There are many categories and subcategories of marketing today that you’re bound to get dizzy trying to learn about it all in one shot. Internet marketing, as an idea, is extremely encompassing. Most people only bother to learn a few ins and outs just enough to get them by and to get their sites ranked. Part of Internet marketing is digital marketing, an equally confusing aspect.If you know what this marketing is, then it’s relatively easy to understand. If you don’t know, however, figuring out what qualifies as this can take some getting used to. Odds are you haven’t heard of some of the methods within the digital wheelhouse.In simple and plain English, the broad category of this type of marketing contains search engine optimization (SEO), banner advertising, pay-per-click advertising (PPC), email, RSS, social networking, blogging, advergaming and other Internet-based digital aspects. Basically, the overwhelming majority of Internet marketing qualifies as digital, but there are a few old marketing tactics online that don’t fall in the category.Digital marketing is more of a model when taken as a whole. It’s all about the interaction between the marketer and the customer. This interaction can be personal or impersonal, as long as the digital interaction is taking place. It’s also about targeting specific niche markets and demographics with effective advertising that caters to the customer.One of the most important aspects of digital marketing is the ability to create quantifiable results. What this means, simply, is that the action of marketing should have a measurable reaction of traffic.Any basic marketing technique mastered can easily bring an influx of traffic to a website or blog. Digital marketing techniques are employed by millions on the Internet, from people looking to push businesses to regular folks looking to have their social networking profiles noticed.You don’t have to be seeking a monetary profit to employ digital marketing. It’s basically about using various methods to advertise directly to other Internet users and to drive people to a designated area. Simply sending someone a friend request via MySpace technically qualifies as digital marketing.A couple of digital marketing’s aspects are a little more difficult to get a grasp on. Many people try to use PPC ads to their advantage, only to have their accounts suspended for false clicks, or to have their ads go untouched even on heavily trafficked sites. Mastering the art of the ad is definitely something to seek further advice on.RSS feeds and thorough search engine optimization are also confusing to some lacking the expertise. Many freelancers and specialty companies have emerged in recent years and have become prominent players in the digital marketing field due to their knack for driving traffic and earning high site placement.If you’re looking to operate a successful online business, then you need to understand what digital marketing is, what it’s intended for and how to best use it to your advantage.
What Exactly Is Digital Marketing?
Alternative Financing Vs. Venture Capital: Which Option Is Best for Boosting Working Capital?
There are several potential financing options available to cash-strapped businesses that need a healthy dose of working capital. A bank loan or line of credit is often the first option that owners think of – and for businesses that qualify, this may be the best option.
In today’s uncertain business, economic and regulatory environment, qualifying for a bank loan can be difficult – especially for start-up companies and those that have experienced any type of financial difficulty. Sometimes, owners of businesses that don’t qualify for a bank loan decide that seeking venture capital or bringing on equity investors are other viable options.
But are they really? While there are some potential benefits to bringing venture capital and so-called “angel” investors into your business, there are drawbacks as well. Unfortunately, owners sometimes don’t think about these drawbacks until the ink has dried on a contract with a venture capitalist or angel investor – and it’s too late to back out of the deal.
Different Types of Financing
One problem with bringing in equity investors to help provide a working capital boost is that working capital and equity are really two different types of financing.
Working capital – or the money that is used to pay business expenses incurred during the time lag until cash from sales (or accounts receivable) is collected – is short-term in nature, so it should be financed via a short-term financing tool. Equity, however, should generally be used to finance rapid growth, business expansion, acquisitions or the purchase of long-term assets, which are defined as assets that are repaid over more than one 12-month business cycle.
But the biggest drawback to bringing equity investors into your business is a potential loss of control. When you sell equity (or shares) in your business to venture capitalists or angels, you are giving up a percentage of ownership in your business, and you may be doing so at an inopportune time. With this dilution of ownership most often comes a loss of control over some or all of the most important business decisions that must be made.
Sometimes, owners are enticed to sell equity by the fact that there is little (if any) out-of-pocket expense. Unlike debt financing, you don’t usually pay interest with equity financing. The equity investor gains its return via the ownership stake gained in your business. But the long-term “cost” of selling equity is always much higher than the short-term cost of debt, in terms of both actual cash cost as well as soft costs like the loss of control and stewardship of your company and the potential future value of the ownership shares that are sold.
Alternative Financing Solutions
But what if your business needs working capital and you don’t qualify for a bank loan or line of credit? Alternative financing solutions are often appropriate for injecting working capital into businesses in this situation. Three of the most common types of alternative financing used by such businesses are:
1. Full-Service Factoring – Businesses sell outstanding accounts receivable on an ongoing basis to a commercial finance (or factoring) company at a discount. The factoring company then manages the receivable until it is paid. Factoring is a well-established and accepted method of temporary alternative finance that is especially well-suited for rapidly growing companies and those with customer concentrations.
2. Accounts Receivable (A/R) Financing – A/R financing is an ideal solution for companies that are not yet bankable but have a stable financial condition and a more diverse customer base. Here, the business provides details on all accounts receivable and pledges those assets as collateral. The proceeds of those receivables are sent to a lockbox while the finance company calculates a borrowing base to determine the amount the company can borrow. When the borrower needs money, it makes an advance request and the finance company advances money using a percentage of the accounts receivable.
3. Asset-Based Lending (ABL) – This is a credit facility secured by all of a company’s assets, which may include A/R, equipment and inventory. Unlike with factoring, the business continues to manage and collect its own receivables and submits collateral reports on an ongoing basis to the finance company, which will review and periodically audit the reports.
In addition to providing working capital and enabling owners to maintain business control, alternative financing may provide other benefits as well:
It’s easy to determine the exact cost of financing and obtain an increase.
Professional collateral management can be included depending on the facility type and the lender.
Real-time, online interactive reporting is often available.
It may provide the business with access to more capital.
It’s flexible – financing ebbs and flows with the business’ needs.
It’s important to note that there are some circumstances in which equity is a viable and attractive financing solution. This is especially true in cases of business expansion and acquisition and new product launches – these are capital needs that are not generally well suited to debt financing. However, equity is not usually the appropriate financing solution to solve a working capital problem or help plug a cash-flow gap.
A Precious Commodity
Remember that business equity is a precious commodity that should only be considered under the right circumstances and at the right time. When equity financing is sought, ideally this should be done at a time when the company has good growth prospects and a significant cash need for this growth. Ideally, majority ownership (and thus, absolute control) should remain with the company founder(s).
Alternative financing solutions like factoring, A/R financing and ABL can provide the working capital boost many cash-strapped businesses that don’t qualify for bank financing need – without diluting ownership and possibly giving up business control at an inopportune time for the owner. If and when these companies become bankable later, it’s often an easy transition to a traditional bank line of credit. Your banker may be able to refer you to a commercial finance company that can offer the right type of alternative financing solution for your particular situation.
Taking the time to understand all the different financing options available to your business, and the pros and cons of each, is the best way to make sure you choose the best option for your business. The use of alternative financing can help your company grow without diluting your ownership. After all, it’s your business – shouldn’t you keep as much of it as possible?
Diet, Nutrition and Healthy Living
Diet and nutrition products have helped countless individuals maintain a healthier lifestyle, by providing essential vitamins and minerals in an otherwise poor diet. Diet and nutrition is important for everyone but it is especially important for runners, or for those who exercise vigorously. If you are dieting, you are ill, or you are regularly eating a fast-food diet, you should be especially concerned about what you and your family are getting as proper diet and nutrition from your food.Nutrition is important for everyone because food gives our bodies the nutrients they need to stay healthy, grow, and work properly. In 2005, the government’s revised Dietary Guidelines for Americans introduced the term “nutrient density,” which sounds complicated but simply refers to how much nutrition a food provides. Nutrient density is especially important when overall nutrition and health is considered.Experts believe these nutritional substances may help prevent heart disease, fight certain cancers, ward off dementia, and even slow certain aging processes. And so if you are like many of us, not quite hitting the entire food pyramid, you might be trying to outwit your body by giving it nutritional supplements to make up for the sins of food-group omissions.Even the results of the best diet supplements are improved by proper nutrition and regular exercise, because when people eat healthy foods and exercise, they feel better, have more energy and are less prone to health problems. Health and nutrition products can help ensure that adequate levels of nutrients provide your body what it needs to stay healthy.Nutritional snacks can be very important to our overall health and nutrition. When you snack, you can fill in nutritional gaps, if you boost your intake of fruits and vegetables. This helps you keep your mood on an even keel, and helps with appetite suppression and weight control. However, snacking can be a bad thing too, and can definitely contribute to weight gain. If you’re searching for a villain in America’s obesity epidemic, most nutritionists tell you to put one picture on the wanted poster: a cold, bubbly glass of soda pop.Good nutrition is one of the ways the body restores itself to health. Restoring and maintaining good nutrition is a key principle in the management of diseases like Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Diet and nutrition concerns of patients with inflammatory bowel disease are extremely common, and appropriate. Because IBS, Crohn’s disease, and ulcerative colitis are diseases of the digestive tract, it is only natural that you will have many questions about diet and nutrition, if you have been diagnosed with one of these disorders. As research continues, we will learn even more about the relationship between nutrition and IBS, Crohn’s disease, and ulcerative colitis, and how to treat and or avoid them altogether.As you can see, good nutritional habits and adequate caloric intake are very important. However, it’s desirable to also maintain intake of at least some dairy products because they represent such a good source of nutrition, particularly calcium and protein, contributing to even more good nutrition. And, good nutrition quite simply equates to good health.In summary, while diet and nutrition may not play a role in causing IBS, and some other digestive diseases, maintaining a well-balanced diet that is rich in nutrients can help you to live a healthier life. As stated earlier, if you are dieting, ill or eating a fast-food diet, you should be concerned about what you and your family are getting as a proper diet and nutrition from your food.Or, maybe you feel as though you are just missing something while trying to sift through all the information out there about diet and nutrition. Either way, it is up to each of us to learn all we can about diet and nutrition, and then to apply that knowledge to our own lives. Good nutrition puts us on the path to good health, and good health is something we all should desire in order to live and be happy.