How To Power Smile

Be fair, attentive, and customers
will return.

Power smiling is a crack of the
lips. I'm in control, type smile.
It's not bold, but free, honest.

Most of us have meetings. Naturally,
there are hundreds of other things we
could be doing. The late comers can
tease-up the atmosphere. Instead of
allowing the pressure to give you
stomach problems, headaches, and a host
of other ailments, power smile.

Take a breath, let it out slowly, and
curve the lips. Let that bad energy
go. Do it a second time, if needed.

Add your opinion, input, in the meeting.
This, too, encourages others to get a
second burst of energy.

The momentum is changed. You power
smile, and your meeting is over.

If you're at any place, uncomfortable,
smile. Focus on the smile, and the
uneasiness will disappear. Most likely,
others will follow your lead.

A power smile opens the door for
chatting, kills the tension,
friendships can be formed, and business
contacts made.

How To Set Yourself Apart

Be fair, attentive, and customers
will return.

The goal of any business is to set itself
apart from the competition, keep current
customers, and gain new ones.

"It isn't that easy." You blurted loud
enough for your cat to stir.

It's true that your first impression is
the most important. You'll never get the
chance to re-live the first impression, in
business or life.

The means of contact you use must
communicate, state, how better, different,
cost effective, your product or service
is. Anticipate questions, and answer them.
Put yourself in the customer's place. What
concerns would you have?

Make it clear about being available for
further questions. No question is too
small, or not worth asking. Naturally,
you provide contact numbers, again, at
the end of the correspondence.

Make sure you're addressing the correct
party. Have his/her contact information?
If not, be sure to ask for it.

"Contact information?" You asked.

Contact information is your correct
mailing address, office telephone
numbers, cellular numbers, web site
link, e-mail addresses, and other
information to make it easier to close
the deal.

Keep in touch with him/her through the
contact information. Send follow-up
letters, calls, and e-mails.

Telephone conversations are professional,
and to the point.

After talking with a person a couple times,
you'll know which form of communication he/
she prefers. Lean toward using that
particular mode.

In the world of business, set yourself
apart from the competition by sending
the additional letter, advice, answer
the same question twice, or go the extra
step to close the deal.

Map Out A Business Plan

Be fair, attentive, and customers
will return.

"I have an idea for a business,
but not sure of a few things."
You explained to a friend.

It's best to write down
uncertainties. Why are you not
sure? Don't start a business
with doubts.

A business plan helps in
determining if your product or
service is reasonable, do-able,
or have a chance at success. It
is the deciding factor in whether
or not you want to continue, start,
the business.

A good business plan defines
goals, dead-lines. It answers
who will handle the accounting,
for example. Will you, someone
else, be in charge of customer
service? Day to day operations?
Suppliers?

Why have a business? What purpose
will you, your business, serve?

Predict, estimate, yearly revenue
projections. Allow for the
unexpected.

How are you going to promote your
product, service? Your target
market? Narrow down a segment
of the population that your product,
service, is directed at. Take into
consideration the competition. Is
your product or service a trend?
Have more than one product, service.
Make sure your budget accommodates
your choices.

Explore a distribution process. How
will you get the product, service, to
customers?

After going through the steps of a
business plan, are you ready to build
a, profitable, business?

Price

Be fair, attentive, and customers
will return.

You offer a product(s), service(s),
for a price. You're in business
to make a profit. Or, at least,
break even.

"Suppose my customers don't want
to pay the asking price?" You
frowned, looked away.

Your product or service should
be high quality, competitive,
better. As we, all, know,
products, services, that make
one feel better, look good on,
perk one up, should cost more.

Don't be afraid to have a costly
product, service. The best costs
more, fact of life.

If a person is satisfied with it,
he/she is willing to pay the going
price. Price, for an individual,
isn't a factor when a promotional
campaign has stirred desire.

Advertise to your target market.

"Who is my target market?" You
blurted the question.

Your target market refers to the
group your advertising is directed
at. Once that's determined, spell-
out the benefits to those individuals.

The product, service, will encourage
new customers, bring repeat buys,
when people can see the benefits.

Happy customers tell others, and that
equals free advertising.

Fear shouldn't be a factor when
determining the price of a product
or service. There are no restrictions
when it comes quality, make-me-feel-
better, look good, kick-start-my-
esteem, and just-have-to-be-mine.

Don't Fight Over The Business

Be fair, attentive, and customers
will return.

The financial start for a business
is larger than most of us can handle,
alone. Everyone doesn't have ready
cash at hand, or a rich relative able
to supply funds. Often times, you
can't get a loan from the bank. Or,
the loan wouldn't cover all expenses.

"I've been in that situation." You
shook your head.

An option is to turn to someone that
will lend you money, for a reasonable
interest rate. Perhaps, that person
wants to help run the business.

From the start, in writing, explain
what your partner's responsibilities
are. Leave nothing to chance.

Who will handle the accounting? The
suppliers? Will someone other than
you two hire, fire, employees? One
or both of you should be on site at
all times? When a major issue comes
up, who will do the problem solution?

Tailor the questions specifically for
your business. This list should be
prepared prior to signing a contract.

The fighting, over business affairs,
is eliminated. There isn't wasted
efforts on a task(s) done already.
Naturally, the business runs smoother.
You and your partner can focus on a
profitable year.

What To Do When Your Business Fails

Be fair, attentive, and customers
will return.

Failure, as in any other aspect
of life, happens to small
businesses. Pointing the blame
finger, helps no one, is fruitless.
More importantly, push away your
hurt feelings. Take solace in, the
fact that, your best efforts were
given.

Address the situation at hand. Go
to your creditors, explain the
situation.

"A failed business makes it hard
to look at the staff, impossible
to face creditors." You lowered
your eyes to the floor.

It's not going to be easy
explaining to creditors, employees
needing their pay-check that will
never come, or your mentor who
cheered for every success.

Muster the courage to disclose
it. Don't hide behind your
mentor, family, or the pit-bull.
Advise everyone that has a right
to know.

In time, people will respect you.
The, mere, fact that you stood-up,
and chose to face the people who
trusted you, speaks about character.

Tie-up the end of business, and move
on.

Take some time to relax, do activities
you didn't have time for. Read the
book you've been trying to for three
years, visit family members, or
start an exercise routine.

Later, when you're ready, analyze
why the business failed. Was it
poor business decisions, on whose
part? Were your finances managed
by properly? What part, if any,
did you play in the failed business?

You must be honest with yourself.
If you don't find the true causes
of why the business failed, correct
them, you will continue to make the
same mistakes.

A failed business requires you be
fair with all concerned, move on
with your life, and find out why
it happened. At some future time,
build a new business.

Protect Yourself From A Thief

Be fair, attentive, and customers
will return.

"Huh?" You fixed your eyes on the
title.

A thief is a person who helps himself/
herself to another's property, cash,
without permission.

Sadly, employers, unknowingly, hire
people who are thieves.

I'm not saying, all book-keepers,
accountants, are thieves. There is
a, small, percentage lurking, that
know how to gain the trust of their
employers.

The check-book should remain under
your control. If an employee needs
a check, let him/her come to you.

It curtails anyone helping themselves
to business funds, by signing your
name. Also, you can spot when/if
too many checks have been written.
It keeps you involved with that
aspect of the business.

No one should have complete control
over funds, but you. It protects you
from a thief.

The only time you relinquish control
is when you have a partner. At that
time, you and the partner's signature
should be required.

Invest in a deposit stamp.

"What good id that going to do?" You
questioned.

A deposit stamp keeps your checks
from going to an account that has
a similar name, either, by fraud or
mistake.

The deposit stamp can read: For
Deposit In, Your Company's Name,
and the account number.

It's a must to save receipts, any
papers, from your accounting
personnel.

Criminal, back-ground, checks are
tools small business owners should
utilize. Still, errors will, can,
show-up, for one reason or the other.

Use common sense in an effort to
protect yourself from thieves. In the
long run, time, piece-of-mind, and
money will be saved.