A Simple Guide In Developing A Crisis Management Plan

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Crisis management is said to be the procedure in which an organization takes on the different events or situations that may threaten or harm the stakeholders, the general public and/or the company itself. Before you can make the crisis management plan, there is a need to first define the threats or crises that might affect your business. In order for you to identify them, there are three things that you have to look for. These are the events that threaten the success of the business, the element of surprise and short time that is needed to make the right decisions. According to experts though, there is a fourth element required to determine whether a certain event is a crisis and that is the need for change. In this case, if that particular situation does not call for change, it can be considered as just a failure or an incident and not a crisis.

Another thing that you have to know before you make the crisis management plan is the very little contrast between risk and crisis management. For many years, there have been comparisons between the two even including debates about risk management vs. crisis management. The main dissimilarity between them is that risk management involves the assessment of potential threats and searching for methodologies that will help the business in avoiding the threats. Crisis management on the other hand deals with threats themselves after they have broken out of company control.

The crisis management plan is created in order for the supervisors or the business owners to obtain guidelines for any crisis situation. Thus, it should be an effective document, which includes the fact that it should be continually updated since the industry, the company and the world changes rapidly. Crisis management planning is and will always be a part of the overall protection and emergency awareness and strategic planning process of the business. To get started, five Ps and one E should be remembered: predict, position, prevent, plan, persevere and evaluate.

The first step is to always identify the issues but this does not mean that once you have detected the concerns, you will stop there. This is an ongoing process which includes creating a list of every imaginable company issue starting with the things that will most likely happen. Then you will need to categorize and prioritize the items on the list. You can assign a crisis team that will help you in completing the task. The next step is for policy preparation which involves the policy statements with general principles such as honest, direct and timely responses, ethical standards integration and considering media when implementing the business practices in dealing with emergencies.

The crisis management plan is not complete without the specific responses toward the threats. When drafting them, consider the scope of the crisis, the established unified response and the knowledge of the staff members. The crisis management planning process should be clear, concise, simple and consistent so that the crisis management plan can help in identifying the things that happened, why they occurred and what the company should do to ensure it will never take place again.

Characteristics Of Business Phone Services

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Businesses put much accentuation on cutting their operational costs of which the business telephone bill is a significant cost. This issue might be appropriately tended to with a scope of cheap business phone alternatives, each one conveying distinctive rental arrangements and diverse service quality.
The ordinary phone line, likewise alluded to as the landline is suitable for an office with few connection utilized by ten workers or less.
The brilliant business broadband or the fiber optics broadband connection.
The internet subordinate Voip connection for a lessened call cost
The superfast fiber optics connection is not key for little businesses as lower number of connection and clients permit the conventional choice to perform well without bargaining the quality or proficiency of service.
The fundamental characteristics of business phone services are:
Cheap Rates:
The most paramount concern while choosing cheap business phone services are the call expenses caused. Business phone lines, particularly landlines are cheaper than local landlines. Business landline bundles accompany an assortment of gimmicks which infers that the expense of the bundle will extraordinarily fluctuate as indicated by the peculiarities chose.
Rental Cost: Most business landline bundles accompany a fundamental rental charge, which is the cost that is brought about to utilize the telephone set and link charges.
Landline Types: Vendors offering cheap business phone services by and large different sorts of landlines including single and numerous simple lines, Isdn2e, a great single and Isdn30, a various channel advanced line.
Different Lines: Some businesses require more than one landline connection and merchants of business phone connection have cheaper rental arrangements with expanded number of connections.
Call Rates: Different cheap business phone bundles offer distinctive call charges in the classifications of nearby landline, portable, national and global calls, off-peak and peak calls.
Arrangements: Customized bundles made up of a blending of call decisions for instance rental charge, nearby call, portable or off crest call alternatives. For instance, if a business makes more universal calls, a global call cost saver bundle could be picked.
Topped Call Charges: Some business phone line sellers offer the alternative of topping or altering a specific kind of calls, for instance, if a business makes more call to portable numbers, the bundle could be modified to settle those calls at a specific rate.
Simple to Remember Numbers: On unique solicitation, business phone service suppliers can give simple to recall contact number for clients and for printing on the business leaflet.
Upkeep and Support: Though for most business managers the call expenses are an essential concern, for some the accentuation is put on the help service accessible with the phone connection. Business connection by and large get more elevated amount of help service contrasted with household lines as a couple of hours of downtime can mean considerable budgetary misfortune to the business.
For more information about Business Phone Line, Business Landline and Business Broadband please visit the website.

Importance Of Business Consultancy Services

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The consultancy services are increasing day by day for various industries. The consultancy is a knowledge dispersion process through which any individual or a company out sources its information. The business consultancy services include updating the client and customers with the new emerging trend in their respective business. The strategy is based on market research analysis. The market research analysis includes studying the business in the global markets and the competitions for the business.

The consultancy services include provision of strategic tools for the development and expansion of the business. The business consultancy services provide the competitors an extra edge in the competitive markets. Consultancy services are the problem solving approach where the service provider focuses on solutions rather than the problems. The service in consultation with the staff and the management works on the core domain of the problem. Hence this evaluation results in diverse solutions and better decision making process. The consultancy services works on the risks assessments and provides appropriate measure to avoid risks and to handle risks if encountered.

The consultancy services are well known for their planning strategy on the basis of the resource allocation, scheduling of the various projects and termination of the project. The consultancy services evaluate the various projects in terms of their life cycle and utilization of resources and providing high quality outputs to the organization. For an effective functioning of any organization it requires effective and strategic policies based on the proper evaluation of the business. The consultancy services provide an effective medium to review these strategies and policies of the business. The company is assured the desired results by the predictions through such consultancy services. The services provider works as a research analyst in reviewing the pros and cons of the business.

The business is not only measured on the sales and pricing strategy but also on the impact it creates in the minds of its customers. The surveys include the reviews on the operations of the business. It also requires the effective use of the human resources. The key to any business is its financial growth and stability. The consultancy services are beneficial in providing this business reviews. The policy also includes the measure of the business plans. The business is evaluated by the professional who are engaged in these consultancy firms. These are mostly the management graduates who work on the various policies of running a business effectively. Consultancy services aims at securing the place for the business in the competitive global market place. Hence a company must select an appropriate consultancy firm as the policies suggested may play a prominent role in shaping the business. For the evaluation criteria the company must review the past success of such consultancy services and the key clients of such services. This assures the company about the service providers. This also helps in establishing trust and faith about the service provider. Hence a company must select its consultancy services based on its objectives and the services including value added services provided by the service provider.

If You Are Confused About The Concept Of brand Positioning

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The Surface Meanings of Positioning

This health care product lost the market share because it didnt find the correct position and failed to win the consumers favor.

Working in the office, you should know your position clearly to win the praise of your colleagues and get a promotion.

This company positioned itself to be a third-party hotel which only provides top grade services and thus got remarkable profits over time.

The definition of positioning is accepted and used widely. However, if we do a sample survey of business managers and marketing personnel, and people working in market consulting services and the advertising industry for their understanding of “positioning “, I believe you will get a variety of answers. It seems that even many professional people, just simply accepted and memorized the term “positioning”, and use it in some specific situations! Few people truly consider “positioning” as a tool and how to put it in to practice.

If “positioning” is indeed effective, at least we need to understand the concept, master the methods, and put theories into practice. We can not just purely discuss about what “positioning” is and treat it as a fashionable term to enrich our vocabulary.

Now, lets look into “positioning”.

Different positioning

Advertising Age, an authoritative advertising magazine in the United States, published Positioning Era in 1972 written by Al Ries and Jack Trout, which declared the birth of positioning.

Al Ries and Jack Trout thought that “positioning” is a method of occupying a market position in the minds of the target audiences. Therefore, they use the present continuous tense “Positioning” to express the process. Any country, company, organization, individual, product or service could use this method to occupy a position in the minds of consumers.

The “positioning” that Al Ries and Jack Trout mentioned actually refers to in-depth study of the target audience from the perspective of the audience themselves in order to choose information to distribute effectively and guarantee a means for consistent communications. This will create a method which impresses consumers and gets them memorize the company in a certain way. Using common language to express these ideas we can name it: the what to say approach.

The principle of positioning brought forward a new era. With this concept widely known and accepted by the mass, marketing experts also tried to connect this principle with the existing marketing theory systems. Thus, we have the classic “S-T-P” steps, S stands for segmentation; T for targeting and P for positioning which is something that occupies a certain place in the minds of the consumers with its unique designs in supplies. (Philip Kolter, Marketing Management 10th edition). Please note that “positioning” here has surpassed its original meaning, it is not just a means of communication, but also holds meaning of unique design in supply.” In other words, the meaning of “positioning” lies in how to design the products, how to price them and what special services should be provided. Obviously, providing uniqueness in supply has actually become the key work of marketing! Therefore, “positioning” changed from a means of communication to the core point of marketing. Marketing experts have completely accepted the term “positioning” and admits the positive influence of adding “positioning” to Marketing Theories, and thus, its meaning have been enriched. Frankly speaking, from the perspective of marketing experts, “positioning” is not just matter of “what we should say”; it has become “what we should sell”.

When marketing experts promote the “S-T-P” method, strategic positioning” becomes the focus of discussion. Michael Porter’s On Competition said that: The essence of the business strategy is “positioning.” In his book, he pointed out: Enterprises can position themselves based on the types of specific products. Just as Galanz’s strategy has focused on the production and development of microwave ovens; enterprises can also position themselves based on all the needs or most needs of specific customers or as how IKEA positioned itself by providing a complete series of household products to young people, who care mainly about price, like to change styles all the time, and do not need services.

After determining a “positioning” strategy, a set of carefully selected activities can be carried out accordingly to strengthen the uniqueness value to their consumers. Take the Southwest Airlines for example, its “positioning” strategy is to provide serve- specific air routes and low-cost and convenient services, in this way, it can reduce boarding time, forgo providing any unnecessary VIP cabin services and only purchase Boeing 737 aircraft in order to enhance the efficiency of maintenance and strengthen its competitive advantages. These simplified activities are carried out based on the strategic “positioning” plan, and has helped to continuously consolidate their market “positioning”, so that other airlines can not compete with them at all.

From the perspective of Michael Porte, “positioning” has got even a richer meaning. The “positioning” of enterprises is what we should do and this is the essence of business management strategy and also the origin of competitive advantages.

There are three different levels of application of “positioning”. They are enterprise strategy level, marketing level and communication level respectively (see picture 1). Confusion often occurs because of the definitions of these three levels of “positioning” are actually different, but all of them are wide-spread and accepted. When we are able to examine “positioning” from different levels, then we can confirm in which level to use “positioning” correctly so that we can avoid confusion about its definition.

It is worth mentioning that the three levels of “positioning” dont contradict each other, on the contrary, the unification of the three levels can form a strong competitive advantage.

For example, Volvo focuses on producing safe cars, the “positioning” of which is in the enterprise level and also in marketing level, this is consistently shown in the process of their communications. So in the minds of consumers, Volvo occupies a market position of safety.

The ideal state of the three levels of “positioning” is a united one. Southwest Airlines, IKEA and Harley Motorcycles are some of the best examples of unity among the three levels of positioning. Strategic “positioning” is the core and direction of business management, so as to determine the direction of the products and services development, and further establish its unique position in the minds of target consumers through communications. We can see that such enterprises are strong powers in their markets.

Positioning and Brands

Clients often need an advertising company to provide positioning services for a certain brands. However, because Al Ries and Jack Trout didnt attempt to construct a theoretical system, nor there is clear definition about the relationship between “branding” and “positioning”. Therefore, the following situations are likely to occur: the clients who believe in the positioning theory claim that they need brand positioning for their shampoo products, for instance, but actually, they do not know what kind of materials concerning the brand the advertising company will submit. Proceeding from the view of business, the advertising company is willing to provide this service for the client, yet due to lack of theoretical basis and standards, clients can not actually identify the quality of the proposal submitted by the advertising company. The two sides will not be able to have in-depth negotiations or revisions on the proposal.

We should change this situation by creating a clear definition; otherwise this problem will seriously affect daily work progress and market results for many enterprises. Like the invention of the light bulb is based on the discovery of electricity, the “positioning” of a brand comes from the unity between “positioning” and “branding”, it is closest to Al Ries and Jacks classic theory on positioning–the positioning of communication, which is the first of the three levels of positioning in theory and practice mentioned above.

“Branding” is the general awareness of consumers on specific organizations, products, services, and the differences among them (Please refer to my article If You Are Confused About the Concept of Branding, and Graphic II in this article to familiarize yourself with the concept of branding). “Positioning” is the process of occupying a position in consumers minds. Therefore, we can consider “branding” as a result, and “positioning” as an approach.

Graphic II
Distinguished-What the brand represents?
Entity-What the brand stands for?
Awareness-to who the brand is meaningful for?

Giving positioning to a brand is to rebuild consumers awareness through the means of communication, which is actually a process of establishing a position or adjusting the present position. When this is completed, in the minds of consumers, a brand will be established or the awareness about a certain symbol has fundamentally changed.

If “positioning” is an approach, then from the perspective of overall brand management, what is the relevance of positioning itself? We know that the core means of brand management is to establish the “symbol system” in the minds of target consumers which is, in fact, to manage the communications and the differences mentioned in the materials provided to further manage the awareness of the target consumers. For this aspect of brand management a relatively complete methodology system exists; David Aakers brand recognition system.” In this system, as a process, brand management is divided into four steps:

Graphic III
1. Establishing brand awareness
2. Brand positioning
3. Communication
4. Following and checking the effects of communication activities and continue to improve them.

In these four steps, the main task of brand positioning is to have the brand recognition content and brand value orientation communications initiatively communicate with the target consumers.

Perhaps we can use peoples thoughts as an example to help us understand David Aakers insightful view. View points of Brand recognition is how a man sees himself, brand positioning is how this person describes himself and brand awareness is how others look at this person.

It is very simple; the essence of brand management is to combine other peoples opinions about you and your own opinion about yourself through various means. Brand positioning, however, is to let others remember your methods in this complex and saturated competitive environment (Graphic IV shows the relationship among brand identification, positioning and awareness).

Conclusion

This article aims to dissipate the fog of the concept and directly reveal the core concept.

Many people are confused about positioning, the reason is that the concept of positioning originated only from communication, but it has been further developed to the following three levels: strategy, marketing and communication.

Many people are confused about the relationship between branding and positioning as well, it is because they confuse branding itself with brand development and management measures.

The problem that we are facing is not the lack of theories, but actually having too many theories on this topic. Lets learn how to distinguish and select proper theories, not only select them but truly, systemically and creatively devote ourselves to implementing the theories we believe in. If these things are accomplished it will be more likely for enterprises and individuals to continuously achieve success in the more and more mature and fierce market competition in China as well as the global market.

E-bidding The New Global Business Trend

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Internet technology has become an intrinsic part of business enterprises across the world. Traditional business models have been replaced by online business proceedings with its high-tech tools and features. The rise of internet technology happened as business owners realized the potential of the Internet in enhancing the speed, efficiency and accuracy of their business operations and how they facilitate smooth and flawless business proceedings.

One such promising new-age business trend is E-Bidding. With more and more e-commerce websites getting deployed on the World Wide Web, the concept of e-bidding in soaring high.

What is E-Bidding?
E-bidding, also known as online bidding and e-auctions is a rising trend in the corporate circles across the globe. E-bidding is the concept wherein an online marketplace or website allows buyers to post their requirements in real time bidding events and potential suppliers and service providers can compete to sell their products or services to the buyer.

E-biddings are especially beneficial in scenarios where clients have accurately specified requirements and need the best and cost effective services to satiate them. Apart from the cost factor, clients can also consider the timeliness and quality of deliverables as a deciding factor to choose service providers and product suppliers.

E-bidding is a highly popular trend and is being used by several industries to buy and sell products and professional services at profitable rates and further profitable business endeavors.

The Process of E-Bidding
E-bidding revolves around the concept of sale and purchase of products and services online at profitable prices. Buyers generally post their requirements in online marketplaces and B2B websites and place Request for Bids. Potential suppliers and service providers can view these posts and submit competitive Bids for the same. In turn, buyers can review the bids and select one that is most cost effective. However, money is not the only criteria in selecting the vendor. Rather, buyers can browse through portfolios of potential vendors, trace their experience and expertise of the industry and then select the one that best qualifies for their requirements.

Business Advantages of E-Bidding
E-bidding offers a plethora of advantages to businesses and industries. It allows businesses to procure quality and cost effective services for their processes and thus helps them expand their profit margins. Likewise, suppliers and service providers can offer their products and services at best rates and reap benefits as well.

Here are some valuable business advantages of bidding online.

Access to Large Databases
B2B websites generally contain extensive databases of buyers and service providers. This increases and widens the network of the companies and individuals who register themselves on the website and connects them to a large pool of industry audiences. While buyers can browse through the database to find suitable service providers for their projects, service providers, in turn can apply to several posted projects and acquire new leads for their businesses.

Access to Worldwide Business Leads
E-bidding brings together buyers and service providers from all over the world. All the members of a B2B website have access to a worldwide audience. This means they can transgress geographical boundaries and time zone differences to hire professional services of offshore service providers and suppliers.

Access to Worldwide Business Leads
E-bidding brings together buyers and service providers from all over the world. All the members of a B2B website thus have access to a worldwide audience. This means buyers can transgress geographical boundaries and overcome time zone differences to hire professional services from offshore service providers and suppliers.

Comparison of Biddings
E-biddings allow buyers to monitor biddings and compare the different bids that are submitted. After they have reviewed all the bids, they can evaluate potential service providers and choose the best out of the lot.

Established Credibility
E-biddings is a critical procedure on trusted and established B2B websites. So all the members of the database are reliable and trust-worthy. This is because, these websites validate the identity of all the registered members and thoroughly check the details specified by them. This enhances the sanctity of online business proceedings.

Reduced Paperwork
Since all the proceedings are done online and all the information is stored electronically, there are no hassles about paperwork. The information can be easily and steadily processed and put to further use. Unlike scrapes of paper that needs to be reviewed manually, online data can be processed electronically by automated programs and softwares. Moreover, there is no additional costs regarding postage, photocopying and so on.

Time Savings
Because of online processing of information and other operations, e-bidding saves businesses a great deal of time and effort. Unlike tender systems, one doesn’t have to individually sort through applications to choose the right service provider and even the suppliers don’t have to send out forms and applications. E-bidding makes it easier to submit and review forms easily over the internet.

Secure Bidding Environment
E-commerce websites have strict security measures and privacy policies that ensures the safety of your data. Moreover, you can also be sure that all your cash transactions would be processed safely and securely.

Standardized Procurement Process
B2B websites allow buyers to specify the desired qualifications of vendors and service providers that they wish to seek. Thus, buyers can define parameters such as number of years of experience, type of expertise, ISO certifications and so on. And only service providers that fulfill these specified pre-conditions can apply or bid for the posted project. This highly standardizes the procurement process and delivers only relevant options to the client.

E-bidding helps obtain not just cost-effective services but also the ones that offer best value. It should be used as a strategic procurement tool by businesses to acquire valuable services for themselves and widen their profit margins.

Disclaimer : Sabra Easterday is the owner and founder of MatchB2B. Sabra is also a lawyer with a special interest in business issues and e-marketplaces. Notwithstanding that Sabra Easterday is a lawyer, nothing in this article and no services of MatchB2B or its website are legal services and no attorney-client relationship exists between any reader of this article or user, customer or potential customer of MatchB2B, and MatchB2B, its website or Sabra Easterday.