Visit To IBA Career Fair 2013 - Held At Karachi University

 On 16^th February, 2013 I visited IBA Career Fair at Karachi University. It was a nice experience for me because of multiple reasons. Things which I noticed in the Career Fair were quite interesting and impressive. As it was held in Karachi University, there were numerous students who attended the job fair. Students from different departments attended the Career Fair, with different dreams. Most of the dreams were job-centric. After all, what else would they have thought about other than their jobs, keeping Pakistan’s economic conditions in mind? From 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM, roughly 1,000 plus students attended the Career Fair.

As far as the organizations are concerned, all reputed companies were present at IBA’s Career Fair 2013. Organizations including Nestle, Engro, Loreal, Habib Bank Limited, Meezan Bank, Burj Bank, Warid, Zong, TRG and Linkagoal etc. were offered “Booths” to communicate with students and collect their CVs. Moreover, companies were also offered “Interview Lounges”, to conduct interviews of the candidates. Last but definitely not the least “Presentation Rooms” were also allotted to the companies to demonstrate their presentations in order to enrich the knowledge of students. Students had a great time at the Career Fair because they got an amazing opportunity to apply in different companies and in different sectors. These kinds of Career Fairs are much needed all over Pakistan to hire the right resource for the right job.

This particular Career Fair introduced students to not only national organizations (HBL, Hilal and Sanofi etc.) but also to international organizations like Linkagoal, Loreal and Nestle etc. With the help of such Career Fairs, horizon of students broadens and they learn multiple things not only about the companies but also about the success factors of the companies. For those who have strong entrepreneurship skills, such career fairs are very helpful in understanding the practices of the renowned companies.

More than 60 organizations participated in the Career Fair 2013; IBA did a fantastic job in bridging the gap between useful resource and companies. These kinds of events should be organized by other universities, as well, all over Pakistan, so that we can collectively fight against the joblessness and help in developing the economic condition of our beloved homeland.

IBA also provided representatives of the companies with tasty lunches. Hope to see more of such events in future.

This Article Has Also Been Published At Dunya TV's Blog

For Images: Thanks To Parwarsha Arshad Mirza

Remarkable Business Trends Start-ups Need to Know Now

As the businesses are frequently establishing and gaining their own markets, it is essential to establish a business where you act pro actively – not reactively! This can only be gained by knowing how and when to strike in the market, by keeping all the pros and cons weighted and studied. Similarly, man giant businesses started to work on planning their businesses to launch on right time and in a right manner. Knowing about the life cycle of a product and business is an essential knowledge, which gives an over-view and idea before hand, to how to tackle a particular situation in the upcoming times.

If a closer study could be made, in past recent years there is huge change in the businesses which had showed up. Prior to establish such businesses one should be aware of the current trends of the market in which he is planning to enter, more over the knowledge of potential trends also acts as a shield, when jumped into the market. We will discuss some controlling and forceful points which will safe guard our entry in the business and also guarantee an impactful launch in the market.

Target Your Sales Prospects

It has been seen and observed that if you know do not have any plan, then, you are definitely planning to fail. Hence, plan your target market, from where to get your sales started. Does your market falls under youth, kids, matures, married, singles, low pay scaled professionals, students, highly paid business executives or specific genders etc. For instance, if your target market is students and youth then it will be baseless to go to pubs and discos or hotels to market yourself, but on the contrary you may hit them at the schools, colleges and high schools etc. This is known as tapping your market in accurate manner. Advertise in the places where there is a potential that your target market will see it. Then there is always a room for references as word of mouth is the best advertising which can turn countless customers to your door-step. Providing discounts, quality product packages, special offers are just some of the tools to enhance the sales.

Internationally Tap The Market

After taking a start from your own home, strive for outside. This is what many of the companies and business in the past have exercised. “Papa John’s Pizza” which currently is the third leading take-out and delivery restaurant also began in the same way. First John Schnatter started from a little segment, after the making his mark he went international. For this, one also has to do a lot of home-work, as awareness of the economic conditions of the region in which one is intending to extend arms for the business. Business must know its capacity to bear the expenses and ability to flex as per the time.

Strong concern of the Social Media and its Trend

With the advent of social networks (Facebook, Twitter, Orkut, Hi5, MySpace and LinkedIn etc) new businesses have a strong potential to advertise on such plat-forms. As almost everyone, in on one way of the other, connected to such social network, the chances of creating brand and business awareness in the minds of the potential customers is easier comparatively. This is a comparatively cheaper way to penetrate in a bigger way.

Familiarize Yourself with the Norms of the Business

For better results in terms of sales, you must be aware of the trends which you, yourself are following and those which are followed either by market or the competitors. It is simply not wise enough to keep changing the trend, but to study it deeply, with all the benefits and drawbacks and then implementing. Being low cost concern, gives you an advantage to enjoy more profits even when the market and economy is going down. So keep up to what you are good at. Strengthen your value chain activities. As baby boomers are about to retire soon, and you are indulged in the business of Generation Y, do not just jump without studying the trends and potential of the new opportunity, weigh yourself on some definite grounds for the best outcome, otherwise adverse results could be achieved. So Plan accordingly.

Financial benchmarking for small business

What Does Actually Financial Benchmarking Mean?

When you are in any industry and you want to compare the potential of your company, in terms of the increased profits, competencies, growths and deductions in cost per units with the other companies in the same industry, this whole process and technique is known as benchmarking. Many companies follow benchmarking, because by this they get to know, which area to emphasize on. Small businesses can come up with more feasible business plans if they practice benchmarking in the very initial stages. For instance Canada has some great small business benchmarking data, let’s say about 30 performance benchmarks are available on the data-base.

Why Benchmarking Is Beneficial?

We always think about the reason, to adopt any thing. Similarly, when it comes to benchmarking there is a definite and strong reason behind it. Companies need to develop certain schemes and plans for the continuous improvement and efficiency. Small business must know before entering in any industry that, which are the best practices present in the industry. Some like to investment in the production, because of the mass market. But it could also be possible that, rather then having a huge production, one should emphasize more on the marketing and advertising, so that awareness of the brand is created amongst the customers and consumers. This can be extracted by involving one’s self into following the benchmarking reviews. These are the most important measures which can be used to assess one’s business and future entrepreneur.

Common Financial Benchmarking Tools

There are certain financial benchmarking tools to assess the standing and feasibility of any particular business. For instance financial ratios play a significant role in such purpose. One should be aware of the particular areas in the business, which are performing exceptionally well and some being mediocre whereas the others being the worst ones. These stages can be known through financial tools commonly known as the financial ratios. Some of the most popular and accepted financial ratios are Quick Asset Ratios, Debt Ratios, Profitability Ratios and Liquidity ratios. These ratios and others too, should be checked over a certain tenure or period. Mostly companies take the ratios for over 4 years and at times 5 years, so that they may find a gradual and systematic trend. These trends help in knowing the consistency, improvement and decrease in companies’ performances, depending upon the results of the financial ratios.

Appropriate Use of Financial Benchmarking

Every business conducts different kinds of surveys, to know the personal likings and tendencies towards their products. These activities are done to make one’s brand strong and impact full in the perceptions of the customers. Similarly companies should also practice financial benchmarking so as to understand the trend of the market and know in advance the next move of the competitors. There are always plans to which any company stick to, as if you don’t have any plan, you are planning to fail. But by doing certain exercises one can easily be pro-active rather then re-active. Formation of contingency planning is very essential for a business entity, but when to adopt that planning is the essential question, which can only be answered by using the earlier stated financial tools and techniques. In today’s’ fast pace world, where even small businesses are on cut-throat war with one an other, it is very essential and significant to find a way before hand rather to re-act to any strategy implemented by the other businesses. Small business can benefit their selves by practicing on benchmarking and knowing the norms and conditions of the market. This is the way they can stay in the business for a longer period of time and enjoy ample profits to satisfy their needs.