Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Natural Hair Care with Homemade Beauty Therapies
Coconut milk and gram flour
Gram flour and coconut milk is excellent for treating dry hair problems. Make a mixture of the above ingredients and apply it on the scalp and on the hair. Offer a good massage and then allow the mixture to remain on your head for at least a few minutes. Do this process, once in a week and go for it at least for several weeks. At the end, you'll get a smooth, nourished hair. It will also help to cure dandruff problem.
Lemon juice and banyan tree root
Falling hair creates trouble in your life. You may try to get rid of the problem by mixing banyan tree root into the lemon juice. Use this mixture on your hair. Now wash your hair and apply coconut oil on it. Doing this process several times in month, you will be able to enjoy growing hair. Hair fall problem will also be dissolved.
More natural home remedies
Take a lemon and rub it onto the hands. It will help you to hide any flaws, especially aging signs. Hands show aging sings earlier than other parts of the body. Therefore, it should be treated perfectly.
Lemon is useful for whitening the nails too. You may do this manicure or pedicure at home so easily. Take some lemon juice in a container and keep your hands or feet in it for a few times. It will help you to enjoy the fresh and clear hands and feet.
Gram flour and coconut milk is excellent for treating dry hair problems. Make a mixture of the above ingredients and apply it on the scalp and on the hair. Offer a good massage and then allow the mixture to remain on your head for at least a few minutes. Do this process, once in a week and go for it at least for several weeks. At the end, you'll get a smooth, nourished hair. It will also help to cure dandruff problem.
Lemon juice and banyan tree root
Falling hair creates trouble in your life. You may try to get rid of the problem by mixing banyan tree root into the lemon juice. Use this mixture on your hair. Now wash your hair and apply coconut oil on it. Doing this process several times in month, you will be able to enjoy growing hair. Hair fall problem will also be dissolved.
More natural home remedies
Take a lemon and rub it onto the hands. It will help you to hide any flaws, especially aging signs. Hands show aging sings earlier than other parts of the body. Therefore, it should be treated perfectly.
Lemon is useful for whitening the nails too. You may do this manicure or pedicure at home so easily. Take some lemon juice in a container and keep your hands or feet in it for a few times. It will help you to enjoy the fresh and clear hands and feet.
Homemade Skin Care Treatments
Acne treatment with apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
Many of you face acne on your skin. This unwanted problem can be treated with the help of apple cider vinegar or with lemon juice. You should start the process by washing your face with normal water. Now soak a cotton ball in apple cider vinegar or in lemon juice. Now apply this cotton ball onto the facial skin. Doing this process for several days, you can very easily do away with acne.
Cucumber and curd face mask
Face mask is always useful to the skin. You can try some natural face mask on your face. First collect some fresh cucumber juice and curd. This mixture should be applied on the face at least once in a week. The face mask will offer your skin fantastic glow. It will become bright and fresh.
Turmeric Magic
From remote past, turmeric has been used by women. It improves the skin complexion. At home, you can choose this useful ingredient. Mix turmeric powder and orange juice together. Now apply this on the skin. You have to massage the skin with gentle care. In this way, you can exfoliate the skin.
Many of you face acne on your skin. This unwanted problem can be treated with the help of apple cider vinegar or with lemon juice. You should start the process by washing your face with normal water. Now soak a cotton ball in apple cider vinegar or in lemon juice. Now apply this cotton ball onto the facial skin. Doing this process for several days, you can very easily do away with acne.
Cucumber and curd face mask
Face mask is always useful to the skin. You can try some natural face mask on your face. First collect some fresh cucumber juice and curd. This mixture should be applied on the face at least once in a week. The face mask will offer your skin fantastic glow. It will become bright and fresh.
Turmeric Magic
From remote past, turmeric has been used by women. It improves the skin complexion. At home, you can choose this useful ingredient. Mix turmeric powder and orange juice together. Now apply this on the skin. You have to massage the skin with gentle care. In this way, you can exfoliate the skin.
HOME MADE BEAUTY TIPS
- For the face, use ground apricot mixed with fresh cream twice a week for excellent exfoliating effects.
- In order to get rid of pimples and blackheads naturally, mix glycerin, little lime juice and rose water and apply on face before going to bed. It cleans the face of impurities and helps you to combat blemishes.
- For soft lips and lightening lip pigmentation, apply a mix of almond and castor oils every night before going to sleep.
- If you have dark circles or puffiness under eyes, then put a mixture of coconut oil and castor oil in the area and massage very gently with the ring finger until the oil gets absorbed.
- Replace cosmetic after shave lotion with a mix of witch hazel and a few drops of your favorite essential oil. This will not only refresh your senses but at the same time have a natural cooling and disinfectant effect on your skin.
- For natural conditioning, mix honey with cream and apply on the wet ends of the hair (not to the roots). Leave on for 5 minutes and wash off for a very smooth feel.
- For keeping your hand and feet soft and keeping age spots away, make a scrub at home. This can be prepared with coarse sea salt, almond oil, lavender essential oil and water – mixing all the ingredients well. Massage well on your feet and hands. Keep it for 10-15 minutes and wash off with water.
- For adding extra shine to dry and dull hair, mix a little amount of vinegar in the water after conditioning and wash your hair with it. Dry your hair with towel.
- Drinking plenty of water, having fruit and cereal enriched diets and exercising for 30 minutes twice a week will enable you to get the over all glow.
- Regular usage of the beauty products made at home and remembering the useful homemade beauty tips will help you to keep the youthful look even in the later stages of life. So go through the links of beautytipshub to know about all these tips in details!
Friday, August 20, 2010
MARKETING PLANS
The marketing planning process
Marketing process can be realized by the marketing mix in step 4. The last step in the process is the marketing controlling. In most organizations, "strategic planning" is an annual process, typically covering just the year ahead. Occasionally, a few organizations may look at a practical plan which stretches three or more years ahead.
To be most effective, the plan has to be formalized, usually in written form, as a formal "marketing plan." The essence of the process is that it moves from the general to the specific, from the overall objectives of the organization down to the individual action plan for a part of one marketing program. It is also an interactive process, so that the draft output of each stage is checked to see what impact it has on the earlier stages, and is amended.
Marketing planning aims and objectives
Behind the corporate objectives, which in themselves offer the main context for the marketing plan, will lie the "corporate mission," which in turn provides the context for these corporate objectives. In a sales-oriented organization, the marketing planning function designs incentive pay plans to not only motivate and reward frontline staff fairly but also to align marketing activities with corporate mission.
This "corporate mission" can be thought of as a definition of what the organization is, of what it does: "Our business is …". This definition should not be too narrow, or it will constrict the development of the organization; a too rigorous concentration on the view that "We are in the business of making meat-scales," as IBM was during the early 1900s, might have limited its subsequent development into other areas. On the other hand, it should not be too wide or it will become meaningless; "We want to make a profit" is not too helpful in developing specific plans.
Abell suggested that the definition should cover three dimensions: "customer groups" to be served, "customer needs" to be served, and "technologies" to be utilized [1]. Thus, the definition of IBM's "corporate mission" in the 1940s might well have been: "We are in the business of handling accounting information [customer need] for the larger US organizations [customer group] by means of punched cards [technology]."
Perhaps the most important factor in successful marketing is the "corporate vision." Surprisingly, it is largely neglected by marketing textbooks, although not by the popular exponents of corporate strategy - indeed, it was perhaps the main theme of the book by Peters and Waterman, in the form of their "Super ordinate Goals." "In Search of Excellence" said: "Nothing drives progress like the imagination. The idea precedes the deed." [2] If the organization in general, and its chief executive in particular, has a strong vision of where its future lies, then there is a good chance that the organization will achieve a strong position in its markets (and attain that future). This will be not least because its strategies will be consistent and will be supported by its staff at all levels. In this context, all of IBM's marketing activities were underpinned by its philosophy of "customer service," a vision originally promoted by the charismatic Watson dynasty. The emphasis at this stage is on obtaining a complete and accurate picture.
A "traditional" - albeit product-based - format for a "brand reference book" (or, indeed, a "marketing facts book") was suggested by Godley more than three decades ago:
1. Financial data—Facts for this section will come from management accounting, costing and finance sections.
2. Product data—From production, research and development.
3. Sales and distribution data - Sales, packaging, distribution sections.
4. Advertising, sales promotion, merchandising data - Information from these departments.
5. Market data and miscellany - From market research, who would in most cases act as a source for this information. His sources of data, however, assume the resources of a very large organization. In most organizations they would be obtained from a much smaller set of people (and not a few of them would be generated by the marketing manager alone).
It is apparent that a marketing audit can be a complex process, but the aim is simple: "it is only to identify those existing (external and internal) factors which will have a significant impact on the future plans of the company." It is clear that the basic material to be input to the marketing audit should be comprehensive.
Accordingly, the best approach is to accumulate this material continuously, as and when it becomes available; since this avoids the otherwise heavy workload involved in collecting it as part of the regular, typically annual, planning process itself - when time is usually at a premium.
Even so, the first task of this annual process should be to check that the material held in the current facts book or facts files actually is comprehensive and accurate, and can form a sound basis for the marketing audit itself.
The structure of the facts book will be designed to match the specific needs of the organization, but one simple format - suggested by Malcolm McDonald - may be applicable in many cases. This splits the material into three groups:
1. Review of the marketing environment. A study of the organization's markets, customers, competitors and the overall economic, political, cultural and technical environment; covering developing trends, as well as the current situation.
2. Review of the detailed marketing activity. A study of the company's marketing mix; in terms of the 7 Ps - (see below)
3. Review of the marketing system. A study of the marketing organization, marketing research systems and the current marketing objectives and strategies. The last of these is too frequently ignored. The marketing system itself needs to be regularly questioned, because the validity of the whole marketing plan is reliant upon the accuracy of the input from this system, and `garbage in, garbage out' applies with a vengeance.
Portfolio planning. In addition, the coordinated planning of the individual products and services can contribute towards the balanced portfolio.
80:20 rule. To achieve the maximum impact, the marketing plan must be clear, concise and simple. It needs to concentrate on the 20 percent of products or services, and on the 20 percent of customers, which will account for 80 percent of the volume and 80 percent of the profit.
7 P's: Product, Place, Price and Promotion, Physical Environment, People, Process. The 7 P's can sometimes divert attention from the customer, but the framework they offer can be very useful in building the action plans.
It is only at this stage (of deciding the marketing objectives) that the active part of the marketing planning process begins. This next stage in marketing planning is indeed the key to the whole marketing process.
The "marketing objectives" state just where the company intends to be at some specific time in the future.
James Quinn succinctly defined objectives in general as: Goals (or objectives) state what is to be achieved and when results are to be accomplished, but they do not state "how" the results are to be achieved.[3] They typically relate to what products (or services) will be where in what markets (and must be realistically based on customer behavior in those markets). They are essentially about the match between those "products" and "markets." Objectives for pricing, distribution, advertising and so on are at a lower level, and should not be confused with marketing objectives. They are part of the marketing strategy needed to achieve marketing objectives. To be most effective, objectives should be capable of measurement and therefore "quantifiable." This measurement may be in terms of sales volume, money value, market share, percentage penetration of distribution outlets and so on. An example of such a measurable marketing objective might be "to enter the market with product Y and capture 10 percent of the market by value within one year." As it is quantified it can, within limits, be unequivocally monitored, and corrective action taken as necessary.
The marketing objectives must usually be based, above all, on the organization's financial objectives; converting these financial measurements into the related marketing measurements. He went on to explain his view of the role of "policies," with which strategy is most often confused: "Policies are rules or guidelines that express the 'limits' within which action should occur. “Simplifying somewhat, marketing strategies can be seen as the means, or "game plan," by which marketing objectives will be achieved and, in the framework that we have chosen to use, are generally concerned with the 8 P's. Examples are:
1. Price - The amount of money needed to buy products
2. Product - The actual product
3. Promotion (advertising)- Getting the product known
4. Placement - Where the product is located
5. People - Represent the business
6. Physical environment - The ambiance, mood, or tone of the environment
7. Process - How do people obtain your product
8. Packaging - How the product will be protected
(Note: At GCSE the 4 P's are Place, Promotion, Product and Price and the "secret" 5th P is Packaging, but which applies only to physical products, not services usually, and mostly those sold to individual consumers)
In principle, these strategies describe how the objectives will be achieved. The 7 P's are a useful framework for deciding how the company's resources will be manipulated (strategically) to achieve the objectives. However, they are not the only framework, and may divert attention from the real issues. The focus of the strategies must be the objectives to be achieved - not the process of planning itself. Only if it fits the needs of these objectives should you choose, as we have done, to use the framework of the 7 P's.
The strategy statement can take the form of a purely verbal description of the strategic options which have been chosen. Alternatively, and perhaps more positively, it might include a structured list of the major options chosen.
One aspect of strategy which is often overlooked is that of "timing." Exactly when it is the best time for each element of the strategy to be implemented is often critical. Taking the right action at the wrong time can sometimes be almost as bad as taking the wrong action at the right time. Timing is, therefore, an essential part of any plan; and should normally appear as a schedule of planned activities. Having completed this crucial stage of the planning process, you will need to re-check the feasibility of your objectives and strategies in terms of the market share, sales, costs, profits and so on which these demand in practice. As in the rest of the marketing discipline, you will need to employ judgment, experience, market research or anything else which helps you to look at your conclusions from all possible angles.
[edit] Detailed plans and programs
At this stage, you will need to develop your overall marketing strategies into detailed plans and program. Although these detailed plans may cover each of the 7 P's (marketing mix), the focus will vary, depending upon your organization's specific strategies. A product-oriented company will focus its plans for the 7 P's around each of its products. A market or geographically oriented company will concentrate on each market or geographical area. Each will base its plans upon the detailed needs of its customers, and on the strategies chosen to satisfy these needs.
Again, the most important element is, indeed, that of the detailed plans, which spell out exactly what programs and individual activities will take place over the period of the plan (usually over the next year). Without these specified - and preferably quantified - activities the plan cannot be monitored, even in terms of success in meeting its objectives. It is these programs and activities which will then constitute the "marketing" of the organization over the period. As a result, these detailed marketing programs are the most important, practical outcome of the whole planning process. These plans must therefore be:
• Clear - They should be an unambiguous statement of 'exactly' what is to be done.
• Quantified - The predicted outcome of each activity should be, as far as possible, quantified, so that its performance can be monitored.
• Focused - The temptation to proliferate activities beyond the numbers which can be realistically controlled should be avoided. The 80:20 Rule applies in this context too.
• Realistic - They should be achievable.
• Agreed - Those who are to implement them should be committed to them, and agree that they are achievable. The resulting plans should become a working document which will guide the campaigns taking place throughout the organization over the period of the plan. If the marketing plan is to work, every exception to it (throughout the year) must be questioned; and the lessons learned, to be incorporated in the next year's planning.
Content of the marketing plan
A marketing plan for a small business typically includes Small Business Administration Description of competitors, including the level of demand for the product or service and the strengths and weaknesses of competitors
1. Description of the product or service, including special features
2. Marketing budget, including the advertising and promotional plan
3. Description of the business location, including advantages and disadvantages for marketing
4. Pricing strategy
5. Market Segmentation
Medium-sized and large organizations
The main contents of a marketing plan are:[4]
1. Executive Summary
2. Situational Analysis
3. Opportunities / Issue Analysis - SWOT Analysis
4. Objectives
5. Strategy
6. Action Program (the operational marketing plan itself for the period under review)
7. Financial Forecast
8. Controls
In detail, a complete marketing plan typically includes:[4]
1. Title page
2. Executive Summary
3. Current Situation - Macroenvironment
o economy
o legal
o government
o technology
o ecological
o socio cultural
o supply chain
4. Current Situation - Market Analysis
o market definition
o market size
o market segmentation
o industry structure and strategic groupings
o Porter 5 forces analysis
o competition and market share
o competitors' strengths and weaknesses
o market trends
5. Current Situation - Consumer Analysis [5]
o nature of the buying decision
o participants
o demographics
o psychographics
o buyer motivation and expectations
o loyalty segments
6. Current Situation - Internal
o company resources
financial
people
time
skills
o objectives
mission statement and vision statement
corporate objectives
financial objective
marketing objectives
long term objectives
description of the basic business philosophy
o corporate culture
7. Summary of Situation Analysis
o external threats
o external opportunities
o internal strengths
o internal weaknesses
o Critical success factors in the industry
o our sustainable competitive advantage
8. Marketing research
o information requirements
o research methodology
o research results
9. Marketing Strategy - Product
o product mix
o product strengths and weaknesses
perceptual mapping
o product life cycle management and new product development
o Brand name, brand image, and brand equity
o the augmented product
o product portfolio analysis
B.C.G. Analysis
contribution margin analysis
G.E. Multi Factorial analysis
Quality Function Deployment
10. Marketing Strategy [6] - segmented marketing actions and market share objectives
o by product,
o by customer segment,
o by geographical market,
o by distribution channel.
11. Marketing Strategy - Price
o pricing objectives
o pricing method (eg.: cost plus, demand based, or competitor indexing)
o pricing strategy (eg.: skimming, or penetration)
o discounts and allowances
o price elasticity and customer sensitivity
o price zoning
o break even analysis at various prices
12. Marketing Strategy - promotion
o promotional goals
o promotional mix
o advertising reach, frequency, flights, theme, and media
o sales force requirements, techniques, and management
o sales promotion
o publicity and public relations
o electronic promotion (eg.: Web, or telephone)
o word of mouth marketing (buzz)
o viral marketing
13. Marketing Strategy - Distribution
o geographical coverage
o distribution channels
o physical distribution and logistics
o electronic distribution
14. Implementation
o personnel requirements
assign responsibilities
give incentives
training on selling methods
o financial requirements
o management information systems requirements
o month-by-month agenda
PERT or critical path analysis
o monitoring results and benchmarks
o adjustment mechanism
o contingencies (What if's)
15. Financial Summary
o assumptions
o pro-forma monthly income statement
o contribution margin analysis
o breakeven analysis
o Monte Carlo method
o ISI: Internet Strategic Intelligence
16. Scenarios
o Prediction of Future Scenarios
o Plan of Action for each Scenario
17. Appendix
o pictures and specifications of the new product
o results from research already completed
Measurement of progress
The final stage of any marketing planning process is to establish targets (or standards) so that progress can be monitored. Accordingly, it is important to put both quantities and timescales into the marketing objectives (for example, to capture 20 percent by value of the market within two years) and into the corresponding strategies.
Changes in the environment mean that the forecasts often have to be changed. Along with these, the related plans may well also need to be changed. Continuous monitoring of performance, against predetermined targets, represents a most important aspect of this. However, perhaps even more important is the enforced discipline of a regular formal review. Again, as with forecasts, in many cases the best (most realistic) planning cycle will revolve around a quarterly review. Best of all, at least in terms of the quantifiable aspects of the plans, if not the wealth of backing detail, is probably a quarterly rolling review - planning one full year ahead each new quarter. Of course, this does absorb more planning resource; but it also ensures that the plans embody the latest information, and - with attention focused on them so regularly - forces both the plans and their implementation to be realistic.
Plans only have validity if they are actually used to control the progress of a company: their success lies in their implementation, not in the writing'.
Performance analysis
The most important elements of marketing performance, which are normally tracked, are:
There can be considerable benefit in comparing these figures with those achieved by other organizations (especially those in the same industry); using, for instance, the figures which can be obtained (in the UK) from `The Centre for Interfirm Comparison'. The most sophisticated use of this approach, however, is typically by those making use of PIMS (Profit Impact of Management Strategies), initiated by the General Electric Company and then developed by Harvard Business School, but now run by the Strategic Planning Institute.
• market research - including customer panels (which are used to track changes over time)
A formal, written marketing plan is essential; in that it provides an unambiguous reference point for activities throughout the planning period. However, perhaps the most important benefit of these plans is the planning process itself. This typically offers a unique opportunity, a forum, for information-rich and productively focused discussions between the various managers involved. The plan, together with the associated discussions, then provides an agreed context for their subsequent management activities, even for those not described in the plan itself. Additionally, marketing plans are included in business plans, offering data showing investors how the company will grow and most importantly, how they will get a return on investment.
Marketing process can be realized by the marketing mix in step 4. The last step in the process is the marketing controlling. In most organizations, "strategic planning" is an annual process, typically covering just the year ahead. Occasionally, a few organizations may look at a practical plan which stretches three or more years ahead.
To be most effective, the plan has to be formalized, usually in written form, as a formal "marketing plan." The essence of the process is that it moves from the general to the specific, from the overall objectives of the organization down to the individual action plan for a part of one marketing program. It is also an interactive process, so that the draft output of each stage is checked to see what impact it has on the earlier stages, and is amended.
Marketing planning aims and objectives
Behind the corporate objectives, which in themselves offer the main context for the marketing plan, will lie the "corporate mission," which in turn provides the context for these corporate objectives. In a sales-oriented organization, the marketing planning function designs incentive pay plans to not only motivate and reward frontline staff fairly but also to align marketing activities with corporate mission.
This "corporate mission" can be thought of as a definition of what the organization is, of what it does: "Our business is …". This definition should not be too narrow, or it will constrict the development of the organization; a too rigorous concentration on the view that "We are in the business of making meat-scales," as IBM was during the early 1900s, might have limited its subsequent development into other areas. On the other hand, it should not be too wide or it will become meaningless; "We want to make a profit" is not too helpful in developing specific plans.
Abell suggested that the definition should cover three dimensions: "customer groups" to be served, "customer needs" to be served, and "technologies" to be utilized [1]. Thus, the definition of IBM's "corporate mission" in the 1940s might well have been: "We are in the business of handling accounting information [customer need] for the larger US organizations [customer group] by means of punched cards [technology]."
Perhaps the most important factor in successful marketing is the "corporate vision." Surprisingly, it is largely neglected by marketing textbooks, although not by the popular exponents of corporate strategy - indeed, it was perhaps the main theme of the book by Peters and Waterman, in the form of their "Super ordinate Goals." "In Search of Excellence" said: "Nothing drives progress like the imagination. The idea precedes the deed." [2] If the organization in general, and its chief executive in particular, has a strong vision of where its future lies, then there is a good chance that the organization will achieve a strong position in its markets (and attain that future). This will be not least because its strategies will be consistent and will be supported by its staff at all levels. In this context, all of IBM's marketing activities were underpinned by its philosophy of "customer service," a vision originally promoted by the charismatic Watson dynasty. The emphasis at this stage is on obtaining a complete and accurate picture.
A "traditional" - albeit product-based - format for a "brand reference book" (or, indeed, a "marketing facts book") was suggested by Godley more than three decades ago:
1. Financial data—Facts for this section will come from management accounting, costing and finance sections.
2. Product data—From production, research and development.
3. Sales and distribution data - Sales, packaging, distribution sections.
4. Advertising, sales promotion, merchandising data - Information from these departments.
5. Market data and miscellany - From market research, who would in most cases act as a source for this information. His sources of data, however, assume the resources of a very large organization. In most organizations they would be obtained from a much smaller set of people (and not a few of them would be generated by the marketing manager alone).
It is apparent that a marketing audit can be a complex process, but the aim is simple: "it is only to identify those existing (external and internal) factors which will have a significant impact on the future plans of the company." It is clear that the basic material to be input to the marketing audit should be comprehensive.
Accordingly, the best approach is to accumulate this material continuously, as and when it becomes available; since this avoids the otherwise heavy workload involved in collecting it as part of the regular, typically annual, planning process itself - when time is usually at a premium.
Even so, the first task of this annual process should be to check that the material held in the current facts book or facts files actually is comprehensive and accurate, and can form a sound basis for the marketing audit itself.
The structure of the facts book will be designed to match the specific needs of the organization, but one simple format - suggested by Malcolm McDonald - may be applicable in many cases. This splits the material into three groups:
1. Review of the marketing environment. A study of the organization's markets, customers, competitors and the overall economic, political, cultural and technical environment; covering developing trends, as well as the current situation.
2. Review of the detailed marketing activity. A study of the company's marketing mix; in terms of the 7 Ps - (see below)
3. Review of the marketing system. A study of the marketing organization, marketing research systems and the current marketing objectives and strategies. The last of these is too frequently ignored. The marketing system itself needs to be regularly questioned, because the validity of the whole marketing plan is reliant upon the accuracy of the input from this system, and `garbage in, garbage out' applies with a vengeance.
Portfolio planning. In addition, the coordinated planning of the individual products and services can contribute towards the balanced portfolio.
80:20 rule. To achieve the maximum impact, the marketing plan must be clear, concise and simple. It needs to concentrate on the 20 percent of products or services, and on the 20 percent of customers, which will account for 80 percent of the volume and 80 percent of the profit.
7 P's: Product, Place, Price and Promotion, Physical Environment, People, Process. The 7 P's can sometimes divert attention from the customer, but the framework they offer can be very useful in building the action plans.
It is only at this stage (of deciding the marketing objectives) that the active part of the marketing planning process begins. This next stage in marketing planning is indeed the key to the whole marketing process.
The "marketing objectives" state just where the company intends to be at some specific time in the future.
James Quinn succinctly defined objectives in general as: Goals (or objectives) state what is to be achieved and when results are to be accomplished, but they do not state "how" the results are to be achieved.[3] They typically relate to what products (or services) will be where in what markets (and must be realistically based on customer behavior in those markets). They are essentially about the match between those "products" and "markets." Objectives for pricing, distribution, advertising and so on are at a lower level, and should not be confused with marketing objectives. They are part of the marketing strategy needed to achieve marketing objectives. To be most effective, objectives should be capable of measurement and therefore "quantifiable." This measurement may be in terms of sales volume, money value, market share, percentage penetration of distribution outlets and so on. An example of such a measurable marketing objective might be "to enter the market with product Y and capture 10 percent of the market by value within one year." As it is quantified it can, within limits, be unequivocally monitored, and corrective action taken as necessary.
The marketing objectives must usually be based, above all, on the organization's financial objectives; converting these financial measurements into the related marketing measurements. He went on to explain his view of the role of "policies," with which strategy is most often confused: "Policies are rules or guidelines that express the 'limits' within which action should occur. “Simplifying somewhat, marketing strategies can be seen as the means, or "game plan," by which marketing objectives will be achieved and, in the framework that we have chosen to use, are generally concerned with the 8 P's. Examples are:
1. Price - The amount of money needed to buy products
2. Product - The actual product
3. Promotion (advertising)- Getting the product known
4. Placement - Where the product is located
5. People - Represent the business
6. Physical environment - The ambiance, mood, or tone of the environment
7. Process - How do people obtain your product
8. Packaging - How the product will be protected
(Note: At GCSE the 4 P's are Place, Promotion, Product and Price and the "secret" 5th P is Packaging, but which applies only to physical products, not services usually, and mostly those sold to individual consumers)
In principle, these strategies describe how the objectives will be achieved. The 7 P's are a useful framework for deciding how the company's resources will be manipulated (strategically) to achieve the objectives. However, they are not the only framework, and may divert attention from the real issues. The focus of the strategies must be the objectives to be achieved - not the process of planning itself. Only if it fits the needs of these objectives should you choose, as we have done, to use the framework of the 7 P's.
The strategy statement can take the form of a purely verbal description of the strategic options which have been chosen. Alternatively, and perhaps more positively, it might include a structured list of the major options chosen.
One aspect of strategy which is often overlooked is that of "timing." Exactly when it is the best time for each element of the strategy to be implemented is often critical. Taking the right action at the wrong time can sometimes be almost as bad as taking the wrong action at the right time. Timing is, therefore, an essential part of any plan; and should normally appear as a schedule of planned activities. Having completed this crucial stage of the planning process, you will need to re-check the feasibility of your objectives and strategies in terms of the market share, sales, costs, profits and so on which these demand in practice. As in the rest of the marketing discipline, you will need to employ judgment, experience, market research or anything else which helps you to look at your conclusions from all possible angles.
[edit] Detailed plans and programs
At this stage, you will need to develop your overall marketing strategies into detailed plans and program. Although these detailed plans may cover each of the 7 P's (marketing mix), the focus will vary, depending upon your organization's specific strategies. A product-oriented company will focus its plans for the 7 P's around each of its products. A market or geographically oriented company will concentrate on each market or geographical area. Each will base its plans upon the detailed needs of its customers, and on the strategies chosen to satisfy these needs.
Again, the most important element is, indeed, that of the detailed plans, which spell out exactly what programs and individual activities will take place over the period of the plan (usually over the next year). Without these specified - and preferably quantified - activities the plan cannot be monitored, even in terms of success in meeting its objectives. It is these programs and activities which will then constitute the "marketing" of the organization over the period. As a result, these detailed marketing programs are the most important, practical outcome of the whole planning process. These plans must therefore be:
• Clear - They should be an unambiguous statement of 'exactly' what is to be done.
• Quantified - The predicted outcome of each activity should be, as far as possible, quantified, so that its performance can be monitored.
• Focused - The temptation to proliferate activities beyond the numbers which can be realistically controlled should be avoided. The 80:20 Rule applies in this context too.
• Realistic - They should be achievable.
• Agreed - Those who are to implement them should be committed to them, and agree that they are achievable. The resulting plans should become a working document which will guide the campaigns taking place throughout the organization over the period of the plan. If the marketing plan is to work, every exception to it (throughout the year) must be questioned; and the lessons learned, to be incorporated in the next year's planning.
Content of the marketing plan
A marketing plan for a small business typically includes Small Business Administration Description of competitors, including the level of demand for the product or service and the strengths and weaknesses of competitors
1. Description of the product or service, including special features
2. Marketing budget, including the advertising and promotional plan
3. Description of the business location, including advantages and disadvantages for marketing
4. Pricing strategy
5. Market Segmentation
Medium-sized and large organizations
The main contents of a marketing plan are:[4]
1. Executive Summary
2. Situational Analysis
3. Opportunities / Issue Analysis - SWOT Analysis
4. Objectives
5. Strategy
6. Action Program (the operational marketing plan itself for the period under review)
7. Financial Forecast
8. Controls
In detail, a complete marketing plan typically includes:[4]
1. Title page
2. Executive Summary
3. Current Situation - Macroenvironment
o economy
o legal
o government
o technology
o ecological
o socio cultural
o supply chain
4. Current Situation - Market Analysis
o market definition
o market size
o market segmentation
o industry structure and strategic groupings
o Porter 5 forces analysis
o competition and market share
o competitors' strengths and weaknesses
o market trends
5. Current Situation - Consumer Analysis [5]
o nature of the buying decision
o participants
o demographics
o psychographics
o buyer motivation and expectations
o loyalty segments
6. Current Situation - Internal
o company resources
financial
people
time
skills
o objectives
mission statement and vision statement
corporate objectives
financial objective
marketing objectives
long term objectives
description of the basic business philosophy
o corporate culture
7. Summary of Situation Analysis
o external threats
o external opportunities
o internal strengths
o internal weaknesses
o Critical success factors in the industry
o our sustainable competitive advantage
8. Marketing research
o information requirements
o research methodology
o research results
9. Marketing Strategy - Product
o product mix
o product strengths and weaknesses
perceptual mapping
o product life cycle management and new product development
o Brand name, brand image, and brand equity
o the augmented product
o product portfolio analysis
B.C.G. Analysis
contribution margin analysis
G.E. Multi Factorial analysis
Quality Function Deployment
10. Marketing Strategy [6] - segmented marketing actions and market share objectives
o by product,
o by customer segment,
o by geographical market,
o by distribution channel.
11. Marketing Strategy - Price
o pricing objectives
o pricing method (eg.: cost plus, demand based, or competitor indexing)
o pricing strategy (eg.: skimming, or penetration)
o discounts and allowances
o price elasticity and customer sensitivity
o price zoning
o break even analysis at various prices
12. Marketing Strategy - promotion
o promotional goals
o promotional mix
o advertising reach, frequency, flights, theme, and media
o sales force requirements, techniques, and management
o sales promotion
o publicity and public relations
o electronic promotion (eg.: Web, or telephone)
o word of mouth marketing (buzz)
o viral marketing
13. Marketing Strategy - Distribution
o geographical coverage
o distribution channels
o physical distribution and logistics
o electronic distribution
14. Implementation
o personnel requirements
assign responsibilities
give incentives
training on selling methods
o financial requirements
o management information systems requirements
o month-by-month agenda
PERT or critical path analysis
o monitoring results and benchmarks
o adjustment mechanism
o contingencies (What if's)
15. Financial Summary
o assumptions
o pro-forma monthly income statement
o contribution margin analysis
o breakeven analysis
o Monte Carlo method
o ISI: Internet Strategic Intelligence
16. Scenarios
o Prediction of Future Scenarios
o Plan of Action for each Scenario
17. Appendix
o pictures and specifications of the new product
o results from research already completed
Measurement of progress
The final stage of any marketing planning process is to establish targets (or standards) so that progress can be monitored. Accordingly, it is important to put both quantities and timescales into the marketing objectives (for example, to capture 20 percent by value of the market within two years) and into the corresponding strategies.
Changes in the environment mean that the forecasts often have to be changed. Along with these, the related plans may well also need to be changed. Continuous monitoring of performance, against predetermined targets, represents a most important aspect of this. However, perhaps even more important is the enforced discipline of a regular formal review. Again, as with forecasts, in many cases the best (most realistic) planning cycle will revolve around a quarterly review. Best of all, at least in terms of the quantifiable aspects of the plans, if not the wealth of backing detail, is probably a quarterly rolling review - planning one full year ahead each new quarter. Of course, this does absorb more planning resource; but it also ensures that the plans embody the latest information, and - with attention focused on them so regularly - forces both the plans and their implementation to be realistic.
Plans only have validity if they are actually used to control the progress of a company: their success lies in their implementation, not in the writing'.
Performance analysis
The most important elements of marketing performance, which are normally tracked, are:
Sales analysis
Most organizations track their sales results; or, in non-profit organizations for example, the number of clients. The more sophisticated track them in terms of 'sales variance' - the deviation from the target figures - which allows a more immediate picture of deviations to become evident.
`Micro-analysis', which is a nicely pseudo-scientific term for the normal management process of investigating detailed problems, then investigates the individual elements (individual products, sales territories, customers and so on) which are failing to meet targets.
Market share analysis
Few organizations track market share though it is often an important metric. Though absolute sales might grow in an expanding market, a firm's share of the market can decrease which bodes ill for future sales when the market starts to drop. Where such market share is tracked, there may be a number of aspects which will be followed:
• overall market share
• segment share - that in the specific, targeted segment
• relative share -in relation to the market leaders
• annual fluctuation rate of market share
• also the specific market sharing of customers.
Expense analysis
The key ratio to watch in this area is usually the `marketing expense to sales ratio'; although this may be broken down into other elements (advertising to sales, sales administration to sales, and so on).
Financial analysis
The "bottom line" of marketing activities should at least in theory, be the net profit (for all except non-profit organizations, where the comparable emphasis may be on remaining within budgeted costs). There are a number of separate performance figures and key ratios which need to be tracked:
• gross contribution<>net profit
• gross profit<>return on investment
• net contribution<>profit on sales
The above performance analyses concentrate on the quantitative measures which are directly related to short-term performance. But there are a number of indirect measures, essentially tracking customer attitudes, which can also indicate the organization's performance in terms of its longer-term marketing strengths and may accordingly be even more important indicators. Some useful measures are:
• market research - including customer panels (which are used to track changes over time)
• lost business - the orders which were lost because, for example, the stock was not available or the product did not meet the customer's exact requirements
• customer complaints - how many customers complain about the products or services, or the organization itself, and about what
Use of marketing plans
A formal, written marketing plan is essential; in that it provides an unambiguous reference point for activities throughout the planning period. However, perhaps the most important benefit of these plans is the planning process itself. This typically offers a unique opportunity, a forum, for information-rich and productively focused discussions between the various managers involved. The plan, together with the associated discussions, then provides an agreed context for their subsequent management activities, even for those not described in the plan itself. Additionally, marketing plans are included in business plans, offering data showing investors how the company will grow and most importantly, how they will get a return on investment.Budgets as managerial tools
The classic quantification of a marketing plan appears in the form of budgets. Because these are so rigorously quantified, they are particularly important. They should, thus, represent an unequivocal projection of actions and expected results. What is more, they should be capable of being monitored accurately; and, indeed, performance against budget is the main (regular) management review process.
The purpose of a marketing budget is, thus, to pull together all the revenues and costs involved in marketing into one comprehensive document. It is a managerial tool that balances what is needed to be spent against what can be afforded, and helps make choices about priorities. It is then used in monitoring performance in practice.
The marketing budget is usually the most powerful tool by which you think through the relationship between desired results and available means. Its starting point should be the marketing strategies and plans, which have already been formulated in the marketing plan itself; although, in practice, the two will run in parallel and will interact. At the very least, the rigorous, highly quantified, budgets may cause a rethink of some of the more optimistic elements of the plans.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
FITNESS TIPS FOR GIRLS
The ways of keeping oneself fit may differ for males and for the females. Here are some fitness tips exclusively for the girls:
• One of the best ways for girls to keep fit is to practice routine household chores. You may be surprised to know that normal household works like cooking and dusting can help you cut down on your calories tremendously.
• Another fun and interesting fitness option, especially for those who dread going to the gym, is to dance along your favorite tunes or to do aerobics.
• If you can spare some time at home, you may enjoy doing some light exercises like, stretching, weight lifting, sit-ups, leg raising, etc.
• If you are a party person, then parties can actually help you lose your calories. Most parties require you to dance and so you automatically cut down on your excessive fats.
• Many women enjoy going out on long shopping sprees. All such women can benefit in a big way as shopping’s often require you to walk for hours.
Though, all of the above mentioned ways are great to help you keep fit, one of the most important part of your fitness regime is a healthy diet and enough water intake.
• One of the best ways for girls to keep fit is to practice routine household chores. You may be surprised to know that normal household works like cooking and dusting can help you cut down on your calories tremendously.
• Another fun and interesting fitness option, especially for those who dread going to the gym, is to dance along your favorite tunes or to do aerobics.
• If you can spare some time at home, you may enjoy doing some light exercises like, stretching, weight lifting, sit-ups, leg raising, etc.
• If you are a party person, then parties can actually help you lose your calories. Most parties require you to dance and so you automatically cut down on your excessive fats.
• Many women enjoy going out on long shopping sprees. All such women can benefit in a big way as shopping’s often require you to walk for hours.
Though, all of the above mentioned ways are great to help you keep fit, one of the most important part of your fitness regime is a healthy diet and enough water intake.
Saturday, August 14, 2010
TIPS AND TOOLS FOR PEOPLE WITH MEDICARE AND THOSE WHO CARE FOR THEM
For the first time ever, everyone with Medicare, regardless of income, health status, or prescription drug usage, will have access to prescription drug coverage. This new coverage begins on January 1, 2006. While information is available now and educational sessions are taking place in communities across the country, you can't enroll until November 15 th. By now, you should have received your Medicare & You 2006 handbook which explains in detail what prescription drug coverage means to you and which plans are available in your area.
Medicare Advantage and Prescription Drug Plans have started their advertising across the country.You may want to find out more about some of these options. It might be a good idea to save these materials for review when it gets closer to November 15, 2005.
America, Pull up a Chair
We've Got Something Good to Talk About.
Because this new coverage is so important, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) wants to promote a national conversation to make sure that all people with Medicare, and those who care for them, understand this new coverage. This conversation will take place in many different places and in many different ways – it will occur across the kitchen table, in senior centers, at churches, between friends, neighbors, parents and their children, pharmacists and their customers. Because this new coverage is a vital addition to Medicare that will help people save money and live better, healthier lives, it's important to have information about it. It will extend the promise of modern drug treatment to everyone with Medicare. If you have Medicare, we strongly urge you to learn more about this new coverage. Right now, you can talk about this with many different people and start thinking about the coverage you want. And, if you have family and friends with Medicare, we ask that you help them learn more about it, too.
People are talking about Medicare prescription drug coverage right now in many different settings. To provide additional help and places for these conversations to occur, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has created more than 140 community-based education networks and is working with nearly 10,000 local partners including the State Health Insurance Programs (SHIP) and Area Offices on Aging all across the country. These networks and partners provide a variety of services, from distributing materials to educational meetings to personalized counseling for people with Medicare. To help these groups and to help you, CMS has developed a variety of resources such as consumer brochures, on-line tools, and educational materials.
All of the CMS materials and on-line tools are available now. They are listed below as part of a four-step process to help you understand the process of choosing Medicare prescription drug coverage. For each step in the process, there's an on-line tool that can help you. Remember that Medicare is here for you – 24/7 – at 1-800-MEDICARE. Our customer service representatives will provide information and answers to your questions. Also, visit www.medicare.gov , or contact 1-800-MEDICARE or www.eldercare.gov to find out about local counseling and assistance available in your area.
1. Getting Started
Medicare Advantage and Prescription Drug Plans have started their advertising across the country.You may want to find out more about some of these options. It might be a good idea to save these materials for review when it gets closer to November 15, 2005.
America, Pull up a Chair
We've Got Something Good to Talk About.
Because this new coverage is so important, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) wants to promote a national conversation to make sure that all people with Medicare, and those who care for them, understand this new coverage. This conversation will take place in many different places and in many different ways – it will occur across the kitchen table, in senior centers, at churches, between friends, neighbors, parents and their children, pharmacists and their customers. Because this new coverage is a vital addition to Medicare that will help people save money and live better, healthier lives, it's important to have information about it. It will extend the promise of modern drug treatment to everyone with Medicare. If you have Medicare, we strongly urge you to learn more about this new coverage. Right now, you can talk about this with many different people and start thinking about the coverage you want. And, if you have family and friends with Medicare, we ask that you help them learn more about it, too.
People are talking about Medicare prescription drug coverage right now in many different settings. To provide additional help and places for these conversations to occur, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has created more than 140 community-based education networks and is working with nearly 10,000 local partners including the State Health Insurance Programs (SHIP) and Area Offices on Aging all across the country. These networks and partners provide a variety of services, from distributing materials to educational meetings to personalized counseling for people with Medicare. To help these groups and to help you, CMS has developed a variety of resources such as consumer brochures, on-line tools, and educational materials.
All of the CMS materials and on-line tools are available now. They are listed below as part of a four-step process to help you understand the process of choosing Medicare prescription drug coverage. For each step in the process, there's an on-line tool that can help you. Remember that Medicare is here for you – 24/7 – at 1-800-MEDICARE. Our customer service representatives will provide information and answers to your questions. Also, visit www.medicare.gov , or contact 1-800-MEDICARE or www.eldercare.gov to find out about local counseling and assistance available in your area.
Four Steps to Get Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage
To help people with Medicare take advantage of the new Medicare prescription drug coverage, there are four steps you can think about while making a decision:1. Getting Started
The decision to get Medicare prescription drug coverage depends on how you pay for your drugs now and how you get your Medicare coverage. Most people with Medicare pay for drugs and get their Medicare in one of five ways:2. Determining what matters most and reviewing plan options
NOTE: If you have limited income and resources, but you don't have Medicaid, you may qualify for extra help that may pay for about 95% of your drug costs. Visit Extra Help for People with Limited Income and Resources for more information.
- Original Medicare only, or Original Medicare and a Medigap (‘Supplement') Policy without drug coverage. The new Medicare drug coverage will cover half of the costs for you if you have this kind of coverage now. Enhanced options are available that provide more coverage.
- Original Medicare and a Medigap (‘Supplement') Policy with drug coverage. The new Medicare drug coverage will generally provide much more comprehensive coverage at a lower cost.
- Retiree or union coverage. In most cases, people with good retiree or union coverage can continue to get it, with new financial support from Medicare.
- Medicare Advantage Plan (like an HMO or PPO) or other Medicare Health Plan, which already include drug coverage and other extra benefits.
- Dual coverage from Medicare with Medicaid drug coverage. These people will automatically get comprehensive prescription drug coverage from Medicare, starting on January 1.
Because the way that Medicare drug coverage works depends on your current coverage, Medicare has specific information available to help you no matter what type of coverage you have. These resources include the CMS brochure What Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage Means to You: A Guide to Getting Started and the Medicare & You 2006 Handbook that you got in the mail this fall. You can get the brochure and other free Medicare publications by visiting www.medicare.gov or calling 1-800-MEDICARE. You should also look for and review information from your current insurer about how your current coverage will work with the Medicare prescription drug coverage.
Once you decide that you want prescription drug coverage, think about what matters most to you. There are a range of plan options available, so you can focus on the kind of coverage you prefer. There are two ways you can get your Medicare drug coverage.You can add drug coverage to the traditional Medicare plan through a “stand alone” prescription drug plan. Or you can get drug coverage and the rest of your Medicare coverage through a Medicare Advantage plan, like an HMO or PPO, that typically provides more benefits at a significantly lower cost through a network of doctors and hospitals. No matter what type of plan you choose, you can choose a plan that reflects what you want in terms of cost, coverage and convenience.3. Choosing a plan
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has created an online resource, Landscape of Local Plans . This resource helps you find Medicare prescription drug plans by state or Medicare Advantage plans with prescription drug coverage by county. It lets you see the plans in your area that offer drug coverage, including basic information to help you find ones that meet your needs based on cost, coverage, and convenience.
- Cost: What you pay for the coverage, including premiums, deductible, and payments for your drugs.
- Coverage: What benefits are provided (like coverage in the “coverage gap” and other coverage enhancements), which drugs are covered and the rules (like prior authorization) for getting those drugs.
- Convenience: Which pharmacies are part of the plan and whether the plan has a mail-order option.
This is the first week that you can see drug plan data. Some of the features of the Medicare Prescription Drug Plan Finder are not yet available. These features will allow you to further personalize your search for a drug plan that meets your needs. These features will be available well before you can choose to enroll in a plan on November 15. Right now, it is important to get ready to choose a plan by making a note of the drugs you take, the coverage features most important to you, and any specific pharmacies you prefer to use. The Landscape of Local Plans is a good resource for finding out about the plans in your area to get ready to make a choice.
Beginning on November 15, people with Medicare can choose a prescription drug plan. There are many ways to choose a plan. You may rely on advice from people you know or trust, or choose a plan you are already familiar with, or use the Landscape of Local Plans located on medicare.gov to find a plan that meets your needs. All of the plan options must meet or exceed Medicare's standards for coverage, including coverage for medically necessary drugs.4. Enroll
If you want to make more specific plan comparisons based on what matters to you, you can get personalized information from the Medicare Prescription Drug Plan Finder . The Medicare Prescription Drug Plan Finder can be accessed at www.medicare.gov , or through a customer service representative at 1-800-MEDICARE, or through the many organizations working with Medicare to help people take advantage of the new drug coverage.
This is the first week that you can see drug plan data. Some of the features of the Medicare Prescription Drug Plan Finder are not yet available. These features will allow you to further personalize your search for a drug plan that meets your needs. These features will be available well before you can choose to enroll in a plan on November 15. Right now, it is important to get ready to choose a plan by making a note of the drugs you take, the coverage features most important to you, and any specific pharmacies you prefer to use. The Landscape of Local Plans is a good resource for finding out about the plans in your area to get ready to make a choice.
Once the Medicare Prescription Drug Plan finder is fully operational, it will help you to personalize your search for a drug plan, and look at a side-by-side, personalized comparison of up to three plans at a time so you can find one that meets your needs. This list of plans provides a view of important plan information so you can compare plans based on cost, coverage and convenience.
The Medicare Prescription Drug Plan Finder will also help you if you aren't sure whether:
- Cost: The Medicare Prescription Drug Plan Finder will show you a list of drug plans in your area, sorted by the plan with the lowest total cost for the drugs you take now. It can also help you narrow down the choices based on deductibles or premiums.
- Coverage: The Medicare Prescription Drug Plan Finder makes it easy for you to see what kind of coverage each plan offers and it gives you personalized information on plans that might meet your needs for you based on the coverage they offer and their other features.
- Convenience: The Medicare Prescription Drug Plan Finder can identify plans that are accepted by your preferred pharmacy and other nearby pharmacies, and plans that provide mail-order prescriptions.
- You qualify for extra help paying for a Medicare drug plan,
- Your employer/union is continuing your current coverage with a Medicare subsidy, or
- You are already enrolled in a Medicare Advantage Health Plan or in a Medicare drug plan.
You can enroll in a plan starting November 15. Medicare will have an online Enrollment Center available on that date at www.medicare.gov. You can also enroll by calling the plan's toll free number, by mailing in an application to the plan, or by visiting the plan's website. Coverage begins January 1, 2006 if you join a plan by December 31, 2005. The deadline to enroll to get coverage next year is May 15, 2006.
Other important information: If you work on behalf of a group of people with specific drug needs (like people with Lupus), Medicare has another tool that can help you. The Formulary Finder lets you enter a typical combination of drugs used by people with a certain condition to find out which plans in an area have formularies that cover these drugs.
SKIN CARE TREATMENT
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The Best Natural Acne Treatments and Making Acne Vanish Permanently
Acne can be unsightly and embarrassing, but it can be treated and the effects can be minimized. Natural acne treatments can help alleviate the problem. Laser treatments can provide a more permanent solution and may be covered by your health insurance. It is up to each person to find the best acne treatments for their particular problem. This article discusses:- What is the role of herbs in treatment of acne?
- Is it possible to get an acne free skin by laser treatment?
- Why acne is so prevalent among teenagers?
What is Acne and why does it happen?
Acne is an infection or disorder of the hair follicles (or pores) and sebaceous glands. Acne can take the form of pimples, black heads, white heads, cysts, abscesses or nodules. It can occur on the face, neck, chest, back and shoulders.Acne's occur when the pores or sebaceous glands get blocked or plugged by sebum (the skin's natural lubricant) or bacteria. This is more likely to occur in people who have greasy skin (and an overabundance of sebum). Hormonal changes can cause this overabundance of sebum, which is why acne is so prevalent among teenagers, but acne can happen long after the teenage years have passed.
The Best Natural Remedies for Treating Acne
Natural acne treatments can be very effective and some of the best acne treatments are simple things people can do at home with the things they may have around the house. People with mild or less severe acne can often solve their problem with a natural acne treatment. Here are some of the best natural treatments for acne.HERBAL TREATMENTS
A number of herbs can be effective as a natural acne treatment. Try aloe vera, sage, sarsaparilla, yellow dock, burdock, basic, sandalwood or tea tree oil. Herbs are seeped in water and the resulting mixture is applied directly to the affected areas. Neem is also effective in treating a variety of skin disorders. You can buy Neem in leaf powder form. Turmeric is also good for treating acne. You can take it internally or make it into a paste and apply it to your skin. Green tea is also known to be good for people with acne
OTHER NATURAL TREATMENTS
Fruit is one of the best acne treatments. Choose mango, pawpaw, grapefruit or a fruit that has lots of acid. You can apply the fruit directly to your skin or you can use it to make a mask by mashing it into a pulp. You can add oatmeal or egg yolk if you want. Apply it to the skin as a mask and leave for fifteen minutes.
Instead of using a regular toner, try making your own. Cucumber juice, apple cider vinegar and tea tree distilled in mineral water can be very effective toners for people who have acne. Rubbing an ice cube over your face before you tone will help tighten the pores, which will also help prevent acne.
Friday, August 13, 2010
Fitness & Nutrition Tips and Advice Articles
| Low Calorie Alcoholic Drink Suggestions and Recipes Find low calorie drink suggestions; learn about mixer substitutions for wine, liquor, and punch; get recipes and beverage ideas. Fast and Easy Ideas for Tasty Low Calorie, Healthy Snacks Learn how to prepare tasty, healthy, low calorie snacks that will help you stick to your diet program and weight loss plan by keeping you full. Toning Legs With Slimming Exercises Get ideas for toning legs; exercises for glutes, buttocks, hamstrings, quadriceps and calves that make legs slimmer and more firm. Exercises to tone your backside A buttocks workout is a fitness must when it comes to overall training. You can quickly learn how to firm your rear muscles and experience cellulite and fat reduction in your buttocks and thigh area. Vitamin C Beauty Benefits Learn benefits, natural sources of vitamin C to get effective protection from wrinkles, free radicals, or photodamage. Women’s Nutritional Benefits from Calcium Supplements Learn the latest facts and recommendations about the best ways to add calcium supplements to your diet safely and effectively. Green Tea: How to Drink up Natural Beauty Benefits Discover how drinking loose green teas can add anti-oxidants to your diet that are good for natural beauty and may improve your health. Benefits of Water in Beauty Care Learn about the benefits of drinking eight glass of water daily, but make sure it's the right water! Bike into a Healthly Exercise Lifestyle Learn how biking is a sensible fitness and exercise plan that can lead to healthy weight loss while building lean muscle. |
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Working out can sometimes feel like a daily chore that must be done to keep those extra pounds off and keep us healthy. Sometimes I need a little extra motivation to enjoy my gym workouts. I used to just throw on some grungy sweats and an old t-shirt, but now I find it much more exciting to go to the gym if I feel cute and stylish in my workout wear. I went online and found some very NATURAL BEAUTY PRODUCTS
The Basics for DIY Beauty Products
When you're ready to raid your fridge, go for the three basics first. Honey, oatmeal, and eggs can be combined with a variety of ingredients to make natural hair products as well as natural skin care treatments.Honey can Moisturize
The benefits of honey are manifold. The water, carbohydrates, minerals, vitamins and antioxidants that constitute honey make it an ideal hydration choice for both skin and hair. Have dry skin? Honey is a humectant—it pulls in and helps retain moisture. Poor some into a hot bath and soak in it. For even softer skin, add a little whole or powdered milk. When your bath is over, mix some honey with eggs and yogurt and apply liberally for a refreshing mask that will tighten and purify your skin.Struggling with dry, frizzy hair? Just add a little olive oil to your honey, egg and yogurt mixture, and turn your mask into a conditioner!
Oatmeal Exfoliates
Oatmeal is a natural exfoliant that can help soothe dry, itchy or irritated skin. As a bonus, the beta-glucans found in oatmeal aid in skin firming and regeneration and make oatmeal a perfect ingredient for a cleanser. Just mix with water and powdered milk or brewer’s yeast for a refreshing face wash. Suffering from sunburn or summer mosquito bites? Add powdered oatmeal to a warm bath and soak in it for some quick relief.Eggs Cleanse & Strengthen
Eggs are a versatile base for many beauty products, from scrubs to masks to hair conditioners. The lysozymes contained in egg whites fight bacteria and help cleanse skin. A mask made of egg whites and honey will draw out impurities and clear up blackheads while also smoothing, firming and hydrating. Eggs are also chock full of protein, which, when used as a base for shampoo or conditioner, will strengthen and add volume to your hair.
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