Benefits of a Thank You Card

I came across this article and thought it was well worth sharing with my readers. The author is right on target when it comes to the ways and benefits of utilizing this means of staying in contact.

I use this type of method on occasion and hope this article gives you some ideas on ways to implement hand written notes.

Until the next time....Carole

The benefit of a Thank you card

Copyright © 2008 Drew Stevens PhD

In 1940, Dale Carnegie wrote a classic entitled “How to Win Friends and Influence People”. That book is still worth millions today. Become genuinely interested in others and take note to appreciate their business. In today’s competitive world differentiation is what sets you apart and being genuinely interested is a key differentiator in selling client value. Clients devour conducting business with those they can trust and respect.

One of the simplest methods to appreciate clients is a simple and personal thank you note. In this article I speak of a clearly written hard copy note. Prospective clients are overwhelmed with a myriad of notes, letters and other ridiculous correspondence. Ironically, the influx of electronic communication has pained many. As such, direct mail is on the rise.

According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, direct mail in the United States has increased so the suggestion is to follow the trend. Use the United States Postal Service to send correspondence to clients. Refrain from all the electronic correspondence to clients.

Professionals that are different are memorable. Electronic mail comes and goes but hard copy notes last. Although you might save imperative email, they are do not remain in sight since many of you file your emails. However, handwritten notes are placed on credenzas, bookshelves and desks- within view of the prospective client, management, even competitors! These intimate economical cards provide a level of differentiation in today’s competitive market.

You have three options in sending a card:

1. Commercial Printing – If you want to make an impression, have cards professionally designed and die-cut with your corporate name and logo. These are inexpensive and illustrate professionalism bar none.

2. Home – Office Printing – Most home computers and their printers are extremely durable and reliable. Ensure professional design yet also invest in good quality paper.

3. Stock Commercial – Commercial retail provides stock cards for general business and personal use. While not recommended this is a good alternative initially.

In addition to thank you notes, other personal written gestures include:

1. Introductory letters prior to a cold call
2. Follow letters for proposals and contracts
3. Notes for receipt of letters of recommendation
4. Follow up to information when the client does not respond
5. Any imperative data that provides a conduit to a valuable relationship

If you truly illustrate your genuine interest in others and desire more sales with less labor send some form or hard copy written correspondence. I know that what I suggest requires altering behavior; however, if you truly desire more business and want clients to find you there is a need to be different.

Selling is not about money- it is about creating a cadre of clients that speak highly about you creating a flow of business in your direction. Like all things in life, departing the comfort zone requires change. However, if you desire more business then remember this quote from Mahatma Gandhi, “Be the change you want to see.” Take the time today to implement this change and watch your competitive gap widen to increase your sales!

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Drew Stevens PhD is known as the Sales Strategist. Drew assists organizations to dramatically accelerate business growth. He is the author of seven books including Split Second Selling and Split Second Customer Service and Little Book of Hope and is frequently called on the media for his expertise. Get a FREE download Drew’s White Paper on Selling Effectiveness or Business Building e-book at http://www.gettingtothefinishline.com

Positive Reinforcement

I have recently had several episodes where I have had to encourage and reinforce positive actions. This is not only in the area of business but at home and socially.

I find that with negative consequences people either want to go in the opposite direction or run from the responsibility or strike out in retaliation or even worse enable the situation of negative behavior.

If you are an enabler, you are the one who knows that the situation is not good but you in some way help to keep it going. I have several examples but this is at the top of my mind: a son is having marital problems so asks to move back in with his parents. The parents assuming they are doing the right thing allow him to move in. This enabling situation allows the son not to work on his marriage by allowing him to escape into someone else's environment and ignoring his own. It is time for the son to face up to his responsibilities and take care of his problems, whatever the outcome.

Retaliation. This is definitely not a great way to take care of a situation. I do not believe it is necessary to give an example here as probably all of us at one time or another have done this. I have learned through experience that this action solves nothing. Perhaps you say I felt better by doing so. Did you really? In my experiences, the after effects were not pleasant either.

Perhaps we have forgotten the golden rule. J.C. Penney used it and was the motto for his stores. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. I believe if we looked at our situations or experiences in this way the outcome would be much more pleasant. If you treated someone in the same way you want to be treated would it not be a pleasant experience?

Try utilizing the golden rule in your life, business, and social situations. You may be the example someone else was needing to have positive reinforcement in their life.

Carole DeJarnatt
Alliance Advisors, Inc.
Alliance Success Group

Brainstorming for success

If you have read any of my entries of late you will note that I am working on setting up mastermind groups and also attending my own group. Yesterday I attended a coaches roundtable group. The discussion for the day was how to get your book written and published.

We were honored to have a regional director of the Florida's Writers Association among us and he answered and gave direction to many of the questions. There was several questions asked by both sides of the groups. We had editors and ghostwriters in attendance also.

It was a great meeting and very informational. Here is a list of a few of the items I walked away with:

1. Start your book one page at a time. Even if it takes a year it makes no difference as long as you have progress.
2. Done is spelled D-O-N. Meaning your first draft does not have to be perfect.
3. Self-publishing is a quick way to get your book in print.
4. Ebooks can be a source of income being offered on your website.
5. Some writers feel business coaches are beneficial partners in business. As a business coach I have a writer and editor friend who I turned to all the time for help and also to do work for me.
6. Presentations can be taped and then turn into an audio workshop for another source of income on your website.
7. When hiring a ghostwriter do not assume they will do all the work.
8. pow100.com a source to sell your book online.
9. For back of the room sales, ensure your material is something you didn't say at your speaking event to add value for your clients.
10. Floridawriters.net

I could probably write more but I am going to cut it off here. Do you see the benefit of joining a mastermind group yet? I came away with so many ideas.

On my way home I called my friend who is a ghostwriter and told her I want to start my ebook. I plan on initating at least one of the ideas I walked away with. It may take me six months but I have started.

Start your growth process today and find a group. Some are free and others are not; but no matter which you choose make the most of it.

Carole DeJarnatt
Alliance Advisors, Inc.

Doing Your Business Plan Review

I received this article recently and it agrees with the strategies I promote and encourage my clients to do so I will utilize Kevin Sinclair's expertise and article to share with my reading audience. I believe you will benefit from his suggestions if initiated.

Doing Your Business Plan Review

by Kevin Sinclair

When owning your own business, it is essential for your business, that you possess a route map which signifies exactly how you will achieve your business goals. Without such a plan in place, your business could be jeopardy and may well fail.

The development of a plan is greatly important for your business. It is essential that it is a living document,which is checked and updated on a regular basis. If the plan is not checked on a regular basis, then there is no point in generating one to begin with. It is vitally important that you are aware of the fact that the plan is being achieved. If this is not the case and the plan is not being achieved, then adjustments will need to be made to the plan in order to accommodate any revisions thatoccur. This is only common knowledge and good business practice.

In order to create a good business plan, the basics are to detail the tasks and systems that will assist the plan in progressing. Your plan should be reviewed, initially, on a monthly basis in order to ensure that progress in being achieved as planned. It is at a later stage, when the initial creases have been ironed out and planned progress is being achieved, that you can change the frequency of the views to every two or three months.

The goals in a business plan are initially small in terms of financial profits. However, it is just as important that they are in actual fact achieved on schedule, just as those larger goals are at a later date. Proving that your business plan is actually working effectively in the early stages of business, is essential in demonstrating that theoverall business plan is achievable. Therefore, it is important that every detail of your plan is checked thoroughly, in order to see that your plan is being achieved.

Not all business plans work out as expected. Therefore there are certain questions that need to be answered, such as:

1. Were your financial goals for the period within the allocated timeframe achieved? Maybe some were achieved, but not all of them.
2. Did the systems that you selected to use in order to complete the tasks work well? It is possible that some were successful, but others were not. You should now take an analysis of the answers that you have obtained.

You should continue to use the successful systems for future tasks. It is also important that you evaluate those systems that did not work for you effectively. Discover what went wrong. Was there a flaw in the system? What was required to complete the task? The same types of tasks will need to be adjusted in the future to accommodate the revised procedure that you have adopted.

It is essential that you undertake continuous improvement in a good business plan. By adjusting the elements of the plan in the future based on your experience, you can only make improvements to the effectiveness of the plan and generate confidence that it will be achieved. You will be well on the way to achieving your goals if you plan your work and work your plan.

Kevin Sinclair is the publisher and editor of Be Successful News, a site that provides information and articles on howto succeed in your own home or small business. http://besuccessfulnews.com/

Ideas for success in hiring an independent sales representative

In an earlier post I mentioned the fact that I have started a mastermind group. In our first session we had one of our CEO's bring forward a situation. He is in search of an independent representative who is not local and would be commissioned base. During our session we came up with several ideas for him to try.

This past Tuesday, Jan. 22nd, we had our second meeting. He came back and reported that he was working with a client of his trying to successfully locate someone to fit his needs. He had been given the idea of working with others in the same industry with him but not the same type of work. Instead he turned it around and went to a client that had become a friend. He was very excited about the potential.

This past meeting we brainstormed another business problem. How to effectively market a service that was geared towards owners of the business. Several suggestions were given and now the task is upon the person to follow through on one or two. I will be holding them accountable for their initiatives by following up next week.

Before the accountant had asked me to facilitate this group, I had never thought about a mastermind group. Now I am facilitating one but also joining two. The ideas of getting help from many is very appealing to me.

Again, I urge you the reader, if you are stuck in a rut and need someone to help you to meet the goals you are planning, find a group. Check out their goals and the rules for the group to ensure it fits your needs. It could be one of the best things you will ever commit to for success in your goals.

Until the next time,

Carole DeJarnatt
Alliance Success Group, www.asuccessgroup.com

Goals or Resolutions--It's a New Year!

Yes, it is the last day of 2007 and frequently my mind has been upon 2008. I think I mentioned the book I have been reading lately, Eat That Frog! by Brian Tracy. The frogs are those things we put off doing that keep us from accomplishing our goals.

I am working on a presentation I am giving to a group of business owners in a couple of weeks but while planning it the information has motivated me to utilize some of the recommended steps. I thought I would share some of the steps with you in case it may be useful in motivating you for a more successful 2008.

Here are some of the techniques recommended that I am using:

1. Time management is a learned skill and the more we plan the better we learn and apply this skill. So start by writing out your goals on paper, same thing as "Think on paper".
2. Plan daily, weekly, and yearly. Start with the end in mind and write down the steps needed to accomplish the goal.
3. Resist the temptation to clear up the small things first (like email). Most every morning this year I turned on my computer and started reading and deleting emails. Only about 2% of those actually contributed to my growth, financially, professionally, and personally. Tackle the big jobs. Determine your tasks based on importance. These are tasks are usually the ones that add the most value to your day, life, and goals.
4. Upgrade your key skills. I have been planning on upgrading my desktop publishing skills and have identified local resources to accomplish this.
5. Apply the 80/20 rule to everything: Twenty percent of your activities will account for 80 percent of your results. Concentrate on the top 20 percent. I have already determined a few activities that have not been beneficial to my business and I plan on cutting them out of my activities.

These are just a few of the 21 strategies shared in the book. I figure if I practice just a few of the tips shared I will be much farther ahead than I was in 2007.

Since this will be my last post for 2007, I want to take this opportunity to wish all the readers and subscribers of my blog a joyful end to 2007 and greater success in 2008!

Happy New Year!

Carole DeJarnatt
Alliance Advisors, Inc.

Eat that Frog

Have you ever heard of the book by Brian Tracy called Eat That Frog? If not, it is an excellent read that gives you insight on how to become a better time manager. If you haven't guessed it, the frog is the project or problem you are putting off or facing at the time.

Today, I am working on my frog--the presentation material for tomorrow. So instead of writing my own material for this blog I will share one more article I thought was worthy.

Carole DeJarnatt


Copywriting Selling Secret #3 - Slash Your Expenses
Copyright © 2007 Scott Bywater


A few years ago, I analysed the statistics of where one of my clients, M & M Pest Control in Sydney, generated all their leads from. As a result of this, Ray Milton, the director of the company said:

"Scott measured the results we were getting from our advertising, and as a result, this confirmed my decision to eliminate over $42,000.00 in unnecessary expenses --- because it wasn't paying it's way."

$42,000 is a lot of money, in anyone's language!

What did I do? I simply analysed his advertising expenses, and identified whether or not the ads were generating a strong yield for his investment.

And I'm willing to bet you could do the same for your business.

Right now, you're probably thinking... in the words of Pauline Hanson...

"Please Explain"

Listen. I've met with hundreds of businesses that advertise in the Yellow Pages. And most of the time, I ask them "What return on investment do you receive as a result of your advertisement?"

To which 9 times out of 10, the answer is as good as a blank stare!

How much money are they burning? Investing $20,000 on an ad (or $1,000 or $5,000, or $100,000 --- the same principle applies) and not even know what their returns are!

Would you hire a salesperson and not "give a toss" about how much income he was generating.

No! No! No!

So why on earth would you do it with your advertising dollar?

Some people say it's too hard. Their staff won't find out for them. My advice. Fire those staff, because they are costing you BIG money!

Listen, all you need to do is:

1.Code all your ads with a reference code to identify the source of the inquiry
2.Train your staff to ask one simple question: "Where did you hear about us?"
3.Enter the details into your computer.
4.Analyse the statistics.

And you need to be as specific as possible. One of my clients, a spit-roast caterer in Sydney measured the results of a series of ads in the local yellow pages directory. You know what he discovered? Only one of the directories was generating a strong return on investment --- the rest were losing money!

Priceless knowledge. And in the world of advertising...

KNOWLEDGE IS POWER

So unless you want to be like John Wannamaker, the "father of the modern department store" who once said "I know that half of my advertising is wasted, I just don't know which half it is" then grab the bull by the horns and start measuring the results of every ad you run. right now!

P.S. You.re going to be really excited when you see property tip #4 because I'm going to explain the one fatal mistake that will instantly ruin your response, even before you place the ad or send the letter, no matter how powerful the copy is!


About The Author:

Scott Bywater is well known for getting results as a professional direct mail copywriter. And also the author of Cash-Flow Advertising. To get a free subscription to his "Copywriting Selling Secrets" newsletter where you'll discover the truth about why most ads and sales letters don't work (And how to make yours different) scamper over to his web site at: http://www.copywritingthatsells.com.au/

Marketing Your Small Business

Marketing Your Small Business
By David Mason

Small business marketing may be the most important part inowning and maintaining a successful small business. A good portion of the marketing effort is determining the needs of your target market and then explaining that you provide solutions to meet those needs. Contrary to popular belief, it is a lot more than posting a sign or handing out flyers. Though many of the philosophies and tactics may be similar, small business marketing is an entirely different discipline than marketing of large companies. Successful marketing is not just a tactic or strategy; it is an entire process and you are sure to fail if you are not enthusiastic about your small business.

Done properly, marketing can and will attract all the clients your small business can handle. But I would suggest you get to a place where you work only with clients who value what you haveto offer. If you commit to following simple small business marketing systems, strategies and ideas you can significantly increase what you charge for your services. Unfortunately though, most small business promotions focus only on how great their products and services are. But you need to stay focused on what products and services your ideal clients want and need.

Here’s another big no-no to avoid. Instead of marketing only when you need money or cash flow, commit to marketing your products and services all of the time. It is very important to consistently market your products and services because as I have been saying for years, success is based on persistency and consistency, not magic.

Planning is also a key ingredient to the success of any small business. Developing a small business marketing plan will be one of the most crucial elements to your success. By creating your marketing plan you will eliminate the panic and need for an instant solution to financial problems because you can avoid many of the ups and downs that result from the all to common stop and start marketing. Your plan does not have to be set in stone, it can evolve as you and your business grow. The important thing is your dedication to consistency with your marketing.

The lack of persistency and consistency will lead to an unused marketing plan. This in turn will lead to spits and starts in your cash flow. Successful entrepreneurs who have a small business marketing plan make more money in less time. When you start to think of who your ideal client is and what products and services they want or need, and then combine that with your marketing tools and techniques, an effective marketing plan is not far behind.

As you are probably starting to see small business marketing is an entire process, a synergy of the individual tactics and strategies. That's right, small business marketing is a system where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Another common misconception is that small business marketing is just common sense. Nothing could be further from the truth. An understanding of how small business marketing is conducted is essential for you if success is your goal. You do want results and success don’t you?

It’s all about determining the needs of your target market and then providing solutions to meet those needs. So many people believe that marketing their small business is all about running advertisements, but it isn’t. If you are serious about your success in business, then make understanding marketing an on-going priority.

The ultimate result of small business marketing is to attract more new customers and persuade existing customers to purchase your products or services in higher quantities and more frequently. The successful can attribute their success to having a strategic plan and following it consistently. When you create a marketing plan you will be able to compete at a higher level. Your odds of winning the game significantly improve when you take the time to create a plan.
To your success!

About the Author: David Mason is President of Mason Performance Development Inc., and author of Marketing Your Small Businessfor Big Profits. Visit http://www.yourbigprofits.com/ and sign-up for The Performance Development News, a weekly ezinewith free marketing tips.

The Five Essential Entrepreneurial Skills

Harold S. Geneen, the President and CEO of ITT from 1959 to 1971, said that the five essential entrepreneurial skills for success are: Concentration, Discrimination, Organization, Innovation, and Communication. In this article, I will discuss each of these skills and give you some tips for using them to make your practice more successful.

Concentration: To concentrate is to focus. If you aren't focused on starting your practice, to the exclusion of just about everything else, it won't get done. It's easy to get distracted, by a current job, or financial worries, or fear, or just busyness. You must put all of your energy on getting your practice started and keeping it going. Taking your eyes off the ball causes you to waiver, and wavering means failure. Each day plan the three most important things you need to do that day. If a crisis comes up (personal or business), deal with it only if you determine it's more important than those three things. Concentrating on getting your practice started or on keeping it moving forward will pay big dividends in creating a wildly successful business.

Discriminate. To discriminate, you must differentiate between the important and the unimportant. This is the 80/20 principle: 20 percent of anything will bring 80 percent of the results. For example, 20 percent of your clients will bring in 80 percent of your sales. By looking at sales figures, you should be able to figure out which is the 20% in any situation; by discriminating between the 20 and the 80, you can concentrate your energies on the important, where they will be most productive. Here are some ways to apply this principle: If you have an employee who is in the 20 percent and causing problems, let the person go. If you have a client or patient who is just not productive and is draining your energy, let that person go. If you have a patient who is bringing in lots of referrals, focus on that person. In other words, discriminate, by focusing on the standouts. If the standout is positive, encourage this. If the standout is negative, ignore or dispense with it. Once you can do this, you will see a dramatic difference in your energy and in your practice growth.

Organize. Organizing is keeping track of all the tasks involved in managing your practice, and systematizing these tasks for efficiency. Here's an example: Collecting money. Set up an organized systematic process for assuring that you collect the money owed to you by patients or clients. Determine how often you will bill (every two weeks). Determine how and when you will contact non-payers (by phone? by letter?). Determine how and when you will take someone to collections. To organize means to assure that you have a system. Otherwise, you will let events take control of you, instead of you taking control of them.

Innovate. Never stop thinking about how to make things better. This relates to areas like marketing and promotion. How can you promote your practice to gain new clients? Some people call this "thinking outside the box." I'd call it "new ideas for changing times." A wise doctor I know said, "You have to re-invent yourself every six months." Your patient or client base never stops changing; you can't rest on your past successes. You must keep changing and adapting. If you don't think you're clever, find people who can help you with these new ideas. Call an advertising agency and have them give you an hour to toss around new ideas. Or go to your local Small Business Development Center and see if they have a marketing person who can help. Use your powers of creativity and innovation to adapt to changing times.

Communicate. This one is most important of all. To be a successful practitioner, you must be a great communicator - with your patients or clients, with your staff, with vendors, with everyone. This means you must be able to connect immediately with people one-on-one and in groups. If you don't think you're good at this, then you need to learn how. Take a Dale Carnegie course. Practice looking people in the eye. Go to Toastmasters to learn how to do public speaking. Join a networking group, like BNI. In other words, practice communicating and you'll become a better communicator.

So, to be successful in your practice, you need to concentrate, discriminate, organize, innovate, and communicate. That's all. Whoever said it was easy? That's why they call it "practice."

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Copyright 2007 Jean Wilson Murray, MBA, PhD.
Dr. Jean Murray has been advising small business owners since 1974. As the founder of Planning for Practice Success, she specializes in assisting health care professionals with business plan construction and startup details. She can help you gain the knowledge to act and the confidence to begin. Learn more at http://www.professionalpracticesuccess.com/

Top Ten Week--10 Things I Do Not Like to Do in My Business

While writing the last post (and finding it very difficult), I decided that this week I am going to focus on different Top 10 Lists.

Today's post is the Top 10 things I do not like to do in my business:

1. Cold-calling--I not only do not like to do it, but I refuse to do it. I tried it once and I failed miserably.
2. Request Payment from Delinquent Clients--I normally charge up front so do not run across this very often. But occasionally I let one go by due to financial difficulty and then I end up being the collection agency. I have never received a bad testimony so I am assuming they are pleased with the results and working with me. Come on people, give me a break!
3. Taking care of accounting procedures--I can and have done this but do not share the same enthusiasm as people that are in the profession. I will be delegating all my work in the future.
4. Writing articles--This is a love/hate relationship. I do like to write when I am being creative but when I have a mental block (which seems to be of late) I feel it is a chore. Should I hire a ghost writer?
5. Being direct with past clients when they call for more advice without offering payment--Yes, this happens alot with one particular client but I am learning to be firm.
6. Consistently updating my blog--I do not do a good job of this so frequently you will notice I share articles I receive from a distribution network. I wish I could write good content all the time but sometimes it is better said by others.
7. Website design and maintenance--I am not a designer but a friend has talked me into trying to educate myself on designing template websites. Not a good idea. Leave the design work to the professionals. I spoke with one today.
8. Inputting contact information from multiple business cards--I am an excellent typist and this should not take long but I have a large amount of cards that seem to stack up daily. I think this somehow ryhms with procrastination.
9. Keep the checkbook updated--This is an accounting function isn't it?
10. Pay bills--Does anyone like to pay bills? I realize they need to be paid and the benefit of maintaining an excellent credit score, but this is just one more reason to not work in your business, instead of on your business.

Make it a goal today to only work on your business!

Carole DeJarnatt
Alliance Advisors, Inc.

The Meaning of Success

Success according to Dictionary.com:

suc·cess /səkˈsɛs/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[suhk-ses] –noun
1. the favorable or prosperous termination of attempts or endeavors.
2. the attainment of wealth, position, honors, or the like.
3. a successful performance or achievement: The play was an instant success.
4. a person or thing that is successful: She was a great success on the talk show.
5. Obsolete. (outcome--1. a final product or end result; consequence; issue.
2. a conclusion reached through a process of logical thinking.)

Many definitions, most meaning the same thing.

So what is success to us? It is the same as dictionary.com; many definitions, most meaning the same thing. Success is in the eyes of the beholder.

For example, losing weight. This can only pertain to the person who is trying to achieve the outcome. Success can be 5 lbs. or 60 lbs. It all depends on who is measuring the achievements.

Next month is a measurement of achievement for success to me. Last year I left the security of a corporate position around Thanksgiving. I officially started in June 2006, but until I could separate myself from the security blanket, I was not able to grow the business.

It has been a year of learning and growth. Also a year of defining the direction. I am still in the process (daily) taking curves and turning corners. My goals are to stay focused on areas I have an expertise, maintain a client base I enjoy working with, and to exceed the customers' expectations. From the testamonies I have received from my clients, I am meeting my goals.

I write all this to motivate you, the reader, to set goals and measure your achievements. Success is in the eyes of the beholder and that is you. Some people may think you are successful, but only you know the true successes in your life.

Carole DeJarnatt

Alliance Advisors, Inc.

Guiding You from Vision to Success

www.AllianceAdvisorsInc.com

P.S. Don't forget to Celebrate the Success!

Is It Time to Update Your Resume

The motto "Be prepared," isn't just great advice for Boy Scouts; it's also great career advice. You never know when the perfect career opportunity will present itself. If a recruiter called you today with your dream job, are you prepared to send out an up-to-date resume right away?

There are four critical times to update your resume:

* At least once a year

* Any time your career focus changes

* When you anticipate layoffs with your company

* When you begin to feel dissatisfied with your current position

1. Update your resume every year.

This is where many people fall short. When that recruiter calls with the perfect job, you may suddenly find your resume is years out of date, and you'll have to scramble to catch up.

Keep your resume current by including your best accomplishments each year. Don't count on your memory to recall everything you achieved in years past! You are likely to overlook critical achievements and contributions. If you need assistance, a resume coach may be able to help you through the process with some targeted questions on your most recent jobs.

2. Update your resume when your career focus changes.

If you want to change your career path, then you also need to change your resume. There are several ways to shift the focus away from your current job and toward your new career.

By focusing on the skills that will be useful in your new career, you can position yourself as a stronger candidate for the job. Highlight those transferable skills in your new resume, bringing them front and center.

In addition to highlighting your transferable skills, shift your list of accomplishments to support those skills. Accomplishment statements give credibility to transferable skills and prove your ability to cross industry or occupational lines. Well-crafted accomplishments make a big difference in whether you win the interview or are passed over.

Finally, be sure you understand your audience. As you shift career focus, it is critical to understand the hiring motives of your target market. Use your resume as an effective selling tool by correctly anticipating the recruiter's "wish list" for great job candidates.

3. Update your resume when you anticipate layoffs within your company.

A harsh reality of today's economy is the need for corporate downsizing. Layoffs and losses are becoming more and more common. But you can prepare for any worst-case scenario by keeping your resume up-to-date.

Don't make the mistake of being overly optimistic. It's safer to assume that you are on the "out" list. Most people who get caught unexpectedly in a layoff thought they were indispensable to their employers. You might be important or well-liked, but remember that the bottom line always has a louder voice than you do. Get your resume ready as soon as you see any indications that downsizing is on the way.

Don't mistake company loyalty for a fear of change. Often employees would rather take their chances with a potential layoff than make proactive steps toward finding a new job. Once they're laid off, it's already too late. Remember, as a candidate, you are always more marketable while still employed. Avoid this trap and start your job search early with self-marketing tools (resume and cover letter) that are up-to-date and top quality.

4. Update your resume when you are dissatisfied with your current position.

Job dissatisfaction leads to feelings of frustration, worthlessness, and often hopelessness. But there is no reason to stay in a job you hate. Being prepared with an updated resume can help you feel better in your current job. When you have a really terrible day at work, you can respond to job opportunities that same evening with confidence in your up-to-the-minute resume. Taking proactive steps toward a new career will give you back your optimism and self worth.

If it's time for you to update your resume, first decide whether your resume requires a simple update or a complete rewrite. If you have been using the same resume format throughout your career, it's possible that you have outgrown the old look. What your resume promoted ten years ago may not be appropriate or significant for your career choices today. And if you've simply been "tacking on" to your old resume, it may start to resemble a house with too many additions, with little sense or direction.

A professional resume critique can help you decide exactly what you need to move forward. A well-written resume can make an incredible difference in:

* The length of time it takes to make your career move

* The quality of your next position

* The income potential of your next position

Your resume is your best sales tool in finding a new job, and it deserves the investment of your time and commitment. With a little extra effort now, you'll be prepared for anything that comes your way-and be well on the path to your next great job.

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Deborah Walker, Career and Resume Coach, provides job seekers up-to-the-minute advice on all phases of resume and job-search effectiveness. Find more career-expert tips and see sample resumes at: http://www.AlphaAdvantage.com

Making Presentations People want to See

I thought the information shared in this article is well worth sharing. I am a user of powerpoint presentations and realize that a bad presentation can ruin your credibility. The article below offers some excellent tips when preparing your next presentation.

Making Presentations People Want To See
by Megan Stansfield

Standards have risen sharply in recent years when it comes to making intriguing presentations. The days of boring slides and droning speakers are over. With the widespread use of PowerPoint and the ease of making colorful, interesting slides with movement and sound effects, it is expected that you will make a fabulously engaging presentation whether it's in a classroom, a boardroom, or at a trade show.

Here are some tips on how to make a terrific slide presentation.

First, be prepared. Make sure you have a laptop, a projector, and a projector cart ready to go. We recommend the Fusion Laptop Projector Cart from Versatables. Many hotels, universities, and businesses have one—so don't be afraid to ask if they do when you're getting ready to make the presentation. The Fusion Laptop Projector Cart allows for easy projection and control of the laptop from one mobile unit. If they don't have one, you may need to make other arrangements. If you aren't using your own laptop, bring your presentation on a flash drive and email it to yourself as well. Just in case the flash drive doesn't work, you'll be able to access your email on the laptop (most places now have Wi-Fi) and download it directly to the laptop you'll be working from.

Second, bring handouts of your slides just in case. I know of a woman who went to give a power point presentation and the university's projector wasn't working. Luckily, she handed out the handouts she brought and the show went on. She looked like a star for being prepared when the university wasn't.

Third, don't overdo it. Too many graphics, too much color, and too much sound can all negatively impact a presentation. You want the means of the presentation to enhance the subject you're presenting—not overpower it. Pick one color scheme and stick to it. Avoid the swirling graphics and stick to simpler ones. Don't include a million examples of clip art or decorative photographs. As you create the slides, make sure the information is presented in a clear, logical way. Then look at each individual slide and ask if there is anything that could be added to visually enhance the viewer's understanding of the material. A chart? A graphic? A photo? If the answer is no, don't include one. If it's yes, think long and hard about which graphic achieves your goal of enhancing understanding before adding it. The problem with many presentations is that they seem amateurish because the presenter went overboard decorating his/her presentation with graphics that distract more than they enhance.

Fourth, pay attention to time. If you can convey the same information in eight minutes instead of twelve, why wouldn't you? Everyone's time is precious and attention spans are short. If you're clear and concise about what you want to get across, there may not be a need to give lots of convoluted information and scenarios. Stick to one clear example that illustrates your point and applies to the people you're presenting to.

About the Author: Does your business need computer wall mounts? Or wouldn't it be great if your IT department had computer carts to setup new employees. Visit Versatables.com today.

Source: http://www.isnare.com/
Permanent Link: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=194639&ca=Business

Suggestions for a successful interview

My nephew-in-law is going for a job interview tomorrow for a position in his current company but in a different part of the US. In my previous position with a company I worked for, I conducted several interviews and also exit interviews. Having experienced some good interviewees' and not so good, I offered to give him some suggestions from my experiences that will help him to be aware of some things that are looked at when interviewing.

Here are some areas to be aware when trying to achieve a successful interview:

1. Dress to impress. How you appear to the person interviewing you is very important. I have interviewed people and told them to dress casual and they still wore a suit. What this action indicated to me is that the person recognized how important the interview was and dressed to impress me.
2. At introduction shake hands firmly (no limp-handed shake), smile, speak clearly, and look each person in the eye. Do not come across as shy. From what little time I have been around you I do not think you will have a problem in this area.
3. Be prepared with several copies of your resume, along with references. Do not use the standard resume from MS Office. Be creative and make yours stand out.
4. When questioned about some of your co-workers or supervisor, always speak truthfully but never negatively. Do not tell stories on them but you can say things like “their work ethic was not the same as mine” or “I prefer to perform my duties in a different manner”.
5. The same goes for questions about your previous employment. Never speak negatively about a past employer.
6. Know your strengths before you walk in the room. Right now you can probably name some of your greatest strengths but when you walk in the room you may be so nervous you will forget them. Write them down and read and re-read them.
7. Know your weaknesses and describe them as strengths. Pick a weakness that is really a strength. For example, you might say, "One of my weaknesses is that I tend to be impatient with people who aren't willing to pull their full weight and give 110%." In this case, your "weakness" may help you get the job.
8. Ask questions. Write down questions you need answered and take them with you.
9. Follow up. Very important to send a follow up email thanking them for the time and interview. One time I did interviews in Columbia, MD, and the person I interviewed bought me a t-shirt and a thank you card to the interview. I was so impressed with the creativeness of this action that I hired this person. Follow up allows you to stand out in a sea of applicants. Be creative in how you do it.
10. Never talk salary unless requested by the interviewor. If they ask what your salary range is, speak more of your experience and what you have to offer. Let them make the first offer. Know the range of compensation for the job you're seeking, make your own realistic determination of what you're worth, and then be prepared to stand your ground.

The most successful interviews are those that the person comes in prepared and shows confidence. A job interview is an important step in the process of winning the career you want so act on it accordingly. No matter if you have interviewed one time or ten times, each time is just as important as the other. Learn from your experiences and make each one better than the other.

Carole DeJarnatt
Alliance Advisors, Inc.

P.S. If you are in need of advice to help you have a successful interview process, visit the company website and contact me.

24 hour Marketing Plan--Part 2

I have given you enough time to complete the first few steps of the plan, now here is the remainder of the steps:

(Step 5) HOURS 9 to 18: Planning the Action
This is the heart of your game plan.
For each goal you've outlined, create a strategy; complete with your key messages and steps that will help you accomplish the goal. The good news: You have many tools at your disposal.
Consider the best vehicles for your message.

You may decide to use direct marketing programs, including postcards, sales letters, fliers; or public relations elements such as publicity, events, speaking engagements, sponsorships and NATURALLY NETWORKING (the number 1 way to grow your sales).

Online promotional opportunities are more abundant than ever, so consider designing a Web site or uploading information into a news group or special interest forum.

Write out each strategy, and beneath it, list key messages and tactics. Here's a sample:
Strategy: Position myself as the market leader in home inspections in my community.
Key messages: Homer Wright Home Inspections is a reputable, trust-worthy name in home inspections.
Tactics:
¨ Approach local community colleges about teaching a home-buying class.
¨ Propose a feature story to a local paper about "10 Things to Look for When Buying a Home," with me as the expert to be quoted.
¨ Create a brochure entitled "Secrets of Buying a Home." Offer it free to people that call.
¨ Issue a press release about the free brochure to local media.
¨ Send informational brochures to real estate agents and mortgage brokers who refer homebuyers to home inspectors.

For each step you plan, keep asking yourself, "Why should I do this?"
Don't decide to do big, splashy promotions if you really can't afford them. Smaller, more frequent communications are much more effective if your budget is limited.


(Step 6)HOURS 18-21: Develop Your Budget
Marketing expenses should be given priority, especially in times of slow cash flow. After all, how are you going to attract more business during the slow times if you don't tell customers about your business?

ACTION: Take a realistic look at how much money you have to spend on marketing. While you shouldn't overextend yourself, it's critical that you allot adequate funds to reach your markets. If you find that you don't have the budget to tackle all your markets, try to reach them one by one, in order of priority.

ACTION: For each of your tactics, break down each expense and outline the estimated cost of each. For example, a brochure includes writing, photography, graphic design, film, printing and delivery. From there, you can beef up or pare down your plan, depending on your financial situation.

(Step 7) HOURS 21-23: Set Your Time Frames
ACTION: Now that you've broken down the steps involved in each activity, allot a segment of time and a deadline to each.

Again, make sure you're not overextending yourself, or you may get burned out. It's better to start with smaller, more consistent efforts than an overly ambitious program you'll have to discard a few months later.

HOURS 23+: Go For It!
What you now hold in your hands is probably the most effective "to do" list you'll ever write.

You have prepared a document that can help you reach your market segments from a position of knowledge and expertise instead of from shoot-from-the-hip hunches.

Don't put your marketing plan on a shelf and forget about it.

It should be a living document that grows and changes over time. As your business reaps the benefits of your initial strategies, you may want to increase the scope of your marketing. If you find something is not working, change it.

Consistency and continuity, delivered with a dash of creativity, give you the formula for successful marketing.

Carole DeJarnatt
Alliance Advisors, Inc.

The 24-Hour Marketing Plan--Part 1

Putting together a marketing plan strikes fear into even the most stalwart of people.

If you are one of those people who have your plan "upstairs," please read the following on creating a comprehensive marketing plan.

It will walk you through the process step-by-step, from taking stock of your current situation, to timing your projects. You’ll learn how to define your target market, map out your objectives, and create a realistic budget for promotion.

I won't lie to you, a marketing plan is real legwork, but this straightforward process will provide you with a great road map.

(Step 1) HOUR 1: Take Stock
Before you map out where you want to go, you need to find out where you are now.

Where have you been successful?
Where have you NOT been successful?
What do you do well?
Who are your competitors?
What do you have that they don’t?
How do your customers see you?
Why do the use you?
What are the BENEFITS they receive?

ACTION: Being as objective as possible, write four or five paragraphs that summarize your business, including your philosophy, strengths and weaknesses.
Don't worry if it's not neatly organized -- it's more important just to get everything down on paper.

(Step 2) HOURS 2 to 3: Set Your Goals
Now that you have a sense of where you are, you can decide where you want to go.
Ask yourself what you're trying to accomplish.
Increase number of customers?
Do you want to increase sales?
Increase profits?
Establish a niche?
Enter a new market where you may not have much experience?

ACTION: Outline each of your goals, and be specific. While you should be optimistic, use a healthy dose of realism to keep you grounded.
Remember, the best marketing plan in the world is not likely to increase sales 80 percent next year, barring special circumstances such as an outstanding new product introduction or the sudden disappearance of your competition.
While it's fine to have multiple goals, be sure to prioritize them so you can create a realistic plan to achieve them.

(Step 3) HOUR 3 to 4: Pick Your Target(s)
Who are your target audiences?
How large are they?
Are there segments?
Where is your target market?

If you say "everyone," you need to rethink your answer.

Even the largest companies don't market blindly to every individual or company. They break their audiences down into distinct profiles, or niche markets, and create messages and vehicles designed to reach each segment.

ACTION: Define your niche markets as clearly and specifically as possible.
If you're reaching out to businesses, describe which type, including the industry, revenue level, location and other important characteristics.
If you identify several market segments, rank them in order of priority.

(Step 4) HOURS 4 to 9: Research You Target(s)
Now that you've outlined where you are and where you want to go, it's time to determine the best way to get there.
Nothing will get you where you want to go faster than research. Information about your target audiences is available from a variety of resources, many of them free.
ACTION: Take some time to find out about the demographics (physical characteristics) and psychographics (psychological characteristics) of your target markets.

Demographics outline such factors as age, geographic location and income level. Psychographics offer insight into trends, buying habits, market segments and the like.
Trade associations and publications are often great places to start your research, especially if you're reaching out to businesses. Use your own and your target industries' trade resources for market information. Many associations have Web sites, and many publications are also available on the Net. For information about consumer audiences in your region, try your state or county's department of economic development.
Once you've gathered this information, write a detailed profile of your audience segments. Include all the demographic and psycho-graphic information you've gathered.


Tomorrow I will share the rest of the article. Just so you are aware, this information was supplied to me by a network I belong and I am not the author, just the presenter to my readers. I hope the information shared is a benefit to you.

Carole DeJarnatt
Alliance Advisors, Inc.

Five Marketing Strategies for Business Growth

Many small businesses today have an idea and start a business with high hopes and a dream. Once they have started their business they take advice of friends and business acquaintances and start the conventional marketing process that was suggested. They join the Chamber of Commerce, a BNI group, search out other networking groups, find venues with the ability to meet others; these are common suggestions.

Many do not consider the internet options available to promote their business. The internet has added a whole new arena of promotional activities available to business. Here is a list of venues to promote your business online:

1. Start a Blog—Assuming you have a website, a blog helps to draw traffic and also gives you a venue to add credibility to yourself if you are offering content about topics that you business serves.
2. Search the internet for local websites to add your business listing—There are a variety of options available locally, and the majority free, that helps to bring traffic to your website. Search for your local city websites to view what is offered. The latest I have come across is Merchant Circle. This website allows free listings and is updated frequently to add benefits for their listers.
3. Network online, as well as, offline—Become familiar with the Web 2.0 world and join social networking groups online. There is LinkedIn, Ecademy, Xing, and others. No matter what type of network you join, online or offline, become active. Activity online is in the form of answering or asking questions in forums. Activity helps you to build recognition and credibility.
4. Write articles and submit to online resources—Write articles of quality and benefit to your customers. It easily helps you to become an authority in your business and draws traffic to your website. A good resource for submitting articles is Ezinearticles.com.
5. Press Release to promote your business—Hire someone to write a press release about your business. Submit and share updated information about your business to the local newspapers. You can submit this online and offline to various media outlets in your area.


Opportunities exist abundantly for businesses today to market their products and services. Thinking outside of the box to come up with creative ways to market your business and build recognition is a long term, never-ending project. When success is met with one idea, it is on to the next. Be creative, write effectively, and speak energetically about your business. Success is around the corner if you consistently share your message online and offline.

Until the next time,

Carole DeJarnatt
Alliance Advisors, Inc.

7 Costly Small Business Marketing Mistakes to Avoid

I am struggling the past few days with writers block. In part I believe it is due to disorganization on my part which in turn causes me to think in several directions instead of staying focused. But this is my problem and I do not want to let my readers down by not continuing on with articles of value and content. So today I gladly share with you an article I found that speaks about a topic I enjoy, marketing. I hope this article will help you to avoid mistakes in your initiatives. Thanks to Robert, a subscriber of my newsletter, as well as a writer of quality content that I am pleased to share.

Carole DeJarnatt
Alliance Advisors, Inc.

7 Costly Small Business Marketing Mistakes to Avoid

Everybody makes mistakes and entrepreneurs are no exception. But for an entrepreneur with a limited budget, committing mistakes too often can be very costly. It is an open secret in the business world that most of the mistakes that can be committed in business have been committed; so why not just learn from them, saving you the agony of committing them yourself.
With that said, here are 7 costly small business marketing mistakes every entrepreneur must avoid:

1. An Incongruent Marketing Message
To effectively sell your product or service, your customer has to "get" the marketing message. A customer-centric marketing message educates your prospects and persuades them to become customers. Too many small businesses make the mistake of focusing their message on the product or company, instead of how the prospect would benefit by purchasing their product. Prepare the right marketing message with some of these in mind:

• Identify the prospect's problem.
• Explain to the prospect why the problem should be solved immediately and explain why your product or service is the right solution to their problems.
• List the benefits your prospects would enjoy upon purchasing your product and provide an unconditional guarantee to allay any fears they may have.

2. "Spray-and-Pray" Marketing Instead Of Precision Marketing
The days of marketing as a zero-sum game are over. You must demand accountability from your marketing efforts, expecting tangible results in the form of a healthy ROI (return on investment). Differentiate your marketing messages and target them to meet the specific needs and wants of your prospects and customers.

Many small businesses are guilty of the dreaded "spray-and-pray" marketing ideology, which inevitably drains their resources to the point where it very often leads to their demise.

Do not commit this same mistake, but instead practice precision marketing, where every aspect of your marketing and advertising efforts are measured and tracked for maximum returns.

3. Failing To Realize Marketing Is About Value Creation
To create a sustainable small business, you have to market something of value to the prospect and customer. Marketing is your business and creating value for your customers should permeate through all your marketing efforts. Strive to always over-deliver because customers love to receive more than they expect and the easiest way to do so is to develop a thorough understanding of their wants and desires.

4. Selling Instead Of Educating
You must have heard about the age-old principle that "people love to buy but hate being sold to." It is a principle that will continue to hold true for ages to come, but unfortunately, many small businesses still fail to adhere to it. The fastest way to get rid of a prospect is to try forcing a sale out of him or her.

Education-based marketing, however, is a powerful marketing strategy to overcome this problem of being sold to. This strategy makes use of giving away valuable information, educating your prospect about the benefits of owning your product or using your service, offered to them as free reports, video cassettes, CDs, or DVDs in exchange for their contact information.

It is a strategy that builds trust with the prospects resulting in a much higher closing ratio. So, forget about throwing a sales pitch and try educating your prospects instead for a higher conversion rate.

5. Failing To Test
The biggest mistake any entrepreneur can make with their business is the failure to test every possible variable most important to their customers. This applies to both online and offline marketing efforts.

I can understand if small businesses faced more difficulty with market testing because of limited budgets years ago, but the Internet has done away with this excuse. It has become so cheap to conduct price tests and sales copy tests and identify what campaigns, keywords, and metrics give you the best ROI online that not testing any of these has become a cardinal sin.

6. Not Following Up With Prospects Or Customers
Small businesses spend a great sum of money acquiring customers, which makes it all the more difficult to understand why many of them don't follow up with their customers, or even their prospects after the "front end" sale.

It has been well documented that true riches are to be found in the backend sales and the reason for this is simple. If a customer or prospect raises his or her hand to do business with you, it means an element of trust has been established and a business relationship is ready to be formed. They are more then likely to buy from you repeatedly if you make it a point to capture their contact information and develop a follow-up system for communicating with them frequently.

7. Selling To The Wrong Target Market
Never assume that your product or service will appeal to a general audience because this assumption has profoundly resulted in many small businesses shutting up shop. Large businesses are guilty of this too, but you can save yourself from committing such a rash mistake by asking yourself these two questions:

• Who are your customers, or who is your target market?
• Who will use your service, or who will buy your product?

Answer these questions with absolutely clarity and segment these markets by demographics and psychographics to zero in on your ideal customer. The time spent doing this correctly will add nicely to your bottom line.

Just remember that to succeed, you must be prepared to fail, so don't fear the eventual mistake but learn from it.

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Robert Moment is an innovative small business coach , speaker and author. Robert specializes in teaching entrepreneurs how to start a small business that profits and grow. Visit http://www.howtostartyoursmallbusiness.com/ and sign-up for the FREE Small Business Coaching 7 day e-course.

Small Businesses Don't Let this Happen To You

Here is an article I found that has good information to help small businesses. I work with several small businesses and some of what is listed below causes them to either have problems or have a need to get further funding. Don't let these happen to you.

Carole DeJarnatt

Small Businesses - Don't Let this Happen to You
By Deepak Dutta

About 500,000 new businesses will start over the next 12 months. About 400,000 of them will fail. Want to know the top 10 reasons why? Here they are:

1. Inadequate Accounting Records -

In other words, failure to properly manage cash flow. Think about it. Most new entrepreneurs start their businesses because of a love for a product or service. They start it because they love what they've created and think others will love it too. Or they love working on certain kinds of problems, from wedding planning to building design. What they don't love is numbers. Unfortunately cash-flow is the blood of any business. When you're out of it, you're dead.

2. Disregarding or Misinterpreting Financial Records -

This is related to reason number one. There's plenty of inexpensive software that can do a good job of counting cash in and cash out for even the most mathematically challenged of us, but you also have to know what the numbers mean. The numbers tell a clear story. If you disregard that story or misinterpret it, surprises are not just likely, they're a virtual certainty. And they're probably not going to be pleasant surprises.

3. Not Controlling Costs -

Starting to notice a pattern here? Again, a cash issue. There's an old business saying that goes "if you can't measure it, you can't manage it". It's applicable to almost all business activities but certainly is important in controlling your costs. Unless you are one of the fortunate few who have more than enough financial capital to launch and run your business and can run in a negative cash flow situation while you build your business, you absolutely must be obsessed with cost control. As stated earlier when you run out of cash you're dead.

4. Inviting Fraud Through Poor Internal Controls -

You may be surprised to see this one on the list. But remember what we're talking about here, small businesses. Companies like Dell, Microsoft and Home Depot, to name just a few, have both the deep pockets and usually the financial controls in place to survive or completely avoid any serious harm through fraud. Joe's Electric, or Mom and Pop's Corner Deli, or Smith Brother's Tool and Die usually don't have that luxury. Cash is almost always an issue from week to week or even day to day and one dishonest employee can wreak havoc. It happens all the time. For example, small tool theft is a huge problem for most small contractors, It's not that they don't remedy the situation if it happens, the problem comes when they don't prevent thefts in the first place. It's your money. Keep a close watch on it.

5. Improper or Inadequate Planning -

Where do you want your business to be a month from now? How about a year from now? It's always surprising how many small business owners treat what is probably their first or second most valuable asset with such a casual attitude. Consider the case of the owner of a small (10 employee) auto body shop. The owner had absolutely no idea what his sales were on a daily basis. When asked how he can do any sort of planning or exercise any sort of control over his business without that most basic of daily reports, he simply said that his accountant takes care of that. A classic case of the small business owner who started his own shop because he liked what he did (auto body work in this example) but didn't have a clue when it came to the "business of his business". That alone is sad enough. But very often, even when the help they need is readily available, planning for the future, retirement, their family's well-being, the attitude is simply "Hey, I've succeeded so far. What could anyone possibly teach me?" A classic case of the "my business is unique syndrome."

6. Failure To Sell Aggressively -

There's a saying in business that goes "nothing happens until somebody buys something". Perhaps more appropriate from the small business owners point of view is to say "nothing happens until somebody sells something". Many business owners look on competition as a good thing in general (i.e. when they're the customer) but a bad thing for their business. That's short-sighted thinking. Competition makes an individual business better. The trick is to be more aggressive than the competition. Consumers have a lot of choices; more now than ever before. The next "store" is just a mouse click away. Whether the selling is face to face, over the phone, direct response or on-line, aggressiveness is required. And aggressive doesn't mean pushy or obnoxious. That just drives people away. Aggressive is being where the customer is with what the customer wants at a price the customer finds acceptable.

7. Insufficient Working Capital -

Working capital is defined as current assets minus current liabilities. For most small businesses it simply means your bank account balance. Working capital is what lets you run your business day-to-day. If a business fails to control costs effectively (see #3 above), it can quickly run out of working capital and would more than likely have to find alternative means of financing business operations through a cash infusion. This usually means a bank loan, but it could mean cash advances on credit cards, or personal loans from friends or family. It is very important, however, that business owners fully understand the reasons behind the shortage of working capital and address those root causes. A small business can only borrow so much before it becomes a case of throwing good money after bad.

8. Not Carrying Adequate Insurance -

Every business needs to carry insurance. Depending on the type of business, the type of insurance will vary. For most businesses liability insurance is enough. For brick-and-mortar type businesses, other types of insurance will be necessary. But the point here is that one incident without adequate insurance coverage can easily destroy or do serious damage to a small business. This also goes to the structure of the business. A sole proprietorship leaves your personal assets wide open to lawsuits. The type and amount of insurance is beyond the scope of this article. The small business owner should seek professional help from accountants and lawyers when making these decisions. Some time and money invested up front will more than pay for itself should the need for insurance arise.

9. Failing to Adequately Train Employees -

When it comes to hiring employees, a typical scenario is for the small business owner to hire the person he or she thinks is best qualified, and turn them loose on the job. While this can work, it's not the best way of going about running a business. Again the amount and type of training will vary from business to business. Employees who deal with customers face-to-face will require much different training than employees who are in the back room. The point is, you expect your employees to perform and to carry out the job they were hired to do. Give them the training they need and the tools they need to reach those goals. While failing to train employees usually a failure that can be overcome and usually won't kill a business by itself, your business will not be running at optimal levels.

10. Not Seeking Professional Help or Advice When Needed -

At the beginning of this article we talked about the typical small business being started by a person who loves what they do or by a person who has a product that they have developed. It's not usually the case that the small business owner has all the skills necessary to run a small business right from the start. This is particularly true as the small business grows. The complexity of running the business grows with it. This is not at all a deficiency in the small businessman. It is simply a matter of him or her needing a new skill set to match the new demands of the business. The smart business owner will seek out those who have expertise and get training, coaching, or mentoring in those areas. Unfortunately, most small business owners are hesitant to admit that they are wrong and even more hesitant to admit that they lack some skill needed to run the business. Seeking help is a good thing. It's not a sign of weakness. It's not a sign of lack of intelligence. It is simply a sign that the business is growing and the owner must grow with it.

So that's the top 10 list. The more aware the business owner is of these problems, the better position he or she will be in to address them early before they become critical.

Dr Deepak Dutta, creator of oldest online free classified site, has launched Million$Dig to help users increase traffic to their websites using a unique method. Users also get a chance to win one million dollar. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Deepak_Dutta
http://EzineArticles.com/?Small-Businesses---Dont-Let-this-Happen-to-You&id=733215

Are you Searching or Feeding your Current Customer Base?

An associate emailed yesterday and was asking for suggestions on how to help his client get more customers. The business is 20 years old, air conditioning and heating company, and had made money in the past but now was just making ends meet. The associate thought the market was saturated and it was hard to stand out in a sea of air conditioning companies. What do you think?

I totally disagreed. I do not care how many current companies offer the same service, customer service is what makes you stand out. I recently bought an air conditioner unit over a year ago. Have I heard from this company? Have they called to see if I would like a check up?

The company was thinking they needed new customers but did they forget their past customers? The easiest person to sell to is someone who is a present customer and is satisfied with your service and/or products. Most businesses do not recognize the goldmine they have in their current customers.

I recommended to him that they survey their current customer base for feedback on products and service. Take notice of the positive comments and utilize them for testimonies; utilize the negative comments to identify areas in which the company should work on improvement. Turn your weaknesses into strengths and create "Customer Evangelists". When your customers are satisfied they are sharing with the world the excellent service and products you offer. This in turn creates repeat business but also helps to grow your customer base.

Another area of recommendation was to do follow up calls quarterly, seasonally, and after an installation of new products. If you remind people they need to service their high dollar investment to keep it running smoothly, most people will come back to the seller of the product if their service is good.

Another must for the customer friendly business, create a newsletter for mailings to customers keeping your business name in front of them. Write or buy articles of content that are a benefit and information for your customers. Offer specials through your newsletter.

Businesses will continue to succeed if they continually strive to meet their customers' expectations and if they over achieve they will have a customer for life along with all the word-of-mouth advertising that this person shares. Feed your current customers and searching for customers will become obsolete.

Carole DeJarnatt
Alliance Advisors, Inc.