Oops! Finances!!

I neglected to post a blog entry for "Finances".  Maybe this is because money/finances/numbers is an area which brings me great apprehension!  I am a writer by nature and feel quite comfortable in areas such as marketing and sales and yet traditionally avoid finances.

This course forced me into an area where I definitely needed a push!  It was a user friendly course and assisted me in grasping terminology, processes, etc.

I'm optimistic!

Reflections on week 5: Target Audience - Ron Gaines

The questions exercise shows the complexity of developing good questions that illicit the answers that will help you advertise your business. This looks like a simple task until you really look at the questions and consider how most people will answer them. 

The survey monkey simulation is a good introduction to a free online survey service that anybody can use.  The simulation allows the user to get comfortable with developing a survey.  After completing the simulation you realize that it is not as complicated as you think it is.

Week 5 - Effective Presentations

I LOVED this module.  I can and WILL be using this module in my FSSE course during the 7 week session I am starting in 2 weeks.  I found this to be a quick intro to giving a presentation and one that is desperately needed.  I try to tell my students to think about how their instructors are presenting material to them and mimic that but they just don't get it. I felt like this module clearly states that the purpose of the PowerPoint is to provide you a compliment your presentation not provide a 'script' for it.  I find many of my students just read from their slides.  It is very frustrating.

So the long and short of it is.... I will definitely be using this as a resource.

Reflections on Communications: Your Target Audience by Stephanie Phillips

This has been a very crazy, busy week for me so I only had time to view one module. I chose the "Your Target Audience" module. I found this module very interesting. I have been wanting to learn how to create online surveys to use for my classes. I enjoyed the activity that walked me through picking the best questions to ask to find your target audience. It reinforced the point that you should have a clear objective going into the survey, to use clear and simple language, avoid leading questions, be concise, and avoid using double barreled questions. It also helped me realize that simply restating a question may appeal to my participants more and I may receive more honest answers by doing so.

My husband and I also own a small business (bookstore) here in Athens and I found it very useful for us. We will certainly use this information to help build our business. Survey Monkey seemed very user friendly. It did not discuss if there are any cost related to using the site or if it is free to create the survey. Has anyone ever used this before and if so, how did you like it and does it cost anything to use?

Week 5 - Effective Presentations

I have used PowerPoint effectively for presentations to customers/stakeholders but have never used this medium to request funding.  This module required me to think in two differing veins which was beneficial.

I appreciated this bump to my thinking model and began to assess how I might challenge students to do this, also. My desire is to challenge students to be producers rather than simply consumers.  In that I need to find ways to assist them in following this pathway.

This module will be the springboard for my culminating lesson plan.  I will challenge students to develop a product and then develop to presentations for the two varied target audiences.  I'm thinking this will be a cornerstone piece for my project and certainly an important tool for my entrepreneurs (and me, also)!

Week 5: Communication - Your Target Audience

I could use this entire module next semester for my hospitality marketing class.  One of their projects will be to develop a marketing plan for a restaurant, a hotel, or a bed-and-breakfast.  The "story" for this module revolved around developing a survey for a guest house (or bed-and-breakfast). The resources included tutorials in survey development and the use of Survey Monkey. I have done a fair amount of survey development myself and I like the tips about keeping it short and simple and only measuring one variable at a time.  This module was easy to navigate.

Week 5 - Effective Presentations

It drives me crazy for presenters to flood their presentations with poorly constructed slides.  Each slide should convey a point and be visibly appealing to hold the audiences attention.  Too many times the fonts are crazy and too small.  Never think that the sound options for PowerPoint are necessary for business presentations, or at least not on every click of your mouse. 

This session reinforced the simplicity of slide information and the need to make your slides relevant  and appealing.    Andy