Video: A Powerful Marketing Tool

     Did you know that the average internet user watches 186 videos a month?

This includes personal videos, music videos, news and entertainment clips. Videos

engage people in a way that photos and text alone can't. For small-business owners

using videos in your marketing can bring faces, voices, personality and heart to your operation.

     Keep in mind you don't need a Hollywood production of a video to be engaging and 

effective. Here are 4 simple types of videos you can create: #1. Demonstrate your business, product or service- Yes show customers how your business works. Informed prospects are more likely to make purchases. #2.Use customer testimonials- Your number one fans are customer's who have used your product and are completely satisfied with the results. #3. A video tour of your business- This gives a potential customer an insider's look at you operation and #4. Charitable events- Video's on how charitable donations benefit a cause and how donations helped remedy it.

     Napoleon Bonaparte said "A picture is worth a thousand words" I wonder what he would of said if he knew about video. As you grow and market your business video is an effective way to get new customers. Always remember "Your bottom line is our business"!

Thank you,

Ricky Downs, CEO

www.yourvideoviewer.com

                                                                  

Partnerships: Is It A Good Thing Or Bad ?

First and foremost let's understand the definition of a partnership. A business 

organization in which two or more individuals manage and operate the business.

Like anything else in life you have pros and con's. However if you find the right partner

it can be a beautiful thing. My mother always told me "two heads are better than

one" and she was right!  On the other hand if you find out the partner you are in 

business with is not the right one it can be a miserable situation. So I'm going to

give you some advantages and disadvantages of a partnership.

Advantages:

 #1- Partners bring new skills and ideas to a business

.#2- Decision making can be much easier with more brains to think about the problem

.#3- Partners share responsibilities and duties of the business

 #4- Division of labor is possible as partners may have different skills

Disadvantages:

#1- Disagreements among the partners can lead to a problem for the business

#2- Profit sharing can become unfair if one partner is doing more work than the other

#3- A partnership usually has limitations that keep it from becoming a large business 

#4- Business partners are jointly and individually liable for the actions of the other partners

So if you decide to have a partner or partners in business take these points

into consideration and always remember "your bottom line is our business"

Ricky Downs, CEO 

www.yourvideoviewer.com

Don't Confuse Small with Insignificant

WOW!!!! In other words it is the little things in business that make the biggest difference.

This is very important when you start dealing with clients and vendors. Your actions or characteristics that you take for granted can help shape how people think of you and help them decide if they want to do business with you.

Let's look at four little things that can give you big positive results in business.

#1. Being On Time -Taking the effort to arrive early to an appointment can make a huge impact on the person you are meeting. Being consistently late gets you labeled as someone who is unreliable and that can cost you business.

#2. Proper Manners- Being courteous and polite is one of the things a business contact will notice when you meet them for the first time. Just saying "please","thank you","sir",or "ma'am", when speaking can make a huge difference in the way people perceive you.

#3. Asking The Right Questions- Getting in the habit of asking the right questions can improve revenue. It is little changes such as knowing when to stop asking qualifying questions and asking for the sale can make your conversation more effective. 

#4. Quality Control- It only takes a moment to read over a business letter or proof read an

advertisement that is getting ready to go into a major publication.That moment can mean the difference between getting your point across or creating customer confusion.

So there you have it! I know these little things will help you get big results in growing your business

and always remember "Your Bottom Line is Our Business".   

  

Choosing The Right Business

In the United States today 67% of Americans want to start a business but don't have a clue of what business is best for them. Just because you are good at something doesn't mean you can start a business and be successful in that field. Before rushing into something there are several things to consider. It can go both ways for you. If you don't choose a business well you could lose everything and if you make a smart choice you could be very successful. To assist you in going down the right path I have a few tips that should be helpful.

#1. Think Hard About It- Having your own business require you to work longer hours than you did when you worked for someone else. That is why it is crucial that you choose a business that you are truly passionate and excited about. When you do something you love, you will have a much better chance of success.

#2. Skills Do Matter- In choosing a business make sure your skills apply. It is very important that you

find a business in which you really shine and are well-suited for the critical functions of that business.

#3. Lifestyle- Choose a business that suits your lifestyle. For example if you want to work out in the field than choose a business that will require you to set appointments, travel and selling.

#4.Capital- Yes every business needs money.You can raise money by getting investors or you can grow organically and let your revenue take care of your capital needs.

#5. End Game- You start your business with an end in mind. From the very beginning you need to decide whether you want to build your business and sell it or keep it to provide a lifelong source of income. This will help you to choose the right business structure. 

Well I hope these tips will help you and remember "Your bottom line is our business"!

 Ricky Downs, CEO

www.yourvideoviewer.com

THE STRONGEST OF ALL WARRIORS IS: TIME AND PATIENCE

In the business world, we have seen incredible turmoil in today's economy. Small business as well as large have taken a beating financially but believe it or not this is the time when our country will make more millionaires than ever. The question comes, how could that be? Their is only one answer to this question and it is with patience and time. Yes you must have patience to give your efforts time to compound. Patience is the key to a business creating success and time is the vehicle you use to get there. When you feel like giving up take this advice; take a deep breath, organize your thoughts, and get your mind back focus on your business. It won't

happen overnight here is when time kicks in and eventually you will start seeing your business grow.

If you are sure of your mission and of your ultimate destination lean forward with an understanding that it will take longer than you expected. In conclusion I'm going to leave you with 4 tips on how patience and time can increase your business success. 

#1. BUILD A FOUNDATION. This is done by creating business relationships with people

who know, like and trust you.

#2. TAKE BABY STEPS. Success in business is a series of small achievements. Evaluate the small achievements in order to keep moving towards your goal.

#3. DON'T GET STUCK. Make decisions but don't expect only one result. Some will be right and some will be wrong learn from it and move on.

#4. YOU NEED AMBITION AND DETERMINATION. Ambition will help you establish your goals and determination will help you achieve them. 

THANK YOU and remember "Your bottom line is our business".

Ricky Downs , CEO

www.yourvideoviewer.com

COMMUNICATION is the LUBRICATION of a well run ORGANIZATION

         To establish a strong business relationship effective communication practices must be established. It's nothing worse to be working on a project and not receive an important email, call, or text that plans have changed. No matter how minor or major the lack of communication is poor communication will strain the productivity of the organization. So awareness of this problem needs to be solved immediately. 

Step #1. To achieve success through effective business communication you must learn how to express your ideas, instructions, and directions clearly. This brings to mind a mighty war strategist name Sun Tzu. He said "If instructions are not clear and commands not explicit, it is the fault of the commander". So this sums it up, you have to be clear in your communication.

Step #2. Choose the right communication format for each situation. Email, text, letter or phone call are all different formats. Don't use one of these formats all the time.

Step #3. Establish and maintain good communication with your employees this will increase productivity. 

Step #4. You have to remember it's not what you say it's how you say it. People are tuned in on how you say things and they watch your gestures and read your body language. As long as communication is effective from the top than the employee's will follow as well. By having effective communication among the employee's, it will boost productivity and it will also create respectful relationships.

          So to sum it up I'm going to leave you with four effective styles of communication that will help you to understand people while growing your business. 

#1. Controller- this type of person wants the facts and to get straight to the point. 
#2. Promoter- This type of person loves people and love to talk. They are naturally social butter flies.
#3. Supporter- This type of person is very calm and cool. They are low-keyed people and very patient. 
#4. Analyzer- This type of person is very detailed oriented all they want are the facts and figures.

           So there you have it and always remember that "Your bottom line is our business".


                                                     Ricky Downs ,CEO

Emotions: A Natural Part Of Business

Starting a small business is almost like taking a roller coaster ride. It can become very emotional. We would like to think that in our business lives, we make our decisions with a business head and not a bleeding heart. However, the truth of the matter is that either positive or negative human nature kicks in and emotions plays a part. As you build your business you will go through several emotional phases. I have identified 5 of them in which I went through that I'm going to share with you.

#1. Examination- To examine is to investigate thoroughly. This happens in the beginning when you are gathering as much information as you can about the business that you are looking at to start.

#2. Information- Defined as knowledge obtained from investigation, study or instruction. At this stage you are not only learning about your business but also studying about your competition and obstacles in that field.

#3.- Confirmation- To confirm is to give approval. At this point you have made up your mind and moving forward with your decision. 

#4.- Preparation- Here your working out the details and planning in advance. This is where your business strategy begins.

#5.- Determination- Most important of all of them. At this stage your mind, heart and soul is firm and fixed on achieving your desired goal in other words reaching your destination.

So remember emotions are involved in business like everything else in our lives. When emotions are relevant you should be able to recognize them. Emotions can be an indicator of both opportunities and also dangers. Keeping this in mind also remember that "Your bottom line is our business".         



Ricky Downs , CEO 
www.yourvideoviewer.com