How To Write More Powerful Business Letters

Many people in business heaved a sigh of relief when email began to take over most of their day-to-day correspondence. Processing business letters - even today - is fiddly and fussy, compared with the blissful simplicity of email.

However as you know there are still times when ink on paper is essential. Many of the so-called "professions" (legal, accountancy, etc) in the UK at least still insist on correspondence being done via printed letters. They have a deep mistrust of email and for good reason, as its confidentiality can never be guaranteed. Business letters are at least fairly private - you have to assume it's easier and faster to snoop on email than it is to steam envelopes open over boiling water.

In other instances, too, printed letters provide a more tamper-proof formal record of business arrangements, complaints, employee warnings/terminations and other issues that need to be carved into tablets of stone. (Well, paper, anyway.)

Old fashioned structure, modern style

Highlighted and ridiculed by the casual nature of email, the quaint formality of the old fashioned business letter seems positively Dickensian and totally inappropriate for the way we do business now.

There is an answer, though. Use the formality of structure that makes the business letter the bullet-proof form of communication it has come to be. Combine that with the short, straight-talking style of writing more common to emails, and you have a good compromise.

Let's start with the structure - or rather, the etiquette which supplies the structure.

There are variations between accepted etiquette used in the different English language markets. Here are the main British forms of address. I have also included the US/Canadian equivalents where I know them, but I'm afraid I'm not aware of those used in Australia, NZ or SA.

Formal letters

The addressee will either be a title, e.g. "The Chief Executive Officer" or to an organization or company when you don't know to whom your letter should be addressed. When you write to a title the salutation is "Dear Sir," "Dear Madam," or if you want to play it safe, "Dear Sir/Madam." When you write to an organization it's "Dear Sirs," Dear "Mesdames," or again if you want to play it safe (but labor the point) "Dear Sirs/Mesdames."

Your sign off will be "Yours faithfully" (UK) or "Yours truly" (US and Canada.)

Less formal letters

This is where you have a name. And this is where you can get into hot water if you're not sure of the gender of the person. Someone called J C Jennings could be a Jack or a Joanna. Someone called Leslie Matthews could also be either (traditionally the female version of the name is spelled "Lesley" and the male "Leslie," but I know at least one lady Leslie.)

Equally beware of unisex names like Jody, Jo, Bobbie, Alex, Rob, Robin, Carol (yes, really,) Billie, Chris, Darryl, Eddie, Sam, Jackie, Nicky, Frances (f) vs Francis (m), Freddie, Gabrielle (f) vs Gabriel (m), Georgie, Gerry/Jerry, Charlie, Nat, Harry, Jessie (f) vs Jesse (m), Stevie, Mel, Pat, Ronnie, Sacha, Sandy, etc. And that's before we get started on names from non English-language cultures.

People these days usually don't advertise whether they're "Mr" or "Ms" or whatever. When in doubt don't risk embarrassment; phone the organization concerned and ask.

Some people borrow an awful technique from email and use a person's whole name in the salutation, e.g. "Dear Suzan St Maur." I don't know about you, but this irritates the h*ll out of me and I would not recommend it.

So, when your letter is addressed to "Mr J C Jennings" your salutation is "Dear Mr Jennings." If the information you have is simply "Joanna C Jennings" you can probably take a chance and write a salutation of "Dear Ms Jennings." I don't know many male Joannas, but don't count on it...

Your sign off will be "Yours sincerely."

Even less formal letters

This is where the internet's influence can be allowed to come into it and give you some freedom from the formalities expected in, well, more formal letters.

If you're writing to someone whom you know on first name terms then your salutation is going to be "Dear (name)" and you don't need to sign off with a "yours" anything unless you particularly want to. Common forms of sign off include "warm regards" (US,) "kind regards," "best wishes," etc.

Layout

This isn't as strictly followed as it used to be, and now it's considered OK to design the layout of a letter around the design of the company letterhead. The elements you need, wherever you put them, should include:

Your company name and address (usually done in the letterhead's design)
The date
The addressee's name, title, company name and address
The salutation ("dear so-and-so")
The topic of the letter ("re:" whatever)
The body of the letter
The sign off ("Yours whatever")
Your own name and title

Traditionally, your own address should go at the top right of the letter, with the date underneath it on the right. On the next line at the left margin, you put the addressee's name and address. After one or two spaces, the "Dear (whoever)" goes underneath that. Two spaces below that, you can put your "re: (topic)" or just the topic in bold and/or underlined.

Once you've done the body of the letter, create one or two spaces and put the sign-off either ranged left or indented a few tabs along towards the right. Create a sufficient number of spaces for your signature and then key in your name (and title if appropriate) so it starts directly under the "Y" of "Yours."

If your letter goes on to a second page, where it breaks on page 1 create a space then to the right key in "cont'd." You can start page 2 just by keying in "page 2" and starting again two or three spaces below. Some people create a mini-heading for the second page with the addressee's name on the left, the date in the middle, and the page number on the right, followed by an underline that crosses the whole page. This is useful if the two pages become detached from one another.

Okay. Now we've established the ground rules, what do we say?

Keep the style sharp and simple

Business letters are not literary works. They are verbal workhorses with a purpose only to convey information, and what you want the reader to do with it, as quickly and clearly as possible.

Start by making notes as if to yourself. These notes will come out in a direct style naturally, because you're not intimidated or disquieted when writing to yourself. Don't restrict yourself to a structure at this stage. Just write out everything you can think of that should go into the letter.

Now, match your notes to the sequence in one of the "skeletons" described below. Discard any notes that aren't relevant.

If you build up your letter along these lines you'll find that your style is clear and straightforward, with no unnecessary adjectives, adverbs, business phrases, "corporate speak" or other business BS that some people use in business letters.

All you need to do then is tidy up with a good edit and spelling and grammar check. (Although many people take a lenient view over spelling and grammatical mistakes in emails, they stick out like sore thumbs in printed letters and make you look very amateurish.)

Build your content on a "skeleton"

Normally you'll identify the topic of the letter with "re: Your Outstanding Account" or less formally, "Your Outstanding Account" in bold and/or underlined. Then make notes or bullet points of the main issues you need to include, on a skeleton like this:

Typically, these would be:

1. Background
I see from our records that you were first invoiced for this amount four months ago and statements have been sent out to you each month since then

2. The sticky issue
This can't go on, especially as you haven't contacted us to discuss extending your credit

3. What I want to happen now
Pay up in the next seven days

4. Or else
We will be obliged to start legal proceedings against you

5. Sweetener
If you do pay up by return, we won't take any further action and will restart your 30 days' credit as before

6. Next move
Please contact me urgently and let me know what you intend to do

Same skeleton, different content

You could use this skeleton for a number of business letter purposes. Not all business letters have you sitting so comfortably in the driving seat, however. Let's say you were the recipient of this letter and want to winkle out more time to pay. The elements remain the same, but we approach from a different angle...

1. Background
Thank you for bringing this to my attention - I had no idea we were so late paying

2. The sticky issue
We're experiencing serious cashflow problems at the moment but we have taken steps to rectify this and anticipate the problem will be solved in the next 3 weeks

3. What I want to happen now
Would you consider extending our credit for a while longer, perhaps with interest being chargeable at a rate we can agree?

4. Or else
We really would like to continue buying our supplies from you but if we enter into a dispute the goodwill will be lost and our business relationship will be over

5. Sweetener
I can assure you our cashflow problem is temporary and we want to preserve our business relationship with you if possible

6. Next move
I will phone you in the next few days to discuss payment terms

Build your own skeleton

Obviously that 6-point skeleton isn't going to work for every business letter, but a shortened version of it will be useful because you can build it back up so it's tailored to any number of different needs. Here's the basic one that I use:

1. Background
2. The key issue
3. What will or should happen
4. What to do next

Any further tips? Only that business letters should always be as short as possible. That's not as simple as it sounds. Somebody famous (can't remember who) once apologized for writing someone a long letter, as he didn't have time to write a short one. It's hard to write concisely, but if you use the style and skeleton tips above you'll find it somewhat easier.

If you need to go into detail, separate that off into a different (but attached) document and use the letter only as a summary of the issue and a call to action.

I'm no social psychologist so I can't quote you a scientific reason, but separating detail from key points usually means that both get read more thoroughly. It's probably because by separating the two elements you provide readers with more digestible looking chunks. Anyway, it works!

An Old Fashioned Business Idea for the Online Business World

It seems like everyone has cottoned on to the idea that the new business frontier is online, conventional bricks and mortar stores are promoting online, people are creating home based businesses online selling products, bloggers are creating very large passive income streams online.

But what amazes me beyond belief, is that everyone thinks that being online is enough, and they don't have to do any more, its kind of build it they will come scenario. Well people I am here to tell that is WRONG. It is more important now then ever to use the old fashion business idea CUSTOMER SERVICE, now more than ever.

In the last 5 years I have spent a lot of time, on-line looking for information and trialling services, particularly when I was trading consistently, I was always landing on websites, and signing up for what free reports they were offering, as well as sometimes buying their services, I wanted to learn as much as I could from as many sources as I could.

Well, I got a call the other day, from a online trading business that I contacted for information about their services, asking me If I was still interested and how could they help. Well after 5 minutes of me asking who they were, what their site was, and what it was about, it turns out that it was over 12 months ago that I had contacted them, it was the first time that they had contacted me.

A couple of things here -

1. Their website was quite well done, very professional.

2. It looked like there was information on there that I wanted.

3. It was over 12 months ago that I contacted them and they were only JUST getting back to me now.

In building any business there is one key important component to being successful, CUSTOMER SERVICE, getting someone to your business online or otherwise is not enough, its what you do with them once you have them that really matters.

Yes rather old fashioned, who knew people still care about how you treat them, so here's a few tips that I've picked up along the way.

• If you have gone to the trouble of putting contact details on your site. You are telling them its OK to contact you. That means you need to answer them, so if they call you and leave a message, ring them back, if they email reply to them, if they tweet, tweet them back, if they post a comment with a question, answer it. If you are to busy to answer your phone, OUTSOURCE it.


• If you make promises, KEEP THEM. If you have made a promise that you will get something delivered by Thursday next week. Keep your promise and make sure you get it there. And by the same token if something goes wrong, and you can't fulfill your promise, ring your client and let them know.


• Treat your customer how you want to be treated. - Always approach your client the same way you expect to be approached.


• Listen - A successful salesperson knows when to be quiet and listen. If your customer if saying something, give them your attention.


• Deal with complaints or objections - You will never please everyone all the time. But if a customer has a complaint or objection, give it the attention it deserves and deal with it. You might be surprised just what you can learn from it.


• Give Give Give. I recently had some one purchase something from me on eBay, when I sent out their parcel, I included a small gift. I didn't have to, but in turn, I was given a 5 rating on eBay. Help your customer by giving. I am not saying to give away all your profits. But offering something for nothing is a great way to get good will.


• Never get greedy - being in business isn't about making a killing every sale, its about getting repeat business, make a little less, and they will keep coming back.


• If you have staff train them in how you want them to approach customer service. - remember your staff are a extension of your business.

Treat your new business, like you would a newborn child. You need to care about it everyday, treat it and the customers that you deal with, with respect and it will grow into a solid income producing addition to your family.

Why You Must Market Your Beauty/Fashion Biz NOW!

Girls (And Boys for that matter) that want to have fun in their business, Market, Market, Market... What's the point of having your business if you're not having fun??? If you're not having fun in your Beauty/Fashion Business it's probably because you're not promoting yourself.

Beauty/Fashion is an exciting field unlike other professions. Everyone wants to look better and feel better. If you are wondering where your clients are at, you might just find them if you Market, Market, Market. If you are a Hair Stylist, Makeup Artist, Fashion Designer, Wedding Planner, Life Coach, Style Expert or Florist you have to consistently promote yourself. What does that mean? Keep your product/service in front of people at all times. Think about the major Fashion/Beauty Brands that you love. They are highly visible in the marketplace 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and 365 days a year!

Repetition is Key to Marketing
Repetition is Key to Marketing
Repetition is Key to Marketing

Research suggests that prospects need to encounter your Beauty/Fashion Business (or any business for that matter) between 7 and 12 times before they are ready to purchase. So, put yourself in front of your target market over and over again. Most people worry that they are bothering people when in fact people are bombarded with so many messages per day that one try is not enough. The average person is exposed to over 13,000 marketing messages per day. If you want to remain visible and not get lost in the shuffle, you Market, Market, Market...

Yes, I know marketing doesn't sound glamorous, but it can be when you see the rewards from your efforts. Furthermore you can make it chic, trendy & ultra savvy when you bring your own style to the marketing equation!

Marketing is the reason you will get clients and ultimately fill your bank account. So let's look at ways you can market your Beauty/Fashion Business Now.

1. Create professional profiles via social media
2. Post your profile on professional sites for Beauty/Fashion Biz owners
3. Send out a newsletter
4. Send a postcard
5. Put out a FREE Press Release
6. Put your business card/flyer on local bulletin boards at the coffee shop
7. Put an opt-in box on your website
8. Host an event in your community
9. Joint Venture
10. Ask for Referrals
11. Post on your blog/or someone else's
12. Align yourself with a non-profit
13. Pick up the phone/Follow up
14. Join a targeted networking group
15. Talk to everyone about your business (Yes, that's marketing too...)

Remember if you want business 6 months from now you market today, that's the beauty of marketing!

Why Online Businesses Make Better Business Sense Than Offline Businesses

Nowadays, most businesses are taking advantage of the technical advances of the internet. The internet now means that we can be connected to others at all times and there is no such thing as closing time when it comes to putting through sales. The internet also means that we can all stay up to date with what is going on around the world, all at a click of a mouse.

It comes as no surprise then that many people are choosing to start online business instead of setting up an offline business or finding a job. So, what is it that makes people turn to the internet instead of good old fashioned business?

Well, the first attraction is the cost-effective nature of setting up an online business. The first thing that springs to mind when you first start thinking about setting up a business is cost. You start thinking "How much am I going to need to spend in order to make a profit" and "How much do I need to get started?" However, when it comes to setting up an online business, all you really need is a PC or a laptop and an internet server and away you go! Of course it's not quite that simple, you will still need to advertise and market yourself but you can do this online. With an offline business, you will need to use traditional methods of marketing such as brochures and posters but with the internet marketing is made easy. It may cost you a bomb to design hundreds of brochures and distribute them but it doesn't cost you anything to send out thousands of emails to your customers!

Marketing is a lot more efficient when you do it online. It can take up valuable promotional time designing and delivering brochures to houses and businesses in the area but with email all you need do is press a button and thousands of emails will be sent out. As well as making marketing more efficient, running an online business eliminates the need to travel to work everyday as your office is now in your very own home! It also means that your business can travel around with you wherever you go, as long as you have your laptop with you.

An online business doesn't require a big workforce, unless it becomes very successful and grows in the future. In the initial stages of set-up, the only staff you will need are yourself, your laptop and your software. This eliminates the hassle of having to hire, train and pay additional staff.

Once you have set up your website and arranged hosting, your online business will literally start working for you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The beauty of the internet is that it never sleeps so interest can be flooding in all day every day. With an online business you won't have to go through the hassle of meeting clients as you will be able to do all your communication via email. You also won't be restricted by where your customers are in the world as the internet allows you to communicate and trade with people all over the world.

With an online business you can do business wherever you are in the world. You can be working at home, on the train, in a restaurant or even in bed if you want to! It really is clear that an online business can bring you the kind of advantages that offline business never can.

Becoming a Fashion Model

It must look easy to be a fashion model. All they have to do is stand there and look pretty and smile, and everyone adores them for it, and they get adorned with all the hottest fashions. Not to mention they get paid millions of dollars in endorsement deals and they get to travel all over the world for both work and leisure. The glamorous aspects of the job are undoubtedly thrilling, however being a fashion model is not as easy or care-free of a lifestyle as it seems.

First of all, before any model becomes well-known, they must be signed by a modeling agency. Modeling agencies are larger companies that represent fashion models to work in the industry. They often handle the business side of fashion design, like contracts, billing and booking jobs. An agency can bring a model to fame with their vast connections in the industry. One of the hardest parts is getting signed by the agency in the first place. In order to even hope to qualify, women models must be between 5'6" and 6'0" with a body weight "proportionate to their height". In other words, perspective models must be extremely thin. Since hundreds and thousands of girls audition for modeling jobs, a successful model must have something-some special quality that makes her stand out from the hoards of wannabe models.

Once a signed, working model, you must constantly search for ways to get yourself out there. One of the biggest events in both the modeling and fashion design world is fashion week. A fashion week is a week-long series of runway shows that feature several different designers' new collections. New York City's Mercedes Benz fashion week is one of the most famous fashion weeks, along with Paris and Milan, the fashion capitals of the world. Exposure on a runway during fashion week can lead to high-class, lucrative contracts for models. Each fashion week often shows collections of over one hundred designers, and each designer showcases a spring and a fall collection, but compared to how many models vie for spots on these runways, the competition is still fierce!

The next step towards supermodel stardom is landing a spot as the face of a prestigious fashion campaign. Fashion campaigns for particular designers can earn models quite a substantial amount of money, as well as enough exposure to have them steadily working for a long time. One of the most popular examples of this is the fragrance campaign, and fashion design houses such as Gucci, Valentino and Chanel run extremely high-class advertisements for their fragrance products, that only the most elite of models participate in.

Fashion Designers: 5 Affordable and Alternative Ideas for Showcasing Your Fashion Collections!

The runways of NY Fashion Week are the pinnacle of all things glamorous and can turn fashion designers into industry darlings. However, it is also a very costly production and may not be the best place for a new designer to launch their line. As much as I love, love, love seeing shows during Fashion Week, I don't recommend that new designers spend that kind of money to get their designs seen so early in their careers. This post will give you ideas for alternative ways to showcase your fashion line during Fashion Week (or any time of year!).

Putting together a Fashion Week runway show can be very expensive. It costs at least $30k to show at NY Mercedes Benz Fashion Week. You need to have proper funding to pay for the: space, models, hair, makeup, set design, lighting, photographers, videographers, plus the cost of your actual designs, among other things. In my opinion, new designers shouldn't be doing runways shows until they are making enough money to sustain normal business activities plus the cost of putting together a Fashion Week Runway Shows.

Fashion Week Runway Shows are the best platform for established leaders in fashion innovation. There are over 100 shows in NY during Fashion Week and it's hard for Fashion Editors and Buyers to make it to all of the well-known designer runway shows. If you are able to hold your fashion event close to where the actual runway shows are taking place, it makes it easier for editors and buyers to stop in and attend.

Wherever you decide to have your fashion show, be sure to have someone videotape it so you can post it on your website and blog (and so the fashion bloggers can do the same thing for you!). Live video-streaming is also an excellent option for your fans and clients who live out of town but still want to support you and "be a part" of your fashion show!

Here are a few ideas that can be used for a more cost-effective fashion presentation:

1. Do a fashion installation in a hotel suite. You can have models standing in the room that's put together like a chic fashion shoot set wearing your most exciting and show-stopping designs for editors and buyers to walk around and see.

2. Throw a cocktail party at a popular local lounge that features a few models in your designs to launch your line. You can invite lots of friends, family, buyers, bloggers, local boutique owners and press to attend and you will also have some of the location's regular foot traffic to rely on.

3. Are you an early-bird? Consider hosting a small invite-only breakfast buffet at a cute local restaurant where you can do a fashion show. Both women and men love free food and the fact that it comes with entertainment (your fashion show) is an added bonus for them!

4. Is there a great neighborhood garden, park or local museum that you could negotiate using as a space to showcase your designs?

5. Many colleges have fashion shows, especially around homecoming time. Could this be another way for you to get your designs seen?

Fashion - The Social Phenomena

Fashions are social phenomena common to many fields of human activity and thinking. Fashion houses and their associated fashion designers, as well as high-status consumers (including celebrities), appear to have some role in determining the rates and directions of fashion change. Fashion is in the sky, in the street; fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening. Fashion is a field dominated by women and primarily meant to serve women.

Fashion

Men's fashions largely derived from military models, and changes in a European male silhouette are galvanized in theatres of European war, where gentleman officers had opportunities to make notes of foreign styles: an example is the "Steinkirk" cravat or necktie. The pace of change picked up in the 1780s with the increased publication of French engravings that showed the latest Paris styles; though there had been distribution of dressed dolls from France as patterns since the sixteenth century, and Abraham Bosse had produced engravings of fashion from the 1620s.

Although tailors and dressmakers were no doubt responsible for many innovations before, and the textile industry certainly led many trends, the History of fashion design is normally taken to date from 1858, when the English-born Charles Frederick Worth opened the first true haute couture house in Paris. Since then the professional designer has become a progressively more dominant figure, despite the origins of many fashions in street fashion.

A stylist is either a person who co-ordinates the clothes, jewelry, and accessories used in fashion photographs and catwalk shows or a kind of designer whose designs are based on existing things, trends, and designers collections. A buyer is responsible for ordering stocks of clothes for shops, particularly the larger chain stores. An illustrator draws and paints clothes for commercial use. Talented illustrators--among them Paul Iribe, George Lepape and George Barbier--drew exquisite fashion plates for these publications, which covered the most recent developments in fashion and beauty. A model models clothes at fashion shows or for photographs. A photographer photographs the clothes on fashion models for use in magazines, newspapers, or adverts.

Season

Fashion design differs from costume design due to its core product having a built in obsolescence usually of one to two seasons. A season is defined as either autumn/winter or spring/summer. Ready-to-wear collections are usually presented by fashion houses each season during a period known as Fashion Week. They often wait around a season to make sure a style is going to catch on before producing their own versions of the original look. To do this, they look at what the fashion directions have been in previous seasons, keep an eye on what others in the fashion business are doing, and read fashion forecasting magazines. They also rely on knowledge of their own customers to see which styles succeeded and which were less popular in past seasons.

Fashions may vary significantly within a society according to age, social class, generation, occupation and geography as well as over time.

How I Tripled My Design Business

Do you want to know the biggest secret to increasing your home fashions business? It's sending a regular e-mail newsletter - an article or simple tip that your potential clients will find useful. If you can write an e-mail, you can dramatically increase your success.

Writing an e-mail newsletter helps you:

Achieve expert status

Increase sales

Gain new clients

Improve customer relations

Get more referrals

Make More Money!

It's true. Writing just one simple e-mail, as little as twice a month, can do all that for you. But here is the challenge: It has to be done right, or you won't see these spectacular results. It took me several years - and thousands of dollars - to learn the most effective way to launch a successful e-mail newsletter campaign. And within one year of doing it the right way, my business tripled!

Instead of making you spend all that time and money, I'm going to list some basic tips to assure that your e-mail newsletter helps boost your business quickly. (Isn't that nice of me?)

• Send your newsletters regularly. Once a month is okay; twice a month is better. Weekly mailings are ideal, but the most important aspect of a successful e-mail newsletter is being regular. Stick to a schedule!

• The main part of your newsletter - your article or tip - needs to be useful information for the reader. You should certainly put in some promotion about your company, but keep this to about 20 percent of the entire newsletter. Any more than that will turn off readers and cause deletes and un-subscribes.

• Use an e-mail service provider. If you try to manage your e-mail newsletters from your regular e-mail account, you will get very frustrated. The one I use gives a free 60-day trial, and they have loads of great templates that make it so easy to get started.

• Keep It Simple! Multi-column newsletters - with many articles and loads of photos - may look pretty in print, but an e-mail newsletter is easier to read when it is short and simple. Studies show that you get more sales when your newsletters are concise. Stay with one column, and use just one or two photos to get your point across. The most common reason that designers stop doing an email newsletter (or never get started) is they make it too complicated. Don't fall into that trap. The simpler your newsletter - the more effective it will be.

Some of the secrets I've learned seem to go against all of our instincts as designers and business owners, but please believe me - they work! When I began to use all of this advice, my sales went through the roof. I know it can work for you, too.

Can e-mail newsletters work for the wholesale workroom?

Absolutely! If your main target is designers, write tips for them. As a designer myself, I know I would really appreciate weekly or monthly tips from my workroom! Here are a few ideas for your articles:

3 easy places to up-sell trim

The quickest way to calculate yardage for a slipcover

How to choose the right lining

If you start sending tips to your designers and other potential clients, you will quickly become the expert, go-to workroom! And don't forget to subscribe ME to your newsletter.

If you'd like a step-by-step guide to launching a powerful, profit-boosting e-mail campaign, check out www.enewsletterblitz.com

Starting a Retail Fashion Business - Top 3 Ways to Promote Your Business on the Web

In the world of retail fashion, it is important that you get to market yourself to prospect clients properly. This is because when people start seeing how capable you are, they will keep coming back to you. They will even recommend your business to all their friends. When this is achieved, you have found yourself a great word of mouth marketing campaign. This is one of the most proven ways for starting a retail fashion business.

In order to get more clients to work with, it is important that you expand your horizon. You need to go out and market your business to more people. The best way you can do this is by using the internet. Through this, you will be able to get the attention of people because you are letting them find you on a wider scope. If you've never done any online promotion, here are some tips that you can use to achieve this:

Top 3 Ways to Promote Your Business on the Web

Tip #1: Email Marketing

When you have built a client list, you should make it a point to get in touch with them at least once every two weeks. This is a great way you can stay in contact with them because they will appreciate a more personal connection with you. However, you need to be careful with this because you might get labeled as a spammer. As such, you need to be careful about what you should put in the email you send out. Try sticking with giving them information about new arrivals in your store. This way, you don't get them to change their mind about having you as their contact.

Tip #2: Search Engine Optimization

If you are going to market yourself online, you need to make sure that you use the right tools for putting yourself on top of a search results page. The reason for this is that people will want to use the top few results of that page. If you are not there, then they will disregard you and will not take a second glance.

Tip #3: Use Social Networking Sites

Now that almost everyone is on Facebook, you can use this social networking site to market your business. Through this website, you can post new clothes that you have for sale. By doing this, you can get interested people to see your new items and will get in touch with you.

The internet is a very powerful tool that online marketers use. While you are certainly not the first nor last to use it, you need to be able to stand out from your competitors. By following the tips mentioned above, you can easily achieve your online marketing goals.

Lakme India Fashion Week - A Review

Introduction

India is becoming the latest fashion hub for the fashionistas. Indian designers are no longer confined to the domestic fashion and apparel market, they are gaining recognition and fame from all over the world. The various government policies and a boom in fashion industry have made it possible. One of the major breakthrough provided to Indian designers to showcase their talents are through the medium of fashion shows. Lakme India Fashion Show is the most popular fashion show celebration of India where the talents of already established and upcoming designers are showcased.

This event is a fashion celebration laced with lots of glamour and national as well as international media coverage. This time lakme India fashion week was held at Mumbai from 31st Oct- 4th Nov. Many high profile designers as well as audience witnessed this fashion fiesta. Famous bollywood celebrities were part of it.

Eminent designers like Surily Goel, Narendra Kumar, Sabyasachi Mukherjee, Nalandda Bhandari, Nandita Mahtani, Anand Kabra, Abhishek Dutta , Wendrell Rodericks, Anupama Dayal, Vikram Phadnis, Chaitanya Rao, Sanchita, Savio Jon, Payal Singhal, Sanjay Malhotra, James Ferriera, Priyadarshini Rao, etc presented their spring/summer 2007 collection. Also South African designer duo Sun Goddess and Clive Rundle presented their collection.

Brief descriptions of some designer's creative work are as follows :-

Nalandda Bhandari

Nalandda Bhandari designs simple yet attractive and wearable collection under the brand name 'Nasha'. She named her spring/summer 2007 collection 'Free Spirit'. She covered all patterns and styles of contemporary women clothing, dress patterns like- tunics, kaftans, tube dress, skirts, shirts and burnt gold evening gown dominated her show. She played with glamour clad fabrics like chiffon, silk, georgette, voile, cotton and crepe. Her collection was largely ruled by animal prints and embroideries like African embroidery, sequin embroidery, etc. She also presented her men collection. She included her logo of rose embroidery in almost every outfit.

Narendra Kumar

The very famous designer Narendra Kumar presented his spring/summer collection 2007 at Lakme Fashion Week. The collection was named as 'Love Touches You'. He presented a perfect blend of traditional and contemporary designing paired beautifully with each other. The women's line of western collection had smocked & pleated skirts, balloon skirt with shirt dress, half collars, bloomers, chiffon with appliqué sleeves, etc which were created with the designer's unique touch and detailing. The preferred fabrics by the designer were cotton, georgette, net, silk, mull and linen. The collection was unique but wearable in terms of design and pattern.

The men collection was very stylish and appealing in nature. Men models walked the ramp with elaborate embroidered batik styled shirts paired with stylish trousers completed with patch pockets and shiny zippers. Fun element of, feminity to male garments was provided by showcasing sophisticated floral printed baggy tops paired with tight fitting pants and capris. The choice of colors was dull jade, beige, blue, brown, saffron and white. Complicated embroidery, smocking, appliqué work and shadow work were part and parcel of his creative designing. The fun element was when the famous model turned actor John Abraham walked the ramp with white linen suit. Thus he complied every bit of creativity and entertainment aspects to his collection which gained him standing ovation by the audience and showering of red carnations.

Surily Goel

Surily Goel is young and talented designer who even designs for film personalities. Her latest creation on big screen was for actress Preity Zinta for the film 'Jaan-e-Mann'. Her collection presented the carefree and sensual side of women's clothing. This year's collection was marked by knee-length skirts of georgette, crochets, chiffon, light silks and organdy, highlighting pleats and waist gathering with satin belts. Also single piece bubble outfits created in wide range of colors and fabrics. In this time's collection she used more of small colored stones.

The presence of film personalities like Dino Morea, Sonali Bendre, Neelam Kothari, Fardeen Khan, Sameera Reddy and Tara Sharma in the audience during her collection put the star element into the show.

Chaitanya Rao

Chaitanya Rao's collection was like early morning breeze with booming petals of budding roses. The delicate fabrics like georgette and chiffon provided that sexy feminine look to her collection. As her signature, she included moth in the form of embroidery or appliqué in all of her garments. The models took over the ramp with her mesmerizing feminine collection comprising of hem blouses with theme embroideries, pleated mini skirts with batik prints, moth appliqué blouses, long frayed double hem dresses, pale grey chiffon tunic, cream color chiffon bubble dress, dolman sleeved hipster blouses, the list goes on. To accessorize her collection she used thin and broad belts.

Sanchita

Sanchita's collection presented in Lakme Fashion Week was bold yet wearable. She divided her collection into three segments- Punk chic, Copacabana and Swinging deco. The stunning designer pieces of bikinis and pareos, Hawaiian inspired kaftans, small balloon skirts, floaty dresses and minis provided the feeling of the beaches of Copacabana, St. Tropez and Riviera to the audience. Her collection was quite glamorous consisting of outfit like grey T-shirts with silver leggings, lycra T-shirts having sleeve ornamentations, strapless dresses accompanied with necklaces, earrings and brooches.

The men collection was marked by casual wear T-shirts, poplin trousers with detailed embroideries and white tuxedo jackets.

The garments were decorated with semi precious stones or with attractive patch works. Her line of collection was dominated by colors like white, apatite, agate, jade, opal and black onyx. The garments were accessorized with intrinsically crafted jewelry and bags.

Savio Jon

This designer emphasized heavily on the comfort factor of the garments. Savio Jon is well known for his simple yet attractive clothing lines which are high on value and seductive quotient. Unlike other designers he preferred his garments to hang loose around the body instead of body hugging/tight fitting clothes. He used free flowing fabrics like fish net, mul, chiffon, georgette and crepe.

Pinafore silhouette, long lean maxis, oversized blouses, deep shoveled armholes, low back and front necklines, were some types of garments he presented. In evening wear he glamorized the tubular silhouettes with shimmers. The ranges of colors choosed by him for his collection were beige, grey, brown, black, pale yellow and white. Thus the colors were also sober and subtle.

Payal Singhal

Payal Singhal for the first time presented her collection in Lakme Fashion Week. Her designer collection for women were designed keeping in mind today's working women's needs and comfort level. Stylish yet affordable was the key element associated with her collection. She beautifully used cutwork, satin, georgette, jacquard, tulle, cotton, crepe, taffeta, brocade and seersucker in club and partywear for dresses and tunics. Her display of outfits on ramp descended gracefully from daywear to glamorous evening wear. She started her showcasing of designs in oyster white color then, tea rose, yellow, coffee, watermelon to grapefruit color. Display of tunics and blousons were coupled with melon, gold or silver tights. The signature outfit was the oyster white kaftan embellished with golden embroidery.

Sanjay Malhotra

Sanjay Malhotra named his spring/summer 2007 collection -'Dejavu'. The key phrase which inspired him for this collection was -Life through my rose colored glasses. He instead of sticking only to free flowing usual feminine fabrics, even experimented with fabrics like fur, leather, voiles, denim, suede and laces which were highly appealing to today's power packed independent women. The beautiful mix-n-match of these fabrics in sober as well as striking colors presented a collection that was bold enough yet stylish and wearable. Few of the many outfits displayed by him were- ivory colored mirror jacket with chiffon sleeves, colorful corset skirt accompanied with net petticoat, tunic with fur edge, etc. His collection was for the woman who likes to seek attention of the crowd and be different.

Clive Rundle and Sun Goddess

Clive Rundle and Sun Goddess were two international South African designers who presented their collection at Lakme Fashion Week. Fusion was the key style of their outfits. Extravagant layered dresses and skirts, jackets, evening wear, loosely fitted shirts and trousers, long coats and tops were part of their garment showcase. Their choices of colors were mainly creams, cherries, plums, peaches, sapphires, maroons and mauves. The free flowing pleated and layered outfits depicted the south African culture and fashion essence through them.

James Ferriera

James Ferriera made his debut at Lakme Fashion Week. He named his collection 'Bombay Tokyo'. His collections were inspired by Maharashtra's rich textile heritage.

The collections were divided into seven segments which were even named. The sari, an ode to devnagari, the hardy traditional towel, black magic, the sholapur story, warli and diwali were the seven names given to the segments.

Traditional warli paintings and paithani motifs were done on the clothes. Very uniquely he transformed the traditional forms of maharashtrian clothing into contemporary designs, like nine yard saris were intelligently converted into tunics. Marigold and leaf motifs were used on black shirts with cowl necks.

To describe in a nutshell his collection used ethnic fabrics and designs on garments with style and attitude. The outfit presented during finale had black georgette garments with glittering Paithani embroidery designs on them.

Conclusion

This event is marked by presence of celebrities and traders all across the globe. Also it provides a platform for the budding designers to show their talent and establish themselves into the high profile fashion industry, for the already established designers to show their collection and maintain their popularity level. The above mentioned review is for few of the many prominent and talented designers. The nutshell description of the designers suggests that this celebration of fashion and style is a sure shot success for India's designers and promote the export business too. The very presence of film stars on the ramp of their favorite designers and in the audience is the crowd puller factor of this celebration. Lakme Fashion week is extensively covered by media and promoted also.

2013 Fashion Calendar

2013 has begun and this can only mean one thing - London Fashion week! It seems like only yesterday we were watching the Spring/Summer collection of September's parade in New York... but time flies for the busy fashionista!

To utilise your time well, it's important to select fashion events which are relevant to you for the coming year. You can guarantee some of your favourite designers' timetables will clash or be held countries apart; so prioritise events and outline your own fashion calendar to stay ahead.

To help you, here are a few events which should definitely grace your fashion diary this year.

• V&A Hollywood Costume Exhibition: until 27th January

Part of a series of great exhibitions at the V&A; this looks at the process involved in creating the fantastic costumes which grace our screens from Hollywood.

• London Fashion Weekend: 21st-24th February

Vodafone hosts their annual London Fashion Weekend at Somerset House where you can shop from over 100 British and International designers. Tickets cost as little as £15.50 and the event includes 13 Spring/Summer catwalk shows, a luxury complementary tote bag as well as live DJs and celebrity presenters.

• New York Autumn/Winter Show: 24th-26th February

February also hosts the New York Autumn/Winter show. Why not enjoy the opening ceremony at The Hanky Panky Club for a sneak preview of what's going to be in fashion this autumn?

• International Fashion Sale: 8th-11th March

Head over to South Africa's Johannesburg for this event which sells surplus stock from leading designers at competitive prices. Providing clothing and accessories for men, women and children, you can expect to find top quality merchandise from brands such as Diesel, Nike, Sketcher and Morgan.

• L'Oreal Melbourne Fashion Festival: 18th-24th March

Showcasing a great selection of designers, this is the perfect event to see what the latest styles from Alex Perry, Gorman, Lui Hon, Morrison and Wayne Cooper are.

• Charleston Fashion Week: 19th-23rd March

A five night event taking place in Marion Square, this is the perfect place to see emerging designers from America's East Coast.

• Mercedes-Benz Australian Fashion Week: 30th April

Last April the Mercedes-Benz Australian Fashion week took the world by storm; for a repeat performance head over to Sydney for the five-day event.

• London Jewellery Week: 7th-16th June

A great chance to take a look at emerging trends for every girl's favourite accessory; this is the UK's biggest jewellery festival and one which is sure to provide plenty of style inspiration.

•New Designers Exhibition: 26th-29th June

The first part of this brilliant showcase, the New Designer's Exhibition acts as a springboard for budding graduates and provides opportunity for you to get a glimpse of the latest designs in fashion, interior design and architecture. The event is held in London.

• London Textile Fair: 17th-18th July

With great influence on the fashion scene and more than 200 exhibitions, this is the perfect event for those interested in fashionable fabrics.

• Fashion and Footwear Fair: 18th-19th August

Hosted bi-annually in Dublin, this is the perfect place to look into emerging footwear styles.

Saving Money with Clothing Swaps

Clothing can be expensive, especially if you like to have a wide variety of different outfits to wear on a weekly basis. If you want to save some money and help out others in the process, you can always join a clothing swap. These swap groups provide a way for you to not only find a variety of new, used and vintage clothing pieces, but it also provides you with the opportunity to get rid of anything in your closet that you are no longer wearing.

The way that a swap for clothing works is by providing you with different options on how you can buy and sell clothing. If you have a closet full of things you never wear anymore, you can sell clothing online by listing it through the swap. If someone is interested in what you have, they can buy it from you at your desired price. Alternatively, if you are looking for a great vintage bag, a new pair of shoes or a slightly use jacket, you can browse listings by other swap members to find the pieces that you want.

A swap for clothing is not just about buying and selling. While many members will sell clothing online, swaps also provide a chance for group members to trade or barter clothing and accessories. This type of transaction may still have shipping fees if the two members of the group are not within close proximity to each other, but it can be a great way to have a wide range of members get what they want at the least cost possible. Swapping can also be a great idea when members are making their own clothes so they can find people interested in those fashions that may turn into future customers.

The basic goal of a clothing swap is to not let great clothing and accessories go to waste. Clothes that are shoved in the back of a closet can help you make some extra money, and that extra money can be put towards the clothing that you love to wear. Swaps are inexpensive, convenient and most of all, they are fun for everyone involved.

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Learn How To Play The Guitar With Online Lessons

Learning how to play the guitar opens you up to many possibilities such as writing your own music and learning how to sing well. You can easily learn how to play the guitar with lessons. There are online guitar lessons you can take conveniently from your home. You will need a few tools such as Good Grip Guitar plectrums and picks. You should also choose a well-known guitar brand to enhance your performance. Good grip guitar plectrums and picks can be purchased online.

The reason you need good Plectrums and Picks for Guitar is so you will have better control over the cords. You will learn a variety of guitar cords one at a time. Plectrums and picks for guitar lessons can be recommended by your teacher. Online guitar lessons feature helpful instructional videos that you can watch online. You can also purchase guitar playing guides that will help you master your skill. Listen to songs from a variety of music genres to determine which type of music you prefer.

Once you start taking guitar lessons, you will find yourself concentrating on the rhythm and style of the music you listen to. You will be able to recognize a music artist's talent and skill set. Make sure you set aside a time to practice your guitar lessons regularly. Deliberate practice will make you a better player. Deliberate practice means you write down your weaknesses so you can start to improve. Keep detailed records and you will be on your way to excellence. Practice with other guitar players, and consider writing new songs.

It doesn't matter if the songs are good as long as you keep practicing. Once you have mastered your guitar skills, then you might want to take piano or other music instrument lessons. Song writing is not that difficult if you keep practicing. Playing musical instruments will give you a variety of worthwhile hobbies. Practice as often as you can so you will improve. If you are having difficulty with your online classes, consider finding a class close to your home. Develop the self-discipline to improve your skill, and one day you may be a professional guitarist in a band.

Gucci Fashions

In 1921, Florence Italy was the pinnacle of the fashion scene. Italy was well known for top range clothing and leather goods. Guccio Gucci founded his fashion house in that era, taking advantage of the worlds desire for great quality clothing and leather wear from Italy.

The name took off like a rocket, with Gucci expanding to open a clothing boutique in Rome just 15 years later. Guccio, the owner design many of the products that were most famous and well received, such as the trademark handbag with the bamboo handles, and the leather sandals that are still in the company offerings today, nearly 100 years later.

When Gucci died in 1953, he left behind him multiple sons, three of whom played a pivotal role in the company future. Aldo, the eldest led the company to prominence on the international scene, with their New York boutiques, but the family became nearly as famed for their fighting as they were for their fashions.

The day in and day out operations of the company led to serious combats for the family which in the end, nearly cost them their business. Cheap imitation products began to appear on the market that the company simply could not stop.

The saving grace for the Gucci family at that time was the perfumes division which proved to sell nearly as much, and then more, than the actual clothing line. The Gucci company was saved by their perfumes and accessories line from bankruptcy.

Today, the house of Gucci is owned by a French company, but still carries designs made by the original Gucci family.The House of Gucci and the Gucci group is today owned by the French company known as Pinault-Printemps-Redoute, who have returned most of the original luster and glamour to the Gucci products and businesses.

Gucci is once more a fashion house of high reputation and is once more on top of their game. Controls put into place by the new owners have made the house of Gucci what it once was, and in fact, something more.

According to BusinessWeek, the House of Gucci made more than 2 billion euros in 2008and in 2009 climbed to an unprecedented 41st slot on the Business week top 100 Global Brands list.

The House of Gucci today enjoys a reputation as one of the hottest brands of clothing world wide. It is the largest selling Italian clothing and accessories maker in the entire world these days and the hot new items that come out with each new season tell us that it's going to be staying there.

Gucci has also entered into an agreement with Unicef, and a portion of the money made from Gucci clothing and accessories goes to Unicef Childrens services.

The Job Of A Fashion Designer

A fashion designer is by definition a person who designs clothes. He or she follows the fashion trend and after creating a collection they organize fashion shows were they present it to the wide public. Most people think that fashion designing ends when the fashion weeks are over. This however cannot be further from the truth. Each clothing item that we wear is the creation of a fashion designer.

Fashion is known to be constantly changing and the fashion trends come and go. So, one of the tasks of a fashion designer is to do extensive research in this particular area. In order to become a designer one has to attend a specialized school or at least follow a fashion designer course. Some people however only need to start as apprentices near an important designer in order to learn all they need.

After graduation, the fresh fashion designer has to work hard in order to become recognized. But until becoming renowned there are some steps that they have to go through. On the other hand, there are some fashion houses that have as main target the large public and thus the creations have to be of mass production. Working in such a place can offer any designer the chance of learning and evolving.

But not even these jobs are easy to find. You first have to send numerous portfolios of the clothes you have designed while you were in school and in private. At the beginning such a job is low paid and the working hours are long and exhausting. On the other hand, when you feel that you have gained some experience you can start your own boutique. But there is one thing that you should be aware of: a business needs a lot of work also. So, besides designer skills you will have to have business skills also.

The fashion shows and the fashion weeks all seem glamorous and exciting. But working in this domain requires a lot of hard work in order to become noticed. It is not easy to become a fashion designer but if you believe in what you are doing and you are dedicated, surely you will find success.

Plus Sized Clothing - Fashion Business Vs Fashion Fantasy

The Plus Sized clothing market is a booming industry. And there is finally some evidence that the Fashion Industry is finally embracing this growing market rather hiding it at the back of the store.

Mintel, a leading market research company, has recently released a study highlighting the importance of this segment. According to Mintel:

• Nearly 25% of UK women now wear a size 18 plus
• Over 33% of UK men are squeezing into XL or larger.
• The women's plus-sized clothing market has grown 45% over the past five years, compared to a 15% increase for total womenswear.

But, while the plus size is a tremendous opportunity, it also presents retailers with a conundrum; how to promote plus sizes next to regular sizes.

• Over 50% of women who are size 18 find that not enough shops offer a range of choices to cater for different sizes.
• More than 40% of women wearing size 18 and over believe that plus-size clothes tend to be less fashionable than smaller sizes.

For example, we've seen Macy's open and close Plus Sized boutiques, as it struggles to find the right tone to appeal to the plus sized woman (without making here feel uncomfortable) while not damaging the brand's fashion forward image.But there seems to be hope. The popularity of certain models/body types is the best leading indicator of fashion direction (remember Twiggy and Kate Moss). And, the latest news from the runway suggests that the designer attitudes are finally getting their head's around the idea of a fashionable plus sized woman.

• The emergence of Super Plus Models (e.g., Ashley Graham).
• For the first time, NY's Fashion Week will have a Plus Sized runway show.

This suggests that over the next few years we'll finally see Plus Sized womenswear emerging from the racks at the back of the store. You can expect to see greater integration of Plus Sizes and regular sizing, as well as the emergence of more Plus Sized designer boutiques. This also suggests that ad agency's will soon start putting more Plus Sized models in ads for unrelated products and services; as the stigma attached to a larger body size diminishes.

In-Depth Research, www.in-depthresearch.com, is a full service market research firm providing strategic research services to global market leaders in many industries.

Unconditional Success In The Fashion Business

From summer to Winter Collection, Unconditional is a brand that meets the highest standard of both fashionable and comfortable aspects of a clothing line. Whether you are aiming for a casual or elegant style you need not to look farther because this brand carries it all.

The History and Success

At its launch in 2003 for men's apparel, Unconditional clothing immediately made a reputation in the great city of London. Men who wish to wear hip and trendy clothing opt for their design because of the brand's innovative style. From its launch up to date, Unconditional has made its way into the heart of fashion enthusiasts and is even featured in the New York Fashion Week, which by the way ends up with more positive reviews from New York fashion industry.

Today even Hollywood celebrities' support its name and it has easily became one of London's top notch designer labels.

Unconditional Clothing Style

As a designer tends to create more fashionable trends, there will always be one carrier style that would outstand them all, and for unconditional clothing, it is their varying neckline. Most designers opt for traditional and simple neckline, Unconditional's varying, and innovative neckline made huge statement and easily made them one of the most sought after designer brand.

The designer Philip Stephens made sure that each of his collection is hugely different from one another but all share the same innovative concept..

What made this Unconditional Clothing collection the Best?

Aside from its very unique designs, Unconditional clothing also features comfort, trend, and has combined both American and British style all in one tasteful concept. Their collection made a huge impact on its launch on the New York's Fashion Week.

High end clothing are made from high grade materials and so they both promote comfort and style. These are rarely found on one clothing line but are made possible by Unconditional clothing.

Best Seller Products

One significant style is the basic T-shirt combined with a trendier overlay. One their outstanding combination is the Scoop neck combo Scarf T-shirt, a simple and casual top with elegant definition.

The Waxed cord Raglan Funnel Sweat is a perfect wear for cold fashionable night, the neckline made a huge effect on the entire style. It creates a clean look but with on the edge factor.

How to become a part of unconditional Success?

Unconditional Clothing is a successful clothing with its name known all over the world. Shopping may be quite difficult considering their shops' location, but no need to worry for their online stores and carrier shops are widely marketed all over the internet. Website that carries Unconditional clothing line, you are guaranteed to get the updated collection of all its latest apparel. Getting inside London may be a bit tricky but getting into London's fashionable style is easy. With comfort as today's fashion trend, Unconditional clothing will surely make it big time!

Yet one must always be careful when buying online; be sure to check a sites legal claim and its numbers of years in service.

Hong Kong Fashion Week for Beginners

Hong Kong is a prosperous and exciting place. It is renowned for the amount of investment that it attracts and the business opportunities which it offers. This, combined with the fact that Hong Kong also has an established infrastructure and enjoys great weather for most of the year, makes it an ideal location for a fashion week.

The Hong Kong Fashion Week is now into its 18th edition, and with each year it grows in popularity and credibility. Each year thousands of people descend upon the island to revel in the cacophony of garments which are displayed so elegantly by hundreds of models. The show is now regarded as one of the leading fashion events in Asia and is an essential visit for anyone who wishes to make an impact on the fashion industry in this part of the world or who intends to obtain a supplier from this area.

Despite being held in Hong Kong, the Fashion week is an international affair with exhibitors from all over the world, making it a great opportunity for designers who wish to access the local market. Similarly it represents a good opportunity for retailers based in Hong Kong to access designs from around the world. With the exhibition taking place in the summer it is natural that the show is concerned primarily with spring and summer collections, with around 1,100 exhibitors displaying their offerings over the course of the week.

Whilst there is a distinct professional feel to the fashion week, the show is also open to the general public. The majority of the visitors at the show will consist of buyers from a whole range of department stores and commercial outlets, but there is still plenty to keep the average member of the public entertained.

The items on display at the fashion week cover the whole range of categories, including smart evening wear, casual wear, sports clothing and accessories. These items can be viewed either by attending the number of catwalk shows and parades or by strolling around the large exhibition area.

The fashion week is held at the Honk Kong conference and exhibition centre which transforms its 5 floors during the event in order to become a huge fashion paradise where visitors can meet with buyers, create good links within the industry and find some unique items of clothing to add to their wardrobe.

The city as a location is also a wonderful place to visit and with some outstanding restaurants and views, do you really need an excuse to visit Hong Kong Fashion Week as part of your work?

Secrets Of Turning A Small Business Into A Business Empire!

Every year thousands of small businesses are started, but a majority of them fail within a span of one year due to various factors like competition, lack of profit, limited sales or lack of growth.

A major reason for failure of most businesses is that, most of them start the same type of business that thousands of others have already established. There are people who start a business by establishing a road side stall, but even after generations, it still remains a road side stall. On the other hand there are people who start a roadside stall and turn it into a billion dollar empire. The secret behind such success stories lies in offering something really unique and innovative to the customers that their competitors fail to provide.

There are millions of small businesses, but only a few are converted into a billion dollar empire.

Some people start a small business with the aim of merely earning hand to mouth because they don't have the urge to think beyond a limit, while there are a few others who start off a small business by merging an innovative business idea with their capital. The ones, who start their business with an attitude of a millionaire, can grow their business into an empire and leave everyone else behind. Say, a person wants to establish a global fashion business; he will have to provide different types of exclusive styles at economical rates. He may push his brand with some innovative and unique ideas. Once, the brand starts to get noticed and its popularity gradually increases, he can provide franchise of the brand or he can set up his own stores. With increase in popularity, there will obviously be an increase in the profit, thereby the turn over because more number of people will start buying the branded product. So, the secret behind the success of a business lies in attracting more and more customers with the uniqueness and exclusivity of the product so that it may help the business to grow into a global success.

SECRET BEHIND THE SUCCESS OF SMALL BUSINESSES

The pages of history are filled with the examples of people who started their business with a limited amount of capital but transformed it into a billion dollar industry. Let us consider McDonald's for example. When it was started, there were thousand of such businesses but, why did only McDonald taste success. Today, it is a multi- national business empire with over 25000 franchises world wide. All restaurants have great recipes and appetizing food, but most of them do not achieve great success. They either limit themselves to a city or are satisfied with a few stores. The recipe for success that McDonald's used is in applying certain unique and extraordinary ideas. Apart from delicious recipes and speedy delivery services, it also concentrated on attracting children and made provisions for playgrounds, toys and games at every McDonald restaurant making it an enjoyable experience for the kids. Also, they created many advertising campaigns that showed thinner, leaner people getting healthier after having their food. Such ideas clicked with the audience, thus making it a global success. They also introduced the concept of happy meals by providing free toys and gifts, so that children may enjoy.

When Larry Page, along with his partner, finished his education, thousands of IT professionals and many billion dollars IT companies were in existence in the same field. So, why couldn't they recognize the opportunity that these young students recognized? Larry Page, along with his partner, found much more innovative and better methods for ranking web pages that helped create an excellent search engine. Today, Google, the search engine that they created, is the # 1 search engine which earns revenues of billions of dollars. They wiped out all the competition and even left behind Yahoo! that had established its monopoly as the king before Google made its presence felt online.

CONCENTRATE ON INTRODUCING SOMETHING USEFUL AND NEW:

The difference is not in the investments made for starting a new business; rather it is the introduction of innovative and unique ideas that may provide better benefits to the customers as compared to the benefits of the products or ideas offered in the past. Why do people spend their hard earned money to purchase a certain product? Nobody would spend a single penny on your idea or product if they are not going to get their money's worth.

If you concentrate on finding and developing new ideas or on improving the already existing products or the services, rather than planning to arrange capital or on increasing profits, then you have definitely taken the first step towards success.

When Amancio Ortega started designing his own line of fashion fabrics in his living room, there were thousands of fashion designers then who had already established their cloth stores in the market. But Amancio Ortega, managed to turn his business into a billion dollar empire. He started off by working as a delivery boy in a certain shirt shop where he observed and discovered the ideas on which a business is grown. He could have forfeited or given up, succumbing to the fear of investing millions of dollars to start his own fashion designing business. But he preferred to concentrate and invest his energy on the creation of exclusive and unique designs that he could sell to the customers at affordable and economical rates. He introduced an innovative concept of instant fashion where, instead of introducing new collections only twice a year as per the industry standards, he started introducing new collections in just two weeks. This just goes to show that, by concentrating on developing innovative ideas, you may attract the buyers which will in turn, help your business grow. You can start by making a list of additional benefits that you can provide to a customer with respect to quality, speed, economy or other features pertaining to the product or the service.

EVERY BUSINESS HAS POSSIBILITIES FOR GROWTH:

It is easy to start a business just like millions of others, but in order to see it expand and grow globally; you are required to develop the habit of constantly coming up with innovative ideas. Whatever product or service you provide to the customers, make sure that you provide an extra benefit or value to your customer. Failing to do so will result in someone else coming up with a new idea and earn the advantage. This is the same innovative idea that helped McDonald grow and become popular, ultimately giving their business the extra push.

Supposing, you own a restaurant and it is not running as you expect it to, what will you do? You might blame the location of the restaurant or the people who prefer visiting only the famous restaurants. But, what about those few people who visit your restaurant and have the potential to bring you thousands of customers more. Here you are only thinking about your limited customers, instead of improving the standard of the services. Why do people go to restaurants? You would say to have delicious food. You are not wrong in thinking this way but you need to realize that this is not the only reason people visit a restaurant. One good idea to understand what a customer wants would be to visit the famous restaurants and observe the services they provide. Make a list of all of their plus points that they have that your restaurant lacks. Their success secrets could lie in their offering of tasty foods, better services, different kinds of varieties, efficient waiters, music systems, comfortable sitting arrangements, quick serving timings, entertainment facilities for children, hygienic conditions etc. People's tastes have changed for almost about everything. Today people want to enjoy their evening and along with quality food they also expect great entertainment. In the past, furniture was used just for the purpose of seating guests, but today, people want more. They want comfort, style and uniqueness along with the function. Similarly, clothes are basically made to cover one's body, but with the addition of the concept of fashion, people look for exclusivity and latest styles as well. So, if you can provide something extra and unique that will prove to be a better experience for a customer, then they are bound to take note of your services, and in turn, you will never have a dearth of customers.

3 Things Fashion Designers Can Do TODAY to Get More Done and Feel Less Overwhelmed

It's funny. I didn't set out to help fashion designers and creative types with their time management. No way. But every time I did a seminar or worked with a new client, I asked them a simple question. "What's the biggest challenge you have in trying to grow your business?" 4 out of 5 people answered something like, "trying to get it all done," "not sure what to do first," "overwhelmed and need some direction," "time management in general."

It's not surprising. Time management is tough for creative types. You're starting a fashion business or want to launch a line - and it can be overwhelming.

Designing my line and running a retail store for 14 years definitely taught me a thing or two about how to get it all done. Throw in two little boys and, trust me, you gotta get some skills.

So anyway, I got so many requests for time management help that I started writing it all down. The result? In addition to typical fashion design business issues, I now have the bonus of helping people feel less stress, anxiety, and overwhelmed.

So here are 3 of my favorite strategies. They're things you can do - today, yes NOW, yes even YOU, the one with the ponytail, especially you - to GET YOUR ACT TOGETHER and get more done. So you don't end up like designer #2!

1. Make a list of the 2 - 3 things you absolutely must accomplish today. You can do this either the night before (my favorite) or first thing in the morning. Then make them a priority. This means working on these tasks without interruption. So if your phone rings or your email beeps while you're doing today's TOP 3, don't answer.

Turn off the ringer or beeper of all electronic devices for 1 - 2 hours at a time. I promise it will not kill you, even if you think it will. Think about past days when you're in a meeting all day or at a trade show and couldn't answer your beeping devices for hours at a time. Your business survived, right? I'm just asking for an hour or two at a time. This focus time will increase your productivity dramatically - I guarantee it. You can make an exception to this rule if you're waiting for something important (a big order that's truly time-sensitive, for instance). Just be sure it's really important and not just what I call "urgent for the sake of being urgent."

2. Don't check email first thing in the morning. Get something accomplished from your TOP 3 list - or everything - before you check email. This is very hard, I know. And the temptation to cheat is huge! But when you think of it like this, you may agree...

'Email is a nice, orderly list of other people's 'emergencies' and priorities. Not yours!"

It's easy (and habitual) to start the day by checking email because then we don't have to think. We let someone else decide what work to do by RE-acting to an email. But YOU are the boss of YOU, so don't let email "tell" you what to do with your time. Be PRO-active about your work and do what's important to you first.

Having your TOP 3 list takes the "thinking" and "deciding what to do today" away too. It's already on the paper, now just start the task.

3. Empty your entire email Inbox. Say what??? Who's got time for that? Well, I can give you a way to do it that only takes about 30 minutes and will keep your email Inbox nice and clean and shiny and easy to read. And it will stay that way. I got so sick of having 65 new emails every day (what a time suck) that I had to take action.
Here's what I did:

I put my spam control on the highest setting. I hadn't done it before because I was afraid I'd miss something important. Heh.

I decided what email lists I wanted to be taken off. This was hard, but I was tough (it's like cleaning out your closet - you have to be brutally honest, not emotional about it). For instance, Daily Candy. I like Daily Candy but why does it have to be every day??? Man, that's just excessive. I unsubscribed but know I can go to their website any time I want to see what's new. There were also a lot of e-zines that I enjoyed but clogged up my Inbox. I switched them to an old email address that I check about once a week. This way, when I get some time I can read them. And if I don't have time, they won't distract me from my "real" work.

For the rest of the emails left in my Inbox, I had to decide if keeping them would help move me considerably closer to the goals I have for my business. If they met this criteria, I gave them a "label" of KEEP. If not, I deleted them. Again, this was hard but it felt soooooooo great after I did it. Clearing the clutter is oddly liberating.

I then moved all the KEEP emails out of my Inbox into a KEEP file. Voila! Empty Inbox. It only took me about 3 days to clear out everything from the KEEP file and my Inbox has stayed clean. I LOVE IT. And I don't get that sinking feeling I used to get when I check email. I no longer have all those emails in there screeching "HELP, read me!" Then I'd feel guilty because I didn't read them. I'm not kidding.

© 2010 Jane Hamill, Fashion Brain Academy

The History of Fashion Week

Fashion, the world without it would be so bland, so dull, so colorless. Fashion is defined by many to be the trend or just anything stylish. It is the hip looks youngsters wear. Well, it may be all of that, but now it has emerged as a multi-million dollar industry. The fashion industry comprises of designers, models, photographers, magazines, makeup artists, event planners, and what not.

Fashion has captivated modern society in a stance. Everyone wants to know the latest trend and own the most fashionable item. They do so mostly by firstly following fashion and keeping themselves up to date about the latest style, and then avidly adopting the trend. Some of the methods to keep up to date with fashion is to watch celebrities and other fashion icons, go through the fashion magazines and keep track of the latest collections by designers. But by far the quickest way to see the new trend coming is by attending fashion shows.

A fashion show is an event where models display a designer's latest collection on the ramp. A fashion week is nonstop extravaganza for a whole week cramp packed with the latest fashion collections by multiple designers. It is most awaited event in the fashion world. Now, the fashion capitals of each country hold their own fashion weeks. The most popular, more commonly known as "the Big Four", fashion weeks are held in Paris, Milan, London and New York twice a year.

So, we wonder, from where does this fashionable affair start? Like all other inventions, in this case too, the mother happens to be necessity. As war waged across Europe, and stopped many aspects of life, it also hindered fashion. It dates back to 1943 when the World War 2 was at its fullest atrocity. Fashion gurus from around the world were unable to come to France to see and appreciate Paris's latest designs. This was thought as an opportunity for designers elsewhere to showcase their collections. Thus, the first fashion week was arranged in New York by Eleanor Lamber. It was called the Press Week and after it there was no looking back.

This idea became very popular and since then fashion weeks are becoming the most awaited event of the fashionista world. Designers from clothes, to accessories, to shoes say that events such as the fashion week, not only give boost to their business but also provide an opportunity for displaying their aesthetic obsessions on the ramp.  

Media And Fashion

The fashion industry seems to get more media coverage than it has ever had before. It is clear that fashion and the media have become two related subjects. However, the Internet also seems to be a place where fashion can expand as much as it wants.

From the simple articles about fashion that we can find in most online magazines, to fashion blogs, fashion pictures, fashion forums and also fashion online shops. Everything there is to know about fashion can be found on the Internet. If you are interested in learning some more details about the history of this ever-growing industry all you have to do is to do some research. Also if you want to enlarge your wardrobe and you don't seem to have the time to do it, you are a click away from designer websites and fashionable online shops that offer you everything that you might need or desire.

One of the most appreciated media/fashion phenomenon going on in our days seems to be the fashion blogs. Such blogs are usually created by teenage girls that despite the young age have a very strong fashion style. The media coverage that fashion seems to be getting in our days can also be attributed to their daily posts and comments. However, fashion hasn't moved in the online environment completely as we still have great fashion magazines that are a pleasure to look at and read.

Fashion shows and fashion weeks are still the number one attraction for every fashionista that respects herself. The Paris Fashion Week or the New York Fashion Week seems to be the highlight on the fashion season. The TV fashion shows also play a big part in the media/fashion phenomenon. This is because, before the Internet, TV is one of the most appreciated means of communication that can reach a great number of people in a very short period of time.

Even in the social economical context that we live in today fashion is still a prospering business and it seems that it doesn't depend on anything. Fashion is however, relative and it depends mostly on your tastes and personal style. So try to be creative and only choose to wear what you know looks good on you!

The Role of Fashion Publicists at Fashion Shows

Interested in getting involved in the business of fashion week but not sure what fashion show jobs are out there? A great job for the fashionably business-minded individual is fashion publicity. Ensure that you are the best candidate for the job by learning the industry through a fashion design school or online fashion school. Now, you are on your way to breaking into the fashion industry!

The role of a fashion publicist can change depending on the house or agency you work for, but will basically be in charge of all operations regarding name, the brand, press, image, magazine credits, you name it! It's a publicist's job to ensure the company's image is presented in the best light possible. A fashion publicist's day is focused on gaining exposure for the line, whether communicating with editors and seeing what styles they need for upcoming shoots, talking to celebrities' stylists and coordinating which looks would be great for their clients, plus, set up photo shoots and interviews.

During an important event such as New York's Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, a fashion publicist helps to handle almost all of the details of the fashion show such as the invites, seating chart (that's a big one that a publicist must accomplish, and accomplish correctly!) making sure the celebrities coming have everything they need, and set up backstage interviews. The fashion house will still oversee everything, but fashion publicists make sure it goes exactly to their liking.

Just as with any profession there are ups and downs to a fashion PR job. The down side is that entry level positions receive little to no pay. Plus, it is also important to keep in mind that this is not a 9-5 job. There are extremely long hours and no one cares if you were up at 5 a.m. and it's midnight. But there are plenty of benefits to this fashionable job that make it all worthwhile! Such as, you get to sport the designs from the house you represent, your job is 100% business and 100% creative and you are 'forced' to go to cocktail parties and mingle with extremely interesting people! Keep in mind that this is not a job for the weak, but can be the most rewarding profession you will ever have!

In conclusion, if you are a business-minded individual but cannot imagine yourself not being a part of the fashion world, then fashion PR is right for you!

G'day USA - Australia Week - 10 Years of Celebrating Australia in the USA

January 2013 marks the tenth year of the biggest annual promotion of Australian excellence in the United States of America - G'day USA.

G'day USA is a celebration of Australian capabilities across a range of sectors including finance & business, technology, retail, arts & entertainment, tourism and leading edge research.

Over the course of about 2 weeks, Americans have a chance to stimulate their five senses, their brains, their hearts and hopefully their wallets at many of the 20+ events in 7 cities across the USA.

Over the last decade, G'day has grown from its original, and far more modest, G'day LA 10-day program to the much larger multi-citied G'day USA event you see now.

As is often the case with high growth, high profile activities, there are lots of people who celebrate the success, join in and help build for even greater success.

Sadly as with most successful ventures, there are also some negative voices in the mix. G'day USA is no different. There are people who have always sought to dismiss, discredit or disbelieve.

Often the detractors point to the Gala Dinner held in Los Angeles as "proof" that G'day USA is just a party organised by Aussies in Hollywood for Aussies in Hollywood.

But to describe all of G'day USA's achievements by one Gala Dinner is as short-sighted and limited as defining Italy by "pasta" alone.

The program celebrates so much more about Australia than just our entertainment and sports greats. It recognises and promotes Australian entrepreneurs in technology, researchers in life-sciences, thought-leaders in political and economic thinking, as well as captains of industry, fashion designers, manufacturers and of course our enviable tourism and life-style appeals.

Yes, the LA Gala Dinner is a highlight event. And yes, it is indeed a celebration of Australian excellence in the fields of entertainment, held, one might argue quite logically, in one of the world's most significant film, television and music hubs.

But despite this, the LA Gala has been, and remains, both a blessing and a curse to G'day USA.

Before I explain, it's worth declaring a strong and personal belief in the program! I am one of the four original founders and was running Austrade's operations in LA at the time, along with John Olsen (Consul General, DFAT), Wally Mariani (Snr Exec VP Qantas, Americas) and Michael Londregan (VP Tourism Australia, Americas).

So clearly I will have a more positive frame of mind to start with than most.

But I hope by explaining some of the thinking behind the program, which includes the LA Gala Dinner, that people may better understand the broader economic, cultural and commercial value G'day USA has played over the past decade.

You see this all started from the notion that Los Angelenos knew so little about us, other than perhaps Paul Hogan as Crocodile Dundee, that we had to find a way to engage their attention and add some diversity to the image.

So we tried to think up ways we could get the local's attention and broaden their understanding of what Australia had to offer. The original Business Plan had only a few key objectives;

• Focus on promoting Australia as a great place not only to visit, but also in which to invest, buy from or to study
• Focus on 2 - 3 sectors relevant to the LA market
• Help NSW companies get commercial deals and connections
• Get positive, local media

We specifically identified the need to run a program for 2 - 3 years to avoid the "big bang, big fizzle" syndrome, but I can attest to the fact that we all thought that if G'day made it into its third year it would be an amazing achievement.

You see the US market is one of the largest, wealthiest and toughest consumer and media markets in the world.

Every nation around the globe and hundreds of thousands of businesses are competing to get the US consumer's attention and a share of their wallet. The "noise" in the marketplace is therefore deafening. Finding a way to cut-through that noise is a formidable marketing challenge for anyone, surviving is another.

Assuming you have 30 seconds to get someone's attention, you need to appeal to something they are interested in and/or are familiar with - in LA that means you start with the entertainment industry and celebrities. It's not rocket science.

To illustrate, try getting a radio or paper to promote an Australian supermarket showcase in Bristol Farms for no other reason that it is G'day USA - Australia Week.

But let them know Keith Urban and Nicole Kidman are in LA supporting something called G'day USA and it's a different story. You are more likely to get - "Keith Urban is in LA this week to receive an Australian award for Excellence in Music as part of the annual Aussie G'day USA program - a 10 day celebration of all things Aussie, including this year a showcase of Australian foods and wines at all Bristol Farms supermarkets in LA. "

Which brings us to the dual blessing and curse that is the LA Gala Dinner.

It's a curse because it's an easy, highly visible target for nay-sayers quick to point out its nothing but a celebrity fest, with half the ball-room filled with Australians.

Like many quick-to-judge reactions, this shows poor consideration. If one goes no further than just to point out that based on the above criticism, at least half the room is made up of Americans, including many of the major studio houses who bring productions to Australia like Wolverine, then you can start to see that perhaps there is more to the Gala and indeed, G'day USA than first meets the eye.

If you go back to the Keith Urban example, you don't have to be a marketing guru to see the stronger appeal of promotion by association. And I'm not ashamed to say we used that principal mercilessly, especially in the first few years.

We used celebrities involved in the Gala - both US and Australian - to attract large commercial sponsors, to drive extensive media coverage, to cross-promote the other more commercial activities occurring during the program and to attract US visitors to those associated events.

And it worked.

In 2005, Australian companies working with us in Austrade LA reported over $A5 million in sales as a result of the various food, wine, fashion, music or art showcase events we held during G'day LA or as a result of the connections they made at highlight networking events like the Gala Dinner.

In 2008 Austrade NY reported that just within the fashion events alone about $A6 million had been reported over the past 3 years with designers making sales to high fashion departments and speciality stores such as Barneys, Saks 5th Avenue, Neiman Marcus, Henri Bendel and Bloomingdales.

I understand the practice of tracking commercial returns stopped somewhere along the lines, but I know the last reported figure was over $22 million.

By then I guess the model had proven itself. Not to mention the fact that Australian exporters and commercial sponsors clearly wanted the program to expand to new locations and feature new industry sectors in order to provide even greater reach into the US market.

In each new city the program was adjusted to match the local conditions; technology and research in San Francisco, finance and fashion in New York, oil and gas in Huston etc.

The approach of using 'celebrities' continued in those markets too - just the nature of celebrity changed. Celebrities became more sector-specific personalities. And in many instances we moved even away from Australians telling Americans how great we are to American icons telling Americans how much Australia has to offer!

For example, in New York we worked with Ford Model Agency to promote Australian Fashion, more recently in San Francisco, the Innovation evening featured Lars Rasmussen of Googlemaps and Facebook fame as an advocate for the creative, technological capabilities of Australia.

Wolfgang Puck, a hugely popular (albeit Austrian) US-based chef and restaurateur, has previously helped promote Australian food and who can forget Oprah Winfrey and her Ultimate Australian Adventure that effectively promoted our tourism sector to millions and millions of viewers around the globe, and aired at the same time as G'day USA.

Using celebrities in the US market is a proven marketing tactic. But of course, it has to be followed-up with substance. By reaching its tenth birthday this year and delivering millions in additional sales to Australian companies over the years, G'day USA has surely proven itself?

G'day USA may not last another 10 years, or even another 3, as all good things come to an end.

But no matter when the end comes, I will always be extremely honoured to have played a part in the creation of such a strong celebration of Australian excellence. And I take my hat of the many Australians and Americans, such as Barbra Held, Event Director for G'day since its second year, who helped the program grow and maintain momentum in a market as tough and unforgiving as the USA.

It therefore also goes without saying that I'm also proud of the LA Gala Dinner, its celebrity appeal and the media, sponsorship and commercial contacts it attracts for the broader program. To me it has always been a blessing

Happy Birthday G'day USA!