June 10, 2010
Recently, I found myself having to create a business proposal for a gig I really, really wanted. I have written these for clients before, and a lot of thought and work goes into them. All that hard work pays off though, because a really great business proposal will stand out from the crowd – and will get you noticed. I’m thrilled to say that I got that gig, and wanted to share a few tips with you that might help you take your proposal from good to fantastic.
1. Organization
It’s important for the reviewer to be able to get through your proposal quickly, and find important sections easily. Organization is key. For my proposal, I created a table of contents so the reviewer could easily skip ahead to sections that he was most interested in seeing. In addition, I placed the entire proposal in a document cover and added tabs to the paper so the reviewer could flip right to the different chapters. This is especially important if the proposal is a long one. Imagine trying to get through a 20 page proposal that has no page numbers, no sections, and no table of contents. When you think about the fact that a reviewer might look at dozens of these each day…it can make for a real headache!
2. Highlighting and Bullet Points
My proposal was for the purpose of obtaining a book deal, so I had to create a tentative outline of the book. In addition to small chapter summaries, I had to estimate the word counts of each chapter. This is a lot of information that was stuck in the pages, and I wanted that information to be as easily digestible as possible. So, when applicable, I used bullet points to break up the information and create easy-to-read lists. In addition to the bullet points, I highlighted certain things that were particularly important, such as the word count estimates. This took the big block of information and separated it neatly, making it much easier to read.
3. Images and Visual Additions
While you don’t want to fill your proposal up with pictures and images, a few strategically placed ones can really spice up the proposal and add to the value. For instance, in my proposal, I included a map in a part that discussed a certain area of land. This gave the reviewer a reference point, which made the experience of reading the proposal better. You might consider which areas of your proposal could really benefit from a quality image.
4. Personality
The last thing you want to do is try to impress the reviewer with gimmicks…and you want your proposal to be professional. That said, inserting some of your own personality into the proposal can certainly benefit you. Imagine reading through 10 or 20 stuffy, verbose proposals a day. Coming across one that contains light humor and that gives you a real feel for the author would be quite refreshing, wouldn’t it? Don’t be afraid to use light humor here and there, and be entertaining. Allow your unique personality to shine through in the writing, while maintaining a professional and polite tone.
5. Use Simple Words
This might go against your natural instinct to create a smart-sounding, professional proposal, but it’s important to keep the proposal as simple as possible. Don’t use the word ‘meritorious’ when you could use the word ‘worthy.’ You want the proposal to sound professional, but with a friendly tone, as if you’re simply speaking to a colleague you respect and like. This makes it much easier to read than if the reviewer is wading through words that are three inches long on a page. Filling the proposal full of these long words can also make it come off as pompous or arrogant.
When you really write your proposal from the heart and rely on your experience and skill, it will stand out. Use the above tips to ensure that the proposal is as wonderful as it can be. Of course, if you don’t have the time or feel uncomfortable writing your proposal yourself, hire a proposal writer from Priceless Writers and we’ll do a great job for you.
March 25, 2010
Do you have some extra time planned for this weekend? If so, Online Universities has put up a new blog post detailing the top 25 movies for writers. It includes some really great ones like Adaptation, Shakespeare in Love, and The Shining.
I have to say, while I love the list, I’ll have to add my very own favorite movie (for right now) to the ‘based on writers’ category. Becoming Jane, based on the life of one of the most incredible writers of all time – Jane Austen – is a fabulous movie! Anne Hathaway and James McAvoy were phenomenal and who isn’t inspired by a woman who dropped everything to follow her dream, even when everyone told her it was impossible?
Thanks to Online Universities for the heads up. Let us know your favorite movie in the comments below!
January 29, 2010
“I run my business by myself and seem to spend a lot of time doing administrative tasks like answering emails from customers or tracking down shipments so I can verify whether or not they’re in transit. What is a good way of minimizing these tasks without cheating my customers?” ~ Rochelle
One of the most important ways of reducing administration time answering emails is to place a FAQ on your site. Include the questions you’re getting over and over so that your customers can find it right away and don’t have to email you. With more and more shoppers being internet savvy – most people look for an FAQ automatically anyway.
Not only will an FAQ help your customers find answers right away, but it can be a great way to help optimize your site for the search engines. Using strategic keywords in your questions and answers can help individuals find your site via Google, Yahoo, MSN and other search engines.
They’ll appreciate getting their answer right away instead of waiting for an email, too. As for tracking shipments, perhaps having a tracking number emailed to your customers so they can track it themselves would be a better solution… 
December 25, 2009
The Priceless team would like to wish you and your family a Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas. May the New Year bring everyone prosperity and happiness!
December 9, 2009
Whether you’re writing a thank you letter, a note of condolence, or a query for your latest novel manuscript – it is extremely important that the method you use to send your letter is acceptable and appropriate for the recipient. Not too long ago, letters always arrived in a traditional mailbox. Personal notes were handwritten on pretty stationary or notecards, while professional correspondence was typed and printed on crisp white paper or letterhead.
Today, businesses and individuals tend to check their inbox more often than their mailbox. News is delivered digitally and the green movement has caused us all to take a second look at the amount of paper we consume. In many situations, email has become an expected delivery method for both professional and personal letters.
When is it Okay to Email a Letter?
- Prospective Employers: Digital resumes and portfolios are not at all uncommon in today’s marketplace, but even if your prospective employer received a hardcopy of your resume it is usually acceptable to email a thank you letter after the interview. The best practice is to gather contact information before leaving the interview. A postal follow-up may also be beneficial in extremely formal situations, but email is fast and convenient for both you and your prospective employer.
- Personal Thank You Notes: Handwritten thank you letters are still considered the proper way to convey your gratitude in most cases, but there are some situations where an emailed thank you note is okay. Small gifts, favors, or a casual thank you to someone you regularly correspond with digitally are all instances when an emailed note is acceptable.
- Sympathy Letters: Again, handwritten correspondence is still deemed more personal than email when it comes to expressing your condolences. Close friends and those you regularly communicate with via email will appreciate an emailed sympathy note, but it is still a good idea to mail a letter or make a phone call as well.
- Professional Thank You Letters: Thank you notes to clients, donors, and other business-related correspondence can be emailed if you typically do business via the internet. Studies have shown that most consumers prefer digital communication from companies and are often more likely to read an email than a post letter.
- Invitations and RSVPs: Birthday parties, informal showers, and casual events are all situations when emailed invitations are completely acceptable. Formal invites, especially to weddings, should still be sent by regular mail and should be addressed by hand. It is okay to request digital RSVPs for both formal and informal gatherings, however.
When is Postal Mail a Necessity?
As technologically advanced as our society has become, there is still no substitute for the heartfelt emotions that flow from the tip of a pen. Taking the time to handwrite a sympathy card or thank you note allows you to connect with your recipient on a much more personal level – these tokens of gratitude and condolence are also memorable keepsakes for many people.
In most cases, personal thank you letters for gifts and notes of sympathy should always be delivered via postal mail. Holiday cards and birthday greetings are typically best received by post as well, although e-cards are acceptable for close family and friends. Professional correspondence depends on your typical communication methods with the recipient – an online company’s clients, for example, would expect an emailed letter while an offline charity donor would appreciate a postal delivered thank you.
Before mailing or emailing your letter, consider these tips to help you make the right decision:
- Is the recipient comfortable with email? Friends and relatives who rarely check their email or don’t spend much time online may not see your letter until months after it has been sent.
- Do you regularly communicate via email? Clients, family members, and friends who are used to speaking with you in person or over the phone rather than email may not appreciate the sentiments of an emailed letter. Contacts that you rarely communicate with should usually always receive correspondence through post.
- Does the situation suit the delivery method? The most important factor to consider is the reason for your correspondence. Someone who took the time to select a gift for you deserves the attention of a handwritten, post-delivered thank you; an emailed followup would be expected after an online job application or novel query.
Images by Mattox and 13dede
December 6, 2009
“I’m considering hiring bloggers to maintain my blog for me as I just don’t have the time to do it myself. In your opinion, would it be a better idea to hire bloggers and have continuous new content or post when I have time – which would probably be about every 2 to 3 weeks?” ~ Shawn
This is a problem a lot of online business owners and marketers have – outsourcing their blogs or not. You know having a blog is a great way to brand yourself and get important information to your potential customers, but finding the time to post daily or even weekly can be difficult. There are a few different solutions you could consider.
a.) Hire bloggers if you want bi-weekly, daily or more frequent posts. If you’re in an industry where up to date information is key, this might be the answer for you. However, you need to keep in mind that hiring trustworthy, dependable bloggers can be tough.
You’re going to need to find bloggers who are passionate about your industry and keeping your customers informed. It could be a long search and a process of trial and error before you find the bloggers that are right for you and your business, but when you do, it can be a rewarding relationship.
b.) Only post every 2 to 3 weeks, but make sure that when you do, you take the time to post well thought out and useful information. Provide valuable tips that aren’t likely to be outdated soon.
In either case, your customers will appreciate receiving valuable information that helps them in some way.
Extra Tips for Making Your Blog Interesting:
There are a lot of things you can do to keep your blog interesting and valuable to readers. First and foremost – accurate, well-written information. Individuals who are interested in your subject matter will trust your blog if it is found to be as accurate as possible. Below are a few extra tips you can use to keep your blog interesting.
- Make it Easy-to-Read: You should always write your blog posts in a simple, easy-to-read fashion. For instance, rather than using large words, use simpler ones. Write in a very basic fashion so that a large group of readers will benefit. Sure, you might sound smarter if you use 30-letter words rather than-5 letter words, but readers can quickly get fed up with trying to translate!
- Offer Solutions: Depending upon what subject matter your blog deals with, offering solutions is a great way to keep your blog interesting. It also offers value to customers. Ask readers to weigh in on solutions as well, and comment on the blog with their ideas.
- Engage Readers: Blog readers may enjoy themselves more if there is a chance for them to participate. Offer contests, ask them questions, and interact with readers. This is a really great way to make your blog more interesting and valuable to readers.
Also, check out these tips for getting more readers to your blog.
December 4, 2009
Would you like to analyze the substance of your Twitter dialogue? What ideas are you exchanging the most in the world of social marketing, and are you conveying the right message as an individual or business? An easy method of tracking your Twitter presence is to create a Tweet Cloud. @icodeforlove is the mind behind a convenient online tool that analyzes and then creates a colorful arrangement (or cloud) regarding the keywords you use most on Twitter.
Interested in your own Tweet Cloud?
It only takes three easy steps:
1) Do you want to analyze your activity for 1 day, 1 week, 1 month, 3 months, 6 months or 1 year?
2) Do you want a small, medium, large or huge cloud (a little or a lot of keywords)?
3) Do you want to post a link of your Tweet Cloud on Twitter? Then click “make cloud.”
Our @PricelessTeam medium cloud above analyzed one year of Tweets and it looks like we’re staying in line with our goal of providing green news, eco-friendly information, writing tips, and sharing a little bit about ourselves along the way.
November 30, 2009
We receive lots of questions from our readers and clients, from proper capitalization to marketing tips to SEO techniques, and we try our best to answer each one. We know there are plenty of other people with the same exact concerns so we have decided to share your questions, along with our answers, as a regular part of our blog. Feel free to contribute your own ideas and experiences within the comments and contact us if you have a question you would like to see featured in a future post.
Today’s question is from Mark, a small business owner in South Dakota…
“Are there any no cost ways to market my business?”
Realistically, effective marketing requires time and effort, funding, or both – but there are plenty of no and low-cost ways to build your brand and your profits. The cheapest and most powerful way to increase sales and expand your customer base is to provide quality products and services.
Satisfied clients are the best marketing tool for any business. Concentrate on delivering value to your customers. Not only will you enjoy repeat sales from satisfied consumers, but they will also spread the word to friends and family. Referral discounts and incentives are useful as well.
Other low and no cost ways to market your business include:
- Business cards: Everyone you encounter is a potential customer – or they know someone who could be. Always carry business cards and hand them out frequently. Leave cards at your local convenience store, post them on community bulletin boards, and always leave your customers with at least 2 or 3 extras to share with coworkers and friends.
- Build an online presence: The internet has become a thriving marketplace for all types of businesses. A simple website and/or company blog can do wonders for your business, especially when you use them to establish yourself as an expert in your field. Free business directory listings can also boost your local visibility.
- Free classifieds: Take advantage of free sites like Craigslist to advertise your products and services. A well-written ad can open an assortment of new business opportunities.
- Flyers and brochures: Creative flyers and brochures can be made at home (or you can hire a freelance designer), then passed out in your local community to bring in new clients and increase sales.
- Social networking: Spend some time with sites like Twitter and Facebook to connect with potential customers and build relationships within your target audience. Here are a few tips to help you succeed with social networking.
Check out these additional posts for more business marketing tips:
Using the World Wide Web to Benefit Your Business
How to Increase Online Traffic Using Offline Promotion
5 Effective Marketing Tools That Don’t Cost a Fortune
Image by yoshiaka
November 25, 2009
This year has gone by so fast – it seems like just a few weeks ago, it was Christmas and here we’ve gone all the way back around to Thanksgiving.
It’s a beautiful time of year when everyone seems more willing to help out a stranger and most people are more aware of the amazing gifts in their lives.
As people all around the country give thanks, we’d like to take a moment to do the same here in our little corner!
It’s been an eventful year and it’s hard to believe that it’s almost over! 
I’m thankful to have a happy and healthy family – 3 terrific kids who love to learn and a wonderful husband to stand beside me. I’m excited to have had the opportunity to connect with some excellent clients this year and to explore new creative avenues within my career.
The rest of the holiday season is sure to be action-packed and I can’t wait to see what the new year will bring – I’m happy to have the chance to share the excitement with the ones I love!
I hope your holiday season is full of joy and surprises – wishing you a happy Thanksgiving, a merry Christmas, and a prosperous New Year! ~ Danielle
I am thankful for the health of my loved ones, especially my mother, who was given the ‘thumbs up’ for remission earlier this year after completing grueling leukemia treatments. I am thankful she had exceptional medical professionals and a strong support system by her side.
I am thankful for all the love in my life – my parents, brother, nephew, grandmother, my extended family, and my best friend/soul mate, Kevin.
I am thankful to have settled into an ever-evolving niche that speaks to my talents and passions, where I get daily opportunities to expand my knowledge (and get paid doing it). Also, ecstatic that it’s possible to become your own boss… and make a decent living while dressed in your pajamas.
I am thankful that technology allows me to keep in contact with family, friends and clients without ever having to pick up the phone. The online connections I’ve made over the years have been priceless…which brings me to my business partners – thankful to have met up with Samantha and Danielle – who have unknowingly helped me grow as a writer and individual over the years. Happy Thanksgiving! ~ Yona
I’m so thankful that the people I love are happy and healthy – my two children and the love of my life, Dwayne. I couldn’t go a day without their smiles and the fact that I can get a hug or share a laugh with them anytime I want really makes me thankful – I know there are some people who don’t have that option with their loved ones.
I’m incredibly thankful that I can work at home, doing what I love – writing! As I work each day with the amazing clients that have come into my life, I’m so glad that I have the opportunity to do something different and challenging each day. I’m also thankful to have such an amazing support system and friends in Yona and Danielle – and the best business meetings in the world, by the way! Happy Thanksgiving! ~ Samantha
The three of us hope that you are enjoying the holiday with the ones you love – and some amazing food. Leave us a comment and let us know what you’re thankful for this year. We’d love to hear from you and share in your joys.
“Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.” –William Arthur Ward
November 11, 2009
Making money online can be a frustrating process, especially if you’re just getting started. Both new and seasoned internet marketers have found interesting, well-written blogs to be one of the most profitable tools in their quest for an online income. As we all know, anything that makes money takes time and attention, but creating a lucrative, income-generating blog could be a lot easier than you think – and there are several different ways to turn your blog into a source of income.
Advertise
Pay-per-click (PPC) programs like Google Adsense have been around for several years and prove to be an effective way to make money for many websites. This form of advertising requires very little effort and can easily be integrated into your blog. The focus of your blog will play a big role in determining how much income you can make from PPC and there are some niches that will not benefit at all from these programs – if your blog is one of those, there’s still hope for advertising-based income. A blog with steady traffic and good readership can sell ad space to related businesses, often bringing in more revenue than a PPC campaign could generate. This option typically requires a bit more time and some leg work, but the results can be very satisfying.
Create a Product
Depending on the topic of your blog, a unique product could be your key to a successful online income. From digital downloads to tangible merchandise, the possibilities for a companion product for your blog are unlimited. Remember, establishing yourself and your blog as a reliable and trustworthy source for your niche is essential. Create a cookbook for your food blog; sell homemade wares on your crafting website; compile a review guide for weight loss methods; make t-shirts or notecards featuring your most popular quips and quotes – get creative and build your own online marketplace for your readers.
Promote the Products of Others
Companies and individuals with their own unique products are always looking for new avenues to sell their merchandise. This form of affiliate marketing isn’t always as profitable as selling your own unique product, but it generally requires much less time and effort. Programs like LinkShare and ClickBank offer a multitude of opportunities to make sales-based commissions on everything from gift baskets to software downloads. There are also websites, like Amazon, that allow webmasters and bloggers to pick and choose products for their own online store. This technique can be a huge success for most websites if it is implemented correctly.
Develop a Membership Site
Everyone loves free information and resources but people are also willing to pay for exclusive, premium content that isn’t readily available. Lesson plans, recipes, marketing tips, and many other topics make great foundations for subscription-based sites – and can create a healthy online income for you. Like most money-making techniques, a membership portion of your blog will require steady traffic and loyal readership, as well as careful planning and regular updates. Problogger has some excellent resources to help you develop a successful membership site.
Flip It
Blog flipping is becoming more and more popular, proving to be quite lucrative for all types of topics. Some bloggers sell their websites because they no longer have the time to invest in maintaining it, while others establish their blogs for the sole purpose of turning it over to an interested investor. A blog that is worthy of flipping requires established readership and traffic numbers, a proven potential to generate income, and should already have quality content in place to continue attracting readers. Typically, a successful blog can return at least 2 years of revenue at the time of sale.
Images: hellori; iprole; meerlap
Do you need help making money with your blog? Priceless Writers offers blog management, search engine optimized content packages, and original writing services to help you generate a profitable online income from your website. Contact us for a personalized quote.
