Case Studies And Business Communication

We were frustrated, my colleagues and I, as we wrestled with a new business idea. We thought it was a great idea but we couldn’t effectively describe, in business communication terms, what it would mean to users.

And, out of our discussions came the idea of writing a case study. If you’re not familiar with them, case studies are a staple of business communication. More specifically, they’re histories of specific business initiatives.

They’re like articles, but they put the reader into the shoes of a person making a difficult decision. Other professions also use case studies; you’ve probably heard of medical case studies, for example. Medical students get a set of facts about a patient, and perhaps some background or context, and then must diagnose the patient’s condition or disease.

Business case studies have proven popular at some university business schools (popular with the profs, at least). In some senses, the case study is the next best thing to being involved in a real case. And, an effective business communication tool, as I’ll explain here.

So, why would this be of interest to you? Well, if you have to persuade others to adopt your point of view, or buy your products, or vote for you, then you might find a case study useful.

In fact, you may be doing something like that already. Whenever you tell a story that’s designed to make a certain business communication point, you’re using a form of case study.

During my brief foray into life insurance sales, for example, I learned that emotion sells policies, and not logic. That’s why people in the business have a raft of stories about people who did or did not have protection when they died.

The point being made is that you should life insurance, and that you should have the right kind and the right amount. Now, if you sold life insurance, you would quickly find that no one listens when you explain the logic, but they will listen — and act — if you have your case studies (your anecdotes).

So, having gone through all that, is a case study just a fancy name for an anecdote or story? Yes, to a certain extent it is any tale used in business communication.

But, when you think of a case study, think of it as a more elaborate and more logically constructed story. Typically, a case study describes an organization or manager facing a choice or dilemma of some kind, and the reader gets a number of facts about the options. After that, you, the reader, are challenged to make the decision. Some real-life case studies include a follow-up report, so readers know which real-life decision was made, and how it worked out.

Getting back to the business idea with which we started, my colleagues and I did not proceed, and the case study exposition became a moot point. But, had we gone ahead, the case study likely would have been the cornerstone of our business communication efforts.

Finally, if you’d like to read some case studies, simply go to your favorite search engine and type in this phrase (with or without the quotation marks): “case study examples” or “case studies” .

In summary, case studies are a special type of business communication; they help us understand real-life decisions, and are a useful resource for persuasion and education. Add one or more to your business communication toolbox.

Pre-employment Background Checks 5 Reasons Why Smbs Should Conduct Them

Labor experts tell us that 8 out of 10 hiring professionals do some form of pre-employment background screening. Yet many medium and small businesses and are still dependent on traditional methods of pre-employment background screening, such as checking up on references. This article explores why many SMBs avoid professional employment background checks, and the risks and dangers of doing so.

Why Many SMBs Don’t Do Pre-Employment Background Screening

Lack of concern. Some SMB managers believe that only cops, teachers, and doctors should be subject to employment background checks. That point of view is outdated. Nowadays, many private companies are consistently performing pre-employment background screening, for the reasons listed in the second half of this article.

Lack of Internal Support and Expert Knowledge. Many SMB leaders assume that any pre-employment background screening they do must be done in-house. The prospect of training an employee to carry out background checks is intimidating to most managers, especially since it could very well take a person months to research the best background check procedures. However, partnering with pre-employment background screening outsourcing firms allows all companies quick, convenient access to employment background checks.

Overestimation of Cost. Many SMB leaders hold a misconception about pre-employment background screening, namely that it’s exorbitantly expensive. If you’re open to the possibility of outsourcing your employment background checks, you can typically conduct pre-employment background screening for no more than $50 per job candidate.

Top 5 Reasons Why SMBs should Conduct Employment Background Checks

1. Decreased Costs. You’ll find better job candidates if you conduct pre-employment background screening. Improved hiring means that you’ll spend less money counteracting negative PR, lose less money to negligent hiring lawsuits, and see fewer employee-generated losses, such as embezzlement. Finally, it’s typically much less expensive to outsource employment background checks, rather than doing them in-house.

2. Fewer legal trip-ups. Each state has its own law in place regarding negligent hiring. These laws are intended to protect the public by preventing dangerous individuals from being hired for delicate positions. As an example, many states’ alcohol laws require that employees have three years of felony-free history before they can be hired for a job that involves serving alcohol. Failing to check out candidates backgrounds through pre-employment background screening opens you to the risk of being sued or fined for failing to do your due diligence on new hires.

3. Safer Employees. Human Resource gurus estimate that 1 out of 10 job applicants have a criminal history. If you don’t carry do employment background checks, it’s more likely that you’ll hire a dangerous individual who could hurt your employees, your customers, and your business’ reputation.

4. Accelerated hiring. The majority of pre-employment background screening companies offer results in 48 hours. In this sense, outsourcing employee background checks can mean speedier hiring. In just a day or two, you can get the information you need to determine if that seemingly perfect candidate has any skeletons lurking in his or her closet.

5. Discover dishonesty in applications. Here’s another scary HR statistic for you: researchers calculate that approximately 4 out of 10 resumes feature deceitful omissions, if not total lies. Employment background checks reveal such dishonesty so that you can avoid hiring mendacious individuals.

As we’ve seen, there are many reasons why owners of small and medium-sized businesses should arrange employee background checks.

Get the Facts Before You Borrow Payday Loan 101

In the current economic climate, alternative means of obtaining
money to make ends meet are becoming increasingly necessary. Some
alternatives include borrowing money from friends/relatives; cash
advances from employers; pawning personal effects and payday loans.
Also known as a check/cash advance loan or deferred deposit check loan,
the payday loan is the most popular among these. As payday loans grown
in popularity, more and more people want to know just what a payday loan
is, and if it is the right solution for their situation.

SO, WHAT IS A PAYDAY LOAN?

A
payday loan is an unsecured, short-term loan of anywhere from a few
hundred dollars to as much as fifteen hundred dollars in some instances.
A borrower generally secures the loan by post-dating a personal check
for a specific amount of money to be posted against their account on
their next pay period. Payday loans are designed to help out in
situations when you need quick cash to cover an unexpected bill or an
emergency situation until your cash comes through or is made available.

A
payday loan is NOT a revolving line of credit. It is short-term and
that is a key factor in this type of loan. The idea is to take out the
loan to cover a small bump in the road or to smooth out any rough
financial edges until your next payday. If you are thinking of the
payday loan as way to repair a much bigger financial problem, the advice
is to STOP! A payday loan can create bigger problems down the road
when used as part of an overall troubled cash flow situation.

SO, WHAT IS A PAYDAY LOAN?

The
most important thing to remember about payday loans is that they must
be repaid on time in order to avoid paying insane fees that could
potentially equal or surpass the amount of the loan itself! It is the
renewing of the loan and failing to repay it on time that can create a
major financial dilemma for the borrower.

Most loans have a
repayment period of four to eighteen days depending upon the terms
negotiated with the lender. The repayment schedule and the method of
repayment is arranged at the time the loan is disbursed. More often
than not, the borrower will agree to pay the loan in full with cash on
or before the due date. Additionally, some lenders may opt to collect
on the loan by depositing the borrower’s post-dated check against
his/her bank account on a mutually agreed upon date.

With payday
loans, there is a fixed rate fee calculated into repayment on each loan
disbursed. The average rate is $15.00 to $20.00 dollars per $100.00
dollars borrowed. Due to the nature of the quick turn-around time of
payday loans, the annual percentage rate or (APR) is generally very
high. It is not uncommon for the (APR) to be 100%, 200% or even as high
as 400% in some cases.

If a borrower is unable to repay a loan at
the scheduled time, the lending institution may agree to rollover the
loan allowing more time for repayment. The drawback to rolling a loan
over is that additional fees are added to your account. For example, if
the fee to borrow $100.00 is $15.00 and the borrower rolled over the
loan three times, then the new fee would be $60.00. That is the
original $15.00 fee plus three times that fee itself added to each
$100.00 borrowed.

WHAT ARE THE REQUIREMENTS FOR A PAYDAY LOAN?

Generally,
the only major requirement for a payday loan is that you have a job.
Your job is your assurance that you will be able to repay the loan. It
is expected that you will be receiving a paycheck, and therefore, the
money to cover the loan. Good credit isn’t necessary or even required
for the payday loan to be approved. The lending institution only wants
to see that you are employed and have a steady income. In essence, your
job is your collateral

Getting a payday loan is actually a simple procedure.
You apply, and if approved, sign paperwork that indicates your promise
to repay the loan on the lender’s terms. Be sure to take the time to
carefully read the terms of the loan and do not be afraid to ask
questions about what those terms mean. Often, these kinds of contracts
are written in a legalized, financial jargon that is not easily
understood by the average consumer.

BORROWER BEWARE!

If you
feel the lender’s representative is not able to fully answer your
questions, please say so! If the terms of the loan are not clear to
you, do not take the loan until you fully understand them. Teachers
always say that the only stupid question is the one you don’t ask. This
is true! Again, if you do not understand all the terms of the loan, do
not sign paperwork until those terms have been fully explained to you.
Otherwise, you are legally bound by those terms that could prove
disastrous for you if you fail to act in accordance with the terms of
the loan. We would like to think that everyone is above board, but not
all lenders are. Unfortunately, there are unscrupulous lenders out
there who intend to make a profit at your expense.

It has been
noted by the NAACP and the Department of Defense that payday loan
offices have strategically opened offices near military bases and in
socio-economically disenfranchised areas where the demographic is
largely African American and Hispanic. Many reputable financial
institutions, consumer groups, and civil organizations are doing all
they can to shut down payday loan offices, but their efforts to date
have been largely unsuccessful.

BORROW IF YOU NEED TO, BUT BE SMART ABOUT IT!

With
the often strict guidelines used by reputable lenders, many people are
getting caught up in the cycle of payday loans because of their
immediate benefits. When emergencies occur and cash is needed, payday
loan companies offer fast, hassle free cash. More often than not, most
have no minimum credit requirements and do not perform background
checks. In most cases, all that is needed to secure a payday loan is a
recent pay stub and proof of a checking account. In these regards,
payday loans and cash advances do offer consumers financial options in
emergencies. On the other hand, more and more people are getting caught
up in this vicious cycle of borrowing which can lead to financial ruin.
This is not good, especially considering that the loan was probably
taken out to avert a financial disaster in the first place. With pros
and cons like these, it would seem that the best advice would be to
borrow if you absolutely must, but do so with extreme caution.

Being
proactive is probably the best strategy or, as conventional wisdom
holds, “an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure”. Take an
honest look at your family finances and come up with creative ways to
not have to borrow. Consider trimming the fat out of your budget,
pledging to save a little money from each paycheck, and reducing credit
card and revolving debt.

A little effort on your part can make a
huge difference not only in your financial situation, but in your
quality of life as well. Nevertheless, if you must take out a payday
loan, remember the following key points:

- Payday loans are NOT revolving lines of credit

- Repay your loan on time!

- Do not plan on rolling your loan over. Plan, instead, to pay it off

- The only “stupid” question is the one you don’t ask

- Payday loans have terms & conditions of repayment. Know and abide by them

- Payday loans can ruin your finances and jeopardize your job if you are not careful

- An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure

Personal Loans For Retired People – Meet Your Financial Requirement After Retirement

Retirement can include a lot of damage to peoples finance due to the income fall that it often implies. This reduction should go along with an expenditure drop too, but this does not always happen and thus, some sort of budget restructuring is required. Personal loans for retired people can offer the needed money to put your budget in order and buy you sufficient time for your stability. With the help of this facility, retire people can solve the financial problems like credit card bills, debt consolidation, car breakdown and so on. You can avail this plan in two forms:

Secured form:

This is a long term plan. If you need large number of cash, then you can get by providing collateral. You can avail the amount in the range of 5000 to 75000 for the time period of 5 to 25 years. Lenders approve the amount after valuating your property.

Unsecured form:

If you require small amount, then unsecured form is perfect. With the help of this form, you can avail the amount between 1000 and 25000 depending up on financial condition. You get 1 to 10 years to repay the amount. The interest rate will be high because of risk for the lender.

This facility is for bad credit holders as well. Personal loans for retired people are very easy to get. It comes with a few conditions. If you are a UK citizen as well as have a bank account, then you will get approval fast.

Applying procedure:

You can apply for this plan online and offline. However, applying from online way is very convenient and free from paper work and documentation. You need to provide some details in the online application form and lenders approve the cash after cross checking.

New Hampshire Payday Loan Alternatives

Money problems seem to loom around every corner these days. With them, come stress and worry as folks wonder how they are going to manage their money problems. This article is a list of solutions that can help you discover new ways to find cash when you need it most.

At PaydayLoanCashAdvance.com we want to help you get the funds you need when you need it. Residents of New Hampshire are able to seek payday loans within their state, however, we would like to offer these payday loan / cash advance alternatives to you.

Payroll Check Advance:

Sometimes employers will either pay you ahead of time, or pay you a portion of your payroll check as an advance. Not all employers are willing to issue payroll advances, and asking can sometimes cause problems with the relationship you have with your employer. On the other hand, this is a good alternative if the option is available because these loans are interest free. The downside is that your next check is going to be smaller, than it would be without the advance. While this option is available, it may not solve your personal finance problems.

Credit Cards and Financial Institutional Loans:

If you have unused credit on your credit cards, then you may be able to use that to help out during cash flow problems. If you have good credit, you might consider applying for additional credit on existing credit cards, or even applying for a new credit card, though that process can take weeks. If you have a good relationship with your bank, you can apply for either an unsecured bank loan or loan against collateral.

Car Title Loan:

If your car is paid for, then you might consider a title loan, which is a loan that holds your car as collateral. These types of payday loan / cash advance alternatives carry the risk of losing your vehicle if you cannot repay the loan. These loans are available in many states and they are quick, which means you can often have cash the same day you apply.

Pawn Shop:

Payday loan / cash advance alternatives might include using the services offered by pawn shops. If you simply want a short term loan that you plan on repaying, use a pawn shop and place your valuables as collateral in exchange for cash. If you simply wish to sell some of your valuable possessions fast, than consider selling online at places like eBay and Craig’s List. You will likely receive more cash online than you will using a pawn shop, but both have their positive and negative benefits.

What Are The Most Useful Real Estate Investment Guidelines

Investment real estate is one of the most favourable opportunities of making huge profits. The number of investment opportunities in real estate never slips down and you can always consider it as the best way to invest your hard earned money. However, you should be familiar with real estate investment guidelines to ensure that you are investing at right place, with right people and at right time. These guidelines are of great importance if you are a novice investor in this field. So, here are few guidelines in this direction to make your start.

Proper Research of Real Estate Property

Real Estate Investment Property should be your major concern while understanding the real estate investment guidelines. You should have the flair to evaluate the property on the basis of its market value as well as its future prospects. It doesnt matter whether you choose commercial or Residential Investment Real Estate. What matters the most is the assessment of future benefits of the property. For this, you must also take into account the location of the property and surrounding facilities like schools, hospitals, shopping areas and others.

How Will You Use the Property?

You must also have the capability to decide what use the property will be put in by you to earn maximum advantages. You can use real estate investment guidelines to decide, whether you will keep the property for your future settlement, or you want to sell it when the prices rise in the future. Also, you can give the property on lease for some duration and earn continuous flow of income.

Investing at Right Time

You must learn Real Estate Investment Guidelines to decide what is the right time for investing money in the real estate? The real estate investment market is prone to fluctuations and thus, you should not end up buying a property at a price higher than its expected market price.

Hiring Best Investment Broker

It is required to hire the services of a good real estate investment broker to make successful investments. You can take into account the past performances of the broker and also his reputation in the market. You can evaluate the proficiency of a real estate broker by asking your questions and measuring his knowledge in the field.

All these real estate investment guidelines can help you in the long run to make considerable profits. You can learn and utilize these guidelines to become an expert investor and add value to your bank balance. A visit to websites such as callowayinvestments.com will further educate you on the subject.

Forex Webmaster Tools

In forex affiliate marketing, in general you often need to give your affiliate marketing efforts a push. If you are an affiliate promoting forex, you need to move beyond the usual banners and text links. This is where forex webmaster tools come into play in order to give your efforts that much needed push.
Why forex webmaster tools?
Simply because they engage the audience/site traffic and also help in influencing the prospective visitor to convert to a forex trader. We take a brief look into the most widely available forex webmaster tools which are easy for you to implement.
Live Currency Rates: This is usually a flash or a java module with an easy to use cut and paste code to get it working on your website. This graphic tool is a good way to offer the present currency rates in real-time. You can choose between the currency pairs you wish to keep a tab on or think is relevant to the market/region you are promoting to. The chart looks great, especially when the rates change and does its bit to not only keep the visitor occupied but also help in forex trader conversions.
Currency Charts: There are many of these available. The candlestick charts are one of the most popular type of analysis and forex traders would often be interested in this module. The currency chart however isnt a tool to attract new forex traders but is more targeted towards the seasoned trader and gives you a good opportunity to influence the visitor to switching to a different forex trading platform.

Live Indices: The live index is a very informative tool that helps you to keep tab on the world indices and gives a brief insight into the trading patterns. This is again often helpful to convert both new and seasoned forex traders.
Currency Convertor: One of the most basic interactive tool that one could get for their website, dealing with forex trading. Although given how common this tool is available, you wont get much leverage by having this module on your website but at times it helps the visitor stay on your site.
Most forex webmaster programs offer such tools for you to promote. We recommend the following forex webmaster programs that gives the forex webmaster the option to use such interactive tools.
eToro: Virtual Salesperson, Traders Challenge leaderboard, Currency Pairs, Market News, Popular Trade, Forex Charts and Economic Calendar.
Affiliateyard: Quotes/Charts, Economic Calendars
ReferForex: Live Currency rates, Pivot Calculator.

Austrian Philharmonic Silver Coin

Ever since the economy began to decline, precious metal values have gone through the roof. Gold and silver are the commodities of the decade, and probably will be for quite awhile longer. If you have been interested in investing in gold or silver, you need to make the right choice. First of all, you need to find gold/silver that is pure or close to pure. Precious metals tainted with too much standard metals cease to be precious, and their value drops like a rock. A great choice for investment is the Austrian Philharmonic Silver Coin. This popular coin was released shortly after the Gold Philharmonic, and mimicked much of the Gold coins popularity.

The Austrian Mint currently produces the Austrian Philharmonic Silver Coin, and the coin has only been released to the general public in very limited volume. The coin is very similar to the Austrian Philharmonic Gold Coin, and offers the same investment security as its golden cousin, at a much lower price. Silver continues to rise in value just as gold does, and is ideal for those who do not want to spend too much.

The Austrian Philharmonic Silver Coin consists of 100% pure silver. This means that each 1 once coin is 1 ounce of pure silver. This is NOT solid silver. Solid silver is a term used by many coin dealers to trick people into thinking that it is pure. Solid silver means that the amount of silver found in one section of the coin is the same in every area, or in other words, it is an even mix of silver and whatever other metal is used. Keep in mind that the Austrian Philharmonic Silver Coin is bullion, and not just a normal collectors item. Bullion is a valid investment as it provides stability that even money cannot buy. Several people who used to swear by stocks and funds now have turned their attention to bullion and raw metals in order to steer clear of the incredibly volatile stock market. Also, as more people buy bullion, the price will go up. So, if you have been planning an investment, now is the time.

This coin is loved by many, and for good reason. It is a beautiful coin, and on top of that, it is a solid investment. The Austrian Silver Philharmonic coin, with its international backing familiar design, is a truly great alternative investment to any conventional investment you may be considering.

Risks And Challenges Involved In International Business

International businesses have to face risks and challenges at many fronts. Some are similar to the risks and challenges a domestic business confronts and some are unique. Even the challenges that are similar by definition differ in nature. For example both types of businesses have to face financial challenges, but an international business will be facing many factors related to global financial markets that don’t affect domestic businesses as much. They are more of a challenge in nature than risks and most of them can be handled through proper planning. Keep reading to understand these challenges better.

The challenge of international planning & strategy:
The first challenge for an international enterprise is to make a global strategy and then implement it. The managers and those at decision-making positions often find it difficult to change their thought pattern, which is not used to work in global paradigm. There are many international businesses but just some of them have truly adopted a proper global strategy. Though the situation is improving with more and more trained graduates and professionals taking on the management roles. Nevertheless, international business management requires extra ordinary management, foreseeing and leadership skills.

Financial and economic challenges:
It starts from arranging the funds to start international business and includes everything such as fluctuation in exchange rate, global economic crisis (or some economic crises in the host country), shift in oil prices, global inflation or tariff barriers imposed by the host government, also the export related policies of your own government.

International Politics:
Political know-how is a must for everybody but it becomes all so important when operating at international level. If some policies were suitable for your business, a change in ruling party can bring drastic changes in those policies. Political chaos will bring down the economy and with that your business. To prevent your business from such negative impacts, you need to make sound political judgments.

Environment, natural disasters and warfare:
Many multinational businesses have to face serious opposition by some environment friendly organizations. Citizens are more concerned about air and water pollution these days as it is becoming a serious threat to their health. Some natural disaster like floods and earthquake, or some kind of civil war breaking out in the host country is also in the list of possible challenges. A new challenge that an international business has to bear now days in some specific countries is the threat of terrorism.

Global Private Label Trends and Packaging Innovation


Global Private Label Trends and Packaging Innovation, 2013″ can be a
detailed analysis of and insight in to current packaging inventions in
the global private label market within the Food, Beverages and Health
and Beauty sectors, related to important trends, owners, and problems.


The statement is an outcome of extensive study to offer a thorough
understanding of the worldwide private-label market and packaging
consumption; this obviously establishes market trends, packaging
character, and areas of future growth.

Introduction and Landscape

Why was the report written?


The continuously changing character of buyers ‘ and merchants
private-label demand makes it difficult for those involved in the
packaging industry to comprehend precisely which sectors and areas would
be the focus of future growth. That record explains and quantifies
future demand patterns and the types of innovations best placed to
exploit them, so appearance manufactures and suppliers can arrange for
the future in confidence.

What’s the existing market landscape and what is changing?


Customer demand for private label goods varies considerably from a
large, steady market in Food and Western Europe to small, growing
markets in Latin America and Health and Beauty.

What’re the key drivers behind recent market changes?


Appearance manufacturers have to react to the changing demands of
customers and suppliers so that you can arrange for the near future.
It’s not all low expense, low quality products. Suppliers are actually
placing private label products in direct competition with national
models and in some instances as improvements over them minus the
additional costs.

What makes this statement distinctive and important to read?


This report provides a extensive analysis of the private label
landscape, including a variety of private label market data related to
new and potential packaging inventions, which are recognized across 3
main industries: Food, Health and Beauty and Beverages, along side
outcomes of a survey of leading players in the packaging industry.

Important Features and Advantages


Detail by detail coverage of essential appearance innovations across
world wide private label markets. Group products and parts included
include glass, flexible plastics, paper and board, rigid material, rigid
plastics, closures, labels and adhesives.


Growth in private brands and growth in demand for private brand
presentation are examined within the Food, Health and Beauty and
Beverages industries.

Packaging innovations are associated with
four recognized private label strategies: Low priced value, Value for
money duplicate products, Differentiation, and Quality leadership.

Demand for private label presentation is forecast for 2007-2017 by industry and place.

Essential Industry Problems


Private label approaches are significantly varied in mature markets
such as the UNITED STATES and the UK. While there still remains a place
for low cost, fundamental quality products such as Walmart’s “Great
Value” range, it’s becoming common to view private-label ranges across
various price-points as stores make an effort to differentiate their
brands from national brands (such as Tesco’s “Goodness” healthier food
for children range) as well as compete directly with them (such as
Mercadona’s “Hacendado” drinks in Spain).

Creativity in
packaging is essential to updating the image of private label products
and services being fans instead of leaders. Private-label is a superb
vehicle for releasing presentation inventions as decision making
processes are significantly shorter with suppliers than with brand
manufacturers.

Private label products and services have
developed quality ranges because they are able to work with local
suppliers and can guarantee and observe provenance, though importance
ranges remain, it’s been specially important with recent food scares.


The key consumer market, so far as private-label can be involved,
remains Food, whilst Health and Beauty would be the rising star when it
comes to future market potential. There’s limited growth possibility of
Beverages on the next five years as far as private label is concerned,
as manufacturer producers have a far more entrenched position in many
main-stream soft-drink and beer types.

Essential Highlights


In recognized areas suppliers are pulling their private label products
and services along with pack models and labeling as a single Private
Label selection such as for instance Tesco’s “Essentials”.


Perception of product quality for premium personal label ranges has been
established by applying quality pack formats and designer labeling
instead of bright label, fundamental font products and services related
to value ranges, such as “Presidents Choice” by Loblaws.