Admin'istriv'i*a

You have questions? We have answers

noreply@blogger.com (Smallbizjunkie) — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 19:59:00 +0000

Or something like that. But maybe in reverse. I am a great proponent of mastermind groups and of business people helping each other out with the "been there, done that" issues that come up on a regular basis. Instead of living in the fear/scarcity mentality, let's think of our lives as being full and abundant. There's enough out there for all of us and as we water, and nurture, our friends and colleagues, we will grow our own businesses as well.

In that vein, I have a poll I am hoping people will take. It has to do with likes, dislikes, and absolute musts when networking. Please go to http://polls.linkedin.com/p/77730/ywapy and check it out. Thanks, guy.

Nancy

Meeting Etiquette

noreply@blogger.com (Smallbizjunkie) — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 18:19:00 +0000

As business owners we all have our days full of many things. We work, we have family obligations, and we try to grow our businesses. The last is done through going to meetings, networking, sending out emails, and much more. When we finally fall into bed at night, we’re tired and weary. There is just too much to do in a day’s time.

One of the things I’ve noticed lately, however, is that people will plan on going to meetings – they will rsvp or at least tell the organizers of the meetings that they plan on being there, and then at the last minute, they are a no-show. To them, it may not make a big difference, except that in their very busy day they either overbooked, or were just too tired to make it to the event. However, it’s an entirely different story for the organizers of the event.

Put yourself in their shoes. There is generally a price to pay for the room to hold the meeting, as well as food and drink purchased for a certain number of people based on the prior information given. The others there count on the presence of each and every person to make the meeting a true success for without people there can be no networking.

It is simply a matter of fairness that if you acknowledge acceptance of an invitation you follow through. There may be a situation arise where you cannot go forward with your plans but a simple phone call saying you’re sorry should not be that difficult. It is a sign of the times that we simply don’t think of the other side of an equation, when in fact that is the most important side.

Please, think about the overall picture when you plan on going to events or meetings. It will only serve you better in the long run.

No Pain, No Gain

noreply@blogger.com (Smallbizjunkie) — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 13:52:00 +0000

I love reading the magazine Success. There is always something that I learn from it. The newest edition is all about people who have persevered and succeeded despite many obstacles. The publisher, Darren Hardy, talks about how he learned early in life that in order to truly succeed you must always be pushing yourself forward. I love what his dad told him one day when he came home excited that he’d been on the ski slopes all day but hadn’t fallen once: “If you are going to get better, you have to push yourself. If you push yourself, you are going to fall.”

I think, especially in today’s economic environment, it’s very easy for business owners to take the path of least resistance. “I’m going to just sit tight and clap when I get through the day without falling.” When we see obstacles in our path, we automatically seem to generate a fear of failure, and that stops us before we ever get started.

There are two ways to look at this fear of failure: one, is to see it as a way to better yourself. Just because something happened this time, if you learn from your mistakes, you won’t make the same one again – thus a movement ahead. The other way to look at it is as though this failure was personal and permanent. No way to get around it. This second way of looking at things is the death of a business.

There are several people in this issue of Success that could have easily taken the second option: Ben Hogan, for one, was in a head-on collision with a bus. Being told he’d never walk again, he has gone on to become a great golfer. And what about Colonel Sanders of Kentucky Fried Chicken fame? His story is used in business schools to teach the art of perseverance. He started selling his chicken to people in his living room behind the gas station he ran. Then, moving to a motel and small restaurant, he made even more sales, until the Interstate came in and his customer market dried up.

He then went on the road trying to franchise his operations, but after 99 refusals was just about to give up, when – lo and behold – there was his first yes!!! Then, in 1964, he sold the company to a Kentucky conglomerate for $2 million dollars – not a bad sale in those days! How many times, however, during the course of that business development, could he have said, “I’m never going to make a success of this. I’m just going to give up.” He didn’t, and his falls made him a better person and a better business.

I know how scary it can be. After almost losing my eyesight from glaucoma, and being out of my business for over two years, while my operations manager poorly managed the company (to the tune of losing my best three customers), I was scared to death to try and go it again. I thought I’m never going to recover from this. I’m sick, and I’m tired, and I just want to go to bed. I’ll never have the energy to get this going again. Yet, five years later, here I am – and doing well, thank you.

There are several others in the magazine that talk about their life situations and how it has affected them in the business world. They all have very interesting stories and I highly recommend that you read them.

To go along with these “falls” comes this thought. I was listening to my radio station on the way to work this morning, and a question was asked … “If you could choose to sit at a table with anyone alive today, who would that be?” Now, since I was listening to country radio, the first answer to come in was from a woman who said she wanted to sit with the guy in the new Billy Currington song, “People are Crazy.” In that song, two strangers (one an older gentleman) get together in a bar and are talking about life in general. That’s the one and only time they meet, yet at a later time, it is found that the older man is a millionaire and has left his entire fortune to the young man who had talked with him that night. Sure, I’d love to have talked with him as well, but – that ain’t happening anytime soon, right?

However, it got me thinking. There are so many people out there that I would love to talk with; people who have all kinds of life experiences to share – many of them business success stories. Everyone has something to share with others – things from the little and mundane to the major breakthroughs. That’s why I think it is so important for us to take the time to talk with each other; to share and to ask for advice. We’re not all in the same place in our businesses, but I can guarantee that we’ve never had a situation that no one else has ever had. There is someone out there that can tell you how they managed when faced with a similar problem or issue. Why reinvent the wheel? Let others guide us through the dark passages that we sometimes find ourselves in. And, we, too can help those that are where we were in the past. Life is so much better when we talk with each other and help each other without a price tag attached.

My advice today, then, is something that I’m doing for myself. I’m going to take my falls and pick myself back up and move ahead – I’m going to talk to others and get an idea of where they’ve been and how they’ve made it – and I’m going to become that success I’m looking for. What are you going to do with your business?

The Times They Are A'Changing

noreply@blogger.com (Smallbizjunkie) — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 12:22:00 +0000

The lyrics of a song by Chris Rea go something like this:

Changing times cold hard rain/Everything's a changing/Nothing's gonna be the same
You'd better look out/'Cos you can't stop these changing times/Nothing going ever to be the same
You'd better look out/Look out for these changing times

Change is probably the scariest thing that can happen to people – and even the thought of change makes many stop, dig in their heels and state “I’ll think about that tomorrow.” We like living in our worlds – all neat and tidy, where we know what to expect and have our routines down pat. But, unfortunately, part of the world that we all live in is the inevitability of change. We can’t stop it, no matter how hard we try.

Recently, as many of you know, I moved back to small town USA after being away for many years. To me, home for the past 30 years has been Washington, DC – where everyone is bustling and the business world is ever changing. It’s hard to keep up and in order to succeed, you need to be ready for change at any given moment. It’s a rough existence at times, but people learn to adapt and to move forward – or sideways – when the need arises. But even there, we find ourselves in ruts and old routines that are hard to give up.

Risk and change are often synonymous in many people’s thoughts. “Things are going ok now. What’s going to happen if I do something different? Will I hurt my business?” They are afraid of what the future might hold if they change the least little thing – yet, without that change, business stagnates.

Perhaps your business seems to be running fine. You’re making money: you have satisfied customers, and you feel like you’re ahead of the game with your marketing. But are there things that you’d like to do that you never seem to have time for? Do you have goals but never seem to move forward with any of them? Is there a type of other business that you’d like to network with, but maybe you’re afraid that they might make it harder for you to succeed in your company? What’s stopping you from completing any of these items? Is it that you’re afraid of change? Maybe it’s time for you to say, “Oh what the heck. Let’s give it a shot. Change is happening anyway.”

Want some tips for starting a small business?

noreply@blogger.com (Smallbizjunkie) — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 13:01:00 +0000

I am really excited -- my new booklet is hot off the presses. I've put to paper some of the basics on how to (and how NOT to) start a small business. There are links to great small biz websites and some info that every new business person needs to know. If you're interested in learning more, send me an email and I'll be happy to talk to you about the book.

King Arthur’s Roundtable

noreply@blogger.com (Smallbizjunkie) — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 14:19:00 +0000

The story of the Roundtable is that Arthur’s most trusted knights sat with him around this table making decisions, having fun and sharing their lives with one another. It’s a good way to think about business even today. A book, written by David Perkins, entitled King Arthur's Round Table: How Collaborative Conversations Create Smart Organizations talks about how this method of business management creates a better decision-making process and therefore a more effective business. How do you do this if you’re a one person organization? Well, there’s help on the horizon.

The Work Place Initiative is just such a Roundtable: the members become your “Board of Advisors”, sharing goals and ideas, different perspectives, and learning and networking with those who will become your trusted friends and colleagues.

The purpose and mission of the Initiative is to provide effective business growth strategies to small and medium sized businesses through networking, educational forums and peer support. The focus is on owners and managers of businesses that have been in business for more than one year and have reached a level of growth where they need help getting to the next level.

One aspect of the Initiative, Insight, is an Advisory Board -- a group of professionals specifically targeted for their knowledge, skills and/or influence in the industry, who are convened by an organization to offer input and advice pertaining to a specific goal or objective. The Board offers “guidance” and functions as an operational Board of Directors, minus legal liability and statutory responsibility.

Through the sharing of thoughts and goals with a small group of respected advisors, businesses involved in Insight learn how to put first things first, optimize their capability and widen their circle of influence. They find win/win situations while developing an abundance mentality.

The other part of the Initiative is monthly networking and educational forums where experts in their field present information on topics of interest to small business owners and managers. Areas such as health insurance, marketing, management and more are all envisioned to be on the agenda in the coming months.

Roundtable Discussions (Insight):
Groups of no more than 6 members gather on a weekly basis to discuss issues of concern to themselves and other members of the group.

Shared Office Space:
Use of The Work Place conference room and computer/printer/Internet access (no rental on room; reduced charges on equipment)

Monthly Networking Meetings:
Provide a business networking environment where members and non-members can meet and greet each other (non-members pay entrance fees).

Access to Member Forums, Blogs and Articles

The Little Engine That Could

noreply@blogger.com (Smallbizjunkie) — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 14:14:00 +0000

One of my favorite stories as a child was about a little train that couldn’t make it up the hill like the big trains around him; but then he gave himself confidence by saying “I think I can, I think I can” and eventually up that hill he went. That’s what I think is needed in the business world today – at the very least for the small business owner out there, me included. We all have to have a sense of accomplishment and know that we’ve got to put in our best efforts to get something back out. A quote I read the other day went like this: “Half of success in life is showing up, and the other half is not quitting too soon.” That’s exactly on the head – we need to just keep telling ourselves, “I think I can, I think I can.”

What are some things that we need to have in order to be successful in our businesses? First and foremost, we MUST NOT give up. There are days when we just don’t want to get out of bed. We can’t face another frustration or piece of bad news. We just want to say “The heck with it – I’m outta here.” But that doesn’t solve anything does it? We have to have faith and patience. We need to tell ourselves that things will get better; the economy will come around, or people will eventually learn about our business and flock to our front doors.

However, we need to have more than just that faith and patience. We can’t just sit at our desks and wait for the phone to ring. If we encounter an obstacle, we have to figure out how to get around it. We need to use our imagination and see what other means we have to get the job done. We must continue with our marketing and networking – don’t be afraid of the unknown. Take a leap of faith and get out there and let people know who you are and what your business can do to help them.

It is also important to understand that you can never stop learning and trying new technology. Don’t let yourself become stagnant; again, sitting there and praying is not going to get the job done. Try new things, learn new techniques for growing your market. It will all help in the long run

Is Your Network Working?

noreply@blogger.com (Smallbizjunkie) — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 14:36:00 +0000

Network? My computers are linked and talking to each other so, yeah, I guess my network is working.

Nahhhhhhh, that’s not what I’m talking about. I’m asking you about your business contacts and the way you get clients to use your company. One of the first people to coin the phrase as Dr. Ivan Misner, the creator of Business Network International; what he meant by this term was a way that people connect to each other and send out referrals or recommendations. It is believed that each person, between family, friends and business colleagues, has at least a minimum of 200 contacts. When you share those contacts with one other person, and his or her 200 contacts, you’ve just multiplied the number of people who you have in your contact list. The idea spreads out from there.

The idea of networking then is taking this concept and applying it at a much smaller level. When you form relationships with people that include feelings of trust and consideration, you have the start of a good network.

If you check out Google, you will see hundreds of items that pertain to business networking and the various groups that are out there – they range from Chamber of Commerce after hours meetings, organizations such as Kiwanis, Rotary, and other of this type of group, to formal sit down groups that meet each week with the specific goal of finding and referring business to the other members.

Even if you’ve never heard of business networking, I can guarantee that you are a networker. You have contacts that you talk to about your product or service. You have customers. You have colleagues and even competitors. How do you put these networks into play? First, I would suggest that it is better to give than to receive. Put yourself in the place of your potential “partners”. Don’t you feel good when they provide you with a referral to someone that wants to provide you with business? Sure you do. Doesn’t it then make you want to give something back? The same is true with networking. The recent movie, Paying It Forward, says it all. If you do something good, they will try to give you something back. It’s much better than if you’re always telling everybody what you want, and never asking them about their needs or goals, isn’t it?

Finally, once you’ve started to develop these relationships, I would suggest that you find, build and maintain about 6 relationships with people who are at the same or higher competency level as you. These people become your informal board of advisors and will be able to work with you when you need outside opinions and support. Never forget however, that you need to be there for them as well. The “Give to Get” concept is one that works when you use it in an honest, creative way. Try it and see where you get!

Cleaning House

noreply@blogger.com (Smallbizjunkie) — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 14:30:00 +0000

There are two times a year when I get very productive – bustling around making my “nest” (or office as most people call them) all neat and clean: fall and spring. Since our neighborhood kids are now back in school, it’s officially fall at The Work Place, and time for me to start knuckling down, getting back to work.

If you’re like me, you’ve spent time over the summer months, relaxing a bit – maybe taking time off from work to enjoy being with the family or just slowing the pace down a bit. But now that there’s a briskness to the air in the mornings, I know I need to get my mind and body remotivated and ready to start marketing my services.

But how do you even begin to start? I want people to call my phone and tell me they’ve got work for me. But how do I get them to do that? But what is marketing anyway? Is it your business card? Your logo? An ad in the newspaper? It’s all those things. Marketing is whatever you do that convinces someone to buy what you’re selling. That includes things like the look of your store, or office; the way you dress when you’re working (image); your business card; your ads; your logo – anything that tells the potential customer that what you have is what they want. Marketing includes PR and sales as well. It’s a big pot isn’t it?

Make sense? Sure it does. Think about how you buy things. For instance, you want to buy some groceries. You go into a grocery store and it’s really old and dirty. There’s broken glass lying on the floor and food that’s rotted. Bugs are flying around it and a bad smell is floating in the air. Are you going to buy the groceries you came in for? I sure wouldn’t. I’d get out of there as fast as I could. Wouldn’t you? They’re not doing a very good job of marketing are they? Now, you go into a grocery store that is shiny and new. The smells are of fresh baked bread and meats cooking on a grill. The lighting is muted and the shelves are decorated nicely with the boxes and cans stacked in interesting ways. You’d probably feel pretty good about buying here, right?

Ok, here’s another scenario. You go to a meeting with some of the people that you’d like to do business with. You come to the meeting dressed in ragged blue jeans and an old stained t-shirt. During the meeting, your phone keeps ringing and you keep answering it. You’re not paying attention to what’s being said in the meeting are you? When you’re not talking on the phone, you’re doodling. Again, you’re not really paying attention are you? What about if you go to that same meeting dressed in a suit, your hair combed neatly and your attention level at full force. You listen to everything that the potential clients tell you and you ask them questions about what they’re saying. Which “you” is the client going to hire?

Are you getting the picture? These are all part of marketing. Here’s another one. You want to do a direct mail piece that you’re sending to 100 people. You’ve gotten the letter designed, typeset and you’re ready to go. Each letter is personally addressed to the person it’s being sent to. This letter then gets put into a hand addressed envelope. What happens if you give this work to your 10 year old son, who stuffs them while watching TV? They get folded awkwardly, put into the wrong envelope, and thoroughly messed up. Is that good for business? Is the client going to want to hire you? I’m betting not.

As I’ve said before, you can make the best widget in the world, but if your potential customers don’t see it as having value, it’s not going to sell and you’re soon to be out of business. Image, attitude, and professionalism – they all make the company. And when you think about getting out there and “selling” your wares, stop and think about what the customer sees, as well as what they get in the end. It could make a lot of difference!

Singing the Marketing Song

noreply@blogger.com (Smallbizjunkie) — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 00:28:00 +0000

It's the start of fall, and to me, the beginning of the business year again. This actually happens to me several times a year; January, when the year is shiny and new, and the fall, after a refreshing break over the summer. But there's a price to pay for this time of summer relaxation -- I've now got to get myself going and start a marketing campaign to make up for the lax days I've just gone through. Thankfully, I have a marketing plan that allows me the time to take off and play during a couple of months of summer and helps me to ramp back up in September. Do you have a marketing plan?

A marketing plan is, like a business plan, an effort to put down on paper various items of your business. While a business plan looks at several parts of the business, such as location, revenues, equipment, and all the other important aspects of starting, running and growing a business, a marketing plan focuses on the different things to be done in order to get the customers in the door, buying what you're selling.

The first thing you need to do is decide what your objectives for marketing are -- do you want to sell, educate, get people to walk in the door? When you have objectives and motivations, then you can start the work of the marketing plan.

There are some very important sections to a plan: you need to know your customer base. Who is going to be the most likely to buy from you? Young, old, male, female? Are they local or is this a wider ranging clientele? Who else is selling the same items (services) and what about their product appeals to their customers? Market research is very important here. You need to know the competition -- their prices, their marketing mix, how do they get their customers in the door?

Then you need to know what advertising venues are going to work the best: TV, radio, yellow pages, etc. What are the things people like the best about your product/service? What do they like least? By knowing this information, you are better able to market to the good parts while working on changing those areas that are not as well appreciated. At the same time, you can create marketing materials that bring to the forefront the best while downplaying the not so good.

Finally, you need to put a budget together so that you have an idea of what to spend and how best to spend it. What are the various costs? What is the most cost-effective? Where do you get the best ROI? When you have those answers, you will know what is the best, most efficient method of advertising.

noreply@blogger.com (Smallbizjunkie) — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 15:38:00 +0000

Got a new client.... turned the sales call from the credit card company rep into new business for me. WHOOHOO!

noreply@blogger.com (Smallbizjunkie) — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 16:07:00 +0000

Talk about customer service. I've been trying to get my telephone company to correct SEVERAL errors for months. Finally got someone today who was GOOD. Got almost $500 in credits. WHOOHOO!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Smallbizjunkie) — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 13:13:00 +0000

Back to work on the hated website. Anyone want to help?

noreply@blogger.com (Smallbizjunkie) — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 00:52:00 +0000

Tomorrow starts a new week. Lots to look forward to. Have a good nite everybody!

noreply@blogger.com (Smallbizjunkie) — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 18:40:00 +0000

I hate designing websites! GRRRRRR

noreply@blogger.com (Smallbizjunkie) — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 13:30:00 +0000

Good morning! It's Sunday and off to church I goes!

Work Place Initiative -- A New Organization

noreply@blogger.com (Smallbizjunkie) — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 16:33:00 +0000

Has your business survived the start-up phase? Are you ready to move to the next level? Are you ready to work smarter – not harder – to grow your business? And do you want the support and guidance of people in the same boat as you?

The purpose and mission of the Initiative is to provide effective business growth strategies to small and medium sized businesses through networking, educational forums and peer support. The focus is on owners and managers of businesses that have been in business for more than one year and have reached a level of growth where they need help getting to the next level.

One aspect of the Initiative, Insight, is an Advisory Board -- a group of professionals whose knowledge, skills and/or influence offer input and advice pertaining to a specific goal or objective.

Through the sharing of thoughts and goals with a small group of respected advisors, businesses involved in Insight learn how to put first things first, optimize their capability and widen their circle of influence. They find win/win situations while developing an abundance mentality.

The other part of the Initiative is monthly networking and educational forums where experts in their field present information on topics of interest to small business owners and managers. Areas such as health insurance, marketing, management and more are all envisioned to be on the agenda in the coming months.

MEMBERSHIP INCLUDES:

Membership Costs:
Annual -- $75.00

Roundtable Discussions (Insight):

Groups of no more than 6 members gather on a weekly basis to discuss issues of concern to themselves and other members of the group.

Shared Office Space:

Use of The Work Place conference room and computer/printer/Internet access (no rental on room; reduced charges on equipment)

Monthly Networking Meetings:

Provide a business networking environment where members and non-members can meet and greet each other (non-members pay entrance fees).

Access to Member Forums, Blogs and Articles

ARGGGGGG ---

noreply@blogger.com (Smallbizjunkie) — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 15:37:00 +0000

We’ve all been there. Life happens. Things go wrong. But how do we deal with them when they do? A perfect example is my day today. I have a client in Washington, DC (lawyers for that matter) that send me audio files of interviews to transcribe for their monthly magazine – a magazine that goes to thousands of readers around the world. They are never proactive; always waiting until the last minute to get me the file before the deadline. This month, their regular audio/visual tech was out of town doing work for another of his clients and he sent in the “back-up team”. This guy, needless to say, did not know what he was doing, and the production of the file to send me got messed up. Instead of a 40 minute interview, I only got 9 minutes. They tried for three days to get me the right file but it never seemed to get here. Finally, she overnighted me what should have been a CD but when it got here it was a tape. OH NO!!!! I haven’t used tape transcription equipment in two years. And all my gear was packed away in my storage shed.

Off I went to dig through boxes to find my equipment (the tape was supposed to be transcribed and back to DC by tonight). When I finally found it and got it back to my office – guess what! It didn’t work. Something that had worked fine when packed away was not working now. What was I to do? Afterall, it wasn’t my fault that something I should have had to do a week ago was just now getting to me! It was, by all means, the fault of the audio/visual company and the lawyers – right? Well, yes it was but that’s not the right answer. When something goes wrong, and it will, we as business owners need to stand up and take responsibility. Do what we can to make things right, or we’re liable to lose our customers – whether it was our fault or not.

We’re trying to build relationships here with our customers, aren’t we? How do we feel when we buy something and it comes broken? Or we need our phones or our televisions repaired and have to wait a week to get service? We get angry right? And when the person on the other end of the phone says, I’m sorry but we’re really busy right now, that doesn’t help much does it? We don’t want our customers feeling that way about us, that’s for sure.

What we do know is that when you quickly and professionally handle the problem, the customer loyalty will actually improve. First of all, say you’re sorry. Give a sincere apology, immediately, and then work to fix the problem as quickly as you can. Listen to the customer’s concerns and keep them posted as to the progress on the problem’s fix. All of this shows the customer that you really do care about their business and are doing whatever it takes to make it right.

For me, I called my customer. I told her that the tape had arrived but that my old equipment which I don’t use any more was not working. So, knowing that she was under a deadline, I tried to find some way to fix the equipment – no luck. I then ran down to the local discount store and bought a small digital transcriber. I’m in the process of taping the interview onto the small piece of equipment so that I can then download it onto my computer and use my state-of-the-art equipment that we normally use for these projects. She gets her job completed (a little late but still relatively on time) and I get a happy customer who knows that I went the extra mile to help her. You can be this type of business as well.

What are the Real Costs of Virtual Services?

noreply@blogger.com (Smallbizjunkie) — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 15:28:00 +0000

There’s a new kid in town these days – or at least one that’s been away for awhile. When The Work Place first opened, we were considered a Secretarial Support Service. That pretty much says it all, doesn’t it. We do secretarial work for other businesses. Now, we’re called Virtual Assistants (VA). Does that mean that we’re a temp agency? Nope. We do the work in our offices, which frees you – the small business owner – to do the work that you need to do to generate income and to grow your business. The administrative (things like answering emails, calendar scheduling, sending out invoices, writing marketing materials, mailing those materials, updating the customer database, etc.) gets handled efficiently and effectively without you having to worry about how you’re going to get it all done.

Sounds good doesn’t it. Kind of like a genie in a bottle. Just rub it and out we pop; your wish is our command. Hiring a VA has many advantages, particularly for a small business or an individual who is self-employed. Unfortunately, many would-be clients tend to shy away from such services because they don’t understand how they work and don’t understand the pricing value of such a partnership. For example, the VA does the work in his or her own office: not in the employer’s office. Questions like how can I control the work flow? Am I paying for them to sit around, do other people’s work, and take naps? come to the fore. The answer is NO.

First of all, a VA is a business owner, just like you. Their business will not be a success unless your business is a success. They want the same things that you do – for their company to grow and prosper. Thus, they put their whole effort into making your work as accurate and complete as possible. Oftentimes they will be able to even take over some of the more “thinking type” projects that tie you down – once they get to know you and have worked with you regularly.

And because you only pay them for the time that they are doing YOUR work, you save money. You’re not paying benefits, taxes and other compensation. You’re not paying for sick leave, vacation time, breaks and equipment. That is all the responsibility of the VA and frees you from those costs. Think about if for a minute. Say you’re a plumber. How much is your time worth. Do you charge $50, $75, $120 an hour? And when you’re spending time doing that admin work, how much potential income are you losing? Two hours of designing a newsletter (while an important marketing tool) costs you $240 (if you bill out at $120 an hour). Yet, if you were out there fixing a backed up kitchen sink, you could be earning $240. You’ve actually just lost $480. Now, if you had a VA doing that newsletter for you, it might cost you $50. You gain the $240 because you’re out there fixing that sink. And you might gain some new customers who read your newsletter and get a better understanding of what’s involved in remodeling their bathroom (an article you wrote for the newsletter). What’s the value of that?

A VA can be surprisingly affordable when you calculate how much more billable work you can accomplish when you’re not trying to do it all yourself. Give us a call at 269-503-7350 if you’d like more information on how The Work Place can help you free up your time, and add money to your bottom line.

Out to Lunch

noreply@blogger.com (Smallbizjunkie) — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 15:17:00 +0000

We’re well into the summer months now, with the 4th of July behind us. I don’t know about you but with the sunshine we’ve had lately and the sounds of kids playing in pools and riding their bikes up and down the street, I’m not all that motivated to sit there at my desk typing away. Yet, the work continues, and if I want to make my clients happy (as well as my tummy), I have to put my nose to the grindstone, and my fingers to the keys of my computer.

Summer is generally the time for vacations and a more leisurely lifestyle – we need it after working hard all those dreary months of winter. Yet, we need to keep in mind (at least from a marketing standpoint) that we have to continue to focus on our efforts to do the work and to keep the work coming in our front doors. For the small and homebased businesses especially, it’s really tempting to say, “I think I’ll take the day off today. It’s just too pretty outside to be working.” But, what if your customers are trying to get you? Do they get a voice mail message? A ringing phone that never picks up? Or a darkened door with a closed sign hanging out front? What do you think that customer is going to do then? If they are very loyal they will probably keep trying until they finally reach you – the next day of so. But, if they are like the vast majority of people, they want their work done and they will head straight for the closest competitor.

What then are your choices? Do you have to stay there working away? Can you not ever take a day of vacation? Sure, but there are some simple actions you can take to ensure that the customer will get their needs taken care of quickly and efficiently even while you’re gone. At the very least, if you have walk in traffic, put out a sign that says that you are closed for the day but will reopen the next at a certain time. If your business lends itself to the humorous, put out a “gone fishing” note or something similar. It will give them a chuckle and they will not feel so frustrated by your absence. They may even wish they were out there on the water with you.

There are also some really good alternatives to voice mail. One for instance, is that for relatively little a month, you can have a live answering service that takes care of your customers as if they were their own. In the article What are the real costs of Virtual Services? later in this newsletter, we’ll see how bringing on someone to answer phones (virtually) and do other work for you will actually save you money. By having someone who sounds like they are part of your business taking messages, you get the calls answered (THE NUMBER ONE BENEFIT) as well as someone who can reach you in an emergency, get accurate information and give out details to someone – perhaps somebody new who is looking to hire your company.

The bottom line is that as small businesses ourselves, we know how important it is to be available to our customers when they need us; yet it is a thin line we must walk in order to have time for ourselves as well. By maintaining some elementary precautions such as these above, we are able to show our clients that we are there for them, and that we will be able to do our best because we’ve had some time to rejuvenate ourselves as well.

Have a great summer and enjoy some time with family and friends!

Help!!!! Resolutions 2008

noreply@blogger.com (Smallbizjunkie) — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 16:25:00 +0000

The days of 2007 have come to an end — if yours were like mine, the time has flown by and you wonder what happened to the spring, then the summer, and finally fall. Snow is on the ground and the Christmas holidays have come and gone. That, of course, means that it is now time to look ahead to the shiny bright new year where the cycle starts all over again.

For entrepreneurs and small business people that can be a scary thought. “How am I going to get it all done?” you may think. “I want to spend time with my family and friends, but I want to have money to pay my bills and do the things I enjoy doing. And of course that means I have to work.” A few years ago, people were talking about 4 day work weeks and having time for travel and time for relaxation. Now, it seems that we’re working well into the night and through the weekends just to start all over again the next week. There is too much work, not enough time and far too much stress. It all is never ending.

With the coming of the new year, tradition often has us thinking about setting new goals and objectives. We make our New Year’s Resolutions to go on a diet, stop smoking, get more organized, and on and on. For the business person who is the “chief cook and bottle washer” for their company, such resolutions probably contain thoughts like those above with getting more organized being at the top. But how do we do that? We’re faced with streams of e-mails, phones ringing off the hook and paperwork flowing non-stop, not to mention back-to-back meetings. Productivity goes out the window as we sit there and worry about how to get it all done.

But there are ways of helping yourself through this dilemma. And with the new year just around the corner, now’s a great time to put this plan into action. Start by sitting down and setting some goals for yourself. Make it something that you really want to accomplish because the motivation will help see you through. It is much easier to do something when motivated to do it, than when you’re not. Next, create some activity logs and for a week or so, write down exactly what you do and when you do it. How long does it take to complete? What else could you have been doing when you were trying to accomplish this task? Is it an important task that ONLY you can do, or could you delegate it to someone else? When you really take a look at how you spend your time, you can see what you do with your day. Then, once you know how you spend your time, you can create prioritized to-do lists and schedule when and how to complete those tasks.

Finally you need to remember that something like this does not become habit overnight. You must work with these time management tools for at least 30 days for them to set in as regular parts of your work life. But once you start, you won’t regret it. You will find that you have more time for your personal life, while your business life becomes more effective, efficient and productive.

I wish you a happy new year and a busy, successful 2008.

— Nancy Sherman, The Work Place
Business Consultant

Hidden Opportunities

noreply@blogger.com (Smallbizjunkie) — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 18:43:00 +0000

This came as a repost from a friend on Myspace and there was no one's name attached to give authorship to. However, I think what it says is worth reading and taking away ideas from.... Enjoy.

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I cringe when I hear people complain about limited opportunities in business. Opportunities in business and life are plenty when your awareness is high and you're looking in the right places.

Where are you looking?
How do you find hidden opportunities?

Why is it some people seem to uncover the best opportunities and other never do? Answer. Because the ones who do understand if it appears on the surface to be a great opportunity, it's probably not. The best opportunities are the ones that are there the entire time, but not everyone sees them.

Have you ever said I wish I had thought of that idea? The website YouTube came about as a result of wanting to satisfy a need. And it sold for hundreds of millions of dollars. How did the creators see that opportunity? If you think they're just "lucky," you're wrong. There's a discipline associated with finding the best opportunities. You need to understand how to discover the unknown and be ready to do the hard work to make it a success.

Here are a couple of strategies to help you find hidden opportunities:

Having keen awareness. Without looking away from your computer, name five things that are green where you're sitting. Now, take a quick look around. Chances are you'll find several items that were there the entire time, but you weren't looking for them. Opportunities are no different. If you're not looking, you'll never find them. When you meet people, think about how you can help them. Discover ways to refer business to them. Introduce them to someone you know that can help them in some way. The lesson is simple. When your awareness is about finding ways to help others, opportunities show up. YouTube was created so people could share their home videos in an easy manner. The result was a $1.6 billion sale. They couldn't share their own videos online the way they wanted to and assumed others felt the same way. This awareness of a need uncovered an opportunity that turned into real money. The best part is, they weren't looking to be bought out; they were helping fill a gap on the Internet and the sale was the bonus for uncovering an opportunity that hadn't yet been discovered.

Being ready to take action. When you uncover an opportunity you must do something about it. If not, it's a wasted chance. It's like knowing the winning lottery numbers, but being too busy to buy the ticket. An opportunity without action is nothing. When you find a hidden opportunity, will you be prepared to do something with it? You have to believe you can achieve and be willing and ready to take the right actions to make the opportunity a reality. Sometimes people are given a chance to make something happen and do nothing with it. They blow it because they believe "showing up" is good enough. Take each opportunity you are given as the "chance of a lifetime." When you do, you will find your level of intensity will go up ten fold. That intensity will transfer into passion. And that passion will turn into success.

Life is full of opportunities if you're willing take a closer look. Being aware is the first step to unlock those potentials. Everywhere you go you'll find potential customers, life-changing relationships, and opportunities waiting to be found. They could be right in front of you, but if you're not looking they don't exist. Don't worry about how crazy an opportunity may look. If you had been approached to invest your time and money into YouTube before it launched, would you have? Don't waste your time thinking about all of the opportunities you lost or missed. Instead, start focusing on all of the hidden opportunities around you right now. You can have everything you want and everything you deserve if you're willing and eager to find hidden opportunities

A VA What?

noreply@blogger.com (Smallbizjunkie) — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 18:56:00 +0000

Thanks to VANA (Virtual Assistant's Networking Association) for their input on this. I had posted something earlier giving full credit to the author but I guess they didn't like their information shown and demanded I take it down. VANA on the other hand has graciously stated that as long as a person gives them credit they are happy to share. So here goes .... What is a VA (Virtual Assistant) and why do you need one?

Top 10 Things A Virtual Assistant (VA) Can Do For Your Business
By VANA member Diana Ennen

Have you ever wondered, “What exactly is that Virtual Assistant that you keep hearing so much about?” The answer is simple. A Virtual Assistant, or VA, is an administrative professional who provides immediate professional support, services, and skills to busy entrepreneurs and business managers via the Internet.

But “What can a Virtual Assistant do for me?” is a little more complicated. The ways in which a VA can help you and your business are as unique and diverse as the individual VAs are themselves. To help narrow down the possibilities, the Virtual Assistants at the Virtual Assistant Networking Association (VANA) forum, ttp://www.VAnetworking.com were asked to list the top 10 things they could do for their clients.

This is what they said. A VA can assist you with marketing support, increasing your clientele and freeing up valuable time to service your customers. They also can handle all your marketing and publicity helping you to spread the word about your product or services. Many Virtual Assistants specialize in web design and search engine optimization. Once you work with a VA, they know your business inside and out, who better to help you prepare your website. A Virtual Assistant can make your next presentation shine by giving it that polished professional presentation which is sure to capture your audience and promote all your products and services. A Virtual Assistant can be instrumental in proofing, editing, and typing all your correspondence, pleadings, manuscripts, etc., thus allowing a more professional edge to all your business communications. A Virtual Assistant can take over all your bookkeeping, bills and accounts payable. Let them worry about payroll so you can worry about the important tasks of running your business.

A Virtual Assistant can plan your next company event or outing providing for an enjoyable and memorable time for all. Think how much more enjoyable it can be when the burden of planning is removed. Because VAs work on an “as needed basis” and only when you have work, hiring a VA can save you money. Clients only pay for the work done, and don’t have to pay for benefits, equipment, or supplies. What a cost savings that can be.

A VA can save you space because s/he works from his/her office as an independent contractor. Hiring a VA can save you time because you will not have to spend time hiring an employee or temporary help, as well as training the new staff. A Virtual Assistant can schedule your appointments, manage your calendar, organize your desk, and make running a business that much smoother.

Tawnya Sutherland is the founder of The Virtual Assistant Networking Association Forum (VANA), the largest member based Virtual Assistant global networking community for aspiring and successful Virtual Assistants online. She states, “By bringing “the best of the best” of Virtual Assistants to the VANA Community, we make it easy for clients to partner with successful VAs.”

Stop by Virtual Assistant Networking Assocation (VANA) today and find that VA you’ve been looking for. They are waiting, ready to assist you with all your business needs.

***
*Source: Virtual Assistant Networking Association (VANA)
The ever popular, friendly, informative, educational & resourceful network for successful and aspiring "IN THE KNOW" Virtual Assistants and Achievers globally that everyone online is talking about.

Use Live Bait When Fishing for Business

noreply@blogger.com (Smallbizjunkie) — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 15:31:00 +0000

By now I’m sure everyone has heard of the term networking – and has been out there meeting and greeting other businesses for many years. But do we really understand what SHOULD be involved in networking? That I’m not so sure of.

The overall concept of networking is to meet people in other businesses and to exchange cards and numbers. According to www.dictionary.com, networking is: a supportive system of sharing information and services among individuals and groups having a common interest. This, on the surface, is easily accomplished.

“Hi, I’m Nancy from The Work Place. Here’s my card.” You can give out a lot of business cards that way (and get them as well). But what is really accomplished here? Not much except getting rid of your cards.

There are actually a couple of forms of networking that go on in the business world on a regular basis. There are events, such as a Chamber of Commerce After Hours Get Together where people stand around and chat while munching on snacks and balancing a glass in the other hand. Here you have people bumping into you greeting you, asking you what you do and then moving on. You have very little time to get to know the other person, and most of the time the object seems to be to hand out as many cards as possible.

The other type of regular networking is a weekly or monthly meeting where people sit around a table, introduce themselves and share leads or referrals with each other. Today’s article will discuss this type of networking in more detail.

A referral group, as this type of meeting is often called, is a great form of marketing as you have a ready made audience that’s mission is to support other people in the group. However, all too often it seems that (in this form of networking as well as the other forms) people decide to get out there and network with only themselves in mind. In other words a “gimme attitude”. I can tell you right now, this is NOT going to work well for you. One such networking organization that’s been around for many years is called BNI, or Business Networking International, and it has the philosophy of “Givers Gain”. What this entails is that you go into a networking event or meeting with the idea that you can help others. YOU become their marketing arm. When you help provide them with quality leads (we’ll discuss this later), then they will, in turn, provide the same to you. How do you do this?

Called Spheres of Influence, most people have a circle of some 200 others that they know. And each of those 200 knows another 200 – an ever widening ripple of contacts for a business network to connect with. Here’s a scenario of how it might translate:

Joe Realtor has been getting requests from his new home buyers/sellers for someone that can come into the home and fix little things like power washing or carpet cleaning. He asks the others in his networking group if they know of any really good handymen that can handle this type of job. Charlie Home Builder says, oh yeah. I have a great handyman service that I use all the time. Let me get in touch with him and have him call you. His name, by the way, is Harley Homebody.

Later that day, Harley calls Joe and they set up a time to meet and talk a little about what they both do and are looking for. Eventually, Joe has someone that he feels comfortable referring his clients to (his clients become happy campers) and Harley gets a lot of new business and can become repeat or additional referrals.

This is a simplistic way of describing how referral networking operates, but it gives you a good idea of a very possible end result when done correctly. But, another thing to keep in mind is the difference between leads and referrals. Often people in these groups are pressured into thinking that they have to provide names ... This can be anything from “I think I heard my neighbor next door say he was going to sell his house. Hey Joe, why don’t you give them a call.” to I saw a little league team that needs new t-shirts. Ms. Printer, why don’t you track down the Paulie’s Pizza and Sub Shop and tell them about your t-shirt printing business.” These are called LEADS and are basically nothing more than cold calls – or at the very best, lukewarm calls.

A referral, on the other hand, is like the previous example of the handyman. The person GIVING the referral makes sure that it is something that is really wanted and then does what he or she can do to arrange a “meet” between the two people that will be conducting the business together. The way to start getting these referrals is through creating a sense of trust between yourself and the other members of your group. It is not always quick and easy, but it is well worth it in the long run.

It can be very frustrating for someone to get lead after lead after lead and to have nothing ever materialize. You wouldn’t want to be in that situation would you? So, here are a few tips to get you started in the networking arena:

1. Make sure that when you provide a referral its one that you KNOW should be pursued. Talk to the person wanting the work first to make sure that he or she should be expecting a contact from the referral recipient. Then let the “recipient” know that they should call so and so, as that person is expecting their call.

2. Always be on the lookout within your circle of 200 for people who need the services of those in your network and actively market their businesses for them with these 200 contacts. If you hear of someone needing something, talk to them right away to find out what it is they need and how someone in your group might be of service to them.

3. On the other side, if you are the recipient, follow up with that referral right away. Don’t let it grow cold and then become frustrated because it doesn’t pan out. When given a name/number/email, contact them right away. Tell them that you got their name (or whatever) from your colleague and was told that they needed x service – something you would be happy to sit down with them and discuss. Have your credentials ready and your praise for the colleague that gave you their name.

4. Don’t sit back and expect to start receiving referrals right away. It is a process in which you must earn the trust and respect of the others in the group. This can be done, in part, by following tips 1, 2 and 3 above. Also, you always need to provide the best quality service to your clients (and this includes the others in your group) that you can. By providing top quality the others know that you do what you say and they will feel comfortable giving others your name... Remember, its their reputation on the line (as well as yours) if you screw up the work they have referred you for.

Marketing and sales are two of the most important ways that a small business gets their clients and their revenues. Referral groups are a great, and inexpensive way to do that marketing and sales. Remember these tips and get out there and start networking. You’ll begin to reap the benefits soon.

Database Management

noreply@blogger.com (Smallbizjunkie) — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 15:15:00 +0000

Is work slowing down these days? Do you wonder what has happened to your customer base? What have you been doing to bring individuals in to buy your “widget”? For people who are used to having more business than they can handle, a slowdown may come as somewhat of a surprise. And they’re not sure what to do to get things back on track. The answer, for most concerns, is to form valued business relationships with past, present and potential clients. Through regular prospecting for new clients as well as keeping in touch with those you already have worked with, you will generate maximum economic profit.

According to Jay Conrad Levinson, the marketing guru of “Guerrilla” fame, “most business owners contact prospects once or twice and if they don’t show an interest, the business owners move on to greener territories...Guerrillas continue romancing those they are courting. Eventually, those prospects feel so cared for, so important, so attended to, that they switch over and begin to patronize the guerrilla who never stops courting.”

If direct mail is not part of your marketing mix, it may be time to rethink your strategy. By targeting a specific group of prospects (don’t forget your present and past clients, too!) with personalized greetings and offers, direct mail can be the least expensive method of marketing you use. It is an economic way for entrepreneurs to work on a tight budget.

There are two important parts to marketing with direct mail. The first, already alluded to is the fact that such marketing probably will not work overnight and so it is vital to maintain the momentum of the media. Things like timely reminders of needed services; cards and letters on the anniversary of a purchase; birthday and anniversary cards; periodic surveys; invitations to seminars; contests; frequent buyer programs; and more are all part of this direct mail saturation. It is felt by most marketing experts that it takes at least seven “hits” before a client will recognize your name or act on your offer. Therefore, you need to plan ahead and create marketing pieces that will make the most of your potential. Continuous interaction is the best way to keep your name in front of your potential clients.

The second part of this important process is to have good, qualified lists. The best offer in the world will not do you any good if you’re sending it to someone who simply is not interested. For example, mailing a dentist’s teeth cleaning reminder to someone who has dentures or who has moved away, will be a waste of money, both in the printing and in the mailing costs. If the dentist had recorded in his database that this particular client had left the area or had had a full set of dentures made, would know that a mailing would do no good. Thus, having a good database, with accurate, up-to-date information in it is also vital.

What information should be collected? Anything that is obtainable and would be of benefit to your company is fair game. However, in a survey conducted by DIRECT magazine (2/96), the following types of customer data were maintained on the database by 50% or more of the companies surveyed:

➝ Names of prospects
➝ Length of time he/she has been a customer
➝ Number of purchases annually
➝ Dollar value of purchases (monetary)
➝ Recency (date of most recent purchase)
➝ Frequency (how often he/she buys)
and ➝ Source of original lead or contact.

Other information maintained by many companies were things like: age/date of birth; other purchase influences; sociodemographic information; SIC code; promotional history; company info; nonrespondents; and types of purchases. The people that answered this survey stated that their database enabled them to move people through the pipeline from “suspect” to advocate in a highly efficient and effective manner. They boasted a very high rate of repeat business among their clientele, and since keeping a customer costs a mere fraction of the initial cost of acquiring one, most of that added revenue went straight to their bottom line.

By creating an image of your business as caring and concerned about your clients, you are giving those clients a sense of security and confidence in you. By recognizing the customer and using his or her name, by talking about personal things before getting down to business, by listening very carefully and sincerely, your business will create a loyal customer. And when you have a loyal customer, you not only have increased revenues, but a feeling of value and worth to yourself as well. And isn’t that really what its all about?

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