Why You Should Move to Office 365 Now?

OFFICE 365: AN INTRODUCTION

Office 365 is basically a subscription based online office software, developed by Microsoft. It is exactly the same as Microsoft Office, besides the fact that it is hosted in the cloud. This suite of Microsoft software contains three main components- Exchange Online, Lync Online, and SharePoint Online.

Microsoft Office 365 is an always-available collaboration solution that enables enterprises to simplify their view of IT and to get free from the burden of managing hardware and software updates to companies that host those servers and other resources in internet-accessible datacenters.

OFFICE 365: SHOULD YOU MOVE IN? WHY?

A move to Office 365 is a big recommendation these days by IT experts as it delivers a variety of benefits over the typical Microsoft Office, as mentioned below:

Greater Mobility

The first and the foremost benefit that you get by moving to the cloud-based Office 365 is greater mobility. Office 365 can make files and applications available to users on almost any machine with an Internet connection. With Office on Demand, users can easily log in and use a streaming version of their reliable apps, wherever they may be. Office on Demand ends when your session ends, and does not count against the number of licenses that come with your package of choice.

Greater Security

Another major advantage of adopting Office 365 is that it is relatively a secure platform. It is regularly audited to make sure the environment is secure and safe. Also, anti-virus and anti-malware on the platform is always kept up-to-date, ensuring that there are no concerns for viruses and malware to infect your environments. Not only this, even the physical access to the datacenters where any critical information is present is strictly controlled, so your data physically remains safe.

Greater Reliability

Remember Microsoft Office 365 financially backs their 99.9% uptime guarantee; however, they have maintained a quarterly global uptime of 99.98%. So you can rest assured that in case of any downtime in your work, Microsoft will pay you.

Note that the maximum you will be refunded is the charge for your business in a particular month, but when you consider that Microsoft would also be reimbursing money for all of the other Office 365 users, they have set themselves a big incentive to meet their service level agreement.

Diminished Costs

Microsoft Office 365 is a subscription service billed on a flexible, per-user per-month subscription with different plans to meet your needs, thereby, enabling your business to scale-up or scale-down the service on demand.

While for small to mid-sized businesses, access ranges from $12.50 to $15.00 per month per user, for larger businesses there's the Enterprise version with no fee limit with regard to a set number of total users.

Quick Disaster Recovery

With Office 365, your emails in Exchange and your files in SharePoint are always available. So no matter if your offices are even met with a flood or fire, your employees can easily access your data as long as they have an Internet connection.

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E-accounting Services - Online Accounting Services

Outsourcing Bookkeeping  Services  which provides outsourcing book keeping,  accounting , financing  services  but is an outsourcing business, is possible when it is not connected to internet?

Outsourcing Business without e-communication is it possible! Here Outsourcing bookkeeping  Services  has try to explain some ting about e-accounting  services . Every body knows about accounting but what is an e-accounting is still confusion for people.

It was a time when accounting was additional of book keeping done in vast ledgers and was the purview of select a small number of. It's not so anymore. Accounting is much more extensively conventional as a business purpose and universal people also look for the accounting particulars of the firms they are linked with. Also lot more clearness is necessary now. Book Keeping in line with the development of IT and other technology, the accounting is also now base on internet and has taken wide stride. Online  accounting   services , view as merely new only a few years ago are now flattering the run away business.

As such accounting manufacturing as been little slows to adopt the newer technology and has not left fully its love for the pen and pencil work.

Outsourcing bookkeeping services has seen new trend of outsourcing its work now. All these have compulsory the manufacturing to adopt the Online Accounting. The internets as well as other technologies are used now to build more efficient book keeping systems. Also it's becoming more cost efficient for larger firms to outsource the work. Outsourcing is very much easier with work being delivered online. It's much more cost effectual as well as fast also.

The shift from the do where clients paid the accounting firms as per the billable hours to a set fee based scheme is forcing the accounting firms to bring well-organized work in cost effectual manner. This means that they can not any longer cover their inefficient work by merely putting in more time into the projects. This has preferential the Online accounting practices much. Worth bill has forced accounting professionals to become well-organized.

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Digital Marketing

Why digital marketing? Because if you truly want to better your life and work from anywhere, you would seriously consider digital marketing.

Some of you may be saying, "What in the world is digital marketing?". Well, digital marketing is a marketing to users of electronic devices. These consist of computers, tablets, smartphones, cellphones, digital billboards, and game consoles. Through these devices, a marketer is able to connect with their customer and build a long-term, trusting relationship.

Wait a second, isn't that the same as Internet Marketing? Not quite, digital marketing also involves marketing to devices not connected to the internet, such as television and cellphones.

What is really cool though, is either one can become a work from home venture or work from anywhere business! How many of you are tired of punching the old time clock.

Although I have a good job and make a pretty good income, it is still a "job". I can't show up whenever I want and take days off whenever I want. I am still tied to a brick and mortar office.

Digital marketing is the wave of the future. I shouldn't actually even say wave, because if you want to work from home, it is the future.

The great thing about digital or online marketing is, you can work your own schedule, you don't have to talk to anyone if you want, you don't have to cold call, and you don't have to face-to-face sell anything. How awesome is that!

Any work from home business, other than digital marketing or online marketing will typically include one or more of the above mentioned sales methods. They may cost you friendships or family relationships.

Our economy is not the best right now and instead of having both parents working or one person working two jobs, home based is becoming the business of choice for more and more families and individuals.

Just sitting at a computer and making money is not all that easy. Prepare yourself for a learning curve and some frustration. It is typically not a get rich quick business. As I stated earlier, digital marketing is about building trust and also "branding" your product business name.

I have found that many of the issues involved with starting your business can be resolved by hiring a mentor or coach. Why not learn from someone who has been there, done that.

Many beginners decide to go it on their own when starting. This is fine if you are a determined, self-disciplined person, but if you really want to get ahead and not discouraged, I suggest you go the coaching route.

To Your Success,

Greg Gruba

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Business Proposal Writing: How to Write An Abstract

If you're new to proposal writing, you need to learn how to write the Abstract section for your Business Proposal. The purpose of the Abstract is to summarize what you propose to do and give a clear understanding of the project's significance and your potential contribution to the solution in question. This helps you distill the essence of the bid into a summary that the reviewers can use to assess your application.

Three Guidelines for Writing Abstracts

1. Clearly define the outputs (deliverables) that can be expected from the implementation of your solution. This is to help the proposal reviewers who will summarize your Business Proposals for their review panel.
2. If you write a quality abstract, which clearly outline how you intend to resolve the key issues as identified in the Request For Proposal. This makes your reviewer's job easier as they can see at a glance what you propose to do and will possibly cut and paste your abstract into their reports.
3. If the abstract is poorly written, with the core objectives buried deep in the document, then you make the reviewer's job more difficult, which in turn may reduce your chances of winning the bid and receiving funding.

Four More Tips For Writing Abstracts

1. Don't write the abstract until you have completed the entire proposal.
2. The abstract should be between 250 and 500 words.
3. Write at least one sentence for each problem, objectives, and methods
4. Use subheadings to divide the paper into logical groupings.

As the Abstract is often the last part of the Business Proposal to be written, but the first part to be read, make sure you to focus your energies here.

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Repair Your XBox 360 Hard Drive

If you have a faulty  Hard  drive then from this article, you can learn how to  repair  your XBox 360  Hard  drive. All you need do is to follow these steps.

1. Take out the  hard   disk  drive cover from the console. This will give you access to the old XBox 360 drive. Most  hard   disk  drive covers can be removed easily.

2. Remove the drive case from the XBox 360. Make sure you do this quickly and straight.

3. Detach the drive from the case using a screwdriver. After removing all the screws from the hard drive, remove the old drive. Make sure you keep the screws in a small tray to prevent them from getting lost.

4. Put the new drive into the case using the torx screwdriver. Insert the new hard drive into the XBox case with much care, make sure that you put it in a straight manner. This is because, if any pins are bent, the drive will become unusable.

Assuming the problem with the old drive was not as a result of physical damage, the old drive could be used as a an auxiliary.

5. Put back the console cover and switch it back on.

I hope that these few tips will help you solve the Hard Drive problems on your XBox 360 console. But in cases where it does not help, do not panic just get an XBox 360 repair guide. It contains guide lines that would help you fix the problem permanently.

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HR Guide to Moving Office

An office relocation is a key area in which businesses can re-energise their staff and position themselves better for the future. But for this to happen it is important that companies don't score "own goals" by neglecting the needs and feelings of their staff.

This Guide looks at the positive impact that HR can play to achieve a smooth and happy office move. It looks at 7 key areas which HR needs to address and offers practical solutions to delivering the successful office move that the business expects.

Planning & Preparation

An office move is a major project and needs to be planned properly. There are so many things to consider when you move office - which is why, for many, moving office is ranked as one of life's most stressful events! But it doesn't have to be this way - because (like any process) it can be broken down into a series of simple tasks and checks.

The intelligent use of your project planning documents, spreadsheets and office relocation checklists will not only help you plan your relocation, but also act as your road map to carry out the many tasks involved with the project. They should include all of the tasks that need to be completed (and the steps leading up to them), the individuals, teams & companies responsible

Planning and preparation really are central to a successful office move - so remember the age old truism that "if you fail to prepare, you may well be preparing to fail."

Change Management

Moving office should be an exciting time for all. It's an opportunity to affect positive change management, improvement in business performance, increased morale & momentum. But for some people change can be unsettling and this can certainly be the case with a relocation where some staff might feel resistant to change. With this in mind, a move will require businesses to fully utilize their change management skills. The key here is to anticipate the likely issues before they are raised as well as encourage open dialogue well in advance of moving. Providing staff with a clear message of the reasons behind the move (and the benefits it will bring) will help get your employees on board with what you are wanting to achieve.

Remember that, at the same time as this whole process is going on, your company has to continue to run its business and focus on its existing workload and commitments. You will want to ensure that distractions are kept to a minimum and that any "negative vibes" surrounding your move are dealt with before they get out of hand.

Communication - often and openly

Communication is vital - and your staff will appreciate being updated early on the rationale behind moving and then regularly updated as the moving office process plays out.

Whilst many of your staff will be excited by the prospect of a new office, there may be some people who have concerns that need addressing. They may be over job security, fear of redundancy or seemingly trivial issues like parking space allocations, the location of their workspace in the new office space (who sits where and who get desks by the window can become a contentious issue!) or how big the kitchen facilities in the new office space will be.

It is well worth your Senior Management Team getting together in advance of any staff briefing to consider any potential issues with the office move and plan how you plan to address them with a unified voice.

So - communication is the key. There will be some people, both internal and external, who will need to be consulted for their input to the planning process; there will be others who need to be informed; and everyone needs to be regularly updated to keep their interest and motivation levels high. If you keep the lines of communication open to all interested parties, internal and external, your office move will have a much greater chance of success.

Identify & Promote the Positives

A key part of the office relocation planning process is to think about the benefits that the office move will have for your staff. Perhaps your new office will have better facilities. It may be that your new office space is going to allow you to upgrade your systems which will improve your work processes. Or it may just be that your new office is nearer to clients, restaurants, bars, sandwich shops, shopping, offers better parking, is nearer to train stations and/or bus stops. Whatever the advantages of your new office space it is important that these are identified and communicated.

Involve your Staff

Staff involvement when moving office is an important part of achieving a successful relocation. It's a fact of life that people that feel involved and engaged in a process will buy in to it more than when they feel neglected or discluded. Consider having a representative from each department on an internal "office relocation team" and hold regular meetings where you can involve them in each stage of the office move. A key operational benefit of doing this is that they can then not only act as "champions" for their department but also identify any issues pertaining to their area of expertise prior to the office move - and then provide valuable input into the solutions.

Address Training Needs

In the course of an office move, it is highly likely that some of the equipment or working practices may be new to your staff. Do not neglect the need to address. Training on any new systems (IT or Telecoms) is often a key area that needs to be planned for.

Ask for Feedback after the Office Move

A successful office move will often deliver a surge in business performance over the first few months after an office move. This is great news - but needs to be maintained. A key area to help deliver this improvement in morale and momentum is to ask for staff feedback. The feedback you receive will enable you to further reinforce the positives of the office move, address any issues and build on the successes that the move has brought to the business.

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Outsourcing Accounting Services

Outsourcing accounting services is very famous and acceptable practice. As a business owner, you know that one of the most important aspects of running a successful business is managing your accounting records well. All successful business owners understand the significance of a proper accounting system and that's why they ensure to employ the most efficient accounting team in their organization. Taking the help of accounting outsourcing services from firms that have a strong accounting background to support the financial issues of your firm is indeed a great thing to do.

The process of accounting outsourcing is very simple and it can save your lots of time. Here in India, there are many accounting outsourcing companies that provides accounting outsourcing services to various businesses. The size and the nature of the business do not matter to the organization from whom you would be taking the help for your accountancy department, but you must be careful while choosing a particular firm. Since there are many firms in the market, you need to be careful and selective while banking upon a particular firm. This is mainly because the nature and the kind of each business vary from the other. Therefore, it is important to hire the services of a firm who understands the nature of your business and whose people can take your business to the right place.

Outsourcing accounting services would range from accounting reconciliation, accounts receivable and payable accounting, payroll administration, inventory reconciliation, budgeting. The company would usually hire another company to do some or all of these things. By doing so, it gives the responsibility of measuring, communicating and interpreting the company's finances to another company. This has proven to be cost effective to most companies. In effect, they will be hiring fewer employees and they would not have to maintain a lot of office equipment and supplies. They also acquire the expertise the company offering the outsourcing accounting services.

However, before getting associated with any accounting outsourcing firm, you have to do a recent market research. For this purpose, you can use the medium of internet, where all leading outsourcing firms are available with their websites. These websites display each and every detail about their firm and work mechanism. Secondly, you can also refer to the good business consultancies that are actively associated with all competent and reliable vendors. This kind of research will allow you to come up with an intelligent choice, so that you can avoid all problematic issues of misuse of information or identity threat.

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Hard Drive Repair Using Free Software

Contrary to popular belief, if a computer does not boot due to hard drive corruption all data is not lost and the hard drive may even be repairable. There are 2 types of hard drive damage. One is fixable by you and the other requires a professional data recovery facility. Physical Drive Damage - Physical damage is the worst. Data recovery can only be done by professionals and can cost up to $1,500 (sometimes higher). Physical damage usually consists of bad actuator arms, damaged platters or fried controller cards. Non-Physical Drive Damage - Non-Physical damage (NPD) is what we're going to be discussing in this article. NPD occurs when the operating system's file system (fat or ntfs) gets corrupted due to an improper shutdown (for example). While this damage is may seem really bad (if it's preventing you from booting your PC), it's easily fixable with some software that's already including in any Windows PC and a USB external hard drive enclosure. Here are a list of items that you'll need to follow the instructions below: Another working computer with Windows XP, Vista or Windows 7 Find out what kind of hard drive you have. There are 2 types. SATA (small flat connector) and PATA (a.k.a IDE) which has a connector with about 30 pins. An external USB hard drive enclosure with a connector for the type of drive you're going to be connecting to it (you can grab one of these at BestBuy for about $50 USD). Please follow the steps below to perform a non-physical repair (software repair) on a non-bootable hard drive. 1. Take the drive out of the computer. 2. Connect the hard drive to the connector on the USB enclosure. 3. Connect a USB cable from the enclosure to the computer that's working. 4. Power on the USB enclosure. 5. An external drive will probably load in your list of available hard drives. You can see this list by opening "My Computer" or "Computer". Take note of the drive letter for the external hard drive. 6. Now it's time to load a program called CHKDSK (Check Disk). 7. Click Start (if you're on Windows XP) or click the Windows globe (on the bottom left for Vista and Windows 7). 8. On Windows XP click RUN, then type CMD. On Windows Vista and 7 type CMD where it says "Search Programs and Files". This will open a black command prompt window. 9. In the command prompt type chkdsk "the drive letter you want to check": /r and press enter. So here is an example chkdsk g: /r then press the enter key. 10. This process can take hours. I've had a few that took days. 11. If this command completes successfully your drive should be repaired enough for you to recover the data from it and you might actually be able to boot from it again. A word of warning. If your drive ever has any errors on it (bad sectors) it's reached the end of it's life and should be replaced ASAP. You'll be able to see this in the report provided to by the chkdsk command at the end of it's scan.

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Accounting Services

There is far more to accounting than filing income taxes. Proper use of accounting allows your business to create and use many useful tools to help your company grow and to understand how and where improvements can be made in your business to maximize growth and profits while reducing expenses and losses.

To most large businesses, this is old news, but many small businesses remain small and struggle because they are not aware of just how useful accounting is and how important it is to have an accountant to track every aspect of your business.

Most business owners think of accounting as just recording the income and expenses for their taxes, and only use an accountant at the end of the year for filing the income tax statement. You know, that point when you gather up all of your receipts and place them in an old shoebox and drop them off with the CPA. Well, there is far more to accounting than filing income taxes.

By recording all of your business activity from income and expenses to man hours, pay rates, production, and inventory or wastage, an accountant can create reports that help you track and understand the growth or reasons for lack of growth of your business.

Some basic reports that are useful are productivity reports, balance sheets, cash flow analysis, and profits and losses reports.

Profit and loss reports analyze the costs of production against the amount of profit made. This takes into account the income, labor, materials, wastage and overhead costs associated with a particular part of your income. These reports show you where you can reduce overhead costs and labor or if you need to increase the price of the product or service analyzed to meet your desired profit margins.

Cash flow analysis reports examine the amount of income and expense your business has overall, and more directly shows how and when your income comes in and your expenses go out. This is crucial to your business.

When your expenses flow out before your money comes in, it creates problems making payroll, inventory purchases, or overhead costs. The cash flow analysis report can show you when to order inventory or adjust payments and income schedules to ensure that you always have the available funds to operate your business.

Balance sheets record your assets, liabilities, and equity or Net Worth. While these reports show when things are out of balance and help locate missing funds, they are also used to gain an overall prospective of your business performance. In understanding where your company sits, you can make more informed decisions about your company growth, expansion, advertising budget, and ability or need to hire new employees or cut back on your labor force.

Productivity reports can be used to show rate of production, costs of production, and overall performance of where your company is performing daily operations. By comparing reports of product or service production with wastage and labor or even each individual labor and your schedule of man hours used, you can determine many points of improvement in your company productivity. Productivity reports help to determine scheduling, staffing, when to order materials, how long it takes to fill orders, where you can reduce wasted man hours and materials or just use a less expensive employee.

As you should see and understand by now, these reports are crucial to the growth of any company and make the difference between staying a small struggling business or growing or just stabilizing your small business with higher profits and less complications.

These reports are all part of accounting services that an accountant can generate for your company through daily accounting services and recording all activities of your business. Accounting reports can be generated daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and so on. When you start using these reports, you will find different trends by comparing daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly reports that will also help your business grow and profit.

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Computer Hard Drives and Repair

The hard drive of your computer is an important component because you use it to store long-term data. It uses magnetic surfaces on which the data is stored digitally. In its early years the media was removable from the actual drive like the floppy drive and others but with time the drive and the media (the actual keeper of information) became one whole body. The writing and reading functions in the hard drive are performed by the head which is a small electro-magnet assembly. It is able to reach every sector of a disk in which the data is stored. There are many disks laid in a spindle which is used for a rapid rotation enabling the head to read and write data quickly. The rotation speed of the hard drive is one of its main characterizations. There are three interfaces on a hard drive which you will use to install it on your system. The first is the IDE connector. It is used for data transfer from and to the drive. Usually there is a red line which will tell you on what direction you should point the cable. The red line should always be on the side of the power connector. In the new hard drives you will find impossible to make mistake because you will be limited by a small fang element. The power connector is what connects the hard drive to the power supply unit. The jumper block is the last interface you will use. It is made to set the drive working in a proper manner concerning the place on the cable in which it is set. Usually if you install it on the end of the cable the jumper should be set to master and in the other situation - to slave. There is also a cable select function but it may not work properly with some motherboards and that's why it is best for it to be set manually. After proper installation of a hard drive you should check if the BIOS is properly finding it. This is done with the BIOS setup in which you could enter by pressing a special key seconds after you start your computer. This usually is the place where the repair work begins. If you can't detect the hard drive manually and you ensure that the installation is made good you should consider a possible hardware problem. Try listening for noise from the hard drive. The spinning causes a constant low noise which is usually detectable if you listen carefully. This will tell you if the drive is actually running or not. If there is a scratching sound you should immediately power down the system and take your drive for repair from a professional because it is most likely the damage to be mechanical. The inside corpus of the hard drive is dust and air free and that's why you should never try to open it yourself if you are not a specialist. If your hard drive is permanently damaged there is a small chance for recovering data. This is done by removing the media from the drive and putting it on a special drive for data recovering but if there is physical damage on the platter the data is most likely beyond recovering. That's why you should always put important data into more than one place. If you have many partitions putting the data on the other one will not help if they all are on one hard drive. Always take seriously the way you store and use the data in your hard drive. Now I will provide some information for people who are more interested in hard drive repairing. The first thing is one MS-DOS command called debug. It will let you operate in a very direct way using machine code. Understanding this code is a very important part of this procedure. For example you could enter D40:0 and this will give you a few lines of information. The first will tell you all the ports which are present in your computer. Of course you will see it only if you know the codes like F8 03 which is COM1 port, F8 02 - COM2 and so on. Use the command "q" to exit the shell. Other useful information that you should know is why some software supports are not possible. For example Windows 95 does not support hard drives over 32 GB. It is designed that way because there was no need for that kind of support when it was created. It's the same with file systems - you can't use FAT16 if the size of the partition is over 4 GB. You should always think about what is supported because this is your final limit. The locking of the hard drive is another interesting issue. It is done by the simple commands lock and unlock. For example if you want to lock the partition with letter C you should type lock c: and unlock c: to unlock it. You may encounter problems if the hard drive is locked when you try installing software, operation system or perform any other activity that requires special writing access. I will finish this article with information about recovering loss, missing or deleted files from the hard drive. This is very important to know because it could save you a crucial data. First ensure that the files have really been deleted. Try finding them on all drives because sometimes it is possible that they have simply been moved. Check if you have a backup of the file. If you have one it will be easier to restore from it. Many operation systems have recycle bin or trash and if you mistakenly delete a file you may find it there too. If you can't recover the file like this and if it really is deleted you should know that only the link in the file system has been deleted. Now the most important thing is not to write any more data on that drive because the file you are trying to recover is marked as free space and it may be deleted completely if you write data over it. To restore lost data use freeware software like Undelete Plus or purchase a better one if you feel the need. This also is a good time to consider help from a specialist.

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5 Smart Tips To Help You Pick The Right Office Movers

There are so many things that can wrong with an office move, or at least cause the move project manager a lot of extra time, extra stress, and extra work.

Fortunately, there are steps you can take to reduce the negative effects of a looming office move and increase your chances that it will go off smoothly. Early planning is one of them - the earlier you start, the more time you'll have to be thorough, and the more thorough you are, the better organized your move will be.

Another key element of your office relocation is the quality and caliber of the moving company you choose. Their skill, knowledge, expertise, and professionalism (or lack of any of these) can frequently make the difference between a successful move and one that turns out to be a nightmare.

If you're looking to hire office movers in the near future, these tips can help you pick the best company for your needs:

One: Don't be overly influenced by price.

Your budget is important, certainly, but in some cases the cheapest mover isn't necessarily the best mover. A low budget company that shows up four hours late and breaks three pieces of furniture isn't going to do you any favors, and the $200 you saved hiring them will start to seem like chump change the minute the cheap guys start causing you problems.

Two: Ask around for references.

This is where social media can really come in handy. Post a question to your friends and colleagues asking them to suggest companies to avoid or companies to check out. If you're already thinking about a particular moving company, ask if anyone else has used them.

Three: Ask the office movers plenty of questions.

Before you sign on the dotted line, ask questions about the company's licensing, insurance, years of experience, how they hire crew members, how they develop quotes, how they resolve problems, etc. The answers - or lack of them - will help you get a better feel for the overall quality of the company you're considering.

Four: Research online.

Once you have narrowed down your list, hop online and check out the companies' reviews on Google or Yelp, their Better Business Bureau standing, and so forth. You might also ask the moving company for a list of references, or see if they have a list of their past customers on their website. Call the office managers of a few of those companies and see if they're willing to share their experiences with you.

Five: Ask the management of both your current building and the building you're moving into for suggestions.

In many cases, the property management company has "seen it all" over the years: Tenants who've had successful moves, and tenants who've had bad moves. They may have some surprising insights about who you should call for a quote and who you should avoid. If nothing else, the property manager may at least be able to tell you which moving company names they see the most frequently.

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Hard Disk Repair Tips

Hard drives work like the human body in the sense that if we don't keep them properly maintained, we will need hard disk repair. It's also similar in that we have a tendency to not worry about small problems until things completely stop working because of a serious issue. Before a hard drive crash we don't think about the measures for hard drive repair and why backups are a superb choice. Since data recovery techniques are not easy tasks and frequently must be handled by trained professionals and computer proficient people, it often remains "out of sight, out of mind". Fortunately, despite the technical nature of a hard disk, damage can be quite predictable.

Hard Drive Crash Warning Signs

Understanding the early signs of hard drive failure is key to being ready for a crash. It doesn't mean that these signs will automatically lead to hard disk crash and a need for data recovery, but it will surely help. The always infamous "blue screen of death" (BSOD) in Windows systems, is a key indicator, as it can predict crashes better than most signals. Your BIOS' S.M.A.R.T. system can also alert you to signs of a failed hard disk.

Other key physical failure signs include abnormal clicking, scratching or crushing noises. If you observe any of these, shut down your system immediately. In this case, it's likely your hard drive might be having a mechanical issue and needs data recovery. This sound is the sound of your drive heads, which may be scraping the platters. The more your drive heads damage the platters, the more critical data may be lost.

Are You Backed Up?

When hard disk damages occur, professional hard disk repair is the best possible option to enable your hard drive to recover its data. This hard disk repair is best performed by professionally trained people. Understand that it is possible that 100% of the data cannot be retrieved. The most prominent reason for this is the permanent damage to the hard drive. This is why backing up your data on a daily or at least weekly basis is really the only way to be certain about your data protection.

Platters in your hard drive spin at thousands of RPM. Small elements like dust particles and unnecessary movements can create irretrievable harm by damaging platters. When the data is backed up, it reduces the probability of data loss due to hard disk failure. The frequency of backup should depend upon the magnitude and significance of data.

Put The Drive Down... Slowly

Avoid opening the cover of a damaged hard drive with the intent to repair. Technologies have changed: hard disk drives are completely susceptible to damage from minor dust particles, gases and atmospheric elements. This is not a time to be a mechanical hero.

Keep It In Shape

Taking care of your drive through disk checks and defragmentation is a proactive way to ensure its future. But, be aware that failure is inevitable, and one day you may have to consider professional hard disk repair.

Searching for hdd recovery, go to Digital Hospital Singapore a website that focus on hard disk repair singapore. A marketing project for hdd recovery & raid drive recovery.

Office Relocation Solutions

Relocating or moving your office can be a very large and intricate move for any company. Offices not only have very expensive fragile items such as computers, printers, phones, fax machine, and copiers, but they also contain a lot of large bulk items that can be troublesome to move if you are not a professional mover. Moving a large office is very different from moving a home. There are much more things to consider during the move and before the move that you should be aware of. Hiring a company that plans everything in great detail before the move even occurs will end up saving you time and money, and it will protect your office furniture and electronics.

The most important thing to consider is time. Because you are moving an office, you will need to put some of your work on hold until certain areas of the office are moved. Making sure you have a swift moving process that is well organized is key so that you have the least amount of down time during the move itself. This is especially true if the move is across the country. A professional company who specializes in moving offices and corporate companies will make up timelines before the move ever begins to show you how long certain stages of the move will take, so you can plan out the downtime that will occur.

Another very important aspect of moving an office is having the specific floor plans labeled out to where everything goes. When you move a large amount of things into a office building, most of the items will look very similar, like computers, desks, office chairs, and other things you would typically find in an office. Choosing a moving company that will color code everything to where it goes on each floor, and have the floor plans of the office building with everything labeled to where it exactly goes will not only make sure everything will be in the right place after the move, but also ensures for a time efficient move.

Moving a large office takes professionals that know exactly what they are doing. You need a licensed and insured mover to ensure safety of people involved, and the safety of your office equipment. Organization is the biggest stress during an office move, because things have to go exactly where they belong. Even if something does get misplaced during the move, a professional company will be there to make sure everything is set right.

Seeking for office movers singapore, come to dougleschan.com a website that focus on mover service. A best project for office movers singapore & mover service.

Top 5 Franchise Business in Singapore

Franchising and Licensing Association (Singapore)

Franchising and Licensing Association (Singapore), also known as FLA (Singapore), one of the founding members of the World Franchise Council, was established in 1993 with the mission to nurture and develop Singapore's franchising industry.

An essential component of Singapore’s knowledge-based economy, FLA (Singapore) promotes and facilitates the use of franchising, licensing and branding as a growth strategy for Singapore enterprises, thus contributing to turning Singapore as a regional franchise and license hub.

Through its partnership with Singapore government agencies and international franchise and license bodies, FLA (Singapore) also assists its members in their international development programmes.

With a 130-company strong membership base and growing, representing more than 150 exciting brands, FLA (Singapore) is led and managed by a dedicated team of advisors, committee members and staff with only one objective in mind – turning Singapore-based companies franchising and licensing dreams and ambitions into reality.

URL: http://www.flasingapore.org/

Astreem

At Astreem, we offer many an opportunity for potential franchisees to discover their ideal franchise match. We guide them through the franchise discovery journey and help them make an educated decision with their business investment choices. Through our industry specific expertise and insights, it has a proven track record of offering the right franchise opportunities Singapore for people looking at investing in a business. We offer franchises in the verticals listed below:

• Education
• Food &beverage
• Retail
• Services

URL: http://www.astreem.com/franchise-opportunities/

Boss.com.sg

Thinking of owning a franchise in Singapore? If so, you will be glad to know that there are various advantages to operating a business of this type rather than starting from scratch. As a matter of fact, the option of owning one is appealing to more and more new and old business owners due to the countless advantages. For one thing, franchises are already established. The operating techniques, brand and ideas already work and have been tested on the public. In other words, these just need to be implemented on a new location for every new franchise owner. There is no guesswork involved. The moment you decide to buy a franchise, you can count on the fact that customers will come.

What To Look For When Buying A Franchise

To succeed as an entrepreneur, enjoying and loving the work you do is the most important key to finding the right one. With more and more franchise business in Singapore available these days, it is not going to be hard to find something you will end up loving. Keep in mind that a business is something you will be spending a lot of time with, so finding something that you are interested in for a long time is the most important factor in the longevity of your business.

Ask yourself what you love. Is it clothing, food, business services or even technological gadgets? Find a successful ongoing and existing business franchise that provides food or services in line with what you personally love. It makes no sense to dive into something that is far from your own interests. After all, you are going to be the owner and operator of this franchise meaning! Some ideas you might want to try out include: Coffee shops, Cell phone or tablet service centers, Shoe repair, Snack bars, Restaurants, Spas or massage services, Business services, Courier services, Imported goods stores, Clothing stores, Shoe stores, Athletic apparel, Fast food centers, Travel agency, Website or internet providers, Convenience stores and etc.

As you can see, the list of the variety of franchise opportunities in Singapore goes on. You might also want to find what the most successful companies in your area happen to be and if it is in line with what you love this is your safest bet. After all, every entrepreneur’s goal is to be successful. Increasing your chances of success by knowing what to look for is the key to achieving your goals of success.

When you truly check to see whether or not it will be to your advantage or not, the facts say that there are more than a few reasons to buy a franchise for sale. The fact is that starting a new business with a new brand is not exactly a simple process. When you have all the assistance you need, which is what happens when you takeover an established business; it cuts your time and effort in half. It also doubles your chances of success. Using it to meet your objectives of beginning a brand new business is a great way to create more chances of success for yourself.

URL: http://www.boss.com.sg/franchise-for-sale/

Snap Print Singapore Franchise

Snap Print Singapore Franchise, since 2008, is the only franchise opportunity in Singapore where franchisees (franchise partners) are being trained thoroughly in various aspects of Marketing, Advertising & Printing to participate in this exciting business. 

Snap Print is awarded Franchise Star Achiever of the Year 2012/2013 by Franchise & Licensing Association of Singapore.

We understand it’s a big decision to set-up your own business/ franchise. Thus, when you join Snap Print, you're opening the door to a lifetime of new opportunities, exciting challenges and success. 

The satisfaction of owning and running your own business & returns are definitely worth your effort. Finally you'll:

• be in charge of Your own destiny and build Your own business
  
• manage Your own time and enjoy the benefits of financial freedom
  
• make & keep the money & profits You deserve

With a full time staff strength of more than 85 workers in Singapore, equipped with the latest productions facilities, Snap Print is Your Best Partner in this growing business of Marketing, Advertising & Printing Industries.

URL: http://franchise.snap-print.com/

franchiseek.com

Singapore is the number 1 country in the world for ‘Trading across Borders’. It is known for its open market, open port, and equal treatment of foreign investors. We will help you seek the best franchise in Singapore.

The franchising industry in Singapore contributes over S$8 billion to the economy each year.

There are over 500 different types of franchises in Singapore.

Growing franchise sectors include: food, education, training, retail, business services and healthcare.

URL: http://www.franchiseek.com/singapore

Mint Condition Franchising Franchise Review

Commercial cleaning is a business, which is involved in cleaning services of homes, commercial buildings, offices and many other places. A cleaning business is an option, which is always a safe one even at the time of recession. This Mint Condition Franchising Inc. Franchise Review will help you decide whether it is the right opportunity for you.

Overview: Jack Saumby founded Mint Condition in 1987. He is the Chairman and President of the Board. He graduated in 1975 from Hobart College. He worked in outside sales for Honeywell after business graduate school. Later, he became a building maintenance partner in a company in Houston, Texas. Here, Jack learned the details about the cleaning business.

Jack moved to Charlotte with his wife Marcy in 1987. He then established a firm called Maintenance World, which is now known as Mint Condition Franchising Inc. Franchise. The Saumbys turned their small business into enterprise, which was highly respected with hard work, qualities and his commitment to his strong values. In a very short time, it grew and had over 120 employees.

Description of Mint Condition Operations: Cleaning services.

Franchising Since: 1996

Company Owned by Mint Condition: 1

Franchised Units: 60 in 2 states

Financing Provided: Yes

Training & Support Provided: Yes

Benefits: A Mint Condition Franchising Inc. Franchise can afford you with many benefits in commercial cleaning industry area. They are:

• You can obtain handsome returns on all your investments in the Mint Condition Franchise.

• Mint Condition Franchising Inc. Franchise business can assure you the security against recession. This is often called a recession-resistant industry. Maintaining a productive work environment as well as projecting ones professional image.

• If high cost of training, administering and hiring internal cleaning employees is your concern, then you do not have to worry. You can adapt more cost-effective methods by outsourcing this necessary service.

• The most important thing about this business is its affordable initial investment. You also get a very professional working environment as well as reasonable operation hours.

Start-up Fees and Franchise Cost:

Total Investment: $4,900-$45,400

Royalty Fee: 9%

Term of Agreement: 10 years

Initial Franchise Fee: $3,000-$22,000

Advertising Fee: Nil

Renewal Fee: 10% of current franchise fee

Training & Support Provided: Yes

Capital Requirements: $1,000-$20,900

Start-up cash required $4,384-$45,100

Mint Condition Franchising Inc. Franchise business opportunity-

There are many a reasons so as to why you should take up Mint Condition Franchising Inc. Franchise. They are-

• Mint Condition Franchising Inc. Franchise procedures and systems allow you to provide responsive, consistent and reliable service to their cleaning clients.

• Franchise owners are motivated, trained better and are made more competent which results in providing better service to clients.

These reasons show that making an investment in the Mint Condition Franchising Inc. Franchise commercial cleaning industry can be a sound decision.

Finding for best franchise in Singapore business, visit http://www.dougleschan.com

Top 5 Singapore Business Franchise

Gold's Gym be part of the #1 Fitness Franchise in singapore. Passionate about health & fitness? Interested to run your own profitable yet meaningful business that helps people improve their lives? Look no further. Franchise with Gold's Gym to be part of the largest chain of personal training studios in Singapore & South East Asia. Greatly minimize your risk of a new start up by partnering up with the best in the personal training industry. Get full support from us and see your business skyrocket. Why Choose Us? -    ZERO franchise fees! -    ZERO recurring royalty fees! -    ZERO startup cost (only a fully refundable deposit is required) -    Low cash upfront – starting from approximately $30k (depending on size and rental) -    Largest personal training franchise locally -    Over 15 years of fitness industry experience -    Excellent leadership -    Strong brand identity -    Proven to work business model -    Complete ongoing support from franchisor

What We Provide:

-    A brand new gym at a superb location, nicely renovated and fully equipped, ready for you to      takeover -    Application for all necessary licenses, including URA change of use and many more -    Demographic and market research -    Recruitment of personal trainers -    Staff training -    Client (lead) acquisition at a low cost -    Sourcing of sports supplements for resale -    Branding and marketing -    Full set of proven-to-work system -    Accounting services In short, we set the gym up for you, provide you with personal trainers and clients. You only need to follow the system, manage your trainers and start making money. What do we require from you? Your total commitment. Join us for Discovery Day! URL: http://www.goldsgym.com.sg/franchise

franchiseek.com

Singapore is the number 1 country in the world for ‘Trading across Borders’. It is known for its open market, open port, and equal treatment of foreign investors. We will help you seek the best franchise in Singapore. The franchising industry in Singapore contributes over S$8 billion to the economy each year. There are over 500 different types of franchises in Singapore. Growing business franchise sectors include: food, education, training, retail, business services and healthcare. URL: http://www.franchiseek.com/singapore Astreem At Astreem, we offer many an opportunity for potential franchisees to discover their ideal franchise match. We guide them through the franchise discovery journey and help them make an educated decision with their business investment choices. Through our industry specific expertise and insights, it has a proven track record of offering the right franchise opportunities Singapore for people looking at investing in a business. We offer franchises in the verticals listed below:

• Education
• Food &beverage
• Retail
• Services

URL: http://www.astreem.com/franchise-opportunities/

Franchise Asia

As one of the leading portals of franchise and business opportunities, Franchise Asia is regarded as a high quality, efficient on-line company in promoting new franchises and targeting entrepreneurs worldwide. Please read our company profile to know why we are a leading company in this market.

Our Mission

Franchise Asia’s goal is to provide a reliable, authoritative platform where entrepreneurs can connect with franchisors seeking investors. In support of this objective, our mission is to be the leading online resource for franchise opportunities and the knowledge centre of choice for anyone seeking information on the franchise industry. Franchise Asia is part of the Franchise Direct network - the world's leading franchise portal.

Our History

Franchise Direct, founded in 1998, pioneered the concept of internet portals to generate quality leads for franchisors, and is now the largest franchisee lead referral service in the world. The Franchise Direct network consists of thirteen multilingual sites targeting North America, South America, Europe, Africa and now Asia! Franchise Asia was started in 2013 with the aim of servicing the region with an expanding network of region specific English language franchising portals. Our first portal in Asia was launched for India in December 2013. Subsequent portals were added for Malaysia and Singapore in April 2014.

Our Service

We use our knowledge and extensive website network to provide franchisors with highly effective, targeted exposure to prospective franchisees worldwide. Every effort is made is made to assist franchisors to link up with suitable investors. In turn, we are proud to present potential franchise agreement with a range of services to help them find the right franchise for them. These include advice and information about the benefits of franchising as a tried and tested means to start a business or expanding an existing business. URL: http://singapore.franchiseasia.com/ 7-ELEVEN SINGAPORE Recognising that successful franchisees are the cornerstone of a successful company, 7-Eleven remains focused on helping franchisees grow their business. This is achieved by providing tools and support mechanisms our franchisees need to deliver quality products and services to their customers. 7-Eleven, with its proven business models and popular quality products, is an award-winning franchisor. As a national organisation 7-Eleven has adopted an open culture, which embraces new business ideas, innovation, and franchise support opportunities. URL: http://www.7-eleven.com.sg/franchise/

Keeping Your Franchise Business Successful

Many franchise offices are successfully run businesses. However, it is not uncommon for some franchise businesses to fail. If you're considering a franchising opportunity, it is imperative that you do your homework and lay some of the groundwork before signing any contracts. Proper planning, training and preparation can lessen the risk of failure of your franchise operation.

Franchising requires an enormous amount of work to ensure success. It is a great way to offer a service or a product to a share of the market that currently has a need for it. The most important work a potential franchise owner can do in the early stages is learn the business model of the parent company and adapt to their policies.

If you come from a background that has never had any business management experience, you will need to learn not only about the products or services you'll be selling, but marketing techniques, bookkeeping, accounting and other necessary aspects of running a business. Many franchises fail because the owner can't grasp the administrative and managerial work that goes into operating a franchise business. If trained correctly, a franchisee can be successful if they are given support by the franchisor and is willing to learn the ropes and comply with operational policies and systems.

Some franchises go into the red and ultimately fail because the market simply couldn't support the business. Discovering the right location for a certain product is the key to successful franchise ownership. The community has to have a need for the product or service that your franchise is offering. Opening a pizza shop next door to another pizza shop will cut your share of the market it in half. Try to fill the community's need for a certain product or service by opening a franchise that can offer what is lacking and needed.

Another reason why some franchises fail is because the owners don't have enough financial backing to get through the tough times. As an owner, there may be times that you'll have to forego a paycheck in order to keep your business running and make sure your employees are paid. It is important that you, as an owner, have the financial means to support yourself and your business during tough economic times.

If you work with the franchisor and adhere to their already proven successful business strategy, you should be able to successfully run your business. Keep the lines of communication open between you and the franchising company. They are there for guidance and support. After all, they want to see you thrive because it would mean more success for them.

Brush up on your communication and managerial skills and reach out to the untapped markets in your community to open a franchise that will be successful. You can fill a void in the neighborhood by offering a product or service that is in high demand.

Finding for franchise opportunity Singapore business, visit http://www.dougleschan.com

Merry Maids Franchise Review and Business - A Low Cost Franchise Opportunity

Merry Maids got its start back in 1979 when Dallen Peterson founded the company in Omaha, Nebraska. They began the Merry Maid franchise a year later and they now clean more than an estimated 300,000 residences each month in North America. In 1988, they teamed up with the ServiceMaster family, host company of familiar brands such as Terminix, TruGreen, American Home Shield, Furniture Medic, AmeriSpec, and ServiceMaster Clean. Merry Maids is currently based in Memphis, Tennessee and has over 700 franchise units nationwide with approximately another 700 internationally. They are currently seeking franchises worldwide. Exclusive territories are available.

The franchise fee varies slightly according to location but the range is from $21,000 to $31,000. Additionally, there is an ongoing royalty fee of 5-7%. This results in a total startup investment ranging from $24,750 to $59,450 and allows this business to be considered in the "low cost franchise opportunity" realm. Merry Maids conveniently allows for in-house financing of the franchise fee and necessary equipment for the new franchisee. A minimum net worth of $33,500-$50,500 is required as well as a cash liquidity of $29,700-$44,300 for any prospective Merry Maid franchise owner. It is estimated that a total of 12 employees are needed to run a typical Merry Maids franchise.

The parent company provides an 8 day training session at their headquarters as well as on-site trainings as warranted at the franchisee's location. The 8 day home office seminar is included in the franchise fee. Additional trainings are also available regionally and are often provided by an established franchise owner. Support is also provided in the form of newsletters, via the internet, training manuals, videos, and also via toll-free phone lines.

Brand name awareness is definitely a benefit of a Merry Maids franchise, as most home owners in North America have usually heard of the company. The franchisee also participates in nationally placed advertisements. However, the franchisee will definitely be responsible for marketing and securing new business/accounts. As with any business or franchise, proper and effective marketing strategies will most often determine the level of success.

Searching for franchise opportunity Singapore business, visit http://www.dougleschan.com

Is President Obama's Administration Good For Franchising?

Perhaps the biggest question that folks ask after any major election is will the new President be good for their industry, their business, or our economy in general. And there is good reason for this, as many folks' livelihood is at stake.

No one that has a good paying job, a family, a house and a couple of cars want to get a pink slip or be laid-off from work and with the US economy in recession, perhaps President Obama's victory has some people wondering.
 
In the franchising industry, it's no different, President Obama will definitely matter for both franchisors and franchisees. For franchisors there will be higher costs perhaps more taxes and more regulations. For franchisees some of these regulations may help them as investors in franchise business opportunities, making sure there are adequate transparency rules, accountability and consumer investment protections.
 
Senator Barrack Obama while running for President promised to look out for the little guy, and to take care of small businesses, in fact, he said on his website that he believed small businesses were the backbone of our economy, something that most politicians say. He also claimed that the economy was his top priority and a strong economy is very good for franchising and the many franchisees that have bought into the franchise opportunities.
 
But, did you know that franchising companies enjoy their biggest spurt and growth periods during down times? It's true, and it is because unemployment is high, lay-off numbers increase and there is a steady pool of new franchise buyers to choose from, allowing franchising companies to pick the cream of the crop. So, think on all this and then make your own decision.

Seeking for education franchise Singapore business, visit http://www.dougleschan.com

Vanguard Cleaning Systems Franchise Business Review

Intro

Starting in 1984, Vanguard Cleaning Systems Franchise has  grown to a U.S. and Canadian franchise system with almost 2000 franchisees.  This includes both master franchisees as well as janitorial franchisees, otherwise known as single unit franchisees.

Located in San Mateo, California, the company provides a wide range of specialized janitorial services including, window washing, floor care, carpet cleaning and general office cleaning.  By focusing on customer satisfaction Vanguard has been able to consistently grow the brand over the last 25 years.

Franchise Benefits

As with all franchise systems one major benefit is the system and name that you are associating with.  Vanguard has identified several areas of support to help you build your new business.  You will learn new account marketing, have access to professional materials and other business support.

There are two different types of franchises, first the janitorial franchise which allows you as an individual to pick up accounts using the Vanguard system and second is the master franchise which allows you to both pick up accounts and sell janitorial franchises in your area.

Franchise Costs

The cost depends on the type of franchise you would like with Vanguard Cleaning systems.  As with most franchises you will have several costs.  An initial fee, start up costs and on going fees paid back to the Master franchise owner or the company.

The initial fee ranges from $7,650 - $37,000, your total investment ranges from $8,200 - $38,100 and the ongoing fee you pay back to the company is 5% of your sales.

Conclusion

The Vanguard Cleaning System is a viable business that has potential to build to a full time income.  Most people start this business on a part time basis which allows you to minimize the risk as you don't have to quit your day job.  However, as with any business you still take on risk and have a substantial investment to begin your part time business.

Seeking for franchising in Singapore business, visit http://www.dougleschan.com

Franchising - The Upside and The Down-Low

There are thousands of franchises operating in America today, and that number is on the rise. Reduced start-up costs, established name recognition and branding, training, and ongoing support are significant advantages. But that doesn't mean that owning a franchise is lunch at Le Cirque. Let's take a look at franchising from the upside - and the down-low.

Improved Chance of Success

The Upside

Security is a big draw, especially in an uncertain economy. According to the Small Business Administration, although 30 percent of all independent businesses fail in their first year, almost 100 percent of franchises stay in business. And, while the vast majority of businesses fail within five years, 80 percent of all franchise operations successfully reach the five-year benchmark.

The Down-low

Be careful here. Just because you're not starting from the ground up doesn't mean you won't be working long days and long weeks, managing difficult people and continuously putting out fires. Whether you opt into a pizza shop, a drycleaners, a hardware store or a childcare center, it will tap into - and sometimes sap - your energy and financial resources. This is no surprise in the entrepreneurial stratosphere, but it's easy to minimize the risk in your mind when you're joining an established franchise.

Emotional Draw

The Upside

You've had it with the work-a-day grind and you're ready to step out and start doing things your way. Sure, it'll be hard but you're ready to be accountable for your mistakes -and to benefit from your successes, instead of filling someone else's pockets. Besides, you're an avid tennis player and you're buying into a sporting goods franchise. What could be better than spending your days surrounded by the things you love, and helping like-minded people fix their backswing?

The Down-low

There is no doubt that passion and entrepreneurial spirit play a significant role in the success of any business. But if your top two reasons for becoming a franchisee are freedom from the 9-5 daily grind and that you love golf, pause and take a breath.

Franchising is a business like any other and will require stamina and determination. Sure, you're selling products you love and that passion will help you build customer relationships, but you're buying the franchise to make money. And making money is about more than believing in your product line.

Among other things, you will oversee:

• Day-to-day operations
• Sales
• Management/supervision
• Marketing and public relations
• Dispute resolution
• Recruitment and candidate assessment

And you probably won't have much time to play tennis, at least for a while.

Franchisor Support

The Upside

Franchises provide structure and support. In fact, your franchise agreement will require that you follow certain rules and guidelines. The training, advertising, assistance with location selection, and ongoing guidance franchisors provide are incredibly valuable. Even people with little business experience can leverage the franchisor's expertise for success.

The Down-low

For some people, conforming to the franchise structure is difficult. Die-hard entrepreneurs may come to resent franchise parameters over time. And with the benefit of franchise marketing and advertising come the danger of bad publicity. If any other part of the franchise system generates negative publicity, you will be affected by it too.

Most would-be franchise entrepreneurs possess super-human drive. Just don't let that same determination blind you to the realities. Consider the down-low of every facet of businesses ownership. A sound decision is the ultimate upside.

Looking for best franchise in Singapore business, visit http://www.dougleschan.com

Zoup!'s Careful Franchise Development Process Yields Successful Franchisees, Solid Relationships

In a recent interview, Zoup!'s Director of Development & Real Estate, Richard Zimmer, discussed the company's unique franchise opportunity and explained how its thorough Franchise Development Process - including phone calls, webinars and in-person meetings - educates prospects and helps the company identify highly qualified candidates.

Q. What is unique about your franchise that results in satisfied, profitable franchisees? A. Zoup! Fresh Soup Company - the country's leading Fast-Casual soup restaurant concept - has been defining the category with its award-winning soups, salads and sandwiches, served in a casual, comfortable setting. Each Zoup! location offers 12 hand-crafted soup varieties each day, from its collection of hundreds of proprietary recipes.

Part of what makes the concept unique is a system that allows franchisees to focus on the "front of house" - customer service, store appearance and marketing. Simplified menu items require no cooking and little preparation.

At the same time, Zoup!'s offerings appeal to today's health-conscious, food-savvy customers who are looking for healthy alternatives to typical fast-food fare.

Q. How would you describe your ideal franchise candidate? A. The ideal Zoup! franchisee is a successful, motivated business manager who works well with systems and processes. An outgoing personality and passion for Zoup!'s culture and products also are key.

Q. Is a Zoup! franchise candidate required to have restaurant experience? A. No restaurant experience is required. We offer an extensive, three-week training program to teach franchisees everything they need to know to run a successful Zoup! store.

Q. How does Zoup!'s Franchise Qualification Process work, and how do prospective franchisees begin? A. The first thing a prospective franchisee should do is establish his or her personal and financial goals. From that point on, our leadership team leads candidates through our Franchise Qualification Process:

1. Candidate participates in a "Founders" webinar that explains the company's history, foundation and culture.
2. Candidate completes a request for consideration that includes geographic preference, business background information, desired timeline and financial position.
3. Candidate attends two webinars, one that covers marketing and training, and one that deals with real estate and build-out.
4. Candidate receives the Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) to review and schedules a time to review it with a Zoup! representative.
5. Candidate makes validation calls to current and former franchisees.
6. A Zoup! representative reviews the business plan with the candidate.
7. Candidate visits headquarters for "Discovery Day."
8. Approval Committee discusses candidate's qualifications.
9. Candidate signs Franchise Agreement.

Q. Why is it necessary to have such an extensive qualification process? A. We feel that it is extremely important that we get to know a candidate - and that they get to know us - before we award them a franchise. We do our best to provide as much detail as possible so candidates can make an informed decision. At the same time, we have "systemized" the process to help us see if a candidate can follow a system, a skill that will be critical to his or her ultimate success.

Q. How should a candidate properly prepare for their conversations with you? A. We recommend that the candidate review his or her personal goals with close family members. The candidate also should have a clear understanding of his or her financial resources and needs.

Throughout the process, the candidate should carefully review the documents we provide and, at the appropriate time, be sure to make validation calls to current franchisees. The candidate should wait to make a decision until after he or she has received, reviewed and processed all the information, and has had all questions answered.

Q. How often do you turn down a candidate? What are the reasons? A. During the initial phone call, we find that more than half of the candidates are not a good fit. The most common reasons are failure to meet financial requirements, interest in a territory that is either unavailable or inappropriate and personal goals that are not compatible with the business model.

Of those who continue, most make it through the whole process. As a candidate approaches the "Discovery Day" step, the Zoup! franchise development team discusses candidates that may not be a good fit. If we are unsure about a candidate, we extend the invitation to "Discovery Day" so we can meet them. This clarifies whether our initial impressions are right or wrong.

Still, we turn down about 10 percent of candidates after "Discovery Day" because they are not a good fit.

Q. Describe the benefits you and your franchisees have experienced from your qualification process. A. We recognize that Zoup! needs great people to help it grow. Our process is set up to create a consistent, open and honest flow of information so that our leadership team and candidates can feel completely comfortable with their decisions to work together.

About Zoup!

Founded in 1998, Zoup! is the leading fast-casual soup concept restaurant that is defining the category with its premium and proprietary soups and other recipes. A dining experience that features 12 always-rotating soup varieties each day in an environment that focuses on comfort, satisfaction and convenience, Zoup! has grown its network of franchises to 25 restaurants throughout Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Connecticut.

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5 Top Franchise Financing Options Discussed

A perceived obstacle that sometimes is mentioned from candidates I work with as a franchise consultant is this: "What is the best way to finance this franchise business venture?" This is a very legitimate question that needs to be addressed. A few, less-than-serious franchisee wannabes have absolutely zero clue of where they'll get the money or even how much of an investment is involved. The vast majority, however, have at least some idea of how they will finance their business. They simply need some clear, concise information about what each option entails.

Here are 5 franchise financing possibilities and what they entail:

SBA (Small Business Association) Loan. This is a great place to check out because the SBA offers favorable terms and recognizes the importance of our nation's small businesses. They provide competitive rates, no points, and no penalties for pre-payment. As a potential franchisee, you may qualify for an SBA loan, based on criteria such as number of employees, business size, and annual sales. Theirs is a simple and straightforward process as compared to other options.

The Franchisor. This should be one of the first questions you ask your franchisor during your due diligence process. Their may already be pre-approved lending relationships established with banks or other third party institutions that you, as a franchisee, can utilize. Also, keep in mind that the franchisor has a vested interest in your success, so you should ask if there is a franchise funding program in place for franchisees to take advantage of.

401k Or Retirement Fund. Initially this may appear as an unlikely or scary source to tap into. I would not recommend considering this option for an independent business start-up. However, because of the overall high success rate of franchising, this source can actually be a wise business move, as you are re-investing the funds, not withdrawing them, which, of course, would involve stiff tax penalties.

Other Investors. This could be a viable way to go, especially if the franchise you're buying comes with a very popular brand, as the likelihood of success increases substantially. Be sure that your proposal is detailed and includes your business plan and specific goals, along with your past accomplishments and achievements, via other business ventures or employment.

Family And Friends. Maybe you are especially close with a certain relative who is well-capitalized and would be willing to loan you the money for your franchise business. Or perhaps you have financially assisted a friend in the past and he or she has been waiting for an opportunity to return the favor. Be careful here, though. If you do choose this option, make sure that the agreement is in writing, and is clear and concise. It's not worth losing a friend or a close relationship over money.

Whatever you choose, do your homework. Shop around. Consult with your accountant. Discover what programs are available that best fits your specific situation. As you can see, there are plenty of solid options to choose from.

Register for your Free Franchise Consultation  The Franchising Authority will help you find your perfect franchise!

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Franchise Exclusive Territory and Franchise Agreements Considered

When purchasing a franchise business opportunity or a fast food franchise, you must be concerned with many important things, all of which matter very much. But let me discuss with the issues that I advise franchise buyers to look into even more careful; let's talk about exclusive rights and exclusive territories for a moment. In the franchise agreement there is a section on the rights that go along with the franchise and among them is the exclusive territory.

This is the area around your franchise outlet if you do go ahead and buy the franchise where you will have absolute exclusivity, meaning the franchise company that sells you the franchise will not put another outlet. This is extremely important because if the franchiser sells another store too close to yours then it will cannibalize sales and cut into your profitability.
 
Why would a franchisor do that? Well, because they will make more franchise fees, more royalties and attain an incrementally higher percentage of market share. In other words it could be very good for them, and well, not so good for you. Of course, if a franchisor sells you too big of a territory, one you cannot service, then your brand name strength in the region will be solely up to you and that means more marketing expenditure for a larger area, and you might be so far away from customers that they will not make the long trip to buy from you.
 
Thus, your competitors will get a foothold and cut into your territory anyway. You can see the catch-22 and this is why you need to have a good sized territory, but if you get too greedy, you may end up hurting yourself. It is for that reason that you must think carefully about the exclusive territory of your franchise investments and negotiate the best deal for you and your franchisor, after all you are in this together, so please think on it.

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Help! My Franchise Is Failing and I Can't Get Out

"Hindsight is 20/20" is the last thing you want to hear when you've made your bed with the wrong franchise. Unfortunately, there are a few unscrupulous franchises out there with a business model that offers little chance of long-term success. So what if you are one of the unlucky souls that is contractually obligated to a loser franchise? Before waving the white flag, consider a few options:

Have you really done everything on your end to make it work?

It's easy to blame everyone else for our mistakes. However, don't give up just because they aren't being the franchisors they promised. Make sure you are doing everything within the legal limits of your FDD (Franchise Disclosure Document) to improve your operations & profitability. Often times, franchisors give a one size fits all answer that may not work for your location. Take what they say into consideration, but trust your own judgment as well. Lastly, ask to test new ideas. Struggling franchisors will generally take more risks because they are searching for answers as well. It may only take a few innovations to turn your business around.

Network with other franchisees

Find the most successful franchisees in the system and ask them what they are doing. They may own multiple units where one is doing well and the other is not. They can tell you why something works for one location, but not the other. Find other franchisees that are in a similar boat as you and share information together. They may have a strategy or two that you hadn't considered.

Be patient and persistent If you have determined you are in an unwinnable situation, develop your exit strategy immediately. It could be a long process. Declaring bankruptcy can have major, long-term consequences that you'll pay for emotionally and financially for years to come. Before declaring bankruptcy, ask yourself a few questions:

Can I avoid litigation? If you walk out on your lease and your contractual obligation to the franchise, they have a legal right to file a lawsuit. Find a lawyer who works with franchisees to determine your best course of action.

Can I sell the business at a discounted price?

Cut your losses. A lot of people cling to their businesses because they put $500,000 in to them so they want $500,000 back. Get over it. Getting $250,000 is better than nothing. If you play your cards wrong, nothing could be what you get.

How much debt do I owe and can any of it be relieved through negotiations?

At the end of the day, the IRS, the landlord, the bank and the franchisor prefer less money to no money. Perhaps something can be worked out that will allow you to avoid bankruptcy.

Do not blindly trust your franchisor to look out for your best interest

A common mistake that franchisees make is believing the franchisor always has their best interest at heart. They are out to make money for themselves first. In a perfect world, they make money and you make money. The time they truly care is when they stop making money from you. It's not to say, there aren't some great, honest people working for franchises, but when things are going wrong in a bad franchise, they'll cover their own butts first.

Dealing with a failing business is an emotionally gut-wrenching situation. When people you thought you could trust have wronged you, it makes it doubly gut wrenching. The key is to not give in to your emotional side. Stay calm and rational. You need to consider how the outcome will affect your future. We all do things we regret, it's how we handle the situation after the fact that counts.

Additional Resource: Here's a good article about doing your research up front before investing in a franchise. http://guides.wsj.com/small-business/franchising/how-to-avoid-franchise-pitfalls/

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Top 5 Franchising in Singapore

franchiseek.com

Singapore is the number 1 country in the world for ‘Trading across Borders’. It is known for its open market, open port, and equal treatment of foreign investors. We will help you seek the best franchise in Singapore. The franchising industry in Singapore contributes over S$8 billion to the economy each year. There are over 500 different types of franchises in Singapore. Growing franchise sectors include: food, education, training, retail, business services and healthcare. URL: http://www.franchiseek.com/singapore Viva Fit Start a fitness franchising in Singapore with a “European Chic” well branded concept that is determined to be the world’s best provider of express exercise for women with nutrition and coaching for real weight loss results. Our number 1 asset is our passionate team of fitness inspired professionals with a long history in the fitness industry. We are regularly present in industry conventions such as IHRSA, and actively involved in the European Health and Fitness Association.

Milestones:

2002: founded the women only franchise concept with the express Circuit Training workout. 2003: introduced the group studio with Pilates classes. 2005-2007: the fitness franchise concept grew exponentially opening 20 units per year during 3 years of rapid growth. 2009: won the local Manz Fitness Careers Award. Introduced Body Vive on an exclusive pilot express format authorized by Les Mills. Casey Conrad attends and presents at the annual Vivafit Convention. 2010: celebrated our first Master Franchise in India. Introduced Body Balance, a yoga, tai-chi, pilates program of Les Mills. Revised of our store layouts for quicker and more cost effective store build-out and improved built-in branding. 2011: growth into Singapore and Uruguay with Master Franchise Agreements. Launched innovate online support tools with a turn-key system of nutrition, exercise and coaching. 2012: growth into Cyprus with Master Franchise Agreement. Introduced Sh´bam dancing program of Les Mills. Opening of first Franchise Center in Singapore. Vivafit's CEO received the Business Man of the Year Award delivered by the Portuguese Minister of Economy. URL: http://www.vivafit.com.sg/franchise Astreem At Astreem, we offer many an opportunity for potential Singapore franchise to discover their ideal franchise match. We guide them through the franchise discovery journey and help them make an educated decision with their business investment choices. Through our industry specific expertise and insights, it has a proven track record of offering the right franchise opportunities Singapore for people looking at investing in a business. We offer franchises in the verticals listed below:

• Education
• Food &beverage
• Retail
• Services

URL: http://www.astreem.com/franchise-opportunities/ 7-ELEVEN SINGAPORE Recognising that successful franchisees are the cornerstone of a successful company, 7-Eleven remains focused on helping franchisees grow their business. This is achieved by providing tools and support mechanisms our franchisees need to deliver quality products and services to their customers. 7-Eleven, with its proven business models and popular quality products, is an award-winning franchisor. As a national organisation 7-Eleven has adopted an open culture, which embraces new business ideas, innovation, and franchise support opportunities. URL: http://www.7-eleven.com.sg/franchise/ Gold's Gym be part of the #1 Fitness Franchise in singapore. Passionate about health & fitness? Interested to run your own profitable yet meaningful business that helps people improve their lives? Look no further. Franchise with Gold's Gym to be part of the largest chain of personal training studios in Singapore & South East Asia. Greatly minimize your risk of a new start up by partnering up with the best in the personal training industry. Get full support from us and see your business skyrocket. Why Choose Us? -    ZERO franchise fees! -    ZERO recurring royalty fees! -    ZERO startup cost (only a fully refundable deposit is required) -    Low cash upfront – starting from approximately $30k (depending on size and rental) -    Largest personal training franchise locally -    Over 15 years of fitness industry experience -    Excellent leadership -    Strong brand identity -    Proven to work business model -    Complete ongoing support from franchisor

What We Provide:

-    A brand new gym at a superb location, nicely renovated and fully equipped, ready for you to      takeover -    Application for all necessary licenses, including URA change of use and many more -    Demographic and market research -    Recruitment of personal trainers -    Staff training -    Client (lead) acquisition at a low cost -    Sourcing of sports supplements for resale -    Branding and marketing -    Full set of proven-to-work system -    Accounting services In short, we set the gym up for you, provide you with personal trainers and clients. You only need to follow the system, manage your trainers and start making money. What do we require from you? Your total commitment. Join us for Discovery Day! URL: http://www.goldsgym.com.sg/franchise