The No Frills Business Model

Image source: https://image.slidesharecdn.com/futureenterpriseinnovativebusinessmodels24november2015-160125094645/95/business-model-innovation-by-gigi-wang-3-638.jpg?cb=1453715334

The No Frills Business Model

The term no frills is used to describe a service were the non-essential features are removed to reduce costs and pass on the saving to the customers.

One of the first companies to operate this business model was the supermarket, two German firms Aldi and Lidl have set the standard across Europe for low cost supermarkets. Regular supermarket shelving is kept to a minimum and replaced by pallets wherever possible, once a pallet is empty a new one is brought in. They tend to only sell private label products and avoid branded goods that sell at lower margins. Plastic bags are only provided at a charge encouraging customers to recycle their old bags.

Perhaps the most common example of a no frills service is the recent introduction of low cost airlines, Easyjet were one of the groundbreaking companies that established the successful business model. No frill airlines operate with a single economy class and save money by not printing tickets instead issuing customers a reference number to use at check in. These type of airlines also tend to use smaller airports just outside large cities, this way they can pay reduced airport fees, for example Easyjet fly to Luton rather than Heathrow. Complimentary drinks are not served on board, instead a paid for trolley service is provided.

There is also a market for no frill holidays by removing services, such as in flight meals, hotel meals, airport transfers and holiday representatives, travel agents can offer customers a cheaper holiday.

Buses operators have followed the no frills example with the introduction of low cost road travel, one such brand offering this service is Meagbus operated by Stagecoach. As with low cost airlines customers buy tickets online and the receive discounts for buying earlier. A reference number is shown to the driver who has a list of all expected passengers, rather than a ticket being printer off.

No frill car hire is a recent development in the low cost market, car rental firm Sixt has introduced a cheaper alternative to expensive car hire in London under the name Sixti. By using smaller cars such as Ford fiestas and Smart cars prices start at just 9 for a days hire.

This is an overview of how the main no frills markets operate, each of these examples prove that is it possible to offer faultless service at a reduced price by removing unnecessary extras.

Next time you are looking to order a product or service why not look for a no frills alternative.

The Most Important Questions That You Should Ask Your Auto Body Repair Shop

Image source: http://marketingplatform.vivial.net/sites/default/files/inline_images/Depositphotos_111963166_m-2015.jpg

The Most Important Questions That You Should Ask Your Auto Body Repair Shop

When you have been involved in a car accident, you need to get it up and running as fast as possible to prevent your life from being disrupted. However, rushing matters can prove to be costly, not only in terms of money but also in terms of harassment in case the quality of work is unsatisfactory. Some of the most vital questions that you should ask before handing over your car for body repairs:

How Long Will the Car Repairs Take?

This is perhaps the most frequently asked question by car owners, however, the duration that the repairs will take depends on a number of factors like the extent of damage, how busy the repair shop is then, availability of spare parts, the infrastructure, and equipment that the workshop has, not to speak of the number of holidays. According to an industry survey, it can take around 10 days on an average to get your car back. If any of the repairs are outsourced, it could take even longer.

Will A Loaner Car Be Made Available?

You need to find out if your body repair shop will arrange a car either on loan, rental or courtesy while your own car is being repaired. If a car is offered as rental, you should read the agreement carefully, take pictures of the car before taking delivery and when returning it to avoid disputes. Make a note of the odometer as well.

Will the Car Be Insured During the Time It Spends in the Workshop?

It is extremely important that your car remains covered against theft, fire, accidental damage, burglary or even total loss when it is being repaired. Ask the auto body repair in NY shop what insurance policies they have to safeguard your car. Also, ensure that you do not allow your car insurance to lapse while it is under repairs as any lapse in the policy coverage can cost you dearly in penalties. Also, your policy needs to cover any violations by the workshop people when testing your car.

Will the Fresh Paint Match the Rest of The Car?

While earlier proper matching of the paint used to be a major concern, the tension has been taken care of by all modern cars having the paint code somewhere in the vehicle, for example, under the hood, in the door jamb, in the trunk, etc. The paint code specifies the exact shade of paint that has been used by the manufacturer of the car. You just need to make sure that the same paint is used by the body shop. However, the matching of the shades of the fresh paint with the old also requires competent paint finishing and polishing by the workshop.

Conclusion

At the time of taking delivery of your car, you should ask how soon your car can be washed and if it is safe for it to be taken to a car wash using cleansing chemical or friction brushing. Find out what exactly the warranty covers and use your car appropriately.

Author's Bio: 

Barrack Diego is a content writer.

The Latest Trends in Autos

Image source: http://speed.academy/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/SEMA-2015-hottest-cars-parts-best-new-017.jpg

The Latest Trends in Autos

Fads come and go, sometimes on a whim, other times because of outside forces. Here at the halfway point of the new millennium's first decade, car culture has sure taken some interesting turns.

Those of you who innocently took a test drive of a plain-Jane Nissan Altima when it was new in 2002, floored it, and nearly sprained your necks upon discovery of 240 horsepower, may have suspected that the standards of speed had risen a tad since the 90s. Turns out that was only the beginning. Nowadays, the Volkswagen Passat raised that same family car bar to an excessive 280 horsepower. We have little $30,000 Mitsubishis that can leave Camaros for dead. The 500-horsepower Dodge Viper suddenly seems ordinary, and the once-acclaimed Acura NSX is a joke. Whether or not you're a speed freak, there are two trickle-down benefits: the minimum standard of horsepower has risen from 55 (Geo Metro) to 103, and very few cars in any segment are truly underpowered anymore. Not a bad development.

Cars just won't stop growing. Every redesign has to be bigger than the last one; the new Toyota RAV4 is 14 inches longer than the last, and current Civics now dwarf Accords of years past. It's an inevitable force of marketing; no one wants to pay the same money for less car, right? Bigger also means heavier; our cars pack more pounds than ever.

And there's no rule that contradictory trends can't coexist. Apparently Americans expect their cars to compete with the speed of sound while also using less gas than their walking shoes. The Toyota Prius hybrid heads into its third year with unsatisfied demand, a long line, and a price premium. All this despite an ample supply of the perfectly serviceable Corolla at the same dealers. No automaker wants to be caught with their pants down, and all are rushing to market with a hybrid, even if it means using systems developed by competitors (Nissan's Altima will use Toyota hardware).

We seem to want our cars with more stuff and more personality. The 90s banality in our styling is gone, even on the most banal cars like the Accord and Camry. And notice how almost every car has power windows and locks standard, and how even the Kia Rio comes with six airbags and a powerful stereo. Is it any wonder that the average car now costs $28,000?

Speaking of "cars", we may be moving toward the day when that word will again apply as a general term. SUVs are suddenly for the foolish. They always have been, but now everyone seems to know it, too. Ford's Explorer and Expedition are going down the drain, and the Excursion has already expired. The bigger the SUV, the bigger the sales drop. Little cars are selling better than ever, even old-timers like the Sentra and Neon.

Lastly, we're going foreign, and fast. The Big Three's market share was 60% at the early part of this decade; that will stand at or below 50% by the end of it. This is hardly a new trend, but its recent acceleration is alarming. One thing for sure is that in terms of the players, the market has matured. Only two major automakers set up American bases in the 90s (Kia and Daewoo), and the 2000s have brought none.

Cars can't get bigger or faster forever, yet no one can stand still. Hybrids are hot, but the long-term experiences remain to be seen. What will become of all this automotive craziness? Check back in ten years.

The Importance Of Parent Volunteers

Image source: http://image.slidesharecdn.com/theimportanceofparentinvolvement-140419092542-phpapp02/95/the-importance-of-parent-involvement-3-638.jpg?cb=1397900485

The Importance Of Parent Volunteers

Many parents have lost the art of parenting due to the many demands they face daily. These stresses are no doubt trickling down to their children. Furthermore, today's children are growing at a very drastic speed. Interested parents can become parent volunteers and lend their part in the education of their children thereby making the school life of children more happy and joy filled.

Parents by taking the role of volunteers can go to the school and help teachers in making the classroom experience even more interesting than what it is currently. The role played by parent volunteers is really worth as they are of great help to the children, the teacher and also to the classroom. All parents who are keen in volunteering can be engaged for this program.

Involving parents in the classroom activities is getting accolades by many teachers today. Yet, it is very vital to make out the suitable tasks for delegating to parents. From basic tasks done by a teacher to direct association within the classroom, there are a wide variety of tasks which can be delegated to parent volunteers.

In general, many teachers delegate teaching related works to parent volunteers. A small sized school desk or a table is placed outside the class room for helping parents to do the work delegated to them. Normally, time consuming jobs are the ones that are delegated to such parents. This helps in saving the time of the teacher.

Sort out books in the order required by the teacher, returning books that have been borrowed from the library, helping slow paced students in their work etc are a few simple things which parent contribute as volunteers. However, initial induction needs to be given to all parents who are enrolling in the volunteer program of the school.

Even students can benefit from parents who are volunteering. Generally, all students may not excel or perform in the same manner. There may be a few students who are slow in writing or grasping what is taught to them at school. Parents, who are volunteering, can possibly assist such students in their study activities.

There may also be few children, who would require a little extra time and notice from the teacher than the other children of the class. Such students can be sent out of the classroom in a sequence, so that the parents can assist them in learning the lessons, or doing the homework or so. Also, when a small group of students are being taught by the teacher, parent volunteers can go around the classroom and keep the remaining students engaged in some kind of activity.

The Importance Of Entertainment In Everyday Life

Image source: https://images.scrapee.net/testesimagefiles/376-teste.jpg

The Importance Of Entertainment In Everyday Life

People who work round the clock are prone to psychological disorders. The effects can vary from one person to another but they become like background noise - always a part of your personality. Entertainment is only a tool that can minimize or eliminate that negative effect.

All those activities that are categorized as entertainment actually deviate your attention from matters that cause mental stress and pressure. Many studies and researches have shown that a workplace where the environment is stress-free and friendly in nature has a higher efficiency level. Human resource departments often rely upon the presence of entertainment to create a better-working environment. Large enterprises often create a refreshment area for their employees inside the company building. These recreational areas are for the staff and they can come and enjoy their leisure time.

Schools are also asked by education boards to engage their students in extra curricular activities. These activities are very important for improving social interaction skills and character building. They help bring a sense of healthy competition and fair play spirit among the students.

Many people consider some high-risk activities as their source of entertainment. Bungee jumping, off-road traveling, scuba diving and sky dive. These activities can prove fatal but if they are performed under the supervision of professionals, they can be really fun.

The most important thing everyone should do is enjoy some sort of activity during their daily routine that will take away the issues that come up during through the day. Constantly thinking about what goes wrong and what needs to be done keeps your stress levels way too elevated for your own good. You can go for something as simple and as easy as a reading a book in your lunch break - for the brief period when you immerse yourself in that universe you tend to forget about your issues - enough for your brain to take a break from all the madness.

Another interesting alternative is simply taking a break from it all and going for a walk - you would be amazed how truly entertaining a walk can be. Simply take your mp3 player with you, let your favorite songs play and during your lunch break go to your "happy place". There is no better entertainment while you are at work. You can also consider something more eclectic like a PlayStation portable if you are the kind of person that enjoys being challenged at a console game now and then.

It all depends on your wants and needs - entertainment comes in a variety of ways, and picking the one that is right for you will ensure its efficiency in stress-relief matters. Remember that it is important to do exactly what you want - that's why it's called taking a break.

The Importance Of Business Valuation

Image source: http://www.valuescentre.com/sites/default/files/wysiwyg-images/Article_Importance_Values_Building_High_Performance.JPG

The Importance Of Business Valuation

Running a business does not only mean that one should gain profit. It requires intensive study of how to improve in production, marketing and sales. The evaluation of operation and marketing greatly affects its standing. Many business owners fail to see this point leaving them at lost and confused. The Global Recession made way for them to realize it.With the current economic crisis a business owner must be wise enough to deal with the issue before it worsen. A Business Valuation would be able to assist you on this matter.

This procedure is a set of standards that determines its value in the current market. It projects the financial and production status in a certain period of time. This is similar to business appraisals. Appraising it should not be taken negatively for it can help in managing operations better.

Most experts in this field uses the same procedures and tools of those of an appraiser. This allows a clear overview of how business is doing currently. This determines if the business is still an asset to keep or a liability to sell.

When you approach an expert he would ask you for a reason. The circumstances behind this reason can greatly affect the turn out. Most likely it can be determined through the business value standard which is the hypothetical condition of the evaluation determining the elements affecting its value and the premise of value that is the assumptive condition of why the needs to be evaluated. These reasons derive the computation of what is bound to happen in the near future.

Financial analysis determines its value. It gives an insight of its current standing in the market. Normalizing the financial statements could foresee what will happen in six months in advance. This can be the perfect basis for cutting down cost on several areas.

The income, asset and market approach is based on the trend in production, marketing and sales. This determines if the business is required additional investments or should be sold.

Most studies show that having your business evaluated makes it possible for growth and improvement. Those companies with high value should add additional capital for expansion. However if it does not look good might and could not be repaired might as well have it appraised and sold so you can use the money for another. This way you would have funds to use to start over.

The Importance Of Branding And Marketing In Hospitality

Image source: http://blog.vietsol.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Content-Marketing-2.png

The Importance Of Branding And Marketing In Hospitality

Managers in the hospitality industry should understand marketing and branding. Hospitality marketing prepares future managers with the knowledge needed to ensure that their company, whether it is a well established hotel or a new restaurant, understands the way consumers think. This is extremely important, because the consumer drives the hospitality industry. Understanding the mind of the consumer and why they make the purchasing decisions that they do can prove to be lucrative. It's useful to know what role marketing and branding plays in those decisions and how you can make it work for you. Many hospitality management training courses discuss marketing and branding as a way to improve the company or brand you may work for.

As some experts discuss in hospitality management training courses, brands have something known as "equity." Brand equity is when consumers associate that brand with positive and favorable feelings. A brand's reputation and goodwill adds value to the company. Sometimes, this added value can be worth more for the company than the actual physical assets the company is worth. This is why sometimes new products are released under well-known and well-established brand names.

It gives more comfort and reliability for the consumer to trust and try the new product. This is true for the hospitality industry, for example when new hotels are often represented under one same brand name. While learning about hospitality marketing you begin to understand why these people trust these brands, which is something known as brand loyalty.

Brand loyalty is when a consumer insists on continuously buying one particular brand of a product. They stick with that brand for a long period of time and will choose it over any other similar brands, even if the unknown brand costs less. Although being in that position is considered extremely successful in hospitality marketing, it has recently become increasingly difficult to gain loyal consumers. This is due to two causes, one being that brands within the same category have become increasingly similar. The second cause is that sales promotions and lower priced deals are being offered constantly by different brands- making it difficult for consumers to just stick with one brand because they can get a better deal. However, if the quality of a brand is consistently great and no other brand can offer the same, there is a great chance that consumers will be loyal.

This can lead to what experts and marketing professionals in hospitality marketing describe as a "master brand." The master brand is a brand that is so dominant in consumers' minds that they immediately connect it with an entire product category. Branding and marketing is extremely important in getting brands to this position. Even if your brand doesn't reach this level of recognition, there are ways to be successful at marketing it for effective results. For example, good branding can be valuable when you have an easily identifiable brand, whether it is through the name or trademark.

As mentioned previously, another way to be successful at hospitality marketing is through consistent quality and service. As some hospitality management training courses explain, branding is also successful when the location is convenient. There are always better approaches, methods, and techniques to use to make your brand better and increase equity, loyalty, and recognition for the consumer and branding can be a big part of it. These are key concepts to remember and put into practice to establish a successful career in hospitality.