Floenz Blog

When the “experts” tell you you’re going to need a press kit for your small business I’ll bet you’re wondering why on earth you’d need one. At least, I think you’d wonder why if you think a press kit is just for the press. But the term ‘press kit’ is misleading if you ask me because press kits aren’t just what their name implies.

I prefer to call them small business information kits or information packages instead because that’s what they really are. They are meant to inform everyone, not just the press about you and your business.

Once you have a small business information kit, you’ll find you’re often giving them when someone asks for information about your company–who you are, what you do, how you can benefit them. In fact, you’ll probably find you’ll give out almost as many of your information kits as your business cards.

Sometimes it’s more appropriate to simply hand out just your card, but other times, you might like to give someone more information than what’s on your business card.

Say you’re at a party and someone asks what you do. You’d probably just give them your business card. But your business card gives this business contact only the briefest information about your company.

So, you might also ask for their name and address, and send them an information kit the next day. Sending your information kit the next day also works as an important reminder of the evening’s discussion.

On the other hand, if you’re a plumbing company, you might want to contact construction companies in your area to see if they’re interested in subcontracting your company from time to time, or better yet all the time!

Sending them just a business card probably won’t get you very far. Even sending a well-written letter introducing your company together with your business card probably wouldn’t be as effective as a complete information kit.

You could think of your business card as the “who and the where, and a little bit of the what” of the 6 interview questionswho, what, where, when, why and how. Your card probably has your business name, contact information and possibly a slogan, motto or some saying suggesting what you do.

Your information kit on the other hand, answers all the questions. It tells people who and where you are, just like your business card does. But instead of one little line suggesting what you do, your information kit tells people exactly what you do. How well it tells them what you do depends on how good your copywriting is.

And it tells them how to buy, (with your convenient order form for example, or by phone or fax, with cash, check or credit card) and when to buy (today, right now, before the special offer expires).

Your business card doesn’t have the room to tell people why they should buy from you, but your information package does. And not just by telling them you’re the biggest, the best, and of course the most innovative either.

The real secret is convincing people they can’t do without your product or service, remembering that along with a great description of your product or service, to consider your information kit from your clients’ perspective. Everyone wants to know how what you do can benefit them. How you can save them time or how you can save them money, or how you can make their life just a little bit easier.

One last word on presentation of your small business identity package. It’s almost as important as what you say. A professional image can go a long way in assuring potential clients your small business is the one they want to do business with.

You cannot compete with big companies without one, and you’ll be miles ahead of the small businesses that don’t have one. And while we’re talking about professional image, imagine how your small business will be perceived when you have the ultimate in professional image– a matching corporate identity package, information kit and small business web site.

Eve Jackson owns and operates Details Small Business Solutions. . Details SBS is dedicated to helping small business do big business with communication and image consulting. We write small business business plans and direct mail sales letters, and we design company identity packages, websites and press kits, including all the copy.

DetailsSBS.com

info@DetailsSBS.com

When I was working at a gas station in Chandler, Arizona, fixing windshields for a living, making only $30,000 a year, I had all the drive in the world to succeed.

You see, I was in a franchise. I thought that since I had entered into a business of my own and if I worked it hard enough, I would have success. Man, I was dead wrong.

What I learned is that I could have all the drive and determination in the world, but unless I was behind a timeless, constant and steady product, it would be impossible to succeed.

What I am talking about, is an Evergreen product. When I was introduced to the business I am currently in, I quickly learned the power of an evergreen product. An evergreen product is something that is going to be around for a longtime. Everyone has to be able to use it. It must be a product in high demand consistently.

Health and Beauty sectors produce evergreen products. But, take cosmetics for example…that’s only 50% of the market you’re selling to. I was fixing auto glass at a gas station… This service covered more of the market, as both men and woman drive cars. But, I was still very limited. First off…I only had the influx of cars coming into that one particular station. And, second…some customers, even if they did have chips in their windshield, didn’t want my service because they already used another auto servicing center for all their auto needs.

After I got out of the auto glass business and got started with the opportunity I am in now, everything clicked. I saw how two huge markets had come together, creating a winning combination. Hot markets, such as Personal Development and the Internet are not only steady and constant, but will continue to grow consistently for many years to come. As far as both markets are concerned…I believe we’re only at the very beginning.

I made $19,000 my first month introducing Evergreen Products to the market. Last week, I made $73,000 selling the same products.

One thing I found out on my rocky road of researching business opportunities, is to avoid fads. Fads come in fast and go out even faster. They’re unreliable. Take all the diet crazes that bombard us with the newest sure-thing to a slender physique… Imagine what a rollercoaster that would besales going up and then falling straight down. Then, you’re done. Your customers are on to the next best thing.

More importantly, I can’t possibly stand behind something that I don’t fully believe in. It has to be a product that produces results, something that truly works, and something that I feel great introducing my clients to. It’s about integrity. Products with integrity stand the test of time.

I hope I have made it extremely simple for you to distinguish between an Evergreen product and something that will let you down. An Evergreen Product must be in place in your business to achieve success. To learn more about the Evergreen products I support and about how I teach people to make five and six-figures a month, visit my website: www.azmillionaire.com

Ideally you should choose a topic that you are knowledgeable about or have a strong interest in. e.g. a hobby such as gardening, golf, dog breeding etc.

To increase your chances of success, it’s best to specialize in a niche market as there will be less competition. Using golf as an example, you would find it extremely difficult to compete in this large but highly competitive market.

Some smaller less competitive niches would be:

* Golf Lessons

* Golf Equipment

* Golf Courses

* Golf Lessons For Beginners

* Ladies Golf Clubs

* Golf Courses in California

Get the general idea?

If you are genuinely interested in your chosen niche, you will find it much easier and more motivating to work on your project. Also, your enthusiasm will clearly show through and your credibility with your potential customers will also increase. Establishing a relationship of trust with your customers is fundamental to any long-term business success. This is even more important with internet marketing because you rarely have any personal contact with your customers.

What about content?

There’s no need to be concerned about this as the internet is the perfect place to research your chosen niche and you will never run short of material! You can even hire “ghost writers” to write articles for you — it’s cheaper than you may think!

There are a number of online companies that specialize in helping to put webmasters in contact with freelance writers. Two of the better known sites are Rentacoder and Elance. You can get a good quality article of about 500 words written for under $10.

Tip: Never ever copy anyone else’s work. This is not only unethical, but is also illegal and can get you into a lot of trouble. Always take time to create your own original material, based on your own research.

The first thing you need to do is get some help in the form of step by step instructions and coaching videos designed specifically for newbies.

Moving means umpteen things to be done –it is not about just putting things into boxes, taking them to another place, and unpacking there. The more complicated our lives get the more the things to be done before and after moving.

To make life easier and less complicated, use a “moving checklist.” This will help you move efficiently and methodically.

The first thing is to write down simple facts about your destination—what kind of weather, climatic changes, urban or rural, water potability, infrastructure in new home, size of home, colors of walls, rules made by landlord in case it is a rented home—some landlords specify no nails on walls.

A typical check list will have:

• Inventory of goods—perishable, breakable, unbreakable. A room-wise inventory is recommended. Also a box containing “first day needs” marked load last, unpack first.

• A file containing essentials like house documents, insurance papers, packing lists, bills to be settled, travel tickets, keys to new home, and bills to be settled.

• A must do list to remind you to:

o Arrange transfer of school records.

o Pay utility and other pending bills.

o Transfer bank accounts.

o Turn off phone, heat, electricity, and gas connections.

o Disconnect television and Internet cables.

• A list of “to be done” — post office notification; insurance for valuables, health checks and medications; buying travelers cheques ; closing club, gym, and library memberships; canceling newspapers and magazine subscriptions; returning any borrowed things; finding new homes for pets and plants; confirming travel plans.

• Pack a travel kit containing cheque books, credit cards, personal phone book, I-pod, identity card, flashlight, keys to new home, toiletries, change of clothes, emergency medications, food, towels, alarm clock, games for kids, hat, and windcheater.

• List of items to be sold/placed in storage. List of things to be repaired, replaced, painted, or refurbished.

• List of legal papers and keys to be handed over to the landlord or new owner of your home.

• A folder containing details of movers, truck number, drivers ID and cell number, as well as addresses and phone numbers of their office at the destination and call center or tracking center. An envelope containing cash or cheque to settle the mover’s bills.

• Arrangements to be made in your new home before you arrive: a working phone, installing utilities like gas, electricity, and heat, putting in cable for the television as well as internet, turning on the water supply, getting the painting as well as any other alterations or repairs done before the trucks arrive.

• Ready to use folder containing, birth certificates, school records, medical records, dental records, transfer papers, and anything else required to enroll them in the new school.

• A bare necessities box marked No 1, containing: toilet paper, towels, soap, shampoo, bath towels, paper towels, insecticide, cereal, dehydrated milk, coffee, and other must haves.

• A “new home” must do list: validate your car papers and drivers license, renew or get new insurance, put all legal papers in order (check applicable laws), make a list of emergency numbers: hospital, police station, social services, fire station, doctor’s clinic, and vet.

Be well prepared to move, make a list that pertains to you personally. If you are well organized the move will go smoothly.

Paul Wilson is a freelance writer for http://www.1888MovingCompanies.com, the premier website to find help on moving including moving companies search, compare movers, moving insurance, auto transport, moving tips, and more. He also freelances for http://www.1888Discuss.com.

ComplyXL, Lyquidity’s powerful workbook version record system, has now been enhanced with a visualisation feature to extend the way users can explore the changes that have been made to workbooks and the worksheets they contain. This facility allows users to see in a colour coded system, which cells have changed, as well as having the information presented in textually.

“This enhancement means users have an easy way to understand the changes that have occurred between any two versions of a worksheet.” said Sandy Marshall, Product Manager. “Having changes presented graphically and representing the different types of change using colour means users can comprehend the changes much more quickly improving their productivity.”

ComplyXL enables a user to identify the changes that are made as Excel is used. Excel is popular because of the ease-of-use, presentation flexibility and analytical power it provides to accountants and other users. But there are concerns that Excel cannot be controlled as ad-hoc changes are made. Reports can be changed many times before being presented to management. In turn, some of the changes may need to be revised or reversed. Today users improvise version control by saving different versions of their workbooks but limited to password protection a history of changes is not maintained, saved documents do not reliably record the user and the saved versions themselves may be changed and take on a life of their own. ComplyXL adds version and change control to Excel but without the overhead of an expensive central document store. ComplyXL’s version control enables any user or enterprise employee to track and review the changes made to a workbook or worksheet at any time. Responding to the growing need to bring control to the world of ad-hoc financial information, Bill Seddon, Managing Director comments “In ComplyXL, Lyquidity Solutions provides a product to help both users and enterprises bring control to the use of workbooks without sacrificing the flexibility and power of Excel. There is a growing need to bring workbooks under control. However the ease-of-use, flexibility and analytic power of Excel allows many users to, for example, analyse project opportunities and costs, explore the potential of new businesses and in general increase the productivity of their department or company. So it’s important to provide the control without sacrificing the benefits - this is what ComplyXL offers.”

With a single user price of £35 the product is priced for a full range of users, plus there is a free trial version available for download. About Lyquidity Solutions Lyquidity Solutions a leading financial software and services company providing real business benefits to medium sized companies. ComplyXL provides compliance control of Excel workbooks and was developed in light of Sarbanes-Oxley requirements. For more information, please visit our main website at www.lyquidity.com or alternatively call us on 020 8241 0500. Media contacts should be addressed to sarah.seddon@lyquidity.com. Excel is a trademark of Microsoft Inc.

Part 1 of 2

What is it?

In this issue we will discuss the number one LIE that is portrayed through out the home based business industry.

This lie or miss truth has impacted and possibly disillusioned more leaders then any other when it comes to building a business.

Do you want to know what it is? Well make sure you read on and you will receive the answer and I will show you how to not fall into its deadly trap.

When I got started and set up my new career that allowed me to work from home I was sold a lie that most people are sold and it was:

“get out there and put your head down for the next 7 years, forget everything else and just work and at the end of that time you will be so far ahead of the competition that you will never have to work again…..”

And that is the lie. We get involved in a home based business not a home based retirement plan. It is a business with the most amazing benefits that any business can offer but it does require your attention and work. Don’t get mislead, when you start your business you will have to work. Don’t look at it with the end in site. Look at it as a way to achieve your dreams. More people get burn out by looking at it the wrong way. They work and work and work but never seem to get where they want to go because they are never able to achieve that dream of retirement, which they were promised at the start, because there always seems to be another thing to do.

It took me 6 years to realize that I had been one of the people out there spreading an unrealistic view about this business and it was hurting people. This business is about freedom and it is about choice. As your business grows you will definitely have both of these. Yes you will be able to work when you want and take holidays when you want. Plus there is no ceiling to the amount you can earn. It does not get better then that in any business.

More and more corporate executives are looking these types of businesses because of these reasons.

In fact most of the top income earners that coming through this type of business today have come from some type of corporate business.

The difference is they are coming in treating it like a business and getting the results of a professional instead of treating it like a hobby in the hope that with very little work they will be able to retire. Check out http://www.workfromhomeaustralia.com

My wife came to me one day and helped me to realize what I was saying. She said

“you told me that you will build this business for a period of time and then it would be able to run by itself, but you keep finding another thing to do and more people to help….”

She was right. I had fallen in love with this business. It had given my family an amazing lifestyle that allowed us to travel all over the world, we have just recently taken 12 weeks off that allowed us to have a five star holiday in Hawaii, we have built a beautiful home and send our children to one of the finest schools in the area.

Our dreams are definitely being met, but the truth is, how could I stop working this business? Realistically I don’t think I could. Besides I am only 33 years old at the moment and there are still so many things to do and so many people to help.

I know the question you are thinking.

“If I started a home based business today would I ever be able to sit back and enjoy the fruits of my labor?”

and the answer is most definitely YES. It all comes down to how you develop your business and what sort of systems you put into place to ensure that you get the most duplicatable system.

I will cover more of this in the next issue but just to say this. Recently I attended one of the most awe inspiring events I have ever attended put on by one of the most amazing trainers in this industry. She held the room captive for 48 hours no one wanting to leave their seats in case they missed a small morsel of the diamonds she was handing out. Her name is Dani Johnson and I can not recommend her training enough.

Remember do not fall for the lie that this business is about retirement, it isn’t. It is about you and your family achieving the most amazing lifestyle and getting your dreams. Don’t make retirement one of your goals. Most people that I have met that retire TOTALLY are dead with in 3 years. But the ones who keep their fingers in the pie so to speak continue to have long and productive lives that are not only fulfilling to them but impact many people around the world.

More great info to come or go to http://www.workfromhomeaustralia.com

My name is James Hannan, I have been working from home now since 1999 and have not only developed a multi million dollar business that pays me over of a million dollars every year that grows every month but I have helped many others do the same.

Prior to getting started in our own home based business I was working a job I did not enjoy with people that were negative and in an industry that was more cutthroat then long beard the pirate.

Can any of you relate to that?

I am married to the most beautiful woman in the world and have the two most amazing daughters a man could ask for but unfortunately my job was keeping me away from them and I was starting to not enjoy life.

For more information about James Hannan go to:
http://www.workfromhomeaustralia.com

Corporate incentive gifts can be very effective whether you want to motivate employees or simply entice potential
clients to give you a few minutes of their time. The greatest challenge a company faces when exhibiting at a trade
show is often that there are so many other companies there too, and attendees only have a limited amount of time to
spend visiting each booth. That’s why offering incentive gifts can help your representatives convince them
to spend time at your booth. Likewise, incentive is a terrific motivational tool for employees that can improve
productivity at the office.

Corporate Incentive Gifts At The Office
Consider this: It’s crunch time. Your company’s sales are down for the year, and the year’s almost over. You know
things have become a little stagnant at the office, and the staff just doesn’t seem that fired up anymore. What do
you do?

Well, you could take your losses and hope for better sales next year. You could also fire the under-performing
employees, and hire new people. What about solving the real problem? The staff isn’t fired up? So come up with an
incentive that will fix that! Corporate incentive gifts can often boost morale in the office and motivate
employees to improve efficiency and perform better. You can always try your other options if incentives don’t work,
and this way you continue to work with the people who have the experience and know-how to give your company what it
needs.

Incentive gifts can be anything from a gift basket to a trip for two to a popular destination. Make sure you choose
a corporate gift that is commensurate with the goals you want your employees to achieve. For small, easily achievable
goals, corporate gifts such as a restaurant gift certificate or a gift basket might be enough. Larger goals, like
helping the company hit a new high water mark in sales, deserve something more substantial such as a free trip or a
new stereo. Remember to be creative, and choose a gift that people will want to compete to win.

Corporate Incentive Gifts For Potential Customers
Another way corporate incentive gifts are commonly used is to attract potential clients. You’ve heard of raffles for
a color TV or a chance to win a free car if you listen to a time-share pitch, right? Well, the reason companies offer
incentives is they work! Incentive gifts can be anything a potential customer might want that will convince
them to give you a few minutes of their time. Be sure to select an incentive gift that is enticing enough to provoke
potential customers to listen to you, and remember that it’s just like advertising. If spending the money on
corporate incentive gifts can help you improve sales and increase your number of clients, than it’s money well spent.

For more great ideas on corporate gift giving solutions, visit Corporate Gift Ideas Guide

Each option involves some element of risk and reward. Whichever option you choose, however, owning your own business offers a chance at more freedom and greater financial rewards. So, you’re thinking of going into business for yourself. You have several options available, and all involve some degree of risk. Do you want to create a start-up operation? Perhaps you are planning on buying an existing business. Or, you may be considering the purchase of a franchise operation.

Start-ups

If you are planning on building your business from the ground up, you are taking a bigger risk than if you were buying an existing business or a franchise. Existing businesses and franchises have some operating history that you can use to gauge the likelihood of the success of the business. By comparison, with a start-up business, you naturally think that you will succeed, but there are fewer guarantees.

Most successful start-ups don’t actually begin with a new, innovative product. Instead, they begin with a proven product or service (start-up owners often open competing businesses in areas in which they are familiar) and become innovative after the new venture has generated some level of profit and success.

Because your start-up has no previous track record (even if you have had success in your field), you will first need to raise enough financing to make a go of it. Banks or investors will want to see a plan of attack before they will approve a loan for your start-up. Therefore, your first step should be to create a strong business plan.

The business plan

A well-developed business plan serves several useful purposes. It helps to organize thoughts and ideas about how the business should be developed. It also creates a plan of attack that will help you stay focused. And, it will assist you in getting financing. There are several important elements to a well-prepared plan:

Strong introduction: The cover page, executive summary (essentially an overview of the plan), and table of contents will be the first elements that potential financiers or investors will see. If these aren’t strong, potential financiers may not take you seriously enough to get to the heart of your plan.

Business description: Whether you are using the business plan to get financing or create a focus of how your business should be run, you need to present a clear vision of what your business will be. The description should include how you want your business to be positioned in your industry, what will make your business unique, the products or services that you will provide, and how you plan on pricing within the industry. Do you want to be the low-cost provider, or the high-end specialist?
Market positioning: If you want to attract investors to your business, you need to convince them that a need in the marketplace exists for what you are proposing. This section needs to include details on the size of the potential market for your business, how your business can benefit through sales inside the market, and how you plan on succeeding against your competitors.

Financial objectives: This is perhaps the most important part of your business plan. Here, you need to convince your potential backers or lenders that your business will make a sound investment. You’ll want to show that you have evaluated the attendant risks and rewards of your proposed business. You’ll also need to project cash needs and expected income, and present a cash flow statement.

Other areas: A good business plan will also cover in some detail your marketing plan, a discussion of how you plan on developing products to bring to market (if the business is a manufacturing concern), and so on.

Buying an existing business

The obvious advantage to buying an existing business is that it has a proven track record of success. But that doesn’t mean that there are no possible pitfalls that you should avoid.

Perhaps the greatest problem in buying an existing business is that you might not acquire the expertise and services of the existing owners, who have often accumulated goodwill with their customers or clients. However, when a business is bought, it is not unusual for the previous owners to stay on for a period of time to assist with the transition and to make introductions to clients in an attempt to transfer some of that goodwill.

Consult qualified professionals to properly evaluate the information that the owners of the existing business may provide you. Also, make sure that the reasons why the business is on the market are true. Is the owner really planning on retiring to Florida, or is he or she just trying to escape the crushing debt that the business has accumulated over the last few years?

Also, keep in mind that you may be taking on a heavy load of debt in acquiring the business. A business that is marginally profitable may not be able to both pay off the debt service on the loan and pay you a living wage.

Franchises

When you buy a franchise, you also buy marketing support, business strategy, name recognition, and assistance with site location (if it’s a retail operation), among other things.

However, you also give up some things. You will never have the final say in all decisions, because franchisors typically retain rights to ensure that your business is run their way. Also, you won’t be entitled to all of the profits of your business, because franchisors typically take a percentage as part of their fees. Finally, you may be limited in your decision-making processes (e.g., some franchisors require you to buy materials from their suppliers).

If you are thinking of purchasing a franchise, it is very important to thoroughly investigate the company. Remember, you are doing more than just purchasing a name–the franchisor is going to be your business partner. Make sure that he or she doesn’t want only your money and then move on to the next potential buyer.

Franchisors are required to disclose lots of information to potential franchisees. Do your homework. Talk not only to successful franchisees but also to ones who have failed. If several former franchisees tell you that the company didn’t fulfill the promises of the franchise agreement, beware.

Make sure every representation is made to you in writing before you purchase. Take notes of everything said to you, and have the franchisor sign off on them. That way, you will have a record of what was represented to you if things go wrong.

Important Disclosure Notice

The material contained herein is not intended to provide specific legal or tax advice.

It provides only broad, general guidelines and strategies that may be helpful in shaping your financial thinking about investment objectives and risk management.

The information that follows is intended to serve as a basis for further discussion with your financial, legal, tax and/or accounting advisors. It is not a substitute for competent advice from these advisors. The actual application of some of these concepts may be the practice of law and is the proper responsibility of your attorney. The application of other concepts may require the guidance of a tax or accounting advisor. The company or companies listed below are not authorized to practice law or to provide legal, tax or accounting advice.

Although great effort has been taken to provide accurate data and explanations, and while the sources are deemed reliable, the information that follows should not be relied upon for preparing tax returns or making investment decisions. This information has neither been audited by nor verified by the company or companies listed below and is therefore not guaranteed by them as to its accuracy.

This information includes changes made by the Economic Growth and Taxpayer Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 (EGTRRA). Many of these changes phase in or out according to varying schedules and ultimately all of the changes made by EGTRRA are scheduled to expire at the end of 2010, unless Congress takes action in the interim.

Long-Term Care Insurance material may NOT be used with the public in the following states…Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia.

Securities and Investment Advisory services offered through:
New England Securities Corporation
Member NASD, SIPC
501 Boylston Street, Boston, Massachusetts, 02117

Insurance Products Offered through:
New England Life Insurance Company
501 Boylston Street, Boston, Massachusetts, 02117

Long Term Care Insurance Offered through:
Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, New York, NY and other unaffiliated insurers through New England Financial, Boston, MA, an affiliate of Metropolitan Life Insurance Company.

Please note that most long-term care insurance policies contain certain exclusions, limitations, waiting periods, reduction of benefits and terms for keeping them in force. Your representative can provide you with full details and cost information.

L06019MJM(exp0108)MLIC-LD

Harvey Davis J.D. is a financial advisor with the Chesapeake Financial Group. He may be reached at 410-527-4000 or at hdavis@baltimore.nef.com. Please visit his website at http://www.harveyhdavis.com