Aboriginal Buying Group

You have found a list of suitable potential joint venture partners and have approached a few with a proposal. One of them is excited about the proposition and is ready to move forward with the details. How do you proceed with the negotiation phase?

When you are ready to begin negotiations with your prospective JV partner, here are a few basic guidelines that can help make the most of your negotiation sessions and ensure that you reach a mutually successful agreement.

Know Your JV Partner’s Business

Nothing sounds more amateur than entering a negotiation with no knowledge of your potential partner’s business. Even if your potential partner is in the same business as you, there are still many factors that you need to know that affect his business. Research possible and unique problems and challenges with profits, resources, and marketing. 

Research can be performed on the Internet. Read your potential JV partner’s website. Browse and read industry publications. Discover any message boards that mention your JV partner’s business.

And don’t forget to do “live” research as well. You could perform a “secret shopper” style of research to get knowledge about how customer service is performed. Purchase a product or service and test its boundaries. The more you know about your potential partner’s business, the better equipped you will be to handle negotiations.

Know Your Potential JV Partner

Find out as much as you can about the person you will be dealing with. Is he a delegator? Does he prefer to be “hands on” and involved in every little decision? Do as much research about your potential partner before you meet. You may ask previous customers or even an administrative assistant about how he responds to certain situations. 

However, mostly you will learn much by face-to-face contact and posing questions to your potential JV partner. Find out what he values. What are his dreams? Fears? And what does he REALLY want? Design questions that will help you get to know your potential partner and discover the answers to these questions. It will go a long way in crafting a truly unique and personal JV agreement between the two of you. 

Be Prepared to Educate About JVs

Your potential JV partner may not be savvy to the benefits of a JV arrangement. Be ready to have as much information that your potential partner requires to feel comfortable with the decision to from a JV.  Use articles, video, and other resources that can help convey the benefits of a successful JV.
Choose a Relaxed Atmosphere

A good negotiation will happen when both parties are relaxed and ready to communicate. That may be a restaurant, or meeting space, or even at a home. But make sure the environment is comfortable with no distractions while you negotiate.

A successful JV negotiation is when both you and your JV partner are happy with the arrangement. Neither of you should feel like you have a lesser part of the deal. However, if you want to help facilitate a good negotiation, follow these guidelines and you’ll be on your way to a happy and fulfilling JV with your partner.

Christian Fea is CEO of Synertegic, Inc. A Joint Venture Marketing firm. He exemplifies how to profit from Joint Venture relationships by creating profit centers with minimal risk and maximum profitability.

To discover more Joint Venture Marketing Strategies join his free Joint Venture Marketing Wealth Report.

You might think that during a global recession people would be cutting back on their spa treatments. You might be under the impression that because everyone is watching what they spend very closely, there would be no room for loose spending on sheer luxuries. You might be surprised to learn then that the International Spa Assosication (ISPA) has suggested recently that health spa are recession proof. This was backed up by the staggering statistic that as a whole, health spa visits increased by 18% last year on the previous year figures. But how can this be?

Officials from the ISPA have said that spas will always be able to cater for the current demands of the consumers and adapt their game to match the market. This basically means that when people are happy and have a lot of disposable income, spas can offer treatments and packages marketed as things people can reward themselves with. They offer luxury manicures and indulgent body wraps, using the idea of ‘why not? You deserve it’.However, the same offerings would not go down well in a recession. Marketing things as ‘luxury’ when people’s finances have taken a hit is not the right option. It is therefore necessary for spas to make some changes to what they seem to be offering.

Spas can claim to offer people exactly what they need when they are suffering from a period of high stress or anxiety. A massage or invigorating body treatment is usually the first thing they market, aimed at revitalising the body and repairing the muscles that have endured so much suffering recently. Instead of pampering facials, you can now get a energising exfoliating scrub to get rid of all that old bad skin and emerge a brand new butterfly with a fresh outlook on life and a positive attitude towards any problems you may be facing

You might imagine that the crash in global economies would mean spa treatments were not so much of a priority for lots of people. You might think that people would be caring less about what they look like right now and more about making sure they have a roof over their heads and food in their mouths. You might be surprised to learn then that the International Spa Assosication (ISPA) has suggested recently that health spa are recession proof. A seventeen percent increase in spa visitor numbers in 2008 (compared to 2007) backed this claim up quite considerably. But how can this be?

Officials from the ISPA have said that spas will always be able to cater for the current demands of the consumers and adapt their game to match the market. What they mean by this is that during times of prosperity, when everyone is feeling good about themselves, spa market themselves as somewhere they can treat themselves. They offer luxury manicures and indulgent body wraps, selling the concept of ‘why not? You’ve earned it’. Of course in times of doom and gloom this same approach would not work. You will not get people to spend money on things they consider ‘treats’ when their finances are uncertain. Very cleverly, spas take action and alter their angle of attack.

Spas can claim to offer people exactly what they need when they are suffering from a period of high stress or anxiety. A massage or invigorating body treatment is usually the first thing they market, aimed at revitalising the body and repairing the muscles that have endured so much suffering recently. Instead of pampering facials, you can now get a energising exfoliating scrub to get rid of all that old bad skin and emerge a brand new butterfly with a fresh outlook on life and a positive attitude towards any problems you may be facing

If you are considering visiting Las Vegas you should really consider the Excalibur Hotel and Casino. The Excalibur has everything that you come to expect from a Las Vegas Hotel. The hotel offers many entertainment options, dining that is world class and of course lots of casino action.

When you check into your room you will find it very decorated in very warm tones with hardwood furniture. High speed internet access, hair dryers, irons and cable tv are just a few of the amenities that the Excalibur offers to it’s guests. If you are looking for something a little bit different be sure to request the “Turret” room with it’s castle theme. The standard rooms offer King or Queen sized beds, spa rooms have a built in spa for two which is very romantic and relaxing. In the parlor suite you will find a full living room, a dining area, a fridge, marble spa and shower and a guest bathroom.

Not only does the Excalibur offer everything you could need but the staff is exceptionally friendly. The casino offers slots, poker, sports book, table games like blackjack and baccarat and keno all of which is available around the clock. Slots and other electronic games offer betting from one cent to one hundred dollars and the sports book allows you to wager on horse and dog racing as well as your favorite sports team. The Tournament of Kings dinner show is a wonderful experience. While eating a wonderful meal yo can watch jousting and dancing maidens. For the ladies the Excalibur offers the world famous “Thunder from Down Under” with the hottest Australian hunks that continent has to offer. If you are in need of a good laugh be sure to check out Louie Anderson’s show Larger than Life.

Zagat has awarded the Steakhouse At Camelot many awards for it’s fine food and service. along with their tender beef the Steakhouse has fresh seafood flown in each day. It’s even possible to arrange a private dining room. If you are in the mood for a buffet the Excalibur treats you like a King. Whether you are looking for Breakfast, Lunch or diner the Excalibur has you covered. Don’t miss the Champagne Sunday Brunch. If you decide to dine at Sir Galahads another fine Excalibur restaurant be sure to try their aged prime beef seasoned with rock salt and pepper. Slow roasted and sliced right at the table, nothing could be tastier.

You cannot visit Vegas without treating yourself to a day at the spa and the Royal Treatment Spa will certainly have you feeling like royalty. Overlooking the pool area, this 13,000 square feet spa will pamper you with a wide variety of options. When you are not busy eating, sleeping playing blackjack, craps or roulette you can entertain your self by taking a stroll along the Castle Walk with the 17 shops, a gaming arcade and a gorgeous pool the Excalibur Hotel and Casino has everything to fill your needs.

The following creative marketing ideas are specifically about finding new places and ways to advertise. This has always been an area ripe for new ideas. What prompted me to write this page is an article I recently read on a company called Show Media.

Show Media has advertising displays on top of 3,000 taxis in New York. They charge client (which include Levis, Nike and other big companies) $200 per month for each ad, and they pay $100 to the cab company. That leaves enough room for healthy profits. Founder Laurence Hallier says that a typical campaign, which would cost $40,000 per month for exposure on 200 taxis, is seen by 25% of the city’s residents - each day.

That got me to thinking about what other creative marketing ideas and opportunities are out there in the area of advertising. The following is a short list I am coming up with as I write this. Some of these may already exist.

Street Signs - In these tough times, many cities are looking for additional revenue. Could placing advertising on street signs provide it? In addition to providing monthly revenue, the company that arranges this might have to make new signs for the city, saving it this cost.

Personal Car Ads - I know this is being done in some areas already. What is needed is a simple system. Have a place where a driver can pull in, have a sign attached to his or her car, and get a check for keeping it there for six months.

Kite Ads - In areas with consistent breezes it might be possible to have kites flying most of the day with large ads on them. Beaches are a natural location, but this may work in other places as well.

Sidewalk Audio Advertising - As people walk by certain locations an ad automatically plays. Advertisers could be charged by the number of times an ad plays (getting a good deal when more than one pedestrian happens to be there to hear it). Another angle here is to sell the units to specific businesses. A restaurant might have a recording that is triggered by each passer-by, saying something like, “Hello, come on in right now and you’ll get a free drink with your sandwich.”

Yard Sign Advertising - I’m not sure about the legality of this in most places, but many yards have signs supporting political candidates or announcing that some company just replaced the windows or did the landscaping, so why not have paid advertising? Residents get a monthly check for each sign, and advertisers pay twice that, leaving room for a profit for the company that does this.

Mural Advertising - This one might be an opportunity for a budding artist. He could find a building that is ugly and ask the owner how much he would want to have a nice advertising mural on it. Then he could find advertisers who will pay enough to leave him with a decent profit. The owner of the building might have to get final approval on the planned mural and agree to leave it there for a couple years.

Odor Advertising - Have the smell of fresh cooked food pumped onto busy sidewalks, alongside a sign or audio ad promoting a restaurant.

Advertising With Plants - Bushes could be trimmed into the shape of a company logo. Flower beds could be planted with logos or even in the shape of words for advertising. Cornfields near airports could have ads cut into them to be seen by plane passengers above.

Marketing Games - A company might get word-of-mouth advertising by making it into a contest or game. Participants sign up online and get a number which they give out with their recommendation. The person who has referred the most customers after a year wins a big prize.

DVD Ads - There is already advertising for other movies IN DVD movies, but what about on the box that the DVD comes in. I’m not referring to the one that it is sold in. Many movie rental stores have their own blank boxes that they send out all of their movies in. Could they sell advertising on those? It could be for local products or services (a restaurant, for example), or products available nationally.

Those are the ten creative marketing ideas that I could think of in the forty-five minutes it took to write this. You can probably add a few to the list with a bit of brainstorming.

Online gambling is the newest player in America’s debt indiscretions. Now by visiting a simple website players can now gamble online, from online slots to tournament blackjack. With these new outlets, chronic gamblers are finding it harder to stay away from the computer.

The Internet creates a new problem for online gamblers, and poses a threat to their self-control and judgment. Since online gambling offers the convenience of never having to leave your home it’s easier than ever to hide a gambling addiction. You can lose yourself for hours in front of a computer, which can have drastic effects on your interactions with others.

Another issue with online gambling is that you don’t feel the sting when you start to loose money. In a land based casino you see your stack of chips or bucket of coins gets smaller and smaller. At an online casino it is very easy to miss the small numbers in the corner getting lower and lower. However one major advantage online casino have is that most do not directly accept credit cards like land based casinos do. This means it’s far more difficult to use debt to gamble with.

Online gambling is not restricted to just online casinos with their slots and table games but also encompasses sports betting. Now you don’t need to visit or call you bookie and be limited to the sports they support. Now you can login and make wagers on anything from horse racing in the US to a cricket match in India.

Despite the glamorization of gambling by TV with shows like Las Vegas and coverage of the World Series of Poker, gambling is a serious past-time that has real consequences. When these consequences are not understood or ignored then regardless of whether you play online or in a land based casino you are going to have serious problems.  Please visit Gaming Club Online Poker, Gaming Gambling or Gaming Game for more information and free software downloads.