Free Seminar April 17, 2010

It's been said that everyone has at least one book inside them waiting to be written, what's yours about? I will present a free seminar on Saturday April 17,2010 called WRITE-PUBLISH-PROMOTE at the Peoples United Methodist Church from 10 AM to 11:30 AM. You'll learn how to come up with a catchy title, layout chapter outlines, write the first draft, search for a publisher, accept rejection, the difference between a large publisher, print on demand and self-publishing and how to get an agent. Then promoting your book after it's published using many different ways is just as important. Attendance is limited to the first 90 adults at no cost, donations accepted. The church is located at 5110 Tamlin Rd in Colorado Springs. Reserve a seat by calling 719-596-0368, just leave your name. Presented as a fundraiser for the church, See You There! Check old posts below for many ideas.

Steal Ideas

Sound unethical, well it's not if the ideas are already out there in the public marketplace. We all hear, see and experience new and innovative things almost every day. We should think of how some of them would work in our business. I don't mean copy-cat but use the same concept and mold it to fit your type of company. If the idea is from a direct competitor, see if you can take it one step further and make it a better idea. If you come up with the idea first try to build in a safety part that would only look good for your company. Great ideas are everywhere; find them and use them without delay.

Doing Business in China

.Conservative suits for men with subtle colors
.Women should avoid high heels and short sleeve blouses
.Personal touching should be avoided at all times.
.Always arrive for meetings on time or a little early
.Do not point when talking
.Do not discuss business at meals
.Dropping chopsticks is considered bad luck
.Taste all dishes that are offered to you
.Present & receive business cards with both hands
.Bowing or nodding is a common greeting
.Allow the Chinese to leave a meeting first

Writing Your First Book Seminar

It's been said that everyone has at least one book inside them waiting to be written, what's yours about? I will present a free seminar on Saturday April 17,2010 called WRITE-PUBLISH-PROMOTE at the Peoples United Methodist Church from 10 AM to 11:30 AM. You'll learn how to come up with a catchy title, layout chapter outlines, write the first draft, search for a publisher, accept rejection, the difference between a large publisher, print on demand and self-publishing and how to get an agent. Then promoting your book after it's published is just as important. Attendance is limited to the first 90 adults at no cost, donations accepted. The church is located at 5110 Tamlin Rd in Colorado Springs. Reserve a seat by calling 719-596-0368. Presented as a fundraiser for the church, See You There!

Looking for Investors?

Before you approach investors for a business startup or growth, be professionally prepared.

.Have a current business plan ready with an executive summary at the end.
.Get past, current and projected financial statements prepared by your accountant or CPA.
.Prepare a list of business and personal references.
.Have a copy of your personal credit report which you have checked thoroughly.
.Know what makes your business unique from other similiar businesses.
.Be ready to explain how you will use the money wisely.
.Run through possible questions with a business associate or accountant.
.Be on time for any meetings, one minute late could kill the deal.

Email Ideas

Using email is great, fast and available 24/7 but there are some things to consider.
.Remember that email is not completely private, so don't send anything that you don't want others to read.
.Unwanted email will be considered spam and quickly deleted
.Put a descriptive phrase in the subject line
.Keep email short and to the point
.Many computers store emails long after they are deleted.
.For sales, personal contact is always better than email.
.Many young people prefer text messages over email

Refuse the sale when...

.The buyer abuses your sales or customer service employees. Have a tolerance limit for those who belittle, swear, demean or yell during the sales process
.The buyer asks for a bribe or financial kickback. Earn your sales with service, quality and integrity
.The time and effort to quote, follow-up, close and fulfill the order will be more than the possible gain. This only puts stress on your cash flow and people resources.
.The product or service won't do the job for the customer that they expect. Be honest and offer a better solution or send them to another source. It will pay off in the long run.
.The buyer asks for too many changes and unusual options. Be flexible but don't venture into untried territory that you can't get out of.
.You can't possibly meet the delivery date needed by the customer. It may cause final payment problems later and the loss of future business.

Read older posts for more ideas and follow me on Twitter..BTauthor

Delegate? Yes

Business owners and managers will sometimes try to do more tasks than they really have time for. Their main job is to manage and promote their business and find new ways of marketing. Delegate what you can so you will have less stress and free time for what you're really good at doing. Here are a few things that you can delegate easily in your business.
.Order follow-up
.Web searching
.Answering general emails
.Answering general calls
.Screening new vendors
.Local errands
.Cutomer problems & concerns
.Screening applicants
.Placing basic supply orders
These duties can be done by employees that you feel are ready for more responsibility and challenges. You can even offer them and new title and a possible small bonus for a job well done. They will feel more important and you will have more time to test your new ideas.

Unusual Holidays in March

These are real holidays for the month of March, use them in your business for fun and profit.

March 2...Old stuff day
March 6...National frozen food day
March 9...Panic day
March 12..Girl Scout day
March 13..Jewel day
March 20..Marriage proposal day
March 21..Fragrance day
March 22..National goof-off day
March 25..Pecan & Waffle day
March 28..Food on a stick day
March 31..National half shell clams day