General Business and Finance Blog

Strong Futures International is absolutely one of my favorite internet business opportunities for building passive income. Everything about this internet home business passive income program is incredible and designed to be used effectively by regular folks all over the world.

After failing as a home business owner, I was fortunate to find SFI. The stability and trustworthiness is what first made me notice SFI. This is definitely a reliable home business opportunity. Not only has this opportunity been around since 1998, it is backed by the BBB and is part of the Lincoln Nebraska Chamber of Commerce. Even though this great program has been around for a while, it is thriving like never before. Over 8,000 new affiliate join SFI every 7 days and growing, and the program is constantly making new advancements to stay right on top of the Internet marketing world.

The training is something else that blew me away. I did not expect much from a free opportunity, but wow was I wrong. Considering SFI was the 1st home-based business programme I had ever worked with, I was in major need of some direction and useful instructions. They supply all free affiliate with a step by step automated coaching course call “Smart Start.” This easy to follow system walks noobs through all of the basics of setting up a profitable affiliate business.

The promoting aids are abounding and work particularly well. They are all provided free and you are instructed on the best way to use them properly. You’ve got access to a massive collection of banners, text adverts, e-mail scripts, and other potent marketing aids.

What else could you ask from a free opportunity? Not a great deal, but they still deliver. Business tools, a wide variety of business and payout plans, multiple convenient pay options, free resources, and one of the most beneficial small business forums that I’ve seen.

All around, SFI is a perfect internet marketing programme for newcomers as well as more experience markers. And it is free, unlike so many other supposed “confirmed systems” that cost an are and a leg. If you are looking at starting a small business, SFI is the place to start. And if you’re simply hoping to add a few more passive earnings streams to the business you already have, SFI can be excellent for that purpose too. No matter where you are are what your goals are, SFI can help in getting you there in the simplest, fastest way possible .

Import and export are terms commonly used when referring to international trade. Trade leads are small messages that contain information about companies wanting to buy and sell products and services. In the old days, if business owners wanted to network with local businesses that might be able to help them (by buying their products or selling them something they need), they would head down to the local Chamber of Commerce, become a member and network the old fashioned way. This method works really well when you’re dealing with a small geographic area, but what happens when your business grows beyond the borders of your town or city and you want to help it continue to expand? Enter trade leads. While trade leads have been around for a long time, they suddenly became even more useful when the Internet took off. Today a business wanting to expand doesn’t have to travel to other cities (or countries) and contact the local Chamber of Commerce. Now, many websites and online communities have formed that allow businesses (especially those interested in import/export and international trade) to effectively communicate their trade leads with other people who are interested. Whether you’re a wholesaler, a manufacturer, a distributors, a buyer, or a supplier – if you’re interested in import export and international trade, trade leads online are the way to go. Trade leads can be about more than just physical products or services. They can also be used to let other companies know you’re looking for partnerships. Ok, so you’re convinced that trade leads are important for your forays into international trade … now what? One thing to consider is how you create your trade lead. In a vast sea of information, you want to make sure your trade lead stands out from the others. This doesn’t mean you’ll want to falsify or exaggerate your trade lead, but there are some simple things you can do to increase the effectiveness of your trade lead.International Trade Lead Tips KISS – Keep it Simple Silly. This age old advice applies to trade leads. You don’t want to give too detailed an offer to start out with. Think of a trade lead as your first impression. You don’t want to overwhelm the other party with too much information. Your trade lead should be clearly written and brief (not too much information – just the facts.) Do include details you think might be important, though, such as price, quantity, etc. International trade is big right now and getting bigger all the time. If you’ve ever considered increasing your business, trade leads and getting into the import export business is something you should think about. Just remember to go slow and do all your homework before you dive in. There are a lot of websites out there that will help bring you up to speed on the modern trade lead network online.

Billions of dollars worth of international trade is carried out every day, much of it by small businesses, importing and exporting products from and to their counterparts in other nations. As with every type of business an important task is locating people who will lead you to a signed contract – your trade leads.

Traditionally, businesses have found their international leads by attending trade shows in the target country. But this is an expensive and time-consuming way to find leads and besides, attending a show in a foreign country can be quite daunting.

Fortunately there is a great alternative to attending numerous trade shows – a substantial amount of import-export trade is now carried out online via B2B (Business To Business) trade portals.

B2B Trade Portals

These are websites that facilitate the exchange of goods and services between businesses. Our trade portal at http://www.import-export-guide.com is an example of such a site.

All kinds of products are being traded online between people from many different countries. On our portal we have members from Brazil, China, USA, Yugoslavia, Egypt Australia – every continent is represented. And the products they post are just as diverse – shoes, water coolers, gas, fibreglass insect screens, platinized anodes (whatever those are!).

Typically on an online portal you will be able to communicate with the originators of trade leads, submit details of your company and its contact details, upload images of your products and post your own trade leads.

Whilst all kinds are requirements can be posted on trade portals, including those for services, partnerships and others, the two most important types of trade leads are ‘Buy’ Leads and ‘Sell’ Leads.

Buy Leads

These are the posts you place when you have a need for a certain product.

1) Make sure you are clear about what you require

2) Describe the quantity, quality and size of the products you need

3) Mention if there are any shipping restrictions or pricing requirements

4) The more information you supply the more targeted will be the response you receive

5) Remember you are not obliged to reply to all contacts. But if someone has taken the time and effort to prepare a good proposal then it does no harm to respond

Sell Leads

These are the posts you place to inform buyers of the goods you have available to sell.

1) As with the Buy Leads, the more information you give about the products the better and more targeted the response will be

2) Use an informative subject heading – if the subject doesn’t seem to apply to a buyer they won’t be bothered to read your lead

3) You are dealing with an international market so use clear simple language – no jargon, no exaggeration, no hype

4) Respond promptly to all reasonable enquiries

5) If the facility exists on the portal to mention your company use it to establish your credibility

Security

Without a doubt many conmen and charlatans frequent online trade portals but there are steps you can take to protect yourself from such people:

1) Don’t respond to any suspicious contact or any that is obviously spam – if you show you are willing to listen they will do everything they can to take advantage

2) Once you’ve made contact with a potential buyer or supplier, check out their credentials, convince yourself they are a respectable business:

a) Take a look at their company website

b) Find out who they’ve done business with in the past

c) Ask if they have past clients from your own country

d) Investigate their credit worthiness

3) Use a Letter of Credit (L/C) – this is issued by a bank and guarantees payment to the Seller when all the terms and conditions of the trade are met. It protects both the Buyer and the Seller

a) The Buyer will only part with money if the terms and conditions are met

b) The Seller will always get his money if the terms and conditions are met

There’s a lot of money to be made in import-export and you don’t have to travel far to make it. Whether you’re looking for novel foreign goods to sell in your country or there’s greater profit to be had selling your products overseas, you can find all the prospects you need simply by visiting an online trade portal.

The change in the economic scenario in our country has rendered foreign trade as a lucrative profession. India has developed an extensive export promotion system and several promotion bodies and export related services have been set up. The Government has set up a number of systems and incentives to promote foreign trade in India e.g. tax incentives, foreign exchange rules etc.The country’s exports have been rising substantially during the last few years. This has been the thrust of our economic policies. With scene pointing towards improvement and development every day, foreign trade as a recognized profession has come of age. International Business on the other hand is being a part of an International organization or MNC (Multi National Company) i.e. a company having offices in more than one country. You could be a part of any function in the same – Finance, Marketing, Human Resources, Operations or trade. This can be pursued after a BBA / MBA degree. (A) The Prospects With the tremendous expansion in trade, job opportunities in this area are plenty. Professionals are employed in buying houses; export units and the international departments of multinational companies. There is a great demand for Indian professionals. There is good scope for those who desire to launch out their own export units, but they are advised to gain enough experience before such a venture. For those desirous of secure government jobs, there are job opportunities in regulatory bodies like the STC and the MMTC. (B) The Job 1.) Open new markets for trade – identify, understand demographics of market, liaison and create new international markets for products. Identify export / import counterparts, negotiate trade agreements and contracts 2.) Be completely aware and up to speed with all country’s trade regulations i.e. imports / exports, foreign currency, transport etc. 3.) Ensure quality maintenance and adherence to trade contract details 4.) Complete all regulatory documentation and submission of the same to banks, authorities etc. 5.) Ensure timely payment of import / export dues 6.) Working knowledge of foreign currency market to cover all imports and exports. 7.) Awareness of Banking regulations for trade and loans / capital available to Export companies 8.) Working in banks in trade departments to check documentation and lending against the same. (C) Personality traits 9.) Good inter-personal relationships 10.) Enjoy interacting with other cultures / people etc. 11.) Knowledge of some foreign language 12.) Good International knowledge 13.) Hard-working 14.) Enjoy traveling 15.) Eye for detail 16.) Deadline oriented 17.) Mathematical mind (D) Salaries 1.) The starting salaries range between Rs 4-5 lakh per annum. 2.) Peak salaries would match those in any other area of management and are approximately Rs. 1- 1.5 Crore per annum. (E) Study Routes You could do an MBA course in any area and then join a multi-national company or else you can do a specialized degree in foreign trade. One needs to be a graduate to apply. Leading foreign trade institutes include: Places to Study: 1.) Gujarat University, Ahmedabad 2.) Indian Institute of Foreign Trade, New Delhi 3.) Indian Institute of Management, Lucknow, Calcutta, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Kozhikode 4.) Indian Institute of Packaging, Mumbai 5.) Punjab University, Chandigarh 6.) S. P. Jain Institute of Management and Research, Mumbai 7.) Symbiosis Institute of Foreign Trade, Pune 8.) The Delhi School of Economics, Delhi University 9.) University of Madras, Chennai Other MBA Institutes are – Sample PG Degrees / Diplomas in Business Administration – 1.) FMS, New Delhi 2.) XLRI, Jamshedpur 3.) Jamnalal Bajaj (JBIMS), Mumbai 4.) SP Jain, Mumbai 5.) Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies, Mumbai 6.) Symbiosis, Pune 7.) XIM, Bhubhaneshwar 8.) MDI, Gurgaon 9.) IMT, Ghaziabad 10.) IMI, New Delhi 12.) Sydenham College, Mumbai After Graduation – A degree in subjects such as a BBA, economics, or commerce will also give you an entry in the sector. However growth prospects are limited and a PG degree is necessary for timely promotions. Sample BBA Degree Colleges – 1.) IIPM – present in New Delhi, Chennai, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Calcutta, Bangalore 2.) Infinity, New Delhi 3.) Sukhdev College 4.) Wigan & Leigh – present in New Delhi, Mumbai 5.) IILM – New Delhi, Gurgaon 6.) Rai University 7.) AmityInternational Colleges: USA: Monterey Institute of International Studies The College of St. Catherine Western Washington University Bethel college University of North Carolina Marywood University Clarion University of Pennyslavania City college of San FranciscoUK: Aston Business School Regants Business School Grafton College of Management Aberdeen Business School University of Worcester King’s College London Hamilton CollegeAustralia: Murdoch University Macleay College University of Wollongong.

VH International Business Solutions Inc (www.ManhattanVirtualOffice.com), proud of its success thanks Employees, Clients, Associates and Friends for their support on its 19th anniversary milestone.VH International Business Solutions Inc, New York’s preferred executive office and voice mail provider, is celebrating its nineteenth anniversary in 2009.  With over 17 thousand clients since its launch nineteen years ago, VH International Business Solutions, Inc has become New York City’s destination for business professionals seeking a unique executive office organization.”What started out 19 years ago as a basic virtual office support service has steadily grown into a business far exceeding anyone’s expectations,” said James Spence, VH International Business Solution’s vice president of operations.  “We are all very proud of this accomplishment and grateful to our clients and employees who helped get us here.”VH International Business Solutions, Inc initially offered its services to the local market.  With the proliferation of consumer Internet access, the Company was the first in New York City to offer NYC virtual office services interactively via the World Wide Web. With this success, VH International Business Solutions established an instant business-to-business worldwide access to the New York market making available for the first time New York City virtual office services for organizations of all sizes, from the independent entrepreneur to enterprise-level Fortune 500 companies.”Today VH International Business Solutions offers a comprehensive suite of executive office and business support services that can be tailor-made and bring about a meaningful difference for any company of any size in the world,” said Mr. Spence. “We pride ourselves on service that is reliable, efficient and competitively priced — all backed by our celebrated no-nonsense world class customer service. Our mission is to ensure our clients get the service they deserve and are entitled to.”Added Mr. Spence, “During our 19-year life span, our focus on customer service has never wavered. We understand our client’s specific needs, there is no such thing as one solution for all. Because we offer client support staffed by seasoned professionals, whether you are an independent professional or a business, we have been able to deliver timely solutions again and again with a very satisfied customer rating.”Continued Mr. Spence, “By being in touch with our client base, we have also been able to anticipate their needs and grow with their business. That’s one of the major reasons why we have been so successful. We very much look forward to the next 19 years.”For additional information on VH International Business Solutions, visit www.ManhattanVirtualOffice.comABOUT VH International Business Solutions, IncConceived in 1987 and Incorporated in 1990, VH International Business Solutions is today an international provider of New York executive and staffed virtual office services. In the contiguous United States, we offer voice mail points of presence in ninety percent of the Country. Our suite of executive and office support services are not only comprehensive but can also be custom fit for any enterprise-level need. Our services include, but are not limited to New York based virtual and staffed office services, business meeting facilities, nationwide voice mail services, live answering services, New York State incorporation filing services and much more. In addition, VH International Business Solutions is focused on providing its clients with superior support service, which is backed by a seasoned group of professionals who understands the needs and issues of today’s business and employees. At VH International Business Solutions, you to get the attention you deserve. For more information, please visit www.ManhattanVirtualOffice.com