Interpreneurs

Jerry Seinfeld didn’t call it quits because his audience wanted him to end his TV series. No, the comic turned TV star decided it was time to go.

In an interview before the final “Seinfeld” episode, Katie Couric posed this question: “You’re the number-one sitcom, the leading program for a network and the most-watched show on television. Why hang it up?”

“The audience is a child, and you’re responsible for the child,” said Seinfeld. “Sometimes that means not giving the child what the child wants. The child isn’t happy at the time, but perhaps later the child will understand.”

In other words, Seinfeld was saying “enough” to his devoted fans, much in the same way a child is denied candy even though each piece tastes good.

Regardless of what you thought of “Seinfeld” — a show about nothing, narcissistic, the funniest sitcom ever — the producers, writers and actors knew their audience, and they delivered dead-on comedy to that audience for nearly a decade.

But Jerry, whose roots are in standup comedy, didn’t want to keep the show alive until he “bombed.” He didn’t want the “child” to turn on him. Instead, he left the series the same way he would exit his standup routine: with the audience wanting more.

Take Charge

I like the child metaphor. If you’re a parent, you’re in tune with the needs of your children. Likewise, if you’re a marketer, shouldn’t you be in tune with the needs of your audience? Following are eight tips for managing the audience relationship.

You’re the “parent.”
Take charge. You’re the parent in the relationship. What does the audience want and need? Good parents take the time to get to know their kids. To be an effective marketer, you must take the time to get to know your audience.

Talk in terms they can understand.
Once you know your audience, talk in terms they can understand, determining the language, style and tone that’s most effective. Sometimes you must educate your audience. Do it with humility. Whatever you do, don’t come across as self-important. The audience will always seek those who treat them with respect.

Children don’t work. Neither should your audience.
Children learn and grow through play. It’s not work; it’s fun! Don’t make your audience work either. Give them what they want and need, making it as enjoyable and entertaining as possible. A caution: Don’t go overboard with humor. It’s a tricky business. Use it appropriately.

Keep it fresh.
You want your child to brush her teeth — only what worked yesterday isn’t working today. You need a fresh approach. The same holds true for your audience. They may get bored. Much like the child, your audience may get tired of listening to you. That’s why it’s wise to periodically adopt a fresh approach.

Be dependable and trustworthy.
Dependability and trust are cornerstones of the parent-child relationship. Your audience, whether consciously or subconsciously, also wants to know what to expect from you. This is often called branding — building an identity and credibility in the minds of customers. Be dependable and earn your audience’s trust.

Be enthusiastic.
Children are naturally enthusiastic, and in case you haven’t noticed enthusiasm is contagious. That’s why it’s so effective in sales and marketing. Nothing sells a product, service or message like enthusiasm. Pump some into your marketing communications. If you’re not enthusiastic about your message, who will be?

Choose the right media.
My daughter can now talk on the phone. We can have a sensible conversation. Earlier, she wasn’t interested or capable. What are the best media for your audience? Are they ready, willing and able? To communicate effectively to your audience, choose the right media.

Stay focused.
“Seinfeld” boiled down to laughs. As Jason Alexander, the actor who played George, explained on PBS, the laugh reigned supreme. Never mind statements about life, culture, society and the like. The writers focused like a laser beam on laughs. As a result, “Seinfeld” delivered laughs to a faithful following week in and week out, year after year.

What’s the focus of your marketing communications? Who do you want to attract? How will you get them to follow? It’s time to take charge. After all, you’re the parent.

Copyright (c) 2006 Neil Sagebiel

About the Author

Neil Sagebiel is a veteran copywriter who has served clients such as Microsoft, The Seattle Times, Lucent Technologies, March of Dimes, Airborne Express and Unisys. To sign up for his FREE expert tips to help you write better and sell more, visit http://www.neilsagebiel.com.

With so many credit cards dominating the market these days, people can no longer tell the difference between one card to another. It all seems like a wide array of credit cards all committed to provide the consumers with substantial means in cashless shopping.

However, there is one credit card that aims to be above the rest. This is the chase credit cards.

On its façade, chase credit cards may look just like the other credit cards, works like the others, and has the basic features of a typical credit card. But what people still don’t know about chase credit cards is that what it has basically more than meets the eye.

Here are some facts about chase credit cards in order to guide those who are contemplating to get hold of it:

1. Chase credit cards are easily accessible online.

Just like the other credit cards, chase credit cards are also available online. But the fact that people can do transactions online is a remarkable modification in credit cards.

In fact, consumers who want to get a chase credit card can easily apply online, and once approved they can continuously track their balances, statements, and details of their transactions all in just one click.

2. Chase credit cards have free alerts.

These are the notifications that a chase credit card holder receives through e-mail or phone.

If the consumer chooses e-mail alerts, notifications shall be sent to the user’s e-mail address, wap-enabled mobile phone, pager, or even a PDA device. In this way, the consumer can be updated about his or her account at any time of the day.

Free alerts can even jog your memory whenever there is a due payment. It will also ring a bell in the event that your balance is about to reach its limit. Best of all, it is free so people don’t have to worry about additional charges just for this service.

3. Chase credit cards offers versatility when paying bills.

Chase credit cards can be used automatically to pay all the bills on due. The consumer has to arrange for the specific requirements needed before they can get their chase credit card start paying bills.

So, for a new way of enjoying credit cards with all the functions still intact but ahs a different way of managing the consumer’s accounts, chase credit cards are certainly the best of its kind.

About the Author

More information about credit and credit cards is available at stooze online

If you’re in the market for a loan, you might be wondering exactly how you’re supposed to figure out what you’re looking for and which loan you should apply for. There are so many sources of loans, and many types of lenders. Here are a few common sources of loans:

Commercial Banks - Commercial banks make loans mostly for commercial ventures and small businesses. Smaller loans, especially if you’re a long-time customer, are also available.

Credit Unions - Credit Unions offer fewer fees and lower interest rates, but are only available through affiliated membership.

Government Agencies - Both the US and the UK offer special loans for investments, low income, or many other special standards. These rates are often locked in, and always reliable.

Online Lenders - Very often low cost options are available to online consumers in order for online lenders to be competitive. Consumers may benefit from these loans due to the increased efficiency of online lending. Most communications can be sent via email for added convenience.

What to Do Before You Apply for a Loan

Clean up your credit report.

Be sure to clear up any credit problems before you apply for a loan. If any problems turn up later, a lender won’t want to hear your explanations. You can get help on cleaning up your report.

Provide all the requested information quickly.

If the loan officer asks you for a pay stub, get the pay stub as quickly as possible. Holding up the process never goes well, and can even cost you the loan if the lender fears that you’ll be as slow to make your payments. Try to have as much information available for the lender as possible so as to speed up the loan process.

Keep in Touch

Call your loan officer periodically to check on the progress of your loan processing. If there are any problems, you’ll want to know immediate. You should always make sure that you are not responsible for holding up your own loan.

Don’t Make Any Big Purchases

If you go out and buy a new car right before you apply for a loan, that debt is going to appear on your record. If you buy this car after you apply then the debt my also show up because some lenders run two credit checks: one when you apply and one just before closing. So if you’re contemplating a big purchase, wait until after your loan is closed.

How to Apply for a Loan

Applying for a loan is as easy as filling out a form and talking to your lender. First, though, you’ll need a little information about yourself. Exactly what you’ll need depends on the type of loan you’re seeking and where you’re applying. Here are a few examples, but be sure to check with your lender to make sure you have all your information available.

Most Loans Will Require:

Name and phone number of nearest relative not living with you

Length of time at your current address, and monthly mortgage/rent payment amount

Employer name, address and phone number (if applicable)

Length of employment (if applicable)

Amount of yearly salary

Any other annual income that should be considered

Other loans may also require information about your vehicle or home, a Lease, Franchise Agreement, Purchase Agreement, Letters of Intent, Plans, Copies of Licenses, or Letters of Reference. Regardless, you should always be sure to consult your lender as much as possible to be sure you’re getting the best loan possible for your circumstances.

You may freely reprint this article provided the following author’s biography (including the live URL link) remains intact:

About the Author

John Mussi is the founder of Direct Online Loans who help homeowners find the best available loans via the www.directonlineloans.co.uk website.

People used to think that they had enough on their benefits with their credit cards. They thought that the rewards they get and the low interest they have is already enough to last a lifetime.

However, there are instances when they get to have the chance of seeing promotions like 0% APR. Now, this is really something. But the question is, is it true? Is there a great probability that credit card companies can actually offer a 0% APR?

For most financial experts, they contend that it is, indeed, possible. In fact, credit card companies would definitely go for this kind of scheme just to get the consumers on their hook.

That sounds too good to be true, indeed. But the question is how come they can offer something so good just like that?

Normally, 0% annual percentage rate or APR lasts only for 6 months. The countdown starts from the day the credit card is claimed.

In most instances, 0% APR are attractive to people who would want to have a balance transfer. This is because they would want to consolidate all of their debts into one payment only. And because they have a huge pile of debt, they would rather go to a credit company that can offer them lower interest rates.

With things like 0% APR credit card, who can resist them?

Moreover, with the 6-month timeframe, people will get to have the chance of paying their standing debts for a whole six month-period only. That would be a lot of savings.

But then again, 0% APR credit cards are not at all beneficial to everybody. As they say, there is always an exception to the rule. This refers to those who do not accumulate interest charges simply because they have outstanding balance. So, they wouldn’t feel the necessity of getting a 0% APR credit card.

The best credit cards for these types of people are those that offer rewards and cash backs instead of lower rates.

All of these boil down to one point, that people must be aware on how these wonderful offers can provide them the benefit that they want.

Indeed, there are lots of rewards and 0% APR credit card out there. But if it will not work for those who do not really them because of the mentioned situations, then it’s best not to have them at all. Besides, the best 0% reward is not to have a credit card at all.

About the Author

More information about credit and credit cards is available at stooze online

So, you have decided you need a credit card. However, you must remember that not all credit cards are created equally. Your friend’s credit card doesn’t mean that it is also the best for you. Before going to this bank and get its credit card, you must consider the several factors that you should take into consideration when deciding which credit card you want to get. Some of those factors include:

- Interest rate. When you are the type of person that pays off your balance monthly, you would probably disregard the interest rate. Unfortunately, most people are having problems keeping with their credit card balance. Most people do carry a balance in their credit cards. If you sometimes late paying and carrying a balance, then it would be the best decision to have a credit card with a low interest rate. Having a card with a low interest rate save you a lot of money. You might disregard the difference between a 10 percent and 20 percent interest rate, but the difference could be significant if you have balances for a long period of time. Major credit card companies like Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and AMEX, have low interest versions of their credit card.

- Reward programs. Visa, MasterCard, Discover, or American Express and other major credit card companies have reward programs. Reward programs give you special privileges or services for being a credit card holder. Some of these programs include frequent flyer programs, where you are given one frequent flyer mile for each dollar spent. If you are quite a traveler, then a credit card with this program might be for you. Some offer cash-back options. Most common are discount offerings at retail stores or online chains.

- Annual fees. The annual fee is an important consideration, especially those who have a hard time paying off their balances monthly. If you think that the annual fee you have to pay to keep your card is way too high compared with the privileges you get from your card, it would be probably better to stop using the card.

- Member benefits. Credit cards promise various benefits. Some have travel protection as part of the benefits, while others offer roadside assistance. You have to consider your lifestyle in checking out a card’s benefits.

Remember: On choosing credit cards, choose wisely. If you need to, discuss your specific financial needs with your financial advisor.

About the Author

More information about credit and credit cards is available at stooze online

There are different credit cards to suit each individual. One needs to assess his or her needs before applying for a credit card online.

Many people feel that they have been through hell because of credit cards and would not like to repeat their mistake. Another common misconception about credit card is that having a bad history will stop credit card offers coming there way again. The truth however is something else. Some credit card companies offers great schemes to those with bad credit card. They also make cards specifically for frequent flyers, Wall Mart Shoppers, or frequent moviegoers. There are many offers based on incentives on shopping.

Let us see what things you should keep in mind before shopping for credit card.

The first thing that should be kept in mind is Annual Percentage Rate. An Annual Percentage Rate is the amount of interest you pay every year on your borrowings. The higher APR will make you pay more finance charges. The minimum amount that you are required to pay would be basically your past balance, try paying a little more than the minimum repayment. In short your APR should be as low as possible.

The next step to keep in mind would be introductory rates. Most credit cards offer a low or 0% rate of interest for an introductory period. You should strictly keep in mind that this interest free period is applicable on purchases and balance transfers as well. This will reduce your bill considerably.

You may seriously consider gold or a platinum card if you are a good earner and love to splurge on luxurious things. These cards have very less rate of interest and unlimited credit limit. They also come with exciting offers.

Another point to be considered is Grace period. During this period, a credit card holder doesn’t have to pay any interest on repaying the amount.

Cash back and rewards also offer a great relief to the customer. But such offers are mostly entitled for air miles, cash back or discounts. You should consider them seriously as they are of no use to you if you don’t fly.

Balance transfer rates are the most wanted among the customer who are having a huge outstanding amount. Many cards offers lower rate of interest. Thus, if you transfer your balance from one card to another with lower interest, it can help you with your debt problems and save a lot of money.

One should also avoid late payments as the interest in this case, keeps piling. A time also comes when the interest amount exceeds the principal amount. This can be avoided if you keep tabs upon the charges levied on the late payments.

About the Author

Andy Eaton is the owner of www.credit-cards-4us.com a site decdicated to helping consumers find the right credit cards, helping them get out of debt.

The word “mortgage” (method of using property as security for payment of a debt) is quite frequent in our life, but not all of us know that there are different types of mortgage loans.

There are two main types of mortgage loans - fixed rate mortgage or FRM and adjustable rate mortgage or ARM.

A fixed rate mortgage (FRM) has the same interest rate and monthly payment throughout the term of the mortgage. The payment is calculated to payoff the mortgage balance at the end of the term. The most common terms are 15 year and 30 years, but also there are biweekly and convertible mortgages. Let’s take a look on the most popular 15 and 30 year fixed rate mortgages.

The 15-year fixed rate mortgage gives permission to house owners to own their homes free and clear in half the time and for less than half the total interest costs of the traditional 30-year loan. The loan’s term is shortened by the 10 percent to 15 percent higher monthly payments.

30-year fixed rate mortgage may still be best for your circumstances, because it offers the lowest monthly payments of fixed rate loans.

An adjustable rate mortgage (ARM) is the best choice for those, who care about lower monthly payment. But the interest rate changes periodically in relation to an index and payment may go up or down respectively. So, if you are sure that your income will increase adjustable rate mortgage is right for you.

Use of this article is permitted as long as there are clickable links back to us at:Mortgage calculator and all credit is given to the author.

About the Author

Writer for http://www.goodcalculator.com/ , http://www.mortgagecalc.biz/ , http://www.futuredebt.com/ , http://www.whitefinance.com/ websites

The term “market analysis” is often confusing to entrepreneurs, especially for people who focus on a specific niche or market segment.

In fact, many small business owners don’t understand the process or complain that conducting a market analysis is too complicated or too expensive and wonder why or if it is necessary.

What is market analysis?

In the most basic terms, a market analysis is an assessment of:

- A particular problem or opportunity in a market. - The needs of the target market relating to the problem or opportunity. - Ideas for marketing a particular product or service that fills the needs of the target market.

When should you conduct a market analysis?

- When you are starting a business. - When you are entering a new market. - When you are considering a new product or service.

Why should you conduct a market analysis?

- To minimize business risks. - To understand the problems and opportunities. - To identify sales opportunities. - To plan your marketing/sales approach.

The process of conducting a market analysis can be divided into three parts:

Part 1 - Understanding Market Conditions

This gives you basic information about your entire market — the size, the competition, the customers.

Part 2 - Identifying Market Opportunities

This gives you more targeted information about potential problems or opportunities in the potential market, and includes information about growth, current and future trends, outside factors and more information about specific competitors.

Part 3 - Developing Market-Driven Strategies

Here is where we get into what market research does for you. It helps you to pinpoint opportunities to grow your business. By understanding the market and knowing what opportunities are available you can create a marketing strategy that leaves your competitors in the dust!

Here are 10 questions that can help you get started:

1. What is the market I want to reach?

- Who are they? (Basic Demographics) - What is their biggest problem in relation to this market? - Are their needs being met by the products or services provided in this market?

2. Who is my competition in this market?

- Are they successful in this market? - Are they marketing a similar product or service? - What is the market share of the three biggest competitors in this market?

3. Is there room for growth in this market?

4. What is the size of this market?

- Is there room for growth? - Is the industry growing? Stable? Saturated? Volatile? Declining?

5. How is my product or service different from the competition?

6. How can I reach this market?

- How is my competition currently reaching this market? - Is it the most effective way? - What are the alternative ways of reaching this market?

7. What are the business models of my competition in this market?

- Are they effective? - Is there a way to do it differently or better?

8. What do customers expect from this type of product or service?

- What are the core competencies of this product or service? - What would make the product “new” “different” or “better” for the customer?

9. How much are customers willing to pay for this product or service?

10. What is our competitive advantage in this market?

Knowing the answers to these questions will not only help you figure out if there is a need for your product or service, it will help you figure out the best ways to reach your customers, price your products or service and ultimately make more sales!

About the Author

Mr. Boettger’s consulting firm helps business market effectively without spending more money on advertising through a growth performance guaranteed system. An extensive DIY small business action plan is available free on their website at http://www.7StepConsulting.com

Small business is a term that is used day-to-day. That is because in the past decade the rise of small business has been larger than in any other decade prior. This is largely due to the increasing number of services that are available to small business owners, to enable them to keep their business running.

There really isn’t any guidelines for when the term small business is used, however it is simply defined as a business which has a small number of employees. How few employees is debatable, and the definition of when a business changes from a small business to a larger corporation varies both by country and industry. This number is generally less then 100 employees.

As mentioned before small businesses due to their nature, are in most times sole proprietorships, partnerships, or privately owned. Common in may countries, small businesses, are most oftenly related to: accountants, restaurants, guest houses, photographers, small shops, hairdressers, tradesmen, solicitors, lawyers, small-scale manufacturing etc.

Small businesses in often cases are located in private homes, for two main reasons. The first is because it is economical and in most cases convenient. The second reason is that there are several benifits with tax,etc for having your business in your home.

Running a small business is an exciting venture, and a great way to introduce yourself into the business world, and to gain business sense. If you are interested in starting your own small business, I would recommend having a talk with a local lawyer or accountant, who will be able to answer questions that are specific to your local area. Good luck with your new venture!

About the Author

Feel free to reprint this article as long as you keep the article, this caption and author biography in tact with all hyperlinks.

Ryan Fyfe is the owner and operator of Small Business Lawyers - http://www.small-business-lawyers.com, which is the best site on the internet for all Small Business related information.

Small Business Online Advertising Strategies

While professional search engine optimization (SEO) is one of the smartest investments a Website owner could make it does have its limitations. There are other search engine marketing solutions that offer more flexibility than SEO ever could. This article is not meant to suggest that these solutions should be considered above a professional SEO campaign, but because SEO is a long-term process these solutions could be considered as an addition to SEO.

Statistics show that throughout 2005 b2b companies moved up to 40% of their advertising budgets online and b2c companies moved up to 56% of their advertising budget online. Moving this much of advertising budgets towards the Internet may not make sense for many small businesses but we could still learn a few things from observing the larger businesses. One of those observations could be that larger businesses are taking advantage of the same advertising opportunities given to the small business owners by the major search engines Google, Yahoo and MSN. Below are some search engine marketing solutions being used by businesses today.

Pay-Per-Click
Small business owners need to know how to effectively leverage the Internet to their advantage. Investing large portions of their advertising budget into SEO and playing the Google sandbox waiting game really isn’t a smart business practice. Pay-per-click is a great addition to SEO and is an option most businesses should consider. Pay-per-click offers so much flexibility that it’s almost silly for a business not try at least a small test campaign. Pay-per-click offers the flexibility and convenience of setting your own budget and creating your own advertisements. Other conveniences of pay-per-click are that you can create a new advertising campaign in a few minutes and turn the advertisements on and off in an instant. This feature is great for seasonal or holiday campaigns. Other advantages are that pay-per-click can be targeted by geographical region making it is possible to narrow the advertisements within a city location or globally.

Site Targeting
Site Targeting is Google’s new program that allows you to customize text or banner advertisements and display them across specific Websites within the Google network. You can target Websites by suggesting keywords to Google and allowing Google to choose from the network which Websites are relevant to those keywords. Or you could suggest a specific Website URL to Google and Google will let you know if that Website is available within the network. You may even be able to specify which page within the Website you want to advertise your customized advertisements on. This form of advertising is new from Google and the advertising opportunities within the network are slim; therefore, caution should be taken to test your market within the network before throwing a large amount of money at this form of advertising. The payment model for this program is CPM (cost per 1000 impressions).

Behavioral Targeting
The Yahoo! Impulse program provides businesses with the ability to target Internet users based on their past Internet behaviors. With this method of advertising we can target users with text and banner ads customized to whatever the user has recently searched or viewed online. For example, if you sell canoe camping products you could target Internet users who have recently visited canoe camping Websites, or performed canoe camping searches. Yahoo! Behavioral Targeting allows you to display your banner advertisements across the Yahoo! Network and even within the Yahoo! email. Google recently announced they will offer their own behavioral targeting program in the future.

These are just a sample of the online advertising opportunities available to small business owners. Transitioning your small business online may be a smart move for many businesses but be sure to do your homework before diving into these programs. Before taking the leap to online advertising realistic goals need to be established and strategies need to be developed. Don’t be afraid to consult a search engine marketing professional for assistance if you need to. They will save you money in the long run.

About the Author

Darren is located near Philadelphia and provides professional search engine marketing and seo services throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey. If you use this article online please keep the links intact.