October 2022 - Page 3 of 12

The Twelve Most Useful Second Languages For English Speakers

When the world talks about science, culture, economy or politics, it speaks English. English speakers don’t really need a second language at all. So, what’s the use of a second language when the first one is enough? English speakers can look for the luxury items: cultural and linguistic enrichment. In this article, I will evaluate the world’s major languages for their usefulness to English speakers, according to three different criteria:

Demographics: Opportunity to use the language actively: the number of native and second language speakers, and the chances of communicating with them in this language: use as a lingua franca. It’s not simply a matter of numbers. Mandarin is by far the most spoken language but it is concentrated in one country, China, and that reduces the impact. In the case of Hindi, educated speakers will very likely also speak English, so the opportunity to speak to people in Hindi is greatly reduced.
Personal Impact: This subjective criterion looks at the impact on the learner. How does this language study increase the learner’s own sophistication regarding languages, whether English or another, third language? How does this language make the learner a more culturally literate person?
Business factors: How will this language open new business and commercial opportunities?

Criterion I. Demographics: I begin with demographics because this is the criterion that first comes to mind in such a discussion. However, this factor only weighs 40 percent in the ratings, and certain entries here, such as Italian, Swahili and Turkish, will only become understandable when one sees the tables that follow.

Spanish: Approx. 350 million native speakers, with many second language speakers in the Americas, North Africa and elsewhere. It is the official language of about 20 countries. (6 points). It is an important lingua franca in the Western Hemisphere and the Mediterranean, (3 points). (Total: 9 points).
French: Despite a relatively small native language base of 130 million, French has a major presence internationally, with a large second language population all over the world and official language status in over 25 countries. It is the working language of many international organizations (4 points). It is also the most recognized lingua franca, after English. (4 points). (Total: 8 points).
Arabic: Arabic speakers are hard to quantify. Modern Standard Arabic is a second dialect for 250 million people worldwide, but it is quite difference from the spoken Arabic in each of the 20 countries where it is official. It is an official language of the United Nations and of many international organizations. It is also the language of Islam. (4.5 points). Arabic is a major lingua franca. (2 points). (Total: 6.5 points).
Russian: Estimates are as high as 185 million for the native speaking population, and it is the second language in all the nations of the former Soviet Union (3 points). Russia spent much of the Twentieth Century securing the position of its language as the lingua franca in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, and it continues to serve in that capacity, in a greatly diminished way. (2 points). (Total: 5 points).
Mandarin: It’s the native language of 875 million people, however, they are concentrated in one country, China. It is a second language for the rest of China, Taiwan, and for Chinese community world-wide. It has little currency beyond its ethnic boundaries and serves as lingua franca only in this context. (Total: 3 points).
German: It has approx. 120 million native speakers and many second language speakers throughout Europe. (2 points). It has had moderate success re-establishing itself as the lingua franca of Central Europe, after the disastrous history of the past century, however, this role has been taken up in the meantime by Russian and English (1 point). (Total: 3 points).
Hindustani: It includes Urdu at one end and Hindi at the other, with approx. 185 million native speakers in India, and 50 million in Pakistan. It is a second language for another 180 million people in these country. It has not had success as a lingua franca outside of this context, as that purpose is served by English. It has also been burdened by the reluctance of the Dravidian speaking people of South India to adopt it. (Total: 2.5 points).
Swahili: It is spoken natively by 5 million people and by another 50 million as a second language along the East African coast. It’s the official language of Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania (1 point). Swahili is the accepted lingua franca in that area, having achieved nearly neutral “tribal” status on a continent where language is politics, but for dealings with the world beyond, it is normally eclipsed by Arabic, English and French (1.5 points). (Total: 2.5 points).
Portuguese: Spoken by approx. 190 million people, it is the official language of Portugal, Brazil, Mozambique, Angola and other states. It has not as yet been able to establish itself as a widely used lingua franca. (Total: 2 points).
Turkish: It is spoken by 70 million people in Turkey and Cyprus (1 point). It provides an alternative lingua franca throughout the Turkic speaking lands of Central Asia, replacing the more alien Russian (1 point). (Total: 2 points).
Japanese: It is spoken by 125 million people in Japan, but has little currency as a second language or a lingua franca. (Total: 1 point).
Italian: It is spoken by 60 million people in Italy, it is also the official language of the Vatican. It has little or no significance as a second language or a lingua franca. (1 point).

Criterion II: Personal Impact: This is the major consideration for the English speaker. It weighs 40 percent in my ratings. How will the learning of this language help one’s understanding of English? How will knowledge of this language open up a portal to other related languages? For the first question, Latin languages hold a distinct advantage, since the prestige, erudite forms of English are all constructed out of a Latin vocabulary. The second question favors languages which are seen as leading languages in particular linguistic families, wherever they may be located in the world.

French: It holds a particular position among Latin languages, in that it has been the major conduit of Latin vocabulary into English for the past one thousand years. Fully 30 percent of English words come from French, (6 points). In cultural terms, the centrality of France to European civilization cannot be overestimated, adding 6 more points. (Total: 12 points)
Spanish: This Latin language has enormous influence on the English of the Americas. It has, in turn, been influenced by Arabic and the indigenous languages of pre-Columbian America, giving insight into those languages. (4 points). Spanish culture continues to move into the forefront of Western civilization, ironically, often because of the patronage of its greatest rival, North American English (4 points). (Total: 8 points).
Italian: It is the direct descendant of Latin. Thus, a knowledge of Italian gives the learner an exceptionally clear idea of the classical language. By the same token, it is the central romance language, and the study of a second or third romance language is greatly facilitated when the first one learned is Italian. (4 points). Italian also opens up a store of cultural knowledge dating back two thousand years, and representing, with the Roman Empire, the Catholic tradition and the Italian Renaissance, some of the very highest achievements of European civilization. (4 points). (Total: 8 points).
German: The linguistic significance for English speakers is great. German provides a clear presentation of the Germanic roots of English, and of the syntactic and grammatical logic of the basic English language. As the major Germanic language it can also be considered a portal to other Germanic languages such as Dutch and Yiddish. (4 points). German culture is also greatly appreciated in Western culture, and its philosophers and artists are key figures. (2 points). (Total: 6 points).
Arabic: Although the immediate linguistic impact of the study of Arabic may be hard to discern for the English speaker, the benefits of Arabic in the study of other languages is high. Arabic has greatly influenced other languages of the Middle East and the Muslim world in religion, politics, and social life. Also, the study of the Arabic alphabet opens the way to many other languages, such as Persian, Urdu, Kurdish, etc. (3 points). Arabic culture has had major influence on western civilization but it remains largely unknown in the English speaking world. Knowledge of the language also leads to a greater understanding of Islam. (2 points). (Total: 5 points).
Hindustani: In its Hindi form, it is a window on the origins of the larger Indo-European language family with its Sanskrit vocabulary. As Urdu, it gives a significant introduction to many Persian and Arabic terms. Urdu also uses the Persian form of Arabic script, opening the way to wider studies. It is a starting point for the study of other languages of the subcontinent, an area rich in languages. (3 points). India’s rich culture has become more familiar in the English speaking world, in large part due to India’s ability to project its image through English. However, Hindustani language and Hindi culture are also spread through the Bollywood film industry. Pakistan has yet to make its presence felt, but the potential is there. (2 point). (Total: 5 points).
Russian: It has not had major influence in the west, given its geographical isolation. It is, however, the major Slavic language, and as such, opens the way to many other Eastern European languages. The Cyrillic alphabet, moreover, is a tremendous asset for reading many of those languages. (2 points). Russian high culture thrived under both tsarism and communism, and it has a significant place in European civilization. (2 points). (Total: 4 points).
Portuguese: As a Latin language, Portuguese has a built-in significance for English speakers, even without a direct relationship with English. (3 points). The cultural significance of Brazil, one of the largest nations of the Americas, is continually growing. (1 point). (Total: 4 points).
Mandarin: The official Chinese language has had very little influence on English. It has influenced other national languages of the areas, such as Korean and Japanese, and the other “dialects” of China. The Chinese written characters are the same for all of these dialects, and many of these characters are used in Japanese as well. (2 points). Chinese culture, with over two thousand years of history, is quite significant, if not directly applicable to English speaking civilization. (1.5 point). (Total: 3.5 points).
Swahili: As the only sub-Saharan language in the group, it serves to introduce the learner to one of the richest linguistic areas of the Earth. It is from the Bantu family of languages, but it incorporates many words from Arabic, Persian, English and French. (1.5 points). It is the language of trade along the East African coast, and as such, is richly descriptive of the culture there. The West African diaspora into the Americas is one of the great mass migrations of the past 500 years, but because of its tragic social dynamics, it has left many millions of people cut off from African culture. Swahili, although it is East African and not West African, can help to fill that gap. (1.5 points). (Total: 3 points).
Turkish: Though it has little direct relationship to English, it is the major language of a family of languages that extend eastward to the Chinese interior. It has been influenced by Persian, Kurdish and Arabic, and thus gives some introduction to those languages. (1.5 points). It also represents the culture of the Ottoman traditions, and of modern Turkey and Central Asian Turkistan. (1 point). (Total: 2.5 points).
Japanese: This language has had little impact on English and it provides little insight into other languages. It does, however, include many words from Chinese, and uses numerous Chinese characters. (0.5 points). This island nation has been one of the most successful exporters of culture of the Far East during the past century. (1.5 points). (Total: 2 points).

Criterion III. Economic Impact. Is this language useful in the world of commerce and business? Certainly English is by far the most useful language for business, but a knowledge of other key languages can be a distinct advantage. Twenty percent in the ratings:

French: has a long history as a language of commerce and trade. It is extremely important in the developing world, especially Africa. France itself is the world’s sixth largest economy. (4 points).
Spanish: the language of commerce and trade in Latin America. Spain is the world’s ninth largest economy and Mexico is its fourteenth largest. (4 points).
German: often used for business in Central Europe. Germany is the world’s third largest economy. (3 points).
Japanese: can be extremely helpful in dealing with Japanese business. Japan is the world’s second largest economy. (3 points).
Mandarin: China has recently become the world’s fourth largest economy, and it continues to grow. (3 points).
Russian: Used in a part of the world where English is not well-known. Russia is the eleventh largest economy and is moving up in the rankings. (2 points).
Portuguese: Brazil is the tenth largest economy, and continues to grow. (2 points).
Arabic: the language of commerce and trade for the Middle East and the Persian Gulf. (2 points).
Hindustani: is used in the world’s twelfth largest economy, however, English is often the language of business in this area. (2 points).
Italian: is the language of commerce in Italy, the world’s seventh largest economy. (1.5 points).
Swahili: is the language of business along the east coast of Africa. (1 point).
Turkish: is used in the world’s seventeenth largest economy, and to some extent in Central Asia. (1 point).

By these criteria we can come up with a ranking of the 12 most useful languages for an English speaker to learn:

French: 24 points
Spanish: 21 points
Arabic: 13.5 points
German: 12 points
Russian: 11 points
Italian: 10.5 points
Hindustani 9.5 points
Mandarin: 9.5 points
Portuguese: 8 points
Swahili: 6.5 points
Japanese: 5.5 points
Turkish: 5.5 points

Some readers may be familiar with George Weber’s well-known piece entitled, Top Languages, which first appeared in the journal Languages Today in 1997. His study rated languages according to their influence in world affairs and world culture. It is interesting, at this point to compare them. Here are Weber’s results:

English: 37 points
French: 23
Spanish: 20
Russian: 16
Arabic: 14
Chinese: 13
German: 12
Japanese: 10
Portuguese: 10
Hindi/Urdu: 9 pts.

The rankings are similar, with some major differences. My criteria are based on tangible and intangible benefits for the English speaker which are not heavily weighed in Weber’s paradigm. Thus, this subjective focus skewers my results in favor of European languages due to the cultural affinity of English for the languages of Western civilization.

Heritage Languages: The most striking example of a difference is my ranking of Italian as number 6, whereas it does not figure in Weber’s top ten. My justification for Italian is the phenomenon of the “heritage language”, i.e., a language that has usefulness in our understanding and appreciation of the past, rather than in the future. Italian is the vehicle for our understanding of ancient history, the development of Latin languages, Renaissance Art and classical music. It is also the ancestral language of over 100 million people strategically placed in both North and South America. For these reasons, it is the heritage language par excellence. Other languages that benefit from this heritage factor in my listings are German and Swahili.

Point values for English? French, with 24 points, is number one in my listing. Where does English stand in relation? If rating it for usefulness for speakers of other languages, I would give it 10 points in each category, for a total of 50 points. I think that the extraordinary position of English in today’s world is indisputable, and considering it to be twice as useful as its closest competition, French, is not a great stretch of the imagination.

The only English point assignment that may require explanation is ten points for linguistic value. The value of English in this area for world speakers is quite wide reaching and significant. English is the vehicle for the spread of the classical Latin vocabulary for abstract concepts, for the Greco-Roman terms for government, science, philosophy, etc. It absorbs world vocabulary without major spelling changes, effectively spreading new terminology from a variety of sources. As the official language of international organizations, it serves as a showplace for each nation and organization to present itself to the world. Like the other “empire” languages of Western Europe, French and Spanish, English is propagated by native speakers worldwide with no ethnic, social or political relationship to its motherland. But English goes one step further, English is capable of evolving and developing completely independently of its native speakers. Second language users of English drive the introduction of new words like “informatics” and “ufology” which gain currency first among these speakers. Foreign governments keep close control of their English language nomenclature, and make changes through the United Nations and non-government organizations. These changes are therefore immediate in English, with no consultation with native speakers necessary. While some European languages are still calling the capital of China “Peking”, English made the switch to “Beijing” during the late 1980s (for proof, look at contemporary reports regarding the Tian an Men Square events of June, 1989). Recently, the switch from Bombay to Mumbai has happened before most English speakers have even noticed.

Conclusion – The status of English in world affairs puts its native speakers in a unique position. We have the opportunity of living in a provincial English-only environment in which the world comes to us, or we can take advantage of this favored position to become acquainted with other cultures right within our own language. So, is any second language really useful for English speakers? No study can ever really measure the personal importance of second language learning. That is something we have to discover for ourselves. The fact is that every language is well worth the effort to learn, as every language is a complete way of describing the universe of human achievement, and thus it’s significance is as wide and as deep as we personally make it.

Note on Statistics: The statistics that I have used (population, economic ranking, etc.) come from diverse sources: world almanacs, encyclopedias, US government studies. I make no claims about their accuracy, as they are general estimates. Their importance is in relationship to each other.

Small Business Insurance Cost Guide: What You Need to Know About Insurance Coverage and Premiums

One of the biggest concerns many small businesses have is the cost of insurance. It is something you absolutely need, but how much of it can you really afford? As with any type of insurance, there are a number of factors that go into the evaluation of small business insurance cost. Approximately half of small businesses in the US pay around $400 – $600 annually for general liability insurance. However, you could still end up paying less or more a year, depending on the number of employees and the type of industry you’re involved in.

High-risk industries like construction are going to be stuck with higher premiums, while low-risk industries get the lower rates. There are usually ways to save – especially if you choose a good commercial insurance provider. Just use search tools on the internet to obtain quotes. Also, companies with a physical, brick-and-mortar store or facility open to the public are more at risk than professionals who work from a home office.

Businesses with physical locations open to the public are usually have to pay more money for insurance just in case someone is ever injured on the property. There are also things like theft, falling objects, vandalism, fire, and weather damage to worry about.

What Does Small Business Insurance Cost Include?

Even if you do operate from home, this doesn’t mean that you are completely invulnerable to lawsuits. There is always the possibility of being accused of things like plagiarism, copyright infringement, slander, and so forth. If you have any vehicle that is used for business, even if it’s your own, you’ll need insurance for that as well. Do you have employees that you send to perform errands? What if they become injured on the job? Or accidentally cause damage to a client’s equipment? Keep all of these factors in mind when evaluating small business insurance cost.

Some insurance companies for businesses and professionals simplify things by offering custom insurance plans for each industry. You can choose a policy that is already tailored for a small business in your industry, with the exact kind of coverage you need.

There are pro-active things you can do to help reduce the cost of small business insurance:

• Invest in security products.

• Develop a safety training program for employees

• Compile a list of rules for posting on social media and make sure your employees understand the rules.

• Reduce potential hazards on property

• Create a checklist for procedures relevant to your industry and company.

Where should you begin your search for small business insurance cost? Definitely start with Hiscox Business Insurance. There are custom plans in every type of industry possible. It’s easy to find the ideal solution and save money with this organization.

How to Start an Oil Extraction Factory for Edible Oil

The concept of extracting edible oil from seeds such as olives, soya beans and groundnuts is on the rise globally. For instance, in the United States of America alone, there is an annual production averaging more than 16 billion pounds. This huge production can be attributed to the increasing demand for edible oils. As the living standards or people continue to improve, so does the consumption of edible oils. It is used for various purposes such as cooking. Therefore, the extraction of edible oil is a profitable venture that in most cases rewards manufacturers with profitable returns. Although it is not difficult to start an oil extraction factory, the below steps will help to simplify the process further. They are the primary steps that have to be followed for one to start a successful oil extraction factory.

The first step to starting any successful business venture lies in the ability to have enough knowledge about the business. Thus, the first step would be to know more about the edible oil industry, its trends, and the factors influencing it. The edible oil industry information or data can be sourced from the internet, government agencies or from the already established edible oil manufacturing industries. An investor can seek the opinion and view of an expert in the edible oil industry to get a more informed opinion about the market trends. Also, this will give you an opportunity to know more about the different firm in the market that you will come to compete with.

Second, create a business plan for the manufacturing venture. A business plan will act as the guide or central reference point for the business. The importance of planning is best captured in the popular cliché’ failing to plan is planning to fail’. Without a business plan, the oil extraction factory set up venture will fail. In fact, it might not even takeoff. When coming up with the business plan, it is advisable to engage the services of an expert in the field. He/she will help you to create a comprehensive business plan that covers all aspects of the manufacturing process. A business plan is basically a formal statement that highlights the goals of the business, and plans of achieving these goals. Also, the business plan will contain sections that cover the financial needs of starting the manufacturing plant. Without enough funds or capital, the business might stall on the way. Hence, a business plan will help you to know the cost of the venture (cost such as equipment costs, transport costs, capital for running the plant, and wage costs), and the subsequent sources of capital needed to start it. A business plan will clarify the target market for the product and how to gain a competitive edge or advantage in the market.

Third, figure out where you will get your raw materials. Raw materials are the backbone of the manufacturing plant. Without the raw materials, the plant will not. Also, during this step, it is vital to know the type of materials that will be used for the oil extraction since edible oil can be processed from many sources. Availability of the relevant raw materials is also a major factor. The raw materials should be adequate enough for the business to run. A small source will be depleted quickly. Since edible oil is extracted from arable grains, the investor can decide to plant his or her own raw materials or buy them from another party.

Location has a significant effect on the success of the manufacturing business. The plant should be located near the source of raw materials. This will help reduce the transportation costs incurred when moving the raw materials from the field to the factory.

Fifth, apply for the relevant licensees and certification from the state or federal authorities. This will make you to run a legal and licensed edible oil extraction business. You can be arrested and charged if you run a business without a license.

Lastly, get the funding of the project and subsequently purchase the plant equipment, hire employees, and advertise the business.

These steps if followed strictly will make the process of starting an oil extraction factory for edible oil easy and simple.

Asperger’s Syndrome at Work: Why Small Talk Matters

If you are like many people with Asperger’s Syndrome, you categorize small talk as a nonsensical NT (neurotypical) ritual where people waste time talking about stupid subjects that no one really cares about.

However, small talk is actually a critical workplace skill. It is the first step in establishing those all-important relationships with your colleagues. Most neurotypicals (who make up the majority of the workforce) place a high value on relationships. So much so that a good relationship with one’s supervisor and liking one’s co-workers are consistently rated as major factors for job satisfaction.

Sharing a few friendly comments with fellow employees you see in the lunch room or in the elevator sends the message that you consider yourself to be part of the group. Small talk with your work mates is the starting point for building camaraderie and trust.

You do not need to actually like someone in order act friendly with them at work. Sometimes small actions go a long way toward establishing yourself as likeable. For example:

-Greet co-workers you see or interact with in the morning by saying “Good morning” or asking “Hi, how are you?”

-Smile when you greet people or pass them in the hallway. If necessary, practice so that it becomes natural. A person who doesn’t smile is often perceived as angry or aloof.

-Join your colleagues for lunch on a regular basis.

How to Make Small Talk

Small talk is the discussion of general, neutral topics for short periods of time (usually no more than 5 minutes). Neutral topics are things like the weather, traffic, sports, a national news item, plans for the weekend, etc. Topics to avoid are those that polarize people (politics, religion, race), make them feel uncomfortable (sexual topics), or personal observations (weight, clothing, hair style, mannerisms). Negative comments about other employees or the company should also be avoided.

If you do not follow sports teams or popular programs on television, you can still find subjects for small talk. Many local news stations have Web sites that provide brief summaries of top stories. This is a quick way to stay informed about what is happening in your community.

The point of small talk is making connections with others. To do this, you must keep a discussion going for at least two or three turns. If you reply to a question or comment with a one-word answer or by saying “I don’t know,” it won’t go any farther.

Let’s say you are in the break room and someone asks whether you saw a particular program or sports event. You answer, “No.” Ooops! The conversation is over. Instead ask a question to express your interest in the other person, such as, “I haven’t seen that program, what is it about?” or “I don’t follow baseball. Do you play?”

Here is another example that illustrates how small talk can be the bridge for establishing good relationships with your co-workers. Someone asks, “Did you get caught in that traffic jam on Route 66?” Instead of saying “no,” you say, “No, I live in Smithtown so I don’t take the highway to get here.” The other person responds, “I used to drive through Smithtown when I worked at ACME Widgetworks.” You reply, “I worked at ACME six years ago in the R&D group.” Your new acquaintance says, “I was in R&D, too. We should get together for lunch this week.”

This kind of scenario is not uncommon and can be the start of productive, long-term business relationships. Even though it may feel uncomfortable for you at first, look at small talk as an important business skill to practice.

Making Money Online: Start Your Own Online Business

Internet provides you various opportunities along with the freedom of making money through the online business, and this opportunity of earning money is always attractive because of its appealing factors to the unemployed or freedom loving people. As a freedom loving person, if you want to start your own online business in your own way with dedication and hard work, then you are the right person to carry out this business.

How to start

Instead of doing painful jobs in offices, search in the internet about the procedures or tips to start any lawful online business, Google will provide you about 170 million results within a moment. Go through these guidelines, tips and try to find the hidden importance of every tip as these tips are written by the people who are experienced or experts in this online business line. Personal computers, an internet connection, hard work, and dedication to your business are the prime need to start the online business and to ensure a steady income.

Choose the right business

There are numerous options in the internet and among them; you have to choose the right online business option that suits you most. Choosing right business option depends on one’s taste, quality, interest, and ability. Several options are described here to give you a clear concept on these topics:

Writing

As a newcomer, if you have skills of writing articles, or if you are enthusiastic enough to write, then several writing options are there available in the internet that will ensure your steady income. As a writer you can write in magazines, blogs, and you can also publish your articles in the article directories.

Affiliate Marketing

If you possess enough on marketing section, then this affiliate marketing would be a better choice for making money online, and you have to sell others’ product through online by using your marketing knowledge. In return of this online marketing, you get the percentage from the products’ sell.

Selling on eBay

It is quite tough to sell on eBay as it is really very much competitive than other online business and tips or rules are appropriate for making money online through this business. Some basics will be helpful for you if you can use them properly those accurately.

Making money online isn’t so easy that you are thinking, but good knowledge about online business that you are going to do, will help you to go a long way and earn a lot of money.

6 Reasons To Start A Business During This Pandemic

You are not mistaken – I standby the title of my article. This is the best time to set up a business of your dreams or to expand your current business and yes, we are all still in Covid pandemic situation. So why all my positivity? Have I gone off-tangent with my thoughts?

I am an economist and business educator. For a long period of time, I have also been an active Singapore/Indonesia representative of the World Future Society. Thus scenario-planning is quite up my alley of expertise.

So here are my thoughts about why it is ripe to start a business now.

Reason 1: Globalisation

The spread of globalisation has not ceased. Rather, more people are jumping onto the bandwagon of seeking goods and services from different countries. There is an unquenchable desire to purchase the next “big thing” no matter the source of the new ideas

Reason 2: Rapid Spread of Information

As the world holds it breath for the technological march towards 5G, what has to be accepted is the speed of both information and misinformation. This means that with the right marketing strategy, you can propel corporate branding to a larger base of potential customers within a shorter time.

Reason 3: From social media to Mega Sticky Media (MSM)

I have created this acronym MSM because during the Covid period starting from 2020, there was the rise of Tiktok to become a free media platform to get business message across. It was like a combination of YouTube and Instagram but in hyper-speed of seconds. For the first time in history, marketing people are forced to distil the essence of a brand to suit a typical Tiktok attention-span. To many, this is impossible but to the youth-market this phenomenon is mere referred to as “Got to do it quickly!” GTDIQ -another one of my newly created acronyms.

Reason 4: Social Activism

For a business to embrace social change and be a good business citizen is not new. It also makes good business sense too. But the tsunami of social events that started from 2020 and how shareholders and customers will support a business that will take a stand – has officially taken root. Thus, if you start a new business, it is almost a truism that your brand has to encompass a certain level of being a change-agent for the betterment of society.

Reason 5: No Lack of Funding

Not only is there no lack of funding, but there is also now a new financial model Special Purpose Acquisition Company (SPAC) which allows start-ups to bypass the traditional Initial Public Offering (IPO) route. There is now a big demand for patents and new business models that help dig out a new niche.

Reason 6: Food Security and Sustainability Issues

With the acceptance that food security and environmental sustainability will constantly challenge the minds of many governmental decision-makers, there is opportunities galore for more research in this area. Thus, start-ups can develop their business plan and strategy along the lines of these issues.

With all these factors in mind, do consider starting a business today!

Entrepreneurship and Project Management – The Missing Link

There has been a great deal of emphasis on entrepreneurship and the need for more and more entrepreneurs in the region to help create jobs for the future of the region. There is also a lot of enthusiasm and encouragement for new entrepreneurs – but are we forgetting something? It is great to have the “spirit” but is spirit enough? Do our prospective entrepreneurs know how to take their dreams from the idea into effective operation? Is business planning over emphasized or is it enough? This article will offer an opinion and try to answer these questions and offer a suggestion on what is missing. It is the author’s opinion that Project Management is the missing link that could make the crucial difference between success, challenge, and even failure.

The Need for Entrepreneurs

Various sources and global studies show that small & medium organizations/enterprises (SMO/SME) have huge contributions to economies around the world in term of gross national product and employment. Studies in the Middle East show that SME contributions in our region are lower than developed countries. However, many in government and private sector leadership recognize the need to change this in order to deal with the tremendous challenge of the needs for job creation across the Arab World.

All of private or government initiatives share in playing a role to promote the “spirit of entrepreneurship,” but is spirit the only thing that we need? What is missing? Let us say someone quit his/her job to become an entrepreneur, then what?

There are too many challenges facing an entrepreneur today – some of it is legal structure and regulations. Other challenges are related to the fear of failure and the stigma associated with that. Even if we overcome the fear of failure we will encounter the challenge of availability of capital. With capital resolved or at least somewhat resolved, do we have the right infrastructure to help the entrepreneur launch the business? Do we have the necessary support? How about beyond the launch? The support that is available (business / cash / logistics / management / etc.) is available for someone following a dream, but only to realize that realizing the dream is much more challenging than expected. How do we help the entrepreneur or the small business owner sustain and grow?

Business Planning

Most, if not all, venture capital, foundation, and other sources for funds — in addition to business schools and MBA programs focus on a business plan as an essential deliverable / requirement to seek funds or start a business. Here we ask once again: Is the business plan enough? It is our view that a ‘traditional’ business plan is not enough. Quite a few business plans, that we call ‘traditional’, focus on the business aspects with a heavier focus on operation of the business. The question is: Do these traditional business plans provide a proper focus on the venture (most call a “project”) from idea to launch of the business?

The Missing Link

It is interesting to point out that many call a new venture a “project”, as we mentioned in the earlier section. We like the word “project,” but most definitions of the word “project” mean something that is temporary. So is the venture temporary? We hope not! So is the word ‘project’ the wrong one to use? Yes and No. The business is not a project; it is a business, a venture. So to be academic, the word “project” is not the proper one to use for the new business. Let us call it venture or business. Yet to launch the business is exactly what we call a project – the launch project is to take the venture from the idea to operations. Our objective here is not to get into an English lesson; rather we aim to define the proper use of words in order to have the proper context and fully understand the missing link. So what is this missing link? Well if launching the business is a project, then how do we manage it? Where is Project Management in managing the launch? The next section will provide a methodology to follow in launching the business.

A Proposed Sequence

Our proposed model will focus on the venture launch from idea to initial operation, using the missing link – Project Management. Future articles could focus on the use of Organizational Project Management to help build and sustain a small business and grow it.

The proposed model, which is derived from Customizable and Adaptable Methodology for Managing Projects™ it isa project life span model that divides the project life span into three distinct phases; which we explain here.

Business Concept

The business concept is a crucial phase of the project that spans a period from the idea for the venture until an initial decision to go ahead and encompass a feasibility study. The idea owner is likely to be the entrepreneur who has an idea for a business that could be a passion, an income opportunity, filling a need, fixing a problem, among other drivers for the business.

This is the time for dreaming, but one has to be careful that the dream is realistic and it is possible to achieve. It is highly risky for someone to launch a new venture without proper understanding of the challenges and opportunities, although one could argue in rare cases that spontaneous action could also result in good profit.

Therefore, the entrepreneur (small business owner to be) has to study the feasibility of his idea, and for this we think that existing business planning techniques are very important to use at this stage. However, in addition to the focus on the financials, competition, market demand, operation and other factors, the entrepreneur needs to also think about Project Management including proper Project Management planning. Proper Project

Management planning includes understanding of the stakeholders and their expectations and requirements, setting realistic time and cost targets, have a fair understanding of the project and venture risks (threats and opportunities), in addition to other factors.

Development of the Business Concept

The earlier phase emphasizes the feasibility study and the requirement for business planning. With the business basics in place, Project Management will become more important and the entrepreneur becomes a project manager.

So what do we do now? The project manager/entrepreneur needs to think and act per two aspects, two sides of the same coin. On one side he needs to think about the project from idea to initial operations, but he cannot ignore post project completion, which would be leading and sustaining the business (operations).

For the project aspect, the project manager needs to put in place all of the requirements in details for launching the business, including defining the success factors, time line, required resources, licensing, legal, financial/funding requirements and alternatives, regulations, budget for the launch, time line, communication with stakeholders, procurement strategy, in addition to risks identification, assessment, and management. All of these activities focus on planning to taking us from the idea through project completion but primarily to produce a detailed plan that would give us the necessary information to make the final decision on whether we should continue with the venture or not. This detailed plan is used extensively in the next phase.

For the business aspects, the project manager needs to start planning for operation readiness; which means identifying all of the things needed once the business is operating; such as financial control, human resources, policies, operational processes, in addition to marketing and business development. If the venture is not for profit, it would still require most of these activities but may be with the addition of the needs for volunteers and volunteer management or the need for sponsors.

Project Delivery (Launching the Business)

With a plan for the project and a plan for operation readiness, it is time to start implementing the project leading to initial operations. In this phase we implement the activities that we identified in the detailed plan. For example, in the plan we specified we need a permit, then it is time to do the activities necessary to obtain the permit. In the plan we defined the need for a marketing plan, it is time to define the marketing plan and develop the necessary collateral, whether print or online.

Therefore, the primary purpose of Project Delivery is to perform all of the activities necessary to produce the required deliverables that would be critical for the successful launch of the new business and start initial operations.

Throughout this document we discussed “initial operations” and “operations” as two independent terms and this is intentional. We use initial operations to define the period of time that starts with opening our doors as a business or a not for profit organization. We call it initial operations because as we start to offer services we might recognize that forms need to be adjusted, some documents might be missing something, among other things that might not go as well as we planned.

Therefore, initial operations will allow us to make the necessary refinements before we go into steady and normal operations. In some situations, we might eliminate initial operations and go straight into normal operations. In other scenarios we might have a “soft start” as an initial operations period, which we might call also as a pilot period / trial period. Which approach to take, it all depends on the nature of the business and if it allows a trial period / initial operations or not.

MLM Sponsoring – Are You Irresistible?

MLM Sponsoring is About Making Yourself Irresistible

With millions of network marketers worldwide and the industry growing by 150,000 new distributors every week, how do you make your mlm sponsoring more effective? The answer is simple…”Make Yourself Irresistible.”

How do you make yourself irresistible you may ask, and that answer is also actually quite simple…”Look at what everyone else in the network marketing industry is doing and do the complete opposite.”

I know that may be contradictory to what you may have been taught so just bare with me for a second……

MLM Sponsoring-Factors to Becoming Irresistible

If you’re still reading I want to say “Congratulations”! I’m congratulating you because I know that if you grasp what I’m about to share with you about MLM sponsoring(and most importantly implement it), I guarantee that you will begin to sponsor new distributors effortlessly.

There are certain factors that are essential to you becoming irresistible to your prospects, and they are Intrinsic and Extrinsic Factors. Intrinsic Factors are things that have to go on inside of you and Extrinsic Factors are things you can do in the physical world to create a situation where prospects being magnetically attracted to you is a normal thing.

MLM Sponsoring-What Are These Intrinsic & Extrinsic Factors?

I’m going to keep this short and sweet because I tend to get very long winded when talking about the subject of mlm sponsoring because it’s the most important skill set to have in network marketing and I’m very passionate about it. You can know all the product knowledge, know the comp plan inside out, know all the SEO tricks or whatever but if don’t develop these factors you’re building on sand.

Intrinsic Factors- Remember, these things have to go on inside of you.

#1 Be A Person With Vision: No where you’re going and you’ll get there a lot faster. Most people don’t know where there going in life that’s why people are willing to follow someone with a clear vision. “See The End From The Beginning!”

#2 Be A Person With Passion: Passion alone is Magnetic!! Believe in your message, product or service and carry it forward.

#3 Be A Fearless Leader: Lead by example and understand that F.E.A.R isn’t real. Fear is the main thing that keeps people from being successful in mlm sponsoring. F.E.A.R is only False Evidence Appearing Real! “Remember that courage isn’t taking action in the absence of F.E.A.R. Courage is the ability to still take action in the presence of F.E.A.R.”

#4 Be A Teacher & Trainer: Take everything that you learn from research, mentoring and experiential; synthesize that information and pour it into others to help them shorten their learning curves. “If You Can Do A Thing, You Can Teach A Thing!”

“You don’t have to be a “GURU” to teach. You only have to be 1 chapter ahead of the rest of the class.”

#5 Have Clarity: Know who you’re going to serve, because it’s all about service and adding value. Most importantly, you have to be crystal clear about who you are and who you want to be to who you are serving.

#6 Practice Relentlessly: Mastery is Key and they say it takes 10,000 hours to master a particular area. Have the mindset that the job is never over. You don’t have to be perfect but always Strive for Excellence. The best athletes and entertainers are those that stay up late and wake up earlier mastering their craft. So if you want to master the Art of MLM Sponsoring, you have to practice relentlessly.

#7 Become A Master Marketer: This is very important because 97% of network marketers, unfortunately, don’t know anything about marketing. Most companies train their distributors to go recruit their warm market(friends & family), and when they’re done with that they are discouraged and quit because of rejection and the lack of knowledge of how to effectively talk to new people about their business.

#8 The traditional method of mlm sponsoring has worked in the past and still works but if you can teach your team how to generate quality leads on and offline, through attraction marketing, that puts you in a league of your own.

#9 Know The Numbers: This is part of the process of becoming a Master Marketer. If you understand the Law of Averages and track your marketing, you can then be more scientific in telling your team what they have to do to get certain results.

Quick Example: “Every 10 people you show the Plan, 3 are interested and 1 actually makes the investment.” Now you and your team can set more practical goals.

Before You Buy a Gas Station Business Know the Five Dangers

A large number of entrepreneurs want to buy gas station business opportunities because the industry seems to thrive whether the economy is strong or is ailing. Like a grocery store or energy provider, the gas station supplies something that most everyone needs.

And the connection with a companion business, such as a car wash or convenience store, can return substantial profits to the entrepreneur with a ‘buy gas station business’ strategy. No special knowledge beyond basic business competency is needed to run it efficiently.

There are risks, however, particular to this kind of business, which a prospective buyer must understand. Understanding those risks and how to avoid them can help the entrepreneur enjoy success with a sound gas station buy.

1. Ground contamination is common among petroleum retailers who haven’t upgraded to newer, leak-proof storage tanks. Most communities enforce environmental regulations for gas stations. Any business with petroleum leakage will be force to close down so contaminated soil can be removed and storage facilities improved. Finally, a new station is built on the site. What a problem for a new station owner!  Anyone seeking to buy gas station business opportunities is advised to insist that any purchase agreement require testing of soil samples, and that results show no contamination.

2. A related issue is condition of the storage tanks. Older steel tanks invariably begin leaking after years of use. Newly installed gas stations and those refurbished are outfitted with double-wall fiberglass tanks (referred to as DWFG in the industry). And the tanks are equipped with leak detection sensors. Any offer made to buy gas station businesses should include a provision requiring that up-to-date fuel storage is part of the deal.

3. The failure to determine who owns the property on which the station stands, before the purchase is complete, can lead to a terrible surprise. In many cases, even California’s major oil company franchisors have posted their large, familiar signs on property they don’t own. Imagine the distress for owners of name-brand oil company franchises who discover, the hard way, that the franchisor’s rights to the property were “on a short fuse.” A ten year sublease is meaningless if the sublessor – the oil company with the master lease – loses its right to conduct business at the locale.

4. It’s reasonable to expect when making an offer on a gas station that access to the property will continue to be as easy in the future as it was in the past. But what if the local government plans to bulldoze streets adjacent to the station for underground utilities repair or road improvement? Most business offers don’t include a contingency about getting satisfactory information from the city’s planning and development department. But a condition with that requirement ought to be included in any offer to buy gas station business assets.

5. The possibility of paying too much for an enterprise in this category is a major risk for someone ready to buy gas station business opportunities. It is a mistake to believe seller or broker claims that the appropriate price is determined by gross sales, or number of gallons pumped every month.

Like any small business, a gas station should be valued on the basis of the seller’s earnings before deductions for interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. Pump volume or gross revenues may have no relation to earnings, and should not be considered when determining a station’s value. The buyer is safe using the earnings multiples applicable to most small businesses.

The top of the multiples range is about three times average annual earnings recorded the past three to five years, and it can be applied to a business with a seller ready to help finance, plenty of equipment in good shape and a long-term lease at market-competitive rates.

The purchaser who has “buy gas station business” on the to-do list, and is considering a company that doesn’t offer these benefits, should consider the right price to be about twice the annual earnings average. And many opportunities in the industry have a value using a multiple somewhere between two and three.

The entrepreneur wanting to buy gas station business opportunities might invest in a company or companies that are very profitable and not too complicated to operate. But the benefits will only accrue to a buyer who is cautious to avoid the risks inherent in purchasing this kind of business.

How To Become Successful In A Catering Business

Being into a business, small scale or large scale, also means getting into something wherein you need to gamble some important things. This already includes gambling your money for something that you would like to grow and become successful. Of course, you cannot start without having a budget for your business. Every business has the possibilities of becoming a success or a failure. To make your success rate higher, here are a few tips that you might want to consider on how to make a catering business successful.

Characteristics: Having characteristics of a good caterer is very important in becoming successful in a catering business. First off, you need to have the willingness to succeed in the field. You also need to have a lot of patience. Being flexible is also needed in this kind of business. You must also be willing to do sacrifices as you will need it most of the time. You should also know how to have a good relationship with other people. These are all very important factors on how to become successful in a catering business.

Knowledge: Having a broad knowledge about the business is very important. This includes knowing a lot of dishes and menus, having ideas about food preparations and presentations, and knowing how to provide satisfactory services to your customers. This is what most failed caterers miss; proper knowledge. They directly jump into starting the business without first having wide knowledge about it. If you really want to become a successful caterer, you should always keep this in mind.

Effort: Being into a business also means having to exert some effort more than the usual. If you really are eager to know how to make your catering business successful, then you should exert extra effort. This is in terms of doing further research, doing further tasks, and looking for ways to enhance your knowledge and skills. This is already a part of the sacrifices that you need to take, but doing all of these will surely result to providing your customers with satisfaction that is more than what they are just expecting from your service.

Proper Management: Proper management and planning are very important factors that a caterer should consider when wanting to know how to make a catering business successful. Through proper planning and management, everything will be under control. Along with proper management also comes proper time management, which is very important for any kind of business that provides services to other people.