Marketing at Christmas Parties
I went to a holiday party on Friday Night, and my kids have been to two so far. It is said that yesterday, December 15, is the biggest party night if the year.
At the party I attended the other night, I didn't bring any business cards... what was I thinking. A holiday party is an awesome networking opportunity. I spoke to people I hadn't seen in a while. I met new people too. We talked about personal stuff, and we talked about business... people asked for business cards and I did not have them!
Sigh. Maybe I will go to another party or two before the season is over.
If you are going to a holiday party, don't forget YOUR business cards.
At the party I attended the other night, I didn't bring any business cards... what was I thinking. A holiday party is an awesome networking opportunity. I spoke to people I hadn't seen in a while. I met new people too. We talked about personal stuff, and we talked about business... people asked for business cards and I did not have them!
Sigh. Maybe I will go to another party or two before the season is over.
If you are going to a holiday party, don't forget YOUR business cards.
Old Marketing Idea is New Again
About 10 years ago, when I created my first website, I found that adding a free contest giveaway, would get me a good amount of traffic. Whether or not it got me targeted traffic is another question, but I did get a few jobs from traffic that came for me free baby plaque or step stool. As google changed the way it ranked blogs, and free stuff sites became less prevalent on the web, this marketing technique became less popular.
Today I stumbled across this post with made me immediately put contests on my blogs. Whether or not the contest traffic brings someone who will complete a sale with me, there is a good chance that they will click on one of the ads on my page... Read the post. Giveaway something. Get traffic. You might like it.
Today I stumbled across this post with made me immediately put contests on my blogs. Whether or not the contest traffic brings someone who will complete a sale with me, there is a good chance that they will click on one of the ads on my page... Read the post. Giveaway something. Get traffic. You might like it.
Perfecting the Art of Silence in Negotiating
Author: Liz Tahir
As Sarah wound her way past the tables and toward the stage to get her "Top Salesperson Award" at the company's annual dinner, her colleagues were mumbling about how someone with the firm only a year could have sold more than anyone else. Sarah was pleasant enough, but hardly the gregarious salesman type. When asked how, Sarah wasn't talking. What her colleagues didn't know is that was the real key to her success. Sarah was making sales by practicing the art of silence , not the art of talking .
Silence is the secret tool of power negotiators. Knowing when to listen, not talk. Using facial expressions, not your voice, to make a point. Here are five tips on how perfecting the art of silence can make you a better negotiator:
1. Listen more. Listening is not passive. One can control the negotiation process by simply listening well. When we listen well, we gain the trust and confidence of others. When people are encouraged to talk, they tell us their needs, their wants, their dreams, and their plan of action; in short, they give us information. When we truly listen to people, we make them feel important, particularly if we are making good eye contact while listening. The problem is that most of us don't truly listen when others talk. We just can't remain silent long enough to really hear them. Chances are we are just marking time until we can jump in and start talking. We should be aware that every time we do talk, we open ourselves to being vulnerable.
2. The 10-second strategy. Silence makes most of us uncomfortable. In today's world, there is noise all around us, from the cell phones ringing, to the iPod in our ear, to chats around the water cooler. We are conditioned to noise, not being silent. Try this test: the next time you are negotiating with the other party, and they say something like "well, that's my offer," don't utter a word for 10 seconds. It's practically guaranteed they will jump in with another offer or more information, anything to break the silence. When you get comfortable with 10 seconds, bump it up to 20 seconds. The silence will hang like lead and drive ‘em crazy!
3. Ask questions. A good way to learn silence is to ask questions, another secret weapon of successful negotiators. The person asking the questions controls the conversation. While you can get information from the person answering the question, generally if you have done your homework, you should already know the answer before you ask. Lawyers are taught to never ask a question without already knowing the answer; good advice. What you are really doing here is getting the other person to talk, perhaps to verify your information, but really to feel more comfortable working with you, and therefore to trust you.
Let's turn that around. Realize that when someone asks you a question, there is no law that says you have to answer. Try remaining silent. The questioner will likely start talking again. A good negotiator who really does not want to answer a question might, after awhile, say something like "before I answer that, tell me why you ask." Throw it back. Remember, there is no law that states you have to answer questions asked of you.
4. Pause more between sentences. In a recent study, a team of scientists showed that in listening to a musical symphony, just a one-to-two second break between movements triggers a flurry of mental activity. So could a one-to-two second pause between sentences be just as powerful in helping others comprehend our information? Any comedian will tell you that it is the timing of pauses in their delivery that determines their success. Those of us who are fast talkers have to learn to be more deliberate and practice this art of pausing between sentences for more emphasis.
5. The flinch, the shrug, the smile. These actions are all guaranteed to carry a powerful message, as you remain totally silent! The flinch is the quick, jerky movement of the shoulders, with a pained look on your face, as if you have just been stricken. It sends an immediate message you did not like what you heard. Once you flinch, then what? Why, remain silent. Wait for the other party to speak, and they quickly will, chances are while scrabbling to sweeten the deal. The shrug of the shoulders sends the message that you just don't care; you're not interested. Again, remain silent. And the smile . A silent smile is powerfully enigmatic (ask Mona Lisa), and the other party is left to guess what you are thinking. And, yes, again, don't let the first person who speaks be you.
Power negotiators, whether sellers or buyers, know that what you don't say is sometimes more powerful than what you do say. Use these tips the next time you negotiate and enjoy the power that silence brings.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/negotiation-articles/perfecting-the-art-of-silence-in-negotiating-271860.html
About the Author:
Liz Tahir honed her negotiating skills through years of making multimillion deals in company boardrooms to bargaining for a brass bauble in a Turkish bazaar. A former corporate executive, she has, for the past 17 years, headed Liz Tahir & Associates as a marketing consultant, conference speaker, and business writer. Liz has delivered seminars and workshops from Japan to Brazil on improving negotiating skills for better success in today's international marketplace. For more information about her services, go to http://www.liztahir.com , or call her at (504) 569-1670.
http://www.ahermitt.com
As Sarah wound her way past the tables and toward the stage to get her "Top Salesperson Award" at the company's annual dinner, her colleagues were mumbling about how someone with the firm only a year could have sold more than anyone else. Sarah was pleasant enough, but hardly the gregarious salesman type. When asked how, Sarah wasn't talking. What her colleagues didn't know is that was the real key to her success. Sarah was making sales by practicing the art of silence , not the art of talking .
Silence is the secret tool of power negotiators. Knowing when to listen, not talk. Using facial expressions, not your voice, to make a point. Here are five tips on how perfecting the art of silence can make you a better negotiator:
1. Listen more. Listening is not passive. One can control the negotiation process by simply listening well. When we listen well, we gain the trust and confidence of others. When people are encouraged to talk, they tell us their needs, their wants, their dreams, and their plan of action; in short, they give us information. When we truly listen to people, we make them feel important, particularly if we are making good eye contact while listening. The problem is that most of us don't truly listen when others talk. We just can't remain silent long enough to really hear them. Chances are we are just marking time until we can jump in and start talking. We should be aware that every time we do talk, we open ourselves to being vulnerable.
2. The 10-second strategy. Silence makes most of us uncomfortable. In today's world, there is noise all around us, from the cell phones ringing, to the iPod in our ear, to chats around the water cooler. We are conditioned to noise, not being silent. Try this test: the next time you are negotiating with the other party, and they say something like "well, that's my offer," don't utter a word for 10 seconds. It's practically guaranteed they will jump in with another offer or more information, anything to break the silence. When you get comfortable with 10 seconds, bump it up to 20 seconds. The silence will hang like lead and drive ‘em crazy!
3. Ask questions. A good way to learn silence is to ask questions, another secret weapon of successful negotiators. The person asking the questions controls the conversation. While you can get information from the person answering the question, generally if you have done your homework, you should already know the answer before you ask. Lawyers are taught to never ask a question without already knowing the answer; good advice. What you are really doing here is getting the other person to talk, perhaps to verify your information, but really to feel more comfortable working with you, and therefore to trust you.
Let's turn that around. Realize that when someone asks you a question, there is no law that says you have to answer. Try remaining silent. The questioner will likely start talking again. A good negotiator who really does not want to answer a question might, after awhile, say something like "before I answer that, tell me why you ask." Throw it back. Remember, there is no law that states you have to answer questions asked of you.
4. Pause more between sentences. In a recent study, a team of scientists showed that in listening to a musical symphony, just a one-to-two second break between movements triggers a flurry of mental activity. So could a one-to-two second pause between sentences be just as powerful in helping others comprehend our information? Any comedian will tell you that it is the timing of pauses in their delivery that determines their success. Those of us who are fast talkers have to learn to be more deliberate and practice this art of pausing between sentences for more emphasis.
5. The flinch, the shrug, the smile. These actions are all guaranteed to carry a powerful message, as you remain totally silent! The flinch is the quick, jerky movement of the shoulders, with a pained look on your face, as if you have just been stricken. It sends an immediate message you did not like what you heard. Once you flinch, then what? Why, remain silent. Wait for the other party to speak, and they quickly will, chances are while scrabbling to sweeten the deal. The shrug of the shoulders sends the message that you just don't care; you're not interested. Again, remain silent. And the smile . A silent smile is powerfully enigmatic (ask Mona Lisa), and the other party is left to guess what you are thinking. And, yes, again, don't let the first person who speaks be you.
Power negotiators, whether sellers or buyers, know that what you don't say is sometimes more powerful than what you do say. Use these tips the next time you negotiate and enjoy the power that silence brings.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/negotiation-articles/perfecting-the-art-of-silence-in-negotiating-271860.html
About the Author:
Liz Tahir honed her negotiating skills through years of making multimillion deals in company boardrooms to bargaining for a brass bauble in a Turkish bazaar. A former corporate executive, she has, for the past 17 years, headed Liz Tahir & Associates as a marketing consultant, conference speaker, and business writer. Liz has delivered seminars and workshops from Japan to Brazil on improving negotiating skills for better success in today's international marketplace. For more information about her services, go to http://www.liztahir.com , or call her at (504) 569-1670.
http://www.ahermitt.com
Women of Gwinnett Holiday Show is Almost Here
On December 1, from 1-6 pm, the Women of Gwinnett, a local womens business networking group is having a holiday show where we will demonstrate our businesses and hopefully make some Christmas sales.
I know I for one will be doing my holiday shopping at this event. I feel it is very important to support local business people in order to maintain a healthy local business environment. No folks, Walmart will not be getting any of my money this year. Except maybe for groceries!
So if you live in or near Gwinnett County GA and want a unique shopping experience this Sunday, Please some to the North Georgia Fencing Center at 4403 Mendi Court, Suwanee Georgia.
For more info, you can call Andrea at 678-642-2993 or email me at ahermitt@gmail.com
I know I for one will be doing my holiday shopping at this event. I feel it is very important to support local business people in order to maintain a healthy local business environment. No folks, Walmart will not be getting any of my money this year. Except maybe for groceries!
So if you live in or near Gwinnett County GA and want a unique shopping experience this Sunday, Please some to the North Georgia Fencing Center at 4403 Mendi Court, Suwanee Georgia.
For more info, you can call Andrea at 678-642-2993 or email me at ahermitt@gmail.com
Featured Member: Sue Keppel with Discovery Toys
Most of us in our networking group are moms, and we know how difficult it is to know if the toys we are buying for our children are safe and free of lead.I personally bought two packages of toys that were a well-respected name brand. They were small toys, and I planned to use them on my sons' birthday cakes. Imagine my shock to find out there was lead in the paint on those toys!
Luckily I heard about the recall before I used them on my children's birthday cakes, but it was a very sobering thought.
Discovery Toys has a Quality Promise, which states:
Discovery Toys promises that all of our products meet or exceed all standards set by the US and Canadian governments regarding safety. These are the most extensive, effective, and widely emulated standards in the world – regardless of where the products are manufactured*. All products are tested for flammability, hazardous materials and toxic elements - including lead, by an independent HOKLAS certified laboratory prior to shipment from domestic and foreign manufacturers. In an ongoing effort to ensure the quality and safety of our products, we regularly review the labor practices, raw materials and manufacturing processes used by our vendors.
*This is an important point. Just because a toy says "Made In USA," it's not a guarantee that it is safe!
We are happy to have Sue Keppel as one of our members in Women of Gwinnett. Sue is an Independent Group Manager for Discovery Toys. She has years of experience in education as a speech therapist for Gwinnett County Schools, and she will be able to recommend products for your child's development and needs. All you will need to do is call 770-271-5757, or email Sue at SK4TOYS@yahoo.com
Want to shop online or schedule a home demonstration or party? Visit Sue's Discovery Toys site at http://www.discoverytoyslink.com/esuite/home/SUEKEPPEL/Women Certifying Their Business Can Land More Lucrative Contracts
If you're a woman running your own company, you're likely missing out on lucrative opportunities if you haven't yet become certified as a woman-owned and operated business.
Owners who have undergone the process report that certification definitely helps move the needle when selling their services and products. "It has opened doors with large corporations. And we think it has helped us locally and regionally," says Elaine Lyerly, who founded her Charlotte,
N.C., marketing agency back in 1977, but only became certified in 2004.
This article seeks to help you get started in the lengthy certification procedure, as well as provide you some insider tips about how to leverage being a woman-certified company.
Read the article, written by Joanna L. Krotz and published on Microsoft Small Business.How to invent new products
Here is an interesting article I came across... enjoy
How to Invent New Products
Author: Steve Gillman
To invent new products, you need to know how to generate new ideas - lots of them. Then you look them over and pick out the good ones. Here is one of the many simple techniques for coming up with ideas for new products.
New Products From Old
Start with an existing product and extract some of the basic principles or attributes that define it. Then take those and apply them to other products, things or processes. That's the whole technique, by the way. Now for some examples.
A laptop computer has many attributes, but the one that comes to my mind as most important is that it is portable. That is what makes them sell, right? So let's start with the idea of "portable" and apply it to anything and everything around us.
As I write this, I can see my desk in front of me. The questions to ask then, are "Would a portable desk be useful or desired by people?" and "How could a portable desk be made?" The answer to the first question is clearly yes for me, since I would love one to take when we go camping in our van. Of course there are some fairly portable desks, so the second question should focus on new ways to make them even smaller.
I guess we would want to start with materials that are very strong and rigid for there weight, like aluminum or titanium. Maybe a small titanium desk top could fold into six parts and have telescoping legs. The whole thing might fit inside a briefcase-sized carrier and still fold out into a usable size. Or maybe, since the market might be laptop owners, we could just add telescoping legs to a laptop computer. Once you have a simple idea like this, you should jot it down and quickly move on to the next one.
Randomly searching my imagination for other products to apply the idea of "portable" to, I am thinking of a jukebox. To the best of my knowledge, there are no widely distributed portable jukeboxes. The question of usefulness is answered in the affirmative - just think what a great little money maker a portable jukebox could be. Take it to parties, set it up at fund raisers, maybe you could even rent it out. Now you just have to design one.
This technique isn't limited to new products. Lets look at how to do this with a service. For our existing service, delivery comes to mind. It is the essence of many pizza restaurants and flower shops, for example. What can be delivered that isn't typically being delivered now? Finding things to apply this to can be as simple as mentally listing everything that people go out to buy and considering whether there is some way to make a business delivering it.
People go out to buy plants, for example, because they want to see what they are buying. But what if a nursery had video cameras that could be operated by the customer to see everything in stock? The customer could scan the plants, note the numbers on them and place the order online or by phone for delivery that day or the next. "I'll take number t-243 (t for tree) and eight cucumber plants." Once a day a driver could run the rounds around the city making the deliveries.
You can also open the dictionary and start scanning pages to see what might be delivered. It took me less than a minute to scan six pages and see "pool." Could a business rent and deliver swimming pools for parties and events? Maybe it's already being done.
Just start with existing products or services and apply the existing principles and attributes in a new context. It's one of the simplest ways to invent new products or services.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/entrepreneurship-articles/how-to-invent-new-products-248207.html
About the Author:Copyright Steve Gillman. For inventions, new product ideas, business ideas, story ideas, political and economic theories, deep thoughts, and a free course on How To Have New Ideas , visit : http://www.999ideas.com
How to Invent New Products
Author: Steve Gillman
To invent new products, you need to know how to generate new ideas - lots of them. Then you look them over and pick out the good ones. Here is one of the many simple techniques for coming up with ideas for new products.
New Products From Old
Start with an existing product and extract some of the basic principles or attributes that define it. Then take those and apply them to other products, things or processes. That's the whole technique, by the way. Now for some examples.
A laptop computer has many attributes, but the one that comes to my mind as most important is that it is portable. That is what makes them sell, right? So let's start with the idea of "portable" and apply it to anything and everything around us.
As I write this, I can see my desk in front of me. The questions to ask then, are "Would a portable desk be useful or desired by people?" and "How could a portable desk be made?" The answer to the first question is clearly yes for me, since I would love one to take when we go camping in our van. Of course there are some fairly portable desks, so the second question should focus on new ways to make them even smaller.
I guess we would want to start with materials that are very strong and rigid for there weight, like aluminum or titanium. Maybe a small titanium desk top could fold into six parts and have telescoping legs. The whole thing might fit inside a briefcase-sized carrier and still fold out into a usable size. Or maybe, since the market might be laptop owners, we could just add telescoping legs to a laptop computer. Once you have a simple idea like this, you should jot it down and quickly move on to the next one.
Randomly searching my imagination for other products to apply the idea of "portable" to, I am thinking of a jukebox. To the best of my knowledge, there are no widely distributed portable jukeboxes. The question of usefulness is answered in the affirmative - just think what a great little money maker a portable jukebox could be. Take it to parties, set it up at fund raisers, maybe you could even rent it out. Now you just have to design one.
This technique isn't limited to new products. Lets look at how to do this with a service. For our existing service, delivery comes to mind. It is the essence of many pizza restaurants and flower shops, for example. What can be delivered that isn't typically being delivered now? Finding things to apply this to can be as simple as mentally listing everything that people go out to buy and considering whether there is some way to make a business delivering it.
People go out to buy plants, for example, because they want to see what they are buying. But what if a nursery had video cameras that could be operated by the customer to see everything in stock? The customer could scan the plants, note the numbers on them and place the order online or by phone for delivery that day or the next. "I'll take number t-243 (t for tree) and eight cucumber plants." Once a day a driver could run the rounds around the city making the deliveries.
You can also open the dictionary and start scanning pages to see what might be delivered. It took me less than a minute to scan six pages and see "pool." Could a business rent and deliver swimming pools for parties and events? Maybe it's already being done.
Just start with existing products or services and apply the existing principles and attributes in a new context. It's one of the simplest ways to invent new products or services.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/entrepreneurship-articles/how-to-invent-new-products-248207.html
About the Author:Copyright Steve Gillman. For inventions, new product ideas, business ideas, story ideas, political and economic theories, deep thoughts, and a free course on How To Have New Ideas , visit : http://www.999ideas.com
Looking for a baker in Snellville GA
Women of Gwinnett member Melissa Norris of Digital Heirlooms recommends Women of Gwinnett member Lorna Deshay of Create A Cake Bakery in Snellville, and writes:
"Next time you need a cake!
I recently ordered a cake for my son's birthday. The cake looked &
tasted great. We really enjoyed it. It was quite exceptional.
Also, when I picked up the cake, they saw my children playing with
their balloons. They blew some up for them - made their day."
Create-a-Cake can be found at their website at http://www.createacakebakery.com/
or visit the business in the Provino's/Big Lots Shopping Center at Highway 78 and Scenic Hwy/124 in Snellville GA.
"Next time you need a cake!
I recently ordered a cake for my son's birthday. The cake looked &
tasted great. We really enjoyed it. It was quite exceptional.
Also, when I picked up the cake, they saw my children playing with
their balloons. They blew some up for them - made their day."
Create-a-Cake can be found at their website at http://www.createacakebakery.com/
or visit the business in the Provino's/Big Lots Shopping Center at Highway 78 and Scenic Hwy/124 in Snellville GA.
How to Check is your Site Effective or Not?
Author: pntglobal
Whether it is ecommerce site or cooperate entity. It is important to know the effectiveness of your web site. People often don’t care about their web site if it is not generating any revenue but one should understand that revenue is not the only objective for any business. There are some long term objectives as well and among those objective reputation of the organization is the most important. Web site is the best tool to create reputation of your organization. Web site reflects the core identity of any organization and therefore it is important to know the effectiveness of your web site.
To know the effectiveness of your organization’s web site here are few tips to do. These will help you calculate the number of visitors interested in your web site and what they think about your web site.
1. Feedback form
2. Signup for Newsletters
3. Signup for email ids (if you are running a kind of portal)
4. Blogs
5. Forums
6. Polls
7. Google Analytic
8. Adsense (It not only generate revenues but also help knowing visitors trend)
9. Analysis of Raw Log file
Analysis of raw log file is the most important thing and one should know how to analyze raw log files. There are different software available to read log files and many of these are free. These raw files help in knowing the demography of your visitors. Sites from which your site accessed. Keywords used to access your site and lot more including visitors trend.
This is important to keep your site updated and know the feed back of visitors through above mentioned mechanism and then again update the site accordingly so the people keep visiting your web site.
Note Web site is your organization’s on-line personality.
Source:
Shahid H. Qadri is internet marketing consultant at PNT Global. More information can be viewed at www.PNTGlobal.com
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/ecommerce-articles/how-to-check-is-your-site-effective-or-not-252196.html
Whether it is ecommerce site or cooperate entity. It is important to know the effectiveness of your web site. People often don’t care about their web site if it is not generating any revenue but one should understand that revenue is not the only objective for any business. There are some long term objectives as well and among those objective reputation of the organization is the most important. Web site is the best tool to create reputation of your organization. Web site reflects the core identity of any organization and therefore it is important to know the effectiveness of your web site.
To know the effectiveness of your organization’s web site here are few tips to do. These will help you calculate the number of visitors interested in your web site and what they think about your web site.
1. Feedback form
2. Signup for Newsletters
3. Signup for email ids (if you are running a kind of portal)
4. Blogs
5. Forums
6. Polls
7. Google Analytic
8. Adsense (It not only generate revenues but also help knowing visitors trend)
9. Analysis of Raw Log file
Analysis of raw log file is the most important thing and one should know how to analyze raw log files. There are different software available to read log files and many of these are free. These raw files help in knowing the demography of your visitors. Sites from which your site accessed. Keywords used to access your site and lot more including visitors trend.
This is important to keep your site updated and know the feed back of visitors through above mentioned mechanism and then again update the site accordingly so the people keep visiting your web site.
Note Web site is your organization’s on-line personality.
Source:
Shahid H. Qadri is internet marketing consultant at PNT Global. More information can be viewed at www.PNTGlobal.com
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/ecommerce-articles/how-to-check-is-your-site-effective-or-not-252196.html
7 Quick Fixes To Gear Up For Holiday Shoppers
Author: Karen Scharf
As the holiday shopping season is drawing near, it's time to get your website ready for what could possibly be your busiest time of the year. Here are 7 quick fixes you can easily implement on your site in one single afternoon:
1. Ask for the sale! Don't be shy about asking your customers to make a purchase. There's no need to wait until the very bottom of the page before you include an "Add To Cart" button. Your site visit might be ready to make a purchase after reading only one paragraph of your sales letter. Add multiple buy buttons to each page.
2. Help the shopper make a decision. At this time of year, there are so many gifts to buy for so many people; it's easy to get overwhelmed. Help your site visitors choose a gift by breaking your merchandise into categories. Can you create a "Gifts For Men" directory, a "Gifts For Pets" directory, etc?
3. Include options for visitors not yet ready to buy. Maybe your site visitor is in a "just browsing" mode, or is comparing several different merchants. What kind of compelling offer can you make to grab this visitor's contact information? He will probably be ready to buy sometime in the near future.
4. Beef up your guarantee. Guarantees are most effective when they are completely spelled out. Don't leave your visitor guessing. What exactly does "Satisfaction Guaranteed" mean? Who will pay for return shipping? How does a shopper request a refund? Include a link to additional information about your return policy and your complete guarantee agreement.
5. Make everything clickable. Studies show that website visitors click a lot more often than webmasters expect. If you have a graphic or an image, make sure it's clickable. Make sure headlines are clickable and include text links in addition to buttons.
6. Take advantage of your thank you pages. Believe it or not, after a buyer has made a purchase, he is most likely to buy again. Maximize this opportunity by including complimentary items on your order confirmation pages.
7. Take advantage of your transactional emails. Studies have also shown that transactional emails are opened nearly 75% of the time. This is another awesome opportunity to present complimentary items and increase your sales volume.
Time to implement: Each of the fixes can be applied in less than an hour or two. Take a day, or spend the weekend, reviewing your site and implementing these suggestions. You're sure to see an increase in your holiday sales.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/ecommerce-articles/7-quick-fixes-to-gear-up-for-holiday-shoppers-246954.html
About the Author:Karen Scharf offers several whitepapers, free reports and checklists, including her FREE Can-Spam checklist and FREE email pre-flight checklist to ensure your emails get delivered, get opened and get read. Download your copies at http://www.modernimage.com/
As the holiday shopping season is drawing near, it's time to get your website ready for what could possibly be your busiest time of the year. Here are 7 quick fixes you can easily implement on your site in one single afternoon:
1. Ask for the sale! Don't be shy about asking your customers to make a purchase. There's no need to wait until the very bottom of the page before you include an "Add To Cart" button. Your site visit might be ready to make a purchase after reading only one paragraph of your sales letter. Add multiple buy buttons to each page.
2. Help the shopper make a decision. At this time of year, there are so many gifts to buy for so many people; it's easy to get overwhelmed. Help your site visitors choose a gift by breaking your merchandise into categories. Can you create a "Gifts For Men" directory, a "Gifts For Pets" directory, etc?
3. Include options for visitors not yet ready to buy. Maybe your site visitor is in a "just browsing" mode, or is comparing several different merchants. What kind of compelling offer can you make to grab this visitor's contact information? He will probably be ready to buy sometime in the near future.
4. Beef up your guarantee. Guarantees are most effective when they are completely spelled out. Don't leave your visitor guessing. What exactly does "Satisfaction Guaranteed" mean? Who will pay for return shipping? How does a shopper request a refund? Include a link to additional information about your return policy and your complete guarantee agreement.
5. Make everything clickable. Studies show that website visitors click a lot more often than webmasters expect. If you have a graphic or an image, make sure it's clickable. Make sure headlines are clickable and include text links in addition to buttons.
6. Take advantage of your thank you pages. Believe it or not, after a buyer has made a purchase, he is most likely to buy again. Maximize this opportunity by including complimentary items on your order confirmation pages.
7. Take advantage of your transactional emails. Studies have also shown that transactional emails are opened nearly 75% of the time. This is another awesome opportunity to present complimentary items and increase your sales volume.
Time to implement: Each of the fixes can be applied in less than an hour or two. Take a day, or spend the weekend, reviewing your site and implementing these suggestions. You're sure to see an increase in your holiday sales.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/ecommerce-articles/7-quick-fixes-to-gear-up-for-holiday-shoppers-246954.html
About the Author:Karen Scharf offers several whitepapers, free reports and checklists, including her FREE Can-Spam checklist and FREE email pre-flight checklist to ensure your emails get delivered, get opened and get read. Download your copies at http://www.modernimage.com/
Last minute Marketing Ideas for Halloween
It's Halloween, and you are going to have dozens, maybe even a hundred or two people knocking on your door, (depending on where you live). You can take advantage of this traffic and market your products. Here are some ideas you can use.
- If you sell beauty products, have a basket of samples next to your candy basket. Make sure your business card is attatched to the samples with bright ribbon. When you give the kids candy, give mom and/or Dad a "treat" too.
- Give out the best candy and add a business card to it. Your neighbors may not know they have an accountant, house cleaner, or home chef on their block.
- Make a knockout Halloween display and and a large sign that says 'compliments of XYZ business'
- If you have a business sign or magnet on your car, park it in such a way that the sign is visible to all who pass.
Taking Advantage of the Holidays
Many stay at home mom businesses can take advantage of the holidays. There are some exceptions of course like people who offer business services, but you can still have end of the year specials. Here are some things you can do to boost your sales this holiday season:
Do you have any unique ideas that you use during the holiday season? Leave a comment. Let us know.
- Make and promote gift baskets
- Tailor your product for holidays (a muralist can make business or play backdrops, and a jewelry maker can make ornaments and special holiday earings)
- Participate in holiday fairs and group sales
- Offer holiday gift certificates (put expiration dates on them)
Do you have any unique ideas that you use during the holiday season? Leave a comment. Let us know.
Finding Jobs on Craigslist
If you have a service based business, Craigslist is a good place to find local jobs. People use Craigslist to post needs like childcare, home painting, need for cleaning persons, writers, artist and more. As an artist and a writer, I like to check craigslist regularly to see if anyone can use my services. Likewise, you can also use Craigslist to post free ads. I have had several good experiences.
My only caution is that some of the people who post jobs on Craigslist are trying to get something for next to nothing. You have to know where to draw the line between giving a discount to build your portfolio or walking away from a too low paying job. While scams are relatively easy to spot, job requests that grossly underpay you are a bit harder to spot.
My only caution is that some of the people who post jobs on Craigslist are trying to get something for next to nothing. You have to know where to draw the line between giving a discount to build your portfolio or walking away from a too low paying job. While scams are relatively easy to spot, job requests that grossly underpay you are a bit harder to spot.
Is Business Distracting You from Business?
You've spent time evaluating what you love doing. You have analyzed, planned, and started your business, but progress is slow going. A friend is doing an mlm business or party plan that looks like fun, you decide to join, just until your original business takes off. Did you do the right thing?
This is actually one of my pet peeves, but also my biggest temptation. I have been distracted from my main business by kitchen goods, baskets, makeup, soaps, curriculum books, and just about everything else that turned a profit. While this is great in the short term, my enjoyment was short lived as it took me away from my goal of working a business that I truly enjoyed. (I actually hate selling things.) I have learned over the years to say, "I really like your products/ plan, and may even make a purchase from you, but I cannot take my business focus from what I am doing."
On the other hand, I am currently putting more effort into a business other than what I originally started. I started out focusing on Mural art and decorating kids rooms. As my life took its turns, I found that I did not have time to do murals and decorating and began writing about it instead. Now I work mainly as a freelance writer (writing about everything under the sun) squeezing in only a few murals a year.
Writing is working out well for me, and I plan to use that to get into illustrating which will take me full circle artistically.
So while holding on to your business and avoiding distractions is important, flexibility is also needed... Where do you draw the line?
This is actually one of my pet peeves, but also my biggest temptation. I have been distracted from my main business by kitchen goods, baskets, makeup, soaps, curriculum books, and just about everything else that turned a profit. While this is great in the short term, my enjoyment was short lived as it took me away from my goal of working a business that I truly enjoyed. (I actually hate selling things.) I have learned over the years to say, "I really like your products/ plan, and may even make a purchase from you, but I cannot take my business focus from what I am doing."
On the other hand, I am currently putting more effort into a business other than what I originally started. I started out focusing on Mural art and decorating kids rooms. As my life took its turns, I found that I did not have time to do murals and decorating and began writing about it instead. Now I work mainly as a freelance writer (writing about everything under the sun) squeezing in only a few murals a year.
Writing is working out well for me, and I plan to use that to get into illustrating which will take me full circle artistically.
So while holding on to your business and avoiding distractions is important, flexibility is also needed... Where do you draw the line?
Embezzling from yourself
We've all probably done it at one time or another - we're short on funds to pay the electric bill when it is unexpectedly high, so we dip into our business money.
As time goes on, we dip in here and there for other things, non-business related. "Oh, it's no big deal," we think, "it's just a little bit."
The next thing we know, when a good opportunity arises for the business, we don't have the money. We don't have enough money to ship something out, or we could even be short on money for gas to go meet with a client!
How did this happen? Well, we embezzled from ourselves. We crippled our own business.
Of course we should pay ourselves, and I think it's good to reward yourself with something you really enjoy - that's what motivates us to keep going in our business. But make plans for it and keep a base amount of funds for your business that you never cut into. Keep a base amount as your business safety net.
Embezzling is misappropriation of funds. Your business money is not for buying the present for your 1st grader's friend's birthday party!
If you don't treat your home business as a real business, and you treat your business money like it's just "hobby money," then that's the only way other people (especially your family members) are going to think of it too. If you have been in the habit of taking money from your business, work to do whatever it takes to stop.
Sometimes it feels like you aren't getting anywhere in your business, and it becomes very demoralizing when there's no money in your business account.
Analyze the situation: are you really not getting anywhere with your business, or have you been dipping into your business money and damaging your potential of success?
~Darla
As time goes on, we dip in here and there for other things, non-business related. "Oh, it's no big deal," we think, "it's just a little bit."
The next thing we know, when a good opportunity arises for the business, we don't have the money. We don't have enough money to ship something out, or we could even be short on money for gas to go meet with a client!
How did this happen? Well, we embezzled from ourselves. We crippled our own business.
Of course we should pay ourselves, and I think it's good to reward yourself with something you really enjoy - that's what motivates us to keep going in our business. But make plans for it and keep a base amount of funds for your business that you never cut into. Keep a base amount as your business safety net.
Embezzling is misappropriation of funds. Your business money is not for buying the present for your 1st grader's friend's birthday party!
If you don't treat your home business as a real business, and you treat your business money like it's just "hobby money," then that's the only way other people (especially your family members) are going to think of it too. If you have been in the habit of taking money from your business, work to do whatever it takes to stop.
Sometimes it feels like you aren't getting anywhere in your business, and it becomes very demoralizing when there's no money in your business account.
Analyze the situation: are you really not getting anywhere with your business, or have you been dipping into your business money and damaging your potential of success?
~Darla
Website Tools
Here are some website and Internet tools that I have found very helpful:
Type in what you want and what style of text, colors - and the site processes it for you. Buttons, graphics, etc. Right click the image to save to your computer and use the image on your site or blog, etc. Lots of uses.
Copyscape is free at the basic level. You simply cut and paste the page urls from your site into their search field, and it helps you locate places where your text could be being used without your permission. If you find your content is being stolen, the site tells you what to do about it.
Want to make your Ebay listings stand out from the crowd? This site has a lot of tips and help with HTML code. You could also try Auctiva, which is a site that helps you make beautiful Ebay listings. An advantage of Auctiva is that you can store your listings and then 'release' them to post to Ebay at the same time without the extra fee for scheduling a listing that Ebay charges.
You guessed it! Another site to help you with HTML. I know I often need help to make an image a link or to make a link open in a new window. This site will help you figure all that out.
This site enables you to see what your competitors are using for keywords in their Adsense campaign and website(s). Helps you figure out your competition's marketing strategy. Free trial of the website's services. Keyword Spy is designed to help you get ahead in keyword advertising programs.
My Contact Form is currently about $30 for a year's membership. You can make as many contact forms for your site as you like for that fee. You can make a form for customers to contact you, or you can use their forms for a customer survey...many uses. Downside of it is that they do not have any visual verification to make sure that when the form is filled out, it's being filled out by a person - so there is often some spam that comes to me through my form. But a small price to pay for such a good deal and the form has always worked. It's very easy to modify for whatever you need, too!
Who knows how accurate all this stuff is, but it never hurts to look and learn more about Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
This is a very good virus scan and it is a trusted site. The first time I used it, I was very nervous about letting a website search my computer drives, but it is a good scanner. They offer the scan to promote their Trend Micro PC-Cillin computer software (which is also excellent)
It is sometimes difficult to get a template of colors that look good together for your website.
This site helps you try out different combinations to see what works well for you.
Type in what you want and what style of text, colors - and the site processes it for you. Buttons, graphics, etc. Right click the image to save to your computer and use the image on your site or blog, etc. Lots of uses.
Copyscape is free at the basic level. You simply cut and paste the page urls from your site into their search field, and it helps you locate places where your text could be being used without your permission. If you find your content is being stolen, the site tells you what to do about it.
Want to make your Ebay listings stand out from the crowd? This site has a lot of tips and help with HTML code. You could also try Auctiva, which is a site that helps you make beautiful Ebay listings. An advantage of Auctiva is that you can store your listings and then 'release' them to post to Ebay at the same time without the extra fee for scheduling a listing that Ebay charges.
You guessed it! Another site to help you with HTML. I know I often need help to make an image a link or to make a link open in a new window. This site will help you figure all that out.
This site enables you to see what your competitors are using for keywords in their Adsense campaign and website(s). Helps you figure out your competition's marketing strategy. Free trial of the website's services. Keyword Spy is designed to help you get ahead in keyword advertising programs.
My Contact Form is currently about $30 for a year's membership. You can make as many contact forms for your site as you like for that fee. You can make a form for customers to contact you, or you can use their forms for a customer survey...many uses. Downside of it is that they do not have any visual verification to make sure that when the form is filled out, it's being filled out by a person - so there is often some spam that comes to me through my form. But a small price to pay for such a good deal and the form has always worked. It's very easy to modify for whatever you need, too!
Who knows how accurate all this stuff is, but it never hurts to look and learn more about Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
This is a very good virus scan and it is a trusted site. The first time I used it, I was very nervous about letting a website search my computer drives, but it is a good scanner. They offer the scan to promote their Trend Micro PC-Cillin computer software (which is also excellent)
It is sometimes difficult to get a template of colors that look good together for your website.
This site helps you try out different combinations to see what works well for you.
Places to post a free business ad
One of the nice things about networking is that we can share places to post free ads online.
Here are several places where you can get a free basic listing:
Here are several places where you can get a free basic listing:
Should You Place a Listing?
When one starts a business, it makes sense to place a business listing to let people know you exist. I had a Kudzu.com as well as listings in parents' magazines listing for some time, but decided to let them go because they were not right for my business. You see I do the kind of work that invites alot of shoppers. People want me come to their homes, draw mural ideas, and then get back to me, when and if they decide to go ahead with the job. Having a popular listing on Kudzu.com nearly caused me to stop doing business altogether, as I was spending too much time with "shoppers" and not enough time with buyers. I was working my butt off and not making a cent.
I am not saying however that placing a listing may not be right for you. Some businesses that would greatly value from such a listing: Repair services, cleaning services, Restaurants, and anyone else who a customer can and must to make a quick decision without the service person spending hours on preparation and making presentations.
If you do have a service based business like me where it is necessary to evaluate the space and give a quote, you may want to charge a fee for your quote to be deducted from the full job if they go ahead with it.
I am not saying however that placing a listing may not be right for you. Some businesses that would greatly value from such a listing: Repair services, cleaning services, Restaurants, and anyone else who a customer can and must to make a quick decision without the service person spending hours on preparation and making presentations.
If you do have a service based business like me where it is necessary to evaluate the space and give a quote, you may want to charge a fee for your quote to be deducted from the full job if they go ahead with it.
Prioritizing Your Business
When you work from home, sometimes business gets prioritized at the bottom of the pile.
Sometimes being such a low priority is a good thing and is why people work from home, to be able to put family first. Other times it is the result of letting people ignore the fact that you work from home.
Because I work around my children's homeschooling schedule, it is hard for me to tell people that I work between this hour and that, because I don't. I generally work when I can. I believe this gives the impression that I am not working at all, and unfortunately, this invites people to assume I am not busy when I am not teaching my kids. This assumption invites calls for favors.
Can you imaging my surprise this week when after I made it clear that my kids were having an especially busy week, that I still got phonecalls and request to drive people around, or to help someone with a project.
But why am I surprised when I haven't made it clear that every moment I am not teaching my kids or taking care of the home that I am working.
How do you prioritize your business?
by andrea hermitt
Sometimes being such a low priority is a good thing and is why people work from home, to be able to put family first. Other times it is the result of letting people ignore the fact that you work from home.
Because I work around my children's homeschooling schedule, it is hard for me to tell people that I work between this hour and that, because I don't. I generally work when I can. I believe this gives the impression that I am not working at all, and unfortunately, this invites people to assume I am not busy when I am not teaching my kids. This assumption invites calls for favors.
Can you imaging my surprise this week when after I made it clear that my kids were having an especially busy week, that I still got phonecalls and request to drive people around, or to help someone with a project.
But why am I surprised when I haven't made it clear that every moment I am not teaching my kids or taking care of the home that I am working.
How do you prioritize your business?
by andrea hermitt
This is an example of how Network Referrals Work
An interesting thing happened today on our Yahoo group. Maybe it is because Referral Networks was our topic of the day yesterday, maybe because one of our members did an excellent job.
One of our members is a hairdresser and the group has been buzzing about her. The women love her, and she does a fabulous job for a great price. Because everyone in our group who has used her is writing recommendations and reviews, the next time someone asks me about a hairdresser I will know exactly who to recommend. If she doesn't provide the services they need we still have another hairstylist in our group.
This is an example of how Network Referrals Work. This is however, the second step when using a network group. The first step is to reference the member list to see who provides good and services that you may need.
One of our members is a hairdresser and the group has been buzzing about her. The women love her, and she does a fabulous job for a great price. Because everyone in our group who has used her is writing recommendations and reviews, the next time someone asks me about a hairdresser I will know exactly who to recommend. If she doesn't provide the services they need we still have another hairstylist in our group.
This is an example of how Network Referrals Work. This is however, the second step when using a network group. The first step is to reference the member list to see who provides good and services that you may need.
Networking and Referrals
The people who responded to my last post on what you want in a networking group said they like referrals. (still open for comments)
I agree.. referral business is a large part of networking. How referral networking works.
Individual business people working separately can bring in a moderate amount of business. Sally may sell Tupperware and does just fine. If you asked Sally if she knew someone that did hair, she might tell you about someone she heard about, but not know their reputation. But, in a networking group that give referrals to group members, Sally would tell her customers about Mary Ann, because she knows of several people who rave about their experience with her, plus she had her hair done too.
This increases Maryann business and Maryann is quick to mention someone in the group too, especially Sally who has already sent business her way.
If you are a member of a network group, I am going to issue a challenge. The Christmas try to purchase 1/2 of your Christmas and Holiday gifts and services from someone in your group. I promise you that not only will you see the businesses of your friends grow, but yours will grow as well.
If you live in Gwinnett and/or belong to our networking group, scroll down to view all of the businesses (in the sidebar) you can buy from this holiday season.
by Andrea Hermitt www.ahermitt.com
I agree.. referral business is a large part of networking. How referral networking works.
Individual business people working separately can bring in a moderate amount of business. Sally may sell Tupperware and does just fine. If you asked Sally if she knew someone that did hair, she might tell you about someone she heard about, but not know their reputation. But, in a networking group that give referrals to group members, Sally would tell her customers about Mary Ann, because she knows of several people who rave about their experience with her, plus she had her hair done too.
This increases Maryann business and Maryann is quick to mention someone in the group too, especially Sally who has already sent business her way.
If you are a member of a network group, I am going to issue a challenge. The Christmas try to purchase 1/2 of your Christmas and Holiday gifts and services from someone in your group. I promise you that not only will you see the businesses of your friends grow, but yours will grow as well.
If you live in Gwinnett and/or belong to our networking group, scroll down to view all of the businesses (in the sidebar) you can buy from this holiday season.
by Andrea Hermitt www.ahermitt.com
Let's Talk about networking
Only, I'm not going to do any of the talking. I just want to ask some questions... Please leave a comment with your answers. Thank You
Are you a woman business owner?
What is your business?
Do You network?
What do you want in a networking group?
What excites you the most about business networking?
Are you a woman business owner?
What is your business?
Do You network?
What do you want in a networking group?
What excites you the most about business networking?
How to make money selling other people's stuff!
You may have heard the words 'Affiliate Marketing' and not really known what it was.
Affiliate marketing is basically placing links to companies or to specific products offered by companies. When your site visitors click on the link and make a purchase, you make a percentage of the sale. That's how it works! You don't have to do anything else except lead the customer to the sale. You get paid for the lead or sale you generate.
There are many websites that offer affiliate marketing - essentially they are affiliate marketing networks where the advertisers pay to have their affiliate marketing advertised and managed.
You as a person putting the links on your site or blog, are referred to as a 'publisher.' As a publisher, you should never pay to be an affiliate. I want to stress again, that you do not pay to be an affiliate.
There are several places you can sign up to be a free affiliate publisher. My favorite is Commission Junction, because it has many major retailers, and I am able to find advertisers and product links that work well with certain pages of my website or blog topics. Once you sign up, look through the advertisers by category to find good matches for your website. Look for companies whose product line is something you think your site visitors would enjoy. I think that is a key of affiliate marketing, if you gear everything toward your site's visitors and not your own needs, you will do well.
Linked products or companies should be associated with what you do a little bit - for example, if you sell handcrafted candle holders but you don't make candles, you can link a company that sells candles, or better yet, show picture links of candles or make an entire 'store' page of candles. It ties in. It is hard not to be tempted by advertising an i-pod, because that's an expensive product, but that wouldn't do very well on a page of candleholders...see what I mean?
I also have an affiliate account with ShareASale.com but I haven't done very well with that one. They do tend to have quite a few smaller companies with unique items.
Amazon.com also has an affiliate program but they call it being an "Associate."
To sign up on Amazon.com's affiliate program, click HERE
The nice thing about Amazon's program is that you can easily modify the links to coordinate in with your website's colors. You can link to any Amazon product. More and more attractive affiliate link options are being added all the time.
How much can you make doing this? It starts out pretty small and depressing, I'll be honest with you. This is something to begin working on when you have some quiet downtime in your business. If you've never done it before, I wouldn't recommend trying to start it in your busiest time of the year. Start at your quiet time of the year, just start with one company - again, I recommend Commission Junction because it has so many companies you can link and try.
I make about $30 per Quarter with my affiliate links. It's pretty small beans I know, but once your links are set, showing the right company or products in the right spot, you can just leave it alone. When your account gets to the dollar amount you've set, they automatically send you a check. The amount you make is directly related to the amount of your website traffic. Put links on the busiest pages of your site whenever possible.
So if you want to get started, here are the steps and tips:
Affiliate marketing is basically placing links to companies or to specific products offered by companies. When your site visitors click on the link and make a purchase, you make a percentage of the sale. That's how it works! You don't have to do anything else except lead the customer to the sale. You get paid for the lead or sale you generate.
There are many websites that offer affiliate marketing - essentially they are affiliate marketing networks where the advertisers pay to have their affiliate marketing advertised and managed.
You as a person putting the links on your site or blog, are referred to as a 'publisher.' As a publisher, you should never pay to be an affiliate. I want to stress again, that you do not pay to be an affiliate.
There are several places you can sign up to be a free affiliate publisher. My favorite is Commission Junction, because it has many major retailers, and I am able to find advertisers and product links that work well with certain pages of my website or blog topics. Once you sign up, look through the advertisers by category to find good matches for your website. Look for companies whose product line is something you think your site visitors would enjoy. I think that is a key of affiliate marketing, if you gear everything toward your site's visitors and not your own needs, you will do well.
Linked products or companies should be associated with what you do a little bit - for example, if you sell handcrafted candle holders but you don't make candles, you can link a company that sells candles, or better yet, show picture links of candles or make an entire 'store' page of candles. It ties in. It is hard not to be tempted by advertising an i-pod, because that's an expensive product, but that wouldn't do very well on a page of candleholders...see what I mean?
I also have an affiliate account with ShareASale.com but I haven't done very well with that one. They do tend to have quite a few smaller companies with unique items.
Amazon.com also has an affiliate program but they call it being an "Associate."
To sign up on Amazon.com's affiliate program, click HERE
The nice thing about Amazon's program is that you can easily modify the links to coordinate in with your website's colors. You can link to any Amazon product. More and more attractive affiliate link options are being added all the time.
How much can you make doing this? It starts out pretty small and depressing, I'll be honest with you. This is something to begin working on when you have some quiet downtime in your business. If you've never done it before, I wouldn't recommend trying to start it in your busiest time of the year. Start at your quiet time of the year, just start with one company - again, I recommend Commission Junction because it has so many companies you can link and try.
I make about $30 per Quarter with my affiliate links. It's pretty small beans I know, but once your links are set, showing the right company or products in the right spot, you can just leave it alone. When your account gets to the dollar amount you've set, they automatically send you a check. The amount you make is directly related to the amount of your website traffic. Put links on the busiest pages of your site whenever possible.
So if you want to get started, here are the steps and tips:
- Sign up
- Browse companies and products and think about where they would fit well on your site or blog
- Apply to programs
- Set up 'Channels' - this is setting up identifiers for your pages so statistics of the site will tell you where your hits are coming from.
- Add the links. If they don't have a link you can use effectively (need a different size, etc), don't be afraid to email the company affiliate manager and ask for help. They are there to help the affiliate program be successful so they love to hear from you. Remember there are real people behind each program!
- Return to the affiliate website to check statistics of hits. If you don't have hits from a certain page or location on your blog, perhaps you will want to move it to a different page or location, or remove the link altogether and replace with something that will be more active.
- Remove any inactive links (advertisers who have left the program... you might still have their link on your page, but purchases won't earn anything for you because the advertiser has closed their affiliate account) So you don't want those left on your site...your space is money.
- Think seasonally, what products could you link for different times of the year?
- Don't let your website become a horrendous pile-up of affiliate links. It looks tacky, makes it look like you aren't serious about your main business. Allow a maximum of one banner link per page of your site. (I mostly have mine in my links pages of my site and only occasionally put a banner on my main page).
- Links should complement the colors of your website, not exactly match it. For instance, if your website background is dark green, then links with background colors would do well if they were light green because that coordinates but will still stand out. Don't put orange links on dark green background just because they will stand out. You wan the links to stand out, but not be too overbearing. Set it up so they blend but are still noticeable enough that people will click. Here is an example from my site: LINK
When I first started networking...
I was a jerk.
Mainly this was because I didn't really know what networking was.
Step into my time machine and check out how I was a jerk.
I was invited to an online 'virtual' networking event that was being done by an online group as a membership drive. The idea was to use the Yahoo Group to let people come in and post their ads and talk to each other over a 24 hour period.
I just didn't get the idea yet that networking is about giving, not just getting.
During the event, I tried to get into the group about every half hour to an hour, and I'd just blast my ad. To me, it was all about free advertising, and getting my business in their face.
Looking back, I know I had to be totally obnoxious, yet the ladies in the networking group were nice and gave me some kind comments on my art.
Now I know that the most successful networkers help other people. Now I know the idea is to help other people be successful. We all know that when someone has helped us, we always remember them! That's the key to business networking. Really the key to all business. If you help other people get what they want, you will get what you want. Now I try to be a giver, not a taker.
I'm not ashamed of how I behaved, because I didn't have any ill intentions,
I just didn't know any better. It was a learning experience.
Mainly this was because I didn't really know what networking was.
Step into my time machine and check out how I was a jerk.
I was invited to an online 'virtual' networking event that was being done by an online group as a membership drive. The idea was to use the Yahoo Group to let people come in and post their ads and talk to each other over a 24 hour period.
I just didn't get the idea yet that networking is about giving, not just getting.
During the event, I tried to get into the group about every half hour to an hour, and I'd just blast my ad. To me, it was all about free advertising, and getting my business in their face.
Looking back, I know I had to be totally obnoxious, yet the ladies in the networking group were nice and gave me some kind comments on my art.
Now I know that the most successful networkers help other people. Now I know the idea is to help other people be successful. We all know that when someone has helped us, we always remember them! That's the key to business networking. Really the key to all business. If you help other people get what they want, you will get what you want. Now I try to be a giver, not a taker.
I'm not ashamed of how I behaved, because I didn't have any ill intentions,
I just didn't know any better. It was a learning experience.
Technology: Efficiency tool or shortcut to insanity?
Atlanta Women Business Owners...
Join Lisa EarleMcLeod (Snellville GA Author) at the Buckhead BEST BUY
Wednesday, October 10th, 2007
11:30 Am to 2 :00 PM
Lisa will present “Technology: Efficiency tool or shortcut to insanity?”
"An exclusive event for Atlanta's female business owners: Join us for a complimentary lunch and hear special guest speaker humorist Lisa McLeod author of "Finding Grace When You Can't Even Find Clean Underwear" discuss why the elusive goal of balance is making us nuts.
Also joining us will be some of your favorite vendors demonstrating how to use the latest technology in your business and your life. Friends and guests welcome sponsored by Best Buy and Apple Computer."
The event is free and lunch is provided
Sponsored by Best Buy and Apple Computer
More details:
http://www.evite.com/app/publicUrl/lisa@forgetperfect.com/bestbuy
Join Lisa EarleMcLeod (Snellville GA Author) at the Buckhead BEST BUY
Wednesday, October 10th, 2007
11:30 Am to 2 :00 PM
Lisa will present “Technology: Efficiency tool or shortcut to insanity?”
"An exclusive event for Atlanta's female business owners: Join us for a complimentary lunch and hear special guest speaker humorist Lisa McLeod author of "Finding Grace When You Can't Even Find Clean Underwear" discuss why the elusive goal of balance is making us nuts.
Also joining us will be some of your favorite vendors demonstrating how to use the latest technology in your business and your life. Friends and guests welcome sponsored by Best Buy and Apple Computer."
The event is free and lunch is provided
Sponsored by Best Buy and Apple Computer
More details:
http://www.evite.com/app
Looking for Tupperware Products? Look to WomenOfGwinnett.com Members
Here in Georgia it's very humid, so I love my Tupperware for keeping food fresh and crispy.
In the Atlanta area, we tend to have sugar ants come out in droves this time of year. One year, we had to throw away a lot of expensive cereals and snacks because of the ants.
Ever since I bought enough Tupperware Modular Mates to contain everything in our pantry, we've had no trouble with the ants, because they can't get their grubby little mandibles on anything at our house!
If you have children, you can't beat the safety of having plastic drinkware on hand. I can't tell you how many times we have averted having a child's foot cut from broken glass because we've had Tupperware. When a kid drops a cup, it's no big deal when it's a high quality plastic-ware Tupperware tumbler.
Yes, there are a lot of plastic cups, bowls, and storage containers on the market, but I've noticed that they tend to warp and have quite a few problems just within a year or so. The last time I checked, Tupperware products are guaranteed for 50 years. My Tupperware is going to last longer than I will!
We have two members who sell Tupperware. (their names are clickable links)
Angela Davies, Tupperware Representative and
Allison Newton, Tupperware Representative
In the Atlanta area, we tend to have sugar ants come out in droves this time of year. One year, we had to throw away a lot of expensive cereals and snacks because of the ants.
Ever since I bought enough Tupperware Modular Mates to contain everything in our pantry, we've had no trouble with the ants, because they can't get their grubby little mandibles on anything at our house!
If you have children, you can't beat the safety of having plastic drinkware on hand. I can't tell you how many times we have averted having a child's foot cut from broken glass because we've had Tupperware. When a kid drops a cup, it's no big deal when it's a high quality plastic-ware Tupperware tumbler.
Yes, there are a lot of plastic cups, bowls, and storage containers on the market, but I've noticed that they tend to warp and have quite a few problems just within a year or so. The last time I checked, Tupperware products are guaranteed for 50 years. My Tupperware is going to last longer than I will!
We have two members who sell Tupperware. (their names are clickable links)
Angela Davies, Tupperware Representative and
Allison Newton, Tupperware Representative
Business-After-Hours Extravaganza Networking Event
The Snellville Downtown Development Authority, the Snellville Commerce Club, and the Greater Grayson Chamber of Commerce will present their Business-After-Hours Extravaganza on Thursday October 25, 2007 from 5:00 to 7:00 pm. The event will be held at the Summit Chase Country Club, located at 3197 Classic Drive, Snellville GA 30078. Summit Chase Country Club's phone number is 770-979-9000.
This will be a complimentary networking event.
No RSVP is required.
You are invited to bring a guest or even two guests!
There will be business exhibits, door prizes, and more.
Thanks to Impact Media & Pulications/Tri-City Times & Scene Around for this information.
This will be a complimentary networking event.
No RSVP is required.
You are invited to bring a guest or even two guests!
There will be business exhibits, door prizes, and more.
Thanks to Impact Media & Pulications/Tri-City Times & Scene Around for this information.
Is it a blog or a website?
In an effort to keep websites current and blogs active, many webmasters are opting to create combination websites/blogs. After all, the purpose of the blog is to promote the website, so it is a natural evolution for a website and blog to be combined.
Blogger makes this combination easy. If you sign into the blogger dashboard of your new or existing blog, you can choose the template option. For the heading, you can upload a banner in place of the title bar if you choose. Under that, you can add text boxes that you would normally have on a website. You can add link sections to take to your web store, or to contact information. You can add anything you please.
Personally, I like for the page to look like a normal website at first glance. (with the exception of the blogger bar at the top). At the very bottom of the screen, I like for the title of the first post to peek out, giving the viewer a hint of something more below. As I add new posts, that headline will show and change and the updates to my blog will keep my website active and keep it at the top of the Google rankings.
Components of a blog/website are business and contact information, a sales component, and a sales pitch or information (for informational websites)
Examples of blog/websites
http://www.ahermitt.com/
http://womenofgwinnett.blogspot.com/
http://www.freehomeed.com/
http://printpattern.blogspot.com/
http://www.loosetooth.com/Shop/shop.php3
Blogger makes this combination easy. If you sign into the blogger dashboard of your new or existing blog, you can choose the template option. For the heading, you can upload a banner in place of the title bar if you choose. Under that, you can add text boxes that you would normally have on a website. You can add link sections to take to your web store, or to contact information. You can add anything you please.
Personally, I like for the page to look like a normal website at first glance. (with the exception of the blogger bar at the top). At the very bottom of the screen, I like for the title of the first post to peek out, giving the viewer a hint of something more below. As I add new posts, that headline will show and change and the updates to my blog will keep my website active and keep it at the top of the Google rankings.
Components of a blog/website are business and contact information, a sales component, and a sales pitch or information (for informational websites)
Examples of blog/websites
http://www.ahermitt.com/
http://womenofgwinnett.blogspot.com/
http://www.freehomeed.com/
http://printpattern.blogspot.com/
http://www.loosetooth.com/Shop/shop.php3
http://crystalcreates.blogspot.com/ is leaning toward a good combination of the two
With Today's blog templates there is no limit to what you can create.
Read more about blogging for business below:
More on blogging
Andrea wrote yesterday about blogging. I wanted to add my proverbial two cents in, as you all know I tend to do!
When I first considered blogging, I had no idea why anyone would want to read what I had to say. I still kind of wonder why they want to read what I write, but that's their business! :)
A lady who was in our networking group told me that what was holding me back was the fear of not being good enough, and to just forget about that fear and start writing. So I did. I thought I would blog about 4 days and then I'd run out of content, but now it's been over 4 years.
I still draw a blank sometimes, and that's okay.
I have had people visit my website through the links on my blog. In between the personal touch of the blog and my website, I think it takes away the intimidation people feel when they want to contact any business through their site. I do pencil portraits and I feel portraiture is a very personal kind of 'product,' so anything that helps people feel my personality and feel comfortable emailing or calling me is a good thing.
If you are considering starting a business blog, the best advice I can give you is to remember that the blog is like a conversation. It's a two-way street. Make sure your blog is set up so people can comment. You can usually set up the blog so you can approve the comments before they are posted to protect against spam and general meanies. Imagine you are visiting with them and just chatting. Use your 'real' voice. Don't use words like 'enable,' 'utilize,' 'paradigm,' etc if that isn't the way you really speak. Don't call me either, if you do speak that way. I will not be able to understand you. Use small, simple words, and enunciate clearly. Remember, I am an artist.
My blog can be found here: LINK
When I first considered blogging, I had no idea why anyone would want to read what I had to say. I still kind of wonder why they want to read what I write, but that's their business! :)
A lady who was in our networking group told me that what was holding me back was the fear of not being good enough, and to just forget about that fear and start writing. So I did. I thought I would blog about 4 days and then I'd run out of content, but now it's been over 4 years.
I still draw a blank sometimes, and that's okay.
I have had people visit my website through the links on my blog. In between the personal touch of the blog and my website, I think it takes away the intimidation people feel when they want to contact any business through their site. I do pencil portraits and I feel portraiture is a very personal kind of 'product,' so anything that helps people feel my personality and feel comfortable emailing or calling me is a good thing.
If you are considering starting a business blog, the best advice I can give you is to remember that the blog is like a conversation. It's a two-way street. Make sure your blog is set up so people can comment. You can usually set up the blog so you can approve the comments before they are posted to protect against spam and general meanies. Imagine you are visiting with them and just chatting. Use your 'real' voice. Don't use words like 'enable,' 'utilize,' 'paradigm,' etc if that isn't the way you really speak. Don't call me either, if you do speak that way. I will not be able to understand you. Use small, simple words, and enunciate clearly. Remember, I am an artist.
My blog can be found here: LINK
Why Blog?
Three years ago, I did not know what a blog was. I heard of online journals. I even had one. But having a journal connected to a business sounded way too personal. Who would read your journal and purchase something from you?
Well times have changed. Journals have become less personal, and online business has become more personal. The result, of course was the birth of the blog. I defy you to name a large company that does not have a blog. Google has a blog. Yahoo has a blog. EBay has a blog, and within that they have bloggers who have their own blog.
But you run a small business selling hoo-haws (or whatever else you sell) why should you have a blog?
In this impersonal internet world, buyers are cautious about buying from small companies for several reasons. First it is hard to know if the business is reputable. Second, they feel no personal connection to the product of the sales person. Having a blog will bring your prospective customers closer to you emotionally which will bring them closer to you financially.
But blogging can be time consuming. Is it worth it? Yes indeed. The longer you can keep your your readers on your site, reading and searching for more information, the better the chance of them purchasing from you.
So get a blog. Attach it to your website. Write something... daily. The extra 10 minutes a day will be well worth it.
www.ahermitt.com
Well times have changed. Journals have become less personal, and online business has become more personal. The result, of course was the birth of the blog. I defy you to name a large company that does not have a blog. Google has a blog. Yahoo has a blog. EBay has a blog, and within that they have bloggers who have their own blog.
But you run a small business selling hoo-haws (or whatever else you sell) why should you have a blog?
In this impersonal internet world, buyers are cautious about buying from small companies for several reasons. First it is hard to know if the business is reputable. Second, they feel no personal connection to the product of the sales person. Having a blog will bring your prospective customers closer to you emotionally which will bring them closer to you financially.
But blogging can be time consuming. Is it worth it? Yes indeed. The longer you can keep your your readers on your site, reading and searching for more information, the better the chance of them purchasing from you.
So get a blog. Attach it to your website. Write something... daily. The extra 10 minutes a day will be well worth it.
www.ahermitt.com
“Resolve To Never Give Up”
Robert Warlow
Small Business Success
One quality that most budding entrepreneurs find they need very early on in their business career is persistence – that stubborn streak and the resolve never to give up. But developing the habit of persistence is tough. After so many rejections, so many failed ideas, so many days when nothing seems to go right, the temptation to pack it all in and move onto something else can be overwhelming.
That prolific inventor Thomas Edison said, “All I can do is try everything to prove my idea is right and only give up when I am sure it won’t work.” This is the guy who tried 3,000 different ways to develop a light bulb. Now that’s what I call being persistent!
What can you do to make sure you don’t give up until you are 100% sure that it won’t work? Here are some ideas.
Have a Goal
I have talked before about having a clear goal or vision. Knowing what your end result is, why you are doing what you are doing, can be a powerful tool to cultivate persistence. Having a vivid picture in your mind of what you are setting out to achieve can keep you going during the dark days - remember the saying that it’s always darkest just before the dawn. Wouldn’t it be sad to think that you may have given up when success was just around the corner?
So, if you find yourself on the point of giving up, close our eyes, visualise your goal or the reason why you started, and dig deep for the persistence to carry on.
Develop a Road Map
It’s all very well knowing where you want to go, but if you are entering unknown territory you need a road map or a plan. For your first year, write down all the steps you will need to take. Lack of persistence kicks in when you don’t know which way to turn, it’s easier to turn around and go home. Having a plan mapped out before you start will give you the edge to carry on with your journey. A plan is a commitment you have made with yourself and can be a great tool to spur you on.
Going blindly into your new venture can seem a hugely daunting task but a plan ‘chunks’ down all the steps you need to take. A plan with smaller steps is harder to give up on than one plan which outlines the end goal. Each small step accomplished is a motivator to carry on to the next one.
Avoid Interruptions
Once you are into your plan, resolve with yourself to avoid all interruptions. Create habits for your working day – only take a break at a set time and duration; don’t stop what you are doing to start something else, focus on the task in hand; start the habit of limiting your phone conversations to purely business talk. If you find cold calling a problem, create the habit of making one call at 11 o’clock every day; you’ll soon you have it cracked.
Be Creative
One of the main reasons we give up is we think there is no other way to achieve our goal. But be creative! Before giving up, be like Edison, is there version 2,599 you can try first? If you have hit ‘the wall’, take time out of the business and go somewhere you can think in peace. Not only is this time-out likely to re-motivate you but you may get that much needed flash of inspiration. So before giving up, resolve to adjust your plan and find another way.
Don’t Listen to Them
One devastating destroyer of persistence are the ‘doubters’ in your life, the ones who are quick to say, “It will never work”, or “I don’t know why you bother”. These negative-thinking people can rob you of your persistence, so avoid them or block them out of your mind as soon as they come with 3 feet of you!
If you haven’t been able to move away quick enough just picture them as the non-achievers they are, nod sagely at their comments and move on, laughing to yourself at how little they know!
A strange thing about persistence is that you can only develop the skill when times are tough. You can’t practice the art of persistence when everything is going well, so I hope it’s one skill you won’t have to get down to a fine art!
© Robert Warlow
Small Business Success
http://www.smallbusinesssuccess.biz
Small Business Success is a resource dedicated to helping small business owners be more successful. If you are looking for a regular flow of ideas and tips then subscribe to Small Business Success a free newsletter, which provides you with quick tips, ideas and articles.
For more information visit http://www.smallbusinesssuccess.biz
10 Successful Tips for Business Networking
I recently came upon this article and thought it was very relevant.
Effective business networking is the linking together of individuals who,
through trust and relationship building, become walking, talking advertisements
for one another.
1. Keep in mind that networking is about being genuine and authentic,
building trust and relationships, and seeing how you can help others.
What Have You Done for Your Networking Group Lately?
Over the years I have noticed a trend in new people joining networking groups. (I have belonged to several, and am a founding member of this one.) People mistakenly assume that by joining the networking group, they are going to instantly increase their business sales, and when that does not happen, they leave, or become inactive. Unfortunately they are missing the whole point of networking.
While networking groups certainly can help grow a business, or give a new business the kick start it needs, this happens as a side effect and should not be the main purpose of joining a networking group. A business networking group consists of a group of people who join forces combining strengths to simultaneously strengthen networks, and learn from each other. The most successful person in any networking group (without a doubt) is the person who contributes the most.
If I believed in Karma, I could attribute such success to it. I do however, believe in doing unto others as you would have them do unto you. It works. It really works. At this point I am going to use our beloved Darla Dixon as an example. She joined this group when it was a floundering start up. Frankly, it was not going to make it. I was struggling with a serious illness, and meetings (which at the time were in person), were inconsistent at best. But Darla knew a good idea when she saw it, picked up the ball and ran with it. This is why we are 67 active members today with over 140 people in our Yahoo Group. Darla has moderated our group, organized get togethers, recruited new members, built our websites, which includes this new and wonderful blog, and has served us all in may ways.
It is no wonder that if any of us hears the words "looking for an artist", that Darla comes to mind. She has given to us all, and none of us would hesitate to give back to her. I am not saying that any member needs to do as much as Darla does for the group. I am saying however, that lending your special talents to the group would make both it and your own business much stronger. Here are some examples of activities you could do to help grow your networking group.
Organizing functions and meetings formal and informal
Sharing Business Knowledge
Charity Coordinator
Cross advertising and promotion
Giving public reviews when pleased with anothers service (using the email list and sites like Kudzu)
Lending Your Special Talents to the group: marketing, design, etc.
by Andrea Hermitt, www.ahermitt.com
While networking groups certainly can help grow a business, or give a new business the kick start it needs, this happens as a side effect and should not be the main purpose of joining a networking group. A business networking group consists of a group of people who join forces combining strengths to simultaneously strengthen networks, and learn from each other. The most successful person in any networking group (without a doubt) is the person who contributes the most.
If I believed in Karma, I could attribute such success to it. I do however, believe in doing unto others as you would have them do unto you. It works. It really works. At this point I am going to use our beloved Darla Dixon as an example. She joined this group when it was a floundering start up. Frankly, it was not going to make it. I was struggling with a serious illness, and meetings (which at the time were in person), were inconsistent at best. But Darla knew a good idea when she saw it, picked up the ball and ran with it. This is why we are 67 active members today with over 140 people in our Yahoo Group. Darla has moderated our group, organized get togethers, recruited new members, built our websites, which includes this new and wonderful blog, and has served us all in may ways.
It is no wonder that if any of us hears the words "looking for an artist", that Darla comes to mind. She has given to us all, and none of us would hesitate to give back to her. I am not saying that any member needs to do as much as Darla does for the group. I am saying however, that lending your special talents to the group would make both it and your own business much stronger. Here are some examples of activities you could do to help grow your networking group.
Organizing functions and meetings formal and informal
Sharing Business Knowledge
Charity Coordinator
Cross advertising and promotion
Giving public reviews when pleased with anothers service (using the email list and sites like Kudzu)
Lending Your Special Talents to the group: marketing, design, etc.
by Andrea Hermitt, www.ahermitt.com
Your Yahoo Profile as a Business Tool
When is the last time you updated your Yahoo Profile?
Was it around 1995? No way, where did the time go?!?
Chances are, your details have changed!
You may use Yahoo for email, or you may have a Yahoo username for Yahoo Groups.
Your Yahoo Profile can be a useful sales tool for your business. Did you know that you can have as many as four website links in your Yahoo Profile? Why not also use your Yahoo Profile to tell people a little bit about yourself and your business? Get your business link in there!
There is the concern about privacy, if you use your Yahoo ID to go to Yahoo Chat, then I would recommend a more detail-hidden Yahoo ID and Profile, but for business networking groups, I would definitely keep my Yahoo Profile filled out and up-to-date. If you don't want to post a photo of yourself, remember that you could instead post a photo of your product.
UPDATE YOUR YAHOO PROFILE: LINK
Was it around 1995? No way, where did the time go?!?
Chances are, your details have changed!
You may use Yahoo for email, or you may have a Yahoo username for Yahoo Groups.
Your Yahoo Profile can be a useful sales tool for your business. Did you know that you can have as many as four website links in your Yahoo Profile? Why not also use your Yahoo Profile to tell people a little bit about yourself and your business? Get your business link in there!
There is the concern about privacy, if you use your Yahoo ID to go to Yahoo Chat, then I would recommend a more detail-hidden Yahoo ID and Profile, but for business networking groups, I would definitely keep my Yahoo Profile filled out and up-to-date. If you don't want to post a photo of yourself, remember that you could instead post a photo of your product.
http://profiles.yahoo.com/ahermitt
A sketch for photo to show she’s artistic and creative. Profile tells what Andrea does – murals and writing.
http://profiles.yahoo.com/darligraphy
I used my Self portrait as photo, links to portrait art website if anyone wanted to see more art examples, an affiliate link to VistaPrint, and a link to Women Of Gwinnett group.
http://profiles.yahoo.com/themercedeslady
Lori McTaggart's Yahoo Profile shows she sells Arbonne and her email address is there in case someone came upon the page and wanted to place an Arbonne order.
http://profiles.yahoo.com/sjrboswell
Includes link to her Stampin’ Up! Website and a little bit of information about her.
http://profiles.yahoo.com/tonidore
Photo, profile information all filled out to promote her astrology business, the Astrology Source.UPDATE YOUR YAHOO PROFILE: LINK
Places to post a free ad online
Rochelle Noel of The PC Link emailed in two great places to post a free advertisement online.
www.backpage.com and www.kijiji.com . You can post in multiple cities and categories on Kajiji. Backpages also offers the opportunity to post in multiple cities at paid level fairly affordably - it just depends on which cities you select.
I added them to our link list. If you would like more sites that allow free ads, check our links in the sidebar, on the right of this blog - scroll down near the bottom to locate them.
Now you know where we have them all linked, you can come back to www.WomenofGwinnett.com anytime you want to post an ad, and get to many great places quickly. Remember to bookmark our page, or sign up to receive updates to our site automatically!
Thanks again, Rochelle, for sharing those two great links!
www.backpage.com and www.kijiji.com . You can post in multiple cities and categories on Kajiji. Backpages also offers the opportunity to post in multiple cities at paid level fairly affordably - it just depends on which cities you select.
I added them to our link list. If you would like more sites that allow free ads, check our links in the sidebar, on the right of this blog - scroll down near the bottom to locate them.
Now you know where we have them all linked, you can come back to www.WomenofGwinnett.com anytime you want to post an ad, and get to many great places quickly. Remember to bookmark our page, or sign up to receive updates to our site automatically!
Thanks again, Rochelle, for sharing those two great links!
FEATURE: Crystal's Creations
Women of Gwinnett member, Crystal Brown, is so crafty! Check out this crafti-licious pincushion - it is totally hand-sewn and looks like a little cake. Adorable, would make a wonderful gift, and it's calorie free!Check out her site: LINK
See more of her Pincushions: LINK
Crystal says, "I live in the Atlanta, Georgia, which is where my Home based business really took off. My passion to create things with my hands was the deciding factor in starting my own business 7 years ago. When I sold a crocheted bunny to a co-worker, the fire to create more items began to burn stronger. It was the first toy I had ever crocheted. Toys are joy to make. Currently, my toys are my best sellers. In addition to my website, I currently sell my items in boutiques, crafts shows and consignment shops nationwide.
I love all types of crafts and love to make several different things. I am always learning from others and my creativity keeps growing and growing. Soon, there will be several different lines of products on my site, so please check back often to see what I have been up to."
Using Direct Mail & Mailing Lists
Did you know you can purchase mailing lists? The price of your mailing list depends on how many options you select. You can be very specific, for example, you can request a mailing list by families with children and income levels. A mailing list is also a good option if you want to only mail to specific zip codes.
Many mailing list suppliers can allow you to obtain your mailing list on CD-ROM, if you want to use the list more than once, or you can opt for the mailing list to be sent to you on pre-printed mailing labels, which saves time. Most mailing list companies will require you to email or mail in a sample of the mailing material if you request a list that includes families with children. This is a good sign - it means the company cares about the safety of children.
There are many services that also offer a mailing list and they will handle all the mailing and affixing postage for you. If you use one of these services, be sure to also include some 'blinds' (names and addresses of family and friends, so you can be sure the mailings are actually happening, and are taking place by the schedule you selected. In other words, if you add a friend to the list and the friend says they never got the mailing, yet you paid for it - you will know you have an issue to discuss with the mailing company!
w3Data, a mailing list supplier, allows you to look up your previous or current customers (the information is secure) and they'll help you find more customers just like the ones you've had! This is a pretty sure-fire method of creating a successful direct mail campaign, if you don't know where to start.
Many mailing list suppliers can allow you to obtain your mailing list on CD-ROM, if you want to use the list more than once, or you can opt for the mailing list to be sent to you on pre-printed mailing labels, which saves time. Most mailing list companies will require you to email or mail in a sample of the mailing material if you request a list that includes families with children. This is a good sign - it means the company cares about the safety of children.
There are many services that also offer a mailing list and they will handle all the mailing and affixing postage for you. If you use one of these services, be sure to also include some 'blinds' (names and addresses of family and friends, so you can be sure the mailings are actually happening, and are taking place by the schedule you selected. In other words, if you add a friend to the list and the friend says they never got the mailing, yet you paid for it - you will know you have an issue to discuss with the mailing company!
w3Data, a mailing list supplier, allows you to look up your previous or current customers (the information is secure) and they'll help you find more customers just like the ones you've had! This is a pretty sure-fire method of creating a successful direct mail campaign, if you don't know where to start.
Women of Gwinnett Group members have virtually everything you need for beauty and health!
- Rodriguez, Tracy
- Edwards, Terri - Organic Connection
- McDermott, Debbie - Serenity Lakes
- Gaddy, Carmen - Contours Express
- Flaherty, Nancy - A Reiki Experience 770-317-4689
- Yarbrough, Roxanne - Hair Stylist lovelylocksmail@yahoo.com
- Halstead, Ann - Hair Stylist 770-713-1341
- Owens, Patti - Scrubbles Soap
- Peterson, Lois - Mary Kay
- Hendrix, Melissa - Mary Kay
- Hayes, Tracy - Mary Kay
- Mehal, Iram - BeautiControl 770-841-5962
- Newton, Allison - AVON
- Smith, Beckie - Arbonne 770-601-9644
- McTaggart, Lori - Arbonne
- Boatman, Antonina - Arbonne ID 15852719
Get your hair cut, styled or colored by Ann Halstead or Roxanne Yarbrough, get fit at Contours Express in Snellville, find serenity at A Reiki Experience in Snellville or Serenity Lakes wellness center in Lawrenceville, shop healthy products for your pet with Terri Edwards' Organic Connection website.
AVON from Allison Newton or Shelly Lorenzen, Beauti Control from Iram Mehal; Mary Kay available from Mary Kay director Lois Peterson, Tracy Hayes or Melissa Hendrix; handmade soaps (great gifts) from Patti Owens of Scrubbles Soap! Arbonne products are available from Beckie Smith, Antonina Boatman, and Lori McTaggart!
Tell them you found them on http://www.WomenOfGwinnett.com !
Women of Gwinnett has virtually everything you need for your home!
From Carpet Cleaning to Tupperware, members of Women of Gwinnett have you covered!
5 Tips to Get Organized for Work at Home Moms
5 Tips To Get Organized For Work At Home Moms
By Becki Maxson
If I was to come into your office area right now, would you cringe? Don’t feel bad, I’ve been there too! But you know you don’t work at your best when things are a mess, or all the important stuff is swimming around in your head. Here are 5 tips to start getting better organized.
Email is your best friend and your worst enemy. If you don’t take charge of it, it will take charge of you! Outlook is a terrific tool to keep track of your emails, your daily schedule, your to-do list, client phone numbers and email addresses and more. I use the folder function to act as an online file cabinet. Really, it’s simple and it works great! I just create a folder by subject and drag pertinent emails into it. Then when I wonder, “What did we talk about last time?” or “Where’s my log-in for that account?” I know right where to go.
Paper, paper everywhere…are you buried? Maybe a computer system isn’t for you, but all is not lost. If you don’t have a planner, get one! There are many kinds of planners to choose from, in all kinds of shapes and sizes. Find one that fits your needs and use it to keep track of doctor appointments, school meetings, your work schedule, etc. Set up a good old-fashioned rolodex or file box to keep track of phone numbers, emails and other information.
I also print out e-books that I buy and put them into report covers with a clear plastic cover so I remember to read them and they don’t go to never-never land on my hard drive.
Now, tax planning. Neglect your record-keeping and you’re asking for a real headache down the road. An easy way to keep track of receipts is to get a hanging file folder and 12 manila envelopes. Have one envelope for January, one for February and so on. During the month, throw all your receipts in the corresponding envelope. When the month is over, tally up your receipts and write it on the outside of the envelope. That way, when tax time comes, most of your work will already be done. Or again, use a simple Excel spreadsheet or just a spiral notebook to keep track of your expenses by category. Remember to track your income too!
Take some time each day to “take care of the little things” and you’ll stay organized, feel less stressed, and get more work done!
© 2007 Becki Maxson
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Becki Maxson juggles a husband, three teenage sons, Boy Scouts, meals, laundry, volunteer stuff and home business in Rocklin, CA.
She is the founder of http://www.KingdomWork.com, an online resource for Christian home based business owners, and is a Marketing Mentor for Advantage Conferences.
This article can be reprinted freely online, as long as the entire article and this resource box are included.
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REVIEW: Traci Smith, Pampered Chef
Traci Smith, The Pampered Chef (Snellville GA)
404-797-1193 / Email: ChefTraci@comcast.net
Traci Smith is a delightful person and does a very entertaining kitchen show! I hadn't had a kitchen show in years and I found Traci's name on our WOG website. She was easy to work with, kept everyone entertained at the show, and takes care of her customers.
Testimonial/Review by: Susan Boswell (as buyer)
rubberstamping: http://www.susanboswell
writing and web services: http://www.dylanandco.com
I bought some Pampered Chef products from Traci through the home show that Susan Boswell had. Everything was just as expected, delivered as promised (due to the diligence of both Traci and Susan!) and I love my Pampered Chef products. Traci does a really good job of keeping up with her customers through her newsletter, and will keep you up to date and alerted when your favorite item is going on sale or set to be discontinued by the company.
Testimonial/Review by: Darla Dixon (as buyer/client)
REVIEW: Terri Russell, Pet Parties Plus
Terry Russell, Pet Parties Plus (Grayson GA)
770-682-8670 / Email: petparty1@aol.com
I've been to Terry's farm several times and it is a fantastic place for a field trip or a party. There are lots of well-cared for animals there that are used to people (especially important with kids). Terry is very, very patient with the animals and the kids!
Testimonial/Review by: Susan Boswell (as buyer/client)
mailto:sjrboswell@yahoo.com
rubberstamping: http://www.susanboswell.stampinup.net
writing and web services: http://www.dylanandco.com
mailto:sjrboswell@yahoo.com
rubberstamping: http://www.susanboswell
writing and web services: http://www.dylanandco.com
REVIEW: Cakes by Shupan Abraham
Shupan Abraham, Cakes by Shupan
404-593-8961
I hired Shupan to create cakes for my twin daughters' birthday. We were going to have a luau party. Both the girls tend to like the same thing, but I like to make sure their cakes are as individual as they are. They both like Spongebob Squarepants so I asked Shupan if there was anything she could do with that idea. She came up with two awesome cakes - she used a blue gel for the water and brown sugar to look like sand. The birthday girls and the guests were all just delighted. The cakes were the highlight of the party! Shupan will listen to your needs and create cakes to perfectly go with your occasion.
Testimonia/Review by: Darla Dixon
REVIEW: Pencil Portraits drawn from photos by Darla Dixon
770-736-1584
I am continually amazed by the artwork Darla has done for us. Every time I look at it, it looks fresh and new. The amount of detail is amazing!
Reviewed by: Andrea Hermitt
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