HOW TO ... ?: 2008

How to make Green Market Research in Six Easy Steps
Written by Leah Edwards

Published on July 19th, 2008

So you want to get consumers to tell you what they will buy, when they will buy and why they will buy? Market research is the way. With a little time, and little to no money, you can gather consumer information that will connect you more directly to your customers.
Step 1: Sign up for a no-cost account with a company like SurveyMonkey, Zoomerang or QuestionPro that let you create free online surveys using their web servers. You can use a template (some are free, some aren’t) or you can easily create your own. If you’ve never written a survey it will pay to take a quick online tutorial.
Step 2: Develop an email list. Start with the customers and contacts you already have. If your list is small, don’t worry. It may not give a complete picture of the marketplace, but it will provide you with important baseline information.
Join listservs, like Yahoo! Groups, where your potential customers hang out. Be upfront about why you want to join and disclose the name of your business. For example, when researching children’s clothing customers, I tried to join a dozen listservs for local moms, letting them know I wanted to post a link to a survey. Most declined, but one group, MomsInTheCity let me join and post an invitation, thus bumping up response by 25%.
Your invitation should include six key items:

Why you want people to respond to your survey;
The name of your business;
How long the survey will take;
Any incentive for answering;
A link to the survey; and
A thank you.

Step 3: Marketing green is different from traditional marketing so your survey will need questions not covered on templates:

Do you make an effort to support businesses that use green products and/or environmentally friendly practices? This will tell you how much your customers value your green.
How important are [specific attributes of your product or service] to you in your purchase decisions? By listing (one at a time) the attributes that make you unique, you will learn how valuable each is to customers.
How likely would you be to purchase [specific products] at X price?
Once you understand the value of your greenness, you can move on.

Step 4: Define your objectives.

What specific business question(s) you want to answer? Do you want to know how satisfied customers are with current offerings? Should you introduce new products?
Write down a list of the concrete decisions you want to make based on the information you gather. Add more line extensions? Expand your online presence?
Ask yourself: what information is needed to 1) answer your questions and 2) make those decisions?

Step 5: Outline the Survey.

Outline the questions areas you want to cover. You may want to ask customers how familiar they are with your industry as an introduction and then move on to the specifics.
Organize questions from general to specific; start with industry questions, move to company-specifics and end with demographics.
Make sure each question directly addresses your objectives. If your objective is to determine whether to introduce a new line of organic chocolates don’t ask respondents how they feel about current energy policy.
Complete each topic before moving on to the next.

Step 6: Draft Questions. There are a number of dos and don’ts of survey design:

Be simple and concise
Ask only one question at a time
Avoid jargon or terminology
When listing things, include all possible answers or include an “other” option
Include a “prefer not to answer” option for sensitive questions, such as income
Use an odd-numbered range and a “not applicable” answer if using a rating scale (“…on a scale from 1-5…”).

If you want to know what is truly important to your customers, market research will give you the information. Armed with that knowledge, you can give them what they really want.

Source: http://ecopreneurist.com/2008/07/19/green-market-research-in-six-easy-steps/

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Виж също:
Консултации и партньорства;
Препарати за поливане на цветя по време на отпуск;
Препарати за подхранване на цветя по време на отпуск;
Апарати за измерване на водната активност
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... Make a Free Self-Watering Hydroponic Planter

... Evaluate a Company before Investing

Source: http://freemanstrikes.blogspot.com/2008/03/how-to-evaluate-company-before.html

For stock investors that favor companies with good fundamentals, a "strong" balance sheet is an important consideration for investing in a company's stock. The strength of a company' balance sheet can be evaluated by three broad categories of investment-quality measurements: working capital adequacy, asset performance and capital structure. In this article, we'll look at evaluating balance sheet strength based on the composition of a company's capital structure.A company's capitalization (not to be confused with market capitalization) describes the composition of a company's permanent or long-term capital, which consists of a combination of debt and equity. A healthy proportion of equity capital, as opposed to debt capital, in a company's capital structure is an indication of financial fitness.Clarifying Capital Structure Related TerminologyThe equity part of the debt-equity relationship is the easiest to define. In a company's capital structure, equity consists of a company's common and preferred stock plus retained earnings, which are summed up in the shareholders' equity account on a balance sheet. This invested capital and debt, generally of the long-term variety, comprises a company's capitalization, i.e. a permanent type of funding to support a company's growth and related assets.
A discussion of debt is less straightforward. Investment literature often equates a company's debt with its liabilities. Investors should understand that there is a difference between operational and debt liabilities - it is the latter that forms the debt component of a company's capitalization - but that's not the end of the debt story.Among financial analysts and investment research services, there is no universal agreement as to what constitutes a debt liability. For many analysts, the debt component in a company's capitalization is simply a balance sheet's long-term debt. This definition is too simplistic. Investors should stick to a stricter interpretation of debt where the debt component of a company's capitalization should consist of the following: short-term borrowings (notes payable), the current portion of long-term debt, long-term debt, two-thirds (rule of thumb) of the principal amount of operating leases and redeemable preferred stock. Using a comprehensive total debt figure is a prudent analytical tool for stock investors.Is there an optimal debt-equity relationship?In financial terms, debt is a good example of the proverbial two-edged sword. Astute use of leverage (debt) increases the amount of financial resources available to a company for growth and expansion. The assumption is that management can earn more on borrowed funds than it pays in interest expense and fees on these funds. However, as successful as this formula may seem, it does require that a company maintain a solid record of complying with its various borrowing commitments.A company considered too highly leveraged (too much debt versus equity) may find its freedom of action restricted by its creditors and/or may have its profitability hurt as a result of paying high interest costs. Of course, the worst-case scenario would be having trouble meeting operating and debt liabilities during periods of adverse economic conditions. Lastly, a company in a highly competitive business, if hobbled by high debt, may find its competitors taking advantage of its problems to grab more market share.Unfortunately, there is no magic proportion of debt that a company can take on. The debt-equity relationship varies according to industries involved, a company's line of business and its stage of development. However, because investors are better off putting their money into companies with strong balance sheets, common sense tells us that these companies should have, generally speaking, lower debt and higher equity levels.Capital Ratios and IndicatorsIn general, analysts use three different ratios to assess the financial strength of a company's capitalization structure. The first two, the so-called debt and debt/equity ratios, are popular measurements; however, it's the capitalization ratio that delivers the key insights to evaluating a company's capital position.The debt ratio compares total liabilities to total assets. Obviously, more of the former means less equity and, therefore, indicates a more leveraged position. The problem with this measurement is that it is too broad in scope, which, as a consequence, gives equal weight to operational and debt liabilities. The same criticism can be applied to the debt/equity ratio, which compares total liabilities to total shareholders' equity. Current and non-current operational liabilities, particularly the latter, represent obligations that will be with the company forever. Also, unlike debt, there are no fixed payments of principal or interest attached to operational liabilities.The capitalization ratio (total debt/total capitalization) compares the debt component of a company's capital structure (the sum of obligations categorized as debt + total shareholders' equity) to the equity component. Expressed as a percentage, a low number is indicative of a healthy equity cushion, which is always more desirable than a high percentage of debt.Testing Balance Sheet StrengthFor stock investors, the balance sheet is an important consideration for investing in a company's stock because it is a reflection of what the company owns and owes. The strength of a company's balance sheet can be evaluated by three broad categories of investment-quality measurements: working capital adequacy, asset performance and capitalization structure.The Cash Conversion Cycle (CCC)The cash conversion cycle is a key indicator of the adequacy of a company's working capital position. In addition, the CCC is equally important as measurement of a company's ability to efficiently manage two of its most important assets - accounts receivable and inventory.Calculated in days, the CCC reflects the time required to collect on sales and the time it takes to turn over inventory. The shorter this cycle is, the better. Cash is king, and smart managers know that fast-moving working capital is more profitable than tying up unproductive working capital in assets.
CCC = DIO + DSO – DPODIO - Days Inventory OutstandingDSO - Days Sales OutstandingDPO - Days Payable Outstanding
There is no single optimal metric for the CCC, which is also referred to as a company's operating cycle. As a rule, a company's cash conversion cycle will be influenced heavily by the type of product or service it provides and industry characteristics.Investors looking for investment quality in this area of a company's balance sheet need to track the CCC over an extended period of time (for example, five to 10 years), and compare its performance to that of competitors. Consistency and/or decreases in the operating cycle are positive signals. Conversely, erratic collection times and/or an increase in inventory on hand are generally not positive investment-quality indicators.The Fixed Asset Turnover RatioProperty, plant and equipment (PP&E), or fixed assets, is another of the "big" numbers in a company's balance sheet. In fact, it often represents the single largest component of a company's total assets. Readers should note that the term fixed assets is the financial professional's shorthand for PP&E, although investment literature sometimes refers to a company's total non-current assets as its fixed assets.A company's investment in fixed assets is dependent, to a large degree, on its line of business. Some businesses are more capital intensive than others. Natural resource and large capital equipment producers require a large amount of fixed-asset investment. Service companies and computer software producers need a relatively small amount of fixed assets. Mainstream manufacturers generally have around 30-40% of their assets in PP&E. Accordingly, fixed asset turnover ratios will vary among different industries.The fixed asset turnover ratio is calculated as:
Average fixed assets can be calculated by dividing the year-end PP&E of two fiscal periods (ex. 2004 and 2005 PP&E divided by 2).This fixed asset turnover ratio indicator, looked at over time and compared to that of competitors, gives the investor an idea of how effectively a company's management is using this large and important asset. It is a rough measure of the productivity of a company's fixed assets with respect to generating sales. The higher the number of times PP&E turns over, the better. Obviously, investors should look for consistency or increasing fixed asset turnover rates as positive balance sheet investment qualities.The Return on Assets RatioReturn on assets (ROA) is considered to be a profitability ratio - it shows how much a company is earning on its total assets. Nevertheless, it is worthwhile to view the ROA ratio as an indicator of asset performance.The ROA ratio (percentage) is calculated as:
Average total assets can be calculated by dividing the year-end total assets of two fiscal periods (ex 2004 and 2005 PP&E divided by 2).The ROA ratio is expressed as a percentage return by comparing net income, the bottom line of the statement of income, to average total assets. A high percentage return implies well-managed assets. Here again, the ROA ratio is best employed as a comparative analysis of a company’s own historical performance and with companies in a similar line of business.The Impact of Intangible AssetsNumerous non-physical assets are considered intangible assets, which can essentially be categorized into three different types: intellectual property (patents, copyrights, trademarks, brand names, etc.), deferred charges (capitalized expenses), and purchased goodwill (the cost of an investment in excess of book value).Unfortunately, there is little uniformity in balance sheet presentations for intangible assets or the terminology used in the account captions. Often, intangibles are buried in other assets and only disclosed in a note to the financials.The dollars involved in intellectual property and deferred charges are generally not material and, in most cases, don't warrant much analytical scrutiny. However, investors are encouraged to take a careful look at the amount of purchased goodwill in a company's balance sheet because some investment professionals are uncomfortable with a large amount of purchased goodwill. Today's acquired "beauty" sometimes turns into tomorrow's "beast". Only time will tell if the acquisition price paid by the acquiring company was really fair value. The return to the acquiring company will be realized only if, in the future, it is able to turn the acquisition into positive earnings.Conservative analysts will deduct the amount of purchased goodwill from shareholders equity to arrive at a company's tangible net worth. In the absence of any precise analytical measurement to make a judgment on the impact of this deduction, try using plain common sense. If the deduction of purchased goodwill has a material negative impact on a company's equity position, it should be a matter of concern to investors. For example, a moderately leveraged balance sheet might look really ugly if its debt liabilities are seriously in excess of its tangible equity position.Companies acquire other companies, so purchased goodwill is a fact of life in financial accounting. Investors, however, need to look carefully at a relatively large amount of purchased goodwill in a balance sheet. The impact of this account on the investment quality of a balance sheet needs to be judged in terms of its comparative size to shareholders' equity and the company's success rate with acquisitions. This truly is a judgment call, but one that needs to be considered thoughtfully.

... Save Money Every Day Without Much Effort

47 Tips on How to Save Money Every Day Without Much Effort

Source: http://www.techocrunch.com/47-tips-on-how-to-save-money-every-day-without-much-effort/

Everyone complains about the high cost of this and that. But nobody knows that themselves are to be blamed. Why can’t we save? The answer is simple, its because we end up spending then our paychecks can afford.

Most of us, frustrated with this daily struggle blame it on anything, high living expenses (food, rent, gas, education, etc) , govt, family, other countries etc but let me remind you if we can sacrifice on few things now, we can be better equipped to handle those rainy days. Previously i did mentioned how to save money with some 10 great ways. But there are hundreds of places where money can be saved. So why not broaden the thing.

Here are 47 ways(I thought it was 50!) on how to start saving money.

Save in the Home
1. Strive for a simpler lifestyle. Buy less clutter and junk. This means buying fewer nonessential things.
2. Stay at home during weekends. Plan for more activities and games at home. Besides saving on money and gasoline, you feel much better after interacting with your family.
3. Plan carefully and thoroughly as the first step in economical decorating.
4. Consider remodeling rather than building a new house.
5. Learn how to paint, wallpaper and refinish furniture.
6. Make your own draperies, curtains, spreads, slipcovers, and table covers.
7. Learn to clean, repair, and restore household items yourself. Learn to maintain and repair the house like plumbing, electricity, and other jobs.
8. Decorate your home with items from nature or use family creations.
9. Ebay is your best friend for old goods. Sell those items there that you no longer need, use, or want.
10. Buy things that will require as little maintenance as possible.
11. Buy washable clothes as much as possible. Clothes that require dry cleaning are expensive to care.
12. Shop at discount stores for children’s clothes.
13. Insist the children do some sort of work, besides regular chores, as soon as they get old enough.

Save on Food
14. Plan your meals one week at a time. First, checkout for the grocery ads to take advantage of special offers, discounts etc. Make a shopping list considering those cuts.
15. Eat out less; prepare some of those restaurant exclusive foods at home. Grab a recipe book and start cooking. Making your own food is lot cheaper then spending hundreds of bucks at the restaurant. Besides that eating something you cooked yourself is lot taster.
16. When you use the oven, try to cook more than one item while it is hot. Cook the main dish, dessert, vegetables, quick breads, or other foods at the same time in the oven.
17. Waste less! Think before throwing those half eaten chickens, burgers, pizza’s etc into garbage cans. This happens not only at home but also in restaurants and school cafeterias. Instead of throwing food wrap them in foil papers and eat it next day.
18. Spend less on junk food, don’t eat meat, eat veggies etc
19. Eat less expensive foods; drink less expensive beverages.
20. Cut your food shopping trips to no more than one a week. You will save gasoline, time, and money.

Save on Energy
21. Have an expert check the insulation in your house to make sure it is adequate. If it is not, insulate where needed. It will save both heating and cooling costs. If you can fix them yourself you’ll save more of the money.
22. Turn off the air conditioning and open the windows in moderate weather.
23. Wear warm clothes in the house in cold weather so you can lower your thermostat setting.
24. Take care of home repairs as soon as the need arises. Delay can make the problem worse and repair costs higher.
25. Close the doors and turn off the heat or air conditioning to rooms that you are not using.
26. When you buy home appliances. Buy appliances with higher energy efficiency ratios (EER). Check the labels for EER.
27. Bigger houses = more energy requirement. Move to a smaller house it maybe a little cramped but you save on money and energy.
28. Use lighting equipments like ENERGY STAR-qualified fluorescent light bulbs, window treatments, such as insulated or heavy draperies, and storm windows.

Save on General Living Expenses
29. Prioritize your needs and wants-consider values, goals, and resources.
30. Know alternatives for increasing income.
31. Compare prices of a product with different sellers before committing to buy. For geeks checkout price comparison sites like Pricegrabber, etc
32. Know when to use cash, checks, or credit. Don’t make unnecessary credit cards usage as they always tend to have high interest rates associated with it.
33. Patch up those little expenses. “A small leak will sink a great ship.”
34. Stop impulse buying. If you see something you really want that you didn’t plan to buy, wait a day before buying it.
35. Pay promptly. Don’t build up late fines on payments.
36. Know how much money you have. Plan your spending according to your budget.
37. Be sure the time is right for the best price. It’s oftentimes not what you buy but when you buy it.
38. Learn to barter, borrow, share, switch, substitute, simplify, and conserve goods and services.
39. Set aside a good emergency fund for disasters, like getting fired form work, natural disasters, etc which is sufficient for about 2 to 6-months.
40. Shop for your favorite product while discounted for. A seasonal sale may save 10 to 25 percent; a clearance on the other hand may save upto 50 to 75 percent.
41. Always remember you don’t need it; it is not a good buy at any price.

Save on Transportation
42. Keep your car in good running condition. It will be safer and will cost less to operate.
43. Walk, cycle more; drive less. You will save gasoline and improve your health.
44. Learn how to do some of your own car like changing the oil, oil filters, and air filters.
45. Form a carpool to go to work, to meetings, and even on shopping trips.
46. Ask yourself each time you get in your car, “Is this trip really necessary?”
47. Avoid second trips, make a list of things to “do” and “buy” before leaving home.

These small things can really save money. I myself have managed to save a lot while still living a decent life. I’m not sure if all these tips will work on you, but most of them do work from my experience. Thanks for reading! Happy saving money.

Source: http://www.techocrunch.com/47-tips-on-how-to-save-money-every-day-without-much-effort/

... Add Your Business to Google Maps

By Brian Ussery

Google “Universal” includes results from Google Maps as well as other verticals. In addition to relevancy, Google Maps includes geographic factors in determining ranking order in search engine results pages.

Google Universal search engine results page including Google Maps results.

By creating their own business listing, business owners are helping drive traffic to their site as well as customers through their front door. Millions use Google Maps each day and business listings are free through Google Local Business Center. Local Business Center is available to business owners with locations in Australia, Belgium, Canada, China, Japan, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Taiwan, the UK, and the U. S.

Languages available in Google Local Business Center listings for Google Maps.

Before creating a new listing, it’s important to verify businesses aren’t already listed. One way of avoiding duplicate listings is to search for [your business name in your city, zip code] before submitting new listings. If a business is already listed, select “Claim your business” and if not continue to signup with Google Local Business Center.

Example of information required.
In addition to general contact information, Google Local Business Center allows owners to specify hours of operation and accepted forms of payment. They can also provide up to 10 photos, 5 videos, offer coupons and more. The entire process is easy. Business owners have two options for receiving their personal identification number, either phone or mail. This PIN must be entered in the account before listings are activated. After the PIN is submitted, listings usually become active within a month.

Verification options in Google Local Business Center.
So no matter how large or small your business, inclusion in Google Maps can be a nice way of helping your business grow. In fact, even if you don’t have a “shop” it’s possible to create individual Google Maps listings like the listing I created in 2005 before phone verification was offered, using my own address at the time. At minimum, a name and phone number are required, though including more information may increase visibility in search results. Google suggests registering a physical address as well as including meta data along with categories, phone numbers, pictures, video and other details. They also suggest encouraging customers to leave honest comments and ratings in the Google Maps “Review” tab for business listings.
After all that, don’t forget to also include contact information in your site.