Christmas Family Show

Peoples United Methodist Church is presenting it's annual Christmas family concert and show on Sunday December 15th at 3 PM. It will be preformed at the larger Central SDA Church at 1305 N Union Blvd in Colorado Springs. It is Glory in the Highest, the story of Christmas in music and there will be 2 chiors (PUMC Chior and Celebration Multi Cultural Emsemble) and featuring 4 special guest soloists. Free Admission, no reservations needed and donations appreciated. Don't miss this Christmas musical special for the entire family. Light refreshments (no cost) after the performance and meet the stars. Questions? 719-596-0368.

What's New ?

For a business to grow it needs more customers buying more things more often. When business is good is not the time to sit back in your comfort zone and count the profits. It is time to invest some of those profits in marketing to expand your target market or find new products or services for your existing customers. This means doing some type of marketing ALL the time not just during slowdowns. It takes time for some marketing to work so never stop doing something to promote or expand your customer base.

With all the new technology happening all the time there may be additional products or services that you can offer to those valuable customers you already have. Test new ideas or ask customers if they would buy something new that you are thinking about adding to what you offer. Every idea for a new product or service will not work successfully but don't give up and keep trying. When something works out it could end up being a big seller and give you an advantage over competitors.

Barry is a marketing coach and consultant who has started and operated about 20 businesses, several at the same time.  www.idealetter.com

What is Happiness?

Happiness is: 
1. Falling in love. 
2. Laughing so hard your face hurts. 
3. A hot shower. 
4. No lines at the supermarket. 
5. A special glance. 
6. Getting mail. 
7. Taking a drive on a pretty road. 
8. Hearing your favourite song on the radio. 
9. Lying in bed listening to the rain outside. 
10. Hot towels fresh out of the dryer. 
11. Chocolate milkshake ... (or vanilla ... or strawberry!) 
12. A bubble bath. 
13. Giggling. 
14. A good conversation. 
15. The beach
16. Finding a 20-pound note in your coat from last winter. 
17. Laughing at yourself.
18. Eye contact with a hot member of the opposite sex.
19. Midnight phone calls that last for hours. 
20. Running through sprinklers. 
21. Laughing for absolutely no reason at all. 
22. Having someone tell you that you're beautiful/good looking. 
23. Laughing at an inside joke. 
24. Friends. 
25. Accidentally overhearing someone say something nice about you. 
26. Waking up and realizing you still have a few hours left to sleep. 
27. Your first kiss (either the very first or with a new partner). 
28. Making new friends or spending time with old ones. 
29. Playing with a new puppy. 
30. Having someone play with your hair. 
31. Sweet dreams. 
32. Hot chocolate. 
33. Road trips with friends. 
34. Swinging on swings. 
35. Making eye contact with a cute stranger. 
36. Making chocolate chip cookies (and eating them...!). 
37. Having your friends send you homemade cookies. 
38. Holding hands with someone you care about. 
39. Running into an old friend and realizing that some things (good or bad) never change. 
40. Watching the expression on someone's face as they open a much-desired present from you. 
41. Watching the sunrise. 
42. Getting out of bed every morning and being grateful for another beautiful day. 
43. Knowing that somebody misses you. 
44. Getting a hug from someone you care about deeply. 
45. Knowing you've done the right thing, no matter what other people think.

- Unknown

Customers Want to Trust You

When someone decides to buy from your business or use your services they usually feel some trust that you will provide the best value you can for the money they are paying. That trust can increase or decrease based on what they receive and how satisfied they are after the transaction. If that trust decreases because of a shortfall on the value They Perceived you will probably not hear from them again. Plus you will not get any referrals from them either.

Trust is always slow to get, especially in business, but it can be lost quickly as a result of a dumb act or situation. A new client or customer will be watching very closely to how you treat them and serve their needs. They are the most vulnerable when trust comes into the picture. You job is to make it easy for them to trust your business by making every sutuation a positive one. Trust from customers may be the most important thing that can build your business.

 Barry is a marketing speaker & author. www.idealetter.com

Don't Lie to Prospects

Being straight with your clients is essential as we all know. Being honest as to whether we can help new enquirers is also vital.

When we start in business there is a temptation to try to grab every customer who comes through the door or sign up every client who is interested ion our service. We have to be honest with ourselves. Can we deliver what they want, and can we make a good profit in doing so?

Experience tells us that some of our customers want too much for the money they are prepared to pay, or cost us too much to service them. Sometimes we know that we are not best suited to help and that another business we know would be a better fit for them. We should be honest and say so, and we will get greater respect from the prospect, who may praise us for our integrity and refer us to others.

On the other hand, sometimes a business owner will say they will help when they do not want to. Recently, my family has had two incidents where we were let down. My wife was quoted for some work on curtain tracks but the person who said she would fix them never came to see us despite several calls to her. Maybe the work was not worth doing or she was too busy, but we now think of her as unreliable and might say so if asked.

We also need some building work, but the person who quoted and whom we would have engaged then said he could not carry out the work for quite a long time as he was too busy. Why did he not say so? Again he will end up potentially damaging his reputation whereas he might have enhanced it by being honest and up-front and not wasting our time.

• If you want the work and can deliver promptly, sign up and do it.
• If you cannot deliver profitably or the task is not really in your niche, be honest and maybe refer a friend who can deliver.
• Do not say you will do something and never turn up to do it.

Be honest when your new enquirer first gets in touch; can you deliver, and do you want to? If not say so, because your reputation is your most important asset.

By Jon Stow

Sales Tips From Dale Carnegie

Here are nine sales tips based on the principles Carnegie outlines in the book.

Tip 1: Smile. Carnegie called it “a simple way to make a good first impression.” Every business encounter — across the desk, at the customer’s front door, and even on the telephone — should begin with a smile. “Actions,” Carnegie noted, “speak louder than words. And a smile says, ‘I like you.’”

Tip 2: Listen. Customers and clients want to hear what you have to say, but they want you to hear what they have to say first. Beyond that, consider this: How can you, as a sales rep, know what customers need if you don’t give them chance to tell you?

Tip 3: Arouse an “eager want.” It almost sounds poetic. Carnegie cited Harry A. Overstreet as the originator of this idea. Overstreet said, “Action springs from what we fundamentally desire.” If you own a bait store, understand that customers do not desire night crawlers; they desire catching fish. Pitch accordingly.

Tip 4: Use names. Learn the names of your employees, your customers, and your prospects as they enter your sphere of business. After you learn those names, use them. Carnegie’s principle here is simple: A person’s name is, to that person, the sweetest and most important sound in any language.

Tip 5: Avoid arguments. This would seem to be almost a “given,” but far too many salespeople, perhaps in their zeal, engage in arguments with a customer who shows resistance or says he or she likes another brand. Carnegie said, “The only way to get the best of an argument is to avoid it.” Be respectful of the customer’s opinion. Do not argue, criticize, or condemn. You will have an opportunity to brag about your offering soon enough.

Tip 6: If appropriate, apologize. If, at any point in a sales transaction or pitch, you discover you have made an error, don’t make excuses. Say you are sorry and do so emphatically, Carnegie said. Then move on. You may be surprised at how quickly the whole incident is forgotten. If you insist on building a case for why you erred, you’ll only drag things out.

Tip 7: Let customers sell to themselves. In general, people do not like to be told what to do or what to buy. Provide information and be helpful, but let customers make the decision. You do this by asking questions and steering the conversation until customers realize that your product or service is the solution they’ve been looking for.

Tip 8: Ask what’s in it for customers. When discussing your product, put it in terms that speak to your customers’ interests. You may have the biggest, fastest, and most reliable product on the market, but unless customers see how it benefits them, you won’t make sales.

Tip 9: Dramatize your ideas. This has less to do with human interaction and more to do with a flair for the dramatic. Do not be afraid to engage in a little showmanship, as long as it is honest and doesn’t mislead people. For example, Carnegie tells the story of a cash-register salesman who told a grocer that the registers his store was using were so old that he was literally throwing money away. With that, the salesman threw a handful of coins on the floor. He got the sale.

The Bottom Line

Ultimately, a sales transaction is a conversation between two people — whether in person, on the phone, or online. One person wants to buy; the other wants to sell. 

Finding New Clients and Customers

Most businesses will reach a point where new business slows down and growth comes to a standstill. Although tou should be searching for new target customers all the time it has become more important now. It  will get your buiness back on the way to growth and increased profits. Start looking at all the possible ways to market with the budget you have and begin to step out of your comfort zone and go after new business. There are many short articles on this blog that will point you in the right direction but you have to start doing it. Not every idea will work for every business but you will need to test several to find the best for you.

Look at where your customers and clients are coming from now and see  if you have reached out to that sector recently. Maybe you have sat back and just fed off repeat business for longer than you should have and not gone after new business. Past customers will leave for many reasons and you need to replace them before they leave. Those replacements are out there but you must pursue them and entice them to buy from you.  And when was the last time you asked your best customers for referrals?

You can also use a business coach or consultant to help you seek new target markets that you either forgot about or didn't realize you could sell to and grow with. It's best to use a coach that will only bill you by the hour and not lock you into a long term contract. They have experience with many businesses and can use ideas they find elsewhere to assist you. Also be sure that the coach/consultant has actually owned a business or two themselves so they have experienced what you are going through. However to do it, always be looking for new customers and new markets and watch your business grow.

Barry is a coach and consultant that helps new and existing businesses start, grow and solve problems. www.idealetter.com

The Working Dead

Many stars and celebrities keep on earning for their estates long after they have left this Earth. Below is the latest top 13 working dead. This list has their name followed by the year they died and their earnings in the past year.

 1 Michael Jackson  2009  $160 million

 2 Elvis Presley  1977  $55 million

 3 Charles M Schulz  2000  $37 million

 4 Elizabeth Taylor  2011  $25 million

 5 Bob Marley  1981  $18 million

 6 Marilyn Monroe  1962  $15 million

 7 John Lennon  1980  $12 million

 8 Albert Einstein  1955  $10 million

 9 Bettie Page  2008  $ 10 million

 10 Theodor Geisel  1991  $9 million

 11 Steve McQueen  1980  $9 million

 12 Bruse Lee  1973  $7 million

 13 Jenni Rivera  2012  $7 million

Source  Forbes Magazine 11-18-13

Networking Meetings

Every city will usually have many meetings monthly where you can meet other business people and network. Some people call these leads groups but I like the term networking because you are sharing ideas first and exchanging referrals second. These meetings allow you to learn more about the other people, what they do and if you want to refer business to them. Just because they are at the meetings does not mean they are best contact for someone you want to refer. Ask questions before and after the meeting to see if you are comfortable with them and if they will provide the value you want for the person you refer.

There may be more than one person for a specific industry or business type (some groups are exclusive) and that will give you a choice as to which one is the best for your referrals. Just because someone is a member or attends meetings does not automatically mean you have to give them any referrals, decide first if it's best for each person. If you attend several different meetings, as you should, you will have more choices in each business group to select from. Make a file for literature and business cards and put notes on them for future reference.

I like meetings that don't have dues or very small ones and meet in restaurants where you just need to order something for breakfast or lunch. Some groups like BNI have high dues and send most of it to some home office out-of-town and the local group gets no benefit from it. They also discourage a member attending other networking meetings and you must attend all of their meetings or send a substitute. This limits the networking you can do and to me is not the going to get the best results. Try to attend 3 or 4 different groups monthly and always give referrals when you have them. The more you give the more you will receive to build your business.

Barry is a speaker, author and business coach & advisor.  www.idealetter.com

Using a DBA

As a business owner, there may come a time when you determine that it is in your best interest to do business under a name that is not your company’s legal name. In such a case, you may need to file a ‘Doing Business As,’ or DBA. Also known as an assumed name, trade name or fictitious business name, a DBA filing is an official and public registration of a business name with either the state or local jurisdiction. When you use a DBA you are not changing your name. You are just going by a different name. For example, ABC Inc. may do business as Joe’s Shoes. Joe’s Shoes is the DBA but the corporation is still ABC Inc.
Who can file a DBA?
C corporations, S corporations, limited liability companies (LLCs), nonprofit corporations, limited partnerships (LPs), limited liability partnerships (LLPs), sole proprietorships and general partnerships can file DBAs.
As a sole proprietorship or general partnership, many banks will require a DBA in order to open a business bank account. Because owners of sole proprietorships and general partnerships are legally considered the same as a business, without a DBA owners must transact business using a personal name.
As a corporation or LLC, business owners should file a DBA registration if their company plans to do business under a name other than the legal name that appears on its state-approved formation documents or foreign qualification documents. In most cases, the corporation or LLC is required by law to register its assumed name and is subject to penalties for failing to do so.
Why file a DBA?
The reasoning behind the decision to file for a DBA may vary by business type:

• Sole proprietorships and general partnerships:
  • To transact business under a name other than under a personal name.
  • To open a business bank account.
  • Corporations, LLCs, LPs, LLPs
    • To transact business under a name that is different from your company name in your state-approved incorporation or foreign qualification documents.
    • To transact business under a different name in addition to your official company name.

Under most circumstances, an individual or business is required to file a DBA if they choose to transact business under a name different from the owner’s or owners’ personal names, for sole proprietorships and general partnerships, or the name used on the company’s incorporation documents. Before transacting business with a different business name, file a DBA.\
Other DBA details:

• The typical time for DBA Filing Service is 4 to 6 weeks.
• There are no state or country restrictions as to the number of DBA names you may register.
• Some states protect assumed names, but in some cases registering a DBA will not reserve the name against future use by another party and someone else will be able to use your DBA name. Depending on the circumstances, consider registering a trademark if you want to protect your business name.
• A DBA filing is generally required in each state where business is being transacted under the assumed name.
• By Biz Filings

Dominate Youtube

Allow me to take a moment to share with you what works on YouTube. I’ve found that these 20 tips will turn your videos into overnight sensations and capture the attention of the masses. Granted, it doesn’t happen overnight and a fair amount of work is required, but the phenomenal results––if you follow all of these ideas––will bring tremendous attention to your brand.

1. Keep it Short. Brevity is key. Online video viewers’ attentions spans are relatively short––good videos get the point across in three minutes or less.
2. Video Quality. Be conscientious of your lighting and get crisp imagery and sound. Nothing will make a viewer click off faster than a video filled with static and mumbled speech.
3. Edit Your Videos. You don’t have to spend a fortune to make your videos Robin Thicke-superstar quality! Enhance your uploaded videos, and take advantage of YouTube Video Editor for free. Try www.youtube.com/editor. Also check out www.virtualdub.org as well as Microsoft’s MovieMaker and Apple’s iMovie
4. Brand Your Videos. Make a name for yourself—get noticed by branding your videos with either your name or logo and a catchy signature song or jingle. When viewers like your content, they will associate your product or service with your logo and tune. Then, they’ll be more likely to take notice the next time.
5. Include Background Music. Music will really draw in an audience. Whether it’s something familiar or just a cool beat, it will grab attention and keep people’s interest. Try www.jewelbeat.com or www.royaltyfreemusic.com for starters.
6. Research Your Keywords. YouTube’s keyword tool is absolutely essential when you’re focusing on your video SEO (search engine optimization). You want to rank high, so knowing what keywords and phrases occur most often is fundamental.
7. Put a Link in the Description. The best way to drive traffic to your website is to include your link in the description. In the box, put the link address and then input any other information. Take notice that the description will be hidden after 27 characters. To get your link recognized, be concise and start with http://.
8. Put Keywords in the Description. Your description should be comprehensive, strategic, and keyword rich. This is another element that will rank your video higher in the search.
9. Pick the Right Title. Don’t just settle for any boring or rehashed title. Take the time to be creative. Be interesting and relevant while trying to squeeze your keywords into the title.
10. Pick the Right Thumbnail. When choosing a thumbnail image, be sure to pick one that’s engaging and makes people want to stop and click on your video.
11. Make Playlists. Creating a playlist is simple. Click on the playlist tab while you’re in the Video Manager and then click + “New Playlist.” Your playlist will give you yet another opportunity to show up in searches and overall grow your audience.
12. Create Interactivity with Annotations. An annotation is a new way to add interactive commentary to your videos. You are able to link other YouTube videos, channels, or search results right in the video.
13. Use Captions. Adding captions to your video is another trick to ranking higher in the search results because of the text you provide. It’s also awesome for the hearing impaired or if the viewer misplaced their earbuds.
14. Promote with Social Media. Promote your video across all of your social networking platforms. The more you promote your video, the more likely it’s going to get picked up.
15. Post Regularly. Post often, say two or three times per week. Be sure you are posting quality, not just posting for the sake of posting.
16. Encourage Community. The more interaction you can drum up online, the greater your community reach will be. Encouraging viewers to comment or offer suggestions and tips will increase your presence and drive more interest to your website.
17. Become a Partner. There’s money to be made when you allow YouTube to put advertisements in or alongside your video. Google AdSense provides a free, flexible way to earn money. It can help to grow your business with relevant, user-friendly advertising. To find out more, click “Settings” and select “Monetization.”
18. Respond to Popular Videos. Video responses can reach a whole new level. One surefire way of promoting your video is getting it on somebody else’s YouTube page. Simply find the video that’s dominating the channels, leave a positive response, and on the right-hand side, click “Attach video.” Don’t forget to add tags.
19. Contact Bloggers in Your Niche. When a blogger puts your video on his or her site, Google recognizes it and begins to rank the video higher in its searches. Reach out to bloggers and ask them to feature your video on their site—it’s a win-win for all. If your project is relevant to their blog, it will add value and attract more fans.
20. Create a Blog Post. Boost your video’s reach by joining (if you haven’t already) the blogosphere and post a blog about each video that you create. Again, link it all back to your website for ultimate domination.

By Adam Toren

Ways to Keep Employees Motivated

Have you ever stopped to consider that your employees probably aren’t motivated exclusively by money. Would you be surprised to learn that they actually care more about doing satisfying work, and being appreciated. Seriously.

Employees are happiest when they’re engaged, recognized, excited, and kept in the loop. And it’s not just them. We’re all happier when we feel appreciated. And here’s the great news: a happy employee is a motivated employee.

Motivated employees are more productive, and also more loyal. The benefits of that are clear: lower turnover rate (which saves you money), more consistency, and a better finished product.

Start using these tips today to keep your employees motivated.

1. Keep Them In the Loop

One of the biggest mistakes business owners make is not keeping their employees in the loop. When employees are asked to work blindly, it’s difficult for them to see the big picture. It’s hard for them to know why what they’re doing matters. You can’t just expect employees to understand on their own. Keep them up to date on goals, progress, and achievement, including important news, and growth direction.

Adapt a culture of openness and transparency. You’ll be surprised at the results. Your employees will jump on board if you let them. And they may prove to be more valuable than you thought.

2. Recognize Their Achievements

When your staff does something great, let them know. When they work hard (even if the product isn’t great) let them know! Positive reinforcement is much more effective at motivating than negative punishment. If you want them to keep doing what they doing – thank them. Tell them how valuable their work is and how much you appreciate it.

We all love the feeling we get when someone else recognizes our achievements. When we know how to get it, we’ll go out of our way to get it again.

3. Notice When They’re Struggling

As managers we tend to get so caught up in our work that we don’t notice when our employees are struggling. When an employees needs help they usually won’t tell you. This is because they don’t want to disappoint you, or get in your way.

If your staff has been distant or less engaged — do some probing. It could be they have something personal going on and you reaching out will mean a lot. It could also mean they’re struggling with a challenge at work. Offer to help them through it. If you can’t help, match them up with someone who can.

Showing your employees that it’s OK to have challenges. By helping them get through it and grow professionally, you’re showing them you care. There is no greater way to breed loyalty.

4. Share Your Excitement With Them

This is more than just keeping your team in the loop. When something great happens in your business, let them in on the excitement — even if you feel like the achievement was all your own. So much of our time at work is spent working through challenges, putting out fires and doing the impossible.

Not only do you need to stop and celebrate progress from time to time, but your team does too. Remind them of all the great things that are happening and why what they’re doing is important. Who doesn’t love to be part of a positive work environment?

5. Value Their Input

Your employees may not know as much as you do, and they may not fully understand your goals (they should if you have a transparent culture), but they have ideas. Some of them won’t be that useful but some of them will be great. Front-line employees understand a different side of the business you may not have thought about. Truly, they have value to add. Get their input.

What’s more, when employees feel like they’re opinion is valued, they have been given the best compliment possible. They will feel important and they will rise to that standard in the future.

By Casandra

New Business Idea

I recently heard about a new type of business that fills a need for insurance companies. This new business searches the internet, newspapers, radio, TV and all social media sites for people that their insurance company client wants information about. These are people who are receiving long term diability payments and the insurance company wants to make sure they are still disabled. The search business tries to find stories and photos of these people doing things that they should not be able to do in their condition. If they are no longer disabled they should not be receiving the insurance payments.

These search companies have discovered "disabled" people who have photos posted of finishing a marathon, skydiving, playing hockey and other sports events that they should not be able to do. This saves the insurance company millions once they confront the insured. There are many opportunities out there for needs unfilled and all a smart entrepreneur has to do is come up with a solution that has not been offered. Many of these ideas are simple and overlooked so you don't have to be a PhD to think of them. Simple ideas sometimes solve long time problems and make a new business a real success.

Barry is a marketing and customer service speaker and author.  www.idealetter.com