B2B marketing refers to the marketing that occurs between two businesses that utilize each others products or services.  B2B is short for “business to business”.  B2B marketing is important for those companies, as they need to sustain supply chains or sustain business clients in order to be an active part of commerce.  B2B marketing applies to businesses in several different ways, ranging from the simple (having a good brand name, distinctive logo, and a website) to the very complex (appearing in trade magazines, e-mailing newsletters, and direct mail). 

B2B marketing is for those businesses that are in a supply chain and need to maintain their contacts, either from the supplying or purchasing end.  Identify whether your business has the type of relationships with other businesses that must be maintained for the benefit of your company.  Local, regional, and nationwide businesses can benefit from B2B marketing, but it needs to be adapted to your market.  Retail, distributors, and manufacturers are types of businesses in the supply chain that strive when using B2B marketing.  

B2B marketing poses a unique budgeting problem for businesses, as many companies seek increased revenue rather than nurturing relationships with other businesses.  B2B marketing also does not use traditional methods of marketing, as you are not trying to raise brand awareness, but rather increase the strength of an already existing connection.  Some B2B marketing ideas include have luncheons with other business professionals, providing informational sessions and talks that both benefit your businesses while raising awareness of your products and services, or just keeping in contact with decision makers at the other company.  

Once you have determined that your company has the relationships that can benefit from B2B marketing, you must create a plan that will meet your goals.  Brainstorming to come up with unique ideas is one method in which you and your employees can use to work into your plan. B2B marketing must use non-traditional advertising or marketing ideas in order to keep brand awareness and likability for each business.  B2B marketing will require that the leaders of your business actively work and speak with those in charge of the other companies.  Group outings, co-sponsored events, and the exchange of information can be both enjoyable and serve to market your company to other businesses.  

After coming up with the ideas and planning your B2B marketing strategy, you must put them into place.  Ensure that you follow through with your B2B marketing, in order to show the other businesses that you are capable of providing the services and products they need or that you can provide.  It will also be helpful to receive feedback about your B2B marketing strategies and continue using what works while phasing out any marketing that does not seem as helpful. 

B2B marketing can sometimes create legal and regulatory problems for the businesses involved.  You must ensure that you are compliant with all laws, especially if your business works directly with government agencies, bidding processes, and government officials.  This is due to the fact that much of B2B marketing can involve direct solicitation, providing gifts or items to other entities, and other activities that may be violate business regulations. Contact a legal professional for help if you believe your business may need to abide by such regulation before beginning your B2B marketing plan.  

Article marketing is a form of advertising that uses short articles and informational writings related to a business’ industry.  Typically, these articles will be attached by a prominent text or picture box giving the business’ name and contact information.  Article marketing is a great way of keeping your business relevant to other companies and clients while also providing information that is helpful.  Article marketing’s main goal is to advertise and keep a business’ name relevant so when a client or other business needs their services, the name is available.   

The first step before you can begin article marketing is to identify what your business produces, what services you provide, and who your client base is.  Understanding all of these factors will help you determine what type of articles you should write and at what technical level your article needs to be.  If your business works primarily with other business professionals or other highly educated clients, your articles will need to be much more in depth in order to keep their attention.  If your client base is the general public, your articles will need to be kept at a more simple level in order to keep their attention.  

Article marketing will require both financial and time commitment in order to correctly use it.  Articles that will be sent through traditional mail or given to clients in hard copy require funds to have published and printed in a professional manner.  If your budget does not allow it or it does not make sense to use traditional mail, you can always use electronic mail to send your articles, however you run the risk of having them easily deleted from email.  

After having determined who your articles will be sent to, how you will send them, and within what budget you must work, you can start to develop your plan for article marketing.  You must plan on how you will get your articles.  You have the choice of purchasing articles from professional sources, however this may be a very expensive option.  

Having yourself or an employee who is familiar with your business can be the best option for writing the articles that will be used.  However, you must ensure that you or your employee has the time and ability to write interesting and professional articles.  Your articles should be written either focusing on your business or your industry.  You can write about updates to your business, new clients you have obtained, or new products and services that you can provide.  Likewise, you can write about interesting stories about your industry and exciting new technology. 

Finally, once you have your plan in place, the money allocated for it, and your delivery method chosen, you now have to execute.  You will need to obtain all of the necessary hardware and software if you are writing the articles yourself and using the internet as your delivery.  Word processing programs, such as Microsoft Word or Word Perfect are essential for writing professional articles.  Newsletter software is also available, which will help put your articles into a readable form and send it out to clients.  “SendBlaster” is one such brand of online newsletter software and many other options are available.  

You must be careful that you meet all regulatory requirements for writing business articles and newsletters.  One of the most important regulations that may apply to your company is that you have to identify if you are sending this as an advertisement or as a legitimate informative newsletter that customers subscribe.  Contact a legal professional with experience helping businesses develop their marketing plans while complying with all applicable laws and regulations.  

Mobile marketing is a relatively new form of advertising that always a business to reach its clients via mobile phones.  Mobile phones have become one of the most used new technologies to come out, as about 91% of Americans have or regularly use a cell phone. Mobile marketing can connect you to your client via simple text messages or mobile messages that reach your clients at any time you like.  Mobile marketing is a new strategy, so beware of the pitfalls that may accompany using this new strategy.    

Mobile marketing is highly limited in that only brief messages can be sent and received.  Therefore, it is important to identify areas of your business that can be conveyed in a simple manner.  Highly technical details about new products or services just do not work with Mobile marketing.  Instead, try to determine if there are simple messages that will be of use to your client base or if there is a reason you need to contact them via mobile device.  

While text messaging for personal use is a fairly inexpensive process, businesses sending mass text messages to a large client base are faced with much larger texting fees.  Mobile marketing may also require you to purchase the hardware needed to send such messages, such as new computers, software, or smart phones that fit your mobile marketing needs.  Always investigate the potential costs of a marketing strategy before planning on bringing it to your business.  

Once you have concluded that a mobile marketing plan is both cost effective and fits your businesses needs, you need to come up with a plan that you will abide by during your marketing.  It is helpful to have a detailed plan that lists specific times, dates, and targeted clients for your mobile messages to reach.  You must also plan who will write the messages of the texts and the type of messages that will be sent.  Mobile marketing does not have to be strictly informational, you may text games, contests, announcements, or awards to your clients while keeping your name in their mind. 

Once your plan is in place, follow it as well as you can, while remaining flexible to adapt to changes that may need to be made.  Always listen to your clients about your messages.  If they inform you that they do not wish to receive your messages, you must stop sending them immediately, or else you will lose clients while possibly running afoul of the do not contact list.  

It will be important that you adapt mobile marketing concepts to your specific business and overall marketing plans.  Mobile marketing should be used in conjunction with other marketing methods, so try to determine how well they can work with each other.  Also, make sure that your messages serve a purpose.  Sending mass texts with the sole purpose of having name recognition may adversely affect your overall marketing scheme.  

An affiliate marketing program is a marketing strategy in which one business compensates a third party for bringing clients to the business by using the third party’s own marketing efforts.  Affiliate marketing programs typically involves the use of internet rewards websites and contests, although there are non-website affiliate marketing programs available.  Some of the benefits of affiliate marketing programs are that they can easily be monitored, payment can be conducted on a “cost-per-click” method, and the business is provided online marketing they could not accomplish on their own.    

Before you attempt to use an affiliate marketing program for your business, you must ensure that your business is ready to handle internet traffic or exposure to clients on the internet.  You will need a prominent business website in place, which affiliates can direct traffic for.  You must also have a client base that is dependent on the internet and will be attracted to online marketing strategies.  If all of these requirements apply to your business or you plan on having them apply, then you can seek an affiliate marketing program that works for you.  

Affiliate marketing programs can be an expensive type of marketing, however it can also provide you with great exposure to clients and dramatically increase traffic to your business website.  It is important that you have the marketing budget to afford the costs of affiliate marketing programs, especially considering that the costs may not be established until after your program has been in effect.  Many affiliate marketers charge businesses based on each unique page visit.  While these can be estimated, they can vary widely depending on the success of the program initiated.  

After determining what clients you can reach, whether you have the proper internet presence, and can estimate your budget for the program, you need to contract with an affiliate marketer that is qualified and experienced.  You can choose between an unattached affiliate marketer, related affiliate marketer, or an involved affiliate marketer.

Unattached Affiliate Marketer – This type of affiliate has no connection to the business that is paying for their services.  The marketer has no authority or presence in the industry it is marketing, but instead uses programs such as Google Ad words and Facebook ads to attract clicks.

Related Affiliate Marketer – These marketers have some sort of related content to the industry that you are trying to sell.  These types of websites will attract viewers for a purpose that is related to your business.  These can be much more useful than other forms, as the viewer is already geared towards your business.  

Involved Affiliate Marketer – Is a personal recommendation made by a content writer that has personal experience with your product.  These websites typically review and report on new products and services and give their opinion.  This can be a great way to market your product, as you will have a legitimate unbiased party recommending your product.  Of course, you always run the risk that your product or services will not be reviewed favorably, which can lead to negative marketing.  

Finally, once the program is up and running, you must actively monitor its effects.  Check to see if your website is experiencing increased traffic due to the program.  Modify your website or the affiliate program if you believe that you will benefit.  You will also need to monitor how much traffic your affiliate marketer is generating, as it will likely affect your total costs of the program.  

Affiliate marketing programs that are run with the intention of informing and helping consumers understand products and services are acceptable, however many businesses may run into an issue if these forms of advertisements are spam or have hidden charges, you will face legal issues.  Always double check any affiliate marketer before using their services, as many use illegal methods and promise results that just aren’t possible.  Consult a legal professional who specializes in internet marketing to protect your marketing plan while obtaining valuable information.  

Pay per click advertising is a term used for internet advertising where a business pays a third party website to direct traffic to their website for a specific amount every time a unique visitor is sent to the business’ website.  The third party website will usually show an advertisement or other mention of the business, which takes the viewer from a content page to the advertising page.  This method has become very popular on all sorts of websites and is one of the main forms of income generation for these sites.  

Before you can use the services of a pay per click advertising website, you must have an established business website that viewers can be directed to.  Your website must be readily accessible and should have content that keeps visitors engaged and informed about your company.  Not every business can benefit from this form of advertising.  Pay per click is usually used by businesses that are seeking widespread reach and less so by local businesses.  

Pay per click advertising varies greatly depending on who the third party website is, how many unique visitors they generate, and how reliable they are.  Nationally read websites with creative content will charge very high pay per click advertising fees, so be aware of what expenses to expect before agreeing to a pay per click service.  There are two ways for purchasing per per click advertising, flat-rate and bid-based. 

A. Flat-Rate require that the business pay the advertising company a specific fee for each unique click that is generated from placing the ad on their website.  The costs will be dependent on the location of the ad on the web page, its visibility, and the size. 

B. Bid-Based pay per click advertising is typically used on search engines or content sites with search features.  The advertising will accept bids for keywords, essentially favoring those businesses that pay more when a consumer searches for a specific topic.  

The financial aspect of the advertising that is generated can be greatly beneficial for your company.   Pay per click has been increasing dramatically each year, but a click can range from 1 cent per click up to $4 per click, depending on the level the keyword costs or how prominent of a website your are using.  

After conducting research about where and when your business will benefit from pay per click advertising, you need to get your links set up and your website prepared for the increased traffic.  You will need to prepare the links that will be clicked on.  Your links may be text based or picture based, which in either case must be highly visible and attract the reader.  

Websites utilize pay per click advertising by placing them in locations where viewers are most likely to see them.  Search engines, such as Google or Bing, will place pay per click advertisements in specific “advertising boxes” above search results or on the side bar.  Content websites try to have pay per click advertisements below content articles titles and in between written text blocks.  

Pay per click advertising is very easily evaluated, as you will be able to see whether you have increased website traffic and from what source this increased traffic is from.  You will also be billed on each unique visitor, so just from your billing statements you can determine whether it is working.  Also important will be determining whether visitors stay engaged on your site and how long they spend on your website.  All of this must be calculated in order to determine if you need to modify or eliminate the pay per click advertising that you are engaging in.  

Search engines do not typically use a pay per click advertising method, but instead use a bidding system for specific keywords.  Keywords are purchased and the order of appearance will determine when a website will come up on a search engine.  Some search engines to have some forms of pay per click advertising, but they will either put your business’ link in a separate “advertiser box” or  outside of the main search results.  

Pay per click advertising is usually a very safe way of advertising over the internet, as long as you avoid any fraudulent advertising or misleading information.  You must ensure that any services you use in implementing your pay per click advertising is not attaching spy ware to consumer’s computers and not keeping illegal data.  Consult a legal professional with experience in advertising and internet regulation if you require further consultation.  

In regards to economics, amortization refers to the distribution of a single lump-sum cash flow into many smaller installments, as determined through an amortization table or schedule. 

Amortization is a loan with a unique repayment structure. Unlike other models, each repayment in an amortization consists of satisfying both the principal balance and the interest attached to the loan. 

Amortization is used in loan repayments, most commonly in mortgage loans or sinking funds. The payments are divided into equal amounts for the duration of the maturity schedule. Because of this uniformity, the amortization is regarded as the simplest repayment model. 

Payment towards the amortization is mostly applied to the interest of the loan at the beginning of the amortization schedule, while an increased percentage of payment is used to satisfy the principal at the end of the amortization loan.

In an accounting sense, loan amortization refers to expensing the cost of acquisition from the residual value of intangible assets such as patents, trademarks, copyrights or other forms of intellectual property.

In a more common sense, amortization refers to the tangible process of paying off a debt, such as a loan or a mortgage. The process in a loan amortization is satisfied through the delivery of regular payments made at uniform times. A portion of each payment is used to satisfy the interest while the remaining payment amount is applied towards the principal balance. The percentage that goes into satisfying both the interest and the principal balance is determined through the amortization schedule. 

Loan amortization is deciphered by the macro-economic conditions of the market (primarily the interest rates) the credit score of the borrower and the intricacies that revolve around the specific loan. 

A lender will amortize a loan to pay-off the outstanding balance of a loan through the delivery of equal payments on a regular schedule. These payments are structured so that the borrower satisfies both the principal and interest with the delivery of each equal payment. 

Payments and amortization calculators are available on a number of lending websites; these tools facilitate the construction of an amortization schedule. If the lender wishes to understand the variable and inner-workings of the amortization calculation, please observe the below figures and steps:

P= Principal amount (the initial amount of the loan)

I= The annual interest rate (a figure from 1 to 100 percent)

L= The length in years of the loan or the loan over which the loan is amortized

J= The monthly interest 

N= The number of months over which a loan is amortized

To calculate the amortization, first take 1+J then take that figure to the minus N power. Take this number; subtract that figure from the number 1. Next, take the inverse of that and multiply the result by J then P. This figure represents the monthly payment (M). To calculate the amortization table you will need to do the following:

Step 1: Calculate H (P X J) to observe the current monthly interest rate. 

Step 2: Calculate C= M-H to observe the monthly payment minus the monthly interest rates—this figure is the principal amount for that particular month.

Step 3: Calculate Q=P-C to observe the new principal balance for the loan

Step 4: Set P equal to Q and observe Step 1 until the value of Q goes to zero. 

An investment is the commitment of an asset–such as cash or capital–to purchase a financial instrument with the goal of earning a profit. Investments typically yield a return in the form of interest, appreciation, or another source of income such as a dividend.

Investments are related to savings or deferred compensation. An individual will invest to put their wealth in a long-term instrument that will secure a set interest rate or dividend where the money will hopefully grow at a rate faster than inflation.

Investments are responses to savings accounts, where interest or substantial profits will not be earned. As inflation is inevitable, the resting money loses value over time. An investment offsets inflation through the guarantee of a fixed interest rate (CDs or long-term bonds), profits (stocks), or interest. 

Investments are involved in a number of areas of the global economy. An investment can be the commitment of capital to an asset or financial instrument that is intended to appreciate in value. An individual can purchase a stock, bond, piece of property, derivatives, foreign currency, Treasury bill from the government, and other forms of debt with the intent to earn a profit on the instrument in the future.

Whatever the investment type, the commitment involves the choice by an individual or organization after thorough research of the investment’s yield and the characteristics associated with the investment. Although investments are solid vehicles to realize profits, they demonstrate a substantial risk in the loss of the principal sum.

Bonds: These types of investments are grouped under fixed-income securities. A bond is a form of debt investment; when you purchase a bond, you lend money to a government entity or company. In return, they provide interest payments eventually pay-back the full amount you originally lent. Bonds are a popular investment strategy because they are relatively safe. If you buy bonds from a stable company or government body, your investment is risk-free. The safety of a bond, however, comes at a cost. The mitigated risk is matched with little return on investment; the higher the credit rating of the issuing agency the lower the return on investment. 

Stocks: When you purchase a stock you become a part owner of the attached company. Ownership allows you to vote at shareholders’ meetings and allows you to receive a portion of the profits that the company makes—these profits are referred to as dividends. Because your return on investment is proportional to the underlying company’s business, the potential for increased profits (when compared to fixed-income securities) is realized in stock investments. That being said, the exposure to risk is also realized; stocks are far more volatile than bonds or other investment strategies. 

Mutual Funds: Mutual funds are a collection of stocks and bonds. When you purchase a mutual fund, you pool your money with a number of investors—this enables you to pay a professional manager to select securities for you. Mutual funds are packaged with specific strategies in mind; their distinct focus can be on a number of investment options, including: small stocks, large stocks, bonds from corporations, bonds from governments, stocks in specific industries or stocks in specific countries. 

Alternative Investments: The two basic investment strategies are equities and debts (stocks and bonds). While a number of investments fall into these two categories, there are a number of alternative investment strategies that represent complicated types of securities. When you start a business you should avoid dabbling in this market. See below to read about why you should avoid investing in options, forward contracts and other alternative investment strategies. 

Allocate Your Assets Properly: Numerous studies conclude that the most important factor in small business investing is asset allocation—your investment portfolio should include a prudent mix of stocks, bonds and cash. Over the long run, stocks will earn roughly 10 percent a year—enough to double your money every seven years. Stocks, however, (as evidenced recently) are too risky for funds that you will need in the next 5 to 10 years. The bulk of your money, therefore, should go into bonds, which are less volatile, but also less profitable—average returns for bonds are roughly 5 percent a year. Cash (savings accounts and money market accounts) are extremely safe but generally will yield nothing once inflation is realized. 

A common rule regarding how to invest, says a small business owner should keep enough cash for roughly 8 to 12 months of expenses. Of the remaining holdings in the portfolio, the percentage of your bonds should equal your age (i.e. if you are 50 years old, 50% of your portfolio should be comprised of bonds). The rest of your money should be invested in stocks. 

The most efficient way to diversify your portfolio is to invest in exchange-traded funds, which are similar to mutual funds but traded like stocks. A single exchange traded fund will have dozens of bonds, stocks; these bundles of investments, through their diversification, will return a solid percentage of profit every year. These professionally-run bundles are efficient because they provide a consistent return on investment. The average exchange-traded fund charges annual fees equal to roughly 1.3 percent of the fund’s assets.

Avoid Options, Forward Contracts and Futures: The most sound investment strategy for a small business owner will not incorporate zero-sum games. Individual investors who dabble in options and other similar holdings are betting against experienced professionals—for every dollar earned, someone else loses. 

The term “investment” must be held separate when comparing or evaluating individual investors and owners of small businesses. The difference lies in the expected goal—an individual investor will secure an investment security to earn short or long-term profits, whereas a small business owner will invest in a maneuver or initiative to publicize his or her business. A small business investment is an organizational tool; by tinkering with the business model, a small business owner can reach their consumer base in a more effective manner. Investing in this sense refers to advertising endeavors and other investment strategies that bolster the owner’s product or service. 

Business management is the act of organizing people to accomplish the desired goals and objectives of a business. Business management requires the utilization of the entity’s resources in the most efficient manner possible. 

Business management comprises organizing, planning, leading, staffing or controlling and directing a business effort for the purpose of accomplishing the entity’s listed goals. In a for-profit business model, business management focuses on the satisfaction of a range of stakeholders, including the officers of the business, its employees, shareholders and the general public (consumers). In this regard, business management’s primary function is to secure a profit, (for shareholders) create valuable and innovative products at a reasonable cost (consumers) and provide employment opportunities. In a nonprofit scope, business management will focus on keeping the faith of its supporters and donors. 

Business management operates through a series of functions, typically classified as organizing, staffing, planning, leading, monitoring, controlling and motivating.

Planning: This area of business management decides what needs to happen in the future and subsequently generates plans for action. Planning is the foundation for effective business management; by deciding what needs to happen next week, next year or over the next five years, a business can develop a strategy to meet its listed goals.

Organizing: This portion of business management implements a pattern of relationships among its employees to encourage the optimum use of the entity’s resources. Organizing is needed to utilize the businesses’ finite resources; effective use of resources is the foundation for reaching a desired level of productivity. 

Staffing: This area of business management focuses on recruiting, analyzing and hiring individuals for appropriate employment posts. 

Leading: Also referred to as “directing” in the business management model, leading requires the entity’s executives to determine what needs to be accomplished in a situation and what employees are best to fulfill such expectations. 

Monitoring/Controlling: This phase of the business management process requires the leaders of the entity to monitor progress in relation to the plans and business of the business.

Motivation: A key aspect to the business management model, motivation is a basic function to maximize employment efficiency. By boosting morale, employees will carry-out their specific tasks in an effective manner. 

Decisional Roles: Carried out by the entity’s executives, the decisional roles are required for decision-making purposes.

Interpersonal: These roles are necessary to effectively coordinate and interact with the employee base. Interpersonal roles are used to bridge the gap between the businesses’ executives and their employees; interpersonal roles are used to create a sense of uniformity and a team environment. 

Informational: These roles are implemented to handle, analyze and share information that is important to the business. 

Management Skills Needed for the Business Management Process:

Diagnostic: These skills are essential to the business management process because they analyze the appropriate course of action/responses to situations that may affect the business’s stability or health.

Political: These skills are used to build a foundation for the business; political skills are needed to establish connections with public bodies, the public and other companies.

Conceptual: These skills are required to effectively evaluate complex situations.

Interpersonal: A series of skills needed to bolster motivation and communication among the executives and employee-base of a company. Interpersonal skills are a fundamental aspect of the business management process because they enable executives to mentor employees and delegate tasks. 

In the business management process, the mission of the entity is the most fundamental purpose. The vision of the company’s goals reflects its overall aspirations; this portion of the business management process specifies the intended direction of the company. The business management process also requires the entity to list its objectives. By listing objectives, the business will refer to the ends at which a certain activity is aimed—this gives the purpose’s tangible actions a means. 

The business’s management plan is a guide that stipulates regulations and objectives; the management plan may be used by executives in the decision-making process and may be followed by the entity’s employees to bolster transparency and motivation. Regardless of its particular use, the business plan must be flexible and easily interpreted by all employees of the business. 

The business management plan refers to the construction of a coordinated plan of action that lists the goals and the resources used to engage these goals in relation to the company’s long-term objectives. The business management plan provides guidelines for all members of the business; these instructions or regulations stipulate how the employees and managers ought to utilize and allocate the entity’s factors of production. 

To effectively implement a business management plan, the following strategies and relationships must be formed:

The policies must be discussed with all executives, managerial staff and general employees of the business model.

All managers must understand how and where they can implement their strategies and policies. 

A formal plan of action must be constructed for each department of the management plan. 

All strategies and policies must be reviewed at least quarterly—the review of the business management plan will be evaluated to ensure that the provisions of the plan are properly aligned with the broader goals of the business.

Contingency plans must be developed to meet changes in the macro-economy or the environment. 

The business management plan must actively assess the progress of the company as well as the actions carried-out by the top executives of the company

The construction of a sound environment and palpable team spirit is required for the business to be efficient

The objectives, missions, strengths and weaknesses of each sector of the business must be evaluated to determine their roles in achieving the broader mission.

A planning strategy must be created to ensure that all initiatives are consistent and that strategies are aimed at achieving the same objectives. 

The above policies must be discussed with all executives and managerial personnel that are required in the execution of any department’s policy. Organizational alteration is achieved through the implementation of succinct plans. An example of a common business management plan will include the following steps: Increase the corporation’s urgency, create a vision, bolster communication, empower action, create short-term goals and victories, keep pushing towards the final objective and make changes stick. 

The majority of business entities have three distinct management levels: first-level, mid-level and top-level executives or managers. These executives are classified in a distinct hierarchy of authority to perform different tasks aligned with the business model. In a number of organizations, these managers provide the business model with the following tasks:

This classification is comprised of a board of directors, a president, a vice-president, CEO’s, CFO’s, CLO’s etc. These executives are responsible for controlling, directing and overseeing the entire organization. The top-level management of corporations develops goals, strategies, and company policies and renders decisions on the direction of the business. Moreover, top-level managers will play a primary role in the mobilization and utilization of outside resources to effectively produce or supply the company’s product or service. Because of these roles, top-level managers are accountable to the general public and shareholders. 

This classification consists of general managers, branch managers and the company’s department managers. Middle-level managers are accountable to top-level managers for their department’s function. A middle-level manager must devote more time to directional and organizational functions of the business model. These individuals execute organizational plans in accordance with the entity’s policies and objectives of the above-listed executives. Middle-level managers discuss information and policies from executives and regurgitate the orders derived from these conservations to lower management workers. Most importantly, because of their everyday interaction with the general employee base, middle-level managers inspire and provide guidance to employees to promote more efficient performance. 

Middle level managers will design and implement effective group work and information systems to bolster productivity in the business model.

Middle level managers define and monitor group-level performance indicators. 

Middle level managers pinpoint and resolve problems among workers.

Middle level managers implement reward systems to support cooperative behavior. 

This group of the business management system consists of supervisors, foremen and the everyday experienced employee—individuals in this group are typically in charge of a few fellow employees. First-level managers focus on directing and controlling ground-level employees to effectively carry-out their work. First-level managers assign employee tasks and supervise these workers on day-to-day activities. These individuals ensure quality and quantity production; they will make suggestions and implement regulations to ensure proper compliance. A first-level manager will provide the following to employees:

Motivate employees

Supervise employees

Provide career planning services

Offer performance feedback

Business process management is an approach to business management that believes that all aspects of the organization should be aligned with meeting the wants, needs, and desires of the business’ clients. Business process management is a holistic management approach. This approach to business management strives for innovation, flexibility, and integrating technology, while promoting business efficiency and effectiveness.

A manager or company that subscribes the business process management approach to business management believes that the processes should be improved upon on a continual basis. Proponents of the business process management approach believe that this approach allows a company to be more efficient and effective, which in turn, leaves them more capable of changing to accommodate new conditions in a traditional, hierarchical management approach that is focused on function. 

On a more general level, business management is the process by which the operation of a business is made possible through planning, organizing, staffing, leading or directing, and controlling a corporation, organization, or effort with the intent of accomplishing a specific goal. Often, at the highest level of a corporation, business management will involve setting these goals in the first place. 

Business process management enables a company to abstract business processes from software or technology infrastructure; business process management goes far beyond automating business software or solving the entity’s problems. Business process management enables the entity to respond to changing market and consumer regulatory demands faster than its competitors—this effectively creates a competitive advantage. 

This form of management is made tangible through the use of business process management software. Business process management software is a computer program that organizes a company’s business model; the software will align the company’s goals with its available resources to create a detailed business management plan.

When utilized business process management software or tolls will allow a business to engage in the following:

Business process management software or tools enable users to strategize processes and functions.

Business process management software or tools to develop a baseline for the process improvement

Business process management software or tools to develop a model, which will stimulate the change to the process.

The tools enable users to analyze simulations to determine optimal improvements.

The tools enable users to select and implement the suggested improvements. 

To deploy this maneuver, the business process management software will provide user defined dashboards to monitor the improvement in real time. Business process management software will relay the performance information back to the user for the subsequent iteration.

Also referred to as managerial finance, finance management that concerns itself with the managerial significance of financial techniques in relation to a company’s business model; in short, financial management assesses a company’s balance sheet. Finance management is concerned with a company’s cash management, in relation to the costs of producing or manufacturing the entity’s products or services. 

The fundamental difference between a technical and managerial approach can be inferred through the questions latent in a company’s annual report. Once concerned with the technical aspect would be interested in measurable: are funds being assigned to the right aspects of the business. By contrast, one concerned with financial management would inspect the meaning behind the calculations and subsequent figures. 

A financial manager, will thus, compare the returns to other companies in their industry and evaluate how their business is performing in relation. If the financial manager’s company is performing worse than its competitors, the manager will assess the source of the problem, the entity’s profit margins and the expenses of all corporations involved in the evaluation, including employee pay. Furthermore, a financial manager will look at fluctuations in asset balances and inspect any indicators that signify toxic debt holdings. While evaluating these figures, the financial manager will also inspect the entity’s working capital to anticipate future cash flow problems. 

The techniques utilized in money management (sometimes referred to as cash management or financial management) is an interdisciplinary approach that utilizes concepts from both corporate finance and managerial accounting. Adept financial management practices will promote organizational agility through the allocation of resources amongst competing business models and opportunities. In summation, financial management is an aid to monitor various business strategies and bolster an entity’s business objectives. 

Cash management is a broad term that denotes a variety of functions that aid businesses process payments and receipts in an efficient manner. Cash or money management services include a wide range of services, aligned with investing and balancing an entity’s cash reserves.

More specifically, in the American banking system, cash management also refers to a marketing term for certain services offered to larger businesses. Cash management can detail all bank accounts (savings and checking accounts) provided to business entities; however, it is more commonly used to denote specific services, including clearing facilities, zero balance accounting and cash concentration. Rarely are private banking customers awarded these cash management services. 

Within the broader field of financial management, exists capital management—a process used to illuminate decisions regarding a firm’s working capital and short term financing needs. This process involves managing the relationship between a company’s  

Marketing ideas are the lifeblood of keeping your business relevant and help you to reach clients that you may otherwise not be exposed to.  While all businesses engage in some sort of marketing, it is the unique marketing ideas that keep businesses ahead of the pack.  When you come up with marketing ideas that differ from traditional methods, your business can be put in a position to really out maneuver the competition.  

How to come up with Marketing Ideas for you business

The most basic step before coming up with unique marketing ideas is to examine what you provide and who you provide them to.  Try to ask yourself, what makes my product or services unique? Why should my client base choose my business over my competitors? What type of clients do I have?  Only when you have fully identified everything about your business structure can you start to create new marketing ideas. 

Many marketing ideas that would serve any number of purposes for your company can be through of, however often budget constraints restrict which ones you can use.  Consider what your marketing budget is and how it can best serve you through your client base.  Budget constraints are very important, so do not break them unless you are completely sure that you have developed marketing ideas that will bring in more revenue than they cost.  

Once you have your ground rules for your products, clients, and budget restrictions, you now must consider different marketing ideas.  Some marketing ideas include the following:  Building a referral network can greatly increase the amount of clients to you have and your business relationship with other businesses, post your services in public places and pass out business cards whenever possible. 

The internet can provide a host of marketing forms.  Building a website can be the first step, but you can also use search engine optimization and link your website to content pages in order to direct traffic to you.  You can even do some non-traditional forms of marketing, such as putting up viral videos of your business, hosting competitions, or combing the internet with real world advertisements.  

Finally, once you have put your marketing ideas into a plan, you must implement them into action. Start by drafting your plan which will consider your client base, your overall business plan, and what mediums you will use to get your brand and advertisements to the client.  

Start by contacting the media services that you will need, allocating budget funds to pay for the marketing, and finally monitor how your marketing ideas are having an effect.  If you notice that your marketing ideas are not working or not being received well, you should not hesitate to modify them or pull them from your marketing plan.  

Marketing ideas are not all one size fits all for every type of business.  Instead, you must evaluate what forms of marketing will best suit your company.  Retailers, who are trying to garner the attention of the general public, need to focus on their specific brands they offer, their pricing, and their image.  Therefore, it is important for retailers to have exciting visual marketing ideas, such as television commercials, print ads, and exciting websites.  

Professional services or other similarly situated businesses need to reach the specific consumers who require their products, but cannot use loud marketing ideas.  Instead, they should use more subtle and serious outlets for advertisements.  Their websites should be serious and informative and any visual advertisements showing that your business has experience, prestige, and a hard work ethic.  

Always check to ensure that any marketing ideas you come up with do no violate trade or advertising regulations.  These regulations vary greatly depending on your industry, where your business is located, and how you plan on contacting consumers.  If you are unsure of the legal status of your marketing ideas, consult a legal professional who has experience working with business clients helping them adapt their marketing techniques to meet regulations.