10 Ways To Better Use Voice Mail

Writen by Martin Cohn

Given everyone's busy schedule, leaving voice mail messages is an unavoidable business practice. However, voice mail is a tool. Despite its widespread use among companies, government agencies and private residences, callers often are not prepared to leave a coherent, concise message. Many times the beep impels callers to prattle and digress.

Here are some suggestions I got from Diane Diresta, a professional speaker, coach and author of Knockout Presentation: How to Deliver Your Message with Power, Punch, and Pizzazz, to make your voice mail more effective.

1. Plan your message. Think about what you want to say before you leave the message.

2. Get to the point. Stream of consciousness doesn't work.

3. Be brief. Aim for a 15- to 30-second message.

4. Speak slowly. The recipient needs to process the information and write it down.

5. Enunciate clearly. Bear in mind that a telephone distorts certain sounds.

6. Be "up" in your voice. A monotone lacks enthusiasm. Smile as you leave your message.

7. Modulate your volume. Too loud is irritating. Too soft can't be heard. Don't cradle the phone between your neck and shoulders.

8. Monitor your tine. Avoid sarcasm and irritation if you want your call returned.

9. Avoid telephone tag. Give the recipient options as to when you can be reached.

10. End with the telephone number. Say your number two times slowly.

When used properly, voice mail can improve communications dramatically. Be sure you use it to improve communications, and not to avoid communications. You should answer your phone whenever you are available. After all, if callers are constantly answered by voice mail, they will suspect that you are avoiding your calls.

Martin Cohn has over thirty years of public relations experience. He can be reached at http://www.cohnpr.com

Effective Meetings 7 Top Tips

Writen by Andy Britnell

Meetings, meetings, meetings – they are a fact of business life, yet how often are they a productive use of your time? Many of us dread them and with good reason.

I know a hugely successful businessman who once told me the secret of good meetings is never to let people sit down – I'm still not sure whether he was joking or not!

But sometimes a meeting is the best way of communicating. Apart from removing all the chairs from your meeting room, what can you do to expedite proceedings? These are my fundamental guidelines:

1. Think about timing – nobody I know is exactly in sparkling form just after lunch or late in the afternoon.

2. Set an agenda and circulate it to all participants at least a day before. There should be no excuse for turning up unprepared.

3. Always start and finish on time – don't interrupt to recap for latecomers.

4. If you are not going to finish within an hour, take a break every 45 minutes or everyone will be nodding off.

5. Have clearly defined roles agreed beforehand. You will need someone who can firmly but tactfully keep things on track – don't allow the discussion to slide into gossip or to go off at a tangent.

Also someone to take minutes – concise minutes – and distribute them afterwards.

6. The whole point of a meeting is ACTION so don't allow people to leave without making their action points clear.

7. Do you really need to attend at all? If you feel you have nothing to contribute, ask for the minutes to be sent to you.

Andy Britnell specialises in sales and customer service training for both the private and public sectors. Go to http://www.andybritnell.co.uk/ and you can sign up for my FREE short monthly newsletter and FREE e-mail coaching.

I coach corporate and SME clients who wish to achieve better results - see http://www.executive-coaching-for-business-growth.com/

Want A Web Site That Turns Lookie Loos Into Buyers Seven Passion Copywriting Tips

Writen by Judy Cullins

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

Seven Tips For New Freelance Bookkeepers

Writen by Jennifer A. Thieme

After being in the bookkeeping and tax field for nine years, I still remember how nervous I felt when meeting a client for the first time. If you are a new freelance bookkeeper, fresh out of training, you may feel the same way. Here are some things I've learned over the years that I'd like to share with you. I didn't include a few obvious things, like dressing or grooming appropriately, or getting good quality business cards. These tips are born from practical experience and I hope you find some benefit from them.

1. Be confident. Don't let your lack of on-the-job experience make you feel unable to handle a particular client's job. At times you may feel as if you are on a tightrope without a net, but it's not true. If you have had proper training, it will support you.

2. You know more. Do you ever fear that the client will easily find some "hole" in your knowledge? In reality this rarely happens. Generally, potential clients don't know enough about bookkeeping/taxes/etc., to ask those types of questions—if they did they probably wouldn't need you! Similarly, if an unknown question does arise, don't be afraid to say, "I don't know, but I'll find out." Then, be sure you do find out and promptly deliver the answer.

3. Always verify. You may meet clients who act like they know a lot about accounting and taxes. In reality, many of these people know very little, but it may take some time to realize how little they know. I recently had a client who insisted that certain information from a tax form be handled in a certain way. He spoke very authoritatively on the subject, as if he knew exactly how it should be handled. Since it was an unusual and rare tax topic, I had to do a lot of research to verify his statements. Guess what? He was wrong, and I am so glad I did not take his "advice" at face value.

4. You don't need props. As a new bookkeeper, you may feel the need to bring brand-specific items or special presentation materials with you to meet potential clients. I'm not saying, "Don't bring them." I am saying:

• Your potential client will not base his/her decision upon them.
• Too many props say, "I feel insecure."
• The client wants your knowledge and your care, not your props.

I bring a pen and a spiral bound notebook to new client meetings. Listening attentively, I take lots of notes and ask lots of questions. This has worked quite well, and communicates exactly what I want: I'm confident and can take care of things!

5. Let them talk. Many clients want to do most of the talking during the first meeting. Try to listen very carefully. Are you familiar with the term empathic listening? It's a specific method of listening to people and is extremely effective when meeting new clients. Learn how to empathically listen if you don't yet know how.

6. Don't take bad clients. You will probably be tempted to take any client, just to get your business off the ground. Resist this urge! If you have a bad feeling about somebody, or if your gut is telling you something about somebody, listen to it. The money bad clients bring is not worth the headache they cause.

7. Remember your aim. Why did you get into this field? To serve people, or only to earn money? When difficult situations arise, remember that a service oriented aim will always serve you better than a money oriented aim.

About the Author:

Jennifer A. Thieme, owner of Solid Rock Accounting Services, is a Certified QuickBooks Advisor and a Registered Tax Preparer. She has been in the bookkeeping and tax field for nine years. She considers the diagnosis and resolution of accounting-related problems her specialty. Her articles have appeard in the Intuit ProConnection Newsletter. Contact her via http://www.jenniferthieme.com with your accounting related questions.

Top 7 Tips For Writing Your Marketing Plan

Writen by Bobette Kyle

A lot of people are at a loss when it comes to deciding how to approach the marketing plan process and how to stay within time and budget constraints. To make for a less stressful marketing plan process, keep these 7 tips in mind:

Think Strategy First

An overall marketing strategy drives many decisions. If you first identify general goals, choosing appropriate marketing programs for a small business plan becomes much easier.

Decide Format

Putting together a general outline and deciding how you will publish the plan can help you better visualize steps you need to take. Examples are (a) a full, detailed report including Executive Summary, the plan itself, and back-up data, (b) a single summary sheet, or (c) something in between. Size and structure of the small business can help determine the scope of the plan.

Set Aside Time

A good, strategic marketing plan requires a certain amount of analysis. Early stages in the process go smoother with minimal interruptions. Make it easier for those working on the plan to concentrate by setting aside "closed" time during early planning stages. In a busy, small business environment, this can be accomplished by working during off hours or putting aside a short time - 30 minutes to an hour - each day.

Brainstorm

New, creative ideas flow more freely when people are not inhibited by preconceptions. Hold a brainstorming session, with two rules: (a) there are no bad ideas and (b) everyone's ideas carry equal weight.

Shorten The List

Implementation suffers severely when there is an overload of marketing projects, especially in small businesses with a small or one-person marketing department.. The list of potential projects generated in the brainstorming session can be shortened by concentrating on those likely to be the most profitable and those that take advantage of the company's internal strengths.

Make The Plan Flexible

Business does not operate in a vacuum, so your plan needn't exist in one. For example, the business environment may change during the year or additional marketing opportunities may arise. Building in flexibility to adjust throughout the year can avoid the pitfall of continuing down an unproductive path.

Have Measurements In Place

Knowing if and how well a program works can help you identify opportunities for improvement. In your marketing plan or in back-up documents, set explicit goals and measurements.

About the Author

Bobette Kyle draws upon 12+ years of Marketing/Executive experience, Marketing MBA, and online marketing research in her writing. Bobette is proprietor of the Web Site Marketing Plan Network, http://www.WebSiteMarketingPlan.com, and author of the marketing plan and Web promotion book "How Much For Just the Spider? Strategic Website Marketing For Small Budget Business." ( HowMuchForSpider.com/TOC.htm )

Copyright 2004, Bobette Kyle. All rights reserved.

Top 7 Similarities Of Business And War

Writen by Lance Winslow

Business Strategy and capturing market share is somewhat similar in many regards to war strategy. How so you ask? Well below are the similarities listed for your consideration. And before I introduce them to you, I am not suggesting war is good or evil. I believe it is merely a formality of political impasse amongst humans and good or bad is irrelevant, as it just is.

Surely it would be best to have no wars and killing ones own species seems a bit problematic and nevertheless if you enemy is trying to kill you sometimes the defense of such leads to unfortunate circumstances.

Now then here are some parallels of business and war below and perhaps they will be of value to you for philosophical discussion?

1.) In war you have an opponent and your opponent wants what you have or you are trying to get what they have; market share.

2.) In war you fight many battles over the course of the war in many territories or markets.

3.) In war intelligence of your opponent is very important and in business you need to estimate you competitions next move.

4.) In war there are many aspect you need to control such as the air, ground and sea; in business you are also interested in controlling multiple market segments and servicing those customers better.

5.) In war you must be efficient with your supplies; such a fuel, food and such; in business efficiency means higher profits.

6.) In war you must hold the territories that you capture. In business you must maintain market share once you achieve it.

7.) In war you must defend your army and your country. In business you must defend your brand name and price points, by using many different methods.

Next time you are thinking about business strategy, winning markets and market share and then defending what you have achieved consider if you will the relationships to war strategy. In doing so you may see the game from another perspective and this may help your business. Think on this in 2006.

Lance Winslow - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/

10 Killer Ways To Keep Your Profits Rolling

Writen by Rojo Sunsen

1. Give people a free online utility. When you offer a utility that can solve a person's problem, people will definitely visit your web site.

2. Offer a free affiliate/reseller program. When you offer people a free opportunity to make money they will line up to visit your web site.

3. Supply news stories related to your site. People want current news on the topics they are interested in. You could also include new "how to" articles.

4. Offer your visitors a free community. People like to have a place were they can have discussions with others on a particular subject.

5. Make people feel safe when they order. Explain to them you won't sell their e-mail address and all their personal information will be kept confidential.

6. Offer free samples or trials of your product. This will let people experience your product and attract people to your web site.

7. Make your ad copy attractive. Your ad should lists benefits before the features. Include guarantees and testimonials in your ad.

8. Remind people to come back and visit your site. They usually don't purchase the first time. The more times they visit, the greater the chance they'll buy.

9. Let people know anything about your business history. They'll feel more comfortable if they know who they are buying from.

10. Give people as many ordering options. Accept credit cards, checks, money orders, and other forms of electronic payments.

About the author:

Rojo Sunsen is a specialized bounty hunter who prefers to work quietly/confidentially for the benefit of her clients.

How To Implement Lean Manufacturing

Writen by Paul D Wilson

Senior Management must practise what they preach. The desire to implement lean must be evident from the top of the organisation.

Select a charismatic project leader capable of binding together teams from a cross functional environment.

Select an implementation team (3-5 people) to work with the project leader. Make sure they are from different departments and are enthusiastic about lean.

Train the implementation team in the various lean tools and techniques.

Select the most appropriate techniques for you company and then a prioritise their implementation. Do not make the mistake if thinking you have to introduce as many as you can.

Brief the workforce. You must make sure you address the following issues:

a. Why you are implementing lean?
b. How will it affect them?
c. What is required of them?

Select a pilot area and a pilot project. I would suggest you start with a lean tool which is fairly easy to introduce and will bear immediate results, something like 5S.

Run with the project in the pilot area for 2-3 months and learn from your mistakes before you gradually roll the project out to other areas.

Once the first project is well underway in the business start to collect data for your second project. Start to involve the staff from the area where the second project will be introduced to get their thoughts, concerns and ideas.

Repeat the above steps as appropriate to introduce further lean tools & techniques.

For further information contact:

Paul Wilson

Axis Electronics Ltd

www.aster-training.co.uk

Top 69 Reasons Not To Give Away Your Top 7 Secret Business Tips

Writen by Lance Winslow

Many business consultants promote themselves thru information selling techniques such as displaying website information or writing articles in Trade Publication or Online. One common practice is to tell of Secret Industry Tips to entice potential clientele into signing up for consulting services.

But often some of these poor consultants have so little information to give that once they blow their wad or spill the beans, well they ain’t got nothing left to tell. This is problematic because the consultee is expecting expert advice and know how based on many years of observation, experience and real world doing it. Here are the top 6.9 reasons a consultant should not give out all his or her knowledge in Top 7 articles on their website or in trade journals.

1.) If you write a monthly column in a Trade Journal then eventually you will have given away all your expertise.

2.) The more information you give away, sometimes the less your potential clients need.

3.) If you give all your information away, then it is considered of zero economic value so why pay for it.

4.) If you give all the industry information away you increase competition and decrease the need for consultants.

5.) If you put all your knowledge on your website then your potential clients will take it and never hirer you.

6.) If you post all your information in 35 articles on Top 7 Tips, secrets or reasons on an online article submission site then they will be syndicated to the world and then no one will need consultants in your industry again.

6.9) I am will not tell you all my secrets because if you want more knowledge you will have to hire me as your consultant you see?

Personally, I am not a consultant type although have consulted some in my day. I find it appalling the amount of work that many professional parasites do in order to hide industry information in the form of secrets. Yet as I contemplate their reasoning, I see their logic. This article is written from their perspective and the battle which goes on inside their head in considering all this and the abundance of information flow.

Lance Winslow - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/

10 Ways To Erupt Your Sales Like A Volcano

Writen by Rojo Sunsen

1. Save time and money using ad submitters. You will reach a larger part of your target audience far more quickly than by manually submitting your ad.

2. Create a good first impression. You will not be able to sell very many products if your visitors think your web site looks unprofessional.

3. Stop procrastinating and start finishing all your business tasks. Do one at a time. Do not get caught up thinking that you can never get them all done.

4. Develop a relationship with all your visitors and customers. Tell them how much you appreciate them visiting your web site or buying your product.

5. Hire a business coach to help improve yourself and business. They could help increase your sales, motivate you, balance your workload, etc.

6. Stay away from being too comfortable with your income or life. You should always be making new goals for yourself and developing new sales ideas.

7. Stay away from becoming a workaholic. Your mind needs time away from your business life. This will help your brain think clearly while working.

8. Create and follow short/long term goals for your business. The short goals can create early success and the long term goals can create future success.

9. Look for different ways to prove your business and products to your audience. You could collect testimonials, hold surveys, do scientific tests, etc.

10. Try new business ideas and strategies. Do not be afraid of changing what you're doing. You could try out technology, advertising, marketing, etc.

About the author:

Rojo Sunsen is a specialized bounty hunter who prefers to work quietly/confidentially for the benefit of her clients.

Top 7 Tips On Hiring A Business Lawyer

Writen by Lance Winslow

Hiring a lawyer means spending money. Spending money on something that does not help your bottom line or profitability. For the most part it is a cost of doing business and one, which no one wishes to spend. Some liken lawyer costs to extortion fees to protect your company against other professional parasites. Lawyers have been called sharks, parasites, mafia and even Terrorists. Nevertheless, when you need one of these _ _ _ _ you have no choice. Here are some tips to consider when hiring a business lawyer.

1.) Make sure your business lawyer is politically connected in your area.

2.) Make sure your business lawyer knows your industry specifically.

3.) Make sure your business lawyer is feared by bureaucrats and other lawyers in that sector.

4.) Make sure your business lawyer pays money to political candidates.

5.) Make sure your business lawyer is ruthless and likes to win.

6.) Make sure your business lawyer does not do business with your competition or travel in circles where lose lips could sink ships.

7.) Make sure your business lawyer does not over bill for services.

It is important to try to find a lawyer who is honest, but since they may not exist, try to at least find one who will be honest to you. Doing business with the devil is not noble, but necessary thanks to the rules and regulations trust upon the business community like Bandini Mountain (Bandini is a agricultural manure company). Consider all this in 2006, as Caesar was right.

Lance Winslow - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/

Media Training Seven Ways To Instantly Improve Your Media Interviewing Skills

Writen by Brad Phillips

Imagine if you were going to address a stadium full of people. You'd probably spend hours (if not days or weeks) agonizing over every word you were going to say. You'd practice your gestures in the mirror. You'd carefully select your clothing. You might even rehearse with your family.

Surprisingly, though, many spokespeople don't give much thought to an interview before speaking to a reporter. "It's only one person," they may think, "Plus, I know my material cold."

Preparing for a media interview – during which you may reach many more people than could fit in a stadium – should be at least as important as preparing a speech for that rowdy crowd.

Here are seven ways you can help prepare before you speak to a member of the press:

1. Visualize An Audience of One -- Reporters are simply the conduit between you and the audience. Don't try to impress a journalist with the depth of your technical knowledge or envision an audience of thousands. Instead, visualize the woman listening to news radio on her drive home or the man sitting on his living room sofa reading the morning paper. That personal connection will help ensure that you're having a conversation with the audience instead of speaking at them.

2. Write Tomorrow's Headline -- Every time you give an interview, the reporter should walk away with a clear sense of what the headline will be – and you should be the person who gives it to her. Prior to each interview, write down your perfect headline. It should be short – no longer than a sentence – and completely compelling. During the interview, state your headline several times, and place as many of your other answers as possible within the context of that headline.

3. Play Bridge -- Reporters rarely ask the "perfect question" that allows you to deliver your ideal headline. Therefore, you'll have to seamlessly segue to your point. After answering a reporter's question directly, bridge to your headline by saying something such as, "But I think the most important thing here is..." or "The bigger picture is that...."

4. Help Them See It -- Since people are barraged with more information than they can retain, raw numbers and statistics rarely stick. Instead of just delivering information without context, develop a more user-friendly metaphor. For example, instead of saying that 4.5 million people have Alzheimer's disease, say that more Americans have Alzheimer's disease than Colorado does people.

5. Be a Layman -- Every profession has its own set of acronyms, specialized terms, and jargon that is not understood by the general public. Successful spokespeople know they have to express complicated thoughts simply to ensure their message resonates. Use metaphors, analogies and anecdotes to help make your point. If you're stuck, try explaining your topic in simple terms to your 12-year-old nephew until he understands it.

6. Accentuate the Positive -- If a reporter asks you an innocuous question, repeat back the question in the beginning of your answer. For example, "How is the weather today?" should be answered with, "The weather is beautiful today," instead of just, "Beautiful." Since a reporter's question is unlikely to be included in the story, speaking in complete sentences allows the journalist to quote an entire self-contained thought.

7. Eliminate the Negative -- If you are asked a negative question, such as, "Has your organization ever broken the law," do not answer by saying, "Our organization has never broken the law." Doing so connects illegal activity and your organization in the same sentence – something you never want to do. Instead, frame your answer in positive terms by saying, "We are confident that we have always complied with the law."

Brad Phillips is the founder and president of Phillips Media Relations (http://www.PhillipsMediaRelations.com). He was formerly a journalist for ABC News and CNN, and also headed the media relations department for the second largest environmental group in the world.

Top Seven Things To Consider When Buying A Start A Daycare Book

Writen by J. Wayne Norris

When starting a daycare one of the easiest ways to learn some of the tricks of the trade is to purchase a book or ebook. A Day Care Program like any of these are a great place to start. With many to choose from, how do you decide which is best for you. Below are some of things that you need to consider when selecting a book, ebook or program. First will be a question that needs considering and then the best criteria to select from.

1. Who wrote the book? BEST–Written by someone that actually operated a successful daycare. GOOD-Written by someone who researched operating a daycare by interviewing people who successfully operated a daycare. FAIR-Written by a ghost writer with only researching it from the web and books

2. Does book include information on writing a business plan for a daycare? BEST-Has examples of business plans included. GOOD-Explains how to write a business plan and what is needed. FAIR-States that need a business plan but does not tell how or give examples.

3. Does book review licenses procedures? BEST-Goes in details on licensing and how to get them and gives information about each State's procedures. GOOD-Reviews some information on getting license and links to each State for more information. FAIR-Only mentions that license is needed but gives no additional information.

4. Does book review daycare pricing and how to decide on pricing? BEST-Covers in details how to set pricing and how to determine if your pricing is comparable to your competitors. Also explains how to determine profitability based on price verses expenses. GOOD- Explains only to check competitors to determine pricing. FAIR- Only slightly covers price and does not give info on how to set price.

5. Does book cover hiring staff and number of staff needed? BEST-Goes in details on hiring staff to include how to do background checks, references, and education. Also covers recommended number of staff per number of clients. GOOD- Only covers hiring staff and recommends background checks, references, and education. FAIR- Only covers that you may need to hire staff but does not go into any details.

6. Does book cover the supplies, equipment and safety? BEST- Gives details on supplies, equipment and safety. GOOD- Gives detail on supplies and equipment. FAIR- Only cover general supplies needed.

7. Does book cover over forms needed and give examples? BEST- Covers in details forms need and also provides samples of the forms. GOOD- Covers forms that are needed but does not give examples. FAIR- Only discusses that forms will be needed and refers you elsewhere for them.

There are many other areas that you may want to consider as well but these are the top seven. Some of this information you may not be able to find out without buying the book. So you may want to find reviews of the books to help make a decision.

J. Wayne Norris is the owner of http://www.start-a-home-day-care-business.com. Go to his site for information on starting a daycare and a review of ebooks on the subject.

Tips For Designing A Market Research Questionnaire

Writen by Juliet Mumford

10 Steps Towards Designing an Effective Questionnaire

1. What are you trying to find out?

A good questionnaire is designed so that your results will tell you what you want to find out. Start by writing down what you are trying to do in a few clear sentences, and design your questionnaire around this.

2. How are you going to use the information?

There is no point conducting research if the results aren't going to be used - make sure you know why you are asking the questions in the first place. Make sure you cover everything you will need when it come to analysing the answers. e.g. maybe you want to compare answers given by men and women. You can only do this if you've remembered to record the gender of each respondent on each questionnaire.

3. Telephone, Postal, Web, Face-to-Face?

There are many methods used to ask questions, and each has its good and bad points. For example, postal surveys can be cheap but responses can be low and can take a long time to receive, face-to-face can be expensive but will generate the fullest responses, web surveys can be cost-effective but hit and miss on response rates, and telephone can be costly, but will often generate high response rates, give fast turnaround and will allow for probing.

4. Qualitative or Quantitative?

Do you want to focus on the number e.g. 87% of respondents thought this, or are you more interested in interpreting feedback from respondents to bring out common themes? The method used will generally be determined by the subject matter you are researching and the types of respondents you will be contacting.

5. Keep it short. In fact, quite often the shorter the better.

We are all busy, and as a general rule people are less likely to answer a long questionnaire than a short one.

If you are going to be asking your customers to answer your questionnaire in-store, make sure the interview is no longer than 10 minutes maximum (this will be about 10 to 15 questions). If your questionnaire is too long, try to remove some questions. Read each question and ask, "How am I going to use this information?" If you don't know, don't include it!

6. Use simple and direct language.

The questions must be clearly understood by the respondent. The wording of a question should be simple and to the point. Do not use uncommon words or long sentences.

7. Start with something general.

Respondents will be put-off and may even refuse to complete your questionnaire if you ask questions that are too personal at the start (e.g. questions about financial matters, age, even whether or not they are married).

8. Place the most important questions in the first half of the questionnaire.

Respondents sometimes only complete part of a questionnaire. By putting the most important items near the beginning, the partially completed questionnaires will still contain important information.

9. Leave enough space to record the answers.

If you are going to include questions which may require a long answer e.g. ask someone why they do a particular thing, then make sure you leave enough room to write in the possible answers. It sounds obvious, but it's so often overlooked!

10. Test your questionnaire on your colleagues.

No matter how much time and effort you put into designing your questionnaire, there is no substitute for testing it. Complete some interviews with your colleagues BEFORE you ask the real respondents. This will allow you to time your questionnaire, make any final changes, and get feedback from your colleagues.

10 Ways To Improve Your Healthcare Practices Ar

Writen by K Allen

Receiving maximum reimbursement with quick A/R turnaround in any healthcare practice requires careful attention to obtaining, documenting and communicating information. From the time a patient schedules a visit until the charge is closed out, proper management of information to and from your billing representative means the different between fast reimbursement cycles and slow, drawn out A/R. Information about insurance coverage, demographics, diagnosis and status of claims - coming from virtually all areas of your practice - should flow clearly and efficiently to support clean claim submission the first time around. Here are 10 opportunities in the lifecycle of a patient encounter where efficient management of information will improve A/R.

1. Initial Patient Contact – Front office staff or the patient scheduler should capture ALL pertinent information when a patient calls to schedule an appointment. Capturing general information like name, phone number and reason for appointment is a good start, but make sure you're catching payor information as well. Does the patient have insurance? If so, who is the carrier, what's their plan number? If not insured, are they prepared to pay up front and have they been briefed on your payment terms? Either way, answers to these questions will help in the insurance verification step and/or set proper expectations for payment at the time of service.
2. Insurance Verification – Either the scheduler or billing representative should use the information from initial patient contact to confirm with carriers BEFORE the office visit. This opportunity offers the chance to confirm enrollment, coverage levels, co-pays/deductibles, etc. Traditional verification of benefits over the phone is effective but time consuming; remember that you can usually save a lot of time using on-line interfaces offered by many carriers today. If the result is "no coverage" for this visit, or the carrier is unable to verify coverage, a follow up call to the patient should yield updated coverage information or at least guarantee everyone is aware of payment responsibilities.
3. Patient Registration – When the patient arrives at the office, the receptionist or a member of the front desk staff should verify ALL registration forms are accurate and complete. If it's an existing patient, the receptionist should re-confirm that records are up to date. This step is the key to obtaining/confirming the detailed demographic data required for insurance claim submission – if anything is incorrect or missing, reimbursements can be delayed as much as a month or more. It's also helpful for front desk staff to reiterate co-pay or self pay obligations at this time to confirm the patient is prepared to remit payment once the visit is complete.
4. Provide Care & Document Services – While the patient is in the exam room, or immediately following the visit, all diagnosis and care should be clearly documented on encounter forms. Patient forms are then forwarded to the front to cross reference with information gathered during insurance verification in Step 2, and the bill for co-pays and self-pay patients is generated.
5. Collect Co-payment – All patients should be required to stop by the cashier or reception desk to remit payment for co-pays, self-pay, etc. BEFORE they leave. If preceding steps are completed properly patients will already be aware of obligations, so there shouldn't be any surprises. A receipt can also be generated now for the billing representative to document exactly how much was remitted by the patient, should any later balance billing be necessary.
6. Claim Generation, Submission, and Carrier Review – Clean claim submission is not just dependent on the information gained in steps 1 through 5, but also on processes that manage data efficiently. A good practice management or medical billing software will address this need, but remember that you usually get what you pay for – it's usually best to not cut corners. The alternative to spending thousands on software is teaming with a professional medical billing company for, usually, a nominal percentage of receivables. Either way, if information is missing at initial claim submission, denial can add several weeks to the reimbursement process. If all moves smoothly, reimbursements can be forthcoming in as little as 1-2 weeks!
7. Insurance Reimbursement Received/Documented – Hopefully, all of the preceding steps have progressed smoothly and a clean claim was submitted. Our next step in managing claim information is proper documentation of reimbursements in the medical billing record. This step can often be simplified through electronic remittance and EOB notifications. If you're not able to use electronic EOBs, then it becomes critical the billing representative is thorough in manual entry of all EOBs received. Keeping close eye on your EOBs – timing as well as reimbursement rates – can also identify which carriers are paying quicker and which might require a follow up call.
8. Patient Invoicing – This step is about communication with patients. Just like carriers, providing patients with thorough information will further help to reduce turnaround time and minimize questions. Be clear and note dates of service, insurance payments, fees collected at time of service, and total amount due. These statements should be sent out as soon as an insurance determination is confirmed. Many statistics have shown the sooner an invoice is sent, the more likely, and faster, it will be paid.
9. Enter Patient Payment – Upon receipt of the patient payment, the billing representative should enter payment information into the billing system and prepare to close out the charge. If payment is not received within a reasonable amount of time (i.e. 30 days), the practice should have clear policies in place for next steps. Small balances of say, under $5, might be taken as a write off; for larger balances a second invoice might be sent or the patient may be sent to a collections agency for further action. Regardless of your policies, don't delay in taking action. A/R suffers most when these balances go unaddressed, carrying forward month after month.
10. Close Out Charge – Once final payment has been received, or a determination has been made to write off or send to collections, the billing representative should waste no time in closing out the charge.

These steps can generally be applied similarly with any patient visit in almost any specialty. Whether you have a staff of 20 or just one person, keep these opportunities in mind as you consider ways to improve the flow of information and reduce your practice's A/R turnaround.

For more information on medical billing and medical billing companies, visit Diversity Technology - Medical Billng Services, a full service medical billing company offering customized medical billing services to practices across the US. You can also learn more about advancing your medical billing with in-depth Medical Billing Articles and Tools.

7 Ways To Get Oneway Links To Your Site

Writen by Stephanie Hetu

One way links will help you gain better rankings in the major search engines. Here are 7 ways to get them :

1. Write articles
Writing articles alone won't get you one way links, but if you submit it to articles database online, you will gain many one way links. The article database site will give you a link back AND the webmasters who reprint your article on their site will also give you a link back! If you write and article with a catchy title or in-demand content, you can get published hundreds of times online, which will give you tons of backlinks.

2. Participate in forums
In forums, you can usually have a link in your signature. This used to work extremely well about a year ago. Today, it is not as efficient, but it can still be good to do it sometimes on highly popular forums.

3. Participate in blogs.
Blogs are similar to forums. They get spammed a lot, but if you take the time to write useful comments on some of them, you can get some good one way links out of it.

4. Ask for it!
Do some research online for sites in your industry with a high ranking in the search engines. Send an email to the webmaster and tell them you think your site could be of interest to their readers, and ask them to put a link up! This can be time consuming, but it can sometime get you link on very high ranking sites.

5. Submit to directories
Also a time consuming job, but manually submitting to directories will get you many owe way links because a lot of them don't ask for a link back. Don't use a software to automate the submission though, because you can actually hurt your ranking doing that.

6. Write useful content
If you have very interesting content, or a cool tool on your site, people will naturally link to it!

7. Give testimonials
If you use a product, or read a book, and really like it, send a nice testimonial to the website owner. Many will give you a link back on their sale page. This gives you a one way link and often, quite a bit of traffic because people are curious to find out more about the person who gave a testimonial!

Stephanie Hetu
Get one way links from directories with our top quality manual submission service at an affordable price.

Top Ten Reasons To Write A Sales Letter For Each Product Part 2

Writen by Judy Cullins

Authors/publishers are great at getting their books written. Entrepreneurs know their products. But after the initial one-year honeymoon, sales slow down. To counter this make sure your ebook, product, or service you offer will keep on selling from the first day, the first year, even for life. Write a short sales letter for each product or ebook.

Whether you have a Web site or not, you can write a first class, must-buy-now sales letter. Write one for each teleclass, eBook, product, or service. I even write one for my bookcoaching services.

If you are like me and have a Web site, it is content driven. Why? Because that's why people come to any site--to get free information. You must also give them a reason to buy. Most home pages say too much about the author or the book instead of intriguing their potential buyers with a benefit-driven headline, which in turns leads them to the benefits of their books--the sales letter.

My first Web site had many fine books and kits in personal growth and book writing and marketing. Sales never went over $200 a month. To correct that, I created a new site and paid special attention to its sales language (without hype) for each teleclass, eBook, and book coaching opportunities to suit each income and need. Sales were $75 the first month, and in four months they reached $2265. The next year they went around $3000 a month.

What Every Sales Letter Needs to Pull Orders and Profits

You can write each sales letter in less than four hours the first time. As you practice, you can write them in two hours.

5. Offer your potential clients three or four chances to buy.

They may have already decided to buy before coming to your sales letter, so offer a "Click Here," "Buy Now" near the top of the letter. Offer more buying opportunities along the way after a list of benefits, what's in this book (features),and testimonials.

6. End your Sales Letter with your 100% Money-Back Guarantee.

When you offer an iron-clad guarantee, people see your book as so valuable that you put yourself on the line for it. They will be more likely to buy and be satisfied with their purchase.

"This product comes with a 100% Money Back Guarantee. Read the book cover to cover, and if the strategies don't work for you within 60 days, we'll cheerfully refund your money, and you can keep the product too!"

7. Make your Sales Letter Credible.

To boost sales, authors need to add free bonus reports related to their book. Make sure your free bonus reports do not cost more than the price of your product. Would you believe this offer "order this for $49 now and receive 4 special bonus reports worth $395?"

8. Share the downside of your book to create empathy.

For example, "this ebook won't write the book for you, or even get it published, but it will show you the steps and resources to write compelling copy, finish fully and sell well."

9. Include your expert credentials.

"I spent 6 months researching this book and 3 months writing it. My background includes 23 years coaching, presenting 70 writing seminars a year, and 43 published clients since 1999."

10. Present the "YOU" point of view in your sales letter.

When you refer to others such as we or they, you don't speak directly to your to be buyer. Involve them with phrases such as "You will feel renewed energy after you read this book, so much so, that you'll ask your kids to dance with you." Or, "you can finish your book in less than a month, and get it selling immediately, so you can take that Caribbean trip, pay for your children's college, or buy that new car you've been wanting."

Without a sales letter to guide your potential buyers on your Web site, you leave them bored, uninspired, without enough information to make that decision to buy. Your Web site and ezine must entertain, inform, and give enough benefits to convince your readers to order your book.

For all email promotion campaigns, without a short or long sales letter for each product, your unique, useful and inspiring information will not get read, people won't know you as the expert, and you won't make the sales you want.

Judy Cullins ©2004 All Rights Reserved.

Judy Cullins, 20-year Book and Internet Marketing Coach works with small business people who want to make a difference in people's lives, build their credibility and clients, and make a consistent life-long income. Author of 10 eBooks including "Write your eBook Fast," "How to Market your Business on the Internet," and "Create your Web Site With Marketing Pizzazz," 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 155 free articles. Email her at mailto:Judy@bookcoaching.com.

Ten Tips For Translating Your Business Card

Writen by Neil Payne

International business today necessitates people travel all over the world for meetings, negotiations and other business functions. Along the way one will meet numerous people that all have the potential to give recommendations, pass over work or provide some sort of benefit. The business card is the key to remaining in their sphere of contacts.

Increasingly business cards need to be translated into foreign languages to ensure the receiver understands who you are and who you work for. However, translating a business card is not a simple as literally translating one language into another. There are many linguistic and cultural considerations one must take into account. In order to assist those needing their business cards translated the following ten tips are presented:

1 – Always have your business cards translated by a translator or translation agency. Your neighbour or friend may be capable of translating but to ensure the most suitable and professional language is used, use an expert.

2 – Try and have business cards printed only on one side and in one language. In many countries people will write on the back of your card. However, this is not always necessary and if there is a considerable amount of text you may use both sides.

3 – Keep your business card simple. All the receiver needs to know is who you are, your title, your company and how to contact you. The rest is superfluous. This also helps keep your translation costs down.

4 – Ensure the translator translates your title accurately. In some cases, due to the Western liking of complicated titles such "Associate Director of Employer Solutions", this is not always easy. It is critical the receiver understands your position within a company. Therefore simplify your title as much as possible.

5 – Do not translate your address. All this does is help the reader pronounce your address. If they ever posted you anything the postman will be scratching his/her head.

6 - It can be useful to transliterate names including company names. This then helps the receiver pronounce them properly.

7 – Make sure numbers are arranged in the correct format. For example, if for any reason you need to write a date on a business card consider the local equivalent for dates – i.e. in Europe dates are written as date/month/year or in the Islamic world the Hijri calendar is used.

8 –Ensure you use the correct language when having your business card translated. If you are travelling to China you would need Simplified Chinese, whereas if you were travelling to Taiwan you would need Traditional Chinese. Similar differences exist in many parts of the world where language may have political consequences, i.e. the area formerly known as Yugoslavia.

9 – Try and research whether there are any cultural nuances that make a business card attractive in another culture. For example in China, using red and gold is considered auspicious.

10 – Finally, always learn a bit about the cultural dos and don'ts of giving/receiving business cards in foreign countries. Which hands should be used? What should one say? Where should you keep it? Can you write on it?

Although technological gains over the past few decades have fundamentally changed the way people across the world contact and communicate with one another, it is sill the humble paper business card that acts as the initial glue which binds two business people together. Within the international fold, having your business card translated into a foreign language goes a long way in making an impression and forming relationships.

Neil Payne runs Kwintessential - a cross cultural communication consultancy offering translation services. For more information visit http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/translation/translation.html

Meeting Management Ten Tips For Profitable Meetings

Writen by L. John Mason

One of the main complaints heard by human resource professionals and team managers has to do with an avoidable and a controllable problem… wasteful meetings. Most business organizations have too many meetings that waste time and drain money. Profits and morale can be severely impacted by poor meeting management.

As a guide to meeting management, great managers can start by asking: Is this meeting really necessary? And, what are the meeting's desired outcomes?

Other good questions include:

Who needs to attend?

Who needs to be involved in planning the meeting's agenda?

What is the level of formality necessary for this meeting to be effective?

Who and what should be on the agenda?

When and where should this meeting take place? What, if any, equipment will be required for the meeting's presentations?

Besides a copy of the agenda (to all attendees), what information should be prepared and circulated prior to the meeting? Will any briefing be required prior to the meeting for participants?

How will the meeting be recorded?

Before the meeting, what follow up meetings or activities can be developed from this meeting?

Ten Essential Tips to Meeting Management:

1. Purpose of meeting and action items: Send to every participant in advance (for comment and preparation.)

2. Agenda – Prioritize – time required for each item

3. Who should attend and for how long are they needed

4. Set up of room to accomplish meeting's goals

5. Running the meeting: chairman, ground rules, time keeper, note taking

6. Mid-point review of meeting (everyone participates)

7. Closing: restate outcomes/decisions and establish action plans

8. Schedule follow ups

9. Evaluate Meeting – did it meet objectives and how could have been more effective

10. Circulate notes and the follow up action plans

Avoid wasting people's time by having only required participants at the meeting and staying focused on the agenda. The key may be in good communication before, during and after the meeting.

L. John Mason, Ph.D. is the author of the best selling "Guide to Stress Reduction." Since 1977, he has offered Executive Coaching and Training. His training in meeting management has been requested by many of his Executive Teams.

Please visit the Stress Education Center's website at http://www.dstress.com for articles, free ezine signup, and learn about the new telecourses that are available. If you would like information or a targeted proposal for training or coaching, please contact us at (707) 795-2228.

If you are looking to promote your training or coaching career, please investigate the Professional Stress Management Training and Certification Program for a secondary source of income or as career path.

Top 10 Tips On How To Stay On The Straight And Narrow

Writen by Anne Duncan

Do you ever wonder where the hours have gone? I sometimes do. There are times when I find it all too easy to be, as the song says, "busy doing nothing". Well, not exactly nothing, but not exactly the activities that are the most important; the ones that would serve me and my business most at that point in time.

One of the strengths of an entrepreneur is the ability to be self-motivated, to get out there and make things happen. On the flip side… our enthusiasm for all things interesting and new, can mean that we risk going off at a tangent and spending time on things that are not really key at that point in time… the next thing we know two hours have disappeared from out day. Is it just me, or does this sound familiar to you sometimes?

So, here are some tips to help you stay on the straight and narrow and maximize the time you spend at work.

1. Plan your day around high pay-off activities

What is the most important thing for me to do today? How am I going to make money from this activity? These are two great questions to ask yourself. However, when deciding what's most important to do today, don't forget to include any personal things that are important to you e.g. helping your child with homework, buying a birthday card for a friend, exercising… things that will make you feel good about yourself.

2. Stay focused

Allowing yourself to be distracted prevents you from experiencing that great feeling of accomplishment… you know… the one you have when you have completed a task without getting distracted. The easiest way to stay on track is by keeping the end result in clearly mind.

3. Set specific deadlines

Have you ever noticed how things that don't have to be done usually aren't? If an action doesn't merit a deadline then it might not merit a place on your to-do list at all?

4. Divide projects up

A huge project can seem too daunting to achieve, but it isn't. Break your large projects into bite size chunks, or steps, and list each step in the order it needs to be done. Nothing will seem overwhelming ever again if you do this.

5. Use your "peak time"

Some of us are at our best in the morning, some of us in the afternoon; I even know someone who comes 'alive' at midnight! Whatever time of day you usually feel at your brightest and most creative… that's the time to attack your top priorities.

6. Get help

You can do it all alone BUT it will take you longer and be much, much harder. We all need some help at times. Someone to bounce ideas off, someone to do the tasks that you hate to do; someone to do the things that need to be done, but not necessarily by you. That way you get to focus your time on what it is you do best!

7. Reward yourself

We are always ready to praise others for a job well done, but usually forget to give ourselves a pat on the back. So from now on, give yourself a pat on the back when you've achieved something positive and come up with some great ways to reward yourself from time to time… go on… treat yourself… it's great for your self-motivation.

8. Feed your mind, body and spirit

Eat healthy foods, take some regular exercise, read some good books or listen to uplifting tapes, and don't forget to take some time out for YOU. You'll feel all the better and be all the more productive for it.

9. Don't neglect important relationships

The relationships you have with your colleagues, friends and family are an important part of you life. The quality of these relationships is directly related to your success.

10. Be realistic

Being realistic means being aware of your limitations and your abilities. I'm all for thinking big and being bold, but allow yourself a cushion, don't set yourself up to lose.

Copyright Anne Duncan 2006

LIKE TO USE THIS ARTICLE AS CONTENT FOR YOUR EZINE OR WEB SITE? You can as long as you include my Copyright and the following: By Anne Duncan, The Reluctant Salesperson's Coach. For more marketing article, quick, easy tips and great resources on marketing a professional service visit Anne's web site at http://www.thereluctantsalespersonscoach.com

Improve Your Safety Metrics Without Making Your Workplace Safer 7 Tips

Writen by Mike Strawbridge

So many people are concerned with lowering their TCIR number or simply meeting their safety goals that they loose sight of the issue of actually making the workplace safer. I have even seen this attitude expressed through some safety governing bodies in my years working with safety.

If you want to improve your safety numbers here are some tips:

1. Make employees scared to report accidents by making veiled threats like drug testing, punitive accident investigations, loss of privileges, long reporting forms etc.

2. Make employees scared to report injuries through peer pressure. Establish an incentive plan for the whole group so that the benefit will be lost if any one-person reports and injury.
3. Reduce the number of recordable injuries by working with your attending physician so that he does not write a prescription or otherwise trigger a recordable event.
4. Lower TCIR by inflating the number of hours worked. Since the hours worked is in the denominator, make this number as large as possible. Include all office staff, salespeople, interns, co ops, contractors, anyone who can have any connection with your group that are not likely to report an injury.
5. Include safety performance improvement to each supervisor's salary review. He will make sure that employees are discouraged from reporting injuries.
6. Assume every employee who reports an injury is faking and plans to sue the company. Treat each case consistently and the word will get around.
7. Spend hours reviewing the OSHA or corporate rules for what constitutes a recordable event. Get to know every loophole for how to avoid listing it on the chart. Document why you did not record them in case of an audit.

To find ways to really make your workplace safer see: http://mikestrawbridge.com/workplace-safety-training.shtml Mike Strawbridge is the owner of Straw Solutions Performance Improvement Consulting. He enjoys finding ways to improve any process including how to make more money in your business http://www.mikestrawbridge.com

Top 10 Steps To Catapult Your Career Up The Corporate Ladder

Writen by Jill Frank

Every career success story is unique. While there isn't a magic answer for taking your career to the top, following these ten steps will get you headed up the corporate ladder.

1. Reassess your career. Is your career path well aligned with your priorities and interest? Do you posses, or can you acquire, the experience and education to be successful? If not, consider a lateral move and work your way up from there.

2. Clearly define your career goals. Only when you know exactly where it is you want to go, will you be able to map out your plan to get there.

3. Create a development plan. Determine the steps you need to take for your next promotion. Include resources and due dates. Schedule these activities in your planner and follow through.

4. Communicate your career goals with management. If you work in an organization that promotes employee development, communicate your goals with your manager and ask for his or her support. If you are concerned about resistance, find a mentor within the organization that you can trust.

5. Volunteer to spearhead a new project. This shows initiative, puts you in a visible position, and builds new skills. It also gives you the opportunity to showcase your leadership skills.

6. Stay current in your field. Read industry publications and reports. Be aware of changing trends and position yourself accordingly.

7. Take classes or obtain a certification. Use your industry knowledge to your advantage. Take a course in an up and coming area or a specialty that will benefit your organization and give you an edge over the competition.

8. Assume a leadership role. Offer to mentor a junior associate in your organization, apply for a position on a local board, or chair a committee for a nonprofit organization.

9. Network, Network, Network. Within your organization and within the community. Increasing your visibility and gaining contacts are vital to your success when climbing the corporate ladder. No one ever got to the top alone.

10. Excel in your current position. Exceptional performance speaks for itself. You won't get ahead with mediocre performance, regardless of how many other steps you implement.

Jill Frank is "The Promotion Coach." Get her FREE report, "7 Unintentional Actions That Will Slow Your Climb Up the Corporate Ladder" and FREE advice on corporate advancement at http://www.corporateadvancementcoach.com

Epson Ink Cartridge Sales Set To Increase

Writen by Andrew Regan

Epson is currently top of the printer manufacturer sales listing, with five of the top ten best selling inkjet printers of the summer.

The full results from market research firm GfK were:
1) Epson Stylus C48,
2) Epson Stylus Photo R220,
3) Lexmark Z735,
4) Epson Stylus D68,
5) Canon Pixma iP4200,
6) Epson Stylus D88,
7) Lexmark Z617,
8) Epson Picturemate 100,
9) HP Deskjet 3940,
10) HP Photosmart 8050

Three of these models, the Stylus D68,D88 and Stylus photo R220 use individual ink cartridges for each colour, allowing replacement of colours as they run out. Individual cartridges for these models are available for under £5 from the likes of Cartridge Concept and specialist highstreet outlets. With Epson's continued success in restricting sales of compatible cartridges their position in the UK market looks set to grow.

Canons' only entrant into the top 10 is positioned at 5, with the Pixma iP4200 which also uses individual ink cartridges and although these are more expensive than Epson have the benefit of having a larger capacity.

Lexmark take the opposite tack with the Z735 printer at No.3, this printer uses only one cartridge, which is appropriately called No.1. This cartridge contains all the colours in the one unit, making replacement a simple but possibly frequent occurrence as individual colour run out. This appears to be a fact which Lexmark seem to be aware of, as shown by the recent introduction of a twin pack.

Hewlett Packard fills both slots 9 and 10 with their Deskjet 3940 and Photosmart 8050 printer respectively. Both of these printers maintain the middle ground, using separate black and colour cartridges, while a third separate Photo cartridge is available for the Photosmart printer.

The latest introductions from all these manufacturers have shown a similar trend with both Epson and Canon favouring individual colour cartridges which can be replaced singularly whenever required. Hewlett Packard has however currently restricted this configuration to their higher priced Photosmart models, preferring to join Lexmark in providing the two/three cartridge set up for the bulk of their range.

Start Your Own Website In 10 Easy Steps

Writen by Eibhlin Morey

If you're a beginner, starting a website doesn't have to be difficult. If you begin with a good idea and take it step-by-step, you'll reap the rewards of a popular website.

Here are ten steps to online success:

1. Choose a domain name. Then, get it hosted.

Your domain name can be your own name, your company name, or a descriptive word for phrase describing what you do.

I often use GoDaddy.com for registration and hosting, but there are many inexpensive registrars and hosting services. Ask your friends for recommendations. Compare what the services offer, and read hosting service reviews.

2. Decide the theme or niche for your website.

Don't try to be all things to all people. For the best placement at search engines, select just one theme and build your site around that. If you want to expand, set up additional domain names and websites, one for each major subject.

For example, let's say that you're a writer and your website is about railroad history. Don't also try to include your favorite recipes or webpages about your skydiving service.

3. Create five webpages related to your theme.

If you don't know HTML, you can use a WYSIWYG program. (WYSIWYG = What You See Is What You Get)

If you have Netscape or Mozilla browsers, they include a free WYSIWYG program, Composer. There are other free WYSIWYG programs available online, too.

Your webpages should include an index.html (your main/entry page), another page that talks about you and how to contact you, plus at least three pages about your website's theme. Create links so that people can click from one page to the other, and already know what they're about.

If you're creating a website about your poetry, you might feature three poems--one each on a different page--or one page of your best poems, another to explain about writing poetry (and why yours are so great), and a third page that promotes another product that you give away (such as free online postcards featuring your poems).

4. Start a newsletter or ezine, to update people about your upcoming projects, where you've been published recently, and new webpages you've added to your site/s.

Yahoo Groups are free and easy to manage. Set yours to "announce only" (newsletter) and then let anyone and everyone join.

Or, use a free or low-cost service such as Ezine Director. However, make certain that they have a good reputation and don't do business with spammers.

5. Link to others, but only quality sites.

Links can be a very important factor in how well you're listed at Google and other search engines. Link only to websites that are very good.

Above all, do not sign up for one of those "Links4All" link exchanges. Also, avoid linking to competitors' sites. That might seem like common sense, but some new webmasters forget this.

After linking to others' sites, you can ask them to link back to you. Only a small percentage will do this, but some will.

6. Sign up for Google AdSense and/or affiliate programs.

If AdSense or affiliate programs are part of your income strategy--and they probably will be--sign up for them as soon as you can. In addition to Google AdSense, I like (and make money with) Amazon.com's Associates program, LinkShare.com and CommissionJunction.com.

At some of my websites, I also do very well with AllPosters.com and try to illustrate with their posters when I can.

7. Submit your site to the search engines.

Submit the URL of your index.html page to the search engines. Start with Yahoo and Google. DMOZ is important too, but it's vital to have a competitive and robust site built before submitting to them.

Do NOT over-submit. Check the search engine's rules. If you submit the same site to Google more than once a month, you risk being considered a spammer.

It can take search engines weeks or even months to list you among their pages. (It's normal to feel frustrated by how long it takes. Try to be patient.) And, even once you're listed, you may be in the "sandbox" for as long as eight months.

8. Start learning about keywords and search engine optimization.

Keywords can be the heart and soul of your success at search engines. Learn about keywords, and use them in the tags (META and Title areas) of your website and--even more importantly--in your webpage titles. Focus each webpage's content on three or four keywords that fit your niche.

9. Add one new webpage each week.

Now that you know your niche and have chosen a few words for your site's theme, add a new webpage to your site each week.

Every webpage should have valuable and interesting content. It should be at least 100 words long, but not more than 600 or so. (If it's longer, consider breaking it up into two pages or more.)

Each webpage should include one or two links to other pages. At least one link should be another page at your site, but you may want to link another high-quality website, too.

Every page should also link back to your home page (index.html) at the very least.

10. Tell people about your newest webpage.

Talk about your new page in your newsletter, ezine, or Yahoo! Group. Tell people in other groups, too, if their members might be very interested in your new page. (If many of them will be ho-hum, announce your pages every couple of weeks, or just put a link to your newest page below your signature, if the list rules say that's okay.)

At some search engines, you can submit new webpages as you put them online. Check each search engine's current rules to be certain.

If you have articles to share with others, submit them to a site such as EzineArticles.com. That's an easy source of free advertising.

Be certain to display your website URL on your business cards, invoices, letterhead, and everything that you print.

This will get you started. The Internet is a huge library of helpful information about website design and promotion. Read, learn, and grow, and you'll soon achieve success.

Eibhlin Morey MacIntosh is a published author, who writes travel and how-to books and articles. For more FREE tips and articles like this, especially for writers, see http://www.eibhlin.com/

I Want It Now 10 Tips For Freight Amp Drayage At Trade Shows

Writen by Julia O'Connor

Gas prices continue to go through the roof and increased transportation costs will increase trade show costs across the board.

Here are 10 Tips for saving time, money and your sanity.

I WANT IT NOW!

There are eight components to a trade show budget and the one most overlooked is FREIGHT & DRAYAGE. Whether you do-it-yourself or it's handled by a contractor, there are ways to anticipate problems and save money.

1. DEFINITION - Freight....

You can transport it yourself or pay a carrier (truck, ship, plane) to pick it up at your location and get it to the show city. If you choose to ship, you can select your own carrier or the official carrier contracted by show management.

NOTE - Using the official carrier gives your freight preference in getting it to the loading dock and show floor.

2. DEFINITION - Drayage....

This is the most expensive word you may not know. Drayage fees pay only to (1) move your goods from the loading dock to your exhibit hall location (2) remove the empty crates before the show, store them during the show, and return them after the show (3) move your repacked goods back to the loading dock after the show.

NOTE #1 - Drayage is more common in the US and parts of Canada than the rest of the world which uses an inclusive contractor system.

NOTE #2 - Cost for drayage is based on a contract between show management and the drayage company (usually a labor union). The critical components are weight in CWT (hundred pounds) and time. If your freight weighs 50 lbs and comes in during overtime hours, it will be charged for 100 lbs and overtime hours. Hint - don't send lots of small packages.

3. PLAN for SHIPPING.....

Often it's not included in the original trade show budget. Shipping prices are based on a number of factors (time, weight, dimensional size, etc.) and may be difficult to define in advance, but you can get accurate estimates and hold your suppliers to a freight cost if it is writing. Expect to pay a 20% add-on for every middleman it passes through.

4. OOPS - MEET THOSE DEADLINES.....

The biggest problem I see are the last minute orders, the change orders, the "gee, we changed our minds and want it in ivory, not white". Maybe you will pay for rush charges but not renting the jet to get it there on time. Make sure you understand the time frame for everything! everything! Always factor in the possibilities of weather delays, strikes, broken shipments and things that just get Lost.

5. TAKE IT WITH YOU....

It used to be you had to take everything. and print everything in advance. Now you can rent the display and take the disk or email to Kinko's or some other graphic entity. Life is much easier.

CAVEAT - Everybody at both ends must be on the same page, know what's coming and your deadline. Don't get caught in the "...but I talked to them and they said they could do it" syndrome. Right, you just didn't tell them you needed 20 full panel display graphics in 5 hours, with the right hardware for your system, and you need it installed. This is not a case of price doesn't matter - it does - but quality and truth matter more. Be certain systems match, the software matches, you understand "camera ready art" and you have a Plan B.

6. TECHNOLOGY IS NOT NECESSARILY BETTER.....

E-mail is great. TIF is tops, etc. but a hard copy of whatever you need is still best. Note that if you use PMS colors (Pantone Matching System, for printing only), you need the real number, not an approximation (when you say "it's really red" - it really doesn't work).

7. GET ESTIMATES BEFORE YOU SHIP.....

This means you need to know the approximate weight, dimensional size (cubic), zip code and WHEN you absolutely positively need it plus the correct address. You can't just send it to the hotel and expect it get to your room, the hotel or the convention center. NOTE - most convention centers will not accept freight or packages except through the show contractor. Many hotels will either not accept or charge hefty fees to accept and store your materials.

Double check all shipping information just before you ship - this is the biggest problem since we have new zip codes and area codes every week. Make sure you have the correct phone number. A main toll free number works best and fastest, otherwise you may get lost in voice mail and recordings.

8. SHIP LESS.

It's estimated that 10% of show attendees have a direct interest in your company, so if there are 10,000 expected attendees, don't send 10,000 brochures. Send 1,000. If you don't use them all, you have a small number to bring back. If you run out, it gives you the opportunity to follow-up with a mailing.

Remember - whatever you don't use at the show or meeting has to be shipped back to you or just thrown away (that's a waste). Decide which is cheaper and if there's a recycling or disposal fee. Save the good material for a special mailing after the show and use for other shows, meetings, conferences or as employee rewards.

Consider the cost of renting versus purchasing. You can amortize the cost of an exhibit but freight and drayage are expenses for EVERY show.

9. ARRANGE TO SHIP IT BACK.....

Why does stuff get swept up and thrown away? Because everybody thought you'd give away all the toys, pens, brochures, packets, CDs, etc. If it costs money to go, it costs money to come back.

Fill out all the packing slips and make arrangement for payment before you go to the show. Know the rules - some carriers won't allow you to ship COD. And will the last person out of Seattle (or any place) please make sure the paperwork is in order.

10. REVIEW ALL PAPERWORK AFTER THE SHOW....

This year you may see lots of surchagres, so match your written estimates and agreements against the actual bills. At the end of the show, it's easy to be over-charged, especially as you are rushing to leave the hall. Question everything. Resolve problems first with the carrier and inform show management if it is an over-charge based on their contracts.

Knowing prices are going up is one thing. Knowing you have some ways to anticipate and control those increases is important.

Julia O'Connor - Speaker, Author, Consultant - writes about practical aspects of trade shows. As president of Trade Show Training, inc,, now celebrating its 10th year, she works with companies in a variety of industries to improve their bottom line and marketing opportunities at trade shows.

She is an expert in the psychology of the trade show environment.

Top Ten Internet Auction Shipping Tips

Writen by J. Stephen Pope

Here are some tips to help you with your Internet auction shipments.

1. Ship Small, Lightweight Products

The heavier and bulkier the product, the more it will cost to ship. Pick light items in preference to heavier items. Of course, downloadable e-books are the lightest product of all. On the other hand, if your customers want your heavy and bulky items badly enough, they should be willing to pay for the extra shipping charges.

2. Ship Nonphysical Products

Having to ship physical products means more work. You need to pack and label your products, calculate shipping charges, and arrange for the orders to be shipped. Again, electronic downloads eliminate the hassles of physical shipping. However, tangible goods seem to have a higher perceived value. That being the case, you won't want to eliminate physical products entirely as they can be real profit makers for you.

3. Drop Shipping

Another way to avoid some of the hassles of product fulfillment is drop shipping. There are suppliers who will ship one item at a time for you. You don`t have to stock any inventory. You simply pay your dropship supplier out of the money you receive from your auction sale. They will ship the product directly to your customer.

4. Recycle

If you receive bubble wrap, styrofoam peanuts, bubble bags, or appropriate cardboard boxes, you may be able to reuse them for your shipments.

5. Bulk Buying

If you do a lot of auctions, buy your packaging supplies in bulk to receive better pricing.

6. Free Shipping Supplies

Your post office or courier company may supply free shipping cartons for certain shipments.

7. Use Online Automated Tools

You can determine shipping charges from PayPal, the postal service and courier companies by visiting their websites and using the online automated shipping calculation tools. In many cases, you can even create prepaid shipping labels and then arrange for pickup or dropoff of your shipments.

8. Avoid Fragile Items

Obviously, fragile items need to be packed with more care than unbreakable items. Pick durable items in preference to delicate items to reduce damage claims.

9. Insure Valuable Shipments

If you can't afford the loss of a lost, stolen, or damaged product, be sure to insure your shipment. While you're at it, request a delivery confirmation, preferably with signature required.

10. Prepare Foreign Shipments Properly

Be sure to prepare the proper Customs Declaration for international shipments. Keep in mind that there are items you can't legally ship. Even your packing material should be considered. As an example, items shipped in a box labelled "liquor" or "munitions" might be delayed at Customs.

RESOURCE BOX:

J. Stephen Pope, President of Pope Consulting Inc., has been helping clients to earn maximum business profits for over twenty-five years.

For profitable Work at Home Small Business Ideas, visit http://www.yenommarketinginc.com/

To learn more about Internet auctions, visit http://www.yenommarketinginc.com/auctions.html

Checklist For Hiring A Private Investigator

Writen by Colleen Collins

Looking for an old friend? Want to know if your spouse is cheating? Need to check out a potential tenant or employee?

A good private investigator (PI) can help you obtain these answers. And as with any expert you hire—a doctor, a lawyer, an insurance broker—it benefits you to take the time to ensure you're hiring a professional who has experience, quality reputation, and good-business ethics. Below is a checklist that will help you find just such a private investigator:

1. Ask friends, business associates, your lawyer for a referral. Word of mouth gives you the inside scoop, and the opportunity to ask questions specific to your needs.

2. Check your state's private investigator associations, most of which have web sites that post their membership directory.

3. If you can't find a private investigation association for your state, there are multiple national PI organizations that refer investigators, such as The National Association of Investigative Specialists (http://www.pimall.com/nais/dir.menu.html). Also, check your state's legal organizations—for example, affiliates of the American Trial Lawyer's Association or the state defense bar—which typically have a directory of recommended investigators.

4. Insurance companies use PIs constantly. Especially if your needs fall into surveillance and background checks, an excellent resource is your own homeowners insurance company. Ask to speak to a claims representative. With a few inquiries, you should be able to pinpoint which investigators your insurance company uses, which is a good referral.

5. Check Internet and Yellow Pages for private investigator listings, but remember these are paid-for ads. Ask for references; check if the PI is licensed (most states require a PI to be licensed, a few don't); if you're going before a judge and jury, ask if the PI has courtroom experience. NOTE: An untrained investigator may not know the laws and end up doing something illegal during an investigation—which causes you problems.

6. Before you speak to an investigator, decide what's in your budget.

7. When you speak to an investigator, ask if he/she has done the type of work you're seeking. More important, ask them the outcome of that type of investigation.

8. Ask to see examples of reports they've produced for similar cases.

9. Gauge your comfort level while speaking to the investigator. Good communication will be critical after the investigation begins. Also, be open minded—your investigator may have new ideas that are worthy of exploration.

10. Expect to pay a retainer up front. Just because a PI doesn't ask for one (or even a reasonable hourly rate), doesn't mean he/she is better at what they do. You want to hire someone who's competent, not hard up for work.

Remember, a good private investigator can be your best resource!

Subscribe to Highlands Investigations & Legal Services, Inc. free quarterly e-newsletter, which provides leading-edge legal, forensic, investigative articles, and more. All subscribers are automatically eligible for free gift drawings. To subscribe, go to http://www.highlandsinvestigations.com.

Colleen Collins, Highlands Investigations and Legal Services, Inc.

Highlands Investigations & Legal Services, a product of two logically related sets of background and training—-attorney and information specialist--offers a unique blend of investigative and writing/research skills. To learn more about our services, go to http://www.highlandsinvestigations.com

Quothow To Use The Power Of Focus To Build Massive Momentum In Your Businessquot

Writen by Matt Zembruski

Getting focused on what you want to achieve and creating an action plan for making it happen are critical skills for you to master.

As bestselling author Napolean Hill once said, "Every well-built house started with a definite plan in the form of blueprints." In other words, having a focused plan of action is the best way to ensure that you will reach your goals.

In last week's newsletter, you were asked to answer some basic questions as part of the action exercise. Hopefully, you completed this part and wrote down which 90-day goal is most exciting to you. The rest of this article assumes that you have already set this goal. So if you haven't done that yet, please re-read the previous article called "Why Clarity Is Essential To Building Massive Momentum In Your Business" and do it right now.

Now that we got that clear, let's jump right into it!

Once you've determined the big goal that you want to accomplish in the next 90 days, one of the secrets to making it happen is breaking up that big goal into small, bite-size pieces. Successful entrepreneurs all across the world use this technique to bring more profits into their businesses year after year after year.

In a minute, we'll cover a simple approach to create these bite-size pieces for your own goals. But let's first think about why this is so important to goal achievement.

Have you ever wondered why many entrepreneurs don't achieve their goals, even though they are passionate about their business and spend long hours working every week?

One reason this happens is that these business owners set a big goal they want to achieve in the next year, but they don't create a detailed action plan containing bite-size pieces. And without knowing what "bite" you can take next to move you closer to your goal, it is easy to be overwhelmed by the big goal and feel like you will never get there.

As the famous Chinese proverb says, "The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."

And if you haven't laid out a map for your thousand mile journey, you won't be confident in which step you should take next, right?

So what is the easiest way to create your map and determine which steps you should take today, tomorrow, and the next day? Here's a simple step-by-step procedure that you can follow right now to create a list of bite-size steps for reaching your big goals:

1) Write down your big 90-day goal in a notebook. This is the same big, exciting s-t-r-e-t-c-h goal that you set for yourself in last week's newsletter.

2) Break up this 90-day goal into three specific monthly goals. Ask yourself "What is the most important task or goal that I need to complete in Month One to be on track for achieving my 90-day goal?" Then ask the same question for Month Two and then again for Month Three.

3) Break up each monthly goal into four specific weekly goals. Begin by looking at Month One and breaking that up into specific weekly goals, starting with this week. Ask yourself this question: "What is the most important task or goal that I need to complete this week to be on track to achieving my goal for Week One?" And then ask yourself the same question for Week Two, for Week Three, and finally for Week Four.

4) Look at the goal you set for Week One and break it up into a number of smaller tasks or sub-goals that you need to do in order to reach that weekly goal. The resulting list of tasks becomes your most important objectives for this week. And when you have completed this for Week One, repeat this step again for Week Two, for Week Three, and then for Week Four.

And those are the simple steps for creating a focused plan made up of small, bite-size, achievable goals.

Here's an example of how this can work.

Remember our friend Cindy from last week's newsletter about Clarity? Cindy is the proud owner of Cindy's Teddy Bear Company and she set a goal to gain 100 new customers in the next 90 days. She has never accomplished this much before, so this is really an exciting, stretch goal for her.

Let's go through the four steps listed above with Cindy to see how she breaks up this big, inspiring 90-day goal into bite-size pieces.

1) Gain 100 new customers in the next 90 days.

2) Month One: Gain 20 new customers Month Two: Gain 40 new customers Month Three: Gain 40 new customers Cindy chose a smaller goal for Month One because she knows that she will be planting a lot of "new customer seeds" in Month One which can be harvested later during Month Two and Month Three.

3) Week One: Identify two local area communities and two non-local communities to target. Create a draft of a marketing campaign which targets these community areas. Week Two: Finalize the marketing campaign and launch it in the first local community. Week Three: Follow-up on every lead and get ten new customers. Week Four: Finish following up on leads from this first campaign and launch another campaign in one of the non-local areas. This should result in another ten new customers.

(I'm sure you get the idea at this point with Cindy's example, so let's move on to Part Four of the action step formula.)

4) Week One Task List (to achieve Week One goal):

a) Order research report with income levels for local communities. Remember that Cindy's ideal customer is a child of an upper class family, so income demographics are important for her to know.

b) Order research report with income levels across the nation.

c) Choose two local and two non-local upper-income towns based on the research reports.

d) Create a marketing campaign that will apply to all four of the chosen towns.

And that's all there is to it! You can harness the power of focus in your business right away by creating an action plan that acts as a laser-focused step-by-step blueprint for achieving your 90-day goals.

Yes, this exercise will certainly take you some time to complete, but it will save you a lot of time and money in the long run. In addition, it will increase your confidence and belief in your ability to achieve your big 90-day goals. And you will achieve them!

This will become a simple, straightforward exercise once you have done it several times and you make it a consistent habit.

Once you get this focused action plan written down, you will be on your way to achieving massive momentum in your business! When your plan is in place, you're ready to dive into the topic of next week's newsletter -- which is Action!

Set aside some time this week to go through the action planning exercise shown above. It's very important that you break up your big goals into small, bite-size pieces. As you make this into one of your consistent habits, you will begin to realize all the big profits and time freedom that comes from creating massive momentum in your business!

Matt Zembruski (aka "Mr. Momentum") is the author of this article and publisher of the Massive Momentum Now newsletter. Subscribe today to get your free audio special report called "The #1 Reason Why Businesses Fail and How You Can Avoid It!". You will also discover a proven step-by-step system that gets you results...guaranteed. Free subscription if you visit our site today. ($197 value) http://www.mrmomentum.com