2008 Score Football Card # 43 Brad Hoover FB - Carolina Panthers / Highly Collectible NFL Football Card!

2008 Score Football Card # 43 Brad Hoover FB - Carolina Panthers / Highly Collectible NFL Football Card!

It really doesn't matter if you love or hate Google.

Either way, you have to admit they are a pretty shrewd outfit. Coming from a standing start just over seven years ago, they have streaked past more longer-established search engines, such as Yahoo, to dominate the internet.

In fact, like Hoover, their name is now a generic term for using search engines, with the verb "Googled" now firmly established in dictionaries all over the world.

So, when Google paid, $1.6 billion for a fledgling business just over a year old you know something big is occurring. And that something is online video.

Another milestone was passed in May 2007, when Google was the first search engine to incorporate video results into their main results: "Universal Search". So, from now on, you will gradually see an increasing mix of text and video on the same pages.

Right now, the ratio of video to text is tiny, which is where our advantage comes in. Eventually, the reverse will be the case, by which time you'll be firmly established as an internet top dog.

Now Yahoo have recently followed Google by giving their search engine visitors the choice of text or video search. The advantage to us is that, a few days after our videos are listed on Google, Yahoo take them and display them on their listings. This means we get an extra 25% exposure for absolutely no extra effort!

So video is certainly not some passing fad, that you can safely ignore. The only reason video wasn't pre-eminent on the internet from Day One was simply the technology did not exist.

Now it does, it's interesting to see Adobe copying Google's business plan and acquiring the ready made technology of businesses, such as Macromedia (Flash) and, more recently, the video editing expertise of Serious Magic.

The guys who really set the seal on online video was the Adobe Corporation, Having acquired Macromedia and their Flash technology, Adobe repeated what they had done to make their PDF document system so ubiquitous and gave away free Flash players.

Like the Adobe Acrobat Reader, there is a version for both Macs and PCs, making online video viewable on a common standard by virtually anyone with an internet connection.

Add to that the almost universal use of high speed broadband internet connections and video is all set to take its rightful place as the major method of online communication - just as TV is the major communication medium off-line.

So what can you use online video for?

The short answer is this. . . to vastly increase the success of every aspect of your internet marketing.

Not only can you use it to develop a very visible presence on the search engine results, but you can also use it in your entire marketing operation from creating more compelling opt-ins for your mailing list to increasing the conversion rates of your sales page and even creating whole new product lines, using video.

Why video:

Although humans communicate with words, our brains work in pictures. Remember that saying, "A picture is worth a thousand words"? So just imagine, if a picture is worth a thousand words, how much more effective moving pictures, in the form of video is.

How can you use video?

As today using online video on your internet sites is just scratching the endless possibilities of what video can really do for you to increase your online sales.

So to get your mind going here are five simple tips how you can use video:

**Video Squeeze Pages: there are marketers that use simple five
second videos showing something like "Claim your free gift
today" on their landing or squeeze pages. Putting the video in
an exit pop-up window can triple your opt-in rates.

**Video Testimonials: displaying one or more video testimonials
from satisfied clients gives your product or service "social
proof" and doing so will give you more credibility. Users love
to hear what others are saying about "product XY" and it makes
their decision process "to buy or not to buy" much more easier.

**Produce video tutorials: if you are into "how to" products,
writing ebooks etc. why not create video tutorials and add those
to your existing product? People nowadays love to get things
delivered via multimedia. Also positive learning effects come
much faster by watching a step by step video than by reading a
60 page tutorial.

**Use videos to promote affiliate products: if you promote
Clickbank products, you can produce simple videos that give a
short overview of the product and expose the main benefits. This
way you'll have an unfair advantage over other affiliates that
are all using the same provided merchandising tools.

**Use video to increase your affiliate sales: if you let
affiliates sell your products, you can give them promotional
videos, which they can show visitors of their websites and after
that redirect to your sales page. It's a proven fact that providing
affiliates with effective merchandising tools is a highly effective
way to increase sales and what better tool than videos can you
think of to provide?

So if you want to get more website traffic and increase online sales, you should ask yourself: How do I get started on my own online video site?

Marcus Schroefel runs a huge online video network and has helped many people creating their own on-line videos on a shoestring budget through his online video tutorials: http://SecretOnlineVideoProfits.info He is a full time internet publisher and marketer, who has published lots of ebooks and multi-media courses and far too many videos to mention here.

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Secret World of Megastructures (Sears Tower/Petronas Towers/World Trade Center/Biosphere/Aswan Dam/Three Gorges/Hoover Dam)

Uncover little-known facts about the world's superstructures, from buildings such as the Sears Tower to bridges, dams and boats. 48 minutes.

Steam cleaners are used on carpets; they emit steam to moisterize the carpet before picking up dirt. One of the products that have made a big difference in our usual cleaning routine is a steam cleaner. Steam cleaners have been quite popular because of their versatility and flexibility. They are not only used for household purposes, but for industrial applications as well. This cleaning device is considered one of the most potent and practical tools for cleaning and disinfecting, especially in supermarkets, sports arena, automobile shops and other places commonly visited by people.

Many consumers prefer to use a steam cleaner to other traditional cleaning methods, because of its innumerable advantages in cleaning and sanitizing. Aside from those advantages and benefits, it is a wonder how steam cleaners work. Simple tap water generates heated dry steam that removes dirt embedded in carpets and upholstery.

Another good point of these cleaners is that they do not pose a danger to our environment. Anyone can use them since they are not detrimental to one's health and over all being. These cleaners are not only safe to use, they are also proven effective in taking out the dust and stains along with other noxious waste and allergens.

Hence, you can use steam cleaners for every room in your home. Rugs in your living room will look brand new. If you have carpets in your children's rooms, what better way to keep them safe from unwanted germs. Steam cleaners are particularly helpful if you own pets. Grime and odor simply disappears.

Steam Cleaners provides detailed information on Steam Cleaners, Carpet Steam Cleaners, Portable Steam Cleaners, Best Steam Cleaners and more. Steam Cleaners is affiliated with Embroidery Sewing Machines .

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Hard Times: An Oral History of the Great Depression

Studs Terkel's classic history of the Great Depression.

In this unique re-creation of one of the most dramatic periods in modern American history, Studs Terkel recaptures the Great Depression of the 1930s in all its complexity. The book is a mosaic of memories from those who were richest to those who were most destitute: politicians like James Farley and Raymond Moley; businessmen like Bill Benton and Clement Stone; a six-day bicycle racer; artists and writers; racketeers; speakeasy operators, strikers, and impoverished farmers; people who were just kids; and those who remember losing a fortune.

Hard Times is not only a gold mine of information-much of it little known-but also a fascinating interplay of memory and fact, showing how the Depression affected the lives of those who experienced it firsthand, often transforming the most bitter memories into a surprising nostalgia.
Customer Review: gives voices to those who lived through the Depression
As a former grad student in History, I found this book fascinating. Author Studs Terkel interviews people who lived through the Depression and gets their takes on that difficult period. We hear the experiences and memories of those who lived through it from multiple points of view. The book was published in 1970 and much of the research was accordingly done during the second half of the '60s which was also quite a turbulent time in the United States. Accordingly, a question which Terkel most frequently asks his subjects is how people would react to a Depression at that time. Most thought little of the ability of those coming of age or boomers during the '60s to weather the travails of the Depression. Many also thought that a worse Depression was coming. That would seem not to have been the case although it would seem that since the publication of this book, the economic standing of the large majority of Americans has actually decreased. With the current economic troubles in the United States (and the world), it was interesting to read of the difficulties experienced by many people during the Depression. It was also very interesting to read of the strong anti-Roosevelt-ism among many business magnates and the highest ranks of the upper-middle class. It was also intriguing to read of the belief of some that the Depression did not extend past 1936. Having not studied much Depression history in nearly 20 years, at least not in any great depth, and certainly not having heard people offering their own accounts of their experiences during the Depression, this book was tremendously enlightening. Terkel interviews old retired farmers. He interviews men who were factory workers during the Depression. He interviews those who worked in social services attempting to alleviate some of the pains of the Depression. As mentioned, he interviews business magnates. He interviews many who were help during the '30s-many of whom were black. By virtue of his speaking to such a wide variety of people, one does not believe that one has a limited understanding of the range of experiences had by people during this time period. We see history from the point-of-view of those with a wide variety of economic backgrounds. This allows the reader to see the subjectivity of history and introduces points of view (the poor, women, black and Latino people) which one might not read of in a textbook. The stories and their specificity of recall are fascinating. This really is a gem of a book. It expands the range off thinking about the '30s and I am sure opened avenues of thinking to historical researchers who wanted to broaden the scope of recollections about the Depression. If you think you're only getting a limited perspective about the experiences of the '30s, please read this book.
Customer Review: The revolution that shoulda, coulda been
This is the first book I've read on America's experience of the Great Depression of the 1930s. My parents and other relatives and some of my older friends went through it. One man whom I knew, frequently brought it up and with great bitterness and anger, often directing that anger to others around him - especially those who were younger and didn't go through it - while others had little or nothing to say and seemed to brush it aside. Most though, seem to just want to forget it. One fine elderly woman - my grandmother - was incredibly generous and loving to others the rest of her life, because of living through it. It still stuns me to see how these people with similar experiences could react so differently so many years later. The author, being a Chicago man, places a lot of emphasis on the Depression as it hit that city and its citizens. Also he has a definite Left-oriented sort of outlook - and after reading this book it becomes entirely understandable. He frequently brings up the possibilities of revolution during the 1930s when so many ordinary and poor people lost just about everything. But the message comes through clearly that the Americans of those years firstly still had respect for law and order and the government, and secondly they had a kind of optimism or set of positive 'it will pass' illusions that kept them going. Reading how people were treated back then, it is nonetheless a wonder that they really didn't rise up and overthrow the entire capitalist system. If a similar Depression occurred today, it would happen. And that is also the reflection of many voices in this book. I highly recommend this book to everyone. More than anything else, it taught me to understand more clearly how and why different generational values and perceptions were formed from that period - and how they have come to impact succeeding generations.

If you are a history buff there is much for you in the city of Dayton, Ohio. You have museums and a number of historical destinations to visit. One other great place to take in is the Dayton Aviation National Historic Park. Keep reading and learn about this local attraction.

The Dayton Aviation National Historic Park was founded by Aviation Trail Inc. Aviation Trail Inc is a non profit group that was formed in 1981 to protect and educate people about the city of Dayton's unique aviation history. The park today is managed by a partnership between federal and local government and private citizens. There are four different parts of the park. You have the Wright Cycle Company and Hoover Block, the Paul Laurence Dunbar house, the Huffman Prairie Flying Field and the 1905 Wright Flyer III. The park celebrates both the work of the Wright brothers before and after their famous flight at Kitty Hawk and the works of Dunbar the famous African American poet and writer. At the Wright Cycle Company you will find the restored building where the Wright brothers once operated a Bicycle shop.

Next door at the Hoover Block you will find the home of the printing business that they operated at an earlier time. The Dunbar house is a house that Paul Laurence Dunbar bought for his mother and wrote and published more than 20 books. Finally you have Huffman Prairie Flying Field. This was the home of the Wrights hangar and school of aviation. It is quite an extensive complex and one that will fascinate any history or aircraft buff. This makes it a must see attraction in Dayton, Ohio.

If you would like to visit the park you can find it at 22 S Williams St. For more information you can call the information line at 937-225-7705. Have Fun.

For information on Dayton upholstery shampoo you can visit the author's website on carpet cleaning in Dayton.

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High Stakes Art Print Poster By Darrin Hoover, 16 " x 20 "

Shop for High Stakes Poster Print by Darrin Hoover at Motivational Art Prints. Over 400k posters, art prints, artwork, lithographs, and photographs online. Custom framing is available. Framing your favorite art print has never been easier. PosterExpo introduces a friendly and exciting way to view your customized framed art. All mouldings are high-quality, elegant choices at affordable prices and come in a variety of colors and finishes. Each print is first mounted onto an acid-free foam-board to prevent creasing and warping, and then glazed using picture grade framer's Plexiglass. All frames ship ready-to-hang and include the necessary hardware.

Typically, getting carpeting cleaned meant using a steam cleaner and spraying a large amount of water on your floors. Afterward, you'd have to avoid walking on the carpets for quite some time because they would still be damp. Fortunately, you don't have to go through that process any longer to get clean carpeting thanks to a new cleaning method that is becoming more popular.

Dry carpet cleaning works in a manner very similar to that used when dry cleaning your clothes. Chemicals are used for the removal of those pesky stains rather than water that is used when steam cleaning. With clothes and carpet that are cleaned by water they will take on a dingy appearance after a while. This isn't the case with chemical cleaning which will leave your carpet dry as well as stain and dirt free for a much longer period of time.

If you rent your home instead of owning it, you can still use dry carpet cleaning, provided you have the permission of your landlord before you begin. Most landlords would see the benefits of dry cleaning and the value it would add to their property. The risk of water damaging the sub-flooring is also much less with chemical cleaning, which would lessen the impact on your neighbors should something go amiss during the cleaning process. The risk of mold and mildew developing in your home or apartment is also greatly decreased since water is not being used.

Dry carpet cleaning may cost a little more than the traditional steam cleaning methods of carpet cleaning but is well worth the additional price tag in most cases. If you want your carpet looking great for guests or your own personal enjoyment then dry carpet cleaning is definitely a process worth considering. More and more professionals are offering this valuable service to consumers as demand grows. Chances are that there is a company near you that offers this valuable carpet cleaning service.

Finding a professional carpet cleaning company is easy. Start with your local Yellow Pages directory, or go browsing on the internet, depending on which you prefer. Carpet doesn't need to show visible stains for it to be dirty and in need of cleaning. It likely has deep down and embedded dirt that dry carpet cleaning could get rid of. Consider this service if you want to extend the life of your carpeting and make it look fresh again.

Visit us for more information on carpet cleaning products, hoover steam carpet cleaner and carpet stain removal.

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Bacco Bucci Men's Hoover (Brown 14.0 D)

Many people are still searching the internet for information on how to build a waterfall or koi pond. Unfortunately, there is very little information regarding professional construction. There are thousands of websites involved in marketing pond products to uninformed and unsuspecting customers.

The majority of these sites promotes and advocates the use of rubber pond liners. Why? Because they sell them. Rubber liners are profitable, primarily because of the add-on products related to the pond liner industry. For example, when you construct your pond using a pond liner, you have no choice but to buy all of the related accessories such as a biofilter, special skimmers and drains, and the large variety of energy-sucking, inefficient, short-lived sump pumps.

Rarely do pond liner dealers or installers tell you the whole truth about the unpredictability of liners and sump pumps. Rarely do they acknowledge the truth about the vulnerability of liners after they are installed - whether it be attacks by rats, mice, ground squirrels, gophers, chipmunks or the sharp claws of animals that can puncture the liner in their attempt to get out of the pond after accidentally or purposely entering it. Animals burrow under the liner through the easy access of the loose rocks piled around the pond and waterfall. Against the coolness of the liner, they build their nests and raise their families that can then chew holes in the liner.

Over the past fifteen years I have replaced countless leaky waterfalls and ponds constructed using rubber liners with concrete and rebar construction. In twenty-six years of building over 1900 waterfalls and ponds, I have never had one crack or leak.

Liner advocates tell you their liner has a thirty to forty year warranty, but fail to mention it is against factory defects only. They don't mention the other issues like rodents, heavy rocks stretching and ripping the liner, and damage from children with sharp sticks or garden utensils. I've seen it all!

Many water garden contractors will misrepresent the liner as the best construction material by saying concrete is expensive and it cracks. Yes, that is true, if you don't build it properly using 3500 psi concrete and rebar 8 to 10 inches on center. Plus, they say the alkali poisons the water. That is true only if you don't seal the concrete with a sealer after it is poured. Concrete construction costs 20-25% more than a liner, but it lasts for decades. You only have to replace one liner for the concrete pond to cost considerably less in the long run. In the past five years there have been scores of lawsuits against pond liner contractors and their clients win every time.

Doesn't it make sense to build it right in the first place?

Douglas C. Hoover; CEO of Aquamedia Corp, Master Waterfall Builder, architect, engineer, freelance writer, author, designer & builder of well over 1,900 waterfall and ponds in CA (26 years). Author of "Waterfall and Pond Construction Manual" and developer of the "Water Feature Digital Design Library 4.0" Free downloads, no sign in- http://www.askdoughoover.com

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Hoover U8188-900 WindTunnel Anniversary-Edition Convertible Bagged/Bagless Upright Vacuum Cleaner with Pet-Hair Tool

The Hoover Anniversary Edition Windtunnel Convertible comes with patented Windtunnel technology which removes the hidden deep down dirt other vacuums leave behind. This vacuum gives you the option to go bagged or bagless. Bagged cleaning you get the efficiency of the Hepa Filter bag which traps 100% of dust mites, ragweed and common grass pollens. Bagless cleaning you get the Twin Chamber Bagless system that helps maintain maximum cleaning power and traps dirt in a sealed chamber for convenient disposal. the system also includes allergen filtration with a long-lasting HEPA filter. to make the change from bag to bagless is quick and easy.The embedded dirt finder tells you when your carpet is clean. The light is green, the carpet is clean. th
Customer Review: Vaccum User
The vaccum is quieter than our last Hoover. However, we still must mess with the cord and push the vaccum, it is not self propelled. Does a nice job of cleaning. Still bulky and clumbersome.

What is The BCG Growth-Share Matrix? What are the main aspects of The BCG Growth-Share Matrix? How to develop Good BCG Growth-Share Matrix of a company? Where to find information for The BCG Growth-Share Matrix?

INTRODUCTION
No strategic management or marketing text appears to be complete without the inclusion of the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) growth-share matrix. When used effectively, this model provides guidance for resource allocation. And despite its inherent weaknesses, is probably one of the most widely used management instrument as far as portfolio management is concern. For instant, each SBU (strategic business unit) of large companies such as General Electric, Siemens, and Centrica require different strategies to compete effectively and efficiently. It is not a question of one strategy fits all SBUs since the likelihood for each of them experiencing the same market growth rate, industry-threats and leverage is very slim. This is where the BCG model comes into play as a management analytical tool. The ensuing examines the underpinnings of the model, for what it is used, how to use it and why it is used.

WHAT IS THE BCG GROWTH-SHARE MATRIX?
To begin with, BCG is the acronym for Boston Consulting Group-a general management consulting firm highly respected in business strategy consulting. BCG Growth-Share Matrix (see figure 1) happens to be one of many of BCG's strategic concepts the organisation developed in the late 1970s, and is being taught at leading business schools and executive education programmes around the world.

It is a management tool that serves four distinct purposes (McDonald 2003; Kotler 2003; Cipher 2006): it can be used to classify product portfolio in four business types based on four graphic labels including Stars, Cash Cows, Question Marks and Dogs; it can be used to determine what priorities should be given in the product portfolio of a company; to classify an organisation's product portfolio according to their cash usage and generation; and offers management available strategies to tackle various product lines. Consider companies like Apple Computer, General Electric, Unilever, Siemens, Centrica and many more, engaging in diversified product lines. The BCG model therefore becomes an invaluable analytical tool to evaluate an organisation's diversified product lines as later seen in the ensuing sections.

WHAT ARE THE MAIN ASPECTS OF THE BCG GROWTH-SHARE MATRIX?
The BCG Growth-Share Matrix is based on two dimensional variables: relative market share and market growth. They often are pointers to healthiness of a business (Kotler 2003; McDonald 2003). In other words, products with greater market share or within a fast growing market are expected to wield relatively greater profit margins. The reverse is also true. Let's look at the following components of the model:
Fig. 1: Source: 12manage.com 2006

Relative Market Share
According to the proponents of the BCG (Herndemson 1972), It captures the relative market share of a business unit or product. But that is not all! It allows the analysed business unit be pitted against its competitors. As earlier emphasized above, this is due to the sometime correlation between relative market share and the product's cash generation. This phenomenon is often likened to the experience curve paradigm that when an organisation enjoys lower costs, improved efficiency from conducting business operations overtime. The basic tenet of this postulation is that the more an organisation performs a task often; it tends to develop new ways in performing those tasks better which results in lower operating cost (Cipher 2006). What that suggests is that the experience curve effect requires that market share is increased to be able to drive down costs in the long run and at the same time a company with a dominant market share will inevitably have a cost advantage over competitor companies because they have the greater share of the market. Hence, market share is correlated with experience.

A case in point is Apple Computer's flagship product called the iPod, which occupies a dominant 73% share the portable music player market (Cantrell 2006). Analysts believe it is the impetus for Apple's financial rebirth 40% of Apple's sales is attributed to the iPod product line (Cantrell 2006). Similarly, Dell's PC line shares the same market dominance theory as the iPod. The PC manufacture giant occupies a worldwide market share of 18.1%, which is commensurate to its large market revenue above its competitors (see figure 2).
Figure 2: Source: Reuters 2006

Market Growth
Market growth axis, correlates with the product life cycle paradigm, and predicates the cash requirement a product needs relative to the growth of that market. A fast growing market is generally considered attractive, and pulls a lot of organisation's resources in an effort to increase gains. A case in point is the technological market widely consider by experts as a fast growing market, and tends to attract a lot of competition. Therefore, a product life cycle and its associated market play a key role in decision-making.

Cash Cows
These products are said to have high profitability, and require low investment for the fact that they are market leaders in a low-growth market. This viewpoint is captured by the founders themselves thus:

The cash cows fund their own growth. They pay the corporate dividend. They pay the corporate overhead. They pay the corporate interest charges. They supply the funds for R&D. They supply the investment resource for other products. They justify the debt capacity for the whole company. Protect them (Henderson 1976).

According to experts (Drummond & Ensor 2004; Kotler 2003; McDonald 2003), surplus cash from cash cow products should be channelled into Stars and Questions in order to create the future Cash Cows.

Stars
Stars are leaders in high growth markets. They tend to/should generate large amounts of cash but also use a lot of cash because of growth market conditions. For example, Apple Computer has a large share in the rapidly growing market for portable digital music players (Cantrell 2006).

Question Marks
Question Marks have not achieved a dominant market position, and hence do not generate much cash. They tend to use a lot of cash because of growth market conditions. Consider Hewlett-Packard's small share of the digital camera market, behind industry leader Canon's 21% (Canon 2006). However, this is a rapidly growing market.

Dogs
Dogs often have little future and are big cash drainers on the company as they generate very little cash by virtue of their low market share in a highly low growth market.
Consider Pfizer's Inspra (Gibson 2006):

"Pfizer launched this drug in Q4 2003 and continues to pump money into this problem child, despite anaemic sales of roughly $40 million in the $2.7 billion heart-failure market dominated by Toprol-XL (metoprolol). It was thought to gain market share and become a star, and eventually a cash cow when the market growth slowed. But, according to industry's experts, Inspra is likely to remain a dog, despite any amount of promotion, given its perceived safety issues and a cheaper, more effective spironolactone in the same Pfizer portfolio. Because Pfizer invested heavily in promotion early on with Inspra, the drug's earnings potential and positive cash flow is elusive at best. A portfolio analysis of Pfizer's cardiovascular franchise would suggest redeploying promotional spend on Inspra to up-and-coming stars like Caduet (amlodipine/atorvastatin) or torcetrapib to ensure those drugs reach their sales potential."

HOW TO DEVELOP GOOD BCG GROWTH-SHARE MATRIX OF A COMPANY?
SBUs or products are represented on the model by circles and fall into one of the four cells of the matrix already described above. Mathematically, the mid-point of the axis on the scale of Low-High is represented by 1.0 (Drummond & Ensor 2004; Kotler 2003). At this point, the SBU's or product's market share equals that of its largest competitor's market share (Drummond & Ensor 2004; Kotler 2003). Next, calculate the relative market share and market growth for each SBU and product. Figure 3 depicts the formulas to calculate the relative market share and market growth.
Fig 3

Oftentimes, if you are versed with a particular industry and companies operating in it, you could draw up a BCG matrix for any company without necessarily computing figures for the relative market share and market growth. Figure 4 depicts a fairly accurate BCG growth-share matrix for Apple Computer developed in the spring of 2005 without the author calculating the relative market share and market growth.
Fig. 4 Source: Asong (2005)

Once the products or SBUs have been plotted, the planner then has to decide on the objective, strategy and budget for the business lines. Basically, at this juncture the organisations should strive to maintain a balanced portfolio. Cash generated from Cash Cows should flow into Stars and Question Marks in an effort to create future Cash Cows. Moreover, there are 4 major strategies that can be pursued at this stage as described in the ensuing section.

AVAILABLE STRATEGIES TO PURSUE

Build
The product or SBU's market share needs to be increased to strengthen its position. Short-term earnings and profits are deliberately forfeited because it is hoped that the long-term gains will be higher than this. This strategy is suited to Question Marks if they are to become stars.

Hold
The objective is to maintain the current share position and this strategy is often used for Cash Cows so that they continue to generate large amounts of cash.

Harvest
Here management tries to increase short-term cash flows as far as possible (e.g. price increase, cutting costs) even at the expense of the products or SBU's longer-term future. It is a strategy suited to weak Cash Cows or Cash Cows that are in a market with a limited future. Harvesting is also used for Question Marks where there is no possibility of turning them into Stars, and for Dogs.

Divest
The objective of this strategy is to rid the organisation of the products or SBUs that are a drain on profits and to utilize these resources elsewhere in the business where they will be of greater benefit. This strategy is typically used for Question Marks that will not become Stars and for Dogs.

WHERE TO FIND INFORMATION FOR THE BCG GROWTH-SHARE MATRIX?
Information for the BCG Growth-Share matrix is generated from multiple sources including company's annual reports, sec fillings and a host of specialised research organisations such as IDC, Hoover, Edgar, Forrester and many more. Armed with this information, developing a BCG growth-share matrix should pose less of a problem.

Limitations
The BCG model is criticised for having a number of limitations (Kotler 2003; McDonald 2003):

There are other reasons other than relative market share and market growth that could influence the allocation of resources to a product or SBU: reasons such as the need for strong brand name and product positioning could compel resource allocation to an SBU or product (Drummond & Ensor 2004).

What is more, the model rests on net cash consumption or generation as the fundamental portfolio balancing criterion. That is appropriate only in a capital constrained environment. In modern economies, with relatively frictionless capital flows, this is not the appropriate metric to apply - rather, risk-adjusted discounted cash flows should be used (ManyWorlds 2005).

Also, the matrix assumes products/business units are independent of each other, and independent of assets outside of the business. In other words, there is no provision for synergy among products/business units. This is rarely realistic.

The relationship between cash flow and market share may be weak due to a number of factors including (Cipher 2006): competitors may have access to lower cost materials unrelated to their relative share position; low market share producers may be on steeper experience curves due to superior production technology; and strategic factors other than relative market share may affect profit margins.

In addition, the growth-share matrix is based on the assumption that high rates of growth use large cash resources and that maturity of the life cycle brings about the expected profit returns. This may be incorrect due to various reasons (Cipher 2006): capital intensity may be low and the business/product could be grown without major cash outlay; high entry barriers may exist so margins may be sustainable and big enough to produce a positive cash flow and a growth at the same time; and industry overcapacity and price competition may depress prices in maturity.

Furthermore, market growth is not the only factor or necessarily the most important factor when assessing the attractiveness of a market. A fast growing market is not necessarily an attractive one. Growth markets attract new entrants and if capacity exceeds demand then the market may become a low margin one and therefore unattractive. A high growth market may lack size and stability.
Given the aforementioned weaknesses, the BCG Growth-Share matrix must be used with care; nonetheless, it is a best-known business portfolio evaluation model (Kotler 2003).

If you found this article useful please have a look at the other articles we have written: PEST analysis, Porter's 5 Forces analysis, Ansoff analysis, SWOT analysis, Porter's Generic Strategies, Scenario Planning, Value chain analysis.

REFERENCE
12Management (2006). BCG Matrix. www.12management.com [Accessed: September 23, 2006]
Asong, B. (2005). Case Study: Apple Computer Market Assessment and Product Launch Strategy. CLC-PHW: London, pp. 17-40.
BCG (2006). The Growth-Share Matrix. www.bcg.com [Accessed: September 20, 2006]
Canon (2006). InfoSource research puts Canon No.1 in the UK & Ireland. [Accessed: September 28, 2006]
Cantrell, A. (2006). Apple's Remarkable Comeback Story. [Accessed: September 28, 2006]
Drummond, G. & Ensor, J. (2004). Strategic Marketing: Planning & Control. 2nd Ed. Butterworth-Heinemann: MA, pp. 96-100.
Henderson, B. (1976). Anatomy of the Cash Cow. Accessed: September 21, 2006]
Lane, S. (2006). Overall Mac OS usage market share declining? [Accessed: September 28, 2006] www.appleinsider.com/article.php?id=2059
ManyWorlds (2005). Models and Concepts.[Accessed: September 24, 2006]
McDonald, M. (2003). Marketing Plans: How To Prepare Them, How To Use Them. MA: Butterworth-Heinemann, pp. 175-245.
MindTools (2006). The Boston Matrix. www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTED_97.htm [Accessed: September 28, 2006]

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Cooper, R. G., Edgett, S. J., & Kleinschmidt, E.J. (2006). Portfolio Management. Working Paper No 12: The Product Development Institute.
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Vriens, D (2004). The Role of Information and Communication Technology in Competitive Intelligence. Idea Group Inc: University of Nijmegen.
Zolkiewski, J. & Turnbull, P. (undated). Relationship Portfolios-Past, Present & Future.

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Hoover 40311048 Deep-Cleansing Fragrance-Free Carpet/Upholstery Detergent, 48 Ounces

Hoover, 48 OZ, Deep Cleaning, Carpet Detergent, Fragrance & Dye Free, Biodegradable.
Customer Review: Works as expected
Cleans the carpet well, as I would expect, and does NOT give the house the revolting stink of a public toilet at cleaning time, as their regular product and their competitors' products do. It leaves no odor of its own that I can sense. I don't suffer from migraine but this would probably be a good choice for those who do.
Customer Review: Hoovers Cleaner
Works perfectly with my Hoovers Steamvac. Will continue buying, since it seems to work better than the other brands out.

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