Arab societies have always been patriarchal in nature. The prevalence of strict Islam makes them male dominated in all walks of life. Despite the modern face lift of their infrastructure and economies they have had, most Arab countries are still adamant when it comes to providing their women with equal opportunities as men. For example, in a country like UAE, which has a high level of female education, the ratio of female participation in the workforce is still very low. As per the officially made available data, about 65% of the UAE's university students were females, but their participation in the country's workforce was only around 15%.
This might be about to change however, if the recent trends from media and various government resources had to be believed in. With a booming economy and increased job opportunities, the UAE government was trying out its best to empower their women with higher education and job placements. This has given rise to a sudden influx of the local women applying for jobs in various professions. One could see as a result, many young and confident Arab ladies taking up responsibilities on various fronts in the UAE today. From being radiologists to TV presenters or managing online ventures, the UAE's women are moving forward in all spheres gradually.
Like any other region of the Middle East, it's deemed highly inappropriate for the UAE's women to speak up with strangers in public. All government owned universities have been made single-sex for this reason. With a bullish economy and a large expatriate workforce in their own backyard however, people are now trying to come out of their orthodox mindset. This has now allowed for the women to work with their male colleagues in places like Dubai. The local media proudly keeps on displaying the achievements of lady police officers, medicos, businesswomen and other similar working women.
Take the case of Fatma Mohamed Haj (21) for example, who had to face a stiff resistance from her family when she decided to be a radiologist. Her profession would have asked for touching male strangers and working late at nights. She won her argument by negotiating tactfully though, and is headed to get her first job very soon. Similarly, Nariman al-Rostamani (19), used to face taunting men in public, but it only grew her into confidence, and made her task as a TV presenter more interesting. There are many young women who still can't argue their cases with their families and therefore, may never get to have a public profile ever. However, the few like Fatma and Nariman are enough for creating a stir in the UAE's life and pushing forward with the empowerment agenda.
Amna Mazam is a student counselor who teaches working women about negotiating skills. It comes handy in getting family's nod for job placements. She confirms about the difficulties faced by the working women in the UAE, however feels positive about tomorrow at the same time. While many males do still not like the idea of working wives, there are some who might be willing to move ahead with time. An IT student, Fahad Qahtani (25), believes working wives can be a good idea for husbands as they won't annoy by chattering about domestic issues. Jokes apart, Fahad's opinion does indicate about the changing times in the UAE, and the future ahead for its aspiring women.
2011/11/24
2011/11/16
Working At Home? This May Help...
When you work from home, one of the hardest things to get right is knowing where to do your work. In your bedroom? In a special home office? Well, here are a few pointers.
A Dedicated Space is Best.
I really believe that you won't get far unless you set aside a space and use it for work only. Why? Well, if you use your work space for things other than work, then you'll get distracted by anything you leave there. Other people in the family might become frustrated by not being able to use the space, or you might find that you simply don't have anywhere to put all the important pieces of paper you acquire, meaning that they get lost.
The Art of the Home Office.
A home office is really what you want -- this really needs to be a dedicated room of a reasonable size. You shouldn't have too much trouble if you convert a small bedroom, as most bedrooms are actually surprisingly large once you take away the bed.
Your essentials for a home office are a desk, chair, computer, filing cabinet and phone/fax. If you don't have spare ones of these lying around then you should buy them used, or from some kind of discount store -- don't spend a cent more than you need to on your office furniture and equipment, at least to begin with. Still, though, do try to find things that don't look too bad, and that match.
Do make sure that you have everything in the room that you'll need for your business, and that your equipment is good enough that you'll be able to use it for long periods of time without it becoming painful. If you plan to do a lot of phoning, for example, buy a headset so that you can do it hands-free. It's also worth spending just a little extra on that chair, if you're going to be sitting on it a lot.
You should also make sure that the room is well-lit and decorated in a style you like: one that says 'serious', but not 'dull, terrible work'. Keep it at a comfortable temperature, with good ventilation. Many people like to make their home office visibly different to the rest of their house, by having a differently-coloured carpet or wooden floor, or painting the walls an entirely different colour. Whatever you do, though, I have no doubt that it'll be better than 99% of the corporate offices out there. The most important thing is that you don't spend too much, but that you make sure to solve any problems you have with your space as soon as they come up.<
A Whole Other Building.
One thing that some people like to do when they set up home offices is to make it completely separate from their house: a business annex. This could be expensive -- for goodness' sake don't build a whole other building if you don't have something like a shed or garage to convert -- but it is also one of the most effective ways to work from home. It's not so much a 'home office' as an office that you've built right next to your home -- and it gives you a much clearer sense of when you're working and when you're not.
This option is especially worth considering if you do a manual trade, especially if you already have some kind of workshop space. I knew a carpenter who saved himself all sorts of headaches when he moved his home office away from his bedroom and into his existing workshop in his garage.
A Question of Tax.
When you're organising your home office, don't forget about tax. The area of your house that you do business in should be tax-deductible, and so should any equipment you buy or other work you have done. Don't use it as an excuse to get carried away, but do remember that you're not spending quite as much as you think. As long as you don't go overboard, your home office will be one of the most important investments you will make -- as anyone who's ever tried to work from home without one can tell you.
A Dedicated Space is Best.
I really believe that you won't get far unless you set aside a space and use it for work only. Why? Well, if you use your work space for things other than work, then you'll get distracted by anything you leave there. Other people in the family might become frustrated by not being able to use the space, or you might find that you simply don't have anywhere to put all the important pieces of paper you acquire, meaning that they get lost.
The Art of the Home Office.
A home office is really what you want -- this really needs to be a dedicated room of a reasonable size. You shouldn't have too much trouble if you convert a small bedroom, as most bedrooms are actually surprisingly large once you take away the bed.
Your essentials for a home office are a desk, chair, computer, filing cabinet and phone/fax. If you don't have spare ones of these lying around then you should buy them used, or from some kind of discount store -- don't spend a cent more than you need to on your office furniture and equipment, at least to begin with. Still, though, do try to find things that don't look too bad, and that match.
Do make sure that you have everything in the room that you'll need for your business, and that your equipment is good enough that you'll be able to use it for long periods of time without it becoming painful. If you plan to do a lot of phoning, for example, buy a headset so that you can do it hands-free. It's also worth spending just a little extra on that chair, if you're going to be sitting on it a lot.
You should also make sure that the room is well-lit and decorated in a style you like: one that says 'serious', but not 'dull, terrible work'. Keep it at a comfortable temperature, with good ventilation. Many people like to make their home office visibly different to the rest of their house, by having a differently-coloured carpet or wooden floor, or painting the walls an entirely different colour. Whatever you do, though, I have no doubt that it'll be better than 99% of the corporate offices out there. The most important thing is that you don't spend too much, but that you make sure to solve any problems you have with your space as soon as they come up.<
A Whole Other Building.
One thing that some people like to do when they set up home offices is to make it completely separate from their house: a business annex. This could be expensive -- for goodness' sake don't build a whole other building if you don't have something like a shed or garage to convert -- but it is also one of the most effective ways to work from home. It's not so much a 'home office' as an office that you've built right next to your home -- and it gives you a much clearer sense of when you're working and when you're not.
This option is especially worth considering if you do a manual trade, especially if you already have some kind of workshop space. I knew a carpenter who saved himself all sorts of headaches when he moved his home office away from his bedroom and into his existing workshop in his garage.
A Question of Tax.
When you're organising your home office, don't forget about tax. The area of your house that you do business in should be tax-deductible, and so should any equipment you buy or other work you have done. Don't use it as an excuse to get carried away, but do remember that you're not spending quite as much as you think. As long as you don't go overboard, your home office will be one of the most important investments you will make -- as anyone who's ever tried to work from home without one can tell you.
2011/11/03
How You Can Create Advertising That Sells...
A well-planned and properly executed marketing program should include a sufficient commitment of capital resources to an ongoing, well executed advertising program. Yes, this includes your business.
Businesses spend too many dollars, however, on ads that simply will not result in increased sales and profits. These ads are poorly conceived, poorly written, poorly designed, poorly targeted, and poorly placed.
Sounds like a poor way to do business, doesn't it?
I often ask clients (as tactfully as possible), why they have run a particular ad. I get a lot of blank stares. A few tense moments will pass while the client tries to think of a clever answer. "To get the company name out in front of the public so I can get more business." they reply, with some relief.
This poor soul has just described a lack of a well defined goal, which leads almost inevitably to what I call an institutional ad. An institutional ad can best be described as one which identifies the advertiser and lists address, telephone number, hours of operation, and (maybe) the company logo. That's it. What a terrible waste of money!
Unless your company grosses a billion dollars a year, you can't afford to do institutional ads. If your company does gross over a billion dollars a year...you're probably too smart to run institutional ads.
Every ad you run must result in increased sales and profits and an enhanced image for your company. Every ad should make the customer a solid offer and give the customer sound reasons to buy from you now. Remember, the customer is sitting back and asking, "What can you do for me?" If you're careful to answer that question with a powerful offer and reasons to buy now, you're on your way to advertising success...which results in increased sales and profits.
How can you improve your chances of increasing sales?
Let's look at some profit-producing ideas...
SEEK PROFESSIONAL HELP
Very few businesses are prepared or qualified to produce quality advertising. If you spend more than $2,000 per month in advertising, you should seriously consider hiring a qualified advertising professional. There are any number of skilled freelancers who can develop strategy, and create your marketing materials with a keen eye to using proven methods and techniques.
Good advertising talent always pays it's own way through increased sales and profits, improved cost-effectiveness, reduced selling costs, and shortened selling cycles.
If your resources are limited, don't feel lost. There's no reason why you can't learn to write an effective ad. That's what the rest of this article is all about...how you can create advertising that sells.
FOLLOW A PROVEN FORMULA
One of the oldest and most useful formulas for ad design takes its name from the opera Aida by Giuseppe Verde. In this case the letters A-I-D-A stand for ATTENTION, INTEREST, DESIRE, AND ACTION.
In it's simplest form this formula serves as a structural blueprint. It guides us to: (1) Get the prospect's Attention, (2) Foster his or her Interest in your offer, (3) build Desire for your product or service and (4) Generate some type of Action on the part of the buyer.
As we expand on each of these elements individually, you'll discover for yourself how to apply the formula to your specific situation.
ATTENTION (The Headline)
Hit your prospect right between the eyes with a magic wand. How? With a powerful benefit headline. The headline is the most important single element of your ad. You have two to three seconds to stop the reader as he or she passes by. You must stop the reader, and interest them in your benefit, if you expect them to read further.
A powerful headline will (1) stop the reader (2) isolate and qualify your best prospects, and (3) pull your reader into the sub-heads and body copy.
How do you write the attention-getting headline? First, carefully review all the benefits of-use of your product or service. Second, take your most important benefit and weave that benefit into your headline. Use action words to describe the benefit to one individual reader.
Here are some examples...
"Save 50% On Office Supplies...Send For Your Free Catalog Today !"
"How YOU Can Create Advertising That SELLS!"
"New! Amazing Techniques That You Can Use To Land A High-Paying Job...Today!"
"How To Design Profit-Producing Web Sites That SELL!"
APPEALING TO BUSINESS EXECUTIVES
When writing your ad to a business-to-business audience you should keep in mind the six key benefits most likely to get attention:
1.Save Money 2.Save Time 3.Increase Sales 4.Increase Profits 5.Enhance Image 6.Boost cash flow
Most other benefits are subordinate to these key six. I call them the"Business Benefit Six-Pack." Show your customer how your product or service provides these benefits, and you will dramatically improve your results.
INTEREST AND DESIRE> (The Offer, Body Copy, Benefits-Benefits- Benefits)
You build interest in your product or service (and the desire to buy) by making the customer a compelling offer and by describing as many benefits as possible in simple and interesting terms.
Tip # 1: Top ad pros always write the ad first, then buy whatever space necessary to display the ad message with clarity and power.
Tip # 2: Words sell...graphic design displays the words in a visually appealing way. Don't confuse the two. No amount of trendy design will make a poorly written ad sell for you. Good design reinforces good copy...it cannot take the place of it! The implication for internet marketers is that content is king. Avoid glitsy, moving graphics that only distract from your message and increase load times. Good design and good copy should work synergistically.
Tip #3: Long copy sells...as long as it's good copy. I call it "greased slide" copy. You get the reader on the top of the slide when he reads a powerful headline, and he can't get off until he has taken the action asked for (i.e., ordered the product, made the trip to the store, dialed the phone, clicked the order/inquiry button, filled out the on-line order, etc.).
ACTION(Ask For The Order)
Now comes the moment of truth. You must ask for the order. Give reasons for the customer to buy now...and make it easy for him to do so. In direct response marketing, this will involve a coupon for mail orders, a toll-free order line, an e-mail address, an on-line order form, a fax order line..any means to make it easy and simple to order!
Take the fear out of the purchase. Give solid guarantees. Offer secure ordering for on-line customers. Show testimonials from satisfied customers.
Show what the customer is going to lose if he doesn't order now.
If you are a retailer, include a map to your store(s) (newcomers love them). Show the credit cards you accept, list the hours of operation, tell them about your friendly staff, include a special coupon or other incentive. In other words, "Roll out the red carpet."
INVEST IN FUTURE PROFITS
So there you have it. A primer on good advertising. If I've piqued your interest to learn more, then check out the other articles available at this resource.
Remember, bad advertising...no matter what the media...is an unproductive expense.
Good advertising is an investment in future profits!
Good advertising and good management go together. You can't have a successful business on-line or off-line---without both.
Businesses spend too many dollars, however, on ads that simply will not result in increased sales and profits. These ads are poorly conceived, poorly written, poorly designed, poorly targeted, and poorly placed.
Sounds like a poor way to do business, doesn't it?
I often ask clients (as tactfully as possible), why they have run a particular ad. I get a lot of blank stares. A few tense moments will pass while the client tries to think of a clever answer. "To get the company name out in front of the public so I can get more business." they reply, with some relief.
This poor soul has just described a lack of a well defined goal, which leads almost inevitably to what I call an institutional ad. An institutional ad can best be described as one which identifies the advertiser and lists address, telephone number, hours of operation, and (maybe) the company logo. That's it. What a terrible waste of money!
Unless your company grosses a billion dollars a year, you can't afford to do institutional ads. If your company does gross over a billion dollars a year...you're probably too smart to run institutional ads.
Every ad you run must result in increased sales and profits and an enhanced image for your company. Every ad should make the customer a solid offer and give the customer sound reasons to buy from you now. Remember, the customer is sitting back and asking, "What can you do for me?" If you're careful to answer that question with a powerful offer and reasons to buy now, you're on your way to advertising success...which results in increased sales and profits.
How can you improve your chances of increasing sales?
Let's look at some profit-producing ideas...
SEEK PROFESSIONAL HELP
Very few businesses are prepared or qualified to produce quality advertising. If you spend more than $2,000 per month in advertising, you should seriously consider hiring a qualified advertising professional. There are any number of skilled freelancers who can develop strategy, and create your marketing materials with a keen eye to using proven methods and techniques.
Good advertising talent always pays it's own way through increased sales and profits, improved cost-effectiveness, reduced selling costs, and shortened selling cycles.
If your resources are limited, don't feel lost. There's no reason why you can't learn to write an effective ad. That's what the rest of this article is all about...how you can create advertising that sells.
FOLLOW A PROVEN FORMULA
One of the oldest and most useful formulas for ad design takes its name from the opera Aida by Giuseppe Verde. In this case the letters A-I-D-A stand for ATTENTION, INTEREST, DESIRE, AND ACTION.
In it's simplest form this formula serves as a structural blueprint. It guides us to: (1) Get the prospect's Attention, (2) Foster his or her Interest in your offer, (3) build Desire for your product or service and (4) Generate some type of Action on the part of the buyer.
As we expand on each of these elements individually, you'll discover for yourself how to apply the formula to your specific situation.
ATTENTION (The Headline)
Hit your prospect right between the eyes with a magic wand. How? With a powerful benefit headline. The headline is the most important single element of your ad. You have two to three seconds to stop the reader as he or she passes by. You must stop the reader, and interest them in your benefit, if you expect them to read further.
A powerful headline will (1) stop the reader (2) isolate and qualify your best prospects, and (3) pull your reader into the sub-heads and body copy.
How do you write the attention-getting headline? First, carefully review all the benefits of-use of your product or service. Second, take your most important benefit and weave that benefit into your headline. Use action words to describe the benefit to one individual reader.
Here are some examples...
"Save 50% On Office Supplies...Send For Your Free Catalog Today !"
"How YOU Can Create Advertising That SELLS!"
"New! Amazing Techniques That You Can Use To Land A High-Paying Job...Today!"
"How To Design Profit-Producing Web Sites That SELL!"
APPEALING TO BUSINESS EXECUTIVES
When writing your ad to a business-to-business audience you should keep in mind the six key benefits most likely to get attention:
1.Save Money 2.Save Time 3.Increase Sales 4.Increase Profits 5.Enhance Image 6.Boost cash flow
Most other benefits are subordinate to these key six. I call them the"Business Benefit Six-Pack." Show your customer how your product or service provides these benefits, and you will dramatically improve your results.
INTEREST AND DESIRE> (The Offer, Body Copy, Benefits-Benefits- Benefits)
You build interest in your product or service (and the desire to buy) by making the customer a compelling offer and by describing as many benefits as possible in simple and interesting terms.
Tip # 1: Top ad pros always write the ad first, then buy whatever space necessary to display the ad message with clarity and power.
Tip # 2: Words sell...graphic design displays the words in a visually appealing way. Don't confuse the two. No amount of trendy design will make a poorly written ad sell for you. Good design reinforces good copy...it cannot take the place of it! The implication for internet marketers is that content is king. Avoid glitsy, moving graphics that only distract from your message and increase load times. Good design and good copy should work synergistically.
Tip #3: Long copy sells...as long as it's good copy. I call it "greased slide" copy. You get the reader on the top of the slide when he reads a powerful headline, and he can't get off until he has taken the action asked for (i.e., ordered the product, made the trip to the store, dialed the phone, clicked the order/inquiry button, filled out the on-line order, etc.).
ACTION(Ask For The Order)
Now comes the moment of truth. You must ask for the order. Give reasons for the customer to buy now...and make it easy for him to do so. In direct response marketing, this will involve a coupon for mail orders, a toll-free order line, an e-mail address, an on-line order form, a fax order line..any means to make it easy and simple to order!
Take the fear out of the purchase. Give solid guarantees. Offer secure ordering for on-line customers. Show testimonials from satisfied customers.
Show what the customer is going to lose if he doesn't order now.
If you are a retailer, include a map to your store(s) (newcomers love them). Show the credit cards you accept, list the hours of operation, tell them about your friendly staff, include a special coupon or other incentive. In other words, "Roll out the red carpet."
INVEST IN FUTURE PROFITS
So there you have it. A primer on good advertising. If I've piqued your interest to learn more, then check out the other articles available at this resource.
Remember, bad advertising...no matter what the media...is an unproductive expense.
Good advertising is an investment in future profits!
Good advertising and good management go together. You can't have a successful business on-line or off-line---without both.
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