Posted by Marie on February 27, 2010
Some of the larger companies understand this and work to create a corporate culture within which all employees are able to represent the company effectively. For small businesses and self-employed individuals though, the willingness to understand the need for consistent sales is so much more important.
When you represent your business, almost every interaction is a sales opportunity. This does not mean giving your pitch to everyone on the street, but it does mean that with everyone you meet, you are making an impression.
Perhaps the new person at the dinner party works with someone who works with someone who needs your product or service?
Or perhaps the mail carrier is aware that someone on his/her route is in need of some help, which just happens to be the kind of assistance your company offers?
But also keep in mind, all this may not come about until months or even years down the road. While no one can be vigilant all the time, an entrepreneur has to be aware of the potentials that are all around.
It will serve you well to develop and project a confidence in yourself and confidence in your ability to do what you do. Learn to communicate your business concisely and with impact.
Leave these positive impressions with those who meet you.
Posted by Marie on February 17, 2009
Sure it’s only February, but there are so many reason to get your taxes done early.
- Searching and Fumbling. You know you’re going to be searching for at least a couple of receipts. Those credit card statements also need to be reviewed to make sure every last deduction is included. It’s better to start early and find those gaps ahead of time.
- Avoid penalties. Who can afford to give away extra money these days?
- Additional adjustments. After you calculate your taxes, is there something you can do to save even more? Perhaps making an extra retirement account deposit will bring down your tax liability?
- Unexpected delays. Do you really want to worry about your computer, printer, or even your car breaking down on April 15?
- Incorrect information. The earlier you catch discrepancies in the various forms you receive (W-2s, 1099s), the easier it will be to get a correction from the other party.
- Refund! The earlier you file, the earlier you’ll receive any money that is coming back.
Posted by Marie on December 7, 2008
Conferences. Meetings. Networking events. Holiday parties.
If you run a small business, you give out and receive business cards all the time. They go in your pocket. They go in your folder. They end up in a messy pile on your desk.
Here’s a quick and effective way to keep track of them all. When someone hands you a business card, write down the event on it. Do it while this contact is speaking to you. You can even tell him or her what you are doing. This action demonstrates that you are taking their information seriously and that you are interested in working with them in the future. Most likely, they will be impressed.
As you put them in your filing system, whether it be in a rolodex, a card file, or something else entirely, you’ll have a much better chance of remembering this meeting. When you need help in the future, a quick flip through your cards will help you brainstorm. (Note: This is one of the reasons I’m still an advocate for keeping certain types of information in hardcopy format.)
Every so often, as your files get larger, give these business cards to your personal assistant. Ask him or her to go through and take out the cards that are no longer current. Usually, a quick internet search is all that’s needed. New information may be written over the old. No-longer-useful cards can be removed entirely.
This is one of the ways that I deal with all my cards. Do you have any tips for me?
Posted by Marie on October 9, 2008
Photographs are meant to be seen. With digital technology these days, we are all free to take as many pictures as our memory cards and camera batteries will allow. This change in how we document our special moments has created a different organizational challenge.
Rather than boxes and boxes of unlabeled and unsorted photos, so many of us are ending up with a computer full of image files with mystery names like Picture 082. Or perhaps you are one step ahead and all these photos are on discs with Summer Vacation 2008 sharpied on them.
This is great! but there is one problem isn’t there? You don’t actually look at anything on the discs ever again.
To deal with this problem, I still get my pictures printed out and placed into albums. I will flip through my albums. I won’t start up a random slide show on my computer.
Instead of wrestling with photo paper, ink, paper cutters, and color printers, I use the online services. You just upload your files, and they mail the set to you when the photos are ready.
I find the online services helpful because:
- I don’t have to buy, maintain, and store all the photography equipment in my home.
- I don’t feel guilty that I’m not printing out pictures because everything I need is right there.
- Since every print costs money, it forces me to really think about which images I want to have represent my experience.
- Once I go through that decision making process, I know the rest are inferior and can be deleted.
Voila! Less clutter on my desk. Less clutter in my computer. I have physical prints that I actually look at and can share with others. I am not keeping things for which I have no need and will never use.
Of course now, you have to get those prints labeled and into an album. :) I think that’s a topic for another day.
In my experience, Snapfish gives me top-notch quality for the lowest price. Are there other recommendations out there?
Posted by Marie on October 2, 2008
Most of us daydream about how our lives would improve if we had an assistant around to help us in any way possible. Here’s a method to take your planning out of the dream stage and into reality. Calculate just how much benefit you will really receive by keeping a log for a week.
For seven days, every time you think about something you need to do but …
- don’t want to,
- don’t know how,
- or don’t have the time,
write it in the log. At the end of the week, take a look and see how many of those tasks you would have eventually completed yourself. How many caused you to miss opportunities or waste valuable time?
Keeping track of your needs for a week will show you truthfully whether or not to look for a personal assistant.
