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Estimates put the number of small businesses (companies with less than 500 employees) in the United States at about 20 million. A recent report from the State of Oklahoma estimates the number of small businesses with two employees or less at nearly 300,000. It would be a fair guess that half of the small businesses in the country or about 10 million, have less than 10 employees.

It would also be a fair guess that almost all of the managers of these small businesses must engage in multi tasking every day. In this author’s view there are only two types of multi-tasking: enjoyable or horrible. One will most likely either love it or hate it. Multi tasking is stressful either way, but it is very stressful for those who hate it.

Those who hate it are most likely to be persons who have difficulty concentrating and staying focused.

A simple test is this: do you enjoy and handle reasonably well such activities as watching TV and reading something light at the same time? Do you handle conversations fairly well while doing some other task at the same time? Can you follow two lines of thought at the same time without getting a headache? If so, there is no reason you cannot handle multi tasking and learn to enjoy it with a minimum of stress. That is the goal: achieving a minimum of stress and a maximum amount of satisfaction from multi tasking.

If your answer to the questions was no, then multi tasking needs to be approached slowly and carefully, knowing that it will cause you fits if you try to rush. It often also means hiring another person to assist you, or outsourcing some of the more vexing tasks such as accounting, billing or personnel management.

Napoleon Bonaparte, it is said, would dictate letters 12 at a time, using 12 secretaries. He would move from one secretary to the next, remembering where he had left off with each letter and continuing the dictation accurately as he made the rounds. That is a classic example of multi tasking! We should all be so gifted! Today’s world of small business management presents much less dramatic challenges but no less real.

We find ourselves trying to sort mail while answering a demand phone call. We try to finish something on the computer while jotting down important things to remember. Most frequently we find ourselves of necessity stopping a task half-finished because something more important, such as speaking with a distressed employee or demanding customer, has come up. Then we must return to the first task and hope to pick up the train of thought. The most common casualty of this inevitable stop and go work pace is filing. It is so easy to pile up things that need to be filed. The piles grow almost as if by magic.

Organization is the starting point for those wishing to take the pain out of multi tasking. And filing is the foundation for being organized. Never let a day go by without finishing the filing. The reason? Because filing is the secret to being able to find things. Spending time looking for information, letters, bills, receipts and messages is probably the number one cause of frustration. And therein lies the second key to taking out the pain of multi tasking:

Turn frustration into satisfaction. This makes a joy out of what otherwise becomes a budding nightmare. Good order begins with finding things. Finding things begins with putting them where they belong. Putting them where they belong means attention to filing, every day, perhaps every few hours. Then, when it is time retrieve information there it is! Now the task has a chance to become satisfying.

Few, if any small business managers will be faced with the complexities of the magnitude that surrounded Napoleon. The manager’s work is simply not dramatic or earth shaking most of the time. In fact, it is so ordinary that the lack of challenge itself can become a road to burnout. The secret is always the same: get the tasks to be satisfying or they will get you to be bored and bitter. If this approach means taking more time, then so be it. Better work longer and get the job done right than to hurry and work in a constant state of uproar, frustration, disorganization and low-grade chaos.

The road to patience runs right through managing a small business. It starts with reflecting on the best strategies in your own case for handling multi tasking. No matter what the approach, there are fundamentals that help. These include an organized approach to filing, to laying out the day’s tasks and schedule with some sense of priority, keeping track of what needs to be done tomorrow, careful attention to messages, routine and clear notes in the date book and accurate posting of deadlines. These fundamentals are what turn frustration into satisfaction.

Finally: take frequent short breaks. The manager who only takes breaks when there is time to take a break will not last. There is never enough time to take a break because the work of managing is never finished. That is where the third secret comes into the picture. If the first secret to enjoying all of this is good order built on good filing then the second is turning frustration into satisfaction and the third is

Translation: schedule your breaks if you want them to happen.

Triumphing over the pitfalls of multi tasking is today’s equivalent of making lemonade out of lemons when you are forced to start with lemons.

Losoncy is a licensed therapist, an executive coach and president of three corporations. He may be contacted through http://www.mvpseminars.com

Technology is constantly being modified to provide better service and greater satisfaction. At some time, you will need to make an upgrade to replace or improve your hardware and get the latest versions of your software.

Upgrading Hardware

Over time, processor speeds change and things get faster. New and innovative ways are found to interconnect everything, or to see things more clearly onscreen, or to print with better resolution and richer colours.

You don’t have to have the latest invention or the newest product. But you will find that if you don’t upgrade your equipment at the right time it becomes noticeably slower, even obsolete. It may not be able to load new software programs. It may not be able to read files written using the latest programs.

Upgrade only when your business requires. But keep up to date with latest product releases and newest innovations. How? By reading computer magazines, visiting relevant websites, browsing the information technology business press, and by visiting computer resellers and stores. A good reseller will keep you up to date and give you free demonstrations of the latest and newest innovations.

Upgrading memory is always worthwhile. You can also upgrade the CD and DVD drive and the hard drive. You can upgrade the monitor, sound, and video cards. There comes a time when it is more costly to upgrade than it is to buy the latest PC built exactly the way you want it.

Checklist for Upgrading

• Buy only what your small business needs, when you need it.
• Read the computer and business press for the latest advances and newest innovations, and then decide if your business really needs them.
• Keep track of all your hardware and software, because they are important business assets and you will need the information for a variety of purposes. Consider Volume Licensing for software upgrades on five or more licenses.
• Consider technology finance programs that can make your IT purchase easier.

Upgrading Software

As a general rule, you should buy only what your business needs, allowing you to budget sensibly and control costs effectively. Your business will change over time. So, perhaps, will what it does and the tools it uses to do it. Your software will definitely change as technology advances and new ways of getting things done are developed.

How you upgrade software may depend on how you originally purchased it and what kind of licenses you bought:

• If you bought a full packaged product from a retailer and a new upgrade comes out, you can buy an upgrade version.
• If the software was pre-installed on a new PC, you have a choice. You can buy a new PC with the latest software on it, or you can buy an upgrade from a retailer.
• If you need to license more than five PCs in your business, the Microsoft Software Assurance program will give you the right to upgrade to the latest version of Microsoft software for the term of your license agreement.

Keeping Track of Your Software

Software is a business asset. Keeping a record of your hardware and software benefits your business. It means that you have the right information should you need support. It also means you have the details necessary for insurance purposes.

A software asset management program can help you to protect your business from software piracy and under-licensing. An effective software asset management program will also help you to determine what software you need and which programs you don’t need.

One of the first steps to take is a complete audit. Your audit should include:

• Device
• Date of purchase
• Serial number
• Operating system
• Software packages

Sekhar writes articles for Microsoft India Small Business

Cheap cigarettes from Europe are increasingly being imported into Northern America and especially into USA. If you look closely into typical cases of imports it becomes clearer to one and all that most of these are retail imports than bulk consignments of enterprise volumes.

This has many interesting stories contained within. To begin with, this reflects the steep tax hike on cigarettes in the US. The tax increase has been so steep that, let alone the manufacturers and wholesale distributors across the nation, small neighborhood tobacco stores selling retail to smokers are slipping into loss due to lack of business. Apparently, regular smokers aren’t in a position to buy their weekly or monthly stock at such high prices.

Marlboro brand is the most hit of all; one who smokes Marlboro is now being catered to by online tobacco shops which are physically located mainly in Eastern Europe and some in Native American districts which legally enjoy low or no tax on cigarettes. So, the online stores have become the source point for cheap Marlboro cigarettes. Not surprisingly, these shops or the traders have innovatively been reaching the cigarette starved nations and specially the US. The fundamental advantage they enjoy is the drastic tax difference between their source and the US market.

Although Europe has been traditionally manufacturing and exporting cheap cigarettes to US and the rest of the world, recent hike in tax rates in Western Europe on the heels of US has turned the focus on Eastern Europe. Major tobacco manufacturers and cheap cigarettes traders have begun operating from this part with global vision. But how does this all relate to the quintessential smoker? The ordinary smoker is the one that obviously benefits from all this. Let’s see how – cheap Marlboro cigarettes from these sellers will cost around US$13 per carton which includes all taxes and shipping. You may not have gotten a carton of your favorite Marlboro cigarettes’ carton at this rate even in the pre tax hike era. There is a small catch here; you may be required to pay custom duty separately, this is not included in the cost.

There is another angle to this cheap cigarettes business. Ever since the tax hike, not just cigarette traders, both wholesale distributors and the small retailers but also the cigarette industry labors have suffered job losses by the bulk. Cigarette industry jobs have moved out of USA and into Europe; now it has further is moved from there to Eastern Europe. Eastern Europe is the present hotspot of large US and Asian cigarette manufacturers that are putting up plants of huge sizes in unbelievable speeds. This phenomenon is kindled by another less apparent but significant issue which both the online tobacco shop owners and manufacturers have used in their interest. Labor cost and salaries in Eastern Europe is considerably cheap in comparison to Western part of the continent, let alone US.

‘Online cheap cigarettes for sale’ is effecting major economic policy changes and adjustments. Cigarette importing countries are losing huge tax revenues which they would have collected had the industry not shifted focus out of US. Marlboro, which sells about 85% of world cigarettes, is now being made in Eastern Europe.

So, when you buy cigarettes the next time, you know where to get cheap Marlboro cigarettes from!

Amateur article writer on different topics. Like surfing on internet. This time told about: www.cigarea.com. Also paid attention on other different sites: www.smokerjim.net.

To feel comfortable with business technology it helps to understand how it all fits together. Business systems typically consist of four key elements: hardware, software, networks, and hardware peripherals. Here’s how they come together.

Hardware

It’s all a matter of what you need and what you need to do with it. You need to process business in your office, handle business on the move, and ensure that everyone has all the tools they need to do their jobs.. Your computers and the technology system you create will quickly become the backbone of your business. Business uses for personal computers include:

• Word processing
• Data and voice communication
• Financial control and business planning
• Accounting
• Sales and marketing presentations
• Archive, storage and retrieval of customer records and business information
• Researching information on the Web
• E-commerce applications with online ordering and payment
• Online marketing

Mobile Computing for People on the Move

Notebook and Tablet PCs give you greater flexibility and productivity, wherever you are. Both are available in a variety of configurations designed to suit a range of business needs.

Notebooks (or laptop PCs) are powerful, mobile desktops. They come with an integrated high-resolution colour screen up to 17 inches, keyboard and mouse pad. You can choose your specification. They have an integrated modem for online connection. You should buy the best processor and as much memory as you can afford. Ports (expansion slots and connections) are important because they extend the capability to work with other devices.

Notebooks give you flexibility to work anywhere. You can work while travelling, in airports and hotels. You can work from home, abroad, and even in client and customer meetings. With a simple online telephone connection you have full internet access, providing email and web search, access to your office and business database and all aspects of information, purchase, inventory, and accounting. You can download and upload information easily and work anywhere.

The Tablet PC and its Business Benefit

Tablet PCs will revolutionise what you do and how. They will enable you to work in new places and in entirely new ways. The size of standard notepads, Tablet PCs turn your handwritten notes into type or store them as script for instant retrieval. They are lightweight and some have detachable keyboards. They use common peripheral devices (printers, CD drives, monitors). They have all the features needed by mobile users including high-resolution displays and built-in networking.

With a Tablet PC, you can enter data with a special pen. You can make notes, draw diagrams, highlight content, send email messages, convert script to type and much more in both landscape and portrait format. They are fully configured for wireless operation and use the power of new generation programs, like the latest version of Microsoft Office that supports digital ink.

The Tablet PC provides a mobile business solution that is easy for everyone to use. You can take notes in meetings and draw sketches to explain points made or ideas discussed. You can take basic designs and initial concepts and develop them. You can check stock instantly from the factory or warehouse floor. You can write notes and send order confirmations to everyone involved in the transaction. You can collaborate and communicate easily online wherever your business takes you.

Windows Mobile Software Benefits Business and Personal Productivity

Business continues even when you’re out of the office. When you want to contact the office for data, information, messages and more, what are your options? Windows Mobile puts the power of Windows software into a Pocket PC or Smartphone, helping you manage professional and personal communications and information while on the go. Depending on the device and services selected, you can send emails, set up meetings, instant message and access the web or corporate network virtually anywhere.

Windows Mobile-based Smartphones, Pocket PCs and Pocket PC Phone Editions are handheld devices designed to be portable, lightweight, compact, and powerful. Based on Windows Mobile software, they help you to ensure that your business and your people have the right tools to do the job and meet customer and business demands. Their relevance depends on the kind of business you run and manage, and the way you prefer to work.

Windows Mobile Software for Pocket PC:

For many business people, the Windows Mobile-based Pocket PC is a key productivity tool. You can store contact details, run your schedule, calendar dates, jot notes, track expenses and open pocket versions of Word and Excel. With ActiveSync, you synchronise your email, calendar and tasks with your desktop PC while on the go. It’s easy to synchronise with your desktop PC, either wirelessly or through a cabled cradle - so you can be even more productive when you are away from your desk or office.

Windows Mobile Software for Pocket PC Phone Edition:

The Windows Mobile-based Pocket PC Phone Edition offers all the robust functionality of a Pocket PC plus integrated phone functionality, so you can make calls, call and send text messages from Contacts; create call notes and customise ring tones. When combined with Microsoft Exchange Server 2003, the Pocket PC Phone Edition also allows you to choose how often you want to synchronise your calendar, contacts and email with your desktop PC.

Windows Mobile Software for Smartphone:

Windows Mobile software for Smartphone provides all the features of a great mobile phone plus pocket versions of Outlook, Internet Explorer and Windows Media Player. Depending on services and products selected, you can integrate Outlook with your desktop to keep your Inbox, Contacts and Calendar up-to-date. The simple interface makes Windows Mobile-based Smartphones easy to use and personalise. Whether sending emails, instant messages or surfing the web, Windows Mobile for Smartphone helps you stay in touch and in sync while on the go.

Software

After you have purchased hardware, you need software to make it work. Every PC, notebook, portable or handheld device has an operating system. It helps if the operating system that your PC uses is compatible with your other computing devices.

Software is the general name given to programs used to operate computers and connected devices. It is often divided into application software (programs that do the work) and system software (which drive the computer).

Your Operating System and Software Needs

An operating system (OS) is the program that manages all of the other programs in the computer. Windows XP is an operating system. The other programs are called applications. The application programs use the operating system by making requests for services. Users interact directly with their operating system through an interface such as a command language (computer code) or a graphical user interface (GUI) such as Windows.

There is a range of software to choose from offering a different span of applications. For example:

• Word processing
• Spreadsheet
• Financial management
• Asset control
• Presentations
• Daily diary and scheduler
• Digital imaging
• Computer protection
• System security
• Email and web browsing

Some you can buy as standalone software. It may be better to:

• Buy software pre-installed with your new computer
• Choose a multi-task productivity package.

Key Features to Look for in a New PC

RAM (Random Access Memory)

• Processor speed
• Hard-drive storage capacity
• CD-ROM reader and writer
• DVD
• Expandability
• Connectability
• Software included in the price
• Support
• Size

Many new business computers have Windows XP pre-installed as their operating system. That ensures you are buying a legal copy. You may also benefit from volume discounts negotiated with the hardware vendor. And installation has been done so you can get started quickly.

Everything is simple, straightforward, and clear. You can work reliably with in-built online security, network easily with fast internet access, support multiple users on the same PC and make routine business tasks simpler to manage and easier to handle. Intuitively, it works the way you want to, remembering frequently used items, offering wireless networking support, multi-tasking simplicity, and high level interconnectivity. email and mobile communications support is so easy.

Microsoft Office is a multi-task productivity package. It is a suite of business applications designed to help you get more done, more easily. It includes essential office programs that provide easy ownership including:

• Microsoft Word, a professional word-processing program
• Microsoft Excel, a spreadsheet program that’s simple to use
• Microsoft PowerPoint®, for simple-to-create slide presentations
• Microsoft Outlook, helps you manage your communications, organise your work, and work better with others-all from one place. And it now comes with Business Contact Manager - an advanced tool for managing your customer communications.

Sekhar writes articles for Microsoft India Small Business

Receiving wholesale dropshipping business invoices day in and day out is something simple to do once you know how, right? But what could you do that it has already being tested by many of us to move more of your sales to dizzying heights all from your very own e-commerce shop without inventing a new modern wheel and still profit from?

As you may know, adding more products to your already line might be just fine. But how could you guarantee yourself of more continued business with that same customer that went happy and bought from you such lovely Phillips 50 inch HDTV at a whopping 15% discount from the already offline giant wholesalers?

How can you prevent yourself on getting eaten on little accessories that they could buy with such wholesaling giants being 1-3 miles from their home after they purchased from you? You know the answer will not shock you, you will probably say to yourself: why in this world I did not think of that. Many small businesses say the same thing after they know.

As you may know it is called the simplicity of a follow-up. As of now there are virtually thousands of ways to communicate a complementary product that might go hand-in-hand with the main product that your customer bought from you. One great example I love to keep addressing is Amazon and McDonalds.

No matter if wholesale dropshipping is 100% of your wholesale business- you should use the best delivery system on the web. One of the many services that many of us use because of, for who it was meant to be online is AWEBER. There are many services similar to this one, but you must always know which one delivers best without Mr. Evil SPAM coming into play.

It could be a nightmare to have all your e-mails sent be SPAM and then getting shutdown to see if you double confirmed such emails- so that is a point anyone should always commit for further diligence when selecting an email delivery system for their e-commerce site. The steps and feedback you can take with such system are marvelous.

One of the values many of us found of great use is someone entering their information for either discounts, coupons of the month or free upgrades for the given month- than you can easily know from where the lead is coming from, I.P address, name, email, potential validity of an email being legit, ban or not ban a trouble maker, know where your target market is coming from and much more in clear cut tables and everything.

Heck, you can even block a full country general I.P addresses if you want because of a test! The important point here is, like McDonalds has up-sells when you order a burger as they ask you for bigger fries, apple pie, among other complementary stuff, you should get to do the same.

Offer similar stuff when you have already made the sale at the moment or later on no matter if you are wholesale dropshipping your wholesale business product line. A great example of this is Amazon, a great study indeed. Can you profit the same by doing something easy and simple to create?

Wholesale Dropshipping is one of the business components Joaquin serves as reference source, e-commerce coach and certified author. His focus today is assisting people receive extra income through the acquirement of a Wholesale Business

Can you feel the boom? Not the wholesale dropshipping business rush- the DOT Com boom coming in racing speed again! There is a big difference today in our 2007 year and 12 years ago when domains where drowning in a speeding frenzy. With today competition, online and offline- there is really no excuse not to purchase a DOT Com domain name these days.

There are many gurus online confirming and predicting what is already starting to happening our online marketplace- a DOT Com boom. Many are confirming it because of the growth per minute that websites are being launched every 5 minutes and domain names are being snatched up from registrars like if Tazmania and Speedy Gonzales were the new cartoons to hit our TV. I must add another amazing fact that the Internet, 10-12 years ago is not in any way the same thing it has become today.

If you are thinking of owning an e-commerce wholesale dropshipping business, getting more stability and security out of business, has never been better. Back in 1995 the people who market on the net did not have the option of keyword advertising- keyword advertising was totally extinct from virtual real estate landlord giants like Google, Yahoo and MSN. There was no single way to test your current e-commerce wholesale business to see if you had sales in order to get valuable feedback.

Sure, some guy may pop-in and say it existed before Google, Yahoo and MSN appear, but they were visibly for them and a few people, but virtually not existent to the millions of people that we have searching Google, Yahoo and MSN in less than a second!

Keyword advertising monetized the online marketing community like never before. Yesterday you have an incredible high ratio of business risk, today you have virtually a bit if not totally not existent as with less than $100.00 we can purchase an e-commerce script and start re-selling the latest Sony PLASMA TV and have everything up and running in less than 24hrs when sources and trust have been in check.

While yesterday online small businesses online were in many a total flop, today many of those people that were a decade ago online, are now in the top of their passive income hierarchy thanks to all the virtual Real Estate domain names that they managed to purchase years ago with proven businesses that managed to profit from start to maturity stage.

These are one of the thousand and one reasons you should purchase a domain name in a trusted registrar. My favorite registrars are NAMECHEAP and GODADDY. While I would not recommend GODADDY because of their TOS agreement to marketers who own optin newsletters, for sleeping well at night I now happen to go with NAMECHEAP company no matter if they as of now do not offer 24hrs customer service.

While you do not have to be the next Kevin Ham, guy that notifies having more than 300,000 domain names in their portfolio and $300,000,000 Empire, for starters, you only need about $10.00 and even way less depending on the registrar you desire to get such peace of wholesale dropshipping business up and running for a whole year! Now may that be affordable for your future?

Wholesale Dropshipping online is one of the business components Joaquin serves as reference source, e-commerce coach and certified author. His focus today is assisting people receive extra income through the acquirement of a Wholesale Business

Survey sites are a great opportunity to make extra infcome from your own home and it doesn’t take much time. I am a proud member of a couple of survey web sites and I earn almost $500 every week just by doing simple surveys that take like 15 minutes on average.

I love to share my success and I’ve put up a web site where I recommend all the good survey sites where you can take surveys for cash and, literally, earn a living! Survey sites helped me a lot because I used to experience problems paying all my bills and eventually I ended up having lots of debts.

But thanks to the Internet and the big companies that spend a lot of money on market research I don’t have to worry about getting enough money to pay my bills. I have been a member for almost two years and I haven’t looked back, because they provide me with everything I need and as long as I am not lazy I get my check.

So if you really want to take surveys for cash and get out of debts like I once did then I highly recommend you join one of the survey sites. I can promise that you will NEVER regret the decision you will make, because this is a really great opportunity for you and your friends and family. Anyone can join a survey site, anyone can join focus groups, anyone can make money. Because if I could, you can too!

Harry is a survey addict and he has put up a web site with a list of reliable survey sites. Take online surveys for cash and make a living!

We have all heard it said that small business is the backbone of the economy, and we all seem to know that is true. The exact definition for small business is not so clear, but what is clear is that most businesses are small by that allusive definition.

It is a bit of an irony that some business owners try to project the idea that they are bigger than they really are. As much as we might say bigger is not better, our attitudes and actions will determine whether we really believe that or not.

There is strength in being small once you discover how to harness your energy.

The idea of comparing the size of a business, to the size and power of a boat, provides an excellent analogy. A cruise ship may withstand storms and high waves much better than a small yacht, but it is not very maneuverable. A speedboat can go places a ship could never attempt. It is faster, agile, and can turn quickly to avoid danger.

These comparisons are no surprise. Most people seem to realize these differences, but contemplating them well enough to seize their potential is what separates the weak from the strong. The small athlete, who could easily be crushed by bigger competitors, can still win by dodging them and outrunning them.

For small business owners to adapt the same thinking as big business can easily bring disaster. You have the advantage if you think differently. Business models are changing fast, and a small agile company can adapt more quickly. There are big companies teetering on the edge of bankruptcy. Some of them are so steeped in outdated business practices, that they cannot adapt quickly enough to avoid hitting the iceberg.

While big corporations may have an advantage in marketing budget and buying power, small businesses are usually better at having substance. They can respond to their customers and provide more personalized service. They can specialize and prosper in a smaller niche market that would be impractical for a bigger company.

It is difficult, perhaps even impossible, for a big company to operate as efficiently as a small business. With small business, efficiency is not optional. Wasted resources can easily ruin a small business. Because efficiency is so necessary, small businesses tend to be much more productive.

Small businesses can also easily implement methods to increase their efficiency. Advances in areas such as lean manufacturing, modular tooling and work cells, automation, communication, and information technology help level the playing field for small business. With video conferencing and the Internet, collaboration can be accomplished without expensive travel.

In spite of the challenges, the opportunities for small business have never been better.

If you find yourself wishing your business was bigger, that’s great, keep reaching higher. Keep growing and improving. Reach for your fullest potential. Make sure to enjoy the journey though. Your business might always be small according to the unclear definition of whatever small is, but being small can also be your greatest strength.

Steve Chittenden is the webmaster for H&L Advantage, a lean manufacturer of plastic products. Services include plastic injection molding, design, tooling, and product development. Please visit www.hladvantage.com for more information.

One of my marketing students asked if good copy had to be grammatically correct. To me, what makes good copy is much like what makes good art. Basically it comes down to the eye of the beholder. I know my English teacher is rolling over. Bless his heart.

Truthfully, you have to be able to communicate with your audience. And to do that, you must first get their attention. Just how much attention does subtlety get? And for those of us with short attention spans, complexity has no chance.

That said, there are definitely some ways to make your copy more effective. After all your goal is not only to get attention, but to get paying customers.

Is your copywriting bringing the results you expect? No, then give it some punch with these tips.

• Use active verbs in your headline.

• Enclose headlines in quotations.

• State a major benefit in the first sentence. Then restate it twice more in the body of your text.

• Ask a provocative question then provide a provocative answer.

• Talk about what is important to YOUR CUSTOMERS, not what’s important to you.

• Use a conversational tone, leave the corporate speak in the boardroom.

• Be specific in your offer (Buy today and get $50 bucks to put in your pocket now!)

• Use bullets to make paragraphs stand out.

• Use call-outs to draw attention to special offers, contact information, etc.

• Use images that strike emotions (cute pets, babies, people running).

• Give a surprising offer or state what makes you different (Hey! We never charge for installation OR We’re open every holiday OR We save you $25 off your first order-no strings attached!)

• Enhance text with color and use easy to read fonts.

• Include customer testimonies.

• Tell readers how to contact you and WHEN (don’t make them search for your address on your website).

• Always include a P.S. that gives bonus information.

• < Psst > Put brackets around your email subject headers. The visual draws attention.

Sonya Carmichael Jones teaches small business owners how to get customers and sales. Got a copywriting or marketing question? Send it to info@marketingbuddha.com

Security is a huge issue for many businesses. This applies, not only to those that produce goods and have stock in storage warehouses or other similar buildings, but also regular offices that have expensive computer equipment and also those businesses that store personal and financial information of their clients and customers. Identity theft has become a huge problem, and the law requires companies that hold client and employee records to do so securely. However, having security personnel onsite 24 hours a day, 365 days a year can be extremely costly. That is why many companies choose to have security staff on call when the regular business day has ended.

The way it works is simple. The premises are alarmed and the alarm system is connected to a security monitoring service, often with an audible alarm, but sometimes a silent one. If the alarm is triggered, the security monitoring service then calls a designated person to let them know that there is a possible break-in. That person can then attend the scene and investigate. Quite often, this was the business owner, or sometimes the local police. Now days, with the cut in manpower that most police forces are experiencing it tends to be left to a mobile security service to check why the alarm has been triggered, and they can then inform the police.

You could become a mobile security officer or ‘key holder’, on overnight callout easily. There are courses that you can take in security and, once you have been awarded your certificate, you are able to offer your services to local businesses. You charge the company a low annual fee, or retainer, which pays for you being a key holder, available out of office hours to take any calls from the security monitoring service and attending the scene to check that everything is locked and secure and reset the alarm. On top of this, you charge a set price for every callout, based on the number of hours that you were involved in investigating the source of the alarm.

Of course, it isn’t just businesses that need a key holder service. Building sites have recently been targeted by thieves who steal the excavation equipment, and these premises often require an on-call security officer. This may involve checking that everything is secure, at various times, for which you can charge a flat fee, and also responding to alarm call outs.

Homeowners are yet another sector that can make use of a key holder service. This would be on a less frequent basis; when the owners are away on holiday, for example. You charge them an on-call fee for the two weeks, say, that they are away. If their alarm system is triggered, the security monitoring service will call you to investigate.

Because of the hopefully irregular occurrence of break-ins, you could have a large number of clients paying you a retainer at the same time and build a lucrative security business. The opportunities are endless with homes, businesses, building sites, schools, colleges, doctors’ surgeries and almost any type of building being potential clients.

Offer your services via flyers and the local press and start to build your client base, as your work increases you can even hire people to do all the work for you and you just sit in the middle and take in a cut of the cash.

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