As our site grows every day we want to share some information with you on the way we are operating the project. We call this section «Business Blog» as it is similar to doing a log book where data is recorded in a chronological order. «Blogging» is gaining popularity with more and more people picking up the habit of publishing their experiences and thoughts on the Internet. Our Blog covers various topics — from TOEFL, TOEIC, MBA, GMAT, ESL/EFL test preperation to cultural traditions and current political events.
There will also be some Internet marketing terminology and if you have any questions regarding the information simply let us know.

The Business Blog is written by Torsten Daerr and edited by Alan Townend.

2006 — June 25
Do you still remember our freedom_2007 project? Yes, this is the name of our plan being designed to take english-test.net to the next level. You can join us on this journey and reach your personal and professional goals too. Maybe you should start by setting some goals of your own? What do you want to achieve by the end of 2007? As for us, by the end of next year our site will become the hub of all our business activities. For example, instead of teaching English the conventional way we will use our website to connect with our clients. With that in mind we have started several small projects that are all contributing towards that one goal. One of them is called How to promote tourist services? The idea is simple: In addition to teaching English we are going to offer more tangible and effective services such as creating web content for hotels, catering businesses and other tourist facilities. A hotel owner will want to know why they should invest in English language training. They base their decisions on increased turnvover, on a higher number of hotel guests and clients. So, we are going to apply the «output-overinput-principle» which means, instead of getting paid by the hour we would like a slice of the additional value we are creating...

2006 — May 31
Ever since I have been learning languages I have thought about the best learning method. Based on my experiences both as a learner and a trainer of languages I know that in order to learn a language you have to use a combination of various methods and techniques. A language is like a sport: You have to practise it on a regular basis, as a matter of fact, you have to do some language learning activities every single day. That's we are now developing a system that will enable you to improve your English constantly. The system contains the following elements which we will describe further in a few days:

• media library
• learning diary or progress blog
• glossary
• web resource index

2006 — May 26
If you want to be successful, you have to decide how many projects you can work on at the same time. Putting all your eggs into one basket can be as risky as spreading yourself too thin, that is, starting too many projects at once and not finishing any of them. One my current goals is to combine our «offline» with our «online» ventures and bundle them to create so called synergy effects. Here is an example: We will soon get a contract from the local Chamber of Industry and Commerce to provide English language training to employees and managers of regional hotel and tourism facilities. Now, on top of 'teaching' English the conventional way I want to organize and run workshops that answer the questions:

1) How to attract more English speaking customers and clients to our region?
2) How to deliver better and more services to English speaking customers (tourists, hotel guests etc. who have already purchased products and are using the services).
3) How to make happy customers spread the word and promote our business

Teaching English to employees of hotels in Germany makes sense only if those hotels attract English speaking customers. Why would a German guest want to speak English when he stays in a hotel in Germany? So, the big question is how can we attract more guests and customers from abroad, especially from the US and EU? The answer: use the Internet as a marketing tool and a means of establishing and fostering customer relationships. The first step in achieving this goal is to analyze existing websites of regional hotels and tourist facilities. That's why we have started this forum discussion: New project: «How to promote tourist services». And what's more you are invited to join in on the discussion.

2006 — May 11
Now it's time to describe the first two features of your ESL professional account. As a freelance your name becomes your brand. If you introduce yourself to a potential client on the phone or in a personal conversation, chances are they will remember your name and then google it. With your professional web profile at english-test.net you can be sure that a prospective customer, employer or partner will always find the necessary information. You can try it out yourself. Google the name «Linda Arlia» and see what happens.

Another important element of your marketing campaign as a freelance is your email address. Do you have a Yahoo, Hotmail, Gmail or any other free web mail account? How professional does such an address look ? If you really mean business, then you should show it. Use an email address that indicates you are the member of an established and fast growing Internet company. You will signal to your potential clients and partners that you are serious about your service and eager to establish a successful business relationship. Take a look at large corporations. The common format of their email addresses is firstname.lastname@company.com and that's exactly what your address will look like too. Here is an example: linda.arlia@english-test.net

Your english-test.net email address is a web based email account which means you can access and use it through your browser from any point in the world. More details soon.