Investing in your own customers: a neglected skill

Most businesses spent time attracting customers to a product or service, trying to win their trust and then ending the whole process with a sale. That tactic seems obvious to most people. What often is neglected is the post-sale follow up with customers, particularly when it comes to online businesses. We should look at the time after a sale as an opportunity not only to improve our products but also to establish long-lasting relationships with our customers.

It takes much more effort to win a new customer than to maintain a relationship with an existing customer. But maintaining current customer relationships is just as critical and I'd even dare to say, more important than gaining new customers. What can we do to keep our established customers feel appreciated? You need to follow up with your customers.

Following up may be as simple as writing an email or giving a phone call to a customer a few weeks after a sale. At Screaming Bee, I make it a personal goal to contact every customer that buys our voice-changing software, MorphVOX, within 2-3 weeks after a sale.

Does this take time? It sure does. Is it worth it? Absolutely! Not only does this allow us to get good feedback from customers in order to improve our software, but also it establishes a more solid, long-lasting relationship that goes beyond the point-of-sale.

Your current customers are the heart and core of your business.

Most people were surprised that I would be willing spend the time to talk with them and were touched by the personal attention they received. And I was also surprised at how uncommon it was for online businesses to follow up on their customers. Some of the typical comments that I have received as the result of my efforts include:

"I really appreciate the personal touch, vs. the usual automated 'we have received your email' garbage, followed by... well, nothing usually..."

"Huh, never had customer support quite like this I appreciate it..."

People don't like being ignored and definitely like being heard. There are many businesses that are ignoring their customers and, as a result, losing them.

These customers provide return business and also provide the essential word-of-mouth promotion that no clever advertisement or marketing scheme will ever out-perform. Treat your customers like your own family. Go out of your way to communicate with them. If you neglect them, they will go elsewhere.

Mark Ramirez is CEO and co-founder of Screaming Bee LLC, a leading provider of voice software and solutions for online games and messenger applications. For more information visit: http://www.screamingbee.com.

Gold Investing for Profits

Tradionally, many investors shunt gold and invest in equities or fixed income markets. With the price of gold performing extremely well, alot of investors are turning their attention on gold.

The price of gold has topped US$700 recently. Gold has been in a bullish run since 2000. What is the implication? Will gold continue to rise in the future? Is it time to invest in Gold now? How to invest in Gold?

The rise in price of Gold is due to a number of factors. Some of them are listed below.

1. International tensions and Bad times

During internation tensions and war, gold will always hold it values. Sometimes, investors trade currency for gold In recent Iran and US nuclear issues, price of gold was shot up to US$700 in fear of oil prices rising. US dollars and inflation along with high federal trade deficit and debt have make investors buying gold to heged against currency flunctuations.

Though now the price is fallen slightly, it believe that gold is a good investment tool to use as a safe haven in time of crisis and bad times.

2. Supply and Demand Fundamentals

When the price of gold rise, more investors will buy gold. Since the supply and production of gold is limited, it will not be able to keep up with the increasing demand from the market. This will make the price of gold rally further.

3. Stock Market Bearish vs Gold Market Bullish

Gold always perform opposite of stock market historically. When stock markets are performing badly lately, gold markets were bullish. With uncertain economic and global conditions, some analyst believe that gold will further appreciate its value and continued its bullish run for long term.

It is never too late to invet in gold now!

There are a few ways to invest in gold which are shown below.

1. Gold Jewelery

Gold jewelery is a popular means of investing as savings in developing countries like India and Middle East.

2. Gold Bullion and Coins

Gold Bullion are gold bars in 1g to 400g. Goid coins are legal tendar of issuing countries and usually sell at a small premium above current spot gold price. Popular investment grade coins are US Eagle, Canadian Maple Leaf,

3. Gold Certifcates or Accounts

These are ownerships rights to gold bullion held by a financial instution such as a central bank for safe keeping.

4. Gold Mining Stocks

These are stocks of gold mining and exploration companies. When price of gold rises, some mining stocks offer handsome dividends when the issuing companies profits.

5. Gold Mutual Funds

These are funds that have gold in the portfolio managed by professional fund managers. Some funds are region specific (such as US) or spread across different mining companies.

No matter what kind of instruments you choose to invest in, you have to mix your portfolio with the right proportion with your equities. The strategy to investin gold is to have balance portfolio with diversification. The objective is to use gold as a hedge against flunctuations in fixed income market. The best strategy is to start with 10 % level of your portfolio to invest in gold and slowly varies you level of gold to increase your portfolio stability.

Jason Chew is the aspiring Investor and site adminstrator of the investing site - http://www.investyourwaytosuccess.com

For more information on Gold Investing, subscribe to the 7 Days Course HERE: http://gold.investyourwaytosuccess.com

Investing Offshore, Could it Be for You

Is offshore investing only for the rich and famous? Probably not, although most of us don't know a lot about offshore investing. Here is a simple primer for the fledgling offshore investor.

Offshore investing is simply placing your investment dollars in an account with a bank that is not in the United States. There are several advantages to investing offshore.

First, there is less regulation. Some may feel that this makes the investment riskier, but that is not necessarily the case. It does allow the fund manager or company to act more freely. The lack of regulation also means less taxes. Most offshore accounts are invested in countries that have minimal tax laws for these investments. That means that more of your money is available to work for you.

Privacy is also an issue for some investors. Most of the countries typically involved in offshore investments have laws making it illegal for the investment firms to release any information regarding their investors. There is virtually no governmental reporting. This ensures that your investments and personal information will be confidential. For many who want privacy, this is a major benefit of offshore accounts.

In our lawsuit happy society, those with assets want to protect them from litigation. Many of the offshore countries chosen have laws that don't recognize foreign awards so the assets placed in these countries are not subject to seizure. Although not a major consideration for everyone, for many it is a factor in deciding to choose an offshore investment vehicle.

Many of the offshore jurisdiction have much less complicated estate laws and tax structures. Utilizing offshore accounts for estate planning purposes is becoming more and more popular. Many set up an offshore charitable foundation in countries with favorable estate tax laws.

In order to set up an offshore investment account, an individual must either reside in or establish a legal presence in the offshore country that will make the gains taxable in that jurisdiction and not the onshore one. There are several companies that will help you set up a corporation and complete the required paperwork to get started in offshore investing. These firms will help you set up a corporation called an International Business Corporation (IBC) or a Limited Liability Corporation (LLC).

If you're happy with your existing portfolio, but you want to move it offshore, you can move to a brokerage firm offshore once the legal paperwork is completed. The brokerage account will be opened under the name of the IBC, and then the brokerage completes your orders in the name of the IBC. Your personal identity is never involved. Of course, these brokerages can invest in offshore mutual funds or any investment worldwide. Offshore investing may not be for everyone, but if you have assets that you want to protect from seizure, you want to maintain the strictest confidentiality, or you want to seek tax relief, investigate the possibilities. You may find that offshore investing will help you reach your financial goals.

The author is a Writer working with a leading software development company, which deals with software outsourcing, offshore outsourcing and offshore software development. Get more valuable information at www.a1technology.com

Advice On Investing In Property Abroad

Buying a property abroad can be a wise investment if you plan and research properly.

People buy property abroad for all sorts of reasons. The number of people deciding to buy a holiday home is increasing - particularly in the UK and other northern-European countries, where a warmer climate is a big part of the appeal of owning property in Spain, Portugal or Turkey.

Buying property abroad can also be an investment. Depending on where you buy and what you use your property for, you can make your money go further.

Rising property prices

Whilst the most popular areas of France, Spain, Portugal and Italy are now quite expensive, there are a lot of new areas where buying property abroad can be seen as a good investment. Turkey, Croatia and the Czech Republic are just a few of the countries that are attracting investors. The combination of low property prices, a low cost of living and the potential rental and re-sale value of properties are making these countries very appealing to those people who are either looking to make the most of their pension funds, or who want to realise cash later on.

Lifestyle

Whilst some people decide to invest in a possible financial return, others are looking for an investment in their standard of living. The climate, the lifestyle and the cost of living are all good reasons why living in a property abroad can be more beneficial than living in the UK. Retiring to a property abroad is becoming an effective way of making pension funds go further; selling your home in the UK, or even downsizing and buying a second property abroad, means that you can make the most of your money.

Should I invest in property abroad?

If you think you would like to invest in a property abroad, do some investigation first. If you want to make money on your property, decide if you want to do this through rental income or through rising property prices. Neither of these routes is guaranteed to make money for you, so speak to a professional about the best places to buy, to give yourself the best chance of success.

HolidayHomeNow has been set up to provide useful, practical information for those people researching and looking into buying a second property or holiday home abroad. For more information have a look at their website Property Abroad

Three Reasons For A Win Win Philosophy In Real Estate Investing

Most people tend to take the all benefits are mine approach when they do real estate investment negotiations. However, it is submitted that a win win approach would take you further and help you close more deals than if you adopted a one sided benefits negotiating stance. This article will highlight three reasons why you should adopt a win win negotiating stance in real estate investment negotiations.

Firstly, you can get more referrals both in terms of deals when you are known in the industry as a win win real estate investor. By now aiming for one sided deals in real estate investment, you are therefore seen by the real estate brokers as a fair and serious real estate investor and when they spot a good deal, guess who they will be telling first. If you are into commercial real estate investment property, the previous owner may also tell his other property owner friends to consider selling to you if they should ever want to sell. Thus you get more goodwill by adopting a more win win negotiation stance and more referrals.

Secondly, like the famous saying by Zig Ziggler when you help people get what they want you get what you want. Spend some time in your real investment prospecting for your next property finding out what exactly the seller wants from the sale. Some real estate owners may want immediate cash, others may want to stay there and rent it back from you. Thus if you meet their needs, they are more likely than not to sell the real estate to you. You may end up with a better deal than what you had anticipated from the resultant good will from this transaction.

Thirdly, adopting a win win negotiating stance helps you learn and understand people better. By adopting a win win strategy you naturally spend more time listening to your tenants and sellers and will learn more about what they need and want and provide it for them. Imagine learning about what a commercial factory owner would need and being able to present to other factor owners that your building has everything they need at a competitive price. You have therefore in the process developed the competitive advantage over other real estate investors who merely look at driving a hard bargain.

In conclusion, the win win advantage is something that many successful businessmen have practiced over the years. Spend some time evaluating your business philosophy and you may want to try helping all parties win in the next real estate investment deal that you get involved in.

Joel Teo runs a real estate investing website. Make money with {a href=" http://www.realestateinvestment101.info/No_Money_Down.html"} no money down real estate investment strategy at the online Real Estate Investment Guide

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