Never Forget Your Repeats

In this looming economic downturn, you would think that there is little you could do with your existing client base. Well think again. It is all about understanding your clients’ needs and meeting them exceeding their expectations. You have been in business for a while now with a list of existing, potential and dormant clients. What can you do to further the potential revenue from the list? Yes, you merge, purge and keep selling to your repeats.

Customer Retention vs Customer Acquisition

The cost of customer acquisition versus customer retention could reach as high as 700%, according to a report by Frederick Reichheld of Bain & Company as below:

• Acquiring a new customer can cost 6 to 7 times more than retaining an existing customer
• Over a 5 year period customer attrition rates could reach as high as 50% if databases are left dormant
• Businesses which boosted customer retention rates by as little as 5% saw increases in their profits ranging from 5% to a whopping 95%.

Regardless of whether your business nature is B2C or B2B, there are critical steps which you must execute whenever you run your direct marketing campaigns. This applies for both online and offline direct marketing campaigns. I shall skip the basics and we shall proceed to delve deeper into your databases.

Repeat Buyers - Make Them Sticky for Life

What at Repeat Buyers? They are your loyal customers who continue to use your services by virtue of the fact that you provide a specific product or service which they need, they are used to and that which is not available elsewhere. You may have exceed their expectations by a superior product or service, over delivered on your product value proposition or provided additional value add to them in a special way. You might also have given them privilege pricing which is unmatched elsewhere. Or your delievery channels are good match for their needs. In all aspects, you must have impressed your repeat clients well to keep them coming back for more. And there are ways you could further capitalize on them.

These repeat customers are what you might deem as Cash Cows as in the BCG Matrix, which require little maintenance cost, and consistently repeat revenue over time. You need to analyze the greatest "hook" your product or service have on them, which could be anything from the above stated.

Milk The Cash Cows, Build Relationships, Help Them To Help You

"Milk" them well by continuing to delivering your services over and above expectations. You may launch a special marketing campaign specific for loyal customers and package your most popular offerings using bundled pricing.

For B2C businesses, consider organizing "Loyalty Rewards Nights" and have them invite their friends and families, or have a quarterly "Bring a Buddy" Special Seminar. For B2B businesses, organize Business Partner’s Nite where business partners bring along their extended business associates for networking purposes or Golf Charity Outing for fostering relationships.

How ever your approach, you need to keep building relationships with this segment and provide them with genuine help in support of furthering Their business objectives. Essentially, you need to help them to help you grow your business. This way, good word-of-mouth & "testimonial" will bring you much more sustaining revenue over time.

Why Did You Stop Buying? - Reviving Your Dormant Customers.

As for the Dormant Customers who have been one time buyers, run a "Survey Gift Pack" and ask them why they have not bought from you again. This is the customer segment which could well turn into your Cash Cows if you only listened to them. You might be surprised to find what they have to say about your product or service. Keep an open mind and take criticism constructively. Past experience is that further product development and refinement arise from customer feedback giving rise to new lease of life to the product life cycle.

Check out more good reads at Business Insights & Idea Geneators and Strategic Thoughts .

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For the avid entrepreneur with the foresight to tap the early adopt ers , it’s time to check out the Digital Photo Frame concept .

So you hate keeping tons of huge photo albums, find it cumbersome to power up your pc to show off your digital photos, dislike peering into that tiny screen to flash your photos on your digital camera? Go get a Digital Photo Frame.

Simply load up the Digital Photo Frame with your MicroSD card and start playing your most treasured precious moments on the LCD screen . Some of these frames even have capabilities of playing video and audio files. One model even does away with the wall socket power plug and uses internal rechargeable battery!

Currently, a Digital Photo Frame doesn’t come cheap and is still confined to a niche market. This nifty gadget will set you back between US$130 to US$200 . Global brands like Viewsonic and Toshiba and lesser known brands from Korea and Australia have all jumped onto the bandwagon for this rather interesting and innovative product.

Reviews from the marketplace are positive on the creative concept, and mixed on the quality of the Digital Photo Frame, brand-dependant, ranging from frame resolution, response time, aesthetic look and feel etc.

And nothing beats living everyday of life in beautiful memories flashing by every moment of the time at the flick of a switch. Check out the Korean suppliers should you be interested in this product which is expected to revolutionalize the conventional photo albums and and extend your most treasured memories.  Expect more competition jumping on the bandwagon so start driving your competition instead.

So first stop, research the Digital Photo Frames at your neighborhood departmental store and check out your competition.

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Looking for that alternative fuel efficient car? Hybrid cars are good except that some of them could be expensive with higher upfront costs. You heard that even Silicon Valley is jumping onto the bandwagon and developing hybrid cars nowadays. Well, surely there must be other alternative fuel efficient car options around.

Let us check out the options here.

Get a Small Conventional Car Instead?

If saving on fuel cost is one of your key concerns, you could consider getting a small conventional car. The small conventional car is suitable for the individual use, light usage mostly, and can seat a maximum of 4 passengers. So if you have a small family and few children to ferry to school; or are single and only require light transportation to and from work and the occasional grocery spree, by all means get a small conventional car. But bear in mind that no matter how small the car, you still need to burn gasoline.

What about the Electric Car?

Electric cars could be one alternative for you. But for the moment, there are mainly prototypes waiting to be perfected for commercialization. Unless of course that you are looking to buy a plug-in like the Telsa Roadster, a sports car model of the electric car, priced about $109,000 at the time of writing. So if budget is one of your strapping constrains, think hybrid. And to top that off, there is no comparison really between the Electric Car and the Hybrid Car as the full electric car does not even burn fuel.

Is Fuel Efficiency Your Key Criteria?

If you answer yes to the above, then your answer could be found by the latest report by EPA. A quick research shows that the fuel efficiency category is topped by most hybrid cars, led by the Toyota Prius which claims top spot at 48 mpg miles per gallon for city driving or a combined highway and city drving at 46 mpg. No other conventional cars comes close to this record benchmark.

For the moment, it seems that hybrid cars are here to stay, and judging from the fuel efficiency and fuel savings generated, they will become even more popular, especially in times of economic crunch.

So while car manufacturers are experimenting with prototypes of plug-ins, water powered cars, full electric cars, CNG cars, the best available alternative is still your environmentally friendly Hybrid Cars capable of cutting down toxic fume emission as well as fuel consumption by about 50%.

Find out more on Hybrid Cars Here and Environmentally Friendly Cars Here .

PS: We will be doing reviews on the popular Hybrid Car models 2009/2010 as they roll off the plants soon. Meantime, do check out the Top Green Cars Hall Of Fame List 2008 Here.

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That it is a fact the gasoline-powered automobile causes great harm to our environment goes without saying. Gasoline guzzlers and monster cars terrorize not only pedestrians, fellow drivers and all road users alike, their effects on the environment is drastic to the ozone and our general health and well being to say the least.

Enter the Hybrid Car . Could this be the solution to our environmental degradation? The hybrid car, hotly touted to be the next wave of the future, is known mostly for its positive impact on our environment.

Environmental Impact - Gasoline Guzzlers Vs Hybrid Cars

It is a given how the notorious gasoline guzzlers consume fuel. The by-products of the power generating process combine to contribute greatly to extensive smog around us. Primary pollutant examples include carbon monoxide from car exhausts, with recent levels of car fumes emission rising 16% higher than a decade ago.

Hybrid cars are innovated to combine the usage of gasoline-electric, or diesel-electric or totally full electric power. While there are still emissions when the hybrid car is generated by gasoline at different stage of the journey, it is estimated that at least 50% less gasoline fuel will be needed as electricity takes over the task of powering the vehicle.

Hence, by virtue of the fact that Hybrid cars help reduce the amount of smog in out atmosphere, the general public benefits from improved respiratory health.

Environmental Impact - Hybrid Cars or Innocent Silent Killers?

Conventional Big cars or reconstructed monster cars make a lot of noise on the roads. But at least the visually impair could hear the car coming their way.

Conversely, by the very fact that they run on electricity, most hybrid cars have very low and subdued noise emissions comparative to their gasoline powered counterparts. In fact, it is close to silent when the full electric hybrid is on the road. Some may find this very soothing and comfortable to their senses.

But for the visually impaired or the blind, who greatly depend on there sense of detection of a vehicle via the noise of its engine, it would be detrimental to their road safety. Worst still if they are amongst busy and well populated areas and roads.

Yes, indeed, the Hybrid Car is a great gift of innovation but it is also a double-edged sword.

If you are living in polluted parts of countries like Beijing in China or Mumbai in India or even certain parts of USA and Europe where environmentally consciousness is high, The Hybrid Car is a key transport consideration.

To read more of Hybrid Cars and Environmentally Friendly Cars , do visit my website.

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CNG Defined

CNG is defined as Compressed Natural Gas . It is an alternative fuel much more viable than traditional fuel energy resources within the car manufacturing industry. Key features of CNG is that it is emits little amounts of pollutants, high powered, is economical and available in abundance globally.

Facing a global crunch on gasoline, fuel efficiency become paramount, there are key initiatives which car manufacturers are embarking upon to develop the ultimate fuel emission free vehicle which aims to be as efficient as the conventional cars we are driving today. CNG cars give us an environmentally friendly alternative fuel source and have the potential for mass commercialization.

The Key Benefits and Disadvantages of CNG cars abound as highlighted below:

CNG Car Key Benefits

Substantial Fuel Savings

With CNG costing only about 30% of the price of Gasoline, CNG cars are giving their owners a good run for their money in terms of calorific value resulting in a good amount of savings in fuel cost. This fuel cost savings extends throughout the life of your CNG car and hence allows you to recoup your CNG conversion investment over a short period.

For those who purchase the 2009 Honda GX, you are immediately seeing returns on fuel savings on your CNG car vs the conventional.

Environmentally Friendliness

Imagine a car that emits 70 to 90 percent less carbon monoxide into the ozone compare to the conventional cars we are currently driving. Also imagine a car emitting 40 to 60 percent less hydrocarbon then the conventionally fuel powered engines.

This too comes with a 10 percent reduction of carbon monoxide emissions, which is what currently burning that hole in our ozone. You have never realized these CNG car facts until you read this article? Well you get the idea now.

Flexibility And Ease Of Use

The fundamental functional engine features of the CNG car are retained while converting it to run on CNG. Hence, the CNG car is capable of running on either gasoline or CNG by manual switching.

CNG Car Key Drawbacks

Storage Space

If you are someone who need a large amount of boot space for storage, you might find that the CNG car could take up quite a fair bit of room in your boot. This is primarily due to the CNG cylinders used to store the gas. It could take up about 20 to 30% of your boot space although it is often installed to be tucked away on the inside of the boot.

Lack Of CNG Fueling Stations The Prime Handicap

This is the prime reason why CNG cars have not really enjoyed mass sales. The CNG fueling stations as far and few, and the fuel energy companies are not exactly reacting fast enough to install CNG fueling stations around strategic locations. In fact, to start the momentum of growth for CNG cars, the easy availability of CNG fueling stations is critical.

One might argue that this is a chicken and egg problem, but this problem is experienced throughout most communities in the US, Europe and Asia. There is apparent demand for CNG cars beyond a doubt, but the lack of availability of CNG fueling stations could well kill the growth eventually.

Get more reads on Hybrid Cars Here and Environmentally Friendly Cars Here

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From Under the Hybrid Hood Part 2

Have you heard of the saying that “Not all hybrids are created equal?” This is indeed true if you have read my latest post before this. In fact, this post must be read in conjunction with the previous Hybrid Car Simplified - From Under The Hybrid Hood Part1 which discusses the type of hybrid cars in the market currently.

What then gives the different degree of hybrids their name, be it mild , full, plug-ins? There are 5 criteria driving the different drivetrains and hybrid levels, namely idling capability, the regenerative braking system, the power-assist capability, the full electric drive and finally the extended battery-electric range which gives the plug-in its name.

Ilding Capability Alone Does Not Constitute A Hybrid Car

If you have used a refrigerator before you would have noticed the light bulb which goes off when you close the fridge door and comes on when you open it? The same theory goes for the hybrid cars at idling. The gasoline engine stops at idling hence saving fuel. The engine will turn back on in a fraction of a second even before you tap the gas pedal. However, note that this capability alone does not deem your car a hybrid as all hybrids are capable of it.

Regenerative Braking Capability Simplified

The regenerative braking system of hybrid cars functions on kinetic energy. Essentially, the energy captured from pushing an object forward is captured and stored into the system as energy for future use. This is how the hybrid regenerative braking system works. The electric motor operates as a generator, recovering the kinetic energy and converting it into electricity that is stored in the battery so it can be used later to help drive the vehicle down the road. This of course requires sufficiently large electric motor at high voltage to capture the amount of braking energy.

Power Assist or “Electric Assist” System Makes A Mild Hybrid Car

A hybrid is essentially defined as a car using at least 2 power sources. The electric motor would be powering the car by assisting the gas engine, namely fuel assist, serving as the auxiliary power source to drive the car. The characteristics of this type of hybrid from under the hood are a large motor and battery pack capable of supplementing the engine to help accelerate the vehicle while driving as well as a smaller engine. This type of hybrid car is the mild hybrid. A case in point is the Honda Insight.

Full Electric Hybrid - Fuel Assist with a Shockingly Silent Engine

The full electric hybrid taps solely on the electric motor and battery pack, leveraging almost fully on the electric system of the hybrid car. At low speeds and at launch, the electric motor and battery powers the car and at high speeds the engine takes over. The Toyota Prius and Ford Escape are two examples of the shockingly silent fuel assist engines of the full hybrids.

The Extended Electric-Battery - The Ultimate Plug-in Driver & Barrier

The final stage of hybridization encompasses the ability to recharge the battery from a clean energy source hence allowing the hybrid to operate solely as a battery-electric vehicle for as much as 20-60 miles - aka Plug-ins. Currently, the average Plug-ins are scoring at 50 miles per recharge. Part of “qualifying” to be a plug-in is to that it should contribute greatly to their environmental performance with clean power generating sources. And of course, cost remains the biggest most barrier of the Plug-in hybrids.

Always remember that when looking at hybrids, regardless of technology, the clearest and most direct way to evaluate the environmental performance of a hybrid electric vehicle is by its fuel efficiency and toxic fume emissions.

And if you would like to read more, visit Hybrid Cars Here and Environmentally Friendly Cars Here.

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One day after Democrat Barack Obama was elected the next US President in a landslide victory and made history as the First US African American President , Wall Street plunged 486 points as investors worried about the global financial crisis and a US recession.

The president-elect has stepped right into the heat of the biggest global financial meltdown since the Great Depression amidst rising unemployment, diminishing home values and shaken investor confidence.

There is no reprieve from market pessimism as investor concerns permeates as signs of further deterioration in a very weak economy continue its foray. There is little expected upside in the continued plunge of Wall Street even as the path of change in the nation’s political and social history takes on a new chapter. Depressed investor’s sentiments and job worries continues to give rise to curbed consumer spending, further stalling the US economy. The backward streaming of the downturn is widespread with manufacturing and services taking the lead and escalating the already anemic US economy.

Such is the economic grimness that President-elect Obama inherits as the US economic legacy. While all paused for a day in celebration of his victory, more eyes are now on Barak Obama on how he leads his administration at the helm to chart US and the world out of difficult times.

Barack Obama and Joe Biden made ambitious commitments of reshaping the US economy for the people. This is indeed a long list and how much of this will be honored within the next 4 years to come is anyone’s guess.

But meantime, just for a few days, let us take a breather, and revel on the very fact that Barack Obama President-elect, with his genetic heritage, has re-crafted US history by simply being the 44th US President of the United States of America.

Below is a snapshot of the potential exciting changes.

Barack Obama and Joe Biden’s Economic Game Plan

Jumpstart the Economy

Enact a Windfall Profits Tax to Provide a $1,000 Emergency Energy Rebate to American Families

Provide $50 billion to Jumpstart the Economy and Prevent 1 Million Americans from Losing Their Jobs

Provide Middle Class Americans Tax Relief

Provide a Tax Cut for Working Families:

tax credit of up to $500 per person, or $1,000 per working family

Eliminate Income Taxes for Seniors Making Less than $50,000

Simplify Tax Filings for Middle Class Americans

Trade

Fight for Fair Trade

Amend the North American Free Trade Agreement

Improve Transition Assistance

End Tax Breaks for Companies that Send Jobs Overseas

Reward Companies that Support American Workers

Invest in the Manufacturing Sector and Create 5 Million New Green Jobs

Invest in our Next Generation Innovators and Job Creators

Double Funding for the Manufacturing Extension Partnership

Invest In A Clean Energy Economy And Create 5 Million New Green Jobs

Create New Job Training Programs for Clean Technologies

Boost the Renewable Energy Sector and Create New Jobs

New Jobs Through National Infrastructure Investment

Create a National Infrastructure Reinvestment Bank

Technology, Innovation and Creating Jobs

Invest in the Sciences

Make the Research and Development Tax Credit Permanent

Deploy Next-Generation Broadband

Support Small Business

Provide Tax Relief for Small Businesses and Start Up Companies

Create a National Network of Public-Private Business Incubators

Labor

Ensure Freedom to Unionize

Fight Attacks on Workers’ Right to Organize

Protect Striking Workers

Raise the Minimum Wage

Protect Homeownership and Crack Down on Mortgage Fraud

Create a Universal Mortgage Credit

Ensure More Accountability in the Subprime Mortgage Industry

Mandate Accurate Loan Disclosure

Close Bankruptcy Loophole for Mortgage Companies

Address Predatory Credit Card Practices

Create a Credit Card Rating System to Improve Disclosure

Establish a Credit Card Bill of Rights to Protect Consumers

Reform Bankruptcy Laws

Cap Outlandish Interest Rates on Payday Loans and Improve Disclosure

Encourage Responsible Lending Institutions to Make Small Consumer Loans

Reform Bankruptcy Laws to Protect Families Facing a Medical Crisis

Work/Family Balance

Expand the Family and Medical Leave Act

Encourage States to Adopt Paid Leave

Expand High-Quality Afterschool Opportunities

Expand the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit

Protect Against Caregiver Discrimination

Expand Flexible Work Arrangements

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From Under the Hybrid Hood - Part1

Hybrid Cars are capable of the ability to drive 500 miles or more using less fuel and never having to plug in for recharging. Gasoline-fueled hybrid cars are among the hybrid technologies that could achieve such enhanced fuel efficiency and low toxic fume emissions, hence delivering safety and performance beyond expectation.

To drive you through the labyrinth of the hybrid car jargon, together we take a sneak peak from under the hood of the Hybrid Car.

Conventional Cars

These are cars that you and I and the masses have been driving since the automobile has been invented. The amount of toxic fume emission is creating a drastic impact to our ozone. The conventional car which sacrifices fuel economy to achieve extra acceleration performance became the reason behind the green car revolution, the innovation of Hybrid cars.

Mild Hybrid Cars

Mild hybrids are essentially has electric assist engines, and are conventional vehicles with oversized starter motors, allowing the engine to be turned off whenever the car is coasting, braking, or stopped, yet restart quickly and cleanly. The larger motor is used to spin the engine up to operating rpm speeds before injecting any fuel. Key features of