Administrative Partners - Virtual Business Management and Support

5 Steps to Create a Successful Marketing Plan

2009-12-28T11:41:00.002-05:00

Dr. Maya Bailey

RISMEDIA, December 18, 2009—As a Master Business Coach, I often hear from my clients the following story: “I feel stuck in my business. I really love to help people, I am excellent in negotiations and contracts, but I really hate prospecting. I just can’t seem to bring myself to pick up the phone.”

How often have you had those feelings, or have known of someone else who does? The thought of marketing makes most people clench their teeth, tighten their stomach and engage in marketing avoidance behavior that sends their business down the drain.
My clients tell me: “If only I could learn to market myself, I would love my business. I would be making a fortune.”

If you have these feelings, you’re not alone. There are specific reasons, including the following, why people avoid marketing:

1. “I don’t want to bother people.” How many times have you said it yourself before you picked up the phone? The fear of bothering people is huge. In the same breath, most business people tell me that, “I hate it when a telemarketer calls me at home and I don’t want to do the same thing to other people.”

2. “I don’t like tooting my own horn.” So many of us have been taught, especially women, that it’s not good to promote yourself. This is especially difficult for women who have come from a background other than sales before they started their own business. Often times they were employed in a company and marketing was never a part of their job.

3. “I don’t want to be rejected.” Some people are so terrified of being rejected or disapproved of, that they will even avoid calling their former clients. I have written previously in other articles about the phenomena of having a sphere of influence, which is your “goldmine,” but being afraid to “mine it.”

Fortunately, there are solutions for creating a successful marketing plan. Here are 5 easy ways to transform “marketing” into a pleasurable and profitable experience.

1. Think of giving- Whenever you think of marketing yourself, think about the fact that you are actually “offering” a valuable service. We get back what we give out. If you think of giving out a valuable service, and you focus on what you have to give, you will radiate a powerful force of positive energy which you will attract back to yourself in terms of clients and sales. The “secret” is to focus on being “the giver.”

2. Know your unique selling points- Most of the time when I coach my entrepreneur clients, they hugely underestimate what makes them unique. When I ask them, “Why should I work with you instead of someone else?” They honestly don’t know. Here’s the “secret”: make a list of the compliments you have received from former clients. Did they tell you that you were friendly, easy to get along with, very knowledgeable, extremely dependable, or great with follow-up?

As you make the list and think about it, you will start to become aware that what you have to offer as a business person is yourself.

You are unique. There is no one else like you. The more you like yourself and approve of yourself, the more you will radiate out a positive energy of self-love, gratitude, and appreciation. These energies are the highest energies that you could send out. They are guaranteed to magnetize back to you the ideal clients that you want.

Read the rest of the marketing tips here.

The Ultimate Home Business Resource List

2009-12-06T12:44:00.005-05:00

I've been getting quite a few phone calls and emails from friends who are thinking of starting new year with a business of their own. Although I might not have all of the answers, I try my best to be a valuable resource to them. Thats why I was quite excited when I came across "The Ultimate Home Business Resource List" in a recent Start-up Nation article.

I found these resources to be extremely beneficial. I hope you will too.

______________________________

When it comes to the US economy, there’s one vital sector that hits very close to home: home businesses. According to the Small Business Administration, 53 percent of businesses in the United States are based from home, and this number is expected to increase.

In recognition of their importance, we set out to create a Home Business Resource List that would serve the needs of entrepreneurs setting up shop from home. We asked experts, talked to home business owners and scoured the Internet, and this is what we found.

1. Government Resources
2. Marketing Solutions
3. Outsourcing
4. Technology
5. Accounting/Finance Software
6. Legal Assistance
7. Inventions
8. Setting up Your Home Office

Explore all the details here.

Social Networking: Must or Time-Drain?

2009-11-02T15:57:00.004-05:00

For most people, the answer might be both.

As a small business owner, you probably read about the importance of social media networking in Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc. You might even have a Facebook Fan Page for your business.

All these networks are wonderful to generate more contacts, to gain more visibility for your business and expand your contacts. However, many small business owners also realize that once they have all their profiles set up, participating becomes an incredible time-draining activity with no specific or direct or measurable benefit for their business.

Here are THREE key points to help you make the most out of this important social marketing activity. Make sure you:

Plan it! As with any marketing activity you perform for your business, make a plan that includes not only objectives but also an action plan. Set specific goals to ensure your social networking happens for a reason and will help you get more leads and/or clients.

Schedule it! Allocate time for your social networking activity. You don't need to be available all the time. If you participate you must realize social media implies a two-way communications channel. You will have to respond and be active, but organizing this will ensure you make the most out of your time on these social networking sites.

Automatize it! There are many great online tools to systematize several parts of your social networking communications. Familiarize yourself with the tools available and implement the necessary ones to make your time on these networks a productive one. Better yet--hand this task over to your Virtual Assistant!

Written by:Owner of The Bilingual VA, Victoria Miles for Virtual Assistant Networking.com

RegOnline

2009-10-13T21:12:00.001-04:00

RegOnline

Shared via AddThis

Three Tips for Effective Time Management for Professionals

2009-10-12T13:33:00.004-04:00

Is time management one of your biggest challenges? You are certainly not alone if that is the case. Many small business owners and other professionals are always looking for ways to make better use of their time. If finding a way to implement strategies for effective time management is something that appeals to you, you may find the tips and ideas presented here to be beneficial. Keep in mind that not everyone has the same time management problems. Look for tips that can have a positive impact on your own personal time management challenges.

3 Time Management Tips for Professionals
1. Get Organized – If you are disorganized, you’ll end up spending a lot of time each day looking for things, which is a complete waste of your time. Instead of wasting time searching for items, set aside a chunk of time to get organized and include time in each week’s to-do list to spend time getting re-organized. When you get in the habit of doing this, everything in your office will be in it’s proper place so you won’t find yourself wasting time searching for items that aren’t where they should be.

2. Reduce Socializing at Work – If people tend to stop by your office regularly to socialize, and you find yourself getting embroiled in lengthy conversations that keep you from taking care of your work responsibilities, you have a time management challenge caused by too much socializing. Consider rearranging your workspace so that it’s difficult for people to camp out in your workspace for long periods of time. Try placing the visitor’s chairs in your office so they aren’t right by the entrance to your office, or place stacks of books or files in the chairs. You may also want to get into the habit of standing up when people enter your office. This can be a signal to them to keep the conversation short and sweet.

3. Plan Your Work Wisely – When coming up with a plan for getting your work completed, think about what times of day or days of the week seem to work best for certain tasks. If you experience a drop in energy during the afternoon, schedule tasks that you consider mundane – such as filing or updating your computerized contact directory – for that time of day. If you are at your most energetic during the morning hours, use that time to contact prospective clients and to work on those parts of your job that require maximum creativity and energy. If the phone seems to ring endlessly on Friday afternoons, make sure that you’ve taken care of all of your deadline work for the week before then.

Article taken from the Small Business Channel at American Banking News - October 11

Business Marketing Tips

2009-10-07T12:34:00.003-04:00

As interviewed: John Jantsch, Founder, Duct Tape Marketing for Score.org

What are some starting points for crafting an effective
marketing strategy?

1. Talk to your customers. They have a better sense of what makes you unique—the things that generate loyalty and referrals. Ask them what you do that they like, and you may be surprised by the responses. It may well be the little things that set you apart.

2. Build a network of strategic partners. Surround yourself with best-of-class providers of products and services that customers need. Recommend them to your customers and they’ll do the same for you. During the recession, organizations that delivered these kinds
of referrals didn’t suffer much.

What are some helpful metrics a small business should consider for gauging the effectiveness of a marketing strategy?

Setting goals for revenue and profit are obvious choices. But also consider percentage of business from referrals, and satisfaction factors that your customers say make the difference for them.
Again, you’ll likely uncover qualities about your business that you’d never thought of.

Take Your Dream From Concept to Company

2009-09-09T10:04:00.003-04:00

Every aspiring entrepreneur maintains a vision of what professional success looks and feels like for them. However, as tangible as it may be in mind, transforming that concept into reality presents challenges. “Essentially a vision is long term, or a fast-forward look at where you want to be,” says Dee Marshall, life coach and founder of Raise The Bar, a Newark, New Jersey-based coaching and consulting practice. “In order to make the vision a reality you have to begin with organizing your thoughts,” Marshall says. She recommends utilizing a vision board—images, pictures and affirmations of your dreams and desires compiled in a central location such as on a poster board or in a book—to help organize your thoughts into a visual concept. With pictures, words, and even actual objects, goals such as those you may have you’re your business can be literally brought to life. But what do you do after you’ve created the vision board and are ready to put action towards those aspirations?

Here, Marshall offers six ways to get your business off the ground: Put it on paper. Create a one page outline that includes a mission statement, vision statement and objectives. “If you can’t come up with a one-pager, then it could be an indication you are not ready for entrepreneurship,” warns Marshall. But even that shouldn’t deter you, because it is common to have difficulty writing down objectives and goals initially. It can also be a driving force when obtaining goals becomes challenging.

Apply SMART guidelines.

Specific: Vagueness leaves room for error. Being as precise as possible limits the chances of confusion in implementing your goals and objectives.

Measurable: Pursue goals that will offer you the ability to, at any point in the process, evaluate your effectiveness in actualizing them successfully.

Action-oriented: Shape your objectives around actions that will bring you closer to fulfilling your vision.

Results driven: Goals and objectives you focus on should provide concrete tangible outcomes.

Time bound: Attach and stick to a realistic deadline.

Read the Entire Article

Time to Reclaim Time (and the Confidence of Your Clients and Customers)

2009-08-19T10:26:00.003-04:00

Flying by the seat of your pants is no way to run a business. Playing fast and loose robs you of flexibility. It creates havoc, and instills disorganization and unprofitability in your business. You might kid yourself into thinking your lack of structure is not evident from the outside, but I guarantee you, clients, colleagues and others you work with recognize it loud and clear via untimely follow-up, missed deadlines and poor communication.

The more intentioned and methodic you are with your processes, the more freedom, flexibility and organization you give yourself and your business. One of the very best ways to reclaim ownership of your time also uses one of the simplest tools available--your calendar! Following the steps below will help put you on the path to gaining control over your time and workload, and maintaining the confidence of those who choose to work with you.

1. Holidays, Vacations and Other Days Off. First, enter all holidays, known vacations and any other days you intend to be closed. If you take two or more days off for certain major holidays, be sure and mark those "closed" on your calendar as well. At the beginning of each month, schedule a reminder to give clients and others a courtesy notice of your planned days of unavailability.

2. Dedicated Days. Do you have a dedicated day of the week for something in particular? For example, Mondays are my administration days. I don't conduct any client business and am "closed" to them on that day each week. Some people like to take Fridays off in their business to attend networking or training functions or just have a plain old "mental space" day to keep their creative juices flowing. Whatever the case, be sure and enter those dedicated days on your calendar.

3. Regular Meetings & Tasks. Do you have regularly scheduled meetings or tasks you perform each week or month? Get those on the calendar. (TIP: Uninterrupted work time is necessary for critical thought and concentration; avoid taking calls or scheduling meetings during your main project schedule. You might consider devoting one day of the week or only certain hours of the day for meetings and phone calls).

4. Routines. What are your routines? Do you tend to use the first part of the morning for getting in gear, taking care of loose ends and checking emails? Then schedule it! For example, I block out every morning until 11am for just such purposes and never schedule meetings before then.

5. To Dos and Deadlines. Setting aside time on your calendar for errands and other to-dos will help get them accomplished. Likewise, if you have important deadlines you mustn't forget, enter those dates as notes. (TIP: Add the actual deadline date on your calendar, and set the auto-reminder to alert you several days or a week in advance to give yourself plenty of breathing room.)

6. Break and Lunches. Taking breaks and lunches is good for you and your business (no one is served by you being tired, hungry or stressed out). If you're one of those folks who has to be reminded to tear yourself away from your work to take care of yourself, add these to your calendar as well.

The time you are left with is your available project/work schedule. You can be as meticulous or free-flowing with this time as best fits your work style. If you have a mix of clients and odds and ends work of varying degrees of complexity, you might not feel the need to schedule every little thing, and instead prefer to just get things done one after the other during those open blocks of work time.

If you have a few larger projects that require a bit more planning and coordination, you might see fit to schedule dedicated hours for each project to better manage them. Either way, the system above will give you the structure and foundation in order to better manage your business and workload. You'll get more done, be more organized, and those who work with you will recognize (and appreciate) the huge difference it makes.

Author: Danielle Keister is a business advisor and innovator in the Virtual Assistance profession.

Facebook 101

2009-07-16T22:42:00.005-04:00

This week, I attended Facebook 101 for Entrepreneurs and Small Business Owners, facilitated by Terri Holley of Creative Blog Solutions. The class was extremely informative. Although I am a Facebook user for both business and personal purposed, the workshop gave me excellent "nuggets" of information that will enable me to enhance my experience.

For example, did you know that you can customize a page on your Facebook site so that its more brand focused? The benefit of this would be so that people who are not your friends will land on it and get an idea of you and your brand.

We also learned about ways to make all of our social media avenues come together. As always Terri laid things out in an easy to understand manner. It was alot of information, but I did not feel overwhelmed by it. I would highly suggest it to anyone looking to learn the world of or enhance your current experience with FACEBOOK.

'Virtual Assistants' in Higher Demand

2009-07-08T12:45:00.004-04:00

Down Economy and Need to Cut Costs Have Employers Turning to Telecommuters
By Emma L. Carew
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Michael Hanik used to have 12 employees, a warehouse and trucks to run his medical devices catalogue company. But four years ago, he turned to the Internet to look for ways to reduce overhead costs for his Rockville-based Total Medical Systems. He now has just three employees on the company payroll but as many as 50 contractors working for him, some of them known as "virtual assistants."

The term, around since the Internet became widely available, encompasses anyone who telecommutes and does administrative tasks for other businesses, usually on a contractual basis. Most do tasks such as document preparation, paperwork and accounting. Some have niche areas, such as bilingual translation or creative services.

In the current economy, Jane Weizmann, a senior consultant at Arlington-based human resources consultant Watson Wyatt, said she's seeing more businesses with a "part-time cadre or network of people" who telecommute and bring different skill sets to projects as needed. "It's a lot less expensive than having resources on staff, sitting on the bench and waiting," she said.

Virtual assistants allow companies to save on real estate and equipment, as well as on benefits, which can add 35 percent to a base salary, Weizmann said. She cautioned, however, against businesses relying entirely on outsourced work and contractors. The high levels of turnover can create an unstable workforce. "You can supplement your core capability, but you can't replace it completely with 100 percent outsourced work," she said.

The numbers are difficult to track, because there is no formal certification and not all people doing similar work call themselves virtual assistants, but one small trade group, the International Virtual Assistants Association, said its number of new members doubled from 2007 to 2008. To date this year, IVAA has added 160 new members, bringing membership to about 900. With no warehouse space to rent, no salaries or health benefits to pay, and no supply cabinets to keep stocked, Hanik estimates he's decreased his business costs by 65 percent through outsourcing and using virtual assistants. "It's a tremendous revolution," he said.

IVAA officials say the number of virtual assistants is increasing as companies lay off their administrative and executive assistants. Plus, the barrier to entry is low, because most people already own the equipment they need, such as computers, printers, fax machines and Internet access. "You meet people at the conferences who say, 'Oh, after I was laid off four times, I decided to become a virtual assistant,' " said Lauren Hidden, marketing director for IVAA. "They get tired of the insecurity of being an employee." Even though the real estate agency that Pharice Brown used to work for laid her off, it still needed someone to complete her old tasks. That started her career as a virtual assistant and president of Bladensburg-based Pharice Brown and Associates. "Even though the Realtor wasn't able to pay me the salary, he actually helped me get my start," she said. She said many of their customers are small, independently owned businesses that found her online or through recommendations. Brown now makes less than half her former $50,000-per-year salary and has cut back on spending so she can afford paper, printer ink and software. She has been without health insurance for nearly a year. "I carried my own insurance until I just couldn't afford it anymore," she said. Brown said she loves the flexibility of the work and being her own boss, but money is tight, and when there are bills to be paid, she'll occasionally work below her normal fees just to get paid.

Rosa Pichardo, who runs a virtual assistant business in Silver Spring, said part of her success through the recession has been her niche: working with Spanish-speaking business owners, largely translating documents. Pichardo, who was a travel agent in her native Dominican Republic, said that when she started up Rossie's Enterprises in 2004, it was hard to find customers. But now the business has grown to include Pichardo, her son and another employee.

Starting your own business can be difficult, IVAA officials caution. "Some people join and never really get off the ground," Hidden said. Salaries can vary based on qualifications, what people charge and how frequently they work. Hourly wages may range from $20 to $75. Brown said she has coped by starting other businesses. Right now, demand for her interior design firm is low because people are not redecorating their homes, but the demand for the résumé-writing services of her virtual assistant business has increased. Catalogue-company owner Hanik found Kim Lazernik, a former computer software tester, on Craigslist. When Lazernik was laid off in 2007, she formed Silver Spring-based Virtual Computer Services and put her skills to work on projects for small businesses, such as photo scanning and data entry. Lazernik has definitely taken a pay cut since starting her own firm. (Her old job paid more than $100,000 a year.) She now works about 20 hours per week, charging $35 to $40 per hour. But, she says her expenses for the business balance out with the money she saves on commuting and career clothing. Like Brown, she currently does not make enough to be saving for retirement. "I love what I do. I wake up happy every morning," she said, but added, "I'm thankful for the years I had a 401(k)." At 49 years old, Lazernik said the career change is permanent. "There's no reason for me to stop doing this."

Announcement

2009-07-07T19:00:00.001-04:00

Tamika Johnson, MBA, of administrative partners, llc has been invited to join the faculty of the Art Institute of Washington as a part-time Professor. She will be teaching a required course entitled "The Business of Graphic Design".

The course will teach students how to present themselves in a professional manner when seeking job opportunities. It will also cover responding to requests for proposals and writing a business plan among other things.

Tamika is very excited to return to her alma mater to participate in the learning and development of new graphic designers.

No Interst Loan for Business Owners

2009-07-06T22:08:00.003-04:00

SBA ARC Recovery Loan...

About the SBA Arc Loan

The loans are specifically set aside for business debt consolidation (up to $35,000). Pay off existing business debt and have no payments for 12 months!
No FICO score requirement.
Lenders are motivated to approve the loans because of the 100% government guarantee (American Recovery and Reinvestment Act).
Eliminate high interest credit card payments.

Click here for more information and to apply.

2009 Women Entrepreneurs' Expo, "Ride On, Ride On!

2009-07-02T09:35:00.002-04:00

A wonderful conference to attend if you are in the MD/DC/VA area is the 2009 Women Entrepreneurs' Expo in Springfield, VA.

See the details below - and note the early bird specials.

Early Bird Registration for the fabulous 2009 Women Entrepreneurs' Expo "Ride On, Ride On!" is now open! This incredible event, in its ninth year, will be held Friday, October 23, 2009 at the Waterford in Springfield. Act before August 7, and the entire day packed with events and opportunities for you to grow your business is just $75, a savings of $20 over the regular price. Limited $20 scholarships are also available, and exhibitor spaces have early bird pricing as well!

This year, we have made room for 75 vendor tables, and a powerful agenda with eleven workshops and networking sessions, including a facilitated speed networking event so you can meet many of the powerful women (and a bunch of good men) who will be in attendance! This is an event that must not be missed. Many have described it as "THE BEST event for entrepreneurs" in the Washington area!

We are thrilled that Kristina Bouweiri, President and CEO of Reston Limousine will be our keynote luncheon speaker, to share the story of how she turned a one limo company into a 130 fleet miracle which annually makes over $100,000 in donations to local charities and non-profits. Visit our website for more details or if you're ready to take advantage of the early bird rates, click here to register online!

See you at the Expo!

Identifying Your Target Market

2009-07-01T10:24:00.001-04:00

Identifying your target market is the most important thing you can do for your business. You have to understand who your customers are and where to find them in order to be successful.

The first step in identifying your target market is to understand what your products/services have to offer to a group of people or businesses. To do this, identify your product or service's features and benefits. A feature is a characteristic of a product/service that automatically comes with it.

Here’s an example, if toothpaste has a stain-removing formula - that's a feature. The benefit to the customer, however, is whiter teeth.

While features are valuable and can certainly enhance your product, benefits motivate people to buy.

An example is anti-lock brakes; they are features on a car, but the benefit to the consumer is safety.

By knowing what your product/service has to offer and what will make customers buy, you can begin to identify common characteristics of your potential market.

For example, there are many different consumers who desire safety as a benefit when purchasing a car. Rather than targeting everyone in their promotional strategy, a car manufacturer may opt to target a specific group of consumers with similar characteristics, such as families with young children.

Now is the time to renew your customer database and determine who your target audience is. The next step is segmentation or breaking down that market so that you can very specific as to whom the solution is provided.

Parts taken from an article by the Edward Lowe Foundation.

A Day Without My Sunshine (My Blackberry)

2009-06-16T18:24:00.003-04:00

I hear many successful business owners state that they will never get a blackberry or any other PDA, because they don't want to be THAT accessible ALL the time. While I get that, I think of my PDA as my friend that keeps me in the loop with just one glance. Since I manage other peoples' businesses/business operations, I have multiple email boxes including my own and just one look at my Blackberry keeps me in the loop with everyone.

Well today, was the day the Blackberry was not with me - well it was, but AT&T had inadvertently deactivated my SIM card and cannot transfer the data until I go into the store AGAIN *I was just there yesterday*. So I had an inactive PDA all day - very annoying.

BUT, I survived even though I felt like a piece of me was missing. This experience really helped me to practice what I preach regarding productivity - checking email at an appointed time and not all day, and batching. This happened by necessity and not by choice. But the experience taught me that I can, in fact, survive a day without my blackberry and leads me to think...

Blackberry and other PDAs....
Do they really assist with efficiency or are they just cool distractions?

Systems...

2009-06-09T13:50:00.005-04:00

Over the past couple of weeks I have been getting lots of training on developing systems to get things done within a business. From a recent Online Business Managers Meeting, we discussed 10 Systems that will further help our clients achieve greater success.Of these, there were two that really stood out to me as truly areas for development for most business owners with whom I work.

1. Marketing system. May times businesses stop marketing when they have consistent clients - failing to build a pipeline for future growth and opportunities. This could include a consistent schedule for newsletter distribution, blogging, social media or regular contact with clients.

2. Phone calls and email management - Do you have general systems in place to deal with certain requests (i.e. if someone emails you or calls regarding pricing or information about a product or services)?

The benefits of systems is invaluable. It not only keeps the business owner consistent in dealing with clients and prospects, but it also allows him/her to delegate with a greater level of ease. Having systems even allows the business owner to be able to take vacations or deal with family emergencies knowing that standard operating procedures are in place. Now doesn't that sound like a process worth investing in?

Recent Workshop Given at the WBO "Its All About Me!"

2009-05-22T21:45:00.005-04:00

Increasing Productivity Workshop Presentation

View more OpenOffice presentations from adminpartners.

What are Autoresponders and How Can They Help Your Business.

2009-05-18T10:17:00.002-04:00

I have received inquiries from potential clients about Autoresponders and how they can expect this to be beneficial to their business. I've come across an article that really explains it and its benefits.

What is an Autoresponder? By Michael Cheney
Lots of people talk about autoresponders and how you can use them to grow your business online. But what actually is an autoresponder? Quite simply, it’s a piece of software that enables you to send emails to people automatically. This doesn’t mean that it writes the emails for you and it doesn’t involve spam or sending unsolicited email. What it means is that you set up a sequence of prewritten emails that are sent out to prospects on your database at regular intervals.

The importance of this cannot be underestimated. Time and time again internet marketing gurus tell you that the money is in the list. This is not by accident. The online marketing specialists know that this is fact. The more people you have on a mailing list that are interested in your products or services, the more sales you will make.

You can use an autoresponder to essentially send emails out to your prospect list, even when you’re not at a computer. What you do is you create, lets say, a seven part email course. Then you can set the intervals for the emails to, say, once a day and send them one part of the course each day. So you write the emails one time and then anyone joining that list will automatically be sent those emails for the next seven days.

This doesn’t matter if you’re online or if you’re away from the computer. They will get sent automatically. They also get added to the list automatically. And if they choose to unsubscribe, all of that is taken care of without you having to lift a finger.

The main benefit to using an autoresponder is connected to the fact that the majority of people need to be told about a product seven times before they buy it. So I want to ask you, how many times are you telling your visitors about your product? Chances are it’s less than seven.
They’ll land on your homepage or somewhere else on your website and they’ll look at your offering, but the majority of your sites visitors will disappear. So unless you can get them onto an opt-in mailing list, either a course or free information that is of multi-part format, the chances are you will have lost them forever. You can use an autoresponder to send these messages out to people with their permission convincing them and educating them about your product.

This is simply a form of permission marketing. People will give you their permission to receive emails in return for you giving them free, quality information. Do not load the messages with over-hyped sales pitches, but give them real quality information with a small mention about your product at the end.

What you’ll find is that people come to know you and grow to trust you over time as you send them more and more information. The longer you can maintain this relationship with them, the more likely they are to actually buy from you. The beauty of this is that using an autoresponder saves you the costs of printing, posting and packaging and enables you to contact and keep in touch with all your prospects around the clock without actually having to do anything.

New Variety of Services Starting This Month

2009-05-06T23:31:00.005-04:00

administrative partners, llc has enhanced their services to better meet the needs of small business owners. Please refer to the list attached for new services we are offering starting this month.

Project Management
Do you have multiple incomplete projects- just waiting for your attention? To distracted to see a project through to the end? Having a designated owner of your projects and task makes all the difference. A project manager manages resources, time, money and scope of projects. administrative partners, llc keeps your projects moving while you focus your time and energy on thing that only they can do.

This service includes:
-o- Responsible for a projects from start to finish
-o- Leads teams in negotiating multiple relationships within any project
-o- Functions as the “hub” of the project
-o- Maintain a healthy client relationship throughout project
-o- People Management: Find, Hire and Manage Virtual Teams

Administrative/Productivity Consulting
Work more efficiently. Revaluate methods that are not working so that you can continue to grow your business.

This service includes:
-o- Productivity analysis
-o- Recommendations for productivity
-o- Streamline and simplify systems and processes
-o- Maintain accurate reports of the business metrics – helps business owners make informed decisions about their business
-o- Implementing and managing new revenue streams

Getting Started Package*
(6 month trajectory)

The Getting Started Package assists small business owners in realizing their vision of owning their own business. The package coordinates the start up activities that need to occur. These services include:
-o- Registration of Company Name
-o- Research and secure domain name registration
-o- Business Plan Consulting
-o- Marketing Strategy
-o- Pricing Strategy
-o- Logo Design
-o- Business Card Design
-o- Letterhead Design
-o- Website design
-o- Marketing brochure

Next Level Business Package
(6 month trajectory)

The Growing Your Business Package is designed for the business owner who has been in business for a while and who is looking to streamline their business.
-o- Includes our Productivity Consulting service (3 months)
-o- SEO Management
-o- SEO Reports and Analysis
-o- Website Optimization
-o- Link Building Website Promotion
-o- Virtual Assistant services (10hrs/mo)
-o- Internet Marketing
-o- Upload a Video
-o- Set-up and maintain social networking profiles
-o- Website maintenance
-o- Autoresponders
-o- 1Shopping Cart set up
-o- Newsletter template design (print or online)

Specialized Services

-o- Order entry
-o- Order tracking and follow up
-o- Marketing campaigns
-o- Billing and invoicing
-o- Manage Company Store capabilities

Transaction Coordination
-o- Keeping tasks on schedule
-o- Tracking contingencies
-o- Listing Presentations
-o- Buyer Consultations
-o- Manage Drip Campaigns
-o- Design and mailing of postcards
-o- Management of farming areas
-o- Website updates
-o- Special Projects as needed

Venting...Residual Income

2009-05-06T08:37:00.004-04:00

Lately, I've been going to networking events, meeting great business people/entrepreneurs and I enjoy doing this. Unfortunately, there has been an aspect that has increasing began to get under my skin. That is, business persons who are trying to recruit others to sell their products/services so that they can gain residual income.

Now don't get my wrong - I am sure there are people out there looking for ways to generate additional streams of income, I'm just not one of them. And more importantly, can I take a moment to learn about your actual product/service and what it provides before I'm bombarded with invitations to sales meetings.

You see, selling your product is what YOU do, not what "I" do. I might want to use the product/service, but being pushy and trying to help me understand why I should take on an additional business is not very appealing to me. Actually it totally turns me off to the point where I don't even want to learn about your product/service anymore.

I'll have more substance with my next post, but I just had to get that out.

tj

George Fraser - An Awesome Speaker

2009-04-28T20:30:00.005-04:00

This Sunday, I had the pleasure of seeing George Fraser of Frasernet at a local Sisters 4 Sisters Network event hosted by Bowie State University.

I think the best way to put it was that Mr. Fraser was electrifying. As he mentioned, everything he shared with the audience wasn't new, but just said a different way.

Here are some of the quotes that I found empowering.

"Leaders understand the importance of time."

"Leaders know who they are."

"You don't have time to be unhappy and mediocre."

"Greatest hindrance of potential is success."

The most important part of what Mr. Frasier does is stress the importance of networking. He shared with us the 3 types of networking - all of which are important to success.

Personal (friends, familiy, people at home)
Operational (network at work that help get things done in your life)
Strategic Network (These are people who are where you want to be)

Finally he left us with a great quote by John Henry Clark "What people do for themselves is based on what they think about themselves."

To find out more about George Fraser and his exceptional Power Networking Conference visit his site at http://www.frasernet.com/.

Business Card Tips

2009-04-23T08:11:00.004-04:00

I ran across this great article about business cards and what to put on them. This search was prompted by a discussion over at the Virtual Assistant Forums about what title to put on your business card. Many struggle with this aspect of marketing - especially small business owners. Hopefully you will find this helpful.

Business Card Tips
Networking is an invaluable opportunity, and one that should not be wasted. In order to maximize networking, it is strongly suggested that all business professionals carry business cards. The business cards can be exchanged during introductions, both as a convenience and as a memory aid. In other words, business cards allow networkers to further the relationship through future contact.

Business cards may include one or more aspects of striking visual design, but should also contain important contact information. Use this guide to make the most of your business cards:

1. What to IncludeAll of this information should be included on a professional business card:
Name - This does not have to be your given name, but should be what you expect people in business to refer to you as.
Position - This is really optional; many small business owners find themselves wearing many hats, and may find it beneficial and/or less confusing to leave their official title off the cards.
Address - Physical office location and/or mailing address.
Website - Adding a website address to business cards is now very common and expected.
Email - Email is also now a very common and popular communication channel.
Phone - Include your business phone number.
Instant Messaging/ICQ Address - Internet chat address.

2. Double Sided CardsIf your company is global, or your sales territory focus is in a region where your spoken language is not the predominant language, you might wish to consider using the backside of your business card to include your information in an alternate language. You can also use the back of the card to provide more extensive information and details about your products and services. Or, if you do a lot of local business, you might want to include a small street map to your office on the back of your card. There are lots of things you might be able to do with all that blank space on the back of your cards.

3. Conversation Starters- Savvy sales people often use their business cards as a conversation starter. Of course, the card needs to be unique or unusual in order to generate a dialogue. Some of the more interesting cards I've seen recently were printed on micro-CDs, on magnets, on translucent plastic, etc.

4. Standard Size - Even if you are aiming for something unique, you should still not diverge from the "standard" business card size. For managing their contacts, many people will create a business card rolodex, or may have a hand scanner specifically sized for business cards. So stick with the standard size -- otherwise you may be excluded from their contact databases simply because your card didn't fit!

5. Order Quantity- Quantity discounts apply to business cards. When pricing printed business cards, check to see where the price breaks occur; sometimes you can significantly increase the quantity of business cards for very little additional cost.

6. Quality Matters - Flimsy cards that are paper thin, and cards with ragged perforated edges, just scream "amateur". If you are going to print cards yourself, be sure to use heavy business card stock, and use stock that has "clean-edge" micro-perforations. And "glossy" finished stock can also help boost the quality perception of self-printed cards, especially if lots of color is used in the card design.

7. Brand Cards - Your business cards should be similar to all of your other printed promotional material. Business cards should contain your business or product logo. Double-check the colors with the printer to make sure the correct pantone colors are used. This will ensure that the logo is printed using the correct and matching color scheme.

8. Keep CurrentInformation contained on the business card should always be kept current. Business cards with obsolete information crossed out are very unprofessional. If any information on the card changes or becomes obsolete, have new cards printed to reflect the change, and throw the old ones away.

9. Change It Up - Textured business cards, or cards with scalloped edges, stand out. Consider a wide variety of ways to make your card jump out of the pack. The texture or color of the card can also be utilized to ensure your card stands out.

10. Legible - Use a legible font that makes the text on the business card easy to read. Avoid making the fonts too small. Use contrasting colors, and avoid using porous paper that will allow the ink to bleed and the text to blend into the card.

11. Spelling - There is little more embarrassing than business cards that contain typographical errors. Proofread the cards multiple times. Let me say that again -- proofread your business cards! And have other people proofread them too, as they will often be able to spot mistakes that you've overlooked.

Maximize the power of your business cards. Whether you are networking, or just being personable, business cards are a must in the professional world, and crucial to business marketing.

5 Must Have Business Books

2009-04-12T14:29:00.001-04:00

(from Entrepreneur Magazine)

No single business book contains everything you need to know--and some even offer advice nobody ought to hear. But these five have withstood the test of time to become books no one should start or run a business without reading first.

Will It Fly? How to Know if Your New Business Idea Has Wings... Before You Take the Leap, by Thomas K. McKnight
(FT Press, $27.95)
The heart of this book is its 44-item checklist for evaluating business ideas by a hugely experienced veteran of business launches. By the time you've evaluated everything from your personal attitudes to exit strategies, you'll know as well as possible your chances for success.
The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don't Work and What to Do About It, by Michael E. Gerber
(HarperCollins, $16.95)
This revisit of the 1995 classic on general small-business management famously shows entrepreneurs why and how to stop working in their businesses and start working on their businesses.
Guerrilla Marketing: Easy and Inexpensive Strategies for Making Big Profits From Your Small Businesses, by Jay Conrad Levinson (Mariner Books, $14.95)
Now in its fourth edition, the original guide to small-business marketing packs the same high-impact, low-cost punch that made it a standard when it first came out in 1983. Now, however, it's updated with tips on websites, blogs, podcasting and other up-to-the minute techniques.
The Business Planning Guide, by David H. Bangs Jr.
(Kaplan Business, $24.95)
This book's jargon-free writing and inside tips from a former banker and entrepreneur have made it the first and only choice for countless entrepreneurs getting started.
Start Run & Grow a Successful Small Business, by Toolkit Media Group editors
(Toolkit Media Group, $24.95)
If anyone ever publishes the perfect all-in-one small-business reference, it will look a lot like the sixth edition of this 720-pager. It touches on everything, from accounting to staffing, with checklists and forms.

Updating Business Plan

2009-04-05T14:16:00.003-04:00

This first year of business has been outstanding for administrative partners. We've gained a book of diverse and dynamic clients and have cultivated and grown many strategic partnerships. Now its time revamp... just a little bit. This year has helped us understand our strengths, passions and we will continue to provide the same types of services, but on an even deeper level.

So... I have to update my business plan ALREADY.

I say this to say that many times you don't know where your business is going to end up. You may start with one vision, only to find that you can achieve much greater success than you first imagined. Along the way it is important to update your business plan. When you start a new path or level of service - update your business plan.

Your business plan is your pathway to success. Not to say that you can't deviate from it at all, but its primary goal is to keep you focuses on growing your business.

As we update, in some areas re-write the business plan for administrative partners, looked forward to a more in-depth level of service for our exisiting clients and an more valuable position in taking care of our new target markets.

Trying to Decide What Email Marketing Service to Use?

2009-03-27T07:57:00.002-04:00

This wonderful resource was shared with me by another virtual assistant.

With so many options out there, sometimes its hard to know which product would best meet the needs of your business. Attached is a link to an email marketing comparison chart. I found it helpful in just checking if I was using the right product for my business. I hope you will find it helpful as well.

http://email-marketing-service-review.toptenreviews.com/

Networking Opportunity in Detroit....

2009-03-24T16:35:00.002-04:00

Black Enterprise Entrepreneurs Conference + Expo: where deals are made.

Black Enterprise • March, 2009 • All Access: Your Monthly Pass to B.E. Events, TV & Radio
MEET US IN THE MOTOR CITY! Further compounding on the success of over 13 years, the Black Enterprise Entrepreneurs Conference + Expo is back--taking place May 17th-20th, 2009 at the Detroit Marriott Renaissance & COBO Convention Center in Detroit, Michigan. This event is definitively the nation's largest black business conference. Bring your best ideas, big and small, because you never know just who you might meet. Registration is now open! For more information go to www.blackenterprise.com/events.

Networking and Recognizing Those Making a Difference

2009-03-22T18:31:00.004-04:00

Yesterday I was honored to attend one of my clients events - Pretty in Pinstripes - produced by A Jarrett Affairs & Productions, LLC. Judge Glenda Hatchett was the Keynote Speaker and brought such realness and fire to the luncheon.. adding to the title "A 2009 Power Luncheon". AND if you have not heard Kersten Stevens (an AMAZING VIOLINIST) you must look her up. Her music is indescribable.

It was a great experience to network and meet exceptional women in business and government. This was a most appropriate event during Women's History Month. We must continue to support each others effort in business, government, community and in any areas difference are being made.

Congratulations to the honorees.... They were truly exceptional women and I hope to be like them when I grow up.

For more information about the event you can visit www.prettyinpinstripes.com.

See you next year.

Managing During Times of Uncertainty

2009-03-17T15:14:00.003-04:00

Last night, my wonderful photographers and friends at EyeWonder Photography invited me a business meeting for photographers. They though the topic was relevant to any business owner, and I couldn't agree more. The topic was Managing During Times of Uncertainty, the speaker was Asher Epstein, who is the Director of the Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship at University of Maryland, Smith School.

There was great information shared, but in the end the speaker wanted us to remember the "8 Takes", so I thought I'd share with others.

1. Cut fixed costs - allow for variables
2. Preserve cash
3. Change proposition - Focus on expertise, what differentiates you.
4. Focus on core servicers
5. Generate revenue from exisiting customers.
6. Be opportunistic.
7. Don't blame the macro economics for the micro economics
8. Don't assume that old patterns will return.

*** Be honest with trends that affect your business ****

As the Business Turns...

2009-03-10T19:52:00.002-04:00

Is your business always evolving? When was the last time you looked at your business plan? Is it totally different now? Did you think you want to offer a specific service only to find out that it isn’t quite where you want to end up.

As business owners we may often find ourselves in that state of mind. This isn’t all bad because typically that innovative thinking and ability to create is what made us small business owners to begin with.

I believe I’m experiencing a metamorphosis of my business. Being an executive assistant is what I know, but acting more as productivity, efficiency consultant for my clients is what I enjoy more. Thinking about those years of basically running the operations for Vice Presidents for many years, I’m finding that the more in depth avenues of business is what I enjoy – perhaps that’s why I got a business degree – go figure. I enjoy helping them brainstorm for a new marketing tag lines, helping them put together a request for proposal, apply for government certifications and just basically anything that will improve the operations of their business, while they continue working on it.

Because of that I’m looking deeper into online business management services for my new, existing and future clients, who want to go beyond what they are doing but don’t have the time to give to doing to. I’m looking forward to sharing more about these plans in the next month or two.. in the meantime, I guess I had better update my business plan.

Who Has the Time for Social Media?

2009-03-05T12:24:00.002-05:00

I know I know, its all the rage. Business owners are finding clients using it and its quite effective. But seriously, who has time to update status all day. I'm really struggling with the idea that its worth my time. I know that any marketing avenue takes time and consistency before you can see any real results. But is my target market really online in social media outlets? Is that where I'm going to find them.

No offense to those who think twitter/facebook/linked in are fun, but I'm looking for people who are looking to concentrate on spending their time servicing their clients not updating on what they are doing, reading, thinking all day.

Most of my frustration might be due to the fact that I personally don't have time to truly explore the wonderfulness of these marketing avenues. But I just felt like venting today..

BTW, check me out on facebook/linked in/ and twitter (virtualbizmger)

Practicing What We Preach

2009-02-28T20:38:00.001-05:00

As a Virtual Business Manager, my job is to assist business owners in growing their businesses by taking tasks off their plate that take time away from core activities of their business. Well recently I followed my own advice. I hired a virtual assistant to assist me with a small subset of my tasks related to my business, and I must say it is turning out to be one of the best decisions that I've made for my business. It has enabled me to concentrate on both marketing, networking (both social and otherwise) and servicing my existing clients. In a nutshell, I guess this is a testimonial that hiring and assistant is well worth the effort, even other virtual assistants do it!

Who’s Your Target?

2009-02-25T22:56:00.002-05:00

As administrative partners, llc moves into another year of business, it is time to rethink some of the effectiveness of certain areas of business. The most glaring detail at this time would be profiling and duplicating our best client. Identifying what makes him so great. Is it his concise and clear communication? Or the fact that he truly uses us as partners day-to-day and not just a task here and there meaning he really "gets" the whole partnership part of our mission statement. Whatever the reason, we love him and want all of our clients to grow up to be just like him. The dilemma lies in the clients that we've taken on but are far from fitting that ideal profile. While I'm happy to say I really sincerely like all of our clients, I can't say that all of their work styles fit within the ideal client/Virtual Business Manager situation for administrative partners, llc. The question then becomes – are they trainable? Do we even want to train them? Of course in the economy no one wants to lose a paying customer, but is it worth the time and frustration that comes with working with someone outside of our target. What does a small business do?

We've decided to truly profile our clients going forward. We want to work with small business owners, who want to help themselves; one who understand that there is a need to delegate tasks that take time away from the core service of providing for their clients. They need to understand and appreciate that they can't do it by themselves; nor should they try. They will focus on what they are good at – running their business. They will not micromanage. They will trust our ability to succeed. They will be clear about expectations and provide constructive feedback where applicable.

I'm looking forward to signing on many more ideal clients this coming year. With the new range of services we are planning to offer this year, these clients should not be hard to find.

Meet administrative partners, llc's Newest Client

2009-02-11T10:44:00.001-05:00

Doris E. McMillon is the President and Chief Strategist Officer for McMillon Communications, Inc., a full-service communications and marketing firm specializing in strategic positioning, branding and effective communications. Ms. McMillon has co-anchored and reported in prime-time news hour slots including tenure at Metromedia/Fox New York flagship station, WNTW-TV, where she went undercover as a welfare recipient for the hard-hitting, Emmy Award winning series, The Welfare Rip-off. For more information, please visit her website at www.mcmilloncommunications.com.

administrative partners, llc will be assisting McMillon Communications prepare for a request for proposal as well as all administrative tasks that will assist Ms. McMillon in growing her business.

We are happy to welcome Ms. McMillon into the administrative partner’s family.

Business Proposals

2009-02-09T23:14:00.004-05:00

What should go into a business proposal?

There are some things that tend to be similar across business proposals. These are tendencies and not rules. The only time there are rules is when the customer issues a Request for Proposals (RFP). An RFP, if it has sufficient detail, will tell you what should go into your proposal and how it should be presented. Sometimes, the nature of a product or service being offered or industry practices provide some guidelines for proposal composition and/or layout.

A typical business proposal might include:

* An Executive Summary introducing your company, what you will do or provide to the customer, and how the customer will benefit from what you propose.
* A statement of work or technical approach describing what you will do or provide to the customer. An implementation schedule and description of deliverables is usually included. If products are being proposed, then product descriptions are usually provided (the amount of detail depends on the customer’s requirements).
* A management plan describing how you will organize and supervise any work to be performed. A schedule of major milestones and allocation of resources may be provided.
* Corporate qualifications that describe your capability to do or provide what you are proposing. Relevant prior experience is usually highlighted.
* A Staffing Plan that describes how the project will be staffed is sometimes on large service contracts. If particular people are important to the approach, their resumes are usually provided.
* Contracts and Pricing. If the proposal is being used to close a business deal, then business and contractual terms are usually provided.

Some RFPs will set a page limit on the proposal. Some don’t. Some RFPs will tell you the format/layout to use, and some won’t. Some RFPs will tell you what evaluation criteria and process the customer will follow. And some won’t. The customer sets the standards and defines the rules.

If your proposal is going to be submitted to a Government agency, then the composition and layout of the proposal may have regulatory requirements to comply with. In the case of the Federal Government, these are usually based on the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR).

(Taken from www.captureplanning.com)

Fostering and Effective Relationship with Your Virtual Assistant

2009-01-30T21:00:00.008-05:00

Celine Rogue wrote an article that I totally agree with called The Art of Delegating Tasks to a Virtual Assistant. This article laid out good information on how to work with a virtual assistant for the most effective working relationship.

A few simple/basic tips that might come in handy are:

B.0Be specific about your expectations. This will save both you and your virtual assistant time. She/He will not have to try and decipher what you mean by your instructions and then go back and forth via email or other medium for clarification. Expectations should address the timeframe of completion or check in as well as any information necessary that you might have in order to complete the task in a timely manner.

Partner for Growth.You will see the best result of your relationship if you partner for growth – not just a task here or there, but trust assistant to actually work with you on the nuances of administrative issues that will help you become more effective

Give it time to work. With every new relationship there are often growing pains. Work with an assistant for at least a few months to work through some of the growing pains. Many of those issues may be due to a lack of effective communication, which can be tweaked over time. Make sure to check in every other week or so, to determine how the relationship can be improved over time.

Managing Multiple Clients and Projects

2009-01-15T08:27:00.003-05:00

Managing multiple projects for multiple clients can be a little daunting for new or even experienced solo and small business professionals. Without a system for keeping track of deadlines, client feedback, and team activity, you might quickly find yourself on the other end of an angry phone call with an unhappy client.

Here are three tips to help you work more effectively with multiple client projects:

Communicate More Efficiently
Clients are like everybody else, they get stressed and uncomfortable when they don’t hear from you. But they don’t want to hear from you just because of your charming wit and soothing voice, they want to know the status of their important projects!

A weekly status call or email might be sufficient when you have just a couple of low-key clients. However, when your client and project load increases, you could quickly find yourself spending precious hours on the phone just to provide status updates.

One easy solution is to keep task information online so that clients can login at their convenience (even at 3am) to find out the latest status of their tasks, and even more detailed information (optionally) like time tracking information or how much retainer time they have remaining.

Keep Files and Comments in One Place
Another simple way to keep things organized is to gently move your clients towards accessing files and giving feedback in a central location. Online project management software can help your clients easily upload or download project documents that you’re collaborating on, as well as make comments on a specific project or file without sending dozens of emails back and forth.

The key advantages of this approach is that your responses won’t get lost or misplaced - you’ll have a clear, coherent record of your project conversations. You’ll also be able to reference the latest version of your files in a consistent way.

This winds up saving lots of time that might otherwise be spent with a client providing feedback about the wrong version of a file, or missing your response to a query.

Track Deadlines Proactively
Even with the above measures in place, you still need to keep an eye on the dates you’ve committed to clients. At a minimum, you can adopt a simple system to prompt you about upcoming deadlines, and also to update clients if you are unable to meet those due dates.

One way of doing this is to keep a project or task calendar for each client that shows each upcoming deadline. You can refer to this calendar once a week or more frequently as needed to make sure you’re clear on client commitments. If you have a team, you can also add their commitments for more timely followup.

If you are using an online project management service like ClientSpot, you can also have the system remind you and your team of upcoming deadlines by email a couple of days before the fact. You can also monitor the status of tasks across all projects, clients and team members, or check just the work assigned to a specific person.

By staying on top of deadlines, you can also pro-actively notify your clients if things start to slip. Most clients will not only be understanding of an occasional delay, but will appreciate the early notice so that they can adjust. Not that you want to make a habit of missed deadlines, but at least by monitoring them carefully, you can still provide excellent customer service by informing clients early and giving them options to reschedule work.

These tips were written by Client Spot. No doubt they want you to use their service, but I think the overall message is the same. In order to provide a better more efficient process of tracking projects and keeping clients in the loop, there has to to be some type of system in place and an online project management tool, such as Client Spot or Basecamp can do wonders for your productivity.

Strategic Partnerships Can Help Grow Your Business

2009-01-11T17:41:00.007-05:00

One of my business goals this year is to form strategic partnerships with other small businesses. I believe that the overall experience has the potential to be a win-win in every case -- thats waht makes them strategic.

Lynne Meredith Schreiber recently wrote an interesting article about such partnerships on Startup Nation on this subject; particularly how to form a productive partnership. He admonished business owners to "do [their] research and identify a handful of good companies that might make great partners; have a clear understanding of goals, make sure the corporate culture matches yours, then meet to talk about it."

In working with a start up business owner recently on a potential partnership, I realized that we did not have the same goals. Although this did not stop the partnership and we continued negotiations to make it a win/win situation for both us, it is important that the goals of the individual business are at least understood and respected before forming a partnership. If this cannot be worked out, perhaps that is not the best partnership for either party.

Closing out 2008

2008-12-31T09:45:00.001-05:00

It’s the last day of the year and my head is truly hurting recounting all the accounting, client tracking, project tracking and number crunching for 2008; combining that with all the goals and planning for 2009.

It all makes me remember that a business is much more than putting a sign on a door and charging for services; it’s about organization, planning, and growing in not only your customer base, but your offering and partnerships.

2009 is going to be a great year.

Happy Holidays!!

2008-12-23T22:41:00.002-05:00

Remember to take time out to share with family and friends the Holiday season. Happy holidays and I look forward to working with all business owners looking to grow their businesses in the coming year.

Administrative Partners win Grant

2008-12-17T22:44:00.000-05:00

Last night, my company was awarded a Grant through the Women's Business Owners of Prince George's County. I am so excited about this opportunity. The organization doesn't just give money, its a 6 month business development bootcamp. The board of directors is made up of a diverse set of professionals, each serving as my mentor in their area of expertise. At the end of 6 months I will be awarded a monetary award -- if I make it through this bootcamp .

They also sponsor training in any area that I would like - be it a workshop seminar or class.

I'm so excited and am really confident that with their help my business is going to soar to the next level.

Just thought I'd share :-)

Seven Year-End Tax Tips

2008-12-03T21:57:00.001-05:00

The autumn leaves are falling, a chill is in the air, holidays are looming, and, for small business owners, it's a good time to think about ... taxes. While no one likes to ponder the intricacies and implications of the Internal Revenue Code, taking the time to do so toward the end of the year can save your business a considerable amount of money come tax time.

So what can you do now?

1. Lower Revenue. Since your tax bill will be calculated on the basis of how much income your company has made during the year, a good way of keeping that bill down is to defer the receipt of as many payments from customers as possible into January. If your business operates on the cash basis of accounting, this can be easily done by simply delaying the mailing of bills for end-of-year purchases until very late in December, or permitting other bills that are due to be paid in January. Not only does this allow you to lower the current year tax bill, but you get to keep the tax due on those funds in the bank, accruing interest, for a whole year. Additionally, your customers will appreciate the added time to pay their bills, especially around the holiday season.

Note, however, that this strategy only benefits you if you won't be entering a higher tax bracket in the coming year. If you estimate that your business will be operating in a higher tax bracket next year, deferring payments until next year may cost you more later. Also, if your business shows a loss for this year, it makes less sense to defer the payments, since doing so only increases the size of your loss for this year and will have no tax impact.

Also note that simply not depositing a check received before the end of the year does not mean that you can defer that revenue to next year. The IRS requires you to include any checks received before December 31 as part of this year's revenue. Failing to do so could result in penalties if you are audited.

2. Make that major purchase. If you are considering a major purchase of business equipment, it's a good idea to do it now, so that the cost can be deducted from this year's taxes. As part of the Economic Stimulus Act of 2008, signed into law earlier this year, the limit on Section 179 deductions for business equipment purchases was raised from $125,000 to $250,000, and the total amount of equipment purchases that are deductible was raised from $500,000 to $800,000. Both used and new equipment qualify for the deduction and you are able to finance the purchase. But any new equipment acquired must be put into use by your business by December 31 to qualify for the deduction.

3. Increase Expenses. You can reduce your tax bill by increasing the amount and number of deductions you take for business expenses like office supplies and office furniture. You can increase the benefit by charging such expenses on your business credit card, which means that-if you make the purchase in December-you get to claim the deduction for this year's taxes, but won't have to pay the credit card bill until next year.

4. Pay Recurring Bills Now. The same applies to bills for business services, like rent, phone service, and equipment leases, which should be paid before the end of the year, even if not due until after December 31. Consider pre-paying for bills that you know you will need to pay anyway like rent. Such payments can be deducted against this year's taxes. Make sure that pre-payments made now won't complicate your cash flow in January.

5. Contribute to a Retirement Plan: If you don't have one, you really should, and this is the perfect time to set it up. Payments made to a retirement plan-401(k), IRA, KEOGH, or SEP plan-are deductible against this year's income. Most retirement plans have a contribution limit.

6. Consult a Tax Advisor. Tax law is complicated. Very few small business owners, outside of CPAs themselves, have the time or inclination to acquaint themselves with the IRS code and the yearly changes made by Congress. Instead of trying to work it all out yourself, you are better off consulting someone who has made business taxes his or her profession. A tax advisor can make certain that your business is not only in compliance with all the relevant tax codes, but is taking advantage of every allowable deduction.

7. Consider the home office deduction. Do you conduct business out of any part of your home? Many small business owners have at least one room devoted to some aspect of their business, whether it is keeping shipping materials in the garage, or a bedroom that has been converted into an office or filing storage space. With so many small businesses operating partially or completely out of people's homes, the IRS allows small business owners to deduct a portion of rent, mortgage payments, utilities, and maintenance for qualifying home offices. The IRS has fairly stringent tests for such deductions, however, and it is advisable to consult a CPA about your particular situation to make certain it qualifies.

By Christopher Freeburn – Small Business Online Community at Bank of America

Social Networking.. are you on facebook?

2008-11-30T20:36:00.003-05:00

We're on facebook..Are you?

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Showing Your Business Skills on the Job

2008-11-24T15:51:00.004-05:00

Intrapreneurship is the opportunity to exercise your entrepreneurial skills within a company or organization. It is a great way to gain corporate independence as well as increase your profile within the company and the industry. Robert Wallace, author and CEO of Bithgroup Technologies Inc. in Baltimore, shares what it takes to become a successful intrapreneur.

Understand that an intrapreneurial venture requires many of the same skills as starting your own business. Is there a need for this separate business unit? Will you be able to manage the budget and resources required for success? How will you increase value over time?

Develop a business plan. Plan for development, sustainability, and growth with provisions made for change and innovations. Wallace also suggests that as you develop your plan, consider your professional goals and how the structure of your business plan will address them.

Know the rules of engagement in your company. "Every organization has a culture, and the culture defines the rules about how success is attained," Wallace explains. How receptive is your organization to new ideas or business concepts? What have been the channels of completion for other projects? "A lot of minority professionals don't understand that it's not just about the credentials and how hard you work."

Build strategic alliances that advance you. To move any idea forward, an employee needs the advice and support of mentors and advocates, senior level executives who will advise you on how to manage the political climate.

Taken from Black Enterprise Magazine (Kingsley Kanu, Jr.)

Outsourcing for Small Business

2008-11-15T14:47:00.003-05:00

The phone’s ringing off the hook, employees are working overtime to handle the overload, and your website is buzzing with activity. These are all “good” problems we wish for, but are you ready if they become a reality? Today’s business happens at warp speed, and efficiency is a key hallmark of success. One way to gain efficiency is to focus your energy on the things that are of core value to your business. Keep those activities in-house, and put your non-core functions on the hot seat – even small business outsourcing is a reality in today’s business environment.

To make outsourcing work for your business, try the following:

Analyze your expertise

Take a look at the value you offer your customers and where you focus your efforts. Are you spending too much time on areas that are outside of your expertise? Many times, it is more cost-effective to have someone outside of the company take care of these non-core activities. Research various service providers and ask for referrals so you can start outsourcing functions such as logistics, accounting, IT services, payroll, public relations, and more.

"A small business owner should evaluate outsourcing just as any other business decision,” states Walter Turek, senior vice president, sales and marketing for Paychex, a national provider of payroll, human resource and benefits outsourcing solutions. “Criteria should include:expertise in performing the function, confidence in the service provider, return on time invested, risk versus reward, and peace of mind consideration."

Outsourced but not out of mind

Once you find an outsourcing vendor, be sure to keep your eye on the ball! Since you can’t just walk down the hall to oversee the quality and timeliness of outsourced work, continue to tightly manage whatever functions you outsource. Arrange for regular reporting to ensure accountability and effectiveness.

Move “fixed costs” to “variable costs”

Some functions in your business require only part-time work. An example might be bookkeeping. If your needs add up to only four days a week in bookkeeping work, then consider outsourcing. That will allow you to move the burden of “fixed” costs (in this case, a full-time salary) to the “variable” side (an outsourced vendor). In essence, you pay for the outsourced functions only when you need them.

Jump on opportunities from downsizers

Be aware that the rigors of this economy are forcing big business to shed non-core functions. After all, corporations must find ways to maximize profitability, which they do in part by reducing their expenses. Just as in small businesses, outsourcing allows big companies to move fixed costs to the variable column. Like you, they pay for the outsourced functions only when they need them. From a business development perspective, this may represent a trove of opportunity for you. You can develop an entire business model centered on providing services that used to be in-house at large companies.

Our Bottom Line

The primary message here is that outsourcing is here to stay and it should be something you entertain for your business. Concentrate on the key aspects of your small business, where customers find value, and outsource other business functions to outside experts. If you monitor vendors carefully and focus on efficiency, you’ll be positioned for rapid growth and success.

http://www.startupnation.com/articles/1276/1/small-business-outsourcing.asp

Make Every Proposal Count

2008-11-13T17:19:00.004-05:00

Your profile, portfolio, credentials, references, and feedback establish your credibility and showcase your skills - but, in most cases the first (and possibly the last) impression you make on a potential client will be through your bid proposal.

Whether you submit a proposal on one job or 100 jobs, you're only looking for one outcome: to be hired. Here are some ways to make every proposal count:

Know the client.
Some clients have posted a number of jobs. Check out their previous projects and get a feel for their business and the skills they tend to need. Also check out their feedback, both given and received: you'll get a feel for how they like to work and communicate, and you may also get a sense of what's most important to them (timely communication, frequent status reports, asking lots of questions early in the project, etc.)

Ask questions.
Use private messages (PMBs) to get clarification and additional information. You'll not only better understand the project, but you'll begin to build a working relationship with the buyer.

Tailor each proposal.
You may be tempted to use standard text in your proposals. Don't. Each client and each job is unique; your proposals should be, too. Clients can more easily ignore proposals that appear to be boilerplate or generic, so, if you do cut-and-paste, tweak the results to ensure you specifically address the client's needs. Every proposal should read like it was developed specifically for that particular client.

Stress the benefits.
Your proposal isn't about you – it's about the client. The client wants help meeting a need or solving a problem. While you should certainly describe yourself, make sure you describe the benefits and advantages of what you will do. And if you can, explain how you can add additional value or features to the project.

Don't oversell.
Avoid overstating your skills and promising more than you can deliver. State exactly what you will do and use facts to back up your skills and experience. Provide relevant samples or links to previous work – the more relevant, the better. Buyers can get a sense of your design skills if you include a sample of a brochure you created, but if they need a website created, providing links to sites you've designed will be much more effective.

Get to the point.
Clearly explain your services, features, and benefits. Be concise in demonstrating your skills and experience. Include one or two quick descriptions of previous work you've done – work that is applicable to the project – and refer the client to your profile and portfolio. Longer is not always better.

Also, avoid jargon. Elance is a global workplace, and word usage varies from country to country. Get rid of catch phrases and just say what you mean in simple, clear and everyday language.

Let your personality show.
Share your enthusiasm for the project or the client's business. You and your potential client will work together on this and hopefully many more projects – give them a chance to see you as a real person.

Review your proposal as if you're the client.
Put yourself in their shoes: How would you respond if you read this proposal? Is it engaging? Does it clearly state the benefits you'll receive? Do you feel confident the provider can deliver? Do you get a sense of the provider's excitement and interest in the project? Bottom line, would you consider hiring this provider? Forget what you know about your skills and work ethic – focus instead on what your proposal says about you and what you'll do.

Critiquing your own proposals can be tough, especially if you do so moments after you finish writing. If that's the case, take a few minutes to review old proposals you've written. They won't be as "fresh," and you should be able to critique them more objectively. Chances are you'll find things you wish you'd done differently – apply what you learn to help make each new proposal count.

Taken from elance.com

Taking a Break Can Help Grow Your Business

2008-11-10T21:33:00.002-05:00

One of the strategies of business growth highlighted on the popular website startupnation.com, suggested that a business growth strategy was “taking a break”. With the holidays just around the corner, this might just be the encouragement you need to take a break and spend time with your family and plan for the coming year’s business opportunities.

The article mentioned that there is too much of a good thing. The same things that give you a mental buzz can also stress you out if you don’t take a breath and relax now and then. This will also ensure that you don’t’ lose the fun factor in your work or the passion for what you do. This is why mental time outs are an important part of business.

This mental break may not come in the form of a physical vacation, but perhaps just taking a few minutes away for the madness during the day to take a walk around the block. You must give yourself permission to stop. Some ways to deal with this mentioned were:

1. 1. Keep a time log. This will help you keep track of the time you wasted and you can use this time to do something that will help you relax.

2. Plan for each activity. Pad extra time around meetings and task to account for time-killers such as traffic.

3.3. Evaluate the quality of your clients. Only do business with clients who don’t take advantage of you, who pay you on time and who are pleasant.

www.startupnation.com

Tips for Choosing a Tax Preparer

2008-11-06T14:02:00.002-05:00

If you pay someone to prepare your tax return, choose that preparer wisely. Taxpayers are legally responsible for what’s on their own tax returns even if prepared by someone else. So, it is important to choose carefully when hiring an individual or firm to prepare personal returns. Most return preparers are professional, honest and provide excellent service to their clients. Here are a few points to keep in mind when someone else prepares your return:

A Paid Preparer is required by law to sign the return and fill in the preparer areas of the form.
The preparer should also include their appropriate identifying number on the return.
Although the Preparer signs the return, you are responsible for the accuracy of every item on your return. In addition, the preparer must give you a copy of the return.
Review the completed return to ensure all tax information, your name, address and Social Security number(s) are correct. Make sure that none of these spaces is left blank.
Review and ensure you understand the entries and are comfortable with the accuracy of the return before you sign.
Never sign a blank return, and never sign in pencil.
If you have provided specific authorization in a power of attorney filed with the IRS, you may have copies of notices or refund checks mailed to your preparer or representative; but only you can sign and cash your refund check.
A Third Party Authorization Check Box on Form 1040 allows you to designate your Paid Preparer to speak to the IRS concerning how your return was prepared, payment and refund issues and mathematical errors.

Taken from eNews for Small Business

Consider Employment Agreement for Your Stars

2008-10-30T20:24:00.000-04:00

One of the main issues that I hear from some of my clients is the concern that an employee will run away with their clients and become competition. A recent article in the Washington Business Journal addressed this concerned, stating that the critical assets for success are the key people, their confidential information and their goodwill. Losing any of these and your bottom line will be affected.

One way to prevent this is by addressing these issues in a “well crafted employment agreement”. It can prevent employees from unfairly competing or from misappropriating confidential information upon their departure. Employee agreements can include restrictions on taking or using confidential information or “trade secrets”. This can include anything from price lists to marketing strategies.

Non compete agreements generally prohibit or limit employees from engaging in unfair competitive practices, such as soliciting customers or using sensitive information gained from their previous employment. Restrictions on contacting customers who are current customers of the business or who were customers during a recent time frame are generally also included.

Remember for an employment agreement to be most effective, it must be tailed to the specific needs of the particular business. For example, non-compete clauses must be clear and unambiguous and should specifically state what types of conduct are prohibited. They should include a specific geographic scope and duration.

Taken from the Washington Business Journal – Edward Sharkey

Virtual Assistants in the News - Entrepreneur.com

2008-10-26T19:06:00.002-04:00

Virtual Help for Real Entrepreneurs
Learn the many roles a virtual staff can fill to help grow your business. By Pattie Simone | October 14, 2008

If you're like most entrepreneurs, you've got piles of paper cluttering your office and to-do lists that seem to be multiplying like rabbits. The good news is that many of the tasks that keep you from being as productive (and profitable) as you could be can be outsourced. You may not think you can afford to hire help, especially in these economically turbulent times. But the fact is you can't afford not to.

Today's Profit Formula
The internet lets you access scads of talented folks with a click of your mouse. And while some tasks, such as filing or greeting clients, might require on-site work, many administrative, marketing and sales functions can be handily accomplished using the services of one or more Virtual Assistants (VAs).

Having a VA frees you up to do what you do best. The smart profit formula for lots of successful entrepreneurs (whether they're a firm of one or many) involves a little front-end investment for maximum returns.

For example, Danny Bradbury, a Canadian freelance writer with clients in his home country, the UK and the Middle East, has seen his workload decrease by 25 percent and business increase 30 percent since using a VA for administrative tasks, such as scheduling interviews, transcribing interviews, tracking down contacts, doing back research and registering him for webinars. Sounds like a darn good deal, right?

Three More Takes Regarding VA's
Laurie Macomber, president of Colo.-based Blue Skies Marketing, an SEO company serving clients across the country, uses a team of virtual workers from different areas (including Canada) to handle diverse functions. Her VA, Melissa Silva, [works] out of her Georgia home. She accomplishes an impressive list of tasks for Macomber, including:

Team management and communications
Scheduling and tracking jobs
Setting up virtual password protected communications and file sharing system
Sending presents to clients for referrals, writing and sending out handwritten thank you notes
Research

Proofreading and "prettying up" documents
According the Macomber, aka the Google Guru, along with the benefit of having time to run her business, she loves that she doesn't have to deal with any personnel or HR issues typically associated with a part-time or full-time employee.

"At first I thought it was outrageous when I discovered the cost would range from $30 to $35 an hour, but their hour is so efficient," Macomber says. "Their 15 minutes is another person's hour."

Michael Katz, chief penguin of Blue Penguin Development, an electronic newsletter relationship marketing firm in Massachusetts) concurs. He went back to work with a VA after a three-month stint with a less productive employee. His L.A.-based VA, who works for Ohio-based Coaches Marketing Source, handles behind-the-scenes tasks that include the mail server and shopping cart, as well as projects related to spell checking and what Katz calls "important detail work."

Katz found his VA through a friend's recommendation. Katz says his VA experience has been purely positive. "She allows me to be more effective. I know that there's a direct connection between the increased income I see coming in," Katz says, adding it covers the expense of paying his VA.

Kim Beasley is the owner and senior developer of several businesses, including CustomizeWordPress and Agape3 Business Services, a five-year-old web design and business consulting firm in St. Louis. She has clients all over the world, including Australia and Canada, due in no small part to her team of VAs. Unlike Katz, who prefers to utilize his VA for back-end tasks, Beasley assembled a VA team of professionals with specific skill sets that directly handle many of the services she offers. Her three VAs take care of graphic design, content management, audio and video editing, as well as a range of internal administrative work like managing Beasley's calendar, scheduling webinars and training, putting networking information on Facebook, etc.

"I believe in using the strengths of my VAs, and those things I feel I can outsource, I do," Beasley says.

Because of the web and the various business-related portals and programs (such as Basecamp, GotoMeeting, Twitter
and Facebook) these entrepreneurs can do everything a traditional brick-and-mortar does, and more; including client prospecting, account management, selling products and providing services. Effective VAs are worth their weight in gold.

Guide to Gracious Entrances and Exits

2008-10-09T22:05:00.002-04:00

Revolving Doors
Who Goes First: First to arrive. Host leads the way for guests, pushing gently and meeting them at the other side.

Yield To: People with disabilities, elderly people, slow travelers, those with bulky packages, your host.

Other Considerations: Maintain the pace. Do not stop or suddenly change speed.

Elevators
Who Goes First: First arrivals. Guest enters before host. Host can leave first, holding the door for guest while providing directions.

Yield To: People with disabilities, people getting off.

Other Considerations: Hold the door or door button for people who are entering, exiting or on their way to the elevator. Make room for those who are entering or exiting. Don’t crowd. Don’t push. Don’t gossip. Greet those you recognize. Announce your floor before arriving there.

Stairs and Escalators

Who Goes First: The host. Otherwise, first arrivals.

Yield To: People with disabilities, people in a hurry.

Other considerations: Don’t rush people on stairs – instead go around them.

Doors

Who Goes First: Whoever gets there first.

Yield To: People with disabilities, someone whose hands are full.

Other Considerations: Hold door for the person behind you. If someone holds the door for you, say “Thank you.”

Taken from Complete Business Etiquette Handbook - Chapter 5

Top Graduate Programs for Entrepreneurs

2008-09-30T18:31:00.003-04:00

As business owners it is important that we constantly continue our entrepreneurial education; whether it is via workshops and seminars or formally returning to university programs. An interesting article in October’s Entrepreneur magazine highlights the Top 25 Graduate Programs.

Graduate Programs

1. Babson College, Babson Park Massachusetts

2. DePaul University, Chicago

3. University of Southern California, Los Angeles

4. The University of Arizona, Tuscon

5. University of South Florida, Tampa

6. University of Illinois, Chicago

7. University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles

8. Drexel University, Philadelphia

9. Chapman University, Orange, CA

10. University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC

11. Temple University, Philadelphia

12. Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles

13. University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI

14. Northwestern University, Evanston, IL

15. Monterey Institute of International Studies, Monterey, CA

16. Rice University, Houston

17. Tulane University, New Orleans

18. Syracuse University, Syracuse

19. University of Chicago, Chicago

20. University of Virginia, Charlottesville

21. University of Louisville, Louisville, KY

22. Simmons College, Boston

23. University of Oregon, Eugene, OR

24. Rollins College, Winter Park, FL

25. City University of New York, Baruch College, New York City

Pay It Forward

2008-09-21T21:32:00.002-04:00

Pay if forward!! What does that mean? No matter what stage of business you may be in, you have experienced trials and tribulations that have gotten you where you are. Most business owners give back to the community in one way or another. On great way to do this is to assist other business owners through sharing your experiences in business. This can be done by participating in networking events that allow you to interact with other business owners; taking in what they have to share and sharing your own experiences. There are also organizations such as SCORE that of provide opportunities for mentorship other business owners.

Paying it forward doesn't have to be solely in the area of business. There are many local and national charities that may be able to benefit from your expertise. Why not explore these avenues of community service to see how you can "pay it forward".

Building Confidence in Selling Yourself and Your Products/Services

2008-09-14T19:47:00.003-04:00

Confidence to exceed in business cannot be faked. Therefore, it is important to build a core level of confidence so that even in times of nervousness or uncertainty, you will not be moved.

1. Continuous preparation and action assure unshakable confidence.

Everything thing that you do contributes to how people view you and your business. Do you follow up after meetings and sales? Do you stop and think during the day “What is the most productive use of my time right now?” Do you pour your heart and your mind into everything that you do?

We build confidence by planting seed for future opportunities and not by being complacent or unproductive. Once we stop and coast along, our skills decay. Success breeds success; that because we come to a point in our actions where our enthusiasm is the culmination of all the hard work that went before.

2. You must solidly believe in who you are and the value of what you are selling.

Do not second guess yourself and what you believe in; improve who you are rather than try and be like someone else. Are you operating from your core belief system and taking the actions your gut tells you to take. Most people don’t realize how powerful they become when they don’t have to think through their actions.

We become unsure when we don’t prepare enough, read enough study enough or work hard enough. Our confidence comes from knowing we have put the work in and prepared for success.

So here’s to success in business.

Taken from Entrepreneur magazine Sept 2008 – Solid to the Core by Barry Farber

Marketing in a Slow Market

2008-09-07T17:05:00.003-04:00

As many small businesses find ways to trim the fat, many are mistakenly putting less budget and energy towards marketing. Instead of cutting marketing, revamping your marketing strategy would be a wise move. There are four vital steps that a business owner must take in order to endure these times.

Assess Your Customer's Behavior. Just as you are making adjustments to your business, no doubt your customers are as well. You need to figure out how these tighter budgets and perceptions of the importance of your offering and services affect the business that they conduct with you. Small business owners will need to adapt what and how we sell so as to meet the customer's needs as they emerge.
Measure ROI. All advertising designed for branding or image awareness is not appropriate in this economy. Are your campaigns specifically designed to drive customers to use your services? Each step in the marketing chain must lead to a measureable response and ultimately a sale of your product or service. Always ask your customers how they heard about you.
Market to Current Customers. Consumers, including your customers, are being a bit more careful about how they spend their money and look for companies that they know and trust. Remember it is more costly to find new customers than to maintain the ones that you have. Regularly reach out to customers through use of some sort of customer relationship management too. Vary your tactics, but stay top of mind without wearing out your welcome.
Emphasize price promotions versus price cuts. As consumers are looking for ways to save money, they are more inclined to use coupons. This is a strong indicator of the trend towards price-specific promotion. Avoid full-scale price cutting, after all you still need to service as a business owner yourself. Short terms promotions will stimulate sales from current customers and draw in new ones.

Benefits of Purchasing a Franchise

2008-08-23T11:09:00.001-04:00

Recently, I've had the pleasure of being named a Preferred Partner to a very successful franchise. This gave me opportunity to engage in a "discovery day" to learn a little more about the franchise the way a potential owner would see it. Later, I was able to be trained on their systems and get a bit more of this insight on how the processes work. It made me start thinking about the benefits of joining a franchise instead of opening/starting an operation on your own.

I guess the most obvious benefit would be name recognition or branding. Typically a franchise owners share the cost of advertising, promoting and branding the "company" name. This particular company provides style guides on brand usage to ensure that the national brand is preserved. This is a very important aspect of business when there are owners in many different parts of the national who may be lobbying for national client accounts. Most national companies are very careful about their brand and would likely want to work with someone who feels the same way, especially in the industry in which they are promoting – promotional products and printing.

Another amazing resource for franchise owners is typically the marketing mechanisms that are available. Closely related to branding marketing campaigns are important parts of business growth. They are given websites complete with verbiage to use in reaching their client or prospect. They are also given templates for other marketing materials such as brochures and postcards.

There is a processing center that helps them process all the orders, and requests – evening billing and invoicing more efficiently. Franchises can prove to be an excellent way to start that business on your own with an extensive level of support that a solo effort can't provide.

Change is Good

2008-08-10T20:24:00.003-04:00

With the ever changing advancements in technology, some small businesses have a hard time transitioning and staying on the cutting edge. Most people don't like change, so how does one condition their team to come on board and be open to what only can make the business run more efficiently.

Give them warning that the change is about to come. No one likes surprises that causes them adapt, so as soon as the upgrade or technological innovation is a sure thing, announce the news so that the mentality of your staff can change.
Recruit advocates or a committee. Train tech-savvy employees throughout the company so that they can help the rest of the organization become more comfortable with the new system. Their enthusiasm for the benefits of the new system can help the rest of the staff buy-in to the changes.
Phase in. Don't spring it on everyone right away or before something major is about to happen. Allow people to train on the new system without any pressure. Encourage questions and best practices, glitches or other ways of using the new system for the benefit of the company.
Back up. Back up the computer on the old system just in case there is failure of the new system in its early stages.
Train for the long haul. Continue to meet and talk about any problems on a regular basis. This group should meet to iron out any problems and focus on future upgrades.

Adapted from Technological Transitions: A Plan for Success, Smart Business ideas Magazine, January 2008

Turning Your Office into a Green Place to Work

2008-07-28T21:36:00.004-04:00

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, a typical business office employee generates 1.5 pounds of waste paper every day. With the emphasis on "going green" it is more important than ever to adopt a "paperless office". Here are ten steps to reduce your impact on the environment

Use both sides.
- Make double sided copies, which will cut consumption in half.
New life for old paper. Use shredded paper to pack materials.
- Use sides of paper that have not been used for draft paper.
Don't have a nervous breakdown.
- Breakdown boxes and reuse them for sending packages back out.
Choose the draft.
- Print in "draft" mode. It saves ink.
Go black and white.
- Save ink and print in black and white as often as possible.
Donate outdated computers and supplies to schools or nonprofit organizations.
Buy refillable ink cartridges and recycled toner. Consider trying some papers made with recycled products such as hemp, bamboo or organic cotton.
Build virtual filing cabinets.
- Don't distribute paper. Encourage emailing and organized digital filing.
PDF
- Put handbooks and manuals online.
Power down.
- Turn your computer off at the end of the day and on weekends. You can save as much as 50% of energy use.

Inspired by Smart Business Ideas Magazine, July 2008

Four Tips to Create Opportunities for Yourself

2008-07-27T21:50:00.001-04:00

Recently I was reading the latest copy of Entrepreneur magazine. In it was an article by Barry Farber entitled "It's Always Your Lucky Day". This article basically shared tips on "creating your own luck every day". Although I don't believe in things happening because of luck, I do believe that you can do things that will help create opportunities for success, and so this is what I took Farber's tips to be.

Charm 'em – Each day when run in to people who have the ability to make a decision. It is our responsibility to leave a great mental picture of ourselves and our companies on their minds. When meeting such ones, it is important to have an enthusiastic and positive attitude.
Steer clear of situations that cause you to waste your time – Qualify your prospects quickly.
1. If someone is doesn't see your value and has an issue with your price then that is not the customer for you.
2. If you spend a great deal of time on particular clients projects yet don't see the return on your investment; let them go.
3. People who don't really have the opportunity to benefit from your product or service.
Visualize success – Live your vision everyday. Live as if you already are where you want to be. Look, the part, act the part, dress the part. Change your mind set. If you can see it, it can be.
Be different and daring – What separates you from your competition? How can you create unique products and services for your customer? Of these other things you can be doing to get their attention?

You must set boundaries for yourself and your business in order to attain success. Most importantly, you must see that it is within your reach. These four tips, if done correctly can help you create opportunities to grow your business.

What do you do in your “slow periods”?

2008-07-20T21:04:00.002-04:00

Although none of us are happy about it, all business owners go through "slow periods" in their business. It's all about what you do to benefit your business in other ways during those periods. Even in busy times there are challenges with using time wisely; this is even more important in slow times. According to Peggy Duncan a personal productivity expert, "The biggest time-management mistake people make is not knowing how much time they waste." When there is a slow day, it needs to be approached differently in order to make it a productive use of time. During the busy times it might be a good idea to start a file of projects that you can do when times slow down. For example, promotions or marketing strategies, new contacts that would be beneficial to your business, or new business processes to implement. In a recent Entrepreneur (August 2008) magazine articles, it was suggested that multitasking when doing tasks such as developing relationships, organizing or designing new systems could hurt efficiency. By systematically approaching these during an inevitable downtown turn those times into ones of productivity.

Starting a Business?

2008-07-13T18:26:00.002-04:00

As many of us begin in business, we contemplate what we need to do NOW to get up and running; thinking we will worry about the other things later. In most cases, these basic THREE pieces are of great importance to providing a clean professional look for your business.

A logo: This brands you as an actual company. When you name is not attached, it should still be clear what type of company you have. Is this true of your logo? Perhaps it is time for a redesign.
A Business card: Since we all know how important networking is, a business card is key for these types of social gatherings. These new contacts, must be able to get in contact with you regarding either a direct connection with you or someone that you know. This business card must also have your logo on it so that the marketing strategy of "branding your business" is further manifested.
A website: Who would have thought years ago that web presence would be so important to commerce in general – not just e-commerce? If you do not have a website, you can best believe potential clients will question the legitimacy of your business. Obviously a website has many benefits.
1. It is available 24 hours/7 days a week (times when you aren't)
2. Has the potential to provide general information about your business.
3. Increased your chances of branding your business.

Many of these aspects of starting a business may take some time to develop, but ultimately they will make a huge difference in how progressive and profitable your business becomes.

The Search for a Laptop - Where Do I Begin?

2008-07-01T10:48:00.002-04:00

Its been a while since I’ve owned a laptop and I am looking forward to the freedom to move and work in different environments. I recently decided that I needed to purchase laptop as my others, an elderly MacBook and a Dell have both completely died. I had no idea where to start.

No doubt, all of us know “techies”, so I figured I would start with them. Well they asked me all types of questions. What operating system would I like on it, memory, speed, battery life; basically, what are the uses going to be for my laptop? This helped me to realize that I really hadn’t thought this through. The only thing I knew was that I didn’t want Windows Vista because I had heard so much about the bugs and computers crashing, etc. from other users and I didn’t want to go through that. So I had to try and figure out if all new laptops have Windows Vista? Can I still purchase one with Window XP? If so, from where? Can I change the operating system once I get it? Do I want a MAC or PC? What are the benefits to either?

This has indeed been a learning experience. The first thing I learned is just like when choosing a target market, you must begin with the end in mind. I guess Steven Covey’s rule transcend multiple levels of business. What are you going to be using the laptop for? If it is for basic web surfing and word processing, there are certain things you don’t necessarily NEED in a laptop that affect the cost (i.e. paying for more memory). However, if you feel your use of the laptop might increase, you can purchase one that has the ability to grow with your business.

If you like the sleek stylish look of a MAC, does that mean you will not be compatible with your clients who may be Windows users. Not necessary, MAC has many add on products that make the transition and use of both platforms seamless.

Yet, I am still deciding. MAC vs PC. Windows Vista vs. Windows XP. The search continues.

Number of Small Business Loans Increases

2008-06-16T17:59:00.000-04:00

A major concern for most people when starting a business is financing. Many of us ask ourselves, where am I going to get the money to get my business up and running? As you do your research, you will learn that there are many options – borrow money from friends and family, seek outside investors, use your savings, fund it while still keeping a full time job or get a small business loan. We all weigh our individual financial goals and come up with the option that affords us the capital to get started quickly yet doesn’t put us into too much debt that we can’t breathe due to the financial.

A recent Washington Post article explored the later. It reported that “the number of small business loans under $1 million increased by 15% from June 2006 to June 2007”. Additionally, according to the Small Business Administration’s Office of Advocacy, the loans with a value of $100,000 to $1 million increased by almost 32%.”

Why are small business loans increasing in popularity? We will explore that in our next post.

Understanding Communication Styles

2008-06-05T21:10:00.003-04:00

Recently I attended a workshop by Jonath & DiMeo Incorporated. Its objective was to foster effective working relationships. One of the key drivers of relationships is communication style. Understanding our own communication style and the style of those whom we work will help communicate more successfully.

In this training they highlighted four communication styles: Expressive, Amiable, Analytical and Driver. We explored each in detail, but here are the traits and perceived strengths and liabilities in a nutshell.

Expressive Style: primary motivation is affiliation

Comfortable with close personal space
Prefers lots of eye contact
Gesture actively
Speak in a conversational manner
Use a lot of tentative language
Are talkative about personal things
Organize their message using recency

Perceived Strengths and Liabilities:

They are perceived to be likable. They’re quick to establish rapport and to make other feel included and comfortable. They are respectful of all members of a group or team and what to ensure that everyone is heard. On the downside, in their desire to affiliate they may be perceived as being disorganized by those who want to get straight to the task at hand.

Amicable Style: primary motivation is acceptance

Are comfortable with large personal space
Make little eye contact
Make few gestures
Speak slowly and softly
Use a lot of tentative language and fillers
Think before they act
Are interested in the fact and/or ideas behind the work
Organize their message using recency

Perceived Strengths and Liabilities:

Amicables are perceived to be thoughtful, reflective and non-threatening and good listeners. In groups, when called on they contribute real value. However, they tend not to assert in group setting or bring ideas to the table.

Analytical Style: primary motivation is achievement of task

Comfortable in large space
Focus their eye contact on the task
Make few gestures
Speak loudly and quickly
Use precise language
Organize their message using primacy – main point supported by details

Perceived Strengths and Liabilities:

Analyticals are perceived to be very organized, logical and careful. To be careful, they put up a few more testing barriers, asking the “what’s that based on?” questions. Analyticals may be perceived as closed and aloof.

Driver style: primary motivation control

Are comfortable with large personal space to size up the situation
Make frequent and intense eye contact
Make large illustrative gestures
Speak quickly and loudly
Use prescriptive language : “you should”, “we have to”
Make quick decisions based on little information
Organize their message using primacy

Perceived Strengths and Liabilities:

Divers are perceived to be dynamic and decisive. On the downside, they are perceived as aggressive and impatient for action.

What style best describes you and the people you work with? Your clients? Your employees? I was dominantly express, but then scored equal across the board in the other three. No doubt you can see a little of yourself in each of these. But how do you think other people see you.

The moral of the story was that you have to understand other people’s style of communication in order to have a better way of reaching them. For example, if your dominant style is expressive and you need to effectively communicate with someone’s whose style is a driver, there are certain characteristics of your communication style that you need to change so as to adapt to the other person’s style. For instance, you may be less talkative and chatty and get down to the points at hand – almost in a bulleted form.

Understanding communication style is something that we all can use in all aspects of our lives – both personal and business.

10 Tasks a Virtual Assistant Can Do That Would Make Your Life Easier

2008-05-27T23:39:00.002-04:00

1. Check phone messages
2. Check emails
3. Follow up - on phone messages and emails
4. Prepare Newsletter (either online or print)
5. Manage your contact list (keeping it current/accurate)
6. Introduce you to products in the marketplace to help you run your business more effectively.
7. Manage calendar/appointments
8. Research opportunities for you to showcase your business.
9. Customer invoicing
10. Prepare marketing and advertising.

These rules are not set in stone, but rather just an example of how a Virtual Assistant can give the busy business owner time back so that they can focus on growing the business.

10 Mistakes We Make at Networking Events

2008-05-21T16:24:00.003-04:00

For most small business owners/entrepreneurs we realize that we must network and in order to continue to build our network which will grow our businesses. Admittedly, at times it is difficult to find the time to do just that. But whats worse is, when we finally make the time to go to a “networking event” we don’t take full advantage of the experience.

Recently I went to one such event, the Bowie Business Start-up and Support Meetup (http://www.entrepreneur.meetup.com/). At the May meeting, we talked about the 10 mistakes individuals make at networking events. This was presented by Glenn Garnes, a relationship guru.

1. We go, but we don’t know why we are there. Really think about what your purpose is when going to a networking affair. The real purpose should be to be a good listener and get to know people well enough to access whether they are worth the follow up.

2. We hang out with people that we already know. It should be obvious as to why this is a mistake. You can’t expect to extend your network if you just socialize/communicate with in the one your already have.

3. We talk too much about ourselves. Okay, sometimes this is a normal reaction because we practiced our elevator speeches and we really do want to use them or we are the one subject that we know best. But we have to careful of this. When we speak to others we should be asking good questions and again, being a good listener.

4. When we do talk about ourselves we don’t describe it in a way that’s meaningful to people. We need to always highlight how the end client benefits. For example, as a virtual assistant I give time back to the busy business owner by taking care of the administrative tasks that are necessary to keep a business growing.

5. We don’t have an effective follow up system. No one is saying you have to go out and by fancy computerized systems – even though it is an effective option – but some sort of follow- up process must be in place in order to reconnect with people and in turn grow your business.

6. We don’t take the time to meet the “center of influence” or the person who is hosting the event. What Mr. Garnes said was that, we should always want to meet the host because they know enough to get all of these people in a room; wouldn’t we want to be in that network.

7. We aren’t good matchmakers. Be a connector. If you met someone on one side of the room that fills a need or provides a service that someone you met earlier can benefit from, take them to meet each other.

8. We show up to be seen. It most effectively to actively participate in the event; show up on time and stay until the end.

9. We don’t ask the right questions. The right questions are ones that will keep the conversation going. I’ll admit this was/is a fear of mine during networking events. However, I found the book Endless Referrals by Bob Burg, and invaluable resource in preparing me to actively participate in these events.

10. We don’t go to enough networking events. We should make a commitment to do at least 1 per month and then increase it.

Next topic: Top 10 tasks a VA can do to make your life easier.

Surviving a Recession With a Virtual Assistant

2008-05-09T21:25:00.007-04:00

Through the various media outlets, and more importantly, via our bottom lines, we find mounting concern about the economy and see the affects of a recession. In fact, according to a January 27, 2008 article entitled, Small Business Planning for Slump written by Jim Wyss of the Miami Herald.com; "Among a dozen small business owners interviewed last week, most said they expect things to get worse before they get better -- and many doubted the new economic stimulus package, which includes rebates for consumers and tax breaks on business expenses, will do much for their bottom line." Then what will help small businesses in this economic slump? How can small business take on this challenge when every indicator says that they should be saving money rather than spending it?

One such way is to outsource administrative responsibilities to a Virtual Assistant. Virtual Assistants are independent entrepreneurs who provide creative long-term collaborative and professional administrative support to their clients. Virtual Assistants are paid only for the time spent on tasks and utilize time-tracking software that records such information. Therefore, a client is not charged for downtime, breaks or distractions that may occur during the day.

You may be thinking, "This sounds good, but what about the costs?" Well, if you compare the compensation rate of a highly skilled Virtual Assistant to how much it would cost you to hire a full time staffer, or even a temp; paying taxes, benefits and other associated expenses, you will immediately see the cost savings.

Click here for a cost comparision of employees versus Virtual Assistants.

Independent Contractor vs. Employee

2008-05-05T16:21:00.003-04:00

The IRS has recently started an initiative to educate new small business owners on their federal tax responsibilities. One area in which new small businesses can get caught up is when advancing to the point where they need add additional “hands in the pot”. According to the IRS, “it is critical that you, the employer, correctly determine whether the individuals providing services are employees or independent contractors. Generally, you must withhold income taxes, withhold and pay Social Security and Medicare taxes, and pay unemployment tax on wages paid to an employee. You do not generally have to withhold or pay any taxes on payments to independent contractors.” (http://www.irs.gov/businesses/small/article/0,,id=99921,00.html)

Filing at 1099-MISC of Independent Contractors

According to IRS.gov, if you paid someone who is not your employee, such as a subcontractor/independent contractor, attorney or accountant $600 or more for services provided during the year, a Form 1099-MISC (PDF) needs to be completed, and a copy of 1099-MISC (PDF) must be provided to the independent contractor by January 31o f the year following payment. You must also send a copy of this form to the IRS by February 28.

Preparing and Filing Form W-2 for Employees

At the end of the year, the employer must complete Form W-2, Wage and Tax Statement (PDF). A copy of this form must be given to the employee by January 31st after the end of the year. You must also send a copy of the W-2 to the Social Security Administration (SSA) by February 28th (after the end of the year) unless you file it electronically -- then it is due on March 31st. Employers can prepare and file up to 20 W-2s at a time, free of charge, at the Social Security Administration’s Web site. Using SSA’s online W-2 filing, employers can also print out all the necessary copies of the W-2 for their employees, state taxing agencies, etc.

Click here to see a cost comparison of using full time employee versus a virtual assistant for your administrative needs.

Delegate Your Way to a More Productive Business

2008-04-29T18:52:00.004-04:00

As business owners you are no doubt always looking for the most effective way to spend your time. It is important to truthfully assess how productive hours are spent on a daily basis. Keep in mind that there is a distinct difference between busy and productive. Busy entrepreneurs can quickly get caught up in the “busywork” of running a business. Tasks such as checking emails, handling invoices or other payments, making travel arrangements, preparing handouts (instead of preparing your presentation), etc. can rob one of many productive hours each day. These tasks, though necessary to keep a busy running, are not the elements that provide the sustainability to keep a business growing.

With that said, here is a word that any student of business has heard heard millions of times – DELEGATE. Of course it would be in the best interest of your business if you could focus your more productive hours on the things that yield the most return. Ask yourself, “What limits me?” and make sure you find ways to address those limitations. It may be a good idea to start setting times monthly to access and readjust if necessary – check-in with yourself and your business to make sure you are staying on track. By delegating some of these tasks to someone with a lower rate per hour, the busy entrepreneur is free to concentrate his/her hours on more productive tasks; therefore seeing an increase in productivity, prospects, clients, and income.

What does a Virtual Assistant do?

2008-04-21T21:45:00.001-04:00

The International Virtual Assistants Association defines a Virtual Assistant (VA) as “an independent entrepreneur providing administrative, creative and/or technical services. Utilizing advanced technological modes of communication and data delivery, a professional VA assists clients in his/her area of expertise from his/her own office on a contractual basis."

VAs are used by many different types of professionals for a number of different services. For example, some VAs specialize in assisting Realtors® with transaction coordination, logistics regarding open houses, etc. Yet some assist speakers with RSVPs for seminars, PowerPoint presentations and handouts.

However a busy professional chooses to use their VA is really a matter of customization. What do you need to hand off to someone else so that you can concentrate on the core competencies of growing your business? No doubt, the answer to this question is different for everyone.

administrative partners, llc offers a wide variety of virtual assistant services – from the basic administrative duties such as proofing and sending letters to more involved areas of business growth such as contacting clients on the professional’s behalf. Visit our website to find out more about the services that we offer, and stay tuned for additional services in the near future.

2008-04-16T22:33:00.001-04:00

Administrative Partners, LLC - Virtual Support for the Growing Business

Welcome to the resource for busy business professionals on how to use a Virtual Assistant (also known as VAs). Virtual Assistants have the potential to become valuable assets to any business. However, many people who need us, don’t quite know it yet. This blog’s goal is to educate everyone on the power of a Virtual Assistant to assist you in growing your business.

Welcome,

Tamika R. Johnson, MBA, Principal

administrative partners, llc - Virtual support for the Growing Business

www.administrativepartners.net

tamika@administrativepartners.net