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Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Company Going Public? Your First Call Should Be to A Corporate Publicist!

By James Scott

With all the free article submission sites online, there is no shortage of self proclaimed Publicity Marketing gurus out there. Pathetically most of these businesses are fly by nights seeking quick profits without the true experience and ability to actually perform the task they were hired for.

It is important to realize that most of these publicity marketing firms are simply affiliates and resellers for multiple vendors as well as back link and submission sites. The problem is, with a service that is 100% outsourced the company you're hiring doesn't have a real understanding of how to put a solid, long-term plan together that will reap fast and ongoing results that will raise name awareness, increase website traffic and brand you as an industry expert.

First, Before you hire a publicity marketing firm, prequalify them by asking the following questions: First, What genres of online publicity marketing do they cover? Here is the information you need.

For a solid campaign that has both short and long-term affects they must cover online video submission to multiple video hosting sites using targeted long tail key phrases, press releases to a minimum of 20 sites that specifically brand you as an industry expert to gain legitimacy, keyword targeted links on social and news book marketing sites that provide good content to the online community an create a legion of back links to your site and photo marketing which is an ultra powerful yet highly ignored form of marketing by the inexperienced online publicity marketing fraternity.

The above are characteristics of a solid branding and publicity marketing campaign that will yield both direct response results as well as long term publicity and branding results that will launch your company light years ahead of any other website or brick and mortar company in your industry niche. - 23211

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The Advantages Of Investing In The Stock Market - Part 1

By Zigfred Diaz

I had been writing several articles that gave a comprehensive introduction on how to invest in the Philippine stock market . Focus was given on the basic principles that each prospective investors should know. In this article the advantages of investing in the stock market will be given focus.

As I said in the previous articles, the stock market is just another vehicle of investment. You might be asking yourself why would you want to invest in the stock market? What are the advantages of investing in the stock market.

The question could probably be best answered by the following. Be advised that the examples given refer to Philippine based companies and currency. Should you wish to view the article in its entirety please visit my blog.

1.) Investing in the Stock Market has potential for great returns - Every financial expert would tell you that when the market has a potential to go up, it really goes up. Returns could range to as high as 30 % to 200 %+ per annum or even more. In the long term it is expected that you would really profit at lot. In 1997, the price of Globe Telecom Inc. (GLO) stocks was only P152.00 per share. Buying the minimum board lot which was 10 shares during that time would have only cost you about P 1,520.00. Now the price per share of Globe is P 1,620.00+. The value of those shares is right now P 16,200. That means in ten years time your money has grown times ten or a 1000 percent increase. It also means that you have a return of an average of 30 % per annum. Not bad compared to putting it in a time deposit account at less than 4 % per annum. You might also be interested to know that the Philippine stock market is at its highest these days. A bull run is still expected for the next 2 to 3 years. So hold on to your horses, I mean bulls and make the best out of the bull run.

2.)"Ownership" in the companies that you are investing in. - Wouldn't it be so cool to have your own Jollibee franchise ? However the investment of 20 to 25 million pesos does not make it so cool considering that you also have to put in time and effort to run the store. So instead of owning a Jollibee franchise why not buy Jollibee instead through buying shares of stocks in the corporation ? The minimum board lot of JFC shares (Jollibee Foods Corporations - JFC) cost only P 5,000+. With this investment you indirectly own the more than 1414 stores in the Philippines and 175 in other countries not to mention Red Ribon, Chowking, Deli-France, A popular fastfood chain - Yonghe King in China and popular teahouse chain from Taiwan called Chun Shui Tang including Jollibee's pilot restaurant "Tio Pepe's Karinderia." So next time you eat at Jollibee tell your friends and that you like to eat there because you "own part of the company." You might want to own stocks of PLDT or Globe to help you become more prompt in paying your bills.

3.) You belong to a special group of people when you invest in the stock market -

Every time I am asked to join a multi-level marketing scheme, I want to know when the company started. I believe that if the company started a long time ago, I will have lesser chance of recruiting other people since most people that I know has already been recruited.

However take note that investing in the stock market is not mutli-level marketing. Whether the market is saturated or not does not matter. But it is always good to know that we are among pioneers to take advantage of the potential of the market.

Statistics released by the Asian Development Bank shows that as of 2005, only 600,000, out of the of the country's 87 million population, invest in the stock market. If you do the math that is only 1 % or roughly around 0.7 % Most of the market players are from the Class A and B segments. - 23211

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Take Your Company Public Fast and Cheap

By James Scott

When raising funding, most likely investors will want their equity distribution in an SEC recognized format like a Private Placement Memorandum, also known as a PPM. This structure makes use of one of the three Regulation D exemptions stemming from the Securities Act of'33.

The 3 powerful exemptions are Reg D (Regulation D) exemption Rule 504, Rule 505 and Rule 506. These rules carry different criteria that help businesses raise equity funding without all the stringent legalities of a public offering. These rules are defined like this: Rule 506 provides an exemption for limited offers and sales without regard to the dollar amount of the offering.

This exemption does not limit the number of accredited investors, but the number of non-accredited investors may not exceed 35 investors. (An accredited investor is any one investor with a certain net worth and or experience in the purchase of stocks.) All non-accredited purchasers, either alone or together with a designated representative must be sophisticated enough (i.e., have the knowledge and experience necessary) to evaluate the merits and risks of the investment. (An offering company typically determines the sophistication of its investors with a questionnaire subscription agreement.)

Regulation D Rule 506 requires accurately detailed disclosure of relevant information to potential investors; the extent of disclosure depends on the dollar size of the offering. Rule 505 offerings may not exceed $5 million, less the total dollar amount of securities sold during the preceding 12 month period under Rule 504, Rule 505 or Section 3 of the act. This exemption limits the number of non-accredited investors to 35 but has no investor sophistication standards. Rule 505 requires disclosure similar to that required for Rule 506 offerings, under $7.5 million.

Rule 504 offerings allow a business to raise a maximum of $1 million, less the total dollar amount of securities sold during the preceding 12 month period, under Rule 504, Rule 505 or Section 3 of the act. However, a business can raise only $500,000 by the sale of securities to persons residing in the states of Montana and Alaska, which have no disclosure laws applicable to the offering. For the states that do have disclosure laws, which are 48 out of the 50 states, a business can raise up to $1,000,000. Rule 504 has no prescribed disclosure requirements, no limit on the number of purchasers, and no investor sophistication standards. So if you're trying to raise capital using a PPM, use the above criteria as a cliff note and as long as you stay within SEC guidelines, raising money can be a breeze. - 23211

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How To Find a Consultant To Take Your Company Public

By James Scott

So many companies dream of going public to raise massive amounts of capital, as set up for an exit strategy, to make acquisitions with stock and for many other reasons. While your intentions may be pure and with genuine motives, you're entering shark infested waters of boiler rooms, crooked attorneys and underbelly consultants who have made careers off of taking well intentioned executives just like you for a 24 month rollercoaster ride while they take every penny you have as your company shrivels up like week old road kill.

Just and honest consultants in the 'public offering' industry are as rare as the illusive white elephant. This industry exists in a cesspool surrounded by rose gardens; from afar it looks amazing and an image of a dreamland but get up and close and the sludge and odor are enough to make you run and hide. So what do you look for in a consultant? The best consulting firms are the 'boutique firms' with minimal overhead that keep a low profile and are made up of 3 or 4 'partner' consultants.

These firms typically have the experience of working with the large consulting groups but for one reason or another have decided to leave and go out on their own. The great thing is, these small groups typically have massive contacts and process your entire public offering in-house. Offering a complete turn-key solution that is managed in-house offers a huge advantage because there is accountability and you can actually build a relationship with the people that are making your dream of a public offering come true.

These 'boutique' consultants will usually stay onboard as growth consultants for the life of the company in exchange for modest fees and a pre-IPO or pre-OTCBB equity position. The large firms will hack you out at the knees and gouge you with fees while they take massive amounts of equity in your company which takes away your bartering chip when you need to offer more stock to the public to raise capital.

The small firms will also work one on one with you to show you how to use your stock to grow through acquisition and other nifty ways to use stock to grow. Seek out the boutique consulting firm and save the attorney for spot audits. Hold on to your cash. Why pay outrageous fees to lawyers when you can pay 60% less with a small consulting firm that will add all the bells and whistles for free and actually get your stock trading, usually in half the time? - 23211

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Take Your Company Public: Software Firms Can Raise Capital Fast!

By James Scott

Are you trying to raise capital for your start-up or corporation in expansion? Have you exhausted your traditional institutional sources and hedge fund contacts? Don't lose hope just yet! First of all, take all those pamphlets and brochures from banks and other traditional lenders that are lying all over your desk and toss them in the trash...they are absolutely useless.

Banks don't have your company's best interest in mind as they are hardly even staying afloat in this economy. Today's institutional financier isn't qualified to run a bath let alone a bank. Don't put your future in the untested hands of a 20 something knucklehead. After you've tossed all that useless info in the trash, clear your head and then look at your company and ask yourself a few tough questions: Is your company invest-able? Do you and your executive staff have a pedigree that investors deem as seasoned enough to take their money and make affective use of it and not lose it? What proprietary concepts/technology/patents do you have that give you a larger market share with the proper cash infusion? What is your current capital/debt situation?

If, after pondering these questions you've come to the conclusion you honestly, truly have something worth pursuing then the next step is to look at the reality that your company is worthy of a public offering. Stay away from Pink Sheets and be weary of reverse mergers and in reality your company won't qualify for the NASDAQ so the quickest way to raise public capital is the OTCBB (over the counter bulletin boards).

OTCBB is an SEC regulated platform that has a solid investor following and market makers that can effectively promote your stock to rapidly raise capital. Don't let these difficult economic times steal your dreams of corporate prosperity and personal growth.

If you have a solid business concept, there is a way to fund it. Look into the OTCBB, it's your best bet for an inexpensive public offering with a direct path to long term funding. - 23211

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