1) HP is a VERY BIG supplier to channel and 2) The company that Mark Hurd formerly led, NCR, utilized the channel to a far less extent than HP. So the natural concern is Hurd may steer HP toward a greater percentage of direct business in their distribution model.

CHANNEL PROPAGANDA

It was interesting, especially at first, to watch various editorials attempt to “read the Mark Hurd tea leaves.” This started IMMEDIATELY AFTER his very first press conference, which ANNOUNCED his appointment as the new HP CEO. The better part of one issue of a prominent channel magazine seemed dedicated to trying to decipher the impact on the channel by interpreting his earliest words. Hurd basically said, “I don’t know yet”. His appointment had just been announced within the last hour, so that seemed to be a pretty reasonable statement! While certainly not universal, many a columnist and channel spokesperson interpreted this simple, honest statement to be a putdown of the channel’s role at HP, with dire consequences certain to follow if this held true. These wags even went on to warn him of how the channel will turn on HP. They pretty much threatened that he had better live up to recent HP channel executives promises to make the channel even more prominent in HP’s distribution model. It’s pretty ironic considering many HP executives will tell you that most of their business already flows through channels, sometime hampering their ability to gather good marketing data. To quote a high profile (and somewhat silly) primetime TV reporter, “I say give me a break!”

The whole thing was really jumping the gun, and frankly quite silly. As Hurd has had a bit of time to study the massive company he is taking over, these same channel players seem to be pleased with his follow-on statements, and the direction they believe he will lead HP with respect to the channel. I got quite a chuckle over a period of weeks reading the various stories. As I stated above, it’s ironic to me, since HP already pushes the great bulk of its $80B business through the channel. While doing this, their business is certainly not optimized, and the key competitor breathing down the company’s throat is Dell. Dell’s direct distribution model is clicking on all cylinders, moving down the line like a Japanese bullet train while attempting to blow HP out of the water. And if HP doesn’t make some fundamental improvements to its business model, it just might happen. You would think it might be wise to examine whether utilizing direct distribution more heavily might be good for HP to study.

Of course, my channel colleagues reading this will want to burn me at the stake for espousing such blasphemy! Go direct—how dare you say such a thing! That is the nature of channel conflict—all parties want the business for THEMSELVES. Much smoke is always blown by the various interested parties about what is right and fair, and commitments that were made and so on, but let’s face it—it’s basically self interest. They just want the business for themselves.

So what’s a company to do? Just sell direct, or just sell through VARs, or just sell through retail? Unless you have strict exclusive territories throughout your distributions system, problems will still arise. You’ll always have some kind of conflict (two direct reps or two resellers fighting over who should have an account), but at least you would eliminate cross-channel conflict, which can be particularly complex and nasty.

Well, limiting yourself to a single channel focus certainly may make your life less complicated, and less rife with conflict. But unfortunately, in most cases, you’ll be leaving a lot of money on the table. If you rule out natural channels that can sell your product, you won’t be maximizing your return on your heavy investments in IP, which should be one of the fundamental concerns of any business.

HAVE YOUR CAKE AND EAT IT TOO

So I say, sell through every channel that makes sense. If done poorly, it can, and almost certainly will, be very messy. You’ll be sorry you did it, and probably become a convert to a single channel, or at least less complex, distribution model. But it doesn’t have to be so. Yes, you CAN have your cake and eat it, too.

There are many potential channels for your products: direct, OEM, one-step through VARs, 2-step through distributors/VARs, retailers, independent sales reps, strategic partner referrals, and more. In extreme cases, ALL of these potential channels may be appropriate ways to deliver your product to the market. The question I am often asked by clients is “How do you make it all work without it blowing up in your face?” The way you can do this is to live by two very simple rules:

1) DON’T EVER SCREW A REAL BUSINESS PARTNER

It actually sounds pretty simple and easy. Yet humans can be greedy creatures, and just a little greed in partnering can quickly ruin reputations for a long time. There’s the greedy VAR who thinks he deserves a piece of every deal with any customer within a 100 mile radius of his office—a customer he might have only sent a piece of mail, or cold-called a year before. But more seriously, it only takes one weak-willed sales manager at a manufacturer or software developer, trying to make quota or maximize his income, to cause real havoc. If he attempts to cut a channel partner out of a deal that they drove, or had legitimate influence on—this is a mortal sin. Your channel partners will be outraged, and they will spread the word and not soon forget. Your reputation has been tainted, and that crucial trust that is necessary to make any business relationship work is now gone. Everything becomes harder. Partners aren’t willing to share information about what’s going on in accounts—maybe even withholding names on potential new deals. A struggle for account control, rather than teamwork, becomes the rule of the day. So if it is a REAL partner, one who is trying to drive business to your mutual benefit, do whatever it takes to make it right. Give up short-term profitability to maintain a long-term profitable relationship. Don’t ever, ever screw a partner in the name of short-term gain. It can ruin your channel business long term.

2) DO ALLOW BUYERS TO PURCHASE THE PRODUCT FROM WHOM THEY WANT TO BUY IT

If you are honest and fair with people, potential channel conflict shouldn’t unnecessarily stop you from maximizing revenue by using multiple methods of delivering your product to the market. There is a range of customer profiles in the market. Some want to buy everything through their trusted VAR/Integrator, who helps give them a third party evaluation of the product’s virtues. Others want to deal directly only with the manufacturer or developer of the specific product they are purchasing. A third category of buyers likes to buy as much as possible through their favorite large manufacturer—this is a great reason to OEM your product to the IBMs of the world. In each of these situations, the channel that is best positioned, via relationship or type of support, should and usually will get the deal. In each situation, if your product isn’t available in that channel, my may not get the deal. The last category of buyer, however, is different. This is the bargain basement buyer, the one who couldn’t care less who he buys from, as long as he gets the lowest price. These are the people that can wreak havoc on a multi-channel distribution system, if you aren’t careful.

BEWARE THE BARGAIN BASEMENT BUYER

It’s this price conscious buyer that will often bring cross-channel conflict to the forefront. Since they are seeking the lowest price, they end up shopping the purchase across many potential sources for the product, creating great price competition among your channel partners. This is where conflict is often born. There are many tactical mechanisms to limit these situations (such as deal registration), which I won’t delve into. The main thing to have thought out is where these customers should end up buying. There are two basic approaches:

1) Tell your value-added channels that this price conscious buyer, who isn’t looking for any added value, isn’t going to buy from them. You might decide that this buyer is going to find the lowest price at retail, or maybe direct if they buy in volume. In this case, it’s important to set those expectations up front when you recruit channel partners. Let potential partners know where they fit, and where they don’t. They can walk away if they don’t like it; otherwise they’ve been warned. This is being fair and honest. Before potential partners invest in selling your products, they should have the real picture of what they’re getting into.

2) Conversely, you can strive for street price equity between channels. This gets tougher to do the more channel types you have, and also the larger your channel is in general. But it can be done. The main thing here is to avoid giving incremental channels discounts based upon volume. If you do, incentives are created for a channel player to discount to achieve volume—thereby lowering their costs, so they can win more business via aggressive discounting. This leads to a continuous downward spiral in your street price, and to unhappiness and channel conflict to such a degree that will drive you to drink, or at least a career change. It will get ugly. But if you limit your channels to those that truly are strategic for your product, and which add real value, it can be managed. The key is to set discount schedules based upon value-add and associated costs, rather than revenue or unit volume.

So there you have it. Sell through all the channels your product belongs in. Be honest and fair with you partners. Sounds pretty easy to me! Let me know if it does to you-send me an email or visit my site listed below.

The fees for firms that specialize in securing business LOC can vary significantly, but they are typically on par of those with mortgage brokerage firms. However, since this is a specialized type of finance, the fees (on a percentage of the loan/credit amount basis) may be slightly higher as there is significantly more work to do than if they were securing you with a mortgage. As with any brokerage firm, the broker does not always work in your best interest. It is important to remember that the more that you pay for a credit line or loan – the more your broker is compensated. However, the primary benefit of working with a loan brokerage is that that usually have hundreds, if not thousands, of contacts in the small business financing industry. They also often have personal relationships with banks and bankers that specifically cater to small business financing needs. As such, they can very quickly introduce you to a number of interested lenders that may be able to provide you with proposals for a business LOC very quickly.

Loan brokerages can also be an invaluable source of advice when it comes to organizing the paperwork involved with securing business loans or other types of business credit. This is especially true if you are applying for an SBA backed loan as these programs have substantial and complex documents involved.

                                           SUNIL KEWALRAMANI                  February 18, 2009

As investments, airlines are best left to relentless optimists and colourful egomaniacs. Over the long term, a diversified portfolio of airline stocks has reliably lagged behind broader market averages. Airlines’ long-run operating margins have averaged just 2 per cent since 1950, says UBS.

In 2007, during the Paris Air Show, the aviation industry was flying high….the world economy was booming and credit was plenty.  Customers who had booked from Boeing and Airbus could get a premium for waiving their bookings in favour of companies interested to jump on the aviation industry growth story.  Today, airlines are happier returning their aircraft than taking delivery.  In 2008, the Amex Airline Index has plunged more than 70 %.   Not only has the game changed, the dominant players have changed as well. At Farnborough this year,  Middle-East’s Etihad Airways has ordered 45 aircraft from Boeing and 55 from Airbus, worth about $ 20 Billion at list prices.  It reinforces Middle East’s position as one of the few regions where airlines have the financial clout to expand aggressively.

Singapore Airlines, which reported its third-quarter results on 10th February 2009,, is one of the less terrible operators. It has the two qualities every carrier needs to withstand troughs: a strong brand and a patient majority shareholder (state-owned Temasek, in SIA’s case). On top of that, it has one of the world’s better-looking balance sheets: cash in the bank exceeds long-term liabilities by more than three to one; a youngish fleet of fuel-efficient aircraft; and one of the most highly rated management teams around. As such, the world’s largest airline by market capitalisation is an industry benchmark. If SIA is struggling, pity the rest.

SIA is indeed suffering. The September to December period, traditionally its most profitable, saw net income almost halve. Operating metrics were solid: passenger load factors down only 3 per cent, while costs (excluding fuel) fell 5.5 per cent. But it came a cropper on hedging, locking in purchases of jet fuel at much higher rates than the period’s average of $99 a barrel. Losses should widen: 44 per cent of fourth-quarter fuel requirements – well above the industry average – have been pre-bought at $131 a barrel, compared with today’s spot price of $56.

As those hedges fall away, however, SIA has a real opportunity to stand out from the pack by protecting its dividend. China Eastern had recently rejected Singapore Airlines’ bid to expand its operations. What is more, cash flow after capex over the first nine months almost covers last year’s dividend. In an industry that oscillates between varying degrees of over-capacity, preserving the payout would really hammer home the difference between the leaders and the laggards.

For Vijay Mallya—the self-proclaimed “king of good times” who patterns himself after Richard Branson, the launch of Kingfisher Airlines three years back seems to have come as a cropper. Slower economic growth due to unexpected world crisis along with dramatic fuel price rise earlier this year has taken the tails out of the airline industry. There are urgent demands being made for reducing sales taxes from 26 per cent to 4 per cent which could help reduce air fares.  A sanguine Mallya has called for India to ease its restrictive FDI policies, which currently prohibit foreign airlines from holding stakes in domestic Indian carriers.

Although oil prices have retreated of late, threats by OPEC to cut production coupled by the threat of inflation which could return in the wake of extremely expansionary monetary policies of the world central banks, could cause fuel prices to go up again.  Fuel costs make up about 65 % of costs on long-haul flights but only about 30 per cent of costs for short-haul flights. Qantas, one of the world’s most profitable airlines has recently grounded aircraft, suspended routes, chopped capacity, cut jobs and struck a deal with its long-haul pilots to lock in the company’s 3 per cent per annum wages policy until 2013.  In the wake of 9/11 and SARS, the Australian carrier had performed better than its peers, picking up market share as well as aircraft abandoned by airlines who could not afford them.

According to a report by Frost & Sullivan, the price of Indian fuel is based on international parity pricing, despite the fact that international crude is refined in India.  Aviation turbine fuel (ATF) rates in India, represent 40-45 % of ticket costs as compared to the global standard of 35 %.  In the backdrop of high fuel prices, domestic passenger numbers has fallen significantly from a year ago according to the Indian aviation industry.  Jet Airways  recently laid off 10 % of its workforce, only to relent and take them back under duress.  GoAir has laid off a significant chunk of its expatriate pilots. SpiceJet has announced reductions in its daily flights from 117 to 100.  Kingfisher Airlines is negotiating sale of two of the five A340-500 aircraft it had committed to buy from Airbus in 2007.  Both Spicejet and GoAir are returning planes to lessors.  It is also contemplating deferring taking deliveries of 29 narrow-bodied A320s .  In response, some have adopted the use of winglets on the wing tips to reduce fuel consumption, others are flying their aircraft at higher altitude, choosing parking bays closer to the runway to reduce taxing time.  Some are cutting down the amount of water in toilets and for human consumption they carry while others are carrying lighter plastic cutlery, food trays etc. Even the Indian government has recently pitched in by withdrawing the customs duty of 5 % on jet fuel.  In addition, oil companies are reducing ATF prices by Rs 9429.87 per kilo litre with immediate effect.

American, Continental and Delta have reduced flights to various destinations. Pratt and Whitney estimates that its EcoPower engine-washing process saves Hawaiian $ 1 million in fuel annually across 31 Boeing 767 engines.  Eight senior pilots and the US Airline Pilots Association have filed complaints with the Federal Aviation Administration stating that US Airways is pressuring pilots to use less fuel than they feel is safe, in order to save money. By removing six seats, JetBlue reduced an A 320 weight by approx 904 lbs.  Air Canada is considering removing paint and primer from its 767s to save 360 lbs per plane.   Alaska Airlines indicated in 2004 that removing just 5 magazines per aircraft could save $ 10,000 annually in fuel.  It’s new beverage cart, at 20 lbs lighter, could save $ 500,000 in annual fuel costs.  Yet, fashion favouring turbo-prop aircraft, the most fuel-efficient and environmentally friendly in the skies, should help sustain order books for the same. ONEWORLD alliance of various airlines will jointly explore options for collective buying of fuel. 

Mergers and Acquisitions enable capturing abandoned  territories :

In 2003, Air France bought rival KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and has succeeded in luring passengers away from European rivals by offering long-distance connections through its Paris and Amsterdam hubs.  Lufthansa acquired Swiss International Air Lines Ltd in 2005. It aims to match last year’s record profit by capitalizing on rivals’ weakness and by harvesting routes abandoned by competitors.  This is analogous to Southwest’s model, where Southwest is capitalizing on players who have pulled off during the downturn in the aviation industry precipitated by high oil prices. Delta Air Lines and Northwest Airlines are planning to merge.  Continental and United Airlines are also planning a close alliance.

Elite class of rising carriers emerges on the scene :

According to an article in The Wall Street Journal, the strength of this club (which includes Southwest, Emirates, Singapore Airlines, Ryanair and Deutsche Lufthansa) underscores the growing gulf between the haves and the have-nots. These powerful players are able to hedge costs, borrow money, buy new planes and pamper high-paying customers while their poorer rivals cut routes and seek cash infusions. On Singapore Airline’s five new Airbus A 380 super-jumbo jetliners, first-class passengers sleep on sheets made by French fashion house Givenchy, while coach passengers have USB ports for connecting their own electronic devices next to their seat-back video screens.  In the face of a severe industry downturn, Singapore Airlines’ operating profit rose 60 % in the fiscal year ended March 31, 2008.

Southwest Airlines  as a role model :  It’s discount-model has kept it profitable for 35 years.  It aggressively hedges fuel costs and thus has avoided current high fuel prices, to which most of the other carriers have succumbed.  It has hedged fuel at $ 51 a barrel.  The efficient hedges have enabled Southwest produce gains of $ 455 million in 2004, $ 892 million in 2005, $ 675 million in 2006 and $ 439 million for the first nine months of 2007.  It  has $ 3.7 Billion of cash in the bank and a market capitalization of $ 9.9 Billion, more than the combined market value of the six-largest conventional U.S. carriers. 

Next-Generation aircrafts :  Airbus has demonstrated its ability to fly its A380 aircraft with a synthetic liquid fuel processed from a gas called gas-to-liquid (GTL) in a three-hour flight between Filton, UK and Toulouse, France.  The new A380 has fuel efficiency of 2.9 litres a passenger for every 100 kms and carbon emissions of just 75g per passenger per km—17% less than that emitted by the Boeing 747.  Boeing 777 is the most fuel-efficient plane in its class.  The 747-8 will be 16 % more efficient than the 747-400 (and 11 % more efficient than the A380).  The A350 is the Airbus’s response to the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Besides, EADS’s A400 M, once in service,will be capable of carrying a payload of up to 37 tonnes over ranges of up to 4700 nautical miles. Launched on July 8 2007—7/8/7 in US date format (date was chosen for impact), demand for the high-tech and futuristic 787 Dreamliner—a long-range 250 to 300-seat jet whose carbon-fibre body is set to make it 20 % more fuel-efficient than comparable models has been astounding. Dreamliner’s advanced aerodynamics (smooth wiring technology, spoilers that droop when flaps are deployed, and laminar flow nacelles lower drag) increase efficiency and reduce fuel consumption.  Higher bypass ratio allows engines to be quieter. Boeing has received orders from more than 60 customers for 892 aircraft, worth $ 145 Billion at list prices. Boeing’s energy use and carbon dioxide emissions at its major facilities are believed to have fallen 24 % between 2002 and 2007.  The Chinese white 90-seat ARJ21-700 jet is called “Xiang Feng” or “Flying Phoenix” and its appearance broadcast live on state television. 100 of the 180 bookings have come from Kunpeng Ailrines, a new venture between China’s Shenzhen Airlines and the US-based Mesa Air Group.  The arrival of the “Flying Phoenix” will truly mark the ascent of China as a leading world superpower and will energize growth in the Asian subcontinent.

Green Ross to SpiceJet’s rescue : indicative of sound contrarian call

Spicejet of India has chose as its suitor W L Ross & Co.  W L Ross has made his reputation on contrarian calls — buying into the steel industry in the US when no one would touch it, for example, and snapping up a Japanese bank when it was saddled with bank loans in 2000.

Low cost model here to stay

Air Deccan pioneered new ticketing channels at internet kiosks, petrol pumps and India post offices which helped bring down distribution costs by 12%-15% as compared to opting for a GDS (Global Distribution System) and for travel agents through the legacy system. If the motive is to cater to the large inclusive consumer base at the bottom of the consumer pyramid then the business model must create a scaleable product that delivers higher volumes at lower price points above very low costs with wafer thin margins.  The low cost model is about innovations, efficiency and enhanced asset utilization which are increasingly necessary in times of high fuel prices. The cost per available seat km of a low-cost carrier is significantly lower than that of full-service carrier.  The average revenue per seat for Ryanair, Europe’s biggest budget carrier, is Euro 39, as against Euro 247 for British Airways and Euro 57 for EasyJet, another low-cost carrier. It therefore implies that the airline with the lowest revenue per seat is at a comparative advantage and has significant cushion to tide over this rather cyclical industry.

The Indian aviation is still one of the country’s sunrise industries and both airlines and investors consider India as a compelling market. In my opinion, the oil bubble would have burst due to more durable demand destruction by the time the next Farnborough show is held in 2010.  The fundamentals viz. that India’s 1 billion people generate just 16 million domestic trips a year, is still very much intact.  This, coupled with the emergence of investors with deep pockets will ensure that the industry emerges stronger after the chastening shock. Equilibrium is expected to be found in the next two years as airlines are working to optimize capacity, rationalize routes and cut loss-making routes.

By simply raising fares, the distinction between low-cost and full-fare airlines will diminish, resulting in an undifferentiated business model. The government, on its own part, has to up its ante and improve its infrastructure. It is not uncommon to witness planes circling over destination zones in Mumbai and Delhi several times before being allowed to land, thus causing wastage of precious fuel.

The current scenario is almost reminiscent of the last downturn in the aftermath of 2001 terrorist attacks on the US.  That setback proved short-lived and so I believe will this one be.

Oil prices have retreated under the impact of unwinding of speculative positions by hedge funds and demand destruction is taking centre stage. The future belongs to the bold and daring, and not the timid and weak. The stage is set for survival of the fittest.  In the process, men will be separated from the boys.  The ongoing turbulence presents a tremendous opportunity for aviation industry players to emerge stronger than ever before.  The 2010 Farnborough air show promises to be dominated by a new set of industry players, ones that emerge victorious after trial by fire.

Note : Mr Sunil Kewalramani is a WHARTON BUSINESS SCHOOL MBA and CEO, Global Capital Advisors.  He may be reached at worldequity@sunilkewalramani.com. 

Bullet Points :

1)      The arrival of the Chinese “Flying Phoenix” will truly mark the ascent of China as a    leading world superpower and will energize growth in the Asian subcontinent.

2)          For Vijay Mallya—the self-proclaimed “king of good times”,  the launch of Kingfisher Airlines three years back seems to have come as a cropper.

3)          Launched on July 8 2007—7/8/7 in US date format (date was chosen for impact), demand for the high-tech and futuristic 787 Dreamliner—a long-range 250 to 300-seat jet whose carbon-fibre body is set to make it 20 % more fuel-efficient than comparable models has been astounding.

4)          The fundamentals viz. that India’s 1 billion people generate just 16 million domestic air trips a year, is still very much intact. 

5)          Rather than lean on the government for largesse, the aviation industry players need to pull up their socks, adopt global best practices, learn the art of effective hedging of fuel requirements, stimulate consumer demand and capitalize on battle-routes abandoned by their weaker rivals to strengthen their position in the world aviation industry. 

There is often a question on the utility value of promotional products, with many pondering over the costs involved in using promotional products and their effective returns. Studies have revealed that advertisements through promotional gifts are more cost-effective than most of the conventional modes of promotions. Promotional products like carrier bags, mugs or pens offer organisations an opportunity to take their brands to the public. It gives them opportunity and that too at low cost to introduce itself and its product range to its target audience which in turn helps the business organisation in its growth.

Corporate organisations also print their logo, brand names and product list in addition to other similar important information to create more impact on its customers. Promotional products like conference bags or travel mugs offer an advantage of distinctive identification to the corporate organisations which has become very relevant and important in the present corporate world. By creating a unique identity for itself, business organisations try to position its products in an effective manner in the market. The strategy works out well for sellers who cater to mass markets and have to survive against cut-throat competition. Printed promotional gifts also give opportunity to corporate organisations to reinforce its brand among consumers in the market. The client will always come across the company name and its logo whenever he or she will use the gift given by the company. This keeps the brands of the company in the public eye and fresh in the minds of the regulars.

There are many promotional gifts items which can be included in the marketing campaigns. You can use a writing pad, a pen and a note pad in a conference bag and make the promotional events successful. To save costs on your promotional items and gifts, you can surf Internet and shop from online gifts gallery. Online suppliers offer discounts and the product quality is also good, if not better to suppliers in the high street. Ideasbynet is an online provider of promotional products in the UK. You can know in detail about us by clicking at www.ideasbynet.com.

Think about this: management consultancy happens at a time when the existing power structure of a company is at its weakest – in no fit state, in other words, to make decisions. A high end recruitment company can deliver a shortlist of candidates for consultancy roles who have been pre vetted to determine their suitability – which means that any one of them is already guaranteed to be right for the job. By the time the list gets to interview the company using the executive recruitment firm really can’t lose – all it has to do is pick one consultant from several who are all completely suitable for their role. Really, the management consultancy interviews that result from patronising an executive recruiting agency are a formality based more on selecting a personality with a good fit than on examining key skills. Those skills have already been examined, by the agency.

Even personality will be pre vetted by agency employees. Executive recruitment works on the premise that high end candidates for top jobs need to fit in with an employment situation in some very specific and delicate ways. So executive recruiting firms are as much about matching the right kind of personality to any given company situation as they are about providing candidates with an impressive list of prior successes. Indeed, any management consultancy agency worth its salt will tell you that an adaptive personality, or a selection of pre defined character traits, are as much a part of successful records as the actual jobs each candidate has completed. Being a good executive recruitment agency is all about making matches – about bringing in the exact right set of experience, moulded by the right personality, at the right time to turn around the fortunes of a struggling company.

It’s not cheap, hiring a management consultant through executive recruiting – but then it would be much more expensive just to let things slide. Management consulting is required for a reason, after all – and that reason usually has a great deal to do with collapsing performance, negative progress and faltering direction. Without decent management consultancy a firm runs the risk of losing everything – and that’s a much bigger price to pay than the fee charged by an executive recruitment agency, particularly a good one.

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Everywhere. Why not? Put your book in FedEx envelopes to your prospects and customers. Reference your book in articles, on your site and at every place it’s appropriate. Put a copy in the conference bag of every attendee at your industry’s pivotal conference!

You can set up distribution yourself with Amazon or the entire book channel, or you can use a publisher or distributor to set it up for you. In addition to the physical book, you should think about the eBook. The old world publisher may allow you to give away the eBook after your physical book has been on the market for a year. The new world publisher will sell and/or distribute the eBook from day one. Actually, making your eBook available in chapters, when it is available, is a great way to generate leads using a white paper distribution service like Knowledge Storm, Bitpipe or Netline.

EXAMPLE: A recent client had an 80-page book written for them with top-10 tips in a number of areas they focus on. They had 3,000 books printed, stuffed into envelopes and sent to their prospects and clients. The goal was to build goodwill and generate more leads. An unexpected outcome was that a number of their clients asked for multiple copies of the book so that they can hand it out to their clients. They also hired a publicist that helped them get on TV, in radio, newspapers, and newsletters as well as setting them up to teach courses on the subject at the largest alternative adult education organization in North America.

Think of your book as candy and you’re the owner of the candy store. Your job is to get as many influential people as possible to try your candy. Once they try, then they buy.

Lots of people feel that they need to write and publish an eBook with the hopes of making a lot of money from book sales. They then put the eBook on their web site and hope for the best. And hope they will.

Why create an eBook, when you can create a physical book as well and get it distributed in all the places that traditional books get distributed, plus the place that eBooks get distributed? Remember, it’s not really about the books sales, it’s about the speaking, consulting and sales that the book drives. To do so, make sure you place the book in the hands of your prospects.

About the Author: Mitchell Levy is CEO and publisher at Quick2Publish (http://Quick2Publish.com). He’s helps thousands of individuals succeed in business and thoroughly enjoys spending the time and effort to make sure that you succeed as well.

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Ease of Creation

While each state varies, both structures are similar in their filing procedures. Limited liability companies and corporations require filings with the secretary of state. (See our article on how to set up a business in Nevada) Additionally, corporations require you to decide whether or not your company will issue stock, the stock value, etc. Limited liability companies do not require this determination.

Liability Protection

Both corporate structures provide the individual business owner with asset protection, though in some states, limited liability companies can provide individuals with additional protection. In those states, a judgment against a corporation can force the sale of the corporate stock in the amount of the debt. For a limited liability company the collectable debt is limited to profits earned from the company, which means that if that money stays in the company and is not disbursed to the members, a judgment holder cannot force the sale of the company.

Tax

One of the main advantages in a limited liability company is the business owner’s ability to choose the way the entity is taxed. A limited liability company can choose one of the following tax structures:

1. Sole Proprietor

2. S-corporation

3. C-corporation

4. K-corporation (if you have at least two members)

A corporation has more limits on the choice of taxation structure:

1. C- corporation

2. S- corporation

Determining which tax structure is best for your company is an important decision that should be discussed with your tax advisor.

Maintaining your Business

The biggest advantage to the creation of a limited liability company is that is has fewer formalities to maintain the corporate fiction. As a corporation, you must have meetings with shareholder and board of directors. The frequency of these meetings vary from state to state, but must be documented with minutes or resolutions for both. Additionally, some states require an annual report to be filed with the secretary of state. Failure to file this report can terminate your corporation and thus eliminate the asset protection that you set your corporation up to create. This documentation, is not required with a limited liability company. Eliminating the need for this additional documentation can save you time and protect your companies corporate structure.

There are many factors that should be considered when evaluating which corporate structure is right for you and your business. You should always consult an attorney before forming a company not only to discuss corporate structures, but also to discuss licensing and other legal issues to make your corporation compliant with local rules. Additionally, you have to maintain the business entity or you lose the benefits for which you created the company. If you have any questions regarding this article or would like to discuss which type of company works best for you with one of our attorneys, please call us at (702)448-4962 or visit our website at www.mcdonaldlawgroup.com.

Disclaimer: The McDonald Law Group provides the information in this web site for informational purposes only. The information does not create an attorney-client relationship or constitute legal advice. Please contact our attorneys if you wish to discuss in more detail the contents of this web site.

When you think you have old wine bags, you better buy the new one. Today you can order all bags for your wine bottle in easy way. There are so many designs of bags that you will find in the online store. You can make your own design too. You can choose the colors, material of the bags, size and much more. If you are looking for the best bags for your wine bottle, you better open bellavitabags.com. In this site, you will find large collection of bags for your wine bottle and they offer you exclusive designs. It means you cannot find same designs in other place again.

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Before I dive into the boundless opportunities inherent in this industry, I’ll like to give you some brief but salient facts about this industry. Nigeria’s Domestic Film industry also referred to as the home video industry in movie parlance, is one of the greatest success story ever to grace the African continent; it generates roughly 300,000 jobs annually taking so many youths who would have been gun-totting robbers, pimps, whores, hookers etc off the streets, it also makes a yearly turn over of over 50 billion Naira (about 4.2 billion US dollars), with a growth rate of 8.5%. Most practitioners in the industry gross over 12 million Naira or $100, 000 yearly; what an average 9-5 worker cant earn in ages: more so, on particular production about a range of about nine to 50 million is used up in the course of production.

To cut the long story short, I’ll list some of the many opportunities that so many people, Nigerians and foreigners, people like you and I have seized in other to tap from this money glut of an industry. Beautifully, you don’t need to be an actor, director or even a producer to be a part of this party; however, a little expertise in the following could see you earning useful dollars as an insider of this citadel of “make believe”

SCRIPT WRITING: though most people wont find this very interesting, but I will like to inform you that most script writers in the industry have quit their regular jobs to make a career in script writing fulltime; and it sure paid off on the long run. Presently, I know of a script writer who makes more than a $1000 per script he writes and sells to big time productions, in this list; epic movies rank high than maybe comedy or romance scripts, so versatility is the spice of this job. Daily he churns out good scripts on any of comedy, epic, romance, crime etc and smiles regularly to the bank picking checks instead of bills. Interestingly, you don’t need to be Shakespeare or a literary icon with a chain of university degrees for you to do this. For people who are in this category, what I will suggest here is a joint venture partnership, what do I mean by this; look for somebody who has a flare for writing explain to him/her, he writes the scripts you do the other logistics like looking for a producer or film maker who will look at the scripts and possibly make a purchase, then you split the proceeds 50-50

VIDEO EDITING: These days, owning a studio won’t cause you an arm or a leg as it used to be back in the days. With latest advancements in technology, a simple yet compact studio with every convenience could be erected in a matter of minutes; all that is needed is a computer, software like cyberLink power producer or any other good software for movie editing, and some other interface which time and space will not permit me to give in details, bingo! a video editing is born. One problem with this industry is daily many movies are churned out like hell and the market is inundated with un-edited or not properly edited movies, this is where you come in. your job is to collect as many video editing jobs as possible and you’ll sure be happy for reading and putting this to action

ANIMATION AND SPECIAL EFFECTS: One of the many problems the industry is faced with is a dearth of 3d animators, so having a good knowledge of this could mean that you are on your way in hitting the base of our proverbial cash cow and taking all the nutrients as you go. What I mean here is that as a 3D animator, special film effects needed in many productions will be created by you for fee that will eat deep into the pockets of the film maker as for a film to be very good and also enjoy high patronage, then a variety of animation cum special effects becomes inevitable and you the animator indispensable and above all your pockets constantly stashed with cash. One good thing is that you don’t need to be resident in Nigeria to be a part of this, no; as an international 3d animator all you need is a presence on the internet through your website and email and if you are good and highly recommended by top movie producers, then your studio will be inundated with jobs

VOICE-OVER ARTISTRY: Many people are blessed with so many talents and natural abilities, and among these talents include a good voice, a melodious or velvet voice preferably. The use of voice-over in many productions is fast becoming a trend and this is a very good development for any one who wants to earn a career from doing voice over. Many voice-over artists earn a sizable income running into six figures as their services are needed during and after the course of production for narrating of plots, intros, epilogues, and importantly for the premiering of the movie. So you can be a part of this industry and rake your fistful of dollars by just having a good natured voice.

Other opportunities in the industry include the following, which I will have loved to explain in details but space and time wont permit me to do this, but I wont hesitate to mention them;

-costume/tailoring

-make-up/hair dressing

-continuity

-still photography

-sound recording

-subtitling

-choreography

-stunts

And many others that springs up daily as the demand goes higher and production becomes more sophisticated, so take up the challenge, where you reside is never a barrier as the internet has come to stay with us; get up, get “nollywoodized” with dollars

And I am excited and ready to wake up in the morning and begin working my plan with a solid commitment of taking the necessary actions that move us forward win both growth and profits. Yes, reaching our benchmarks and goals this month is my priority.

Now a moment ago I mentioned, “this seems to be impossible.” But don’t misinterpret what I said. Remember, our perception and how we respond to what happens makes the biggest difference in our attitude, which DOES affect the outcome of our actions.

When I said impossible, I say it with great excitement because I am actually not saying the word in the way most people do. I am saying “I M Possible” – Do you see and hear the difference?

At this late hour, as I am planning tomorrow’s actions, as well as beginning my next 90 day plan. Part of my 90-day plan includes the next month (30 days of action). I have a benchmark and a goal… and in asking the crucial question of “What can I do to make certain I reach the 30 day goal?” I reached for my card deck of sales and marketing solutions. I shuffled the cards and then picked card #7 – lucky #7! It was like magical solutions to my challenge.

Here is the surface solution:

Mediocrity is NOT the answer. Do not settle for mediocrity. Go the extra mile.

On the flip side of the card, I get a great heavy hitter secret of “Lead by example and lead with action.”

This is simply powerful!

The fact is there truly is magic in these cards and that magic is what was revealed to me as I took the surface solution to the next level. I asked, “what does this means?” I now have the real solution that will help me make the next 30 days happen with great success.

Taking the surface solution to the next level really empowered me internally and what I came up with in just a few short minutes was a detailed action plan that begins with the actions I begin taking tomorrow morning as I begin my week of action.

I encourage you to do this same exercise for yourself. It is powerful and works like a charm. Keep in mind as you develop your plan of action, we are not talking a 60-page dissertation. In fact, we are not even talking 6 pages. Your plan only needs to be a paragraph or two of information and it should not take you more than 5 to 10 minutes to draw up this powerful plan.

If you need help developing your plan, just ask for help. And remember, you are the most important component of your success. Now get out and make it happen!