An Online Risk Survey is a low-cost and highly effective way to identify and assess Business Risks

May 4, 2011 · Posted in Business Advices · Comment 

Conducting an online risk survey is a low-cost and highly effective way to identify and assess business risks. In our highly competitive and fast changing economy, business executives and Board members should consider conducting an online risk mitigation survey annually. What you will learn can save your business significant money, avoid a hit to your company’s reputation and strengthen your sustainability. It may also save your company from bankruptcy or failure due to a catastrophic incident.

Many businesses have little or no resources focusing on identifying and assessing the risks facing them. Of those companies that do have a risk assessment program, or at least some emphasis on risk management, a significant number focus on a small number of the obvious risks including the typical insurable risks.

In reality, most businesses either are not aware of or are ignoring a wide range of risks that can significantly hurt their bottom line, reputation, and the health and well being of their employees, customers and community. A robust approach to identifying, assessing, managing and mitigating risk should include the ongoing assessment of a broad list of at least 50 – 75 potential types of risks. The approach should also include the assessment of both the potential impact and likelihood of occurrence of each risk type.

The best approach is to gather information from managers and other key employees at all levels of the organization. Some companies also gather input about risk from their Board members. An online risk management survey is the fastest and best way to gather information, insight and suggestions about risks from many people. To that end, each question should include a comments fields. Comments enable responders to say why they believe specific types of risks are or are not likely to occur and why their impact is potentially high or low. Responders can also make suggestions about what can be done to mitigate risks.

Unlike many other types of employee surveys which should guarantee that responses are anonymous, responders to an online risk survey should not be anonymous. It is important to be able to follow up with responders to get additional information and to clarify their answers where needed.

The starting point is to design a comprehensive online risk mitigation survey. It is beneficial to use a survey company with significant knowledge and experience in this area. They will save you time and provide useful reports without the need to spend days using Excel to create your own useful reports.

Give people enough time to send in their responses. Three to four weeks is typically an appropriate response period. Make sure to include enough of the right people as participants in the survey. Include all managers and supervisors in your organization and other employees that are in key positions with the knowledge about customers, suppliers, business processes, contracts and regulations, and other risk-related points.

It is important to thoroughly and objectively analyze the responses, including the ratings and comments. This is another area in which an experienced survey company can add significant value.

The final steps include to creating an action plan to manage and mitigate the key risks, communicating the assessment and implementation plan with all appropriate people and then focusing on effective implementation. Implementation may require financial and other resources, and it will definitely require strong visible support from your company’s senior management.

Given the fast-changing pace of most businesses, it is useful to conduct online risk reduction surveys annually to track progress and trends, and to identify new risks that surfaced in the past year.

           

Knowing how to make Money in a Recession starts with knowing The Rules of Wealth

April 12, 2011 · Posted in Money · Comment 

It might be wise to seek investing tips from the financial experts. The question is, who are the financial experts? Colleges, Universities and even the public schools are full of professors and teachers who are teaching students to the best of their ability, but many of them are only teaching the information they have access to. In the same way, these institutions are educating the financial advisors who most of us go to for investing tips and advice on wealth building.

The obvious problem with this is that the knowledge of making money in a recession and the knowledge of wealth building and of creating multiple income streams is not common. It’s closely guarded by the top 1% of the population which has possession of a mind-boggling 99% of the wealth. Would you want that information getting out if you were using it for your own wealth building and for the benefit of yourself and those you love?

Of course not, it’s a part of human nature and our will to survive and to succeed in a very competitive world. This is exactly why you can’t trust the investing tips and financial advice coming from the socially accepted experts. So how can you learn how to make money in a recession and leverage financial crisis include yourself in the next generation of self-made millionaires?

Knowing how to Make Money in a Recession starts with kowing The Rules of Wealth

Knowing how to make money in a recession starts with knowing the rules of wealth, and those rules have not changed since the beginning of time. The flow of wealth is controlled by human behaviors, and once you understand how this works, it becomes the simplest and most valuable information you’ll ever gain access to. Did you know that EVERY world power in history has gone through a predictable pattern when it comes to the flow of wealth?

Did you know that this pattern is determined by a simple and specific set of predictable human behaviors? The first time I heard this, it seemed almost as unbelievable as it was intriguing. Even more amazing has been how the discovery of this knowledge and has changed my entire outlook on wealth building. If you’re ready to gain access to this knowledge and stop listening to the advice of broke “experts,” you could not have picked a better time, because the opportunity is coming fast.

           

Things to do to help you get the best from your Leaflets and Pamphlets

February 1, 2011 · Posted in Marketing · Comment 

Here is a Top ten checklist of ‘do’s’ to help you get the best from your leaflets and pamphlets.

– Objective & Audience
– Know what your leaflet is for. List your goals and check them throughout the design to make sure you’re on track. Understand your audience to make sure you’re speaking clearly to them – in both copy and pictures. If it’s useful, write a short paragraph explaining who they are. Headline
– Your brochure is competing with other brochures so make sure your headline draws attention to what you’re selling. Keep in mind that in some distribution racks, only the top third can be seen. Keep your headline short and to the point. Reinforcing Pictures
– Understand that copy carries your sales message but pictures reinforce it. Make sure they’re right for your target audience and remember that when your customer scans a rack of leaflets, there’s a lot of information competing for their eye so keep your images simple and uncluttered as this will help them understand your leaflet. Also, make sure you include a map if you’re wanting your customers to visit you. Concise Copy
– A leaflet can’t contain everything you probably want to say – so be selective. Make sure your copy is easy to read and is ‘skimmable’. Keep sentences short and break up blocks of copy by using small paragraphs. Use headings to help they eye find what it’s looking for more easily. Use a serif typeface as it’s easier to read. Full Colour
– There’s a reason most leaflets are full colour – research shows a 50-70% increase in retention of full colour leaflets over black and white. Perceived value is higher in your customer’s minds so they tend to keep hold of them longer. Get the Correct Size
– It depends on what you’re using your leaflet for and where it’s going to be displayed, but conventionally, most leaflets tend to be A5 (folded down from A4 or A3 size) or DL size (1/3 A4 folded). Producing leaflets this size should make them fit in nicely with most distribution racks and are a convenient size for most readers. Paper
– Floppy leaflets hide your message, slip from racks and might even get removed if they interfere with other leaflets. Make sure you print your leaflet on the right paper weight and cutting is done down, not across the grain. Don’t make your leaflets too tall and fold them down the left hand side. Vouchers
– Incentivise customers to pick up your leaflet by adding in offers or vouchers. Make sure you advertise them prominently on the front cover and it might be an idea to use the whole leaflet as the voucher as that keeps it lying around at home, reminding customers you’re there! Track response rates of your leaflet (to calculate a basic ROI) by adding in voucher codes and leaflet codes. Clear Call-To-Action
– Check over your leaflet, make sure you’re clearly asking readers to take an action – then run through everything that they’ll want to see to take that action. Phone numbers, addresses, maps, opening times, email addresses, website addresses – can all be easily missed off. Checking before Printing
Check your copy again and again – and get someone else to have a look too. Spelling mistakes and bad sentence structure can put off readers and reduce comprehension of your sales message. If you’re self-checking, leave a good night’s sleep before you re-check; It’s amazing what a fresh pair of eyes will spot that you missed before. Similarly, before you print, make sure you see at least a pdf proof before you push the button – mistakes are cheap to rectify before they’re printed, but costly afterward.

           

Pet Insurance Comparison

April 15, 2008 · Posted in Pet Insurance · Comment 

pet insurance servicesPet insurance are offered in several variants, some companies have policies designed for exclusive coverage, and others include this coverage in a broader security, such as multi-household insurance. In all cases, so that this insurance is valid, it requires that the animal owner meets certain requirements such as compliance with the immunization schedule and all the signs emanating from the health authorities, the census and to identify the pet According to existing laws and comply with the rules on dogs deemed potentially dangerous.

These insurances are offered, depending on the insurance company and that you will use the animal (of company, competitor, etc.), for dogs between three and six months of age and up to seven or eight years.

The insurance policies of animals, as usual, do not include diseases or aesthetic interventions. Nor do covers damage to third parties if there were violations of the laws or ordinances animals, or fines. Do not pay compensation for damage if there was lack of policyholder. Generally not cover damage by natural or atmospheric weather, national disasters, and others.