How To Create Your Business Mission Statement

A mission statement defines what an business is, why it exists, its reason for being. At a minimum, your mission statement should define who your primary customers are, identify the products and services you produce, and describe the geographical location in which you operate.

A well-developed mission statement is a great tool for understanding, developing, and communicating fundamental business objectives, and should be expressed in just a paragraph or two. If you read it out loud, it should take about 30 seconds. And it should answers questions people have about your business, like:

• Who is your company?
• What do you do? What do you stand for? And why do you do it?
• Do you want to make a profit, or is it enough to just make a living?
• What markets are you serving, and what benefits do you offer them?
• Do you solve a problem for your customers?
• What kind of internal work environment do you want for your employees?

A mission is different from a vision in that the former is the cause and the latter is the effect; a mission is something to be accomplished whereas a vision is something to be pursued for that accomplishment.
The commercial mission statement consists of 3 essential components:

1. Key market: Who is your target client or customer (generalize if needed)?
2. Contribution: What product or service do you provide to that client?
3. Distinction: What makes your product or service unique, so that the client would choose you?

Too many company mission statements don't follow the few simple rules necessary to be truly effective and memorable. Here are three tips on writing one that will resonate with customers--and employees.

Start with a Market-Defining Story
You don’t have to actually write the story—it’s definitely not included in the mission statement—but do think it through: Imagine a real person making the actual decision to buy what you sell. Use your imagination to see why she wants it, how she finds you, and what buying from you does for her. The more concrete the story, the better.

Define How Your Customer’s Life is Better Because Your Business Exists
Start your mission statement with the good you do. Use your market-defining story to state whatever it is that makes your business special for your target customer.

Consider What Your Business Does for Employees
These days, good businesses want to be good for their employees. If you’re “hard numbers”-oriented, keeping employees is better for the bottom line than turnover. And if you’re interested in culture and employee happiness, then defining what your business offers its employees is an obvious part of your strategy.

Use the information in this article to create a great mission statement for your business.

Understanding Applications

What is an application?

You may have heard people talking about using an application or an app. But what exactly does that mean? An app is a type of software that allows you to perform specific tasks. Applications for desktop or laptop computers are sometimes called desktop applications, and those for mobile devices are called mobile apps. When you open an application, it runs inside the operating system until you close it. Most of the time, you will have more than one application open at the same time, and this is known as multitasking.

App is a common term for an application, especially for simple applications that can be downloaded inexpensively or even for free. Many apps are also available for mobile devices and even some TVs.

Types of desktop applications

There are countless desktop applications out there, and they fall into many different categories. Some are more full-featured (like Microsoft Word), while others may only do one or two things (like gadgets). Below are just a few types of applications you might use:

• Word processors: A word processor allows you to write a letter, design a flyer, and create many other types of documents. The most well-known word processor is Microsoft Word.
• Personal finance: Personal finance software, such as Quicken, allows you to keep track of your income and expenses and create a budget, among other tasks. Most personal finance programs can automatically download information from your bank so you don't have to manually type in all of your transactions.
• Web browsers: A web browser is the tool you use to access the Internet. Most computers come with a web browser pre-installed, but you can also download a different one if you prefer. Examples of browsers include Internet Explorer, Firefox, Google Chrome, and Safari.

• Games: There are many different games you can play on your computer. They range from card games such as Solitaire to action games like Halo 2. Many action games require a lot of computing power, so they may not work unless you have a newer computer.
• Media players: If you want to listen to MP3s or watch movies you've downloaded, you'll need to use a media player. Windows Media Player and iTunes are popular media players.
• Gadgets: Sometimes called widgets, these are simple applications you can place on your desktop (or on the Dashboard if you're using a Mac). There are many different types of gadgets, and they include calendars, calculators, maps, and news headlines.

Installing applications

In order to work, an application usually has to be installed on your computer. Typically, installation is as simple as inserting the installation disc and following the instructions on the screen. For software downloaded from the Internet, you can usually double-click it after it is finished downloading and then follow the instructions on the screen. Many applications include a readme file (for example, readme.txt), which includes installation instructions and other information.

Use caution when downloading software because it can contain viruses or other malware. If you have an antivirus program, you should scan the downloaded software before installing it. For more information, learn about Protecting Your Computer from Internet Threats in our Internet Safety tutorial.

Files and applications

Each application on your computer has a group of file types—or formats—it is able to open. You generally won't have to figure out which application will open your files. When you double-click a file, your computer will automatically use the correct application to open it, as long as the application is installed on your computer.
If you don't have the correct application installed, you may not be able to open the file. However, in some cases you can open the file with a web application that runs in your browser. For example, if you don't have Microsoft Word, you can open Word documents with Google Docs. To learn more, you can visit our lesson on Understanding the Cloud.

If you're not sure what a file's format is, you can look at the extension at the end of the file name (such as .docx, .txt, or .jpg). On some computers, the extension may be hidden, and you may need to look at the icon to determine the file format.

Mobile apps

Desktop and laptop computers aren't the only devices that can run apps. You can also download apps for mobile devices like smartphones and tablets, which opens up many new possibilities. Here are a few examples of mobile apps:

• Flipboard: Flipboard allows you to create a personal news feed by choosing topics, authors, and publications you like. The app will keep track of what you like and deliver content that interests you. You can even create your own online magazine for other Flipboard users to read.
• Wolfram|Alpha: Wolfram|Alpha is basically a giant searchable encyclopedia for any kind of science, language, or math question you might have. You can access Wolfram|Alpha on the Web or download the app for your mobile device, and the company makes specific reference apps for different subjects as well. But the basic Wolfram|Alpha app will give you access to data on the greatest number of subjects from your tablet or phone.
• TuneIn Radio: TuneIn Radio allows you to stream talk radio, music, and podcasts from around the world. It can be downloaded on your computer as well as to your phone or tablet, so you can listen to whatever interests you anywhere you have Internet access.

Compared with traditional applications, mobile apps are relatively inexpensive. Some of them cost as little as $0.99 and others are free, although they may require you to make in-app purchases to access some functions. If your mobile device has an Internet connection, you can download apps directly onto it. Otherwise, you can sometimes download them to your computer and then transfer them over.

10 Things You Need to Know About Your Customers

Your customers are the blood of your business, so it is important that you have proper understanding of their nature. Below are ten things you need to know about your them.

Your Customers Need You                      
 It is true that without your customers, you will not be in business. It is also true that without what you are offering, your customers will be miserable.

Your Customers Want to Look Good                                                   
Things are kind of scary out there. No matter the industry, from fashion to entertaiment, things aren’t the way they used to be — not for you and not for them. So what they want from you, over and above what they’re asking for, is that you make them look good; that’s your real job.

Your Customers Are Lazy            
That means you have to do some of their work: help them find you, help them contact you and then, of course, help them work with you. The fewer obstacles they have to surpass, the more likely they are to follow through, and the more likely they will continue to buy your products.

Your Customers Have Got a Lot Going On                                         
Don’t lose sight of their big picture. In the office, there are interruptions galore. They can’t get anything accomplished, their desk is a disaster area, their e-mail is stacking up. Things are out of control. You are just one of the many things they are trying to focus on. Now try to ask: why is it that they have not responded to your new product or service?

Your Customers Act On Impulse      
We all do this: we see something interesting, we get excited, we call for information and when it comes, we put it in a pile. Determine as quickly as possible if you’re dealing with an impulse inquiry and waste as little time as possible with them. But don’t write them off entirely; just put them on your quarterly mailing list and let them come back to you. Real needs and desires will stand the test of time.

Your Customers Need to Pigeonhole You                                             
Although you hate it, let them do it; in fact, help them. Give them a box to put you in, and a label to put on your box. (I’m speaking figuratively here.) There’s plenty of time to tell them more later about your full range of services.

Your Customers May Not Know What They Need                                      
Listen to them and provide a solution to their self-defined needs. Offer a few alternatives for them to choose from. If necessary, explain, without trying to persuade, why what they say they want might not be the best thing for them. Then, let them decide.

Your Customers Need Time                             
 It is not always a put off. Believe them when they say they have to think about it, or that they have to sell the idea to someone else. We all need time to think, time to get ready, to adjust, to clear our plate. Give them the time they ask for, and then keep in touch, reminding them that they were interested. And remember that some things will never come to fruition. That’s life.

Your Customers Human                               
Your relationships are not with companies; like it or not, they’re with human beings. And relationships are more important now than ever because, with everyone moving around, you better believe they’re taking the Rolodex (or Blackberry) along.

Your Customers Are Just Like You
Don’t forget: you are a customer to someone out there too. Which defenses do you use? How do you want to be treated when someone is marketing to you? How often do you want someone calling? How much freedom and time would you like to have to think about a product, to ask questions and to make your decision? How do you want to feel about the process when it is over?

Let these ideas guide you.

Turning Content Into Cash (Part 3)

The deepest cravings of the human heart compel people to spend money to satisfy a desire that can’t be extinguished any other way. Let’s get back to our automobile purchasing example. Let’s take it from the very beginning ... The furthest thought from our subject’s mind is the purchase of a new automobile.

Suddenly, they see, as they are driving about town, a brand new 700 Series BMW (that’s my choice; you choose your own car). They watch it as it effortlessly glides through space, almost floating just ever so slightly above the ground. The body glistens from a perfect clear coat applied with skill to give the automobile a deep, clear finish. The driver of the automobile is as finely appointed as the automobile. Dressed to perfection, not a thread or hair out of place. They’re wearing a finely tailored suit-obviously not off the rack.

They’re skin tanned and have the slightest hint of a smile on their lips. What secrets do they possess’? Why are they so happy? Is it any wonder, they are driving one of the finest automobiles in the world!

Now our subject, whether they realize it or not, has become a potential buyer of a new car! He (or she) views this scene in their mind’s eye and then repeats it in his (or her) own mind over and over again, because it is pleasurable to do so. They play it again and again, like a scene from their favourite movie.

Then ... something begins to happen. As they play this movie over and over in their minds’ eye, they replace the driver that they saw in that automobile with themselves behind the wheel. Now they are the ‘star’ of the movie! They are using the power of their imagination to imagine what it would be like to have that much power, grace and perfection at their beck and call.

When selling any product, use the power of your customers’ imagination to see themselves benefitting or being pleasured by the use of our product. Let them run a little movie in their head by demonstrating the use of your product in different circumstances and how easy and beneficial it is to use. This is what makes the sale possible. If they cannot see themselves in a starring role and benefitting or gaining pleasure from our product, we have lost a sale.

Back to our example ... a chain of thoughts and additional stimulus from outside sources begins to enhance their ‘feelings’ about getting a new car. What they are feeling can’t accurately be described with mere words because the process is hidden from them.

Their thoughts naturally turn to their own car, which is several years old and in need of bodywork, engine work, brakes, etc. A “GAP” begins to develop:
They compare their current automobile with new models and see how deficient their car really is. This comparison creates the beginnings of desire’.

“It works fine now, but pretty soon it’s going to need a major repair. Then what do I do?”, they say to themselves. This act of comparing their present situation with the one that they have been repeating in their mind plants the seed of discontent- a “gap in satisfaction”, if you will-that eventually creates the buying urge.

From this point on, nature will take its course. The “picture in their mind” of the new BMW with them at the wheel, will intrude on their consciousness from time to time and that ‘feeling’ that they can’t put into words will make them do things that they aren’t even aware of.

For instance, they will begin to notice that one of their friends or business associates just purchased a new car. And they will inquire as to what model, where it was purchased, what the features are and why the person chose this particular model. All of it ‘ammunition’ for them to use to justify to themselves and to their spouse or partner the inevitable purchase.

Friends will be more than happy to give our potential buyer all of their reasons for their purchasing a new car: “It’s good on gas”; “It has an extended warranty period for major repairs”; “It comes with On Scar, and as you know, I do a lot of travelling”; etc ... They will never say that they bought a new car because they, “had this feeling that they couldn’t describe in words that made me buy it!”

Are you beginning to see the picture here? People will want something because that ‘something’, be it a automobile, ring, stereo system, computer, rare and scarce book, e-book, e-content, etc.
evoked in them some powerful, positive emotion that, when they buy it, brings them to some sort of ‘completeness’ or ‘wholeness’ that stops their discontent and desire.

In other words, the gnawing inside, from not having this object of their desire, will drive them to get exactly what they want-or at least to purchase and possess a satisfactory substitute if they can’t obtain the exact object of their desire-to quench their desire. 1\11 that matters to them is that they MUST stop the hurting by obtaining the object of their desire. To stop this hurting, they buy. Then they will, almost every time, use all of the logical reasons they have accumulated during the ‘desire-to-justification’ stage for making the purchase.

But it was that original ‘movie picture’ in their mind, their emotional attachment to it and their discontent with their present circumstances that started the ball rolling. You would think that larger financial commitments require more logical analysis before a decision is arrived at and smaller commitments are generally more emotional or “impulsive”. The fact is, sometimes the higher the price of the intended purchase, the more ‘emotionalized’ the decision becomes.

Why? Because much more is at stake! But not 1 in a 100,000 will ever admit that they buy emotionally and then justify that purchase logically! The market for our products and services are to the 98% of the population who make decisions emotionally. We don’t worry about the other 2%. The odds are much more in our favour. But caution is in order. Even though people make decisions with their emotions THEY JUSTIFY THOSE PURCHASES LOGICALLY!

What does that mean to you? Just this: In your sales literature, on your web site and in your emails, give potential customers every LOGICAL reason possible for purchasing your product or service, while at the same time, plucking on those emotional chords and enhancing their desire. To prove all this to yourself, begin noticing your own buying habits. Notice your feelings as you begin making a purchase decision of any kind.

Even as mundane a thing as window cleaner... I find myself’ reading the labels and examining the look and ‘feel’ of the container it’s in. A  feeling like, “this one is better” comes over me. Something I read or saw made me want that particular one, but I can’t recall any details. It could be that the packaging has induced an emotional state that reminds me of something good or pleasant. Most of the time I don’t even think about it. I just go on to purchase it. My decision is totally based on what I felt I wanted ... at the time.

My logical justification for the purchase I made goes something like this: “This is a window cleaner that works great or at least it works as good as the others (how do I know that?) and works best (how do I know that, too?-because it says so!). Let me just buy the darn thing so I can forget the job I hate, and go do” something else that’s more fun!” Investors and traders in stocks and commodities are notorious for making decisions that amount to thousands or hundreds of thousands of dollars based on limited, emotionally charged and spurious information! Your customers do the same thing.

It is amazing to me that individual investors would purchase ten, fifteen or hundreds of thousands of dollars in stocks based on a cursory knowledge of those companies’ operations, management capability, strategy for gaining market share, marketing plans or any number of factors that affect the company’s long -term potential.

I have met a lot of investors who would investigate every possible way to save 30 cents on their favourite brand of cookies at the local market and buy fifty thousand dollars worth of stock in a company based on a single bullish newspaper article! Even those investors that would never dream of entering into a business deal without the proper due diligence would buy thousands of dollars worth of stocks on tips, rumours and broker recommendations alone!

Got the idea? This is so important that if there is anything you didn’t understand the first time through, please read it again. The bottom line is this:
People buy things FIRST because they w-a-n-t them and SECOND because they n-e-e-d them!

DO YOU NEED HELP IN YOUR CAREER?

Helping HANDS International Offers life changing empowerment services that empowers your life. We touch lives… and empowers people around us and the world over. It's not enough to have lived. We are determined to live for something, it could be creating joy for others, sharing what we have for the betterment of mankind, bringing hope to the hopeless and love to the orphans and that is what gives us more joy and happiness, for we believe that “Life is a gift, and it offers us the privilege, opportunity, and responsibility to give something back by becoming more”.

Helping HANDS International Offers life changing empowerment services that empowers your life. We touch lives… and empowers people around us and the world over. It's not enough to have lived. We are determined to live for something, it could be creating joy for others, sharing what we have for the betterment of mankind, bringing hope to the hopeless and love to the orphans and that is what gives us more joy and happiness, for we believe that “Life is a gift, and it offers us the privilege, opportunity, and responsibility to give something back by becoming more”.

Turning Content Into Cash – Part 2

This is a Simple Formula For Selling Anything To Anybody, At Any Time, In Any Country, Online or Offline, Even If You HATH To Sell! 
 

Dear Friend, in business, as in life, there's a lot of misinformation that is hurting your chances for success. People will say something to you or you'll read something somewhere that looks 'pretty good' or sounds true, but it may only be partially true or an outright lie.

How can you tell?
Here's one way: Question EVERYTHING 
When you make a decision based on misinformation, you are making a decision that will hurt your business in one way or another, maybe even permanently. The larger the decision and the larger the amount of misinformation you receive, the larger the potential harm the decision could be to your business. Some misinformation could be so harmful that it could put you right out of business.

As an example, here's a small bit of misinformation you may have mistaken for the truth at one time:

"People hate to be sold on anything." How many times have you heard that? Well, I'm here to tell you it's a lie. How about this one: "People hate to be sold, but love to buy". This statement is a half-truth. It's true, people do love to buy things for themselves and as gifts. But I'll show you that they also love to be sold. In fact, everyone loves to be "sold" because when people are being "sold" on something, they are following and doing something that gets them closer to what they "want". But anyone who starts out in business may believe that "people hate to be sold" is true and make decisions that affect their business based on this misinformation.

On the other side of this coin, there are also a lot of entrepreneurs who hate to sell. They hate being pushy or believe they need to be pushy in order to make sales. That's also not true. If you're in this category, then this short report will be like a breath of fresh air to you.

The truth is: Selling is not difficult. If it appeals to people, has value and you've made it easy to purchase, people will buy from you. There are some people who will buy your product or service if they have the smallest interest in it just to satisfy their curiosity. It truly amazes me what people will buy. There are some people who are compulsive buyers. Make them just about any offer, and they'll order if they trust you. But they will only account for lout every 10,000 customers.

Selling on the Internet isn't much different than selling through the mail or television or radio. You may be really lucky and get as many as 1 in 10 visitors to your web site to order something. If you do, you will be considered one of the top marketers' on the net. The real expert marketer takes that small flame of interest that's inside your potential customer and fans it until it becomes a burning desire that can only be satisfied when they have purchased your product.

Using the following methods in this report can help your potential customers become actual customers, with very little effort on your part. Potential customers will be drawn to your products and services almost like magic.

Why People Buy A Product Or Service 
This is not something people talk about at polite social events. You're not likely to hear about it at your son's soccer or your daughter's softball game. Even your best friend will not discuss it, if they even thought about it, with you. Not one in a thousand books will ever mention it. But it is the very foundation of 'trade' and business success!

To understand what I am about to say, you have to be a student of human nature or at least you need to have some understanding of it. I'm not a psychologist. I only know what I see and observe. And I have been a life-long 'student' of human nature. It doesn't take a genius to understand this, but once understood it will change the way you do business forever!

Read this slowly. It's not as profound as it is insightful. This is what I call the "The ONE Secret That Will Help You Sell Anything to Anybody": THE ONE SECRET: "98(% of all human beings buy products or services emotionally and then justify those purchases logically." You may have heard this before. You may have even understood it. But I doubt you have fully comprehended the total significance of it.

What I'm going to do is OPEN YOUR EYES; illuminate this truth so that you'll never forget it.

Let's take it one step at a time. I'll provide examples as we move along, as well, to help drive home the more important points. Keep an open mind and try to recognize yourself in the following examples.

We Are Emotional Creatures 
We are emotional creatures. We think emotionally, act emotionally and make decisions emotionally. If you ask your spouse why they bought that new coat, they will say, "I need it!” of course. But if you ask them what their thought processes were before they made the decision to buy, it will be a surprise to them what little logic actually went into that buying decision!

Let's take as an example the decision to purchase a new automobile. Now, a large ticket item like that is obviously a very serious financial commitment and should be done with all due diligence! We'll start from the very beginning of the buying decision through post-purchase.

A Typical Buying Decision Process 
Think about the last car you bought. Do you remember what your thoughts were? Do you remember what you felt when you first started looking for a new car? Most people will begin to feel somewhere inside like they want a new car, but will express to themselves and others that they need a new car. 'Need' is a 'logical justification' and 'want' is emotional. No one wants to be thought of as 'emotional' so they use 'logical' words and expressions to describe their purchasing habits.

Just to prove that 'want' is an emotional term-did you ever see a child, who is really just a little bundle of "wants", ever say, "Mommy (or Daddy) I need a new skateboard. My skateboard would cost more to repair than a new one and I would still have an older skateboard that will probably be in need of many future repairs. I've completed an entire analysis on the cost effectiveness of a new purchase. Here's the spreadsheet. Also I completed a matrix of options and features that would be beneficial…"?

Does that sound like any child you've ever been around? Probably not. What do children usually say when they want something? "Mommy (or Daddy) I need a new skateboard! Please, Mommy, buy it for me! I really need it! All my friends have new ones, why can't P I'll take out the garbage for the next year, promise! Just get It, please!!”.

What's interesting about this one-sided exchange is that:

1) The child wants it-even if they already have a fully functioning skateboard in good repair and;

2) He (or she) is willing to do something they hate, loathe, and detest in order to get it!

When we grow up do we really change any more than the little boy or girl who wants a new skateboard? My opinion is that we don't change that much. We still want what we want. Your customer who wants to purchase some information on home gardening or to learn how to save money on taxes or a number of other "wants" is just like that little boy who wants the skateboard-he just wants it! And he'll do almost anything to get it, if he wants it bad enough.

He will justify the purchase by saying that it will 'save them money' or 'make them money', etc, but the truth is people will buy things they don't need just to satisfy a desire that can't be extinguished any other way. Adults control their emotions a little more than children (at least some do), to be socially acceptable and responsible ... but they still want what they want! And, they will do almost anything (hopefully legally) to get it.