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Answer Upon - The Power of the Network: How to Develop Competitive Advantage in Business
Do you run late for meetings, misplace keys, files, important documents, or other items, run afoul of deadlines, or forget appointments? If so, you're not alone. Americans lose/waste nine (9) million hours per day looking for misplaced items, according to the American Demographics Society. If this is an area of challenge for you, follow the 10 simple steps below and get your work environment organized once and for all!1. Think at a helicopter level and identify the major categories of items to be kept in your office/workspace. Limit the number of categories to a maximum of 7 or 8. For example: 1) operational items - phone numbers, expense reports, instructions and procedures, 2) customer files, 3) product samples, 4) tax and legal - contracts and receipts, 5) reading, 6) tools - assessments and articles, and 7) future projects.2. Sort every item, every piece of paper, every file in your office/workspace into the piles that represent the major categories identified in step #1. Start with all visible items, then move to the items stored in drawers, file cabinets and overhead bins. If you have an extraordinary amount of material to categorize, you might want to get a
Quite simply, you need to be visible and more importantly, findable. And you need to be found before the prospect finds your rivals. This gives you a competitive advantage, and the only way you can succeed in business is to have a competitive advantage over your rivals.
In the ISO 14001 (environment) world, you continually need to be spiraling up. This means you need to innovate and provide new and unique ways of "helping the environment". Of course decreasing your negative impact is one way (use less gasoline, decrease electricity, eliminate waste, etc.) but another excellent way is to add to the po
You decide a particular book will be the perfect holiday gift for Uncle Joe, and you’re surfing the web for a bookseller. Will you visit Amazon.com? Barnesandnoble.com? Ablebooks.com? Powells.com? Addall.com? Or one of thousands of other choices? Chances are, you won’t want to buy from a site you’ve never heard of, so you zero in on Amazon or Barnes & Noble.Such is the power of branding.Branded products and services stand out from the plethora of choices inundating today’s consumers. Branding gives your prospects a “shortcut” that helps them decide to select you. Want to become a recognizable name within your target market (the folks that need what you’re good at)? Building a strong brand can accelerate that process many times over.What is a brand? Philip Kotler, a marketing guru, says “A brand is essentially a seller’s promise to consistently deliver a specific set of features, benefits and services to the buyer.”If you’re an entrepreneur, branding yourself is key Picture Donald Trump, his signature hairdo and forthright style. His brand is recognizable around the world and permeates his holdings, from buildings to casinos to his TV s
I received a call from UPS Japan. They have to deliver a parcel from America to my Italian associate that lives in Tokyo. The address on the waybill was incorrect and there was no telephone number on the waybill.
UPS wanted to deliver this parcel so they did a search on google inputting my associate's name. What they came up with was my Intrmarket Solutions web site at http://www.intrmarketsolutions.com. They searched through my contact information which was very easily accessible in an extremely simple way and called me. I provided the telephone number of my associate and told them that if they cannot get through (he may be away on business) to call me back and I would provide the most recent mailing address for them to deliver the parcel.
I contacted my associate to confirm that UPS did get through so his parcel is on the way to his office. This is a real-life example of how the internet was used to help someone succeed in their ventures.
This brings up a few very interesting points to consider:
1) COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE: ACCESSIBILITY
All companies need to be accessible in order for clients to find them. This is an obvious fact. Without visibility no company would ever have contact and no transactions would occur. Traditional means have been to have a physical presence with a sign above the door so that people walking by will note your presence. When advertising advanced, we moved to utilizing the media (newspapers, trade magazines, phone books, TV etc.). Companies go to trade shows for exposure, they put up ads on automobiles and billboards, and more.
These days, research on how people are advertising shows that things are dramatically changing; more and more companies are putting ads on the internet through the search engines. Google and Yahoo have become so successful (and wealthy) not because they offer all that free stuff, but because so many millions of people access them, find ads, click on the ads and go to businesses that are there. This makes revenue for these companies. To have an ad on the internet usually means to have a website or presence on the internet.
A website that is visible, "google-able" (accessible through search engines), simple, professional and well-laid out (with easy access to contact information) is a major asset in this day and age when nearly everyone looks to the net to find people and places.
In the past, even when it was not necessary, "web-heads" often said, "you have to be on the net." I didn't necessarily completely agree in the past, but now I feel differently. Managers in their 50s and 60s (those that are running "older, established" companies) have finally embraced the necessity of IT to develop competitive advantage in their company so they too look to the internet for information on people, businesses and novel ideas. They also use it to see what the competition is doing and to stay one step ahead of the pack. Of course the younger generation managing businesses are heavily invested in the internet.
I am still trying very hard to get better access to my website; it is an ongoing process, an upward spiral. One always must be constantly innovating, looking for new things to add, new values, new advantages otherwise the competition will level the playing field, or worse, get one up on you. I regularly look at the number of "hits" or accesses to my website through statistics my host offers, tweak the keywords, make more submissions to other important search engines and the like.
There are companies that will do this for you. If you choose to go that route you need to do your due diligence as you would in any business venture before hiring someone to do something for you. There are companies that will do it for free, some that will charge a huge amount, others that will meet your needs and those that will scam you and try to rip you off. If you have the finances to go this way, I highly recommend it for small and medium businesses alike. You wouldn't ask a first-year medical student to perform open-heart surgery, would you? Likewise, would you ask a newspaper delivery person to write your "million dollar" marketing campaign? Use the resources that best suit your needs and the most talented people in the field. Look to the "total running costs", the costs over the entire project, and not just the numbers that follow the dollar sign.
Quite simply, you need to be visible and more importantly, findable. And you need to be found before the prospect finds your rivals. This gives you a competitive advantage, and the only way you can succeed in business is to have a competitive advantage over your rivals.
In the ISO 14001 (environment) world, you continually need to be spiraling up. This means you need to innovate and provide new and unique ways of "helping the environment". Of course decreasing your negative impact is one way (use less gasoline, decrease electricity, eliminate waste, etc.) but another excellent way is to add to the po
In the research conducted by Alisa Mosley, 200 out of 247 executives set the price for communications errors between $10,000 and $10, 000, 000. Undoubtedly, communication mistakes cost too much to a company and its’ image to be committed even from time to time. Effective communication not only improves employee understanding and commitment, but has the power to correct the mistakes made in the past. Once corporate image is endangered and loyalty of customers and employees is lost, there is nothing more precious then a fair talk. Organizational communication climate must be rewarding and should flow in accordance with employee expectations. Employees look at the organizational communication system when they try to identify what an organization really values. Messages should be rewarded, as employees often do not feel free enough to clarify what they do not understand.As such, there are two crucial parts in creation of healthy communication environment, which contributes to higher job satisfaction, customer loyalty and a positive corporate image: stimulation of feedback and explicit and detailed company policy. Professionally written explicit communication policy, which contains comp
This brings up a few very interesting points to consider:
1) COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE: ACCESSIBILITY
All companies need to be accessible in order for clients to find them. This is an obvious fact. Without visibility no company would ever have contact and no transactions would occur. Traditional means have been to have a physical presence with a sign above the door so that people walking by will note your presence. When advertising advanced, we moved to utilizing the media (newspapers, trade magazines, phone books, TV etc.). Companies go to trade shows for exposure, they put up ads on automobiles and billboards, and more.
These days, research on how people are advertising shows that things are dramatically changing; more and more companies are putting ads on the internet through the search engines. Google and Yahoo have become so successful (and wealthy) not because they offer all that free stuff, but because so many millions of people access them, find ads, click on the ads and go to businesses that are there. This makes revenue for these companies. To have an ad on the internet usually means to have a website or presence on the internet.
A website that is visible, "google-able" (accessible through search engines), simple, professional and well-laid out (with easy access to contact information) is a major asset in this day and age when nearly everyone looks to the net to find people and places.
In the past, even when it was not necessary, "web-heads" often said, "you have to be on the net." I didn't necessarily completely agree in the past, but now I feel differently. Managers in their 50s and 60s (those that are running "older, established" companies) have finally embraced the necessity of IT to develop competitive advantage in their company so they too look to the internet for information on people, businesses and novel ideas. They also use it to see what the competition is doing and to stay one step ahead of the pack. Of course the younger generation managing businesses are heavily invested in the internet.
I am still trying very hard to get better access to my website; it is an ongoing process, an upward spiral. One always must be constantly innovating, looking for new things to add, new values, new advantages otherwise the competition will level the playing field, or worse, get one up on you. I regularly look at the number of "hits" or accesses to my website through statistics my host offers, tweak the keywords, make more submissions to other important search engines and the like.
There are companies that will do this for you. If you choose to go that route you need to do your due diligence as you would in any business venture before hiring someone to do something for you. There are companies that will do it for free, some that will charge a huge amount, others that will meet your needs and those that will scam you and try to rip you off. If you have the finances to go this way, I highly recommend it for small and medium businesses alike. You wouldn't ask a first-year medical student to perform open-heart surgery, would you? Likewise, would you ask a newspaper delivery person to write your "million dollar" marketing campaign? Use the resources that best suit your needs and the most talented people in the field. Look to the "total running costs", the costs over the entire project, and not just the numbers that follow the dollar sign.
Quite simply, you need to be visible and more importantly, findable. And you need to be found before the prospect finds your rivals. This gives you a competitive advantage, and the only way you can succeed in business is to have a competitive advantage over your rivals.
In the ISO 14001 (environment) world, you continually need to be spiraling up. This means you need to innovate and provide new and unique ways of "helping the environment". Of course decreasing your negative impact is one way (use less gasoline, decrease electricity, eliminate waste, etc.) but another excellent way is to add to the po
If you are just starting out in construction, the process of bidding may be a little confusing. When you are drawing up an estimate, you are basically calculating the total expense of the project you want to bid on. It is important that you remember to include all expenses and allow for unforeseen expenses that may crop up. When you estimate a job, you need to stay as close to the estimate as possible.This is very important because if you do not estimate properly, and ask the client for more money to complete the project he or she will undoubtedly become angry. The contractor will loose money in the end. On the other hand, if you over estimate then the client will most likely choose a lower bid.This makes the building construction estimating one of the most important aspects of managing a construction company. It is crucial that a contractor examines and understands what is needed for a project before they create an estimate. There are certain steps that need to be taken to insure the success of your business.A construction estimate needs to be accurate. Therefore when creating an estimate there are basically four aspects that need to be adhered to when you start a Co
A website that is visible, "google-able" (accessible through search engines), simple, professional and well-laid out (with easy access to contact information) is a major asset in this day and age when nearly everyone looks to the net to find people and places.
In the past, even when it was not necessary, "web-heads" often said, "you have to be on the net." I didn't necessarily completely agree in the past, but now I feel differently. Managers in their 50s and 60s (those that are running "older, established" companies) have finally embraced the necessity of IT to develop competitive advantage in their company so they too look to the internet for information on people, businesses and novel ideas. They also use it to see what the competition is doing and to stay one step ahead of the pack. Of course the younger generation managing businesses are heavily invested in the internet.
I am still trying very hard to get better access to my website; it is an ongoing process, an upward spiral. One always must be constantly innovating, looking for new things to add, new values, new advantages otherwise the competition will level the playing field, or worse, get one up on you. I regularly look at the number of "hits" or accesses to my website through statistics my host offers, tweak the keywords, make more submissions to other important search engines and the like.
There are companies that will do this for you. If you choose to go that route you need to do your due diligence as you would in any business venture before hiring someone to do something for you. There are companies that will do it for free, some that will charge a huge amount, others that will meet your needs and those that will scam you and try to rip you off. If you have the finances to go this way, I highly recommend it for small and medium businesses alike. You wouldn't ask a first-year medical student to perform open-heart surgery, would you? Likewise, would you ask a newspaper delivery person to write your "million dollar" marketing campaign? Use the resources that best suit your needs and the most talented people in the field. Look to the "total running costs", the costs over the entire project, and not just the numbers that follow the dollar sign.
Quite simply, you need to be visible and more importantly, findable. And you need to be found before the prospect finds your rivals. This gives you a competitive advantage, and the only way you can succeed in business is to have a competitive advantage over your rivals.
In the ISO 14001 (environment) world, you continually need to be spiraling up. This means you need to innovate and provide new and unique ways of "helping the environment". Of course decreasing your negative impact is one way (use less gasoline, decrease electricity, eliminate waste, etc.) but another excellent way is to add to the po
Tips on Video TapingHere are some tips to get the most out of your video recordings:Make sure to have plenty of Video to work withWhen taking video, the general rule is the more video you have to work with, the better. You need to make sure you have lots of alternate material and close ups in order to add dimension and secondary footage to your final edited project.Use a tripodMany tripods are available at retail stores for $50 - $100, and they can be a worthwhile investment. A tripod with a leveling bubble is a nice extra. Tripods make your video steady and give it a more professional look. If you find yourself without a tripod, avoid using the zoom control because it gets easier and easier to see even the most subtle camera movement.Start video taping before your talent starts speaking and hold your shotOnce your camera is setup and ready to begin video taping, start recording 5-10 seconds before your talent begins speaking. This will avoid chopping off the beginning of your talents first words. Hold your shot for at least 5 seconds after you have completed the scene.Always think about the lightingr generation managing businesses are heavily invested in the internet.
I am still trying very hard to get better access to my website; it is an ongoing process, an upward spiral. One always must be constantly innovating, looking for new things to add, new values, new advantages otherwise the competition will level the playing field, or worse, get one up on you. I regularly look at the number of "hits" or accesses to my website through statistics my host offers, tweak the keywords, make more submissions to other important search engines and the like.
There are companies that will do this for you. If you choose to go that route you need to do your due diligence as you would in any business venture before hiring someone to do something for you. There are companies that will do it for free, some that will charge a huge amount, others that will meet your needs and those that will scam you and try to rip you off. If you have the finances to go this way, I highly recommend it for small and medium businesses alike. You wouldn't ask a first-year medical student to perform open-heart surgery, would you? Likewise, would you ask a newspaper delivery person to write your "million dollar" marketing campaign? Use the resources that best suit your needs and the most talented people in the field. Look to the "total running costs", the costs over the entire project, and not just the numbers that follow the dollar sign.
Quite simply, you need to be visible and more importantly, findable. And you need to be found before the prospect finds your rivals. This gives you a competitive advantage, and the only way you can succeed in business is to have a competitive advantage over your rivals.
In the ISO 14001 (environment) world, you continually need to be spiraling up. This means you need to innovate and provide new and unique ways of "helping the environment". Of course decreasing your negative impact is one way (use less gasoline, decrease electricity, eliminate waste, etc.) but another excellent way is to add to the po
Back in mid-October of 2002, my husband Andy borrowed my Ford Taurus to drive to work. His truck was in the shop for the day, and since I stayed at home with our baby, I relinquished my car to him.Andy’s everyday route to work involves a short stint on the New York State Thruway, and the toll for this ride is twenty cents. Lucky for him, the benevolent Thruway Authority provides something they like to call E-Z Pass, wherein you place a sensor square on your windshield and are given permission to proceed through a special toll lane, sans human operator. A machine reads the sensor and charges your account, ostensibly saving the Capital Region’s commuters time by allowing them to glide through the lane (at a leisurely 5 mph) without stopping. Andy has one of these sensor squares stuck to the windshield of his truck, and every morning he habitually drives through the E-Z Pass lane.My car, however, is not equipped with a sensor square, since I rarely venture onto the Thruway for any reason. Unfortunately, on the day Andy borrowed my car, his Morning Commute Autopilot led him through the forbidden E-Z Pass lane. So, instead of the usual “have a nice day” green light, Andy was mole
Quite simply, you need to be visible and more importantly, findable. And you need to be found before the prospect finds your rivals. This gives you a competitive advantage, and the only way you can succeed in business is to have a competitive advantage over your rivals.
In the ISO 14001 (environment) world, you continually need to be spiraling up. This means you need to innovate and provide new and unique ways of "helping the environment". Of course decreasing your negative impact is one way (use less gasoline, decrease electricity, eliminate waste, etc.) but another excellent way is to add to the positive impact of the environment (produce environmentally friendly goods, use environmentally friendly associates, etc.). Decreasing costs and providing goods cheaper than the competition is one way to be competitive, but think outside the box and try to provide added value, more for your customer, things that the rivals are not willing to do and you have an even more powerful competitive advantage.
2) CLUSTERS: UTILIZING THE NETWORK
How did a Japanese employee of a global transport company find my association to the person he needs to make a delivery to you may be asking. This is the power of the network.
On my website I have testimonials from clients and associates whom I have served. It helps potential prospects who have found me to have a better feel for me, to understand me more and not to feel nervous about putting their business (and hands) in "some guy on the internet" (that may or may not be legitimate).
Developing a sense of reliability, of comfortable association is extremely important. It helps people take the next step. This is even more essential when running a business "long distance" or through the network such as Intrmarket Solutions. We provide assistance to companies that want to do business with Japan through advisory positions, sales assistance, data mining information gathering and a whole lot of other services that ordinary businesses and especially consulting firms do not want to do or cannot do. This is the competitive advantage that we need in order to succeed. And providing the "links" to the real world through testimonials from real companies (with real names, addresses and phone numbers for confirmation) is how we do this.
The UPS employee did a Google search for my associate's name. Because our website was listed in Google, and thanks to the existence of these testimonials which had my associate's name was also listed, the UPS person found my Intrmarket Solutions website, and called me for help! Do you think my associate ever thought that by giving me a testimonial it would, in the future, help someone somewhere in the world have a critical package delivered to him? The network can be a mind-boggling thing. You never know how something you do for someone will be "paid back", but eventually it will. It always happens.
Now, how is that for a unique way to leverage your name on the internet? This is the main reason why I am writing this article; to show you the power of the "network" and of the internet, and of the global market and how we at Intrmarket Solutions capitalize on the resources at hand.
SUMMARY
In summary the following points are vital for success in business (and in life):
1) Develop a competitive advantage to stay ahead of the competition.
2) Understand that price is very important but it is not the only way to develop competitive advantage.
3) Always be aspiring to improve through innovation and education.
4) Look for ways to utilize the network you have developed, the cluster you are associated with.
5) Rely upon your friends, associates, employees, those around you for their knowledge, expertise and assistance whenever you can. And invest in them for they are your most important asset of all.
6) Use the most effective marketing resources at hand and invest in the best that you can afford.
7) Look for long-term success, not short-term gain. Short-term is fleeting, but long-term is long-lasting.
8) I'll say it again: Invest.
If you follow these steps, think how they can apply to your business and try to apply them in a way that makes sense to you, you will be well on the road to developing a competitive advantage that many highly-paid MBAs are trying to instill in companies just like yours around the world today.
Most people running smaller to midsize businesses are ordinary people with little to no formal business training. They are scrambling, just trying to keep up, flying by the "seat of their pants" with no foundation for long-term growth and success
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