Americans have busy schedules and busy lives. Many times those busy schedules make it impossible for a person to wait. That is why convenience stores and fast food restaurants are so popular in America. There are fast ways to do just about anything, but happens when someone needs to speak with someone who is busy? It the conversation was going to occur on the phone it is likely that the person would just hang up. For personal phone calls that might be okay, but what if you were a business owner?

Businesses who do not receive important phone calls put themselves at risk for losing profits. This most often occurs when a first time caller is looking to become a new customer. If an individual is calling a particular business to become a client it is likely that they may not call back if their call was not answered. For this reason there are many business owners who use an answering service.

An answering service typically operates at another location that is separate from the business it is working for. There are many well-known companies who run an answering service, but an answering service can also be started by a person working from home. You may be wondering how an answering service can pick up your phone calls if they are not at your business. This feature is what is known as call forwarding. When a business owner or employees will not be in the office they will set their calls up so they will be forwarded to the answering service. How the answering service will operate will all depend on the person or company offering the service. Many times an answering service will answer your calls as if they were one of your employees, take a message, and then forward that message on to you.

Just about any business can benefit from an answering service; however, there are some that will benefit more than others. Construction workers and other general contractors need an answering service because their job could depend on it. To stay in business a contractor always needs to have work. Should a potential client call up and not receive an answer is likely that would just move on to the next contractor in the phone book. This could be damaging to success of a contractor.

All medical professionals can benefit from using an answering service. These medical professionals may include a pharmacist, a physiologist, a doctor, or a dentist. An answering service is needed in these professions due to emergencies. A patient’s health and wellbeing could literally be on the line if they were not to receive an answer when calling a medical professional.

Contractors and medical professionals are just a few of the many individuals who can benefit from an answering service. Other business professionals that can benefit from using an answering service may include, but are not limited to, attorneys, insurance agents, home health care providers, and government workers. If you are currently employed as one of those individuals you are encouraged to increase your profits and customer satisfaction by using a professional answering service.

Create a Successful Restaurant by Considering these Issues

The restaurant business is a tough business. So if you are contemplating owning a restaurant then beware. New restaurants open their doors every day, but most of them go out of business before the second year rolls around. There are great deal of competing restaurants out there causing the market to be flooded. If you understand all of this, but still want to open a restaurant then read on.

Location should play an integral role in your restaurant palnning. Strive to find an area that will have a lot of pedestrian and automobile traffic. Verify, however, that there aren't a group of similar restaurants jammed in this area. Chain restaurants tend to have extensive advertising budgets and can overshadow your marketing efforts. Take time to consider any location, especially if it has another restaurant that is similar to yours in food, price,and other qualities.

PUt your customer service standards as a top priority. You pay for what you get. Don't be cheap when it comes to service. Incentives for staff members work well such as gathering tips to increase everyone's pay. This helps promote staff satisfaction and enjoyment. If you have any staff members that are not willing to share their tips, then don't hire them.

Especially in the beginning when funds are low, efficiency will either make or break your new venture. Wasted food, condiments, and staff time really eat into any potential profits and anyone with any experience in the restaurant business knows that profit margins are small in the best of times. Keep track of every statistic you can and be sure to follow up on any negative trends immediately.

Customers get a certain expectation of your restaurant food, service, and general experience. Make sure to provide them with a consistent, enjoyable experience so they will return many times in the future. To accomplish this, you need to focus on the details of training, food ingredients, and food preparation. If you are trying out a different quality of ingredients, do it in a special or new dish. Don't mess with the old, trusted entrees that customers are used to. Test the new ingredients and if they are success you can add the new dish to your regular menu.

If you are serious about opening up your own restaurant, you had better have a passion for the business. The long hours and cutthroat competition will take its toll on you. If this is just an investment, then reconsider going with stocks or mutual funds. They cause far fewer headaches.

It is imperative that you set your restaurant apart from the pack. Therefore, you need to present unique food, service and overall experience. HOw can you do this? New menu items are a common theme in new restaurants, but a unique and cutting edge atmosphere will most often yield better results. Take the plunge with exciting menu options that will tantilize the customer. People love to be the first to try something unique and tell everyone about it.

Earning a profit in the restaurant business can be as hard as finding a needle in a hay stack. However, it can be accomplished. Be very mindful of each dollar you spend or waste on frivolous things. If you find a great location for your restaurant and have an effective staff you will be well on your way to a successful restaurant. Who knows, you might be the owner of the next hottest restaurant in town.

Los Angeles is located in Southern California on the Pacific Coast. It is a city well-known for arts and culture, hotels and restaurants, theater, dining, and music. It is a popular destination for travel and tourism.

There are excellent hotels in Los Angeles, and a first-time visitor is likely to be completely enthralled by the amazing versatility of the city. The city exemplifies the American Dream. The breath-taking fine art museum, old-fashioned urban plazas, and the Californian cuisine are remarkable experiences. The city’s proximity to the fantasy worlds of Disneyland, Hollywood, and the wealthy Beverly Hills and Malibu contributes to its exciting aura.

Los Angeles houses many comfortable and good hotels. These hotels provide accommodations with several facilities such as recreation, fitness centers, restaurants with bars, valet parking and porter services, room services, and safety locks for the door. The amenities provided in the rooms include access to the Internet and cable TVs, air conditioners, coffeemakers and refrigerators. Provisions are also made within the rooms for use of a computer. Some hotels are equipped with conference and banquet halls. Outdoor parking is free of charge. Many hotels arrange discounted package tours to idyllic spots and popular attractions close to their locations.

Star hotels are rated on the basis of their locations, services, and amenities offered. It is possible to make online reservations where great discounts are available for hotel accommodations as well as the package tours. Online bookings can also be made through California-based companies that deal with independent hoteliers.

Catering to a wide taste, California hotels are popular destinations for business meetings and family vacations, drawing in tourists always planning to return the forthcoming year.

I didn't start out dreaming about my own home-based business. I had a good job that paid well, with excellent benefits. This is the kind of job that is becoming increasingly rare in today's job market

Here's a few reasons that were NOT part of my decision to start my own business.

1. Your time is your own. This is true, but the fact is that when you work for yourself, there's never enough hours in the day to get everything done

2. I can be with my family. Also true. But working for yourself involves discipline. No matter what you do in your business being productive = being paid.

3. Unlimited moneymaking potential. Once again, almost all home-based businesses has unlimited potential. You can't pay the rent on potential, however.

Nope, the reason why I left a well-paying job to start my own home-based business was traffic. I know. I know. You're thinking, a guy must be crazy to give up a six-figure income for the uncertainty of working for himself in a home-based business.

It was taking me two hours each way to get to work in return each day. That was four unproductive hours that I used to come up with some great home-based business ideas. All it took was some time to think outside the box and the idea started flowing.

During each passing month, traveling the freeway four hours daily, my dissatisfaction with working for corporate America increased. During the same four hours, my excitement about the possibility of working from home and having my own home-based business increased.

I'm not going to tell you what kind of home based business I actually started. All business, but especially small business is about doing what you love to do instead of being told what to do by someone else.

So although I am working longer and making less money has never been happier. As the business grows, I fully expect to be able to spend more time with my family and continued to grow that unlimited moneymaking potential into a solid business.

If you have any interest in following your dream of a home-based business, start looking at the possibilities. So many of my friends have wanted to start their own business but instead of figuring out how they can do it they only look at the challenge it is to be successful. Don't let the challenges of working from home, and starting your own business stop you from following your dream.

ONE-PRODUCT RESTAURANTS: Specialization is the next stage of evolution in the restaurant industry, says Aaron Allen, founder and CEO of Orlando, Florida-based Quantified Marketing Group, a strategic marketing and PR firm for the restaurant industry. So bring on the restaurants selling only cream puffs, soup or cereal. Americans are hungry for them.

Jodene Jensen, 39, Ken Hall, 36, and Keri Barney, 36 (above, 1. to r.), gambled big When they opened P.B.Loco, a restaurant in St. Paul, Minnesota, in 2003. Some thought their idea for a restaurant specializing in peanut butter was nuts, but these former lawyers were confident they could strike it rich by giving a classic commodity a modern taste. They opened their first cafe in Minnesota's Mall of America, featuring low-carb wraps and unique sandwiches like "The Wacko," which combines Asian Curry Spice Peanut Butter with pickles, coconut and potato chips. Sound good? It's tasty enough that P.B.Loco has since become a multimillion-dollar business, with franchises selling faster than peanuts at a baseball game. Says Hall, "People feel very passionately about peanut butter."

Retailers that stock urban wear clothing know the importance of the right display.

National retailers believe so much in the art of merchandise display that they employ full time staff members for that purpose.

If you have ever walked by a the display window of a department store you will have noticed the hard working staff arranging and rearranging the merchandise in the window.

Having the merchandise displayed correctly is even more important in the urban wear market. Customers shopping for hip hop and urban clothing will desert a store which doesn’t present the right image.

While the following display secrets are meant for stores, they can also be used by flea market vendors.

Display Secrets #1

Create an image. The image which you create will dictate the customer reaction towards the clothing you are selling.

You can create the right image by adding accessories to the clothing.

Accessories such as jewelry, belts, and hats will further instill a genuine hip hop image.

Display Secrets #2

Use the right imagery. Pictures of rappers such as 50 Cent, Busta Rhmes, Jay-Z,Snoop Doggy Dogg, Kanye West, among others, will give a retail establishment the authentic feel of a true urban and hip hop store.

Display Secrets #3

Store colors. The colors used in the display racks, walls, tables, changing rooms, and even by the cash register, should match the atmosphere of the store.

Urban retailers should ensure that their stores are bright, and use colors that are complimentary to the clothing being sold.

Display Secrets #4

Professional appearances.

Urban wear customers are savvy shoppers. They are fully aware that the market is saturated with knock offs. For that reason a retailer needs to keep his store looking professional. Only a truly professional store will convince a customer that the merchandise being sold is in fact genuine.

eBay sellers can develop a strong business by selling urban clothing.

With over 60 million registered users on eBay, there is a significant potential customer base for urban clothing.

If the same proportion of urban customers exists on eBay as in the brick and mortar world, there can be millions of customers for urban sellers.

Before delving into selling urban clothing on eBay, it is important to understand why a customer would buy it on eBay.

Urban wear is among the most expensive categories in the apparel market. Combine that fact with the average age of an urban apparel customer and you will understand one of the reasons why urban wear is purchased on eBay.

Customers, especially those under 25, are hard pressed to afford the most popular urban names. They will be glad to turn to eBay if they will be able to more readily afford the clothing.

Another reason urban wear sells on eBay is because of availability issues. A hot brand may be sold out in a consumers area of residence. But by searching on eBay he can still purchase the clothing from another area which has availability.

Think of a situation where a brand is sold out in a small town. A local customer can either wait for the stores to restock, or he can conduct a quick and easy search on eBay.

Because the appeal of urban and hip hop clothing has spread into the mainstream apparel market, there are now urban wear customers who do not live within a short distance of an urban apparel store.

A dramatic example would be of a teenager wanting to buy a pair of Ecko jeans, while living in northern Alaska.

While this example might seem far fetched, the basic premise is true.

Customers often cannot find local stores that carry urban wear.

This is especially true in non urban areas.

eBay sellers can capture these sales by connecting with far flung customers located throughout the country, and even outside of the United States.

You've bought all your cleaning supplies and equipment, told everyone you know that you have started a cleaning business and now you are ready to start bidding on jobs and getting down to work. So your next step is to meet with potential clients and put together a bid for their cleaning services. But how do you know what to charge for cleaning your potential client's building?

Start off by remembering that you are in business to make a profit and earn a living. Sometimes the tendency is to price our services low in order to get our foot in the door. Pricing your services too low may mean you will end up working for very little per hour. And more importantly, will have little left over to reinvest in the growth of your company. There are cleaning companies that charge more than others and have all the work they can handle and there are companies that have lower fees yet are struggling to find work! Don't sell yourself short or you will not be able to earn a living off your cleaning business.

The rates for commercial cleaning vary widely depending upon the area you live. Hourly rates are anywhere from $15 to $40 per hour depending on the type of services that you provide, whether or not you're doing the work yourself, and your company's overhead and expenses. Monthly square footage rates could run anywhere from $.05 to $.20 per square foot depending on the type of building you are cleaning and the frequency of cleaning. You'll be able to bid a higher square footage price for medical facilities versus office buildings due to more specialized cleaning needs. You'll likely bid a lower square footage price for large buildings versus small buildings. For example, you may bid $.08 per square foot for a 50,000 square foot building versus $.12 per square foot for an 8,000 square foot building.

You will most likely be charging your customers a monthly price and you will need to figure that price by estimating how long it will take to perform the services that your client has requested. The more productive you or your employees are, the higher the hourly production rate. If you're able to clean 3,500 square feet per hour, your profit will be higher than if you're only able to clean 2,500 square feet per hour, so adjust your price accordingly.

It's also a good idea to find out what the "going rates" are in your area. A few phone calls to competitors may be necessary to get an idea of the basic charges in your area. Use a script when you call so you can compare apples to apples. So what do you say when you call? Try something like, "Hi, I have a small business office that I would like cleaned once a week. It is 3000 square feet and has two small restrooms. Can you give me a rough estimate of what you what you charge per month?" The person may or may not give you an estimate. Most contractors will insist on walking through the building, but it is worth a few phone calls so you have a ballpark figure on what cleaning companies in the area are charging.

To estimate what you should charge for cleaning a building, start by doing a walk-through with the building owner or manager. Keep track of the following:

* Frequency of cleaning (once a week, three times a week, five times a week). If frequency is one or two times per week, it's best to estimate your time and multiply by your hourly rate. If cleaning 3 or more times per week you can estimate your time by the square foot.

* Overall square feet

* Types of floor surfaces and square footage of each (carpet, vinyl flooring, ceramic tile)

* Types of rooms - general office, break room, restrooms. Also note the number of toilets/stalls and fixtures in each restroom, as well as the types of restroom supplies used.

* Any special considerations - heavy traffic areas, elevators, unusual requests, etc.

* Make note of the specific services the client is seeking such as emptying trash, dusting, restroom cleaning, mopping and vacuuming.

The following services are specialized services and you should bid them separately, and list a per-service charge on your bid:

* Stripping and Waxing (.25¢ - .50¢ per square foot)

* Buffing/Burnishing (.03¢ - .07¢ per square foot)

* Machine Cleaning of Ceramic Tile floors (.12¢ - .21¢ per square foot)

* Carpet Cleaning (.12¢ - .25¢ per square foot)

* Carpet Spotting ($20 - $40 per hour)

* Cleaning appliances (microwave, refrigerator) - $10 - $35 per appliance

* Window Washing ($1.00 - $5.00 per pane)

Make sure you take enough notes so you can put together a realistic price that is fair to the client and one in which you will make a profit. After your first meeting with the client, go back to your office look through your notes and decide what it will cost you to clean the building. You may have to consult a production cleaning rate chart to determine how long it will take you and your staff to clean the building. Once you have an idea of how long it will take to clean the building you can put your cost estimate together:

* Estimate the time it will take by using a production cleaning rate chart or calculator.

* Determine your labor cost for cleaning the building one time.

* Determine your monthly labor cost to clean the building.

* Estimate a monthly cost for supplies. This will be a fairly low figure, perhaps 1 or 2% of monthly sales.

* Be sure to add in a profit margin!

Add up the figures and you will come up with your monthly cost. If you have access to a bidding calculator you will be able to put in a series of numbers and come up with a price. A bidding calculator will also show what profit you can expect to make. It is also advisable to add a first time cleaning charge. This is usually an hourly rate of perhaps $20 - $25 an hour. The first time you go through a building it will take longer and you may find the previous cleaning service may have left dirt in cracks and crevices that you will have to clean the first time through.

Once you have your price established, put your bid packet together. Your bid packet should specify what you are responsible for and what the client is responsible for (buying their own trash can liners, restrooms supplies, etc.). It should also include the monthly charge for cleaning services, how long the agreement is for, and the procedure to cancel the contract if either party is unhappy.

It is important to learn how to price your cleaning services so your customers know you are providing a professional service at a realistic price and so that you make a profit. After all, if you do not make a profit you won't stay in business very long!

Have you ever thought of starting a wholesale distribution business? Maybe you're ready for a new challenge or have realized the profits that you can make when you deal with larger quantities of product. In any case, you need to know what to do in order to be successful.

The first thing that you want to do is choose the products that you will be selling to retailers. You may want to choose products that you already know something about in order to use that expertise to choose quality products that you can then sell and make profit from. Make sure that you are testing the products prior to purchasing larger quantities. You want to be sure that you are always selling a superior product.

These products will need to be stored somewhere, so choosing a warehouse is the next step in your wholesale business. You need to choose an area that is both secure and easy to manage. You might want to consider renting a space or using your own facilities if they are large enough. Determine how much the cost of the warehouse will be in terms of square footage and make sure that you are comparing multiple warehouses to ensure that you're getting the best deal.

You might also want to consider setting up your warehouse in one of the southwestern states in the U.S. as this will allow you to be accessible more easily from Mexico or South America – where manufacturing is expected to skyrocket in the next few years. This will not only be more efficient, but it can also cut down your distribution costs.

To start off right, you will want to create a system that will allow you to monitor the progress of your products from the manufacturer all the way to the customers. This can be called an order flow system. To build an effective strategy in these areas, you will want to coordinate product movement within the warehouse as well as the movements into the warehouse. This can be achieved through the use of computer systems that monitor package label numbers.

You will also want to establish a working system of moving the products from the trucks into your warehouse – without damaging anything along the way. Try to envision how the shipments will come in to determine where you will need to set up inventory lists for double checking the incoming products as well as areas for products to be packed and sent to customers.

And since money is truly everything in business, you will want to establish yourself as a competitive wholesaler by offering something that your competitors do not: easy payment terms for buyers. By allowing your customers the ability to extend their payments or have higher credit limits, you will show how your services might be the better choice for their needs.

If you're able, you might want to consider looking at other wholesaler businesses to see if there are any tips that you might want to consider along the way. Talk with the owners to see if you can meet with them to ask about setting up and maintaining your business. If you find another wholesaler that distributes different products than yMany companies screen the employees before recruiting them. This helps them weed out undesirable candidates at the outset. It also protects them from litigation, regulators and the risk of high turnover. Besides verifying the details on your resume, employers most commonly screen for criminal behavior, drug abuse, regulatory violations, and appearances on a terrorist watch list. They also keep a check on employees’ tax liens, bankruptcy filings, ongoing divorce or custody proceedings, driving violations or bounced checks. Employers are also concerned that someone with monetary problems, health issues or family concerns may not be fully focused on the job. During the screening process, companies gauge a candidate’s temper, social skills, and reaction to stress, attitudes and how they handle tough situations.

Screening Parameters:
Employers generally screen employees on the following parameters:
• Social Security Number Trace. Especially if a candidate has a change of name.
• Criminal record check. This is run on all names in all counties. Information on both felony and misdemeanor convictions can be requested as well.
• Driver’s license check. It is very important especially for a driver assignment and client’s safety. It should have valid dates and a blemish-free record.
• Employment verification. It contains true past employment history. Basic verifications like employment dates, salary, job titles, etc., to guard against false resume information.
• Drug testing. It is important to know what painkillers or any other drugs a person takes, to guard against an on-the-job mishap.
• Credit history reports. Many jobs require absolute trust, truthfulness, and honesty. If an employee, because of personal economic pressure, resorts to dishonesty or violates your trust, it will bring a bad name and financial liability straight back to you.
• Civil history reports. It will bring to light the employee’s criminal record. In many cases, it also reflects a pattern of behavior like habitually suing people.
• Worker’s compensation history report. Check on his history of attempting to fake work-related accidents to claim compensation insurance.
• Sexual offender’s registry report. This is very important where the employment is for children or elderly or disabled people.
• Professional reference report. Most important for health care providers and financial services firms. Both should have clean records to guard against fraud, felony, or battery. • Medicare/Medicaid fraud report. This report is important if your company participates in these programs.

Keeping Your Record Clean:
• Review your record. Order your own background check through MyPublicInfo.com to guard against any error in it.
• Do not get too personal in interviews. Do not divulge your personal history of family, finance or medical information unnecessarily.
• Stay positive. Do not disparage your previous employer or boss. See the silver lining in challenging situations.
• Use Internet properly. Companies may check your online profile to see your behavior pattern.

Once hired, do a great job and eventually re-enter the larger corporate world. Put time and success between you and past bad events.ou do, you may be able to help each other successful as well.