Collection Business tips and trick: 2009

Friday, June 19, 2009

The Benefits Of Helping An Online Business Newbie

Do your remember when you first ventured out in the online business world? You probably had questions and problems along the way. Wouldn't it have been easier if you had help? When a newbie asks for your advice, educate them; answer their questions and help them solve their online business problems. If you do not have the knowledge to help them out, point them in the right direction. You'll get many benefits from helping online business newbies. Below are eight possible benefits you could receive:

1. You will feel good knowing that you had a part in helping them build their business. You can sit back and say "I had a part in their success." 2. They may become one of your best friends. Most people can use new friends, even business owners. You may even become business partners and create a totally new business together. 3. You could end up being strategic business allies in the future. You could regularly do joint venture and cross promotion deals with each other.

4. They may help you out with your business. Maybe they will give you some testimonials or endorsements for your products or services. 5. You might gain some valuable referrals from them. They may also join your affiliate program and make sales for your business. 6. They might offer you some free advertising space on their web site or in their e-zine for your help. You could also exchange advertising with them. 7. You both could end up developing a new product or service together. The product or service could be a combination of your current ones.

8. They might purchase the products you sell and become one of your best customers. You could sell them many back end products or services in the future. You help them with your previous valuable experience, and help them to save time and save money if you tell them which marketing resources and business opportunities are effective and reliable, and which ones are just hype to avoid. You will get rewarded greatly if you are doing a great job to help online business newbie.

There are probably many other benefits you could get from helping a new online business owner. Always remember to help them out because it's the nice thing to do and not just to benefit your own business.

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Julia Tang publishes Smart Online Business Tips, a fresh
and informative newsletter dedicated to supporting people
like you! To find out the best online business opportunities,
and to discover hundreds more proven and practical internet
marketing secrets, plus FREE internet marketing products
worth over $200, visit: http://www.best-internet-businesses.com
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How To Make $20.00 For Every $1.00 Invested

It has been said you can lift the Rock of Gibraltar if you have a fulcrum point and long enough lever. When we refer to "financial leverage" we are talking about the same principle. If you buy a business building for $100,000 with $5,000 down, this is using leverage of 20 to 1. For a mere 1/20th of the purchase price, you actually own and control property that is 20 times more valuable than your cash investment.

If the income of the building is only sufficient to make the payments and expenses and you don't gain any cash flow, you are still getting the building paid for and perhaps in 5 years or so, with continuing inflation, you can sell the building for $200,000... a gain of $95,000 on a $5,000 investment. This is the potential result of proper use of leverage.

A good rule to follow in applying leverage, relevant to any business venture for that matter, is always provide a reserve. Hold back some cash for emergencies. Hold back additional capital so if you go under you will have a nest egg to start a new venture.

Sometimes when things go sour and there is no way out it is better to take the least loss possible, save what you can and get out...NOW! Use the remainder to again find financing, margin leases, mortgages, franchises and all the other manners of using money belonging to others for both their profits and yours.

Selling your property for cash then leasing back on a long term lease is an other form of leverage. If you sell for one million dollars cash and lease back at $10,000 per month, you have generated tremendous leverage. You now have $1,000,000 each with 10% down for each property, you now control 10 millions dollars worth of income producing properties. Sometimes it is possible to use options to hold property, with very little cash down, until you can obtain title and take possession. This can produce fantastic leverage if planned property.

Going public is an other method used to gain leverage by using other people's money. You receive money from the public for shares of your corporate stock and at the same time establish a market value for your unissued stock.

Before you apply leverage on any proposition, be sure know just what your are doing. There must be a continuous favorable cash flow to service your debt, pay all your costs and expenses and give you a reasonable profit. If weakness occurs in any one or several of your business entities, it could drag down your entire organization.

2. IN FRANCHISES

Franchising your business operation packet is another form of leverage. You are selling others your know-how and the right to use your system and/or product for a price, either a share of the profits, a bulk payment or a combination of both.

It is not as simple as it used to be to become a franchiser, due to controls and red tape established by the various state and governmental agencies. In some states it is just about impossible for the layman to proceed to wade through all the red tape required to satisfy the laws. However, if it were easy to do, it probably would not be profitable anyway.

When you have met all the requirements of the various agencies, you will have an operating manual and pro-forma accounting statement...You will have developed a turn-key package for your franchise offering

To get started right get revised statutes of the state from the Secretary of State and study the requirements for establishing and selling franchises.

As your franchises become better known and after you have a few locations, instead of selling one franchise at a time, offer area franchise to "master" franchise holders. Get a portion of the set-up charges for each area plus a continuing percentage of gross business from each operating unit.

3 IN THE STOCK MARKET

*BONDS

You can earn interest on non-existent money and buy bonds on a regular basis without ever paying for any of them except the first five bonds. You will need $500 in cash and a brokerage account in both the U.S. and Canada. Open an account with a canadian brokerage House and deposit a &500 check with them. On the same day, before your check clears, open a brokerage account in your home town. This one may be opened without any money.

You buy new issue bonds through your American Broker and state that they MUST be delivered to your Canadian Broker for payment. The very day that you purchase the bonds, you will start drawing interest. It will take 5 or 6 weeks for the bonds to be delivered, and all the time you will be earning interest.

With this plan, you can space your order so that you can have $1000,000 or more in bonds on order. and when they arrive at your Canadian Broker, it works like this:

The Broker accept the first five bonds of $1,000 each and place them in your account. When the second $5,000 worth arrives, (you must always order in $5,000 units), he then sells the first bonds to pay for the third, etc...

The results are BIG profits for non-cash existing money. You can actually earn up to 80% interest on money you don't even have.

Often the new bonds will have an increase in resale value to add to the interest earned. Thus a $5,000 bond at 8% interest rate that takes 60 days to deliver would earn $67.00 interest. If they go up in value, you may pick up an additional $200 to $500 or even more when they are sold.

* PENNY STOCK

Periodically a great deal of money has been made dealing in Penny Stock but it is highly speculative and is perhaps once in a lifetime that one is able to hit it right to cash in with a spectacularly high yield.

To take some of the speculation out of it, many investors purchase only 100 shares or so, of a number of different company's stock. In this way they may only $50 to $100 invested in each of 40 to 50 firms. This is one of the best ways to go when getting acquainted with this kind of investment.

The stock of one of the Nation's larger firms, which now has outlets in about every city in the United States, was selling at 60 cents a share in 1963. 100 shares at that time for a total of $60 is now valued at over $75,000!

$9,000 invested in 1948 in stock of what was then a small timber firm, was worth over $1,000,000 a few years ago, and in addition would have proceed average dividends over the years sufficient to equal a top salary each year. A person who invested at that time would have been able to "goof off" from that time forward, receive more money than working for a living and still have over a million dollars in the bank or for other investments.

There are various newsletters covering low priced stock. One should subscribe to several and analyse the information before investing.

Note: Feel free to publish it with the resource box and content unchanged

The Lazy Person Secrets To Overnight Wealth And Fame

There are so many simple, yet really sure-fire ways of acquiring wealth, it's a wonder everybody with even the least bit of ambition isn't already rich. When you come right down to it, the only things needed for anyone to make bundles of money are the long-range vision and the energy to put a money-making plan into force.

One of the easiest methods of building wealth, and the one most often used by the "smart" people, is to furnish the expertise, equipment or growth capital to promising beginning business. Basically, you buy in as either a part owner or limited partner; then, as the busines grows and propers with your help, you reap your share of rewards.

The beautiful part about this whole concept is that you can repeat this procedure over and over again. You can start out with, say marketing and sales leadership for small, garage-type business; then with your holdings and earnings from that business, invest in another, and keep doing this until you own a part of twenty-five to an unlimited number of businesses. Looking at the idea from a dollar return point of view, if you were getting $200 per month from 25 different business, your monthly income would amount to no less than $5,000 and that's not too bad for a fledgling millionaire.

Look around your own area. With just a little bit of business sense and perception, you're sure to find hundreds of small businesses that could do better--perhaps even become giants in their--with your help.

Most small businesses need, and would welcome marketing, promotional, advertising, and sales help. If a quick survey of business turns you on with enthusiasm about the potential profits to be made with just a few changes that you can suggest, then you are on your way.

Basically, you set up an appointment to see and talk with business owners about some ideas and help that could double or triple their profits. When you approach them in that manner, their almost certain to want to see you and hear want you have to say.

In prepartion for your meeting, set your ideas down on paper. Put them together in an impressive marketing or profit potential folio. Outline your ideas, the costs involvrd and the ultimate profit to be gained.

Then, when you arrive for the meeting, be sure to look nad act the part of a successful business person.A few pleasantries to break the ice, and begin with your presentation.

Through your proposal, you must instill confidence that you can do all you claim for him. Guide him through the presentation to the ultimate profits---- all for a 10 or 20 percent limited partnership in the business, which really won't cost him anything. Of course, if he is reluctant to give up any part of his ownership, you come back with the idea of being hired as a consultant.

Almost all small businesses need help of some kind. The owners get bogged down in a myraid of every day problems and things to do. They find there just are not enough hours in the day to handle everything that should be taken care of, and end up neglecting or putting off some of the things they should be doing to keep the business prosperous. As a result, the long struggle for business survival begins, with more than 60% of them selling out at a loss or just closing up shop.

The other way to " cut yourself in" on a piece of someone else's business is to supply needed money. If you can come up with 10 or 15 thousand dollars, you can easily "buy into" some small businesses. Be sure to look the business ( and its market potential) over; but once you spot one that can really be a winner with just a little bit of operating cash or money for expansion, then start figuring!

You can reach a never ending supply of such businesses to choose from, simply by running a small advertisement in your daily newspaper in the .Classified section under the heading of Business Opportunities Wanted. Such an ad might read:

SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS EXECUTIVE LOOKING FOR NEW BUSINESS VENTURES. WILL CONSIDER BUY OUT OR PARTNERSHIP. PO BOX 123, CITY

By the same token, make it a habit to look through the Business Opportunities Available on a regular basis. Mark a few each day and follow up. Check them out, And see what kind of a deal is being offered. Remember, proper management and planning are basically the ingredients to success in business; and most small businesses just do not have these ingredients in the proportions needed to attain their greatest profit potential.

Other people have done it, and more are starting up every day. There's no reason why you can't do it. In most cases little or no cash is needed. But with a little bit of action on your part, you could quickly become a multi-business owner, and very wealthy as well.

Then, when you arrive for the meeting, be sure to look nad act the part of a successful business person.A few pleasantries to break the ice, and begin with your presentation.

SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS EXECUTIVE LOOKING FOR NEW BUSINESS VENTURES. WILL CONSIDER BUY OUT OR PARTNERSHIP. PO BOX 123, CITY

Tips to Starting your Own Busniess

The 9-to-5 grind can make you feel like a just another cog in the corporate machine, constantly punching the clock for someone else's vision. One day, while dreaming of the world outside the cubicle, you have your big "Eureka!" moment-you've come across an idea so perfect that you need to start your own business around it.

Coming up with the idea is the easy part. Now, you're thrown into an entrepreneurial world where even the experience businessperson can feel overwhelmed by all the details.

It's hard to know where to even begin. So here are some tips to starting your own business:

- Craft a primitive budget: do you have enough capital to get this idea rolling? First things first, figure out roughly how much it'll cost you including all expenses, and where that money will be coming from. Call in favors from everyone you've even leant money to in the past in need be.

- Does the business world need you?: is there a large enough demand for your product? Ask around before even attempting to start your business-check with similar businesses in the area, or around the country. Find out how they started, and what kinds of clients they target, to get an idea of where you'll fit in the market.

- Create a strong management team: your team members should share your vision of the business, and a certain amount of proficiency and credibility. Rely on your connections to find the perfect people for the jobs that will bring their expertise to the business. Remember that you will eventually have to set aside your ego and let them control certain aspects of the company, so your have to feel comfortable around your management team.

- Start small: instead of immediately trying to market your product to 5,000 companies at once, focus on a few dozen specialized local companies to network with. This way you can call them each personally, mail them your marketing materials, and then arrange a meeting.

- Quality matters: you want to be able to set your self apart from all the other businesses similar to yours. Having an eye-catching yet simple to navigate web site and presentation material is key to succeeding in the modern business world. Creating quality marketing tools doesn't have to cost you a fortune either; consider hiring a design art or marketing student from a nearby university to help out. You never know, you could even meet your next Junior Executive.

- Come up with a good business plan: keep it less than 25 pages, and include information about your management team, who your customers as, and most importantly, why the world needs your business. At this stage in the game, don't over-focus on the financial side of things yet. A business plan outline can be found at http://www.sba.gov/starting_business/planning/basic.html.

For more tips, including an A-to-Z guide to starting your own business, and 21 ways to draw customers in, go to www.entrepreneur.com.

Jessica Klein is a member of the 'Mount Real Research Team', whose aim is to seek out and distribute business information to the virtual public. She is a freelance writer based in Montreal, Canada who loves writing about anything from accounting to zebras.

For more info about Mount Real, visit http://www.mountreal.com.

5 Things You Must Do Well When Buying a Business to Not Get Burned

Are you not sure what Business to buy? Need to know what is a fair deal?

Martin Smith thought he was buying an established business with good credit and collectable accounts receivable. The day after settlement the surprises began.

Inventory could not be used because expiration dates had past. Money shown as receivable had already been collected. Vendors that were only willing to ship COD. Over $100,000 of real problems that should have been detected during the business purchase process popped up and almost shut Martin down.

Can you afford to be surprised? Of course not.

You have the power to not end up like Martin.

Owning your own business is part of the American Dream. Buying a business has many advantages over starting one from scratch if you know how. Be prepared and get all the benefits of buying an existing business.

Tangible benefits such as existing cash flow, existing customer base, existing systems, knowledgeable employees, and locations can be obtained cheaper by buying an existing business than starting from scratch.

1. Understand and Know What You do Well and Like

You must really look at the activities you like to do and find a business that allows you to do them. For instance some people want customers to come to them. A retail store may work well for them. On the other hand some owners would loose their minds staying in a store all day; perhaps something with outside sales will work for them.

Are you a people person, a thinker, a leader, or a salesperson? Do you like steady hours, flexibility etc. How much money do you have to purchase with? How much money must you make every week?

Remember the process of buying the business is not the same as running one. Do everything possible to make sure you buy one you will love running.

2. Make a Comprehensive Search for a Business

Make sure you know how to look for a business. Don't just go to one source but really check multiple reliable sources to find the business that is right for you.

Systematize your notes so you know what you looked at. Make sure you compare your strengths and weaknesses with the day-to-day tasks of running the business.

3. Understand and Value the Business Properly

Understand the basic financial techniques to value a business; it's cash flow and other assets. Know how to prepare a basic business plan in order to make projections into the future.

Understand how the business is getting its customers. Know how it delivers goods and services. Know the cash flow and how you will keep the current cash flow and then grow the cash flow.

4. Know how to structure and finance a business

Have a basic understanding of how the business valuation and related cash flow tie together. Make sure you know a number of possible ways to put a transaction together to overcome different risks.

Understand what may be financed by a conventional bank loan, a SBA loan or seller take-back. Understand how to take your outline deal and put it into a final enforceable contract.

5. Perform Due Diligence Thoroughly and Correctly

Know what to look for when investigating a company. Know how to tie accounting records into source documents. Understand inventory, equipment, vehicle titling and other problems. Understand what should occur at settlement. Make sure you are getting what you have agreed to pay for.

Bonus Tip

Recognize that the Broker almost always represents the Seller. For most small business purchases you, the buyer, will go through most of the process on your own. Make sure you know enough to get select the right business and negotiate a fair deal.

Gregory R. Caruso is an expert at helping business owners plan and execute the sale of their businesses. Greg is an inactive CPA, attorney, and business owner with 20 years experience. He can be reached at www.successfulexits.com.

1 Step Program to Achieve All of Your Goals

In Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen's original "Chicken Soup for the Soul," I am reminded of the short story titled "Another Check Mark On the List." This is a story about a 15-year-old boy named John who, on one rainy day, when it was too wet outside to play, he decided to write a list of goals. John continued writing until he had 127 goals. These goals included exploring the Nile River, climbing high mountain peaks around the world and learning 3 foreign languages. He also wanted to be featured in a Rose Bowl Parade and play several musical instruments.

Of the 127 goals that he listed over 60 years ago, John has achieved 108. If he lives to become 75 years old he will achieve 109 (he listed "live to see the 21st Century"). How did John achieve all of these goals? He wrote them down.

Step 1 Write It Down:

Write it down, write it down, and write it down!

Have you ever got to a point where you were going to write down a New Year's Resolution or some other goal you thought you wanted, only to find yourself procrastinate. One year later, did you need to achieve the same New Year's Resolution or goal? Why does this happen?

It happens because of that little voice inside of you that says, "I am not good enough or worthy enough to be in possession of the benefits derived from achieving my goal." "I have been programmed for failure."

I recently read a motivational quote that said: "If you can't write it down, you can't do it."

Let us think about that for a minute. Every day you may be compiling lists of things to do to run your household, perform your job, or plan your business trip or vacation. How many times do you really write down, exactly what you want out of life?

How many long term or short-term goals do you write down?

Now when thinking about what you want to achieve focus your attention on specific words and ideas relating to your goals. Give those words and ideas your complete attention as you write them down.

Did you ever write a letter, business report, or term paper and at times find your fingers flying across the keyboard?

Since written words are symbols of objects, ideas, or feelings, could the physical process of entering these words onto a page actually create a subconscious connection?

I believe it does. When you use language to communicate on paper, you need to process the information on a subconscious level.

The help you are getting while creating your list of goals is coming straight from your powerful subconscious mind. Why not take advantage of the power of your mind in achieving your goals?

Write your goals down in your day planner, write them down, and hang them on your walls. Write your goals on sticky notes and place them on your bathroom mirror or on your windows.

Every time you write your goals down, your body is moving towards them. The goals are getting clearer and clearer. The roadmap you create by writing goals down projects straight to your subconscious mind and is being acted upon.

A now popular syndicated cartoonist wrote down 15 times a day, every day the following sentence. "I want to be a syndicated cartoonist." He did this every single day, even when he did not feel like a syndicated cartoonist. Now, Scott Adams, the creator of the "Dilbert Cartoon" is a full-time, syndicated cartoonist, known the world over. Scott "wrote it down."

One way to state that goal in a more positive and immediate context is to say, "I am a syndicated cartoonist." Act as if you already are in possession of the goal. It takes a lot of pressure off you during your daily activities when you feel the new role. You then become comfortable with it.

Write your goals down everywhere. As you write them down think about John, the 15-year-old goal achiever from the "Chicken Soup for the Soul" story. Now that John is in his seventies, what advice would John have for you when you ask him, "What is the most important thing I can do to achieve my goals?"

Listen to John whisper in your ear these three words... write it down.

Wayne F. Perkins is a Clinical Hypnotherapist and Sales Trainer who helps employees and corporate clients achieve their goals. Wayne offers published books, e-books and Audio CD programs including, "Build Your Business with Hypnosis" "My mission in life is to help you achieve your mission in life" http://www.wayneperkins.net

Reminders For Running A Better Business

The following tips are from an article we contributed to Compute magazine. These are ideas that we all should know, but many times forget. It constantly amazes us how quickly a basic tenent of business can be shoved by the wayside in the heat of daily transactions.

If we all try to keep these simple principles in mind, they may keep us on the straight and narrow in our pursuit of home office bliss.

1. Buy an answering machine. This will allow you to give your attention to a client and not the telephone. Be sure your message is done in a professional manner and includes business name, telephone number and hours of operation.

2. Be sure to have a separate telephone line for business. This will avoid your family using the same line and busy signals to prospects and clients. Keep your personal calls separate and insure your business line is always answered in a professional manner.

3. Read, read and read some more. You will constantly be learning about your business. Reading will allow for additional knowledge, change and growth.

4. Buy a fax machine. This will allow you to give your clients prompt responses and in many cases save on postage and telephone costs. It will also avoid having to leave your office to go and fax something at $1.25 or more per page.

5. Have an identity package professionally done. Your logo, letterhead, business card, envelope and brochure will be the first impression a prospect or client has of you. To insure the impression is a good one, have your business package done by a professional designer. The cost is worth it.

6. If possible set up your office in a separate room of your home. This will allow you to close the door at the end of the business day and allow better separation of your personal and business life.

7. To project a professional appearance be sure your home is always neat and clean-nothing lying about. In addition be sure your yard is well kept. Remember, first impressions count.

8. Be sure your business name is descriptive of what you do. Business names that don't relate to your services can hurt a business. Avoid using just initials, that's fine when you get to be the size of AT&T, but remember, in the beginning no one knows you.

9. Make up a business plan. This will help you research, define and outline your market. It also avoids starting a business in a field that may be overcrowded.

10. If possible, be sure to have at least six months worth of living expenses in reserve. This will allow you to concentrate on getting your business up and running without worrying about paying the bills.

11. If possible, buy a copy machine. This avoids having to go out every time you need to make a copy. Also, it allows you to give a client a copy on the spot. This can go a long way towards enhancing your image as a real business.

Interested in having your own successful, home based creative real estate investing business? Chuck and Sue have been helping folks start successful home based businesses for over 19 years, and we can help you too! To see how, visit http://www.homebusinesssolutions.com for the latest FREE tips and tricks, educational products and coaching in creative real estate investing and home based businesses. No time to visit the site? Subscribe to our "how to" Home Business Solutions Digest, it's like having your own personal coach: subscribeHBS@homebusinesssolutions.com

Want a Web Site that Turns Lookie Loos into Buyers? Seven Passion Copywriting Tips

Web Site Blues? Need one, don't know where to start? Got one, but aren't getting enough sales?

If you need a Web site soon you may be wondering where to start and who to trust. All Web masters are not equal. Some do not know the marketing language-what I call "Passion Copywriting." Before you call a Web master, check out a book writing or internet coach to help you pre-plan, create sales-pulling headlines, write your sales letter, and how to connect them so all information leads to sales on your order page.

If you already have a Web page, I'm sure you put your heart and soul into it, even paid someone big money to put it up for you. Yet, if your home page's copy speaks lackluster, then you may be ready for a makeover. You may have submitted to the search engines without receiving targeted hits and buyers either.

You only have 10 seconds to impress your "to be" buyer. Apply these "Passion Copywriting" tips for your refreshed Web pages:

1.Write dazzling home-page copy that grabs your visitors by the collar.

Compel them through benefit-driven headlines. Just listing your book, product, service, or ezine falls flat every time. Write copy that seduces your visitors to buy whatever it is you want to sell.

Appeal to their emotions. "After you use my services, you will feel as young as child playing in the surf." Or, use concrete benefits rather than general ones. Instead of reduce your stress; try "Create leap out of bed energy when you use this method."

2. Quote a client or customer using their testimonial.

In their own words, clients can give you a strong recommendation your visitors will believe. It will arouse curiosity enough that your visitor will keep reading to find out more.

3. Let your visitor know your financial success.

Tell a story of your success and how your client or customer can do the same thing when they follow your advice. Use specifics such as: Judy's Success

- Raised Web book sales from $75 to $3000 (8 mo) over $4500 in 2004.
- Increased book and Internet coaching clients from 7 to 17 in two months.
- Increased search engine placement to # 1 in Google, Yahoo and 35 others (8 mo) using "book coaching."
- Increased ezine subscribers 15-25 a day (total 3500)
- Listed on 3140 Web sites with a hyperlink back to my Web site where I sell my services and products

4. Present solutions for your visitor's problem or challenge.

When you pay attention to where your visitor is now, pull them in with a question on it. "Does your Web site have low sales?" Then, offer 3-5 solutions for it in bullet form. These benefits are the results of using your product or service. Benefits sell.

5. Speak to your audience's resistances.

In your sales letter say something like, you're probably thinking, it will cost big time to use my Internet marketing service. Or you already have 5 eBooks on this topic and haven't used them, so why should you buy my book? Then, handle each objection of why you are the only choice for this helpful skill.

6. Flatter your reader.

Describe the kind of client or customer you want. Tell why the way they think, work or feel is important to you. Forget the "I" in your sales copy. Always approach the "you."

7. Use power words to entice your reader to take action.

Lists abound in many books, but of course you can use the basic best: free, you, discover, new, latest, guarantee, money, secret, act now, save, how to, reveal and success.

Instead of passive words like is, was, has, have, use strong verbs that either give a visual or elicit an emotion. How will your customer feel after he uses your service? Or, How will her life look after she reads your book?

Now is the time to be bold and even outrageous, so your visitor will not say "ho-hum" and leave. The more your "Passion Copywriting" entertains, the longer your visitor stays to see more of what you offer. One big compliment "I found so much great information on your site, I stay 2 hours."

Judy Cullins, 20-year book and Internet Marketing Coach, Author of 10 eBooks including "Write your eBook Fast," and "How to Market your Business on the Internet," she offers free help through her 2 monthly ezines, The Book Coach Says...and Business Tip of the Month at http://www.bookcoaching.com/opt-in.shtml and over 140 free articles. Email her at mailto:Judy@bookcoaching.com

Plan Your Success In Seven Ways

Many businesses lose money yearly because they don't think creatively about the future. They run their businesses doing what they think they should: dealing with customers, dealing with problems, ordering for their business, and paying their expenses. They act like their business is a job. They are surviving and that's it. They are not looking at the big picture. They need to use their business as a stepping stone to success. Picturing themselves as a successful business person, and setting up a plan to succeed.

Many of the businesses today are started by people who have been downsized or laid off. They are used to showing up for a job and getting paid, and this is how they are operating their business.

The first thing you must do is to find out what you are really good at. Many people want to know, "How can I make more money?" Unfortunately too many business people never ask themselves, "What am I good at?" They need to do so, and then ask it again every time they want to do something new. This is one of the biggest reasons businesses fail. The owners did not focus on what they were good at and did best. This does not mean you can't try something different. What it does mean that it is best to go with the skills and experience you already have.

The second thing you need to do is take an objective look at yourself. Take a piece of paper and write down what you can and can't do. Picture yourself hiring you. Would you hire yourself? Would you be impressed? What do you know best? What are your hobbies? Can you turn that hobby into a business? Remember you work best at something you enjoy.

I was an exceptional secretary, so I started a word processing business. I loved typing and taking dictation by telephone, writing up letters, proposals and setting up identity packages. However, I hated having to drive around town to pick up and deliver projects, and cold calling for business. So after losing money, I shut down the business. A couple of years later I started another business where I was the assistant to businesses, but worked from my home. I got to do all the secretarial aspects, but out of a home office. All I had to do was send flyers and mailers to independent contractors. I also worked with answering services for referrals and gave them business, plus a cut of my fee.

What this means is you need to discover what your likes and dislikes are. People like to work at things they do well. They enjoy themselves more. A test for you is to think back over the last couple of days. Then make a list of the things you enjoyed doing. Think about when you were the happiest and what you were doing.

The third thing you need to think about and be able to recognize is: What your competitive edge is. After you do the above test and find out what your strengths are, you will find that some of these strengths give you an advantage over your competition. Do your particular strengths and abilities help you provide exceptional customer service? Can you do something or produce something that others can't?

If you already have an edge over others, put it to use. Make your customers aware of your unique qualities. The way to accomplish this is to be sure any advertising or promotional campaign you employ highlights your unique selling points.

The fourth thing you need to do is to plan ahead. While your business concept or product might be unique now, as we know people love to copy what is successful. So you need to plan for the long run. You need to be aware of what your competition is doing and keep your customers coming back.

The fifth thing is that just because there are things you don't like about your business, doesn't mean you give up. Yes, there are going to be certain things you like better than others. Every business person feels this way. However, if you don't like anything about what you are doing, then you might want to start a new business. Be sure before you do so, you give yourself the above test.

The sixth thing is sometimes you just need to make some changes in your business. See if there are certain things you can cut out of your business, a product or service, which you might not enjoy and it is not a profit center for you. Then drop it, and concentrate on those things that are generating a profit.

Maybe you need to make changes to make your job easier, such as buying new software, or a new computer system. Maybe hiring someone on a part time basis could take some of the workload off your shoulders, and allow you to concentrate on other business matters.

And last but not least is to be sure you take what you've learned about yourself, and set up a plan for your business for the future. Don't forget to write down what you're good at and ways that you can apply your skills to making money. You can take this information about your skills and put it in your promotional materials. Be sure you always have a notebook (or a voice recorder) with you to joint down notes to yourself, new business ideas to try. You want to be sure when you do write these things down that you also put a date next to them to implement that idea or strategy. This will give you goals to work for. Be sure to put these goals in a prominent place in your office. I put my goals on index cards and then put the index cards on my desk, on my calendar, and on my bulletin board. By having your goals visible to you, it will help you to stay on track. And, that is what it is all about ? keeping your business growing and prospering.

The Top Ten Ways to Attract Buyers, Not Just Visitors to your Web Site

Have you put a lot of effort, time, and money into your site and are frustrated with low sales?

If you are like many professionals out there, you know your subject; you are excellent at your craft. You have a great service and maybe a great product to sell.

You may have hired a web master who didn't have a marketing background. You may have written home page copy about your mission and who you are. But when sales fall, you need to look at what's missing in your Web copywriting. You have only 10 seconds to impress your "to be" buyer.

Here's the top 10 ways to attract buyers, not just visitors to your web site:

1. Preplan and know your Web site's purpose.

When visiting other Web sites, do you often wonder just what they are about? What are they selling?

Without a clear purpose of what your web site does, your visitors will be confused and leave. First, make a list of everything you want to sell from the most important one to the least.

2. Write dazzling home-page copy.

If you don't give your reader a reason to buy or read further, she will disappear fast. For each product or service, write a benefit-driven compelling headline that leads your visitor to more information contained in your sales letter. You may have four different headlines on your home page because you want to sell four top products.

3. Use sparkling testimonials from the rich and famous on your home page.

On my site, a specific, outstanding testimonial by a fellow professional leads my visitors to my top-selling book "How to Write your eBook or Other Book Fast" sales letter. Make the whole testimonial a link.

4. Sprinkle testimonials throughout your web site.

Use at least five in each Web sales letter, on your coaching pages, free articles pages, and your teleclass pages. Most web sites miss the boat with just one link that says "testimonials."

5. Use a power benefit driven headline with specific benefits.

From your coach's web site this headline links to the sales letter for two books, "10 Non-Techie Ways to Market your Book Online," and "How to Market your Business on the Internet." It says "Discover How in Only 4 Months you can Quadruple your Monthly Book or Business Income and Reach 10,000 to 100,000 Internet Users Who Want your Information--GUARANTEED-To Move you to the Top Profits You've Been Dreaming About."

6. Make your layout clear, clean, and consistent.

You need to organize each page in the same layout-such as left centered, right centered, or centered. If you mix designs, your would be client or buyer will think you unprofessional. Go to other Web sites and choose a design that resonates with you. Keep every page in the same format.

7. Use color, font changes, and small graphics to spice up your site.

When visiting a popular site I couldn't even read it and get the email address because it was so dark. Use red and dark colors sparingly. Use a lot of white space between short paragraphs. Use graphics occasionally, but make sure they are small enough to load within ten seconds. Visitors are impatient and want information fast. Without easy-to-read and clear navigation, your visitors will leave.

8. Check your site often to see if you have any glitches.

Visit your site every week with a visitor mind set. What's clear? What's compelling? What turns you off? What do you like? Would you buy from you?

9. Put your content rich information beneath the headlines in short paragraphs.

When a visitor sees a long line of print, he gets discouraged because he wants his information fast, clear, and concise. Make each paragraph only 4-6 lines. Online readers want easy-to- read material they can get the main points from by skimming, and they want it faster than light rays.

10. Be consistent with your headings and body fonts.

Do not use all capital letters in your articles or headings. Make them upper/lower case such as *Sell More Books with a Powerful Back Cover.* Web copy is different from book copy. On the Web, make your headings in Times Roman or other with serif (tails) font. For the copy use Ariel 12 font without serifs because it's larger, and easier to read. This style is just the opposite of how you use fonts in your books.

When your web site thoughtfully helps your audience with a lot of fre.e information and shows them how to make a decision to buy, you can quadruple or more your web sales in just five months.

Top Ten Things to Do to Make your Signature File Sell

Always include a powerful signature on every email you send out, even to friends. It's even more important when you send out articles to opt-in ezines (no spam) and top web sites in your field--more important than your article's message.

This resource box contains your subtle sales message as well as giving people multiple ways to contact you. This billboard calls for action, so write it accordingly. Entice your reader to subscribe, to go to your site to get your free report. There's more.

The biggest mistake business people make is a too long signature or a too confusing one. Make yours easy to read.

Top Ten Things to Do to Make your Signature File Sell

1. Write your full name in the top line with your title.

Make this the strongest you can. If in business for over 5 years, put that information after your name. For instance, Judy Cullins, 20-year author, speaker and book coach.

2. Write your concept statement, which includes a major benefit on the second line.

Ask associates to give you feedback on your best five. For instance, "Helps entrepreneurs manifest their book and web dreams." Or, "Empowers you to live your ideal work dream."

3. Write in one book title in the third line.

Like me, perhaps you've written several books. Depending on your purpose such as sending a how to article on say, a topic like "Submit Articles to Opt-in Ezines--the #One Way to Promote your Business on the Net." Even though authoring other books on writing, in this signature file, I included "eBk: "Drastically Increase your Targeted Web Traffic and Sales"

4. Follow the 2004 new law. Write your street address, city and zip in the fourth line.

I imagine this is to stop spam. Some people may not be so Internet literate too, and may want to contact you by mail. Always make it easy for your reader to connect.

5. Put your web site address in line five.

Be sure to include the hyperlink such as http//www.-------.com. It will be underlined in blue. If you submit articles to opt-in ezines you will not use hyperlink, but can ask your article reader to use the hyperlink when they put your article up on their web site.

6. Make a free offer in line six.

This may be a free report or your free ezine. Include the title of your free ezine or report and include a hyperlink to get it at your site. Or, if you don't have that set up yet, give directions to put "free report" in subject line of their email back to you.

In just 4-7 times of reading your ezine or reading your special reports (change them periodically in your signature file), you will gain a loyal supporter who shares your reports and ezine with others. Great Internet marketing!

7. Include your email address with a hyperlink.

For example, mailto:cullinsbks@aol.com is better than cullinsbks@aol.com. The hyperlink makes it easier for your reader to take action because all they have to do is click straight through to the goodies.

8. Include your toll-free number for orders.

You never know when someone will see that number and call you immediately after reading your email full of useful information. That's a way to build your practice, clients, and customers.

9. Include your local telephone number.

For people out of country, you need to include a number they can use. Again, you are making it easy for your client to be to reach you.

10. Alter your signature file now and then.

Many coaches and speakers like the paragraph form for their signature file. You can also combine the information in a list and then with a line to separate, a paragraph or bio about you.

Without a powerful sales-oriented signature file you will lose many contacts that can lead to sales. Modify yours today and watch your profits grow.

Top Ten Tips for Online Publishing Success

Use the checklist below to make sure your article, tip, or book excerpt will get published and make you a household name on the Internet.

1. Does the title grab you and include a benefit? Make sure it is clear, but clever and clear is great.

2. Does the opening grab your attention? How? You need a hook in your short 1-3 sentence introduction. A shocking fact, drama, or question about where your audience is, their challenge.

3. Avoid starting sentences with "This is, there is, She is/was." Avoid passive construction such as: have, is, was, seems, appears. Replace "Judy is a book coach" with Book coach, Judy Cullins, digs her client's buried treasure (their words) up to make their books saleable gems. Aim for only 2-4% passives. Use strong, action verbs instead.

4. Punch up those sentences. Instead of "people who are assertive are willing to stand up for themselves," say, "Assertive people stand up for themselves."

5. Reduce general words. Replace them with specifics that are more compelling to the reader. Instead of "saves you time," use "saves you 10 hours a week, so you can finally take that vacation to that Caribbean island."

6. Shorten all sentences for Online reading. Did you know that 15-17 words per sentence is standard? Over that number the sentence is "difficult?" We write differently for Online because we are busy people who want information fast!

7. Use the present or past tense instead of "would have" and other passive forms. These verb forms help your article's clarity and give punch to it.

8. Show, don't tell. Instead of saying this book helps you to a healthy life, say after you read my book, you will have "leap out of bed energy."

9. Reduce the use of adjectives and adverbs. Avoid all -ly adverbs. Make your nouns and verbs describe. Use the senses of sight, sound, emotions, touch. Instead of "Suddenly, she yelled at Tom," just say," She opened the front door and yelled at Tom."

10. Discuss only one point per article to help you write focused, compelling copy for the rest. Check out your article's thesis. What question does your article answer?

Remember, for opt-in ezine publishers to take your article and spread the good word about you, you need to submit a quality, well-edited article that will wow them.

Top Seven Reasons to Publicize your Business with Articles

Do you want to be #1-10 on Google and other search engines? Do you want quadruple your Web sales in five months? Promote your business to the top with these 7 reasons to write and submit how-to articles.

1. Reach 10,000 to 150,000 targeted potential customers or clients every week Online that translates to increased sales. These people sign up for the no-spam ezines that you submit your articles to. They want what you have.

2. Spend less than seven hours a week for big results. Once you learn the learn the "articles system" from an internet marketing coach, your word will reach these big audiences hungry for free information. They need your articles for their ezines and web sites, because content brings the visitors to a web site.

3. Get free publicity from the worldwide web. Like me, in just eight months, think of getting your URL listed on 1000 other web sites, and, in 3 years, on over 4500 web sites. That too, translates to boosted sales.

4. Get seven times the impact of other promotion methods such as press releases, ads, talks, or link exchanges. When those many thousands of people online read your articles, they will see that you are the right savvy person in your field. Their trust builds, and they will eventually buy from you. Be patient with this process, because big results may take up to eight months.

5. Get frequent web visitors because you have also listed your articles on your web site. Have your web master add a link at the bottom of each article straight to your sales letter for each service and product. Content rich sites attract new buyers. Search engines notice the key words within your articles, and your site will rise to the top quickly. This is how your Internet coach got to be #1 in Google with the words book coaching.

6. Reach thousands of potential buyers when you submit one or two articles each two weeks to related web sites. These sites post your articles with a link back to your site. The more articles you submit, the better you are known as the savvy expert in your field.

7. Parlay your numbers when someone says, "I'm publishing your article on this site, or it's going into this ezine." How? Write a short thank you and offer to put this person's email on your ePublishers email list to which you submit new articles to weekly.

This easy, little time investment of submitting articles will yield money results far beyond most traditional marketing paths.

Your Leadership Shopping List

'Tis the season to give. And finding the right gift to give the people on your team can be challenging. Oprah Winfrey once said, "It doesn't matter what the thing is; what matters is how much of yourself goes into the giving, so that when the gift is gone, the spirit of you lingers." This is especially true for leaders. When you give of yourself you build character and credibility both for you and your organization.

Below are ways you can give this Christmas that won't put a dent in your budget.

1. Acknowledge people everyday. A colleague of mine, Wayne Sellers, greets everyone with a handshake each morning. That few minutes he spends encouraging his staff is much more beneficial than one more cup of coffee or answering the emails waiting in his inbox. Too many people to make that work? Divide up by departments and appoint someone to be the morning greeter for each group.

2. Recognize important dates. Birthdays and company anniversaries matter. Add dates to your outlook calendar or palm pilot then set a reminder. Everyone likes to be recognized on their special day. And they will be impressed that you remembered.

3. Include people in decisions that affect their department. Listen to their concerns. Be open to their input. If it directly affects their department and you don't have their buy in, the decision will most likely be ineffective anyway. Even if it is a mandatory policy, let their voice be heard. Sometimes just venting their feelings is enough to get people on board.

4. Acknowledge their work. Be specific about the things they do well. A simple pat on the back or hand written note can be powerful at building an employee's professional esteem.

5. Leave your door open. This radiates an open door policy. When people believe they can come to you with any problems, issues or concerns, you open the door to know exactly what is going on in your organization.

6. Give people creative freedom. A team full of people who problem solve and brainstorm only your ideas will create a stagnate organization. Let them think 'out of the box' and watch your organization grow.

7. Be human. Admit when you make a mistake. Laugh at their jokes. Share stories about your family. People need a leader they can relate to.

You may be thinking a few of these 'gifts' are obvious. Perhaps you already give several of the 'gifts' on the list year. Or maybe you found a few new ones for your shopping list. At the core of all of these gifts is you. Whether it is the eleven gifts on this list or any of 100 others, give yourself this holiday season ? and make it a habit the whole year through.

Holly Powers (Holly@KevinEikenberry.com) is passionate about working with Clients in her role as the Client Development Princess for The Kevin Eikenberry Group (http://www.KevinEikenberry.com). She is also the editor of Unleash Your Potential. Go to http://www.kevineikenberry.com/uypw/subscribe.asp to subscribe.

7 Reasons Why Training Doesn?t Produce the Desired Results and What You Can Do To

Seven Reasons Why Training Doesn't Produce the Desired Results and What You Can Do To Improve Your Results

Overview
Abraham Maslow said, "If the only tool you have is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail." As managers, leaders and change agents, we want to improve our organizational performance. Often training is seen as an important tool in this pursuit. Training is a fabulous tool! It can provide awareness, knowledge, skills and maybe even a chance to practice. However, all of our change efforts aren't nails, so training isn't our only tool. This special report identifies seven common reasons why training doesn't meet it's goals - even when it is the right tool - and more importantly - gives you some action steps to avoid these pitfalls.

The "Who's Accountable?" Game
People rarely are held accountable for using what they learned in a course or workshop when they get back to the workplace. So some people recognize going to training as a game. That's why training is seldom seen (by anyone in the organization) as what it could and should be - a strategic part of the business, with responsibility for performance enhancement. Regardless of how training is viewed, if people aren't held accountable, how likely is it that real performance change will occur? All of the actions below will make accountability clear.

What You Can Do

The Cafeteria Cause - "Course du Jour"
Often training has no connection to the strategic objectives of the organization. Whether true or not, the prevalent perception in the organization is that there is no rhyme or reason to the latest training course. This cause is called "Course du Jour" because often organizations offer new training just like some people try new diets. New business books (and accompanying "hot" new training topics) are published with the frequency of new diet plans - and the similarities continue! With the fad popular diets, people hear about the new approach, buy the book, get excited, try the diet, and soon leave it - usually before they received any real benefit. The same thing happens in an organization. The new training topic, approach, idea or craze is tried and dropped before results can occur.. There's usually nothing wrong with the training introduced, but usually it isn't supported in the organization - or given the time to work. In these instances, the company is wasting time and money and confusing the majority of the employees. Maybe most costly however is the risk of fostering cynicism and reducing the credibility of leadership.

What You Can Do

? Make training decisions based on strategic direction and real performance gaps. Once those training priorities have been set, stick to them.
? Make a commitment to get a return on that training investment.
? Resolve to give the training time and support to work.
? Determine clear performance outcomes for the effort up front.
? When a new "hot topic" training course is proposed, ask, "How does this fit with what we've been doing? Is this just our next diet?"
? Use real work in the training when possible.

The Piling on the Work Paradigm
Many times managers and leaders see training as an expensive waste of time. When they attend classes, they continually think about all the work that is piling up "back in the office". Their employees see this attitude through their leader's actions. This thinking grows because leaders don't explain the reasons for the course and don't help people deal with the workload while they are gone. Since you can't make people learn, these situations can be disastrous in the training session itself. People may resent having to be in the training because they don't understand why they're there, and they know they'll have to work harder when they get back to the job to catch up. In this situation the participants may leave more cynical than when they arrived, with few if any new skills to counteract that possible effect.

What You Can Do

? Do everything possible to make sure all of management is on-board with the training and its purpose.
? Make a commitment to get a return on that training investment.
? Resolve to give the training time and support to work.
? Determine clear performance outcomes for the effort up front.
? Set up a plan to handle the work while the participant is learning. This action speaks volumes about the importance of the training. It will also improve their ability to focus on the session (e.g. "My critical work is being handled", and " Whew, I'm sure glad that most of my mail will have been handled when I get back!")

The January Third Application Assignment
Well designed training with motivated learners will result in people leaving training with some clear ideas about how they plan to apply what they've learned back on the job. But well intentioned as those plans might be, they may be no more effective than most New Year's Resolutions. Old habits are hard to break! Habits are especially hard to break when there is no support for the new skills and behaviors back in the workplace.

What You Can Do

? Give people a clear message before participating in training what the expectations of them will be when they return.
? Plan some time with the participant both before and after the training session.
? Let them know before they attend, that an action plan is expected as a result of the training session. (Then be interested in the outcome.)
? Ask them how you can help them reach their new performance goals. All of these actions will make accountability clear.
? Give an entire work group training in new information and skills at the same time. (Whenever possible and appropriate.)
? Use real work in the training when possible.

The Sleepwear Syndrome - "One-Size-Fits-All"
Often times a T-shirt or sleepwear is designed to be "one size-fits-all" and serves its purpose. Training isn't sleepwear and probably won't be effective that way. Look at it this way: though all the teen-age kids might wear one size of sweatshirt to school, would people wear the same size suit or skirt to work? If they did, would they look as good or perform well? In other words, one-size-fits-all garments aren't all that versatile for different situations. The basic goal of clothing - to cover our body and provide warmth - would be achieved, but many other reasons why we wear clothing would not be satisfied. The same is true for training in the workplace. Too often, generic, across-the-board training is administered. The basic premise with this syndrome is that "We'll give it to everyone - to be fair - maybe everyone doesn't need this information or lack the skills, but at least we will make sure we don't leave anyone out." In reality often management doesn't really know who needs the new skills and knowledge.

What You Can Do

? Base training and participation decisions on skills needed to be effective in the workplace.

The Lone Ranger Situation
Often people are sent to training as a perk, a reward, or as a way to get them in a new surrounding for awhile. In most cases, people in a team or work group may never all see the same training, except for the "Course du Jour" or "One-Size-Fits-All" variety. Some times people need specific skills to perform a specific part of their work. Often though, the "perk" training workshops are for skills many people in the group could use (or maybe they'll all be sent over-time; after all, everyone can't be gone at once.) The result? People come back to work in a vacuum. Not only are they not accountable (Reason Number One above), but no one they work with has the same new skills and knowledge that they do. Without support, as a Lone Ranger, the new ideas they bring back may not get implemented due to peer resistance or ignorance.

What You Can Do

? Give an entire work group training in new information and skills at the same time. (Whenever possible and appropriate.)
? Build training that is linked to the problems at work as well.
? Use real work in the training when possible.

The "Name That Tune" Game
This problem arises when, in the name of expediency or efficiency, training time is compacted. Trainers are asked to "Name That Tune" (or complete the training) in shorter and shorter time blocks. This show starts with "The Management Team only needs an overview", and ends with training being designed to fit a time slot, as opposed to being designed to build specific skills. The typical result of the "Name That Tune - shorten the session for my people Game", is training that is little more that exposure to a topic area - not training which can transfer real skills, with real practice time in the classroom.

What You Can Do

? Give the training staff some muscle - let them be strong advocates for training that is skill based, and not just meant to fill the ever-shortening time slot.
? Determine clear performance outcomes for the effort up front.

Final Thoughts
Training can be expensive, often time consuming, and disappointing - both to the individuals and to the organization. Training and learning is also vitally important to the success of organizations. These Seven Reasons are often why training is so disappointing and time consuming. Taking the actions listed will help reduce the cost, lower the frustration and disappointment and drastically increase the effectiveness of the training in your organization.

Ten Tips for Cross Cultural Communication

Here are some simple tips to help you improve your cross cultural communication skills:

Slow Down

Even when English is the common language in a cross cultural situation, this does not mean you should speak at normal speed. Slow down, speak clearly and ensure your pronunciation is intelligible.

Separate Questions

Try not to ask double questions such as, "Do you want to carry on or shall we stop here?" In a cross cultural situation only the first or second question may have been comprehended. Let your listener answer one question at a time.

Avoid Negative Questions

Many cross cultural communication misunderstandings have been caused by the use of negative questions and answers. In English we answer 'yes' if the answer is affirmative and 'no' if it is negative. In other cultures a 'yes' or 'no' may only be indicating whether the questioner is right or wrong. For example, the response to "Are you not coming?" may be 'yes', meaning 'Yes, I am not coming.'

Take Turns

Cross cultural communication is enhanced through taking turns to talk, making a point and then listening to the response.

Write it Down

If you are unsure whether something has been understood write it down and check. This can be useful when using large figures. For example, a billion in the USA is 1,000,000,000,000 while in the UK it is 1,000,000,000.

Be Supportive

Effective cross cultural communication is in essence about being comfortable. Giving encouragement to those with weak English gives them confidence, support and a trust in you.

Check Meanings

When communicating across cultures never assume the other party has understood. Be an active listener. Summarise what has been said in order to verify it. This is a very effective way of ensuring accurate cross cultural communication has taken place.

Avoid Slang

Even the most well educated foreigner will not have a complete knowledge of slang, idioms and sayings. The danger is that the words will be understood but the meaning missed.

Watch the humour

In many cultures business is taken very seriously. Professionalism and protocol are constantly observed. Many cultures will not appreciate the use of humour and jokes in the business context. When using humour think whether it will be understood in the other culture. For example, British sarcasm usually has a negative effect abroad.

Maintain Etiquette

Many cultures have certain etiquette when communicating. It is always a good idea to undertake some cross cultural awareness training or at least do some research on the target culture.

Cross cultural communication is about dealing with people from other cultures in a way that minimises misunderstandings and maximises your potential to create strong cross cultural relationships. The above tips should be seen as a starting point to greater cross cultural awareness.

For more information on cross cultural communication training please visit http://www.kwintessential.co.uk

Neil Payne is Director of London based consultancy http://www.kwintessential.co.uk

Ten Ways to Strengthen Your Reading Habit

Most people wish they read more. It is an activity that is both fun and enlightening. It can help us be more knowledgeable and successful. However, it is an activity that many people don't engage in very much. According to the 1999 National Household Education Survey, 50% of the U.S. population aged 25 and over read a newspaper at least once a week, read one or more magazines regularly, and had read a book in the past 6 months. What does this mean? It means that 50% of the population hasn't read a book in the last six months!

Looking at the other end of the spectrum, research shows that if you read ten books a year, you are in the top few percent of all people as readers. Simply stated, it doesn't take much to be well read, but we do need to know how to get started. The following are ten suggestions to help you strengthen your reading habit ? ways to find and make more time for reading.

1. Always have a book around. Don't go anywhere without reading material. Keep magazines or short stories in your bathroom. Always have something in your briefcase to read. Keep a book(s) by your bed. Having things available makes it easier for you to steal otherwise lost moments.

2. Set a reading goal. Determine how much time you want to spend reading, or how many books you want to read over time. Your goal might be a book a month, one per week, or it might be to read 30 minutes a day. Start out with something attainable but still a stretch. As your habit builds, you might set higher goals. Setting a goal is the first step towards reading more.

3. Keep a log. Keep a list of the books you have read, or keep track of how much time you read each day. You might keep these lists in your journal or your day planner. My son's log is on our refrigerator. My list and log are kept on my computer. It doesn't matter where you keep it, just do it.

4. Keep a list. Make a list of things you want to read in the future. Ask your friends and colleagues what they are reading. Watch for recommendations in the newspaper and magazines. Once you start looking for good books, you'll find them everywhere. This is a great way to keep your enthusiasm up. By knowing what great stuff you want to read, you will reinforce your reading habit.

5. Turn off the television. Many people say they just don't have enough time. Television is one of our major time consumers. Make your television watching more conscious and less habitual. There is nothing wrong with watching television shows you really enjoy. Where the time gets lost is turning it on, and scanning to find "something to watch." Those are the times to turn it off and pick up your book!

6. Listen when you can't read. Use your commute and other time spent in the car to listen! There are great audio versions of all sorts of books. Whether you want to "read" fiction, the latest self-help or diet book, it is probably available on tape. Don't get locked into the idea that you have to read it ? listening to the book still gives you the experience, ideas, and imagination that reading a book can.

7. Join a reading group or book club. Reading groups typically meet once a month to discuss a book they have all decided to read. Committing to the group provides a bit more impetus to finish the book, and gives you a great forum for discussion and socialization around the book's themes.

8. Visit the library or bookstore often. You have your list, right? So you'll have some ideas of what you are looking for when you walk in. But there is more to be gained by walking through places where books reside than just to make a transaction. Take time to browse! Let your eyes find things of interest. Let serendipity happen. Browsing will feed your mental need to read, and give you plenty of new things to read.

9. Build your own strategy. Decide when reading fits your schedule. Some people read first thing in the morning, some before bed. Some decide to read as they eat their lunch. And there is more to your strategy than just timing. Make your own decisions about reading. It is ok to be reading more than one book at once. It is ok to stop reading something before you finish if it isn't holding your interest. It is ok to skim the book, getting what you want or need, without reading every page. Determine what works best for you, develop your own beliefs and ideas-then make them work for you.

10. Drop Everything and Read. My son's fourth grade class has DEAR (Drop Everything and Read) time. When the teacher calls for it, that's just what they do. They read now. That is my last piece of advice for you. Do it. Just get started. Make it DEAR time. Now.

inspiration to enhance your professional skills. Go to http://www.kevineikenberry.com/uypw/current.asp to read the current issue and subscribe. Kevin is also President of The Kevin Eikenberry Group, a learning consulting company that helps Clients reach their potential through a variety of training, consulting and speaking services. You may contact Kevin at toll free 888.LEARNER.

Seven Questions to Improve Your Business, Your Relationships, and Your Life

One of the most powerful tools we have as humans is our ability to ask questions. The more adept we are at asking them (and waiting for and listening to the answers), the more effective we will be. Here are seven great questions to use everyday.

1. Why? Asking "why?" is a powerful way to gain an understanding of the causes of problems we encounter. Ask the question again and again to uncover the root causes of your problems.

2. What did I learn? This most basic reflective question is key to progress in any phase of your life. Take the time to ask this question each day.

3. How can I help you? By focusing on attention on the needs of others you will be improving ourselves, as well as our relationships.

4. What if? This question helps you free your creativity to look for new solutions or just to see new possibilities for yourself.

5. How can this be improved? This question focuses you on improving your situation. It helps you focus on the current situation and how to take your results to a new level.

6. How can I show my gratitude? A spirit of thankfulness is key to long-term happiness. Thinking about how to show gratitude (and then doing it!) will also help strengthen your relationships.

7. What is the best use of my time now? Asking this classic question helps to refocus on what's most important to us, whenever we ask it.

©1999, All Rights Reserved, Kevin Eikenberry. Kevin publishes Unleash Your Potential, a free weekly ezine designed to provide ideas, tools, techniques and inspiration to enhance your professional skills. Go to http://www.kevineikenberry.com/uypw/current.asp to read the current issue and subscribe. Kevin is also President of The Kevin Eikenberry Group, a learning consultanting company that helps Clients reach their potential through a variety of training, consulting and speaking services. You can contact Kevin at toll free 888.LEARNER.

Wealth Building Scams

I have some good news and I have some bad news. First the good news. The number of infomercials on television is decreasing.

Some might say that is great news. But, before you yell hurray, here's the bad news. They are reincarnating as web sites. Changes the whole picture, doesn't it?

For those who've never seen an infomercial, it is a program-length TV commercial touting easy ways to make money in a variety of ways.

Real estate is probably the most often run program. Others include low-interest government loans or grants to start a new business or go to college.

Then there are the old standby classified advertisement sections in newspapers or magazines promising "big money" business opportunities and/or work-at-home schemes. The companies behind these infomercials and print ads claim that by using their products and services, you can learn how to increase your wealth or start a business from the comfort of your home.

These infomercials and advertisements make it very clear you can make the big bucks only by purchasing their books, audio and video tapes, or computer hardware and software. The materials range in price from less than $100 to several thousand dollars.

To clinch the sale, some promoters include a toll-free telephone consulting service with your purchase and offer a money-back guarantee. The fine print in the guarantee is what gets most people.

Web sites promoting these same type of "opportunities" look like an infomercial. Hype, glitz and promises of big money adorn the screen. On the other hand, contact details, other than ordering information, is scant if existent at all.

On television, these infomercials are designed to look, feel, and sound like real TV programs. The FTC says "they often imitate the format of genuine talk shows or investigative consumer news programs."

Because they imitate real programs, "the products being sold often are discussed as part of the program and touted by paid "experts," "moderators," or "reporters", according to the FTC. The programs may last for 30 minutes, interrupted by advertisements for the shows products with ordering information.

As in the offline world, online promoters of wealth-building schemes claim that if you follow their methods, you can make substantial sums of money. The means to easy wealth have shifted from real estate and government auctions to web site sales and development, autoresponder sales, gift clubs and bulk email programs.

The offline world uses the infomercials and advertisements to invite you to attend seminars where you can learn more about their program. You can rest assured the seminar is a slick sales pitch.

The smooth-talking salespeople tout the programs, materials, and services and use testimonials of the people in the back of the room selling the materials to illustrate what easy money you can make. The truth is these people are paid to give testimony. They are on the payroll as salespeople and that's it.

At these seminars the pitch is feverish and it is easy to be lured by promises of success into parting with your money. They are designed to work off the herd mentality. Don't fall for the nonsense.

On the Internet, the herd mentality is engaged through testimonials and a rush to action. You are encouraged every step of the way to BUY NOW! There are only so many days left and this opportunity will be gone forever or some other such nonsense.

The FTC, and everybody else who has studied these programs, gives the following advice:

1. Be skeptical about "get-rich-quick" advertising claims.

2. Ask companies for written substantiation for claims in their presentations, especially those about success rates.

3. Be aware that "experts" who endorse a product often are paid by the advertiser.

4. Be cautious about "testimonials." They may be paid for and probably owrse, do not reflect the experience of most consumers.

5. Be wary of purchasing a program if company representatives give you evasive answers or aren't willing to answer your questions at all.

6. Before you buy, decide whether the price reflects a fair market value.

7. Be wary of promises of free money or low-interest government loans. As a rule, these are available only in limited circumstances.

8. Dont be pressured to purchase immediately. Good opportunities are not sold through high pressure tactics.

9. Before you buy, ask about the companys qualifying requirements and refund policy.

10. Check out the company with your local consumer protection agency, Better Business Bureau, and state Attorney General's office. They should be able to tell you if any unresolved consumer complaints are on file.

Additional consumer protection resources are available at your local library. Check out materials on personal finance and those geared toward the small business owner.

Your local community college may have a marketing department. Call and ask to speak with one of the professors. Explain the program and ask his/her advice/opinion.

The Small Business Administration and your state and local government have publications and programs for new and potential business owners. Write or call and ask for a list of available publications.

Tap into the Internet. That's right, search engines could turn out to be your best friend. A host of scam busting sites exist and expose scams online and offline.

As always, common sense is your best weapon in the fight against this garbage. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. However, if you have more than a passing interest, do your homework. Getting too much information is not a crime or a hazard to your wealth.

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Business Profitability - 10 Ways To Boost

10 Ways to Boost your Profitability

So many business owners work hard - really hard - just to break even or keep afloat. Each one of us deserves reward for our efforts, whether that be financial or personal. The question to ask yourself is whether you are directing your effort in the right places, to get the reward you want?

Of the businesses I've seen and worked in, there are plenty of ways to mis-spend effort - that is, to work hard - but on the wrong things. Here are ten of the most common areas where the return on your efforts can really be ramped up.

1. Marketing Inconsistently

Once you have committed to owning and running a business you must be equally committed to marketing and selling the products and services of that business. It is difficult, if not impossible, to stay and remain profitable without a commitment to ongoing concerted marketing.

To get more out of your marketing, create a simple marketing plan that includes marketing activity every day, every week and every month. Marketing plans combine formal activities (such as advertising, promotions and writing) with informal activities (such as making new contacts) . Don't underestimate the power of talking to people about what you do. Use every opportunity, every time.

2. Fear of Asking for the Sale

Isn't it true that we think asking directly for someone's business means coming across as pushy or obnoxious. But if we have this attitude, we are letting profit-producing opportunities pass us by. Worrying more about what someone thinks of you than bringing more money into the business is an all too common mistake. If you find it difficult to "ask for the sale", you can be sure that you're not bringing in as much money as you could be.

The most effective way to address this issue it to practice asking for the sale in language that you are comfortable with (not too wishy-washy please). Write down what you want to say first, then practice it over and over. There is also plenty of stuff out there on handling objections. Prepare your responses to the most common objections so you are well armed before you speak with your prospective customers.

3. Getting help

Most business owners possess strengths in one or two specific areas, but whether by necessity or design, they often end up working in areas they aren't strong in. This builds inefficiencies and potential for mistakes into the business. To compound the problem, we don't ask for help straight away, but struggle on doing the stuff we are not suited to (saves money right?) But each day that goes by with your business running at less than maximum efficiency, means dollars lost from your pocket.

Work out where you add the most and least value in your business. Pay someone to help you out with these low value add activities. Your time is best spent where you add the most value. If you can do more of this kind of activity, your business will benefit.

4. Use your Existing Customer Base

All the research tells us that it is easier and cheaper to keep working with customers you already have, than to get new customers into your business. If you are not following up with past customers on a regular basis you are reducing your profitability potential.

Develop strategies to keep your customers with you, such as loyalty plans, regular communications and special offers. Implement a regular process for following up your customers after they buy from you.

5. Managing Expenses

Savvy business owners regularly appraise their business expenses and find ways to reduce costs without sacrificing quality. If you haven't completed a cost analysis lately, you might be paying more than you need to be, which will reduce your profitability.

At least once per quarter you should review your expenses and negotiate for adjustments as appropriate. Categorize everything you spend under 3 headings: Essential, Nice to Have and Non-Essential. Everything in the last two categories is up for grabs ? be ruthless!

6. Spending large amounts on glossy, slick marketing materials and expecting business to pour in without any additional effort.

Glossy brochures and slick marketing materials are a nice addition to more active forms of marketing such as meeting people, calling people and speaking to people. However, brochures and business cards, no matter how beautiful, do not replace direct contact. If you are spending money on flashy marketing materials in the place of marketing directly, your profitability will suffer. The most effective form of marketing comes from you talking about your business to others.

Marketing materials are an expense, and to be sure they are working, you need to get some handle on the return on your investment. At the very least you should be tracking where new business is coming from so you can get an idea of whether your marketing materials are contributing to any new business you get.

7. Spending a significant amount of time in low-return activities

Don't we all know about this one! If you are spending the majority of your day completing tasks which are administrative in nature and/or which can be easily completed by other people then you are not putting yourself to best use. For most of us, the best value-adding activity we can be involved with is in bringing business in the door by building relationships, talking to prospective customers and promoting our business.

What value do you put on your time? Assign yourself a competitive hourly rate for the market and industry you work in ? it might be anywhere from $100 per hour or upwards. Then ask yourself whether you would pay anyone that hourly rate to process accounts or do administrative work. If the answer is no, find a way of getting these low-return activities done for a lower hourly rate. Hire a bookkeeper or assistant for a few hours a week, and spend your time doing the valuable work.

8. Not charging enough for what you do.

This challenge seems to arise especially for people who sell services. Either we feel embarrassed to ask for the amount we want, or we simply accept less money than we need - so we get "some money" rather than "no money". But beware, after a while, working for too little can leave you exhausted and resentful, not to mention the impact it has on your profitability.

You do not need to defend an increase in your fees either. It is normal business strategy to review fee structures, make changes and advise customers. And contrary to our fears, it is often the case that business levels improve after fees are increased. It seems that we attract a whole different class of customer when our fees reflect the value we provide.

9. Not making enough use of technology which could save time and effort.

As a business owner, you have a fixed amount of time and energy within which you must maximize your profits. Technology can help you do this in the form of autoresponders, voicemail, wireless internet connections, speech recognition software, SMS from your computer and so on. All of these tools are widely available to us, and are designed to save time and effort. Each of us needs to continually look for ways to make business processes more efficient by using inexpensive technology.

Often the problem is that we don't know what we don't know. Some wonderful tool might be available but we don't know it exists. You need to stay on top of the latest products by regularly checking in with business and telecommunications sites.

10. Sticking with outdated business models or plans.

You've all heard it before - doing things the way they have always been done means that you will get the results that you always got. If you are not satisfied with your results then you need to re-look at what and how you are doing things. An astute entrepreneur has a mindset that is always challenging the way things are done in the business.

Another great way of coming across new ideas is to attend seminars and conferences on various topics. If you get a single idea to put into practice in your business, then that seminar has been worthwhile.

If you are serious about improving your business' profitability (and aren't we all?), then taking action on these areas will help you make more money and have more fun in your business. And that's what it's all about really.

Megan Tough is a published author, coach, facilitator and speaker. Her business, Action Plus, works with professionals to create sustainable and profitable income streams. Make more money and have less stress! To learn more and to sign up for more FREE tips and articles like these, visit http://www.megantough.com

Collection Business tips and trick

Friday, June 19, 2009

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Seven Questions to Improve Your Business, Your Relationships, and Your Life

Wealth Building Scams

Business Profitability - 10 Ways To Boost

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