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Suggest You - Profiting from Disaster: How to Ethically Make Money During Times of Crisis
“Some contend that differentiation is nuts – bad for moral” – Jack WelchWe get taught from a very young age that differentiation is bad, and that people’s feelings can get hurt, and people will be upset. But this leaves us in an emotional rollercoaster.Business is not about emotion, it’s about money and making it. It’s about being the best, beating your competitors, and succeeding. Yes, it doesn’t mean we should be cold hearted, but we need to be driven by the goal, making money, not by emotion.If we work on an emotional level, we should join some non profit organization, that allows us to work on emotion, and caring for others.I see two places for differentiation. The first is inside our business. We cannot treat all our employees the same, because they do not all perform the same. Some employees perform much better than others, and should be rewarded for that.You see, as owners of a small business we have very little
* When your community does its disaster relief plans (before a disaster hits), put your company on the list of businesses available to aid in the recovery efforts. Businesses can work with their local communities to be “first-called” in the event that a disaster strikes. What does that mean? Assuming that the business is capable of responding, that business will put the community recovery (or specific targeted recovery within the community) at the front of the line. But that’s just the beginning. In some cases, a business (let’s say a hospital, for example) may contract with a service provider (such as a roofing contractor) and pay a retainer fee so that in the event of a disaster, that contractor will put the hospital at the front of the list. In return, that contractor gets the bid for the other work the hospital needs done. The contractor is happy to give that deal because it guarantees them business. Thi
Whether your vision is rapid growth, higher productivity, stakeholder value or quality improvement, getting there starts by understanding what it takes to reach your goals. The logical first step is an objective assessment of current conditions, commonly referred to as an operations assessment or a GAP Analysis. So to achieve your strategic goals you need to know what it takes to get there.Operations AssessmentGetting there begins with an objective assessment of where your organization is now. What are its core processes, critical metrics, and performance levels compared to industry standards?What does a GAP Analysis Involve? Typically a Gap Analysis is a two day engagement that identifies discrepancies between a company’s baseline and target goals in its most critical areas: revenue, quality, productivity, and resource utilization. The result is a plan with specific action steps and resources required to achiev
A great example of this is what happened in Port Charlotte, Florida after hurricane Charley. Initially after the hurricane, a large number of contractors went to the area, donating services, supplies, and other things needed to rebuild the community. The federal government also came in and paid many of the rebuild bills, even things not normally covered by FEMA. But then the money started to run out, and the majority of the volunteers went home. The funny thing is that the residents of Port Charlotte didn’t want the contractors to leave and would have paid the contractors their normal rate to stay and finish the disaster recovery efforts. But the contractors—those who were there on a volunteer basis—felt guilty taking money from disaster victims. Now, two years later, many Port Charlotte residents are still seeking reputable contractors to help them. It’s an unfortunate situation that doesn’t have to happen.
Perhaps even more concerning is that we’re starting to see a similar trend in the people and companies that help with disaster preparedness. Recently the Annals of Emergency Medicine, one of the largest emergency medicine journals, published an editorial aimed specifically at universities that were profiting from selling courses developed under grant dollars. That is, they created disaster preparedness materials using federal grant money, and then they made hospitals and communities pay to receive the course materials. While such a practice is clearly unethical, many people thought the journal was implying that it’s unethical to make a business of disaster preparedness—to go into communities and hospitals and charge a consulting fee or teach for profit how to be ready in the event of a disaster. In reality, nothing could be further from the truth.
So does that mean it’s possible to profit from a disaster situation and not feel guilty? Yes! And those businesses that are able to come into a community after a disaster strikes and offer a needed product or service can profit handsomely…and ethically.
3 Ways to Profits
When it comes to profiting from disaster, most people think of price gouging or profiteering. Price gouging is not only immoral and unethical, but in every state and every territory, it’s also illegal. It’s a criminal act in which you’re taking advantage of people who have no choice but to pay. When hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, we heard examples of unscrupulous store owners selling generators (that normally retailed for a few hundred dollars) for two and three thousand dollars. All those people received jail time or fines, and their business license was revoked. Such people are not seeking to profit from disaster; they’re seeking to profit from misery. There are essentially three ethical ways to make money after a disaster.
1. Volunteer and Donation. In this scenario you volunteer your time and donate your products or services. You cover all your own costs and accept nothing in return, other than perhaps food and lodging. In return for your time and materials, you get the warm fuzzy feeling of doing something good for the community. You become an everyday hero. If you’re visible during this time, you also get great publicity, which could lead to business down the road from those who remember your good deed.
2. Discounted Services. This is the most common scenario, and just as the name implies, it means that you offer your products and/or services to the community at a discounted rate. Those who opt to go this route figure out how low they can price something without the decision being a burden on the business. Realize, though, that no one in the community asked for the discount (although none will turn the discount down either). Often, the business owner gives the discount because he or she has some level of altruism.
3. Full Price. In this scenario, you come into the community and bid a fair market price for a product or service, roughly equivalent to what other companies would charge during non-disaster times. And because it’s fair market price, people are more than happy to pay it. This is completely moral and ethical. Unfortunately, few businesses make the transition to full fare after starting out as a volunteer. But if you really want to grow your business and profit from disaster, this is the way to go.
From Free to Fee
So how does a business make the transition from a volunteer to a paid consultant or contractor? Here are some suggestions: * Be upfront. State how long you can offer your products or services for free. For example, tell people, “I can afford to volunteer for two weeks. I can afford to bring X amount of materials. If we run out of materials before two weeks, you supply the material and I’ll stay the remainder of the time I stated.” After the two weeks are up, before you pull out and leave, talk with the people you’ve been helping. Explain again that you can only afford to volunteer for two weeks. Very often, at that point, they’ll ask you to bid the remainder of the work. Then you can offer a fair market bid. If you get a “yes,” then why would you not stay? You’re already there, and now you’re making money. If they say “no,” then they’re taking responsibility for their own recovery. At that point, you can go home and tend to your business, knowing that you’ve done a good deed.
* When your community does its disaster relief plans (before a disaster hits), put your company on the list of businesses available to aid in the recovery efforts. Businesses can work with their local communities to be “first-called” in the event that a disaster strikes. What does that mean? Assuming that the business is capable of responding, that business will put the community recovery (or specific targeted recovery within the community) at the front of the line. But that’s just the beginning. In some cases, a business (let’s say a hospital, for example) may contract with a service provider (such as a roofing contractor) and pay a retainer fee so that in the event of a disaster, that contractor will put the hospital at the front of the list. In return, that contractor gets the bid for the other work the hospital needs done. The contractor is happy to give that deal because it guarantees them business. This
The key to successful network marketing is recruiting new leaders.Sooner or later you will need to go beyond your family and friends to find prospects, and at this point you will either accept the requirement to call upon strangers, or quit the business. A few network marketers have been fortunate enough to create a self-building organization on the strength of acquaintances alone, but for the rest of us, drastic action becomes necessary about two days after we hop on the network marketing wagon.This drastic action takes the form of introducing ourselves to strangers on the street, running classified ads, and joining civic groups and clubs to enlarge your fields of acquaintances. So, what can you do to enlarge your prospect pool? At this point you are not trying to recruit anybody, you’re just looking for candidates that may be receptive to hearing the plan. Here are four methods that have proven successful in the past:a. Three Foot
Perhaps even more concerning is that we’re starting to see a similar trend in the people and companies that help with disaster preparedness. Recently the Annals of Emergency Medicine, one of the largest emergency medicine journals, published an editorial aimed specifically at universities that were profiting from selling courses developed under grant dollars. That is, they created disaster preparedness materials using federal grant money, and then they made hospitals and communities pay to receive the course materials. While such a practice is clearly unethical, many people thought the journal was implying that it’s unethical to make a business of disaster preparedness—to go into communities and hospitals and charge a consulting fee or teach for profit how to be ready in the event of a disaster. In reality, nothing could be further from the truth.
So does that mean it’s possible to profit from a disaster situation and not feel guilty? Yes! And those businesses that are able to come into a community after a disaster strikes and offer a needed product or service can profit handsomely…and ethically.
3 Ways to Profits
When it comes to profiting from disaster, most people think of price gouging or profiteering. Price gouging is not only immoral and unethical, but in every state and every territory, it’s also illegal. It’s a criminal act in which you’re taking advantage of people who have no choice but to pay. When hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, we heard examples of unscrupulous store owners selling generators (that normally retailed for a few hundred dollars) for two and three thousand dollars. All those people received jail time or fines, and their business license was revoked. Such people are not seeking to profit from disaster; they’re seeking to profit from misery. There are essentially three ethical ways to make money after a disaster.
1. Volunteer and Donation. In this scenario you volunteer your time and donate your products or services. You cover all your own costs and accept nothing in return, other than perhaps food and lodging. In return for your time and materials, you get the warm fuzzy feeling of doing something good for the community. You become an everyday hero. If you’re visible during this time, you also get great publicity, which could lead to business down the road from those who remember your good deed.
2. Discounted Services. This is the most common scenario, and just as the name implies, it means that you offer your products and/or services to the community at a discounted rate. Those who opt to go this route figure out how low they can price something without the decision being a burden on the business. Realize, though, that no one in the community asked for the discount (although none will turn the discount down either). Often, the business owner gives the discount because he or she has some level of altruism.
3. Full Price. In this scenario, you come into the community and bid a fair market price for a product or service, roughly equivalent to what other companies would charge during non-disaster times. And because it’s fair market price, people are more than happy to pay it. This is completely moral and ethical. Unfortunately, few businesses make the transition to full fare after starting out as a volunteer. But if you really want to grow your business and profit from disaster, this is the way to go.
From Free to Fee
So how does a business make the transition from a volunteer to a paid consultant or contractor? Here are some suggestions: * Be upfront. State how long you can offer your products or services for free. For example, tell people, “I can afford to volunteer for two weeks. I can afford to bring X amount of materials. If we run out of materials before two weeks, you supply the material and I’ll stay the remainder of the time I stated.” After the two weeks are up, before you pull out and leave, talk with the people you’ve been helping. Explain again that you can only afford to volunteer for two weeks. Very often, at that point, they’ll ask you to bid the remainder of the work. Then you can offer a fair market bid. If you get a “yes,” then why would you not stay? You’re already there, and now you’re making money. If they say “no,” then they’re taking responsibility for their own recovery. At that point, you can go home and tend to your business, knowing that you’ve done a good deed.
* When your community does its disaster relief plans (before a disaster hits), put your company on the list of businesses available to aid in the recovery efforts. Businesses can work with their local communities to be “first-called” in the event that a disaster strikes. What does that mean? Assuming that the business is capable of responding, that business will put the community recovery (or specific targeted recovery within the community) at the front of the line. But that’s just the beginning. In some cases, a business (let’s say a hospital, for example) may contract with a service provider (such as a roofing contractor) and pay a retainer fee so that in the event of a disaster, that contractor will put the hospital at the front of the list. In return, that contractor gets the bid for the other work the hospital needs done. The contractor is happy to give that deal because it guarantees them business. Thi
Management is relationships; sales is relationships; service is relationships; office politics is relationships. Salaries and bonuses; vacations and office assignments; training and education --- all relationships.Shopping is business; handling the checkbook and credit cards are business; life insurance is business; health is business; who’s doing what and when is business. We say, “let’s get down to business.’ That’s relationship.I have not seen the separation. Is “the separation of Church and State” about relationship or about business? They are peculiar synonyms Here's some more -- It's clear you have to master both to master either.What’s marketing? Hey – if you want to ‘win’ the heart of another, try marketing. Marketing wants to create relationships that persist. Buying flowers for your wife is marketing.There is no more important business than relationships and business is crucial to successful relationships.to profiting from disaster, most people think of price gouging or profiteering. Price gouging is not only immoral and unethical, but in every state and every territory, it’s also illegal. It’s a criminal act in which you’re taking advantage of people who have no choice but to pay. When hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, we heard examples of unscrupulous store owners selling generators (that normally retailed for a few hundred dollars) for two and three thousand dollars. All those people received jail time or fines, and their business license was revoked. Such people are not seeking to profit from disaster; they’re seeking to profit from misery. There are essentially three ethical ways to make money after a disaster.
1. Volunteer and Donation. In this scenario you volunteer your time and donate your products or services. You cover all your own costs and accept nothing in return, other than perhaps food and lodging. In return for your time and materials, you get the warm fuzzy feeling of doing something good for the community. You become an everyday hero. If you’re visible during this time, you also get great publicity, which could lead to business down the road from those who remember your good deed.
2. Discounted Services. This is the most common scenario, and just as the name implies, it means that you offer your products and/or services to the community at a discounted rate. Those who opt to go this route figure out how low they can price something without the decision being a burden on the business. Realize, though, that no one in the community asked for the discount (although none will turn the discount down either). Often, the business owner gives the discount because he or she has some level of altruism.
3. Full Price. In this scenario, you come into the community and bid a fair market price for a product or service, roughly equivalent to what other companies would charge during non-disaster times. And because it’s fair market price, people are more than happy to pay it. This is completely moral and ethical. Unfortunately, few businesses make the transition to full fare after starting out as a volunteer. But if you really want to grow your business and profit from disaster, this is the way to go.
From Free to Fee
So how does a business make the transition from a volunteer to a paid consultant or contractor? Here are some suggestions: * Be upfront. State how long you can offer your products or services for free. For example, tell people, “I can afford to volunteer for two weeks. I can afford to bring X amount of materials. If we run out of materials before two weeks, you supply the material and I’ll stay the remainder of the time I stated.” After the two weeks are up, before you pull out and leave, talk with the people you’ve been helping. Explain again that you can only afford to volunteer for two weeks. Very often, at that point, they’ll ask you to bid the remainder of the work. Then you can offer a fair market bid. If you get a “yes,” then why would you not stay? You’re already there, and now you’re making money. If they say “no,” then they’re taking responsibility for their own recovery. At that point, you can go home and tend to your business, knowing that you’ve done a good deed.
* When your community does its disaster relief plans (before a disaster hits), put your company on the list of businesses available to aid in the recovery efforts. Businesses can work with their local communities to be “first-called” in the event that a disaster strikes. What does that mean? Assuming that the business is capable of responding, that business will put the community recovery (or specific targeted recovery within the community) at the front of the line. But that’s just the beginning. In some cases, a business (let’s say a hospital, for example) may contract with a service provider (such as a roofing contractor) and pay a retainer fee so that in the event of a disaster, that contractor will put the hospital at the front of the list. In return, that contractor gets the bid for the other work the hospital needs done. The contractor is happy to give that deal because it guarantees them business. Thi
If you are on the hunt for a professional conference organizer and are not sure where to start looking, consider the internet as a source of valuable information, and a good method to find a company specializing in conference and event management. On the internet you can search for chosen event management companies websites, peruse the information found on these sights and take the time to discover their experience in the event management field and whether they will be able to meet your individual needs and requirements.For your particular needs you need to find a highly reputable company with event management experience. A suitable company should be able to deliver top event management services from highly skilled and motivated conference planning and conference production staff. With many good event management companies, you should find the talented event management team to be motivated and passionate about their business. You will find that yo
3. Full Price. In this scenario, you come into the community and bid a fair market price for a product or service, roughly equivalent to what other companies would charge during non-disaster times. And because it’s fair market price, people are more than happy to pay it. This is completely moral and ethical. Unfortunately, few businesses make the transition to full fare after starting out as a volunteer. But if you really want to grow your business and profit from disaster, this is the way to go.
From Free to Fee
So how does a business make the transition from a volunteer to a paid consultant or contractor? Here are some suggestions: * Be upfront. State how long you can offer your products or services for free. For example, tell people, “I can afford to volunteer for two weeks. I can afford to bring X amount of materials. If we run out of materials before two weeks, you supply the material and I’ll stay the remainder of the time I stated.” After the two weeks are up, before you pull out and leave, talk with the people you’ve been helping. Explain again that you can only afford to volunteer for two weeks. Very often, at that point, they’ll ask you to bid the remainder of the work. Then you can offer a fair market bid. If you get a “yes,” then why would you not stay? You’re already there, and now you’re making money. If they say “no,” then they’re taking responsibility for their own recovery. At that point, you can go home and tend to your business, knowing that you’ve done a good deed.
* When your community does its disaster relief plans (before a disaster hits), put your company on the list of businesses available to aid in the recovery efforts. Businesses can work with their local communities to be “first-called” in the event that a disaster strikes. What does that mean? Assuming that the business is capable of responding, that business will put the community recovery (or specific targeted recovery within the community) at the front of the line. But that’s just the beginning. In some cases, a business (let’s say a hospital, for example) may contract with a service provider (such as a roofing contractor) and pay a retainer fee so that in the event of a disaster, that contractor will put the hospital at the front of the list. In return, that contractor gets the bid for the other work the hospital needs done. The contractor is happy to give that deal because it guarantees them business. Thi
How would you like to achieve more success at work in a faster amount of time than anyone with whom you graduate?It's really quite simple. Have a plan. Have a career plan.So many people approach the job search as a "somebody take me please" endeavor as opposed to planning their job search, focusing on the employers where you want to work and setting goals and deadlines for career achievements. Most people just happen along with no focus, goals or deadlines at all.Life just happens. Jobs just happen.The reason for making decisions today about where you want to be tomorrow is so that you have the ability to actually get there.If you don't know exactly where you want to be, you will be wandering aimlessly from position to position hoping that somehow it will all work out. Unfortunately, that isn’t how it works.When you left for college, you probably spent a lot of time figuring out where you wante
* When your community does its disaster relief plans (before a disaster hits), put your company on the list of businesses available to aid in the recovery efforts. Businesses can work with their local communities to be “first-called” in the event that a disaster strikes. What does that mean? Assuming that the business is capable of responding, that business will put the community recovery (or specific targeted recovery within the community) at the front of the line. But that’s just the beginning. In some cases, a business (let’s say a hospital, for example) may contract with a service provider (such as a roofing contractor) and pay a retainer fee so that in the event of a disaster, that contractor will put the hospital at the front of the list. In return, that contractor gets the bid for the other work the hospital needs done. The contractor is happy to give that deal because it guarantees them business. This is completely ethical. In fact, it’s a win-win solution. The business gets the repairs they need done and contractor has guaranteed work. What could be better?
The bottom line is that businesses need to understand the different ways they can help, and they need to get over the stigma of profiting from disaster. Realize that the people receiving your products or services don’t mind paying for them. In fact, nobody on the receiving end of the products or services expects to get everything for free, and most of them will gladly pay a fair market price for anything you offer. So take full advantage of this profitable market segment. By doing so, you’ll be helping people in need while helping your own business grow.
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