Apparel and books will likely do fine this holiday. Jewelry, not so much.

Respondents conducted a wide range of purchases and financial transactions. Nearly four out of 10 online buyers had made a travel purchase during the past six months, and more than one-third had managed their credit card or banking accounts online. Top product purchase categories included apparel and books. 

"The challenge for retailers is no longer how to lure shoppers online, but how to differentiate their brand among all others," said Nachi Lolla, research director at Nielsen Online, in a statement. "Heading into this competitive holiday shopping season, selection, price and customer service are the key areas retailers can shine."

Cause & Effect/Fishbone Diagram

Find & cure causes,
NOT symptoms

Why use it?

To allow a team to identify, explore, and graphically display, in increasing detail, all of the possible causes related to a problem or condition to discover its root cause(s).

What does it do?

• Enables a team to focus on the content of the problem, not on the history of the problem or differing personal interests of team members

• Creates a snapshot of the collective knowledge and consensus of a team around a problem. This builds support for the resulting solutions

• Focuses the team on causes, not symptoms

How do I do it?

1. Select the most appropriate cause & effect format. There are two major formats:

• Dispersion Analysis Type is constructed by placing individual causes within each "major" cause category and then asking of each individual cause "Why does this cause (dispersion) happen?" This question is repeated for the next level of detail until the team runs out of causes. The graphic examples shown in Step 3 of this tool section are based on this format.

• Process Classification Type uses the major steps of the process in place of the major cause categories. The root cause questioning process is the same as the Dispersion Analysis Type.

2. Generate the causes needed to build a Cause & Effect Diagram. Choose one method:

• Brainstorming without previous preparation

• Check Sheets based on data collected by team members before the meeting

3. Construct the Cause & Effect/Fishbone Diagram

a) Place the problem statement in a box on the righthand side of the writing surface.

• Allow plenty of space. Use a flipchart sheet, butcher paper, or a large white board. A paper surface is preferred since the final Cause & Effect Diagram can be moved.

Tip Make sure everyone agrees on the problem statement. Include as much information as possible on the "what," "where," "when," and "how much" of the problem. Use data to specify the problem.

b) Draw major cause categories or steps in the production or service process. Connect them to the "backbone" of the fishbone chart.

• Be flexible in the major cause "bones" that are used. In a Production Process the traditional categories are: Machines (equipment), Methods (how work is done), Materials (components or raw materials), and People (the human element). In a Service Process the traditional methods are: Policies (higher-level decision rules), Procedures (steps in a task), Plant (equipment and space), and People. In both types of processes, Environment (buildings, logistics, and space), and Measurement (calibration and data collection) are also frequently used. There is no perfect set or number of categories. Make them fit the problem.

c) Place the brainstormed or data-based causes in the appropriate category.

• In brainstorming, possible causes can be placed in a major cause category as each is generated, or only after the entire list has been created. Either works well but brainstorming the whole list first maintains the creative flow of ideas without being constrained by the major cause categories or where the ideas fit in each "bone."

• Some causes seem to fit in more than one category. Ideally each cause should be in only one category, but some of the "people" causes may legitimately belong in two places. Place them in both categories and see how they work out in the end.

Tip If ideas are slow in coming, use the major cause categories as catalysts, e.g., "What in 'materials' is causing . . . ?"

d) Ask repeatedly of each cause listed on the "bones," either:

• "Why does it happen?" For example, under "Run out of ingredients" this question would lead to more basic causes such as "Inaccurate ordering," "Poor use of space," and so on.

• "What could happen?" For example, under "Run out of ingredients" this question would lead to a deeper understanding of the problem such as "Boxes," "Prepared dough," "Toppings," and so on.

Tip For each deeper cause, continue to push for deeper understanding, but know when to stop. A rule of thumb is to stop questioning when a cause is controlled by more than one level of management removed from the group. Otherwise, the process could become an exercise in frustration. Use common sense.

e) Interpret or test for root cause(s) by one or more of the following:

• Look for causes that appear repeatedly within or across major cause categories.

• Select through either an unstructured consensus process or one that is structured, such as Nominal Group Technique or Multivoting.

• Gather data through Check Sheets or other formats to determine the relative frequencies of the different causes.

Variations

Traditionally, Cause & Effect Diagrams have been created in a meeting setting. The completed "fishbone" is often reviewed by others and/or confirmed with data collection. A very effective alternative is CEDAC®, in which a large, highly visible, blank fishbone chart is displayed prominently in a work area. Everyone posts both potential causes and solutions on Post-it™ notes in each of the categories. Causes and solutions are reviewed, tested, and posted. This technique opens up the process to the knowledge and creativity of every person in the operation.

Cause & Effect/Fishbone

Bed Assignment Delay

Secure and fun online shopping starts here

Want to Shop Online in Malaysia?

Secure and fun online shopping starts here

Want to shop? Online shopping is so easy with MonSun Online Shop - a Malaysian online shopping directory. At Monsun-Biz.com, they list only secure Malaysian company's online shops and stores...

They have 10,537,500 online shops lots listed in any categories of business, as well as special offers, bargains and gift ideas. All online shops lots are ready to rent to any business principles from Medium to Small Entrepreneurs worldwide.

All Malaysian company's online shops in Monsun-Biz.com are registered company with SMC. So if you want to shop online, shop smart and shop safe - you can trust us to send you to the best online shops. We're your online shopping guide.

At Monsun-Biz.com, they got everything from toy shops and gift shops for your Hari Raya Puasa, Chinese New Year, Deepavali, Christmas etc shopping to supermarkets for your weekly shop. Compare prices with Monsun-Biz.com many book shops or CD shops, or send some flowers or chocolates for Valentines Day! Click on the shopping categories on the left to find the online store you're looking for. Our

Your Favourite Shopping Directory

For the best in Malaysian secure online shops and shopping add Monsun-Biz.com to your favorites now. Secure and fun online shopping starts here.

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Here is a business plan outline.

Thinking of writing a business plan? Here is a business plan outline, listing the sections of the business plan in the order in which they will appear in your completed business plan with a brief explanation of each section to help you get organized and guide you through the writing a business plan process.

The Executive Summary

While appearing first, this section of the business plan is written last. It summarizes the key elements of the entire business plan.

The Industry

An overview of the industry sector that your business will be a part of, including industry trends, major players in the industry, and estimated industry sales. This section of the business plan will also include a summary of your business's place within the industry.

Market Analysis

An examination of the primary target market for your product or service, including geographic location, demographics, your target market's needs and how these needs are being met currently.

Competitive Analysis

An investigation of your direct and indirect competitors, with an assessment of their competitive advantage and an analysis of how you will overcome any entry barriers to your chosen market.

Marketing Plan

A detailed explanation of your sales strategy, pricing plan, proposed advertising and promotion activities, and product or service's benefits.

Management Plan

An outline of your business's legal structure and management resources, including your internal management team, external management resources, and human resources needs.

Operating Plan

A description of your business's physical location, facilities and equipment, kinds of employees needed, inventory requirements and suppliers, and any other applicable operating details, such as a description of the manufacturing process.

Financial Plan

A description of your funding requirements, your detailed financial statements, and a financial statement analysis.

Appendices And Exhibits

Any additional information that will help establish the credibility of your business idea, such as marketing studies, photographs of your product, and/or contracts or other legal agreements pertinent to your business.

Set up the tracking mechanism

Determine how to best collect the information that you will need to evaluate the campaign's effectiveness. If your business has multiple phone lines and you use different designs or offers for a postcard mailer, you might provide a different phone number, URL, or offer code to measure the response to each design.

If you offer gift certificates, you probably want to add unique tracking numbers. If you offer coupons and want to learn who redeems them and for what, you need to add a distinct coupon code to each coupon.

When you add a code to a gift certificate, you can associate an item from the inventory with the gift certificate and track that item. If you offer coupons, adding a unique code to each coupon can prevent customers from sharing copies of coupons. Adding unique codes to event invitations is seldom useful. You need to track only the customers' names. For more information, see Add tracking numbers to gift certificates or coupons.

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Determine what you need to track

Before you start a marketing campaign, consider carefully what information is important to track and who you want to target. For example, if you already know which of your customers are men and which are women, you might want to send different promotions to each gender. If you don't know, that might be information that you want to track this time, so that you can better target your future campaigns.

What do you know before you start?

The information that you collect about your customers is the foundation for an effective marketing effort. When you collect customers' personal characteristics and organize customers into groups that share characteristics, it becomes possible to see patterns in their responses that are based on their common characteristics.

When you link customers' responses to the significant characteristics that influenced their decision to respond, you develop a rich store of knowledge for serving your customers better and improving the success of your subsequent marketing efforts.

Here are a few examples of the characteristics that you can track and what you can learn from them:

• Repeat customers If you identify your repeat customers, you can contact them to determine why they keep coming back or to tell them about sales and special offers.
  
• Infrequent customers If you haven't heard from customers in a while, you can offer a discount or other incentive for their repeat business. Or you can contact them to find out how you can encourage their return.
  
• Customer location If you know where they live, you can offer customers in a specific locale products or services that make sense for their climate or location.
  
• Customer gender If you know customers' gender, you can provide information about products or services that are relevant only to women or men.
  
• Customer age If you know the ages of customers, you can provide products or services that are targeted at their stage in life (such as retirement-planning strategies for those in their twenties and for those in their fifties).
  
• Purchase history If you know the purchase histories of customers who have responded to a mailing and your goal is to expand your customer base, you can purchase a mailing list of people who have bought the same products and send a similar mailing to them.
  
• Response preference By using recipients' responses, you can target each customer with a different follow-up that suits the customer's response. Some customers may respond by phone, others with a visit, and others by e-mail. Each of these suggests that you match your customers' preferences with a different follow-up approach.
  

How well are you doing?

While you are collecting information about your customers, you also want to track how well your marketing efforts are working. You need to decide which of the many variables you want to test and how you can measure their impact. For example, if you use a postcard mailer, you may want to try more than one design or offer and track the success rate for each. Other information that may be valuable to track includes:

• Rate of response Of all the customers whom you contacted, how many responded?
  
• Incentive response If you provided a few different offers to encourage customers to respond, you can track which incentives prompt the greatest response rate.
  
• Method of contact If you provide customers with different ways to respond — for example, by postcard, phone call, e-mail message, personal visit, catalog, or Web site — you can track the responses that you receive for each. If you use different methods to contact your customers, you can track them to see which was most successful in eliciting a response.
  

Isolate the variables

Be sure that you isolate the variables, or later analysis may be difficult. For example, if you use two different postcard designs and each design promotes a different offer, it may be difficult to track whether one postcard receives a higher response rate because of the design or because of the offer.

We will discuss how to Set up the tracking mechanism and its example.

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How to purchase in Monsun Online Market?

How to purchase in Monsun Online Market if you don't have a Credit or Debit card?

If you don't have a credit card or debit card, than here is your process to buy the item from the retailer in Monsun Online Market:

Once you press the button "Proceed", they will take you to another page (confirm page). Below is the example page that you will see:

Your Order Saved. Please contact Seller with your reference No.XXXXXX
Or
banking MYRXXX.00 and send fax your receipt to landlord(landlord unique name) with Reference No : XXXXXX
Banking Details :
ECPORTAL DOT BIZ :CIMB Bank (Bank Account Number) WESTERN UNION : (Agent Name) ID: Agent Identification).

How to Send Money from an Agent Location? It is simple to send money in person. Just go to any of WESTERN UNION AGENT locations worldwide - Just Follow 3 Step. Agent locations may be in banks, travel agencies, post offices, airports, currency exchange offices, supermarkets, grocery stores, and check cashers.Find an Agent Location.

STEP 1: Complete the Form Fill out the required form. Then, simply show the Agent clerk your identification card.

STEP 2: Present Payment. Give the Agent clerk the form, cash and sign the receipt.

STEP 3: Get the Receipt. Your receipt will have the MTCN (Money Transfer Control Number) that will allow you to track the status of your money transfer online.

STEP 4. Email us the detail with the MTCN (Money Transfer Control Number) to (Agent Email)@gmail.com

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What is a budget?

SOmeone once define it this way: 'A statement of a financial position for a definite period of time, based on estimates of expenditure and proposals for financing them'. That sounds a bit grand, but it's really quite simple idea.

Although a budget can be prepared for almost everything, in business it is generally used to forecast and monitor the business for the year ahead.

The budget is a plan expressed in quantitative terms. Sales are forecast as a number of units sold and the revenue earned is then calculated. The expenses relating to that level of sales must also be calculated. Deduction will be included for overhead expenses which will not be affected by the level of activity. Allowing for all these factors you can then estimate the profit that the business will earn in the coming year. You can also estimate the state of the business finance at the end of the coming year.

Note: although we are primarily involved in financial budgeting, resources 9labour or machine hours etc) can also be budgeted for.

Why profit and cash are not the same?

Having profit at the bank and making a profit are not the same thing although to some extend the two are related. Profitable businesses can experience cashflow problems, whilst businesses which are not profitable may temporarily have surplus funds at the bank.

Profit and cashflow are equally important to the business. Only when both are properly manage can the business be successful.

Sample Layout Internet Business Plan

Landlord Monsun Online Market






1. Setup your business





2.Target Your Market





3. Setup Sales Process





4. Setup Your Web Site



5. Do your promotion



6. Maintain your business

PM laksana agenda berani

Saya amat tertarik dengan tajuk berita diatas yang saya petik dari Berita Harian Online yang bertarikh 26 Mac 2008. Perdana Menteri Malaysia Dato' Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi begitu bersungguh-sungguh untuk memulihkan kembali kredibiliti kerajaan dalam membina kepercayaan rakyat Malaysia kepada kerajaan yang baru dibentuk.

Berikut adalah sedikit petikkan yang saya ambil dari tajuk berita diatas:

Dalam ucaptama pada persidangan Invest Malaysia 2008 di sini semalam, Abdullah berkata, keputusan pilihan raya umum lalu memberi mesej kuat bahawa beliau tidak bergerak sepantas seperti sepatutnya dalam melaksanakan pembaharuan yang dijanjikan.

Beliau, yang mengambil maklum mengenai perkara itu menegaskan, barisan Kabinet barunya akan berkerja kuat sebagai satu pasukan serta memberi perhatian kepada teknologi maklumat dan komunikasi (ICT) kerana semakin ramai golongan muda melayari internet serta menggunakan khidmat pesanan ringkas (SMS) dalam mendapatkan maklumat.

Pandangan dan tindakan Dato' Seri Abdullah adalah tepat. Ini menunjukkan betapa pentingnya era teknologi maklumat (ICT) dan juga khidmat pesanan ringkas (SMS) dewasa ini. Bahkan kedua-dua teknologi ini mampu menentukan jatuh dan bangunnya sesebuah kerajaan.

Saya percaya, gelombang Informasi dan Teknologi Maklumat (ICT) dan juga khidmat pesanan ringkas (SMS) ini akan semakin rancak malah akan menjadi satu budaya yang baru (new culture) dalam kita berkomunikasi dan juga dalam menyampai dan menerima maklumat terkini.

Bukan itu sahaja. Malah saya percaya kedua-dua teknologi ini juga mampu untuk menjana ekonomi negara dengan lebih rancak lagi jika peniaga-peniaga di Malaysia perihatin dan mengmbil serius dengan belombang baru ini.

Peniaga-peniaga juga harus sedar bahawa gelombang baru ini (new wave) yang telah terbukti amat berkesan dalam menyebarkan maklumat-maklumat terkini lebih-lebih lagi dalam menyampaikan maklumat mengenai produk-produk dan perkhidmatan mereka kepada setiap pelanggan yang berpotensi diluar sana.

Masa telah bertukar. Teknologi semakin canggih dan terus maju kehadapan. Jika kita masih lagi ragu-ragu ataupun tidak mengmbil berat dengan kedua-dua kuasa teknologi ini, maka kita akan jauh ketinggalan. Adalah satu kerugian yang amat sangat jika peniaga-peniaga di Malaysia terutama kepada peniaga-peniaga Industri Kecil dan Sederhana tidak mengambil peluang ini untuk memacu perniagaan mereka kepada tahap yang optimum.

Top 10 Selling Tips

The most effective strategies are often the simplest. Find great information on pricing, features, and key words that attract buyers. Once you've done your research and compared your items to others in the marketplace, follow these simple but sometimes overlooked tips to attract more buyers and boost your bottom line.

1. Maximize Profits with Low Priced, No Reserve Auctions: Getting that first bid is critical, as buyers are more likely to jump in if there are already bids on an item. Similarly, reserve prices can cause buyers to lose interest if they assume an item is overpriced. Many successful sellers set a low opening bid with no reserve to jumpstart bidding and increase their final selling price.
2. Include Reasonable Shipping Costs: Specifying reasonable shipping and handling costs in your listing is essential for smart selling-and it improves your search ranking when buyers sort by total cost. So you can expand your market and increase your chances of success.
3. Accept Online Payments: Buyers are more likely to bid on your items if your payment methods are clearly stated and easy to use. Get paid immediately and protect your transactions with our Payment Gateway2020–3 out of 4 buyers prefer it over any other method of payment. With Payment Gateway2020, you could receive 14 payment methods of transaction. The payment direct to your local bank account.
   
4. Maximize Your Item Title: Be sure to include key words that buyers will search for, unique or descriptive attributes, and always check your spelling. Your item title is critical in helping users find your items, so use each character wisely.
5. Describe Your Item in Detail: A good description is concise, well organized, and easy to read. Create bold section headlines, bulleted lists, and be sure to include item style/type, brand, condition, estimated value, and other attributes. You can also insert links to videos that highlight the unique features of your item. Think about your listing from the buyer's perspective. The more information you provide, the more likely buyers are to place a bid.
6. Include Photos: A picture really is worth a thousand words! Use clear, well-lit photos from a variety of angles to accurately showcase your item. Use Gallery to display a thumbnail photo in search results-it's been shown to increase sales an average 10% and final price by 12%.
   
7. Bring them back with great communication: The more customer-friendly your policies, the more you will be able to convert potential buyers into loyal customers. Clearly state your Return Policy directly in your listing-just knowing you have one will increase buyer confidence. Display custom FAQ's and respond to emails quickly. Include extras or a handwritten note in the box to really surprise and delight your customers!
8. Get Free Boxes, Online Postage & Pick-up: The USPS offers a variety of free shipping supplies, delivered directly to you. After the sale, you can print postage and labels on your home printer and schedule carrier pick-up—so you can save money, time, and a trip to the post office!
   
9. Establish yourself as an Expert: Share your product knowledge and drive traffic to your listings via MONSUN and Internet search engines. Create write Reviews & Guides and Blogs that feature your top-selling products. It's easy, effective, and free.
10. Sell For a Cause: MONSUN Giving Works listings tend to sell at higher final prices, because buyers are more willing to purchase and often pay more for items that benefit a nonprofit. You can enhance buyer trust and loyalty by aligning with a cause, gain increased exposure, and receive a receipt for your tax-deductible donations!

Talking Points: Failing to Plan is Planning to Fail

Need talking points to convince your boss or board of directors to do a strategic plan? Here are some points to help you make your case:
If organizations fail to anticipate or prepare for fundamental changes, they may lose valuable lead time and momentum to combat them. These fundamental elements of business are customer expectations, employee morale, regulatory requirements, competitive pressures, and economic changes, and they're always in flux. Many times businesses achieve a level of success and then stall. Strategic planning helps you to avoid the stall and get off the plateau you find yourself on. Accidental success is dangerous.
Succeeding without a plan is possible, and plenty of examples exist of businesses that have achieved financial success without a plan. If you're one of them, consider yourself lucky, but ask yourself this questions: Could you have grown and become even more successful if you were better organized? I'm willing to bet your answer is yes.
Another danger is that the lack of a strategic plan negatively impacts the attitude of an organization's team. Employees who see aimlessness within an organization have no sense of a greater purpose. People need a reason to come to work everyday (besides the a paycheck). Lack of direction results in morale problems because, as far as your employees are concerned, the future is uncertain, unpredictable, and out of control. These depressing conclusions can only be seen as a threat to employment, which negatively impacts productivity.
To avoid these dangers, you need to get rid of the naysayers (including possibly yourself). Questioning the value of strategic planning is normal because planning can be intense and costly, but if the attitude that planning isn't necessary becomes part of your corporate culture, it can prove deadly.