link building? Yes, on a small scale, and withrelevant partners that will send you traffic. Stay away from the link trading hubs and networks.
56. In case you didn't get the memo — when swapping links, try to get links from within the content of relevant content pages. Do not try to get links from pages that list hundreds of off topic link partners. Only seek link exchanges that you would consider pursuing even if search engines did not exist. Instead of thinking just about your topic when exchanging links, think about demographic audience sets. Buying Sites, Renting Links

Advertisements
57. Rent some high quality links from a broker. Text Link Ads is the most reputable firm in this niche.
58. Rent some high quality links directly from Web sites. Sometimes the most powerful rented links come direct from sites not actively renting links.
59. Become a sponsor. All sorts of charities, contests, and conferences link to their sponsors. This can be a great way to gain visibility, links, and a warm feeling in your heart.
60. Sell items on eBay and offer to donate the profits to a charity. Many charities will link both to the eBay auction and to your site.
61. Many search algorithms seem biased toward older established sites. It may be faster to buy an old site with a strong link profile, and link it to your own site, than to try to start building authority links from scratch. Use the Courts (Proceed with Caution)
62. Sue Google.
63. Get sued by a company people hate. When Aaron was sued by Traffic Power, he got hundreds or thousands of links, including links from sites like Wired and The Wall Street Journal. Freebies & Giveaways
64. Hold a contest. Contests make great link bait. A few-hundred-dollar prize can result in thousands of dollars worth of editorial quality links. Enough said.
65. Build a tool collection. Original and useful tools (and collections of tools) get a lot of link love. What do you think ranking for mortgage calculator is worth?
66. Create and release open source site design templates for content management systems like Wordpress. Don't forget the "Designed by example.com" bit in the footer!
67. Offer free samples in exchange for feedback. 68. Release a Firefox extension. Make sure you have a download and/or support page on your site which people can link to.

Conferences &Social Interaction
69. It is easy to take pictures of important events and tell narratives about why they are important. Pictures of (drunk?) "celebrities" in your industry make great link bait.
70. Leverage new real world relationships into linking relationships. If you go to SEO related conferences, people like Tim Mayer, Matt Cutts, and Danny Sullivan are readily accessible. Similarly, in other industries, people who would normally seem inaccessible are exceptionally accessible at trade conferences. It is much easier to seem "real" in person. Once you create social relationships in person, it is easy to extend that onto the web.
71. Engaging, useful, and interesting interviews are an easy way to create original content. And they spread like wildfire.

30 Bad Ways to Build Links
Here are a few link buiding methods that may destroy your brand or get your site banned/penalized/filtered from major search engines, or both. Directories
72. Submit your site to 200 cheesy paid directories (averaging $15 a pop) that send zero traffic and sell offtopic run-of-site links. Forum Spam
73. List 100 Web sites in your signature file.
74. Exclusively post only when you can add links to your sites in the post area.
75. Post nothing but "me too" posts to build your post count. Use in combination with a link-rich signature file.
76. Ask questions about who provides the best [WIDGET], where [WIDGET] is an item that you sell.
From the same IP address create another forum account and answer your own question raving about how great your own site is.
77. As a new member to various forums, ask the same question at 20 different forums on the same day.
78. Post on forum threads that are years outdated exclusively to link to your semi-related website.
79. Sign up for profiles on forums you never intend on commenting on. Blog Spam
80. Instead of signing blog comments with your real name, sign them with spammy keywords.
81. Start marketing your own site hard on your first blog comment. Add no value to the comment section. Mention nothing other than you recently posted on the same subject at _____ and everyone should read it. Carpet bomb dozens of blogs with this message.
82. Say nothing unique or relevant to the post at hand. Make them assume an automated bot hit their comments.
83. Better yet, use automated bots to hit their comments. List at least 30 links in each post. Try to see if you can hit any servers hard enough to make them crash.
84. Send pings to everyone talking about a subject. In your aggregation post, state nothing of interest. Only state that other people are talking about the topic.
85. Don't even link to any of the sites you are pinging. Send them pings from posts that do not even reference them. Garbage Link Exchanges
86. Send out link exchange requests mentioning PageRank.
87. Send link exchange emails which look like an automated bot sent them (little or no customization, no personal names, etc.).
88. Send link exchange requests to Matt Cutts, Tim Mayer, Tim Converse, Google, and Yahoo!.
89. Get links from nearly-hidden sections of websites listing hundreds or thousands of off topic sites. Spam People in Person
90. Go to webmaster conferences and rave about how rich you are, and how your affiliates make millions doing nothing.
91. Instead of asking people what their name is, ask what their URL is. As soon as you get their URL ask if they have linked to your site yet and if not, why not. Be Persistant
92. Send a webmaster an alert to every post you make on your website.
93. Send a webmaster an email every single day asking for them to link to your website.
94. Send references to your site to the same webmaster from dozens of different email accounts (you sly dog).
95. If the above do not work to get you a free link, offer them $1 for their time. Increase your offer by a dollar each day until they give in. Getting Links by Being a Jerk
96. Emulate the RIAA. When in doubt, file a lawsuit against a 12-year-old girl. (Failing that, obtain bad press by any means necessary.)
97. Steal content published by well known names. Strip out any attribution. Aggregate many popular channels and just wait for them to start talking about you.
98. Send thousands of fake referrals at every top ranking Web site, guaranteeing larger boobs, a 14-inch penis (is that length or girth?), or millions of dollars in free, unclaimed money.
99. Wear your URL on your t-shirt. Walk or drive your car while talking on a cell phone or reading a book. When you run into other people say "excuse you, jerk".
100. Spill coffee on people or find creative ways to insult people to coax them into linking at your site.
101. Sue other webmasters for deep linking to your site  Sent from my iPhone

Online Spark Magazine

This is by far one of the best SME online publications I have read.... would be interested in your feedback!
http://sparkmag.co/nationau/issue13/index.html

The 5 Fatal Flaws of Public Speaking

6 Comments 02/04/2012 | by Trevor Ambrose

We’ve all seen, and given poor presentations. It’s inevitable if you are involved in speaking on even at somewhat irregular basis. What is avoidable are the five worst mistakes that presenters make that doom their talks to being anxiety-ridden, boring, forgettable time-wasters. Avoid these mistakes, and you’re already ahead of the competition.
Public Speaking Fatal Flaw 1:
Overloading on Content
On a good day, your audience will only retain 5% of what you tell them. Despite this, presenters consistently cram too much information into their talks and their listeners tune out. As time ticks away, they move faster through their slides, grow more anxious and struggle to get through every word in their notes.
Before your talk, ask yourself this question: What do you really want your audience to walk away with? Once this message is clear, develop a few – not too many – supporting points to back up your message. Illustrate these with examples, stories, statistics, analogies, quotes and some good simple visual aids if you are using them.
Your audience can ask for more detail or clarification if they need it. Nine times out of ten, if you focus on making your points simple, crystal clear and memorable, you will be better off than trying to cover too much information in too little time. Best of all, you will stand out from the crowd.
Public Speaking Fatal Flaw 2:
Being Boring
It doesn’t matter how good your content is if your audience isn’t listening. Your job as a speaker, then, must be part informer and part entertainer. This means using humour, stories, analogies and audience involvement as much as possible.
The more interesting your talk, the better chance you have to connect with your audience, and that they will pay attention to you. Compile a list of interesting or funny anecdotes, quotes, headlines and jokes that you can use in your talks. A bit of focus on making you content interesting goes a long way.
Public Speaking Fatal Flaw 3:
Not speaking to individuals
If there is one message to take from this report, it’s this: Treat every presentation as a series of one-on-one conversations. Too many speakers look out at the audience, panning back and forth and never settling on anyone for more than a split second. The result is a nervous speaker, a frantic pace, and no connection.
Instead, slow down and spend an entire thought or sentence or phrase with one person. Then at a natural transition in your message, turn to someone else, look him or her in the eyes and talk to that person. Just as if you were having a conversation.
This one piece of advice has transformed more speakers than any other. It allows you to read your audience, connect with them, keep them engaged and relaxed. And it comes down to making eye contact with individuals.
Public Speaking Fatal Flaw 4:
Opening and closing poorly
The greatest irony about public speaking is that the two parts of the talk that people remember the best are the ones that nobody spends enough time preparing. People remember the last thing you say, then the first, and everything else is somewhat in the middle.
I never tell people to memorize an entire presentation. But I do coach them to know exactly how they will open and close their speech, pitch or presentation. Open with a hook to grab people’s attention. Use a story, a shocking statement or statistic or something that will catch them off guard. Then, not before, introduce yourself and your topic.
Close your talk after you handle the Q&A session. When you close, recall the main message of your speech and whatever action you want your audience to take. Then end strong. Your closing should be short and to the point. Whatever you do, be decisive, because whatever you say will be what your audience will have ringing in their heads as they leave the room.
Public Speaking Fatal Flaw 5:
Not practicing
The excuses for not practicing a presentation are endless: You can wing it. You do better unprepared. You know this stuff. You don’t have time etc.
The truth is that nothing will instil in you more confidence and poise when standing in front of an audience better that thorough preparation. This means practicing your talk out load several times. If you use slides, go through every bullet on every slide and rehearse what you are going to say. Each time you go through it, your talk will get better, tighter and more comfortable leaving your lips.
Do not practice in front of a mirror, you will not focus and it is a complete waste of time. My personal tip: Once you prepared your speech, slides and note cards, grab a camera and record yourself.

7½ Simple Rules to Email Marketing Success

If you’re considering email campaigns for your marketing mix, follow these 7½ simple rules to help ensure success:

1. Get a Plan. One email blast will not generate quality leads or drive customer loyalty. Draft a plan to continuously engage prospects and customers. Send to prospects and follow up within 3 to 4 weeks with those who did not respond to your first message. Engage customers with a periodic e-newsletter to nurture the relationship, seek their input and drive up-sell opportunities.

2. Get Delivered. Keep your email file size small – 40K or under is recommended, but definitely no more than 300K. Avoid spam-trigger words like “free” and “offer.” Limit use of images, which can raise your spam score. Include a physical address and an opt-out link.

3. Get Help. The e-marketing landscape is littered with failed in-house initiatives. Invest in help from a trusted advisor with the tools and track record to help ensure your success.

4. Get Read. Keep your message and design simple. Recipients will not scroll through lengthy adjective-laden paragraphs. Give them one compelling thought with a link to read more. Too many images can distract from your message. Keep them to a minimum’a logo or one relevant image. Strive for one screen, no scrolling, with important links at the top.

5. Get It Together. Integrate your online and offline campaigns to leverage branding as well as to track offline campaign results.

6. Get Feedback. Encourage recipients to respond via links, surveys and forms. Encourage click-throughs, especially e-newsletter signups and forwarding to friends.

7. Get Results. Track deliveries, bounces, opens, click-throughs, forwards, and act on those results. Move hot leads directly to sales reps. Nurture the not-yet-hot leads as well as your valued customers.

7½. Get Delivered! This one is so important it deserves repeating. Nothing happens unless your messages get through to your targets. Reread Rules No. 2 and 3 to drive results and return on your e-marketing investment.

Join the Ultimate Business Network with BSI and 10X

Join the Ultimate Business Network with  BSI and 10X

An Opportunity to Network with BSI and 10X Everyone acknowledges the importance of networking. Do you however find too much of your networking time is spent drinking coffee and in small talk rather than in finding and closing opportunities? We are in the fortunate position where we don’t have to do a lot of networking to find opportunities – opportunities come to us. For the most part, all we have to do is evaluate the opportunity and decide whether or not it is a good fit for our company – this is a great way to do business, and it is a lot of fun. the Ultimate Business  Network We would like to offer you the opportunity to do business the same way. You are therefore being invited to express your interest in joining "the Ultimate Business Network". This network is about creating opportunities for your business, not drinking coffee. There are no meetings to attend, no forums to participate in. This is about having opportunities brought directly to you for evaluation. If you join this network, the first part of the process is that we will conduct a full profile of your company. We will look at your business assets, your products, your processes and your database. This process will not be invasive and it will be totally up to you as to what information you provide. This profile will be used to identify potential JV opportunities with other network members and to ensure that only appropriate and compatible opportunities are presented to you. If you have an opportunity that you wish to share with other network members – we will coordinate that for you. If you have   an issue that you require assistance with we will try to identify a network member who may be able to provide that assistance. Ultimately what we are looking to create is win-win situations for the network members. This network is not restricted by geography as the business that could provide you with the best opportunity may not be located in the same state or even the same country. As you will see from our website: www.bsi.com.au  and www.10x.com.au we have conducted business ventures across several continents and have offices throughout Australia and New Zealand. It should however be noted that this opportunity is not suitable for everyone. Before being accepted into this network, we will need to be confident that we can provide value for you. We are therefore at this stage just looking for expressions of interest. If you would like to investigate this opportunity further all you need do is Click Here and submit the expression of   interest form.

All STAR - with Lyrics -You'll never shine if you don't glow

Ll STAR - with Lyrics -You'll never shine if you don't glow

All that glitters is  gold - only shooting stars break the mould

You're a rock star - get the show on the road! Get your game on go play
Get your game on - so you can get paid

All that Glitters is gold - Only shooting stars break the mould!

Check out my Top Songs for Entrepreneurs - Click here 

10X Cash Flow Pro

Best and Easiest to Use Business App on the market. $1.99 will save you $1000's!! Click Here to Download http://itunes.apple.com/app/cashflow-pro/id327253393?mt=8

If you want to sing out sing out - Cat Stevens - awesome!!

If you want to sing out, sing out
If you want to be free, be free
If you want to live high, live high
If you want to live low, live low

Theres a million ways to go, you know that there are!

If you know what you want, you can find a way, you can do it today

If you want to be me, be me
If you want to be you , be you
If you want to live high live high
If you want to live low, live low

If you know what you want, you can find a way, you can do it today - its easy!

Check out my Top Songs for Entrepreneurs - Click here  

March Mastermind Series in Sydney

This is your last chance to confirm your spot in our Leadership Mastermind Groups starting on Monday. You won't want to miss out on this opportunity to kick start your leadership growth in 2012! Click on the following link to see what others have said about it:  http://www.bsi.com.au/news/Mastermind_referrals/

To find out more about the programme CLICK HERE
 Here are the session times (SYDNEY ONLY) available starting from Monday 19 March 2012 over 8 weeks in our office in Martin Place, Sydney:

• Monday 5:30 PM - 2 places available
• Wednesday 12:30 PM - 3 places available
• Thursday 5:30 PM - FULLY BOOKED (Waiting List Only)
• Friday 7:30 AM - 2 places available

To guarantee your place in your preferred session time, CLICK HERE . We will honour responses on a first-come first-served basis. Groups will be finalised by the end of this week! If you believe that you may have any conflicts in your diary and could have issues committing to the full 8 week program, please contact me first to discuss further.
You have everything to gain and nothing to lose. Your investment for the full 8 week program is at a very special price of $100 (plus GST)! Many have asked us why the cost is so low. The reason is that we have a desire to add significant value to as many people as possible in helping them grow as leaders. If that's you, please join us. Commit to attending the full 8 weeks and we will even provide you with a Money-Back Satisfaction Guarantee. (Note that if you are rescheduling from another session and have already paid, you will not have to pay again.)
I hope to hear from you soon and look forward to meeting you in the Mastermind Group in March 2012.
Some Gems from the first 1st Mastermind session click here 
Some Gems from the second Mastermind session click here
Limited spots are available and you need to register ASAP if you’re interested in joining by clicking here.  We will  contact you to confirm your place.
I look forward to sharing the experience with you.
For those of you in other states and cities, we are in the process of organising facilities and facilitators to deliver the mastermind groups nationally. Watch this space!!
By the way, feel free to join me in Linked In 

Another brilliant BSI Networking Breakfast.... 50 SME's networking with each other, having breakfast and learning leadership from the GURUS!!

Peter Diamandis: Abundance is our future - TED

Commentary


From http://www.ted.com/talks/peter_diamandis_abundance_is_our_future.html

Progress over last 100 years

So let's look at what this last century has been to see where we're going. Over the last hundred years, the average human lifespan has more than doubled, average per capita income adjusted for inflation around the world has tripled. 

Childhood mortality has come down a factor of 10. Add to that the cost of food, electricity, transportation, communication have dropped 10 to 1,000-fold. Steve Pinker has showed us that, in fact, we're living during the most peaceful time ever in human history. 

And Charles Kenny that global literacy has gone from 25 percent to over 80 percent in the last 130 years. We truly are living in an extraordinary time. And many people forget this.

Think of this, in the western world today, the majority of people under the poverty line still have electricity, water, toilets, refrigerators, television, mobile phones, air conditioning and cars. The wealthiest robber barons of the last century, the emperors on this planet, could have never dreamed of such luxuries.

Use of Technology and Growth of Cyberusers

 The cellphone in your pocket is literally a million times cheaper and a thousand times faster than a supercomputer of the '70s. A Somali warrior has better technology and access to knowledge than the USA president 30 years ago!

7 Billion people on planet… currently 2 billion have internet access. In next 20 years this will go to 5b…. that means 3 billion new minds and ideaswill join us in cyberworld, and we will be able to communicate with them!!  This growth will come mainly from India and China, and this is where one should focus ones energy!

Scarcity and abundance

In the 19 Century – Aluminium most scarce product on earth… but represented 8% of earths surface… however bound by other compounds…. Technology developed to create pure aluminium in abundance and now used in every household as a disposable.

Project this to current scarce products - water and energy…. It is abundant… no shortage… the challenge is - how do you extract this from the elements  to make it usable… with technology and innovation, finance and strategy, we will be able to provide a solution, that will make both abundant and fit for human and living beings consumption.

When I think about creating abundance, it's not about creating a life of luxury for everybody on this planet; it's about creating a life of possibility. 

We are in a world of abundance – not of scarcity. The next 10 years will be awesome!!

What does a VC ;look for when they invest in an Entrepreneur or an innovation

"Tim Draper: We look very hard at two things: the individual entrepreneurs and the company's markets. Entrepreneurs are by definition heroes. They must have an intense dedication to what they are doing - one that will overcome all odds. We also look for the 'change the world' factor. We see 20 plans a day, so eventually we run into some serious innovations. We're seeking companies offering significant improvements over existing technology that could, if there is a large enough market, change the world. We're also investing in a team of people. Management has to be committed to getting the best people possible for the jobs - people who can do those jobs better than the founder. And the founders must be willing to give those people enough of the company to make it work." - Tim Draper in The Culpepper Letter

How the Leadership Challenge is Not About Numbers - Knowledge@Australian School of Business

How the Leadership Challenge is Not About Numbers - Knowledge@Australian School of Business

A two-year study into the services sector – where 85% of employed Australians now work – shows intangible factors, such as progressive leadership, the employee experience and innovation, may have a far greater impact on an organisation's profitability than old-school number crunching, cost-cutting and capital considerations. As manufacturing dwindles in significance, a shift in focus to intangible attributes presents the new way forward for employers. Now the federal government-funded research project – led by Christina Boedker of the Australian School of Business – is moving into phase two to develop intervention strategies to find effective ways to improve productivity, a field in which Australia is leading the way.

The Ultimate Business Network

Why spend your time drinking coffee when what you really want to do is close deals?

Everyone acknowledges the importance of networking. Do you however find too much of your networking time is spent drinking coffee and in small talk rather than in finding and closing opportunities? 

We are in the fortunate position where we don’t have to do a lot of networking to find opportunities – opportunities come to us. For the most part, all we have to do is evaluate the opportunity and decide whether or not it is a good fit for our company – this is a great way to do business, and it is a lot of fun.

We would like to offer you the opportunity to do business the same way. You are therefore being invited to express your interest in joining "the Ultimate Business Network". This network is about creating opportunities for your business, not drinking coffee. There are no meetings to attend, no forums to participate in. This is about having opportunities brought directly to you for evaluation.

If you join this network, the first part of the process is that we will conduct a full profile of your company. We will look at your business assets, your products, your processes and your database. This process will not be invasive and it will be totally  up to you as to what information you provide. This profile will be used to identify potential JV opportunities with other network members and to ensure that only appropriate and compatible opportunities are presented to you.

If you have an opportunity that you wish to share with other network members – we will coordinate that for you. If you have   an issue that you require assistance with we will try to identify a network member who may be able to provide that assistance. Ultimately what we are looking to create is win-win situations for the network members. This network is not restricted by geography as the business that could provide you with the best opportunity may not be located in the same state or even the same country. As you will see from our website: www.bsi.com.au  we have conducted business ventures across several continents.

It should however be noted that this opportunity is not suitable for everyone. Before being accepted into this network, we will need to be confident that we can provide value for you. We are therefore at this stage just looking for expressions of  interest. If you would like to investigate this opportunity further all you need do is Click Here and submit the expression of   interest form.

Regards,

Derek Adam

CEO

BSI Connect

How to use credit cards to pay tax debts and thus generate frequent flyer miles. -

article from Clark a& Jacobs - accounting Firm - click here for article

Leadership debate spotlights nation’s leadership skills vacuum

Leadership debate spotlights nation’s leadership skills vacuum