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Introduction

A vast number of people work in offices of one kind or another. They may be offices in buildings purpose built or attached to a factory or in business premises. For many self employed business people the office is a room in their home converted for that purpose. Solicitors, doctors, estate agents and insurance agents, in fact any business that you can think of, works from some kind of office or another. You might even say 80% of the adult population work in an office. But I wonder how many of those people have any say in what kind of office they have and whether or not it suits their requirements. Mostly when someone new joins a company or firm, they are given a space for their office usually left by the previous incumbent. I suspect that if you asked occupants how they would like their office to be they would find it difficult to tell you.

When you think of the number of hours we spend in an office, at least eight hours per day and sometimes up to sixteen hours if it’s a busy period. Yes people are allowed out for breaks and rest times, but it is an awful lot of your life cooped up in small space. If at least a third of one’s working life is to be spent in an office, then it makes logical sense to ensure the environment is as comfortable, pleasant and as healthy as possible.

So how much thought goes into the planning of workspaces?

Where a building is purpose built such as an office, then the architects I am sure will have created good designs to suit the purpose. However, it has been known for new buildings to be problematic for the people working it them. For instance, synthetic materials used for carpeting can sometimes give off toxic fumes which cause allergies or illness of the staff. Air conditioning that relies on recycled air has the potential to carry bugs that can lay the whole office off at the same time. So there are many factors to consider in creating an office environment to ensure the staff are productive, creative, energised and remain healthy.

Old buildings, originally built for other uses, when converted to office space will have different problems to resolve. Often old buildings have very high ceilings where the heat rises up so that the inhabitants below are cold yet the heating bills are going through the roof, literally!! How to maximise the space available to provide a comfortable working environment will be a real challenge and this is where often the use of a mezzanine floor and suspended ceilings are valuable.

It is a well known fact for any organisation that happy workers give better performance and generate more revenue than unhappy workers. The workforce are more motivated, creative, helpful and have less time off work for illness if they are happy in their jobs. I am sure there are statistics available for these details, but it’s basic common sense if you make sure your interior fit out specialists cater for the needs of your staff and their comfort at work then the company will perform better moving forwards.

Ergonomics

Ergonomics is the study of workplaces and the equipment used, to achieve the best design for comfort, safety, efficiency, and productivity. Research has been carried out over the last few years at Nottingham University on office space allocation issues.

Workspace planning is fast becoming a specialist industry because of all of the current regulations and legislation. Formerly known, in the UK as the Factories Act and now known as the Health and Safety Executive regulations are in place to ensure that employees have sufficient working space in which to perform their work. This can be a potential minefield including such things as physical space, usable space, corridor spaces, and minimum light and ventilation regulations. If you are about to commence on an office refurbishment project ensure that your interior fit out specialists of conversant with all of these regulations before you engage them to perform your work.

What are the Criteria for a good office environment? We are sentient beings, which mean we respond with feeling and perception as well as intellectually to our surrounding.

Seeing

The first thing to consider when commencing an office refurbishment project is how does it look? The initial impact on us comes from what we see. The decor and arrangement of furniture, the window aspect and lighting are important in our perception of whether or not it is pleasing to the eye. Does the office have all the necessary equipment, computer, phone and sufficient storage for files and books etc? Plants create a sense of balance in the space as long as they are discreetly positioned and don’t make it look cluttered. Plants are oxygen generators and help to refresh the air.

Smell

On entering a new place the first thing we take in is the aroma whether we pay attention to it or not. We notice immediately if the air is stuffy or if there is an unpleasant smell such as sweaty bodies. However a pleasant fragrance or no smell at all will be inviting. Baker shops nearly always pump out the fresh smell of baked bread into the street to entice people in to buy the goods. So although we may not be aware that smell plays an important part in our responses, we are still animals and we do use our olfactory senses a great deal more that we realise.

Feel touch

How does the furniture feel? Plastic seats can be very uncomfortable to sit on for a long time. Plastic does not breathe, it draws moisture from the skin so that when you stand up your posterior will be damp and uncomfortable. Padded fabric is warmer than leather for comfort and not as expensive. The desk chair needs to be the correct height for desk and give suitable support, a computer needs to be set correctly to avoid neck and wrist strain of the operator.

The temperature in the environment is best if it’s not too warm and not too cold. So when planning your office refurbishment project bear in mind that people work best at a temperature of around 20 degrees centigrade.

Too warm and we become sluggish and sleepy, too cold and we become distracted and use up valuable energy keeping warm. Fresh air is also beneficial to stimulate the brain cells.

Sound Hear

What can we hear? Is it noisy or quiet? When I was first starting out in business, I went to visit a local manufacturing company to learn about the way they managed their business. At lunch time I was taken into the executive dining area where there was a waitress service and we had a very civilised lunch. Later I was taken to the works canteen. When we walked in I was hit with a blast of noise such as I had never experienced before. The hall was large with a very high ceiling and nothing to damp down the echo. The result was that everyone ended up shouting to be heard and there was loud music playing as well. I was shocked, not just at the noise level but by the contrast between the executive dining room and the workers canteen. I had come from an business which treated all members of the company the same so there were no executive areas and everyone, high and low mingled together for meals and break times. Guess which company had the better worker relationships and higher output?

Where a company utilises an open plan office then noise levels can be very distracting and one solution is to incorporate ‘White Noise’ which is a low level background noise to interfere with the general office talk going on over the phone or mini meetings. Sometimes quiet relaxing music is introduced as background noise but this is not usual in a business place.

Taste

Well we are not going to go around licking the furniture, but another important consideration is to ensure that a there is an area to enjoy a nice coffee or tea away from the desk throughout the day. So is there a pleasant area for making drinks and preparing snacks, or even lunch facilities alongside the office. I once worked in an office where they had a small kitchen area off the main office for making drinks and snacks and there was always a bowl of fresh fruit for staff, as the company recognising the refreshing effects of fresh fruit.

Workspace planning

So as you can see there are many things that can make the work environment a nice place to be. However getting the original layout and size of spaces for the employees is a complex process.

How much area does each individual need to work in? According to the Officewise publication from the Health and Safety Executive in the UK employers must provide a minimum of 11 cubic metres for each person permanently occupying a workplace. However there are all sorts of exceptions and caveats to this rule, such as making sure the space is usable space, and clearly if that space were under the stairs with no windows, or ventilation then it would not be suitable. So it is very important to ensure that your new office fit out adheres to all of the current legislation with regards to workspace laws.

In planning good workspaces the industrial fit out specialists may make use of suspended ceilings where possible which makes the installation of services easier and more less expensive. Electrical supply, air conditioning units, water pipes and telephone cables can all run behind the suspended ceiling making access easy if anything goes wrong and repairs need to be implemented.

Positioning of the electrical and telephone outlet is also critical. The computers used in offices today all require their own electrical supply even if they are networked with the system.

Daylight from windows is a requirement for offices. The days of the cupboard office cubbyhole are gone. Light airy spaces make people feel good and doses of sunshine each day lift our spirits. However too much sunshine will overheat an office so the use of vertical blinds is recommended to deflect the rays of the sun without reducing too much the level of illumination.

Costs

To conserve office space costs some industrial fit our specialists have come up with the idea that instead of having a board rooms for meetings they have their meeting standing up around a special tall coffee table. This reduces the amount of time spent in meetings and the space is reusable for the lunches. Other schemes encourage employees to work from home for part of a week and utilise a system of desk sharing or moveable desks.

Reconfigurable spaces

Another way of economising on the cost of office space is by careful rearrangement of the existing floor area. There may be dead areas which could be released and turned into useable space. The installation of new interior partition walls can rearrange the existing space to create a more congenial working environment. Sometimes working in an open plan office is beneficial for communication between staff, other times it is a distraction and prevents efficiency. So having the option of both open space and separate offices provides the full range of options which can be easily introduced with new partition walls.

For example one of my clients, took over a set of offices and had various walls moved, so instead of it having two small offices, one without a window, they created one large office for the MD and a really good sized store room which they needed for long term storage of customer files. They then took out another wall and made a good size open plan office space and rearranged another wall to create a board come conference room. Also access to the little kitchen was changed to be more convenient. The choice of subtle colours on the walls and new vertical blinds caused the whole suite of rooms to be transformed into a pleasant and airy working area. Where there is plenty of ceiling height the introduction of a Mezzanine floor generates valuable areas perhaps for storage, private meeting rooms or extra offices.

Other concerns in workspace planning, is the situation of facilities such as kitchen, toilets, relaxation areas and outside space if available. Sometimes the introduction of a simple partition can create a relaxation/dining area without losing too much of the work area.

All Health and Safety regulations are paramount they have to be adhered to in the workplace and must be incorporated into any plan along with full fire regulations.

Conclusion

Many companies may feel that upgrading the facilities is a ‘nice to have’ idea and the reality is that it usually comes at the bottom of the list on money allocation. However this is erroneous thinking; office refurbishment is never a waste of time or money. Creating a pleasant office environment by upgrading worn out or old fashioned surroundings and furnishings will make a big difference to the working life of the employees. Improved working conditions may be only part of the picture in achieving real job satisfaction, but it is a good start in the right direction. It also says a lot about what the senior people in the organisation think about their employees. If they ensure that their staff are given the necessary equipment and facilities to do their job effectively then the employees will give better service and can be more efficient and there will be a better working environment all around.

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This is the most powerful form of marketing and advertising available. A product or service needs attention of mass media to be advertised, it has to be seen in the public. It is a big mistake to underestimate the power of mass media over people’s minds. Press release writing will get you the press and media coverage you need to advertise a product. Submit press release is a powerful marketing tool if a salesman knows how to use it

There are a lot of things to consider before forwarding a press release to necessary establishments. Media centers want to hear news about new products and services. This is your decision and responsibility: to make a press release distribution interesting for journalists and other media workers.

There are some things one should remember abut journalists. Their mail-boxes are staffed with similar press releases that do not tell anything interesting, so the possibility for your press release to succeed is very low, unless your suggestions and information in a Press release submitter is unique and interesting for the public.

Do not overload your press release with facts and information. Leave something for media investigation. There should be an intrigue, yet providing full information on how to find your office and talk to representatives and find information. It is vitally important that your press release should include keywords to make your press release containing more information on the product than in the text itself. If you have doubts in your talents and talents of your co-workers, use a company providing press release services and distributing your submitted press releases. There are not may qualified companies with a good press release service so it is quite time to be picky. If you trust your case to professionals, their help will turn a standard company into a million-dollar business at the blink of an eye.

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How should I bring back the elegant , baby soft face of my younger yearsGirl, there are many ways to choose from, mirror says’ your research  have been done, now go pick your fate …but choose wisely, this is your only face …and you are totally responsible’. 

My skin pores, wrinkles and skin damage from sun exposure are yelling for  relief , more loudly than my retirement account .  I down  a large shot of straight up  Cuervo.  I take recomendation .   I decided to move ahead.  As this is my life , I go on on detailed  researching all the many variationsresearching they vast options of recommended options for skin resurfacing, from chemical peels, dermabrasion all the way to lasers.  Boy, are there tons of lasers available for use.  My requirements were very specific : Lasting result, shortminimum amount of} downtime, fair price and convenience (travel time, for example) helps me gobs to reduce my choices .

Long term results throws out light chemical peels and lighter lasers from the list . Short down time eliminates Phenol peels, the CO2 laser and dermabrasion.  Many alate night are spent investigating up on what’s left, which are intermediate chemical peels and fractional lasers.  Some peels will mitigate damage in my outside skin layers, they just don’t effect the lower skin layer to resolve deeper wrinkles and texture issues.  

My Pick

Fractional lasers hold the procedure for my requirements.  The modality in which they work way they word to improve the skin surface – over the short and long term is very amazing . They do not ‘hit’ the entire skin surface as the first generation lasers.  They hit just a portion of it, at even intervals, hence the term fractional.  A laser is just a highly pure and intensely centred beam of light.   The light pulse must go down far  enough into the skin to achieve a permanent improvement yet not too deep as to cause skin damage . The laser pulses are ‘scanned’ along the skin to create a series of tiny holes in the skin.  The heat from the light beam then causes the sides of the tunnel to ‘seal’, so these tunnels can begin to heal.  The ‘thermal’ consequence from the laser beam in the tunnels instigates a dermal renewal process. New collagen is madedeveloped}, providing more skin volume and smoothing . This goes on for up to  5-6 months  or so, which is when the full gain of the laser treatment can be seen. 

Healing involves varying degree’s of skin peeling, oozing and resolving redness.  Sort of like a  severe sunburn.  This can last from  a week , or longer for more sensitive skin types.  Okay…um…I just want ‘nice’ skin.  I marvel how much I will need to deposit in my bank account to pay for this. 

Finding A Doctor

I create a list of severalmedical offices within my city to ask about the laser and it’s cost.

I quickly  added to my growing reservoir of fractionated laser information.  First, the cost ranges from $1,500 to $3,500 + per session in the South Texas area.  Second, most often , more than one of the laser treatments  are suggested to reach the best  results, and lastly (though probably not least), there are many different names or styles  of fractionated CO2 lasers.  This is getting complicated, but in my persistence I decrypt the information. 

So, I spend the next few days talking with the doctors staff to resaearch about their offerings in the fractional laser area .  I go to my top picks  for consultations.  To reduce a very long process, one medical office and procedure seem to fit all my criteria.  I am in the medical office, and I have almost no wait to speak with the doctor.  The doctor is inviting  and ‘down to earth’, extremely educated in non-surgical medical aestheticsprocedures}.  Of couse I would suggest you confirm the Doctors historyDoctors qualifications and history with the local license bureaulicence agency.

She uses the Fractional Pearl laser at $1,800 a clip so it looks like my new platinum wedding band will be put on hold for a few months.  Time to fill my debit account.

The Procedure

To get myself totally ready  for the procedure , I use a skin care system to shrink recovery time, and to heighten and maintain my result.   Post inflammatory hyper pigmentation can be a problem for any skin  procedure.  Also, giving the skin a ‘boost’ before hand has been proven  to maximize the outcome .  The system uses four key ingredients, the only four that have FDA backing and major studies to support their effectivity.  More later, because it is time to get my new business portrait taken. 

After all was finished the results were greatdone the resut was goodfinished the results were amazing|completed the results were amazing|finished the results were outstanding}.

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A lot of people are trying to find an exciting|interesting|exceptional} present for a family member or another special someone in our life…something to make this December one to be remembered. If you’ve been unable to find something, as I’ve been unable, you should think about a personalized seasonal ornament.

Debbie Gault, who is the owner of a delightful site offering Personalized Ornaments, makes most of the ornaments herself, although she does have some assistance from family and friends.

Just what does Debbie offer?

Debbie offers a selection of personalized handmade ornaments, any one of which is guaranteed to cause this memorable season to be even more memorable, when given as an early festive gift. And the fact that most are designed to be personalized can make these gifts even more special.

Debbie says: “My Grandmother started teaching me about sewing when I was five. I made my first Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls when I was about ten years old. My most prized possession is my 1940 Singer Featherweight sewing machine that I learned to sew on at my grandma’s house. It is still my favorite machine to use. I also inherited my husbands Grandmas 1950 Singer Featherweight sewing machine. Last spring I talked my Mom into going to an all day maintenance and repair class for my machines. The class was very fun and helpful and I learned a lot

“I started sewing items to sell when I was a teenager. My Mother drove me to juried craft shows. The first items I was selling were handmade fake fur animals and fabric dolls. Everyone told me that I needed to make smaller items. 10 years ago I downsized and started making old fashioned felt ornaments.

“These I sold at craft shows and at a craft mall. However, my business really took off when I got the idea of machine that was designed to embroider names on quilts. I was not satisfied with the quality of the lettering although I sold a lot of ornaments.

“My Mom found small embroidery machines advertised that I could take to shows with me that do a much nicer job of lettering. The business took off when she bought me my first one. I usually take three embroidery machines to shows with me and keep them all humming. These machines draw people who like to watch them work.

“I am sure I could have sold machines if I had extras. It is sometimes hard to keep up with orders for waiting customers so I started taking orders and fulfilling them by mail.”

These ornaments include snowman ornaments. In addition to snowman ornaments, Debbie carries animal ornaments and many more. These personalized handmade ornaments are delightful and make a perfect and very memorable gift for someone special. Debbie carries handmade ornaments and other animal ornaments.

These delightful specialties can make memorable gifts for someone special – one that will be remembered for years to come.

I’m sure a family member or friend will enjoy receiving one of these and will cherish it for years to come.

thebestgardening.info

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With drought conditions in areas across throughout the world, major crisis’s could be on the horizon. 4+ billion people are expected to suffer because of these droughts. It is not only droughts that are causing world water problems but also pollution. There are many rivers, lakes and streams that are so polluted any signs of life have long left them. There is some good news on this front as there are efforts by some local governments to clean up these polluted water ways. But until the droughts stop and the pollution is brought under control we will have some major problems around the world.

It is expected in some areas riots could result because of these water shortages. In some area’s there are going to be major conflicts between the industrial use of the water, water for livestock and water for personal use. Who will win these battles in the end I wish I could say for sure but my first guess would be the poor that really have no way to defend themselves against government and corporations. 

As these water shortages become more and more of a problem major disease, child mortality and death from lack of water will become more and more prevalent. These problems are both controllable and preventable but is there the political backbone required to make the changes necessary. It seems in some cases like it is a way to reduce the population.

What can you do about it? It is easier than you think. I live in Canada where we have an abundance of safe water but even here we can make changes, as any changes each of us makes will help save the planet. The most obvious way is the reducing of our water consumption. This will leave more water in the water system, reduce the power needed to process, pump, and treat the water and also reduce the waste water which is a major concern in itself. 

I ask all of you to make a serious effort to reduce your water consumption. Just think if each of us in North America reduce out water consumption by 1 gallon per year that is a savings of over 500,000,000 gallons of water in that year. 

For more information on environmental issues please visit anuplanet.com.

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For many years, researchers have been looking for a miracle product to aid in weight loss. Some have been appreoved but many have dangerous side effects causing such things as drugs being banned by the FDA, lawsuits, health issues, and even liver damage.

Now a possible answer has emerged. Scientists have known for years that capsaicinoids, which are a group of compounds discovered in hot red peppers support increased weight loss.

Some of the side benefits of being able to intake enough of thewe capsaicinoids are a reduction in cholesterol, reduction of fats accumulating in the liver, reduced glucose levels, lower serum triglycerides, and an increase in energy.

The main problem with using these compounds for weight loss has been in how to consume the compounds since the extremely hot extract would irritate the stomach and is even irritating to inhale or touch. A person would have to consume an excessive amount for days or weeks to be able to get enough of the capsaiscin to be of any benefit.

Capsaicinoids work in weight loss by causing thermogenesis, which is an increase in energy usage by the body. They also cause appetite levels to decrease. This is observed in some other Asian countries where more hot red chili is regularly consimed in the diet of the population.

It is now possible as a result of much research and development by the makers of Capsiplex to consume enough of this red chili compund to cause an increase in weight loss.

The Capsiplex capsules are said to cause an increase of 275 calorie use per day with no changes in your regular diet or exercise regime.

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If a person are prepared to commence making more dollars than anyone by chance thought possible with very little work involved, an individual are ready to learn affiliate marketing. The particular potentials are near countless with this type of business enterprise. In addition, the very revenue that could be made is outstanding.

One of the actual greatest benefits is the particular fact that a person don’t ought to have your own product to get started with your own corporation. This type of revenue generation is ideal for someone who is lacking in creativity, because when you choose to earn cash this technique majority of the very effort is done for an individual.

You can earn as much or as little as most people certainly want. Anyone may make a decision to promote a selection of products, or perhaps focusing on a single product is more your style. It is up to you actually one hundred percent. Numerous people are making a living this option with plenty of capital left over after all the particular bills have been paid for.

One of the reasons various individuals choose this type of revenue generation is because it allows them to effort from home. There is no need for office space or a work area to establish cash this technique. It is all done electronically through emails, blogs, etc.

Anybody could make capital by building inbound links. You tend not to have to have a enterprise degree or a history as a salesperson to do well. All you need is a personal computer with Internet access and the time to spend promoting the particular products. Using a little determination, you are well on your way to a rewarding long term.

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Crystal Cove ocean view homes are a blend of early Californian and Spanish architecture, and prospective homeowners can choose from among eight home collections. Crystal Cove real estate is bordered by 3,674 acres of open space that is permanently protected, including Crystal Cove State Park which has 3.5 miles of beach and also includes the historic Crystal Cove beach colony, Muddy Canyons, Los Trancos, and Laguna Coast Regional Park.

There is an assortment of other enjoyable events in the Newport Coast area, as well, including the Laguna Beach Pageant of the Masters, Dana Point’s annual Tall Ships Festival, and the frequent and exciting surfing competitions in Huntington Beach. Public beaches to visit in the area will certainly include Corona Del Mar State Beach and nearby Crystal Cove State Park, which are worth a trip almost any time of year. The beaches in the Newport Beach area have been touted as some of the cleanest coastline in the entire country, and the city of Newport Beach itself lives up to the challenge of housing some of the most distinctive families and individuals along these pristine shores. Crystal Cove ocean view real estate is some of the most sought after real estate in Orange County.

The beaches offer something for every beach lover, from sunning and relaxing on the sand, to strolling and playing in the surf, to the yearly competition for the nation’s largest and oldest sandcastle contest. This event is held each year at the end of the summer season. In this contest, the enjoyable beach pastime of creating sandcastles is transformed into a veritable art form, as talented seashore sculptors transform piles of wet sand into elaborate works of art for the beach-going public to enjoy.

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If you are an owner of a call center predictive dialer software is one of the most essential things that you would need for your call center especially if it is concerned with more outbound calls. Such a software package increases revenues improving employee retention and cutting your costs per lead. Outbound predictive dialer software is indeed an industry standard tool for call centers and telemarketing agencies. Though at first you may not be able to predict the income and benefits, but very soon you can realize how the predictive dialer software leads to doubling your company income and sales. It will increase agent productivity, eliminate downtime and streamline lead management of your business.

So, if you are looking for software package that would really fit your needs and is a wide-ranging package of lead management and prophetic dial tools then you must get the Razor predictive dialer software. This tool has been designed to meet ones end and increase company’s profits. With this software you can reach up to many leads while remaining submissive to industry regulations. The benefits of Razor virtual dialer software are:

It will increase your agent productivity It enhances lead quality The software reduces average call time And it is FTC and FCC compliance software

Manual dialing is not an easy process and two-thirds of the call that are dialed result in busy signals, go to answering machines, or connect to fax machines or no answer at all. But Razor predictive dialer software is the one which enables you to get connected to live receivers only and that means that you have two-three times more calls. And 3-4 times more leads in very less time.

The typical  predictive dialer software solution helps you to generate improved eminence leads from your dials that provide agents with lots of information that would enable them to convert a prospect into a lead.

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Practically every company on the planet sets out with the primary objective of making money. This is usually done by manufacturing some form of product, or offering a service, and then charging people money for it. This fundamental theory is fairly straight-forward, although it contains many specific details.

Firstly, it is a very rare case that a company can offer a product or service that is genuinely unique and cannot be supplied by anybody else. This means that your enterprise will be contesting with other businesses that sell a similar item and you will both be trying to make money from the same shoppers, who only want to spend their money once. So how can you boost the chances of them spending money with you?

Marketing is the primary tool used by modern businesses to draw potential customers to do business with them and not with their rivals. It is a very broad topic that is influenced by a great number of internal and external factors, but when done right it can be the single business practice that could make or break a company.

So where should you start when constructing a marketing strategy for your own business? Well, every situation is different, and each industry will have its own set of advantages and weaknesses that must be taken into consideration, but there is a marketing rule that can be applied to almost any corporation to be used as a marketing platform.

The Marketing Mix

The marketing mix was a phrase that was first coined in the 1950′s and is a phrase that is used to express the fundamental building blocks of any marketing system. It demonstrates the fact that marketing is not a straightforward, blunt-edged business tool, but rather a subtle balance of different aspects of business functions. It got its name because it is similar to the ingredients list for a recipe.

The term was later built upon to include the concept of “four P’s” that described the essential elements of the marketing mix. The formalisation of these P’s made it very clear for company managers and marketers to quickly relate the elements of marketing to the strengths of their own organisations, and by doing so could very rapidly create a personalised and effective marketing plan. The four P’s are Product, Price, Place and Promotion.

While we were planning the release for our company products we employed ideas in the marketing mix to create a plan.

Product

Although every aspect of the marketing mix is a requirement, the “product” element mentioned as one of the four P’s is perhaps the most critical of all. It identifies the physical product or intangible service that your company will be offering, and at the end of the day it is the reason that buyers are going to spend money with you.

Several people do not think that marketing has any role to play when it comes to the physical product that your business is selling. In fact, the common train of thought very often bears the precise opposite sentiment. Surely it should be the other way around – your manufacturing department creates a product for sale and then it is the task of the marketing department to discover ways to sell it, right? This is not necessarily the case.

Consider the computer software market as an example. There are many well-known brands of both operating system and software application products in the market already, and since the market is fairly well saturated it would be incredibly tough (and expensive) to “take on the big boys”. So how can the principles of the marketing mix help in this circumstance?

Rather than creating an operating system and then attempting to craft a marketing strategy to take on the likes of Microsoft and Apple, it would be more effective to look at what sorts of product are sought after in the current marketplace, and how feasible it would be to manufacture and sell them. By being mindful of the marketing mix early on in your product development cycle you can avoid business dead-ends at a later stage.

Once your products have been fashioned and created it is still a critical skill to be able to objectively evaluate your own products to identify the reasons that a customer should buy your product rather than a competitors’.

A different form of this part of the marketing mix is known as product variation and is generally used to either prolong the lifecycle of a product currently in the market, or to make your brand new product attractive to as many consumers as possible. Once again, this technique can be applied at all stages of product development.

The car industry uses this technique very effectively by offering various engines, trim packages and interior options with the cars that they sell. They use the marketing mix to great effect to sell their own goods in an incredibly competitive marketplace.

An example of one of the most recent forms of promotional marketing is our own electricity prices comparison website which offers versatile and accessible means to reach potential customers.

Price

Another important factor in the marketing mix relates to the price of your products or services. This isn’t a simple case of performing market research to determine the highest price that your customers would pay (although that can be a handy tool to use), but rather using the price of your products as a strategic tool designed to achieve any particular targets your business has. The potential benefits of an effective pricing plan are surprisingly large!

Whilst it may seem obvious, it’s still worth noting that price has always been, and likely always will be, one of the crucial factors that customers take into account when they are making a purchase. It is also worth noting that customers do not constantly consider the cheapest price to be the best value. Actually a price that is too low can sometimes turn buyers away.

There are many questions that you need to ask yourself when devising a good pricing plan, key among which are the price sensitivity of your customers, what your rivals are doing and how can pricing maximise your own profits. From a strategy point of view though, pricing can be covered by two primary principals; price skimming and penetration pricing.

Price skimming

The main idea driving price skimming is to make as much money as possible from the sector of the market which is price-insensitive and are going to be willing to spend a large amount of money to receive a product or service early on.

This pricing technique is frequently used in the consumer electronics industry where customers will often eagerly await the release of a new mobile phone or computer games console. Manufacturers could set almost any price they wanted to and there would still be a loyal base of customers that would pay it.

Penetration pricing

Penetration pricing is at the other end of the pricing spectrum, and is tailored towards gaining a large market share at a short-term cost so that monetary benefits can be earned long into the future. It can be a risky strategy, but when employed correctly it can create revenue streams for many years to come.

Another thing to keep in mind is that “price” is the one part of the marketing mix that will generate income for a business. The other members of the four P’s will all cost money to create or carry out.

To optimize our website for search engine marketing we selected rice and peas as an aimed phrase because it relates to our business and what we do.

Place

Place is the part of the marketing mix that’s often disregarded by companies, but it is still a significant part of selling your product successfully. In a nutshell, it describes the way in which you deliver your product to your customer, and subsequently how you collect money from them. It can be a fantastic marketing approach when used appropriately.

The most common ramifications of place-based marketing are the physical venues in which your products are sold. For the vast majority of consumer products, this involves the distribution network between your production centres and shops and other outlets around the country. Since distribution of a physical product costs money it is crucial to determine your own priorities and modify your distribution network appropriately. This is the primary use of this part of the marketing mix.

With the growing use of the Internet by your potential customers, marketing methods have had to consider how they use the Internet to help deliver their products. By using the Internet as a place of contact (or even as a complete distribution route in download-based markets such as MP3s) companies are now able to reach out to a large pool of potential customers.

Promotion

When you mention the word “marketing”, most people immediately think of the promotional aspect of the marketing mix, although as we have seen, this is only one branch of a more complete system. Promotion can be employed on a very individual basis or as a mass communication instrument, and whilst it might be a costly undertaking it is often an essential one.

Advertising is one of the most common forms of promotion. Typically it would be done by posting on billboards, creating short clips for TV and radio or by physically handing out flyers or leaflets to potential customers. With the coming of the information age we have witnessed a great increase in promotion via e-mail and the Internet, or simply as targeted advertising materials posted through your door. The potential for individualised advertising has never been so good.

Another significant part of promotion involves branding, which may not necessarily yield more sales directly, but goes back to one of the initial purposes of marketing; getting customers to pick your product over those of your competitors.

Putting it into Practice

As previously mentioned each company is unique and will have different marketing needs. By using a mixture of the four P’s reviewed above you can take an effective view of your own marketing strategy.

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