No matter how big or small the project, the Lone Ranger handles 100% of it. Either because they’re afraid to let go of control or because they feel they can’t afford to hire help. Can you relate? I know I can!

So what’s wrong with doing everything yourself? Well it’s tough to grow your business if you’re busy managing every single detail. I know it’s a bit scary to let go of control or to consider actually hiring help, but I also know it’s necessary if you want to grow your business to its fullest potential.

Take my 10-question quiz to determine if YOU are a Lone Ranger. And don’t worry if you are, I’ve got some suggestions to help you rid yourself of this business-stifling affliction!

1. Do you work alone?

2. Do you feel no one can do your work quite as well as you?

3. Do you often feel there aren’t enough hours in the day to get everything done?

4. Do you maintain your own website?

5. Do you do your own accounting and billing?

6. Do you write your own sales and marketing copy?

7. Do you get your own mail?

8. Do you buy your own office supplies?

9. Do you create or deliver all your products and services by yourself?

10. Do you fulfill and ship all your sales yourself?

I think you can see this list could go on and on and on, but you get the idea. So if you answered “Yes” to most or all of these questions, guess what, YOU ARE A LONE RANGER! That’s okay, I’ve been one, too.

When your business is small you have to wear many hats because you can’t afford to hire help. But at what point do you make a decision to start delegating tasks to someone else? ANSWER: When the time you’re spending on administrative tasks involved in keeping your business running prevents you from spending time growing your business.

As a business owner, you should aim to spend at least 60% of your time marketing. You are the BEST person to market your product or service. And marketing is the only way your business will grow and flourish. So if you’re too busy paying bills, getting the mail, responding to email and running out to pick up office supplies, then guess what? You don’t have time to market. And your business cannot grow.

So what’s a Small Business Lone Ranger to do? Here are 6 tips:

1. Make a list of all the tasks that don’t require your specific expertise or talent (things like sorting mail, buying office supplies, and filing).

2. Make a second list of the tasks that consume a lot of your time but are OUTSIDE your specific area of expertise (things like maintaining your web site or managing your business finances and accounting).

3. Determine how many hours per week you spend doing these tasks.

4. Determine what additional sales and marketing, or other business-building activities you would have time for if you didn’t have to do these other tasks.

5. Estimate how many additional clients or sales you could generate with this extra time spent on marketing and building your business.

6. Make a decision to hire an assistant, bookkeeper, web site manager or whatever specialists are appropriate to handle these tasks. Determine what you can afford based on your results in Tip Number 5.

I know you’re probably wondering how you’ll be able to afford it. But really, we can’t afford NOT to hire help. Unless we are satisfied with keeping our business small. And don’t get me wrong, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that I’ve done it for seven years. But if you have a bigger vision (like I do now), then you need a team to help you make that vision a reality.

To start with, your team should include an assistant to do the work that is not a good use of your time. This doesn’t have to be a full-time employee; I’m starting out with someone just a few hours a week. You’ll also want to get a bookkeeper and a CPA to manage your finances they’ll not only free you up from your accounting tasks, they’ll also help you keep more of what you do make.

So take a moment to get a clear vision of what kind of business you want to create. And if that vision is larger than you can accomplish on your own, take the six steps above to get a team to help you make it a reality.

(C) Copyright 2005 Debbie LaChusa

Are You a Small Business Lone Ranger? Take My 10-Question Quiz To Find Out! is a post from: Business And Careers Directory for Business Information | Acenteredness.org

It takes much more effort to win a new customer than to maintain a relationship with an existing customer. But maintaining current customer relationships is just as critical and Id even dare to say, more important than gaining new customers. What can we do to keep our established customers feel appreciated? You need to follow up with your customers.

Following up may be as simple as writing an email or giving a phone call to a customer a few weeks after a sale. At Screaming Bee, I make it a personal goal to contact every customer that buys our voice-changing software, MorphVOX, within 2-3 weeks after a sale.

Does this take time? It sure does. Is it worth it? Absolutely! Not only does this allow us to get good feedback from customers in order to improve our software, but also it establishes a more solid, long-lasting relationship that goes beyond the point-of-sale.

Most people were surprised that I would be willing spend the time to talk with them and were touched by the personal attention they received. And I was also surprised at how uncommon it was for online businesses to follow up on their customers. Some of the typical comments that I have received as the result of my efforts include:

I really appreciate the personal touch, vs. the usual automated we have received your email garbage, followed by… well, nothing usually…

Huh, never had customer support quite like this I appreciate it…

People dont like being ignored and definitely like being heard. There are many businesses that are ignoring their customers and, as a result, losing them.

Your current customers are the heart and core of your business. These customers provide return business and also provide the essential word-of-mouth promotion that no clever advertisement or marketing scheme will ever out-perform. Treat your customers like your own family. Go out of your way to communicate with them. If you neglect them, they will go elsewhere.

Build a strong business with strong customer relationships is a post from: Business And Careers Directory for Business Information | Acenteredness.org

1) Understand the Industry

If you want to work in special effects, its important not just to know the difference between a Stag (stagehand) and a Director, but know how special effects itself is divided up. Long gone are the days when Ray Harryhausen (Jason and the Argonauts) would lock himself in a shed with a small team of people and do all the special effects himself. Now, everything is spread across different teams and departments. So, if youre interested in sculpting sets and large monsters, you want to work as a film sculptor; if you’d prefer smaller more technical projects youd be better off choosing the model unit.

2) Be a Realist

Working in the creative industry and particularly the film industry is not easy. Youll often be faced with challenging projects and demanding deadlines and therell be dozens of different people waiting for you to finish so they can complete their own jobs. Youll have to strike a balance between the time allowed and quality of what you produce; you cant get too precious about your work. Not only that, youve got to promote yourself all special effects artists are freelance and youve got to hunt down the jobs out there.

3) Study Art

Whether youre self-taught or went to Art College, it is vital you have a keen interest in Art to work in special effects. If someone asks you to sculpt a life-size Roman-style Statute or an Egyptian sarcophagus its invaluable to have a point of reference in your own mind. But more important than this, itll make the job more enjoyable. You may be flicking through an art book over the weekend, and on Monday morning youre asked to recreate one of the pieces youve been admiring.

4) Drawing

In the film industry all technical drawings are done by draughtsmen in the Art Department. So is this just padding to reach the magic ’10′ steps? No. If you want to create any 3D object, particularly the human form, it is vital to learn to draw and keep practicing. Sculptors regularly liken sculpting to drawing their subjects in clay from various angles. The key to good sculpture, like drawing, is defining the lines and shadows.

5) Practice

This is obvious but it’s also vitally important. If you practice creating and sculpting things in your spare time, you will improve. It is also very valuable to recreate a film working experience so limit yourself to reference photographs (rather than a life model) and give yourself a challenging deadline for the job. A little more difficult, but just as valuable, is to try different mediums. You may be an expert in steel construction and welding, but unless you join the engineering side of special effects or metal work team, these skills are useless. The materials of choice in the films tend to be low-grade potters clay and polystyrene.

6) Approachable

Almost everyone in the film industry is self-employed and so they understand the only way to get work is to promote yourself. This doesnt mean you should go around to a potential employers house or create wacky self-marketing campaigns; it means most people in the industry are approachable. If you cold call a relevant Head of Department (HOD) and show commitment and desire to learn theyll often agreed to meet you for 5-10 minutes to look over your portfolio.

7) Persistence

When you do finally meet the man or woman youre hoping to be your future boss, dont stop there. Theyll take your details but it might be 18 months before they have a suitable project and give you a call. You need to make sure you meet as many future employers as possible, and stop and have a chat with other people in the department if you feel brave enough. Try and leave a card or better still, copies of your favourite 1 or 2 pieces of work with your contact details on (and ideally your online portfolio address if you have one). Then, give them a quick catch-up call every 6 months or so even if they cant offer you a job, its amazing how much information youll get about different opportunities.

Portfolio

Vital. In a word. The key rules to a good portfolio are simple:

>Diversity show different types of work you may have done you may be proud of the series of 18 statutes youve done, but dont show them all. Also, you may not think that 30ft polystyrene snow drift shows youre finesse as a sculptor, but it shows your versatility so put it in.

>Honesty it should go without saying but it doesnt. Only one thing gets a HOD’s back-up more than seeing a large piece of work with someone claiming to have created it single-handedly, and thats seeing a piece of their own work being claimed by someone else. Believe me, it does happen. So, be honest. If you did the left foot of a giant, then say so and dont be ambiguous about it.

>Concise use your opportunity wisely. 10-12 photos are definitely enough to show a range of your work and skills.

>Best Foot Forward most people will make a decision about your work within 2-3 examples so put your best work at the very front.

>Presentation try not to have scraps of paper tumbling out of your moth-eaten portfolio. Invest in an easy to carry A4 portfolio and use plastic binders. If you have any Photoshop skills to improve the presentation of your work then use them. Dont feel the need to take in an example of your sculpture you will be showing your work to professionals who are very used to assessing work through photographs.

>Information you may have produced a full-scale replica of Michelangelos David, but if it took you three years its no good to the film industry. Make sure you note down the scale of each example of your work, what material you used and how long it took. These simple pieces of information are important for HODs and will be appreciated.

>Online Portfolio if you can, get an online portfolio designed and make sure any contact details contain the address. Ideally, try and get the HODs email address so you can send them the link. Any time you update the contents of the portfolio, its a good excuse to contact the HOD with another link to your work.

9) Networking

Networking can feel a bit uncomfortable and embarrassing at times, but it is important to get to know what jobs are out there. After youve worked on a job or two youll get the phone numbers of a few fellow workers make sure you give them a ring. But be warned, if youre first to hear about the new James Bond film and then tell everyone, youll find yourself joining the queue to show your portfolio. This doesnt mean you shouldn’t share information you may have about up coming jobs, it means you should bear in mind that everyone is trying to get employment. It’s also a good idea to keep an eye on movie news websites.

10) Watching Films

A great perk for those times when youre not in work you can watch films and claim its research. Obviously, its a great feeling to see your own work on the big screen, but its also exhilarating to see the work and names of people you know. After your first job or 2 youll very quickly start to feel part of the industry and start recognising names and faces. Also, for those jobs you missed out on, you can go and have a good grumble about how you would have done it better!

Working in the film industry is not for everyone; but if youre keen and develop youre skills and knowledge, then youre likely to get an opportunity to show what you can do. Best of luck!

10 Steps to Getting Your Dream Job in Film Special Effects is a post from: Business And Careers Directory for Business Information | Acenteredness.org

You want your flyers to travel all over town, only you’d probably prefer it wasn’t in the dustcart or stuck to the bottom of someone’s shoe. What steps can you take to avoid this?

Here’s a few hints and tricks to help your flyers avoid the trash:

1. Don’t miss the boat before you start. Double-check local
Fresher’s week and 2005/06 term dates with your local universities, as they vary nationwide.

2. Make sure there’s a reason for students to keep your flyers. Can you include a drinks’ promotion, discount or special offer in the copy?

3. Always include the key facts. Students need to know what,
when, why, how and where. List all relevant info, such as prices, times, dates, venue or address, contact details and your url.

4. Always double check your spelling and grammar before you
go to print.

5. It may sound obvious but do a spot check on the reliability
of your delivery agents. You’ve got a great deal on print, don’t blow it with distribution.

6. Remember to leave your flyers in the places where your target student hangs out, read Meet the students for some helpful placement ideas.

7. Strong visuals or topical humour help students to remember
your promotion. They may even stick your flyer on their bedroom wall; beats the Simon Cowell poster their mum bought them for Christmas.

8. Ask a few local students their opinion of your sample flyer
designs to see which one has the most market appeal.

9. Want to increase sales and profit? Handing out the flyer
yourself can maximise your budget. Your personal enthusiasm and a friendly face can work wonders.

10. Er, try not to stand near a bin.

10 Ways To Ensure Your Flyer Avoids The Bin is a post from: Business And Careers Directory for Business Information | Acenteredness.org

When you want to start a vending machine business of your own, the first thing you need to do is find a vending machine distributor that has the type of vending machines you want to start with. The problem is knowing how and where to find the distributor and what vending machines are right for you. Many of the distributors you contact can give you valuable advice about what types of vending machines would be best for your area. The distributors that deal with your area will also be able to give you advice about getting into this type of business opportunity. Vending machine routes may be available where the machines are already in place.

As an independent vending machine business owner just getting started, you may not be able to deal with the manufacturers of the machines. This is where a vending machine distributor can really help you. These people know the manufacturers of all the different types of machines and may be able to put you in contact with someone that has used vending machines for sale that are in excellent condition. Since the distributor is usually a good client of the manufacturer buying many machines, for you and others taking advantage of a vending machine business opportunity, he/she will also be able to get a better deal on a new machine.

The Internet is your best source of finding a vending machine distributor. When you come across a business opportunity, vending machine distributors will be able to get you any type of vending machine you want. These people may also be able to supply you with the products that you need for stocking and restocking the machines. This is one factor that you do have to consider when you want to start a vending machine business how difficult or easy it will be to get the products that you need. You also have to consider the location of the distributor in relation to where you are so that the costs of shipping the machines and the supplies will not be too expensive.

Just looking at the website of the vending machine distributor will give you a pretty good idea of whether or not this person is right for you to deal with. Check to make sure that the distributor keeps the website up to date and that he/she does have the latest vending machines available. Once you find a distributor that you think you might be able to work with to start a vending machine business, you should contact him/her by email or telephone to get further information. In addition to finding a vending machine distributor, you do need to check the references to make sure that you will be dealing with a reputable distributor.

A Vending Machine Distributor Find Out What How This Person Can Help You is a post from: Business And Careers Directory for Business Information | Acenteredness.org

1. Headline
The most important thing in a sales letter is the headline, it cant be emphasized more. Use a red headline to grab attention. Make sure the headline is catchy, in bigger font, and preferably in the font Tahoma.

2. Attention
You need to start your sales copy by getting the prospects attention. After the headline does its job, youll need to get your prospects attention by telling them what they are seeing here. Tell them right away what they are getting in the sales letter they are reading now.

3. Interest
Youve got your visitors attention, what you need to do next is start telling them a story and have them interested in what you have to offer. Interest them by mentioning what You have for Them them, them, them, youre always thinking of the benefit on Their side!

4. Desire
When they are ready to know what you want to offer them, then it is a good time to make them want it more. Mention how your product is able to change their lives, tell them how bad things can turn to good after getting your product always remember that its about them, not you!

5. A Call To Action
Already have them thirst for your product deeply now? Great you are now going to sell them the product. Urge them to buy your product, tell them that they must have this product of yours.

6. Long Copy
It is proven more than enough that direct sales letter with a long copy of a single page works the best to sell a product. This way you can list out everything your prospects need to know and wouldnt let them have a moment to be confused at all. You get their attention, interest them, explain everything, get their desires out and Bam sell them the product.

7. Testimonials
Nothing is better than a proof from people who have their lives changed because they purchased your product. By providing testimonials, you get a third party to support you and that urges your prospects into buying more easily. We rather purchase something people recommend, dont we?

8. Clean and neat sales copy
You dont want to clutter your sales copy with fancy colors, graphics and so on. It is important that your prospects focus more on your words, the texts rather than the design of your sales letter, color of the background etc.

9. Write a story
A good sales letter will need to hook its readers without fail. We are used to finishing a single task in this case, a story since young. Ever watched an exciting movie and stopped in the middle because you need to accomplish some other things? It feels voided if you do so, right?

This is the same case, people will try and finish every story they read, especially an interesting one. If you can write a good story and keep your prospects hooked right down until the order button, you succeeded.

9 Amazingly Easy Ways To Writing Your Greatest Sales Letter Ever is a post from: Business And Careers Directory for Business Information | Acenteredness.org

* Google News World: http://news.google.com
* Google News Canada: http://news.google.ca
* Google News UK: http://news.google.co.uk

I only mention this because when submitting my internet marketing articles, I often wonder if they show up within Google News? 9 times out of 10, they do! In fact, they usually show up within 48 hours of being indexed from other top related websites.

How does Google News select it’s content?

Right now, it seems that “news centers” & “press release companies” related to your field online are profiting from these search results. When you think about it, wouldn’t a press release be a form of news anyways? Possibly…

If you take a good look at the websites who deliver the content within Google news, you will notice that only a select few are providing all of the results. Again, it’s possible that Google’s news algorithm is still in its infant stages and probably has a lot of uphill battles to conquer.

It may be in Google’s best interest to assemble a team of experts in different fields to accept articles/news submissions in order to keep the news source within the Google kingdom.

There is Only A Fraction of Results Showing:

While searching through the GN section, you will also notice a relatively small portion of actual search results coming up. Only a fraction of a percentage of results get listed within the GN search results compared to the same results within the regular search results found on Google’s main page.

Only the sections on the left deliver actual real-time news. These are: Top Stories | World | Business | Sci/Tech | Sports | Entertainment | Health. These links provide real-time results delivered from credible news sources online.

Google News Alerts – Ezine anyone?

When you think about it, you are giving Google your email address to get related articles to the search term delivered to your inbox, how does this differ from any other regular newsletter? Are we going to start seeing Google Adwords within the news alerts? Will they consider giving large corporations the opportunity to advertise within their email alerts as a one time mailing! I hope not.

More and more we are seeing less of the Google we once knew and have come to love (A search bar with some great results). Since Google’s IPO, the development team at GG are starting to launch applications online that are starting to resemble what we now know as the great Yahoo Portal.

Will there be any difference? Probably not.

One Great Point About Google News:

They have given you the ability to customize your page to show whatever news topics you want. Simply look at the right side for a button that says “Customize this page New!”. Once you click on this link a drop down box shows you all the main topics you have listed within your page. Simply click on the topic you wish to customize or remove. The best part of it all is that you can click on “Add a custom section” and simply search for the topic you wish to have listed on your page.

All in all you can create an entire custom news page (author articles) that relate to your industry.

Google News – Just another article announcer? is a post from: Business And Careers Directory for Business Information | Acenteredness.org

Business networking is all about forming strong relationships built on mutual respect and trust. Those relationships are the basis for the single most important tool that we all need if we want to survive in the competitive 21st century.

I’m talking about referrals.

And today’s savvy business professionals know that–just as night follows day–networking leads to referral business.

Opportunities to network–to meet people for mutual support (and eventually referrals)–are everywhere. Here are just a few places to consider starting your networking efforts:

Professional Associations–Join your professional association. It’s a powerful source for richly rewarding contacts that can result in a tremendous number of referrals from people with a different specialty than yours.

If possible, join the professional association of your target market. Form those relationships. See and be seen among them and before you know it, you will be considered the “go-to” person in your industry.

Special interest groups–Whether you’re interested in sports, the Internet, politics, crafts, poetry, theater, travel, or underwater basket weaving, there are other people who share your interests. Ask around, look at your local newspaper listings or search the Internet for groups you can join.

Newcomers Clubs–If you’re new to a city and haven’t had the chance to meet many people yet, you’ll be delighted to learn that a lot of communities all over the world have clubs for people just like you.

Type your town or city and the term “newcomers club” into your favorite search engine and you’ll be able to tap into people who can help you start networking in your area.

Networking Events–Again, go to your favorite search engine. Type in your locale and the term “networking events.”

Your Local Newspaper–Review the business section of your local newspaper. Often they list upcoming events for the week in Monday’s edition. If you can’t find any networking opportunities listed there, call a business reporter and ask him or her to point you in the right direction. The call itself can be a very powerful networking moment.

Leads Groups–These are structured networking organizations usually limited to one person per occupation. The purpose is primarily to exchange business referrals, and the amount of business that comes from a well-run group can be staggering. I started and ran my own leads groups for over a decade and I know how powerful they can be in accelerating business growth.

Again, ask around for a good group in your area or search the search engines under “business networks,” “leads groups,” or “referral groups” plus your town or city’s name.

Workshops and Seminars–These can be wonderful networking opportunities, especially the ones that run over several days. Take advantage of the interactive exercises and the breaks to get to know other participants. Staying in touch after the event is over is key in deepening those relationships.

Volunteering–Do something good for others while creating lasting relationships with your volunteer colleagues. Knock people’s socks off with what you do as a volunteer and it will give people an indication of how you conduct your business. This will make you incredibly attractive to potential referral partners in the group.

Chamber of Commerce–Check out the networking opportunities that your local Chamber of Commerce offers. Also use them as a resource for finding other networking events in your community.

Parental Networking–Opportunities abound to meet people through your children. Weather you’re leading a Scout troop, chaperoning a dance, attending a soccer game, setting up carpools, or manning a booth at a bake sale, doesn’t matter. What matters is that it’s pretty well impossible not to create relationships with other parents when you are surrounded by them.

The Best Place to Network–The best place to network is always where members of your target market hang out.

Bottom Line: If you want more business, you need referrals, and if you want referrals, you need to network.

Finding Networking Opportunities Is Easy is a post from: Business And Careers Directory for Business Information | Acenteredness.org

To make money in today’s Internet Marketing environment, one must specialize in well defined niche topics.

Lets examine a few misconceptions when it comes to niche marketing.

Misconception #1: You do not have to be an expert in the Niche field you choose!

Everyone says you should only choose a Niche that you are an expert in…nonsense!

The Internet is so impersonal that you can easily appear as an expert and not know anything about that particular niche topic. The key is to appear as an expert. How? You can outsource, build niche sites with no interaction such as blogs, purchase resale rights to an ebook in a particular niche. You see, you can choose to profit from any niche you like.

Misconception #2: Choose one niche market and stick with it.

Not true! Once you establish yourself in one niche and develop a profitable system, choose another one and run with it. You can even choose a pen name if you like, it’s common practice to do so.

Niche marketing is a numbers game. Once you find a profitable niche put it on auto-pilot and choose another niche market to get into.

Misconception #3: The best way to make money in the niche game is to promote niche products as an affiliate.

Wrong again! Sure, becoming an affiliate and promoting niche products can be very profitable, but if you are doing this, you’re not maximizing your income.

You need to promote your own landing or squeeze page where you collect the e-mail address of the visitor, and then sending him or her to the niche product you are promoting. You should also send out an e-mail course with informative information pertaining to that particular niche market to gain the visitors trust. Since your subscriber now trusts you, you can recommend products in that niche again and again, knowing your recommendation holds a lot of weight.

Those are three popular misconceptions when it comes to niche marketing. Follow the tips above, and you will be more likely to succeed. Remember, it is important to find a profitable niche, set it up so it is on auto-pilot, then move on to the next niche.

Not all niche markets will be a slam dunk, so don’t get discouraged.

Even if one out of ten become really profitable, sit down and smile, you’ve hit the jackpot.

3 Popular Niche Marketing Misconceptions is a post from: Business And Careers Directory for Business Information | Acenteredness.org

In addition to the negative repercussions of having stressed out employees, your business may be experiencing lower productivity and poor quality of output. It is both clear and obvious that some very cost effective strategies could minimize stress on the job and provide your employees with opportunities to reduce other stress related problems.

Below is a list of 6 ways in which you can help your company reduce stress for your employees while increasing the output of your business:

1. Provide an attractive and comfortable work environment whenever possible to reduce stress. Pleasant surroundings can do more for a persons attitude then we often realize. Create a less formal atmosphere by adding plants or improved decoration, even if that is just in a rest room it will help.

2. Supply a quiet room for your employees to take their breaks in. Not the canteen or games room, this room should be separate from the normal “hustle and bustle” of the work-place. It will give your employees an opportunity of a quick 10 minute break from work and anywork related stress that they may be experiencing.

3. Instead of giving orders 100% of the time try to create opportunities for employees to make decisions that will directly affect their job performance. This gives them a sense of personal power and less stress because they feel they have some control.

4. Thank your employees for work accomplished and recognize them for exemplary performance. A quick thank you will go a long way in reducing complaints and stress. Be genuine and only thank when workers have worked well otherwise you will be rewarding sub-standard activities.

5. Always choose ergonomically sound equipment, tools, and furniture. These will make work easier for your staff, reduce workplace injuries and therefore limit any compensation claims. In addition workplace stress will be reduced and staff, equipped with the correct tools, will be more productive.

6. Go out of your way to create opportunities for the employees to meet, socialize and build relationships away from work. Set up a bowling team from work where you gather and play once a week or maybe a softball team, or even a book club, for employees only.

When staff realize you have their interests in mind and are doing all you can to improve working conditions they will respond and you will see an improved atmosphere and productivity.

6 Ways to help your employees beat stress and work more is a post from: Business And Careers Directory for Business Information | Acenteredness.org