Business opportunity in india

Business Opportunities in India: Ideas and Tips

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There are plenty of exciting business opportunities in India. We have started a list of business ideas for those entrepreneurs who are interested in Internet ventures, outsourcing technology, e-commerce opportunities, software development opportunities, business trends and other business ideas. We hope to add to this list as we find case studies in Bangalore, India.

• Online Customer Support From India
• E-Commerce Export Opportunities In India
• Export Animations, multimedia, Graphics Or Other Content Products
• Export Data Services
• Start A Software Company
• E-Commerce Business Opportunities Within India
• Future Topics...

1. ONLINE CUSTOMER SUPPORT FROM INDIA
There is a company in Bangalore that has pioneered this idea. Aditi (www.aditi.com) provides email customer support for Real Media. The customer in America who needs support will have his problem solved via email by a team of Indians. The Internet has opened the door for this type of opportunity. It really is true that the geographic barriers are coming down.
The Potential: The business potential in this type venture is the cost savings of running a business in India. There is a huge labor pool of good quality English speakers who can easily handle customer support for web sites like RealMedia. The cost to hire someone to do this is about US $150-$200 per month. You can expect to hire a very nice English speaker who has had some computer training. Furthermore he or she will have a pleasant attitude, as most Indians are warm and friendly.
The Downside: The risk is that the customers will not be served well if the Indian staff is not trained properly. The staff needs to understand the mindset of the American customer. This can easily be overcome as long as the potential problem is recognize

2. E-COMMERCE EXPORT OPPORTUNITIES IN INDIA
There are plenty of things that can be purchased and exported. One young man has sought out unusual coffee and spices and now has an e-commerce site where he sells these items through the mail. Perhaps it is not even necessary to purchase and warehouse anything. Partnering and establishing joint ventures with Indian companies would give you the opportunity to handle a variety of products without the risk and cost. You could simply create a website that sells the products. This is not much different than Amazon.com. Do you realize they don't publish books? They just sell other's. Often they have the book sent to the customer directly from the publisher eliminating the shipping and storage.
The Potential: The potential is to find a niche market. Perhaps this could be in the area of health care products, herbs or plants that are only found in India.
The Downside: The risk is that the product may not sell. Fortunately the Internet can be used to test the market before taking much risk. It is much easier to find the demand for items and then meet that demand than to start with the product. India has plenty of products that can be tested on the market.
3. EXPORT ANIMATIONS, MULTIMEDIA, GRAPHICS OR OTHER CONTENT PRODUCTS
Again this idea utilizes the skilled creative labor force in India. We have not been able to find a case study of a company doing this in India.
The Potential: The potential is to fill the huge demand for quality content that the web is creating.
The Downside: The downside is that it requires careful supervision to assure that the product communicates effectively to a Western audience. For example, a Westerner's taste for colors is different to that of an Indian.
4. EXPORT DATA SERVICES
Any kind of outsourcing of data entry or data conversion is a good candidate for a successful start up business in India. The hottest thing these days in Bangalore is medical transcription. Doctors and hospitals in the USA send their audio transcriptions via the Internet to Bangalore, India. They send the audio file at 5:00pm which is around 5.00am in India. The workers can do their work so that the Doctor has the text document the next morning. In Bangalore you can find good examples of companies already doing this. Go to Yahoo and type in "data entry India" or "data conversion India". You will be startled by the amount of information that is available.
The Potential: The potential for this type of business venture is great. Many of the Bangalore companies are growing and adding employees quickly. The reason there is such a global demand for this kind of work is because companies want to have their documents in a digital format. This conversion may include scanning the document into the computer and then going one-step further and tagging and indexing them in HTML SGML or XML so that it can be put on the Internet and easily retrieved. The entrepreneurs who are willing to joint venture with Indian partners to start up a business like this will not only make money but will be doing a great service for India by providing high quality skilled jobs.
The Downside: The risk is in, not maintaining top quality work for the client. This has been a complaint of many clients.

5. START A SOFTWARE COMPANY
There is nothing new about this. There are plenty of success stories. Bangalore already has at least 600 software companies. Most of these are Indian owned and non-resident Indians have started a few of them. For a list of Bangalore software companies you can go to resource page. Government of IndiaBangalore is), is encouraging foreign involvement and investment and has turned on the green light to hi-tech companies. They have even created some tax incentives for this industry. and especially Karnataka (the state in which
The Potential: The potential is for the development of quality software using the extremely intelligent labor force in India at a lower cost. Cost savings can be found in rent, insurance etc. High quality programmers can be hired for 25%-50% of the cost of the same software programmers in the West. For a good example look at gseindia.com and read the history of this high end Swedish/Indian Software Company.
The Downside: The downside is that there are inefficiencies related to working in India i.e.: erratic power, government bureaucracy, poor Internet connections etc. Unless the cost saving is considerable, many of the problems related to doing business in India will offset the benefit.
6. E-COMMERCE BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES WITHIN INDIA
The consumer market is huge and expanding. It is not only growing by sheer population growth but also because the improving economy is producing a growing class of people with disposable income. Furthermore this potential market is relatively untouched. It is only in the past few years that many consumer products have become available in India.
The Potential: The potential is to get involved early in the e-commerce boom. As of now there are only a handful of companies involved. The potential is limited for the next year or two (see below). But keep in mind that China had only 600,000 Internet users in November 1997 and by October of 1999 China has about 4 million users (And the big advantage that India has over China is the common use of the English language.). The same growth of the Internet will happen in India. The Downside: There are some serious obstacles in the way. Few people are used to the idea of mail order. It may take one or two years for the trust to be established between the customer and the company. Also the middle class is 50-70 million but only about 1 million have direct access to the Internet, only 1 in 36 Indians have a phone and most don't have a credit card.
      

What is GDP...

What is GDP and why is it so important?

The gross domestic product(GDP) is one the primary indicators used to gauge the health of a country's economy. It represents the total dollar value of all goods and services produced over a specific time period - you can think of it as the size of the economy. Usually, GDP is expressed as a comparison to the previous quarter or year. For example, if the year-to-year GDP is up 3%, this is thought to mean that the economy has grown by 3% over the last year.

Measuring GDP is complicated (which is why we leave it to the economists), but at its most basic, the calculation can be done in one of two ways: either by adding up what everyone earned in a year (income approach), or by adding up what everyone spent (expenditure method). Logically, both measures should arrive at roughly the same total.

The income approach, which is sometimes referred to as GDP(I), is calculated by adding up total compensation to employees, gross profits for incorporated and non incorporated firms, and taxes less any subsidies. The expenditure method is the more common approach and is calculated by adding total consumption, investment, government spending and net exports.

As one can imagine, economic production and growth, what GDP represents, has a large impact on nearly everyone within that economy. For example, when the economy is healthy, you will typically see low unemployment and wage increases as businesses demand labor to meet the growing economy. A significant change in GDP, whether up or down, usually has a significant effect on the stock market. It's not hard to understand why: a bad economy usually means lower profits for companies, which in turn means lower stock prices. Investors really worry about negative GDP growth, which is one of the factors economists use to determine whether an economy is in a recession.

The Festival-Dussehra

According, to the epic Ramayna, is the day when lord Ram defeated and killed Ravana in lanka.The festival marks the start of 14-day journey of lard Ram back to Ayodhya after a banishment of 14-years in forest, and the day he reached Ayodhya celebrated as Diwali.

In the months of Ashwin and kartik, Hindus observe a 10 day ceremony of fast, rituals, celebrations, fiests to honor the mother Goddess and triumph of Lord Rama over Demon Ravana. Dussehra also symbolizes the triumph of warrior Goddess Durga over the buffalo demon, Mahishasura. Thus, it is a celebration of victory of good over evil.

This celebration starts from Navratri and ends with the tenth day festival of “Dussehra”. Navratri and Dussehra is celebrated throughout the country at the same time, with varying rituals, but with great enthusiasm and energy as it marks the end of scorching summer and the start of winter season.

The tenth day after Navratri is called Dussehra, on which number of fairs are organized throughout the northern India, burning effigies of Ravana.It is also called “Vijayadashmi” as this day marks the victory of Lord Rama over Ravana. VijayaDashami is considered to be an auspicious day for the Indian householder, on which he worships, protects and preserves 'Shakti' (power). According to Scriptures, by worshipping the 'Shakti' on these nine-days the householders attain the threefold power i.e. physical, mental and spiritual, which helps him to progress in life without any difficulty.

The 'Ramlila' - an enactment of the life of Lord Rama, is held during the nine days preceding Dussehra. On the tenth day (Dussehra or Vijay Dasami), larger than life effigies of Ravana, his son and brother - Meghnadh and Kumbhakarna are set to fire.

The theatrical enactment of this dramatic encounter is held throughout the country in which every section of people participates enthusiastically.

In burning the effigies the people are asked to burn the evil within them, and thus follow the path of truth and goodness, bearing in mind the instance of Ravana, who despite all his might and majesty was destroyed for his evil ways.

Legends

Dussehra is also known as Vijaya Dasami, because of the victory of Ram over Ravana. On this day in Satya Yug, Ram (the eighth incarnation of Lord Vishnu), killed the great demon and king of Lanka, Ravana.

Puranas also opined that in this day warrior Goddess Durga defeated and killed the buffalo demon Mahishasura.

When is Dussehra?

Dussehra is the last day of Navratri; it falls on the 10th day of the waxing moon during the Hindu month of Ashvin (around September or October).
Dussehra in 2009 is on Monday, the 28th of September.
It means tomorrow HAPPY DUSSEHRA...............

How to Make Your People More Effective?

Any business that is open to the public seven days a week, twelve hours a day (more?) is bound to run into some communication issues.

No manager is accessible to employees, or customers, seven days a week, twelve hours a day. This could create problems if communication channels are not properly set up.

Here are some steps to follow in setting up good lines of communication in a business where people work many different shifts:

Issue a weekly newsletter to all employees and place the newsletter in a ‘mailbox’ with the employees’ name on it. The newsletter should include all items of importance and interest to employees.

Buy a notebook and ensure that all management personnel are instructed to note any communication with customers/employees that requires any follow up whatsoever.

Ensure that dates, times and details of conversations are recorded in this notebook. Each member of the management team must check this book before starting their shift so that they are up to speed the moment they start work.

Advise all staff that open communication is a must in their workplace. Make sure they understand the value of information sharing. The more anyone knows about their business the more successful they will be.

Be sure to ask questions anytime communication ‘falls through the cracks’. This is not something that can be ignored. Good communication between management and team members is a major part of the ongoing success of your business.

Customers should never be witness to a communication breakdown. There is absolutely no reason for them to be involved in the inner workings of your store/restaurant. All of your team members - both management and staff - must be able to provide the customer with what they need when they need it. It is absolutely unacceptable to tell a customer to come back when the manager is in. Employees must be empowered to make decisions when called upon to do so.

ATM
automatic teller machine
An automatic teller machine or ATM allows a bank customer to conduct their banking transactions from almost every other ATM machine in the world. Don Wetzel was the co-patentee and chief conceptualist of the automated teller machine, an idea he thought of while waiting in line at a Dallas bank. At the time (1968) Wetzel was the Vice President of Product Planning at Docutel, the company that developed automated baggage-handling equipment. The other two inventors listed on the patent were Tom Barnes, the chief mechanical engineer and George Chastain, the electrical engineer. It took five million dollars to develop the ATM. The concept of the ATM first began in 1968, a working prototype came about in 1969 and Docutel was issued a patent in 1973. The first working ATM was installed in a New York based Chemical Bank. (note): There are different claims to which bank had the first ATM, here is Don Wetzel's reference:

The first voucher based cash dispensing machine was installed in 1967 by Barclay's Bank in London. Experts, however, do not consider this an ATM. The first modern day ATM was introduced to consumers in 1969 by Chemical Bank.

"No, it wasn't in a lobby, it was actually in the wall of the bank, out on the street. They put a canopy over it to protect it from the rain and the weather of all sorts. Unfortunately they put the canopy too high and the rain came under it. (laughing) One time we had water in the machine and we had to do some extensive repairs. It was a walkup on the outside of the bank. That was the first one. And it was a cash dispenser only, not a full ATM... We had a cash dispenser, and then the next version was going to be the total teller (created in 1971), which is the ATM we all know today -- takes deposits, transfers money from checking to savings, savings to checking, cash advances to your credit card, takes payments; things like that. So they didn't want just a cash dispenser alone." - Don Wetzel on the first ATM installed at the Rockville Center, New York Chemical Bank from a NMAH interview.

Early model of an ATM on display at the Smithsonion Institute(3)

Jack Gebhart had the idea to put the magnetic stripe on the bankcard to carry the customer information. This information could then be read by a reader, also from Jack Gerbhart, which in its turn is connected to a computer.

There is as usual a controversy.

Who invented the idea of an ATM?

• History shows it was Luther George Simjian to develop the idea in 1939, though he could not make a commercial success out of it (see timeline).
• James Goodfellow in Scotland holds a patent dated of 1966 for a full service ATM.
• But what about John Shepherd-Barron's machine installed outside a north London branch of Barclays Bank in 1967?
• The free standing ATM from 1968? It were Don Witzel, Tom Barnes, George Chastain, Jack Gebhart, and John D. White for Docutel in the US.

Timeline 1939 Bank automation started as early as 1939 with the invention of the ATM by Luther George Simjian (1905-1997) from Turkish origin. Simjian came up with the idea of creating a hole-in-the-wall machine that would allow customers to make financial transactions. The idea met skepticism but he persuaded what is now Citicorp to give it a trial. After six months, the bank reported that there was little demand. "It seems the only people using the machines were a small number of prostitutes and gamblers who didn't want to deal with tellers face to face," wrote Simjian. (4) 1960 ATM predecessor installed: New York's First National City Bank (now CitiBank) installs a Bankograph in several branch lobbies. The idea is for customers to pay utility bills and get receipts without having to see a teller. 1967 Cash dispensing machine at Barclay's Bank in London. June 27 On June 27 1967 De La Rue wins the race to unveil the first machine, drawing crowds to the unveiling. picture courtesy De La Rue Ltd. The concept is developed by John Shepherd- Barron. He came up with a self-service machine which dispenses paper currency on a 24/7 basis. The first of this type of machines will be installed outside a north London branch of Barclays Bank in 1967. It uses paper vouchers bought from tellers. The machine is called the De La Rue Automatic Cash System, or DACS.(7) 1968 The concept of the ATM established by Wenzel. Card-eating: Barclays and a few other banks introduce a machine that encodes cash on plastic cards purchased from a teller. The problem is that the machine always eats the cards, and customers have to buy new cards if they want to make more transactions. (8) 1969 First use of ATM magstripe cards: Docutel installs its Docuteller machine at New York's Chemical Bank. The installation marks the first use of magnetically encoded plastic. picture courtesy Omron Chemical Bank's ad campaign announces: "On Sept. 2, our bank will open at 9:00 and never close again!" Other manufacturers get into the game, but Docutel is the first to apply for a patent. Docutel is later credited by the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History as being the ATM’s inventor. But most people in the industry recognize Docutel’s first machine as the first modern magstripe machine. Donald C. Wetzel is given credit for developing the Docutel machine, which is initially met with resistance from bankers. Bankers say they’re concerned about the machine’s cost, which is about $8,000 more annually than a human teller. The bankers also fear that customers won’t like having a machine handling their money. 1971 First true bank ATMs: Docutel introduces its Total Teller, the first true fully functioning bank ATM. Omron (Japan) installs the first On-line cash dispenser. picture courtesy Omron Corp 1973 Docutel rewarded a patent for the ATM. Proliferation begins: By 1973, 2,000 ATMs — mostly from Docutel- are operating in the United States. They sell for about $30,000 each.(8) Diebold begins work on the development of its TABS 600 with plans for an off-line prototype. (8) Diebold TABS 500 picture courtesey: atmmarketplace.com 1974 Diebold’s first TABS 500 machine, an off-line version, is installed at a bank in Atlanta. Diebold develops the TABS 550, an on-line and off-line version. The flexibility of the machine makes it unique and more marketable to banks. The TABS 600 also is developed.(8) 1977 Chungho ComNet Co., Ltd. begins developing Teller Machines for banks. 1978 The first IBM-compatible Diebold machine is installed at a bank in Indianapolis. (8) 1979 Chungho ComNet Co (Korea) begins selling Cash Dispensers 1983 Chungho ComNet Co (Korea) begins selling On-line Teller Machines. Machines like this now have a direct connection via telephone lines with the bank's mainframe computers. In later years this connection is regarded as too high risk open for fraud and the machines' records will only be updated once to several times a day. 1994 ICL, the IT services company, has designed the first cash dispatch (CD) with a bill paying facility. The new CD incorporates a barcode scanner, which allows customers to pay bills automatically from their bank accounts, as well for traditional cash withdrawals and to check account balances. Banque du Caire, Egypt’s third largest bank, is the first organisation to adopt the new technology in a bid to reduce queues in branches and offer customers a more convenient service. ICL will design and integrate 100 new cash dispensers for the bank in a deal worth £2.4million. The first people to be able to use the service will be customers of an Egyptian national mobile phone network. Their phone bills will incorporate a barcode holding details of the amount due, as well as their bank account number at the Banque du Caire. The customer simply sweeps the barcode over the scanner at the cashpoint, keys in their PIN number and the bill is paid.

PAN CARD

Permanent Account Number (PAN) Card:

PAN Card is the mandatory requirement for NRI wishing to invest in the Indian capital market.

PROCEDURE FOR OBTAINING THE PAN CARD UNDER INDIAN INCOME-TAX:

1. We are attaching herewith ,PAN APPLICATION FORM, which you will download and get it printed.

2. Instructions for filling up Form 49A and the list of documents to be attached.

3. You are required to sign at specified two places in Form 49A (mentioned below) in BLACK INK only in the boxes provided for
signature (sign should not go outside the box otherwise application will not be accepted).

a. On the top right hand corner of the Application form below the photograph on page 1.
b. On the backside of the Application form on page 2, at the bottom of the Right hand corner.

4. Documents required : Documents

5. You shall send the following documents through courier to below mentioned address.
a. PAN Application Form 49A duly filled & signed;
b. Two passport size photograph (size of photograph has to be “3.5 cm & 2.5 cm”);
c. (i) Identity Proof: Passport copy duly certified by the Indian Embassy Abroad.
(ii) Address Proof: (any one from the following)
Copy of Bank Statement.
Copy of any Utility bills.
Copy of Passport.

You will receive the PAN card directly at your address of communication. Also, for your information, we shall put the address of our office as care-off for the purpose of delivery of the card, which shall then be sent to you by courier as and when received. The card normally takes 15-25 days from the date of its application to the PAN processing department.

Also once the card is received at our end we shall send you the scanned copy for your verification and approval. On your confirmation we shall then courier the Original card at the address given in the PAN Form.

The five historical places of india

India is a diverse country steeped in history. Its past has seen a melting pot of different religions, rulers and empires -- all of which have left their mark on the countryside. Many historical places in India are listed as World Heritage sites due to their cultural importance.
Visit these popular historical places in India and take a trip back in time to ancient India. You'll marvel at the architecture of what are some of the most stunning and captivating historical attractions that India has to offer.
1. The Taj Mahal

The Taj Mahal looms fairytale-like from the banks of the Yamuna River. It's actually a tomb that contains the body of Mumtaz Mahal – the wife of Mughal emperor Shah Jahan. He had it built as an ode to his love for her. Dating back to 1630 AD, the Taj Mahal is made out of marble and took 22 years and 20,000 workers to complete. One of the most captivating things about it is the way its color appears to gradually alter in the changing light of the day.
2. Hampi

Now a laid back village, Hampi was once the last capital of Vijayanagar, one of the greatest Hindu empires in India’s history. It has some extremely captivating ruins, intriguingly intermingled with large boulders that rear up all over the landscape. The ruins, which date back to the 14th century, stretch for just over 25 kilometers (10 miles) and comprise more than 500 monuments. An incredible energy can be felt at this ancient place
. Khajuraho Temples

If you want proof that the Kama Sutra originated in India, Khajuraho is the place to see. Erotica abounds here with over 20 temples devoted to sexuality and sex. The temples are best known for their erotic sculptures. However, more than that, they show a celebration of love, life and worship. They also provide an uninhibited peek into ancient Hindu faith and Tantric practices. No where else will you find such unique temples with meticulously detailed carvings.

4. Ajanta and Ellora Caves

Astonishingly carved into hillside rock in the middle of nowhere are the Ajanta and Ellora caves. There are 34 caves at Ellora dating from between the 6th and 11th centuries AD, and 29 caves at Ajanta dating back to between the 2nd century BC and 6th century AD. While the Ajanta caves are rich in paintings and sculpture, the Ellora caves are renowned for their extraordinary architecture. The most incredible thing about these caves is that they were crafted by hand, with only a hammer and chisel.
5. Fatehpur Sikri

A city that was once the proud capital of the Mughal Empire in the 16th century, Fatehpur Sikri now stands deserted as a well preserved ghost town. It was abandoned by its occupants after only 15 years due to insufficient water supply. Constructed out of red sandstone, Fatehpur Sikri is full of regal palaces and courtyards. You can almost feel yourself being transported back to medieval times here.

RECESSION

What is Recession?

The economy goes through different cycles. One of them is recession. It is observed when the prices start to increase, the living standard starts to fall, unemployment rises, and businesses stop expanding.

Another indicator of recession is a decreasing gross national product (GDP) of a nation. In fact, many experts consider that there is an economic recession only when a negative GDP growth has been observed over two consecutive quarters.

However, it is generally considered that a recession starts when there have been several quarters of slowing even if they have been positive.

Definition of Recession

Economic recession is defined as a significant decline in the economic activity across a country, lasting longer than a few months. Normally, the recession is visible in real GDP growth, industrial production, wholesale-retail trade, real personal income, and employment.

To be a successful investor you need two main things - the knowledge and the right trading platform.

How to dressed yourself for job

Dressing for a Job Interview

In addition to following the general rules for dressing for work, heed this advice when you go on a job interview:

• Adhere to the employer's dress code: find out whether it's formal (suit and tie) or casual by asking around or by observing employees arriving for work.
• Dress slightly better than you would if you were an employee. For example, if the dress code is very casual, you should take it up a notch.
• Cover up tattoos and remove body jewelry until you know whether they are acceptable at that particular workplace.

Unless your job requires you to wear a uniform, choosing clothing for work can be difficult. Of course there are industry standards, such as the navy blue suit for accountants and bankers. What do you wear, however, if you work in an industry where there really isn't a typical style of dress? Complicating the matter further are companies that allow more casual attire. How do you keep from crossing over the line from casual to sloppy? What about the job interview? You want to look your professional best, but you also want to appear as if you "fit in". Here are some pointers for dressing for any type of work situation:

• First and foremost, no matter what you wear, your clothes should be neat and clean.
• Keep your shoes in good condition.
• Your hair should be neatly styled.
• For women: makeup should be subtle.
• Nails should be clean and neat and of reasonable length.
• Dress for the job you want. If you aspire to be a manager, dress like managers in your company do.

Rules for Casual Dress at Work

Although in theory most people love the idea of not having to wear a suit to work, they are often confused by the casual dress policies some employers have instituted over the last few years. Here are some simple rules: .

• Casual doesn't mean sloppy. Your clothing should still be neat and clean
• You can't go wrong with khakis and a sport shirt or a nice sweater.
• If you are going to a meeting or making a presentation, professional attire may be in order.

Top Myths About Drinking and Driving

Many young drivers decide to drink and drive because they have some misconceptions about alcohol impairment and how it affects driving skills and reaction times. There are some myths surrounding drinking and driving that many young people, especially males, believe.

Too many of these younger driver think it's okay to drink and drive and they make excuses for why it's alright.

How to improve ur speaking

i. Observe the mouth movements of those who speak English well and try to imitate them.

When you are watching television, observe the mouth movements of the speakers. Repeat what they are saying, while imitating the intonation and rhythm of their speech.

ii. Until you learn the correct intonation and rhythm of English, slow your speech down.

If you speak too quickly, and with the wrong intonation and rhythm, native speakers will have a hard time understanding you.

Don't worry about your listener getting impatient with your slow speech -- it is more important that everything you say be understood.

iii. Listen to the 'music' of English.

Do not use the 'music' of your native language when you speak English. Each language has its own way of 'singing'.

iv. Use the dictionary.

Try and familiarise yourself with the phonetic symbols of your dictionary. Look up the correct pronunciation of words that are hard for you to say.

v. Make a list of frequently used words that you find difficult to pronounce and ask someone who speaks the language well to pronounce them for you.

Record these words, listen to them and practice saying them. Listen and read at the same time.

vi. Buy books on tape.

Record yourself reading some sections of the book. Compare the sound of your English with that of the person reading the book on the tape.

vii. Pronounce the ending of each word.

Pay special attention to 'S' and 'ED' endings. This will help you strengthen the mouth muscles that you use when you speak English.

viii. Read aloud in English for 15-20 minutes every day.

Research has shown it takes about three months of daily practice to develop strong mouth muscles for speaking a new language.

ix. Record your own voice and listen for pronunciation mistakes.

Many people hate to hear the sound of their voice and avoid listening to themselves speak. However, this is a very important exercise because doing it will help you become conscious of the mistakes you are making.

x. Be patient.

You can change the way you speak but it won't happen overnight. People often expect instant results and give up too soon. You can change the way you sound if you are willing to put some effort into it.

Quick tips

Various versions of the English language exist. Begin by identifying the category you fall into and start by improving the clarity of your speech.

~ Focus on removing the mother tongue influence and the 'Indianisms' that creep into your English conversations.

~ Watch the English news on television channels like Star World, CNN, BBC and English movies on Star Movies and HBO.

~ Listen to and sing English songs. We'd recommend Westlife, Robbie Williams [ Images ], Abba, Skeeter Davis and Connie Francis among others.

English for Business & Management
List of Business English Idioms

across the board

MEANING: including everyone or everything

EXAMPLE:The computer company decided to give the workers an across-the-board increase in their salary.

at a loss

MEANING: sell something and lose money

EXAMPLE:We were forced to sell the computers at a big loss.

bail a company out

MEANING: help or rescue a company with financial problems.

EXAMPLE:The government decided to bail out the failing bank in order to maintain stability in the economy.

ball park figure/estimate

MEANING: a rough estimate or figure

EXAMPLE:The contractor gave us a ball park figure for the cost of repairing the new building. bang for the buck

MEANING: value for the money spent

EXAMPLE:We were able to get a big bang for our buck when we advertised on the Internet. banker's hours

MEANING: short work hours

EXAMPLE:My sister's husband owns his own company and is able to work banker's hours with his large staff.

Bean-counter

MEANING: an accountant

EXAMPLE:We asked the bean-counters to look over the figures in the new budget. big gun/cheese/wheel/wig

MEANING: an important person, a leader

EXAMPLE:The new director was a big wheel in his previous company but is not so important now.

bottom fall out/drop out

MEANING: to fall below an earlier lowest price

EXAMPLE:When the bottom fell out of the coffee market many companies had to stop doing business.

bottom line

MEANING: the total, the final figure on a balance sheet

EXAMPLE:When they examined the bottom line of the company they decided not to invest in it. bottom out

MEANING: reach the lowest or worst point of something

EXAMPLE:The value of the stock has begun to bottom out and should soon begin to increase in value.

boys/men in the backroom

MEANING: a group of men making decisions behind the scenes

EXAMPLE:The boys in the backroom told us that we must close down the factory as soon as possible.

break even

MEANING: have expenses equal to profits

EXAMPLE:After only three months the company was able to break even and start making profits.

budget squeeze/crunch

MEANING: a situation where there is not enough money in the budget

EXAMPLE:We have been going through a severe budget squeeze at our company and must begin to stop spending money in a wasteful manner.

buy off

MEANING: use a gift or money to divert someone from their duty or purpose

EXAMPLE:The land developer tried to buy off the politician but he was not successful.

buy out

MEANING: buy the ownership or a decisive share of something

EXAMPLE:The company was bought out by another large company in the textile industry.

by a long shot

MEANING: by a big difference, by far

EXAMPLE:The soap company was able to beat out the bids of the other companies by a long shot.

calculated risk

MEANING: an action that may fail but has a good chance to succeed

EXAMPLE:They took a calculated risk when they introduced the new computer screen onto the market.

captain of industry

MEANING: a top corporation officer

EXAMPLE:The president of our company was a captain of industry and after he retired he was appointed to many government boards.

carry over

MEANING: save for another time

EXAMPLE:We were forced to carry over the sale to the Monday after the national holiday.

carry over

MEANING: transfer (a figure) from one column or book to another

EXAMPLE:Our company is still facing difficult times and we will have to carry over last year's losses to this year.

carry the day

MEANING: win completely

EXAMPLE:The president's new idea carried the day and everyone supported him energetically.

carry through

MEANING: put into action

EXAMPLE:The steel company carried through their plan to restructure all of their operations.

close out

MEANING: sell the whole of something, sell all the goods
EXAMPLE:They decided to close out the store and sell all of the remaining stock very cheap.

close the books

MEANING: stop taking orders, end a bookkeeping period

EXAMPLE:They usually close the books at the end of February every year.

cold call

MEANING: call a potential customer from a list of persons one has never seen

EXAMPLE:When he first started to work at his company he was asked to make cold calls using the telephone book.

come on strong

MEANING: overwhelm with excessively strong language or personality

EXAMPLE:The salesman came on too strong at the meeting and angered the other members of the team.

company man

MEANING: a person who always works hard and agrees with his employees

EXAMPLE:My father was a true company man and was always putting in an extra effort for his company.

company town

MEANING: a town dominated by one industry or company

EXAMPLE:When the coal mine closed down the company town faced severe economic times.

cut back

MEANING: use fewer or use less

EXAMPLE:The company has been cutting back on entertainment expenses for over a year now.

cut corners

MEANING: economize

EXAMPLE:We have been forced to economize on stationary expenses during these severe economic times.

cut off

MEANING: interrupt or stop

EXAMPLE:The speech of the president was cut off when the electricity went off in the building.

cut one's losses

MEANING: do something to stop losing money or something

EXAMPLE:We should sell the old machinery as soon as possible and try and cut our losses.

deliver the goods

MEANING: succeed in doing well what is expected

EXAMPLE:The new owner of the company is not very popular but he is able to deliver the goods.

double-check

MEANING: check something again to confirm

EXAMPLE:We were unable to double-check the costs of the new products before the price list was printed.

face value

MEANING: the official worth or trust of something

EXAMPLE:Although the face value of the postage stamp was very low it sold at the auction for much money.

fair play

MEANING: justice, equal and right action to someone

EXAMPLE:The company is very good to work for as they always use fair play when they are bargaining with their employees.

figure out
MEANING: find an answer by thinking about something

EXAMPLE:Everyone in our company is trying to figure out what our boss is going to do with the new equipment.

fill the bill

MEANING: be just what is needed

EXAMPLE:That new machine should fill the bill as to what we need to finish the job.

finger in the pie

MEANING: involved in what is happening, receiving money for something

EXAMPLE:The new manager has his finger in the pie in all aspects of our company's business.

gain ground

MEANING: go forward, make progress

EXAMPLE:Our company has been gaining ground in our attempt to be the best in the industry.

get a break

MEANING: get an opportunity or good deal

EXAMPLE:We were able to get a break on the price of the paint and saved a lot of money.

get off the ground

MEANING: make a successful beginning, go ahead

EXAMPLE:We were unable to get the new product off the ground and will have to wait until next year.

give someone the green light

MEANING: give permission to go ahead with a project

EXAMPLE:Our boss gave us the green light to begin work on the new sales promotion.

go public

MEANING: sell shares of a privately owned company to the public

EXAMPLE:The stock of the Internet company rose very quickly when they went public.

go through with

MEANING: finish, do as planned or agreed

EXAMPLE:We have decided not to go through with our plans to launch the new product until we have solved all of its problems.

hard sell

MEANING: sell something by being very aggressive

EXAMPLE:The car salesman gave us a hard sell so we decided to go to another dealer.

heads will roll

MEANING: someone will be punished

EXAMPLE:Heads will roll when our boss learns about the money that we have lost recently.

in black and white

MEANING: in writing

EXAMPLE:The company refused to deal with the customer's complaints until they saw them in black and white.

in charge of

MEANING: in control of, responsible for

EXAMPLE:My sister has been in charge of buying supplies at her company for many years.

in short supply

MEANING: not enough, in less than the amount or number needed

EXAMPLE:Experienced computer programmers are in short supply at our company.

in stock

MEANING: have something ready to sell or use

EXAMPLE:They didn't have any computer printer ribbons in stock at the store.

in the black

MEANING: successful or making money

EXAMPLE:The new company has been in the black for over a year now.

in the long run

MEANING: in the final result

EXAMPLE:The company has been losing money recently but in the long run they should do very well.

in the market for

MEANING: ready to buy something

EXAMPLE:We have been in the market for a new computer for a long time but still we haven't bought one.

in the red

MEANING: losing money, unprofitable

EXAMPLE:The company began to go into the red when the price of oil began to rise rapidly.

in the works

MEANING: in preparation, being planned or worked on

EXAMPLE:The camera company has a new automatic camera in the works but nobody knows about it yet.

jack up

MEANING: make a price higher

EXAMPLE:The steel companies decided to jack up the price of steel at the beginning of the year.

keep books

MEANING: keep records of money gained and spent

EXAMPLE:The new assistant to the sales manager has no experience keeping books and has made many mistakes.

keep track of

MEANING: keep a count or record, stay informed

EXAMPLE:They have been making a great effort to keep track of the number of visitors to their store.

kickback

MEANING: money paid illegally for favourable treatment

EXAMPLE:The construction company was taken to court for giving kickbacks to the local politicians.

make a go of

MEANING: produce good results, succeed

EXAMPLE:Although he works very hard in his small business he has been unable to make a go of it and may soon go out of business.

mean business

MEANING: be serious

EXAMPLE:Our boss means business when he tells everyone to try and work harder.

number-cruncher

MEANING: an accountant, someone who works with numbers

EXAMPLE:Our president is a good number-cruncher and understands about the finances of our company.

on hand

MEANING: in one's possession, ready\

EXAMPLE:We didn't have any supplies on hand and were unable to finish the job.

(buy) on credit

MEANING: buy something without paying cash

EXAMPLE:My friend had no money so he decided to buy the furniture on credit.

on the block

MEANING: for sale

EXAMPLE:As soon as they purchased the company they began to put some of the equipment on the block.
pay off

MEANING: make a profit, be successful

EXAMPLE:The furniture manufacturer was unable to pay off their loan and had to go out of business.

piece/slice of the action

MEANING: a share in the activity or the profits of something

EXAMPLE:The inventor wanted a large piece of the action of the profits from the new computer that he had invented.

red ink

MEANING: debt (red ink on a financial statement)

EXAMPLE:The automobile company has been drowning in red ink since the US dollar began to rise.

run short

MEANING: not have enough in quantity

EXAMPLE:They ran short of gasoline at the gas station and had to close early.

saddled with debt

MEANING: burdened with debt

EXAMPLE:Our sister company is saddled with a great amount of debt and should be sold as soon as possible.

sell like hotcakes

MEANING: sell very quickly

EXAMPLE:The children's toys were selling like hotcakes at the end of the year.

sell out

MEANING: sell all of a product

EXAMPLE:Every year at least one company sells out all of their products which frustrates many customers.

strike while the iron is hot

MEANING: take advantage of an opportunity

EXAMPLE:We decided to strike while the iron was hot and began to market the product around the time of the Olympics.

sweetheart deal

MEANING: a deal made between friends so that both may make a big profit

EXAMPLE:We were able to make a sweetheart deal with our landlord and got the rent greatly reduced.

take a nosedive

MEANING: collapse, fail, decrease in value

EXAMPLE:The stock market took a nosedive when the earnings of the oil company began to weaken.

take on

MEANING: to give a job to or hire someone

EXAMPLE:The company took on many new workers during the busy holiday season.

take over

MEANING: take control or possession of something, take charge or responsibility

EXAMPLE:The government decided to take over the bank after it declared bankruptcy.

take public

MEANING: sell shares in a company to the general public

EXAMPLE:We decided it was necessary to take our company public in order to raise money to expand our facilities.

take stock

MEANING: count the items of merchandise or supplies in stock, take inventory

EXAMPLE:The department store closes down for 3 days every March in order to take stock.

throw cold water on

MEANING: discourage, forbid

EXAMPLE:The managers threw cold water on the plans to close down the factory for one week in August.

throw money at something

MEANING: try to solve a problem by spending money on it

EXAMPLE:The president of our company is willing to throw a lot of money at the problem in the hope of solving it.

tight spot

MEANING: a difficult situation

EXAMPLE:The computer manufacturing company has been in a tight spot since the shortage of computer chips appeared.

turn over

MEANING: to buy and then sell something to customers

EXAMPLE:The turn-over at that discount store is very rapid.

work out

MEANING: plan, developEXAMPLE:I spent the weekend trying to work out the budget estimates for next year.

write off

MEANING: remove from a business record, cancel a debt

EXAMPLE:It was impossible for the bank to collect the money so they were forced to write off the loan.

Ewin in Eco Gadgets, iPod gadgetsd

Vers has just rolled out eco-friendly hand-crafted wood cases for the iPod and iPhone, where it will merge the natural beauty and strength of Walnut, Cherry and Bamboo into a single product, making them the most environmentally thoughtful cases that are on the market at the moment.......................


The use of wood gives each case its own natural character, and bamboo offers superb toughness compared to any plastic. After all, bamboo is highly renewable due to its superior growth rate, and most of these cases, if not all, won’t look alike due to them being hand-crafted...........................

Style won’t come cheap though, as the Vers wood cases for iPhone, iPod touch and iPod classic will retail for $39.99 while the iPod nano version is $5 cheaper. This ought to be the case for you if you happen to drive a Prius and use a MacBook............

It's really a NAYA SAVERA for MUSIC LOVERS....................

How to get oppartunity

Work Experience In Fashion? How To Get A Great Opportunity In Fashion Work
Fashion can be one of the toughest industries to get a foot in the door. Here are some some great ideas that might help you find the internship you need to get ahead!
Work experience in fashion can be one of the most challenging positions to find. It's a simple equation of supply and demand and unfortunately there are often not enough opportunities to go around.
Imagine boosting your chances? Here is my advice!
Most fashion businesses (head office) have a work experience program for students either in the Senior School years or for fashion students. Work experience tends to be either in a one week or sequence of days or a day a week for a number of months. Either way you need to consider that although the company is getting an extra pair of hands for no financial outlay it can be a disruption to the business. This is why you may often find fashion businesses are negative when you pluck the courage to make the call.
Let's give you a better opportunity for success. Plan your work experience and never leave it to the last minute to scout for opportunities. Many companies have a work experience booking system with bookings required at least a few months before you will commence.
Some very popular brands book the whole year out from approaches made in January!
When you call you should ask for the human resources department. If the company doesn't have one; then ask to speak to the person in charge of recruitment. If your call can't be put through ask confidently for the name and email address of the person in charge of recruitment. Some companies may not disclose email addresses so send a letter.
You can expect, at head office level to secure an opportunity in design, production, buying, administration or purchasing. Some companies have warehouse work experience. I would be a little wary of warehouse work experience if you have not chosen a career in this department.
Now, and most importantly, you need to have prepared some information before you make the call or send the letter. You are asking for the company to give you an insight into their business to assist you with your career. They want to know that even though it is unpaid work experience that they are offering the role to someone sharp and bright! In your letter or conversation you need to be clear about your availability and flexible about the area in the business that you would like to work in. For example the most popular division for work experience is undoubtedly design. Don't pin your hopes on work experience in the design division. It will boost your knowledge and expand your understanding if you work in other departments. The insight you will gain by understanding the intricacy of departments who lead into design will make you better in the design department in the long run. Employers love it when work experience prospects are keen but demonstrate flexibility.
Don't be disheartened if you feel you are hitting a brick wall. There are many ways to make your self known and sometimes it may take a few different communication methods to get through. Always maintain a positive outlook on the phone even if you haven't managed to pass home base (the receptionist). It is my strong belief that you can build a rapport with just about anyone and the receptionist may just put in a good word for you if you strike a good empathy with them.
Okay, back to the letter. Make it short and to the point. Include the following information; availability, preferred department (but be flexible), your present studies and the institution and your ultimate career goals (if you have decided!). And one other thing; ensure the contact details that you provide are your best contact avenues. When a company can't contact you they will simply go to the next person.
Even if you leave the number of a parent or friend as an alternative and advise them to expect a call you have a better chance of securing a role. For work experience students who are still at school you will need to arrange an insurance certificate or guardian authority so be prepared when it is asked for.
Once you have gained your work experience opportunity you need to follow some golden rules! Be reliable, always dress appropriately to the company's dress code and absorb like a sponge! It is my strong belief that making an amazing impression in work experience can lead to incredible opportunities once you have graduated. Oh and one last thing, always write a letter of thanks. It is amazing how much a thank you creates a positive anchor in people's minds. Make a great impression and good luck…

HOW TO EAT PROPERLY

Along with the kind of food you eat, the way you eat is also important to lose weight. With the abundance of food and less free time, we tend to stuff our body with food hurriedly without enjoying it. Over the years, we have learnt some bad ways of eating food. Its important we unlearn these habits and start eating the food the right way.
How to Eat Properly?
Here are the ways in which you can eat your food properly:
Eat slowly and chew properly: When you eat slowly and chew properly, you can enjoy the taste and eat less food. Eating slowly is important because our body has a signaling system which tells the brain if it is full. However, eating quickly will disrupt this mechanism and you may overeat.
Go for small servings: Start with smaller portions of food and go for additional servings if needed. In this way, you would be able to choose if you need additional servings. Smaller portions also enable you to eat less by giving you an impression that you are eating more food.
Avoid eating in front of television or computer: When you while doing other activities, you may eat more food without realizing. Hence, avoid eating in front of television or computer, so that you can focus and enjoy the food you are eating.
Eat from the plate, not the package: Packages may contain large amounts of food and when you snack from them, you may clean up everything. Hence, eat from the plate to know the proper portion of the food.
According to a study by scientists form Osaka University, those who eat quickly were more likely to be obese. Hence, eat slowly with smaller portions to eat less. In this way, you would be able to get rid of obesity effectively.

How to solve case study

This article is about Case study. For Case teaching method used for business education, see case method. For method of teaching law in the United States law schools, see case method.
A case study is one of several ways of doing research whether it is social science related or even socially related. It is an intensive study of a single group, incident, or community.Other ways include experiment or analysis of archival information .
Case selection -
When selecting a case for a case study, researchers often use information-oriented sampling , as opposed to random . This is because an average case is often not the richest in information. Extreme or atypical cases reveal more information because they activate more basic mechanisms and more actors in the situation studied. In addition, from both an understanding-oriented and an action-oriented perspective, it is often more important to clarify the deeper causes behind a given problem and its consequences than to describe the symptoms of the problem and how frequently they occur. Random samples emphasizing representative ness will seldom be able to produce this kind of insight; it is more appropriate to select some few cases chosen for their validity.
Three types of information-oriented cases may be distinguished:
1.Extreme or deviant cases
2.Critical cases
3.Paradigmatic ca
4.Extreme case
The extreme case can be well-suited for getting a point across in an especially dramatic way, which often occurs for well-known case studies such as in frauds `Wolf-man.’
Critical case --
A critical case can be defined as having strategic importance in relation to the general problem. For example, an occupational medicine clinic wanted to investigate whether people working with organic solvents suffered brain damage. Instead of choosing a representative sample among all those enterprises in the clinic’s area that used organic solvents, the clinic strategically located , ‘If it is valid for this case, it is valid for all (or many) cases.’ In its negative form, the generalization would be, ‘If it is not valid for this case, then it is not valid for any (or only few) cases.’
For more on case selection, see
Assumptions
1. Cases selected based on dimensions of a theory (pattern-matching) or on diversity on a dependent phenomenon (explanation-building).
2. No generalization to a population beyond cases similar to those studied.
3. Conclusions should be phrased in terms of model elimination, not model validation. Numerous alternative theories may be consistent with data gathered from a case study.
4. Case study approaches have difficulty in terms of evaluation of low-probability causal paths in a model as any given case selected for study may fail to display such a path, even when it exists in the larger population of potential cases