Advancements in technology have opened up a whole new way for people to do business. Now, it is possible to launch an international business with just the click of a mouse. The word eCommerce is becoming more and more popular. You may have already heard this word but you are not really sure what it means.

eCommerce is a word that simply refers to doing business online. There are many ways that people do business. What are some business transactions that you do in the physical world? You go to the bank to deposit money, you visit stores to purchase items, you eat at a restaurant and pay for your food. These are just some of the things that represent business transactions.

One business may transact with another business. They can either exchange services or purchase items from each other. Businesses usually send invoices which indicate the amount that they need to collect. However, they do not expect to be paid upfront. They usually set dates when payments have to be made.

For online businesses, transactions are done pretty much the same way as they are done in the physical world. Various technologies are used to bring everything together. eCommerce is becoming very popular because it offers convenience and speed, and a large network of individuals and businesses are using this method.

The more customers a business attracts, the more successful it can become. Now that people use the Internet not just for searching information but making purchases as well, a lot of businesses are using this avenue for improving their sales. However, new businesses have to gain their customer’s trust first. This can only be done by carefully studying the intricacies of starting an online business.

eCommerce is the main source of income for businesses that are purely online. However, for offline businesses, eCommerce is another way to expand their customer base. This method allows businesses to offer their products globally. The Internet offers businesses a wide range of potential customers coming different various niches.

The benefits that eCommerce can offer is sure to make you rush in on the trend. But before you do anything, make sure that you understand that doing business online is simple in theory. The actual implementation is harder than most people think it is. If you want to be successful, make sure that you do as much research as you can about eCommerce.

You need to have a good plan and strategy before you start an online business. Joining the eCommerce trend entails making a lot of important decisions. But do not despair as there are many resources available that can help you get started.

Do not take these resources for granted. Utilize them wisely as they can greatly help you as you do your online business. Resources range from those that will tell you how to set up your site to those that will help you successfully market your products.

When it comes to buying or selling a home, the idea of having to negotiate can be intimidating. Most of us aren’t aware we have negotiating skills even though we skillfully negotiate daily. (Who walks the dog, takes the children to school, goes out to pick up lunch, prepares the report, etc., etc.?) Let’s debunk some myths about negotiating, shall we?

This Is Not Negotiable

Sellers often say to themselves, “This is the deal I’m willing to make. It’s not negotiable.” That’s not necessarily because there is no room to negotiate. It is the simple result of anxiety about negotiating.

Take this approach and you may be chasing away otherwise good potential buyers. The buyer gets into a huff about the seller’s inflexibility and everything goes down hill from there. This need not happen. Sellers should be willing to enter into reasonable negotiations and just remember that they can say “no” at any point along the way toward working out a deal. However, they need to ask themselves when each subject comes up, “Am I willing to lose this deal over this point?”

The buyer needs to have a similar mindset. When seller and buyer are thinking along the lines outlined above, and each acknowledges the possibility of working out a deal in which both buyer and seller come away feeling like winners, the stage is set for successful negotiations. It is fortunate that most folks do think along these lines.

It’s also helpful that buyers and sellers are not always focused on the same things to the same degree. Price might be more important to one, and the time of the sale’s completion more important to the other. Sometimes negotiations are just a matter of balancing things out.

Typical Pattern

Successful negotiations don’t usually drag on for a long period of time. There’s usually an offer, and a counter-offer which is accepted. Many times the first offer is actually accepted if it is the result of a conversation between buyer and seller where subtle negotiations took place. At most, successful negotiations are usually concluded with an offer, a counter offer, and a counter-counter offer. It’s usually a sign that the deal is not going to work out if negotiations continue much beyond that.

There are exceptions to everything, of course, and the minuet of negotiations can go on for quite some time where two people who love to negotiate are involved. However, even in those cases, most of it tends to be verbal with the written sales contract changed very few times.

The biggest point of this article is don’t get intimidated. If you stay objective, you will be able to get what you need from your home.

When negotiating salary or other benefit, you are also negotiating the foundation of a relationship, so you want to get off on the right foot. You and the employer must come to an agreement that you both feel is fair.

If you have multiple job offers, you can sharpen your negotiation skills. Practice with a company you are indifferent about working for. If you are feeling confident, try for the company with the best offer. Remember, if they are negotiating, then you are the leading candidate. Use this power to your advantage.

The following are the best steps to take when negotiation begins:
1. Do not negotiate until you have an offer in writing. Let the employer go first with the offer. However, if they ask you first, tell them your salary range (that you determined with the Considerations in this handout).
2. Restate their offer, and then process it. Keep an honest yet non-emotional response (including body language) based on your research.
3. If it is less than you expect, indicate that it is lower than you expected per your research. Be prepared to verify the sources of your research.
4. Counteroffer with your research-based response and desired range. Remain objective, optimistic, and polite.
5. Never accept an offer right then and there. Ask when they need to know your decision. A respectable company does not ask you to respond immediately.

Their Response and Your Arguments
They may have to consult with the company and get back to you. Rarely do they withdraw an offer because of a counteroffer, but they may if the company is reorganizing or downsizing. Hopefully the employer returns with a satisfying offer. Otherwise, they state their objection and the offer that stands.

Numbers always work in salary negotiation just as they do in your resume. Never give subjective or emotion-based arguments like, “My co-workers really like me” or “I deserve it”. Give undeniable business-related numbers such as, “I increased annual sales by $25,000″ or “As vice president, I’ve reduced my department’s employee turnover by 40%”.

Handling Common Salary and Raise Objections
You may hear the following objections. Here are some methods for overcoming these:

Their Objection Your Response
1. “That’s not within our budget for the job.”
-or-
“That’s all we have allocated for the job.”
• Communicate your value to the employer.
• Convince them to revise the budget allocation for the position.
• Point out that the amount is below market value, using your researched range (not an exact amount).
• Show your interest in the job, but mention that you cannot justify accepting less than the market value.

2. “Other employees with similar qualifications and experience aren’t paid that much.”
-or-
“You’d be earning more than others in this type of position.”
-or-
“No one else has received a raise, so why do you think you should?”
• Persuade them that you should earn more because you are worth more. Give specific examples to support your argument (e.g., more advanced degree or more experience than others).
• Suggest that they give you a different job title so you fall into a higher salary bracket. Offer to take on additional responsibilities to offset the higher salary. Usually big companies are not quick to blur job titles and salary levels. But smaller companies not using formal pay-grades may be more flexible to this.

3. “Your salary history does not justify such an increase.”
-or-
“That’s a lot more than your last salary.”
• Stress that you expect to be compensated for the value of your work and what you plan to achieve within the organization. Help the employer realize that previous salaries are unrelated to this job. Try using these responses in terms of your situation:
• “Yes, I earned less at my last job. However, I held that position for 3 years and the experience I’ve gained certainly warrants an increase.”
• “What I’m paid is below market rate. That’s one reason I’m looking for a new job. Because of my skills and recent degree, I don’t want to accept anything less than market value for a new job.”

4. “You haven’t been working for a while.”
• Do not let them assume you are willing to work for less, need retraining or are desperate for a job. Let them know that you offer as much as those with current experience.
• Stress that your endeavors away from work (training, education, volunteer work, personal projects) enhanced you as an employee.
• Accept a lower salary and request a performance review in 6 months. Ask for a guarantee that if you meet your goals, they will increase you to the market value.

5. “I’m sorry, but it’s our policy not to negotiate.”
• Look into whether this is true about the company. If it is true, you may have no choice. If might not be true, say, “I understand you don’t normally negotiate salary. But I am an exception, because…”
• Negotiate for better non-cash benefits.

Final Offer
Know when to quit. If you sense the employer getting frustrated with your proposals or states that this is all they can do for you, stop and evaluate the existing offer. Do not give the impression that you are impatient or greedy. You may annoy the employer if you push beyond their limits, and they may withdraw offer.

When they come back to you with their final offer, be ready to evaluate and decide to accept or decline. Once an offer and package is agreed upon verbally, always make sure they are going to mail it to you in a signed, written document (an “offer of employment” letter).

Other Negotiables
Salary is not the only area to negotiate. If the employer rejects your desired salary or in certain jobs, industries or companies where salary is non-negotiable, you still have other options. These other options may be more important to you and might be negotiable.

To better prepare and negotiate, you may want to ask their HR department for information about benefits and options available. These can include:

• Bonuses (performance-based)
• Performance reviews (including timing and percentage)
• Health, dental, life and disability insurance
• Retirement or pension plans
• Vacation and sick days
• Work-from-home days
• Tuition reimbursement
• Overtime policies
• Profit sharing plans
• Stock options
• Employee discounts
• Company car and expense accounts (like commuter expenses)
• Relocation/moving expenses
• Termination contract
• Professional association or gym memberships
• Certifications
• Childcare
• Sign-on bonus