Fwd: Business Opportunities Weblog

Subject: Business Opportunities Weblog
From: mwiyono130377@gmail.com

Active English Speaking Can Help You To Learn English, Virtually Thanks to the internet and the webcam, a virtual education is not only possible but offers an opportunity for business. Active English Speaking is an educational website which offers a variety of lessons for a fee. Either through a group lesson, or one-on-one tutoring, they allow their students the chance to learn, ask questions, and interact with other classmates, through a virtual classroom. Maggi Carstairs is not just the owner of Active English Speaking but also a teacher. However, she’s not the only teacher available. Teachers interested in this unique form of education may also apply with Maggi for a position, further extending the educational possibilities for her students. What inspired you to launch Active English Speaking? ActiveEnglishSpeaking started because there was a need for classes on subjects beyond what I could teach, so I started the English lessons and also Chinese lessons. Then I discovered the technology of WizIQ that suddenly made online lessons more than just for my students. I started teaching students from all over the world in the same classroom, and discovered a whole new Virtual School where not only could students attend classes, but they could also return to the recorded lessons as they wished. They were able to view lessons they could not attend, and have a progressive course they could access as they wish. The Virtual Classroom made this possible and I took my online lessons into ‘live’ lessons to the world. What separates your website from the other virtual classes currently available on the internet? The personal touch separates my classes from other classes… as students relate and interact with the teacher and with each other using the whiteboard and chatline. They are able to interact during the lesson in a very open way, ask questions, reply to questions, and most importantly share their own writing, and voice and experiences with others. The lesson flows and follows the input of the students and caters to the levels of the students who are interested in seeing their responses and the responses of other students. The lessons are easy to follow, students enjoy the interaction, and the lessons can follow what the student needs. How does one of your lessons work? I plan the lesson, and may create a Power Point, files, photos; notes or whatever is needed, depending on the topic and what is being taught. Prior to the lesson these are downloaded and available to all on the website, and to my class. When the lesson opens, I ask students to introduce themselves and share something about themselves, then go into the lesson during which students can interact using the whiteboard or voice. I am on a webcam so they can see me as I speak, and I sometimes play the Power Point first, other times go straight into the lesson. At all times students can ask questions, and talk amongst themselves, and share their ideas. This makes it very interesting as students represent many different countries and cultures and share their view or culture. The final part of the lesson is where students who have microphones chat to the class, and I type what they are saying so other students can read while they listen to a different accent and voice. The final part is small student chat and comments to the teacher. How many different virtual teachers/lessons would you say are currently available on your website? I teach English, Art and Cooking as a base for Conversational English. Steve teaches Japanese and Russian, Mary was teaching Chinese, Charlie is teaching Koreas, and Kevin was teaching Business English. Rob will teach Mathematics. There is Rachel in Europe with English for Lawyers, Accountants and Doctors, and other teachers will create lessons as they are needed Teachers are able to apply to start their own classes if they wish. There is no cost to them to teach on ActiveEnglishSpeaking. They get paid through Paypal and are independent. I am the Main Teacher and will teach whatever the student needs…Group planned lessons and Private lessons for individuals or companies. What goals do you have for Active English Speaking over the next year? To extend to a certified Course for Students with problems who may wish to study at home instead of attending a School. To provide lessons for younger kids and students who want to improve Literacy and Numeracy. To extend to students in Australia, America and other English Speaking countries who have a need for Education but who cannot go to school; Also Students in hospitals and on vacations and students who are traveling. I also have plans to create Literacy Classes for Adults who need to learn to read and write. What are all the courses you currently offer? Are there any that you plan to add to the curriculum over the next year? Currently I offer Basic English Courses. There are 5 different Courses which include Business English, Basic Conversation, Travel English, and IELTS and TOFL English training for Exams. Students can request whatever their focus. I taught a Group of Research Scientists in Korea and also a group of Community Members. Classes are devised for any specialized Group needing instruction in English Speaking. The Plans for the future is to extend Courses to Art, Photography, Cooking, Child Management, Mathematic, Homework, and Basic Literacy and Numeracy for students in Hospitals and for students traveling with parents who are working overseas or in different locations. What does a potential teacher need to go through before they can teach a course through your website? What are their qualifications? Most Teachers teaching ESL Courses have an ESL Certificate and training in teaching ESL English. Some may not if they are teaching Conversation and speaking Social English. If teachers have the confidence to talk to a class in front of a web Camera, and interact with students, they are welcome to start classes. If they are not competent, the students will not attend the classes, so the students are the judge of the teachers and attend the classes because they see value in the classes. I do a lot of free classes in India and China as many students want to learn but cannot afford the lessons. I also charge a small fee so students can afford the lessons, and a years membership means students can do all the courses they wish to do. Each teacher provides their own qualifications and expertise for the students. This is a different skill to standing in front of a class handling a live class. You do not have discipline problems, and the students are in class because they want to learn. It is very exciting teaching and students can really get to know a teacher and improve by simply joining in the lesson which they do as they gain confidence. The teacher has to have the knowledge and confidence to teach, and they can start teaching on the website. They bring their own students, and organize their own wage from the students. If you wish to teach on ActiveEnglishSpeaking, simply join, and ask to be a teacher, and I will interview you. It’s great for those who do not want to leave their homes, and can teach their own hours. You can run classes at 2am. Its a perfect time for someone in the world…and you advertise to find the students, and the site and I advertise too. You can make your own routine and your own Course and Class. If you think you can teach and you wish to teach, you can teach. Do you have any recommendations for someone interested in purchasing one of your courses? Yes, start with one membership and use any or all the available courses. If you need another one, simply write to me and I will start it for you…as the teacher for I will find the teacher to run the course for you. Its as easy as that… You must want to learn, and if you wish to simply do the free lessons, you are invited to enroll as a free student and attend the free lessons. It’s a very easy Course which promises that you will learn to speak English, and learn many other things as well. The best part is the interaction between students. You get to know the class members quite well, and you will also make some great friends around the world. If you already speak English but wish to improve your reading and writing that will happen too as Speaking, Listening, Reading and Writing are all inter-related in the Virtual lessons. My recommendation is to simply join in on the free lessons, and if you wish more, then become a member, and do the other courses, or, request further paid lessons which range from $2-$5 for Group lessons to $20-$40 for private lessons. From Business Opportunities Weblog.

Stop Avoiding Research Posted: 25 Mar 2009 05:22 PM PDT r photo credit: bravenewtraveler Businesses who spend just a little time with one action doing research can make all the difference in the world in their business. Spending this little bit of time on research can mean the difference of winning or losing, staying open for business or putting lock’s on your business doors. So it comes as a huge surprise to learn that some business owners avoid doing any sort of research all together. The foundation of a solid deal is the research you put in at the very beginning and the continued research you do during the whole sales process. I am always amazed at how little research many so called sales professionals put in… they turn up and do a product pitch hoping they strike lucky. Well, there’s not much luck around at the moment and so all your deals need a solid foundation. A few good places to start your research is some services found online. Google alerts is a good place for research as is the website of the company your looking up and linkedin. There are also other places to look such as any articles in the newspaper written about the company, public library, the BBB and more. In a world where everything matters in your business, you cant afford to avoid doing the research that takes up such a small amount of your day. What benefits did you get from doing your research? From Business Opportunities Weblog.

Making Yourself Findable Posted: 25 Mar 2009 04:21 PM PDT photo credit: dan taylor In business, many people tend to rely on third party services and people to help them get the word out about their business or website. Sometimes this does prove to be a great benefit for the company, however, all too often the third party never follow’s through with helping you out. It is ultimately up to you yourself to make yourself find able so to speak as much as you can. When using the internet, be sure to use your brand or business name as often as you can. Be consistent and original and as clear as you can, that way when people are typing in their search bar you will come up on their screen for them to find easily. In a perfect world, reporters who quote us would keep their word all of the time, but at the end of the day, it’s our job to make sure that, even when they don’t, our target audience can find us easily on the Internet. How do you ensure that your business is easy to locate online? From Business Opportunities Weblog.

Twitter Tools Posted: 25 Mar 2009 03:20 PM PDT photo credit: miss_rogue Twitter not only helps you connect with millions of people it is a phenomenal research tool. Businesses and organizations collectively pay millions of dollars for case studies, reports, white papers, think tanks, and focus groups in the hopes of obtain business building information on their industry and target market. One of the biggest tools that businesses can benefit from is the Twellow service. This is like your yellow book pages for twitter. Then you have your TweetBeep which is pretty much the same concept of google alerts. You can monitor all aspects of your company in a time efficient manner since you get all the alerts to your email box. Nearby tweets is a new service that was added in January of 2009. This is a service where you can monitor tweets from people that are in your nearby area and what they are talking about. The tweetdeck is a time saver for everyone. After you’ve gathered all the information and data you want off of twitter using the above services, you can organize them on the tweet deck so they are all in one easy place for you to find. How has twitter helped you in your business? From Business Opportunities Weblog.

Seen On The Web Posted: 25 Mar 2009 02:45 PM PDT • Skype handles more international calls than AT&T • 20 free business iPhone apps • Blurb - Turn Your Blog into a Book • Car dealers face extinction • What would Oprah do? From Business Opportunities Weblog.

Using Your 401K to Buy a Biz Posted: 25 Mar 2009 02:19 PM PDT photo credit: urban_data It is no surprise that today many people in the work force and out of the work force are contemplating buying a franchise and leaving their 9-5 job. The problem with this plan is that it takes money to do this and most people today don’t have that much in their savings account or on hand. So should they dip into their 401-K plan in order to finance their new franchise? First of all one must realize the work it takes to owning a franchise business, this is not a task for everyone. So when contemplating buying a franchise in general, you must make sure you’ve looked at all aspects and know that it is for you. As for investing part of your retirement, 401-K or IRA into the franchise, this depends on your portfolio and the business you plan to buy. If the economy has not been too generous to your portfolio this past year, many advisor’s would advise against using your 401-K to invest. During times like these, don’t allow someone to sneak up behind you, and apply the ether. Do your homework. If the opportunity makes sense, get a franchise attorney, an accountant, and a lender, who will be your support team. If everything looks good, take your shot! What are your thoughts on using 401-K to invest in a franchise? From Business Opportunities Weblog.

Cutting Payroll Guidelines Posted: 25 Mar 2009 01:18 PM PDT photo credit: Heart of Oak Entrepreneurs everywhere are facing the difficult task of needing to start cutting pay roll. But many of them wonder which ones should be cut, how much should they cut and how can they make these necessary changes without too much damage in the work place. Below are a few guidelines to follow if your faced with the difficult task of cutting your pay roll. ●Review your options. You don’t just have the choice to lay off people. Think about some other options such as a shorter work week, shorter hour’s, less paid vacation and sick time, full time into part time for a period of time. ●Putting your plan into action. It’s up to you to determine your business’s threshold. Every business has its own critical initiation point for its emergency action plan. The items you might want to consider are cash level (including receivables), inventory level, aging of outstanding bids, number of bids and backlog in hours or dollars. The point is, when you set an objective, measurable point of action, you remove some of emotional upheaval from the process. ●Minimizing the damage. When making the cuts let your employees know that your sharing the cut’s along with them, remind them of the fact that there are much more disappointed people who are standing in the unemployment line rather then working part time at least. How have you handled your pay roll cuts in your business?

Reviewing contracts Posted: 25 Mar 2009 12:30 PM PDT Many businesses today receive some sort of contract that requires a signature to sign the deal. The signature is iron clad, binding you into ALL the stipulations of that contract. So when reviewing a contract it is important to remember some of the items below before you go signing away at the dotted line. ●Negotiate. It never hurts to ask for a lower price or a shorter time period to get a job done. Always try negotiating rather than just signing off on the original offer. ●Read the entire contract. Many people don’t like to read long drawn out boring contracts so they skim through the whole thing. This can prove to be very bad for you when something comes about that you didn’t realize you signed off on. ●Define, define and define again. Make sure that the contract is clearly stated on time frames, price, tools needed, employees needed, hour’s of operation, etc. ● Be innovative. Negotiating does not always have to involve dollar amounts. What non-monetary benefits can the parties offer each other to gain better terms? This can include a side service, co-promotion or marketing, partnering on a small project, or the potential for more lucrative contracts in the future. Creativity often greases the wheels of contract negotiation. How has reviewing your contracts proved to save your company from a potential hazard?

Renting Out Unused Space Posted: 25 Mar 2009 09:09 AM PDT Springwise: From unused parking spaces to extra beds to arable land suitable for gardening, consumers are increasingly finding new, recession-busting ways to make the most of what they have. While we’ve covered several examples of marketplaces that focus on one of those sharable assets, we hadn’t yet seen Spareground, a UK-based contender that aims to cover them all. Spareground bills itself as “the one-stop shop for finding somewhere to store your sports equipment, keep your caravan for the winter, park your car, graze your horse, find somewhere to display your art or find somewhere to stay near that sports event or festival.” In essence, it’s a place to advertise or look for just about any kind of unused space, including accommodations, parking spaces, driveways, garages, storage facilities such as attics or sheds, unused land, spare rooms or car share spaces. The site is free to use by both businesses and individuals, and space is organised by category: property, land, parking, storage or other. Consumers with space to share simply create a listing with its description, location and price; those seeking space search by category or keyword and then contact the owner directly to arrange the terms. Photo by Spareground.

Four Rules To Follow During This Economy Posted: 25 Mar 2009 08:08 AM PDT BizBox: While the present economy removes opportunities and resources, it has also managed to add new and different opportunities. Here are four key points: 1. There are three fundamental decisions facing any business: where to play, how to deliver, and how to win. Those are the three decisions during good times and bad times. 2. Entrepreneurs should systematically identify “downturn needs,” which even now consumers are looking for. These woudl include necessities and affordable luxuries, substitutions for previous products and services, and products that deliver value for money. 3. To serve these needs, look for downtime resources that might be available at relatively low cost. 4. Think business model. Consider the unintended consequences of cost-cutting, and instead focus holistically on the interconnected parts of your entire business model. Photo by jennifer buehrer.

Stimulus Grant Scams Posted: 25 Mar 2009 07:07 AM PDT CNNMoney: Tough economic times make fertile breeding ground for scammers and this recession is no different. Since the $787 billion stimulus bill became law in February, dozens of websites have popped up offering advice for a fee on how to get government grants on everything from small business initiatives to paying off student loan debt. The BBB has received hundreds of complaints about sites like federalgrantsolutions.com, which billed consumers $70 a month on their credit cards for info they thought was free. First, know that the government doesn’t hand out grants for paying off personal debt and grants are usually given to non-profits. If you want to know how to apply for a government grant for a non-profit or small business initiative, that info is readily available for free at grants.gov and sba.gov. Photo by svilen001.