There comes a point in every solopreneur's business where they need to sit down and plan ... and I mean, really plan! Not just write down a few ideas on the back of an envelope and hope for the best, but really map out a long-term strategic plan for their business.

Creating this kind of business plan is so important as, for one reason, it immediately eliminates a lot of the overwhelm and frustration that you're probably feeling, but it also allows you to:

* See where you're going;

* Know how you're going to get there; and

* Lays out exactly what you need to do along the way to get from Point A to Point B

How do you know when you've reached this critical business planning point?

Well, there are a few indicators:

* You have LOTS of ideas swimming around in your head but don't know how to pull them all together (lack of a Big Picture Vision)

* You offer several different programs/products, at different price points, but get very few or no sign-ups (lack of a strategic Marketing Action Plan MAP)

* You get feedback from your clients and/or customers letting you know that they're confused and not sure which program is right for them (lack of a clear Product & Marketing Funnel)

Today I’d like to share with you three basic steps to business planning success so that you can start the year off on the right foot!

Step 1 – Create Your Big Picture Vision

This is the really fun part; it’s where you get to let your imagination run away with you. You want to sit down somewhere quiet with a pad and pen (writing is much better for this exercise as you can let your ideas flow) and start to write! Write about what you want your business to look like, the type of clients you want to serve, the sort of products and programs you want to offer – in fact write down anything and everything that pops into your head about what you want your business and life to look like.

Important: You want to write your Big Picture Vision in the present tense, as if you already have that business and lifestyle you’re writing about. Use terms such as, “I have, I own, I run”.

Remember that every part of your should say “YES” when you read your Big Picture Vision out loud!

Step 2 – Take Inventory

The next part is to take a look at where you are now and where you want to go. What needs to change in order to take you from where you are now to where you want to be? Is it:

* More/less clients

* More/less billable hours

* Offering more programs/products

And then create a timeline for making these changes. Put down dates of when you want the changes to have been made by, and set about implementing!

Step 3 – Plan Your Funnel

Now that you know what you want your business to look like and what you need to do to get there, start and map out your different income streams. The Product & Marketing Funnel is the perfect model for this exercise as it allows you to create different products/programs/services at different price points within your business. This way clients can move from free (your ezine and articles) to your paid info products, and eventually through to your high-end programs.

Follow these three simple steps above and you’ll instantly create a business plan that will guide your business to continued success this year … and beyond!

Online Business Manager & Virtual Assistant, Tracey Lawton, supports professional speakers, coaches, and authors to operate an efficient, organized, and profitable business. Learn how to create an efficient and organized office in 7 EASY steps, and receive free how-to articles at http://www.OfficeOrganizationSuccess.com.

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Article Contributed By Coach Jeremy J. Ulmer

As a sales professional, entrepreneur or business owner, being able to effectively establish new client partnerships and increase sales results quickly is vitally important. When sales are going great it can be very exciting! When you have a great month you are filled with sales motivation!

But, after a while, things slow down and you hit a wall. You find yourself chasing after prospects and wondering why it is taking so long to convert prospects into clients.

You’re stumped!

You start exploring different techniques and try to find a solution. But, no matter what you try, the results are the same and the sales cycle is a much longer process than what you would like.

So where do you turn when you are stuck in sales quicksand and can’t get your prospects to move forward?

Here’s How You Can Shorten The Sales Cycle and Win More Clients, Increase Sales and Profits with 2 Simple Strategies:

1. Determine, Uncover & Clarify Challenges

If a prospect is not clear about their challenges and the impact of these challenges, this will greatly slow down the entire sales cycle. This is because the client does not yet believe their challenge is significant enough to take action, and guess what, because of this, they won’t take action! It is a waste of time for you to give information before understanding their needs, goals, challenges and problems. You are presenting a “solution” to someone who doesn’t believe they have a “problem.”

So, what do you do about this? Ask a lot of questions! Ask open ended questions. Get curious and don’t assume you understand their problem or challenge no matter how long you have been in the industry. Dig in and really find out what is going on, and ask follow up questions that focus in on the greater impact of their challenges. Uncover the impact of the current challenges on both the organization and the individuals or groups you are selling to. Your questions will help them understand and verbalize that they have a challenge or problem. Now you have the information you need to explain how you can help solve their challenge.

If you find yourself talking more than 20% of the time during your sales meetings with prospects, stop yourself, and ask a question!

2. Always Set A Clear Next Step

Have you ever heard this before? “Thanks for your time today, your product looks great and we will get back to you soon.” Yet, you never hear back, and end up having to chase, follow up, and make multiple calls, send multiple emails to no avail. That is not fun for you, nor is it fun for the prospective client.

How do you solve this?

Well, if you are a great salesperson or great sales minded business owner, you don’t need to chase. You don’t need to pressure. You don’t need to persuade. Really. You need to set up a clear next step, and if your prospect is not ready to take the next step, they will tell you, and you will determine if they are a serious prospect or not, on the spot.

Remember, give your prospects an option to say, “No.” When you do this, all the pressure is taken off of you, and more importantly off of your prospect. That way, they do not feel like they are being “sold,” nor do they feel any pressure from you. Many of the sales coaching programs and sales coaches still are teaching the same old techniques developed decades ago that involve pressure and persuading. You do not need to do that anymore and it does not work.

Simply set up the next step at the end of your meetings. The next step could be a follow-up face to face meeting or a scheduled phone call for example. However, make sure the next step is moving the sales cycle forward and has a scheduled date, time, and location.

Map out your sales cycle and know what steps need to take place. Here is an example of a 5 step sales cycle: 1. Initial appointment, qualification, discovery, 2. Agreement to conduct an in-depth analysis, 3. Demonstration of service or product, 4. Contract review meeting, 5. Signed agreement.

At the end of each meeting, you should be setting up the next meeting and next actions. Explain the next steps you both will need to take to start working together. Map it out for them and provide them with a simple document that explains the next steps with clear time lines. Ask them to commit to the next steps along the way. Guess what happens if you do this effectively? You don’t need to “close” or persuade, the sale will be made, faster, naturally, and more effectively.

These 2 steps will help you shorten your sales cycle and experience dramatically improved sales results. Don’t wait to make these changes, take action now, and make a commitment to yourself.

About the Author:
Sales Coaching & Business Coaching Expert, Jeremy J. Ulmer, has helped hundreds of sales professionals, sales leaders, businesses and entrepreneurs overcome sales and business challenges to achieve breakthrough results. Jeremy has been ranked a #1 sales performer in the U.S. for 4 years at two Global Fortune 500 Companies, is the former Director of Sales at the #1 Outsourced Sales Company in the U.S., and is a Featured Presenter on Sales Skills and Entrepreneurship at The University of Chicago Booth School of Business. If you are ready to dramatically increase your sales or business results then subscribe for your Free Tips or request a Free Coaching Consultation at: http://www.CoachWithJeremy.com.

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Call me headstrong but once I make a decision to do something, I don’t let anything stand in my way. My motto is, “There’s always a way.”

This determination (or “grit” as my mom dubbed it) has helped me stay true to my Soul’s Divine Purpose of creating a highly successful coaching business, making great money doing what I love: helping women entrepreneurs design an exciting and lucrative, multiple streams of income business.

So when I hear a woman say she wants something, like to be in a coaching program, attend a workshop, invest in a training program or hire more team members, I think “Great! She’s made a wise decision that will support her success.”

But later, when the first little obstacle, delay or challenge pops up, I hear from her, “This must be a sign that I’m not supposed to do ….”

Ladies, please, you have got to be kidding me! Look at it this way: if you saw a gorgeous pair of shoes on sale for half off, would you let the fact that someone was standing in front of you stop you from snapping up those new heels? Of course not!

Let me share a big secret with you: a challenge is NOT the Universe “telling” you you’re not supposed to stay the course. Nor is it telling you it “isn’t meant to be.”

If you’re serious about achieving the goodies of success: money, respect, freedom, happiness, then let me share with you 3 quick tips for handling those moments when it feels like your plans are being threatened.

Tip #1: Don’t Confuse Fear With A Sign From The Universe

The moment you make a decision it’s likely fear will kick in, trying to “convince” you that you’re better off staying as-is, even though as-is clearly isn’t what you want.

Gently remind yourself that doubt is not truth. This is the moment to trust the wisdom of your initial decision. Do that, and you’ll reconnect yourself to the power of Divine Wisdom that helped you make that decision in the first place.

Tip #2: Approach Every Obstacle As An Opportunity For A Breakthrough

Once you make a decision to do something powerful for your business, such as joining a coaching program or attending an event, it’s not uncommon to have a challenge come up. What I do in this situation is use my “there’s always a way” belief to help me quickly create solutions, thus negating the power of the challenge to take me off course. What I don’t do is let those challenges change my mind.

Tip #3: Ask For Help Rather Than Giving Up

I just received an email from a client who was strapped for the cash needed to purchase her plane ticket so she could attend an event. She was literally hours away from having to cancel her plans. Rather than give up, she reached out. Within hours she had the money, secured her ticket, and was celebrating this as a major breakthrough.

Remember, How You Do One Thing Is How You Do All Things

Ask every successful woman how she got where she is today and she’ll tell you that she didn’t take no for an answer and she didn’t let obstacles, challenges or excuses change her mind about something she decided she wanted.

Just because Universal Source energy wants you to be successful doesn’t mean there won’t be challenges along the way. It’s up to you to see those challenges for what they are: an opportunity for a breakthrough.

So, my beloved friend, the next time you’re tempted to give in and say, “it must be a sign” remember that it IS a sign…a sign for you to stay in your power, stay faithful to your decision and focus on getting what it is you want. You can do it!

About the Author:

Kendall SummerHawk, the Million Dollar Marketing Coach, is an expert at helping women entrepreneurs at all levels design a business they love and charge what they're worth and get it. Kendall delivers simple ways entrepreneurs can design and price their services to quickly move away from 'dollars-for-hours work' and create more money, time, and freedom in their businesses. For free articles, free resources and to sign up for a free subscription to Kendall's Money, Marketing and Soul weekly articles, visit www.kendallsummerhawk.com.

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Article Contributed by Joe McVoy

After initially setting up your Food Delivery Service Business, you can not expect everything to just start working and clicking. You would need to do some actions to be able to ensure that it would be a successful business venture.

The very basic steps could be these five things: Knowing your target market, Ensuring that you have a complete list or menu from their best-loved restaurants, promoting your business properly, getting the right location and starting small.

1. Knowing your customers.

Knowing your market would mean understanding the people which your food delivery service business caters to. These would mean doing preliminary research and learning their eating habits. You should be able to know the times that they would order their food, the food types that they would like to order and other things related to your business. Having this information would enable you to properly plan how your run your business.

2. Ensuring you offer a complete menu from their favorite restaurants.

The next step would be to ensure that your food delivery service business offers a complete menu guide from their favorite restaurants. By creating a complete menu guide from all these restaurants, would mean that the food that you would be serving to your clients are coming from a list of restaurants you have carefully studied and chosen that offers good food, has good value for its price, and a favorite restaurant chain. You may take an extra effort of getting an initial survey just to make sure your menu guide consists of the best restaurants in your area.

To ensure you make a good impression you must really make a point to serve their food hot and fresh and that their orders arrive on their doorstep without delays. Investing in improving the quality of the service that you provide for your clients would truly help in ensuring that you would be able to maintain an active and continuing customer base.

3. Promoting your business the right way.

Lastly, you should also try to promote your business. No matter how excellent the quality of your food service is, it would be useless if the people are not aware of its existence. You could try traditional fliers, promotions and even online means through email and websites to try and make people more aware of the food delivery service business that you have.

You may need to extend all possible marketing materials and even give out fliers, ref magnets or cards containing your menus.

4. Getting the right territory.

In setting up your own food delivery business, you must need to make sure that your location is not that small that you would not be getting a decent number of delivery orders. And not that big that you would not be able to handle all orders coming. Picking the right place can be a very crucial factor in setting up your own restaurant delivery service.

5. Start your food delivery service business small.

One good thing about this type of business is that you do not have to start that big. It is even recommended to start your business from small to medium scale. Start with around 3 to 5 restaurants first. If you are starting to get a good customer base, that would be the time to add a few more restaurants on your menu. By testing the waters first, you can ensure that your restaurant delivery service business will keep rolling slowly but smoothly.

Of course, these five are merely basic steps, you should always try to find more ways on improving your business to be able to ensure its success.

For more information and to get your free report on how to ensure the success of your food delivery service business, visit http://www.dine-in-delivery.com/dine-in-delivery-free-report/.

About the Author:
Joe McVoy is the VP for Marketing of Dine-In Delivery Inc. For more information about starting your own Restaurant Delivery Service, visit Dine In Delivery. Dine-in Delivery provides you with a proven system and shares with you years of experience and expertise to help you set up your own restaurant delivery service business.

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When you look at your Facebook friends, or your LinkedIn network, or your Twitter follower list, do you see only people you know? Or, like me, do you have a mix of people you know well, some you don’t know that well (yet), and maybe even a few people who reached out to you, and you’ve never met or talked with them?

As easy as it ease to connect on the social networks (usually just a click and a quick message of Hello!), more and more people are wondering how open they should be with their social network acceptances. Some people are locking down, and only accepting people online that they know in real life. Others are accepting everyone who meets a certain standard of engagement or professionalism. And still others are accepting everyone who asks.

With the site-wide roll out of new privacy settings on Facebook, the questions of how open to be on your social networks is becoming more and more relevant.

While I certainly don’t have all the answers, let me give you a few areas to consider.

How open you should be on your social networks is based on what you’re using your social networks for.

For example, if you are using your Facebook account primarily to stay in touch with friends, family, and neighbors, you can set the most stringent privacy settings- the ones where only friends can see your details. This is also a smart move, perhaps, if you share a lot of details about your life, and want to retain some amount of control over how this information is distributed. Of course, remember that anything that goes online is never really private, or undiscoverable, so keep that in mind when you share.

If you are using Facebook or Twitter or LinkedIn to build your professional network, I would suggest being a little more open about who you accept. My rule of thumb, generally, is to accept most people who approach me, after I’ve checked out their profiles, and recent updates, and satisfied myself that I’m comfortable with being associated with them. I call this approach the “giving people the benefit of the doubt” stance- I will connect on the social networks unless or until you give me a reason not to do so.

The third way to approach your social networks is to accept everyone indiscriminately- just to boost your follower ratio, or just because you’re lazy. I definitely do not recommend this, for several reasons. First, it can damage your reputation or standing. Let’s say, for example, that you accept a bunch of people who are porn spammers on Twitter- wouldn’t that negatively impact your brand? (Of course, right, unless you’re a porn spammer yourself, in which case you’re probably not reading this anyway…). The second reason not to accept just everyone is because now that the content of Twitter and Facebook updates are now searchable, you don’t want any ill considered tweets or updates to show up in your stream or on your Wall and be associated with you. Not saying this is exactly how it will work, but better safe than sorry, especially with new technology, right?

If you do any directed promotion online, such as a teleseminar or webinar, be sure you are careful about how you manage your social network additions in the days and weeks after. I have had people who were in my classes or trainings approach me to connect, and you want to encourage this as much as possible in order to build your positioning online. If I were too stringent and denied everyone who wanted to connect with me that I didn’t yet know, I would have pissed some people off, and kind of cut off new potential business relationships before they really began. This is why, for business, I recommend the “give people the benefit of the doubt” approach as a general rule.

Part of the value of social networks is that you can engage with and connect with more people than you might otherwise be able to reach. The value of this is diminished if you are too stringent in your networking, or, conversely, too open with it.

Like the fairy tale of Goldilocks, the goal with social networking is to not be too stringent, nor too open, but instead, just right.

Dr. Rachna Jain is Chief Social Marketer at The Mindshare Corporation. Rachna works with speakers, consultants, authors, and small business owners to develop and execute effective social media marketing strategies. Her proprietary persuasive social media process (sm) focuses on building influence, credibility and visibility online. This translates into greater recognition, increased website traffic, faster lead generation, a shorter sales cycle, and more opportunity for her expert clientele. She blogs regularly at The Mindshare Blog

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When you were a kid, what did you dream of growing up to be?

This may sound obvious, but before you can find the career you really want, you have to know what you are seeking. Career planning is a delicate process. The work we do, as well as where we do it (our work environment), have a huge impact on our ability to experience life and career success.

Too often when asked to define an ideal career, people think immediately about salary and benefits. As a result, there are plenty of people who earn a great living with exceptional benefits, but hate their jobs and are very unhappy.

A job you really want can't be based on financial criteria alone. And, with a few exceptions, the industry is often not as important as the actual day-to-day activities. If a "great" job does not allow you the opportunity to do what you love and nurture your natural talents, it is probably not the ideal job for you.

Understanding and discovering natural talents is an important key to a successful job search. Finding our talents helps us uncover those things that we love and enjoy, and nurturing those at which we excel. Discovering our talents also helps us figure out the areas where we do not excel - the things that make us unhappy and leave us feeling unfulfilled. When you waste your natural abilities you often end up stuck doing something you hate. It is important to weed out those skills you dislike and find out what it is you really love.

Effective career planning means figuring out the specific criteria and values you want the job to fulfill. By this we mean it is important to consider those daily activities that are going to make the best use of your natural skills and talents? Consider this:

* If you are an outgoing person and a job isolates you from interacting with other people all day, it is not for you.
* If you are orderly and find yourself in a work environment that is chaotic, you will wear out over time.
* If you work well with only occasional supervision, a job where you're micromanaged will be annoying.

Knowing who you are is key to finding the right job for you. Ask yourself some self-reflective questions. Define the criteria that make up your "perfect" job. What's important to you in the work you do? What brings you satisfaction? What expectations do you have for work-life balance? What natural skills and talents do you have?

You'll also want to consider the answers to questions like:

* Part-time or full-time?
* Flexibility or consistency (both in hours and tasks)?
* Amount of interaction with others?
* Specific skills you want to use?
* Travel?
* Do you like to make decisions or follow procedure?

Answering these questions is the first step in finding the path that will lead you to ultimate career satisfaction. When we are doing what we love, we are often performing at our best. This leads to a kind of fulfillment that allows us to live life passionately and happily.

About the Author:

Lynda-Ross Vega is an accomplished business executive and management consultant with more than 30 years of experience in human and technical systems. She's the co-founder of Vega Behavioral Consulting, Ltd., a consulting firm that specializes in helping people discover their true skills and talents. To find out more about how to discover your Perceptual Style and uncover your natural skills visit their website at www.vrft.com.

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One of the best ways you can grow your list practically overnight and interact with your audience is to host your own Teleclass. After all they are a low-cost, yet simple, marketing strategy that you can implement on a regular basis to reach your target market, and they have the advantage of you being able to interact with your audience – they’ll be able to hear your voice and you will become more ‘personable’ to them.

Just some of the reasons why teleclasses are so popular are:

* They show off your expertise

* Easy to set up

* Fun to host

* You get to interact with your target market

* Build your list a.k.a. your online community

But a couple of the downsides, and probably why many solopreneurs don’t take advantage of this simple marketing strategy, is that:

* You need to spend some time preparing the material and organizing event.

* It can seem a bit daunting if you’ve never hosted a Teleclass on your own before.

So what I’d like to do today is share with you my 7 simple steps for organizing your own teleclass so that it’s fun, brings you a TON of new subscribers, and gets you interacting with your audience.

Step 1 - Decide on a topic. Take one of your most popular articles, or if you have written several articles around the same theme use those, and turn the content into a teleclass.

Step 2 - Decide on a format - will it be a teleclass or a webinar? How long will the event last for? If this is your first time at hosting an event - keep it simple - 25 minute presentation (which includes your introduction) and 20 minute open Question & Answer session (which also includes your offer and closing statement). Make it as easy for yourself as possible.

Step 3 - Decide on a date and time. Pick a date and time that is most convenient for you to host the teleclass. Just because a lot of teleclasses seem to be hosted in the evening, doesn’t mean this is when you have to host yours! Mine are usually hosted late morning because this fits my schedule best. Also consider the different time zones too.

Step 4 - Book the line. Create an account with your teleconference company and schedule the call. Make sure that your teleconference company has conference recording capabilities.

Step 5 - Prepare your marketing materials. Create your sales page, autoresponder sequence, and promotional emails. Make sure on your sales page you let the participants know that by signing up they’ll also receive a copy of your newsletter.

In your autoresponder sequence be sure to include all the call-in details (and on any subsequent broadcasts you send out).

Step 6 - Announce it. Announce your Teleclass to your subscribers and post to the various Teleclass announcement sites and your networking groups. Create a list of places where you want to post to and use this as a checklist to ensure you get everywhere covered.

Step 7 - Record your Teleclass (this is essential). Not only will it encourage sign-ups - even if they can’t make the live event they’ll get the recording – but it also gives you the opportunity of repurposing your material. You can turn your recording into your ‘free taste’ on your website, a bonus product, or add a workbook to it and sell it as a for-fee product.

And on the day of the event:

* Ensure you send out a reminder on the day of your call.

* Dial in to your teleclass at least five minutes before it’s due to start. People do dial in early, and you want to be there to greet your participants as they turn up.

* Have your class notes all written out and in front of you, along with teleclass timings.

And most importantly, remember: you are the expert. You know something that your participants don’t, and they have come along to learn from you. That thought alone will stop the nerves… I promise.

That’s it! In just seven simple steps you can be on your way to hosting your very first teleclass.

About the Author
Online Business Manager & Virtual Assistant, Tracey Lawton, supports professional speakers, coaches, and authors to operate an efficient, organized, and profitable business. Learn how to create an efficient and organized office in 7 EASY steps, and receive free how-to articles at http://www.OfficeOrganizationSuccess.com.

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Small Business Trends by David Cotriss: One area many business owners struggle with is keeping track of their finances, but it is one of the most important areas given that cash flow is the lifeblood of the business. Small mistakes and a lack of knowledge and resources can be costly and problematic.

We’ve selected some of the most important things to consider and provide these tips and resources.

1) Find the best local credit union. Given their frequent willingness to provide loans, finding a credit union that understands the needs of your business can go a long way. There are many online tools to find credit unions based on specified criteria.

2) Find a trusted mentor. Access to free help is just a click away, with sites that help connect entrepreneurs with mentors fitting their needs. Having a mentor assist with setting up finances can be invaluable if the person is trustworthy.

3) Choose the correct accounting software. While software is a mainstay of small business finance, sorting through dozens of choices isn’t easy, since there may be better options for your specific needs than the popular QuickBooks program and related packages.

4) Consider hiring a bookkeeper. A good, trusted bookkeeper can handle all of the mundane tasks that go along with keeping finances on track. Be sure to understand the various types of bookkeepers and how to avoid fraud. A free bookkeeper hiring test (to be taken by prospective hires) can be requested.

5) Accelerate cash flow with mobile payment systems. Mobile payment systems can allow faster and easier acceptance of payments for products and services. A system called GoPayment from Intuit allows acceptance of payments through mobile phones and can directly download the data into QuickBooks. To monitor transactions, users can access Intuit’s online Merchant Service Center to search, view and create reports.

6) Look into factoring receivables. Accounts receivable financing allows immediate payment for invoices rather than waiting 30 days or longer and tying up working capital as a result. Factoring services advance the amount of the invoice minus a “discount”, or fee (advances of 80 to 90 percent are common), and provide a “rebate” when invoices are paid - the amount depends on how long it takes the customer to pay. FactorFind provides a directory of factors specializing in small businesses.

7) Understand and measure capital versus operational costs. The goal often is to drive down the totals on the capital costs side of the spreadsheet and move more over to the operational side of the equation. Operating costs don’t require complex depreciation calculations and are more easily adjusted from year to year. Outsourcing is one way to do this because it sits on the operating cost side and helps to free up cash by not tying it up in capital investments or tasks like head hunting and payroll management.

8) Measure bottom line impact by looking at the service budget year over year. Are the costs for delivering a service going up, staying the same or dropping? Figure out how much it costs to deliver specific services to the business such as recruitment, payroll or benefits management. Understanding cost-to-serve offers the business great insight into projects and tasks, how long it actually takes to do them, and as a result how much they cost.

About the Author: David Cotriss is a business/tech and new media writer, having published 500+ news and feature articles to date worldwide in magazines ranging from PC Magazine to The Industry Standard.

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Article Contributed by Patrick Jobin from Storagepipe Solutions

Sometimes, when you’re juggling many tasks at once, it can seem like there just aren’t enough hours in the day. If only there was some way that you could make a bit more time for yourself.

Imagine that you’re working on an important project, and the ideas are just flowing out effortlessly. Then suddenly, you stop to take a quick phone call. Well, although the call may have been short, it completely threw you off your train of thought and it will take a while to get your momentum back.

In a typical day, you may encounter dozens of such small interruptions. Although it may not seem like a big deal when you’re in the moment, these little “time vampires” quickly add up to hurt your productivity and (more importantly) suck the life from your valuable time.

In order to get more work done in less time, you need to eliminate all minor interruptions from your day.

High-powered executives are acutely aware of this. That’s why they have personal assistants, receptionists and other gatekeepers to prevent interruptions. This allows them to focus all of their energy on only the most critical business tasks.

In fact, many time management experts estimate that it can take up to 30 minutes to recover from a single interruption.

In other words, if you can eliminate just one interruption from your daily work, you can get an extra 30 minutes of personal time without negatively affecting your productivity.

And with this in mind, I’d like to propose a challenge:

Here’s Your Mission

Over the next week, I want you to keep a diary of all the workflow interruptions that happen in your work life. Then, pick just one common daily interruption and take measures to ensure that it will never happen again. Some easy ways of doing this include:

+ Putting a do-not-disturb sign on your cubicle or office door
+ Ignoring calls for 1 hour every day, then returning the voicemails
+ Blocking Facebook, Twitter, Reddit and Digg from your web browser’s security settings
+ Bringing a large water bottle to your desk instead of heading off to the water cooler for a cup
+ Using a fully-automated online backup solution instead of switching backup tapes at the end of the day

If you can eliminate just one interruption per day, you will have more free time and be more productive.

Effective time management is especially important for entrepreneurs who need to maximize the profitability of every second spent on their business. Having more free time opens up more opportunities to expand the business.

Try this challenge out for a week, then post your comments below and let us know how this has affected your life, and what you’re doing with the extra 30 minutes that you’ve just added to your day.

About The Author:
Storagepipe Solutions is a leading provider of online backup and e-mail archiving solutions that helps businesses save time and money by automating their backup and business continuity process.

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Social media is about valuable communication. Of course, “valuable” is a subjective term, but typically refers to content which educates, engages, or entertains. Great content makes the difference between getting noticed and being ignored.

There are 3 main secrets for great content creation, especially when producing for the social web:

1) Listen to what your visitors want and need. Do you see questions coming up again and again within your area of expertise? If so, this highlights a need your visitors have. This happened a few times recently on Twitter, when a few different people asked for input on various Wordpress plugins and techniques. I was able to respond to several of these, which helped me realize more about what kinds of questions people were having with Wordpress. It also enabled me to learn something from others who responded to the requester. Great content is in the eye or experience of the user, and most often addresses a question, provides a solution, or moves the person to think differently about their current situation.

The best way to create great content using this principle is to keep track of the questions your clients ask most often, and creating content to meet this need. Another way to use this principle is to pay attention to the media and see what kinds of questions reporters are asking about. You can get reporter queries by using the free (and excellent) service at HelpAReporter.com. By monitoring what journalists are asking for, you know what kinds of questions people have and want answered.

And here’s another benefit: if you track what reporters are looking for, and create content around this, it not only adds to your blog, but it can quickly position you as an expert for future requests. I routinely publish blog posts based on interviews I give, and then use these to create instant credibility to get additional interviews.

2) The second way to create great content is to keep learning. I spend several hours per week taking in new ideas, reading up on new technologies, and improving my knowledge in several key areas. Not only does this keep me inspired (which is crucial to my personal happiness and productivity), but it also helps me speak intelligently about trends and emerging technologies, which boosts my expert status even further. This has been helpful in attracting and retaining clients, as well as helping me get out in front of the media. If you’re not making time each week to take in new ideas, do add this into your business development process. New ideas in means new ideas out.

3) Put parameters around your content production. I first read about this strategy in a book on thinking creatively. Basically, the process involves setting limits around an idea, and coming up with the most creative solution or outcome you can think of. So, for instance, I sometimes try and create the best blog post I can in 3 minutes or less. In this case, time is the limiting parameter. Research has shown that you come up with some of your most interesting ideas when you have two or more parameters in place.

This principle is demonstrated in the very popular “top 10 lists” and other similar content- people have asked a question: “How do I create great graphics for less than $10?”- and the two defining parameters are great graphics + low cost- and then they go searching for resources to meet these criteria. These kinds of lists and resource listings tend to be highly favored and widely repeated.

The whole goal of creating great content is to connect with your ideal market and create dialogue with them. Focus your tools, resources, and energy towards being interested and interesting.

You might just get a whole lot of people talking.

Dr. Rachna Jain is Chief Social Marketer at The Mindshare Corporation. Rachna works with speakers, consultants, authors, and small business owners to develop and execute effective social media marketing strategies. Her proprietary persuasive social media process (sm) focuses on building influence, credibility and visibility online. This translates into greater recognition, increased website traffic, faster lead generation, a shorter sales cycle, and more opportunity for her expert clientele. She blogs regularly at The Mindshare Blog

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If you’re thinking of switching to VoIP service from a traditional landline based Key, PBX, or hybrid phone system, you’re not alone- businesses of all sizes are beginning to realized the cost-saving benefits of computer/telephony integration. Switching to a VOIP phone is relatively simple- changes can be made quickly and easily, and there is usually very little equipment to purchase.

Whether you’re switching to a business VoIP service or implementing a phone system for the first time, here are a few things you need to consider:

Internet Connectivity

VoIP phone systems use the internet to make and receive calls- you’ll need to make sure your connection and your power supply can support system requirements. Generally, a steady, uninterrupted power supply and a high-speed internet connection are all that’s needed. Your connection should be able to support the added traffic that the system will create. Vendors will ask how many employees will be using the system, how many calls are placed daily, and take into consideration features like auto attendant and call transferring when setting up your internet connection to support your system. You may need to purchase additional routers or install a backup power supply.

VoIP Adapters

If you’re witching to VoIP from a traditional phone system, you can save by purchasing adapters for your current phones. A traditional phone fitted with a VoIP adapter works identically to a VoIP phone. Most adapters are less than $50 each, and are often available in bulk discounts for larger offices. In lieu of adaptors, you can also purchase VoIP phones, headsets, or microphones that can be connected directly to a computer and used in place of a traditional headset. Most business and residential VoIP service providers sell both VoIP-compatible phones and adapters.

VoIP Phones

Voice over Internet Protocol phones are slightly more expensive that VoIP adapters, but are a good investment if you plan to use the system for several years. VoIP phones are easy to use and install- they don’t take any special training to set up. Once installed, they work identically to traditional phones. Most VoIP phones cost at least $100 each, with many vendors offering steep discounts for phones purchased in bulk.

Switching to a VoIP system takes surprisingly little time. Once you’ve decided to make the switch, you can shop around for providers and compare prices for services and equipment. Most providers can also make suggestions about system configuration (i.e., if you need a faster internet connection) during this stage. Once you’ve settled on a service provider and purchased equipment, you can have the new system up and running in less than a week.

About the Author
Merrin Muxlow is a writer, yoga instructor, and law student based in San Diego, California. She writes extensively for Resource Nation, a company that provides resources for business owners, and is a frequent contributor to several sites and programs that offer tools for entrepreneurs, including Dell and BizEquity.

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As an online business owner you know how important it is to build your list in order to have a ready pool of clients, potential clients, and customers who are interested in your business and your services/programs. But as a list owner you also have a responsibility to those people on your list to treat them well and build a relationship with them – it’s known as creating the like, know, and trust factor – and is crucial for sustaining a long-term business.

People will only work with those people who they like, know, and trust.

So, once you have started to get people onto your list, the next step is to build your relationship them and develop the like, know, and trust factor. Let me share with you my top 7 ways to do just that:

1. Publish when you say you will. It’s so important that you do exactly what you say you will when you say you will. The number one way list owners sabotage their own list-building efforts is by not publishing either when they said they will, or by not publishing on a regular basis. I recently had a phone call with one of my clients who hadn’t published her ezine on a regular basis over the past few months and she commented to me that she had seen a substantial decline in the click-thru open rates of her newsletter. This is just one of the side effects of not publishing on a regular basis – your audience will forget about you and are not eager to open your emails when they land in their inbox.

2. Be respectful of your subscribers’ time. Do not bombard your subscribers with emails – be respectful of their time and realize that they too probably receive hundreds of emails a day. Unless you’re currently promoting your latest program/product, in which case you may need to be in touch with your subscribers on a more regular basis, once a week is an ideal mix of staying in touch with your subscribers without bombarding them with emails. There’s nothing more of a turn off to a subscriber than when they receive constant emails from the list owner. As soon as someone starts emailing me on a daily basis (unless I’ve signed up for a daily e-course and I know that I am going to be receiving a daily email from them) I hit that unsubscribe button faster than you can say ‘unsubscribe’. I know that internet marketers state that you need to be in touch with your subscribers on a regular basis – but is daily really necessary?

3. Subscribers have signed up to learn more about YOU and YOUR business. Too often these days I receive emails from list owners promoting other peoples’ programs/products/services and, although I am aware of the strategy behind this, I really don’t want to know about the same program/product/service from four different list owners – and is it really worth upsetting your subscribers just to make a quick buck from using your affiliate link? Keep solo mailings for other peoples’ promotions to a minimum – you can even create a special ‘Recommends’ section in your own newsletter for these types of promotions. That way you can still be part of the joint venture opportunity but without upsetting your subscribers by sending out dozens of solo mailings. Remember, a subscriber has signed up to your list because they want to hear from YOU and you solve a problem for them.

4. Share some personal information. Let your subscribers get to know YOU as well by sharing a little bit of personal information or some photos about what’s happening in your life – just one or two sentences in each edition is all you need! Your subscribers will relate much better to you once they get to know the *real* you. You become a person to them rather than a faceless business owner and become someone whom they can relate to. This goes a long way in building the like, know, and trust factor.

5. Make your ezine a quick 30-second read. This leads me back to point 2 above. If you can make your ezine information-packed but in a format that is every easy on the eye and therefore can quickly be scanned by your reader, you are being mindful of their time and they will look forward to reading your newsletter each time. They know that they’re not going to have to wade through a ton of information just to get to the juicy bits!

6. Don’t overload your subscribers with too many calls to action. Some ezine publishers feel they have to include links to every single one of their products/programs/services in their newsletter and by doing so they completely confuse their reader who doesn’t know what to do or which link they’re supposed to click on – so what happens? Nothing! Your reader will not click on any of your links because they’re confused – and a confused mind always says no. Keep it simple in your newsletter – just offer one call to action in each edition.

7. Engage with your readers. If they’ve taken the time to respond to one of your articles by emailing you directly, email them back – even if it’s just a ‘thank you I’m glad you enjoyed the article’ type of email. This type of correspondence goes a long way to building a relationship with your subscriber because you are acknowledging the time they have taken out of their day to send you that email.

And one final point that I’d like to make, and this is the most important point, at the end of every email address is a real person. Always keep this in mind when preparing your newsletter and/or broadcasts and you will go a long way to building your relationship with your subscribers.

Online Business Manager & Virtual Assistant, Tracey Lawton, supports professional speakers, coaches, and authors to operate an efficient, organized, and profitable business. Learn how to create an efficient and organized office in 7 EASY steps, and receive free how-to articles at http://www.OfficeOrganizationSuccess.com.

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Have you ever wondered how any business leader can transform a business or corporate department into a super efficient machine – a machine that will provide the freedom and income everyone dreams of? You might want to find out more from Sam Carpenter, author of the new book, 'Work the System: The Simple Mechanics of Making More and Working Less'.

Winner of the "Best Non-fiction Book of 2009" at the New York Book Festival. this book is based on hard-and-fast reality in real life situations and describe an achievable plan for making more minutes count and freeing up more time for the meaningful things in your life.

You'll pick up many useful tips on how to envision, design and implement new plans in your business and personal life so that you can regain control and not be always at the mercy of external forces.

Through a partnership with GetEntrepreneurial.com, Sam is pleased to offer all our readers the entire book in PDF format for free. To obtain your free copy of 'Work the System: The Simple Mechanics of Making More and Working Less', simply visit the book website at http://www.workthesystem.com and visit the promotional box or email info@workthesystem.com. Use the promo code "getentrepreneurial" in the email subject line to get your free copy now!

Be sure to also check out Sam's online social networks; you can follow Sam Carpenter on Twitter or join the Facebook group here for some thought-provoking discussions.

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Article Contributed by Naz Daud

Should every small business owner have big ambitions?

Certainly almost anyone who enters into the world of the entrepreneur or starts up their own, whether based at home, the high street or the web, has dreams of becoming a future success. After all, every large high street store, every national or international chain and every top name on the web started out as a small, fairly obscure business once. However, how can any small businesses manage to succeed in a world that seems dominated by big brands, big names and colossal empires?

It can certainly frighten off many people who see the world of business like the ocean, with sharks round every coral reef, and danger lurking in the dark depths. Add to this the current economical climate with many seemingly secure names crumbling, and even entire nations finding themselves crippled, and many would be business owners may well consider that now is not the time to start up a new venture, or aim to develop an existing one.

However, this is a terribly defeatist attitude, and brings to the table so many assumptions and myths that those who believe them to be true may well never make it in business, whatever the climate and conditions, and whatever the competition. Let's look at the truth, and see why these assertions are untrue, and why not only is the ocean not full of sharks, but the current economical climate makes it perfect for the small business entrepreneur to jump in and try the water for themselves.

To stretch out our metaphor just a little longer, so many people suggest that small businesses are almost doomed to failure because of the great sharks out there which dominate the waters of business. If this were true in the world of the sea, then there would be no fish and chips, no marine life, nothing except sharks. But if you swam the entire ocean you may very well never even come across one. The ocean is a big place, and the truth is that whilst sharks may be at the top of the chain, the ocean is still vast, the potential massive, and clearly there are ways to survive. The trick is, like the many fish that enjoy the waters, to stay alert, to keep your eyes open, to be able to adapt if necessary, and to manoeuvre more quickly and effectively.

How does this translate to the world of business then? Quite simply, small business owners have an advantage which the larger retail industries don't have. Size may be good in some instances, but it can also be a handicap, and can reduce flexibility, manoeuvrability and adaptability. Small businesses can change, adapt and take advantage of current trends, new developments and niche markets in ways which the bigger businesses can't.

An entrepreneur might see a possible niche market opening up as a result of search engine trends, a news story or forthcoming weather warnings, and instantly flood the market with content, links, pay per click adverts and search engine optimized content to take advantage of the possible market interest. Larger stores don't always seem to have their online ear to the ground as it were in the same way, and can often find that reacting to changing markets may involve several boardroom meetings and management discussions before the action starts to happen.

Small businesses which can make full use of this adaptability and flexibility, reacting to developing opportunities as and when they happen can mean that they appear higher up the search engine results than many of the international corporations. However, what about the current economical situation? Surely the bigger businesses have a bigger buffer against such strains and pressures, making them dominate the market where smaller businesses may easily crumble?

Certainly, the world of finance isn't being especially kind to many industries at the moment, but perhaps the aspect which has surprised most people is just how many of the leading brands, bigger companies and established businesses have begun to crumble. Many have gone into administration or left the playing field altogether, whilst others have sought rescue packages from the government. What of the pressures facing the small business then? Surely this isn't any less significant?

Just as certain is the fact that the same pressures will be facing small business owners, but there are significant differences. The flexibility and adaptability comes into play again, with smaller businesses able to identify problems as well as opportunities that much quicker, steering out of the way of danger and moving into niche markets or promotion fields which may prove to be safer or more successful. Often the larger businesses only manage to stay competitive because of the huge financial risks and gambles which they take. That's why many of the chief executives earn such vast sums of money - they are the ones whose heads roll if the decisions they make turn bad.

Starting up or developing a small business today means being perceptive enough to understand what markets work well at a time like this, and which don't, what promotion strategies work well, and which don't. Thinking from the point of view of the consumer can be easier for small business owners, and it is this which allows them to be more in touch with the emerging needs, markets and opportunities becoming available, leaving the international behemoths to plough forever onwards in an almost immovable path towards whatever lies ahead.

About the Author
By Naz Daud, the founder of the franchise City Local. This franchise opportunity is for people who would like to work from home and be their own boss.

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Merchant cash advance transactions are big business. In the past few years, the industry has grown from a few providers to what some predict will be an almost 10 billion dollar industry. Search engine results for “merchant cash advance” produce literally thousands of provider results. How do you wade through all of these providers to find the right one for your business? How do you get the best deal? Here’s a quick guide to a successful merchant cash advance transaction.

Only “merchants” can apply. A merchant is someone that owns and operates a business that performs credit card processing functions as a way to accept customer payments. Providers have different requirements regarding the length of time you need to be in business- many also require a certain sales volume for approval. Generally, you’ll need to have at least a few thousand dollars in credit card sales to qualify for a cash advance transaction.

You have to qualify. Cash advances have become a popular method of financing because the approval process is fast and easy. But be careful- just because you’re “approved” doesn’t mean you’ll be able to repay the advance according to the agreement. Many unscrupulous providers have been known to approve businesses they know won’t be able make repayments as scheduled in order to collect the fees and penalties associated with defaulting.

Service agreements set the terms. Once you’re approved for a business cash advance, the provider will send you a service agreement with all of the important information- your advance amount, the “safe” retrieval rate (based on your daily credit card sales volume), and advance fees should all be included in this agreement. Since a merchant advance isn’t a loan, it isn’t subject to lending or usury laws- providers can basically charge whatever they want for services, up to 50% or more of the advance amount in some cases. Be extremely wary of agreements with fees that kick in if sales volume drops below a certain amount (called daily minimum fees) or “balloon” repayment clauses that require payment in full if certain conditions are or are not met.

Repayment is taken from daily sales revenue. You begin repayment the day you receive your advance check, much like a traditional loan. Before you take out an advance, you need to make sure that your current sales volume is able to support the repayment structure specified in the agreement.

What happens next? If you repay your advance according to the agreement, everything is fine. Repayment is usually quick- you should have the advance balance paid off within several months of initiating the transaction. The service agreement governs potential defaults- most agreements contain some kind of a “balloon” repayment clause (see above) or give the provider the authority to place a lien on business equipment or property if you can’t pay back the advance. Providers have also been known withdraw money straight from a business checking account. Before you sign the service agreement, you need to make sure that you know exactly what will happen if you can’t repay the advance according to the terms.

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Here’s a tough question: What’s the one thing nearly all business owners consistently overpay for?

The answer is pretty surprising: Postage costs. Stamps, shipping charges, even the time it takes to go to the post office can all add up, costing thousands of dollars or more each year, depending on the volume of mail you ship. Most business owners don’t know exactly how much it costs to mail a particular parcel- so they end up “over stamping” and overpaying- often by quite a bit. Postal stores and shipping providers have overhead costs to meet, too- you pay for these when you’re charged to ship an item.

You can avoid overpayment- and create big savings- by using a postage meter. A postage machine, or digital mailing system, can calculate postage costs precisely, so you’ll never overpay, and can be used in-office, saving you trips to have packages shipped from other providers. Here’s a quick guide to using a postage meter:

How meters work
Postage meters are leased, and work similarly to a parking meter. You “fill up” by making a payment, and postage charges are drawn against your balance. Most meters allow you to “refill” when necessary, and some calculate monthly charges and send a bill- similar to paying for electricity costs. In addition to paying the postage charges, you’ll also need to lease the equipment. You can choose machines with advance features (scales, document feeders) or a simple stamp machine that just prints postage stamps on your outgoing mail.

Features
Mailing machine equipment can be very simple (a stamp machine) or very complex- some machines fold, collate, stamp, and stack bulk mailings containing several different printed pages. If your business sends large bulk mailings, you could benefit from such a machine. Machines can also be fitted with equipment to ship packages- you’ll weigh the parcel and arrange for the pickup online in a few simple steps. No matter which features you need, you can take advantage of cost savings- with a postage meter, shipping costs can be calculated down to the penny for each mailing, so you’ll never overpay.

Costs and billing
Equipment leasing costs can range from less than $20 a month to hundreds for sophisticated equipment designed to handle large volume mailings. You’ll pay for the postage machine equipment (the meter) as one bill, and pay postal charges according to current rates. Some meters only allow you to “pre-pay” postage charges, while other companies allow you to “pay as you go,” where you receive a bill for both postage and meter use costs at the end of a specified period of time. Pay-as-you-go options usually carry additional charges or fees.
You’ll generally sign a lease contract that specifies your terms of use for the meter. Longer term lease contracts can be significantly less expensive- if you’re willing to commit to a longer period of time using the equipment, you’ll get a better monthly rate. You can also choose to purchase a maintenance or service contract that covers repairs or part replacements over the life of the machine.

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As the saying goes, you only get one chance to make a first impression. This is especially true when it comes to web design. A recent Nielsen NetRatings survey sets the average webpage view at 60 seconds- meaning that internet users decide in less than a minute whether or not to continue browsing your site! This makes a well designed website is an absolute necessity- you need to reel customers in at first glance and keep them browsing with a site that’s easy to navigate and pleasing to the eye.

How do you make sure your site is what customers are looking for? Can you just buy one of those “Websites for Dummies” books and do it yourself? Probably not, if you want quality results. When it comes to web design, it’s a good idea to hire a professional- someone who can work with you, using their own experiences and skills, to craft the site you want.

Professional web design isn’t out of reach for businesses with stretched resources. Here’s a quick guide to making the most of your web design budget, so that you can get the site you want at a price you can afford.

Set up a basic contract
You don’t need to hire a designer to design a full site all at once. You can split up the design process to accommodate your resources by contracting for site architecture or homepage design only, and then moving forward when you’re able to afford additional services. Breaking the contract into phases also gives you more negotiating power- when services are finished, you can negotiate prices on the next phase of design.

Negotiate
In the initial stages of contract formation, you’re in the best position to negotiate. During your first meeting with a designer, you should discuss your goals (better ecommerce functioning, better graphics, etc.) and how you want the site to look and feel. You’ll also discuss timelines and budget, and might even work on forming an agreement draft. Try to get an idea of the total cost for the site, getting a written quote for services if possible. Consulting with at least a few different web designers will allow you to get an idea of pricing structures, and help you negotiate a better deal.

What to ask for
One of the best ways to save money on a web design contract is to ask for a project cost rather than an hourly billing structure. With hourly billing, the designer bills you for the time it takes to design the site- a factor that’s completely outside of your control. If you end up requesting changes or making modifications to design work, costs can quickly increase. By asking for a total cost, you’ll know exactly how much you’re paying.

While most designers will charge for additional services not specified in the contract, you can ask that potential additional design costs be specified in your initial agreement. That way, if you want to make changes, you’ll know exactly how much they will add to the total cost.

You can also ask to pay in installments as each stage of the project is completed. Smaller company or a freelance designers are generally more flexible when it comes to payment timelines, so you might be able to request extensions or modifications to the payment schedule even after you’ve signed the contract.

What should be in the contract?
The contract should contain a description of services, a timeline for completion, a breakdown of total costs, and a description of ownership rights. It should also address web hosting issues. It’s also helpful to specify the procedures for approval of completed work, or notification when changes need to be made. The contract should not contain an outline of design specifications or web programming elements. Usually, designers retain the copyrights to a site they have created, unless they are “working for hire.” It’s important to make sure that you can make changes to the site if you need to- even if you hire a new design company.

Merrin Muxlow is a writer, yoga instructor, and law student based in San Diego, California. She writes extensively for Resource Nation, a company that provides resources for business owners, and is a frequent contributor to several sites and programs that offer tools for entrepreneurs, including Dell and BizEquity.

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Every time I turn on the news I feel like screaming. I am sick and tired of hearing about how bad the economy is. Unemployment is up and is only going to get worse. Banks are in trouble and going under. Real estate is a mess and there is no end in sight. Major corporations are going bankrupt - heck, even the big three automakers may go under.

I hear about how this is the next great depression. I hear about the collapse of the dollar, the collapse of the western world, and the end of society as we know it.

It Isn't As Bad As It Sounds
The sad part is that it isn't all that bad. Yes the economy stinks, but this is only when compared to the amazing boom we experienced in the last decade. Companies have been able to go after the low hanging fruit-heck, there was more lying on the ground than you could pick up!

Just because the ground isn't littered with business anymore doesn't mean that there isn't business out there. You just have to work for it. And the past decade of easy business means that most companies have not made the connections and built relationships. Now they pay the price.

And at the end of the day, now is the time where entrepreneurs can really shine.
No, I'm not crazy. Think about what a true entrepreneur does.

• He connects with his customer


• identifies his needs and problems


• then creates products and services to fill those needs or problems

In other words, he gets paid to solve problems

Now more than ever companies are in trouble. Your customer desperately needs you. No, he isn't spending indiscriminately. But if you solve his problem and help him survive (or thrive) in this downturn he will be your customer for life. And you solve your "slow business" problem at the same time. Only an entrepreneur can do this, and you finally have an advantage over larger companies.

Simple, but Hard to Do
This is a simple concept that is hard to do. I've written several articles that are aimed at this:

• Recessionproof your sales


• How to Thrive in a Recession


• How to Thrive in a Recession - Ignore the News


• How to Thrive in a Recession - It’s All About the Customer


• How to Thrive in a Recession - Working for Someone Else


Brandt Smith is a sales, marketing, public speaking, and professional development expert. Learn about achieving wealth and life balance through entrepreneurship at Wealth and Wisdom, where he is cofounder and senior editor. Their advice on wealth building, personal development, and life balance can help take you to the next level. You can also read more of his thoughts on his blog.

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If you’re starting a business right now, marketing can be one of the first efforts to take a hit. After all, why should you market products aggressively to customers who aren’t ready to spend?

Cutting back on marketing efforts right now is actually a pretty risky move- studies show that companies who increased or maintained marketing budgets during lean times are rewarded with more sales as the economy begins to pick back up. According to McGraw-Hill research, companies who increased or did not change marketing budgets during the ’81-’82 recession saw significantly higher sales growth within five years- over twice as much as those companies that chose to cut back.

So how do you design and implement an online interactive marketing strategy on a shoestring budget? What can you save on when contracting for services? Here’s a quick primer on choosing an online marketing company and forming the contract you want- at a price that’s within your budget.

Evaluate your requirements.
Do you already employ online marketing strategies such as email blasts, customer follow-up emails, or search optimization strategies? If you’re already working with an online marketing firm and are unhappy with the services you’re receiving, the price you’re paying, or both, figure out exactly what you need before you switch or begin to negotiate. Do you want to build relationships, increase brand visibility among certain customer groups, or stay in touch with existing clients? Evaluate your needs before choosing- or choosing to stay with- a company: List the services you want and how much you’re willing to pay.

Re-negotiate.
If your current online marketing firm is meeting your needs, you can still negotiate on price. Most of the time, this means contracting for additional services or a longer term- a better deal in the long run if you’re working with a reputable company. You may be able to get discounted services simply by asking, especially if your contract is about to expire. Trying to re-negotiate your existing contract- if you have one- is a step you should take before looking for a new provider.

Use smart bargaining tactics.
If you’ve narrowed down the field of providers to a few worthy contenders, try to negotiate with each to get the best deal for services. Most vendors are a bit more flexible and open to bargaining near the end of the month or the end of a sales quarter. You can ask for more services, an extended agreement, a payment plan, or any other compromise that reduces your out-of-pocket-cost. Up-front payments (retainers) are usually not negotiable- most vendors will require some monetary outlay before beginning work.

Get a written estimate or service quote.
These usually serve as previews for the final contract. It should be specific, but not too specific- it can be a good idea to split projects into phases if you’re using several different strategies. You should have access to all necessary information (graphics, advertising agreements, affiliate information) in the event that you ever decide to use a different company for later efforts. Make sure that you compare several different service quotes to get an idea of the “going rate” for services- this places you in a better position to negotiate.

Make sure you can track efforts.
Make sure you know how results are tracked. Will you be able to monitor key information (web traffic, conversions, etc.) yourself? Make sure you know how results of the marketing strategy will be measured.

Online marketing is one of the most effective methods of sales generation. Make sure you shop around for a company, compare price quotes, and ask for references. A good firm won’t ever “guarantee” a certain search engine result or output, but will be able to accurately track the results of their efforts. Spending on marketing is effectively investing in future sales- make sure you invest wisely.

Merrin Muxlow is a writer, yoga instructor, and law student based in San Diego, California. She writes extensively for Resource Nation, a company that provides resources for business owners, and is a frequent contributor to several sites and programs that offer tools for entrepreneurs, including Dell and BizEquity.

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Joy Andrews lost her position as a $100K+ executive about three months ago. Devastated, Joy took some time off to clear her head and get ready for her executive level job search campaign. But now, months later, she hasn’t had many interviews and prospects are bleak. Her question to me was, “What can I do to get myself to get more interviews and get hired faster?”

In this article, I am going to give you four critical steps you must take if you want to find that $100K+ job and get hired during a recession.

Step #1 – Get organized
I am constantly amazed how executives who were driven and forceful in their jobs become lost in how to start their $100K+ executive job search. Getting organized includes these elements:

1. Treat your job search as a full time job. Totally dedicate your time to finding a job. Inform your family that your full-time job is to find a full-time job and nothing else!

2. Act as if your job search was a product or service launch. Plan your executive level job search campaign. Don’t wing it. Organize your activities in a project plan and measure yourself against your milestones and sub-goals.

3. Start your day just like you would if you were employed. Did you start your day at 7:00am and end it at 6:00pm? Then do the same for your job search.

4. Create goals for every day and every event. Get a daily goal and meet it. Develop your networking goals for each event and stay until you achieve them.

Step #2 – Get help
For many, getting help is equivalent to going to the dentist. But getting help is the smartest thing to kick-start your executive level job search campaign. Getting help includes:

1. Ask for a review of your resume. There are many services available to review your resume for free. Better yet, pay an expert to write your resume.

2. Learn from the experts. There are many experts out there that write articles like this one. Many experts also have website tools that are available for free downloads. For example, I have a free eBook at: http://www.marketyourpotential.com/ebook.asp. Take advantage of these resources.

3. Get a career coach. For executives who earn more than $100K+, getting advice for your particular situation is a wise investment Make sure, however, that your coach teaches you how to fish, not just fishes for you.

4. Get a support group. When you launch a job search campaign when the headlines are awful, being upbeat and positive is extremely difficult. Get a small group of business associates and friends who can help you during this time.

Step #3 – Get real
Just a short while ago, executives could expect to find a new position in about 90 to 120 days. Now, realistically, it can take upwards of 8 to 10 months. Getting real includes:

1. Do what it takes to survive a 10-month search. Expecting your search to go faster and not preparing for the long haul is just nuts. Reduce your expenses to just what is necessary and cut back.

2. Invest in your career. Now is the time to invest in your career and not try to “do-it-yourself.” Investments include coaching, books, tools, events, memberships, and travel to targeted cities.

3. Develop quantitative benchmarks and metrics. Analyze your job search results and measure them against standards. When you do this, you’ll be able to improve along the way which guarantees results faster.

4. Design qualitative feedback loops. Behaviors are qualitative and you can “measure” reactions to your oral and written pitch. Their reaction is a qualitative feedback loop that you can automatically gauge.

Step #4 – Get Clear
Getting a message that is clear and succinct takes work. And trying to figure out what you want next is also hard. Getting clear includes:

1. Do extensive research on target companies and industries. The Internet has a wealth of information. My recommendation is to conduct research at least 1 hour per day – above and beyond job posting searches.

2. Test your messages within networking groups. Take someone out for coffee. Try out your verbal pitch, and get their feedback. I tell my clients that they should attend at least 2 different networking groups a week during their job search campaign.

3. Know what’s happening around you. Know what’s happening around the globe. Integrate current affairs into your oral and written pitch and show how you can address the issues of the day.

4. Stay focused and determined. Persistence is the key to finding a $100K+ executive level position during an economic downturn. Direction is the result and movement in your job search is guaranteed.

About the Author:

$100K+ Executive-Level Career Coach Karen Armon prepares leaders around the world for their next move. Her popular book, Market Your Potential, Not Your Past, is a hit among executives who want a clear-cut, systematic game plan that drives careers forward. Now get her new FREE eBook, “Ten Micro-Trends that Impact Executive Careers Today” and take a critical look at today’s marketplace at: http://www.marketyourpotential.com/ebook.asp

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According to Forbes Magazine, businesses that don’t accept credit cards lose as much as 70% of sales to competitors who do allow this method of payment. With the number of Americans that use credit cards to make purchases increasing every day, you can’t afford to lose this many potential customers or clients. Here’s a quick and easy, real-world tested guide to accepting credit cards:

Merchant Accounts: The Basics

The merchant account is the “middle man” between a credit card account and a business’ bank account. Businesses that only process cards online usually use gateway software that collects credit card information, where retail businesses typically use credit card swipe machines. Whichever method you use, it’s necessary to have a merchant account to collect the information, verify it with the customer’s credit card provider, and make the transfer of funds from their account to yours. Merchant account providers often “bundle” the costs of online processing software into the account service costs.

Billing
Generally, merchant account providers will assess a fee for each transaction, whether a sale or a return (a “chargeback”). These fees are a portion of the transaction amount or a specified dollar amount. Many companies require monthly minimums, and will charge your business the remaining amount if this minimum is not met. Billing occurs automatically, as each “batch” of transactions is processed, typically at the close of each business day. Vendors provide reports detailing transactions, charges, and payments made at specified intervals.

Transaction Types

The fee assessed for each transaction typically depends on the way the sale or return is recorded. Swipe machines or those with signature capture devices carry the lowest risk of fraud, and thus transactions are less expensive to process. Online transaction s or those that are “keyed in” are typically more expensive, depending on the security measures taken to record the transaction. Vendors assess higher fees for “chargeback” or return transactions.

Service Contracts

Most businesses sign a service agreement that covers a specified period of time. Canceling your account before the service term expires generally carries penalties and fees, much like breaking a lease. Your per-transaction and monthly minimum rates are set when you apply for an account and sign the service agreement. The best rates are reserved for those businesses with a stable financial history and high credit card sales volume- many vendors offer “tiered” rate structures, where the per-transaction rate decreases the higher your sales volume rises. Though newer businesses just starting out might not be eligible for the best rates right away, they can negotiate for better terms as the business becomes more profitable.

Equipment and Software

Credit card processing equipment and software costs are often included in the service contract you sign with a provider. If you own or manage a retail store, chances are you’ll only need hardware, such as a swipe terminal or a signature capture device. Businesses that sell products online can puchase “gateway” software that is billed along with the merchant account service bill. Credit card terminals can be purchased, financed, or leased. It’s always a good idea to ask if there are any discounted models, or if a certain model is included with an account agreement.

Choosing an Account Provider: Where to Start

The most popular places to find a merchant services provider are through referral or using a vendor match service. You can consult businesses similar to yours in terms of size and sales volume: Ask who they use as a provider, if they are satisfied with the service they receive, and if they have any particular recommendations. A vendor search service allows you to compare several different companies, ask for quotes, and choose a vendor based on your requirements. Make sure you compare several different merchant account providers before signing a contract for services.

Merrin Muxlow is a writer, yoga instructor, and law student based in San Diego, California. She writes extensively for Resource Nation, a company that provides resources for business owners, and is a frequent contributor to several sites and programs that offer tools for entrepreneurs, including Dell and BizEquity.

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In the movie, "A League of Their Own," the baseball coach talked to his dispirited team, saying, "Of course it's hard. If it wasn't hard, everybody would do it!"

That’s the way it is with success. It can be hard. But there are four sure-fire ways to achieve success at almost anything every time without failure.

4 Ways to Achieve Your Goals & Succeed Every Time Without Failure

1. Work hard.

There's no substitute for hard work. Simply put, there "ain't no free lunch."

When I look at highly successful people, I think, “It's no wonder they’re doing so well. Look at everything they’re doing."

Could the same thing be said about you? If someone were to follow you around for a week and painstakingly record everything you did to advance your career, would that person walk away with a long list of all the things you’re doing to get ahead? Or would that person have a long list of the excuses you gave and the time you wasted?

Sometimes people fool themselves into thinking they’re putting out a 100% effort … when in reality, they’re not. For example, many people are out of work these days, and I've often heard them say, "I sent out 100 resumes, and I didn't get any response. I did everything I could."

One hundred percent effort means that you've exhausted every possible opportunity for reaching your goal. If you're looking for a job, 100 percent effort would include researching individual companies you want to work for, sending these companies personalized letters, calling to follow up, calling other people in the industry, and networking.

One hundred percent effort means telling a potential boss, "I'm sure you've got a lot of applicants here. But I believe so strongly in my ability to meet your needs, I'll work for you for 30 days with no pay. Let me prove to you my ability. In 30 days, evaluate my performance. If it's not up to par, let me go. But when I prove myself to you, I expect to be given the job and paid for the 30 days of work."

Now that's putting in 100% effort! And that's what you need to do to succeed in any area of life … because success is more often the result of hard work than the result of talent.

2. Practice endurance.

To many people, “endurance” is a nasty word. They would like to come by success the "easy" way. They want it to fall into their laps.

But that's an extremely rare occurrence. 99.99% of the time, success comes AFTER you "endure" awhile. And all the greats in every field of endeavor have learned how to "endure."

As professional tennis player Bjorn Borg noted, "My greatest point is my persistence. I never give up in a match. However down I am, I fight until the last ball. My list of matches shows that I have turned a great many so-called irretrievable defeats into victories."

Could the same be said of you?

Or do people ... secretly behind your back ... say you bail out when things get a little tough? Do they say you give up way too easily or throw in the towel too quickly? Do they point out the fact that you seldom finish what you start?

If you answer "yes" to any of these latter questions, remember the words of John Quincy Adams. He noted, "Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish." In other words, there's power in perseverance.

3. Keep on believing.

Believe in yourself. Believe in a power bigger than yourself. Believe in success. And believe you can be successful.

That’s what Lee Iacocca, the former chairman of the Chrysler Corporation did. When the world told him to let his debt-ridden company die, Iacocca refused. He didn't wait for the economy to change or for a government bailout to rescue him.

Iacocca kept believing in himself, in his company, in his products, and in his workers. He pronounced, "So what do we do? Anything -- something. So long as we don't just sit there. If we screw it up, start over. Try something else. If we wait until we've satisfied all the uncertainties, it may be too late."

4. Stay committed.

Everything else being equal, commitment wins every time. So fight back any feelings of discouragement that might get in your way. Don’t allow yourself to hang it up when things get rough.

If you're going to be successful, you've got to remember the letters M.I.H. It stands for…Make It Happen.

As you pursue your goals, as you strive towards excellence and success, follow these four points and you’re sure to win. After all, most people don’t fail. They just give up.

About the Author:

Dr. Alan Zimmerman has taught the 12 keys to peak performance and incredible success to more than one million people. Now you can get a FREE guided tour of the 12 keys in his life-changing “JOURNEY TO THE EXTRAORDINARY” program simply by visiting: http://www.journey-to-the-extraordinary.com

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One of the best ways to save money is to start with the expenses that are the easiest to reduce. Over 68% of business owners cited “cost savings” as the primary reason they’d switch phone systems, according to a recent survey. Phone systems are an often overlooked source of cost savings. By switching to VoIP or a hosted service, you can save tens of thousands of dollars a year in service and maintenance costs alone. Here’s our real business-tested, expert approved, step-by-step strategy for switching to a more cost effective phone system:

Make a list of requirements. If you already have a phone system, this is easy. Do you need voicemail, videoconferencing, call monitoring features, or more? If you’re a brand-new business, start with the basics- ask around to see what kinds of features are absolutely necessary and pick a system where you can add features later on an as-needed basis.

Do a little research on types of systems. Phone systems basically come in 4 flavors- landlines, internet-based, and combination of both. Traditional landline systems (Regular PBX phone systems and KSU systems) that use routing software (if you need lots of extensions or features) can be housed in your office or off-site by a provider. Internet-based systems use an internet connection to route calls. The type of system you choose makes a BIG difference: according to a recent study, switching to VoIP can save a business with over 500 employees up to $300,000 yearly.

Work out the nuts and bolts. If you have a current provider, you’ll need to work out the particulars of the switch. Consider things like downtime, number portability, and installation timing. Switching from a traditional landline model to a hosted PBX or VoIP system can take up to a week.

Negotiate your contract. Before you sign a brand new contract with a new provider, consider bargaining with your current vendor for more services, features, and upgrades to save on your overall cost. If you’re satisfied with your current service, bargaining is a great way to save without the hassle of switching to a new provider. One of the best ways to lower your bill is to lengthen your contract, expanding it to include more services at a lower cost.

Consider all potential expenses. Consider costs beyond those quoted by your service provider for equipment and setup expenses. Training is a good example. VoIP or hosted systems can have complex features that employees will need to learn how to use. Make sure you have the available budget to pay for training- at the very least, to pay for the time it will take for employees to learn how to use the new system. Some setup costs might not be apparent in the quote, for example, fees associated with switching internet service providers or upgrading your connection to handle the additional traffic a VoIP system will create. Make sure you consider all costs associated with the switch to get the big-picture estimate for how much money you’ll end up saving.

Merrin Muxlow is a writer, yoga instructor, and law student based in San Diego, California. She writes extensively for Resource Nation, a company that provides resources for business owners, and is a frequent contributor to several sites and programs that offer tools for entrepreneurs, including Dell and BizEquity.

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As a broadcaster and popular interview guest, I’m often asked how interviews can be leveraged as a great marketing tool for your business. In fact, that was one of the points we discussed in my 5-week mentorship class, Insider Tips To Shine As A Radio Guest. It’s a great question because today, interviews are one of the best low to no cost ways to position yourself as an expert, sell your products and programs, and introduce yourself to new markets all over the world!

So, now that you have the interview under your belt, what do you do with the recording?

Here’s 9 ways you can leverage your interview (taken from my mentorship class):

1. Look for ways to naturally tie in what you wish to promote as a special event, product, program or service within your responses. I’ve done this repeatedly in advance of a new class or product so I can create some buzz that will drive traffic to my registration page. I’ve hosted my own intro calls and been a guest on other programs prior to an upcoming program to reach a larger audience of potential sign ups. It’s a great way to introduce yourself and give them a taste of what you are promoting.

2. Collect interviews and offer them as a special bonus to download off your site to build your opt-in list. (Be sure you have permission from the show host or station to market the interview). I’ve also done that many times with interviews I felt were some of my best and it has been a great way to offer a high value bonus to a new audience in a joint venture campaign, affiliate promotion or cross promotion.

3. Select your best interviews to compile for your digital press kit. If you’re planning to build your reputation as a speaker and market yourself as a great guest, considering a digital press kit is a great idea so hosts, products, and program directors have something tangible they can review in choosing to book or hire you as a speaker or guest. I use Brent Law to do all my digital and media production. (He created my video movie)

4. Create a media page on your site and upload shows or add links to past interviews. This is a great way to market yourself by offering high quality content that will benefit the listener. You might also add articles and testimonials. A media page can provide promotional resources for JV partners to use in advance of your book or program campaign.

5. Transcribe presentations to market as a free or paid report. Could be an additional bonus for an existing product or program.

6. Use content from your presentations to write articles, create new products and programs. Re-purposing material is a great way to expand on a point you wish to speak about in more depth. Use the content as a marketing tool, to create income generating products or services.

7. Compile past interviews for a book. A colleague of mine used the outlines and content development from her shows to write her book.

8. Upload the interview as an audio onto your site to market your expertise. Use the interview strictly as a marketing tool and free resource. You can also edit a clip from your interview if the content is relevant to something you are promoting. I’ve done that with several of the audios and products I sell on my site.

9. Offer listeners a special bonus, gift, tip, or discount if they contact you, subscribe to something on your site, or sign up for a program or buy something. Place a time frame to create urgency so listeners will take action. Be sure whatever you offer is of quality no matter if it is free. You’re building credibility and a reputation in the marketplace in everything you say and do.

Dr. Lorraine Cohen, President of Powerfull Living, brings more than 25 years experience in personal and business coaching, psychological counseling, and sales to thousands of spiritually minded business owners, entrepreneurs, and leaders from a wide range of industries. Learn more about Lorraine’s services, success products and programs.

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Making the decision to sell a business is an extremely important one but many business owners do not realize just how important it is until it is their business. It is absolutely imperative that you take the time to consider your options before making a decision, regardless of whether you built the business from nothing or bought into it and made it your own. There are plenty of factors to consider but if you decide to sell your business, you should do your research before marketing your business for sale.

There are several tips that could help you when selling your business, and ten of them are outlined below. This information is essential so make sure that you adhere to the following points:

1. Plan Your Exit Strategy – Experts agree that you should always plan ahead when you want to sell the business, and begin to prepare at least three years in advance where possible. This allows you to prepare for the handover, both personally and regarding the business for sale. It will allow you to maximize profit and get your paperwork in order.

2. Prepare The Business – If you want to get a higher price when selling your business, you need to make sure that it is well prepared. Any outstanding issues should be solved, new policies and strategies implemented, and fulfilling training will get you up to 10% more on your business than would otherwise be possible.

3. Disregard Your Own Valuation – You are emotionally involved in your business so any price expectations you place on it would be emotionally affected. As such, you are likely to over inflate the price and no buyer will want to know how much you believe your business is worth. The only valuation that matters is that of a valuation specialist or qualified appraiser.

4. Protect Yourself – Have your attorney draw up a confidentiality agreement with no possible loopholes before you make any disclosures pertaining to the business. This will protect your business no matter what and ensure that you are not stung if any sale falls through.

5. Inform Your Shareholders – Shareholders and other individuals with an interest in the business, such as board members, could actually stop any sale of your business going through. Advising them in advance and taking steps to ensure that their influence is ultimately muted is essential. Failing to do so may leave you with your business in your name along with a huge bill for costs incurred by brokers, accountants, and attorneys.

6. Prepare Your Conditions – Many business owners wait until a bid is made on their businesses before preparing their own terms and this can hold up a potential sale. It may even be the cause for a sale falling through. Preparing your written terms and conditions before you put your business on the market will inform buyers before they place a bid. You will then be able to negotiate.

7. Consider Your Retirement – Selling a business may only be the start of your retirement but it could lead to problems in your personal life. You need to consider what you will do following the sale of your business for your own peace of mind and general health. Do not neglect this point. Although it may not sound important now, it will be following the sale.

8. Do Not Give Priority To Price – You should never look at the sale of your business in immediate financial terms. The bids offered may be distinguished as the highest monetary bid and the lower ones, but accepting the former may mean you lose out. Lower bids may have clauses by which you earn a percentage of profits for so many years or even retain shares, As such, the cash amount should be placed behind the content of the bid terms when you consider them.

9. Full Disclosure – No matter what the weaknesses are for your business, you should always make a full disclosure, including warranties, about the state of your business. Be sure to include “to the best of your knowledge” in your contracts, and qualify all disclosure made so you and your buyer know exactly where you stand.

10. Choose The Deal – Approving a deal structure is of paramount importance when selling your business. You need to ensure that you are completely happy with every aspect of the deal. For example, you may want to retain a certain aspect of technology from your business for your future interests so this should be qualified in the terms. You may also wish to keep certain business interests out of the sale. Whatever your decision, you should always act in your own best interests so only offer the deal that you feel comfortable with.

About the Author:

GlobalBX provides a FREE business for sale exchange connecting business buyers, sellers and lenders. Search over 32,000 businesses for sale and franchise opportunities. Sell a business for free with no listing fees and zero commissions. We have all the top franchises as well as franchise resales. Find franchise reviews and get free franchise information. You can also contact over 300 lenders directly and get a business loan.

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You have two big decisions to make when deliberating over whether to use a franchise opportunity to set up a business. If you have already determined that a franchise may be the way to go for you then you have to choose the right one, but how can you do that?

First, you have to analyze yourself in depth to ensure that you have the personal skills, wants, and needs. You have to know exactly what you are capable of and the extent of your business aspirations. Brainstorming is a handy tool to use in this situation and it is essential that you do so before investigating current franchise opportunities that are available. Starting with industry analysis is the best route because you can then match your skill set to the industry requirements. As such, you can then narrow down your options to a few select industries before assessing whether those franchise options would work in your local geographic area. Only then can you begin to contact the franchisors and create a business plan.

When contacting franchisors about possible opportunities, always ask them to send you franchise information. If they are to be trusted then this should be available at no cost. When you receive the information, be sure to read it extremely carefully, paying attention to every detail. Do not take anything at face value and research every detail given in depth. After all, this is your future and no stone should be left unturned. You can use trade magazines, Internet profiles, professional journals, and annual reports. You should also contact the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and local authorities to make sure that there are no issues with the franchisor. You should extensively look into the reputation, financial health, growth, management, and day to day running of the business because it will be passed onto you as a franchisee.

When you have digested all of the above information and you are happy with it, ask for details of existing franchisees. It is essential to speak to them because they can give you an accurate viewpoint of how the franchisor runs the business, what the management is like to deal with, insider secrets, how the business is faring, and so on. Any good franchisor will be more than happy to provide this information whereas others may be reticent. Franchisees provide critical information so again only pursue franchises that are accessible. Only then should you assemble a legal team and accountant to answer any legal and financial questions you may have. They will also be able to find any holes that you have yet to discover, thus protecting your own interests.

About the Author:

GlobalBX provides a FREE business for sale exchange connecting business buyers, sellers and lenders. Search over 32,000 businesses for sale and franchise opportunities. Sell a business for free with no listing fees and zero commissions. We have all the top franchises as well as franchise resales. Find franchise reviews and get free franchise information. You can also contact over 300 lenders directly and get a business loan.

Where other businesses struggle, franchise businesses thrive. Wendy’s and McDonald’s are prime examples of successful franchise businesses, and also provide inspiration for those individuals who really want to form their own successful businesses in the future. With a brand behind you and a good idea of what does and does not sell, it is no wonder that you have chosen to consider a franchise.

There are two types of franchises out there. One is the good franchise that takes care of its franchisees, providing training and support throughout. The second type does nothing but take from the franchisee and pushes for profit. There is a third type of franchise and that is the one that will rip off franchisees, taking them for as much money as possible. The latter two are not worth the time, money and energy, whereas the former is extremely desirable.

As such, it is essential that you do your research and investigate a franchise thoroughly before signing a contract or paying out any money. The list of questions below may help you to find the better ones as the answers they will yield will give you enough information to make an informed decision:

1. Have you and your attorney analyzed the franchise agreement in detail and do you both completely agree with the details?

2. Are there any elements or step required of you that would break the law or be to the detriment of yourself or your country?

3. Do the provisions in the franchise agreement give you exclusive territory for the period of your contract? If not, what is the maximum number of franchises that may open in your area?

4. Is this franchisor connected in any way with any other franchise company handling similar products or services?

5. If you answered yes to the above question, what is your protection against the second franchising company?

6. If you decide to end the franchising contract for any reason, what are the provisions for you to pull out of the contract and how much would you have to pay to break the agreement?

7. Are you able to sell your franchise during or at the end of your contract? If you are legally allowed to do so, what are the repercussions related to compensation?

8. What time period represents the duration of your contract and how long has the franchisor actually been in full operation?

9. Does the company offering you this franchise have a reputation for honesty and fair dealing among its franchisees?

10. Has the franchisor shown you any certified figures indicating exact net profits of one or more of its members, and have you personally checked the figures with these people?

11. Are you able to tap into franchisor assistance with training, PR, advertising, capital, credit or merchandising?

12. Are you offered assistance for finding the best location possible in your chosen area?

13. Does the franchising firm have solid financial input to ensure stability and the establishment of goals?

14. Does the franchisor have experienced management, trained in-depth?

15. Can the franchisor do anything above and beyond what you are capable of yourself?

16. Have investigations into your background been carried out and has the franchisor been assured that you are capable of making a profit?

17. Does the state in which you live in have franchising laws in place, and does the franchisor adhere to them completely?

18. How much equity capital will you need to purchase the franchise and operate it until your income equals your expenses?

It is extremely important to answer these questions fully and to your complete satisfaction. If this is the case then you may be extremely eager to become a franchisee. However, you should research all answers to get them verified in several places to ensure that your investment would be a wise one.

Purchasing a franchise can provide you with stability and profits in a short period of time but that is not to say that it is infallible. Less than 20% of all franchises fail so you need to ensure that you do not become a statistic. Information regarding specific franchising ideas can be found in the franchising directories, which are generally available at the local library. This will give you a little assistance to get started but you need to ensure that you are completely happy before committing.

About the Author:

GlobalBX provides a FREE business for sale exchange connecting business buyers, sellers and lenders. Search over 32,000 businesses for sale and franchise opportunities. Sell a business for free with no listing fees and zero commissions. We have all the top franchises as well as franchise resales. Find franchise reviews and get free franchise information. You can also contact over 300 lenders directly and get a business loan.

When a limited company is formed the founding subscribers and directors will decide the company name which when submitted forms part of the company registration..

First of all the last word in the name for company must be limited, unlimited or public limited company depending upon the type of company being formed. Accepted abbreviations of the name of company are accepted, those abbreviations typically being ltd and plc.

Company names can be rejected by Companies House for a number of reasons, the principal reason being that the name already exists on the company name register. When considering if a name is similar to another then punctuation and insignificant words such as the, and etc., would be ignored.

Name a company that sounds the same but contains a different spelling may be accepted. For example if Read Limited exists on the company names register and Reed Limited does not the proposal to name a company Reed Limited would be acceptable. If the name could be interpreted as misleading due to similarity of an existing name then that name would not be acceptable.

A name company adopts also be rejected if it is proposed to name a company including the words, limited, unlimited or public limited company occurs in the company name and not as the last word.

Other words which are not acceptable include investment company with variable capital, open ended investment company and the abbreviation SE. A company name would also be rejected if that name was deemed offensive or using a proposed name would be a criminal offence.

Names which include certain words are also rejected unless approved by government. Any name which suggests affiliation to a local authority or central government should be avoided. While the use of words indicating banking activity do not require to be approved using such words should be avoided as using such a name might well contravene other legislation relating to financial services requiring the business to be authorised.

When a company name is accepted the acceptance and inclusion in the company name register does not protect the new company from objecting to that name on the grounds of similarity. If such an objection was successful then a company name change would be required. In addition should a name indicate the activities of another company that other company can take legal action to prevent the use of the company name.

Should the chosen company name be similar to a registered trade mark that name could be accepted onto the company name register but would not protect the company from legal action to prevent that name being used. Having the name registered on the company name register would not constitute a defence should legal action be taken by the trade mark holder.

Before a company name is proposed for either registration or a change from an existing name it is strongly advised to carry out a company name search with the Companies House register of company names.. The company name register is arranged in alphabetical order and when the proposed name is entered to conduct a company name search the company name register defaults to those names which may be similar.

The chosen company name is registered when submitted on the Companies House company formation form 10 and accepted by Companies House. Following the company registration the incorporation certificate containing the company name is issued by Companies House.

Terry Cartwright qualified as a Chartered Management Accountant and Chartered Company Secretary in 1971. A successful business career followed as Head of Finance for major companies in the UK and several consultancy appointments. In 2006 he created DIY Accounting producing Accounting Software for self employed and small companies that use simple accounts spreadsheets to automate tax returns.

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A sole trader in the UK can operate a very basic accounting system. Provided supporting evidence is retained to show the basic accounts are realistic and the income and expenditure statement accurate for basic tax purposes sophisticated accountancy, debits and credits are not required. Basic accounts for a sole trader do not require the production of a balance sheet.

In order for a sole trader to be able to keep basic tax accounts certain conditions regarding the status of business accounts must be satisfied. Sales turnover should be under the vat threshold limit, a balance sheet not required, a business bank account not used and no employees employed. If the conditions are met then a simple income and expenditure statement is all that is required greatly simplifying the bookkeeping.

Self employed businesses are not required to maintain a balance sheet. If a balance sheet is maintained then to produce one the business needs to operate an accounting system based upon double entry bookkeeping and involving technical features such as debtors and creditors control accounts. Sole traders who do not need to produce a balance sheet can then maintain their basic accounting using single entry bookkeeping which is basically making lists of the financial transactions.

If a balance sheet is not produced the sole trader must keep a record of all capital expenditure items as part of the basic tax accounts to enable the capital allowances to be claimed each tax year. Receipts need to be retained as part of the basic accounts to enable the annual investment allowance to be claimed in the first year and writing down allowances in subsequent years.

More detailed financial records are required to be kept by the sole trader if they are vat registered. The vat threshold for the financial year starting April 2008 is £67,000. Part of the vat rules state that when a business is vat registered they should maintain an audit trail of transactions to support the vat return.

A sole trader does not have to operate a business bank account however if a business bank account is used then accounting records should be kept as the taxation authority, HMRC can ask to see details of the account. This inspection is to verify the transactions support the basic accounts produced. If a business bank account is not used then HMRC do not have a statutory right to view the sole trader personal bank account and that personal; account does not have to be a feature of the sole trader basic accounts.

When a sole trader has employees then as an employer a PAYE system is required which involves maintaining accurate wages records of employees, gross wages, income tax and national insurance deductions and net pay. Various PAYE records must also be maintained such as the working deductions sheet and also payslips must be issued to employees. The payroll records form part of the financial accounts of the sole trader who would actually be better called self employed if they have employees.

In the circumstances where a sole trader has no employees, is not vat registered and does not maintain a business bank account then formal accounts are not essential and a simple income and expenditure account statement can be produced. It is still essential that those sole trader basic accounts are supported with copies of invoices given to customers or records of amounts taken plus documentary evidence to support the payments made to suppliers.

On the sales side the basic accounting can consist of a list of the sales which when totalled produces the sales turnover of the business which is the income side of the income and expenditure statement. As not all sales may be received at the time of sale it is useful to keep a record of the date of the sale, the customer, amount and when and how much the customer has paid for credit control purposes.

Similar to the income side the expenditure can consist of a list of the amounts paid out to suppliers. It is advisable to perform a small amount of analysis of this expenditure as when reported on the self employed tax return the expenditure may need to be analysed according to the type of expense. All expenditure items claimed as business expenses should be supported with documentary evidence of that expense for basic tax purposes.

At the end of the financial year the sole trader income and expenditure account statement will state the total sales with the expenditure side being a list of all the expenditure by type of expense including any capital allowances claimed. Total the expenditure and deduct the total from the sales turnover to produce basic accounting record showing the net taxable profit.

A simple method of keeping the information to produce the income and expenditure account statement is to use accounting software spreadsheets with preset columns for sales and the expenditure types. The sole trader should also consider maintaining a separate list of the assets purchased as part of the basic tax accounts.

Terry Cartwright qualified as a Chartered Management Accountant and Chartered Company Secretary in 1971. A successful business career followed as Head of Finance for major companies in the UK and several consultancy appointments. In 2006 he created DIY Accounting producing Accounting Software for self employed and small companies that use simple accounts spreadsheets to automate tax returns.

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Tax accounting software has its basics in each of the three elements of the title. Accounting being the production of the financial accounts in a template format suitable for the tax system. Tax and tax software denotes the inclusion of the tax rules with software being a description of the fact that the process is automated.

Self employed accounting

To be most effective the self employed accounts should be in a format that can eventually be used by the accounts program to produce the financial information required to complete the tax returns. Since in the UK as in many countries there are several types of tax returns then the accounting software should cope with all variations.

Database accounting software is frequently based upon a chart of accounts which is not necessarily tax return friendly. An accounting spreadsheet being more fixed in nature do offer an opportunity to be tax friendly.

Facility should be available to distinguish between revenue transactions and the purchase of fixed assets as fixed assets are treated differently for tax purposes being subject to capital allowances which are tax allowances written off against the net taxable profit according to the tax rules as opposed to being able to deduct the whole cost of that asset in the one financial year.

Income Tax and Vat Tax Return Software

In the UK the self employed accounts need to supply the numbers for up to three different variations of the self employed tax return. One of two tax returns has to be completed each financial year, those returns being known as the short tax return and the full tax return which have replaced the self assessment tax return.

The short tax return is completed according to the sales turnover of the business. Less detail then the full return is required with only totals required for businesses with a sales turnover under 30,000 pounds.

In addition to the financial year end tax return self employed business whose sales are above the vat threshold must also complete a quarterly vat return. With various types of vat schemes available the accounts package and tax software should be capable of dealing with different vat schemes.

Database accounting packages invariably have the facility to deal with value added tax and various schemes where other types of accounting software may be limited. It is important that tax accounting software provides the user with the specific tax accounting requirements.

Tax Software

To be effective in satisfying the description of tax accounting software the system should also include the tax rates and rules applicable. The tax accounting can then take those tax rates and produce an estimate of the potential tax liability which is a principal concern of all self employed business when the time for filing taxes approaches.

The term software indicates automation based upon data input which the computer package then processes to produce the desired output. Tax software produces the tax requirements of the user.

A tax accounting software package takes the prime financial transactions, converts those numbers to the format required to produce the year end self employed tax returns and quarterly vat returns as required. In addition the tax software function would also use the tax rates to automatically calculate the income tax and national insurance liability

Terry Cartwright qualified as a Chartered Management Accountant and Chartered Company Secretary in 1971. A successful business career followed as Head of Finance for major companies in the UK and several consultancy appointments. In 2006 he created DIY Accounting producing Accounting Software for self employed and small companies that use simple accounts spreadsheets to automate tax returns.

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Article Contributed by Ron Romano

When you're a small business owner there's no "Golden Parachute", no Massive Severance Package or Stock Options to cash in on and there are definitely no bailouts. The success or failure of your small business is all on your shoulders!

Here's Are 5 Things to Do If You Want Your Business to Fail During a Recession

1. Don't Do Anything
2. Don't Do Enough
3. Don't Encourage Referrals From Other Clients
4. Don't Create a "WOW" Experience
5. Don't Take Massive Action Now

Now, if you want to build your small business, there's good news.

You don't have to sit back and become a victim of the times. Right now there are businesses and market segments that are making record profits. US Steel just posted record profits for the second quarter after losing huge orders from the auto industry.

Here's How US Steel Achieved Record Making Profits – And So Can You:

- They found new markets at higher prices
- They were open to new opportunities
- They were pro-active

Here Are 10 Quick and Easy Strategies to Increase Sales and Profits During a Recession

1. Implement systems that measure and track the results of ALL of your marketing, advertising and publicity efforts

2. Look for new ways to re-position products or services you provide to attract a new market segment. Example: Re-position Yoga as "Fall Prevention Strategies for Seniors

3. Find new distribution channels for your products whether it's through the Internet or other retailers who are selling complimentary products or services.

4. Create Joint Venture Arrangements with other complimentary, not competing Businesses. For example an accounting firm could go to their legal firm and offer to hold a seminar on "Tax Reduction Strategies" for the their (legal firms) clients as a special bonus. The accounting company may get new clients and the only cost is their time. One stipulation, the accounting firm must offer a special seminar to their clients on "How To Structure Tax Shelters for Estate Management". Both companies benefit.

5. Have a "Rewards Referral Program " for your existing customers and let them experience how it will work.

6. Know the numbers in your business. Find out what products and services make the most profits and which ones make the least. Start promoting or up-selling those first. Do you know the average transaction value which is the average amount each consumer pays you at the point of purchase? Go find that out now and then ask yourself the question "How can I increase that amount by 10% by adding or bundling in extra value?

7. Position yourself as the "Knowledgeable Expert" in Your Field and write articles for the newspaper, or trade journals and radio interviews. You can even write and submit articles online using www.IWantMoreProspects.com. The print and online media is always hungry for information to provide their readership. They are always on the lookout for new information that solves people's problems or helps them save them time or money.

8. Differentiate yourself from the competition and give the consumer the "Reason Why" they should do Business with you versus your competitors.

9. Join a Mastermind Group or Coaching Program to improve your skills as a Marketer. Tiger Woods has a golf coach to help him. Professional baseball teams have hitting and pitching coaches. And you should have a business and marketing coach to stop the downhill slide before it becomes uncontrollable.

10. Build a stronger relationship with your customer base through frequent contact, special offers, and newsletters. Survey your existing customers to see what they want and then sell it to them.

This is just a short list on the many things that are possible. Now the question is, do you want to recession proof your business and achieve massive results or do you want to lay down and play dead and hope things get better? It's your choice!

About the Author:
By revealing missed profit opportunities, Marketing and Sales Expert Ron Romano increased the sales and profits for more than 10,000 small and medium sized businesses, entrepreneurs and independent sales agents. Now, you can use his FREE MARKETING AUDIT at: http://www.InstantMarketingReview.com to magically uncover all the hidden profit-making opportunities you've been missing out on. What you may find out might just change your life forever.

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I should not be providing this information, the government should.

I believe the IRS should include a book like this to every American when they send you your tax forms. That way every American would know how to get their tax money back, because even though I call this “free money,” it really isn’t free. This is money that you gave to the government to pay your taxes and now you can get it back.

Here are a few basics on Government Money Programs that everyone should know:

1) Only 12% of Gov't Money goes to the poor

Most Americans think that government money programs are for everyone else... for instance only the poor, minorities or friends of the president.

But, only 12% of Government Handouts go to the poor
And only 25% of Government Programs Have Income Requirements

The rich and famous, including Donald Trump, H. Ross Perot, Dick Cheney and George W. Bush, all made millions as private citizens with the help of government money programs. If they're eligible, you certainly should be too.

2) Only 20% of Free Money is called "Grants"

Most free money programs are not called “grants” by the government, they’re called “direct payments.” It is very easy for someone not to know all about government jargon, but just a little research can clear up quite a few misconceptions. Don't discourage yourself by focusing only on "grants" and dismissing the other 80%.

3) 50 Million people don't even know they're eligible

This is one of the most important points to keep in mind: The Government cannot and does not advertise programs that offer free money. But it's out there, lots of it. You just have to invest time finding the programs.

4) You can't make one phone call and just get a check in the mail

Getting government money is like looking for a job. When you knock on one door and ask about a job, and they tell you that you are not qualified, you don’t go home and wait for them to change their mind.

No Way. You would never hear back. You have to be persistent and go from one company to the next until you find a good fit.

5) Free Money keeps growing no matter who is sitting in the White House

We constantly hear about government budget cuts and that makes people believe that government money is going away or will soon be gone. But every year for the past 30 years the amount of free government money given out to individuals keeps growing. It keeps increasing no matter if it’s the republicans or the democrats who are in charge. With the new Obama administration especially, we will be seeing more offered to small business and entrepreneurs in the form of government money programs.

6) You certainly don't need a professional grant writer

Nine out of ten times you will not need help in filling out an application. Most free money programs to pay for your bills, education, health care, housing and even business require just a few pages of blanks to fill in.

If you have trouble filling out an application for money, don’t hire a consultant.  Go to the office that is handing out the money.  The are obligated to help you fill out your application and they are in the best position to know what should be included.

7) You can apply for as many programs as you like

Don’t worry about how many programs you can apply for,  If you see a program that you think might work for you, apply to it. Sure there are some programs that give money for specific reasons and if you get accepted from 2 separate places you will have to refuse one of the offers, but that's still a nice position to be in.

8) It doesn't always matter if it sounds like you don't qualify

Here's an example:  “All the money is given out by August 30th”: The end of the accounting year for most government agencies September 30, but the agency can start giving out more money beginning October 1, and you can be the first in line.

In all likelihood, you can wait another 30 days for your money.

9) Information can often times be out-of-date

Every day programs come and go. Every day people change their address, phone number and websites. It is just a fact that these things happen in our modern society.
But remember, if a listing leads you to a non-working number or website, it does not necessarily mean that the program is gone. Call the agency listed in the program description and ask.

10) Don't be intimidated by the idea that the applications are all long and confusing

Getting an application that is only one-page long is not unreasonable at all.  Many of the government programs that give our grants really don’t need a lot of financial information because unlike a bank they are not worried if you don’t pay the money back.  They don’t want it back.  It’s free money.

Matthew Lesko is a best-selling author, government money expert and business mentor. His website, MyAmericanBenefitsPlan.com, is an interactive, online resource that serves as a hub linking entrepreneurs and free-money-enthusiasts alike. Lesko's 30 years of researching government money programs and his extensive video talents are all going into the web service. Lesko holds free, online seminars on Wednesdays, live at UncleSamLive.com.

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Article Contributed By Dr. Alan R. Zimmerman

When it comes to customer loyalty, nothing is more important than the trust you develop with your customers. Research from Texas A & M University says if customers see you as being trustworthy and reliable ... and if customers see you fulfilling your promises … then they will become enthusiastic customers for life.

The same is true with your co-workers. If your employees see you telling the truth, even when it's not easy or comfortable to do so then you'll build an incredible bond of trust with them. And with that bond of trust will come more cooperation and motivation.

The lesson is clear. If you want your customers to remain loyal, you must earn and keep their trust. If you want a stronger team at work, you have to build a foundation of trust.

So trust is your ultimate competitive advantage.

Now, how do you build or re-build trust?

4 Ways to Build Trust, Gain Loyalty & Retain Employees and Customers for Life

1. Assume the best about your employees and customers

When something goes wrong, or when the other person disappoints you, start by assuming the best. Don't immediately jump into the fray, pound your desk, froth at the mouth, and demand to know why your employees or customers did something so stupid.

Instead, honor the other person. Rather than focus on WHO's to blame for what went wrong, focus on WHAT can be done about it. That takes the focus off the past and off the other person. It puts the focus onto the future where the two of you can work together.

Besides, if you jump in too quickly, blaming someone for what happened, you'll often embarrass yourself. You may find out that you're really the one to blame for the problem that occurred.

2. Stick up for your customers or employees when they're in the right

You build trust when you speak out on someone's behalf, especially when it's not politically popular or interpersonally comfortable. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, "In the end we will not remember the words of our enemies but the silence of our friends."

I'll never forget the time I chaired the task force of a charitable organization. Over a period of time, it came to my attention that the organization had misused funds on several occasions. My task force members urged me to confront the Board and document my findings. They would be there to back me up.

I did that, but not one of the task force members backed me up when the top leaders lashed out in defense and aggression. If nothing else, I learned that Dr. King was right. It was the silence of my "friends" that I remember the most today.

3. Refuse to gossip

There's something very alluring, and maybe even a little satisfying, about sharing a negative tidbit. It may make you feel a bit superior, but you've got to fight the urge to add to the gossip and the people bashing that may go on in the company cafeteria or behind a customer's back. You just can't do it.

The reason is simple.

Negative gossip almost always gets back to the person you are discussing. That's just the nature of juicy, negative, sensationalized news. And to make matters worse, the version that gets back to the person you discussed is almost always worse than the version you shared.

4. Keep your promises

Nothing destroys trust faster than failing to keep your promises.

Think about it. No one ever forgets a promise. You tell your child you'll take her to the amusement park, and she'll remind you fifteen times that "you promised."

You tell a colleague that you'll get back to him, and he sees it as a promise. You tell a client, that an assignment will be finished by tomorrow and she sees it as a promise. And it doesn't work to go back to them and say you forgot or you got busy. In their minds, you broke your promise, and the trust between the two of you is damaged.

So, if you want to build trust, the solution is simple. Keep your promises.

A final thought

Don't get discouraged, if you're in the process of building or re-building trust in a relationship. Trust takes time.

Just as it takes more than one block to build a fortress, it takes more than one action to build trust. It takes a lot of blocks, put down … over time … to get the results you want. It works the same way when you're building trust. Go ahead and use the four trust building blocks I've just given you and you will:

- Become a better leader and manager
- Retain your employees – (Don't forget … high employee turn-over = higher costs)
- Keep your customers who want to buy from you over and over again for life
- Achieve more than you ever thought possible

And, it's all because trust is the "ultimate competitive advantage."

About the Author
Best-selling author and Hall of Fame professional speaker, Dr. Alan Zimmerman has transformed more than a million people into better managers and leaders in the office and in the marketplace. For even more tips on how to build relationships with employees and customers that last a lifetime go to http://www.DrZimmerman.com and get his free e-book that's filled with his most popular articles.

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Article Contributed by Joanne Black

Have your phones stopped ringing yet? The economy is lagging and dragging. We've felt the effects in the United States. Now we're seeing global implications.

So, how do you tackle economic uncertainty?

Cut advertising, travel, training, marketing, and discretionary expense line items? Cut purchasing? Ouch!

The pipeline starts to dry up and the anxiety level goes through the roof. Many people think that since there's nothing they can do, they should just do nothing. But "nothing" is futile thinking.

What If You Could Reach Your Market Without Incurring Any Hard Costs?

The only budget you need to worry about is your simply your time… your time to ask for referrals!

You know about referrals. When a qualified prospect is referred to us, we get a new client typically between 70 and 90 percent of the time. Additionally, we are pre-sold. Our selling time decreases. Credibility increases. And, we ace out the competition.

There is no other business-development process that can claim these results. Results are the only thing that matters. And, now you will be able to achieve results simply by implementing the following 8 "Killer" strategies.

8 "Killer Steps" to Attracting New Business in a Lagging Economy

1. Broaden Your Perspective
What business are you in? Redefine and reinvent yourself. Determine how you can create a leap in demand for your products and services. Build new alliances and consider alternate distribution channels. Don't go solo. It's important to assemble a group of advisors and get their input and creative ideas. Include people who have differing points of view from you. Not easy, but critical.

2. Be Nimble and Innovative
You'll never have all the facts. Make quick decisions. Be fearless and make tough choices. Create new uses for your products. Why not a new business model?

3. Dazzle Your Current Customers
Your current customers need care and feeding. Don't ignore them at the expense of new business, because they are your best source for new business.

4. Prioritize Wisely
The most important activity for any salesperson is to do what's "closest to cash" the first thing every single day—whether it's following up with a prospect, writing a proposal, or closing a deal.

5. Become an Expert
Companies hire experts because they can't afford to make mistakes. Position your company as the expert with a specific product or in a specific market niche. Become an expert and people will be more likely to refer you.

6. Stay Connected
If you want to get more referrals you have to network like crazy. Attend a minimum of one event a week. You never know who you will meet and what you will learn. Never let your network go down. Networking is an essential referral marketing activity. So go make connections and build your business.

Talk to people and find out how you can help them. How is their business doing? Are they impacted by the lagging economy? How? Don't email, call. You make connections by talking to people and by spending the time to have a robust conversation.

7. Don't Cut Prices, Increase Value
There's a lot of chatter about cutting prices in a lagging economy. Many small business owners think businesses are cutting back, so prospects don't have money for their projects. But, by cutting prices, you're cutting your profits even further. Instead, consider how to "get in and get started." Divide your offering into smaller chunks, get results, and create traction. Or, give more value. When you offer high-value products and services, people will refer you and you will get more sales, even in a recession economy.

8. Commit to Building Your Referral Business
Referrals are always terrific, but they mean even more in a lagging economy. Don't let the lagging economy trickle down on you. Take charge and make your phone ring again! Let your prospects know how much you care about them. Tell and show just how much you appreciate their business. Inform them that you'd like to help people just like them. And, don't forget to thank your prospects and clients for their referral.

Follow these tips and you will get more referrals. You will attract new business. You will get more clients. You will accelerate your sales. And, you will achieve higher results without increasing your cost of sales. In fact, there's a great chance that you will decrease your costs!

America's leading authority on referral selling and founder of No More Cold Calling, Joanne Black helps salespeople, sales teams, and business owners get more referrals and attract more business fast without increasing costs. Now, discover how to turn prospects into clients more than 50 percent of the time even during a down economy with her Recession-Proof Your Business Emergency Kit at: http://www.nomorecoldcalling.com/products.html

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Article Contributed by Karen Armon

Doug Compton, a laid off 43-year-old operations executive, was frustrated. His efforts to find a new six-figure executive role had resulted in only two interviews in six months. And, although he's growing his list of contacts, Doug's networking hasn't resulted in any real job leads, either.

Doug always landed a job quickly but that was over 10 years ago. Based upon his results this time around, he knew he had to change his job search strategies. "But to what?" he asked himself.

Top executives, like Doug who were upper-level managers, Presidents, Vice Presidents, Directors and CEOs, and who are looking for their next position often experience these same results. Many like to blame the economy, their age, or their networking efforts. However, none of these factors are the main cause behind their lack of results.

Now, $100k+ executives must shift how they approach their executive-level job search campaign.

Landing a top role in a company is tricky. It entails presenting your potential, not your past. It includes defining yourself within your network as a top talent. There is a mix of elements in an executive presentation – both in print and in person-- that "gets the ear" of the top CEO or President.

The New 7 Elements of an Executive-Level $100K+ Job Search Campaign

- Being Tops in the Industry: A CEO wants to hire only the best. When CEOs are looking to fill their top ranks of decision-makers, they want to know that the executive they hire is at the top of his or her game.

- Had Name Recognition: Top decision makers looking for thought leaders first look within their network. Rarely is a $100K+ executive level position filled through traditional job banks. Even if a company hires an executive search firm, the recruiter still looks to find the candidate that has name recognition in the industry,

- Easily Found, But "Not Looking": 100K+ executives who can be wooed away from their current positions are the most desirable. Leaders who distribute their resumes or profiles on every available job board give the impression that they are "damaged goods." The trick, then, is to be easily found through their network or on the Internet but give the appearance that they are NOT looking for a position.

- Considered a "Thought-Leader": Presidents or Boards of Directors who offer positions to high-level $100K+executives want leaders who have a persona with a point-of-view. This does not mean that an executive must go out and try to be a celebrity. But, as I state in my book, Market Your Potential, Not Your Past, having a point-of-view means that one is known for having an opinion about how to move forward in a crowded industry. They have unique opinions on how to find new markets to offer products and services, and/or gather new potential customers to a brand.

- Distinctively Different than Others: Do you know the number one reason why high-level executives fail in their positions? It's because their leadership style can't or won't fit the culture of the company. Offers given to top executives include those who not only do their job well but also those fit the cultural style of the company.

- Message-Ready and Visible: Today everyone checks everything out on the Internet. To "Google" is now a verb as well as a noun. Yet getting visible on the Internet requires a strategy and a thematic message. You must also execute that strategy consistently. It is well known that top ranking executive search firms first search the Internet thoroughly before presenting a candidate to a company. Therefore, if you are invisible your chances of finding that next $100K+ executive level position will be significantly reduced.

- Extensive, Engaged, and Active Network: Finding a top executive-level position quickly depends on how large one's network is and how active it is in helping you find that next 100K+ career. If your network is small, then you are asking each member to do a lot on your behalf. But if your network is large, then a small amount of effort from each individual can yield lots of leads.

These seven elements should be part of every executive's game plan when trying to find a new $100K executive-level position. For most, however, building these elements into an executive career campaign takes time.

What can your do if you need a job right away?

Landing a $100K+ Executive Level Career Position

The answer is to begin where you are. It's what I call, "building the wall and fighting the battle at the same time." There are no short-cuts. But you can improve your odds by just beginning to incorporate these elements. Even a little movement in this direction begins to set you apart as a "must-have" executive.

And that's the point, isn't it?

About the Author
$100K+ Executive-Level Career Coach Karen Armon prepares leaders around the world for their next move. Her popular book, Market Your Potential, Not Your Past, is a hit among executives who desire a clear-cut, systematic game plan that drives their careers forward. Now get her new FREE eBook, "Ten Micro-Trends that Impact Executive Careers Today," and take a critical look at today's marketplace at: http://www.marketyourpotential.com/ebook.asp

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You've put a lot of investment into your website, and perhaps even more into various marketing activities to drive traffic to your site. And it's working -- your traffic numbers are up. You are halfway there -- now you need to turn those visitors into subscribers. Building a list of potential clients who are interested in what you have to offer is the only way you are going to make money from your online efforts!

The secret? Put yourself in your visitor's shoes. Here are five steps to help you do just that:

1. Get the right visitors. Seems basic, but it's one of the most important ingredients to building a responsive list; it's also the most time-intensive task. Extra effort spent on this step will also pay off handsomely.

It all comes down to making an emotional connection in your copywriting. If you have ads, links on other people's sites, articles posted on article directories, etc., does your message convince readers that you understand what they are looking for (or trying to eliminate) and have answers for them? When they then get to your website, does that connection strengthen and grow, if they are the right prospect?

If you write articles or place ads promising info on how to avoid foreclosure, for instance, when they get to your site don't immediately try to sell them a new mortgage (they'll likely click away) -- instead, share your own foreclosure story and how you overcame it (they may want to know more!) In your copy, use the language your ideal prospect is familiar with -- no jargon, talk to them at their level, use the kind of words and phrases they are likely to search for.

This is a very simplistic explanation of this topic. If you don't know much about keywords and copywriting -- get help with this step.

2. Now that a visitor has found your site and stayed more than 2 seconds...is it clear to them what you want them to do next? Too many choices = confusion = click away! If your goal is to get subscribers (hint), then your home page should funnel them toward that goal. Don't send them to your "about", "coaching services", or "products" pages -- first-time visitors are unlikely to buy right off anyway (although it's ok to have navigation that lets them get to those pages if they want to). Instead, make it clear that the ONE action you want them to take is to SUBSCRIBE!

3. They've read your copy and are interested in subscribing. Is it easy to figure out how to do so? Your form should be easy to find on the page -- even having it in a couple of places will work well. Put the form right on the page; don't make them click to get to the form (many won't bother!) Use a graphic, colors, large print, but not too busy. If visitors are likely to land on pages other than your home page (you should assume they might), put a subscription form on EVERY page of your website. On the left, near the top of the page, is a good location.

4. WIIFT? (what's in it for them) If you aren't giving away something in exchange for their email address, why should they subscribe? Not very many folks really want another monthly newsletter or weekly tips; however, if you offer a valuable freebie, they might be willing to try it out! Be upfront about what they are getting: the format/length of the freebie, frequency of your newsletter, what type of info they should expect. A link to a sample recent newsletter (that opens in a new page, so they won't lose the page they are on) is a nice touch.

5. Why should they trust you? No one wants more spam...so you need to assure them that their information is safe with you. Include a short statement about your privacy policy, and assure them that they can unsubscribe anytime. I also recommend asking for minimum info -- email address, and first name so you can personalize their emails. Every additional piece of info you want will decrease their likelihood of subscribing.

The above steps will make it clear to your visitor/potential subscriber that you have THEIR interests at heart. That's the beginning of the emotional connection that will build your list, and ultimately, increase your income!

Terri Zwierzynski is a self-employed business strategist and marketing consultant to solo entrepreneurs, and a grassroots promoter of the solo entrepreneur lifestyle. She runs Solo-E.com, the resource website for the self-employed which attracts thousands of solo home business owners monthly from over 100 countries on six continents (and was recently named a finalist for “Website of the Year” in the 4th Annual Stevie® Awards for Women in Business). Terri is also the co-author of 136 Ways To Market Your Small or Solo Business.

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Building a successful long-term profitable business isn't about "marketing" your business, it's about "managing" your business - the marketing comes once you have your management systems in place.
 
You cannot begin to market your business if you can't find the information you need, don't know who you are marketing to, and don't know where you are in your business.

So, let's go back to basics and take a look at one of the key office organization systems you need to have in place to "manage" your business before you can start to "market" your business – your contact management system!

If set up correctly your contact management system allows you to:

* Keep a note of clients, potential clients, and colleagues contact information.

* Easily and effectively follow-up with a prospect.

* Locate critical client contact information quickly and easily.

* Build your business.

Having all of your contact data readily to hand will allow you to build your business. You have all the information you need; it’s all in one place, and you can locate it quickly and easily. Follow-up becomes a much smoother process and in turn it builds your business.

Let me share with you below my 5 easy steps for creating your ideal contact management system so that you constantly have a full pipeline of interested clients and prospects:

1. Choose your system. You need to decide on a system that works best for YOU and YOUR business. This could be using Outlook (as I do) to manage all your contact data, appointments, To Do lists, etc. or you could use dedicated contact management software. A third option might be to utilize one of the many web-based contact management systems.

2. Draw clients into your pipeline. Once you’ve got your contact management system in place, you need to have a system for keeping in touch with people you meet at in-person events, online networking forums, or visitors to your website. One way to do that is to publish a regular ezine (electronic newsletter). This will keep clients and prospects flowing into your business and provide you with a base of interested people who want to find out more about you, your services, and your products.

3. Define the process for working with new clients. Once you’ve got prospects into your pipeline the next step is to create a system so that those clients who are ready to work with you are able to do so. This could be through an initial complimentary consultation to determine if you are a good fit for one another. List everything you currently do and come up with a system for streamlining the whole process.

4. Keep it all up-to-date. It’s all well and good having the systems in place, but if you’re not keeping it all current, then your contact management system quickly becomes of no use to you at all. Ideally, you should be updating your client data as you go along, but if you find you’re not doing that, spend 15/20 minutes at the end of each day, before you shut down your PC, reviewing who you’ve talked to/emailed, what the outcome was, and when you promised to follow-up with them. Note it all down in your contact management system.

5. Create a waiting list! If you find that you have more clients wanting to work with you than you can handle, offer to put them on your waiting list. If you suddenly get a client who has to cancel (and it does happen, for a variety of reasons), then you’re not left with a big hole in your cashflow – you simply approach your waiting list and let them know you have an opening available. Plan to keep in touch with your waiting list on a regular basis so that they don’t forget you!

Consistency is the key to keeping a steady flow of clients and prospects coming into your business. Make the commitment to spend time each and every day on your contact management system, and watch your business grow!

Online Business Manager & Virtual Assistant, Tracey Lawton, supports professional speakers, coaches, and authors to operate an efficient, organized, and profitable business. Learn how to create an efficient and organized office in 7 EASY steps, and receive free how-to articles at http://www.OfficeOrganizationSuccess.com.

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If you're an employer or a manager then work place absence is costing you money, inconvenience, and upsetting your customers. And as we all know, not all days taken off work are due to genuine sickness. Many employees "take a sickie" because their morale is low and they just don't like or can't do their work.

The challenge for employers and managers is to make people happier at work. And if people are happy at work then they are less likely to take a day off every time they wake up with a stuffy nose. Some bosses think that paying more money, improving job security or working conditions is the answer. It isn't and it's also something that can be very hard to achieve.

People who employ or supervise other people need to become more tuned to their employees' emotional needs and find out what really motivates them. This is also much easier to achieve than paying more money or improving job security, however there is no quick fix. Some years ago I inherited a tele-sales operation with low staff morale and poor sales
results. It took nearly a year to fix. The long-term benefits were of course worth it in terms of fewer days lost due to sickness and an increase in business.

To reduce the number of sickies there are three steps you need to consider. Firstly, pick the right person for the job. There's a television advertisement running at present
for a recruitment company. It highlights the fact that many people are in the wrong job for their skills and attributes. The daft thing is that it was an employer or manager who put them in the job in the first place. We need to get better at interviewing and selecting people. Take more time over it; pay more attention to the applicant's human side rather than their qualifications or experience. Get to know them better.

Find out what makes them happy, how well they get on with other people and how much energy and enthusiasm they have. Make sure they know what they're getting into and be sure
the job suits them.

A manager in the telecom industry was telling me about an engineer who was taking too many sickies. He was being blamed for a poor attitude to his work. His job involved working in tunnels under the city repairing and installing equipment. Eventually it was discovered that the poor guy was claustrophobic and was trying to deal with it on his own. He still works for the same team but in a job that doesn't involve small spaces. It's not always easy to move people, which emphasises the importance of getting it right in the first place.

Secondly, you need to believe in your people. If you've interviewed well and picked the right person for the job then you need to trust them to do that job. You need to constantly demonstrate to your people that you trust and believe in them by what you say, your tone of voice and your body language.

If you believe that your people are not to be trusted, that they're unable to make a decision without checking with you. That they'll turn up late and go homeearly, then that's exactly what they'll do. If on the other hand you believe that they'll do their job well, that they can be trusted to make decisions and they will give you a fair day's work, then it is more likely this is what you'll get. As with all theories there is no guarantee that it will
work every time, however the majority of employees are reasonable people and if you treat them as such then they are more likely to behave in a positive manner.

The third and probably the most important thing you can do to motivate your people is to give them feedback and coach them. This is where so many employers and managers fall down in dealing with their people; we are hopeless at giving feedback. Many managers are uncomfortable telling staff how they feel about their work performance.

Most employees want to know how they are performing in their job; they want to know if they are doing it right or how they could do it better. If you really want to motivate your people then you need to give them feedback on what they're doing well and what needs improvement.

When you notice an employee doing something you do like, tell them about it. When you notice something you don't like, tell them about it.

Do it as soon as possible. Acknowledging a job well done is not much good six months later. Also, if you don't immediately call someone's attention to something you're not happy about, then they'll assume its okay. Either that or they'll think you didn't notice or you don't care. Do it in private. Why is it some managers still feel its okay to reprimand someone in front of their colleagues? Even the mildest rebuke can have a negative effect on morale.

When you do speak to the person use "I" messages. Say things like "I liked the way you did that" or "I'm unhappy with the way your reports are always late and I'd like your views on why this is". Avoid "You" messages such as "You're doing great". That can come across as patronising or insincere. "You're doing that all wrong" may cause conflict, lower morale and may not sort the problem.

Focus on one or two things. Don't run off a whole list of attributes or misdemeanours. Also be specific about job behaviour, focus on what the person did or didn't do, don't make a personal attack. Employees will feel happier if they perceive their employer or manager as a reasonable and fair individual - someone who is quick to praise but also says when they're not happy about something.

When we start to look at what motivates people at work, it's important to realise that we all have different needs. It's easy to fall into the trap of believing that all our staff are motivated by money. However, research conducted over the years into what motivates people at work suggests some other factors.

Money is important however people are more likely to be motivated firstly, by the work itself. Secondly, by being appreciated for what they do and thirdly by a feeling of being in on things.

The message is - if you want motivated staff then make their work interesting, give them feedback and give them the feeling that they're involved in the business.

We can make the job more interesting by giving people more responsibility, assigning projects and by training and developing them. We need to regularly give people feedback on how they're doing; focussing on what they're doing well rather than on what is not so good. To meet their need to feel involved we should regularly communicate both formally and informally. We could also involve staff in meetings they might not normally attend.

These steps will take time and thought however they'll make a huge difference as to how employees feel about their work. If they feel good and gain satisfaction from their work then they're less likely to find a reason to "take a sickie".

Alan Fairweather, 'The Motivation Doctor,' is an International Speaker, Author and Business Development Expert. To receive your free newsletter and free e-books, visit: http://www.themotivationdoctor.com

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Do you want a highly motivated team who don't take time off work, don't keep looking for other jobs and make a positive contribution to your business?

If the answer is "yes," then there are three steps you need to take with each member of your team.

Step 1 - Spend some quality time

I didn't say "quantity time" I said "quality time." One or two minutes of quality time on a regular basis are far more productive than a one hour review every year. You need to get to know each member of your team better and they need to get to know you.

This will help you build a positive relationship with each team member. You'll gain a much better understanding of them and how they're handling the job.

It will also give the impression that you care about the individual and show that you're there to help with problems both personal and business. Spending quality time will encourage opinions and ideas to flow from them and allows you to explain the company's mission. It gives them a feeling of being in on things which is a huge motivator.

It will also help you build an "early warning system" of any problems both business and personal. Finally, it builds team spirit and morale.

Step 2 - Give feedback and coach

You need to regularly tell each member of your team when they're doing well and when not so well. I read some recent research that suggested 65% of employees in the US received no recognition at work in the past year. My experience tells me that it's much the same throughout the world and much worse in some countries. Some managers still believe - "why should I praise people when they're only doing what they're paid to do."

If you want a happy and motivated team then you need to tell them when they're doing well.

It's also important to tell people when they're not performing well. There are too many managers who either ignore poor behaviour or come down on the person like a ton of bricks.

There are particular ways to give feedback and coach and they're described in detail in the book - How to get More Sales by Motivating Your Team.

Step 3 - Be a believer

We're now getting into the area of "Empowerment" which was first introduced in the 1980's and became a bit of a management buzzword. However, I believe that it's one of the most promising but least understood concepts in team motivation today.

I'm a fairly down to earth practical sort of person (probably comes from my engineering background). I'm not big into motivation theories unless I can see the benefits for me - I see a great deal of benefit for managers and team leaders in Empowerment.

Empowerment is about utilising the knowledge, skill,experience and motivation power that's already within your people.

The majority of people in teams and organisations throughout the world are severely underutilised. Your team have probably more to offer in terms of skill, knowledge and experience.

Put this to the test right away - implement these steps, motivate your team and achieve your business goals.

Alan Fairweather, 'The Motivation Doctor,' is an International Speaker, Author and Business Development Expert. To receive your free newsletter and free e-books, visit: http://www.themotivationdoctor.com

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I know… you probably think of filing as the most boring job in the world, and there are probably a 101 other thing that you would prefer to do instead. However, as a solo business owner, it is down to you to do the filing and stay organized. As a result this is one of the areas that a lot of solo business owners find overwhelming – they simply do not know where to start, or how to systemize their business.

Papers here; papers there; papers everywhere!

The more piles of paper there are, the more overwhelmed they feel!

Creating and maintaining a filing system is the very foundation that your business is built on, so this is the first system you need to put in place - an efficient and effective filing system. And one that is simple to use too!

With a proper filing system in place you will very quickly and easily be able to find the information you need, when you need it.

Let me share with you below my 7 easy steps for creating your ideal filing system:

1. Determine your storage needs. Whether you decide to opt for a plastic filing crate, or a dedicated filing cabinet, one thing you need to keep in mind that you will need TWICE as much space as you think you’ll need.

2. Decide how you naturally look for information. This will determine what your filing system will look like, and how you will set up your files. For example are you a person who thinks in alphabetical terms, or does categorization serve you better? Remember – this is YOUR filing system so you need to do what works for YOU.

3. Categorize your filing drawers/crates. For example if you have a two-drawer filing cabinet, use the top drawer for business files and the bottom drawer for personal files. You decide how best to categorize your filing drawers. But don’t just put all your files together in one drawer without any system otherwise you won’t be able to find anything again!

4. Gather your supplies. Tabbed file folders work best simply because there are no holes to punch or fiddly clasps to undo. You simply drop your papers into your file – making filing your paperwork a cinch!

5. Create quick and easy access to your day-to-day files. A stepped-sorter holds approximately 8-10 files which step up the further back they are – making your files easily visible. Keep this on your desk, and store in it those files you know you will need access to every day.

6. Now move on to your PC filing system. Your PC is a very large filing cabinet, so it makes sense to create a similar filing system here as you did for your paper files. That way you do not have to manage two different filing systems – it’s the same system except one is physical, and the other is electronic.

7. Create a system for your emails. Again, follow a very similar or the same system for creating email folders as you did for your paper and PC files. Outlook and Thunderbird allow you to create different mail folders.

Consistency is the key to an easy-to-use, successful filing system. Create the same files and folders for your paper-based system, your PC system, and your email program.

Online Business Manager & Virtual Assistant, Tracey Lawton, supports professional speakers, coaches, and authors to operate an efficient, organized, and profitable business. Learn how to create an efficient and organized office in 7 EASY steps, and receive free how-to articles at http://www.OfficeOrganizationSuccess.com

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If you’ve always wanted to be an author, you’re not alone! One recent study indicated that 80% of the population wants to write a book, but only 2% will ever actually do so! Why do so many aspiring writers fail to write their book? Most people don’t have the time or the know-how, and many simply don’t know where to begin.

Fortunately, there are numerous options available to would-be authors who want to publish their own book. You can hire a ghostwriter or work with a book-writing coach to help you get your book done. You can join a writing group, work with an accountability partner, or even enlist the help of a co-author.

If you choose to write your book on your own, here are some additional tips and tactics for finally getting your book written:

1. Begin with the end in mind.

Before you write a word, you’ve got to determine why you’re writing a book in the first place. Where will your book fit into your overall business model? Will you use your book as a lead-generator, to establish your expert status, or to promote your business? Decide what you want from your book so it can be written with your goals in mind!

2. Your title is (almost) everything.

The vast majority of book buyers purchase a book on the title alone! The importance of your book’s title cannot be overstated. Your title is crucial to the success of your book, so choose something memorable and compelling. In this case, you can judge a book by it’s cover!

3. Develop your outline.

If the thought of writing an entire book intimidates you, think of your book as several smaller articles (chapters) and chunk it down. Start by developing your outline or table of contents. Build and expand from there. You may find that you’ve already got existing materials that can be repurposed for your book. Have you done teleseminars or courses that can be converted to book content? Use what you’ve already got and you may be amazed at how quickly it comes together.

4. Get into your writing groove.

Some days the words just flow, other times you may hit a brick wall. The trick is to keep on writing. Just try to get the words down. You can always revise and edit later. Set daily or weekly writing goals. Try committing to writing one hour per day or shoot for 3,000 words per week. It’s easier to re-write than to write – so bang out that first draft quickly and edit later.

5. You’re done! Now what?

You’ve finally finished your manuscript. Now the real fun begins! How will you market, promote and distribute your book? Do you need an agent? Should you self-publish? While the publishing process could easily be a book in itself, here are a few options to consider:

Self-Publish vs. Traditional Publishing

If it’s your first book, it may be more realistic – and a lot faster – to self-publish. The Internet has opened up an enormous range of self-publishing opportunities and resources.

Agent vs. Solo

If you’re self-publishing, you really don’t need an agent. However, if you decide to pursue a mid-sized to large publisher, you will definitely want to enlist the help of a literary agent.

Finally, don’t confuse so-called “vanity” publishers with large publishing houses. Find a reputable self-publishing who has the ability to get your book distributed both online to Amazon.com and to the major retailers like Barnes & Noble.

Lou Bortone is an award-winning writer and video producer with over 20 years experience in marketing, branding and promotion. As an online video expert, Lou helps entrepreneurs create video for the web at www.TheOnlineVideoGuy.com. In addition, Lou works as a freelance writer and professional ghostwriter, with a ghostwriting site at www.GhostwriteForYou.com and a blog at www.GhostwriteGuru.com.

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BusinessKnowHow: You've all heard the advice to get to know your audience, make eye contact, don't say "um," check your equipment, and similar public speaking techniques to make your presentations as powerful as they can be. These are great tips, and you'll hear them over and over, but I've got some lesser-known suggestions for you today that will benefit you and your audience as much as more common advice.

Pointer 1: Take your medications
If your nervousness goes to your gut, by all means take your upset stomach medication. If you get tension headaches, head them off at the pass with your favorite pain reliever. Do what it takes to avoid the physical distractions that will disrupt your performance and keep you from doing your best.

Pointer 2: Start on time
Take charge of the room, take charge of your time, and make the decision to reward the people who are committed and punctual.

Pointer 3: Give the end of your sentences the same energy you give to the beginning of your sentences
This is a simple tool but an effective one. Some people's voices trail off at the ends of sentences, making it hard to hear the last few words they've said. As a speaker, trailing off at the ends of sentences means that your audience might miss something important. Make sure you are emphasizing both ends of your sentences, and your audience will never miss a crucial point or valuable tip!

Three Surprising Tips to Improve Your Presentations [BusinessKnowHow]

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This article is contributed by John Spence, a strategy consultant and executive trainer that has been traveling 200+ days-a-year for more than 14 years working for some of the top companies on the globe.

Its a manifesto on: Achieving Business Excellence - the six key things every business must focus on to attain and sustain business success.

1) Vivid Vision:
A clear and well-thought-out vision of what you are trying to create that is exceptionally
well communicated to everyone involved.

2) Best People:
Superior talents who are also masters of collaboration.

3) A Performance-Oriented Culture:
One that demands flawless operational execution, encourages constant improvement and
innovation, and completely refuses to tolerate mediocrity or lack of accountability.

4) Robust Communication:
Open, honest, frank and courageous, both internally and externally.

5) A Sense Of Urgency:
The strong desire to get the important things done while never wasting time
on the trivial.

6) Extreme Customer Focus:
Owning the voice of the customer and delivering what customers consider truly valuable.

Download Free full PDF version here:

John Spence is a strategy consultant and executive trainer that has been traveling 200+ days-a-year for more than 14 years working for some of the top companies on the globe. He has his own website at http://johnspence.com/index.html and has compiled six key things for every business to focus on this manifesto "Change This!"

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One of the most successful online marketing strategies you can do these days is to submit your articles to various article submission websites. This is a great way to promote your services, your expertise, and, most importantly, grow your subscriber list!

It has been well documented that one-way links to your website increase search engine rankings more than reciprocal linking, and article submission is an excellent way to achieve one-way linking.

However, the downside is that it takes time to manually submit your articles, and if you have several articles, you could spend hours submitting them to the various websites. There is software available that will automatically submit your articles for you, but you do need to check this out carefully. And if you do decide to manually submit your articles you need to have a system in place that makes maximum use of your time, but also keeps a detailed record of which articles you’ve submitted where, and when.

If you have articles already written, you’re off to a great start. All you need to do now is to set up an article submission system. But if you don’t have any articles written, then you might find the task of writing quite daunting, and you’re not sure where to start.

I have always found a good article comes from working with my clients on a day-to-day basis. They might have a question that requires a detailed reply. Use this reply to form the basis of an article. For example I had one client ask me, ‘how do I get an mp3 audio file to you, and how do you turn it into a word document?’ I sent them back my reply and, hey presto, I’d got the basis for an article.

Brainstorm some ideas. Some great article titles, and which will also get you thinking, are:

[Number – odd numbers work best] Top Tips For [fill in the blank]

How To [fill in the blank].

Try and come up with three or four articles – you will probably find that you can think of a lot more!

So now you have your articles, you need a system for submitting those articles. Below are my tips for an organized and efficient article submission system (I use it so I know it works!):

1. Convert all your articles to plain text as this will make the submission process easier! Most article submission sites require plain text articles; some will allow html. You will need to refer to each site for their guidelines.

2. Create a spreadsheet to track your article marketing strategy.

3. Use this spreadsheet to track the article submission sites, log in info, and other relevant information.

4. Go to each of the article submission sites and submit each article to the article directory by copying and pasting from your plain text document.

Plan to spend about 20 minutes each week on your article marketing strategy - schedule this time in your calendar to keep yourself on track - and you'll soon find your articles appearing all over the Internet!

Online Business Manager & Virtual Assistant, Tracey Lawton, supports professional speakers, coaches, and authors to operate an efficient, organized, and profitable business. Learn how to create an efficient and organized office in 7 EASY steps, and receive free how-to articles at http://www.OfficeOrganizationSuccess.com.

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When you are starting a franchise business for the first time, you need to be aware in advance of the type of products and services you will be selling to consumers within a particular target market industry. While in saying this, it might seem obvious to you, but understanding what your business is providing and to what customers you will be targeting is essential to the long term success of your business.

In order to ensure your business is successful from day one, consider writing up an effective sales plan, where you can state clearly who your customers are, what potential customers you need to target, how to pitch your sale and close the deal.

View the following points on how you can create an effective sales plan…

1. Study Your Consumer Base

The first step you should take in writing up an effective sales plan is to conduct some useful consumer market research. Understanding who your customers are and what their needs are will be essential to your selling pitch of products and services.

For example, if you are setting up a café franchise in your local community, you will want to target business professionals for lunch time specials, couples and families for evening meals and brunches, and finally take-away customers who will want on-the-go sandwiches and beverages. In understanding your market requirements and needs will make it easier for you to sell your services within a “niche market”.

Secondly, if you have existing clients who already know about your business brand and services, you should not rely solely on their consumer presence, but rather widen your existing consumer base to include new customers and find innovative ways to retain and build consumer loyalty to your brand and business.

In this way, you will effectively manage more business sales than if you didn’t carry out some vital consumer market research…

2. Set Realistic Goals

After deciding who your customer base is and why and how you will target them, the next step is define realistic goals on how you will achieve consistent sales growth for the forthcoming months of business.

This is not an easy task, but one that must be ascertained prior to the launch of the new franchise business. In order to be successful in the long term, you must set realistic weekly and monthly sales goals and it is up to you or a sales employee to determine these goals and how to reach them.

Most importantly with this step is not to be too ambitious with your sales targets, you need to allow yourself some flexibility if some months are much slower than others and to determine if a great month will balance out a bad one!

In order to assess your predictive sales targets you can enlist the help and advice of the franchisor, which will have completed the very same process with established franchisees. Never be afraid to ask for help when it comes to successful sales of your business…

3. Target the Right People

Now you know exactly what groups of consumers you would like to target and the realistic goals you have in achieving your sales quota for the month/year, the next step is to follow through with the sales pitch and deliver some results!

Once again, achieving sales targets can mean a number of different things and can be achieved via a number of different formats depending on the franchise business and industry you are working in. For example, if you are selling luxury holidays online, you will be targeting consumers via email, internet and phone. If you are in the fast food industry you can achieve sales targets via marketing and promotional offers to get consumers to come to your fast food restaurant. Whatever method of sales you choose to implement you must target your consumer base effectively with no “hard sell” unless really needed!

4. Practice Your Sales Pitch

If you are targeting consumers directly either by phone of face-to-face you must perfect your sales pitch on how you can promote and actively sell your products or services. You must know the main benefits of your product and service and use these points as your main argument when posing the sales pitch.

Before you meet face-to-face with a potential client be sure you know as much as you can about the individual and how your product or service could enhance their life personally or their business. This will ensure you know exactly how to win over the customer and how the service or product of your business will have a positive impact on them when they decide to buy.

5. Closing the Deal

This is the most important part of the sales plan and you must attract attention for your product or service via marketing and advertisings as much as you can. Creating brand awareness amongst the consumer market you are targeting will ensure on some conscious level of the consumer’s knowledge of whom and what you are in business.

Be careful of objections to your sale and identify some other “benefits” you could use to attract the customer in a different sales pitch. Remember customers will want to know why you are providing this service or product so be upbeat, positive and passionate about your business.

After you close a deal, remember to maintain after-sales customer care so that you retain your customer and build an effective and loyal relationship. This will help your business to grow and be consistently successful.

Aine Meade is a Website Editor for Franchise Direct, a leading Internet franchise advertising portal. Aine creates high quality franchise information for its international websites in the U.S., and Europe. Aine has a BA (First) in English and History; MA in Literature & Publishing; Diploma in Media Journalism and a Diploma in Marketing.

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Create a Strategy

The first action you must take is to create a marketing plan. You must get clear on who is your best customers, where to find them, what problems you solve and why they should buy from you. This does not require a long document but clarity in thinking. All eleven actions are documented in 49 Marketing Secrets (THAT WORK) to Grow Sales. The book is available on Amazon.com.

Be Consistent

You must be consistent in your message and brand throughout all your marketing activities. Otherwise potential customer can get very confused. Most people do not lose an opportunity to the competition; they lose the opportunity to complacency of the prospect. When the prospect gets confused they do nothing. Be consistent in your message.

Use Press Releases

Let the world know what you are up to. Use press releases to target specific locations. Write the press release with a unique angle that makes it easy for reporters and other readers to read your message. There is the possibility for a huge return for minimal investment.

Create Controversy

Take you message, your story and build some controversy so it is interesting to others. Take something that everyone is talking (newspapers, magazines, industry blogs, etc) about and incorporate that into your message.

Write Articles

Writing articles is one of the easiest and least expensive ways to get your name out and increase visibility. There are hundreds of sites looking for articles. The key is to write about what your prospects what to hear about, provide value and have a clear call to action.

Networking for Referrals

The quickest and fastest way to get new business is to ask for it; especially from your existing customers. They know your products and services so pick up the phone, take them out to lunch and ask them if they know anyone who they would introduce you to who could use your products or services.

Create Your Business Mastery Advisory Board

Create your own advisory board. Many business owners think they can go it alone. You can’t and the sooner you realize this the faster you can the result you want. It is all about people. If you do not test your message with your peers and see what works, you are wasting, time, energy and money.

Generation Leads

Use Teleseminars and Webinars as a marketing tool so people can find out what you are about. These can be free or paid. The key is to provide value so people listening want to engage you. The beauty of this approach is people who are interested in what you are promoting naturally opt-in to listen to your story.

Use Electronic Newsletters

Electronic newsletters are a great way to stay in touch with your audience. They opt-in so you know they are interested. Having someone buy your products and services is as much need as it is timing. Your name (product) needs to be top of mind when they need something. A newsletter can do that for you.

Speaking Before Groups

Public speaking is one of the best approaches to generating new business. You need to be professional and provide value but where are you going to get an opportunity to have 100 people pay to listen to you talk about what is important to you and how it can help them. If you are afraid of speaking, get trained. There are many different organizations to help you.

Create an Event

Create and event and make it a party. People are social animals who love to be involved and find deals. You can do a grand opening, grand reopening, anniversary sale, holiday sales or any one of 100 reasons to have a party and invite people into your business.

What to do next to Grow your Business

I had a consulting company hire me to help them grow their business. All I did was bring them back to what they did successful to grow their business. Effectively, they got selfish. This resulted in a 35% year over year growth rate.

I worked with a patent agent and he had a 150% return on his investment. We got him focused on who his idea customer is. By simply getting clear and targeting his ideal client, he had his best month ever. I worked with an Information Technology company and we reduce his time to make for a specific product by 800%.

I worked with a telephony company and took a service they provided to their existing customer at no charge and help them turn this into a product they use to expand their market.

It is all about getting clear: your market, your customers, your product, your services and taking action. If you are thinking about taking action you are already too late. It is not about thinking, it is about doing. If you don’t know how, hire someone, read a book, call someone who will share with you his experiences. Take ownership for your situation and take action to move forward.

After a successful consulting career, Ron Finklestein has spent the past 6 years building his business AKRIS LLC and helping entrepreneurs and business owners build their businesses by helping them solve the tough problems that hold them back. Ron is called The Small Business Success Expert by his clients because of his passion for their success and his knowledge of business.

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The Closet Entrepreneur:
Writing a business plan…

As mentioned before, there are no hard and fast rules for writing a business plan. Do you really need an executive summary, 3-Year pro forma, and sales forecasts for the next five years? Only if you’re going to find a benefit from these things.

The example below is the structure I used to get started, so feel free to mix it up, reorder, and modify it to suit your needs:

- The Vision -

What exactly is my business?
What problem does it solve and why is my solution the best/most unique?
What benefit does it provide to my customers?

- Branding -

What is my story and/or message?
What is my product’s personality, soul, and voice?
How will I translate the above into an identity, logo, website, business card, et cetera?

- The Numbers -

What does it cost to build my product and/or provide my service?
What are my expenses and are there any hidden costs?
What profit can I expect to make per item and is it acceptable/realistic?
What is my budget and what will I do if I go over?

- Beta Testing -

What existing resources/products can I use to help create my product?
Do I have someone in mind to try out my product/service?
How will I collect and utilize feedback?
How will I turn my beta users into paying customers?

- Sales and Marketing -

How will I get my initial customers?
How will I provide customer service and collect/utilize feedback?
What marketing channels should I explore - web, radio, print, et cetera?

As I mentioned before, this is what I used to get started and there are other pieces to the puzzle that can be incorporated such as funding, an exit strategy, employees, management structure, break-even analysis, profit and loss, et cetera. Ultimately, utilize items that will help your business grow and succeed now, and…

Writing the Dreaded Business Plan [The Closet Entrepreneur]

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Business Pundit: As tax season approaches, I thought it would be useful to offer some advice on taxes for those who make most of their money as online entrepreneurs. Here are five tips that I’ve found to be priceless in the long run. Hopefully, you can save time and stress with these 5 easy suggestions:

1. Send in quarterly payments so that you don’t get stuck with a massive tax bill at the end of the year.

2. Keep all receipts (not just ones that were obvious business purchases), determine “business expense” later. You might be surprised at what you can deduct.

3. File receipts. File your receipts by the end of the day (trust me on this) in a folder penciled with the current month. If the ink is unclear, make a notation in dark ink somewhere on the receipt.

4. Log business activities in a day planner. Record the occurrence of any business-related meetings in a day planner in ink, as well as in a digital file. These will help you or your accountant decide whether a particular expense is tax deductible or not.

5. Keep a spreadsheet. In addition to daily filing of receipts, enter the information in a spreadsheet. If you don’t like or have Microsoft Excel, use OpenOffice. You could also use web-based spreadsheets like Zoho Sheet or Google Docs.

Bonus Tip: If you work out of your home, remember that you can deduct a nice amount for utilities (you are heating your home during the day in the winter *so that* you can work).

Bonus Tip 2: Try to keep all of your purchases on a single business credit card (not your personal card). This gives you a backup record in case the IRS comes knocking.

5 Tax Tips For Digital Entrepreneurs [Business Pundit]

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Not long ago I took a trip to Tuscany and spent a week in a cooking class. Before the trip I spent time researching my options. I wanted to know who would be teaching the class, what courses and dishes would be covered, how hand-on the class was, if wine-pairings with the dishes would be addressed and if the class included trips to the local farmer’s markets to select fresh produce. Finding just the right cooking school was important to me because I would be spending a significant amount of money traveling to Italy and I wanted my experience to be well worth my time and effort.

For a woman interested in buying a franchise, evaluating the training a franchise business offers should involve even greater research – after all, this is about your future – not a vacation.

As part of your due diligence when researching a franchise opportunity, find out everything about the training a franchise system provides. A good training program should cover not only the product or service but also setting up the business, marketing, employee management, business procedures, reporting, etc.

The best way to find out about the scope of the training program is to ask existing franchisees. Find out what stood out about the training they received and what they feel could have been covered more completely. Ask them how prepared they felt when they opened their business and what ongoing training they have been provided.

Keep in mind that the franchisees you talk with may have been through various versions of the training program. Problems that existed at one time may have been fixed. Or, you may find that a training program that was fine in a company’s early days is now out-of-date. Be sure to include in your research franchisees who have had the same training you will receive to get an accurate assessment of its value.

Ask current franchisee if they received a training manual and if the information is updated periodically. Also ask if the franchisor offers other training resources such as conference calls, webinars or intranet sites. Ongoing training is important for many companies who adjust their business with changes in the marketplace. If this applies to the business you are reviewing, find out what they do to keep each franchisee up to speed.

An addition source of training may come from periodic conferences held by the franchisor. Besides providing additional education about the product or service, conferences offer franchisees an excellent opportunity to connect and network with other franchisees in the system. A network of peers is one of franchising’s invaluable resources so be sure to ask if this is an opportunity the franchisor provides.

Although this is less of a problem today than in the past, some industries may have an “old boy’s club” mentality among franchisees. You will be able to tell by reading the UFOC if there are other woman franchisees. Include some women in your due diligence calls so you can get an idea of the business culture and the prevailing attitude towards woman franchisees.

Many franchisors will have field support personnel who are available to be at your site during your grand opening and at periodic intervals during your first year in business or longer. Having someone right there to answer your questions may help calm your first-day jitters so find out if this a serviced provided by the franchisor.

If, after your franchise investigation process is completed, you don’t feel the offered training will adequately prepare you to run your new business, it’s time to step back and look at other opportunities. As reported in the August 2006 Franchising World magazine, a recent study by FRANdata found nearly 2500 franchise concepts in 18 different industries and almost 900 of these concepts were started over the past three years. You don’t have to compromise – if one company does not have the training you are looking for, there are sure to be many other companies who can meet your needs.

I’m happy to report that the cooking school in Tuscany exceeded my expectations and I left there able to prepare a number of authentic and delicious Italian dishes. Had I not researched the available schools so thoroughly, I might have been very disappointed with my choice.

To get full value for your investment in a franchise business, the training should answer all your questions and set you up as a confident and successful owner.

Franchisee training should include:

• Everything you need to know about the product or service
• Everything about using/protecting the brand
• How to find your business location
• How to negotiate a lease
• How you complete the permits and buildout
• How to find, hire and manage employees
• How to market your product or service
• How to keep books and records for the business
• The reporting requirements and processes
• Where to get the equipment needed for the business
• How or where to buy supplies and inventory
• How to get help when you have a problem

Kimberley Ellis is the President of Bison.com, a leading online resource for franchise and business opportunities. She has been quoted as an industry expert in USA Today, Wall Street Journal and a variety of local and regional publications regarding trends in business and franchising. Kim combines her entrepreneurial spirit with a diverse background in marketing and operation to help others succeed in franchising.

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If you are considering a franchise as your next career move, you probably already understand a number of the benefits to being a part of a franchise system. However, as each franchisor will offer different levels of assistance, it can be confusing to someone trying to evaluate a potential franchise purchase.

Since the value of a franchise is that the system has been developed to have replicable results, you will want any system you evaluate to score high in those areas that are important to the success of your unit.

Location – Location – Location
If your franchise is going to be site-dependent, the franchisor should, at a minimum, provide guidelines for selection of a site and the general terms of a lease agreement applicable to this type of location. Some franchisors will provide company personnel who will help you search for and select a site while some even work with national real estate brokers to find the best properties. If your franchisor provides help in site selection and lease negotiation, you are working with a good company.

Build-out Assistance
A typical franchise will provide each franchisee with instructions for the design and lay-out of the store along with details of where to purchase the components. As group buying power an important benefit of being part of a franchise company, you should expect to pay less for these components as a franchisee than if you purchased them as a sole proprietor.

At the high end of franchisor build-out assistance are those companies with design groups who help the franchise design the store, sometimes with such high-tech devices as CAD (computer-aided design) systems. Also, some franchisors will even hire a construction team to do the build-out and then deliver the components right to the new business.

Initial Training
The majority of franchised businesses do not require a new franchisee to have previous industry experience, primarily because they believe they can train a person with good business acuity to run the business successfully. A good training program is therefore essential. Most franchise companies will bring the franchisee to corporate headquarters for classroom training and some will allow time for hands-on training at a nearby franchise unit or corporate store.

This initial training should cover all aspects of the operations of the business, including book-keeping, record-keeping, operations, recruiting and retaining employees, and finding customers. The franchisee should receive an operations manual and get answers to any remaining questions she may have so that she feels confident she will be able to get her business up and running.

Some franchisors will provide corporate or field personnel to work side-by-side with the franchisee during grand opening and during the first week of operations, ensuring the franchisee has mastered the training and achieves a comfort level with the business. Franchisors that are willing to train a franchisee’s manager along with a franchisee are providing a value-added service.

On-going Training and Assistance
A good franchise business will continue to improve and evolve with time and the addition of new units and on-going training is often a necessity. Similarly, a good franchisor will offer continuing educational opportunities to franchisees as well as providing on-going assistance as needed. Many franchisors provide a help-line for issues that come up in the field and some will make regular visits to the franchisee’s location. A company that provides conferences or other opportunities for a franchisee to connect with fellow owners has the best interests of their franchisees in mind as these opportunities allow for creative problem-solving, the sharing of best practices and can reenergize the business focus.

Marketing Expertise
Your franchisor should provide you with a complete marketing plan for your new business that covers grand opening through at least the first 3-6 months. Since the franchisor has every reason to want you to succeed, a savvy franchisor will do much more. Many will provide you with the actual marketing materials, professionally produced. These may include pieces such as posters, banners, direct mail postcards, newspaper ads, and maybe TV and radio spots, all of which can be customized for your location.

Permits, Compliances and Other Legal Issues
Depending on the type of business, you may also need assistance in dealing with local governmental agencies for various permits. If your franchise involves food or beverage, there are numerous health-code compliance issues you will need to handle. Your franchisor should provide help in these areas so that your opening is not held up waiting for permits to come through.

There are several ways to find out how the franchisor handles these support items. The first, of course, is that you will want to ask questions about each as part of your investigation into the business. The second step is to talk to existing franchisees about the support they received and how well prepared they were to open and run the business.

Be sure to ask these franchisees if they felt there was anything missing from the training and support they received and if there is anything they wish had been more complete or done differently. If the company you are investigating scores well with these franchisees, you can be confident you will be happy with the support they will provide to you.

Kimberley Ellis is the President of Bison.com, a leading online resource for franchise and business opportunities. She has been quoted as an industry expert in USA Today, Wall Street Journal and a variety of local and regional publications regarding trends in business and franchising. Kim combines her entrepreneurial spirit with a diverse background in marketing and operation to help others succeed in franchising.

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Celebrity endorsements are a staple in advertising, with more than 20 percent of all ads today featuring a famous face, voice or likeness. Even smaller businesses are using celebrity spokespersons. The reason is simple: Celebrities sell. Consumers pay attention to celebrities because they are attracted to the familiar. But celebrities don't have to be major national names. Local and regional "celebrities" can also help pitch a marketing message for your small business. Three ways your business can use a celebrity spokesperson are:

1. Advertising: Celebrities can pitch your product via print, television, radio and even online
2. Appearances and events: Celebrities can make personal appearances for your business at events ranging from charity fund-raisers to grand openings.
3. Media opportunities: your spokesperson can speak on your behalf on TV talk shows or at press conferences, trade shows or other media events.

Here’s the 411 on getting some star power:

Define your objectives

Determine what you expect from your partnership with your spokesperson and how to best use their talents. Clarify your needs and expectations from the get-go.

Links and resources: Brooks International and Burns are two agencies that specialize in booking celebrity and sports talent. These talent brokers can help you assess your needs.

Find the right fit

It's important that the spokesperson you hire is a good match for your product or service.

Links and resources: The Hollywood-Madison Group uses a proprietary database called the "Fame Index" to match businesses with appropriate talent. The Fame Index contains the names of 10,000 stars and uses 250 categories to match talent to businesses and products.

Plan well in advance

When deciding on a celebrity spokesperson for your business, start early. You should plan at least six months out. The bigger the name, the longer the lead time.

Links and resources: Celebrity Focus and The Celebrity Source are two talent agencies that can connect your company with talent and help you navigate the celebrity maze.

Consider the costs

Talent fees and celebrity endorsements run the gamut from a few hundred dollars for a single appearance by a local DJ to far more for a big star.

Links and resources: If you're looking for major star power, you can go with Hollywood biggies like William Morris or PMK/HBH Public Relations. On a smaller scale, you can contact many local celebrities directly or through their management or their public relations agency.

Make contact

Talent agencies, entertainment marketing firms and even speakers bureaus can put you in touch with potential celebrity spokespeople. Contacting talent can be easier than you might think.

Links and resources: The Screen Actors Guild provides an actor-locator service. If you want a big-name author, call his or her publishing company and ask for the public relations department. A few have their own speakers bureaus: check out the speakers bureau at Harper Collins.

Here are a few other suggestions when hiring spokespersons:

• Don't be afraid to ask. Maybe that certain superstar is not out of your reach or budget.
• Consider "B-List" stars who may be more available and less expensive.
• Local celebrities or athletes may turn out to be your best bet.
• Make sure you have an "out" clause in case your celebrity gets negative press or is involved in a scandal.

Lou Bortone is an award-winning writer and video producer with over 20 years experience in marketing, branding and promotion. As an online video expert, Lou helps entrepreneurs create video for the web at www.TheOnlineVideoGuy.com. In addition, Lou works as a freelance writer and professional ghostwriter, with a ghostwriting site at www.GhostwriteForYou.com and a blog at www.GhostwriteGuru.com.

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YoungEntrepreneur: I had a meeting today with a potential client who asked me why I didn’t have my phone number on my website. I told him it was because we were getting too many inquiries and it was making us unproductive. It got me thinking about the other ways I increase my productivity and I thought I would share some ideas with you today.

1) No phone number on the website.
2) Set times to meet people.
3) Do all your admin on one day.
4) Get help.
5) Check email once a day.
6) Do your most important work in the morning.

6 Ways To Be More Productive And Get More Done [YoungEntrepreneur]

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Here's How to Make it Easy

Some people make decisions without any difficulty, while others struggle. Are you having trouble making a decision? Do you feel overwhelmed by all the choices you have, and aren't sure how to pick just one? No matter how big or small those decisions might be, I can teach you how to strategically:

• Define your decision and come up with alternatives
• Determine what criteria you�ll need to help you make the decision
• Make the decision

"If we wait for the moment when everything, absolutely everything is ready, we shall never begin."  Ivan Turgenev, famous 19th-century Russian novelist, poet and playwright

DEFINING THE DECISION AND ALTERNATIVES

STEP 1: What is it that you need to make a decision about? Maybe you have several choices to make, but start with one. Ask yourself a couple of questions that are applicable to your situation, such as:

"What do I want to be doing for the next 6 months?" "What business am I going to start?" "What aspect of my business do I want to grow?"

STEP 2: Determine your primary goal and write it down. For example, you might want to grow your business over the next six months. Therefore, your goal sentence might be: "I want to earn 25% more within the next 6 months."

STEP 3: After you've written your goal sentence, begin brain-storming a list of ideas for how to achieve the goal. Below are some rules for brainstorming:

• Write all ideas down - ideas are neither bad or good--they're just ideas!
• Do not judge or analyze the idea - just write it down.
• Make the process fun!

You do not have to generate a list of ideas in one sitting, but you may need to set some limits around how much time to spend creating your list. Be creative in how you capture your ideas. Carry a small notebook with you so when an idea comes to you, you�ll be prepared and write it down immediately. I put stickies (Post-It notes) and pens in my purse, car, and bedroom, so whenever and wherever I generate an idea I have a way to capture it. When I�m ready, I collect the stickies and add them to a master list I keep in my office. Just do whatever is easiest for you!

After you feel you've completed your options list (or when the time you've given yourself to make the list has run out), ask someone you trust to read over your ideas. This person needs to be someone who has a positive attitude and is supportive of your efforts! The person may come up with some options you hadn�t considered. Write them down! Remember, you're not judging the ideas--just recording them at this stage.

DETERMINING THE CRITERIA AND EVALUATING EACH OPTION

STEP 4: Identify no more than 4 or 5 criteria that you will use to determine how well your options achieve the goal you've established.

Decision criteria provide checkpoints to measure your options against your goal. Typical criteria fall into two categories:

Do-ability (do I have the money, time, expertise?)
Likelihood of Success (do they meet the goal in time, revenue, fun factor?).

STEP 5: Using the criteria you've defined, evaluate each option. This process can be as simple, or complex, as you desire, and may be qualitative or quantitative. You may need to allow some time to experiment a bit with some ideas to test them out and determine how well they meet each criteria.

MAKING THE DECISION

STEP 6: Sometimes the winner(s) is obvious you'll just pick it and go with it. Or, you may immediately notice certain ideas drop to the bottom of the list and just need to be deleted because they do not support your business needs. When one option is not standing out among the others, you may have to prioritize the options by weighting the criteria to help you evaluate the alternatives and make your decision.

BONUS STEP: Keep in mind, just because an idea may not fit with your current focus; it may serve you later. Create a place to store those ideas--an "idea vault" to tap into the next time you need good ideas!

Terri's keys to successful decision-making

• Write it all down!
• Clarify the decision you are making
• Know your goals
• Be creative in coming up with options
• Trust your gut
• Don't procrastinate!

Terri Zwierzynski is a self-employed business strategist and marketing consultant to solo entrepreneurs, and a grassroots promoter of the solo entrepreneur lifestyle. She runs Solo-E.com, the resource website for the self-employed which attracts thousands of solo home business owners monthly from over 100 countries on six continents.

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Each month, on the first Friday of the month I meet with my mastermind group. It’s a small group and we’ve been together for about 5 years. We begin each month writing down our list of promises - what we intend to take action on in the next 30 days.

Well, I just couldn’t get my arms around what I wanted to focus on this month. It’s not that I can’t think of things to do, I’ve got plenty. Nothing felt particularly inspiring - no passion, no real juice!

Then I realized that my focus has been divided by things I’ve been meaning to follow up on. My email inbox is filled with more red flag on emails that need follow up and each time I read my emails I am reminded that I still haven’t gotten to them. The flags keep multiplying and they have really piled up.

Not only that, I have tons of reports, ebooks, music audios I’ve received from free promos as well as things I’ve bought that I haven’t even looked at or listened to. I have no idea of their real value because I haven’t made the time to go through them. And I am constantly receiving invitations for more stuff!

Now, I’m pretty good at decluttering and I can see I’ve let things pile up that are affecting my ability to focus on what I really want to do for marketing and growing my business. So, I am dedicating the month of July to clean up my computer files NO EXCUSES.

If you’re feeling a lack of focus, ask yourself if you need to do some computer decluttering.

This includes:

1. Emails that require a response. I recommend staying on top of your emails by responding within 48 hours max.

2. Creating email folders with common themes and sorting through your files to organize them into new folders (great for both your email and computer files). Remember to declutter the folders regularly too. Moving them out of your inbox can invite clutter accumulating in your folders.

3. Weeding through your emails and deleting the ones you no longer need.

4. Backing up important folders and files regularly. I do this each time I add something new. Organize them into themes (Marketing, business development, client resources) so you can find them!

5. Reviewing your cache of reports, pdfs, and audios you have been meaning to read and listen to. Schedule time each day or each week in your calendar to sift through the materials.

6. Dumping whatever materials you know you won’t use for yourself or clients.

7. Staying alert to adding more stuff that you really don’t want or need. I know the tendency is to grab material especially when it’s free. Ask yourself, “Is this really info I need and will make use of?” If not, let it go. I guarantee you that opportunities will keep comin around for you to find material you need if you start having buyer’s (or keeper’s) regret.

I recommend decluttering your computer at least once per month to stay productive and focused.

Well, gotta go. Have some decluttering to do. Leave me a comment. Tell me what you think of this post!

Dr. Lorraine Cohen, President of Powerfull Living, brings more than 25 years experience in personal and business coaching, psychological counseling, and sales to thousands of spiritually minded business owners, entrepreneurs, and leaders from a wide range of industries. Learn more about Lorraine’s services, success products and programs.

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YoungEntrepreneur.com: It’s virtually impossible to own a business today and not have a website - but what makes a great website? For today’s Entrepreneur University we connected with Tim Knox. Tim is the founder and president of four successful technology companies and serves as an investor, mentor and advisor to many companies in his home town of Huntsville, Alabama. Here are Tim’s suggestions for how to build a great website:

Building an effective business website is a simple matter of definition.

Before the first graphic is drawn or the first line of code is written, you must define the website’s budget, purpose, target audience, design, navigation, and content. And when that’s all said and done you must define the marketing that will bring visitors to your site.

The 8 Things You Must Know To Build A Great Website [YoungEntrepreneur.com]

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Mind Petals: Here are a few simple ways to apply the Law of Attraction to get the right clients:

You might ‘call’ your clients in innovative ways. Instead of reaching out to your customers and clients in traditional forms—e-mail, voice messages, or even IM—think of ways you can make an appearance in their daily life instead. This is the basis of branding, but can be used in creative ways. Try a hand-delivered thank you note for a recent lunch, or a unique gift after a presentation that you both attended. Making sure the client has you on ‘top of mind’ can help generate further business with very little effort.

It’s also advantageous to be genuine with your marketing efforts. Much of marketing yourself may seem like ‘schmoozing,’ but being genuine in your relationships and partnerships will help things flow with ease. When you both have a goal or intention in mind, the process is much simpler and much more natural.

You can also try predicting the response you want. If you have a ‘gut feeling’ that your client, or prospective clients, may be interested in something you can provide, find a way to highlight the value for them and send it their way. Sometimes simply spelling out how something can help them is all it takes to capture their interest.

Finally, look for ways to move towards a richer relationship. Attracting clients doesn’t always lead to a direct sale—maybe you can reach out to them for referrals, building your portfolio of other work, or simply as a resource. Knowing how to nurture and maintain relationships involves a positive, growth-oriented mindset and your intention can help guide you towards long-term clients with much less resistance.

The Law of Attraction for Snagging New Clients [Mind Petals]

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Marketing Deviant: Making a radio advertisement is a good way to target consumers into buying your products or services. In this short article, I’ll show you how to make your very own radio advertisement for little to no cost. You can use a voice recorder to record your ad, but I advise using a computer or laptop with a microphone so you can record your ad and mix in music much easier and faster to create a radio ad.

To record from your computer, you can download some free voice recording programs from Download.com or use the “sound recorder” provided from your Operating System. It should be located inside the “accessories” folder in “program files” (Windows Vista). Most radio ads run for 15, 30 or 60 seconds. In your radio ad you could explain what products or services you offer with the name of your company, website, location, and phone number. If you are selling a very high advance product then you would need to explain the functions and the reason why it is beneficial to buy it from your ad.

Next you would need music to make your radio ad more appealing. There are free programs to combine your recording and music file together. Using download.com again, type in keyword “music mix” and use the “freeware filter box” and choose the programs you want to use (Window Vista users may have a hard time finding free music mix programs). The music you use for your ad cannot be “louder” than your message or your advertisement would be ineffective. If you use music for your ad, you must ask for permission from the music artist (expect to pay a royalty fee) who created it unless you created it! However, there’s a site that gives insight on public domain music which can be used without paying royalties.

Once you are done with your ad, you just saved from a few hundred to a thousand dollars just by creating the ad yourself.

How to Create a Radio Ad [Marketing Deviant]

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This is an article submitted by Eric Feng. Submit your article! Find out more.

Blooper #1: Not telling us why we should listen to you

Never assume that just because you have an audience, we are obliged to listen to you. We may love you (that’s why we came in the first place) but never take advantage of the trust we have for you. It is an extreme turn-off when the audience has to do the work i.e. figure out how your presentation is relevant to us. We are a bunch of selfish egomaniacs. We love ourselves so much! And we don’t care about your experiences unless it teaches us something that we can use for ourselves. So here’s a word of advice: If you want to share your experiences, please do. But always include a message, something that will benefit us, your beloved audience!

Blooper #2: Ignoring us throughout your speech

We get bored easily. Period. If you keep talking about you, you, you, you, you… we will switch off. We want to be part of your speech. We really do. Get us involved. It could be as simple as asking us a question. It gives us a chance to hear ourselves talk. It could be as simple as playing a mini game with us. It gets us up on our seat. Please entertain us! Make us love you. We really want to because if you keep ignoring our needs, we will do the same. Lucky for the speaker, he allowed us to ask questions at any point in his presentation and guess what, we did! In my opinion, that was his saving grace!

Blooper #3: Going overtime

No matter how good you are, never ever go over time!!! Unless we paid you thousands of dollars to teach us something and you are about to share with us the ultimate secret to earning another ten million. If you want your audience to love you, end earlier than expected! It tells us that you respect our time. It makes you special because most speakers don’t observe that. And guess what, the next time you give your presentation; we will be there to support you!

Blooper #4: Spelling errors on your slides

If you have glaring spelling mistakes in your slides, here’s the image you are portraying to your audience: sloppy and cannot be bothered. Unless that’s what you want the audience to think of you, I suggest you get someone to do a spell check.

Blooper #5: Bad pronunciation of words

It cracks me up when some presenters stumble upon the same word every single time, without any sign of remorse. There was one time I sat through a presentation where the team had to review a company’s product named Morange. And throughout the ten minutes presentation, they came up with oh so many ways to pronounce this word.

And I swear one time I heard Moron. They might as well labelled the product Moronic Morange. That would be… memorable. Some “credit” has to be given to the company who named their product mo-range.

Blooper #6: Reading off the script

Although my preference is to go without a script, sometimes there is a need for it. However more often than not, speakers are too reliant on their script. You see them referring to their script even if it is just reading their name and designation??!! Yes, this is very puzzling. I once came across a book that taught me how to read from a script. Here’s the golden rule. Never ever speak when your eyes are on your script. Instead, you should follow this three-step process: see, stop, say.

First, look down and take a snapshot of your script. Memorize a chunk of words. Bring your head up and then pause for a second. When you are ready, say what you have memorized in your own words. It’s a three-step process: see, stop and say. It is very important that you pause. Yes, it may be weird for you but in reality, the pause helps make your speech conversational. It also creates anticipation, which further deepen the impact.

Blooper #7: Starting your presentation weak

Maybe it is just me but I get really pissed off when a speaker starts off his presentation with “Urm.. I guess I should probably start… ah ok, here goes…”. Or even worse “I am not really prepared for this presentation because (give some lame excuse). But anyway, I will start…” Trust me, giving excuses of why you may not do a good job will hardly win the sympathy of your audience. Instead, you will make us feel that we are unworthy of your time. You will be better off not giving the presentation since no one will be listening anyway.

As the saying goes, you will not get a second chance to make a good first impression. So make full use of your first 30 seconds to impress your audience. Here are a couple of ways you can start a presentation powerfully. You can tell a personal story and relate it back to the message of your presentation. Starting your presentation with a visual stimulating or humorous video clip will also create impact. Or begin with a thought provoking quote or a shocking statistic, which will create the listening for your presentation. All these are far more superior to your usual good morning/afternoon/evening niceties or worse, apologies.

Eric Feng is an acclaimed public speaking coach and he blogs at http://blog.ericfeng.com. Get a free chapter of his soon-to-be published book at http://www.thefaqbook.com before it's taken down.

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Inventor Resource: The initial funding for independent inventions normally comes from ‘friends family and fools’, but once this is exhausted, and you need to progress to the next stage of development, you will need to find other funding.

Grants

There are a number of publicly funded grants available for innovative businesses, some of which can be applicable to inventors. There are two levels of grant suited to independent inventors, and each will require some funding commitment from the applicant, aside from the grant. ‘Micro projects’ are described as ‘simple low-cost development projects lasting no longer than 12 months’. With a maximum grant of £20,000, this is probably the most appropriate for inventors starting out with the development of a new product. ‘Research projects’, lasting 6-18 months, can receive a maximum grant of £75,000, with the aim being ‘to investigate the technical and commercial feasibility of innovative technology’. For more radical inventions, perhaps using new materials or advanced technology, or involving external partners, these are appropriate.

Loans

Do not re-mortgage your house in order to pay for your invention, no matter how brilliant it may seem. If one piece of advice comes through clearly time and time again from inventors who’ve ‘been there’, it’s this.

Small business loans are suitable, however. By presenting yourself as an entrepreneur — a businessperson looking to involve the bank in a mutually profitable relationship (even if you think of yourself as a ‘garden-shed-in-your-spare-time’ inventor) — you stand a good chance of receiving a favourable loan. If your business takes off, quite apart from the interest on the loan, the bank will want to have you as a customer, since business banking charges are a significant proportion of banks’ income.

Venture Capital

Venture capital is most often appropriate for inventors who have made significant progress with their invention and are well on the way to turning it into a successful business. In this sense it should not be seen as a first option for funding your invention. Venture capitalists, or private equity financiers, are looking to make significant returns on the money they invest — which typically belongs to others, as part of a fund — and clearly want to maximise the upside of the risk while minimising the downside.

How Do I Raise Money for an Invention? [Inventor Resource]

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Forbes: Big video-rental chains have been kicking small shops in the teeth for years--which makes Christine Min's feat all the more impressive. Last month Min celebrated the first-year anniversary of her store, Get Reel Video, in Brooklyn, N.Y. Better yet, she is already in the black.

Carve out a niche. If you don't have the muscle to go head to head in a given product line, try another. While the big chains generate roughly 85% of their revenues from new releases, Nolan Anaya, owner of Amherst, Mass.-based Captain Video, aims for more like 50%.

Customer service matters. Wu, a movie buff, says he can take a chance on stocking unusual titles because his customers value his recommendations. "I started recommending it, and it's become our No. 1 renter of all time.

Offer complementary products. To boost sales, some small retailers have branched into pizza, phone retailing and even fake tanning. "So many people put blinders on and think of themselves as a video rental store," says Ken Dorrance, owner of Alameda, Calif.-based Video Station, which also peddles pizza and, starting this year, cellphones.

Craft flexible payment schemes. When Blockbuster did away with late fees two years ago, Alan Milligan, owner of Memphis-based Marquee Movies, responded by letting his customers prepay for rentals and rack up points, similar to a credit card rewards program. "We had to become creative," he says. "We're all learning how to react to the changing market." The free popcorn doesn't hurt either.

The Rebirth Of The Small Video-Rental Shop [Forbes]

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StartupStudents: Today we’ll be discussing ways to gather intelligence on your competitors. This can be useful in a variety of ways such as identifying cutomer habits, picking up on competitor workflow processes, and so on. With such fierce competition in todays market along with ever changing consumer opinions, it’s imperative that you stay one step ahead of your competition.

Quickly, here are some things to think about when checking out your competition.

* Remember that your competition is not necessarily who you think it is
* Your customers determine who the competition is by patronizing those establishments
* Be sure to broadly define your competition at the start, and carefully move inwards through the industry to determine all competitors.

And now for a few pointers on checking out your competition:

* Pretend to be a customer
* Talk to the business owners and find out as much as you can from them
* Talk to their customer’s and get a feel for why they utilize your competitors service or product
* There are tons of great resources out there, so use them! Internet, public filings, local libraries, etc.
* Go to industry trade shows, seminars, and conferences
* Complete a competitive matrix

Checking Out Your Competition [StartupStudents]

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Businessknowhow: Over the years, we have helped many companies grow profitably, using simple, common-sense tactics for cost savings that go directly to your bottom line! And it’s the little things that count - a ten percent increase in profit is more likely to come from twenty things that contribute one-half percent each than from one thing that gives you the full 10 percent.

1. Improve Collections. Rather than wait for a bill to be past due, call the customer the day before the payment is due.

2. International Payments. Payment is slower in other countries. So, if you do business there, you better adjust your prices to reflect these slow collections.

3. Accounts Payable. With each vendor, work out an agreement to delay payments or spread them out.

4. Improve Cash Flow. By improving cash collections and delaying cash payouts you have improved cash collections.

5. Save Pennies. Reduce costs wherever you can.

6. Reduce Cost Of Your Office Supplies. Go through your past invoices and highlight the office supplies that make up 80% of total dollars spent.

7. Telephone Control. Make sure you are getting six-second increment billing with no minimum per call.

8. Your 800 Number. Consider a toll-free telephone number for customer service or to tie locations together seamlessly.

9. E-Mail Rather Than Telephone. Use e-mail rather than playing telephone tag and incurring unnecessary long-distance telephone charges.

10. Do Your Own.

Improving the Bottom Line [Businessknowhow]

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NFIB: On the Web, content is king--or it should be. If you want people to visit, stick around and come back to your small business' Web site, give them substance. The appearance of your Web site is still important in helping establish professionalism and credibility. But the information and other substantive material you provide matter most.

One study, from the Poynter Institute and Stanford University, showed that, unlike with newspapers and magazines, people who read Web news sites typically focus on the text first, looking at photos and graphics afterward. People on the Internet operate in "Internet time" or, in other words, fast. They don't linger over Web pages as they would a newspaper or magazine when drinking a cup of coffee.

People reading Web sites, for the most part, seek substance over style and usefulness over flash. They want to get what they want quickly. Here are some ways to make this happen:

-Readers should know immediately upon accessing your site why they should stick around and what's in it for them.

-Text should be accurate, complete and interesting.

Beefing Up Your Web Site Content [NFIB]

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Businessknowhow: Although your income statement might show a healthy profit, it doesn't amount to a hill of beans if you have no cash flow.

Cash flow represents the amount of money coming in to your business through services rendered and products sold, and money going out to cover expenses and production costs. Your primary responsibility as a home-based business owner is to ensure the flow is consistent with more money coming in than going out so a pool starts to form to hold the overflow.

Integrate these seven simple rules to your operating strategies and enjoy the benefits of a steadily growing cash pool.

1. Request payment prior to delivering your product or service.
2. Pay every bill on time to avoid late payment charges and earlier only if special payment discounts apply.
3. Deposit payments as soon as you receive them.
4. Use a business credit card whenever possible for travel, meals, and minor expenses.
5. Create continuity sales.

Build A Cash Pool For Your Home-Based Business [Businessknowhow]

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EdithYeung.com: The true definition of networking is building relationship & rapport with new friends while being yourself anywhere anytime. Here is my 7 Rules of Networking Made Easy:

1) Ask questions. The truth is everyone loves to talk about themselves. When I say ask questions, I don’t mean what is your name or what do you do for living types of questions. I meant real questions that bring up the past, the feeling, the experience and passion out of your new friends. Vice versa, when someone ask you: ‘How are you?’ Don’t just say I am fine then stop there. Speak with sincerity and put some context to your fineness. For Example: I am doing great because I just closed a BIG deal in San Francisco.

2) Offer help – You can always add values to someone’s life anytime anywhere. Offering help doesn’t mean you have to spend hours of research and work overnight to make things happen. Send your new friends a thank you note with information you think they might be interested such as an intriguing article, shocking news or fun facts that could benefit them.

3) Business Cards. Always bring and offer your business cards. This does show your professionalism and you always seem prepared. If those who work for yourself; design a unique business card that make you stand out.

4) Write things down. After a good conversation, ask for their business card immediately and jot down how you can help. If the person didn’t bring their business card, ask for their contact anyway and write things down on your notebook.

5) Set goal and practice. Set goal to meet someone new person every week. Networking does take work. The more you practice the more you will get better.

6) Follow Up – If you promise someone that you will send them info. Do it within the next 24 hours.

7) Be yourself at all time. You cannot pretend to be an angel at a cocktail party and become a bitch at Starbucks yelling at the barista. You never know who is behind you waiting in line.

The 7 Rules of Networking Made Easy [EdithYeung.com]

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BusinessKnowHow: The good news and bad news about marketing is that price and results are not necessarily connected. You can pay the same price for poor results as you would for great results.

The difference is based on what you put into your marketing before you implement.

By planning your marketing well, you can put more quality into it and therefore, get better results out of it. Here is an easy and effective method to plan your marketing so you can see better results from your marketing without spending more money.

1) Understand your strengths. People buy from you because you do something for them no one else does. Understand this and you've taken the first step to better marketing.

2) Identify your customers (your target market). To promote your business you should focus on people who value what you do. Your strengths (or competitive advantages) will help you focus on who will most value your service or product.

3) Create a meaningful message. The key in successful marketing is to deliver the right message to the right people as often as your budget will allow. So, you need a message that tells your target market why they should do business with you. Your message should reflect your strengths because those are what you do best. And, your message should be in terms that your target market is interested in.

4) Deliver your message as often as your budget allows. Now you have to find and purchase the appropriate delivery vehicles (or media) for your marketing messages. Unless your budget is unlimited, you need to choose delivery vehicles that focus your message.

Four Easy Steps to Getting More Customers [BusinessKnowHow]

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BusinessKnowHow.com: Positive relationships are the key to success in business. What if we've already burned bridges with the people we've done business with in the past? Is it too late to make peace? Or, how do we prevent burning bridges with the people we're doing business with now?

Below are a few strategies that I use to prevent burning bridges and to nurture positive relationships with my clients:

- Always treat your customers like dear and valued friends. Do the nice things for them that you'd do for your best friend or a family member.

- If your customer has a problem, rectify it as soon as possible. Communicate with them always. Let them know exactly how you intend to handle the problem, and when you'll be in contact with them next.

- Always try to conduct yourself nobly and professionally in the end, as well as in the beginning of a relationship with your customer.

- If the business/customer relationship doesn't work out, attempt to salvage whatever good and goodwill are still left in the relationship. Just because it didn't work out with them, doesn't mean they wouldn't refer others to you...as long as you treat them with respect.

- Despite any differences of opinion, work hard to be honest and positive. Always be noble, respectful and genuine.

Positive Relationships Are The Key to Business Success [businessknowhow]

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Are you an entrepreneur seeking to start or grow your existing business? Then you definitely want to take advantage of these exclusive training segments from educators like Brian Tracy, Dr. Joe Vitale, Dan Poynter and Bob Doyle; over 4 hours of detailed online video training. This is your "Business Success Scholarship", compliments of Northstar Thinktank.

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The Northstar Thinktank Business Success Scholarship is available free here at http://scholarship.northstarthinktank.com

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Inspired Business Growth: Do you own a business that depends on local customers? Most brick-and-mortar businesses do very little online advertising or promotion, thinking that investing in internet marketing would be a waste of time for such a small geographic area.

Think again. Local online advertising can mean big business. Unless your business is the first thing that comes to mind for every person in your local community, keep in mind that approximately 60% of customers use the internet to research products or services online before they make a purchase (according to DoubleClick). And if you need a plumber, you would likely search for “plumber Naperville IL” - in fact, an estimated 30% of ALL internet searches have a local intent.

The various local advertising options you have:

Paid Search Engine Marketing - With PPC (Pay Per Click) search engine marketing, you can target your ads to only appear in a certain zip code. This way you can ensure that your ads are only being seen by the right potential customers.

Online Local Directories - Free options mentions in the above referenced article included the extremely popular MerchantCircle.com(USA), TouchLocal (UK) and Local.com as well as Google Local, Local.Yahoo.com, and Craigslist.

Local Online Media Planning and Buying - There are several very large websites that draw visitors that search for local information, and have the capability of geo-tergeting their ads to your region or zip code. National sites include Weather.com, Zillow.com, and CitySearch.com.

How to Market Your Small Local Business Online [Inspired Business Growth]

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Teentrepreneur.com: Another problem that you will encounter as a young entrepreneur is the process of sending and receiving money online. Standard payment methods such as cheques, postal orders or cash just wont be good enough today in a world of speed. What happens if you need a website designer to do a job in 1 day? You won’t be able to send a cheque as it would take up to 14 days. This is where online money comes into play and this is what Ill be talking about in this article

When eBay was launched in September 1995 there was a great need for a new, innovative service that would allow buyers and sellers to send and receive payment easily and quickly. So many people use credit cards in shops that it would have been silly to not allow them to use them online. Thus Paypal and similar sites such as WorldPay and Nochex were born!

The idea behind a site such as Paypal is very simple. All you do is create an account and link the account to your main bank or credit card account. Therefore when you want to buy something, you can use funds from your bank account, and when you want to receive payment, other people can send you money using their credit card.

How To Pay and Receive Money Online [Teentrepreneur.com]

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Blogtrepreneur: So, how do you go about choosing and investing wisely in Text Link Ads? Here are a few guidelines:

1) Checkout the “New Text Link Ads” page over at the TLA site. This is a list of all the recently added sites to the main database. Often these sites will be new blogs which have recently passed the PR4 expectations limit that the company set on new publishers.

2) Hover your mouse over the “Reveal” text to read up more about the specific blog. URL’s aren’t given, as otherwise advertisers could jump the middle man (aka. TextLinkAds the company). Check on the Alexa Rank, Number of pages, Link Popularity and Number of Links Sold. The main idea is to find a new site with a low Alexa Rank (if possible under 100,000), a high number of pages, a high link popularity (as this will give your link more weight in Search Engines), and a low Number of Links Sold in order to make your link stand out at the top of the list.

3) Using the Title and Description given on the page, open up Google and search for the Title and/or keywords mentioned. You should be able to find the site easily unless the description is vague and open-ended. By taking a look at the site itself, you can see where your link will be placed. You can also get a feel for the author (if it’s a blog), and to judge potential.

4) Then finally, purchase your link for as long as you want to risk. The longer you can afford to do so, the better. But another vital thing here is to keep reviewing the blog that your advert is on. If you can see things starting to go dry, then stop and move on. It’s better to cut your losses rather than to keep on throwing money at a dead cause.

How To Invest In Text Link Ads [Blogtrepreneur]

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