Small Business Advisor Newsletter

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FREE FAX. Check out http://www.efax.com. You get personal fax number that allows you to receive fax documents via e-mail. Works great.

MARKETING INFO. For computer user and internet access info visit: http://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/computer.html. Very interesting stuff.

MOST POPULAR SEARCH ENGINES. Here is a listing of those search engines that are visited by most surfers - in order of popularity: Yahoo, MSN, Netscape, Go, Lycos, Excite, AltaVista, Looksmart, Snap, HotBot and Goto.

BUSINESS RESOURCE. Visit smartonline.com (http://www.smartonline.com) for an interesting selection of services including creating a business plan, a marketing plan, business letters. You must register to use any of these services some of which are free (letters) and some you pay for. Worth a visit.

CREDIT CARD TIP. It's the time of the year when credit card companies add the annual fee to your statement. If you're a good customer, call the appropriate bank and threaten to cancel the card if the fee is not removed. It works nearly every time! The bank does not want to loose a customer over a $15-20 yearly fee.

The NMSDC (National Minority Supplier Development Council) Network includes a national office in New York and 38 Regional Councils across the country. There are 3,500 corporate members throughout the network, including most fortune 500 companies. The Regional Councils certify and match more than 15,000 minority-owned businesses with member corporations which want to purchase goods and services. http://www.nmsdcus.org

The Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) is dedicated to enhancing opportunities for women's business enterprises in America's major business markets. In partnership with women's business organizations throughout the United States, WBENC provides access to a national standard of certification and provides information on certified businesses to purchasing managers through an Internet database - WBENCLink. http://www.womenconnect.com/wbenc

The Internet Marketing Center, http://www.marketingtips.com/t.cgi/7115 Marketing tips, strategies, and secrets for internet marketing, online advertising and website promotion that will skyrocket your small, medium or home based business profits through the roof.

You're a one-person business! What gets done is up to you - success or failures belong to you. It's a lot of responsibility but the freedom is worth it all. Right? Right? I know, it's easy to get overwhelmed and it seems that there is simply not enough time to do all you want to do! There is a way out of this dilemma - technology!

There is little doubt that technology has allowed the small one-person businesses to flourish right under the noses of the big guys. We're more flexible, have less inertia, provide more personal service, and respond to needs of customers. But we need to ensure that we make good use of every minute and this means thinking through the various tasks we perform and decide how technology can assist. Here are a few specific examples -no doubt you will come up with more!

1. Answering the telephone. Ah, the phone - a great tool and a great irritant. Save time by having a good answering machine (or, if absolutely necessary, an answering service). How do you spend time on the phone? If you find that you're frequently answering the same questions consider an answering system that allows the caller to depress different numbers for various snippets of information.

2. Do you spend time driving to the local copy center? Maybe you should have your own copier or possibly a faster printer - even a color printer which are becoming very inexpensive. Think about the cost of trips in money and time when determining if you should really spend $500 on a newer, faster printer.

3. Answering questions; presenting information to clients. Necessary but time consuming. Consider the Internet. This wonderful tool is amazing. Place a listing of frequently asked questions about your product or service online; a catalog; details about your background; customer endorsements; and other details that a customer may want to view. Advertise your website just like you would advertise your telephone number.

4. Mailing and shipping. The last thing you need is to waste time in lines at the post office! Don't do it. Get yourself a postal scale and meter (Pitney-Bowes has an inexpensive program). Use the postal service Internet site (www.usps.gov) to determine costs and the most economical ways to mail.

5. Use e-mail rather than the telephone. Much more efficient and no playing "tag."

6. Automate you banking. Sign up for your banks internet-based services. If they don't offer this service, look for another bank!

One of the most common questions we are asked is what are the steps required to startup a small or home-based business. The answer is different in varying degrees for each specific instance. However, there are some common items that everyone needs to be aware of. Let's do it by the numbers.

1. Assess your own qualities. Make certain you will be able to take on the responsibility of starting and operating a small business.

2. Decide if you are going to start your own business; purchase an existing business, or invest in a franchise. We'll assume that you are starting your own but if you select the other options ensure that you investigate carefully.

3. Choose your business wisely - your success will be directly proportional to how much you love what you will be doing! Anyone with a skill or a hobby probably can turn it into a business. There are thousands of possibilities. Here are a few ...

Balloon Decorating	Gift Baskets	Gift Reminder Service
Party/Event Planner	Party Rentals	Reunion Planning
Videotaping Service	Wedding Planner	Cleaning Services
Estate Sales	Garage Sales	House-sitting
Interior Design	Errand Services	Credit Consulting
Financial Consulting	Computer Training	Resume Writing
Shopping Service	Tutoring	Medical Claims Processing
Sewing	Pet Grooming	Pet Sitting
Answering Service	Bookkeeping	Business Consultant
Writing	Editing	Medical Transcribing
Process Server	Video Production	Photography
Calligraphy	Catering	Sign-Painting
Auto Detailing	Clipping Service	Mailing List Services
Market Research	Fitness Coach	Cartooning
Insurance Agent	Real Estate	Senior Care
Language Translation	Collectibles Specialist	Private Investigator

Here are some recommended references for selecting a business that may be right for you:

"Ultimate Careers and Businesses" by MGC Publications (800 531 9874).
"Success for Less - 100 Low Cost Businesses You Can Start Today" by Rob and Terry Adams.

Here is a specific suggestion for those of you who are into yard and estate sales. Ebay (http://www.ebay.com) is a wonderful way to sell (via auction) those "treasures" you find at these sales. We know a number of folks who are making a good living doing just this. Check it out.

4. Take time to investigate the potential of the product or service you are considering. Where are the customers?

5. Choose the legal structure of the business: Sole proprietorship, corporation, partnership, LLC? 99% of you will choose sole proprietorship because it is quick and easy. [Caution: It is a good idea to discuss what the best form for your business might be with an attorney]. Just remember that as a sole proprietorship, you are personally liable for all debts of the business.

6. Check with your local courthouse for what is required for a business license and if any zoning restrictions apply to you. Visit the Small Business Advisor, http://www.isquare.com and click on STATE INFO to find local contact information for your State. (You may also be required to register for a "fictitious name" if the name of your business is something other than your own legal name).

7. If you will be re-selling products, apply for a sales tax permit. This will allow you to purchase for resale (and not pay sales tax) and provide you with forms for reporting sales tax income from sales. Do this at your local government or tax office.

8. Talk with an insurance agent about liability insurance for your business. Any personal insurance policies you may have might not cover a business-related event.

9. Carefully assess the start-up costs for your business. Do this by writing a brief strategic plan for your business. ("The Small Business Start-Up Guide" has details on strategic planning. Visit http://www.isquare.com/guide.htm). Remember, in many cases, you may not see any profit for an entire year. Ensure you have adequate capital. If possible, consider starting your business as a part time venture while keeping your present "day job."

10. Start marketing immediately. A web site can be a powerful tool for your business. Read the article at http://www.isquare.com/website.htm.

Did you know that marketing strategies and marketing tactics are not the same thing? Most business owners use the term "strategy" when describing their marketing efforts without realizing that there is a clear distinction between the marketing strategy and the marketing tactic. The word tactic has a negative feeling to some people, as it implies manipulation or sneaky behind the scenes subliminal seduction, but that is not the case at all.

Marketing has two basic elements: strategy and tactics. Strategy includes deciding who your target market is, choosing how to position your business, deciding how your market will find out about you, creating a reason why your prospect should buy from you, and developing a consistent message and focus for your business to uphold.

Tactics are the actual ways that the strategies are executed. They include newsletters, publicity, seminars, trade shows, advertising, your internet presence, and any other tool that your business develops that your target market is actually exposed to.

Strategy objectives include finding, motivating, communicating with, and selling to your target market. Tactics are the nuts and bolts of how you do this. Focus first on your strategy and develop your key marketing elements. Know who your target market is, develop your company's identity, how you are going to reach your market, and what it's going to cost to achieve these goals.

Once the strategy is developed, then begin the tactics. Develop at least three to begin with that you can realistically implement within the first 6 months. Pick a tactic that is easy enough to begin immediately. There's no time like the present to build your business. TIP: An easy strategy to develop is your networking skills. Decide where you will network and how you will introduce yourself. Begin building your database with contacts so that your tactics will have a "warm" place to land. Leslie Speidel, President of Small Business University can be reached at Leslie@themarketingcoach.com. Visit http://www.SmallBusinessU.com.

Ten Tips for Getting Your Expert Article Accepted by an Online Newsletter Editor: by Azriela Jaffe

One of the most effective and inexpensive marketing vehicles available to consultants, speakers, writers, and small business owners is to write a short article on your area of expertise that would be of interest to subscribers in a particular online newsletter, and then to give it away in exchange for promoting yourself through a byline. As the editor of three bimonthly online newsletters: "The Entrepreneurial Couples Success Letter,", "Best Ideas in Business," and "Keeping in Touch," I am inundated by pitches from such professionals hoping for a slot in one of my newsletters for their article. After reading hundreds of such pitches, I've put together the following tips for anyone who is promoting their business through online newsletters:

1) Subscribe to my newsletters before pitching me your article idea. It won't cost you anything. You can always unsubscribe if it turns out to be a newsletter that isn't of ongoing interest to you. If you don't have a clue about the style and focus of my newsletter, you won't know whether your topic is a match, and you are wasting your time and mine. There's an even better reason to subscribe, which leads me to:

2) Tell me why you love my newsletter, before you ask me to use your article. That tells me that you are a subscriber. As an editor, I want to help subscribers to my newsletter promote their business - I'm not as concerned with helping to promote a stranger. I'm also a human being - I like getting a compliment every once in awhile. That makes me want to help you, too.

3) Take the time to tell me, in one or two sentences, why you believe that your article would be helpful to my readers. Not a general statement that you could broadcast to any newsletter (i.e; "my expertise is of interest to all small business owners), but something more specific (i.e; I notice that your ECS newsletter is devoted to helping couples manage work and family. The following article pertains to a problem that comes up often between entrepreneurial couples. . . ). That short introduction will make me want to read or skim your article.

4) Start your pitch by using my name, preferably my first name. Even if we don't know each other, it makes me think I should know you, so I'll read further.

5) Keep your articles short - less than 1000 words - and low on self-promotion. Promote your business by writing a timely, unique, high-content, moving or funny article that will prompt readers to read your byline, or inspire readers to email me and tell me how much they enjoyed your piece. Keep the self-promotion in the article subtle.

6) Build a relationship with me. I rarely print articles from writers I don't know or respect from their reputation in the industry. I receive ten times the content I can possibly use, and that's with three online newsletters, sending out six issues a month. When I have to make hard choices about who gets into my newsletters, I try to accomplish two things at once: Inform my readers, and help a colleague I support receive some free promotion. I won't promote a friend's work if they don't provide a worthy article, but given a choice between ten articles on interesting topics, I'll choose to give the free PR to someone I like.

7) Offer to help me promote my work, or better yet, just do it. I don't respond to invitations I receive every day from strangers that say: "If you'll put an advertisement about me in your newsletter, I'll put one about you in mine." But if a colleague has been helpful to me, I appreciate being able to return the favor by offering exposure in my newsletter. Think first of how you can be of service, and it will come back to you ten-fold.

8) Communicate with me when you *don't* want something from me. Instead of only sending me an email when you have an article you want me to use, email me at other times as well; to share a comment about the newsletter, to offer a short tip I can use, or to refer a colleague who would enjoy the newsletter. Don't worry about bothering me. I enjoy receiving emails that are personal in nature - this business is all about building relationships.

9) Promote my newsletters in your circle of influence, through your own newsletter, or by forwarding it to friends and colleagues. If you truly enjoy a newsletter and find it of value, give it your personal recommendation - that carries weight with the people who know and respect you. Online newsletters grow primarily by word of mouth referral. Help me with that.

10) Be gracious and kind. Thank me for running your article. Tell me how it helped you in your business. That makes me feel good. When you make me feel good, I will remember you positively, and I will want to help you again.

Visit Azriela Jaffe at "Anchored Dreams" (http:// www.isquare.com/crlink.htm) For free online newsletter for entrepreneurial couples, or for information about her syndicated column, "Advice from A-Z", email az@azriela.com.