This is because there are distinct advantages and disadvantages of this marketing material that are hard to reconcile. In this small guide, we will teach you if your marketing material was worth it and break the deadlock in comparison.

What is a 4-color business card?

This type of marketing material is basically a card that has been printed according to the process of four color printing. The colors Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and black are slowly added and combined in a print out to make very good photo-realistic images and designs. This is one of the best standard practices for color business card printing.

What are its advantages?

There are two major advantages in full color business card printing.

Print full quality images or photographs

The first and most obvious advantage of this marketing collateral is in the images or photographs. You can pretty much print any kind of color image or design element in them and it should come out great. Whatever color or hue of your design can be effectively printed out when you request for print in this color mode.

Impressive Look

In addition, since these materials have the ability to display quality images this means that your business card can have a better impact on to people when compared to others. Imagine giving away business contacts your four color business cards.

When he or she compares it with the other boring business cards printed in white paper it is immediately apparent who he or she will contact and risk the business opportunity. This is because color business cards are very memorable and it can project a certain kind of professionalism that people expect.

What are its disadvantages?

Now we go on to the disadvantages.

More expensive
Of course, as you would expect four color business card printing is no cakewalk. To get those very realistic images you will need to spend some money in business card printing. Therefore, you should think about it first if you are willing to spend the extra money in four color business card printing.

Easy alternatives

Finally, another disadvantage of is that there are other easily available and more economical alternatives to it. For example, you can try to just use one or two pure colors in your business card and go black and white for the rest. This gives you a nice color to bring life to designs, while eliminating the need to pay the high cost of four color printing. In the end for some situations, four color printing can be superfluous.

You might produce the best gadget on the market, but if other people think (perceive) that another gadget from one of your competitors is better, you’ll lose out.  Your business may be small but that doesn’t mean you’re not good at what you do; however, if you give out the wrong image, others may perceive that your business is too small to handle their work, even though this may not be the case.

Every time you write a letter or an email, talk to a customer on the phone, make a presentation to a potential new client, write an advertisement, design a brochure etc, think about how other people will see your communication.  What message does it give to them, and is that the same as the message you want to give to them?  Test your communications on other people, someone you trust from outside your business.  Ask them to read your piece and tell you what they think the main message is, so you can compare this with what you want to say.

Ensuring that those outside your company perceive it in the same way as those inside it is the first step to attracting the type of business you really want.

Of course you need to give information about what you are selling, how else is anyone going to know whether or not they want to buy it?  But when you are writing your marketing material, think carefully about the stage of the buying process the reader will be at when he/she receives it, and the level of information it is appropriate to give.

This is particularly pertinent if you have a high value product, a particularly complex product or a long selling cycle, as no product or service that falls into these categories is likely to be an impulse purchase.

In the first instance a customer probably just wants to know that your product or service broadly fits his/her needs, in order to narrow the field to a handful of suppliers from which to get more details.  So providing chapter and verse at this stage is inappropriate.

Consider also what you would like the potential customer to DO after he/she has read your marketing material.  If you would like the opportunity to demonstrate your product or discuss ways in which your service can be tailored to suit individual needs, then you need to make sure that the customer still has some questions, so that you can enter into a dialogue with him/her.

Of course if you want the customer to purchase immediately, either from an online shop or by mail order coupon, then you need to make sure that you include all the information the customer needs to make the buying decision.

It’s all about what is appropriate for the material you are writing, so think carefully before typing a single word.

SHORT SUMMARY

A Quick Guide to Marketing a Small Business: What Does the Customer REALLY Want to Know?

One of a series of short articles written by a marketing professional of over twenty years standing.  This article points out why it is not always appropriate to tell the customer everything.  312 words.

EXTRACT

When preparing marketing materials such as brochures, advertisements, websites etc, the temptation is to include as much information about your product or service as possible, to tell the customer EVERYTHING there is to know.  But is this the right approach?

Of course you need to give information about what you are selling, how else is anyone going to know whether or not they want to buy it?  But when you are writing your marketing material, think carefully about the stage of the buying process the reader will be at when he/she receives it, and the level of information it is appropriate to give.

This is particularly pertinent if you have a high value product, a particularly complex product or a long selling cycle, as no product or service that falls into these categories is likely to be an impulse purchase.

In the first instance a customer probably just wants to know that your product or service broadly fits his/her needs, in order to narrow the field to a handful of suppliers from which to get more details.  So providing chapter and verse at this stage is inappropriate.

Credit card processing rates can vary by company or by processor program. For the best competitive rates, always compare the rates with different merchant account companies.

Some companies charge no installation fee, while others require a one-time cost of a few hundred dollars, depending on the program’s complexity. You may have to pay between 15 and 25 cents per transaction, or you could opt to pay a monthly percentage for the entire amount of business generated by your credit card processing unit; this amount often falls below 2%.

One must have access to the different tools that process credit card payments from different sources. Credit Card Processing Service helps the customer or the businessman to process the credit card payment. The service is a link between the buyer and seller and makes sure that the buyer receives his due payment. The service charges a fee for this facility that is called the processing fee.

Paynet Systems’ is one of the best Credit Card Processing Service providers in the market today. And offer different types of merchant accounts for meeting the requirements of different customer types, which include Retail Merchant Account, Internet Merchant Account, Wireless Merchant Account, Mail Order Merchant Account and Home Based Merchant Account.

Select the one that is most complementing your requirements. As the name suggests the retail merchant account is for merchants using a credit card machine while the Internet merchant account is for online transactions. Wireless account is designed for wireless credit card machine and the Mail Order is the one where the merchant enters the credit card number manually in the credit card terminal. Home based business account is a specially designed package for home based businesses, which offers special rates and prices.

For maintaining a healthy credit History:

The main objective of the money healing program is to build an impeccable credit reputation. The money healing programs will help the people to retain their lifestyle and being committed to the monthly budget, paying up bills on time and preventing overboard with debts. These are some of the basic healthy credit history building blocks. Maintaining a good credit history is very much important to get financial assistance during the worst financial conditions.

For Creating a Balance between Income and Expenditure

Life can be compared to a roller coaster ride with many sudden plunging dives. Hence we should be well prepared to meet the worst economic conditions. This is where the money healing programs come into play. With the help of the money healing programs, you will be able to layout certain plans to meet the financial distresses. Money management can help you with gaining greater control over your income and expenditures thereby enabling you to balance your finances. These programs will also assist you in identifying the unwanted expenditures and hence you will be able to save a great deal of money. If the income and expenditure is not balanced, the money healing program can also get you some valuable advice on the changes that you can make in your lifestyle to develop a healthy financial condition.

Success Along With Wealth:

Hence to achieve a good financial prosperity, proper planning is essential in the areas like investment, risk management, tax planning, retirement planning and cash flow. You will be well aware of the fact that a person’s success in life greatly depends on the way he manages the money. Hence, Great achievements can be made with the help of the money healing programs along with building a sound financial background. Unlike most of the debit and credit management programs available out there which just concentrates of managing a person’s finances alone, these money healing programs provide great support to a person’s success in his/her career too.

As commercial real estate values continue to decline the SBA 7A loan offers the highest financing available in the business, at 85%.  Conventional bank loans in contrasts are normally capped at 65% loan to value.

Say you bought an office building 5 years ago for $1,000,000.  You put 30% down and started off with a $700,000 loan amount.  Now 5 years later your existing loan is ballooning/adjusting and you need to investigate what options are out there.

However, you quickly learn that your property has declined in value to $800,000, and your existing balance has only been paid down to $650,000.  Your existing loan to value is 81%…  Your existing bank wants you to pay down the balance to bring it to 65% and no other conventional lenders will consider your request.  However, the SBA 7A loan will go to 85% loan to value, so this could be a business life saving deal.

SBA 7a Loan
Because the SBA 7A loans are backed, i.e. guaranteed by the government, they are the most reliable loans, in terms of closing in the business today.  Many banks for example, are taking loans that fit their conventional guidelines and are pushing the borrowers to take an SBA loan because the bank wants the guarantee.

A year ago, this was not the case.  The SBA guarantee comes with additional expense for the bank and much more paperwork/reporting requirements for them as well.  Many banks wanted nothing to do with the SBA.

Borrowers need to keep in mind that the SBA does not lend money.  They guarantee the banks they do lend.  There is a wide level of flexibility between one bank to another, in terms of what is considered a fundable loan.  The key is knowing which sources are still funding loans.

1. The file number is indicated; this gives Dana a way to notify the credit bureau of any errors in the report, by referring to this number.
2. The information shown on this section of the report is generally self-explanatory. However, there are a few items of personal data that Dana should strive to keep secure, in particular, her social security number and date of birth. Note that a portion of the social security number has been masked out–this is a desirable option when personal information is printed out.
3. Dana should examine all items, including the credit union’s record of previous addresses and employment history, and notify the credit bureau of any errors.

Account History – the history of an account can be viewed as a summary or in detail.

Dana should review the accounts displayed in the report, including the balances reported. By clicking on the show details link, she can get a listing of the payments she has made, and the status of each payment. Late payments will be flagged with the number of days the payment was late. It is important that Dana verify the validity of the report contents, because potential creditors, landlords, or insurance companies may be able to examine this report, and make decisions based on report data. Additionally, Dana’s credit score can be affected by contents of this report. The report may contain both active credit accounts and ones that have been closed.

Inquiries Section – will show inquiries by credit providers, landlords, insurance companies and others. A review inquiry is typically done by a company you owe money to ensure your credit is still in good standing. A promotional inquiry is typically done by a company who is evaluating your report for future credit – they may be planning to send you a promotional credit offer or other service.

Another type of inquiry that may appear on the report is an internal inquiry, initiated by Dana herself. If she finds an error on the report and notifies the credit bureau, her action will appear as an internal inquiry.

Public Records Information
Although not illustrated in the credit bureau report for Dana Thomas, a credit report may contain information from the court system that a potential creditor might need to know. For example, a bankruptcy, lien, judgment or failure to make child support payments could be reported, or an account that has been turned over to a collection agency.

When Banking started of for Independent India, you had Nationalized and regional banks handling the country’s finances. As the years progressed you had more branches opening up. The 80s and 90s saw a whole lot of Global Banks like Standard Chartered, Barclays, Grindlays opening their banks up in India. Still banking didn’t seem to be convenient. The modus of transaction was pretty gloomy and boring with people having to wait their turns to visit the teller’s counter to complete their transactions. With technology coupled with the internet coming into play banking solutions have become more custom made for the average consumer. Online Banking ensures that a person is tuned completely with his finances at any given point from any part of the world. Ditto for mobile banking. The last couple of decades also saw numerous Indians migrate abroad on a bid to pursue their lives and carrier. Getting monetary transactions wasn’t easy then. Postal services and courier faux passes weren’t that convincing. Now with banks offering many solutions NRI Banking has also been made easier.

Various facilities for NRI Banking consist of NRI Savings account, NRI Term Deposits and provision to remit money to India. Mobile Banking and Online Banking also offer Mobile bill payment and online bill payments respectively. Typical business banking ensures commercial as well as retail banking services. In Commercial Banking, various corporate entities and major industrial houses are liable to be offered loans to proceed with their business and financial commitments. This kind of banking is generally profitable as it includes a large amount of money. Incase of retail banking services which is basically mass marketing business transactions, direct transaction with individuals which includes loans, various accounts and deposits, and locker facilities banks look to improve their consumer base. Establishing good customer relationship strengthens your financial base as with every major deal that you incorporate via your customers adds to your treasury. As of now the Retail section is undergoing a strain courtesy the recession. The failure to repay debts has seen the fall of global financial houses. So it is very important that a thorough examination is done to ensure know your customer (KYC) norms prior to issuing major loans.

Banks also provide special facilities to their HNI (High net individual) worth customers. These people generally have a huge amount invested with the financial house and indulge in hefty transactions. They are provided with world class banking facilities termed as Priority Banking and Premier Banking, both words justifying their meaning. Savings account for the average investor has also been made easier where you no longer need a referral to open an account or minimum balance to save in your account (* condition applies in both cases). Currently the major Global players in the Indian Finance Sector include Standard and Chartered, HSBC and Barclays. Banks of Indian origin that have gradually made waves include ICICI, HDFC, SBI and Axis Bank. All in all modern day banking has every element that ensures Wealth Management Services for the longer run.

Forex scalping is not about making deals for the sake of making deals. This is a quick lesson that every forex trader needs to quickly learn whether they are into forex scalping or not. In order to be a successful forex scalper you need to have a keen sense of discipline and consider one of the most crucial pieces of information that pertains to the forex market itself.

This crucial piece of information is the fact that the forex market itself spends about 60-80% of its time in a consolidation mode. When it is in this stage, there is little to no movement and hours and hours can pass by with no changes taking place. When the forex scalper fully understands this process, they will better be able to take advantage of situations that can produce a significant profit.

In addition to being disciplined, you are also going to have to have a keen sense of recognition. This is of particular importance in scalping because the window of opportunity that you have to take advantage of your types of trades is much less significant than a long term trader. Once you can recognize key resistance and support levels, you can make use of previous high and low data that you have in front of you.

Spotting these trends allows a forex scalper to take advantage of the market and sell the rallies and buy the dips. Most of these situations are going to occur when the pip range is rather large, about 20-40 pips, and spotting these consolidation channels will allow the trader to buy short at the ceiling and long at the floor.

If you do not have the time to monitor the forex market for opportunities, you can use a forex trading software to trade for you. In fact, most of the popular automated forex systems in the market now are using forex scalping method. These forex autopilot system are mainly using customized expert advisor in Metatrader trading platform and generate forex signal.

We are not asking anyone to switch from being a long term style trader to a forex scalper, what we are saying is that being well rounded can only lead to more success. Being better able to utilize your time and evaluate opportunities is only going to lead to more profit for any trader. Learning the ins and outs of forex scalping should be a resource that is in every forex trader’s toolbox.