Affectively-Based Attitude

Attitude is a lasting evaluation of people, objects, or ideas which may be positive or not. The concept of attitude is composed of three components which include cognitively-based attitudes, affectively-based attitude, and behaviorally-based attitude. An example of my cognitively-based attitude is the attitude of disallowing my seatmates in school to copy my assignments so that I will remain one of the best students in school. Besides, I believe that I am more wise and intelligent than other students. An example of affectively-based attitude is my feelings regarding the way Barack Obama handled the government despite the economic crisis wherein he is not afraid of the on-going problems as effects of poverty nowadays. Barack Obama is indeed resolute in playing as the elected President of the country. Lastly, an example of behaviorally-based attitude is my disgust of poor people for I believe that they are too lazy to work for their own good. Those people who are loitering in the streets do not deserve help from the government and non-governmental organizations if it was proven that they do not work hard to earn a living. I cannot just tolerate these kinds of people especially that I worked hard for my success in life.

Attitude accessibility corresponds on how rapidly an attitude is activated by memory. There are many reasons why it is necessary to access attitude through memory processes of a person. First, attitudes that are apparently accessible from memory are more predictive of behavior. Second, it is easy to figure out the influences of any behavior messages. Third, knowing how messages being processed are also possible through attitude accessibility. And that attitude accessibility is more stable as time goes by. In order to understand the concept of attitude accessibility, consider a neighbor who sees a big snake in the lawn. The immediate response of your neighbor will be a shout due to fear of the snake. The immediate fear response upon seeing a big snake indicates an accessible attitude towards big snakes which are apparently dangerous if venomous in kind. In other words, there is already an attitude of fear in the memory of your neighbor and was shown when a big snake appears in the lawn. The idea that big snakes are dangerous is already stored in the memory of the person and quickly activated upon experiencing a real situation. Hence, activation of attitude through the memory of a person is the primary basis of understanding attitude accessibility.

Subjective norms are a concept based on the theory of planned behavior developed in the year 1985 by Ajzen. The concept of subjective norms is founded on the idea that normative beliefs result in subjective norms. In addition, our motivation to complete with the collection of normative beliefs forms our subjective norm with respect to the behavior. For example, we consider the hard work our parents did when they raised us in this life. We even believe that we owe our life to our parents because without them, we would not be given the opportunity to enjoy everything we have. Hence, their example gave us the will to work hard and reap success in life. All our actions are geared towards this normative belief that we have for our parents. In the example given, we also consider working hard to earn good grades in school based on the hard work our parents did in supporting our studies. During the time that we spent many hours in studying our lessons in school, we may know that our will to get a higher grade in every school examination determines our consistency in following our goal. Attitude-behavior consistency can also be determined by means of knowing the motive why a student showed diligence in preparing for school.

Yes. There are kinds of attitudes that people are likely to act consistently or inconsistently with. Basically, there are three kinds of attitudes which could help in knowing the attitude-behavior consistency of a person, and these are positive attitude, negative attitude, and neutral attitude. However, positive attitude is a kind of attitude that people are likely to act consistently with. On the other hand, negative attitude is a kind of attitude wherein people act inconsistently with. With respect to positive attitude, people may become receptive to the said attitude and tend to understand every situation which corresponds to it. Having a positive attitude makes a person happy so that it is undeniable that he would collect data, studies every detail, organizes thoughts, and integrates all knowledge of the same as a proof that he understood it best. Hence, the next step for a person is to apply in his daily life the value of having a positive attitude which reflects to attitude-behavior consistency concept. However, when a person comes across of a negative attitude, he would shun and reject its influence in his mind. Besides, his acts will not be consistent due to the distortion he wanted to accomplish by going back to having a positive attitude.

The character of a person may affect conformity to normative social influence. Normative social influence is the ability to conform to the rules, common beliefs, values, attitudes and behaviors of other people. This is founded on the belief that prosperity and survival may be attained by belonging to social groups. However, personal traits affect how a person conforms to the rules of a certain group of which he is a member. These personal traits may include being full of pride and as well as deceitful. It may be noticed that said traits are basically negative attitudes which makes us think that it will surely affect conformity to normative social influence. If a person is a member of a social group and meets another member who is strict, the former would surely get angry and show anger through pride and envy. That act leads to inability to follow rules and regulations of the social group. In addition, the relationship between personality traits and conforming behavior is not always clear-cut. The reason behind this idea is the fact that we cannot predict what is on the mind of a person. Either way, a person may or may not conform to any rules or regulations depending on his personality traits and personal judgment at a given time.

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The Backpacking Tourism Boom in Singapore

“Don’t be a tourist. Plan less. Go slowly. I travelled in the most inefficient way possible and it took me exactly where I wanted to go.”

These were the exact words of Andrew Evan who undertook an overland adventure from Washington D.C. to Antarctic. As a seasoned National Geographic travel writer, Andrew has authored various guidebooks on several cities and travelling. This mantra is one that backpackers today swear by.

Backpacking in its traditional form, is a low-cost and independent style of travel. The term itself is self-explanatory – travelling with a backpack. Backpackers often travel without packaged tours and rely on travel information from guidebooks and websites. More people today are travelling, and backpacking as a style of travel will not be unfamiliar to most.

In “The Backpacking Phenomenon”, Philip Pearce suggests that backpacking is a state of mind. It is an approach to travelling, rather than a categorisation based on age or dollars spent.

Backpackers are distinguished with the following traits:

A preference for budget accommodation.
A social emphasis on meeting locals and other travellers.
An independently organised and flexible travel schedule.
Longer rather than brief holidays.

The popularity of backpacking has risen in recent years. It is most evident in the increase in number of backpacker accommodation in Singapore. There are 29 registered backpackers’ hostels in Singapore according to Hotels Licensing Board. Majority of them are located in the various ethnic compounds such as Chinatown, Kampong Glam, and Little India.

A record high of close to 13.2 million international visitors arrived in Singapore in 2011. More tourists are visiting Singapore, either as a stopover en-route to another country or as a destination itself. The Economy tier of the Hotel Industry (S$109.00 and below) registered an Average Occupancy Rate of 85% for 2011. Budget accommodation and backpackers’ hostels have become increasingly popular with tourists.

There are many indicators to the rising popularity of backpackers’ hotels in Singapore, with the obvious one being affordability. Singapore is the most expensive Asian country for hotel rooms, with a night averaging S$239.00 in 2011. On the other hand, a night in a backpackers’ hostel cost between S$20.00 to S$50.00 for a dormitory bed and between S$60.00 to S$100.00 for a private double room.

Footprints Hostel, located in Little India, offers a bed in the 10-bed dormitory for S$22.00 a night. Keeping prices affordable has been their competitive edge, as they remain as one of the largest and more popular backpackers’ hostels.

Travellers are drawn to backpackers’ hostels for the affordable accommodation.

“We keep our room rates competitive. We also value-add to their stay by offering discounted attraction tickets and deals at some restaurants and cafes near us,” says Christina Phang. As the General Manager of Footprints Hostel, Christina regularly sources out deals and discounts for her guests.

Prices are however not the only determining factor with the emergence of new boutique hostels clearly catered for the backpacker with the budget. Luxury and comfort is the rule for these boutique hostels as they bring services and amenities normally found in hotels. Such enhanced features can include amenities like a spacious lobby lounge, individual reading lights, bedside screens, and iPhone docks.

Mervin Kwa, 28, Operations Manager at Bunc Hostel explains that the flashpacker is a modified term for the backpacker who has a slightly more disposable budget in terms of accommodation, and yet wants to experience the interactivity and atmosphere of a hostel.

“We (Bunc Hostel) offer top hotel quality standard bedding and amenities at backpackers’ rates. The dormitory beds are designed as individual capsules to provide guests with more privacy as compared to a open-style dormitory,” Mervin explains. “We also organize events frequently to encourage mingling among our guests”

Bunc Hostel’s custom-designed capsule bed promises comfort and privacy.

Most backpackers’ hostels are also located strategically close to the city centre or are within reach of a few MRT stations. This brings forth convenience through affordability and ease of travel within Singapore. Being located in the various ethic compounds allows backpackers to experience the local flavour with the unique ethnic cultures.

For example, Little India, which is a strong Indian cultural enclave, is undisputedly the unofficial backpacker district in Singapore. It has the highest concentration of backpackers’ hostels and it is not difficult to see why backpackers are drawn to Little India.

There is a steady growing relationship between the local businesses catered for the tourists and the upsurge of the tourism industry. The cafes, bars, convenience stores, Internet shops, and travel agencies have been given a boost by the influx of backpackers coming to the area. These businesses are also outlet providers of entertainment, information and recreation for them.

Singaporeans are also not unfamiliar with the backpacking fervour. “For me, it (backpacking) means to travel cheaply and independently in a foreign country,” says Desmond Lui, a freelance photojournalist. Desmond is a seasoned traveller whose backpack destinations have included the exotic likes of Cambodia, India and Mongolia.

Backpacking equates to an extended and more insightful learning holiday for some. “I enjoy the greater freedom that comes with independent backpacking as compared to travelling with conventional tour packages,” Desmond adds on. “I also find that by travelling for longer periods of time, spending more time in one location and visiting more places, I can get a better understanding and feel for the country or region I visit.”

Desmond has travelled particularly extensively in India and China, spending three months and seven months respectively. An 18-hour jeep ride in India that took him across mountainous passes along some of the highest motor roads in the world remains as one of his fondest backpacking memories.

It appears backpacking will remain as an upward trend with more backpackers travelling to Singapore and more Singaporeans backpacking overseas. So what are you waiting for? Buy a ticket, fetch your backpack and go globetrotting today.

Enhance Your Facial Appearance With Botox Filler And Skin Cosmetic Treaments

These days, it seems we are noticing more women and men arriving at cosmetic clinics bringing with them computer-enhanced photographs, and wanting to have cosmetic treatments to recreate this artificially perfected image. Non-surgical nose jobs, cheek fillers, lip enhancements and botox are the treatments of choice when trying to emulate the enhanced photographs.

Most of the women wanting these cosmetic treatments are not old, in fact most of them are in their early twenties. Sometimes they want enhancing treatments to increase their self-confidence, sometimes because celebrities are doing it, or sometimes it’s because of peer pressure. When young women see the perfect images others have taken of themselves, it forces them to look closely at their own image, and look at it with a more self-critical eye than ever before.

Camera filters have also increased the demand for cosmetic procedures, with clients trying to copy their filtered photograph image, even bringing their altered images to the practitioner, as an example of what they want to look like. A lot of young people aren’t looking for subtle results, and we’re seeing suspiciously full lips, super defined cheekbones and skin that’s smooth and tight.

There are now a great number of non-surgical cosmetic procedures:

  • Botox – to reduce moderate to severe fine lines and wrinkles, frown lines and crow’s-feet.
  • Laser treatments – rejuvenate the skin’s surface.
  • Chemical peels – these will improve the texture and tone of the skin.
  • Radiofrequency therapies – for skin tightening and cellulite reduction.
  • PDO thread lifts – can deliver essentially a non-surgical facelift, using injections, placed in strategic places.
  • Dermal fillers – for non-surgical nose jobs, lip enhancement, adding volume and lifting cheeks and much more.
  • Microdermabrasion treatments – a non-surgical procedure that resurfaces the skin. It helps to remove dead skin cells on the skin’s surface.

While we can’t escape people taking endless photographs of themselves and using filters and editing to perfect the images, we really shouldn’t let them influence us to have extreme treatments. Fillers aren’t just for people who are looking to restore their youth, but also to enhance. Botox can help us look our best without making our face look like a frozen mask, dermal filler in our cheeks will give us defined cheekbones and restore lost volume and we can enhance and define the lips, without inflating them to extreme proportions.

We all want to look the very best we can, but we don’t have to go to extremes to achieve it.

9 Good Reasons to Learn How to Play Piano

If you’re thinking about learning how to play piano, here are 9 compelling reasons to test your skill as a musician and take action now. This article looks at why budding musicians should start with the piano or keyboard as their chosen instrument and, by way of introduction, here’s the complete list of reasons for you to ponder over before making a final decision about how to play the piano.

1. The piano is an easy instrument on which to learn.

Learn the notes on the keyboard, and how to play them in appropriate combinations, and all you have to do is press them down in the right order to make sweet music.

2. Quickly impress your friends and relatives.

Given the relatively easy nature of learning to play piano, you’ll be able to play recognisable tunes for friends and relatives that much sooner.

3. Reduce stress and learn to relax.

Music is well known for its capacity to provide an atmosphere of calm in times of stress. Piano music can be particularly calming and playing your favourite piano pieces can soothe away the blues. Indeed, that’s why much of it was written!

4. Improve your intelligence.

Did you know there is a connection between those who play a musical instrument and intelligence? It is supposed that musicians are better able to solve problems in a logical order. So, playing the piano can make you more intelligent!

5. Improve your dexterity, especially hand, eye and ear co-ordination.

Related to 4. above, playing the piano involves a complex interplay of hands, eyes and ears. It also strengthens your fingers and keeps them supple, which might be important as you get older.

6. Learn to read music and an entirely new language beckons.

Many people learning a musical instrument baulk at the idea of learning to read music. But music is just another kind of language. Learn the basics and playing the piano becomes that much easier.

7. Provide opportunities for improvisation.

All musicians dream about being able to make up their own music around a particular theme. When you learn the notes on the piano, you can start to improvise quite early on in your musical journey.

8. Widen your appreciation of music.

The piano is possibly the most versatile of all musical instruments. Learn how to play it and you will almost certainly want to play all manner of musical styles you never thought you had any interest in playing.

9. Paint pictures in your mind and enrich your imagination.

Music is about the creation of different moods and about painting pictures in your mind. The piano is the instrument of choice for so many composers not just because it’s so easy to play, but because it allows free reign to the imagination and fuels the possibilities of musical parts for others instruments.

Conclusion

The musical instrument you choose to play could determine whether you achieve your lifelong goal of becoming a musician. By deciding to learn to play the piano today, you could make that dream a little closer to becoming a reality.

Small Business Idea – Start a Concierge Business

Do you know someone who’s so busy that they’re constantly saying things like “I’d pay someone to do this for me” or “I need more hours in my day!” or even “I wish I could clone myself” ? If so, what that person really needs is a personal assistant! Concierge or Errand businesses are a growing trend. Although the economy isn’t in the best shape, people are still leading very busy rat race type lifestyles. From busy working moms to jet setting professional singles – they all have a need for an extra set of hands or person to remind them of important appointments or tasks.
 
Starting a concierge service is going to take some work and creativity on your end. Although most people have a need for this type of service, some have a hard time justifying the expense. Your marketing and client acquisition strategy will require you to effectively demonstrate how easy their life would be with you on their team! Here are a few tips to consider when planning your Concierge (errand service) business:
 
1. Start with a business plan: You don’t need to spend a lot of money on a business plan – in fact, with this type of service business – you can write one yourself. You will want to write out the vision you have for your company, as best as possible – note any start up costs, price points, target demographic and market.
 
2. Discover your start up costs: Start up costs associated with a concierge business are surprisingly minimal. Like with any business, one of the first steps you’ll take is setting up your business legally. This means you will need to check with your state and local commerce offices as well as the IRS for any licensing and tax requirements. The cost of a business license in most states is pretty low ranging from $25 to $100. After you’ve established your business legally you’ll want to create your website and marketing materials. Depending on your level of technical and graphic expertise you may be able to do this on your own for nothing at all. However if you’re like most people, it’s something you’ll end up outsourcing. You can find a reputable website designer at places like GetAFreelancer to do your website for under $500 with matching business card and brochure templates for a little bit extra. It’s also advised to invest in business liability insurance. Depending on the range of services you offer, you’ll likely spend a lot of time driving around – if your current car insurance doesn’t recognize your vehicle as a business/commercial vehicle – you may not be covered if you get in an accident while doing company functions. All in all, the estimated start up costs for a concierge business would be under $1500.
 
3. Develop your legal documents and contracts: Because of the nature of a personal assistant concierge style business – it’s important to have contracts and agreements between you and your client. For example – you may offer a car pooling service shuttling kids to and from soccer practice. You’ll want to have a signed agreement that authorizes your clients children to be in the car with you.
 
4. Decide on your range of service: A concierge can offer a wide range of services. As long as it’s legal – you should remain open to any type of assignment. Typically concierge services are divided into two categories – corporate services and personal/individual services. The types of services you offer a business will vary from what you’ll offer an individual. Corporate services may include things like courier services, event planning, travel planning, and transportation arrangement. Those types of things are often duties handled by executive secretaries, but many businesses choose to save money by hiring a concierge business instead. Personal services include gift shopping, cleaning services, relocation assistance planning, dry cleaning pick up, house sitting, reminder services, appointment making services, grocery shopping and many others.
 
5. Decide your price point: Most concierge businesses charge by the hour, with $25-30 being the going rate. It’s also wise to offer monthly package rates. This will help you secure long term contracts, particularly if you require a minimum number of months to sign up. Your packages should include a guaranteed number of services and/or hours per month – with an extra fee being charged for services or hours over.
 
6. Put your best foot forward: With your business cards and services brochures in hand – you’ll want to hit the ground running with your marketing strategy. Word of mouth is always the best way to grow a business – it’s free also! The first impression will be the lasting impression for potential clients, because of this you should be courteous to a fault! You want clients to know that you are a trustworthy and responsible individual. Your appearance should be well-kept at all times, answer your phones in the most professional manner and always be organized.
 
The sky is the limit when it comes to starting a concierge business, it will be challenging in the beginning – but that’s the case with any new venture. Don’t give up and always keep a smile on your face – you never know, you may be talking to your next client!

Multimedia On The HTC Desire HD And The HTC Wildfire

These days we make use of our phones for things other than making a call or sending a text message. We also use our phones for multimedia. If you are looking for the key multimedia features on the HTC Desire HD and the HTC Wildfire, you will find out more about them here.

HTC Wildfire

The Wildfire comes with a 5 MP color camera. It comes with additional features such as autofocus, flash, and geotagging. With the phone’s high-speed internet capabilities, it is capable easily allowing you to upload your videos and pictures to your chosen social network. It also comes with a Photos Application for viewing pictures and watching videos.

When it comes to music, you can play anything from tracks to albums stored in as much a 32 GB microSD card. This will allow you to take your music no matter where you may be. If in case you want to listen to the radio, look no further. The phone comes with its own FM radio that will allow you to listen to local broadcasts.

When it comes to videos, the touch screen phone does not just allow you to watch videos stored in the phone’s memory. It also allows you to seamlessly stream videos on YouTube. This will give you more options for your viewing pleasure.

HTC Desire HD

You will get nothing but camera supremacy with the Desire HD. The phone comes integrated with an 8 MP digital camera. It is capable of recording high-definition videos and capturing high-resolution images. It also has additional image enhancing features such as dual Led flash, autofocus, face detection, geotagging, and more image enhancing effects.

When it comes to music, you will not only enjoy a high capacity microSD and an FM radio. You will also enjoy more high-quality sound. You will enjoy SRS virtual surround sound and Dolby Mobile. With these features, you will feel as if you have a home entertainment system that fits in your hands.

With the amount of storage space the phone has to offer, you can watch your HD videos and enjoy them in high-quality sound. Furthermore, with faster internet capabilities, you can stream HD-quality videos off popular video streaming websites such as YouTube.

When multimedia comes to mind, these two phones have the features you have been looking for. From the superior to the extremely high-quality, you will find the multimedia features on the HTC Desire HD and the HTC wildfire more to your liking.

Advantages of Healthcare Business Process Outsourcing Services

Healthcare service has turned out to be one of the largest industries for outsourcing- both in terms of income and work. Healthcare services involve doctor’s facilities, medical devices, clinical trials, outsourcing, telemedicine, restorative tourism, medical coverage and medical equipment. The global insurance interest in outsourcing has developed greatly in the current years because of the industry’s drive to lessen costs while as yet having the capacity to give quality healthcare services.

Earlier, the industry constrained their outsourcing to medical data entry and medical transcription. Yet, with the developing mindfulness that outsourcing has more prominent advantages for healthcare associations and doctor’s facilities, many are investigating into insurance data administration frameworks, clinical research, big data, medical billing, and IT to keep patient information secured among numerous others.

As indicated by Jonathan Clarke, Assistant Professor of Health Policy and Administration at Penn State University, “Outsourcing is something we ought to consider, particularly when it energizes proficiency and grows access to human services, however we should be canny about it so as not to put tolerant wellbeing at hazard.” He likewise expressed that around 90% of the doctor’s facilities in the United States are outsourcing a few services especially radiology benefit.

Four reasons the healthcare industry ought to contemplate outsourcing their non-restorative operations are:

Critical mistakes are avoided: – As per Tom Lowery in his article entitled 8 Ways Outsourcing Can Help Hospitals and Patients, US healing centres leave about $125 billion on the table every year as a result of poor medical billing practices. Also, 80% of hospital expenses contain blunders. One element that adds to this is a few hospitals are not updated with currently changing billing rules and regulations. With outsourcing, healthcare organisations can have a devoted group of prepared experts that spotlights on billing purposes.

Diminished training costs: – Healthcare organisations that outsource their procedures don’t likewise need to stress over spending additional cash for instruction, programming or staff preparing since the outsourcing accomplice sees to it that their representatives are fully informed regarding the most recent changes in benchmarks and controls.

More opportunity to concentrate on giving quality patient care:- With an outsourcing accomplice dealing with searching for a healthcare association’s staff and preparing them, healthcare providers have the capacity to concentrate on the more imperative things in the business – in this case, giving the best quality care for patients. Outsourcing will help providers to diminish their dull authoritative and overseeing workload, and permit them to give a positive patient care involvement and enhance it as well.

Save on cost without trading off quality of business: – The greatest favourable advantage of outsourcing is the lessened expenses in healthcare operations. Outsourcing brings in huge savings with its ease labour and framework. Healthcare services outsourcing can help spare organisations 30-60% of expenses. Besides dealing with staff obtaining and maintenance, having an outsourcing accomplice likewise decreases excess managerial costs since the immediate advantage of outsourcing is monetary surge.

Culinary School Choice is More than Cooking – It’s a Career, It’s a Life!

We will start off informing you about the various options you have to work in the Cooking Department. What are the various positions you can look forward to? where do you want to end up? or more importantly where do you want to start?

Selecting a new Culinary School can be very different and difficult than selecting a dish from the menu or recommending some dessert. We here will give you honest and unbiased reviews on Culinary Schools so that you make the best career decision.

There are more than a few options when it comes to cooking. What do you like cooking? Is it American Fast food or Traditional Indian style. There are different types of Chefs each specializes in different types of food from salads and soups to Chocolates and sauces.

The bigger the establishments, the more are the job positions. This is especially true for big star hotels.

Executive Chef

His/Her main job is purely executive that is to manage the entire food preparation and cooking for the restaurant.

Saucier

A saucier is responsible for all the sauces or Gravies preparation as the name suggests.

Sous-Chefs

Sous-Chefs are mainly managers who look around the work of all other Chefs.

Pastry Chefs

They are concerned with cookies, pastries and other Confectioneries.

Sommeliers

Sommeliers are wine experts.

Not every Chef needs to know everything. This is to your advantage when it comes to Culinary Schools Selection as you can now chose what to look for in a culinary school.

Also there are Food Safety Experts,careers in Food Technology, Cake designers, dietitic careers ,dining attendants, Cannery workers and ofcourse Bartenders.

Its time now to analyze your options keeping you interests in mind.

I will tell you more about culinary schools shortly. Until then stay tuned.

What You Should Never Tell Your Real Estate Broker

“Without a sense of urgency, desire loses its value.” — Jim Rohn

One of the things to keep in mind is that a good commercial real estate broker is a goldmine for great apartment and commercial property listings. Not only can a good one get more product in front of you but they can also save you a lot of time by doing all of the heavy lifting to get an opportunity in front of you.

One of the things I recommend to a lot of people is to not only do things on their own but get hooked up with a good commercial real estate broker too. It is very smart to do so… A good one can make you a lot of money…

So one of the questions is, “How do I get a good relationship going with a commercial broker?”

First, let me tell you what you do not do:

“I want to buy a property with No Money Down.”

This is the surest way to get zero cooperation. Why? Remember, brokers get paid on commissions. With many no money down deals brokers equate no money with no money left for commissions. Not only that, they also equate you with running off half cocked after watching the late night infomercial.

What should you say?

Well, the best way to get good deals across your desk is to be very specific about what you want. Stating that you are looking for a great deal that has a great cash flow and return is not enough.

Also, you do not want to be too sky high here either. Saying you want $15,000 a month in cash flow from a 4 unit property is probably going to turn brokers off to you, as well.

So, back to it…What should you be specific about?

1. Type and size of property you want.
2. Age of property.
3. Condition.
4. Location.
5. Cash Flow (Cap Rate) OR Cash on Cash Return.
6. How You Will Purchase the Property..

For example..

“I am looking for an 8-12 unit property that is preferably less than 20 years old in average to above average condition. It has to be in a location that is close to shopping, retail, and major roadways and I would prefer a 12% cash on cash return but will look at others that get close to this. Also, I have the 20-25% down payment necessary to get this done. Of course, if the owner is willing to do any financing I have an interest in that as well.”

That is about it. Of course, you may get other questions about what you want, your time frame to purchase, etc. BUT they will all mostly fall along these lines.

Make sure the broker keeps you up to date on a basis that you prefer but be realistic here too. I prefer email as it is easier to get a lot done at once vs. using the phone.

Offshore Software Development Trends

The Drivers of Offshore Software Development

The offshore Software development trend has been around for a while now and many IT as well as non-IT companies all over the world are engaged in outsourcing their software development needs to offshore software development centers due to the various benefits provided by the outsourcing process. One of the leading drivers of this trend has been the reduced cost factor associated with the outsourcing process in general. During the credit crunch caused by the global financial crisis, companies were focused on reducing costs and the offshoring process helped reduce overheads and improve the outsourcing company’s bottom line. In other cases, non-IT firms with no or minimalist IT departments also outsource their software development requirements as developing such software in-house often tends to be cost prohibitive. The lack of expertise of a company with regard to use of a specific set of software tools/platforms necessary for developing one or more applications is another driver commonly associated with such outsourcing. Such non-IT firms include industries from a wide range of sectors including but not limited to transport and logistics; education; healthcare as well as banking and financial services. Each of these sectors and even companies within the same sector, however, require unique solutions suited to their own needs. Many organizations also follow a blended approach by mixing outsourcing with in-house expertise to develop the necessary solutions.

Leading Offshore Software Development Priorities

Many companies across the world are currently engaged in developing new software products/applications according to the requirements of clients. New software development is expected to account for a major portion of the software revenue in 2012 and beyond. A close second is the requirement for companies to upgrade their existing software application by integrating new technologies/modules into their already deployed solutions. In 2012, the integration aspect is expected to gain more ground as new technologies/applications increase the benefits provided to organizations by the current solutions. The main benefit of such integration is the reduced deployment time for the company as well as the decreased cost of development as compared to in-house development. The consumerism of IT (CoIT) trend is also beginning to affect the market as users demand a superior user experience delivered by these solutions. As the market for solutions which go beyond delivering basic functionality expands in 2012 and beyond, the focus of many an offshore software development company is expected to shift towards using new technology to develop better User Interface (UI) and graphics for solutions, which were deployed earlier in the enterprise. Such development is often classified as custom software development, is also expected to witness robust grow among offshore development companies in the year 2012 as well as the recent future driven by increases demand across multiple industries.

Other key functional areas for offshore software development operations include performance improvement-based software development as well as the continued maintenance and support for existing solutions. As more and more companies deploy software solutions in order to gain a competitive advantage in the intensely competitive market, the number of performance enhancement contracts between organizations and offshore software development firms is expected to increase. Another software development area expected to witness rapid growth in 2012 is the development of dedicated mobile apps. The focus on developing apps for mobile is expected to continue in the recent future driven by increased enterprise mobility requirements and the growing adoption of BYOD (bring your own device) philosophy by enterprises. A related area which is forecast to grow in 2012 is the development of cloud apps for use by the enterprise as well as the development of improved security solutions to ensure superior data security and compliance with all existing regulations of data protection.

Leading Deployment Areas for Software developed at Offshore Locations

The requirement of software developed by offshore centers is not limited to any specific industry therefore the list of probable deployment areas is quite large and expected to grow further in 2012 as technological advancements open up new application areas. However, the development of data storage/management/Business Intelligence software is expected to be the leading business area for offshore software developers in 2012. Such solutions are deployed by a wide range of industries to cope with the explosion of digital data and facilitate an informed decision-making procedure, which is expected to propel continued growth of the Business Intelligence solutions market. Other leading deployment areas for software developed at leading offshore locations include applications required by the financial and healthcare sectors as well as solutions deployed for managing processes/projects and applications which are necessary to facilitate enterprise-wide networking and communications. Other areas of interest for these companies in 2012 include applications for facilitating the deployment of e-commerce, CRM, content (document) management platforms, online analytics etc. Overall, in 2012 and beyond, the industry is expected to witness robust growth as companies increase their IT expenditure with the intention of gaining a competitive advantage in the market.

Development Platforms Preferred by Outsourcing Enterprises

Among the available software/application development platforms currently in use today, internet/web-based development platforms are expected to dominate the offshore development market in 2012. However, enterprise application development platforms and SaaS/Cloud-based platforms are also expected to witness growth as more organizations issue contracts for new solutions based on these emerging platforms. The emergence of BYOD is also expected to result in the development of various mobile platform-based applications in the recent future, while desktop application and embedded platforms are expected to witness only marginal growth in 2012 due to the perceived restrictions inherent to these platforms.

Leading Offshore Destinations around the World

Over the years, India has traditionally been the leading offshore software development destination for firms based in the US and Europe. This situation is not expected to change in 2012 even though emerging players are expected to partially erode India’s current lead in the global offshore development market. Emerging markets, where organizations are currently outsourcing their software development requirements include Central and South America mainly Brazil and Mexico; various countries in Eastern Europe; China; countries in the Asia-Pacific region such as Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam; as well as Russia and Ukraine. Over the next few years, these emerging players are expected to provide stiff competition to software development centers based in India. The key criterion for competition among these offshore development centers is forecast to include overall cost, development quality, project/client handling procedures and the total development time required. However, even in the face of such challenges, India is expected to retain a dominant position in the global offshore software development market in the year 2012 as well as in the recent future.