AtlantaEvent.com NewsFlash - Termites, Spyware, and Tornados, OH MY!

AtlantaEvent.com got them to up their discount to $100 off and offer split tables
at $200 for each party who shares a table ( must be 2 companies to get split discount ).

More Than 1,200 Women Attend This Event Each Year!

If you market products or services to women - you can get a special $100 dis-count on display tables at The Possible Woman Leadership Conference coming to the World Congress Center on April 19.

Simply go to this web page and order your display table possiblewoman.com/exhibitor.html. When you are filling out the registration for a display table, in the first box where you choose your table type, select the type labeled other, type in the kind of table you are buying and put next to it "Atlanta - $100 discount special"

This will get you the discount. If you prefer to call in your order, call Reagan Smith @ 404-386-0365
and tell her you want the AtlantaEvent.com $100 off rate.

Market research is a crucial starting point for any business, but it’s especially important for online businesses that seek to target a particular niche market. The equation is pretty simple: if the interest in your product is low, you won’t make enough sales to keep afloat. The key to online success is to plan ahead – seek out a ready and willing market that will buy your product, before launching a marketing campaign.

The Internet offers the start-up business a lot of tools for market research, so there’s no excuse for not taking advantage of the available information. It gives you access to a wider range of consumers than you would normally be able to reach. Your target market doesn’t have to be defined by geographical location – instead, you will likely be targeting a group of people who share a similar interest.

Most online market research is conducted through three avenues: the Web, email and newsgroups. The first is perfect for checking out the competition (or lack thereof). It pays to be informed about your potential market niche ahead of time, so you can figure out if creating a new business in that area will be a profitable venture, worth your time and initial investment.

Researching your competition is a good idea for two main reasons. First of all, it’s important to find out if the market you intend to target is over saturated. If too many other businesses already offer the same product you want to sell, it will be more difficult to successfully break in and rake in a tidy profit. In addition, researching competitors can help you focus your business on one specific aspect of a saturated market that has yet to be adequately exploited. On the other hand, if you discover that no one has come up with the same brilliant idea as you, it’s a greater possibility that your business will flourish.

Secondly, as the old adage says, know your enemy. Find out how other businesses price their products, take note of the image they convey and look at how their website is constructed. In order to be competitive you need to have an edge that sets you apart from the competition and makes you attractive to your target market. But, first you must know what will give you that edge.

After researching the competition, the next step is to create a survey full of questions related to the companies already selling in your potential market. The survey, of course, should also include questions that relate to your own business.

So where do you find participants for your survey? There are many places online where you can ask for opinions. If you already have a website, post the survey on your site. Or, try posting small notices in newsgroups and on discussion boards related to your market area to elicit some responses. Newsgroups are also a great place to get the inside scoop on your potential customers. What are they talking about? What products are they looking for and can’t seem to find? What do they look for in a product? You can also ask questions, as long as it doesn’t sound as if you’re trying to sell them something.

Ads posted on free online classified pages can also yield a good amount of survey participants, as long as you offer an incentive, such as a freebie, coupons, etc. Finally, you can also send out the survey through email to prospects, associates, and others who might be able to lend a hand.

Investigating Google search counts and popular keywords is another method of online market research that specifically looks for trends in what people want to buy through online stores. The more you know about the customer, the better.

Whether you choose to carry out online market research on your own or hire a company to do it for you, it is an essential step that will lay the proper foundation for the future success of your online business.

This article was written by Adam Yax of phoenixsynergy.com, a Phoenix marketing company. Phoenix Synergy can help bring new revenue to your business by way of technical marketing driven by market research. Contact Phoenix Synergy today and request a free assessment.

There are millions of ADHD adults in the workforce. Learn to make the most of their talents.

As a business owner or manager, the odds are that at some point you will have to deal with an employee or colleague who has ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), commonly known as Attention Deficit Disorder. The presence of ADHD among children is well known. But it is also common in adults. Experts estimate that between 8 million and 10 million adults suffer from ADHD and two-thirds of children with ADHD will continue to have ADHD as adults.

When ADHD shows up in the workplace (usually it’s undiagnosed), there are potentially severe consequences—lost productivity, disruptions, mistakes. Without proper handling, the employee who suffers from ADHD or who starts to exhibit ADHD-like symptoms—distractibility, feelings of being overwhelmed—can throw a huge monkey wrench into the workings of a small operation. On the other hand, with professional help and careful supervision, the ADHD adult can continue to function productively, and maybe even thrive.

The outcome has a lot to do with how the boss handles the situation. The manager who recognizes that ADHD is a complex neurobiological condition rooted in brain chemistry can find ways to accommodate a valued employee’s special needs—the way he would provide a wheelchair ramp for a handicapped worker. Indeed, an enlightened boss and a motivated employee can work together to make the diagnosis of ADD the start of a new, more effective relationship.

On the other hand, a boss who ignores the symptoms, becomes overly critical or indifferent and leaves it up to the employee to figure out how to function effectively despite his condition is inviting disaster. The likely scenario: The employee becomes increasingly unable to meet deadlines, complete tasks, set priorities. He avoids making decisions and starts to make mistakes. He quits or is let go and the company loses the talents and skills of a once-valued employee.

I know how this works, because I am an ADHD adult and I have had both kinds of bosses. As ADHD adults, we face predictable and complex challenges in the workplace. Some of us are hypersensitive, some of us have anger management issues around authority. Some of us exhibit lack of motivation or impulsivity.

I was not diagnosed until I was in my 40s. What I didn’t know until then was how deeply my ADHD had affected my work habits—and how different management styles affected my performance. I was lucky to have found a career in media sales, which had the intensity and rapid pace that appeal to an ADHD personality.

I was selling commercial time for 18 or 20 television stations and had to report to four levels of management at once. There were constant interrogations from someone or other, 25 demanding, often hostile media buyers working on unreasonably tight deadlines with lots of money to spend, phones ringing off the hook all day, people screaming at each other from their cubicles, 50 emails in my mailbox with threats and ultimatums. At least a few times a day, I could count on a buyer saying something like: “If I don’t have what I need from you within the next 15 minutes, you are shut out of the buy.”

The million small tasks and constant deadlines helped mask my ADD—there was simply no time to get distracted or paralyzed with indecision. But, looking back, I see that I performed very differently for different kinds of bosses. The ADD friendly bosses all had similar profiles and so did I when I worked for them. Under their guidance I flourished and did my best work ever.

Christina, one of my sales managers, was a great example of the “good” boss. She was consistent, even-tempered, patient, non-judgmental, and supportive. She could see when I was heading for trouble; getting overloaded, having difficulty prioritizing, overreacting or being irrational or unusually fearful. Instead of criticizing, she would simply say, “Come in. I’ll help you. Don’t worry.”

And she didn’t judge or dismiss me when I ran into her office all excited, even when I was overreacting. We laughed about it. She was kind, communicative, tolerant and interested. She allowed me to accomplish the job in my own way, yet provided guidance and support when it was needed. The setup was flexible enough to allow me to get my work done, but provided enough structure keep me on track. She respected me for the competent professional I was. (sometimes more than I respected myself). I felt empowered, safe and connected. As a result, I was highly productive, engaged and very happy. Sales increased and I eventually developed a mentoring program, which became an integral part of the company’s training.

On the other hand, there were the “bad” ADD bosses. Take Paul, for example. Paul and I inherited each other and it soon became clear that our styles and values were not aligned. My lively, impulsive personality and highly verbal, non-linear approach to problem solving drove him nuts. He, in turn, bugged me by micromanaging, criticizing me in front of colleagues, and dismissing every single suggestion I made. Most of my efforts to communicate with him fell on deaf ears.

Paul was not a great boss for anybody. But for an ADDer like me, his hypercritical style was a disaster. At that point I did not yet know that ADHD was the source of my feelings of insecurity—I was perpetually afraid that I could not or would not get the job done.

I did know that his criticism put me in a tailspin. I began to gossip about Paul to my coworkers as a way of feeling connected and belonging. I became paranoid and spent more time trying to cover my tracks than selling (not a great strategy for improving ROI). After a while, even I couldn’t stand to hear myself complaining anymore. Finally, I found another job.

The point is this. I learned that I, too, have a responsibility to educate and communicate effectively with those around me in order to eliminate the ‘bad boss’ situations. Living with ADHD, for the boss or the employee, is not easy. However, working together to identify and understand, developing suitable accommodations if necessary will allow the ADHD employees that you are working with to manage their ADD without letting it destroy what they ( and you) have worked so hard to create.

Nancy Snell, CEC is a certified professional business coach specializing in adult ADHD and workplace issues. Visit her web site at nancysnell.com.

I have a confession to make. The other day I was stocking up on necessities at my local supermarket when I came face to face with Duggie, who I haven't seen for years. We went through all the - "How are you, what have you been up to, what're you doing now" kind of stuff.

Duggie then says - "Alan, can I have one or two of your business cards in case I need to get in touch and to pass to other people."

Now, I'm always nagging other people about never leaving home without business cards. Don't even take out the garbage without a business card in your pocket. And guess what - I had no business cards to give to Duggie.

He then tells me that he was at a Dinner the previous evening and he met several new contacts - however, he'd also forgotten his business cards. Duggie has his own business and he's always looking for new clients.

So let me say it again (and I'm also talking to myself) - never, never, never leave home without business cards. Don't even dig the garden, wash the car or visit the supermarket without business cards.

There's always a chance that you'll meet someone who says - "And what do you do?" or "It's ages since I've seen you, what sort of business are you in now?"

Be aware - new customers and clients are the lifeblood of any business so make sure you never miss an opportunity to make a new contact.

Alan Fairweather -"The Motivation Doctor" - is the author of "How to get More Sales Without Selling" To receive your free newsletter and free e-books, visit: howtogetmoresales.com