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<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss version="2.0" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/" xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/" xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/" > <channel> <title>sngiezhms.info</title> <atom:link href="http://sngiezhms.info/feed" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" /> <link>https://sngiezhms.info</link> <description></description> <lastBuildDate>Tue, 22 Aug 2023 09:26:12 +0000</lastBuildDate> <language>en</language> <sy:updatePeriod>hourly</sy:updatePeriod> <sy:updateFrequency>1</sy:updateFrequency> <generator>http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.3</generator> <item> <title>Breakthrough In Solving The Problem Of How To Evaluate A Product Manager</title> <link>https://sngiezhms.info/breakthrough-in-solving-the-problem-of-how-to-evaluate-a-product-manager,html</link> <comments>https://sngiezhms.info/breakthrough-in-solving-the-problem-of-how-to-evaluate-a-product-manager,html#comments</comments> <pubDate>Tue, 04 Apr 2023 13:10:33 +0000</pubDate> <dc:creator>admin</dc:creator> <category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category> <category><![CDATA[product management]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://sngiezhms.info/?p=66</guid> <description><![CDATA[Oh do I have a tasty dilemma for you this time around! I’ve been working with one of my clients who is setting up a brand new product management department. He’s faced with a challenge that you’d think would be more common than it appears to be: just how should you evaluate the job that [...]]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p> Oh do I have a tasty dilemma for you this time around! I’ve been working with one of my clients who is setting up a brand new product management department. He’s faced with a challenge that you’d think would be more common than it appears to be: just how should you evaluate the job that a product manager is doing?Product Managers Are Not Project ManagersThe newly minted manager of product managers was struggling. It was the beginning of the year and one of the things that he had to do on his list of tasks was to set up annual goals for his team.This manager was coming from a project management background. In his first pass at creating goals for his team this training really came across: all of the goals had to do with meeting dates. Clearly there’s more to being a product manager than this.He was facing a revolt from his p-management team when I was brought in to see if I could broker a solution to this problem. The manager had a valid need to be able to manage his p-managers, but they also had a reasonable expectation that they would be measured based on what a product manager does, not on what a project manager does.Say Hello To The Puppet MasterI stated out by having a talk with the manager who was trying to come up with the goals. It turned out that he really didn’t have a clear understanding of what product managers do. In a nutshell, he viewed p-managers as sort of a “super project manager”. The only problem with this is that the company had project managers who worked on every product’s team. Clearly there had to be something different in what these two groups of employees were doing.I then took some time and met with the p-managers themselves. It turns out that they were all busy doing exactly what you would expect a product manager to be doing: studying markets, guiding product developers, and putting out fires.After having collected all of the available information, I brought the manager and his team back together. I started this meeting out by taking the time to explain to the manager the role that product managers played in his company.Right or wrong, I used the analogy of a puppet master (you know, those old-time puppeteers who controlled the puppets by pulling on strings connected to their hands and feet). I pointed out to him that the role of the p-manager was not so much to do things, but rather to make sure that things got done. P-managers are like information hubs. They ensure that the right information gets to the right person at the right time so that they can accomplish a task.The difference between a p-manager and a project manager can be murky at times. However, I pointed out that if the p-manager told the project manager to build a 3-wheeled car, the project manager would make sure that the car got built on time and on budget. However, when the car flopped in the marketplace, it would be the p-manager’s fault because he had said that a 3-wheeled car was what the world needed.A New Way To Evaluate Product ManagersWhat was needed here was a new way to evaluate product managers. Others have discussed this topic and they’ve focused on getting the product’s requirements correct. I think that this is important; however, the p-manager’s job does not end there.What I told the manager and his team was that a much better way to evaluate product managers is to focus on the four areas that a product manager actually controls. These all have to do with the up-front work of determining what product to create, creating the product, and then ensuring that the product is a success once it’s been made.The four areas include: knowledge of the market, providing a well understood business strategy, empowering the company with product tactics, and directing the creation of product related content. Each one of these areas has plenty of room for individual performance metrics to be created that can be used to evaluate how well a p-manager is doing his / her job.What All Of This Means For YouP-managers, just like every other employee in a company, need to be evaluated in order to determine if they are doing a good job. The problem is that nobody really seems to have come up with a good way of doing this.P-managers are not project managers. This means that the traditional management metrics of delivering a product on a given date and keeping it on budget, don’t really seem to apply to p-managers.What a p-manager does is pretty much all “behind the scenes”. We deal in relationships as we get people to do different things at different times. We are an information hub that provides the right information to the right people at the right time.A much better way to evaluate product managers is to focus on the four areas that a p-manager actually controls: knowledge of the market, providing a well understood business strategy, empowering the company with product tactics, and directing the creation of product related content.The performance of a p-manager can be measured. However, you need to be very careful to do it in terms of what a product manager does, not what a project manager does. Once you establish the proper metrics to measure your p-manager by, you’ll be able to determine just how successful your products are going to be. </p><div class="mads-block"></div>]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://sngiezhms.info/breakthrough-in-solving-the-problem-of-how-to-evaluate-a-product-manager,html/feed</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> </item> <item> <title>Why Product Management Is Broken And What To Do About It</title> <link>https://sngiezhms.info/why-product-management-is-broken-and-what-to-do-about-it,html</link> <comments>https://sngiezhms.info/why-product-management-is-broken-and-what-to-do-about-it,html#comments</comments> <pubDate>Tue, 04 Apr 2023 09:19:42 +0000</pubDate> <dc:creator>admin</dc:creator> <category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category> <category><![CDATA[product management]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://sngiezhms.info/?p=64</guid> <description><![CDATA[Excuse me for just a moment while I look around for my soapbox – oh, here it is. Now I’m ready to share a shocking piece of information with you. Please make sure that you are sitting down. Product Management is broken. It really does not work. Yes, some products are successful, but it’s not [...]]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p> Excuse me for just a moment while I look around for my soapbox – oh, here it is. Now I’m ready to share a shocking piece of information with you. Please make sure that you are sitting down. Product Management is broken. It really does not work. Yes, some products are successful, but it’s not because of the actions of the product managers – it’s good luck, it’s market conditions, it’s the missteps of their competitors. What’s gone wrong here?How Product Management BrokeHow did we get into this situation? I think that a lot of it comes from the very name of the task that so many of us have signed up to perform: “product mgmt”. What does that mean anyway?Look, if I asked you to manage a group of people, how would you go about doing that? You’d probably sit down, figure out what needed to be done, and then you’d tell the people that you were managing what they needed to do. With a little luck, they’d do it and you’d be considered to be a successful manager.Now let’s take a look at what it means to be a product manager. You are given a product or a service to manage and a product development definition. You sit down, determine what the market really needs, and then you tell your product what to do. That’s when nothing happens. The reason that nothing happens is because you really can’t manage a product – it does not have the ability to listen to you or to do what you want. There really is no such thing as true “product manager”.Instead, what we do is to spend our time trying to get various people in the company who don’t actually work for us to do things that will improve the chances of our product becoming a success. Hmm, that sure seems a lot different than “managing a product”. However, if you take a look at the various product management frameworks and task lists out there, they all seem to think that we’re actually controlling a product. The truth is that we’re not. Unfortunately, that’s not something that any of us really want to put on our product manager resume.How To Fix Product ManagementSo how are we going to fix the product mgmt profession? It’s pretty clear that the idea of actually managing a product doesn’t really line up with the reality. It’s pretty clear that we need a new paradigm here.I’d like you to take just a moment and think back to the last time that you watched the Winter Olympics on TV. Remember all of those strange sports that you only see during the Olympics? One of the ones that has always caught my attention has been Curling.In Curling, a large, heavy stone is slid along a sheet of ice and two people with brooms attempt to make its path a smooth as possible without actually touching the stone. The goal is to make the stone end up in the correct final resting place.In all honesty, this sport reminds me very much of what we product managers are trying to do. Often we’ve not actually launched the big, heavy product that we are responsible for. However, just like the Curlers with the brooms, it is our job to clear a path for our product in order to get it to end up being as successful as possible.What this means is that our focus as product managers has to be less on controlling the path that our product is going to take simply because there’s not a lot that we can do about that. Where we should be spending our time and energy instead is clearing a path for our products so that they will be successful.Right now there are no frameworks or product mgmt books that take this approach. Instead, they spend a lot of time talking about how you can get the stone to move in a different direction. I believe that your market and your customers have control over that. Don’t waste your time trying to change your product’s direction. Instead you need to grab a broom and get to work!What All Of This Means For YouThe idea behind just exactly what a product manager is appears to be flawed. In reality, product managers really don’t spend any time managing their products. The reason for this is that products can’t be managed – they can’t hear what you tell them and they can’t respond to your wishes. You’ll never find this on any product manager job description.Instead, what product managers need to understand is that just like in the Winter Olympic sport of Curling, the trajectory that our product is going to take is pretty much out of our hands. Instead of futile efforts to change its direction, product managers need to understand where their efforts can have an effect. This comes down to clearing a path for their product to take.I fully understand that not everyone is going to agree with my point-of-view. Many product managers have a lot invested in the old school product management frameworks that exist today. However, give my ideas some thoughts, think about what you’ve been able to accomplish (or not!), and see if this new way of looking at product management might solve some of the problems that you are looking at today… </p>]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://sngiezhms.info/why-product-management-is-broken-and-what-to-do-about-it,html/feed</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> </item> <item> <title>Results Of YOUR Vote: Where Do Product Managers Need The Most Help?</title> <link>https://sngiezhms.info/results-of-your-vote-where-do-product-managers-need-the-most-help,html</link> <comments>https://sngiezhms.info/results-of-your-vote-where-do-product-managers-need-the-most-help,html#comments</comments> <pubDate>Tue, 04 Apr 2023 07:00:10 +0000</pubDate> <dc:creator>admin</dc:creator> <category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category> <category><![CDATA[product management]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://sngiezhms.info/?p=62</guid> <description><![CDATA[The results of the first ever The Accidental Product Manager “where do you need the most help with product management” survey are now in! First off, let me take just a moment and thank everyone who took the time to (1) read my really long email, and (2) hit the “reply” button and sent me [...]]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p> The results of the first ever The Accidental Product Manager “where do you need the most help with product management” survey are now in! First off, let me take just a moment and thank everyone who took the time to (1) read my really long email, and (2) hit the “reply” button and sent me the number of the area of product management that you would most like to have help with. The answers were both exactly what I was expecting and a bit of a surprise at the same time – let me explain.The VoteBefore we spend any time reviewing the results of this survey, we should probably take a step back and make sure that we all remember just exactly what everyone was voting on. I created 7 (very high level) stages of the product management process. The question that I asked everyone was which of these stages was the one that they would like to know more about?<br />Know – all the stuff you are supposed to do before you decide to create a product. ID customers, segments, needs, etc.<br />Plan – once you’ve decided to create a product (or a next version) this is all of the business planning, sales planning, roadmap creation, etc. that comes next.<br />Execute – you know what your product looks like, this is where you determine who you’ll be selling it to, how you’ll get their attention, how much it will cost, etc.<br />Create – this is the heavy lifting: understanding your customers, creating your messaging, coming up with product requirements, creating various forms of content, etc.<br />Refine – we never do everything right the first time, this has to do with how we learn from what we’ve done in order to get better<br />Succeed – how do you help your company sell your product and what types of tools and training are you on the hook for?<br />Next – sometimes called support, this is really all about how you work with your existing customers to prep them to buy your next product or version of the product that they already have<br />And did you tell me! It took an entire weekend for me to sort through everyone’s responses. I just want to let everyone who took the time to send a response how much I appreciate your participation in this exercise. Now let’s get on to the results!The ResultsSo who won? The first stage of the product management process, Know, was the winner – however, not by much! The second stage, Plan, came in a very close second. Third place was a bit farther down the line in slot #4 – Create.What’s even more interesting is what parts of the product management process didn’t win. These were the final three stages: Refine / Succeed / Next. I’ll have more to say about this later on.What this tells me is that everyone seems to be tuned into the fact that if you want to manage a successful product, you need to do your homework up front. Doing the market research and knowing who your customer is before you start to manufacture and ship products is vital.What These Results Tell UsAs an experienced product manager, the results of this survey don’t really surprise me all that much – but they do confirm a number of different things. We product managers always seem to like to focus on the “sexy” part of product management: product definition. What we don’t like as much is the grind of actually helping to sell the things once they’ve been created.This is actually a bit of a mistake on our part I think. If you want to be a successful product manager and move up in your company, you are not going to be recognized for how pretty of a product you can create (unless you work for Apple). Instead, what the company is going to be looking at you to do is to create a product that they can sell a lot of . This is exactly what happens at the tail end of the product management process.In order for a product to be a success, you can’t do it all alone. The final few stages of the product management process have a lot to do with you working with other people and departments in your company. This isn’t easy to do and yes, you really don’t have a lot of control over what they are going to be doing.In the end, being a product manager is a tough job. There is a lot of work that we have to do and it’s not always clear what we need to be doing or how we can determine if we’ve done it well.Next StepsSo why did we go through all of the effort of doing a survey? Simple – you’ve been asking for it. During the 4 years that I’ve been publishing The Accidental Product Manager not a week has gone by that I’ve not received questions from readers about one or more areas of being a product manager. I’ve been there and I’ve done it and I’m more than willing to share what I know.Ultimately, answering questions one at a time struck me as just not really being all that efficient – I’m sure that there are a lot of you out there that have the same questions. I needed to come up with a way to provide you with a product management system that you could use and to answer your questions about how to become a successful product manager.I’m just about ready to take the wraps off of an online product manager training course that I’m going to be rolling out here in a few days. This is going to be unlike any other Product Management training you’ve ever seen so keep your eyes open. Great things are coming your way!What All Of This Means For YouThis has been a good learning experience for me. All too often I think that I know everything and it’s good for me to be reminded that I really don’t! The fact that I got so many different responses from so many different people tells me that there is a real need out there for some really good product management information.It is very clear that the field of product management is still a new field. We’re all very interested in what happens at the beginning. In part, we’re correct – you’ve got to get things off to a good start if you want your product to be a success later on down the line. However, it’s also very clear that we don’t yet fully understand where the money comes from. Money is made once the product has been created. That’s when the really hard product management work starts!I’ve got your answers – and once again thank you very much for providing them to me. Now I’ve got to get my act together and create the training that you are so very clearly asking for. Give me just a bit of time and I think that I’ll be able to provide you with what you are asking for… </p>]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://sngiezhms.info/results-of-your-vote-where-do-product-managers-need-the-most-help,html/feed</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> </item> <item> <title>SEO a Scam? The Truth About the Industry</title> <link>https://sngiezhms.info/seo-a-scam-the-truth-about-the-industry,html</link> <comments>https://sngiezhms.info/seo-a-scam-the-truth-about-the-industry,html#comments</comments> <pubDate>Thu, 30 Mar 2023 11:31:18 +0000</pubDate> <dc:creator>admin</dc:creator> <category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://sngiezhms.info/?p=60</guid> <description><![CDATA[I frequent many SEO and Web Marketing forums on a daily basis and every so often there is a debate about the SEO industry and ethics. After being involved in a number of these debates, it has become really obvious that the main problems are the facts that no two SEO companies are alike and [...]]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p> I frequent many SEO and Web Marketing forums on a daily basis and every so often there is a debate about the SEO industry and ethics. After being involved in a number of these debates, it has become really obvious that the main problems are the facts that no two SEO companies are alike and there is no unified methodology. It’s very hard to make statements about the industry as a whole because it’s debatable what exactly ‘SEO’ is. Mix in the fact that most SEO companies keep their methodology and campaign strategies secret and we have a situation where every company is totally different with very different results.Fact 1 : There is no unified SEO methodology. SEO is actually defined by wikipedia as a process of improving traffic from SERPs to a site. Of course, HOW they do that is the real question and causes the debates.Fact 2 : The effectiveness of an SEO campaign depends on the site structure, site content, keywords, methodology used, and how popular the site is. A site cannot just rank for any random keyword. SEO is also not voodoo. It is logic, problem solving, and Web marketing mixed together. If your site provides no value to users, it probably won’t rank.Fact 3 : Some ‘SEOs’ do search engine optimization and some do search engine manipulation. Of course, it is all marketed as SEO. Unethical optimization provides results at any cost and is always short term (usually ends in a banned domain name). Ethical optimization opens up the site to the search engines and provides long term benefits.Fact 4 : Most SEO companies get paid whether or not your site gets any rankings. Unfortunately, this is the case with the industry. Most SEO companies implement A, B, and C and move on to the next client. Hopefully, the site ranks. If it doesn’t, they always have more clients.Fact 5 : Most SEO companies use both ethical and unethical inbound linking strategies.To maximize profits, it is very common for SEO companies to buy bulk links from India, links on spam/scraper web sites, or sell large directory submission packages. It is also common for SEO companies to place huge amounts of the contract into inbound linking to make up for the poor quality of the site optimization.I don’t think it is fair to characterize the industry as a whole without figuring out what is wrong with it and how SEO companies can overcome it. So how exactly do we determine what is good and bad about the industry? I have now been involved with the Web for over 10 years and, specifically, with the SEO industry for almost 4 years and I’ve seen the inner workings of major SEO companies and worked with clients who had been burned by their previous SEO campaigns. Combined with numerous Web postings and forum debates talking about the same basic problems, I’ve compiled a list of the most common issues.Problem 1: Responsibility for ResultsIt’s no secret that the vast majority of SEO companies take no responsibility for results. It is a fact that no SEO company can guarantee results (and if they do, they are lying to you). It is also a fact that the client is taking a risk by spending money with an SEO company that basically says ‘We’ll do what we can’. SEO companies simply guarantee they’ll do the work to ‘optimize’ the site, but without full disclosure of their methodology, what exactly is the client paying for? No other industry sells a product with no guarantees and no specific list of work that will be completed. Of course, SEO work is basically the sales of information and keeping the specifics of a methodology is important, but the combination of secrecy and no responsibility for results really makes SEO campaigns risky. So, how can an SEO company reduce the risk for the client and provide the best grade of service?Answer 1: Incentive Based PricingThe only real way to reduce the financial risk of the client is to share the risk. Through incentive-based pricing, the SEO company can charge a certain percentage of the total contract (say 70%) to cover their intellectual property and time while placing the rest of the contract price (remaining 30%) in incentives for success. Of course, incentives and their percentage of the contract would be totally relative depending on the campaign. This first step into sharing in the risk provides both reassurance to the client that the company believes in its methodology and places some of the financial burden of the campaign on the SEO company. At the moment, however, very few SEO companies are willing to share in the risk and charge the same price whether the client gets top rankings or no rankings at all (or possibly even lower rankings).Problem 2: Unethical OptimizationUnfortunately, unethical (or blackhat) optimization is still very prominent on the Web. It’s also unfortunate that ‘SEO’ has been mistakenly confused with ‘Blackhat SEO’. This is still the biggest problem for SEO companies. Saying that all SEO companies deal in blackhat optimization is like saying everyone who emails is a spammer. Blackhat optimization is not optimization at all…it is search engine manipulation. Because there is so much money tied to top rankings, there will always be a market for unethical SEO and search engine spam. Until companies realize what is ethical and unethical and stop supporting those blackhat SEO companies, they will continue to thrive. This makes the industry as a whole look bad and does not reflect the ethics of good SEO companies. Blackhat provides fast, short term results, but is never a good option in the long run.Answer 2: Ethical OptimizationThere is no quick and easy solution to blackhat optimization’s stain on the SEO industry. I would suggest that all marketing departments research optimization techniques and educate themselves on what techniques are unethical. No SEO company is going to say they do unethical optimization. It’s also not a good idea to immediately trust a company or product based simply on their rankings. Unethical optimization DOES provide rankings…just not for the long run.It would also be helpful if the major search engines would be more open and accessible to SEO companies. Currently, the major search engines and SEO companies do not deal with each other and have formed a sort of love-hate relationship. Because of this, many ethical SEOs have slowly moved into dark territory. Ethical optimization seeks to make sites more easily accessible to the engines and help to improve the engine’s search results. The problem is that the search engines mainly clump all SEO companies together the same way as uninformed users do: search engine manipulation. This is just not the case. Search engines do not want to reveal what they consider unethical because it would basically be providing a list of holes in their algorithms that blackhat SEOs would be able to manipulate further, but a defined list of ‘what not to do’ would provide a definitive list for businesses looking for an SEO company.Basic Rules of Ethical OptimizationAny campaign that does not abide by the following rules is dealing in unethical optimization techniques and should be avoided.1.) What the user sees and what the search engine sees should be exactly the same. Do not hide anything.2.) Your keywords (and the resulting optimization) should exactly reflect the content of the page.Keywords should always reflect what your site is about.3.) Do not build out pages exclusively for search engines. The site should always cater to both audiences (users and search engines). Catering to only users is why optimization is necessary. Catering only to search engines is optimization gone too far into blackhat.4.) Do not participate in manipulative inbound linking schemes like link farms, bulk links, triangle linking, or any other unethical manipulation of your Google PageRank or link authority. Inbound links should be relevant to the content of your site and you should always know who is linking to you and where your links come from.Problem 3: Assembly Line / Software SEOWith the growth of the SEO industry has also come the automation of SEO. The absolute first thing any prospective SEO client should know is that all effective SEO campaigns are custom. There is no checklist of items that will work exactly the same on every site. If the SEO company claims there is, then they are not doing full optimization and the campaign is minimal. A good optimization campaign optimizes the site architecture, text content, and code of the site. Assembly line SEO does not take into consideration the unique needs/design of the site and may even deal in blackhat optimization. SEO software especially should be looked at closely. There are really only two things SEO software could do that would work for any site: doorway pages (showing engines one thing and users a different thing; which is unethical) or a system of pages build exclusively for search engines (often called info or information pages and linked in an out of the way part of the page). Doorway pages are 100% unethical and info pages are deep in the gray area. Neither of those two methods address the architecture of the site, proper keyword analysis, or effective text content. The following links are examples of automated SEO software freely available on the Web. All links contain ‘nofollow’ to prevent the sites from getting inbound link credit from our site. These sites are NOT recommended by TreeHouse SEM.http://doorwaypagemaker.com/ – Doorway page system; UNETHICALhttp://www.doorway-wizard.com/ – Doorway page system; UNETHICALAnswer 3: Custom Campaign and Assessment’SEO Software’ may be cheap and affordable, but you get what you pay for. Any campaign that is going to slap on additional pages are simply sell you links is NOT an effective SEO campaign. Any SEO effort that simply has you add a few ‘optimized’ pages to your site is not going to be optimal. If you wanted to convert a street car into a race car, you don’t simply add racing strips to it. Don’t think that dumping a few pages on your site targeted to some random keywords is the same as a real SEO campaign.If your SEO company will not sit down and talk about the layout, architecture, and aim of your site, then it is not providing a top-end service. Remember that the vast majority of ‘SEO software’ either is for building doorway/landing pages or simply providing you with data about your site (data that is already free to everyone on the Web). Good SEO campaigns take into account both the user and the search engines…not one or the other. An SEO company should have a commanding understanding of user experience and search engine optimization and use these in combination to create a campaign that will provide the best ROI. The end goal should always be leads/sales. Bringing in piles of non-targeted traffic often leads to extremely high turn over rates and very low lead conversion.ConclusionDo your research. Find out what you want from an optimization campaign and then ask the right questions. Make sure that the sales representative you talk to knows what they are selling. If they do not, they are definitely not the person to get information from. A lot of SEO companies use hard sale tactics and the reps are less than knowledgeable about what they are selling. Ask the following questions and see what they have to say.1.) How do you assess keywords? If an SEO company simply optimizes for whatever keywords are sent to them by the client, the SEO campaign starts off on very shaky ground. Keyword analysis should be performed that takes into account the number of searches in all the major search engines and the relative competition for those terms. The site should also be compared to the keywords to see if they support each other.2.) Do you plan on building out pages specifically to house keywords? Landing pages and doorway pages are not effective long term SEO options. SEO companies like them because they do not have to touch the rest of the site and it’s very easy to simply add band aids instead of performing surgery.3.) Will my SEO campaign also help improve the user experience of the site? Proper architecture and usability goes hand in hand with SEO and helps increase ROI. You should want to bring in new traffic and convert it.4.) Does my revenue model affect my keyword selection and the optimization as a whole? Any SEO company that does not optimize based on the target audience is NOT providing the most effective campaign. An ecommerce site marketing to comparative shoppers will want to optimize heavily for product names and model numbers. An online magazine wanting to bring in recurring traffic will want to optimize for article topics and specific themes. Local companies will want to optimize for geo-targeted keywords.5.) I want to optimize my site, but do not want to change any of the existing content or layout…how would you go about this? Any SEO company that says they will simply add on landing pages or hide text is selling blackhat. This goes back to the earlier analogy. You are really saying that you have a car that you want to modify to be very fast, but do not want to modify the engine and the mechanic simply adds racking stripes and charges you full price. </p>]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://sngiezhms.info/seo-a-scam-the-truth-about-the-industry,html/feed</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> </item> <item> <title>There is an excessive amount of traffic coming from your Region.</title> <link>https://sngiezhms.info/there-is-an-excessive-amount-of-traffic-coming-from-your-region,html</link> <comments>https://sngiezhms.info/there-is-an-excessive-amount-of-traffic-coming-from-your-region,html#comments</comments> <pubDate>Wed, 29 Mar 2023 18:23:49 +0000</pubDate> <dc:creator>admin</dc:creator> <category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Internet Marketing]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://sngiezhms.info/?p=58</guid> <description><![CDATA[#EANF#]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>#EANF#</p>]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://sngiezhms.info/there-is-an-excessive-amount-of-traffic-coming-from-your-region,html/feed</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> </item> <item> <title>Software Maintenance Implications on Cost and Schedule</title> <link>https://sngiezhms.info/software-maintenance-implications-on-cost-and-schedule,html</link> <comments>https://sngiezhms.info/software-maintenance-implications-on-cost-and-schedule,html#comments</comments> <pubDate>Wed, 29 Mar 2023 16:38:57 +0000</pubDate> <dc:creator>admin</dc:creator> <category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://sngiezhms.info/?p=56</guid> <description><![CDATA[Abstract The dictionary defines maintenance as, “The work of keeping something in proper order.” However, this definition does not necessarily fit for software. Software maintenance is different from hardware maintenance because software doesn’t physically wear out, but often gets less useful with age. Software is typically delivered with undiscovered flaws. Therefore, software maintenance is: “The [...]]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p> Abstract The dictionary defines maintenance as, “The work of keeping something in proper order.” However, this definition does not necessarily fit for software. Software maintenance is different from hardware maintenance because software doesn’t physically wear out, but often gets less useful with age. Software is typically delivered with undiscovered flaws. Therefore, software maintenance is: “The process of modifying existing operational software while leaving its primary functions intact.” Maintenance typically exceeds fifty percent of the systems’ life cycle cost . While software maintenance can be treated as a level of effort activity, there are consequences on quality, functionality, reliability, cost and schedule that can be mitigated through the use of parametric estimation techniques.1. INTRODUCTION One of the greatest challenges facing software engineers is the management of change control. It has been estimated that the cost of change control can be between 40% and 70% of the life cycle costs . Software engineers have hoped that new languages and new process would greatly reduce these numbers; however this has not been the case. Fundamentally this is because software is still delivered with a significant number of defects. Capers Jones estimates that there are about 5 bugs per Function Point created during Development . Watts Humphrey found “… even experienced software engineers normally inject 100 or more defects per KSLOC . Capers Jones says, “A series of studies the defect density of software ranges from 49.5 to 94.5 errors per thousand lines of code .” The purpose of this article is to first review the fundamentals of software maintenance and to present alternative approaches to estimating software maintenance. A key element to note is that development and management decisions made during the development process can significantly affect the developmental cost and the resulting maintenance costs.2. SOFTWARE MAINTENANCE Maintenance activities include all work carried out post-delivery and should be distinguished from block modifications which represent significant design and development effort and supersede a previously released software package. These maintenance activities can be quite diverse, and it helps to identify exactly what post-delivery activities are to be included in an estimate of maintenance effort. Maintenance activities, once defined, may be evaluated in a quite different light than when called simply “maintenance”. Software maintenance is different from hardware maintenance because software doesn’t physically wear out, but software often gets less useful with age and it may be delivered with undiscovered flaws. In addition to the undiscovered flaws, it is common that some number of known defects pass from the development organization to the maintenance group. Accurate estimation of the effort required to maintain delivered software is aided by the decomposition of the overall effort into the various activities that make up the whole process.3. APPROACHING THE MAINTENANCE ISSUE Maintenance is a complicated and structured process. In his textbook, Estimating Software Intensive Systems, Richard Stuzke outlines the typical software maintenance process. It is apparent that the process is more than just writing new code.The following checklist can be used to explore the realism and accuracy of maintenance requirements.o Which pieces of software will be maintained?o How long will the system need to be maintained?o Are you estimating the entire maintenance problem, or just incremental maintenance?o What level of maintenance is required?o Is that which is being called maintenance in fact a new development project?o Who will do the maintenance? Will it be done organically by the original developer? Will there be a separate team? Will there be a separate organization?o Will maintainers be using the same tools used during development? Are any proprietary tools required for maintenance?o How much Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS) is there? How tightly coupled are the interfaces?o Some follow-on development may be disguised as maintenance. This will either inflate maintenance figures, or else cause shortfalls if basic maintenance gets pushed aside. These questions will help you ask whether maintenance is being honestly represented.o Is the activity really an incremental improvement?o Are healthy chunks of the original code being rewritten or changed?o Will additional staff be brought in to perform the upgrade?o Is the maintenance effort schedule regular and fairly flat, or does it contain staffing humps that look like new development?4. SANITY CHECKS Although sanity checks should be sought on a year-by-year basis, they should not be attempted for overall development. The reason for this is that maintenance activities can be carried on indefinitely, rendering any life-cycle rules useless. As an example, consider Grady (p. 17):We spend about 2 to 3 times as much effort maintaining and enhancing software as we spend creating new software.This and similar observations apply at an organizational level and higher, but not for a specific project. Any development group with a history will be embroiled in the long tail ends of their many delivered projects, still needing indefinite attention. Here are a few quick sanity checks:o One maintainer can handle about 10,000 lines per year.o Overall life-cycle effort is typically 40% development and 60% maintenance.o Maintenance costs on average are one-sixth of yearly development costs.o Successful systems are usually maintained for 10 to 20 years.Finally, as in development, the amount of code that is new versus modified makes a difference. The effective size, that is, the equivalent effort if all the work were new code, is still the key input for both development and maintenance cost estimation.5. FIVE ALTERNATIVE APPROACHES All software estimation techniques must be able to model the theory and the likely real world result. The real world scenario is that over time, the overlay of changes upon changes makes software increasingly difficult to maintain and thus less useful. Maintenance effort estimation techniques range from the simplistic level of effort method, through more thoughtful analysis and development practice modifications, to the use of parametric models in order to use historical data to project future needs.5.1 Level of Effort As is sometimes the case in the development environment, software maintenance can be modeled as a level of effort activity. Given the repair category activities and the great variance that they show, this approach clearly has deficiencies. In this approach, a level of effort to maintain software is based on size and type.5.2 Level of Effort Plus Stuzke proposed that software maintenance starts with basic level of effort (minimum people needed to have a core competency and then that that basic core staff must be modified by assessing three additional factors; configuration management, quality assurance, and project management. His process addressed some of the additional factors affecting software maintenance.5.3 Maintenance Change Factor Software Cost Estimation with COCOMO II (Boehm 2000) proposes a deceivingly simple, but also quite useful methodology for determining annual maintenance. Maintenance is one of the menu selections in the menu bar. In COCOMO II Maintenance encompasses the process of modifying existing operational software while leaving its primary functions intact. This process excludes:o Major re-design and re-development (more than 50% new code) of a new software product performing substantially the same functions.o Design and development of a sizeable (more than 20% of the source instructions comprising the existing product) interfacing software package which requires relatively little redesigning of the existing product.o Data processing system operations, data entry, and modification of values in the database.The maintenance calculations are heavily based upon the Maintenance Change Factor (MCF) and the Maintenance Adjustment Factor (MAF). The MCF is similar to the Annual change Traffic in COCOMO81, except that maintenance periods other than a year can be used. The resulting maintenance effort estimation formula is the same as the COCOMO II Post Architecture development model.As stated previously, three cost drivers for maintenance differ from development. Those cost drivers are software reliability, modern programming practices, and schedule. COCOMO II assumes that increased investment in software reliability and use of modern programming practices during software development has a strong positive effect upon the maintenance stage.Annual Maintenance Effort = (Annual Change Traffic) * (Original Software Development Effort)The quantity Original Software Development Effort refers to the total effort (person-months or other unit of measure) expended throughout development, even if a multi-year project.The multiplier Annual Change Traffic is the proportion of the overall software to be modified during the year. This is relatively easy to obtain from engineering estimates. Developers often maintain change lists, or have a sense of proportional change to be required even before development is complete.5.4 Managing Software Maintenance Costs by Developmental Techniques and Management Decisions During DevelopmentWhen it comes to maintenance, “a penny spent is a pound saved.” Better development practices (even if more expensive) can significantly reduce maintenance effort, and reduce overall life cycle cost. The more effort put into development, the less required in maintenance. As an example, the software development cost and schedule can be significantly impacted (reduced) by letting the number of defects delivered grow. This cost and schedule reduction is more than offset by the increase in maintenance cost. The following discussion is an example of how management decision can significantly affect/reduce software maintenance costs.Lloyd Huff and George Novak of Lockheed Martin Aeronautics in their paper “Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Performance Based Software Sustainment for the F-35 Lightning II” propose a series of development and management decision designed to impact and reduce software maintenance costs. They propose an eight step process to estimate and control software maintenance . Their proposed steps are:1. Strive for Commonality2. Apply Industrial Engineering Practices to Software3. Engage4. Adopt a Holistic Approach to Sustainment5. Develop Highly Maintainable Systems and Software6. Manage the Off-the-Shelf Software7. Plan for the Unexpected8. Analyze and Refine the Software Sustainment Business Case (use Parametric software sustainment cost estimates)5.5 A Parametric Assessment of Software MaintenanceParametric models like SEER for Software allow maintenance to be modeled in either of two ways:Estimating maintenance as a part of the total lifecycle cost. Choosing the appropriate Maintenance category parameters will include an estimate of maintenance effort with the development estimate for the individual software program. Several reports and charts show breakdowns of development vs. maintenance effort. This method is best used to evaluate life cycle costs for each individual software program.Estimating maintenance as a separate activity. Using the appropriate maintenance parameters for the software to be maintained you can model the maintenance effort as a separate activity. This method will allow you to fine tune your maintenance estimate by adjusting parameters. Maintenance size should be the same as development size, but should be entered as all pre-existing code. This method can also be useful in breaking out total project maintenance costs from project development costs.A good parametric estimate for maintenance includes a wide range of information. Critical information for completing a software maintenance estimate is the size or amount of software that will be maintained, the quality of that software, the quality and availability of the documentation, and the type or amount of maintenance that will be done. Many organizations don’t actually estimate maintenance costs; they simply have a budget for software maintenance. In this case, a parametric model should be used to compute how much maintenance can actually be performed with the given budget.Estimating and planning for maintenance are critical activities if the software is required to function properly throughout its expected life. Even with a limited budget, a plan can be made to use the resources available in the most efficient, productive manner. Looking at the diagram above, you can see that not only are the multiple inputs that impact the maintenance, but there are several key outputs that provide the information necessary to plan a successful maintenance effort.6. Conclusion The conclusions of this article are:o Software maintenance can be modeled using a simplistic method like Level of Effort Staffing, but this technique has significant drawbacks.o Software maintenance costs can be significantly affected by management decisions during the developmental process.o Software maintenance can be accurately estimated using parametric processes.o Software maintenance is best modeled when development and management decisions are coupled with parametric cost estimation techniques.REFERENCES [1] Software Maintenance Concepts and Practices (second Edition) by Penny Grubb and Armstrong Takang, World Scientific, 2005.[2] Estimating Software Intensive Systems; Richard Stuzke, 2005, Addison-Wesley.[3] Lloyd Huff, George Novak; Lockheed Martin Aeronautics; Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Performance Based Software Sustainment for the F-35 Lightning II.[4] G. Edward Bryan, “CP-6: Quality and Productivity Measures in the 15-Year Life Cycle of an Operating System,” Software Quality Journal 2, 129-144, June 1993.[5] Software Sizing, Estimation, and Risk Management; Daniel D. Galorath, Michael W. Evans, 2006, Auerbach Publications. </p>]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://sngiezhms.info/software-maintenance-implications-on-cost-and-schedule,html/feed</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> </item> <item> <title>Increase Your Earning Potential Using A Trade Copier Software</title> <link>https://sngiezhms.info/increase-your-earning-potential-using-a-trade-copier-software,html</link> <comments>https://sngiezhms.info/increase-your-earning-potential-using-a-trade-copier-software,html#comments</comments> <pubDate>Wed, 29 Mar 2023 15:00:15 +0000</pubDate> <dc:creator>admin</dc:creator> <category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://sngiezhms.info/?p=53</guid> <description><![CDATA[Foreign currency trading is a very lucrative investment option, but the inexperience and lack of knowledge in foreign currency trading makes beginners a little apprehensive about the whole affair. They fumble when it comes to opening and closing trades in the market. Also, they are unable to tell the high-earning positions from the unprofitable ones.Using [...]]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p> Foreign currency trading is a very lucrative investment option, but the inexperience and lack of knowledge in foreign currency trading makes beginners a little apprehensive about the whole affair. They fumble when it comes to opening and closing trades in the market. Also, they are unable to tell the high-earning positions from the unprofitable ones.Using a trade copier might be the best option for most beginners until they get a deeper insight into the working of the Forex market and are able to trade independently. In fact, trade copier softwares have become so popular that they are being considered a necessity for successful trading rather than an optional tool to be taken only by those who need help.To understand how a trade copier works, it will help to first understand how copy trading works.What is Copy Trading?Forex stands for Foreign Exchange. Forex enables investors to earn by speculating on the value of currency. Copy trading is an investment strategy used in Forex trading. It involves copying trades or trade decisions made by other investors. This other investor is generally a seasoned investor or one who has a reputation of generating consistent profits in the marketplace. The system is based on a kind of social trading network and the person whose trades you copy is a mentor.The process of Forex trading starts with setting up an account with a broker. If you choose to copy a trade, a fixed amount of your funds get automatically linked to the account of the investor whose trades you intend to copy. Each time the investor trades including opening or closing an option or issuing a stop loss order, your account will copy the movements in proportion to the amount of money linked to the account. Every time the trader profits, you will profit and every time he loses you will lose. The system allows you to profit significantly by not restricting you to a single account; you can link it to different traders’ accounts.Copy trading differs from mirror trading in the fact that the latter allows you to copy on specific trade strategies and not all. In copy trading, you can copy an entire strategy or mirror individual trades only; the choice is yours. The option of copying several accounts is a better option as it helps mitigate risks. The trade copier software allows you to stop copying other’s trades and starting trading independently whenever you want. You can close the copy relationship altogether.Copy trading can be done manually or mechanically. There are specially designed trade copier software programs to enable it to be done mechanically. Its ability to copy an indefinite number of accounts gives you all the information you need to take sound trade decisions. Also, it has integrated several other tools to maximize profit and minimize risk.Local vs. Remote Trade Copier SoftwareTrade copier software is of two basic types. The first one is remote while the second is local. The two differ on various grounds. A local version is used primarily to trade between many different accounts, between account managers and also by retail managers trading with multiple brokers. This exposes one to a greater number of trades thereby increasing the earning potential. This software generally operates on a local network.The remote trade copier permits trades between multiple accounts. It is a fully-automated solution and the trading is conducted from a remote server or machine. In today’s times, the remote version has become more popular because it is more sophisticated and highly reliable. It also allows for high speed trading. Being fully automated, it reduces the workload for managers and traders who can then rely on automated signals.How does Forex Trade Copier Software help?When the concept of copy trading was introduced, it was believed that it offered the most benefits to account managers and not much to retail Forex traders. This is not what it actually is. The software program can be used by account managers and retail Forex traders.There are several benefits of using the trade copier software. The software converts vital trade data into an easier format and copies it to different accounts simultaneously. Since the process is handled by computers, it eliminates the need for human effort. Imagine the amount of work that would have gone into it if the same process was done manually. It also saves a good amount of time. Even if you are a full-time trader and are quick at replicating trades, you might not be able to do it as efficiently as the program because after all manual processes are prone to mistakes.When you copy trades, as an investor you can capitalize on another investor’s ability to predict market movements. It enables an investor to manage his or her money more effectively by distributing it profitably. Trade reversal is another advantage of using the trade copier. If you think you are going to lose on a particular trade you can reverse it that is you sell when the trade is buy and vice versa. It is called the stop loss order in trading jargon.Making the Right ChoiceThere are plenty of trade copier software packages available for use in the market. The choice of software is what makes the difference between success and failure. Hence, you should pay careful attention to the features the program has to offer.The first most obvious feature and of course a standard feature on most packages is automation. Trading software opens and executes trades on the basis of pre-programmed algorithms. The Forex market is a highly volatile one. The real earnings come from responding quickly to the sudden movements in the market. And, if you’ve done a bit of reading on Forex trading, you must know that when these movements might occur is totally unpredictable. The copier software you choose should ask for minimum human intervention. A high level of automation allows one to copy trades to and from master accounts instantly.The trade copier program must run the MetaTrader 4 trading platform. MetaTrader or MT4 as it is also referred to, is an electronic trading platform used in retail foreign exchange. It comprises a client and server component. The server component is managed by the broker while the client component is provided to his customers. If the program you have does not have MetaTrader 4, it is a better option not to invest in it. It is preferable to go for the older versions of the MT4 platform. Also, it should allow for regular updates as and when the newer versions are released. It should also be compatible with future versions.When choosing trade copier software, the ease of use is another feature you might want to consider. Ease of use allows even the least tech-savvy traders to benefit from the program. The program should be easy to install. Detailed instructions provided by the manufacturer can be of great help in this regard. It makes it less stressful as it eases the learning curve.Versatility is another feature that defines an efficient program. When we say versatility, we mean that the software has the capability to mirror trades to multiple accounts thus putting you in a better position to open and close trades. If you can get trade copier software that allows for reverse trading, there is nothing like it.Additionally, one must be able to customize the copier program to one’s individual needs. This includes the ability to adjust profit and stop loss levels, multiplier levels, the choice of currency pairs and the likes. The software should be complete in itself and should not require any additional programs to support it.Your budget also goes a long way in influencing your choice. Don’t hesitate to pay a little extra for tried, tested and proven software programs.As we end, there is a small tip I would like to give. The trade copier system is an automated system and will take vital trading decisions on your behalf based on the market trends. However, if you want to be in better control of your investments, you should evaluate the collected data and decide to what degree you want to follow or copy the trade decisions of another investor. Also, don’t get into Forex trading a blank slate. You should go out and learn the best you can about Forex trading to give you a head start on the rest. There are very good resources out there to help you learn the market. This way you will compliment the software program and make it work better.Forex trade copiers have changed the way investors can invest their money. Work with one starting today and turn currency trading into a potentially profitable investment option. </p>]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://sngiezhms.info/increase-your-earning-potential-using-a-trade-copier-software,html/feed</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> </item> <item> <title>Small Business Loan Update – Stimulus Bill Helps Bailout Businesses If They Cannot Pay Loans</title> <link>https://sngiezhms.info/small-business-loan-update-stimulus-bill-helps-bailout-businesses-if-they-cannot-pay-loans,html</link> <comments>https://sngiezhms.info/small-business-loan-update-stimulus-bill-helps-bailout-businesses-if-they-cannot-pay-loans,html#comments</comments> <pubDate>Wed, 29 Mar 2023 12:41:21 +0000</pubDate> <dc:creator>admin</dc:creator> <category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Small Business]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://sngiezhms.info/?p=51</guid> <description><![CDATA[As we continue to sift dutifully through the over 1,000 pages of the stimulus bill (American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009), there is one provision that is not getting much attention, but could be very helpful to small businesses. If you are a small business and have received an SBA loan from your local [...]]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p> As we continue to sift dutifully through the over 1,000 pages of the stimulus bill (American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009), there is one provision that is not getting much attention, but could be very helpful to small businesses. If you are a small business and have received an SBA loan from your local banker, but are having trouble making payments, you can get a “stabilization loan”. That’s right; finally some bailout money goes into the hands of the small business owner, instead of going down the proverbial deep hole of the stock market or large banks. But don’t get too excited. It is limited to very specific instances and is not available for vast majority of business owners.There are some news articles that boldly claim the SBA will now provide relief if you have an existing business loan and are having trouble making the payments. This is not a true statement and needs to be clarified. As seen in more detail in this article, this is wrong because it applies to troubled loans made in the future, not existing ones.Here is how it works. Assume you were one of the lucky few that find a bank to make a SBA loan. You proceed on your merry way but run into tough economic times and find it hard to repay. Remember these are not conventional loans but loans from an SBA licensed lender that are guaranteed for default by the U.S. government through the SBA (depending upon the loan, between 50% and 90%). Under the new stimulus bill, the SBA might come to your rescue. You will be able to get a new loan which will pay-off the existing balance on extremely favorable terms, buying more time to revitalize your business and get back in the saddle. Sound too good to be true? Well, you be the judge. Here are some of the features:1. Does not apply to SBA loans taken out before the stimulus bill. As to non-SBA loans, they can be before or after the bill’s enactment.2. Does it apply to SBA guaranteed loans or non-SBA conventional loans as well? We don’t know for sure. This statute simply says it applies to a “small business concern that meets the eligibility standards and section 7(a) of the Small Business Act” (Section 506 (c) of the new Act). That contains pages and pages of requirements which could apply to both types of loans. Based on some of the preliminary reports from the SBA, it appears it applies to both SBA and non-SBA loans.3. These monies are subject to availability in the funding of Congress. Some think the way we are going with our Federal bailout, we are going be out of money before the economy we are trying to save.4. You don’t get these monies unless you are a viable business. Boy, you can drive a truck through that phrase. Our friends at the SBA will determine if you are “viable” (imagine how inferior you will be when you have to tell your friends your business was determined by the Federal government to be “non-viable” and on life support).5. You have to be suffering “immediate financial hardship”. So much for holding out making payments because you’d rather use the money for other expansion needs. How many months you have to be delinquent, or how close your foot is to the banana peel of complete business failure, is anyone’s guess.6. It is not certain, and commentators disagree, as to whether the Federal government through the SBA will make the loan from taxpayers’ dollars or by private SBA licensed banks. In my opinion it is the latter. It carries a 100% SBA guarantee and I would make no sense if the government itself was making the loan.7. The loan cannot exceed $35,000. Presumably the new loan will be “taking out” or refinancing the entire balance on the old one. So if you had a $100,000 loan that you have been paying on time for several years but now have a balance of $35,000 and are in trouble, boy do we have a program for you. Or you might have a smaller $15,000 loan and after a short time need help. The law does not say you have to wait any particular period of time so I guess you could be in default after the first couple of months.8. You can use it to make up no more than six months of monthly delinquencies.9. The loan will be for a maximum term of five years.10. The borrower will pay absolutely no interest for the duration of the loan. Interest can be charged, but it will be subsidized by the Federal government.11. Here’s the great part. If you get one of these loans, you don’t have to make any payments for the first year.12. There are absolutely no upfront fees allowed. Getting such a loan is 100% free (of course you have to pay principal and interest after the one year moratorium).13. The SBA will decide whether or not collateral is required. In other words, if you have to put liens on your property or residence. My guess is they will lax as to this requirement.14. You can get these loans until September 30, 2010.15. Because this is emergency legislation, within 15 days after signing the bill, the SBA has to come up with regulations.Here is a summary of the actual legislative language if you are having trouble getting to sleep:SEC. 506. BUSINESS STABILIZATION PROGRAM. (a) IN GENERAL- Subject to the availability of appropriations, the Administrator of the Small Business Administration shall carry out a program to provide loans on a deferred basis to viable (as such term is determined pursuant to regulation by the Administrator of the Small Business Administration) small business concerns that have a qualifying small business loan and are experiencing immediate financial hardship.(b) ELIGIBLE BORROWER- A small business concern as defined under section 3 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 632).(c) QUALIFYING SMALL BUSINESS LOAN- A loan made to a small business concern that meets the eligibility standards in section 7(a) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 636(a)) but shall not include loans guarantees (or loan guarantee commitments made) by the Administrator prior to the date of enactment of this Act.(d) LOAN SIZE- Loans guaranteed under this section may not exceed $35,000.(e) PURPOSE- Loans guaranteed under this program shall be used to make periodic payment of principal and interest, either in full or in part, on an existing qualifying small business loan for a period of time not to exceed 6 months.(f) LOAN TERMS- Loans made under this section shall:(1) carry a 100 percent guaranty; and(2) have interest fully subsidized for the period of repayment.(g) REPAYMENT- Repayment for loans made under this section shall–(1) be amortized over a period of time not to exceed 5 years; and(2) not begin until 12 months after the final disbursement of funds is made.(h) COLLATERAL- The Administrator of the Small Business Administration may accept any available collateral, including subordinated liens, to secure loans made under this section.(i) FEES- The Administrator of the Small Business Administration is prohibited from charging any processing fees, origination fees, application fees, points, brokerage fees, bonus points, prepayment penalties, and other fees that could be charged to a loan applicant for loans under this section.(j) SUNSET- The Administrator of the Small Business Administration shall not issue loan guarantees under this section after September 30, 2010.(k) EMERGENCY RULEMAKING AUTHORITY- The Administrator of the Small Business Administration shall issue regulations under this section within 15 days after the date of enactment of this section. The notice requirements of section 553(b) of title 5, United States Code shall not apply to the promulgation of such regulations.The real question is whether a private bank will loan under this program. Unfortunately, few will do so because the statute very clearly states that no fees whatsoever can be charged, and how can a bank make any money if they loan under those circumstances. Sure, they might make money in the secondary market, but that is dried up, so they basically are asked to make a loan out of the goodness of their heart. On a other hand, it carries a first ever 100% government guarantee so the bank’s know they will be receiving interest and will have no possibility of losing a single dime. Maybe this will work after all.But there is something else that would be of interest to a bank. In a way, this is a form of Federal bailout going directly to small community banks. They have on their books loans that are in default and they could easily jump at the chance of being able to bail them out with this program. Especially if they had not been the recipients of the first TARP monies. Contrary to public sentiment, most of them did not receive any money. But again, this might not apply to that community bank. Since they typically package and sell their loans within three to six months, it probably wouldn’t even be in default at that point. It would be in the hands of the secondary market investor.So is this good or bad for small businesses? Frankly, it’s good to see that some bailout money is working its way toward small businesses, but most of them would rather have a loan in the first place, as opposed help when in default. Unfortunately, this will have a limited application.Wouldn’t it be better if we simply expanded our small business programs so more businesses could get loans? How about the SBA creating a secondary market for small business loans? I have a novel idea: for the moment forget about defaults, and concentrate on making business loans available to start-ups or existing businesses wanting to expand.How about having a program that can pay off high interest credit card balances? There is hardly a business out there that has not been financing themselves lately through credit cards, simply because banks are not making loans. It is not unusual for people to have $50,000 plus on their credit cards, just to stay afloat. Talk about saving high interest. You can imagine how much cash flow this would give a small business.We should applaud Congress for doing their best under short notice to come up with this plan. Sure this is a form of welcome bailout for small businesses, but I believe it misses the mark as to the majority of the 27 million business owners that are simply looking for a loan they can repay, as opposed to a handout. </p>]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://sngiezhms.info/small-business-loan-update-stimulus-bill-helps-bailout-businesses-if-they-cannot-pay-loans,html/feed</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> </item> <item> <title>Microsoft Office Live Small Business Review</title> <link>https://sngiezhms.info/microsoft-office-live-small-business-review,html</link> <comments>https://sngiezhms.info/microsoft-office-live-small-business-review,html#comments</comments> <pubDate>Sun, 05 Feb 2023 19:36:27 +0000</pubDate> <dc:creator>admin</dc:creator> <category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category> <category><![CDATA[accounting]]></category> <category><![CDATA[business]]></category> <category><![CDATA[companies]]></category> <category><![CDATA[google]]></category> <category><![CDATA[near me]]></category> <category><![CDATA[offices]]></category> <category><![CDATA[restaurant]]></category> <category><![CDATA[sale]]></category> <category><![CDATA[services]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://sngiezhms.info/?p=49</guid> <description><![CDATA[Microsoft Office Live Small Business – the fast track to a free small business websiteMicrosoft Office Live Small Business is totally geared towards the small business owner who doesn’t want to get caught up in the drudgery of learning the complexities of web building and administration, yet has enough smarts to be a web savvy [...]]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p> Microsoft Office Live Small Business – the fast track to a free small business websiteMicrosoft Office Live Small Business is totally geared towards the small business owner who doesn’t want to get caught up in the drudgery of learning the complexities of web building and administration, yet has enough smarts to be a web savvy user. This is a pretty smart move by Microsoft since small business owners are go-getters anyways, right? Over 800,000 current users of Microsoft Office Live Small Business agree.What makes this offering unique — and this is more like a reminder rather than an a surprise — is that Microsoft’s huge influence and experience in the computer and online industry make it possible for them to offer a solution that allows you to completely manage your business online. And if you haven’t heard by now, it’s the leading solution to a free small business website.Teaching an old dog new web tricksIf you don’t know what HTML or FTP stand for, let alone how to use them, no big deal. As a business owner you shouldn’t have to know anyways. You should be marketing, selling, and building relationships with your customers.Microsoft Office Live Small Business features a full blown, extremely user-friendly web site creation tool that allows you to build your unique site in just button clicks. It doesn’t really get any easier than that. Since this is a hurdle that a lot of small business people struggle with, perhaps this by itself is enough reason to use Microsoft Office Live Small Business.It doesn’t stop thereEver dream of setting up your own store front and shopping cart? This is a very technical thing to do, and business owners shell out decent amounts of money to have someone else build and maintain a shopping cart for their website.By adding the ecommerce package (for a low fee) Microsoft Office Live Small Business eliminates the need for you to outsource and overpay for this nebulous task. You have full control of your store front while basically having the knowledgeable support of Microsoft by your side.Read more about the convenient features of Microsoft Office Live Small Business at freedback.orgIt’s all freeThe icing on the cake is that the basic version of Microsoft Office Live Small Business is f-r-e-e. Of course, there are other upgrade available to purchase. The idea is that you’ll fall in love with the free small business website and services so much that you’ll be happy to buy more convenient features — which is commendable and understandable. After all, as a small business owner you should understand that a good product, especially one that adds to your bottom line, is worthy of a few bucks. </p>]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://sngiezhms.info/microsoft-office-live-small-business-review,html/feed</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> </item> <item> <title>Branded Entertainment – What It Is and How It Can Help Your Brand</title> <link>https://sngiezhms.info/branded-entertainment-what-it-is-and-how-it-can-help-your-brand,html</link> <comments>https://sngiezhms.info/branded-entertainment-what-it-is-and-how-it-can-help-your-brand,html#comments</comments> <pubDate>Thu, 02 Feb 2023 09:31:54 +0000</pubDate> <dc:creator>admin</dc:creator> <category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://sngiezhms.info/?p=46</guid> <description><![CDATA[The good old days are a thing of the past when it comes to marketing your brand. Gone are the days when you could simply put out a print or TV ad and consumers would flock to the stores to buy your products. One new form of content marketing that looks to take over in [...]]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p> The good old days are a thing of the past when it comes to marketing your brand. Gone are the days when you could simply put out a print or TV ad and consumers would flock to the stores to buy your products. One new form of content marketing that looks to take over in a big way, ready or not is branded entertainment (otherwise referred to as native video advertising).Branded entertainment is a type of content marketing – it’s all about creating entertaining content to capture the attention of potential customers for longer periods than traditional ads. The content is usually delivered online, as video-based series, Web-based magazines, podcasts, and more. A great example of branded entertainment is Lego’s interactive children’s magazines, which feature as characters toys that readers can purchase from its store. Many other brands are currently investing in branded entertainment, including fashion giant Dior, male grooming products maker Old Spice, and energy drinks seller Red Bull. Branded entertainment takes the notion of brands as publishers a step further; turning brands into producers of entertainment content.Understanding Brand MarketingIt can be said that branded entertainment has arisen as a reaction of marketers to the fierce competition between brands, as well as to the increasingly fragmented attention that consumers have developed because of the multitude of ads with which they are bombarded on a daily basis, online, in print, on the TV, on the radio, and on the street. Brands that engage in branded entertainment try to stand out from their competitors, offering content that engages customers by grabbing their attention, keeping them hooked, and making them want more.Branded entertainment resembles content marketing in that it usually doesn’t try to sell products directly, although it refers to them a lot and even integrates them as essential parts of the story/plots it develops. Furthermore, it is usually targeted at consumers who have chosen a certain lifestyle promote by the brand’s mission.Brand Marketing Takes Marketing to a Different Level You are probably used to seeing brands sponsor sporting competitions, film releases, art galleries, and other social events in order to promote their logo to an audience interested in their product. With branded entertainment, brands not just ‘present’ entertainment, but take an active role in its creation.Branded entertainment is more personal, more engaging, and more effective than advertisements and other marketing techniques, and more exciting that traditional content marketing. It transforms a brand from a sponsor into a creator of fun and engaging content. At the same time, it delivers a richer experience than other forms of marketing while requiring unprecedented levels of intentionality and commitment on behalf of consumers.Embracing Branded MarketingBranded marketing isn’t just for huge brands like Lego, Dior, or Red Bull. When content marketing began its rise to power, there were those who thought that it would be effective only for large businesses who had the financial resources to invest in content production. Today, empowered by social media sites and blogs, everyone does content marketing, from Cola to the small local car repair service.While it may appear too costly for small brands, branded marketing is ultimately scalable – a business that cannot afford to hire film stars and create a short series can engage in branded marketing in different ways, such as publishing an online magazine, creating an in-house audio show, or simply being creative about it and finding a compelling format and using it to create an engaging storyline that can grab and hold people’s attention.From Content Marketing to Branded EntertainmentYour brand, too, can embrace branded entertainment and use it as a highly effective marketing tool to strengthen your brand culture and make your company stand out. It is important to understand, however, that branded entertainment naturally follows in the footsteps of content marketing, and that to get it right you must first embrace the latter, if you haven’t done so already.If you do embrace content marketing and branded entertainment, your brand will become not just a publisher, but also an entertainer. It will not create ads but content, and thus differentiate itself from the marketing noise in your industry. It would not be an exaggeration to say that branded marketing, as a creative and engaging way to promote brands and products, may become in the near future a key strategy for all companies that want to establish a stronger connection with their customers. </p>]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://sngiezhms.info/branded-entertainment-what-it-is-and-how-it-can-help-your-brand,html/feed</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> </item> </channel></rss> If you would like to create a banner that links to this page (i.e. this validation result), do the following:
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