5 Exporting Tips

Greetings Bloggers and Readers

This week I was invited to 2 seminars on exporting your product from SA to other countries.
The tips I received were so wonderful and these tips really apply to any country.
Here they are:

Take a look at Africa
All of us want to export to the big countries around the world but if you want to export somewhere why not take a look at Africa.  There are so many wonderful countries up north that are dying for your products.
So take a closer look at Africa they might just need your product.

Invest in Travel
If you want to become a exporter you need to travel.  You need to go see other countries and see exactly what products they need.  You will learn a lot.  You might also find products at a cheaper price in one country, you can bring it back to your country and export it to another country or even sell it in your country for a handsome profit.

Learn the cultural traditions of the country you want to export to.
Make sure you learn the cultures of the countries you are interested in exporting to.  You might just lose a contract because you give them the wrong handshake or take them a gift they consider a insult.

As a businesspeson when you export think about long term growth
As a businessperson try not to do just one export for a quick buck.  Look at settling in for the long term then you will make some good money.

Use your Embassies
A valuable tool out there is your Embassies.  Send the ambassadors your business profiles and what you do and what you sell.   They will in turn go to people who are interested in those services and promote you.
A really valuable tool for you.  When you get to a country they will also be able to point you in the right direction if you need the right business contacts there.

Fly high, Fly free

Fred Felton
Falcon's Cove Consulting
Keynote speaker - IT Consultant - Biz Analyst
email: falconscove@gmail.com

email to book Fred Felton for a Twitter Talk or talk on Social Media.

An Independent Review of The Firefox Browser Version 5

Hello Bloggers and Readers

This week I am taking a look at the new Firefox Browser Version 5 which has just been released.
Let's see what it can do shall we.

What's on offer?

• Firefox starts up as usual with some useful features added into the toolbar.
• First off it uses tabbed browsing whereby you can open as many tabs as you want I know of some people who open 10 to 20 tabs at a time for quick reference.
• If you are security conscious you can add the AVG secure search which first checks a site and reports the status of the site in your search.  Nifty little trick.
• If you use gmail or other email you can integrate it into the toolbar so you can see immediately if you have new mail.  
• You can also integrate your facebook into the toolbar.
• Another little nifty feature is the weather right down to where you stay in the world.
• You will also find a most visited section in the toolbar.  Firefox keeps track of the latest websites you have visited for quick reference.
• When you type in a web address no need to type in the http://www.cnn.com you can just type in cnn.com and Firefox takes you there.  Be interesting to see what happens when all these new domain names start arriving.
• If you are new to Firefox a nifty button to try is Getting Started.   This takes you to Firefox and they basically give you a step by step tutorial on how to use the webbrowser and show you some wonderful add ons like Google Docs, Remember the Milk, LinkedIn and many more
• Some new addons I am seeing are Qype, Hype Machine, CoolIris and Topix
• If you are not sure of a websites name type the search or name into the awesome bar at the top and Firefox will auto-complete based on searches and show you possible matches for them.
• The awesome bar learns as you use it.
• The home button is now on the right hand side.
• It also features all the bells and whistles such as password manager, form complete, pop-up blocker, easy search, many search engine options, location aware options.  
• Session restore will also open up Firefox where you left off if firefox closes unexpectedly for some reason.  
• You can save favourite websites as bookmarks and when you have too many move them to useful folders
• It also has a download manager which will keep downloading the file if there is a pause or problem so you never have to keep downloading.
• Other features are search and find, tags, rss feeder, offline browsing for some email
• It also features private browsing so no details are left if you want to go searching for certain subjects if you know what I mean nudge, nudge, wink, wink ;) say no more, say no more ....

So as you can see many features.

Now I am a bit of a Twitter fan so lets see what Firefox can do for you if you love Twitter.

Here are some tools you can add to Firefox which will blow your mind:

• Echofon -  echofon.com  -  this is a wonderful program for Twitter which is integrated into the Firefox tool bar, it gives you a one panel view of what is happening in Twitter, gives you regular updates no matter if you have it off and you can even see images at a glance, posting to Twitter is easy and it really is a wonderful product.
• The f1 button  -  rated as one of the best inventions this integrates a f1 icon into your awesome bar.  So if you are signed into twitter you can type a status update on twitter right in your awesome bar and hit enter or f1 you can find it here https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/f1-by-mozilla-labs/
• Hootsuite and hootlet - you can share pages on twitter via a hootlet button which is also integrated into the awesome bar.  Find it here - https://addons.mozilla.org/en-us/firefox/addon/hootsuite/ 
• You can star websites and they also become bookmarks a nifty trick.
• WiseStamp is also a nift device you can integrate into your Firefox which lets you sign emails with nifty signatures -  wisestamp.com

Other nifty stuff with Firefox

• Super Speed, Crash Protection and something new 3D on the Web for developers to have fun with
• Anti-Malware
• Automatic Updates - One of the things I love about Firefox is that it automatically updates and when you start it again you are using the latest version simple as that.
• You can also play around with the appearance of it with add-ons, personas, the sky is the limit for you
• You can also watch open HD-quality video
• Firefox has also introduced some of the latest tools for developers to play around with.
• Also take a look at the Web Console tool.

Quite a nifty browser one of the best if I may say so myself and how does it stand up to running alongside other browsers?  Well I am writing this blog online as I have two browsers open, Firefox and Chrome and it's working quite brilliantly.

Why not try and download it yourself.

                 Download Firefox

Would love to hear your comments on the new Firefox browser.  What do you think of it?

Fly high, Fly free

Fred Felton

Falcon's Cove Consulting

Speaker - Social Media Consultant - Biz Analyst

email: falconscove@gmail.com

email to book Fred for a talk on social media anywhere in the country.

7 Tips On How To Dress For Business

Good Evening Readers.

This week I am looking at what to wear for business.

Tomorrow morning when you get up and dress for work take a look at yourself in the mirror.
How do you look?  Do you look ready to take on that billion dollar deal?
Are people going to take you seriously dressed as you are?
Here are 7 tips for men to to make sure you are dressed your best.

1.  Get a good pair of shoes.
Make sure you have a good pair of comfortable shoes.  It always helps if you shine them every morning so they are spotless as you step out.

2.  A smart pair of pants helps.
It always helps to have a neat pair of pants that fit you well.

3.  A good belt makes a difference.
A good belt can really set you apart from others.   Take a look for one that you can use for smart or casual wear.  It will help you stand out.

4.  A shirt and tie.
Now in this day and age with a more relaxed sense sometimes you do not have to wear a tie.  A smart shirt is fine silk or cotton perfect.  A good tie that matches makes you stands out.

5.  A jacket complements you.
Make sure you have some jackets for each day of the week.  Choose a variety of colours from black to dark blue to dark brown.   A good name will ensure your jacket lasts for you.  Always remember it must have inside pockets for all your gadgets, keys, wallet etc.

6.  Extras.
In winter time or even summer time you also have to make sure you have a nice scarf that makes you stand out.  Learn the various ways you can tie a scarf.  Also do not forget a smart set of sunglasses.  The design should match the shape of your face.  Always select a good aftershave as well.  Something you like.  A good wallet can also make you stand out.

7. A good haircut regularly.
Make sure you get a good haircut.  A good haircut can help improve your confidence tremendously so go out there and find a good barber.   Someone who can really cut your hair well and keep you informed on what is going on in the area.

If you take those 7 tips into account and always check yourself in the mirror before you head out you can only do one thing.   Succeed!

Fly high, Fly free


Fred Felton
Falcon's Cove Consulting
Motivational Speaker - Biz Analyst - IT Consultant
email: falconscove@gmail.com

email to book Fred for one of The Twitter Talks he does countrywide.

The Power Of Social Networking #TBD

Greetings readers.

In this entry we are looking at the power of social networking.
Over the weekend I attended Twitter Blanket Drive.  A wonderful initiative from @MelanieMinnaar a lady who decided to start something a year back by getting each person on Twitter in South Africa to donate a blanket for charity.  Well at present Twitter Blanket Drive has far exceeded it's expectations.

With big names like DJ Fresh attending the one event and many more like @jodenecoza this event can just get bigger and bigger each year.

It snowballed as one after another added themselves to each event around the country and bit by bit more and more people heard about it all thanks to the power of social networking.  This person told that person and this person put up a invite and then it spread to Facebook and LinkedIn and the rest as they say is history.

I attended the event at Luna Rossa

It was wonderful to see so many blankets when I arrived and also to meet the team from
#TBD Durban.

A big thank you to the team from Durban @NevinSP @MadamMichelle @lizlaughalot @gordsreid
and @waewest @askashe and many more they did a fantastic job.

The biggest thank you goes to @MelanieMinnaar who came up with one idea that lead to this
huge event for charity all because of one tweet.

Amazing hey!

Feel free to comment about your experience at #TBD

Fly high, Fly Free


Fred Felton
Falcon's Cove Consulting
Keynote Speaker - IT Consultant - Biz Analyst
email: falconscove@gmail.com

email to book Fred for The Twitter 101 talks he is doing at present.

Twitter Blanket Drive

Greetings bloggers.

This week we are doing something a bit different.

Coming up soon is Twitter Blanket Drive.
A wonderful initiative started by @MelanieMinnaar last year.  She thought it would be wonderful if each person from Twitter came to a tweetup and brought with them one blanket which they could donate to charity.
It was started last year and this year it is nearly time for the next one.

There will be Twitter Blanket Drive events all over South Africa on the 4th of June.
If you would like to find out where your nearest one is head on over to the website
and check out twitterblanketdrive.co.za

Click on the venue option to find the nearest place near you.  It promises to be loads of fun.
So for those of you on Twitter start using the #TBD hashtag to promote the event.

You can even add the TBD icon to your avatar.

When you get to the event take some pics and upload them to Twitter with the hashtag #TBD.
Check in using FourSquare and tell all your friends on other social networking events about it.

In the Durban area there will be quite a few events so take your choice from:

@LunaRossa_DBN which is in Gateway shopping centre.  From 11h00 to 16h00.
Your host is @waewest

@Livingstons_DBN which is in the Glenore Centre, Glenashley, just before La Lucia
Your host is @askashe  Meet at 18h00

Even down the South Coast there will be one at @bistroramsgate in Ramsgate.
Your host is @SouthCoastLive
Meet at 18h00.

If you cannot make it to these events you are welcome to drop off your blankets
at your nearest Williams Hunt Dealership around the country.
See the website for the nearest one to you.

I'm taking part in Twitter Blanket Drive.

Are you?

Please pass this blog onto as many people as you know to help spread the news.
It's cold out and the poorest of the poor will really appreciate a blanket.

Fly high, Fly Free


Fred Felton
Falcon's Cove Consulting
Keynote Speaker - IT Consultant - Biz Analyst
email: falconscove@gmail.com

email to book Fred Felton for a talk or seminar on Twitter.

5 Tips For Your 30 Second Pitch

Greetings bloggers and readers.

Welcome to another entry.

Today I am focussing on something vital for every business owner.  Your 30 second pitch.

Wait I hear you shouting in the back there.  What's a 30 second pitch?
Here is the quick info.  Your 30 second pitch is basically a quick CV about who you are, the name of your company and what you do.   It's based on a elevator pitch and that is basically if you are in a elevator and a billionaire walks in you have about 30 seconds between the time they step in to the time they leave.
So what do you say to them?

Here are 5 tips to help get you started.  The rest is up to you.  Keep on working on it till it is pitch perfect and fresh and leaves people with a smile on their face.

1.  Be confident
Nothing looks worse than somebody timid and bashful who gets up and immediately looks down and fumbles for words.   Be confident, stand with confidence and look people in the eye.  Speak with a smile.  Tell people who you are, give your name clearly, tell people the name of your company and what service you do.

2. Be clear about what you do
Make sure you tell people exactly what you do.  Are you kind of like a kind of speaker who kind of talks on this and that or are you a keynote speaker who talks on various interesting topics from motivation to business tips to how to network.  Notice the difference?

3. Make sure the name of your company clearly represents what you do.
You will have to work out exactly what service you do and make sure your company name clearly states what you do so when people hear it they know what you do.  No sense having a company called
ABC Business if you do Business plans.  However ABC Business Plans tells me you do business plans.

4. Have a clever catch phrase
Work on a quirky catch phrase for your business and try work it in at the end of your 30 second pitch.
You just have to look at the big corporates to look at catchphrases that work.  Work on yours and maybe even throw in some humour.  If someone smiles they will remember you and your company.

5.  Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse
Keep working on that pitch, even while driving in the car, it will give you something to do.  Record it.
How does it sound?  Improve on it so that it sounds impressive.

Now let's put this all together.
The idea is to have everything come together.

So an ideal 30 second pitch would be something like this.

Hi There, My Name is Fred Felton, I am from the company ABC Speakers.   I am a keynote speaker and do talks on interesting topics such as motivation, social networking and business tips.   That's Fred Felton from ABC Speakers.   Your speaker of choice.

Now that is just a sample but I'm sure you could improve on that.

Your homework is to work on your 30 second pitch for your business.   You can use them in networking meetings or if you happen to be in a elevator and the richest man in the world steps in.  

Fly high, Fly free.





Fred Felton
Falcon's Cove Consulting
Keynote Speaker & IT Consultant & Biz Analyst
email: falconscove@gmail.com

5 Tips To Market Your Brand or Company

Greetings bloggers and readers.

Welcome to another entry in my blog.

Today I am discussing marketing your brand or company.  Ok so you have started that company or launched that brand.  What now?  How are you going to get that name out there?  Here are 5 tips to help you get started.

1.  Have a business card.
The first step is to print some business cards.  You should probably have the basics on it such as the logo of your company or brand.  The company name.  Your name and position in the company.  Your contact details.  Address, mobile number, twitter username, website, email address.  You could also add something that I saw @PlumberDurban from twitter do.  He has added his BBM pin onto his biz card.  Something new to try maybe.   Hand out those business cards at the networking meetings you go to.

2.  Have a online presence
This can include such things as a twitter page, a facebook page, a profile on linkedin.  Join the groups on linkedin and ask questions on them and respond to questions.

3.  Setup a website
You can even setup a basic website with just the major details of you business and contact details.  Perhaps add Google Places to it as well.

4.  Write a blog
You need to be active in the blogosphere and try to write a blog at least twice a week on useful topics.
Start interacting with other bloggers and building a presence in the cyberworld.

5.  Newsletters and Ads
You can even look at sending out weekly or montly email newsletters and taking out adverts in community newspapers.  Start advertising where your target market will be looking.

Well hope those tips help you out with your business.   Wish you all continued success.

Fly high, Fly free




Fred Felton
Motivational Speaker & Social Media Consultant & Biz Analyst
email: falconscove@gmail.com

email to book Fred for a motivational talk or Social Media talk.