Every journey requires a plan.  It is considered crucial to have a clear image of your goals, this will allow you to be able to take advantage of any unforeseen circumstances. In business, having a plan is not a guarantee that you will be successful, but it is certainly true that not having a plan is an invitation for failure. A business plan gives your direction and this is the first step. Having a professional business plan template is a signal that you are a serious entrepreneur.

The first thing you do after coming up with a business idea is to create a business plan, which can be doing using business plan software, a business plan sample, a business plan template, or by purchasing a how to write a business plan book. A good business plan gives you guidance and confidence in your business and we make it easy for you to create the best business plans for your business by offering you Professional business plan template, Free business plan template, Business planning template, Professional business plan template software, Free business plan template benefits, Business planning template software at our site http://www.createmybusinessplan.com .

A sound business plan template will consist of what you want to achieve for your business, what you need to do to succeed and how far you want to go. Your business plan template contains all relevant information about your new business and financial figures should be projected so that all aspects of the business can be looked at. The business plan will serve as a reliable foundation for your business to measure success in the future. When you are creating a business plan it is important that you identify all factors that might affect of your financial projections. The resources needed to operate the business are also clearly marked out in the sample business plan.  A business plan will be a guide to know if your actions were able to contribute positively to the business. Business plans also serve an important role for the investor.  A proper business template will acts as marketing tool for the entrepreneur to convince the investor to invest in your idea. The business plan should bring the business plan to life for the investor.

Investors will base their decision to invest in your business solely based on your business plan, which will include details regarding operations, management, and financial projections. Therefore, a good business plan software program will be one that answers all the questions the investor wants asked. Investors know exactly what they are looking for, and that is a business that can earn them a solid rate of return.  In order to accomplish that aim they will likely look at countless business plans so it is essential that your plan be well presented, thorough, and well written.  Investors will demand that the business plan be built according to best practice standards and the only way to do this is to look at samples, templates, and previous works.
CreateMyBusinesPlan.com is one excellent source of information to use while creating your business plan.  The proprietary software walks you through every aspect of the business planning process.  The benefits of having a professional business plan template are tremendous and CreateMyBusinessPlan.com was created to provide this service.  The company was created in 2006 and during the past 2 years has helped write over 2,000 business plans.

Kick start your business’ marketing

It’s the beginning of a new year and for many businesses this means designing a revised or new marketing strategy. If you’re struggling to get started with your strategy for the year, here are a few tips to get you going.

Stick with what worked

Review last year’s strategy and highlight the marketing tactics that showed ROI. Can you implement those tactics again this year? Also look at why they were successful. Is there something similar that you can do? Perhaps you ran a print advert for a special promotion and received great feedback. Think of more promotional ideas that can generate leads for your business.

Explore new marketing channels

Whilst we said ‘stick to what worked’ in the previous point it is important to always be on the lookout for new marketing channels and opportunities to explore. Have you ventured online yet? Online marketing include an array of channels, from a website to email marketing to social media. If you have a website, is the website up-to-date with the correct contact details and relevant information? Many consumers turn to search engines these days when researching new products and / or services and it is most likely that your website is going to be their first point of contact with your brand.

Consider partnerships

This may not be suitable for all businesses but for many service-based businesses this is a potentially lucrative lead generation tool. Identify other non-competitive businesses that you can form partnerships with, preferably a business that you can also send leads to. It’s not called a partnership for nothing!

Be specific about your marketing tactics

Your annual strategy should be comprehensive and include an analysis of your internal processes, your competitors’ activities and your target market among others but when it comes to the marketing tactics you’re going to deploy throughout the year, be as specific as possible. For instance, if you’re going to implement a print advertising campaign specify what the marketing message of each advert should be, what information should be included in the advert and so forth.

Implementation plan

While brainstorming and finalising your marketing tactics, start working on an implementation plan. For our clients we recommend a comprehensive implementation plan looking at monthly and weekly actions that needs to take place in order to ensure that the overall marketing and business goals are achieved.

Creating a strategy, determining the marketing mix you’re going to use and setting out an implementation plan is a time consuming process but if done thoroughly it will act as a marketing map that can be used throughout the year by your marketing team.

A marketing strategy is a must-have but the success of the strategy will depend on the execution of the strategy (and the consistency of the execution). Keep in mind that your business’ marketing execution is a continuous process and ideally you should work on your marketing on a daily basis. If you have any marketing questions, feel free to ask us!

Bad credit is one of the main reasons for bank loan denial. A credit score lower than 580 will most likely ruin your chances for a business loan. Multiple credit checks also lessens your chances for approval. And of course, a recent file for bankruptcy will ensure denial on your request.

Fortunately, there is no reason for despair if you belong to this group of people. There are now available alternatives for getting a small business loan, regardless of your bad credit. It is important, however, that you understand your circumstances before jumping into these alternative means for a business loan.

You can opt for an unsecured personal loan in such cases. But before you do, consider these factors first. One, how much do you need as a business loan? Factor in the numbers and come to a close estimate of how much you really need. Two, how much can pay each month. You have to note that personal business loans often have higher interest rates per month and if you’re not careful, you might become more in debt than you actually were, before the business loan. And three, will you be making minimum payments? Avoid making minimum payments because it actually costs more in the long run.

A business cash advance is also one way of securing the money you need. A small business loan through cash advance is  relatively an easy process to go through as compared to borrowing money from a bank. Most small business, even if they do have good credit, have often little asset and property. This is what makes business cash advances a good alternative for small entrepreneurs in need of immediate money. The only important thing your business should have is access to credit card services (i.e. you accept credit cards for transactions). You just need to have your business’ credit scores established. The best way to do this is to separate your personal credit from your business credit. It is recommended that you control most, if not all, of your business credit needs from only one of two credit card service providers so you have better chances at getting approved quickly. Lastly, your business will need to have gained ,500 to ,000 as minimum credit card sales per month.

Most cash advance providers base the amount of business loans by average monthly credit card sales, and of course, your actual need for capital. A business cash advance as a business loan is recommendable because the processing time for approval of your business loan can be as short as 3 days. Since newly opened small  businesses encounter a lot of time constraints with suppliers and clients, easy and immediate access to additional funding is always a plus. Furthermore, cash advance as a small business loan now comes easy with the help of the internet. You can apply for a business cash advance online and have it approved the next day. The business loan will be directly deposited into your account once it is approved.

Use your small business loan to purchase new equipment, marketing, pay debt or taxes, or pay the payroll. Banks and big lending companies are now not the only way of getting a small business loan for your immediate business needs. Fast, online cash advance is now the new means of making your business grow and compete in whatever market you are thriving on.

When you are new to affiliate marketing or if you’ve been doing it for some time and not had any success your dreams of quitting your day job and making a living this way can seem unattainable . In fact 90% of new internet marketers fail for a number of different reasons. They get caught up in the anticipation of having their own website , they spend a bundle of money on making it look pretty and in the end they have no idea of how to promote it. The truth is they went about it all wrong right from the beginning.

If you are patient there is a new product on the way. It’s called “My Online Business Strategy” and it’s being developed by Sensei Master Affiliate Gary Gregory. This new marketing system will truly be a breath of fresh air. Gary really has a soft spot in his heart for new and struggling marketers. Gary knows all too well the trials and tribulations of a new affiliate marketer, he’s gone through them all. In his words “there is just too much crap being release that just doesn’t live up to the hype it was launched with.”

One reason most new affiliate marketers begin to struggle right out of the gate is because they buy into the hype. There are so many so called guru’s bombarding you with their get rich quick schemes. The fact is that there is no get rich quick scheme, unless you win the lottery, and what are the odds of that happening. Make no mistake internet marketing is hard work and if you want to be successful you had better treat it like a real job because that’s exactly what it is.

The fact is that most of the affiliate marketing systems that are available just don’t deliver! The lofty promises that are made simply don’t materialize . They only give you a small part of the formula and expect you to figure out the rest, or they assume you already know what to do next. These systems have one thing in common; they take advantage of new and struggling marketers. The guru’s make lots of money by selling them to the unsuspecting new affiliate.

Now I’m not saying that all these systems are scams or that every guru out there is a crook. What I am saying is this; there is not one of these products that leaves nothing out. There are systems that do work, but there are always pieces missing, they don’t give you a complete A to Z system. Some of these products are even backed up with screen shots of the creators affiliate account and earnings. But have you ever noticed they don’t show the whole screen, it could be anyone’s account.

The fact remains that there are many pieces to the formula and if you get them wrong you will not succeed . Building a flourishing online business is no different than building a thriving brick and mortar business. A brick and mortar business needs a solid foundation to be successful. This is exactly the same for an Online Business, you have to set the foundation first, and it has to be a strong foundation. If you don’t do the proper ground work like keyword research and analyzing your market, it’s a sure fire recipe for failure.

What usually happens is the new affiliate fails because he/she isn’t given the complete system. So they chalk it up to experience and move on to the next get rich quick scheme or give up all together. What they don’t realize is that they can be successful if they’re given a formula that is complete.   All they need is a system that is tested and proven to produce the outcome they are looking for.

I’m very pleased to inform you that there is a new product coming, it’s called “My Online Business Strategy”. Its creator is Master Affiliate Gary Gregory. It’s truly a breath of fresh air for all affiliate  marketers, new or struggling. Not only is Gary a highly successful and well respected affiliate marketer, he’s a regular guy. He understands everything about how a new affiliate marketer thinks and feels because he has gone through the exact same emotions.

Gary has taken the basics of affiliate marketing to a new level and he has created a complete A to Z system that any new or struggling affiliate can thrive with. Gary uses this very same formula every day. Gary has been very successful with his new system, so much so that he has turned affiliate marketing into his career and he earns himself and his family a very comfortable living this way.

Simply put , My Online Business Strategy works! Each and every step has been in the testing and tweaking phase for over a year now. This is a simple system and its laser focused towards new and struggling marketers. There are no missing steps, nothing has been left out. This truly is a complete marketing system from A to Z. When I say everything is included I mean everything; from finding a profitable market all the way to driving loads of hungry to buy visitors to your new site. Absolutely no stone has been left unturned.

My Online Business Strategy is not some rehashed version of some other guys system with a few tweaks .It is Gary’s very own system that has taken all of his knowledge of over 10 years of experience in affiliate and internet marketing. With Gary’s new marketing system you will learn everything. You will be able to watch over Gary’s shoulder as he teaches you every last step in the process of creating a successful online business. This is easily the most anticipated product release in the history of affiliate marketing. I know the anticipation is almost killing me!

The technology industry flourishes on the key contributions of Arab American professionals. In his speech at Cairo University, U.S. President Obama announced a powerful vision: to promote the advancement of entrepreneurship and innovation throughout the developing world. The TechWadi Global Entrepreneurship Forum is being held on June 23 for the first time in Lebanon at the Olayan School of Business (OSB) at the American University of Beirut, supported by partner Berytech Technological Pole. TechWadi is the leading networking association for Arab and Arab-American professionals in the technology industry.

The Forum emphasizes accelerating entrepreneurship and venture capital in Lebanon and across the MENA region, and will bring together distinguished individuals who are united in their vision to create a vibrant world-class entrepreneurial ecosystem. Also joining the forum will be a distinguished delegation led by the United States Department of State, including prominent business leaders, investors, and entrepreneurs seeking to expand cross-border ties with the MENA region.

Speakers at the conference will address strategic topics, notably: the key role of mentors and incubators in building the support infrastructure for start-ups; the application of best practices in venture capital, such as managing multi-stage funds; and the opportunities for technology transfer and collaboration between the US and MENA. This conference will offer opportunities for attendees to interact and network with local and international investors, executives, entrepreneurs, and policymakers.

The TechWadi Global Entrepreneurship Forum will also integrate “live tweeting” from the individual conference sessions, using the twitter hash code #GEF2010. This innovative use of technology marks a new era of “real-time” communication at OSB that demonstrates to the region how innovation and technology will drive entrepreneurship initiatives forward.

TechWadi seeks to organize and facilitate access to mentorship, funding, and career opportunities for their members. Based in Silicon Valley, TechWadi reaches over 1,000 technology leaders in the United States and across the globe.

Berytech Technological Pole is a center dedicated to providing hi-tech hosting, incubation, skill training, and mentorship to nascent entrepreneurs, start-ups and small-medium enterprises. Besides physical incubation, Berytech also provides virtual incubation to a number of entities through networking, support, and training.

Building on over a century of prominence in business education, the Suliman S. Olayan School of Business is committed to providing quality undergraduate and graduate programs aimed at developing and enhancing global managerial leadership in the Middle East region and beyond.

For more information about the conference program and to register for the conference, please visit:

http://www.techwadi.org/

Value added base evaluation: Power consumption and economic development

Basir Chand

Basir_Chand@hotmail.com

Dept. of Information Technology,Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad

ABSTRACT:

This research paper argues that only the value added and production base component of energy consumed is the positive contributing factor in GDP, not the total consumption. Total consumption which also includes a component of household consumption, transportation and industrial use.

INTRODUCTION:

Energy in a vital factor in industrial production and the lifeblood of any nation’s economic development. Shortage of electric power has not only compromised a social comfort level but also seriously hampered the economic growth of a nation.

The use of primary energy and electric power differ in developing countries than industrialized countries. Developing nations has proved a higher appetite for electric power consumption. In last one and a half decade, the consumption rate has been increasing at the rate of 8% annually, with overall demand increase of 200%[1].

The relationship between power consumption and national economic development has a great significance. Power consumption statistics are vital indicators for gauging the economic growth[2]. These figures play a vital role in promoting sustainable economic development, and in formulating medium and long-term policy, and planning to achieve national objectives[3]. Even though, not all the power utilization; the total consumption, contribute in economic development, but still energy consumption is a vital indicator.

Since early 19970′s by using total energy consumption model, which include commercial and residential use of energy, there is a positive correlation between energy consumption and economic growth. These studies evaluated the economic growth rate in industrialized countries, including USA, UK, Canada, France, and Japan. Empirical literature revealed that most of the studies opt to evaluate the relation on the total consumption model[4]. 

Lately, the prevailing methodologies, Standard Granger-Causality (SGC) and Error Correction Model (ECM), models have been applied to evaluate the relationship between energy consumption and GDP[5].

This paper is incline to the latter approach that relationship between energy consumption and economic growth can only be evaluated if production base analysis or value added component should be given high weighted value in evaluating, deducting or reducing the residential consumption from total consumption energy equation.

EMC technique has been applied to study the relationship between energy and economic growth in India, Indonesia, Thailand and Philippine. It has been concluded that energy consumption, income and price are mutually causal for Thailand but have bi-directional impact on Philippine.

On the other hand, Alice-Shiu and Pun-Lee Lan reached to the conclusion by using SGC Mode that causal relation indicates uni-directional impact while the ECM inclined in bi-direction for China.[6]

The magnitude of the impact can be seen by using double logarithmic regression model, base on thermal power generating capacity. It stated that 1% increase in power generation capacity could cause it to increase 2.03%  increase in GDP[7].

in a singular sturdy for China by using Regression Analysis Model, indicated that 1% growth in energy consumption caused 1% increase in GDP[8]. Li Boqiang, concluded in another study that a bi-directional relationship exists by using both models SGC and ECM, and by including the attributes like human capital and technical know-how[9].

 CONCLUSION:

The more scientific evaluation of economic impact by electricity use can be determine only by value added or production base analysis.
Co-integration between energy consumption and GDP — more electric consumption increase the GDP and short of electricity constrained the GDP.
In a long-term analysis, a positive correlation is evident in energy consumption and GDP growth.

[1] Hans Blix, “The world’s energy needs and the nuclear power option”, Special Report, IAEA Bulletin, 1990.

[2] Sari U. Soytas, Energy consumption and GDP: causality relationship in G-7 countries and emerging market, Energy Economics, 2003, (25), p 33-37.

[3] A.M.M. Masih, “On the temporal causal relationship between energy consumption, real income and price: Some new evidence from Asian-energy dependent NICs Based on multivariate co-integration/vector error-correction approach. Journal of Policy Modeling, 1997, (19), p 417-440.

[4] Charles B. L. Jumbe, “Co-integration and causality between electricity consumption and GDP — empirical evidence from Malawi”, Energy Economics, 2004, p 161-68.

[5] Asafu- Adjaye J.,” The relationship between electricity consumption, price and economic growth, time series evidence from Asian Development countries”, Energy Economics, 2002, (22), p 615-625.

[6] Alice-Shiu, Pun-Lee Lan, “Electricity Consumption and Economic Growth in China”, Energy Policy, 2004, (32), p 47-54.

[7] Li Ji-Ying, , “analysis on mutual action relationship between power industry and national economy”, The Economist, 2004, 9(4), p 66-67.

[8] He Yong-Gin “inhalants relationship between power industry and amendment of national economy uncorked stack of sticks and to see in 2004, (10), p 97.

[9] Lin Boqiang “Power consumption and economic development of China: study based on production function”, Management World, 2003, (4), p 18-20.