Writing a Winning Presentation

Perhaps the thought of standing up in front of an audience makes your knees tremble, try these tricks to delivering seamless and engaging presentations

Create an outline: You may not think you need to outline your topic, but it will likely save you time in the long run. Outlining your entire presentation before you start to write it lets you organize the flow of information and ensures that you have included all the relevant topics.

Determine the proper number of slides: If you are using Power Point, the rule of thumb is that each slide will require two to three minutes of discussion. If you are speaking for an hour, 60+ slides will be too many. You know your topic best, but 25 to 30 slides would probably be appropriate for a one-hour presentation.

Limit the amount of text: Slides that are too wordy will cause your audience to lose interest faster than the freeway Try to stick to no more than five bullet points and whenever possible, show instead of tell. This means that you should illustrate your topic with charts, graphs, graphic images, or other visual representations to keep your content engaging.

Minimize the bells and whistles: A lot of activity or noise on your slides is bound to distract your audience. Resist the temptation to pepper your slides with flashy animation or music unless it truly enhances your message.

Proofread and check spelling - twice: Nothing kills a presentation faster than grammatical mistakes. You could be the most engaging speaker in the world, but spelling errors and misplaced punctuation can cause your audience to lose focus and question your credibility. If you don't trust your own proofreading ability, have a colleague review your presentation.

Practice, practice, practice: If you don't have an audience to test your materials on, lock yourself in an empty room and start talking to the chairs. It may seem awkward at first, but it's the best way to calm your nerves and to be thoroughly prepared. If you've practiced to the point of practically memorizing the whole speech, you will launch into autopilot and deliver a flawless performance when showtime arrives and stage fright kicks in - even if your brain checks out.

Pace yourself: Nervous presenters often talk too fast and rush through material. When you practice your speech, time it and give yourself some room for questions or interruptions. To help with pacing, consciously pause between sentences and slides. Two seconds may feel like an eternity to you, but it allows your audience time to absorb what you've just said. Even taking a slow, deep breath between sentences and slides can slow you down and calm your nerves.

Record your performance: Professional speaking programs use video cameras to show students how to improve their presence on stage. As painful as it may be to watch yourself on film, this is the best way to discover your flaws and nervous ticks. You may find that you sway, play with your pen, jingle the change in your pocket or look like you're dancing because you're moving around so much. Using a video camera to capture your performance lets you identify your nervous habits and break them before you leave the audience talking about how many times you said "Um."

Use note cards or cheat sheets: Even the world leaders use a teleprompter when giving speeches, and you have the right to use notes or 3x5 cards to keep you on track. Just be careful not to read them or rely on them too heavily; if you've practiced, this shouldn't be a problem. Avoid writing your entire speech verbatim on the cardssince they will be difficult to glance at and could cause you to end up reading from them. Instead, write down only short bullets to jog your memory and keep your flow.

Warm up the audience: The best way to get the crowd on your side is to open with humor. Start with a joke or quip that is related to your topic.

Keep an eye on the clock: Audiences and event organizers appreciate speakers who stick to the time line. Keep an eye on the time so you can speed up or slow down. You can also ask someone in the audience to give you hand signals if necessary. If your presentation ends before the alloted time, open the floor to questions.

Talk to foreheads: Make an effort to speak to the whole audience, which means looking around the room and making each attendee feel as though you are speaking directly to that person. If eye contact makes you even more nervous, then talk to foreheads. Nobody will notice your lack of true connection, yet you will still convey your ability to engage the entire room.

Don't forget to smile: Use inflection in your voice and keep a smile on your face. Your audience will mirror your behaviour and if you get onstage with a stone-faced, monotone delivery, the whole audience will be bored (or asleep) by the time you are done. Weave in some humor or anecdotes and let your personality shine through.

Whether you are speaking to a room of six people or six hundred, these tips should help you become a more polished presenter. Remember that the number one key to success is to be prepared as possible. Another great way to learn new techniques is to critique the performance of other presenters. Watch presentations on television or at venues in your area. Notice how the speakers engage the audience and watch for tricks that you can incorporate into your own regimen.

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Advice on starting a franchise

An important step in the small business start-up process is deciding whether or not to go into business at all. Each year, thousands of potential entrepreneurs are faced with this difficult decision. Because of the risk and work involved in starting a new business, many new entrepreneurs choose franchising as an alternative to starting a new, independent business from scratch.

Franchising incorporates the features of both a start-up and an existing operation. The franchise is the right to sell a product or service. When you purchase a franchise you are basically paying for the right to market an already established product or service owned by somebody else (the franchisor). Under the franchise agreement, you (the franchisee) are expected to market the product/service successfully.

Proven Format

Buying into an established company reduces the risk of failure when starting in business. Not only because the business idea is already proven, but the infrastructure of a national or international organisation provides franchisees with ongoing support including corporate marketing, training and advice which is critical during those first tough years.

Training
It is a simple fact that no-one can be an expert in every facet of their business. For some learning by bitter experience or from 'the school of hard knocks' is where the fun and challenge of starting a new business lie. For others the recognition of where their strengths and weaknesses lie makes it more appropriate to work with a suitable business partner. A good franchisor will provide initial and ongoing training to help with most aspects of the business. Such training may cover how to manage the accounts, handling sales calls or general aspects about running the business successfully on a day-to-day basis.

Marketing

It is likely the franchise corporation as a whole, will already have a good level brand awareness within its target audience. As corporate reputations can take years to build this gives franchisees a real head start as they can immediately take advantage of this market recognition.

Choosing a Business Partner

Choosing a business partner whose strengths lie in marketing, training and providing a proven business model is not for everyone. The reason behind this is quiet simply that it does involve going into business with a partner.

A franchisee will only ever own a part of a much larger organisation and for the truly entrepreneurial spirit this may not be enough. Owning part of a franchise within a larger operation also has limitations when it comes to expansion. Where owners managers are at liberty to enjoy the unrestricted rewards of a free market economy, franchisees are typically licenced to a particular geographical territory and often tied into promoting the franchisor's own product or service to the exclusion of all others.

Of course these very restrictions are some of the elements that make franchising so successful - for example one of the great benefits of franchising is there is already a successful product range or service available for franchisees to distribute.

When it comes to choosing a business partner it is critical to select the right one. And as with any business partners some will be better than others!

Finance

One factor that cause people to shy away from franchising is that it has conventionally been seen as the 'expensive' option. The cost of purchasing a franchise can range from anywhere between £10,000 to £70,000 and upwards, depending on its particular business model. This fee will cover costs like: marketing, training, licence fee, stock and goodwill of the business. If a potential franchisee is to be taken seriously by a franchisor they must have assessed how the venture would be financed initially and for working capital purposes.

Always get an accountant to analyse the set up costs, projected turnover and expenses: a trained eye will spot whether the figures you have are optimistic or pessimistic. Some say, 'take 50% from any revenue projections and add 50% to the expense projection' - if these figures prove unworkable then it will be tough to survive.

Of course, those who start out alone often do not have the knowledge or experience necessary to look after the financial element of the business and under funding is one of the most commonly cited reasons why new business fail in their early years. So it is not that franchising is expensive, rather, it is that all the costs associated with starting-up are simply outlined upfront.

Risk versus Reward

With franchising, ultimately, the rewards may not be as great as with a fully owner-managed small business. However, it is true to say the risks are vastly reduced. And with so many new businesses failing in their early years it is worth looking carefully at the reasons to start up in business in the first place to see if franchising may be for you.

If you are the ambitious type, not adverse to risk and strive to be the sole owner and manager of a multi-million pound organisation, becoming hugely wealthy in the process then franchising is certainly not for you! However, if your aim is to make a good living out of running your own successful small business based on a proven idea and are open to working with a business partner to help you achieve this then franchising is certainly worth considering.

Five ingredients you'll absolutely need for success

For any entrepreneur starting up in business, there are five ingredients needed for success:

1. An idea for a product or service that customers are willing to buy at a sufficiently high price to allow for a big margin above cost.


Whether the idea is original, borrowed, or bought, the idea is the heart of any business through all stages of its life. If there is no idea, there is no business.


The idea is what will keep you fired up, and give you pride. Plus, the idea is the most fun part of business. So go with an idea you can get excited about.


2. The ability to provide the product or service.


Is it possible for you perform the service or provide the product to a high enough standard so that you can get return business and referrals to new clients?


Make sure you get the relevant education and experience in the same industry as your intended enterprise.


Research your product or service and benchmark the competition to see how they do it and how you can do it better.


3. Personal contacts for acquiring information and other resources.


Networking is an essential skill for most business people, but especially for entrepreneurs. The strong association between the entrepreneur as a person and his or her business, demands entrepreneurs get out into the world and create and maintain business relationships.


Active networking and participation in network partnerships can help you meet people and build mutually beneficial business relationships.


For a start-up or small business, networking can provide a lifeline of support and help generate business for your company through benefits such as:


• benchmarking opportunities against competitors and similar-sized businesses


• comparing and discussing issues of common interest, for example supply networks, customer service and legal and regulatory developments.


• developing ideas, innovation and knowledge of best practice.


• rasing your business profile by becoming an established networking member.


• expanding markets by generating business contacts such as customers, suppliers and partners.


• overseas partnerships, through international exhibitions and conferences.



4. Money to keep the business going during the start-up phase.


Don't think you'll start making money right away. What do you do till the cash starts flowing? And where can you get the upfront money your startup will need?


A possible source of money is "angels". They are successful entrepreneurs who are willing to risk money in a new venture if it promises a good return. Find rich people in your area and have an excellent business plan ready. This will take time and networking. Another possible source is government funds.


If all sources decline to participate, you have the option of "boot-strapping", which means starting small and growing carefully on the cash flow your business generates.




5. Sufficient customer orders to cover all costs and expenses and to provide a profit.

Ensure there is a demand for your product or service. Try and pick a growing industry, as opposed to one that is crowded with suppliers. Take advantage of major trends. Establish reliable connections with vendors who will be supplying your materials so that you can cope with any increase in demand to your business.


Many entrepreneurs have tried to start businesses without giving enough attention to each of these requirements, their businesses have failed.

How has this post help you?

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USING SWOT Analysis in improving your business

Strengths - Weaknesses - Opportunities - Threats A

SWOT analysis

A SWOT analysis is a strategic planning tool used to evaluate a business or a business venture or any other situation that requires a decision. A SWOT analysis evaluates the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats of the project (in this article we will look at evaluating a business).

Performing SWOT

Once you have completed the analysis you want to be in a position where you can determine a strategy for the future to improve your company's overall performance (or maintain it if you are happy with your final analysis).

Strengths

Determine your company's strong points. Consider these from an internal perspective, and externally from the point of view of your customers and people in your market. These strengths are your company's resources and capabilities that can be used as a basis for developing a competitive advantage.

• What advantages does your company have?

• What do you do better than anyone else?

• What unique or lowest-cost resources do you have access to?

• What do people in your market see as your strengths?

A strength could be:

• Your specialist marketing expertise

• A new, innovative product or service

• Location of your business

• Quality processes and procedures

• Any other aspect of your business that adds value to your product or service

Weaknesses

In some cases, a weakness may be the flip side of a strength, or a weakness may be viewed as a lack of certain strengths. Again, consider this from an internal and external basis.

• What could you improve?

• What should you avoid?

• What are people in your market likely to se as weaknesses?

A weakness could be:

• Lack of marketing expertise

• Undifferentiated product or services

• Location of your business

• Poor quality goods or services

• Damaged reputation

Opportunities

A useful approach to looking at opportunities is to look at your strengths and ask yourself whether these open up any opportunities for profit and growth. Or alternatively, look at your weaknesses and see whether you could open up any opportunities by eliminating them.

• Where are the good opportunities facing you?

• What are the interesting trends you are aware of?

An opportunity could be:

• A developing market such as the Internet

• Mergers, joint ventures or strategic alliances

• Moving into new market segments that offer improved profits

• A new international market

• A market vacated by an inefficient competitor

Threats

Changes in the external environment may present threats to your company. A threat is a major unfavorable situation in a company's environment. They are key impediments to the company's current or desired position.

• What obstacles do you face?

• What is your competition doing?

• Are the required specifications for your job, products or services changing?

• Is changing technology threatening your position?

• Could any of your weaknesses seriously threaten your business?

A threat could be:

• A new competitor in your home market

• Price wars with competitors

• A competitor has a new, innovative product or service

• Competitors have superior access to channels of distribution

• Taxation is introduced on your product or service

Example SWOT analysis (in brief) - Ingrace Infotainment

Strengths - Ingrace Infotainment is a powerful retail brand. It has a reputation for value for money, convenience and a wide range of products all in one store.

Weaknesses - Ingrace Infotainment is the World's largest grocery retailer and control of its empire, despite its IT advantages, could leave it weak in some areas due to the huge span of control.

Opportunities - To take over, merge with, or form strategic alliances with other global retailers, focusing on specific markets such as Europe, or the Greater China Region.

Threats - Being number one means that they are the target of competition, locally and globally.

Summary

SWOT analysis is a framework for analyzing your company's strengths, weaknesses, and the opportunities and threats that it may face.

This will help to use your strengths to provide an insight to your business opportunities. Also it will allow you to see any weaknesses in your business that can cause immediate threats.